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Machine vision systems, also termed “vision systems” herein, are used to perform a variety of tasks in a manufacturing environment. In general, a vision system consists of one or more camera assemblies with an image sensor (or “imager”) that acquires grayscale or color images of a scene that contains an object under manufacture. Images of the object can be analyzed to provide data/information to users and associated manufacturing processes. The data produced by the camera is typically analyzed and processed by the vision system in one or more vision system processors that can be purpose-built, or part of one or more software application(s) instantiated within a general purpose computer (e.g. a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone).
Common vision system tasks include alignment and inspection. In an alignment task, vision system tools, such as the well-known PatMax® system commercially available from Cognex Corporation of Natick, Mass., compare features in a two-dimensional (2D) image of a scene to a trained (using an actual or synthetic model) 2D pattern, and determine the presence/absence and pose of the 2D pattern in the 2D imaged scene. This information can be used in subsequent inspection (or other operations) to search for defects and/or perform other operations, such as part rejection.
A particular task employing vision systems is the alignment of a three-dimensional (3D) target shape during runtime based upon a trained 3D model shape. 3D cameras can be based on a variety of technologies—for example, a laser displacement sensor (profiler), a stereoscopic camera, a sonar, laser or LIDAR range-finding camera, time-of-flight sensor, and a variety of other passive or active range-sensing technologies. Such cameras produce a range image wherein an array of image pixels (typically characterized as positions along orthogonal x and y axes) is produced that also contains a third (height) dimension for each pixel (typically characterized along a z axis perpendicular to the x-y plane). Alternatively, such cameras can generate a point cloud representation of an imaged object. A point cloud is a collection of 3D points in space where each point i can be represented as (Xi, Yi, Zi). A point cloud can represent a complete 3D object including the object's back and sides, top and bottom. 3D points (Xi, Yi, Zi) represent locations in space where the object is visible to the camera. In this representation, empty space is represented by the absence of points.
By way of comparison, a 3D range image representation Z(x, y) is analogous to a 2D image representation I(x, y) where the depth or height Z replaces what would be the brightness/intensity I at a location x, y in an image. A range image exclusively represents the front face of an object that is directly facing a camera, because only a single depth is associated with any point location x, y. A range image is a dense representation, but has the capability of representing that an (x,y) location is not observed by the camera. It is possible to convert a range image to a 3D point cloud in a manner clear to those of skill.
In aligning a target image, either acquired or generated by a synthetic (e.g. CAD) process, to a model image (also either acquired or synthetic) one approach involves the matching/comparison of a 3D point cloud in the target to one in the model in an effort to find the best matching pose. The comparison can include use of one or more 3D alignment algorithm(s) that involve a metric for scoring of the coverage of the target with respect to the model. For any 3D alignment algorithm, there are instances where the trained model consists of a larger (or more complete) view of the part than what is viewed at runtime—e.g. a portion of the runtime object image can be outside the field of view or otherwise cut off due to—for example, self-occlusion. Likewise, there are instances in which the runtime scene contains more information than the model. For example, if both the model and the runtime scene were acquired (from a respective object) using a single camera, but the object is presented in different orientations in each version, then the runtime scene may contain regions of the part that are absent from the model, and vice versa. If the alignment scoring metric does not account for these scenarios, then it may calculate a lower score than the match actually warrants and the candidate pose may be rejected. More generally, this concern exists in any application where a stage of the solution is to align to an object with significant self-occlusion, or where multiple images are fused at training time to obtain a full 360 degree view of the object, but only one acquired image of the object is used at runtime to perform alignment. In addition, some of either the runtime or training time object image(s) can be outside of the union of the working section (field of view) of the image sensor. These conditions can affect the application of the 3D alignment algorithm and its results in a variety of ways.
A further concern with 3D vision system processes is that, when a 3D image sensor acquires a measurement of an object, it typically measures only the portion of the object that is facing the sensor, and thus, the sensor only acquires the portion of the object that is within the sensor's measurement region. Sometimes the image 3D data includes spurious, or incorrect, measurements (possibly due to inter-reflections). This incorrect or spurious data can affect the efficiency and accuracy of the measurement process.
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The OpenLandform Catalog from OpenTopography serves as a resource to explore geologic landforms in high-resolution topography for teachers, students, or any interested user. This resource brings real world cutting edge digital topographic data to an accessible level that can be interrogated and explored using free tools, such as Google Earth and QGIS. The catalog is intended to compliment advanced high school and introductory college level Earth science courses where the study and analysis of landscapes and landforms is essential to students' understanding of fundamental Earth system processes.
Below is a list of geologic landforms sourced from data hosted by OpenTopography separated into categories based on formative processes. Each category contains landforms displayed in hillshade (top image) and digital elevation model (DEM) (bottom image), a brief description of the landform, a link to the dataset page, and pre-generated data products. Each landform has links to numerous data products: images of the hillshade/DEM of the landform, Google Earth KMZ file, DEM including derived products (hillshades, contours, and slope maps), a STL file for 3D printing, the point cloud data (LAZ), and a link to an online point cloud viewer. Some of the landforms have pre-existing education activities and are linked.
The STL files are ready to be imported into your 3D printer software and printed. If you do not have access to a 3D printer, there are a variety of websites that provide 3D printing services such as Craftcloud, 3D Experience Marketplace, and Treatstock. You can find resources and tutorials on 3D printing digital elevation models here.
|Wind Action||Impacts and Landslides||Water||Faulting, Folding, and Earthquakes||Volcanic Activity|
Know of a landform that looks spectacular in lidar imagery?
Send the location to OpenTopography!
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Aeolian Sand Dunes
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
A dune is a hill or ridge of sand deposited by wind or water. Aeolian sand dunes are deposited on land and shaped and transported by wind. White Sands National Monument is an aeolian dune field containing several different types of dunes. This particular dune field contains Barchan dune types, which are shaped by the predominant southwestern winds, as well as Parabolic Dunes, which are partially anchored by vegetation. Movement of dune crests at White Sands can be up to 38 feet per year. For more information about the geology of White Sands National Monument, please read Geology of the White Sands Dunefield by the National Park Service.
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Landslide
Alaska Range along Denali-Totschunda Fault System, Alaska
A landslide is a downslope movement of a mass of rock and accumulated materials. Landslides are a type of mass wasting and can be triggered by earthquakes, heavy rains, or human activities such as construction or mining. Pictured to the right is an oblique view of a landslide adjacent to the Denali Fault. The last major rupture on this fault system was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake on November 3, 2002, which may have caused this landslide. In the bottom image, the lineament of a fault is visible going from higher to lower elevation. The top image is a slope-shade model, where steeper slopes are darker and gentler slopes are lighter. Notice that there are dark, round spots in the landslide patch, which are large boulders displaced by the event.
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Earthflow
Slumgullion Earthflow, Colorado
Earthflows are a specific type of landslide and mass wasting. In an earthflow, fine-grained materials that have been saturated with water flow down slope, resulting in a lobe-shaped landform. The Slumgullion Earthflow is located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and first formed 700 years ago. Its movement dammed part of a river and formed a natural lake. The current active part of the earthflow (shown in images to the left) has been active for the last 300 years. The slow-moving earthflow currently travels up to 1 cm/day and 7 m/year.
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Terrestrial Impact Crater
Barringer Meteor Crater, Winslow, Arizona
Meteor Crater is a terrestrial impact crater in northeastern Arizona. It is ~1,200 meters in diameter and ~170 meters deep. The rim of the crater rises ~45 m from the adjacent desert floor. The crater was created about 50,000 years ago when a ~50 meter-wide asteroid across struck the plain. Meteor Crater has been used to train astronauts, field test lunar explorers, and studied as an analog for other impacted terrains like the Moon.
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Alluvial Fan
Death Valley National Park, California
An alluvial fan is a low, fan shaped deposit formed of water-transported sediment. Alluvial fans typically form at the exit of a narrow canyon, where the stream channel suddenly opens out to a flatter, broader area. This transition to a broad, unconfined area reduces the carrying capacity of the stream, resulting in the deposition of sediments. Repeated hydraulic events migrates the deposition area along the fan building up material in the fan shape. Typically, only part of the fan will be active at any given time. The images shown are from Death Valley National Park, an arid region where flash flooding in the mountains can transport lots of sediment in a short amount of time. The top image shown here is a point cloud colored by intensity. For more information and pictures visit USGS's Death Valley National Park page.
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Entrenched Meanders
Yakima River, Washington
The path of a river naturally meanders, or curves in a sinuous pattern. When a river erodes and cuts down into bedrock, its meanders can become entrenched. The Yakima River in Washington flows through Miocene-aged Columbia River basalts called the Yakima fold-thrust belt. Its meanders have deeply incised and cut down into the rock units, creating a canyon with gorge-like sections.
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Moraines
Teton Front Range, Wyoming
A moraine is a large mass of unconsolidated material that has been created by the movement of a glacier. Rocks that make up moraines can be as fine as silt to as large as a boulder, demonstrating the transport power of a glacier. There are several types of moraines, depending on where they formed with respect to the glacier. Lateral moraines (pictured) off the Teton Range formed perpendicular to the range front as the glaciers amassed at higher elevations. At the end of the two parallel lateral moraines is a terminal moraine, which is where the glacier ended. You can see that there are several terminal moraines that mark the receding glacier's toe. For more about the role of glaciers in the Teton Range, visit The Geologic Story of Grand Teton National Park from the National Parks Service.
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Tectonic Landforms are indicative of a history of active faulting, and the exploration of these surficial landforms and data that is derived from high-resolution topographic data help reveal the complexities of fault zones. High-resolution lidar and derived products paired with a basic understanding of plate tectonics enables students to perceive the temporal and spatial extent of tectonic landforms, the earthquake cycle, and become aware of seismic hazard. As faulting, folding, and earthquakes create a myriad of examples, the exploration of high-resolution topography addresses a range of topics emphasizing tectonic geomorphology, the earthquake cycle, plate tectonics/structural geology, topographic measurement, visualization, fluvial and hillslope geomorphology, and the Earth as a system in which humans play a significant role.
EarthScope, funded by the National Science Foundation, was an organization whose aim was to study the structure and evolution of North America and has been integral in the collection of many datasets from which these tectonic landform examples are drawn. EarthScope aided in the development of predictive models for earthquakes by unraveling the dynamic processes along faults, from stress build-up to catastrophic rock failure. Lidar data collected by Earthscope and hosted by OpenTopography enables scientists, teachers, and the interested public to observe the processes and properties of faults that drive earthquakes.
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Strike-Slip Fault Trace
Garlock Fault Zone, Ridgecrest, CA
When earthquakes occur on faults with pure strike-slip motion, it creates a linear zone of mangled, easily eroded rock that over time forms a distinct fault trace. Fault lines on geologic maps are typically plotted following the visible fault trace on the surface. The example shown here is a segment of the Garlock Fault that cuts through part of a small range, leaving a distinct fault trace on the surface.
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Offset Drainage
Wallace Creek, San Andreas Fault, Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA
Wallace Creek is a prime example of a drainage area that has been physically altered by active faulting, resulting in an offset channel. An offset channel occurs when a channel that would normally be somewhat straight, crosses an active strike-slip fault and is physically "beheaded" by the movement of the downstream plate in one or numerous earthquakes. For more information about the geologic history of Wallace Creek, please read The San Andreas fault at Wallace Creek, San Luis Obispo County, California field guide by Kerry Sieh and Robert Wallace.
Exercise: Wallace Creek Student Field Trip Guide: The goal of this exercise is to give a better understanding to students about the earthquake cycle, strike-slip faulting, plate boundaries, and plate motion using Wallace Creek on the San Andreas Fault in California as an example.
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Sag Pond
San Andreas Fault, California Central Coast Range
Sag ponds, also called "pull-apart basins," are local depressions—sometimes with water—that form between extensional bends or stepovers in a fault zone. In the images here, two fault traces can be distinguished. The upper image is a slope map, where the gentler slopes are lighter colors. Since this is a right step on the San Andreas fault (right lateral), a localized area of extension is formed, creating the sag pond. The sag pond is the depression seen in the center of the images.
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Pressure Ridge
Dragon's Back Pressure Ridge, Carrizo Plain National Monument
Pressure ridges are topographic ridges ranging in size from a small meter scale mound to a lateral ridge several kilometers long. They are the surface expression of one or more earthquakes on specific fault geometries. Some of these known geometries include compressional bends or stepovers on strike-slip faults. Pressure ridges can provide a way to determine a fault's subsurface geometry and uplift history. The Dragon's Back pressure ridge (pictured) along the San Andreas Fault was formed as to the result of an obstruction on the fault plane's surface at depth, which acts as a bump that manifests as local uplift.
Exercise: Advanced analysis of basins along the Dragon's Back using GIS software. This exercise is intended for those familiar with ArcGIS and involves modeling basins along the Dragon's Back in order to quantify and compare basins in active uplift versus non-active uplift areas.
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Shutter Ridge
San Andreas Fault, Point Reyes National Seashore
A shutter ridge is a topographic ridge that has been "carried" by movement on a strike-slip fault to block an existing topographic valley, deflecting a drainage or stream. The hillshade (top) image shows the straight traveling stream path being deflected north to run parallel to the fault at the base of the shutter ridge.
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Normal Fault Scarp
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Normal faulting accommodates extension in the Earth's crust and is expressed on the surface as inclined fractures where blocks have mostly shifted vertically. A normal fault scarp forms when the hanging wall block has moved downward relative to the footwall block during an earthquake. Pictured is a normal fault scarp at the base of the Teton Mountain range in Wyoming. The fault runs approximately perpendicular to moraines—remnant glacial features—creating a well-defined fault scarp as the break in slope moving up and down the rangefront.
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Faceted Spurs
Manti-La Sal National Forest, Utah
Faceted spurs are flat, triangular slopes that are usually seen at the edge of a mountain front with an active normal fault at the base. They are created as normal faulting occurs, generating a topographic expression called a fault scarp that is gradually eroded by the formation of drainages. As drainages form, they carve relatively straight down the fault scarp, creating series of triangular faces.
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Anticline
Umtanum Ridge Anticline, Washington
An anticline is an upward, individual bend or warp in a rock sequence. Pictured here is the Umtanum Ridge anticline, Washington, which is part of a larger province of compressed Miocene Columbia River basalts called the Yakima fold-thrust belt. In the slope map image (top), the rock layers are discernible as the darker areas making an upward arch of rock layers.
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Cinder Cone
Sunset Crater, Arizona
A cinder cone is a conical shaped mass built by the accumulation of pyroclastic material ejected during volcanic eruptions. Cinder cones are the most common type of volcano in the world and are typically monogenetic, meaning they are produced during a single eruptive episode. The cinder, or scorias, of which they are made of are fragments of solidified lava that have vesicles, which are bubble-like cavities. Over time, the ejected material accumulates to form the cone shape. Sunset Crater is a cinder cone located north of Flagstaff, Arizona and is known for its nearly symmetrical shape. Its eruption in ~1085 CE was the most explosive monogenetic eruption ever documented, which significantly impacted pre-historic communities in the area.
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Stratovolcano
Mount Hood, Oregon
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, steep, conical-shaped volcano formed from multiple sequences of lava and tephra. Stratovolcanoes form at subduction zones due to flux melting, where water lowers the melting temperate of the mantle rocks. The melted magma then rises to the base of the crust into a magma chamber where it can be erupted by the stratovolcano. Mount Hood in Oregon is formed by a subduction zone where the Juan de Fuca Plate is being subducted under the North American Plate. Mount Hood is markedly taller and steeper than cinder cones like Sunset Crater as it is built up by many sequences of high-viscosity hardened lava flows.
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Shield Volcano
Rangitoto Island, New Zealand
Shield volcanoes are volcanoes with exceptionally shallow slopes and low profiles formed by the eruption of low viscosity lava flows. Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island that is part of the Auckland Volcanic Field in New Zealand, and it is the largest and youngest volcano in this volcanic field. Rangitoto Island is an ~6 km wide symmetrical shield volcano, with multiple small scoria cones at its summit. It most recently erupted during 1400‒1450 CE. In the lidar-derived imagery, you can see the morphology of the individual lava flows composing the shield, as well as the distinctive scoria cones that sit at the peak. | https://opentopography.org/learn/lidarlandforms |
When’s the last time your network was assessed?
Knowing the status of your network’s security position has become a top priority for all organizations. In this day and age, proactive network assessments are a great way to ensure you have the right tools in place to protect and defend your data and/or to ensure your organization is meeting regulatory security requirement . By taking advantage of CCS Network Security Assessment, you’ll obtain valuable insight into your network’s strengths and, more importantly, the weaknesses cybercriminals could use to exploit and gain access to your valuable data.
With a Network Security Assessment from CCS, you’ll:
- Find out if you have the right defensive and offensive security technologies in place for an effective security strategy,
- Learn whether your policies are up to par or not,
- Receive a summary of findings and our recommendations on how to improve your security posture,
- and, most importantly, understand your risks.
Want to learn more about our network security assessment?
For many companies, an assessment is found to be an effective way to uncover potential gaps and address risk. If you would like to learn more about how we perform this assessment, contact CCS at 614-254-5454 or fill in the form on the right. | http://ccssmart.com/network-security-assessment/ |
Most recent performance
There are currently no scheduled performances of Le Corsaire. It was last on stage 11–13 August 2016 as part of the Summer 2015/16 season.
Background
The Bolshoi’s Le Corsaire, reworked by Alexei Ratmansky from Petipa’s exotic grand classic, is one of the company’s most acclaimed productions. Conspiracy, love, deception, kidnapping, a harem and a magnificent, dramatic shipwreck combine to give spectacular expression to the remarkable passion, virtuosity and strength of the entire company.
News and features
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How does the Bolshoi's diverse ballet repertory inspire its identity?28 July 2016
The repertory of a company plays a crucial role in determining its identity – especially on international tours. | http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/le-corsaire-by-alexei-ratmansky |
If you are going hiking or camping for a few days, you will likely be carrying a backpack that is heavy. And if it is a forest or a mountain you have chosen for your camping trip, chances are that you will be sleeping in nature and carrying all the essentials with you. For more serious hikers, this would include a tent and a sleeping bag and cooking essentials.
Since you will be on the move most of the time (until you decide to camp down), you would surely need to know how to organize and pack a hiking backpack correctly. You will be carrying most of your essentials with you to avoid hiking back to your original campsite. The need to set up your camp close to your camp requires a tent.
This is an often-asked question — “how to pack a tent in a backpack?” Do you pack it inside your backpack, or do you attach it to your backpack? Different backpackers have different views about it, and there are ways to do both. But, it is not as easy as it sounds. If you have packed it all wrong, you may feel discomfort while hiking, and it may damage your tent or backpack. So in this article, we will explore a few ways on how to pack a tent in a backpack.
Table of Contents
Packing and Selecting a Backpack
We cannot stress enough on packing up your backpack properly, because that will affect how comfortable you are during your hike. If a backpack is packed properly, you can carry it on for hours without feeling fatigued, because of proper weight distribution. On the other hand, a badly packed backpack can lead to back pains, resulting in you taking frequent breaks, and affecting your overall hiking experience.
For this, you will have to choose a hiking backpack that suits your needs. Our guide will teach you how to do this, so go ahead and get informed if you are new to the world of backpacking.
If you don’t already have a backpack and are going to choose one for your hiking trips, we recommend that you look for one that has an internal frame.
We recommend an internal frame for this purpose because of its many benefits such as keeping your bag upright and your stuff securely in place, without the discomfort of a wobble or sway. Besides, backpacks with an internal frame have more space, giving to the freedom to put in more stuff (though we do not recommend over-stuffing your backpack), or to pack in your gear more easily.
In case you already have a backpack and have bought the tent as an afterthought, you might be worried that the tent might be too big for the backpack. But have no fear, an easy solution for that is to get compression bags that pack the tent tightly making them smaller and easier to pack.
Once you have your backpack and tent in place, let us first explore how to pack a tent in a backpack.
How to Pack a Tent inside a Backpack
Before packing in your tent in your backpack, lay it flat first and see if it is not damp. If it is, then you will need for it to dry completely. If a tent is too wet, it will not only add unnecessary weight to the backpack but also make other stuff around it damp. It may also cause mildew and mold.
- 1First off, take the tent poles that came with your tent, and put them in the bag they came in. Now take the tent and lay it flat on the ground, making sure there is no dampness. The bag with the poles should be at the bottom of the flattened-out tent.
- 2Start rolling the tent along with the poles into the smallest possible package, making sure both are aligned. Keep in mind that these should be rolled into as much a straight line as possible. If you think that the alignment is all over the place, unroll and start again. A badly-rolled tent will make for uncomfortable packaging later on. The poles present in between the tent will provide it with firmness and stability.
- 3The tighter the tent is rolled, the better. The more loosely you pack your tent, the more space it will shake. There is also a chance of it getting loose and unfurling inside your backpack, causing your other gear to get tangled up, and ending up damaging either the tent or your gear.
- 4If you have an extra bag that came along with the tent, keep the rolled tent into it and tighten it up as much as you can. You now have a compact tent ready to be packed in. Now move on to your backpack for the next step.
- 5Take an inventory of what you are carrying and keep the heavier items aside. These will go at the bottom of the backpack so that the weight is distributed evenly between your shoulders, your spine and the top of your hips. Remember, about 30% of your body weight should be in the backpack, and no more.
- 6If you have a sleeping bag, this should always go at the bottom of the backpack. This is because it is always the last item to be taken out whenever you are camping. Another reason for it is that in some cases, it could be quite heavy (though there have been breakthroughs and lighter sleeping bags are available). This too should be made as compact as possible before it goes inside the backpack. Packing it at the absolute bottom also makes sure that you have ample space for the rest of your gear. Before packing this in, make sure it is dry as well.
- 7Place the packed tent on top of the sleeping bag. Ideally, you should put it upright in the corner of the bag, but if you find that it is occupying too much space, you can place it horizontally as well, depending on your other gear. Make sure that it is placed somewhere in the middle of your backpack though. You can pack other items such as a rolled up pair of jeans or a few T-shirts to make sure it does not wobble. This will ensure that the weight is equally distributed.
And this is how to pack a tent in a backpack. Now that you have learned how to do this, we will move on to learn how to attach the tent to a backpack.
How to Attach a Tent to a Backpack
You have possibly seen hikers and travelers walking around with bulky-looking backpacks. These are mostly tents or sleeping bags that they are lugging around, with backpacks that have external frames. This is not to say that you cannot attach tents to a backpack with an internal frame, but the ones with external frames are specifically designed to carry these items on the outside.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to pack a tent in a backpack, by carrying it externally or internally. Before you start your trip, practice packing the tent at home so that you will be aware of the shortcomings and advantages of doing both, depending on the backpack you are using. Carrying this cumbersome gear on your person may seem unnecessary at times, but it is one of the most essential items that you can bring on a hiking trip. | https://backpacks.global/how-to-pack-a-tent-in-a-backpack/ |
John Kowalczyk and myself were commissioned by the Riverworks District to create a mural for Doors Open MKE this past September on the Beerline trail. We painted near the Abert street entrance to the trail. This was a lead up to the much larger mural they had us do on the trail a month later. We painted this 100 foot wall in about 5 hours during the doors open event, and had a little help from some of the community members. The colors and shapes coincide with the Riverworks logo. The wall was in rough shape before we started, an assortment of corrugated metal that was pretty rusty and had a fair amount of graffiti on it. We came by a few days before hand after the brush was cleared and applied some pretty serious primer putting up the outlines quick selfie break Helpers blocking in color Violet was a month and a day old and not too interested, but it was great that she came by. This kid will know about life if by nothing other than proximity. Colors are in, time for the outlines Using a few of the old school female cans for the outlines, just like painting trains Finito!! This was a fun exercise, and great for John and I to work together leading up to the much larger mural in October.
We finished up the project and I think it looks great! Ben did a fantastic job on the nest, and the way he finished up the brick work is nuts, it pretty much disappears which was the goal.
I painted this on the side of Rogues Gallery it might be my favorite mural to date.
I have been playing with the idea of creating the illusion of depth and space in some of my recent paintings. I made a mock up for another mural that didn’t happen that employed these ideas and I was hooked. I am glad that I was able to make one of these at the size of a wall and I think this rough surface looks great.Hand cut stencils and spray paint. | http://fredkaems.com/?tag=milwaukee-murals |
In previous decades, economists were famous for ignoring everything they couldn’t measure; now they assign a monetary value to almost anything. Recent research on happiness provides a new approach to guide courts in setting financial compensation in tort cases for individuals’ losses from bereavement.
Economists are known to be able to put a monetary value to anything. For instance, the contingent valuation method – a survey-based method which asks individuals “how much compensation would you demand for the destruction of X” or “how much are you willing to pay to preserve X” – has been used to calculate monetary valuations for many of the non-marketable resources that come without immediate price-tags attached. The contingent valuation approach has been used, for example, to calculate the willingness to pay for contaminated residential property1 and the willingness to pay to prevent oil spill2.
So the question is: can judges use the same method to assign pecuniary amounts to be awarded to tort victims in situations that do not appear to have any intrinsically financial aspect such as losses from bereavement of loved ones?
Yes, at least in principle. Yet answering questions like “what number of euros would compensate you for the death of your daughter” is likely to be hard for everyone, and morally offensive to many. As a result, most judges are left to their own devices in award ing compensation packages they think would make sense in court, and they do so by using rules of thumb that have no conceptual foundations based on solid, scientific findings. This often leads to judges awarding financial settlements that can seem very small compared to the shock a loss of loved one can bring. For example, the Fatal Accident Act 1976 provides a lump-sum at currently £10,000 damages for bereavement (that is, approximately €14,000), which is available only to the husband or the wife of the deceased and not to the children for a loss of a parent. In today’s term, this makes up only around 3% of the lifetime income for a successful white-collar worker.
From a scientific point of view, this raises a question of whether we can develop a systematic method for calculating a reasonable compensation package that would closely reflect the genuine damages generated by bereavement.
Our approach to answering this question focuses on the use of surveys of happiness to estimate compensation that would ceteris paribus make up for the average well-being gap between those who had experienced the loss of loved ones and the rest of the sampled population. In other words, our approach involves empirically tracing out a form of an indifference curve between money and bereavement3.
Many economists would shudder at the thought of using happiness surveys in economic analysis, let alone anything scientifically useful. Yet studies in psychology have shown self-report well-being data to be of significant validity and a good proxy for an individual’s utility4. Further, the structure of happiness regression equations -- regressions with a measure of subjective well-being as the dependent variable -- has been shown to have a consistent pattern in many countries around the world. For example, we have found important life events, such as marriage, unemployment, having children, and higher incomes, to have the same qualitative influences – in terms of signs and statistical significance – on individuals' happiness in the USA5, Europe6, South America7, and South Africa8.
In our empirical analysis, we use two different measures of subjective well-being – a seven-point-scale life satisfaction (1 = very dissatisfied … 7 = very satisfied) and a twelve-point-scale record of a person’s mental health status in the general health questionnaire (GHQ) – in the long-run British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) carried out annually by the University of Essex, UK. The BHPS is a nationally representative sample of households, which contains over 10,000 adult individuals, conducted between September and Christmas of each year since 1991. Respondents are interviewed in successive waves about their socio-economic status, attitudes, and their subjective well-being. Since its inception, BHPS has remained representative of Britain’s population.
Using the two measures of subjective well-being, we are able to estimate how much happiness can be gained on average by a higher income of X thousand euros, and how much happiness is lost by the death of loved ones. We then calculate the ratio of the two, which will give us a statistical measure of a marginal rate of substitution between the pleasure of money and the pain from the death of a loved one.
Our results may seem hard to predict by any judge’s standard. Figure 1 shows that there a significant variation in the compensation valuation between our loved ones. Losing a partner is extremely damaging to subjective well-being and requires on average a compensation package of £114,000 (€160,000) in real income to make the person feels indifferent about the situation. Death of a child, on the other hand, is equivalent to an additional income of £89,000 (€125,000) a year. The loss of a sibling has one of the smallest compensation packages at around £16,000 (€22,000).
Many of the valuable things in our life – love, friends, health – come without price-tags attached. Our approach of estimating happiness equations is not limited only to valuing bereavements and, therefore, gives us a way of putting values on all sorts of things that we care for or even on what politicians make speeches about. Using this method, we can now put actual scientific numbers on their intuitive assessments.
1 Simmons, R.A., and Winson-Geideman, K. (2005). Determining market perceptions of residential property buyers using contingent valuation surveys, Journal of Real Estate Research, 27(2), 193-220.
2 Carson, R.T., Mitchell, R.C., Hanemann, M., Kopp, R.J., Presser, S., and Rudd, P.A. (2003). Contingent valuation and lost passive use: Damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Environmental and Resource Economics, 25(3), 257-286.
3 Oswald, A.J., and Powdthavee, N. (2007). Death, Happiness Equations, and the Calculation of Compensatory Damages. Journal of Legal Studies, forthcoming.
4 See, for example, Diener, E., Suh, E.M., Lucas, R.E., and Smith, H.L. (1999). Subjective Well-Being: Three Decades of Progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276-302.
5 Blanchflower, D.G., and Oswald, A.J. (2004). Well-being Over Time in Britain and in the USA, Journal of Public Economics, 88, 1359-1386.
6 Alesina, A., Di Tella, R., MacCulloch, R. (2004). Inequality and Happiness: Are Europeans and Americans Different?, Journal of Public Economics, 88, 2009-2034.
7 Graham, C., and Pettinato, S. (2002). Happiness and Hardship: Opportunity and Insecurity in New Market Economies. Brookings Institution Press, Washington D.C.
8 Powdthavee, N. (2005). Unhappiness and Crime: Evidence from South Africa, Economica, 72, 531-547. | https://voxeu.org/print/668 |
What Is The Legal Standard For A Domestic Violence Injunction In Florida?
Under Florida law, a person who is a victim or potential victim of domestic violence may request a court injunction against their alleged abuser. This is a very serious matter. If the court issues the injunction, the respondent faces potential criminal charges–and thus jail time–if they violate the terms of the order.
At the same time, the respondent has certain basic due process rights to contest the validity of the injunction. For instance, the petitioner–the person seeking the injunction–must prove there is “objectively reasonable cause to believe” they are in “imminent danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence.” The word imminent is crucial as it means that a domestic violence injunction typically cannot be justified by citing alleged incidents that occurred years earlier or are otherwise too “remote” the timing of the petition.
Appeals Court Tosses Injunction Due to Lack of “Imminent” Danger to Petitioner
A recent decision from the Florida Third District Court of Appeals, McGuire v. Boscan, provides a useful example. In this case, the appellate court actually vacated–threw out–a domestic violence injunction issued by the trial court. The petitioner in this case filed for the injunction in March 2020. She alleged her former live-in boyfriend had committed acts of domestic violence against her on four occasions dated May 2017, September 2017, February 2020, and March 2020.
Critically, the two alleged 2020 incidents did not involve any specific allegation of violence. Rather, they involved coincidental encounters between the parties. In February 2020, the petitioner said she was in downtown Miami when the respondent happened to pass her by while jogging. Similarly, the March 2020 “incident” was nothing more than both parties shopping at the same Whole Foods store at the same time.
As the Third District explained in its opinion, neither of these encounters placed the petitioner in any objectively reasonable fear of imminent domestic violence. That left only the two alleged 2017 incidents. Even assuming those incidents were domestic violence, they occurred more than two years before the petitioner sought an injunction. The Third District said those incidents “standing alone, cannot support the entry of the domestic violence injunction,” as once again, the legal standard is fear of imminent violence. So without more recent credible allegations of domestic violence, there was simply no legal grounds to issue an injunction.
Speak with a Florida Domestic Violence Defense Attorney Today
If someone has filed for a domestic violence injunction against you, it is critical that you act promptly to assert your rights. A domestic violence order can have a significant impact on your life even if there are never any criminal charges. The mere existence of such an order can taint you as undesirable in the eyes of potential employers or landlords. And even accidental contact with the petitioner while under an injunction can potentially lead to further legal problems.
So if you need legal advice or representation from an experienced Orlando domestic violence lawyer, contact the Baez Law Firm today to schedule a consultation.
Source: | https://www.baezlawfirm.com/what-is-the-legal-standard-for-a-domestic-violence-injunction-in-florida/ |
The theory of decadence is nothing other than the concretisation of historical materialism in the analysis of the evolution of modes of production. It is thus the indispensable framework for understanding the historical period we are living in. Knowing whether society is still progressing, or whether it has had its day historically, is decisive for grasping what is at stake on the political and socio-economic levels, and acting accordingly. As with all past societies, the ascendant phase of capitalism expressed the historically necessary character of the relations of production it embodies, that is, their vital role in the expansion of society's productive forces. The phase of decadence, by contrast, expresses the transformation of these relations into a growing barrier to this same development. This is one of the main theoretical acquisitions left us by Marx and Engels.
The 20th century was the most murderous in the entire history of humanity, both in the scale, the frequency and length of the wars which took up a large part of it, and in the incomparable breadth of the human catastrophes which it produced: from the greatest famines in history to systematic genocide, taking in economic crises which have shaken the whole planet and hurled tens of millions of proletarians and human beings into abject poverty. There is no comparison between the 19th and 20th centuries. During the Belle Epoque, the bourgeois mode of production reached unprecedented heights: it had united the globe, reaching levels of productivity and technological sophistication which could only have been dreamed about before. Despite the accumulation of tensions in society's foundations, the last 20 years of capitalism's ascendancy (1894-1914) were the most prosperous yet; capitalism seemed invincible and armed conflicts were confined to the peripheries. Unlike the "long 19th century" (as the historian EJ Hobsbawm has described it), which was a period of almost uninterrupted moral, intellectual and material progress, since 1914 there has been a marked regression on all fronts. The increasingly apocalyptic character of economic and social life across the planet, and the threat of self-destruction in an endless series of conflicts and ever more grave ecological catastrophes, are neither a natural fatality, nor the product of simple human madness, nor a characteristic of capitalism since its origins: they are a manifestation of the decadence of the capitalist mode of production which, from being, from the 16th century to the First World War, a powerful factor in economic, social and political development, has become a fetter on all such development and a threat to the very survival of humanity.
Why is humanity faced with the question of survival at the very moment that it has achieved a level of development in the productive forces that would enable it to start moving, for the first time in its history, towards a world without material poverty, towards a unified society capable of basing its activity on the needs, desires and consciousness of mankind? Does the world proletariat really constitute the revolutionary force that can take humanity out of the impasse into which capitalism has led it? Why is it that most of the forms of workers' struggle in our epoch can no longer be those of the last century, such as the fight for gradual reforms through trade unionism, parliamentarism, supporting the constitution of certain nation states or certain progressive fractions of the bourgeoisie? It is impossible to find one's bearings in the current historical situation, still less to play a vanguard role, without having a global, coherent vision which can answer these elementary but crucial questions. Marxism - historical materialism - is the only conception of the world which makes it possible to give such an answer. Its clear and simple response can be summed up in a few words; just like the modes of production which came before it, capitalism is not an eternal system: "Beyond a certain point, the development of the productive forces becomes a barrier to capital, and consequently the relation of capital becomes a barrier to the development of the productive forces of labour. Once this point has been reached, capital, ie wage labour, enters into the same relation to the development of social wealth and the productive forces as the guild system, serfdom and slavery did, and is, as a fetter, necessarily cast off. The last form of servility assumed by human activity, that of wage labour on the one hand and capital on the other, is thereby shed, and this shedding is itself the result of the mode of production corresponding to capital. It is precisely the production process of capital that gives rise to the material and spiritual conditions for the negation of wage labour and capital, which are themselves the negation of earlier forms of unfree social production.
The growing discordance between the productive development of society and the relations of production hitherto characteristic of it, is expressed in acute contradictions, crises, convulsions" ("Outlines of the Critique of Political Economy" [also known as the Grundrisse], Collected Works Vol. 29, 133-4).
As long as capitalism fulfilled a historically progressive role and the proletariat was not sufficiently developed, proletarian struggles could not result in a triumphant world revolution; they did however allow the proletariat to recognise itself and assert itself as a class through the trade union and parliamentary struggle for real reforms and lasting improvements in its living conditions. From the moment when the capitalist system entered into decadence, the world communist revolution became a possibility and a necessity. The forms of the proletarian struggle were radically overturned; even on the immediate level, defensive struggles could no longer be expressed, either in form or content, through the means of struggle forged last century such as trade unionism and parliamentary representation for workers' political organisations.
Brought into being by the revolutionary movements which put an end to the First World War, the Communist International was founded in 1919 around the recognition that the bourgeoisie was no longer a historically progressive class: "2. THE PERIOD OF CAPITALIST DECLINE. On the basis of its assessment of the world economic situation the Third Congress was able to declare with complete certainty that capitalism had fulfilled its mission of developing the productive forces and had reached a stage of irreconcilable contradiction with the requirements not only of modern historical development, but also of the most elementary conditions of human existence. This fundamental contradiction was reflected in the recent imperialist war, and further sharpened by the great damage the war inflicted on the conditions of production and distribution. Obsolete capitalism has reached the stage where the destruction that results from its unbridled power is crippling and ruining the economic achievements that have been built up by the proletariat, despite the fetters of capitalist slavery... What capitalism is passing through today is nothing other than its death throes" (‘Theses on Comintern Tactics' in Theses, resolutions and manifestos of the first four Congresses of the Third International, Hessel, p388-9)
From then on, the understanding that the First World War marked the entry of the capitalist system into its decadent phase has been the common patrimony of the majority of the groups of the communist left who, thanks to this historical compass, have been able to remain on an intransigent and coherent class terrain. The ICC has only taken up and developed the heritage transmitted and enriched by the Italian, German and Dutch lefts in the 1930s and 40s and then by the Gauche Communiste de France in the 1940s and 50s.
Decisive class combats are on the horizon. It is therefore more than ever vital for the proletariat to re-appropriate its own conception of the world, which has been developed over nearly two centuries of workers' struggles and theoretical elaboration by its political organisations. More than ever, the proletariat must understand that the present acceleration of barbarism and the uninterrupted increase in its exploitation are not a fact of nature, but are the result of the economic and social laws of capital which continue to rule the world even though they have been historically obsolete since the beginning of the 20th century. It is more vital than ever for the working class to understand that while the forms of struggle it learned in the 19th century (minimum programme of struggle for reforms, support for progressive fractions of the bourgeoisie etc) had a sense in the period of capitalism's ascent when it could "tolerate" the existence of an organised proletariat within society, these same forms can only lead it into an impasse in the period of decadence. More than ever, it is vital for the proletariat to understand that the communist revolution is not an idle dream, a utopia, but a necessity and a possibility which have their scientific foundations in an understanding of the decadence of the capitalist mode of production.
The decadence of capitalism
As a result of historical evolution, labour power becomes a commodity
Under capitalism, labour power has become a commodity:
"In ancient times, we see the exploitation of surplus labour by those who do not work. Slavery in antiquity, serfdom in the Middle Ages, both depend on a certain level of productivity being reached, on the ability of one individual's labour to support several individuals. Each is a different expression of the way in which one social class profits from this productivity by living on the labour of another class. In this sense, the slave of Antiquity and the medieval serf are the direct ancestors of today's wage worker. But neither in Antiquity nor in the Middle Ages had labour power become a commodity, despite its productivity and the fact that it is exploited (...)
The sale of labour power as a commodity implies a whole series of specific historical and social relations. The appearance on the market of the commodity 'labour power' means:
- that the worker is free as an individual;
- that he is separated from the means of production, and that the latter are brought together under the ownership of those who do not work;
- that labour productivity has reached a high level, in other words that it can provide surplus labour;
- that the market economy has become dominant, in other words that the creation of surplus labour in the form of commodities is the aim of the purchase of labour power" (Rosa Luxemburg, Introduction to political economy, Chapter V, "Wage Labour").
For the proletariat, the result was to introduce a new quality to its destitution, compared to previous epochs:
"The primitive tribe is hungry, occasionally or often, when natural conditions are unfavourable to it; its destitution is that of society as a whole, it was unthinkable that some its members could be destitute while others were rich; inasmuch as the means of life were available for the whole of society, they were equally to all of its members. The same is true of antique and oriental slavery. However pressured and exploited the Egyptian public slave or the Greek private slave, however great a gap between his meagre living conditions and the opulence of his master, his conditions as a slave nonetheless ensured his existence. Slaves were not left to die of hunger, just as nobody left their horse or their cattle to die of hunger. The same is true of medieval serfdom: the whole system of feudal dependence where the peasant was attached to the land and where everyone was either the master or the servant of other men, or both at once, attributed to each individual a determined place within society. However pressured were the serfs, no lord had the right to chase them from the land and therefore to deprive them of their means of existence. Feudal relations obliged the lord to help the peasants in the case of catastrophes, fires, floods, hail, etc. It is only at the end of the Middle Ages, when feudalism begins to collapse and modern capitalism makes its appearance, that the situation changes.
(...)
capitalist commodity production is the first form of economy in human history where the absence of work and of the means of existence for a large and growing part of the population, and the poverty of another, also growing, part are not only the consequence but also a necessity and the condition for the existence of the economy." (Rosa Luxemburg, op.cit.).
Capitalism creates the conditions for communism
The Communist Manifesto emphasises the eminently revolutionary role played by the bourgeoisie, as it swept away all the old limited forms of society, and replaced them by the most dynamic and expansionist mode of production ever seen; a mode of production which, by conquering and unifying the entire planet, and by setting in motion in enormous productive forces, laid the foundations for a higher form of society which will at last be able to do away with class antagonisms.
Communism has thus becomes a material possibility thanks to the unprecedented development of the productive forces by capitalism itself.
The society based on the universal production of commodities is inevitably condemned, by the logic of its own internal functioning, to decline and in the end to collapse. In the Manifesto, the internal contradictions which will lead to capitalism's fall were already identified:
"Modern bourgeois society with its relations of production, of exchange and of property, a society that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and of exchange, is like the sorcerer, who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells. For many a decade past, the history of industry and commerce is but the history of the rovolt of modern productive forces against modern conditions of production, against the property relations that are the conditions for the existence of the bourgeoisie and its rule. It is enough to mention the commercial crises that by their periodical return put on trial, each time more threateningly, the existence of the entire bourgeois society. In these crises a great part not only of the existing products, but also of the previously created productive forces, are periodically destroyed. In these crises there breaks out an epidemic that, in all earlier epochs, would have seemed an absurdity - the epidemic of overproduction. Society suddenly finds itself put back into a state of momentary barbarism; it appears as if a famine, a universal war of devastation had cut off the supply of every means of subsistence; industry and commerce seem to be destroyed; and why? Because there is too much civilisation, too much means of subsistence, too much industry, too much commerce." (Manifesto of the Communist Party in Marx: the revolutions of 1848, Pelican Marx Library, p72-73)
Marx's work in the years after he wrote the Manifesto was to look more closely at the relationship between the extraction and the realisation of surplus value, and at the periodic crises of overproduction which, every ten years or so, shook capitalist society to its foundations. In unveiling the secret of surplus value, he showed that capitalism is marked by profound contradictions which will inevitably lead to its decline and final collapse. These contradictions are based on the very nature of wage labour:
- the crisis of overproduction: under capitalism, the majority of the population is, by the very nature of surplus value, made up of over-producers and under-consumers. Capitalism is unable to realise all the value that is produced within the closed circuit of its own relations of production;
- the tendency of the rate of profit to fall: only human labour power can create new value; however, competition constantly obliges capitalism to reduce the quantity of living labour in relation to dead labour (machines, raw materials), which exerts a downward pressure on the rate of profit.
Despite its incredibly expansionist nature and the dynamic by which it subjects the whole planet to its laws, capitalism is - like Roman slave society or medieval feudalism - a historically transitory mode of production. At the end of this vast historical movement, like all modes of production that preceded it, capitalism is therefore condemned to disappear not because of its moral bankruptcy but because its internal contradictions compel it to destroy itself, and because it has produced within itself a class able to replace it by a higher form of social organisation.
Capitalism's contradictions also pointed to their solution: communism. A society plunged into chaos by the domination of commodity relationships can only be superseded by a society which abolishes wage labour and production for exchange, the society of "producers freely associated" for the satisfaction of human needs, where the relationships between human beings will be no longer obscure, but simple and clear.
During the last years of his life, Marx devoted a large part of his intellectual energy to the study of archaic societies. The publication of Morgan's Ancient society and the questions posed to him by the Russian workers' movement on the perspectives for the revolution in Russia, led him to undertake an intensive study which has come down to us in the form of his very incomplete but nonetheless extremely important Ethnographic notes. The same study also underpinned Engels' great anthropological work, The origins of the family, private property and the state.
For Marx and Engels, Morgan's work on the American Indians was a striking confirmation of their ideas about primitive communism: contrary to the conventional bourgeois conception that private property, social hierarchy, and the inequality of the sexes were inherent to human nature, Morgan's study revealed that the more primitive was a social formation, the more property was held in common, the more also the process of decision-making was collective and the more relationships between men and women were based on mutual respect.
Marxist approach to primitive society was founded on his materialist method which considered that the historical evolution of societies is determined, in the last instance, by changes in their economic infrastructure. These changes brought about the end of the primitive community and opened the way to the appearance of more developed social forms. But his vision of historical progress was radically opposed to the trivial bourgeois evolutionism which imagined a purely linear ascension from darkness into light, an ascension whose culmination is of course the brilliant splendour of bourgeois civilisation. Marx's viewpoint was profoundly dialectical: far from rejecting primitive communism as subhuman, his Notes express a profound respect for the qualities of the tribal community: its ability to govern itself, its powers of imagination and artistic creation, its sexual equality. The inevitable limitations of primitive society - in particular, restrictions imposed on individuals and the division of humanity in the tribal units - were necessarily overcomes by historical progress. But the positive side of these societies was lost during this process and would have to be restored at a higher level in the communist future.
The discovery that human beings had lived for hundreds of thousands of years in a society without classes and without a state was to become a powerful instrument in the hands of the workers' movement and served to counterbalance all those proclamations according to which the love of private property and the need for hierarchy are an intrinsic part of human nature.
The imperialist phase, capitalism's apogee and prelude to its decadence
When the Communist Manifesto was written, the cyclical crises of overproduction could still be overcome "by the conquest of new markets, and by the more thorough exploitation of the old ones": capitalism still had before it a long phase of expansion.
During the 1870s and 1880s a new phase in capitalism's life opened up. The capitalist system entered its last phase of expansion and world conquest, no longer through the class struggle of emerging bourgeoisie seeking to establish viable national states, but through the method of imperialism and colonial conquest. During the last three decades of the 19th century almost the entire planet was conquered and shared out between the great imperialist powers.
With the appearance of the first signs of capitalism's decadent phase - growing tensions between the great powers and incessant conflicts on the periphery - as Engels was to write in 1891 with remarkable prescience: "All the above was said with the reservation that Germany will be able to pursue its economic and political development in peace. A war would change all that. And war is liable to break out at any moment. Everyone knows what war means today. It would be Russia and France on one side; Germany, Austria and perhaps Italy on the other" ('Socialism in Germany' 1891, in Marx and Engels Collected Works vol 27 p241) "But if war is to break out nevertheless, one thing is certain. This war, in which fifteen to twenty million armed men would slaughter one another and devastate Europe as it has never been devastated before - this war would either lead to the immediate triumph of socialism, or it would lead to such an upheaval in the old order of things, it would leave behind it everywhere such a heap of ruins, that the old capitalist society would become more impossible than ever..." (p245).
Before the outbreak of social disaster of World War I, many influential voices within the workers movement tried to convince the working class that capitalism could be transformed peacefully through reforms.
Fortunately at the time, the Marxist left was able to see through the apparently robust health of capitalism as expressed in its economic statistics. In reality, when the war broke out, capitalism was at the height of its economic prosperity and it was by walking in Engels' footsteps that the Marxist left was able to undertake an implacable struggle against the reformists within the social democracy, and to take account of the exacerbating contradictions of the system.
The understanding of the phase of imperialism and of capitalist decadence was to be developed by Marx's successors, and notably by Rosa Luxemburg.
The 20th century: the century of wars and revolutions
Although the Marxist left was far from being united on the fundamental reasons that had led capitalism to World War I - and a qualitatively and quantitatively new phenomenon in social life - it was nonetheless able to agree on its immediate cause: this was a war between great imperialist powers to divide up the world between them. Obviously those who were the most interested in a new division of the world, and were ready to go to war for it, were the least well endowed in colonies: Germany in particular. The others (Britain, France) were equally ready for war to avoid losing their colonial empires.
As an international wave of indignation against the barbarism of World War I was transformed into a world revolutionary wave which could put on the historical agenda the overthrow of the bourgeoisie and the creation of a communist society, there were those within the workers' movement who took refuge in "Marxist orthodoxy" to decree that the seizure of power by the working class in Russia was premature because it had not yet been preceded by the political seizure of power by the bourgeoisie. This polarisation on the supposed immaturity of revolutionary conditions in Russia was not only completely mistaken as to the development of industry and the working class in that country, but above all completely missed the fundamental point that conditions were ripe for a worldwide revolution.
Carried by the wave of revolutionary movements which had put an end to World War I, the foundation of the Communist International in 1919 was based, as we have seen above, on the understanding that the historically progressive role of the bourgeoisie had come to an end.
The fact that the revolution was defeated in no way indicates that the objective conditions for revolution were not yet ready in this period. Not only were the preconditions for a society of abundance already present thanks to the development of productive forces but the working class had already demonstrated, in 1905 in Russia and in several industrialised countries from 1917 onwards, its ability to overthrow the bourgeoisie and set up its own political power world wide.
This defeat, due fundamentally to the defeat of the revolution in Germany, in fact expresses the immaturity of the subjective conditions for the revolution, in particular the continued illusions of a large part of the German proletariat in the Social Democracy despite the latter's betrayal during the war.
The economic foundations of capitalist decadence
The world war, the first brutal manifestation of capitalism's entry into its decadent phase, was obviously not unconnected with the contradictions which had developed within society's economic foundations. Indeed it is a pure product of these contradictions.
A) the underlying economic causes of wars in the decadent period
As we have already pointed out, Marx had demonstrated both the absolute necessity for capitalism to realise a part of its surplus value in exchange with the non-capitalist world, and the fact that this necessity is a result of the mode of appropriation of surplus value which is specific to capitalism: wage labour. It is this that forces the capitalist to reduce the workers' wages to the minimum possible, such that the latter are unable to buy commodities which are not strictly necessary for the reproduction of their labour power, and therefore to constitute a factor in enlarging the solvent market within capitalism. Whence the necessity for capitalism constantly to search for outlets outside the sphere of its own relations of production:
"Secondly he overlooks the fact that the output level is by no means arbitrarily chosen, but the more capitalist production develops, the more it is forced to produce on a scale which has nothing to do with the immediate demand but depends on a constant expansion of the world market. He has recourse to Say's trite assumption, that the capitalist produces not for the sake of profit, surplus-value, but produces use-value directly for consumption - for his own consumption. He overlooks the fact that the commodity has to be converted into money. The demand of the workers does not suffice, since profit arises precisely from the fact that the demand of the workers is smaller than the value of their produce, and that it [profit] is all the greater the smaller, relatively, is this demand. The demand of the capitalists among themselves is equally insufficient." (Theories of Surplus Value part 2, 'Ricardo's theory of profit - (e) Ricardo's explanation for the fall in the rate of profit and its connection with his theory of rent', p468).
The necessity for global capitalism to exchange with the extra-capitalist world affects each capitalist power with more or less force, and pushes each to try to acquire its own colonial empire in order to avoid dependence on other great powers for access to such a market. As a result, even before World War I, the world and colonial markets had all come under the domination of the great economic powers. From then on a country could only acquire new colonies at the expense of its rivals.
Thus although the world war was not a direct consequence of an economic crisis caused by capitalism's insurmountable economic contradictions, it was nonetheless their product in the last instance. The same is true of World War II and of the wars which have followed.
As capitalism plunged further into its own contradictions, a qualitative modification took place in the nature of these wars themselves as they became increasingly irrational from the economic point of view.
This economic irrationality existed already in World War I, in as much as, far from allowing capitalism to develop, it brought capitalism's development to a brutal halt. The economies of most of the combatant countries, in whichever camp they fought, were also hard hit by the war. Only the United States came out an overall winner.
After World War I, the economic objectives of war - in other words seizing the markets of one's rivals - tended to give way to purely strategic considerations aimed at maintaining or improving the balance of power in one's own favour. The example of today's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is a striking illustration, since the control of oil is also here fundamentally a strategic motive not an economic one.
At the global level therefore, it is the absence of any way out economically which pushes each state into the flight towards militarism and war.
B) the crisis of 1929 and the 1930s and the explosion of structural mass unemployment
The history of capitalism is the history of its conquest of the planet. This development is inextricably tied to the development of trade with extra-capitalist economy, and to the latter's integration into capitalist relations of production:
"The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilization. The cheap prices of its commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls, with which it forces the barbarians' intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce whiat it calls civilization into their midst, ie, to become bourgeois themselves. In one word, it creates a world after its own image." ('Bourgeois and Proletarians', The manifesto of the Communist Party, in Marx: the Revolutions of 1848, Pelican Marx Library, p71).
The result of this movement is the diminution of the extent of extra-capitalist markets, without any diminution in capitalism's need for their existence to absorb part of its production in order to be able to continue accumulating in "normal" conditions.
The crisis of 1929 was the first direct expression, at a strictly economic level, of the insurmountable contradictions of decadent capitalism. Just like the cyclical crises of the ascendant phase, it was a crisis of overproduction. But unlike the former, it could not be resolved by the opening of new markets which would provide a lasting basis for new growth. It was the expression of the global and growing tendency towards the saturation of extra-capitalist markets relative to capitalism's need to realise surplus value in order to fuel new cycles of accumulation.
The slight improvement in the economic situation during the 1930s was in fact a product of state capitalist measures aimed at controlling the economy, and transforming it to meet the needs of military production in the new world war to come. Far from offering a solution to capitalism's insurmountable contradictions, such measures could do no more than hold them off for a time.
World War I had already forced capitalism to adopt a number of state capitalist measures. Once the conflict ended however the bourgeoisie still laboured under the illusion that it could return to its pre-war golden age. In the years that followed, this tendency towards the state's domination of the whole of social and economic life (state capitalism) has become irreversible.
The crisis of 1929 opened a period of permanent economic crisis, broken only by the atypical years of prosperity that followed World War II. It was marked in particular by the development of structural mass unemployment, which was only temporarily absorbed by the policies of public works and arms production during the 1930s, by the war during 1939-45, and then by the relatively short-lived period of reconstruction that followed World War II.
Both quantitatively and qualitatively, unemployment since 1929 has differed from that of the 20th century, when the unemployed formed an industrial reserve army necessary for capital. It is the expression of the permanent crisis of overproduction affecting the world economy. In a context where the world economy has not enough room to develop, each national capital and each individual capitalist is forced to reduce its workforce as much as possible in order to remain competitive. This expression of permanent overproduction reveals the full extent of capitalism's contradictions, on two levels:
- In order to maintain social stability, the bourgeoisie is forced to introduce unemployment benefits, especially in those countries where the proletariat is most concentrated and most experienced; this is completely unproductive expenditure which weighs heavily on the economy.
- By expelling from the productive process the only value-creating productive force, the proletariat, the bourgeoisie constantly weakens the foundations of a system based on the exploitation of the working class.
The post-1945 period of reconstruction: a new lease of life for capitalism, or the reaction of a diseased social body?
The growth rates during the two decades that followed World War II were higher than the best rates achieved during capitalism's ascendancy, and were used as an argument by its supporters to claim that capitalism had definitively overcome its crises. They also engendered considerable scepticism in the revolutionary camp as to the reality of capitalism's decadence.
This was all the more true in that these growth rates were made possible by an equally substantial increase in labour productivity, accompanied to some extent by an improvement in working class living conditions, and although the first signs of capitalism's return to open crisis appeared at the end of the 1960s, the 1970s also experienced relatively high growth rates.
But when we look back on the 20th century as a whole, with the hindsight that our position at the beginning of the 21st century allows us, it is much easier to see that the Reconstruction years are in fact an exception in a period characterised by capitalism"s irreversible slide into crisis.
We should also point out that:
- Unlike previous society's, and contrary to what Trotsky had believed in the 1930s, capitalism's entry into decadence is marked, not by a halt in the development of the productive forces, but by the presence of a constant fetter on their development. This is essentially because critical technical development is vital to capitalism's existence, as it was not for previous societies, even when the full use of this development is constrained by the inadequacy of the market.
- A general epoch of decadence is not incompatible with short periods of rising prosperity, as the ruling class tries to hold back the decline in its mode of production through the intervention of the state.
We can give a general explanation here of the economic boom of the Reconstruction period.
Firstly, we need to bear in mind the reality underlying the gross statistics for growth, which include a substantial share of unproductive capital, notably in arms production.
Consequently, although as we have said the bourgeoisie was able to profit from an important increase in labour productivity thanks in large part to state intervention in the national economy, these gains in productivity were in part "lost" to capitalist accumulation due to their sterilisation as unproductive capital.
Secondly, we should highlight the following factors underlying this period of relative prosperity:
- The impetus given by the reconstruction of Western Europe and Japan, thanks to the essentially imperialist programme of the Marshall Plan.
- The development of state capitalism within each country, and the adoption of state capitalist measures at the level of the imperialist blocs (IMF, EEC, World Bank, COMECON etc.), made it possible to modulate growing economic contradictions and thus temporarily avoid the sanction of the market.
- The beginning of a substantial rise in debt.
- A more efficient exploitation of the remaining extra-capitalist markets. Technical development, the falling costs of communications and transport all facilitated a more intensive penetration of the surviving extra-capitalist markets. In addition, the policy of decolonisation relieved the great powers of a costly burden (the expense of colonial administration and the military presence needed to support it), which made it possible to increase sales to the ex-colonies.
Once the specific factors underlying the economic boom of the Reconstruction period were exhausted, a general rise in debt became an increasingly important palliative to the inadequacy of solvent markets. Far from being a miracle cure for capitalism's contradictions, this could only lead to a long series of bankruptcies among the most indebted states, beginning with a number of African states during the 1970s and spreading to many of the "Tigers" and "Dragons" in 1998. The list of bankrupt states is obviously neither exhaustive nor closed.
The most barbaric century that humanity has ever known
Even the most enthusiastic apologists for the capitalist mode of production are forced to recognise that the 20th century has been one of the darkest that humanity has ever suffered.
Human history is not lacking in cruelty of every kind: tortures, massacres, mass deportation or extermination of whole populations on the basis of religion, language, culture, or race. The obliteration of Carthage by the Roman legions, the invasions of Attila in the mid-5th century, Charlemagne's execution of 4,500 Saxon hostages on a single day in 782, the torture chambers and burnings of the Inquisition, the extermination of the Indians of America, the selling into slavery of millions of Africans between the 16th and 19th centuries: these are just a few examples that any schoolboy can find in his history books. Similarly, human history has already seen other examples of long and tragic periods of decadence and disaster: the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the Hundred Years War between France and England during the Middle Ages, the Thirty Years War which devastated Germany during the 17th century. Yet even if we were to take account of all the catastrophes of this kind which have befallen humanity, we would be hard put to find an equal to the suffering that capitalism has visited on the 20th century:
- World War I: five million refugees, ten million dead, twice that number injured or mutilated, and an aftermath of disease (the influenza epidemic of 1918) which struck a population weakened by the deprivations of war and killed even more than had the war itself.
- The terrible civil war unleashed by the bourgeoisie against the Russian revolution between 1918 and 1921: six million dead.
- More than twenty million dead in the wars that preceded World War II (Sino-Japanese war, Spanish Civil War) and in Stalin's gulag.
- World War II: 40 million refugees, more than fifty million dead, as many or more injured and mutilated.
- The "era of peace" which began in 1945 - and which has never, in reality, known a day of peace - counts between 150 and 200 localised wars (including major conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars), with as many deaths or more than those caused by World War II.
Apart from the sheer numbers, there are two particular aspects of the situation today which we should highlight:
- The fact that, for the first time in history, the disasters visited on humanity by a historically decadent society cover the entire planet, sparing no corner of it, nor any fraction of our species.
- The fact that there has never been such an immense gap between the society that exists, and the possibilities opened up by the development of its historically created wealth.
