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· Describe ways to improve nonverbal communication in 700 to 1,050 words. Use information and citations from Ch. 4 to discuss the following questions:
· How do you know that your perception of what is being communicated is accurate?
· Which nonverbal cues might potentially convey a misunderstanding or an understanding?
· How might criminal justice professionals build strong nonverbal communication skills?
· Illustrate each point with personal or professional examples.
· Format your paper according to APA standards.
· Post your paper as an attachment
. | https://mystudenthelp.com/improving-nonverbal-communication/ |
Brilliant White Peaks
I loved the way this book was laid out, and I often found myself surprised by turns of events within the narrative. Told from the first-person perspective of a male wolf, this story is unlike most others you will encounter. Certain elements of the wolf’s life may be intense for sensitive readers, but those with an affinity toward animals and the natural cycle of life will find this to be an accessible, enjoyable, and emotional journey through the life of one particular wolf. Please see my full review below!
——
Life as a wolf is filled with trials and tribulations, but it is likewise saturated with hope and love. An unnamed wolf cub narrates the story of his life, beginning with the birth of himself and his sister, White-Ears. After being welcomed into their pack, the siblings learn the important skills they need to survive as wolves in the northern wilderness. When their parents go missing, White-Ears and the protagonist set out to reach the ocean, where they are convinced their parents will be waiting for them. As the seasons pass, the two wolves grow and their priorities shift, demonstrating both the beauty and unpredictability of nature.
Told from the first-person perspective of a wolf, this story gets deep into the thoughts, feelings, and senses of this majestic animal. As might be expected, there is limited verbal interaction among the characters except when necessary, and their songs are translated into words for the human reader to understand. The majority of the narrative focuses instead on the behavior, sensations, and observations of the primary protagonist, with particular attention being placed on smells and tastes. Through detailed and thoughtful descriptions, readers gain significant insight into what life is like for a wolf in the vast and beautiful northern wilderness.
Readers who enjoy rich stories about the lives of animals will find this tale to be both heartfelt and emotionally fulfilling. As the characters age, the details in the narrative become more intense, often incorporating death as an intrinsic element of the circle of life. Occasional strong language is also used as the wolves age, but it is rare. Though this book is accessible to middle grade readers, more mature audiences who do not shy away from the inevitabilities of the natural course of life and death are better suited to this story. Lovely imagery and emotional storytelling make this book a unique contribution to libraries for tween and teen readers.
Don't miss another blog! Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get book recommendations for kids, tweens, and teens delivered straight to your inbox. | https://www.maryrlanni.com/post/brilliant-white-peaks |
By Constance Morris at February 20 2020 04:07:58
After you have the information in hand, writing the proposal will be reasonably straightforward. That's because proposals that offer services, regardless of the type of services, follow a similar structure: first comes the introduction, then a summary of the needs, followed by descriptions of the services offered, as well as details and costs. Then the proposal concludes with information about the service provider, such as relevant experience, credentials, and capabilities.
To propose a partnership with another company for a mutually beneficial business arrangement, show how the partnership will benefit both parties (mostly focusing on the partner). Use templates such as Amenities, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Strategic Position, Competitive Analysis, and so on. A good example of a partnership would be an adventure tour service provider pitching an arrangement with a local hotel. Marketing a sports company or team? Then you'll include topic pages with titles like Marketing Plan, Market and Audience, Sales Plan, and so on. If you are writing a business plan to start or expand a business, include financial details with topics like Funding Request, Repayment Plan, Location Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Budget, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet, Company Operations, etc.
Information around target customers is not based in empirical fact, more observational opinion. Competitor Analysis is obsolete and doesn't track minor competitors or industry trends that could present opportunities. The business strategy doesn't intuitively line up with the financial projections of the business. Financial anomalies are frequent. The level of analysis in the financial section is low. Elevator analysis (only observational comments) is a glaring sign that no detailed analysis has been undertaken. The language style in the business proposal is inconsistent and in different tenses. The structure of the business proposal in terms of the content lay out does not flow intuitively. Think trying to fit a square peg into a circle! The proposal doesn't make a definite conclusion or sound argument to invest (or lend). The lack of analysis leads to inadequate risk mitigation leaving many questions unasnwered.
The truth is that it is not rocket science. Even a working knowledge of the key focal points will improve your finished product greatly. Writing a business proposal is a logical process which can't be done is 8 hours or completed in 1 day, at least not if you hope to truly understand it and communicate it effectively to external parties. In actual fact writing a business proposal is a very rewarding experience and if you are serious about starting a business and attracting funding into that business there will be associated pressure to perform well. Going through the business planning process will train you to be a more pro active and strategic business person and will ultimately improve your chances of making your vision a reality by analysing your business properly and consistently. | https://www.lynwoodbarandgrill.com/business-proposal-services/ |
Finally Snape declared that, as far as he could tell, the potion was doing fine. "Tomorrow we'll know if it's working," he said, leafing through his notes. "From tonight at half past 9 onwards it'll be sufficient to add the ingredients only every 6 and 9 hours, respectively."
"I'm glad to hear it," Hermione replied, stifling a yawn.
Snape turned around and gave her a scrutinizing look. "I'll see to it. I'm sure you haven't got much sleep in the last few days."
Hermione shook her head violently. "No, I'm fine. You however have to sleep. And don't contradict me, Madame Pomfrey told me expressly that I had to take care you rested."
For the first time there was some movement in his dispassionate face. "Or else you'll foist a sleeping potion on me again?"
Hermione smiled mischievously. "If I have to, yes."
Snape snorted. "How long are you intending to stay anyway?"
"It depends on how you're feeling tomorrow," Hermione replied. "Madame Pomfrey said she'd come and look after you in the evening. If she thinks you're fine I'll leave afterwards."
"You should leave as soon as possible."
Hermione felt a sudden stab of pain. She hadn't expected him to chuck her out like this.
"It isn't safe for you here," Snape added in a level tone. "And you've already done more than enough for me."
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry, I don't mind." She hesitated a few moments, then added, "That's what friends are for."
He looked at her, his face guarded. "Very well then. But you'll leave tomorrow." He turned without another word and left the laboratory.
Hermione stared after him for a second, her mind in turmoil. What was she to make of his behaviour towards her? How was she to react to it? I'd never have thought that a man could be so complicated! Finally she shrugged her shoulders and made to follow Snape to the dining room. She'd just have to go along and see what happened.
Rose was already waiting with dinner. While Hermione was carving through a delicious piece of salmon, Snape suddenly said, "You used magic."
She looked up in surprise and found him regarding her with that indefinable look of his.
"Yes, I did. I'm sorry I had to use your wand."
He made a throwaway gesture with his hand. "That doesn't matter." He was still looking at her and Hermione realized that he expected a longer answer.
"I didn't want to, obviously," she went on. "But I had to check your status, and the best way I could do that was by using magic."
"I see. Well, I'm glad you made an exception for me."
They went on eating in silence for a few minutes, then Hermione looked up again and said, "It was strange. After all I hadn't done any magic – at least not deliberately – for over five years. But it was as if no time had passed at all. I just did it, and it felt right."
Snape was looking at her attentively. "So what are you going to do now? Will you take up magic again?"
"I honestly don't know. It seemed so far away the last few years. Like a strange story or a dream, not the real world. But when I performed those spells it just felt natural. It is a part of me and I don't know if I'm right in shutting it away. But where would that leave me? I'm part of the muggle world now, and I like it. I don't think I want to return to the wizarding world. Just not now. There would be too many demands, and expectations, and memories…"
They looked at each other until Hermione broke the eye contact, took up her knife and fork again and went on to eat her fish. They had been eating in silence for a few minutes, when she suddenly asked, "You never wanted to leave all this behind?"
"You mean magic?"
She nodded.
"No." Snape considered for a few seconds. "You mean because I of all people should know about its dark sides?"
Hermione nodded reluctantly.
"No. Muggle society world never had any lure for me. But I can certainly understand your wish to get away from the demands of the wizarding world." He gave her a searching look. "Do you wish that you had been a normal child? With a normal childhood? It would be understandable. Battling a dark wizard is not what children should be forced to do."
"I did for a while, after Harry and Ron died. But I was happy as a child, in spite of Voldemort." She smiled wistfully. "I was proud of my abilities, happy with my friends. No, I wouldn't want to change my childhood."
"I see."
"How about you?" Hermione asked. The second the words left her lips she realized that this had probably been a very bad idea.
Snape's face went blank for a moment. "You watched over me the last days," he finally said in a dispassionate voice. "What do you think?"
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him, about his past, about Lily. But she knew that she never could.
Eventually Hermione made Snape go to bed in spite of much protest. She was very tired, but even without the need to get up and take care of the potion every few hours she wouldn't have found much sleep. Too much had happened that day.
What now, Hermione? She thought as she lay in her bed, waiting for the hours to tick by. What now? Unrequited love might be romantic in a novel, but in real life it just hurt. She thought back to her sixth year and how she had felt when Ron had been snogging Lavender all over Hogwarts. Hermione grimaced. She wasn't keen on experiencing those emotions again.
But did she have a choice? Should she try to keep away from Snape, to end their…friendship? If she could even call their strange and tentative relationship friendship. Would that help? Wasn't the odd bond they had formed better than nothing? The thought of never seeing him again, even if now she met him only on rare occasions and in the context of work, hurt. She didn't want him out of her life.
How could this have happened? When had her tentative admiration for him turned into something she was afraid to look at too closely? How could she have got into this mess?
In the early hours of the morning Hermione finally fell into troubled sleep, but woke up again shortly after 9 o'clock. When she went to the laboratory, she found Snape already pouring over a sheaf of parchments.
He looked up when she entered and Hermione was surprised at the look on his face. With everyone else she'd have said that he was beaming with pleasure. There was no doubt that he was very pleased.
"It worked?" she asked excitedly.
Snape nodded. His eyes were sparkling, not with fury as Hermione knew them from her schooldays, but with genuine delight.
"It's too early to be definite," he said, "but the results certainly look promising. Look at that," and he pointed to a magical microscope nearby.
Hermione bent over the microscope. "That's a human cell," she stated.
"Exactly. It looks absolutely normal, doesn't it?"
"It does. As far as I can tell."
"Well, it didn't twenty minutes ago," Snape went on with a note of triumph in his voice. "It's a werewolf's. I added a drop of the potion and as you can see the cell regenerated back to its original form."
Hermione looked up from the microscope, her face shining with enthusiasm. "This is brilliant Severus. You've done it!"
Suddenly there was a small genuine smile on his face, a smile which transformed his features and made him look ten years younger. "With some help from you. Actually I used some of the suggestions you made for the potion that exploded."
Hermione felt a warm feeling erupt in her chest. "I'm happy it wasn't all for nothing," she said, beaming at him.
He looked at her intently, his face still lit with pleasure and his dark eyes sparkling. Hermione felt her heartbeat rise and her cheeks go red and looked away quickly, angry with herself that Snape should have such an effect on her and worried lest he noticed something. "So what are we doing now?" she asked in a businesslike voice.
When she met Snape's gaze again he still looked content but the sparkle had gone from his eyes. "We'll have to wait and see if the effect lasts," he stated. "It's quite possible that it doesn't. But even if that should be the case, this potion might be used to prevent a werewolf from transforming. I also want to set up further batches of the potion with slightly different measurement of the ingredients." He nodded towards the parchments lying on a table nearby. "When you came in I was documenting the potion's effects on cells taken from different werewolves – young, old, male, female etc."
"So what can I do?"
Snape gave her a doubtful look. "You must be very tired. You really should rest."
"Certainly not!" Hermione grinned. "You can't think in earnest I'd miss this historic moment. Of course I'll help you."
Again Snape shot her a strange look, then said, "Very well. You can set up the new batches of potion. Over there you find the instructions."
They worked with great concentration for several hours. Snape felt better than he had for a long time, elated by the success of years of hard work.
It was strange but being able to share it with Hermione had made it even better. The day before, after he had told her about Lily, he had felt very uncomfortable around her. He wasn't sorry that he had told her everything, it had been necessary. But it had been disconcerting to reveal his past to her in that way. To reveal himself. He still felt rather self-conscious when he thought about it, but this emotion was now muted by their shared enthusiasm for the progress with the potion. Hermione had a passion for learning he had hardly ever met before. And he had told her the truth. Without her help, her suggestions and questions he'd not be that far today.
Usually he didn't like to work with others in a laboratory. They never showed the concentration, exactness and dedication that to him were of prime importance. But when he watched her preparing the new batches he saw that she worked with just as much care as he did. He had known that, of course. She'd been like that at school, hadn't she? But somehow he had never appreciated it then. He had to admit that it was surprisingly nice to have her in the laboratory. To finally have someone to share his thoughts with, which was certainly more productive than talking to himself.
But she'd leave in the evening. It was highly unlikely that Poppy would think him not well enough. And anyway, he had come to the conclusion that it was dangerous for her to be around him, hadn't he?
But then what? If he was right, there soon wouldn't be much work left with the potion. No reason left to meet once per month. Perhaps no reason even to keep on writing letters. He'd see her once a year at Stratford, if even that. Perhaps she would be glad. After all, helping him had meant lots of extra work for her. Why should she want to spend time with him now they had reached their goal? And why was he troubled by that thought?
More than once over the hours they worked together Snape caught himself pondering these thoughts. His lack of concentration was despicable. A result of the stress he'd been through over the last days, no doubt.
He also caught himself looking at her from time to time. Luckily Hermione was so engrossed in her work she never noticed it. Once he observed her stifling a yawn and then stretching her arms wide over her head.
Like a cat, Snape thought, caught by the unconscious, graceful movement. He turned his gaze away immediately. This was no time to stare at her. Actually there was no time to do this, ever.
They stopped working for lunch. Afterwards Hermione went straight back to the laboratory while Snape made for his study to fetch some notes and to tell Dumbledore about their progress.
He was rummaging in a large drawer when a soft hooting made him look up. It was his owl Alcuin who came flying through one of the open windows, landed on the desk and held out his leg to which a letter had been tied.
Snape untied it and read the short text. His brow furrowed and when he gave a treat to the owl, his face was wearing a faraway expression. Alcuin hooted again and then flew out of the window, but Snape hardly noticed. He stared down on the letter, deeply troubled.
"What's the matter, Severus?"
His head jerked up. Dumbledore was looking at him.
"You know I sent a letter to my wine merchant," Snape replied. "To ask about the poisoned bottle. This is their reply. They write that not only did they not send me the box of wine which included the poisoned bottle, but they never even received my order for it in the first place."
Dumbledore looked worried. "That means whoever poisoned you must have intercepted your order and sent the bottles himself."
"Exactly. He – or she – knows where I live."
Dumbledore gave him a long, searching look with those startling blue eyes. "So what are you going to do now?" he asked.
Snape shrugged his shoulders. "There's no use in running away. I need to know who did this to me, and so I'll have to wait until he or she acts again. I only hope it'll be soon." He paused, then went on in a tense voice, "But Hermione shouldn't be here. I can't guarantee for her safety. She should never have come here."
"There was no other way," Dumbledore said softly.
Snape shook his head in irritation. "I know. But it was unfortunate, very unfortunate. Whoever poisoned me might be watching this house right now. If he knows she's here, she is in danger. He probably has been watching me for ages. Damn, Dumbledore, if he's seen her around me, Hermione is in danger in any case. She should never have been associated with me, never."
"It's not your fault, Severus."
Snape snorted. "I know, but that doesn't help, does it? I can't risk her being harmed. Moreover, I can't risk that she's used to harm me."
"She's leaving tonight anyway, isn't she?" Dumbledore said in a soothing tone. "And we checked the wards, they are all in place. She's probably safer here than anywhere else."
Snape stared at him, feeling deeply troubled. Finally he nodded reluctantly. "All right, but I don't like this, I don't like it at all. And she's definitely leaving as soon as Poppy declares me fit." A sudden thought entered his head and he called his house-elf. "Rose, check the whole house and all my belongings for any strange magic you can find."
Rose nodded and vanished.
"You think there might be more?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know. I'm just making sure."
The elder wizard nodded. "Hermione will be fine, Severus."
Snape met Dumbledore's bright eyes. "I hope you're right," he replied before he turned and went to the laboratory. | https://www.inkitt.com/stories/fanfiction/8209/chapters/25 |
Someone may argue that there are no mockingbirds in To Kill a Mockingbird but I beg to differ. Elizabeth directs almost all of her prejudice towards Mr. This active, yet indirect exercise I practice while reading allows me to freely assert or express myself in a healthy manner. Most theories discussed in this research-paper focus on race, but some work examines gender-associated attitudes and beliefs, anti-gay prejudice, and ageism. The closer the match, the greater the likelihood of categorization.
Elisabeth Bennet is a very intelligent young woman, but her very brightness stands in her way of recognizing something good in a person like Darcy Fitzwilliam. Even subconsciously, we are furthering inequality through our actions and reactions with others. The causes of racial prejudice stem mainly from childhood. With all the differences in the world instead of embracing those differences and learning from other people, prejudices are commonplace. Education for a young lady was generally seen as a way towards becoming a school teacher or becoming a high society married woman. Be sure to mention the deadline for your assignment as well! There was many significant issues and reflections that Mark Twain mentioned.
Nevertheless, in spite of these differences in their financial and social position, Mr. Jean Louise Finch is a young tomboy who lives with her father and brother in Maycomb County, Alabama. Unfortunately, doing so can affect achievement and opportunity for success in the long run Steele, 1997. We invite you to consult Whitley and Kite 2006 for comprehensive reviews of all topics covered in this research-paper. The protagonist of the story is the second daughter, Elizabeth, regarded as the most intelligent and sensible of the Bennet girls.
First, to what extent does the observer feel motivated to suppress the stereotype and thus avoid a prejudiced response? According to relative deprivation theory, either comparison can lead to the conclusion that someone is not getting what is deserved. For example, positive stereotypes that whites have about blacks include being athletic, musical, and religious, and having strong family ties. Bennet and the lead character, Elizabeth, demonstrate a combination and equilibrium of distinct stances towards matrimony. Aristotle believed in a prime mover, which is the being which creates change in the. Now we turn to theories that take the social context into account: Individuals interact as group members and the resulting intergroup processes affect their attitudes and behaviors toward others. Darcy because the two characters are the only individuals who are willing to speak their minds in their society, even though this frequently causes them to have differences with one another and their close friends. It can raise awareness to everyone.
As just noted, awareness of having acted in a prejudiced manner leads people who are internally motivated to avoid prejudice to feel guilty. Darcy is a man who benefits from some extraordinarily beautiful physical qualities, the reason for which he rapidly catches the eye of everyone around him 1813. Just as they can increase the likelihood of stereotype activation, proto-typicality of the target person and prejudice of the observer can increase the likelihood of stereotype activation. Even with these many faults the Ewells are received with a higher status and well being, than any of the well living and good Negroes. Austin very skillfully uses this conflict as a climax in the novel hence explaining her choice of the title of the book. In late 1 8th and early 1 9th century must be more difficult than today. Darcy, must surmount their main obstacle — their mutual dislike of each other at the beginning of the novel.
The most common form of prejudice, which is seen many times throughout the novel, is racism. Most of the time they will believe what an adult tells them, leaving them to make up their minds on the rest. Denying a person a job on the basis of race would be active discrimination. It is particularly important to keep in mind that the study of stereotyping and prejudice is, like other areas of psychological inquiry, an empirical discipline driven by theory-based research. However, one must pay heed to the fact that just like miscellaneous traditions; the perception towards father figures varies from culture to culture. An opposing stance towards marriage is displayed by the character Charlotte Lucas who regards happiness between the husband and the wife as an issue that relies entirely on luck.
Deborah Cartmell and Imelda Whelehan. This means that one can obey an unjust order and commit a sin, or one can disobey an unjust order be virtuous. She is cornered and fears the worst ending for the budding romance she was so keen to dream of herself. If a child can learn to not fall into the peer pressure of bullying others for being different then more children could follow and there is the solution to bullying in schools. She eats in a very refined manner and attempts other fine characteristics such as speaking French, although she fares poorly at this.
Ultimately, members of the two groups might come to see themselves as members of a single group, which leads to the greatest reduction in prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet is the film's protagonist and by looking at matters from her perspective viewers are able to learn more about her surrounding environment and about the feelings present in a society that promotes a strict set of legislations that are focused both on rational and on moral ideas. It wasn't just that today she was sharing a special moment -- a communion if you will -- with all her Irish brothers and sisters the world over. He impregnates girls, for example, and marries them off. In contrast, if the observer feels motivated to avoid prejudiced behavior, stereotype activation is likely to be inhibited. These relationships exist because some authority figures condemn lesbians and gay men for violating traditional values, but the same authority figures oppose racial prejudice. The concept of pride can be defined in two ways: positive and. | http://georgiajudges.org/prejudice-essay-examples.html |
KAA Gift Exchange Rules
Each participant brings 4-5 gifts, totaling $20-$25.
Gifts should be properly wrapped (no plastic bags!).
At least one gift should be a “highly desirable” one you think people will fight over.
OVERVIEW
The gift exchange consists of several rounds (described below).
All gifts are placed in a central communal area.
The starting player is chosen randomly or by agreement.
Each turn, a player rolls a pair of 6-sided dice. If they roll doubles, they take an action.
After a player rolls the dice, they pass the dice to the left.
The round continues until the time expires.
When the time has expired, each player gets one additional roll of the dice.
Play continues for all rounds.
ROUNDS
Round 1: Gift distribution–upon rolling doubles, a player
selects a gift from the communal area. [no time limit; play continues
until all gifts have been distributed]
Round 2: Stealing round–upon rolling doubles, a player steals a gift from another player. [10 minutes]
Open gifts–unwrap all gifts and show them to all players.
Round 3: Stealing round–same as Round 2. [10 minutes]
Round 4: Trading round–upon rolling doubles, a player exchanges a single gift with another player. [10 minutes]
Cache one gift–each player may choose one gift in their
possession and place it out of play; cached gifts cannot change
ownership during the game.
Round 5: Trading round–same as Round 4 [10 minutes]
Round 6: Force Trade round–upon rolling doubles, a player dictates a trade between two other players. [10 minutes]
Cache one gift–same as the previous cache.
Blitz round setup: each player selects the person 17 places to their left and chooses one gift to remain in front of them.
Round 7: Blitz Force Trade round–same as Round 6, but with only the one selected gift for each player. [5 minutes]
ADDITIONAL RULES
Minimum Gift Requirement: Players must be in possession of at
least three gifts after distribution. A player with three gifts may not
be the subject of a steal. At the end of each round, the players with the
most gifts give away gifts (if necessary) so that every player has at
least three gifts.
MULLIGAN: One time during the game, each person is allowed to
make a Magical Unique LateraL Instantaneous Gift AgreemeNt (MULLIGAN). A
MULLIGAN allows a player to substitute any one of their gifts when they
are the subject of a steal/trade. Each player may only make one
MULLIGAN during the entire game.
Gift of Burden: After opening gifts (between Rounds 2 and 3),
select one gift to be the “Gift of Burden” (GoB). This gift should be
the most undesirable gift out of all the gifts. To select the GoB, each
person submits one of their gifts as a GoB candidate. All participants
then vote to determine the GoB. In the event of indecision, the GoB is
selected from the candidates using a stochastic device. The GoB enters
play in the 3rd round and has the following function: whenever a player
ends a round in possession of the GoB, they are permitted to exchange it
for any gift from any player. In a round where a gift is cached at the
end, the GoB exchange occurs before the cache. The GoB only has this
function in round 7 if it is selected to remain in play.
Multi-Wrapping: Each player may choose to bring one gift
wrapped multiple times. At the end of each round after the initial
unwrapping (between Rounds 2 and 3), another layer is removed. There is
no limit to how many layers of wrapping can be on the gift; it is
possible that a gift may remain wrapped at the end of the game.
Polyhedra: A second set of dice is passed around, in addition
to the 6-sided dice. These dice are 20-sided. A player who rolls
doubles with the 20-sided dice takes two actions.
| |
Within the piriform cortex, layer 2/3 pyramidal cells receive direct sensory input from M/T cells on their apical dendrites. Whereas olfactory information is encoded as a spatial map of activated M/T cells in the olfactory bulb,
odor representations in layer 2/3 of the piriform cortex are distributed Selleckchem BKM120 among spatially dispersed cell ensembles and lack stereotypy (Illig and Haberly, 2003, Rennaker et al., 2007 and Stettler and Axel, 2009). The mechanisms governing this transformation from a spatially segregated representation in the olfactory bulb to one that is highly distributed and nonstereotyped in the cortex are not well understood. Individual pyramidal cells in the piriform cortex are thought to receive converging input from M/T cells belonging to different glomeruli (Apicella et al., 2010, Davison and Ehlers, 2011, Miyamichi et al., 2011 and Wilson, 2001), and M/T cell axons from individual glomeruli project diffusely throughout the piriform cortex without obvious spatial patterning (Ghosh et al., 2011 and Sosulski et al., 2011). Although it is tempting to account for cortical odor responses PI3K inhibitor entirely by the convergence and divergence of direct olfactory bulb inputs, the dendrites of the piriform cortex pyramidal cells also receive extensive intracortical associational (ASSN) connections from excitatory neurons
within the piriform cortex and other cortical regions (Haberly, 2001, Haberly and Price, 1978 and Johnson et al., 2000). Although much effort has focused on elucidating how olfactory bulb afferent sensory inputs shape cortical odor representations, the contribution of intracortical excitatory circuits
to odor responses has been largely unexplored. In this study, we examine the relative contributions of sensory afferent input and intracortical connections to odor-driven excitatory synaptic transmission in the anterior piriform cortex (APC). We take advantage of the only differential expression of presynaptic GABAB receptors in APC to selectively silence intracortical synapses while leaving afferent sensory fibers unaffected. We show that intracortical connections in APC underlie the strength of odor-evoked excitatory synaptic transmission and expand the range of odors over which pyramidal cells can respond. Our results indicate that intracortical ASSN circuits make a major contribution to odor-evoked excitation, suggesting that odor representations in the piriform cortex cannot simply be accounted for by the convergence and divergence of M/T cell inputs. GABAB receptors are expressed on nerve terminals, and activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors causes a potent inhibition of neurotransmitter release from both pyramidal cells and local interneurons throughout the cortex (Bowery, 1993). | https://dehydrogenase-signal.com/within-the-piriform-cortex-layer-23-pyramidal-cells-receive-dir |
You’re watching a top moment from the Industry Cloud Battleground Week highlighting the healthcare industry. This five-day digital event, which premiered in November 2021, delivered insights to inspire, educate and engage business and technology leaders who are actively defining their industry-specific cloud strategy.
Highlights
00:09 — In July 2021, Google Cloud announced the launch of its healthcare data engine solution as a step to provide doctors with a more unified view of patient information.
00:35 — By enabling an interoperable record of the patient and faster access to insights, the new engine makes healthcare data more usable and useful. With access to unified patient information, healthcare professionals can make real-time decisions and offer a more personalized patient experience.
01:02 — There has been a huge shift in the acceptance of virtual care, telehealth, and hybrid care. Google Cloud is working to embed AI-powered services to further enhance its technologies for healthcare. | https://accelerationeconomy.com/industries/healthcare/google-cloud-provides-unified-patient-information-for-doctors/ |
Since the summer of 2013, economic uncertainty has given way to more stable development in Europe. The economies in the eurozone are estimated to take an upward turn in 2014. Growth is expected particularly in the second half of the year.
Market-specific differences in construction and the demand for rental services are still considerable in Europe. In its November forecast, the construction market analyst Euroconstruct estimated that construction would decline in Finland, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2013. Construction is estimated to have increased in Norway, Denmark, Latvia and Lithuania as well as slightly in Germany. In 2014, construction is expected to increase in the Nordic countries, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. Construction and the economic development in Norway did not meet expectations in the fourth quarter of 2013, which is likely to weaken the outlook for construction in 2014.
In the long term, the equipment rental market is expected to grow faster than the construction market. Changes in demand usually follow those in construction with a delay and may be strong. In addition to construction, the demand for equipment rental services is affected by industrial investments and the rental penetration rate. The need to improve profitability in construction and the increasingly strict environmental and health requirements related to construction are some of the factors which make rental services more attractive.
The European Rental Association (ERA) is expecting equipment rental to increase in all of Cramo’s main market areas in 2014. | https://www.cramogroup.com/en/extract-from-stock-exchange-release-published-on-12th-february-2014/ |
Prices of some commodities and products that are critical inputs to commercial truck and truck equipment production, such as steel and aluminum sheet, started spiking second-quarter 2021. Primary reasons for price spikes were:
This all led to inflation, which affected some industries (and market segments within industries) more than others. Inflation tends to negatively impact profitability, and as with any economic variable affecting profitability, it should be managed to the fullest extent possible. One strategy to consider is the use of price escalators in contracts with suppliers and customers. This could be especially helpful for contracts that will remain in force for six months or longer.
NTEA members, sign in to access full article.
Not a member? Sign up below for full article. | https://www.ntea.com/NTEA/Member_benefits/Industry_leading_news/NTEANewsarticles/March-2022/Price-indexes-inflationary-times-work-truck-industry.aspx |
Training Variables Terminology
Several training variables must be considered when giving guidelines for completing a resistance exercise program. The training variables we will explore are:
- Repetitions (Reps)
- Tempo
- Sets
- Rest Between Sets
- Load
Manipulation of these variables will influence your training outcomes. Any time you are studying KLT and learning new workouts you will be guided as to the best way to manipulate these variables to achieve the best outcomes.
Rep Number
The number of times that a movement is repeated (from start position to finish position and back again).
In KLT, we suggest working within a specific rep-range to achieve a specific outcome. For example, 12 to 16 reps is a great start for those aiming to achieve movement control and muscular endurance.
Whenever a rep-range is suggested there must be a clarification of tempo. How many should I perform? And how fast should I move?
Rep Tempo
The speed at which a rep is performed. That is, the time it takes to move from the start position to finish position and back again. The standard rep tempo suggested for those that are new to KLT is a very controlled 5 seconds per rep.
Tempo is an extremely important (although rarely acknowledged) variable. Whenever there is a discussion about rep numbers there needs to be a clarification of rep tempo.
It is a fact that 10 reps performed at a 2 sec/rep speed will have a very different training effect than 10 reps performed at a 5 sec/rep speed. In the first case, the movement is under load for 10 reps x 2 seconds = 20 seconds. In the second case, the movement is under load for 10 reps x 5 seconds = 50 seconds (more than double the volume of work is being performed).
In exercise science, the product of reps multiplied by tempo is known as time under tension.
Sets
A single set is a series of repetitions performed with continuous time-under-tension.
In KLT we have determined that, for good results (and for simplicity), 2 sets of each exercise is adequate for a short duration workout and 4 sets is ideal of a an extended training session.
For example we may suggest that you complete an exercise for 2 sets of 14 reps at a 5 second/rep tempo.
Rest Between Sets
The rest period between successive sets of reps.
In KLT, the rest period between sets will vary slightly depending on the specific outcome to be achieved. Typically, training with heavier weights requires longer rest periods (1 - 2 minutes or more) between sets. And you should be fine with shorter rest periods (just 30-60 seconds) if the loads are quite light.
Load
The amount of weight being lifted / moved / controlled.
This is arguably the most important variable to choose correctly. Load choice will ultimately determine the intensity of the effort required and therefore directly influence the number of reps and tempo (or time under tension) that can be performed with control before experiencing fatigue. | https://klt.fitness/getting-started/1-3-training-variables-terminology.html |
Yin Yang Balance Flower Ring - Symbol Of Life
Yin Yang Balance Flower of Life ring, handmade out of Sterling Silver 925. The ring band is double wrapped for enforcement. Please see the pictures for a close up, details and measurements.
Yin Yang the meaning of two opposing complimenting principles or cosmic energies that can be observed together. | https://soflobohoboutique.com/products/yin-yang-ring |
Thirty eighths. Or three and six eighths.
Expressed as a decimal, 5 6/8 is equal to 5.75.
The answer is 2 and three eighths
1/4
No. Two fifths is equal to 0.40, while five eighths is equal to .625
2 six eighths
62.5 hundredths = five eighths.
It isn't
three eighths
Three fourths is six eighths. Six eighths minus one eighth is five eighths.
Expressed as a percentage, five eighths, or 5/8, is equal to 62.5%.
no
Six eighths, or three fourths.
No, three fourths is the same as six eighths which is larger than five eighths
0.625
16 %
No. It's equal to three eighths.
five eighths
six sixteenths
2
3/4
3/4
Expressed as a mixed number in its simplest form, 6.625 is equal to 6 5/8 or six and five eighths.
Yes. | https://math.answers.com/Q/What_does_five_and_six_eighths_equal |
This chapter attempts to come to terms with some of the ways cheating has transformed with the use of current technology tools. Academic dishonesty is not new, but the new ways students are looking to cheat is a lesson for educators to be aware. Looking at digital citizenship and community centered approach in teaching pedagogy to help instill ethical practices in adapting moral behaviors and to prevent academic misconduct; specifically in digital learning. Also included in this chapter are some modes of evaluation educators may include to prevent cheating, additionally, a review of current policies and tools in place to prevent academic dishonesty. And finally, a look at some technology tools used for academic dishonesty.
Keywords: Academic dishonesty, Digital Plagiarism, Technology tools,
Introduction
Technology is an integral part of education with its various uses to help motivate and engage the learner. Game based learning, Gamification, maker-spaces, YouTube just to mention a few. Another view of technology shows other uses have evolved along a parallel pathway – namely cheating. This chapter showcases academic dishonesty and the need for instilling moral conduct in teaching pedagogy for on line education.
Background Information
Using the internet for research and information is a simple act of cutting and pasting (CP). This affordance has brought about other misrepresentations for digital education. As students use the internet to research and obtain information, credit is not given where it’s due. Students continue to garner information and pass it off as their own. Yang (2011) states; students may not be aware of the need for citations as most information is cut and pasted and readily available making digital plagiarism convenient, effortless and accessible.
Cheating Characteristics
Jones (2011) lists the following inherent characteristics of cheating:
|Percentage Grades—want or need to make better grades||92%|
|Procrastination||83%|
|Too busy, not enough time to complete assignment or study for test||75%|
|Lack of understanding or unable to comprehend information||58%|
|No interest in the subject or assignment||50%|
|Workload/schedule: too many classes||33%|
|Everyone does it and get away with it||25%|
|No big deal; does not matter to professor||17%|
|Peer pressure||17%|
Academic Dishonesty, Plagiarism
Academic dishonesty –cheating and internet plagiarism is on the rise, according to a 2003 nationwide research study of 23 public and private colleges and universities, conducted by Donald L. McCabe (Jones, 2011). Academic dishonesty –cheating: includes copying from another student’s work or allowing one’s own work to be copied, submitting another person’s work as one’s own, fabrication of data, consultation with an unauthorized person during an examination, or use of unauthorized aids. Plagiarism – the act of presenting the ideas, words, or other intellectual property of another as one’s own.
Absent from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s (n.d.) definition of plagiarism and academic dishonesty is a clear definition of digital plagiarism as a breach in academic misconduct.
Table 1
What do students consider to be plagiarism/cheating? (Jones, 2011)
|Behaviour||Percentage|
|Percentage Turning in another person’s assignment as your own assignment.||100|
|Cutting and pasting a paper together using online materials without appropriate citations.||92|
|Purchasing a paper from a research service or downloading one from the Internet.||75|
|Delivering an oral/digital presentation based on information copied directly from the Internet without appropriate citations.||75|
|Changing the words around in a quote and using them without documentation.||67|
|Copying information directly from a source document, documenting the source but leaving out the quotation marks or indenting five spaces to indicate the information is a direct quote.||67|
|Taking ideas from someone’s writings and citing it without appropriate citations.||58|
|Paraphrasing the ideas of others without documentation.||50|
|Lifting more than 10 consecutive words from a document without proper acknowledgment.||50|
|Taking media from the Internet, including images, pictures, music, videos, and so on.||25|
|Using information that you consider common knowledge without citation.||17|
|Turning in an assignment previously submitted for another class.||17|
Copyleft, Copyright
Copyleft is the practice of offering people the right to freely distribute copies of a work, document, art, while allowing modification and use of works but still covered under licensing regulations (Wikipedia, 2018)
The difference between copyleft and copyright lies in the rights of the copyright holder. A work under copyright generally uses the disclaimer ―all rights reserved for distributing, performing, and modifying the work, belong solely to the copyright holder (Frantsvog, D., & Franstsvog, J., 2012). Copyleft license, the work is still under copyright, but the author gives up most or all of these rights, copyleft often bear the slogans all rights reversed, no rights reserved or, some rights reserved, depending on the specific terms of the license in use (Frantsvog, D., & Franstsvog, J., 2012).
Copy and Paste
Copy and paste is an easy click to obtain information on the web. However, citing this information is not usually done. A study reported 83% of interviewed students considered cutting and pasting information directly into academic work form the Internet was permissible and cutting and pasting one or two sentences from the internet without appropriate citations was not a serious issue (Yang, 2011). Yang (2011) continues to explain, the rapid development and nature of academic dishonesty has expanded to include “digital cheating” digital forms of cheating may not be different in kind, but could be less effortful, particularly with the ease of using a copy-and-paste function to incorporate others’ digital text into one’s own (Yang, 2011). This potential “epidemic” of cheating has transformed to a “digital” phenomenon in terms of academic integrity in the 21st century (Yang, 2011)
Frameworks: Digital Citizenship, Community-Centered Approach
A proactive approach is to teach students ethical responsibilities for internet use in digital citizenship and social cognitive theory pedagogies. Instilling ethical values at an early age will help promote positive and responsible citizens in a digital world. Looking at two teaching theories to help cover moral behaviors and impart ethical responsibilities for internet use: Digital citizenship and Cognitive social theory.
Digital citizenship includes everyone having internet access, while morally practicing these rights in a humanistic way to encourage honest behavior as a norm (Mossberger, Tolbert, & McNeal, 2007). Having this as an outcome for all mobile learning classes will set a foundation and hopes of producing students and future citizens in having clear understanding of academic honesty and morally correct behaviors. Teaching about plagiarism, copy &paste and copyright and copy left licensing and about academic policies in place for educational institution and student code of conduct will also foster a sound understanding of expectations and rights students must abide by.
Learning is influenced in fundamental ways by the context in which it takes place. A community-centered classroom approach requires the development of norms for the classroom and school, as well as the connections to the outside world, that support core learning values (Donovan, Bransford, & Pellegrino, 2002). This approach is a combined effort from all parties: the student, school and community, one is not left out, but all have the same core learned values. This learning structure is necessary for distance learning and helps learners to hold the same core values in each aspect of their education and outside lives, making it easier to have reputable behaviors and moral conduct as a continued thread in distant learning.
Existing Policies and Processes to Prevent Academic Dishonesty
Instructors must hold up their end of the bargain, and clearly indicate in their course contract what constitutes cheating and which behaviors (Bemmel, 2011)
Evaluation methods, change from test taking to papers for on-line education. Include a copy of the written academic integrity policy or honor code as part of the course syllabus, with links to the student handbook highlighting the detailed steps for how the university will address academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty policies should be explicitly written, and the student must know how each professor will handle the issue.
Jones (2011) provides the following tips:
- Online students must know everything a specific professor considers cheating because work will be completed in a virtual environment.
- Review the academic integrity policy during initial course orientation, ask students to write a paragraph that includes their philosophy about academic dishonesty issues, especially cheating and Internet plagiarism.
- Give students a quiz, such as a treasure hunt, on the university’s academic integrity policy.
- Include an interactive, entertaining learning activity or game. Software tools such as SoftChalk or PowerPoint make this easy to do so. Games, such as the Lockheed Martin’s Ethics Challenge Game (Gray Matters Ethics Game) provide an effective “means for introducing workplace and applied ethics”
- Incorporate hyperlinks to some of the popular Internet tutorials. For example, “How to Recognize Plagiarism,” Indiana University Bloomington, School of Education at https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/; “Plagiarism Court: You Be the Judge,” Fairfield University at http://www.fairfield.edu/library/lib_plagiarismcourt.html; or “You Quote It: You Note It,”
- Use plagiarism detection software, such as SafeAssign, Turnitin, PlagiarismDetect, these online resources enable users to compare their documents against other stored databases for plagiarism.
- Require students to cite sources for digital and oral presentations, as they would for written research projects. Also, require students to submit a written copy of their oral presentation, which can also be submitted to SafeAssign.
- Use the Internet to teach about plagiarism and how to avoid it. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using Internet sites such as Wikipedia.
- Teach students how to use citation tools such as Easybib, Son of Citation Machine, or The Citation Generator. These tools enable users to automatically generate a reference or bibliography list based on the information provided.
- Encourage students to always consider ethics by adding a “Do the Right Thing” scenario to each of the course learning modules.
Table 2
Plagiarism detection services (adapted from Garner, 2011)
|Company/organization||Product|
|CrossRef.org||Crosscheck (powered by iThenticate)|
|eTBLAST.org||eTBLAST, déjà vu|
|iParadigms||iTheniticate|
|Applied Linguistics||Grarmmarly|
|Plagiarism-Checkers||CheckForPlagiarism.net|
|Indigo Stream Technologies||Copyscape|
The “Honor System”
Photo and/or government identification. Fingerprinting and palm vein scanning, Commercial security systems. Cheat-resistant laptops. Computer-adaptive testing and randomized testing. Banning/controlling electronic devices (Howell, Sorensen, Tippets, 2009).
Some Technology Tools Used for Academic Misconduct
Mobile phones and iPods. Students record answers and crib notes on their phones, text each other answers to questions with their phones, and then take photographs of exams and transmit them to others using their phones. Mobile phone wristwatches from examination centers because of an earlier cheating incident (Jones, D.L.R., (2011)
Braindumps come in many styles, all of which are variations on the questions and answers that have been stolen from the actual exams, Braindumps, they were merely questions and answers or Q&A with explanations. They have since evolved into a much more complex way to and almost convincing form that many individuals would find hard to believe are Braindumps (Jones, 2011).
Wireless earpieces and high-tech radio transmitters and “Bluetooth technology [is] being used to cheat turning a soda bottle wrapper into a cheat sheet (“YouTube tests,” 2008); “long-sleeved shirt method” they are also hidden in calculators, caps of pens. (Jones, 2011).
Conclusions and Future Recommendations
Academic integrity is a learned skill that faculty members can teach and model. We must infuse ethics in everything we do. Ethics are “the principles that define the boundary between right and wrong” (Thill & Bovée, 2011, p. 24) and “personal choices and standards of conduct Jones, D.L.R., (2011, pg. 147).
Other factors that affect academic dishonesty were not a consideration for this paper they include: environment, agent, and student interactions, spatial considerations – lack of face-to face interactions. Moreover, educational intuitions lack the clarity to define digital dishonesty in their definition of academic dishonesty.
References
Bemmel, M. (2014). Cheating in Online Classes: A Preliminary Investigation. (Doctoral Dissertation). Nova Southeastern University.
Donovan, M.S, Bransford, J. D., & Pellegrino, J.W. (2002). Key findings. In How people learn: Bridging research & practice (pp. 10-24). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Frantsvog, D.A., J.D., (2012). A Study of Copyleft, Open-Source, And Open-Content Licensing Contemporary Issues. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 5(1), 15-22. | https://techandcurriculum.pressbooks.com/chapter/unethical-use/ |
In contemporary conversations about plagiarism, Danielle Nicole DeVoss and James E. Porter point out two sides: “on the one side we have the fierce protectors of long and strong copyright control of digital material (like the RIAA), arguing that copyright is a necessary mechanism for protecting vested economic interests. On the other side we have an emergent culture of young people (mostly) who live in (and at times, create) networks encouraging widespread sharing and distribution of digital material” (185). This clash underlies the confusion that so many of our students have as they move from a filesharing social community to a copyright-bound academic and professional community. Instructors, ultimately, play an important role in helping students navigate their transition from one sphere to the other.
The challenge of defining and enforcing intellectual property rights is not a new one, as reviewing the literature indicates. While the type of composition and our ability to access it has changed dramatically over the years, the legal concerns that surround that access are timeless. Robert Verhoogt and Chris Schriks, exploring the history of copyright issues, point out that “the introduction of new media constantly [results] in new legal questions of intellectual property. Or should we say the same legal questions over and over again” (83)? New communication technologies lead to a repetition of copyright and citation debates, presenting ongoing challenges for students and instructors alike.
Filesharing technology has created a significant challenge for the development and enforcement of intellectual property legislation across the globe. The American government has been keeping a careful eye on maintaining intellectual property rights because the value of U.S. intellectual property is priced at roughly 5-5.5 trillion dollars and makes up 45% of our Gross Domestic Product (Shapiro and Hassett 2). Statistics show that piracy costs “companies as much as $638 billion a year, losses greater than the total GDP of all but 12 countries” (Shapiro and Hassett 3). Because digital information can be accessed worldwide, intellectual property is a global issue that all countries have a stake in. What we teach in the classroom, therefore, impacts more than our students and more than our own Gross Domestic Product; it’s part of a global discussion with both ethical and economic implications.
Like every important educational issue, there are several perspectives on how we should teach intellectual property. Some compositionists, like Johndan Johnson-Eilola, Stuart Selber, DeVoss, and Porter argue that the remix approach to composition can be helpful in encouraging creativity, and they urge teachers to adopt a filesharing ethic into their pedagogies. Scholars like Sonia Bodi and Martine Courant Rife, respond to a perceived unawareness that students have about plagiarism by calling for teachers and students to adhere strictly to copyright laws and to teach them in the classroom. For this MediaCommons discussion, I invite responders to share their own experiences in navigating the rough waters of copyright and intellectual property issues in the higher education classroom. How do you address this global concern? How do you localize it to the concerns of students and their own assignments? And how do digital texts shape and reshape student productions and citation patterns in your classroom?
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank Ella Marie Hicks for her help in co-writing a version of this paper for presentation at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in 2009.
Works Cited
Bodi, Sonia. "Ethics And Information Technology: Some Principles To Guide Students." Journal Of Academic Librarianship 24.6 (1998): 459. Business Source Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2009.
DeVoss, Dànielle Nicole, and James E. Porter. "Why Napster Matters To Writing: Filesharing As A New Ethic Of Digital Delivery."Computers & Composition 23.2 (2006): 178-210. Education Research Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2009.
Johnson-Eilola, Johndan, and Stuart A. Selber. "Plagiarism, Originality, Assemblage." Computers & Composition 24.4 (2007): 375-403. Education Research Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Rife, Martine Courant. "The Fair Use Doctrine: History, Application, And Implications For (New Media) Writing Teachers." Computers & Composition 24.2 (2007): 154-178. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Shapiro, Robert J. and Kevin A. Hassett. The Economic Value of Intellectual Property. Sonecon, 2005. PDF file.
Verhoogt, Robert and Chris Schriks. “Reflecting Media: A Cultural History of Copyright and the Media.” The History of Information Security: A Comprehensive Handbook. Oxford, UK. Elsevier B.V., 2007. Print.
Image on front page by Robert de Vido via Flickr. | http://mediacommons.org/fieldguide/question/how-does-digital-culture-affect-andor-reimagine-concept-plagiarism/response/navigating-roug |
Moving molecular diagnostics to the market involves demonstrating the value proposition of the test while carefully managing resources and expertly navigating the constantly changing environment. With increasing pressure from rising healthcare costs, molecular testing will need to demonstrate that it can improve outcomes of patients while saving healthcare dollars. This year’s expert faculty will share best practices and case studies for handling regulatory approval, clinical adoption and market access to achieve commercial success.
Scientific Advisory Board Andrew C. Fish, J.D., Executive Director, AdvaMedDxHarry Glorikian, Healthcare ConsultantJohn W. Hanna, MBA, Vice President, Endocrinology, VeracyteJulie Lynch, Ph.D., MBA, RN, Principal Investigator, Veterans Health AdministrationBruce Quinn, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Health Policy Specialist, Foley Hoag LLP
RECOMMENDED PRE-CONFERENCE SHORT COURSES*
SC2: Method Validation According to CLSI Guidelines
SC6: Establishing the Value of Diagnostic Tests
*Separate registration required
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19
10:30 Registration
PLENARY KEYNOTE SESSION: Click here for details
1:25 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
KEYNOTE SESSION
1:50 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Scott M. Kahn, Ph.D., CSO, Oncostem Biotherapeutics, LLC.; Adjunct Associate Research Scientist, Urology, Columbia University; Chairman, Biomarkers Council, International Cancer Advocacy Network
2:00 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Precision Medicine for Adult Volunteers
C. Thomas Caskey, M.D., FACP, FACMG, FRSC, Professor, Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Forty-five physicians and eighty-five Young Presidents’ Organization members volunteered to participate in an educational program studying utility of whole genome sequencing. The study matched a molecular diagnosis to their medical history in 29% of volunteers. The utility and acceptance will be illustrated.
