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FIELD OF INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
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This invention relates to aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins and phenolated aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins and methods for producing the same. More particularly, this invention concerns methods of producing cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins and phenolated cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins that are modified by incorporation of aromatic carboxylic acids to improve their compatibility with alkyd resins while achieving softening points, rheological properties, and hydrocarbon solubilities desirable for use in the formulation of printing inks.
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Resinous materials made by the thermal polymerization of cyclopentadiene-rich hydrocarbon feedstocks have been widely used in lithographic ink vehicles. Typically, such feedstocks include byproduct streams from petroleum refining that contain substantial amounts of cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, and cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes. Usually these streams are predominantly composed of dicyclopentadiene and other dimers, since the dimers are more stable at room temperature. However, during processing the dimers revert to monomer before subsequently polymerizing. A description of these types of resins can be found in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4 Edition, volume 13, pp. 729-731, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The formulation latitude of hydrocarbon resins in lithographic and other printing inks tends to be limited by a balance of factors. If the hydrocarbon resins have sufficiently low molecular weights to be readily soluble in ink oils (i.e., high boiling-point hydrocarbon solvents) and compatible with other ink components such as vegetable oils or alkyd resins, the resins tend to have softening points that are too low to make fast-drying inks and solution viscosities that are too low to give formulated inks the paste-like consistency desired for printing. Sparging with steam or nitrogen, or alternately vacuum stripping to remove unreacted components, can increase resin softening points and solution viscosities, but these processes can lead to lower solubility and incompatibility with other ink components. Furthermore, the prolonged processing time associated with sparging or the increasing of the molecular weight often results in a darkening of the color of the final resinous product, which is undesirable in a resin used in ink production.
It is known in the art that the softening points, viscosities, and alkyd compatibility of cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins can be improved by modifying them with agents such as other olefins, alkylphenols, fatty acids, rosin, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and anhydrides, or various combinations thereof. Such modification may be carried out concurrently with the polymerization of the cyclopentadiene or subsequent to the polymerization.
For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,433,100 teaches the incorporation of olefins other than cyclopentadiene into the cyclopentadiene feed as well as modification of the resin with rosin or fatty acids. Aliphatic carboxylic acids such as rosin acids or fatty acids can react via an addition reaction with the norbornyl unsaturation in the cyclopentadiene polymers to form ester linkages. The reaction of cyclopentadiene-based resins with phenolic-modified rosin esters is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,391,615.
The modification of cyclopentadiene-based resins by incorporation of maleic anhydride is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,189,410. It is known that such α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and anhydrides can react with cyclopentadiene-based resins via a Diels-Alder or ene-type addition reaction.
The Diels-Alder adduction of cyclopentadiene-based resins with maleic anhydride or fumaric acid followed by esterification with alcohols is taught in U.S. Patent No. 4,574,057. Likewise, U.S. Patent No. 5,587,007 discloses the Diels-Alder adduction of cyclopentadiene-based resins with fumaric acid or maleic anhydride together with addition of phenols and fatty acids.
Despite the extensive research which has been conducted in the field, it is still often difficult to achieve the balance of viscosity, softening point, and alkyd compatibility which is often preferred in a resin for use in inks (particularly lithographic, intaglio, letter-press, and other paste-like inks) that are suitable for modem printing presses. Modification with alkylphenols, for example, tends to enhance compatibility with alkyd resins but depresses the softening point when the alkyl groups are relatively large, or when the phenols are used in sufficient quantity as to excessively limit the extent of the cyclopentadiene polymerization (thereby limiting molecular weight gain). Also, the use of alkylphenols is being examined on environmental grounds due to their being estrogen mimics. Partial or complete replacement of the phenols in such modified hydrocarbon resins would be highly desirable.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a method for producing aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
Another object is to provide a method for producing aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins that have the alkyd compatibility of alkylphenol-modified hydrocarbon resins while maintaining solution viscosities and softening points suitable for printing ink formulations.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for producing aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins with desired alkyd compatibilities, solution viscosities, and softening points which reduces reaction times over common methods of producing traditional resins, thereby allowing the production of lighter-colored resins.
The objects of this invention are met by producing aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins and phenolated aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins via the reaction of at least one aromatic carboxylic acid with at least one cyclopentadienyl compound and, where desired, additional reactants. These resins can be dissolved in hydrocarbon solvent to produce varnishes which are suitable for use in the production of printing inks. The resins have the balance of solution viscosity, softening point, and alkyd compatibility which is desirable for modem printing presses. Also, the complete or partial replacement of alkylphenols in these resins is advantageous on environmental grounds.
It is believed that the alkyd compatibility imparted to cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins by reaction with alkylphenols is due in part to the aromatic nature of the phenols, which gives them an affinity for the aromatic ester groups such as phthalates, or isophthalates that are usually found in alkyds. We have now found that such aromatic character can also be imparted by reaction of the hydrocarbon resins with aromatic carboxylic acids. While not being bound to a specific mechanism or theory, we believe that the aromatic carboxylic acids react with the norbornyl unsaturation in the hydrocarbon resin by an addition reaction analogous to that which is known in the prior art for aliphatic carboxylic acids such as fatty acids and rosin acids. This belief is based on the reduction in acid number that occurs during the course of the reaction of the aromatic carboxylic acid with the hydrocarbon. In the present case of adduction with the aromatic acids, this should produce aromatic ester linkages, which should be especially compatible with similar groups in alkyd resins and other aromatic rich components.
1) from about 50.0% to about 100.0% by weight of the first component of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof, and
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof, and
A) from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the reactants of a first component comprising:
B) from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the reactants of a second component comprising at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
A process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises reacting:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290° C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
1) from about 50.0% to about 100.0% by weight of the first component of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof, and
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one member selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof, and
A) from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the reactants of a first component comprising:
B) from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the reactants of a second component comprising at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
A preferred process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises reacting:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
Where desired, a process may be utilized wherein traditionally employed alkylphenol is only partially replaced or supplemented with aromatic carboxylic acid. While this process does not give the aggregate environmental advantages intrinsic with the complete elimination of alkylphenols, the process does produce phenolated aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins which exhibit improved balances of softening point and viscosity with alkyd compatibility so long as the aromatic carboxylic acid content in the resulting resins is sufficiently high.
1) from about 50.0% to about 99.0% by weight of the first component of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof,
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof,
3) from about 1.0% to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one alkylphenol, and
4) a catalytic amount of at least one acid catalyst, and
A) from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the reactants of a first component comprising:
B) from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the reactants of a second component comprising at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
Therefore, a process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises reacting:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
1) from about 50.0% to about 98.0% by weight of the first component of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof,
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof,
3) from about 1.0% to about 50.0% by weight of the first component of at least one alkylphenol, and
4) a catalytic amount of at least one acid catalyst, and
A) from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the reactants of a first component comprising:
B) from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the reactants of a second component comprising at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
A preferred process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises reacting:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
Where desired, the above-noted one step processes may be conducted in two steps. In these processes, the first component is heated to a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce a hydrocarbon resin. The resulting hydrocarbon resin is then reacted the aromatic carboxylic acid component at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
1) from about 50.0% to about 100.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof, and
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof, and
A) reacting in a first step:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce a hydrocarbon resin, and
1) from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the second step reactants of the hydrocarbon resin of step one, and
2) from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
B) reacting in a second step:
According, a two-step process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises:
at a temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
1) from about 50.0% to about 100.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof, and
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof, and
A) reacting in a first step:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce a hydrocarbon resin, and
1) from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of the hydrocarbon resin of step one, and
2) from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
B) reacting in a second step:
A preferred two-step process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises:
at a temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
Where desired, a two-step process may be utilized wherein traditionally employed alkylphenol is only partially replaced with aromatic carboxylic acid. While this process does not give the aggregate environmental advantages intrinsic with the complete elimination of alkylphenols, the process does produce resins which exhibit improved balances of softening point and viscosity with alkyd compatibility so long as the aromatic carboxylic acid content in the resulting resins is sufficiently high.
1) from about 50.0% to about 99.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof,
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof,
3) from about 1.0% to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one alkylphenol, and
4) a catalytic amount of at least one acid catalyst,
A) reacting in a first step:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce a hydrocarbon resin, and
1) from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the second step reactants of the hydrocarbon resin of step one, and
2) from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
B) reacting in a second step:
According, a two-step process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises:
at a temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
1) from about 50.0% to about 98.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one cyclopentadienyl compound selected from the group consisting cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof,
2) up to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof,
3) from about 1.0% to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants of at least one alkylphenol, and
4) a catalytic amount of at least one acid catalyst,
A) reacting in a first step:
at a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C for a time sufficient to produce a hydrocarbon resin, and
1) from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of the hydrocarbon resin of step one, and
2) from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the second step reactants of at least one aromatic carboxylic acid,
B) reacting in a second step:
A preferred two-step process for producing the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention comprises:
at a temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins.
It is preferred that the aromatic carboxylic acid employed in the present invention contain a total of from one to about three carbocyclic and/or heterocyclic aromatic rings to which are attached a total of from one to about four carboxyl groups. Typical examples of such aromatic carboxylic acids include, but are not limited to, the following: benzoic acid, alkyl-substituted benzoic acids (such as o-toluic acid, m-toluic acid, p-toluic acid, p-tert-butylbenzoic acid, and the like), alkoxy-substituted benzoic acids (such as p-anisic acid, 4-octyloxybenzoic acid, and the like), halogenated benzoic acids (such as m-chlorobenzoic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, 1-naphthoic acid, 2-naphthoic acid, trimellitic acid, pyromellitic acid, benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid, and the like), and heterocyclic acids (such as picolinic acid, nicotinic acid, and the like). The compatibility, softening point, and viscosity desired for the resin solution formulation will determine the choice of the aromatic carboxylic acid(s) employed in the process. Generally, alkyl-substituted or alkoxy-substituted aromatic carboxylic acids (such as p-tert-butylbenzoic acid and the like) will give greater compatibility with other varnish components. Aromatic carboxylic acids with multiple carboxyl groups will generally yield higher viscosities and softening points.
In the single step processes of the present invention, while from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the reactants may be the second component comprising at least one aromatic carboxylic acid, a preferred range of aromatic carboxylic acid is from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the reactants. Likewise, while from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the reactants in the single step processes may be the first component, a preferred range of the first component is from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the reactants.
In the two-step processes of the present invention, while from about 0.5% to about 35.0% by total weight of the second-step reactants may be at least one aromatic carboxylic acid, a preferred range of aromatic carboxylic acid is from about 1.0% to about 10.0% by total weight of the reactants. Likewise, while from about 65.0% to about 99.5% by total weight of the second-step reactants may be the hydrocarbon resin of step one, a preferred range of hydrocarbon resin is from about 90.0% to about 99.0% by total weight of the second-step reactants.
In carrying out the process of the present invention, it is preferred that at least one hydrocarbon feedstock stream (usually resulting from petroleum refining) be employed to supply the cyclopentadienyl compound. Hydrocarbon feedstock streams suitable for use in the present invention contain a substantial amount (typically at least about 80.0%) of cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene, methylcyclopentadienes, dimers of methylcyclopentadienes, cross-dimers of cyclopentadiene and methylcyclopentadienes, and combinations thereof. Suitable hydrocarbon feedstock streams may also include an amount (typically up to about 10.0%) of acyclic hydrocarbon containing five and/or six carbon atoms (such as isoprene, piperylene, and the like), and other small amounts of unreactive species (such as various pentane isomer, hexane isomers, and the like). The use of a purified dicyclopentadiene stream is particularly preferred in the present invention.
Where desired, up to about 50.0% by weight of the first component employed in the single step processes of the present invention may consist of materials which have traditionally been incorporated into cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins. Likewise, up to about 50.0% by weight of the first step reactants employed in the two-step processes of the present invention may consist of materials which have traditionally been incorporated into cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins. Such suitable additive materials which are co-reactive with cyclopentadienyl compounds include, but are not limited to, the following: non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers, acrylic monomers, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, α,β-unsaturated anhydrides, fatty acids, rosins, and combinations thereof. Preferred optional non-cyclopentadienyl olefinic monomers which are suitable for use in the present invention include petroleum byproduct streams (commonly called C-9 streams in the art) that contain substantial amounts of styrene and/or substituted styrenes. Preferred optional α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and α,β-unsaturated anhydrides include fumaric acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, and the like. Preferred optional fatty acids include saturated monocarboxylic acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, unsaturated monocarboxylic acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, and combinations thereof. Preferred optional fatty acids include unsaturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acids derived from tall oil or vegetable oils (such as linseed oil, tung oil, and the like). Preferred optional rosins are tall oil rosin, gum rosin, wood rosin, and mixtures thereof.
Where employed, alkylphenols that are suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following: p-tert-butylphenol, p-tert-amylphenol, p-tert-octylphenol, nonylphenol, dodecylphenol, dinonylphenol, p-cumylphenol, bisphenol A, and mixtures thereof. The presence of a phenol can increase the reaction rate of the aromatic carboxylic acid with the hydrocarbon, particularly in the case of acids such as terephthalic acid that have negligible solubility in the hydrocarbon feedstock.
The presence of an acid catalyst is required for the attachment of the phenol to the hydrocarbon resin via an alkylation reaction. Thus a catalytic amount of at least one acid catalyst is employed when an alkylphenol is utilized. A preferred catalytic amount is from about 0.005% to about 1.0 % by total weight of either the first component reactants in the single step processes or the reactants in the first reaction of the two-step processes. Suitable acid catalysts include, but are not limited to, mineral acids (such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, and the like), sulfonic acids (such as methanesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, and the like), and combinations thereof.
In the single step processes, a reaction temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C is employed for a time sufficient to produce the produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention. It is preferred that a reaction temperature in the range of about 245°C to about 285°C be utilized, and it is more preferred that the temperature be in the range of about 260°C to about 275°C. Common reaction times typically range from about 0.5 hours to about 30 hours.
In the first step of the two-step processes, a reaction temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C is employed for a time sufficient to produce the produce the step one hydrocarbon resins. It is preferred that a reaction temperature in the range of about 245°C to about 285°C be utilized, and it is more preferred that the temperature be in the range of about 260°C to about 275°C. Common reaction times typically range from about 0.5 hours to about 15 hours.
In the second step of the two-step processes, a reaction temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C is employed for a time sufficient to produce the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the present invention. It is preferred that a reaction temperature in the range of about 210°C to about 265°C be utilized, and it is more preferred that the temperature be in the range of about 220°C to about 250°C. Common reaction times typically range from about 0.5 hours to about 15 hours.
In a general example of the single step process of the present invention, the aromatic carboxylic acid(s), the cyclopentadienyl compound(s), and where desired, the additive(s) and/or the alkylphenol(s) with acidic catalyst(s) are charged to a pressure vessel and heated with stirring to a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C (preferably from about 260°C to about 275°C) over a period of from about 0.5 to about 5 hours and held at this temperature for from about 1.5 to about 24 hours (preferably from about 2 to about 6 hours). After this period, any residual pressure on the reactor is released. Where desired, the resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin may be sparged (typically with nitrogen or steam) or alternatively vacuum stripped to remove any low molecular weight unreacted species. The inclusion of the aromatic carboxylic acid component in the reaction mixture both reduces the amount of sparging which may be required to obtain the desired resin viscosity and softening point characteristics while helping to maintain resin alkyd compatibility following the sparging.
In a general example of the two-step process of the present invention, the cyclopentadienyl compound(s), and where desired, the additive(s) and/or the alkylphenol(s) with acidic catalyst(s) are charged to a pressure vessel and heated with stirring to a temperature in the range of about 240°C to about 290°C (preferably from about 260°C to about 275°C) over a period of from about 0.5 to about 5 hours and held at this temperature for from about 1.5 to about 10 hours (preferably from about 2 to about 6 hours) to produce hydrocarbon resin. After this period, the aromatic carboxylic acid(s) is added to the reactor, and heating is continued at a temperature in the range of about 200°C to about 275°C (preferably from about 210°C to about 265°C) over a period of from about 0.5 to about 5 hours and held at this temperature for from about 1.5 to about 15 hours (preferably from about 2 to about 6 hours). Thereafter, any residual pressure on the reactor is released. Where desired, the resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin may be sparged (typically with nitrogen or steam) or alternatively vacuum stripped to remove any low molecular weight unreacted species. The inclusion of the aromatic carboxylic acid component in the reaction mixture both reduces the amount of sparging which may be required to obtain the desired resin viscosity and softening point characteristics while helping to maintain resin alkyd compatibility following the sparging.
The aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the invention are suitable for making varnishes that can be used for the production of printing inks. Such varnishes can be made by dissolving the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins in high boiling point hydrocarbon solvents (commonly known in the art as ink oils). Any hydrocarbon solvent commonly used in the production of varnishes which is compatible with the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins of the invention may be utilized to produce the varnishes of the present invention. Examples of such typical hydrocarbon solvents include ink oils sold by the Magie Brothers Oil Company under the trade name MAGIESOL and by the Exxon Mobile Corporation under the trade name EXXPRINT. Where desired, the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin varnishes may also contain additional components, such as vegetable oils (such as linseed oil, tung oil, soybean oil, and the like), alkyd resins, rosin-based resins, phenolic-modified rosin resins, other hydrocarbon resins, or combinations thereof.
Printing inks can be made by dispersing pigments in such aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resins varnishes by any of the means commonly used in the art, including shot milling, three-roll milling, or flushing. Any pigments commonly used in the production of printing inks which are compatible with the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon varnishes of the present invention may be utilized.
As appreciated in the art, the exact components and properties of components desired for any coating application can vary and, therefore, routine experimentation may be required to determine the optional components and proportions of components for a given application and desired properties.
The following examples are provided to further illustrate the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention in any manner.
A benzoic acid-modified hydrocarbon resin was prepared as follows. To a 250 ml mini-Parr pressure reactor were added 190 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene) and 14.7 grams of benzoic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed, and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature 3.5 hours. The reaction gained pressure until it peaked at about 100 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 15-20 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a light yellow, transparent solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 128.8°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the benzoic acid reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer. A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 5.5 seconds, and a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance of 103% (10.3 grams of MAGIESOL 47 in 10.0 grams of varnish). The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate approximately 4.0 grams of alkyd per 10 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
A p-tert-butylbenzoic acid modified hydrocarbon resin was prepared as follows. To a 250 ml mini-Parr pressure reactor were added 190grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene) and 21.5 grams of p-tert-butylbenzoic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed, and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 3.5 hours. Reaction pressure peaked at about 126 psi, then decreased as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 20 minutes to 200°C, and vented to release the remaining pressure. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 136°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the p-tert-butylbenzoic acid reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer. A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 4.8 seconds, and a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance of 265% (26.5 grams of MAGIESOL 47 in 10.0 grams of varnish). The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate approximately 4.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
An isophthalic acid modified hydrocarbon resin was prepared as follows. To a 250 ml mini-Parr pressure reactor were added 190 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene) and 10 grams of isophthalic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 3.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 130 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 20 minutes to 200°C and vented to remove the remaining pressure. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 136.5°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer. A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 7.6 seconds, and a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance of 63% (6.3 grams of MAGIESOL 47 in 10.0 grams of varnish). The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate between 3.0 and 6.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
A hydrocarbon resin modified with isophthalic acid and nonylphenol was prepared as follows. To a 250 ml mini-Parr pressure reactor was added 190.0 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 40.0 grams of nonylphenol, and 10.0 grams of isophthalic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 3.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 126 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 20 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 100°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer. A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 2.0 seconds, and a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish). The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate between 3.0 and 6.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
A hydrocarbon resin modified with isophthalic acid, nonylphenol, p-tert-butylphenol, and p-tert-octylphenol was prepared as follows. To a 2-gallon Parr pressure reactor was added 4420.9 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 27.6 grams LRO-90 (an unsaturated hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation), 919.1 grams of nonylphenol, 65.3 grams of p-tert-octylphenol, 75.1 grams of p-tert-butylphenol, 87.4 grams of isophthalic acid, and 4.66 grams of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 4.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 90-110 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 30-45 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent, deep yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 106.5°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer.
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 4.3 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish), and a Gardner color of 10.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 1.9 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 13. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate more than 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution without occurrence of incompatibility.
A 60% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 16.4 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 12.
The following example illustrates nitrogen stripping of an aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin to increase softening point and viscosity. A portion (3,000 grams) of the solid aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin product of Example 5 was crushed and heated in a 5-liter round bottom flask equipped with a Dean-Stark trap and condenser to approximately 245°C. The resin system was allowed to stir with continuous heating and nitrogen sparging for 5 hours, and then was poured into aluminum pans and allowed to cool to room temperature.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent, deep yellow solid resin having a ring and ball softening point of 150.7°C and an acid number near zero.
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 7.8 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish), and a Gardner color of 11.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 7.2 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 14. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA 1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate about 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurs.
A 60% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 126.5 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 15-.
The following example illustrates the reaction of isophthalic acid with a prereacted phenol-modified hydrocarbon resin. To a 2-gallon Parr pressure reactor was added 4420.9 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 30.0 grams LRO-90 (an unsaturated hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation), 920.0 grams of nonylphenol, 65.0 grams of p-tert-octylphenol, 75.0 grams of p-tert-butylphenol, and 4.66 grams of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 4.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 90-110 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 30-45 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
For comparison purposes, the properties of the reaction product were evaluated at this stage prior to reaction with the aromatic carboxylic acid. The reaction product was a transparent, deep yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 104.0°C (which was 2.5°C less than the analogous isophthalic acid-containing resin of Example 6).
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 3.7 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish), and a Gardner color of 9.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 1.9 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 11-. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution without occurrence of incompatibility.
The reaction product was then reacted with isophthalic acid by charging 500 grams of the resin and 7.6 grams of isophthalic acid to a 2-liter, 4-necked, round bottom flask, equipped with a condenser and Dean-Stark trap, an agitator, and a temperature probe. The charge was heated to approximately 245°C and held for about 6 hours with stirring.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin reaction product was a clear yellow solid resin having a ring and ball softening point of 142.1°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer.
A portion of the resin was crushed and heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 8.5 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 11+.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 5.9 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 15+. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA 1365 alkyd and found to tolerate between 10.0 and 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurs.
A 60% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 87 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 14.
A hydrocarbon resin modified with isophthalic acid and styrene was prepared as follows. To a 250 ml mini-Parr pressure reactor was added 180.0 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 20.0 grams of styrene, and 5.0 grams of isophthalic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 3.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 127 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 20 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent pale yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 97.2°C. The resin exhibited a zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer.
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 3.9 seconds and a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish).
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 1.8 seconds, and a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA 1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate between 6.3 and 9.2 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
As a comparative example, a hydrocarbon resin comprised of nonylphenol, p-tert-butylphenol, and p-tert-octylphenol was prepared with subsequent vacuum stripping to reach desired softening point. The resin was not modified with aromatic carboxylic acid.
To a 2-gallon Parr pressure reactor was added 3955 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 900.0 grams of nonylphenol, 75.0 grams of p-tert-octylphenol, 75.0 grams of p-tert-butylphenol, and 3.2 grams of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 4.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 90-110 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 30-45 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The reaction product was a transparent, yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 98.1°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number.
A portion (2,500 grams) of the solid product was crushed and heated in a 5-liter round bottom flask equipped with a Dean-Stark trap and condenser to approximately 240°C. The resin system was allowed to stir with continuous heating and vacuum stripping for 4 to 5 hours and then poured into aluminum pans and allowed to cool to room temperature. The resulting product was a transparent, yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 140.7°C and an acid number near zero.
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 6.8 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10 grams of varnish), and a Gardner color of 12.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 4.2 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 14. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA 1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate about 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurred.
A 60% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 50.6 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 12.
A hydrocarbon resin modified with isophthalic acid, nonylphenol, p-tert-butylphenol, and p-tert-octylphenol was prepared as follows.
To a 2-gallon Parr pressure reactor was added 4420.9 grams of DCPD-101 (a hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation that consists primarily of dicyclopentadiene), 27.6 grams LRO-90 (an unsaturated hydrocarbon feedstock commercially available from Lyondell Corporation), 919.1 grams of nonylphenol, 65.3 grams of p-tert-octylphenol, 75.1 grams of p-tert-butylphenol, 87.4 grams of isophthalic acid, and 4.66 grams of p-toluenesulfonic acid. The pressure reactor was sealed and stirring was begun. The reaction mixture was heated from room temperature (18-25°C) to 265°C over a period of 1 hour, and the reaction was held at that temperature for 4.5 hours. The reaction pressure peaked at about 90-110 psi and then proceeded to decrease as the volatile reactants polymerized. After the hold was completed, the reaction was cooled over a period of 30-45 minutes to 200°C and the remaining pressure was vented. The reaction product was poured into an aluminum pan and allowed to cool to room temperature prior to evaluation.
The resulting aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin was a transparent, deep yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 112°C. The resin exhibited a near zero acid number, indicating that nearly all of the isophthalic acid had reacted into the hydrocarbon polymer.
A portion (3,000 grams) of the solid product of was crushed and heated in a 5-liter round bottom flask equipped with a Dean-Stark trap and condenser to approximately 240°C. The resin system was allowed to stir with continuous heating and nitrogen sparging for 5 hours and then poured into aluminum pans and allowed to cool to room temperature. The resulting product was a transparent, deep yellow solid resin with a ring and ball softening point of 150.0°C and an acid number near zero.
A portion of resin which had been crushed was heated to 215°C in a 33.33% solids mixture with ARLO (alkali-refined linseed oil) to form a varnish that was found to have the following properties: Gardner tube viscosity of 7.8 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) tolerance greater than 1,000% (more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 per 10.0 grams of varnish), and a Gardner color of 11.
A 50% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 47 with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 5.9 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 13.5. The solution mixture was subsequently mixed with a portion of AKA1365 (a #7 grade lithographic alkyd resin commercially available from Akzo Nobel) and found to tolerate about 20.0 grams of alkyd per 10.0 grams resin solution before incompatibility occurs.
A 60% solids solution was prepared by heating a portion of resin which had been crushed to 190°C in MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) with stirring on a hot plate. The resulting solution exhibited a Gardner tube viscosity of 99 seconds, a MAGIESOL 47 tolerance greater than 1,000%, and a Gardner color of 12.
In this example, varnishes and heat set printing inks were prepared using the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin of Example 10 and, as a comparison, the hydrocarbon resin of Example 9 (which was not modified with aromatic carboxylic acid).
TABLE I
Varnish Properties
Varnish
Gardner Tube Viscosity (seconds)
Gardner Color
M47 Dilution<sup>(1)</sup>
A
272
15
>1,000%
B
549
13
>1,000%
TABLE I
1. A dilution of more than 100.0 grams of MAGIESOL 47 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company) per 10.0 grams of varnish.
To a 500ml Erlenmeyer Flask was added 65 grams of resin of Example 9 which had been crushed and 35 grams of MAGIESOL 470 (an ink oil commercially available from the Magie Brothers Oil Company). Thereafter a stir bar was added, and the mixture was heated on a hot plate to a temperature of 180-190°C and held at that temperature for 15 minutes after resin was completely cut into the MAGIESOL 470. The resulting varnish ("Varnish A") was allowed to cool prior to evaluation. Following this procedure, the resin of Example 10 was substituted for the Example 9 resin, and the resulting varnish ("Varnish B") was allowed to cool prior to evaluation. The evaluation results are shown in Table I below.
As shown by the data in Table I, the varnish produced from the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin (Varnish B) exhibited higher viscosity and improved Gardner Color properties when compared to traditional Varnish A.
TABLE II
Ink Properties
Ink
Measured yield stress at 2.5 sec<sup>-1</sup> (Duke Viscometer)
Viscosity at 2500 sec<sup>-1</sup> (Duke Viscometer)
1' Tack 32°C @400rpm (Inkometer)
A
288.4 Dynes/cm<sup>2</sup>
48.9 poise
5.7 g.m
B
326.9 Dynes/cm<sup>2</sup>
67.9 poise
8.5 g.m
To a paint can was added 60 grams of Varnish A, 40 grams of Sun Chemical Corporation's Heatset Rubine Flush (Red 57:1), and 10 grams of MAGIESOL 47. The paint can was gently heated to soften the mixture. The varnish and flush were hand mixed until well combined, then the mixing was completed using a high shear mixture until the resulting heat set ink ("Ink A") was thoroughly homogeneous. Following this procedure, Varnish B was substituted for Varnish A, resulting in a second heat set ink ("Ink B"). The resulting inks were evaluated on a Duke Viscometer (model D-2102), and a Thwing-Albert Inkometer and found to have the properties listed in Table II below
As the data in Table II shows, the ink produced from the aromatic carboxylic acid-modified, cyclopentadiene-based hydrocarbon resin varnish (Ink B) exhibited more desirable stress, viscosity, and tack properties when compared to Ink A (made from a traditional hydrocarbon varnish).
Many modifications and variations of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore understood that the scope of the invention is not to be limited by the foregoing description, but rather is to be defined by the claims appended hereto. | |
This 18 Volt battery pack contains 15 pieces of Sub C 1700 mAh NiCd Batteries that are spot welded together. This pack was built for drills, however the project was canceled. This pack can be easily disassembled by removing the 6 screws on the top to yield 15 batteries. Once the pack is removed the cells can be seperated to allow you to build in your own configuration. | https://www.onlybatteries.com/showitem.asp?ItemID=18828.30&cat1=&uid=2220 |
This article was co-authored by Jack Herrick, a trusted member of wikiHow's community. Jack Herrick has a passion for surfing, which has been a love since the early 2000's. He has surfed in Hawaii, Costa Rica, and the Northern California coast.
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Learning to surf properly involves developing good technique, getting the right equipment, and many other elements, and is best done with a skilled instructor. However, identifying good waves, and then riding them in with your belly on your board, is something you can practice on your own as a novice. To catch waves consistently, though, you need to be patient—and paddle hard when you see your wave coming!
Steps
Part 1 of 3:
Getting a Feel for the Waves
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1Sit on the beach and watch for wave patterns. Fight the temptation to head straight out into the water with your board. Instead, take 10 minutes or more just looking out from the beach at the waves. You'll notice that waves typically arrive in sets of 3-4 with pauses between sets, and pick up on the spots where the waves are usually breaking. X Research source
EXPERT TIP
- Once you pick up on the wave pattern, you may notice that, for instance, the third wave in each series tends to be the strongest one.
- Take note if the waves tend to be breaking in one of the following ways: on their leading edges to the left or right; in the middle, with unbroken “shoulders” to either side (known as an “A-frame” wave); or all across the wave face at once (known as a “close-out”). X Research source
- A-frames are usually the most manageable for novice surfers, while close-outs generally limit you to just riding in on the whitewater (after the wave has broken).
Jack HerrickExperienced SurferJack Herrick
Experienced Surfer
Jack Herrick, founder of wikiHow, advises: “While you’re on the beach, practice standing up on the board on land. This will give you a feel for balancing on the board if you're a beginner.”
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2Talk to experienced surfers for insider info. If there are any surfers with some obvious experience out in the water, watch where they’re setting up and how they’re catching the waves. After they come in, or before other surfers head out, politely ask them about the wave conditions. X Research source
- This can be as simple as a “Hey, what’s it like out there?” or a more detailed “Hi, I’m new at this and haven’t surfed here. Can you give me any quick tips about the waves here?”
- Most surfers are happy to throw out a little advice to “newbies,” but don’t expect them to drop everything and give you a free lesson. And, if they ignore you, don’t be offended. Just try asking someone else.
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3Wade into the whitewater with your board to your side. When you’re ready to head out into the water, walk with your board under one of your arms. Once the water is up to about your hips, lay the board flat on the water to your left or right side, with both hands gripping it firmly. Tip the nose of the board upward to guide it over the whitewater of broken waves as they come in to shore. X Research source
EXPERT TIP
- Never hold your board in front of you as you go out into the water. Even a small wave has more than enough power to pop the front of the board up and smack it into your face.
Jack HerrickExperienced SurferJack Herrick
Experienced Surfer
Jack Herrick, founder of wikiHow, advises: “An ideal beach for beginners will have waves that break with waist-high (or lower) running white water. The ideal beach for that is probably Waikiki in Hawaii. It’s waist-high white water for hundreds of yards, creating a consistent and forgiving white water to stand up in.”Advertisement
Part 2 of 3:
Riding in on Whitewater
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1Bob over the whitewater until you identify your wave. Riding in on the whitewater of already-broken waves is a good way for novices to get a feel for the water and their board. You’ll want to position yourself about 15 ft (4.6 m) or more inland from where the waves are breaking, where the foaming whitewater will still have plenty of power to carry you to shore. While you wait for your wave, keep your board to your side and bob it and yourself up over the whitewater as needed.
- You don’t have to be overly selective when you’re catching whitewater waves. However, watch particularly for a good-size A-frame wave preparing to break out beyond you and just to your right or left.
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2Turn and push off toward the shore as the wave approaches. As the wave is beginning to break roughly 15 ft (4.6 m) or more beyond you, pivot on the ocean floor and push off toward the shore. Keep your board to your side, holding it securely on the water with both hands, so you can jump onto it as you finish pushing off.
- When you’re riding whitewater waves, you’ll almost always be in shallow water where you can touch bottom. If you can’t touch, you should wait for waves like you would out past the breakers—on your board, facing outward, and ready to turn around by kicking your legs. But, if you’re a novice, stick to where you can touch until you’re comfortable on whitewater waves.
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3Hop onto your board with your weight centered. Use your momentum from pushing off toward the shore to propel your body up and onto your board. Use your arms to guide you onto the board and keep it steady. You want your chest to be flat on the board and your weight centered, so that the front tip of the board is only 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) above the water. X Research source
- If your weight is too far back, the wave will bob you up and pass under you. If your weight is too far forward, you’re at risk of “pearling”—nose-diving into the water.
- Keep your head up and look toward the shore. Pretend there is a soccer ball pinned between your chin and the board.
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4Paddle deep and strong until the whitewater carries you in. Often, you won’t need to paddle too much for a whitewater wave to carry you in. However, this is a good time to practice for when you move out beyond the breakers. Don’t just splash your hands into the water—plunge your arms deep and drive them back powerfully. Alternate arms and keep paddling until you feel the wave taking over and propelling you forward.
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- Once the wave has taken charge, grip the sides of the board with your hands, keep your head up, and let it carry you in. Then hop off the board and head back out!
- After riding whitewater waves in on your belly for a while, you can either practice standing up on your board to ride them in, or move out past the breakers to catch bigger waves on your belly. It's best to take a surfing lesson or two before trying to stand on the board, though.
Part 3 of 3:
Practicing on Unbroken Waves
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1Paddle out to the left or right of, and past, the breakers. Once you get past the point where you can walk in the water with your board at your side, hop on it and center your weight like you would if you were catching a wave. Use long, powerful arm strokes to head out just past where the waves are breaking. X Research source
- If the waves are breaking on their left edge, stay just to the right and past the breakers. Do the opposite if they’re breaking on the right edge. If they’re A-frame waves with shoulders on both sides of the breakers, you can choose either right or left.
- You want to be positioned where you can see the waves start to jut upward and lean forward, perhaps 15 ft (4.6 m) or so past where they’re breaking.
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2Observe surfing etiquette if there are others in the water. If there are other surfers lined up on one or both shoulders of the waves, take your spot in line further away from where the breakers are happening. The surfer on the shoulder who’s closest to where the breakers are happening has the right-of-way to take the next good wave. Once they catch their wave, everyone else in line moves up a spot. X Research source
- Even if you think they’re wasting good waves, wait your turn. Enjoy the serenity of bobbing up and over the waves.
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3Do an “eggbeater” turn with your legs when you see your wave. When it’s your turn to catch a wave and you see a promising one rising toward you, use your legs to turn your board and body in the water. Rotate your hips so your legs are circling around like two eggbeaters in a bowl—this motion will help turn you around faster. Line up so you’re facing the beach. X Research source
- If you’ve been taught to tread water, you’ve probably been instructed in how to do eggbeater kicks.
- Being able to identify a good wave comes mostly from observation and experience. That’s why it’s so helpful to watch the waves for a while before you go into the water. This will give you a feel for what the good waves look like before they break. X Research source
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4Keep the tip of the board just above the water, and your head up. Once you’ve turned and are facing the shore, make sure you’re still balanced properly on your board. The front tip of the board should be only 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) above the water, and your head should be lifted up like there’s a soccer ball between your chin and the board. X Research source
- While you’re looking toward the shore, pick out a landmark like a guard tower or tree. This will help you keep your bearings as you ride the wave in.
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5Paddle deep and strong to match the wave’s speed. As soon as you’re turned toward the shore and positioned properly, start paddling aggressively. Your goal is to match the speed of the wave that’s coming up behind you, so don’t settle for just splashing your hands into the water. Reach down and drive your arms through the water.
- If you aren’t moving quickly enough when the wave arrives, it will probably pass underneath you and leave you behind.
- Don’t try to look back at the wave.
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6Ride the wave on your belly or try to pop up on your feet. If you successfully catch the wave, you’ll feel a distinctive lifting sensation that’s hard to describe but easy to recognize after a few runs. If you’re a novice and not yet ready to stand on your board to ride a wave in, just focus on holding on tight, keeping your weight centered, keeping your head up, and holding the tip of the board slightly upward. The wave will do the rest! X Research source
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- If you’re ready to hop up on the board, most surfers do it either by hopping straight up onto their feet, or by getting their knees on the board and then standing up.
- However, it’s best to save standing for when you’ve had proper surfing lessons and feel more comfortable on your board and in the water. | https://www.wikihow.com/Catch-Waves |
Writing laboratory reports follows a simple and structured procedure. You need to recognize that every part of the lab report is significant – that’s why take the time to write each one carefully. How to write my lab report if I don’t have time for this? You need to turn to a helping service. There, an expert will write you an amazing lab report with a good structure. However, if you want to try writing by yourself, check out a structured procedure, which you should follow.
Title
The first step is to come up with a title for your lab report. Ensure it’s short and informative so that readers can understand what the report is about. The title should also be specific enough so that readers can identify the focus of the report. The title of the laboratory report should describe the experiment and reflect its analysis.
Abstract
The next step is to write an abstract. In the abstract, you need to provide a brief summary of the report. Include information on the purpose, methodology, and results of the study. The abstract should be concise and to the point. When writing your abstract, you should try to answer the questions below:
-What is the purpose of the study?
-What methods were used in the study?
-What are the main findings of the study?
Only after answering these questions, you will be able to write a good abstract for your lab report.
Introduction
After the abstract, you need to write an introduction. In the introduction, you need to present background information on the report topic. This will help a reader understand the context of the report. You should also state the purpose of the report in the introduction.
Methods and materials
The next step is to write the methods and materials section. This section presents an overview of apparatus, equipment and substances which you used during the experiment, and the steps, which were taken during the experiment. This section should allow readers to replicate the experiment if needed.
Results
The next step is to write the results section. This section shows the data that you gathered or obtained while conducting the experiment. Your results should be presented in a clear and concise manner.
Discussion
The next step is to write the discussion section. In this section, you need to discuss the results of your experiment. You should also discuss any errors that occurred during the experiment. When writing a discussion section, you should try to answer the following questions:
-What do the results mean?
-How did the experimental method impact the experiment?
-Were there any sources of error during the experiment? If so, what were they, and how could they have been avoided?
Only after answering these questions, you can start writing this section.
Conclusion
The last step is to write the conclusion. The conclusion is the result of the experiment. It should state clearly and concisely what has been learned and its importance. This should include a summary of the findings of the study and provide recommendations for future work.
References
After the conclusion, you need to list all the sources that you used in the report. If any external sources are used to support the claim or clarify background information, those sources should be identified in the references section of the laboratory report. This includes books, journal articles, websites, etc. All sources should be listed in a separate section at the end of the report.
Before handing in your lab report, ensure to proofread it carefully. Check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Don’t submit your lab report without proofreading and editing.
Get a lab report sample.
If you want to see how a lab report should be written, you can get a sample from a professional writing service. This will give you an idea of what is expected in a lab report. A professional writing service will also be able to help you with your own lab report. They can offer guidance on how to structure your report.
If you are having trouble with writing your lab report, there are many resources available that can help. One option is to seek out a professional writing service, where experts can write your paper according to a structured procedure. | https://getolive.org/how-to-write-my-lab-report-following-a-structured-procedure/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reflecting/refractive optical system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a long-focal length, super-large aperture ratio lens system suitable for use either in an astrocamera or as a supe-telephoto lens system.
Besides having a long focus, optical systems suitable for use in astrocameras are required to meet the following conditions:
(1) a super-large aperture ratio of F.sub.NO 1:2.8 - 4 that enables a fast photographic speed;
(2) a satisfactorily small chromatic aberration; and
(3) spherical abberation, coma and astigmatism that are compensated to the marginal area.
Conventional optics that satisfy these requirements include:
(A) refractive optics that employ super-low dispersion glass;
(B) reflecting optics that employ parabolic reflecting surfaces; and
(C) reflecting/refractive optics in which reflecting surfaces are combined with refractive lens systems.
Optics of type (A) are described in Japanese Unexamined Published Patent Application Nos. 220711/1984 and 14613/1987. However, long-focus and large-aperture ratio optics of this type have the following problems:
(i) the optical material used, especially super-low dispersion glass, is very expensive;
(ii) very heavy weight;
(iii) chromatic aberration cannot be satisfactorily compensated if the aperture ratio is on the order of F.sub.NO 1:2.8.
An example of the optica of type (B) is a "Newtonian" reflecting system. However, Newtonian reflecting optics having aperture ratios in the range of F.sub.NO 1:2.8 - 4 have the following problems:
(i) Coma at off-axis points is too large to ensure the necessary image circle; and
(ii) Difficulties involved in producing a parabolic surface results in a low production rate.
An example of the optics of type (C) is a "Schmidt" system, which, however, has the following problems:
(i) It is difficult to work a corrector plate having a biguadratic aspherical surface; and
(ii) Because of a curved film surface (imaging surface), the imaging apparatus is inconvenient to operate.
To solve the aforementioned problems, a variety of optical systems have been proposed, but they still have the problem of production problem chiefly because of the use of aspherical surfaces.
Reflecting/refractive optics are also available for use as photographic lens systems, but they are composed of too many elements and their aperture ratio, which is on the order of F.sub.NO 1:5.6-11, is insufficient to be used for astrocameras.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances described above. An object of the invention is to provide a high- performance reflecting/refractiv optical system that employs easily workable spherical surfaces and which attains a long focus and a large aperture ratio of the order of F.sub.NO 1:2.8 with a cost- effective optical composition employing a minimum number of lens elements. This system is capable of effectively compensating for chromatic aberration, spherical aberration, coma and astigmatism to the full extent of the field including both the central region and the marginal area.
In accordance with the above and other objects, the invention provides a reflecting/refractive optical system which has four optical units arranged along the optical path and which comprises, in order from the object side, a first optical unit E1 composed of a meniscus lens having a weak negative power, a second optical unit E2 composed of a reflecting surface having a positive power, a third optical unit E3 for deflecting light reflected from the second optical unit, and a fourth optical unit E4 including at least one negative lens element. In addition, this optical system satisfies the following conditions:
(1) -0.15 < f/f.sub.I < 0
(2) 0.55 < |R.sub.I, .sub.1 |/f < 0.90
(3) 0.60 < f/f.sub.II < 0.90
(4) 0.40 < l.sub.II, .sub.III /f.sub.II < 0.8.
In a preferred embodiment, the fourth optical unit has a two- component-three-element composition comprising, in order form the object side, a positive meniscus lens and a negative lens element cemented to a positive lens element, and which satisfies the following conditions:
(5) 0.15 < R.sub.IV, .sub.1 /f < 0.4
(6) &ngr;.sub.IV, .sub.1 < 30
(7) 25 < &ngr;.sub.IV, .sub.3 - &ngr;.sub.IV, .sub.2
(8) 0.08 < R.sub.IV, .sub.4 /f < 0.5.
In another preferred embodiment, the third optical unit is disposed in such a way that the optical axis of the fourth optical unit intersects the optical axes of the first and second optical units at right angles.
The symbols in conditions (1) to (8) above have the following meanings:
f : focal length of the overall system
f.sub.i : composite focal length of the ith optical unit;
l.sub.i, .sub.j : aerial distance from the ith optical unit to the jth optical unit;
R.sub.i, .sub.j : radius of curvature of the jth surface in the ith optical unit; and
&ngr;.sub.i, .sub.j : Abbe number of the jth lens element in the ith optical unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 3 are simplified cross-sectional views of lens systems constructed according to Examples 1 and 2 of the present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 4 are graphs plotting aberration curves obtained with the lens systems of Examples 1 and 2; and
FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a lens system in which the third optical unit is disposed in such a way that the optical axis of the fourth lens unit intersects the optical axis of the first and second lens units.
In these drawings, Ei represents the ith optical unit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The criticality of conditions (1) to (8) is described hereinafter.
Condition (1) sets forth the requirement that should be met by the power of the first optical unit in order to compensate for the negative spherical aberration and coma that develop in the second optical unit, which chiefly serves as a condenser. If the upper limit of this condition is exceeded, the desired aberrational compensation is not attained. If the lower limit of condition (1) is not reached, the resulting power is too great to avoid chromatic aberration and large aberrational variations can easily occur.
Condition (2), as well as condition (1), should be satisfied in order to attain a balance between spherical aberration and coma. If this condition is not satisfied, the balance between spherical aberration and coma occurring at the first and second surfaces of the first optical unit will be disturbed. In particular, if the lower limit of condition (2) is not reached, an unduly small radius of curvature will introduce difficulty in the working of the lens surfaces.
Condition (3) sets forth the requirements that should be met by the power of the second optical unit, which is chiefly responsible for image focusing. If the upper limit of this condition is exceeded, the power of the second optical unit becomes excessive and its F number is brought to the brighter side. In this situation, spherical aberration or coma cannot be sufficiently compensated by the first and fourth optical elements so as to ensure good lens performance. If the lower limits of condition (3) is not reached, aberrations can be effectively compensated but, on the other hand, f.sub.II increases to produce an excessively elongated optical system.
Condition (4) sets forth the requirement that should be met to ensure that the third optical unit is provided at the proper position. If the upper limit of this condition is exceeded, it is spatially difficult to dispose the fourth optical unit in such a way that it will not block effective rays of light. If the lower limit of condition (4) is not reached, there is no difficulty in properly positioning the fourth optical unit but, at the same time, the third optical unit is positioned so cloase to the second optical unit that effective rays of light from the first optical unit are blocked, causing a significant decrease in the quantity of effective light transmission through the overall optical system.
In accordance with the present invention, spherical aberration and coma can be effectively compensated by satisfying conditions (1) to (4). However, in order to attain a wide image circle, it is desirable to compensate for three other aberrations, that is, astigmatism, field curvature and chromatic aberration. In order to meet this need, the fourth optical unit desirably satisfies conditions (5) to (7).
Condition (5) is necessary to form an aplanatic surface for the spherical-aberration-compensated rays of light from the third optical unit so as to compensate for astigmatism and field curvature without developing spherical aberration or coma. If the upper limit of this condition is exceeded, not only is spherical aberration overcompensated bu astigmatism also occurs. If the lower limit of condition (5) is not reached, not only does excessive distortion occur but also, the balance between spherical aberration and astigmatism is impaired.
Condition (6) sets forth the requirement that should be met to achieve effective compensation for longitudinal chromatic aberration. Because of the weak negative power of the first optical nut, rays of light that are incident on the fourth optical unit are overcompensated with respect to longitudinal chromatic aberration. Condition (6) is necessary to eliminate this problem. If this condition is not satisfied, chromatic aberration in the shorter wavelength range will be excessively overcompensated.
Conditions (7) and (8) set forth the requirements that should be met to achieve effective compensation for lateral chromatic aberration by the cemented lens in the fourth optical unit. First, in order to satisfy condition (7) the negative lens element is made of an optical material having a small Abbe number and the positive lens element is formed of an optical material having a large Abbe number. Secondly, the radius of curvature of the surface at which the two lens elements are cemented together is set so as to satisfy condition (8). If either one of these two conditions is not satisfied, an excessivel large lateral chromatic aberration will occur, causing color diffusion in the marginal portion of the image field.
EXAMPLES
Two specific examples of lens systems of the present invention are described hereinafter with reference to the following table, in which f signifies the focal length of the overall system, F.sub.NO is the F number, 2&ohgr; is the view angle, r.sub.i is the radius of curvature of the ith surface, d.sub.i is the distance between the ith and (i+1)th surfaces, N.sub.i is the refractive index of the ith lens element at the d-line, and v.sub.i is the Abbe number of the ith lens element.
EXAMPLE 1
______________________________________
f = 800 mm F.sub.NO 1:3.2 2&ohgr; = 6.4°
Surface No.
r.sub.i d.sub.i N.sub.i &ngr;.sub.i
______________________________________
1 -520.00 25.0 1.51633 64.1
2 -551.73 800.0
3 -2263.08 743.4 (reflecting surface)
4 ∞ 110.0 (reflecting surface)
5 229.67 10.0 1.80518 25.4
6 363.36 33.66
7 1941.13 5.0 1.80518 25.4
8 251.52 8.15 1.51633 64.1
9 -891.392
______________________________________
(1) f/f.sub. I = -0.033
(2) | R.sub.I, 1 | (= | r.sub.1 . vertline. ) /f
0.65
(3) f/f.sub. II = 0.71
(4) l.sub.II, III (= d.sub.3)/f.sub.II = 0.66
(5) R.sub.IV, 1 (= r.sub.5)/f = 0.23
(6) &ngr;.sub.IV, 1 (= &ngr;.sub.2) = 25.4
(7) &ngr;.sub.IV, 3 (= &ngr;.sub.4) - &ngr;.sub.IV, 2 (= &ngr;. sub. 3) = 38.7
(8) R.sub.IV, 4 (= r.sub.8)/f = 0.31
EXAMPLE 2
______________________________________
f = 800 mm F.sub.NO 1:2.8 2&ohgr; = 6.4°
Surface No.
r.sub.i d.sub.i N.sub.i &ngr;.sub.i
______________________________________
1 650.00 30.0 1.51633 64.1
2 590.99 957.0
3 -2115.38 725.7 (reflecting surface)
4 ∞ 212.2 (reflecting surface)
5 222.27 9.00 1.80518 25.4
6 1775.86 31.97
7 3051.63 4.00 1.80518 25.4
8 107.35 12.76 1.49782 66.8
9 -1078.06
______________________________________
(1) f/f.sub.I = -0.053
(2) | R.sub.I, 1 | (= | r.sub.1 . vertline. ) /f
0.81
(3) f/f.sub.II = 0.76
(4) l.sub.II, III (= d.sub.3)/f.sub.II = 0.69
(5) R.sub.IV, 1 (= r.sub.5)/f = 0.28
(6) &ngr;.sub.IV, 1 (= &ngr;.sub.2) = 25.4
(7) &ngr;.sub.IV, 3 (= &ngr;.sub.4) - &ngr;.sub.IV, 2 (= &ngr;. sub. 3) = 41.4
(8) R.sub.IV, 4 (= r.sub.8)/f = 0.13
The system of this invention has a super-large aperture ratio of the order of F.sub.NO 1:2.8 and employs easily workable spherical surfaces. In addition to these features, the optical system of the present invention provides a long focal length and enables effective compensation for aberrations.