It is capitalist society that has laid the foundations of this potential wealth through the mastery of science and its extraordinary increase in labour productivity. Thanks to its ferocious exploitation of the working class, capitalism has created the material conditions which allow it to be superseded by a society which will be driven, not by the need for profit and the satisfaction of the needs of a minority, but by the satisfaction of the ever-expanding needs of the whole of humanity. These material conditions have existed since the beginning of the 20th century. Capitalism has completed its historic task of allowing an unprecedented expansion of the productive forces, including the most important of these: the working class. The time has long since come for capitalism to quit the stage of history, like the slave-holding and feudal societies that preceded it. But it cannot disappear by itself: as the Communist Manifesto said in 1848, it is up to the proletariat to execute the sentence of death that history has already pronounced on capitalist society.
The implications of capitalism's decadence
Why is it so important to understand the reality of the decadence of capitalist society? Because the transition from capitalism's ascendant period to its decadence has fundamentally changed the material conditions within which the proletariat struggles. The underlying principles of the proletarian struggle - internationalism, the communist future towards which the struggle tends historically - remain the same; however the concrete manner in which these principles are put into practice by the struggle itself has changed profoundly. The workers' organisation for struggle (the union question, the question of parliamentary activity), their relationship with other classes in society (the national question, the question of so-called "partial struggles") are determined today by the new period in capitalism's history that was opened up by the first world imperialist war of 1914, and by the proletariat's first world assault on power that began in Russia in 1917.
The opening of the decadent phase in capitalism's history has dramatically raised the stakes of the workers' struggles. In the 19th century, workers fought to protect their living conditions and to reduce their exploitation by the capitalist class: today, the workers' struggles in their own defence are the only real barrier against a slide into generalised warfare and barbarism. In the 19th century, workers organised their self-defence within an expanding economic system that could allow them a certain "place" in society: today, every workers' struggle tends immediately to pose the question of power, of the balance of forces not just between the workers and the bosses of this or that enterprise, but between the whole working and capitalist classes.
International Communist Current, October 2006
Properly speaking from the 16th century up to the bourgeois revolutions in the context of feudal decadence, and from the bourgeois revolutions to 1914 in the context of the ascendant phase of capitalism.
Our translation from the French. As far as we know, this book has never been translated into English.
At least in the industrialised countries of the American bloc. It should nonetheless be remembered that this was a period of severe penury in the Eastern bloc countries (workers' revolts in East Germany 1953, in Hungary 1956, and in Poland), not to mention the millions of deaths from famine during China's so-called "Great Leap Forward" (1958-62). | http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2007/korea-conference-decadence |
Fatal bike accident
How likely are you to die in a motorcycle accident?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you are 37 times more likely to die in a motorcycle accident than a car accident – and nine times more likely to become injured while riding a motorcycle than while driving a car.
What is a major cause of death in motorcycle accidents?
The Main Cause of Death in Motorcycle Accidents The kind of injury that is most responsible for fatalities in motorcycle accidents are head injuries . Even if the rider is wearing a helmet the force inflicted on their head can be tremendous, and in many cases, life-threatening.
How many bicyclists died in 2019?
Overall traffic deaths have also increased compared to the same time last year—205 up from 192 according to the Department of Transportation. But cycling deaths have nearly tripled this year compared to last. So far in 2019, 29 cyclists were killed.
Can you survive a motorcycle crash?
Unfortunately, the odds of surviving a motorcycle accident aren’t good. In face, riders involved in a collision with another vehicle are almost twenty-seven times as likely to die and eight times more likely to be injured, than the occupants and driver of the vehicle.
How do most motorcyclists die?
Crashes involving motorcycles and other vehicles account for 56% of motorcycle accident deaths. In the vast majority of these accidents, the car strikes the motorcycle from the front –78% of the time. (The car strikes the motorcycle from the rear only 5% of the time.)
Do all motorcyclists crash?
No, not everyone. I have ridden for 10 years and 30,000 miles, no accidents . Never really any close calls, either. Ride in such a way as to make yourself as visible as possible.
What percentage of motorcyclists die?
Occupant Fatality Rates By Vehicle Type, 2008 And 2017
|Fatality rate||Motorcycles||Passenger cars|
|Per 100,000 registered vehicles||59.34||10.05|
|Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled||25.67||0.94|
|Percent change, 2008-2017|
|Per 100,000 registered vehicles||– 13.4%||-4.6%|
At what speed does Countersteering work?
20 mph
Why are grass clippings bad for motorcycles?
Grass clippings on roadways can not only clog storm drains, but they are also a preventable danger for motorcyclists . The clippings can create a slippery surface that could cause a motorcyclist to crash. Motorcyclists say grass , sand, gravel, potholes and even roadkill can cause close calls.
How many cyclists die a year?
In 2018, there were 857 bicyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes, a more than 6% increase from the year before. NHTSA’s bicycle safety programs focus on the behaviors of bicyclists and motorists to reduce injuries and fatalities on our nation’s roadways.
How many cyclists kill people?
In 2018, 99 pedal cyclists were killed, 4,106 seriously injured and 13,345 slightly injured in Great Britain. Although car occupants account for the greatest number of casualties each year, this is unsurprising as cars account for 80% of traffic on Britain’s roads.
Are bicycles safer than cars?
As it turns out, bikes are the most dangerous way to get around with the exception of motorcycles. Nationwide, you’re more than twice as likely to die while riding a bike than riding in a car , per trip, according to a 2007 study led by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist Laurie Beck.
Can you survive a 70 mph crash?
If either car in an accident is traveling faster than 43 mph , the chances of surviving a head-on crash plummet. One study shows that doubling the speed from 40 to 80 actually quadruples the force of impact. Even at 70 mph , your chances of surviving a head-on collision drop to 25 percent.
Where do most fatal motorcycle accidents happen?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 56 percent of all motorcycle crashes occur on urban roadways, with the majority of those accidents taking place at intersections.
What happens when you get hit by a motorcycle?
The rider may be thrown off of his or her motorcycle upon hitting the person, suffering a variety of injuries or fatality. Both parties in these scenarios are prone to suffering head injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, chest injury and other types of deadly trauma. | https://foxandfarmerlaw.com/solving-problems-in-accidents/fatal-bike-accident.html |
Ouch! You could almost feel the hurt. An American writer is unlikely to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel judge and permanent secretary Horace Engdahl told the Associated Press in an interview.
"The US is too isolated, too insular," the Swedish historian and critic said. "They don't translate enough and don't really participate in the big dialogue of literature. That ignorance is restraining.
"You can't get away from the fact that Europe still is the centre of the literary world, not the United States," he added.
It didn't take long for America's book world to spring to the defense. "You would think that the permanent secretary of an academy that pretends to wisdom but has historically overlooked Proust, Joyce, and Nabokov, to name just a few non-Nobelists, would spare us the categorical lectures," said David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker magazine.
Remnick cited Roth, Updike, and DeLillo, along with "many younger writers, some of them sons and daughters of immigrants writing in their adopted English." Not one of "these poor souls, old or young," Remnick said, "seem ravaged by the horrors of Coca-Cola."
"Such a comment makes me think that Mr. Engdahl has read little of American literature outside the mainstream and has a very narrow view of what constitutes literature in this age," said Harold Augenbraum, executive director of US National Book Foundation.
Even an unnamed "senior French publishing executive" came to the defense of the US in an interview with the Independent – although rather less vigorously. Engdahl was "partly right but also fundamentally wrong," he said, adding that "not all American contemporary literature is parochial or ignorant.... there are also excellent modern American authors."
"Put [Engdahl] in touch with me, and I'll send him a reading list," suggested Augenbraum. Of course, there have been a number of US writers who have been awarded the prize over the years, although some argue that that number is much smaller than it should be.
One-hundred-and-four writers have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature was first awarded in 1901. Of those 104, there have been 10 US winners, starting with Sinclair Lewis in 1930. Most recently, Toni Morrison received the prize in 1993.
This year, Nobel Prizes for physiology, physics, chemistry, peace, and economics will all be announced in October. According to tradition, however, the Swedish Academy will set the date for its announcement of the Nobel Prize in literature later.
Each Nobel Prize includes a $1.3 million purse, a gold medal and a diploma. The awards are handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
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Director of esports
Fundamental Objectives of this Position:
The University of Mount Union invites applicants for the full-time position of Director of esports. Under the supervision of the Dean of Students and serving as a member of the student affairs team, this position is responsible for coordinating all facets of the University’s esports program.
The Candidate must have excellent oral, interpersonal, and written communication skills; outstanding organizational abilities; demonstrated experience in the successful coordination of and/or participation in esports; and interest and willingness to be part of the student affairs team.
Holding true to the principles of a liberal arts experience, the coach will implement a successful plan for members of the esports team to be fully immersed in the campus culture and community; including, but not limited to, active membership and participation in a student organization outside of esports and participating in established community service each year.
This person is expected to exercise judgment and to make decisions considered appropriate and necessary to provide the designated support and services for the esports program, consulting with the Dean of Students and other campus constituents as needed.
General Responsibilities:
- Lead and coordinate UMU esports programs and activities.
- Serve as a member of the Student Affairs team and ensure that all facets of esports are undertaken in accordance with University and other pertinent regulations and guidelines.
- Assist the Admission/Enrollment Office in recruiting efforts to identify and maintain optimal squad/team sizes; this function will include travel to meet and recruit potential students as well as participation in various planned visitation and tryout days.
- Represent Student affairs as a member of various University committees as requested.
- Maintain calendar for appointments with students, prospective students/families, campus colleagues, and external constituents.• Schedule events, coordinate services, and reserve facilities/equipment as needed.
- Coordinate travel arrangements required for pre-trip paperwork and post-trip documentation.
- Oversee and utilize departmental budget and plan for organizational financial needs.
- Work closely with various campus offices including, but not limited to: admission/enrollment services, marketing, and public relations, recreation/intramurals, camps/conferences, Information technologies, and physical plant.
- Coordinate community services projects involving the esports team.
- Assist with training and supervision of staff/volunteers – including student staff.
- Manage time, expectations, and set priorities for teams.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Establish a highly visible esports presence at the University of Mount Union.
- Plan, organize, and direct practices and competitions for various teams.
- Uphold expectations for the conduct and behavior of teams.
- Maintain current and updated knowledge regarding rules and regulations of the Great Lakes Esports Conference and National Esports Collegiate Conference.
- Communicate technology & equipment needs to VP for Student Affairs, prepare anticipated replacement cycle for equipment, furniture, etc.
- Prepare competition and game schedules and coordinate all logistical needs (facilities, equipment/set-up, marketing/promotion, etc.)
- Monitor and document the involvement of team members in student organizations on campus.
- Collaborate with individual members of each squad to provide resources and support toward optimal academic success – work with campus offices as needed.
- Work with the Admission/Enrollment Services staff to develop and implement a systemic approach for recruiting team members – including site visits, campus visits, tryout events, and individual recruitment follow-up activities; assist with the development of pertinent recruitment materials.
- Coordinate and document all recruitment activities through admission and financial aid processes and databases.
- Establish a network of affiliations with high schools.
- Make final determinations regarding esports scholarships.
- Recruit, hire, supervise, and evaluate assistant coaches, student staff, volunteers, and graduate assistants.
- Work with UMU advancement and business affairs staff when fund-raising and/or gift opportunities might exist.
- Explore opportunities to host esports clinics, events, and competitions on campus.
- Foster relationships with vendors and other outside stakeholders.
- Coordinate broadcast and livestream (experience with OBS or vMix preferred).
- Manage social media channels for any outward facing communication for the program.
Qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) and significant experience playing/advising/coaching esports program(s). The candidate must have excellent oral, interpersonal, and written communication skills; outstanding organizational abilities; demonstrated experience in the successful completion of multiple projects and responsibilities; and interest and willingness to be part of the University and student affairs team. In addition to familiarity with online gaming technologies, the candidate must have the necessary skill to effectively utilize administrative computer systems, such as Microsoft Office products, campus databases and the Internet. Weekend and evening hours will be required as part of the position.
The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all- inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. When requested, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
The University of Mount Union is an equal-opportunity employer. The University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, marital or parental status, pregnancy, disability, or genetic information in student admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or employment as now or may hereafter be required by university policy and federal or state law.
This position is required to complete assigned University compliance training as communicated by the University. | https://hitmarker.net/jobs/university-of-mount-union-director-of-esports-1807841 |
Germany lifts more restrictions, Merkel urges caution
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed on Saturday that far-reaching climate protection measures could be implemented only with the corresponding political majorities. "I understand - and it makes me a little sad, of course - that young people say, 'man, we had to go to court first before those in the government actually give us what we're entitled to," she said during a discussion with German climate activist Luisa Neubauer.
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Cast an eye over the candidates hoping to succeed Angela Merkel as German Chancellor, and one of the phrases most often used by political pundits describing the Green party’s nominee Annalena Baerbock is: “A breath of fresh air.”. Among a lineup of gray-haired middle-aged men vying for the top job,...
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Scots should be “cautious and careful” when Covid restrictions ease across most of the country on Monday, national clinical director Jason Leitch has said. Professor Leitch said the decision to keep Glasgow in Level 3 restrictions went “down to the wire” and indicated the city may have to stay at the current level for longer than a week.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telephone on Monday she hoped for a rapid end to Israeli-Palestinian fighting, a German government spokesman said. Merkel also condemned protests in Germany at which "hate and anti-Semitism are spread", the spokesman added. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust...
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Many digital professionals float through their careers; sitting in a role that doesn’t suit them because it pays well, finding themselves redundant unexpectedly, or getting to the end of their tether, leaving a role, and taking anything that is offered.
But what if that wasn’t the case?
What if at every inflection point in their career, a person could use a process to help them work through the career decisions — to stay at the same role, leave, or get a promotion?
As digital professionals we already have the skills sets that we use every day in our client's or project work, where we assess digital capabilities, stakeholder opinions, the technical constraints and the users’ needs to create a strategy and plan for moving forward.
So why not apply these same techniques to our careers?
Here’s my two-phased approach to consciously decide on the next steps of your career
- Career audit (the analysis phase) - where we understand who we are, our life constraints, what careers are available, and how we currently position ourselves
- Career strategy (the synthesis, strategy and planning phase) taking all the data from the career audit, to make decisions career vision, direction and positioning
Career Audit
Current State Analysis > Career Audit
- User research > Personal audit
- Stakeholder interviews > Stakeholder interviews
- Competitor analysis > Career path analysis
- Technical constraints > Life constraints
- Market analysis > Current positioning
The Personal Audit is the equivalent of User Research – where we look at ourselves reviewing our:
- Technical skills
- Strengths, weaknesses and never done
- Experiences
- Aspirations to see patterns and gaps in ourselves
The aim is to be as honest with ourselves, so we can reflect and learn from what we’ve done previously, as we move forward
The next step is Stakeholder Interviews; where we talk to the people in our lives to understand their opinions on our career and lives. People include mentors, previous bosses and co-workers, our current team, and friends and family. This analysis is two-fold; to elicit an outside opinion of our strengths and weaknesses, but also to understand how our career is affecting the ones closest to us.
We then do a Career Path Analysis, similar to a Competitor Analysis. We understand the landscape of roles and careers available to us by seeing what’s in the job market, talking to others in our profession, consider the many directions in our discipline like being a Practitioner/ IC, Manager or Consultant. We want to be as open to possibilities as possible, considering industries, roles and different types of organisations to help to decide on our path.
Life Constraints is similar to Technical Constraints. In a digital project (unless it is Greenfields) there are existing technologies that we need to take into consideration. In our lives, those considerations are:
- Family – what are the needs of our children, partner and our elders?
- Locations – are we willing to move?
- Health – do we have a disability or physical and mental health needs to take into consideration?
- Financial – do we have financial responsibilities that influence the next role we take?
Lastly, we do a Current Positioning review, a bit like a Market Analysis; understanding how we are thought of in the market. We describe our current positioning, whether it is for our technical expertise, working in an industry, or our managerial or consulting skills.
At the end of this work, we will have a good understanding of ourselves, the market, any constraints and the opportunities available to us. It is now time to create our strategy.
Career Strategy
Digital Strategy > Career Strategy
- Model development > Vision development
- Market assessment > Impact assessment
- Strategy options > Directions
- Strategy > Path forward
The Career Strategy process takes the Career audit results and helps work out the next steps.
We firstly develop the Vision for our career. Our vision is more about the way we want to work, the activities we want to do every day, how we feel about ourselves at the end of a week, and the values of people and organisations we work with.
It is not:
I want to work in Financial Services to make money
It is:
I want to work in an organisation that is fast-paced and always innovative; that I directly contribute to the organisational goals. I want to use my people and strategy skills every day, but am not on the tools.
The next two steps are done in conjunction with each other; Impact Assessment and Directions. We analyse the impact we want to make against the possible Directions that meet our vision.
Impact Assessments takes career audit results and maps the impact we could have in Digital, an industry, an organisation or in a role, against the categories of Doer, Expert, Leader and Change Maker.
For example, I have two possible Directions; an Information Architect and a Career Coach.
While recovering from cancer, being a Doer (an Information Architect) was the right level – it gave me the opportunity to recover, work 4 days a week and reduce my stress. While being a Change Maker in Career Coaching is right for me now, giving me the flexibility of work while supporting others in their goals.
Finally, we create a Path Forward, a strategy for where we want to go. There are three elements to consider in this plan.
- Positioning ourselves to move forward towards the direction — including doing the work, speaking and writing
- Networking, so the people in the industry know who we are and what we are looking for
- Creating an actionable 100 days plan
No vision and direction nowadays are for 20 years — looking ahead 1-3 years is probably the right timeframe. Using a framework to review our situations at inflection points, either in-depth or quickly, gives us peace of mind that we are heading along the right path. And if not, we can change course.
This blog post was originally run on our Aquent Australia blog.
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Advice for planning your next career move in UX. | https://vitamintalent.com/blog/using-your-ux-skills-to-architect-your-career |
There have been several pedestrian accidents in Franklin County recently and in most cases, the driver had the right away. Pedestrians need to be alert, cross at crosswalks, and take a roll to prevent injury or fatal accidents.
Tips to Keep you and Loved Ones Safe
Pedestrian safety is an important issue that affects people of all ages and abilities. Pedestrians must take steps to protect themselves while walking, especially in busy areas. Here are some tips to help pedestrians stay safe on the streets:
- Use designated crosswalks and obey traffic signals. Cross at intersections, where drivers expect to see pedestrians. Look left and right before crossing the street and make eye contact with drivers if possible.
- Wear bright or reflective clothing at night. This will make it easier for drivers to see you in low-light conditions.
- Avoid distractions. Put away your phone and other electronic devices while walking. This will help you stay alert and aware of your surroundings.
- Walk on the sidewalk when available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far away from the road as possible.
- Watch for turning vehicles. Many accidents happen when a driver turns at an intersection and strikes a pedestrian who is crossing the street.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to the cars and other vehicles around you. Look out for bicycles, motorcycles, and other small vehicles that can be harder to see.
- Watch for cars backing out of driveways or leaving parked spaces. Many accidents happen when a pedestrian is struck by a car that is backing up.
By following these tips, pedestrians can reduce their risk of accidents and stay safe on the streets. Remember, pedestrian safety is a shared responsibility between walkers, bicyclists, and drivers. We all have a role to play in creating safer streets for everyone. | https://fcfreepresspa.com/chambersburg-police-release-video-on-pedestrian-safety/ |
The MC280L , MC350 and MC470P is specifically designed for heavy and repetitive lifting tasks from 280 Kg,350 Kg and 470 Kg capacity. In addition to high payload capacity the MC280L provides extensive reach of 3101 mm while MC350 and MC470P provides an extensive 2771 mm work envelope to perform work on several products or machines simultaneously. Superior strength, rigidity, and reach allow allow the MC280L, MC350 and MC470P to excel in large scale lifting operations including car bodies,engines,foundry components and many other heavy industrial products.
-
Linkage less construction
-
Lower weight and greater rigidity makes it fastest robot in its class
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MC470P can lift 470 Kg with wrist direction downwards
MC400L,MC600,MC 700, | https://www.sterlingrobotics.com.au/mc-heavy-robot-series |
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Publication prejudices in the peer review system: A replication study.
Summary
Publication bias is one of the main problems in science, because it renders published results less trustworthy. Over 40 years ago, Michael Mahoney conducted a seminal experiment to test the origins of publication bias. He asked 75 journal reviewers to referee manuscripts which described identical experimental procedures, but, depending on experimental condition, reported different results. The results showed that compared to reviewers who evaluated the manuscript with negative results, reviewers who evaluated the manuscript with positive results gave on average higher ratings for methodology, data presentation, scientific contribution, and overall recommendation.
However, there are some reasons that warrant a thorough replication of this highly cited study. First, it is not known whether these results can be generalized to other psychology journals and to the current time. Secondly, the sample size was quite small. Given the increasing interest in biases in science, and the central role of reviewers in them, it is crucial to replicate this study now in various journals, using a large and rigorously set up study.
We therefore seek to replicate this study with a new and larger sample, using a rigorous pre-registered design. In the first phase we will study how to best update the study materials and investigate the influence of these changes in a series of pilot studies. Subsequently, we will investigate the main question to be replicated: Do reviewers evaluate manuscripts with positive results differently than manuscripts with negative results? Furthermore, we extend this study to investigate whether reviewers prefer significant results (e.g., positive-outcome bias) or results that are in line with their own beliefs (e.g., confirmation bias). Moreover, this study will shed light on the possible effectiveness and relevance of registered reports by investigating whether reviewing only the introduction and method section will reduce bias against negative results. | https://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/research-projects/i/27/33127.html |
BMW V12 LMR.
The day wasn't so rosy for the second factory entered BMW V12 LMR, the number 43 car. Driven by Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas, the car retired early with 135 laps completed and finished 40th. The car had qualified third fastest and was leading when it spun in Turn 17, ending its run.
Also entered was last year's factory BMW LeMans entry, the number 26 BMW V12 LM, driven by former PTG driver Bill Auberlen, Steve Soper, and Thomas Bscher. The car didn't fare well in the race dropping out after 127 laps and finishing 41st.
Also singing the blues were the Prototype Technology Group BMW M3s racing in the GT class (formerly GT3). After a disappointing run at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, where both cars suffered engine failure, the team had high hopes for Sebring, after winning their class at that race for the last two years. The number 10 and number 7 PTG cars qualified second and third in class, respectively, and battled with the Jobst Racing Porsche RSR in the early running. The number 10 car went out with engine trouble, much to the dismay of team driver Hans Stuck. "It's very unusual for these cars to have engine problems. But we're adding more revs, we have better-sticking Yokohama tires and we're pushing closer to the edge now," he said. The number 7 M3, lost its left-front wheel just past the half way point. Van Overbeek was able to drive back to the pits on three wheels, where repairs were made and the car returned to the race only to have the differential fail with about an hour to go before the finish. The the number 7 car finished 9th in class and 26th overall while the number 10 car was credited with 11th place in class and 31st overall.
Prototype Technology Group BMW M3.
For an inside look at PTG, visit iSPEED.
A bright spot for BMW M3 fans was the number 54 Bell Motorsports car. Drivers Stu Hayner, Scott Neuman, Matt Drendel, and Tony Kester brought the car home 5th in class and 20th overall and after starting 50th. | http://bimweb.tripod.com/bmwnow/stouring.htm |
BSV10110Architectural Technology 4A design portfolio that is equivalent to the outcomes for the module above.
The module is design studio based and is largely problem based student centred learning. Throughout the module students will be supported by a series of design tutorials. At the start of the module these tutorials will be group tutorials wherever possible with individual tutorials being more common towards the end of the module.There are two elements to the module, a technical report and a design project. The technical report will be based on research undertaken by the student on an area that is relevant to the design project. The design project will be subdivided into two main parts – the design and the detail design. The design phase will require students to critically appraise the design brief and to reflect on their findings and to develop their own individual response to the design programme and the findings of their technical report. It will require students to prepare individual design solutions including technical design solutions for their designs and to evaluate them. The detail phase will involve the preparation of a series of detailed drawings of the building and students must justify the decisions that they have made.
On completion of this module you will be able to…LO1: Analyse the function and the proposed building identify the key design issuesLO2: Develop a brief for the proposed building for a specific locationLO3: Provide a rational for the design approach taken and justify the building solution adopted LO4: Justify the form of the development within its particular location and within the context of the siteLO5: Synthesise and evaluate technical detail design solutions for the major elements of the design including the structure, building envelope and the services installationLO6: Present the building design through a series of drawings, diagrams and models and justify the decisions made during the final design review/presentation. | https://www.modules.napier.ac.uk/Module.aspx?ID=BSV11130 |
We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact below to request special accommodation.
Eligible veterans and CAF members may apply. The Government of Canada is committed to building a skilled workforce that is representative of Canada's diversity, which includes the recruitment of Canadian Veterans and releasing Canadian Armed Forces personnel.
We encourage applicants to identify any abilities, competencies, and / or experiences acquired through employment with the Canadian Armed Forces where applicable.
Depending on the requirements of the position or positions being filled, any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs may be considered at any time during this process.
These criteria may be a deciding factor in choosing the persons to be appointed. Therefore, it is important that you answer each of the questions related to these requirements.
The inventory will be updated every 30 days. You will receive a written notice in your PSRS Applicant Account 5 days before the end of your active period to confirm whether or not you still wish to be considered for an additional 30 days.
It is your responsibility to keep your personal data in your PSRS Applicant Account up-to-date and to check your email account regularly to ensure that you do not miss out on any opportunities.
line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.
This inventory will be used to staff Administrative Support positions at the CR-05 or AS-01 group and level within Natural Resources Canada with employment tenures, language requirements, security requirements, conditions of employment and work locations that will vary depending on the needs of the position being staffed.
time worker or casual employment. Candidates will be randomly selected* from the inventory for assessment purposes.
Random selection is a strategy that is sometimes used to manage applicant volume. It identifies a sub-sample of applicants by applying the element of chance using criteria identified by the hiring organization.
will perform the random selection function in this process.
A secondary school diploma or an acceptable combination of education, training and / or experience.
Experience in the use of Microsoft Office software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and / or Outlook.
Experience in providing administrative support such as managing a daily schedule, including planning and coordination of meetings.
Experience in coordinating incoming and outgoing correspondence.
Successful completion of a vocational program, certificate, diploma or degree from a recognized institution in any field relevant to the work to be performed.
Experience in using Departmental applications such as SAP (Systems Applications and Products), PeopleSoft or CCM Mercury / MEC.
Experience scheduling and organizing travel arrangements.
Natural Resources Canada is committed to establishing and maintaining a representative workforce. This organizational need may be identified as part of the appointment decision.
traditional occupations) could be considered in priority.
Reliability Status security clearance - *Some positions may require a Secret clearance.
We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the targeted groups when you apply. | https://neuvoo.ca/view/?id=41ff8a657fb7&source=gfj |
Gardaí in Naas have urged people to have better home security measures. This comes after recent burglaries in the Clane, Donadea and Calverstown areas. Gardaí are appealing to the public to report anything suspicious they may have seen in the aforementioned areas.
Last weekend, a number of shotguns were stolen from Abbeyfield Farm, an outdoor activity centre in Clane, since then there has been a further string of burglaries in the Kildare area, mainly targeting tools and equipment.
The most valuable haul was believed to be in Calverstown where €3500 worth of equipment was stolen. The burglars stole tools including, DeWalt drills and routers, batteries, a jig saw and a nail gun. Another incident in Calverstown saw €600 worth of tools and equipment taken.
40 minutes north in Donadea, a chainsaw was among the items robbed from one home. A total of €750 worth of goods was reportedly stolen.
It’s currently unknown whether these burglaries are being performed by one or multiple gangs. However, Gardaí are advising people that many of these burglaries could have been prevented and it’s being recommended to check your current home security measures.
We previously did a blog around this topic, where you can see how secure your home is.
During Spring and Summer months, people are often leaving items in the garden such as ladders, power tools and lawnmowers. It’s important to lock these down and secure them in a safe location. You never want to give burglars a reason to come onto your property and leaving items in the open can invite trouble.
At HomeSecure, you can secure your house even when you are at home. Activate the Stay Mode to arm your perimeter sensors, protecting you if someone tries to gain access. The Gardaí will also be alerted if someone tries to force their way in through a protected door or window. The Stay Mode is an ideal way to protect your home at night, as you can walk around without setting off the alarm (the last thing you want to hear in the middle of the night), but the perimeter of your home is fully secured. We recommend this to all our HomeSecure customers in Kildare, as these recent incidents are believed to have occurred between 8pm and 8am.
For anybody looking for more information on a monitored alarm, remember that all of our alarm packs come with an intruder deterrent box which states ‘monitored alarm’. This acts as a huge deterrent for anyone breaking into homes; you’re statistically three times safer in a monitored home.
Our alarm also comes with wireless sensors and you can add a sensor to your shed, so your tools and equipment will be fully secure.
Call us for more information for on our home security system on 1800911740. | https://www.homesecure.ie/blogposts/kildare-residents-warned-about-home-security |
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Most of our personal and work lives take place in the cloud. The cloud is the global network of software...
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The past two years have shown that learning and development (L&D) can deliver experiences at scale with a hybrid strategy...
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In an ever-changing work environment, there is increasing demand for innovation and new ways of working—whether it’s pressure from your...
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What Is Extended Reality? Extended reality (XR) is a catch-all term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed...
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You can find transformation everywhere. From how we travel via apps, to how we cook using YouTube, and even down...
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Failure can become our most powerful path to learning if we’re willing to choose courage over comfort. —Brené Brown Organizations...
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Leadership & Learning Strategies for Workforce Transformation 2021 has taught us the importance of being flexible. Our traditional assumptions about...
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Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) became the go-to format as many organizations were faced with making decisions on how to move...
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Online training can leave learners passive and isolated, but, it’s possible to make learning a part of everyday work, and to deliver it effectively. | https://www.gpstrategies.com/blog/topic/learning-innovation/ |
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Themes of Socialism and Capitalism in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
(676 words, 1 pages)
Dreams are optimistic and desirable and can come in many forms, such as a vision, an inspiration, or even a promise from someone. Jurgis Rudkus envisioned a promise of prosperity guaranteed by the capitalist regime, but the prosperity visualized was only that of a mirage. Sinclair uses Jurgis' unfulfilled dreams ...
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George Orwell’s Animal Farm: A Satire of Socialism Which Depicts Its Flaws
(689 words, 1 pages)
Totaliterainism found in Animal Farm George Orwells story, Animal Farm, is a satire of Soviet Russia. In a more general sense, however, the story traces the rise and fall of any totalitarian regime. All of the animals on Animal Farm somehow contribute to either the creation, destruction, or temporary success ...
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An Analysis of the Ideology of Third World Socialism and the It’s Failure
(1377 words, 2 pages)
"Third World Socialism" Poverty, hunger, unfair distribution of wealth, depravation, these are all terms that describe the desperate predicament of the people of the Third World. The ideology or belief system of Third World socialism rejects both capitalism and communism. Therefore the theories of Third World socialism are a balance ...
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A Comparison of Socialism and Capitalism
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Socialism and Capitalism are irreconcilably opposed. How far is this a persuasive criticism of social democracy? Social Democracy (SD) is a form of society in which democratic political methods are used to create greater social equality through the redistribution of resources. Social democracy has developed from originally strong socialist ideals, ...
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The Thought of Jean Jacques Rousseau, the Leader of Modern Socialism
(2361 words, 3 pages)
Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva on June 18, 1712. He was raised by his father and then later by his aunt and uncle. This all happened not long after the death of his mother. Rousseau spent most of his life in France. He was a social and political ...
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Capitalism and Socialism – the Best of Both Worlds
(643 words, 1 pages)
Capitalism and Socialism are very different. Capitalism, for instance, is an economic system where the production of goods is regulated by the people as well as the selling of goods. People own most of the companies, not the government. Their market is reliant on supply and demand. This causes companies ...
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The Concept of Socialism by Karl German Philospher, Karl Marx
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Karl Marx In the 19th century a German philosopher, by the name of Karl Marx began exploring the relationship between economy and the workers within that system. Karl Marx was born in 1818 in Germany he studied law and philosophy at university in Germany. Karl Marx became one of the ...
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The Democratic Socialism in the United States and Spain in the Documentary Shift Change
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May Day at the Movies Comedy and Tragedy at WorkOn May 2nd, 2016, Dr. DeFreitas introduced the screening of the documentary Shift Change at the Cultural Center of Hofstra University. This documentarys inspiration of creation was relative to Bernie Sanders shocking bid for Presidency Shift Change explores around what democratic ...
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A Changing Definition and Various Viewpoints Regarding Socialism
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In the beginning chapters of Thomas Dilorenzos book the The Problem With Socialism the author explains how as the years have gone by generations tend to change the definition of socialism. According to Dilorenzo socialism started out being defined as the government ownership of the means of production(Dilorenzo, 4), and ...
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The Difference between Capitalism and Socialism
(2444 words, 9 pages)
Capitalism v. Socialism Which is More Efficient?The central difference between Capitalism and Socialism pertains to the role of the government, economic growth, economic equality, and social welfare (Spaulding). Under Capitalism, the means of production and distribution are privately owned. Conversely, under Socialism, the means of production and distribution are owned ...
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The Different Facets of Socialism
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Traditionally, the word socialism brings with it a plethora of different facets, from its purest definition to its more frequent conception as communism, Lenin, and the era of fear after the Second World War. Socialism means different things to different people, even currently being brought to light by Democratic presidential ...
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The Benefits of the Economics of Socialism
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The Rise to Power and Success of National Socialism in Germany
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The Opposing Political Ideologies of Socialism and Fascism
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Socialism and fascism rest on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Introduced in the early 1800s, socialism in its current definition lies on the left (liberal in American thought) end. Its counterpart, fascism, was born in the aftermath of World War I and resides on the far right (conservative in ...
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The Interrelationship between Nationalism and Socialism Through Different Levels of Cuban Society
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Just one generation after Cuba was granted independence from Spain, Fidel Castro and his allies prevailed victorious against President Batista, and a revolutionary state was implemented. However, studies of the Cuban revolution have persistently defied easy comprehension, particularly ideologically. Was the revolution socialist fuelled by ideas of social ownership and ...
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Marxist Beliefs in the Essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde
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In 1891, Oscar Wilde published The Soul of Man Under Socialism, an essay in which he announced his support for Libertarian Socialism. But, upon further inspection of Wildes work, it becomes apparent than he has been hinting at his Marxist beliefs for at least ten years. These beliefs stem from ...
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SocialismThe designation form of socialism or progressive socialism is an idea of development or modernization. Though the goal of national socialism is a socialist community, its practical task comprises of developing an industrial society under the restriction that socialist is the only one to do it and not anyone else ...
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National Socialism as Political ForceNational socialism is totality program led by German leader Adolf Hitler, who was the head of Germany Nazi Party were in the intense nationalism, dictatorial rule and, and mass appeal shares many elements with the Italian fascism. However, the ideas of Nazism and its practices are ...
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A History of the Evolution of Socialism in the United States
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A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much and so many have so little.Bernie SandersSocialism in the United States is more than a dirty word it is a defunct and dangerous ideology that American capitalism defeated in the Cold War. Or, it was. Until ...
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A Comparison of Why Not Socialism? G. A. Cohen and Why Not Capitalism? by Jason Brennan
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It Doesnt Matter An Evaluation of G.A. Cohens Why Not Socialism? and Jason Brennans Why Not Capitalism?In his book written in 1932, Moral Man and Immoral Society, political commentator Reinhold Niebuhr argues that while the abolishment of social conflict is desirable, it is not achievable. In order for a utopia ...
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The Clash of Big Businesses and Labor Unions and Socialism in the United States During the Industrial Revolution
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Big Business vs. Organized Labor and SocialismIn the United States during the industrial revolution, the plight of workers who struggled to earn a livable wage and faced unreasonable workings conditions, as well as the state of unevenly distributed wealth, became a national debate. Some radical socialists, such as Daniel De ...
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Sociology and Socialism in the Andy’s Example
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In the movie, Andy is depicted as a leader and has status in thesociety due to his father's position as a judge (Reid, 16). Andy is thechair of many student committees, a task that keeps him so busy at a timewhen he is expected to study hard to finalize his ...
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The Core Values of Utopian Socialism in Utopia by Thomas More
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Utopian socialism is the belief that social ownership of something that is useful to a group of people can be achieved by voluntary and peaceful surrender of the rights of the ownership of the resource by the groups owning them (Taylor, 1982). The name Utopia was used by Thomas More ...
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Stalin socialism was a child of the enlightenment. I was an attemptto fashion a new, Justin prosperous society on earth. It was inspired byEuropean secular thinkers such as haggling can't. Their work can be seen assecular versions of treaty oak Christian thinking. Haggles convoluted prosecan be summed up quite simply ...
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The Pros and Cons of Two Forms of Economic Systems: Capitalism and Socialism
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There are multiple ways of structuring the economic system that a society makes use of. In America, capitalism is the main structure of economic activity. Capitalism involves free markets that compete for business (Pettinger). Almost anyone is permitted to start their own business venture. The ultimate success or failure of ...
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The Controversial Ideas of Socialism During the Presidential Election
(1908 words, 6 pages)
With this years presidential election under way, there has been a lot of controversy being stirred over the ideas of socialism. One candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders from Vermont, claims himself to be a democratic socialist and wants to bring socialist ideals to America, such as universal health care and tuition-free ...
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The Rise of Socialism and the European Revolutions of 1848
(650 words, 2 pages)
1848 is known in European history as the year when revolts spread throughout wildfire throughout Europe. What this time period would also see is a rise in the ideas of socialism, pioneered through the ideas of Henri de Saint Simon, Friedrich Engels, and most notably, Karl Marx. With the idea ...
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The Reasons Behind the Argument that Socialism is the Best Ruling System
(1023 words, 4 pages)
Socialism is the best ruling system.Whether socialism is the most appropriate system to govern or not has always been a great dilemma. According to S. Churchill, W. (n.d.) socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing ...
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The Distortion of Socialism in the Novel Animal Farm by George Orwell
(1758 words, 5 pages)
Socialism is a socioeconomic system in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively, often implemented with the intent of removing class divisions. Its origins, as a political movement, can be attributed to the Industrial Revolution, because machines began to replace the common worker, ultimately leading to ...
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A Comparison of the Political Parties of Socialism and Liberalism in the United States
(887 words, 2 pages)
During the nineteenth - century in Europe, both political parties of socialism and liberalism had many related ideas which both compared and contrasted. While liberals supported ideals like laissez faire and the industrial revolution, many socialists were not so adept to the ideas instead favoring government owning property and the ...
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In a bid to curtail the rising incidences of HIV/AIDS in the country, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Total and other partners have collaborated to drive awareness and sensitise students across secondary schools in Lagos on the disease and preventive measures.
In commemoration of the 2019 World AIDS Day which is celebrated every December 1 with the theme ‘Communities makes the difference’, the campaign will help reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.
The awareness campaign was for five selected senior secondary schools in education district 4, Lagos State. The schools are Ajigbeda Girls Senior Secondary School, Gbaja Girls, Ideal Girls, Ansir Ur Deen, and Government Senior College, Eric Moore.
Speaking at the event, Ajukwura Wokomah, general manager -corporate social responsibility (CSR), Total Upstream Nigeria limited said the United Nations programmes on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), said that the organisation believes that young people need to be aware of the disease, noting that with such knowledge they can protect themselves, families and communities against HIV/AIDS.
“We believe that students of your age need to be aware of the disease because with knowledge comes the ability to make informed decisions to protect yourselves, your families, and your communities against HIV/AIDS,” Wokomah said.
He stated that youths are the most vulnerable to HIV infection due to ignorance and engagement in risky behaviours such as drug abuse, cult activities, blood rituals, and sexual exposure whether by consent or rape.
“As we all know HIV/AIDS has become a major global health crisis in the past three decades. The disease has also become a real development challenge especially for developing nations where young people, who are the most productive segments of the population remains at risk,”
Wokomah added that there is a link between the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the level of ignorance among the public saying that at Total, we believe that raising public awareness on this scourge is a sure way to combat it.
AIDS is a set of symptoms (or syndrome as opposed to a virus) caused by HIV. A person is said to have AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infection, and they develop certain defining symptoms and illnesses. This is the last stage of HIV when the infection is very advanced, and if left untreated will lead to death.
However, about 40 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses; 37.9 million people are living with the virus with a global HIV prevalence of 0.8%. Unfortunately, a vast majority of people living with HIV are in low- and middle- income countries which include Nigeria. In Nigeria, 1.9 million people are living with HIV with a national prevalence of 1.4%.
Gbenga Alabi, executive secretary, Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCCA) said the school and education system in and around the world play a major role in shaping the attitudes, opinions, and behaviour of young people who are important group and potential resource for the prevention of HIV and achieving 90-90-90 target.
“Every year, December 1, presents us with an opportunity to reflect on how far we have gone in addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS. The theme for the 2019 campaign is communities’ makes the difference which emphasizes the role which individuals, Age groups, peers, Government, and the corporate world could play towards ending AIDS by 2030.”
Alabi, therefore, commended saying it with great privilege and honour that NIBUCCA is identifying with the strategic and laudable school-based awareness project addressing reproductive health in the context of HIV/AIDs.
“This is the fourth edition of the senior secondary school Awareness project and we have been able to reach out to various schools in three (3) districts out of the 6 districts in Lagos state, as we still look forward to spreading this awareness program and empower young students with the necessary knowledge and life skill set they require to keep on forging on in life,” he said.
Alabi further said that the project will be empowering students in the identified five schools with reproductive health-related information, empowering Girl- Child with assertive and life-building skills. Also, Anti- AIDS Club will be established in the beneficiary schools for reasonable effective coverage, effective participation, and sustainability.
“I urge us all to work collectively and aggressively to support the youths who are the future leaders, for the overall well-being of the country, towards the actualisation of Good health and well being, which will in turn drive a decent work and economic growth and sustainable communities as contained in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. | https://businessday.ng/health/article/hiv-aids-nnpc-napims-total-others-collaborate-to-drive-awareness-in-secondary-schools/ |
Gusuku (グスク, 城, Okinawan: gushiku) often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of gusuku remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the Gusuku period refers to an archaeological epoch of the Okinawa Islands that follows the shell-mound period and precedes the Sanzan period. Many gusuku and related cultural remains on Okinawa Island have been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites under the title Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.
Contents
- Gusuku sites and related properties of the kingdom of unesco nhk
- Philological analysis
- Etymology
- Walls
- Bailey
- Gates
- Main Hall
- Utaki
- Gusuku controversy
- Miyako and Yaeyama
- Amami
- Hateruma
- Ikei
- Ishigaki
- Izena
- Kume
- Okinawa
- References
Philological analysis
The Yarazamori Gusuku Inscription (1554) contains phrases, "pile gusuku" (くすくつませ) and "pile up gusuku and ..." (くすくつみつけて). Apparently gusuku in these phrases to refer to stone walls.
In the Omoro Sōshi (16th–17th centuries), the term gusuku is written as "くすく," or "ぐすく" in hiragana. Occasionally, the kanji "城" (castle) is assigned to it. In later ryūka and kumi odori, the reading shiro is also used for the same kanji. The referents of gusuku in the Omoro Sōshi are mostly castles and fortresses but are not limited to them. Some are sacred places and places of worship. In some cases, gusuku refers to Shuri Castle.
The Liuqiu-guan yiyu, a Chinese dictionary, maps Chinese "皇城" (imperial palace) to the transcription "姑速姑" (gu-su-gu). Similarly, the Yiyu yinshi assigns "窟宿孤" (ku-su-gu) to "皇城."
Etymology
There is no consensus about the etymology of gusuku. Chamberlain analyzed the word as the combination of gu (< honorific go 御) and shuku (宿). Kanazawa Shōzaburō also segmented gusuku into gu and suku but considered that the latter half was cognate with old mainland Japanese shiki, in which ki was a loan from some Old Korean language. Iha Fuyū proposed that suku was cognate with soko (塞, fortress). Hirata Tsugumasa considered that suku was cognate with mainland Japanese soko (底, bottom).
Higashionna Kanjun raised doubts over the analysis of gu since older records always used honorific u (< o) instead of gu (< go). Nakahara Zenchū identified gu as go (stone).
Walls
The most prominent feature of most gusuku is their wall(s). Gusuku walls are primarily made with Ryukyuan limestone and, sometimes, coral. There are three types of gusuku walls: pile, block, and tortoise. Examples of each are Nakijin Castle, Zakimi Castle, and parts of Shuri Castle. The shape of gusuku walls usually follows the contours of the land. They are usually thick, and sometimes have low parapets atop them. Some gusuku walls, like those of Nakagusuku Castle, were designed to resist cannon fire.
Bailey
Gusuku have one or more baileys. The baileys of typical gusuku usually contained a residence, a well, an utaki, and storage buildings. Larger gusuku, like Nakijin Castle, could have more than five baileys, while smaller gusuku, like Iha Castle, had a single bailey.
Gates
Gusuku have one or more entrances, often guarded by a heavy gate or gatehouse. Gates were the strongpoints of gusuku. Many gusuku, like Nakijin Castle, were adapted to have gun ports next to their gates.
Main Hall
At the heart of most gusuku was the Main Hall (正殿, Seidan). The Main Hall was typically the residence of a feudal lord (Aji). The palace at Shuri Castle is the most prominent Main Hall, being the only one remaining, but the site of the Main Hall is very obvious at other gusuku, such as Katsuren Castle.
Utaki
Almost all gusuku contain or are near an utaki (御嶽), shrines and sites of religious importance in the Ryukyuan religion. The relationship between utaki and gusuku has led some experts to question the origin and essence of gusuku.
Gusuku controversy
Although it is widely recognized in the Okinawa Islands that gusuku are castles/fortresses, there is ample reason to question this perception. The origin and essence of gusuku were actively discussed in the 1960s and 70s and remain controversial.
Cultural geographer Nakamatsu Yashū claimed that the essence of gusuku was a sacred place. His theory was backed by decades of field work that was not limited to the Okinawa Islands but that extended to Amami, Miyako and Yaeyama. He revealed that an overwhelming majority of what were called gusuku by local communities did not look like castles or fortresses at all. In fact, they were too isolated from local communities, too small to live in and lacked water supply. Among hundreds of gusuku, only a dozen were fortifications. Each community usually had a gusuku. Gusuku were typically located on hills, but some were on sand dunes, on cliff edges, and in caves. In some communities, what were called gusuku were actually stone tombs. Nakamatsu explained the great diversity of gusuku by one feature in common: sacredness. According to Nakamatsu, a gusuku was in origin a place of "aerial burial." The reason that a dozen of gusuku were transformed into fortress/castle-like structures is unclear, but he conjectured that some rulers had expanded gusuku substantially by building their family residences around them. Shuri Castle, for example, encompasses sacred places such as Sui mui gusuku and Madan mui gusuku, which suggests the original nature of the castle.
Archaeologists from Okinawa Prefecture have labeled some archaeological findings as gusuku. Takemoto Masahide claimed that gusuku were defensive communities. He classified what he considered gusuku into three types:
According to Takemoto, Type B, which is overwhelming in number, appeared during the transitional period between primitive society and class society. As noted by Asato Susumu, there is a significant gap in the use of the term gusuku. While Nakamatsu referred to limited space as gusuku, Takamoto applied the term to the whole archaeological site.
Archaeologist Tōma Shiichi hypothesized that a gusuku was the residence of an aji (local ruler or warlord) and his family. Since most gusuku in the Okinawa Islands are accompanied with stone walls, he considered that the Gusuku Period was characterized by the formation of class society. Among archaeologists, however, Kokubu Naoichi supported Nakamatsu's theory considering poor living conditions of gusuku. Asato Susumu expressed concern about the association of gusuku with class society because the emergence of political rulers was not well attested by archaeological findings but mostly based on literature that was written centuries later.
Folklorist Kojima Yoshiyuki was also a supporter of the sacredness theory. However, he opposed to Nakamatsu's theory about the origin of gusuku as a burial place. He argued that the word gusuku originally meant stonework. Separately of this, local communities handed down mountain cult, which shared roots with that of Yakushima and by extension Japan. Some sacred mountains were later fortified with stone walls, and as a result, gusuku came to mean castles/fortresses.
In any case, a flood of archaeological discoveries in the 1970s led Okinawan archaeologists to establish archaeological periods of the Okinawa Islands that were distinct from those of Japan (Amami and the Sakishima group also have unique archaeological periods distinct from Japan and one another). In their framework, the Gusuku period is an archaeological epoch of the Okinawa Islands, which they consider was characterized by the widespread appearance of gusuku, the widespread use of iron, and farming. It follows the Shell Mound period and precedes the Sanzan period. It is parallel with the late Heian to Muromachi periods of Japan. Also, the beginning of the Gusuku period corresponds to that of the Old Ryukyu period of Okinawan historiography, both beginning in 1187 with the semi-legendary ascension of King Shunten.
Takanashi Osamu, an Amami-based archaeologist, criticized the trend of Okinawan archaeology. The Gusuku period lacked clear markers of dating from an archaeological perspective. Pottery seriation, in particular, remained poorly understood. The contemporaneousness of stone walls and excavated potteries was not established. He also noted a bias of Okinawan archaeologists, who he thought were preoccupied with questions of how the Okinawa-centered kingdom of Ryukyu was formed.
While typical castle/fortress-type gusuku in the Okinawa Islands were featured by stone walls, it was discovered in the 1980s and 90s that some fortifications in northern Okinawa Island lacked stone walls but instead were characterized by earthworks, kuruwa and dry moats. This style of fortifications is in fact rather common in Amami Ōshima and representative of medieval mountain fortifications (中世山城) of Japan. Naka Shōhachirō and Chinen Isamu, a historian and an archaeologist from Okinawa dated them to the late 12th to early 13th centuries and claimed that they were predecessors of gusuku with stone walls. This view was actively criticized by Takanashi Osamu in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Miyako and Yaeyama
Archaeological studies in the southern island groups of Miyako and Yaeyama are not so active as those in the Okinawa Islands. Some Okinawa-led archaeological reports labeled some sites in Miyako and Yaeyama as "gusuku-like." Archaeologist Ono Masatoshi raised concern about the naïve application of the Okinawan gusuku-as-fortifications framework and urged that scholars should not turn a blind eye to the diversified nature of archaeological sites with stone walls in these islands. Few gusuku sites can be attributed to the fact that the Sakishima Islands were over a hundred years behind Okinawa socially and technologically. In 1500, Ryukyu invaded and annexed the islands, which would have limited further local gusuku development. The primary gusuku site in Yaeyama is Furusutobaru Castle, residence of Oyake Akahachi, which was attacked by Nakasone Toyomiya of Miyako shortly before the invasion by Ryukyu.
Linguist Nakamoto Masachie noted that in some dialects of Yaeyama, gusuku/gushiku means stone walls themselves (not a structure with stone walls) and conjectured that this might be the original meaning of gusuku. According to Ono Masatoshi, gusuku has various meanings, depending on dialects of Yaeyama, including a partition of a mansion and stone walls surrounding an agricultural field. Nakamatsu Yashū claimed that suku-like word forms were more prominent in Miyako and Yaeyama than gusuku.
Regardless of whether it is appropriate to call them gusuku, the Yaeyama Islands have archaeological remains with stone walls, such as Mashuku Village of Hateruma Island, Hanasuku and Gumaara Villages and Shinzato Villages of Taketomi Island. These villages were abandoned around the time of the conquest by the Ryukyu Kingdom. What are common to these villages are that they were located on top of cliffs, divided by inhomogeneous cell blocks and lacked roads. The whole village and each cell block were surrounded by stone walls. This type of abandoned settlement can also be found on Miyako Island but they are rather exceptional. The local people call these remains busu nu yashiki (bushi's mansion), busu nu yaa ishigaki (bushi's house's stone walls) or busu nu yaa (bushi's house), busu nu yama (bushi's mountain) in Ishigaki, bushin yaa (bushi's house) in Hatoma, nishi nu bushi nu yaa (bushi's house in the north) in Aragusuku.
In the archaeology of Yaeyama, human settlements prior to the conquest by Ryukyu are called "Suku Villages" because the names of these ruins have the suffix -suku. By extension, the archaeological epoch of the Suku Culture (11-16th centuries) is sometimes used by archaeologists.
Amami
Formal studies of gusuku in the northern island group of Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture were started by Nakamatsu Yashū in the 1960s and 70s. He revealed that most of what were called gusuku by local communities of Amami were by no means fortifications. He also noted that Amami had -suku toponyms, which were otherwise considered specific to Miyako and Yaeyama. However, his study on Amami went largely unnoticed.
In 1980s and 90s, Miki Yasushi, an expert of medieval mountain fortifications of Japan, extended his research to the Amami Islands, largely independently of Okinawan archaeology. His comprehensive study found 129 gusuku toponyms in Amami Ōshima. Similarly, a 1982 research project by Kagoshima Prefecture covered 45 fortifications in Amami. Miki carefully noted that, as Nakamatsu had shown, most of what were called gusuku were not fortifications, and that conversely, some fortifications were not called gusuku by the locals. A major difference from those in the Okinawa Islands was that gusuku in Amami (except those in Okinoerabu and Yoron) nearly completely lacked stone walls. As a historian from Japan, Miki took much notice of the religious nature of gusuku in Amami, which is completely absent from Japanese fortresses.
Publications from Amami gained attention of some Okinawan archaeologists in 1980s and 90s, and they attempted to place Amami's gusuku in the Okinawan gusuku-as-fortifications framework. Naka Shōhachiro investigated some gusuku in Amami Ōshima and discovered kuruwa and dry moats there. He claimed that the primary function of those gusuku was defensiveness, not religiousness as Nakamatsu claimed. He dated them to the late 12th to early 13th centuries and considered that they subsequently evolved into those with stone walls in Okinawa. By contrast, Miki conjectured that the construction of these fortifications was triggered by repeated invasion by the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In his survey of earlier studies, Takanashi Osamu criticized Naka's theory because his dating lacked evidence. In fact, gusuku with established dates were mostly from the 14th to 16th centuries. While other archaeologists had focused on mountain fortifications, he paid attention to gusuku in flat land. He also indicated the possible presence of gusuku in the Tokara Islands, which are located to the north of Amami.
From 1995 to 2000, a comprehensive investigation of gusuku was conducted in Naze (merged into the city of Amami in 2006) of northern Amami Ōshima. This project initially relied on gusuku toponyms to find archaeological remains but discovered far more remains in the mountains than expected. Among 45 sites discovered, only five had gusuku toponyms. This suggests that these sites were not gusuku in origin and that some of them were later transformed into gusuku. The toponymic survey also found that some earlier archaeological reports had labeled gusuku even though the referents were not called gusuku by locals. As a result, so-called "Uragami Gusuku", for example, was renamed to "Uragami-Arimori site."
Earlier studies pointed to the similarity between gusuku in Amami, northern Okinawa Island and medieval mountain fortifications of Japan. Takanashi went further claiming that these fortifications were indeed medieval mountain fortifications. He considered the possibility that there were gaps in time among (1) the beginning of the archaeological sites, (2) the construction of defensive structures and (3) the applications of the name of gusuku. He re-evaluated Nakamatsu's sacredness theory and presented a working hypothesis that gusuku in Amami were of secondary origin, possibly related to the introduction of the noro priestess system by the Ryukyu Kingdom. | https://alchetron.com/Gusuku |
Star forts were powerful fortifications designed to resist gunpower siege weaponry, that developed in the very late medieval and early modern period.
Despite their thick stone walls and towers, earlier medieval castles were unable to withstand gunpowder cannons, which were increasingly being used against castles throughout Europe to great effect.
Cahir Castle in Ireland, a 12th century stone fortification considered to be the strongest in the country, fell to besiegers in 1599 after only a few days thanks to their use of gun power artillery.
Castles also began to lose their residential function in the early medieval period. As their defences became more formidable, they became increasingly uncomfortable to live in, and powerful nobles and monarchs instead started to live in luxurious palaces and estates.
As a result, fortifications like star forts developed in order to fulfil the old defensive and symbolic functions of castles.
These forts were dedicated military installations, carefully designed to be effective as possible at repelling the artillery fire and assaults of besiegers, whilst still being extremely prestigious and impressive structures that helped to project and maintain the authority and power of their owners.
The Origins of Star Forts
Just as concentric castles had developed out of stone keep castles thanks to developments in siege technology (namely the emergence of the counterweight trebuchet), so too star forts evolved due to the evolution of powerful gunpowder artillery.
These gunpowder siege engines proved to be extremely effective against the tall stone walls and towers of medieval castles.
Perpendicular walls and towers were especially vulnerable to cannon fire as they were unable to absorb or deflect blows, and often shattered when subjected to bombardment – although rounded stone towers were better able to deflect shots from gunpowder weapons, their height still put them in danger of collapse. Star forts solved these issues by using much lower, thicker walls, built at angles which heightened the chances of cannonballs being deflected.
The walls were also constructed of materials which were less prone to shattering.
Star forts first started to appear in the late 15th and early 16th century. In particular, the French invasion of the Italian peninsula, which lasted from 1494 until 1559, seems to have been the conflict which accelerated the development of this style of fortification.
Despite being extremely rich and economically advanced, Italy was very divided in terms of politics and was made up of a number of small competing states.
The collapse of the Italic league (which had united many of the Italian states since 1454) left the region open to European powers looking to expand their territory and influence and led to Charles VIII of France invading in 1494.
Many of the Italian states turned to architects who built star forts to defend their cities and territories – among the most famous innovators were Vincenzo Scamozzi operating in the Republic of Venice, and Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi, a native of Siena for whom he designed fortifications. Michelangelo himself designed the defences of Florence.
Thanks to its genesis in Italy, the star fort design also came to be known as trace italienne (literally meaning ‘Italian outline’ in French), and Italian architects and engineers became highly sought after during the 16th century as star forts started to be built outside Italy from the 1530s onwards.
Star forts also came to be considered an important part of an ideal Renaissance city, and many cities in the period constructed star-shaped defences surrounding them.
The seventeenth century saw enormous and highly complex star forts being constructed, with multiple layers of defences.
Louis XIV of France’s military engineer, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, emphasised synthesising all the elements of star fort defences to make them more effective as a whole, while the Dutch military engineer Menno van Coehoorn’s star forts are notable for their multiple defence lines and use of water.
It was not until the 19th century, and the advent of explosive artillery shells, that the star fort was replaced as the pre-eminent fortification design.
Star Forts Layout
The Walls
As mentioned previously, star forts had several elements which made them highly effective at withstanding attack from gunpowder artillery.
The largest star forts were enormously complex structures meticulously designed to give defenders as many ways as possible to frustrate and counter an attacking enemy force.
Chief among these was the design of the walls of a star fort. The walls themselves were made lower than in previous medieval castles so that they presented less of a target to enemy artillery and could better absorb blows thanks to their great thickness.
Sometimes a lower wall known as a ‘Faussebraye’ was built just outside the main curtain wall of the star fort in order to protect it from direct fire. The shape of the walls was also modified.
While rounded towers had been used on older fortifications because their shape better resisted fire from siege engines, they also created ‘dead zones’, areas that could not be seen by defenders, and which could therefore be used by attackers to shelter from the missiles of the garrison.
Instead, bastions were built into star forts projecting out from the walls in a diamond shape, which provided no ‘dead space’ for attacking soldiers.
These bastions also had the added benefit of being able to provide fire support to each other – for example, if one bastion was being attacked, the flanking bastions had a clear line of sight to it and defenders were, therefore, able to fire at any troops massing at the base of the bastion or scaling its walls.
Several of these bastions built around the circuit of a star fort’s walls provided the structure with a system of mutual defence that made assaults very deadly for the besiegers.
The walls of star forts were also typically built with brick, which was much less prone to shattering and breaking when pounded with artillery fire than stone.
The Glacis
In addition to the new shape of the walls, star forts also featured innovative earthworks. The walls themselves were often embedded in wide ditches to hamper attackers, and before the ditch, an earthwork or stonework slope known as a glacis was constructed.
These glacises were essentially very thick earthwork mounds designed to protect the actual walls of the fort from direct cannon fire. Furthermore, the outer edge of the glacis was angled in order to increase the chance of deflecting enemy artillery fire, and the inner edge featured a sheer drop to hamper attackers and slow their assault.
The ditches surrounding the walls were also intended to function as ‘kill zones’, similar to the way outer baileys were used on concentric castles: there was no cover for attacking troops to shelter behind inside the ditch, leaving them open to ranged attack from defenders.
