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10. There is no single geoengineering approach that currently meets all three basic criteria for effectiveness, safety and affordability. Different techniques are at different stages of development, mostly theoretical, and many are of doubtful effectiveness. Few, if any, of the approaches proposed above can be considered well-researched; for most, the practicalities of their implementation have yet to be investigated, and mechanisms for their governance are potentially problematic. Early indications are that several of the techniques, both SRM [Solar Radiation Management, my addition] and CDR [Carbon Dioxide Removal, my addition], are unlikely to be effective at the global scale. | http://rs.resalliance.org/tag/convention-on-biological-diversity/ |
The invention relates to a street lamp system and especially relates to a street lamp system based on haze control, wherein the system can automatically adjust an illumination color temperature and a light intensity according to a weather visibility condition; and the structure of the system is simple and usage is convenient. A CPU master control unit is connected to a haze monitoring unit and a street lamp color temperature light intensity adjusting unit. The street lamp color temperature light intensity adjusting unit is also connected to an illumination unit. By using the street lamp system based on haze control, through cooperation of the CPU master control unit, the haze monitoring unit, the street lamp color temperature light intensity adjusting unit, the illumination unit and the like, the haze monitoring unit monitors a haze concentration in real time so as to dynamically adjust a color temperature and the light intensity of the illumination unit; and illumination is convenient to achieve and people life quality is improved. Under a haze weather state, an illumination indication effect is provided for pedestrians, and automatic, intelligent and humanized control is achieved; and resources are reasonably used and electric energy can be high-efficiently saved. | |
Property valuations are often a contentious issue for SMSF auditors. The auditor has a responsibility to confirm the assets of the fund are at a market value. If trustees don't provide enough paperwork to support the valuation, it can cause delays in the SMSF auditing process, and possibly a contravention.
The ATO requires that any asset's valuation be based on objective supporting data. Generally, it's the quality of the valuation process rather than who conducted it that governs the acceptability of a valuation.
Valuing a property correctly is a crucial part of having an SMSF.
At Audit your Superfund, we will often receive a minute from the trustees stating the property value is the same as the previous year's accounts and that this reflects current market value.. Having trustees sign off a minute only, whilst simple and easy, will not be sufficient evidence to confirm the market values of a property for an SMSF audit. As a result, the audit will be placed on hold until further supporting documentation has been provided.
The ATO provides a guide to trustees when valuing assets of a SMSF here.
It takes into account all relevant factors and considerations likely to affect the value of the asset.
It has been undertaken in good faith.
It uses a rational and reasoned process.
It is capable of explanation to a third party.
Specific features of the property.
A comparison of recent sales of similar properties in the area, and a comparison of rental returns of properties of a similar nature will help build up the case of a suitable valuation.
There are many factors that will affect a property valuation, such as economic conditions, vacancy rates, unique nature of the property etc. These factors should be recorded when providing supporting documents to the SMSF auditor.
In many cases council rate notices are not truly representative of the actual market value.
Sometimes we receive a council rates notice to confirm a property value. Whilst this is a good starting point, in many cases council rate notices are not truly representative of the actual market value. We would generally request further information to be satisfied this is the correct value of the property.
The best supporting documentation (and the most efficient method to confirm a property value) is by obtaining an independent valuation or appraisal from a real estate professional who specialises in the type of property held in the fund. Generally we would want to see such a valuation/appraisal updated every three years, unless the property has been substantially altered since the last valuation.
We understand many trustees will take an active role when investing directly in property and may have good knowledge of property values. However, this is not enough in the current legislative climate.
Valuation of property assets will be critical with the new transfer pension balance limits, total superannuation calculations, and new non-concessional rules. Don't forget if you're making use of the transitional CGT relief provisions, valuations will be required to support the CGT calculations.
Don't risk your client's money and your business. Choose an independent SMSF auditor who works with SMSF professionals. | https://www.audityoursuperfund.com.au/terms-of-service/13-blog/smsf-audits/118-smsf-auditing-and-property-valuations-how-does-it-work |
Do Continuing Woes in the Housing Market Mean a Correction Is Coming?Adam Gardiner
Many investors remember the panic in financial markets that occurred in late 2008 as it appeared that financial markets were about to collapse. And they remember the role that mortgage-backed securities played in those fears, as securities that had been AAA-rated were found to be anything but. However, the collapse of the housing market didn’t take everyone by surprise, as signs of a bubble and subsequent weakness had been visible for years. Now that the US housing market is showing new signs of weakness, should investors worry that another housing collapse is just around the corner?
The US housing market has just seen its third straight month of declining existing home sales, a worrying sign at a time of year that normally is an active one for the real estate market. The decline is driven in part by rising prices, which are 5% higher now than they were a year ago, as well as rising mortgage rates that combined with the higher prices are making it more and more difficult for many American households to afford a house.
Remember that we saw much of the same in the summer of 2006, as existing home sales began to decline month after month even as prices remained high. But while many economists and market observers warned of the housing bubble’s existence and eventual collapse, many more argued either that there wasn’t a bubble or that its collapse was not imminent. As we found out in 2007 and 2008, however, that faith in the housing market was horrendously misplaced.
If the housing market situation in the United States today continues to worsen, the real question for investors is how long they have to protect their assets before the next crisis is upon us. While the US housing market began to decline in 2006, it didn’t really get bad until late 2007, although stock markets still continued growing strong and peaked in October 2007. The worst part of the crisis didn’t occur until October 2008, well over two years after the first signs of weakness. Will investors have that much time to prepare today?
Stock markets seem to have already peaked, with the Dow likely not about to reach all-time highs again anytime soon. That may mean that we’re further along the path towards the next downturn than many people think or expect. Investors who don’t do the hard work of protecting their assets today will kick themselves when they start seeing losses to their portfolios once the downturn comes. | https://goldco.com/do-continuing-woes-in-the-housing-market-mean-a-correction-is-coming/ |
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What is your favorite movement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13)? (Sorry about the typo in the title. I can't correct it.) :o [Admin edit: fixed the title :)]
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Join now to ask and comment! | https://www.talkclassical.com/tags/eine/ |
Daily routine, habits, noises will not be your part when you reach Nainital, one of the popular hill-station in the state of Uttarakhand, India. This means you will find crowd free wilderness and beautiful lakes with boat rides and friendly wildlife at its neighborhood.
The secret of “Naini-Tal” is a peaceful adventure. I reached Nainital during fall when the temperature was pleasant around 8° C, over the year the temperature ranges from -3° C to 26°C. If you are fond of snowfalls, plan your tour between the first week of December to mid of February, Nainital continues to witness fresh spurts of snowfall where you can encounter enchanting snow-capped mountains and few freezing lakes.
It is also known as Lake district of India, surrounded by seven hills and seven lakes which represents in-and-around Nainital. There are many things you can do in Nainital it all depends on your interests, but if you are an addict to silent road journey's, craving fresh mountain air, explore small towns and understand their culture, then perhaps Nainital should be your next travel destination.
Now here's small list of places I explored.
When you enter the beautiful town of Nainital, the first glimpse is of Naini Lake. The tranquil water in the center of the township with boating facility is one of the perfect spots to enjoy a mixture of idyllic and relaxation after travel, and the view from the center of the lake towards the city is extremely dreamy for any time of the day.
I went across the lake with a small boat to experience the natural freshwater body. For one hour I was just around the lake observing the township and the mind-blowing structures.
A localite during a conversation said, I should experience the sunset over here, so again I hired a small boat and went around the Naini lake in the evening. Guess what, I found one of the stunning views like fog settling down over the surface, the temperature dropping below 8° C, a species of mahseer fishes were around; that person was right I experienced a phenomenal moment during the sunset.
On the first day, I didn't explore many places due to an overnight journey and long hours of traveling. I went to my hotel early and decided the next day I will go hiking. It was one of the best decisions during this journey. Take a look why!
I woke up early and decided to walk down the countryside route. This was the first view I encountered after reaching to a certain height.
The route I traveled was stretching over a few miles towards the tiffin top – one of the highest point in Nainital. Of course, when you walk down through woods you will always find something, I saw this beautiful calf enjoying its meal.
Secondly, heading off from a small village and through pathway; I saw something that I want to share with you and request each driver to drive safely while crossing ghat roads that are encompassed by hills on all sides and terrains. A professional driver or guides are a must for such regions.
Walking down the same pathway, I reached a level up and found spectacular adventurous sightseeing, exploring mountains of surrounding terrain and of course the joy will remain incomplete without experiencing a horse ride. I have combined a few pictures of the stunning view.
Moving to my next destination!
Eco Cave Park, Nainital
Located in Sukhatal or Mallital, on the Kaladungi road, it has a natural park and caves which you must visit if you are traveling nearby. But, to reach this destination you will have to hire a cab, the distance from the township is approximately 3 km (1.8 miles).
The natural structure comprises of six small underground caves with a garden stretch, followed by an uninterrupted view of four peaks that gives sightseeing of hill culture.
For those who are animal lovers just like I am, you should visit the highest altitude zoo serving habitat. It is situated at a height of 2,100 meters above sea-level, this itself makes it an attraction.
– The distance from Mall road to Zoo is approximately 2 km (1.2 miles).
– The zoo has an entry fee of about 30 INR and different prices for cameras.
– The zoo remains closed on Monday for an inspection.
After the visit to the zoo, I decided to walk down. With so many incredible lakes, mountainous views and waterfalls in Nainital, you can walk down the street to perhaps capture one of the most scenic's in the country from any angle.
There are plenty of places to visit after the sunset, like the Mall road for shopping which blends the traditional clothing that gives a historical touch. Of course, you can’t miss the delicious Indian cuisines; wherever you are the mouth-watering local cuisines itself is a delicacy.
I always plan for the next day, so it's not a surprise that last day I traveled to the Himalayan point.
If you are fond of skies and getting an aerial view of the peaks of Himalayas, then this is your spot. The scenery will provide a mesmerizing bird-eye view with multi-colored greens and blues throughout the mountains.
To reach these Himalayan hills location hire or book a cab in advance.
The Rope-way which connects Snow-View Point with Mallital gives panoramic vistas of snow-capped Himalayan peaks and complete Nainital hill station. I know you are planning a trip to Nainital now. To make sure your plans are successful watch out the weather forecast, especially during the winters because the stunning north of the country is beautiful, but high snowfalls makes it difficult for you to reach the top.
I know you are planning a trip to Nainital now. To make sure your plans are successful watch out the weather forecast, especially during the winters because the stunning north of the country is beautiful, but high snowfalls makes it difficult for you to reach the top.
Now how do you reach #Nainital
Take a look!
1. If you want to travel by Air,
- The nearest International Airport is Delhi Airport which is 307.1 km (190 miles) away. From Delhi, the capital of India you can book a bus from various apps, the travel time will be approximately 8 hours; or you can hire a private cab, this can save your time but could be an expensive option.
- The nearest Domestic Airport is Pantnagar Airport which is approximately 68 km (42 miles) away. Here, from Pantnagar airport you can hire or share a cab to Nainital city.
2. If you want to travel by Rail route, the nearest railway station is Kathgodham Railway Station, located around 34 km (21 miles) away. The rail route connectivity is the best all over India. After reaching Kathgodham you can hire or share a private cab for Nainital.
3. If you are looking for a Road trip, the connectivity is excellent via several cities and small towns of north India. The heart of Uttarakhand is connected to NH 87 and NH 109.
Daily bus or cab service is available from Delhi and Kathgodam. The most convenient way is to board an overnight bus from New Delhi.
Come back here and share your before-and-after story. I bet you’ll have great things to share! | https://www.tripoto.com/india/trips/a-trip-across-silent-city-nainital-5c9130a833fc1 |
– To manage the Engineering Department and provide engineering support to manufacturing to ensure compliance for food safety and hygiene.
– Responsible for Preventive Maintenance plans to ensure availability and efficiency of the manufacturing equipment.
– Responsible for improvement initiatives involving equipment capabilities, utilization and efficiencies.
– Responsible for Project Management.
– Coordinate and execute all electrical & mechanical install, propose, monitor effectiveness of preventive & predictive maintenance programs, services, and trouble-shooting and repair job for all machinery and supporting equipment.
– To lead and monitor the engineering team in building, utilities and building maintenance with respect to effectiveness, efficiency and cost control.
– Manage and maintain master calibration program for the whole plant to ensure comply with legal and food safety requirement.
– Establish all lines, wiring and piping schematic (Auto-CAD).
– Ensure effectiveness and efficiency of Spare Part Inventory Control Program as per company requirement and ensure stocks are readily available.
– Propose capex budget and justification write up and to ensure that projects are executed timely, within budget and in accordance to the contractual requirements in respect of quality and specifications.
– To ensure HACCP system, FSSC 22 000, GMP, Bomba, J.K.K.P and D.O.E in compliance to the required standard.
– Any other duties as assigned by Management. | https://crestforce.net/job/agensi-pekerjaan-crest-force-m-sdn-bhd-shah-alam-2-production-manager-food-industry/ |
The glass ceiling : perceptions of aspiring female managers.
Date2011
Author
Risper, Kiaye E.
MetadataShow full item record
Abstract
The glass ceiling has been defined as a subtle, intangible yet impenetrable barrier that hinders the accession of women to senior management positions. Its manifestations are unique to every country and organisation. The theoretical framework of the glass ceiling has pointed to person and situation centred theories, social role, interaction and human capital theory to try and provide explanations to the origin of the glass ceiling. The main aim of the study was to determine whether the existence of the glass ceiling was a myth or reality. Purposive and snowball sampling were the sampling methods used in this study. The questionnaire that was administered using the web based Question pro elicited a total of 117 responses from 290 questionnaires that were circulated to respondents, resulting in a 40% response rate. Due to the sampling method that was used, results obtained could not be generalised to the entire population of female managers in the Durban Metropolitan Area. Salient findings that emerged from this study were that 54% of respondents were aged between 35-44 years and were married (69%). In addition, the majority of respondents were White (41%), were employed in the Private Sector (62%) and held middle management positions (47%). Critical to this study, respondents felt that the glass ceiling was still firmly in place as female representation at senior management was minimal (86%). Some of the barriers to the upward career mobility of respondents were reluctance to relocate (48%), need to overachieve (52%) and consistently exceeding performance (64%). In addition, critical career mobility success factors were that respondents needed to be leaders geared towards high achievement (94%), be competitive and ambitious (90%), be confident and exhibit emotional suitability to hold senior management positions (84%), have a track record (77%), receive organisational support to balance their multiple roles (59%) and have a willingness to relocate (41%). For the ceiling to crack, it is essential for organisations‟ on one hand to commit to creating environments supportive of the roles of women (flexi time, work from home days, mentor staff) and women on the other hand need to have the desire to persevere and have faith in their abilities, cultivate their own leadership style, network and further their own education. | http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/9676 |
For Trans women of color (twoc) life is very different than the rest of the world population, twoc are constantly de-humanized not only because we may look different than other women, but also having 'dark skin' or being an immigrant adds a whole other layer of discrimination and social abandonment.
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Are you a TRUE FRIEND ?
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I believe in prioritizing Trans women of color, creating safe spaces for our women to transition emotionally and medically or explore gender.
A Trans Women Community Center is of paramount importance to our survivor and creating leadership.
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Our History
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Even long before the Stonewall Rebellion Trans women of color have always been the face of the LGBT community, have always been visible and reachable.
Because Trans women of color have been denied jobs and opportunities, there are very few choices other than engaging in SURVIVAL SEX WORK, but because SEX WORK is illegal in the state of New York our women are stigmatized and now we are all profiled as sex workers perpetuating a VICIOUS CYCLE of poverty & despair. | https://brookecerda.weebly.com/about.html |
EN 301 549 is the European standard that sets out accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) procured by the public sector. It applies to products as well as services.
Accessible ICT means that websites, electronic devices, software, mobile apps and other digital technologies like these are free of barriers that could prevent people with disabilities from making full use of the technologies. ICT is an integral part of our modern lives, whether we’re looking up government information, paying taxes or applying for public services. Accessibility is vital if everyone is to participate in society fully and equally.
One of the main reasons the European standard was developed was so that requirements for digital accessibility would be consistent across the continent, not variable depending on which country was obtaining the ICT. Multinational corporations, no matter where they are based in the world, will need to adhere to the requirements in EN 301 549 if they wish to do business with European organizations.
The requirements included in the standard address a wide range of disability types and eliminate numerous kinds of barriers, such as software with on-screen volume controls that only a person who can see would be able to use, or a handheld device that can only be operated by someone who is able to grasp and pinch.
EN 301 549, entitled “Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe,” was published in 20141. The European Union Directive on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications has called for EU members to incorporate this standard into their laws by September 23, 2018. New public-sector websites will need to comply with the standard within a year. Other public-sector websites must comply by September 23, 2020, and public-sector mobile apps by June 23, 20212.
In many ways, EN 301 549 is breaking ground. Here’s what makes this European standard special.
It Represents Many “Firsts”
EN 301 549 is the first-ever European standard for accessible ICT. When it was published four years ago, it was also, at that time, the most up-to-date standard in the world for digital accessibility. (Updates to other technical requirements for accessibility have been released since then, such as WCAG 2.1.)
This was also the first time that all three official standardization groups in Europe – the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) – had successfully collaborated to produce a new European standard.
EN 301 549 mentions biometrics, an area of ICT that is not largely explored by other accessibility guidelines. Specifically, EN 301 549 states that any ICT using “biological characteristics” (fingerprints, voice recognition, face recognition, eye patterns) for user ID or device control must allow for other methods too – either another type of biometric, or a non-biometric means of identifying the user or operating the device.
It’s in Perfect Harmony
There’s no downside to adhering to EN 301 549, as it harmonizes nicely with other standards. The chapters covering web content, electronic documents and software all refer to WCAG 2.0, Level AA. (WCAG is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the universal set of technical requirements for accessible digital content that is currently being used around the world.) Efforts were also made to harmonize the European standard with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehab Act in the U.S.
Harmonization is a huge selling point for business, because it reduces the production expenses associated with differing requirements across multiple jurisdictions. During the consultation for Canada’s upcoming new federal accessibility legislation, Microsoft’s submission read in part: “The legislation should reference international accessibility technical standards. To promote innovation and interoperability, accessibility standards should be consistent from country to country. This harmonization reduces costs to consumers and helps local economies by allowing technology companies to build once and sell worldwide.3”
The new Version 2.1 of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®), published in March by the Information Technology Industry Council to help businesses report their conformance with accessibility standards, incorporates criteria from EN 301 549, as well as WCAG 2.0, Section 508 and Section 2554.
Standards for Public Procurement Help Wider Society
Public-sector accessibility ultimately leads to universal accessibility. According to the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), public-sector procurement accounts for 13 percent of the gross world product. In an EN 301 549 guidance document, PTS notes that when publicly procured ICT is legally required to be accessible, this has “a significant impact on the functional quality of ICT products and solutions. Public procurement, with good requirements supported by procurement legislation, processes and support, can help to achieve an inclusive society.5”
Accessible ICT is also better for businesses that sell it, because of the much wider consumer market for its products and services. In a survey conducted by Enterprise Europe Network, three-quarters of small and medium businesses were in favour of common EU standards for accessibility6.
Other Countries and Sectors Will Follow Suit
Less than three years after EN 301 549 was published, Australia released its own standard, “Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services” – an exact copy of the EU version. And despite Brexit, the United Kingdom refers to the deadlines and criteria of EN 301 549 in its government-issued “Accessibility Requirements for Public Sector Websites and Apps.”
Digital accessibility requirements will by no means remain confined to the public sector. The European Accessibility Act, currently in the works, is expected to cover a very wide range of ICT, including digital TV equipment and broadcasts, smartphones, computers, operating systems and online commerce.
Every five years, at a minimum, EN 301 549 will be reviewed for updates. The standard is sure to stay up to date as new technologies are developed, or we continue to learn more about digital accessibility.
An Innovative Solution
eSSENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY has developed a comprehensive accessibility solution to help organizations follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and achieve and maintain compliance with standards and regulations. This includes integrating web compliance evaluation and remediation services with assistive technology to deliver a transformative experience for people with disabilities. Learn more about eSSENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY’s innovative solution. | https://www.essentialaccessibility.com/blog/en-301-549/ |
The sculpture represents a vertical construction. It consists of vertical and horizontal bars with a rectangular sections, joined together. The bars form rectangular or square holes. The sculpture widens to the center and narrows to the top, shifting to the right-hand side.
Name/Title
Malkin, Composition | Unknown
Object
Object Detail
Settings
Unknown
Date
1956
Synagogue active dates
Reconstruction dates
Artist/ Maker
Origin
France | Ile-de-France | Paris
|
|
Historical Origin
Unknown
Community type
Unknown |
Congregation
Unknown
Location
Unknown |
Site
Unknown
School/Style
Period
Unknown
Period Detail
Collection
France | Paris | Malkin, D.
|
|
Documentation / Research project
Unknown
Category
Material/Technique
Flat modelling, pallete-knife,wire framework, engrave on the surface, burning
Material Stucture
Material Decoration
Material Bonding
Material Inscription
Material Additions
Material Cloth
Material Lining
Tesserae Arrangement
Density
Colors
Construction material
Measurements
Height
350mm
Length
Width
Depth
Circumference
Thickness
Diameter
Weight
Axis
Panel Measurements
Condition
Extant
Documented by CJA
Surveyed by CJA
Present Usage
Present Usage Details
Condition of Building Fabric
Architectural Significance type
Historical significance: Event/Period
Historical significance: Collective Memory/Folklore
Historical significance: Person
Architectural Significance: Style
Architectural Significance: Artistic Decoration
Urban significance
Significance Rating
Languages of inscription
Unknown
Type of grave
Unknown
0
Ornamentation
Custom
Contents
Codicology
Scribes
Script
Number of Lines
Ruling
Pricking
Quires
Catchwords
Hebrew Numeration
Blank Leaves
Direction/Location
Façade (main)
Endivances
Location of Torah Ark
Location of Apse
Location of Niche
Location of Reader's Desk
Location of Platform
Temp: Architecture Axis
Arrangement of Seats
Location of Women's Section
Direction Prayer
Direction Toward Jerusalem
Coin
Coin Series
Coin Ruler
Coin Year
Denomination
Signature
No signature
Colophon
Scribal Notes
Watermark
Hallmark
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Trade Mark
Binding
Decoration Program
Summary and Remarks
Suggested Reconsdivuction
History/Provenance
Main Surveys & Excavations
Bibliography
Short Name
Full Name
Volume
Page
Type
Documenter
| M.Ya 01.1995
Author of description
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Architectural Drawings
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Computer Reconstruction
|
Section Head
|
Language Editor
|
Donor
|
Object Copyright
Malkin, D.
Negative/Photo. No. | https://cja.huji.ac.il/?mode=alone&id=14679 |
A Renewed Focus on Telehealth in New Jersey
New Jersey governing boards for dentistry, counseling, respiratory care and occupational therapy have introduced regulations to address licensure requirements for telehealth encounters, consistent with previous regulations adopted by governing boards of other health professionals in New Jersey. The New Jersey legislature is also considering a bill to expand reimbursement for covered services provided via telehealth and allow for new flexibilities, including on type of encounter, location and distance requirements and reimbursement parity. Comments for the four regulations from the governing bodies are due by May 14, 2021.
IN DEPTH
In 2017, New Jersey enacted sweeping new telehealth legislation when it passed P.L. 2017, c. 117, codified at N.J.S.A. § 45:1-61 et seq. The law established telemedicine and telehealth practice standards for several types of healthcare professionals and imposed insurance coverage requirements.
Since then, governing boards have proposed and adopted telehealth regulations to effectuate the law. Specifically, the boards, examiners or advisory councils of social workers, veterinarians, psychologists, art therapists, physicians, nurses, audiologists, orthotic and prosthetic professionals, physical therapists and psychoanalysts have adopted telehealth-specific regulations. On March 15, 2021, the State Board of Dentistry; State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee; State Board of Respiratory Care; and Occupational Therapy Advisory Council followed suit, proposing regulations establishing telemedicine and telehealth standards for their respective professionals. Comments for each of these four regulations are due by May 14, 2021.
In their proposed form, the regulations are strikingly similar to each other and to nearly all of the other telehealth regulations adopted by New Jersey administrative bodies. In accordance with P.L. 2017, c. 117, the proposed regulations would prohibit out-of-state practitioners from providing care via telehealth to patients physically located in New Jersey without a New Jersey license. However, an out-of-state provider could use communications technology to consult with a New Jersey licensee, so long as the out-of-state provider was not directing patient care.
Also in line with P.L. 2017, c. 117, the regulations would require New Jersey licensees who provide services through telehealth to provide those services in accordance with the standard of care for such services when provided in-person. Providers typically must use interactive, real-time, two-way communication technologies with a video component. Audio-only telehealth is only permissible if the provider, after reviewing a patient’s records, determines she can meet the standard of care without video. In this situation, the licensee must use interactive, real-time, two-way audio in combination with technology that supports the transmission of images, diagnostics, data and medical information.
Pending Legislation
In addition to these regulatory proposals, the New Jersey legislature is currently considering an amendment (S 2559) to the 2017 law that would expand reimbursement for covered services provided via telehealth and allow for new flexibilities.
On March 22, 2021, the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee passed this legislation out of committee. In its current form, the bill, like the proposed regulations, requires telehealth providers to meet the same standard of care as if they were providing in-person services. Similarly, it allows for audio-only telehealth so long as a provider meets that standard of care.
The bill would also expand reimbursement for telehealth services by requiring insurance providers and Medicaid to ensure payment parity between services provided via telehealth and services provided in-person. Current law provides that telehealth rates are negotiable up to the in-person rate, meaning the reimbursement rates for telehealth services are often lower than the rates a provider would have received had he performed the services in-person.
Finally, the bill prohibits payors from imposing any restrictions on the location of the distant site the provider uses to provide telehealth services or on the location of the originating site where the patient is located when receiving telehealth services. | https://www.natlawreview.com/article/renewed-focus-telehealth-new-jersey |
adults that over cookies and cakes for sale on the streets.
For instance, there's that famous cinnamon roll man in Punta
Gorda, or the guy the sells delicious cakes oven-warm on the
main drag on Caye Caulker. His cakes are so popular, he barely
makes it to the split, before he's sold out for the day.
Here's a recipe of a Coconut Pone that will
delight all your loved ones!
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 cup coconut, finely grated
1 cup rice, cooked tender and cooled
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
2 tsp. vanilla essence
1/4 cup raisins
3 1/2 cups GRACE COCONUT MILK
1 tsp. ginger root, grated
1 Tbsp. soft margarine
Method:
Preheat oven to 350° F/180°C.
Grease a 22cm x 22cm x 5 cm / 9" x 9" x 2"
baking pan.
In a bowl, add cornmeal, coconut, rice, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon,
vanilla and raisins.
In another bowl, combine Grace Coconut Milk and ginger. Stir
briskly into cornmeal mixture to avoid lumps.
Scrape mixture into prepared baking pan and dot with margarine.
Baker until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Serving Suggestions:
Cool completely and serve with a sauce of your choice.
Preparation Time:
25 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: Baking Time:
2 hours
Serves/Yields: 12 slices
Notes: To cook soft rice: add an
extra 1 cup of water to the suggested amounts on the package.
Leftover rice may be used but reheated with 1 cup water to
soften. | http://www.belizemagazine.com/edition11/english/e11_27kitchen.htm |
All Professional Bodies, National Associations (e.g. Mental Health, School, Guidance, Addiction, Faith-based etc.) and Accrediting Organisations.
Universities and Other Education and Training Institutes
Counselling Agencies, Services, Group Practices, Counselling Centres
Background & Context
In Bhutan, a proposal has been submitted to the government to create a cadre for the employment of counsellors in the national health system. Mental health training is provided to an increasing number and variety of health workers. Bhutanese researchers have also begun to inquire about the relationship between traditional and modern approaches to mental health (Lester, 2015).
The Bhutan Board of Certified Counsellors (BBCC) and the stakeholders with an interest in counselling are working together to formalize the profession (Lester, 2015). It was affirmed that Bhutan has a lack of counsellors and aims to have more counsellors to contribute to those in need. As mentioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), Bhutan was identified as a country that is greatly in need of mental health services (WHO & Ministry of Health Bhutan, 2006). The Royal Government of Bhutan approached this subject and invited the United States-based NBCC International, in 2012, to further collaborate with the rest of the Bhutanese professionals in growing and developing a counselling profession in the country (Lester, 2015).
Current Regulatory Status / Level of Recognition:
In 2017, the Royal Highness Princess Kesang Choden Wangchuck inaugurated the National Certification of counselling professionals in Bhutan (Lhamo, 2017). She is also the founder of Respect, Educate, Nurture, and Empower Women (RENEW) in 2004. RENEW is a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women and children in Bhutan, with specific attention to the survivors of domestic violence (DV) and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). The organization is also known for its battle to recognize gender inequalities in the country. Counselling services are provided for all family members throughout the country and RENEW does not charge for their service. This initiation to counselling impacted Bhutan in acknowledging the counselling profession and its crucial role in keeping its citizens’ mental health well being.
Practice Settings
Counselling practices in Bhutan are available at:
- Schools & Universities
- Government Ministries
Challenges & Trends
Bhutan is a very secluded country where they limit tourists into the country (Tourism Council of Bhutan, n.d.). Hence, the presence of counsellors is not very known and no formal training can be found. There are only religious figures that support the population with their mental health needs, e.g., guidance and prayer. In recent years, Bhutan has finally sought help in getting more knowledge on the importance of counselling. They have been equipping counsellors in schools and universities in school guidance counsellor. There are more than 200 counsellors as of 2017 in Bhutan (Lhamo, 2017). With the acknowledgement from the Royal Highness Princess Kesang Choden Wangchuck, identifying existing issues such as gender inequality, abuse, and violence on women has resulted in RENEW refocusing to give counselling services to those in need (Lhamo, 2017).
Even though Bhutan is considered among the top 10 happiest countries in the world measured by gross national happiness (NGH; Sondergaard, n.d.), the suicide rate is still prominent and remains an issue. In Bhutan, mental health is heavily stigmatized as in most countries in Asia. People often overlook the fact that Bhutan still lacks counselling for mental health issues and the lack of counsellors in the country has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an issue, also.
Since Bhutan has now been open for help from outside their country, the field of counselling is dominated by Western counselling thought and traditions. In general, importing Western styles of practice and training to other Asian nations has left professionals to question the possible cultural relevance of Western approaches to non-Western settings (Lester, 2015).
Additional Information & References
For a deeper exploration of the counselling profession in the country, interested readers are recommended to read the following journal & website articles: | https://iac-irtac-research.org/bhutan/ |
Princeton University Collaborates with BIOS to Teach Marine Biology
Each year, as part of the ongoing Princeton University-BIOS collaboration, a group of undergraduate students in Princeton’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) and Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI) programs visit BIOS for a month-long course in marine biology. Co-taught by Dr. James Gould (Princeton EEB) and Dr. Samantha de Putron (BIOS), the course is designed to cover all aspects of marine biology, with a special focus on coral reefs.
For the 16 students that participate, the course offers significantly more lecture and lab time than traditional on-campus courses, with daily lectures and a 3-6 hour lab almost every teaching day, Monday-Saturday. Although intense, this structure allows students to learn about marine ecology and biology across a wide range of habitats while gaining practical experience snorkeling, collecting data, and conducting in-lab experiments and measurements. Students seem to appreciate this, noting, "I learned more in a four-week course than I do in most semester-long classes" and commenting on the "excellent lectures," the "hands-on learning," and how it was "extremely interesting to work alongside other researchers."
Rachel Parks, one this year’s participants, said that, for her, “Bermuda was a great way to see what fieldwork is really like. We got to experience a range of ways to study ecology in the field, and we used a lot of the methods that the researchers who study those subjects use. It was also really rewarding to experience the things we were learning in lecture firsthand. The Bermuda class was a lot of work, but definitely worth it.”
In addition to the summer marine biology course, Princeton students have other opportunities to pursue studies at BIOS, including:
-
Princeton-BIOS Internship Program. Summer internship opportunities are available through Princeton University for undergraduate students to work at BIOS. Interns will work through a collaborative agreement with two faculty members, one from Princeton and one from BIOS. Applications for the PU-BIOS Internship Program are administered through the Princeton Environmental Institute.
- Princeton University-BIOS Ph.D. Program. The Departments of Geosciences (GEO) and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) are seeking applicants for a new graduate program in Ocean Science and Marine Biology. This innovative program combines the best of both worlds: coursework with a broader university community where faculty undertake a wide range of ocean science research activities, and dissertation research conducted at a US-funded oceanographic and marine science research institution. For more information, visit the PU-BIOS Graduate Program website. | http://bios.edu/currents/princeton-university-collaborates-with-bios-to-teach-marine-biology |
THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Spoilers 7/6/18 — Hope Refuses to Share Liam With Steffy!
Liam has found himself caught between a rock and a hard place again and in these THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL spoilers, his decision is not going to be an easy one! Hope wants him just as much as Steffy does, and there doesn’t seem to be a move he can make that won’t leave someone broken-hearted. And this particular love triangle could also cause collateral damage in another relationship!
Liam assured Hope he didn’t blame her for getting pregnant, taking his share of the blame, but can’t simply commit to her and their child as he’s already committed himself to Steffy and their daughter, Kelly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s any compromise he can come up with that will leave both women satisfied. “I don’t want to be… in a situation where I have to share you,” Hope confesses, tears welling up in her eyes. Is there any way for everyone to get what they want?
Ridge and Brooke’s daughters could fracture their happy marriage! (Photo Credit: CBS)
Unaware that Hope now has her own bun in the oven, Steffy continues to believe that she and Liam are going to re-marry and live happily ever after with their baby girl. “After everything we’ve been through, I do deserve this,” she declares with a smile.