If the fourth optical unit satisfies additional conditions (5) to (7), astigmatism, field curvature and chromatic aberration can be effectively compensated to produce a wider image circle.
Furthermore, if the third optical unit is disposed in such a way that the optical axis of the fourth optical unit intersects the optical axes of the first and second optical units at right angles, a camera can be attached to the outside of the lens barrel of the lens system of the present invention, the system has the advantage that it can be used as a telescope when an eyepiece is attached thereto. | |
I suspect that homographs and homophones may arise as multiple words from different languages are brought into a language, winding up with the same graphemic and/or phonemic representation.
The same goes for synonyms; different languages imbue a language with two different words that both mean the same thing. In the beginning, there may be some "survival of the fittest" process that eliminates one word, as it is redundant. However, sociological structures may make one word in heavy use in one sociolect and another word in heavy use in another (I refer to Norman being spoken by the British upper-class and Old English being spoken by the lower-class).
Poetry surely played a role in sustaining the existence of impractical synonyms in a language. Certain words may be less known and longer and/or harder to read/pronounce, yet be more phonaesthetically appropriate for poetic application, and thus be favored in poetry and literary prose, despite a shorter, more well-known and practical synonym being used in common parlance.
In fact, I think these mechanisms make their way into common parlance as well. Due to the different phonaesthetic experiences words produce, they gain different connotations, which lowers their synonymy and thus, lowers their redundancy, prolonging their coexistence in a language.
I think there's also cultural/etymological factors behind connotation-sustained coexistence of synonyms. In English, one word (1) may be of English etymology, whereas a synonym (2) to that word comes from some other language. Due to having read English literature, and having read (1) in literary contexts, the word gains stronger connotations, whereas (2) has far less connotations. This also lowers synonymy, as (1) will mostly be used in alignment with those connotations, and (2) will be used to avoid connotations, eventually gaining connotations of its own.
Perhaps geo- or dialectical differences may make the same word sound/look different over time, and then some kind of process makes both of the geo-/dialectical versions a part of the standard language?
I believe there are probably more mechanisms behind this. Also, the mentioned mechanism are purely from my own speculation, so they may be wrong. What are the mechanism, both those known and theorized/hypothesized, behind the emergence of homographs, homophones and homosemes in languages?
EDIT:
Firstly, I want to make clear that I changed homonym to homograph, as I found out homonyms are homographic and/or homophonous, whereas homographs are simply words that share spelling.
Secondly, I want to add another way in which I suspect homonyms are added. Some linguists seem to regard the set of words that homographic and homophonous, somewhat synonymous and of common etymology, also known as senses of a word, to all constitute one word. I believe senses arise due to multitude of reasons; (a) ignorance, (b) ideological manipulation of a word, (c) word being used in different contexts and/or fields and (d) disagreement about the correct conceptualization of a word. Sometimes overlapping is (b) and (d), but not always. | https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/43410/what-are-the-processes-and-mechanisms-that-create-homographs-phones-semes/43411#43411 |
There are several great websites with classroom resources listed under our Links page.
Early Childhood Tasks
Changing Shapes: This task explores flipping and turning shapes to make patterns. It addresses key ideas in the algebra, function and pattern and space strand.
Making Ten: This task focuses on tens facts and the use of a tens frame to build visual images of combinations to ten. This is a key idea in number for the early years.
Changing Triangles: This task explores triangles on a geoboard. It focuses on changing shapes and the attributes of triangles, which are important ideas in the space strand.
Changing Ages: This task focuses on variation in data. A pictograph is presented for students to interpret and make predictions about how it may change over time. The idea of variation is a key aspect of the chance and data strand.
Number Machine - Changing the Number!: This task presents students with a number machine and asks them to conjecture as to what is happening in the machine. It focuses on functions which are part of the algebra, function and pattern strand.
Change a Shape!: This task encourages students to explore how shapes (in this case, a rectangle) can be folded, cut or have lines drawn on them to make other shapes. This is a focus on the space strand.
Changing the Number Line: This task focuses on ordering numbers to ten and encourages students to re-order a muddled set of numerals on a number line. Ordering numbers is a foundational idea in number in the early years of schooling.
How Have You Changed?: This task relates to measurement and encourages students to explore how they have changed over their lives and make predicitons about how body measurements have changed.
Number Tasks (Early Primary)
Number splitting challenge (Years 1 - 4): This task focuses on place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division.
Two minute counting challenge (Prep - Year 3):This is a rich task to help children notice effective ways of counting.
What’s the biggest number you know? (K - Year 4): This task focuses on place value. In particular interpreting the quantity, the symbol and the number word.
Investigations:1. Who are taller: people with blue eyes or people with brown eyes? (Prep - Year 2): This task focuses on problem solving, working mathematically, probability, length measurement and data gathering, representation and interpretation.
2. Teddy Tubes (Prep - Year 2): This task focuses on problem solving, working mathematically and capacity.
Three in a Row (Prep to Grade 6)
This task focuses on place value, the relative position of numbers along the number line, estimation, ordering of numbers from smallest to largest, combinations and an element of chance.
Number Your Name (Grades 1-4)
This task focuses on counting, addition, estimating, reading, writing and ordering numbers.
Picture Book Task (Grade 4-6)
On Our Way to the Beach: The journey the family takes provides an engaging context for students to explore concepts related to time and the passage of time. Mapping the journey and planning other journeys would extend the use of the book to developing an understanding of coordinate geometry and scale.
'Twice My Size' Picture Book Activities (Grades 4-6)
The basic concept of doubling and halving can be explored using the book. There is also the potential for the book to be used to develop measurement outcomes. Concepts related to 2-D and 3-D measures can be developed by investigating how the doubling of a 2-D attribute such as height influences volume. This can be extended to exploring the relationship between surface area and volume.
Reflecting on reflections
This practical task questions notions of symmetry and explores everyday experiences from a geometrical perspective.
String Polyhedra A fun task for groups of students in which polyhedra are constructed from loops of string. Note to teachers: try it yourself (with friends) to make sure you are clear about the instructions before you introduce it to students.
The Number Bracelets Game
This is a fun and popular game to play. You only need to be able to add whole numbers to play it, but there are interesting variations and extensions for those who like to think about mathematical patterns:
number bracelets extension
'If The World Were a Village' Book Activities (Grade 6-12)
'If the World Were a Village' is contemporary picture book that contains a collection of statistics about the population of a village. The village is an imaginary place with 100 residents and each resident represents 64 million people from the real world. The statistics in the book provide data that can be used to develop learning outcomes in History & Geography as well as Mathematics, particularly in statistical literacy.
Rows or Columns This task is strictly numerical and explores the underlying structure of numerical arrays. Note to teachers: make sure you have a solution ready!
Prime Numbers Task
This task explores prime numbers as they are related to birth dates, the day, month and year.
Trigonometry Task
This is a measurement task that requires students to use right-angled trigonometry and/or scale drawings to understand road signs and investigate steepness of roads. It highlights the use of digital photography as a source of problems. | https://mat.aamt.edu.au/Activities/Classroom-tasks |
Below are the recipes I made today.
Magic Mix
from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe
2 1/3 cups powdered milk
1 cup all purpose flour (Yes, use All Purpose)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
Combine dry milk, flour and margarine/butter into the large bowl of a mixer (Bosch or Kitchen Aid highly recommended). Mix on low so powder doesn't spray everywhere (unless of course you have a Bosch or the attachment for the Kitchen Aid that prevents powder spray). Turn on high and mix until it looks like corn meal. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.
Visit Everyday Food Storage for other ways to use the Magic Mix. Enter "magic mix" in the search box at the top of the page. Some examples are condensed cream soups, pudding, and various sauces. I will be using it to make the Yellow Squash Puree Macaroni and Cheese mentioned yesterday.
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Okay so Moo wanted to make something sweet and I wanted to use the Magic Mix so I found this recipe and she made it.
Magic Mix Chocolate Pudding
from Everyday Food Storage
Print Recipe
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Magic Mix
2-3 Tbsp cocoa
2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
Combine Magic Mix, sugar, and cocoa in saucepan and mix well. Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles. Add vanilla and beat. Cover and Cool.
Tasty! I am guessing it will taste even better tomorrow when it is completely chilled.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Yellow Squash and/or Zucchini Puree
1 lb yellow squash and/or zucchini
1 lemon wedge
Bring water to boil in a pan with a steamer basket. Wash the squash. (DO NOT peel your zucchini or squash when cooking or baking with it. That is where all the nutrients come from.) Slice squash into one-inch rounds. Once water is boiling place squash in steamer basket and squeeze the lemon wedge over the squash--this will help enliven the flavor. Cover and steam for five minutes or until tender. Uncover and let squash cool for a bit. In batches, puree in blender or food processor. Squash tends to release quite a bit of liquid so there shouldn't be a need for additional water. Pour the squash into freezer storage containers or ice cube trays (great idea if you are making homemade baby food). Let cool completely before freezing or refrigerating.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
When Bob was younger I made a lot of his baby food by steaming vegetables. If anyone has thought about doing that and has any questions, I would be happy to share my experience. Besides you have not seen such an awesome shade of green as you get from homemade peas.
TIP - When steaming vegetables, let the remaining water cool and then use it to water your houseplants. The nutrients from the vegetables is great for the plants.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
I had a thought that I would make my own mayonnaise and truth be told I executed that thought. Executed but did not do so successfully. I will post a recipe once I have successfully made mayonnaise.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Potato Gnocchi (Potato Dumplings)
from Simply Recipe
Print Recipe
2 lbs potatoes (the older the better)
3 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 egg
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups flour
Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill the pot with water to just above the potatoes. Place on high heat and add salt. Leave to boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. One at a time hold the potatoes and peal them with a knife or vegetable peeler. Work quickly. Using a potato ricer or a food mill 'mash' the hot potatoes. Add the egg and stir quickly--this will cook the egg. Add one or two handfuls of flour and stir until it all sticks together in a ball of dough. Remove from bowl and knead on a floured surface or Silpat. Knead for a couple minutes adding the remaining flour until the dough does not stick to hands and is pliable. Cut the dough into four or five sections and roll out each into a 1.5 inch roll. Slice the roll into 1 inch rectangular pieces. Add an indent to each rectangle by pressing your finger into the center of each rectangle--this helps hold sauce. Repeat with all sections and place gnocchi on on a floured platter or dish to prevent sticking. At this point the gnocchi can be placed in freezer until hard then placed in baggies for use at a later time. To cook - bring a pot of water to boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time. When they rise to the surface, wait half a minute to one minute then remove gnocchi with slotted spoon. Drizzle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking to one another. Serve with your favorite sauce.
I am going to use the gnocchi later this week for Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
I believe that is everything I made today. If I left anything off I will write about it tomorrow. Good night. | http://www.sparkyunderwraps.com/2009/08/below-are-recipes-i-made-today.html |
Q:
Rapberry pi camera module vs usb camera
Is it good to use raspberry pi camera module for serious computer vision project using video or is it okay to use a usb webcam?
A:
The Pi camera is 'run' by the GPU and can dump full frames into RAM at 15 frames a second .. this is 7.5MB/frame, 15fps = 112.5 Mega BYTES per second .. or you can have full HD resolution 30fps H264 encoded (by the GPU) along with some simultaneous still photos (Google MMAL) all at virtually zero CPU loading ..
On the other hand, the Pi USB is 'run' byte at a time by the CPU, and, at the cost of 100% CPU loading you might achieve a couple of hundred Mega BITS per second .. not that a web cam is going to deliver that anyway (even if it could, you then don't have any CPU cycles to do anything with it ..)
SO, unless CCTV resolutions (320x240 pixels) are what you want, it has to be the Pi camera.
| |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of medicinal chemistry. In particular, the invention relates to small molecules which function as antagonists of the interaction between p53 and MDM2 and their use as a new class of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
2. Related Art
The aggressive cancer cell phenotype is the result of a variety of genetic and epigenetic alterations leading to deregulation of intracellular signaling pathways (Ponder, Nature 411:336 (2001)). The commonality for all cancer cells, however, is their failure to execute an apoptotic program, and lack of appropriate apoptosis due to defects in the normal apoptosis machinery is a hallmark of cancer (Lowe et al., Carcinogenesis 21:485 (2000)). The inability of cancer cells to execute an apoptotic program due to defects in the normal apoptotic machinery is thus often associated with an increase in resistance to chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy-induced apoptosis. Primary or acquired resistance of human cancer of different origins to current treatment protocols due to apoptosis defects is a major problem in current cancer therapy (Lowe et al., Carcinogenesis 21:485 (2000); Nicholson, Nature 407:810 (2000)). Accordingly, current and future efforts towards designing and developing new molecular target-specific anticancer therapies to improve survival and quality of life of cancer patients must include strategies that specifically target cancer cell resistance to apoptosis. In this regard, targeting crucial negative regulators that play a central role in directly inhibiting apoptosis in cancer cells represents a highly promising therapeutic strategy for new anticancer drug design.
The p53 tumor suppressor plays a central role in controlling cell cycle progression and apoptosis (Vogelstein et al., Nature 408:307 (2000)). It is an attractive therapeutic target for anticancer drug design because its tumor suppressor activity can be stimulated to eradicate tumor cells (Vogelstein et al., Nature 408:307 (2000); Chene, Nat. Rev. Cancer 3:102 (2003)). A new approach to stimulating the activity of p53 is through inhibition of its interaction with the protein MDM2 using non-peptide small molecule inhibitors (Chene, Nat. Rev. Cancer 3:102 (2003); Vassilev et al., Science 303:844 (2004)). MDM2 and p53 are part of an auto-regulatory feed-back loop (Wu et al., Genes Dev. 7:1126 (1993)). MDM2 is transcriptionally activated by p53 and MDM2, in turn, inhibits p53 activity by at least three mechanisms (Wu et al., Genes Dev. 7:1126 (1993). First, MDM2 protein directly binds to the p53 transactivation domain and thereby inhibits p53-mediated transactivation. Second, MDM2 protein contains a nuclear export signal sequence, and upon binding to p53, induces the nuclear export of p53, preventing p53 from binding to the targeted DNAs. Third, MDM2 protein is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and upon binding to p53 is able to promote p53 degradation. Hence, by functioning as a potent endogenous cellular inhibitor of p53 activity, MDM2 effectively inhibits p53-mediated apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. Therefore, small-molecule inhibitors that bind to MDM2 and block the interaction between MDM2 and p53 can promote the activity of p53 in cells with a functional p53 and stimulate p53-mediated cellular effects such as cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, or DNA repair (Chene, Nat. Rev. Cancer 3:102 (2003); Vassilev et al., Science 303:844 (2004))
Although high-affinity peptide-based inhibitors have been successfully designed in the past (Garcia-Echeverria et al., Med. Chem 43:3205 (2000)), these inhibitors are not drug-like molecules because of their poor cell permeability and in vivo bioavailability. Despite intensive efforts by the pharmaceutical industry, high throughput screening strategies have had very limited success in identifying potent, non-peptide small molecule inhibitors. Accordingly, there is a need for non-peptide, drug-like, small molecule inhibitors of the p53-MDM2 interaction.
The design of non-peptide small-molecule inhibitors that target the p53-MDM2 interaction is currently being pursued as an attractive strategy for anti-cancer drug design (Chene, Nat. Rev. Cancer 3:102 (2003); Vassilev et al., Science 303:844 (2004)). The structural basis of this interaction has been established by x-ray crystallography (Kussie et al., Science 274:948 (1996)). The crystal structure shows that the interaction between p53 and MDM2 is primarily mediated by three hydrophobic residues (Phe19, Trp23 and Leu26) from p53 and a small, deep hydrophobic cleft in MDM2. This hydrophobic cleft is an ideal site for designing small-molecule inhibitors that can disrupt the p53-MDM2 interaction (Chene, Nat. Rev. Cancer 3:102 (2003)).
| |
Music recommendation: audio neighbourhoods to discover music in the long tail.
Craw, Susan; Horsburgh, Ben; Massie, Stewart
Authors
Ben Horsburgh
Stewart Massie
Contributors
Eyke Hüllermeier
Editor
Mirjam Minor
Editor
Abstract
Millions of people use online music services every day and recommender systems are essential to browse these music collections. Users are looking for high quality recommendations, but also want to discover tracks and artists that they do not already know, newly released tracks, and the more niche music found in the 'long tail' of on-line music. Tag-based recommenders are not effective in this 'long tail' because relatively few people are listening to these tracks and so tagging tends to be sparse. However, similarity neighbourhoods in audio space can provide additional tag knowledge that is useful to augment sparse tagging. A new recommender exploits the combined knowledge, from audio and tagging, using a hybrid representation that extends the track's tag-based representation by adding semantic knowledge extracted from the tags of similar music tracks. A user evaluation and a larger experiment using Last.fm user data both show that the new hybrid recommender provides better quality recommendations than using only tags, together with a higher level of discovery of unknown and niche music. This approach of augmenting the representation for items that have missing information, with corresponding information from similar items in a complementary space, offers opportunities beyond content-based music recommendation.
|Start Date||Sep 28, 2015|
|Publication Date||Nov 26, 2015|
|Print ISSN||0302-9743|
|Publisher||Springer (part of Springer Nature)|
|Pages||73-87|
|Series Title||Lecture notes in computer science|
|Series Number||9343|
|Series ISSN||0302-9743|
|ISBN||9783319245850|
|Institution Citation||CRAW, S., HORSBURGH, B. and MASSIE, S. 2015. Music recommendation: audio neighbourhoods to discover music in the long tail. In Hüllermeier, E. and Minor, M. (eds.) Proceedings of the 23rd international conference on case-based reasoning research and development (ICCBR 2015), 28-30 September 2015, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Lecture notes in computer science, 9343. Cham: Springer [online], pages 73-87. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24586-7_6|
|DOI||https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24586-7_6|
|Keywords||Recommender systems; Novelty and serendipity; Knowledge extraction; CBR similarity assumption|
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Essential Linear Algebra with Applications A Problem Solving Approach written by Titu Andreescu . This textbook is intended for an introductory followed by an advanced course in linear algebra, with emphasis on its interactions with other topics in mathematics, such as calculus, geometry, and combinatorics. We took a straightforward path to the most important topic, linear maps between vector spaces, most of the time finite dimensional. However, since these concepts are fairly abstract and not necessarily natural at first sight, we included a few chapters with explicit examples of vector spaces such as the standard ndimensional vector space over a field and spaces of matrices. We believe that it is fundamental for the student to be very familiar with these spaces before dealing with more abstract theory. In order to maximize the clarity of the concepts discussed, we included a rather lengthy chapter on 2 2 matrices and their applications, including the theory of Pell’s equations. This will help the student manipulate matrices and vectors in a concrete way before delving into the abstract and very powerful approach to linear algebra through the study of vector spaces and linear maps.
Book Detail :-
Title: Essential Linear Algebra with Applications A Problem Solving Approach
Edition:
Author(s): Titu Andreescu
Publisher: Birkhäuser Basel
Series:
Year: 2014
Pages: 498
Type: PDF
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-8176-4360-7,978-0-8176-4636-3
Country: US
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About Author :- The author Titu Andreescu is an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is firmly involved in mathematics contests and olympiads, having been the Director of American Mathematics Competitions (as appointed by the Mathematical Association of America), Director of the Mathematical Olympiad Program, Head Coach of the United States International Mathematical Olympiad Team, and Chairman of the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad. He has also authored a large number of books on the topic of problem solving and olympiad style mathematics.
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Book Contents :-
Essential Linear Algebra with Applications A Problem Solving Approach written by Titu Andreescu cover the following topics.
1. Matrix Algebra
2. Square Matrices of Order 2
3. Matrices and Linear Equations
4. Vector Spaces and Subspaces
5. Linear Transformations
6. Duality
7. Determinants
8. Polynomial Expressions of Linear Transformations and Matrices
9. Diagonalizability
10. Forms
11. Appendix: Algebraic Prerequisites
Note:-
We are not the owner of this book/notes. We provide it which is already avialable on the internet. For any further querries please contact us. We never SUPPORT PIRACY. This copy was provided for students who are financially troubled but want studeing to learn. If You Think This Materials Is Useful, Please get it legally from the PUBLISHERS. Thank you. | https://mathschoolinternational.com/Math-Books/Linear-Algebra/Essential-Linear-Algebra--Titu-Andreescu.aspx |
Q:
GCD scheme in LaTeX
I need to implement a command, for example \gcd{16}{6} whose result is a table like the following:
The table represents the development of the euclidean algorithm for GCD
where:
Q1 is the quotient for A/B and R1 is the rest
Q2 is the quotient for B/R1 and R2 is the rest
.........
R3=0
I will be very grateful with some help
A:
I prefer to set things as columns.
edit but I have done it too horizontally. (I thought about using Electrum ADF to better fit original model but I had taken the screenshot already).
vertically
Here is using xintgcd.
Nota bene: the documentation of macro \xintEuclideAlgorithm of xintgcd has some issues, the example uses \xintAssign but it should have optional parameter [e] to force expansion. The behaviour of \xintAssign changed about three years ago, but its use here was not updated.
\documentclass[a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{xinttools,xintgcd}
\usepackage{array}
\newcommand\gcdtable[2]{%
\begingroup
\xintAssignArray\xintEuclideAlgorithm {#1}{#2}\to\EUC
% even indices 2, 4, 6, ... are A, B, R1, R2, ...
% odd indices 5, 7, .... are Q1, Q2, ...
% 1 -> number of steps, 3 -> gcd
%\edef\A{\EUC2}%\edef\B{\EUC4}%
\def\ROW##1{\expandafter\ROWa##1.}%
% (\xintiloopindex must be unbraced for its expansion)
%
\def\ROWa##1.{(R##1)&\EUC{2*##1+4}&\EUC{2*##1 + 5}&\EUC{2*##1+6}\\}%
%
\edef\NumberOfSteps{\EUC1}%
%
\[\begin{array}{cc>{{}\times{}}l>{{}+{}}l}
&&\multicolumn{1}{l}{Q}&\multicolumn{1}{l}{R}\\
\hline
(A)&\omit&\omit\\
(B)&\EUC{5}&\EUC{6}\\
\xintiloop [1+1]
\ROW{\xintiloopindex}%
\ifnum\xintiloopindex<\numexpr\NumberOfSteps-1\relax
\repeat
\hline
\multicolumn{4}{c}{\textrm{The last non zero remainder is $\EUC3$}}
\end{array}\]
\endgroup
}%
\begin{document}
\gcdtable{16}{6}
\gcdtable{100}{17}
\gcdtable{137205626}{12539182}
\gcdtable{123456789012345}{9876543210321}
\end{document}
horizontally
The code again uses \xintiloop which is an expandable loop hence can be used directly inside a tabular. But admittedly, its usage is very delicate with the & locations, and certainly not easily customizable by the non-expert TeX user. It would have been better in this regard if I had used the \xintFor non-expandable loop, together with a counter, rather than here \xintiloop+\xintiloopindex which is neat but definitely not easy to use.
Minor last remark: this one uses tabular, the one above was with array hence required math mode.
\newcommand\gcdhorizontaltable[2]{%
% first is number of steps N,
% "array" ends with QN in position 2N+3 and then RN=0 is in position 2N+4
% 1 -> number of steps, 3 -> gcd
% B=R0 in position 4 and A morally is R(-1) in position 2
%
% (\xintiloopindex must be unbraced for its expansion)
\def\QUO##1{\expandafter\QUOa##1.}%
\def\QUOa##1.{\EUC{2*(##1)+3}}%
%
% (\xintiloopindex must be unbraced for its expansion)
\def\REM##1{\expandafter\REMa##1.}%
\def\REMa##1.{\EUC{2*(##1)+4}}%
%
\edef\NumberOfSteps{\EUC1}%
%
\begin{tabular}{|l*{\NumberOfSteps}{|l}|}
\hline
% first row
\xintiloop [1+1]
&\QUO\xintiloopindex
\ifnum\xintiloopindex<\numexpr\NumberOfSteps\relax
\repeat \\\hline
% second row
\xintiloop [-1+1]
\REM\xintiloopindex &
\ifnum\xintiloopindex<\numexpr\NumberOfSteps-2\relax
\repeat \REM{\NumberOfSteps-1}\\\hline
% third row
\xintiloop [1+1]
\REM\xintiloopindex &
\ifnum\xintiloopindex<\numexpr\NumberOfSteps\relax
\repeat \\\hline
\end{tabular}
\endgroup
}%
\begin{document}
\gcdhorizontaltable{16}{6}
\bigskip
\gcdhorizontaltable{100}{17}
\bigskip
\gcdhorizontaltable{137205626}{12539182}
%\gcdhorizontaltable{123456789012345}{9876543210321}
\thispagestyle{empty}
\end{document}
Output:
A:
\documentclass{article}
\def\zz#1#2#3{%
\edef\q{\the\numexpr#2/#3}%
\edef\r{\the\numexpr#2-(#3*(#2/#3))\relax}%
\ifnum\r<0
\edef\q{\the\numexpr\q - 1\relax}%
\edef\r{\the\numexpr#3+\r\relax}%
\fi
\begin{tabular}{@{}|r}#1\\#2\\\r\end{tabular}%
\ifnum\r=0
\begin{tabular}{@{}|r|@{}}\q\\#3\\{}\end{tabular}%
\else
\edef\tmp{\noexpand\zz{\q}{#3}{\r}}\tmp%
\fi}
\begin{document}
\zz{}{16}{6}
\end{document}
A:
A weird way with expl3 and constructing of tables, works for basically an arbitrary number of steps, but the table will overflow finally to the margin if there are too many algorithm steps.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xparse}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\cs_generate_variant:Nn \int_set:Nn {Nx}
\int_new:N \l_gcd_remainder_int
\int_new:N \l_gcd_integerpart_int
\seq_new:N \l_gcd_pair_seq
\NewDocumentCommand{\gcdcalc}{mm}{%
\group_begin:
% The Euclidean algorithm is in here
\int_set:Nn \l_tmpa_int {#2}
\int_set:Nn \l_tmpb_int {#1}
\seq_put_right:Nx \l_gcd_pair_seq {#1 ; #2 ; }
\int_do_until:nNnn {\l_tmpa_int} = {0} {
\int_set:Nx \l_gcd_remainder_int { \int_mod:nn {\l_tmpb_int } {\l_tmpa_int}}
\int_set:Nx \l_gcd_integerpart_int{ \int_div_truncate:nn {\l_tmpb_int } {\l_tmpa_int} }
\seq_put_right:Nx \l_gcd_pair_seq { \int_use:N \l_tmpa_int ; \int_use:N \l_gcd_remainder_int ; \int_use:N \l_gcd_integerpart_int}
\int_set_eq:NN \l_tmpb_int \l_tmpa_int
\int_set_eq:NN \l_tmpa_int \l_gcd_remainder_int
}
% Construction of the table by putting it all into a token variable
\tl_put_right:Nn \l_tmpa_tl { \hline }
\int_zero:N \l_tmpa_int
\seq_map_inline:Nn \l_gcd_pair_seq {%
\int_incr:N \l_tmpa_int
\seq_set_split:Nnn \l_tmpa_seq {;} {##1}
\int_compare:nNnTF {\l_tmpa_int } = {\seq_count:N \l_gcd_pair_seq} {
\tl_put_right:Nx \l_tmpa_tl { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {3} }
\tl_put_right:Nn \l_tmpa_tl { \tabularnewline\hline}
}{
\tl_put_right:Nx \l_tmpa_tl { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {3} & }
}
}
\tl_put_right:Nx \l_tmpa_tl { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {1} }
\tl_put_right:Nn \l_tmpa_tl { \tabularnewline\hline}
}{
\tl_put_right:Nx \l_tmpa_tl { \seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {1} &}
}
}
\seq_set_eq:NN \l_tmpb_seq \l_gcd_pair_seq
\seq_pop_left:NN \l_tmpb_seq \l_tmpb_tl
\seq_map_inline:Nn \l_tmpb_seq {%
\seq_set_split:Nnn \l_tmpa_seq {;} {##1}
\tl_put_right:Nx \l_tmpa_tl {\seq_item:Nn \l_tmpa_seq {2} &}
}
\tl_put_right:Nn \l_tmpa_tl { \tabularnewline\hline}
\begin{tabular}{|*{\int_eval:n{\seq_count:N \l_gcd_pair_seq+1}}{c|}}
\tl_use:N \l_tmpa_tl
\end{tabular}
\group_end:
}
\ExplSyntaxOff
\begin{document}
\gcdcalc{16}{6}
\gcdcalc{24}{8}
\gcdcalc{1024}{120}
\end{document}
| |
View 21 - 30 results for mom can use comic strips. Discover the best "Mom Can Use" comics from Dilbert.com.
Friday September 26,
1997
Tags #didn't use brain, #already knew, #car pool, #staff meeting, #steak alive
Transcript
The Boss, Wally and Dilbert sit at a conference table. Wally says, "I didn't use my brain this week." Wally says, "I listened to things I already knew; I waited for people who were late; I was a passenger in my car pool." The Boss says, "Let's start the staff meeting." Wally pumps his fist in the air and says, "Yes!! Keeping the streak alive!"
Wednesday June 17,
1998
Tags #drug treatment program, #registration form, #objective, #battering ram, #use head
Transcript
Caption: Drug Treatment Program Counselor sitting behind his desk says to Alice, "Alice, I'd like to talk to you about your registration form." Counselor refers to memo and says, "Under 'objective,' you said you want to use my 'turnip-shaped head as a battering ram to break out of here.'" Alice approaches Counselor with duct tape in hand. Counselor says, "Alice drop the duct tape." Alice replies, "Stay tense; that will help."
Monday July 27,
1998
Tags #Dilbert, #mother, #buy wquipment, #budget cut, #navy seal, #mom proud, #blocks reality, #doesn't hear son, #Family
Transcript
Dilbert and Dilbert's Mom are in the kitchen. Dilbert says, "My boss told me to buy a bunch of equipment that we don't need." Dilbert's Mom hands Dilbert a piece of cake and a glass of milk. Dilbert says, "That way our budget won't get cut next year." Dilbert's mom says, "I'm so proud of you, son." Dilbert says, "How do you say that with a straight face?" Dilbert's mom says, "I try to imagine you as a navy seal." Dilbert's mom salutes.
Sunday December 17,
1995
Tags #taken vacation, #use vacation days, #work 7 days a week, #year end review, #artificial project, #vacation target, #mutually exclusive goal, #frustration
Transcript
The Boss, Alice, Wally and Dilbert sit at a conference table. The Boss says, "Alice, our records show that you haven't taken a vacation all year." The Boss continues, "Company policy requires you to use your vacation days." Alice says, "How?? You told me to work seven days a week to prepare the project for your boss's year-end review." Alice asks, "Do you want me to meet the artificial project target or the artificial vacation target?" Alice stands up and screams, "Hello!!! These are mutually exclusive goals!!! Hello!!!" Alice says, "Ooh . . . Sorry, I usually just think that last part in silent frustration." The Boss says, "Moving right along . . . Kudos to Wally for using all of his vacation days ahead of schedule." Alice looks furious. Wally says, "Get over it, Alice. We can't all be superstars."
Sunday September 22,
1996
Tags #use speakerphone, #voice mail, #speaker phone, #inconsiderate, #too stupid, #annoying, #bob dinsoaur, #wedgie, #service elevator, #look on face, #way they yell, #philiosphers
Transcript
A man sits in his cubicle thinking, "It's time to use my speakerphone to do voice mail." The man thinks, "I can't remember if I use the speakerphone because I'm inconsiderate or because I'm too stupid to know how annoying it is." The man thinks, "I'll leave that question to the philosophers." The man screams, "Hi. Thanks for the information. Talk to you later!!!" The man shouts, "Did I tell you about my cyst?" Dilbert hears the man yelling and sends an e-mail message that says, "Dogbert, send Bob the Dinosaur quickly!" Bob says to the building security officer, "I'm here to deliver a wedgie." The man replies, "Use the service elevator." Dilbert sits at his desk humming while the man next to him screams as Bob gives him a wedgie. Dilbert presses the elevator button and asks Bob, "What's the best part - the look on their faces or the way they yell?" Bob replies, "I'll leave that question to the philosophers."
Saturday March 27,
1999
Tags #use art, #find self, #over there, #ratbert, #bad painting, #without using art, #bob, #dinosaur
Transcript
Ratbert wears a Beret and paints. Ratbert says, to Bob, "I use art as a way of finding myself." Bob says, "you're over there, Ratbert, in front of a bad painting!" Bob walks away and thinks, "And I did it without using any art."
Monday March 29,
1999
Tags #bill agtes, #bill gates, #competition keeper, #infrared, #linus rules, #linux box, #missiles, #sent email, #visit mom, #dilberts mother
Transcript
Dilbert's mom and Dilbert sit on the couch in Dilbert's living room. Dilbert's mom says, "...I'm going to infrared from the keyboard to my "linux" box." She has a keyboard on her lap. Dilbert says, "Nice mom" Dilbert's mom makes a fist and says, "I just sent a flaming e-mail to Bill gates, saying "Linux rules!" Dilbert says, "you what?" Bill gates sits in captians chair in a military looking facility. Bill says, "Launch the competitionkeeper missiles."
Saturday April 10,
1999
Tags #ease of use, #lab, #budget for staff, #two sided, #photocopies, #live by sword, #die by sword
Transcript
The boss, wally and Asok sit at the conference table with papers in front of them. The boss says, "I downsised the "ease of use" lab because there's no budget for a staff." Asok grabs one of the paper and shows it the the boss. ASok says, "They HAVE a buget. I put it on the back of these two-sided photocopies!" The boss says, "Well, they lived by the sword, and they died by the sword."
Saturday May 15,
1999
Tags #completes portion, #project, #well engineered, #squadron, #idiots, #ruin, #marketing, #napping, #use ears, #coasters, #business
Transcript
Dilbert types at his computer and thinks, "This completes my portion of the project." Dilbert thinks, "This project is so well-engineered it would take a squadron of idiots to ruin it." Caption: "Meanwhile in Marketing" A stupid looking man dressed very sloppily says, "And when I'm napping, it is NOT okay to use my ears as coasters."
Thursday May 27,
1999
Tags #new office rebel, #nice bathrobe, #easily manipulated, #dare you, #use barnding, #the fire
Transcript
The male office rebel with the spiked hair extends shakes Dilbert's hand and says, "You must be the new office rebel we heard about. Nice bathrobe." The other pierced male rebel says, "We're called rebels because we're easily manipulated into doing stupid things." Spiked hair rebel raises the roof and says, "Give it up fpr us! Whoo whoo!" Dilbert says, "I dare you to use branding irons on each other right now." Spiked haired says, "Start the fire!" | https://dilbert.com/search_results?page=3&terms=mom+can+use |
For decades, people have been sharing recipes. Whether it is the delicious dessert from the potluck or Mom’s secret recipe for meatloaf, exchanging recipes is part of the process of getting comfortable in the kitchen.
When it is time to start collecting a paycheck for a recipe, the question of ownership can be more divisive. In a world where recipes have gone from index cards to internet sites, it is easier than ever to profit from someone else’s culinary expertise.
Here’s what you should know about who owns a recipe.
Tricky to protect
There are protections for many types of products and processes, but getting copyright protection is nearly impossible when it comes to a recipe. Copyright protections typically do not cover a list of ingredients but would only surround the description of the method of a recipe.
Unfortunately, the limitation on what can be copyrighted and what cannot makes it almost impossible to protect a recipe and very simple to get around protection.
Since cooking tends to be a highly customizable process, the next person down the line is very likely to add their own twist to the recipe. Often, the “twist,” no matter how small, is usually enough to make the recipe different.
Chefs don’t (usually) own them, either
A chef in a restaurant is typically in a “work for hire” situation. While they may create an incredible recipe, when they make it at work, it becomes the restaurant’s property.
However, nothing can stop the same chef from altering the recipe later on and claiming the new version as their own. | https://www.otto.law/blog/2022/02/who-owns-a-recipe/ |
Zealandia, the submerged continent
In an unprecedented event, a group of geology specialists revealed the existence of a seventh continent: Zealandia. This would have an area of approximately 5 million square kilometers, and has been the subject of research since the 1980s.
However, it was only until 2017 that conclusive results could be obtained as the conclusion of various studies. Some of the findings indicate that Zealandia is 94% submerged, and only the remaining 6% emerges to the surface. This forms the territories of New Caledonia and the northern islands of New Zealand.
According to experts, the geological processes that gave rise to Zealandia are unique and unprecedented in the history of our planet’s formation. These events are believed to have taken place more than 52 million years ago.
The origin of Zealandia
Apparently, the phenomena that gave rise to Zealandia were the result of ruptures by subduction. It is believed that this event affected the planet on a global scale for 5 million years; reportedly, this process was similar to a sequence of slow-moving earthquakes.
The phenomenon spread throughout the Western Pacific, while the Pacific Ring of Fire was forming. Additionally, vertical displacements of large land masses were observed in lengths of 1 to 3 kilometers in what today constitutes the New Caledonia archipelago.
During this early phase of subduction, the territories of New Caledonia and New Zealand emerged, along with a group of additional islands. This, in turn, has resulted in a change in the speed and direction of tectonic plates around the world.
Complementary aspects
Zealandia is a landmass equivalent to 2 times the area of India, which separated from Antarctica and Australia more than 80 million years ago. Subsequently, the continent was shaped and submerged by the same tectonic forces that created the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The latter is an area characterized by the presence of volcanoes and frequent earthquakes, which extends longitudinally along the western side of America. From this sector it moves even further west through the Pacific Ocean, until it reaches New Zealand.
This scenario generated transcendental changes, such as the modification of marine currents and a radical change in the global climate. Similarly, forced both evolution and alteration in migration of various species of animals.
Other important facts about Zealandia
Some studies carried out in the 1970s suggested that Zealandia’s low profile was due to the thinning of its crust. This fact, in turn, was due to the detachment of another supercontinent known as Gondwana, 85 million years ago.
For many of the researchers, the geological processes that took place in the sinking of Zealandia are unparalleled in the world. Likewise, they are now aware of the dramatic global repercussions that this type of phenomenon can entail.
Zealandia was officially recognized as a continent only in 2017, time in which a detailed mapping of its characteristics was carried out. This was only possible after several discoveries made in the 1990s, when the idea of Zealandia as a continent gained strength.
This discovery was only possible thanks to satellite technology and the use of a powerful software that involved the joint effort of several nations. This resulted in a map of the hidden continent. Many expect it to start appearing on world maps in the near future.
Interactivity for the curious
Similarly, today it is possible to enter a multitude of interactive platforms that allow you to get in touch with the Zealandia of the past. In this way, it is possible to perceive the appearance that this continent had millions of years ago and understand the transformations that the planet has undergone until it is what we know today.
The utility of these tools lies in providing context through accurate and up-to-date images of what Zealandia was like. At the same time, it explains the configuration of volcanoes and the way in which tectonic plates act to give rise to the physical geography of a territory.
The submerged Zealandia has a narrow and elongated appearance, with widths ranging between 10 and 40 kilometers in length. The highest point of elevation is Mount Cook, with 3724 meters above sea level, which is in New Zealand. The deepest place is at 4000 meters, in what is known as the oceanic abyssal plains.
What the specialists say
Throughout this extensive investigative process, without a doubt, the leading role has been in the head of New Zealand scientistsmainly in those that make up the New Zealand Scientific Center, whose acronym in English is GNS.
Much of the information obtained was the result of records made with very sophisticated technology. Underwater sensors, research vessels equipped with 3D scanners, and satellite information including images were used.
These findings have allowed the scientific community to better and more widely understand the geological processes that occurred on the planet. This information will result in the development of more accurate prediction models in the future.
All this has practical application in the possibility of taking timely measures regarding climate change. Likewise, it will help in the prevention of risks generated by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, among other aspects. | https://mjaac.com/zealandia-the-submerged-continent.html |
Strategic planning provides a guide for service delivery decisions and helps to inform the allocation of resources. In June 2021, in preparation for continuing the Village’s practice of strategic planning and forming a successor plan to the 2019-2021 Strategic priorities, the Village of Lisle began engaging in the process of developing the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. The process kicked off with engaging a professional consultant to assist in this process which includes a wide-sweeping review of the characteristics and interests of residents, businesses, institutions, and other stakeholders in the development of the plan.
This thoughtful and deliberative process included several steps to reach out to and capture the perspectives of the many stakeholders within the community. These steps included thorough review of Lisle demographic information, the conduct of one-on-one interviews, surveys, and community focus groups, as well as in-depth discussions regarding the Village of Lisle’s attributes and future potential.
Below, please find an overview of the steps in developing the Village of Lisle’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan:
Review of 2019 - 2021 Strategic Plan
- In June, staff presented a review of the 2019-2021 strategic planning process and discussed the process of developing the 2022-2025 strategic plan.
Consultant Approval
- In July, the Village Board approved Resolution 2021-4182 authorizing a professional service agreement with Raftelis Financial Consultants for professional consultant services related to the development of the plan.
Employee and Community Surveys
- In September, the development and conduct of the community and employee surveys took place. Surveys are designed to gather important information to inform the development of the plan.
- The Community Survey targeted gathering input on current priorities as well as emerging community needs and priorities. The survey ran for four weeks and received 345 responses.
- The employee survey sought to delve into employee perspectives about the current state of the Village and future issues to consider as part of the strategic planning process. This survey received 36 responses.
Focus Group Sessions
- In October, virtual interactive focus groups were held to host robust community conversations regarding current priorities as well as emerging community needs and priorities.
- Focus groups included two sessions for residents, as well has sessions held for the business community and institutional partners.
Elected Official Interviews
- October also included interviews were conducted with Village Board members. These interviews served to gather perspectives and preliminary thoughts on the process and assist in developing an understanding of the Village's processes, operations, and prior planning efforts. | https://villageoflisle.org/808/2022--2025-Strategic-Planning-Process |
I'm a regular Spaces user and for the longest time I've been annoyed – very annoyed – by the fact that, when clicking on the Safari icon in the Dock from a Space where there are no browser windows open, either the Space is swapped with a different one where there's a Safari window open (if I have the "When switching application, jump to a Space with application windows open" setting enabled in System Preferences > Mission Control), or Safari activates, but with no window until I hit CMD+N (if that setting is off).
In the past I made Applescript-compiled apps to hack around this behavior, but they were complicated and not entirely reliable, so I kept living with this major frustration.
Today, the rug was swept under my feet for the last time, as I've figured I could put together something in Keyboard Maestro, and less than 5 minutes later I had a simple and so far reliable solution: | https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/new-safari-window-if-none-is-visible-in-the-current-space/29182 |
When this occurs there is always despair, regret and hopefully remorse. If a couple is willing to work through the mistakes there is a good possibility that trust can be restored. Trust must be earned though; it is not something one is automatically entitled to. Therefore, the party who has breached the trust must be willing to rebuild it no matter what it takes. That requires a strong commitment, not just from the partner that breached the trust but from the other partner as well.
What follows are some tips that can help you travel the road back to rebuilding trust.
It is not sufficient to simply say you are sorry for breaching the trust between the two of you. You must also begin to understand the harm and hurt you have caused. You must be able to see this from your partner's point of view and really relate to it with empathy. Unless the apology can be conveyed in a heartfelt manner, it is unlikely that healing can begin.
There is always the question as to why something happened. If there has been an affair the hurt spouse will of course want to know why the unfaithful spouse became unfaithful. The unfaithful spouse needs to explain the behavior from his/her own point of view, expressing how the way he/she was feeling may have led to the breach. This is not the time to blame the hurt spouse in an effort to deflect taking responsibility for the breach.
All during this process there will likely be a desire from the unfaithful spouse to speed things along and get back to some sense of balance. Patience is supremely important and needs to be understood as such. Both partners need to be reminded that this will take time, courage and strength of character for trust to be restored.
Partners must now decide if the rules of the relationship need to be changed. Certainly expectations will change. There will be a need to be more accountable to the hurt spouse. The hurt spouse will need more reassurance that the unfaithful spouse is committed to change. The hurt spouse will also, at some point, need to recognize the efforts of the other and begin to move toward better understanding and even forgiveness (see my Newsletter about Forgiveness).
Expectations need to be translated into specific behaviors that are acceptable. These agreed upon expectations are promises that you are making to each other. For example, if the hurt partner needs to hear from the other a number of times a day for reassurance, the promise of calling needs to be honored. Being forthcoming and transparent, not withholding and secretive is another aspect of meeting expectations. Keeping one's promises and meeting expectations are the building blocks of restoring trust.
As the expression goes, under promise and over deliver! In an effort to build trust, reconcile and get back in the good graces of your partner you might find yourself promising to do almost anything. You may have good intentions but be unable to deliver. That is not to say you shouldn't stretch yourself a little. However, it is always better to promise only as much as you are sure you can make good on and then make every effort to do more than you promised. The process of rebuilding trust is fragile. You can seriously compound the damage by not delivering on your promises.
Both partners need to feel they can express themselves and speak openly to each other. It may have been poor or fearful communication in the first place that caused, at least in part, the breakdown of the relationship. Some very emotional and important conversations can occur as a result.
Changing behavior requires persistence and consistency. The hurt partner has to believe that the other partner is truly changing, not just for the short term but for the long haul. It is imperative that there is a strong commitment to change or it will be impossible to break an old pattern and make new behaviors stick.
Have a strong commitment and a positive attitude toward change.
Rebuilding trust is not easy. In fact it is probably one of the hardest things a couple can do. Partners have to suspend their disbelief that things can change and that they will once again be trusting and happy together. This process requires a strong commitment from both partners. The hurt partner has to be willing to encourage their spouse in order to show that there is hope and that forgiveness is possible.
Article by Stan Hyman, PhD, LCSW published with his permission. | https://www.marriagefriendlytherapists.com/blog/how-to-rebuild-trust-with-your-partner-throughout-the-years-61 |
Written by IEEE | January 21, 2016 | Updated: March 30, 2017
Virtual reality (VR) was one of the hottest technologies at CES this year, alongside drones and the IoT. Major manufacturers flooded the showroom floor with new products and innovations, and the IEEE booth was no exception.
While passersby queued up to play our VR game — a Mars expedition where players worked together on a special mission — they were also able to demo other VR experiences thanks to IEEE member Todd Richmond and his team at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT). The ICT experience used viewers including Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift.
In addition to our hands-on VR experience, booth visitors were asked to fill out a survey that asked a range of questions regarding the future of AR/VR technology. The survey had 1,537 respondents, many of whom predict that VR headsets might not have the same staying power that is expected for virtual reality as a whole. In fact, 52% of respondents believed headsets could be phased out of immersive VR experiences by as early as 2030. Another 21% of respondents predicted this to be a reality by 2035, 15% by 2040 and 5% by 2045.
AR/VR Makes the Grade
Virtual reality has already made its mark on education, and 36% of show attendees surveyed predict that the benefit will grow as the technology continues to emerge.
“We are on the cusp of utilizing a technology that will have a profound effect on a variety of industries, such as education, healthcare and business,” shared Todd Richmond, director of advanced prototype development at the Institute of Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California. “Immersive capabilities such as AR, VR and mixed reality provide a whole new medium for communication and experience.Working in academia, I see endless possibilities to how augmented and virtual reality can enhance the learning experience by offering a more interactive element to information for students as well as act as another teaching tool for educators. It’s encouraging to see, based on the results of the survey, that consumers are able to align the value of this technology in other areas besides entertainment.”
What Happens Under the Knife, Stays Under the Knife
Despite the advantages of further integrating AR/VR in healthcare, the majority of survey respondents felt strongly against getting a “sneak preview” of surgical procedures through the advanced technology.
The Entertainment Factor
Virtual reality is inherently entertaining in that it can provide the experience of being practically anywhere, and with that in mind, we asked survey participants to rank where they would like to go first. Thirty percent of respondents chose the outer space as their primary destination, while time travel came as a close second at 19%, with sporting events (18%), a popular city (16%) and remote/secluded destinations (11%) trailing behind.
Virtual reality is still establishing itself across industries, and the majority (58%) of survey respondents predict that the US will be the first country to reach mass adoption, followed by Japan (21%), China (12%), with Brazil, India UK and “Other” (if desired country was not listed) as additional considerations, reflected in a small percentage of the results.
We’re excited to watch the world of VR continue to extend across industries, and hope that the predictions of our CES booth attendees hold true. | https://transmitter.ieee.org/ieee-at-ces-2/ |
Isolated. Anxious. Lone Wolf.
Like many men, you may feel like a lone wolf when it comes to trusting others with personal and emotional concerns. You face challenges and issues
completely on your own because you don't have a safe environment where you feel comfortable opening up to others.
As a result, you feel estranged from a trusted brotherhood, which creates a cycle of stuffed emotions and thoughts along with a host of other issues, like:
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lack of purpose and meaning,
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isolation and addiction,
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compulsions and avoidant behaviors, and
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depression and anxiety.
But like wolves, you are meant to live as part of a pack.
Solution-focused Therapy Can Help
The Come Alive Counseling and Coaching Collaborative is here to help you identify and work toward your mental health goals by listening in a non-judgmental way, offering therapeutic support, and providing solution-focused direction on subjects relevant to your life. We work hard to create a safe and encouraging space that provides evidence-based and practical tools for designing and managing the life that you want.
We can help you talk about your concerns, design a plan to overcome obstacles, and find purpose as part of a pack.
Welcome
Dave Stefan, Ph.D.
Hello, my name is Dr. Dave Stefan. I’d like to welcome you to the Come Alive Counseling and Coaching Collaborative. I know life can feel overwhelming and confusing (but also hopeful) when you decide to reach out for support.
As someone who has faced significant personal and professional challenges and come out on the other side with a much richer and more grounded sense of who I am, I understand the range of emotions you might be experiencing.
Throughout my life, I have worked hard at my own mental and emotional well-being. Along with therapy, I have explored and applied practices that have helped me change my irrational thoughts, manage my damaged emotions, and find greater fulfillment in relationships.
I have also gone to extremes to figure out and find peace with my life, including trekking up Everest, volunteering with the United Nations World Food Program in Nepal, and walking alone into the Cascade Wilderness on a three day, solo fast vision quest.
You can learn more about my journeys around the world and how they helped me personally and professionally in my "12 Months to Live" documentary and "Gratitude Project" podcast series.
Based on my educational background, training, and personal experiences, which you can learn more about here, I strive to create an environment that offers compassionate understanding, challenging encouragement, and research-based, therapeutic solutions.
Therapy Can Help.
Research shows that therapy can:
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Improve mood.
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Regulate emotions.
What others have said about our work together...
Learning about positive psychology research and applying it to my life has helped me feel better about where I am and where I want to go.
Nicholas
I feel much more calm.