Additionally, the sheer face of the inner side of the glacis (known as a counterscarp) would have made retreat more difficult.
Ravelins
Star forts also developed a series of outworks intended to create a multistage defence which would further slow attackers. Ravelins were detached triangular-shaped outworks, usually built in the ditch beyond the walls of a star fort and accessed via a bridge or ramp.
Their shape was intended to divide an approaching attacking force and soldiers positioned on the ravelin would have been able to fire on enemy troops approaching, as well as troops who had reached the fort walls behind.
The outward-facing ravelin defences were strong, but it had very little on the side facing the fort wall – they were designed like this in order to prevent giving any protection attacking enemy soldiers if they managed to capture the ravelin.
Like the glacis, ravelins were usually earthworks, although they were sometimes faced with stone or brick. The French engineer Vauban used ravelins extensively in his constructions.
A well-preserved example can be seen at the Old Venetian Fortress at Corfu Town.
Counterguard and Couvreface
Another outwork, counterguards were low ramparts placed in front of the main fortress walls, or in front of ravelins, in order to protect them from direct artillery fire. Unlike ravelins they were not a large earthwork platform and were usually only just deep enough to house artillery pieces.
Counterguards acted as a forward defence, and a ditch was often dug in front of them in order to slow an attacking enemy down further. Sometimes these counterguards were only intended to house defending troops – in this case, they were fitted with a breastwork and were known instead as a couvreface.
Tenailles
Similar to a ravelin, a tenaille was an outwork usually positioned in the ditch between the walls of a star fort and the glacis. The name derives from the French word for tongs, as a tenaille is shaped like a ‘V’ or a chevron with the points facing outwards from the fort walls.
Primarily these outworks were positioned between the bastions that projected from the curtain walls of a star fort. Their main purpose was to protect the sections of wall between the bastions from direct gunfire and to shelter defending troops.
As they developed, star forts began to include postern gates between the bastions which allowed the garrison to more quickly access the ditches outside of the inner walls – a tenaille positioned in front of one of these postern gates allowed defenders to move in and out of the star fort without being exposed to direct enemy fire.
Many were simple earthwork walls, but some were larger and included platforms like ravelins upon which defending soldiers and artillery pieces could be placed.
Hornworks and Crownworks
Hornworks were outworks that were usually much larger than a ravelin but fulfilled the same basic function. A hornwork generally consists of a rectangular earthwork, extending away from the inner walls of a star fort.
However, the outward face of the hornwork, the side opposite the glacis, is not flat – instead, it features two demi-bastions which were able to support each other in the way that the full bastions projecting from the inner walls were.
These demi-bastions quite literally look like half of a diamond-shaped bastion, with the longer side walls running back towards the centre of the fortress. Crownworks are larger and more developed hornworks, as they boast a full diamond-shaped bastion, as well as two flanking demi-bastions.
Often crownworks were used to extend the defences of a star fort in a direction where the enemy was expected to attack – for example, they could be used to defend a bridge or to deny the high ground overlooking the fort to besieging forces.
Like all outworks, hornworks and crownworks had no (or very minimal) defences on the side facing the inner fortress walls, so as to make them useless to attackers in the event of their capture.
Enfilade and Interlocking Fire
Star forts changed fortifications from a passive defence approach to include more active defence measures. They made use of the concept of enfilade (flanking fire), as the bastions and outworks allowed defenders to shoot onto attacking troops who were assaulting the walls.
The bastions and outworks could also hold cannons and were carefully laid out so that there was no point outside of the inner walls that could not be reached by the missiles of the garrison.
The variable heights of the different elements of a star fort also allowed cannon on the inner walls to fire over the outworks, enabling the batteries in the fortification to engage the same target simultaneously.
Guns positioned in the forward outworks were not simply intended to shoot at approaching enemies, but also to fire upon besieging artillery, actively preventing them from getting close enough to engage the inner walls of the star fort.
The many layers of defence allowed the garrison to retreat further into the star fort should one set of defences be breached. This strategy proved to be highly effective at slowing down besieging armies, and actual assaults on a star fort were usually very bloody.
Construction of Star Forts
As with large concentric castles of the medieval period, star forts were very expensive to build as they were enormous and required skilled craftsmen.
Amsterdam spent 11 million florins to construct 22 bastions surrounding the city, and Siena bankrupted itself in 1544 thanks to lavish spending on its defences.
Cost-cutting measures were therefore common when it came to building star forts. While outworks could be constructed of or faced with brick, many were simply built of earth as it was far cheaper and easier to work with.
Pre-existing fortification were also repurposed to save time and money – medieval walls could be lowered, and a ditch dug in front of them to create a star fort style fortification.
Spread and Decline of Star Forts
Star forts proved their effectiveness during the French invasion of Italy and were soon exported to the rest of Europe.
The siege of Pisa in 1500 demonstrated that a sloping earthwork rampart built by the defenders was far more resistant to besieging gunfire than the old medieval city walls.
Similarly, at Padua in 1509 the defenders broke down the old city walls and instead constructed a ditch with platforms that projected into the ditch – cannon and garrison troops on these platforms poured flanking fire into attacking French troops, inflicting heavy casualties.
Star forts became popular across Europe, and a great many grand examples were constructed in northern Europe. In the Mediterranean too, they were used extensively.
Star forts on Rhodes and Corfu slowed the expansion of the Ottoman empire to the east, and the forts of the Order of St. John helped them to hold Malta.
It was not until the 19th century that star forts became obsolete. Throughout the 18th-century military strategy increasingly emphasised the importance of field armies, and fortifications generally became less important.
Furthermore, the development of more powerful explosive shells meant star forts were less effective, and they were replaced by polygonal forts.
Examples of Star Forts
Palmanova
Constructed in 1593, Palmanova was a late renaissance town with star fort defences, built by the Republic of Venice. The city is interesting in that it was designed carefully to be an ‘ideal city’ – its shape was circular as it also needed to function as a star fort.
Palmanova features 9 bastions, as well as various outworks, a ditch, and a glacis, allowing defenders to fire upon attacking troops from multiple angles. It was designed by the Italian Vincenzo Scamozzi.
Fort Bourtange
Completed in 1593, Bourtange is a star fort located in the Netherlands to control access from Germany to the city of Groningen, at the time controlled by the Spanish as part of the Eighty Years War.
The fortification features an impressive series of lakes and canals which function moats, making Bourtange extremely difficult to assault. The garrison successfully repelled a French attack in 1672, and the fort was converted to a village in 1851.
It has several ravelins and a large crownwork which can clearly be seen today.
Neuf-Brisach
The plans for this fortified town were drawn up by Louis XIV’s military engineer Vauban, although it was completed after his death in 1707. It was laid out according to the principles of an ‘ideal city’ and was primarily intended to guard the border between France and the German states.
The city has two huge lines of defence – the inner walls, and a series of tenailles and counterguards that stand before the bastions. There are also large ravelins placed before the faces of the inner walls.
Although it was damaged in WW2, the city is an excellent example of what star forts looked like at the beginning of the 17th century.
Kastellet
This star fort guarded the harbour in Copenhagen and was constructed during the 17th century. It is pentagonal in shape and featured 5 large projecting bastions – it also had 4 ravelins and 3 counterguards which were connected with earthworks, as well as a moat to protect approaches to the fortification. Today the site is still in use by the Danish military.
Fort McHenry
Although it is a late example dating from 1798, this American star fort in Baltimore, Maryland, is famous for being the inspiration for the national anthem of the United States.
Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner after the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The fort is a pentagonal star with outworks facing towards the Patapsco river, and a glacis on the landward side.
Goryōkaku
This pentagonal star fort was built in 1855 in the Japanese city of Hakodate. Its architect, Takeda Ayasaburō, based his design of the French military architect Vauban. The fort was constructed to defend against possible attack from Russian forces and protects the Tsugaru Strait.
Tilbury Fort
Initially constructed by Henry VIII to protect London from attack via the Thames, the fortification was enlarged to become a star in 1670, featuring angular projecting bastions, a water filled moat, and gun positions facing the river Thames.
Tilbury actually has two moats, as well as a single redoubt which guards a narrow causeway leading to the gate of the star fort itself.
Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Situated on the Île de Ré off the west coast of France, Saint Martin was built during the 1620s in response to the protestant Huguenot uprisings. In the 1670s Vauban fortified the site with a star fort.
The fortifications were large enough to enclose the entire town and included a citadel which could act as a final line of defence. | https://historiceuropeancastles.com/star-forts/ |
Climber:
Mark H
Date:
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Ascent Type:
Successful Summit Attained
Peak:
Hedgehog Mountain
Location:
USA-New Hampshire
Elevation:
2532 ft / 771 m
Summary Total Data
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Copyright © 1987-2020 by Peakbagger.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=439519 |
A new study has blasted the prevailing wisdom that children of same-sex couples do as well or better than those raised in intact biological families with a married mother and father.
But, as the Institute for Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC)'s manager of research and communications Andrea Mrozek points out in a recent newsletter, the study by University of Texas' Population Research Centre by sociologist Mark Regnerus has been subject to a "near blackout" in Canada.
The New Family Structures study has received lots of attention - positive and negative - south of the border.
What distinguishes it from previous studies that have painted a rosy picture of families led by same-sex couples is its sample size of 15,000 Americans aged 18 to 39, making it statistically representative of the national picture.
The study looks at behaviour rather than identity and asks respondents "if their biological mother or father ever had a romantic relationship with a member of the same sex."
Regnerus was able to find in his sample 175 children who were raised in homes where the mother had a lesbian relationship, and 73 from homes where the father had a relationship with another man.
The study also looked at outcomes for a range of family types, including intact biological, divorced, adopted, step-families and others.
It found that children raised in the same-sex relationship homes did less well than children of biologically intact families on a range of outcomes.
They were more likely:
Those whose parent was in a lesbian relationship were more likely to experience low income; those whose parent was in a male homosexual relationship were more likely to have suicidal ideation.
Mrozek stressed Regnerus was not claiming a cause-and-effect relationship. "The study does not attempt to address why these children experience poorer outcomes; it does not assert causality," she said.
"The mainstream media has been only too happy to report studies with different results, suggesting that the children of gay and lesbian parents are no different, certainly not worse and in some cases better off," Mrozek said.
"However, these conclusions are premature because many of the existing studies on same-sex parents are not methodologically sound."
According to Regnerus, the sample sizes in the other studies are so small they cannot be used to draw conclusions about other gay and lesbian families.
"How children fare in different family forms is an obviously sensitive area of research because parents of all kinds are seeking to do the best they can," Mrozek said. "However, it is a valid area of inquiry."
Critics of the study range from ad hominem attacks of homophobia to criticism the children of the same-sex families may also have experienced divorce, step-parenting or other problems and that it is not comparing intact same-sex families with intact biological families.
"What the study shows, then, is that kids from broken homes headed by gay people develop the same problems as kids from broken homes headed by straight people," writes William Saleton on slate.com, in an argument for same-sex marriage. | https://wcr.ab.ca/This-Week/Stories/entryid/2695 |
A risk rating of a system access operation event is calculated by means of real-time system access operation monitoring and contextual system state analysis based upon a computational classification model on a mobile device. The risk rating may be based on a rating for the operation event itself, which may be modified according to a risk rating for an app deduced as being associated with the operation event and/or a risk rating for the mobile device. The context may be based on contextual system state information provided to a risk rating calculation thread or method which may be spawned from a system listener service that captures the contextual system state information in real time when a system access operation occurs. Responsive actions may be enabled on the basis of the risk rating. | |
This year comparis.ch again surveyed the Swiss population about their satisfaction with their insurance providers. In June 2019, the market research institute “Intervista” conducted a representative survey in which over 3500 people were asked to give their opinions.
EGK-Gesundheitskasse’s continuous improvements in all the target values over the previous years led to EGK’s commitment to its policyholders being awarded an overall rating of 5.4, making EGK one of the best health insurers in Switzerland.
We would extend particular thanks to all of EGK’s employees: EGK received the excellent rating of 5.5 in the category “competence and helpfulness of employees”. In addition, policyholders also appreciate the clarity of the billing, the prompt payments and the company’s fairness (rating 5.4) as well as the comprehensibility and clarity of its customer information (rating 5.4).
On behalf of everyone at EGK, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our policyholders who place their trust in us every single day and who value us as a reliable health partner. | http://www.egk.ch/en/aktuell/news/egk-gesundheitskasse-is-one-of-the-best-health-insurers-in-switzerland |
To write an effective management professional job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included management professional job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Management Professional Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Licensing or Certifications for Management Professional
List any licenses or certifications required by the position: PMP, ITIL, N3, IAITAM, J2, APICS, CPIM, APTF, CPSM, IRIS
Education for Management Professional
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the management professional job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Business/Administration, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, Management, Health Care, Substance Abuse, Computer, Medical
Skills for Management Professional
Desired skills for management professional include:
Desired experience for management professional includes: | https://www.velvetjobs.com/job-descriptions/management-professional |
Traditions of Wayland, located at 10 Green Way in Wayland, MA, is on the magnificent grounds of the former Paine Estate, which has been home to families who have delighted in the peaceful woods and exquisite views of the Sudbury River for generations. Traditions of Wayland continues that heritage and when you walk into Traditions, you’ll immediately feel the warmth and community spirit that thrive here. Our residents enjoy the perfect balance of individuality, privacy, and a lively social atmosphere.
We proudly serve Weston, Sudbury, Lincoln, Framingham, Wellesley, and other fine communities.
News & Events
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Tai Chi For Senior Citizens
Tai chi combines slow movements, deep breathing, and meditation and is meant to stimulate the flow of “chi,” or vital energy, throughout the body. The ancient tradition, which originated in China as a martial art and is often referred to as “meditation in motion,” has become a popular form of exercise among older adults in […]
The post Tai Chi For Senior Citizens appeared first on LCB Senior Living, LLC. | https://www.traditionsofwayland.com/?url=%2Fcommunities%2Ftraditions-of-wayland%2F |
I’m pleased to introduce WRITERS CONNECT, where writers like you and me gain a deeper connection with conference faculty members and industry professionals.
As a writer for the past 12 years, I’ve benefited from attending the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. I love interacting with people who share my appreciation for words, and I value the expertise of those who teach and speak at these events. Despite meeting with some of these leaders, I desire a deeper connection with those I look up to—a glimpse inside their hearts. I’m interested in knowing more about each one’s relationship with the Lord, their dreams and goals, and how they’ve experienced God working in and through them.
God created us for relationship with Him. He also designed us for relationship with one another.
Please join me on the fourth Tuesday of each month for my interview with an industry professional. Posts will focus on each one’s testimony and how God is using his/her skills as a writer, editor, agent, or so on to enhance His kingdom. As we glimpse into their journeys and connect with them on a more personal level, we’ll be encouraged and inspired. Who knows? You might even discover a professional who can aid you in your writing journey.
2018 Interviews with Links: | https://www.proclaiminghimtowomen.com/writers-connect/ |
How Can I Tell If My Back Pain Is Serious
You should get medical care right away if:
You are older than 50
The pain was caused by an injury such as a fall or car crash
You have trouble sleeping because of the pain
You lose weight without trying or have a fever, chills, or a history of cancer
You have trouble urinating or controlling your bowels
You Were In A Car Accident
Weve probably all be there: were in a minor fender-bender or some small impact car accident. We may feel a bit jarred, but our body feels fine. So we just continue on. In most cases, things turn out okay. However, it is important to know that a seemingly small injury can indeed worsen over time especially injuries to the neck or back.
Conditions that may arise from a car accident include:
Back and neck injuries: including disc injuries, spine injuries, fractures, and sprains
Soft tissue injuries: including bruising, sprains, and tearing torn ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
Whiplash: symptoms include back and neck pain, headaches, and tinnitus
It is therefore recommended that if youre in a car accident and you feel any pain that you are checked out by a doctor. Ignoring back pain can lead to serious and often unnecessary complications.
What Can Cause Lower Back Pain
Most acute low back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that there is a disruption in the way the components of the back fit together and move. Some examples of mechanical causes of low back pain include:
Congenital
- Skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis , lordosis , kyphosis , and other congenital anomalies of the spine.
- Spina bifida which involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord and/or its protective covering and can cause problems involving malformation of vertebrae and abnormal sensations and even paralysis.
Injuries
- Sprains , strains , and spasms
- Traumatic Injury such as from playing sports, car accidents, or a fall that can injure tendons, ligaments, or muscle causing the pain, as well as compress the spine and cause discs to rupture or herniate.
Degenerative problems
- Intervertebral disc degeneration which occurs when the usually rubbery discs wear down as a normal process of aging and lose their cushioning ability.
- Spondylosis the general degeneration of the spine associated with normal wear and tear that occurs in the joints, discs, and bones of the spine as people get older.
- Arthritis or other inflammatory disease in the spine, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as spondylitis, an inflammation of the vertebrae.
Nerve and spinal cord problems
Non-spine sources
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What To Do If You Suspect Something Else
Theres only one major tiphere: See a doctor, whether it is your primary care physician or aspecialist. Each condition that mimics spinal problems comes with its own treatments,but the first step is an accurate diagnosis. For example, a nerve test such aselectromyography can help a doctor spot neuropathy, and a blood-flow testsuch as the ankle-brachial index can distinguish between spinal stenosisand peripheral arterial disease.
Its so important to look atall of your symptoms and history and do a thorough examination, Dr. Khalafsays. Its how we can tell the difference between a back issue and a medicalcondition.
How To Relieve Back Pain
The following tips may help reduce your back pain and speed up your recovery:
- stay as active as possible and try to continue your daily activities this is 1 of the most important things you can do, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse
- try exercises and stretches for back pain other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful
- take anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen remember to check the medicine is safe for you to take and ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure
- use hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief you can buy these from a pharmacy, or a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel will work just as well
Although it can be difficult, it helps if you stay optimistic and recognise that your pain should get better. People who manage to stay positive despite their pain tend to recover quicker.
Back pain usually gets better on its own within a few weeks or months and you may not need to see a doctor or other healthcare professional.
But it’s a good idea to get help if:
- the pain does not start to improve within a few weeks
- the pain stops you doing your day-to-day activities
- the pain is very severe or gets worse over time
- you’re worried about the pain or struggling to cope
If you see a GP they will ask about your symptoms, examine your back and discuss possible treatments.
They may refer you to a specialist doctor or a physiotherapist for further help.
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Final Thoughts: Recognize When Back Pain Is A Significant Problem
Here are some indications that you should visit a doctor, per the Mayo Clinic:
The discomfort is caused by a blow, fall, or some other sudden event.
Your discomfort accompanies bladder or bowel difficulties
The presence of a persistent and worsening fever.
The discomfort is accompanied by unexplained weight loss.
Seek medical advice from your doctor when you have back pain. They will issue the diagnosis that will offer you the relief you need.
How Do You Spot The Back Pain Signals
The list of signs and symptoms can feel daunting. However, the crucial thing to do is observe your symptoms and focus on the way you are feeling. Also, dont forget to notice the symptoms that result beyond back pain such as bowel function or leg pain as these can be signals for something severe.
Apart from this, based on the age factor, there are several other signs that one should not fail to notice.
- Degenerative disc disease
- This kind of ailment can cause severe pain in your spine. Also, in older adults, lumbar arthritis is a common condition that causes lower back pain. Such kind conditions are commonly the result of age and can be also described as wear-and-tear conditions.
Also Check: How Much Advil Can I Take For Back Pain
You Have Unexplained Weight Loss
If you experience sudden weight loss that can’t be explained by diet and lifestyle changes, then you should always pay attention to what your body is telling you. This is especially true when the unexplained weight loss is accompanied by back pain. See your doctor to rule out the possibility of a more severe condition, such as an infection or tumor.
Theres A Pain In Your Side
Oh, boy. Has anyone reading this ever had a kidney stone? If you have, youre well aware of the agony and the frustration of getting rid of it.
Which brings us to the next point. If you feel a sharp pain in the upper back and on your side, you should get checked out. Kidney stones often manifest these symptoms. Other possible signs of kidney stones: discomfort or tenderness while peeing, or brown- or red-hued urine. If you feel pain below the shoulder blades, you may have an issue with your gallbladder and should be seen by a doctor.
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Find Out How To Spot Red Flags That Can Indicate A Serious Condition
In many cases, back pain can be as commonplace as a mild headache, a sneeze here and there, or eye strain. In fact, non-specific low back pain is a frequent ailment. One study reports that the lifetime prevalence of chronic low back pain is as high as 84%, making ones chances of experiencing discomfort at one time or another pretty high.
Here’s how to tell if your back pain may be something serious
Then there are those other times, when the back pain just doesnt feel right and your gut is saying that something more is going on. Many people have been known to go to the emergency room when experiencing low back painin 2012, a study found that low back pain accounted for 3.15% of all emergency visits in the United States. When you consider how many conditions can land someone in the ER, that number is fairly substantial.
Lets say that youre experiencing a significant amount of back pain, wondering, How do I know if my back pain is serious? This guide will help you decide if it warrants a trip to your doctor or the emergency room.
Severe Back Pain Causes
If youre suffering from severe back problems, you may find yourself asking, Why do I have severe back pain? It could be a broad range of reasons that vary in severity and seriousness. These are a few potential causes of severe back pain that may require medical intervention to correct, and a few of them include:
- Sprains
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
These are only a few possible answers for what is going on with your back. See your doctor for confirmation of your condition and to seek treatment.
There are other conditions that persistent back pain could indicate, including certain types of cancer, like:
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Rectal Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
In the case of cancers of the colon, rectum or ovaries, back pain is often a symptom that the cancer has metastasized and is spreading to other areas of the body, according to the American Cancer Society, so it should not be taken lightly.
Though back pain is an unlikely precursor to a serious illness, if youve tried making short-term changes mentioned above without receiving relief from your pain, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may be able to rule out some issues quickly, but other times additional testing may be required to make a definitive diagnosis and treatments will vary greatly from one condition to the next.
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What Are The Signs Of A Back Injury
Signs you may have injured your back include:
- pain or tenderness
- pain that worsens with movement, coughing, sneezing or laughing
- stiffness or difficulty moving
- swelling
- pain that radiates down one or both legs
However, back pain has many causes. It could be caused by a disease such as osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, your age, physical fitness, smoking, being overweight, or the type of work you do.
It is important to find out the cause of your symptoms so they can be treated properly.
The Big Three Signs That You Should Investigate For An Ominous Cause Of Persistent Low Back Pain
You shouldnt worry about low back pain until three conditions have been met:
The presence of the big three does not confirm that something horrible is going on. It only means that you need to check carefully.
Andy Whitfield as Spartacus
At his physical peak, not long before getting sick. The first sign of his cancer was steadily worsening back pain. He may have already been in pain at this time.
The story of actor Andy Whitfield is a disturbing and educational example of a case that met these conditions for sure the first two, and probably the third as well if we knew the details. Whitfield was the star of the hit TV show Spartacus . The first sign of the cancer that killed him in 2011 was steadily worsening back pain. Its always hard to diagnose a cancer that starts this way, but Whitfield was in the middle of intense physical training to look the part of historys most famous gladiator. Back pain didnt seem unusual at first, and some other symptoms may have been obscured. Weight loss could have even seemed like a training victory at first! It was many long months before he was diagnosed not until the back pain was severe and constant. A scan finally revealed a large tumour pressing against his spine.
Is back pain a symptom of COVID-19?
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When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider
See your healthcare provider if you have:
- Loss of bladder or bowel control with weakness in either leg. These symptoms need attention right away.
- Severe back or neck pain that does not decrease with medicine and rest
- Pain after an injury or a fall
- Weakness, numbness, or tingling in your legs or arms
- Fever of 100.4°F or higher, or as advised by your healthcare provider
- Unintentional weight loss
Your Doctor May Want To Order Some Studies:
Diagnostic Studies: Depending on the most likely concern, your doctor may order any of a number of basic laboratory studies to detect anemia, inflammation, and elevated levels of proteins or markers in your system. Urinalysis may reveal blood, bacteria or reveal a renal stone.
In infections, specific tests can reveal the presence of infectious agents before the actual source is revealed. A TB skin test should be placed, if you have traveled anywhere that that disease is common, or have simply been around someone who has had the disease.
X-rays and Imaging: Some problems are only visualized on x-rays when significant bone destruction has occurred. A bone scan may be necessary to identify fractures, infections or tumors in their earliest phase. More often, MRI can screen the whole spine, and shows the soft tissue elements inside and outside the spinal column.
However, among patients with a recent osteoporotic spine fracture, x-rays are the best way to quickly and accurately detect a new fracture and determine how much collapse has occurred.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Lower Back Pain
Symptoms of lower back pain can come on suddenly or appear gradually. Sometimes, pain occurs after a specific event, such as bending to pick something up. Other times, you may not know what caused the pain.
Pain may be sharp or dull and achy, and it may radiate to your bottom or down the back of your legs . If you strain your back during an activity, you may hear a pop when it happened. Pain is often worse in certain positions and gets better when you lie down.
Other symptoms of lower back pain include:
- Stiffness: It may be tough to move or straighten your back. Getting up from a seated position may take a while, and you might feel like you need to walk or stretch to loosen up. You may notice decreased range of motion.
- Posture problems: Many people with back pain find it hard to stand up straight. You may stand crooked or bent, with your torso off to the side rather than aligned with your spine. Your lower back may look flat instead of curved.
- Muscle spasms: After a strain, muscles in the lower back can spasm or contract uncontrollably. Muscle spasms can cause extreme pain and make it difficult or impossible to stand, walk or move.
What Can I Do To Help With The Pain
-
Try not to do things that make the pain worse, like sitting for a long time, lifting heavy objects, or bending or twisting.
-
Stick to your normal activities as much as you can. Gentle exercise like walking helps you get better more quickly.
-
Some over-the-counter medicines can help pain or swelling. These include ibuprofen , naproxen , and acetaminophen . Your doctor may give you medicine to help with pain or muscle spasms.
-
Try using heating pads or taking a warm bath or shower.
-
Your doctor can show you some gentle exercises to help stretch your back and make the muscles stronger.
-
A physical therapist, massage therapist, or chiropractor may help with your pain and make you feel better.
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When Back Pain Suggests Something Worse
Back pain, whether it’s low back pain, neck pain or pain up between the shoulder blades, affects so many of us that that almost everyone has had an ache or pain that has made them worry. Since the common causes of back and neck pain are typically age-related wear-and-tear changes or minor injuries, 90% of people improve with simple supportive care – rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy. However, when pain persists, or presents in an unusual way, you may begin to worry that the pain is coming from something more serious.
While serious, unrecognized diseases are very uncommon causes of back pain, there are some disorders that can seriously impact your health if they aren’t recognized early enough. These kinds of disorders almost always offer a few clear clues to their diagnosis, however. A careful history and physical examination, looking for specific signs and symptoms, and properly selected diagnostic studies, will allow your physicians to confidently rule out important underlying diseases.
There are a few warning signs you should recognize and bring to your doctor’s attention:
What If I Dont Want Surgery For My Back Pain
Fortunately, most people with back pain dont need surgery. We usually take a conservative approach first, using a wide variety of nonsurgical spine treatments, said Dr. Guo. For example, I might send you to physical therapy or chiropractic therapy. I might recommend medications such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, or some nerve-pain medications. We offer injection therapy, including epidural injections, joint injections, and nerve blocks and ablation if your back pain fails to improve with the conservative treatments. Chances are, one of these approaches will help reduce your back pain and improve your function and quality of life. | https://www.healthybackclub.net/is-my-back-pain-serious/ |
In the latest trading session, 2,601,405 Suncor Energy Inc.(NYSE:SU) shares changed hands as the company’s beta touched 1.71. With the company’s most recent per share price at $17.69 changing hands around -$0.29 or -0.02% at last look, the market valuation stands at $26.9 Billion. SU’s current price is a discount, trading about -95.36% off its 52-week high of $34.56. The share price had its 52-week low at $9.61, which suggests the current value is an impressive 45.68% up since then. When we look at Suncor Energy Inc.’s average trading volume, we note the 10-day average is 10.05 Million shares, with the 3-month average coming to 8.93 Million.
Analysts give the Suncor Energy Inc. (SU) stock a consensus recommendation rating of Overweight, calculated at a mean rating of 2. If we narrow down to specifics, the data shows that none out of 22 analysts rate the stock as a Sell, with a further 1 assigning it an Overweight rating. Of the remaining, 5 recommended SU as a Hold, 16 felt it is a Buy and none rated the stock as Underweight. Suncor Energy Inc.’s EPS for the current quarter is expected to be $0.5.
Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) trade information
Although SU has turned red as seen in intraday trades today with action -1.61%, the performance over the past five days has been green. The jump to weekly highs of $17.99- on Friday, Dec 04 added 2.22% to the stock’s daily price. The company’s shares are showing year-to-date downside of -0.46%, with the 5-day performance at 0.09% in the green. However, in the 30-day time frame, Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) is 0.5% up. Looking at the short shares, we see there were 12.12 Million shares sold at short interest cover period of 1.36 days.
The consensus price target for the stock as assigned by Wall Street analysts is $19.77, meaning bulls need an upside of 11.76% from its current market value. According to analyst projections, SU’s forecast low is $14.58 with $23.92 as the target high. To hit the forecast high, the stock’s price needs a +35.22% upsurge from its current level, while the stock would need to tank -17.58% for it to hit the projected low.
Suncor Energy Inc. (SU) estimates and forecasts
Data shows that the Suncor Energy Inc. share is not performing relatively much better than most of its peers within the same industry. As can be gleaned from the statistics, the company’s share value dive -15.51% over the past 6 months, a -154.25% in annual growth rate that is considerably lower than the industry average of -20.3%. Moreover, analysts have looked to higher expectations by upgrading its fiscal year 2020 revenue estimates. The rating firms predict current quarter revenue for Suncor Energy Inc. will rise +28.2%, while the growth in revenue is estimated to hit 300% for the next quarter. Year-over-year growth is forecast to reach 16.3% up from the last financial year.
Consensus estimates given by 7 financial analysts project the company’s revenue in the current quarter to hit an average of $7.54 Billion. 7 analysts are of the opinion that Suncor Energy Inc.’s revenue for the quarter ending Jun 01, 2018 will be $7.03 Billion. The company’s revenue for the corresponding quarters a year ago was $6.17 Billion and $5.72 Billion respectively. According to analysts, the company will likely register a growth in its current quarter sales, forecast at 22.1%. The estimates for the next quarter sales put growth at 23%.
Looking at the company’s year-on-year earnings, data shows that the past 5-year has an earnings growth rate of 0.2%. The 2020 estimates are for Suncor Energy Inc. earnings to decrease by -8.1%, but the outlook for the next 5-year period is at -10.37% per year.
SU Dividends
The 3.91% annual yield figure for the share gives it an annual dividend of 0.65. It is important to note, however, that the 3.91% dividend yield ratio should serve as a guide only, as you should also take into consideration many other aspects of a company’s operations and fundamentals before making any investment decision. During the past 5 years, the average dividend yield was 3.82% per year.
Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU)’s Major holders
If we look at who the major shareholders are, we find that insiders hold 0.01% of Suncor Energy Inc. shares while 68.16% of the shares are in the hands of institutional holders. The share float percentage for the stock currently stands at 68.17%. There are 718 institutions holding the Suncor Energy Inc. stock share, with FIL LTD the top institutional holder. As of Sep 29, 2020, the company held 5.31% of the shares, roughly 81.05 Million SU shares worth $991.2 Million.
Royal Bank of Canada holds the second largest percentage of outstanding shares, with 4.73% or 72.13 Million shares worth $882.17 Million as of Sep 29, 2020.
Among Mutual Funds, the top two as of Sep 29, 2020 were Dodge & Cox International Stock Fund and Vanguard International Stock Index-Total Intl Stock Indx. With 53677054 shares estimated at $656.47 Million under it, the former controlled 3.52% of total outstanding shares. On the other hand, Vanguard International Stock Index-Total Intl Stock Indx held about 1.69% of the shares, roughly 25.83 Million shares worth around $407.09 Million.
Get Ready for my next COVID-19 stock idea.
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While coronavirus cases have been on the rise in the United States for more than a month, in November, the ADP report released on...
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For better or for worse, humans are social creatures, and no matter what their line of work is, they spend a significant amount of their time communicating with each other — be it to solve a problem, build rapport, or just to socialize. Quite naturally, communication plays an important role in work as well — a lot of time at the workplace is spent making and answering phone calls, writing emails and text messages, preparing and studying reports, participating in meetings, and so on. Developing a communications charter for your team or company allows you to regulate all these diverse methods of communication to ensure that they are used efficiently and effectively, no time is wasted, and all the participants can get their messages through clearly and consistently. However, before you sit down and write up such a communications charter, you have to understand what it should contain and how you can do it so that you don’t have to introduce corrections later on regularly.
1. Define a purpose
The purpose of a communications charter is to single out the preferred and accepted methods of communication within your teams and provide guidelines as to how team members are to communicate in specific situations. When done properly, it streamlines interactions between the employees, eliminates time wastage due to using multiple misaligned communication methods, and reduces the overall number of messages and helps people focus on their work. It may include but isn’t limited by the following points:
- When and how soon employees have to reply to emails.
- What issues can only be resolved face-to-face.
- What are the rules concerning WiFi usage for corporate communication.
- What situations allow the use of video/audio calls.
- How team meetings are organized.
2. Pay special attention to remote teams
Remote or virtual teams need a charter especially badly because they don’t have an option of face-to-face communication and are heavily dependent on how well their communication methods are regulated. There are many different means of remote communication, and you have to specify which are to be used for which situations, who and how should provide progress reports, how team members provide and receive feedback and so on.
3. Regulate public-facing communication
Mistakes and gaffes shouldn’t be present in internal communication, but they sometimes can be tolerated — after all, when everybody knows each other, matters can easily be resolved. However, when they happen in the full view of clients and other external entities, it really shows the company in the most unfavorable light. When writing up the charter, you should carefully delineate what can and cannot be mentioned in public channels and client-based interactions to make sure the team’s communication is always consistent and authoritative.
4. Alleviate cultural differences in communication
Teams that incorporate individuals coming from a variety of countries and cultural backgrounds often experience difficulties due to different communication styles accepted in different cultures and specific idiosyncrasies characteristic of specific cultures. For example, in cultures characterized by more authoritarian team structure, it is not customary for the employees to voice their concerns and complaints to the higher-ups. Even if they know that something is wrong, they still will be reluctant to do it. A communications charter for a team that includes members of different cultures should provide unequivocal directions for the situations in which employees should address their seniors.
5. Understand potential drawbacks
Although a charter can go a long way toward improving the quality of communication, especially in teams habitually suffering from problems in this area, it is just as likely to bring about issues of its own, especially if done without proper research. A poorly written charter can stifle creativity and out-of-the-box problem-solving, as people will feel that their communication is limited by outside forces. A charter that discourages social interactions outside of work topics will harm the establishment of rapport between team members, which can be detrimental for the long-term efficiency of teamwork. Finally, trying to introduce a cookie-cutter communication style of communication, especially when it comes to geographically scattered multicultural teams, can cause an effect that is opposite to what is intended — it will impair effective collaboration rather than improving it.
6. Decide what it will cover
Before starting to work on your communications charter, you have to decide what its end goal is and what aspects of communication it should cover. It doesn’t have to incorporate all the aspects of external and internal communication of your team. It can concentrate on specific aspects — for example, reduction of an overall number of emails used or unification of communication channels used for particular purposes. Or it can take a broader approach and make sure that all internal communication is carried out at a certain efficiency and appropriateness standard. Take time to clearly point out what exactly the document covers and what situations it applies to.
7. Decide on the format
Make sure the entire charter is written in the same manner and not as a mishmash of different approaches. For example, if you want it to list the best practices you want to be used by all team members, keep the entire document practice-based and avoid generalizations. If you want to assign broader standards and introduce overarching principles, don’t intersperse them with specific instructions — or at least separate them into different parts of the document.
8. Get feedback
Your team members are the ones who are going to communicate following the road map introduced in the charter, which means that the majority of them should be okay with what is offered to them. It doesn’t mean that you should follow their every whim, but listening to what they have to say can be instrumental in creating a charter that will not just standardize your internal communications, but also take into account the concerns and suggestions of the team members.
As you can see, creation of a communications charter is by no means a simple procedure. You cannot just take a document used by another team and apply it to your own one. It should take into account your industry, the specifics of the way you do business, what kinds of people you have in your team and many other factors. | https://techgenix.com/communications-charter/ |
The Ocean Stewards Program was launched this year with support from The Blue Fund, a partnership between Grindrod Ltd and Wildlands. It is being carried out in partnership with the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP) which is funded by the National Research Foundation, through the activities of it’s the east coast biodiversity mapping and research projects. These ACEP projects aim to identify critical areas that need protection by inclusion in an expanded network of Marine Protected Areas for South Africa. They are being led by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the University of KwaZulu-Natal scientists, in collaboration with the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Oceanographic Research Institute and the South African Environmental Observation Network.
The goal of the Ocean Stewards Program is to address the shortage of conservation science and management capacity for the marine environment in which threats are escalating at an unprecedented alarming rate. Healthy oceans play a crucial role in providing essential ecosystem services such as food and oxygen, and buffering coastal communities against global change threats. The importance of the ocean to the economy of was recognised by the launch of the national Phakisa project in 2014 to unlock the economic potential of the oceans. The success of this intervention will depend on balancing industrial activities with adequate governance and protection of the marine environment so as to ensure sustainability.
In South Africa, the ability to meet these challenges and exploit these opportunities is being compromised by insufficient human capacity within the marine science and conservation management sectors, coupled with a paucity of accessible and affordable infrastructure to conduct science and effective governance and law enforcement. These marine stewardship capacity shortfalls are linked to slow transformation, lack of career-pathing at schools, and the fact that very few undergraduate marine science students continue to post-graduate level. Further, owing to the lack of affordable ship-based platforms even most students who do complete marine science degrees have never conducted any fieldwork at sea and have very little understanding of the offshore environment.
The Ocean Stewards Program was initiated earlier this year to begin to address this key challenge by providing catalytic marine science, management and industry exposure to a new generation of science students. In so doing, it aims to promote the emergence of new Ocean Stewards that are equipped and inspired to ensure effective future governance and protection of the oceans.
The Ocean Stewards Program is designed to provide a cohort of emerging science students with a formative experiential journey that gives them unique insights into marine conservation and inspires them to pursue marine science as a career. It also aims to provide a conduit for them to take real steps towards becoming professional marine scientists and conservationists through ongoing mentorship and support. | http://sea-quests.com/ocean-stewards/ |
Chantal Mouffe's political philosophy has been influential in a variety of domains, including sociology, cultural studies, media studies, law, art, literary criticism, and journalism studies. By combining Gramsci's focus on hegemony with post-structuralist theory she has developed - in collaboration with Ernesto Laclau - a sophisticated perspective on the political that intersects with all aspects of society, including the role and functioning of journalism. Her emphasis on the productive role of hegemony and conflict in society combined with her plea for a radical pluralist democracy, open a wide range of new perspectives for journalism studies. We present an overview of Mouffe's work set against a recent interview with her, in which we discuss, among other things, the potential diversity of contingent journalistic identities, ranging between being complicit with hegemonic socio-political projects, and safe-guarding or even deepening democratic institutions, including itself. | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/3020/ |
It’s usually when you think out of the box that you get some mind boggling images. For instance, it’s not everyday that you come across a portrait that was taken with a long exposure. Photographer Adrian Mechocki specializes in the art of light painting and took the following portrait using the technique:
This image is a long exposure of almost a minute that Mechocki took in a completely dark room. The model had to be perfectly still throughout the entire exposure as even the slightest movement would cause the image to be blurry. What’s really interesting is that the image is a sole result of light painting without any sort of post processing.
“I did the light trails by moving the LED lights in the air for a few minutes. The duration depends on what I want to achieve and it differs on every photo.”
The mix of colors along with the intense look on the face of the model gives a really moody look to the image. Also, if you look closely at the light trails, they appear as brush strokes. This further adds to the artistic feel of the image. And not to forget, it’s worth appreciating how still the model appears since there is hardly any noticeable motion blur.
Do you know someone who would be able to stay perfectly still for over a minute?
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UN sustainability goals
The UN’s sustainability goals are the world’s joint work plan to eradicate poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change by 2030. There are a total of 17 goals and 169 sub-goals.
Improve Startups has selected sustainability goal number:
3; Good health and Quality of life,
4; Good education,
9; Industry innovation and infrastructure,
17; Cooperation
to reach the goals.
These are the 4 main areas we have chosen as our focus areas to contribute to sustainable development.
Ambition
Our ambition is to improve performance and results related to E-health, Edu-tech, Prop-tech, Green-tech, Fin-tech, Ai-tech Startups and Scaleups with a focus on physical, mental, technical and social challenges – globally.
Global problem
Global health is on the World Health Organization (WHO) agenda as well as one of the UN’s 17 sustainable goals, both of which share a common ambition and vision to establish global measures that will create sustainable improvements in people’s physical, mental and social health.
As an example, it is now confirmed that more than 2 billion people in the world suffer from obesity and obesity. There are billions more of people struggling mentally and socially.
A global decision must be made to organize defined measures at an overall country level.
The improvement process must be holistic as well as utilize as well as integrate necessary technology in the systematization of improvement measures.
Our digital enhancement platform will make it easier to reach goals related to quality of life and lifestyle.
At the same time, our technology will make it easier for health care professionals to systematize improvement programs in patients both during training in hospitals but also at home.
In addition, health personnel will be able to develop and improve their own focus areas in management, communication, interaction and key figures.
Similar will Startups and Scaleups secure their national or global success in a systematic way.
Concept
Improve identifies and develops digital tools and platforms that strengthen and streamline performance- and result-related processes towards different target users. Improve`s mission is to improve people’s business and personal health in a faster and more efficient way.
We target long-term business- and lifestyle changes and continuous follow-up of users.
By individually and customized improvement plans based on the individual’s own preconditions, ambitions and desires, a tailor-made program for personal development is developed at both the mental, social, technical and physical levels.
Short and long-term goals are set, and through personal follow-up and so- called user-communities (both IRL and virtual), the likelihood of achieving the desired effect and result is increased.
Digital Video Conferences is an effective way to systematize the process through our solution.
Digital platform
Improve has gathered all relevant information for users on one platform: Here you will be able to find your own program, your own results and progression, in addition to having an online community where you share experiences and give each other support and motivation in open or closed forums.
In addition, we want to incorporate artificial intelligence here to ensure higher quality and reduced time in the collection of patient data, including progress towards improvement areas, patient feedback to physiotherapist, psychologist, physician to regulate exercises in accordance with time, intensity, repetition and more. This ensures mastery and motivation as well as progress.
Innovation and sustainability
We are a company run by innovative and sustainable solutions that create lasting value and hope we can create this together with the health industry in Norway and abroad. | https://improvestartups.com/sustainability/ |
Oocyte quality and viability in Nguni and Hereford cows exposed to a high protein diet
Hamman, Robyn
URI:
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53297
Date:
2015
Abstract:
Protein is a fundamental part of nutrition in all animals but ruminants have the ability to metabolise and utilise non-protein nitrogen for this use. This allows for an economical alternative source of protein that does not compete with human resources. Previous evidence suggests that feeding high levels of protein to support increased demands for growth and production may have a negative impact on reproduction, since protein is rapidly converted to ammonia and further metabolised to urea which are both toxic to the reproductive system. Investigations within the South African climate indicated that the Nguni cow maintained higher blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels during periods of drought than other cattle breeds. The Nguni breed is well adapted to extreme situations but as its popularity grows and the breed is promoted for emerging farmers it becomes essential to know if it possesses adaptations which could predispose it to reproductive failure if supplemented in the same manner as other commercial breeds. In this prospective experimental study, 22 multiparous cows of two breeds, the Hereford and the Nguni, were block randomised into a cross over design whereby all animals were fed a total mixed ration (TMR). The test group was provided with an increasing rumen degradable protein content in the form of feed grade urea. The control group was maintained on a urea free TMR. In the test group, the urea inclusion rate was increased weekly by 50 g to allow for rumen microflora adaptation and prevent acute urea toxicity. They reached a maximum inclusion rate of 200 g urea per cow per day. All animals had serum collected and oocytes aspirated by transvaginal ultrasound guided oocyte pick up (OPU) were counted and graded twice weekly. Following this, all usable oocytes were pooled per breed and treatment, and were subject to in vitro maturation, fertilisation and culture in order to assess the effect of elevated protein on oocyte competence and viability. Oocyte quality was defined as the number of oocytes with cumulus cells (Grade 1 3 oocytes) harvested per OPU, and oocyte viability was defined as the number of oocytes that cleaved by day 2 or that reached at least the morula stage by day 7 in the in vitro embryo system. Multivariable analyses were performed on BUN, antral follicle count (AFC) and number of grade 1 3 oocytes harvested per OPU session, and on the oocyte viability outcomes in the vitro embryo system. Nguni cows receiving 150 g dietary urea per day had lower mean BUN levels than Herefords (17.5 and 19.3 mg/dL respectively, P = 0.02). However dietary urea inclusion level, serum albumin level and sampling day were the only independent predictors of serum BUN. Nguni cows had lower mean antral follicle count (AFC) and number of oocytes harvested than Herefords (9.1 and 3.1, and 11.7 and 4.3 respectively, P < 0.01). The vet performing the aspiration, within day sampling order and BUN level >20 mg/dL were independently associated with the number of grade 1-3 oocytes after adjusting for AFC and the random effect of the individual animal. Increasing weighted mean serum albumin and decreasing weighted mean beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) were independently associated with the number of oocytes that cleaved (day 2) or that reached the morula stage (day 7) (P = 0.01 and P = 0.08 respectively). It was concluded that increasing dietary urea, low BCS and increasing serum albumin, but not breed, were associated with increasing BUN levels in cows. It was further concluded that BUN >20 mg/dL adversely affected the occurrence of cumulus cells around oocytes and that serum albumin and BHBA were, but neither dietary urea level nor breed was independently associated with viability of bovine oocytes in this study. Although the data were inconclusive about breed differences in protein metabolism, this study suggests that serum albumin has the potential to be used as predictor of the interaction between protein and energy metabolism and its effect on oocyte development.
Description:
Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
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Pharmacology is the study of how medicine and other things have an effect on living organisms and change how they function. Pharmacology could also be defined as the study of how medicine actually works.
Pharmacology is not exactly the same as pharmacy, and a pharmacologist is not exactly the same as a pharmacist. A pharmacologist is a scientist who studies how medicine actually works, and usually works in a science lab. A pharmacist is a health care provider who usually works at a pharmacy. However, there is quite a bit of overlap between these two fields. A pharmacist could be considered a type of pharmacologist. While in school, pharmacists do take many classes in pharmacology.
Origin of the word
If something can be used as a medicine, it is called a pharmaceutical. Pharmacology includes how drugs are made, how they interact with living organisms, what harmful effects they could have, how they can be used as medicines, and if they can be used to prevent illness. A person who works in the study of pharmacology is called a pharmacologist. Pharmacologists work in a team with biochemists, geneticists, microbiologists, toxicologists and pharmacists to run clinical tests on how drugs work.
Uses of pharmacology
The development of drugs is very important to medicine, but it also has strong economical and political uses. To protect people and prevent abuse, some countries try to control the way in which drugs are made, sold, and administered.
Scientific background
To study chemicals, a person needs to know a lot about what will be affected if it is ingested (taken into the body). As more people know about cell biology and biochemistry, the field of pharmacology has changed as well. It is now possible to design chemicals that do specific things.
A chemical can have different properties. Pharmacokinetics describes the what effect the body will have on the chemical, and pharmacodynamics describes the chemical's effect on the body (desired or toxic).
When a pharmacologist is talking about pharmacokinetic properties of a chemical, they are interested in four things: ADME.
- Absorption - How is the medication absorbed (through the skin, the intestine, the mouth)?
- Distribution - How does it spread through the organism?
- Metabolism - Is the medication converted chemically inside the body, and into what. Are these new substances active? Could they be toxic?
- This describes the ratio of desired effect to toxic effect. | https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Pharmacologist |
IMMUNISATION has helped avert thousands of childhood deaths. With routine immunisation, children are now protected against measles, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), immunisation is the process where a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. Vaccines stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease.
The launch of the second round of the 2017 Child Health Week, under the theme ‘Our Children, Our Future’, should not be ignored by parents and guardians, who should ensure that children under the age of five receive the health care services that are being offered.
The child health week which runs from November 20 to 25, will offer various services to enhance child health and survival through strengthening and scaling up of health promotion and preventive services.
The more we have children immunised, the less of the infectious disease there is around, so the less chance there is of anyone catching it.
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, during the national address to mark the launch of the 2017 second-round child health week urged parents and guardians to turn out in large numbers with all children under the age of five at the nearest health facility to access free health-promoting services.
This free health service is the way to go for Government as we aim to have universal access to health.
Therefore, Government must be commended for its efforts to provide equitable access to cost-effective, quality health services as close to the family as possible, and as a result, there should be no excuse for any parent or guardian not to find time to take a child for this very important event that borders on the health of children.
This important exercise will help protect children against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases. Once a child has been vaccinated against a disease, their body can fight it off better. If a child is not vaccinated, they are at a higher risk of catching and becoming very ill from an illness which could have possibly been avoided.
Zambia, like many other African countries, continues to face high levels of malnutrition and the current status of nutrition indicators among children under five years is poor and calls for concerted efforts not only from Government and its cooperating partners but parents and guardians as well.
The child health week targets to reach three million children with cost-effective but high-impact interventions.
The services that will be offered include Vitamin A supplementation, de-worming, catch-up immunisations and polio vaccination of children in 30 districts marked as high risk for polio.
The other services are growth monitoring and promotion, integrated management of childhood illnesses/management of sick children, HIV test and treat; and follow-up of HIV-exposed babies and cross-cutting health promotion activities.
It should be acknowledged that the benefits extend far beyond infancy and beyond the age of five.
The protection lasts years, keeping children from vaccine-preventable illnesses as they grow by decreasing the number of sick children who might make others sick, vaccines protect entire communities. This will also in turn make our health facilities less crowded with sick children attention during the child health week. | https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/protect-the-future-by-vaccinating-children/ |
The automotive industry is unique in its ERP needs. Unlike other comparable industries such as aerospace, the consumer-driven nature makes the processes extremely difficult and unpredictable in this industry. These behaviors drive the need for newer products and modifications to the existing products. In addition, they have a further downstream impact on the whole value chain.
Due to these behaviors, most OEMs spend significant R&D dollars on consumer research to differentiate from their competitors. This research drives the processes such as demand for their suppliers and the need for tighter collaboration with them. Additionally, most automotive production floors have much higher efficiency requirements due to tighter margins. They also have unique scheduling challenges, such as having the right skills at the right time at the right work center.
Finally, servicing and warranty needs are fairly involved, with significant nesting of serviceable parts, which might have their own lifecycle. These units may also have several players that might be involved in servicing the components. These factors make the automotive industry extremely unique with its need for an ERP system. And using an ERP system not designed for the automotive industry may require you to invest significantly in custom development or integration. So which are the ERP systems for the automotive industry?
This article outlines the top 10 automotive ERP systems that should be part of your evaluation. To finalize this list, we have analyzed hundreds of ERP systems and their capabilities through publicly available information. The list also relies on our teams’ experience in evaluating these ERP systems for our customers.
The purpose of this article is not to recommend these ERP systems. Instead, you must carefully analyze your requirements and find a suitable product from this list or a list from your industry/market segment.
IFS is a solution targeted at mid to large field services and MRO companies. While IFS can provide basic mix-mode manufacturing capabilities, it might require custom development or ad-hoc arrangements for automotive-specific capabilities. These capabilities may include PPAP compliance at the line level.
Also, unlike other solutions such as QAD, IFS may not be as efficient with automotive-specific supplier collaboration features. These collaboration features are applicable when you might need to perform joint planning with your suppliers. Also, the automotive program management processes where the R&D inputs may be required may not feel as natural as they would be with Plex or QAD. Finally, while IFS may support the generalized supplier approval flow, it might not have automotive-specific KPIs and processes as you might find in QAD, Plex, or IQMS.
While IFS might not be as suitable for automotive OEMs or distributors, it may have deeper capabilities for companies that are purely in the aftermarket business due to its strength in field service capabilities. Finally, it might not have out-of-the-box automotive capabilities such as MMOG/LE, ITAF, and recall management. For these reasons, IFS lands at #10 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Oracle Cloud ERP is a solution targeted at large global enterprises. It has deep capabilities such as integrating the voice of the customer with the R&D data. It also has strong mixed-mode manufacturing and international supply chain capabilities. But it might struggle with the automotive-specific capabilities.
Also, Oracle Cloud ERP would be suitable for automotive companies that prefer financial capabilities over operations. And they plan to develop the last mile functionality on top of the core platform or use another ERP at the plant level. Additionally, while it might be similar in capabilities to other leading solutions on this list, Oracle Cloud ERP may not have as strong a financial perspective as SAP.
Finally, while both solutions might struggle with automotive-specific program management capabilities, Oracle Cloud ERP’s vanilla program management capabilities may not be as strong as Microsoft Dynamics F&O. For these reasons, Oracle ERP Cloud lands at #9 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Similar to Oracle cloud ERP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O will struggle with the last mile functionality required for automotive companies. So it may require custom development or automotive-specific add-ons. Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O does offer an extension for the automotive industry. But the extension would not be enough for automotive manufacturers to run their operations without further custom development.
Also, MS Dynamics F&O would not have as deep finance capabilities as SAP S/4 HANA for the larger automotive companies. So F&O would not be suitable for companies that plan to use it at the corporate level while using another automotive-specific package at the plant level. But it might be suitable for companies that prefer solution flexibility and have internal development teams to develop features on top of the core platform. For these reasons, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations ranks at #8 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Like Oracle ERP Cloud and Microsoft Dynamics Finance and Operations, SAP S/4 HANA would not have as rich last mile functionality such as PPAP compliance, FMEA analysis, or recall management as with other richer automotive solutions.
But large, global companies might use SAP at the corporate level to integrate general ledgers and interact with another system at the plant level. The integration works by sending a purchase order to produce parts or service order to service at the subsidiary level. The plant-level solution for the subsidiary might be an automotive-specific solution designed for automotive operations such as Plex or Infor LN.
Additionally, SAP S/4 HANA would have stronger financial control and cash flow planning capabilities for the large conglomerates. Compared to Oracle ERP Cloud and MS Dynamics 365 F&O, SAP ME is also a superior manufacturing execution system. For these reasons, SAP S/4 HANA ranks at #7 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Epicor Kinetic is a mixed-mode manufacturing solution targeted at small-to-medium-sized automotive companies. Like Infor CloudSuite Industrial, Epicor offers a lot more last-mile functionality out-of-the-box for automotive companies. For example, Epicor Kinetic includes a much richer MES system out-of-the-box. The other companies on this list may struggle with the scenarios such as reporting for machines separately from labor. They might also struggle with scheduling resources based on specific skills. Epicor Kinetic would offer these capabilities out-of-the-box without add-ons or custom development.
While the MES and commerce capabilities are stronger with Epicor, it utilizes a third-party quality module to support the PPAP and in-process quality management. And this reliance on the third-party module may cause integration issues. Epicor is not as friendly to work with as some of the other companies on this list. The users typically report significant issues working with Epicor and getting support from them.
Moreover, Epicor Kinetic may include some automotive-specific features such as FMEA and PLM capabilities. It may also support end-to-end integration with CAD tools. But it might not have as deep Honda and Toyota supplier ecosystem functionality as with QAD, Plex, or Infor LN. For these reasons, Epicor Kinetic ranks at #6 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Similar to Epicor, IQMS/DELMIAworks targets discrete manufacturing verticals, and automotive is a very strong vertical for them. Like other automotive-specific solutions on this list, such as QAD and Plex, IQMS offers very deep capabilities for automotive companies out-of-the-box, including MMOG/LE, APQP, gauge R&R, and PPAP compliance.
As for their product strategy, unlike other legacy solutions on this list that have been rearchitected for the cloud-native experience, IQMS still has a very patchy and legacy interface in some application areas. Additionally, IQMS offers deep capabilities for the Honda ecosystem. It is also an approved solution for Honda suppliers, it might not be as strong in the Toyota ecosystem.
IQMS also doesn’t have an as vibrant community as some of the other solutions on this list, which limits options for companies if they want to find talent in the market to support their product. It’s much easier to find talent for solutions such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft. And typically, the consulting costs are higher in the long duration if there is a limited talent pool available to support the product in the long term. For these reasons, IQMS ranks at #5 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Infor CloudSuite Industrial is a mixed-mode manufacturing product targeted at SMB manufacturing organizations. As for their corporate strategy, just like Epicor Kinetic, Infor CSI offers much more out of the box. Infor CSI’s product architecture is designed for larger OEMs when multiple parties may be involved with the installation or servicing after the sale.
As for their automotive-specific capabilities, while Infor CSI offers strong last-mile functionality out-of-the-box, the automotive-specific capabilities are not as strong as in the case of Plex and QAD. Their automotive capabilities are likely to be similar to Epicor Kinetic with the addition of a superior quality management system owned by Infor but without the advanced MES capabilities. As for their community, Infor CloudSuite Industrial has a slightly more vibrant community than the other focused solutions on this list, such as Plex and QAD. So you will have more access to the talent than with other solutions.
Similar to other legacy solutions on this list, Infor CSI has been rearchitected as a cloud-native experience. While the solution is available over the web and has a great shop floor reporting module, its mobile experience may not as be as native but may be functionally deeper than newer solutions. For these reasons, Infor CSI ranks at #4 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Plex is the only ERP system on this list that originated as an automotive solution. It is also the only solution that is designed from the perspective of the plant operator and has one of the strongest MES components that is pre-integrated with the ERP. While the MES is one of the strongest, the core ERP functionality is an afterthought.
As for their market share, Plex is also not as widely adopted as some of the other solutions on this list, such as Infor CSI, Epicor Kinetic, and Infor LN. But it offers deep capabilities for the Toyota ecosystem. It has super-rich capabilities for the program management for the OEM and integration with PLM and CAD. So it would also not require as much of a heavy lift for the suppliers and manufacturers in the Toyota ecosystem as the functionality is offered out-of-the-box.
The other advantage Plex offers for automotive companies is its unique features, such as integrated HCM and MES capabilities to solve skill-based scheduling issues on the shop floor. The skill-based scheduling is a major challenge with automotive companies as some skillsets are super critical and expensive and require careful planning of their timing. For these reasons, Plex ranks at #3 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
Infor LN comes pre-packaged with deep last mile functionality for large Automotive and Aerospace companies. The functionality is as deep as some of the other automotive-specific solutions such as Plex or IQMS, with several other specialized products, such as Infor EAM and PLM, pre-integrated for the best-of-breed architecture. This best-of-breed architecture and pre-integrated capabilities provide an edge for Infor LN compared to other vanilla solutions on this list.
The pre-integrated functionality reduces the implementation time and risks for the larger automotive companies. And the maintenance is easier in the long term due to the less reliance on the custom code and error-prone add-ons. As for their market penetration and size, Infor LN is localized and globalized in 50 countries. These multi-legislation capabilities allow Infor LN to provide a centralized view for global corporations without having to keep some countries in a separate database or ERP system.
As for their product architecture, Infor LN has a similar look and feel to the other Infor products, which makes it easier for companies to switch among Infor products. But most Infor products are completely different products underneath with separate databases and tech stacks. So the migration would not be as easier as with some other solutions. While Infor LN may have extremely deep automotive functionality, its broader capabilities are limited. This limitation makes it harder for it to accommodate diverse business models for businesses that might be operating in multiple industries. For these reasons, Infor LN ranks at #2 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
QAD is a solution targeted at very specific industries, including automotive. It offers one of the strongest automotive functionality out-of-the-box and with multi-legislation capabilities in more than 30 countries, just like Infor LN.
The strength of QAD includes deep automotive-specific functionality pre-packaged in one solution without worrying about expensive integration and custom development. The other strength of QAD includes its cloud-native architecture and customizability of the product. In comparison to Infor LN, QAD’s UI is business user-friendly and doesn’t require developers to customize the look and feel of the product. The other advantage of the QAD product is that it has slightly broader applications for other discrete and process manufacturing industries than other automotive-focused solutions such as Plex or Infor LN, which might struggle with diverse business models.