REVIEW OF THE STUDY OF MOLECULAR TESTING ASSESSMENT
2:30 Private Payer Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests – A Survey of 50 Medical Directors and an Insider’s Perspective on the Health Technology Assessment Process
John W. Hanna, MBA, Vice President, Endocrinology, Veracyte, Inc.
Melissa K. Bennett, MS, CGC, Clinical Director, Laboratory Management Program, CareCore National
This session presents results of a published study surveying 50 payer medical directors and evaluating their perceptions of the value of molecular diagnostics, understanding of diagnostic test evidence including clinical utility, and use of standardized health technology assessment (HTA) processes. CareCore will also discuss their standard processes for molecular test evaluation and the growing interest among private payers to outsource HTAs.
3:30 Capture and Molecular Characterization of Viable Circulating Tumor Cells using a Novel Epitope Independent Micro-Fluidic Platform
Shane Booth, Ph.D., CTO, Research and Development, ANGLE plc
4:00 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS AHEAD FOR LDTS
4:45 Regulatory Panel:
Moderator: Andrew C. Fish, J.D., Executive Director, AdvaMedDx
This session will review current issues related to FDA oversight of laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and offer perspectives from key stakeholders, including regulators, laboratories, manufacturers, and clinicians. The panel will discuss topics including the status and content of FDA proposed guidance on LDT oversight, any legislative and policy updates, evidence expectations regarding analytical and clinical validity, and compliance challenges.
Panelists:
Katherine Serrano, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineer, Chemistry & Toxicology Devices, FDA CDRH
Elissa Passiment, Executive Vice President, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
Roger D. Klein, M.D., J.D., Medical Director, Molecular Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Chair, Professional Relations Committee, Association for Molecular Pathology)
Richard L. Schilsky, M.D., FACP, FASCO, CMO, American Society of Clinical Oncology
6:15 Close of Day
6:00 Dinner Short Course Registration
RECOMMENDED DINNER SHORT COURSE*
SC9: Regulatory and Reimbursement Considerations with NGS and Other Multiplex Assays
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
7:30 – 8:25 am Problem-Solving Breakout Discussions with Continental Breakfast
These interactive discussion groups are open to all attendees, speakers, sponsors, & exhibitors. Participants choose a specific breakout discussion group to join. Each group has a moderator to ensure focused discussions around key issues within the topic. This format allows participants to meet potential collaborators, share examples from their work, vet ideas with peers, and be part of a group problem-solving endeavor. The discussions provide an informal exchange of ideas and are not meant to be a corporate or specific product discussion.
ACCESS AND VALUE OF NGS DATA: Driving Clinical Decision Making Across Disease Areas
Han Liang, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Deputy Chair, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, R. Lee Clark Fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Protecting Access To Medicare Act Of 2014 (PAMA): What Do These New Regulations Mean For Stakeholders?
Roger D. Klein, M.D., J.D., Pathologist, Molecular Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
ACTIONABILITY IN CANCER AND NGS: How Should We Be Viewing This Space
Carl Morrison, M.D., DVM, Executive Director, Center for Personalized Medicine; Director, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Smart Consumables, Hybrid Consumables – What’s Needed Next in the Healthcare Market Continuum?
Ali Tinazli, Ph.D., Vice President, Head, Business Development & Sales, Sony DADC Biosciences
ACCESS AND VALUE OF NGS DATA: DRIVING CLINICAL DECISION MAKING ACROSS DISEASE AREAS
8:25 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Harry Glorikian, Healthcare Consultant
8:30 A New Business Model in Laboratory Testing – Sharing Data
Prior models of revenue streams for laboratories have been almost exclusively from 3rd party payers for laboratory services provided. As laboratories move from traditional single analyte testing to comprehensive multi-analyte platforms the ability to generate 2nd and 3rd uses of this data has the ability to generate additional revenue streams. Dr. Morrison will present how his group is using this new business model to achieve new avenues of commercialization for laboratory testing through the OmniSeq program.
8:45 NGS: Filling in the Gaps
Erynn Gordon, MS, LCGC, Medical Marketing Director, 23andMe
The use of Sanger sequencing and array based testing over the past few decades has made genetic testing available to patients with clear Mendelian disorders. However, the cost and time involved has been a burden to patients and many have been left without answers. NGS has shifted the genetic testing paradigm allowing many, if not all, genes to be queried at once.
9:00 New Knowledge from NGS and Big Data
Felix W. Frueh, Ph.D., Executive Partner, Opus Three LLC
The ability to integrate NGS in larger contexts of diverse health care data provides the opportunity to interpret the human genome at increased precision. Such interpretation creates the foundation for new knowledge (e.g. associations between genome-level data and clinical manifestations) that will drive clinical decision making in molecular medicine.
9:15 Improve Cancer Treatments by Incorporating the NGS Data of Tumor Samples
An important task in cancer research is how to accurately identify biomarkers and use them to predict the prognosis or drug responses of cancer patients. Using the genomic data from large-patient cohorts, we evaluated the power of diverse types of molecular data in predicting patient survivals and annotated the functional effects of mutational hotspots in clinically actionable genes across tumor types.
9:30 Cross-Industry Partnerships to Foster Innovation and Decrease Manufacturing Time to Market in the Biomedical Business
Smart Consumables based on polymer materials with microscale or supreme optical features are prerequisites for emerging applications in the biomedical markets as in in vitro diagnostics. The increasing complexity of such new product, including CMOS hybrid consumables, requires new manufacturing technologies.
9:45 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
10:00 Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall with Poster Viewing
ACCESS AND VALUE OF NGS DATA
10:50 PANEL DISCUSSION:
Moderator: Harry Glorikian, Healthcare Consultant
12:20 pm Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
12:50 Luncheon Presentation (Sponsorship Opportunity Available) or Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
1:20 Session Break
SO YOU HAVE YOUR DIAGNOSTIC- NOW WHAT?
2:00 PANEL DISCUSSION: Clinical Informatics Needed to Ensure Implementation of Your Test
Moderator: Julie Lynch, Ph.D., MBA, RN, Principal Investigator, Veterans Health Administration
Panelists:Terah B. Collins, Genomics Strategist, Cerner Corporation
Valentina I. Petkov, M.D., MPH, Health Scientist/Program Officer, Surveillance Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences National Cancer Institute
Danielle Chun, MPH, Genomics Informaticist, VINCI Services, VA
Scott Kulich, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pathology, Division of Pathology and Division of Neuropathology, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS)
3:30 Chairperson’s Remarks
3:35 CLOSING KEYNOTE: Commercializing Personalized Medicine: It’s All About the Value Proposition
Daryl Pritchard, Ph.D., Vice President, Science Policy, Personalized Medicine Coalition
A key barrier to the commercialization of personalized medicine products involves an unclear value proposition. Many factors are involved in value assessments, but determining what are the most important value drivers depends on who you are asking. | https://www.nextgenerationdx.com/commercialization-molecular-diagnostics/15/ |
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The right to establish identity: donor offspring — David Gollancz
This is the second of two posts by David Gollancz, a barrister at Keating Chambers and donor-conceived adult, about the UK system of birth registration and certification. The first post concerned the treatment of transgender parents. This second post deals with the position of the offspring of gamete donation.
In two recent claims by trans parents, JK and TT/McConnell, the court determined that the law requiring trans people to be registered as parents in their native gender interfered with their Article 8 ECHR rights to respect for their private and family life, but that the interference was justified under Article 8(2). A significant, possibly decisive, reason for the court’s decision was the right of the children concerned to identify their biological ascendants. – described by the judge in JK [109] as “an important element of his or her fundamental identity”.
This is nothing new. The ECtHR has repeatedly emphasised that Article 8 includes the right to establish identity and, accordingly, the right to know the identity of one’s biological ascendants (Mikulić [53], Jäggi [37 – 38], Godelli [52]). The domestic court, in Rose [45] held (on the preliminary issue of whether Article 8 ECHR was engaged) that
Respect for private and family life requires that everyone should be able to establish details of their identity as individual human beings. This includes their origins and the opportunity to understand them.
But where a person is conceived in a UK licensed fertility clinic (a “clinic”) — like Mr McConnell’s son — their birth registration does not record, and their birth certificate does not disclose, the fact that they are donor-conceived, let alone the identity of their donor parent. Their donor’s identity is recorded by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (“HFEA”) (s31 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990). Since 1 April 2005, under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (Disclosure of Donor Information) Regulations 2004 (the “disclosure regulations”), a person aged 18 or over can require the HFEA to disclose whether they are donor-conceived and the identity of their donor (if the donor provided the relevant information after 31 March 2005). But that right is unlikely to be exercised unless someone tells them the truth, or it is obvious because their legal parents are of the same sex.
Thus a person’s “right” to identify their donor is in practice usually dependent on their legal parents (or some other third party) choosing to tell them that they are donor-conceived. Most legal parents do not: a meta-analysis of 2016 concluded that the probability of legal parents in the UK disclosing to their children that they are donor-conceived was less than 50%[1]. Often they are first alerted by an unplanned disclosure in the context of a family crisis, or as the result of a DNA analysis carried out by a direct-to-consumer service, frequently to the shock and dismay of the subject. Even if they are told, and obtain the information from the HFEA, it does not form part of their official documentation.
By contrast, adopted people and those born by surrogacy can ascertain, from their official documentation and without the intervention of any third party, that they are adopted or surrogate-born. When they are 18 they can find out who their birth parents were. Only the donor-conceived are issued with official documentation which is positively misleading.
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 introduces a further potentially confounding element. When a Gender Recognition Certificate (“GRC”) is issued the Registrar General (“RG”) issues a new birth certificate reflecting the person’s recognised gender, and any new name, and a new entry is made in the register of births for the relevant date, as though the person had been assigned their recognised gender at birth. The original birth certificate is marked so as to maintain a link with the new records but this marking is unavailable to anyone other than in very limited circumstances. Consequently, the legal right of any descendant (whether genetic or by adoption) of the trans person to identify their parent, will in practice be frustrated where their parent has obtained a GRC.
Article 8 ECHR
The Article 8 right to establish personal identity is fundamental; it does not need to be justified by evidence of harms arising from its denial. But in the case of the donor-conceived, ignorance of genetic origins does create practical risks.
Being unaware of their genetic history, donor offspring and their descendants are unaware of risks to their health which would be apparent from their donor’s medical history. They are thus denied the opportunity to get timely medical advice, in breach of the right to physical and psychological integrity under Art. 8 ECHR and their rights to protection of life and access to medical treatment under Art 2 ECHR (Anderson v Spencer [60]) and protected by UNCRC Art 24, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights[2] Art. 12, and the WHO Declaration Art. 5.1[3].
A person who does not know the identity of a genetic progenitor is at risk of inadvertently engaging in sexual relations with a genetic half-sibling, niece, nephew or first cousin. This is not as remote a risk as might at first appear: clinics generally serve a limited area and each donor is allowed to contribute to the creation of ten families (not children, families), so the likelihood of a significant number of people of similar age in a given area being half-siblings is not negligible.
For most people it would be shocking and possibly psychologically damaging to discover that they had unknowingly engaged in sexual relations with a genetic close relative. Any offspring of such unions face an elevated risk of congenital disability, through the inheritance of recessive genes. Half-siblings share on average 25% of their DNA – twice that of the offspring of first cousin unions, where the risk in the population at large is 3%. While there are no studies of the incidence of congenital anomalies in the offspring of half-siblings, the risk may be comparable to that in first-cousin unions in smaller and more closed populations: about 6%[4]. It is notable that this risk was recognised in the first legislation about donor conception, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, which permitted a person contemplating marriage (or, following amendment in 20008, an intimate physical relationship) to check with the HFEA whether their intended partner might be the offspring of the same donor (but not to find out who the donor was). Of course it is, again, highly unlikely that anyone who has not been told that they are donor-conceived will think to check.
Article 14 ECHR
The birth registration rules also, in breach of Article 14 ECHR, discriminate against donor offspring in their exercise of their ECHR rights:
Unlike adopted people and those born by surrogacy, donor offspring do not have an autonomous right to ascertain the truth about their origins. A right which depends for its exercise on the discretion of a third party is no right at all — especially where the right-holder has no means of knowing that the discretion applies or has been exercised.
Donor offspring whose legal parents are of the same sex will inevitably realise that they were conceived by assisted reproduction but those whose legal parents are of opposite sexes rely on disclosure.
Whereas the legislation permitting adopted people to gain access to their original birth certificates is retrospective, the disclosure regulations only permit donor offspring to discover the name of their donor where the donor provided the relevant information after the enactment of the disclosure regulations.
The issues identified here and in connection with trans parents are easy to resolve; reform would also be an opportunity to clarify in legislation when short form and long-form official documentation is required, something which is currently unregulated.
The long-form birth certificate should be replaced by a Record of Personal Origin (“RPO”), recording in non-gendered language the identity of everyone involved in a person’s conception, birth and legal family: genetic parents (including any donor of mitochondrial DNA); any surrogate; and legal parents. Where the subject is adopted or issued with a GRC, the RPO would be updated. The RPO would be confidential to the subject and their descendants. Legislation would provide that the RPO could only be required by a third party in specified circumstances, for example the issue of a passport; for all other purposes the short form certificate would suffice. The short-form certificate would, as now, disclose only the name, date and place of birth of the individual, without details of their legal or genetic parentage.
The use of non-gendered language and the reform of birth certification to create a complete and accurate record of a person’s genetic and familial origins would respect and protect the rights of all concerned. It does not threaten the family relationships of those who turn to assisted reproduction: the fathers and mothers who care for children will still be fathers and mothers, but individuals’ personal stories and identities will no longer be erased and distorted by legal artificialities.
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Disclaimer: This blog is maintained for information purposes only. It is not intended to be a source of legal advice and must not be relied upon as such. Blog posts reflect the views and opinions of their individual authors, not of chambers as a whole. | |
Poynter's fact check section has a Center bias, according to a July 2021 Small Group Editorial Review by AllSides editors on the left, center, and right.
Poynter posted a variety of fact-check pieces, including fact-checks from Politifact and its newsletter, Factually, in which it compiles fact-checks. The review by AllSides staff in July 2021 found that this page aligned with Poynter’s bias rating of Center.
The nonprofit Poynter Institute for Media Studies owns PolitiFact, which AllSides rates separately.
Poynter not only has a fact-checking site, but launched the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) in 2015. The IFCN created a code of principles that fact-checking sites can commit to, including transparency of funding and commitment to non-partisanship. The IFCN audits and monitors these fact-checking sites to assure they are following the principles.
Click here to see our overall rating for Poynter. | https://www.allsides.com/news-source/poynter-fact-check-media-bias |
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The End of an Old Trend Often Looks Like the Beginning of a New One
Lane Core quotes from a New York Times editorial that contains a factoid that I've heard quite a bit over the past couple of days:
The 4-to-1 versus 50-50 statistic is top-of-mind for those who support gay marriage, and as does the Times, they see it as evidence that gay marriage is in our future. But the language used for the statistics ought to perk up eyebrows; what are the cut-off points for "older" and "younger"? The first AP report to cite the study claims that opposition "grew steadily as people's age increased."
But perusing the actual Pew poll, one comes across this line graph of the actual results, which illustrates that the AP's view of "steady" is inaccurate to the point of being misleading. (Particularly if my suspicion is correct that a five-year "moving average" will tend to smooth out the curve.) Opposition to gay marriage shoots up almost 30% from those aged 32 to those aged 39; it then stabilizes among fortysomethings, dropping back down to about 55% (with some turbulence) by the early/mid 50s, but climbing back in the late 50s; it then climbs another 25% by 70 and plummets 30% from ages 70 to 80, before making up much of that loss by age 85.
Either a view of increasing conservatism with age or a gradual change in acceptance of homosexuality would seem to merit a smoother line. To make some sense out of these slopes, we have to consider that there are two ways to consider age-based data: as indicative of historical cultural trends, or as indicative of a single-person's lifeline. Although both are important in all cross-sections, I'd suggest that the significance of the lifeline view fades with age, while the significance of the historical view increases. For one thing, older people have been "formed" and "settled" for longer. For another, younger people are more in the midst, so to speak, of the cultural change, so they'll track more closely to the cultural elite's position on the issue itself.
Frankly, my historical knowledge is sufficiently lacking that I'm a bit puzzled by the huge drop in opposition among those who came of age in the 1940s. From personal experience, my sense is that people in this age group are more amenable to the comparison of the gay marriage movement to civil rights issues, seeing it in light of their generational experience with the Holocaust and racial segregation in the United States. This would seem to find some support in the fact that uncertainty (as indicated by the "don't know" line) shoots up from almost 0% to almost 30% for this age group.
More important to the future of the issue of gay marriage, however, are those born after 1940. Within this limited field, the largest dip in opposition comes among those in their late 40s to early 50s. This is the group of people who were born around 1950 Boomers who hit college-age just at the ripe part of the 1960s. This is also the group that began coming into power in the early 1990s, when the push for gay civil rights really picked up steam... with increasingly ratcheted support from cultural elites.
It seems to me that their onslaught would have hit hardest among those in their 20s and early 30s, the same group, as it happens, that is evenly divided. I can't say for sure, but I would opine that this factor has gone a long way toward keeping opposition among this group so much below the middle line around which everybody else seems to hover. The question that I entered into this analysis to address is what this means for their future opinions.
Well, of course, the greatest determination will be what happens over the next decade or so. Nonetheless, if we assume that the lifeline, as opposed to the historical, analysis is strongest among this group, some hope emerges for conservatives: Uncertainty, here, is higher than for any other section under 70 years of age. Moreover, the "don't know" line more or less increases with age, before dropping dramatically among early thirtysomethings the very same group that initiates the nearly 30% climb in opposition to gay marriage.
We can't put too much weight on this single poll or on any polls for that matter. Society is in constant flux. But it seems to me at least plausible that, as this group enters into full adulthood with all of the experiences and responsibilities that it entails it will rebound to at least the median line. My own opinion, as a conservative Catholic convert who is still a few years away from the age at which the opposition to gay marriage currently takes off, is that mine will prove to be the most socially conservative generation that the country has seen in many decades.
Once we've fully shaken off the cultural dictates of the Boomer establishment, we'll see the fantasies through clarity provided by first-hand experience of their repercussions. No illusions have we. We have witnessed the horrible results that wishful-thinking weakness can beget, crystallized in attacks that killed or threatened many of our number. We are finding religion only to experience the scorn of our nation's elite. We are watching as popular culture hits the bottom and begins clawing at it, and while high culture and academia drift off into palpable nonsense.
All of us could have been aborted on a whim; some of us will learn, or have learned, that our siblings were. The wet dreams of our parents have been saturated with danger for us; we've felt that cold sweat when the blood results arrived. Our parents have divorced some to enter into homosexual relationships.
To be sure, none of this belongs on the shoulders of people who are gay. Yet, it falls there because so much of it comes together in the issues in which they are involved. Mine has learned from previous generations that people ought to be free to live in ways with which we disagree. However, we have seen for ourselves that this freedom taken too far begins to affect us all, that the society does have legitimate claims on behavior the public sphere.
No honest thinker can deny that deception and delusion abound as our cultural pendulum swings out beyond the supporting beams of society. We who are "equally divided" have a central perch from which to watch attempts to sweep away a tradition that we are just beginning to explore, with the speed of change apparently justified on the basis of some strange fairy tale about a world without consequences. | http://dustinthelight.timshelarts.com/archives/00002269.htm |
Norway not only has its magnificent fjord but northern lights, midnight sun, legacy from the Viking Age, Sami people and Scandinavian sophistication.
Norway is a Scandinavian country known for its mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. It is also famous for fishing, hiking and skiing, notably at Lillehammer’s Olympic resort. Oslo, the capital, is a city of green spaces and museums. Bergen, with colorful wooden houses, is the starting point for cruises to the dramatic Sognefjord.
Oslo
Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast and is a cosmopolitan hub with world-class architecture, museums, restaurants and shopping.
It’s known for its green spaces and museums, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century. The city is blessed with a large number of parks and boasts with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. The Oslofjord’s waterways and islands are just minutes away from the centre, as are the ski slopes and forests of Nordmarka.
Tromsø
Situated north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is best known for its important role as the base for many major Arctic expeditions.
Tromsø started as a fishing village in the 13th century and became the largest fishing port and the eighth-largest municipality in Norway.
It is also a top destination for those hoping to see the spectacular aurora borealis, or northern lights. Multiple attractions and fun things to do related to the phenomenon, including Polaria and the Polar Museum await in this charming city.
Sognefjord and Geirangenfjord
The largest of Norway’s fjords, Sognefjord reaches 204 kilometers inland from the coastal village of Skjolden and branches off into countless smaller inlets and fjords along the way.
The King of the Fjords (as it’s known by Norwegians) is almost five kilometers across, and the cliff walls reach as high as 1,307 meters, making it a great photo opportunity and breathtaking experience.
Part of the spectacular Fjord Norway network and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, is the Geirangerfjord region north of Ålesund. The eastward continuation of the Sunnylvsfjord, the Geirangerfjord offer some of the most spectacular views.
Lofoten Islands
The Lofoten Islands form an archipelago off the coast of northwestern Norway and are an attractive tourist destination. The weather here is mild despite its location, thanks to the Gulf Stream.
Main attractions that make these islands so popular are the beaches, traditional fishing villages and of course the wildlife. They are also one of the best places to see the northern lights. There are plenty of attractions and activities to do on the islands like kayak and hiking activities. Lofoten War Memorial Museum, the unique Magic Ice Lofoten (displays ice sculptures depicting local life), the Lofoten Museum (history of the island’s fishing industry) and the Lofoten Aquarium are definitely worthy to put on your Norway bucket list.
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The city just announced an extension to Local Law 191 of 2018 – a mandate requiring specific commercial buildings with fire alarm systems to install carbon monoxide detectors.
A bill proposed by the City Council was approved on 12/17/20, and expected to become law on 1/18/21. Now, property owners in this group have until July 1, 2021 to complete required installations. This is an update from the previous deadline of January 1, 2021 – see the city’s Service Notice for more details.
Compliance Requirements
Buildings that must comply with this requirement are properties equipped with a fire alarm system containing the following occupancy groups:
- A-, A-2, and A-3 (Assembly)
- Assembly uses, usually with fixedseating, intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures including, but not limited to:
Motion picture theaters, Symphony and concert halls, Television and radio studios admitting an audience, Theaters
- Assembly uses intended for food and/or drink consumption including, but not limited to: Banquet halls, Cabarets, Cafeterias (except as provided for in A-3), Dance halls, Night clubs, Restaurants, Taverns and bars
- Assembly uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not classified elsewhere in Group A including, but not limited to: Amusement arcades, Art galleries, Bowling alleys, Cafeterias for children up to and including the 12th grade, Classrooms and instructional rooms with 75 persons or more; such rooms with fewer than 75 persons shall be classified as Group B or E, Community halls, Courtrooms, Custodial care facilities with 75 or more persons, providing care to persons over the age of 2, where no more than four occupants are incapable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from staff, Dance studio or instruction (not including food or drink consumption), Exhibition halls, Funeral parlors, Gymnasiums (without spectator seating), Religious houses of worship, Indoor swimming pools (without spectator seating), Indoor tennis courts (without spectator seating), Lecture halls, Museums, Waiting areas in transportation terminals, Pool and billiard parlors, School auditoriums
- Assembly uses, usually with fixedseating, intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures including, but not limited to:
- Group B (Business)
- See a full list of included property types here, on page 3
- Group M (Mercantile)
- Mercantile Group M occupancy includes, among others, the use of a building or structure or a portion thereof, for the display and sale of merchandise, and involves stocks of goods, wares or merchandise incidental to such purposes and accessible to the public. Mercantile occupancies shall include, but not be limited to, the following:Department stores, Drug stores, Markets, Motor fuel-dispensing facilities, Retail or wholesale stores, Sales rooms
As a reminder, installed devices must have:
- built-in sounder bases
- transmit a signal to a central supervising station
- comply with the city Code
- They are not required to be installed in the kitchens of these buildings
Of course, the DOB encourages building owners to comply as soon as possible before the deadline for safety reasons.
Installation Best Practices Using InCheck
If you’re an InCheck user, it’s easy to make sure alarms are installed everywhere they need to be. Teams we’re working with have created Workflows detailing how they want installations performed, including snapping a picture of the device once it’s in place. That way, all the details are saved in your InCheck account and can be referenced any time you need to verify compliance.
You can also list each device as an asset for each building, tracking the date of installation, and any subsequent inspections, checks, or modifications.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team – we’re happy to get you set up and started with an installation Workflow. | https://sitecompli.com/blog/details-on-the-carbon-monoxide-installation-extension-and-how-commercial-buildings-are-tracking-it/ |
This study compared sclerostin’s response to impact versus no-impact high-intensity interval exercise in young men and examined the association between exercise-induced changes in sclerostin and markers of bone turnover and oxidative stress. Twenty healthy men (22.3 ± 2.3 years) performed two high-intensity interval exercise trials (crossover design); running on treadmill and cycling on cycle ergometer. Trials consisted of eight 1 min running or cycling intervals at ≥ 90% of maximal heart rate, separated by 1 min passive recovery intervals. Blood samples were collected at rest (pre-exercise), and 5 min, 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h following each trial. Serum levels of sclerostin, cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTXI), procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and protein carbonyls (PC) were measured. There was no significant time or exercise mode effect for PINP and PC. A significant time effect was found for sclerostin, CTXI, and TBARS with no significant exercise mode effect and no significant time-by-mode interaction. Sclerostin increased from pre- to 5 min post-exercise (47%, p < 0.05) and returned to baseline within 1 h following the exercise. CTXI increased from pre- to 5 min post-exercise (28%, p < 0.05), then gradually returned to baseline by 48 h. TBARS did not increase significantly from pre- to 5 min post-exercise but significantly decreased from 5 min to 48 h post-exercise. There were no significant correlations between exercise-induced changes in sclerostin and any other marker. In young men, sclerostin’s response to high-intensity interval exercise is independent of impact and is not related to changes in bone turnover and oxidative stress markers.
KeywordsExercise Sclerostin Bone turnover Oxidative stress
Notes
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) grant to P. Klentrou (grant # 2015-04424). R. Kouvelioti holds an Ontario Trillium Scholarship. W. Ward holds a Canada Research Chair in Bone and Muscle Development. The authors would like to thank the participants for participating in this study, all volunteers for their assistance in different parts of the study (D. Brown, R. Sweeney, M. Nasato, A. Theocharidis, S. Pilakka, D. Szkaradek), the phlebotomists (especially C. Watt), and lab coordinators (R. Dotan, J. Gabrie) for their guidance.
Author Contributions
RK designed the study, completed all data collection, and prepared the first draft of the paper. PL contributed to the analysis of blood samples. BF, WEW, and ARJ contributed to the experimental design and the interpretation of the data. PK was the supervisor of the research and contributed to the experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of the data. She is the guarantor. All authors revised the paper critically for intellectual content and approved the final version. All authors agree to be accountable for the work and to ensure that any questions relating to the accuracy and integrity of the paper are investigated and properly resolved.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest
R. Kouvelioti, P. LeBlanc, B. Falk, W.E. Ward, A.R. Josse and P. Klentrou have no conflict of interest to declare.
Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and received ethics approval from our institutional Research Ethics Board (File # 16-016). All participants agreed to participate in this study by signing a consent form. | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00223-019-00524-1 |
# GestureWorks Gameplay
GestureWorks Gameplay was a utility created by Ideum using its GestureWorks technology to enable a variety of touch and gesture controls for games on Windows 8 devices. The software was discontinued as of June 7, 2016.
The Gameplay utility was used to create and use touchscreen controllers for PC games running on Windows 8 without the need for an external controller or mouse and keyboard. Users could select from a wide variety of onscreen buttons and gesture controls that may be mapped to keyboard and mouse commands used within the game. Accelerometer support was also available for many devices. In addition to providing a control overlay on mobile devices, Gameplay was compatible with Android devices so that gamers could use their Android device with Bluetooth as a controller for their PC games. Gameplay controls were highly customizable and some aspects of the controls such as button size and location could even be adjusted during gameplay while the controller was in use.
In addition to allowing users to create their own controllers, there was a library of pre-built controllers authored by Gestureworks Gameplay and members of the community, containing more than 250 virtual controllers. Gameplay was available through Steam.
GestureWorks Gameplay received favorable reviews from Penny Arcade's Gabe (Mike Krahulik), and Tom's Hardware. The Behemoth games reviewed GestureWorks Gameplay as a good new way to make their popular Castle Crashers game tablet-friendly, and The Behemoth project manager Emil Ayoubkhan says GestureWorks Gameplay is "a perfect fit" for bringing their game to tablet PCs. The technology was also featured in a keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum in 2013. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GestureWorks_Gameplay |
In an overabundance of caution we have made the difficult decision to close the clinic effective March 17th for one week. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation as it unfolds and a decision regarding the week of March 23rd will me made this weekend.
We sincerely apologize foe the inconvenience and will be in touch with everyone regarding the rescheduling of appointments.
We will be continually checking our voice mail and email through the week and can be reached at 905-634-8439 and [email protected]. Additionally you can check our websites for up to date information.
Once again we apologize for the inconvenience at this time and appreciate your understanding.
Yours in good health,
Dr. Rob, Natalie and Tyler. | http://healthviewchiropractic.com/2020/03/17/clinic-closure/ |
Due to the current pandemic all dates stated below are tentative and based on the present state of planning. All events of the Welcome Weeks are expected to take place in hybrid mode. The delivery mode of courses that are part of the regular academic semester, starting at the beginning of April, depends on the further development of the pandemic. Teaching might take place online, on-campus or as a mix of both. In case certain courses will take place on campus, the prevailing hygiene measures will of course be applied. Should there be any changes with regards to the Welcome Weeks or the regular academic activities all exchange students will of course be informed immediately.
- Arrival: Flexible
- Welcome Meeting (online event): Thursday, 17th March 2022
- Welcome Weeks (hybrid events): 17th March until 1st April 2022
- Lecture Period (delivery method t.b.c.): 6th April until 30th July 2022
- Public Holidays: 15th until 18th April 2022; 27th until 31st May 2022
- 1st Exam Period: 11th until 30th July 2022 (it is normal that lecture and exam periods overlap)
- 2nd Exam Period: 23rd September until 8th October 2022 (optional opportunity to re-take failed exams)
Winter Term 2022/23
- Arrival: Flexible
- Welcome Meeting (tbc): Thursday, 15th September 2022
- Welcome Weeks (tbc): 15th September until 30th October 2022
- Lecture Period (tbc): 7th October 2022 until 11th February 2023
- Public Holidays/Closure Days: 23rd December until 31st December 2022
- Exam Period: 23rd January until 11th February 2023 (it is normal that lecture and exam periods overlap)
- 2nd Exam Period: 23rd March until 6th April 2023 (optional opportunity to re-take failed exams)
In case you need to state the duration of your exchange period on your attendance certificate, which is usually used in order to determine your scholarship payments, please use the following dates:
For Start Date: Date of the Welcome Meeting, e.g. 15th September 2022 in Winter Term 2022/23
For End Date: Date of the last day of the First Exam Period, e.g. 11th February 2023 in Winter Term 2022/23
Course Enrolment
The faculty will enroll you for the courses that have been approved on the Learning Agreement that you have submitted during the application process.
During the Welcome Weeks an Introduction Session into our Student Portal (LSF) will take place where you will be shown how to access and change your course choice (e.g. in case of schedule overlaps), and how to add additional Language Courses (4 ECTS each) and General Courses (AWEs; 2 ECTS each) which you have to enroll for on your own.
Attending Language Courses
If German is not your native language, depending on your language level you will be required to complete an intensive language course amounting to a total of 40 hours over two weeks (Monday to Friday, four hours per day). This intensive course prepares you linguistically for your studies at HTW Berlin and is therefore mandatory. In order to assess your language knowledge and place you in the most appropriate group, a short German test will be held beforehand. The course encompasses the following content areas:
- Country studies, customs and traditions in Germany (textbook: Blick auf Deutschland)
- Organisation of studies at HTW Berlin
- Further development of reading and listening comprehension (textbook: Leselandschaft)
- Grammar recap and consolidation
- Current events (national and international events)
During the semester you can decide whether you wish to attend language courses offered by the Foreign Languages Centre of HTW Berlin. You can choose from
- different languages (German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Russian, Japanese) and
- different levels (beginner, advanced).
All language courses that take place throughout the entire semester are worth 4 ECTS
Exam Registration
In order for courses to be validated and to appear in your Transcript of Records it is crucial that you are registered for all exams of the courses that you would like to receive credits for, regardless of the assessment type (project, written exam, presentation, etc.)
Please refer to our Exam Registration Guidelines in order to learn more about the Exam Registration Process, the respective deadlines and the importance of the registration.
In case there are some exams you cannot register for please fill in this form and submit it to us during the periods outlined in the aforementioned Guidelines.
Grading Scale
Each course that our exchange students at HTW Berlin complete consists of one or more types of examination which could e.g. include a presentation, group projects, as well as written assignments or exams.
Written exams which usually take place during the examination period at the end of the semester are the most common form of examination.
In order to find out more about the conversion of our local grades into other grading systems please have a look at our Grading Scale.
Transcript of Records
Around 8 weeks after the end of the 1st examination period and provided that all results have been uploaded to our Student Portal (LSF) by your professors, the International Office will send your Transcript of Records by e-mail to you and to your home university. It is crucial that you have registered in advance for all of your exams.
You will also be notified by the student portal whenever one of your grades has been entered.
In case all of your grades have been uploaded to the student portal before our eight week deadline, you can let us know and we happily request your transcript and send it to you and you home university earlier.
For those students who are staying at HTW Berlin for two semesters, both transcripts will be sent out only after the 2nd semester of their stay.
Alongside the transcripts we will send out a grade conversion table as well as a certificate of the intensive German course that takes part during the Welcome Weeks (subject to attendance).
Please note that it is also possible for you to download a QR-Code certified Grades Overview from the Student Portal (LSF) anytime.
ECTS: European Credit Transfer System
The European Credit Transfer System is an assessment procedure for European universities. The standardised assessment system (30 ECTS points per semester) simplifies the accreditation process and enables academic studies to be transferred within the EU. If you are participating in an Erasmus/Socrates programme, you will need to sign a learning agreement regarding the modules and the number of ECTS you are required to obtain. The completed ECTS can then be accredited at your home university to avoid having to extend the duration of your study programme. | https://www.htw-berlin.de/en/international/international-students/incoming-exchange-students/your-studies-at-htw-berlin/ |
Suffering from knee pain? It may seem counterintuitive, but performing knee exercises will help alleviate pain and prevent future injuries. Certain exercises will help strengthen the muscles that surround the knee, reducing the amount of stress placed on the knee joint itself.
Try 10 to 12 repetitions of the following exercises 2 to 3 times per week. Try not to bend your knees too far past your toes—this will cause excess pressure on the joints.
Partial Squats
Stand a foot away from the front of the chair, feet hip width apart and toes pointed forward. Bend at the hips and slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair, keeping abs tight. Repeat.
Side-Lying Leg Lifts
Place ankle weights above the knee. Lie on your left side, keep legs straight and together with your left arm supporting your head. Keep your body straight, right foot flexed, and slowly lift your right leg to shoulder height. Slowly lower down. Repeat this with the left leg.
Step-Ups
Use an aerobic step bench or a staircase and step up with your right foot. Step up with your left foot as well, and then lower down. Repeat by starting with left foot.
Calf Raises
Hold on to a chair or wall for balance, feet hip-width apart and toes pointed forward. Slowly raise your heels off the floor, lifting up to your toes. Hold and then slowly lower.
Hamstring Curl
Hold on to the back of a chair for balance. Plant your weight on your right leg. Lift your left foot, bringing the heel up toward the ceiling—hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Slowly lower the leg. Switch sides and repeat.
The following exercises should never be performed if you suffer from knee pain:
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From epic cascades to gently tumbling falls, Iceland is awash with waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. There isn’t an official figure out there, but there are at least thirty that we could name. This abundance of spectacular waterfalls is all down to Iceland’s particular geographical and geological make up. The island’s North Atlantic location means that it receives more than its fair share of rain and snow. Whatever the time of year, there are frequent showers, and in winter there is often quite consistent snow or rain. All of this feeds the country’s many rivers as they find their way downhill to the ocean. Another significant factor is that around 10% of Iceland’s landmass is covered by glaciers. These ice caps are thousands of years old and slowly receding. As they melt, especially in spring and early summer, they add even more water to the scene. The rivers swell with the melt off and Iceland’s amazing waterfalls gain momentum. Here we share our top ten most beautiful waterfalls with you.
Gullfoss Waterfall
The beautiful Gullfoss Waterfall thunders down the Hvítá River not too far from Reykjavik. Along with the Þingvellir National Park and Geysir it completes the famous Golden Circle tour’s trio of attractions. It is truly a remarkable sight plunging down 32 metres over two tiers. Due to its unusual form it’s not possible to view the falls from below. Instead visitors view the narrow churning gorge from above. The name Gullfoss translates as Golden Falls and to see them sparkling under the Icelandic sunshine is a sheer delight. Even is you’re not following the full golden circle route, this is a must-see.
Svartifoss Waterfall
The monumental Svartifoss waterfalls is located in the Vatnajökull National Park in south-east Iceland. Its name, meaning Black Falls, comes from the impressive rocks that surround it. Huge basalt columns surround a 20-metre high free flowing drop in a distinctly architectural style. In fact, its horseshoe shape and dark columns inspired the design of the beautiful Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik. Svartifoss Visitor Centre is easily reached from the Ring Road route. It’s then an easy circular walk from there to the falls.
Godafoss Waterfall
One of the jewels of North Iceland, Goðafoss is known as the Waterfall of the Gods. It has a strong connection to the Norse Gods, but is also important in the history of Christianity in Iceland. It is said that a pagan priest converted to Christianity and threw his pagan idols into the waters here. It's not the tallest waterfall in Iceland at only twelve meters high, but it’s the width that creates the impact. Arcing thirty meters around in a semicircle of free flowing falls.
Dettifoss Waterfall
Another North Iceland treasure, Dettifoss is found in the wild Vatnajökull National Park. This beast is the most powerful waterfall in the country with a colossal 500 cubic metres of water per second flowing across it. Witnessing its sheer power is an incredible experience. It is a little out of the way though and you’ll need a 4x4 vehicle to tackle the rough gravel road to the falls.
Skógafoss Waterfall
Dramatic Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s most well visited waterfalls. It’s a great stop if you are touring the south coast of Iceland or driving the ring road. Twenty-five metres wide and sixty metres high, this impressive falls is located on Iceland’s former coastline. Its huge curtain of water plunges directly down creating a constant spray. On sunny days you can see rainbows forming above the spray and the clack volcanic rocks of the river. The waterfall is beautiful to observe from below and an easy walk from the car park. For a little more challenge and a bird’s eye view you might like to climb the 500 or so steps to the top!
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall makes for another beautiful destination if you are touring South Iceland. Here the water drops some sixty metres down from a cliff which once marked the edge of Iceland’s coastline. This is a really popular spot and it’s easy to see why. These unique falls have a pathway that loops right around behind them. So it’s possible to walk behind the falling curtain of water. If you don’t mind getting a little wet that is! The falls are lit up when the sun goes down and it really is a beautiful sight. On sunny days you might even catch a rainbow or two.
Barnafoss Waterfall
Also in West Iceland and just a short walk from Hraunfossar is Barnafoss Waterfall. The name translates as Children’s Falls and refers to an old Norse legend. It is a dark tale surrounding the collapse of a natural river arch. The story doubles as a fable that teaches children to obey their parents! These falls stand in contrast to the gentle meandering falls at Hraunfossar. Barnafoss’ narrow channel and subsequent churning and rushing waters are a lot noisier. There is a pedestrian bridge across the river so you can feel the rush up close and the waters are often a beautiful glowing blue colour.
Hraunfossar Waterfall
Located in the Hallmundarhraun Lava Field in West Iceland, Hraunfossar is another stunning waterfall. Its appeal however is quieter, without any thundering cascades or statistics on height and girth. Dozens of cold water springs rise up from the ground and cascade down in a series of tiny rivulets to the waters below. This arc of waterways stretches for about 900 metres above the Hvítá River. Sometimes turquoise, sometimes a milky white, the falls appear to change colour depending on the season and the light. It’s a lovely sight and an easy one-hour drive from Reykjavik on route to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfall
With just a five-metre drop over three small channels Kirkjufellsfoss, which translates as Church Mountain falls, might not sound all that impressive. But it is the setting of the waterfall that makes it so special and probably one of the most visited in Iceland. Located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland, the falls are backed by a sensational view of the epic Mount Kirkjufell. Iceland’s most iconic and beautiful mountain rises up behind the falls creating a stunning scene. Its pyramid like shape is irresistible to photographers and with the waterfalls in the foreground it really is spectacular. This might just be the most photographed falls in Iceland!
Hengifoss Waterfall
In the east of Iceland Hengifoss, or the hanging falls, is one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland. A slim stream of water drops a staggering 128 metres down from a high plateau into a stunning deep gorge. The surrounding rock formations have created layers of strata with red clay stripes running across the cliff face. The drive there through the beautiful Hallormsstaður forest makes for a stunning journey. The waterfall is a good hike from the parking lot heading uphill on the way in. It’s a 5km round trip with plenty of places to rest along the way. You’ll also encounter another waterfall on the walk. Litlanesfoss drops down over two levels and is surrounded by impressive basalt columns. | https://www.motorhomeiceland.com/post/top-10-most-beautiful-waterfalls-iceland |
Eleven million people over the age of 65 are living alone today. One in five persons are now solo-agers with no adult children to provide the emotional, physical and logistical support needed. More seniors each day do not have family members to care for them. Living alone increases their risk of developing a myriad of long term illnesses. Seniors are also vulnerable to various forms of abuse and financial exploitation.
Older adults are often called “complex” patients—those with significant health and social needs. In a recent survey, funded by the Commonwealth Fund, 58 percent of patients with complex needs did not have a care coordinator helping them navigate the system, and 62 percent experienced stress about their ability to afford housing, utilities, or nutritious meals. Those unmet needs are part of the reason that 47 percent of the patients with complex needs visited the emergency department (ED) multiple times in the previous two years.*
These seniors generally use more health services and receive care from more and different health professionals than do people without chronic conditions. They also frequently rely on such social services as accessible transportation or home-delivered meals provided by community organizations. Given the complexity of their health problems, these seniors are more likely to have chronic, progressive illnesses or experience life-threatening complications. Palliative care and hospice services are often a consideration for these patients, further expanding the range of potential services that must be coordinated to optimize quality of life.
Older adults in the United States with complex needs often encounter a fragmented system that is ill-equipped to help them handle three, four, or even five chronic conditions simultaneously. Instead of a single patient receiving care that’s coordinated, he or she might have a general practitioner treating diabetes, an orthopedic specialist treating foot pain, and yet another health professional—an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist—treating tinnitus. This sort of disorganized, unplanned care is all too common—as well as expensive and ineffective. Such care costs our health care system millions of dollars each year while often forcing patients to make multiple emergency room visits.
Many of the problems in serving patients with complex needs are due to barriers: | https://seniorsalone.org/the-facts-of-life-escalating-senior-health-care-needs/ |
Reynald Adolphe Is Mixing Comedy With Tech
I've always wanted to talk to Reynald Adolphe because he is doing some interesting stuff. I knew it was going to be something different, I'm very thankful that he did the interview.
Reynald is a .NET developer with 10+ years experience in website consulting and development. He always had an interest in stand up comedy, and has found a way to incorporate entertainment in a tech setting.
His life as a comic, how he started out, and also where entertainment in tech is going were just some of the things we talked about. Overall, it was a fun interview and must not be missed. I don't want to spoil the details, so please check out the video interview with Reynald Adolphe. Also, read the Q&A he put together to share here.
So are you a comedian, or developer, or what? I mean, they’re so different.
I think it’s so funny when people are surprised I have both those interests. Would they weird out as much if a teacher also played tennis and say, wait – teaching math and playing tennis is SOOO different. Shouldn’t you be helping kids in your spare time for fun? Or maybe help foreigners learn because that’s what you should be doing – you know, being a teacher and all! Stay in your lane!
I’m Renaissance guy. I used to not like that because it’s easier to focus on one interest, but I’ve come to learn & love the diversity of my interests. And honestly, I wish more people did the same. The key is to know how to set up goals, plan, and make them happen for each interest, so you don’t fall into the trap of diluting yourself into mediocrity. For me, my interests encompass standup comedy, producing comedy events, writing/shooting scripts, and still being involved with technology. I never wanted to be a starving artist, and being a developer saved me from that. At the same time, I didn’t want to ignore comedy, and so I am still involved in that. Most recently, I’ve found a way to bring the two together in a meetup event (aka user group) – C# Entertainment.
What’s C# Entertainment?
It’s a meetup.com group I started that puts a different spin on your traditional tech talks. I wanted to make tech talks events with MCs, openers (musicians), speakers doing talks on some .net topics, meet/greet/eat sessions and professional comedians closing the show, with DJs keeping the energy up throughout. Good times! Maybe I’ll go retro like a70s variety show – And now the C# Dancers!
Are you going to start another group for languages like Java or Python?
Yes. Working on it. I want a solid following for C# first, as it is young, but people are loving it. It’s just a lot of work, and I’m trying to build a team that will make it a self-sustaining event. Getting the talent is easy, getting a marketing team is much tougher. It’s not sexy. If it were, they’d make movies about marketing, we’d have marketing groupies.
Where do you perform?
I’m in Los Angeles, so mostly clubs around there. I’m more focused on performing for events I’m producing, like at C# Entertainment or my Professional Singles Comedy night – another meet up group I run. Most recently, I’ve been focusing on a one-man show that’s in development. I’m not a fan of begging comedy clubs for stage time when I can put the effort into creating my own opportunities. If I do that right, they’ll come to me. Follow me on Twitter @reynaldadolphe for upcoming events.
What other projects are you working on?
Technology wise: I’m architecting a new style of learning to code and will start applying it to future courses I produce. It’s called Aerobic Coding. I’m excited about that. Stay tuned.
Entertainment wise: My one man show “Moonlighting,” is a comedy variety special, and a feature to write/produce/shoot. I wrote/shot a pilot for some festivals a couple years ago, so I’m more prepared for the feature now. See why I use the term Renaissance?
Do you have any tech videos out anywhere?
I’ll start posting screencasts to fine tune the Aerobic Coding version for C#. Then, I’ll do one for Angular. Not sure which first, but subscribe to my youtube channel (youtube.com/c/ReynaldAdolphe). I’ve recently become an author for Lynda.com, so my first course will be out soon. Can’t announce the title till they do sometime in October 2015. Look me up if you’re reading this later and get a trial via this link: Lynda.com/trial/ReynaldAdolphe
What would you do different starting all over?
Not much honestly. I have few regrets, but three often come to mind when asked. 1) I never applied to Harvard because I thought I didn’t have a chance, even though I got accepted at all the Ivy Leagues I applied to. 2) I would’ve studied computer science to get into tech right out of school for an earlier start 3) Earlier on, I would’ve put more effort into strengthening tech skills relevant to the industry and not limit myself to skills that a job I work requires. I used to do that,but not anymore. People tend to forget to look out for their best interest when they get comfortable. You always want to have your value high so others want you, especially if your current employer doesn’t value you, or at the very least show it. The good bosses do, though, and let you know verbally/financially. And if you’re your own employer, this rule still applies, so know how to appreciate yourself. Treat yourself well. I guess that’s a 4th thing I wish I did earlier––more me fun time via vacations, travel & relaxation. I was always worried about “making it” rather than enjoying the moment. I do now though. I worry much less these days. I’m not perfect at it, but I am much better. I’m doing what I love & dollars are coming from both ends.
What books do you recommend? | https://simpleprogrammer.com/reynald-adolphe-is-mixing-comedy-with-tech/ |
Our tête-à-tête this month is with Sara Trucksess of @sct_designs. Sara is married and has 4 young sons and lives in Kansas City. She has always been involved with needlepoint in one way or another most of her life. When I first started following Sara, I was immediately taken with her use of vibrant colors and her range of designs. It was such a fresh breath to see such fun, cheerful canvases. I'm not sure how it started but we eventually started chatting online and I am absolutely delighted that she agreed to do the tête-à-tête for us this month.