Pat
Talking with Dr. Stefan has helped me develop a personal and professional self-care plan and stick to it. Our conversations have made a big difference. | https://www.thecomealivecollaborative.com/mens-issues |
Spatial resolution is a quite general concept and is a very critical parameter in EDS microanalysis. Since the spatial resolution is determined by the interaction between the electron beam and specimen, it is a function of the incident electron beam size (d) defined as the Full-Width Half-Maximum (FWHM) of the Gaussian electron intensity and the beam broadening (b) that is caused by elastic scattering of the electrons within the interaction volume in the specimen. If the beam retains a Gaussian distribution in the interaction volume, the spatial resolution can be roughly given by,
--------------------------------
Figure 4629 shows the schematic illustration of the broadening of electron beam within a thin specimen and of generations of EDS, EELS and AES signals. This beam broadening affects the spatial resolution of EDS significantly, but does not affect those of EELS and AES too much. d, R and Rmax are the spot size , the average diameter, and the maximum diameter of the electron beam within the specimen, respecitively. For instance, when an incident electron beam at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV irradiates a copper (Cu) material, the generation depth and width of X-rays are ~ 1.5 µm and ~ 1 µm, respectively. The generation width determines the spatial resolution of X-ray based measurements, e.g. EDS.
Figure 4629. Schematic illustration of the broadening of electron beam
within a thin specimen and of generations of EDS, EELS and AES signals.
Based on the beam spreading theory, to improve the EDS spatial resolution, one need to use as thin a specimen, as small a probe diameter and as high an accelerating voltage as possible. In general, the spatial resolutions of EDS measurements are about 1 µm for SEM and between 1 and 20 nm for TEM (103 times better than SEM/EPMA(Electron Probe Micro-Analysis)). It should be pointed out that a spatial resolution of ~2 nm is attainable on analytical (S)TEMs with an FEG, while with a LaB6 gun, the equivalent value is ~10 nm.
For SEM-EDS measurements on bulk materials, very high accelerating voltages decrease spatial resolution. Therefore, for low-energy EDS measurements of heavy elements in bulk materials, the spatial resolution can be enhanced if the X-ray lines of a proper low-excitation energy are used. With an accelerating voltage of 5 kV, the K line is available only for atomic numbers below 20, above which L lines is needed, and M lines must be used for atomic numbers above 42.
Note that the bremsstrahlung background forms a smooth continuum with count rate per unit energy interval that is independent of detector resolution, while the peak height of characteristic X-rays is inversely proportional to resolution. | https://www.globalsino.com/EM/page4629.html |
Watching the TCM Premiere of the 1973 crime drama The Seven Ups got me all up in my 1970s cinematic feels. During the live tweeting with my fellow TCM viewers (TCMParty represent!) I was reminded of all the awesome films that came out during this decade. This got me reflecting a bit, like why hadn’t I been on this 1970’s cinema train until recently? Maybe since I was born in the mid-late 1970’s, I always dismissed the cinematic achievements of the period. Or maybe, rather age and experience has given me a level of cinematic sophistication to appreciate the 1970s cultural landscape a bit more. Whatever the actual cause, I am all the better for it.
The 2003 IFC documentary, A Decade Under the Influence, co-directed by Richard LaGravense and Ted Demme (who sadly passed away before production on the film was complete), is a statement of the times and how what the audiences saw on screen was a reflection that heralded a new era in moviemaking and cinematic storytelling.
My immediate reaction after watching this film was wowsa. The 1970’s ran the gambit and offered quite possibly some of the most creative, innovative and liberating films in the history of Hollywood. I will touch on the whys of that statement in a second.
With all of this creative explosion and freedom, there was bound to be a downside. As the decade drew to a close, the engine that drove these films and exposed them to mainstream popularity came up against the business of show’s commercial interests. One result is the introduction of our current risk-averse moviemaking model.
Now back to the whys – the documentary cites several reasons; among them:
- As the old guard, i.e., the moguls who founded Hollywood started to die and be replaced by corporate entities, the hold studios had over its stars became more and more tenuous. This decline in the studio system also meant that the ability of movie stars to ensure box office success left the system at a crossroads.
- As the adage goes “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” The loss of fortune and drive to recoup some of the losses created a ripe environment for young filmmakers to express themselves with limited studio interference.
- Coming out of the social upheaval (and subsequent ‘social confusion’) of the 1950’s and 1960’s these mavericks put on film what were, as one interviewee in documentary explained was a celebration of the victories gained during this time. And audiences for a time were attracted to this.
- Borrowing from what came before both in the studio system as well as cinema from around the world, these filmmakers and talent had a worldliness and ‘education’ that stretched their creative boundaries.
Interwoven with interviews with many of the movers and shakers* of the decade are clips from some of the more notable films, which range from the small and personal statement to the crowd-pleasing blockbusters.
Not explored at great length was the Blaxploitation films and the Asian influence, notably Hong Kong martial arts films to the West. Maybe these topics are just too broad for the focus of this documentary; heck, they probably deserve their own space (wink, wink filmmakers).
Another notable omission I observed was the “all-star” disaster movies (The Poseidon Adventure, Airport, The Towering Inferno). One theory: these films do not fit into the social context of many of the films discussed in the documentary. I would further argue that this subgenre could tie into the death throws of the studio system and, as a last ditch effort to bank on star power, led the studios to join forces. The result – the production of mega-watt disaster flicks. Again, maybe this series of films is deserving of its own more detailed retrospective.
Even with these omissions, A Decade Under the Influence wonderfully chronicles the changing landscape of cinema as an art form and as a going concern. It is almost a master class that will add vastly to your list of films to take a look at.
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* It would be remiss of me NOT to mention at least some of the folks interviewed in this documentary, that is chock full of key influencers; here are just a few: Sydney Pollack, Paul Schrader, Francis Ford Coppola, Pam Grier, Jon Voight, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin, Roger Corman, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, Polly Platt, Julie Christie, Brian DePalma, Roy Scheider, Paul Mazursky, Milos Forman and Robert Towne. | https://iluvcinema.com/tag/1970s-cinema/ |
Women’s Crisis Support Service Inc. recognises the importance of maintaining client, staff and management confidentiality and is committed to protecting the privacy of all people associated with the service.
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Files may leave the office for a genuine work- related purpose. In these instances, files are carried in a secure fashion in a non-identifiable format and never left unattended.
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REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
WCSSI is obligated to report to various funding bodies and government departments that provide funding to the organisation
- These reports usually provide non-identifying information, and staff will routinely be required to provide this type of information to either the Management Committee or directly to the funding body/government department requesting the information. Non-identifying information cannot be linked directly back to an individual
- If staff receives any request to provide information that directly identifies individual clients they are to seek immediate guidance from the Manager or Management Committee PRIOR to providing any such information.
Legal requirements for release of information
The Privacy Act states that, in the absence of the consent of the person to whom the information refers to, or a person authorized to act on their behalf, information can only be released to another if:
- There is a statutory obligation to disclose certain information. (e.g subpoenas, warrants, coronial inquires, provisions of the Freedom of Information Act and Guardianship Act)
- The public interest requires the release of confidential information
- In all instances where either of the above apply, or appear to apply, staff will seek the immediate advice of the coordinator and/or the Chairperson of the WCSSI (who may seek legal advice) prior to releasing the requested information
- If the Chairperson is not available, then the coordinator must consult with another Committee of Management Executive member (who may seek legal advice) prior to releasing the information.
Use of contractors/relief staff
We occasionally uses contractors who proved services to the shelter. Our contractors are required to abide by the same confidentiality and privacy requirements as WCSSI employees and this must be clearly stated to the contractor.
Keeping information up to date and accurate
WCSSI makes every effort to keep personal information up to date and accurate. This may mean that at times WCSSI staff will review the personal information held and request verification as to its accuracy
BreacH OF POLICY
Any material breach of this policy will be considered gross misconduct and may result in:
- Staff- termination of contract of service/ disciplinary action
- WCSSI Management Committee member- censure by the committee
Responsibilities
- It shall be the responsibility of the Management Committee and Manager to ensure that the requirements of these procedures are complied with. This policy and these procedures shall be reviewed every year by the Manager, Management Committee and Staff Member to ensure that it continues to comply with relevant state or federal legislation or regulation. | https://wcssi.org.au/privacy-policy/ |
As the representative of the UW Seattle student body, how are you going to remain conscious and knowledgeable of different student issues?
- Timothy Billing: The most important role of the President is being accessible and transparent to students. I will create an environment where students feel comfortable coming into ASUW to share their concerns. I’ve noticed that online forums are useful for gauging informal student opinion on various topics that could help guide future initiatives in senate. I also plan on implementing ASUW tabling throughout the year in order to share the resources and opportunities ASUW offers, as well as hear from students directly.
- JT Lucero declined to respond.
- Naomi Snow declined to respond.
How do you plan on simultaneously welcoming a new class of students while also acknowledging the collective trauma of COVID-19?
- Timothy Billing: COVID has affected every student one way or another. A lot of students have lost a sense of community during the pandemic and are eager to start building one. It is as important as ever to conduct outreach and show the many resources, events, and leadership opportunities ASUW has to offer. COVID has also demonstrated the unacceptable operations of DRS, the lack of policies to protect students in the classroom, and the disrespect toward student workers. New and former students will face these challenges but no one will have to face them alone. ASUW will work to create community while uplifting student voices to the highest level to show that we will come out of this pandemic united for change.
- JT Lucero declined to respond.
- Naomi Snow declined to respond.
VICE PRESIDENT
Which communities do you think require budgeting and volunteers right now?
- Paytan Murray: At this present moment, I think that the Muslim Student Association uniquely should be granted extra attention in the height of Ramadan with volunteers to pass out Iftar and Suhur meals to those who do not have immediate access. More broadly, due to conflated websites and the difficult-to-read bylaws, many student groups are unaware of the great host of monetary support that ASUW is at liberty to provide. There should be conversations with every student leader in all of the diversity-oriented groups about this to ensure that such funds are legitimately accessible, along with increased transparency to see where these funds are being allocated, a conversation that I hope to have with the future Finance Director if elected to do so.
- Lillian Williamson: In ASUW, the communities in need of the most support are our diversity commissions, which, despite being the backbone of our organization, are incredibly overworked and underfunded. As the Chief Internal Officer for ASUW and the former Director of the Queer Student Commission, I’m dedicated to ensuring that all diversity commissions have adequate support, including through budgetary and personnel means. Sufficient support for the diversity commissions will ensure that ASUW is able to serve as a resource for marginalized communities, RSOs affiliated with the ECC and SAB, and new RSOs representing the voices of underrepresented communities.
How do you plan to make ASUW resources available and accessible to diverse student communities?
- Paytan Murray: Outreach to identity-centered organizations early on in the academic year, along with ensuring consistent follow-up needs to happen to make ASUW resources more available. As a working student that is currently unaffiliated with ASUW, I feel that I am uniquely positioned to see a great number of the accessibility issues associated with the organization and work to close those gaps for all students. If given the opportunity, I promise to not only steadfastly advocate for what you hope to see from ASUW myself, but also provide accessible forums and conversation spaces with the Board of Directors so that your goals, hopes, questions, and issues come directly from your own elected officials as well.
- Lillian Williamson: As the Vice President, it’s my job to ensure that ASUW is operating in a transparent and accessible way. At the beginning of the year, I plan on meeting with all ASUW entities to discuss goals and how they can collaborate with their constituents and the broader UW community to act as a resource and provide tangible and monetary assistance. The ASUW bureaucracy is challenging, and it will be my job to help ensure that entities aren’t hindered by it so that they can operate smoothly and reach out to all students.
DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS
As ASUW’s main liaison to the University’s administration, how do you plan to ensure that the administration continues to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority?
- Adrien Chen: My name is Adrien Chen, and I’m running to be your next Director of University Affairs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have always been a priority for me. As the current Director of the Office of International Student Advocacy, I proudly serve as the voice of international students, one of the most marginalized student bodies on campus. I’ve worked with many campus partners, such as CIRCLE, UniteUW, student organizations, and other ASUW entities to bring inclusive programming to the international student body. Through my daily work with international students, I became aware of the problems that they face here at the university.
As the Director of University Affairs, I will have two top priorities that promote equity and inclusion for all students. First, I will ensure hybrid learning remains an option for all students. Covid remains a very real threat, and many students I’ve talked to showed concern for showing up in class. I will honor their concerns by requiring all instructors to provide remote learning materials such as notes and recordings.
I will also work to make the major admission system more transparent and equitable, by having the departments of competitive majors publish stats of admitted students and give individual feedback to those who are rejected. This will set clear expectations for students, and give them more information when deciding if they want to devote time and resources to apply for these majors.
- Nathan Mitchell: In order to communicate the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion to administration, I promise to work with students, RSOs, ASUW diversity commissions, and on-campus entities to make clear to the administration that this is a priority for students. In order to tie in institutional knowledge, I intend to work with the Director of Diversity Efforts to connect with on-campus entities like the Q Center, the D Center, and OMA&D to ensure I am always advocating for the needs of the communities they support.
To ensure that ASUW advocates for the wide range of student experiences, I intend to make working groups that gather around common issues. These working groups would create a space for students to discuss issues and frame them in a policy perspective. The working groups would bring in students from RSOs, campus living communities and ASUW diversity commissions. These groups will communicate their proposals to the student senate and work in collaboration to address these issues. Through this, we will be able to assemble a wide range of policy proposals to bring to the administration and faculty senate in order to stress the importance of issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion at UW.
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
How do you plan to make your events accessible to those without secure internet connection or transportation?
- Kisa Batool: Through my role, I plan on working alongside the Office of Inclusive Designs to ensure the events continue to be accessible for all students. In addition, I will work with different entities on campus to work on having all ASUW events be recorded so they are accessible to those without a secure internet connection or transportation. I will work with different RSOs and the Student Technology Fee towards increasing awareness regarding the availability of the Student Tech Loan. Through the STL, the students can borrow laptops and routers through which they’ll be able to access the events either live or recorded.
What are tangible ways you want to make ASUW programming accessible to the disabled student community?
- Kisa Batool: I want to work towards ensuring that all large ASUW events have cart-captioning, image descriptions for advertising, and ASL interpretation which will promote accessibility to all students. In addition to all events being recorded, I will make sure all events are held in accessible rooms. I will work towards encouraging RSOs and other entities present on campus to reach out to the OID in efforts to increase accessibility.
DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY EFFORTS
What is your current involvement with the OMA&D/Kelly ECC and other underrepresented student entities?
- Daniel Tadrous: My current involvement with OMA&D is through the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP) and I am also involved with the Middle Eastern Student Commission working to advocate for the Middle Eastern/North Africa (MENA) identification category.
For the communities that you are not a part of and that you do not personally identify with, how will you make sure you serve their needs as Director of Diversity Efforts?
- Daniel Tadrous: As Director of Diversity Efforts, I will work closely with every community in order to amplify their voice as well as give their voice enough momentum to achieve their goals and have their needs met. My top priority will be to help minority communities amplify their voice to build a more inclusive UW community. I will be sure to connect with commission directors on a regular basis to ensure that I hear their concerns and work with them to address said concerns.
DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS
One of your job descriptions includes work with the Public Relations Committee to promote activities of the ASUW and advertise open positions and recruit volunteers. Please describe your strategy for reaching out to diverse communities such as RSOs affiliated with the ECC and making sure their constituents are aware of advertised positions and volunteer opportunities within ASUW.
- Kennedy Patterson: As the Director of Campus Partnerships, I am dedicated to increasing accessibility and inclusivity in all committees I am responsible for appointing members to. In regards to ASUW job/volunteer campaigns, I will be in communication with the Director of Diversity Efforts, director of communications, and the office of outreach and involvement to ensure that ASUW job advertisements reach diverse communities such as RSOs affiliated with the ECC, along with their constituents. Although the public relations committee is no longer part of my job description, I will continue to conduct outreach and encourage involvement within ASUW of all communities, especially communities who have been historically marginalized.
DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL POLICY
In what ways do you believe ASUW, its Constitution and Bylaws, Records, Wiki, and both judicial and lobbying efforts can more accurately reflect the diversity of the Student Body?
- Brent Seto: For the past two years I have worked on the ASUW Judicial Committee where I have ensured the validity of ASUW elections and approved foundational reforms to many institutions. My experiences have given me a deep understanding of our governing documents and a knowledge of what areas within ASUW need reformation. As the next Director of Internal Policy my top priority is to revise ASUW governing documents to promote inclusivity. I intend to do so by including the voices of students with diverse perspectives such as transfer students, student parents, and students from marginalized backgrounds, some of whom can be reached through organizations such OMA&D, among many others. I intend to both actively engage in outreach and provide assistance to make ASUW documents accessible to all students. I will explain any technical jargon, provide definitions for committees, and actively engage in the revision process by facilitating discussions. These changes will promote collaboration and allow all students on campus to have a voice in their government. Working alone, I cannot hope to reflect the vast diversity of the student body, but by working together with campus-wide organizations, I am confident that the ASUW can become more equitable, accessible, and diverse.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
How do you plan on fostering a sense of community on campus assuming that the UW will adopt a hybrid model next year?
- Ben Roscoe: The Office of Inclusive Design has done a wonderful job ensuring that on-campus events are accessible to a wide range of audiences.
Being the main liaison between ASUW and living communities, I find it my responsibility to make sure that students in these communities have access to resources and opportunities inside and across communities.
I trust OID and our RSOs to be inclusive in a hybrid environment and I hope that clear communication between leaders in each community allows for fuller participation and community building for students on-campus and remote.
With the future of DACA unclear, how do you plan on supporting vulnerable student communities (undocumented students, refugees, etc.) on campus next year? What will you do if you encounter other student communities that are biased against these student communities?
- Ben Roscoe: Promoting access to information across communities and from ASUW is so crucial. Using my platform as Director of Community Relations I would promote services like Student Legal Services (SLS) to help ensure undocumented and international students are able to worry about academics and campus involvement rather than legal battles.
Being the liaison to different living communities, if any of my entities were discovered tk be systematically biased against vulnerable student populations I would, without hesitancy, work with the Director of University Affairs in order to stand up and advocate for those communities. | https://www.washington.edu/omad/2022/04/15/candidates-responses-to-the-asuw-2022-elections-forum-questions/ |
36 Bathroom Vanity And Top - 36 Inch Bathroom Vanity. 46 bathroom vanity. 36 inch vanity countertop. 24 inch bathroom sink top.
Published at Wednesday, March 14th 2018, 22:27:06 PM by Rachelle Quint. Bathroom. Keep the Trash Manageable: While it might seem obvious to some, others would never have considered using trash bags in the bathroom. Certainly, you'll want to have a trash can that is large enough to store your bathroom trash. At the same time, one of the easiest ways to avoid unpleasant smells, and extra cleaning, in the bathroom is to always have the trash can lined with a trash bag. When you are ready to empty the trash, simply tie the trash bag up, pull it out of the can and insert a new bag. Keep extra trash bags in the bottom shelf of the bathroom cabinet, and ready for quick and easy use.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:56 AM. Bathroom By Romaine Bonhomme. A theme is a general subject of a room. It is a particular style, or type of decoration that you choose to center your bathroom around. This theme should reflect the personality of the individual performing the decoration, the interests of that individual, or simply a subject theme that is common to the bathroom. There are many methods in which a person who is remodeling the bathroom can integrate all components into one. If you are trying to decide on the most appropriate decoration style for your bathroom, you may consider the ideas listed here as extremely beneficial in your decision. Now, I will introduce you to the top 5 bathroom remodeling themes.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:48 AM. Bathroom By Rachelle Quint. Bathrooms are not just bathrooms anymore and some principles of modern bathroom need to be incorporated in designing a bathroom space using modern design. Modern bathroom design has lines that are bold and clean, décor to a minimum and the use of white color abundantly. The bathroom in today's world is not just a place to do what is typically done in a bathroom but also a room that is elegant as well. In designing a modern bathroom, the following are the tips that may be followed.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:45 AM. Bathroom By Olivier Delafosse. These are the most popular home improvement items in the market today. These cabinets are designed to give your bathroom organization, efficiency and additional appeal without straining your budget. Better still, they come in various styles, designs meant to complement every bathroom décor. These cabinets are also available in wall mounted, base, stand alone and corner models.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:43 AM. Bathroom By Nathan Lazard. Bathrooms are not just bathrooms anymore and some principles of modern bathroom need to be incorporated in designing a bathroom space using modern design. Modern bathroom design has lines that are bold and clean, décor to a minimum and the use of white color abundantly. The bathroom in today's world is not just a place to do what is typically done in a bathroom but also a room that is elegant as well. In designing a modern bathroom, the following are the tips that may be followed.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:40 AM. Bathroom By Romaine Bonhomme. They are generally fitted above the large mirrors that are hung in there. The number of bulbs depends upon the size of the room and the size of the mirror used. Bigger the room and bigger the size of the mirror, more would be the recommended number of bulbs.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:38 AM. Bathroom By Rachelle Quint. The time when interior design could be just careful, not much else, have sunk into oblivion. Today bathroom can be anything: from conceptual to low-key pretentious luxury. The choice of bathroom design depends entirely on the attitude and preferences of owners of the house. You can create a bathroom design in tune with the overall style of the rest rooms, or giving the imagination, equip the interior of a bathroom in any style. The bathroom can be different and the only limit to your imagination will probably be bathroom footage.
Published at Monday, September 24th 2018, 00:12:36 AM. Bathroom By Olivier Delafosse. Crucial in bathrooms is good air circulation. This will prevent moisture and certain odors. Without good ventilation, mildew and mold can build up. You would definitely need bathroom exhaust fans. This will keep air circulating well in the room. Aside from that, natural or artificial humidifiers can work well in keeping good air in. Some even use aromatherapy while they are relaxing during a hot bath or grooming themselves in front of their bathroom contemporary vanity. The room will definitely seem more welcoming and relaxing for any user. | http://www.myriadlit.com/tag/36-bathroom-vanity-and-top/ |
Our mission is to educate the public about antimicrobial resistance and influence more responsible, sustainable use of antibiotics.
In global health, every single person has a responsibility. Bacteria do not respect borders; in our globalized society, an antimicrobial resistant infection is a plane ride away from becoming a global epidemic. We all use antimicrobials every day—from the food we eat to the soap we use to wash our hands—so it is imperative that we educate the public and encourage sustainable practices when dealing with antimicrobials.
We founded the Antimicrobial Resistance Mediation OutReach (ARMOR) Program to empower communities to promote responsible use of antibiotics through raising awareness about antimicrobial resistance and leading local campaigns to urge the public to adopt sustainable antimicrobial practices.
Find a Project You're Passionate About
Video Project
Antimicrobial resistance affects everyone; bacteria do not respect borders and irresponsible practices can contribute to a dangerous superbug epidemic. Make a video sharing your own perspective on antimicrobial resistance and what people can do to use antimicrobials more responsibly.
Global Video Project
Interview Professionals
Doctors and nurses are on the front lines of the antimicrobial resistance challenge, dealing with outbreaks and teaching patients how to use antibiotics responsibly. Scientists and researchers dedicate their lives to the development of new treatments for resistant infections. Find these individuals in your community, interview them and share their story with the world.
Community Activism
Global health is a community effort. Antimicrobial soaps are still widely used. Many people do not wipe down their gym equipment after working out. Urge your community towards practices that prevent the development of superbugs. | https://www.co-arc.org/archive/armor |
How many hours a day are you spending on your phone checking your email, looking at your planner/calendar, on Snapchat/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, and playing games? If you’re like me, most of your life is stored in the Cloud, and I’m rarely without my iPhone. If you are on the phone for more than 30 minutes a day, then you could be at risk of developing Text Neck. Text Neck is an emerging epidemic due to the technology explosion of the 21st century. It is possible that your phone is destroying your posture, and therefore, your health. (Tip: scroll to the bottom to see how to properly hold your phone while you finish reading this article.)
The neck of the human body is a bio-mechanical marvel.
It possesses a wide range of mobility in nearly every direction. The neck serves as a conduit for the major blood vessels to the brain and is the primary pathway of the central nervous system. The cervical (neck) region is one of the most important areas of the body and a growing body of research clearly shows that its structural integrity and function are absolutely critical to overall health and healing.
The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The spinal cord is often thought of as just a cable that transmits nerve messages, but it is actually a direct part of the brain. The spinal cord plays a crucial role in the health and homeostasis of the human body by sending and receiving billions of nerve messages every single second.
The curves of the spine are important because they allow the spine to support more weight and to withstand more stress than if it were straight. This is because the curves increase resistance to axial compression — that is, head-to-toe squishing of the spine. That means ten times more weight can be supported by a curved spine than if it was straight.
Technology V.S. Health
Technology is shaping and changing our world in so many ways. In fact, so rapidly that we don’t know how to handle/live with it yet. Take for instance the average person who is bent over texting or hunched over on a computer for hours on end. This is slowly destroying the integrity of your spine, especially the cervical spine. The C shaped curve which I mentioned above soon becomes straight, and it’s downhill from there. I see young kids on a regular basis with a reversed curve in their neck, which will soon enough send them down the path of pain and suffering in their future. Look at this illustration below to see how much extra weight is put on your spine every time you look down to text.
The cervical spine supports the weight of the head, which weighs between 10-14 pounds — about the same as a bowling ball. With proper posture, the weight of the head is held directly above the center of gravity. In a forward head position (or Anterior Head Syndrome), the head is held ahead of the center of gravity and results in a stress load on the cervical spine that is equivalent to the weight of the head multiplied by the number of inches the head is forward from the center. If you find yourself working at a desk all day then you best read this article for the details on How To Protect Your Spine while working at your desk.
So imagine how much extra, unnecessary weight you put on your spine every time you look down at your phone. Now imagine how many times a day that you do this. This stress on the spine, compiled over many years, leads to degeneration and loss of integrity of the spine.
We have seen a huge increase in the number of spinal surgeries and the number is expected to increase. You can see the statistics below.
So not only is it important to protect your spine at your desk, but it is also vital to avoid constantly bending your neck down to text and view your phone. A simple, easy solution is bring your phone up to meet your eyes.
Proper Texting Positions
Begin now to make a conscious effort to adjust how you hold and use your mobile device to avoid damaging your posture and getting text neck. | https://nuvisionexcel.com/text-neck/ |
Fair Tests – have you heard of this before? And no it’s not when your maths teacher gives you a revision list for a test, and then puts a whole load of stuff in which you haven’t learnt about yet. Although that isn’t a fair test!
A fair test in Science is when you only change 1 thing in your experiment.
Variables make your investigation fair, they make your results comparable to other peoples’, they make them valid and they also help you think of all the things that you are going to do in your practical.
For example if you are testing the rate at which sugar dissolves – you can’t use the time it takes 2 teaspoons of sugar in hot water in one beaker and compare that to the time it takes 3 teaspoons of sugar to dissolve in cold water.
There are 3 types of variables, they have several different names but they all mean the same thing!
What you are changing is called the INDEPENDENT variable or the input variable. This is what you are actually testing – this is the point of the investigation.
What you are measuring is called the DEPENDENT variable or the output variable. This is stuff like the time something takes, or the temperature it gets to.
All the stuff you are keeping the same are called the CONTROLS.
You must remember that you can only change 1 thing and measure 1 thing. You also need lots of controls.
If your aim is to see how temperature affects the rate of dissolving then you must use the same amount of sugar each time. You must use the same amount of water each time. You will be measuring the time taken.
So in this example:
Variables you will be keeping the same (controlled variables): volume of water and mass of sugar, type of sugar, grain size of the sugar
Variable you will be changing (independent variable): temperature of water
Variable you are measuring (dependent variable): time taken for dissolving to happen
Validity: This means that you can hang your hat on your experiment – you can compare your results, make predictions with the confidence of knowing that you have done a good job.
This is the evaluation of the scientific merit of an experiment. There are 3 aspects to ensuring the validity of an investigation:
-
Fair testing
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Making sure the set of data that you collect answers your investigative question, or proves what you set out to prove
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Range of data collected – you need to think about the intervals in your readings – have you given enough time for something to happen?
I am sure your parents measured your height on a wall when you were little – and probably did it about once a year.There was probably quite a difference in your height each year – now imagine if it was done every day – would this be a suitable amount of time in between each measurement? Would there be a significant difference in your height?Probably not… unless you have been put on a stretching machine….
If an investigation is not a fair test, it is unlikely to be valid. Therefore it is crucial to ensure your design is fair if you want the results to be valid.
In doing an investigation on how the amount of sunlight affects the growth of seedlings, would it be valid to expose the seedlings to 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes and 6 minutes of sunlight per day (a range of 2 to 6 minutes)?
or
Would it be better to use daily intervals?
Are you going to notice any signigicant change if you are checking on your seedlings every few minutes?? Probably not, so in this instance measuring in daily intervals would make your measurements more valid.
The validity of an investigation is increased by the number of readings taken within the range. It is advisable to have at least 5 readings. | https://www.loopyscience.com/variables |
The JOPAFL’s management invites specialists in administration, finance and law, and practitioners to contribute with studies and articles to future issues of the journal.
Papers should be submitted via e-mail at [email protected] as an attachment.
All submissions must follow the editorial team's Guidelines for Contributors, Style Guide and Manuscript Format, as described in this document: template.doc
Research papers should not exceed 25 pages, appendix and references included.
All articles accepted for publication will be evaluated in parallel by at least two members of the scientific committee, including one foreigner, being a double-blind review (reviewers do not know the author of the article, the author does not know the name of the reviewers).
Evaluation criteria to be followed are: novelty theme, quality of research methodology, clarity of presentation, relevant bibliographic sources used and contributions to the field.
Result of the evaluation may be:
- acceptance with no changes
- acceptance with minor changes
- acceptance with review and resubmission
- rejection (it does not reach the JOPAFL goal)
The result of the evaluation will be communicated to the authors and the approved / accepted by the scientific committee will be published.Statement on copyright and ethics
Please download the form. After completion send it in jpg / pdf.Procedure for submission of articles
Articles must be submitted in electronic format (. DOC) using the following form or e-mailed to the editorial board using the first author's full name as the filename (eg Smith_John.doc). | https://www.jopafl.com/submission.html |
UNIVERSITY OF ST LOUIS,
2 APRIL 2004
The South African Constitution is, in a very real sense, the foundation of the new South Africa:
- It guarantees our most basic rights, including our right to life, freedom, property and to participate freely in our democratic system.
- It articulates the values for which the new South Africa stands and the goals for which we strive;
- It recognises the equality of all our diverse communities. It entrenches our right to practice our religion and to speak and educate our children in the language and cultural traditions of our choice.
As Albie Sachs, one of our Constitutional Court judges has put it, it is the autobiography of the nation.
The Constitution is particularly important for a country like South Africa with a complex population and a history of division and conflict. It was freely negotiated and accepted by parties representing substantial majorities from all our communities and provides a blueprint for peace, justice and harmony that is acceptable to the overwhelming majority of South Africans.
The Constitution is also especially important for cultural, political and religious minorities. The majority can usually secure its interests through its control of the levers of government. Minorities on the other hand are often dependent on the Constitution and the law for the protection of their most important interests
How did South Africans from very widely differing cultures, traditions and ideologies manage to reach agreement on this remarkable document?
Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine parties that were further apart at the beginning of our constitutional negotiations than the National Party, the IFP and the ANC – which between them represented almost 94% of the electorate.
- The ANC/SACP Alliance came from a radical socialist tradition. Before 1990 it was committed to nationalisation and the immediate introduction of an egalitarian society. It advocated a strong central government and state intervention in the economy to achieve its social purposes. It insisted that the new Constitution should be drafted by an elected constituent assembly. It viewed the National Party in terms of its experience of apartheid and of security force repression during the liberation struggle.
- My Party, the National Party enjoyed majority support in the white, coloured and Indian minorities. It strongly favoured a free enterprise economy, a federal state, and some form of power-sharing. It was particularly concerned with the protection of minorities and wanted a constitution that would include some form of power-sharing between communities. It insisted that the new Constitution should be drafted before the first election – because it feared that the majority ANC would otherwise be able to impose its constitutional will on the minorities. Its views of the ANC had been formed during decades of struggle against the organisation and by its alliance with the South African Communist Party.
- The IFP – the Inkatha Freedom Party – enjoyed the support of traditional Zulus – South Africa’s largest cultural group. The IFP had chosen to combat apartheid from within the system. For this reason it was distrusted by the ANC with whom it had for some time been waging a low intensity war in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It was strongly federalist; it supported free market principles and had its main support base among the Zulus of Natal. It also believed very strongly that the new constitution should be drawn up by all the significant parties in the country before the first election.
What enabled these parties and the other twenty-three that joined them in the multi-party negotiations to bridge the enormous chasms that divided them? The key compromises that led to our agreement are now a matter of record:
- Perhaps the greatest obstacle was the ANC’s insistence that the new constitution should be drawn up by a Constituent Assembly that would be elected on a one-man, one-vote basis. The NP and the IFP strongly opposed this approach because it would deprive them – as minority parties – of their ability to ensure that key rights and provisions would be included in the new constitution. We overcame this obstacle by accepting an ingenious compromise: the negotiating parties would first reach agreement on a Transitional Constitution in terms of which a new parliament would be elected. The new parliament, sitting as a Constituent Assembly, would then write our final Constitution. The final Constitution would, in turn, have to be adopted by a two thirds majority and would have to comply with thirty-four immutable constitutional principles that would already be included in the Transitional Constitution.
- We accepted that all our cultural groups – many of them nations in their own right – would be enabled to maintain their cultural identities within a new, broader South African nation. They would have the right – where practicable – to mother tongue education; they would be able to practise their cultures and to speak their languages.
- After much debate, all parties accepted reasonable provisions for the protection of property rights and, in particular, the principle that no-one could be deprived of property without fair and market-related compensation
- We agreed that for the first five years after the election there would be a Government of National Unity, which would include all parties that received more than five percent of the vote.
- We agreed that South Africa would henceforth include nine provinces with substantial powers of their own.
- We agreed that all those, from all sides, who might have committed politically motivated offences during the period of our national conflict before 6 December 1993 would have a right to amnesty.
The result of this process was the adoption in December 1993 of our new Transitional Constitution. It made provision for a fully democratic system of government based on the rule of law, with guarantees for the full range of human and civil rights.
Looking back on our experience we can identify the following key factors that contributed to the success of our negotiations:
- There must be a genuine commitment to a negotiated solution by all the main parties. The balance of forces must be such that no party should think that it can successfully impose its will on the others. Perceptions of relative power – and projections of future shifts in the balance of power – are crucial. It is such perceptions that will often determine the form that compromises will take and the demands and concessions that parties will make at the negotiating table. In short, if a party has no power and few prospects it is unlikely that other parties will feel much need to make compromises to accommodate its interests.
- It is essential for negotiators to win one another’s trust and confidence. Without trust there can be no genuine agreement.
- Timing is crucial. Had we started our negotiation
initiative earlier – say, in the middle ‘seventies – it
is doubtful that the National Party government would have been able to take its followers with it. If we had launched our initiative too late, we might have entered the negotiation process when the balance of power had begun to shift against us – as Ian Smith did in Zimbabwe.
History sometimes opens a window of opportunity, when all the forces involved are ripe for negotiation. It is the task of statesmen to recognise such windows and lead their followers through, before history once again slams the window shut.
- Negotiations that do not involve all the parties are like rugby matches in which one of the teams fails to appear. One of the major problems that we encountered were the boycotts of the talks that were initiated first by the ANC and then by the IFP. It was essential for us to persuade all the major parties to rejoin the process before the elections. This we ultimately managed to do with only eight days to spare! It is equally important for parties to be able to take their constituencies with them. Strong and determined leadership is essential. An important, but time -consuming – factor in our negotiations was the lengthy process for participants to consult their constituencies before important decisions.
- Personalities also play an important role. The main role players from the negotiating parties must be able to develop personal relationships based on mutual trust and confidence. They must also develop a strong sense of patience and the fortitude to deal with the frequent frustrations and obstacles.
- In our negotiations at Kempton Park we found it very useful to develop special mechanisms to deal with deadlocks and problems. One such mechanism was a two-man committee of senior officials, whose task it was to suggest compromises and solutions when deadlocks and problems arose.
- Ultimately, negotiators must be prepared to take risks to assure a successful outcome to their efforts. Few agreements will ever be absolutely water-tight and at some juncture a leap of faith will usually be unavoidable.
- Win/win outcomes. Ultimately, the success of negotiations will depend on the ability of the negotiators to fashion workable compromises by addressing the reasonable interests and concerns of all parties. One-sided solutions seldom last and simply make the eventual resumption of genuine negotiations more difficult.
These are among the factors and processes that enabled South Africa to reach agreement on our peaceful transition to multi-racial democracy. The fruits of our successful compromise have been well worth the effort, sacrifices and frustrations involved in negotiations. The price of continued conflict would have been bitter and unacceptable.
The best contribution that we in South Africa can make will be to work day and night to ensure that our Constitution becomes a living document for all South Africans – that all our people are aware of their rights and are in a position to claim them in practice. | https://fwdeklerk.org/the-politics-of-constitution-making/ |
Is Decision table in HANA deprecated in 2.0 XSA ?
Since the introduction of decision table in HANA 1.0 SP 05, the object has been enhanced with several features to improve the Decision making process with complex business rules configurations. It has been a best use case for real time data processing with user maintained rules, widely used in the native HANA modeling projects.
In the recent months, SAP delivering all new features mostly in HANA XS advanced, considering that XS classic is going way soon, at that point all the XS classic objects will be migrated to advanced. Therefore, Web IDE for HANA is the modeling and Develop application for XSA objects. In Web IDE, I can’t find an option to create HANA decision table in Database module, So it means that, decision table object is not available any more. I am using HANA 2.0 SP 02.
So what happens to existing decision tables in my project?
If you are not migrating to XS advanced, Decision tables are still supported and can be used for modeling in XS classic HANA 2.0 SP 2. But if you are working on XS Advanced server using web IDE for HANA these objects are not available, however, the concept of decision table is incorporated in HANA Rule Framework (HRF) service.
User interface for configuring business rules are not so effective, it still needs a technical developer presence to maintain it.
If * value (Wild card) is used in a business rule for any condition column, it acts as match any value except NULL. So NULL is considered as NOT part of *, for that you will need to convert the NULL values to blank before using the column as condition in DT.
Order of the Columns/Conditions is very important in deriving the business rule value, the higher level characteristic should be in the first place and then lower levels to the right. So that CASE statement in Procedure will work to meet the business rules.
The order of the business rules also important in deriving the rule value, * should be always a last value to that characteristic, in case if it is in the first rule, the rest of the rules coming next will be ignored because it is a match found with *.
While deriving a new column in the decision table, formula being used in that, must be created only from the available columns and operators. Any custom formula copy pasted will not work and result as constant text.
While configuring the decision table, the modeling options are very limited. I mean, filtering the data, joining etc can’t be done in this object configuration.
Using Native HANA transport, you can’t import the decision table and it’s dependent objects together. It requires, dependencies to be preexist in the target system.
Summary: Concluding that HANA Decision table has been consolidated into HANA rules framework, it is the future direction going forward. Looks like some point in time, there will be a consolidation of HRF and BRF+ together into one framework in HANA to support business rules processing in real time. | https://blogs.sap.com/2018/01/11/is-decision-table-in-hana-deprecated-in-2.0-xsa/ |
Few “events” these days are not captured on video – from dramatic news coverage to the most mundane chores it seems instinctive, people reach for their phones to film and then post. It appears, the appetite to upload and consume video are never ending.
Most of it, it is fair to say, serves little purpose and is rarely of interest to anyone except the person posting the video.
And yet, this has become an important way people communicate.
For Heart to Home Meals this trend was the genesis for the “Show a Little Heart” competition.
With so much attention given to young people in the media, even if demographically we as a country are getting older, we sought to find the commonality between different generations.
We wanted to ask college and university students to reflect, and then tell us, how a senior had played an influential role in their lives.
A straightforward idea but how easy would it be to capture something that has been going on for years, most likely, in a subliminal way?
The entrants would need to understand the relationship and the essence of what had taken place before being able to distil something so personal into a five-minute video. We knew this would challenge the students and, we hoped, increase the bonds that exist between different generations.
For sure, a tall order. and perhaps a risky enterprise. Would students be able to find ways to tell such personal stories?
Once we had drawn up the competition rules, carried out a publicity blitz and set a deadline, we hoped the video entries would arrive in short order.
It was during this time we experienced a very important lesson, one that that has been passed from generation to generation since the beginning of time: patience is a virtue. While we would have liked to have received the entries at the start of the submission period being students it was about leaving the task until the last minute. And that is what happened – in the final few days the submissions swelled.
The videos came from most parts of Ontario, all offering unique takes on their individual stories.
And as we started our review we realized the judges would be faced with a difficult task because of the range of emotional stories submitted.
Our selection of judges was based on trying to get a variety of voices with different links to the project. We brought together a documentary-maker, a film critic and two people who are involved in groups that help seniors. | http://hearttohomemeals.blog/everyones-a-winner/ |
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United States District Court, D. Minnesota
January 25, 2019
RICHLAND/WILKIN JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY, Plaintiff,v.UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ROBERT SPEER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ARMY FOR WORKS, and COL. SAM CALKINS, Defendants, and MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Intervenor-Plaintiff, and FARGO-MOORHEAD FLOOD DIVERSION BOARD OF AUTHORITY and CITY OF OXBOW, Intervenor-Defendants.
Gerald
W. Von Korff and Jonathan Wolf, Rinke Noonan, for plaintiff.
Colin
Patrick O'Donovan and Max H. Kieley, Assistant Attorneys
General, Minnesota Attorney General's Office, for
intervenor-plaintiff.
Devon
Lehman McCune, United States Department of Justice, for
defendants.
Robert
E. Cattanach and Michael R. Drysdale, Dorsey & Whitney
LLP, for intervenor-defendant Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion
Board of Authority.
Joseph
A Turman, for intervenor-defendant City of Oxbow.
ORDER
JOHN
R. TUNHEIM, CHIEF JUDGE.
The
Army Corps of Engineers (the “Corps”) and the
Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion Authority (the
“Diversion Authority”) are engaged in a
compressive construction effort aimed at lessening the
flooding problems caused by the Red River of the North. On
September 7, 2017, the Court enjoined further work on a
construction plan, now referred to as “Plan A, ”
because the Corps and the Diversion Authority had not
received necessary permits from the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources (“DNR”).
In
recognition of the Court's injunction, and in an effort
to establish a project that would best serve the interests of
all affected parties, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and
then Minnesota governor Mark Dayton created the
Fargo-Moorhead Area Flood Diversion Task Force. The Task
Force, Army Corps, and Diversion Authority eventually
compromised on a new flood protection plan, referred to as
“Plan B.” On December 27, 2018, the DNR granted
the Corps and Diversion Authority a Dam Safety and Public
Waters Work Permit (the “Permit”) for this new
plan. The Court commends the hard work and leadership shown
by both Governors Burgum and Dayton, as well as the Task
Force, in reaching this Plan B compromise.
In
response to the DNR's permit decision, the
Richland/Wilkin Joint Powers Authority (“JPA”)
filed a request for a contested case hearing with the DNR,
seeking the Permit's rescission. This request has not yet
been granted, but a decision is expected in the immediate
future. There is disagreement between the parties as to
whether, if a contested case hearing is granted, the Permit
would be effective or if the Permit would be voided pending
the results of the contested case hearing.
On
January 23, 2018, the Court held a status conference with all
the parties to discuss these updates and to determine how to
proceed with the present litigation. The Diversion Authority
and the Corps requested that the Court hold that the prior
injunction does not extend to Plan B, which would potentially
allow the Diversion Authority and the Corps to begin
construction immediately. The JPA argued that any such
request should be done by motion.
Because
of the present uncertainty regarding the Plan B permit
approval process, the need for additional permits as
indicated in the conditions imposed by the DNR, the interim
effects any contested hearing may have on the Plan B permit,
and the federal appropriations lapse affecting the Corps and
the United States Department of Justice- which is
representing the Corps-the Court orders that any Plan B
construction must not commence until further order of the
Court. The purpose of this order is simply to preserve the
status quo until further information and clarification is
available.
When
the federal appropriations lapse ends and the Department of
Justice is able to resume work on this case, the Court will
invite any motions to either extend the injunction to Plan B
or to lift the injunction entirely. Further, at that time, if
necessary, the Court will address any arguments regarding
whether construction on certain parts of Plan B may commence
despite any contested case hearing.
Based
on the foregoing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that
the Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion Authority and the Army
Corps of Engineers not commence construction on Plan B until
further Order of the Court. This Order shall not affect
...
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How to structure a written essay
An essay is typically an essay that presents the writer’s argument. However, the meaning can be unclear and may overlap with an essay or newspaper, report, or even a novel. There are two types of essays both informal and formal. Formal essays are those in which a thesis or main argument is made; such as in a composition paper. The non-formal essay tends to be informal and include descriptive statements and personal opinions as the main points.formal essays are those where a thesis is clearly specified typically after the writing of the essay in its entirety, while non-formal essays tend to be more loosely defined according to the opinions expressed.
Literary journalism uses literary devices a lot. This is the case with the use of and the incorporation of quotes and other literary devices. However when it comes to writing a response to a specific essay subject, the format and style of the essay depend on the essay’s topic and the argument that is made in support of the topic. The information that needs to be provided for the essay subject must be meticulously documented, organized, checked, and cited in a correct manner in order for the essay be deemed a reputable one.
There are five types of essay writing that include analytical, topical, argumentative, and descriptive. Topical essays are a general term used to describe the type of essay that is written to discuss a current event or political issue. The type of essay makes use of general statements to present the subject in a broader points structure. These essays can be used to debate topics plagiarism checker online like reviews, polls and surveys. Each requires careful observation and interpretation and the inclusion and integration of particular information and arguments to support a particular viewpoint.
The thesis statement is a summary of the main elements of the essay. The thesis statement should be composed in the final paragraph of the essay and is a defense of the main points which are covered throughout the essay. The thesis statement will not appear in an essay more that three times.
The paragraphs of an essay will be discussing various facts and statements and answer the question asked at the beginning of the essay. The paragraphs of an essay generally adhere to the structure of an argument. Each paragraph will support the author’s opinion or the author’s own. The final paragraphs will formal accept and conclude the opinion that was presented throughout the essay.
Argumentative essay structure is designed to convince the reader to believe in a particular viewpoint or conviction. In contrast to the descriptive or topical style, this type of essay will not corrector de gramatica use the thesis statement. Rather arguments will be presented throughout the essay. These essays are less descriptive than those that are more persuasive.
The narrative essay is the third kind of essay structure. This is similar to a persuasive essay, however it is more focused on information rather than opinions. These essays will concentrate on the major elements of the essay. When writing a narrative essay, the emphasis should be on the facts rather than on opinion or speculation.
A discussion essay is the fourth kind of structure. This format differs from the narrative style in that it goes beyond the usual topic sentence and provide an in-depth analysis of the subject or issue. The format for discussion will include an argument at the beginning of each paragraph. This format is similar to the argumentative format. The conclusion paragraphs will generally be able to address the thesis statement in a way that leaves readers with a firm idea or suggestion. The conclusion paragraph is not as significant as the other paragraphs, and readers can decide for themselves. | https://hamlinmcgill.com/how-to-structure-a-written-essay/ |
It’s been about two months now since Dr. Raj Sherman was expelled from the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. A lot happened leading up to that event and a lot more has happened since. There is a potential for a political game-changer in Alberta depending on what MLA Sherman decides to do about his political future.
Behind the scenes, Alberta’s political culture is proving to be both chaotic and volatile — all political parties feel the political landscape shifting beneath their feet as the governing Tories prepares for a budget, a new session and an election. Albertans are showing a renewed interest in politics because the election outcome — it is to be held in March 2012, or sooner if Premier Ed Stelmach can find a reason or a ruse — outcome is not a foregone conclusion this time.
Expelled from Tory caucus.
The open question in the meantime is: What will Raj Sherman do?
Sherman was expelled from the Tory caucus last November for lashing out at his own party’s health policies.
If his goal is to fix the health care crisis and reform the system, he has six options. He is running again so that eliminates the option of quitting politics and returning to medicine. He can stay independent but that is unlikely. Sherman recognizes it is hard to make real change and get re-elected as a lone wolf in our political system.
Returning to the PCs comes with conditions imposed by the party, not the least of which is a retraction of his comments and that he apologize to former health minister Ron Liepert for saying he was “rude” to front line health care staff. The last is a silly condition considering the severity of the real health care issues Sherman wants to tackle. But that bridge to the PCs is pretty much burned. Any effort to repair that damage will require him to quit talking to the public and that takes away any capacity to achieve his health care reform agenda.
He could join the Liberals or the NDP. He would have no trouble sustaining media attention in the NDP, at least for a while. Sherman would only have influence as an NDP MLA. But as there is no realistic scenario for the NDP to form government, what would be the point? The Alberta Liberals are a good philosophical fit but they are in such internal turmoil they can’t focus attention, get traction or have any serious political momentum in the next election. They should be soaring in popularity as the alternative given the hard shift to the right by both the PCs and Wildrose Alliance and their leader is a physician in the face of the public outcry for health care reform. Seems unlikely the Liberals are a serious political alternative for Sherman if he wants to make a difference now.
That leaves the Wildrose Alliance Party and the Alberta Party. Again there is no easy answer for Sherman. The Wildrose Alliance has some political momentum but a history towards privatizing health care, even though current party policy tries to deny that history and intent. Could a social progressive like Sherman fit in the hardcore social conservative Wildrose caucus? They don’t even share the same fiscal philosophy. Sherman is not a libertarian, monetarist, climate change denier, all core values of the Wildrose Alliance. But if Wildrose is destined to be the next government, perhaps Sherman can cut a deal to be free to do what he wants, say what he wants and still stop any Wildrose privatization process. He is new to party politics, but he is not so naive to think any such deal is easy to get or to enforce.
Most likely to stay independent?
Finally there is the Alberta Party. This new citizens’ movement of moderate and progressive Albertans is intent on providing a viable political alternative to the Wildrose Alliance and PCs. Sherman has the best fit philosophically here but he has to determine if the Alberta Party is a flash in the pan or a real deal that he can help form and configure from the ground floor. The Alberta Party is in the middle of a grassroots policy development process, a province wide constituency organization drive and is just starting its leadership race to be decided in Edmonton on May 28. Can the Alberta Party be ready and able; not just willing to be competitive in the March 2012 election? Yet another gamble for the good doctor in his quest for effective health care reform and a better democracy for Alberta.
Sherman will probably stay Independent for a while and keep talking to Albertans, the Wildrose and the Alberta Party while he bides his time. For maximum political and policy impact he should decide which party he will join before the next session starts in late February. Stay tuned Alberta. This is far from over and promises to get even more interesting. | https://www.ponokanews.com/opinion/what-raj-sherman-should-do-and-why-editorial/ |
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A very positive welcome for this new anthology chosen with 11-15 year-olds in mind. Like Blishen, Naomi Lewis has grouped the poems under broad themes and, also like him, has headed many of these with a line of poetry. Many of the same poets (but not the same poems) appear as in the Blishen collection plus a distinctive presence of more recent writing. Familiar themes of Childhood, Time Passing, Death, Love, Animals are joined by less predictable ones: 'A Host of Furious Fancies', 'Angels, Demons, Phantoms, Dreams'; all to be explored in poems chosen with a sure sense of what will speak to the word-aware adolescent. | http://typo3.booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/35/childrens-books/reviews/messages |
They want to make sure when punishing an immoral act, there is benefit to society. Shaw says this because utilitarianism does give established laws and reasoning behind them. Shaw also says that Utilitarians say that our system of punishment as it functions, succeeds in rehabilitating many convicts and discourages them from future mistakes. his reasons for saying this. I think that Utilitarians favor exploring the alternatives because doing something to someone, even a criminal, who has committed a heinous crime, morally wrong, and two wrongs do not make a right, it is setting the wrong view for society.