The weakness of QAD would be that while it offers more robust capabilities for the supply chain, it will not have as strong a finance perspective as CFOs might find with SAP. This factor may be critical for large companies that prioritize finance perspective at the corporate level and use another solution at the plant level. The other weaknesses for QAD would be its technology stack and infrastructure, which still uses very legacy programming languages and is not hosted on the mainstream cloud providers. The mainstream cloud providers have deeper pockets to maintain the infrastructure and security and are more reliable. Considering the pros and cons, QAD is still a very strong solution for automotive companies. And it ranks at #1 on our list of the top automotive ERP systems.
The automotive companies are unique in their needs. The needs could vary in how they forecast their products and how that impacts the demand for the supplies in the automotive ecosystem. They also have unique quality and reporting requirements for each ecosystem, including Toyota and Honda. Not being able to comply with the ever-changing demands of their OEMs may put their scorecards at risk.
Because of this reason, automotive companies require deep automotive-specific capabilities. Using a vanilla ERP for automotive companies could make the implementation risky and expensive due to the need for custom development and error-prone add-ons. If you are evaluating an ERP system for your automotive company, make sure you don’t drown in the generalized ERP features, which would be the critical success factors for your implementation. And hopefully, this list could help you narrow down some options for you.
Automotive ERP systems have pre-built automotive functionality related to their planning, compliance, quality needs, customer and vendor collaboration, and scheduling. On the other hand, the vanilla manufacturing systems would require companies to either add-ons or build custom functionality on top of the core manufacturing solution, which could be risky and expensive for SMB automotive companies.
Automotive ERP systems have pre-built certification and compliance requirements for OEMs such as Honda or Toyota. In addition, they might have richer HCM functionality integrated with the scheduling function that allows companies to schedule based on their skillsets. They also include MMOG/LE, APQP, gauge R&R, and PPAP compliance features.
No, each company and stakeholder involved in the automotive value chain could have a different business model. And the business model drives their ERP needs. For example, the suppliers might be producing commoditized products or complex parts such as transmission or robotics. Each of these companies could follow very different manufacturing and distribution processes, and that would drive the features required in their ERP system. | https://www.elevatiq.com/post/automotive-erp-systems/ |
Athletics executives, administrators, coaches, athletes and other stakeholders took part in the first-ever Athletics Forum organised by Athletics Malta this weekend as it seeks to take the sport to the next level where various stakeholders in the sport were invited to contribute to the drafting of a National Development Plan for the Federation. The event was held at the Cavalieri Hotel in St Julian’s.
This process is being supported by European Athletics which chose Malta out of a total of 51 European states to carry out an individualised strategic development plan. During this event, the participants shared their views on the challenges and opportunities facing athletics and the changes required to develop the sport further.
Among the themes tackled during the event participants discussed matters covering good governance, administration, infrastructure, sustainability, commercialisation and the sporting environment. A separate, well-attended workshop was exclusively dedicated to athletes and coaches.
Andy Grech, Athletics Malta President described the forum as a valuable event and a recognition that the Federation, like any entity, has strengths and weaknesses and that it is ready to work on the latter in its eagerness to ensure a brighter future for the sport. He announced that in February 2022, Athletics Malta will launch its five-year-plan and the template for the way it intends to drive the sport forward.
Opening the event, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Dr Clifton Grima said that Malta’s objective is a record medal haul in the Games for Small States of Europe in 2023 which will be held on our shores. Dr Grima insisted that Maltese athletes had the potential to match the authorities’ ambitions, but a collective effort was required to achieve such results.
Mark Cutajar, CEO of Sport Malta joined the Parliamentary Secretary in appealing to all stakeholders to work together towards the growth of sport in Malta, particularly the Maltese Olympic Committee, Sport Malta and the different sporting federations, citing recent examples where collaboration between the different parties yielded positive developments towards the athletics community. | https://cde.news/athletics-malta-looks-to-the-future-with-its-first-national-forum/ |
Composed a new song!
This time it has lyrics!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDdSEwRF2Tg
Produced for Eurobeat Forever Vol.1
Hope you like it!
Original Eurobeat "Neon Nights"
Discussion about Eurobeat making. Hints & Tips, Eurobeat projects, programs, plug-ins, samples and so on.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
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- Bad Bad Bad
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 12 Sep 2008, 22:37
- Location: Malmö, Sweden
The instrumentation is spot on, very nice! The vocals aren't sung hard enough and a tad out of time. The vocals could probably benefit from some more compression, while the track as a whole could actually benefit from less compression. It's a bit bass heavy from the compression and not the mix, I kinda like it, but it should be a better mix IMO.
Great work overall!
Great work overall!
-Nick P. C. | https://www.eurobeat-prime.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2697&p=41557 |
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11 reasons we overeat and solutions for each one. Plus, 5 healthy foods we tend to overeat. | https://justinthomasmiller.com/tag/weight-loss/page/2/ |
The vast and beautiful Arctic Ocean is Canada’s largest ocean area. Steeped in tradition, it defines northern communities and cultures and is home to diverse and dynamic ecosystems. Today, the Arctic Ocean faces changing conditions largely driven by global human-caused stressors, including climate change. Together with Inuit and Northern partners, the Government of Canada is working to better understand the Arctic Ocean, sea ice and the complex ecosystems they support.
Yesterday, on Earth Day, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, released Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems, 2019, the second status report of the annual ocean series. Canada’s State of the Ocean reports are summaries of the current status and trends of marine ecosystems in Canada’s three oceans, released every four years.
The report was co-authored by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and the Fisheries Joint Management Committee. It includes current knowledge and trends for Canadian Arctic marine ecosystems based on scientific findings and Inuit knowledge. It outlines observed sea ice-related ecosystem changes and provides new insight into varying environmental conditions and the connections between ocean and coastal areas.
“We’re seeing the impact of climate change on our oceans already from loss of sea ice, increasing ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and shifts in species distributions. This report on Canada’s Arctic marine ecosystems is an important step in protecting the Arctic marine environment, our communities, and our culture.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
“Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland in Canada, encompasses the entirety of Canada’s Arctic coastline, and our comprehensive land claims agreements are inclusive of large spans of ocean and ice. So the health of the Arctic Ocean is directly related to Inuit health and wellbeing. We look forward to advancing work with Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the development of a new DFO Arctic Region which is inclusive of Inuit Nunangat and the Arctic Ocean, and welcome the release of this key report into the state of marine ecosystems.”
Natan Obed, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Read the full report here. | https://www.sustainmag.ca/government-of-canada-releases-first-report-on-the-state-of-marine-ecosystems-in-the-arctic/ |
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Details
Title
Finnegans wake : a facsimile of Buffalo notebooks VI.B.5-VI.B.8 / James Joyce ; prefaced & arranged by David Hayman
Author
Joyce, James, 1882-1941
Hayman, David
ISBN
0824028295 :
Imprint
New York : Garland Pub., 1978
Language
English
Description
xviii, 418 p. : port. ; 32 cm
Bibliography, etc. Note
Bibliography: p. xviii
Browse Subjects
Joyce, James,
1882-1941
Manuscripts
Facsimiles
Show more subjects... | https://caltech.tind.io/record/379668 |
- Motion to File and Set for Briefing and Request for Oral Argument Download motion filed on December 10, 2018 Download supplement to motion filed on April 04, 2019
- Objections to District Court Judge’s Recommendations Applicant Charles Flores, by and through counsel, respectfully requests that this Honorable Court: consider the objections presented here; withdraw its Order dated October 3, 2018 (Order), which includes Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (FFCL) and contains a recommendation that habeas corpus relief be denied; enter revised FFCL correcting the significant mistakes of fact and law enumerated ...
- Amicus Curiae Brief filed by the Innocence Project. The Innocence Project brief agrees that the scientific understanding of memory and the ability of hypnosis to distort memory and inflated confidence in false memories has developed considerably since the time of Charles’s trial. Download the Amicus Curiae Brief in PDF filed by the Innocence Project in support of Charles Don Flores.
- Designed To Break You Report by Human Rights Clinic Human Rights Violations on Texas’ Death Row – By Human Rights Clinic, University of Texas School of Law The State of Texas stands today as one of the most extensive utilizers of the death penalty worldwide. Consequently, inmate living conditions on Texas’ death row are ripe for review. This report (download in PDF) demonstrates that the ... | https://charlesdflores.com/documents/ |
Florence is located on the Arno River, just north of central Italy. The city is often called the “cradle of the Renaissance.” Between 1300 and 1600, it was home to some of the greatest artists and thinkers of the Renaissance.
During the Renaissance, Florence was—as it still is—a beautiful city. One of its most notable buildings is the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its towering duomo (DWOH-moh), or dome. The cathedral was the center of the city’s religious life. Nearby is the Palazzo Vecchio (VEK-ee-oh), or Old Palace. This building was the headquarters of the city government. The grand Palazzo Medici was the home of Florence’s ruling family, the Medici. A more humble house was the Casa di Dante (kah-sah dee DAHN-tay), or Dante’s House. Dante is one of Italy’s most celebrated poets.
Florence was the banking center of Europe. People came to the Mercato Nuovo to trade their coins for florins, the gold coins of Florence. Another busy spot was the Ponte Vecchio. This beautiful bridge spanned the Arno River and, even today, is lined with the shops of fine jewelers and goldsmiths.
Florence’s wealth helped to make it a leading cultural center of the Renaissance.
Architecture and Engineering
Humanist scholars of the Renaissance were influenced by classical ideas. So, too, were architects and engineers. Renaissance architects studied Greek and Roman ruins. They modeled their own buildings on what they learned. They were particularly attracted to rounded arches, straight columns, and domed roofs.
Renaissance Architecture and Engineering
Renaissance architects also added their own ideas to classical building styles. During the Renaissance, wealthy families built private townhouses known as palazzi (pahl-AH-tzee), which is Italian for “palaces.” Many had shops on the ground floor and homes above. Most palazzi were built around a private courtyard, which might contain statues or other works of art.
Public spaces were often influenced by humanist ideals. For example, humanists valued good citizenship. Architects designed public buildings with outdoor plazas where citizens could gather in settings that were grand, yet welcoming.
Innovations in engineering made new kinds of architecture possible. One of the most impressive architectural feats of the Renaissance is Santa Maria del Fiore, the great cathedral in Florence. Florentines started building this eight-sided cathedral in 1296, but they had to leave an opening for the dome. At the time, they didn’t know how to build a sufficiently large dome that would not collapse. It took a Renaissance architect, Filippo Brunelleschi (feel-EE-poh broon-el-ES-key), to solve the problem.
Building Florence’s Dome
Brunelleschi had studied ancient ruins in Rome. He had also learned about the mathematics involved in constructing buildings. The dome he designed for the cathedral took true engineering genius. It used no internal support beams or columns. Instead, eight huge stone arches met at the top of the dome and leaned against each other. Hoops of iron, wood, and brick wrapped around the arches, keeping them in place.
The magnificent dome was finished in 1436. It rose more than three hundred feet above the city. Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo, still stands today, more than five hundred years later. From its top you can see most of the city of Florence.
Literature
During the Renaissance, literature also was changed by the rebirth of interest in classical ideas and the rise of humanism. The topics that people wrote about changed. So did their style of writing and the language in which they wrote.
New Topics and Styles of Writing
In medieval times, literature usually dealt with religious topics. Most writers used a formal, impersonal style, and wrote in Latin. Their work could be read only by a few highly educated people.
In contrast, Renaissance writers were interested in individual experience in the real world. Writing about secular, or non¬religious, topics became more common. Writers used a more individual style, and expressed thoughts and feelings about life. Most importantly, by the end of the Renaissance, most writers were writing in their own languages, instead of in Latin. As a result, far more people could read their work.
Dante and The Divine Comedy
The first well-known writer to create in a native language was Dante Alighieri (DAHN-tay ahl-ee-GAIR-ee) of Florence. He wrote his best-known work, The Divine Comedy, in Italian in the early 1300s. This long poem describes Dante’s imaginary journey through the afterlife. With the spirit of the ancient Roman poet Virgil as his guide, Dante witnesses the torments of souls condemned to the Inferno, which according to Christian belief is the place of punishment after death for one’s sins. Virgil also takes Dante to Purgatorio, which according to Catholic tradition is a place where souls await entry into heaven. Then a beautiful woman named Beatrice shows Dante Paradiso, or heaven, which according to Christianity is a place of eternal life.
The Divine Comedy is a social commentary. It contains characters who were real people. The inhabitants of the Inferno include people of whom Dante disapproved. People he admired appear in Paradiso.
Dante’s work became a model for other Renaissance writers, such as Petrarch and Boccaccio. They described people’s lives with a new intensity of feeling. Like Dante, they wrote using the vernacular, or native language, so their words reached many more people.
Painting
Overview
Wealthy patrons made Renaissance Florence a thriving center of art. The Medici family spent huge sums of money on fine palaces, paintings, and statues. The Palazzo Medici was filled with works of art commissioned, or ordered, by the family. Patrons such as the Medici family created opportunities for talented painters, who made a number of advances in style and technique.
Renaissance painters were influenced by the renewed interest in classical culture and the spread of humanism. They wanted to depict real people who were posed in lifelike ways and whose faces expressed emotions. They also wanted to include realistic settings. The result was a new style of painting.
The Use of Perspective
One key advance made by Renaissance painters was the use of perspective. Painters use perspective to create the appearance of depth on a flat surface. Renaissance artists used several techniques to achieve depth. One was the size of objects. The smaller a painted object, the farther away it appears to be. The larger an object, the closer it appears to be. Painters also learned that a feeling of depth could be created by lines that came closer together as they receded into the distance. They discovered that careful shading could give figures and objects depth to make them look three-dimensional. Adoration of the Magi, a famous painting by Sandro Botticelli, shows some of these techniques.
The Influence of Science and Mathematics
Science and mathematics also helped artists make other advances. The Florentine artist Masaccio used geometry to figure out how to divide the space in a painting to make scenes appear more lifelike. Some artists studied anatomy. They observed bodies and how they moved. Their studies helped them to portray the human body more realistically.
Renaissance science gave painters new materials, such as oil-based paints. Oil paint was made by mixing powdered pigments with linseed oil. This type of paint was thicker and dried more slowly than the older, egg-based paint, so artists did not have to work so quickly. Oil paint also allowed artists to paint over previous work and to show details and texture in new ways.
Sculpture
Overview
Like painters, Renaissance sculptors were influenced by the humanist interest in realism. They were also inspired by ancient Roman statues dug up from ruins. Sculptors began carving figures that looked like real people.
For the first time since the days of ancient Greece and Rome, sculptors made freestanding statues that could be viewed on all sides. This was very different from the sculptures of medieval times. The new statues caused a sensation. They seemed to symbolize the humanist ideals of nature, realism, and the importance of the individual.
The Work of Donatello
A Florentine artist named Donatello was one of the first sculptors to use the new, more lifelike style. His work expressed personality and mood. A good example is his life-sized statue of David, the young warrior in the Bible story of David and Goliath. In the 1500s, Giorgio Vasari, an architect and painter, wrote that Donatello’s David is “so natural . . . it is almost impossible . . . to believe it was not molded on the living form.” This statue is thought to be the first freestanding statue since ancient times.
The Work of Michelangelo
Donatello’s sculpture influenced Michelangelo, another great artist of the Renaissance. Michelangelo is known for both for his painting and his sculpture. He was also a talented poet and architect. Of all these arts, he preferred sculpture because it seemed to bring his subjects to life.
Michelangelo created his own majestic statue of David. It may be the world’s most widely admired sculpture. Carved in white marble, Michelangelo’s David stands about seventeen feet tall. The statue’s expression shows the concentration and tension of a real youth on the verge of battle.
Michelangelo’s David was installed in the Piazza della Signoria, the plaza in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It became the prized expression of Renaissance genius in Florence, and Michelangelo had an enormous influence on other artists.
Science and Mathematics
Overview
The Renaissance was not just a time of progress in the arts. Scholars and others also made great advances in science and mathematics.
Before the Renaissance, most of what people believed about the natural world was based on ideas in ancient Greek and Roman texts. As the humanist spirit took hold, people started questioning old ideas. They began carefully observing the world around them. Instead of relying on old books and theories, scientists began to perform experiments. They analyzed the results using mathematics and logic. This approach to research changed the study of science.
Leonardo da Vinci
One of the most creative Renaissance thinkers was Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was an artist, a scientist, an engineer, and an inventor. He studied under artists in Florence and did his early work there.
Leonardo was endlessly curious about all aspects of the world around him. He did not accept anything as true until he had proved it himself. In his notebooks, he made sketches and wrote about an amazing variety of topics. He wrote about geometry, engineering, sound, motion, and architecture. He studied anatomy, including the circulation of blood and the workings of the eye. He learned about the effects of the moon on Earth’s tides. He was the first person to draw maps from an aerial, or above-ground, view. He designed bridges, weapons, and many other machines. Among his many farsighted ideas were an underwater diving suit and a helicopter.
Paving the Way for Modern Science and Mathematics
Other Italian scientists and mathematicians made breakthroughs, as well. Girolamo Cardano solved complex equations in algebra. Cardano did pioneering work in probability, the science of chance. Galileo Galilei conducted important experiments about gravity. He proved that a heavier object and a lighter object fall at the same rate. If the two objects are dropped from the same height, they reach the ground at the same time. Galileo also built the first telescope used to look into space. With his telescope, he was able to discover sunspots and the moons of the planet Jupiter. By emphasizing observation and experimentation, Galileo and other Renaissance scholars paved the way for modern science and mathematics.
Commerce and Trade
One reason why Florence became a cultural center was the wealth that trade and commerce brought to the city. A thriving banking industry developed. Over time, Florence became Europe’s banking hub, and richer than the largest kingdoms in Europe. Popes and kings alike borrowed money from its 80 banks.
There were two market centers in Renaissance Florence. At the Mercato Vecchio, or Old Market, people bought everyday items, such as food. The Mercato Vecchio was crowded and noisy. People from all over Europe came there to buy and sell goods.
The Mercato Nuovo, or New Market, was built in the mid-1500s as a center for the city’s cloth and banking industries. City officials banned food and weapons there. They wanted it to be clean and orderly to show that commerce was highly valued in Florence.
The Mercato Nuovo became one of the largest financial marketplaces in Europe. People traveled from far and wide to get loans or to convert their money into florins, which could be exchanged for goods anywhere in Europe.
Politics
The local government of Florence was housed in the Palazzo Vecchio, or Old Palace. Like other Italian city-states, Florence was ruled under a series of governing boards. These boards were often controlled by rich families. The powerful Medici family controlled Florence for nearly three centuries.
The Medici Family
The Medici maintained their power in a number of ways. With their vast wealth, they built palaces and were able to maintain a strong army. They were involved in or controlled all aspects of life in the city. They were great sponsors of artists, writers, and musicians, whose works beautified Florence and made the city famous. The Medici also were constantly watchful for enemies who plotted against the family.
One of the most powerful members of the Medici family was Lorenzo the Magnificent. A leading patron of art and scholarship, Lorenzo ruled Florence for more than twenty years, from 1469 until his death in 1492. Two years later, a revolution forced the Medici into temporary exile. In 1512, the family regained power.
A Book About Politics
A Florentine statesman and historian, Niccolò Machiavelli (mahk-ee-uh-VEL-ee), watched these struggles for power. During the Medici’s exile, he reorganized the city’s defenses. He also served as a diplomat and spent time observing the actions of other Italian rulers.
Machiavelli used his experiences to write a book called The Prince. The book is his account of how politics and government really work. Machiavelli advises rulers to make their states strong by doing what works best, rather than by doing what is good or moral. He said that they should even lie if it helps them to rule. In his view, the end, or purpose, justifies the means—the actions taken to achieve that purpose. Rulers, he wrote, should be feared rather than loved.
The Prince seems to contradict humanist ideals about people’s goodness. Its cold realism shocked many readers of the time. Yet in other ways, the book shows the influence of humanist ideas. It is the product of one individual’s careful observation and thinking. It is concerned with how things really work in the world. It also separates ideas about government from ideas about religion. In this respect, The Prince is a very modern work.
The City of Florence
Florence was Italy’s leading cultural center during the Renaissance. The city was the birthplace of the great poet Dante Alighieri (ahl-ee-GARE-ee). The famed painter and sculptor Michelangelo grew up there. So did the brilliant thinker and artist Leonardo da Vinci. Other Florentines, such as the sculptor Donatello, also achieved great works of art, wealth, and fame during the Renaissance.
What factors helped Florence to become such a wealthy city? One answer is its location. Renaissance Italy was divided into city-states. Florence was one of them. The city’s location on the Arno River made it an important center for trade and commerce. Florence became the hub of woolen-cloth trading for all of Europe. In the early 14th century, Florence also became Europe’s banking center. About one hundred thousand people lived inside the city walls.
Renaissance Florence was dominated by a single family known as the Medici. The Medici acquired their wealth through banking. They helped Florence become the banking center of Europe.
Banking, along with the wool trade, created wealth that supported intense cultural activity in Florence. The city and its rich residents could afford to be patrons of talented artists and thinkers. The Medici family, for example, spent lavish sums on art. Their home was a gathering place for artists, such as Michelangelo, philosophers, and poets.
Over time, Florentines inspired still more creative activity. People learned from one another, and they sometimes competed to produce even greater works of art. Florentines were also influenced by ideas from other places. The city drew travelers from many parts of the world. Some came to do business. Some came to study art with Florence’s master artists. Others came to learn at the city’s schools and libraries. These visitors brought new ideas, goods, and technologies to the city.
Florentines were also inspired by the freedom of ideas that was at the core of humanism. Humanists prized the individual and tried to look with fresh eyes at nature and human society. You will see the influence of humanism throughout this chapter as you study examples of Renaissance advances.
Originally published by Flores World History, free and open access, republished for educational, non-commercial purposes. | https://brewminate.com/florence-the-cradle-of-the-renaissance/ |
By Daphna Erdinast-Vulcan
This can be an unique studying of Mikhail Bakhtin within the context of Western philosophical traditions and counter-traditions. The e-book portrays Bakhtin as a Modernist philosopher torn among an ideological secularity and a profound spiritual sensibility, normally enthusiastic about questions of ethics and impelled to show from philosophy to literature as in a different way of knowing.
Most significant experiences of Bakhtin spotlight the fragmented and it seems that discontinuous nature of his paintings. Erdinast-Vulcan emphasizes, as a substitute, the underlying coherence of the Bakhtinian venture, analyzing its inherent ambivalences as an intersection of philosophical, literary, and mental insights into the dynamics of embodied subjectivity. Bakhtin's flip to literature and poetry, in addition to the dissatisfactions that encouraged it, align him with 3 different "exilic" Continental philosophers who have been his contemporaries: Bergson, Merleau-Ponty, and Levinas. Adopting Bakhtin's personal open-ended method of the human sciences, the booklet phases a sequence of philosophical encounters among those thinkers, highlighting their respective itineraries and impasses, and producing a Bakhtinian synergy of rules.
Read Online or Download Between Philosophy and Literature: Bakhtin and the Question of the Subject PDF
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Additional resources for Between Philosophy and Literature: Bakhtin and the Question of the Subject
Sample text
He recognizes that it is owing to the self-awareness peculiar to man that the individual with his bodily frame feels himself and is felt by others to be a person; but he smiles at the naïve idea that places an ego at the back of that psychic phenomenon, as a solid and concrete thing that remains constant in spite of the changes of life from birth to death. (9–10) However, for all his historicist sensibility and his nod toward skepticism, Misch is still very much the Enlightenment scholar in his insistence on the ultimate possibility of self-knowledge and the “truth” that emerges from the “creative objectification of the autobiographer’s mind” (12).
Most poignantly, Kristeva’s celebration of Dostoyevsky’s polyphonic Copernican revolution may sound rather hollow when we learn that Bakhtin saw his book on Dostoyevsky as “morally flawed,” because it could not openly deal with “the main questions . . what Dostoevsky agonized about all his life—the existence of God” (Bocharov, “Conversations with Bakhtin,” 1013). Bakhtin’s equivocation is not unlike the metaphysical ache of Dostoyevsky himself, whose work, even at its most “polyphonic,” is energized by the tensile relationship between the persistent desire for grounding and the radically secular, ideologically centrifugal mode.
Rhythm becomes “a distortion and a lie,” however, when we operate in the ethical 3 8 HOM E S I CK NES S , BORDERLI NES , A ND CONT RABAND odality, Bakhtin says, because the moment of ethical choice and action m is one of “fundamental and essential dissonance,” a moment that “does not submit to rhythm—it is in principle extrarhythmic, nonadequate to rhythm”; “a moment where that which is in me must overcome itself for the sake of that which ought to be . . where is and ought mutually exclude each other” (118). | http://choosingexcellence.org/library/between-philosophy-and-literature-bakhtin-and-the-question-of-the-subject |
24 Nov 5 Tips for Families That Work Together
As a family business, we understand that there are a lot of pitfalls to working with people close to you. It can be difficult to separate work life from home life, arguments can affect family dynamics, and tensions can run high when money is on the line.
But there's also the other side of running a family business. You get to work every day with the people you love most, and the business can enrich all of your lives collectively. It's something you can pass down to future generations and it's a great way to teach your children how to become successful and independent.
We've learned a thing or two over the years about running a family business. Whether you're thinking about going into business with your family or you're currently running a family business, these tips will help you get—and stay—on the right track.
Tip #1: Not Every Family Can Work Together
We don't want to suggest that every family can successfully run a business together. That's simply not true.
Some families are made for this while some are not—and that's okay! We know plenty of people who tell us they could never work with their siblings or parents. This is by no means a reflection of the quality of your upbringing or your family's character. Some families get along well and can work together—others don't. This is something you'll need to be extremely honest and transparent about if you want to go into business with your family members.
And even if your family does work well together, it doesn't necessarily mean every single family member should be involved in the business. There are many members of our family who are not involved in the business at all, and that's fine. We always suggest starting out with a few core family members and then bringing in more as you grow and as you become accustomed to working with each other.
So if you do want to go into business with your family, just think about how you'll work together. If someone doesn't want to participate, don't force them—it'll never work out well if you do.
Tip #2: Establish Boundaries
When you work with the people you live and hang out with, business often bleeds into personal life. Before you know it, it's impossible to separate work from home, and you're talking business at every family gathering.
It's important to set boundaries when you're in a family business. These will be different for every family because everyone has different ideas of what they feel is acceptable. Some families may want to keep all business talk relegated to the office, while others may be fine talking business at the dinner table.
Talk with your family members and figure out what everyone is comfortable with. Then, set clear boundaries—write them out, if you have to—and hold everyone accountable for staying within them.
Tip #3: Be Brutally Honest and Listen Closely
When you're working in business and dealing with money, things can get contentious. In a worst-case scenario, money can breed resentment and jealousy among those around you. No one wants that, especially when you're talking about close family members.
Therefore, you must be brutally honest with your family members when you're involved in a family business. When your close family members start to bottle up their thoughts and feelings, bad things happen.
If you know the Smart Real Estate Coach team, you know we're blunt, direct, and to the point. There's a reason for that. If one of us feels like something is wrong or doesn't like what's happening with the business, we bring it up right away—and the rest of us listen. We do the same thing with our Associates.
This is probably the number one reason why our family works so well together—we have no qualms about having difficult conversations or bringing up topics that might cause a stir. If you can't be honest with your family members and, perhaps even more important if you can't listen to them when they bring up issues that are affecting them… You may want to avoid a family business.
Tip #4: Find Creative Solutions
Sometimes, you may run into roadblocks while working with your family. As an example, one of our Associates was running their real estate business with a family member and got to a certain point where they needed help scaling the operational side of their business. The family member they were working with wasn't interested in helping on that aspect of the business. They weren't a good fit and they wanted no part in it.
This was frustrating for our Associate, of course, but there's no reason it needs to be a dealbreaker or cause a larger issue. We helped them create some structure in their business and hire a virtual assistant to take care of certain duties that neither of them wanted to deal with. This allowed both family members to focus on the parts of their business that they enjoyed and were best at.
Just like any business, you will come across obstacles and issues while running a family business. The important thing to remember is that there is a solution to nearly every issue you could face, and there are people—like us—who can help. The key is understanding when to reach out for help and how to creatively solve these problems in order to keep everyone happy and the business running smoothly.
Tip #5: Remember Why You're Doing This
So far, we've talked about many of the issues that might crop up when you're running a family business. But there are also so many great aspects of running a family business, and you need to always remember that. As far as we're concerned, the pros vastly outweigh the few cons.
You get to work with the people you love most, and you get to build an ideal life together. You're setting up your family's future generations for success, and you're keeping all that wealth in the family.
We love working with our family members every day, and we think you will too. If you can get past some of the pitfalls listed above, you'll be well on your way to creating a fruitful family business that will become a core part of your family for generations to come. If you and your family are thinking about starting a family real estate business, we’re your community! Not only are we a family business ourselves, but many of our Associates work with their spouses, and are always willing to offer insight when challenges arise. To learn more about our Community and if we’re the right fit for you and your family, visit our website! | https://smartrealestatecoach.com/blog/5-tips-for-families-that-work-together/ |
Onsite wastewater management systems have two main processes - treatment of wastewater to a certain standard, and application of the effluent (treated wastewater) to a land area on your property.
Primary - minimal treatment involving flotation and settlement to separate solids and liquids, and disposal of the clarified but still contaminated effluent (such as septic tanks and composting toilets).
Secondary - more advanced treatment using air and biological processes to decompose the solids and chlorine to disinfect the liquid to a standard safe for irrigation (such as aerated wastewater treatment systems).
Tertiary - highly advanced systems that use air and biological processes as well as membranes and UV disinfection to treat wastewater to a very high standard (such as membrane filtration and advanced aerated wastewater treatment systems).
Ensuring you have the right type of onsite wastewater system for your household size and land features is critical to protecting water quality in the Sydney drinking water catchment.
Effluent applied to a land area may be utilised (through irrigation) or disposed of (through soil absorption), depending on the type and level of treatment and effluent application system used.
Soil absorption systems do not require highly treated effluent, and wastewater treated in septic tanks and composting toilets can be disposed of in this way. Only water from aerated wastewater treatment systems (including advanced systems with membrane filtration) may be used for surface irrigation, while effluent treated by biological filters may be applied by subsurface irrigation.
Identify what type of onsite wastewater system you have, and understand its service and maintenance requirements.
Learn the location of your wastewater treatment system and the layout of your effluent application system, so that you can monitor its performance and identify any leaks, overflows or other problems early.
Keep a record of desludgings, inspections and other maintenance. | https://www.waternsw.com.au/water-quality/catchment/living/wastewater/systems |
Body-mounted camera stabilization devices are comprised of a camera equipment support structure gimbaled at its center of gravity, where it is attached to a support arm, that is in turn attached to an operator worn vest. These devices are designed to isolate a camera or similar device from the unwanted movements of a walking, running, or otherwise moving operator or operator/vehicle combination. Such stabilization devices have been used successfully and extensively for over 20 years in the motion picture and video industries, and are most commonly known as Steadicams.RTM.. Exemplary stabilization devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 32,213; 4,156,512; 4,474,439; 4,208,028; 4,394,075; and 5,579,071. Support arms are further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,208,028 and 4,394,075. Each of the foregoing patents is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Body-mounted camera stabilizers typically consist of a camera support structure that is attached at its center of gravity, via a 3-axis gimbal, to a support arm, and finally to an operator's vest, thus providing the desired degree of isolation from the operator. The camera support structure is approximately neutrally counterbalanced by a rigidly mounted camera at one end of a central post, and other rigidly mounted components (video monitor, battery, electronics, etc.), at the other end of the post. The camera can thus be aimed in any direction by slight hand pressure adjacent to the gimbal. The direction of these aiming motions are distinctly referred to as pan, tilt, and roll.
As defined in the art and as used herein, "roll" denotes rotation about an axis parallel to the camera's lens. "Tilt" describes rotation about a horizontal axis that is offset 90' from the lens axis. "Pan" describes rotation about an axis that runs down the center of the camera support central post.
Heretofore, incremental improvements have been made to camera stabilization devices in the areas of set-up time, the convenience of no-tools adjustability, improved dynamic balance adjustability, and even non-invasive/on-the-fly remote control of camera trim via an automated X-Y stage. However, these devices still have several operating problems relating to their inherent structure.
Since the camera and monitor are rigidly attached to the support structure, vertical camera travel, while maintaining a level camera horizon, is restricted to roughly 28 inches in standard mode, and another 28 inches in low mode. Low mode, however, requires mechanically removing the camera and reattaching it to the now inverted support structure via a special low mode bracket that is different for every camera. Additionally, the monitor must be inverted, the central post adjusted, the gimbal adjusted, a special gimbal/arm attachment bracket used, and all cables of the entire camera system must be detached and reattached. Finally, the system must be rebalanced. This time-intensive procedure must be followed every time the conversion from low to high or high to low is required. Often times, due to time constraints, the shot is eliminated, much to the chagrin of the director.
Another problem for operators of these devices relates to maintaining a level horizon, and/or correct framing relative to vertical objects in the shot. Neutral balance of these camera devices eliminates most of the unwanted forces of lateral and straight line acceleration, and allows superior isolation from the operator. However, neutral balance is seldom used because it provides little tendency for the camera system to remain level in the troublesome roll axis; attention would have to be diverted from the shot content in order to keep the camera level. Consequently, the camera support structure is set up slightly bottom-heavy (so that it weakly seeks level), and the operator is forced to deal with pendular consequences (during acceleration and deceleration) and their associated departures from level, pending the degree of bottom-heaviness and shot requirements. The operator still must focus a great deal of attention toward roll axis stability.
Additional problems arise when the shot requires clearing some type of obstacle, such as a car hood, fence, bar, desk, etc. To maintain camera level, the lower part of the support structure must be directly below the camera. There is no provision, for example, for pulling back off of an actor's face on the far side of a table, since the support structure would hit the table. A longer lens must be used to reach the actor, and consequently, the continuation of the shot is less dramatic, since longer lenses slow the apparent motion away from or toward a subject. A shot through waist high bushes would be impossible for the same reasons.
A need exists for an improved apparatus for augmenting the capabilities of camera stabilizers, in particular body-mounted camera stabilizers.
A need also exists for an improvement in the continuous vertical range of motion of body-mounted camera stabilizing devices, with accompanying elimination of low-mode brackets, low-mode conversions, and the production time lost to these conversions. More particularly, a need exists for a device which actively assists the operator by providing at least an automatically leveled camera roll axis, and which allows the operator to choose camera "level" based on usual or unusual visual references, and to continually upgrade these choices.
There is also a need for a device which provides the operator with variable control of at least the camera roll axis for "Dutch" angles or continuous rolls, and which furthermore allows neutral balance operation of the entire camera support structure, thereby minimizing pendular anomalies.
There is further a need for a device which provides the operator with a continuously level monitor, but whose inclination may be independently controlled by the operator for unusual circumstances.
A need also exists for a device which provides the operator with infinitely variable post positioning, including completely horizontal, for clearing tables, bars, bushes, etc., while automatically maintaining camera and monitor level.
A need also exists for a device which operates to defeat/lock any or all of the automated systems, and thus permits selective replication of prior art functions.
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20 Md. App. 450 (1974)
316 A.2d 268
RONALD FITZGERALD ROBINSON, A/K/A RONALD JEFFERY ROBINSON, RONALD FLETCHER ROBINSON, ROLAND PAGE ROBINSON, RONALD (NMN) ROBINSON, RONALD W. ROBINSON, RONALD JEFFERY ROBERTSON, RONALD FITZGERALD ROBERTSON, RONALD PAGE
v.
STATE OF MARYLAND.
No. 506, September Term, 1973.
Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.
Decided March 13, 1974.
The cause was argued before THOMPSON, MOYLAN and DAVIDSON, JJ.
John J. Garrity, with whom was Edward P. Camus, Public Defender for Prince George's County, on the brief, for appellant.
Bernard W. Raum, Assistant Attorney General, with whom were Francis B. Burch, Attorney General, Warren F. Sengstack, State's Attorney for Calvert County, Arthur A. Marshall, Jr., State's Attorney for Prince George's County, and Garrett Neal, Assistant State's Attorney for Prince George's County, on the brief, for appellee.
MOYLAN, J., delivered the opinion of the Court.
The appellant, Ronald Fitzgerald Robinson, was convicted in the Circuit Court for Calvert County by a jury, presided over by Judge Perry G. Bowen, Jr., of (1) the first-degree murder of Anthony J. Viola, (2) the first-degree murder of Mark V. Bressman, (3) assault with intent to murder Robert J. Loewy, (4) attempted robbery with a dangerous and *452 deadly weapon, and (5) the unlawful use of a handgun. The case had earlier been removed from Prince George's County.
Upon this appeal, the appellant raises two interesting contentions, both dealing with burdens of proof:
(1) That the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of the entire case, when it allegedly bypassed an independent review of the question and predicated the second denial "on the grounds which we considered and discussed at the time the motion was originally submitted;" and
(2) That the trial court erred in instructing the jury that the defense of alibi is an affirmative defense, requiring the appellant to establish his alibi by a fair preponderance of the evidence.
The Basis for the Motion for a Judgment of Acquittal
Art. 27, § 593, makes it clear that a motion for judgment of acquittal is predicated upon the legal insufficiency of the evidence to convict. The motion, although appropriate at two different stages of the case, is the same motion and the standard by which it is judged does not waver with the stage at which it is made. § 593 provides:
"In the trial of all criminal cases, the jury shall be the judges of law, as well as of fact, except that at the conclusion of the evidence for the State a motion for judgment of acquittal on one or more counts, or on one or more degrees of an offense, may be made by an accused on the ground that the evidence is insufficient in law to justify his conviction as to any such count or degree. If the motion is denied, he may offer evidence on his own behalf without having reserved the right to do so, but by so doing, he withdraws his motion. The motion may be made at the close of all the evidence whether or not such motion was made at the conclusion of the evidence for the State. If the motion is denied the defendant may have a review of such ruling on appeal."
*453 Maryland Rule 755 simply implements § 593. Vuitch v. State, 10 Md. App. 389, 396, 271 A.2d 371, spelled out the purpose of the motion:
"Without question, the office of the motion for judgment of acquittal is essentially limited to challenging the legal sufficiency of the evidence to support a guilty verdict; the motion seeks the obtention of a court-entered judgment of acquittal of the offense with which the accused stands charged."
In serving that purpose, Judge Bowen entertained a motion for a judgment of acquittal at the conclusion of the State's case. With painstaking care, he reviewed the legal sufficiency of the State's evidence and then denied the motion:
"Gentlemen, the motion requires the Court to consider the evidence thus far produced by the State in the light most favorable to the State, to draw any inferences which may be drawn from the evidence, whether we think the jury will in fact draw or not, for the purposes of determining whether or not there is sufficient competent and probable evidence in the record from which the jury can be satisfied as required by law of the guilt of the accused. The Court does not propose to review in minute detail the evidence thus far presented, except to say that it tends to show generally that some individual entered the Lenox Store, accosted the three employees in the store, Mr. Viola, Mr. Bressman and Mr. Loewy; shot both Viola and Bressman with fatal effect, and shot Mr. Loewy twice, once inflicting a slight wound, and the second time inflicting a very grave wound indeed, which, while it didn't kill him, has substantially injured him, and it was in an area of his body which does contain vital organs and is generally regarded as a very vulnerable part of the human body. The evidence would tend to show, by testimony of Mr. *454 Loewy, that at the time he was shot he saw whoever this person was reach in and open the cash drawer and remove a handful of money, remove money in his hand, and that there was in that drawer approximately a hundred and forty dollars. The weapon used in this episode was described by Mr. Loewy as a pistol, and a pistol is a dangerous and deadly weapon by the Statute of Maryland, and it is unlawful to use such a weapon in the commission of a crime. The evidence tending to show criminal agency on the part of the defendant stems from that line of testimony which tends to show that this defendant was one and the same man who came into the store earlier that day, attempted to purchase a lamp, and then he came back to return it. The evidence tends to show this was the man who did the shooting. Now, the evidence which tends to connect this defendant with that man, briefly stated, is that his fingerprints appeared on the lamp in question; his handwriting is similar or identical as the person who signed the receipt; and the weapon was found in his car after he was arrested is similar to in make the one which discharged the fatal bullet. Now, while it is not identified to the exclusion of all other guns, it is a gun capable of firing those bullets. In addition to that, the defendant has been described and identified by two witnesses who saw him in the store and have identified him positively as the man dressed in a black coat of artificial fur, wearing a black or dark shirt and a green tie and was in the store immediately prior to the shooting and carrying the lamp in question. Now if the jury believes that line of testimony, they could be satisfied to the extent required by our law that the defendant was the man who committed those offenses which were without doubt committed. For these reasons, gentlemen, the Court overrules the motion of the defendant for judgment of acquittal on each of the following counts, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 12 of *455 this indictment, and the docket entry will so show, Madam Clerk."
The positions of the contending forces were not significantly altered between the close of the State's case and the close of the whole case. The appellant essayed the bold gambit of establishing an alibi for himself without taking the stand in support thereof. He offered one key alibi witness and two peripheral ones. The key witness was an elderly female relative variously described as his cousin, his aunt and his grandmother. The critical hours for the alibi were 1) the late morning of November 8, 1972, and 2) between 2 and 3 p.m. that same afternoon. The elderly relative had the appellant chopping wood for her from 11 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. on November 8. A lifelong friend and post-mistress had the appellant picking up a letter at about 4 p.m., a fact, even if true, of at best slight relevance. A 17-year-old girlfriend, who was "in love with" the married appellant, had him continuously on the telephone with her between 2:30 and 3 p.m. on November 8 from some unknown location.
The testimony of the key alibi witness the elderly relative was devastated by rebuttal testimony that she had told the police on November 11, 1972, that she had not seen the appellant "since he got married" "for about two years." The defense credibility was compromised further by a statement given by the appellant to the police setting up the contrary alibi that he had been playing basketball all day at the Tacoma-Langley Community Center. At trial, however, that alternative alibi was effectively foreclosed by the testimony in chief of an assistant manager that nobody played basketball at the Tacoma-Langley Community Center at any time on November 8.
When, therefore, the motion for a judgment of acquittal was renewed at the close of the entire case, Judge Bowen did not retread the ground already trod:
"Very well, gentlemen, the Court considered this motion when it was originally submitted. We once again overrule the motion on the grounds which we *456 considered and discussed at the time the motion was originally submitted."
We see no merit in the appellant's contention that he was denied procedural due process. All of the State's evidence, which was legally sufficient to permit the case to go to the jury when the motion was first made and denied, was still in the case at the later juncture. Its sufficiency had not waned. The addition of alibi evidence could not alter that sufficiency, since the jury had the unfettered right to disbelieve totally alibi testimony. Shipley v. State, 220 Md. 463, 468, 154 A.2d 708, 711; Walters v. State, 242 Md. 235, 238, 218 A.2d 678; Duffy v. State, 243 Md. 425, 434, 221 A.2d 653; Logan v. State, 1 Md. App. 213, 216, 228 A.2d 837; Nichols v. State, 5 Md. App. 340, 351, 247 A.2d 722. In terms of legal sufficiency, the situation simply had not changed between the end of the State's case and the end of the whole case. Moreover, the ultimate question is not whether Judge Bowen simply added an "amen" to his earlier ruling or whether he pondered anew, but rather whether the State's evidence was, in fact, legally sufficient to permit the case to go to the jury. We hold that it was so beyond cavil.
The Burden of Proof as to Alibi
The appellant's second contention is that the trial judge erroneously instructed the jury that an alibi is an affirmative defense, requiring the appellant to prove the alibi by a preponderance of the evidence. The following instruction was given to the jury:
"Now, the defendant in this case asserts the evidence of an alibi. Now you will understand, ladies and gentlemen, that an alibi is what we call an affirmative defense. It is of course a complete defense if you believe it. Obviously a person who is not at the scene could not complete the crime. We say it is an affirmative defense because this is the one time in this case where the defendant has the burden of proof. It is the only thing in the case as to which he has the burden of proof. On the defense of *457 alibi the defense has the responsibility to satisfy you by a fair preponderance of the evidence that he was not in fact in the store and in fact was somewhere else. Now evidence has been introduced tending to show that the defendant was not present at the time and at the place where these offenses were committed. The defendant may not be convicted of the offenses with which he is charged unless the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was present at the time and place where the offense was committed. If after full and fair consideration of all the facts and circumstances in the evidence you find that the defendant has satisfied the fair preponderance of the evidence concerning this man and that he was in fact somewhere else and not at the scene, then he must be acquitted."
Although the appellant made no objection to this instruction and is, therefore, foreclosed from assigning error as a matter of right, he relies upon Maryland Rule 756 g in urging us, in our discretion, to take cognizance of a plain error. In Brown v. State, 14 Md. App. 415, 287 A.2d 62, Judge Powers analyzed our discretion under Rule 756 g and concluded that we may take cognizance of plain error where that error is one of commission rather than of mere omission. In the exercise of our discretion, we elect to consider the question because of our belief that the issue is one likely to recur. We hold that the instruction constituted a plain error of commission, although for reasons hereinafter to be discussed, we think the error was in this case harmless.
Although Maryland has never, in explicit terms, dealt with the question of whether alibi is an affirmative defense or spoken to the defendant's burden of proof vis-a-vis an alibi, the clear intimations of Floyd v. State, 205 Md. 573, 581, 109 A.2d 729, are that the alibi simply erodes the State's proof of criminal agency:
"[A]ll the evidence in a criminal case is to be considered together, and the jury are not to weigh *458 merely the evidence relating to the alibi and determine from that alone whether they have a reasonable doubt of guilt. To warrant a conviction in a criminal case the charge must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Wood v. State, 192 Md. 643, 649, 65 A.2d 316. If the jury, considering all the evidence, inculpatory and exculpatory, entertain a reasonable doubt of the defendant's participation in the crime, they should acquit him. Thus a defendant is entitled to acquittal if the alibi testimony, taken into consideration with all the other evidence in the case, raises a reasonable doubt of guilt."
See also Basoff v. State, 208 Md. 643, 655, 119 A.2d 917.
Although there is some precedent for speaking of alibi as "an affirmative defense," it is the broad consensus of authority that such a reference is correct only in the sense that it places a burden on the defendant to go forward with evidence which is peculiarly within his province to produce. That burden of going forward with the evidence should never be confused with a burden of proof, which in a criminal case does not shift away from the State. Even the burden of going forward with the evidence, moreover, is only to the extent necessary to negative the State's proof beyond a reasonable doubt of one of its critical elements. In 1 Wharton's Criminal Evidence, § 23, "Alibi," the point is made very clear, at pp. 38-39:
"There is some conflict as to the burden and degree of proof of the defense of alibi. Some of this conflict may undoubtedly be explained by a failure to recognize the distinction between the burden of proof and the burden of going forward with the evidence. Because the burden of presenting evidence of a fact peculiarly within the defendant's knowledge may be placed upon him, it is proper to hold that the defendant must in the first instance go forward with evidence in support of his claim of alibi. The matter is to a large degree academic *459 because, in spite of variant forms of expression, it is generally held that the ultimate burden of proving the presence of the defendant at the scene of the crime at the time of its commission is upon the prosecution, rather than that the ultimate burden is upon the defendant to show that he was at another place. The defendant may succeed simply by raising a reasonable doubt of his presence at the scene of the crime at the time it was committed. It is not necessary for the defendant to prove his alibi beyond a reasonable doubt, nor by a preponderance of the evidence."
We think the sound view to be that an alibi is not an affirmative defense, placing any burden upon a defendant beyond the self-evident one of attempting to erode the State's proof to a point where it no longer convinces the fact finder beyond a reasonable doubt. Proof of an alibi, like any other defense testimony, is simply a means of controverting the State's effort to establish criminal agency. The general state of the law, and in our judgment the correct state of the law, is well expressed in 29 Am.Jur.2d. Evidence, § 157, "Defensive matters Alibi," at 188-189:
"In most states it is the rule that in criminal prosecution the defendant does not have the burden of proving an alibi upon which he relies as a defense. The courts which take this position do so on the theory that an alibi is not an affirmative defense and that evidence to prove an alibi is not to be treated as proof offered to establish an independent affirmative matter set up by the defendant, but mere evidence tending to disprove one of the essential factors in the prosecution namely, the presence of the accused at the place and time of the alleged crime. Since, under this view, an alibi is only a denial of any connection with the crime, it must follow that if proof adduced raises a reasonable doubt of defendant's guilt, either by itself or in conjunction with all other facts of the case, the defendant must be acquitted."
*460 That same section goes on to explain, at 189-190, how states which seem at first glance to hold otherwise actually are not taking a different position, once the appropriately limited connotations are placed on the phrases "affirmative defense" and "burden of proof" as used in the actual contexts of the cases:
"In some states the rule is stated that the burden of proof of an alibi is on the defendant. But while some courts in applying this rule have stated flatly that an alibi is an independent affirmative defense to be proved by the defendant, for the most part the courts mean only that it is the duty of the defendant to go forward with the evidence respecting an alibi if he relies upon this defense, so as to raise at least a reasonable doubt of his presence at the time and place of the commission of the alleged crime, and that the rule does not dispense with the necessity of the prosecution proving, where it is an essential part of the prosecution's case, the actual presence of the defendant at the time and place where the crime was committed. Thus, it has been said that to say that the burden is upon the defendant to establish an alibi can be accurate only if the term `burden' is used in the sense of the requirement of going forward with the evidence, and if that is all that is intended, any reference in an instruction to a burden upon the defendant is improper because it is never necessary or appropriate to mention to a jury the burden of going forward with the evidence."
To a similar effect, see Annotation, "Burden and degree of proof as to alibi," 29 A.L.R. 1127 (1924), supplemented by Annotation, 67 A.L.R. 138 (1930), and by 124 A.L.R. 471 (1940).
The treatises on evidence are in agreement. McCormick, Law of Evidence, states, at 683:
"There are certain excuses or justifications allowed to the defendant, which although proveable *461 for the most part under the plea of not guilty, are spoken of for some purposes as `affirmative defenses.' Among these are self-defence, duress, insanity, intoxication and claims that the accused is within an exception or proviso in the statute defining the crime. Some courts have even so classified the defence of alibi, though analytically it seems a mere form of denial of participation in the criminal act."
9 Wigmore on Evidence (3rd Ed. 1940), § 2512, "Crimes: (3) Self-defence, Alibi, etc.," says at p. 415, "It is generally conceded that the accused does not have the ultimate burden of proving an alibi." And see the plethora of cases there cited.
In Stump v. Bennett, 398 F.2d 111 (8th Cir.1968), the court was reviewing a murder conviction coming out of Iowa, in a case where an instruction had been given almost identical with the one at bar. The Iowa trial court had instructed the jury, in part, as follows:
"* * * before you can acquit the defendant by reason of this defense [alibi] you must find that he has established it by a preponderance or greater weight of the evidence bearing upon it."
The court first of all summarized the general state of the law on this subject, at-114-115:
"Iowa is one of only two states which now require a defendant to assume the burden of persuasion by a preponderance of evidence in establishing an alibi. Six other states have permitted instructions which require a defendant to present sufficient evidence of alibi to establish in the minds of the jurors a reasonable doubt of his guilt, but these states do not at any time shift the burden of persuasion as is done under the Iowa rule. Analytically, these states simply shift to the defendant the burden of going forward with the evidence as to the alibi itself. All of the seven United States Courts of Appeals that have considered the issue, including this Circuit, *462 agree that in a federal prosecution the burden of persuasion of an alibi defense may not be shifted to the defendant.... And even the Iowa Supreme Court subsequent to the Stump case expressed doubt about future applications of the rule.... But neither polling other states' positions nor comparing Iowa law with federal procedure is a conclusive ground for a finding on constitutional infirmity. Such weight of authority guides us at most to a `consideration' of whether the rule `offends' principles so fundamental as to be within constitutional protection." (citations omitted)
The Eighth Circuit then proceeded to give its reasons why the instruction offended the due process clause. It pointed out initially that the placing of the burden of proof upon the defendant rested exclusively upon the infirm premise that "alibi" is an affirmative defense. It said, at 115-116:
"The original premise behind placing the burden of proof upon the defendant is that `alibi' is an affirmative defense.... This view has now been rejected by almost every state as well as by all federal courts which have had the proposition before them.... In asserting alibi the defendant simply denies the possibility of his having committed the crime by reason of being elsewhere when it was committed, whereas an affirmative defense generally applies to justification for his admitted participation in the act itself." (citations omitted)
The court then pointed out the burden on a defendant to prove his alibi is on an inevitable collision course with the burden on the state to prove a defendant's criminal agency, and that two such contradictory burdens cannot help but generate jury confusion. It said, at 116:
"The instruction itself is inconsistent and confusing, as is pointed out by the federal district court below. The jury is told that before it can *463 acquit the defendant by reason of this defense the defendant must establish it by the preponderance of evidence. Yet the jury is also told that if any evidence creates a reasonable doubt as to the crime as a whole, then it can return a verdict of not guilty. This court, of course, has consistently adhered to the general rule that instructions are to be viewed in their entirety.... But even when so viewed, the presence of serious confusion here as to burden of proof seems inescapable. If we presume, as we must, that the jury follows the court's instructions, which instruction is the jury to follow?" (citations omitted)
The entire issue was perhaps placed in best perspective by Chief Justice Walter Schaefer in People v. Pearson, 19 Ill.2d 609, 169 N.E.2d 252 (1960), at 169 N.E.2d 255:
"In part, the extraordinary difficulties that have arisen with respect to instructions concerning alibi stem from the fact that the defense of alibi has often been spoken of as an affirmative defense.... Logically, proof of an alibi is not proof of an affirmative defense because in order to establish its case the prosecution must show that the defendant was present at the scene of the crime, and evidence that the defendant was elsewhere is only one method of negativing the prosecution's case. So where an instruction has unequivocally placed upon a defendant the burden of establishing an alibi, the conviction has been reversed....
To say that the burden is upon the defendant to establish an alibi can be accurate only if the term `burden' is used in the sense of the requirement of going forward with evidence. But if that is all that is intended, any reference in an instruction to a burden upon the defendant is improper because it is never necessary or appropriate to mention to a jury the burden of going forward with the evidence. Quite apart from the matter of instructions to the *464 jury, to think or speak of alibi in terms of an affirmative defense can only cause confusion. The ease with which alibi testimony can be fabricated, and its obvious capacity to surprise, may make appropriate some advance notice of the defense, but that is a different matter." (citations omitted)
Harmless Error
We belabor the point that the instruction here was plain error, but only to give future guidance. In the case at bar, we are persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt that the error was harmless. Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). We are convinced that the instruction given on the question of alibi, and the testimony offered on the question of alibi, had no bearing whatsoever on the jury's verdict. As already discussed, the appellant himself did not testify as to his alibi, and had already given a statement to the police squarely contradicting the alibi (which contradiction was, also, effectively refuted). The key alibi witness a relative was squarely contradicted by rebuttal testimony. The evidence of the appellant's criminal agency, on the other hand, was massive and overwhelming.
Robert Loewy, who was shot twice and left permanently paralyzed, had his possible in-court identification suppressed. He testified unequivocably, however, that he had spent the better part of fifteen minutes in the late morning making the sale of a lamp to the ultimate gunman. He identified the lamp that was sold and then returned by the same man several hours later, immediately prior to the shooting. He identified a sales ticket which he had written for the man under the name "Jeffrey Robinson" but which was signed in the name of "Ronald Robinson." He described the assailant as dressed in a dark black imitation fur coat, a black shirt with a green tie and grey striped pants. When the same person came back at between 2 and 3 p.m. to return the lamp, he had another extended conversation violent, Mr. Loewy. When the vendee suddenly turned violent, Mr. Loewy observed him shoot and kill fellow employee Anthony Viola, shoot and kill fellow employee Mark Bressman, turn *465 and shoot Mr. Loewy once in the neck, order Mr. Loewy to open the cash register, take a number of bills from the cash register, and then shoot Mr. Loewy again in the middle of the rib cage. Mr. Loewy described the handgun used as a long-barreled revolver.
Richard Marcus, a student and part-time employee, observed the shooting. He identified the appellant as the gunman. He had observed the appellant earlier discussing the return of a lamp with Mr. Loewy. He observed him on and off for approximately fifteen minutes and, at one point, was within five feet of him.
Staff Sergeant Claude Jefferson, a neuropsychiatric supervisor at Walter Reed Hospital, was a customer in the store immediately prior to the shooting. He identified the appellant as the man who came into the store carrying a lamp and looking "worried or concerned."
The appellant in his statement to the police denied ever having been in the Lenox Furniture Store, which was the scene of the crime. Recovered from the appellant's home, after his arrest, was a black fake fur coat, a black shirt and two green neckties, matching the description of the assailant's clothing. When the appellant was arrested, a long-barreled .22 caliber revolver, fully loaded, was taken from the trunk of his automobile. The appellant acknowledged ownership of the gun continuously for the preceding two years. The .22 caliber bullets taken from the bodies of Mr. Bressman and Mr. Viola were too mutilated for positive identification ballistically, but the ballistics experts were able to testify that they were compatible in all ascertainable regards with the appellant's gun and could well have been fired from it. An F.B.I. handwriting expert testified that the signature "Ronald Robinson" on the sales slip for the lamp was written by the appellant. An F.B.I. fingerprint expert testified that the appellant's fingerprints were on the lamp in question and were also on a stereo set located in the Lenox Furniture Store.
In view of the overwhelming evidence of the appellant's guilt, we are persuaded beyond all doubt that the feeble, *466 contradictory and contradicted effort to assert an alibi could have had no conceivable bearing on the jury's ultimate verdicts, whatever the instruction as to the alibi might have been.
Judgments affirmed.
| |
Chase settles with Black Homeowner over Alleged Discriminatory Appraisal
The lender will pay the Chicago homeowner $50k and provide mandatory training to its employees on fair lending and appraisals.
JPMorgan Chase Bank will pay an African-American woman $50,000 to resolve her claim that the lender valued her home for less than it was worth because of her race, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced this week.
HUD approved a conciliation agreement between the two parties after the woman filed a complaint on Oct. 14, 2020 alleging racial discrimination in the appraisal of her home in the 60653 ZIP code of Chicago, where about 9 in 10 residents are Black.
In recent months, news stories about racial discrimination in appraisals have proliferated, as Black homeowners have shared their experiences of obtaining higher second appraisals after removing any indication that the owners were Black from the home — including a case where a San Francisco Bay Area couple’s home was appraised for $500,000 more after they replaced family photos with those of the family of a white friend, who also posed as the homeowner.
While the name of the complainant is redacted in the Chase agreement, the details of the complaint match an experience shared by Black homeowner Christina Jordan in a Chicago Sun-Times article a week before the HUD complaint was filed.
In the article, Jordan said that when she was in the process of refinancing her three-bedroom condo in the Oakland neighborhood of Chicago, she was surprised to receive an appraisal from Chase that valued her home at $278,000 — $1,000 less than she had paid for the home six years earlier.
She got a second appraisal from Wintrust Bank, this time without disclosing her race on any forms. The appraisal came in $62,000 higher.
Asked whether Jordan was the complainant and if so how Chase explains the $62,000 difference between the two appraisals, a Chase Home Lending spokesperson told Inman, “We did extensive research into the matter and take these complaints very seriously. Appraisals are conducted by independent contractors who are specialists in the specific regions and use market based comparisons to come up with a value. Our internal review of the appraisal assessment, as well as a market analysis, found no substantive issues and supported the appraisers value.”
Chase declined to comment on how many complaints alleging race discrimination in appraisals Chase had received in the last five years.
Asked whether the complainant was Jordan, HUD said, “We don’t identify our complainants to protect their privacy.” Jordan did not respond to a request for comment sent via LinkedIn. HUD declined to comment on whether the agency had received other complaints regarding race discrimination in appraisals and how often it facilitates conciliation agreements that pertain to race discrimination in appraisals.
“The race of a homeowner and the racial composition of their neighborhood must not influence the valuation of a home,” said Jeanine Worden, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, in a statement.
“The Fair Housing Act prohibits the consideration of race as a factor in the appraisal of a home and in the provision of other real estate-related services. Discrimination in home buying, mortgage lending, and property appraisal deprive qualified individuals of an equal opportunity to pursue homeownership as a path to family stability and financial security. HUD is committed to ensuring that all housing, whether for rent or for sale, is free from discrimination.”