And in their own home, Brooke and Ridge continue to clash as each takes the side of their own daughter in the contentious love triangle with Liam. Now that Hope is pregnant, Brooke is convinced that Liam will turn to her again, but Ridge isn’t so sure. “There’s no leaving Steffy,” he protests. “It’s not gonna happen.”
Check out this tease for today’s emotional episode, and for more B&B previews, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine!
More from CBS Soaps In Depth
Karla Mosley Leaves B&B… to Have Her Baby! | https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/cbs/the-bold-and-the-beautiful-spoilers-hope-wont-share-liam-with-steffy-162829 |
2018 Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation
Every year, the Center for Teaching & Assessment of Learning, organizes a half day event to provide information and resources to new graduate Teaching Assistants. Transitioning into the role of a new Graduate Teaching Assistant can often create feelings of uncertainty. The Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation is designed to ease the stress of this transition by providing incoming graduate TAs with necessary information regarding what to expect. The event helps orient TAs to their instructional roles and responsibilities at the University of Delaware and introduces them to effective practices and central aspects of learning and teaching. Following orientation, our graduate students understand many of the tasks for the academic year ahead and are armed with the resources and knowledge that lead to success. Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation is primarily for those graduate students who have been newly appointed as TAs for the academic year.
Graduate students who have excelled at being TAs and are recommended by their department help facilitate sessions. They serve on a general panel alongside professors and lead area-specific sessions. This is the favorite aspect for many new TAs.
|
|
2018 TAO Schedule Monday August 20th
|TIME||SESSIONS||ROOMS|
|12:30-1:00||Orientation Registration||Smith Hall Entrance|
|1:00-1:45||Plenary Session||Smith Hall|
|Speakers: CTAL, Provost TBD, Faculty TBD
|
Agenda: Welcome, High-Impact Practices, Engaging with Students
|Rm TBD|
|1:55-2:40||Breakout Sessions I||Gore Classrooms|
|Classroom Authority & Community||Classroom Assessment Techniques & Student Feedback||Guest Lectures & Office Hours|
|Facilitators: TBD||Facilitators: TBD||Facilitators: TBD|
|* Tag: First Time||* Tag: Everyone||* Tag: Everyone||Rm TBD|
|2:50-3:35||Skill-Specific Sessions 1||Gore Classrooms|
|Grading Exams||Grading Writing||Grading and Setting-up Labs (x2)|
|Facilitators: TBD||Facilitators: TBD||Facilitators: TBD|
|Room: TBD||Room: TBD||Room: TBD|
|3:45-4:30||Breakout Sessions II||Gore Classrooms|
|Communicating Clearly/Establishing Boundaries||Time Management||What is Critical Thinking & How Can I Help My Students Use It?|
|Facilitator: TBD||Facilitator: TBD||Facilitator: TBD|
|* Tag: First Time||* Tag: Everyone||* Tag: Some Experience||Rm TBD|
|4:30-5:00||Ice Cream Social - Informal time with TA Fellows||Gore Rotunda|
* Session Recommendations: E for Everyone; FT for First Time Teaching Assistants; SE for those with Some Past Teaching/Teaching Assistant Experience
NOTE: Sessions are not yet finalized and may be subject to change.
TA Fellows’ Bios
Xinhui Jiang
Xinhui Jiang is a Ph.D candidate from the Department of Political Science and International Relations, with a research focuse on gender and politics, Asian politics, and immigration. Her dissertation looks at how women’s access to the local council in authoritarian regime is structured and determiend by the interplay of formal election instititutions and the informal norms and practices.
Rayanne Luke
Rayanne Luke is a third-year graduate student in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and vice president of UD’s chapter of AWM. Her research is on applications of spectral methods for thin film equations. She has served as a TA for both Calculus I and II. | https://ctal.udel.edu/graduate-students/conferences/ |
Rosh Pinah Oranjemund trunk road gets tar seal
The main road, DR118 between Rosh Pinah and Oranjemund will soon be upgraded to an all-weather tarred road. The Roads Authority in collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Transport held the official ground breaking ceremony for the upgrading to bitumen standard of Main Road 118 connecting the zink and the diamond mining towns, in the last week of November.
The existing district road linking Oranjemund to Rosh Pinah is a gravel road, constructed during the eighties to serve as the southern patrol perimeter for the then Diamond Area 1. Access was restricted and only allowed by Namdeb to approved officials, or on special application. It will now be upgraded to bitumen standard, and reclassified from district road to main road. The distance is approximately 95 kiometres.
The consulting engineer for this project is VKE Namibia and the contractor is Raubex. The Roads Authority is the government agency responsible for the overall supervision of the project.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kilus Nguvauva, Deputy Minister of Works and Transport said Namibia is steadily becoming the transit hub for neighbouring countries, hence the need to expand and rehabilitate roads to ensure a safe and reliable shipment of goods and transportation of people around southern Africa.
“A good road network has a significant socio-economic benefit that both enhances and stimulates economic growth. From a traffic viewpoint, the benefit of a well-maintained road network can be found in reduction of transportation costs and safety of road users.”
“Our ministry is very concerned about the increase of road crashes on our road network which has so far claimed many lives of our people, thus, to improve the status of road safety, our ministry will soon direct the Roads Authority to ensure that road safety audits become a standard requirement for the detailed design phases of each road construction and rehabilitation project.
We hope this initiative coupled with the effective implementation of the Namibian Chapter of Decade of Action for road safety as approved by Cabinet in 2011, will reverse the road traffic carnage on our road network,” he said.
The Prime Minister, Hon Dr. Hage Geingob said the government knows that transportation is one of the best investments that can be made to expand opportunity and prosperity to more and more Namibians.
He said although virtual connectivity and information technology have become increasingly important, a good and reliable transport network remains vital as there is a very strong correlation between a country’s economic development and the quality of its road network.
“Roads are an integral part of the transport system. A country’s road network should be efficient in order to maximize economic and social benefits.
They play a significant role in achieving national development [goals] and contributing to the overall performance and social functioning of the community. It is acknowledged that roads enhance mobility, taking people out of isolation and therefore poverty,” said Geingob.
The Prime further added that it is for these reasons that the government has embarked on a regional trunk routes development programme which aims at promoting the development of the country through inter-regional trade.
“This project forms part of that programme.
Furthermore, the project will also support the development of the south-western region of the country which is characterized by strong tourism, fishing and mining sectors which are strategic sectors for Namibia as envisaged in the fourth National Development Plan.
Therefore the paving of this road will help reduce transport costs and improve market accessibility in the tourism, fishing and mining sector,” he said.
The road starts approximately 3 kilometres south of Rosh Pinah, along Main Road 118, and runs 8 kilometres south along District Road 212 until the turn-off to Sendelingsdrift.
Currently, the 8 kilometres section to Sendlingsdrift has been surfaced with a low volume seal and will also be upgraded to bitumen standards.
The road continues in a south westerly direction for 2 kilometres before reaching an Access Control Gate. The road then continues along the existing gravel road for 85 km, through rolling terrain reaching a second Access Control Gate which is the end point of the project route. | https://economist.com.na/6822/mining-energy/rosh-pinah-oranjemund-trunk-road-gets-tar-seal/ |
Cassidy Paxton, BA is one of BC Healthy Communities' Researchers. Cassidy joined our team in early 2018 when she came to do her practicum during her final semester at UVic, graduating this June with a Major in Health and Community Services and a Minor in Public Administration. Cassidy's background includes work in politics at all levels of government, and both work and volunteer roles with youth through the City of Victoria Youth Council and Girl Guides. Read on to hear more about Cassidy's passion for helping communities improve their health and well-being.
Why do you do healthy communities work?
I always knew that in one form or another, I wanted a career that allowed me to help people and create positive change in communities. Healthy communities work takes a holistic, upstream approach to address the underlying factors that are making people and communities unhealthy. This work is about empowering communities, advocating for healthy public policies and changes to the built environment, and helping sectors come together to make communities a place where people thrive! The policies and initiatives implemented by local governments have such a strong influence on health, so, doing this work allows me to bridge my passion for health promotion with my inner policy wonk—it’s very fulfilling.
How is what you do unique from regular public health approaches?
I think the most unique part of what we do is our emphasis on collaboration across sectors. Our approach recognizes that to create lasting change we must all work together, instead of working in silos. I think many people see public health and community planning as two separate entities, but in reality, they are so interconnected. I constantly wonder why the two fields do not work together more often, they have so much to teach one another. It has been such an enriching experience, personally, to work alongside planning professionals!
I also see a strength in our focus on upstream interventions focusing on the determinants of health and the relationships between the built environment, and community health and well-being, rather than focusing on treating illnesses or access to health care services. This upstream approach allows us to work in communities with local governments on policies and programs that promote health, well-being, and equity.
What is your secret superpower (outside work)?
I’m a great baker/chef. I love being in the kitchen and creating healthy but tasty dishes! | http://www.miketsumuse.com/42b/article/1162/display |
To disable a user in your PlayMaker account, follow these steps:
- Click on Settings in the top right corner of the PlayMaker web application.
- Click Users in the Settings Links & Tools box on the left side of the window.
- Check the box in the left column next to the user that needs to be disabled.
- In the Bulk Actions drop-down menu (found below the list of active users) select Disable User.
- A prompt displays, allowing the administrator to:
- Assign owned Contacts to an existing user
- Assign owned Accounts to an existing user
- Assign owned Referrals to an existing user
- Note: Leaving referrals assigned to the disabled user does not remove them from PlayMaker. We suggest not transferring referral ownership, to maintain historical reporting accuracy.
- Remove future events for the disabled user.
- Note: We suggest deleting all future events. If future events are not deleted, the future events will only be displayed in the Events section of the Overview page for that user's manager and administrator. To remove these events, the user will need to be reactivated, then disabled again, selecting to remove future events.
- Click Disable User to make any indicated ownership changes, adding the user to the list of inactive users. Clicking Cancel will return to the Active Users list.
Timing Around Disabling Users
If the new user that is replacing the disabled user is not yet in PlayMaker, we suggest not making any changes to ownership of Contacts/Accounts/Referrals so that they are still easy to find by searching on the Owners field in the appropriate view.
Important Note: We do not suggest ever deleting users, or overwriting current user information to replace a user. Please disable the old user, and add a new user. This maintains a history of the prior user, and causes less conflicts over time.
When the new user has been identified, ownership can be transferred from the Inactive User at that time:
- In Settings, navigate to Users.
- In the Inactive Users section, there is a new bulk action item to Reassign Records.
- Admins will then be asked to select an active user to transfer ownership.
Related Articles: | https://crmsupport.trellahealth.com:443/hc/en-us/articles/5478437499923-Disabling-a-User |
Black Moms Face a National Health Crisis
Black mothers continue to face a life-or-death crisis, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing how racism intersects with health care has never been more urgent. The health of women of color impacts the vitality of families, and indeed, whole communities. Research reported by the Center for American Progress finds that in 2018, 67.5 percent of Black mothers and 41.4 percent of Latina mothers were the primary or sole breadwinners for their families. In lower-income households, the significance of women’s income to the health of the household is even greater.
In an earlier blog, we discussed the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women of color. Overall, women are over-represented in the sectors of the economy that are being crushed by social distancing policies. Women of color also are over-represented among the essential workers who are risking their health, and even their lives, to support those who are able to stay at home.
The economic impacts of COVID-19 cannot be divorced from health disparities that preceded the pandemic. For example, in New York City alone, Black women are 12 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. Furthermore, Black infants in the US are more than twice as likely to die as white infants, a racial disparity that is wider than it was in 1850.
The United States is one of only 13 countries in the world where the rate of maternal mortality – the death of a woman related to pregnancy or childbirth up to a year after the end of pregnancy – is worse than it was 25 years ago, and it’s continuing to get worse. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this phenomenon, as expectant mothers have reportedly been forced to delay or miss regular check-ups or other care. People of color and people in rural areas, who are already medically underserved, are most affected by this.
In Binghamton, The New York Times reported that due to social distancing measures in hospitals, pregnant people have had to give birth without their families or doulas. According to the same source, the disproportionate effect on mothers of color has not gone unnoticed by politicians.
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand remarked:
“Our country has the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world, and this has been compounded by the crisis caused by COVID-19. It’s painfully clear that we are not doing nearly enough to protect women of color and their babies, and we must do much more to end institutional racism in our healthcare system and ensure the resources are available to care for expecting and new mothers.”
However, over 60% of maternal deaths are preventable. The maternal mortality and morbidity crisis is largely driven by the disproportionate risk that Black women face during and after childbirth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black mothers experience disproportionately high rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, two of the primary causes of maternal death. Higher incomes, more education, and even access to quality health care do not immunize Black women from the risk of maternal mortality. Serena Williams' pregnancy complications are a grim example of how racism intersects with access to health care that results in the present national crisis for Black mothers.
The stress of being a Black woman in the United States has significant negative impacts on maternal health, according to Arline Geronimus, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She first coined the term “weathering” in 2007 to describe the ways in which toxic stress from repeated exposure to racial and gendered insults, attacks, and microaggressions trigger the premature deterioration of the bodies of Black women.
Lab-based, literature-based, and anecdotal studies clearly reveal that shouldering these burdens in the context of chronic discrimination gets into the body in several ways. Geronimus and her colleagues found that Black women have high allostatic load scores, a measurement of stress-associated body chemicals and their cumulative effects on the body’s systems. Long-term exposure to stress from racism and discrimination can create racial battle fatigue leading to decay of the cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems which, in turn, increase susceptibility to conditions like hypertension and pre-eclampsia. These conditions directly lead to higher rates of infant and maternal death as well as the early onset of chronic illnesses like diabetes. Indeed, weathering can be measured at a chromosomal level.
Universal Paid Family Leave is one small, but potentially mighty step to mediate and potentially reverse the deepening of this crisis. While the United States is one of the only industrialized countries in the world with a rising maternal mortality rate, it is also one of the only industrialized countries without Universal Paid Family Leave for all workers. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides unpaid leave to only 60% of the workforce, which is far from meeting the needs of low-wage workers.
Research shows that paid family leave can alleviate pregnancy-related conditions, including significantly lowering rates of maternal mortality, preterm births, low birth weight infants, congenital anomalies, and overall infant mortality. Furthermore, research has shown that paid family leave disproportionately advantages women of color.
In other words, Paid Family Leave can disrupt the race-based health disparities that are stealing the lives of Black women. Paid family leave can allow Black women to attend to our own health needs (as well as those of our loved ones) which can in turn improve our health outcomes.
A survey in March found that 80% of voters support providing all workers 14 days of paid sick leave and three months of paid medical leave.
The situation was already dire, but now the pandemic emphasizes its direness.
This current crisis must be addressed at all levels and must also include policy changes that can improve the health outcomes of Black women. We must call upon our government officials to explore and advocate for effective, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive policies and best practices for improving the health outcomes for Black women. Racial battle fatigue and Black maternal health must be treated as a national priority.
To contact your local representative about this issue of inequity and racism, visit here. | https://www.du.edu/cwc/news/black-moms-face-national-health-crisis |
Apr 28, 2021 10:00 AM
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of uncertainty about the wellness and safety of our communities. University of Utah Health encourages patients who are anxious about seeking care because of COVID-19 risks to not delay a doctor's visit, which could ultimately make things worse in the future. At U of U Health, patients have the option to be seen by a physician in person or virtually.
Virtual Care
A virtual visit allows a patient to get care from the comfort of their home. All that's needed is a phone, tablet, or computer with a reliable internet connection. Patients can communicate and visit with their physician through a conversation. An option for secure live video allows patients to be evaluated with little to no equipment.
With virtual care, physicians and patients interact like they are in an office setting. Patients can describe what's going on and explain how they are feeling. Physicans can examine patients for things they can see such as a rash or pink eye. Virtual care can also be used for behavioral health issues like depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It can be helpful for follow-up visits, reviewing test or lab results, and the management of diabetes, chronic illness, and pain.
Pediatric care via virtual visit can come in good use for follow-up visits, medication management, and meet-and-greets between parents and pediatricians. Parents can use this opportunity to talk about any cold, flu, or other symptoms their child is experiencing. This option is welcomed if parents feel more comfortable seeking care from their own home environment.
The best thing about a virtual visit is the convenience. "This option is great for older adults who may depend on a ride, patients who travel long distances, patients who have small kids, or patients who recently gave birth," says Caroline Milne, MD, a general internist, vice chair for education, and director of the Internal Medicine Training Program at U of U Health. However, not all care can be done virtually. If a provider cannot diagnose a condition through a virtual visit, a patient may be asked to be seen in-person.
Other virtual care services at U of U Health include:
- Virtual Urgent Care gets you the care you need, where and when you need it. Patients can speak with an urgent care provider if they don't want to travel to a doctor's office. Virtual urgent care should be used for conditions that aren't life-threatening.
- Primary Care providers can speak with patients on a secure video chat about children visits, wellness visits, cold, flu, and other symptoms, medications, etc.
- Virtual Prenatal Care includes regular checkups with doctors to make sure both the mother and baby are healthy. Virtual care is best for women with low-risk pregnancies.
- Speciality Virtual Care connects patients with a specialist who can monitor after-surgery recovery, go over x-rays or test results, provide an opportunity to ask questions, and more.
In-Person Visits
All primary care and speciality services are available for in-person appointments. If your needs can't be met through a virtual visit, or if you prefer in-person visits, you can make an appointment to see a provider at one of our locations.
Most patients who need to be physically examined will need to be seen in-person. This allows providers to use medical equipent to help find a diagnosis. An initial visit with a provider is also recommended in an office setting when a patient needs a physical exam and more face-to-face interaction. "We are always happy to see patients in person," says Rachel Hess, MD, MS, a general internist and chief of the Division of Health System Innovation & Research at U of U Health. "This allows us to get to know our patients and to better establish a trusted relationship."
In-person visits are recommended as the most comprehensive way to get care for children. It's best for children to be seen for wellness visits, acute sickness, and rashes. Examining a child and getting vitals are sometimes critical in order for a diagnosis.
U of U Health is taking extra precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure we can continue to provide the best care in a safe environment. The health of our patients, caregivers, families, and visitors is our top priority at U of U Health.
Here are some ways we are keeping you safe:
- Face coverings must be worn at all times inside all U of U Health facilities.
- Extra disinfection practices are in place in common frequently touched areas.
- Physical distancing guidelines are in place throughout all phases of care during your stay.
- To help reduce overall exposure, limited visiting guidelines are in place.
If you have a problem that requires immediate attention, you can visit one of U of U Health's urgent care locations. An appointment is not needed for a visit. | https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2021/04/virtual-inperson-visits.php |
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the benefit of the priority date of German application DE 10 2004 024 645.9, filed on May 18, 2004, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The invention relates to a method and a device for reducing the signal images at the output of a digital/analogue converter.
FIG. 1
1
2
A synchronous digital/analogue converter (DAC) may be regarded according to as a circuit which consists of a converter and a holding component . This circuit DAC simultaneously implements the following two operations:
converting a number x(nτ) into an electrical variable, for example voltage v(nτ), current i(nτ) or charge q(nτ). The number x(nτ) is usually represented in a binary code. The quantity τ denotes the sampling period, and n denotes the discrete time.
th
2
2
keeping the electrical variable constant over a time interval which corresponds to the sampling period τ or a fraction thereof. The 0order holding component is used for this. The electrical variable v(t), i(t) or q(t) is provided in a continuous time form at the output of the holding component .
FIG. 2A
FIG. 3A
CLK
CLK
CLK
shows a synchronous digital signal in the time domain, i.e. the number x(nτ) plotted against time t. The digital signal can be represented as a sequence of Dirac functions. The sampling period τ corresponds to the inverse of the clock frequency f, i.e. 1/f. In the frequency domain (), the digital signal is formed by an infinite number of repetitions of the signal spectrum around positive and negative multiples of the clock frequency, k·f, k=0, ±1, ±2, . . . . As usual, the frequency band at d.c. (k=0) is referred to as the baseband and the other frequency bands are referred to as sidebands or signal “images”.
In mathematical terms, the conversion of a number into an electrical variable is merely a change of variables, which does not cause any change of the signal spectrum. There are discrete time sample values (x(nτ) and v(nτ), i(nτ), q(nτ)) before and after the conversion.
2
FIG. 2B
FIG. 3B
CLK
CLK
CLK
CLK
B
CLK
B
CLK
B
B
CLK
B
In contrast to this, the holding (holding component ) transforms the signal from the discrete time domain into the continuous time domain, i.e. it changes the nature of the signal. The signal v(t), i(t) or q(t) exists as a sequence of levels in the time domain (), whereas it is filtered according to the function sin(πf/f)/(πf/f) in the frequency domain, see . This function is conventionally referred to as the sinc function. This “free” filtering attenuates mainly the signal images of the signal since, apart from the baseband, they take the value zero at all multiples of the clock frequency f. The attenuation achieved for the signal images is essentially a function of the ratio between the clock frequency fand the bandwidth fof the signal, i.e. f/f. Large values of the ratio f/fcause high attenuation of the signal images which, for a given fixed signal bandwidth f, necessitates high clock rates. Large values of the ratio f/falso mean an increase in the flatness of the frequency excursion in the baseband.
3
3
FIG. 2C
FIG. 3C
Since a digital/analogue converter is typically intended to generate the signal without the signal images, a filter is conventionally required so as to attenuate the signal images to a particular required amplitude. The filter is often referred to as an anti-image filter (AIF) post filter, reconstruction filter, smoothing filter etc. The filtered signal v*(t), i*(t) or q*(t) at the output of the filter is represented in the time domain () and in the frequency domain ().
CLK
B
−4
3
For example, a clock frequency f=13 MHz and a signal bandwidth f=100 kHz ensures “free” attenuation of 44 dB at the lower edge of the first signal image. At the baseband edge, the flatness of the signal is about 8.45·10dB. With an additional filter , it is possible to achieve higher attenuations and flatnesses.
CLK
B
CLK
B
3
Primarily two approaches have to date been adopted so as to achieve high attenuation of the signal images. The first option is to increase the ratio f/fand therefore raise the “free” sinc(f) attenuation. In industrial applications, values of the ratio f/fof the order of several hundred are customary. A disadvantage is the high power use and the great requirement for chip area entailed by an increase in the clock rate. A second option is to use continuous time smoothing filters , the order of which is given by a balance between the intended attenuation at the first signal image, the frequency flatness in the baseband and the implementation technology (tuned or untuned). Again, significant costs are incurred with respect to the power consumption, the chip area and the development of such circuits.
2
k
At least theoretically, an alternative to the aforementioned options consists in implementing a higher-order holding function at the output of the digital/analogue converter. Instead of keeping the electrical variable constant over the clock period τ (keeping the electrical variable constant is referred to as zeroth-order holding), the electrical variable is selected so that it takes information about the preceding values into account when determining the current value (this corresponds precisely to the mode of operation of a filter). It can be shown that higher-order holding components produce higher-order sinc(f) functions with k=2, 3, . . . . This concept, however, is very difficult to implement in practice.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of one or more aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention, and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention, nor to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of the summary is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention provides a method and a device which make it possible to suppress or attenuate the signal images at the output of a digital/analogue converter.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method for reducing the signal images at the output of a digital/analogue converter comprises providing a digital data signal, the data rate of which is varied according to a frequency sequence of a frequency hopping method, and converting the digital data signal into an analogue signal, the conversion clock being varied according to the frequency sequence.
1
2
3
The frequency hopping method is a known technique, which is commonly used in telecommunications systems. It is characterized by a carrier frequency of the transmitter changing (“hopping”) periodically in the time domain. The frequency changes are given by a frequency sequence f, f, f, . . . . The receiver knows the frequency sequence and is constantly tuned to the current carrier frequency of the transmitter in accordance with the sequence. The frequency hopping method allows low-perturbation signal transmission, since interference in one of the frequency channels impairs the transmission quality only briefly because of the rapid frequency change. The frequency hopping method furthermore guarantees a high degree of data security, since external receivers do not know the frequency sequence and can therefore be tuned to the transmitter only rarely or briefly.
The mode of operation of the method according to the invention consists in distributing or spreading the power of the first signal image over a broader bandwidth because of the periodically changing data rate and clock frequency. The attenuation of the first signal image is therefore increased in comparison with the case without a frequency hopping method (i.e., with a data rate and clock frequency constant over time). The additional attenuation which can be achieved by the method according to the invention is generally dependent on the ratio of the bandwidths which are occupied by the signal images in the case without a frequency hopping method and in the case with a frequency hopping method.
One advantage of the method according to the invention is that the smoothing filter may either be entirely obviated or may have a lower order.
A first configuration of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the data rate of a predetermined digital input data signal is varied according to the frequency hopping method by means of a data rate converter when providing a data signal. Methods for changing the data rate of a signal are known in the technology of digital multirate signal processing, see for example the book “Digital Signal Processing”, J. G. Proakis et al., Prentice Hall, 1996, pages 790-792. The data rate variation is preferably carried out by interpolation and decimation.
Another option is to generate the digital data signal with a varying data rate by means of a signal generator. In this case, it is not necessary to carry out data rate conversion of an incoming external input data signal, since the data rate varying according to the invention is already taken into account in the signal generation.
In this case, an advantageous variant of the method is characterized in that the signal generation is carried out by reading data words from a memory with a reading clock dictated by the frequency sequence and an addressing rule selected as a function of the current reading clock.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device according to the invention for reducing the signal images at the output of a digital/analogue converter comprises a frequency hopping clock generator, which generates a clock signal with a clock frequency varying according to a frequency sequence of a frequency hopping method. The device furthermore contains a means driven by the frequency hopping clock generator for providing a digital data signal with a data rate corresponding to the clock signal, and a digital/analogue converter clocked by the clock signal for converting the digital data signal into an analogue signal.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the following description and annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative aspects and implementations of the invention. These are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1
shows an outline representation of a digital/analogue converter with a downstream smoothing filter.
FIG. 2A
shows a representation of the sampled signal in the time domain.
FIG. 2B
shows a representation of the held signal in the time domain.
FIG. 2C
shows a representation of the smoothed signal in the time domain.
FIG. 3A
shows a representation of the sampled signal in the frequency domain.
FIG. 3B
shows a representation of the held signal in the frequency domain.
FIG. 3C
shows a representation of the smoothed signal in the frequency domain.
FIG. 4
shows a block diagram of a digital/analogue converter with a downstream smoothing filter according to the prior art.
FIG. 5
shows a block diagram of a digital/analogue converter according to the invention with an optional smoothing filter.
FIG. 6
shows a sine generator for generating an analogue sine signal.
One or more implementations of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and wherein the illustrated structures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
FIG. 4
4
5
6
4
7
8
CLK
CLK
According to , a digital block is driven by a clock generator which emits a clock signal with a fixed clock frequency f. The digital block delivers digital data words (word width N) via a data connection to a digital/analogue converter . The data rate is f, i.e. it corresponds to the clock frequency of the clock signal.
6
8
8
3
FIGS. 1-3C
The clock signal furthermore drives the clock input of the digital/analogue converter . The mode of operation of the digital/analogue converter and of the downstream smoothing filter have already been described in relation to .
FIG. 5
40
50
8
40
7
6
CLK
1
2
3
shows an exemplary embodiment of a device according to the invention. Components which are the same or functionally equivalent as in the previous figures are denoted by the same references. The digital block is driven by a frequency hopping clock generator , which is likewise connected to the clock input of the digital/analogue converter . The clock frequency fis given by a frequency sequence f, f, f, . . . . The digital block allows data rate conversion of the digital signal delivered via the data connection , according to the clock signal which is received.
FIG. 5
The mode of operation of the device represented in will be explained below with reference to an example:
B
CLK
B
CLK
For the signal bandwidth fand the reference clock frequency f, the values f=100 kHz and f==13 MHz will be assumed.
40
50
CLK
CLK
CLK
The digital block furthermore makes it possible to generate a data rate of 12.8 MHz and 13.2 MHz. To this end, the frequency hopping clock generator generates the clock frequency f=13 MHz for one third of the time, the clock frequency f=13.2 MHz for another third of the time and the clock frequency f=12.8 MHz for the remaining third of the time. This causes the following:
B
B
8
the baseband signal always remains within the frequency interval [−f, f], regardless of the clock frequency at which the data are converted by the digital/analogue converter .
CLK
the power of the first image of the signal lies around 12.8 MHz for ⅓ of the time, around 13 MHz for another ⅓ of the time and around 13.2 MHz for the remaining ⅓ of the time. The power contained in the first signal image is therefore distributed over a broader bandwidth, so that additional attenuation is achieved at each frequency compared with the case without a frequency hopping method (i.e. with a fixed clock frequency f). The power reduction in this simple example is −4.8 dB.
In practice, a larger number of alternative frequencies should be taken into account. In particular, it is possible to provide a pseudo-random frequency sequence, such as code division communications systems, with frequency hopping.
40
40
40
6
There are various ways in which the digital block may be produced. A first option is for the digital block to be a data rate converter. In this case, the digital block is provided (not shown) with an input data signal which has its data rate varied according to the clock signal . For example, the data rate converter may be constructed from a series circuit of an interpolator (which increases the data rate by a particular factor) and a decimation circuit (which decreases the data rate by a particular factor). For example, FIR filters or polyphase filters may be used for the interpolation. The decimation may likewise be carried out by a polyphase filter. Further information can be found on pages 792-803 of the textbook by J. G. Proakis cited in the introduction, which are hereby incorporated into the content of the present document by reference.
40
9
9
9
FIG. 6
Another option is for the digital block to represent a digital generator, see . The signal generator comprises, for example, a memory with a memory chip capacity D of, for example, D=1024 data words with a word width of N bits. Each data word contains a sample value of a sine function, which is sampled with a phase increment of 2π/1024 rad. The memory is thus loaded with a full period of a sine function. It is also possible to load the memory merely with sample values relating to ¼ of the period of the sine function, in which case the symmetry of the sine function with respect to the period quarters is exploited.
9
Instead of a sine function, of course, it is also possible for the memory to store the sample values of other periodic functions, or even non-periodic functions defined over an infinite definition range.
9
10
10
11
50
50
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
An address input AD of the memory is driven via an address generator . The address generator is connected via a control data connection to a frequency hopping clock generator ′. The latter differs from the frequency hopping clock generator of in that it furthermore contains an increment generator. The rest of the circuit structure corresponds to the representation in .
9
10
11
9
CLK
GEN
GEN
CLK
f
Df
·INCR.
If the data words of the memory are read at a clock frequency f=1 MHz with an address increment INCR=1 (the address increment INCR is communicated from the increment generator to the address generator via the control data line , and indicates the difference between two successive address values), then approximately one thousand clock periods are needed in order to read a full sine period from the memory . This means that a frequency fof about 1 kHz is generated. The following applies
=1/
CLK
GEN
GEN
CLK
For a given memory capacity D, the address increment INCR and/or the clock frequency fcan be used to synthesize other signal frequencies f. For the example of a signal generator with a constant frequency fas described here, the product f·INCR has to be kept constant. For example, the following frequency hopping scheme may be carried out:
CLK
GEN
If f=1 MHz and INCR=10, a frequency f=10 kHz will be generated, and the first signal images lie at 990 kHz and 1010 kHz.
CLK
GEN
If INCR=11 and f=10/11 MHz (≈909 kHz) , a frequency f=10 kHz will likewise be generated, but the first signal images now lie at approximately 899 kHz and 919 kHz.
CLK
GEN
If INCR=9 and f=10/9 MHz (≈1,111 kHz), a frequency f=10 kHz will likewise be generated, although the first signal images now lie at approximately 1101 kHz and 1121 kHz.
CLK
CLK
1
2
3
P
If the value pairs (f, INCR) are selected from a set of P alternatives, and the frequency hopping sequence f=f, f, f, . . . fis a pseudo-random sequence, then each signal image of the generated signal will be distributed over P pitches, each pitch having an average power of 1/P.
It is clear that in all practical applications, the number P of different frequencies involved in the frequency hopping method may be substantially more than 3.
Although the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary implementations of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” | |
Are your emails getting the attention they deserve? Between email, text messages, instant messages and social media, we are inundated with more information than we can possibly absorb. Yet, every day we ask the people around us, “Did you read my email?” and are dismayed when we find out it was overlooked or, worse, deleted. The principles of writing a concise, attention-grabbing message haven’t changed since the days when newspapers and magazines ruled the media. Here are some tips for writing emails that get read… and remembered.
Who Is Your Audience?
The best emails are the ones written with a specific audience in mind. Who needs to know this information? Who is affected by the decision or needs to make a decision? The more you write and direct your message to a specific audience, the easier it is to craft a message they will care about and act on, if needed. If you need a specific person to do something, address the email to them or use their name in the request.
Write A Killer Subject Line
In our social media world, killer headlines get the clicks. Our inboxes are no different. If action is required, include what you need to have done in the subject line. If your email contains an important deadline or decision, include that in your subject line. Even if your email is just sharing information, include a hint of why that information is important. At the same time, keep your subject line short. Seem impossible? Here are two examples:
- Due Friday: Need Approval to buy Software X
- Major Changes Needed for Feature X. Note: New Deadlines
Put Your Key Point At The Top
For both specific and wide audiences, consider:
- What is your key message?
- Why should your audience care?
Write the answers to both these questions in the first two sentences so they will be the first thing read. If your audience wants more information, they will continue reading the rest of the email. On that note…
Keep It Short
The beauty of Twitter is that it forces us to express ideas in 140 characters. While not everything can be expressed as a tweet, avoid the temptation to cram every small bit of information into one email. When met with a wall of text, most readers will close the email to read later… and never get back to it. Keep the body of your email to the key point and put additional details in an attachment or link.
Keep It Simple and Active
Which of these two sentences do you prefer to read?