Although the rationale of peremptory challenges, ironically, would be for the defendant and the prosecution to get rid of any potentially biased jurors, lawyers may instead use their peremptory challenges to form a jury that would pass a more favourable verdict. As lawyers are also not required to explain their decisions in striking out jurors in most cases, the makeup of the jury can thus be heavily imbalanced. However, as a judge would be required to not let any preconceived bias affect the administering of justice, the accused would hence receive a fairer treatment as compared to juries that might have any bias towards either the prosecution or the defendant. With juries also not being required to explain their decisions, any bias that the jury might have would not be easily found and challenged. Especially in cases where the death penalty is concerned, it is all the more important that juries mete out a fair verdict.
This research paper will discuss why there is no value to the just deserts approach and why, if supplemented with a re-entry program, just deserts will have a greater significance. The theory and practice of the just deserts approach will be examined as well as why it does not appear to be working for offenders. Additionally, re-entry programs will be analyzed; those operating in Canada and in the United States, to further explain why reintegrating is better for the community and offenders. It is easy to agree with the just deserts approach to crime, however, when a loved one is affected by the harsh punishments and the negative consequences of prison, it makes life afterward extremely
Apart from the fact that cathartic retribution is dubious justification for punishment, there seems little reason to believe that it is necessary to favor present modes of execution over the paradigm in order to prevent people from taking the law into their own hands. It can just as easily be argued that executions through cruel methods encourage public brutality and disrespect for the law. In the past, lynchings seemed to occur more often in states that employed the traditional modes of execution than in jurisdictions that had abolished capital punishment. Because a significant proportion of the public favors abolition of capital punishment, any execution could inspire public resentment of the legal system, particularly if the capital punishment were performed in an unnecessarily cruel
One must assume that such extreme practices like the death penalty has to be unnecessary. If the cold-blooded killing of thousands does not lower premeditated murder, there is really no point (because let 's face it, the saying “eye for an eye” is childish and socially unacceptable). This same conclusion was agreed upon in a recent poll by almost 90% of the world’s criminological societies (Facts About the Death Penalty). However in all honesty, the argument against the death penalty doesn’t just stop at its redundancy, but also its
It is hard to separate the cases between instrumental aggression and bias motivation. I think not every bias motivation reflected as hate crime or breach the hate speech law. In some time you have the ability to like some one or not, so hate crime law could make many problems **** instigate retaliatory attacks. In conclusion, society would be better with more control and more law to live in an organized and pleasant community of humanity. Hate speech law does not prevent of exercising the freedom of speech but it has been found for reduce using freedom of speech and minimize making problems to other or causing harm to them.
Worrall appropriately points out that “any effective crime control strategy needs to be balanced against the possible argument that it threatens people's rights” (2008). Though this is true, there are too many cases of unethical civil forfeiture to ignore the problem. Controversy will always surround civil forfeiture because it has “powerful economic consequences” (Worrall, 2008), but every aspect of civil forfeiture must be examined so society can both see the merits of the system and stand up against the
Racial profiling suspicious people of specific ethnicities will create a safer place because if the police were to arrest these people then the crime rates will drop, creating a safer place. "Modifying airport profiling procedures to include scrutiny of race, gender, and age has the potential to impact fundamental consultation rights" (MacDonald). If the police were to use racial profiling as a major part to justify if a person was guilty of a crime, that would create a safer environment. Racial profiling should be allowed for the police to use because it is easier for them to track down criminals. If a criminals was on the run and they were of a specific ethnicity then it would help the police to use racial profiling on all people of that ethnicity.
Danforth understands Hale’s reasoning, but persist that “there will be no postponement(). This is because Danforth feels that if he is lenient with his decisions, it looks as though he is weak and being unfair to the rest who did not get postponed. Since Danforth has authority over the rest of the court, John Proctor is later executed due to Danforth signature. Additionally, he uses the number of cases he has had in court and the amount he has put in jail as a number to hold over peoples heads. The number Danforth claims is a point of trying to scare those who may being lying and show that Danforth is merciless. | https://www.ipl.org/essay/King-Hit-Law-Research-Paper-F3ANFMM42DTT |
I am interested in the development Thorne Meadows in Preston.
Great Eccleston is a truly hidden treasure of The Fylde – that gentle tapestry of green and rural England that stretches eastward between the Lancashire coast and the rising Pennines. Welcoming, well maintained and attractive, Great Eccleston village is a hub of local activity, thanks to its vibrant community, its thriving independent shops, and no less than three well supported pubs! In addition, there’s a cricket club, two village Primary schools, a market every Wednesday, a Farmers’ Market each month and a very popular annual Agricultural Show in July.
Great Eccleston is close to the east-west A586 and M55, putting Cleveleys, Blackpool and the Lancashire coast within easy reach. In addition, Preston is just over 10 miles away, so there’s plenty of choice for shopping, leisure and entertainment – plus there are some excellent secondary and further education establishments in the area, with major universities at both Preston and Lancaster. The north-south M6 is also easily accessible, bringing the Lake District, Manchester and Liverpool within comfortable driving distance. The local countryside is a delight to discover on foot and by bicycle; its proximity to the sea attracts all manner of bird life and the nearby River Wyre provides a further haven for flora and fauna. In addition, there are many small and inviting villages that give this little-explored area of The Fylde exceptional character and uniqueness.
Located on the edge of the village of Great Eccleston, Thorne Meadows is a beautiful development of family homes in a range of sizes and styles. Greenery and mature trees are integral to the layout, and the development includes a pond, as well as open areas for wildlife and recreation. The roads are laid out in a cul-de-sac pattern, which means there is no through traffic. Properties are provided with garden areas to the front along with either a garage or dedicated parking space.
The properties at Thorne Meadows are designed for relaxed and easy-going daily life, with well-planned open-plan spaces connecting kitchen, dining and family areas. Large and carefully placed windows ensure that properties are flooded with plenty of natural light and French doors link indoor family areas to rear gardens, allowing for easy enjoyment of outdoor life when the weather is warm. Fully fitted kitchens incorporate generous work-surfaces and storage space and integral brand-name appliances include cooker, oven and fridge-freezer. Bathrooms, cloakrooms and en-suites feature pure white designer sanitaryware with easy to maintain polished chrome fittings. Key living areas are fitted with downlighters plus TV, telephone and communications points are strategically placed for installation of home entertainment and other media systems. Smoke alarms are supplied as standard and garages are fitted with lighting plus mains electricity sockets. | https://www.whathouse.com/housebuilders/rowland/lancashire-preston/thorne-meadows/ |
7 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle While Modelling- Mentally and Physically
Life can get busy sometimes, especially as a model. It’s important to make sure that you’re not neglecting your body and its needs. Finding a balance is essential for ensuring that you’re keeping your body healthy and your mind happy and ultimately boosting your confidence. If you’ve found yourself caught up in the whirlwind of everyday life recently, take a minute to read the 7 tips below to help you remember the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and give you some advice for how to look after your physical and mental wellbeing.
#1 Eat a balanced diet (and drink plenty of water)
Your diet is essential for ensuring that you are staying healthy, and it is important to keep it interesting by experimenting with new recipes and trying a range of new cuisines. In keeping your diet balanced yet exciting, your relationship with food will be a positive one. Enjoying the foods that you eat will not only keep you interested in what you’re putting into your body but will make sure that mealtime doesn’t become too repetitive and something that you view negatively. You should also make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day as hydration is key for a healthy lifestyle. Try remembering to accompany each meal you have with at least two glasses of water to ensure that you are staying super hydrated.
#2 Exercise regularly
Another key way to keep yourself healthy is to ensure that you are keeping your body moving. Not only will your physical health improve, but exercise is also extremely beneficial for your mental health. Make sure you’re getting as many of those feel-good endorphins as possible by getting at least one hour of exercise each day. If you find yourself lacking motivation, start small and ensure that you focus on your achievements rather than your setbacks. You can also try teaming up with a friend to turn your workout regime from a chore to something you can look forward to each day.
#3 Hang out with friends and family
Having someone to talk to is incredibly beneficial for taking a load off your brain. Spending time with your loved ones will not only give you a great chance to relax and take a break from the stresses of daily life but will also allow you to talk about the things that may be bothering you. Sharing advice with your nearest and dearest will increase your feelings of support and trust and will ensure that you feel less alone in facing whatever it is that you are dealing with.
#4 Hang out with yourself
Hanging out with friends is important, but so is taking some time to be with yourself! Enjoying some well-deserved me-time can work wonders for recharging your mental battery. Try your hand at journaling to release some pressure from your mind, engage in your favourite hobbies or treat yourself to an at-home spa day complete with a luxurious skincare regime. Giving yourself time to treat yourself will not only allow you to show your body some love but will provide you with a chance to re-centre and reconnect with yourself.
#5 Get your beauty sleep
Sleep is absolutely essential and can affect your physical and mental wellbeing, perhaps more than you realise. Ensuring that you get approximately 8 hours of rest a night is key for giving your body and mind the chance to recharge. Getting enough sleep will be hugely beneficial for giving you the vital energy that you need to get up and face the day ahead. Limiting your caffeine intake and switching off screens well ahead of bedtime are just some of the ways that you can allow yourself to have the best sleep possible.
#6 Don’t forget to breathe
Practising some deep breathing exercises is one of the easiest and most effective ways to calm yourself. Anytime you begin to feel overwhelmed, take some slow and steady breaths in and out for a few minutes until you start to feel more relaxed. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself while you do so can also help to reinforce a happier state of mind. There are also many other relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga, that you can try to improve your mental state. Incorporating some time for practising these relaxation methods into your daily routine will help you have a more positive outlook on whatever lies ahead for you.
#7 Stretch it out
Taking some time at the beginning or end of your day to stretch will allow you to pay attention to what your body needs and help it begin to repair itself. Especially if you’ve been getting your exercise in, stretching is essential for cooling down at the end of the day. You can also try having a stretch first thing in the morning to gently wake your body up and prepare it for the day ahead.
Mental and physical wellness often go hand in hand and nurturing both your body and your mind is essential for ensuring that you are your happiest, healthiest self. If you feel that you are particularly stressed, consider trying out the above techniques and incorporating them into your daily life to give yourself the chance to recover and develop a regular healthy lifestyle routine. | https://winkmodels.com.au/7-tips-maintaining-healthy-lifestyle-modelling-mentally-physically/ |
A Door into Ocean is the second science-fiction novel by professor of biology Joan Slonczewski, following Still Forms on Foxfield (1980). Like her other novels, it has been praised by critics for the accuracy of its science, the completeness of its alternate cultures, and its characterization. It won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award as best science-fiction novel of 1986.
As a work of science fiction, the novel offers the situation of the alien encounter. Shifting the scene from one planet to another, it explores the situation of alien encounter from the perspectives of both worlds, opening with the visit of the Sharers to Valedon. As in other science-fiction novels describing encounters with aliens, the story raises and examines the issue of the nature of humanity. When Valans turn purple like the Shorans, they fear the loss of their humanity. When Merwen considers the possibility that some of the Shorans are willing to hasten the death of the invaders, she worries that Sharers will lose their identity.
The two societies are not portrayed in monolithic and static terms, but the novel presents the encounter between Valedon and Shora as a juxtaposition of utopia and dystopia. The utopian society of Shora is not without difference, nor is the dystopian world of Valedon without its redeeming qualities. At the end of the novel, Spinel chooses to remain on the utopian Shora, but his choice carries the possibility of the transformation of Shora because he retains his Valan stonesign and knows that Lystra wishes to have daughters with him, daughters who will differ from both of them.
This novel has been discussed in the context of women as writers of science fiction and as a work of feminist science fiction. The portrayal of the world of Shora, with its highly advanced life-shaping science, its openness to all learning, and its egalitarian politics, values those matters that have been seen as feminist areas of concern. This emphasis critiques the patriarchal culture of Valedon as it also critiques the dominance of science itself, since the outcome of human action always remains unpredictable and uncontrollable. As Merwen knows in the final series of conversations with Realgar, it is wordweaving, the uncertain art of persuasive language, that will determine the final outcome.
Critic Robin Roberts, author of A New Species: Gender and Science in Science Fiction (1993), has highlighted A Door into Ocean as an example of post-modernist feminist science fiction because of its attention to the function of language. A deconstructive model is at play in revisions both of the convention of the alien encounter and of the static and monolithic utopia. The model carries through in the critique of the dominance of science and of patriarchy. It is mediated by the characterization of Merwen as a wordweaver and by a peculiarity of Sharer language: In every utterance, its opposite is present. | https://www.enotes.com/topics/door-into-ocean |
Introduction:
The purpose of this paper is to discuss what role conflict plays in the workplace. Conflict can be defined in a few different ways. “Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals” (Definition of Conflict). Conflict is bound to happen, and to occur even in the most stable companies. Conflicts can be both positive and negative influences in a workplace. Constructive conflict creates a productive and safe place. Unresolved conflicts on the other hand, creates a hostile environment leading to a reduction in productivity.
Conflict can be divided into multiple categories. Conflicts often occur when there are conflicting choices or people want different things. Changes within an organization can also create ...view middle of the document...
During a period of change it is important that managers stay positive. Good managers will explain why the change is needed and explain the benefits of the changes.
It is important to be prepared when managers expect significant changes. With a wide ranges of emotions, manages have to remain calm, be open to listening. Managers have to continue to reaffirm the reason for the change. As a manager, it is up them to play the role of counselor.
“In 1974, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument was introduced, a conflict resolution approach based on five modes of responses or approaches” (Green, n.d.). They are avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition, and collaboration. When a manager understands these modes they can adjust their strategy accordingly.
Avoidance does not help to solve the problem it just delays the situation. Avoidance is sometimes is a good idea when the problem is small. Accommodation is the second method. Accommodation helps focus on the current issues, putting aside differences
The third method is compromise. Compromise is where opposing parties make concessions to each other in order to peacefully resolve the issue. The fourth method is competition. Competition method is finding a way to resolve the issue other than fighting, although it often causes cooperate deteriorate. The fifth method for is collaboration, when opposing parties put aside their differences and work together.
Deciding which method to employ requires an understanding of the conflict. Conflicts can’t be resolved when the parties involved are upset. It is important to maintain control over one’s emotions when resolving any disputes.
In conclusion, conflict management is the key handling conflict. They can be resolved in a positive way or a negative way. A company can invest in their future by reducing the number of conflicts in the workplace. | https://www.avroarrow.org/essay/workplace-conflict-6 |
1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit (IC) chip fabrication, and more particularly, to reducing floating body effect in a gated device without impacting performance enhancing stress.
2. Background Art
Stress induced device performance enhancement by embedded silicon germanium (e-SiGe) and embedded carbon doped silicon (e-SiC) are used in new silicon-on-insulator (SOI) IC technology nodes, e.g., 45 nm and 32 nm. In these technologies, source/drain (S/D) diodes are made leaky such that a reverse bias at the drain tends to pull the body voltage toward the drain voltage, the body while the leaky forward bias at the source tends to pull the body toward the source voltage, thus achieving body equilibrium. The above-described technique reduces the floating body effect (FBE). Currently, one method by which S/D diodes are made leaky is by implanting species such as xenon (Xe) during S/D implantation and creating crystalline defects in the depletion region by S/D activation anneal. This implant and anneal process tends to relax the stress created to enhance the device performance achieved by the use of strained materials.
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About the Elliptical Society
Le Cuvier derives its name from the French, & translates as a place where barrels & tanks are stored. Located in the hills to the west of Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast, Le Cuvier was originally licensed in 1983.
A new three level winery was built into the hillside at the original site in 2011. Case goods storage & barrel aging are essentially subterranean rooms, & use ambient earth temperature & night air venting for all cooling. The multi level configuration allows for wine transfer directly to barrel by gravity from fermentation tanks & the wine press. Also under ground, a wine library was built with capacity for over 9,000 bottles. The Library holds a collection of Le Cuvier wines going back to the winery’s first vintage, & provides intimate seating for small dinners & private tastings.
The winery produces in the range of 3,500 cases per year, all from grapes sourced from vineyards in the hills on the West Side of Paso Robles. Le Cuvier wines are typically aged three years or longer in barrel, & virtually all wines are sold at the winery. A full commercial kitchen was included at the tasting room level, & provides the ability to offer a different hors d’oeuvres pairing with each wine. | https://www.lcwine.com/wine-club/about |
Swiss Corona Citizen Science
Project team:
Claudia R. Binder, Livia Fritz, Ulli Vilsmaier / EPFL – HERUS
Vincent Kaufmann, Garance Clément, Laurie Daffe / EPFL – LASUR
Daniel Gatica-Perez / EPFL Ideap Research Institute
Marie Santiago Delefosse, Angélick Schweizer, Fabienne Fasseur / UNIL
Duration: 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic and political responses to it have heavily disrupted our routines and the organisation of our societies. During lockdown our domestic living spaces transformed into places of research, schooling, care, and recreation—condensed spaces that required fast adaptations of our daily practices and spatial organization. While in March 2020 health concerns directly related to COVID-19 were center stage in public debates in Switzerland, we noticed early on warnings about interlinked crises and the potential impact of lockdown measures on the mental, physical and social well-being of those affected by them, including the risk of isolation, precarious living conditions, and rising gender inequalities.
Given the need to better understand the impact of COVID-19 related confinement measures on housing and well-being in Switzerland, this project implemented a transformative mixed methods design aimed at exploring the crisis situation by offering citizens and scientists a space for engagement and opportunities to strengthen their abilities to act – both during the crisis as well as for creating sustainable post-crisis futures. The study consisted of four research components: a country-wide survey, interviews, a mobile crowdsourcing application, and an interactive citizen science format. It was realized entirely online during the lockdown and shortly after the easing of lockdown measures in Switzerland.
We pursued three main goals:
- From a scientific perspective: Assessing and monitoring how different population groups experience, adapt to and cope with the COVID-19 crisis and the related policy responses in Switzerland; comparing the Swiss situation with other national contexts;
- From a citizen perspective: sharing and discussing the current situation and therefore building a sense of belonging; developing a reflexive relationship towards the situation; accessing information and existing support tools related to economic, social or health risks to navigate the COVID-19 crisis;
- From a collective perspective: Enabling mutual learning between citizen scientists and experts to tackle negative effects of COVID-19 related measures and to co-create desirable and sustainable post-crisis futures. | https://www.epfl.ch/labs/herus/index-html/projects/swiss-corona-citizen-science/ |
Canberra Youth Theatre (CYT) was established in 1972 and is an Australian not for profit youth arts company based in the ACT. We aim to develop curious and broad-minded theatre makers and theatre thinkers.
We are committed to diversity and acknowledge that some of the best art comes from working with artists from a range of backgrounds and abilities. If you have any access requirements or special needs, please get in touch.
CYT is proudly supported by its members, the ACT Government through artsACT and Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres.
MISSION AND VALUES
Our Purpose
CYT makes theatre so that young people’s voices are heard. We aim to develop curious and broad-minded theatre makers and theatre thinkers.
Our Vision
CYT is committed to the artistic development of young people in theatre, aged 7 – 25 years. We will provide opportunities for our young artists to explore, extend and develop their skills with emerging and professional practitioners, creating art they admire. CYT is a place where young people’s voices are heard in a safe and accepting environment.
CYT WILL:
- Provide opportunities for young artists find their voice through the practice of theatre.
- Provide an opportunity for young people to learn performing arts skills through working with professional performing arts practitioners.
- Encourage young people to participate in the production, promotion and presentation of the performing arts.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PATRON
In late 2015, CYT was honoured to welcome ACT Senator and former Chief Minister, Senator Katy Gallagher, as our new Patron.
“[CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE] IS AN ORGANISATION WHOSE VALUES AND OBJECTIVES ALIGN NICELY WITH MINE… IT’S OUT THERE ENCOURAGING YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THEIR CREATIVE INSTINCTS. I’M VERY PLEASED AND PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT… THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE I BRING ON, NOT ONLY AS A POLITICIAN, IS THAT I’M PARENT OF SOMEONE ENROLLED IN THE CANBERRA YOUTH THEATRE PROGRAMS.”– SENATOR GALLAGHER AT THE DEAD MEN’S WARS PREMIERE
About Senator Gallagher
Katy Gallagher is the Australian Labor Party Senator for the Australian Capital Territory and former Chief Minister of the ACT.
Prior to her election to the ACT Legislative Assembly, she worked for five years for the Community and Public Sector Union as an Industrial Organiser for Commonwealth public servants. Her career began in the community sector working for People First ACT, an organisation providing advocacy and support to individuals with an intellectual disability. She has also been a project worker for Woden Community Service working with children with disabilities.
Senator Gallagher has strong connections to Canberra having grown up in the Weston Creek area, attending Duffy Primary School, Melrose High and Stirling College before undertaking a degree at the Australian National University. She currently lives in north Canberra with my partner and three children.
She was elected to the position of leader of the ACT Labor party, unopposed, by colleagues in May 2011 and voted Chief Minister by the Legislative Assembly. She was sworn in on Monday 16 May 2011. She was re-elected by the Legislative Assembly as Chief Minister on Tuesday 6 November 2012.
Previously, she has held roles in the ACT Government including Treasurer, Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS).
After much consideration, Senator Gallagher decided that she could use the skills gained in her time as Chief Minister to step into the federal arena to stand up for Canberra, defend our city and be a strong local voice for our nation’s capital.
She was fortunate to pre-selected unopposed by the ACT Branch of the Australian Labor Party and on March 25th 2015 sworn in as Senator for the Australian Capital Territory.
On the 1st of November 2015 she was elevated to the Federal Labor frontbench, taking up responsibility as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on State and Territory Relations. | https://canberrayouththeatre.com.au/about/ |
Charge Suunto EON Core with the supplied USB cable. For charging, use a USB port of 5Vdc, 0.5A as a power source. If the battery is very low, the display is off while charging until the battery reaches an adequate charge level. When battery is so low that device cannot be turned on, a red led is blinking next to the display. Blinking stops when battery has enough power to start the device.
When device is on and and battery is charging, battery symbol in the upper left corner of the display turns green.
You must only charge your device using USB adapters that comply with the IEC 60950-1 standard for limited power supply. Non-compliant adapters are a fire hazard and a risk to personal injury and might damage your Suunto device.
DO NOT use the USB cable when Suunto EON Core is wet. This may cause an electrical failure. Ensure the cable connector and connector pin area on the device are both dry.
DO NOT allow the connector pins of the USB cable to touch any conductive surface. This may short circuit the cable, making it unusable.
Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. The battery should be replaced only by authorized Suunto Service Centers. | https://www.suunto.com/Support/Product-support/suunto_eon_core/suunto_eon_core/care-and-support/charging-battery/ |
We need your help for 2019-2020
Dear Clear View Families,
Our goal for next year is to build a larger PTA Community. We would like to see more parents get involved with the PTA. We understand this might sound scary, but let us assure you it is not. We have created a list of tasks/committees for your consideration for next year which will be forwarded to the incoming board. Each task includes a description, approx. time requirement and whether or not you must attend the board meeting every third Thursday of the month. Please consider signing up for one of the positions available, your student (s) will highly benefit from your involvement.
The final decision on task assignment will be up to the incoming PTA board 2019-2020.
We also need a President and treasurer for next year.
Please email us at [email protected] if you are interestes in any of the positions mentioned above.
Yours truly,
Clear View PTA
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Assignment
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Description
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Interested Person #1
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Interested Person #2
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Attend monthly board meetings?
|Manage School Dude and vendor information for school events (insurance, etc)||The person assigned will learn how to manage the on-line account for school dude in order to request the use of facilities for the PTA’s meetings, events, etc. She/He will also create a binder with a list of all the vendors that are approved with the PTA and the District. This person will also help new vendors for events get approved by the district. Time requirement: 20 minutes per monthThis assignment can be done from the comfort of your home. Time requirement: 10-20 minutes per month||Courtney Swells||
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NO, but encouraged
|Manage Social Media (2 people)||Alejandra Ramirez||
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Danelle Mendoza
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YES
|Manage Website||Melissa Madden||
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x
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YES
|Manage PTA’s email||This position is perfect for someone who wants to help but can’t due to little kids at home, work, etc. This position is basically to attend our monthly board meetings to know what’s going on with the PTA and reply to any emails that come through within 24 hours. This will also include sending out any emails to teachers, staff and PTA Members. Time requirement: 1-2 hours per month||
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x
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YES
|Manage/communicate and encourage Classroom Parent||Allison Lozano||
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x
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YES
|Manage volunteer sign up for events||The person in charge of this position will manage the signup-genius account for events at school. He or she will reach out to high school volunteers for events that need them and manage them the day of the event. This person must attend the committee meetings for the events that need volunteers. This is a more involved role. Time requirement: 1-2 hours per month, depending on whether or not an event is coming up.||
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x
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YES
|Manage constant communication with teachers and staff||Rebecca Asman||
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x
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YES
|Flyer Master
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(2 people)
|Make copies and distribute PTA fliers. This will be have to take place at the school.
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Time requirement: 1 hour per month
|Valeria Marquez||
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NO
|Graphic Designer||Create flyers and posters for PTA events.
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Time requirement: 1-2 hours per month
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x
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NO
|Purchaser||
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x
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YES
|Gear Sales Committee||Keep inventory of gear, sell gear before and after school the first week of school, fulfill orders that come in via online store.
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Time requirement: 15 hours the first month of school, after that, minimum time required.
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x
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NO
|Kona Ice & Smoothie Monthly Sales Committee||Establish a connection with kona ice and smoothie company to set up a monthly visit to our school. Post signs around the school the week prior to the day of the sale to remind parents/students. Contact Social Media Manager and graphic designer with the dates of the sales so they can advertise it as well. Time requirement: 30-60 minutes per month||Rosy Ramirez||
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x
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NO
|Teacher/sport/club grant manager||Create a spreadsheet/binder to keep track of the PTA Grants that are given to teachers/sports/clubs. Communicate with the teachers in the beginning of the year regarding the grants and make sure all the grants are submitted by the deadline. Collect receipts and reimbursement form from the teachers/staff members, review it and submit to the treasurer for reimbursement. Deliver check to the teacher/staff member. Email a copy of the updated spreadsheet to the PTA President on the third Thursday of the month so information can be discussed at the board meeting. Time requirement: 30-60 minutes per month||Diana Godfrey||
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x
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NO
|Box Tops Committee
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(2 people)
|Manage box tops program. Create a box tops campaign. Distribute box tops information and collection bags in the beginning of each semester. Get together with Graphic designer to create posters and hang them around the school. Remind parents about deadlines to submit box tops. Collect box tops twice a year and submit them. Get creative and find a way to encourage students to collect box tops throughout the year. | http://clearviewvoyagerspta.com/we-need-your-help-for-2019-2020/ |
Patients with advanced NSCLC are treated with first-line PT-DC, which is associated with a median OS of 8–10 months and 1-year and 2-year survival rates of 30–40% and 10–15%, respectively. Nivolumab (a fully human IgG4 anti-programmed death-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody) alone and in combination with ipilimumab (a fully human IgG4 cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody) has demonstrated encouraging clinical benefit across multiple tumor types. Two randomized Phase III trials demonstrated superior survival with nivolumab vs docetaxel in previously-treated patients with advanced squamous (SQ) (CheckMate 017) and non-squamous (non-SQ) NSCLC (CheckMate 057). Preliminary results of a Phase I study (CheckMate 012) of nivolumab with or without ipilimumab demonstrate acceptable safety and encouraging activity in first-line metastatic NSCLC across histologies. This Phase III trial (CheckMate 227) evaluates nivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination regimens vs PT-DC in patients with chemotherapy-naïve stage IV or recurrent SQ and non-SQ NSCLC.
Adult patients with stage IV or recurrent NSCLC, ECOG performance status ≤1, no prior systemic anti-cancer therapy, and measureable disease per RECIST version 1.1 are eligible. Tissue will be evaluated for programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression during screening. Patients who have untreated CNS metastases are ineligible. Patients will be randomized to nivolumab monotherapy, nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination regimens, or PT-DC. PT-DC will be administered according to histology (gemcitabine with cisplatin or carboplatin for SQ and pemetrexed with cisplatin or carboplatin for non-SQ). Patients will receive treatment until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The co-primary endpoints are overall survival and progression-free survival in patients receiving nivolumab monotherapy or nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination regimens vs patients receiving PT-DC. Secondary endpoints include objective response rate in nivolumab monotherapy or nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination regimens vs PT-DC and disease related symptom improvement measured by the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale in all patients. | https://jitc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2051-1426-3-S2-P154 |
The utility model discloses an air treatment device, an air conditioner indoor unit and an air conditioner. The air treatment device comprises a machine shell and an aromatherapy device, and air holes communicated with the interior of the machine shell are formed in the outer wall of the machine shell. The aromatherapy device is contained in the machine shell and comprises an aromatherapy module and a heating air pump, the aromatherapy device is provided with an aroma channel, the aroma channel is connected with the air hole in an on-off mode, and the heating air pump is used for heating the aromatherapy module and driving aroma airflow in the aroma channel to be exhausted from the air hole. According to the air treatment device, the fragrance channel and the air hole can be connected in an on-off mode, so that when the air treatment device starts the aromatherapy function, the fragrance channel and the air hole are communicated, and fragrance generated by the aromatherapy module can be diffused out of the machine shell through the air hole; when the aromatherapy function of the air treatment device is closed, the aromatherapy module and the aromatherapy module are disconnected, fragrance generated by the aromatherapy module is contained in the fragrance channel, waste and consumption of the fragrance are reduced, and the service life of the aromatherapy module is prolonged. The heating air pump can heat and drive airflow, and the aromatherapy effect is optimized. | |
Tui na is a part of traditional Chinese medicine. The term tui na (pronounced “twee naw”), which literally means “pinch and pull,” refers to a wide range of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapeutic massage and bodywork.
Tui na is not a form of massage that’s generally used for pleasure and relaxation, but rather it is used as a treatment to address the problems in relation with specific patterns of disharmony. As such, practitioners use it for many of the same reasons and according to the same principles as acupuncture. Like acupuncture, TCM uses tui na to harmonize yin and yang in the body by manipulating the Qi in the acupuncture channels.
Tui na includes what is popularly known as “acupressure,” where practitioners use finger pressure instead of needles like acupuncture to stimulate the various acupuncture points of the body.
Tui Na can be used to treat specific areas, or it can be used to improve the overall Qi or energy flow throughout the body. Because Tui Na is a complete system, the treatment often helps both these components at the same time. Tui Na is thought to be the oldest system of bodywork practised today.
TCM practitioners will frequently encourage and instruct patients to do self-massage and certain exercises at home so that they can get the full effect of the treatment. These exercises and massages solidify and expand the benefits created during treatment sessions.
Self-massage and stretching are considered important aspects of self-health care. | http://www.thenewsseed.com/tui-na/ |
The International Year in Review
ach year The International Scene looks back at the major international insolvency developments. This year has seen a number of major developments in cross-border insolvency cases and in the development of international and domestic cooperation in cross-border insolvency cases. Space limitations prevent a complete treatment of all of the developments during the past year, but this article is intended to comment on and highlight some of the more significant and important recent international insolvency developments.
Adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency
As reported in The International Scene last year, Mexico became the first major jurisdiction to enact the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency when it passed its new bankruptcy legislation in May 2000. The substance of the UNCITRAL Model Law is included in the proposed amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the form of a new chapter 15.
In November 2000, South Africa became the second major jurisdiction to enact the Model Law. The major difference in South Africa is that the Model Law applies to countries that are "designated" by the government. This kind of designation can be withdrawn, but both the designation and the withdrawal of the designation require approval by the parliament of South Africa.
The United Kingdom has also passed legislation contemplating the adoption in England of the UNCITRAL Model Law. The process of bringing the Model Law into domestic U.K. insolvency legislation is complex and essentially requires administrative action by statutory regulation accompanied by a formal resolution of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords approving the adoption of the Model Law. The potential timing for the Model Law to be introduced in England has not yet been announced.
Earlier this year (and as reported in the July/August and October 2001 issues of the ABI Journal), Japan enacted international insolvency legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law. This legislation became effective in April 2001 and represents a major shift in Japanese insolvency systems and procedures away from the traditional territorial insolvency concepts that are common in civil law countries toward a much more universalist approach to multinational and cross-border insolvencies.
The new insolvency regulation is a major advance in international insolvency cooperation and is likely to have a major impact on insolvency and reorganizational proceedings in Europe and on the stakeholders involved in businesses that become subject to the regulation.
Development of the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Insolvency
As a result of a major International Insolvency Colloquium held in Vienna in December 2000 sponsored by UNCITRAL and Insol International in collaboration with the International Bar Association, UNCITRAL began work on a major project to develop a "Best Practices" guide to domestic insolvency legislation. Approximately 60 countries participated in the UNCITRAL project to create the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Insolvency. The intention is to produce an internationally accepted set of principles that would be a constructive guide to countries that are in the process of reforming their insolvency legislation or that are about to do so. The Legislative Guide would represent the views of countries around the world from a variety of different legal and social systems and would reflect a considered consensus on the most equitable and efficient manner in which domestic insolvency legislation could deal with major insolvency and reorganizational concepts. The text of the proposed Legislative Guide is available in its current draft from the UNCITRAL web site, www.uncitral.org, or from the author.
The European Union Regulation on Cross-border Insolvency
Negotiations for a Bankruptcy Convention among the members of the European Union began more than 30 years ago. Since that time, astonishing progress has been made toward integrating the economies of the European Union members. It may seem somewhat odd that, in the midst of so much economic and political progress, a European agreement on insolvency has proved so difficult to achieve. Several years ago, the European Union came close to adopting a convention on bankruptcy. Fourteen of the 15 members of the European Union signed the proposed European Union Bankruptcy Convention, which awaited only the signature of the United Kingdom to become effective. At that point, unfortunately, the first round of Mad Cow Disease emerged in the United Kingdom, and several members of the European Union banned British beef imports. Annoyed with that, the United Kingdom suspended its cooperation with European Union initiatives, including the virtually complete European Union Bankruptcy Convention. The deadline for signing the convention then passed without the United Kingdom's signature, and the prospective convention lapsed.
But it has now come back. As reported in the November 2001 issue of the Journal, as a result of subtle European legislative engineering, the convention has reappeared as a Regulation of the European Parliament. The new European Union Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings has a high degree of resemblance to the old bankruptcy convention. The difference is that the regulation will be effective throughout the European Union without the need for legislative action by the E.U.'s member states to adopt it. The new process essentially amounts to an end-run around the requirement for European legislative unanimity which (along with Mad Cow Disease) doomed the original European Union Bankruptcy Convention.
The European Union Insolvency Regulation is scheduled to come into effect on May 31, 2002. The new insolvency regulation is a major advance in international insolvency cooperation and is likely to have a major impact on insolvency and reorganizational proceedings in Europe and on the stakeholders involved in businesses that become subject to the regulation. (For a more detailed report on the insolvency regulation, see The International Scene article by Professor Bob Wessels in the November 2001 issue of the Journal.) Copies of the insolvency regulation are available electronically from the author for interested readers of The International Scene.
It should be noted that the insolvency regulation mandates a high level of cooperation and communication between trustees in main proceedings and trustees in secondary proceedings. Trustees (although the insolvency regulation uses the more European term "liquidator") are obliged to communicate with each other and must immediately communicate to the other administration any information that may be relevant to proceedings in the other jurisdiction. The regulation indicates, moreover, that subject to local rules to the contrary, trustees are "duty bound" to cooperate with each other.
The new insolvency regulation is likely to have a broader effect on non-European Union credit grantors than might have been expected. For creditors dealing with a business that is subject to the Insolvency Regulation, consideration will have to be given to the fact that in an insolvency, creditors from all countries of the European Union will be able to prove their claims against the debtor and that these claims will include tax claims and social claims. Moreover, subsidiaries incorporated abroad may fall within the scope of the insolvency regulation because they may well have their center of main interests within the European Union. There is certain to be scope for conflict between European Union administrations and non-European Union administrations where a particular company falls both within the insolvency regulation and within the jurisdiction of an overseas court.
Protocols in International Insolvency Cases
During the past year, the use of protocols in international cases continued to develop and expand. The first major protocol was developed in 1991-92 in Maxwell Communication between the United States and the United Kingdom, and the trend toward the use of protocols accelerated after the International Bar Association adopted its Cross-border Insolvency Concordat in 1995-96 as a set of principles to encourage cooperation and coordination of administrations involving more than one country. Since 1995, there have been 20-30 protocols entered into between courts in different countries dealing with cross-border insolvencies and reorganizations, and the trend toward the use of protocols shows no sign of abating. In fact, several major multinational reorganizations have featured cross-border insolvency protocols as part of their first-day orders. During the past year, significant protocols in multinational cases were entered into in cases in a number of different courts, e.g., between Toronto and New York, Vancouver and New York, Delaware and Toronto and between Toronto and Buffalo (which is a relatively short-range protocol, but which featured important international features nonetheless.) We intend to feature a complete listing of Cross-border Insolvency Protocols in a future column of The International Scene, and column readers who become aware of protocols are highly encouraged to forward them to the author.
The ALI Guidelines for Court-to-court Communications in Cross-border Cases
As previously reported in the Journal (see Volume XVIII, No. 10, December/January 2000), the American Law Institute (ALI), in its precedent-setting Transnational Insolvency Project, produced a Statement of Principles of Cooperation in Transnational Insolvency Cases involving the NAFTA countries of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
One of the most important elements in the Transnational Insolvency Project was the preparation of guidelines dealing with the communications that must take place between jurisdictions to enhance co-ordination and harmonization of administrations in cross-border or multinational insolvency cases. The project consequently produced its Guidelines for Court-to-court Communications in Cross-border Cases. The guidelines are, in fact, largely based on examples from actual cross-border cases involving cross-border insolvency protocols entered into between courts in different countries. The guidelines are intended to enhance coordination and harmonization of insolvency proceedings that involve more than one country through communications among the jurisdictions involved. The text of the ALI's Guidelines for Court-to-court Communications in Cross-border Cases is set out in full in the Journal article referred to above and can be found on ABI World (www.abiworld.org/abidata/online/journaltext/99decintl.html).
The Guidelines for Court-to-court Communications in Cross-border Cases from the Transnational Insolvency Project were adopted for the first time this year in two cross-border cases between Canada and the United States. In both cases, the guidelines were adopted as part of cross-border insolvency protocols that were entered into between the Canadian court and the bankruptcy court. From the U.S. side, the two cases involved the Delaware bankruptcy court (In re Matlack Systems Inc. (Bankr. D. Del. (Hon. Mary F. Walrath), 01-01114 (MFW), May 24, 2001)) and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (In re PSINet Inc. et al., (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.) (Hon. Robert E. Gerber), 01-13213, July 10, 2001). The application of the ALI guidelines in the Matlack and PSINet cases represents a significant step forward in international cooperation in cross-border cases and will set a very prominent example for other courts in other significant cross-border cases.
The Federal Judicial Center Monograph on International Insolvency
The Federal Judicial Center is an agency of the Judicial Branch whose mission is to provide training and continuing education for federal judges and court personnel. Part of the Judicial Center's work involves publishing monographs on various subjects of interest to federal judges.
One of the Federal Judicial Center's most recent areas of interest is international insolvency. The center is in the process of completing the publication of an International Insolvency Monograph, which will provide a reference for federal judges on the law governing insolvency cases with transnational dimensions. The material in the International Insolvency Monograph was written by four bankruptcy judges—Hon. Samuel Bufford, Hon. Louise DeCarl Adler, Hon. Sidney Brooks and Hon. Marcia Krieger, who also serve on the International Law Relations Committee of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.
The monograph will be available shortly and will include the International Bar Association's Cross-border Insolvency Concordat, the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-border Insolvency and the European Union Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings. A limited number of copies of the International Insolvency Monograph will be available from the Federal Judicial Center through the center's Information Services Library, Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, One Columbus Circle NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-8003, (202) 502-4153, fax (202) 502-4077.
The New U.K. Proposals for Financial Rehabilitations
The U.K. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has recently produced a series of recommendations that, if implemented, will bring about major changes in the insolvency and restructuring regime in England.
The most fundamental and most startling recommendation is to bring an end to private receivership as a major insolvency procedure. For the country that largely invented and developed the concept of private receivership, this is a very significant change of course. The proposals also recommend that the priority status of governmental claims be abolished in all insolvencies. Significant proposals for reform of insolvency procedures for personal and consumer bankruptcies are also proposed.
As a basis for the change in private receivership, the DTI report identified several areas in which it considers that the remedy of administration is preferable. Administration has no precise counterpart in U.S. practice. It involves the court's appointment of a licensed insolvency practitioner as an administrator who is responsible for running the business of the company during the administration. The process imposes an automatic stay of proceedings against creditors, and the administrator is required to submit proposals for a reorganization or a restructuring of the company to its creditors within three months. The administrator must convene a meeting of creditors at which the creditors can approve the proposals with or without amendments. Currently, the holder of floating charge security can effectively veto an administration by appointing a receiver, but the DTI proposals, as noted below, would eliminate this veto right.
The DTI recommendations for the elimination of the private receivership remedy center on concerns that private receivership does not provide adequate incentives to maximize economic values nor an acceptable level of transparency and accountability to creditors, and that it does not accommodate itself as well to international procedures and proceedings as does administration. The DTI report concludes that, as a matter of public policy, the insolvency system in England should move toward favoring "collective" insolvency proceedings (i.e., administrations) that allow all creditors to participate in the proceedings and that provide that insolvency administrators owe a duty of care to all creditors.
The intended rebalancing of the system is intended to be neutral to the interests of secured creditors who will be entitled to apply for an administration. The report also leaves open a possibility that administration proceedings may be extended to apply to the business of a foreign company in England. (It is now restricted to companies incorporated under English company legislation).
On the abolition of governmental claims, the report notes an international trend (including the examples of Australia and Germany) toward eliminating state preferences. Preferences for the claims of employees would be retained. The benefit of this abolition is intended to go to unsecured creditors, and where the assets of a business are subject to a floating charge, the report proposes a mechanism (which is not described) to achieve this result through "ringfencing" a portion of the "funds generated by the floating charge." The text of the report (Insolvency: A Second Chance) is available electronically at www.insolvency.gov.uk/compwp.htm.
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Journal Date: | https://www.abi.org/abi-journal/the-international-year-in-review |
How to convert 608 milliliters to deciliters?
We know (by definition) that:
We can set up a proportion to solve for the number of deciliters.
Now, we cross multiply to solve for our unknown :
Conclusion:
Conversion in the opposite direction
The inverse of the conversion factor is that 1 deciliter is equal to 0.164473684210526 times 608 milliliters.
It can also be expressed as: 608 milliliters is equal to deciliters.
Approximation
An approximate numerical result would be: six hundred and eight milliliters is about zero deciliters, or alternatively, a deciliter is about zero point one six times six hundred and eight milliliters.
Footnotes
The precision is 15 significant digits (fourteen digits to the right of the decimal point).Results may contain small errors due to the use of floating point arithmetic. | https://converter.ninja/volume/milliliters-to-deciliters/608-ml-to-dl/ |
Analysis and Interpretation of ABE Experience in the Inner City: Toward a Theory of Practice in the Public Schools. Selected Action Implications for Urban ABE Directors.
Mezirow, Jack; And Others
Findings from a survey and comparison of urban Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs generated several statements of action implications for urban ABE directors: (1) differentiate major target populations for purposes of program development and reporting; (2) make two parallel efforts to recruit participants--one for easiest-to-reach, middle class-oriented, undereducated adults, the other for hardest-to-reach, poorest, and least educated; (3) recognize the distinctive qualities and functions of community outreach and feeder classes; allocate resources to maximize their effectiveness; (4) exploit advantages of co-sponsorship and develop effective strategies for initiating and sustaining co-sponsor linkages; (5) recognize major dynamics of the ABE classroom aside from aiding content mastery to improve teacher performance; (6) encourage preparation of short-term instructional units which provide feedback on learner progress toward their goals; (7) incorporate systematic analysis of qualitative factors in program development and evaluation; (8) recognize the interrelatedness of instructional roles and utilize paraprofessionals and counselors to optimize instructional effectiveness; (9) allocate more resources for staff development designed to deal with instruction and classroom interaction as it exists in reality; and (10) periodically review innovative program practices and systematically incorporate the most promising. (KM)
Publication Type: N/A
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Center for Adult Education. | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED075693 |
Today from our partners at Art Practical, we bring you Matthew Harrison Tedford’s review of Who Among Us… The Art of Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. The author notes, “[…] I came to see the entire exhibition as Kentifrica—not just an imaginary place, but a dream, a revision, or a projection of a continent that could have been or that still may become.” This article was originally published on March 1, 2016.
In the early decades of photography, many Europeans and European Americans employed the nascent technology in conquered lands across the planet to document colonial subjects. These images became historical records, though they were often inscribed with colonial fantasies—subjects were presented as dwelling in prehistory or dressed in attire from cultures that were not their own. This approach to both ethnography and tourism has been widely critiqued, but the resulting documents persist, as do the worldviews built upon them.
Interdisciplinary artist Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle uses reproductions of these antique photographs as sources for one of three bodies of work in Who Among Us… The Art of Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco. The Uninvited Series displays over a dozen black-and-white and sepia-tone photographs of African women on a single wall, each of which Hinkle has reclaimed with ink, paint, glitter, gouache, and collage.
Some of the pieces are kaleidoscopic interventions that adorn the figures with ornate headdresses, body armor, or auras. In The Transfiguration (2015), for example, the portrait of a woman is mostly obscured by a sea of pink protozoan blobs and a web of intricate ink drawings that wrap around her chin and protrude from her forehead. Hinkle gives the woman a regal and fantastical headdress and the power it connotes—if only retroactively, imaginatively. In The Huntress (2014), a woman wearing a barely perceptible smile faces the viewer. Spirals of ink radiate from one of her eyes, creating a mask that covers half of her face, stretching upward and outward. The mouth of a roaring tiger cut from a photograph rests between the woman’s bare breasts. The tiger’s defiant roar seems to represent emotions concealed by the subject’s sardonic smile—emotions she may not have been at liberty to display to the photographer. | https://www.dailyserving.com/2016/03/who-among-us-the-art-of-kenyatta-a-c-hinkle-at-the-museum-of-the-african-diaspora/ |
TR4 Task Force Communication: Phytosanitary alert for Fusarium TR4 in Latin America and the Caribbean
Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) has arrived in Latin America. After its first detection in Asia more than 20 years ago, and its subsequent shift to Africa in 2013, it has finally arrived in Latin America. On August 8, the Colombian Institute of Agriculture (ICA) officially announced that TR4 has been found on six farms in La Guajira, the North East of the country. Subsequently, the ICA aims for the declaration of a National Emergency.
The World Banana Forum (WBF) fully supports the ICA Declaration of a National Emergency, which is a prerequisite to implement all necessary measures to prevent a further spread of the fungus. The WBF also backs the Regional Declaration on Fusarium TR4 issued by the Ecuadorian Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Xavier Lazo Guerrero at a high-level meeting on August 5 in Quito. The Declaration endorses and supports all measures to prevent the spread of TR4 and to foster collaboration amongst countries.
The WBF and its TR4 Task Force are working towards a TR4 Global Network (TR4GN), a platform that aims to coordinate the actions of the various stakeholders and to facilitate information sharing and communication to support the global efforts in the fight against TR4. A preliminary version of the TR4 Global Network website is already available, providing a repository of information and materials regarding the disease and its management. The page contains information in Spanish and English.
In view of the outbreak of TR4 in Colombia, the WBF and its TR4 Task Force invite all stakeholders to join and extend the TR4 Global Network to jointly raise awareness, strengthen capacities and implement field actions. The following recommendations are provided to national and regional authorities, implementation leaders and decision-makers:
- Strengthen inter-institutional coordination and promote the participation of experts that will allow an adequate diagnosis and treatment of the suspected symptoms.
- Design and implement relevant and effective risk management plans.
- Participate actively in the decision-making processes, so that decisions are aligned with the needs in the field to help producers reduce vulnerability and increase resilience.
- Activate national and regional TR4 alerts and protocols, as well as maintain permanent contacts with the Regional and National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs). Responsible reporting of the presence of potential symptoms will contribute to contain the disease.
- Dedicate human, technical and financial resources to capacity development and coordination of activities in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the rest of the world.
- Implement biosecurity measures at farm level according to international guidelines (such as the IPPC Standard for Phytosanitary Measures and the GlobalGAP TR4-Biosecurity Add-On) and national guidelines.
- Implement biosecurity measures in ports, airports and borders, according to national and international norms and standards.
Collaboration is at the core of the WBF and its TR4 Task Force, and we are convinced that only joint efforts and communication will lead to tackling the spread of Fusarium Tropical Race 4. | http://www.fao.org/world-banana-forum/news/detail-events/en/c/1204990/ |
DIET INSTRUCTIONS FOR NAUSEA, VOMITING AND/OR DIARRHEA
- Re-hydration with clear liquids is MOST important.
- When actively vomiting, take no food or liquid.
- At first try ice chips, sips of Gatorade, or carbonated drinks (after vomiting has subsided). If you tolerate #3 with no vomiting or diarrhea, begin #4 in addition to #3.
- Clear liquids: jello, bouillon, clear broth, dry toast, crackers.
- If you continue to improve try oatmeal, plain yogurt, pudding, thin soups, apple sauce, canned fruit cocktail, mashed or baked potato, rice or plain pasta. Gradually resume diet.
AVOID until several days after recovery:
- Any foods that usually cause stomach problems for you
- Greasy or fried foods
- Raw fruits and vegetables
- Alcoholic beverages
- Spicy foods such as spaghetti, pizza, tacos, Chinese foods
For diarrhea only – the BRAT diet:
- Bananas
- Rice
- Applesauce
- Toast
If problems persist or recur, COME TO THE STUDENT HEALTH SERVICE. | https://shs.wfu.edu/health-resources/health-wellness-information/diet-instruction-gastro-illnesses/ |
About us:
Ferrovial is one of the world’s leading infrastructure operators, committed to developing sustainable solutions. The company has presence in 6 main markets. It is a member of Spain’s blue-chip IBEX 35 index and is also included in prestigious sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and FTSE4Good. The aim of Ferrovial Corporation is to design the Company’s strategy, establishing global policies, guidelines and action guides related to the different functional areas of the Organization (Internal Audit, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, IT, Innovation, etc.), which subsequently are developed and adapted to the specificities of each Business Unit. Additionally, it performs a function of providing corporate services to the different companies of the group, while consolidating its information.