According to the settlement, Chase will also provide its home lending advisors and client care specialists with mandatory training on the Reconsideration of Value process and fair lending issues related to appraisals, including specifics regarding how to handle complaints of discrimination in the appraisal process and the process for customers to submit a ROV request, including the requirement to provide three alternative comparable sales.
In the agreement, Chase denied violating the Fair Housing Act or engaging in racial discrimination.
“Respondents aver that they are firmly committed to the principles of home ownership, fair housing, and equal opportunity,” the agreement reads. “Respondents enter into this Conciliation Agreement solely for the purpose of obtaining expeditious administrative closure of this matter. By settling this matter, Respondents are not admitting to any fault, guilt or liability with respect to the claims.”
HUD invited anyone who believes they experienced discrimination to file a complaint by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at hud.gov/fairhousing or (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Relay). | https://kqfinancialgroupblogs.com/chase-settles-with-black-homeowner-over-alleged-discriminatory-appraisal/ |
This setup measures voltage differences over two electrodes. The first one is wired up between two resistors to ground the system at half voltage relative to the other components, so we can measure voltage differences in both directions. The second electrode is separated from the first with a very high resistor so that it tends to middle voltage as well (and doesn't make the ADC drift).
This setup measures voltage differences over two electrodes. The first one is wired up between two resistors to ground the system at half voltage relative to the other components, so we can measure voltage differences in both directions. The second electrode is separated from the first with a very high resistor so that it tends to middle voltage as well (and doesn't make the ADC drift).
+
+
The Arduino ADC lists the input voltage as a value from 0-1023. Since we want to centre the ground voltage somewhere in the middle, a voltage divider sends the base voltage to 2.5V. In the code, we convert this by subtracting 512 from the sensor reading to get a value around zero. The result is then scaled logarithmically before being sent to a 7-unit led array.
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}
</pre>
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[[Category:Projects]]
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[[Category:Arduino]]
Latest revision as of 21:34, 10 September 2013
This setup measures voltage differences over two electrodes. The first one is wired up between two resistors to ground the system at half voltage relative to the other components, so we can measure voltage differences in both directions. The second electrode is separated from the first with a very high resistor so that it tends to middle voltage as well (and doesn't make the ADC drift).
The Arduino ADC lists the input voltage as a value from 0-1023. Since we want to centre the ground voltage somewhere in the middle, a voltage divider sends the base voltage to 2.5V. In the code, we convert this by subtracting 512 from the sensor reading to get a value around zero. The result is then scaled logarithmically before being sent to a 7-unit led array.
| |
Nibbana denotes perfect happiness, contentment, peace, and emptiness.
Nibbana also connotes extinguishing, as in blowing out a lamp. Nibbanti dhira yathayam padipo, (SN 235) with the flame of the lamp signifying our greed, hatred, and delusion: ragaggi, dosaggi, mohaggi. (S IV 19) When these fires are extinguished, peace is attained and one becomes completely cooled—sitibhuta. (SN 542, 642)*
Nibbana may be attained in this life or in the afterlife. (D I 156, 167) It is the highest happiness, the supreme state of bliss: Nibbana.m paramam sukham. (Dh 203) It indicates freedom from hatred and mental illness, even among those who are hateful and suffering from mentall or emotional afflications: susukham vata jivaama verinesu averino/aturesu anatura. (Dh 197–99)
Sukha in Pali means pleasure or happiness. In English, happiness denotes mental ease, while pleasure denotes physical well-being. In Pali, sukha combines both together as the menta and physical bliss attained in nibbana.
Through the practice of jhana (meditative absorption), impermanent experiences of non-sensuous physical bliss are possible before the attainment of nibbana. The Samannaphala Sutta describes these experiences using extended similes: (D I 74)
When bath powder is kneaded with water into a neat wet ball, the sutta relates, moisture touches every part of the ball but does not ooze out; similarly, the body of the adept in the first jhana is drenched and suffused with joy and pleasure born of detachment from sense pleasures: vivekajam pitisukham.
In the second jhana, a deep pool filled to the brim with clear cool water is fed by underground springs, yet the waters do not overflow and no part of the pool remains untouched by the cool waters. Similarly, joy and pleasure born of concentration (samadhijam pitisukham) pervade the body of the meditator in the second jhana.
In the third jhana, a lotus is born in water, grown in water, fully submerged in water, drawing nourishment from water, with no part of the lotus remaining untouched by the cool water. Thus happiness/pleasure suffuses, drenches, and permeates the entire body in the third jhana.
While experiences of non-sensuous pleasure are temporarily possible before attaining nibbana, after the attainment of nibbana, permanently refined non-sensuous pleasure is possible.
The Canki Sutta states that when a monk realizes nibbana, he experiences truth with the body: Kayena ceva paramasaccam sacchikaroti. (M II 173) The Sutta Nipata states that through the destruction of feelings and sensations, a monk can live without desire and at peace: vedanana.m khaya bhikkhu nicchato parinibbuto. (SN 739)
Sariputta was asked what happiness exists when there are no feelings or sensations: kim panettha natthi vedayitanti. (A IV 415) He replied that the absence of feeling/sensation itself is happiness: etad eva khvettha sukham yad ettha natthi vedayitam.
The Buddha explained happiness not simply in terms of pleasant feelings or sensations. (S IV 228) Mental states also involve feelings: vedanasamosarana sabbe dhamma;(A IV 339, V 107) sankappavitakka vedanasamosarana. (A IV 385)
Because mental states precede bodily sensations, anger results in bodily sensations, such as feeling hot, sweaty, restless, and anxious. Sadness causes tears through the discharge of glandular secretions. If emotions can cause strong sensations, we may assume that thoughts can cause subtle sensations, and we become aware of such sensations through vedananupassana—thecontemplation of sensations).
Thoughts and sensations continue endlessly: the Vedana Samyutta states that just as diverse winds constantly blow in different directions, numerous sensations pass through the body. (S IV 218)
When an arahant controls thoughts: cetovasippatta (A II 6, 36), he also controls feelings and sensations. When the texts say that a monk, by the destruction of feelings and sensations, lives without desire and at peace, this means he has eliminated feelings/sensations.
Understood conventionally, physical feelings and sensations lead to suffering: yam kinci vedayitam tam dukkhasminti. (S IV 216) If we remain seated for an hour, we shift our limbs to more comfortable positions because of discomfort. If there were no mind/body sensations, we would not need to change positions. We would feel continuing ease, even if we stayed in the same position.
Some might assume that an arahant is unable to feel pain, but that is wrong because an arahant would feel if a part of his body were being burnt or broken. An arahant feels physical changes and sensations. The Buddha felt acute pain when he was wounded by a stone splinter, (Vin II 193) and when he suffered from indigestion. (D II 127) He was, however, able to withstand such painful sensations with mindfulness and clear comprehension and without becoming exhausted.
An experience of Sariputta can help us to understand (UD 49): a malevolent Yakkha person gave Sariputta a blow on the head strong enought to knock down an elephant or split a mountain peak. Moggallana, who saw this with his divine eye, asked Sariputta how he was feeling, and Sariputta replied that he was fine but felt a slight pain in his head.
This indicates that a blow that might kill an ordinary person would not kill an arahant, because there are two kinds of pain, physical and mental: kayikanca cetasikaca (S IV 231), and arahants are said to experience only physical pain: araha ekam vedanam vediyati kayikamna cetasikanti (Miln 253), without reacting in mental agony.
The Pali texts state that vedana is destroyed in the arahant, but never claim that the sense faculties are destroyed. They describe, instead, the state of sannavedayitanirodha, in which the sense faculties are “refined”—vippasannaani indriyaani. (M I 296. 24)
The Vedana Samyutta differentiates between three types of joy and pleasure: (S IV 235)
• Samisaa piti samisam sukham: joy and pleasure stimulated by worldly sense pleasures.
• Niramisa piti niramisam sukham: joy and pleasure free from stimulation by sense objects as jhanic experiences.
• Niramisatara piti niramisataram sukham: more refined joy and pleasure free from stimulation by sense objects (nibbana). An arahant experiences both physical and mental bliss (so kayasukham pi cetosukham pi patisamvedeti) as all tensions (daratha), torments (santapa), and fevers (parilaha) have been completely eliminated. (M III 288-89)
The monk Bhaddiya was often heard to exclaim, “What happiness, what happiness!” (aho sukham aho sukham). So fellow monks supposed he was talking about indulgence in lay comforts and reported this to the Buddha. When questioned, Bhaddiya explained that, as a prince, he had kept armed guards around his palace, yet suffered from insomnia and insecurity, fearing rivals might usurp or murder him; whereas living alone, out in the open, he felt free from all fear and anxiety.
Some arahants remained in the same position, without moving, for seven days, enjoying the bliss of emancipation. Great was their experience of joy on the attainment of release from all mental intoxicants (asavakkhaya): pitisukhena ca kaya.m pharitva viharim tada / sattamiya pade pasaresim tamokkhandham padaliya. (Thig 274)
The Pali texts record experiences of bliss following the attainment of nibbana, the body being permeated with joy and bliss, independent of the five aggregates. The Dvayatanupassana Sutta maintains that suffering (dukkha) ceases after the cessation of the five aggregates. (Sn pp.142–48) The Alagaddupama Sutta says the perfected being (tathaagata) even while still alive cannot be identified with the five personality factors. (M I 140)
* This essay is based on Prof. Lily de Silva’s translations of Pali texts as it is good to write based on the authority of the original texts. | https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/approaching-nibbana/ |
Dyslexia and Fonts: Is a Specific Font Useful?
1
Studio Centro Risorse, 59100 Prato, Italy
2
Studio Verbavoglio, 57100 Livorno, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Brain Sci. 2018, 8(5), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8050089
Received: 2 April 2018 / Revised: 27 April 2018 / Accepted: 10 May 2018 / Published: 14 May 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Related Developmental Disorders)
Nowadays, several books published in different fonts advertised as being particularly suitable for dyslexics are available on the market. Our research aimed to assess the significance of a specific reading font especially designed for dyslexia, called EasyReading™. The performances of good readers and dyslexics were compared. Fourth grade primary school students (533 students in total) were assessed based on reading tasks presented with two different layouts: the popular Times New Roman and EasyReading™, in order to investigate whether children’s performances were influenced by the fonts used. The results of the study were both statistically and clinically significant, proving that EasyReading™ can be considered a compensating tool for readers with dyslexia, and a simplifying font for all categories of readers. View Full-Text
Keywords: dyslexia; EasyReading™; compensating tools; font►▼ Show Figures
Figure 1
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Bachmann, C.; Mengheri, L. Dyslexia and Fonts: Is a Specific Font Useful? Brain Sci. 2018, 8, 89.
AMA StyleShow more citation formats Show less citations formats
Bachmann C, Mengheri L. Dyslexia and Fonts: Is a Specific Font Useful? Brain Sciences. 2018; 8(5):89.Chicago/Turabian Style
Bachmann, Christina; Mengheri, Lauro. 2018. "Dyslexia and Fonts: Is a Specific Font Useful?" Brain Sci. 8, no. 5: 89.
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Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view. | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/8/5/89 |
Nov 30, People with COPD often experience shortness of breath while eating. Learn how to avoid breathing issues when eating with simple tips.
Dec 19, Shortness of breath, wheezing or trouble breathing after eating can be talk to their doctors about determining the cause of their symptoms.
Apr 24, Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is a common medical complaint. The article describes 18 important causes of dyspnea and how to differentiate.
Most cases of shortness of breath are due to heart or lung conditions. Your heart and lungs are involved in transporting oxygen to your tissues and removing.
Shortness of breath — known medically as dyspnea — is often described as an intense tightening in the chest, air hunger or a feeling of suffocation.
Sudden shortness of breath, or breathing difficulty (dyspnoea), is the most common reason for visiting a hospital accident and emergency department.
Shortness of Breath Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore. Some people with respiratory problems can feel breathless just by doing normal activities like getting out of.
Jun 27, Shortness of breath, also called dyspnea, occurs with GERD because Eat smaller, more frequent meals, and avoid bedtime snacks or meals.
Aug 12, Warning signs: Besides shortness of breath and chest pain, you may Your doctor may suggest you eat more iron-rich foods (lean meats, It prevents your nerves and muscles from “talking” to each other like they should. | http://1stbarcelonahotels.com/shortness-of-breath-when-talking-or-eating.html |
Here's the backstory for this challenge: imagine you're writing a tic-tac-toe game, where the board looks like this:
1: X | O | X ----------- 2: | | ----------- 3: O | | A B C
The board is represented as a 2D list:
board = [ ["X", "O", "X"], [" ", " ", " "], ["O", " ", " "], ]
Imagine if your user enters
"C1" and you need to see if there's an X or O in
that cell on the board. To do so, you need to translate from the string
"C1"
to row
0 and column
2 so that you can check
board[row][column].
Your task is to write a function that can translate from strings of length
2
to a tuple
(row, column). Name your function
get_row_col; it should take a
single parameter which is a string of length 2 consisting of an uppercase
letter and a digit.
For example, calling
get_row_col("A3") should return the tuple
(2, 0)
because A3 corresponds to the row at index
2 and column at index
0in the
board. | https://pythonprinciples.com/challenges/Tic-tac-toe-input/ |
Doctor insights on:
Arthritis Shoulder Nodule
Arthritis (Definition)
A condition where there is progressive degeneration of one or more joints. Symptoms may include joint pain, swelling, decreased motion, and stiffness. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, which is associated first with articular cartilage breakdown with a component of inflammation, and rheumatoid arthritis, which is a systemic autoimmune disorder that affects joint linings first and secondarily ...Read more
2
I WENT EMERMERGEN ROOM SUFFERING WITH LEFT RIP PAIN AND LEFT SHOULDER PAIN.they gave me morfin and took xrays.The hospital say left basile nodule?
See details: None of this makes sense, especially the supposed x ray report. Forget the ER and see an orthopedist. ...Read more
3
I have a similar headache that is above left nodule on back of skull, also have pain in left shoulder. Reason for concern?
NECK PAIN?: Any history of neck pain or trauma. Most likely this is due to some cervical syndrome. ...Read more
4
Can a 12mm left adrenal nodule and 9mm right adrenal nodule cause right side shoulder pain and cause mild upper thoracic scoliosis? Any correlations?
Small adrenal: nodules will not cause shoulder pain or scoliosis. The vast majorityof incidentally discovered adrenal nodules are benign adenomas. Most of these have unique characteristics on MRI and CT and can be diagnosed without biopsy. If they cannot be characterized as benign adenomas, they are indeterminate and may need additional evaluation and follow up. Talk with your doctor about it. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
5
Experiencing back/shoulder pain. X-ray found sclerotic nodule on the humoral head likely a bone island. What does that mean and what can be done?
Nothing need B done.: Benign ; common finding in long bones. ...Read more
6
I have nodules which feels hard all over the back & arms. I'm concerned why nodules on back of the neck is hurting from left side of neck to shoulder?
Nodules: You must make an appointment to see your doctor about this as soon as possible. ...Read more
7
I had a CT scan to rule out a PE from chest and shoulder pain. I need F/U with dr due to a left lobe thyroid nodule w/ peripherphal ringlike calcifi?
Yes you do: Calcification in the thyroid usually get attention. Especially when seen on CT. See your doctor to further find out the nature of the calcification ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
8
7 yr s of unexpland body pain rashes misscarraiges fatigue lung nodules. Now for 6 mos strait hip shoulder + chest pain. And a + ANA lab. Lupus?
Maybe: Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease in which the body is attacking its own tissue. Lupus is famous for affecting different people in different ways. The effects can be so different from person to person that it does not even look like they have the same diagnosis. ANA is only a screening test that tells us more tests are needed. See a rheumatologist! ...Read more
9
What do psoriatic arthritis nodules look like?
None: Psoriatic arthritis typically does not cause nodules. Skin and lung and eye nodules typically occur with rheumatoid arthritis. ...Read more
10
Seem to have developed finger arthritis very fast.what looks like bony nodules almost overnight. very alarming. how fast can bony nodules form?
Not that fast: You need to be evaluated by a healthcare provider to avoid misleading diagnosis. "Bony nodules" don't develop that fast. ...Read more
11
I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis 1 year ago.I worry a bit about nodules. I get them for what seems like nothing. I don't only get them on joint areas, I get them everywhere. Is there any research that could possibly explain why this happens and wh
Fibroblast trying : I think of it as fibroblast trying to heal inflamation they are b9. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
12
When do subcutaneous nodules appear in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis?
Anytime/often later: Rheumatoid nodules occur in about 35% of RA patients. Interestingly, smoking and the use of Methotrexate increases the risk of developing these nodules. They tend to appear later in the disease course but can occur really at any time. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
13
How to know when do subcutaneous nodules appear in course of ra(rheumatoid arthritis)?
Usually never: Subcutaneous nodules are only present in about 20% of cases, they are usually associated with more severe disease. ...Read more
14
Raised mole on shoulder.Pinched it n piece of black skin broke off. Scratched with nail it bled and now the mole is flat.Nodular melanoma? 20yo guy
See your derm.: While melanoma in a 21 year old is rare, it does occasionally happen. I would bring this skin lesion to the attention of your friendly dermatologist. If the lesion appears suspicious to them they would perform a skin biopsy to obtain a diagnosis. And remember to limit your exposure to UV radiation. Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and try to cover up as much as possible. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
15
Red rashes on 30% body areas, blood clots under skin + finger arthritis + hyperpigmentation on palm, soles, knee + black nodules on legs. Causes?
Could be serious: Hard to answer without exam and more history but sounds serious . Would recommend a rheumatologist as could be vascular (blood vessel inflammation).P. ...Read more
16
I have found my right clavicle thicker (more protruding) than my left clavicle.Have felt pain on right clavic.for over a month.What problem?Arthritis?
It is possible: to develop hypertrophic degenerative arthritis at the sternoclavicular joint or acromioclavicular joint, which can feel asymmetric or like a lump. Dislocations/subluxations can also cause one side to protrude. You should see your doc for an evaluation, an xray may help as well. ...Read more
17
Huge pain in left sholder , then swelling in the left knee , RA factor +ve, does.That confirm rheumatoid arthritis? If so, how should I go about it ?
No. but trouble: You have migratory polyarthritis, of which rhematoid arthritis is one of the major players. Ou should cojsult with a rheumatologist, a specialist in these disorders. These arthritides are destructive; ie, they destroy the joint tissue is untreated. But we have good medications for them now. So save our joints, get a clear diagnosis and appropriate treatment. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
18
Have rheumatoid arthritis. Clavicle bone is excruciating. Rheumatologist says he doesn't know what's going on and to seek ER treatment. This normal?
If it is @ either--: --end, ,there R joints that can B effected by RA. If mid shaft, i would C an ortho 2 r/o any other pathology. The ER is not the proper place 2 go, unless there was trauma & a fracture is suspected. ...Read more
19
Ac joint arthritis pain for 9 months. No relief from nsaids. Temp relief from 3 cortisone shots. Doctor says surgery is next step. Sound right?
Yes: This sounds like standard of care. You can always request other nonsurgical therapies, but if you're having unrelenting pain after several months of treatment, your doctor's plan is well within the standard of care. Hope this helps. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
20
In an exam, my doc pressed too hard on my right clavicle or below it.I have felt pain there for over a month.Fracture?Bruise?Arthritis?Heart problem?
Need more info: There are a couple of reasons for your symptoms. Probably not a cardiac problem but a muscular or bone problem. . See him/her again for a re exam and possibly an x-ray depending on his/her findings.. Continued pain for over a month is reason for re-evaluation ...Read more
21
Mushy lump at bottom side of neck at hollow area before clavicle. Ultra S. showed 0 other than nodules on thyroid. No big lymphs seen. More tests?
Lipoma: most likely lipoma . benign adipose or fatty tissue growth . This is benign. If it is not growing then no need for tests ...Read more
22
I have a hard fixed nodule directly on my right clavicle near throat. X ray and blood work are clear however ultrasound shows solid mass. No pain.
Have it worked up: Lumps in the neck can be caused by a number of things. They range from benign (like lymph nodes responding to an infection, cysts, or non-cancerous tumors) to serious conditions like cancer. If it is suspicious, then a fine needle aspiration (needle biopsy) would be the next step. ...Read more
23
I have neck arthritus, when I sit down my left shoulder has a little pain. What is it?
See details: It is likely just a referred pain from the neck. One cannot tell if it is neck or shoulder without an exam. ...Read more
24
Neck and shoulder arthritus what can I do to make it more comfortable?
Medication and: It takes a program-identify what causes the pain and try to minimize that. Selective use of medications and therapy will help. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
25
I have severe neck arthritus and shoulder arthritus what can I do to alleviate the probem?
First,: You should see either a rheumatologist or an orthopedic surgeon to examine you, perform x-rays as indicated, possibly lab work to determine what type of arthritis you may have and then treat appropriately. ...Read more
Painful Joints (Definition)
That term is not really a specific diagnosis, but rather somewhat of a general term. The medical term is arthralgias, which implies pain in multiple joint possibly coming from a single cause. Don't hesitate to be seen and evaluated for ...Read more
Nodule (Definition)
Any growth or deposit in the body or on its surface may be casually termed a nodule until its character is determined by the familiarity of the physician with it or by the results of a biopsy if it is not so obvious. The term is casual ...Read more
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- Psoriatic arthritis shoulder nodule
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- Ask a doctor a question free online
- Psoriatic arthritis pulmonary nodules
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- How to swim with arthritis in the shoulder? | https://www.healthtap.com/topics/arthritis-shoulder-nodule |
Each item below contains a question or incomplete statement followed by suggested responses. Select the one best response to each question.
A 40-year-old female complains of 7 weeks of pain and swelling in both wrists and knees. The patient complained of fatigue and lethargy several weeks before noticing the joint pain. The patient notes that after a period of rest, resistance to movement is more striking. On exam, the metacarpophalangeal joints and wrists are warm and tender. There are no other joint abnormalities. There is no alopecia, photosensitivity, kidney disease, or rash. Which of the following is correct?
a. The clinical picture suggests early rheumatoid arthritis, and a rheumatoid factor
should be obtained
b. The prodrome of lethargy suggests chronic fatigue syndrome
c. Lack of systemic symptoms suggests osteoarthritis
d. X-rays of the hand are likely to show joint space narrowing and erosion
--------------------
Answer: a
The clinical picture of symmetrical swelling and tenderness of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and wrist joints lasting longer than 6 weeks strongly suggests rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor, an immunoglobulin directed against the Fc portion of IgG, is positive in about two-thirds of cases and is present early in the disease. The history of lethargy or fatigue is a common prodrome of RA. The inflammatory joint changes are not consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome. The MCP-wrist distribution of joint symptoms makes osteoarthritis very unlikely. The x-ray changes described are characteristic of RA, but would occur later in the course of the disease. | https://www.medhepatogastro.com/forum/rheumatology/rheumatology-questions-1 |
APEC Project Funding Sources
This page provides information on the availability and sources of APEC project funding. This page will:
describe the different types of APEC project funds;
describe the eligibility criteria for each fund; and
indicate which Responsible APEC Forum undertakes Concept Note eligibility checking and scoring for each of each of the APEC project funds.
There are four main sources of funding for APEC projects: the General Project Account (GPA), the Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation Account (TILF), the APEC Support Fund (comprising a General Fund and a number of Sub-Funds) and self-funding.
Projects compete with other projects for APEC funding. It is vital that Project Overseers understand the eligibility requirements and the funding priority areas that adhere to the project funding source they are applying to, before you commit your Concept Note at the Final Submission Deadline. Following the Final Submission Deadline, Concept Notes are assessed by all economies within the APEC forum responsible for the funding source in question, to determine eligibility. Reasons should be given where Concept Notes are considered ineligible, to assist Project Overseers, but note that if a Concept Note is found to be ineligible, it cannot proceed any further in the Project Session in question, and it cannot be considered against an alternative funding source (such as the ASF General Fund or the GPA). Ineligible Concept Notes may, however, be re-submitted at a subsequent Project Session.
The responsible APEC forum will also score Concept Notes. These scores alone determine the final funding outcome for each project fund. It is therefore important that Project Overseers understand the scoring framework that will be applied to their Concept Notes during the scoring process. From 2018 and onwards, a new integrated APEC Scoring Template will be used to score all Concept Notes, which replaces the forum and committee level scoring templates used in 2017 and earlier. The new integrated template has 5 scoring criteria, including some criteria which are new for 2018, such as SupportsCapacity Building and Supports Cross-fora Collaboration and Benefits to Multiple Economies. Thirty per cent of the total score is allocated to the extent that the project supports the priorities of the APEC fund to which it is applying. Project Overseers are strongly encouraged to review the APEC Scoring Template closely when developing their Concept Notes, to ensure their proposed project addresses all 5 criteria. A copy of the APEC Scoring Template is available here.
Please contact the Program Director responsible for your forum, or the APEC Project Management Unit ([email protected]), if you have any questions while preparing your Concept Note for submission.
Estimated Funds Available, Project Session 1, 2019
The following table provides an estimate of funds available. The amount available can change depending on new contributions, returned funding from completed projects, and the allocation of funds from the previous approval sessions.
Any unspent monies will be rolled over into future project funding sessions.
All figures are USD.
Description and Eligibility Criteria for APEC Project Funds
General Project Account (GPA)
GPA funding is sourced from mandatory annual APEC membership contributions. There are no restrictions on funding from the GPA. It can support all types of APEC projects. All member economies may apply for funding under GPA. Projects may be fully funded under GPA, as there are no self-funding requirements for GPA-funded projects. Nonetheless, Concept Notes must be compliant with the Guidebook on APEC Projects including the requirements on co-sponsorship and endorsement, to be eligible for funding under the GPA.
The GPA funding priorities change each year. They are determined by combining the priority host-year themes of the incoming and outgoing APEC Host. The final list of priorities are endorsed by Senior Officials at the Informal Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM). The GPA funding priorities for 2019 are:
Strengthening Inclusive Growth through Structural Reform and by Increasing Opportunities for Women and SMEs
Responsible APEC forum: Senior Officials Meeting (SOM)
Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation Account (TILF)
Please note: TILF funding is subject to a cap of US$100,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project) with effect from 1 January 2015.
TILF was established in 1997. TILF funding is sourced from voluntary contributions from APEC economies. All APEC economies may apply for funding under TILF.
To be eligible for TILF, projects must clearly contribute to achieving trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation objectives that are articulated by Leaders’ or Ministers’ directives or relate to at least one of the 15 areas listed in Part 1 of the Osaka Action Agenda.
The funding conditions for TILF require member economies to self-fund a percentage of the overall project cost. The self-fund requirement is 50% of the total value of the project for non-travel eligible economies, and 20% of the total value of the project for travel eligible economies. An economy proposing a project could be exempted if it has made a voluntary contribution to the project fund. If the total project value (cumulative since the year the economy began its contribution, less self-funding portion) does not exceed the total amount contributed (cumulative since the year the economy began its contribution) by 100% for non-travel eligible economies and by 250% for travel eligible economies.
ASF funding is sourced from voluntary contributions from APEC economies. All APEC economies may apply for funding under ASF. There is no self-funding requirement for ASF-funded projects.
ASF projects must clearly demonstrate that they address the capacity-building needs for APEC developing economies in agreed high-priority areas for economic and technical cooperation, although projects are still open to participation by all APEC members. Capacity building in APEC refers to a process to enable member economies - particularly developing economies - to obtain, share, strengthen, maintain and develop knowledge, abilities, skills and technical know-how to improve their policies and regulations or their institutional structures or processes. In APEC, capacity building can be delivered through a range of activities including (but not limited to) workshops, symposia, seminars and training events.
For more information, you can refer to the Capacity Building Goals, Objectives and Principles in Appendix K of the Guidebook on APEC Projects; and the APEC Capacity Building Policy which can be found here.
These criteria apply to the ASF-General Fund and ASF Sub-Funds that are described below.
APEC Support Fund – General Fund
Please note: The ASF General Fund is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project) with effect from 1 January 2015.
The ASF General Fund was established in May 2005.
To be eligible for this fund, your Concept Note must demonstrate that your project supports capacity building needs for APEC developing economies.
Capacity building in APEC refers to a process to enable member economies - particularly developing economies - to obtain, share, strengthen, maintain and develop knowledge, abilities, skills and technical know-how to improve their policies and regulations or their institutional structures or processes. In APEC, capacity building can be delivered through a range of activities including (but not limited to) workshops, symposia, seminars and training events.
The funding priority areas covered by the ASF General Fund are the ECOTECH Priority Themes articulated in the Manila Framework, specifically:
Facilitating technology flows and harnessing technologies for the future;
Safeguarding the quality of life through environmentally sound growth; and
Developing and strengthening the dynamism of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
Integration into the global economy;
Human security and counter-terrorism capacity building;
Promoting the development of knowledge-based economies; and
Addressing social dimension of globalisation.
Your Concept Note must address how your project will support one or more of these Priority Themes. Voluntary contributions since 2005 to the ASF General Fund are as follows: Australia: US$ 16 million; China: US$ 4 million; Russia: US$ 3 million; Korea: US$ 2 million; Chinese Taipei: US$ 900,000; United States: US$ 795,142; Japan: US$ 637,051; and New Zealand: US$30,376.
Responsible APEC forum: Senior Officials Meeting (SOM)
APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Human Security
The ASF Sub-Fund on Human Security was established in 2006. To be eligible for this fund, your Concept Note must demonstrate that your project supports capacity building needs for APEC developing economies. The funding priority areas for the ASF Sub-Fund on Human Security are:
Counter-Terrorism and Secure Trade;
Health Security, including Avian and Pandemic Influenza, and HIV/AIDS;
Established in 2009, this Sub-Fund supports capacity building initiatives contributing to the promotion of energy efficiency and low carbon measures in the APEC region.
Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2009 are as follows: Japan: US$ 20.6 million; Chinese Taipei: US$ 500,000; and United States: US$ 392,000.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria, which include co-endorsement by the Energy Working Group. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Responsible APEC forum: Energy Working Group (EWG)
APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Supply Chain Connectivity
Established in 2014, this Sub-Fund supports developing economies in overcoming specific obstacles they face in enhancing supply chain performance, in line with the capacity building plan to be executed as part of advancing Stage 3 of the Systematic Approach to the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan. They should: be designed to meet APEC’s objective of a 10% improvement in supply chain performance; concern delivering technical assistance to economies who agree to participate; help economies implement their WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement commitments, and; be tailored to meet the recipient economies’ specific needs and directly involve officials in their supply chain agencies.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Please contact the APEC Secretariat at [email protected] for further information.
Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supports activities in APEC developing economies that improve the enabling environment for trade and investment in mining, and improve the capacity of local businesses, the mining industry and/or regulators, in one of the following areas: sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and transparent and efficient regulation and governance. Projects must involve the private sector, and they must also address APEC’s gender objectives by demonstrating that they will benefit women, and in particular not disadvantage women.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Please contact the APEC Secretariat at [email protected] for further information.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: Australia: US$ 915,573.
Responsible APEC forum: Mining Task Force (MTF)
APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and Global Value Chains
Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on FTAAP and GVCs is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).
Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe Beijing Roadmap for APEC’s Contribution to the Realization of the FTAAP and APEC Strategic Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chains (GVCs) Development and Cooperation endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex A and B of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$3 million over 5 years.
Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on IERG is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).
Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe direction set in the APEC Accord on Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex C of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$2 million over 5 years.
Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on Connectivity is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).
Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe direction set in the APEC Connectivity Blueprint for 2015-2025 endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex D of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$1.5 million over 5 years.
To be considered for the MSME Sub-Fund, concept notes must demonstrate how developing APEC MSMEs will directly participate in, and benefit from, the proposal from a poverty reduction perspective.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund, can be accessed HERE.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2016 are as follows: Canada: US$1.5 million over 3 years.
Established in 2017, this Sub-Fund assists developing economies to implement their structural reform priorities nominated under RAASR. To be eligible for funding under this sub-fund, project concept notes must support the implementation of developing economies’ RAASR Individual Action Plans (IAPs). Project concept notes should include an explanation of how they support the economy’s IAP.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Instructions on the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2017 are as follows: Australia: US$2.5 million.
Responsible APEC forum: Economic Committee (EC)
APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Women and the Economy
Established in 2017, this Sub-Fund aims to institutionalise and provide ongoing support to advance APEC’s objectives of increasing women’s economic participation. It will support new and ongoing initiatives related to advancing women’s economic participation.
Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2017 are as follows: Australia: US$ 751,281; Chinese Taipei: US$ 600,000; United States: US$ 500,000; and New Zealand: US$30,376.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria, which include co-endorsement by the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Established in 2019, this Sub-Fund supports APEC’s strategic objective of supporting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth. It aims to provide ongoing support for APEC economies to improve the participation of remote communities in mainstream economic activities. The Sub-fund will support new and ongoing initiatives related to advancing the economic development of people in remote communities.
Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2019 are as follows: Australia: US$ 820,000.
To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.
Self-funding refers to any non-APEC amount provided to the project. Sources can include member economies, private sector partners, or other international organizations. Any sponsorship of projects must meet the requirements of the APEC Sponsorship Guidelines.
Fully self-funded projects can be put forward at any time to the relevant APEC forum for approval by consensus. These projects do not need to be submitted as concept notes first or assessed using the QAF. They do not need to be approved by BMC. Self-funded projects and self-funded components of projects must comply with the APEC Publication Guidelines.
POs of self-funded projects must submit the Self-Funded Project Proposal Coversheet into the APEC project database before commencement of the project. POs of self-funded projects are strongly encouraged to submit completion reports, the template for which can be found here.
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When tv was new, households would spend most of their time watching collectively of their residing rooms. Make a dining room feel richer through the use of a mixture of textures and colors. On this intimate dining nook, the intense crimson chair and the set of darkish floral-slipcovered chairs are a balanced duo, providing just the right stability of contrast. The capiz shell chandelier over the desk and the bamboo blinds also give the area an outlined character. Due to trendy processing strategies, actually every room in your home can incorporate some form of decor utilizing a bamboo theme. Whether or not it is bamboo wall decor, window protecting, flooring, or furniture, bamboo adds an exotic look to any house interior. | http://www.juegosdebobesponja.org/tag/ninety |
At BY Projects Architecture we embrace a quality design approach with client collaboration throughout the design process. From site selection, feasibility studies, urban design and master planning, through all design, interior design and documentation stages for private and public sector developments we offer total project management services, endeavouring to fully realise the client's vision. We are highly skilled architects with a diverse and extensive range of project experience. We have a strong focus on sustainability, accessibility and affordability and a commitment to innovative construction technologies with practical deployment. We are able to provide expertise for a vast selection of services including creative conceptual designs, feasibility studies, community consultation, and master planning.
Professional Information:Melbourne Architecture firm based in Collingwood, with over 30 years of experience we pride ourselves on our reputable approach to see beyond the brief and strive to design engaging, quality and sustainable architectural environments with complete project management. | https://www.houzz.com.au/pro/byprojectsarchitecture/by-projects-architecture |
Rosalind Rossi, education reporter for the Chicago Sun Times is reporting in the article, 2011 Illinois school report cards: Top schools have longer days.
The 10 highest-ranking suburban neighborhood elementary schools all have longer days for kids than the typical Chicago public school — but shorter ones than those advocated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city public school officials.
Chicago’s current typical 5-hour and 45-minute elementary school day — usually without a regular recess — looks paltry compared to a top-scoring 2011 suburban average of just under 6½ hours that includes daily recess, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis indicates.
However, Chicago’s proposed 7½-hour day would keep city elementary kids in school an hour more than their top-scoring suburban counterparts. Such a day is appealing even to some suburban parents.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/8452309-418/2011-illinois-school-report-cards-top-schools-have-longer-days.html
The Mid Continent Research for Education and Learning (McRel) has great information posted at its site about school day length.
According to McRel in the article, Extended School Days and School Years:
Does more time in school matter?
Several scholars have argued that simply extending school time in and of itself will not produce the desired results. Larry Cuban, a Stanford University professor of education, has argued for example that what matters most is not the quantity but the quality of time students and teachers spend together in the classroom (2008).
In our 2000 meta-analysis of the impact of school, teacher, and student-level variables on achievement, McREL concluded that student achievement can be strongly affected if schools optimize their use of instructional time.
In 1998 WestEd researchers Aronson et al. examined the research on time and learning and arrived at three conclusions:
- There is little or no relationship between student achievement and the total number of days or hours students are required to attend school.
- There is some relationship between achievement and engaged time, that subset of instructional time when students are participating in learning activities.
- The strongest relationship exists between academic learning time and achievement.
However, in recent years some notable extended time initiatives have produced gains in test scores, graduation rates, and college attendance, including the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), which increases the amount of time students spend in school by nearly 60%, and Massachusetts 2020. Conversely, a $100 million effort in Miami to extend school days by one hour and add 10 days to the calendar produced no significant benefits.
The key seems to be longer time spent in instructional activities.
The Center for American Progress has an issues brief, Expanded Learning Time By the Numbers. Among the findings are:
Expanded learning time basics
655: The number of expanded learning time schools in 36 states, more than a quarter of which are standard district public schools.
300: The recommended minimum number of additional hours that schools should add to their school calendar to provide students more learning time and opportunities for enrichment activities.
6 to 20 percent: The increase in a school’s budget, depending on the staffing model, to expand learning time for students by 30 percent.
90 percent: The proportion of ELT schools that considered their longer day or year to be essential in meeting their educational goals in a survey of nearly 250 ELT schools.
20 percent: The increase in annual classroom hours that experienced teachers say they need to effectively teach the four core academic subjects—English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.
Other countries are racing ahead in education
197: The average number of days that a middle school teacher in Finland, Japan, and Korea spends on instruction per year compared to the 180 days in the United States.
10,000: The number of hours researchers estimate that students need to achieve expertise. There are approximately 800 annual instructional hours a year in U.S. schools, which means it would take 12.5 years for students to participate in 10,000 hours of schooling, given no loss of learning during the summer.
Students at low-income schools are being left behind
3,000: The average number of words in a low-income kindergartener’s vocabulary compared to the 20,000 in a middle-class kindergartener’s vocabulary.
Sixth or seventh: The grade at which approximately half of ninth graders at high-poverty schools are reading when they enter high school.
32 million: The size of the gap in word exposure between children in professional families (45 million words) and welfare families (13 million) that has accumulated by age 4. Children in professional families will have heard almost as many words by age 1 (11.2 million) as children in welfare families have heard by age 4 (13 million).
1.67: The average minutes per day that third, fourth, and fifth graders in high-poverty schools received explicit vocabulary instruction, or about 100 seconds.
Four: The maximum number of minutes per day teachers in low-income schools spent engaging their first-grade students with informational texts rich in academic language and content-area vocabulary, often because these resources were unavailable.
Expanded learning time and a focus on the basics can yield results.
Dave E. Marcotte and Benjamin Hansen have an interesting report in Education Next about the effect of time in school. In Time for School? Marcotte and Hansen report:
Our work confirms that increasing instructional time could have large positive effects on learning gains. Encouraging schools and districts to view the school calendar as a tool in the effort to improve learning outcomes should be encouraged in both word and policy.
Research confirms there are certain traits of successful schools.
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
-
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Chapter 1, first line
Russian mystic & novelist (1828 – 1910)
So it is with schools. There are certain elements that successful schools share. The Wisconsin Department of Education has a good guide about successful schools. Chapter One, Characteristics of Successful Schools , lists key elements.
Like, unhappy families, failing schools are probably failing in their own way.
Resources:
Dave E. Marcotte and Benjamin Hansen , Time for School?Education Next, Winter 2010 / Vol. 10, No. 1
http://educationnext.org/time-for-school/
Education Secretary Arne Duncan on School Day’s Length video …
http://video.answers.com/education-secretary-arne-duncan-on-school-days-length-516897086
It seems everything old becomes new once again, although a relentless focus on the basics never went out of style. | https://drwilda.com/2011/10/ |
What are some summer internship oppurtunities in India in Investment Banking?
0
Nilesh
sir can you suggest me few places in india where i can do my summer internship in the field of corporate finance and investment banking
Summer Internship
Internship
Investment Banking
Dec 19 2012 02:32 PM
1 Answer(s)
0
Binny
Nilesh, there are many opportunities. Can we set up a call to discuss this. Could you please mail [email protected] and he will coordinate to set up a time?
Dec 20 2012 12:57 PM
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Construction is a cash-heavy industry, and its success is dependent on meeting project deadlines and contract specifications. Your construction company, on the other hand, may face a number of challenges, including a severe labor shortage, employee productivity issues, and technological setbacks. In addition, rising and volatile material costs, combined with productivity issues, often cause your infrastructure projects to go over budget.
Despite the fact that low productivity affects a variety of industries, the end result is always the same: declining profitability and rising costs.
78% of engineering and construction companies believe that project risks are increasing* with a failure rate of nearly 30%**.
*100+ Construction Industry Statistics, Autodesk Construction Cloud, 2016
**6 Reasons Why Construction Companies Fail, Construct Connect, 2019
As a construction company leader, you will try to mitigate these challenges by leveraging technology to keep your company on track. However, to achieve this goal, your company may face several IT challenges along the way. It’s critical to identify and understand your challenges so you can create strategies for resolution.
Here are the top 6 challenges facing construction firms:
Challenge 1 – IT Downtime
If your company’s IT infrastructure fails to function as expected, it will incur an average cost of $3600 per hour for IT downtime, which may vary depending on the size of your company. This estimate is based on several factors, including lost employee productivity in terms of salaries due to malfunctioning systems or an inability to connect to the Internet, potential employee overtime costs to meet deadlines following a period of disruption, and IT recovery costs.
The average downtime cost for IT systems is around $3600 per hour for a construction company generating 6 million Canadian dollars in revenue, where the average number of working hours in Canada is 1722, adding to the construction firms’ expenses. The estimated downtime is around 7 hours, with a cost per incident of $25,200.
Source: Recovery Time & Downtime Cost Calculator, Datto, 2021
Challenge 2 – Cyberattacks
Your company’s downtime is caused not only by unreliable IT infrastructure and services, but by cyberattacks, which could limit your access to company files and expose confidential client information. The disclosure of confidential information could result in massive financial liabilities, such as client claims, trade secret damages, and regulatory fines. It’s challenging to understand how vulnerable your organization may be to cyberattacks without having a strategy and expert to fully assess. Bird Construction, a leading builder in Canada, was infected with Maze ransomware in 2020, and hackers demanded $9 million in exchange for a decryption key.
According to ActiveCo data, the average ransomware demand from Canadian construction companies was around $400,000, with stolen data averaging 40 Terabytes in size.
Challenge 3 – Lack of Cybersecurity Training
Cyberattacks would not only expose your data, but they could also have an impact on internal systems, such as your building information modelling (BIM). Because of the shared nature of BIM and the numerous connected parties, the risks of a data security breach are much higher. Threats include stealing intellectual property, sabotaging projects, and holding commercially sensitive data to ransom.
As a result, deploying cybersecurity systems and training your staff are critical, especially since human error accounts for 90% of these attacks. Nevertheless, a recent Forrester survey found that 75% of respondents in the construction industry had been victims of a cyber-incident, which had a negative impact on their performance.
According to a Forrester survey conducted in 2017, more than 75% of respondents in the construction, engineering, and infrastructure industries reported a cyber-incident, a figure that is rising.
Source: construction could be the next target for cyber threats, PropertyCasualty360, 2017
Challenge 4 – Lack of Workflow Automation
Employee productivity is hampered not only by cyberattacks, but also by a lack of automation of day-to-day tasks. According to Autodesk blog, approximately 30% of construction companies’ work is rework, with poor project data and miscommunication accounting for 52% of that rework.
As a result, the total cost of rework approaches 9% of the total cost of the project. Automation eliminates the need for multiple steps or duplicate data entry, while also providing user-friendly dashboards and alerts to ensure action items are addressed and project data is always up to date.
Rework accounts for approximately 30% of the work performed by construction companies, where poor project data and miscommunication account for 52% of that rework. As a result, the total cost of rework approaches 9% of the total project cost*.
*100+ Construction Industry Statistics, Autodesk Construction Cloud, 2016
Challenge 5 – Lack of Integration
Many construction applications do not integrate, resulting in duplicate work, data loss, and inefficient workflows. As a result, content is dispersed across multiple repositories, making it difficult for employees to retrieve documents. When your company fails to implement document retention practices and policies, your employees may spend up to 25% of their time looking for information that they require to do their jobs. Furthermore, 49% of them still manually integrate data, and 13% do not migrate data at all.
Employees may spend up to 25% of their time looking for information needed to do their jobs, negatively impacting their performance. Furthermore, 62% continue to migrate manually or ignore this process, resulting in data loss*.
*2020 Construction Technology Report, JBKnowledge, 2020
Challenge 6 – Noncompliance with the PIPEDA
Finally, if your company’s IT systems and cybersecurity measures fail to protect your clients’ information and you fail to report the data breach, you could face business or regulatory penalties for violating PIPEDA rules. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada requires mandatory data breach reporting and imposes fines of up to $100,000 for noncompliance. Without having a technical expert on staff, it’s challenging to build your IT infrastructure to ensure PIPEDA compliance.
Businesses that fail to report data breaches to the to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or notify affected individuals of a breach that poses a real risk of significant harm could face fines of up to $100,000.
*The Digital Privacy Act and PIPEDA, the office of the privacy commissioner of Canada (OPC), 2018
Construction firms frequently rely on limited internal resources to manage their IT infrastructure, which lead to inefficiency and scalability problems. Without having a strong IT strategy in place, it’s difficult to understand and mitigate these common challenges that your construction firm may face.
Ready to overcome your IT challenges?
Contact us to learn how we can support your construction firm’s IT strategy by offering industry specific comprehensive IT services. | https://www.activeco.com/top-six-it-challenges-for-construction-firms/ |
BACK GROUND: Although being a low-middle income country, Vietnam has been experiencing an epidemiologic transition to that of a developing country with an increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The key risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are either on the rise or at alarming levels in Vietnam, particularly hypertension (HTN). In as much, the burden of CVD will continue to increase in Vietnamese men and women unless effective prevention and control measures are put in place.
STUDY OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN: The objectives of the proposed project are to develop a multi-faceted community-based intervention, based on a Storytelling method which has been shown to be effective in other minority populations, for the control of elevated blood pressure (BP) in adults in Vietnam. We are proposing a pilot cluster-randomized trial to test the feasibility of a large scale effectiveness trial. Four communities (with a total of 100 hypertensive patients) will be randomized into either an intervention (n=2) or comparison group (n=2) (matching on population size); persons with HTN will be randomly assigned to intervention or control status based on their community of residence. Eligible and consenting participants in the intervention group will receive culturally and literacy appropriate HTN related educational materials and in-person sessions through viewing DVDs of stories from patients with HTN (Storytelling) given by trained health workers. The DVDs will include stories about the health consequences of uncontrolled HTN, overcoming barriers to HTN control, and adherence to prescribed medication and lifestyle changes. Primary health care providers in the intervention communities will also be empowered through intensive training and education on HTN control. In communities assigned to usual care, persons will view comparison DVDs, which only contain guidelines on HTN, and will be in a non-interactive format without storytelling or supplementary materials, and receive common non-communicable diseases related education as currently provided at local community health centers. This project addresses a serious clinical and public health problem in Vietnam by implementing the first community-based study using a culturally-literacy appropriate HTN intervention for this population.
PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed community-based research project will develop a novel educational intervention for the control of hypertension in Vietnam. A feasibility trial will be conducted. This is a major clinical and public health problem in this developing country.
PROJECT PROGRESS:
The Phase 1 of the project completed. Two DVDs that contain the stories of 10 patients who have controlled their blood pressure successfully were produced. The Phase 2 project is ongoing.
The objective of Phase 2 is to conduct a pilot cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with the target enrolment of 100 hypertensive patients, who reside in 4 communes including Xuan Quan (Van Giang district), Viet Hung (Van Lam district), Tan Viet (Yen My district) and Bach Sam (My Hao district). Four communes were randomized into either intervention (50 patients), or control group (50 patients).
On July 23, 2015, a training workshop was organized at the My Hao district. Health officers, doctors, and health care staff from the Hung Yen Health Department, district hospitals, and commune heath centers were invited to participate in this meeting. The objectives of this meeting were to introduce Phase 2 of the project and to provide details on its activities including screening, recruitment, and data collection activities.
In late July and early August 2015, the screening was conducted. As a result, 100 hypertensive patients, who satisfied the study eligibility criteria, were enrolled into the study.
At the time of baseline enrollment, patients were interviewed and had their blood pressure according to the standardized study protocol. Patients received a DVD player and the first of an eventual 2 DVD’s including 5 stories to view at home. They will receive the second DVD containing the other 5 stories at the 3-month follow up visit. They were carefully instructed carefully on how to view the DVD and will continue to receive technical support throughout the study period. Patients will return for follow up visits at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after enrolment. | https://www.phad.org/en/we-talk-about-our-hypertension/ |
To register email: Amanda Moscrip at [email protected], include name, affiliation, and name of the organization.
Deadline: Register ASAP – Seating is limited.
Description:
Digital design flow is a lengthy process that involves many steps to take the design from RTL to the final phase. The objective of this training is to demystify this field and provide in-depth understanding of the transformations in each design step.
Specifically, this training will focus on fundamental elements in the design process such as, event‑driven simulation, synthesis, timing analysis, technology files, standard cell views, physical design, and signoff checks. Throughout the training, attendees will learn the salient differences in these elements when using FPGA and ASIC platforms.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
Upon the completion of this training, trainees should be able to:
- Holistically understand digital design flow (from the specification phase to the signoff checks).
- Learn all transformations that occur during the design flow.
- Gain knowledge on the different technology files and standard cell views.
- Identify different design flows based on the target implementation technology (ASIC vs. FPGA).
- Understand timing-analysis and timing-closure.
- Understand chip level planning.
Target Audience
Product and verification engineers as well as system and computer architecture engineers and decision-makers who are interested in understanding digital IC design flow; entry-level design engineers who want to grasp the full digital design cycle; senior undergraduate and post-graduate students (who are preparing to get involved in digital IC design, research and development). | https://mestcenter.org/index.php/fundamentals-of-digital-ic-design/ |
The Musar Movement, founded by Rabbi Israel Salanter in the middle of the nineteenth-century, emphasized meditative practices of introspection and visualization that could help to improve moral character. The COVID-19 outbreak is a rapidly evolving situation. In Theravada, all phenomena are to be seen as impermanent, suffering, not-self and empty. Some meditators find practice best in the hours before dawn. Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward awakening and nirvana. Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. [clarification needed], Jainism uses meditation techniques such as pindāstha-dhyāna, padāstha-dhyāna, rūpāstha-dhyāna, rūpātita-dhyāna, and savīrya-dhyāna. Later developments in Hindu meditation include the compilation of Hatha Yoga (forceful yoga) compendiums like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the development of Bhakti yoga as a major form of meditation and Tantra. The practitioner strives to be just a knower-seer (Gyata-Drashta). Results from a 2013 NCCIH-supported study involving 49 adults suggest that 8 weeks of mindfulness training may reduce stress-induced inflammation better than a health program that includes physical activity, education about diet, and music therapy. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners. Rosenkranz M, Davidson RJ, MacCoon D, et al. The Buddhist literature has many stories of Enlightenment being attained through disciples being struck by their masters. A critical review of the literature, A comparison of mindfulness-based stress reduction and an active control in modulation of neurogenic inflammation, The neurobiology of meditation and its clinical effectiveness in psychiatric disorders, Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction, Mindful attention reduces neural and self-reported cue-induced craving in smokers. Bond et al. a biblical scene involving Jesus and the Virgin Mary) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God. Unlike some Eastern styles, most styles of Christian meditation do not rely on the repeated use of mantras, and yet are also intended to stimulate thought and deepen meaning. But the researchers found no evidence that meditation changed health-related behaviors affected by stress, such as substance abuse and sleep. The (late 4th century BCE) Guanzi essay Neiye "Inward training" is the oldest received writing on the subject of qi cultivation and breath-control meditation techniques. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The Pāli Canon from the 1st century BCE considers Buddhist meditation as a step towards liberation. The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditari, which means to concentrate. Guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians published in 2013 suggest that MBSR and meditation may help to reduce stress, anxiety, pain, and depression while enhancing mood and self-esteem in people with lung cancer. This process (called gyrification) may increase the brainâs ability to process information. Author of, Indian philosophy: Theories and techniques of self-control and meditation. In a 2012 study, researchers compared brain images from 50 adults who meditate and 50 adults who donât meditate. The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism introduced meditation to other Asian countries, and in 653 the first meditation hall was opened in Singapore. 7–40. , Western Christian meditation contrasts with most other approaches in that it does not involve the repetition of any phrase or action and requires no specific posture. According to T. Griffith Foulk, the encouragement stick was an integral part of the Zen practice: In the Rinzai monastery where I trained in the mid-1970s, according to an unspoken etiquette, monks who were sitting earnestly and well were shown respect by being hit vigorously and often; those known as laggards were ignored by the hall monitor or given little taps if they requested to be hit. It gives us an opportunity to open ourselves to God’s word, to refine our interior gaze by turning our minds to the life of Christ. :135, Dictionaries give both the original Latin meaning of "think[ing] deeply about (something)"; as well as the popular usage of " focusing one's mind for a period of time", "the act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed", and "to engage in mental exercise (such as concentrating on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness.". Alexander Wynne, The Origin of Buddhist Meditation. Greenlee H, Balneaves LG, Carlson LE, et al. Plants of life, plants of death. (2009, p. 135) reads: Regarding influential reviews encompassing, The full quote from Bond, Ospina et al. This page was last edited on 28 October 2020, at 09:35. Jain meditation can be broadly categorized to Dharmya Dhyana and Shukla Dhyana. RePORTER is a database of information on federally funded scientific and medical research projects being conducted at research institutions. Many studies have been conducted to look at how meditation may be helpful for a variety of conditions, such as high blood pressure, certain psychological disorders, and pain. We’ll cover what is meditation, the meditation benefits, and how to begin meditating. , A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors found that meditation practices had small to medium effects on self-reported and observable outcomes, concluding that such practices can "improve positive prosocial emotions and behaviors". (2009) report that 7 expert scholars who had studied different traditions of meditation agreed that an "essential" component of meditation "Involves logic relaxation: not 'to intend' to analyze the possible psychophysical effects, not 'to intend' to judge the possible results, not 'to intend' to create any type of expectation regarding the process" (p. 134, Table 4). Robert Ornstein (1972) , in: Naranjo and Orenstein. Adverse effects were less frequently reported in women and religious meditators. Hayes, S. C.; Strosahl, K. D.; Wilson, K. G. (1999), Metzner, R. (2005) Psychedelic, Psychoactive and Addictive Drugs and States of Consciousness. This was the first time that Western audiences on American soil received Asian spiritual teachings from Asians themselves. The word derives from the Hebrew word "boded" (בודד), meaning the state of being alone. NCCIH has provided this material for your information. This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. One aspect of Yoga practice, dhyana (Sanskrit: “concentrated meditation”), became the focus of the Buddhist school known as Chan in China and later as Zen in Japan. Other popular New Religious Movements include the Ramakrishna Mission, Vedanta Society, Divine Light Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Osho, Sahaja Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, Oneness University, Brahma Kumaris and Vihangam Yoga. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. These are ethical discipline (yamas), rules (niyamas), physical postures (āsanas), breath control (prāṇāyama), withdrawal from the senses (pratyāhāra), one-pointedness of mind (dhāraṇā), meditation (dhyāna), and finally samādhi. Results of a 2009 NCCIH-funded trial involving 298 university students suggest that practicing Transcendental Meditation may lower the blood pressure of people at increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Many studies have investigated meditation for different conditions, and thereâs evidence that it may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people who have had ulcerative colitis. In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words for meditation: hāgâ (Hebrew: הגה), to sigh or murmur, but also to meditate, and sîḥâ (Hebrew: שיחה), to muse, or rehearse in one's mind. Some of the difficulty in precisely defining meditation has been in recognizing the particularities of the many various traditions; and theories and practice can differ within a tradition. Others are mindful of the mental character of all contents of consciousness and utilize this insight to detach the practitioner either from all thoughts or from a selected group of thoughts—e.g., the ego (Buddhism) or the attractiveness of sin (Christianity). The use of the term meditatio as part of a formal, stepwise process of meditation goes back to the 12th century monk Guigo II. Results from a 2011 NCCIH-funded study of 279 adults who participated in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program found that changes in. In modern psychological research, meditation has been defined and characterized in a variety of ways. Because only a few studies have been conducted on the effects of meditation for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there isnât sufficient evidence to support its use for this condition. Some research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia. But the authors noted that given the limited number of studies, they canât be sure that IBS doesn't help. These can include almost anything that is claimed to train the attention of mind or to teach calm or compassion. Gaylord SA, Palsson OS, Garland EL, et al. (1998). Christian meditation is sometimes taken to mean the middle level in a broad three stage characterization of prayer: it then involves more reflection than first level vocal prayer, but is more structured than the multiple layers of contemplation in Christianity. Donât use meditation to replace conventional care or as a reason to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. This is called "revolving the vital breath": Your thoughts and deeds seem heavenly. People with physical health conditions should speak with their health care providers before starting a meditative practice, and make their meditation instructor aware of their condition. Clinical practice guidelines on the use of integrative therapies as supportive care in patients treated for breast cancer. When this happens, one develops dispassion (viraga) for all phenomena, including all negative qualities and hindrances and lets them go. The sensation of receiving divine inspiration awakens and liberates both heart and intellect, permitting such inner growth that the apparently mundane actually takes on the quality of the infinite. Interactions with Indians or the Sufis may have influenced the Eastern Christian meditation approach to hesychasm, but this can not be proved. However, in a second 2013 brain imaging study, researchers observed that a 2-week course of meditation (5 hours total) significantly reduced smoking, compared with relaxation training, and that it increased activity in brain areas associated with craving. Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of use for increasing calmness and physical relaxation, improving psychological balance, coping with illness, and enhancing overall health and well-being.
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The final pieces of “Star Trek: Picard” are falling into place. CBS All Access announced on Thursday that Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon has been named Showrunner of the upcoming series, which should be a shot of encouragement for fans of the franchise.
According to the network, Chabon is working closely on the day-to-day production of the series with Academy Award winner and veteran “Star Trek” writer and producer Akiva Goldsman, and Alex Kurtzman, who continues to oversee the expansion of the growing “Star Trek” universe for CBS Studios.
“Daring, lyrical, humane, whimsical, celebrated: words that describe both Jean-Luc Picard and the literary genius of Michael Chabon,” said Alex Kurtzman. “Despite a laundry list of accomplishments most writers only dream of, Michael shines with the heart and soul of a Trekkie who’s finally found his dream job. We’re so fortunate to have him at the helm as we explore this next chapter in the great captain’s life.”
“‘Star Trek’ has been an important part of my way of thinking about the world, the future, human nature, storytelling and myself since I was ten years old,” said Michael Chabon. “I come to work every day in a state of joy and awe at having been entrusted with the character and the world of Jean-Luc Picard, with this vibrant strand of the rich, intricate and complex tapestry that is ‘Trek.’”
In addition to Chabon, Goldsman, and Kurtzman, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, James Duff, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth also serve as executive producers with Aaron Baiers serving as co-executive producer and Kirsten Beyer as supervising producer.
While not all of the details on the new series have been announced at this time, the series features Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The new series will follow this iconic character into the next chapter of his life.
Alongside Stewart, the show will also star Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Harry Treadaway.
If you’re new to Chabon’s work, he is the bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the novels “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” “Moonglow,” “Wonder Boys,” “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union,” “Telegraph Avenue,” “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” “Summerland,” “The Final Solution,” and “Gentlemen of the Road” to name just a few. Chabon’s screenplays and teleplays include “John Carter,” “Spiderman 2,” and “Unbelievable.” In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Chabon has won the Hugo, Nebula, Mythopoeic, Sidewise and Ignotus awards (Spain’s Hugo Award) and many others.
You can find a collection of Chabon’s most popular work right here on Amazon.
Viewers can preview the CBS All Access app right here on iTunes, Google Play, and onAmazon.
Subscribe to Daily Updates and never miss a headline. | https://theslanted.com/2019/06/33582/star-trek-picard-show-michael-chabon-season-1/ |
Under the direction of M&E Manager, maintain, repair, and install equipment as required throughout the playground, kitchen and other duties as assigned for the efficient operation of the Engineering Department. Maintain and provide for the safe condition and operation of all systems in Junction City Food Court, Bread Talk and Kid’s Zone.