- The team decided to change Feature X.
- After extensive discussion, it was decided by the key stakeholders in the team that the feature requests needed to be addressed.
The first sentence uses simple language with an active voice. It gets the point across with the fewest words. The second sentence is written in passive voice and uses unnecessary and long words. When read quickly, you could easily miss the point.
Make It Scannable
We all do it. We scan each email for the key points and quickly decide if we need to respond to, file or delete it. If your email is longer than 3 lines, make it easy for your audience to scan it. Use bullet points, numbered lists or put your key points in bold, like this blog post.
Use Images
If your email is explaining something, can you do it with a diagram or infographic instead of a long explanation? Emails with a relevant image are more likely to get read and more likely to be remembered. Just remember to keep the images lightweight. No one likes their inboxes being bogged down with huge attachments. | https://blog.socketsandlightbulbs.com/2014/09/02/write-effective-emails/ |
BACKGROUND
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
1. Field
The present disclosure is generally related to an ink limiting method and algorithm. More specifically, this disclosure describes a method for constraining a look up table (LUT) node set by a smaller gamut.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, digital and offset press ink limiting algorithms have been static in technology for many years. Commonly, many known methods operate purely upon the CMY values destined for printing, which defeats color management when outputting images. Standard algorithms that operate on CMYK values only tend to operate without regard for managing the overall look of the image when printed, i.e., without color managing the results, and are primarily focused on reducing hardware operability issues such as: a) wet paper in offset presses, b) fuser overload in electrophotographic printing, and c) fuser curl in electrophotographic printing. Typically, an algorithm truncates CMY ink at specified maximum, while preserving K.
An example of a traditional approach for converting image data of device independent color space, e.g., CIE L*a*b* or RGB, into dependent color space, e.g., CMYK, is GCR (Gray Component Replacement). A GCR approach can be used to calibrate and/or control the total ink amount for CMYK printers (e.g., define the amount of GCR to be applied for any given color). It can include constraining or replacing an amount of the C, M and Y separations with a relative amount of the K separation, or vice versa.
FIGS. 1-3
Traditional approaches can be limited in their use with regards to CMYK data, and may not be able to reduce a total ink amount to lower percentage values. Because many ink limit algorithms are not color managed, when aggressive ink limits are placed to reduce ink amounts to lower percentage values (e.g., lower than 150 percent), they tend to eliminate the color managed nature of the workflow. For example, such approaches tend to limit ink amounts, to different values in different regions (i.e., values for C can be different than values for M), thus, resulting in unbalanced color and lesser image quality. Accordingly, standard ink limit algorithm(s) can result in image and color blocking when applying aggressive ink limits, as shown in and discussed later.
Further, many other visual print artifacts, like unbalanced image print outcomes where chromatic appearance is relevant, can be provided on the output or printed image, resulting in the printed image looking or appearing to be of lesser quality, leaving customers displeased. Other examples of effects on output images by current ink limiting algorithms include, but are not limited to: a) de-saturated red, green, and blue secondary colors that have been “ink limited” coupled with very saturated separations since the single separations at 100% are not affected by even an aggressive ink limit algorithm; b) blocking in dark, off-neutral colors due to dramatic clipped CMYK reduction by the simple algorithm; c) compromise of compression built into the output Look Up Table designed to deal with mismatched dynamic range between data encoding space (like RGB) and print space (CMYK—less dynamic range); and d) eliminating CMYK (values) without regard for color managed outcomes in digital printing. Workflow choices for ink limit can usually be limited to a selection of a number between 0 and 100% (inclusive) during the construction of profiling, but with no feedback on the impact of the ink limit on specific jobs in the workflow.
It is an aspect of this disclosure to provide a method for transforming an ICC profile of a target printer used for outputting image data using a processor. The method includes the following acts implemented by the processor: for image data to be output: determine an initial output CMYK data set from a LUT table for a color gamut of an ICC profile to output the image data with the target printer; choosing a second ICC profile of a different printer having a limited color gamut, the color gamut of the ICC profile of the target printer having a greater range of CMYK values as compared to a lesser range of CMYK values of the limited color gamut of the second ICC profile; determining an encoded data set from the initial output CMYK data set that inherits the limited color gamut of the of the second ICC profile of the different printer, and determining a constrained output CMYK data set by re-encoding the determined encoded data set, which limits the initial output CMYK data set, in order to output the image data using the target printer based on the limited color gamut of the different printer.
Another aspect provides a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer associated with at least one processor for processing documents containing image data comprising a plurality of pixels. The method includes the following acts implemented by the at least one processor: receiving image data of a document having a plurality of pixels; determining an initial output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer, the initial output LUT node set being based on a first ICC profile having a first gamut for the target printer; encoding the initial output LUT node data set for output using the target printer; selecting a second ICC profile of a different printer having a smaller gamut than the first gamut of the first ICC profile of the target printer; further encoding the encoded output LUT node data set by using the selected second ICC profile to determine an encoded emulation data set for output using the smaller gamut of the second ICC profile; and determining a constrained output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained output LUT node set is determined by re-encoding the encoded emulation output data set for output via the target printer, thereby constraining the first gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set by the smaller gamut.
In an embodiment, the constrained output LUT node set is converted into a third ICC profile for outputting the image data using the target printer, such that an amount of ink output by the target printer when the image data is output is constrained per the constrained first gamut. The image data can be marked using the target printer based on the third ICC profile (resulting from the determined constrained output LUT node set).
Yet another aspect provides a system for processing image data. The system includes: an input device for receiving a document containing image data, the image data having a plurality of pixels; at least one processing element for processing the pixels of the image data; and an output device for outputting the document. The at least one processing element is configured to: receive image data of the document; process the image data; determine CMYK values from an output LUT for outputting the image data using a gamut associated with an ICC profile of the output device; encode the CMYK values for outputting the image data; using a second ICC profile with a smaller gamut that is different than the gamut associated with the ICC profile of the output device, determine constrained CMYK values from the encoded CMYK values; encode the constrained CMYK values; and determine constrained CMYK values for outputting the image data using the output device by re-encoding the encoded constrained CMYK values to constrain the gamut of the ICC profile based on the smaller gamut. The at least one processing element can be further configured to: determine an updated, constrained output LUT using the determined constrained CMYK values to form an updated ICC profile used to outputting the image data with the output device.
Still another aspect provides a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, direct a computer to perform a method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. The method includes: receiving image data of a document having a plurality of pixels; determining an initial output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer, the initial output LUT node set being based on a first ICC profile having a first gamut for the target printer; encoding the initial output LUT node data set for output using the target printer; selecting a second ICC profile of a different printer having a smaller gamut than the first gamut of the first ICC profile of the target printer; further encoding the encoded output LUT node data set by using the selected second ICC profile to determine an encoded emulation data set for output using the smaller gamut of the second ICC profile; and determining a constrained output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained output LUT node set is determined by re-encoding the encoded emulation output data set for output via the target printer, thereby constraining the first gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set by the smaller gamut.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
Disclosed is a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. A processor determines a constrained output (CMYK) LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained output (CMYK) LUT node set is determined by re-encoding and constraining an initial output LUT node set for a first ICC profile and inheriting an encoded emulation output data set based on a second ICC profile with a smaller gamut. By constraining the initial CMYK nodes, the final replacement set of CMYK nodes emulates the smaller gamut in the target printer without suffering from pathological outcomes. Rather, the method enables the printer to inherit a natural ink limit methodology for the output colors that is more relatively proportional, into a single input-output LUT node set and in a single destination profile. It produces a non-pathological print outcome so that color output prints appear as higher quality images to the naked human eye, without readibly visible imbalance of printed colors.
Throughout this disclosure there are a number of terms utilized that can be Understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although some definitions may be provided below and throughout this disclosure, they are not meant to be limiting.
A “target printer” is an output printer or press that “in use” and is used for raster image processing (or “RIP”-ping)(optional), marking, and outputting image data of a document (or page). It should be understood that the terms printer and press can be used interchangeably throughout to refer to an output device that is used for outputting processed image data. However, the type, model, or features associated with any mentioned output devices, printers, or presses is not intended to be limited to those noted herethroughout. The target printer can be referred to as the original printer that is being used for marking, but whose original or manufacturer-selected. ICC profile will be replaced.
An “ICC profile” is an industry standard profile format developed by International Color Consortium that describes the color capabilities, including the gamut, of a color device based on the differences between an ideal (provided by the manufacturer as the color reference file) and the current device, printer; or press used for output. The ideal or preferential ICC profile for a device is often provided by the manufacturer as a color reference file. Each device has its own device profile, either provided as part of the color management module (CMM) or system, available from the device's manufacturer, or included with third party hardware, software, or both. The CMM uses these profiles to convert one device dependent color space into the device independent reference color space and then to a second device dependent color space (that of the output device). Output profiles for devices such as printers, copiers, film recorders, and printing presses are also known as destination profiles. Throughout this disclosure, the ideal ICC profile for an output printer is referred to as “a first ICC profile” or a “target printer ICC profile,” and is an ICC profile that is used to output image data with the target printer without any emulation or manipulation. The first ICC profile includes information on the color gamut for the target printer, or “a first gamut.” The gamut refers to a range of colors, e.g., CMYK and RGB. Throughout this disclosure, reference to a “gamut” or “color gamut” refers to a device gamut, i.e., the range of colors that a print device can produce and/or reproduce when printing an image. As understood in the art, each device may have a different gamut and thus produce a different range of colors. The device gamut is based on an output image (which has an image gamut, i.e., a range of colors in a particular image). The first gamut, then, in this disclosure, refers to a range of colors produced by a target printer, and is included in the target printer (or first) ICC profile. The first gamut of the first ICC profile is manipulated and constrained in this disclosure.
A “LUT” refers to a look up table, as known in the art. A LUT includes an output data for outputting ink/color via the target printer, also referred to as an initial output LUT node set. An initial output CMYK data set is determined from a LUT of the first ICC profile of the target printer.
Throughout this disclosure, the selected ICC profile for an output printer to emulate is referred to as “a second ICC profile” or “another printer ICC profile” from “another printer” (e.g., selected by a user)(also referred to as “other printer” or “different printer” herethroughout), and is an ICC profile that is used to constrain the characteristics associated with marking and outputting image data with the target printer (e.g., the LUT table). The selected or other printer is a different device than the target printer. The second ICC profile includes information on the color gamut for another printer that is different than the target printer, and, in some cases, limited or smaller as compared to the first gamut, and thus referred to herein as “a second gamut” (i.e., the second gamut produces a different range of colors). The first gamut can have a greater range of CMYK values as compared to a lesser range of CMYK values of the second gamut. The second gamut of the selected ICC profile is used to manipulate and optionally constrain the first gamut in this disclosure.
As understood throughout, reference to “inheriting” refers, but is not limited to, the target printer internally limiting the first gamut of the target printer based on the second gamut from a selected ICC profile of other printer (e.g., a boundary within a LUT or LUTs), the internal part of the other printer, and intersection with the image encoding space. The compression associated with the other printer's internal characteristics, e.g., gamut, mapping techniques, etc. can also be inherited. As described herein, the target printer is designed to “inherit” characteristics from the selected or another printer, thereby reducing the output ink that used to print the image data or document, while preserving color(s) (e.g., in the constrained or restricted gamut/third ICC profile/new LUT).
A “constrained output LUT node set” (or “constrained LUT node set”) herethroughout refers to an output data set for output via the target printer that is determined by constraining the first gamut of the target printer by the smaller gamut, and that can be used for outputting ink/color via the target printer. Constrained CMYK values are determined from the constrained output LUT. These constrained values and/or the constrained output LUT node set can be used to form an updated ICC profile (or “third” profile, otherwise known as the limited or constrained profile/data set/LUT of the first ICC profile) that is used to outputting the image data with the target output device. In accordance with an embodiment, constraining the first/initial gamut or LUT includes proportionally limiting the color data values (e.g., based on the smaller gamut). Reference to encoding or “encoded” data sets refers to converting or transforming data using a standard source profile(s) into a form or code that is suitable for output using an output device or printer, e.g., the target printer. For example, it can include conversion between L*a*b* and CMYK data, or vice versa.
These and other, additional terms are also (further) defined throughout this disclosure.
The method and algorithm as disclosed herein can be utilized by a processor and/or ICC management system having a device-independent or reference color space, device profiles that define the color characteristics of a particular device and enables conversion between dependent and independent color spaces, and a color management module (CMM) that interprets the device profiles and carries out instructions for color gamuts of each device.
Referring back to the known art, ink limit technology has long remained entrenched in the domain of simple truncation of CMY, with the preservation of single separation primaries as its base technology. The ink limit is targeted at meeting printer physical constraints like avoiding wet paper for rapid drying, or, avoiding large pile heights in electrophotography to lengthen the life of fusing technology and avoid paper curl, for example. As noted previously in the background, because prior ink limit algorithms are not color managed, they tend to eliminate the color managed nature of the workflow, such as when an aggressive ink limit is set for printing an image or document. Because such approaches tend to limit ink amounts unevenly and disproportionately, the printed image has an overall lesser image quality.
In general, a simple, linear, reduction formula is related to a percentage (%) ink limit that is used for outputting an image or a document. In CMYK printing, a maximum amount of ink to be placed on a page is 400 percent (%); i.e., up to and including 100% of each of the 4 colors—cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Each color can be in a range of 0 percent (%) to 100 percent (%) (inclusive).
100, 0, 0, 0 (cyan)
0, 100, 0, 0 (magenta)
0, 0, 100, 0 (yellow)
0, 0, 0, 100 (black)
100, 100, 0, 0 (blue)
0, 100, 100, 0 (red)
100, 0, 100, 0 (green)
100, 100, 100, 100 (rich black)
100, 100, 100, 0 (rich CMY)
A rendered job contains nine squares of CMYK in the noted combinations (C, M, Y, K in percent (%)):
100, 0, 0, 0 (cyan)
0, 100, 0, 0 (magenta)
0, 0, 100, 0 (yellow)
0, 0, 0, 100 (black)
100, 100, 0, 0 (blue)
0, 100, 100, 0 (red)
100, 0, 100, 0 (green)
33, 34, 33, 100 (rich black)
66, 67, 66, 0 (rich CMY)
One or more of these percentages can change based on the selected percentage at which to limit ink. For example, for an ink limit of 200 percent (%), a typical or common default method for this ink limit can manipulate the above values in the following manner:
Attributes of this above standard ink limit (i.e., at 200 percent) may include, for example, blunt force reduction of C, M, and Y by simple subtraction of CMY to meet a total percent (%) target (e.g., see reduced amounts for rich black and rich CMY). No effort is made in known systems or methods to preserve any aspect of the original color; hence, color managed outcomes are destroyed by known ink limit approaches. Also, standard ink limits tend to aim for preservation of black (K) always, despite the amount of ink limit percentage. Although this may preserve the dynamic range of the printer, such features are not always necessary or desired where ink limits are relevant. Further, at 200 percent there can remain substantially equal distribution of the starting color among the C, M, Y values remaining after the limit has been applied. This also destroys any color managed nature of the associated LUT.
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
FIG. 1
shows top and side graphical views of an ink-limited gamut for CMYK and RGB after ink limiting to 200 percent (%) (200IL) based on such prior or known ink limiting methods or systems. The original or full gamut of the printer is shown as line or wire portions O of the three-dimensional (3D) depiction, while the 200IL gamut is depicted as a solid portion with shading. As understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, a restricted gamut such as shown in can be used to develop or produce a look up table (LUT) based on the restricted or limited ink requirements, so that the marking or RIPping (raster image processing) processes during output of image data corresponds thereto. As shown in , after application of the 200IL, chromatic peaks are preserved, but dark colors are substantially reduced or removed (e.g., see bottom areas O in side view of graphic in line or wire form, which represent the original full gamut O of the printer; rich black and rich CMY values in the example above). When implemented for the specific use of limiting ink on pages to keep the pages from becoming too wet, or the pile height too high, for example, an approach such as may be implemented, since there is concave removal of ink in these dark colors.
FIG. 2
100, 0, 0, 0 (cyan)
0, 100, 0, 0 (magenta)
0, 0, 100, 0 (yellow)
0, 0, 0, 100 (black)
75, 75, 0, 0 (blue)
0, 75, 75, 0 (red)
75, 0, 75, 0 (green)
16, 17, 16, 100 (rich black)
50, 50, 50, 0 (rich CMY)
There are applications, however, where more aggressive ink limits are desired, for any number of reasons. In competitive high speed digital printing systems, run costs relative to profit are razor thin, and, managing ink down to very low levels for some jobs is desirable. In such cases, the standard ink limit methods begin to fail. Pathological outcomes appear to begin when ink limitations are set below 200 percent, as shown by the graphical view in , when using prior or known ink limiting methods or systems. For example, in view of the above-noted rendered job containing nine squares of CMYK in the noted combinations, a typical default method for an ink limit of 150 percent (%) can manipulate the values in the following manner:
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
shows top and side graphical views of a gamut for CMYK and RGB after ink limiting to 150 percent (%) (150IL) using known ink limiting methods or systems. The original or full gamut of the printer is shown as line or wire portions O of the three-dimensional (3D) depiction, while the 150IL gamut is depicted as a solid portion with shading. As can be understood by observing the illustration of the limited gamut in , there can be an onset of image quality outcomes and/or defects in standard ink limiting methods as the total percentage of ink for output substantially decreases. Standard ink limit technologies dramatically reduce color saturation, and color, for red, green and blue (two separation mixture colors that exceed the 150% ink limit), but, do nothing to reduce the ink for the four single separations. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are substantially preserved in , as shown in the top view of the graph, while dramatically reducing red, green, and blue (see areas O in top and side Views). Thus, for any print job using a standard method that is implemented with this ink limit, CMY can be saturated and fully chromatic, but RGB will be desaturated, if not essentially gone. Hence, for a print shop or customer attempting to obtain an aggressive ink limit and a semblance of good image quality (with part of that quality being similarity of chroma output for saturated input colors), the standard ink limit methods fail.
As a final example, a more aggressive ink limit of 100 percent (%) is analyzed. In some cases of high speed printing, for example, such limits can be applied to minimize dry time, and, also or alternatively, to minimize ink costs. Furthermore, for dry ink presses, a very aggressive ink limit is needed to realize the cost targets per print for customers.
FIG. 3
Although exemplary color values are not provided for this example, shows top and side graphical views of a gamut of CMYK and RGB after ink limiting to 100 percent (%) (100IL) using standard ink limiting methods or systems. Again, the original or full gamut of the printer is shown as line or wire portions O of the three-dimensional (3D) depiction, while the 100IL gamut is depicted as a solid portion with shading. As shown, there is a serious color imbalance, which results in very low image quality (as pertaining to color output). The reds, greens, and blues are completely de-saturated, while highly or fully chromatic Magenta, cyan and yellow substantially remain. Accordingly, it can be seen that as the ink limiting method becomes progressively more aggressive, the resultant print gamut of standard methods becomes progressively more pathological. Relative relationships between input colors are completely destroyed by the classic ink limit method(s), thereby producing a pathological print outcome for aggressive ink limiting. As seen by these graphical representations, all of the impact of the more aggressive link limit occurs to the mixture colors red, green and blue, massively de-saturating those colors. Simultaneously, the primary colors C, M, and Y are preserved almost completely. Thus, when implementing standard technologies at such aggressive ink limits as these (e.g., 100%), a color print output containing a red and a magenta spot color, or, red and magenta dress in an image, for example, will appear very strange. The red will lack color and be very de-saturated, and, the magenta will be very colorful and saturated.
FIGS. 1-3
Both colors can be potentially printed and should be printed on the same page when desired for output of an image, even with ink limitations. Existing ink limit methods tend to remove ink at the expense of a color managed result. As shown by the exemplary graphics of , it can be seen that an elimination or removal of the use of color management by operating solely on the CMYK values provides negative results on an output or printed image. The output LUT CMYK nodes no longer bear any resemblance, at some points in the LUT, to the color specification in PCS. Clearly, a method is needed that enables a very aggressive ink limit while simultaneously offering some semblance of reasonable output where visual similarity between colors is relevant.
Rather than use controls to produce a LUT when there are ink limitations, this disclosure employs a closed loop control method to affect a high accuracy LUT based color outcome and inherits accuracy in the profile and RIP processes. As will become evident by the details described herein and below, this disclosure provides a method and algorithm for such features within a single ICC profile through a series of LUT transformations to from a single LUT. Accordingly, this disclosure provides both a method of emulating another press within a single ICC profile plus a method of ink limiting via another press profile. This method is distinct as it results in complete printer emulation in a single destination profile. It is also distinct from the classical method of ink limiting output LUT nodes after inversion with a simple algorithm.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
10
12
14
16
18
20
Of course, “emulation” is a standard workflow that is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, that typically use a series of source profiles in connection with RIP to a destination profile to affect an outcome. Such features are performed in a digital front end (DFB) of a system, for example. illustrates a simple, classic RIP-based CMYK Emulation work flow or method , as known in the art, and which is provided for explanatory purposes only. In general, at , a print job from a customer for printing in CMYK space (or other device dependent space) is received and processed, such as a PDF file. In the classic emulation workflow, the CMYK image data is associated with a source CMYK profile at , e.g., shown in as using CMYK “GRACoL”® standard profile, to incorporate the CMYK image data into a color space. To emulate another printer, the colors are converted to another potential emulation ICC profile at and into another set of colors. Finally, this set of colors is sent to a target printer at to print in an ICC profile of CMYK, resulting in the CMYK data being constrained to an “emulation” CMYK space at .
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
There are limitations with regards to the standard/known emulation method illustrated in , however. For example, in the above illustrated method, there is included: a) a target printer system (i.e., printer being used for marking and output) using a CMYK, standard, print gamut (non-limiting examples of such a system include FOGRA coated, Japan Color Type 1, ISO Coated, HP® Indigo, and other platforms), b) a CMYK print job encoded with the GRACoL® profile, e.g., via the embedding of a profile within a PDF format, and c) an ICC source profile for a smaller gamut printing system that already exists that is desired for emulation. For example, such an emulation ICC profile can have, in the BToA tags, gamut mapping, GCR, etc. Examples of such an ICC profile may include, but are not limited to: PSO_Uncoated_ISO12647_eci.icc, Japan Color Type 4, and Fogra Uncoated, Any number of existing profiles designed and built for small gamut printing systems can be used. Accordingly, known emulation methods such as shown in requires that ICC profiles for each printing system are obtained, since digital printing is being considered:
1. The actual, larger gamut printing system wished to constrain with ink limit,
2. The CMYK job encoding space (in this example, GRACoL®), and
3. A CMYK smaller gamut print space (space for emulation).
However, not all printing systems or presses can do a complete, true, emulation workflow during RIP, including coupling the RGB path properly. The implementation of the above workflow, with RIP, is complex. Not all RIPs are capable of obtaining all three ICC profiles and performing a complete RIP to implement and perform such an emulation. Further, the ability to detect in the job the embedded source profile, and associate that with the CMYK, and then select or use an emulation ICC, and RIP that to a printer, is not something that every DFE does or is capable of. Such processes can be hard to accomplish in a front end environment, and some DFEs of printers or presses just do not do it. Some DFEs do not support the combined, emulation for RGB jobs. Some DFEs do not even support the above workflow for CMYK jobs. For example, FFPS current default RIP path does not support this emulation pathway for CMYK print jobs. Even for the high end RIPs that do fully support the above workflow, the RIP speed is slower, and, the overall RIP complexity is high for complex jobs.
FIG. 4
FIGS. 5-7
Instead of having multiple ICC profiles that have to be assembled by a RIP and have bits processed through multiple different profiles, then, this disclosure instead provides a method proposed to encode features of the classic emulation workflow of into a single LUT, which takes on a form of a single destination ICC profile. The disclosed method can be implemented into even the simplest of digital printing systems. As described further below with reference to , instead of utilizing multiple (e.g., three) ICC profiles, the proposed algorithm instead, upon receipt of a print job, process the image data to result in a set of CMYK values for printing with a target printer that are constrained to both the print job encoding space (e.g., GRACoL®) and the encoding space to be emulated. In particular, such determinations are performed in one ICC profile.
FIG. 5
FIG. 8
FIG. 8
FIG. 5
100
100
514
504
102
104
106
108
110
110
100
110
illustrates a flow chart for a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. The method is implemented on a desired target printer or press (e.g., see output device of ) for marking the image data that is associated with at least one processor (e.g., of ) for processing documents containing image data comprising a plurality of pixels. Referring to , at , image data of a document having a plurality of pixels is received and processed at . An initial output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer is determined at . Then, at , the initial output LUT node data set for output using the target printer is encoded. A second or another ICC profile of a different printer having a smaller gamut than, or a limited color gamut as compared to, the first gamut of the first ICC profile of the target printer is selected at , such that the target printer can emulate the features of the second ICC profile, including its reduced gamut. It should be understood at that selection can include pre-selection and determination of a pre-selected (second) ICC profile. For example, another or different ICC profile of a printer a customer wishes to emulate can be selected prior to the start of the process (e.g., per a user interface (UI), as described in detail later). Thus, selection at may include determining or selecting for use the associated ICC profile of the pre-selected printer.
110
Furthermore, it should be further understood that selection may include pre-selection of an ink limit, and does not necessarily require that a specific printer or ICC profile be selected. That is, the selection of the second or another ICC profile may entail a user selecting a total ink limit (e.g., percentage) at which to limit the output document, and one or more processes may be applied to determine or select an appropriate, corresponding, and/or best selected alternate printer or profile to emulate. Additional determinations with regards to user selections (e.g., via a user interface) are further explained later. As such, selection of the second ICC profile at as used throughout this disclosure is not intended to be limited to direct selection thereof,
110
100
112
108
After another ICC profile is selected or determined at , then the method includes further encoding at an encoded, emulation constrained LUT node data set. This can be determined by using the selected (second) ICC profile to constrain and then encode the encoded output node set for the target printer (from ) (e.g., determine constrained CMYK values from the encoded CMYK values (e.g., by limiting to the smaller gamut), and encode the constrained CMYK values). The constrained and encoded data forms an “encoded emulation data set.”
114
100
At , a constrained output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer [to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink] is determined. The constrained output LUT node set is determined by re-encoding the encoded emulation output data set for output via the target printer, thereby constraining the first gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set by the smaller gamut. This constrained LUT node set is used to build or produce a final, updated ICC profile (also referred to as a “third ICC profile” throughout this disclosure) for outputting image data using the target printer. Accordingly, the method allows for marking and output of the image data using the target printer based on the limited color gamut of the different printer/third ICC profile, since the gamut of the target printer is constrained thereto. Therefore, an amount of ink output by the target printer when the image data is output is constrained per the constrained first gamut.
116
FIG. 5
Optionally thereafter, the constrained output LUT node data (or updated ICC profile) set can be communicated to the target printer, such that the processed image data can be marked and output, as shown at in , using the target printer, but based on the determined constrained output LUT node set.
FIG. 5
106
Although the description above references and illustrates processing steps that reference the LUT, it should be understood that such steps can be referenced as being applied to CMYK data. That is, one of ordinary skill in the art should understand that reference to LUT node set refers to the CMYK (or other device dependent) data used in and to form the LUT. For example, in an embodiment, the initial output LUT node set determined at can be based on the ICC profile for the target printer (or first ICC profile having a first gamut). In an embodiment, the set can include output CMYK data that is obtained from a LUT table for a color gamut of a target printer ICC. In an embodiment, the determination of the constrained data set includes limiting the initial output CMYK data using the determined encoded emulation data set. In an embodiment, the initial output CMYK data set is constrained or limited in a proportional manner by the encoded emulation data set.
In an embodiment, the initial output LUT node set and constrained output LUT node set are processed in CMYK space, and the encoded output LUT node set and emulation encoded output LUT node set are PCS encoded in CIE Lab space.
100
Further, although reference may have been made above in the description of method to a certain device independent space (e.g., CIE L*a*b*) and a certain device dependent space (e.g., CMYK), it should be understood that other device independent or device dependent color space(s) can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure (e.g., CIE XYZ space, Adobe® spaces, etc.).
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
200
100
200
illustrates steps of an exemplary encoding method for implementing the method of for re-encoding and replacing the CMYK LUT node set of the target printer, in accordance with an embodiment. The method results in a final updated ICC profile that is a single BToA re-encoding, ink limited output CMYK set that both emulates the small gamut printer and offers a natural ink limit associated with the smaller gamut. In the non-limiting embodiment shown in , the color space of the ICC profiles is CMYK, and its PCS is CIE L*a*b. Also in this illustrated embodiment, GRACoL® is the example source profile [specification and guidelines] used for the exemplary target printer or press (thus noted as a “GRACoL®” press (or printer)). The concepts of rendering intent and tags used when rendering between color spaces (“BToA”, or PCS to device transforms) and when proofing (“AToB”, or device to PCS transforms) as shown and described herein should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and thus are not explained in detail herein.
200
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201
203
The method includes a first stage of encoding steps for printing to the target printer as well as a, second stage of emulation steps for printing with a smaller gamut. By determining and combining these sets of steps and in the manner disclosed herein, the LUT and thus the ICC profile of the target printer is constrained and re-encoded to determine a new LUT and updated ICC profile for printing.
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1
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
The encoding and emulation process in starts with the first stage at with the first ICC profile that represents the target printer that we are printing to. In particular, in this process or method , the CMYK values that are in the ICC profile (initial output LUT node set) that will be sent as a job to the target printer are determined (e.g., see shown in method of ). Then, standard ICC tags are progressively utilized to re-encode both the job encoding CMYK and a smaller gamut emulation printer encoding, ending by re-encoding for the target printer a set of CMYK nodes colorimetrically for the target printer. For example, as shown at , AtoB1 conversion of the target printer ICC/CMYK values from to a PCS encoding (e.g., CIE L*a*b space or CIE XYZ space) is performed by taking the entire target output LUT nodes and using the AToB1 tag for the target printing system and converting every single output node to a PCS encoding of target colors as they would print to a target printer at . Then, the PCS encoded target colors are rendered at with the GRACoL® BtoA1 job encoding space, to determine the CMYK job encoding at . This conversion is a first step towards converting the entire CMYK LUT to another natural press, while still preserving its ability to print on the target printer. Since the CMYK job encoding values at are only valid to print on GRACoL® press, they are no yet useful. So, the CMYK job encoding values are run through an AToB1 tag of the GRACoL® press at , which is just a transformation from the CMYK encoding to the GRACoL® target printer CIE L*a*b* (or CIE XYZ) PCS encoding, so that a set of colors that would print to a GRACoL® press (or job encoded CMYK printer) are obtained at . Thus, the first stage is complete, as the CMYK values/LUT nodes of the target printer have been encoded into colors that are from the initial CMYK job/output LUT node sets or GRACoL® encoding space (e.g., see in FIG. )(e.g., in CIE L*a*b or CIE XYZ form).
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FIG. 6
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
The second stage of the method in includes using the CIE L*a*b* (or CIE XYZ) PCS encoded colors from and rendering them through a BtoA(i) tag of a smaller gamut printer at (e.g., see in ). For example, another or different ICC profile of a printer that a customer wishes to emulate, that represents a smaller gamut (e.g., characterized from a smaller printer), can be selected prior to the implementation of the process (e.g., per a user interface (UI), as described in detail later). As a result of the rendering at , CMYK job plus emulation encoding is determined at . These CMYK values would be valid to print on that smaller gamut printer. However, because the smaller or different printer is not being used for output, and, rather, the target printer, the CMYK job plus emulation values from are converted and encoded through the AtoB1 tag at (which is the CMYK to L*a*b* tag), which enables one to re-encode the CMYK job plus emulation values to the PCS encoding that is valid for the smaller gamut, as shown at (e.g., see in ) (e.g., encoded in CIE L*a*b or CIE XYZ). As such, at this point, the CMYK values that are valid to print to the target printer (the encoded output LUT node set, at ) have been converted (via processing and further encoding) to a set of colors that are valid for the smaller press (an encoded emulation data set, at ). The gamut has been limited and the colors are encoded in CIE L*a*b*.
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FIG. 6
As such, as observed in the first and second stages and in , a new (third) ICC profile configured for output/printing using the target printer can be determined by re-encoding and constraining the determined initial output LUT node set using the encoded emulation output data set. That is, to go back to an ICC profile that can be printed using the target printer, the PCS encoding of smaller gamut target colors from (e.g., encoded in CIE L*a*b or CIE XYZ) are rendered through a BtoA1 tag at to determine a constrained output LUT node data set at , or set of CMYK values, that are valid for outputting the job/image data using the target printer, but represent color from the combined process. The constrained data set determined at (output CMYK LUT node set) is constrained by the encoded emulation output data set and ink limited (the amount of ink for output with the target printer is constrained since the gamut is now constrained via the smaller gamut), thereby inheriting a natural ink limit. Printed output colors look like a combination of both ICC profiles of the printers. The resulting, constrained output CMYK LUT node set at (the re-encoded emulation output data set) is provided in and/or used to determine an (third) ICC profile format for printing with the target printer.
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FIG. 6
FIG. 4
The steps of the method shown in are analogous to the concepts behind the classic emulation workflow shown in , but have been expanded to derive the CMYK job encoding at from the output LUT CMYK node set of the Target Printer ICC at , and to determine a final constrained CMYK ICC profile that is a set of updated CMYK nodes that replace the original CMYK node set, thereby constrained by the encoding space and emulation space (i.e., a constrained output LUT node set). Selection of an emulation space that approximates the target ink limit percentage (e.g., 150%) insures that the resultant print output from the target printer does not suffer the pathology of the classic ink limit.