Job Description:
Your next calling:
As the Controller, you will have the opportunity to drive the organization’s financial planning and accounting through analyzing liabilities and investments, improving financial operations, and helping execute on the company’s strategic vision. You will be responsible for all reporting, financial, and accounting processes. NextMove by Cintra is a newly created entity, fully owned by Cintra (Ferrovial Group), to generate value through the development and operation technology (apps, platforms, etc.) to bring new services to highway users in the digital world. Clients are drivers, departments of transportation, and others.
Functions key to success:
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Monitor contractual commitments to assure compliance with the financial obligations of the company
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Manage the relationship between the company’s stakeholders and vendors as it relates to payments.
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Prepare reports and presentations for the CEO, the Board of Directors and stakeholders
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Lead the company in the preparation of the annual budget, updates during the year and monitor expenses against actuals.
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Perform financial analyses for the CEO, and other stakeholders using long-term financial models to perform calculations to support operational decisions
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Supervise the cash management of the company including collection, payments, enforce fraud prevention policies, and improve upon such as necessary
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Oversee the accounting function of the company, review financial information, and define accounting policies in US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
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Supervise the adjustments to IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards)
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Make use of an internal analytical accounting system to report cost information to management monthly and as needed
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Actively implement policies to optimize the performance of the company by increase revenues, reducing expenses and/or reducing risks
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Collaborate within the financial and accounting functions of the parent company/companies
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Performs other job-related duties as necessary
What you bring to the table:
You have worked hard to achieve success in your educational career, now put it to use. If you have a bachelor’s degree or Post-Graduate education preferred, you are halfway there with the needed abilities for this position. Do you have at least 7-10+ years of experience in leadership, strategic planning and execution, C-suite experience in start-up and/or digital environments and technology products? If the answer is yes, you can check off another box.
With success comes a high level of professionalism. We already know you possess the following qualities, but we just wanted to remind you of what is important to NextMove by Cintra:
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Effectively manage tasks and strict deadlines with independence
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Ability to interact with executives, upper-level managers, and external vendors
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Must be able to multitask, problem solve and implement innovative processes within a fast-paced environment
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Ability to indirectly supervise additional employees beyond direct reporting relationships.
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Superior finance based analytical skills
Finally, in a technology-driven world, it is important to know your way around a computer. For this role, it will be important to know the basics of the following:
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Must be able to demonstrate computer proficiency, especially as to Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point and other PC based programs
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Previous experience with accounting system and finance management software
Our working environment:
NextMove by Cintra wants to ensure that all employees are comfortable and able to work in the type of culture and environment we have built our business on. Our office is typically quiet with low noise levels; however, you will often hear employees laughing and talking amongst themselves. Effective communication will be key for this role and will require you to talk and hear others. You will probably spend a majority of your time sitting and/or walking around the office, whether to visit a co-worker or make it to a meeting on time and there may be occasional long hours to put in if you are diligently working to complete a project and finish a report. Specific vision abilities required by this job include ability to adjust focus, as necessary to use a computer. There could be a time when you may need to lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, but not very often. Finally, there will be some regional and international travel that will be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. | https://www.ferrovial.com/en/job-offers/controller/ |
When you are as deeply concerned with strange phenomena as I am, it’s hard to get up in the morning feeling normal. It helps if you drink. The chasm between physical reality and our conscious perception thereof opens up with your morning coffee, and as you peruse the newspaper headlines and social media feeds, one has the same unsettling sense that no doubt prompted humorist Dorthy Parker to greet the doorbell each time it rang with the phrase, “What fresh hell can this be?” Let’s face it, if you express anything more than a passing interest in UFO’s, Bigfoot, ghosts, monsters, or the various and sundry anomalies of the universe, you are generally regarded by your peers with trepidation, and a charitable concern for your mental health.
Now this may be “inside baseball”, but a curious development has emerged in the world of anomalistics, which we can understand to include those who experience and those who investigate, as well as those self-identified skeptics that nonetheless wade into the muddled marsh of Forteana. Strange phenomena have been decentralized as an object of study, in favor of a psychologization of those who express an interest (either to believe, understand, or debunk).
Thus, we spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the pathological delusions of true believers, the cognitive dissonance of skeptics, and the fear of commitment of those who straddle the line. The focus has shifted from a simple ontological statement that while our valuation of science has an impressive track record of achievement, the universe nonetheless keeps serving up oddities that throw a wrench in our metaphysical project of comprehending the significance of human existence and grasping at the nature of reality.
Therefore, instead of debate, we more often see diagnosis. This is as foolhardy as it is unproductive. The unadulterated truth that is being largely sidelined is that the existence of an anomaly is prerequisite to scientific discovery, and the facts that don’t fit are what usher in the paradigmatic shifts that revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
Physicist, historian, and philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn, who coined the term “paradigm shift” in his seminal 1962 work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, offered the anomaly as that which impels our extension of knowledge, observing, “Normal science does not aim at novelties of fact or theory and, when successful, finds none. New and unsuspected phenomena are, however, repeatedly uncovered by scientific research, and radical new theories have again and again been invented by scientists. History even suggests that the scientific enterprise has developed a uniquely powerful technique for producing surprises of this sort. If this characteristic of science is to be reconciled with what has already been said, then research under a paradigm must be a particularly effective way of inducing paradigm change. This is what fundamental novelties of fact and theory do. Produced inadvertently by a game played under one set of rules, their assimilation requires the elaboration of another set”.
When the debate is consistently framed in terms of delusion vs. fundamentalism, we have ceased to engage in intellectual inquiry, and turned towards a denigration of the mental faculties of our theoretical opponents (whose interest in our precious anomalistic phenomena truly makes them our colleagues, regardless of those ontological and epistemological presuppositions they bring to the table). This is far from crying, “Can’t we all just get along”? Some people are just jerks. It simply reiterates the importance of classical ontological debates of the realists (universals exist, as do particulars) and the nominalists (only particulars exist). Universal truth has this pesky habit of shuffling out just past the boundary of our intellect, the minute we conclude we have understood something.
In the absence of incontestable and enduring physical proof, anomalistics has found its various objects of inquiry ghettoized in the world of “the pseudo-”, and understood to be an examination of cultural constructs, human misperceptions, and an expression of metaphysical yearning, turning the experience of the strange into a function of humans gone wild. Us Homo sapiens do after all demonstrate an acute capacity to get wacky.
When it comes to Forteana (and those who argue that no such animal exists), a far more productive approach is to step back from the incessant demands for “proof”, the psychoanalysis of both believers and skeptics, and turn to the question of validation, which says we may never know the ultimate object itself, thus we most fruitfully approach knowledge by confronting interpretations and arbitrating between them as we look for points of agreement, even when agreement is an impossibility, or as Paul Ricoeur said, “The logic of validation allows us to move between the two limits of dogmatism and skepticism”.
Maybe the next time frogs inexplicably fall from the sky, the answer is not to call the Weekly World News, hand out the psychoactive medication, decry skeptics for their stalwart rejection of that which cannot happen, or talk about the delusional predispositions of those whose assert with supreme confidence that a “frog rain” was extant. Validation is neither acceptance nor rejection, rather it is an open and honest arbitration of possible interpretations. Such discourse is shockingly rare. At least maybe we can validate their parking.
To follow your latest sentence, I must admit that I never have problems to find a parking space for my car even under the worst conditions. But, I am not finding or really searching the parking space, it is just waiting for me. Coincidence or fate?
I find regular sacrifices to the parking gods helps immeasurably.
The cosmic coincidence-regulator for parking spaces is a good friend of mine, so I really need no sacrifices what is quite practical. | https://esoterx.com/2015/12/01/how-to-feel-normal-in-an-anomalistic-universe/ |
PURPOSE: To make an interference fringe evaluation apparatus useful for precise and efficient assembly and adjustment of a diffraction interference optical system and carry out quantitative evaluation, e.g. the number of interference fringes, by installing a photo receiving means to detect the alteration of luminous intensity information of interference fringes with the lapse of time and a computing means to quantitatively evaluate the interference fringes.
1
0
+1
-1
2
0+1
0
+1-1
-1
3
0-1
0+1
+1-10
+1-1
3
2
CONSTITUTION: Luminous fluxes from a light source 1 enter a diffraction grating G, are divided into zero-order light rays I and ±1-order diffraction light rays I, I, and come out separately. Then, these light rays enter a diffraction grating G and again come out separately as zeroorder light rays and ±1-order diffraction light rays. After that, +1-order diffraction light rays I of the light rays I and -1-order diffraction light rays I of the I light rays enter almost the same points of a next diffraction grating G. Respective light rays come out separately again as zero-order light rays and ±-order diffraction light rays. At that time, the -1-order diffraction light rays of I of I and the zero-order light rays I of the light rays I come out in the same direction and mutually interfere. In the case the diffraction gratings are parallel and the grading line directions are also parallel in the optical system, the interference light rays which come out of the grating G changes to be bright and dark uniformly by shifting the grating G.
COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO | |
The Louvre’s Petite Galerie, a space dedicated to art and cultural education, hosts the exhibition titled “The Advent of the Artist” (September 2019-June 2020) alongside the museum exhibitions dedicated to the great Renaissance artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo etc.
The exhibition focuses on the transition of artists from anonymity to wider recognition during the Renaissance and their representation in literature.
Muevo created the display cases that house the nearly 40 works of art of the Louvre’s collection, alongside the extracts from literature testifying to the emergence of the artist from antiquity to the 19th century.
Please visit the website of the exhibition “The Advent of the Artist”
Project Data
Location:
Paris, France
Dates: | https://muevo.gr/2020/01/08/louvre-museum-petit-galerie/ |
In addition to those who gave so generously, we would like to thank staff and children for their silver service throughout the morning and in addition, our two cooks for their amazing contribution.
We could not ever hope to raise this sort of amount without you all – thank you so very, very much.
Over the last two days, our Year 1 and Year 2 children have been busy learning more about the life and work of L. S. Lowry, the artist famous for his mainly industrial and urban scenes of his local area around Salford. Julie, an artist in residence from The Lowry in Salford has been showing the children the techniques that Lowry used to produce his distinctive and extremely famous paintings and pencil sketches.
Our children have really been encouraged to look at the detail in the paintings of the buildings they have produced.
They have shown great determination, concentration and no little eye for detail in the work they have carried out. In addition, the children have learned a great deal about the living and working conditions for many people of Salford at the time that Lowry was painting.
Once the children had all produced one painting each, they were combined to produce a representation of their local area – an art installation entitled ‘Down Our Street’.
Thank you so much children for all your hard work this week and thank you too to Julie for teaching us so much.
Between 8.55 and 10.15 a.m. on the morning of Friday 29th September, we shall be hosting our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning. Please see our letter regarding the finer detail but if you can come and spend an hour enjoying freshly made tea, brewed coffee and cake, then you are most welcome.
Every year we manage to raise a little more than the previous year, and with your generosity, we think we can do so again this year.
Put the date in your diary – the kettle will be on!
https://coffee.macmillan.org.uk/
Today, 3rd March, we join our hands in friendship with girls, wherever they live, who share a Japanese heritage.
Hinamatsuri, also called Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day, is a special day in Japan. Hinamatsuri is celebrated each year on March 3. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.
Today, Yuno is celebrating Hinamatsuri and has come dressed in traditional court dress. Her mummy has brought along her set of ornamental dolls, seen here in the picture, along with Yuno. She has also, extremely generously, brought little dolls, representing the Emperor and Empress, for our Nursery children.
In addition to the costumed dolls, food and drink play a role on Girls’ Day, with rice wine and rice cakes taking centre stage, along with flower blossoms.
Don’t worry boys – on May 5th each year in Japan every child is remembered, when National Children’s Day is celebrated. Do you think we should have a National Day for Children in the United Kingdom? Let us know what you think!
Here we see some of our elite gymnastics squad who represented school at a recent Trafford Gymnastics Competition. On the final Friday of half term, we celebrated their achievements, along with our newly formed Year 3 and 4 hockey team, who played earlier in the week in a Trafford competition at Brooklands Sports Club. (They played magnificently in horrendous weather and we are so very proud of them!)
During the achievement assembly, we asked our gymnasts to perform their favourite routine, and this they did with aplomb to a very appreciative audience.Crab Splits
Our Year 5 and 6 team came tenth out of fifteen entries, one of our Year 3 and 4 team came fifth out of thirteen entries and as you may have spotted, five of our squad of Year 3 and 4 children are wearing silver medals – yes, you’ve guessed it – they came second in their age-group. Every child from Worthington performed brilliantly against some extremely stiff opposition, however they showed determination and great concentration, as well as outstanding gymnastic ability on the day to richly deserve their success.
As a little extra, click on the video link below to see one of our gymnasts in action. | https://worthington-primary.trafford.sch.uk/page/7/ |
Registering History: Update on Cape Cod Sea Serpents
Fourteen years ago, HSOY published an article in the Register about Cape sea monsters. Since then, having newspapers online and able to be digitally searched has revealed far more sightings than previously reported. Except – not surprising, there have been no sightings or pictures since the digital camera was introduced in the mid-1990s.
There have never been sightings here of the kraken, "a legendary sea monster of gigantic size and cephalopod-like appearance in Scandinavian folklore. According to the Norse sagas, some kraken dwell off the coasts of Norway and Greenland and terrorize nearby sailors. Authors over the years have postulated that the legend may have originated from sightings of giant squids that may grow 40 feet." Despite this lack of krakens, Cape Cod earned the reputation of having more sea monsters around it than any other place in the world.
It seemed that about every 75 years or so since the Pilgrims first arrived in 1620, there were reportings. Some were in the Gulf of Maine and also further of sightings of the kraken in Long Island Sound, and they have had people looking to the whole East Coast, rather than around our silicon sandbar.
Excitement grew after a sea serpent was seen off of Gloucester in the summer of 1817. Author Joseph Garver noted that, "… the serpent was rumored to measure forty feet. Frequent newspaper sources of sightings by ‘reliable sources’ (even sober clergymen), added to the craze… Perhaps, not coincidentally, those sightings tended to occur when coastal resorts were experiencing their slow season."
But – not all of the sightings near the Cape were “serpents.” Ben Franklin had reported on one that definitely wasn’t a serpent which was sighted off of Provincetown in 1719. This second type of monster has been seen several times since. A third type doesn’t fit either of the pre-mentioned categories. Let’s look at what has been reported since Gloucester in 1817.
The Classic Serpent
Most of the reportings are of a snake-like being, somewhere between 50 and 250 feet. Included are the following reports from the Barnstable Patriot:
Sept. 4, 1830 – “The Sea Serpent, we understand, was seen Friday off Nantasket by a respectable individual…. about one hundred feet of the monster were perceptible to the naked eye. He was taking a ‘nooning’ after a hearty breakfast of mackerel.”
Aug. 7, 1833 – The Mercantile Journal states that the Sea Serpent was seen again on Monday morning off Nahant… the length he estimates at 70 ft.”
Apr. 8, 1835 – Capt. Shibbles …states that he saw when nine or ten miles off Race Point light, what he as well as the whole crew supposed to be a Sea Serpent…the neck and head was about as large as a barrel – the neck had something that looked like a mane upon the top of it… Capt. S. states that he should think it was from 200 to 250 feet long.”
Aug. 24, 1836 – Hardly has the Sea Serpent – the old be one of all – shuffled off his mortal coil, and yet half a dozen others have risen like hydras to fill the vacant space.
Aug. 12, 1846 – The Barnstable Patriot says that the sea serpent was in Barnstable Harbor the other day.
Aug. 19, 1846 – The Sea Serpent has made his appearance off Salem Harbor, followed by an immense shark. There is no reason to doubt that this is the same ‘sarpint’ that was seen in our harbor a few days previous, and that his snakeship was drawn thither by a school of mackerel which was found in our bay.
Sept. 28, 1886 - In regard to the sea serpent said to have been seen off Provincetown by G.W. Ready…. Of course, there was no foundation for the sensational story.
Oct. 26, 1886 – The sea serpent is reported to have been seen off Chatham last week by a party of gentlemen.
Aug. 2, 1892 – The famous sea serpent has been seen again – and this time it has fins.
Aug. 2, 1897 - George Horton of Orleans states that a sea serpent about 50 or 75 feet long was seen in Barnstable Bay Tuesday by two persons out sailing. A wake several hundred feet in length was left as it went swimming along.
Aug. 1, 1911 - The sea serpent has been seen this year at White Horse Beach. It was a young woman who saw the sight.
Jun. 4 1925 – Apparently Cape Cod is ‘all set’ for the summer vacation season. The ‘sea serpent’ which can always be depended upon to provide a measure of publicity thrills, whether he exists in the imagination or in the water, is reported to have been seen off the lightship a Sunday or two ago…. Being a close resemblance to an eel, with a body as big around as a barrel and about 150 feet long … the captain and crew declare that beyond a doubt Cape Cod can make claim to a real honest-to-goodness marine monster.
Some observers of the Gloucester sea serpent felt that it was a horse mackerel, better known today as a bluefin tuna, which was chasing bait.
Second type
This sighting is of the type that Ben Franklin mentioned in the 1700s. It obviously wasn’t a serpent – not with a bulldog head!
Aug. 29, 1882 – A sea serpent was seen about two miles from Bird Island light, situated in Buzzard’s Bay. The length of this mysterious fish is reported to be about twenty-five or more feet long, its body about two feet in circumference. Its color was a dark gray, but resembling that of the back of a crocodile. The belly was a bright yellow, with dark red spots scattered here and there, while its tail was covered with short thick hair. The head resembled a bulldog. Great flat ears were distinctly seen on either side of its ugly jaws, while two extremely long feelers or horns protruded just over the ears. The eyes were sharp and fiery.
Other types
These are the reports that don’t fit with the other two.
Oct. 8, 1850 – Sea Serpent in the Heaven – Ptown Harbor – “I observed in a NE direction, at an elevation of about 40 degrees, a halo, resembling an immense serpent of fiery red color. It extended about 10 degrees in a SE and NW direction, the head somewhat elevated, with an immense curl or fold near the center. It moved off in a SE direction….I am unable to conjecture what may be the cause of this appearance, but guess it must be the veritable Sea Serpent, tired of swimming and desirous of a more conspicuous situation, is about making an effort to rise above his native element. The above was witnessed by Capt. Spencer and most of the crew. Very truly yours – MP Spear”
July. 17, 1855 – Sailing in our harbor, “they discovered a sea monster …resembling a serpent. The body was of a dark color and appeared to be striped with white, and was about seven feet in length. The head was of a peculiar formation, and somewhat like that of a snake… If this was a sea serpent, we shall probably hear soon that the old one has been discovered sunning himself somewhere in our harbor.” [This was included in the third category because of the monster’s size.]
May. 13, 1884 – “Some sort of a sea monster was captured in one of the North Truro weirs recently whose liver filled nearly three barrels.”
Aug. 17, 1886 – “Cotuit – The great wonder: A huge fish, a stranger unknown in our waters, was taken in a net by Capt. Nelson Nickerson a few days since. Those that are authority on sea monsters say that it was a kindred specie of the sea serpent.”
Explanations
Many people tried to explain things in terms of what was already present and what we already knew.
Sept. 14, 1886 – Henry Crocker, a summer resident of Barnstable, advances the very plausible theory that the numerous ‘sea serpents’ reported to have been seen are in reality SEA TURTLES! The sea turtle, like one captured in Dennis… has a long neck which it elevates several feet above its body, has eyes that are large and protruding….
Others just poked fun at the sightings or declared them to be hoaxes. The fact that the Provincetown crier in 1887 swore that he hadn’t been drinking when he reported a large serpent off Herring Cove makes you wonder how often he drank!
Nov. 29, 1887 – The man who spent the summer season looking for a sea serpent is reported to have returned, and to be now searching for an oyster in a church-fair stew.
May 9, 1893 – The Boston Globe stirred up ‘all creation’ Thursday by publishing a story to the effect that Beach Point, Provincetown, weir men Thursday captured the sea serpent which they found in one of their pounds…. It is unnecessary to say the whole story is a big fake.
So, are there sea monsters? What about the manatee that graced us Oct. 1, 2008 (13 years ago)? Or ocean sunfish? Were they seen earlier and considered sea monsters?
There have been far fewer reports since World War I, when cameras became commonplace, and no sightings of any kind of weird land or sea creatures since digital cameras became part of telephones.
As said in the Register in 1887 – they’ve become rarer than an oyster in a church-fair stew!
The former president of the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, the author publishes the HSOY newsletter and frequently presents programs on local history topics. | |
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New Delhi: Dr NK Arora, chief of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group or NTAGI, on Tuesday informed that India’s mega immunisation drive against the Covid-19 virus will achieve a greater milestone by the end of 2021 when nearly the entire population of around 135 crore people will get at least one shot of the vaccine.
“Given our production capacity, we should have 100 crore more doses of the Covid-19 vaccines in the next three-and-a-half months,” Arora told Times Now in an exclusive interview.
His comments have come at a time when the country is bracing for a potential third wave of the pandemic, especially with concerns of the deadly virus affecting children.
Arora also hailed Zydus Cadila’s vaccine ZyCoV-D, which will be the world’s first DNA vaccine against Covid-19, and also the first DNA vaccine for humans.
“It is a moment of tremendous pride for India to come up with such a vaccine. The trials are showing positive results and hopefully it will be out soon,” the chief of the central panel said.
Meanwhile, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health at NITI Aayog, said that the discussion on the pricing of ZyCoV-D is currently underway and “a decision will be taken soon”. ZyCoV-D will soon be include in the country’s mega vaccination programme.
Commenting on the World Health alOrganization’s approval of Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN, Paul said that “a positive decision could be coming in before month-end”.
“We must give time to WHO to make their decision based on science and yet we hope that the decisions will be taken quickly because people who are receiving Covaxin have certain imperatialves of travel, etc., for which WHO’s concurrence is important. We know of positive developments – data sharing and data evaluation – going on through multiple reviews and we know that we are close to decision point. We believe that positive decision could be coming in before month-end,” Paul said.
He also informed that India’s focus right now is to ensure all adults are vaccinated.
“Our attention at this moment should be to vaccinate all adults. Throughout the world, opening up of vaccination for children is small. WHO doesn’t recommend general vaccination for children even today. There’s no need to panic. We are in step with the developments,” he said. | https://opensourcebiology.eu/2021/09/14/should-have-100-crore-more-doses-in-next-3-5-months-says-ntagi-chief-who-nod-for-covaxin-hopefully-soon/ |
The Ministry of Health (MOH) at Singapore will introduce a vaccine injury financial assistance programme to provide support for persons who suffer a serious adverse event that is assessed to be related to COVID-19 vaccines administered in Singapore.
"While we expect few to need this, the programme will give peace of mind to those taking the vaccination. Further details on the programme will be provided in due course", said Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health.
Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will only allow a COVID-19 vaccine to be used if it is assessed to be sufficiently efficacious and safe for use, and only if the benefits of the vaccine are assessed to outweigh the risks of any potential adverse effects from the vaccination.
HSA has put the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through this rigorous review process and has authorised its use. The Moderna and Sinovac vaccines are also currently undergoing the review process.
In addition, HSA requires vaccine manufacturers to submit new information continually for active review. HSA and the Expert Committee will continue to monitor and review the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the local population and internationally. This includes data on specific population subgroups such as those below age of 16, persons with immunosuppression, or pregnant women who were excluded from initial clinical trials. HSA and the Expert Committee will also look at long-term safety data to detect rare and severe adverse events, and study the durability of protection provided by the vaccines. This on-going monitoring is the norm expected for any vaccines that first come into use.
To ensure access to the vaccine, COVID-19 vaccination will be free for all Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and long-term residents in Singapore, which will include Employment Pass, S-Pass, Work Permit holders, Foreign Domestic Workers, and Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Student Pass holders, totalling about 5.7 million people. This excludes Short-Term Visit Pass holders, such as tourists. | https://biospectrumasia.com/news/54/17360/singapore-plans-vaccine-injury-financial-assistance-programme.html |
Welcome to my homepage. I am a Professor in Bioinformatics at the Computational Biology Unit and the Department of Informatics at the University of Bergen.
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Preprint by Ammar
Ammar has posted a preprint of his paper “rfPhen2Gen: A machine learning based association study of brain imaging phenotypes to genotypes” on arXiv. In this paper, Ammar evaluated random forest regression as a method to identify biologically relevant associations by learning models to predict SNPs from imaging features, using data for 518,484 SNPs and 56 …
Postdoc position available
A postdoc position is available in my group on the NeuroConvergence project in collaboration with Jan Haavik and colleagues at the Neurotargeting group. In the NeuroConvergence project, we will use a range of machine learning and causal inference methods on unique large-scale genetic and functional genomic datasets and chemical libraries to identify novel druggable target …
Welcome Gutama!
A warm welcome to Gutama Ibrahim who joins the group as a PhD student. Gutama has a master in Applied Physics and Mathematics from the University of Tromsø and he will work on the “Intelligent systems for disease risk prediction” project. | https://lab.michoel.info/ |
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DUBAI: Today’s Google Doodle marks the 65th anniversary of the discovery of the Khufu Ship, one of the world’s oldest and largest boats, found in Egypt.
The ship, now preserved in the Giza Solar Boat Museum, is believed to have been built for Khufu, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, who is entombed inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Unearthed in 1954 by archeologist Kamal El-Mallakh, remnants of the massive ship were found buried under a stone wall on the south side of the pyramid.
Over 1,200 pieces were reassembled by the Egyptian Department of Antiquities in order to restore the 143-feet long, 19.6-feet wide vessel. The whole process took over a decade to finish.
It’s still unclear what the ship was originally intended for – some experts say it was used to transport Khufu’s remains to his final resting place, while others believe it was placed at the location to transport him to the afterlife, according to Ancient Egyptian tradition.
Some experts suggested that the ship might contain clues to the construction of the pyramids, which still causes debate among scholars.
Two journalists released in Libya: TV channel
The capital’s southern suburbs have been the target of an offensive launched April 4 by Khalifa Haftar
The release of the television journalists followed local and international condemnation of their detention
Updated 25 May 2019
AFP
May 25, 2019 10:48
0
TRIPOLI: Two Libyan journalists held by an armed group for more than three weeks have been released, the television channel they work for said Saturday.
“We congratulate the press world for the release of our two colleagues, Mohamad Al-Gurj and Mohamad Al-Chibani, who were kidnapped by Haftar’s forces on May 2 while they were covering the assault on Tripoli,” said the private channel Libya Al-Ahrar, which is based in Turkey.
It said they were freed on Friday.
The capital’s southern suburbs have been the target of an offensive launched April 4 by Khalifa Haftar, military strongman of an eastern administration aimed at seizing Tripoli from an internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
At least 510 people have been killed and around 2,500 wounded in the fighting, as well as more than 80,000 displaced, according to UN agencies.
The release of the television journalists followed local and international condemnation of their detention, including from media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
In a press freedom index compiled by RSF, Libya ranks a lowly 162nd out of 180 countries. | |
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In advance of today’s official cash rate (OCR) decision from the Reserve Bank (RBNZ), analysts were able to be as certain of an increase as pretty much anytime in history. After all, inflation is well above target and employment very high (unemployment very low). The only conjecture was around whether the rise would be 0.25% or 0.50%, and in the end the RBNZ took a slightly more cautious path and raised by 0.25%.
Attention will now quickly turn to what’s next, and when/how high the peak for the OCR might ultimately be. The forecasts contained in today’s documents from the RBNZ suggest a peak of around 2.5% in late 2023, but you’d have to think that this peak could be reached sooner and/or be higher, especially with today’s announcement from Government that borders will reopen in the first half of 2022.
For the residential property market, the implications are clear – there are further mortgage interest rate increases to come. With most shorter term fixed rates now pushing up towards (or above) the 4% mark, we’ve already seen them pretty much double from the previous lows, and figures of 5% or more wouldn’t be a surprise over the next 6-12 months either.
Of course, that’s still low by past standards. And borrowers rolling off loans agreed perhaps two years ago, and/or who kept their repayments the same even as rates fell in 2020, may not see much change.
However, many borrowers on rolling one year terms could see a significant shift in mortgage costs. In fact, according to RBNZ data, $227.8bn in mortgages are either floating or due to roll over in the next year. This equates to 71% of all lending – a lot of funding which when refixed will likely lead to greater mortgage repayments and subsequently less disposable income.
In addition, the fact that rates may well still be low by past standards might not be of much comfort when you look at affordability measures. For example, with house prices having soared by 28.8% over the last year, mortgage payments as a % of gross household income are already back at 41% – well above the average of about 37%, and the highest since Q2 2008 (when mortgage rates were above 9%). A mortgage rate of 5% now would see that repayment burden rise to 46%, and at a 6% mortgage rate, it would climb to more than 51% – which would be the worst level for at least 18 years.
Overall, with unemployment still low, the housing market isn’t necessarily headed for a crisis. But there are certainly headwinds (e.g. higher mortgage rates, and tighter lending rules such as potential debt to income ratio caps) which will likely lead to a slowdown in sales volumes and a reduction in the pace of value growth throughout 2022.
CoreLogic NZ is a leading, independent provider of property data and analytics. We help people build better lives by providing rich, up-to-the-minute property insights that inform the very best property decisions. Formed in 2014 following the merger of two companies that had strong foundations in New Zealand’s property industry – Terralink Ltd and PropertyIQ NZ Ltd – we have the most comprehensive property database with coverage of 99% of the NZ property market and more than 500 million decision points in our database.
We provide services across a wide range of industries, including Banking & Finance, Real Estate, Government, Insurance and Construction. Our diverse, innovative solutions help our clients identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. We also operate consumer-facing portal propertyvalue.co.nz – providing important insights for people looking to buy or sell their home or investment property. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of CoreLogic, Inc – one of the largest data and analytics companies in the world with offices in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and United Kingdom. For more information visit corelogic.co.nz. | https://livenews.co.nz/2021/11/24/housing-market-what-todays-ocr-increase-means-for-the-property-market-corelogic/ |
Despite all the public attention and effort directed at breaking the glass ceiling, the proportion of women in leadership roles around the world remains disappointingly low.
According to a 2017 survey by Catalyst, the non-profit organisation promoting workplace gender equality, although 44.3 per cent of the global labour force in S&P 500 companies that trade on American stock exchanges are women, only about 25.1 per cent of senior-level managers are female. Here in Australia, 34.9 per cent of senior managers are women.
And it’s a similar picture in politics and academia. But there are steps being taken.
Organisations now face increasing pressure to adopt diversity programs aimed at encouraging more women to take on leadership roles. Unconscious bias training programs have become increasingly popular. Gender-based affirmative action has been implemented in some workplaces.
There’s also the ongoing debate as to whether more intrusive mechanisms such as quotas should be enforced. Despite this, there is no clear evidence that these diversity programs lead to any significant changes.
In our study, we investigated how women’s willingness to participate in leadership selection can be increased. Specifically, we studied how a simple tweak in the leadership selection process could prove a powerful way of closing gender gaps.
Opting into leadership
Leadership selection in both the public and private sectors relies predominantly on an ‘opt-in mechanism’ where potential candidates have to put their hands up and actively choose to indicate interest in the role.
For example, in many organisations, “call for expressions of interest” emails are sent out whenever there is a need to select a new leader. To be considered for the position, individuals have to notify the authority of their interest. Under this mechanism, the default is that individuals are not in the leadership selection process.
The ubiquity of the opt-in mechanism is supported by a survey we conducted in 2016 with MBA students at Monash University who had work experience. More than 70 per cent of the participants indicated that the leadership selection process in their organisation is similar to an opt-in mechanism.
Women have been encouraged to “lean in” to and apply for leadership opportunities through the popular movement kick-started by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg.
Using controlled laboratory experiments, we found the traditional opt-in mechanism may be a dominant factor contributing to gender gaps observed in leadership positions. We found that women are significantly less likely to participate in leadership selection than men under this mechanism.
Importantly, these gender gaps existed even when women in the experiments knew they were the top performers in their group of potential candidates.
Opting in and gender gaps
Many women are often brought up not to assert themselves, particularly in a professional environment.
Making the decision to participate may signal competitiveness or aggressiveness, and if this kind of image is a source of discomfort for women, it can discourage them from participating. Or, they may think that by putting their hand up, they are going against the norm of male leadership.
We found that gender gaps emerged under the opt-in mechanism if there was a competitive selection process, suggesting that the observed gender gaps are mainly driven by differences in willingness to compete and not by differences in willingness to lead.
Women and men differ in their competitive preferences. And once the competitiveness of the selection process was removed, we no longer see a significant gender difference under the opt-in process.
Opt-in vs opt-out
An alternative to opt-in is an opt-out mechanism where all qualified individuals are considered for the leadership position by default. That is, any qualified staff - those who have a certain number of years of experience at the institution or meet other pre-determined performance or engagement criteria - are automatically considered for an open leadership position, but anyone who is not interested in participating can opt out.
Research has shown that changing the default option can have a significant impact on important individual decisions like organ donation, savings and insurance and can be a powerful policy instrument.
This opt-out mechanism is already being used in some organisational contexts. For example, the selection of presidents of associations and executive committees, or the selection of heads of departments in universities sometimes takes this form. Eligible candidates are nominated and are subsequently given a chance to opt out of the final selection process.
Through our experiments, we found that compared to the opt-in mechanism, the opting-out encouraged more people to participate, and more importantly, reduces the gender gap in leadership.
It tells us that traditional strategies for career advancement may not be very effective in many situations and that, as a result, many women may not see the opportunities as attractive.
This simple change in the selection process, opting out rather than opting in, could provide a catalyst for significant progress in leadership diversity in our workplaces. | https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/beyond-lean-in-women-in-leadership |
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
DEFINITIONS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
PCR Reaction Mixtures
Method of Sample Analysis
PCR methods are core to a variety of diagnostic methods, e.g., high-throughput SNP genotyping, and serve as a foundation for applications in forensic analysis, including human identification and paternity testing, the diagnosis of infectious diseases, whole-genome sequencing, and pharmacogenomic studies aimed at understanding the connection between individual genetic traits, drug response and disease susceptibility.
The efficiency of many PCR methods, particularly those that employ multiplex PCR methods in which several different products are amplified in a single reaction, is often low because primers hybridize to each other, rather than to the template to be amplified.
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mixture containing at least one unstructured nucleic acid primer pair is provided. In certain embodiments, the mixture may also contain: nucleotides, a DNA polymerase, and PCR reaction reagents, as well as a nucleic acid sample. The reaction mixture may be employed in, for example, a PCR reaction.
In certain embodiments, the PCR mixture may be a multiplex PCR reaction mixture containing at least two different unstructured nucleic acid primer pairs.
In one embodiment, employment of an unstructured nucleic acid primer pair, i.e., a pair of primers containing so-called “unstructured nucleic acid”, in an amplification reaction reduces the amount of dimer formation between the primers of the PCR reaction mixture, as compared to an otherwise identical multiplex PCR reaction mixture in which primers containing only natural bases are employed. As such, PCR methods that employ the subject PCR mixture are, in certain cases, more efficient at producing amplification products than an equivalent PCR reaction mixture that contains primers made from only naturally-occurring residues.
In one embodiment, a greater number of different amplification products can be produced using multiplex PCR reaction mixture containing UNA primers, as compared to an otherwise identical multiplex PCR reaction mixture in which primers containing only natural residues are employed. For example, a subject reaction mixture can be used to amplify sequences from a larger number of different regions in a genome of interest than an otherwise identical reaction mixture that contains primers containing only natural nucleotide residues.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Still, certain elements are defined below for the sake of clarity and ease of reference.
The term “assessing” includes any form of measurement, and includes determining if an element is present or not. The terms “determining”, “measuring”, “evaluating”, “assessing” and “assaying” are used interchangeably and includes quantitative and qualitative determinations. Assessing may be relative or absolute. “Assessing the presence of” includes determining the amount of something present, and/or determining whether it is present or absent. As used herein, the terms “determining,” “measuring,” and “assessing,” and “assaying” are used interchangeably and include both quantitative and qualitative determinations.
The term “nucleic acid” as used herein means a polymer composed of nucleotides, e.g., deoxyribonucleotides or ribonucleotides, or compounds produced synthetically (e.g. PNA as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,902 and the references cited therein) which can hybridize with naturally occurring nucleic acids in a sequence specific manner analogous to that of two naturally occurring nucleic acids, e.g., can participate in Watson-Crick base pairing interactions.
The terms “nucleoside” and “nucleotide” are intended to include those moieties that contain not only the known purine and pyrimidine base moieties, but also other heterocyclic base moieties that have been modified. Such modifications include methylated purines or pyriridines, acylated purines or pyrimidines, or other heterocycles. In addition, the terms “nucleoside” and “nucleotide” include those moieties that contain not only conventional ribose and deoxyribose sugars, but other sugars as well. Modified nucleosides or nucleotides also include modifications on the sugar moiety, e.g., wherein one or more of the hydroxyl groups are replaced with halogen atoms or aliphatic groups, or are functionalized as ethers, amines, or the like.
The terms “deoxyribonucleic acid” and “DNA” as used herein mean a polymer composed of deoxyribonucleotides.
Two nucleotide sequences are “complementary” to one another when those molecules share base pair organization homology. “Complementary” nucleotide sequences will combine with specificity to form a stable duplex under appropriate hybridization conditions. For instance, two sequences are complementary when a section of a first sequence can bind to a section of a second sequence in an anti-parallel sense wherein the 3′-end of each sequence binds to the 5′-end of the other sequence and each A, T, G, and C of one sequence is then aligned with a T, A, C, and G, respectively, of the other sequence. Thus, two sequences need not have perfect homology to be “complementary” under the invention, and in most situations two sequences are sufficiently complementary when at least about 85% (preferably at least about 90%, and most preferably at least about 95%) of the nucleotides share base pair organization over a defined length of the molecule.
The term “mixture”, as used herein, refers to a combination of elements, that are interspersed and not in any particular order. A mixture is heterogeneous and not spatially separable into its different constituents. Examples of mixtures of elements include a number of different elements that are dissolved in the same aqueous solutio. In other words, a mixture is not addressable. To be specific, an array of surface-bound polynucleotides, as is commonly known in the art and described below, is not a mixture of surface-bound polynucleotides because the species of surface-bound polynucleotides are spatially distinct and the array is addressable.
“Isolated” or “purified” generally refers to isolation of a substance (compound, polynucleotide, protein, polypeptide, polypeptide composition) such that the substance comprises a significant percent (e.g., greater than 2%, greater than 5%, greater than 10%, greater than 20%, greater than 50%, or more, usually up to about 90%-100%) of the sample in which it resides. In certain embodiments, a substantially purified component comprises at least 50%, 80%-85%, or 90-95% of the sample. Techniques for purifying polynucleotides and polypeptides of interest are well-known in the art and include, for example, ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and sedimentation according to density. Generally, a substance is purified when it exists in a sample in an amount, relative to other components of the sample, that is not found naturally.
An “oligonucleotide” is a nucleotide multimer of about 2 to about 200 nucleotides in length (e.g., about 10 to about 100 nucleotides or about 30 to about 80 nucleotides) while a “polynucleotide” or “nucleic acid” includes a nucleotide multimer having any number of nucleotides. Oligonucleotides may be synthetic or enzymatically produced.
A “primer” is an oligonucleotide can be extended from its 3′ end by the action of a polymerase. An oligonucleotide that cannot be extended from it 3′ end by the action of a polymerase is not a primer.
A “polymerase chain reaction” or “PCR” is an enzymatic reaction in which a specific template DNA is amplified using a pair of sequence specific primers.
A “multiplex polymerase chain reaction” or “multiplex PCR” is an enzymatic reaction in which two or more DNA fragments are co-amplified in a single reaction using a corresponding number of sequence-specific primer pairs.
The term “unstructured nucleic acid” or “UNA” for short, as will be described in greater detail below, is a nucleic acid that contains one or more UNA nucleotides that bind to naturally-occurring nucleotide with higher stability than it binds to other UNA nucleotides. In certain cases, the binding between the nucleotides of a base pair containing a UNA nucleotide and a corresponding naturally occurring nucleotide may be stronger than the binding between the nucleotides of a base pair containing only naturally occurring nucleotides. For example, an unstructured nucleic acid may contain an A′ residue and a T′ residue, where those residues correspond to non-naturally occurring forms, i.e., are analogs, of A and T. The A′ and T′ residues base pair with each other with reduced stability, as compared to their ability to base pair with naturally occurring T and A residues, respectively. UNA primers bind with a higher affinity to a complementary sequence containing naturally-occurring nucleic acid than to a complementary sequence containing unstructured nucleic acid.
An “unstructured nucleic acid primer” or “UNA primer” for short, as will be described in much greater detail below, is a primer that contains unstructured nucleic acid, as defined above. In other words, UNA primers contain nucleic acid that contains one or more UNA nucleotides that bind to naturally-occurring nucleotides with higher stability than it binds other UNA nucleotides. (Zohar-this is correct)
A primer that is made of “naturally occurring” nucleotides is a primer that is made up of naturally-occurring adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C) residues.
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) mixture containing at least one unstructured nucleic acid primer pair is provided. In certain embodiments, the mixture may also contain: nucleotides, a DNA polymerase, and PCR reaction reagents, as well as a nucleic acid sample. The reaction mixture may be employed in, for example, a PCR reaction. In certain embodiments, the PCR mixture may be a multiplex PCR reaction mixture containing at least two different unstructured nucleic acid primer pairs.
Before exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in greater detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
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 limit of that 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 in the smaller ranges and are 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.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, representative illustrative methods and materials are now described.
All publications and patents cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and/or materials in connection with which the publications are cited. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates of publication provided may be different from the actual publication dates which may need to be independently confirmed.
It is noted that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or use of a “negative” limitation.
As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features which may be readily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order which is logically possible.
Certain embodiments of the subject PCR reaction mixture are described in greater detail below, followed by a description of exemplary methods in which the subject PCR reaction mixture find use. Finally, kits for performing the subject method are described.
2
As noted above, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction mixture containing an unstructured nucleic acid primer pair is provided. In certain aspects, the subject PCR reaction mixture may contain a plurality of (i.e., at least two) unstructured nucleic acid primer pairs. The PCR reaction mixture may also contain nucleotides, e.g., dGTP, dATP, dTTP and dCTP, a DNA polymerase, e.g., a thermostable DNA polymerase, and PCR reaction reagents, which may be a pH buffered solution containing salt, e.g., MgCland other components necessary for PCR. In certain embodiments, the PCR reaction mixture may further contain a nucleic acid sample. In certain embodiments, the components of the subject PCR reaction may be at a concentration suitable for PCR.
As noted above, the primers in the reaction mixture contain unstructured nucleic acid. Primers that contain unstructured nucleic acid are primers that contain one or more non-natural nucleotides (i.e., A′, G′, C′or T′; e.g., A′ and T′ and/or C′ and G′) and: a) maintain an ability to hybridize to a nucleic acid that has a complementary sequence of naturally occurring nucleotides (i.e., adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine) and b) exhibit a reduced ability to base-pair with primers made of unstructured nucleic acid. Primers made of unstructured nucleic acid may be referred to as “UNA primers” herein.
UNA primers have a reduced ability to base-pair with each other because of their reduced ability to form inter-molecular hydrogen bond base pairs. In a pair of UNA primers, at least one pair of complementary nucleotides (e.g., one or more of the A and T residues and/or one or more of the G and C residues) is substituted with a UNA nucleotide so that a base pair between those nucleotides is no longer formed or is formed at a reduced level. In some embodiments, at least one hydrogen bond is maintained in a modified base pair (e.g., an A′/T′ base pair), however, in certain modified base pairs, (e.g., a C′/G′ base pair) up to two hydrogen bonds may be maintained.
m
m
The melting temperature of two primers containing a single UNA base pair (e.g., a A′-T′ base pair) is approximately 2.5° C. lower than the melting temperature of the same primers containing naturally occurring nucleotides (e.g., A and T). The melting temperature of a duplex between a primer containing a single A′ UNA nucleotide and a complementary nucleic acid containing naturally-occurring nucleotides (e.g., a duplex having an A′-T base pair) is approximately 0.9° C. higher than that of an otherwise identical duplex that contains an A-T base pair instead of the A′-T base pair, and the melting temperature of a duplex between a primer containing a single T′ UNA nucleotide and a complementary nucleic acid containing naturally-occurring nucleotides (e.g., a duplex having an A-T′ base pair) is approximately 0.5° C. higher than that of an otherwise identical duplex that contains an A-T base pair instead of the A-T′ base pair. As such, depending on the sequence of the primers and the number of UNA nucleotides present in the primer, two complementary UNA primers have a Tthat at is least 1° C., at least 2° C., at least 4° C., at least 6° C., at least 8° C. or at least 10° C. or more lower than equivalent primers containing only naturally-occurring nucleotides. UNA primers anneal to complementary nucleic acid containing naturally occurring nucleotides with a Tthat is at least 1° C., at least 2° C., at least 4° C., at least 6° C., at least 8° C. or at least 10° C. higher than then Tm of two complementary UNA primers.
FIG. 1
A wide variety of UNA nucleotides may be employed in a subject UNA primer. In certain embodiments, the nucleotide analogs 2,6-diaminopurine, 2-aminoadenosine, 2-thiothymidine, inosine (I), and pyrrolo-pyrimidine (P) may be used to produce UNA primers that are unable to form stable inter-molecular base pairs, yet retain their ability to form Watson-Crick base pairs with the four natural nucleotides. 2-aminoadenosine and 2-thiothymidine, for example, are unable to base pair together but are capable of base pairing with natural thymidine and natural adenine, respectively. Further, inosine and pyrroloyrimidine are unable to base pair together but are capable of binding with natural cystosine and guanine, respectively. shows various exemplary UNA nucleotides base pairing with other UNA and natural nucleotides, wherein “X” denotes a base pair with low stability.
A subject primer pair may contain both UNA nucleotides and naturally occurring nucleotides, or may be entirely made up of UNA nucleotides. In particular embodiments the A and T residues of a subject primer may contain UNA nucleotides, e.g., 2,6-diaminopurine and 2-thiothmidine, respectively. In other embodiments, the G and C residues of a subject primer pair may contain UNA nucleotides e.g., inosine and/or pyrroloyrimidine, respectively. In certain cases, all of the residues of each of the primers may contain UNA nucleotides. The subject oligonucleotides may contain 1 or more, 2 or more, about 4 or more, about 6 or more, about 8 or more, about 10 or more, about 12 or more, about 16 or more or about 20 or more, up to about 24 or 30 or more, UNA nucleotides. In certain embodiments, the UNA nucleotides may be positioned towards the 3′ end of the primer, e.g., at the 3′ terminal nucleotide, for example.
FIG. 1
Further description of UNAs may be found in published U.S. patent applications 20030211474, 20040086880, and Kutyavin et al., (Nucl. Acids. Res. 2002 30:4952-4959) which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. As detailed therein, UNAs may be made enzymatically or synthetically. Exemplary UNA nucleotides are shown in .
The primers of an unstructured nucleic acid primer may be about 2 to about 200 bases in length. In certain embodiments, the primers may be about 10 to about 100 bases, about 12 to about 80 bases, about 15 to about 60 bases, or about 20 to about 40 bases in length. In particular embodiments, a UNA primer may be about 16 to about 30 bases in length.
A subject PCR reaction mixture may contain an UNA primer pair, where a primer pair contains two primers of a specific sequence that can be employed in a polymerase chain reaction to amplify a product from a template. In certain embodiments, the subject PCR reaction mixture may be a multiplex PCR reaction mixture containing at least two (i.e., a plurality) of UNA primer pairs (e.g., two or more, e.g., 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 7 or more, 8 or more, 9 or more, or 10 or more UNA primer pairs, up to about 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 100 or more UNA primer pairs) that bind to target nucleic acids and produce a corresponding number of amplification products if the target nucleic acids are also present in the reaction. In certain cases the amplification products are all of different lengths and may be non-overlapping and distinct (e.g., do not share a common nucleotide sequence).
In one multiplex embodiment, the primer pairs may bind to and amplify products from different regions of a genome under analysis. For example, each primer pair of the plurality of primer pairs may amplify a product from a different chromosome of the genome under analysis. In certain embodiments, the primer pairs may bind to and amplify a single copy locus of the genome under analysis, i.e., a unique sequence that is represented once per haploid genome. In certain cases, the primer pairs may bind to and amplify products if certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are present. In another embodiment, the primer pairs amplify SNP-containing regions.
In another multiplex embodiment (and as will be described in greater detail below) the primer pairs bay bind to and amplify the cDNA copies of the mRNA transcripts of a plurality of different genes, or in multiplex ligation-dependent probe mplification (MLPA) or MAPH (multiplex amplification and probe hybridization) methods.
5
5
6
6
In certain embodiments, one or both of the primers in each primer pair may be detectably labeled (e.g., with a fluorescent or mass-labeled). Labels of interest include directly detectable and indirectly detectable non-radioactive labels such as fluorescent dyes. Fluorescent labels that find use in the subject invention include a fluorophore moiety. Specific fluorescent dyes of interest include: xanthene dyes, e.g. fluorescein and rhodamine dyes, such as fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), 6-carboxyfluorescein (commonly known by the abbreviations FAM and F),6-carboxy-2′,4′,7′,4,7-hexachlorofluorescein (HEX), 6-carboxy-4′,5′-dichloro-2′,7′-dimethoxyfluorescein (JOE or J), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-6-carboxyrhodamine (TANRA or T), 6-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX or R), 5-carboxyrhodamine-6G (R6Gor G), 6-carboxyrhodamine-6G (R6Gor G), and rhodamine 110; cyanine dyes, e.g. Cy3, Cy5 and Cy7 dyes; coumarins, e.g umbelliferone; benzimide dyes, e.g. Hoechst 33258; phenanthridine dyes, e.g. Texas Red; ethidium dyes; acridine dyes; carbazole dyes; phenoxazine dyes; porphyrin dyes; polymethine dyes, e.g. cyanine dyes such as Cy3, Cy5, etc; BODIPY dyes and quinoline dyes. Specific fluorophores of interest that are commonly used in subject applications include: Pyrene, Coumarin, Diethylaminocoumarin, FAM, Fluorescein Chlorotriazinyl, Fluorescein, R110, Eosin, JOE, R6G, Tetramethylrhodamine, TAMRA, Lissamine, ROX, Napthofluorescein, Texas Red, Napthofluorescein, Cy3, and Cy5, etc. Suitable labels for mass tagging are found in published U.S. patent applications 20060003352 and 20050239086. In certain cases, the primers may be “mass-labeled” by the use of modified bases.
The primers of the reaction mixture may be designed to have similar thermodynamic properties, e.g., similar Tms, G/C content, hairpin stability, and in certain embodiments may all be of a similar length, e.g., from 18 to 30 nt, e.g., 20 to 25 nt in length, etc. The primer may be employed at the same concentration as each other, or at different concentrations.
The amount of primer present in a subject reaction mixture may vary greatly. In certain embodiments, each primer pair may be present at an amount in the range of 1 pM to 100 pM, e.g., 3 pM to 50 pM, although primer concentrations well outside of these ranges may be employed. In a 50 μl reaction these amounts may correspond to concentrations of 0.02 μM to 2 μM, e.g. 0.06 μM to 1 μM.