Major Responsibilities and Duties:
Maintenance and Repair
- Carryout all duties that are necessary in resolving reactionary activities, and report the need for further maintenance and safety to supervising staff.
- Repair and change locks in the building and perform complex lock servicing to ensure maximum safety of all people.
- Inspect equipment such as refrigerators and air conditioners from time to time for proper cleaning, speed, temperature and adequate lubrication.
- Carryout repairs on ceilings, floors and walls by combining plaster of spackle and painting.
- Ensure proper repair and finishing of doors, desks, tables, chairs and other furniture in the organization to ensure comfort of staff and visitors.
- Carryout detailed evaluation of workshop equipment to ensure that they are in good condition for proper functioning.
- Receive and complete work orders appropriately and timely.
- Select material and hardware and make time and materials estimates.
- Assist less skilled workers in different phases of general maintenance and review works performed by them to ensure that they are in good condition.
- Assist M&E manager to complete energy conservation surveys to realize most efficient, cost effective use of machinery and energy.
- Work with building principals and supervisors to complete projects.
- Inspect jobs upon completion and ensure areas are clean.
- Maintain inventory of common tools, equipment, and materials.
- Select material and hardware and make time and materials estimates.
Safety
- Perform preventive maintenance on tools and equipment.
- Operate tools and equipment according to established safety procedures.
- Ensure that equipment is in safe operating condition.
- Follow established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties, including but not limited to lifting, climbing, etc.
- Correct unsafe conditions in work area and report any conditions that are not correctable to supervisor immediately.
- The Supervisor may assign other duties and accountabilities limited to those consistent with the applicable job function and pay grade.
Requirements
- Any diploma or certificate in related field (EC/EP/MP/MC)
- Two or more year experience in maintenance field.
- Have good knowledge of electricity, electronic circuit, carpentry and plumbing among other technical skills.
- Have good knowledge of troubleshooting techniques in order to determine exact problems and tackle them accordingly.
- Able to communicate system problems to both co-workers and management for proper understanding.
- Exhibit good mechanical skills to handle equipment to avoid causing injuries to self and others on ground.
- Have the ability to evaluate computer related work orders in accordance with accuracy.
Working Conditions:
Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors: Continual walking, standing, climbing, stooping, bending, kneeling, reaching, and heavy lifting and carrying. Work in tiring and uncomfortable positions, outside and inside. | https://www.shwetaunggroup.com/job_openings/general-technician/ |
In this section, we have assembled all the information you will need for entering the specialty contests/events at the fair. We are thrilled that you are interested in the 2022 Florida State Fair.
The Florida State Fair is searching for talented Florida FFA and 4-H members to sing the National Anthem during the 2022 Florida State Fair!
Deadline – January 31, 2022
Oh Say Can You Sing.. The National Anthem Information and Rules
Creative competitions are woven into the history of the Florida State Fair. Since our start in 1904, competitors from every corner of the state have pushed the boundaries of innovation as they battled it out for the blue-ribbon prize in quilting, baking, painting, or other skills. That tradition continues today as our youth and adult artists & crafters, bakers, woodworkers, horticulturalists, needle artists, photographers, and more bring their best work to be judged at the fair. Whether you’re a classically trained fine artist or a Lego sculpting expert, there’s room for your creativity to shine at the Florida State Fair.
2022 Handbooks with rules and important information are now available. Consult each handbook for entry application & delivery deadlines. | https://floridastatefairag.com/shows/specialty-shows/ |
I baked two breads this week (so far). It wasn't until I was well into the process that I realized both were originally posted by Hansjoakim a few years ago. Both are leavened with rye sour.
"Hansjoakim's Favorite 70% Rye"
"Hansjoakim's Favorite 70% Rye" Crumb
Pain au Levain with Rye Sour
The Pain au Levain is still cooling and hasn't been sliced.
Both of these breads are uncomplicated to make yet fabulously delicious. The formulas for both can be found on TFL. They are highly recommended.
Happy baking!
David
This week, I have baked two batches of Forkish's "Field Blend 2." The whole rye and whole wheat flours in both batches were milled in my Mock Mill KitchenAid attachment (Highly recommended!)
One batch was baked in Lodge Dutch Ovens at 475 dF for 50 minutes (30 covered, 20 uncovered). The other batch was baked on a baking stone with my usual oven steaming method at 460 dF with steam for 15 minutes, then at 435 dF convection bake for 30 minutes. The DO loaves are the boules. The hearth loaves are the bâtards.
The following crumb photos are from one of the DO bakes. From past experience, I would say the hearth bakes' crumb structure is pretty much identical. (I'm not showing it, because those loaves are going to a family barbecue at a nephew's house in Oakland.)
At least in my electric home oven, these two methods yield very similar, equally satisfactory results. I would not say there is much difference in oven spring, crust consistency, crumb structure or bread flavor.
Having heard the stories home-millers tell about the superior flavor of their breads, I finally bought a Mock Mill attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I have milled both rye and wheat flours with this mill and used them in breads with around 30% whole grain flours. The breads were very good, but I honestly couldn't say they were superior to those made with commercial flours of good quality.
For the first time today I baked a loaf that is 75% whole wheat. This is a bread from Forkish's Flour Water Salt Yeast. My only modification to the formula was to leave out the instant yeast.
The wheat used was a Hard Red Winter Wheat from Palouse Farms in Washington State. The mill was set to a very fine setting, and I was pleased at how fine it mills. The dough, as it bulk fermented, was surprisingly soft and extensible - much more so than the KAF and Central Milling WW flours I have used. I emailed Palouse to ask for the Protein content of this wheat, and they promptly replied that it was 11%. I was also amazed to observe that fermentation seemed to proceed much faster than with other flours. This is a bread I expect to take 4-5 hours to bulk ferment. It was fully fermented in 3 hours.
Although Forkish calls for this bread to be baked in a Dutch oven, I baked it as a hearth loaf - 15 minutes at 450 dF with steam, then 30 minutes at 435 dF convention-bake.
The crust was crunch and nutty-flavored. The crumb was moist and tender - amazing light and airy for a 75% Whole Wheat loaf. The flavor was wheaty with a bit of sweetness. It was delicious plain and also with a thin spread of sweet butter.
I have made this bread before with Central Milling Fine Organic Whole Wheat, and it was very good. I do think it is a bit better with the fresh, home-milled flour, but not dramatically better. Again, the bread made with CM flour set a pretty high bar.
The Mock Mill is easy to use, and I am impressed with how fine it grinds. I'm looking forward to baking other breads with other home-milled grains. I have also bought a No. 40 flour sifter, and will be making some high-extraction flours. Lots of new bread baking adventures ahead!
By the way, I also make a couple loaves of San Joaquin Sourdough with home-milled rye and whole wheat. It was also maybe a bit tastier than usual, but I am not really sure.
Any comments or pointers from more experienced home millers would be very much appreciated.
Example of a pointer
Italian bread with currents, fennel and pine nuts
May 6, 2017
David M. Snyder
When I started baking sourdough breads, Susan Tenny's “Wild Yeast Blog” was, along with The Fresh Loaf, a major source of inspiration. Susan was also very active on The Fresh Loaf as “susanfnp.” Well, sadly, Susan has not kept up her blog, but it does remain accessible and worth a visit.
In November, 2007 Susan blogged on a somewhat accidental bread (You just will have to read her blog to understand.) It was a 50% semolina bread with currents, pine nuts and fennel seeds. I was starting to explore sourdough breads with various nut/dried fruit combinations at the time, so I gave this one a try. I liked it a lot, although my wife doesn't like fennel or pine nuts as much as I do. So, I only made this bread the one time.
Today, I attended a pot luck at a home that has a very large wood-fired oven. The group is mostly Italian, so Susan's semolina bread came to mind as one they would enjoy. I have had good success with an “Italian Bread” based on my San Joaquin Sourdough, so I used that approach rather than Susan's for this formula.
Final dough
Ingredient
Wt (g)
Bakers' %
AP flour
300
60
Fine durum flour
200
40
Water
350
70
Salt
10
2
Active Liquid levain
100
20
Olive oil
14
3
Whole fennel seeds
9
1.7
Dried currents
115
21
Pine nuts (lightly toasted and cooled)
72
13
Total
1170
Notes:
I know the table above does not fit current BBGA conventions. So sorry. I hope this doesn't place my membership at risk.
Hydration is 73%, taking into account the levain.
The liquid levain is my usual 100% hydration levain made with a flour mix of 70% AP, 20% Whole Wheat and 10% Whole Rye flours. 9% of the total flour is pre-fermented.
I generally mix the levain late at night and ferment it a 70-76ºF overnight, and mix the final dough in the morning. If I mix the levain early in the day, I ferment it then refrigerate it until an hour or so before mixing the final dough. If it is still cool, I compensate by using warmer water for the final dough.
Procedure (using a stand mixer)
Dissolve the levain in the water using the paddle at slow speed.
Add the flours and mix to a shaggy mass.
Cover and rest (autolyse) for 20-60 minutes.
Switch to the dough hook. Add the salt and mix at Speed 2 for 6-7 minutes or until there is moderate gluten development.
Add the olive oil and continue to mix. The dough will first come apart and then reform a ball incorporating the oil.
Add the currents, pine nuts and fennel seeds. Mix at low speed until they are evenly distributed – 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and ferment at 70-76ºF for 3-4 hours with stretch and folds on a well-floured board at 50 and 100 minutes. The dough should have increased in volume by half and be filled with small bubbles and feel puffy, although it will also remain a bit sticky.
Refrigerate the dough 8-12 hours.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Pre-shape as balls, cover them, and let them rest for 1 hour.
Shape as baguettes.
Proof on a couche for 45 minutes.
Bake at 460ºF for 20-22 minutes with steam for the first 12 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly before slicing.
This bread was very well received. Actually, they loved it. In my estimation, while the taste was really good, there is lots of room for improvement. The dough was underfermented. I haven't yet been able to adequately humidify this huge WFO when baking such a small amount of bread. My next step is to make this again, probably using the same formula, fermenting the dough more completely and baking it in my familiar home oven. Stay tuned!
This was a busy baking week (for me). I baked for two potluck dinners and for my wife and me.
Thursday, I had a committee meeting in the evening. I brought a San Joaquin Sourdough.
I bake a SJSD for home as well, but also a 90% rye bread, my currently preferred base for cream cheese and lox.
Today, I had another opportunity to bake in wood fired oven. I baked a Forkish Field Blend #2 pair and a newly devised formula for an Italian-style bread with currents, pine nuts and fennel seeds. I will blog on that one in a bit, but, meanwhile here's a photo of the bake:
As you can probably tell from the dull crusts, our biggest problem was humidifying the huge oven with only four loaves loaded. On the other hand, this is the first bake I've done in this oven where the temperature was not too hot. So progress is being made.
I have made sourdough breads with tart dried fruit and toasted nuts for many years. Recently, I have been less happy with the ones I have been making. I don't think the breads are any worse. I think my standards are higher. So, this week I tried adding figs and walnuts to my current favorite sourdough just to see how it worked. Well, it is a winner. It's my new favorite fruit/nut sourdough. It is lighter with a better aerated, moister, more tender crumb than others I have made, and the flavor is as good if not better than my previous best. The crust is nice and crunchy. Here are the formula and methods I used:
Walnut-Fig Mixed Grain Sourdough Bread
(based on Ken Forkish's “Field Blend #2” from Flour Water Salt Yeast)
April, 2017
Total Dough
Whole wheat flour
62
12.5
Whole rye flour
88
17.5
390
78
2.1
Walnut pieces (toasted)
Dried figs (coarsely diced)
1100
220.1
Levain
75
18
25
Water (85-90ºF)
Active starter
180
In a medium bowl, dissolve the active starter in the water.
Add the flours and mix thoroughly.
Transfer to a clean bowl and cover tightly.
Ferment at 70-76ºF for 8-12 hours. It should have doubled in volume, have many bubbles on the surface and have a wrinkled surface. It should not have collapsed.
If you are not ready to use the levain when it is ripe, it can be refrigerated for up to a couple days.
Final Dough
270
42
310
Procedure
Toast the walnut pieces at 300ºF for 9 minutes. Cool completely.
Cut the figs (Calmyrna, preferred) into pieces about marble-sized. Place in a sieve and rinse under running water. Place the sieve with the figs over a bowl to drain.
In a large bowl, mix the flours and the water to a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and let it rest (autolyse) for 20-60 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt over the dough, then add the ripe levain in 4-6 portions.
Using a spatula or your hands, mix the dough to evenly distribute the salt and levain. Note: My preferred method is by hand. I wear a food-grade “rubber” glove, dip the fingers in water frequently and use the French technique of squeezing the dough between my fingers many times, alternating with stretching and folding the dough.
When you feel the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled clean container and cover it.
Bulk ferment for 50 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a floured board. Stretch is to a rectangle about 12 X 18”. Distribute the figs and walnuts evenly over the surface of the stretched out dough. Fold the dough. Repeat the stretching and folding a few times to distribute the figs and nuts evenly. Return the dough to the bowl and cover.
Bulk ferment for another 50 minutes. Do another stretch and fold and return the dough to the bowl.
Bulk ferment for another 50-90 minutes. The dough should be well aerated.
Transfer the dough to the board and pre-shape as a ball. Cover with a cloth and let the dough relax for 10-30 minutes.
Transfer the loaf to a well-floured banneton or brotform. Note: flouring the banneton/brotformen with a 50/50 mix of AP and Rice flour works best to prevent the dough from sticking to the proofing basket. Place the loaf in the basket in a food-grade plastic bag or cover well otherwise. Let the dough relax and start proofing at room temperature for a half hour or so.
Refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
Take the loaf out of the fridge but leave covered.
With a baking stone on the oven's middle rack and your steaming apparatus of choice in place, pre-heat the oven to 500ºF for 45-60 minutes.
Allow the loaf to proof for up to 90 minutes. It can be baked right out of the fridge I am told. (I never have done that.)
Uncover the loaf and sprinkle it with semolina or cornmeal.
Transfer the loaf to a peel and score as desired.
Turn down the oven temperature to 460ºF. Steam your oven and transfer the loaf to the baking stone. Note: My method of oven steaming uses a 9” cast iron skillet filled with the kind of lava rocks used with gas grills. This is pre-heated along with my baking stone. The skillet sits off to the side on an oven rack below the one that holds the baking stone. To generate steam, I fill a perforated pie tin with a single layer of ice cubes. This is rested on top of the lava rocks just before I load the loaves onto the pizza stone.
After 15 minutes, remove the steam apparatus.
If you have a convection oven, switch to convection-bake at 435ºF. Otherwise, leave the oven at 460ºF conventional bake. Bake for another 30-35 minutes. Check the loaf after 30 minutes. If it is not fully baked but is getting too dark, turn down the oven temperature by 10ºF or so and bake until fully baked.
The loaf is fully baked when the crust is darkly colored, tapping the bottom of the loaf gives a hollow sound and the internal loaf temperature is 205ºF or higher.
Remove the loaf to a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Enjoy!
I had made sourdough pita breads a few months ago with 50% whole wheat flour. They were much better than "store bought," as everything I had read led me to expect. I had experimented with two methods of shaping - rolling out versus stretching (like a pizza) - and thought rolling out had better results (a surprise). I also didn't allow any proofing time. I divided, shaped and baked. This time, I shaped all the pitas by rolling and allowed a rather brief proof period - about 10-15 minutes. I think this improved the puffing out of the pitas. I had some, still warm out of the oven, with hummus and olives as appetizers for my dinner tonight (chicken cacciatore and broccolini).
I've been meaning to make sourdough bagels for a long time. "Long time," in this case, means I found I had asked TFL member rossnroller to share his recipe back in 2010. I finally got around to doing it. Although I didn't use Ross's recipe but converted Hamelman's bagel recipe in "Bread," which has worked well for me in the past, to a sourdough version. I think they turned out pretty well.
Finally, I also baked a couple loaves of what has been my favorite "daily bread" for the past several months. It is roughly based on Forkish's "Field Blend #2.j
We just returned from a week and a half on Maui. It was a long-deferred first visit to that island, and I hope we visit again soon.
We ate well. Hawaii is the home of "Asian Fusion" cuisine, and we ate a lot of it. The fish was simply fabulous - so much better than the very freshest fish I can get where I live. Because we found a fish market with wonderful fish, right off their own boat, I did cook in our rented condo a couple times.
Opakapaka with a wine, soy, ginger, mango salsa. Pok choi and jasmine rice.
Besides fish, we also enjoyed the tropical fruits. We had been to Hawaii twice before, but mangos were never in season. This trip, we had delicious local mangos and, even more, papayas.
The bread scene on Maui is pretty sad, as far as I could discover. But then, except for Portuguese Sweet Bread, it's a rice-based diet. I suppose for native Hawaiians, poi (pounded taro root paste) is the main carbohydrate.
When we got home, I immediately activated my starter, of course, and made a couple loves of my current favorite "daily bread:" For quite a few years, I have thought I truly had at least a dozen "favorite" breads. But, when I was in Nevada for Thanksgiving and a week extra, I discovered how much I liked Ken Forkish's "Field Blend #2." So, for the past couple months I have hardly baked anything else (except for some sandwich rolls made from the FB #2 dough and many loaves of Jewish Sour Rye for a Synagogue fundraiser. Here is what I baked yesterday:
Not that we grew tired of Hawaiian food - quite the opposite - but I was happy to make another kind of cuisine for a change.
Winey beef stew with parmesan smashed potatoes.
Happy to be home ... sort of.
One of the views from our condo balcony.
Turn clockwise 120 degrees .... Here is another view from the balcony ...
Baking December, 2016
I started the Month loafing in Las Vegas. We had Thanksgiving in Henderson, NV this year. One of our sons teaches at UNLV. The deal was that the following weekend, said son and his wife (also a professor at UNLV) went off to a neuroscience conference in Hawaii, leaving my wife and me in charge of (Ha!) two granddaughters. So, we revisited parenthood for a week, complete with JuJitsu lessons, piano lessons, bass guitar practice sessions with rock and roll band, school pick-up and drop-off and cooking. Did I mention that the granddaughters are vegetarian?
Now, this is the same son I had successfully infected with lactobacilli a few years ago, so the granddaughters are accustomed to having delicious home-baked sourdough bread. I baked 3 bakes in a week. The bread I made all three times was Ken Forkish’s “Field Blend 2,” which is a pain au levin-type loaf made with a mix of AP, WW and rye. The reason I didn’t switch breads was that this one was so good.
In fact, it was so good, I baked another loaf when we got back home to California. It was good again.
Next month, the Fresno Jewish Film Festival film will be preceded by a dinner featuring “Jewish comfort food.” Now, that covers a whole lot of different dishes! Anyway, I let slip that I bake rye bread and got volunteered. This week, I made a couple loaves to get in the freezer. I’ll do another bake shortly before the dinner.
The best part of the story is that the coordinator of the dinner is the daughter-in-law of the owner/baker of the Jewish bakery in Fresno when I was a child. He’s why I crave rye bread which is why I started baking bread. And his daughter-in-law wants me to teach her to make rye bread! That’s some kind of karma or something!
My last “project” for the month was two bakes of Hansjoakim’s “Pain au Levain with rye sour.” This has been a favorite of mine for several years. I have always followed Hansjoakim’s procedure which includes machine mixing and a single stretch and fold during bulk fermentation. My recent very happy experiences with hand mixing sourdough breads made me wonder how some of the breads I have always machine mixed in the past would be hand mixed. So, I made loaves of Hansjoakim’s bread on two successive days, the first machine mixed and the second mixed by hand and stretched and folded four times at 30 minute intervals during bulk fermentation.
Pain au Levain with rye sour, machine mixed
Pain au Levain with rye sour, machine mixed, crumb
Pain au Levain with rye sour, hand mixed
Pain au Levain with rye sour, hand mixed, crumb
All and all, the two bakes yielded pretty much identical results. I preferred the hand mixed version slightly. It had a more tender crumb and crunchier crust. It should be noted that, besides the difference in mixing, I also used a finer milled WW flour in the machine mixed loaf.
I made some really tasty breads this month. A good way to close out the year. In the coming year, I already have two “dates” to bake with and teach a couple wannabe sourdough bakers. I’m looking forward to it.
I have been less conspicuous on TFL this past year, but I have been gratified to see lots of collaborative problem solving happening. That is the heart of TFL, as far as I’m concerned. I think we participate in one of the interpersonally healthiest corners of the online universe, and Floyd deserves all the credit and a whole lot of appreciation for creating and maintaining it.
So, a happy, healthy, peaceful and sane New Year to all and Happy Baking!
My quest for “Old-Style” San Francisco Sourdough bread: A tasty digression
October, 2016
This trial builds on what I learned from my first two trials. It is a bit of a detour in that I have made some changes that, I hope, result in a bread more to my current taste, even though it deviates from the breads of the old style in having higher hydration and whole grain flours.
Bakers %
Hi-protein flour #
Bread flour +
264
61
Whole Wheat flour
87
Whole Rye flour
44
305
8
1.8
750
172.8
# I used KAF Sir Lancelot flour (14% protein)
+ I used Central Milling ABC flour (11.5% protein).
Sponge
High-protein flour (14%)
32
16
50
Firm starter*
64
* The starter should have been fed within the preceding 3 days. It may be refrigerated after the last feeding. Optionally, one can make extra starter with this formula to save, after being fermented, for use in generating the next sponge.
Dissolve the firm starter in the water.
Add the high-protein flour and knead until all the flour is well-hydrated.
Ferment at 80ºF for 9-10 hours.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
Bread flour
283
Procedures
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and flours and mix at Speed 1 to a shaggy mass. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 20-60 minutes. (Note: This autolyse step is my addition. It was not used in the original method.)
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and add the sponge in chunks. Mix at Speed 1 for 1 or 2 minutes until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Mix at Speed 2 for 10-12 minutes, until an medium window pane stage of gluten development.
Cover the mixer bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes at 90ºF.
Pre-shape as boule, cover with a damp cloth or plasti-crap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Shape as a boule and place in floured banneton. Place banneton in a plastic bag and seal.
The journal article says the bakery proofed for 5-8 hours at 85-90ºF. Monitor the loaf frequently after 4 hours using the “poke test.” Proofing is sufficient when the dough is poked with a finger and springs back to fill the hole slowly.
Place the banneton in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours.
Pre-heat oven for 1 hour at 500ºF with baking stone and steaming apparatus in place.
Just before baking, transfer the loaf to a peel and score as desired.
Bake with steam at 460ºF for 15 minutes, then for another 25-30 minutes. (I did the second part of the bake with the oven set to 440ºF, Convection Bake.
Remove to a rack and cool thoroughly before slicing.
Okay. This is more that a “detour.” It's a different bread. It is a really good pain au campagne, I would say. The crust is chewy. The crumb is tender. It is moderately sour – less so than I expected, actually. But it has a predominant sweet, wheaty, mellow flavor. I think there is a lot of lactic acid influence there.
I will be getting back to my quest to replicate old-style San Francisco Sourdough, but this diversion produced a bread I am going to want to make again.
Happy baking! | http://www.thefreshloaf.com/blog/dmsnyder?page=1 |
From how people work to how businesses serve customers, the pandemic has stimulated discussions around the many elements of life that COVID-19 has changed, unveiling new and potentially better ways to operate as a society. Due to circumstance, perhaps the most discussed realm, though, has been that of healthcare.
Telehealth and patient portal adoption had already been on a steady – albeit slow – rise. But as the risks increased and providers sought to limit unnecessary exposures and interactions during COVID, the entire industry went all in on this technology. Apart from a few barriers, it was predominately a success. This “trial by fire” confirmed that a significant portion of healthcare can, in fact, be effectively administered remotely in the comfort of one’s home.
It comes as no surprise, then, when Becker’s Hospital Review polled nine CIOs from various health systems about how they think the health IT field will change in the next five years, that home health, remote in-home monitoring, and advancements in the functionalities of patient portals were prevalent in their responses. Expectedly, there was also a parallel focus on interoperability, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and data accessibility.
While my predictions align with these prospective insights, I found one notable thing missing – the simultaneous growth and integration of the healthcare IT services sector needed to support these technologies. These highly complex digital advancements require expertise beyond what many health systems currently possess, particularly when it comes to ensuring a reliable and high-quality patient experience.
Some health systems have already taken the initial step in ensuring stable and secure support by partnering with external service providers. During the widespread transition to electronic health records (EHR), many healthcare organizations recognized the value of assistance with implementation, education, and support for these platforms. Others were able to supplement by expanding their internal IT departments or relying on the EHR systems’ internal support teams to succeed. But regardless of the solution, the sophistication and acceleration of future technologies have proven that the need is beyond the scope of any traditional IT department.
The overall complexity of these technologies, coupled with the health system’s requirement to deliver remote care reliably, will push IT departments within healthcare organizations to dramatically increase their focus on more proactive monitoring and support. The inevitable and rapid developments in technological advancement will only continue to add more demand and pressure to a workforce already beyond capacity, and it is never too early to question if your current environment can support it.
And ultimately, for those who find themselves unable to keep up internally, a managed services partnership may be the solution. Proactively sourcing service providers can assist in alleviating the pressure of maintaining a secure and stable environment in a continuously evolving field that demands highly skilled and sought-after individuals. | https://hctec.com/resource-center/predicting-the-future-of-healthcare-it-a-surge-in-demand-for-it-support-services/ |
Cooking everyday can become boring if you only know to prepare a few different dishes. To improve your outlook, you should consider some options, such as learning more about cooking. Doing so will allow you to not only cook healthy meals for yourself and your family, but also discover new and exciting dishes. This article contains some easy-to-implement tips that will advance your culinary skills to the next levels.
As you season meat, you should try a cooking a little piece first. Foods such as meatballs, meatloaf and hamburgers too all require delicate seasoning. After you season the meat, do not cook all of the batch. The more you cook, the better you will get at using the right amount of spices and seasonings. Then, you can cook the rest of it, or adjust your seasonings as needed.
Cooking Methods
Longer cooking methods, such as boiling, take out a lot of the healthy nutrients that are found in vegetables. Quick cooking methods should be used when cooking vegetables so that their nutritional value can stay in-tacked.
Do you regret having to throw out old fruit? Is it alright to cut out the rotten part and save them? Half-rotten fruit is not save worthy. There is no way to use this food without compromising your health. After a certain point, the fruit may become moldy, though you may not be able to tell by looking at it. Consuming the fruit could make you very ill.
By doing so, the mushrooms will absorb the water like a sponge. Wipe the mushrooms off by hand with a cloth that is damp.
Sometimes, your burgers can stick onto the grill. This makes removing them extremely difficult or impossible without compromising their shape. If, however, you brush the grill with oil, this will help prevent sticking.
Chicken Broth
When you cook vegetables, use chicken broth. Using chicken broth will prevent the vegetables from sticking in the pan as well as add some tasty flavor at the same time. Chicken broth doesn’t cost much, and is widely available at most grocery stores.
For a high-protein diet, meat isn’t the only source available. Tofu, lentils and beans are great protein substitutes. Both can be found at any grocery store. Pan fried tofu, lightly sprinkled with your favorite seasonings, is a delicious substitute to meat. Boiling the beans and then including them in a hearty vegetarian chili is also a wonderful dish for a cold winter night.
One of the healthiest ways to cook your vegetables is to cook them on high with a low sodium chicken broth. The vegetables get flavor from the broth, and there is no need to use as much oil as it normally takes to saute them. This is a delicious, simple way to cook fresh vegetables.
If you use these tips, cooking can become your hobby. It is actually fun to cook when you know how to do so. You will also find out more about your tastes and preferences. When you have fun and enjoy cooking, your enthusiasm itself will enhance your dishes. | http://veryhealthywater.org/healthyliving/make-kitchen-time-more-productive-with-these-tips |
During the dissection of an amputed leg, we discovered a combined variation involving the branching of the popliteal artery and tibial nerve. The popliteal artery showed a trifurcation pattern, and one of its branches, the posterior tibial artery, was hypoplastic. In addition, a small branch arising from the tibial nerve in the upper part of the leg distally crossed the peroneal artery and contributed to the medial plantar nerve. In this article, such a case of embryonic origin is discussed, along with the clinical significance of these variations. The variant nerve and its relationship with the variant artery have not previously been described in the literature. | https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol29/iss6/26/ |
Philadelphia’s own Arden Theater company presented the world premier of My Name is Asher Lev, the first play commissioned by the Arden and based upon the book by Chaim Potok. Adapted and directed by Aaron Posner, the emotional and intelligent piece carries meaningful religious and famial overtones that will connect with audiences of even the most desperate faiths.
Asher Lev (Karl Miller) is a boy born with a prodigious artistic ability into a Hasidic Jewish family in 1940s Brooklyn. Asher's childhood is filled with conflict as his unique and extraordinary gift clashes with the ways of his devoutly religious sect. Asher’s gift compels him to sketch the truth of the world; truth sometime in sharp contrast with his family’s faith and his community’s Judaism.
Asher’s father (Adam Heller), a pious man devoted to serving his faith, is particulary troubled by his sons talents. In the middle is Asher's anxious mother (Gabra Zackman), who’s mounting agony at the loss of family feeds Asher’s feverish work. Unable to understand his son’s preternatural gift, Asher's father declares it to be from the realm of the demonic. His son’s uncontrollable attraction to copying paintings of nude women and crucifixions of Jesus, especially exasperate and trouble the loving yet baffled father.
Bringing this drawing room drama to life is a small but talented cast of just three threspians. Karl Miller cleverly plays Asher from age six to adulthood, giving the character just enough naivete and angst to understand. Miller deftly manages to hold your attention, without ever reducing to mugging or spotlight stealing. Co-stars Adam Heller and Gabra Zackman carry the lion’s share of the work, creating an entire cast of characters from family members to art world experts. Both effortlessly move from accent to accent as easily as the change costumes.
The conundrum facing Asher Lev may not be a familiar touchstone. As the production reminds us, great Hasidic Jewish artists are rather few and far between. But the play explores the themes of conflicting traditions, father/mother versus child, modern versus traditional, and the religious Jewish world versus secular America. Most, if not all of that, is treaded territory to all of us. Struggling to express your desires in the face of community and parental challenges? That’s a story more than just a few of us are friendly with…Attempting to rationalize spiritual and religious beliefs with modern life? I think many of us have walked that walk too.
The rapture in the Arden’s production is how much the audience can relate. The empathy between the audience and this almost-alien Asher, as well as his family, is palpable. While the dramatic and painful journey on stage might be more tempestuous then our more banal paths travelled, it is stirring to see the Lev family’s tragic odyssey unfold. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/world_premiere_of_my_name_is_asher_lev_at_the_arden/1853813/ |
• Communication skills: Much of the job involves working with a design team and communicating with research participants to answer research questions.
• Empathy: Understanding a user’s expectations, frustrations, goals, and reasoning process can help you develop solutions to real user needs.
• Design thinking: Each stage of the design thinking process—empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test—offers opportunities to learn more about our target users.
• Problem solving: Thinking critically about what questions you’re trying to answer with your research can help you select the appropriate methodology.
• Curiosity: A sense of curiosity can prompt you to ask insightful questions and discover meaningful insights.
• Collaboration: As a UX researcher, you’ll often be working alongside developers, designers, product managers, and other stakeholders to bring the best possible product to market.
• Experience in Lean Startup is a plus
Please be aware we are not necessarily expecting each candidate to cover all the above listed technologies.
Education/Certification: | https://www.stepupsearch.com/jobs-1/user-researcher |
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to comment on the motion before the House and indicate that from the beginning the government has condemned and deplored the horrific acts on the United States that occurred on September 11.
Former President Clinton identified terrorism as:
--the greatest security challenge of the twentieth century...we cannot have economic security in a global economy unless we can stand against those forces of terrorism. The United States will lead the way and we expect our allies to walk with us hand in hand.
The Prime Minister stated in the House on September 17:
--so let us be clear: this was not just an attack on the United States. These cold-blooded killers struck a blow at the values and beliefs of free and civilized people everywhere. The world has been attacked. The world must respond. Because we are at war against terrorism and Canada—a nation founded on a belief in freedom, justice and tolerance—will be part of that response.
A special Senate committee on security and intelligence, the Kelly committee, found that “to be effective the fight against terrorism must be through a united international front”.
Canada has reaffirmed that it will not be a bystander in this important struggle. We must win the struggle against terrorism both at home and abroad. We must shoulder our international responsibilities in the days ahead.
The Government of Canada is fully committed to resolution 1373 of the United Nations Security Council, which was unanimously adopted on September 28. The resolution reaffirms the unequivocal condemnation of these terrorist acts on the international community.
In terms of the existing framework of the United Nations, it is difficult to condemn these horrific attacks as crimes against humanity and bring the perpetrators to justice. The current international system does not have the necessary infrastructure, such as a special tribunal on terrorism or the International Criminal Court to implement this.
To recognize that international law exists is, however, not tantamount to asserting that it is as effective a legal system as the national legislative systems are. More particularly, it is effective at regulating and retaining the struggle for power on the international scene.
International law is a primitive law because it is almost completely decentralized. The decentralized nature of international law is inevitably the result of the decentralized structure of international society. Domestic law can be imposed by the group that holds a monopoly of organized force, that is the officials of the state.
It is an essential characteristic of international society, composed of sovereign states, which by definition are the supreme legal authorities within their representative territories, that no such law giving and law enforcing authority can exist there.
International law owes its existence and operation to two factors both decentralized in character: identical or complementary interests of individual states and the distribution of power among them. Where there is no community of interest nor balance of power there is no international law. Whereas domestic law may originate in and be reinforced by the arbitrary will of the agencies of the state, international law is overwhelmingly the result of objective social forces.
Clearly in the fight against international terrorism, there appears to be a strong broad consensus on the need for the international community to respond with one voice.
In terms of the United Nations it has established two international criminal tribunals in the Hague; one, for the atrocities committed in Rwanda; and the other for the atrocities committed in the former Yugoslavia. Canada has clearly indicated to the United Nations that if it establishes a separate international court for terrorism, we will support it.
Canada signed the 1998 convention for the suppression of the financing of terrorism and was one of the first countries to sign it. We will meet our commitment to ratify that.
We signed all 12 international conventions against terrorism and have already ratified 10 of them. The Minister of Justice has indicated we will ratify the other two very shortly.
Canada ratified the ICC Statute of Rome in July 2000 and was the first state to adopt a comprehensive implementing legislation; the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act on June 29, 2000. Canada has been a strong supporter of the ICC at every stage of its development and will continue to be involved as the ICC moves closer to becoming a reality. However, It should be noted that the ICC statute, which will eventually establish the ICC, does not recognize terrorism as a crime against humanity.
The Prime Minister has stated that if there is a need to amend the treaty Canada will always be a participant because at the beginning of this system Canada was one of the initiators.
It is important to mention the role of world public opinion in the struggle against terrorism. World public opinion is obviously one that transcends national boundaries and unites members of different nations in a consensus with regard to at least certain fundamental international issues.
This consensus makes itself felt in spontaneous reaction throughout the world against whatever move on the chessboard of international politics is disapproved by that consensus. The events of September 11 have galvanized world public opinion.
Canada recognizes that the international legal system does not have the ability to deal effectively with international terrorism. The world community would welcome anything that Canada and other states can do to strengthen the international legal system. International law does not even provide for agencies and instrumentalities for the purpose of its enforcement part of the agencies of national governments.
In the Law of Nations Brierly describes the following situation:
The international system, has no central organ for the enforcement of international legal rights as such, the creation of any such general scheme of sanctions is for the present a very distant prospect...This absence of an executive power means that each state remains free to take such action as it thinks fit to enforce its own rights. This does not mean that international law has no sanction, if that word is used in its proper sense of means for securing the observance of the law; but it is true that the sanctions which it possesses are not systematic or centrally directed, and that accordingly they are precarious in their operation. This lack of system is obviously unsatisfactory, particular to those states, which are less able than others to assert their own rights effectively.
UN security council resolution 1372 not only condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States. It also laid out wide ranging strategies to combat the threat of international terrorism. It established a committee to monitor the implementation of its resolution and called on all nations to report within 90 days on actions they had taken to do so.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance announced the implementation of tough new regulations aimed at suppressing financing in Canada of terrorism and freezing the assets of listed persons. The regulations implement a critical measure in United Nations resolution 1373. The freezing of assets is an important tool in combating international terrorist financing.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated:
This UN resolution is an important milestone in the fight again terrorism and is a critical tool for international action. The regulations will enhance Canada's ability to shoulder our international responsibility to combat terrorist activities and to co-operate effectively with our international partners.
The regulations provide the government with the authority to freeze the assets of terrorist organizations or individuals in terrorist activities and the movement of these assets.
The measures include the prohibition of terrorist funding, the prohibition of the collection of funds to listed persons; a new listing provision which establishes a list of any persons and organization that have committed, attempted to commit or participated in a terrorist act or facilitated the commission of a terrorist act; the freezing of assets which will not permit any person in Canada or a Canadian outside the country to knowingly deal directly or indirectly with any asset owned or controlled by a listed person; a new reporting requirement that requires any person who deals in assets they believe are owned or controlled by a listed person to report this information to the RCMP and to CSIS; and a new compliance regime for financial institutions which requires that financial institutions must determine if they have any assets that belong to a listed person.
Federally regulated financial institutions must confirm their compliance with this requirement and disclose the results to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions while provincially regulated institutions must report their information to their provincial regulator or supervisor. | https://openparliament.ca/debates/2001/10/2/betty-hinton-1/?page=8 |
Salty, fresh or both - what happens in the fish?
Ever since childhood, we have learned that there are different fish in our different waters, some thrive in salt water and others in fresh water. But what really happens inside the species that live and thrive in both? Daniel Morgenroth has with his dissertation "Cardiorespiratory function of euryhaline teleosts: Regulatory mechanisms, effects of warming and costs of osmoregulation" tried to sort it out.
Fish are generally adapted to live in either freshwater or seawater and do not tolerate large changes in salinity. On the other hand, a small proportion of fish species can survive large changes in salinity and even perform migrations between freshwater and seawater, like for example salmon or eels. The latter is what we call euryhaline fishes.
To be able to tolerate such wide salinity changes, euryhaline fishes must undergo multiple behavioral and physiological adjustments. This includes changes in blood supply to the organs involved in maintaining the body’s salt and water balance, like the gills and gastrointestinal tract.
– Throughout my thesis, I have investigated some of the mechanisms involved in driving said changes in blood supply. Additionally, I explored the different effects warming has on fish depending on the salinity they experience it at, as well as the effects of salinity on energy turnover and growth, says Daniel Morgenroth, doctoral student at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg.
What have been the biggest challenges during the process?
– I would say that often the most challenging part is starting up new projects. We always have many hypotheses, but finding the right experimental approach to test them takes some work and thus, there is usually a bit of trial and error, polishing and fine-tuning of protocols preceding the actual experiments.
A dehydrating effect that increases with higher temperature
Seawater has a dehydrating effect on fish and therefore, they drink and increase blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract to help with the absorption of water.
– In one of my studies, I show that gastrointestinal blood flow seems to be partly regulated by some kind of osmo- or mechanoreceptors along the gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, at higher temperatures the dehydrating effects of seawater increase. In another study, I show that marine fish compensate for this by drinking more and by further elevating the amount of blood directed to the gut, which also requires larger elevations in the amount of blood pumped by the heart, says Daniel Morgenroth.
Does anything surprise you?
– Definitely! For example, as I mentioned, fish in seawater respond to warming with larger increases in blood flow compared to fish in freshwater, yet, the amount of blood the heart can pump is limited. This highlights that fish in seawater might run out of capacity to increase blood flow quicker with warming than their freshwater conspecifics. This could have important consequences for fish in seawater as we venture into a warmer future with climate change. | https://www.gu.se/en/news/salty-fresh-or-both-what-happens-in-the-fish |
The CEC said the plan, approved on Monday, will support California Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035.
The 2021–2023 Investment Plan Update increases the budget of the Clean Transportation Program by six times, including $1.1 billion from the 2021–2022 state budget in addition to the remaining $238 million in program funds, the CEC said.
“These dollars close the 2025 infrastructure funding gap so that access to charging and hydrogen fueling isn’t a barrier for those exploring cleaner transportation options,” Lead Commissioner for Transportation Patty Monahan said in a statement.
The CEC said the plan focuses on zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure build-out, with nearly 80% of available funding going to charging stations or hydrogen refueling.
The plan includes $314 million for light-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure, $690 million for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure (battery-electric and hydrogen) and $244 million for zero-emissions vehicle manufacturing.
On Nov. 19, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will consider a complementary proposal for $1.5 billion in clean transportation incentives, including consumer vehicle rebates, and heavy-duty and off-road equipment investments, the CEC said. | |
Investigation and Accountability for the Bilal Boarding School Fire Incident
I hereby call on the IGP to place the Bilal Boarding School under investigation including arresting its proprietor to help in the investigation. That should be an immediate first step by the police. Where lives are lost the necessary law enforcement measures should be immediately undertaken. The children’s lives matter!
The provision of social goods and services to the public is a fundamental human rights issue. People have a right to enjoy quality goods, facilities and services that are safe, efficient and appropriate. Each and every service provider, public or private, should ensure that their facilities, goods and services meet the minimum standards of safety, hygiene and security.
It is the Government that bears primary duty to monitor these facilities to ensure that minimum standards are set for all public and private schools especially boarding schools. These standards should cover health, hygiene, food, lighting, accommodation and safety which includes the training of students on emergency issues. These include how to exit in times of emergency, where to assemble and how to use fire extinguishers and among the students who are the lead safety champions to guide others in times of emergencies.
The story of the proprietor that the kids themselves set the place on fire is untenable. That in itself exposes the lack of safety standards such that children could have access to matches or lighting equipment in their dormitories. If last year a similar fire incident was caused by the children, then the fact that it happens again this year with a far more deadly consequence shows the extremely poor safety measures in that school. The proprietor Alh. Essa Jawara should answer to this issue.
It must be noted that in February this year, a monitoring team from the Directorate of Children’s Welfare including the Child Protection Alliance visited this facility. In their report, they recommended that the school improves its accommodation, hygiene, ventilation, electricity and overall child protection facilities. Therefore, there is need for investigation as to whether these recommendations were implemented or not.
It is obvious that basic security, hygiene and sanitation facilities and measures are generally low in schools and similar facilities across the country. Walk down to any school, whether boarding or not, and you will see the poor, unsafe and unhealthy conditions of the school compound, classrooms, toilets, kitchen, dining areas and dormitories, with poor supply of water and lighting while other necessary safety tools are lacking or in poor conditions. This is unacceptable.
Not only schools, but even hotels, guest houses, bars and restaurants, the story is the same. In many of these places, basic hygiene and security facilities are unavailable. I have been to some hotels and restaurants in the tourism development area only to find a dead fly or a cockroach on my plate or some foreign particle in my glass.
This brings up the issue of monitoring and accountability by the relevant authorities to ensure that consumers rights are protected. Customers who use these facilities have a right to safe and quality goods and services that also meets value for money.
What are the ministries of Health, Tourism, Education, and Children doing to ensure effective oversight of service providers under their purview? What is the Consumer Protection Commission doing? What is the GTBoard doing? Why should these terrible things happen if these bodies are doing routine monitoring?
The fire incident at Bilal Boarding School calls for urgent review of all boarding schools as a start. The National Assembly committees on children and education should take leadership and responsibility to ensure there is review and accountability. The Government itself must lead this process because such incidents also highlight the gross failure of the Government in their monitoring and enforcement roles.
The National Human Rights Commission should visit the school to find out about all human rights issues at play in the school. And indeed CSOs and all citizens should demand investigations and accountability for the terrible incident in this school.
At the end of the day, accountability is what protects us all. If we fail to ensure accountability then we are effectively allowing the existence of poor facilities, poor quality of goods and poor delivery of poor services hence allow violations to take place thereby paving the way for impunity to prevail.
The children’s lives matter! | https://www.kerrfatou.com/investigation-and-accountability-for-the-bilal-boarding-school-fire-incident/ |
Preferred Language(s):
Closing Date: 10/15/2021 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC
Description
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. For more information, visit http://www.worldbank.org
We are on a mission to change the world; do you want to join us where it matters the most? Invest in your personal and professional development and acquire skills that are vital for a global career in international development. A role in an FCS (Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations) location will be a truly impactful experience! Fragility Conflict and Violence:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/fragilityconflictviolence
REGIONAL CONTEXT
The Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa) is a region with diverse cultures, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles – marked by contrasts of stability and conflict, affluence, and poverty. Home to about half a billion people, it encompasses 23 countries stretching from the westernmost point of Africa across the equator and partly along the Atlantic Ocean to the Republic of Congo in the South. The region is rich in resources and brimming with opportunities. It continues to make impressive progress in regional cooperation and includes two monetary unions – the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) that cover 13 countries between them.
The World Bank AFW Region, comprised of approximately 1,139 staff mostly based in about 23 country offices, is committed to helping countries to realize their considerable development potential and become more competitive in the global economy by focusing on the following priorities: (i) Creating Jobs and Transforming Economies: We are working with countries across Africa to stimulate job creation and economic transformation by leveraging all sources of finance, expertise, and solutions to promote investment. (ii) Building up the Digital Economy: We are supporting Africa’s vision to ensure that every African individual, business, and government is connected by 2030; (iii) Supporting Institutions to become more Efficient and Accountable: Our support is helping governments strengthen public policy processes, manage resources effectively, and reinforce fair and reliable delivery of public services; (iv) Investing in People: We are at the forefront of helping African countries accelerate human capital gains and empower women by improving their access to education and skills acquisition, sexual and reproductive health services, and employment opportunities (v) Supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: In the face of increasing climate-related risks, we are working with African countries to advance efforts to adopt renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure; (vi) Addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict and Violence: Given the cross-border nature of conflicts in Africa, we are employing an approach that simultaneously focuses on the drivers of fragility while also supporting well-targeted regional initiatives to create opportunities for peace and shared prosperity and (vii) Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent: We are scaling up our work on regional integration, taking a holistic view of the continent that covers both North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sectoral Context
Agriculture is an essential pathway to meeting the World Bank Group’s (WBG) twin goals—eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity. Food production must increase by at least 35 percent to meet the needs of the rising global population. Thus, ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity cannot be achieved without more and better investment in agriculture, food security, and nutrition. Meeting today’s challenges on the food and agriculture agenda will require major strides in agricultural innovation and climate smart agriculture, efficiency in food production and distribution systems, promoting environmentally and socially sustainable production practices, strengthening agricultural policy and institutions, supporting agribusiness value chains, and joint private and public sector action. The Agriculture and Food Global Practice (GP) of the WBG, working closely with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supports a Global Vision for Food and Agriculture with agriculture able to feed every person, every day, in every country with a safe, nutritious and affordable diet, and where jobs and income gains in the food system are sufficient to meet poverty reduction targets.
To help the achievement of the twin goals, the strategic focus of the Agriculture and Food GP is to help client countries on the issues mentioned above. Areas of focus include, among others: (i) increasing smallholder agricultural productivity, and it’s resilience through support to improved land and water management in irrigated and rain-fed areas; (ii) linking farmers to markets and strengthening value chains through support for improved infrastructure, information technology, postharvest handling; etc.; (iii) facilitating rural nonfarm income by improving the rural investment climate and skills development; (iv) reducing risk, vulnerability and gender inequality through support to risk management mechanisms; and (v) enhancing environmental services and sustainability.
The work program of the Agriculture and Food GP in Central and West Africa spans 23 countries and supports projects/programs and non-lending (advisory and analytical) services aimed primarily at inclusive growth through increased agricultural productivity, food security, and rural non-farm incomes and employment while protecting the quality of the environment. The GP’s program in the region is central to achieving the Bank’s Mission of reducing poverty given that: (i) the majority of the Region’s poor live and work in agriculture; (ii) the demand for food in the region is expected to significantly increase over the next decades; and (iii) the pressure on natural resources in rural areas is expected to worsen.
The Agriculture and Food GP works with and across multiple sectors in recognition of the fact that Agriculture outcomes often depend on actions that lie outside the Practice, and the GP actively contributes to work managed by other Global Practices. Accordingly, a capacity to work across GP/sectoral boundaries, forge coalitions and influence multi-practice solutions is essential for achieving the major objectives of improving agriculture outcomes.
The Agriculture and Food GP seeks a field based Extended Term Consultant (ETC) to advise and supervise operational work in the Republic of Congo.
Agriculture in the Republic of Congo
The World Bank currently supports the Republic of Congo (ROC)’s National Development Plan (NDP) strategy with a US$100 million commercial agriculture project, the “Congo Commercial Agriculture Project (PDAC)”. The project has four components. The first component provides direct support to the private sector in agriculture by facilitating market access for producer groups and agribusiness MSMEs. The component follows a productive alliance (PA) model in which producer groups and MSMEs are supported to target new markets and establish commercial relationships with buyers and off-takers (both domestic and foreign). This is done through (i) sound business plan development; (ii) supply chain development for sourcing quality raw materials; and (iii) access to the know-how to improve processing techniques. The second component supports public investments in agricultural service roads and other improved public infrastructure selected based on the location of producer groups and agribusiness MSMEs markets. Activities in the second component also contribute to improving the business climate for commercial agriculture. The thirds component supports the strengthening of institutional capacities for commercial agriculture development.
The project also offers a clear opportunity to address and reduce the ROC’s overall vulnerability to climate change, and to build resilience. This goal is well-aligned with the World Bank’s Africa Climate Business Plan, particularly its first cluster (‘strengthening resilience’). This cluster stresses on initiatives that build and protect the resilience of the continent’s assets by investing in natural capital (landscapes, forests, agricultural land, and inland water bodies) and physical capital. The project is contributing to the objectives of Commission des Forêts de l’Afrique Centrale (Central African Forest Commission) and the wider REDD+ agenda by supporting agroforestry.
Description of Duties and Accountabilities:
The ET Consultant will be mapped to SAWA4 and report to the Practice Manager of the Unit. His/Her primary role will be to serve as a key member of the AFCC1 AG and country team, with significant responsibilities across the RoC country program. More specifically, s/he will:
Provide supervision support to the ongoing WBG supported PDAC agriculture project in ROC and develop the unit’s operations (lending) pipeline through business development.
Specific duties related to the supervision of the PDAC project include:
Monitor the PDAC annual work plan and budget execution and identify any potential delays that can jeopardize the Project Development Objective (PDO).Maintain close dialogue with the PDAC Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to monitor progress and issues, and verify compliance with specifications, good practice and World Bank rules and procedures.In close collaboration with the PDAC Task Team leader, provide technical assistance, supervise, and report on PDAC implementation. Contribute to the preparation and implementation of supervision missions by (i) drafting of Aid Memoires; (ii) collecting and compiling all relevant information to ensure sound monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and reporting on PDAC core and intermediate indicators; and (iii) preparing ad hoc notes and presentations on activities and results.Undertake or facilitate the organization of field visits for World Bank and other donor officials; contribute to the preparation of project-related documentation such as internal reporting, amendments.
Selection Criteria
The position requires: (a) strong hands-on experience in the design, implementation, supervision, and monitoring and evaluation of agricultural projects; (b) extensive knowledge of agricultural policy issues and solid experience participating in policy dialogue at different levels; and (c) significant experience interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders (Government institutions, donors, NGOs, farmers organizations, etc.).
The candidate should demonstrate a strong ability to quickly diagnose and resolve problems in project implementation, skills to build partnerships and mobilize regional and global knowledge to meet the PDAC project needs, as well as skills to introduce new ideas to clients and develop future pipeline business for the unit.
Specific criteria include:
Advanced degree in the field of agriculture, agri-business, rural development and/or economics;At least eight years of relevant experience in agriculture and food systems, including participation in the implementation of development projects and contribution to policy dialogue; relevant field experience in ROC or a similar environment in the region is essential;Relevant knowledge of critical agricultural policy issues such as food security, job creation and value chain development, Government’s interventions and subsidies;Experience of managing or supporting implementation of development assistance projects. Experience with World Bank or any other donor-funded projects would be considered a plus; Significant experience with WBG policies, operations, instruments, and systems is essential and demonstrated operational project management and portfolio management is desired;Fluency in French and English, ability to write concisely and clearly, good communication, mentoring and advocacy skills;Proven ability to maintain professional relations with Government officials, development partners and implementing agencies;Ability to work in a fast paced environment, with efficiency, competence, and integrity, with people of different cultural backgrounds.
Duration of the Contract:
Extended Term Consultant: 1-year.
World Bank Group Core Competencies
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC, including our values and inspiring stories.
Note: The selected candidate will be offered a one-year appointment, renewable for an additional one year, at the discretion of the World Bank Group, and subject to a lifetime maximum ET Appointment of two years. If an ET appointment ends before a full year, it is considered as a full year toward the lifetime maximum. Former and current ET staff who have completed all or any portion of their second-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments. | https://afriquejobs.com/2021/10/14/e-t-consultant-agriculture-economist-e-t-consultant-economiste-agricole-brazzaville-world-bank/ |
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abstract: |
Let $Q\in\CC[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ be a homogeneous polynomial of degree $k>0$. We establish a connection between the Bernstein-Sato polynomial $b_Q(s)$ and the degrees of the generators for the top cohomology of the associated Milnor fiber. In particular, the integer $u_Q=\max\{i\in\ZZ:
b_Q(-(i+n)/k)=0\}$ bounds the top degree (as differential form) of the elements in $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$. The link is provided by the relative de Rham complex and $\calD$-module algorithms for computing integration functors.
As an application we determine the Bernstein-Sato polynomial $b_Q(s)$ of a generic central arrangement $Q=\prod_{i=1}^kH_i$ of hyperplanes. We obtain in turn information about the cohomology of the Milnor fiber of such arrangements related to results of Orlik and Randell who investigated the monodromy.
We also introduce certain subschemes of the arrangement determined by the roots of $b_Q(s)$. They appear to correspond to iterated singular loci.
address: 'Department of Mathematics, Purdue University, 150 North University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2067'
author:
- Uli Walther
bibliography:
- 'bib.bib'
title: 'Bernstein-Sato polynomial versus cohomology of the Milnor fiber for generic hyperplane arrangements'
---
[^1]
Introduction
============
Let $f$ be a non-constant polynomial in $n$ variables. In the 1960s, M. Sato introduced $a$-, $b$- and $c$-functions associated to a prehomogeneous vector space [@Satoetal; @Sato]. The existence of $b$-functions associated to all polynomials and germs of holomorphic functions was later established in [@Bernstein; @Bjork2].
The simplest interesting case of a $b$-function is the case of the quadratic form $f(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=\sum_{i=1}^nx_i^2$. Let $s$ be a new variable and denote by $f^s$ the germ of the complex power of $f(x)$. One then has an identity $$\left(\sum_{i=1}^n\frac{\del^2}{\del {x_i}^2}\right)
\action f^{s+1}=4(s+1)(s+n/2)f^s.$$ The $b$-function to $f(x)$ is here $b_f(s)=(s+1)(s+n/2)$. One may for general $f$ use an equality of the type $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-bpoly-def}
P(s)\action f^{s+1}&=&b(s)f^s\end{aligned}$$ to analytically continue $f^s$, and it was this application that initially caused I.N. Bernstein to consider $b_f(s)$. Today, the $b$-function of a polynomial is usually referred to as “Bernstein-Sato polynomial” and denoted $b_f(s)$.
The Bernstein-Sato polynomial is always a multiple of $(s+1)$, and equality holds if $f$ is smooth. The roots of $b_f(s)$ are always negative and rational [@Kashiwara]. It has been pointed out first in [@Malgrange2; @Malgrange] that there is an intimate connection between the singularity structure of $f^{-1}(0)$ and its Bernstein-Sato polynomial. The roots of $b_f(s)$ relate to a variety of algebro-geometric data like the structure of the embedded resolution of the pair $(\CC^n,\var(f))$, Newton polyhedra, Zeta functions, asymptotic expansions of integrals, Picard-Lefschetz monodromy, polar invariants and multiplier ideals: see, for example, [@Budur-Saito; @Hamm2; @Kato; @Lichtin; @Loeser; @Varchenko2]. T. Yano systematically worked out a number of examples [@Yano] and some interesting computations are given in [@BGMM]. A satisfactory interpretation of all roots of $b_f(s)$ for general $f$ remains, however, outstanding. Indeed, until [@Oa2] there was not even an algorithm for the computation of $b_f(s)$ for an arbitrary polynomial $f$.
In this note we investigate the Bernstein-Sato polynomial when $f$ defines a generic central hyperplane arrangement. By that we mean a reduced collection of $k$ hyperplanes such that each subset of $\min\{k,n\}$ of the hyperplanes cuts out the origin. The paper is organized as follows. In this section we introduce the relevant notation. In the next section we find an upper bound for the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of a central generic arrangement. We shall compute a polynomial $b(s)$ that satisfies an identity of the type (\[eqn-bpoly-def\]) using strongly that the arrangement is central and generic. In Section 3 we use some counting and Gröbner type arguments to obtain information about generators for the top cohomology of the Milnor fiber of such arrangements. We prove parts of a conjecture of Orlik and Randell on the cohomology of the Milnor fiber of a generic central arrangement. In particular, we determine in exactly which degrees the top cohomology lives, and we present a conjectured set of generators.
Malgrange [@Malgrange3] demonstrated that the Bernstein-Sato polynomial is the minimal polynomial of a certain operator on the sheaf of vanishing cycles. This says in essence that monodromy eigenvalues are exponentials of roots of $b_f(s)$. In the fourth section we prove roughly that for homogeneous $f$ the degrees of the top Milnor fiber cohomology are roots of $b_f(s)$. This can in some sense be seen as a logarithmic lift of Malgrange’s results. For generic central arrangements this links our results from Sections 2 and 3 and allows the determination of all roots of $b_f(s)$ and (almost) all multiplicities. We close Section 4 with an example of a non-generic arrangement, and finish in Section 5 with some statements and conjectures regarding the structure of the $D_n$-modules $R_n[f^{-1}]$ and $D_n[s]\action f^s$.
Throughout, we will work over the field of complex numbers $\CC$. We should point out that this is mostly for keeping things simple as the Bernstein-Sato polynomial is invariant under field extensions.
In this note, for elements $\{f_1,\ldots,f_k\}$ of any ring $A$, $\ideal{f_1,\ldots,f_k}$ denotes the left ideal generated by $\{f_1,\ldots,f_k\}$. If we mean a right ideal, we specify it by writing $\ideal{f_1,\ldots,f_k}A$.
By $R_n$ we denote the ring of polynomials $\CC[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ in $n$ variables over $\CC$, and by $D_n$ we mean the ring of $\CC$-linear differential operators on $R_n$, the $n$-th Weyl algebra. The ring $D_n$ is generated by the partial derivative operators $\del_i=\frac{\del}{\del x_i}$ and the multiplication operators $x_i$. One may consider $R_n$ as a subring of $D_n$ as well as a quotient of $D_n$ (by the left ideal $\ideal{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n}$). We denote by $\action$ the natural action of $D_n$ on $R_n$ via this quotient map, as well as induced actions of $D_n$ on localizations of $R_n$.
We will have occasion to consider $D_t$, $D_x$ and $D_{x,t}$ in some instances, where $D_t$ is the Weyl algebra in the variable $t$, $D_x$ the one in $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ and $D_{x,t}$ is the Weyl algebra in $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ and $t$.
The module of global algebraic differential $n$-forms on $\CC^n$ is denoted $\Omega$; it may be pictured as the quotient $D_n/\ideal{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n}D_n$. The left $D_n$-Koszul complex on $D_n$ induced by the commuting vector fields $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$ is denoted $\Omega^\bullet$; it is a resolution for $\Omega$ as right $D_n$-module.
We shall use multi-index notation in $R_n$: writing $x^\alpha$ implies that $\alpha=(\alpha_1,\ldots,\alpha_n)$ and stands for $x^\alpha=x_1^{\alpha_1}\cdots x_n^{\alpha_n}$. The same applies to elements of $D_n$, both for the polynomial and the differential components. If $\alpha$ is a multi-index, $|\alpha|$ denotes the sum of its components; if $I$ is a set, then $|I|$ is its cardinality. Finally, if $k,r\in\NN$ then $k\divides r$ signifies that $k$ divides $r$ while $k\dividesnot r$ indicates that this is not the case.