In other words, a destination profile BToA tag set for the target printing system is derived which contains an alternative target “emulation” print system, as replacement output CMYK nodes, both in terms of compression of the gamut boundary (smaller), and in terms of the inheritance of the entire internal part of the gamut. This results in a fully color managed result. Hence, for the case of a BToA inherited emulation printer, the compression associated with an alternative printer and the other printer's internal characteristics, e.g., gamut, mapping techniques, etc. are inherited in such a way as to print colorimetrically correct to the larger target printer gamut.
FIG. 7
FIG. 7
FIG. 3
200
shows a set of top and side graphical views of results of an emulation-based, ink-limited gamut when using the method with the above testing systems and characteristics, in accordance with an embodiment. As shown, the gamut is constrained within a CMYK set that is colorimetrically appropriate for printing to Printer 1. In the non-limiting illustrated embodiment, the natural ink limit of target printer as shown in is set to an ink limit of about 120 percent (slightly larger than ).
FIG. 7
100
While a very aggressive link limit has been applied to the target or original printer (Printer 1), reducing or limiting the total ink to between forty percent (40%) to fifty percent (50%) of its original gamut (depending on job type), the herein disclosed method results in resolving the previously noted issues and inconsistencies of know or classic ink limiting methods, including reducing or substantially resolving the noted mismatched saturation between red, green, blue and cyan, magenta, and yellow. That is, as understood by viewing the graphic in , the disclosed method can simultaneously reducing red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and black in proportionate amounts. Despite the fact that portions of the gamut (and thus amounts of the ink) have been eliminated, the relative relationship of R, G, B, C, M, and Y has been maintained. Each color reduced in a reasonable and similar way. Accordingly, in an embodiment of this disclosure, constraining the gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set (CMYK values) in the method can further include proportionally limiting data values of the determined initial output LUT node set for output within the smaller gamut of the selected second ICC profile, to thus determine the constrained and emulated output LUT node data set. Thus, when printing with the herein disclosed method, the chromatic colors are roughly and proportionally reduced, and the internal part of the gamut looks like another printer.
FIGS. 2 and 3
Thus, unlike prior methods, whose limited gamut results are shown in according to implementation of a classic ink limit algorithm, the disclosed approach ensures a color managed approach to gamut limitations, resulting in an output print that has little to no mismatch (e.g., magenta very chromatic, and red de-saturated) in chroma across its ranges of colors. The disclosed method and algorithm, when implemented, results in a visually consistent print with consistent saturated color outcomes, since proper compression, rather than clipping, of mismatched dynamic range is built in to this re-encoding and emulation method.
The disclosed method includes utilizing multiple Look Up Tables (LUT)s that merge a job color encoding space with an alternative print encoding space, which is derived from known reduced gamut printing systems relative to the target printer/system. The method completely inherits within a LUT, the smaller gamut boundary, the internal part of another printing system, and also the intersection with the image encoding space. The merged LUT becomes part of an easy to use single, International Color Consortium (ICC) profile, specifically with the intent to ink limit the target printer (while simultaneously taking on the look of another printing system, of smaller gamut)—thereby enabling aggressive, naturally occurring, color managed, ink limiting via a single destination profile, while simultaneously taking on both the gamut boundary and internal print characteristics of another printer. It produces prints with a similar level of de-saturation after ink limit as compared to classic ink limitation methods, without disproportionate reduction of some colors, while maintain other colors for output. The method and algorithm herein introduces an availability of both ink limit and true printer emulation into a single ICC profile. The single destination ICC profile can be communicated to the target printer and/or emailed and shared for others to RIP to. It also enables non-complex CMM systems to achieve true printer emulation without a complex RIP.
The method herein is highly flexible as there are various print gamuts available that can be used for constraint and building a new (third) ICC profile for the target printer. Thus, the constrained LUT and new ICC profiles are based on selecting, emulating, and encoding another (second) ICC profile of a real or existing printing system. By selecting to inherit characteristics from, and thus emulating profiles and LUTs associated with other printing systems, a symmetrical reduction in saturation of colors to the image look to a user (i.e., a look to the naked human eye when printed) is offered. Progressive color de-saturation in a symmetrical gamut reduction is a positive outcome, while preserving compression designed to match encoding space dynamic range to print space.
Although throughout this disclosure there has been reference to the Second another or second ICC profile having a smaller gamut than the target printer, it should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the other or second ICC profile need not be smaller, and that a profile of similar size can be used, emulated, and re-encoded for the target printer. Accordingly, a wide gamut printer or press can be made to print documents that look like any other printing system using a single ICC profile, assuming that the other printing system has a gamut of either the same or similar size, or smaller. Of course, if the gamut of the other, different printer is smaller, the resulting constrained LUT node set and final ICC profile limits the total gamut and thus ink output off of that wide gamut printer or press. If compression is designed into the smaller profile, it preserves the compression designed to bridge mismatched encoding and print space (“black point compensation”).
Because of the ink limiting benefits, then, it should be understood that the disclosed method and algorithm is further cost effective. The method can be used to alter to a reduced ink profile to save money. For example, if a customer wishes to reduce costs associated with printing an image, the customer can limit the amount of marked color ink (CMYK), in this case, through selecting a printing system with a smaller gamut to emulate when printing using a particular printer. Enabling ink management enables someone to manage the cost of the job (when output). Accordingly, the method can be implemented for billing purposes, e.g., to regulate and manipulate the billing costs when outputting certain documents.
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To implement and provide easy access to the herein disclosed method, a user interface (UI) can be provided that corresponds with at least one processor for implementing the disclosed method. The processor or module can be associated with a digital front end (DFE) of an apparatus or system, for example, or it can be cloud based. The UI can be provided via or associated with a display or screen of a computer (CPU) or a control panel for a system (e.g., system in ). The UI may be local or remotely accessed using an Internet or web connection (e.g., via mobile device). The location and accessibility of the UI should not be limiting. In an embodiment, the customer can limit the users capable of accessing and/or changing the selections associated with the UI.
In an embodiment, a UI drop down selection for the job encoding space is provided, even for RGB jobs, since, once the new, updated and constrained (third) ICC profile is derived, it will be placed as a new destination ICC profile through which all input data will stream.
In an embodiment, a UI drop down selection for the emulation profile or device is provided. This selection can drive the total ink usage (e.g., percent) and final look of output documents from the printing system. In an embodiment, the emulation profiles or devices can be provided in the order of progressively smaller gamut (increased ink reduction), for example, enabling customers to quickly tune ink usage and adaptively learn which selection to make.
In an embodiment, there can be provided instant feedback on ink usage upon completing the above selections for the above two CMYK constraints (e.g., via a screen). Customers, presented with this feedback, can then optionally proceed to select alternatives (e.g., a different emulation profile that originally selected).
In an embodiment, there may be automated placement of the resultant destination ICC profile, in which the constrained ink limit has been placed, for RIP and print usage.
In an embodiment, a selection of custom defaults for the re-use of optimized selections is provided to the customer.
A UI implementation enables customers to easily select the disclosed ink limitation method and can be designed to offer the following:
In addition, it should be noted that the UI can allow a customer to read a billing meter, showing a cost (e.g., in U.S. dollars) for printing an image or document. Meter reads may be used for cost-per-copy pricing, for example.
In an embodiment, the disclosed method enables the selection of the job encoding CMYK space combined with a series of graded smaller gamut emulation CMYK space (e.g., via UI selection) are shown to the user. In an embodiment, when two combinations or series of graded smaller gamut spaces are selected, the display may optionally show and present the estimated ink reduction relative to the target printer to the user (based on the smaller printer selected). In another embodiment, when the two combinations or series are selected, the user can select a job which is subsampled, and, ink reduction for that specific job is optionally presented (via the display), which can thereby enable the customer to select combinations of printing systems that reduce ink appropriately for that specific job.
Other scenarios and uses of the UI are further envisioned, and are not limited to the selections and controls noted above. For example, a UI may be simply presented to ask a customer to specify a targeted or preferred ink reduction amount, and a print job for output (and not necessarily asking a customer to select another profile or printer). In an embodiment, the system can then examine the choices available, and optionally present those that most closely match the target ink reduction choice, ask for customer approval for use, and, place the print job on the RIP system for use.
In another embodiment, the process and user selections via UI can be automated after input. For example, in an embodiment, a customer in puts in a targeted ink reduction for a specific print job, and the digital front end using various combinations automatically iterates until it comes to the closest match, and uses that determination. Thus, the customer does not have to manually switch around until they receive a desired output, or approve a determination by the system. The user can simply specify a target ink limit usage (e.g., percentage (%)) within a certain range, and system/method switches and analyzes profiles until it comes up with that range.
Of course, it should be understood that throughout this disclosure a user is defined as a person who is making the choice or selection on what amount of ink would be used for a specific job and/or of the other profile or printer to emulate (e.g., at the digital front end), including, but not limited to: a customer/owner of the machine, technician working for customer, operator of machine, etc. Thus, a user can be whomever is manipulating the process (e.g., at the DFE) to manipulate the outcome/gamut/LUT node set of the target printer.
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The kinds of products or systems using the herein disclosed method (or ) are not limited. Any system with a CMM for softproof, printing, and video output is amenable for use with the approach delineated. The disclosed concept is also valid for audio emulation. Any number of systems can be manipulated when it comes to selecting a gamut of a smaller printer and implementing it into the target printer.
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illustrates a block diagram of an example of an image path for processing image data of a system , device or image processing apparatus, for processing documents using the method of or , according to an embodiment. The system comprises, among other devices, an input device (e.g., IIT or memory) , a processor or processing elements represented by and , a memory and/or a storage device , and an output device (e.g., image output terminal (TOT)) with a marking engine interface . Although the image path as shown is part of a single system , it should be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that the processing elements or modules need not be in the same apparatus. In , modules for billing are also shown. The image path of the system may also include an examination element and/or cost calculation element which may be a part of the system itself or in communication with the processing elements and , for example. Generally, the above elements (as will be described) of the device are provided to perform functions that assist in receiving image data, configuring the image path of the processing elements and (and possibly elements and ) to process the image data, including processing and determining a constrained LUT node set and new, updated ICC profile, and outputting the image data such as by printing a document according to an output mode that may be selected and the constrained LUT node set/new, updated ICC profile. However, it should be noted that the apparatus or device may comprise additional elements not described herein or alternative elements for performing similar functions, and should not be limited to those elements as illustrated in . Generally, the image path shown in corresponds to any number of output modes that may be selected for an image processing apparatus, system, or device.
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The input device is used to deliver image data of a document to the system and/or processing elements in the image path. The type of input device is not meant to be limiting. Image data for an original document , may be received or input in either device dependent or device independent space from the input device .
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shows a processor or processing elements for processing and/or manipulating image data using a plurality of operations and/or processes. The description of the processing element(s) or processor(s) below is an example of devices capable of implementing processes to be performed and should not be limiting. For example, additional processing elements may be provided along the image path . Additionally and/or alternatively, additional operations may be performed on the image data other than or in addition to those described with reference to these figures. Accordingly, it should be understood that the phrases “processor” or “processing element” are intended to include any processing device, including a CPU, computer, controller, or other device for processing, managing, and/or handling data.
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The image path of system may comprise a plurality of image processing elements (or processor) for manipulating image data received from the input device using a plurality of operations and/or processes. The processing elements may be a combination of image processing elements which comprise software and hardware elements that perform a number of operations on the image data received from the input device (e.g., scanner, memory, or other source) using a set of parameters. The parameters are used to convert the images to the format desired as output (e.g., high quality) along the image path. The processing elements may be a part of a computer system, device, or apparatus such as a xerographic system, a photocopier, a printing device, or a multi-function device (MFD). For simplicity purposes, the term “processing element” throughout the application will refer to one or more elements capable of executing machine executable program instructions. It is to be understood that any number of processing elements May be used and that additional operations or processes besides those described below may be provided in an image path.
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More specifically, the image path of comprises a front end processing element(s) , a memory , storage , and a back end processing element(s) . Each of the devices or elements in the image path may be communication with each other, as represented by path . The front end processing element(s) may comprise any number of processing elements/modules and is/are image processing elements that receive image data in a beginning of an image path and is/are used to process the image data according to user preferences such that it may be stored and later retrieved for output. The back end processing element(s) may comprise any number of processing elements/modules and is/are generally used at the end of an image path to retrieve stored image data and to process the image data such that the image data may be output to a printing device as an accurate recreation of the original input or scanned image. Of course, processing elements may also be used for compression and/or decompression of image data.
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In an embodiment, one or more of the elements (e.g., processing elements , and memory /storage ) of system may be connected to a network or telephone system, for example, for communication with other devices, systems, or apparatuses, including those associated with a cloud. For example, in some cases, image data or executable instructions may be provided via a computer (CPU) connected to the network . As further described below, in a possible embodiment, at least one processing element of system may implement an operative set of processor executable instructions to perform a method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. Such executable instructions may be provided via the network , for example.
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Each of the image processing elements comprises an input and an output. Additionally, the system, device, or apparatus may also include one or more controllers or routers (not shown) to select and route the image data between the processing elements and and memory and/or storage , and other elements described below, for example.
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Front end processing element(s) receives (e.g., as input) the image data from the input device and processes the image data. Front end processing element(s) may be used to process the received image data as well as determine user-defined operations generally known in the art. For example, the front end processing element may be used for color space conversion, reduction or enlargement, document registration, and/or performing other operations or processes on the image data, for example. In some embodiments, the front end processing element converts the image data (e.g., from device dependent to device independent image data, when received via a scanner) for processing and determines neutral and non-neutral pixels.
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Moreover, in accordance with an embodiment, per the herein disclosed method, front end processing element may be used (alone or in cooperation with other elements) to perform a method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer is provided by method and/or (see ). Further, in an embodiment, the element can be used to determine a billing structure for outputting the image data using the selected ink limit/constrained data set.
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Memory and/or storage may be used to store image data. For example, memory and/or storage may be used to temporarily store the original image data of document, or LUTs. Converted (e.g., binary to contone image data) or compressed image data may also be stored in the memory and/or storage . Memory and/or storage may be used to store machine readable instructions to be executed by the processor/processing elements (a processor can access the instructions or data stored therein). The memory and/or storage may be implemented using static or dynamic RAM (random access memory), a floppy disk and disk drive, a writable optical disk and disk drive, a hard disk and disk drive, flash memory, volatile or nonvolatile data, or the like, and may be distributed among separate memory components. The memory and/or storage can also include read only memory, or other removable storage drive(s) or memory devices.
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The front end processing element(s) may communicate with memory and/or storage of system/apparatus to store processed and/or compressed image data, for example. Compressed image data may be stored in memory and/or storage temporarily or for a later time when needed. When the image data is needed or it is time for marking (e.g., using the marking engine interface of output device ), the image data may be retrieved from memory and/or storage via the back end processing element(s) to export the image data that has been scanned, for example. Further, the new, updated ICC profile and/or constrained LUT data set can be stored in memory and/or storage .
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Back end processing element(s) receives processed image data from the memory or storage . Back end processing element (s) may be used to further render the image data for output. For example, back end processing element may be used to convert the color space of the processed image data (e.g., convert from device independent CIE L*a*b color space to device dependent CMYK color space), provide color balance, further rendering, filtering, and/or other operations or processes, including, but necessarily not limited to, RIPping the image data according to the constraining LUT/ICC profile. Subsequently, back end processing element(s) may be used to decompress the image data and output the image data via the marking engine and output device . The output of processed image data from the back end processing element depends on the image path (or output mode). The back end processing element(s) may be used for calculating the amount of CMY color coverage and/or to determine the toner/ink consumption of the output device (e.g., to inform a user that ink needs to be replaced, for example).
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In an embodiment, the processed image data may be directly output to the marking engine interface for printing using an output device . The marking engine interface may be associated with an output device such as a printer, a copier, or an MFD which is used for printing documents. In some cases, the marking engine interface may be a part of the output device , as shown in . In some cases, the marking engine interface may be separate from the output device . The marking engine interface is used to output the processing image data to the printer, for example, and can be used to RIP the image data. The marking engine interface may be designed to receive the reconstructed and processed image data in device independent space in order to send or output the image data via the output device (e.g., printer) for a copy or print job. The marking engine interface may further perform image processing on the image data to make corrections or compensate for deviation in the printing process. Alternatively, the back end processing element(s) may be used to perform further image processing on the image data.
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The marking engine interface outputs processed image data to the output device for outputting the image data of the document. The type of output device should not be limiting. For example, the output device may comprise a printing device, a printing press, a copying device, or MFD, and may include other devices (e.g., display, screen).
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The display or screen may be a part of a computer (CPU) or user interface (UI), such as one used to select or pre-select another printer (ICC profile) to emulate when printing to a target printer as previously noted, or may be provided to relay information from a website or other device via a network , for example. In some cases, the UI may be provided directly on the apparatus/device, while in others a UI is provided as a separate electronic device. It should be noted that the output print quality of image data from an output device such as a MFD may depend on the type of system or device (and its available output modes/resolution), as well as the selected second ICC profile/device used for emulation. Of course, the algorithms and processes used by the elements in the image path shown in should not be limiting. Any number of data compression algorithms (e.g., lossless, lossy), decompression algorithms, color conversion algorithms (e.g., contone to binary, or binary to grayscale) and the like may be performed on the image data (in addition to method ) to provide a high quality output document , even if the gamut and thus amount of ink used for printing a page is limited.
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In an embodiment, the system or apparatus may further comprise one or more elements for determining a billing structure and/or a billing cost for outputting a page or document via an output device such as device . For example, as shown in , an examination element and/or cost calculation element are provided in at least in communication with system . In an embodiment, the examination element and/or cost calculation element may be a part of the image path of system . Examination element may be configured to examine the image data. The examination element may operatively communicate with a cost calculation element . The cost calculation element is configured to calculate a billing cost or an approximate cost for outputting the page and/or document of image data using the determined classification. In an embodiment, the elements and/or are separate from the image path of the system . In an embodiment, the features, calculations, and/or determinations provided by examination element and/or cost calculation element may be incorporated into one or more processing elements, such as elements , , or , and therefore such elements should not be limited to the illustrated embodiment. Also, the features, calculations, and/or determinations should not be restricted to receiving information from front end processing element and back end processing element .
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The billing cost may be calculated and based a multi-tiered billing structure (e.g., Tier 1, Tier 2, and/or Tier 3, etc.) and/or other tiers and/or categories and/or classifications, but a cost calculation is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, the billing cost is further calculated based on a type of output device to be used. For example, when copying using a printer or MFD, the chosen type of output device may alter the cost for printing the page or document due to the plurality of output modes, inks, toners, and other elements which contribute to the quality of the output document . However, if the gamut of the type of output device is limited based on the disclosed methods herein, the bill associated with printing and outputting a document can be calculated at a different (lesser) rate, if the LUT is constrained and amount of colors for printing have been altered (reduced).
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In an embodiment, the cost calculation element is configured to operatively communicate with the examination device and at least one of the processing elements (such as or ) to calculate a billing cost for outputting the page and/or document. The cost can optionally be output via the UI before marking or printing the image data.
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In a possible embodiment, the cost calculated by the cost calculation element (or its associated processing element) may be sent directly to the output device . For example, as shown in , the cost calculation element may communicate via path the approximate billing cost to the output device . In this case, the cost may be output via a display, screen, or even a print job. By providing the cost in such a manner—i.e., before outputting the image data via a printing or copying output device—the customer can decide if the image data should be marked via interface and output, or if the data should be saved/discarded (e.g., such as if the cost is too high), or if the LUT/ICC profile should be further limited based on another, different printing system (than the one being used or a selected second printer). The customer may choose or select (e.g., see at ) to output the image data through the use of an activation button, for example.
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Also, it is envisioned that an embodiment in accordance with this disclosure may include a system that utilizes a network connection for proposed estimates with regards to billing and/or ink limitations (e.g., to a certain percentage).
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The system for implementing the methods disclosed herein is not limited to particular brands or types of machines (e.g., company make and model), different output resolutions/capabilities, or different print shops, for example. The system may comprise similar elements noted with respect to the image path of the system in , including, but not limited to a communication device (such as a network), examination element, cost calculation element, processor and processing elements, for example. The system may include a personal computer (PC) or display device for displaying an estimated cost being communicated via a connected network. The network may include any type of network such as the Internet, Wi-Fi, DSL, local area network (LAN), or wide area network (WAN), for example.
In accordance with an embodiment, the disclosed algorithm can be used for larger or wider gamut printers—like standard offset presses on coded papers or digital printers that have similar size gamuts, e.g., digital presses, continuous feed (CF) printer—since problems such as those mentioned above occur when a standard offset press profile is applied and the downstream printer applies a standard ink limit. One consequence is that the application of the standard ink limit to these printers basically destroys the image quality. However, when someone wants to substantially limit the amount of ink output from one of these Presses or printers, this disclosure makes it possible to take a smaller gamut press and inherit its properties internally within the (target or in-use) press or printer, which results in limiting the boundary of the gamut, thereby reducing the [amount of output] ink used to print the image data or document, while preserving color management. It also inherits or emulates the internal part of the other natural printer or press.
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Other embodiments include incorporating the above methods into a set of computer executable instructions readable by a computer and stored on a data carrier or otherwise a computer readable medium, such that the method or method is automated. In a possible embodiment, the methods may be incorporated into an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by at least one processor. show flow charts of such computer readable and/or executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, direct a computer to perform method or , and/or may be implemented by one or more processing elements/processors. For example, in some embodiments, memory or storage of an output device carrying instructions is configured such that when the executable instructions are executed by a computer or processor, they cause a computer or processor to automatically perform a method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. Such instructions may be contained in memory, for example. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the disclosure. Thus, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software. Any type of computer program product or medium may be used for providing instructions, storing data, message packets, or other machine readable information associated with the method . The product or medium can include readable code and/or commands for implementing the method of , according to the exemplary parameters noted above and the resulting graphic of , in accordance with an embodiment. The code can include commands for initial printer encoding, encoding the data for the job, and inheriting and constraining parameters according to the other printer to determine constrained, encoded data for internal use by the target printer (see also example in ). The computer readable medium, for example, may include non-volatile memory, such as a floppy, ROM, flash memory, disk memory, CD-ROM, and other permanent storage devices useful, for example, for transporting information, such as data and computer instructions. In any case, the medium or product should not be limiting.
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While the principles of the disclosure have been made clear in the illustrative embodiments set forth above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the structure, arrangement, proportion, elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the disclosure. For example, the system may be a computer system which includes a bus or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and one or more of its processing elements may be coupled with the bus for processing information. Also, the memory may comprise random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage devices and may also be coupled to the bus as storage for the executable instructions. Storage device may include read only memory (ROM) or other static storage device coupled to the bus to store executable instructions for the processor or computer. Alternatively, another storage device, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, may also be coupled to the bus for storing information and instructions. Such devices are not meant to be limiting.
Output profiles described herein are of the LUT type, and are used in conjunction with hard copy output device, such as printers and film recorders. Output profiles translate between the PCS and the output color encoding. In the case of a printer profile, the output color encoding might be monochrome, CMYK, RGB or n-color, where n can be up to 16 (although in practice is rarely greater than 6 or 7).
In some workflows there is a further conversion from the output color encoding of the profile to the actual colorants used by the printer, which is usually performed in the printer driver.
Accordingly, it is an aspect of this disclosure to provide a method for transforming an ICC profile of a target printer used for outputting image data using a processor. The method includes the following acts implemented by the processor: for image data to be output: determine an initial output CMYK data set from a LUT table for a color gamut of an ICC profile to output the image data with the target printer; choosing a second ICC profile of a different printer having a limited color gamut, the color gamut of the ICC profile of the target printer having a greater range of CMYK values as compared to a lesser range of CMYK values of the limited color gamut of the second ICC profile; determining an encoded data set from the initial output CMYK data set that inherits the limited color gamut of the of the second ICC profile of the different printer, and determining a constrained output CMYK data set by re-encoding the determined encoded data set, which limits the initial output CMYK data set, in order to output the image data using the target printer based on the limited color gamut of the different printer.
Another aspect provides a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer associated with at least one processor for processing documents containing image data comprising a plurality of pixels. The method includes the following acts implemented by the at least one processor: receiving image data of a document having a plurality of pixels; determining an initial output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer, the initial output LUT node set being based on a first ICC profile having a first gamut for the target printer; encoding the initial output LUT node data set for output using the target printer; selecting a second ICC profile of a different printer having a smaller gamut than the first gamut of the first ICC profile of the target printer; further encoding the encoded output LUT node data set by using the selected second ICC profile to determine an encoded emulation data set for output using the smaller gamut of the second ICC profile; and determining a constrained output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained output LUT node set is determined by re-encoding the encoded emulation output data set for output via the target printer, thereby constraining the first gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set by the smaller gamut.
In an embodiment, the constrained output LUT node set is converted into a third ICC profile for outputting the image data using the target printer, such that an amount of ink output by the target printer when the image data is output is constrained per the constrained first gamut. The image data can be marked using the target printer based on the third ICC profile (resulting from the determined constrained output LUT node set).
Yet another aspect provides a system for processing image data. The system includes: an input device for receiving a document containing image data, the image data having a plurality of pixels; at least one processing element for processing the pixels of the image data; and an output device for outputting the document. The at least one processing element is configured to: receive image data of the document; process the image data; determine CMYK values from an output LUT for outputting the image data using a gamut associated with an ICC profile of the output device; encode the CMYK values for outputting the image data; using a second ICC profile with a smaller gamut that is different than the gamut associated with the ICC profile of the output device, determine constrained CMYK values from the encoded CMYK values; encode the constrained CMYK values; and determine constrained CMYK values for outputting the image data using the output device by re-encoding the encoded constrained CMYK values to constrain the gamut of the ICC profile based on the smaller gamut. The at least one processing element can be further configured to: determine an updated, constrained output LUT using the determined constrained CMYK values to form an updated ICC profile used to outputting the image data with the output device.
Still another aspect provides a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, direct a computer to perform a method for limiting ink output of marked image data using a target printer. The method includes: receiving image data of a document having a plurality of pixels; determining an initial output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer, the initial output LUT node set being based on a first ICC profile having a first gamut for the target printer; encoding the initial output LUT node data set for output using the target printer; selecting a second ICC profile of a different printer having a smaller gamut than the first gamut of the first ICC profile of the target printer; further encoding the encoded output LUT node data set by using the selected second ICC profile to determine an encoded emulation data set for output using the smaller gamut of the second ICC profile; and determining a constrained output LUT node data set for outputting the image data using the target printer to thereby mark the image data using a limited amount of ink. The constrained output LUT node set is determined by re-encoding the encoded emulation output data set for output via the target printer, thereby constraining the first gamut of the determined initial output LUT node set by the smaller gamut.
While this disclosure has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that it is capable of further modifications and is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, and this disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, equivalent arrangements or adaptations of the inventive concepts following, in general, the principles of the disclosed embodiments and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the embodiments pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and followed in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems/devices or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
shows a set of top and side views of a graphical representation of a limited gamut when using a prior art ink limiting method or system.
FIG. 2
shows another set of top and side views of a graphical representation of a further limited gamut when using a prior art ink limiting method or system.
FIG. 3
shows yet another set of top and side views of a graphical representation of a still further limited gamut when using a prior art ink limiting method or system.
FIG. 4
illustrates a flow chart showing a prior art method for emulation workflow.
FIG. 5
illustrates a flow chart for a processor-implemented method for limiting ink output of marked image data in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.
FIG. 6
FIG. 5
illustrates an exemplary encoding method for implementing the method of in accordance with an embodiment.
FIG. 7
shows a set of top and side views of a limited gamut when using the herein disclosed ink limiting method or system, in accordance with an embodiment.
FIG. 8
FIG. 5
illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an image path of a system, device, or image processing apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment, comprising at least one processor and an output device, for implementing the method of . | |
Keeping stress under control
Sometimes it helps to just close your eyes.Jennifer SpencerWomen’s Health
‘How are you?’ is a question we can get asked several times a day. We tend to respond with a simple one-word answer. But how often do we stop and ask ourselves how we are really feeling? Many of us in the “sandwich generation” are coping with the stress of caring for aging parents, adult children, and grandchildren. We may be worried about our physical health, the health of a loved one, or any of the multiple changes that come at this time in our lives. Stress can be brought on by any situation or thought that makes us feel frustrated, angry, fearful, overwhelmed, powerless, or lonely.
Symptoms of stress may be cognitive, emotional, physical or behavioural. Cognitive symptoms include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, poor judgment, anxiety, worrying, difficulty making decisions and feelings of unhappiness. Emotional symptoms include moodiness, short temper, feeling overwhelmed, depression, panic attacks and a sense of loneliness. Physical symptoms include headaches, muscle tension, diarrhea or constipation, butterflies in the stomach, chest pain, rashes, trembling of lips or hands and susceptibility to the flu. Behavioural symptoms include changes in appetite, sleeping too much or too little, grinding teeth, nail biting, fidgeting, procrastinating, and excessive gambling or shopping.
People react to stress in different ways. Some may become angry or agitated, and in turn become overly emotional or unable to sit still. Others become withdrawn or depressed. They may shut down, space out or show minimal energy and emotion. Some people “freeze” under the pressure of stress and feel unable to do anything.
The first and most important step in managing stress is to acknowledge what you are feeling. Take time to reflect on your feelings and process them. Ask yourself if you are reacting negatively or proactively, and how your reactions are impacting yourself and your loved ones. Asking yourself these questions will help you learn to cope with stress: if you can recognize the symptoms, you can change your behaviour.
Eating healthy foods and incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle can also help you manage stress. Determine what you find relaxing and enjoyable. Meditation, yoga, breathing techniques, relaxing CDs, humour, aromatherapy, nature, herbal tea, art, spirituality, journaling, and new hobbies are just some of the practices used to manage stress.
What is relaxing for one person may not be relaxing for another, so it is important to figure out what works for you. If you can not immediately escape a stressful situation (such as work), sometimes it helps to close your eyes for a minute or close your door and take a mini-break.
In order to cope with stress effectively, it is important to talk about mental health. Do not keep your thoughts and feelings bottled up. Good mental health is the sense of well-being that comes with knowing you can cope with life’s challenges. Learning to cope with stress will help improve your quality of life and help you find a balance between all aspects of life: social, physical, spiritual and emotional.
Jennifer Spencer is the program manager for mental health, patient transport and the central relief team at Victoria General Hospital. To support the Vic’s mental health program please contact the Victoria General Hospital Foundation at 477-3513 in Winnipeg or visit online at www.thevicfoundation.ca.
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Conceptual and methodological issues in studies of obsessive-compulsive and Tourette's disorders.
An association between recurrent motor and phonic tics and obsessive-compulsive behaviors has been noted since Tourette's Syndrome (TS) was first described. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) until recently was considered a rare disorder with poor prognosis. Currently, OCD is considered among the most common psychiatric diagnoses, and new treatments have spurred the development of considerable clinical, epidemiological, genetic, and biological research. Recent studies suggest a high rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Tourette's Syndrome patients. A high rate of OCD among relatives of TS probands, both with and without OCD symptoms, suggest that some forms of OCD may represent an alternative expression of factors responsible for TS and/or chronic motor tics. Areas of conceptual controversy in the differentiation of tics, impulsions, and compulsions are discussed, confusing aspects of differential diagnosis are explored, and the relationship of diagnostic issues to clinical and familial studies are highlighted. There is considerable evidence for neuropsychiatric abnormalities in both OCD and TS; however, no studies have directly compared both disorders with similar methodological design. While studies of neurotransmitter function have primarily implicated dopaminergic dysfunction in TS and serotonergic function in OCD, other systems may be involved in each disorder, and neurotransmitter systems may be tightly linked, such that alterations of one system will affect other systems. This article reviews and discusses some of the conceptual and methodological issues associated with clinical, familial, neuropsychiatric and biological studies attempting to elucidate the association among tics, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette's Syndrome.
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Bournemouth Soroptimist International STEM Challenge 2018
The Purbeck School entered 3 teams into the Bournemouth Soroptimist International STEM Challenge 2018. This is an annual competition open to schools in Dorset where students work independently in teams to try and come up with designs that sustainably solve problems caused by aspects of poverty in the world’s poorest areas.
Soroptimist International run the competition for girls with the aim of raising the profile of STEM careers for women.
Soroptimist International is, “A worldwide dynamic organisation for professional and business women. Through awareness, advocacy and action at international, national and local levels, we are committed to a world where women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities.”
For us the process began in October, with the teams brainstorming possible ideas that could address the 6 forms of poverty: Housing, Hunger, Water, Healthcare, Education and Transport. With inspiration from Ms Yarnold, the teams focused their projects on communities in particular areas that needed solving.
Team Edubot (Helen Turnock, Juliette Gates) aimed to tackle Education poverty in Somalia due to the low levels of Education in rural areas, particularly amongst girls.
Team Hisani (Jazmin Astells, Elizabeth Stillman, Felicity Carlyle) set their sights on water poverty, particularly gaining access to clean water in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Team Major Safe (Georgia Chambers-Bellis, Mabel Whiting, Isabel Yarrow, Jodie Kirkham) tackled water poverty by addressing the transportation of clean water in Juba, South Sudan, where women would have to walk over 10Km to get access to clean water for cooking.
Then began the long process of researching, designing, constructing prototype models, testing and iterating their designs. This involved calculations to cost their prototypes, logistical issues of how their product would be delivered to their areas of choice, even experiments to see whether 20Kg could be easily transported by a child in a backpack (it couldn’t!). Team Hisani disassembled a household water filter to find out how the water filtration elements were assembled, and researched sustainable alternatives. Team Major Safe calculated the dimensions of a barrel that could carry 40 litres of water, as well as researching possible materials for construction.
With weekly input, from Engineer Rob Schofield and Mr Davids, the teams recorded their progress in a report that was sent off for initial judging by SI international’s team of industry judges at the end of February. After a nail-biting week of waiting, all Purbeck teams were invited to the judging stages in March.