I come from a long line of artists and fiber artists: needlepointers, knitters, quilters, designers, and painters. I was always surrounded by some type of productive crafting as a child and I participated with great joy. I can first remember knitting sweaters for my dolls with my grandmother, followed by needlepointing a pillow for my bedroom around age 8 or 9. My grandmother was an artist and we painted together nearly every day of every summer. My mom is also an artist who used to design needlepoint canvases before I was born. I picked up needlepoint again as an adult in late 2018/early 2019 when I finally felt like I had a modicum of free time after years of raising a whole pile of boys. Trying to find time for yourself in the throws of parenting is complicated - there are such tiny pockets of time in which you find yourself suddenly free... 5 minutes in carpool line, 10 minutes while watching a kid splash around in the bathtub. I had been spending those stolen moments to myself pointlessly scrolling my phone. Needlepoint filled the void with a much more productive activity! I started designing my own canvases almost immediately after I picked needlepoint up again. I love the stitching, but I’m an artist at heart and I needed the freedom of blank canvas to make things look the way I wanted them to. I actually started free stitching designs on blank canvas first. I started painting them secondarily when people began requesting them.
2. Suddenly, there seems to be an explosion of your new canvases each one prettier than the next, appearing daily on Instagram. Do you have a seasonal schedule as to what you paint and when you want to release them? Give us some insight as to your painting schedule.
Oh gosh, thank you! This really has been my most fun career to date! I feel like I need to do a better job of planning ahead seasonally. I am frequently scrambling to figure out what day it is, let alone what month anymore. But typically, I feel most inspired by the season I’m in. So, for example, when holidays roll around, I finally get my head around holiday designs. I get to painting them and then I have them painted in volume with the help of my wholesale rep, @kcndesigners. With the delays we have experienced in the needlepoint industry this past year, that frequently puts designs out right on schedule for the following year’s holiday buying cycle. But truly by accident, not by design! I just paint what I’m thinking about at that moment. What you’re seeing come out now are things I painted last spring and summer that are finally arriving, all at once! I’ve set up camp in my dining room lately while all the boys have been home on and off with virtual school. From there I can help with homework, initiate other craft projects, deliver (endless) snacks and paint canvases all at the same time. It’s something I truly enjoy and would likely be doing every day no matter what. The fact that it has turned out to also be my job is the cherry on top!
I adore the collaborative nature of needlepoint. Every canvas that I paint is specifically made to be reinterpreted by someone else’s creative brain and I love seeing the colors and finishes people pick to make pieces their own. Collaborating with other designers has been a really fabulous creative exercise that helps me hone my million-and-one ideas into a direction I might never have considered before. And that is such a thrill to me! My very first collaboration with Janet Blyberg @jcb_stitches was an absolute delight. Janet and I used to work for the same photography curator at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. 20 years ago and getting to reconnect was an added bonus! Our buoy clutch will be making its wholesale debut via @kcndesigners next week. My collaboration with Lo Harris @loharris_art has also been such a joy. Her confidence and vibrancy are palpable and being able to introduce her to our needlepoint community has been a total privilege. Getting to delve into printed canvases with both @moorestitching and @unwind.studio has been such a wonderful way to bring more accessibility to our craft and I’ve been awed and thrilled by the initial success of my DIY knotted headband collaboration with darling blogger and needlepoint designer Krista Robertson of @pennylinndesigns. We are furiously working to get more headbands into everyone’s hands! I’ve also got a wholesale line of tartan headbands that were launched this past week that will be coming to your local shop via @kcndesigners. My friend Patricia O’Dell @mrsblandings_stitches and I have a floral collaboration arriving this spring that includes some of my most favorite canvases to date. And I also have some fun shop exclusives happening right now, with a new Year of the Ox ornament at The Needlepoint Clubhouse @stlneedlepoint, a great 21 Stitch Challenge kit at @kcneedlepoint and an exclusive line of fully kitted canvases with a brand new online shop called HappyStitching.com @happystitchingdotcom. I’m very excited about an upcoming collaboration with one of my very favorite interior design shops in the country and there are a few more partnerships that are in their infancy now with great potential for excellent collaborations soon. I can’t wait to share them all with you! I’m always excited to collaborate in new and interesting ways, so I hope to have even more projects with friends on the docket in the future. Even the messages people send me with requests and ideas for my regular line of canvases are something of a collaboration. I love to know what people want to stitch and then think about how to create them in my own way.
4. Can you tell us what’s in your stash and what are you stitching at the moment? Also, is there a favorite canvas that you have in your collection?
Right now I am trying to catch up on stitching a lot of my samples. This year, I would really like to expand my stash to include more designs from all the talented designer friends I have made over the past couple of years! I need this 4th kid of mine to go off to kindergarten and then I have big dreams of lying on my couch all day needlepointing anything I want whilst eating bonbons. Hahaha- yeah, right! I got canvases to paint and boys to feed!! But a girl can dream! I just finished stitching up the buoy clutch from my collaboration with Janet Blyberg @jcb_stitches and one of her darling buoy ornaments too. I have started working on my 21 Stitch Challenge sampler with @kcneedlepoint and I’ve also been cranking out headband sample canvases as fast as I can stitch lately! I’m hoping to stitch one of the Matisse canvases from @unwind.studio this spring. And then I’m considering some @moorestitching monogrammed pillows for my family room so I can throw away some other pillows that my kids have trashed... after that, some Christmas pillows, and then, who knows! I have a great tartan Westie canvas from Cat’s Cradle that I’d love to stitch before the next holiday season rolls around. We had a Westie for 14 years and the obsession does not go away! I have a lot of favorite canvases in my collection, which is why I think I have so many designs. How can I pick from all of the amazing patterns and colors the world has to offer? I love parts of all of them. But I think my favorite is probably the koi fish that was co-designed with my oldest son when he was in 7th grade. He came home with this fabulous fish drawing one day and it was just begging to be painted.
5. As a mother of 4 young boys, how and when do you find time to not only design, paint but also stitch all of your canvases?
Unfortunately I don’t get to stitch every design, which is why I am truly so delighted to see the finishes people share. Sometimes it’s the first time I’ve gotten to see something finished! But the short answer is: there’s never enough time in the day!! Somehow you just find time for the activities (and people) you love the most. I have always been entranced by fabric, color and pattern. I owned endless artist biographies, drawing and fashion design books as a child that I used to pore over and create from... it’s what I have always done in my free time. While life led me to practical artistic careers in museums, auction houses and more, I never lost that constant desire for creation in my daily life. Now, when I start rearranging my living room pillows and suddenly end up a down a rabbit hole of redecoration plans, needlepoint offers me the opportunity to create my own fabric, exactly as I want it, down to the last detail. Designing is both my stress relief and my joy. My boys are 14, 12, 9, and 4 now, and sometimes old enough to do lots of things around the house for themselves (with lots and lots of direction, although, darnit, still not the laundry!! Yet!!). I’m so grateful that a career in needlepoint allows me to be here for them while they still need me, and feed my own creative needs at the same time. I think it’s good for them to see me working on something I truly love. I definitely lose track of time when I get a good idea. It’s like a bee in my bonnet and I often can’t stop until I’ve seen it through to completion. I am so grateful for the help that @kcndesigners offers me with distribution. I would never be able to do it all alone, and I certainly haven’t been able to keep up with all the stitching either. But it’s all joy, even the parts I can’t get to right now, and in 2021 what can we all hope for but a little bit of happiness at home! | https://silverstitchneedlepoint.com/blogs/blog?page=3 |
The heart has four main valves that control blood flow to and from the heart, and the aortic valve is one of them. Each of these valves have flaps that open and close as your heart beats, but sometimes these flaps or leaflets can function improperly.
Aortic valve regurgitation is a condition that occurs when the heart’s aortic valve doesn’t close as tightly as it should. Whenever the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, blood leaks backward into the left ventricle, which is one of the chambers of your heart. That causes the heart to work overtime to compensate for the blood that has leaked into the left ventricle. As a result, you may feel short of breath or fatigued, and this condition could even lead to more serious problems like heart failure or an irregular heartbeat.
Causes of Aortic Valve Regurgitation
There are several different causes of aortic valve regurgitation:
- Rheumatic fever – This is an inflammatory disease that can occur when strep throat or scarlet fever isn’t taken care of properly. This disease can cause a wide range of conditions that include aortic valve regurgitation.
- Infections – This is when inflammation of the inner lining of the heart’s chamber occurs. This infection can damage the aortic valve and cause aortic valve regurgitation.
- Uncontrolled Hypertension
Symptoms of Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Aortic valve regurgitation can usually be discovered during a physical examination, but your physician or cardiologist will likely order an echocardiogram to confirm it as well a determine the severity and possible cause. Sometimes symptoms can take years to develop, but as aortic valve regurgitation worsens you may experience the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness
- Swollen ankles and feet
- Extreme fatigue
Treatment for Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Your heart is in good hands at Georgia Heart Institute. Our team of specialized heart doctors work together to determine the appropriate treatment for your condition. Treatment can vary depending on the severity of your symptoms and condition.
At Georgia Heart Institute, we take the time to develop the best treatment plan for you.
- Lifestyle changes and medication – In some cases, aortic valve regurgitation can be treated with a shift towards healthier lifestyle choices. If you are diagnosed with aortic valve regurgitation, getting proper exercise and avoiding foods high in salt, saturated fats and sugar is advisable. Medication may be used to help support heart health too.
- Heart valve surgery – Our cardiovascular surgeons are national leaders in minimally invasive valve repair surgeries. Georgia Heart Institute offers both open and robotic surgery options for aortic valve repair. If surgery is not feasible, a transcatheter approach may be considered by our multidisciplinary team of heart surgeons and interventional cardiologists.
Why Choose Georgia Heart Institute?
At Georgia Heart Institute, our culture of continuous improvement helps our patients overcome even the most advanced and complex conditions. We work together to coordinate the right treatment and therapy for your individual circumstance. Regardless of where you are in your heart care journey, the Georgia Heart Institute offers the care, services, and expertise you need for a healthier tomorrow.
Learn more about our Structural Heart Center and the specialized therapies we offer for patients with valve disease. | https://www.nghs.com/heart/aortic-valve-regurgitation |
Table of Contents...
First-Wave Ska
- In the Beginning
- The Evolution of Ska
- The Catalysts of Change
- Sir Coxsone Dodd
- Afterbeat and AfterEffects / The Prophet, Prince Buster
- The Skatalites
- Rise of the Rudies
- Gunmen Coming to Town
This Are 2-Tone
- Migrations... The Dawning of a New Era
- Importing a New Style
- Two-Tone and the Special A.K.A.
- Skinhead is Not Racism
- Building on the First Wave
- Two-Tone and Chrysalis
- Welcome to the House of Fun
- The Bodysnatchers
- The Fading of a New Era
- Ghost Town
Ska, the Third-WaveThis Section Coming Soon...
The Evolution of Ska...
So, to understand what ska music is all about, we need to first understand the history of those times. Otherwise we might end up believing that what most people today mistakenly believe is ska really is ska and that popular music channels such as MTV actually play ska music (which they don't)...
Along with an understanding of the history, it's also important to look at society as a whole... What events were taking place at the time, and how did those events shape the path taken by the music people played and that crowds gather around and listen to?
Perhaps the single greatest event that contributed to the evolution of ska music, and its subsequent all-encompassing popularity, was World War II. The hold of the British Empire over its colonies, the most relevant here being Jamaica, was weakening. That grasp became more tenuous after the war, and with the rising cry from British colonies for freedom and self-determination, Britain conceded in granting independence to many of those colonies. Jamaica, by 1962, would become a self-governing entity.
In terms of original styles of music, Britain's weakened hold over its colonies had a direct impact on Jamaican culture long before Jamaica was officially granted its independence. The culture and music of the time directly reflected the new optimism and goals of the Jamaican people. The creation of a music industry in the United States made it possible for American popular culture to be spread around the globe. The cost of travel to the United States was prohibitive for most, so American music made its initial impact in Jamaica by way of the radio, when large radio stations from the southern states began to broadcast from across the sea. Since the early 1940's, Jamaica had adopted and adapted many forms of American musical styles, such as R&B and Jazz. These sounds were completely new to Jamaica, and caught on with their infectious, danceable beats.
Though American broadcast radio could be heard in Jamaica, the average Jamaican could not afford a radio powerful enough to pick it up and, for a while, the only method by which new music and musical styles were spread was through the dancehalls. Music was, after all, the most affordable and favorite form of entertainment and social interaction. The dominant style of music at the time was called Mento, a native Jamaican style of calypso. The dancehalls were mostly filled with the sounds of American Jazz and Blues from the likes of Ray Charles, Count Basie, Fats Domino and Duke Ellington. The operators of the sound systems at the dancehalls, however, had the most direct impact on the rise of a totally new and unique musical form. It was an evolution of what could be heard on American radio, and eventually came to be called the Ska. | http://www.thedarksighed.com/ska/bk1_2.html |
Similar to, but safer than spring-based trampolines, this air track is perfect for jumping, tumbling, flipping, as well as falling. This trampoline is the best of both worlds whereas it let’s you experiment with different skills while also protecting you while training.
Since this element depends on the athlete’s capabilities, the Difficulty can vary. | https://www.ninjawarriorsolutions.com/elements/trampoline-air-track/ |
Step 1: Have an attitude that this is possible and do-able, because it is possible and do-able.
Step 2: Get a box.
Your box may be a physical box to contain your project or a virtual box set up on your computer. You might need both. You may have to do a little organization in order to find room for your box where other family members won’t disturb your project. A box with a lid would be best. Examples of a virtual box are: a Word document where you are working on your life history, an Excel spreadsheet of information or working in a genealogy management program.
Step 3: Put a project in your box.
Step 4: Set up a log.
This log is to record where you end on your project when your available time is gone. By doing this you will be able to pick up right where you left off and spend your entire time available actually working on family history.
Step 5: Find a mentor or coach.
You can go it alone if you have experience in family history. If you don’t have experience, having a mentor will make a big difference. Mentors can help you with what project to work on, answer questions and be your cheerleader.
Step 6: Make a commitment to yourself.
Commit to make time to work on your family history project consistently. Everyone has bits of time that they can carve out if they are willing to look honestly at their activities.
The log is key to your success. Don’t rely on your memory alone! When you run out of time, immediately write down where to pick up next time. Make your entry detailed enough that you can begin working immediately. Record details such as PID#s when working on FamilySearch.org. Wunderlist or Evernote are excellent places to record a computer log. If you have another note-taking program that you use regularly, then set up a special section for your family history project. If using a computer, I recommend adding your note to the top of the page so that you don’t have to scroll to the bottom of a list every time you want to get started. Keeping your log on paper also works. I recommend using 8 ½ by 11 sheets of paper or a dedicated notebook. This log needs to be kept separate from all of the other notes you write to yourself. Sticky notes have their place in this project, but not as your main log. Unless you are totally stalled, write down questions and follow up items on your log and keep working on your project without getting distracted.
Go to bottom right of the page to find the Evernote Section.
There is an emphasis from our leaders to collect living memory before it is lost. They are not referring to just what you personally remember. They are referring to the family photos, stories, and documents that have been left to someone in your family. There is a big emphasis on collecting stories and other memories from each member of a family before they are lost and not handed down and shared. Those with technology skills have been asked to work with less tech savvy family members to record and preserve these memories.
Remember FOCUS on one thing at a time.
Pray and ask for the Holy Ghost to help you select a project and for help to make the best use of your time.
These projects are focused on things that can be done in the home or at a personal computer. There are many different opportunities available at the family history center or library. There are also many important opportunities waiting for you in the homes of your family members. If you can’t get to them in their homes, make contact with them and try to help them “long-distance”.
1. Answer the question: “What do you wish you knew about your great-grandparents?” Make a bookmark with your responses to remind yourself of things to record in your journal for your great-grandchildren to read.
Create a timeline of the major events in your life. You may want to include historical events and how they affected you.
Organize a notebook or computer file to record the most meaningful memories from your life such as life lessons learned and things that strengthened your testimony. What stories from your life would help strengthen someone else? Add to this record as the memories come to you. Record the stories of the events that have made you who you are. Names, dates, places and facts are important, but the stories, whys and feelings are more important…and more interesting.
Answer the question: What are the top 100 (50/25/1000) things that have happened to you in your life?
3. Organize, identify and preserve your personal photos.
4. Edit and restore old family photos.
5. Study the things that you find about your ancestors and think about what they must have felt. Learn to love your ancestors. Know them as real people and not names and dates on a chart.
6. Take pictures of the things in your home that have been handed down in your family. Record the stories behind the items and the individual they came from.
7. Keep your computer and paper files organized as you work.
1. Gather all of your family’s important documents and preserve them in sheet protectors.
2. Organize your family photos. Identify and preserve them.
3. Record family stories and events as they happen.
4. Get all family photos and documents out of “magnetic” albums and unsafe plastics!
5. Some of these projects will take more time, but preparing for them can be done in your boxed in time.
Have a family home evening looking at the photos you have gathered and record the stories about the photos. Transcribe these stories.
Write stories of your ancestors in a way that they can be used as bedtime stories for young family members.
Go to Google Earth and look up the addresses that you have found as you have gathered and sourced records. If any family homes or landmarks are local, take your family to the location and photograph them.
Go to Family Tree and make sure you are connected to your family.
Enter information you or other family members have that is not in Family Tree yet.
In a systematic way, attach census records for all censuses available during the lifetime of an individual. View the records to determine if they show other family members missing in Family Tree.
Use Search Records to attach sources to individuals in the tree. Work one family at a time. Printing a Family Group record will help you track your work. (Preview before printing!) Keep a log of things that you or another family member could research in the future.
Upload digital files of photos you have (or can beg, borrow or “steal”). Be familiar with FamilySearch policies concerning photos of living individuals.
Tag individuals in the photos you upload and connect them to Family Tree.
Tag unidentified individuals you know in photos uploaded by other people.
Upload stories to FamilySearch Memories and connect them to the appropriate individual(s).
Upload documents to FamilySearch Memories, tag them and connect them to the appropriate individual(s).
Share links of Memories included on FamilySearch with other family members. Hopefully you can get them interested and they will share the photos and information they have.
By selecting one individual, it is possible to even do research projects in small increments of time. The key is keeping good notes and entries in your log.
If you are not familiar with decendancy research, go to FamilySearch Learn (https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html ) and learn how to do this type of research.
Do decendancy research. Remember keep your focus; keep good notes and entries in your log.
Please, PLEASE, PLEASE index. You may be the one to index the record that breaks down your family’s long standing brick wall.
Before taking a name to the temple, study the information in Family Tree about that individual. From the sources and memories information, try to get a feel for what life was like for them and their family. Get to know your family member as a person and not a name and a date.
Before beginning a scanning project, learn about archival scanning procedures so that the work will not have to be repeated. We have four scanners at the Mapleton Family History Center. The BYU Family History Library has high speed photo scanners, book scanners and large format scanners. The largest scanner is located in the Map Department of the Library. The best use of your 15 minutes might be to organize your photos or other materials into logical groupings and then make a trip to the family history center or BYU and use the specialized equipment.
Scan your own personal photos and documents.
Scan photos, documents and life histories obtained from other family members.
Share the files you scan on FamilySearch and with other family members.
Transcribe handwritten histories and stories from your life or the lives of other family members.
Convert old cassette tape interviews to a digital format. Transcribe the recordings.
Share the digital files you have of family photos and stories.
Be creative! Start an “Ancestor of the Month” email or Facebook club. Create family games using information or photos of your ancestor. Start a family newsletter.
Prepare for interviewing family members when you know that you will be visiting them soon. http://www.preservingtime.org/interviews.html has information about successful interviewing. FamilySearch wiki and learn also have information. Who, What, When and Where are not as important as Why, Feelings and Stories. Be prepared with a digital voice recorder or video recorder to record the interview.
It is possible to interview “long-distance”. Ask an individual about their life via telephone, email or snail mail. Prepare for “long-distance” interviews using the information above. Apps are available to record phone conversations.
Contact the “family genealogist” and find out what records and information they have. See what they are willing to share with you.
Interview the “family genealogist”. They probably have many good stories to tell, but have not focused on themselves because of their other work.
Interview yourself or your immediate family members. Someone doesn’t have to be “old” to be worth interviewing.
Send someone a link to photos uploaded to FamilySearch. Have a phone interview about the stories behind the photos while you are both looking at the same page.
Use Skype or other similar programs to interview more distant relatives. Remember: record any interviews whenever possible.
Ask your mentor or the “family genealogist” for suggestions for other projects that would fit your time constraints and interests.
Ask your “family genealogist” for special assignments such as creating a spreadsheet of names included in a diary or searching online newspapers for information.
Learn about the history and times of the area where your ancestors lived. This will gives you clues to your research as well as help you to get to know your ancestors.
Learn from online classes available at FamilySearch.org and other online locations. | https://www.preservingtime.org/family-history-15-minutes-at-a-time.html |
It has been hypothesized that the cross-linguistic influence is one of the main reasons for the difficulties learners face while learning a second language or reaching academic learning outcomes. Therefore, we decided to conduct a study and find out to what extends differences and similarities, markedness, native language transfer, avoidance, first language influences, underuse and overuse are present between Bosnian and Turkish students who study at universities where the lectures are mostly conducted in English. Two main languages taken into the consideration as L1 are Bosnian and Turkish, whereas L2 is English. The main purpose of the study is to analyze the cross-linguistic influences of Turkish and Bosnian while learning English language and to point out its importance for learning a second language. The paper itself can be used as a useful resource for the future researches done on the language subject in linguistic. | https://eprints.ibu.edu.ba/items/show/2112 |
What are the functions of the three arms of government?
What are the functions of the three arms of government?
Judicial Powers means the power to interpret laws and pass judgement according to the law. The judicial powers of the Government is vested in the courts. This arm of government is given the responsibility of interpreting the Constitution, and laws made by the legislative arm of government.
How is power divided in the United States government?
The Government of the United States, the federal government, is divided into three branches: the executive power, invested in the President, the legislative power, given to Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate), and the judicial power, vested in one Supreme Court and other federal courts created by …
What are the 4 systems of government?
The four types of government are oligarchy, aristocracy, monarchy, and democracy. An oligarchy is when a society is ruled by a few people, usually the rich.
Who is in the executive branch of government?
the president
How democratic is the US government?
The United States is a representative democracy. This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government.
What can a president do?
veto bills and sign bills. represent our nation in talks with foreign countries. enforce the laws that Congress passes. act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.
Which arm of the government makes laws?
The most prominent role of parliament is the legislative function. To legislate is ‘… to make or enact laws’ . Legislative authority refers to the making of laws that govern parties and transactions.
What are powers and functions of president?
The primary duty of the president is to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the law of India per Article 60. The president appoints the Chief Justice of India and other judges on the advice of the chief justice. | https://www.yemialadeworld.com/what-are-the-functions-of-the-three-arms-of-government/ |
Mushroom wellington is a heavy food with a mix of different flavors.
There are more variations for this recipe, and each of them can seriously change the final outcome.
While wellington itself can be considered a fulfilling meal, the truth is coming up with a side dish will most likely enhance it.
Not sure what to serve with mushroom wellington? Before making random mixes, it pays off knowing that the wrong side dish can ruin the taste from the first bite.
Choosing the perfect side asks for attention to small details, as well as experience to balance ingredients correctly.
Here is what you have to know.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Mushroom Wellington?
There are a few reasons wherefore you may need a side dish for mushroom wellington.
Despite using light ingredients, the meal itself will feel a bit heavy.
Therefore, it pays off coming up with something refreshing.
Second, if you have some guests over, a plate of mushroom wellington just cannot do – you want to fill up the table and make a good impression.
Apart from these two situations, if you only want a meal for yourself, you can skip the side dish – just a matter of personal preferences.
If you do go for one, make sure it complements the main dish.
What to Serve with Mushroom Wellington? 7 BEST Side Dishes
Here are some tasty choices when not sure what to serve with mushroom wellington.
1. Baked Sweet Potatoes
This is a simple combination that may seem unusual at first, but it will change everything after a few bites.
Sweet potatoes have a slightly sweet aroma, but also a hearty flavor – they will mix into your mushroom wellington with no issues at all.
The texture is also worth some attention because they may seem crispy on the outside, but they are soft and tender on the inside.
Plus, it does not even take too long to prepare such a dish.
2. Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots
Bringing in sweet side dishes requires lots of attention because the wrong combo can ruin the meal.
Most importantly, you need to keep things simple.
In this case, carrots already have a sweet aroma that can blend into the mushroom wellington.
A bit of honey will add to the experience – too much of it can contradict the savory aroma of mushrooms, so stick to minimum amounts.
As for the balsamic profile, it will keep your dish more refreshing – just like the carrots, after all.
3. Grilled Broccoli
Broccoli has a unique hearty, yet refreshing aroma that works well with everything.
It is mostly chosen for its capability to turn heavy dishes into light meals – just like in this case.
Grilling broccoli will release even more flavor – plus, it will bring in that smoky aroma that no other cooking method can match.
If you are worried about losing the crunchy texture, forget about it.
Even if grilled, broccoli will retain its crispiness.
Prepare lots of it and put it on a plate in the middle of the table – your guests will help themselves.
If you want to make it even better, throw in some crushed garlic – it will be amazing with mushrooms.
4. Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This type of side dish will change your perception of Brussels sprouts – if you hate them, you will definitely discover a new face.
Roasting Brussels sprouts will make them super crispy on the outside – plus, that golden color practically tells you they are delicious.
Despite their crunchiness, the interior is still soft and tender.
The hearty aroma works well with the mushroom wellington.
Overall, this dish may feel a bit heavy, but overall, the taste will make it worth.
It requires about 15 minutes to prepare.
5. Risotto Mushrooms
This side dish is the optimal choice if you simply cannot get enough of mushrooms.
If you are in love with this ingredient, this is your opportunity to take it to another level.
Risotto mushroom is fulfilling and can make mushroom wellington an actual meal.
Obviously, you can enhance it with lots of different veggies and spices, but at the end of the day, you do not want to overcome the savory mushroom.
If mushroom wellington makes a good brunch or a snack, pairing it with risotto mushroom will make it a solid meal.
6. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes with a bit of crispiness and hearty mushrooms – can you beat this combo? Exactly….
The dish itself may seem a bit dull.
Despite being delicious, you need a strong aroma to make the difference – this is when garlic kicks in.
Throw in some crushed garlic in your mashed potatoes, and you will have a heavy and fulfilling meal.
Moreover, mashed potatoes are soft and can easily complement the mushroom wellington.
While you can come up with instant mashed potatoes, doing everything yourself from real potatoes will bring in a hearty aroma – definitely a better idea.
There is nothing fancy about this side, but a homey feel.
7. Green Beans Almandine
Green beans bring in a bit of flavor, some crunchiness, and color to your table.
However, plain green beans are not too attractive.
How about green beans almandine then? It sounds sophisticated, but it takes 15 minutes to prepare.
Just because they require a bit of frying, it does not mean that they lose their crunchiness.
Apart from being refreshing, this side dish keeps your meal light and comforting.
Moreover, green beans are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Conclusion
As a short final conclusion, figuring out what to serve with mushroom wellington is not as complicated as it may seem.
Sure, you can throw in a bit of sauce or a dip, and you have a good dish.
But whether you want to make it a meal or you hope to impress someone with your cooking skills, you need to go further than that.
The above-mentioned dishes complement mushroom wellington, yet some of them may even contrast this dish in terms of texture or taste.
One thing is for sure, though – your guests will love it. | https://americasrestaurant.com/mushroom-wellington-sides/ |
Think you’re in need of a change in employment? Maybe you’re just in need of a little inspiration to stay right where you are. Energize your interest, create job satisfaction and advance your career with the following recommendations:
START YOUR WORKDAY EARLY
Being at work even 15 minutes before the start of your day gives you time to settle in and review your day’s tasks and meetings.
PREPARE, ORGANIZE AND FOCUS
Plan out your day, scheduling blocks of time to work on specific projects and assignments. Give as much focus as you can to each, and if necessary, prioritize so you’re most productive and effective.
COMMUNICATE
Listen well to others, and be clear and precise in your own communication. Good communications creates good relationships.
THINK LIKE A MANAGER
Anticipate what your manager may expect, do or say. Reassure him/her that you can handle additional responsibility and eventually be counted on to make sound decisions.
BE HONEST AND HUMBLE
Don’t set expectations that are unrealistic. Be true to yourself and others about your capabilities without being overbearing and imperious.
And remember at the end of the day, always dedicate time to yourself, family and friends. Downtime is important to help you renew your spirit and achieve a work/life balance. | https://www.fgdfinance.com/love-the-job-youre-in-and-succeed/ |
Patricia Taylor Wells continues an exploration of her interaction with the world through poetry and the healing power of nature.
Kaleidoscope is dedicated to those who have forgotten how to love. Wells seeks to express how we hide our humanity when we allow darkness to overcome us.
She discovers the loneliness that follows us around is not always due to being alone, but from feeling unloved.
But there’s nothing like nature to remind us sometimes, after a threatening storm, “a rainbow’s aura blossoms like a garden in the sky where only splendor grows.”
Throughout Kaleidoscope, Wells attributes human traits to non-human creatures, inanimate objects, and abstract ideas in her metaphoric descriptions of the natural, material, and spiritual worlds, resulting in a vivid and unique presentation of her work.
As in her first collection of poetry, LodeStar, the poems in Kaleidoscope are divided into topics that deal with the Sun, Moon and Stars, Creatures of the Land, Air, and Sea, Seasons,
Nostalgia, Distractions, Meditation, Uncertainty, and Disquietude. Wells draws these themes into her own experiences with the changing patterns of a world darkened by a pandemic, the loss of her mother, and other events that brought uncertainty to her life.
But she also reveals the healing power of nature and the hidden beauty behind every cloud of doubt.
Kaleidoscope is a welcome addition to Patricia Taylor Wells’ continual exploration of her interaction with the world through poetry.
Meet Patricia Taylor Wells:
Patricia Taylor Wells published her first book in 2016: “Camp Tyler, A First of its Kind” for the benefit of Camp Tyler, the oldest outdoor education school in the country, which she attended as a child. Since then, Ms. Wells has published the following books: “The Eyes of the Doe” 2017 (novel, “Mademoiselle Renoir à Paris” 2018 (memoir), and “LodeStar: Reflections of Light and Dark) 2019 (poetry).
Her awards include First Place for Family Life/Inspirational Fiction in The Best of Texas Book Awards in 2018 (The Eyes of the Doe) and First Place for Poetry in The Best of Texas Book Awards in 2020 (LodeStar: Reflections of Light and Dark). Also, Ms. Wells has received awards from Texas Authors Association for her short stories: “Final Curtain” 2018, “Among the Thorns” 2019, “Bee Caves Road” 2020, and “Candy Apple” 2020.
Since 2016, Tyler Today Magazine has featured Ms. Wells five times in its “Authors Among Us” column, which she helped inspire to benefit local authors.
Ms. Wells, who holds a BA in English and French, facilitated writing critique groups for the Atlanta Writers Club and Knoxville Writers Group. She especially enjoys writing poetry and draws inspiration from the wide range of experience she gathered from her travels and living in a variety of places. She currently lives in Tyler, Texas.
For more information, please visit her website at www.patricia-taylor-wells.com.
Please click HERE to find Kaleidoscope on Amazon. | https://www.calebandlindapirtle.com/botm/featured-kaleidoscope-by-patricia-taylor-wells/ |
Preparing students for careers is one goal of the education program. Career education will be written into the education program for grades kindergarten through twelve. This education shall include, but not be limited to, awareness of self in relation to others and the needs of society, exploration of employment opportunities, experiences in personal decision-making, and experiences of integrating work values and work skills into students’ lives.
The school district, through its educational philosophy and the adoption of instructional goals, provides educational opportunities that will enable every student to develop to their full potential by:
- Ensuring that instruction is relevant to real-life concerns of students.
- Providing all opportunities to explore the knowledge, skills, technical requirements, working conditions, and political and social environments and responsibilities of the career fields that are open to them.
- Providing guidance services adequate to ensure that every student gains expert help in assessing his/her personal interests, aptitudes, and abilities, in making career choices, and in planning an appropriate educational program.
- Providing a pre-kindergarten through grade twelve curriculum that incorporates the total concept of career education and will allow all students to prepare for the occupational fields of their choice by acquiring knowledge and skills that will help them to:
- obtain entry-level employment in jobs not requiring advance training, and
- continue education and training in post-high school institutions or in business and industry.
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent and/or designee to assist licensed employees in finding ways to provide career education in the education program. Special attention should be given to courses of vocational education nature. The board, in its review of the curriculum, shall review the means in which career education is combined with other instructional programs. | http://i35.isfis.net/policy/code-no-6038-career-education |
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The Government of India had introduced the Personal Data
Protection Bill 2019 (PDP Bill) in the Lok Sabha on 11 December
2019. The "Bill" was referred for examination and
recommendations to a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament
(called JPC) on 12 December 2019. JPC received more than 200
representations including that of Dua Associates / Dua Consulting.
Around eight members had submitted their written dissent on the
said Bill.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee chaired by Member of
Parliament Shri P.P. Chaudhary tabled the report on the Bill along
with the amended Bill before both Houses of Parliament on the 16th
of December 2021. The Committee deliberated for over two years,
during which time that Bill underwent substantial changes in scope
and nature. A total of 188 amendments have been recommended out of
which 91 amendments are of significant nature, while the rest are
editing of legal nature in different sections.
Salient features of the "Bill" introduced on
11th Dec, 2019
The "PDP Bill 2019" which defines both Personal and
Non-personal Data, is a substantive framework which introduces a
specialized regulatory approach for the Protection and Privacy of
Data in any form (digital or non-digital) in India. The proposed
legal framework would be applicable to processing, storage and
transfer of any form of personal data across sectors of the
economy, academia, industry and the society. The Bill has also
limited provisions relating to Non Personal Data (NPD).
The framework is on the lines and pattern of General Data
Protection Regulations (GDPR) of European Union. Some of the
provisions of the "Bill" also reflect the directions
followed in the California Privacy Act.
The framework classifies data into 3 broad categories
namely:
Personal Data
Sensitive Personal Data (SPD)
Critical sensitive personal data
The nature of sensitive personal data has been defined in the
legal The entities across different sectors and individuals will be
required to follow its provisions while processing, storing and
transmitting data in the domestic territory and in cross-border
exchange too. The provisions provide for special conditions to
process biometric data.
The consent of the user w.r.t collecting, and usage of his/her
"data" is the underlying feature of the framework. A
framework for consent mechanism is proposed. The "Bill"
also has provisions relating to ground for processing of data
without consent.
The "Bill" provides for the rights of the Data
Principal including right of data portability. There are special
requirements in the "Bill" w.r.t. processing of personal
and sensitive data related to children.
The framework would regulate "data localisation"
particularly "sensitive personal data" and "critical
sensitive data". Consent of the user and approval of the
"Regulator" would be essential for cross border
transfer of Personal Data.
Any breach of sensitive personal data and critical sensitive
data will attract heavy fine and compensation to the Data Principal
(the owner of such data).
The Data Protection framework proposes to set up an elaborate
regulatory mechanism consisting of a Regulatory Authority namely
Data Protection Authority (DPA) Adjudication and Appellate Tribunal
to regulate process storage and flow of data in the country. AII
entities would be obligated to appoint a Data Protection Officer
who will have responsibility of enforcement and supervision of
privacy policy and reporting of data breach to the concerned
authorities.
The key recommendations made by the Joint Parliamentary
Committee in their report
Applicable to the digital domain: The
"Bill" will apply only to data collected, stored and
processed in digital form.
Legislation for both Personal and Non-Personal
Data: Citing impossibility in discerning between Personal
and Non-Personal Data, during mass collection and usage, the JPC
has recommended that all the data has to be dealt with by one Data
Protection Authority (DPA). JPC have proposed to change the name of
Bill to "Data Protection Bill".
Phased implementation of Data Protection Act:
The JPC has recommended that an approximate period of 24 months may
be provided for implementation of any and all the provisions of the
Act so that the data fiduciaries and data processors have enough
time to make the necessary changes to their policies,
infrastructure, processes etc.
Mirror copy of sensitive and critical data to be
localized: The JPC recommends that apart from provisions
under Clause 33 and 34 for cross-border transfer of data, some
concrete steps be taken by the Government to ensure that a mirror
copy of the sensitive and critical personal data which is already
in possession of the foreign entities be mandatorily brought to
India in a time bound manner.
Policy for gradual data localization: JPC has
specifically recommended that the Central Government, in
consultation with all the sectoral regulators, must prepare and
pronounce an extensive policy on data localisation encompassing
broadly aspects like development of adequate infrastructure for the
safe storage of data of Indians which may generate employment;
introduction of alternative payment systems to cover higher
operational costs; inclusion of the system that can support local
business entities and start-ups to comply with the data
localisation provisions laid down under this legislation; promote
investment, innovations and fair economic practices; proper
taxation of data flow and creation of local Artificial Intelligence
ecosystem to attract investment and generate capital gains.
Mechanism for certification of all digital and IOT
devices: JPC has strongly recommended that the Government
should make efforts to establish a mechanism for the formal
certification process for all digital and IoT devices that will
ensure the integrity of all such devices with respect to data
security.
Social media platforms to be treated as
publishers: JPC has recommended that all social media
platforms, which do not act as intermediaries, should be treated as
publishers and be held accountable for the content they host. A
mechanism may be devised whereby social media platforms, which do
not act as intermediaries, will be held responsible for the content
from unverified accounts on their platforms.
Timeline for reporting breach of personal
data: JPC has recommended a fixed timeline of 72 hours for
breach reporting.
Some of the key changes in the draft "Bill"
proposed by JPC in comparison to the 2019 draft:
Applicable only to Digital Data: The JPC is of
the opinion that for the purposes of this Bill, privacy should be
viewed in the context of information available in the digital
domain alone.
Non-Personal Data: The Act brings both
Personal and Non-Personal Data within its scope. The Report
highlights the primary reasons why Non-Personal Data is brought
into the purview of the legislation, which are the near
impossibility of being able to distinguish between PD and NPD when
mass data is collected or transported and that NPD is essentially
derived from the anonymisation of personal data – both
sensitive personal and critical personal data.
Criminal Penalties: The offences punishable
under the scope of the Bill shall be cognizable and non-bailable.
The criminal penalties include imprisonment of up to three years
and a fine of two lakh rupees. The Data Protection Bill highlights
that no court shall take cognizance of any offences punishable
under the Act, save in the cases where a complaint is made in
writing either by the Authority or an officer authorised for this
purpose. The Bill also mentions that an "independent
director and a non-executive director of a company shall be held
liable only if it is shown that the acts of omission or commission
by the company had occurred with his knowledge or with his consent
attributable to him or where he had not acted
diligently".
Data Localisation: Both the Report and the
Bill call for continual storage of sensitive personal data in India
and storage and processing of critical personal data only within
the territory of India. It also specifies that transfer of critical
data outside India be subject to DPA approval in consultation with
Government.
Accountability and Transparency: Chapter 6 of
the Data Protection Bill looks at the nature and scope of
accountability and transparency for data collection and processing
systems. The Bill overall places the responsibility of data
protection and the transparency of processing activities squarely
on the data fiduciaries and by osmosis on data processors, as
mentioned in Clause 10 of the Bill. Such transparency is ensured by
reporting a data breach within 72 hours of becoming aware of such
an event occurring and calling for the appointment of Data
Protection Officers. The revised Bill calls on the need for
companies to implement Privacy by Design, especially in the cases
of Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAT) of algorithms.
The Report also highlights that one of the critical concerns for
the Committee is the transparency and accountability expected of
social media intermediaries. To increase accountability of such
platforms, the Committee opined that social media platforms that do
not act like intermediaries should be considered publishers who
control the content published on their platforms. The Committee
also suggested that social media intermediaries should verify their
users to increase accountability and should not be allowed to
operate in India unless the parent company sets up an office within
the territory of India. The Committee has further suggested that a
statutory media regulatory authority - like the Press Council -
should be set up to regulate content on such platforms.
Timeline for Implementation: A timeline for
set-up, implementation and compliance has been specified within the
Bill and the Report. As it stands, companies have been given a
period of 24 months or 2 years to comply with the legislation once
it comes into effect. However, there has been no mention of a
separate or implicit timeline for data localisation
requirements.
Key Observations
By recommending applicability of "Bill" to only the
digital domain, the JPC has diluted the purpose and objective of
concept of privacy. It may be mentioned that there is no specific
law addressing the privacy of data kept in physical mode. In this
context, it would be useful to recall that the 9-judge Bench of the
Supreme Court had declared "Privacy" as fundamental
right.
The inclusion of Non-Personal Data in the "Bill" will
complicate the implementation and enforcement of law. Users
generally would not be aware of the nature and quantum of
Non-Personal Data collected and retained by the "Data
Fiduciary". Thus, principle of "Providing Consent"
will raise many legal and procedural issues.
The JPC Report has thus, further complicated the already
complex law. Framing of rules/ regulations to enforce/address
issues relating to Personal and Non-Personal Data will pose
significant challenges as the nature of the two types of data are
different.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.
Data Protection refers to the set of privacy laws, policies and procedures that aim to minimise intrusion into one's privacy caused by the collection, storage and dissemination of personal data. Personal data generally refers to the information or data which relate to a person who can be identified from that information or data whether collected by any Government or any private organization or an agency.
Data Protection laws provide a set of laws that deal with the matters related to privacy, policies, and procedures and it is imperative for the protection of one's privacy and regulating its collection...
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After two months, Temple University has withdrawn an unconstitutional, after-the-fact security fee levied by the university on a student group for hosting a presentation last October by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who is on trial in his native country for his controversial remarks about terrorism and Islam. Temple, which at first defended the fee and argued that it could have charged the group, Temple University Purpose (TUP), over $6,000, dropped its demand for an extra security fee only after FIRE publicized the fee and pointed out that the school’s actions were arbitrary and unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Temple’s policy for controversial events remains ambiguous and unacceptably arbitrary.
As Robert states in today’s press release, “Temple University has finally acquiesced to the First Amendment and has accepted that, unlike in the Netherlands, controversial speech is protected in the United States. Unfortunately, Temple’s responses only show how arbitrary Temple administrators have been, abusing their discretion and failing to explain why the fee was levied and then ultimately waived. While we applaud Temple’s decision to abandon the unconstitutional fee, more work must be done to make sure that the university’s policies do not unfairly burden controversial speech on campus again.”
TUP hosted the Wilders event in Temple’s Anderson Hall on October 20, 2009. Wilders came to notice in the United States largely through the controversy surrounding his short 2008 film Fitna, which was shown during his presentation at Temple. Extra security was provided for the event, which proceeded without disturbance.
Six weeks later, on December 3, Temple surprised TUP with a bill for $800 for “Security Officer,” apparently for the costs “to secure the room and building.” TUP Interim President Brittany Walsh pointed out in an e-mail to administrators that Temple had agreed, before the event, to pay for any extra security costs. She received no substantive reply, even after repeated e-mails. Frustrated with the university’s demand for payment and subsequent lack of explanation, Walsh and TUP turned to FIRE.
In a letter to Temple University President Ann Weaver Hart, FIRE described the university’s constitutional responsibility to pay for any extra security it deemed necessary for the event. FIRE cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Forsyth County v. Nationalist Movement, 505 U.S. 123 (1992), which struck down a local government’s increased fee for police protection for controversial events because “Speech cannot be financially burdened, any more than it can be punished or banned, simply because it might offend a hostile mob.” As a public university, Temple is bound by the Supreme Court’s decision. Four other public universities—the University of Colorado at Boulder; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of California, Berkeley; and University of Arizona—abandoned such security fees after being contacted by FIRE in separate incidents last year.
Temple did not respond to FIRE’s letter until FIRE publicized the case last month. In a January 21 response, Temple misrepresented its responsibilities by arguing that TUP could have been charged more than $6,000 for the additional security deemed necessary by Temple. FIRE replied on January 26, noting that Temple’s apparent policy vested unconstitutional discretion on administrators who apparently were acting arbitrarily in determining security fees that groups would have to pay for controversial events.
In Temple’s second response dated February 8, Associate University Counsel Valerie I. Harrison notified FIRE that any remaining security fee demands had been “withdrawn,” but did not explain why Temple reversed course.
Harrison’s letter also referred FIRE to a Temple policy that does not clarify who is responsible to pay for added security. One of the criteria for determining security needs at Temple includes “Increased risks (e.g., threats received),” a criterion that Temple may not use when charging security fees to students.
This kind of consideration, however, is not content neutral, and it is exactly what was contemplated by the Supreme Court in the Forsyth decision. By failing to clarify this and other ambiguous elements of its policy and by failing to explain its actions in the Wilders case, Temple has left all student organizations in the dark about whether their rights will be respected on campus. Furthermore, according to TUP President Alvaro Watson, Temple has not even notified TUP that the fee for the Wilders event has been waived. (Temple is closed today because of the recent blizzard.)
Temple should reform and clarify its policies, consistent with its obligations under the First Amendment, to ensure that robust debate is welcomed and not burdened on Temple’s campus. Temple University still has quite a way to go to earn the trust of First Amendment advocates, given Temple’s stubborn defense of its unconstitutional speech code all the way up to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which found the policy unconstitutional in DeJohn v. Temple University in 2008.
In the meantime, TUP should be congratulated for standing firm and refusing to let Temple violate the group’s First Amendment rights. | https://www.thefire.org/victory-for-free-speech-at-temple-university-as-unconstitutional-security-fee-is-withdrawn-policy-still-troubling/ |
FIRST MACHINE LEARNING MODEL
Hello Shouters!! Today we will create an airfare prediction model using machine learning.
Till now we are done with our data cleaning part. If you are on these blogs for the first time, I suggest you to go through previous blog as this blog is a continuation of that blog.
Till the previous blog, we did the data cleaning part of this dataset in google collab. Now in this blog, we will continue further with the model making part which is the most interesting part of machine learning.
If you don’t know anything about google collab, visit the introduction to google collab
There are several models that are directly provided by various python libraries i.e. we don’t need to code every algorithm. Every algorithm is pre-written in some library and we only need to import them and implement them.
Before implementing any algorithm to our dataset, we need to decide which machine learning algorithm is best suited for the given dataset. This is a very tedious process but requires only common sense. Expertise in deciding the best algorithm for a given dataset comes with experience.
To get a better idea of how an algorithm(model) is selected for a given dataset, we need to have a good understanding of the algorithm of the model we are trying to implement. There are various algorithms like linear regression, clustering, SVM, apriori, etc. With the knowledge of how these algorithms work, it will be easier for us to choose the best model for our dataset.
We will create blogs for each of these algorithms and will discuss in detail about these algorithms in the future. We can also choose the model by simply hit and trial and see which model works best for us. For that purpose, we find the error in our prediction and the model which gives the least error wins.
For the current dataset, we will be using Linear regression. It is one of the most famous algorithms. You can also choose some other model but as a beginner, I feel you should stick with this blog so that you won’t get stuck in some error.
We will first now split our dataset into training and test dataset. If you don’t know why we split dataset and how to do that click here.
Linear regression is found in sci-kit learn(written as sklearn library and we will import it from there and make an object of linear regression. After that, we fit(train) the model and make predictions. After making predictions, we will calculate the mean absolute error
We can see in the figure that the mean absolute error is 2295.74 which is quite high. This means that our predictions are making an error of Rs. 2295.74 per ticket. This means we have to pay 2295.74 more per ticket at an average. Thus it is clear that this model is not good at all.
Now lets try another model, which is xgboost.
In this model, we are getting error as 1250.33. Thus it is clear that this model is better than the previous one. Similarly, you can find the best model for your dataset. Maybe some other model will give better results than xgboost.
In this blog, we have completed building our first machine learning model and now you are ready to go to some advanced machine learning concepts. I will post the concepts which I have kept for future discussions in the further blogs. These blogs will strengthen your concepts of machine learning. So don’t forget to check them out.
If you want to understand machine learning from scratch, I suggest you visit a practical approach to machine learning. and for starting with pandas, visit the introduction to pandas. We hope now you will be able to create an airfare prediction model using machine learning by yourself.
For placement preparation questions and technical interview preparation. Check the Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/shoutcoders/
Till then………..
Happy learnings!!!!!!!
Frequently Asked Questions –
After applying different models, the model which gives the least mean absolute error will be the best.
There are various hyper tuning parameters that have to be given along when defining the model. Forgiving the best parameters you must know how the algorithm works.
It is completely based on your experience and common sense. For better understanding, you must know how the algorithm works. | https://www.shoutcoders.com/airfare-prediction-model-using-ml/ |
This Article argues that the Israeli Supreme Court, acting in its capacity as the High Court of Justice, (13) misapplies the proportionality test (14) with regard to Command decisions. Furthermore, if the juvenile justice system procedures were challenged in court and the High Court of Justice applied a correct, objective proportionality test, the result would be the expansion of a uniform system of juvenile justice across Israel and the Occupied Territories. Part I provides background information regarding the principle of proportionality, the justice systems in place in Israel and the Occupied Territories, and the applicability of the principle of proportionality in deciding the legality of the current military juvenile justice system. Part II analyzes the principle of proportionality and its misapplication by the Israeli High Court of Justice while arguing that the doctrine is pertinent to this situation and should be implemented with regard to international and Israeli standards, which call for an objective judicial review. Part III argues that if the Israeli High Court of Justice hears a case on this issue it should utilize its power to find Command decisions illegal under international law and conclude that the proper application of the doctrine would result in a justice system in the Occupied Territories that closely resembles or is equal to the current Israeli juvenile justice system.