In addition the UNA primers, exemplary reaction buffers and DNA polymerases that may be employed in the subject reaction mixture include those described in, e.g., Ausubel, et al., Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 3rd ed., Wiley & Sons 1995 and Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, 2001 Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. Reaction buffers and DNA polymerases suitable for PCR may be purchased from a variety of suppliers, e.g., Invitrogen (Carlsbad, Calif.), Qiagen (Valencia, Calif.) and Stratagene (La Jolla, Calif.). Exemplary polymerases include Taq, Pfu, Pwo, UlTma and Vent, although many other polymerases may be employed in certain embodiments. Guidance for the reaction components suitable for use with a polymerase as well as suitable conditions for its use, is found in the literature supplied with the polymerase.
In certain embodiments, a subject reaction mix may further contain a nucleic acid sample. The nucleic acid template in the subject reaction mix may contain genomic DNA or an amplified version thereof (e.g., genomic DNA amplified using the methods of Lage et al, Genome Res. 2003 13:294-307 or published patent application US20040241658, for example), cDNA, or DNA from a pathogen-infected subject, for example. In exemplary embodiments, the nucleic acid sample may contain genomic DNA from a mammalian cell such a human, mouse, rat or monkey cell. If present, nucleic acid in the nucleic acid sample may be at a concentration of about 0.1 pg/μl to about 1 pg/μl, about 1 pg/μl to about 10 pg/μl, 10 pg/μl to about 0.1 ng/μl, 0.1 ng/μl to about 1 ng/μl, about 1 ng/μl to about 10 ng/μl, about 10 ng/μl to about 100 ng/μl, about 100 ng/μl to about 1 μg/μl, although concentration outside of these ranges are readily employed. Since, as will be described below, the subject reaction mixture may be employed for diagnostic purposes, the nucleic acid of the nucleic acid sample may or may contain target nucleic acid for all of the UNA primer pairs in the reaction mix.
The above-described reaction mixture may be employed in multiplex PCR methods to co-amplify 10 or more products, 15 or more or products, 20 or more products, 25 or more products, 30 or more products, up to about 50 products or up to about 100 or more products, in certain cases without significant formation of primer dimers. The subject multiplex PCR methods may be employed to amplify at least 1.5 times, at least 2 times, at least 3 times, at least 5 times or at least 10 times the number of target PCR products than an otherwise identical methods that employ primers containing only naturally-occurring nucleotides.
PrimerStation: a highly specific multiplex genomic PCR primer design server for the human genome
MultiPrimer: software for multiplex primer design
AutoDimer: a screening tool for primer
dimer and hairpin structures
Computational tradeoffs in multiplex PCR assay design for SNP genotyping
Set of novel•tools for PCR primer design
As would be readily apparent, the above-described UNA primer pairs may be designed using any one of a number of different programs specifically designed to design primer pairs for multiplex PCR methods. For example, the primer pairs may be designed using the methods of Yamada et al. (. Nucleic Acids Res. 2006 34:W665-9), Lee et al. (. Appl. Bioinformatics 2006 5:99-109), Vallone et al. (-. Biotechniques. 2004 37:226-31), Rachlin et al. (BMC Genomics. 2005 6:102) or Gorelenkov et al. (Biotechniques. 2001 31:1326-30). In one embodiment, methods using optimization approaches for graph theory methods may be employed. In these methods the task of designing an optimal primer set for multiplex PCR is translated into a graph theory problem. Nodes represent the different molecules to be amplified (such as genomic loci) and edges represent potential conflicts, including primer-dimer potential. An efficient coloring of such a graph represents an efficient multiplexing scheme for the original set of loci. Such methods are described in Lipson (Master's Thesis entitled “Optimization Problems in Design of Oligonucleotides for Hybridization-based Methods”, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 2002), which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. In a particular embodiment, a plurality of primer pairs may be designed using a program, and nucleotide residues in the designed primer sequence may substituted for appropriate UNA nucleotides.
A method assessing a genomic sample is also provided. In general terms, this method includes: a) combining the above-described PCR reaction mixture with a nucleic acid sample; b) maintaining the PCR reaction mixture and nucleic acid sample under conditions suitable for PCR; and c) assessing the amplification products produced by the PCR. In certain embodiments, the presence and/or abundance of each amplification product may be assessed to provide an evaluation of the sample.
In certain embodiments, results obtained from a subject assay may be compared to control results to provide an evaluation of the nucleic acid sample. The control results may be obtained using a control nucleic acid sample, e.g., a sample known to contain binding sites for the primer pairs in the reaction.
PCR conditions of interest include those well known in the art (e.g., Ausubel, et al., Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 3rd ed., Wiley & Sons 1995 and Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, 2001 Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. for example). The amounts of the amplification products may be assessed after any number of rounds of PCR amplification (i.e., successive cycles of denaturation, re-naturation and polymerization). In certain embodiments, the amount of any amplification product may be assessed a stage at which the nucleic acid amplification occurs linearly (i.e., during the linear phase of the amplification reaction) or after the reaction rate has reached a plateau. In certain embodiments the amounts of each amplification product may be assessed after 12 and before 40 successive rounds of amplification, e.g., 12 to 16 rounds, 16 to 20 rounds, 20 to 24 rounds, 24 to 30 rounds, or 30 to 40 rounds of amplification. In general, the number of rounds of application employed provides an amount of amplification product that is detectable using the detection system employed. The optimal number of rounds of amplification employed in the subject methods may vary according to the primer set used, as discussed above. The optimal number of rounds of amplification for each sample is readily determinable. In certain embodiments, the amount of the primers employed in the PCR reactions is limiting.
After amplification, the amplification products may be detected. The amount and/or presence of amplification products may be detected by any suitable means, including, but not limited to: separating the products according to their size using a separation device (for example, a column, gel or filter) and independently detecting each of the separated products by, e.g., a) contacting the separated products with a detectable (e.g., fluorescent) DNA binding agent and assessing the amount of bound agent, b) by detecting absorbance at 260 nm, or, c) detecting the presence of a detectable label if a detectably labeled primer was employed in the amplification reaction. The methods described above are readily automated. In certain embodiments, a microfluidic system may be employed for analysis of amplification products. One representative system that may be employed is a microcapillary device such as the DNA 7500 LabChip and Bioanalyzer of Agilent Technologies (Palo Alto, Calif.).
When employed in polymerase chain reaction with target nucleic acids for the primer pairs, each UNA primer pair of a subject multiplex PCR mixture may be expected to produce an amplification product of a length that may be within the range of 50 bp to 5 kb, e.g., 50 bp to 3 kb, 60 bp to 2 kb, 100 bp to 1 kb or 1 kb to 3 kb, although UNA primer pairs that produce amplification products outside of this length range may be employed in certain embodiments. Collectively, the plurality of UNA primers in the multiplex reaction mixture may produce a corresponding plurality of amplification products if target nucleic acid for those primer pairs is present in the reaction mix.
In certain embodiments, the amplification products may be physically resolvable by size. In certain embodiments, the amplification products may have different lengths, and may be distributed across a size range. In certain embodiments, the size of the amplification products may be distributed across a size range that is between 50 bp to 5 kb in size, although in certain embodiments a wider or narrower range may be employed. In one embodiment, the primer pairs produce a size ladder of amplification products that are distributed between 50 bp and 5 kb bp in length, 50 bp and 1 kb in length, or 100 bp and 5 kb in length. Depending on the range of length of the amplification products and the number of primer pairs employed, the length difference between any two amplification products may be at least 50 bp, at last 100 bp or at least 200 bp, for example. In one embodiment, the plurality of UNA primer pairs may produce a ladder of amplification products, where the size difference between consecutive amplification products is about 5 bp to 50 bp, 50 bp to 150 bp, e.g., about 80 bp to 120 bp, or 150 bp to 250 bp, e.g., 180 bp to 200 bp, in length.
If a subject multiplex PCR mixture is employed in a PCR method, the method may produce at least 10, at least 15, at least 20, at least 25, at least 30, at least 35, at least 40 or at least 50 or more resolvable products.
The results obtained from an assay may be graphed, and, in certain embodiments, the sizes and/or the abundance of the amplification products may be calculated. Any evaluation may be qualitative or quantitative.
The amplification methods may be performed using a thermocycler, e.g., a thermocycler from Perkin Elmer Wellesley, MA, Biorad (Hercules, Calif.) or Stratagene (La Jolla, Calif.) or another manufacturer. As such, a thermocycler containing the subject PCR mixture is also provided.
Kits
Kits for use in accordance with the subject methods are also provided. The kits at least, as described above, a UNA primer pair for producing an amplification products of a particular size. In particular embodiments, the kit may contain a plurality of UNA primer pairs for producing a corresponding plurality of amplification products of a range of different sizes.
2
A kit may include one or more of: a nucleic acid sample that contains binding sites for the primer pairs, a polymerase, e.g., a thermostable polymerase, or reaction buffer components for performing PCR, e.g., MgCland nucleotides, etc.
A subject kit may further include one or more additional components necessary for carrying out an array-based genome assay, such as sample preparation reagents, buffers, labels, and the like. As such, the kits may include one or more containers such as vials or bottles, with each container containing a separate component for the assay, and reagents for carrying out an array assay such as a nucleic acid hybridization assay or the like. The kits may also include a denaturation reagent for denaturing the analyte, buffers such as hybridization buffers, wash mediums, enzyme substrates, reagents for generating a labeled target sample such as a labeled target nucleic acid sample, negative and positive controls and written instructions for using the array assay devices for carrying out an array based assay. Such kits also typically include instructions for use in practicing array-based assays.
The kits may also include a computer readable medium including and instructions that may include directions for use of the invention.
The instructions of the above-described kits are generally recorded on a suitable recording medium. For example, the instructions may be printed on a substrate, such as paper or plastic, etc. As such, the instructions may be present in the kits as a package insert, in the labeling of the container of the kit or components thereof (i.e. associated with the packaging or sub packaging), etc. In other embodiments, the instructions are present as an electronic storage data file present on a suitable computer readable storage medium, e.g., CD-ROM, diskette, etc, including the same medium on which the program is presented.
In yet other embodiments, the instructions are not themselves present in the kit, but means for obtaining the instructions from a remote source, e.g. via the Internet, are provided. An example of this embodiment is a kit that includes a web address where the instructions can be viewed and/or from which the instructions can be downloaded. Conversely, means may be provided for obtaining the subject programming from a remote source, such as by providing a web address. Still further, the kit may be one in which both the instructions and software are obtained or downloaded from a remote source, as in the Internet or World Wide Web. Some form of access security or identification protocol may be used to limit access to those entitled to use the subject invention. As with the instructions, the means for obtaining the instructions and/or programming is generally recorded on a suitable recording medium.
Utility
The subject PCR reaction mixture may be employed in any PCR method to provide quantitative results (e.g., to assess the abundance of a nucleic acid in a sample), quantitative results (e.g., to determine if a particular nucleic acid is present in a sample) or for cloning purposes (e.g., to ligate to nucleic acids together). For example, the instant mixture may be employed to: a) quantitatively assess the abundance of RNA molecules in an RNA sample (using, e.g., RT-PCR methods), or the copy number of regions of a genome, e.g., to determine if a genome contains a deleted or duplicated region, relative to another genome; b) qualitatively assess the presence of a particular nucleic acid in a sample, e.g., in diagnostic or mutation detection methods; or c) in other methods, e.g., in methods in which two or more nucleic acids may be amplified and ligated together. In certain embodiments, the subject PCR reaction mixture may be employed in AFLP, RFLP, MLPA (Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification) and MAPH (multiplex amplification and probe hybridization) methods. Such methods are reviewed by Sellner et al (Hum. Mutat. 2004 23:413-9). Rooms et al. (Hum. Mutat. 2005 25:513-24) and Schouten et al (Nucl.Acids Res. 2002 30:e57) which are incorporated by reference herein for the description of those methods.
The above described PCR reaction mixture and sample analysis methods finds use in a variety of diagnostic, research and clinical applications, including detecting infectious microorganisms, whole-genome sequencing, forensic analysis, and high throughput genotyping. For example, the multiplex PCR reaction mixture and sample analysis methods find use in diseases diagnosis (see, e.g., Elnifro, et al. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 13:559 (2000)), paternity testing (see, e.g., Hidding and Schmitt, Forensic Sci. Int., 113:47 (2000); Bauer et al., Int. J. Legal Med. 116:39 (2002)), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (see, e.g., Ouhibi, et al., Curr Womens Health Rep. 1: 138 (2001)), microbial analysis in environmental and food samples (see, e.g., Rudi et al., Int J Food Microbiology, 78:171 (2002)), and veterinary medicine (see, e.g., Zarlenga and Higgins, Vet Parasitol. 101:215 (2001)), among others.
The subject multiplex PCR reaction mix may also be used to investigate entire genomes or sub-regions thereof, particularly for sequence variations, e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs. For example, multiplex PCR has been used in the analysis of the relationship between genetic variation and phenotype by making use of polymorphic DNA markers. Common SNPs occur at an average frequency of more than 1 per kilobase in human genomic DNA. Some SNPs, particularly those in and around coding sequences, are the direct cause of therapeutically relevant phenotypic variants.
The subject multiplex PCR reaction mix may be employed to investigate a number of clinically important polymorphisms, for example, the apoE2/3/4 variants are associated with different relative risk of Alzheimer's and other diseases (see Cordor, et al., Science 261(1993), and the SNPs associated with cystic fibrosis (see Mutat Res. 2005 573:195-204), as well as many cancers, diabetes, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia and inflammatory diseases, as well a number of hereditary diseases.
In one embodiment, the subject multiplex PCR methods may be used to amplify a plurality of different regions from a test nucleic acid sample. The amplified regions may be subsequently analyzed for SNPs by methods that rely on, e.g., primer extension, primer ligation, sequencing, electrophoresis, hybridization or mass spectrometry, etc. In other embodiments, the primers themselves are designed so that they can only be extended if a certain SNP is present. In this case, the profile of the amplification products (i.e., which indicates the presence or absence of each amplification product) may indicate the genotype of the sample.
In other embodiments, the subject multiplex PCR reaction mixture may be employed to evaluate the abundance of a plurality of different RNA molecules in a sample. In these embodiments, a sample containing RNA, e.g., mRNA, is subjected to reverse transcriptase conditions to produce cDNA, and regions of the cDNA are amplified using a subject multiplex PCR reaction mixture. Such methods, termed “reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction” or “RT-PCR” methods are generally well known in the art (see, e.g., Ausubel, et al., Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 3rd ed., Wiley & Sons 1995 and Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, 2001 Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.).
In another embodiment, the amplification products may be labeled and hybridized to a polynucleotide array containing surface bound polynucleotides that bind to those products. The level of binding of the labeled amplification products to the array indicates the amount of the amplification products in the sample.
All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is not intended to be limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Rather, the scope and spirit of present invention is embodied by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1
shows the chemical structures of several UNA nucleotides that may be used in making unstructured nucleic acid primers. | |
As gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian diets become increasingly prevalent, restaurants have begun to cater to these special diets. Here are some of The Collegian's favorite Greenville restaurants with menus that are a specialty dieter's dream.
Click image to enlarge.
The Cooks met at BJU and have been married for 43 years. Photo: Lindsay Shaleen
Benge and Kadio walk from the new School of Health Professions. | https://www.collegianonline.com/2014/01/31/photostory-specialty-menus/ |
Our first non-soundtrack release, Andrew Pearce’s Cinema Symphony is without any doubt one of our most special projects so far. Created out of passion for cinematic music, this large orchestral work pays tribute to the great film scores of Hollywood and while it certainly sounds like a epic soundtrack in the tradition of Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams, it is beautifully constructed as a symphony in four movements.
Andrew Pearce is a British composer who has been involved in some of MovieScore Media’s previous albums as an orchestrator on Guy Farley’s scores. One of the most brave artistic – and logistic – endeavours we have ever seen a composer pursue, Cinema Symphony was performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under the baton of Grammy Award-winning conductor José Serebrier, features violin solos by Miriam Kramer, recorded by Grammy Award-winner Phil Rowlands.
Cinema Symphony is destined to trigger enthusiasm among film music fans who want to experience a full-blown cinematic work with a sense of continuity and structure rarely heard in regular film scores! The album also contains Elegy for Violin and Orchestra and Celtic Warrior: Prelude for Orchestra, two beautiful and exciting symphonic set-pieces also written in a cinematic style!
MMS08023 • CINEMA SYMPHONY
Music Composed by ANDREW PEARCE
Performed by THE ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
Conducted by JOSÉ SEREBRIER
CD release date: December 9, 2008.
Online release date: December 16, 2008
TRACK LIST
Symphony No. 1 “Cinema Symphony”: | http://moviescoremedia.com/cinema-symphony-andrew-pearce/ |
Vikas Khanna's culinary museum houses 1,000 items that date as far back as the Harappan era
Apr 22, 2018, 08:06 IST | Kusumita Das
Last week, Vikas Khanna inaugurated India's first culinary museum with 1,000 items from his personal collection of kitchen utensils that date as far back as the Harappan era
Nutcracker from Karnataka; pepper mill from Turkey
A day before this writer spoke to chef K Thiru, a 12-feet wide hand-crafted brass plate arrived from Moradabad to add to the display collection at the Museum of Culinary Arts. Inaugurated by its star alumnus, Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna last week, this is the first museum of its kind in the country, which is now a prime attraction of the Department of Culinary Arts at WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal. It dons the look of an ancient giant brass pot and has been a labour of love for Khanna, Thiru, vice principal and head of department of culinary arts, who, together with his team, worked six years to concretise their imagination.
Middle East and India
"Each day some utensil or the other arrives from a corner of the country and even beyond its borders," Thiru tells us over the phone from Manipal. Currently sprawled across the lobby and hall of a 28,000 sq ft culinary arts building, the museum contains 1,000 displays. Thiru and Co. plan to take it to 10,000. The idea of the museum came to Khanna during his early days in America. "We have such a rich culinary heritage, and while certain recipes have long lives, the cooking methods have gone obsolete, with the arrival of modern technology. Yes, we must keep up with times, but it is no less important to preserve history. True learning is a combination of both. It will also help future generations to understand how we have evolved," says 49-year-old Thiru.
Spoons from Europe
Nearly all artifacts have been sourced by Khanna during his travels around the world and to remote corners from India. There is a Turkish coffee set, called Ibrik; a clay cellar storage container from Rajasthan; a 21-piece ancient picnic set from Lucknow, which is a mini cooking range, complete with a bowl, plate, ladle, spoon and a pot, all of which can be dismantled. It's striking that the concept of a cooking range existed back then. That piece is Khanna's personal favourite. There are also churners, hand-blenders with glass jars, an ice cream maker from Lucknow, ceramic ware from Rajasthan and a variety of collectibles from Jammu, Hyderabad and Udipi. Plates made by the Portuguese in India, a 100-year-old ladle used to dole out food at temples of the Konkan and bowls dating back to the Harappan era are the big draws. "Some of the items, back then, must have existed in every household but have not been preserved. Besides Vikas's own collection, we have also asked our students to contribute," Thiru adds.
Currently, the layout of the museum is a makeshift one. "A lot needs to be done as artifacts are regularly added. We are working on creating a rustic look to go with the theme. Tomorrow, if someone else makes a similar museum in another part of India, we will be happy. The aim is to be the pride of the culinary fraternity," Thiru says. | |
This page details SJIEC current campaigns and events. For details on campaigns or events in previous years, please navigate to our ‘History’ tab and select the appropriate year.
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater 16.
When: Saturday 25 July 2020
Time: 9am – 4.30pm
Where: Online
Tickets: $20 (plus small booking fee)
Our 16th annual conference was a great success! A day full of amazing presenters and panels, we were pleased to be able to reach a much wider audience through online delivery for the first time. | https://www.sjiec.org/campaigns/16th-annual-conference-throwing-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater |
An evening to reflect on the questions that ignite the wildfire in all of us -- one that calls us in the middle of the night to listen, to dance, to sing, to celebrate, to appreciate, to let go…
Every journey around the Sun gifts a moment in time-space when humans can explore a liminal dimension that is past, present, and future unfolding into each other.
This moment is the home to the experiences that live in our past and those we want to call into our futures.
In this moment live our loves, frustrations, anger, sadness, joy, beauty, accomplishments, and all that constitute our human experience.
In this liminal space, that which we call reflexion, we are invited to cross a threshold to face ourselves and make our way into the immense and timeless mystery that is always beckoning.
Join us for a special dinner on the beach, a surprise inauguration, and a live DJ set in the jungle.
- Castello Branco: From Rio to the world. Castello grew up in a monastery surrounded by unconventional influences that turned him into a sensitive artist. Brazilian singer and songwriter Castello performs his live that consists of electronic productions from his last three acoustic albums, with singles made in collaboration with Nicola Cruz (Criançada) and Oceanvs Orientalis (Santa Teresa) also reinterpreted in his own version.
- Mâhfoud: Marc Mâhfoud is a vocalist, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer, international live act, DJ and producer. Marc musically meanders between electronic, cinematic, (pitched down) dance music, soundscape and jazz. He plays piano, synthesizers, guitars and other instruments that create sonic vibration. His recent collaborations with Yamaha Music prove a rare musical versatility, both as composer and instrumentalist.
- Aluna: Aluna is a collaborative project of two artists who share the same vision and complement each other in their creations. Steffen Ki and Maywa create organic downtempo and shamanic ambient music that is inspired by ancient mystic teachings, shamanic rituals, plant medicine and the vibrations of nature. Their sound is magical, alive and organic. tribal and emotional , warm and gentle, healing and powerful, soulful and heartopening. Like medicine, deeply connected to ancestral roots, reflecting the voice of Earth. | https://zunya.com/weekly-schedule/new-year-eve-reflexion-1 |
Amazon Studios just announced the filming location for its upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel show. And after searching far and wide it settled on… drumroll please… New Zealand!
Now you can get the top stories from Gizmodo delivered to your inbox. Enter your email below. | https://www.gizmodo.com.au/tag/jrr-tolkien/ |
From the first time I toured the shelter I knew there was something I needed to do to help. The Samaritan Inn has been extremely instrumental in getting thousands of individuals and families back on their feet. The fact that they offer an abundance of unique programs to help people regain dignity is truly rewarding. I was amazed that with an average of 160 residents they are able to provide the resources to improve quality of life for many Texans. | https://greatnonprofits.org/users/profile/451234 |
A 2008 study surveyed 300 organizations that market to would-be voluntourists and estimated that 1.6 million people volunteer on vacation, spending around $2 billion annually (Kushmenrmarch, ‘The Voluntourist’s Dilemma’ – 22/03/16). In the past recent years, the phenomenon of voluntourism has indeed become very fashionable in the West, especially among young people (many are gap-year students). Driven by the pursuit of ‘doing good’ and improving the lives of the disadvantaged and excluded living in Third World countries, many travel to far-away places and volunteer for charities, NGOs and development organisations.
The main debate about voluntourism today concerns ethics: are ‘voluntourists’ simply perpetuating the myth of the white man’s burden and the idea that they have a mission to bring ‘civilisation’ to the underdeveloped ‘savages’? Or rather, are they really engaging in a morally meaningful endeavour, which brings about positive social change to the ‘sites of development intervention’, therefore contributing to the easing of global property?
In order to deal with these complex questions, we need to focus our attention on social and economic considerations related to the development industry. It is in fact fundamental to evaluate what agencies are carrying out projects that actually benefit local communities, rather than promoting their own interests.
As Jesionka argues in her article ‘The Reality of Voluntourism and the Conversations We’re not Having’, ‘even the best planned projects don’t always work out’. She refers to the fact that despite the good intentions of development practitioners and volunteers, the fact that they are external – that is to say, ‘non-local’ – to the field in which they operate often bring them to develop solutions that are unsuccessful because they do not target the actual problems, which can instead be identified much better by local communities – as ‘insiders’. In this way then, voluntourists could unknowingly be contributing to the worsening of local conditions, obtaining the opposite result of what they aim to do through their work.
For example Kushnermarch talks about a Christian missionary project in Haiti (Port-au-Prince), which aimed at building a school and promoting more education. He points out how the local people could not really understand why missionaries spent a considerable amount of money only to travel to Haiti and put brick-blocks together – something that they themselves could have done much more easily, if only that money had been donated to them.
Voluntourism is indeed a very expensive enterprise for those who do it. The risk, as Jonathan Brown [in Voluntourism is a ‘waste of time and money’ – and gappers are better off working in Britain, 24 October 2014] stresses, is that these altruistic young travellers, the trendy would-be voluntourists of today, end up not making any difference in the countries where they go working, and sometimes doing more harm than good to their host communities. He mentions for example how the increasing number of volunteers working in orphanages in countries such as Cambodia and Nepal is leading to the abandonment or even abduction of children from their parents.
This is of course an extreme case; however, it encourages us to challenge the assumption that any kind of intervention by charity-organisations, even if well-intentioned, brings about positive results.
Another interesting perspective on this issue comes from James Ferguson, who carried out his fieldwork in Lesotho [‘The anti-politics machine’, 1990], where a development project completely failed to create a cattle-industry and impose a commodified economy for the Basotho people, whose economy was described as ‘isolated, non-market and traditional’.
Despite the fact that this ethnography dates back to the 70s, it is still very relevant today since it shows how important it is for charities, volunteering organisations and NGOs to understand the local context and the actual exigencies of the people living there. In fact, more and more scholars, journalists and activists invite voluntourists to gather as much information as possible about the projects and the activities that they will carry out during their travels.
Although this article has emphasised the more problematic aspects of voluntourism in order to foster awareness about the potential negative consequences of external intervention (even if carried out by organisations which aim to promote human rights), it does not want to discredit the great value that participation in development projects can bring to poorer countries, and especially local, small-scale communities. It is nonetheless necessary to assess critically what agencies and projects can really have a positive impact on the social and economic conditions of the sites of intervention. | https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2016/11/12/voluntourism-who-does-it-benefit/ |
Is there a gender bias when it comes to YA literature?
Research done in 2012 by the writers behind Lady Business, a feminist blog covering pop culture and media, helped open a wider online conversation about this topic. More specifically, their work focused on how gender has been represented when it comes to the major awards given out each year for children’s literature. Their data showed that despite YA being a category of fiction where more women publish more books each year than men, it was men who bring home awards like the Printz most frequently. The data from their research, which is all available online, is from 2012, but it has raised numerous opportunities to explore the ways in which gender may or may not impact distinction and accolades in the YA litosphere.
And one way to take the research even further is looking at the most basic tool used for giving merit to the hundreds of YA books published each year: trade reviews.
Starred reviews for new books are a literal gold star. These titles are the best of the best within a category and genre, and stars are earned through a book holding up to critical reading. Professionals in the field use their skills to assess and judge those books, which then, in turn, help other professionals in the field select books for their school and library collections. Starred reviews are also considered come awards season.
While reviewers do not go into a book with an evaluation made based solely on author name or biographical information, gender bias can be unconscious. This is frequently the case in situations where one gender outnumbers another; there is something in that which allows an unconscious favoritism to emerge. In a place like YA lit, as was seen in the Lady Business research, is it possible that gender bias plays a role in starred reviews, too? Do men receive more starred reviews than their female counterparts in YA lit?
Let’s explore those questions by looking at the data as presented through 13 issues of School Library Journal (SLJ) reviews.
Some notes before the numbers: all data is based on reviews in the print editions of SLJ, starting with September 2015 and ending with September 2016. While there are additional reviews posted online, those were omitted from this count. Data came from the YA fiction pages, as well as the YA nonfiction pages. Any and all graphic fiction and nonfiction were excluded. No special review features or series review specials were included, in order to keep the potential data the same across all 13 issues.
Books with more than one author were categorized by the gender of every author listed. This means that a translation/reworking of a classic book like The Odyssey was categorized by the original author’s gender pronoun (“he,” as historically questionable as that might be in this case) and the author who did the translation/reworking. An author team which uses a singular pen name was identified by each author, and each of their genders were recorded. All percentages and averages were rounded to the nearest whole number.
Over the course of thirteen issues, a total of 1,110 authors earned a review.
The gender breakdown across all issues is at the heart of the exploration here, and it showcased what has been well-known and discussed for a while: there are far more women who have books reviewed than men, suggesting that there are more women writing and publishing in YA than men, at least within this time frame. The average number of female authors reviewed per issue came to 64, while the average number of male authors reviewed per issue was 21. That translates to women receiving roughly 75% of reviews on average to men’s 25%.
SLJ notes that a star beside a review denotes “excellence in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre.” Earning a star for a review is more than simply a positive review; it’s a positive review and then some. And they aren’t given out lightly: over the course of the 13 SLJ issues surveyed, a total of 123 authors earned a starred review. Note that this is different than 123 total starred reviews; there were instances where two authors wrote one book which earned the star, and both authors were counted as earning the star (they are, after all, sharing the honor). That equates to roughly 11% of all authors seeing a star.
Seventy percent of the starred reviews—or 86 out of 123—were for female authors. Thirty percent—37 out of the 123—were for male authors. It’s not a significant difference, but there is a slight difference here than within the distribution of reviews by author gender. Fewer women earn starred reviews than men, by an average of 5 percent, despite the fact women have more books reviewed. It’s likely over the course of many years of starred reviews, though, this slight imbalance evens out due to an increase in the number of reviews. It’s hard to suggest, given the data pool here, that gender bias—conscious or unconscious—does not play a role in the reviews at SLJ.
But how does this compare with other trade journals?
Using the same criteria for the data sorting as with SLJ, I looked at Kirkus’s review indexes for titles published between September 2015 and September 2016. “YA” was categorized as titles listed for those age 12 and older. During this time frame, Kirkus reviewed 812 YA authors, with 659 identifying as female and 163 male. Roughly 80 percent of authors reviewed were female, while 20 percent identified as male. Kirkus awarded 119 starred reviews, 80 of which went to female authors and 39 to male. Percentage wise, the discrepancy is a little larger than at SLJ: women earned 67% of the stars, while their male colleagues earned 33%. While this looks like a noteworthy difference, it’s not. SLJ’s distribution of starred reviews by gender was nearly identical—there was just a larger pool of data to work with.
At Booklist, gender and starred reviews showed a similar story. Booklist provided the data requested using the parameters provided to them, though their data ran from September 2015 to August 2016, one month less than SLJ and Kirkus. During this time frame, a total of 821 YA authors earned a review. There were 524 reviews for female authors and 179 by male authors, or a split of roughly 73 percent to 27 percent. That falls right in line with the other two journals. In terms of starred reviews, 118 authors earned one, with 77 of those stars going to female authors and 41 to male authors. Statistically, that means 65% of the starred reviews were earned by female authors and 35% by male. This also falls in line with the other two journals, particularly when the smaller data pool is considered.
While the data presented here doesn’t offer up much in terms of gender bias and reviews, the fact that there is near parity with regards to gender representation in reviews and starred reviews earned is important. There’s a sense of reliability, and more, this gives a nice starting point for exploring this same question in other review outlets. Is it possible the results might look different in a mainstream print outlet like The New York Times or LA Times Book Review with readerships that differ from those using trade journals?
Likewise, there’s further research to be looked at, too, when it comes to race and critical acclaim. What sort of representation is there? Unlike gender, which can more easily be quantified, race and ethnicity are far trickier to look at from an outside lens, as it brings a host of assumptions and biases from the researcher—it’s not as easy as looking up an author, finding the pronoun the prefer on their websites, and coding them accordingly. But this is an area of exploration that would deserve time and energy to look at.
Thank you to Shelley Diaz at School Library Journal, Vicky Smith at Kirkus, and Daniel Kraus at Booklist for providing access to a year’s worth of trade reviews for this project. | http://365dayz.com/gender-bias-and-trade-reviews-do-men-or-women-earn-more-favorable-reviews/ |
Xeno 3 was built as a concept car for a new company I attempted to start in the late 1990s. It was launched in January 2002 at Art Center. The idea was to present the ultimate custom car as a futuristic design rather than it being based on a vehicle from the past. Xeno 3 was what I called a ‘Personal Concept Car’ and was intended to show the ultimate possible evolution of 3D printing and its eventual merging with nanotechnology, where a customer could have a unique design created just for them at a reasonable cost. The manufacturing diagrams were also presented with the Xeno in 2002. | http://www.nickpugh.com/gold-xeno3 |
Academic Catalog
The Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department aspires to be recognized globally for outstanding education and research, and especially for graduating well-qualified engineers who are adaptive professionals, inquisitive, entrepreneurial, and successful in engineering practice, research, and public service.
The ME Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.), which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://abet.org. In addition, there are two concentrations within the B.S.M.E. program, Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering.
The B.S.M.E. curriculum is broad in scope and strongly based in the fundamentals essential for professional practice, life-long learning, and advanced study at the graduate level. Design is a unique element of the profession; therefore, students’ design experience is developed and integrated throughout every degree program.
Mechanical engineering focuses on motion and the forces and energy associated with motion. The field encompasses the design and analysis of machines and processes to meet the expanding needs of a changing, technological, energy-based society. Mechanical engineers are the most versatile, and they have a wide variety of career options. B.S.M.E. graduates may find employment in transportation industries, consulting firms, governmental agencies and laboratories, manufacturing facilities, power-production industries, process industries, universities, and others.
Mechatronic engineering is a discipline that combines mechanics, electronics, controls, and computing in the design of products and manufacturing processes. The B.S.M.E. with a Mechatronics concentration prepares engineers that are familiar and competent with cutting-edge technology in both mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, plus are prepared to develop innovative products to address industry and other needs.
The B.S.M.E. with a Vehicle Engineering (VE) concentration teaches concepts and technologies that apply to many modes of transportation and cover a wide range of vehicle types, including traditional combustion engines, hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as
automated and connected vehicles. The VE program combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering, and is designed to explore how to improve vehicle safety, traffic congestion, air quality, energy efficiency, and other global issues.
The mission of the Department, within a regional and global context, encompasses: provision for its students to prepare for a productive career in a competitive, dynamic, technologically-based society; advancement of the knowledge of mechanical engineering principles and applications; and service to the public. The departmental mission is essential to the university-wide goal of maintaining a strong engineering program. The ME Department pursues the following four goals to fulfill its mission:
1. To maintain a high-quality, accredited program with an integrated curriculum. This goal is essential to prepare all graduates for entry-level professional employment and masters-level graduate studies.
2. To improve the student’s ability to formulate and to express thoughts using both written and oral communication. This goal is essential to evaluate arguments and evidence from various fields of study, to discover information, and to engage in independent inquiry. In addition, this goal promotes an awareness of ethical, social, and safety considerations in all engineering endeavors.
3. To enhance the student’s capacity for leadership, individual responsibility and integrity. This goal should foster an appreciation and respect for new and different ideas, opinions, and abilities.
4. To develop the student’s commitment to life-long learning. This goal should foster a desire to continually improve individual abilities and enhance knowledge. In addition, this goal promotes professional enthusiasm and an enhanced quality of life. | https://catalog.tntech.edu/content.php?catoid=34&navoid=7270 |
A prospective study of urinary pneumococcal antigen detection in healthy Karen mothers with high rates of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage.
Turner P., Turner C., Kaewcharernnet N., Mon NY., Goldblatt D., Nosten F.
BACKGROUND: Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae C-polysaccharide in urine is a useful rapid diagnostic test for pneumococcal infections in adults. In young children, high rates of false positive results have been documented due to detection of concurrent nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage. The relationship between pneumococcal carriage and urinary antigen detection in adults from developing countries with high pneumococcal carriage prevalence has not been well established. METHODS: We nested an evaluation of the BinaxNOW S. pneumoniae test within a longitudinal mother-infant pneumococcal carriage study in Karen refugees on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Paired urine and nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected from 98 asymptomatic women at a routine study follow-up visit. The urine specimens were analyzed with the BinaxNOW test and the nasopharyngeal swabs were semi-quantitatively cultured to identify pneumococcal colonization. RESULTS: 24/98 (25%) women were colonized by S. pneumoniae but only three (3%) had a positive BinaxNOW urine test. The sensitivity of the BinaxNOW test for detection of pneumococcal colonization was 4.2% (95% CI: 0.1-21.1%) with a specificity of 97.3% (95% CI: 90.6-99.7%). Pneumococcal colonization was not associated with having a positive BinaxNOW test (odds ratio 1.6; 95% CI: 0.0-12.7; p=0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Significant numbers of false positive results are unlikely to be encountered when using the BinaxNOW test to diagnose pneumococcal infection in adults from countries with moderate to high rates of pneumococcal colonization. | https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/publications/135004 |
Indian movies have dabbled with various themes over the years and their popularity has grown beyond the home soil and reached other places as well. Thanks to a large NRI population spread across the globe, Indian movies, especially Hindi, are available to a wide variety of people outside India. As a result, some filmmakers based in the country and outside have started dealing with various NRI-related themes as well. So, today we will look into those movies that have successfully depicted the lives of Indians living abroad.
Monsoon Wedding (2001)
Mira Nair, an NRI filmmaker, has been mesmerizing audiences across the world with her unconventional takes on various facets of Indian society. In this venture, she beautifully captures the fun, chaos and travails involved in big-fat Indian weddings involving NRI relatives and how a jovial environment turns into a sad one in the aftermath of the dawn of a dark reality. The movie goes light in the initial part of its journey but makes the audience think deeply after the murky reveal towards the end. Every actor in the film from Naseeruddin Shah and Shefali Shah to Rajat Kapoor has done their parts with effortless ease and absolute honesty as well.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
This is another movie that artfully depicts the trials and tribulations of a teenage Indian girl based abroad. Stuck in the chains of patriarchy and racism, this movie shows how the young Punjabi girl based in London eventually triumphs against all odds. This Gurinder Chaddha directorial has football as the central theme of the movie and that’s the reason the title alludes to the England soccer legend. The movie features actors like Anupam Kher, Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra among others.
Mitr: My Friend (2002)
This movie directed by Revathi has a theme that makes you laugh and introspect at the same time. This is an NRI saga that portrays the challenges a housewife faces abroad due to an indifferent husband and apathetic daughter. The film also subtly touches on the issues of cultural differences and parental responsibilities along its marvellous journey. Apart from the captain of the ship, Revathy, the film also owes a great deal to its talented star cast comprising Shobhana, Nasir Abdullah and Preeti Vissa.
Swades (2004)
It’s ironic that Shah Rukh Khan’s most earnest portrayal in his acting career came in the least profitable venture of his. This Ashutosh Gowarikar movie subtly drives home the point that the true calling for certain NRIs may lie in India. In the movie, SRK plays a NASA scientist who has a change of heart after visiting his homeland and leaves his well-paying job in the US to utilize his humongous talent for the benefit of his country of birth. Apart from the superlative efforts of the director and actor, the music of AR Rahman plays a big part in enhancing the impact of the movie.
Namaste London (2007)
It might be easy to dismiss this as a typical NRI feel-good saga that the Hindi film industry used to churn out constantly during the early part of the 2000s. Apart from the feel-good factor, the movie also dwells deeply into the problems NRI families face due to their uncaring and spoilt kids. This Vipul Shah directorial has an uncanny resemblance with Mani Ratnam’s 1986 classic Mouna Ragam in its treatment of the husband-wife story. The movie is also complemented well by its star cast involving Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Rishi Kapoor, Javed Sheikh etc. | https://nrivision.com/5-indian-movies-to-deftly-capture-nri-lives-since-the-dawn-of-this-millennium/11551/ |
The next stop on the Nextel Cup schedule is Atlanta Motor Speedway
Next week, NASCAR heads to the fastest track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series circuit, Atlanta Motor Speedway, for the Kobalt Tools 500. The 2007 races at Atlanta will be a further change to racing compared to the 2006 races held over there. NASCAR has mandated an 18-gallon fuel cell instead of the standard 22 1/2-gallon cell normally used.
What effect will a smaller fuel cell have? For starters, it will require more pit stops to cover the 500-mile race. More stops on NASCAR’s fastest track means pit crews and a driver’s ability to have a clean pit stop will be even more critical. He has a bad save, and a team could find themselves turned back in the blink of an eye.
Of the current drivers who have run more than 2 races at Atlanta, Dale Jarrett has had the most success. In 20 starts, Jarrett has an average finish of 10th place. Of course, Dale’s success in Atlanta came during his years at Yates Racing. Let’s see if he can maintain his dominance with his new team, Michael Waltrip Racing.
Other drivers to consider:
Carl Edwards – Average Finish 11th
Jimmie Johnson – Average Finish 11th
Dale Earnhardt Jr – Average Finish 11th
Greg Biffle – Average Finish of 12th
Next week’s schedule:
Nextel Cup: @ Atlanta Motor Speedway (all times EST)
03/16/07 – 06:40 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Kobalt Tools 500 Qualifying
03/17/07 – 01:20 pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Kobalt Tools 500 Practice
03/18/07 – 14:00 NASCAR Nextel Cup Kobalt Tools 500
Busch Series: @ Atlanta Motor Speedway
03/16/07 – 02:15 pm Practice NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Nicorette 300
03/17/07 – 11:05 am NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Nicorette 300 Qualifying
03/17/07 – 03:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Nicorette 300
Craftsman Truck Series: @ Atlanta Motor Speedway
03/16/07 – 05:15 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series American Commercial Lines 200 Qualifying
03/16/07 – 09:00 pm NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series American Commercial Lines 200
Johnson gets the first victory of 2007!
Jimmie Johnson learned last year that the best way to win a championship is to come out early and hit. In the 2006 season, Johnson began by winning the Daytona 500, finishing second in California and winning Las Vegas.
With the exception of Daytona, Johnson’s 2007 results are eerily similar to 2006. A third-place finish at California last week followed by a win at Las Vegas this week, the 150th for the Hendrick Motor Sports organization. Whats Next? Did he finish sixth next week in Atlanta?
While Johnson’s poor finish this year at Daytona left fans guessing if he could repeat, there’s now no question that Lowe’s #48 teams remain a force to be reckoned with in NASCAR.
Las Vegas fails to impress in bid for second NASCAR race
Las Vegas Motor Speedway desperately wants a second Nextel Cup race. The track wants it so much that it was willing to spend millions to raise the 11-year-old turns an extra 8 degrees to bring faster action to fans. It is also in the planning stages of building luxury trackside condominiums the likes of which have never been seen before on a race track.
So what is the problem you ask? The problem is not necessarily the track’s fault. Recent track restructuring, a new track surface and the promise of higher speeds caused Goodyear to play a conservative hand in the tires they molded for the UAW Daimler Chrysler 400. The left-side Goodyear tires were very tough and capable of withstanding pressures. higher than typical tires. Along with the modified left side tire, the air pressures in the right side tires were regulated and the teams were unable to adjust as needed during the race.
The end result was that the race had more closed captions than any other Las Vegas race. Most drivers complained about the conditions here on a slippery track that claimed numerous cars. For NASCAR to award a second race to Las Vegas, both the track and Goodyear will need to be on the same page and provide a track along with a suitable set of tires that will produce serious racing.
UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Recap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The newly renovated Las Vegas Motor Speedway made for dangerous racing conditions Sunday at the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400. As Tony Stewart predicted after Saturday night’s Busch race, the Sam’s Town 300, the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 would claim a lot of cars late in the race. .
During the offseason, Speedway Motor sports Inc, owners of Vegas, spent millions of dollars raising the bank on turns from 12 degrees to 20 degrees and resurfacing the entire track. Always willing to take the safe bet, Goodyear specified a harder compound for the left side to prevent tire failure. He ask any driver and they will tell you that a harder left side tire on a freshly paved track is extremely slippery.
And slippery was yesterday. In the first 40 periods there were 4 endorsements claimed by numerous cars. One team, Hendrick Motor sports, was apparently immune to track conditions. Two of his drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, finished 1st and 2nd respectively, while Kyle Busch finished ninth. The win was the 150th in Hendrick Motor sports history!
For Jimmie Johnson, the victory in Las Vegas was his third consecutive win at the same track and propelled him up to fourth in the standings. However, Johnson’s victory was not easy. Jimmy had to overcome a pit road penalty and a minor scrape on the wall. The defending champion recovered by leading 89 laps and winning the race.
Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon moved up to second in the standings, still behind leader Mark Martin. The 4-time champion led 111 laps in the race only to fail after a tire problem late in the race. Gordon still trails Dale Earnhardt by one win in NASCAR’s all-time wins.
Jeff Burton looked poised to rip Las Vegas after winning the race from Busch on Saturday. The South Boston, VA native led late in the race before engine problems doomed his sweeping chances. Burton finished 15th.
Other fair top drivers as follows:
Tony Stewart followed up his eighth-place finish at California with a seventh at Las Vegas. The former champion now sits in 13th place.
NASCAR darling Kasey Kahne was involved in a crash late in the race and finished 35th. 35th place dropped Kahne to 36th in points. It looks like the #9 Dodge team is still reeling from the suspensions at Daytona.
Carl Edwards posted a solid 7th place finish to help correct a 2007 season that started off completely on the wrong foot. The finish propelled Edwards to 17th place in the standings.
Juan Montoya is learning to move around the tracks of the oval. The former F1 star finished the race in 22nd place. | https://unpremo.com/johnson-3-peats-in-vegas-march-12-edition-of-sci/ |
The root of the word empathy is <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />PATHOS - the Greek word for feeling. SYMpathy means acknowledging the feelings of someone else as in "I sympathize with you." EMpathy is a term for a deeper feeling. It means "I feel what you feel. I can put myself in your shoes." Sympathy results in kindness and sometimes pity. Empathy results in actually feeling the pain, or the joy, of the other person.
You can see how the willingness to be flexible comes more easily when you can put yourself in the other person's shoes. Empathy is a key skill taught in negotiating. William Ury, in his book, GETTING PAST NO, makes the point that every human being has a deep need for his or her feelings to be recognized. Knowing this can help tremendously in a difficult negotiation by creating a climate for agreement.
Ury counsels that it's important to acknowledge both the factual point, and the feelings of the other person. He uses the example of an employee approaching a boss. The employee says: "I just found out Dale makes two thousands dollars more a year than I do for the same job." Trying to explain why Dale makes more money, even if the reason is a good one, only makes the employee angrier. Instead, you must acknowledge the fact and the feelings first: "You think we're taking advantage of you and you're angry. I can understand that. I'd probably feel the same way."
That isn't what an angry person expects. By acknowledging the employee's feelings, you've helped him calm down. His next statement might be: "Well, why shouldn't I make as much as Dale does?" That shows he's ready to hear your explanation.
The feeling of empathy is much easier to come by when you care about the other person and take the time to feel what they're feeling. In the worlds of business, politics, or the professions, that feeling of empathy may not come as easily.
All the great teachers of empathy for others start with the same point: You cannot truly feel the pain or the joy or the emotion of another until and unless you're able to feel the same thing in yourself. Do you acknowledge your own pain? Can you feel your own joy? Real empathy lies in simply finding the same place within you that the other person is experiencing. You might not have had exactly the same experience but you've known the sadness of loss or the anger of feeling cheated, or the sense of righteousness at injustice. Some of us don't take the time to feel our own feelings, so when someone else expresses a feeling, we don't have much to refer to.
Let me give you another tip. Sometimes we can share a deep feeling vicariously through reading a great novel or seeing a powerful movie. If you're on a steady diet of action movies, they don't usually dwell on individual feelings. You might want to take the time to broaden your reading and viewing habits.
Men are being encouraged to express and share their feelings more these days through the efforts of Robert Bly and others. And not just soft, vulnerable feelings, but feelings of anger and frustration as well. You might be concerned that expressing a caring approach toward another person will result in the other person manipulating you. This isn't about abdicating your own needs or point of view. It simply means that you're able to step into the shoes of another and acknowledge their feelings. Having that ability is an asset. You can always wear your own shoes, and you do most of the time. | http://rotaryeclub7210.org/content.aspx?page_id=5&club_id=20857&item_id=19562 |
The unsung Heroes of German Reunification (2005)
A first comment should be made about what Deutsche Welle conveyed in a recent news bulletin. It can begin by recalling a ladder left which was left leaning against the Berlin Wall but it stood on the other side. Presumably someone may have not wanted to escape, but just have a glimpse as to what exists on the other side of the wall! This wish to verify with one's own eyes what was heard or perhaps seen only on television, should be remembered now. That desire had nothing to do with the parole 'we are one people': Wir sind das Volk! That slogan took over suddenly the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig in 1989, when before the people of East Germany wanted first of all the freedom of expression and of travel. This needs to be kept in mind for otherwise the only unsung heroes shall be those who tried to cross that no man's land or rather death strip but never made it to the other side.
Here then the news bulletin of the Deutsche Welle about a new Berlin Wall Memorial being inaugurated on 30.09.2005:
"A new memorial to the victims of the Berlin Wall was inaugurated on the grounds of Germany's lower house of parliament, Berlin's Bundestag, on Thursday. The monument is made up of segments of the original wall, erected along the former borderline which separated communist east from capitalist west Berlin between 1961 and 1989. Berlin artist Ben Wargin has painted each segment with a series of super-imposed numbers, representing a year and the number of people killed trying to cross the border from the east. Among those gathered for the unveiling of the monument at Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders House, the parliamentary library, was the Bundestag's outgoing speaker Wolfgang Thierse. Parts of the Berlin Wall can still be found in the German capital which has seen several monuments, notably at Bernauer Street, spring up since the wall was demolished in 1989 as the communist regime of East Germany was toppled."
Source: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/briefs/0,1574,1726638,00.html?maca=en-bulletin-433
If the Berlin Wall is celebrated symbolically in this way, it is the best way to go wrong in remembering this painful history. Not that it is wrong to remember the number of people who were killed while trying to cross no man's land or the death strip between the Eastern and Western part of the wall. Still, such a symbolic gesture leads only to further misunderstandings about a history full of pain and misunderstandings. Most of it was due to more than just a wall having become false dividing lines which separated families. After all the Berlin Wall did run directly through homes and left one part of the family members stranded on one side while the others could not scramble fast enough to reach the West. Perhaps that was due to the missing ladder or they stayed on the wrong side out of fear of heights. They did not wish to risk a jump from a window on the first floor.
Problematic is always the symbolic elevation of death into the historical chronics. In the case of the Berlin Wall, it does no justice to the number of people whose careers and biographies have been ruined by a division running much deeper through both East and West German societies.
There is the story of the Stasi but much more gruesome was and is the spying on common people by not the secret police but by neighbours and friends. Even parents would denounce their children if they applied for a visa to leave for the West. They did so out of fear to loose their own careers which were sponsored, as always, by either the Communist party in the East or by party interests infiltrated and linked to powerful business interests in the West.
There are many biographies written after 1945 that show how Adenauer used integration into the West by joining Nato to obtain a free hand, so that he could what he pleased in West Germany. He started to oust not merely Communists and suspected left wing Radicals, but all critical intellectuals who worked in newspapers and radio stations. The latter were not like the Communists who identified themselves with the Communist system in the East, but they were like Rudi 'Dutschke critical intellectuals who questioned both Eastern and Western ideological premises. Instead came back into power and privilege those who served under Hitler and survived the war. Among them were Nazi judges like Filbinger.