In an intense environment at Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus, the teams had 35 minutes to eloquently present their ideas to a panel of industry professionals, answering tough questions about the impact of their projects, their justification of material choices and how their prototype would work.
Team Hisani presented their backpack-based water carrying and filtration system, Team Major Safe presented their rolling, filtering water carrier and Team Edubot presented their Solar-Powered, cloud-connected AI education device.
Our students were unfazed by the demanding questioning from the judges and presented confidently.
The variety of creative solutions on display to the problems of water purification, transport and healthcare was incredible. Purbeck teams did extremely well with very strong competition from other schools including Ringwood, Magna Academy and St Peter’s.
Of our 3 teams, Edubot made it through to the final round of judging one week later with their unique idea of a low-cost solar-powered voice-activated educational AI unit. Teams were allowed to reflect and improve on judging feedback from the first round of judging. Edubot iterated their design and tightened up their impact analysis and logistics for the second round of judging.
The final round of judging took place at the impressive Talbot Campus. Team Edubot went through a second round of judging, with further in-depth grilling from the each of the 5 demanding judges. Helen Turnock and Juliette Gates represented strongly, justifying their design choices and sticking to their guns without compromise.
After inspirational messages from prominent women in industry including Theresa May, Margaret Emsley, Roma Agrawal and Helen Sharman, Anna Holme gave a fascinating presentation into how the work of Engineers without Borders was working to improve the lives of Women in India by designing and constructing a high tech non-flushing toilet for use in India.
The final results were announced by Soroptimist International – Team Edubot narrowly missed out on an award, placing in the final 4 out of 33 teams that entered the process. They were commended by the judges, as were all teams that entered from the Purbeck School.
All of the entrants will receive a Bronze CREST award for their efforts in the process, and will be invited for afternoon tea with the Headteacher.
We are extremely proud of the way that our teams represented themselves and the school. They have been excellent ambassadors for the school in their professional and mature conduct during the judging process, and they have been gracious competitors. They have demonstrated excellent teamwork, thinking skills, reflection and presentation skills that have developed during the process, and they have shown composure and maturity well beyond their years. We hope to see them involved in the Soroptimist STEM challenge in the future as competitors, coaches, or perhaps even as judges in the future. | https://www.purbeck.dorset.sch.uk/bournemouth-soroptimist-international-stem-challenge-2018/ |
A Michael Jordan game-worn jersey from his 1982-83 season at the University of North Carolina has sold for $1.38 million dollars at auction, Heritage Auctions said Saturday.
"We're extremely proud to have shattered records for a Jordan game-worn jersey," Chris Ivy, Heritage's director of sports auctions, said in a statement.
The season was Jordan's second at UNC, and the season after a freshman Jordan helped take the Tar Heels to the 1982 national championship over a Georgetown team that featured Patrick Ewing.
The previous high for a Jordan jersey was set in October when a Chicago uniform worn by the NBA icon -- who won six championships with the Bulls -- sold for $480,000.
bb/js
... | https://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/michael-jordan-college-jersey-fetches-138-mn-at-auction/news-story/77ef21f659683955b5afb0388b0d5a23 |
Mental health is an important aspect of our well-being and life. Just like how problems can affect our physical health, some problems can affect our mental health. However, a lot of people don’t take mental health seriously. The awareness and knowledge of mental health disorders is poor in Nigeria.
Therefore, many Nigerians don’t find it easy to get proper and prompt medical attention to their mental health issues. A lot of people are suffering from different types of mental health problems in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it’s they don’t know about it or have no access to adequate mental health care. The mental health statistics in Nigeria are very alarming.
Every Nigerian should know that mental health is a real thing. One of the first steps towards achieving good mental health is to learn about the most common types of mental health disorders.
That is what we will be discussing in this article. You will find out the most common mental health problems affecting Nigerians today.
5 Common Mental Health Problems in Nigeria
1. Depression
Depression is the number one mental health issue affecting Nigerians. It refers to a broad range of mental health problems, usually associated with a lack of positivity. Depressed people lose interest in enjoyment, in ordinary things, and social activities. They also have low mood, inadequate sleep, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, low self-esteem and poor appetite.
It is easy to see why depression is common in Nigeria. The rate of unemployment, violence, injustice and severe socioeconomic factors are the cause.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of Nigerians are suffering from depression, and they need proper mental health care. They need counselling, mental health therapy and care.
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) Normally begins after experiencing one or more traumatic events like acts of violence, severe accidents, natural disasters or military intervention. Most people who are at risk of having PTSD are survivors of sexual abuse, war, terrorism, accidents and disasters, and other violent crimes.
Additionally, refugees, women who had traumatic childbirth, and members of the armed forces, police and other emergency personnel can have PTSD.
You can agree with me that a huge number of Nigerians fall under the above-mentioned categories. In areas like Jos, Benue and Born violence has been on the rise and many inhabitants there suffer from PTSD.
Patients of PTSD in Nigeria need immediate treatment such as psychotherapy as well as medications to manage symptoms.
3. Postpartum mental disorders
There are a few mental illnesses that affect women after giving birth. Postpartum Psychosis is one of the serious forms of postpartum psychiatric disorders that affect Nigerian women after childbirth. The symptoms of postpartum psychosis include severe aggressiveness, loud crying, screaming, attempts to harm self and the child.
Another postpartum mental illness is Postpartum Depression. It occurs within the 1st 2 to 3 weeks after childbirth. Postpartum depression is usually associated with negative thoughts, crying, guilt, feelings of worthlessness fatigue, inadequate sleep, frequent loss of concentration and sadness.
A lot of Nigerian women suffer from postpartum mental health issues. A study by Psychiatrist Adewuya A.O. in 2005 showed that postnatal depression was prevalent among Nigerian women.
They need immediate psychological help and support after childbirth.
4. Anxiety Disorders
Another common mental health problem in Nigeria are anxiety disorders.
Anxiety is a normal emotion; everybody feels anxious once in a while. For instance, you may feel nervous when faced with a problem at school, at work, or when facing challenges.
Anxiety disorders are different from normal anxiety emotions; they are a group of mental illnesses that can affect your health and well-being.
People who have anxiety disorders are constantly worried and afraid and overwhelmed. Common types of anxiety disorders include Panic disorder, Social anxiety disorder, and Specific phobias.
Anyone suffering from anxiety disorders needs adequate mental health treatment, which should include counselling or medication, like antidepressants.
5. Schizophrenia and other psychosis
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder, that affects over 25 million people worldwide.
Schizophrenia and psychosis are characterized by distorted thinking, poor perception, strange emotions, and distortion in language, and behaviour.
The symptoms of schizophrenia are grouped in to behavioural, cognitive, psychological and social. They include hostility, aggression, lack of self-restraint, disorientation, thought disorder, hallucination, fatigue, incoherent speech, paranoia, hearing voices, depression, delusion, anxiety, feeling detached, and apathy.
The cause of schizophrenia is no known. However, genetics, environment and altered brain chemistry are key factors that cause schizophrenia.
A sizable number of Nigerians suffer from schizophrenia and are never diagnosed.
A lot of schizophrenia patients in Nigeria suffer from stigma and discrimination because of poor access to mental health and social services. They are also at high risk of exposure to human rights violations, like being labelled as witches, long-term confinement in institutions and torture. In fact, a survey found out that 72% of Nigerians believe that schizophrenia was caused by a supernatural phenomenon.
Schizophrenia patients require a lifelong treatment that should include a combination of medications, special mental health care services and psychotherapy.
Bottom Line
These are the five most common mental health problems in Nigeria. Nigerians need to know more about these mental health issues and take mental health seriously.
If you support mental health awareness in Nigeria, please do your part by sharing this post. Thank you! | https://healthguide.ng/mental-health-problems-in-nigeria/ |
A surge in outsourcing in the UK has helped drive up the value of deals in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by 23 per cent.
According to Information Services Group’s (ISG) Q2 EMEA Outsourcing Index, 169 contracts, valued at €2.2 billion (£1.5 billion), were awarded in the EMEA in the past three months, up by a third compared with the previous quarter.
Although the overall figure for annual contract value (ACV) was down 12 per cent on the same period last year, the UK saw an increase of nearly 150 per cent year-on-year, in both ACV and number of contracts. The financial services and energy sectors had a positive first half, while the manufacturing, transportation and telecoms sectors experienced a decline in contracting activity.
ISG said new scope awards in EMEA (211 contracts) accounted for a high proportion of the value in the first half of this year, although these were down 20 per cent compared with 2014.
Overall, business process outsourcing values remained flat at around €900 million (£632 million), while IT outsourcing, with deals valued at €3.2 billion (£2.2 billion), dropped 25 per cent from €4.3 billion (£3 billion) last year. Only two contracts valued at €80 million (£56 million) or greater were done in the region during the quarter, indicating a market shift towards a higher number of smaller deals, the report concluded.
John Keppel, partner and president, ISG Europe, said: "The outsourcing market has shifted significantly in recent years to higher numbers of contract awards at lower ACV levels. To put this into context, the €5.7 billion (£4 billion) in ACV awarded in EMEA during the first half of 2008 just before the recession hit, came from 199 contracts. The €4.1 billion (£2.9 billion) in the first half of this year came from 293 awards, aptly illustrating the shift to a greater number of smaller contracts in the marketplace today.”
Keppel said the shift was driven by more multi-sourcing, as buyers sought shorter and smaller contracts with niche providers that provided specialised services.
Buyers were also avoiding larger, longer-term contracts as they planned digital strategies amid a wave of new technologies and operating models, he said. | https://www.cips.org/en/supply-management/news/2015/august/surge-in-uk-outsourcing-drives-up-value-of-emea-deals/ |
Current selected color: Silver
Our table runners provide a great place to set down platters to prevent spills and scratches on your tabletop. These runners can be used on more than just the dining room table, place on entryway, foyer, console, or coffee table.
Web ID: 10019343
Looks lovely online but the quality is disappointing.
The web site says silver and appears grey but the runner I received was a beige and the embroidery was gold. Very thin material . It was cut and sewn uneven - the width of the runner varied from 14 2/8 inches to 13 3/4 inches . This was noticeable when laid on the table . I returned this item . | https://www.macys.com/shop/product/design-imports-winter-sparkle-jacquard-table-runner?ID=10019343 |
How Deccan Traps help recover life after dinosaurs died
In a first, researchers have found details about how the Earth's terrestrial ecosystems recovered following the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction (KPgE) event - that put an end to the reign of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago - and suspect that volcanic eruptions in the Indian subcontinent may have contributed to the recovery.
The researchers, including those from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the US, found extremely rare fossils of terrestrial plants and animals who inherited the Earth after the KPgE in central Colorado's Corral Bluffs.
The findings of the study, published in the journal Science, revealed a detailed snapshot of the first million years of recovery of species and their ecosystems following the extinction, showing the dynamic interrelationships of plants, animals, and the climate.
The researchers said that several aspects of the ecosystem recovery happened almost within 300,000 years after the extinction event.
The maximum mammalian body size increased by three-fold in about 300,000 years post the event, which they suspected is associated with the increased richness in megafloral species.
The study also noted that there may have been a stark shift in the diet of mammals from an insectivorous or omnivorous one to a sustenance based on plants following the extinction event.
According to the researchers, detailed records of the ecological rebound after a major extinction event may provide important insights for predicting how ecosystems recover following catastrophic extinction events -- including the latest sixth mass extinction event that we are currently going through.
"The transition from an ecosystem characterized by a small-bodied mammalian fauna, post-“disaster” ferns, and low diversity plant communities to one exhibiting a larger-bodied mammalian fauna, and more ecologically and taxonomically complex forests mirrors modern post-disaster ecological successions, but on a much longer timescale," the researchers wrote in the study.
The study also revealed that the recovery was facilitated by a strong link between the planet's geological cycles and the biosphere.
"The Deccan Traps of the Indian subcontinent represent repeated and voluminous volcanic eruptions during the post-KPgE Earth system succession. These eruptions might have induced warming pulses via the release of greenhouse gases," the researchers said.
According to the study, the Deccan eruptions likely influenced the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere, in turn shaping the post-KPgE ecosystem recovery across the planet.
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It’s been more than 100 years since German psychiatrist Aloysius “Alois” Alzheimer described the brain of a patient who was suffering from what we today refer to as Alzheimer’s disease. And yet, this complex brain disorder continues to be shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. However, research scientists are making inroads that may someday lead to a cure for the disease or its prevention. Recent research has also held out promise for more effective treatment options.
Because so many people have Alzheimer’s disease, including, perhaps, some of your family members and friends, we now know more about how it affects those who have the disease as well as those who care for them. Many caregivers have written poignantly about what it is like to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. In this edition alone, author and poet Frances Kakugawa; broadcast journalist Diane Ako; and Jody Mishan, former coordinator of the State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias share their respective experiences as caregivers for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Although every family’s situation is different, their stories probably have a ring of familiarity among those who have faced or are now facing similar circumstances. However, they speak not only of the challenges of caregiving, but also about their coping strategies, something all caregivers must develop in order to survive the experience, and the wisdom they have gained from caregiving.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in 2015 — about two-thirds of them are women. The disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to grow each year as the number of Americans age 65 years and older continues to expand as the Baby Boom generation transitions into older adulthood. In Hawai‘i, an estimated 64,000 dementia caregivers deliver 73 million hours of unpaid care, according to “Hawaii 2025: State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias,” a state report released in December 2013 and updated this past October.
Less understood is what causes some people, and not others, to develop the disease. Researchers know that the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s looks different from that of a person without the disease. The diseased brain has abnormal clusters of protein fragments — called plaques — and twisted microscopic strands of the protein tau, referred to as tangles. Researchers are uncertain about what causes those plaques and tangles to develop in the first place, which has made finding a cure for the disease so elusive. They do know, however, that the highest risk factor is age; in other words, the older you are, the more likely you are to develop Alzheimer’s.
However, not all older people have the disease (indeed, many older adults are cognitively vital and physically active), and there is a smaller group of people in the population who will develop the disease before they reach older adulthood. This is called early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
There is often a genetic factor involved in those who develop the disease early. The Oscar-winning performance of Julianne Moore in the movie, “Still Alice,” attempted to show the progression of early-onset Alzheimer’s in an otherwise healthy middle-aged college professor. Moore’s character began forgetting familiar words and places, leading her to consult medical experts. Tests confirmed that she had the type of Alzheimer’s that is genetically inherited, but this type of Alzheimer’s is rare and occurs in a very small percentage — less than 5 percent — of total Alzheimer’s cases. The Alzheimer’s Association says that a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s before age 65 may take a while because physicians usually don’t suspect Alzheimer’s in people who are in their 40s or 50s. At any age, a confirmation of Alzheimer’s requires a comprehensive medical examination, and people with signs of the disease should discuss it with their primary care physician as soon as possible.
It is also suspected that Alzheimer’s disease probably starts long before the signs of the disease become apparent. So, a person can be in the earliest stages of the disease without anything seeming to be wrong. If this is the case, it has serious implications for figuring out whether there is anything that can be done while people are younger that can either prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Signs
Not all cases of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, so it is important that qualified health care providers do a thorough evaluation if patients show signs of dementia. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. But the Alzheimer’s type is the most prevalent by far.
What are the signs of Alzheimer’s disease? The Alzheimer’s Association lists 10 warning signs: 1) Memory loss that disrupts daily life; 2) Challenges in planning or solving problems; 3) Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure; 4) Confusion with time or place; 5) Trouble understanding visual images or spatial relationships; 6) New problems with words in speaking or writing; 7) Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps; 8) Decreased or poor judgment; 9) Withdrawal from work or social activities; and 10) Changes in mood and personality.
Individuals may experience one or more of these signs to different degrees. Having these signs does not mean a person has Alzheimer’s, but it does warrant a visit to the doctor’s office for consultation and testing. Memory loss alone does not necessarily mean a person has dementia and, in some instances, may be reversible (e.g., if it is due to a condition that is treatable).
Services and Supports
If you need information or other resources about Alzheimer’s disease, you can call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-272-3900 or visit its website at www.alz.org. Your primary care physician may also have specific people or places to contact. The Aging & Disability Resource Center can help you locate local resources. The Hawai‘i ADRC phone number is 643-2372 and its web address is
www.hawaiiadrc.org. Senior health fairs are another good place to learn about the array of service providers in Hawai‘i, all conveniently gathered in one place. In addition to the Herald’s “Dear Frances” column (by Frances Kakugawa) and other Herald columns and articles, Generations magazine and KHON2’s Elderhood Project provide regular coverage of topics related to older adults and their caregivers.
Of course, family members and friends can be of considerable support to people with dementia. This informal support can come in many forms, from round-the-clock care at home to regular check-ins on an elder living alone if the symptoms are still mild. However, there are times when at-home care is no longer safe or feasible and other options need to be explored. Another article in this issue explores different residential options for people with dementia.
The Latest Research
As mentioned earlier, the older one is, the higher the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent.”
Family history is another risk factor. Those with a parent or sibling with Alzheimer’s are at higher risk for the disease. The risk also increases if more than one family member has the disease. In cases where Alzheimer’s seems to run in families, genetic or environmental factors (or both) may play a role.
Researchers know that the brain cells of a person with Alzheimer’s disease do not connect or communicate the same way as a person without the disease. This results in problems with memory, learning and communication. The brain becomes inflamed and, eventually, brain cells die and the brain itself shrinks.
In a video that was part of “The Alzheimer’s Project” — a presentation of HBO Documentary Films and the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, in association with the Alzheimer’s Association — researchers talked about advances made in Alzheimer’s research over the past two decades or so. By studying the brains of patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s, they better understood the role that genetics played in the overproduction of beta-amyloid, a toxic brain protein, which causes plaques found in the diseased brain of both early-onset and late-onset patients. By identifying beta-amyloid as a common problem in these brains, researchers were able to develop drugs that targeted beta-amyloid as part of their treatment.
In the cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s, in which the early-onset type of the disease was prevalent in families, researchers were able to identify a genetic mutation that led to Alzheimer’s. However, in the late-onset type (in which people typically get the disease in their mid-60s and older), the role of genetics is less clear. It is believed that a combination of certain genes increases the risk for Alzheimer’s.
“We think that there are a lot of different genes that make very small contributions to whether you’re going to get the disease or not,” said Dr. Gerard Schellenberg of the University of Pennsylvania in the HBO documentary. “We call these susceptibility factors. No one single susceptibility gene makes that big of a difference whether you’re going to get it or not, but if you have five or 10 susceptibility genes and you’ve got the bad form of all 10, that’s going to increase your risk.”
Researchers are not clear how many susceptibility genes it takes to cause Alzheimer’s — it could be 20 or 40 — and that is what they are now studying. They want to identify all the susceptibility genes for Alzheimer’s disease.
Genetic research is only one area, albeit an important one, of Alzheimer’s research. In 2005, a scientific journal called Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association was launched to provide a global publication for the worldwide scientific community to share their research findings about Alzheimer’s science. In September 2015, for example, a team of researchers published an article about the benefits of the MIND diet, which they found to be associated with the reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The MIND diet emphasizes foods, such as green, leafy vegetables (six servings a week); other vegetables (once a day); nuts (five servings a week); berries (two or more servings per week); beans (at least three servings a week); whole grains (three or more servings a day); fish (once a week), poultry (twice a week), olive oil (use as your main cooking oil) and wine (one glass per day). There are also foods to avoid or reduce, such as red meat and cheese. Changes in diet should be discussed with one’s physician, especially if you already have existing health conditions.
There are five medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration to help people with Alzheimer’s disease. They are donepezil (Aricept), which the FDA approved in 1996; rivastigmine (Exelon), approved by the FDA in 2000; galantamine (Razadyne), which received FDA approved in 2001; memantine (Namenda), which the FDA approved in 2003; and donepezil and memantine (Namzaric), which the FDA approved in 2014. It is important to remember that these drugs do not cure Alzheimer’s, and they don’t always work for everyone, but they help to “mask the symptoms of Alzheimer’s,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. An actual medical breakthrough in drug therapy would treat the disease and stop or delay the cell damage caused by it. Several promising drugs are currently being developed and tested. Future drug therapy may involve a “cocktail of drugs,” similar to treatment for AIDS and cancer. Research advocates continue to seek volunteers for clinical trials of medications and push the federal government for more research funding.
The Alzheimer’s Association also hopes that earlier diagnoses of the disease — before irreversible brain damage and mental decline occurs — could be a significant step in fighting Alzheimer’s. As such, researchers are trying to identify biological markers that indicate Alzheimer’s disease, such as the presence of beta-amyloid and tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and brain changes that can be seen through brain imaging technology. On a related front, The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative seeks to understand the progression of Alzheimer’s disease through brain imaging.
Can Alzheimer’s disease be prevented? Researchers are investing a lot of time and effort into answering this question, but it is not definitively known yet how Alzheimer’s can be prevented. The Alzheimer’s Association says that in the vast majority of cases, the disease probably develops as a result of multiple factors: age, genetics, environment, lifestyle and the existence of other medical conditions. Some of these can be changed, others cannot. While we cannot change our age or genes, we can focus on lifestyle behaviors such as maintaining a healthy weight, getting exercise, eating certain foods and avoiding others, seeking medical care for other health problems and so forth.
Increasingly, family members and caregivers are sharing their stories about how best to help individuals with Alzheimer’s disease live the best quality of life possible under the circumstances. As we await a cure or more effective treatments for the disease, the person-centered approach to helping those with Alzheimer’s disease must remain a top priority. Love, patience, compassion, friendliness and constant reassurance, if needed, will go a long way in helping those who must struggle with this difficult disease on a daily basis as it progresses along a continuum from mild to severe.
Kevin Kawamoto is a longtime contributor to The Hawai‘i Herald. | https://www.thehawaiiherald.com/2015/11/27/the-latest-on-alzheimers-disease/ |
Perth, Western Australia (PRWEB) March 30, 2012
For many farm owners, preparing annual budgets is a routine discipline at this time of year. But it’s a task that is often approached with a good deal of uncertainty. With so many variables to consider, cost budgeting can never be an exact science, but an awareness of market trends and pricing projections for fertilisers, chemicals and fuel can help reduce at least some of the guesswork involved.
Let’s start with fertiliser. Nitrogen prices have fallen slightly from last year, while phosphorus, potassium and the trace elements are roughly the same. With high nutrient removal from a big crop, cost per hectare is likely to rise in 2012.
As new chemistry has entered the market prices of key chemical products have receded from 2011 levels. Roundup, for instance, is currently available below $4/litre, while most of the post emergent appear static. Although WA chemical costs will be higher in 2012 due to summer weed control, over the long term prices are slowly moving down.
Substitute prices in corn for ethanol and biodiesel for canola are helping keep grain prices up. The diesel yield curve is neutral for 2012 so we expect prices to remain stable (even a significant spike in diesel wouldn’t be all bad, as this would result in a natural hedge back to grain prices).
Finally, labour costs. These are expected to rise in 2012 due to competition from the mining sector, where higher salaries continue to attract farm workers with skills that are transferable to the resources industry.
Sheep Numbers On The Rebound
Since 1990, when the wool reserve price was suspended, Australia has witnessed a sharp decline in sheep numbers as low wool prices and poor productivity saw farmers turn instead to cropping. The statistics tell their own story: between 1990 and 2011 the national flock fell from 174m to 74m.
Recently, though, price increases in both wool and sheep meat have triggered a re-adjustment in attitudes. With gross margins for sheep now higher than those for grain (in the medium rainfall regions of WA, margins for sheep are currently $230/ha against $140/ha for wheat), flock numbers have begun to bounce back.
When the drought broke in south eastern Australia in 2010, it prompted a six million sheep increase in a single year. Five million head were held back on farm while a further one million came from drought-affected WA. With both weather and pasture conditions positive for 2012, we expect sheep numbers to continue to rise this year, with the national flock projected to increase an additional three million to 77.2m head.
Commodities
Wheat
Wheat prices have been in a tight band since December. Stock-to-use ratios are high and 2012 looks set to produce another surplus. Weather concerns over winter kill in Russia, poor crop growing conditions in the Black Sea and limited snow cover should drive short term price spikes through the spring when the winter crop emerges.
Barley
Barley prices traditionally peak during harvest, when acquirer competition drives up values, especially for malt. The barley shipping stem will peak in March this year so old season barley may struggle to find a home soon.
Canola
With the new season shipping stem peaking in March, acquirers appear to have had their fill of the 2011 canola crop which has plateaued in recent weeks. In contrast, 2012 canola has increased $10/t over the last seven days.
Livestock
Since December, beef prices have come under pressure in response to the growing strength of the Australian dollar versus the greenback. Supply fell in February – a result of east coast rains and increased restocker demand. Once supply returns to normal, prices are expected to continue easing.
Lack of rain in southern states is forcing more lamb onto the market; yardings are up 5% this week. With most growers carrying extra stock into summer following a gentle spring, supply is well up on last year.
Wool
Australian wool production reached its lowest level in 2010/11, falling heavily in the last six months of the year. With production also down among the world’s other major producers, supply is going to be a real concern through 2012. The EMI is currently 1243c/kg. | http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9339840.htm |
This package will focus on supporting district level teams to improve the process of assistive technology decision – making for both traditional and distance learning models. With our leadership accessibility toolbox guidance, students with disabilities can successfully access grade level content by removing barriers with the use of informed decisions on accessible materials and technology.
Teacher’s Accessibility Toolbox
This comprehensive package will support school system teams by increasing accessibility to the curriculum with a focus on building teacher capacity to leverage annotated lesson plans and the use of AT in the delivery of high – quality instruction as it relates to students with disabilities. Our teacher’s accessibility toolbox package will focus on ensuring access to grade level curriculum and mastery for students with disabilities whether in the classroom or in a distance learning environment.
Giving All Students a Voice
Using AAC to Access the Curriculum
This comprehensive package will support school system teams to address the use of communication devices to provide access to on grade level content for students with disabilities in the traditional classroom or in a distant learning environment. Examples of low tech, mid tech and high tech supports for users of communication devices will be covered. These systems can be implemented to increase access to high-quality curriculum across settings. | https://www.ssdla-aem.org/packages/ |
Q:
How to write out analysis of a game?
I have read that one exercise to improve one's analysis/thinking skills is to set up a position, then write out and evaluate all the variations that could take place. Or write out analysis of one's own games (see for example this post).
How do you actually write this out? Or better - how do good players usually write out their analysis?
I once tried it, but my paper soon became a jumbled mess. Particularly as you start to get branching lines and so forth it becomes hard to write and keep track of it all. Especially if you start writing out a line, but want to go back to a previous line. Is there some "special" method to write out analysis?
A:
Computer Database programs (like the popular + free SCID) do the job pretty well provided you do not turn the engine on, nor have any other indicators (opening tree, endgame table bases etc.) enabled to distract you from focusing on writing down all the lines.
I sometimes first do this in notepad as entering moves into a database allows you to see the pieces move, so it is cheating because you're not training your brain to visualize. Once I'm confident of a line and its evaluation, I transfer it over to the database program.
Most DB software comes with nice bells and whistles for comments, variations, arrows/square highlighting as shown in the following example using SCID:
You can save each position into a file and collect oodles of these in a database for future review. Nice, clean and as organized as you can make it!
What's nice is that once you are done, a strong player (preferred) can help critique this and you can add some more notes on where your analysis was inaccurate or just plain wrong.
As an added tip, make sure you start off with tactical positions (examples would be regular puzzles with a lot of forcing lines to calculate out) and then move towards rich analytical positions where there is no clear winning advantage in sight. NM Heisman's suggestion of the Stoyko exercises is definitely worth reading to get an idea of how to do this.
Update:
For non-software based ways of organizing analysis, you can try mind-mapping but if that's too messy, why not derive inspiration from the popular MCO/NCO tabular-style of representing opening theory, for example:
A:
Your question is strongly related to how to analyse your chess games so I will start from there.
What are you looking for when you are studying one of your games (maybe a loss)?
That's the first thing that you should be asking to yourself.
Someone could respond that he is looking for better moves or ideas that he missed during the game, but this it is only part of the answer. Do you really think that knowing that in this x position you should have played y instead of z is useful? Do you really think that after determining that you will have improved? Of course not.
What you are looking for is why you played z in the first place.
What was your thought process? What replies from you opponent did you fear that prompt you to choose your move (yes in the end we always choose the move that feels more pleasant to us).
You should be looking for patterns that make you do a bad move.
I give you some examples of mistakes that I do that I noticed from my games:
-If I get an advantage and I have the chance to gain material (often a pawn), I tend to go for it and lose the control of my position as a whole (as if the gain of material was the logical consequence of my superior play).
-I tend to play forcing move in my games. If you think about it, forcing moves is everything that the chess players calculate when looking at a position, but if a forcing move gives you nothing you should play something that keeps the tension.
-I tend to play a move also when I think it is not right just because I am too lazy to calculate more.
And a lot of other patterns.
Actually it is not even necessary that when you spot these patterns you annotate them in your games. It is just enough to take note of these common trends somewhere and make a plan to avoid them in the future (you will start to sense these critical positions that make you go wrong better).
But if you want to annotate your games nevertheless, then at least look for these patterns (they differ from player to player) and write them down next to the critical moves. Write everything that you were thinking in those moments.
In the end, you will notice that you always make the same kind of mistakes (everyone does) and there comes the difficult part: try to make a plan to eliminate them.
Most people stopped before even starting to analyse their games, others stop here because it takes too much effort. Masters did all these things without even realising it because they like chess so much that it was not a chore at all.
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Video cameras installed in the Sumatran jungle have captured close-up footage of a tiger and two cubs, the first time that WWF has recorded evidence of tiger breeding in central Sumatra in what should be prime tiger habitat. The images have led to renewed calls for stronger measures against poaching and the rapid deforestation of tiger landscapes on the Indonesian island.
The film, captured within just one month of deploying specially designed video cameras deep inside tiger habitat, shows all three tigers approaching the camera, sniffing it and walking away.
In 2010, WWF is stepping up conservation efforts through a year-long campaign to coincide with the Chinese lunar calendar Year of the Tiger. The goal is not only to stop the disappearance of tigers across Asia, but to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.
There are as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia and they are under relentless pressure from poaching and clearing of their habitat. After five years of studying tigers using wildlife-activated still camera traps, these are the first images of a tiger with offspring and were recorded after WWF-Indonesia’s Sumatran tiger research team set up new video camera traps along a wildlife “corridor” known to be used by tigers.
“We are very concerned because the territory of this tiger and its cubs is being rapidly cleared by two global paper companies, palm oil plantations, encroachers and illegal loggers. Will the cubs survive to adulthood in this environment?” said Karmila Parakkasi, the leader of WWF-Indonesia’s tiger team.
Infrared-triggered camera traps, which are activated upon sensing body heat in their path, have become an important tool to identify which areas of the forest are used by tigers, and to identify individual animals to monitor the population.
A tiger cub peers curiously at the camera as it captures the cub's image in a wildlife "corridor" between two wildlife reserves in Sumatra. WWF is studying the corridor, which is likely a core breeding area for tigers, to assess its importance for tiger survival, recovery and dispersal.
In Sumatra, WWF is urging the international paper companies operating in the area – Sinar Mas/APP and APRIL – and palm oil plantations to help protect all high conservation value forests under their control that are home to tigers and other endangered species.
As part of its Year of the Tiger efforts, WWF is also working to improve U.S. regulations of tigers in private hands. The United States holds one of world’s largest captive tiger populations and WWF is calling on state and federal officials to tighten regulations so that American tigers are not used to fill the illegal demand for tiger parts, which will further endanger wild tiger populations.
Internationally, WWF is part of a global effort, with tiger range states and partners like the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative, to secure the highest level of political commitment for tiger conservation at a Tiger Summit in autumn 2010. | https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/camera-traps-yield-rare-footage-of-sumatran-tiger-with-cubs |
10 Places to See in Europe Before You Die
Europe has too many “must see” places for a single lifetime. The European experience could include a journey into the ancient world, a confrontation with nature’s marvels, an exploration of spiritual mysteries or an excursion through the darkest hours of the 20th century. From the 5,000-year-old mystery of Stonehenge to the modern, mechanized horror of two world wars, a journey through Europe is like a trip through the human soul.
Places 1-3: The Ancient Wonders
The Roman Empire ruled Europe for about six centuries. The Colosseum, built between AD 72 and 80, was the Romans’ most important gathering place. Aristocrats, merchants, the poor and everyone else were entertained by gladiators battling to the death. Thousands of animals fought and died there, too, to the delight of Rome’s masses. Ruins of the Colosseum still stand in the city. Another artifact of the Roman Empire, Hadrian’s Wall, stretched 80 miles across England’s north country, built to keep out the northern barbarians, beginning in AD 122. Lengthy stretches of the wall still stand today. In ancient Greece, the Acropolis, a rock formation high above Athens, was considered sacred to the Greeks. On that rock they built the Parthenon, a temple for worship of the goddess Athena. Its ruins overlook modern Athens.
Places 4 and 5: Majestic Mountains
While Europe has no mountains as tall as the Himalayan giants, some of the Alps are no less fearsome. The north face of the Switzerland’s Eiger is a sheer cliff more than a mile high, whose constant, devastating rockfalls and sudden, brutal storms pose one of the most daunting challenges a climber can face. More than 60 have died since the first attempt to scale it in 1938. The countryside around the Eiger, however, is more than hospitable. Tourists converge on nearby hotels to watch deadly dramas unfold as climbers try to beat the north face, nicknamed the Mordwand, or Murder Wall. Also in Switzerland, the Matterhorn towers about 13,000 feet above sea level, its peak forming a natural pyramid, making Matterhorn the most recognizable mountain in Europe.