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STONES, WALLS, AND JUVENILE JUSTICE
-
The Principle of Proportionality as Applied in Israel
In 2004, the Israeli Supreme Court, acting in its capacity as the High Court of Justice (HCJ), forced the rerouting of part of the controversial separation barrier in the case Beit Sourik Village Council v. Government of Israel. (15) In so doing, the HCJ invoked the international humanitarian law principle of proportionality, finding that the harm to the civilian population created by parts of the proposed path of the wall was disproportionate to the security benefit that the military stated it would produce. (16) With this decision, the HCJ distinguished its interpretation of international law from that of the International Court of Justice, who had earlier declared in an advisory opinion that the separation barrier was illegal. (17)
International humanitarian law recognizes the necessity of requiring that military actions remain within a framework of proportionality in order to best protect civilian populations during a time of war. (18) This principle of proportionality has been expanded to also cover military actions during the course of a belligerent occupation--as is the current state of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. (19) The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 (Protocol I) succinctly enumerates the international law requirement for proportionality in stating that "an attack which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated" is to be considered indiscriminate, and thus, illegal. (20)
While Israel is not a party to Protocol I, the HCJ has accepted, as customary law, the proportionality requirement that it dictates. (21) The HCJ recognizes that international law requires that the Command adhere to the principle of proportionality and has adopted three secondary tests to determine whether military actions do so. (22) These secondary tests mandate, in theory, that (1) the actions or measures taken have to rationally lead to the actual realization of the objective, (2) the actions or measures taken by the military injure the civilian individual to the least extent possible, and (3) the expected harm to the civilian or the civilian population from those actions or measures remain proportional to their beneficial gain. (23)
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The Juvenile Justice Systems in Israel and the Occupied Territories
While the separation barrier has caught worldwide attention, polarizing both sides of the political spectrum as well as international viewpoints regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, numerous other issues affecting the Palestinian population have remained largely non-discussed on the world stage. While the wall is more well known, recent reports have started shifting international attention to the plight of Palestinian minors subjected to the military juvenile justice system in the Occupied Territories by focusing on the growing number of minors charged and sentenced for stone throwing, a commonplace crime committed throughout the region. (24) The legal system in place for the Palestinians differs from that of Israel and the Israeli settlers, as does the juvenile justice system to which Palestinian minors must navigate if arrested. (25)
Regarding international law, the sole controlling framework guiding juvenile justice systems is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Convention), of which Israel is a signatory. (26) The Convention states as its main thesis that "[i]n all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration." (27) The Convention further dictates specific prohibitions on punishing children in a cruel or harmful manner and requirements such as allowing children who are imprisoned to keep contact with their families. (28) The Convention also requires that all children be treated the same, without prejudice or discrimination, and recommends that children be legally defined as anyone under the age of eighteen. (29) Lastly, the Convention seeks to advance the greatest protections possible for children--advocating that if a country's own laws provide more extensive protections for children, those laws should be maintained. (30) Israel's domestic juvenile justice system does just that by providing safeguards that are not enumerated but seek to heighten the protection of the child. (31)
The basis for the major problems regarding the juvenile justice system in the Occupied Territories is that Palestinians live under constant martial law. (32) Under such a system, basic rights can be more easily and legally infringed, judicial recourses are limited, criminal procedure is less concerned with the rights of the accused, and sentencing is more punitive. (33) With concern to minors in the justice system, little is added in the way of protections above what martial law establishes for adults. (34)
Palestinian minors who are charged with criminal offenses are tried under the military law that applies in the Occupied Territories. (35) This military judicial system grants them very few of the rights that would otherwise be awarded to them given their age. (36) These special protections are especially extensive in the Israeli judicial system. (37) Commonplace protections, such as a minor's right to be separated from adults during and throughout the extent of their detention and imprisonment, are not maintained with frequency by the military courts. (38) Neither are the protections set out in the Military Command legislation that calls for other rights such as the right to consult with an attorney during the legal process. (39) Furthermore, "the military legislation dealing with minors does not conform to international and Israeli law, which acknowledge that the minor's age affects his criminal responsibility and the manner in which he experiences arrest, interrogation, and imprisonment, and which assume that these experiences might harm the minor's development." (40) Conversely, under Israeli and international law, accused minors in the criminal justice system are given special protections above those awarded to adults. (41) These include the requirement that parents must be given the right to be present during the extent of their child's custodial interrogation, and their arrest and imprisonment are to be viewed as a last resort. (42)
Bowing to pressure by legal organizations in Israel and international standards, the Military Command... | https://law-journals-books.vlex.com/vid/to-throw-stone-in-723842985 |
House Appropriations Committee: Congress Must Consider Authorizing War Against ISIS
In a surprise move, the House panel that sets defense spending declared that lawmakers must debate whether to allow President Obama to use military force against the terrorist group.
When the House Appropriations Committee passed the Pentagon’s fiscal 2016 spending bill on Tuesday, it included an unexpected amendment: a statement declaring that Congress has a constitutional duty to debate and decide whether or not to authorize military force against the Islamic State group.
“Congress finds that 1) the United States has been engaged in military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for more than 8 months; 2) President Obama submitted an authorization for the use of military force against ISIL in February 2015; and 3) under article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, Congress has the authority to ‘declare war’,” the amendment states. “Therefore, Congress has a constitutional duty to debate and determine whether or not to authorize the use of military force against ISIL.”
Lawmakers seemed as surprised as anyone when the amendment from Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., passed 29-22, with a number of Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues. Two related amendments from Lee had just failed soundly.
“It’s way past time to reassert Congress’s role in war making,” Lee said of her successful amendment. “We can’t allow this war to go on without a full and robust debate on the authorization on the use of military force against ISIL. We can’t allow this policy of endless war to continue. A debate, doing our job, that’s all.”
Lee was the sole lawmaker to vote against the sweeping AUMF passed shortly after 9/11 that continues to serve as the legal foundation for U.S. counterterrorism operations across the globe. In 2002, Congress also passed an AUMF allowing President George W. Bush to invade Iraq. Neither has a sunset date.
The Obama administration, which has called upon Congress to variously refine and repeal the 2001 and 2002 laws, now says both authorize its military actions against the Islamic State.
Several times in the past decade, Lee has introduced legislation to repeal both Bush-era AUMFs. On Tuesday, Republicans knocked down her latest attempts, voting 19-32 to dismiss her proposed amendments. Several expressed unease at repealing war powers the president says he needs, while others charged Lee of simply trying to make electoral hay. “With respect, this amendment only has one purpose: again to make a political statement on our government’s actions in Iraq,” said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J.
But Rep. Michael Honda, D-Calif., responded, “For eight months now, the U.S. has been conducting military operations in Iraq and Syria … All of this has accrued without Congress authorizing a new AUMF. It is not politics, it is policy.”
And by passing the third amendment — though it would add only a non-binding "consent of Congress” — lawmakers from both parties acknowledged they have a constitutional obligation to debate an AUMF against the Islamic State, even if the war did start more than eight months ago.
“I don’t agree with removing authorizations without a replacement already there … but I think the gentlelady’s point is absolutely correct,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said, noting he’d prefer a stronger AUMF than the draft the White House sent over in February. “We are not only evading the responsibility, on both sides of the aisle ... but we are handing over executive war-making authority to this president and all future presidents with both hands. It is a gigantic mistake not to do our jobs.”
But outside the bipartisan vote in the House Appropriations committee, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, recently called on Obama to scrap his draft and send a stronger one.
To which White House spokesman Josh Earnest replied, with obvious frustration, “He’s the Speaker of the House and he’s blaming the President for something not moving through Congress … Congress has been AWOL when it comes to the AUMF.”
Though the Tuesday passage was surprising, the amendment will still have to survive the full House consideration of the fiscal 2016 defense appropriations bill. | https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2015/06/house-appropriations-committee-congress-must-consider-authorizing-war-against-isis/114289/ |
created to address and rectify such discrepancies.
The opening of Yang’s
piece focuses on the necessity for protecting the integrity of research being
conducted based on the implications that may unfold if otherwise. Scientific
research is no longer just a measurement of an individual scientist’s success;
it is also a reflection of the intelligence of their nation within a global standing.
The relative ease of publishing and obtaining information from practically
anywhere around the globe has permitted the explosive expansion of the
scientific community to levels previously unmatched. It is because of this
increase in communication across the globe that Yang points out the growing
concern of lapses in research integrity within Chinese academics. He presents
the issue that when such unethical issues come to the public knowledge, it
rarely remains localized domestically for long. When such news becomes known,
Yang points out that such controversies can degrade other contributions that
the Chinese scientific community may be presenting. It is unlikely that such an
occurrence would be unique to a single country. It is my belief that any occurrence
in which research integrity would be lacking would surely place a burden in for
the nation of origin. Perhaps the greatest consequence for such actions would
be the association of that nation’s scientific community with lacking
integrity, even if it may have only been a single group of individuals.
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Yang presents the fact that while the traits that
contribute to discrepancies in research integrity within scientific research
may be contributed to the “unhealthy research environment”, efforts are
actively being made to correct and prevent such issues from occurring in the
future (Yang, 1019). It is interesting to note that most, if not all, of these
efforts are similar to those within other scientific communities across the
globe. Such resolutions include placing limits on the number of submissions of
the same paper to different journals, increasing the length in which the review
process occurs to find errors (or fraud) prior to public release, and more
(Yang, 1019). These efforts further demonstrate that such issues are not isolated
within a single nation but also within the global scientific community. By
utilize international means of monitoring the research integrity of the
scientific community, Yang further demonstrates the interconnectedness and
interdependency that is required for China’s success both domestic and abroad.
Ensuring the research integrity within the scientific
community is not a single nation’s responsibility. Just as fraud and error
occur within research found across the globe, it is the responsibility of all
members within the scientific community to ensure that the integrity of
research being conducted is secured. President Wei Yang’s article about the necessity
of more active efforts within China is but one example of a growing trend. This
is perhaps best exemplified when Yang states that credible science cannot “happen
until the scientific enterprise is healthy and credible” (Yang, 1019). In order
for science to be able to progress at the quality and rate that is required,
individuals within the field must ensure that the integrity of their research
is ethical, credible, and supportable.
China’s Publication Bazaar
As the
most direct form of interaction and use of scientific research is through the
use of publications, there has been observations within the community showing a
shift from an academic culture to more of a business model. China appears to be
one such epicenter of this business in which scientists purchase an authorship line
within a paper that has yet to be published (Hvistendahl, 1035). The most
direct comparison that I could make for such a practice would be to a company
buying advertising space for self-promotion. In both forms, they lack taste and
further diminish their respective communities as a whole. One of the more
critical issues that arises with the continued use of this practice is that it is
becoming a more relatively easy commodity due to the fast and ease of communication
via the internet. In this manner scientific articles are treated as a commodity
that could just as easily be purchased as any other consumer product. Such a
trend is of significant concern within China and is best described within Mara
Hvistendahl’s article “China’s Publication Bazaar” which outlines how this
practice is permitted to continue and the need for it to be prevented by the
scientific community.
The trade
and sell of authorship for scientific articles becomes a significant issue as completely
demoralizes the overarching theme of science: the pursuit and application of
original thought. When scientists decide to deliberately use their research
solely as a means of income and recognition, then the whole scientific process
becomes tainted with corruption, dishonesty, and likely unimpressive research.
Hvistendahl best demonstrates this demoralization of scientific thought when one
such authorship company stated that “‘some authors don’t have much use for their
papers after they’re published, and they can be transferred to you'”
(Hvistendahl, 1035). This statement demonstrates how such authorship
publication trades degrade the research that was conducted. It is my belief
that scientists should take pride in the research that they accomplish and not
treat is as a means to a higher salary or promotion. Ownership of research is a
key tenant within the scientific community and practices such as this only do a
disservice to those who are attempting to present credible (and ethical)
research.
While it
is likely that the practice of the authorship publication trade is not isolated
solely within a single nation or academic cultural group, I believe that
nations such as China are more prone to its occurrence due to the significant
pressures for having publications as a measurement of accomplishment. Any
academic or professional culture that places more emphasis on the number and
type of publication and individual has rather than the quality of such a
publication would likely be more susceptible to the pressures of utilizing this
practice. It is because of practices such as this that cause China, as well as
other similarly-organized groups, to possess a stigma of “corrupt”
research. The only possible resolution to prevent these organized group’s from
continuing to push this authorship-publication trade is through direct intervention.
One such example provided by Hvistendahl is the use of direct government
intervention similar to how other nations, particularly the United States, in
response. Another possible resolution proposed by Hvistendahl to this form of
unethical practice is shifting the criteria in which a scientist is measured.
Instead of focusing on the quantitative aspects of their “publications”,
Chinese scientific officials are beginning to shift to an emphasis on the
quality of their work and the impact that it possesses within the global
scientific community.
Competition
for the limited number of positions and resources that the Chinese scientific
and academic communities have available has significantly contributed to the
growth of this unethical authorship publication industry. While this is surely
not solely isolated within China alone, the sheer amount of research that is
published annually makes the impact that this malpractice even more significant
within the global scientific community. In order to rectify such discrepancies,
professionals both within China and abroad need to make every effort to ensure
that honest authorship practices are being utilized as well as ensuring these
author publication companies are being identified and held responsible for their
actions. It is only after these practices are in place that actual progress
within the Chinese scientific community can be made. | https://jardinmahoney.com/the-possesses-a-significant-degree-of-influence-and/ |
In a business culture seemingly dominated by the mantra “Fail fast, fail often,” we spend a lot of time praising companies for doing things fast—for being fastest to market, quickest to respond, most agile to pivot—but we often don’t recognize the businesses that know how to take things slow.
It may sound contradictory, but oftentimes what businesses need to do in order to speed growth is to do exactly the opposite: slow down. Slowing down doesn’t mean shortening workweeks or allowing employees to slack off. Rather, being slow is a function of strategy—it’s the deliberate and steady plodding of the tortoise versus the haphazard bouncing of the hare.
A study of 343 businesses in Harvard Business Review found that companies that chose to “go, go, go” without taking the time to think through their business strategy ended up with lower sales and operating profits compared to businesses that “paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track.” Companies that took a slow and deliberate strategic approach ended up averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating profits.
So what does the “slow business” approach entail? Here’s how it manifests in leadership, management, and growth:
Make slow decisions
A good business leader must be decisive—but not too quickly decisive, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the book Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work. Most leaders fall into the trap of getting locked into one alternative, and forget to slow down and think through additional options. For example, should you fire the underperforming employee? By making it a yes/no question, business leaders end up convincing themselves there’s only one choice. But there are other alternatives to explore that may be more practical or less costly: moving the employee to another role, offering training or mentorship, etc.
Slow decision-making means taking your time to gather all the facts, consider all the options, and then following through with a well-formed action plan. While some studies show that quick decision-makers may be more confident in their snap judgments, it’s those who are comfortable admitting that they may not have the answer right away that often outperform their quicker counterparts. In essence, slow deciders make better strategists.
Take time to communicate and align your team
Many entrepreneurs overseeing a transition from startup to scale-up often run into problems of strategic alignment. As leaders, they often make decisions from their gut, or do quick calculations in their head. When handing down directives to the managers and employees for execution, it may come without much explanation.For a while, this system of communication works. In a startup phase, a company is often agile enough to adapt quickly to new directives and strategy changes coming from management. This is what often plays a big role in the success of a startup. In our experience however, this only works up to a certain point. Once a company has hit the $ 2 million revenue mark and is looking at the next stage of growth, this leadership style becomes less and less sustainable.
As business leaders look to expand their teams and hit ambitious growth goals, company alignment becomes increasingly important. Not only must the CEO set the overall business strategy for the year, but they also need to make sure that this plan is clearly communicated to management for execution. Business leaders that choose to slow down and thoughtfully walk their management team through a strategic plan often find more success in the long run. These are the companies that have taken the time to bring the departments together, articulate key priorities and goals, explain the reasoning behind decisions made, listen to feedback, and get everyone in alignment with the plan.
Build strategic pauses into your growth plan
In scale-up businesses, the pressure for constant growth—particularly following a boom period of fast expansion—can force business leaders into a “go, go, go” mentality that leaves little room for careful reflection and planning. Instead, the tendency is to push newer and bigger: new markets, new products, bigger teams, bigger inventory.
Over a long period, this can backfire. Operational issues that were manageable with a smaller team tend to become amplified at a larger scale—consider this famous case study of Webvan from the 2000 dot-com crash. Perhaps the company didn’t account for competition in new markets, or maybe the business expanded locations without a proper inventory management plan. Smart companies that want to see consistent growth in the long term will be cautious of the “grow big fast” mentality and instead build in strategic pauses into their business plan. Instead of pushing forward with an aggressive growth strategy after a period of expansion, consider setting the cruise control for a period of time and give yourself some breathing room before starting your next growth phase.
Business leaders should use these pauses to focus on strategy refinement and iteration across the company. Working together with the management and finance teams, companies should identify its current strengths, understand and fix any potential problems, evaluate various opportunities for growth, and forecast any threats in current and potential markets. It’s also critically important to build in time to listen to customer and employee feedback: Does your company know who its most important customers are? Are your employees aligned with the company’s mission and goals?
By deliberately slowing down and taking time to reflect, think, plan, focus, and refine, businesses can avoid the pitfalls of moving too fast and enjoy long-term sustainable growth.
Originally published here. | https://www.onlinesalesguidetip.com/strategic-leadership-slowing-down-to-speed-up/ |
A breakthrough for the field of Spintronics, a new type of technology which it is widely believed could be the basis of a future revolution in computing, has been announced by scientists in Cambridge.
A breakthrough for the field of Spintronics, a new type of technology which it is widely believed could be the basis of a future revolution in computing, has been announced by scientists in Cambridge.
The results offer a glimpse into a future in which super-computing could be far more energy-efficientJason Robinson
The research, reported in Nature Communications, provides the first evidence that superconductors could be used as an energy-efficient source for so-called “spin-based” devices, which are already starting to appear in microelectronic circuits.
Beyond these early developments, spin-based electronics (or “spintronics”) promises the potential to create a new generation of super-fast computers, capable of processing vast amounts of data in an energy-efficient way.
Unlike conventional electronic devices, which transmit information via the charge carried by an electron, spintronics exploits another fundamental property of that electron, called “spin”. In simple terms, spin refers to the intrinsic angular momentum of the electron, and makes it behave like a tiny magnet. Spintronics involves manipulating this to perform logic operations in devices.
There is, however, a catch: Any such device requires a large spin current to operate, which in itself requires the input of a large electrical charge. Since the spin currents are dissipative, a large fraction of the input energy is wasted as heat.
Superconductors – materials which, when cooled below a certain temperature, can carry a current without losing energy – provide one potential solution to this. If these materials could be harnessed in spin-based devices, an energy-efficient source for the charge required to create spin currents could be provided.
Until relatively recently, scientists believed that superconductors and spintronics were incompatible. The new study breaks new ground by showing, for the first time, that the natural spin of electrons can be manipulated, and more importantly detected, within the current flowing from a superconductor. The results could pave the way for the use of superconductors in spintronics, making these devices more energy-efficient.
The research was led by Dr Jason Robinson, a University Royal Society Research Fellow in the Materials Science Department, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of St John’s College. His work on superconductivity and spintronics is a close collaboration with Mark Blamire, the Head of the Materials Science Department in Cambridge.
“At the moment, high-performance computers such as those used in large-scale data handling facilities such as e-data centres waste huge amounts of energy,” Robinson said. “In Europe, about three per cent of the energy that we generate is consumed by them.”
“If we could combine spintronics with superconductivity, we would be able to take advantage of the benefits that both areas offer to reduce this. We could create circuits that are highly complex and extremely powerful on the one hand, but very low in terms of their energy demands on the other.”
The spin of electrons can point either “up” or “down”. In spintronic devices, researchers manipulate this to make the direction essentially correspond to the 0s and 1s used in standard binary code. Potentially, this technique could then be used to transmit or store data on an unprecedented scale.
Supplying the charge current from a superconductor offers the tantalising prospect of zero electrical resistance (and therefore 100% energy efficiency). It is also deeply problematic, however, because of the way in which electron spins behave in superconducting materials.
The problem arises from the fact that researchers use magnetic materials, such as iron or cobalt, which have an inherent spin bias, towards “up” or “down”. In general, spintronic devices contain multiple magnetic and non-magnetic layers. If a charge current passes through them, the spin carried by the electrons is polarised by the magnets, thus creating a bias towards either up- or down-spins.
Unfortunately, the zero-resistance in superconductors is normally possible since the electrons are paired up into what are called “Cooper Pairs”. In these pairs, one electron must have its spin up and the other must be down. The net spin of a Cooper is thus zero.
Because this pairing must be retained in order for electrical currents to superconduct, the energy-efficiency of superconductors has traditionally been seen as incompatible with spintronics: Pass a Cooper pair through a magnet, and one electron will “flip”, leading to energy loss.
In the new study, the research team resolve that stalemate, making both superconductivity and spin possible simultaneously. This was achieved by adding an intervening magnetic layer – the rare earth element holmium. Within this layer the magnetism rotates and forms a non-collinear interface with the magnetic layers (of permalloy) which were being used to manipulate the spin.
As the Cooper pairs passed through this rotating magnetic layer, the pairing was preserved despite the fact that one electron had effectively “flipped” to create parallel aligned spins. The researchers’ experiment successfully detected these parallel spin Cooper pairs, thus confirming their existence. In short, a spin bias was created, but superconductivity was retained.
Team member Dr Niladri Banerjee from the Materials Science Department and a Fellow of Wolfson College, said: “What’s never been directly demonstrated until now is that Cooper pairs can serve as transmitters of spin. That’s an important step forward since now it is clear that superconductivity can play a key role in spintronics.”
The next stage of the team’s research will be to create a prototype memory element based on superconducting spin currents, and look for new material combinations which would increase the effectiveness of their method.
“We’ve essentially created a marriage that opens up an emerging field called superconducting spintronics,” Robinson added. “Much fundamental research is now required in order to understand the science of this new field, but the results offer a glimpse into a future in which super-computing could be far more energy-efficient.”
For more information about this story, please contact Tom Kirk, [email protected], 01223 768377.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page. | https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/superconducting-spintronics-pave-way-for-next-generation-computing |
there are 6 times as many dogs as cats. if the total of number dogs and cats is 21, how many dogs are there?
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math
a veterinarian survey 26 of his patrons.e discovers that 14 have dogs ,10have cats ,and 5 have fish .our have dogs and cats ,3 have have dogs and fish ,and one has a cat and fish .if no one has all three kinds of pets ,how many
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math
Claire has a part-time job walking dogs Monday through Friday. Business has really increased. She is walking 3 more dogs per day than she did last week if she walked a total of 35 dogs this week, how many dogs did she walk per day
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math
Suppose the mean of dogs a pet shop grooms each day is known to be 14.2 dogs. If a sample of n=12 days is chosen and a total of 178 dogs are groomed during those 12 days, then the sampling error is?
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Math
The ratio of dogs to cats at an animal shelter is 3 to 2. How many dogs are at the shelter if there is a total of 30 animals?
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Math
Maria saw 2×10 to the 1 power dogs in the park on Saturday. She saw twice as many dogs on Sunday as she saw on Saturday. How many dogs did she see over the two days?
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math
A certain pet store has only cats and dogs. The ratio of the number of cats to the number of dogs in the pet store is 2:3. 1/4 of the cats and 1/2 of the dogs wear collars. If there are 48 animals that wear collars, how many
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math
the ratio of dogs to cats in the neighborhood was 3 to 7. If a total of 210 dogs and cats were in the neighborhood, how many cats were there?
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math
there are 15 dogs and 5 cats what is the ratio for the dogs and the cats
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Math
The ratio of dogs to cats are 2 to 3 if there is 15 total animals how many cats are there
You can view more similar questions or ask a new question. | https://www.jiskha.com/questions/1553385/the-ratio-of-cats-to-dogs-is-2-5-if-there-are-9-more-dogs-than-cats-how-many-cats-are |
In the Software Development process, code review is one of the major processes. It plays a vital role in developing quality software and reducing human errors. This article highlights the significance of code review and tries to answer questions related to the code review process like Who will be involved in this process, Whose code should be reviewed, What reviewer will look at code, Where code review is done and is spending time on code review worthwhile?
What is Code review?
Code review is also referred to as peer review. It is a part of the software quality assurance process which involves examining the source code to identify bugs at an early stage. A code review process is typically conducted before merging to the mainline branch.
The main purpose of the code review process is to maintain the code quality (Readable, Maintainable, and Extensible) and write bug-free software programs.
Who is involved in a code review?
In the code review process, at least two roles are always present in a team. A developer who writes code and creates Pull Request (PR) is referred as an “author” and the developer(s) who examines the quality of code is referred as “Reviewers”. The role of the reviewer and the author can be elaborated in more depth with the following diagram:
Whose Code should be reviewed?
Let's raise a few more questions here before answering this question.
- Do we need to review the code of developers who have a few years of experience (1- 5 years)?
- Do we need to review the code of developers who have several years of experience (5+ years)?
- Do we need to review the code of Software Architect?
The answer is “Yes”, we need to review the code of all the developers regardless of their experience and programming skills. They all are human beings, they are not perfect and will make mistakes. Huang (2016, pp. 108-113) has done study and his results show that 23 out of 55 (41.8%) developers committed the error of ‘forgetting to print a blank line after each word’.
When code review should be done?
Actual code reviews should be done after all the automated checks are performed and Right before the working branch is merged with the main branch (Source code). According to Fowler 2020, mainline branch is a special branch that acts as the current state of a project's code base.
Where code review should be done?
A review can be done in many places like on developers’ machines, online platforms, etc. The below points clarifies where and how code review is done.
1. Over-the-shoulder : Code reviews are done on the developer’s workstation. It is only possible if the reviewer can walk to the author's workstation.
2. Email pass-around : The author (or through Version Control Systems) emails code to reviewers. This is the traditional way of reviewing code, but this tends to be no longer followed by the developers.
3. Pair Programming : In this method, more than one developer can be found at a workstation, but only one of them writes the code whereas the other provides real-time feedback and suggestions.
4. Tool-assisted : Authors and reviewers use specialized tools designed for peer code review. The tool could be open source or paid like GitHub, BitBucket, etc. It is the popular and preferred method of reviewing codes in the current era.
What Do Code Reviewers Look For?
According to Google's Engineering Practices documentation, code reviews should look at the following things:
- Design: Is the code well-designed, appropriate, and efficient?
- Functionality: Does code meet the requirements and behave as the author likely intended?
- Complexity: code is easy to read, understand, and use? Could the code be made simpler?
- Tests: Does the code cover automated tests for each function?
- Name: Are names for variables, classes, methods, etc. clear and followed proper naming conventions?
- Comments: Are the comments clear, useful, and at a proper place?
- Style: Does the code follow proper coding standards or guidelines
- Documentation: Does have proper documentation for API?
What are the benefits of code review?
Code review provides a large number of benefits for a company dealing with code development as well as software developers. It’s advantages are extended beyond finding errors and fixing them. Let's dive deep into the advantages of code review,
1. Knowledge Sharing
In a perfect world, the author will create the pull request (PR) (on bitbucket/GitHub) for code that needs to be reviewed and reviewers will go through each line of code. This process encourages the sharing of ideas, experiences, and knowledge across the team where both authors and reviewers can learn from each other.
Also, Code Review helps people to learn about new logic, concepts and methods of writing a code which they might not have experienced before.
2. Train new Developers
The code review process provides an opportunity for new developers to learn from experienced developers and improve their coding skills.
3. Consistent Development Process
Code review helps to maintain consistency in design and implementation throughout a software project, which will improve the readability of the code. To maintain the consistency reviewers can enforce the author to follow the proper coding standard, design patterns/principles, naming conventions (for variable names and database column names), etc. In the long run, this helps to improve the code quality, saves time and resources. It is an essential factor for the large codebase.
4. Team cohesion
Code review always brings the development team together and closer. Also, it helps them to understand each other's technical skills.
5. Higher Quantity Code and cost reduction
Code reviews help to maintain a higher quality code. This process helps to identify the bugs and security issues at an early stage, which positively impacts the time spent in handling technical debt (also known as design debt or code debt, but can be also related to other technical endeavors) after release. Technical debt is the cost a software company has to pay because of poor development processes within its existing codebase. These debts should be resolved as quickly as possible otherwise a company has to bear a big cost.
According to Codacy "Software developers spend more than 26% of their time working on code debt and on bug fixing."
Do code reviews take the time or save time?
According to Atlassian agile coach documentation "When done right, code reviews save time in the long run." This clarifies that code review is not a waste of time.
In summary, the code review process plays a vital role to write a quality code and develop bug-free software. It has tons of benefits for both organizations as well as developers. Moreover, this process minimizes cost, saves time, reduces the risk, and brings the development team together for better planning and quality work.
Happy reviewing!
Refrences
- Fowler, M 2020, Patterns for Managing Source Code Branches, viewed 6 September 2020, https://martinfowler.com/articles/branching-patterns.html
- Google Inc. 2020, Google's Engineering Practices documentation, Google Inc, viewed 5 September 2020, https://google.github.io/eng-practices/review/
- F. Huang, "Post-Completion Error in Software Development," 2016 IEEE/ACM Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering (CHASE), Austin, TX, 2016, pp. 108-113, doi: 10.1109/CHASE.2016.030.
- Jamie 2018, How To Reduce Technical Debt Using Code Review Tools, Codacy viewed 5 September 2020 https://blog.codacy.com/how-to-reduce-technical-debt-by-using-code-review-tools/
- Radigan, D 2020, Why code reviews matter (and actually save time!), Atlassian, viewed 5 September 2020, https://www.atlassian.com/agile/software-development/code-reviews
Prakash is self motivated, hard working and personable IT professional with 9 years of experience in Software Development with cutting edge technologies. He has extensive background in full lifecycle of software development process including iterations of requirements gathering, prototyping, architecting, coding, peer review, refactoring, debugging, acceptance test and release.
Get connected with Prakash : | https://knowledgeacademy.io/code-review-in-software-development-process/ |
How does logic make you feel?
How does logic make you feel? And what does it have to do with abstract art?
I’ve been using a linear, logical approach to generate graphical art and music. I think most artists and musicians work at it from the completely “opposite” end. They generate their work, it seems to me, through methods primarily tuned into their emotional states to evoke an emotional response from their audience. They are so in touch with their tools, be it a brush or a musical instrument, that it becomes an extension of their emotion. It's the critics who then look for the mechanics, techniques and so forth underlying their product. I wonder if approaching it from the other direction like I’m doing can evoke an emotional response? I know some of my generated tunes, evoke emotion, but that is not as “pure” as a generative art piece, because I use the old brain to filter out and supplement the generative melodies with brain produced harmonies that “sound right”.
I think of many abstract artists who just kind of slop paint on their canvases to produce aesthetically pleasing works. Their brains make decisions based on what? Emotion? Are they thinking that this piece needs more crimson? Are they thinking at all? Are they relying totally on intuition when they create?
According to a article on art-mine.com:
"The most important thing to understand about abstract art is that it does NOT have to have a meaning, narrative or even a singular explanation.
The main purpose of abstraction is not to tell a story, but to encourage involvement and imagination. This art form is mostly about providing its viewers with an intangible and emotional experience – more often than not, the experience is completely different for every individual depending on their personality and state of mind."
https://www.art-mine.com/collectorscorner/understanding-abstract-art/
Can generative art accomplish the same thing? I think (or maybe feel?) it can. Generative art still at its heart is not only the computer generating pieces. It’s an artist using the computer as a tool, just as an artist may use a paint brush or a bucket to pour and splash paint on a canvas. The generative artist uses mathematical concepts like randomness, probabilities and geometry in concert with computer coding to produce work to provoke imagination. Is the how as important as the reaction? Does it ultimately matter what technique an artist may use to create her work? I guess that’s something else to contemplate……. | https://jwcoenartist.com/blogs/news/how-does-logic-make-you-feel |
Those of you who follow Windows Script have probably been wondering what role script plays in the .NET world, and perhaps even what the script team has been doing for the last year or so. After all, the script team has released major upgrades to the script engines nearly every six to 12 months, but it's been a long time since Version 5.0 shipped, which was the last major upgrade to Windows Script technologies. Today is a very exciting day for the Windows Script team, and more importantly the bigger team that we are now part of, with the announcement of Visual Studio for Applications (VSA). VSA represents two years of work from the existing Windows Script team and the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) group to create a product that takes the best of Windows Script and VBA to create an application-customization technology designed specifically to take advantage of .NET.
The Urge to Converge
Prior to VSA, Microsoft had two technologies for integrating a language into applications that would allow the application to be customized after the application had shipped. This was achieved by hosting a language engine, be it a Windows Script engine (such as Visual Basic Scripting Edition or JScript) or VBA. Once the engine had been loaded, the application would load the appropriate customization code (a.k.a. script) and provide an object model for the script writer to use. While the concept was identical, the implementation for a Windows Script engine or VBA was very different. So if you integrated Windows Script, there was no easy way to upgrade to VBA or vice versa. You had to integrate VBA using completely different integration interfaces, so you'd be starting from scratch. In addition, you'd probably have to integrate both so that existing script code would still work alongside the new VBA code.
The different integration technologies were only half the problem for people who integrated VBScript into their applications. VBScript started as a strict subset of the Visual Basic language, but because it was a different code base, differences in implementation crept in. And because VBScript was evolving at Internet pace, the languages diverged. As VBScript started to mature, the requests we were getting for the language were bringing it closer and closer to Visual Basic, and in some cases we added features in VBScript before they were added to Visual Basic (the Class End Class syntax for example).
As we looked into the new features people were asking for—types and better error handling for example—it became clear that VBScript would eventually evolve into real Visual Basic. Rather than try to implement two versions of the same language, we sat down with the Visual Basic team and worked out how to converge the languages. This means that the new Visual Basic Script engine is true Visual Basic. It has exactly the same compiler as Visual Basic, so any code you can use in Visual Basic you will be able to use in the script engine. In addition to language features that use the Visual Basic compiler, script code is now fully compiled, as is any Visual Basic .NET code.
The Visual Basic .NET language includes some of the concepts that were initially introduced in VBScript, but it represents a considerable evolution of the language. As a result there are considerably more powerful language features, but it isn't 100 percent backward compatible with VBScript. This means that existing code will not always run in the new Visual Basic Script engine. We felt that the advantages provided by the new Visual Basic language outweighed any compatibility issues. However, compatibility is a major concern for us, and you will still be able to host the existing VBScript engine as well as the Visual Basic Script engine to allow your existing script code to continue running just as it does today.
Currently the technology is available through an early adopter program for developers who are interested in using VSA. A more wide-scale beta is planned to ship in the spring with Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework. If you are interested in becoming an early adopter or have questions about the early adopter program, please contact Summit Software, Microsoft's authorized agent for VSA licensing and support, at [email protected].
Customization in a .NET World
The primary reason for developing a unified script hosting technology was to allow the development of customizable .NET applications. Customization is a key asset to add to your applications, because it allows your customers to change the behavior of the application to meet their requirements. This is probably not news to you, since there are so many of you integrating VBA and Windows Script into your applications today, and even more people are actually writing scripts within those applications. The key difference to application development today is the distributed nature of the application. Code can run on the client or the server, and a business process may include code running on both. To provide a customization technology for distributed applications, it's important that the customization code can scale from client to server execution.
Scaling to server execution is a major focus for the development of the architecture of VSA. To achieve this, we took some of the scalability features from today's script engines (flexible threading model, lightweight runtime) and some of VBA's strengths (compilation, full strength languages), and built the new system around that. This means that there is a definite split between run-time and design-time capabilities. The runtime for VSA is script for the .NET Framework, so all the code your users write will be run using a script engine. This is vital for the server because any customization code must impose as little overhead to the server code as possible to ensure that the server can scale to meet the usage needs of the application. The script engines will continue to be freely able to be licensed, just as VBScript and JScript are today. As a result, there is a set of integration interfaces for the script engines (IVSA) and the VSA Design Time (IVSADT). Your application only needs to use the design-time interfaces if you wish to allow the user to use the VSA integrated development environment (IDE).
How Do I Use Any of This Stuff?
To explain how to use the new script engines and the VSA IDE, I'll create a simple .NET application for use on the infamous (and fictitious—no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, places, or events is intended or should be inferred) fabrikam.com. Fabrikam.com has experienced explosive growth in usage, and as a result has built a user management system to deal with all the new users. It turns out that this user management system is so great that, in an effort to generate some revenue, fabrikam.com has decided to sell it as a product. Since user management systems have specific requirements that are not part of the fabrikam user management system, rather than provide a different system to each customer, the developers at fabrikam integrated VSA into their application so that the application can be customized to meet the customers' requirements. To make it easier for the customer to write the customization code, the user management system provides the VSA IDE, which provides a great environment for writing and debugging the customization code.
The user management system is written as a set of .NET components that run behind an ASP.NET system. All the logic of the application is encapsulated in the components, with the ASP.NET pages providing the HTML user interface for the application. All access to the user data stored in a SQL Server database is through the business components.
Figure 1. User management system architecture
To enable the application to be customized, the business components host a script engine that will be used to run any customization code for the component. When the component is loaded the system will load the customization code that is relevant for the current user. One of the key features that VSA brings from Windows Script is that the code can be stored wherever needed, be it in the file system or in a database. The run-time interfaces require just a string or a bytestream (for precompiled code). By not imposing a storage model, the application developer can make the code distribution process transparent to the user. The user saves his or her code from the IDE, and the application hosting the design time gets the source code, which it then saves to wherever the application stores the customization code. The VSA SDK comes with a mechanism to make this storage process a little easier. I'll go into that in more detail later on in this column.
Once the customization code has been written and saved to the applications code store, the next time the application runs it will load up the customization code. In the User management system's case, it will load the code when the user business component is instantiated on the server. The user business component exposes an object model that the script code runs against. In this case, the user business component fires a new event whenever a user is created. The customization code handles the event; for example, whenever a user is added to the system, an e-mail is sent to the user to validate the e-mail address and to send a greeting. You could argue that the system should do this by default, but it is a demo after all. The user business component and all the other business components in the system provide a rich object model that provides hooks for customization.
Figure 2. User management integrating VSA
Enough Conceptual; Let's See Some Code
I hope you have a good conceptual overview of the application and how it enables customization. To make it easier to integrate the script engines and the design time, there are a number of classes and samples that are available with the VSA SDK. I'll use these classes for the examples. I've used C# to write this application, but it could easily be written in Visual Basic.NET, JScript.NET, or any .NET programming language.
Code Management
The integration classes are designed to be reasonably self-contained, so it was important that they integrate with the application's storage mechanisms without imposing any requirements on the storage format. It was important that the storage mechanism allow both local and remote access—in particular over HTTP to ease firewall issues—to the code store. This is achieved by defining a code provider interface, ICodeProvider. ICodeProvider is a reasonably simple interface that allows source and compiled code to be stored and retrieved. To plug in to the integration classes, you need only a component that implements the ICodeProvider interface. To use the code provider with the integration classes, you either pass in an instance of the code provider running locally or a URL. If a URL is provided, then the integration classes will call the code provider through SOAP over HTTP.
Integrating the Runtime
In order for your application to be able run any customization code, it needs to host a script engine. To illustrate this, I've included the code for the user business component used in the user management system. Because it's a demo, it's a pretty simple class. So simple, in fact, that it doesn't actually store any information in a database. But I figured you'd all seen enough ADO code recently. The runtime class was designed to be easy to use and provide an abstraction of the run-time integration interfaces. Essentially all you need to do is tell it where to go get the customization code, provide an object model, and call the run method. Those of you familiar with the script control should see some similarity in design simplicity, I hope.
The first thing the class does is create an instance of the runtime class, m_Runtime, which will be used to access all the functionality of the script engine. You'll notice that the constructor of a runtime class takes two arguments, Name and Moniker. Name identifies the script engine; this is useful when you have more than one script engine in your application. Moniker provides a unique identifier for the customization; the format of the moniker is based on a standard URI, protocol://data, but the content is entirely up to you. For this example, I've used a simple moniker, com.fabrikam://usermanagement/user_customization. The protocol portion of the moniker should be unique, so I've reversed the fabrikam.com domain name because that's guaranteed to be unique. The data portion of the moniker provides the application name, usermanagement, and then a folder, user_customization. In reality the moniker you use in your application is likely to be more useful. For example, you might decide to store different customizations for different customers, so you could change the moniker to include the currently logged in user name. In addition to providing a unique identifier for the customization, the code provider for the application uses the moniker to retrieve the customization code. In essence, the code provider translates a moniker into the relevant query language for the code store. For example, a code provider could translate a moniker into a SQL query.
m_Runtime = new Runtime("user","com.fabrikam://usermanagement/user_customization");
Once an instance of the runtime class has been created, load the customization code. To do this, the runtime class needs an instance of a code provider. Since this is a component running on the server and performance is key, the code provider is created locally rather than having to communicate over HTTP. The runtime class has a setcodeprovider method that takes an instance of a code provider as its argument. Once the code provider has been set, call the Load method, which will use the code provider to retrieve the compiled customization code. This is a key feature for the .NET script engines because they allow the loading and saving of compiled code rather than having to interpret the code every time. This should help considerably with performance on the server. It's not required that you load compiled code; you can still load source into the engine using the LoadSource method. When Load or LoadSource is called, the runtime class will call into the provided code provider with the moniker. The code provider uses the moniker to retrieve the code and returns it to the runtime class.
ICodeProvider codeProvider = new DiskCodeProvider(); m_Runtime.SetCodeProvider(codeProvider); m_Runtime.Load(null);
After the code has been loaded into the engine, all that remains before running the code is to add the object model that the code will use. In this example, I'm going to add the object model of the user business component as both an Object and an Event source object. This is achieved by calling the AddObject and AddEventSourceObject methods.
// Add our global and event source objects. m_Runtime.AddObject("HostObject", this); m_Runtime.AddEventSourceObject("User", "UserEvents",this);
Once the code and object model have been added, run the code using the Run method. Calling Run will cause the code that is loaded to bind to the object model and begin running.
m_Runtime.Run();
That is all that's required to load a script engine: Load the code into the engine, provide an object model, and run it. Not bad for five lines of code. The runtime class provides more control over the engine, such as timeout values for the script, but if it doesn't meet your requirements exactly, it is provided in source form so you can change it to suit your needs.
What about Performance?
The runtime class makes it simple to host a script engine on the server, but loading code every time would impose a considerable burden on the application. The engines are optimized to ensure that compiled code is cached so that code is only loaded when it has changed. Whenever the engine is asked to load code, it will check with the cache to see whether code for the supplied moniker has already been loaded; if so, it uses that version. The IVSA interface and the runtime class provide a method to invalidate the cache entry so that when new code is compiled, you can control the cache and when it gets updated. The key design point was to be able to update the cache without having to take down the server to allow hot updates.
Hosting the Design Time
The application is now set up to run any customization code written by its users, but there's no easy way for users to write the customization code for the system yet. One of the key disadvantages of script was that you had to write your own script editor in order for people to be able to write scripts. Those of you who are familiar with VBA will know what an advantage it is to have an IDE, giving the user Intellisense®, enhanced debugging, etc. Visual Studio for Applications provides an IDE based on the Visual Studio .NET IDE, so you get all the great usability enhancements provided in Visual Studio .NET in your applications development environment, rather than having to build your own from scratch.
VSA provides two ways to integrate the IDE into your application: the VSA IDE or VSA Standalone IDE. The VSA IDE provides a full-fledged development environment in which to edit or debug your VSA projects. The key concept behind the VSA IDE is that you launch it from your Windows application much in the same way as you launch the VBA IDE from an Office application.
When the IDE is launched, your application uses the IVSA Design Time interfaces to load the source code for customization and to provide the application object model. The VSA Standalone IDE provides an integration path that allows more flexibility in what you can do within the IDE because you can build your own packages for integration into the IDE.
A package is a component written using the Visual Studio Environment SDK, and it allows for considerable integration into the Visual Studio shell. For example, you could write your own project system that provided additional features on top of those the VSA project system provides. A bonus of using the VSA Standalone IDE is that you can also use your packages in Visual Studio .NET, allowing your application to be a part of a Visual Studio solution. This is especially useful if many of the people who write the customization code already have Visual Studio, because they can now develop solutions that include your application alongside any Visual Studio projects.
To illustrate hosting a VSA Design Time I'm going to use the VSA IDE since there is less code to get that up and running. Showing you how to write a Visual Studio package would contain enough information for an article in its own right. The VSA SDK provides a set of classes to make it easier to host the design time, and I'll use those in my code sample. A key concept when hosting the design time is that there is a design-time engine that corresponds to a script engine. So if your application uses three script engines, you need to have three design-time engines. Mainly this is so that each engine has its own project system, which corresponds to a separate compilation unit and source store.
The fabrikam.com user management application has a customized application that provides all the tools required to customize the application. If you are familiar with my earlier scripting clinics, then you'll be aware of my lack of user interface design skills. This article continues this fine tradition, so my user interface is somewhat minimalist. In a real application it would contain all the application information/editing tools, along with a way to launch the VSA Design Time.
Figure 3. User management Windows application
When "designing" the user interface for this application, I chose to have two buttons, one to show the IDE and one to save the code. The show IDE button makes some sense, but the save code button is there to show that you get to save the code, not the VSA IDE.
The Windows client contains a form and a helper class that derives from the VSA SDK Design Time class. The helper class deals with all access to the VSA IDE. When the form loads, it creates an instance of the helper class. The initialization code of the class just sets the values of two member variables containing the name and moniker of the code to be loaded.
m_Name = "user"; m_Moniker = "com.fabrikam://usermanagement/user_customization";
To keep things simple, this demonstration only contains one instance of a script engine, so only one moniker is required. The real code starts when the user clicks on the Show IDE button. The onclick handler for the button calls through to the LoadVSAProject method in the helper class. The method first creates an instance of the design-time engine in the collection of engines provided by the design time class. The design time class keeps a collection of engines for you, since it's likely that your application, unlike this demo, will have more than one engine being hosted. The engines collection includes a create method:
IVsaDTEngine vsaDTEngine = VsaEngines.Create("Basic.DT", m_Moniker, m_Name,null); IVsaEngine vsaEngine = (IVsaEngine)vsaDTEngine;
Loading the Source
Once the engine has been created, the source code for the engine needs to be loaded. The VSA Design Time engine will call your application back through a site, VSAPersistSite. This site will be used for all persistence of the source and compiled code. The design-time class provides an implementation of the site for you, so you can just create a new instance of the implementation. The implementation provides a mechanism to use code providers just like the runtime class, so a code provider has to be passed into the setCodeProvider method. Since the source code for the user management system is stored on a server that might be behind a firewall, the code provider will be called through a Web Service.
VsaPersistSite persistSite = new VsaPersistSite(vsaEngine.RootMoniker); persistSite.SetCodeProvider("http://codeserver/codeprovider.asmx")
The URL provided to the SetCodeProvider method is the URL for the ASP.NET asmx page that exposes the code provider as a Web Service. (For more information about asmx pages, check out the .NET SDK documentation, Declaring a Web Service.) Once the persist site has been created, to load the source code call the LoadSourceState method on the engine and pass in the persist site. The design-time class will communicate with the code provider and the persist site to load all the source code for the engine.
vsaEngine.LoadSourceState(persistSite);
Adding the Object Model and References
Once the source code has been added to the engine, the object model and references for the code need to be added before the user can edit or run any code. This is done by using the items collection on the design-time engine. An item in an engine can be code, an object or a reference.
IVsaItems items = engine.Items;
The items collection has a CreateItem method, so adding an object or reference is simply a matter of calling that method with an item type. To add a reference to the usermanagement object that will host the code at run time, the code creates a new item on the items collection and then sets the assemblyname for the item. Again to keep the demo simple, I've put the assembly in the root of the C: drive. I certainly don't recommend that you put your code there.
IVsaReferenceItem item = (IVsaReferenceItem)(items.CreateItem("Usermain", VSAITEMTYPE.REFERENCE)); item.AssemblyName = "c:\\usermanagement.dll";
Adding the application object model is a very similar process. Just call the CreateItem method and set the item type to APPGLOBAL. Once the item has been created, set the TypeString of the item to be that of the object being added.