Bernstein-Sato polynomials
--------------------------
For $f\in R_n$ we define $J(f^s)\subseteq D_n[s]$ to be the annihilator of $f^s$ via formal differentiation, this is a left ideal. We set $$\calM=D_n[s]/(J(f^s)+\ideal{f})=D_n\action f^s/D_n\action f^{s+1}.$$ By definition, the [*Bernstein-Sato polynomial*]{} $b_f(s)$ of $f$ is the minimal polynomial of $s$ on $\calM$. So $b_f(s)$ is the monic polynomial of smallest degree satisfying a functional equation of the type (\[eqn-bpoly-def\]) with $P(s)\in D_n[s]$.
Let $\tilde\calM=D_n[s]/(J(f^s)+\ideal{f}+D_n[s]\cdot \frakA)$ where $\frakA\subseteq
R_n$ is the Jacobian ideal of $f$, $\frakA=\sum_{i=1}^nR_n\del_i\action(f)$. Then $\tilde \calM$ is isomorphic to $(s+1)\calM$ and since $(s+1)$ divides $b_f(s)$ then the minimal polynomial of $s$ on $\tilde\calM$ is $\tilde b_f(s)=b_f(s)/(s+1)$.
Consider the module $D_n\action f^a$ for $a\in \CC$ and write $J(f^a)$ for the kernel of the map $D_n\to D_n\action f^a$ induced by $P\mapsto
P\action f^a$. There is a natural map $D_n\action f^{a+1}\into
D_n\action f^{a}$ induced by $P\action f^{a+1}\mapsto Pf\action f^a$. Some roots of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial detect the failure of this map to be an isomorphism:
Let $a\in\QQ $ be such that $b_f(a)=0$ but $b_f(a-n)\not =0$ for all positive natural numbers $n$. Then $D_n\action f^a\not =
D_n\action f^{a+1}$. Suppose that $a$ is as the hypotheses stipulate, and in addition assume that $D_n\action f^a =
D_n\action f^{a+1}$. We will exhibit a contradiction.
Since $D_n\action f^{a+1}\to
D_n\action f^{a}$ is an epimorphism, $D_n=\ideal{f}+J(f^a)$. By the choice of $a$ and Proposition 6.2 in [@Kashiwara], $J(f^a)=D_n\cap(J(f^s)+D_n[s]\cdot(s-a))$. Hence $D_n[s]=J(f^s)+\ideal{f}+\ideal{s-a}$. Multiplying by $b_f(s)/(s-a)$ we get $\ideal{b_f(s)/(s-a)}\subseteq
J(f^s)+\ideal{f}+\ideal{b_f(s)}$. Since $b_f(s)\in J(f^s)+\ideal{f}$, $$\frac{b_f(s)}{s-a}\in J(f^s)+\ideal{f}.$$ That, however, contradicts the definition of $b_f(s)$ as the minimal polynomial in $s$ contained in the sum on the right.
Isolated Singularities
----------------------
Suppose that $f$ has an isolated singularity and assume for simplicity that the singularity is at the origin. We give a short overview of what is known about the Bernstein-Sato polynomial in this case, following [@Kashi-book; @Malgrange; @Yano].
The module $\tilde \calM$ is supported only at the origin, so by [@Kashiwara] the minimal polynomial of $s$ on $\Omega\otimes_{D_n}\tilde\calM$ is $\tilde b_f(s)$. If now $f$ is homogeneous of degree $k$, $kf=\sum_{i=1}^n x_i\del_i\action(f)$. Then $J(f^s)$ contains $\sum_{i=1}^nx_i\del_i-ks$. The action of $s$ on a homogeneous $g\in \Omega\otimes_{D_n}\tilde\calM\cong R_n/\frakA$ is easily seen to be multiplication by $(-n-\deg(g))/k$. Thus, the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of a homogeneous isolated singularity encodes exactly the degrees of non-vanishing elements in $R_n/\frakA$.
Consider now the relative de Rham complex $\Omega_f^\bullet$ associated to the map $f:\CC^n\to \CC$. We shall denote the coordinate on $\CC$ by $t$. The complex $\Omega^\bullet_f$ is the Koszul complex induced by left multiplication by $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$ on the $D_{x,t}$-module $\calN=D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)$ where $J_{n+1}(f)$ is the left ideal of $D_{x,t}$ generated by $t-f$ and the expressions $\del_i+\del_i\action(f)
\del_t$ for $1\le
i\le n$. The complex $\Omega_f^\bullet=\Omega^\bullet\otimes_{D_n}\calN$ is a representative of the application of the de Rham functor $\int_f$ associated to the map $f$ to the structure sheaf on $\CC^n$, [@Deligne]. Its last nonzero cohomology module appears in degree $n$, $H^{n}(\Omega_f^\bullet)=\calN/\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n\}\cdot\calN$. This module is in a natural way a left $D_t$-module. For any $\alpha\in
\CC$, the cohomology of the derived tensor product of $\Omega^\bullet_f$ with $D_t/\ideal{t-\alpha}D_t$ is the de Rham cohomology of the fiber at $\alpha$. The identification of $\calN/\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n,t-\alpha\}D_{x,t}$ with $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(\var(f-\alpha))$ is explained in and before Lemma \[lem-omega\].
So one has an isomorphism $$R_n/\frakA\cong
(D_t/\ideal{t-\alpha}D_t)\otimes_{D_t}
H^n(\Omega^\bullet\otimes_{D_n}\calN)\cong
H^{n-1}_{\DR}(f^{-1}(\alpha),\CC)$$ and the roots of $b_f(s)$ in fact represent the degrees of the cohomology classes of the Milnor fiber of $f$. For general $f$, the Bernstein-Sato polynomial is more complex, see Example \[ex-non-generic\] and the following remarks.
An upper bound for the Bernstein polynomial
===========================================
Our goal is Theorem \[thm-upper-bound\]. We shall mimic some of the mechanism that makes the isolated singularity case so easy. It is clear that a literal translation is not possible, because $R_n/\frakA$ has in general elements in infinitely many different degrees. However, we now introduce certain ideals in $R_n$ that are intimately related to the Bernstein-Sato polynomial.
Let $q(s)\in \CC[s]$. For a fixed $f\in R_n$ we define the ideal $\fraka_{q(s)} \subseteq
R_n$ as the set of elements $g\in R_n$ $$\left[g\in \fraka_{q(s)}\right]
\Longleftrightarrow
\left[\exists
P(s)\in D_n[s]: P(s)\action f^{s+1}=q(s)gf^s\right].$$ We remark that $\fraka_{q(s)}\subseteq
\fraka_{q(s)q'(s)}$, and if $q'(s)g\in \fraka_{q(s)}\cdot R_n[s]$ then $g\in\fraka_{q(s)q'(s)}$. The Jacobian ideal $\frakA$ is contained in $\fraka_{(s+1)}$, and $f\in\fraka_{(1)}$.
The Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $f$ is evidently the polynomial $b_f(s)$ of smallest degree such that $1\in\fraka_{b_f(s)}$.
Before we come to the computation of an estimate for $b_f(s)$ for generic arrangements we first consider general homogeneous polynomials and then arrangements in the plane.
The homogeneous case
--------------------
Assume now that $Q\in R_n$ is homogeneous.[^2] We shall denote by $\frakm$ the homogeneous maximal ideal of $R_n$. If $g\in\fraka_{q(s)}$ then by definition $gQ^s\in\calM$ is annihilated by $q(s)$. Since $b_Q(s)$ annihilates all of $\calM$, finding $g\in\fraka_{q(s)}$ is equivalent to finding eigenvectors of $s$ on $\calM$ to eigenvalues that are zeros of $q(s)$. In the isolated singularity case one only has to study the residues of $\fraka_{q(s)}$ in $R_n/\frakA$, and this goes as follows. Let $\delta_Q
=\min_{k\in\NN}\{\frakm^{k+1}\subseteq \frakA\}$. Then the homogeneous polynomial $g$ with $0\not = \bar g\in R_n/\frakA$ is in $\fraka_{q(s)}$ if and only if $(s+1)\prod_{i=\deg(g)}^{\delta_Q}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{\deg(Q)}\right)$ divides $q(s)$; this is proved in [@Yano] based on results of Kashiwara.
For non-isolated homogeneous singularities $Q$ we have a weak version of this:
If $R_n[s]\cdot
\fraka_{q(s)}$ contains $\frakm^rg$ where $g=g(s)\in R_n[s]$ is homogeneous in $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ then $g\in
R_n[s]\cdot \fraka_{q'(s)}$ where $q'(s)=q(s)\cdot
\prod_{i=0}^{r-1}\left(s+(i+n+\deg(g))/k\right)$. In particular, $$\left[\frakm^r\subseteq \fraka_{q(s)}\right]\Longrightarrow
\left[b_Q(s)\divides
q(s)\cdot \prod_{i=0}^{r-1}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{k}\right)\right].$$ Let $m$ be a monomial of degree $r-1$, so $x_img\in R_n[s]\cdot \fraka_{q(s)}$. Then $$\begin{aligned}
\sum_{i=1}^n\del_i\action(x_imgQ^s)&=&
mg(\del_1x_1+\ldots +\del_nx_n)\action Q^s+\deg(mg)mgQ^s\\
&=&
mg(ks+n+\deg(mg))Q^s. \end{aligned}$$ As $\deg(m)=r-1$, $\left(s+\frac{r-1+n+\deg(g)}{k}\right)mg\in \fraka_{q(s)}$. By decreasing induction on $\deg(m)$, $$\prod_{i=1}^r\left(s+\frac{n+\deg(g)+r-i}{k}\right)
g\in
R_n[s]\cdot \fraka_{q(s)}.$$
The final claim follows from the definition of $b_Q(s)$.
\[rem-ex-nonarrangement\] Suppose that $f$ is [*$w$-quasi-homogeneous*]{}, i.e., there are nonnegative numbers $w_1,\ldots,w_n$ such that with $\xi=\sum_{i=1}^n
w_ix_i\del_i$ one has $f=\xi\bullet(f)$ and hence $\xi-s\in J(f^s)$. If $\frakn\subseteq\fraka_{q(s)}$ is a $w$-homogeneous $\frakm$-primary ideal then one can show in the same manner that $b_f(s)$ divides the product of $q(s)$ and the minimal polynomial of $\xi$ on $R_n/\frakn$ evaluated at $-s-\sum_{i=1}^nw_i$. For example, $f=x^3+y^3+z^2w$ is (1/3,1/3,1/3,1/3)-homogeneous. One has $\fraka_{(s+1)}=\ideal{x^2,y^2,z^2,zw}$, which is of dimension 1, corresponding to the line of singularities $(0,0,0,w)$. One can see that the trick of Lemma \[lem-euler\] can be used to show that $\fraka_{(s+1)(s+7/3)}=\ideal{x^2,xyz,y^2,z^2,zw}$ since $xyz$ is in the socle of $R_n/\fraka_{(s+1)}$. Going one step further, $\fraka_{(s+1)(s+7/3)(s+2)}=\ideal{x^2,xz,y^2,yz,z^2,zw}$ and then $z$ can be obtained in $\fraka_{(s+1)(s+7/3)(s+2)(s+5/3)}=\ideal{x^2,y^2,z}$. The new factors are always equal to $s+\sum_{i=1}^4 (1/3)$ plus the degree of the new element in $\fraka$.
Now, however, nothing is in the socle and our procedure stops. On the other hand, $f$ is also $(1/3,1/3,1/2,0)$-homogeneous and this can be used to show that $$\begin{aligned}
\fraka_{(s+1)(s+7/3)(s+2)(s+5/3)(s+11/6)}&=&\ideal{x,y,z},\\
\fraka_{(s+1)(s+7/3)(s+2)(s+5/3)(s+11/6)(s+7/6)}&=&R_n.\end{aligned}$$ In fact, $b_f(s)=(s+1)(s+7/3)(s+2)(s+5/3)(s+11/6)(s+7/6)$ and one can see again how the factors of $b_f(s)$ enlarge (if taken in the right order) the ideal $\fraka$, by either saturating, or dropping dimension.
The trick for bounding $b_f(s)$ is therefore to find $q(s)$ such that $\fraka_{q(s)}$ is zero-dimensional, and then to get a good estimate on the exponent $r$ of Lemma \[lem-euler\] if $g=1$. The importance of the relation $k\cdot
Q-\sum_{i=1}^nx_i\del_i$ in the annihilator of $Q^s$ for homogeneous $Q$ of degree $k$ justifies
The [*Euler operator*]{} is $\euler=x_1\del_1+\ldots+x_n\del_n$.
Arrangements in the plane
-------------------------
One has the following folklore result:
Let $\{a_i\}_{3\le i\le k}$ be $k-2$ pairwise distinct nonzero numbers. Then the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $Q=xy(x+a_3y)\cdots(x+a_{k}y)$ divides $$(s+1)\prod_{i=0}^{2k-4}\left(s+\frac{i+2}{k}\right).$$ Consider the partial derivatives $Q_x$ and $Q_y$ of $Q$ and the homogeneous forms $x^iy^jQ_x$ and $x^iy^jQ_y$ where $i+j=k$. We claim that these $2(k+1)$ forms of degree $(k+1)+k$ are linearly independent (and hence that $\ideal{Q_x,Q_y}$ contains all monomials of degree at least $2k+1$).
To see this, let $M=\{m_{a,b}\}_{0\le a,b\le 2k+3}$ be the matrix whose $(a,b)$-coefficient is the coefficient of $x^{2k-3-b}y^b$ in $x^{k-2-a}y^aQ_y$ if $a\le k-2$, and the coefficient of $x^{2k-3-b}y^b$ in $x^{2k-3-a}y^{a-k+1}Q_x$ if $a> k-2$. The determinant of $M$ is the resultant of $Q_x(1,y/x)$ and $Q_y(1,y/x)$. These cannot have a common root since $\ideal{Q_x(x,y),Q_y(x,y)}$ is $\ideal{x,y}$-primary. Hence $M$ is of full rank and $\frakm^k\ideal{Q_x,Q_y}=\frakm^{2k+1}$. Since $Q_x,Q_y\in\fraka_{(s+1)}$, $\frakm^{2k+1}\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)}$. Lemma \[lem-euler\] implies the claim.
Of course, a central arrangement $Q$ of lines in the plane is an isolated singularity. The interesting question was therefore the precise determination of $\delta_Q$.
Estimates in dimension $n>2$
----------------------------
For the remainder of this section, $Q$ is a generic central arrangement $Q=\prod_{i=1}^k H_i$. In order to estimate $b_Q(s)$ for $n>2,k>n+1$ we will consider a mix of the two main ideas for $n=2$. Namely, we had $\frakm^{2k+1}\subseteq \fraka_{(s+1)}$. The point is that admitting $(s+1)$ as a factor of $b_Q(s)$ allowed to capture (set-theoretically) the singular locus of the arrangement. This in conjunction with Lemma \[lem-euler\] gave a bound for the Bernstein-Sato polynomial.
The plan is to devise a mechanism that starts with $\ideal{Q}\subseteq
\fraka_{1}$ and uses iterated multiplication with $(s+1)$ to enlarge $\fraka_{q(s)}$. Progress is measured by the dimension of (the variety of) $\fraka_{q(s)}$. This approach works well for generic arrangements, while for non-generic arrangements or other singularities better tricks seem to be needed.
It is crucial to understand the difference between the Jacobian ideal of $Q$ and the ideal generated by all $(n-1)$-fold products of distinct elements in $\calA$, and more generally the difference between the ideal of the Jacobian ideal of the variety defined by all $(r+1)$-fold products of distinct elements of $\calA$ and the ideal of all $r$-fold products of distinct elements of $\calA$.
If $\calA=\{H_1,\ldots,H_k\}$ is a list of linear homogeneous polynomials and $\alpha\in\NN^k$ we say that $\prod_{i=1}^k
{H_i}^{\alpha_i}$ is an [*$\calA$-monomial*]{}. If each $\alpha_i$ is either 0 or 1, we call the $\calA$-monomial [*squarefree*]{}.
We define polynomials $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ for a given central arrangement $Q=H_1\cdots H_k$. To this end let $N=\{\lambda_1,\ldots,\lambda_n\}\subseteq \{1,\ldots,k\}$ be a set of indices serving as a coordinate system. Let $v_{\lambda_1},\ldots,v_{\lambda_n}$ be $n$ appropriate $\CC$-linear combinations of $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$ such that $v_{\lambda_i}\action(H_{\lambda_j})=\delta_{i,j}$.
Let $I\subseteq \{1,\ldots, k\}$ with $|I|\geq k-n+1$. Set $\check I=
\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus (I\cup N)$, $\hat I=I\cap N$, $H_I=\prod_{i\in I}H_i$. Observe that $|\hat I|= |I|-k+n+|\check I|$.
Let $\rho_N(I):=|\check I|+1\le |\hat I|$ and pick $J\subseteq \hat I$ with $|J|=\rho_N(I)$. We define $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ to be the $\rho_N(I)\times \rho_N(I)$-determinant and linear combination of square-free $\calA$-monomials of degree $|I|-1$ $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-def-Delta}
\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)&=&\det\left(
\begin{array}{cccc}
v_{j_1}\action(H_{\check{\iota}_1})&\cdots&
v_{j_1}\action(H_{\check{\iota}_{|\check I|}}) &v_{j_1}\action(H_I)\\
\vdots&&\vdots&\vdots\\
v_{j_{|J|}}\action(H_{\check{\iota}_1})&\cdots&
v_{j_{|J|}}\action(H_{\check{\iota}_{|\check I|}}) &v_{j_{|J|}}\action(H_I)
\end{array}\right)\end{aligned}$$ where $\check I=\{\check{\iota}_1,\ldots,\check\iota_{|\check
I|}\}$ and $J=\{j_1,\ldots,j_{|J|}\}$. If $\check I$ is empty, $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ is just $\nu_{j_1}(H_I)$. We emphasize that $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ is defined only if $|I|>k-n$. For a given $I$, let $\Delta_I(Q)$ be the set of all $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$, varying over all possible $N$, and for each $N$ over all $J$ satisfying $J\subseteq\hat I$ and $|J|=\rho_N(I)$.
Finally, put for $r>k-n$ $$\Delta_r(Q)=\ideal{\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q):
|I|=r}+\ideal{H_I:|I|=r}$$ and for all $r$ $$\Sigma_{r}(Q)=\ideal{H_I : |I|=r}.$$
The ideal $\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$ describes set-theoretically the locus where simultaneously $k-r+2$ of the $H_i$ vanish (for the case $r<k-n+2$ see see Lemma \[lem-k-n+1\]), while $\Delta_r(Q)$ is the Jacobian ideal of the variety to $\Sigma_{r}(Q)$. It is clear that $$\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)\,\,\supseteq\,\,
\Delta_r(Q)\,\,=\,\,
\ideal{\{\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q):|I|=r\}}+\Sigma_{r}(Q)\,\,\supseteq\,\,
\Sigma_{r}(Q).$$
The following is easily checked (since $Q$ is generic):
If $r\le k-n+1$ then $\Sigma_{r}(Q)=\frakm^r=\Delta_r(Q)$.
We can describe the “difference” of $\Delta_r(Q)$ and $\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$ as follows:
Let $k\geq r\geq k-n+1$. Then $$\ann_{R_n}\left(\frac{\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)}{\Delta_r(Q)}\right)\supseteq
\frakm^{k-n}.$$ First let $k=n$ so that $n\geq r\geq 1$. In this case $\calA$-monomials and monomials are the same concepts. Then $\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$ is the ideal of all squarefree ($\calA$-)monomials of degree $r-1$, and $\Delta_r(Q)$ is the ideal of all squarefree ($\calA$-)monomials of degree $r$ as well as all partial derivatives of these monomials. Clearly then in this case $\Delta_r(Q)=\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$.
We shall prove the claim by induction on $k-n$ and we assume now that $k>n$. Let $H_I$ be a squarefree $\calA$-monomial of degree $r$. We must show that $mH_I/H_i
\in \Delta_r(Q)$ for all $i\in I$ and all $m\in \frakm^{k-n}$. Pick $N\subseteq \{1,\ldots,k\}$ with $|N|=n$ and write $m=\sum_{j\in N} m_jH_j$, $m_j\in\frakm^{k-n-1}$. Consider the summands $m_jH_jH_I/H_i$ in $mH_I/H_i$. If $j=i$ or if $j\not \in I$, then certainly $H_jH_I/H_i\in \Delta_r(Q)$. Thus we are reduced to showing that if $i\not =j\in I$ then $m_jH_jH_I/H_i\in\Delta_r(Q)$.
Note that if $k\geq r\geq
k-n+1$ then $k-1\geq r-1\geq k-1-n+1$. Since $H_I/H_j$ is a squarefree $\calA\setminus \{H_j\}$-monomial of degree $(r-1)$ we may use the induction hypothesis on the arrangement to $Q/H_j$ with $k-1\geq n$ factors. Hence for $i\not=j\in I$ there are $q_{j}\in %\ideal{H_I/H_j}+\ideal{\Delta_{I\setminus j}(H/H_j)}
%\subseteq
\Delta_{r-1}(Q/H_j)$ such that $m_jH_I/H_iH_j=q_j$. Then $m_jH_jH_I/H_i={H_j}^2q_j$ so that it suffices to show that $$\left[q_j\in
\Delta_{r-1}(Q/H_j)\right] \Longrightarrow
\left[{H_j}^2q_j\in\Delta_r(Q)\right].$$ It is sufficient to check this for $q_j$ being equal to one of the two types of generators for $\Delta_{r-1}(Q/H_j)$, namely $H_{I'}$ and the determinants $\Delta_{J',I',N'}(Q/H_j)$, where as usual $J',I',N'\subseteq
\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus \{j\}$, $|N'|=n$ and $|I'|=r-1$. If $q_j=H_{I'}$ then ${H_j}^2q_j=H_jH_{I'\cup\{j\}}\in\Delta_r(Q)$. So assume that $q_j=\Delta_{J',I',N'}(Q/H_j)$.
Multiplication of $\Delta_{J',I'
,N'}(Q/H_j)$ by ${H_j}^2$ can be achieved by multiplying the last column of the defining matrix (\[eqn-def-Delta\]) of $\Delta_{J',I',N'}(Q/H_j)$ by ${H_j}^2$. Let in that context $j_t\in N'$ and $v_{j_t}$ be the corresponding derivation relative to $N'$. Then $${H_j}^2v'_{j_t}\action(H_{I'})=
H_jv'_{j_t}\action(H_{I'\cup\{j\}})-H_{I'\cup\{j\}}v'_{j_t}\action(H_j).$$ Thus, ${H_j}^2\Delta_{J',I',N'}(Q/H_j)=H_j\Delta_{J',I',N'}(Q)$ modulo $\ideal{H_{I'\cup\{j\}}}$. As $H_{I'\cup\{j\}}\in \Delta_r(Q)$, ${H_j}^2\Delta_{r-1}(Q/H_j)\subseteq \Delta_r(Q)$. The proposition follows hence by induction.
Recall that $\Delta_I(Q)$ is the collection of all $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ for fixed $I$. We now relate the ideals $\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$ and $\Delta_r(Q)$ to ideals $\fraka_{q(s)}$ and give hence the latter ideals geometric meaning.
Fix integers $r\geq k-n+2$, and $t$. Suppose $\frakm^tH_I\subseteq \fraka_{q(s)}$ for some $I$ with $|I|=r$. Then $\frakm^{t+1}\Delta_I(Q)\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)q(s)}$. In particular, $$\left[\frakm^t\Sigma_{r}(Q)\subseteq \fraka_{q(s)}\right]\Longrightarrow
\left[\frakm^{t+1}\Delta_r(Q)\subseteq \fraka_{(s+1)q(s)}\right].$$ Pick a specific $\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ and a monomial $m$ of degree $t$. In particular, this means that a coordinate system $H_{\lambda_1},\ldots,H_{\lambda_n}$ and derivations $v_{\lambda_1},\ldots,v_{\lambda_n}$ have been chosen. Consider the effect of $v_j$ on $mH_IQ^s$ for $j\in J\,(\subseteq I\cap N)$: $$\begin{aligned}
\frac{v_j\action\left(mH_IQ^s\right)}{Q^s}&=&\frac{1}{Q}
\left(v_j\action(m)H_IQ+
mQv_j\action(H_I)+
smH_Iv_j\action(Q)
\right)\\
&=&v_j\action(m)H_I+
(s+1)mv_j\action(H_I)+
\sum_{i\in\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus I}
smH_I\frac{v_j\action(H_i)}{H_i}\end{aligned}$$ The sum has only poles of order one. These poles occur exactly along all hyperplanes in $\check I$ since $v_j\action(H_i)=0$ if $i\not =j, i\in N$. (Note that $j\in J\subseteq I$ is not index of a summand.) The $|\check I|+1$ distinct elements of $J$ give rise to that many expressions of the type shown. Hence there is a nontrivial $\CC$-linear combination of the $v_j\action(mH_IQ^s)$ without poles; by construction this linear combination is in $\fraka_{q(s)}$. It is easy to see that the desired expression results in $(s+1)m\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)+V(m)H_I$ where $V(m)$ is a linear combination in the $v_j\action(m)$. As $x_iv_j\action(m)H_I \in\frakm^tH_I\subseteq \fraka_{q(s)}$, $x_im\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)\in \fraka_{(s+1)q(s)}$ for all $i,J,N$ and so $\frakm^{t+1}\Delta_I(Q)\subseteq \fraka_{(s+1)q(s)}$.
To prove the final assertion, note that $\Delta_r(Q)$ is generated by all $\Delta_I(Q)$, $|I|=r$ and all $H_I$, $|I|=r$. One then only needs to observe that all $H_I$ with $|I|=r$ are already in $\Sigma_{r}(Q)$.
One can now conclude alternately from \[prop-Delta-reduction\] and \[lem-Deltaprime-reduction\] that $$\begin{aligned}
\Sigma_k(Q)&\subseteq&\fraka_1,\\
\frakm \Delta_k(Q)&\subseteq&\fraka_{(s+1)},\\
\frakm^{k-n+1} \Sigma_{k-1}(Q)&\subseteq&\fraka_{(s+1)},\\
&\vdots&\\
\frakm^{(k-n+1)(n-2)+1}\Delta_{k-n+2}(Q)&\subseteq&\fraka_{(s+1)^{n-1}},\\
\frakm^{(k-n+1)(n-1)}\Sigma_{k-n+1}(Q)&\subseteq&\fraka_{(s+1)^{n-1}},\end{aligned}$$ and since $\Sigma_{k-n+1}(Q)=\frakm^{k-n+1}$, $\frakm^{(k-n+1)n}\subseteq\fraka_{(s+1)^{n-1}}$. It is very intriguing how in the above sequence of containments an extra factor of $(s+1)$ in $q(s)$ allows each time to reduce the dimension of $\fraka_{q(s)}$ and in fact to enlarge $\fraka_{q(s)}$ to an ideal with radical equal to the singular locus of $\fraka_{q(s)}$. One might compare this to the example in Remark \[rem-ex-nonarrangement\].
The remainder of this section is devoted to decreasing substantially the exponent of $\frakm$ in the final row of the display above.
For all $r\in \NN$ with $k-n+1\le r\le k+1$, $$\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)\subseteq \fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r+1}}.$$ We shall proceed by decreasing induction on $r$. We know that $$\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Sigma_{k}(Q)\subseteq \Sigma_{k}(Q)=
\ideal{Q}\subseteq\fraka_{(s+1)^0}.$$ Assume then that $k-n+1\le r\le k$ and that $\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Sigma_{r}(Q)\subseteq \fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r}}$. Since $\Sigma_{r}(Q)\subseteq \frakm$ is homogeneous of degree $r$, this implies that $$\frakm^{2k-n-1-r}\cdot \Sigma_{r}(Q)\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r}}.$$
We need to show that $\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)\subseteq\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r+1}}$ in order to get the induction going. For this, we consider $\Delta_r(Q)$. Let $\Delta$ be a generator of $\Delta_r(Q)$. Either $\Delta=H_I$ and $|I|=r$, in which case $\Delta\in \Sigma_{r}(Q)$. Or, $\Delta=\Delta_{J,I,N}(Q)$ with $|I|=r$. In that case, Lemma \[lem-Deltaprime-reduction\] together with $\frakm^{2k-n-1-r}\cdot\Sigma_{r}(Q)\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r}}$ implies that $\frakm^{2k-n-r}\cdot \Delta\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r+1}}$. Therefore our hypotheses imply that $$\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Delta_r(Q)\subseteq\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r+1}}.$$ But then, $$\begin{aligned}
\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)&=&
\frakm^{2k-n-1-(r-1)}\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)\\
&& \text{ ($\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)$ is
homogeneously generated in degree $r-1$)}\\
&=&\frakm^{k-r}\frakm^{k-n}\Sigma_{r-1}(Q)\\
&\subseteq &\frakm^{k-r}(\Delta_r(Q)\cap\frakm^{k-n+r-1})\\
&& \text{ (by Proposition \ref{prop-Delta-reduction})}\\
&\subseteq&\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap\Delta_r(Q)\\
&\subseteq&\fraka_{(s+1)^{k-r+1}}.\end{aligned}$$
This proposition says that sufficiently high degree parts of the ideal defining the higher iterated singular loci of $\calA$ are contained in certain $\fraka_{q(s)}$. It gives quite directly a bound for the Bernstein-Sato polynomial:
The Bernstein-Sato polynomial of the central generic arrangement $Q=H_1\cdots H_k$ divides $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-upper-bound}
(s+1)^{n-1}\prod_{i=0}^{2k-n-2}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{k}\right).\end{aligned}$$ The previous proposition shows (with $r=k-n+2$) that $\frakm^{2k-n-1}\cap \Sigma_{k-n+1}\subseteq
\fraka_{(s+1)^{n-1}}$. By Lemma \[lem-k-n+1\], $\Sigma_{k-n+1}(Q)=\frakm^{k-n+1}$. Thus, $\frakm^{2k-n-1}\subseteq\fraka_{(s+1)^{n-1}}$. We conclude now as in Lemma \[lem-euler\].
In the next two sections we show that this estimate is in essence the correct answer.
Remarks on a conjecture by Orlik and Randell
============================================
Let $Q:\CC^n\to \CC$ be a homogeneous polynomial map, denote by $X_\alpha$ the preimage $Q^{-1}(\alpha)$ for $\alpha\in \CC\setminus \{0\}$ and let $X$ be the fiber over zero. As $Q$ is homogeneous the $X_\alpha$ are all isomorphic and smooth. Let $\tilde \CC^\times$ be the universal cover of $\CC^\times=\CC\setminus \{0\}$, and $\tilde X$ the fiber product of $\tilde \CC^\times$ and $\CC^n\setminus X$ over $\CC^\times$. Then $(\alpha,x)\to
(\alpha+2\pi,x)$ is a diffeomorphism of $\tilde X$ and therefore induces an isomorphism $\mu$ on the cohomology $H^*(X_\alpha,\CC)$, the Picard-Lefschetz monodromy [@Brieskorn; @Deligne; @Hamm]. If in addition $X$ has an isolated singularity then $X_\alpha$ is homotopy equivalent to a bouquet of $(n-1)$-spheres [@Milnor] and so the only (reduced) cohomology of the fiber is in degree $n-1$. The roots of the minimal polynomial $a_\mu(s)$ of $\mu$ are in that case obtained from the roots of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $Q$ by $\lambda\to e^{2\pi i\lambda}$ [@Malgrange]. The multiplicities remain mysterious, however. If $X$ is not an isolated singularity, the $X_\alpha$ have cohomology in degrees other than $n-1$ and the monodromy acts on all these cohomology groups. The monodromy is then not so nicely related to the Bernstein-Sato polynomial and not well understood.
The conjecture
--------------
The natural projection $R_n\onto
R_n/\ideal{Q-\alpha}$ induces a map of differentials $\Omega\to\Omega_\alpha$ which in turn induces a surjective map of de Rham complexes $\pi:\Omega^\bullet\onto \Omega^\bullet_\alpha$ where $\Omega_\alpha$ are the $\CC$-linear differentials on $R_n/\ideal{Q-\alpha}$ and $\Omega^\bullet_\alpha$ is the de Rham complex on $X_\alpha$. It is an interesting and open question to determine explicit formulæ for generators of the cohomology of $\Omega^\bullet_\alpha$, i.e. forms on $\CC^n$ that restrict to generators of $H^i(\Omega_\alpha^\bullet)$, $i\le n-1$. If $X$ has an isolated singularity then the Jacobian ideal $\frakA$ is Artinian, the dimension of the vector space $R_n/\frakA$ equals $\dim_\CC(H^{n-1}_{\DR}(X_\alpha,\CC))$, and the elements of $R_n/\frakA$ can be identified with the classes in $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(X_\alpha,\CC)$. Namely, $\bar g\in R_n/\frakA$ corresponds to $g\omega$ where $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-omega}
\omega=\sum_{i=1}^n(-1)^{i-1}x_i\,dx_1\wedge\ldots\wedge
\widehat{dx_i}\wedge\ldots\wedge dx_n\end{aligned}$$ and the hat indicates omission.
For the remainder of this section let $Q$ be a reduced polynomial describing a central generic arrangement, $Q=H_1\cdots H_k$. We let as before $\calA=\{H_1,\ldots,H_k\}$. In [@Orlik-Randell] (Proposition 3.9) it is proved that every cohomology class in $H^{n-1}(\Omega^\bullet_\alpha)$ is of the form $\bar{\pi(g\omega)}$ for some $g\in R_n$, and that $$\dim_\CC(H^{n-1}(\Omega^\bullet_\alpha))= {k-2\choose n-2}+k{k-2\choose
n-1}.$$ The authors make a conjecture which states roughly that $g$ may be chosen to be homogeneous and that Milnor fibers of central generic arrangements have a cohomology description similar to the isolated singularity case.
By $(R_n)_r$ we denote the homogeneous elements in $R_n$ of degree $r$. The following vector space is central to the ideas of Orlik and Randell.
We denote by $\mu$ a subset of $\calA$ of cardinality $n-1$. We write then $J_\mu(a)$ with $a\in R_n$ for the Jacobian determinant associated to $H_{\mu_1},\ldots,H_{\mu_{n-1}},a$. We also denote by $Q_\mu$ the product of all $H_i$ with $i\not \in \mu$, its degree is hence $k-n+1$. In our previous notation, $Q_\mu $ was $H_I$ with $I=\calA\setminus\mu$.
With these notations, let $E$ be the vector space in $R_n$ generated by all elements of the form $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-E-gens}
\deg(a)a\,J_\mu(Q_\mu)-kQ_\mu \,J_\mu(a),\end{aligned}$$ varying over all homogeneous $a\in R_n$. It is not an $R_n$-ideal.
Consider the fiber $X_1=\var(Q-1)$. There is a finite dimensional homogeneous vector space $U\subset R_n$ such that
1. $R_n= E\oplus (\CC[Q]\otimes U)$;
2. the map $U\to H^{n-1}(X_1,\CC)$ given by $g\to
\bar{\pi(g\omega)} $ is an isomorphism, and $\Omega^{n-1}_\alpha=\pi(U\omega)\oplus d\Omega^{n-2}_\alpha$.
3. The dimensions $u_r$ of $U_r$, the graded pieces of $U$ of degree $r$, are as follows: $$u_r=\left\{\begin{array}{ll}
{r+n-1\choose n-1}&\text{for $0\le r\le k-n$},\\
{k-2\choose n-1}&\text{for $k-n+1\le r\le k-1$},\\
{k-2\choose n-1}-{r-k+n-1\choose n-1}&\text{for $k\le r\le 2k-n-2$}.
\end{array}
\right.$$
In this section we will prove that if $k$ does not divide $r-k+n$ then the dimension of $(R_n/E)_r$ is bounded by ${k-1\choose n-1}$ and that strict inequality holds if additionally $r>k$. In the next section we will see that $(R_n)_r=E_r+\ideal{Q}_r$ for $r\geq 2k-n-1$. This will imply that $(R_n/(E+\ideal{Q-1}))_r$ is nonzero exactly if $0\le r\le 2k-n-2$, and that for $k-n-1\le r\le k$ its dimension is exactly as the conjecture by Orlik and Randell predicts.
It is worth pointing out that the vector space $E$ is too small if $Q$ is an arrangement that is not generic. For example, with $Q=xyz(x+y)(x+z)$ as in Example \[ex-non-generic\] one obtains that the dimension of $(R_n/E+\ideal{Q})_r$ is 2 whenever $r$ is at least $5$.
Generators for $U$
------------------
We now consider the question of finding generators for $U$. By Lemma \[lem-k-n+1\], $(R_n)_{k-n+1}$ is generated by the set of all $Q_\mu$ as a vector space. Then $(R_n)_r$ is for $r>k-n+1$ generated by $\frakm^{r-k+n-1}\cdot \Sigma_{k-n+1}(Q)$. We claim that we may pick vector space generators $G=\{g_i\}$ for $(R_n)_r$, $r>k-n+1$, such that
1. each $g_i$ is an $\calA$-monomial,
2. each $g_i$ is a multiple of some $Q_\mu$.
To see this, observe that $
(R_n)_r=\left(\frakm^{r-k+n-1}\right)_{r-k+n-1}\cdot
\left(\Sigma_{k-n+1}(Q)\right)_{k-n+1}$. Since $\calA$ is essential, Lemma \[lem-k-n+1\] completes the argument. We call an element of $R_n$ satisfying these two conditions a [*standard product*]{}.
We shall now prove that there are no more than ${k-2\choose n-1}$ standard products necessary to generate $(R_n/(E+\ideal{Q-1}))_r$. For $k-n+1\le r< k$ this is exactly the number stipulated by Conjecture \[conj-o-r\]. We will do this by showing that the relations in $E$ may be used to eliminate the majority of all summands in a typical element of $(R_n)_r/E_r$. In order to do this, we need to study the nature of the relations in $E$. To get started, note that $$\left[H_j\in\calA\setminus\mu\right]\Longrightarrow \left[J_\mu(H_j)\not
=0\right].$$ We will now show that every generator (\[eqn-E-gens\]) of $E$ induces a syzygy between $k-n+1$ squarefree $\calA$-monomials of degree $k-n$.
Let $a\in (R_n)_r$ be an $\calA$-monomial of positive degree $r$ such that $k\dividesnot r$, and pick $n-1$ distinct factors $\mu$ of $Q$. Consider the corresponding element $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-relation-structure}
\deg(a)aJ_\mu(Q_\mu)-kQ_\mu J_\mu(a) \end{aligned}$$ of $E$. In this expression (using the product rule for computing the Jacobian) the first term contributes $k-n+1$ summands of the form $\deg(a)a\frac{Q_\mu}{H_i}
J_\mu(H_i)$ where $H_i$ runs through the factors of $Q_\mu$. Similarly the second term contributes $\deg(a)$ summands of the form $kQ_\mu\frac{a}{a_i}J_\mu(a_i)$ with $a_i$ running through the factors of $a$. We claim that all nonzero summands in the latter set (apart from constant factors) appear as nonzero summands in the former set. Moreover, for each summand that is nonzero on both sides the coefficients are different. There are two main cases: $a_i\in\mu$ and $a_i\not\in \mu$. If $a_i\in\mu$ then $J_\mu(a_i)$ is a determinant with a repeated column, and hence the summand $Q_\mu\frac{a}{a_i}J_\mu(a_i)$ is zero. On the other hand, $H_i\not\in\mu$ gives a summand $\deg(a)a\frac{Q_\mu}{H_i}J_\mu(H_i)\not= 0$. So the left term in (\[eqn-relation-structure\]) gives $k-n+1$ nonzero $\calA$-monomials with nonzero coefficients. If $a_i\not \in\mu$, then $a_i=H_j$ (say), and $\frac{Q_\mu}{H_j}a=Q_\mu\frac{a}{a_i}$. Let $t$ be the multiplicity of $H_j$ in $a$, $a=a'\cdot {H_j}^t$. In (\[eqn-relation-structure\]) the first term contributes $\deg(a)Q_\mu\frac{a}{H_j}J_\mu(H_j)$ while the second yields $t$ times $-kQ_\mu\frac{a}{H_j}J_\mu(H_j)$ by the product rule. So the total number of copies of $\frac{aQ_\mu}{H_j}J_\mu(H_j)$ in (\[eqn-relation-structure\]) is $\deg(a)-kt$.
As $k$ is not a divisor of $\deg(a)=r$, each generator of $E_r$ gives rise to a relation between exactly $k-n+1$ of our generators of $(R_n)_r$, corresponding to the divisors of $Q_\mu$.
Suppose that in a linear combination of $\calA$-monomials the previous lemma is used to eliminate $Q_\mu\frac{a}{H_i}J_\mu(H_i)$. Then the replacing $\calA$-monomials are of the form $Q_\mu\frac{a}{H_j}J_\mu(H_j)$ where $H_j\not\in\mu$.
We now show how to use Lemma \[lem-relation-structure\] to limit the dimension of $(R_n)_r/E_r$.
Let $r\in\NN$, $k-n+1\le r$, and $k\dividesnot (r-k+n)$. The (cosets of) $\calA$-monomials of the form $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-nice-gens}
H_{i_1}\cdots H_{i_{k-n-1}}H_{k-1}{H_k}^{r-k+n}, \quad i_1<\ldots
<i_{k-n-1}<k-1 \end{aligned}$$ span $(R_n/E)_r$ and therefore generate $\left(H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)\right)_r$. Let $P\in (R_n)_r$ be a standard product. We prove that it may be replaced by a linear combination of $\calA$-monomials of the stipulated form. Here are three ways of modifying a linear combination of $\calA$-monomials modulo $E$:
1. If $P$ uses $l>k-n+1$ distinct factors of $\calA$ we can write $P=P'Q_\mu$ for a suitable $\mu$ and we can assume that $H_k\in
\mu$. That means that $H_k\dividesnot Q_\mu$ and the multiplicity of $H_k$ in $P'$ is of course at most $r-k+n-1$. Let $i_0=\min\{i:H_i\not \in\mu\}$ and $\mu'=\mu\cup \{H_{i_0}\}\setminus
\{H_{k}\}$, so $Q_{\mu'}=H_kQ_\mu/H_{i_0}$. Consider the element of $E$ given by $(r-k+n)P'H_{i_0}J_{\mu'}(Q_{\mu'})-kQ_{\mu'}
J_{\mu'}(P'H_{i_0})$. It is a linear dependence modulo $E$ between $P'H_{i_0}Q_{\mu'}/H_k=P$ on one side and terms of the form $P'H_{i_0}Q_{\mu'}/H_i=P'H_kQ_\mu/H_i$ for $H_k\not =H_i\in\calA\setminus \mu'$ on the other, with no coefficient equal to zero. It follows that $P=P'Q_\mu$ may, modulo $E$, be replaced by a linear combination of standard products with a higher power of $H_k$ in each of them than in $P$ and $l$ or $l-1$ distinct factors. Note that each replacing $\calA$-monomial has multiplicity of $H_k$ at most $r-k+n$.
2. Suppose now that $P$ has exactly $k-n+1$ distinct factors, but that $H_k$ is not one of them. Let $Q_\mu$ be the product of all distinct factors of $P$, and set $P=P'Q_\mu$. Let $i_0=\min\{i:H_i\not\in\mu\}$ and set $\mu'=\mu\cup \{H_{i_0}\}\setminus
\{H_{k}\}$. The relation $(r-k+n)H_{i_0}P'J_{\mu'}(Q_{\mu'})-kQ_{\mu'}
J_{\mu'}(P'H_{i_0})$ allows to replace $P$ by a linear combination of standard products with $k-n+1$ or $k-n+2$ distinct factors (depending on the multiplicity of $H_{i_0}$ in $P'$) such that $H_k$ divides each of the new standard products.
3. Now assume that $P$ is a standard product with exactly $k-n+1$ distinct factors and assume furthermore that $H_k$ divides $P$ with multiplicity $l<r-k+n$. Let $\mu$ be such that $Q_\mu$ divides $P$. Since the arrangement is generic, the $n-1$ elements of $\mu$, together with $H_k$, span the maximal ideal and thus if $i_0=\min\{i:{H_i}^2\divides P\}$ then one factor $H_{i_0}$ of $P$ may be replaced by an appropriate linear combination in $H_k$ and the elements of $\mu$. This creates a linear combination of $(n-1)$ standard products with $k-n+2$ distinct factors in each summand where $H_k$ has multiplicity $l$, and one $\calA$-monomial with $k-n+1$ factors where the $H_k$-degree is $l+1$.
Starting with any standard product of degree $r$, using these steps in appropriate order will produce a linear combination of standard products with exactly $k-n+1$ factors and multiplicity $r-k+n$ in $H_k$. This is because after every execution of Step 1 and 2, the degree in $H_k$ goes up, and after each execution of Step 3 we may do Step 1 at least once on the $n-1$ standard products with $k-n+1$ factors.
Now let $P=H_{i_1}\cdots H_{i_{k-n}}{H_k}^{r-k+n}$ with $i_1<i_2\cdots<i_{k-n}<k-1$. Let $\mu$ be such that $Q_\mu=H_{i_1}\cdots H_{i_{k-n}}H_{k-1}$, in particular $H_k\in\mu$. Then $$E\ni
(r-k+n){H_k}^{r-k+n}J_{\mu}(Q_{\mu})-kQ_{\mu}J_{\mu}({H_k}^{r-k+n})=
(r-k+n){H_k}^{r-k+n}J_{\mu}(Q_{\mu})$$ allows to replace $P$ by a sum of $\calA$-monomials each of which has $k-n+1$ distinct $\calA$-factors, and each of which is divisible by $H_{k-1}{H_k}^{r-k+n}$ (note that the only term that might fail to have $H_{k-1}$ in it disappears because $J_\mu({H_k}^{r-k+n})=0$ as $H_k\in\mu$). Thus, modulo $E$, $P$ is equivalent to a linear combination of $\calA$-monomials of type (\[eqn-nice-gens\]).
The condition $k\dividesnot (r-k+n)$ is needed because otherwise Lemma \[lem-relation-structure\] does not work.
Note that there are exactly ${k-2\choose k-n-1}={k-2\choose n-1}$ $\calA$-monomials of type (\[eqn-nice-gens\]). It follows that $\dim(R_n/E)_r\le {k-2\choose n-1}$ unless $k$ divides $r-k+n$. Also, if $r=k-n$ the conjecture says that ${k-2\choose n-1}$ generators for $(R_n/E)_r$ are not enough. So in a sense this is an optimal estimate. In the following section we will see that $(R_n)_r=E_r$ along $Q^{-1}(1)$ for $r>2k-n-2$. We finish this section with a lemma that will be used in the next section to prove that $(R_n)_r\not = E_r$ for $k\le r\le 2k-n-2$.
If $r\geq k$ and $k\dividesnot (r-k+n)$ then $\dim_\CC(R_n/E+\ideal{Q})_r\le {k-2\choose n-1}-1$. The proof of Proposition \[prop-nice-gens\] contains a procedure to turn $Q{H_k}^{r-k}$ into a sum of $\calA$-monomials of the form (\[eqn-nice-gens\]). One may do so using only Step 1 of that proof. In fact, if $P=H_1\cdots H_{k-n-1}H_{i_1}\cdots
H_{i_{j}}H_{k-1}{H_k}^{r-k+n-j}$ for $k-n-1<i_1<\cdots <i_j<k-1$, then the relation (\[eqn-relation-structure\]) induced by $Q_\mu=H_1\cdots
H_{k-n-1}H_{i_1}H_k$ and $a=P/Q_\mu$ allows to replace $P$ by a sum of $\calA$-monomials each of which is divisible by $H_{k-1}{H_k}^{r-k+n+1-j}$, each of which has only $H_k$ as repeated factor, and precisely one of which is a nonzero multiple of $H_1\cdots H_{k-n-1}$. Therefore rewriting $Q{H_k}^{r-k}$ only using Step 1 (and only $Q_\mu=H_1\cdots H_{k-n-1}\cdot H_{i_1}H_k$ with $k-n\le i_1<k$) gives a relation modulo $E$ between the products of (\[eqn-nice-gens\]) where the coefficient for $H_1\cdots H_{k-n-1}H_{k-1}{H_k}^{r-k+n}$ is nonzero. Hence in particular, $(R_n/E+\ideal{Q})_r$ has dimension at most ${k-2 \choose n-1}-1$.
We have shown that filtering $R_n/(E+\ideal{Q-1})$ by degree, the $r$-th graded piece has dimension at most ${k-2\choose n-1}-1$ unless $k$ divides $r-k+n$. Moreover, $(R_n/E)_r=(R_n)_r$ for $r\le k-n$.
Integration, Restriction and Bernstein-Sato polynomials
=======================================================
If $Q$ is radical and describes a generic arrangement then we have seen that
- $b_Q(s)$ is a divisor of $(s+1)^{n-1}\prod_{i=0}^{2k-n-2}(s+\frac{i+n}{k})$;
- $\dim_\CC(R_n/E+\ideal{Q})_r\le {k-2\choose n-1}$ if $k\dividesnot (r-k+n)$;
- the inequality of the previous item is strict if in addition $r<k-n$ or $r\geq k$.
We now prove, among other things, that each homogeneous generator of the top cohomology group $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ of the Milnor fiber gives for all homogeneous polynomials $Q$ rise to a root of $b_Q(s)$ just as it is the case for homogeneous isolated singularities.
Restriction and Integration
---------------------------
A central part of this section is occupied by effective methods for $D$-modules. In fact, we shall use in an abstract way algorithms that were pioneered by Oaku [@Oa2] and since have become the centerpiece of algorithmic $D$-module theory.
We shall first explain some basic facts about restriction and integration functors. Much more detailed explanations may be found in [@Oa2; @O-T2; @O-T1] and [@W-cdrc]. In particular, we only consider the situation of $n+1$ variables $x_1,\ldots,x_n,t$ and explain restriction to $t=0$ and integration along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$.
Let $\tilde\Omega_t=D_{x,t}/t\cdot D_{x,t}$ and $\Omega_\del=D_{x,t}/\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n\}\cdot D_{x,t}$.
The [*restriction of the $D_{x,t}$-complex $A^\bullet$ to the subspace $t=0$*]{} is the complex $\rho_t(A^\bullet)=\tilde\Omega_t\otimes
_{ D_{x,t} }^LA^\bullet$ considered as a complex in the category of $D_x$-modules.
The [*integration of $A^\bullet$ along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n $*]{} is the complex $\DR(A^\bullet)=\Omega_\del\otimes
_{ D_{x,t} }^LA^\bullet$ considered as a complex in the category of $D_t$-modules.
In the sequel we describe tools that may be used to compute restriction and integration.
On the ring $ D_{x,t} $ the [*$V_t$-filtration*]{} $F_t^l( D_{x,t} )$ is the $\CC$-linear span of all operators $x^\alpha\del^\beta t^a\del_t^b$ for which $a+l\geq b$. More generally, on a free $ D_{x,t} $-module $A=\bigoplus_{j=1}^r D_{x,t} \cdot e_j$ we set $$F^l_t(A[\frakm])=
\sum_{j=1}^r
F^{l-\frakm(j)}_t( D_{x,t} )\cdot e_j,$$ where $\frakm$ is any element of $\ZZ^r$ called the [*shift vector*]{}. A shift vector is tied to a fixed set of generators. The [*$V_t$-degree*]{} of an operator $P\in A[\frakm]$ is the smallest $l=V_t\ddeg (P[\frakm])$ such that $P\in F^l_t(A[\frakm])$.
If $M$ is a quotient of the free $ D_{x,t} $-module $A=\bigoplus_1^r
D_{x,t} \cdot
e_j$, $M=A/I$, we define the $V_t$-filtration on $M$ by $F^l_t(M[\frakm])=F^l_t(A[\frakm])+I$ and for submodules $N$ of $A$ by intersection: $F^l_t(N[\frakm])=F^l_t(A[\frakm])\cap N$.
A complex of free $ D_{x,t} $-modules $$\cdots\to
A^{i-1}\stackrel{\phi^{i-1}}\longrightarrow
A^i\stackrel{\phi^i}\longrightarrow
A^{i+1}\to\cdots$$ is said to be [*$V_t$-strict* ]{} with respect to the shift vectors $\{\frakm_i\}$ if $$\phi^i\left(F^l_t(A^i[\frakm_i])\right)\subseteq F^l_t(A^{i+1}[\frakm_{i+1}])$$ and also $$\im(\phi^{i-1})\cap
F^l_t(A^i[\frakm_i])=\im(\phi^{i-1}|_{F^l_t(A^{i-1}[\frakm_{i-1}])})$$ for all $i,l$.
Set $\theta=t\del_t$, the Euler operator for $t$. A $ D_{x,t} $-module $M[\frakm]=A[\frakm]/I$ is called [*specializable to $t=0$*]{} if there is a polynomial $b(s)$ in a single variable such that $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-spec}
b(\theta+l)\cdot F^l_t(M[\frakm]) &\subseteq& F^{l-1}_t(M[\frakm])\end{aligned}$$ for all $l$ (cf.[@K2; @O-T2]). Holonomic modules are specializable. Introducing $$\gr^l_t(M[\frakm])=(F^l_t(M[\frakm]))\//\/(F^{l-1}_t(M[\frakm])),$$ this can be written as $$b(\theta+l)\cdot \gr^l_t(M[\frakm])=0.$$ The monic polynomial $b(\theta)$ of least degree satisfying an equation of the type (\[eqn-spec\]) is called the [*$b$-function for restriction of $M[\frakm]$ to $t=0$*]{}.
By [@O-T1] (Proposition 3.8) and [@W-cdrc] every complex admits a $V$-strict resolution. In the theorems to follow, the meaning of filtration on restriction and integration complexes is as in [@W-cdrc], Definition 5.6.
Let $(A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet],\delta^\bullet)$ be a $V_t$-strict complex of free $ D_{x,t}$-modules with holonomic cohomology. The restriction $\rho_t(A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet])$ of $A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]$ to $t=0$ can be computed as follows:
1. Compute the $b$-function $b_{A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]}(s)$ for restriction of $A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]$ to $t=0$.
2. Find an integer $l_1$ with $\left[b_{A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]}(l)=0,
l\in\ZZ\right]\Rightarrow
\left[l\le l_1\right]$.
3. $\rho_t(A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet])$ is quasi-isomorphic to the complex $$\begin{aligned}
&\cdots\to F^{l_1}_t(\tilde\Omega_t\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^i[\frakm_i])
% {F^{k_0-1}_H(\tilde\Omega_d\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^i[\frakm_i])}
\to
F^{l_1}_t(\tilde\Omega_t\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^{i+1}[\frakm_{i+1}])
% {F^{k_0-1}_H(\tilde\Omega_d\otimes_{ D_{x,t}
%}A^{i+1}[\frakm_{i+1}])}
\to
\cdots
&
\label{eqn-restricted-complex}\end{aligned}$$
This is a complex of free finitely generated $D_x$-modules and a representative of $\rho_t(A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet])$. Moreover, if a cohomology class in $\rho_t(A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet])$ has $V_t$-degree $d$ then $d$ is a zero of $b_{A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]}(s)$.
In order to compute the integration along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$ one defines a filtration by $$F^l_\del(D_{x,t})=\{x^\alpha\del^\beta t^a\del_t^b: |\alpha|\le
|\beta|+l\}.$$ With $\tilde \euler=-\del_1x_1-\ldots-\del_nx_n$ the [*$b$-function for integration*]{} of the module $M$ is the least degree monic polynomial $\tilde b(s)$ such that $$\tilde b(\tilde \euler+l)\cdot F^l_\del(M)\subseteq F^{l-1}_\del(M).$$ Then the integration complex $\DR(M)$ of $M$ is quasi-isomorphic to $$\begin{aligned}
&\cdots\to{\tilde F}^{l_1}_\del(\Omega_\del\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^i[\frakm_i])
% {{\tilde F}^{k_0-1}_H(\Omega_d\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^i[\frakm_i])}
\to{\tilde F}^{l_1}_\del(\Omega_\del\otimes_{ D_{x,t} }A^{i+1}[\frakm_{i+1}])
% {{\tilde F}^{k_0-1}_H(\Omega_d\otimes_{ D_{x,t}
%}A^{i+1}[\frakm_{i+1}])}
\to
\cdots
&
\label{integrated-complex}\end{aligned}$$ where $A^\bullet[\frakm_\bullet]$ is a $V_\del$-strict resolution of $M$, and $l_1$ is the largest integral root of $\tilde b(s)$. Again, cohomology generators have $V_\del$-degree equal to a root of $\tilde
b(s)$.
Bernstein-Sato polynomial and the relative de Rham complex
----------------------------------------------------------
Following Malgrange [@Malgrange2], we consider for $f\in R_n$ the symbol $f^s$ as generating a $D_{x,t}$-module contained in the free $R_n[f^{-1},s]$-module $R_n[f^{-1},s]f^s$ via $$t\action \frac{g(s)}{f^j}f^s=\frac{g(s+1)}{f^{j-1}}f^s,\qquad
\del_t\action \frac{g(s)}{f^j}f^s=\frac{-sg(s-1)}{f^{j+1}}f^s.$$ Then the left ideal $J_{n+1}(f)=\ideal{t-f,\{\del_i+
\del_i\action(f)\del_t\}_{i=1}^n}\subseteq D_{x,t}$ is easily seen to consist of operators that annihilate $f^s$. Moreover, $-\del_tt$ acts as multiplication by $s$. Since $J_{n+1}(f)$ is maximal, it actually contains all annihilators of $f^s$. It turns out, that $J_{n+1}(f)$ describes the $\calD$-module direct image of $R_n$ under the embedding $x\to (x,f(x))$:
For all $f\in R_n$, $$D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)\cong H^1_{t-f}(R_{x,t}),$$ generated by $\frac{1}{t-f}$. Consider $\tau=\frac{1}{t-f}\in R_{x,t}[(t-f)^{-1}]$. It is obviously annihilated by $\{\del_i+
\del_i\action(f)\del_t\}_{i=1}^n$. Moreover, $\frac{t-f}{t-f}\in
R_{x,t}$ so that $(t-f)(\tau\mod R_{x,t})=
0\in H^1_{t-f}(R_{x,t})$. Hence $J_{n+1}(f)$ annihilates the coset of $\tau$ in $H^1_{t-f}(R_{x,t})$.
The polynomial $t-f$ is free of singularities and so its Bernstein-Sato polynomial is $s+1$. Hence $\tau$ generates $R_{x,t}[(t-f)^{-1}]$. Therefore the coset of $\tau$ generates the local cohomology module. Since this module is nonzero, the coset of $\tau$ cannot be zero. Hence its annihilator cannot be $D_{x,t}$. As $J_{n+1}(f)$ is maximal we are done.
We now connect the ideas of Malgrange with algorithmic methods pioneered by Oaku, and Takayama, to show that the ideal $J_{n+1}(f)$ is intimately connected with the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $f$:
Let $Q$ be a homogeneous polynomial of degree $k>0$ with Bernstein-Sato polynomial $b_Q(s)$. Then $b_Q((-s-n)/k)$ is a multiple of the $b$-function for integration of $J_{n+1}(Q)=\ideal{t-Q,\{\del_i+\del_i\action(Q)\del_t\}_{i=1}^n}$ along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$. It is well-known, that $J_{n+1}(Q)\cap D_x[s]=\ann_{D_x[s]}(Q^s)$. Hence in particular, $J_{n+1}(Q)$ contains $\euler-ks=\euler+k\del_tt$.
To be a Bernstein polynomial means that $b_Q(s)\in
J_{n+1}(Q)\cap D_x[s]+D_x[s]\cdot Q$. Write $b_Q(s)=j+P(s)Q$ with $j\in J_{n+1}(Q)\cap D_x[s]$, $P(s)\in
D_x[s]$.
The ideal $J_{n+1}(Q)$ is $(1,k)$-homogeneous if we set $\deg(x_i)=1$, $\deg(\del_i)=-1$, $\deg(t)=k$, $\deg(\del_t)=-k$. Since $b_Q(s)$ is $(1,k)$-homogeneous of degree 0, we may assume that $j$ (and hence $P(s)Q$) is also $(1,k)$-homogeneous of degree $0$. Writing $P(s)=\sum_{i=0}^l P_is^i$ with $P_i\in D_x$, we see that each $P_i$ is of $(1,k)$-degree $-k$. This implies, as $P_i\in D_x$, that $P_i\in
F^{-k}_{\del}(D_x)$. Note that as $t-Q\in J_{n+1}(Q)$, $b_Q(s)=P(s)t$ modulo $J_{n+1}(Q)$. So $P(s)t=P(-\del_tt)t\in F^{-k}_{\del}(D_{x,t})$ and $b_Q(-\del_tt)\in J_{n+1}(Q)+F^{-k}_\del(D_{x,t})$.