Sites 6-8: Mysteries of European History
On a rural plain about two hours by car southwest of London sits Europe’s most mysterious, and spiritual site -- Stonehenge. No one even today knows for sure who built this 5,000-year-old, horseshoe-shaped arrangement of stones up to 30 feet high, weighing as much as 25 tons -- nor why they built it. It may be a solar temple, a burial ground or a monument to neolithic British nationalism. In Scotland, a few miles outside Edinburgh, the Rosslyn Chapel is thought by some to be home to the Holy Grail, an unidentified artifact directly connected to Jesus. Built starting in 1446, the chapel was featured in “The Da Vinci Code.” Another church associated with the Grail mysteries is Rennes le Chateau near the southern tip of France. It was there that an impoverished, 19th-century country priest made a discovery that somehow turned him into a wealthy man overnight. How? You’ll have to go there to explore for yourself.
Sites 9 and 10: The Dark Side of the 20th Century
Europe was the primary location for two world wars. Consider it a duty to honor them with a visit to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, which lies about an hour outside of Krakow, Poland. Das chambers and mass crematoriums can still be seen by the 600,000 who pay their respects every year. Before World War II, The Battle of the Somme, from July to November, 1916, exemplified the horrors of World War I. Between the French and British on one side, Germans on the other, more than one million soldiers lost their lives in this one battle. Numerous monuments, museums and ruins from the battle itself stand on the battlefields today. | https://getawaytips.azcentral.com/10-places-see-europe-before-die-6831.html |
Q:
zero area of a graph
This question references "Calculus", vol 1, 2nd ed. 1966, by Tom M. Apostol. Theorem 1.11, page 75, says that if a non-negative function $f$ is integrable on $[a,b]$ then its graph [ i.e. $\{(x,y) : a \le x \le b, y=f(x)\}$ ] is "measurable" and has zero area.
Just prior to this theorem, theorem 1.10 states that if a non-negative function $f$ is integrable on $[a,b]$ and $Q$ is its ordinate set on $[a,b]$ then $Q$ is measurable and $a(Q) = \int_a^b f(x)dx$.
I followed the given proof to theorem 1.10 okay. Unfortunately, the book asserted that the same analysis that proved theorem 1.10 also applies to $$Q' = \{(x,y) : a \le x \le b, y \lt f(x)\}$$
The proof of theorem 1.11 is supposed to be a consequence of the assertion. I see no routine way of proving the assertion, especially because a "measurable" set must be "enclosable in step regions".
I am having trouble:
dealing with the possibility that $f(x)$ may be equal to zero anywhere in $[a,b]$
visualizing the set of of all step functions $s$ such that $s(x) \lt f(x)$ throughout $[a,b]$
visualizing the set of of all step functions $t$ such that $t(x) \gt f(x)$ throughout $[a,b]$.
I request a proof of the assertion.
Note:
Although I was impressed with the approach taken in
Proving area equal to zero of a continuos function.,
it involves a continuous function, uniform continuity, and limits. Theorem 1.11's premise merely requires that f be integrable. Further, the concepts of uniform continuity and limits are after page 75 in the referenced book.
A:
I got stuck on this one too. To get unstuck, I considered the simpler case of rectangles:
Let $$R=\{(x,y)|a\leq x\leq b, 0\leq y\leq h \} $$
$$R^\prime=\{(x,y)|a\leq x\leq b, 0\leq y< h \}$$
$$L=\{(x,y)|a\leq x\leq b, y = h \}$$
$L$ is a line segment, which we decided earlier in the book was measurable with $a(L)=0$. $R$ is measurable by axiom 5, with $a(R)=h(b-a)$.
$R^\prime=R-L$, and is therefore measurable by axiom 3 with $a(R^\prime)=a(R-L)=a(R)-a(L)=h(b-a)$. You can come to a similar conclusion working with the exhaustion property, but it is a bit more longwinded. If we, for want of a better term, define the mapping of $R$ to $R^\prime$ as “removing the top edge”, we can conclude that removing the top edge of a rectangle does not affect its area. This naturally extends to step regions by considering each sub-interval of its partition separately then applying axiom 2: if you remove the top edge of a step region, you do not affect its area.
To bring this result into the proof of theorem 1.10 and 1.11, we map each $S$ to an $S^\prime$ and each $T$ to a $T^\prime$ by removing the top edge. $S^\prime$ and $T^\prime$ then satisfy $S^\prime\subseteq Q^\prime\subseteq T^\prime$ with $a(S^\prime) = a(S)$ and $a(T^\prime)=a(T)$. Following the logic of the theorem 1.10 proof, $Q^\prime$ is measurable with $a(Q^\prime)=I=a(Q)$.
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Q:
Laplace Operator in $3D$
I am looking to find the radial part of Laplace's operator in three dimensions. I looked up Laplace's operator in spherical coordinates and from there I guess the radial part is: $\frac{\partial^2}{\partial r^2} + \frac{2\: \partial}{r\:\partial r}$. Is this correct and is there a better, quicker way to find the radial part?
A:
Yes, this is correct and there is a quicker way if you are interested only in the radial part. Let $u(x)=f(|x|)$ be a radially symmetric function. Its gradient is $\nabla u(x)=f'(|x|)\frac{x}{|x|}$. Therefore, the flux of the gradient across the outward-oriented sphere $|x|=r$ is $4\pi r^2 f'(r)$.
Consider the spherical shell $r<|x|<r+h$. Net flux of $\nabla u$ out of this shell is
$$4\pi (r+h)^2 f'(r+h)-4\pi r^2 f'(r)$$
By the divergence theorem, this is equal to $\iint_{r<|x|<r+h}\Delta u$. Dividing by $h$ and letting $h\to 0$ we obtain
$$
\iint_{|x|=r} \Delta u(x) = 4\pi (r^2 f'(r))'
$$
Finally, divide by the area $4\pi r^2$ to find the Laplacian itself:
$\Delta u(x) = r^{-2} (r^2 f'(r))' $ where $r=|x|$.
Similarly, in $n$ dimensions the radial part of $\Delta$ is
$$
r^{1-n} (r^{n-1} u_r)_r = u_{rr}+(n-1)r^{-1}u_r
$$
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As agreed by the LLA launch conference on February 22 2020. You can download the constitution in PDF format here.
1) Aims
The Labour Left Alliance was set up in July 2019 to bring together groups and individuals on the Labour Left in order to build a democratic, principled and effective alliance that:
- organises democratically and transparently;
- both supports a left leadership against attacks by the right, and is independent and able to criticise our left wing leaders when necessary;
- opposes racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and all other forms of discrimination and is consistently internationalist, a stance which by definition includes support for the democratic and national rights of the Palestinians;
- campaigns for the free movement of people;
- opposes attempts to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism and opposes the witch-hunt against the left;
- campaigns to radically transform and democratise the Labour Party and the trade unions;
- campaigns for open selection so that the Parliamentary Labour Party better reflects the views of the vast majority of members;
- campaigns for a disciplinary process in the Labour Party which is wholly based on natural justice and due process;
- supports and encourages struggles against austerity and all forms of oppression.
2) Structures
2.1. We encourage all those not already involved in local Labour Left groups to become active in one or help set one up. Our aim is to organise every single supporter in an active local or regional Labour Left group.
2.2. We expect all individual LLA supporters to be members of the Labour Party, and organisations to be politically oriented towards the Labour Party and actively engage with it. Other political parties and their members/supporters are not eligible to become signatories to the LLA.
2.3. We welcome, on all levels of the organisation, those who have been unfairly or unjustly suspended or expelled from the Labour Party.
2.4 Individual supporters are requested to pay a minimum subscription to help secure the funding of LLA. Affiliation fees for individuals and groups to be set by the organising group.
2.5 Decisions on all levels are made by consensus where possible and by simple majority where necessary (not counting abstentions). Decisions should be reached as quickly as possible, allowing the discussion to be as thorough as possible.
2.6 LLA branches and affiliated groups are encouraged to communicate and form any collaborative ventures they wish.
2.7 We welcome national, regional and local groups, unions and individuals to become signatories of our appeal.
3) Organising group and steering group
3.1 The Organising Group is made up of representatives from all the affiliated groups. The affiliated groups can change their representative/s at any time.
3.2 The organising group meets at least quarterly. Meetings should be scheduled well in advance (at least one month). It publishes agendas, minutes, reports and financial overviews and may set up working groups. It discusses all motions and requests made by at least 10 LLA signatories.
3.3 The OG elects annually a Steering Committee of a size of its own determination. The SC includes officers who are accountable to the OG. As a minimum, the following officers shall work together as the SC:
- Secretary
- Chair
- national organizer
- treasurer
- social media and website coordinator.
Additional officers that may be included as the organisation grows, to be determined by the OG:
- Vice-Chair (or two co-chairs)
- Assistant Secretary
- Campaigns Officer
- Trade Union Organiser
- Membership and Affiliations secretary
- Media and Communications Officer
- Information Officer
3.4 Where an officer position cannot be filled, the OG may co-opt a supporter of the LLA to the steering committee – they will have speaking, but no voting rights.
3.5 The steering committee produces regular minutes and work reports for the OG.
If there is a serious disagreement on the SC, the issue should be brought to the OG to be resolved.
3.6 The SC is in ‘permanent session’ and will discuss motions or proposals that have been submitted by any affiliate or a suitable number of individual supporters. Should the movers disagree with the decision by the SC, they can submit their proposals to the Organising Group, which will have to discuss it at the earliest opportunity.
4) Conference and its composition
4.1 Conference takes place at least annually. A special conference will be held at the request of a number individual supporters or affiliated groups or branches (to be decided by the OG).
4.2 Conference decides on political strategy, campaigning priorities, structures and the constitution.
4.3 The OG decides on a number and ratio of delegates, including those from affiliated organisations.
4.4 The OG decides on a method to allow the full participation of individual members who cannot attend meetings of any affiliated groups.
4.5 The OG establishes a Conference Arrangements Committee for the purposes of deciding speakers and the agenda and publishes detailed guidelines and timetables for motions and amendments.
4.6 All decisions are made by a simple majority of those voting. | https://labourleft.org/about-us/constitution/ |
- Are cherry blossom trees easy to grow?
- How tall do cherry blossom trees grow?
- How long does it take for blossoms to grow?
- What tree grows the fastest?
- What flowers grow quickly from seed?
- How do you start a cherry tree from a pit?
- Do cherry trees put out runners?
- Why do blossom trees stink?
- What plant blooms once every 100 years?
- Can you just sprinkle flower seeds?
- Do delphiniums flower the first year from seed?
Flowering Cherry Trees grow at a rate of between 1 and 2 feet per year and once they are planted and properly established, Cherry Blossom Trees require little care afterwards. | http://promos.amalie.com/tytamagin93084.html |
Henderson Management S.A. (“HMSA”) is a Luxembourg based Management Company registered in accordance with Chapter 15 of the law of 17th December 2010, as amended, relating to Undertakings for Collective Investment. HMSA is supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (“CSSF”).
In accordance with the provision of CSSF Regulation 16-07 and Circulars 14/589 and 18/698, Management Companies shall implement and maintain effective and transparent procedures for the reasonable and prompt handling of investor complaints and have a policy describing the complaints settlement procedure.
On this regard, HMSA’s complaints handling policy aims to provide a framework for handling complaints. Its purpose is to ensure that HMSA has the ability to resolve issues in a consistent, systematic, transparent and responsive manner. The complaints handling policy will also help HMSA to identify trends with issues and make necessary changes to enhance the control environment.
2. Scope
This policy will apply to all complaints as defined in the CSSF Regulation 16-07. A complaint is defined as a claim filed by a shareholder, a prospective shareholder or any other party (hereinafter referred to as “the complainant”) with HMSA to recognise a right or to redress harm in relation to a specific issue or following general dissatisfaction with a service provided.
Requests for information or explanations are not considered as complaints.
3. Process description
In order to ensure a consistent and robust approach and, as per the regulatory provisions, HMSA has designated the responsibility of the complaints handling process to a complaints handling officer. The appointed complaints handling officer, Ms Cliodhna Duggan, is notified to the CSSF as well as any subsequent changes thereto.
To ensure complaints are resolved in an effective and transparent manner, complaints shall be notified in writing, either by letter or e-mail to:
Henderson Management S.A.
Attn: Complaints handling officer
2, rue de Bitbourg
L-1273 Luxembourg
Email: [email protected]
The information provided by the complainant must clearly describe the facts underlying the complaint as well as the person, service and entity to which it refers. Furthermore, the complaint should describe the steps already taken by the complainant. In case the complainant does not act on its own behalf, sufficient proof should be provided by the complainant that it is legally entitled to do so.
The complaint will be acknowledged in principle within 48 hours and responded to in writing within 15 business days after the receipt of the complaint. In this timeframe HMSA shall seek to gather and to investigate all relevant evidence and information on each complaint.
In case a full response cannot be provided within 15 business days, the complainant will be informed. HMSA shall provide an answer without undue delay and in any case, as prescribed in the CSSF Regulation 16-07, within one month of receipt of the complaint. If HMSA is not in a position to provide an answer within this period, it shall inform the complainant of the reason of the delay and provide an indicative date at which its examination is likely to be achieved.
In the interactions with the complainant, HMSA shall communicate in a plain and easily comprehensible language.
In case the response provided by the complaints handling officer is not satisfactory, the complainant can decide to escalate the complaint to the Conducting Officers of HMSA. Contact details of the conducting officers can be provided by HMSA upon request.
HMSA will ensure that the investment manager, distributor and service providers which are involved in the operations or distribution of the funds are informed of this policy so that complaints addressed to them but relating to HMSA can be brought to the attention of the complaints handling officer. Complaints that are addressed to service providers and specifically relate to the operations of the service provider will also be forwarded to the complaints handling officer together with underlying information on the complaint details of how the complaint will be dealt with and a timeline for resolution.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, the complaint can be referred to the CSSF under regulation 16-07 on out-of-court resolutions of customer complaints. The request must be filed with the CSSF within one year after the complaint has been filed initially with HMSA.
More information can be found on the CSSF website: http://www.cssf.lu/en/consumer/complaints/ The CSSF can be contacted at its postal address 283, route d'Arlon, L-2991 Luxembourg or by e-mail at the following address: [email protected]/[email protected].
4. Reporting and review
All the relevant data relating to each complaint, as well as each measure taken to handle it, will be logged in HMSA’s complaints register. On an annual basis, and as per the regulatory provisions, the complaints handling officer will send a report to the CSSF detailing the number of complaints received classified by type of complaints, together with a description of the complaints, the measures taken to handle them and their status.
This policy is subject to a formal review by the Board of HMSA annually and it will be updated when required. It also shall be made available to all relevant staff. | https://www.janushenderson.com/en-lu/investor/hmsa-complaints-handling-policy/ |
Outside of the First Christian Church on Chapala Street sits a three-drawer metal filing cabinet filled with shelf-stable food, hygienic products, and clothing and shelter items — all free and accessible for anyone to take as they need or donate what they’re able. This would become the first of three “People’s Pantries” placed throughout Santa Barbara.
It all started in early 2021, when Julia Longo picked up a free filing cabinet off Craigslist. She had known about other community-based mutual aid projects in other areas, and she wanted to bring something similar to the Santa Barbara area, especially during a time of isolation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when she knew many people were struggling to access resources and basic necessities.
Longo shared her idea on Facebook, which attracted the attention of others who wanted to help. With her co-organizer Alexa Pazell and a mutual friend who was on the organizing committee for the church, they were able to establish a People’s Pantry.
Since then, two more pantries have been established at the entrances of the Central and Eastside branches of the Santa Barbara Public Library.
Longo and Pazell hoped the project would help cultivate a sense of connection in their community and allow people to build their own local support system.
“We had almost a year of witnessing and experiencing a lot of feeling left behind by larger systems and the state, and feeling helpless and hopeless,” said Longo. “We just wanted to build a community that we could rely on, that we could feel good about being a part of, and a network of people that care for one another.”
Initially, there were concerns about people taking advantage of the pantry by stealing or emptying out the stock, said Longo. However, she explained the whole point of the pantry is for people to take what they need, and if that means taking everything, then so be it. “It’s impossible to steal what’s free,” Longo said.
As a shared space, people are asked to keep the areas clean and to be mindful of the items they choose to donate, like providing non-expired, shelf-stable food items or gently used clothing. If it’s something that you wouldn’t offer to a close friend or family member, then you probably shouldn’t leave it in the pantry.
“If I wouldn’t offer it to my best friend, I don’t want to offer it to somebody that I don’t know,” Pazell said.
The pantries are maintained regularly by a volunteer system, with restocking and cleanings occurring every Thursday. These weekly check-ins became one of the main ways the organizers have connected with their neighbors.
“It feels communal,” Longo said. “It feels like us as neighbors have built something together, and we’re maintaining it and nurturing it together.”
Those visiting the pantry are also free to leave any feedback about what they’d like to see more of in stock through a comment box at the Chapala location or through the People’s Pantry social media accounts. Contributions also don’t have to be material — just simply giving your time to the project is appreciated, like offering to drive materials to various locations or offering to hold other community events, such as free barber shops, in the park.
“It’s cool to see that people want to find other ways to get involved,” Pazell said.
Visit peoplespantrysb.com for more ways to support the People’s Pantry.
Support the Santa Barbara Independent through a long-term or a single contribution. | https://www.independent.com/2022/09/12/donations-people-pantry-santa-barbara/ |
Ocean Conference Press Release: New York, 15 February - Calling for concrete actions to protect the oceans, the United Nations today launched an online register to collect voluntary commitments made by UN Member States, businesses, civil society organizations, the UN System and other intergovernmental organizations that can meaningfully contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.
The Government of Sweden, UN Environment (UNEP) and the Peace Boat group, a nongovernmental organization, were the first to list their contributions on the Registry of Voluntary Commitments during the Preparatory Meeting of The Ocean Conference today. Their commitments highlight efforts to protect the marine environment, curb marine pollution and address the impact of ocean acidification.
The register will be a central outcome of The Ocean Conference, which will take place from 5 to 9 June in New York. The Conference will support the implementation of SDG 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. The Conference will also result in a declaration that will serve as a “Call to Action” to support the implementation of the Goal.
The Government of Sweden commits to expand its marine protected areas to reach the SDG 14 target in 2017; UN Environment will campaign to stop plastic pollution in the ocean; and the Peace Boat group aims to launch the “Ecoship Project”, a 55,000 ton energy efficient vessel which will set sail in 2020 as a flagship for the SDGs.
More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today some 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks are overexploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, but there has been a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometre of ocean.
In September 2015, UN Member States unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focused on the three interconnected elements of: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. With 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, the Agenda is universal, integrated and transformative and aims to spur actions that will end poverty, reduce inequality and tackle climate change between now and 2030. For more information, please visit: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment. Please follow us on social media using the hashtag #SaveOurOcean. | http://www.oceansinc.org/2017/02/un-calls-for-commitments-to-safeguard.html |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for reducing jet engine noises of supersonic jet aircraft or subsonic jet aircraft.
2. Background Discussion
Supersonic and subsonic jet aircraft generate noises from several sources, such as engines, structures, and internal equipment. Jet engines have been recognized as a major noise source, generating noises that include inlet noise produced by inlet turbines, noise from bypass ducts, and noise produced by the exiting stream from the main engine exhaust nozzle. In general, the noise produced by a supersonic engine becomes more severe than a subsonic engine due to the high speed of the streams at the main exhaust nozzle and the presence of shock associated noise.
The intense noise radiation generated by jet aircraft capable of supersonic travel poses a direct threat to communities surrounding airports and persons in close proximity to these jet aircraft, such as on a jet aircraft carrier deck. Severe restrictions have been placed on these jet aircraft, limiting their travel in the supersonic region to so called supersonic corridors and over-water travel.
There has been a long-felt need to reduce noise associated with supersonic and subsonic jet aircraft. Efforts to reduce engine noise started as early as the 1950s. Despite many years of research and development, and notwithstanding noise reduction techniques, supersonic jet aircraft still suffer from intense noise generation without fully effective means of controlling the noise.
A number of approaches to reduce subsonic engine noise have been proposed and adopted by the aviation industry. For example, one approach includes the use of a passive device known as a lobe type mixing nozzle disposed at the exhaust of the engine. This nozzle forces the ambient air to mix at a faster rate with the exhaust stream, increasing the turbulent mixing rate and reducing the overall sound pressure level of the engine (OASPL). The main drawback to this type of nozzle is its heavy impact on the thrust of the engine due to the reduction in the exit area occupied by the device. An improved approach includes the use of a Chevron type nozzle.
Turbofan engines, which have been in operation for quite some time, were designed for efficient engine for transonic flight. Although not designed to reduce noise, some noise reduction is an unintended result.
Efforts to reduce the engine noise of supersonic jet aircraft have been attempted by many artisans in the field of endeavor for a long time. These techniques may be classified as “passive techniques” and “active techniques.”
Passive techniques apply additional structures to engines to change exhaust flow characteristics. For example, a simple structure, a flexible filament disposed along the centerline of a supersonic jet engine, has been tested for its effects on reducing engine noise. However, the flexible filament is structurally unsound. A more complex structure, an x-shaped “wire device,” has been located downstream of a supersonic jet engine, significantly modifying the stream structure of the engine. The usually-observed shock cell structure in other jet engines seems to be destroyed downstream of the device, leading to the reduction of all shock-associated noises. The x-shaped wire device, however, significantly alters the flight characteristics of a jet aircraft and dramatically increases the drag.
Active techniques mainly use microjet ports to inject either liquid or gaseous masses into streams exiting from jet engines. While the results of injecting liquid masses are promising, the practicality of liquid injection renders it severely limited as it requires the transport of a liquid source. Common applications of aqueous injection are seen in the noise reduction of launch vehicles, where the source needs not to be transported. Gaseous injection is a more practical approach to fluidic injection as the flow medium could be sourced from the compressor of the jet engine. Thus far, current techniques that inject gaseous masses still have unsolved issues when used in supersonic jet engines.
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Increasing the thermal insulation of building components to reduce the thermal energy loss of buildings has received significant attention. Owing to its porous structure, using expanded vermiculite as an alternative to natural river sand in the development of building materials would result in improvement of the thermal performance of buildings. This study investigates the properties of fly ash (FA)-based geopolymer mortars prepared with expanded vermiculite. The main aim of this study was to produce geopolymer mortar with lower thermal conductivity than conventional mortar for thermal insulation applications in buildings. A total of twelve batches of geopolymers were prepared for evaluating their different properties. The obtained results show that, at a given FA and expanded vermiculite content, the geopolymers prepared with a 10 molar NaOH solution exhibited a higher flowability, water absorption and porosity, as well as a lower dry unit weight, compressive strength, ultrasound pulse velocity and thermal conductivity compared with those prepared with a 15 molar NaOH solution. As is also shown, the geopolymers containing expanded vermiculite (15%) developed a lower flowability (~6%), dry unit weight (~6%), compressive strength (~7%), ultrasound pulse velocity (~6%) and thermal conductivity (~18%), as well as a higher apparent porosity (~6%) and water absorption (~9%) compared with those without expanded vermiculite at a given FA content and NaOH concentration. The findings of this study suggest that incorporating expanded vermiculite in FA-based geopolymer mortar can provide eco-friendly and lightweight building composites with improved sound and thermal insulation properties, contributing toward the reduction of the environmental effects of waste materials and conservation of natural sand. | https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/publications/replacement-of-natural-sand-with-expanded-vermiculite-in-fly-ash- |
Q:
Non-forking over algebraically closed sets in $T^{eq}$
1) I was wondering about the following statement (it can be found in Makkai):
Assume $T$ is stable. In $T^{eq}$ we have that $A_1\overset{\vert}{\smile}_{A} A_2$ if and only if $acl(A_1)\overset{\vert}{\smile}_{acl{(A)}} acl(A_2)$. I was wondering why $T^{eq}$ is necessary for this. Is there a counterexample for the faliure of this if we just look at a theory $T$ that doesn't eliminate imaginaries?
2) On a related note: suppose that we are in a stable theory (or even simple theory) and so forking = dividing. Is it true that $A_1 \overset{\vert}{\smile}_{A} A_2$ if and only if $A \overset{\vert}{\smile}_{acl(A)} A_2$? Unless there is an error in the following, it should be true:
Since any sequence of indiscernibles $A$ is also indiscernible over $acl(A)$ it follows that a formula that divides over $A$ also divides over $acl(A)$. This proves the forward direction. For the convesrse take an formula $\phi(x,a_1,a_2)$ that divides over $acl(A)$ with $a_1$ being a tuple that contains the algebraic types over $A$ that appear in the formula. Let $\psi(y)$ by an $L(A)$ formula that witnesses the algebracity of $a_1$. We may assume that $\psi(y)$ has the least number of realizations possible. It then follows that $\psi(y)$ isolates the type of $a_1$ over $A$. Now consider the formula $\psi'(x)=\exists{y}(\phi(x,y,a_2)\wedge{\psi(y)})$. Then this formula divides: take a sequence that witnesses that $\phi$ divides. If you assume to the contrary then we $\psi'$ is $k$ consistent for all $k$. But then we can fins an automorphism that fixes $A$ and the indiscernibles sends the witness of $\psi$ to $a_2$ which contradicts our initial assumption.
Is this proof correct am I missing something?
A:
In a simple theory forking is completely agnostic to algebraic closure. I.e. $A \overset{\vert}{\smile}_B C$ iff $acl(A) \overset{\vert}{\smile}_B C$ iff $A \overset{\vert}{\smile}_{acl(B)} C$ iff $A \overset{\vert}{\smile}_B acl(C)$. This does not require any elimination of imaginaries and can be deduced from forking calculus using the fact that all extensions of $p \in S(A)$ to $acl(A)$ are nonforking.
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What does current research say about the value of learning in the visual arts? What topics are emerging in the arts research world? How does research inform teaching practices and how can what happens in your classroom inform research? Learn about the NAEA Research Commission, view NAEA publications, and learn about publication policies and procedures.
Featured Research
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September 25, 2018NAEA-AAMD Research Study: Impact of Art Museum Programs on K–12 Students
NAEA-AAMD Research Study: Impact of Art Museum Programs on K–12 Students
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May 2, 2018external resource from Ingenuity, Check Out Ingenuity’s Newest Resource, the Arts Partner Standards of Practice
Over two years ago, Ingenuity began convening arts education stakeholders in conversations about quality: How do we define it? What does it look like in practice? How do we create a shared language and understanding of quality? How can we provide students with the very best arts education programs possible? Over 50 conversations later, and with the input of 400+ individuals from 140+ organizations, the Standards of Practice are finally here to help us answer those questions.Ingenuity
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April 4, 2018external resource from Education Commission of the States, Check Out How Your State’s Policies Address the Arts in Education
The 2018 Artscan at a Glance, updated annually to reflect changes in legislation, explores 13 combined policy areas related to K-12 arts education. This two-page resource shares top-level findings and provides a condensed, yet comprehensive, comparison of state policies.Education Commission of the States
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December 20, 2019Call for Nominations by the Professional Learning Through Research (PLR) Working Group of the NAEA Research Commission
The Professional Learning Through Research Working Group (PLR) of the NAEA Research Commission invites nominations from the NAEA membership for four positions. The group provides opportunities for NAEA members' professional growth in conducting, using and sharing research that improves teaching and learning in the visual arts. Nominate today!
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November 14, 2019external resource from Education Commission of the States, New Data: Who Is Taking Art Classes?
The NAEP’s 2019 math assessment presented some interesting data for the visual arts: Thirty-seven percent of eighth graders say they were taking an art course in 2019. There are stark differences among states, where art course-taking ranges from a low of 16% to a high of 68%. There are also disparities by students' race, ethnicity, family income and school location. Check out the full story and data here.Education Commission of the States
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July 6, 2019NAEA Research Commission - Data Visualization Working Group
Data Visualization Working Group
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May 16, 2019external resource from Edutopia, The Powerful Effects of Drawing on Learning
The science is clear: Drawing beats out reading and writing to help students remember concepts.Edutopia
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April 30, 2019Summer Reading Sale
Attention NAEA Members: jumpstart your summer reading with 19 NAEA titles at 20% off! | https://www.arteducators.org/research |
Pensions minister: How we can boost engagement in 2018
A common goal I share with the industry is to ensure consumers are well informed and engaged with their pensions savings. My grandfather left school at 14 and worked all his life (save for a World War 2 service) for the same company, retiring at 65.
But those days are gone now. People move jobs, live longer and need to plan more.
Over the past few months, I have been working on a number of measures that will support consumers engaging with their savings and help them better understand their options.
The Single Financial Guidance Body is progressing, with the Bill expected to finish its journey through Parliament early next year. This will mark a complete shift in the way we provide guidance; no longer looking at each stage in life separately but viewing finances holistically instead.
After all, pensions and retirement savings are not something anyone should be turning their attention to in later life. They are something we should be considering every step of the way. This is one of the reasons I am a fan of the midlife MOT.
Our ambitious plans for the pensions dashboard will also help people better understand their retirement savings and make informed decisions about them.
At the Department for Work and Pensions, we know through the “Check Your State Pension” service and the Pension Tracing platform that consumers have an appetite for online services.
When we talk about planning for retirement, we are always clear that both state and private pensions have a role to play and that planning ahead is key, so the logical next step is to bring this information together in a clear and accessible format.
Many in the industry are already doing this to some degree, with some fantastic platforms out there that help consumers stay in touch with their savings.
But the reality is that most will have more than one product or pot of savings, and bringing them together is the key to helping them truly plan ahead with an accurate picture.
This project is certainly not one we can do alone and over the coming months we will be working with the industry to get your thoughts on what should be included and how we can make it as useful for consumers as possible.
The industry also has a role to play in ensuring greater levels of transparency so people are aware of where their money is invested and any charges they will be paying to access their pension pot.
The latest pension charges survey showed the vast majority of eligible members are paying well below the 0.75 per cent cap introduced by the Government, which goes to show how the industry is responsive and embracing the challenge.
However, the survey also showed a clear lack of transparency on some costs in pension schemes.
As a result, we have developed a number of proposals on which we will be working with the industry, including requiring that members’ annual benefit statements explain where they can find the costs and charges for their scheme.
This will ensure savers will also be able to access information about where their money is invested, opening up the possibility of people consolidating their pension pots in a scheme better suited to them.
The publication of charge and transaction cost information will enable scheme trustees and others to compare the value for money they are receiving with their peers, driving better market outcomes.
To ensure this information is truly accessible, we are asking schemes to publish an illustration of the compounding effect of the costs and charges affecting their pension savings.
These changes will not support consumers if they are tucked away in the small print so we must all think about how they can best be presented to make the information meaningful.
As we near the end of 2017, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Money Marketing readers a Happy Christmas and thank you for your engagement and support over the past few months. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and working with you closely on projects like the dashboard in the new year.
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US fund giant Vanguard has launched two additional target retirement funds aimed at younger investors who are just starting out in the workforce. The two funds, the Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Fund and the Vanguard Target Retirement 20165 Fund, will invest in “low-cost, high-quality” equity and bond index funds and exchange traded funds. Vanguard has […]
By Jim Grant, Senior Product Insight & Technical Support Analyst The definitions of adjusted income and threshold income used to determine whether, and to what extent, someone’s annual allowance will be reduced can be confusing. Here we try to make sense of it all. The annual allowance will be reduced for high income individuals from […]
The world has become a less deferential place over the decades but the concept of “the professions” still lingers, conjuring up images of expertise, probity and sober good judgement. Many individual advisers and planners can rightfully claim a place in that group but recognition for advice more generally is proving a bit of a slog. […]
Ian Kernohan, senior economist at Royal London Asset Management, examines the current position of sterling as the Brexit process continues to look uncertain. Read the article here The value of investments and the income from them is not guaranteed and may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount […]
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A decade of FCA mortgage data has revealed a healthy recovery for the first-time buyer market after a slump following 2008. The class has shown steady growth from 2011 onwards and is now the healthiest of all lending categories by this metric, according to an FCA data bulletin. In 2016 the number of new loans (312,500) […]
UK investors have continued their flight to safety with fixed income the best-selling asset class in October, according to the Investment Association. Fixed income saw £2bn in net retail sales in October, while the Sterling Strategic Bond sector was the best-selling sector with net retail sales of £1.6bn. Outflows continued from the UK equity income […] | |
I swear every time i use public transport someone is sitting in my reserved seat. It drives me insane. I book a seat for a reason, because that's where i want to sit!! I almost always point out it is my seat but will begrudgingly sit elsewhere.
My question is why do people think they can just do what suits them and sod everyone else? Don't get me wrong if for example the seats reserved for part of a journey and you need to charge a phone go ahead and charge it but move when you get to the reserved seats destination! Rant over
What do you think of this? | https://www.latestdeals.co.uk/chat/reserved-seating-frustration |
The invention provides a vehicle speed data obtaining method and device based on a monitoring mode. The vehicle speed data obtaining method comprises the steps that a vehicle is started and is kept ina static state; preset filter operation is executed, data within the first preset time for executing filter operation are monitored, and thus a dataset is obtained; all data packet cellsets in the dataset are transversely compared, and a first target range is obtained; and vehicle speed data are extracted from the first target range according to preset rules. According to the vehicle speed data obtaining method and device based on the monitoring mode, the vehicle speed data can be obtained in time on the basis of the monitoring mode, thus many defects of an existing general diagnosis mode areavoided, and the timeliness and richness of the obtained data are improved; and the autonomously monitored vehicle speed can further be displayed, a driver can know about the true vehicle traveling situation visually, overspeed reminding and displaying of an acceleration value and/or the acceleration time can be conducted for a user in time based on the obtained vehicle speed data. | |
Talen gitt av Annakaisa Korja ved tildelingen:
The Nordic Geoscientist Award 2016 is granted to a scientist who during his or her career has advanced specific fields of the geosciences and has been strongly involved with the society around us. The prize is given biannually and the nomination committee consists of the presidents of the Geological Societies and the Director Generals of the Geological Survey. The prize comprises a framed diploma and an engraved plate of stone, this time designed by Helena Korkka and sponsored by Palin Granit Oy.