IVsaGlobalItem item = (IVsaGlobalItem)(items.CreateItem("HostObject", VSAITEMTYPE.APPGLOBAL)); item.TypeString = "UserManagement.User";
Show the IDE
To complete loading the source code into the engine, set the startupurl property for the project and call the initcomplete method. The startupurl is key because the IDE will use that property when the user runs the customization code. Since the customization code is running in a script engine hosted in a business component running behind an ASP.NET page on a server, the IDE will launch the user's browser and navigate to the startupurl. The startupurl should be set to the ASP.NET page or a page that results in the ASP.NET page loading. Once the startupurl property has been set, all that remains is for the onclick handler of the show button to call the ShowIDE method on the helper class.
Figure 4. VSA IDE for the user management system
When the IDE shows up to the user, it has loaded the customization code for the user business component in the UserManagement application. In the screenshot above, the project is empty, awaiting the customization code.
Summary
The combination script for the .NET Framework lightweight runtime and the Visual Studio for Applications IDE enable you to start building applications that make it easier to meet your customers' requirements, and for your customers to start using your applications as a platform to build solutions. I've only been able to give you a brief overview of what is possible with script for the .NET Framework and Visual Studio for Applications, but as we progress through our beta programs, I'll be writing more on what's possible and I'll go into more depth about how you can utilize the technology in your applications.
As ever, we're very keen to get your feedback on the direction we're taking with script and VSA, so please feel free to comment on this article or contact us at [email protected] The programmability team at Microsoft looks forward to hearing from you. | https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/internet-explorer/ie-developer/scripting-articles/ms974548(v=msdn.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN |
PRIORITY REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
This application claims benefit of and incorporates by reference U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/862,369, entitled “Low Coupling Loss Photodetector/Optical Fiber Apparatus and Method For Forming The Same,” filed on Oct. 20, 2006, by inventors Xin Luo et al.
This invention relates generally to laser and optical coupling and more particularly provides an apparatus and method for coupling a light source (e.g. laser) to a receiving device (e.g., port, fiber optic cable).
Whenever light travels from one medium into another with a different index of refraction, reflection occurs. The amount of reflection depends on the index difference, or contrast. In applications where light travels from one high index medium, such as glass, into air, which has a low index, and into another high index medium again, significant reflections can occur. Both anti-reflection films or index matching techniques have been used to suppress reflections arising from index contrast.
In fiberoptic communications systems, optical subassemblies are used as light sources, receivers or processing devices. A receiver optical subassembly is exemplified by an optical waveguide, such as an optical fiber and a photodetector. Often, as necessitated by environmental and construction considerations, the optical waveguide must be placed far away from the photodetector. Since laser light that leave the optical waveguide will diverge, one or more lenses are placed between the waveguide and photodetector to collect the divergent light beam and focus it onto the photodetector. This optical path introduces multiple, high optical index contrast interfaces. At every boundary between different media, such as fiber/air, air/lens, lens/air, air/photodetector, reflection occurs due to the high index change. These reflections are lost energies that degrade the signal strength. Present techniques used to reduce the amount of signal loss include antireflection coating of individual components and the addition of a thick film of index matching media on the photodetector.
Furthermore, in some applications, such as analog signal transmission, multiple reflections can cause signal noise. Extra care is needed to prevent reflection from the receiver optical subassembly back into the optical fiber waveguide. For example, return loss in analog CATV transmission system requires that the receiver return loss to exceed 40 dB. Typically, the fiber is angle-cleaved at 6-8 degrees to achieve the required return loss.
Accordingly, a new apparatus and method are needed to reduce signal strength degradation.
In order to reduce signal strength degradation, index contrast reduction media are inserted between a photodetector, coupling optics and/or waveguide. The media have refractive indices between the index of refraction of the photodetector and coupling optics, and between the index of refraction of the optical fiber and the coupling optics. In an embodiment, the media includes one or more of silicone, epoxy or other transparent media with refractive indices higher than air that will reduce or eliminate the unwanted light reflections in these devices.
In an embodiment, a coupling apparatus comprises a light source (e.g., a fiber), a port (e.g., a photodetector), a low contrast medium and a lens. The lens is disposed between the light source and the port such that light emitted by the light source is focused onto the port. The low contrast medium is disposed between the light source and lens and/or between the port and lens.
In an embodiment, a method of forming a coupling apparatus includes: aligning a lens between a light source (e.g., a fiber) and a port (e.g., a photodector) such that light emitted from the light source is focused by the lens onto the port; and applying a low contrast medium between the light source and lens and/or between the port and lens.
The following description is provided to enable any person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles, features and teachings disclosed herein.
Embodiments of the invention address the multiple reflections due to high contrast index changes in the optical path of a coupling apparatus. Wherever possible, air or vacuum, which have low indices of refraction, is replaced by a higher index medium so that low contrast index changes are achieved for the optical path.
In an embodiment, as described further below, laser light from a light source, such as an optical fiber is focused by a single convex lens onto a port, such as a photodetector. Under existing techniques, antireflection thin films, coated on both sides of the lens, are used to reduce reflection at the interfaces. In an embodiment, index contrast reduction media is used to replace air wherever the optical beam traverses. The same four or more interfaces are still present, but the reflection at each of these interfaces is significantly reduced if media with the right refractive indices are chosen. Advantageous media include silicone, epoxy, or other transparent media, either solid or liquid, with an index higher than 1.0, but not so high that the index exceeds that of the convex lens.
By using a contrast reduction medium with an optical index close to that of the fiber, fiber/media reflection is minimized. Furthermore, divergence of the laser light after exiting from the fiber is reduced, so that a smaller lens can be used. The refractive index of the chosen lens will be higher than that of the medium so the diverging beam is collected into a converging beam pointing towards the detector. At the medium/detector interface, reflection is also significantly smaller than that of an air/detector interface. Reduced reflection at the multiple interfaces in the receiver is effective at reducing return loss. This could work with or without the 6-8 degree cleaved fiber to achieve reduced reflections.
Embodiments of the invention can also be applied in conjunction with anti-reflection films deposited on the lens, photodetector and/or the fiber. This will result in a further reduction in reflection losses.
It is also possible in the above embodiment to use a concave lens as the focusing optical element as long as the refractive index of the concave lens is lower than that of the inserted contrast reduction media.
In another embodiment, no index matching medium is used between the optical fiber and lens. This configuration results in a little more loss than the previous, but still substantially lower than the conventional arrangement.
FIG. 1
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is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. The coupling apparatus includes a fiber , a transparency medium , a lens , a second transparency medium , a photodetector , and a photodetector mount base . The transparency medium is disposed between the fiber and the lens such that light emitted from the fiber travels through the medium only to the lens , i.e., such that light emitted from the fiber does not traverse air from the fiber end to the lens . The medium is disposed between the lens and the photodetector , which is mounted on the mount base at an angle (e.g., about 6° to about 8°), such that light from the lens travels only through the medium until impacting the photodetector , i.e., light from the lens does not traverse air from the lens to the photodetector .
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In an embodiment the fiber end has a 0° cut and a refractive index of n. The medium has a refractive index of n, which is close to nso as to minimize reflection as the boundary between the fiber end and the medium . Reflectivity, R, at the interface between the fiber and the medium is:
<math overflow="scroll"><mrow><mi>R</mi><mo>=</mo><msup><mrow><mo>(</mo><mfrac><mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>fiber</mi></msub><mo>-</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mrow><mi>medium</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mi>n</mi><mi>fiber</mi></msub><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>n</mi><mrow><mi>medium</mi><mo></mo><mstyle><mspace width="0.3em" height="0.3ex" /></mstyle><mo></mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></mfrac><mo>)</mo></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></mrow></math>
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The medium has a refractive index of n, which is set close to the refractive index of the photodetector , which can be coated with single or multilayer dielectric anti-reflective coating. Further, the refractive index of the lens can be close to the refractive index of the media and . The lens includes a convex lens in one embodiment. In an embodiment, the media and are made of different materials and therefore may have slightly varying refractive indices. The refractive indices of the materials are greater than 1.0 but do not exceed the index of the lens . Further, as the photodetector is at an angle with respect to the light output from the fiber , reflections are away from incoming light, thereby preventing distortion of the incoming light. As such, reflections along the light path between the fiber and photodetector are minimized.
FIG. 2
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is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. The apparatus is substantially similar to the apparatus except that a fiber has an angled cut (e.g. about 8°) at its output. As such, for purposes of brevity, apparatus will not be discussed in further detail.
FIG. 3
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is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. The coupling apparatus includes a fiber , a lens , a transparency medium , a photodetector , and a photodetector mount base . The lens is disposed between the fiber and the photodetector . The medium is disposed between the lens and the photodetector , which is mounted on the mount base at an angle (e.g., about 6° to about 8°), such that light from the lens travels only through the medium until impacting the photodetector , i.e., light from the lens does not traverse air from the lens to the photodetector .
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In an embodiment the fiber end has about a 0°-8° cut and a refractive index of n. The medium has a refractive index of n, which is set close to the refractive index of the photodetector , which can be coated with anti-reflective coating. Further, the refractive index of the lens can be close to the refractive index of the medium . The lens includes a convex lens in one embodiment. The refractive index of the material is greater than 1.0 but does not exceed the index of the lens . Further, as the photodetector is at an angle with respect to the light output from the fiber , reflections are away from incoming light, thereby preventing distortion of the incoming light. As such, reflections along the light path between the fiber and photodetector are minimized.
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is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. The coupling apparatus includes a fiber , a transparency medium , a lens , a photodetector , and a photodetector mount base . The lens is disposed between the fiber and the photodetector , which is mounted on the mount base at an angle (e.g., about 6° to about 8°). The medium is disposed between the lens and the fiber , such that light from the fiber travels only through the medium until impacting the lens , i.e., light from the fiber does not traverse air from the fiber to the lends .
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In an embodiment the fiber end has about a 0°-8° cut and a refractive index of n. The medium has a refractive index of n, which is set close to the refractive index of the fiber . Further, the refractive index of the lens can be close to the refractive index of the medium . The lens includes a convex lens in one embodiment. The refractive index of the medium is greater than 1.0 but does not exceed the index of the lens . Further, as the photodetector is at an angle with respect to the light output from the fiber , reflections are away from incoming light, thereby preventing distortion of the incoming light. As such, reflections along the light path between the fiber and photodetector are minimized.
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is a flowchart illustrating a method of forming a coupling apparatus. First, an anti-reflective coating is applied (, ) to a photodetector and a lens. A fiber, lens and photodetector are then aligned () so that light from the fiber impacts a lens, which focuses the light onto the photodetector. A low contrast medium is then applied () to the lens/fiber side and/or lens/photodetector side. The application () can be by spray coating or injection via syringe. The applied medium is then set () by UV exposure or heat, if necessary. The apparatus is then capped (). The method then ends. In an embodiment, elements of the method can be omitted or performed in different order. For example, the applying (, ) can be omitted or performed after the aligning (). The setting () can also be omitted.
The foregoing description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is by way of example only, and other variations and modifications of the above-described embodiments and methods are possible in light of the foregoing teaching. For example, while the embodiments are disclosed showing a fiber and photodetector, other embodiments can use any light source and/or port. The embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting. The present invention is limited only by the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.
FIG. 1
is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;
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is a diagram illustrating a coupling apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; and
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is a flowchart illustrating a method of forming a coupling apparatus. | |
- This event has passed.
CREATE Summer Art Camp!
August 5 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 9:00 am on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, repeating until August 27, 2022
When school is out for the summer, art is in at CREATE!
Each week of summer camp will bring new art adventures. Our experienced teaching artists inspire creativity by teaching a variety of art-making techniques, and by exploring the styles of artists to help our campers draw inspiration for their own artwork.
The week-long sessions allow for both multi-day and single-day projects, giving our campers the opportunity to work with a variety of materials, including watercolor and tempera paints, clay, plaster, oil pastels, and more. At the end of the week, each child will go home with a portfolio filled with original artwork!
Project types include pottery, sculpture, drawing, painting, cartooning, collage, mixed media and more!
PLEASE NOTE: Mask-wearing and other health and safety measures will be strictly enforced. You can learn more about our summer camp policies and procedures at https://createartscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022_Health_Social_Distancing_Plan_for_Summer_Camp.pdf
Because events are submitted by members of the community, Source of the Spring does not verify the accuracy of event submissions. Please contact the Event Organizer(s) for more information. Learn how to submit your event to our Community Events Calendar here. | https://www.sourceofthespring.com/event/create-summer-art-camp/2022-08-05/ |
Calendar:
Get a snapshot of Rabbinical College of Ch'san Sofer New York with this general overview, including student enrollment and graduation rates, average test scores, student demographics, and more.
Mission StatementTO PRODUCE STUDENTS WHO HAVE A FIRM COMMITMENT TO THEIR HERITAGE, A STRONG CONNECTION TO TALMUDIC SCHOLARSHIP AND A DEDICATION TO THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEING AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
School Characteristics
Private
Length of Study: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Test Scores & GPAAverage GPA: No
School AccreditationNational: Yes
Regional: No
Federal: Yes
Source: School data comes from the Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 2015. Data may vary depending on school and academic year. | http://www.campuscorner.com/new-york-colleges/rabbinical-college-of-chsan-sofer-new-york.htm |
The EU and China both have both common and differing best practices approaches in ocean governance and for the sharing and managing data and data products. The EU and China collaborative projects (EMODnet & CEMDnet) establishing an effective Partnership on marine data are a step towards this common objective.
The EMOD-PACE project has 18 European partner organisations, started officially on 19 February 2020 and will run for a period of 30 months. The project aims to deliver a major part of the EU contribution to the EU-China Blue Partnership for the Oceans.
In response to the EMOD-PACE at EU side, NMDIS started its work on developing the China-EU Marine Data Network Partnership (CEMDnet), which aims at connecting the EMODnet and data sharing platform running by NMDIS, to facilitate marine data interoperability between EMODnet and NMDIS. Meanwhile, EMODnet and NMDIS will jointly work on marine data and information management services, standards and product R&D in the fields of ocean reanalysis, seabed habitat mapping, ecological vulnerability and coastal zone adaptability, etc.
CEMDnet was officially launched in February 2020 for a period of 30 months. The implementation of the project is expected to make positive contributions to the China-EU Blue Partnership for the Oceans.
The overall aim of this project is to promote international ocean governance with China and support the implementation of global commitments by making ocean marine data and data products more easily accessible and by providing better data and data products. Concrete EMOD-PACE objectives are summarised and described as follows:
- Establish a solid and effective working relationship between EMODnet and Chinese counterparts, in particular the National Marine Data and Information Service of China (NMDIS).
- Support processes related to collaboration with China with a view to improve discovery of and access to marine data and data products by establishing interoperability of data and information systems.
- Support ocean-related policy objectives and policy dialogues as well as to enhance cooperation in key areas of ocean governance.
- Facilitate political convergence towards a collective approach to tackling global ocean challenges such as climate change, marine litter, and environmental protection and biodiversity, in particular in the context of the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD).
- Support the use of internationally agreed standards for marine data, both by the public and private sectors.
In detail, the project will strengthen the relationship between EMODnet and NMDIS by:
- Setting up a bilingual English-Chinese project information website providing a gateway to the project results.
- Maximizing interoperability between EU and Chinese marine data services, and data products and information systems.
- Comparing European and Chinese numerical ocean models by
- comparing reanalysis and model results with historic data;
- analysing the applicability of each side's models for seabed habitat and ecosystem vulnerability.
- Providing reliable information to support coastal adaptation on the sea route between China and Europe.
EMOD-PACE work plan
EMOD-PACE runs for a duration of 34 months. The work packages (WP) are as follows:
- Relative and absolute sea level changes.
- Coastal erosion.
- Wetland degradation.
- Vessel traffic density.
Data Information
Marine data sharing
The publication and sharing of marine data follows established best practice. The EU shares marine observation data through EMODnet and ocean modelling data through Copernicus Marine Service. In general, European marine observation data originates with the Member States, and is aggregated by EMODnet for publication on the EMODnet Central Portal as a centralised hub for European marine data.
In China NMDIS is responsible for national marine data collection, management, processing and distribution, and the construction and operation of the marine environmental and geographical information service platform, undertaking quality control and evaluation of marine data and information products. In addition, it is responsible for operational tide and tidal current forecast, sea level change prediction and evaluation and development and release of marine environment data re-analysis products.
Optimising data sharing and user access between EMODnet and NMDIS – the Challenge
Marine observations are fundamentally geospatial in nature. An observation consists of measurements associated with any particular parameter (temperature for example) at a location for a certain time. Each component of the observation can vary depending on standards used, for example:
- Temperature, Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin are all valid measurements.
- Time can vary depending on local sunrise and sunset.
- Location description can be depending on the geospatial grid being used to describe the Earth.
Science can address some of these problems, for example, through the development of standardised units for measurement and by recording a universal time. Also, in general the World Geodetic System (WGS84) is used as the reference coordinate system, but not always, and the geographic coordinate system (datum and projection) will vary depending on the region in the world, and also on the area being mapped).
The necessity to share scientific quality environmental data online for the support of research, policy formulation and implementation and others, has led to the realisation that observations need to be annotated by metadata (data that describes data), to provide more context to the observations. For example, who made the observation, what were the general weather conditions or what datum was the observation location made against.
With EMODnet, EU has gained considerable experience over the past decade with providing users access to a wide range of multidisciplinary datasets at European level by fostering interoperability of data collected and stored by different countries, institutes and thematic and regional data assembly initiatives. In this project, we will be looking at ways to optimise data sharing and user access between EMODnet and NMDIS. In particular it will look at ways to improve interoperability between EMDOnet geodata servers and NMDIS geodata servers. For example, part of this project we will examine the suitability of the following aspects facilitating the exchange and interoperability of data from different sources:
- Open Geospatial Consortium web services.
- Metadata standards
- File format standards.
The project delivers a searchable catalogue of EMODnet and NMDIS data that can be either downloaded or displayed in a web map. This catalogue will exist in duplicate on both the EMODnet Central Portal and NMDIS portal
Project Partners
EMOD-PACE Consortium
*The European Commission inter-services Steering Committee is charied by Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE) and Foreign Policy Instruments. | https://emodnet.ec.europa.eu/en/emod-pace/about |
THE LIMITATION OF PESTICIDE CONTAMINATION AND INTRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN BURKINA FASO
A project to expand information and awareness raising about the pesticide PRECOGRN-2 to two new communities in the Tanghin-Dassouri region brought the total number of villages involved to 53. Approximately 60,000 inhabitants are being taught about the risks of uninformed pesticide use in agriculture. This includes teaching producers about non-toxic, sustainable, and CO2-neutral farming methods which lead, at the same time, to reduced environmental pollution, improved population health, better food security and reduced negative impacts on the climate.
These sensitization and awareness raising programmes build understanding of chemical pesticides’ potentially adverse impacts on health and the environment. Training on how to introduce alternative, environmentally sound agricultural practices have been received with great interest, and follow-up missions to the communities show that those trained continue to improve their knowledge, adapt new composting techniques and spread practices to their neighbours.
The new techniques provide good compost after only two months, whereas old methods took up to six months. Thanks to these interventions, no pesticides need to be used at all in many of the areas affected and beneficiaries have asked for additional training. Furthermore, the initiative to support women’s groups turned out to be a great success, and there are clear opportunities for synergy and sharing experiences. | https://www.gcint.org/the-limitation-of-pesticide-contamination-and-introduction-of-sustainable-agricultural-practices-in-burkina-faso/ |
What Is Population?
In statistics, a population is the entire pool from which a statistical sample is drawn. A population may refer to an entire group of people, objects, events, hospital visits, or measurements. A population can thus be said to be an aggregate observation of subjects grouped together by a common feature.
Unlike a sample, when carrying out statistical analysis on a population, there are no standard errors to report—that is, because such errors inform analysts using a sample how far their estimate may deviate from the true population value. But since you are working with the true population you already know the true value.
The United Nations designated July 11 as World Population Day.
The Basics of Population
A population can be defined by any number of characteristics within a group that statisticians use to draw conclusions about the subjects in a study. A population can be vague or specific. Examples of population (defined vaguely) include the number of newborn babies in North America, total number of tech startups in Asia, average height of all CFA exam candidates in the world, mean weight of U.S. taxpayers and so on.
Population can also be defined more specifically, such as the number of newborn babies in North America with brown eyes, the number of startups in Asia that failed in less than three years, the average height of all female CFA exam candidates, mean weight of all U.S. taxpayers over 30 years of age, among others.
Most times, statisticians and researchers want to know the characteristics of every entity in a population, so as to draw the most precise conclusion possible. This is impossible or impractical most times, however, since population sets tend to be quite large.
For example, if a company wanted to know whether each of its 50,000 customers serviced during the year was satisfied, it might be challenging, costly and impractical to call each of the clients on the phone to conduct a survey. Since the characteristics of every individual in a population cannot be measured due to constraints of time, resources, and accessibility, a sample of the population is taken.
10 billion
The amount by which the world's population is expected to grow by the middle of the 21st century.
Population Samples
A sample is a random selection of members of a population. It is a smaller group drawn from the population that has the characteristics of the entire population. The observations and conclusions made against the sample data are attributed to the population.
The information obtained from the statistical sample allows statisticians to develop hypotheses about the larger population. In statistical equations, population is usually denoted with an uppercase N while the sample is usually denoted with a lowercase n.
Population Parameters
A parameter is data based on an entire population. Statistics such as averages and standard deviations, when taken from populations, are referred to as population parameters. The population mean and population standard deviation are represented by the Greek letters µ and σ, respectively.
The standard deviation is the variation in the population inferred from the variation in the sample. When the standard deviation is divided by the square root of the number of observations in the sample, the result is referred to as the standard error of the mean.
While a parameter is a characteristic of a population, a statistic is a characteristic of a sample. Inferential statistics enables you to make an educated guess about a population parameter based on a statistic computed from a sample randomly drawn from that population.
Key Takeaways
- In statistics, a population is the entire pool from which a statistical sample is drawn.
- Examples of populations can be the number of newborn babies in North America, the total number of tech startups in Asia, the average height of all CFA exam candidates in the world, the mean weight of U.S. taxpayers, and so on.
- Populations can be contrasted with samples.
Real World Example of Population
For example, let's say a denim apparel manufacturer wants to check the quality of the stitching on its blue jeans before shipping them off to retail stores. It is not cost effective to examine every single pair of blue jeans the manufacturer produces (the population). Instead, the manufacturer looks at just 50 pairs (a sample) to draw a conclusion about whether the entire population is likely to have been stitched correctly. | https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/population.asp |
This privacy notice provides information to registered customers, the employees of customers and the supervisory authority in accordance with the requirements of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter the “GDPR”) and the national data protection regulations in force.
This privacy notice describes how St1 Nordic Oy (hereinafter “St1”) collects, uses, retains and protects personal data. St1 Nordic Oy and/or the St1 company that is the counterparty in the matter in question acts as the controller. In addition to St1 Finance Oy (Ab, AS), St1 companies include all companies that belong to the St1 Nordic Oy group of undertakings (St1 Oy, St1 Lähienergia Oy, St1 Deep Heat Oy, Lämpöpuisto Oy). For the sake of clarity, it is herein stated that the terms ‘we’ and ‘St1’ as referred to in these data protection practices refer to any company belonging to the ST1 Group and which acts as a controller in any given circumstances.
1) What personal data does St1 Oy collect for its operations
To the extent permitted by law, personal data can be collected and updated from the file systems of third parties, such as the following:
2) Purposes and legal bases for processing personal data
St1 processes personal data in order to fulfil contractual and legal obligations and in order to provide services and guidance to its customers. The information below provides more details on the processing of personal data and the legal basis for the processing.
The purpose of personal data processing is to collect, process and verify personal data before concluding a product and service agreement and to document and carry out contractual obligations. Examples of such actions taken by St1 include the following:
b) Legal obligation
Laws, regulations and requirements of authorities impose obligations on St1 concerning the processing of personal data, for example:
c) Legitimate interest of the controller or a third party
St1 processes personal data in order to carry out marketing, product and customer analyses. Data collected in this connection is used, for example, in product and service development.
Where national regulations so require, we request the consent of the data subject to the transmission of electronic direct marketing (such as e-mail or direct marketing via text messages). You may ithdraw your consent at any time.
d) Automated decision-making
St1 utilises automated decision-making in its credit granting process to the extent permitted by law. Customers can always request that a manual decision-making process is applied instead of the automated process, express their opinion or contest only the decision that was made based on automated processing. If the offered product or service includes automated decision-making, customers are provided with additional details on the processing logic applied to automated decision-making, its meaning and possible consequences.
Personal data may be disclosed to companies belonging to the same group of companies as the Company, and to St1 Finance Oy and companies belonging to the same group of companies as St1 Finance Oy. Personal data may be transferred to the data processors of the Company and to the aforementioned group companies, in accordance with the obligation to maintain professional secrecy and with the binding data processing agreement required by law.
Personal data may also be disclosed to the extent permitted and as required by the legislation in force, to those parties which have right of access to personal data under law.
In principle, personal data will not be transferred outside the European Economic Area unless this is necessary for technical reasons pursuant to fulfilling the purposes of processing personal data, in which case the transfer of personal data will abide by the requirements of data protection legislation for the implementation of the appropriate or adequate safeguards. In accordance with section 9, the Company shall provide a copy of these protection measures at the request of the data subject.
Manual data is stored in locked facilities. Such data may only be processed by persons who have a legitimate reason, related to their duties, for processing the data.
The information systems are protected by various organisational and technical methods from access by third parties. Each user has a personal user ID and password for logging into the system. Access to the data is restricted to persons who process the personal data in question as part of their duties.
Right of access to data (right to inspect data)
The data subject shall have the right to inspect personal data relating to him or her that has been stored on the register. The data subject is also entitled to receive a copy of the personal data being processed. A request for right of access must be made in accordance with the instructions given in section 10 of this privacy notice. Right of access may be refused on the grounds laid down by law. Exercising right of access is free-of-charge in principle.
The right to require rectification, erasure or restriction of processing
The data subject shall have the right to have any data on the register rectified or deleted if such data is contrary to the purpose of the register, incorrect, superfluous, incomplete or outdated. The data subject may submit a request for the rectification or deletion of data in accordance with section 9 of the privacy notice.
The data subject shall also be entitled to require the controller to restrict the processing of his or her personal data, for example if the data subject is awaiting a response to a request from the controller for the rectification or deletion of such data.
Right to object to the processing of personal data
With respect to his or her particular circumstances, the data subject has the right to object to the profiling of him or her and other processing activities to which the controller is subjecting the data subject’s personal data, to the extent that the grounds for data processing are based on the legitimate interests of the controller.
The data subject may submit its objection in accordance with section 9 of this privacy notice. With respect to the objection, the data subject must identify the specific situation with respect to which he or she objects to processing. The Company may refuse to execute the request on the grounds laid down by law.
Right to withdraw consent given
If personal data is processed on the basis of the data subject's consent, the data subject has the right to withdraw such consent by notifying the Company thereof in accordance with section 9.
Right to data portability
In so far as the data subject has provided the register with data which is being processed for the purpose of implementing the agreement between the Company and the data subject, or with the consent of the data subject, the data subject shall have the right to receive such data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit the data to another controller (where technically possible).
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
Every data subject shall have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, if the Company has not complied with the applicable data protection regulation.
Cookies enable the collection of information such as the following:
the IP address of the user; time of day; pages visited and time spent on the site; browser type; operating system of the terminal device; the URL from where the visitor came to the site and the URL to which the user goes after using our website and the server and domain name from where the user came to the website.
The website may also contain cookies from third parties such as those providing measurement and monitoring services. Third parties may install cookies on the terminal device when customers visit the website.
Cookies on third-party websites
In addition to cookies used on the website, cookies are also utilised on third-party websites to target the advertising of St1. Information collected with the cookies of cooperation partners and by means of other techniques enables targeted advertising based on previous online behaviour and other factors, enabling targeting of ads to users who are likely to be the most interested in the advertisements. In that case, behavioural data collected through websites other than the St1 site can also be utilised for targeting purposes.
In addition, our cooperation partners and we can collect information on the efficiency of the advertising we create. For this purpose, we can collect information such as the following: information on how many times some specific ad has been displayed in a browser; information on whether the ad was clicked and information on whether clicking the ad resulted in purchasing the product in the online shop.
Disabling cookies and preventing targeted advertising
If customers do not want that advertising is targeted based on areas of interest, customers can prevent targeting. When you have prevented targeted advertising, you will still see as many ads as before, but the advertisements have not been selected based on your interest areas.
Personal data shall be kept for as long as its processing is necessary with respect to the purpose for which the personal data was collected, unless the data subject has withdrawn their possible consent for such processing. The company shall maintain the personal data and delete or anonymize unnecessary data at regular intervals. Personal data shall be deleted from the register or anonymized as soon as there is no longer any need or grounds for its processing, or until such processing is no longer necessary for the Company in the fulfilment of a law, regulation or other official obligation.
If you would like to contact St1 or ask questions about the privacy notice, please use this form, contact us by e-mail at [email protected], or by post addressed to: | https://www.st1.eu/privacy-policy |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates in general to a conditioner dispensing article of unitary construction beneficially adapted for repetitive use in an automatic laundry washer, dryer and other similar container of the rotatable drum type and in particular to such an article wherein means for attachment thereof to an inner metal surface of said container is self-executing thus obviating any necessity for the use of external attachment means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Discussion of the Prior Art
In the laundering of fabric materials such as wool, silk, cotton, synthetics, etc. it is conventional to add one or more conditioning agents at some point in the process in order to impart or enhance softness, antistatic properties, resistance to bacteria and the like and to reduce such untoward effects as tangling, wrinkling, knotting etc. Conditioning agents for such uses are well known. Generally, the agent is added to the last rinse of the wash cycle. However, certain inherent disadvantages have spurred attempts to make feasible the addition of such agents at some point in the laundering process other than the wash cycle. Thus, the presence together in the wash or rinse medium of anionic detergent and cationic material often leads to the formation of unsightly, insoluble precipitates and consequent fabric staining. This tendency severely limits the use of cationic softener. Addition thereof is necessarily delayed until some point in the laundering process wherein anionic is at least substantially depleted. Often, the user is required to attend at least the wash-rinse cycle of the operation in order to add the conditioner at the correct interval. By effecting such treatments in the dryer the foregoing disadvantages are effectively overcome. Moreover, there is no necessity for the conditioning agent to be substantive to the fabrics and to adhere to them strongly in preference to the solvent of the dilute solutions of the wash and rinse cycles.
Uniform distribution of the conditioning agent in the dryer whereby to achieve effective contact thereof with the washed fabrics, i. e. fibrous materials in a manner convenient to the user is not, however, easily attained. Thus, the use of liquid softener sprays for direction onto the fabrics or, by pretreatment, onto the internal walls of the dryer can be costly. Moreover, the risk of spotting, staining, etc. due to local applications of excess conditioning agent may be significant. The use of conditioning articles, generally comprising a base or substrate, which may be form-retaining or flexible, coated and/or impregnated with conditioner provides improvement. In use, the conditioner is removable to the fabrics by the staining may be severe; for example those stains developed due to the contacting of cationic conditioning agents, e.g. quaternary ammonium salts, with materials containing color bodies or heavy metal ions such as ferrous or ferric ion may be removable, if at all, only by dry cleaning.
The use of form-retaining as opposed to flexible bases to avoid the problems associated with the structural deformations of flexible bases likewise presents problems. Although not difficult to locate by the user, as is the case with flexible conditioning articles, they must nevertheless be removed upon completion of the treatment cycle. Furthermore, they must be of a certain density to prevent them from riding atop the laundry load and thus effectively contacting but a portion of the fabric being treated. Prior art relevant to the foregoing discussion include the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,442,692; 3, 632,396; 3, 633,538; 3,650,816; 3,676,199; 3,686,025; 3,696,034; 3,698,095; 3,826, 682; 3,843,395; 3,895,128; 3,944,494; 3,945,936; 3,947,971; 3,956,556 and 4,098,937.
To overcome the foregoing, conditioner articles have been proposed equipped with means for their temporary attachment to an inner wall portion of the degree or washer. In general, the attaching means include clips, hook and loop assemblies, e.g. that available commercially as Velco fastener, and a variety of other mechanical means. U.S. Pat. No. 3, 634,947 describes a conditioner article comprising a base of thin flexible material such as paper or plastic coated in a first side, i.e. major surface with a conditioning agent, waxy in nature, and preferably a fabric softener or antistatic agent, and on the opposite side with a pressure sensitive adhesive. The latter enables attachment of the article to the internal wall portion of the dryer apparatus in form-retaining relationship therewith. Expedients of this type avoid to a great extent the problems encountered with articles adapted for commingling with the fabrics. The use of adhesive attachment means involves the risk that bonding strength may be undermined by virture of the high humidity-high temperature conditions extant in the dryer or washed apparatus. Softening of the adhesive may well occur leading to stripping of the article from the wall portion and particularly under the high impact conditions characterizing article- fabric contacting. The article thus becomes commingled with the fabrics. The use of hook and loop means is similarly disadvantaged since attachment thereof to the wall portion is invariably by adhesive means. To the extent that buckling, slippage, etc. of the adhesively attached element occurs, form retaining relationship of the element with the wall portion is not maintained. Such articles are somewhat inconvenient to manipulate since the user must first remove a stripping layer protecting the adhesive. As will be appreciated, the handling of a ncessarily high- tack adhesive under laundering conditions can be extremely difficult. Other methods involving some structural modification of the dryer apparatus in order to fixedly engage the conditioner article thereto can be economically prohibitive.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a fabric conditioner article wherein the foregoing and related disadvantages are eliminated or at least mitigated to a substantial extent.
Another object of the invention is to provide such an article wherein any necessity for the use of external means whatever and as typified by adhesive, clips, hook-loop fastener elements and the like to enable attachment of said article, to an internal wall portion of a rotable drum washer, dryer or equivalent container means for fabrics is eliminated.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an article which may be readily and simply recharged with conditioner by the user upon exhaustion of the prior supply enabling effective repetitive use of such article.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such an article capable of being attached to an internal wall portion of the dryer, washer or equivalent apparatus by simple hand placement thereof to achieve a stable union of mating surfaces by simple contact thereof, said union being substantially immune to the temperature, humidity, solvent, etc. conditions prevailing in said apparatus.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an article wherein the disadvantages normally associated with conditioning articles designed for commingling with the fabrics being treated such as flaking off of conditions, entrapment of the article, and the like are eliminated.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for conditioning fabrics compressing an automatic laundry dryer drum or similar container for laundering fabrics incorporating the conditioner article herein.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent hereinafter as the description proceeds.
The foregoing and related objects are attained in accordance with the invention which in its broader aspects provides a unitary conditioner article for dispensing conditioning agent in an automatic laundry dryer drum or similar apparatus for containing fabric to be treated, comprising a first layer consisting of a magnetized rubbery polymeric material adapted to forcibly, magnetically engage an internal metal surface of said apparatus in form retaining relationship and therewith a second layer integral with and overlying said first layer comprising a liquid permeable sorptive sheet material for containing and dispensing said conditioning agent.
In a further aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for conditioning fabrics comprising an automatic laundry dryer drum or similar container for fabric materials, means for rotating the drum and tumbling fabric materials contained therein and wherein an internal metallic surface portion of said drum has magnetically attached thereto the aforedescribed conditioner article.
The invention is described by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a conditioning article in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a conditioning article in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and,
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a conditioning article in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1, a conditioner article in accordance with the invention and generally designated 2 comprises a base sheet 4 of magnetized rubbery polymer (soft rubber) joined by adhesive 6 (e.g. pressure sensitive, hot melt, etc. to a sorptive porous top sheet 8 having pores 9, e.g. polyurethane foam of the closed cell or open, intercommunicating cell type. Rubbery polymer layer 4 and outer layer 8 are bonded along their peripheral mating surface portions 10 and 10a respectively, to define a substantially centrally disposed free space volume 12, i.e. reservoir illustrated as containing conditioner 13. Reservoir 12 is bounded by internal sidewalls 16 and 16a of the downwardly extending peripheral portions 18 and 18a and inner surface 20 of top layer 8. The generally inverted U-shaped configuration of top layer 8 is for purposes of more clearly defining reservoir 12 for receiving conditioner 14; the reservoir may alternatively be defined for example by a substantially planar sheet material, i.e. devoid of end portions 18 and 18a bonded to layer 4 as described and slightly oversized with reference thereto to allow accommodation of conditioner 14. Although effective with liquid conditioning agents, the embodiment of FIG. 1 is also useful for the containment and dispensing of solid or semi-solid conditioner materials which become molten under the temperatures prevailing in the dryer and in such form permeate porous outer layer 8.
In accordance with the invention, layer 4 comprises a rubbery, polymeric sheet material magnetized by the inclusion of magnetic material therein, e.g. a bar magnet or dispersed, magnetized particles. The latter may be substantially uniformly dispersed throughout layer 4 or in such manner as to provide a greater concentration thereof in the outer portions, i.e. in the immediate vicinity of outer surface 22 of layer 4. This insures a strong magnetic bond as between surface 22 and an inner metallic wall portion of the dryer, when mutually contacted, sufficient to hold conditioner article 2 in place throughout the fabric treatment and thereafter as desired. The rubbery polymeric material of layer 4 is preferably of the soft rubber type and thus sufficiently flexible or pliant to be conformed to and fit tightly against the mating surface portion of the dryer, i.e. in form retaining relationship therewith. These materials are well known in the art and preferably include natural rubbers and synthetic polymeric rubbers derived from homo- polymers and interpolymers of mono- and poly-olefins, e.g. ethylene, propylene butadiene and the like. Hydrocarbon rubbers are ordinarily preferred being of an inert character. The rubber selected should, of course, be immune to the effects of the solvent medium present in the dryer at the temperature prevailing therein.
The material of outer layer 8 may be flexible or form retaining; in the latter case, the layers should be about the same as that of layer 4 to enable it to "follow" the contour conformation of layer 4 without risk of rupture of other form of structural breakdown. The material selected should be permeable to the fluidized form of conditioner 14 and be absorptive therefor. Suitable materials of the form retaining type are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,947 and include, without necessary limitation, synthetic organic polymeric plastics preferably in foam form to provide porosity, e.g. the mentioned polyurethane polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene foamed polystyrene, either open or closed cell, glass reinforced polyester, etc., synthetic sponges, cellulose products including paperboard, cardboard, corrugated paperboard and the like.
Flexible materials useful for outer sorptive layer 8 are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,947 and include papers, plastics, rubbers, cloth sponges, fibers, felts and nonwoven fabrics. The fibrous materials may be natural or synthetic. Resilient foamed plastics of the polyurethane type are particularly useful.
The thickness of magnetized layer 4 and sorptive layer 8 may vary within the range of from about 0.001 to 10 cm. Generally, rubbery layer 4 varies within the higher portion of the range stated and is usually from about 0.1 to 10 cm. in thickness. The thickness of layer 8 depends for example, upon its sorptive capacity and permeability, i.e. in general the lower the permeability, the less the thickness. Thus, the thickness of layer 8 may be quite small or conversely, if highly porous as illustrated, at least equal in thickness to rubbery layer 4, as depicted in FIG. 1.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, a conditioner article, generally designated 24, comprises a magnetized rubbery base layer or sheet 4 and an outer continuous, reticulated sponge layer 26, having pores 28, adhesively by means 6 bonded thereto. This embodiment is useful with solid, semi-solid as well as liquid conditioning agent. Sponge layer 26 may be substantially form-retaining or flexible provided that the impact forces incident thereupon when in place in the dryer, due to contact with the tumbling fabrics, suffice to force the conditioner outwardly of sponge layer 26 and into contact with the fabrics. Particulate forms of solid or semi-solid conditioner are effectively used in this embodiment and can be added to layer 26 in molten liquid or solvent solution form e.g. by spraying, pouring, dropping, etc. whereby to substantially impregnate the layer, and allowed to dry to solid or semi- solid form. Under dryer temperature conditions, the conditioner melts and in such form is released from layer 26. Alternatively, solid or semi-solid conditioner can be grated, e.g. by rubbing and in such form become trapped within pores 28 of layer 26. The sponge material may be natural or synthetic, the latter type affording more control over flexibility.
The embodiment of FIG. 3 illustrates a conditioner article generally designated 30 comprising a sorptive, liquid permeable, continuous layer 32, having an extremely fine pore size and rubbery, magnetized base 4.
This embodiment is particularly useful with liquid conditioners although solid and semi-solid types may be incorporated therein as described in connection with FIG. 2. Layer 32 can be fabricated from the materials previously described, e.g. paper, plastic, etc., the essential criteria being that the material selected have an absorptive nature and be permeable to liquid forms of the conditioner impregnating same. An adhesive 6 is also used here for bonding the layers.
The thickness of the layers in the FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 embodiments may vary as described in connection with FIG. 1. The outer sorptive layer of FIGS. 2 and 3 are usually controlled as to thickness and sorptive capacity so as to contain, upon substantial impregnation thereof, conditioner amounts approximately equal to those required for the conditioning treatment of a single batch of laundry. Amounts in significant excess thereof are generally not recommended in order to avoid the possibility of staining due to excess quantity of conditioner. Moreover, since conditioner may be expensive, it is imperative that waste be minimized. Relatively thin sorptive layers additionally assure dispensing of most of the conditioner during the early part of the drying cycle which is ordinarily preferred.
According to another embodiment of the invention and particularly applicable to the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, outer layers 26 and 32 respectively may have applied thereto a magnetized rubbery layer similar to layer 4 but having a discontinuous surface to permit containment/dispensing of the conditioner. By discontinuous is meant that such layer is perforate according to any desired design whereby to expose the contained conditioner to the effects of the laundering medium, be it in the washer, dryer and other similar apparatus.
The use of an absorbent (sorptive) material for containing and dispensing conditioner in accordance with the invention is essential. The term "absorbent" or "sorptive" as used herein is intended to connote materials of the type described, capable of taking up and retaining up to about 50 times preferably from about 5 to 25 times, and more preferably from about 5 to 15 times its weight of water. In accordance with particularly preferred practice, the sorptive material should be capable of taking up and retaining at least about 3 times it weight of water. Determination of sorptive capacity can, for example, be in accordance with the procedure given in U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,395 which modifies the capacity testing procedures described in U.S. Specification UU-T-595b. Pore size may range from exceedingly fine (FIG. 3) to relatively large (FIGS. 1 and 2). In either case, it is required that the materials have a relatively high percentage of void volume or free space, i.e. at least about 40% and preferably 50% up to about 90% of the total volume of the sorptive layer is free space. Materials having the larger pore size (FIGS. 1 and 2) are more effective for containing solid and semi-solid conditioner agents and particularly when applied to the layer in solid form as by merely rubbing the solid conditioner there against to "grate" the conditioner. The resultant particles become entrapped within the porous structure. Thus, according to the invention, permeation rather than coating of the sorptive layer is achieved.
In use, the conditioner article herein is merely handplaced against an internal metallic wall portion of the dryer apparatus such as the rotatable drum, door, fin or baffle, etc. Although normally attached intermediate the baffles, it is often preferred to mount the conditioner article on the baffles or other raised portions of the interior of the drying drum. Generally, this will be on a leading edge so as to promote optimum contact with the fabrics being conditioned. In any event, experience will aid in selecting the most effective locations for article attachment.
Usually, the article as commercially supplied will contain the conditioner. If not, it may be added to the sorptive layer in the manner previously described, e.g. by spraying, pouring, dropping, rubbing etc. The dryer, after loading with washed fabric is activated causing relative movement between the conditioner article and laundry. The combination of heat, moisture and impact contact between article and laundry effect the release of conditioner through the sorptive layer onto the tumbling fabric. Although the conditioning treatment is preferably effectuated in the laundry dryer, other laundry tumbling apparatus such as the washing machine may be used. Moreover, heat and drying air may be omitted for part or all of the cycle. Ordinarily, there will be about 5 to 50 changes of drying gas in the dryer drum per minute and the gas temperature will be from about 10° to 90. degree. C. preferably from 50° to 80° C. The drum rotates at about 20 to 100 and preferably 4 to 80 revolutions per minute. The laundry load usually averages from 4 to 12 pounds and will occupy from 10 to 70% of the effective drying volume of the dryer. Drying generally takes from 5 minutes to 2 hours and usually from 20 to 60 minutes. Synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester ordinarily require only 3 to 10 minutes while permanent press requires usually from 10 to 30 minutes.
The conditioner article, after use, may be left in place and re- charged when necessary with a selected amount of conditioner. prior to subsequent use in the manner described. Since the magnetically bonded article is strongly affixed to the internal wall portion there is little, if any, danger of unseating same as a result of the re-charging operation, even if such requires abrading contact of conditioner with the sorptive layer of the article. Alternatively, the article may be removed by hand with the exertion of but slight pulling force exerted substantially normally to the plane of the major surface of the sorptive layer. However, re-charging does not require removal of the article. The conditioner article, can of course, be relocated as desired in the washer, dryer, etc. as the case may be, at the sole option of the user. As a further option, a plurality of articles may be positioned within the apparatus to achieve diverse conditioning effects in a single operation.
Conditioning agents useful herein include fabric softeners and antistatic agents including nonionic surface active materials, e.g. higher fatty acid monolower alkanolamides, higher fatty acid dilower alkanolamides, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide having hydrophilic and lypophilic end groups, alkyl (preferably middle alkyl) phenol polylower alkylene oxide lower alkanols, polymers of lower alkylene glycols, poly alkylene glycol ethers of higher fatty alcohols and poly alkylene glycol esters of higher fatty acids. Among the anionic agents are the higher fatty acid products with water soluble bases, higher fatty alcohol sulfates, higher fatty acid monoglyceride sulfates, sarcosides and taurides and linear higher alkaryl sulfonates. Cationic compounds include the higher alkyl, dilower alkyl amines, dihigher alkyl, lower alkyl amines and quaternary compounds, especially quaternary ammonium salts, e.g. quaternary ammonium halides. "Lower" as used herein describes C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl and preferably C.sub.2 -C.sub.3. The term "higher" indicates C.sub.10 -C.sub.20 and preferably C.sub.12 -C. sub.18. Mixtures of nonionic conditioning agents with cationics or anionics of the types mentioned above may also be used and generally the proportions of components of such mixtures will be chosen so as to have the final product in liquid or solid or semi-solid form as desired satisfactorily removable by a combination of moisture, heat and impact contact with laundry in an automatic dryer.
Specific examples of surface active materials of the types described above are given in the test Synthetic Detergents by Schwartz, Perry and Berch, published in 1958 by Interscience Publishers, New York, see pages 25 to 143. Among the more preferred of these are:
Nonionic--nonylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanol, stearic monoethanolamide; stearic diethanolamide; block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (Pluronics);
Anionic--sodium soap of mixed coconut oil and tallow fatty acids; sodium stearate; potassium stearate; sodium laurate; tallow alcohols sulfate;
Cationic--dilauryl dimethyl quaternary ammonium chloride; hydrogenated tallow alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and benzethonium chloride.
Amphoteric--e.g. cocoamido betaines, and mixtures of the foregoing.
The above list is only illustrative of some of the compounds useful in accordance with the present invention. Conditioning agents of these types are well known in the art and others than those mentioned above may also be used satisfactorily.
In addition to the fabric softener and or antistatic and an unwrinkling agents which are the principal conditioning compounds, other components may also be present in these conditioning compositions for their adjuvant effects. Thus, other conditioning agents may be used, including those designed to treat the fabrics in other ways than in softening. For example, perfumes, brighteners, bactericides, solvents, thickening or hardening agents, stabilizers and other materials may be incorporated in the conditioning compositions. In some cases, small quantities of water may be present, especially when the components form hydrates. Solvents and dispersants may be used to assist in applying the conditioner compositions to the sorptive layer is being coated with the conditioning composition. The types and proportion of the various adjuvants used will be chosen to make them non-interfering with the operations of the conditioning compounds.
The following examples are given for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention Parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated.
EXAMPLE 1
A mixture of (A) 65 parts of a 1:1 mixture of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and cocoamide propyl betaine and (B) 35 parts of tallow monoethanolamid are mixed and melted together; then cast into a bar of 20 grams. The bar is placed centrally on a Plastiform rubber magnet sheet (leaving a peripheral edge). A sheet of 1:1 cotton:Dacron 117×50 threads/in. 5.5 oz/yds. is laid over the bar and rubber sheet and the cotton:Dacron sheet and rubber sheet are heat sealed to each around the edges. When this assembly (21/2"×4") is attached by the magnetic rubber sheet to a dryer wall it is found that the product is satisfactory for 40 dryer cycles and gives excellent softness and antistat qualities to clothes dried in those 40 treatments.
EXAMPLE 2
Example 1 is repeated using 20 g. in bar form the following:
(A) 80/20 dimethyl distearyl ammonium methyl sulfate/cocoamidopropyl betaine
(B) dimethyl distearyl ammonium chloride
Similar excellent results are obtained.