While much is said about how people in East Germany suffered under the Communist regime, hardly anything is recognized, retrospectively, as to what happened in the West at the same time. Those stories still need to be told, for what happened implies suspicion and lack of trust. They marked many social and professional relationships in the immediate years after the war and developed into such measures as the so-called 'Berufsverbote'. The latter was again an example of a distorted view as to what was happening in reality, that is in West Germany and to a lesser or different degree in Berlin West.
In short, the people from former East Germany were not the only ones who made many painful experiences once they could read their Stasi files, but also those living in the West. Over and again they discovered that they had been betrayed by someone they had never suspected. It may have been a friend, even the wife or a cousin. All of them gave something to protocol kept by the Stasi and therefore shaped their lives often by an invisible hand. Willy Brandt toppled by having as a close advisor someone working for the East German government. There are many more stories to be told who was working in the West but whose decisions to go against certain people were based on loyalty to the East German power elite.
Right now a sensation is being made out of Ratzinger, the new Pope. It is said that he had been under surveillance as well by the Stasi. During that time with East and West Germany rubbing shoulders under the control of the Four Powers, a system of accompli extended itself through both parts of Germany. As the early Greens in the Bundestag had to discover even Dirk Schneider, their speaker for the German question, turned out to have worked for the East German government. In retrospect, it explains why so many blockages felt to be back then so unnecessary for they prevented really an unfolding of creative personalities and a much more substantial questioning of German history and politics. Instead there was always aside from the open a hidden agenda.
The relationship to the East and the West was marked in the Cold War period as the drawing of a hard and tough border not only in physical terms, but in ideological categories going well beyond the belief in human reality. The political scientist Richard Loewenthal shrugged his shoulders even after Europe had experienced that terrible squashing of the Prague spring. That was when troops and tanks of the Warszawa Pact entered that city of Kafka at the end of August 1968, in order to end an experiment attempting to give Socialism a human face. He said to a group of students inquiring into the Problems of Communism under the guidance of Prof. Teresa Harmstone at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada that unfortunately world peace depended upon 'stable borders'. It meant recognizing each side had its sphere of influence.
This was said in the light of the Cuba crisis which brought the world nearly to a brink of a nuclear war with J.F. Kennedy involved in a failed invasion of Cuba and which has become known as the 'Bay of Pigs' disaster for the American forces. While Prof. Harmstone coming from Poland and who had studied under Fainsod at Harvard University could say Communism has not solved one major question, namely the question of different nationalities, there were countless other fates in the East and West which fell into disgrace even over a simple joke (Milocz), or worse they ended up being executed by Stalin. Arthur Koestler's 'Darkness at Noon' or Manes Sperber 'A tear in the Ocean' not merely predicted but named these hideous political developments leading straight to the Gulag with Solshenitzyn exposing it with his clear and literal tone in 'First Circle of Hell!'
It was not easy in the West for a thinking person to be critical of Capitalism without thereby endorsing automatically East Germany as the better half of Germany. Repeatedly it was strange to hear, for example, Greek Left Wing politicians visiting East Berlin but refusing in West Berlin to see the Berlin Wall. They seemed to follow the line given by East Germany, namely that it had been construction to act as protection against Fascism. They seemed not to mind that the wall meant in real terms a denial of the freedom to travel and furthermore that there existed in East Germany not that freedom of expression.
Many in the West found it difficult to get out of a certain political blindness and instead articulate a position which was free from ideological entanglements with either Positivism in the West or Marxism in the East. Thinkers like Ernst Bloch who had gone originally to East Germany but then left with the help of Gadamer or Th.W. Adorno's attempted to work out a version of Western Marxism.
Still university debates about Socialism differed in a theoretical sense. Some wished to work out Marxism as still applicable in the West, but without the negative political ramifications which the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe demonstrated. Others tended to be free thinkers like Havemann with a clear conscience and therefore objected dictatorial forms of power. Others had their own ideological prejudices and demonstrated only inabilities to appreciate what was at stake. They belonged to the Conservative side which embraced the West while condeming the East. In between all of this was interestingly enough the Sartre reception in East Germany, something Vincent von Wroblewsky could speak about. His position compared to others in West Berlin showed how different reactions in East and West to Sartre's development were possible. Sartre did exit from the Communist Party in France after the bloody repression of the Hungarian uprising in 1956. His trip to Stammheim to visit the Baader Meinhof group shortly before they burned in their cells underlined also the freedom to act. Such political action was always under suspicion in the West. It was thought as not being revolutionary for the sake of freedom but rather in favour of violence. This debate around violence remained unclear and distorted many things as it discouraged many more from ever entering the theoretical debate. The nature of everything had it anyone that after the '68 movement was crushed, things became much more radical. The RAF formed itself as Baader-Meinhof represented apparently the consequences of their guiding positions, namely everything could become under the suppression by the state only terrorism. It became an obsession of the West to demand of everyone renouncement of 'violence' as if coping the Catholic Church and demanding a collective confession.
The GREENS certainly earned their way into power by giving in to the system's demand to be non-violent at all costs when attempting to become a political party recognized by the system. The imperfections of that adaptation became clearly visible once German reunification had taken place. Genscher gave the lone recognition to Croatia, the rest of the World did not wish to split up Yugoslavia. Then came Joschka Fischer. As first Green Foreign Minister he agreed to the bombardment of Kosovo. He tried to sell this intervention as a humanistic action against genocide - the outcome of a warfare going on in former Yugoslavia. That meant officially violence can be endorsed. And in the tradition of the state having the monopoly of violence, the Greens under Joschka Fischer made a political transition due to a frightening realization, namely that violence was an institutionalized force ready to be used against people anytime, anywhere again.
Of interest is how the fall of the Berlin Wall and the crumbling of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe came about. Compared to how the Soviet System could be dismantled in a non violent way, the military response to the Kosovo crisis reveals what is the real prize of reunificiation: the acquiescence to another type of violence. Indeed, state violence goes with the mask of being a humanitarian response to the problem of lawlessness and broken down governance. Only when it came to Iraq did Schroeder say 'no' in agreement with the majority of Germans in recognition of a deeper promise running through Germany after 1945, namely never to start war again.
Indeed, next to those killed while attempting to cross no man's land, others should be remembered, namely those who got caught in-between the polarized ideological lines of East and West without understanding that political fights were much more geared to hidden than open agendas. Typical for that approach was Richard von Weizsaecker who upon becoming the first Conservative mayor of Berlin West in 1981 had opted for making Berlin again 'German'. He had picked up the popular demand of Berliner citizens wishing to know when Kreuzberg would belong to them again. Seizing property in a public sense of ownership as being a part of the German state has a long history. The city of Gdansk – Danzig can be invoked to just mention one example as to what this means. The false pretence as if this land or city is ours, that reflects the lack of knowledge how in history occupation of land has always been linked to justification of means over and again any human consideration and need for peace. Claims are often simply made so that political tensions increase. They do so over trivial matters but with very serious consequences.
Definitely the opening of the Berlin Wall should mean recognition of the countless many who had travelled back and forth in an effort to keep open human relationships. They were called in German 'Verwandtenbesuch' - visits by the relatives. They brought little things, but which made a difference in an otherwise dreary and grey existence e.g. little chocolates, a small teddy bear (the famous one with the button in the ear - Steifknopf im Ohr) and if more daring something to read. In these small forms they showed a way to resist. They did not subordinate themselves in a political opportune way to the ideologies prevailing in East and West during those years 1945 – 89.
There are as many countless false heroes as there too many unsung heroes. Remembered should be those who did something as a human gesture by not allowing people to be separated but who did not want this to be misunderstood as a contribution towards a reincarnation of German Nationalism. National unification can be easily misunderstood in that sense. That national process has been falsified ever since Bismarck used war to bring, for example, Baveria into the national fold. War as a principle of unification is always the father of a false entity. The process was falsified furthermore when the Leipzig Monday demonstrations taking place before the fall of the wall were suddenly co-opted by people coming from Baveria and putting themselves at the head of these demonstrations, so that people no longer shouted "we are the people" and instead started to chant "we want national unification."
Reunification was made possible by a formal trick of converting a provisional constitution applicable only to West Germany into a legal framework which allowed the dissolution of the East German state. Once that state ceased to exist because West Germany had stopped all financial support, East Germany disintegrated into its 'Laender' who then joined as legal entities the Federal Republic of Germany. It meant in political terms that East Germans would vote first for the D-Mark and then in their own election in March 1989 whether or not they want to join West Germany with the strong D-Mark. By the time the first federal elections came around, everything was a fait accompli. Kohl had managed to secure enough votes with the help of the new voters from East Germany to stay in power. Basically 68 million West Germans had not been asked what they would like to do. They confronted a fait accompli.
Habermas and Guenter Grass pointed out at that time, preferable would have been the other legal option: both West and East Germany dissolve and through a new Constitutional act reconstitute themselves on the basis of mutual respect and agreement. Since this was not the case, the normal functioning of consensus politics in Germany ceased to exist. It explains all subsequent problems because consensus can only be used as basis for decisions, if it means consulting openly all citizens on an equal basis.
There are other abnormalities. Cultural consensus can only be brought about in recognition of these deeper set backs many suffered out of unfair and unjustified reasons. They suffered above all due to an inner German national group who had survived the Nazi era unscathed in both East and West. That deeper consensus is what prevailed even before the wall came done. What it means to be Pro-American or Pro-Soviet Union while deeply nationalistic and therefore interested in a certain kind of survival within the system, that can be reflected on hand of what is going on in Iraq.
Occupation of a land is occupation. It brings out the best and worst in people, but it is certainly a set back because things are never really brought out into the open. The moment security has the top priority quite other mechanisms kick in, so to speak.
One of the most frightening things to be learned about those fateful years under Hitler, is that the international world never really knew then what was going on in Germany. They realized only then when it was too late and Hitler had already all the power. The same extends itself to the Jewish population and what happened in the Holocaust. The Allies knew and yet did not bomb the trains or train tracks to prevent them from reaching the concentration camps. And even once they learned about the existence of these death camps, it took the Western Allies ages to recognize the extent to which death camps not only existed but that Jews and others were terminated not because of a lunatic out of control, but according to a systematically worked out state plan best known for the location where it was decided upon: Wannsee Conference held by Berlin on January 20, 1942.
If all this is truer than what has been said so far explicitly about the two German halves before they came together again, it means the Extreme Right in both West and East Germany were much closer to one another as part of the continuity of the system than what outsiders believed all along to be the real difference between the two halves of Germany. Continuity means here an unbroken national self understanding which had been also the power base of Hitler until he abused it, but with no one able to offer from those circles any resistance. This loyal base to the whole nation made almost everyone into accomplice of the system.
In reality this nationalist orientation reflects the broken spirit of people who have no civil courage but live only in fear, so that they fail to stand up for human rights if at risk to be violated. That then is the terrible political heritage both German sides bestow upon future generations.
Uwe Johnson in his novel 'Days of the Year' (the diary describes each day out of a perspective in New York from August 1967 to August 1968) describes very well this continuity of people who were frightened citizens in the Weimar Republic, staunch Hitler supporters in the period 1933 – 45, devoted Communists after the end of the war. This was especially the case as long as there was still alive a strong left wing leaning upon Rosa Luxembourg, Spartakus and a Communist Party with roots as far back as the times of the Russian Revolution with Lenin travelling through Germany on his way to power. After 1989 disorientated democrats were suddenly unable to make sense of both history and the present. Uwe Johnson's continuity is clearly recognition of the human being. He shows an attempt to exist as a human being no matter what superstructure and ideological notion of state and of politics prevails.
Unfortunately no memorial plague is given to such continuity in recognition of the difficulties that lie still ahead. It will be important to see how the German past is now going to be reconstructed, and this in the light of not only an uncertain present but a much more doubtful future. For it matters if not only those killed physically are remembered, but also those many unsung heroes who never gave up their dream of humanity. | http://poieinkaiprattein.org/europe/eu-member-states/deutschland-germany/the-unsung-heroes-of-german-reunification-2005/ |
Multilingual abstracts {#Sec1}
======================
Please see Additional file [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"} for translations of the abstract into the six official working languages of the United Nations.
Background {#Sec2}
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Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health burden in many developing countries \[[@CR1]--[@CR3]\]. According to the World Health Organization TB annual report, in 2013, the number of new reported TB cases in the world was estimated at 11.4 million. Among the 22 high TB burden countries and regions, mainland China ranks second, with 1.3 million cases, giving an incidence of 98/100 000 \[[@CR4]\]. Based on the data from the fifth TB epidemiological sampling survey in China, the TB number was higher in the western regions compared with the central and eastern regions \[[@CR5]\]. The occurrence of TB in China has obvious periodic and seasonal features, more frequently occurring in the winter and spring, which suggests that TB might be associated with meteorological factors \[[@CR6]\]. Current evidence has suggested that, besides the traditional factors such as genetic susceptibility \[[@CR7]\], sex \[[@CR8]\], education, ethnicity, drinking \[[@CR9]\], smoking \[[@CR10]\], and related diseases, several ecological factors, including geographic, climatic, and socioeconomic factors, also have critical impacts on the prevalence of TB \[[@CR11]--[@CR13]\].
Understanding the spatial variations in TB prevalence and its determinants is crucial for improved targeting of interventions and resources. Many geospatial analytical methods, such as spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran's *I* and Getis-Ord *G*) \[[@CR14]--[@CR16]\] and space-time scan statistic (SaTScan) methods \[[@CR17]--[@CR19]\] have been used for understanding TB and other public health problems \[[@CR20], [@CR21]\]. In China, county-level studies have used various spatial epidemiological methods to identify clustering of health conditions, including notifiable pandemic influenza A in Hong Kong \[[@CR22]\], and TB in Linyi \[[@CR2]\], Beijing \[[@CR5]\], and Xinjiang \[[@CR23]\]. However, there are currently no related studies on geospatial distribution of TB in Qinghai province.
Moreover, while several studies have shown that the TB incidence might be related with the temperature, precipitation, and wind speed \[[@CR24]\], few studies have considered the modifier effects from time and spatial factors in the relationship between meteorological factors and TB incidence. With further research of spatial econometrics and the rapid development of computer technology, spatial autocorrelation and spatial panel data models are becoming useful tools in the analysis of spatiotemporal data, and are gradually being applied to the research of infectious diseases \[[@CR24]--[@CR26]\]. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to understand the distribution of TB and to explore the associations between meteorological factors and TB incidence using spatial autocorrelation analysis and a spatial panel data model based on surveillance data from the Qinghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Methods {#Sec3}
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Qinghai province, which comprises 8 cities, including a total of 46 counties, is located between longitude 89°35′ and 103°04′ East, and latitude 31°40′ and 39°19′ North (Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). As an underdeveloped region in north-western China, it has a higher annual incidence of TB than other regions of the country. The average altitude is 3 000-5 000 m, with a typical plateau continental climate, which includes little rain, low temperatures, and long sunshine hours.Fig. 1Location of the study areas, Qinghai Province, China. The map was created using the ArcGIS software (version 10.0, ESRI Inc., Redlands, CA, USA)
Tuberculosis incidence data {#Sec4}
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In this study, we focused on the cases of pulmonary TB. Our TB data were based on the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP, <http://1.202.129.170/UVSSERVER2.0>), which was established in 2005. TB cases were diagnosed using X-ray, pathogen detection, and pathologic diagnosis according to the diagnosis criteria recommended by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China (Former Ministry of Health) in 2008 \[[@CR6]\]. The relevant information, including age, sex, occupation, diagnostic category, and diagnostic date, was collected to analyse the epidemic characteristics of TB in Qinghai province.
TB is a notifiable infectious disease in China; all cases must be reported online within 24 h after diagnosis in the hospital. We collected the county- and city-level data from January 2009 to December 2013 in Qinghai and randomly selected 261 of all 771 medical institutions in Qinghai province and checked all medical records of these selected institutions to confirm whether there were missing TB cases or not. During the period from 2009 to 2013, in all 46 counties, a total of 27 665 TB cases and 51 TB-related deaths were identified; no missing cases or outbreaks were declared.
Environmental data {#Sec5}
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Our meteorological data were based on the statistical data from the Qinghai statistics office, which is reported yearly by the meteorological bureau of each city. In this study, we focused on four main meteorological factors, including the monthly average temperature (MAT, °C), precipitation (MP, mm), total sunshine hours (MSH, hours), and wind speed (MAWS, m/s). Considering a time lag between infectious disease development and meteorological factors, the meteorological data were collected from July 2008 to December 2013.
Statistical methods {#Sec6}
-------------------
### Spatial autocorrelation analysis method {#Sec7}
Spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted by using Open GeoDa software (GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation, Arizona State University, AZ, USA) and used to identify the spatial clustering of the annual TB incidence of all 46 counties \[[@CR2], [@CR5], [@CR27], [@CR28]\]. The row standardized first-order contiguity Rook neighbours were used as the criterion for identifying neighbours in this paper. In this rule, if regions *i* and *j* are neighbours and share a boundary, *w*~*ij*~ = 1; otherwise, *w*~*ij*~ = 0. Global Moran's *I* was calculated to test the spatial autocorrelation of all counties in Qinghai province, ranging from -1 to +1 \[[@CR5]\]. Positive/negative spatial autocorrelation occurs when Moran's *I* is close to +1/-1, which indicates that areas with similar (high-high or low-low)/dissimilar (high-low or low-high) incidence of TB are clustered together \[[@CR29]\]. Monte Carlo randomization (9999 permutations) was employed to assess the significance of Moran's *I*, with the null hypothesis being that the distribution of TB incidence in Qinghai province is completely spatially random \[[@CR27]\]; in other words, that the counties with high and low TB incidence are randomly distributed across the study area \[[@CR30]\]. If the test is significant (*P* ≤ 0.05), this suggests a clustering/dispersing of the TB incidence \[[@CR2], [@CR16]\]. Subsequently, we used local indicators of spatial association (LISA; Local Moran' *I*) analysis and a Moran scatter plot to examine the spatial autocorrelation of each county in Qinghai province and to determine the locations of the clusters \[[@CR31]\]. Moran's plot shows high-high and low-low clustering in the upper right and lower left quadrants, respectively. Statistically significant high-high, low-low, and outlier local clusters (high-low and low-high) were visualized using a cluster map with county boundaries \[[@CR15]\].
### Spatial panel analysis method {#Sec8}
In our study, we used data of TB incidence and meteorological factors, which were collected from different cities monthly, to explore the associations of meteorological factors with TB incidence. The data were collected at different times (monthly) and in different areas (cities), and were hence considered repeated observations data, referred to as panel data (also known as pooled time series and cross-section data). The spatial heterogeneity and spatial dependence in different cities need to be considered in the analysis \[[@CR5], [@CR32]\]. A spatial panel data model is able to address data with spatial dependence and also enables researchers to consider spatial heterogeneity, which typically refers to data containing continuous observations of a number of spatial units \[[@CR24]--[@CR26]\]. Compared to traditional methods based on cross-sectional or time series models, spatial panel data models are more informative and contain more variation and less collinearity among the variables \[[@CR26], [@CR33]\]. The use of panel data results in a greater availability of degrees of freedom, and hence increases the efficiency of the estimation \[[@CR26], [@CR34]\]. Therefore, we used a spatial panel data model to examine the association between the TB incidence and meteorological factors after adjustment for the spatial confounders. As the distribution of the TB incidence rate is highly skewed, log transformation of the TB incidence was used in the analyses, according to the following formula: log incidence = lg (TB incidence). The unit root test and co-integration test were conducted to confirm the stationary of the data \[[@CR35]\]. The spatial panel data model analyses were conducted by using Matlab R2009a (Mathworks Inc., Natick, MA, USA), and the significant level was 0.05.
Results {#Sec10}
=======
Annually, the incidences of TB in Qinghai province were 93, 87, 93, 112, and 106 per 100 000 people from 2009 to 2013, accounting for 12.24, 13.96, 17.13, 19.00, and 16.84 % of all reported infectious diseases, respectively (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). The high incidence areas were mainly concentrated in the cities of Yushu and Guoluo, while the top three counties of TB annual incidence were Maduo (656/100 000), Jiuzhi (461/100 000), and Zaduo (393/100 000) in the southwest of Qinghai. The low incidence areas were mainly concentrated in the cities of Haixi and Xining, with the bottom three counties being Mangya (15/100 000), Delingha (39/100 000), and Dachaidan (42/100 000) in the northwest of Qinghai (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}). The TB incidence rate showed significant periodicity and seasonality, reaching a seasonal peak around April and then decreasing to a trough in December (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). The significant meteorological characteristics in Qinghai province included the strong sunlight and relative low temperature throughout the year (Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}).Table 1Characteristics of tuberculosis cases in Qinghai Province, China, 2009-2013Variables20092010201120122013Report cases (incidence rate, 1/100 000)Death cases (mortality rate, 1/100 000)Report cases (incidence rate, 1/100 000)Death cases (mortality rate, 1/100 000)Report cases (incidence rate, 1/100 000)Death cases (mortality rate, 1/100 000)Report cases (incidence rate, 1/100 000)Death cases (mortality rate, 1/100 000)Report cases (incidence rate, 1/100 000)Death cases (mortality rate, 1/100 000)Infectious disease42 006 (757.82)50 (0.90)34 865 (625.60)29 (0.52)30 541 (542.79)22 (0.39)33 514 (589.86)42 (0.74)35 954 (627.28)38 (0.66)Pulmonary tuberculosis5 141 (92.75)21 (0.38)4 868 (87.35)6 (0.11)5 232 (92.99)10 (0.18)6 369 (112.10)7 (0.12)6 055 (105.64)7 (0.12)Age (years)0-12 (15.57)0 (0.00)11 (14.15)1 (1.29)16 (21.07)0 (0.00)14 (19.57)0 (0.00)12 (16.99)0 (0.00)1-1 (1.32)0 (0.00)5 (6.58)0 (0.00)5 (6.73)0 (0.00)14 (19.07)0 (0.00)5 (6.94)0 (0.00)2-2 (2.62)0 (0.00)0 (0.00)0 (0.00)2 (2.70)0 (0.00)9 (12.37)0 (0.00)7 (9.87)0 (0.00)3-1 (1.30)0 (0.00)1 (1.32)0 (0.00)5 (6.72)0 (0.00)10 (13.76)0 (0.00)7 (9.93)0 (0.00)4-3 (3.83)0 (0.00)3 (3.90)0 (0.00)3 (3.99)0 (0.00)7 (9.53)0 (0.00)7 (9.85)0 (0.00)5-3 (3.76)0 (0.00)7 (8.95)0 (0.00)7 (9.14)0 (0.00)7 (9.48)0 (0.00)3 (4.20)0 (0.00)6-8 (9.89)0 (0.00)4 (5.04)0 (0.00)10 (12.88)0 (0.00)5 (6.68)0 (0.00)6 (8.28)0 (0.00)7-3 (3.66)0 (0.00)8 (9.95)0 (0.00)9 (11.44)0 (0.00)6 (7.69)0 (0.00)8 (10.22)0 (0.00)8-4 (5.10)0 (0.00)5 (6.11)0 (0.00)11 (13.75)0 (0.00)15 (16.25)0 (0.00)8 (7.34)0 (0.00)9-6 (9.49)0 (0.00)7 (8.90)0 (0.00)6 (7.69)0 (0.00)16 (19.60)0 (0.00)11 (12.73)0 (0.00)10-72 (16.16)0 (0.00)82 (19.68)0 (0.00)107 (25.96)0 (0.00)147 (36.70)0 (0.00)116 (30.73)0 (0.00)15-320 (62.73)2 (0.39)346 (69.38)0 (0.00)396 (79.19)0 (0.00)570 (118.71)0 (0.00)497 (106.16)0 (0.00)20-444 (97.99)0 (0.00)492 (104.25)0 (0.00)506 (107.63)2 (0.43)662 (131.56)0 (0.00)577 (111.56)0 (0.00)25-432 (97.20)1 (0.23)438 (101.70)0 (0.00)490 (112.60)0 (0.00)511 (124.20)1 (0.24)467 (118.75)0 (0.00)30-495 (99.50)1 (0.20)452 (94.60)0 (0.00)464 (95.63)0 (0.00)493 (105.84)0 (0.00)486 (110.15)0 (0.00)35-514 (91.63)2 (0.36)475 (84.59)0 (0.00)472 (81.85)0 (0.00)536 (95.05)0 (0.00)526 (94.52)0 (0.00)40-465 (89.57)0 (0.00)451 (86.40)0 (0.00)471 (87.35)0 (0.00)533 (94.34)0 (0.00)501 (87.92)1 (0.18)45-365 (120.16)3 (0.99)338 (92.96)0 (0.00)391 (102.58)0 (0.00)475 (94.71)1 (0.20)497 (83.64)2 (0.34)50-308 (111.30)2 (0.72)236 (90.25)1 (0.38)205 (75.55)1 (0.37)323 (136.33)0 (0.00)329 (141.60)0 (0.00)55-317 (134.66)2 (0.85)314 (129.21)0 (0.00)335 (134.05)1 (0.40)396 (164.15)0 (0.00)378 (151.86)1 (0.40)60-356 (202.39)0 (0.00)345 (189.88)1 (0.55)376 (201.76)1 (0.54)438 (242.60)1 (0.55)473 (259.34)2 (1.10)65-379 (257.16)1 (0.68)316 (207.94)1 (0.66)336 (226.41)0 (0.00)448 (306.43)0 (0.00)432 (293.55)0 (0.00)70-341 (306.56)5 (4.50)292 (259.21)1 (0.89)320 (290.80)4 (3.64)399 (355.38)1 (0.89)350 (304.40)0 (0.00)75-201 (326.43)2 (3.25)170 (254.85)1 (1.50)195 (299.84)1 (1.54)218 (314.61)2 (2.89)239 (319.44)1 (1.34)80-75 (292.16)0 (0.00)53 (204.76)0 (0.00)79 (312.09)0 (0.00)86 (314.02)0 (0.00)85 (298.13)0 (0.00)85-14 (251.57)0 (0.00)17 (291.75)0 (0.00)15 (262.97)0 (0.00)31 (254.86)1 (8.50)28 (232.00)0 (0.00)SexMen3 179 (111.66)7 (0.25)2 952 (103.18)2 (0.07)3 123 (107.18)7 (0.24)3 787 (131.70)7 (0.24)3 547 (120.26)3 (0.10)Women1 962 (72.77)14 (0.52)1 916 (70.65)4 (0.15)2 109 (77.74)3 (0.11)2 582 (92.01)0 (0.00)2 508 (90.14)4 (0.14)OccupationFarmers and herdsmen3 441 (-)13 (-)3 329 (-)5 (-)3 558 (-)7 (-)4 328 (-)6 (-)4 249 (-)4 (-)Student354 (-)1 (-)383 (-)0 (-)475 (-)0 (-)685 (-)0 (-)592 (-)0 (-)Worker333 (-)1 (-)317 (-)0 (-)302 (-)0 (-)264 (-)0 (-)228 (-)0 (-)Attendant79 (-)0 (-)60 (-)0 (-)66 (-)0 (-)59 (-)0 (-)36 (-)0 (-)Teacher60 (-)1 (-)34 (-)0 (-)36 (-)0 (-)39 (-)0 (-)30 (-)0 (-)Medical personnel19 (-)0 (-)16 (-)0 (-)29 (-)0 (-)29 (-)0 (-)23 (-)0 (-)Unemployed and retirees855 (-)5 (-)729 (-)1 (-)766 (-)3 (-)965 (-)1 (-)897 (-)3 (-)Diagnostic categorySputum smear positive2 710 (-)12 (-)2 633 (-)5 (-)2 670 (-)5 (-)2 665 (-)6 (-)2 326 (-)5 (-)Bacterium negative1 431 (-)6 (-)1 328 (-)1 (-)1 582 (-)4 (-)2 164 (-)0 (-)2 374 (-)2 (-)No detection in sputum974 (-)3 (-)900 (-)0 (-)958 (-)1 (-)1 528 (-)1 (-)1 333 (-)0 (-)Only germiculture positive26 (-)0 (-)7 (-)0 (-)22 (-)0 (-)12 (-)0 (-)22 (-)0 (-)Fig. 2Annual incidence of tuberculosis in Qinghai Province, China, 2009-2013. The areas of high annual incidence of TB were mainly concentrated in south-western Qinghai, with the top three counties being Maduo, Jiuzhi, and ZaduoFig. 3Monthly incidence rates of TB in Qinghai Province, China, from January 2009 to December 2013. The TB incidence rate showed significant periodicity and seasonality, reaching a seasonal peak around April and decreasing to a trough in December. TB, tuberculosisTable 2Descriptive statistics for meteorological variables in Qinghai Province, China, from July 2008 to December 2013District, cityMeteorological variablesMeanStandard deviationMinimumMaximumTotalMAT (°C)5.08.9-13.420.4MP (mm)35.339.40.0195.1MSH (hours)218.931.899.6307.9MAWS (m/s)1.50.50.13.5XiningMAT (°C)6.19.1-11.218.8MP (mm)35.436.80.0147.7MSH (hours)217.729.5151.9289.6MAWS (m/s)1.00.20.71.8HaidongMAT (°C)7.89.1-9.920.4MP (mm)28.630.40.0128.9MSH (hours)222.227.9156.6282.2MAWS (m/s)2.00.41.02.6HainanMAT (°C)5.68.8-9.818.8MP (mm)28.031.30.0101.4MSH (hours)238.328.1176.6303.8MAWS (m/s)1.60.50.73.5HaibeiMAT (°C)2.19.1-13.414.9MP (mm)41.042.70.0195.1MSH (hours)206.224.4133.1262.3MAWS (m/s)1.50.40.62.5HaixiMAT (°C)5.09.7-11.819.5MP (mm)21.030.00.0124.2MSH (hours)243.328.1192.1307.9MAWS (m/s)1.60.50.92.6HuangnanMAT (°C)7.18.3-8.719.2MP (mm)36.137.70.0144.2MSH (hours)209.730.0121.3278.6MAWS (m/s)1.10.30.11.6GuoluoMAT (°C)0.97.8-12.812.4MP (mm)47.350.70.0169.5MSH (hours)210.834.699.6285.5MAWS (m/s)1.80.41.22.7YushuMAT (°C)5.17.8-7.719.2MP (mm)44.944.80.0159.8MSH (hours)202.926.3132.9274.1MAWS (m/s)1.30.40.82.5*MAT* monthly average temperature, *MP* monthly precipitation, *MSH* monthly total sunshine hours, *MAWS* monthly average wind speed
Spatial autocorrelation analysis of TB incidence {#Sec11}
------------------------------------------------
The global Moran's *I* values of each year at the county level were high, ranging from 0.40 to 0.58 (all *P-*values \< 0.05), which indicated that the counties with high TB incidence tended to be adjacent to the districts with high TB incidence, and that the counties with low TB incidence tended to be adjacent to the districts with low TB incidence (Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}). LISA analysis revealed 11 counties with a significantly high-high spatial clustering and 17 counties with a significantly low-low spatial clustering of TB annual incidence in the five-year period. The high-high clustering areas were mainly concentrated around the cities of Yushu and Guoluo, such as Chengduo, Maduo, Qumalai, and Dari counties, with an average annual incidence of 294/100 000. The low-low clustering areas were concentrated in Xining city and surrounding areas, as well as in several counties of Haixi city, such as Mangya, Lenghu, and Dachaidan, with an average incidence of 68/100 000 (Fig. [5](#Fig5){ref-type="fig"}).Fig. 4Moran scatter plot for the annual incidence of tuberculosis in Qinghai Province, China, 2009-2013. The horizontal axis shows the standardized incidence of the counties, and the vertical axis indicates the spatial lag factors; the linear slope is the Moran's *I*Fig. 5LISA significance map and cluster map for annual tuberculosis incidence in Qinghai Province, China, 2009-2013. The high risk areas were mainly concentrated in the cities of Yushu and Guoluo, while the low incidence districts were mainly distributed in the cities of Xining and Haixi. LISA, local indicators of spatial association
Spatial panel analysis of meteorological factors {#Sec12}
------------------------------------------------
TB is a chronic infectious disease with a certain amount of time lag between the influencing factors and the disease. We used the meteorological factors with a 0- to 6-month lag from the incidence of TB to fit the simple linear model and classical panel data models. The associations between TB incidence and meteorological factors with a 3-month lag were found to have the best goodness of fit. Subsequently, we examined the individual effects of spatial cities by using the *Hausman*-test and *F*-test; as a result, a significant fixed effect of each city was found (*P* \< 0.001). The Durbin-Watson statistic and Moran's *I* (*P* \< 0.001) indicated a spatial autocorrelation in error term. The Lagrange multiplier (LM) test showed that the spatial lag effect was more significant than the spatial error effect (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}). Therefore, we finally used the spatial lag fixed effects panel data model to examine the associations between TB incidence and meteorological factors.Table 3Results of the classical panel data models for the log of TB incidence with meteorological factors of a 3-month lagFactorsSimple linear regressionFixed effects modelRandom effects modelCoefficient*t*-value*P*-valueCoefficient*t*-value*P*-valueCoefficient*t*-value*P*-valueConstant1.009710.42\<0.00011.036712.27\<0.0001MAT (°C)-0.0195-10.03\<0.0001-0.0059-4.96\<0.0001-0.0060-5.12\<0.0001MP (mm)0.00245.07\<0.0001-0.0008-2.770.0060-0.0007-2.630.0090MSH (hours)-0.0011-2.560.0110-0.0003-1.100.2720-0.0003-1.140.2570MAWS (m/s)0.14415.94\<0.00010.03201.930.05500.03392.050.0410Log likelihood1.92328.57AIC0.01-1.32SC0.06-1.21F-statistic193.90\<0.0001H-statistic10.410.0340LM lag14.14\<0.000139.40\<0.0001Robust LM lag161.22\<0.000121.00\<0.0001LM error34.13\<0.000135.93\<0.0001Robust LM error181.21\<0.000117.54\<0.0001Moran's *I*0.206.07\<0.00010.206.20\<0.0001*TB* tuberculosis, *MAT* monthly average temperature, *MP* monthly precipitation, *MSH* monthly total sunshine hours, *MAWS* monthly average wind speed, *AIC* Akaike information criterion, *SC* Schwarz Criterion, *H-statistic* Hausman-statistic, *LM* Lagrange multiplier
The result showed that the background incidence of each city was different; the highest and lowest background incidences were found in Guoluo city (12.88/100 000) and Haixi city (2.75/100 000), respectively (Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}). The spatial autocorrelation coefficient was 0.30, meaning that a spatial spillover phenomenon existed; the TB incidence of the study city increased 1 time when the TB incidence of adjacent cities increased 9 times and other influencing factors were kept constant. The regression coefficients of MAT, MP, and MAWS were all statistically significant (all *P*-values \< 0.05), with each 10 °C, 2 cm, and 1 m/s increase in temperature, precipitation, and wind speed being associated with 9 % and 3 % decrements and a 7 % increment in the TB incidence, respectively (Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}).Table 4Results for spatial individual effects of each city by using the spatial panel data modelCitiesIntercept term (*μ* ~*i*~)Background incidence (1/100 000)CitiesIntercept term (*μ* ~*i*~)Background incidence (1/100 000)Haixi0.442.75Hainan0.705.01Xining0.513.24Haibei0.796.17Haidong0.573.72Yushu1.0912.30Huangnan0.644.37Guoluo1.1112.88Table 5Results of the spatial panel data model for the log of TB incidence with meteorological factors of a 3-month lagFactorsCoefficient95 % CIs of coefficients*P*-valueMAT (°C)-0.0040-0.0063, -0.0017\<0.0001MP (mm)-0.0006-0.0011, -0.00010.0250MSH (hours)-0.0002-0.0007, 0.00020.2680MAWS (m/s)0.03090.0001, 0.06180.0490*ρ*0.29970.2003, 0.3992\<0.0001*TB* tuberculosis, *CI* confidence interval, *MAT* monthly average temperature, *MP* monthly precipitation, *MSH* monthly total sunshine hours, *MAWS* monthly average wind speed, *ρ* spatial autocorrelation coefficient
Discussion {#Sec13}
==========
In our study, we used the data of TB from the CISDCP to analyse the characteristics of the TB incidence in Qinghai province. The incidence of TB in Qinghai province showed clear periodic and seasonal features in the colder winter and spring months, similar to the patterns of epidemic regularity reported in Beijing \[[@CR5]\] and Shandong \[[@CR2]\], China, and in India \[[@CR36], [@CR37]\] and Mongolia \[[@CR38]\]. In our study, it was shown that the TB incidence was higher in elders than in young people, with farmers and herdsmen at particularly high risks (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}), which supported the notion of TB pathogenesis regularity \[[@CR39]\]. Moreover, the TB incidence in regions with relatively poor economic conditions and high altitudes has been shown to be high, potentially owning to differences in the ethnicity, medical and health conditions, and economic and educational levels of the residents. Additionally, the local environment and climatic conditions may also influence the incidence of TB \[[@CR37], [@CR40]--[@CR43]\]. Thus, in Qinghai, the farmers and herdsmen living in the regions with cold climate and high altitudes should be made aware of the high risk of TB occurrence.
The incidence and spatial autocorrelation differ, but are associated in some regards. A higher incidence reflects higher epidemic strength. Spatial autocorrelation describes the relationship of incidence between one region and the surrounding areas and is based on incidence and overall consideration of regional geographical, human, and environmental factors. In our study, we chose Moran's *I* to analyse the spatial autocorrelation. It showed a positive correlation within regions, and the correlation displayed an increasing tendency year by year, indicating that the distribution of TB in Qinghai is not random, with obvious spatial clusters. These results are consistent with previously published studies \[[@CR2], [@CR11], [@CR37], [@CR40]\].
Spatial clustering analysis has suggested that classical multiple linear regression analysis is not suitable for exploration of TB risk factors at the ecological level. Thus, this method should be combined with a spatial statistical model to explore the risk factors \[[@CR25]\]. A panel data model can be directly used to assess the differences between regions, control for individual heterogeneity, and present more reasonable results. However, this model does not consider the spatial autocorrelation in the study area. Accordingly, a spatial panel data model combining spatial metrology with the panel data model was used in our study. This model takes the individual effects and spatial autocorrelation into consideration, which could result in better use of the spatiotemporal information from infectious diseases surveillance data \[[@CR24], [@CR26]\]. In a spatial panel data model, the introduction of a spatial individual effect can correct deviations caused by unobserved variables, and the use of a spatial weight matrix can illustrate the spatial correlation and reflect the interaction between regions \[[@CR34]\]. Moreover, the modelling estimation is more effective and could help us research unknown variables in depth.
Some studies have reported that the average incubation period of TB ranges from four to eight weeks, with a two-month interval from the symptom appearance to medical diagnosis \[[@CR6]\]. Accordingly, we created a fitting model with a 3-month lag \[[@CR44]--[@CR46]\]. The results showed that the combined data using the traditional method would overstate the influence of the meteorological factors, because the effect is different in different regions. Conversely, the spatial panel data model reduced error occurrence and increased the goodness of fit. The spatial autocorrelation coefficient was 0.30, which indicated that the introduction of the spatial lag dependent variable could reasonably explain the spatial autocorrelation. Further, the regression coefficients of MAT and MP were negative, while that of MAWS was positive, suggesting that with increasing MAT and MP, the incidence of TB decreases exponentially. Conversely, with increasing MAWS, the incidence increases exponentially. These result are in accordance with the findings of previous studies, such as those by Li et al. \[[@CR6]\] and Naranbat et al. \[[@CR38]\].
In cold condition, especially in the winter, most people stay indoors for a long time, hence, once someone releases bacteria into the environment, elderly and immunocompromised populations are at particularly high risk of infection because of the poor ventilation. Moreover, some studies have shown a relationship between vitamin D levels and TB incidence \[[@CR38]\]. Fewer outdoor activities and less exposure time to sunlight result in decreased synthesis of vitamin D in the human body. In turn, this may increase the risk of TB infection \[[@CR6], [@CR47]\]. In the traditional view, TB infection is mainly caused by bacteria in the sputum. When the sputum gets dry, bacteria are expelled into the air and enter other people's respiratory systems. With increasing rainfalls, the air humidity increases and the transmission of aerosols decreases. Hence, the risk of bacteria entering the respiratory system is decreased, as is the incidence of TB.
In summary, we found that the spread of TB in Qinghai province is not random, but rather present obvious spatial clustering. The use of spatial statistic methods may offer necessary feedback in terms of the prevalence nature and epidemic characteristics of TB in various regions, and may consequently result in public health officials providing TB control and developing novel prevention strategies. In this study, we quantified the relationship between TB and meteorological factors using a spatial panel data model on the basis of panel data for the first time. A spatial panel data model is appropriate if longitudinal data of multiple units are available and if spatial autocorrelation exists. This model has a better model fitting and provides more precise effect size estimation. Additionally, as meteorological factors obviously affect the TB incidence in Qinghai province, future strategies of TB control and prevention should consider climate variations.
However, there are some limitations in the present study that are worth mentioning. First, as it is difficult to collect meteorological data of each county, our analysis was initiated at the city level. Second, the temperature, precipitation, sunshine hours, and wind speed are not the only meteorological factors affecting TB distribution. Therefore, additional county-level factors, such as atmospheric pressure, average vapour pressure, and average relative humidity, will be taken into consideration in our future study.
Conclusions {#Sec14}
===========
Our study found that high-high clustering areas of TB incidence were mainly concentrated in the southwest, while low-low clustering areas were found mainly in eastern and north-western Qinghai. The TB incidence was positively associated with the temperature, precipitation, and wind speed after adjusting for spatial heterogeneity and spatial correlation in Qinghai province.
Ethics and consent {#Sec15}
------------------
The Ethics Review Board of the Qinghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention was consulted, since the project used only surveillance data, confirmed that ethics approval was not required because the data did not contain any personal or health information that could be connected back to the original identifiers.
Additional file {#Sec16}
===============
Additional file 1:Multilingual abstracts in the six official working languages of the United Nations. (PDF 406 kb)
LISA
: local indicators of spatial association
MAT
: monthly average temperature
MAWS
: monthly average wind speed
MP
: monthly precipitation
MSH
: monthly total sunshine hours
TB
: tuberculosis
**Competing interests**
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
**Authors' contributions**
LQ and HR conceived and designed the study. YM, YS, BM, and ZW collected the data. HR, XZ, WR, and XW performed the statistical analysis. HR, XZ, LZ, JY, and HW prepared the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors have no external support of funding to report. This study was supported by the Qinghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The authors gratefully acknowledge the staff involved in TB surveillance at all participating levels in Qinghai province, China.
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A web developer might need to have dozens of skills and areas of knowledge, but nothing is as central to web development work as the actual design and layout of pages. As the web and HTML have evolved, new technologies and techniques have emerged, therefore there are many ways to build a page. Topics covered in this part of the book (Part II, "Design with Dreamweaver") include using tables for page layout and the Dreamweaver page layout aids; designing and working with forms; designing frame-based pages; and using layers for page layout.
This chapter discusses some general issues of page design, including usability, navigation, methods of page layout, page composition issues, and use of color.
Web sites are for users. Whether strictly informational or interactive, whether commercial or non-profit, a site's entire purpose and reason for existing is to enable the end user to get his information, do what he needs to do, and leave. If his experience has been good, he may well return; if it has been frustrating or fruitless, the site will probably never see him again.
There is a strong tendency for web developers to lose this perspective. Many who work in this field are artistic; many love technology for its own sake. And although artwork can be delightful, and technical wizardry fascinating, most users are not using the web in hopes of being impressed by prowess in these areas.
Jakob Nielsen, a widely respected authority on web usability, suggests in his book Designing Web Usability (Published by New Riders) that there are four main areas of focus with regard to providing a positive user experience; these criteria can be described using the acronym HOME:
High-quality content
Often updated
Minimal download time
Ease of use
There is no simple method for designing a web site with all of these criteria given high priority. Instead, the web developer should think in these terms as he makes each decision, large or small, in the design of both the site structure as a whole and the individual pages.
Testing web sites, even very informally, can be extremely informative and valuable to the designer. Take every opportunity possible to just watch someone use your web site. Resist the urge to give any instructions or information about the site, but allow your tester to explore it on her own, or possibly look for a piece of information to accomplish something, while you look on. Because we as designers know how to find something, watching someone else attempt to find something can be an eye-opening experience with the potential to encourage a rethink about the way web sites are built.
Nielsen's first two criteria, with regard to content, are beyond the scope of this chapter. "Minimal download time" is an unquestioned essential and is by far the most violated of all basic web design principles. Keeping download time at its lowest is a challenge that arises in almost every aspect of site and page design and is discussed throughout this book.
His last criterion, "ease of use," covers a broad range of theory and practice. Essentially, the user should never need an explanation as to how your web site works; navigation and all other interactive functions should be entirely intuitive. The designer's job is to think the way a multitude of users are most likely to think, and to create a site that makes accomplishing tasks as smooth and easy as possible. Ease of use is a concept that has numerous concrete applications and should never be far from the designer's mind when creating any aspect of a web site's user interface. The remainder of this chapter touches on this subject in various ways.
By its very nature, the web demands its own very distinctive theory, protocols, and techniques with regard to navigation.
Although print media has always had navigational systems and its own traditions tables of contents, indexes, and even the Dewey Decimal System, for instance most of these systems have been fully developed for centuries. Because books have been used for hundred of years, and the methods for assisting the user to find information in books have developed slowly over vast periods of time, consideration of navigation was just not the urgent priority it has become on the web.
The sheer size of the web with its billions of documents, the very newness of it as a medium, and the emphasis on efficiency and speed of the typical web user all produce a demand for easily navigated web sites.
Without a good navigational system, a web site is an almost useless, unordered collection of documents; with a good navigational system, a web site's value vastly increases.
A web site's navigational system is connected directly to the site's actual structure what information is placed on what pages, and how the pages are linked. In its best and purest form, navigation is a visual representation of the user's current location and options for movement in relation to the site's information structure.
Even the best visual representation is not much use, if it represents an information structure that is difficult to understand and use. Therefore, good site navigation must always begin with careful planning.
For even the smallest web site, planning the information structure should precede any graphic design or page layout work. Careful consideration at this point in the process can pay off many times over later in the site production process; no amount of attractive visuals or cutting-edge techniques can compensate for a chaotic site structure.
A web developer in the role of site structure designer needs to find out the full scope of information and services the site needs to provide, and aim for the ideal organization of categories and subcategories. This type of planning can often benefit from flowchart-type diagramming, whether using special software for this purpose, handfuls of sticky notes, or even pencil and paper (see Figure 8.1).
As previously said, every aspect of web site development needs to be considered primarily from the point of view of the user. The goal is always to provide a positive user experience. It is crucial for the web developer to remember that his own perspective, and that of his colleagues, can differ significantly from that of a typical web user.
During the process of information structure design, however, the client himself often can benefit from some consciousness-raising as well. In particular, an all-too-common pitfall can be the tendency for the representatives of a company to want to structure a site according to the company's own departmental organization, or at least according to its own ways of thinking about itself. As any marketing expert can attest, however, the end user/customer usually has a very different way of thinking about a company's products and services; it is critical to a site's success that its information be ordered in a way that makes sense first and foremost to the user.
Anyone who has used the web can confirm that countless types of navigation systems exist; the designer has an almost limitless range of choices. However, the web designer whose goal is to produce a site that users love to use will follow certain basic principles:
Navigation should be based on a carefully planned site information structure.
The user should always know what site he is on a logo or other identifier should appear on every page, ideally in the same location.
Navigation controls the text or graphic links should be obvious on the page and clear as to their function.
The user should always know where he is in relation to other areas of the local site, a clear communication that "you are here." This should include his specific location in the site hierarchy; for instance, if he is two levels away from the site's start page, this should be clear (see Figure 8.2).
Each page's navigation links should make clear where the user can go from where he currently is.
Ideally, even on a very large site, the visitor should be able to reach the destination of his choice within two or three clicks.
When graphic elements are used for links, secondary text navigation should be provided somewhere on the page for the non-graphical-browser user.
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The function and appearance of individual links is discussed in more detail in Chapter 6, "Links and Navigation."
Web developers sometimes tend to fall prey to the notion that users are weary of the "same old thing" with regard to navigation systems. However, one only needs to talk to a small cross-section of actual web users to confirm that just the opposite is true. Typical users (web designers excepted) simply do not go to the web hoping to find pages whose navigation systems are flashy, mysterious, or cutting-edge; just the opposite is true. In the vast majority of situations, users go to the Internet to get information and accomplish tasks. An ideal navigation system, from the user's point of view, is almost transparent, a humble servant: there exactly when he needs it, but never drawing attention to itself.
When graphical browsers first appeared, they didn't offer any page layout control. Text could be placed into paragraphs, headings, lists, and a few other formatting features, and images could be set to appear inline. But regardless, all elements started at the upper-left corner of the browser and proceeded left-to-right in lines down the page; there was no other way to arrange page elements (see Figure 8.3). Web site designers, accustomed to the measure of freedom and control over layout possible in print media, created a demand for page layout features that was soon met, initially by tables.
Since that time, both the HTML specification and the support of major browsers for complex features has grown and developed significantly. Nowadays, the web designer can choose from a number of different ways to place images, text, and other elements on a web page, and design possibilities are almost limitless.
As of yet, however, no one content layout method gives the perfect combination of browser compatibility and flexibility. The various methods each have strengths and weaknesses. Some designers choose one method of page layout and use it almost exclusively, but the strongest approach is to become familiar with each tool and use it in the situations for which it is best suited.
Some web developers even use several of these layout tools on a single page to very good effect, but the ability to do this well is based on a thorough knowledge and lots of experience.
Basic table formatting was among the early additions to the original web browsers, and all major browsers have supported at least the simplest table tags since version 1.1 of Netscape. Although originally intended for laying out rows and columns of data, tables were soon being used for a very different purpose: to place elements more precisely within a page (see Figure 8.4).
As of this writing, tables still represent a viable and useful page layout option, compatible with even very old browsers. But they are definitely not a quick-and-easy solution: To use tables well, you must be willing to spend time learning to understand their many quirks and limitations.
Dreamweaver provides a complete set of table-building features that make building this type of page extremely quick and convenient. Designing with tables is covered in detail in Chapter 9, "Building Tables."
Frames are sometimes treated as a newcomer to the scene, when in fact both major browsers have supported them for several years, since Netscape 2 and Internet Explorer 3. They are included in the HTML 4.0 specification.
The use of frames enables you to specify rectangular areas of a browser window into which new, smaller pages of content can be loaded and reloaded, independently of each other. The most common use of this involves placing elements such as navigation bars and headers into frames, with page content appearing in a separate frame; the content frame can then be reloaded without disrupting the other frames. In this way, static elements need to be loaded only one time and stay in view as you navigate through various content pages (see Figure 8.5).
Frames allow a kind of flexibility that is hard to duplicate with any other method of page layout. However, some drawbacks are worth mentioning:
Users often find frame sites confusing to navigate.
Individual frames cannot be bookmarked.
If not handled carefully, frame sites can be difficult for search engines to index.