This year we have fixe excellent candidates. However, after two preliminary voting rounds the decision was quite unanimous.
This year’s nominee is famous in his field. It is rear that we can give the award to a person who has initiated a new field of science and besides that, is working closely with industry and promoting science to the general public. All in all he is well worthy of the award criteria – by both scientific and societal merits.
He is well known among the scientists studying seafloor geology and geobiology of deep ocean basins. He is a pioneer in the scientific field of geo-bioscience – a science that builds on both geology and biology.
In particular he has studied the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge system using submersibles and underwater robotics. His studies have resulted in new understanding of the volcanic processes and to the discoveries of deep-sea hydrothermal systems, seafloor mineral deposits and unique, deep-sea ecosystems.
Lately he has become involved in CO2 storage related research that is focused on sequestration of CO2 in the oceanic lithosphere, and on seafloor leakage scenarios and their environmental consequences.
The winner has been the driving force for the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence at UiB, the Centre for deep sea research, where he is appointed Centre Director. The new centre will be one of the world's leading environments for basic research on the deep ocean layers and will continue the work at Centre for Geobiology. He is currently establishing a Norwegian marine Robotics Facility that will not only enhance Nordic capability for deep ocean research and exploration but also help in developing marine robotics for industry.
He is also well known for his interest and capability to communicate science to general public. He has made TV movies and last fall he was involved in Transatlantic science week promoting Norwegian sciences across the Atlantic.
I am sure that by now many of you have guessed the winner.
He is Professor Rolf Birger Pedersen,
The founding father of the Centre for Geobiology (CGB) at the University of Bergen, an institution that is searching for new fundamental knowledge about the interaction between the geosphere and biosphere and educates new generations of interdisciplinary geobiologistst.
It is my honor and privilege to give the Nordic Geoscientist Award 2016 to you professor Pedersen. | https://geologi.no/organsisasjon/om-ngf/hedersbevisninger/item/775-nordic-geoscientist-award-2016 |
The war in Ukraine has confounded many expectations (including my own), with Russia’s unexpectedly faltering military campaign on the one hand, and Ukraine’s unexpectedly sophisticated and dogged defence on the other. But one prediction seems safe to make: Ukraine will very likely win tomorrow night’s Eurovision final in Turin, with their representatives Kalush Orchestra already the favourites by a large margin.
As this excellent recent article notes, while Eurovision is always a political event — in which the points awarded between countries more often resembles the alliance-building preceding the 1910s Balkan Wars than a talent contest — Ukraine’s entries tend to be more entwined with the country’s turbulent recent history than most. Ukraine’s winning entry in 2016 after all, following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, was a mournful ballad, 1944, about Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars. ...
Putin’s invasion has thrown Erdogan a lifeline
Turkey has been welcomed back into the Western fold
There are few silver linings for anyone concealed within the increasingly bloody and destructive war in Ukraine, but there may be one notable exception: Turkey, and its mercurial autocrat Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Until the war began a few weeks ago, Erdogan was an increasingly marginalised figure, shunned by the Biden administration, and heading towards an election overshadowed by Turkey’s catastrophic economic collapse. But Putin’s invasion has thrown the ailing sultan a lifeline.
The ambiguous relationship with Putin’s Russia that once saw Turkey relegated to NATO’s awkward squad now appears more like a valuable backchannel for diplomacy. When we add in Turkey’s close relationship with Ukraine (including major defence cooperation such as the sale of the TB2 drones currently used by Ukraine to destroy Russian armour), Erdogan can now bask in the glory of a role as honest broker in the peace negotiations ongoing in Antalya. ...
Ukraine’s bloody spring will gift the world a hungry winter
An impending wheat crisis could push millions into starvation
You might be forgiven, observing the arrival of Spring, to feel the customary sense of relief and optimism at another winter past, but you would be wrong. The coinciding of the season’s turning with the war in Ukraine heralds a looming disaster for the entire world. Ukrainian farmers obviously have more pressing priorities right now than sowing their fields. And in any case, the Russian blockade and conquest of most of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast will prevent exports of wheat to the countries that rely on them most.
Between them, Russia and Ukraine account for a third of the world’s supply of wheat, but in fragile countries across the Middle East and Africa, where wheat bread is the staple food, the dependency on Ukrainian grain is even higher: Tunisia relies on Ukrainian wheat for half of its bread supply, as does already-collapsing Lebanon. In Yemen, battered by a decade of war and famine, Ukrainian wheat accounts for around a third of the country’s needs. ...
What’s causing Africa’s coup epidemic?
The Western intervention in Libya may have played a crucial role
The past two years haven’t been productive for most people, with one notable exception: African coup plotters. The successful coup in Burkina Faso last week, like the unsuccessful putsch attempt in Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, are further evidence of what UN Chief Antonio Guterres has called an “epidemic of coups d’etat,” spreading across the continent, often to popular acclaim, a wave of de-democratisation comparable to an Arab Spring in reverse.
The current cycle of coups kicked off in Mali, a country beset by a decade-long counterinsurgency campaign against jihadists and ethnic separatists in the north and centre of the country, and a sense of growing instability the French military presence has been unable to quell. First Mali’s president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (or IBK) was overthrown by middle-ranking officers in August 2020. And when the military-installed interim government removed military officers from key posts, that too was removed from power by a second military coup in May last year. ...
The Edge of Europe: On patrol at the Poland-Belarus border
Aris Roussinos joins the Polish army to investigate the migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border
UnHerd reporter Aris Roussinos joins the Polish army to investigate the migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border.
Ricardo Bofill gave us a vision of an alternate modernity
The architect's death is a reminder that there are other ways of living
We do not live in an age of giants: no wonder then that the loss of a cultural giant like the Spanish-Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, who died yesterday aged 82, strikes us as so profound. A visionary of the spectacular, Bofill worked with a sense of grandeur and ambition so rare today that his buildings appear to us like the monumental structures of some alien civilisation.
Indeed, the outpourings of praise his death has occasioned highlights the fact that the postmodernist vein of architecture he pioneered is currently undergoing a critical revival. Viewed just a decade ago as the worst sort of kitschy excess, the playfulness and monumentality of postmodernist architecture now seems resonant and thrilling. We are today starved of ambition and daring in public buildings: and no-one was more ambitious or more daring than Bofill. ...
Zemmour is just the beginning
France is moving dramatically Rightwards — and it's time the Brits took notice
Considering the amount of turmoil Britain’s relationship with Europe has caused in the past half-decade, you’d think British commentary would be paying more attention to the French election, and the dramatic Rightward shift of the French electorate it has already revealed. The entire French Left, representing every shade from Communism to soft-Left social democracy, can barely muster 20% voter support combined. The centre, represented by Macron, has shifted further towards a traditional perception of Right-wing politics than anyone on the Tory benches, railing against woke American cultural imperialism, shutting down Islamist NGOs and moving towards a markedly civilisationist discourse about what it means to be European. ...
Is this the end of Europe’s asylum system?
The EU has ruled that it will suspend access for at least six months
British political discourse always seems wildly divorced from that of our closest European neighbours, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the responses to the flow of predominantly economic migrants from Iraqi Kurdistan simultaneously massing on the EU’s borders, and making their way across the English Channel.
While the British state is paralysed by balancing its legal commitment to offer asylum to those in need with the desire of the vast majority of voters to limit mass irregular migration, the European Commission has today taken the simple step of acceding to Poland, Latvia and Lithuania’s request to limit the access to Europe’s asylum system for the Kurds huddled on its border. ... | https://unherd.com/the-post/page/3/?a=32181 |
A nurse fights for peace
In a nation once wracked by civil war, Liberian Rotarian Elizabeth Sele Mulbah has spent much of her life leading efforts for peace and reconciliation.
A past president (2011-12) of the Rotary Club of Sinkor, Mulbah has a remarkable résumé. She began her career as a nurse, moved into teaching and administration, took on a leadership role at the Christian Health Association of Liberia, and worked at the United Nations Development Program.
She’s a co-founder of the Mano River Women Peace Network (Marwopnet), and through that organization played a major role in multinational diplomacy. She’s also an in-demand speaker, giving lectures at places such as the Carter Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace.
Q: You started your career as a nurse but soon moved into administration, where you advocated for change in the profession. What were you seeking to change and improve in nursing?
A: I’ve worked in training, counseling, and advocating for equal benefits, such as the right to the same period for maternity leave for working women whether married or not. I’ve advocated for on-the-job training for all, including support staff such as nurses’ aides.
Q: You became active in peace work in the 1990s, during the Liberian civil war. How did that come about?
A: Women in Liberia were disappointed at the failure of previous peace conferences. Liberians were tired of war. In 1995, Marion Subah and I, who were working at the Christian Health Association of Liberia, were approved by heads of warring factions to facilitate a meeting to prepare them for the next peace conference. The planned one-day meeting extended to four days, and all parties were represented. It was successful.
Q: What are the origins of Marwopnet?
A: It began in 2000 when 10 women leaders from NGOs in the region came together to convince the leaders of Liberia and Guinea to return to the conference table until peace was achieved. We did this after learning that the two leaders had vowed not to sit under the same roof. They did return to the conference table, and peace was achieved.
Today we shuttle between the leaders of the four Mano River countries (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire), and when the need arises, we serve as election observers in these nations. Women as mothers are born peacemakers.
Q: After the Liberian civil war, you worked in reconciliation and trauma healing. What exactly were you doing?
A: We first underwent our own training and then provided training for those traumatized by the war. We focused on teachers, health workers, and pastors to make sure conflicts were not transferred to the hospitals, schools, and churches where victims and perpetrators were bound to come together or interact. The goal was forgiveness.
Q: What organizations are you most active in today?
A: I am vice chair of the Governance Commission, which was created by the Accra peace accord in 2003 after Liberia’s most recent civil war, to design policies and recommend strategies to establish an inclusive, participatory, just, and accountable system of government.
Q: What is your guiding philosophy in life?
A: That it does not matter who gets the credit when something is done to benefit mankind. And that no one is here by mistake. | https://rotarylionsgate.com/2018/03/17/liberian-nurse-fights-for-peace/ |
Patellar dislocation has predisposing factors. A roentgenographic study on lateral and tangential views in patients and healthy controls.
One hundred patients with the diagnosis of an acute patellar dislocation treated conservatively and 30 healthy control subjects were studied roentgenographically by lateral and tangential views. The aim of the study was to determine the distribution and incidence of predisposing factors in different study groups. Three study groups were formed as follows: 67 patients (group A) without late problems or operative treatment of redislocation; 33 patients (group B) who underwent a surgical realignment procedure for redislocations or late problems; and 30 healthy control subjects (group C). A statistically significant difference was observed between the patient groups (A, B) and control group (C) when the means, medians and distributions of patellar tendon length (LT), patellar length (LP), tendon to patella length ratio (LT/LP), tendon to patellar articular surface ratio (LT/LAS), sulcus angle (SA), lateral patellar displacement (LPD), lateral patellofemoral angle (LPA) and morphological classification of the patella (1-5, Jägerhut) were compared. In group A, LPD was also significantly greater than in group B. This study demonstrates a considerably high rate of predisposing factors associated with patellar dislocation.
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Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum) is an economically valuable, ecologically adaptive, and agro-climatically suitable perennial cash crop grown under tree shade in the eastern Himalayas. In Sikkim, India, the focus of this study, large-cardamom production peaked early in the 21st century, making India the largest producer in the world, but dropped sharply after 2004; Nepal is now the largest producer. This crop is an important part of the local economy, contributing on average 29.2% of the income of households participating in this study. Farmers and extension agencies have worked to reverse its decline since 2007, and thus, there is a steady increase in production and production area. After reviewing the literature, we carried out extensive field research in 6 locations in Sikkim in 2011?2013 to investigate the causes of this decline and measures being undertaken to reverse it, using a combination of rapid rural appraisal, participatory rural appraisal, structured questionnaire, and field sampling techniques. Study participants attributed the decline in large-cardamom farming to 4 broad types of drivers: biological, socioeconomic, institutional/governance-related, and environmental/climate-change-related. Altered seasons, erratic or scanty rainfall, prolonged dry spells, temperature increase, soil moisture loss, and increasing instances of diseases and pests were prominent factors of climate change in the study region. Multistakeholder analysis revealed that development and implementation of people-centered policy that duly recognizes local knowledge, development of disease-free planting materials, training, subsidies, and improved irrigation facilities are central to improving cardamom farming and building socioeconomic and ecological resilience.
In: Mountain Research and Development, 36: 286-298 p. | http://lib.icimod.org/record/32248 |
Ulrike Luz has been working as a personnel and career consultant for executives since gaining her degree in Business Administration, and has underpinned her professional experience with various further training courses, for example in systematic coaching. During her consultation, she is focused on discovering the person behind the CV. She finds personal conversation an invaluable tool to help understand an individual’s strengths, motivations, goals and respective life situation, to facilitate jointly defining a new professional perspective. Developing an individual’s own style and brand, and thus the ability to create their own story, are the final phases of her consultancy and a very successful means of addressing a new professional challenge.
we are there for you
We will gladly answer your questions by phone or are available for an initial, non-binding personal conversation. | https://www.vblp-newplacement.de/en/consultants/details/ulrike-luz-2.html |
transports us to our childhood through bright and dark memories in this new exhibition space:
a dreamy basement secretly hidden under the floor of consciousness. A dialogue of innocence and rebellion
by the artist from Salamanca (Spain), Irene Izard and from Marseille
Camille Soulat, curated by
Casa Antillón,
Madrid.
Our memories arrive through an intimate gaze. A misty area, a lost territory, a dark basement somewhere in our conscience. However, our thoughts not always revel our deep memories; the images and things that surround us help us to reveal those memories. They open the path of our inner gaze.
Rebel Soft is constructed memory, thanks to the imagination. A distant memory invokes our childhood. A dreamy underground hidden in secret under the floor of reality. A dialogue between innocence and rebellion hand in hand with images and objects from Camille Soulat and Irene Izard: digital visions, sparkly and dark figures, stuffed soft animals that lost all naivety.
Once, these objects were memory and thinking -in their authors’ minds- and now they perfomr freely our world. Images an objects that activate the blurry dialogue between life and imagination; between reality and fiction; between the material and the dream; between the uncertain space of the physicalness and the unexplored universe of digitalness. | https://sltcamille.com/rebel-soft |
Fire scientists from Maryland, Colorado and Riverside have collaborated to combine fire modeling with satellite data to develop a new method for predicting wildfire behavior in near real time. The resulting predictions will be more accurate and revised based on the fire’s actual behavior.
For years, fire experts have researched and designed models for predicting a fire’s behavior. One problem, according to Dr. Philip Riggan with the U.S. Forest Service’s Fire and Fuels program out of its Riverside facility for the Pacific Southwest Research Station, is the difficulty of scaling lab experiments to the size and proportion of actual wildfires.
Nevertheless, there are models predicting fire behavior, such as rate of spread, based on terrain slope, fuels, moisture and other physical characteristics. “This is the basis for many models available in operation, but [real] fires often get to a certain size and don’t relate well to small lab fires,” Riggan said.
Some models do incorporate weather data, but similar to weather forecasts, their reliability deteriorates quickly after a few days. “Satellite data have, for more than two decades, provided routine active fire information but have not been able to distinguish between individual fire lines or to validate fire behavior on all but the largest fires,” wrote the principal researchers in the landmark article published in the the Geophysical Research Letters in October.
Essentially real-time data describing the location and direction of fires is captured from aircraft. While not predictive, the aerial images (usually infrared from night-time flights) have been helpful to firefighters and demark the conflagration’s size.
The new technique, which Dr. Janice Coen of the National Center for Atmospheric Research and Wilfred Shroeder created, is the melding and combination of the model with the real-time physical data, explained Riggan.
“With this technique, we believe it’s possible to continually issue good forecasts throughout a fire’s lifetime, even if it burns for weeks or months,” said Coen in an NCAR press release. “This model, which combines interactive weather prediction and wildfire behavior, could greatly improve forecasting — particularly for large, intense wildfire events where the current prediction tools are weakest.”
The model’s accuracy was tested with data from the 2012 Little Bear Fire in New Mexico.
“[Coen] has coupled the complex atmospheric equation with equations for fire movement,” Riggan said. For example, this technique allows for the possibility that a fire’s intensity might generate its own winds. “This is not considered in most models,” Riggan added.
The model also incorporates physical data, which change during the fire’s lifetime, but are not part of the static models. Spotting, which can expand and change the fire’s direction, as well as the effects of the firefighting, are examples of the additional data.
The satellite data, which are much better resolution today (about 1,200 feet compared to half a mile), can be available two to three times each day. Thus, the fire’s position is more accurate, but its behavior is now used to modify the models to enable better allocation of firefighting resources, Riggan explained.
Forecasts using the new technique could be particularly useful in anticipating sudden blowups and shifts in the direction of the flames, according to the researchers’ comments. In addition, they could enable decision makers to look at several newly ignited fires and determine which pose the greatest threat.
“This could give us a better record of how fire travels and a better understanding of rates of spread,” commented Dan Felix, fire officer for the San Jacinto Ranger District.
“Many people have resigned themselves to believing that wildfires are unpredictable. We’re showing that’s not true,” Coen was quoted in the release. | https://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2013/12/14/predicting-wildfire-behavior-future/ |
JNS.org – A newly released survey shows that a majority of Israel’s citizens — 86 percent of Jews and 55% of Arabs — are proud to be Israeli.
The survey, commissioned by the think tank the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and submitted by its president, Yohanan Plesner, to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday, also shows an increasing sense among Israelis that human rights organizations, such as the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and B’Tselem, cause damage to the state. Seventy-one percent of the Jewish public and 23 percent of the Arab public believe that to be true — an increase of 15% and 4% respectively from the previous study.
The report also finds a lack of trust in public institutions. The institution that garnered the most public trust was Israel’s Supreme Court, yet it earned the confidence of only 56.5% of Jews and 52% of Arabs. | https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/12/20/poll-jews-arabs-proud-to-be-israeli-suspicious-of-human-rights-groups-distrusting-of-public-institutions/ |
A PREMIER CO-EDUCATION SCHOOL, FROM NURSERY TO 12TH STANDARD
R.S.D. Raj Rattan Public School is affiliated to CBSE and is committed to provide Education from Play-Way / Pre-Nursery to class XII. The School functions as per the latest guide lines of the CBSE with garding system. Special emphasis is laid on the integrated development of body and the mind of the child with stress on counselling. To keep the sense of self dignity and confidence there is no corporal punishment in the school.
R.S.D Raj Rattan Public School, still in its infancy, is a dream come true of a few philanthropic visionaries, who devoted their lives for academic uplift of the community. The school was started in 2003 under the aegis of Ram Sukh Das College Trust and Management Society, the society which started R.S.D. College, Ferozepur. Late Lala Ram Sukh Das Ji, a great philanthropist, created a trust in 1915 with Rs. 50,000 to impart education to the people of this area. In the loving memory of his father, the college was started by his son, Lala Gowardhan Das ji, a great visionary and an eminent lawyer, supported by the Sanwalka family, in the year 1921. The philanthropic genes, as nature would have it, were inherited by the younger generation and so with the initiative and inspiration of Sh. S.C. Sanwalka, President of the Managing Committee, the family of Late Sh. Prem Ratan Sanwalka, specially his wife Smt. Raj Kala Sanwalka, son and daughter-in-law of Lala Ram Sukh Das ji, contributed magnanimously and this is how R.S.D. Raj Rattan Public School came in into existence. Sh. Rajnish Sanwalka is the Secretary of the Trust and Managing Committee. The School, an English Medium Co-educational institution has ultra-modern, pollution free and ecofriendly campus spread over 5 acres of land, with spacious and well-furnished class rooms. The institution aims at encouraging students to have logical, critical, analytical and progressive approach in life.
Every year R.S.D. Raj Rattan opens its portals to the young education along with an all round development of personality. The governing body assures the parents to infuse new life and discipline into the students to make them grow into responsible citizens of society. For the desirous, deserving and intelligent students every effort will be made to elevate and noble their lips and for this scholarship and financial help shall be in abundance. I am confident that the teaching facility will prepare the youngsters to make their way gloriously in life and prove themselves an asset for the society and the nation.
Thanks to the Almighty for His immeasurable grace and infinite love that has always
blessed this institution from the time of its inception since 2003. In the competitive
world of today only quality education is the sturdy foundation required to scale
higher reaches and goals. R.S.D. Raj Rattan Public School stands committed to
imbibe qualities of discipline, ability and innovative learning to help the students
become excellent human beings. We have been scaling great heights in shaping the
young minds in honesty, integrity, uprightness, generosity, loyalty and love for the
Mother earth. .....
The institution focuses on educational programs that equip the
students with qualities of head and heart that intellectually elevate them. In this age
of high technology, the young minds are guided to discover their talents to utilize
them in service of society. The institution strives to uphold the values of the iconic
education.
I congratulate the Principal, Staff, Students and Parents for their dedicated guidance, strong sense of commitment and responsibility that has transformed this institution into an outstanding and significant temple of learning today.
India today needs an education system which should harness the mental and physical energies of our youngsters in a progressive and productive manner-suitable to the community. The modern education of technology and science combine with the traditional value and Indian heritage is the need of the hour. To attain higher academic standards and to have potentials for academic excellence the teacher and the taught should have the thirst to go in quest for more and more for a larger and always alluding goal. The watch dword 'Hard Work' and a never ending tendency of miles to go before, I sleep is the aim of the school for the student.
Education and learning is one of the most important processes in today's society. Youth of today are the nation builder of tomorrow. The student today need the right direction in every field. To prepare real human beings and catch-them young for this holi task is what R.S.D. Raj Rattan stands for. I am confident that my teaching facility shall impart their knowledge and experience to each youngster, making them aware of the huge task in front of them and equally confident that my students shall take the name of their alma mater to mateoric heights,.I wellcome all the old and new students. | https://www.rsdrajrattanpublicschool.com/? |
The stomach and digestive system are essential to breaking down the food that provides the nutrition you require in order for your body to function.
Common digestive complaints include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, indigestion and heartburn.
Many of these ailments are usually harmless and often due to lifestyle habits or side-effects of other prescription medication. Therefore, changes in diet, exercise, stress levels or a reassessment of medication should reduce or get rid of outstanding symptoms.
If you are worried about or experiencing ongoing digestive issues, despite taking preventative measures, then Ahmeys healthcare professionals are available to assess your symptoms in order to confirm a diagnosis.
If needed, our clinicians are able to prescribe medication and explain any potential side-effects associated with it. Alterations to medication and dosages can be made if it does not appear to be working or you are experiencing any adverse effects. Further testing and referrals can be made if any ongoing digestive issues signal a more serious problem. | https://ahmeysclinic.com/digestive-problems/ |
Background and aims
Post-mining landscapes are often lacking in a self-sustaining plant community and in a functional belowground microbial community. Inappropriate management of soil can hinder ecological restoration of mine sites. However, the potential role of microbial inoculants and plant nutrient-acquisition strategies in improving mined substrates and facilitating mine-site restoration remains relatively unexplored. We tested (1) whether a commercially-available microbial inoculant was effective in restoring biological properties of mined substrates, and (2) the effect of plant nutrient-acquisition strategies on improving the chemical properties of mined substrates for the growth of native plants.
Methods
We conducted a six-month glasshouse experiment, growing six native plant species with different nutrient-acquisition strategies and adding a commercial microbial inoculant in three substrates (topsoil, magnetite tailings and a combination of both) from an iron-ore mine site in mid-west Western Australia.
Results
There was no significant improvement in plant growth by adding a commercially-sourced microbial inoculant. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen increased significantly after plant growth (main effect of species * inoculation interaction). The non-mycorrhizal disturbance-specialist plant species Maireana georgei was effective in improving hostile conditions of the tailings.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that re-vegetating stockpiled topsoil using local keystone species is a desirable practice that can improve soil biological properties and benefit mine-site restoration. Commercially-available agricultural-based microbial inoculants may not be compatible for mine-site restoration using native plants, but future research using indigenous soil microbes is warranted. We recommend selecting native plant species with different nutrient-acquisition strategies and complementary traits (e.g., N-fixing and P-mobilising) when restoring mined substrates. | https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-1308844/v1 |
Option NV is a global leader in wireless connectivity, security and experience. Option enhances the performance, functionality and usability of wireless communications through their CloudGate platform which provides competitively priced WLAN, WWAN and GPS functionality in a Gobi-based gateway that is certified on all major US cellular operators. The company works with mobile operators, OEMs, retailers and enterprise customers to create compelling products that enable new connected and secure services. Option is headquartered in Belgium, with further R&D facilities in Germany and an ISO 9001 production engineering and logistics facility in Ireland. Option maintains offices in Europe, the US, Greater China, Japan and Australia.
Option NV Products Types
Option NV Electronic Components & Parts: | https://www.icrfq.com/brand/420 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to displays and in particular, but not exclusively, to directionally-biased displays that can be used to simulate diffuse surfaces.
Electronic displays are normally designed to have high brightness when viewed head-on or from the sides. Some displays, like televisions, have wide viewing angles to accommodate large audiences; these displays appear bright even when viewed at a large viewing angle. Others, like laptop screens, have a narrower viewing angle: when the display is viewed head-on it is bright, but if viewed from an angle it becomes dark. This increases power efficiency. By contrast, diffuse surfaces like paper, painted walls, fabric scraps, or many natural objects have a nearly uniform brightness over all viewing angles, and no sharp change in intensity or character is noticeable when the viewing angle of such surfaces is changed.
Electronic displays are commonly mounted on diffuse surfaces. But if an electronic display is meant to mimic a natural object, like being a seamless part of a wall or replacing a photograph, it should have the same brightness at each viewing angle as the natural object. Otherwise at certain viewing angles it becomes a virtual “hole,” a dark and visually distracting rectangle on the diffuse background.
Embodiments are described of an apparatus and method for directionally-biased displays that can be used to simulate diffuse surfaces. Specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments, but one skilled in the relevant art will recognize, based on the description, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the described details or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In some instances well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail but are nonetheless within the scope of the invention.
References throughout this description to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mean that a described feature, structure, or characteristic can be included in at least one described embodiment, so that appearances of “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more other embodiments.
Embodiments of this invention seek to overcome the appearance of a display as a “hole” by using information about the viewer's position, the display's output, and the surface whose brightness it is trying to replicate to simulate the correct brightness. The resulting display takes on more natural qualities, integrates much better with the rest of the world, and reduces situations where the display appears as a lifeless hole in the wall.
FIGS. 1A-1B
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illustrate an embodiment of a display mounted on a diffuse surface . Display includes a pixel array having a plurality of individual display pixels. In one embodiment the individual display pixels within pixel array can be arrayed in vertical columns and horizontal rows, but in other embodiments they can be arrayed differently. In display , pixel array is surrounded by a housing or bezel , but other embodiments need not have a housing or bezel. Diffuse surface can be a textured, painted, and/or wallpapered wall in one embodiment, but can be another type of surface in other embodiments. For example, in one embodiment diffuse surface can be another display.
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Diffuse surface and individual display pixels within pixel array have different brightness profiles. For diffuse surface , a brightness profile relates the brightness of the surface to the angle from which it is viewed. In brightness profile the lengths of arrows emanating from surface represent the brightness of the surface when viewed from viewing angle β by observer —the longer the arrow, the brighter the surface looks when viewed from that angle. In brightness profile the brightness of surface is fairly uniform over a wide range of viewing angles β. For a given diffuse surface the reflectivity of the surface (i.e., brightness profile ) should be known ahead of time, since the brightness profiles of many natural surfaces are known, having been measured previously. But if the profile is not known ahead of time, this is a standard optical measurement that can be performed in a lab or, in some cases, by the end-user. If the brightness profile is not known beforehand and cannot be measured, the brightness profiles of many natural surfaces can be estimated: many have similar angle-brightness functions with simple parameters. A guess for the parameters may be good enough in many cases (such as paper or paint). A user could also tweak the parameters to fit their preferences. For example, the display could be set to a “live-adjust” mode and the user could change the desired viewing-brightness profile to taste.
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For the display pixels within pixel array , a brightness profile relates the brightness of the display pixel to the angle from which it is viewed, as well as to variables such as the electrical power delivered to the individual display pixel. Individual display pixels in the pixel array have brightness profile , in which the length of arrows emanating from the display pixel represent the brightness of the display pixel when viewed at that viewing angle β by observer . The brightness profile of the display pixels is different than the brightness profile of surface : in contrast to brightness profile , in brightness profile the brightness drops off much more significantly as viewing angle β increases. At high viewing angles β, then, pixel array will look dimmer than surface .
For any given pixel array, the brightness profile of the pixels can be measured so that the intensity at each viewing angle is known ahead of time; this is a standard optical measurement and accompanies nearly every display datasheet. But if the measurement is not available from the display seller it can be measured in a lab using readily available tools or could be measured by an end-user. For example, the same information could be extracted from a series of photographs or videos of a display at different angles, positions, or both. The brightness profile for most displays is usually the same for each pixel and may be almost identical across displays of the same make/model. Thus, the display's brightness profile data could be measured by a professional and distributed to users at a later date.
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illustrate an embodiment of a display in which pixel brightness can be adjusted to substantially match the brightness of diffuse surface surrounding pixel array . is a plan view, a cross-sectional view. Display includes a pixel array that includes a plurality of individual display pixels, as well as a bezel or housing that surrounds pixel array . Display also is coupled to a plurality of sensors that can be used to determine the position and viewing angle of an observer relative to pixel array
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In one embodiment sensors can be positioned surrounding the pixel array , for example in bezel . Four sensors -are shown, but other embodiments can use less or more sensors. In another embodiment the sensors need not be positioned within the bezel or housing ; in one embodiment sensors can be positioned within pixel array itself—for example interspersed between pixels in the pixel array or positioned over pixels in the pixel array. Four sensors -are shown, but in other embodiments a different number of sensors can be used. In other embodiments the sensors need not be in or on display . For example, display can be coupled to sensors -positioned on surface apart from the display. In another example they can be coupled to a sensor positioned on or near observer ; a wearable computing device or heads-up display would be one example of a sensor .
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Display need not be limited to one kind of sensor positioning, but can include a combination of sensors that are in the pixel array and around the pixel array. In one embodiment sensors - can be optical (e.g., cameras or image sensors), but in other embodiments they can be other types of sensors such as acoustic sensors using sonic ranging. Still other embodiments can combine optical and acoustic sensors, and could use other or additional methods used to estimate the viewer's position such as asking the observer to wear a special apparatus on their head (such as a hat with markers), etc.
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In one possible mode of operation of display , a reference pixel Pref is selected within pixel array . In one embodiment reference pixel Pref can be a pixel at or near the center of pixel array , but in other embodiments reference pixel Pref can be selected differently. Sensors in display , which can be any of sensors - or some combination thereof, are used to sense user . Head tracking uses a camera or multiple cameras to locate the position of a viewer's head in 3D space relative to a display. One method involves using a single camera to locate facial features such as eyes and a nose to estimate the 3D displacement. Another method involves using multiple cameras to create a depth map of the viewer, locating the head's 3D position. The sensors (or other head tracking method) and display will need to be referenced together, which is easy if the cameras are built into the display or affixed at known locations. There are a number of ways to calculate the position references if the cameras are not fixed as well. In embodiments that include optical sensors, facial recognition can be used not only to identify the observer's position, but to specifically identify the position of the observer's eyes, so that the viewing angle directly to the observer's eyes can be calculated. Other methods can be used as well.
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Based on the output of the sensors, the computation of the observer's position, and distances X, X, Y, and Y between the sensors and reference pixel Pref, the viewing angle βref between reference pixel Pref and observer can be calculated. Based on viewing angle βref, the brightness profiles of surface and the individual display pixels can be used to adjust the brightness of the display pixels to match the brightness of diffuse surface when viewed at the same angle βref (see ). In situations where observer is far from display , viewing angle β will vary little from one edge of pixel array to the other. In these situations, to save computational resources all display pixels in pixel array can be set to the same brightness as reference pixel Pref.
FIGS. 3A-3C
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illustrate an alternative embodiment of the operation of display . Display is as previously described: it includes a pixel array including a plurality of individual display pixels, and in some embodiments a bezel surrounding the pixel array . Display can be coupled to any of sensors -, or some combination thereof, that can be used to determine the position angle of an observer with respect to pixel array .
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In situations where observer is close to display , there can be significant viewing angle variation in different parts of pixel array . In these situations it can be desirable to adjust the brightness of each display individually instead of setting the brightness of all display pixels equal to the brightness of reference pixel Pref. In these situations the brightness of each display pixel can be based on its individual viewing angle rather than the viewing angle of a reference pixel. In another mode of operation, then, display first determines a viewing angle between a reference pixel Pref and observer as described above. A viewing angle β(i,j) can be computed for each display pixel P(i,j) based on its position (x(i,j), y(i,j)) relative to reference pixel Pref, for which a viewing angle has already been determined. Having determined β(i,j), for each pixel P(i,j) the display pixel brightness profile can be used to adjust the brightness of each pixel P(i,j) so that it substantially matches the brightness of the diffuse surface when viewed at the same β(i,j).
FIG. 3C
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illustrates adjustment of pixel brightness. As was noted for , each display pixel P(i,j) has a normal brightness profile and diffuse surface has a brightness profile ; in both brightness profiles the length of the arrows represents the brightness at a particular viewing angle β. At viewing angle β(i,j), the normal brightness of the display pixels is less than the brightness of diffuse surface . But by adjusting the brightness of the pixels, for example by directing more power to the pixels via a higher current or voltage, its brightness profile can be changed from brightness profile to brightness profile , in which light at angle β(i,j) has the same brightness as diffuse surface at the same angle β(i,j).