EXAMPLE 3
A 4"×4"×5/8" cellulose sponge is adhesively secured around its edge to a 4"×4" Plastiform rubber magnet sheet. The sponge is then impregnated with 30 grams of a 6% aqueous solution of dimethyl distearyl ammonium. The composite is attached to a dryer wall and gives excellent softening of a 9 lb. load of laundry dried therein. After 1 cycle there is still a fair amount of softener in the sponge. The sponge assembly can be removed and reimpregnated as desired and necessary for repeated usage. | |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of efficiently blowing off conditioned air without generating dew condensation.
SOLUTION: This air conditioner is installed with an air guide panel 7 comprising a panel body 9 having a ventilation part 9a passing air blown off from a blowoff port 4 and a cover body 8 closing the ventilation part 9a in its lower end part rotatably to a casing. The cover body 8 is rotatably installed to the panel body 9 through a turning shaft 11 having a shaft direction provided in parallel to a right and left direction A in its upper end, the cover body 8 is provided with an extension part 802 continuously connected to the cover body 8 in a position opposite to the cover body 8 with the turning shaft 11 sandwiched, and an abutment part 13 abutting on the extension part 802 to close a gap between the extension part 802 and the casing 2 when the cover body 8 turns around the turning shaft 11 to have an attitude to open the ventilation part 9a is provided in the casing 2.
COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT | |
The sizes of ceramsite kiln parts are generally related to kiln diameter that is cylinder diameter; the diameter of rolling circle, wheel and gear ring, as well as size of sealing device are also determined by diameter of ceramsite kiln. The ratio of length to diameter is a very important parameter, this article makes detailed introduction to methods of determining the length-diameter ratio of ceramsite kiln.
There are two representations for length-diameter ratio of ceramsite kiln.
One is the ratio of effective length L to cylinder diameter D; L typically refers to the whole length of kiln, as for kiln with multi-cylinder cooler, we should deduct in the part from discharging mouth to kiln eye of cylinder; and D refers to average internal diameter of cylinder.
The other one is the ratio of L to D' which is the mean effective diameter of kiln. L/D can more precisely reflect the thermal characteristics of ceramsite kiln. Effective length-diameter ratio is L/D'.
F is internal surface area of ceramsite kiln, Di and Li are effective diameter and length (m).
Having determined usage of kiln, feeding way and heating method, we should first determine the length-diameter ratio of ceramsite kiln. Main factors affecting the ratio of length to diameter are firing temperature, heat consumption and feeding method.
What need attention is that, length-diameter ratio of similar kilns are also related to kiln diameter, small value is suitable for small kiln, and large value is suitable for large kiln, so that ensure the thermal performances are similar after enlarging shaft kiln diameter. | http://www.china-crusher-machine.com/en/news/200.html |
The residency project 'Wednesday, 29 August 2007 at 08:01 UTC+01' considers ideas of privacy on the internet, the overwhelming nature of social media and the narcissistic need to continually inform others of your current and future activities.
Utilising Facebook's feature that allows you to download your entire history on the platform, during the residency I dove into my Facebook timeline; harnessing the friends I've added, the posts I've shared and the events that I've been 'interested' in to create a new, specially curated, timeline, originally presented on the WUU2 Instagram account.
The timeline was made up of digital images featuring social media activity from Facebook presented alongside various stock images taken from Google search results.
As the residency continued I crafted a persona of myself through the curated content, one that's obsessed with being surveilled and afraid of the government sanctioned corporations that are watching his every move. Towards the end of the residency the content slowly changed, adding in fictional events to the timeline, culminating in the persona of myself quitting Facebook. | https://www.bobbicknell-knight.com/wednesday |
Through this innovative measure, the knowledge of the culture, traditions and practices of different states & UTs will lead to an enhanced understanding and bonding between the states, thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of India.
Also Read : MyGov PM Narendra Modi Pariksha Pe Charcha Contest 2021
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme aims to enhance interaction & promote mutual understanding between people of different states/UTs through the concept of state/UT pairing.
India is a land with a rich diversity of cuisines. Each state, and even regions within states, have their own distinct style of food preparation. The cuisine of a region depends on its geography, climate, vegetation, nature of agricultural produce and also external influence the region has come under.
Today, we find that some regional dishes have gained wide pan Indian popularity. However, there is a wealth of culinary treasure in different parts of our country still hidden from people in other parts of the country.
During the latest edition of Mann Ki Baat aired on 25th October 2020, Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi called upon people to share regional recipes of cuisines along with the names of the local ingredients. We invite citizens to come forward, share their regional recipes and contribute towards Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
How To Participate?
‘Share Cuisines of Your Region’ is not a competition. It is a platform provided to people to come together and share regional recipes of cuisines along with names of the local ingredients, so that people of other regions may also know about them.
Contest Rules
1. Images / videos by the users only shall be submitted.
2.Only YouTube links of the videos may be accepted.
3. Copyrighted images/ videos will not be accepted.
4. The entries will be the intellectual property and copyright of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and MyGov. Nobody can exercise any right over it. The entries are intended to be used by Government of India for promotional and display purposes, IEC material and also for any other use as may be deemed appropriate for the initiative.
5. The content must be original and should not violate any provision of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957. Anyone found infringing on others’ copyright would be disqualified from the competition.
6. Participant has to take full ownership of the content.
7. MyGov does not bear any responsibility for copyright violations or infringements of intellectual property carried out by the participants.
8. The entries should be submitted on My Gov website only. Entries received through any other medium will not be accepted.
9. The entry must not contain any provocative, objectionable or inappropriate content.
10. The participant will be required to give their consent towards use of their images without any compensation.
11. There will be no notification to participants for rejected entries.
12. All Expenses incurred for this purpose will be borne by the parties themselves.
13. All disputes/ legal complaints are subject to jurisdiction of Delhi only. | https://www.indiazones.in/mygov-ek-bharat-shreshtha-bharat-share-cuisines-of-your-region-2021/ |
Summer is clearly here and to announce its arrival, Anushka Sharma took to the streets in a light outfit. Her white kurta over a pair of beige palazzos looked breezy and cool. The little bindi on her forehead only adds to her summer look. Her face was left bare and clean.
Anushka had a busy 2018 with four releases on her calendar. She was last seen in Aanand L Rai’s Zero opposite Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. The film failed to make a mark on the audiences' minds and hearts.
The Zero star has been spending quality time with her husband, Virat Kohli. Commenting on the cricketer, who is currently playing the IPL, she said "You make me such a happy girl." | https://www.in.com/photos/entertainment/bollywood/anushka-sharma-gets-her-summer-style-right-at-the-airport-expect-others-to-follow-361363.htm |
When people with dementia collage (with self selected cut outs from magazines), they often choose the same theme consistently. It's usually based on special memories and experiences from their past. For example, a mother may collage about children and family life. A former accountant may collage figures and numbers.
Creating collages can help us explore memories and messages from our inner world. Although dementia gradually robs one of memory, one's self of self and identity often remains.
This collage uses 1950's Vivian Maier street photography and vintage aspic and jelly recipes to encourage discussion around 50's life and cooking. | http://www.speckled.com.au/blog/collage-and-dementia-care |
This empowers us to develop a higher self-esteem and creates a positive outlook, giving us a sense of purpose in life. Students described incidents in which individuals or organizations made discriminatory or stereotypical statements against their identified group. We report the use of mindfulness as a pre-placement teaching intervention designed to facilitate acquisition of awareness skills in a Bachelor of Social Work programme in a New Zealand university. There are groups that are more vulnerable for certain illnesses or death and individuals that are segregated or treated differently because their preferred sexual interests and habits. Clear links to the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England will be made throughout. It is a mechanism by which one copes. Why is self awareness important? While social work is very widespread, and it should be a professional job.
We might quickly assume that we are self aware, but it is. Self-awareness plays a large role in education because it helps students become focused on what they. It is the embracing of these once perceived obstacles that have enriched my life, given meaning to my professional development as a social worker, and ultimately were adopted as my social worker superpowers. Several students conveyed their dual existence in attempting to balance their culture and their affiliation with their outward association with the mainstream. We strive to understand ourselves, strengthening and building our own self-awareness in the interest of accumulating knowledge and sensitivities that can be applied to positively affect the lives of others. If so, then what psychological processes account for the beneficial effects of increased mindfulness? For illustration, I was diffident and non willing to show my attention towards others in my childhood. As in most social service professions, the field of social work can often times take a toll on the emotional and physical stability of a social worker.
Social workers form relationships with people and assist them to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems. Much of the process of becoming an effective social worker is made up of becoming self-aware. Implications for social work education and research are addressed. This article summarizes recent research examining three primary questions related to the mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based treatments: do people who practice mindfulness learn to be more mindful of the experiences of daily life? Humans are dependent on relationships with others in order to survive and reproduce. Growing up as a child in Somalia presented many challenges, as my family and I lacked access to basic human needs such as a quality education and healthcare. It can not be bought at the price of effort or practice.
I must demonstrate that I have a good understanding of their world in order to develop a good rapport and be of assistance in their lives. In addition to consulting friends and family, use a more formal process at work to get some feedback. Social Work will also involve helping. Description This workbook can be used in social work practice courses, and is particularly well-suited for use in courses that deal with ethnic-sensitive practice or practice with vulnerable and oppressed groups. As Mark Dole highlighted, the role of a social worker is a complex and misunderstood role within a contemporary society.
Even though most people believe they are self-aware, only 10-15% of the people we studied actually fit the criteria. We do not eat kosher foods and rarely go to Temple to pray. Self-interest and moral imagination: A way of teaching social justice. Some students described molding their practices and behaviors to fit dominant norms. This is unfortunate due to the fact that self- awareness is an essential first step toward maximizing management skills.
Developing an understanding of myself will also aid in the decision-making process as well as help to identify the benefits understanding can bring. As a result, I always have had a sort of me-them mentality in terms of how I viewed myself versus people from Mexico. To have an effective formal feedback system at work, you need a proper process and an effective manager. As it relates to this self-assessment the writer will explain what was learned about vicarious trauma. I also think that these tools serve as a great recruiting tool for acceptance of mental health to non-social workers. In the few cases of disagreement, where researchers presented themes not recognized by the other team members, these ideas were not included among codes used in the analysis.
In arriving at this point, students progressed from simply noticing to taking steps toward the initiation of critical consciousness. I may unwittingly hold words that harm them and do them defensive or non swear in me. Being mindful of my own perceptions, background, and beliefs and knowing that they will not coincide with everyone I encounter is an important aspect of culturally competent practice. Preparing social work students to work in culturally diverse settings. Both racial and ethnic identity development are individualized processes that take place over time as a person explores and makes decisions about the role that ethnicity and race will play in their lives.
One of the defining features that separate humans from other plants and animals is the social self. This can happen with encounters with professors, classmates, and clients that work to continuously challenge us to be aware of our feelings. The activity itself is designed to help self-exploration and understanding. Once the feedback process is finished, it is important to reflect on it by writing down your main takeaways. One Jewish student reflected, I have never really felt a part of the dominant culture, but I have grown to value and enjoy being different.
Harmonizing to Sheafor and Morales 2007 , one of the competencies required for societal work pattern is the capacity to prosecute in ethnic- , gender- and age-sensitive pattern. Some of these revelations are presented in the following four subthemes. He should not only be concerned about himself but also for the welfare and development of society as a whole. As an unfortunate side effect of that, until now I knew very little about my ethnic heritage and the culture of my ancestors. The highly self-aware people we interviewed were actively focused on balancing the scale. Many students recognized how white privilege afforded them a certain level of social acceptance. | http://findyourappmatch.com/self-awareness-in-social-work.html |
David L. Trauger receives science teaching award
David L. Trauger of Frostburg, Md., professor emeritus in natural resources management in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment, received the Washington Academy of Sciences Leo Schubert Award for teaching science in college.
Founded in 1898 as an affiliation of eight scientific societies, the academy has been honoring distinguished scientists who work in the greater Washington, D.C., area since 1940.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award from the academy,” Trauger said upon receiving his award. “This recognition means a great deal to me and I thank all for nominating and supporting me.”
Trauger joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 2001 and served as director of the College of Natural Resources and Environment’s natural resources program in the National Capital Region until 2008. As a professor, he taught courses in conservation ecology, global issues in natural resources, field biology and ecology, sustainability science, modern wildlife management, and ecosystem management. Trauger also served as the associate dean for the Graduate School in the National Capital Region and the director of the Northern Virginia Center before retiring in 2010.
During his tenure, 45 students received their Master of Natural Resources under his guidance, more than half of whom were women and minorities. He also served on the graduate committees of more than 15 students in other programs in the National Capital Region, including landscape architecture and urban affairs and planning.
“David has made enormous professional and personal contributions to our programming in the National Capital Region,” said Dean Paul Winistorfer. “He, almost single handedly, buoyed up our graduate program there and established a strong foundation for us to build on.”
“David has been a genuine person to work with these years and we are thankful for his contributions to our program and the many students he has worked with,” Winistorfer continued. “This award is a fitting recognition for his contributions.”
Prior to his arrival at Virginia Tech, Trauger spent 32 years working in natural resource agencies of the Department of the Interior, including an appointment as chief of the Division of Wildlife Research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, D.C., and as director of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md. As a senior staff biologist with the National Biological Service (1994-1996) and the U.S. Geological Survey (1996-2001), he led agency-wide efforts to conduct peer evaluations of agency scientists and to recruit women and other under-represented groups into government. Throughout his federal career, he served as a mentor for more than 20 women and minority graduate students.
Currently, Trauger is an adjunct faculty member at the Appalachian Laboratory, part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He continues to teach an online conservation ecology course for Virginia Tech’s natural resources program in the National Capital Region and is working with about 20 graduate students who are pursuing their Masters of Natural Resources.
Trauger received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate from Iowa State University.
Written by Morgan Zavertnik of Akron, Ohio, a senior majoring in communications and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. | https://vtx.vt.edu/content/vtx_vt_edu/en/articles/2011/06/061611-cnre-traugeraward.html |
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A series of integrals opens this lesson on substitution. Most of the integrals can be solved using the basic rules of integration learned in Topic 6.8. However, students soon discover that some of the integrals cannot be resolved so easily: their tool for evaluating integrals has been broken and they need to devise a new rule! This experience serves as the motivation for the development by the students themselves of substitution techniques.
Teaching Tips
Introducing the concept of u-substitution is a more organic and meaningful lesson when students themselves realize the need for a new integration technique. Connect the notation from our earlier lesson on the Chain Rule to help students identify when the derivative of an inner function is necessary.
We spent two days on this EFFL lesson to allow students time to process the complex process of selecting an “inner” function for u and the associated derivative, du. Some instructors may be able to complete the entire lesson in one class period, but you should also feel free to revisit the Important Ideas and the CYU problems the next day. After completing the entire lesson, allow students time to work together on assigned problems. Group conversations are important and can reveal to you common sources of confusion or frustration.
Exam Insights
Substitution techniques were cleverly tested with questions #12 and #90 on the released 2012 Practice Test. Present these questions to students only after a day or two of practice with substitution!
Student Misconceptions
Two common errors appear with u-substitution problems. First, students tend to assume that every integral with a 1 or a dx term in the numerator of a fraction must resolve itself to a natural log antiderivative. To redirect this, give them plenty of experience finding arctan(x) as an antiderivative.
Secondly, emphasize that the inner function does not change when u-substitution is applied properly. This can be illustrated by first asking students for the derivative of cos(5x – 7). The derivative of this function still contains the expression (5x – 7): the inner function is unchanged. Then show students that the antiderivative of cos(5x-7) still contains the expression (5x – 7) as an inner function. | https://www.calc-medic.com/unit-6-day-13-14 |
Papers are due tonight in my class and I am excited to read them. They were to answer 20 of the 140 questions I gave them that I thought my assist them in expanding their awareness and consciousness. This is an opportunity to see what the class is picking up from the material presented and from their own learning about life. I get to work with these students and provide them with a unique perspective of my being a student of life and an experienced therapist. I very much enjoy teaching at this level with people who are early in their learning about counseling others.
As I write this now I am sitting in my classroom as people are doing their counseling practice with each other. I am staying away from listening in because I want them to get more comfortable. Having an observer always creates a different dimension. One of my fellow teachers observed me tonight (this is called Peer Observations here at the college) and I felt a tinge of anxiousness even though I feel confident in what I teach.
The papers are in and sitting on my desk and I am holding back reading them as I write this. I also got the written report from the peer observation at our break and I already looked and it was very positive. Yeah!!! I feel relief.
The papers will wait because I want to explore this idea of what causes us to be so concerned about what others think? It is like we are hardwired for approval seeking. I wonder if that is true cross-culturally. I suspect any culture that is highly influenced by the West is going to have some similar influences and seeking approval will be one of them.
Why does it matter what other think? Is it because we have self-doubts or judgment towards who we are? Is it because we think all humans need to be approved of? Is it the conditioning of our family and our culture? Maybe we think approval of ourselves is wrong or a sign of too much ego?
My suspicion is that we seek the approval of others because we don’t fully approve of ourselves. What is your answer? When do you feel like you give yourself the approval you want? Are you aware of your own self-criticism or judging? Who is your harshest critic?
Self-acceptance and self-love are very positive qualities. What will help you develop these qualities?
This is a lot of questions and the hope is that we all take a closer look at how we view ourselves. If we are critical and withholding of our approval towards ourselves than maybe it is time to examine that strategy? Are we able to make ourselves a better person by beating ourselves up? My sense is we are just get better at beating ourselves up.
Recognize and change the judging mind, find reasons to appreciate yourself and learn to be ok with who you are in the moment and it all works out for the better. | http://www.explorelifeblog.com/blog/2010/10/5/is-approval-seeking-necessary.html |
The Congress government was present in the Center as well as States for many elections after 1947. The Hegemony should have meant better coordination between center and states. However it meant that the governmental policies saw different execution pace at different states depending on the competence of the state government as well as the resources available to it. The social, economic, cultural, linguistic, caste have an influence on the state politics than the national polity. States also have to implement majority of the national policies related to agriculture, land, education, social equity. Central dependence on state governments is large and ability to influence decision making at the states is narrow.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam [DMK]
Tamil Nadu state was influenced by the politics of the Pro-British Justice Party which was an anti-Brahmin agitation and the anti-caste, anti-religion Self-Respect movement called Periyar.The founder of Dravida Kazhagam party Annadurai founded the DMK which unlike Justice Party was a nationalist party. Along with Karunanidhi he succeeded in forming a popular base amongst masses for the DMK. He was supported by various actors, performers, artists who wrote plays, poems etc. Annadurai himself was a great orator and organizer. Initially DMK had a strong Anti-North, Anti-Caste and Anti-Brahmin approach. It felt the South Indian states should be protected from the Hindi Imperialism of North Indian whom they viewed as Aryans and they themselves were Dravidians.
DMK wanted an independent state of South India for the dravidians hence a seccessionist tendency. They recognised the interference of the North in their culture by introduction of Hindi in southern schools. However gradually this radicalism was abandoned. They started participating in elections and recognised the Congress party. The appointment of Kamaraj in place of C.Rajgopalachari was one reason for this. Also the indifference of other Southern states to the demand for secession-ism was another. The Nehru government also dealt with all secession demand firmly and so DMK had to amend its constitution recognizing India and fully supporting its sovereignty and unity. DMK also accomodated other Tamilian’s like Brahmin’s and worked for all Tamilians. Theappeal of the party increased even amongst urban and rural masses as it advocated rapid economic transformation, it even supported India during the Indo – China war and gave up secessionist tendencies.
DMK began its transformation into a regional party and expanded its social base with every elections. Due to the Anti-Hindi agitation the popularity of DMK soared and congress reduced. In the subsequent elections DMK won and formed a coalition government. The ideology of the party has changed too. Its Anti-Brahmin movement couldn’t change the social order but instead led to migration to other Indian states and USA this dented its image and it lagged in terms of Science and Technology. It had to compromise on its radical plan for transforming the agrarian order as it had to recognize the opinion of rural rich and middle class. It shifted to a policy of reservations for the socially backward but this affected its popularity amongst non reserved sections and also it failed to achieve it goal of social equity.
A split led to the formation of AIADMK and soon there was a electoral battle between these two. Power has been shifting from one group to another every election. The Dravida parties have accepted the Nationalist movement and the idea of United India. This is due to lack of public support for secessionism in the public,ability of the Union to crush any such movement, changing nature of the Indian society and Autonomy to states in the cultural and linguistic domain and so acceptance of the principle “Unity in Diversity”.
Telangana vs Andhra Pradesh
Although Andhra Pradesh had a single linguistic community of Telegu speaking people but there too a movement for the formation of a separate state emerged due to disparity in development and inequality in economic inequalities. The movement for a separate state emerged right from the formation of Andhra Pradesh after the Telegu speaking areas of the Nizam’s kingdom were merged. It was believed that the Coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh were being favored then the interior regions. The indicators of development like employment, roads, rural electrification also favored the coastal regions. There were claims of diversion of grants or revenues from Telegana region to the Coastal Andhra regions.
Although the Government of Andhra Pradesh denied such allegations but the voices continued.The other important reason for the discontent was Employment in State services. The Middle class unemployed youth blamed the Government for favoring Coastal regions and leading to unemployment in Telegana and Hyderabad city.
The Mulki Rules were formed during the Nizam’s rule that people living in the state shall find preference for employment over others. This Mulki rules were informally continued even after independence. However Telangana leaders accused the Andhra government of violating rules related to employment in State institutions and education in the Osmania university in Hyderabad. On the other hand the Andhra government claimed that the right candidates weren’t found from Telangana due to widespread educational backwardness there. The Supreme Court too ruled that the Mulki rules were unconstitutional. This soon lead to the Movement for separation which became popular with Students and government employees too. A wide strike was called and total boycott of government colleges and work. The Movement for a separate Telangana state was also supported by dissident congress worker. The two communist parties felt that the anger against the rural landlord bourgeois was directed her. Smaller parties supported the demand but the Central government took a firm stand to not allow a separate Telangana state. The Indira Gandhi government acted as a mediator and asked the Andhra government to amicably resolve the dispute and redress the economic grievances of the Telangana region. The movement had started to ebb due to fatigue amongst agitators and the failure to attract the peasants. A compromise was worked out and the Mulki rules were continued to protect the interest of the Telangana agitators.
But now the second phase of the struggle was to start this time from Andhra region which was affected by the Mulki rules as it went against them. The strike again was made by the Students and non-gazetted workers of the Coastal regions demanding withdrawal of Mulki rules. The movement also found support from the upper classes and rural landlords as certain rules went against them. The agitation was met by stiff resistance from the Center and State. The Indira government refused to accept the demand for separate statehood. The police took effective action to prevent protest from becoming violent. Finally the fatigue of the agitators led to ebbing of the movement. A compromise was created by recognizing the modified Mulki rules by which all regions of United Andhra would get preference in employment in State institutions over outsiders. A amendment to this effect was passed and this placated both sides. The other reasons for the agitation petering out was that it failed to mobilize the peasantry and people from Rayalseema [Coastal Andhra] too weren’t interested in a separate Andhra state.
The reasons for the agitation being peacefully handled was the lack of secessionist nature or communal or casteist factor in the movement. The main conflict was due to economic problems and so could be resolved effectively. The conflict also shows that linguistic reasons aren’t the only consideration of the people. The linguistic unity shall fail unless supported by economic growth.
Assam
Assam was another place where a widespread discontent began. The people of Assam too protested against economic reasons and not for linguistic or secessionist reasons. The State of Assam saw underdevelopment compared to the Rest of India. The economy was stagnant. The revenues from tea, plantation were taken for utilization in the rest of India. Assamese felt that they were losing their identity due to this. In their own state there was high migration from Marwaris and Bengalese and the control over business and commercial activities became theirs. The other demand was greater increase in allocation of funds for Assam from the Center. The people also demanded More Central financial assistance, Location of oil refineries, more bridges over the Brahmaputra, more industrialization by both State and Center and employment of Assamese in Government institutions.
The other reason for agitation was historical. The Bengali community had dominated Assamese institutions in the pre-colonial times. It was this domination in government services and employment that made the Assamese feel subjugated to the Bengali’s and they felt that their identity and culture would be subordinated to the Bengali’s due to this. The agitations began in Assam over this domination and Bengali households were targeted. The people demanded Assamese be made the sole medium of instruction in schools and the official language of the state. The state of West Bengal also saw retaliatory violent acts against the Assamese. The complexity of the situation increased as Assam wasn’t just belonging to Assamese community but had other linguistic, tribal communities as well. It was these communities that felt disoriented from the main-stream by the Assamese agitations. The agitation ended by making Assamese as the sole official language except in a district where Bengalis were in majority. Assamese also became a sole medium of instruction in Educational institutes of Assam. | https://www.indianacademics.com/state-politics/ |
The National Parents Association (NPA) has come out to commend the government for introducing the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), further promising to move to court to defend the program in a case filed by those against it.
NPA Chairman Nicholas Maiyo spoke when he addressed the press on Monday at KICD after a parental empowerment and engagement forum on CBC, coming amidst a flurry of criticism from Kenyans on social media in the recent weeks.
Mr. Maiyo said the CBC enables children to realize their talents early on, hence preparing them to be productive members of society as they grow up.
“We want our children to have the best education. We can go to great lengths and make enormous sacrifices to ensure our children achieve this objective. But we all know what good education is: good education is when learning increases a child’s creativity and helps them enjoy studying. At the end of it, learners should be knowledgeable, wise and productive citizens of the world,” said Mr. Maiyo.
“They should possess necessary competency in their minds and hearts. They should demonstrate their genuine ability under all circumstances. Their grades and certificates should not be mere accreditation on a piece of paper but accurate statements of their competence in the particular areas in which they are examined. To this end, the NPA shall be forever grateful to the Government for introducing the Competency Based Curriculum.”
The association hit out at a section of citizens who have gone to court seeking the government to be compelled to scrap the program.
Mr. Maiyo added that NPA has since also instructed its Chief Executive Officer to move to court and seek to be enjoined in the case.
“As you may be aware, a group of citizens have sued the Government seeking removal of the CBC. Of course, as citizens we are always reminded that our beloved country is a robust democratic nation. We are therefore not surprised when some decisions of Government are drawn to the court’s attention once in a while,” he said.
“Our concern should only be over judicial proceedings that seek to bury our children’s career dreams and hinder national progress. We thus hope that first: whoever brought this suit bears the interests of our children at heart, is a parent with a child or children in public schools, is our member, spoke to us and we responded to them in earnest and is generally honest and sincere to the cause at hand.”
He further added: “Without a doubt, we will join the case. My Council has directed our Chief Executive Officer to move with haste and ensure the case does not proceed without us. This is because it is not lost before our eyes that some people in the society may come out shouting that they protect the child but bear no interest at all to do so.”
Mr. Maiyo urged parents to extend their full support to the government as far as the CBC program is concerned, adding that it is for the mutual benefit of both parties. | https://educationupdates.co.ke/despite-critics-national-parents-association-move-to-court-to-defend-cbc/ |
I’ve decided to write a series of articles about anxiety to help people feel clear about what it is and how they might go about facing it.
As a practitioner I experience anxiety sometimes. Anxiety is a word to describe how we react to worry, fear and nervousness. Anxiety is confusing because it involves our thoughts, emotions and our body’s autonomic nervous system (automatic regulation). This means something physical happens to us and we feel as though we are not in control of our bodies and this can feel extremely scary at times and in the case of panic attacks, we might think we are dying.
As a counsellor I believe that self-awareness can be the key to choosing how we approach our feelings and thoughts about life. I title these articles ‘Enemy or teacher?’ because I want people to see their bodies not as limiting but as a source of knowledge.
Understanding anxiety
I believe that to work through anxiety we first need to understand what it is, understand how we personally experience it, talk about it, source it, reason it and learn about how to manage it and reduce stress. It can be complex but is not unmanageable.
What is Stress?
Stress is hard to define to whether it is the cause or the response to outside influences. To help combat stress we can try to concentrate on managing the outside pressures and developing internal emotional resilience.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the body’s normal and natural response to help us avoid danger and motivate us to solve problems. It is a response which comes from the oldest part of our brains which helped us survive as primitive humans. When we face danger our body’s physiological response mechanisms kick in automatically causing:
Increase in Adrenaline Decrease in Digestion
Increase in blood pressure
Increase in breathing rate
Increase in Glucose energy release
Increase in pupil dilation
Increase in muscle tension
Increase in body temperature
Redirection of Blood to the brain
These mechanisms help us to:
See and hear better
Run Faster
Think faster
Jump Higher
Fight harder
Heal better
Back in the days when we were being chased by sabre tooth tigers this automatic system reacted so that we could keep safe by fight, flight or freeze (play dead). They are still normal reactions to real life threatening dangers and when the situation has passed the body goes back to a calm state of being.
Mild anxiety can be useful to motivate us e.g. to prepare for exams or run for a bus pulling away. Anxiety is normal in threatening 21st century situations such as attending an interview or being diagnosed with an illness. However, just to note; some people can experience freeze reactions when in dangerous situations such as being attacked. This can be extremely traumatic and although a natural response by the body it causes much distress after the event is over and the person describes being paralysed and unable to fight back and often blames themselves for the reaction that they had no control over.
So when does anxiety become a mental health problem?
Abnormal anxiety is when the symptoms of anxiety do not fit with the perceived danger. We may think fearfully about situations or our environment which triggers our bodies into fight, flight or freeze reaction causing us to feel physical, psychological and behavioural effects which can range from a mild uneasiness to a terrifying panic attack. An anxiety disorder differs from normal anxiety in that is
-More severe
-Is long lasting
-It interferes with a person’s work or relationships
People can experience anxiety in response to a range of things, for others it is a specific phobia of something. Some people experience panic attacks and others try to stop obsessive anxious thoughts by specifically doing things to stop them. There is a whole spectrum of anxiety!
General symptoms of Anxiety
Physical effects
Palpitations, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, flushing (cardiovascular)
Hyperventilation, shortness of breath (respiratory)
Dizziness, headache, sweating, tingling, numbness (neurological)
Choking, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (gastrointestinal)
Muscle aches and pains (especially neck, shoulders, and lower back), restlessness, tremor and shaking (musculoskeletal)
Psychological effects
Unrealistic and/or excessive fear about past or future events
Mind racing or going blank
Decreased concentration and memory
Difficulty making decisions
Irritability, impatience, anger
Confusion
Restlessness, feeling on edge, nervousness
Tiredness, sleep disturbances, vivid dreams
Unwanted or repetitive thoughts
Behavioural effects
Avoidance of situations
Repetitive compulsive behaviour e.g. excessive checking
Distress in social situations
Urges to escape situations that cause discomfort (phobic behaviour)
Other contributors to anxiety symptoms
Some medical conditions (hypothyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, Seizures and heart conditions such as arrhythmias)
The side effects of certain prescription drugs
Certain non-prescription drugs (caffeine, amphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and LSD)
Although alcohol can act quickly to relieve symptoms of anxiety, long-term alcohol misuse and acute alcohol withdrawal often increase anxiety levels.
Caffeine give is a boost and increases feelings of alertness. In higher doses it produces symptoms similar to anxiety, disrupts sleep and can make panic attacks more likely.
Predisposing factors?
There can be genetic links to tendencies towards anxiety
Other mental health difficulties such as depression
People in chronic pain
Anxiety is inconvenient, debilitating at times and can be scary but it can also be seen as a wakeup call to change. In my next few articles I will explain about some of the range of types of anxiety, treatments available and ways you can help yourself. | http://catherinesweetcounselling.co.uk/children-11-and-young-adults/anxiety-uncovered-enemy-or-teacher-part-1/ |
For more extensive writings on Theosophy and related subjects, we offer the words of the late John H. Drais, our longtime Abbot and one of the founders of Madre Grande Monastery.
Theosophy comes from the Greek theosophia, which combines theos , "God", and sophia , "wisdom", meaning "Divine wisdom". From the late 19th century onwards, the term Theosophy has generally been used to refer to the religio-philosophic doctrines of the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, William Quan Judge, and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky's major work, The Secret Doctrine (1888), was one of the foundational works of modern theosophy. As of 2015, organizations descended from, or related to, the Theosophical Society were active in more than 52 countries around the world. Modern Theosophy has also given rise to, or influenced, the development of other mystical, philosophical, and religious movements.
Madre Grande Monastery was founded with strong Theosophical roots. The idea for acquiring land and forming a teaching healing community was born in 1975 from weekly discussions held at the Quest Theosophical Bookstore in Ocean Beach, CA.
Although not formally associated with any Theosophical organization or Lodge, much of our philosophy and practice is based on theosophical concepts and ideas. Monks and Friars of the Paracelsian Order need not consider themselves Theosophists, or believe any particular doctrine or religion, but they are expected to learn a basic knowledge of the principles of Theosophy and the history of the Theosophical movement. Madre Grande Monastery has an extensive library of theosophical books and writings, and several classes are offered to members as well as the interested general public.
We are a theosophical religious order and our intention is to introduce you to a way of looking at the world that unites religion, philosophy and science. It puts an end to sectarian squabbling and instills in you a compassionate attitude to all beings everywhere. Readings and discussions based on theosophical literature from all the major theosophical publishers, with an emphasis on Blavatsky and her teachings.
Contact Us for more information on availability of classes. | http://www.madregrande.org/theosophy.html |
Madhouses is an acceptable word in Scrabble with 15 points. Madhouses is an accepted word in Word with Friends having 16 points. Madhouses is a 9 letter long Word starting with M and ending with S. Below are Total 265 words made out of this word.
Note There are 4 vowel letters and 5 consonant letters in the word madhouses. M is 13th, A is 1st, D is 4th, H is 8th, O is 15th, U is 21th, S is 19th, E is 5th, Letter of Alphabet series. | https://wordmaker.info/how-many/madhouses.html |
—George Freeman, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
The President’s Luncheon on Academic Freedom, held March 12, was the start of a great exploration, particularly if the university develops a serious interest in President Hamdullahpur’s vision around seeking to be a top-ten school, seen in his discussion document “Disrupting the 21st Century University, Imagining the University of Waterloo @2025” where it is expressed as the question “do we want to be recognized and respected as one of the best in the world?” [emphasis added].
This first meeting spoke to the general policies protecting academic freedom at Waterloo and focused mostly on aspects protecting our freedom to engage controversial ideas and disseminate controversial results. I take a much wider definition of academic freedom which includes all three of President Hamdullahpur’s “non-negotiable principles” around this topic: institutional autonomy, faculty independence, and academic freedom”. Although dismissable as just semantics, I believe it is important to not forget those institutional- and faculty-autonomy components. There’s a similar trap in the University of Waterloo Act, where our objects are “the pursuit of learning through scholarship, teaching and research within a spirit of free enquiry and expression.” It is too easy to group free enquiry and free expression under a common mental heading of “free talk” and forget that what it is we talk about has to come from someplace. Academic freedom in the large also protects that place (or spirit).
In my opinion, the history of scholarship demonstrates that it is extremely difficult to suppress ideas and their evidence-based evaluation forever. To me, academic freedom, in the freedom-of-expression sense, acts mostly to prevent long delays and prevent the messenger from being punished for the message. This protection of an environment free of recrimination and censorship is obviously important but not the whole story. In a policy sense, it admits to after-the-fact remedies for violations, something easy for us to contemplate.
I also think the history of scholarship demonstrates that the most powerful known force in creating new knowledge is serendipity. On that front, we don’t seek to prevent negative consequences, but rather to nurture positive outcomes by harnessing this force. If we did a thought experiment where it was possible to accurately measure both openness to, and ability to capitalize on, serendipity, I think we would see our local environment as very eroded by good-intentioned structures for which academic-freedom consequences, in the autonomy sense, were not explored. In the policy world, addressing this erosion ex post facto is difficult. What retroactive appeal can redress ideas which might have originated here but did not?
Waterloo does have scholarly groups which should be recognized and respected as best in the world. These seem to come about either by pure luck or by the hard work of building a group or financial fortress against the erosions. Discussing the nurturing of autonomy might open up alternatives to this star-pyramid-fortress scholarship model and its concomitant defects.
Curiously, through my involvement in FAUW and university governance, I have attended multiple conferences/workshops/retreats on concepts like tenure, academic freedom, and the future of universities, which engage every imaginable type of attendee (faculty, students, staff, administrators, government, industry, entrepreneurs, agitators, lobbyists, historians, futurists, snake-oil salespeople, to name some). I also started my formal scholarly career in a place which was at the time recognized and respected as best in the world. From that perspective, I believe there are interesting and non-obvious things we could discuss under the banner of academic freedom to enlighten our understanding of long-standing problems which may hamper the “respect” goal in strategic planning.
Operationalizing academic freedom, in all its meanings, evolves under the same forces to which every other part of the university is adapting, such as the deprivileging of education, the explosion of human knowledge, the removal of barriers to information, and the urgency of global human problems. Historically, I see tenured-professor privilege as having encapsulated the role of professor along with many academic-freedom protections. I think we’ve adapted our faculty role in some positive ways but not given a lot of thought to maintaining the protections. I hope events like this President’s Luncheon can be the beginning of deeper exploration and change. | https://fauw.blog/2018/04/09/a-view-of-academic-freedom-and-top-ten-ness/ |
Introduction
============
Arterial hypertension is a worldwide problem, affecting more than 1 billion people \[[@B1],[@B2]\]. Chronic arterial hypertension is an important cardiovascular risk factor and associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the general population \[[@B3]\]. Chronic hypertension also is the primary risk factor for cerebrovascular disease \[[@B4]\]. Acute hypertension is not uncommon in the emergency room or acute care setting \[[@B5]\] and can have important consequences on various organs, including the heart \[[@B6]\], the kidneys \[[@B7]\], the brain, and the lungs; associated end-organ injury has been reported in 19-81% of patients with acute severe hypertension \[[@B8]-[@B10]\]. In a recent American survey of patients with severe acute hypertension (defined as systolic arterial pressure \[SAP\] \>180 mmHg and/or diastolic arterial pressure \[DAP\] \>110 mmHg) requiring hospitalization, new or worsening end-organ dysfunction was observed in 59% of subjects \[[@B10]\]; the 90-day mortality rate was 11% \[[@B10]\]. More than one third of patients discharged home were rehospitalized at least once within 90 days, 29% for acute severe hypertension \[[@B11]\]. Interestingly, 28% of the patients had a primary neurological diagnosis and mortality rates were higher in these patients than in those without a neurological diagnosis (24% vs. 6%, *p* \< 0.0001) \[[@B12]\].
According to general guidelines \[[@B1]\], moderate arterial hypertension is defined as a systolic arterial pressure (SAP) ≥140 mmHg or a diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) ≥90 mmHg, also known as Stage I hypertension. This degree of hypertension is rarely treated in critically ill subjects, unless it is accompanied by obvious harmful hemodynamic symptoms. Stage II hypertension (systolic arterial pressure \[SAP\] \>160 mmHg or diastolic arterial pressure \[DAP\] \>100 mmHg \[[@B1]\]) is more frequently associated with acute cardiovascular complications, including acute heart failure, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, prolonged hospital stay, and death \[[@B1],[@B10],[@B12],[@B13]\]. Values of SAP \>180 mmHg and/or DAP \>110 mmHg often are used to define severe hypertension \[[@B10],[@B14]\].
In discussing hypertension, it is important to differentiate some terms. Hypertensive *emergencies* are defined as a marked increase in arterial pressure associated with acute, life-threatening target-organ injuries (Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}), often requiring hospitalization in an ICU for immediate pressure control. Hypertensive *urgencies* are not associated with imminent acute end-organ injury, so that blood pressure control can be slower, over several hours, and hospitalization may not even be necessary \[[@B1]\]. Because there is no consensus regarding the cutoff value of blood pressure for defining hypertensive urgencies, diagnosis should be individualized after taking into account several factors, such as age, sex, the presence of chronic hypertension (and use of antihypertensive drugs), and the presence of comorbidities. Indeed, the same degree of arterial hypertension may be associated with symptoms of acute target-organ damage in one individual or be completely asymptomatic in another. Nevertheless, in general terms, a blood pressure equal to or greater than 180/100 mmHg may require intervention \[[@B15]\].
######
Most frequent target organs damaged during acute hypertensive crises
**Organ system** **Example of Injury**
------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
Cardiovascular Acute coronary syndromes
Heart failure and pulmonary edema
Aortic dissection
Central nervous system Stroke or transient ischemic attack
Acute encephalopathy/cerebral edema
Retinal hemorrhage
Renal Acute renal failure
Before initiating therapy for severe acute hypertension in a critically ill patient, the presence of precipitating causes should be looked for (Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}), because removal and/or control of these factors can prevent unnecessary treatment in many instances. In the patient with chronic hypertension, it may be wise to continue the antihypertensive medications. Unlike some other traditional reviews that cover the management of hypertensive urgencies/emergencies in specific diseases (e.g., acute aortic dissection, preeclampsia, cerebrovascular accident) \[[@B16]-[@B18]\], we focus on the main mechanisms underlying severe hypertension in the critically ill and how a pathophysiological approach can help the practicing intensivist to manage this problem.
######
Principal causes of acute systemic arterial hypertension in critically ill patients
**Organ system** **Cause**
--------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Decompensated essential (primary) hypertension Secondary causes** Discontinuation of antihypertensive drugs
Central Nervous System Pain
Anxiety and stress
Delirium
Withdrawal syndromes
Intracranial hypertension
Renal system Urinary retention
Renal failure
Hypervolemia
Respiratory system Respiratory distress -- Hypoxemia, hypercapnia
Metabolic Hypoglycemia
Steroid administration
Pheochromocytoma
Cushing syndrome
Intoxication, substance abuse and overdose (cocaine, phencyclidine, amphetamines)
Review
======
Pathophysiology of arterial hypertension
----------------------------------------
Regional blood flow and organ perfusion are determined by the driving pressure and by vascular autoregulation, a functional property of vessels that permits blood flow to adapt to a given level of arterial pressure and tissue metabolic demand \[[@B19],[@B20]\], thus protecting tissues against the negative effects of excessive or insufficient flow observed during hypertension and hypotension, respectively. In healthy subjects, for example, cerebral blood flow is kept relatively constant through a wide range of arterial pressures (usually a mean arterial pressure \[MAP\] from 60-120 mmHg) \[[@B5]\]. Various mechanisms are involved in vessel autoregulation, including activation of the autonomic system and local production of vasoactive substances, such as angiotensin II, endothelin, prostanoids, nitric oxide (NO), adenosine, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lactate \[[@B21],[@B22]\]. Endothelial dysfunction also may contribute to the development of systemic hypertension. In this respect, preeclampsia, a disease model of systemic endothelial dysfunction, and some recent chemotherapy drugs that inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), share similar physiological mechanisms for the genesis of hypertension by inhibiting VEGF, reducing the production of NO and increasing systemic vascular resistance (SVR) \[[@B23]\].
When faced with a patient with severe acute hypertension, one needs to keep in mind the two determinants of arterial pressure \[[@B24]\]:
$${MAP} = {CO}\mspace{2mu}\times\mspace{2mu}{SVR}$$
where CO is the cardiac output. SVR essentially represents the degree of vascular tone. Because CO is the product of the heart rate (HR) and the stroke volume (SV), we can write:
$${MAP} = \left( {{HR}\mspace{2mu}\times\mspace{2mu}{SV}} \right)\times\mspace{2mu}{SRV}$$
The vascular tone (SVR) is mainly determined by the degree of constriction of precapillary and small arterioles and, to a lesser degree, by the blood viscosity (k). The vascular tone is an important determinant of ventricular afterload. Cardiac output is determined by heart rate, afterload, myocardial contractility, and preload. Preload is largely determined by the volume status, which is represented by the central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), or inferior vena cava diameter in the clinical setting. Cardiac contractility is difficult to assess at the bedside but can be indirectly appreciated by the assessment of the ventricular stroke work index (basically derived from the product of stroke index and MAP) and the ejection fraction obtained by echocardiography \[[@B25]\]. Increased myocardial contractility can, in principle, contribute to the development of hypertension, although this would only be observed in hyperadrenergic conditions.
Combining all these aspects, a final equation for arterial pressure can be derived:
$${MAP} = \left( {{HR}\mspace{2mu}\times\mspace{2mu}\left\lbrack {{preload}\mspace{2mu} x\mspace{2mu}{myocardial}\mspace{2mu}{contractility}} \right\rbrack} \right)\mspace{2mu}\times\mspace{2mu}{SVR}$$
Physicians will be able to manage most cases of severe hypertension in critically ill patients by associating these physiological principles with knowledge of the pharmacological properties of the available antihypertensive drugs.
Treatment options for severe acute hypertension inthe ICU
---------------------------------------------------------
In patients with chronically *uncontrolled* hypertension, the circulation in vital organs, such as the brain, heart, and kidney, adapts, resulting in arteriolar hypertrophy. These patients are prone to develop organ ischemia when blood pressure is rapidly reduced, even to levels considered as relatively high in normotensive patients \[[@B5],[@B26]\], and one should be particularly cautious when controlling arterial pressure in such individuals. As a general rule for the treatment of hypertensive emergencies, one should not try to reduce the MAP by more than 20% (or diastolic blood pressure by 10-15% or to approximately 110 mmHg) during the first hour, except in acute aortic dissection where this goal should be achieved within 10 min \[[@B27]\].
There are a large number of therapeutic options for severe hypertension. We will restrict our discussion to the agents most frequently used in ICU patients (Tables [3](#T3){ref-type="table"} and [4](#T4){ref-type="table"}).
######
Main cardiovascular effects of the different antihypertensive drugs
**Heart rate** **Myocardial contractility** **Preload** **Systemic vascular resistance**
-------------------------------------------- ---------------- ------------------------------ ------------- ----------------------------------
*Nitrates*
Nitroglycerin \+ 0 \_ \_ \_
Nitroprusside \+ 0 \_ \_ \_ \_
*Hydralazine* +/++ 0 0/+ \_ \_ \_
*ACE inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers* 0 0 \_ \_ \_ \_
*Calcium channel blockers*
Amlodipine \_ \_ 0 ++
Nifedipine \_ \_ 0 \+ + +
Nicardipine 0 \_ 0 +++
Diltiazem \_ \_ \_ 0 \+
*β−blockers* \_ \_ \_ \_ \_ 0 \+
β-blockers with intrinsic \_ \_ 0 0/\_
sympathomimetic activity
*Phentolamine* 0/ \_ \_ 0/+ \_ \_ \_
*Urapidil* 0/+ 0 \_ \_ \_ \_ \_
*Diuretics* 0/+ 0 \_ \_ \_ \+ +
*Clonidine* \_ \_ 0 0 \_ \_
*Methyldopa* 0/ \_ 0/ \_ 0/ + \_ \_
0, no effect; - Slight negative effect; \-- moderate negative effect; \-\-- strong negative effect.
\+ Slight positive effect; + + moderate positive effect; + + + strong positive effect.
*ACE* angiotensin-converting enzyme, *AT1* angiotensin II subtype 1.