Also, $b_Q(-\del_t t)$ is modulo $J_{n+1}(Q)$ equivalent to $b_Q((-\tilde
\euler-n)/k)$ because $\euler+k\del_tt\in J_{n+1}(Q)$. Thus $$b_Q\left(\frac{-\tilde \euler-n}{k}\right)\in
J_{n+1}(Q)+F^{-k}_{\del}(D_{x,t}),$$ proving that $b_Q(-(s+n)/k)$ is a multiple of the $b$-function for integration of $D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q)$ along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$.
Combining Theorem \[thm-bernstein-integration\] with Theorem \[alg-restriction\] and its integration counterpart, one obtains
\[cor-bernstein-integration\] The only possible $V_\del$-degrees for the generators of the cohomology of $\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q))$ are those specified by the roots of $b_Q(-(s+n)/k)$.
Restriction to the fiber
------------------------
Let $Q$ be a homogeneous polynomial of positive degree. We now consider the effect of restriction to $t-1$ of the relative de Rham complex $\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q))$. This is computed as the cohomology of the tensor product over $D_t$ of $\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q))$ with $(D_{x,t}\stackrel{(t-1)\cdot}{\longrightarrow} D_{x,t})$. We shall concentrate on the highest cohomology group. It equals $D_{x,t}/(J_{n+1}(Q)+\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n,t-1\}D_{x,t})$.
\[thm-U-spanned\] The quotient $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-def-U}
U&:=&D_{x,t}/(J_{n+1}(Q)+\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n,t-1\}D_{x,t})\end{aligned}$$ is spanned by polynomials $g\in R_n$. One may choose a $\CC$-basis for $U$ in such a way that
- all basis elements are in $R_n$ and homogeneous;
- no basis element may be replaced by an element of smaller degree (homogeneous or not).
We call such a basis a [*homogeneous degree minimal basis*]{}.
The degree of any element $g$ of a degree minimal basis satisfies $$b_Q(-(\deg(g)+n)/k)=0$$ and then the usual degree of $g$ is the $V_\del$-degree of the class of $g$. Clearly $U$ is spanned by the cosets of $R_n[\del_t]$. Let $g\in R_n$ be homogeneous of degree $d$. In $U$ we have $gt^a\del_t^b=gt^b\del_t^b=
g\prod_{j=0}^{b-1}(t\del_t-j)$ for all $a,b\in\NN$. Now observe that $\euler+k\del_tt\in J_{n+1}(Q)$ implies that in $U$ $$\begin{aligned}
0=\del_t^bg(\euler+k\del_tt)&=&\del_t^b(\euler-d+k\del_tt)g \\
&=&\del_t^b(-n-d+k\del_tt)g\\
&=&\left((-n-d+k(b+1))\del_t^b+k\del_t^{b+1}\right)g.\end{aligned}$$ By induction this shows that in $U$ $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-tdt-acts}
\del_t^bg=t^b\del_t^bg=\prod_{i=1}^b\left(\frac{n+d}{k}-i\right)g.\end{aligned}$$ Hence $U$ is spanned by the cosets of $R_n$. As $\del_t^bg$ and $\prod_{i=1}^b\left(\frac{n+d}{k}-i\right)g$ have the same $V_\del$-degree, minimal $V_\del\ddeg$ representatives for all $u\in U$ can be chosen within $R_n$.
Now let $u'\in R_n$ be homogeneous and let $0\not =u\in D_{x,t}$ be a $V_\del$-degree minimal representative of the class of $u'$ in $U$. By the previous paragraph, without affecting $V_\del$-degree, $u$ can be assumed to be in $R_n$. Then obviously the $V_\del$-degree agrees with the usual degree.
Therefore by definition $\deg(u)=V_\del\ddeg(u)\le V_\del\ddeg(u')=\deg(u')$. Hence for any $u'\in U$ we have $$\min\{\deg(u):u\in R_n, u=u'\in U\}=\min\{V_\del\ddeg(u):u'=u\in U\}$$ and the equality can be realized by one and the same element $u\in
R_n$ on both sides. If this $u$ is nonzero in $U$, then clearly $u\in
H^n(\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q)))$ is also nonzero since this module surjects onto $U$. The $V_\del$-degree of $u$ within $H^n(\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(Q)))$ cannot be smaller than the $V_\del$-degree of $u$ in the bigger coset when considered in $U$, and hence is just the usual degree of $u$. By Corollary \[cor-bernstein-integration\], $b_Q(-(\deg(u)+n)/k)=0$. This implies that $U$ is finite dimensional. Hence any $\CC$-basis for $U$ may be turned into a degree minimal one.
It remains to show that the basis can be picked in a homogeneous minimal way. Note that $J_{n+1}(Q)+\{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n,t-1\}D_{x,t}$ is $\ZZ/\ideal{k}$-graded (by $x_i\mapsto 1,\del_i\mapsto -1$ and $t,\del_t\mapsto 0$); so $U$ is $\ZZ/\ideal{k}$-graded and $U$ has a degree minimal $\ZZ/\ideal{k}$-graded basis. If $u$ is in a $\ZZ/\ideal{k}$-graded minimal degree basis but not homogeneous, the degrees of its graded components only differ by multiples of $k$. Write $u=u_a+u_{a+1}+\ldots+u_b$ with $a,b\in \NN$ and $u_j$ the component of $u$ in degree $jk$. Then since $t-Q$ is in $J_{n+1}(f)$, we have in $U$ the equality $u=\sum_{j=a}^bu_jQ^{b-j}$. The right hand side is homogeneous and both of usual and of $V_\del$-degree $\deg(u)$. Hence $\ZZ/\ideal{k}$-graded minimal degree bases for $U$ can be changed into homogeneous minimal degree bases without changing the occurring degrees (all of which we proved to be roots of $b_Q(-(s+n)/k)$).
An important hidden ingredient of the above theorem is the fact that the $b$-function for restriction to $t-1$ of both $D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)$ and $H^n \DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)) $ is $(t-1)\del_t$ whenever $f$ is $w$-homogeneous. Namely, if $f=\sum_{i=1}^n
w_ix_i\del_i\action{f}$ then with $\xi=\sum_{i=1}^n
w_ix_i\del_i$ we have $(\del_tt+\xi)\action f^s=0$. Consider then the equation $$(t-1)\del_t=\underbrace{(t-1)(\del_tt+\xi)}_A-
\underbrace{(t-1)(\del_t(t-1)+\xi)}_B.$$ Obviously, $A\in J_{n+1}(f)$ and $B\in F^{-1}_{t-1}(D_{x,t})\cap
F^{-1}_{\del,t-1}(D_{x,t})$. These are the required conditions to be a $b$-function for restriction to $t-1$ of $D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)$ respectively $H^n(\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f)))$.
Let $Q=H_1\cdots H_k$ define a central generic arrangement. Then $U$ has a homogeneous basis of polynomials of degree at most $2k-n-2$. By Theorem \[thm-upper-bound\], $b_Q(s)$ has its zero locus inside $\{-n/k,\ldots,(-2k+2)/k\}$. Then by Theorem \[thm-U-spanned\] the degrees of a minimal degree basis for $U$ are bounded above by $2k-n-2$.
De Rham cohomology from $\calD$-module operations
-------------------------------------------------
For any $f$, the complex $\DR(D_{x,t}/J_{n+1}(f))$ carries the de Rham cohomology of the fibers of the map $\CC^n\ni x\to f(x)\in\CC$, since it is the result of applying the de Rham functor to the composition of maps $x\to(x,f(x))$ and $(x,y)\to (y)$ (see [@Deligne]). The de Rham functor for the embedding corresponds to the functor that takes the $D_x$-module $M$ to the $D_{x,t}$-complex $M\otimes_{D_x}
(D_{x,t}\stackrel{\cdot(f-t)}{\longrightarrow}D_{x,t})$, while the projection corresponds to the formation of the Koszul complex induced by left multiplication by $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$. The cohomology of the fiber $Q^{-1}(1)$ is obtained as the restriction to $t-1$.
With the shifts in cohomological degree, $U=D_{x,t}/
(J_{n+1}(Q)+
\ideal{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n,t-1}\cdot D_{x,t})$ thus encodes the top de Rham cohomology of $Q^{-1}(1)$. For homogeneous $Q$ the correspondence between these two spaces is at follows. Write $dX=dx_1\wedge\ldots \wedge dx_n$ and $\widehat{dX_i}=dx_1\wedge\ldots\wedge\widehat{dx_i}\wedge\ldots\wedge
dx_n$ where the hat indicates omission. An element $g$ in $U$ determines the form $g\,dX$ on $\CC^n$. Under the embedding $Q^{-1}(1)\into
\CC^n$, the form $g\, dX$ restricts ($\calD$-module theoretically) to the form $G$ which satisfies $dQ\wedge G=g\, dX$. Let us compute $G$. Since $G$ is an $(n-1)$-form, $G=\sum_{i=1}^n
g_i\,\widehat{dX_i}$. Thus, $dQ\wedge
G=\sum_{i=1}^n(-1)^i\del_i\action(Q)
g_i\, dX$. On the other hand, along $Q^{-1}(1)$, $g\, dX=gQ\, dX=\frac{g}{k}\sum_{i=1}^nx_i\del_i\action(Q)
dX$. Thus by comparison, $kg_i=(-1)^ix_ig$. With $\omega$ as in (\[eqn-omega\]), the $(n-1)$-form on $Q^{-1}(1)$ encoded by $g\in U$ is $G=g\omega/k$. We show now that all forms in $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ are captured by $U$.
If $Q$ is homogeneous, then $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ is generated by $R_n\cdot\omega$. This is trivial for $n=1$, so we assume that $n>1$. Consider the map $R_n\to H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ given by $g\to
g\omega$. Suppose $g\omega=0$. Then $$g\omega=(Q-1)h+d(G)+A\wedge dQ$$ for $h=\sum (-1)^{i+1}h_i
\,\widehat{dX_i}\in\Omega^{n-1}$, $G=\sum g_{i,j}
dx_1\wedge\ldots\wedge\widehat{dx_i}\wedge\ldots\wedge \widehat{dx_j}
\wedge\ldots\wedge
dx_n \in \Omega^{n-2}$, $A\in \Omega^{n-2}$. Multiply by $dQ$ to get $$kQg\,dX=\left(\sum_{i=1}^n
(Q-1)\del_i\action(Q)h_i+\sum_{i,j=1}^n\del_i\action(Q)\del_j\action(g_{i,j})
-\del_j\action(Q)\del_i\action(g_{i,j})\right)dX$$ in $\Omega^n=R_n\,dX$. Now look at this in $U$. Note that $kQg=ktg=kg$ and $(Q-1)\del_i\action(Q)h_i=(t-1)\del_i\action(Q)h_i=0$ in $U$. So (in $U$) $$\begin{aligned}
\label{eqn-skew-stuff}
kg=\sum_{i,j=1}^n\del_i\action(Q)\del_j\action(g_{i,j})-
\del_j\action(Q)\del_i\action(g_{i,j})\end{aligned}$$ We would like this to be zero in $U$; in fact it will turn out to vanish term by term.
We may assume that $g_{i,j}$ is homogeneous by looking at the graded pieces $g$ of (\[eqn-skew-stuff\]). So to simplify notation let $h$ be a homogeneous polynomial in $R_n$. In the remainder of this proof we shall use a subscript to denote derivatives: $h_i=\del_i\action(h)$. Then in $U$ we have $$\begin{aligned}
0=-\del_jth_i+\del_ith_j&=&
-th_{i,j}+th_{j,i}+(-th_i\del_j+th_j\del_i)\\
&=&th_iQ_j\del_t-th_jQ_i\del_t\\
&=&(h_iQ_j-h_jQ_i)t\del_t\\
&=&(h_iQ_j-h_jQ_i)\frac{n+\deg(h)-2}{k}\qquad\text{by (\ref{eqn-tdt-acts}).}\end{aligned}$$ If $\deg(h)>0$, this implies the vanishing of $h_iQ_j-h_jQ_i\in U$. But if $\deg(h)=0$ there is nothing to prove in the first place. Therefore the sum (\[eqn-skew-stuff\]) is zero. Hence if $g\omega=0$ in $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ then $kg=0$ in $U$. So $R_n\onto U$ factors as $R_n\onto R_n\omega\onto U=H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$.
Our considerations prove in view of Corollary \[cor-U-spanned\]:
Let $Q\in R_n$ be a homogeneous polynomial of degree $k$. The de Rham cohomology group $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ is isomorphic to $U\cdot \omega$. There is a homogeneous basis for $U$ with degrees bounded by $$u_Q=\max\{i\in\ZZ:b_Q(-(i+n)/k)=0\}.$$ If $Q$ defines a generic arrangement of hyperplanes, $u_Q\le 2k-n-2$.
Non-vanishing of $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ and roots of $b_Q(s)$
---------------------------------------------------------------------
We now establish the existence of a non-vanishing $g\in H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ in all degrees $0\le\deg(g)\le 2k-n-2$ for generic central arrangements $Q$. This will certify each root of (\[eqn-upper-bound\]) as root of $b_Q(s)$.
The primitive $k$-th root $\zeta_k$ of unity acts on $\CC^n$ by $x_i\to \zeta_k x_i$. This fixes $Q$ and hence the ideal $J_{n+1}(Q)$. Therefore it gives an automorphism of the de Rham complex and hence the induced map on cohomology separates $H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ into eigenspaces, $U=\bigoplus_{\bar i\in\ZZ/k\ZZ}M_{\bar i}$ which are classified by their degree modulo $k$.
From [@Orlik-Randell] we know the monodromy of $Q$. In particular, $M_{\bar i}$ is a ${k-2\choose n-1}$-dimensional vector space unless $\bar i=\bar{k-n}$. Write $U_i$ for the elements in $U$ with (homogeneous) minimal degree representative of degree precisely $i$. Since elements of $U$ have degree at most $2k-n-2$, we find that $$\begin{aligned}
\dim(U_i)+\dim(U_{i+k})=\dim(U_i+U_{i+k})={k-2\choose n-1}&\text{ for
}&0\le i\le k-n-1;\\
U_i=M_{\bar i}\text{ and } \dim(U_i)={k-2\choose n-1}&\text{ for }&
k-n<i\le k-1.\end{aligned}$$ Moreover, $U_{k-n}=M_{\bar {k-n}}=(R_n)_{k-n}$ of dimension ${k-1\choose n-1}$.
Since $R_n/(E+\ideal{Q-1})$ surjects onto $U$, Lemma \[lem-nontrivial-relation\] shows that neither $U_i$ nor $U_{i+k}$ is zero-dimensional for $0\le i\le k-n-1$. So one has
For a generic hyperplane arrangement $Q$ the vector space $$\begin{aligned}
\left(H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)\right)_r\not = 0 \,\,\text{ for
}\,\,0\le r\le
2k-n-2.\end{aligned}$$ It is zero for all other $i$.
One can now use the non-vanishing to certify roots of $b_Q(s)$ as such:
The Bernstein-Sato polynomial of a generic central arrangement $Q=\prod_{H_i\in \calA}H_i$ of degree $k$ is $$(s+1)^{r}\prod_{i=0}^{2k-n-2}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{k}\right)$$ where $r=n-1$ or $r=n-2$. By the previous theorem, $U_i\not =0$ for $0\le i\le 2k-n-2$. A minimal degree basis for $U$ must therefore contain elements of all these degrees. By the last part of Theorem \[thm-U-spanned\], $b_Q(s)$ is a multiple of $\prod_{i=0}^{2k-n-2}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{k}\right)$. On the other hand, Theorem \[thm-upper-bound\] proves that $b_Q(s)$ divides the displayed expression with $r=n-1$. This proves everything apart from the multiplicity of $(s+1)$.
Let $\vec x\not=\vec 0$ be any point of the arrangement where precisely $n-1$ planes meet. The Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $Q$ is a multiple of the local Bernstein-Sato polynomial at $\vec x$ (which is defined by the same type of equation as $b_Q(s)$ but where $P(s)$ is in the localization of $D_x[s]$ at the maximal ideal defining $\vec x$). Since the local Bernstein-Sato polynomial at a normal crossing of $n-1$ smooth divisors is $(s+1)^{n-1}$, the theorem follows.
We are quite certain, that the exponent $r$ in Corollary \[cor-result\] is $n-1$, but we do not know how to show that. In fact, we believe that the elements $g\in R_n$ whose cosets in $$(s+1)^{n-2}\prod_{i=0}^{2k-n-2}\left(s+\frac{i+n}{k}\right)
\cdot \frac{D_n[s]\action
f^s}{D_n[s]\action f^{s+1}}$$ are zero are precisely the elements of $\frakm^{k-n+1}$.
If $k\le r\le 2k-n-2$ we believe that the space $(R_n/(E+\ideal{Q-1}))_r$ is spanned by the expressions in (\[eqn-nice-gens\]) for which $i_1<(n-1)+(r-k)$. If $k-n<r<k$, the expressions in Proposition \[prop-nice-gens\] are known to span $U$. If $r\le k-n$ we believe that $U_r=(R_n)_r$.
This is in accordance with [@Orlik-Randell] as there are exactly as many such expressions as Conjecture \[conj-o-r\] predicts for the dimension of $(H^{n-1}_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC))_r$.
Consider the non-generic arrangement given by $Q=xyz(x+y)(x+z)$. With the $D$-module package [@M2D] of [ *Macaulay 2*]{} [@M2] one computes its Bernstein-Sato polynomial as $$(s+1)(s+\frac{2}{3})(s+\frac{3}{3})(s+\frac{4}{3})
(s+\frac{3}{5})(s+\frac{4}{5})(s+\frac{5}{5})(s+\frac{6}{5})
(s+\frac{7}{5}).$$ Therefore the $b$-function for integration of $J_{n+1}$ along $\del_1,\ldots,\del_n$ is a divisor of $$(s-2)(s-\frac{1}{3})(s-2)(s-\frac{11}{3})(s-0)(s-1)(s-2)(s-3)(s-4).$$ This indicates that the degrees of the top cohomology of the Milnor fiber $Q^{-1}(1)$ are at most 4. It also shows that in this case these degrees do not suffice to determine the roots of $b_Q(s)$. In fact, the degrees of no class in any $H^i_{\DR}(Q^{-1}(1),\CC)$ will explain the roots $-2/3$ and $-4/3$ in $b_Q(s)$.
However, consider a point $P\not =0$ on the line $x=y=0$. This line is the intersection of three participating hyperplanes, $x$, $y$ and $x+y$. In $P$ the variety of $Q$ has a homogeneous structure as well, so the local Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $Q$ at $P$ is a multiple of the minimal polynomial of the local Euler operator on the cohomology of the Milnor fiber of $Q$ at $P$. In fact, at $P$ the variety of $Q$ is a generic arrangement in the plane, times the affine line. Without difficulty one verifies then that the Milnor fiber has top cohomology in degrees 0, 1 and 2, and that $b_{Q,P}(s)=(s+2/3)(s+1)^2(s+4/3)$.
The global Bernstein-Sato polynomial of $Q$ is the least common multiple of all local Bernstein-Sato polynomials $b_{Q,P}(s)$. Hence $b_Q(s)$ must be a multiple of $(s+2/3)(s+1)^2(s+4/3)$ and so all roots of $b_Q(s)$ come in one way or another from cohomology degrees on Milnor fibers. This prompts the following question:
Let $Q$ be a locally quasi-homogeneous polynomial in $R_n$ (as for example a hyperplane arrangement). Is it true that every root of $b_Q(s)$ arises through the action of an Euler operator on the top de Rham cohomology of the Milnor fiber of $Q$ at some point of the arrangement?
This is of course true for isolated quasi-homogeneous singularities. If $Q$ is an arrangement then by the local-to-global principle one may restrict to central arrangements. We have proved here that the question has an affirmative answer for generic arrangements.
One more remark is in order. The cohomology we have used to describe the Bernstein-Sato polynomial is the one with coefficients in the constant sheaf $\CC$, which may be viewed as the sheaf of solutions of the $D_n$-ideal $\ideal{\del_1,\ldots,\del_n}$ describing $R_n$ on $\CC^n$. Relating holonomic $D_n$-modules to locally constant sheaves on $\CC^n$ is the point of view of the Riemann-Hilbert correspondence, [@Boreletal]. There are, however, other natural locally constant sheaves on $\CC^n\setminus
Q^{-1}(0)$ induced by $D_n$-modules than just the constant sheaf. For example, for every $a\in\CC$ the $D_n$-ideal $\ann_{D_n}(f^a)$ induces such a sheaf as the sheaf of its local solutions. For most exponents $a$ this is of course a sheaf without global sections on $Q\not =0$, and more generally without any cohomology. For suitable exponents, however, this is different; it is sufficient to consider the case where $a+\ZZ$ contains a root of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial. Perhaps one can characterize the Bernstein-Sato polynomial as the polynomial of smallest degree such that $s=-\del_tt$ annihilates the $V_\del$-degree of every cohomology class in $H^i(\Omega\otimes_{D_n}^L\int_\iota\calP)$ for every $D_n$-module $\calP$ defining a locally constant system on $\CC^n\setminus Q^{-1}(0)\stackrel{\iota}{\hookrightarrow}
\CC^{n+1}$. Another possibility is given by the cyclic covers introduced by Cohen and Orlik [@Cohen-Orlik].
Miscellaneous Results
=====================
In this section we collect some results and conjectures concerning the structure of the module $D_n\action Q^s$ associated to central arrangements.
Arbitrary arrangements
----------------------
We begin with a fact pointed out to us by A. Leykin.
The only integral root of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of any arrangement $\calA$ is $-1$. By Lemma \[lem-broot\] it will be sufficient to show that if $Q=\prod_{H_i\in \calA}H_i$ then $R_n[Q^{-1}]$ is generated by $1/Q$ since this implies that $D_n\action
(Q^{-1})=D_n\action(Q^{-r})$ for all $r\in\NN$.
Since the Bernstein-Sato polynomial is the least common multiple of the local Bernstein-Sato polynomials, we may assume that $\calA$ is central. We may also assume that $\calA\subseteq \CC^n$ is not contained in a linear subspace of $\CC^n$.
The claim is true for a normal crossing arrangement. We proceed by induction on the difference $k-n>0$ where $k=\deg(Q)$. Since the local cohomology module $H^k_\frakm(R_n)$ vanishes, $R_n[Q^{-1}]=\sum_{i=1}^k R_n[(Q/H_i)^{-1}]$. Moreover, by induction $R_n[(Q/H_i)^{-1}]$ is generated by $H_i/Q$ as $D_n$-module. Since obviously $H_i/Q$ is in the $D_n$-module generated by $1/Q$, the theorem follows.
Note that the same argument proves the following. Let $g_1,\ldots,g_k\in R_n$ and set $G=\prod_{i=1}^kg_i$. If $R_n[(G/g_i)^{-1}]$ is generated by $(g_i/G)^m$ for $i=1,\ldots,k$, and $H^k_{\ideal{g_1,\ldots,g_k}}(R_n)=0$ then $R_n[G^{-1}]$ is generated by $1/G^m$. That is to say, if the smallest integral root of $b_{G/g_i}(s)$ is at least $-m$, and if $H^k_{\ideal{g_1,\ldots,g_k}}(R_n)=0$ then the smallest integral root of $b_{G}(s)$ is at least $-m$. By Grothendieck’s vanishing theorem this last condition is always satisfied if $k>n$.
We now give some combinatorial results on the localization module $R_n[Q^{-1}]$. The following really is a general fact about finite length modules.
Let $M=\sum_{i=1}^kM_i$ be a holonomic $D_n$-module. Then the holonomic length satisfies $$\ell(M)=\sum_{i=1}^k(-1)^{i+1}\sum_{|I|=i}\ell(M_I)$$ where $M_I=\bigcap
_{j\in I}M_j$. $\ell$ is additive in short exact sequences. Hence $\ell(M)=\ell(M_1)+\ell(M/M_1)$. In order to start the induction, one needs to look at the case $k=2$ which is the second isomorphism theorem.
Also, by induction, $$\begin{aligned}
\ell(M)-\ell(M_1)=\ell(M/M_1)
&=&\ell(\sum_{i>1}(M_j+M_1)/M_1)\\
&=&\sum_{i=1}^{k-1}(-1)^{i+1}\sum_{
|I|\subseteq \{2,\ldots,k\}}\ell(\bigcap_{1<j\in I}(M_j+M_1)/M_1)\\
%&=&\sum(-1)^{i+1}\sum_{1\in |I|=1}\ell(\bigcap_{1<j\in I}(M_j+M_1)/M_1)\\
&=&\sum_{i=1}^{k-1}(-1)^{i+1} \sum_{|I|\subseteq
\{2,\ldots,k\}}\ell(M_I/(M_1\cap M_I))\\
&=&\sum_{i=1}^{k-1}(-1)^{i+1}
\sum_{|I|\subseteq \{2,\ldots,k\}}[\ell(M_I)-\ell(M_{I\cup\{1\}})]\end{aligned}$$ The terms $\ell(M_I)$ in the last sum are all the summands in the sum of the theorem without the index $1$. The terms $\ell(M_{I\cup\{1\}})$ together with $\ell(M_1)$ make up all those who do use the index $1$.
In the context of Theorem \[thm-leykin\], let $M_I=R_n\left[\prod_{j\not\in I}{H_j}^{-1}\right]$. The length of $M=R_n[Q^{-1}]$ is determined recursively as follows where $H^i_\calA(-)$ is local cohomology with supports in the ideal $\ideal{H_1,\ldots,H_k}$.
- If $H^k_\calA(R_n)=0$ then $\ell(M)=\sum(-1)^i\sum_{|I|=i}\ell(M_I)$.
- If $H^k_\calA(R_n)\not =0$ then $\ell(M)=\sum(-1)^i\sum_{|I|=i}\ell(M_I)+1$.
This information can be obtained from the intersection lattice. In the first case the Čech complex shows that $M=\sum_{i=1}^k M_i$ and hence all that needs to be shown is that the two usages of the symbol $M_I$ here and in Proposition \[prop-in-ex\] agree. In other words, we must show that $$R_n\left[\prod_{j\in\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus I}{H_j}^{-1}\right]\cap
R_n\left[\prod_{j'\in\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus I'}{H_{j'}}^{-1}\right]
=R_n\left[\prod_{j\in\{1,\ldots,k\}\setminus (I\cup
I')}{H_j}^{-1}\right]$$ for all index sets $I,I'$. This, however, is clear.
If $H^k_\calA(R_n)\not =0$ then the $H_i$ form a regular sequence and hence we know that this local cohomology module is of length one, a suitable generator being annihilated by all $H_i$. The formula follows by considering $\sum_{|I|=1}M_I$ and $0\to \sum_{|I|=1}M_I\to M\to H^k_\calA(R_n)\to 0$.
There are substantially more general results by [À]{}lvarez-Montaner, Garc[í]{}a-L[ó]{}pez, and Zarzuela-Armengou. In fact, Propositions \[prop-in-ex\] and \[prop-length\] can be modified to apply to the characteristic cycle of $R_n[Q^{-1}]$. This idea is discussed in [@AGZ] and then used to express the lengths of the modules $H^r_{\calA}(R_n)$ in terms of Betti numbers obtained from the intersection lattice (even for subspace arrangements).
Some conjectures
----------------
We now close with conjectures on the generators of $J(Q^s)$ and $\ann_{D_n}(Q^{-1})$.
For a central arrangement $\calA=\{H_1,\ldots,H_k\}$ and $Q=H_1\cdots H_k$ we define the ideals $I(\calA)$ and $I_s(\calA)$ as follows. Let $H_1,\ldots,H_n$ be linearly independent. Choose vector fields $v_i$ with constant coefficients such that $v_i\action(H_j)=\delta_{i,j}$ for all $1\le i,j\le
n$.
Form $P_{i,j}(Q)=\frac{H_iH_j}{H_1\cdots
H_n}(v_i\action(Q)v_j-v_j\action(Q)v_i)\in D_n$; $P_{i,j}(Q)$ kills $Q^s$. Let $$I(Q)=\left\langle\left\{P_{i,j}(Q')\frac{Q}{Q'}:Q'\divides
Q\right\}\right\rangle\subseteq D_n.$$ We define $I_s(Q)$ recursively. If $\deg(Q)=1$, set $I_s(Q)=I(Q)$. If $\deg(Q)>1$, $$I_s(Q)=\left\langle\left\{{Q''}^{s+1}P_{i,j}(Q'){Q''}^{-s}:
Q=Q'Q''\right\}\right\rangle\subseteq D_n[s].$$ It is apparent that $I_s(Q)$ kills $Q^s$ and $I(Q)$ kills $1/Q$.
For any central arrangement $Q$,
1. the annihilator $\ann_{D_n}(Q^{-1})$ is $I(Q)+\ideal{\euler+k}$;
2. the annihilator $\ann_{D_n[s]}(Q^s)$ is $I_s(Q)+\ideal{\euler-ks}$.
There is certainly a considerable amount of redundancy in these generators. Particularly for generic arrangements much smaller sets can be taken. The importance of the conjecture lies perhaps more in the fact that all operators shown are order one. We make some remarks about this now.
T. Torrelli [@Torrelli-mero] has proved that $\ann(Q^{-1})$ is generated in order one for the union of a generic arrangement with a hyperbolic arrangement. A divisor $\Div(f)$ on $\CC^n$ is called [*free*]{} if the module of logarithmic derivations $\der(\log f)=\{\delta\in\der(R_n):\delta(f)\in\ideal
f\}$ is a locally free $R_n$-module. It is called [*Koszul-free*]{} if one can choose a basis for the logarithmic derivations such that their top order parts form a regular sequence in $\gr_{(0,1)}(D_n)$. The complex of logarithmic differentials $\Omega^\bullet(\log f)$ consists (in the algebraic case) of those differential forms $\omega\in\Omega^\bullet(R_n[f^{-1}])$ for which both $f\omega$ and $f d\omega$ are regular forms on $\CC^n$. It is a subcomplex of $\Omega^\bullet(R_n[f^{-1}])$ and (algebraic) Logarithmic Comparison is said to hold if the inclusion is a quasi-isomorphism.
Let $\tilde I^{\log f}$ be the subideal of $\ann(1/f)$ generated by the order one operators introduced by L. Narvaez-Macarro [@Ucha-thesis] and put $I^{\log f}=D_n\cdot \der(\log f)$. F.J Castro and J.M. Ucha [@Castro-Ucha-freedual; @Castro-Ucha-comp], using results and ideas of F.J. Calderon [@Calderon-ASENS], proved that if $f$ is Koszul-free then the map from $\Omega^\bullet(\log f)$ to the (holomorphic) de Rham complex of the (holonomic) module $\tilde M^{\log
f}=D_n/\tilde I^{\log f}$ is a quasi-isomorphism, and $\tilde I^{\log f}$ and $I^{\log f}$ are holonomically dual. Hence if $f$ is Koszul-free and $\tilde M^{\log f}$ regular holonomic, then $\tilde M^{\log f}=R_n[f^{-1}]$ if and only if (holomorphic) Logarithmic Comparison holds. In his paper [@Torrelli-mero] Torrelli conjectures that if $f$ is reduced (but not necessarily Koszul-free) then (holomorphic) Logarithmic Comparison holds for $f$ if and only if $\ann(1/f)=\tilde I^{\log f}$.
Terao conjectured in [@Terao-kyoto] that (algebraic) Logarithmic Comparison holds for any central arrangement (and more) and there is a proof in the analytic case for free quasi-homogeneous divisors in [@Castro-Narvaez-Mond]. This can via Torrelli’s conjecture be seen as counterpart to our conjecture. Wiens and Yuzvinsky have proved in [@Wiens-Yuzvinsky] Terao’s conjecture for arrangements in $\CC^{\le 4}$, and all tame arrangements.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
---------------
I would like to thank A. Leykin for telling me about Theorem \[thm-leykin\], and B. Sturmfels for his encouragement regarding this work. My thanks go as well to two unknown referees for their useful comments, and to MPI and Universität Leipzig for their hospitality during the final stages of the preparation of this manuscript.
[^1]: The author wishes to thank the National Science Foundation, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and the A.v.-Humboldt-Stiftung for their support.
[^2]: Throughout we use $Q$ for an instance of a homogeneous polynomial while $f$ is used if no homogeneity assumptions are in force.
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Objective: To assess the impact of Guide to Decide (GtD), a web-based, personally-tailored decision aid designed to inform women's decisions about prophylactic tamoxifen and raloxifene use.
Methods: Postmenopausal women, age 46-74, with BCRAT 5-year risk ≥ 1.66% and no prior history of breast cancer were randomized to one of three study arms:intervention (n=690), Time 1 control (n=160), or 3-month control (n=162). Intervention participants viewed GtD prior to completing a post-test and 3 month follow-up assessment. Controls did not. We assessed the impact of GtD on women's decisional conflict levels and treatment decision behavior at post-test and at 3 months, respectively.
Results: Intervention participants had significantly lower decisional conflict levels at post-test (p<0.001) and significantly higher odds of making a decision about whether or not to take prophylactic tamoxifen or raloxifene at 3-month follow-up (p<0.001) compared to control participants.
Conclusion: GtD lowered decisional conflict and helped women at high risk of breast cancer decide whether to take prophylactic tamoxifen or raloxifene to reduce their cancer risk.
Practice implications: Web-based, tailored decision aids should be used more routinely to facilitate informed medical decisions, reduce patients' decisional conflict, and empower patients to choose the treatment strategy that best reflects their own values.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00967824.
Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23395006/?dopt=Abstract |
In addition to our General Photo Technical Requirements, please refer to the following guidelines when submitting photographic backgrounds or textures.
High-quality photos of objects and patterns intended for use as photographic backgrounds are acceptable.
Use of abstract camera focus techniques such as bokeh are acceptable.
Do not submit photos which use any fake / artificial bokeh techniques.
Do not submit images which are simply entirely blurred (either naturally or artificially).
Do not submit backgrounds that are entirely illustrations, gradients, or abstract graphical elements.
For photographs intended primarily for use as textures/patterns, we recommend that you submit these to the textures category on GraphicRiver as an individual texture or texture pack. See our article on PhotoDune or GraphicRiver for more detail and examples. | https://help.author.envato.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000471426-Technical-Requirements-For-Backgrounds-Textures |
Veterans Day is November 11, 2022, a day to honor and recognize those who have served our country. Approximately 200,000 servicemen and servicewomen exit the military each year, and many choose to enter the skilled trades. The reason is that many of the skills and experiences military members gain while enlisted transfer well to jobs like HVAC technicians, truck drivers, welders, electricians, and facilities managers. If you’re a veteran who’s considering a new career path, here are the strengths you can bring to a job in the trades.
You’re a Team Player
Safe military operations require strong teams that work in sync. It’s an essential part of daily life. Each member is trusted to do their part and do it well—the outcome relies on the collective effort of the team. A strong sense of teamwork carries over to jobs in the skilled trades, too. For example, installing complex HVACR systems takes a team effort. Being able to communicate and work well with others is essential for successful outcomes.
You Have a Strong Sense of Duty
Completing missions in the military takes individuals who are focused on doing the best job they can. This sense of commitment to excellence leads to positive results—an outlook that transfers well to the trades. For example, welders understand that their role is an integral part of the integrity of a construction project. The job they do helps build important structures like bridges, aircraft, and buildings, and doing it well is something they can take pride in.
You Are Disciplined
In the military, the mission comes first and guides every decision. Personnel must follow rules and schedules even when assignments become difficult. This strong work ethic is also needed to be successful in the skilled trades. Some jobs may be more difficult than others. For example, installing innovative new electrical systems takes patience and determination. Electricians need to be willing to take their time to get it right because the quality of their work will impact others.
You’re a Quick Learner
Serving in the military requires obtaining a variety of different skills, some of which happen on the job. An ability to learn new information and apply it in real-world settings is key. The same is true in the skilled trades. Students are taught skills in the classroom, which they later apply with hands-on training. And many perform apprenticeships that further their knowledge base. Tradespeople should have a love of learning and a desire to continually improve their skills.
You’re a Problem-Solver
Military members must adapt to changing situations and be able to solve problems that arise without warning. Effective problem-solving requires an ability to look for the root cause and design solutions. Skilled trades workers must also be problem-solvers. For example, a facilities manager called in to troubleshoot a building leak will need to assess the situation, determine the source of the issue, and execute a plan to fix it. The solution may not always be clear cut and being able to stick with a challenge is what can lead to a positive outcome.
Just like the military, the skilled trades can offer a fulfilling career, and as workers retire, the fields need trained tradespeople to fill the roles. These are also growth careers for female service members who want a career in the skilled trades. If you’re a veteran or a member of the military considering your next move, All-State Career School can help you with next steps. We have a variety of programs that include HVAC, Commercial Driving and welding. Click here for more information or call us today at (855) 834-4580 and speak to one of our career counselors. | https://www.allstatecareer.edu/blog/skilled-trades/5-traits-that-help-military-members-thrive-in-the-skilled-trades.html |
This week I have something a little different for you for the challenge – shooting on a black or dark background.
The idea here is to create something dramatic. Make sure you choose lighting that will help separate the subject from the dark background. That could be backlight, rim light, or side lighting – choose the direction of light carefully. | https://digital-photography-school.com/weekly-photography-challenge-black-background/ |
Winter Physics 2018-2: Ice Skating
The winter Olympics has both traditional figure skating, and speed skating as events. For this post I will focus more on the physics in Speed skating. First, how to go forward on ice skates. Since the friction between ice and sharp skates is almost zero you cannot simply just move, however, an ice skater must keep one foot in the direction of travel and push off the other at an angle from the first foot. This then creates forces in the x and y plane of the second skate, and it is the perpendicular force that pushes the skater forward.
Now for short track speed skating.
The radius of the turns in short track are much smaller than those of traditional speed skating so the skaters must than rely on their momentum from the straight portions of the track in order to go around the turns. Also, the lean seen above is caused by the centripetal acceleration of the skater around the turn. | https://aplusphysics.com/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/31130-winter-physics-2018-2-ice-skating/ |
Faith, Hope, Mercy, Envy, Ignorance, Guilt: These are not abstract concepts, but the names of vividly imagined, sharply drawn human characters encountered by Christian, the hero of The Pilgrim’s Progress. In John Bunyan’s seventeenth-century allegory of the soul’s search for salvation, each step along the way becomes a dramatic rendering of an inner state of the human psyche. As Christian journeys from “the wilderness of this world” to the glory of the Celestial City, he confronts a seemingly endless array of temptations, threats, and dangers, including the nearly irresistible allure of material splendor at Vanity Fair; the crushing psychological burden of depression and despair in the Slough of Despond; and the fear and uncertainty that eats away at faith in Doubting Castle.
This edition includes both the first and second parts of The Pilgrim’s Progress, which collectively reflect the feverish intensity of Bunyan’s religious beliefs. What remains significant is Bunyan’s ability to transform this intensity into an allegory that speaks to people of all faiths and all eras.
David Hawkes is Associate Professor of English at Lehigh University. His books include Idols of the Marketplace (2001) and Ideology (second edition 2003), and he has contributed articles to The Nation, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Journal of the History of Ideas.
Product Details
|ISBN-13:||9781593082543|
|Publisher:||Barnes & Noble|
|Publication date:||06/01/2005|
|Series:||Barnes & Noble Classics Series|
|Pages:||432|
|Sales rank:||1,389|
|Product dimensions:||5.18(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.08(d)|
About the Author
John Bunyan (1628-1688) was an English writer and Baptist preacher best known for his Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress. He wrote more than 60 books and tracts in total. Buynan spent many years in prison because of his faith, and it was during this time that he began writing The Pilgrim’s Progress. Part One was published in 1678; Part Two in 1684.
Read an Excerpt
From David Hawkes’s Introduction to The Pilgrim’s Progress
To understand fully The Pilgrim’s Progress, we must remember that it was written in prison. Imprisonment is its major theme, and escape from prison is its primary purpose. Although Bunyan was without a doubt incarcerated in the literal, physical sense while he composed his work, he did not believe that he was truly in jail. He was convinced that, as Richard Lovelace had written in “To Althea, from Prison” (1642), “Stone walls do not a prison make, / Nor iron bars a cage,” and Bunyan echoed the sentiment in his own “Prison Meditations” (1665; quoted from The Works of John Bunyan, edited by George Offor, vol. 1, p. 64; see “For Further Reading”):
I am, indeed, in prison now
In body, but my mind
Is free to study Christ, and how
Unto me he is kind.
For though men keep my outward man
Within their locks and bars,
Yet by the faith of Christ I can
Mount higher than the stars.
As far as Bunyan was concerned, the real prisoners were outside the walls, in the world. The Pilgrim’s Progress aims to establish two deeply counterintuitive propositions: that its author is not in jail, and that its readers are. But while Bunyan argues that the world is the prison of the soul, he also offers us a way to escape from the world. The book’s subtitle, From This World to That Which Is to Come, indicates our ultimate destination, but the world “to come” is to be reached by a way not measurable in space or time. The pilgrim’s progress is not a literal journey along a physical road, but an exercise in semiotics: a reinterpretation of the world. As Stanley Fish puts it, Bunyan’s work teaches us that “the truth about the world is not to be found within its own confines or configurations, but from the vantage point of a perspective that transforms it” (Self-consuming Artifacts, p. 237).
In the course of his journey the hero, named Christian, learns to understand the world as an allegory. He comes to perceive his experience as a series of signs that point toward nonmaterial, spiritual referents, and this constitutes his liberation. But before he can escape from prison, he must become aware that he is in one. The progress toward an allegorical interpretation of reality is simultaneously a process of alienation from the mundane world of experience. The Pilgrim’s Progress shows us a man who becomes a stranger to the world, to the extent of rejecting empirical sense perception, as well as the laws, morality, and behavioral standards of society. The first lesson Christian learns after his conversion is that “Mr. Worldly Wiseman is an alien.”
Allegory has often been described as a suitable mode to represent the alienated, objectified character of worldly experience. This line of reasoning originates with Walter Benjamin’s seminal analysis of the genre in The Origin of German Tragic Drama (1928). Benjamin argues that allegory’s purpose is to teach us that the experiential world—the “carnal” or “fleshly” dimension, in Bunyan’s terms—is fallen into a disharmonious relation with its Creator: “Allegory itself was sown by Christianity. For it was absolutely decisive for this mode of thought that not only transitoriness, but also guilt should seem evidently to have its home in the province of idols and of the flesh” (p. 224). Plato had argued that, because the material world is transitory, it is also illusory, and to take empirical appearances for reality thus constitutes a philosophical error. But Christianity introduced an ethical dimension to this argument. From the Christian perspective, taking appearances for reality is not only erroneous, but also sinful, and in The Pilgrim’s Progress, understanding this fact is the first step on the way to redemption. This is a paradoxical operation, however, for the process of understanding that creation is alienated from the Creator simultaneously involves the recognition of another, spiritual, realm to which the carnal world points the way.
Customer Reviews
Average Review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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The book is excellent, but the folks at B&N should be embarrassed to offer this badly scanned nook book edition. Notes and marginal comments appear in-line in the same font as the text and interrupt the flow of reading. Words are sometimes split randomly or shift in their middle between plain and italic. Words that should be bolded aren't. Poetry is set as prose at random. Apostrophes are mis-scanned as question marks. Apparently no one bothered to proofread the scan results. The editorial notes also detract from the text on which they are supposed to comment. since they are often trivial and sometimes plain wrong. This is truly a sorry transfer from text to ebook and unworthy of Bunyan's masterpiece.
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There is a reason this book has not been out of print since it was first published in the late 1670s. It remains relevant. One of the most insightful and honest descriptions of the Christian Life, far better than modern writers can even come close. It is the quintessential Christian allegory, ahead even of Chronicles of Narnia. Brilliant insights, life-changing.
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Though an exhilirating tale of adventure and grandiose excitement if epic proportions it is still so much more than that. NEVER a substitute for the Word of God, but a wonderful contemporary study guide piece that every christian should read and will enjoy when presented with the opportunity!
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It seems a lot of the footnotes, etc., get jumbled in with the text. It's frustrating to navigate.
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This is a great read of an allegory about a man's travelling the path of life being akin to a man's attempt at travelling the path to religious redemption. The writing style is, of course, heroic-epic; and, the author does an admirable job at staying true to the character and the plot. I recommend it to anyone whom appreciates epic.
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This book contains a very detailed table of contents, and a different formatting of the inline references (which makes it easier to read than most other versions of this book that I've seen). Great book!
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Wrong book here! This is some other kind of allegory or story--not anything Bunyan would have liked. Seems a Catholic kind of tale. It is a scam, as it is NOT Pilgrim's Progress on the inside. Please correct the title and description of it!
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Pilgrim's Progress is a wonderful allegory of our Christian walk. It is so wonderfully written, despite the fact that John Bunyan only had an eigth grade education. I love how Scripture is continually intertwined with the characters' dialouge. I also enjoyed the story of Christiana who later falls in her husband's footsteps.
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This book is inspirational and makes me think about my relationship with Christ, but it is a very long, drawn out book and, as a ninth grader, is difficult to always understand. The book is about Christian, as he travels along the narrow road to the Celestial City. It applies all that is said in the Bible about how we should act as we live life and face struggles.
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This book get 5 stars right off the back. the only set back is reading the old english. basically this book is about Christian going on an adventure to the celestial city, and runs into fearsome dangers.
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Very touching and inspirational. The trials of life can be challenging however, faith, hope, and love can lead us towards the kingdom of God to heaven. A wonderful book.
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It+was+a+great+journey.
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hard+to+believe+Bunyan+had+little+education.
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A must read, for every new Christian coming to Christ...
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Hard to actually read but the audio dramatizations are WONDERFUL! We tried it as a "read aloud" with one person reading but always had to say who is speaking. Maybe good for a family to read like a play (have multiple copies) and discuss as you go along. Wonderful alleghory! For younger readers, there are children's versions available to help with understanding.
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Honestly, I love Christian Allegory, but I felt this was a diluted rip off of the Everyman moral play. I was looking forward to a provocative tale but this came up short with blatant imagery pulled together with the smallest bit of finesse. Sorry to be so scathing Mr. Bunyan. I get that it was to be accessible to the common man, but this is more a pamphlet than a serious piece of literature.The only reason I think I'll keep reading it is so that I know the references and allusions people take from it. It's an easy enough read.
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If there is any one theological fiction that Christians should read today, this book would be it! Classic, powerful, imaginative, and provocative. Well worth reading, and not full of theological blunders like books that currently line many peoples shelves.
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I'll be brutally honest. I didn't understand this book at all. It seems to be the symbolic journey of a Christian, who meets various challenges and emotions in human form. A lot of people loved it, I didn't get it. The language put me off - it's written in a sort of King James English, which I didn't have the energy to follow.
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I have heard horror stories about this book my whole life from people who were required to read this in school and subsequently forced to write tedious and life-draining essays about it. However, out of sheer tenacity I decided to read this book of my own free will. And then I couldn't put it down. It took me about five pages to acclimate to Bunyan's voice, but once I got used to the book's style I was intrigued. Following Christian through his battles, and meeting his various acquaintances was interesting enough. Plus, I found myself comparing different characters to different people in my life. I challenge anyone to be unable to relate to at least one of the characters in the book. A lot of atheists will berate this book simply because it is Christian and they are not, but they are too clouded by their own convictions to see the beauty of the book by itself. The book's similarities to mythological works should make it interesting to people of all beliefs or lack thereof.
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The first was a whole heap of fun, but the second was a little tedious. I'm sure it's a perfectly good book if you are a puritan Christian, but as I am neither of the two, I found it quite mediocre.
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There is a reason why this is the most widely published Christian book outside of the Bible. Bunyan, with seriousness and at times with humor, dissects the human condition. I recommend this both to Christians and non-Christians, as it reveals the subtle deceit of many paradigms that we encounter in our lifetime.
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There is no doubt that all who read this book will have knowledge of Christ's saving grace by the shedding of his blood to justify those who believe in his name.
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I'm currently reading the Barnes and Noble classic edition of The Pilgrim's Progress and I'm really enjoying it. This edition is very helpful to the modern reader because of its extensive use of footnotes which help readers like myself understand the text more fully. The footnotes provide context into the author's meaning. The English language has changed somewhat since the publication of The Pilgrim's Progress. Yet, the novel is still incredibly fresh and insightful to the readers of today, especially those like myself who are of the Christian faith. So many modern sayings have come from this book. I can fully understand how it is one of the most read books in the English language second only to the Bible. Happy reading!
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Written over 300 years ago, this masterpiece lives on in the hearts and minds of literature lovers. Timeless truths mined from the heart of God's Word in lovely tale by a man who knew what it was to live and suffer for his faith. | https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pilgrims-progress-john-bunyan/1116618483 |
Q:
Android crazy speed and distance traveled
I've created simple program for calculating my position and wanted to calculate the speed and overall distance traveled by the user when the app is on.
The Location seems to be working well but when I am trying to calculate speed and distance it shows me some crazy numbers while my phone is not moving, connected to the computer. What's wrong there?
Here is my code:
public class MapsActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
LocationManager locationManager;
TextView tvSpeed;
TextView tvLong;
TextView tvLati;
TextView tvDistance;
double oldLat;
double oldLong;
double startTime;
double endTime;
double overalDistance;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_maps);
tvSpeed = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textViewSpeed);
tvLong = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textViewLong);
tvLati = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textViewLati);
tvDistance = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textViewDistance);
oldLat = 0;
oldLong = 0;
overalDistance = 0;
startTime= SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
locationManager = (LocationManager) this.getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
if (ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && ActivityCompat.checkSelfPermission(this, Manifest.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
// TODO: Consider calling
return;
}
if(locationManager.isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER)) {
locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER, 0, 0, new LocationListener() {
@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
double latitude = location.getLatitude();
double longitude = location.getLongitude();
endTime = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
tvLati.setText("Latitude: " + Double.toString(latitude));
tvLati.invalidate();
tvLong.setText("Longitude: " + Double.toString(longitude));
tvLong.invalidate();
double distance = getDistance(oldLat,oldLong,latitude,longitude);
double time = (endTime - startTime)/1000;
startTime=endTime;
oldLat = latitude;
oldLong = longitude;
tvSpeed.setText("Speed: " + Double.toString(distance/time));
tvSpeed.invalidate();
overalDistance += distance;
tvDistance.setText("Overall Distance: " + Double.toString(overalDistance));
tvDistance.invalidate();
}
@Override
public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
}
@Override
public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
}
@Override
public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
}
});
}
else if (locationManager.isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER)){
locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, 0, 0, new LocationListener() {
}
}
}
}
});
}
}
public double getDistance(double lat1, double lon1, double lat2, double lon2)
{
double latA = Math.toRadians(lat1);
double lonA = Math.toRadians(lon1);
double latB = Math.toRadians(lat2);
double lonB = Math.toRadians(lon2);
double cosAng = (Math.cos(latA) * Math.cos(latB) * Math.cos(lonB-lonA)) +
(Math.sin(latA) * Math.sin(latB));
double ang = Math.acos(cosAng);
double dist = ang *6371;
return dist;
}
and here is the output on my phone
Output
A:
You initialize your oldLat and oldLong variables to 0. So, the first time that your application have a location, it calculates distance between your current position and (0,0) coordinates.
You must implement an if statement to not calculate distance the first time :
if(oldLat == 0 && oldLong == 0) {
oldLat = latitude;
oldLong = longitude;
return;
}
endTime = SystemClock.elapsedRealtime();
}
| |
Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: [email protected]. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.
Current Trends Prevention of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS): Report of Inter-Agency Recommendations
Since June 1981, over 1,200 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported to CDC from 34 states, the District of Columbia, and 15 countries. Reported cases of AIDS include persons with Kaposi's sarcoma who are under age 60 years and/or persons with life-threatening opportunistic infections with no known underlying cause for immune deficiency. Over 450 persons have died from AIDS, and the case-fatality rate exceeds 60% for cases first diagnosed over 1 year previously (1,2). Reports have gradually increased in number. An average of one case per day was reported during 1981, compared with three to four daily in late 1982 and early 1983. Current epidemiologic evidence identifies several groups in the United States at increased risk for developing AIDS (3-7). Most cases have been reported among homosexual men with multiple sexual partners, abusers of intravenous (IV) drugs, and Haitians, especially those who have entered the country within the past few years. However, each group contains many persons who probably have little risk of acquiring AIDS. Recently, 11 cases of unexplained, life-threatening opportunistic infections and cellular immune deficiency have been diagnosed in patients with hemophilia. Available data suggest that the severe disorder of immune regulation underlying AIDS is caused by a transmissible agent.
A national case-control study and an investigation of a cluster of cases among homosexual men in California indicate that AIDS may be sexually transmitted among homosexual or bisexual men (8,9). AIDS cases were recently reported among women who were steady sexual partners of men with AIDS or of men in high-risk groups, suggesting the possibility of heterosexual transmission (10). Recent reports of unexplained cellular immunodeficiencies and opportunistic infections in infants born to mothers from groups at high risk for AIDS have raised concerns about in utero or perinatal transmission of AIDS (11). Very little is known about risk factors for Haitians with AIDS.
The distribution of AIDS cases parallels that of hepatitis B virus infection, which is transmitted sexually and parenterally. Blood products or blood appear responsible for AIDS among hemophilia patients who require clotting factor replacement. The likelihood of blood transmission is supported by the occurrence of AIDS among IV drug abusers. Many drug abusers share contaminated needles, exposing themselves to blood-borne agents, such as hepatitis B virus. Recently, an infant developed severe immune deficiency and an opportunistic infection several months after receiving a transfusion of platelets derived from the blood of a man subsequently found to have AIDS (12). The possibility of acquiring AIDS through blood components or blood is further suggested by several cases in persons with no known risk factors who have received blood products or blood within 3 years of AIDS diagnosis (2). These cases are currently under investigation.
No AIDS cases have been documented among health care or laboratory personnel caring for AIDS patients or processing laboratory specimens. To date, no person-to-person transmission has been identified other than through intimate contact or blood transfusion.
Several factors indicate that individuals at risk for transmitting AIDS may be difficult to identify. A New York City study showed that a significant proportion of homosexual men who were asymptomatic or who had nonspecific symptoms or signs (such as generalized lymphadenopathy) had altered immune functions demonstrated by in vitro tests (2,13,14). Similar findings have been reported among patients with hemophilia (2,15,16). Although the significance of these immunologic alterations is not yet clear, their occurrence in at least two groups at high risk for AIDS suggests that the pool of persons potentially capable of transmitting an AIDS agent may be considerably larger than the presently known number of AIDS cases. Furthermore, the California cluster investigation and other epidemiologic findings suggest a "latent period" of several months to 2 years between exposure and recognizable clinical illness and imply that transmissibility may precede recognizable illness. Thus, careful histories and physical examinations alone will not identify all persons capable of transmitting AIDS but should be useful in identifying persons with definite AIDS diagnoses or related symptoms, such as generalized lymphadenopathy, unexplained weight loss, and thrush. Since only a small percentage of members of high-risk groups actually has AIDS, a laboratory test is clearly needed to identify those with AIDS or those at highest risk of acquiring AIDS. For the above reasons, persons who may be considered at increased risk of AIDS include those with symptoms and signs suggestive of AIDS; sexual partners of AIDS patients; sexually active homosexual or bisexual men with multiple partners; Haitian entrants to the United States; present or past abusers of IV drugs; patients with hemophilia; and sexual partners of individuals at increased risk for AIDS.
Statements on prevention and control of AIDS have been issued by the National Gay Task Force, the National Hemophilia Foundation, the American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks, the Council of Community Blood Centers, the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, and others. These groups agree that steps should be implemented to reduce the potential risk of transmitting AIDS through blood products, but differ in the methods proposed to accomplish this goal. Public health agencies, community organizations, and medical organizations and groups share the responsibility to rapidly disseminate information on AIDS and recommended precautions.
Although the cause of AIDS remains unknown, the Public Health Service recommends the following actions:
recommendations for management of patients with hemophilia (17).
The interim recommendation requesting that high-risk persons refrain from donating plasma and/or blood is especially important for donors whose plasma is recovered from plasmapheresis centers or other sources and pooled to make products that are not inactivated and may transmit infections, such as hepatitis B. The clear intent of this recommendation is to eliminate plasma and blood potentially containing the putative AIDS agent from the supply. Since no specific test is known to detect AIDS at an early stage in a potential donor, the recommendation to discourage donation must encompass all members of groups at increased risk for AIDS, even though it includes many individuals who may be at little risk of transmitting AIDS.
As long as the cause remains unknown, the ability to understand the natural history of AIDS and to undertake preventive measures is somewhat compromised. However, the above recommendations are prudent measures that should reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting AIDS. Reported by the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health.
References
Disclaimer All MMWR HTML documents published before January 1993 are electronic conversions from ASCII text into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to [email protected]. | https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001257.htm |
Crystallized sensory-motor skills of musicians enable artistic and virtuosic music performance that has fascinated people over centuries. The long-term musical training endows fine and complex motor control, superior error monitoring and correction, vast memory, and integration of information across different sensory modalities. However, at the expense of the skill acquisition, neurological disorders represented by focal dystonia can emerge, which crucially exacerbate sensory-motor functions. To shed light on mechanisms behind both skilled and unskilled behaviors of musicians as well as the underlying neuroplastic changes, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary.
The present Research Topic aims to bring together state-of-art knowledge derived from the recent studies using diverse cutting-edge empirical techniques such as functional and structural neuroimaging, transcranial stimulation, psychophysics, and movement analysis, toward a goal of deepening the understanding of sensory-motor control and learning of music performance. Furthermore, novel therapeutic approaches using music performance, which recently receive increasing attention, will be included to probe potential impacts of music performance on recovery from neurological disorder. We believe that this Research Topic will bridge over researchers with different backgrounds, which should be ingredients for boosting this interdisciplinary research area. | https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/1109/sensory-motor-control-and-learning-of-musical-performance |
In 2012, the Valenciennes Métropole community authorities called on SUEZ to collect and sort its waste. Thanks to a better organisation of the rounds, more modern vehicles and awareness-raising campaigns in the field, SUEZ has improved waste management and met the community’s budgetary and environmental objectives.
Comprising 35 municipalities, the Valenciennes Métropole conurbation is responsible for the collection and sorting of multiple waste across a large geographical area. This includes all household waste, packaging, glass, green waste and cardboard boxes for the retail industry.
The city's objective was to optimise collection door-to-door and at voluntary waste disposal sites to reduce costs and the corresponding impact on the environment.
Given the additional costs incurred by sorting errors, improving sorting practices was also a priority.
The number of inhabitants generating waste to be collected.
tonnes of recyclable waste to be sorted each year.
reduce sorting errors at the source.
Regarding waste collection, SUEZ reorganised the collection rounds with a view to reducing the number of kilometres travelled by 15%. By implementing brake energy recovery systems on the trucks, we also lowered their fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and noise levels.
In order to improve sorting practices at the source, we sent out three experts to explain waste sorting guidelines to users. During collection, stickers on the bins indicate common sorting errors. Our experts also carried out door-to-door visits to remind the inhabitants of the importance of sorting their waste and to point out the common mistakes to be avoided. To reach the maximum number of inhabitants, they also spoke in schools, retirement homes, collective housing, etc.
Users now have access to a website giving them all the information they need on waste collection and sorting.
In addition, satisfaction surveys are regularly conducted with a view to evaluating and improving our services.
SUEZ is also committed to continuously improving recycling performance and to adapting its processes to future changes in waste sorting guidelines in France.
Thanks to innovative solutions, the intervention of experts with the local inhabitants, and its communication in the field, SUEZ enabled Valenciennes city to reach its objectives.
The waste sorting error rate is down to 14.8% following the awareness and communication campaigns, compared with 19.9% beforehand.
According to the results of the regular satisfaction surveys we conduct, 94% of residents are satisfied with the collection and sorting service implemented by SUEZ.
reduction in CO2 emissions and noise during waste collection.
sorting experts in the field to inform and advise the local inhabitants.
communication campaigns carried out each year. | https://www.suez.com/en/our-offering/Success-stories/Our-references/Valenciennes-awareness-raising-campaigns-waste-management |
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