Still, the designer who understands frames and uses them carefully can produce some striking and useful designs. Designing with frames is covered in detail in Chapter 11, "Working with Forms."
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Framesets are the HTML documents that describe how individual frames (also HTML documents) are to display in the browser.
First, it's important to clarify some concepts and terminology with regard to the word layers.
Netscape introduced the <layer> element starting with Netscape 4. This is a Netscape-specific tag that has never become part of the HTML specification; its use is discouraged and later versions of Netscape have discontinued support of the tag. None of the discussions here or in Chapter 14, "Using Layers for PageLayout>," refer to the use of this proprietary element.
The term layer does not appear in any HTML or CSS specification.
Dreamweaver offers a tool/concept referred to as layers that is completely unrelated to the Netscape tag described in this list. Dreamweaver layers are actually <div> elements positioned with inline CSS.
Dreamweaver layers are distant relatives of the CSS technique referred to as CSS-P or CSS Positioning. Both use <div> tags to define rectangular elements, and both use CSS declarations to specify the properties of these <div> elements. However, CSS-P takes the concept further (as discussed later in this chapter).
Dreamweaver layers can be an extremely useful tool when used properly. However, inexperienced users, wishing that page elements could simply be "dragged and dropped" onto a web page the way they can in print layout applications, sometimes turn to them as a convenient shortcut; this is not a good use for layers. Their drawbacks and quirks make them a poor substitute for either tables-based layouts or CSS-P.
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Layers should not be used as an easy shortcut to page layout. A rule of thumb when choosing between tables and Dreamweaver layers is this: If the design can be accomplished using tables, they are a much better choice, in that they are much more widely supported by the browsers. Layers should be used only if and when your design involves DHTML or timeline animation, or for other reasons that can be accomplished only with layers.
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For a detailed treatment of Dreamweaver layers, see Chapter 14.
CSS Positioning, or CSS-P, is part of the CSS 2 Specification, which is a full recommendation of the W3C. As of this writing, the major browser vendors have failed to implement significant portions of the CSS 2 specification, but positioning is fairly well supported.
Important points to remember about CSS-P include the following:
Provides a way to achieve the functionality of the proprietary <layer> element with the <div> tag and style sheets.
Allows the separation of structure and presentation, which is central to the theory upon which HTML is built (see Figure 8.5).
Can be used to build page layouts that are easily manipulated and updated from a single linked style sheet
Can be used to build flexible, "liquid" page layouts
Lends itself very well to creating handicapped-accessible pages
Avoids the page-loading delays associated with table-based layouts
Although supported partially by Internet Explorer 4.x and later, and Netscape 4.x and later, should be tested thoroughly on numerous browsers and platforms.
See Chapter 14 for further discussion of CSS-P.
Business Name: 10 Digit Tender, Inc.
URL: http://YouNeedaWebstore.com
How did you get started in web design? What has your learning process been like? What kind of work are you currently doing?
I began web design when I took over an unfinished site for the company for which I was working at the time. I wound up scrapping it and starting all over, using Dreamweaver and learning as I went.
My learning process has been mostly by designing and reverse engineering, as opposed to by books or classes. I learned what works and what doesn't by personal experience, playing with code, and examining the works of others I have found through the Macromedia Dreamweaver and UltraDev newsgroups.
Currently I am creating e-commerce and database sites, as well as standard "brochureware" sites.
What hardware and software do you use in your work?
I work on a Windows 2000 Pro laptop networked to a Windows 98 desktop with cable modem Internet access for both, and use an Olympus digital camera, a Visioneer scanner, and an Epson color printer. My software includes Dreamweaver 4 and UltraDev 4 for web design (I keep both on the system), Fireworks 4 with a BladePro plugin for graphics, eyedropper for color matching, SnagIt32 for screen captures and some image editing, CuteFTP for file transfers, and of course my own handcoded software (registry utilities) for disaster prevention and recovery.
What are some characteristics of web pages that you consider to be well-designed?
For me, navigation is what it's all about. When I first started out as a newbie, I used "mystery meat" navigation, which looks cool but is user-unfriendly. I no longer do that. A site rarely has what I want on its home page, so where do I go from there? If I have to look for more than a few seconds to figure out how to get to what I need, then that site begins to irritate me. We have become a world that requires instant gratification, and a designer should take that into consideration.
A well-designed site has something that has a degree of familiarity to it. Even on sites with outlandish color schemes or graphics, if there is a sense of order or balance to it, I might consider it well-designed. Or if the site is, visually-speaking, as dull as dishwater, yet has that sense of familiarity that invites me back, that too might qualify as well-designed. That sense of familiarity includes the navigation structure, but really it is much more. Whether the layout or the lines or amount of white space, or even the size and placement of the logo, something on the page has to say, "Stay awhile. You have friends here."
Do you primarily use tables, frames, layers, CSS Positioning, or some combination? Which direction do you plan to move in?
I use a combination of these, with frames and CSS Positioning being used less than layers and tables. Although some people have a predisposition to avoid frames, I don't. Sometimes they are the best solution for a project. Nevertheless, I primarily use layers and tables, and almost always tables within layers.
I plan to use CSS Positioning a bit more, but I might wait to see what sort of improved integration with CSS Dreamweaver will provide in future releases.
What trends on the web and in the web designer's work do you see as important?
Netscape dying an ignominious death, falling off the edge of the Earth, is the most important Web trend for which I look. My productivity would zoom if I didn't have to deal with Netscape-related issues.
Beyond that, the rush to standardization, although important, really won't affect me personally in the near term. I enjoy using CSS and as far as this web designer is concerned, that is the trend that's most important.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in web design?
Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty with code. You can create decent-looking sites using a tool such as Dreamweaver, but unless you look under the hood of the car, (look at the code), you will have learned little. The sense of accomplishment you will have after receiving your "aha!" epiphany will be far greater than the satisfaction of making a handsome and functional web site.
The basic unit of a web site is the HTML document the page; a user is generally looking at a single page at a time. Although the structure of a site and its navigation system are very important to the user experience, the layout of the individual pages also is crucial. You have already read about the techniques by which pages are composed using tables, frames, layers, or CSS positioning; this section discusses a few of the pertinent issues and considerations in page composition design.
The web designer's canvas is the browser window's viewport, the rectangular area available for displaying web content. This canvas, sometimes described as screen real estate, is valuable space. You have this finite number of pixels to present your message, and it is wise to carefully consider and plan how to use each part of it.
Always remember these few basics concerning the use of screen real estate:
Because of the way HTML documents load in the browser window, the top and the left portions of the document are the first to come in view; this renders the top and left areas more important than farther to the right or farther down on the page.
The portion of a document that fits into the user's browser window upon loading is far more valuable than any portion he has to scroll to see. Users generally will scroll vertically, although sometimes grudgingly; after all, web pages are scroll-like documents and are expected to reach beyond the bottom of the browser window. However, user testing has shown that users strongly dislike scrolling horizontally. Don't ask your users to scroll horizontally.
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A cardinal rule of page layout: Don't ask the user to scroll horizontally. An exception is sometimes made for the very lowest resolution settings, such as 640x480, which are becoming quite uncommon, and whose users are accustomed to horizontal scrolling.
Users come to your web site for content, and the majority of a page's available space should be filled with relevant, useful content.
Repeating content such as headers, navigation bars, and footers is important to the cohesiveness of a site, but it shouldn't take up a large percentage of each page. Also these elements should load in exactly the same location on each page, so that the user doesn't have a visually jarring sensation when moving from page to page.
The web was designed as a platform-independent medium; ideally, web pages should be viewable in some acceptable form using any type of device, from giant monitors to handheld devices. At the very least, designers must be sure that pages display properly at all the most common resolution settings for desktop and laptop computer monitors.
New web designers often ask how to design their pages "so that they will look good on any size monitor"; this represents some errors in thinking. The size of the monitor is not the issue; what matters are the resolution setting and the browser window size.
A user with a 21-inch monitor set at an 800x600 pixel resolution will see your web page looking the same as a user with a 15-inch monitor set at 800x600, assuming that both have the browser window maximized. The lucky user with the 21-inch monitor will just see it a lot larger; he won't see any more content.
So it isn't of any use to talk about the size of the monitor. However, an issue beyond the resolution setting also needs to be considered: the size of the browser window itself. A browser window can be resized by the user to any dimensions he desires, of course, by dragging the edges of the window with his cursor. Although some users keep the browser window maximized, many do not (see Figure 8.6). Especially with larger monitors with higher resolution settings, it just isn't necessary to run programs maximized; the desktop space that isn't being used for the browser can be used for other purposes. Suppose, for example, that a user has his monitor resolution set to 1024x768 pixels, but his browser window resized to about 800 pixels wide and 600 pixels in height; he will see your web page the same way as the two previously mentioned users.
As of this writing, the majority of Internet users are using an 800x600 pixel resolution setting. A much smaller but fast-growing group uses 1024x768 pixels. A very small and fast-shrinking group has the monitor set to 640x480 pixels. The users with the higher resolution settings do not always maximize the browser window, and so need to be considered along with the group with the lower resolution settings.
Another important factor in this discussion is that pages can be designed so that they are liquid or flexible and accommodate themselves to the size of the user's browser window viewport, as opposed to fixed-width pages (see Figure 8.7). This is the ideal solution, and a way to achieve it is discussed in Chapter 9. Even when designing flexible pages, however, in most cases a design will look better at one size than another, and the designer needs to decide for whom to optimize the design. Therefore, assuming that the designer wants to please the largest number of users, while not ignoring any, the issue of how many are browsing at what window size is still very relevant.
One last consideration is the fact that browser windows contain chrome the toolbars, status bars, gray edges, and scrollbars, which take up screen pixels. So even those with the browser window set to 800 pixels wide do not have the full 800 pixels for viewing your web page (see Figure 8.8).
At the time of this writing, the best suggestion is to design pages to be flexible, and that pages fit without scrolling into a browser width of less than 800 pixels. To allow for the browser chrome, use about 760 pixels. Pages should look good at about 1024 pixels wide as well, this being the second-most-common window size, and one that is growing rapidly. And pages should look good, or at least respectable, at 640 pixels wide. The most relevant content should be placed at the top and left of the page, and if some scrolling is required, it's probably acceptable to 640x480 resolution users.
New web designers often ask, "How can I control the way the fonts on my page will display for the user, so that he can't resize them and break my design?" The only way to do this is by turning the text into graphics. Even when text size is specified by CSS in pixels, the user can override the setting in some browsers. This is a difficult reality that designers need to be aware of; page designs must be built so that they still display well when the text size is altered. However, there's a good reason for the browsers giving the user this capability: those with visual impairments need to be able to choose a text size that works for them.
As powerful as images can be as a page layout tool, some restraint is advised in their use for several reasons:
Every image used adds to page download time; large images can add significantly.
Pages based on images are more difficult to make accessible to the less-common user agents (devices used to view the web) such as speech browsers and handheld devices.
Heavy use of images makes building flexible pages much more difficult.
Heavy use of images makes accommodating user changes in text size (see the last item in the preceding list) much more difficult.
White space is a term used in the print media industry for empty space on a page; note that white space can be of any color. Far from being wasted space, white space serves important purposes. One use for white space is just separating page elements. However, a more important use is related to the way people see and read; white space provides a much-needed "rest" from the visual busy-ness of most pages. Good use of white space can make a page much more pleasant to look at and easier to read (see Figure 8.9).
The use of color can make or break a web site. A consistent and well thought out color scheme sets the mood, establishes visual cohesiveness, and draws the user's eye as needed. Bad color choices too many colors, inconsistent use of colors, colors with too much or not enough contrast make the site look amateurish and hurts its usability. From a practical standpoint, web designers also have to decide whether to limit their choices to web-safe colors.
The color wheel, like that shown in Figure 8.10 and in the chapter_08 folder on the accompanying CD, is an important design tool when choosing a color scheme. Relationships between colors become apparent when viewed in this structure. And choosing a good color scheme is all about determining relationships.
These are the principal characteristics of any color. Hue is the perceived color red, purple, green, and gold. Saturation refers to the intensity of the color a bright fire-engine red as opposed to a dusky rose color, for instance. Adding gray desaturates colors. Brightness refers to the amount of black added fire-engine red compared to a deep, heavy maroon. When mixing colors for a color scheme, you usually want to choose colors that contrast in more than just hue.
The basic mood of a site can be determined by whether it primarily uses warm or cool colors. Warm colors are the colors of fire oranges, golds, reds, and yellows. Warm colors can be inviting and cozy, or assertive and in-your-face, demanding attention. Cool colors are the colors of water and air blues, greens, and turquoises. Cool colors can be restful and recessive, or even aloof, crisp, distant.
When two colors have hues that lie opposite one another on the color wheel, they are said to be complementary, and have a very strong visual impact together. Two complementary colors of equal brightness and saturation, placed up against each other, will be very jarring. They might even appear to "dance" where they meet. Two colors with complementary hues, but differing brightness and saturation values, will look as if they were made for one another. A bright, sharp turquoise and deep, dark maroon; a deep, rich blue and pale, muted gold; these are the start of a wonderful color scheme.
One popular method of using complementary colors to create a color scheme is to choose several variations of color from a particular area of the color wheel differing shades of gold and brown, for instance; and offset them with one choice from the opposite side of the wheel, like a bright sky blue.
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Dreamweaver offers two tools to help set up and implement a cohesive color scheme. Choose Commands > Set Color Scheme to apply one of dozens of pre-defined color schemes to your page. If you don't trust your ability to choose color wisely, this can be an inspiring place to start learning. After you've chosen your site's color scheme, the Assets panel can help you keep track of your colors, through its color category. See Chapter 22, "Local Site Management," for a full discussion of the Assets panel.
In the print world, designers are limited by the colors their available inks can reproduce. Web designers aren't limited by ink, but have to consider other limiting factors when choosing colors.
A web-safe color is one that appears without dithering in Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer on both Windows and Macintosh systems running in 256-color mode; 216 colors are commonly considered to be web-safe. Dithering is a pattern like a tiny checkerboard made up of a combination of two colors in an attempt to approximate a third color, which the system is incapable of displaying.
On newer monitors using 24-bit True Color, colors other than the web-safe colors don't present a problem; these systems can display more than 16 million colors accurately. As more and more of these monitors come into use, and the old machines running 256 colors are retired, ignoring the web-safe palette is becoming a viable option. Many designers opt to use custom non-web-safe colors, deciding that possible display problems for a small percentage of users is an acceptable risk for the benefit of being able to choose from a rainbow of colors. However, the jury is definitely still out; many designers think that it is important to restrict themselves to the 216 web-safe colors.
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As you're using the Dreamweaver color picker, be aware that the color cubes and Continuous Tone color palettes offer web-safe colors. The Windows OS, Mac OS, and Grayscale palettes are not web-safe. If you are using one of these, and then choose Snap to Web-Safe, the selected color will be replaced with the closest web-safe color. (See Chapter 2, "Setting Up the Dreamweaver Workspace," for more on the color picker.)
Because most computer monitors are not calibrated to display color accurately, there is no guarantee that your colors will look exactly the same on any two computers. PCs tend to display colors darker and more saturated than Macs, for instance; this is especially noticeable in the very dark shades. In addition to this, color shifts occur in monitors as they warm up in the morning, as they age, and even as they reflect light from a window or overhead light.
How worried should you be about variation? Your colors are not going to be hijacked red will still be red; green will still be green. They might just be different shades of red or green. The colors at most risk of really hurting your design as they change are those on the cusp between warm and cool. A nice, warm gold can shift into a sickly greenish gold very easily.
It takes study and practice to learn how to plan and build attractive, useful web pages. In this chapter, you learned the basics of web page design: how to think in terms of the user experience, how to structure a site that is easily navigable, the pros and cons of the different page layout methods, and how to arrange a page that will look good on numerous different user agents. This chapter finished with a look at the skillful use of color on the web. The remainder of this part of the book examines the major page layout tools in depth. | https://flylib.com/books/en/1.75.1.74/1/ |
, on our set menus.
If you would like to join us for a glass of wine (or two) and a snack, pop down and see us - we make sure we keep a few tables for walk ins.
For dinner, we offer a seasonal 75pp set menu,
for the whole table.
For Saturday lunch we have a rotating main with a glass of wine, plus specials on the chalkboards.
Our whole menu is gluten free, and we can cater to other dietary restrictions
with prior notice
(vegetarian, nut free, dairy free and pregnancy related restrictions). Without prior notice, we can't guarantee we will be able to cater to dietary restrictions.
Due to the size of our kitchen and sharing style of menu, we may not always be able to cater to individual requests, but we will always do our best. | https://www.westwood3003.com/reservations |
Recently, Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) has enabled Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to accelerate various applications. However, to exploit the GPU's computing power fully, a programmer has to carefully adjust some CUDA execution parameters even for simple stencil processing kernels. Hence, this paper develops an automatic parameter tuning mechanism based on profiling to predict the optimal execution parameters. This paper first discusses the scope of the parameter exploration space determined by GPU's architectural restrictions. To find the optimal execution parameters, performance models are created by profiling execution times of kernel using each promising parameter configuration. The execution parameters are determined by using those performance models. This paper evaluates the performance improvement due to the proposed mechanism using two benchmark programs. From the evaluation results, it is clarified that the proposed mechanism can appropriately select a suboptimal Cooperative Thread Array (CTA) configuration whose performance is comparable to the optimal one. | https://tohoku.pure.elsevier.com/ja/publications/automatic-tuning-of-cuda-execution-parameters-for-stencil-process |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
This invention relates to development of predictive tools for dent resistance, namely, resistance to localized loading of sheet panels such as used in automobiles.
One of the defects relating to automobile steel panel is called “dings and dents.” It is a situation where one automobile's fender or body gets a dent after being hit by a regular “ding,” such as shopping carts or doors opened from another automobile parked next to it. Although these dents usually do not cause safety concerns, they do, however, mar the outer appearance of the panel and may cause deterioration, thus reducing consumer satisfaction level.
One way to solve this “dings and dents” problem may be to simply increase the thickness of a sheet metal, but it will invariably increase the cost and weight of a vehicle. Optimum material thickness or gauge selection is a compromise between lower or higher weight, cost, dent resistance, stiffness and buckling. Further, the surface shape and angle of the sheet metal creates different susceptibility to dent resistance. For example, a larger area of flat surface may be more susceptible to dent than an angled or curved one. In addition to thickness, dent resistance depends on multiple factors, such as: panel geometry, curvature, mechanical behavior of the sheet metal, forming and manufacturing (stamping) processes and loading condition. The loading condition is generally the combination of tension, compression, bending and shear. Denting is one form of localized loading because the damaged or dented area is generally small and localized.
Thus, simply increasing the general thickness of the sheet metal will unnecessarily increase the weight and cost, and the increase weight reduces the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Today, designers can no longer simply increase the thickness of sheet metal, namely, an increase in weight and mass of a component, to avoid dent problem. Dent resistance must be properly assessed as part of the design process. Therefore, determining for an optimum thickness for different areas of the sheet metal that will provide the necessary and best dent resistance under the regular “dings” is important to reduce the cost of the vehicle.
Building multiple phases of prototype and then denting them is no longer the best choice of automobile manufactures because such an iterative methodology is time consuming and it does not always achieve the best result and is certainly not cost effective.
As stated above, dent resistance is an important performance metric used by the automotive companies to select materials for exposed body panels such as doors, fenders, hoods, etc. Typically, dent resistance is evaluated by automotive and supplier companies to determine an optimum gauge and grade level that would meet platform specifications.
Traditionally, dent resistance has been evaluated by physical testing, where the panel is loaded with a 1″ steel ball at different locations of the panel. A common measure of dent resistance is the load to cause a dent of depth 0.1 mm. Usually, dent evaluation is an iterative process and involves physical trials using at least 3 or 4 different materials. Evaluation for dent resistance is more of an afterthought and in many cases, the automotive companies, in response to field complaints and warranty costs implement expensive “fix-it” solutions such as Beta patches. For the majority of cases, dent evaluation is not part of the design cycle of exposed panels.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved system for designing automobile body panels with desired sheet metal characteristics.
The present invention provides an analytical method for the prediction of resistance to quasi-static localized loading of sheet panels using non-linear Finite Element Analysis (“FEA”) to determine optimized sheet metal thickness for sheet panels.
FEA is a widely used numerical technique for predicting the behavior of complex physical systems, such as how a structural design will perform in an impact situation. For instance, FEA has been widely utilized in the automobile industry to predict how a vehicle would behave during a crash. FEA provides a simulated crash test that closely resembles a real road test but without the expensive cost.
In essence, FEA divides a complex structure into a number of finite pieces or elements to form a mesh. The elements are connected at numerous joints along a periphery, known as nodes. Nodes are typically assigned a specific density throughout the material depending on the anticipated stress levels of a certain area. Areas which will received large amounts of stress normally have higher node densities than those regions that receive little or no stress. A plurality of approximate equations describing the behavior of each element under different imposed conditions (e.g. boundary conditions, loading conditions, thickness and materials) are then individually calculated and combined to give a series of numerical equations describing the whole problem in question.
Normally, inputs to the FEA analysis include panel geometry, material properties, panel shape/size and press conditions. These inputs may be known quantities from existing materials, or estimated values based on the designer's experience. The outputs of FEA may predict likely levels and distribution of materials stress, strain, failure, loading, deflection, wrinkling tendency and other related parameters.
Thus, the use of FEA as a modeling tool for design can create a process which minimizes the time and cost required for completion of a system. By modeling systems with FEA, a design may be developed to meet the required specifications without the necessity of designing with unnecessary safety buffer for confidence in testing. In reality, to facilitate this process, a number of tests were performed to characterize engineering data for existing systems in a variety of conditions. These conditions usually include three-dimensional measurements of stress, strain, and deflection in vibration, dynamic loading, and shock environments. By incorporating these three-dimensional measurements into a database used as an input to FEA, the output conditions under test loading of design systems can be in close agreement with actual test subjects; therefore, the FEA characteristics have been found to match the finished product very closely.
The utilization of FEA as an analysis tool has proven to provide high quality parts for automobile design. Both developmental cost and time have been drastically decreased by the addition of FEA to the design process.
As stated above that although FEA has been widely utilized to predict how a vehicle would behave in a simulated crash test, FEA has not been utilized to predict how a vehicle sheet metal panel would behave during a localized loading condition, such as a “dings and dents” situation which is annoying to customers and needs to be resolved to increase customer satisfaction level.
Utilizing FEA predictive capability may help the manufacturer to make effective use of new generation high strength steel and new steel technologies in producing vehicle sheet metal panels. More importantly, it allows the manufacturer to optimize material use and go right up to presswork limits, balancing the demands of cost, weight and complexity without comprising dent resistance. By having the predictive model, a manufacturer may save time and money by choosing the best performance and most efficient design at the least expensive price. One predictive model known by the inventor is the “FEA of Full Panel” approach. This approach is based on the use of FEA in which a Computer Aided Design (“CAD”) model of an exposed body panel is virtually dented at different locations.
In the present invention, non-linear FEA of the quasi-static or dynamic denting process forms the core of the above-described predictive tools. The approach comprising the present invention is the Design Guidelines for Dent Resistance (“Design Guidelines”). This approach is based on the use of a parametric study carried out in conjunction with a statistical Design of Experiments (“DOE”) technique. The invention utilizes an experimental methodology that observes elements most predictive of denting. In utilizing the Design Guidelines, the panel radius of curvature, thickness, stretch and material grade were changed to determine regression equations that predict the dent resistance of some common exposed panel materials. This predictive approach can be used by automobile manufacturers to significantly decrease the time required for styling, designing, and process engineering for exposed panels.
The present invention provides an analytical method for the prediction of resistance to localized loading of sheet panels using an accurate Finite Element Model of the localized loading process. The method uses a statistical Design of Experiments technique incorporating the effects of panel geometry, thickness, mechanical behavior of the material, forming process and loading condition. Further, the invention uses a programmed regression model that outputs the performance under localized loading of the sheet metal panel with panel geometry, thickness of the sheet materials, mechanical behavior of the material, behavior during the forming process and loading process condition as inputs.
The present invention, in one form, relates to a method or an algorithm, and an apparatus of utilizing Finite Element Analysis methodology and a statistically designed experimental approach to simulate and predict dent resistance of vehicle panels such as fender and body panels by taking the effects of panel geometry, thickness, mechanical behavior of the material, forming process and loading condition into consideration.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplification set out herein illustrates an embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
The embodiment disclosed below is not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise form disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiment is chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its teachings.
The detailed descriptions that follow are presented in part in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on signals within a computer memory representing alphanumeric characters or other information. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the art of data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art.
An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. These steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It proves convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, symbols, characters, display data, terms, numbers, or the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely used here as convenient labels applied to these quantities.
Some algorithms may use data structures for both inputting information and producing the desired result. Data structures greatly facilitate data management by data processing systems, and are not accessible except through sophisticated software systems. Data structures are not the information content of a memory, rather they represent specific electronic structural elements which impart a physical organization on the information stored in memory. More than mere abstraction, the data structures are specific electrical or magnetic structural elements in memory which simultaneously represent complex data accurately and provide increased efficiency in computer operation.
Further, the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms, such as comparing or adding, commonly associated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No such capability of a human operator is necessary, or desirable in most cases, in any of the operations described herein that form part of the present invention; the operations are machine operations. Useful machines for performing the operations of the present invention include general-purpose digital computers or other similar devices. In all cases the distinction between the method operations in operating a computer and the method of computation itself should be recognized. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for operating a computer in processing electrical or other (e.g., mechanical, chemical) physical signals to generate other desired physical signals and results.
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing these operations. This apparatus may be specifically constructed for the required purposes or it may comprise a general-purpose computer as selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The algorithm presented herein is not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. In particular, various general-purpose machines may be used with programs written in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove more convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps. The required structure for a variety of these machines will appear from the description below.
In particular, the present invention involves providing a method and apparatus to predict the resistance of sheet metal panel to localized loading condition by utilizing Finite Element Analysis methodology. The present invention takes into consideration the effects of panel geometry, thickness, mechanical behavior of the material, forming process and loading condition.
Two main approaches may be used to develop predictive tools for dent resistance: 1) the FEA of Full Panel approach, and 2) the present invention, also referred to as the Design Guidelines approach. While the present invention consists of the Design Guidelines approach, the FEA or Full Panel approach is used for the purpose of comparison. So that the present invention may be better understood, both approaches are hereinafter described.
1. Denting FEA of Closure Panels (“FEA of Closure Panels Approach” or “FEA of Full Panel Approach”): This approach considers the actual geometry of the panel (and the assemblies when available) for analysis. Dent resistance of a panel is also critically dependent on the strains in the panel. The strain in the panel is imparted during the manufacturing (stamping) process with the amount of strain being directly related to the amount of dent resistance. Since it is also necessary to predict the strains imparted on the panel during forming, typically formability FEA analysis is required, in which the process of stamping the panel is simulated. “Formability” is the term generally used to evaluate the capacity of a material to withstand the stretch stresses of forming before splitting occurs. FEA is used to identify potential areas for stamping defects such as wrinkling, insufficient stretching, splitting, etc. After the stamping process, the surface of the panel to be virtually indented is meshed with finite elements using a commercially available “preprocessor,” e.g., HyperMesh® (HyperMesh® is a registered trademark of Altair Computing, Inc. of Troy, Mich.). The localized loading is carried out by virtually denting the panel using a 1″ spherical indenter using FEA and determining the dent depth after the load is removed. Although this is not as time consuming as physical trials, it may take up to 2 weeks to evaluate four to five different combinations of material thickness and steel grades for a given outer panel geometry.
2. Design Guidelines for Dent Resistance (“Design Guidelines Approach”): The Design Guidelines Approach predicts dent resistance that can be used by stylists and release engineers in the automotive industry to obtain a good estimate of dent resistance without resorting to the more comprehensive and time-consuming FEA approach as outlined above. In this approach, body panels are approximated by doubly curved plates of dimensions 300 mm×450 mm. Since body panels could have any curvature, many different curved plates of different combinations of curvatures were created (total of 21 curved plates). These curved plates were meshed with finite elements using a commercially available “preprocessor,” e.g., HyperMesh®.
In contrast to the FEA of Full Panel Approach outlined in the paragraph above where the stamping process is simulated, in this method a statistical Design of Experiments approach (“DOE”) is used to input the thickness of the sheet metal and the strain imparted during manufacturing. These plates are then virtually dented using FEA using a 1″ spherical indenter and the dent depth determined after load removal. These analyses are carried out for different steel grades, and from the results, regression equations were developed. These equations are then programmed to output the dent depth at any applied load for a panel. This model requires the panel curvature, strains imparted during forming, thickness of the sheet metal, steel grade, and applied load as inputs. The output is the dent depth at the applied load. In contrast to the FEA of Full Panel Approach, the Design Guidelines Approach of the present invention is simple, very efficient, and takes a small fraction of the time it takes using the FEA of Full Panel Approach to yield accurate predictions of dent resistance.
A further description of these two approaches is given below. Since both of these methods use FEA, the general FEA technique used to predict quasi-static dent resistance is described first. After the description of these tools, results from a case study are presented which results from physical testing as compared with FEA of Full Panel Approach and Design Guidelines Approach predictions. The FEA results show very good overall agreement with physical test results. Finally a discussion on possible approaches to use these tools and resulting potential cost savings is presented.
Finite Element Modeling of Quasi-Static Denting
Components of denting FEA of the present invention are now explained herein. As described above, FEA divides a complex structure into a number of finite pieces or elements to form a mesh. In the present invention, a very fine mesh is used at the location of denting. For example, the largest element length may be set at about 0.7 mm to define the node being analyzed. In one embodiment of the present invention, triangular elements are utilized at the dent location.
Another component of the present invention simulates loading and unloading behaviors. A plurality of approximate equations describing the behavior of each element under different imposed conditions (e.g. boundary conditions, loading conditions, thickness and materials) are individually calculated and combined to give a series of numerical equations describing the whole problem in question. In one form of the present invention, quasi-static loading conditions are used; however, the invention is easily modifiable to use dynamic loading conditions. The present invention also applies a single loading-unloading cycle or an incremental loading-unloading cycle as outlined in the A/SP procedure for dent testing (“A/SP Guideline”) (“Standardized Dent Test Procedure Manual”, January 2001, Auto/Steel Partnership, Southfield, Mich., U.S.A.).
While any non-linear FEA software may be used to implement the present invention, the present invention has used MARC and ABAQUS®. MARC is manufactured by MSC.Software Corporation of Santa Ana, Calif. ABAQUS® is a registered trademark of and manufactured by Hibbitt, Karlsson & Sorensen, Inc. or Pawtucket, R.I. Two more components of the FEA denting of the present invention include consideration of mechanical behavior by using stress strain data generated by tensile testing and consideration of increase in the strength of the steel after the stamping process.
Approaches For Prediction of Dent Resistance
FEA of Full Panel Approach
Conduct formability FEA analysis, either one-step or incremental formability FEA analysis to determine stretch in the part. A one-step analysis is very useful in the initial stages of product development, where information on manufacturing feasibility is required. Typically, one-step FEA is conducted to give some direction on the shape and sized of the initial blank for the part and possible binder configurations. Incremental FEA is used when the initial blank configuration and binder information is known and more details with respect to process details are required. In most cases, stretch information in large features (as in the exposed surface of the part) obtained used one-step FEA is sufficiently accurate for further performance analysis. A formability FEA analysis is used by a manufacturer to simulate the stamping process to determine whether the manufacturer can manufacture the panel. For example, where the stretch is measured using defined regions, e.g. 100 mm circles, this is used instead of forming FEA.
Divide the panel into regions of equal stretch and thinning. This is based on the results from forming FEA.
Adjust the incoming material properties according to the amount of strain in the part to account for increase in steel strength.
Apply appropriate boundary conditions on the panel. If CAD files are available for support constraints, for example one or more of the inner panel, door beam, and mounting hardware, these can be used to set up constraints in the model. If these are not available, the constraints are approximated by applying fixed boundary conditions on the periphery of the part and the location of the door beam.
Apply the methodology for conducting denting FEA as described in the section above.
The features of this procedure are described below:
An important consideration is that with this approach, the accuracy of denting FEA is as good as the accuracy of stretch prediction.
Design Guidelines for Dent Resistance Approach
10
12
1
2
FIG. 1
14
Feature lines ()
16
End restraint conditions or support constraints (i.e. side beam )
Panel curvature
Thickness
Steel grade
Strain imparted during stamping
Barrel size
In this approach generic door is approximated by a simple barrel geometry with two curvatures (R, R) as shown in , with the end goal being to develop a simple predictive tool that could be used to evaluate dent resistance of outer panels. The variables that influence panel dent resistance include as follows:
FIG. 2
2
1
ε
By conducting systematic investigations, it was found that the most important variables influencing dent resistance were panel curvature, thickness, stretch and steel grade. Using this information, a DOE approach was used. A schematic diagram of the arrangement of the variables for the DOE is shown in . A central composite design was chosen for the DOE with variables 1/R, strain imparted during forming ( ), and thickness. Three levels were selected for each variable, with seven levels for Rto allow for more complicated effects. This whole series of virtual experiments were run for the following steel grades: GABH180, BH210, BH250, and DP500.
1
R(mm): 150, 250, 500, 750, 1000, 1750, and 2500
2
−5
−1
1/R(X10mM): 0.666, 3.666, and 6.666
thickness: 0.65 mm, 0.725 mm and 0.8 mm
ε
strain ( ): 0.5%, 2.25%, and 4%
Two output modules were developed. In the first module, the load to cause a dent of 0.1 mm depth is the output. In the second module, the dent depth at any given applied load is output:
Regression analysis was then applied to the results and the equations programmed into Microsoft Excel. Table 1 shows the programmed spreadsheet with important panel variables as input and dent resistance (load to cause a dent of 0.1 mm depth) of the panel as the output.
TABLE 1
Description of
Factor
Value
Units
Variables
Regression Model Input
R<sub>1</sub>
840
mm
R<sub>1</sub>: Top to Bottom
Radius of Curvature
Effective
0.0163
none
Effective stretch is a
stretch
calculated value
Major strain
0.75
%
Minor strain
0.75
%
thickness
0.7
mm
R<sub>2</sub>
57072
mm
R<sub>2</sub>: Front to Back
Radius of Curvature
Regression Model Output
0.1 mm Dent
142.5
Load (N)
0
(lbf.)
32.04
Table 2 shows the input parameters (R1 and R2) for all 8 locations in the Design Guidelines model:
TABLE 2
Location
R<sub>1</sub>(mm)
R<sub>2 </sub>(mm)
1–7
1580
57072
8
840
57072
An exemplary Dent Resistance Model (“DRM”) expressed by a regression equation is given in Table 3:
TABLE 3
Coefficients
Components of
Term
(A<sub>i</sub>)
Regression (B<sub>i</sub>)
Constant
−89.72747602
−89.72747602
t
321.9228161
270.4151655
e
−2134.220986
−46.36714819
1/R<sub>1</sub>
100620.9065
94.21433197
e<sup>2</sup>
−15196.55104
−7.172772092
e*t
5299.914629
96.72063952
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)<sup>2</sup>
−79624002.62
−69.80740596
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)<sup>3</sup>
9702869345
7.965011833
1/R<sub>2</sub>
−41589.47327
−2.363306812
(1/R<sub>2</sub>)<sup>2</sup>
−58826396.64
−0.189952765
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)*e
2886557.415
58.71917524
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)<sup>2</sup>*e
−422606153.2
−8.049414841
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)*e*t
−2865019.408
−48.95607607
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)*t
−146536.3708
−115.2533253
(1/R<sub>1</sub>)<sup>2</sup>*t
78075066.79
57.49752425
Sum
197.64
Description of
Factor
Value
Units
Variables
Regression Model Input
R<sub>1</sub>
1068
mm
R<sub>1</sub>: Top to Bottom
Radius of Curvature
Effective
0.0217
none
Effective stretch is a
stretch
calculated value
Major strain
1
%
Minor strain
1
%
thickness
0.84
mm
R<sub>2</sub>
17598
mm
R<sub>2</sub>: Front to Back
Radius of Curvature
Regression Model Output
0.1 mm Dent
197.6
Load (N)
4
(lbf.)
44.43
D
A
+A
*t+A
*e+A
/R
A
*e
+A
*e*t+A
/R
+A
/R
+A
/R
A
/R
+A
/R
e+A
/R
*e+A
/R
e*t+A
/R
t+A
/R
*t
1
2
3
4
1
5
6
7
1
8
1
9
2
10
2
11
1
12
1
13
1
14
1
15
1
2
2
3
2
2
2
Where the load to cause a dent of depth 0.1 mm, D(0.1), is given by:
(0.1)=*(1)+*(1)*(1)*(1)+*(1)(1)**(1)*(1)**(1)**(1)
This may be generalized to a regression equation of the form:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mrow><mi>D</mi><mo></mo><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>d</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mo>=</mo><mrow><munderover><mo>∑</mo><mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow><mi>N</mi></munderover><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mrow><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><msub><mi>A</mi><mi>i</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><mrow><msubsup><mi>A</mi><mi>i</mi><mi>′</mi></msubsup><mo>×</mo><mi>d</mi></mrow></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mo></mo><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><msub><mi>R</mi><mn>1</mn></msub></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mi>j</mi></msup><mo></mo><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo>/</mo><msub><mi>R</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow><mo>)</mo></mrow><mi>k</mi></msup><mo></mo><msup><mi>e</mi><mi>l</mi></msup><mo></mo><msup><mi>t</mi><mi>m</mi></msup></mrow></mrow></mrow></math>
i
i
where D(d) is the load to cause a dent of depth, d mm, i is the term number, N is the total number of terms not exceeding 25, Aand A′ are coefficients in each term for any given material, and the exponents j, k, l, and m are nonnegative integers characteristic of each term that satisfy the constraints:
0≦j≦30≦k≦20≦l≦20≦m≦20≦j+k+l+m≦3
and wherein one term shall be a load-dependent term in which j, k, l, and m are all zero, and other terms used for any given material shall be determined from statistical analysis of the results of the statistically designed FEM runs described above for that material.
Similar spreadsheets exist for GA180BH, BH250 and DP500. The next section presents comparisons between the two predictive approaches and physical testing for one front door.
Case Study: Front Door
The present invention presents results from case studies, where the dent resistance as determined by physical testing, Design Guidelines are compared with each other for several doors.
Five doors each of 4 materials (0.7 mm BH210, 0.7 mm BH250, 0.7 mm DP500, and 0.65 mm DP500) were stamped, assembled and painted for dent testing. Dent testing was carried out according to the A/SP Guideline.
For the Design Guidelines approach, information on the radii of curvature was obtained from CAD files of transverse and longitudinal sections of the door. Since no measurements of the strain were taken at the denting location, after discussions with automobile manufacturing customers, a nominal stretch of 0.75%×0.75% was assumed for all locations. Table 2 shows the input parameters for all 8 locations in the Design Guidelines model.
FIGS. 5–7
As seen in the , the comparison between the predictive tools and test results is quite good. The above case study demonstrates the validity and advantages of denting FEA and the power of this type of analysis early on in the design process. If used well, the system of tools developed by the present invention has the potential to be instrumental in saving significant design iteration costs for automobile manufacturers.
FIG. 3
500
502
504
506
508
510
512
shows the flow chart of FEA of Full Panel Approach. First, at step , a formability FEA analysis (one-step or incremental) is conducted. Then at step , the panel is divided into regions of equal or substantially equal stretch and thinning (termed “nodes”). At step , incoming materials properties are adjusted according to amount of strain in the part to account for increase in steel strength. At step , appropriate panel boundary conditions are applied. At step , formability FEA is obtained by simulating process of stamping the panel. At step , the surface of the panel is meshed and virtually indented by finite elements using a “preprocessor.” Finally, at step , the panel is virtually dented to output localized loading data.
FIG. 4
600
602
604
606
608
610
shows the flow chart of Design Guidelines Approach using the present invention. At step , body panels are approximated by doubly curved plates. At step , curved plates are meshed with finite elements using a “preprocessor.” At step , the thickness of sheet metal and strain are inputted by using statistical design of experiments (“DOE”). At step , the plates are virtually dented using FEA. At step , regression equations are developed by using the results of analyzing different steel grades. At step , the regression equations are programmed to output the dent depth at any applied load for a panel.
In conclusion, the present invention provides a method and apparatus that can predict sheet metal panel dent resistance performance by a simulated process by utilizing Finite Element Analysis methodology. Further, the present invention takes into consideration the effects of panel geometry, panel thickness, mechanical behavior of the material, forming process and loading condition, thus making the prediction of sheet metal panel dent resistance closely resemble a denting process in real world.
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For instance, although not designed for plastic vehicle panels, such inventive concept may be utilized to calculate dent resistance of plastic materials on vehicles by using a similar process with different inputs and regression analysis by utilizing FEA. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles, such as utilizing linear Finite Element Analysis and dynamic impact analysis. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a generic door and the barrel approximation for the Design Guidelines approach.
FIG. 2
is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the variables for the DOE technique to simulate dent resistance.
FIG. 3
shows a flow chart of FEA of Full Panel approach.
FIG. 4
shows a flow chart of Design Guidelines for Dent Resistance approach.
FIGS. 5–7
show the comparison between the testing, FEA of Full Panel and the Design Guidelines for Dent Resistance model. On all these plots, the y-axis shows the 0.1 mm dent load and the x-axis shows the locations. | |
Temples in Kyoto without the crowds? Seems an impossible task but yes, they can be found and I did just that on my last trip up to the city in April.
Daisen-in (¥400) – Most people make a beeline straight for this temple, known for its dry rock garden and its famous abbot (who can often be found at a table near the entrance autographing his calligraphy 🙂 ) The garden itself is fractured – a few dry rock designs around the temple and a large raked area in the front – but rife with symbolism. Staff will take your camera at the front (apparently too many people have been using the garden images for their own monetary purposes) but will hand you a laminated booklet of explanations for each and every rock, tree and swirl, should you be so interested.
Ryogen-ji (¥350) – This isn’t one of the must-sees (my other “must-see” was closed that day) but I rather liked Ryogen-ji with its pocket-sized strip of raked gravel and then its much larger dry rock garden. Only a handful of other people had bothered to pay the admission to this temple so I was able to sit and “get my zen on” to my heart’s content without being too bothered. | https://uncoveringjapan.com/2014/05/16/spotlight-daitoku-ji/ |
To prepare as a tea, pour 8 oz boiling water over 1 tsp. of herb. Cover and steep 5-10 minutes, strain and serve immediately.
|Supplement Facts|
|Serving Size: 1 tsp (300 mg)|
|Servings Per Container: 1510|
|Amount Per Serving||%Daily Value|
|Organic Catnip, cut (herb)||300 mg||*|
|*Daily Value not established.|
Warnings
Safety Guideline: Not for use during pregnancy except under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.
Disclaimer
While HealthCentralUSA strives to ensure the accuracy of its product images and information, some manufacturing changes to packaging and/or ingredients may be pending update on our site. Although items may occasionally ship with alternate packaging, freshness is always guaranteed. We recommend that you read labels, warnings and directions of all products before use and not rely solely on the information provided by HealthCentralUSA. | https://healthcentralusa.com/products/frontier-natural-products-catnip-herb-16-oz-453-g |
Registration in:
BMC Biology, Volumen 10,
17417007
10.1186/1741-7007-10-78
Author
Nassif, Melissa
Hetz Flores, Claudio
Institutions
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases involve the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the nervous system. Impairment of protein degradation pathways such as autophagy is emerging as a consistent and transversal pathological phenomenon in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's disease. Genetic inactivation of autophagy in mice has demonstrated a key role of the pathway in maintaining protein homeostasis in the brain, triggering massive neuronal loss and the accumulation of abnormal protein inclusions. However, the mechanism underlying neurodegeneration due to autophagy impairment remains elusive. A paper in Molecular Neurodegeneration from Abeliovich's group now suggests a role for phosphorylation of Tau and the activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in driving neurodegeneration in autophagy-deficient neurons. We discuss the implications of this study for understanding the factors driving neurofibrillary tangle formation in Alzheimer's di
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Sustainable production of biologically active molecules of marine based origin Murray, Patrick M.; Moane, Siobhan; Collins, Catherine; Beletskaya, Tanya; Thomas, Olivier P.; Duarte, Alysson W.F.; Nobre, Fernando S.; Owoyemi, Ifeloju O.; Pagnocca, Fernando C.; Sette, L. D.; McHugh, Edward; Causse, Eric; Pérez-López, Paula; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Moreira, Ma.T.; Rubiolo, Juan; Leirós, Marta; Botana, Luis M.; Pinteus, Susete; Alves, Celso; Horta, André; Pedrosa, Rui; Jeffryes, Clayton; Agathos, Spiros N.; Allewaert, Celine; Verween, Annick; Vyverman, Wim; Laptev, Ivan; Sineoky, Sergei; Bisio, Angela; Manconi, Renata; Ledda, Fabio; Marchi, Mario; Pronzato, Roberto; Walsh, Daniel J. | http://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/handle/2250/2458410 |
Princess Sofia of Sweden is determined to do her part amid the Covid-19 pandemic. On Instagram, the royal announced that, after undergoing training, she is now a medical assistant at Sophiahemmet hospital. She posted a picture of her navy blue scrubs, and her new name tag, with “Sofia” printed in all capital letters.
Read more: “It Was A Baptism Of Fire”: One Graduate Nurse On Starting Her Career In A Pandemic
“I am now placed in one of the hospital’s care departments, where together with other newly trained colleagues, I support and relieve the healthcare staff with different tasks,” she wrote on Instagram. “To have the opportunity to help at this difficult time is extremely rewarding.” Her responsibilities will include cleaning and assisting in patient care.
The wife of Prince Carl Philip, Sofia is the honorary chairman of the Stockholm hospital. But now, instead of ribbon cutting and plaque unveiling, she’s an employee on the inside. Currently, the country has more than 13,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
All over Europe, royal families are stepping up their altruistic acts. Prince William and Kate Middleton, for example, are making daily digital appearances. Prince William remotely opened the temporary Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham, and the Cambridges went on the BBC together to discuss the pandemic’s effects on mental health — and offer some helpful tips. There’s even a rumour that, like Sofia, the Duke of Cambridge may join the front lines by temporarily returning to his former job as an air ambulance pilot. Meanwhile, the Queen made a speech about the pandemic, which included the oft quoted line “we will meet again,” and visuals from which are still being broadcast in Piccadilly Circus. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has been cooking meals for hospital workers.
While royals often get attention for their gowns, crowns, and castles, they are, at the end of the day, public servants. It seems many, especially Sofia, are already rising to this unprecedented occasion.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com
More from British Vogue: | https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/princess-sofia-of-sweden-medical-assistant-to-help-fight-covid-19 |
The recent study in the journal Gender and Society found that few women are coaching baseball, softball or soccer. That there continues to be a gender divide - more like a chasm - in terms of the number of men and women coaching our kids (despite many factors that might suggest a greater balance) didn't come as a surprise to me.
I know from personal experience just how difficult it is for a woman to break into the ranks of youth sports coaches. I met all sorts of resistance from the "old boy network" that ran my town's sports programs, and, in the end, the only way I was able to become a coach was because the soccer club couldn't find anyone else to coach. In the end, the only way a group of boys - including my sons - was going to be able to play U12 travel soccer that year was if I was the coach. It took a lot of arm-twisting, but I was able to show the powers-that-be that I had done my homework by getting my coaching license from the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association and that I was ready to coach. That made it harder for them to say no.
One of the Gender and Society study's key findings was that the way to become a head coach was to be an assistant coach first, and that, when requests for assistant coaches went out from the head coach - either by e-mail or at the first preseason meeting - it was the fathers, not the moms, who volunteered. Not only that, but women were actively discouraged from coaching and steered instead to filling the traditional role for women in youth sports of being team parents. If a women did manage to become an assistant coach, she didn't end up feeling particularly welcome.
Understand the downsides of coaching. If you want to coach your child's team, understand that doing so may present, as the author of a 2005 article on the parent-coach/child-athlete relationship in the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport observes, a conflict of interest for both you and your child. Your child may feel "pressure from [you] and [his] coaches to perform well, and desire[ ] that [you] be [a] source of social support and leave skill and strategy instruction to the coach's domain." You also may find separating your role as parent from your role as a coach, a "fine line to tread." As one respondent indicated in focus group interviews for the article suggested, "parents coaching their own children [may be] fine for lower skill levels, where the emphasis is on skill development and fun" and "where equal playing time is the norm" "but at more advanced, competitive levels, "it's so hard to be the perfect, impartial, neutral coach, as if it wasn't your daughter no matter how hard you try."
Become certified in the sport. Learn everything you can about the sport. Many women think they can't coach a sport because they don't know enough about it (although in this post-Title IX world, this is less of an obstacle). Talk to other coaches, attend clinics, high school and college games, watch instructional videos, read up on the history of the sport, its rules, and its culture (The Internet, of course, in general and MomsTeam in particular is a great place to find information!). Find out when coaching classses are being held in your area for the sport you want to coach. Ask the coordinator of your town club whether it will pay for you to attend. For instance, the course for the lowest level soccer license issued by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association (class G) costs $35.00 and takes four hours, and can now even be taken on-line.
Become certified in first aid, CPR and the use of an AED. Most youth sports coaches have no training at all in sports safety or first aid. Sign up for sports safety training courses offered by the American Red Cross and the National Center for Sports Safety.
Understand what it takes to be a good coach. 'Think about what it takes to be a good youth sports coach and ask yourself what you can do to be the best possible coach. There are a lot of reasons why women make great coaches. You can do it!
Be pro-active. As soon as you find out what team your child is on, contact the head coach and tell him you want to be an assistant coach. Hopefully, you will have already taken a course or become certified in the sport so it will be hard for the coach to say no.
Don't take no for an answer. Be persistent. Insist that the club make a concerted effort to recruit women as coaches and give them the chance to become head coaches after serving as an assistant coach for a season or two. Because stay-at-home moms and those who work part-time find it hard to balance the competing demands of family and coaching, programs should allow coaches to schedule practices right after school so moms can be home in time to make dinner for the family. Programs should also provide child care help if that is what it takes to allow women to coach. (Indeed, argues the authors of an article in The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, "If the mother has older children on the team, the sports community needs to forge a welcoming culture so that she feels empowered to succeed as a coach without worrying about being perceived as a smothering parent.").
Brooke de Lench is the author of Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers In Youth Sports (HarperCollins 2006) and Founder and Publisher of MomsTeam.com, and producer/director of the new documentary, "The Smartest Team: Making High School Football Safer," airing on PBS stations across the country beginning in September 2013.
Listed below are some articles on the MomsTeam.com site about women as youth sports coaches and ways women and mothers can change the culture so that it reflects their views as well as those of men.
MomsTeam wants to hear from you. Are you a mom who was able to break into the coaching ranks? What advice would you give to other moms who want to coach? What is your community doing to promote full inclusion of women at all levels of coaching? Have you seen an increase in the number of women coaches? Your voice matters. Click here to share your thoughts. | https://mail.momsteam.com/team-parents/advice-to-women-and-mothers-on-how-they-can-become-youth-sports-coaches |
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