######
**Doses**, **pharmacokinetics**, **and pharmacodynamics of the intravenous antihypertensive agents most frequently used in intensive care units**
**Drugs** **Intravenous dose** **Onset/peak of action** **Half**-**life/duration of action** **Metabolism/excretion** **Main side effects** **Main clinical indications**
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Sympatholytic drugs**
*β-blockers*
Propranolol (β~1~- and β~2~-receptor blocker) 1-3 mg every 2--5 min (over 1--30 min) Onset: 5 min Half-life: 3--5 h Metabolism: hepatic CYP450 Hypotension, heart failure, heart block, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, depression, bronchospasm, Raynaud´s phenomenon, diarrhea, pruritus, rash Cardiac ischemic syndromes with arterial hypertension and normal heart function. Avoid in pheochromocytoma crises
Max dose: 5 mg Duration: 6--12 h Excretion: urine (96-99%)
Infusion: not recommended
Metoprolol (selective β~1~-receptor blocker) 5 mg every 3 min (over 1--30 min) Onset: 5--10 min Half-life: 3--7 h Metabolism: hepatic CYP2D6 Hypotension, heart failure, heart block, dizziness, fatigue, depression, bronchospasm, diarrhea, pruritus, rash Cardiac ischemic syndromes with arterial hypertension and normal heart function
Max dose: 15 mg Duration: 5--8 h Excretion: urine (5-10% unchanged)
Infusion: not recommended
Labetalol (α~1~, β~1~, and β~2~-receptor blocker) Bolus: 20--80 mg every 10 min. Max dose: 300 mg Onset: 5--10 min Half-life: 6 h Metabolism: hepatic glucuronide conjugation Nausea, scalp tingling, bronchospasm, dizziness, heart block, orthostatic hypotension Most hypertensive emergencies, good for hypertension in neurocritically ill patients and pregnancy; caution in heart failure
Infusion: 0.5-2.0 mg/min Peak: 5--15 min Duration: 3--18 h Excretion: urine 50% (\<5% unchanged), feces 50%
Esmolol (selective β~1~-receptor blocker) Bolus: 500 *μ*g/Kg (over 1 min) Onset: 1--2 min Half-life: 9 min Metabolism: plasma esterases Arterial hypotension, bronchospasm, heart block, heart failure Hypertensive emergencies with normal or high cardiac output, and aortic dissection in particular. Contraindicated in pheochromocytoma crisis
Max dose: 300 μg/Kg/min Peak: 6--10 min Duration: 10--30 min Excretion: urine 70-90% (\<1% unchanged)
Infusion: 50--300 μg/Kg/min
*α-Adrenergic antagonists*
Phentolamine (peripheral α-receptor antagonist) Bolus: 5--20 mg Onset: 1--2 min Half-life: 19 min Metabolism: hepatic Tachycardia, flushing, headache, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, nasal congestion, pulmonary hypertension Hypertensive emergencies associated with excessive catecholamine levels
Max dose: 15 mg Peak: 10--20 min Duration: 15--30 min Excretion: urine (10% unchanged)
Infusion: not recommended
Urapidil (peripheral α~1~-receptor antagonist and central serotonin antagonist) Bolus: 12.5-25 mg Onset: 3--5 min Half-life: 2--4.8 h Metabolism: hepatic Headache, hypotension, dizziness Hypertensive emergencies in postoperative and pregnant patients
Max dose: 50 mg Peak: 0.5-6 h Duration: 4--6 h Excretion: urine (15-20% unchanged), feces 10%
Infusion: 5--40 mg/h
*Centrally acting agents*
Clonidine (central α~2~ receptor agonist) Bolus: not recommended Onset: 5--10 min Half-life: 12 h Metabolism: Hepatic CYP450 Eye and mouth dryness, sedation, erectile dysfunction, orthostatic hypotension, bradycardia, drowsiness. Hypertensive emergencies, particularly in the context of withdrawal syndrome and pain
Max dose: 7.2 μg/min (or 450 μg/2 h) Peak: 2--4 h Duration: 6--10 h Excretion: Urine (50% unchanged), feces/bile 20%
Infusion: 1.2-7.2 μg/min
Methyldopa (central α~2~ receptor agonist) 250-1000 mg every 6-8h Onset: \>1 h Half-life: 2 h Metabolism: Hepatic CYP450 and central adrenergic neurons Peripheral edema, fever, depression, sedation, dry mouth, bradycardia, hepatitis, hemolytic anemia, lupus-like syndrome Hypertensive emergencies, particularly in pregnant patients. Use limited by adverse effects
Max dose: 1000 mg every 6h Peak: 6--8 h Duration: 12--24 h Excretion: urine (85% metabolites), feces
Infusion: not recommended
Dexmedetomidine (central α~2*−*~receptor agonist) Bolus: 1 μg/Kg/min over 10 min (not necessary in sedated patients) Onset: 6--15 min Half-life: 2--2.5 h Metabolism: hepatic Hypotension, bradycardia, fever, nausea, vomiting, hypoxia, anemia Hypertensive urgencies associated with hyperactive delirium or withdrawal syndrome
Max dose: 1.5 μg/Kg/h Peak: 1 h Duration: 4 h Excretion: urine (metabolites)
Infusion: 0.2-0.7 μg/Kg/h
**Calcium channel blockers**
Nicardipine Bolus: not recommended Onset: 5--10 min Half-life: 2--4 h Metabolism: hepatic CYP3A4 Tachycardia, headache, flushing, peripheral edema, angina, nausea, AV block, dizziness Most hypertensive emergencies; caution in heart failure
Max dose: 30 mg/h Peak: 30 min Duration: 4--6 h Excretion: urine 60% (\<1% unchanged), feces 35%
Infusion: 5--15 mg/h
Clevidipine Bolus: not recommended Onset: 1--2 min Half-life: 1--15 min Metabolism: plasma and tissue esterases Atrial fibrillation, nausea, fever, insomnia, headache, acute renal failure All hypertensive emergencies, particularly postoperative hypertension
Max dose: 32 mg/h Peak: 3 min Duration: 5--15 min Excretion: urine 63-74%, feces 7-22%
Infusion: 1--2 mg/h
Diltiazem Bolus: 0.25 mg/Kg (over 2 min) Onset: 2--7 min Half-life: 3.4 h Metabolism: hepatic CYP3A4 Bradycardia, AV block, hypotension, cardiac failure, peripheral edema, headache, constipation, hepatic toxicity Hypertensive emergencies associated with normal heart function and tachyarrhythmia
Max dose: 15 mg/h Peak: 7--10 min Duration:30 min-10 h (median 7 h) Excretion: bile, urine (2-4% unchanged)
Infusion: 5--15 mg/h (≤24 h)
**ACE inhibitor**
Enalaprilat Bolus: 1.25-5 mg every 6 h Onset: 15--30 min Half-life: 11 h Metabolism: hepatic biotransformation Hypotension, headache, worsening of renal function, hyperkalemia, angioedema, cough, agranulocytosis Hypertensive emergencies associated with left ventricular dysfunction; caution in hypovolemia
Max dose: 5 mg every 6 h Peak: 3--4.5 h Duration: 6--12 h Excretion: urine (60-80%)
Infusion: not recommended
**Arterial vasodilators**
Hydralazine (arteriolar vasodilator) Bolus: 10--20 mg every 4--6 h Onset: 5--20 min Half-life: 2--8 h Metabolism: Hepatic acetylation Hypotension, tachycardia, headache, facial flushing, angina pectoris, vomiting, paradoxical hypertension, lupus-like syndrome Hypertensive emergencies, especially severe hypertension in pregnancy
Max dose: 40 mg per dose Peak: 30--60 min Duration: 1--8 h Excretion: urine 52-90% (14% unchanged), feces 10%
Infusion: not recommended
Fenoldopam (selective dopamine type 1-receptor agonist) Bolus: not recommended Onset: 5--10 min Half-life: 5 min Metabolism: Hepatic methylation Hypotension, tachycardia, headache, nausea, facial flushing, angina, ST-T wave changes, elevated intraocular pressure Hypertensive emergencies, especially severe hypertension in patients with acute renal failure
Max dose: 1.6 μg/Kg/min Peak: 15 min Duration:30--60 min Excretion: urine 90%, feces 10%.
Infusion: 0.05-1.6 μg/Kg/min
**Mixed arterial/venous vasodilators**
Nitroprusside (nitric oxide donor) Bolus: not recommended Onset: 1--2 min Half-life: \<10 min (nitroprusside), 3 days (thiocyanate) Metabolism: erythrocytes, hepatic methylation Hypotension, tachycardia, headache, cyanide and thiocyanide intoxication, nausea, flushing, vomiting, muscle spasm, pulmonary shunt Hypertensive emergencies, especially aortic dissection. Caution in renal and hepatic failure
Max dose: 10 μg/Kg/min (\<1 h) Peak: 15 min Excretion: urine
Infusion: 0.25-4 μg/Kg/min Duration: 1--10 min
Nitroglycerin (nitric oxide donor with predominant venular action) Bolus: not recommended Onset: 2--5 min Half-life: 1--3 min Metabolism: erythrocytes, hepatic, vessel wall Hypotension, headache, dizziness, vomiting, tachyphylaxis, methemoglobinemia Hypertensive emergencies, especially those associated with acute coronary syndrome, volume overload, or pulmonary edema
Max dose: 300 μg/min Peak: 5 min Duration: 5--10 min Excretion: urine
Infusion: 5--300 μg/min
**Diuretics**
Furosemide (inhibits reabsorption of Na/Cl in the ascending loop of Henle) Bolus: 20--40 mg Onset: 5 min Half-life: 30--60 min Metabolism: hepatic Hypokalemia, hypovolemia, hypotension, metabolic alkalosis, ototoxicity, thrombocytopenia, pancreatitis, interstitial nephritis, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia Hypertensive emergencies, especially those associated hypervolemia and/or heart failure
Max dose: 200 mg/dose or 160 mg/h Peak: 1--2 h Duration: 2 h Excretion: urine 88%, bile/feces 12%.
Infusion: 10--40 mg/h
Bumetanide (inhibits reabsorption of Na/Cl in the ascending loop of Henle) Bolus: 0.5-1 mg/dose up to 2 times/day Onset: 2--3 min Half-life: 1--1.5 h Metabolism: hepatic Hypokalemia, hypovolemia, hypotension, metabolic alkalosis, ototoxicity, thrombocytopenia, pancreatitis, interstitial nephritis, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia Hypertensive emergencies, especially those associated with hypervolemia and/or heart failure
Max dose: 10 mg/day Peak: 1--4 h Duration:4--6 h Excretion: urine 81%, bile 2%
Infusion: 0.5-2 mg/h
*ACE* angiotensin-converting enzyme.
### Vasodilators
#### Nitroglycerin
Although described as having antihypertensive effects, nitroglycerin causes weak direct arterial vasodilation, which is observed only with high doses (\>60 μg/min intravenously) \[[@B28]\]. Nitroglycerin has a more profound venodilating than arteriolar effect. In the presence of hypovolemia, it may cause a decrease in venous return and CO; in these conditions, reflex tachycardia is common \[[@B27]\]. Nitroglycerin is indicated in severe hypertension associated with volume overload and pulmonary edema. Nitroglycerin promotes coronary vasodilation without steal syndrome \[[@B29]\], so that it may be used at low doses (≤60 μg/min) as an adjunct to other intravenous antihypertensive agents in patients with acute coronary syndromes \[[@B14]\]. Nitroglycerin (as other vasodilators) may increase pulmonary shunt and aggravate systemic hypoxemia by inhibiting pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction.
#### Nitroprusside
Sodium nitroprusside is a potent and short-acting purely vasodilatory agent, causing both arterial and venous vasodilation, thus reducing pre- and afterload. The rapid onset of action and short half-life mean that this drug is easily titrated, but because of its potency, speed of action, and risk of tachyphylaxis, intraarterial blood pressure monitoring is recommended \[[@B15]\]. The major unwanted effect if used at high doses for prolonged periods (\>8 hours) is the generation of the toxic metabolites, cyanide and thiocyanide, which accumulate more rapidly in the presence of renal and hepatic failures. Nitroprusside infusion also may alter gas exchange by aggravating pulmonary shunt, increase intracranial pressure by inducing vasodilation, induce coronary steal syndrome by nonselective coronary vasodilation, and may be associated with spinal ischemia and paralysis during thoracic aortic surgery \[[@B30]\]. Nitroprusside is now rarely used or recommended as a first-line agent; if used, limited doses and infusion durations are preferred \[[@B15],[@B27]\].
#### Hydralazine
Hydralazine is a direct arterial vasodilator without significant effects on the venous system. Its mechanisms of action are complex and involve inhibition of calcium influx into vascular smooth muscle cells, either by cell membrane hyperpolarization or by induction of cGMP \[[@B31],[@B32]\]. Hydralazine increases heart rate and has a slight positive inotropic effect. Hydralazine is indicated for severe hypertension associated with increased SVR, especially in the presence of bradycardia. However, hydralazine causes a reflex increase in sympathetic tone and can worsen myocardial oxygen consumption, so should be used with caution in patients with known heart disease (e.g., heart failure, coronary artery disease, or valvular dysfunction). Fluid retention resulting from activation of the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems following peripheral vasodilation can be managed by adding diuretic drugs if needed. Hydralazine can have prolonged antihypertensive effects and dosage titration can be difficult \[[@B33]\].
Hydralazine has been used for a long-time as a first-line agent for pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, but there is evidence suggesting that parenteral hydralazine may be associated with more adverse outcomes, including maternal hypotension, placental abruption, fetal heart rate abnormalities, Cesarean section, stillbirth, and fetal suffering compared with labetalol and calcium channel blockers \[[@B34],[@B35]\].
#### Fenoldopam
As a specific dopamine type-1 receptor agonist, fenoldopam increases renal blood flow, stimulates natriuresis and urinary output, and may improve renal function, so that it may be suitable for the treatment of severe hypertension in patients with renal failure \[[@B36]\]. Fenoldopam has a rapid onset of action, a relatively short half-life, no rebound effect, and no negative effects on cardiac function \[[@B37],[@B38]\], although it also may be associated with mild tolerance and hypokalemia after prolonged infusions. Anaphylactic reactions have been reported in patients with known sulfite sensitivity because fenoldopam contains a metabisulfite molecule. It can increase intraocular pressure and thus also is contraindicated in patients with glaucoma. Fenoldopam is not currently available in many countries.
#### Enalaprilat
Enalaprilat is an intravenous angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that reduces peripheral arterial vasoconstriction caused by angiotensin II. Its final antihypertensive effect is highly dependent on the patient's volume status and plasma renin activity \[[@B39]\]. Hence, in normo- or hypervolemic patients without increased angiotensin II levels, enalaprilat will not cause major hypotension. Conversely, in hypovolemic subjects with high angiotensin II levels, the antihypertensive effect can be significant \[[@B39]\]. Enalaprilat may be considered in severe hypertension associated with heart failure. Because of its unpredictable effects, long half-life, and risk of excessive hypotensive response (especially in hypovolemic hyperreninemic patients), it is not considered as a first-line agent for the treatment of acute hypertension. Enalaprilat is contraindicated in pregnancy \[[@B40]\].
### Calcium channel blockers
These drugs inhibit calcium influx through voltage-sensitive L-type calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle cells inducing arteriolar vasodilation and reducing SVR. They are divided into two pharmacological classes: dihydropyridines and nondihydropyridine derivatives. The dihydropyridines (e.g., nifedipine, nicardipine, amlodipine) are the largest class, and members have greater vasodilatory potency and less negative chronotropic activity, making them relatively safe for patients with hypertension. However, they can be potentially hazardous in patients with severe heart failure because of the calcium entry blocking effects. Two agents, nicardipine and clevidipine, are available for continuous intravenous infusion for the management of arterial hypertension. Nicardipine is a second-generation dihydropyridine with high hydrosolubility, and short onset but a relatively long duration of action. Its dosage is weight-independent, easily titrated, and it promotes cerebral and coronary vasodilation \[[@B41]\]. Nicardipine has been used for the treatment of severe hypertension, particularly in the perioperative period \[[@B42],[@B43]\], and has recently been shown to be superior to labetalol in treating acute severe hypertension in emergency department patients \[[@B44]\], including those with end-organ damage \[[@B45]\], and also in critically ill patients \[[@B46]\].
Clevidipine, a third-generation dihydropyridine, is an ultrashort acting agent. It is metabolized by plasma esterases and has few drug interactions, making it useful for severe hypertension in critically ill patients, particularly those with renal and/or hepatic failure \[[@B47],[@B48]\]. Clevidipine exerts vascular-selective, arterial specific vasodilation, without negative effects on cardiac function, because it does not significantly affect preload and induces minimal reflex tachycardia \[[@B9],[@B49]\]. Clevidipine has been shown to be more effective than other vasodilators, such as sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin, in the control of acute hypertension during the perioperative period of cardiac surgery \[[@B49],[@B50]\]. It also has been reported to be safe and effective in the management of acute severe hypertension in patients with acute heart failure and renal dysfunction \[[@B51],[@B52]\]. Because it is a fairly new agent, it is relatively expensive compared with other agents.
The nondihydropyridine derivatives, which include diltiazem and verapamil, are less potent vasodilators but with significant negative chronotropic activity, making them less commonly used as antihypertensive drugs.
### Beta-blocking agents
β-adrenergic receptor antagonists (β-blockers) inhibit the action of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and other sympathomimetic drugs acting on β receptors. As a general rule, the greater the degree of β stimulation that occurs at a given site, the greater the observed effect of β-blockers.
β-blocking agents primarily decrease blood pressure by a reduction in cardiac output (through a reduction in both contractility and heart rate). They also can reduce renin release by the juxtaglomerular cells, resulting in less angiotensin II formation, less generation of NO \[[@B53]\], suppression of the central nervous sympathetic outflow, alteration of baroreceptor sensitivity, and attenuation of the peripheral pressor response to catecholamines \[[@B54]\]. β-blockers reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are of particular interest for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, because they reduce myocardial oxygen consumption and increase coronary blood flow toward ischemic regions \[[@B55]\]. β-blocking agents should not be used in isolation in catecholamine-induced severe hypertension seen with pheochromocytoma or stimulant intoxication, because the unopposed peripheral α-effect could further increase blood pressure \[[@B17],[@B56]\]. Obviously, β-blocking agents must be avoided in situations where a reduction in oxygen delivery could be problematic.
Various β-blockers are available, with different degrees of specificity for β1-receptor antagonism, intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, membrane-stabilizing properties, capacity to induce vasodilation, lipid solubility, half-life, onset of action, and routes of administration \[[@B57]\]. β-blocker agents are classified as non-subtype receptor selective (first generation), β~1~-receptor selective (second generation), and antagonists with additional cardiovascular actions (third generation). Some examples are presented in Table [4](#T4){ref-type="table"}. Of particular interest is esmolol, an ultrashort acting β1-blocker, which is rapidly metabolized by plasma esterases (safe in renal and hepatic failure) and has a short half-life. Esmolol is a good option for the treatment of severe hypertension, because it can be easily titrated and discontinued in high-risk patients or if poorly tolerated, e.g., if heart failure, atrioventricular block or bronchospasm develop \[[@B58],[@B59]\]. Labetalol, an example of a third generation β-blocker, competitively inhibits α~1~ and β receptors, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure by both vasodilation and reduction of the sympathetic stimulation of the heart. Labetalol infusion is useful in the management of hypertensive crises, particularly in pregnancy-induced hypertensive emergencies because of its negligible lipid solubility and placental transfer \[[@B35]\], but should be used with caution in patients with hepatic failure \[[@B60]\].
### Alpha-blocking agents
#### Phentolamine (peripheral α-receptor antagonist)
This peripheral α-adrenergic receptor blocker has limited use in the management of severe hypertension because of the risk of severe hypotension and other adverse effects. Phentolamine is mainly indicated for the treatment of hypertensive emergencies associated with excessive circulating catecholamines, such as in pheochromocytoma crisis or cocaine intoxication \[[@B61],[@B62]\]. It is no longer available in many countries.
#### Urapidil
This drug combines selective postsynaptic α~1~-adrenergic antagonist activity with central antagonism of serotonin receptors, which gives it a potent vasodilatory effect reducing both pre- and afterload, as well as causing pulmonary and renal vasodilation, without any significant effect on cardiac function. It is relatively safe because it does not affect coronary and cerebral blood flow. Urapidil has a rapid onset of action, with good efficacy. It has been used for the treatment of severe hypertension in the postoperative period and pregnancy but is contraindicated in patients with aortic isthmus stenosis, major arteriovenous shunt, and during lactation \[[@B63]\].
### Diuretics
Diuretic drugs provoke inhibition of sodium chloride reabsorption at different sites in the nephron. Because diuretics reduce sodium and water load, and consequently volemia, they are particularly useful for the treatment of hypertension associated with hypervolemic and edematous states. For blood pressure control, loop of Henle diuretics (furosemide and bumetanide) are preferred for their rapid onset of action and high potency. Furosemide may have a direct venodilating effect, although this is debated \[[@B64]\].
Diuretics should be used with caution in acute hypertension, because these patients are often hypovolemic. Use of ACE inhibitors or other vasodilators may abolish the increment of SVR induced by furosemide \[[@B65]\], and the ACE inhibitor/diuretic association can be an interesting combination for the long-term treatment of hypertensive patients.
### Centrally acting antihypertensives
#### Clonidine
Clonidine is a centrally acting α~2~-adrenergic agonist. It is more frequently used via the oral route, but an intravenous formulation is available in some countries. It can be used as an alternative to β−blocking agents, because it associates some vasodilating properties with negative chronotropic effects and is not contraindicated in heart block or bronchospasm. Clonidine is particularly indicated in severe hypertension associated with pain, anxiety, or withdrawal syndromes, because it has sedative and analgesic-sparing properties \[[@B66]\]. However, it should be avoided in patients with a reduced conscious level. Clonidine should be discontinued gradually because of possible rebound hypertension \[[@B67]\]. In addition, intravenous clonidine can induce a transient increase in arterial pressure so that close monitoring is necessary \[[@B68]\]. Clonidine also can be associated with unpleasant effects, including dry eye and mouth, excessive sedation, and postural hypotension. The availability of other, safer drugs means that clonidine is not used as a first-line agent for severe acute hypertension \[[@B69]\].
#### Dexmedetomidine
Although primarily a sedative agent, dexmedetomidine is a selective α~2~-adrenergic agent with rapid onset of action and easy titration, which could contribute to the control of hypertension in withdrawal syndromes \[[@B70]\].
#### Methyldopa
Initially used in the treatment of eclampsia, intravenous methyldopa is no longer widely used because of its adverse effects. An oral formulation is still available, but the availability of newer drugs with shorter half-lives and fewer adverse effects has limited its use.
Choosing the most appropriate antihypertensive treatment in the ICU
-------------------------------------------------------------------
There is no ideal drug for the treatment of severe acute hypertension in all patients and it is only by recognizing the underlying pathophysiological process and understanding the risk-benefit ratio of each medication that the intensivist will be able to choose the best therapy for the individual patient. A recent report from the European registry for Studying the Treatment of Acute hyperTension (Euro-STAT), including 761 patients treated with intravenous antihypertensive agents in the emergency department, perioperative unit, or ICU, reported that nitroglycerin was the most commonly used antihypertensive treatment (40% of patients), followed by urapidil (21%), clonidine (16%), and furosemide (8%) \[[@B8]\]. However, in a United States registry of 1,588 critically ill patients with acute severe hypertension treated with intravenous therapy, β-blockers were the most frequently used antihypertensive agent (labetalol 32% and metoprolol 17%), followed by nitroglycerin (15%), hydralazine (15%), nicardipine (8%), and sodium nitroprusside (5%) \[[@B10]\]. Interestingly, most of the patients in this survey (64%) required more than one drug for blood pressure control. These regional differences are due to several factors, including marketing influences.
Antihypertensive agents for acutely ill patients should optimally have a rapid onset of action, a short half-life enabling easy titration, and no adverse effects. For the patient with less severe hypertension who will need prolonged treatment, a long-acting antihypertensive may be started at the same time as the short-acting drug.
Some important clinical issues must be considered before starting therapy. First, a careful search and correction of precipitating factors should be made (Table [2](#T2){ref-type="table"}). Second, major neurological problems should be excluded. In the presence of intracranial hypertension, every attempt should be made first to control intracranial hypertension before starting antihypertensive drugs, because a reduction in cerebral perfusion pressure (the difference between MAP and intracranial pressure) can precipitate or worsen brain injury. In the presence of intracranial hypertension, vasodilators are not the best agents, because an increase in intracranial blood volume can further increase intracranial pressure. In these circumstances, β-blocking agents are a good option. Third, if drug therapy is needed, it must be based on underlying pathophysiological considerations. For this purpose, one should consider the most important components of acute hypertension: blood volume, heart rate, cardiac function, and vascular tone. Some comorbidities also must be considered: the best example is the cautious use of β-blockers in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or A-V block. Fourth, in all cases, an abrupt reduction in blood pressure must be avoided. In general, the reduction in MAP should not exceed 15-20% in the first 30 to 60 min \[[@B27]\]. A notable exception is the presence of acute aortic dissection for which faster (within 15 min) and greater pressure control may be required \[[@B71]\].
The first question that should then be asked is whether or not cardiac output is increased. Maintenance of a high arterial pressure associated with a hyperkinetic state is only possible when cardiac function is well preserved, because cardiac work (essentially the product of arterial pressure and stroke volume) must be unnecessarily increased. These states are observed when there is hypervolemia and/or increased sympathetic tone. In the presence of hypervolemia, diuretics are the preferred drugs.
In the presence of increased adrenergic tone, tachycardia is typically present. Withdrawal syndromes are an example of this category. β-blocking agents are good options for the control of hypertension associated with hyperadrenergic states. If acute reduction in cardiac output is of concern, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (e.g., nicardipine, clevidipine) may be preferred, because these agents have fewer negative effects on the heart rate and myocardial contractility. These agents provide an interesting option for the treatment of postoperative hypertension \[[@B28]\]. If a vasodilating effect is best avoided (e.g., in the presence of increased intracranial hypertension), clonidine may be a good alternative to β-blocking agents.
If cardiac output is not increased much, then the increase in arterial pressure is primarily the result of increased vascular tone. In these conditions, vasodilators are a logical choice. Venous vasodilators (nitroglycerin) are particularly indicated in the presence of pulmonary edema (in association with diuretics). Nitroprusside remains a valuable agent on a short-term basis in the presence of severe heart failure (because it has no negative inotropic affects). Its balanced effects on the arterial and venous sides of the vasculature make it more effective than nitroglycerin. Its main advantage is its very short half-life, allowing easy titration. Urapidil also may be considered where it is available.
A proposed treatment strategy based on a pathophysiological approach is presented in Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}.
{#F1}
Conclusions
===========
Severe acute hypertension is an interesting hemodynamic challenge. Whereas fluid refractory hypotension is generally treated with a single agent (a vasopressor), hypertension can be treated with a large array of drugs. After recognition and removal of precipitating factors, drug therapy should be initiated and guided by a pathophysiological approach, which consists of the identification of the principal determinants of arterial pressure and a basic pharmacological knowledge of the most frequently used antihypertensive agents. This strategy permits rational management of individual cases and will help to reduce undesirable side effects resulting from inadequate or inappropriate therapy.
Competing interests
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Author contributions
====================
DRS and JLV drafted the manuscript. DRS, ES, and JLV revised the initial draft. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
| |
According to news reports, Pope Francis has commended the bishops of Argentina for recognizing that Amoris Laetitia permits Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics in some cases, without benefit of annulment. The result is that some Catholics are now saying that Pope Francis has crossed the line from doctrinal fuzziness to material heresy. But this is not at all the case.
It is not incompatible with the Church’s doctrinal teaching on either marriage or Communion to argue that, under some circumstances, persons involved in invalid marriages ought to be admitted to Communion. It is very possible to question the prudence of such a practice, as one consequence could be to weaken the Catholic understanding of and commitment to marriage in the minds of the faithful. But that remains a prudential question, which means legitimate disagreement about the best course is possible.
I have repeatedly made the point that the rules governing reception of Communion are disciplinary, not doctrinal. It is impossible to prove that advocacy of any disciplinary approach indicates heresy in the mind of the advocate. At the same time, of course, Church discipline obviously should be designed to strengthen faith and promote spiritual growth, and the discipline in question is clearly tied very closely to the Catholic doctrinal understanding of both marriage and Communion.
The main factor in discerning such cases is that mortal sin requires not only grave matter (which clearly exists in invalid marriages) but also two personal conditions. The sinner must (a) Be aware that the moral breach is very serious; and (b) Commit the sin with full consent of the will. In the absence of these conditions, sins which involve objectively grave matter are venial. Hence they do not render the reception of Communion spiritually dangerous (cf., 1 Cor 11:27).
An invalidly married couple has had children together, who are still at home.
Either the man or the woman recognizes the sinfulness of the “marriage”, regrets having entered into it, and desires now to do what is right (which in this case would be for the parents to live as brother and sister while still caring for their children as mother and father in the same household).
The other party refuses to live as brother and sister.
The other party says he (or she) will leave the family if sexual relations are refused.
Hence the man or woman in question continues sexual relations, in effect under duress, to ensure that his or her children are not deprived of one parent.
Now, even if we argue that the morally correct course is to separate from the unrepentant spouse and trust in God, it is easy to see that—at the very least—this would be hard to discern and, even if discerned, there would be tremendous fear of depriving one’s children of a family setting which includes both their mother and their father.
In this case, the continuing sins involved in the irregular union on the part of the repentant spouse would seem to be venial—on the grounds that full consent of the will to the moral evil of continued sexual relations is lacking. The sins would be rendered venial by either a very real confusion about the best course or the compulsion inherent in the particular situation, or both.
What all this means, again, is that the decision to admit someone in this situation to Communion is purely prudential. The key question is: Which is more important, the potential scandal which could weaken the commitment of others to the Church’s teaching on marriage, or the need for the (venial) sinner (caught in a no-win situation) to be spiritually nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ?
A final point worth mentioning is that the Church’s prudential judgment about this matter can legitimately change with cultural conditions. For example, in a culture which generally respects the permanence of marriage, the potential scandal might be far greater than in a culture which generally denies the permanence of marriage (in which case it may be difficult to erode that concept any further).
I have not yet seen the full text of the Pope’s letter. But the key point is that this remains a question of Church discipline—not doctrine—on which good Catholics can disagree. Neither position implies an erroneous understanding of the Church’s teaching on faith or morals.
To claude-ccc2991: I'm sorry I was not able to make the point more clearly, but I am definitely not proposing that repentance reduces culpability. In the hypothetical case I introduced, which seemed to match well with some of the Pope's remarks in Amoris Laetitia, I noted that the person in question repented from entering into the bad marriage (and so perhaps could be absolved of that particular sin), but continued to engage in sexual relations out of fear for the fate of the children of that union. I did not argue that this decision was morally good. I argued, from the standard understanding of the difference between mortal and venial sin, that the compulsion in that situation reduced her culpability. In Pope Francis' view, I think it likely that this is the type of couple he wants to be in close contact with a priest, who can help them grow to greater perfection, and a greater willingness to do the best thing -- which in this case would be to AGREE to live as brother and sister. And Pope Francis suggests (I'm not saying this is right, but it is what he suggests) that a discerning pastor could be giving Communion to the one who is sinning only under compulsion during that period of mutual growth.
To claude-ccc2991: Thanks for your comment, but you apparently have not understand the example case, which was chosen precisely because it introduces compulsion that inhibits the full consent of the will to continuing sexual relations. The person in question (a) understands that the invalid marriage is wrong and repents it; (b) understands that, with children involved, the best solution is the brother-and-sister solution; (c) cannot implement this solution because the other party refuses it; and (d) fears that by insisting upon it he or she will deprive the children of one of their parents. There can be no question that this introduces compulsion which, assuming sincerity, prevents full consent of the will. In fact, the person would continue to engage in sexual relations more or less expressly against his or her will, because not to do so would harm the children of this "marriage". We may judge this decision right or wrong, but there can be no question that it reduces culpability by eliminating full consent of the will, and so necessarily, according to Catholic teaching, renders the sins venial.
Your example clearly shows grave matter, full knowledge & full consent (which to my mind don't have to all occur at once). Though difficult, it seems the repenting party could refrain from Communion until the children are gone. At that point, that party could again try for marital continence. Failing that, there is a choice. The choice is for sexual relations but against receiving Communion, or against sexual relations but for receiving Communion, but free of the need to maintain a stable home.
To AgnesDay: There are two questions here. One is whether the mere fact of being divorced and remarried without an annulment places a person into the category specified in Canon 915, which stipulates that those who are "obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion." It would seem that Pope Francis either does not think such persons fall into this class (though this has been taken for granted previously), or that he believes Canon 915 can be legitimately revised in a way that permits pastors to follow the course he is now recommending, which would admit them to Communion in certain cases.
Clearly, however, the Pope should address the issue in Canon 915 and amend the law rather than advising a course which currently appears to be forbidden by Church law.
The second question (addressed at least partially in Canon 916) is whether the person in question is aware of grave sin, or indeed—as Pope Francis clearly hopes will be discerned by pastors—whether the sins involved may be only venial because of misunderstanding or compulsion. These factors are relevant because for a sin to be mortal we need not only grave matter but (a) personal recognition of the gravity of the sin; and (b) full consent of the will in committing it anyway. These are the issues on which Francis' current approach depends.
On your final question, clearly a parent may feel compelled by the good of the children not to separate, which would deprive the children of one parent—a very grave evil. This is why the Church has said (most recently by John Paul II) that the best solution is a brother-sister relationship in the same family household. The case I outlined arises when one spouse will leave if the other insists on a brother-sister arrangement, but there may be other relevant cases as well (such as fear of abuse/injury). These would reduce full consent of the will, and might render sins venial.
I don't get it. Under what circumstances does a Catholic who engages in sexual activity with a person to whom he/she has no Sacramental bond considered fit to receive Communion. Why does the woman in question not seek legal separation from her "spouse" and seek for the welfare of her children?
To loumiamo: Good heavens, no. Moses PERMITTED divorce and remarriage because of the hardness of their hearts. Francis does not permit this. He simply proposes that, in some cases, the nature of the sins in some particular situations might admit of a path toward Christian perfection which does not require exclusion from the Eucharist. Dangerous? I think so. But the same as Moses? Decidedly not. Nearly every other Christian "church" allows divorce and remarriage, as Moses did. The Catholic Church, almost alone, continues to stand with Our Lord.
"in some cases, [can] the sins of adultery be venial rather than mortal?" Isn't that what Moses did, effectively changing adultery to a venial sin, but Jesus made a course correction?
To wsw4340: Nobody argues with what Our Lord taught. That's not the issue. The issue is whether, in some cases, the sins of adultery might be venial rather than mortal. As I pointed out, Pope Francis thinks they can be venial either by virtue of misunderstanding or compulsion (much more than grave matter is needed to make a mortal sin). If that's true, a different disciplinary approach regarding the Eucharist could be possible in those cases, without violating Catholic doctrine. Again, to be personally clear: I think this new approach is likely to do more harm than good. But it is not heretical.
To john.n.akiko7522: Actually, you raise a key question. Pope John Paul II decided to stick with the longstanding practice of the Church, which is also expressed in Canon 915, that manifest grave sin is sufficient for the Church to refuse Communion. Two questions arise: First, does "grave" mean only mortal sin? Probably it refers simply to grave matter, not to knowledge of the wrong and full consent of the will, but it could mean mortal sins only, which require far more than grave matter. Second, is this longstanding practice one that can be slightly modified, taking into account the distinction between mortal and venial sin? Not all longstanding practices are impervious to legitimate change. In any case, it does not appear to me that a doctrinal question is involved which merits the charge of heresy. To be clear, though, I do think this new approach is likely to do far more harm than good.
To VICTORIA01: No, you are not wrong about the reality that you should not present yourself for Communion if you are not in a state of grace. But it is only mortal since that eliminates your state of grace, not venial sin. While I am not a fan of Pope Francis' new approach on this matter, it would not face any doctrinal impediments if the sins were judged to be venial. As I said this would be based on lack of understanding or compulsion.
While I see your scenario as a possibility, not a probability. The old adage of letting your conscience be your guide can be very misleading based on the attitude of modern society. This could lead to other changes in a person's mind to accommodate his view of what he considers mortal sins.
This teaching directly contradicts the teaching of St. John Paul II's and the entire history of the Church. Does that mean all the previous popes were wrong? "However, the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried. They are unable to be admitted thereto from the fact that their state and condition of life objectively contradict that union of love between Christ and the Church..."
My best friend married a Catholic man who had been divorced for 15 years before they met. His children are grown. It is my friend's first marriage and this is the love of her life. They are both believers. They attend Mass every Sunday. If Pope Francis himself told them they had his personal permission to receive the Sacraments, they would continue to refrain. They know that marrying outside of the Church is a mortal sin. They understand adultery. The Natural Law is written on their hearts.
We live in an age of statistics. They are clear: artificial birth control is alive and well among Catholics. Now among those lay Catholics who are divorced and remarried without annulments what percentage might also be using artificial contraception? Well, a 2014 poll conducted among Catholics in Europe and South America found "90% have no problem with it." And among those in "irregular marriages" might we hope for less? Just one facet. We seem to be living in a time of delusion.
Long ago when I received an orthodox instruction in the Catholic Faith I was taught that one had to be in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion. Has this teaching now been changed to permit Catholics in civil marriages who are not living as brother and sister and are objectively not in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion? If so does that mean that one does not have to be in a state of grace to receive Holy Communion any more?
Excellent analysis. "Amoris Laetitia permits Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics in some cases." There is absolutely no possibility that "some cases" will fairly quickly become "all cases." Such things have never happened in the past.
Boy, the Holy Father has set the bar pretty low. "Pope Not Heretical!" and "Formal Heresy Narrowly Averted!" are just not ideal headlines.
Per your beginning, it seems better to note that Eucharistic rules are a matter of discipline BASED on doctrine, rather than discipline NOT doctrine, at least to my simple way of thinking. As a practical matter, to avoid scandal, the Church should institute a kind of banns of re-Communion (for perhaps 10-12 weeks?) to announce the news and catechize us properly, & the subject couple (perhaps?) should explain some details to the adult parishioners. Oh yeah, I stand corrected, not that I like it.
It is clear that there is a track record here.. It's at least problematic, particularly when there is so little discipline among so many pastors these days. The Holy Father directly intervened in the Synod to ensure specific language that was resisted by many bishops. This latest letter can't be interpreted in a vacuum. In light of all the evidence this appears to prescribe a new path. And as recent decades have shown clearly, these new paths tend to meander and to break barriers over time. | https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otc.cfm?id=1413 |
Spouses and parents that find themselves facing a lawsuit over divorce or custody often hear the word "mediation". There are many misperceptions about what mediation is and how it works, and litigants wonder how effective it is. Today's blog will answer these basic questions.
What is mediation?
Mediation is an informal settlement negotiation process. The purpose is to facilitate the parties reaching an agreement to avoid the need for contested litigation.
Who attends mediation?
In the divorce context, both spouses attend the mediation, along with the lawyers representing each party and the lawyer designated as mediator.
What is the role of the mediator?
The mediator is a neutral, whose job is to facilitate negotiations with the hope of helping the parties reach an agreement.
What is the format of the mediation?
Two different basic formats of mediation are available. The first is know as "caucus" style. The second is known as "conference" style. In a caucus mediation, the parties are separated from each other in different rooms, and the mediator goes back and forth between the rooms to speak with each party and his/her attorney separately. In a conference mediation, everyone remains in the same room to discuss the issues openly with each other. Most family law mediations are done caucus style, although the mediator can elect the format based on the circumstances of the case.
What about confidentiality?
Everything that is shared with the mediator is confidential by law. The mediator cannot and will not share confidential information with the other party, unless you specifically authorize the sharing. The mediator cannot later be called as a witness in Court to testify about the settlement negotiations or information shared with the mediator. Neither party will be permitted to testify in Court about what was said at the mediation. The purpose of this confidentiality requirement is to encourage both parties to be completely candid in the negotiations.
Is mediation binding?
Attending mediation is generally binding, since most Courts see the opportunity for settlement and therefore order that the parties attend in good faith. However, it is not a requirement that the parties reach an agreement at mediation. If a settlement agreement is reached, the mediator will prepare a document called "Mediated Settlement Agreement". Once signed, the agreement is legally binding and neither party may withdraw from the agreement.
If you are contemplating a divorce, mediation will probably be in your future. It is important that you have the expert guidance of an experienced family attorney on your side. The attorneys of Christiansen Law Firm have handled hundreds of divorces and mediation, and can assist with your case. For additional information, contact the offices of Christiansen Law Firm in Houston or San Antonio. | https://www.christiansenfirm.com/blog/what-mediation-0 |
The Senior Compliance Manager will be an integral part of the firm’s Legal and Compliance Department (“Department”) and will report to the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer (“Deputy CCO”). The Department has a Charles River Development (“CRD”) Compliance Group with 11 compliance professionals whose primary responsibility is to oversee the firm’s compliance with its clients’ investment guidelines and restrictions through CRD. In addition to the oversight of new and amended client guidelines of existing product lines, there is a need to ensure that the firm takes prompt and appropriate action to address potential or actual violations of client guidelines in order to protect the client’s best interest, and to mitigate the firm’s liability for such. The Senior Compliance Manager will work closely with the existing Senior Compliance Manager to co-manage the CRD Compliance Group, and to implement new compliance initiatives for the firm by managing projects for the group that enhance existing or implement new functionality in CRD.
In addition to co-managing the CRD Compliance Group, the Senior Compliance Manager will assist the Deputy CCO with the due diligence that is performed in order to approve and implement new derivatives instruments, private placements, new country investments and other ad hoc projects. The Firm has adopted Derivatives and Unique Securities Policies and Procedures that set forth the firm’s requirements relating to transacting in new derivatives and unique securities (“New Instrument(s)”) for client accounts. The firm’s Risk Management Committee has created a sub-committee called the New Instrument Committee, which is comprised of senior representatives from Product Management, Trading, Pricing, Technology, Operations, Risk Management, and Compliance, and is co-chaired by the Chief Investment Risk Officer, the Director of Operations Technology and the Deputy CCO. The Senior Compliance Manager will assist the Deputy CCO in ensuring that all issues involved with the introduction of New Instruments have been identified, satisfied and captured in the New Instrument Due Diligence Form for review and approval by the firm’s Risk Management Committee.
Responsibilities
CRD Compliance Team Management Responsibilities
• Directly supervising Compliance Managers
• Manage projects for CRD related projects under his/her direct reports by ensuring that the projects satisfy required deadlines and its intended objectives to minimizes firm risk
• Work with members of the CRD Compliance Group to ensure timely and appropriate responses to the CRD Alerts reviewed by the Compliance Specialist
• Review, analyze and interpret restrictions found in client contracts and investment guidelines
• Review and validate CRD rule coding
• Work with members of the investment teams (Portfolio Managers, Portfolio Specialists, Traders and/or Client Service Representatives) to cure guideline issues in a manner consistent with The Firms’ fiduciary duty to its clients and draft error notification letters
• Work closely with Portfolio Managers and Client Service Representatives to seek guideline clarifications, amendments, and waivers from clients, as necessary
• Create reports for Senior Management to escalate outstanding guideline issues and CRD system related issues, as necessary and appropriate
• Back up the existing Senior Compliance Manager as necessary
New Derivatives, Complex Instruments and Private Placements
New Derivatives and Complex Instruments
• Set up, schedule, and take minutes for New Instrument Committee meetings. Track requests and status of new instrument implementations and compile materials for the meetings
• Establish and track deadlines for task completion for New Instrument implementations and identify any gaps in the process
• Follow up with senior representatives from all departments regarding outstanding issues that impact the implementation and completion of the New Instrument Due Diligence Form
• Identify accounts that need guideline revisions to invest in the New Instrument and coordinate internally with Client Services to obtain necessary client approvals
• Ensure that the manner in which the New Instrument will be treated for guideline purposes has been determined and that the coding of applicable rules has been completed and tested
• Follow up with Legal and Client Intake on the status of legal documents (e.g. ISDAs, borrowing agreements, etc.) required to implement certain New Instruments
• Work with senior members of the fund complex (40 Act and UCITS) to obtain Fund Board and/or regulatory approval to invest in New Instruments for proprietary funds. Complete any due diligence documentation required
• Update the Compliance Manual Policies and Procedures such as, Forward Obligation Cover Procedures and Liquidity Procedures, as necessary
Private Placement Deals
• Review offering documents, term sheets and other issuer documents for compliance with client guidelines, regulatory requirements, issuer imposed requirements, conflict of interest issues and tax requirements
• Work closely with Portfolio Managers, Operations and Trading to ensure that security set up, physical settlement, compliance treatment and pricing aspects of a privately placed negotiated deal are accurate and coordinated for deal closing
• Work with issuers to provide underlying clients with necessary tax documents for instruments with unique tax treatment
• Complete private placement due diligence forms, as necessary
• Review security fair valuation pricing forms and participate on monthly issuer calls, as necessary. | http://forum.regcompliancewatch.com/discussion/1594/job-opening |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a modular vehicle body and more particularly to a roof structure for a modular vehicle body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Unitized bodies have been used for many of automobiles, particularly for most passenger cars. The unitized bodies however have a difficulty in installation of components and inspection of same since access to the spaces for disposition of the components is obstructed by the body section enclosing the spaces. For example, installation of some devices, components for upholsteries requires a worker to get into a vehicle cabin or to get his hands into a vehicle cabin through an opening of a vehicle body, resulting in the necessity of an awkward, difficult and time- consuming work and therefore an expensive assembly work.
A roof structure of a modular vehicle body has a problem how to increase the assembling efficiency and to improve the appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel roof structure for a modular vehicle body.
The roof structure comprises roof rail means having a plurality of joining surfaces which are nearly flush with and extend consecutively from each other, a sealant adhesive applied to the joining surfaces of the roof rail means, a roof assembly having at the periphery thereof a joining surface lapped on the joining surface of the roof rail means with the sealant adhesive being interposed therebetween, and mechanical fastening means for mechanically fastening the joining surface of the roof assembly to the joining surfaces of the roof rail means.
In one form of the invention, the roof assembly comprises a roof panel which has an end portion consisting of a depending wall and a substantially horizontal flange extending outwardly from the lower end of the depending wall. The horizontal flange has an inside surface which constitutes part of the joining surface of the roof assembly. The roof rail means comprises a flange on which the flange of the roof panel is lapped. The flange of the roof rail means has an outside surface which constitutes part of the joining surfaces of the roof rail means. The mechanical fastening means comprises a plurality of bolts and nuts. The flange of the roof rail means has an inside surface to which the nuts are secured. The bolts are screwed into the nuts in such a manner as to have bolt heads disposed outside of the roof panel and the roof side rail. The roof assembly further comprises a moulding extending between the roof panel and the roof side rail to cover the bolt heads.
The above structure is quite effective for solving the above noted problems inherent in the prior art vehicle bodies.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel roof structure for a modular vehicle body which can be assembled with ease and efficiency without deteriorating the appearance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel roof structure which can attain an assured seal thereof with ease and efficiency.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel roof structure which is suited for manufacture and assembly using robots.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel roof structure which is particularly suited for a modular vehicle body.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel roof structure which makes it possible to attain various types of vehicles with ease and efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a principal portion of a roof structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a roof side rail and a front roof rail of the roof structure of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a modular vehicle body structure;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV--IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI--VI of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a roof structure of this invention is embodied in a 2-door sedan hatchback type vehicle shown in FIG. 3 for the purpose of illustration only. FIG. 1 is an enlarged, exploded perspective view of the portion "A" of FIG. 3. FIG. 2 shows a partly assembled state of the roof structure of FIG. 1.
A vehicle body 1 shown in FIG. 3 is a modular vehicle body and consists of an engine compartment assembly 3, floor assembly 5, a pair of body side assemblies though only one 7 is shown, and a roof assembly 9. The assemblies are fastened together with bolts and nuts.
The roof assembly 9 mainly consists of a roof panel 11. The roof panel 11 has at each laterally opposed ends thereof a depending wall 12 and a horizontal flange 13 projecting outwardly from the lower end of the depending wall 12. The horizontal flange 13 is enlongated in the fore- and- aft direction of the vehicle body. The inside surface of each horizontal flange 13 is adapted to constitute part of a joining surface 15 of the roof panel 11.
The roof panel 11 is provided with a retainer 17 which is secured to the front end inside surface thereof to project rearwardly therefrom. The retainer 17 is also secured at each laterally opposed end thereof to the front end of the horizontal flange 13. The inside surface of the retainer 17 constitutes part of the joining surface 15 of the roof panel 11. A plurality of bolts 18 are secured to the retainer 17 in such a manner as to project downwardly from the inside surface thereof.
The front end portion of the flange 13 and the lateral end portion of the retainer 17 which are lapped one upon another are formed with a bolt hole 19 extending therethrough. The flange 13 is also formed with bolt holes 21 arranged at a predetermined interval in the fore-and- aft direction of the vehicle body though only one is shown.
The rear end of the roof panel 11 is provided with a retainer (not shown) similarly to the front end thereof.
Each body side assembly 7 has a roof side rail 23. The roof side rails 23 are interconnected at the front ends by a front roof rail 25 and at the rear ends by a rear roof rail (not shown).
The roof side rail 23 consists of a roof side rail inner 27 and a roof side rail outer 29 which are joined together to have a box-like closed section. The roof side rail 23 has a joining flange 31 at which the roof side rail inner 27 and the roof side rail outer 29 are joined together. The joining flange 31 has on the outside thereof a joining surface 33 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body. The joining surface 33, as shown in FIG. 1, is formed with holes 35 which are aligned with the bolt holes 19 and 21 of the roof assembly 9. Nuts 37 are welded to the inside surface of the flange 31 in such a way as to be aligned with the holes 35, respectively. The roof side rail 23 has at the front end thereof a joining portion 39 projecting laterally inwardly therefrom for joining with the front roof rail 25. The joining portion 39 is constituted by extensions of the roof side rail inner 27 and the roof side rail outer 29 extending laterally inwardly of the vehicle body, which extension of the roof side rail inner 27 is a little longer than the extension of the roof side rail outer 29. The extension of the roof side rail inner 27 is formed at its inner flange 27a with an emboss 41. The extension of the roof side rail outer 29 is formed with bolt holes 43. The roof side rail inner 27 is formed with access holes 45 which are aligned with the bolt holes 43. The extension of the roof side rail inner 27 is provided with bolts 47 secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom.
A front pillar 49 extends consecutively from the front end of the roof side rail 23. A center pillar 51 and a rear pillar 53 extends consecutively and integrally from the rearward part of the roof side rail 23. The roof side rail 23, front pillar 49, center pillar 51 and the rear pillar 53 constitute the body side assembly 7. The body side assembly 7 further includes a side sill 52 and a rear fender 54 integrally and is equipped with upholsteries as trim members to constitute an independent section for the modular vehicle body.
The front roof rail 25, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, consists of a front roof rail upper 55 and a front roof rail lower 57 which are welded together to constitute a box-like closed section. The laterally opposed ends of the front roof rail 25 are so structured that the front roof rail upper 55 projects laterally more outward than the front roof rail lower 57. The front roof rail upper 55 has a stepped outer surface including a higher rear surface portion 59 and a lower front surface portion 61. The lower surface portion 61 is substantially horizontal. Bolts 63 are secured to each lateral end portions of the front roof rail upper 55 to project downwardly therefrom. Each lateral end portion of the front roof rail lower 57 is formed with bolt holes 65. The front roof rail upper 55 is formed with access holes 67 which are aligned with the bolt holes 65. The front roof rail upper 55 is further formed with bolt holes 69 which are aligned with the bolts 18 of the roof assembly 9. The front roof rail lower 57 is formed with access holes 71 which are aligned with the bolt holes 69.
Each lateral end of the front roof rail 25 is matched with the joining portion 39 at the front end of the roof side rail 23, allowing the bolts 63 to be inserted into the bolt holes 43 while at the same time the bolts 47 to be inserted into the bolt holes 65. Nuts (not shown) are then screwed onto the bolts 47 and 63 by access thereto through the access holes 45 and 67 and tightened to secure each lateral end of the front roof rail 25 to the joining portion 39 at the front end of the roof side rail 23.
By the above connection, the front roof rail upper 55 and the front roof rail lower 57 are respectively matched with the roof side rail outer 29 and the roof side rail inner 27 at the joining portion 39 to form such a structure shown in FIG. 2 and in which the joining surface 33 of the roof side rail 23 is substantially flush with and extends consecutively from the attaching surface 61 of the front roof rail 25.
The emboss 41 at the joining portion 39 is adapted to contact the inside surface of the front roof rail 25 at a portion opposite to a lateral end of the higher rear surface portion 59 thereof for thereby locating the front roof rail 25 relative to the roof side rail 23. Though not shown, the rear roof rail is joined at each lateral end with the rear ends of the roof side rails 23 in the manner similar to that described as above with respect to the front roof rail 25.
After the roof side rail 23 and the front roof rail 25 are joined together in the above mentioned manner to make the joining surfaces 33 and 61 nearly flush with and extend consecutively from each other, sealing adhesive 73 is applied to the joining surfaces 33 and 61. Thereafter, the joining surface 15 of the roof assembly 9 is placed on the joining surfaces 33 and 61. Bolts 75 are screwed into the nuts 37 through the bolt holes 19 and 21 for thereby fastening each flange 13 to each roof side rail 23. In this instance, the bolts 75 have bolt heads disposed outside of the roof panel 11 and the roof side rail 23.
As shown in FIG. 5, the retainer 17 has bolts 18 welded thereto and projecting downwardly therefrom. In assembly, the bolts 18 are inserted into the bolt holes 56 whilst the nuts 77 is screwed onto the bolts 18 by access thereto through the access holes 71, whereby to fasten the roof assembly 9 to the front roof rail 25.
The roof assembly 9 is fastened at the rear end portion of each flange 13 to the rear end portion of the joining surface 33 with bolts 75 and nuts 37 as shown in FIG. 6. Though not shown, the rear end of the roof assembly 9 is fastened with bolts and nuts to the rear roof rail in the manner similar to that described with reference to the front end of the roof assembly 9. A windshield glass 79 is bonded with a sealant adhesive 81 to a windshield frame 78 constituted by the front roof rail 25, front pillars 49, etc. as shown in FIG. 5.
The front pillar 49 and the roof side rail 23 are covered by a pillar cover 83. The pillar cover 83 is fastened at a flange 85 to the flange 13 of the roof assembly 9 and the flange 31 of the roof side rail 23 with the bolts 75 and the nuts 37 and at an opposite flange 87 to the outside surface of the roof side rail 23 together with a roof drip moulding 91 with bolts 89 and nuts 90 as shown in FIG. 4. The pillar cover 83 is fastened to the front pillar 49 in the similar manner as above. The outer surface of the rear pillar 53 is covered by a rear fender outer 88. The rear pillar 53 and the rear fender outer 88 are fastened at the upper flanges thereof to the flanges 13 and 31 with the bolts 75 and nuts 37.
The head portions of the bolts 75 are covered by a moulding 93 extending between the roof panel 11 and the pillar cover 83 and between the roof panel 11 and the rear fender outer 88. The moulding 93 is connected through a moulding joint 95 shown in FIG. 1 to a moulding 97 extending between the front pillar 49 and the windshield glass 79. The moulding joint 95 is also connected to a moulding 22 at the front end of the roof panel 11. The moulding 22 is secured to the front end of the roof panel 11 to project forwardly therefrom to cover an upper end portion of the windshield glass 79.
The engine compartment assembly 3 is equipped with, prior to being joined with other assemblies, a power unit, front suspension, etc. so as to constitute an engine compartment module. The floor assembly 5 mainly consists of a floor panel and is equipped with seats, suspensions, etc. so as to constitute a floor module.
The roof structure described above is assembled in the following manner.
The engine compartment assembly 3, floor assembly 5, body side assemblies 7 and the roof assembly 9 are prepared independently, i.e., fabricated and assembled independently. The assemblies are then painted and equipped with devices, components and upholsteries, independently so as to constitute independent vehicle sections, i.e., vehicle modules. In this instance, it is to be noted that automatic vehicle assembly using robots can be attained with ease in case of the above described modular vehicle structure since the assemblies are accessible from all sides thereof in order to perform installation and inspection of devices, components, upholsteries, etc. thereof.
The engine compartment assembly 3 and the floor assembly 5 are first fastened together and then joined with the roof side assemblies 7. The front roof rail 25 is fastened to the joining portion 39 at the front end of the roof side rail 23 in the above described manner while at the same time the rear roof rail, though not shown, is fastened to the rear ends of the roof side rails 23. The windshield glass 79 is secured to the windshield frame 78.
The sealant adhesive 73 is applied, as shown in FIG. 2, to the joining surfaces 33 and 61 which are arranged to be nearly flush with and extend continuously from each other when the roof side rail 23 and the front roof rail 25 are joined together. In this instance, the sealant adhesive 73 does not flow out of place but held in place stationarily since the joining surfaces 33 and 61 are substantially horizontal. The joining surface 15 of the roof assembly 9 is then placed on the joining surfaces 33 and 61 to be fastened to same, whereby not only installation but also sealing of the roof assembly 9 is attained at the same time, thus making it possible to attain installation of the roof assembly 8 with ease and efficiency. In this connection, it will be understood that in installation of the roof assembly 9 there is no possibility of spattering of sealant adhesive on the surface of the roof panel, etc. since there is no need of applying sealant adhesive after installation of the roof assembly 9 but the sealant adhesive is applied prior to installation of the roof assembly 9 and further since there is no need of using a seal gun which is liable to spatter sealant adhesive on the roof panel 11, thus making the assembly work more efficient and easier. It will be further understood that the roof structure of this invention can attain an assured seal thereof since the sealing is adapted to be performed on the smoothly consecutive surfaces 33 and 61.
The pillar cover 83 and the rear fender outer 88 are installed in place simultaneously with the fastening of the roof assembly 9 and the roof side rail 23. Thereafter, the moulding 93 and 97 which are connected by the moulding joint 95 is installed. Doors 98 and a hatchback door (not shown) are installed later.
From the foregoing, it will be understood that the roof structure of this invention makes it possible to attain various kinds of vehicles with ease and efficiency since the roof assembly is replaceable with another kind.
While the present invention has been described and shown as being applied to a modular vehicle body consisting of a plurality of vehicle modules, this is not limitative but it may be applied to, for example, a vehicle body in which only a roof is modularized.
It will be further understood that the present invention is not limited to a vehicle of a 2-door sedan hatchback type but can be applied to various types other than the type shown. | |
Caterpillar has announced the release of an updated telehandler TH514C powered by a Tier 4-Interim Cat C3.4B engine producing 101 hp. The machine has an operating weigh of 11.29 tons, a maximum lift height with stabilizer down of 13.7 m and a rated load capacity of 4.99 tons. With a standard Integrated-Tool-Carrier coupler, as well as hydraulic coupler, the operator from the cab can change non-powered attachments.
The Caterpillar TH514C hydraulic system is equipped with a variable-displacement, load-sensing, axial-piston pump with a maximum flow of 150 l/min at 250 bar.
Cat TH514C Specifications: | http://www.mainpump.com/news/warehouse/6308.htm |
Having been delayed from the initial schedule, the new dates for C3 AFA Jakarta 2018 has been announced. The official website mentions that the event will be held on Friday to Sunday, 31 August to 2 September 2018. The website also mentions that the venue for C3 AFA Jakarta is still yet to be announced.
C3 AFA Jakarta was originally scheduled on 3-5 August 2018. Later, AFA social media account announced that the dates for C3 AFA Jakarta will be changed due to unforeseen circumstances, while the dates for C3 AFA Singapore remain unchanged.
Anime Festival Asia, or abbreviated as C3 AFA Jakarta (previously known as AFA Indonesia) is one of the major Japanese pop culture events in Indonesia. Not only presenting popular anime series and merchandises, since the inaugural event in Indonesia in 2012, the event has also presents anisong concerts by the artists from Japan. | https://www.kaorinusantara.or.id/english/8955/new-dates-for-c3-afa-jakarta-2018-announced |
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plant control.
Background Art
A control apparatus of a plant calculates an operational control signal for performing operational control of the plant, using a measurement signal that is measured in the plant and a control parameter. In order to operate the plant in such a manner that the plant produces desired performance, there is a need to suitably adjust a setting value of the control parameter that is used when calculating the operational control signal. When multiple control parameters are present, it is difficult to manually search for a setting value of the control parameter for producing the desired performance. For this reason, a technology that automatically makes an optimal adjustment of the setting value of the control parameter according to a purpose is required in a control apparatus of the plant.
Disclosed in JP-A-2009-030476 is a technology in which a result of calculation that uses a dynamic-characteristic simulator is stored in a simulation database and the stored data is learned with a neural network and thus an optimal solution in accordance with a purpose is searched for.
A technology in which, in activation control of a combined cycle power generating plant that is a kind of power generating plants, a setting value of a control parameter of an activation control apparatus is optimally adjusted based on the reinforcement learning theory is disclosed in KAMIYA Akimoto, “Reinforcement Learning Applied to Power Plant Start-Up Scheduling”, The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 12, No. 6, P 837-844 (1997/11). In this technology, firstly, a control parameter search range that satisfies an activation restriction condition is determined using a genetic algorithm. Then, a suitable setting value of the suitable control parameter is searched for within the determined control parameter search range using reinforcement learning.
As a technology that makes an optimal adjustment of the setting value of the control parameter according to a control purpose and a restriction condition, there is a learning algorithm that uses the neural network that is disclosed in JP-A-2009-030476, or a learning algorithm that uses the genetic algorithm and the reinforcement learning that are disclosed in KAMIYA Akimoto, “Reinforcement Learning Applied to Power Plant Start-Up Scheduling”, The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 12, No. 6, P 837-844 (1997/11). These learning algorithms involve repeated calculation using a simulator that is equipped with a model of a control target when calculating an optimal value of the control parameter.
The calculation time required to optimize the control parameter is in proportion to the control parameter search range. The search range increases exponentially according to the number of types of control parameters to be optimized or the number of divisions of the setting value of the control parameter. Accordingly, as the number of types of control parameters or the number of divisions of the setting values of each control parameter gets larger, the calculation time increases. When performing plant operation, there is also a case where the setting value of the control parameter has to be adjusted within a limited time. Accordingly, in a case where the calculation time for the optimization is long, there is a need to employ ingenuity to shorten the calculation time.
As a method of shortening the calculation time for the optimization of the control parameter, there is a method of reducing the search range. In JP-A-2009-030476, the whole range of values that the setting value of the control parameter can take is set as the search range. Accordingly, in a case where the search range is large, the calculation time gets long. On the other hand, the search range for the reinforcement learning is reduced by searching for the setting value of the control parameter that satisfies the activation restriction condition with the genetic algorithm, using the simulator, in KAMIYA Akimoto, “Reinforcement Learning Applied to Power Plant Start-Up Scheduling”, The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 12, No. 6, P 837-844 (1997/11). However, in a case where a calculation load on the simulator is heavy, it takes time to reduce the search range. Accordingly, there is a likelihood that the calculation time for the optimization will not be shortened.
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Q:
OPL Transportation
I am writing a code for a simple transportation problem in IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio.
Here is the code
trans.mod (File)
{string} Sources = ...;
{string} Destination = ...;
float Demand[Destination]= ...;
float Output[Sources]= ...;
float Shipcost[Sources][Destination]= ...;
assert sum(s in Sources) Output[s] == sum(d in Destination) Demand[d];
dvar int Ship[Sources][Destination] in 1..50;
minimize
sum(s in Sources, d in Destination)
Shipcost[s][d]*Ship[s][d];
subject to
{
forall( s in Sources , d in Destination )
sum(d in Destination)
Ship[s][d]<=Output[s];
forall( s in Sources , d in Destination )
sum(s in Sources)
Ship[s][d]>=Demand[d];
forall( s in Sources , d in Destination )
Ship[s][d]>=0;
}
execute DISPLAY
{
writeln("Ship=",Ship)
}
The data file of it is as
trans.data
Sources = {Source1 Source2 Source3};
Destination = {mumbai delhi vadodra kolkata};
Demand = #[
mumbai: 80
delhi: 65
vadodra: 70
kolkata: 85
]#;
Output = #[
Source1: 75
Source2: 125
Source3: 100
]#;
Shipcost = #[
Source1: #[
mumbai: 464
delhi: 513
vadodra: 654
kolkata: 867
]#
Source2 : #[
mumbai: 352
delhi: 416
vadodra: 690
kolkata: 791
]#
Source3 : #[
mumbai: 995
delhi: 682
vadodra: 388
kolkata: 685
]#
]#;
The problem is that when I run this simple transportation problem on TORA it gives me Optimal Solution as 152535
But when I run this code on cplex it gives me optimal solution as 156366
Please let me know where I am going wrong or why i am getting the difference of 3831.
Thank you in advance.
A:
First question is that did both Tora and cplex give the optimal results? There is no gap for both of them right?
If both are optimal results, check parameters if you input into one of the programs wrongly.
Check and compare decision variables for both program whether the result is the most logical result for the optimal solution or not.
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A gentle card filled with the thrill of the first days of spring.
The card unfolds to become a touching holiday bouquet. Printed on pleasantly thick paper.
Art director: Artemy Lebedev
Designer: Mio Horii
Engineer: Mariya Dudkina
Material: paper
Folded dimensions: 16 × 11,2 × 0,3 cm (6,3″ × 4,4″ × 0,1″)
Unfolded dimensions: 28,5 × 11,2 × 0,3 cm (11,2″ × 4,4″ × 0,1″)
Russian Federation
Weight: 10 g
We accept Visa and Mastercard as methods of payment. Purchases delivered by courier in Moscow, Russia can be paid for with cash.
We can ship almost anywhere in the world. Shipping costs and available delivery methods (courier, mail, or pick up) will be shown during checkout. Delivery time and cost will vary based on the chosen service, order weight and distance to the destination.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, we'll take it back, no questions asked. | https://store.artlebedev.com/postcards/holidays/otkrytka-s-8-marta/ |
Kale Prashant B.
Overview
Plant pathogenic bacteria cause diseases and economic losses to crop plants. Precise identification of bacterial pathogens is necessary for correct disease diagnosis. It is time consuming by conventional techniques but with molecular techniques it is becoming less time consuming and increasingly reliable. PCR based diagnosis requires genomic DNA isolation and it requires about two hours. To minimize the time required for PCR analysis one can use following protocol.
Background
- Isolation of plant pathogenic bacteria.
- Incubation of pure culture.
- Preparation of template for PCR i.e. Boiling of single pure colony
- Use of template in PCR.
Materials/Equipment
- Diseased plant tissue
- Nutrient Agar or Broth media i.e. NA or NB
- PCR thermal cycler
- Centrifuge
- Doubled distilled water
- PCR reaction Mixture
Procedure
- Isolation of plant pathogenic bacteria.
- Infected tissue is surface sterilized and used for bacterial pathogen isolation on NA medium.
- Suspected colonies are subjected for purification.
- Purified bacterial pathogen is incubated and single colony is used for next experiment.
- Preparation of template Boiling of single pure colony:
- Log phase single colonies of pure bacterial plant pathogen are taken in the PCR tube aseptically.
- Double distilled water, 25 μl is added to the each tube and vortexed for a minute for washing purpose.
- Centrifugation at 8-10000 rpm for a minute sediments bacterial colony.
- Supernatant is removed aseptically with fine tip and freshly 25 μl, double distilled water is added to the tube.
- The tubes are vortexed for a minute to mix pellet properly in DDW
- Then put tubes properly in thermal cycler for 1 cycle of 99 0C for 10 minute and hold at 40C for 5 minute.
- Heat treated bacteria further centrifuged at 8-10000 rpm for a minute to remove cell debris
- Take supernatant and can be diluted according to need i.e. dilution depends on the size of colony take during first step centrifugation steps and handeling
- The supernatant can be used as a template in PCR
Template from the method is useful for the conventional PCR, Box, Multiplex and Real Time PCR. The method hence helps in reducing the diagnosis time.
Notes and troubleshooting tips
Instead of Double distilled water one can use 0.85% NaCl solution during washing the colony and TE buffer i.e. EDTA 1.0 mM Tris-HCl 10 mM, pH 8.0 during boiling see. Araujo et. al. 2004. | https://prometheusprotocols.net/structure/morphology/leaf-loss-and-damage-due-to-herbivory-and-disease/protocol-preparation-of-template-for-rapid-pcr-based-diagnosis-of-plant-pathogen-bacteria/ |
Q:
Can someone explain the definition of primitive mapping?
Definition: If $G$ maps an open set $E \subset R^n$ into $R^n$, and if there is an integer $m$ and a real function $g$ with domain $E$ such that $$G(x)=\sum_{i \neq m} x_i e_i +g(x) e_m,\, (x \in E)$$ then we call $G$ primitive.
Can someone explain this definition? How to understand primitive and related equation?
A:
Since not all notions in the question are defined, we try to guess their meaning. We have that $R^n$ probably is $\Bbb R^n$,
$e_i$ is the standard basis vector of $\Bbb R^n$ such that its $i$-th coordinate is $1$ and the other coordinates are zeroes, given $x\in E\subset \Bbb R^n$, $x=\sum_{i=1}^n x_ie_i$ is the decomposition of $x$ with respect to the basis $\{e_i\}$, that is $x_i$ is the $i$-th coordinate of $x$ for each $1\le i\le n$. Then $G$ is primitive means that $G$ is the identity map on $E$ distorted on $m$-th coordinate for some $1\le m\le n$ by some function $g:E\to\Bbb R$. In particular, if $g(x)=x_m$ for each $x\in E$ then $G$ is the identity map.
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Crackdown on illegal gambling in Kirinyaga
Kirinyaga County officials on Thursday raided and impounded over 40 gambling dens and also dismantled a gambling machine factory in Ngurubani, Mwea-East.
This follows a directive by Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i on January 13, who ordered a crackdown on illegal betting. County and regional commissioners were instructed to carry out raids on premises that had unlicensed machines and seize them.
Mwea-East Deputy County Commissioner, Geoffrey Taragon said the machines were seized at Nyangati, Mururi, Kimbimbi and Difathas after being tipped off by the public.
“The operation on seizing illegal gambling machines is ongoing. We have closed down the factory and disassembled the motherboard of the machines and the equipment used to make them. The operation will go as planned and we will arrest those who apparently had been tipped off and went into hiding.”
Targon has asked the public to be vigilant in exposing the illegal trade.
According to the administrator, the factory was selling each gambling machine at Ksh.40,000. | https://citizen.digital/tag/crackdown-on-illegal-gambling-in-kirinyaga/ |
A little known fact about me: once upon a time, I wanted to be a Marine Scientist. No, that isn’t a scientist that studies Marines. It’s someone who studies the ocean. And who knows? If this ministry thing doesn’t work out… No, really, if you’ll forgive the pun, I think that ship has sailed.
If you’ve read my blog for long, you will have noticed that God often speaks to me through ocean-related experiences. If you haven’t noticed this, you can read examples of this in Battling the Breakers and A Patient Man’s Game.
A few weeks ago, I spent three days at the beach with Mama and our friend, Ruby. I got some much-needed rest while sitting on the sand, watching the ocean. It was that deep kind of rest that made me feel refreshed and renewed—like a new person. And although I paid attention in case God wanted to speak to me, for the most part, what I heard God saying was, “Enjoy your rest.”
The most strenuous activity of our vacation was the miles (literally) of beach that we walked, looking for shells. It’s not really as if we need more shells. In fact, the three of us agreed that one day, someone will throw out all of our shells without a single thought about how important they were to us or how much travel and work was required to find and collect them all. But alas, I can’t worry about that. I just enjoy them today.
Our last evening at the beach, before going inside for showers, we huddled around a bucket of water on the porch and rinsed all of the sand from our found treasures and laid them out on a bench to dry. The next morning, when we packed, Mama and Ruby let me go out first and choose which shells I wanted to keep. Mostly, I only kept the ones I had specially picked up. But ever since, Mama has periodically asked me, “Are you sure you don’t want some of my and Ruby’s shells?” Each time, I’ve politely declined.
Until this weekend.
Saturday afternoon, Mama and I stopped by Ruby’s house. Prominently displayed on her dining room table were two large baskets full of shells. Instinctively, I picked up a broken orange conch and as soon as I picked it up, God started speaking to me about it.
For those of you who are landlocked, a “conch” is pronounced “konk” and is basically a salt-water snail. Some folks cook and eat the little animal inside of the shell, but the rest of us generally pick up conchs in their unbroken state so that we can hold them up to our ears and hear the sound of the ocean. If you’ve never done this, you’ve really missed out!
Usually, conchs are beautiful, swirly, spirally shells. But this one, dull and broken, had intrigued my mother. She picked it up to show to me. After it had been broken under the waves, other small, broken shells began to jam into the conch. The opening that had once sheltered the conch’s animal was now sheltering other little shells.
I took the conch from my mother and tried to dislodge the little shells, but they are so firmly jammed in there, that the only way to get them out is to shatter the conch. And to my total amazement, one of the shells “hiding” inside the conch is a completely perfect and unbroken shell (that I can’t remember the name of and Google can’t seem to help me recall… But you can see the cute little spirally shell peeking out of the conch up there.)
When I first saw this shell at the beach, it was a curiosity piece. I thought it was a one-of-a-kind, but over one day, we came across at least a half dozen of these. We picked up two or three of them, rinsed them, brought them home, and sat them proudly in the baskets on Ruby’s table. But Saturday when I picked this one up, I saw it through different eyes and it took me quite by surprise. It isn’t just a curiosity. It’s a testimony and an object lesson all rolled into one.
If the conch could tell its testimony, it might go something like this:
For many years, I lived happily in the ocean. At times, storms would come and I would be slammed into the bottom of the ocean. Each time, I would be chipped or dented, but I always survived the storm. Then, I got swept up in a hurricane. For days, the current beat me and pounded me into the ground. When it was over, there was almost nothing left of me. Just when I thought that my life had ended and my purpose was gone, these other tiny shells began to come to me, taking refuge in what was left of my worn-out shell…
I’m thirty-one years old. And though my life has been easy compared to some, I’ve been through my share of storms, too. I’ve been beaten, dented, scarred, and left to die on the ocean floor. And I have wanted to focus on my brokenness. But each time, God would send other endangered creatures to take refuge with me. Even now, I’m harboring other little shells that couldn’t handle the waves by themselves…
Lord, help me not to be so focused on what I’ve lost that I ignore the importance of what I’m doing now. Help me to see the beauty in my brokenness and the brokenness of others. And help me to show that brokenness to the world so that they can also see the beauty in their brokenness and be encouraged to shelter others. Let us come together in the storms to harbor each other and to remember that one reason Jesus came was to bring the family together. | http://sarahsalter.com/testimony-of-a-worn-out-shell/ |
Of course, he can’t say “to get attention, but his answer is just as ridiculous. Jayden revealed:
“I wore the Batman suit to heighten my experience at the wedding and prom which was fun, but also at the wedding I felt as though I needed to protect everyone there and needed to have the proper gear to do so. I’m just expressing how I feel inside, which is really no particular way because everyday it changes how I feel about the world and myself.
I like wearing super drapey things so I can feel as though I’m a superhero, but don’t have to necessarily wear super hero costumes everyday. My style icons are Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Superman and Kanye West.”
UGH THESE SMITH KIDS ARE INSUFFERABLE. I wish Will Smith would’ve just smacked Jayden upside the head and been like, “LIKE HELL YOU WEARING A FRIGGING BATSUIT TO THE BIGGEST WEDDING OF 2014.” But alas, I’m not Jaden’s parent. | http://icydk.com/2015/06/23/jaden-smith-finally-dished-on-why-he-wore-a-batman-costume-to-kimyes-wedding/ |
Scientists find new evidence of ‘lonely George’ tortoise species
In 2012, a giant tortoise named Lonesome George died at the age of 100,media reported. Even more sad, George was the last known member of his species, and since then the Pinta Island elephant turtle has since declared extinction. But now, genetic studies have shown that tortoises on the islands adjacent to the Galapagos Continue this lineage and suggest that surviving members may be hiding somewhere.
Lonely George was first discovered in 1971, when he was the only living turtle on Pinta Island. It was soon transferred to a research station on another island in the Galapagos region, where he lived for more than 40 years. It was later identified as the last member of the species in the world. George died in 2012 after several failed attempts to mate with species close to kinship.
But this may not be the end of The Pinta Island elephant turtle. A recent expedition by the Galapagos Nature Reserve and the Galapagos National Park Authority found evidence that George may still have living relatives there.
The team of 45 park rangers and scientists traveled to the home of many hybrid tortoises, Mount Wolfe on Isabella Island. After collecting and analyzing blood samples from 50 animals, the researchers identified 30 tortoises of concern — 29 of which were found to have a partial lineage of a turtle called Chelonoidis Niger, which once lived on Floriana but is now thought to be extinct.
The species was found to be chelonoidis abingdonii, a species of Lonely George with a “high genetic load.” Although this young female is still a mixed race of another species, she seems to be only a generation that has been removed from the pure Ponta ancestors.
And thankfully, she was found to be relatively young. Because we know that George had no descendants for the last 40 years of his life, it suggests that there is still a purebred Pinta island elephant turtle roaming the island of Isabella.
To help restore lost diversity in the Galapagos region, the 30 tortoises were transferred to breeding centres on another island. There is no doubt that the search for the Pinta Island elephant turtle will continue. | https://www.smalltechnews.com/archives/74647 |
Save Our County is not a PROPONENT of aligning El Dorado county with SB 375 Land use planning policy. The creation of ‘Community regions’ (urban limit lines) undermines our quality of life by imposing high density growth in existing rural neighborhoods.
2004 El Dorado County General Plan says:
The urban limit line establishes a line on the General Plan land use maps demarcating where the urban and suburban land uses will be developed. Community Regions and Rural Centers shall be the established urban limit line. All lands not contained within the boundaries of a Community Region or a Rural Center are classified as Rural Regions.
Policy 2.1.1.2 Establish Community Regions to define those areas which are appropriate for the highest intensity of self-sustaining compact urban-type development or suburban type development within the County based on the municipal spheres of influence, availability of infrastructure, public services, major transportation corridors and travel patterns, the location of major topographic patterns and features, and the ability to provide and maintain appropriate transitions at Community Region boundaries.
Policy 2.1.1.1 The Communities within the County are identified as: Camino/Pollock Pines, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, El Dorado, Diamond Springs, Shingle Springs, and the City of Placerville and immediate surroundings.
Policy 2.1.2.2 Rural Center boundaries establish areas of higher intensity development throughout the rural areas of the County based on the availability of infrastructure, public services, existing uses, parcelization, impact on natural resources, etc. These boundaries shall be shown on the General Plan land use map. Recognize existing defined places as centers within the Rural Regions which provide a focus of activity and provides goods and services to the surrounding areas.
Policy 2.1.2.1 The Rural Centers within the County are identified as: Coloma, Cool, Fairplay, Garden Valley, Greenwood, Georgetown, Grey\’s Corner, Grizzly Flat, Kelsey, Kyburz, Latrobe, Little Norway, Lotus, Mosquito, Mount Ralston, Mt. Aukum, Nashville, Oak Hill, Phillips, Pilot Hill, Pleasant Valley, Quintette, Rescue, Somerset, Strawberry, and Chrome Ridge. ENTIRE DOC HERE
SB 375
Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (Sustainable Communities, SB 375, Steinberg, Statutes of 2008) enhances California’s ability to reach its AB 32 goals by promoting good planning with the goal of more sustainable communities.
Sustainable Communities requires ARB to develop regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles. ARB is to establish targets for 2020 and 2035 for each region covered by one of the State’s 18 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
Each of California’s MPOs then prepare a “sustainable communities strategy (SCS)” that demonstrates how the region will meet its greenhouse gas reduction target through integrated land use, housing and transportation planning. Once adopted by the MPO, the SCS will be incorporated into that region’s federally enforceable regional transportation plan (RTP). ARB is also required to review each final SCS to determine whether it would, if implemented, achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction target for its region. If the combination of measures in the SCS will not meet the region’s target, the MPO must prepare a separate “alternative planning strategy (APS)” to meet the target. The APS is not a part of the RTP.
Sustainable Communities also establishes incentives to encourage implementation of the SCS and APS. Developers can get relief from certain environmental review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) if their new residential and mixed-use projects are consistent with a region’s SCS (or APS) that meets the target (see Cal. Public Resources Code §§ 21155, 21155.1, 21155.2, 21159.28.). Read more here
The Blueprint Vision (El Dorado County)
SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
The SACOG Board of Directors adopted the Preferred Blueprint Scenario in December 2004, a bold vision for growth that promotes compact, mixed-use development and more transit choices as an alternative to low density development. | https://saveourcounty.net/land-use-policy/ |
An exhibition of new sculptural pieces by Lorenzo Vitturi (Venice, 1980), organized in collaboration with Jaipur Rugs Foundation, India. This will be his second solo exhibition with the gallery.
Lorenzo Vitturi, mainly known as a photographer, presents today a project, unique within his artistic practice: handmade tapestries, made with traditional looms by Indian traditional artisans. Moreover, he investigates for the first time in-depth the concept of collaborative practice in the creation of an artwork.
The show is entitled Jugalbandi, which in Indian means “entwined twins” and is a musical performance of two people who are neither sole soloist nor solely accompanying, alluding to the structure chosen for the creation of the works, fruit of an fascinating team-work between Lorenzo Vitturi and the Indian craftsmen.
While travelling through rural communities and meeting local weavers in the Indian region of Rajasthan, Lorenzo Vitturi was captivated by the sculptural assemblages that the village life unconsciously creates, as for example, a hay bale precariously balancing on a gate pillar, a pile of terracotta bowls or even a loom covered by a tarp. These arrangements, photographed by Lorenzo Vitturi during his research trip, stand as the genesis of the project.
The urban sculptures are then abstracted into a series of graphic fragments that carry in their outlines a reminiscence of their original shape. In a second moment, the abstract shapes are merged creating a composition of multilayered color fields. Ultimately, the abstract fragments, through the hands of the Indian artisans take real shape as impressive tapestries. As a result each tapestry embodies with its textured presence the richness and beauty of the village’s life and its gentle spirit of becoming. Like in a map, lines and shapes tell a story where every outline has equal value; they are concealed behind an apparent abstractness that narrates a story of authenticity and materiality.
For the first time in his career, Lorenzo Vitturi delegates the final phase of the process to an external figure. The works, other than being purely Vitturi’s personal vision, carry also the artisan’s personal sphere, as on each composition the artist left some areas in which the weavers could intervene not only with their technique but also their own vision and ideas. By doing so, the artist consents the sculptures to be not only the result of his own personal research but broadens their significance by allowing each artisan to express their individuality on every piece. As the very last – but not least – the passage of this intense process, the artist intervenes on the rugs by adding fragments of glass and wood, originating from his hometown, Venice. Shouldn’t the lockdown had made travelling inconceivable during the last months, this final step would have happened alongside the weavers in India.
In conclusion, the result was a Jugalbandi, a digital dialogue of two authors carried out during the period of lockdown between London and Rajasthan, in which Vitturi’s graphic impressions, inspired by the shapes and textures collected during the time spent in the village, cohabit and coexist with the world sketched by the weavers. The vibrant tapestries – outcome of an intense process started in November 2019 – are, for Lorenzo Vitturi, mental maps of a journey which is still ongoing. | https://www.romegallerytours.com/lorenzo-vitturi-t293-2/ |
Songwriting with a partner or in a group can be a lot of fun. But what if the creative juices aren’t flowing? Here are ten exercises you can do with your bandmates or fellow songwriters to help you get ideas rolling and creativity pumping.
Sometimes it really can help your creativity to restrict your responsibilities. Try assigning specific roles. If you're working as a pair, have one person write the melody, while the other writes the lyrics. Some of the greatest songs in history were written this way. The multitude of incredible songs from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman come to mind, like those from Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, or Aladdin, to name but a few. Others who work in this fashion include: Elton John and Bernie Taupin (who wrote the majority of songs throughout Elton’s career) as well as Barry Manilow and Marty Panzer (who co-wrote plenty of songs during Barry’s early career).
If you frequently assign roles like above, you may find that your primary task in collaborations has become just writing music, or just writing lyrics. But if you're ever stuck, try flipping everything upside-down, and swapping roles with your partner. You'll be surprised at the great ideas the two of you may come up with given your new responsibilities.
Similar to the above, try dividing the task between the writers into sections. You could write a verse, and someone else could write the chorus. Or you could even subdivide the song into smaller chunks, going line by line. Letting someone else continue your thought and finish your musical sentence may lead to some interesting ideas. If you use Spire Studio, the built-in sharing options will be perfect for this type of back and forth work.
Hopefully, by now, you've tried object writing. But did you know that you can do object writing in a group as well? Just like with the original exercise, set a timer and pick a word for the group, then start writing using sensory language for 10 minutes. Once the timer is up, take turns to read out loud what each of you wrote. See if you can find some inspiring song ideas.
Sometimes physical objects can help spark stories and ideas. Dump everything you have in your backpack or purse on a table and see the conversations and stories that the different objects bring forth. These tissues, where have they been with you? Have they helped you through happy and sad times? How about that pen? What has it written? What stories has it told? Write a song about that.
The difference between object writing (or sensory writing) and writing about physical objects like in this exercise is that object writing can be about anything, even abstract elements like wind, and involves doing a sensory writing exercise around the object before you even get into writing a song. This assignment however only focuses on grabbing inspiration straight from ordinary objects and writing a song about it right away. Of course, if you want to do an object writing exercise about the object to help stir up more ideas for your lyrics, go for it!
This one is from Andrea Stolpe (songwriter and instructor who had had songs recorded by such artists as Faith Hill, Julianne Hough, Daniel Lee Martin, Jimmy Wayne). The concept behind this exercise is to challenge you with a narrative that isn't your own. Have each person grab a piece of paper. Set the timer for 10 minutes and write down one thing that you've been wanting to tell someone for a long time but have been too afraid to say.
Get descriptive, but try to stay anonymous. Don't use names or specific references that would identify you or the person on the receiving end of the conversation.
When the timer goes off, have everyone crumple up their papers and throw them into the middle of the room. Then each one of you will go and pick up a random one of the crumpled pieces, The goal being that each one of you will have someone else's untold story. Now write a song based on the emotions enclosed within the letter you picked.
Another one that I like from Andrea Stolpe is her Photos and words exercise.
First, print out a bunch of different photos, and then each write random words on small pieces of paper. Fold them all and put them in a container (or hat). Then, pull out one random photo and one random word and try to write a song about anything that this photo and word may bring up for you. If you select your own photo, you can choose to share the story behind the photo or not.
Sometimes letting your co-writers create their own story around what they see can result in some very interesting ideas. Also, try to incorporate the random word in the song lyrics.
This one is a particularly fun one. First you’ll need to pick an existing song that everyone knows. This could be something as famous and standard as “Amazing Grace.” Your job as a team is to first write new lyrics to the melody of Amazing Grace. They can be about absolutely anything you want. In fact, the further from the original you can get, the better.
You want to match the original melody’s rhythm and rhyme scheme as much as possible. So count the syllables in each line of the original melody and match that. Analyze the original rhyme scheme and follow it in your new lyrics. You should be able to sing these new lyrics to the original melody without any hiccups.
Once you're done with this part, strip away the original melody, and what you're left with is your new lyrics. Now write a brand new melody to these lyrics. Change chords, keys, and the tempo however you please. Again, the further from the original the better.
Aftering you complete this double rewrite, you'll end up with a brand new song that has a new lyric and a new melody that sounds nothing like Amazing Grace (or whatever song you were writing from).
On occasion, you will want to start writing your song melody first. One exercise worth trying is to have someone choose an eight-bar chord progression. Next, go around giving each songwriter a chance to sing their own melody on top of that chord progression. You can just sing to dummy lyrics (temporary lyrics that are about nothing, like Omelets, waffles, baby greens, give me very vivid dreams) or on Na-na-na.
Each one of you will probably sing something different and unique. With each turn, you can either sing a new melody or build on something someone else has sung. Eventually one of you may stumble on the melody that makes everyone go "ooh." Work off of that for the remainder of the song.
Toplining is how almost all modern pop and R&B songs are written. It consists of writing a song (melody and lyrics) on top of a fully produced instrumental track. Thus the term top lining—writing melodic lines on top.
Getting a high-quality track produced can be expensive and time-consuming. To get the ball rolling faster, try to find a karaoke or instrumental track for an existing song. Use that as a basis for your toplining. Of course, you'll have to get a new track done sooner or later, but using an existing one is a great way to get ideas rolling, as you’ll be restricted to work within the parameters of the original song.
I hope that these exercises open the doors to some incredible songs for you. So get together with a friend, two or even seven, and try them out. You'll be surprised by how a simple exercise like any of the above can kickstart your creativity onto new levels.
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Copyright © 2001–2020 iZotope, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/10-co-writing-exercises-that-will-spark-your-creativity.html |
Company:
Do you want to make a difference while advancing your career? Come join Osler.
We are a UK diagnostics company whose purpose is to enable anyone, anywhere, to access, understand, and act on their health, to live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
We are realising this through the development of the Osler Origin – a 'portable lab' capable of performing a wide range of testing, with lab-quality performance, in a portable, rapid, low-cost, and easy-to-use manner. The Osler Origin will offer a wide portfolio of diagnostic tests and serve all major healthcare settings, globally.
The Osler Origin is powered by a portfolio of novel techniques and approaches for sample addition, microfluidic sample preparation, and electrochemical biosensing, and Osler was formed out of the University of Oxford in 2017, following decades of research.
Having recently completed an $85m Series C fundraise, we are now entering a growth phase, where we are scaling our team as we take the Osler Origin product through regulatory activities, and towards market launch.
As a Research Assistant you will be working within in the assay development team collaborating in the development of immunoassays.
Join us and help build a better future.
Role Summary:
Key Responsibilities:
- This role will provide laboratory support to all scientists and senior scientists in running routine and complex experiments to established WI / SOPs where minimal supervision is expected once full training has been provided.
- The RA will be responsible for accurately documenting all experiments within ELN under the guidance of a scientist or senior scientist, where the reports are generated with high degrees of accuracy (content), traceability (batch records / linking experiments) all conducted in a timely manner.
- The RA will have received sufficient training within all laboratory functions so that they can easily work cross-functionally as and when required at short to no notice.
- As and when required, the RA will support the Laboratory Support staff to ensure that laboratory consumables and house-keeping tasks are performed in a timely and efficient manner.
- As and when required, the RA will help with the ordering process for specialist reagents and items that are outside the scope of existing procurement channels.
Skills & Experience:
Essential
- Work with scientists and senior scientists to help plan, conduct, analyse, interpret, write up and report experiments to colleagues.
- Performs experiments to an extremely high standard in a timely manner.
- Maintaining laboratory notebooks to the required company standard
- Excellent experimental practice and general safety including risk assessments and COSHH assessments.
- Work with cross-functional teams, be adaptable to the needs of the company and to deliver experimental data and conducts literature and database searches as required.
Desirable
- Experience in assay development in an industry setting
- Experience of using and developing ELISA technology.
- IVD and/or clinical knowledge
- Experience handling biohazardous materials including human blood products
- Knowledge on statistical analysis tools
Benefits:
We offer a competitive benefits package, with a focus on health and well-being - further supporting the belief in our mission to enable anyone, anywhere, to access, understand and act on their health.
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays and a Christmas closure
- Annual Learning & Development budget 4% of your salary
- 12 days of Learning leave
- 4% matched pension
- £500 Well-being allowance
- Private Medical Insurance - (includes subsidised gym memberships)
- 24/7 access to a GP
- Life Assurance - x4 annual salary
- Income Protection - 75% of your basic annual salary
- Private Travel Insurance
- Annual eye tests
- Cycle to work scheme
- Travel to work loan scheme
- Relocation assistance
- Volunteering leave
- Give as you earn - pre-tax salary donations to any UK charitable organisation.
- Quarterly Team Building events and social events
- Enhanced maternity/paternity
Join us and build a better future. | https://www.osler.careers/jobs/desc/6461431002 |
All around the world, there are abandoned ghost towns that were abandoned for some reason or the other. While some are popular haunts for tourists who dare visit them, others are creepy and desolate where even local authorities do not allow visitors after dark. What makes such places popular? Perhaps it is the adventurous and creepy element that is appealing to some people, others love the history while some just simply get a kick. Without further ado, here are 17 ghost towns around the world that are worth visiting if you dare.
These two company towns in Northern Chile were abandoned in 1958. There were several saltpeter mines in the area which housed elegant buildings. Today they have been abandoned and are entirely ghost towns with buildings that have been well preserved complete with swimming pool, chairs, houses and grocery shops bit no people. You can reach there from the town of Pozo Almonte.
Bhangarh is a fortress town in Rajasthan in Northwest India. It is extremely famous and popular among ghost hunters, where visiting the area after dark is prohibited. It is widely regarded as one of India’s most haunted locations. The town was deserted after the Indian famine of 1783 and since then is said to be heavily haunted. However, the area is historically rich with crumbling forts, temples, and even a bazaar. You can get to Bhangarh from Jaipur.
Belchite was the site of a famous battle during the height of the Spanish Civil War. Attacked by the republican army, the siege of the town destroyed it completely and today, its ruins stand as a ghostly memory to the violent event.
Bodie in California is also considered a haunted ghost town that was once a bustling gold mining town in 1879 with 8,500 residents. By 1889 depletion of the mines and violence led to the population slowly abandoning Bodie. Today around 150 buildings still remain there.
After the war between Greece and Turkey ended in 1923, almost a million Greeks were made to leave. Kayako in Anatolia, Turkey was home to 2000 people which were ultimately abandoned. The ruins of the village still stand today along with two well preserved Greek Orthodox churches.
St Elmo was a thriving mining town like Bodie in California. It was also a trading post but when the railroad shut down in 1922, St Elmo was abandoned. Its buildings, houses, and even a church were left intact and some even had the belongings of its residents.
This ghost town that once existed on a hillside was established in the 8th century. Due to natural disasters, it was ultimately abandoned. By 1963, most of its inhabitants evacuated after a severe landslide. Flood in 1972 further deteriorated the conditions of the town while an earthquake in 1980 cemented its fate. The only thing that was unscathed was the statue of the Virgin Mary. Although the area is a time bomb, still people hold religious festivals there. The town also served as a set for Mel Gibson’s Passion of Christ.
Priyapat in Northern Ukraine is the world’s most famous ghost town as it was the site that suffered the onslaught of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. 50,000 people were made to evacuate the city when the Nuclear Station exploded. The radiation levels have dropped considerably and people can visit there for a tour.
This was also one of California’s famous mining towns that existed in 1881.The town was home to 500 silver mines and 3000 residents. After the depletion of the mines, the town was still inhabited till 1986. People somehow abandoned it leaving hotels, stores, bars and restaurants still intact. It has since then been purchased by Walter Knott and restored to a historic landmark. Considered a haunted town, Calico takes on an eerie hue after dark.
Hashima Island was at one time a bustling huge coal mining city that was established in 1881. The island was home to 5000 residents but in 1974 it was abandoned once the mines ran dry. Today it is totally abandoned and just a tourist spot.
Garnet in Montana was a mining town that existed in the early 19th century and was home to about 1000 people. It is Montana’s most famous ghost town that is well preserved and can be explored for a fee.
Kennecott in Alaska was a thriving mill town that produced a huge amount of copper in the early twenties and thirties amounting to millions of dollars. Ultimate the supply reduced and people started leaving in masses. BY 1950 it was totally deserted and is now a historic landmark.
Ross Island has some incredible old building and monuments but is now totally covered in vegetation. It was once a governing center of British India set up in 1857 where the town was hosted to the finest ballrooms, bakeries, pools and gardens. It was referred to as the Paris of the east. An earthquake and the Japanese invasion led to it becoming a deserted city. It is now an Indian naval base.
Among Ghost towns, Fordlandia in Brazil was once known as Henry Ford’s village but it is now his wasteland. The town was once home to 10,000 residents and was an area that produced cultivated rubber for the Ford Industry. The area was leased to the Ford Company by the Brazilian government. However, unhappy workers and the fact that the town was returned to the government resulted in many abandoning it. Only 90 people lived in the town till 2000. Several houses were given to workers and since 2017; the population has increased to 2000 people.
Agdam Azerbaijan was once home to 40,000 people. But, since the war with Armenia, the entire population fled overnight and the city was abandoned. What destroyed it further were vandals and looters who left the city in total ruins.
This was a thriving town in France until the Second World War. June 10th 1944 was a black day for the town when the Panzer Divison of the Waffen SS bombarded the entire village destroying it totally. The attack was in revenge against the killing of a SS officer by the French resistance. 642 villagers died that day. Today the village is among the ghost towns of France.
This was also one of America’s famous mining towns that began in 1863. It had a whopping 10,000 residents but now is totally deserted for obvious reasons. The town still has well-preserved buildings, opera houses and stores. Today it is one of the nation’s landmarks.
Among ghost towns of the world, Kolmanskop in Namibia is quite famous. It was a German mining settlement in the Namibian Desert. It was ultimately abandoned to the elements where houses and buildings stand deserted and full of sand. It is still a popular tourist site and even has a museum established in 1980.
Villa Epecuen was a famous tourist village in Buenos Aires, Argentina which was badly flooded in 1985. It was subsequently abandoned and is now in ruins. Once waters receded, ruins were visible on the eastern shore of the Laguna Epecuen which is about 7 km from the city of Carhue.
Goldfield in Arizona was swarming with miners in late 1800. The god dried up by 1898 and the area was son abandoned. In 1921 it was renamed Youngesberg but was again abandoned in 1926. Today, Goldfield remains one of the many spooky ghost towns of America. | https://amazingthingsintheworld.com/famous-ghost-towns-in-the-world/ |
A bedroom, an equipped kitchen, a shower and a toilet can be found in the downstairs apartment. There is a terrace with garden furniture in front of the house. Houses can be occupied from 15:00 on the day of the arrival. You must leave the apartment by 10:00 on the day of departure. Early check-in/Late check-out: In case of earlier arrival, or late check-out, you can use the beach, sanitary...
Area size: 33 m2
Rooms (livingroom+bedrooms): 1
Capacity
Max. persons: 4
Max. cars: 2
Tents for rent
Balatontourist Camping Napfény, Révfülöp
There are fully equipped tents for 4 persons standing in the campsite. There is a living area in the tent with kitchen equipment and garden furniture, the other part of the tent is sleeping-cabin.The area of the tent is ca. 25m2, furnished with 4 beds: there is 1 sleeping cabin with a double bed, 1 sleeping cabin with 2 beds in it; this cabin can be separated into 2 parts with 2 extra... | https://www.balatontourist.hu/en/holiday-at-lake-balaton-accommodations/handicap-friendly-accessible-accommodations/ |
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