FIGS. 4A-4B
200
200
106
108
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106
illustrate an alternative embodiment of the operation of display . Display is as previously described: it includes a pixel array including a plurality of individual display pixels, and in some embodiments a bezel surrounding the pixel array . Display can be coupled to any of sensors -, or some combination thereof, that can be used to determine the position angle of an observer with respect to pixel array .
200
1
2
1
2
202
In the illustrated mode of operation, rather than determine the location and viewing angle of each individual display pixel based on its location relative to a reference pixel, display determines the viewing angle of each pixel based on its location relative to the sensors. A viewing angle β(i,j) can be computed for each display pixel P(i,j) based on distances X(i,j), X(i,j), Y(i,j), and Y(i,j), between pixel P(i,j) and sensors such as sensors . Having determined β(i,j) for each pixel P(i,j), the brightness profile for the display pixels in the array can be used to adjust the brightness of each pixel P(i,j) so that it substantially matches the brightness of the diffuse surface when viewed at the same β(i,j).
FIG. 5
FIGS. 3A-3C, 4A-4B
FIGS. 2A-2B
500
200
504
200
106
illustrates an embodiment of a process for adjusting pixel brightness in display . At block , display uses its sensors to determine the position and viewing angle of an observer relative to pixel array . Having determined the position or the viewing angle of the observer, the next block depends on how the display pixel brightness will be adjusted: each pixel can be adjusted separately based on its individual viewing angle (), or the brightness of all pixels in the pixel array can be adjusted based on the viewing angle of a reference pixel ().
200
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102
In an embodiment in which display adjusts the brightness of display pixels based on their individual viewing angles, the process continues to block , where it selects the first display pixel for processing. At block it determines the position of the selected pixel relative to the reference pixel Pref or relative to the sensors, and at block it determines a viewing angle from that individual pixel to the observer. Having determined the viewing angle for that particular pixel, at block the process retrieves the brightness profile for the diffuse surface and the brightness profile for the display pixels. At block , the process sets the brightness of the selected display pixel so that its brightness substantially matches the brightness of the diffuse surface at the same viewing angle.
516
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At block , the process queries where more individual pixels remain to be processed. If at block more pixels remain to be processed, at block the process selects the next display pixel and returns to block , where it repeats the process for this display pixel. If at block no display pixels remain for processing, meaning that all display pixels in the pixel array have been processed, the process continues to block where it can use the sensors to monitor for a change of observer position. If at block the sensors detect a change of observer position, the process returns to block and begins the process again. But if block determines that there has been no change in observer position, the process returns to block where it continues to monitor for changes of observer position.
504
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If at block the process will adjust the brightness of all pixels in pixel array based on the viewing angle of the reference pixel, then from block the process continues to block where it determines the viewing angle from the reference pixel to the observer. At block the process retrieves the display pixel brightness profile and the brightness profile for diffuse surface , and at block the process sets all the individual display pixel brightness is to substantially match the brightness of the diffuse surface at the determined angle.
The illustrated apparatus and process have several potential advantages. Among other things, the process is dynamic: the screen can be set to simulate any other type of surface, and respond to the viewer's position. The method can also be combined with head tracking applications such as simulating 3D (through motion parallax) or lighting effects rendered into the content itself (such as shiny highlights on objects that respond to the viewer's position). It is also a software-based solution, meaning it can be easily updated if there are improvements. And it relies on straightforward measurements: the required optical measurements are all well-understood measurements with devices manufactured specifically to provide that type of measurement. Similarly, measurements performed by an end-user can be surprisingly straightforward using photographs or videos.
The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, including what is described in the abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Although specific embodiments and examples are described for illustrative purposes, many equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. These modifications can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description.
The terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the figures unless otherwise specified.
FIGS. 1A-1B
are a plan view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a display mounted on a diffuse surface.
FIGS. 2A-2B
are a plan view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a display mounted on a diffuse surface.
FIGS. 3A-3C
are a plan view and a pair of cross-sectional view, respectively, of a display mounted on a diffuse surface.
FIGS. 4A-4B
are a plan view and a pair of cross-sectional view, respectively, of a display mounted on a diffuse surface.
FIG. 5
is a plan view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a display mounted on a diffuse surface. | |
A qualitative research strategy is particularly applicable for the purposes of this research, where the connection between several different variables had to be established through interpretation.
Scientific Research Paper Sample
Methodology Type of Research The type of research that will be used in this study is qualitative research and quantitative research.
Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior.
Employed mothers tend to cease from breastfeeding their babies and eventually stop and just resort to formula feeding as they go back to work.
The study also showed that mothers who are married and living with their partners are more likely to breastfeed their infants than single mothers.
Questionnaire The questionnaire requires information about the socio-economic and demographic background of the mother.Those with higher educational attainment resort more to formula feeding and mixed feeding than those with lower educational attainment.Health care professionals influence mothers the most when it comes to infant feeding decisions.The results revealed that only 20% of mothers in the study currently exclusively breastfeed their babies.It also shows that socio-economic factors like mother’s work status, marital status and educational attainment had direct bearing on these practices.
Along with questionnaires that will be given out to respondents for the statistical representation of the findings in the study, interviews with the respondents and a few experts in this field will also be conducted.
One thought on “Scientific Research Paper Sample”
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If your content is unique and interesting, you will definitely get a high grade and respect from your professors.
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The Internet connects your computers and Internet-enabled devices to cloud services, like cloud computing and cloud storage. | https://www.iskitim-rielt.ru/scientific-research-paper-sample-279.html |
is an Air Handling Unit (AHU) Mockup Test?
Like
a terminal unit mockup test, an air handling unit mockup assembly
is designed to measure noise made by mechanical equipment. The mockup
enables the owner and project team to experience the noise levels
as they would be in the space, and if necessary, make refinements
to the architectural and mechanical elements of the design. In high-rise
buildings that typically have floor mechanical equipment
rooms, it is essential to understand the acoustical ramifications
of the proposed design even so far as they relate to compliance with
tenant lease agreements.
How
is an AHU Tested?
The mockup for testing an air handling
unit is actually an assembly consisting of one or more offices adjacent
to a mechanical room which houses a floor AHU typical to the project.
In the test, airflow is delivered both at the design operating conditions
and at various percentages of the design-day air flow. To insure
that the testing is accurate, air quantities are read from air measuring
stations. At each test point, peak and average sound pressure levels
are noted at each octave band frequency. Test results are then plotted
on NC curves to establish the unit's acoustical performance based
on NC ratings relative to the project's Design Criteria.
Case Study
We recently performed an AHU mockup
test for one manufacturer in which we tested a 16,500 CFM air handling
unit using supply ductwork constructed of five different sheet metal
gauges. The ducts were the same overall length, constructed in the
same five-foot lengths with joints and angle reinforcements identically
placed. Four were standard unlined ducts in different gauges. For
the fifth specimen we used one of the first four ducts but enhanced
it. We then tested each unit at different airflow and pressure conditions.
The results provided the client with a clear indication of which
duct achieved the required NC at a specific airflow level. | http://energisticslab.com/AHUMockup_Testing.asp |
A peacekeeping force this week completed its withdrawal from Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, but security fears have been stoked after looters vandalised or destroyed many of its outposts.
The vast, arid and impoverished western region awash with guns is still reeling from a bitter conflict that broke out under Sudan's former strongman Omar al-Bashir in 2003, leaving hundreds of thousands dead.
"Looters descended on the site from all sides," said local resident Ahmed Awad, who said he witnessed in March the pillaging of a base in the village of Menwashie, 65 kilometres (40 miles) north of Nyala, state capital of South Darfur.
"Everything was stolen within hours."
Despite the fragile security situation, the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in January embarked on a phased withdrawal -- at a time when Sudan is in the midst of a rocky political transition and a dire economic crisis.
To many, UNAMID -- once one of the world's largest missions with some 16,000 peacekeepers at its peak -- had served as a deterrent force, despite consistently having failed to prevent scores of attacks.
The mission was set up in a bid to end a war that erupted after ethnic minority rebels complaining of discrimination rose up against Bashir's Arab-dominated government.
The war resulted in some 300,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced, the UN says.
But with Bashir ousted in April 2019, a transitional government in place in Khartoum, and after a landmark peace deal struck in October with key rebel groups, UNAMID's mandate ended on December 31, closing 13 years of operations.
Shortly after UNAMID's mandate ended, hundreds were killed in clashes between rival groups in several parts of Darfur, a fractured society riven by bitter rivalries over land and water.
Looters from across Darfur have repeatedly broken into the sites to make off with pickings worth millions of dollars -- everything from television sets to power generators.
"The Sudanese government didn't seem at all serious in securing these sites," Awad added.
On Wednesday, the force announced its withdrawal was completed.
UNAMID had hoped the 14 locations it handed over to the Sudanese government would be utilised for the long-term benefit of local communities.
Instead, eight sites were subjected to "vandalism" and "looting", with the perpetrators largely unidentified, the UN said.
Darfuris say the interim government failed to live up to promises.
"The authorities promised to preserve one former peacekeeping site in my village, but it failed," said Moussa Ibrahim, a community leader at Khor Abeche.
"Chaos erupted, and even the security forces in charge of protecting the site took part in the looting," he said. "The site was destroyed in days."
In North Darfur, UNAMID officials visited a former base in Shangil Tobaya.
"The camp structures have for the most part been reduced to rubble, and all usable items have been removed," a UN official told AFP.
While the UNAMID force has withdrawn, UN humanitarian agencies remain, as well its Khartoum-based political mission, the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).
Radwan Abdalla, a resident of Attash camp for the displaced in South Darfur, said the vandalism was a continuation of attacks on UNAMID sites handed over in recent years.
"I have seen this happen before, in December 2019," he said. "The area was completely levelled."
Writer and Darfur expert Abdallah Khater blamed the incidents on a "lack of awareness among local populations" and the "fragility of local authorities".
A member of the government committee overseeing UNAMID's withdrawal acknowledged that authorities had lacked sufficient security resources.
"Government troops were trained, and were ready to be dispatched from Khartoum, but their deployment was delayed for financial reasons," he said.
Community leader Ibrahim said peacekeepers were still a better option than government forces.
"The vandalism and looting only show how the local authorities have been unable to keep control over just these small sites," said Ibrahim. "How can they protect an entire state?" | https://www.barrons.com/news/fears-after-ex-peacekeeper-bases-in-sudan-s-darfur-looted-01625194506 |
Workfront specifies the width of columns in lists and reports, by default.
You can customize the width of the columns in your Workfront lists and reports to match your needs, depending on what kind of information you want to display in columns. For example, columns that display a number should be wider than columns that display the Description field.
Columns that appear in built-in views have widths previously defined by Workfront that are hard coded. To modify these widths, you must manually update the width of these columns using text mode.
For information about modifying the column in text mode, see the "Editing the Width of a Column Permanently" section in the "Understanding Common Uses of Text Mode" article.
In all other lists, Workfront adjusts the width of the columns dynamically according to the amount of information they contain, unless otherwise specified.
You can modify the width and temporarily modify the order of columns in a list without editing its view.
When resizing columns, the new column sizes are stored in your browser's local storage, and are saved by default. Using a different browser or clearing your cache or browsing data results in column sizes being reverted to the default. Refreshing your page, or logging out of Workfront and logging back in keeps the changes you make to the width of the columns.
When you resize columns, your changes apply only to the view you are currently using and are visible only to you. Sharing a view with another user does not share the column sizes that you have defined.
In these lists, when you drag the right border of a column to the right, the column to the right of the resized column preserve its original size and the list becomes wider.
In these lists, you can move the right border of a column past the borders of the neighboring columns.
You cannot move the left border of a column past the left border of the neighboring column.
When reordering columns, the order you choose is maintained only until you navigate away from the list, or you refresh the browser page. After navigating away from the list or refreshing the browser page, columns return to their default order.
For optimal performance, the columns you are reordering should not have more than 100 items in the list.
If you export any list to a file, the temporary order of the columns does not transfer to the exported file. The exported file displays the order of the columns in the original list, before the columns have been reordered.
For more information about exporting data from lists and reports, see "Exporting Data."
To permanently reorder columns, see the "Creating or Customizing a Standard View" section in the "Creating and Customizing Views" article.
You can permanently modify the width of a column only by using text mode.
For more information about using text mode and permanently modifying the width of a column, see the "Editing the Width of a Column Permanently" section in the "Understanding Common Uses of Text Mode" article.
You can drag column borders to resize columns and drag and drop columns to temporarily reorder them in most lists throughout the Workfront site, without opening the view builder. This includes reports, views, reports on dashboards, and the Gantt view.
For more information about Workfront lists, see "Viewing Items in a List.
When you resize columns in a list or report, the new column sizes are saved until you clear your browser cache. If you open the list in a new browser, the changes you made to the column size do not display in the new browser. The new column sizes are saved only for you in the browser you used to make the changes. All other users accessing the same view or report view the default column sizes, as they are defined in the view builder or automatically, by Workfront.
Navigate to the list that you want to modify.
Drag the border of a column until the column reaches the desired size.
When you reorder columns in a list or report, the new column order is saved only for you until you refresh or navigate away from the list. When you log out and back in to Workfront, the order of the columns reverts to the one defined in the view builder.
Navigate to the list you want to modify.
Click a column you want to move to another location to pick the column.
Drag the column into the correct location.
Drop the column into the location, to move it.
TIP This is especially useful when viewing the Gantt chart and the list view simultaneously. When viewing the Gantt chart, columns can become hidden. To view a column while the Gantt chart is displayed, simply drag the column that you want to view so that it is displayed on the left side of the page. | https://support.workfront.com/hc/en-us/articles/217285167-Modifying-Column-Width-and-Order |
Q:
Formula for the number of solutions of the congruence equation $xy-wz=0$ over $\mathbb{Z}_p$?
The equation $xy-wz=0$ has 10 solutions over $\mathbb{Z}_2$ and 33 solutions over $\mathbb{Z}_3$ (e.g. $x=y=2 \land w=z=1$ is one of the solutions). Is there any formula for the number of solutions of this equation over $\mathbb{Z}_p$ where $p$ is prime?
A:
The number of solutions is $(p-1)^3+(2p-1)^2$.
For there are $(p-1)^3$ ways to choose an ordered triple $(x,y,w)$ with entries from $0,1,\dots, p-1$, none equal to $0$. Given these, there is a unique $z$ modulo $p$ such that $xy-wz\equiv 0\pmod{p}$. This is because if $xy$ and $w$ are given, and $w\not\equiv 0\pmod{p}$, the congruence $zw\equiv xy\pmod{p}$ has a unique solution $z$ modulo $p$. (Multiply both sides by the inverse of $w$ modulo $p$.)
And there are $2p-1$ ways to choose an ordered pair $(x,y)$ so that $xy$ is congruent to $0$; for each such choice there are $2p-1$ choices for $(w,z)$.
| |
Boys Varsity Soccer
Game Summaries & Headlines.
- Game Date
- Aug 30, 2018
- Score
- : 3
VERITAS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: 1
KNIGHTS REBOUND FROM FIRST LOSS OF SEASON TO BEAT VERITAS CHIRISTIAN ACADEMY 3-1;6-1-0 Overall, 0-0 Southern Piedmont Athletic Association (SPAA)
HICKORY, NC- Two days after Hickory Christian took their first loss of the season, the Knights came back strong with a valiant effort to knock off the visitors from Fletcher, NC. The game had two weather delays due to the pending thunderstorms, the first for 45 minutes and the second for 30 minutes. Both teams were given 7 minute warm up periods after each delay.
To get the Knights started off strong, senior Gabe Walker, on an assist from freshman Braden Runyon, scored just nine minutes into the contest. Up 1-0, the Knights would have to battle the visiting Warriors for the next thirty minutes before another goal would be scored. Fortunately for the Knights, the second goal of the contest would be from Senior Luke Ikerd. Ikerd was the beneficiary of a nice pass from sophomore Caleb McMurray. This upped the score for the Knights, 2-0 in minute number 39, just seconds before the halftime whistle would blow.
As the Knights and Warriors came out for the second half of play, both teams knew it would be a fight to the finish and any goals scored would be contested by a tenacious defense. For the next twenty-seven minutes both teams would get their chances but were unable to capitalize on the offensive side.
The Warriors from Veritas Christian Academy found the back of the net at minute number sixty-seven, cutting the Knights deficit in half and the score now read 2-1 in favor of the home team. Freshman Ian Benfield out hustled his counterpart to move the ball down the left side of the pitch and found senior Gabe Walker open in the middle of the field. Walker would take a few dribbles en route to his second goal of the evening providing the Knights a little cushion at 3-1 with less than 5 minutes left to play. By rule Benfield did not receive credit for the assist but it was his hustle that certainly led to the Knights going up by two goals. During the final five minutes of the contest neither team would mount any offensive threat and the Knights were able to hold on for the win, 3-1.
Ian Benfield was the recipient of the HCA Battle Ball, a HCA tradition after each game awarded to the player with the best effort, attitude, performance and all around impact on the outcome of the contest. Benfield, who just last game was given honorable mention for his improved play, shined throughout the contest giving the Knights much needed minutes off the bench.
The Knights have the weekend off through Monday and will return to practice at TI field on Tuesday September 4th@ 5:00. The next game on schedule is more than a week out, an away game on Tuesday September 11that Woodlawn School. This will be the first SPAA conference game of the season for the Knights. | https://hcasports.org/main/teamarticle/articleID/47082865/id/3602805 |
Nobody would have expected the situation that we are facing right now. A virus born in a city of 11 million people soon spread around the world, wreaking havoc and changing the lives of each and every one of us. The pandemic is not only a threat to our health, but it is also harming the global economy. Today we will try to answer the question of how the coronavirus has affected the food delivery market.
Changes in the restaurant industry
One of the industries that have suffered the most is the food service industry. All restaurants were closed based on one administrative decision, leaving deliveries and the takeaway option as restaurants’ last resort. We will not discuss this decision right now, but we have to know under what circumstances it was taken.
In the current situation, a difficult question has to be asked. Is it profitable for restaurateurs to continue working and turning things upside down by changing their current mode of operation? Even if you ignore the question of profitability, how can one simply survive and stay afloat on the market? How to avoid being forced into a position where you have to fire your entire staff and shut down your business?
Before making any decisions, it’s worth analyzing the reaction of those who have been dealing with the coronavirus epidemic for a long time. We will try to look at restaurants in China and Western Europe. Is there a chance that Polish consumers will behave in a similar way? We will start with the Middle Kingdom.
How has the coronavirus affected the food delivery market in China?
Before the outbreak of the epidemic, China had the largest online food delivery market. Its value in 2020 was estimated at EUR 40,658 million (can you imagine, EUR 40,658,000,000?), with an annual growth rate of about 7%.
Unfortunately, no one could have foreseen the storm on the horizon.
The coronavirus hit in December and, due to the rapid increase in the number of cases, the Chinese government imposed a mandatory quarantine on extensive areas of the Republic. Restaurants faced the choice that many European entrepreneurs have to face now. Shut down the business or rely on deliveries?
Perhaps the habits of ordering everything online have played a big role here because as early as January 2020, Chinese customers spent 20% more on deliveries from restaurants compared to the previous year. Interestingly, most deliveries carried out in China prior to the spread of the virus concerned single-person orders. During the peak of the epidemic, the inhabitants of China changed their consumer habits, increasing the amount of food ordered and placing orders for bigger groups of people. The Chinese company Meituan has reported a 31% increase in orders for more than one person and a 70% increase in orders for groups over 5 people. It’s understandable – in the period we call “quarantine”, people stay at home with their families.
The situation in Hong-Kong
On the other hand, at the very beginning of the outbreak, Hong Kong residents preferred to buy food and cook it at home. After only a few weeks, the number of food deliveries from restaurants increased significantly. The British company Deliveroo (a direct competitor of UberEats and Wolt), which operates in dozens of markets worldwide, claims that orders have increased by 60% since January. The well-known company – Foodpanda – recorded a two-fold increase in demand for its services between the Chinese New Year, falling on January 25, to the beginning of March.
The vast majority of orders from January to the beginning of February were contactless. Couriers, wanting to alleviate customer apprehension, carry with them special cards confirming their good health.
How has the coronavirus been affecting the food delivery market in Europe?
Unlike the inhabitants of the country on the Yangtze River, Italians and Spaniards have never been in favor of buying things online. Before the outbreak, 4% (in Italy) and 5% (in Spain) of total retail revenues came from online shopping. The rate of buying food online was even lower. In a survey conducted by Statista.com, only 18% of food deliveries were made online. 37% of Italians, when asked how much they would spend on food deliveries in 2020, said that they would spend nothing at all.
As it turned out, at least some of these promises were empty.
The national manager of the Glovo company – Elisa Pagliarani, explains that the beginning was difficult since some restaurants had to close during the epidemic. The demand for restaurant dishes decreased. Recently, however, the downward trend has reversed, and the number of orders is growing at a phenomenal rate. The coronavirus pandemic has also had a positive impact on the sales of competing companies like Deliveroo or Just Eats.
Consumer doubts
In China and Europe, the food delivery market has not slowed down. At least it didn’t for long. The initial downtime was partly due to concerns about the safety of delivery.
The Google trends curve shows it well. During the epidemic, the number of inquiries about the safety of food delivery by UK residents has significantly increased.
Certainly, interest in the topic is growing. Therefore, we should be surprised by the efforts of companies around the world convincing customers that they have no grounds for concern.
In Poland, UberEats, just like Wolt and Pyszne.pl (Takeaway.com group), enable contactless delivery and takeaway for all their platform users.
What is non-contact delivery?
As the name suggests, customers who have chosen this option do not want to have direct contact with the driver. Non-contact delivery implies that the courier, after calling the apartment, simply leaves the meal on the customer’s doorstep (the Papu System also offers this option for restaurants that want to start selling on their website).
Portals and restaurants introduce a lot of restrictions and rules that their employees must follow. For example, couriers working for Pyszne.pl (Takeaway.com group) are equipped with hand disinfectants. Uber employees who have been infected with the coronavirus or who have been quarantined are entitled to financial support granted for the period of their account suspension, but not for more than 2 weeks. Due to the limited amount of disinfectants, some suppliers have to buy them for themselves.
What will the situation be in Central Europe (on the example of Poland)?
We have calculated how the coronavirus affected sales, the number of deliveries, and the average order value in the restaurants we selected over the last few weeks. These figures were compared to the results obtained with data from January.
The choice of restaurants that took part in the study was not accidental. We selected premises located in various parts of Poland, for which deliveries were an important or even a key element of business and sales.
A restaurant from Łódź generated 55% of sales from deliveries in January, a restaurant from Silesia 65%, from Kraków 85%, and a restaurant in Poznań almost 95% of its turnover.
Since the coronavirus outbreak in Poland, sales in all the restaurants under analysis have decreased between around 5% to 14%. The decrease in sales affected the least those restaurants whose business model was previously based almost entirely on deliveries and those where deliveries accounted for at least 50% of all orders. The percentage of turnover generated by deliveries increased in most cases by about 2%. Except for a restaurant from Silesia, where the volume of deliveries increased by as much as 10%.
The charts below illustrate changes in the ordering structure of Łódź restaurants. Customers gave up on meals eaten in the restaurants in favor of takeaway dishes.
There was a decrease in the number of dishes ordered through portals by 11%, and the average order value increased by about PLN 10.
In restaurants where deliveries accounted for most orders, the number of dishes ordered by portals and the average value of the order did not change significantly compared to the values from January.
Conclusions
The information collected by us shows that restaurants most affected by the current situation are those that have so far lived mainly from customers eating onsite. In the case of this gastro-business group, it is evident that the number of orders regularly decreases, along with the restaurants’ profits. What’s worse, having no alternative, some of these restaurants had to completely suspend their operations.
Premises that were based on deliveries before the epidemic are in a slightly better position. Unfortunately, for them, the problem also exists and should not be underestimated. There is light at the end of the tunnel for this group, although it’s not as bright as it could be.
The owners of restaurants in China and Europe have trodden similar paths. After the initial crisis, customers remembered their favorite restaurants, which resulted in a growing number of deliveries. That’s why restaurateurs have to be patient. The moment when people run out of huge quantities of panic-bought food is sure to come. The only question is – how long will this take? Unfortunately, no one knows the exact answer.
Initiatives worth your attention
Is there anything we could advise you on during this difficult period? You may be thinking “easier said than done,” but there are a few things that should help:
- talk with your employees and make sure they know the general direction and new working methods,
- enable your clients to use contactless delivery,
supply your employees with disinfectants and gloves,
- speak out about the precautions you have taken at your restaurant,
- there are many initiatives your restaurant can get involved in.
Get inspired:
- Arlington Restaurant Initiative
- gastropomaga (gastro is helping)
- deliver free meals
- RESTAURANT WORKERS RELIEF PROGRAM
You can also search for actions by hashtags:
#supportrestaurants, #feedthepeople,
Participation in such initiatives will boost the positive image of your restaurant in the eyes of a potential customer and ensure your team has something to do during periods of downtime! Besides, we believe that helping is always a good idea!
- Do not sit and wait for answers – in times of crisis, innovative ideas materialize faster!
- Stay active on social media. At the same time, remember that exaggeration in everything is not advisable! That’s why you need to make sure that the content that you post is diverse. After all, there are a lot of things worth talking about apart from the coronavirus. | https://papu.io/en/blog-en/how-coronavirus-affects-the-food-delivery-market-2/ |
Introduction
============
The ecological effects of fire in tropical Pacific island ecosystems have received little attention in most Pacific island groups ([@ref-57]). Despite the potential importance of wildfires for conservation, public health, and human-environment interactions, very few studies of wildfire effects on Pacific island vegetation exist, and reliable, quantitative information on conservation threats is limited ([@ref-42]). Almost nothing is known about how contemporary wildfire affects plant communities in the Pacific outside of Hawai'i ([@ref-37]; [@ref-16]; [@ref-36]; [@ref-29]; [@ref-15]; [@ref-14]; [@ref-1], [@ref-2], [@ref-3]; [@ref-4]; [@ref-22]), with a few studies in New Caledonia ([@ref-79]), western Polynesia ([@ref-34]; [@ref-21]; [@ref-28]) and Guam ([@ref-5]). Furthermore, human-caused wildfires are increasingly occurring on Pacific islands in the modern era ([@ref-72]), and islands are especially susceptible to anthropogenic disturbances ([@ref-42]). In this paper, we use a novel dataset to examine the effects of wildfires on low-elevation and already heavily-invaded vegetation communities in the Society Islands, French Polynesia.
Few records and no formal studies exist for French Polynesia of the ecological effects of wildfire in modern times. Indeed, most Pacific island plant communities, especially communities dominated by native plant species, are not considered to support active fire regimes of the type seen in some continental communities of similar climate due to differing ignition patterns, plant structure, winds, and other factors ([@ref-12]; but see [@ref-38]). Although natural wildfire is thought to be extremely rare as a disturbance in Pacific terrestrial native plant communities, botanists working in the region have long suspected that anthropogenic fire (alongside other human land-use changes) has played an important role in certain low- and mid-elevation terrestrial vegetation communities. The botanical evidence for a role of anthropogenic fire are the extensive low-elevation fernlands and grasslands which drew the attention of early Western field botanists in the Pacific (including French Polynesia). These communities were usually described as near-monocultures, dominated by either the native fern *Dicranopteris linearis* (Gleicheniaceae) or several species of grass. In some contemporary cases, these fernlands and grasslands take the form of "savannas" with scattered emergent trees in genera such as *Metrosideros* and *Commersonia* ([@ref-25]; [@ref-66]). For example, *Dicranopteris* fernlands are common in the Society, Cook, Austral, Hawaiian, and Wallis and Futuna islands ([@ref-25]; [@ref-70]; [@ref-50]). In a detailed survey of Society Islands vegetation published in French, [@ref-60] reported an association of *Dicranopteris* and grasses with fire, and suggested that the former can resprout from rhizomes following wildfire. He also observed that certain woody plants (*Metrosideros collina*, *Melastoma denticulatum*, and *Dodonaea viscosa*) are often associated with areas that have burned. These observations are consistent with more recent ones from Hawai'i for *Dodonaea viscosa* and the congeneric *Metrosideros polymorpha* (following single, low-intensity fires; [@ref-1]; [@ref-15]). Surveying the vegetation of the entire tropical Pacific many decades later, [@ref-54] came to a similar conclusion, arguing that *Dicranopteris* fernlands represent potentially anthropogenic post-disturbance communities because of their extremely low plant diversity, and because no plant species other than *Dicranopteris linearis* are restricted to these communities (*i.e.*, these communities contain no habitat specialists).
Pacific archaeologists and paleoecologists have concurred with the conclusions of botanists, invoking charcoal and other pollen records as further evidence that fire is anthropogenic ([@ref-39]; [@ref-69]), and that widespread "pyrophytic" grassland and fernland zones resulted from the use of fire by the first colonizing humans in French Polynesia and elsewhere in the Pacific ([@ref-18]; [@ref-43]; [@ref-5]; [@ref-45]; but see [@ref-38]). It is important to stress that local knowledge that anthropogenic fire promotes *Dicranopteris* savanna (e.g., references and informants cited in [@ref-50]) is consistent with these archeological and botanical interpretations, and may have been the original impetus which led Western investigators to suspect a role for fire in Pacific vegetation ecology. These independent lines of evidence point to anthropogenic fire in combination with other human impacts partially transforming the mid- and low-elevation vegetation of oceanic Pacific islands from forest to pyrophytic fernlands and grasslands, commencing perhaps as soon as the first human colonization of these islands (1000 C.E. for French Polynesia) ([@ref-54]; [@ref-43]; [@ref-39]; [@ref-69]).
The conclusions of botanists, archaeologists, and paleoecologists that fire in the Remote Pacific is primarily of anthropogenic origin and has played an important role ecologically only in transforming some low- and mid-elevation plant communities into fern and grass-dominated savannas are of particular importance for conservation and human welfare in French Polynesia, because anecdotal evidence suggests that wildfire events may be frequent during the 2000's and 2010's, and possibly increasing in frequency relative to historical baselines. Although comprehensive records are not publically available, published news reports in local media (*La Dépêche de Tahiti*, published daily in Papeete, Tahiti and the "Polynésie 1ère" news website) indicate wildfires events on the islands of Tahiti in 2013 (two fires), 2015, and 2016, Mo'orea in 2008 and 2011, Huahine in 2016, Raiatea in 2016, and Bora Bora in 2013 (Society archipelago) and Nuku Hiva in 2012 and Ua Pou in 2013 (Marquesas archipelago). A non-peer-reviewed study from a field course taught by the University of California, Berkeley identified three wildfires on Moorea which occurred in 1991, 1995, and 1998 ([@ref-44]), and partial wildfire records held by the Sapeurs-Pompiers de Moorea (the Moorea fire department) list 5 wildfires occurring in the first half of 2011 (J.-M. Hokaupoko, 2013, personal communication). Despite the potential importance of wildfire as a problem for both conservation (J.-Y. Meyer, 2011, personal communication) and human well-being ([@ref-56]; J.-M. Hokaupoko, 2013, personal communication) in French Polynesia, no published study has examined the ecological effects of wildfire in that country.
The absence of studies examining ecological consequences of wildfire in French Polynesia are concerning because analogous studies from the Hawaiian Islands (which are ecologically similar and share many native plant genera) suggest that wildfires may actually have very serious effects on modern vegetation communities in ways which impact both biodiversity and the propensity for future wildfires. Studies of wildfire on the island of Hawai'i ("the Big Island") have shown that although a considerable number of native woody and tree fern species in wet and mesic forests show some ability to persist after wildfire through resprouting or germination following lava-ignited wildfire ([@ref-1]), and some native herbaceous species appear to sprout only following repeated wildfires that destroy litter ([@ref-3]), most evidence suggests that wildfires increase abundance of introduced herbaceous and grass species. Wildfires promote invasion of introduced herbaceous species in forests ([@ref-2]), native tree and tree fern death ([@ref-15]; [@ref-3]), and the replacement of native communities with invasive grasslands ([@ref-37]; [@ref-36]; [@ref-15]; [@ref-3]). These introduced herbaceous and grass communities restrict native seedling recruitment ([@ref-2]) and are even more susceptible to future fires, perpetuating a grass-fire cycle ([@ref-16]; [@ref-29]). It has been shown that wildfires can mediate transitions between dominance by different invasive grasses ([@ref-37]; [@ref-14]). Finally, fire-adapted grasses are moving upwards in elevation ([@ref-4]). Taken together, these studies suggest that wildfires in French Polynesia may reduce abundances of some native plant species, while simultaneously increasing abundances of some introduced species---particularly introduced grasses---which may create fuels that increase the probability of future wildfires.
This study
----------
The purpose of this paper is to provide a baseline for human-caused wildfire effects on species richness, abundance, and community similarity in low-elevation, heavily-invaded plant communities in French Polynesia in the modern, post-European contact era through analysis of paired field sites. In this study, we examine vegetation changes associated with wildfires at low elevations (\<380 m) on the island of Mo'orea in the Society archipelago of French Polynesia ([Fig. 1](#fig-1){ref-type="fig"}). We investigate how low-elevation plant communities differ between burned areas and nearby comparison areas that have no known recent burn history, and expect wildfire to have substantial effects on the composition and relative abundances of plant species in our study sites. Comparison areas in this study do not represent natural vegetation communities, but instead are secondary forests dominated by introduced species that have regrown in areas burned or cultivated by humans following human colonization ∼1000 year BP ([@ref-54]; [@ref-43]). Native forests in French Polynesia, which harbor most remaining endemic plant and invertebrate diversity, are primarily restricted to higher elevations ([@ref-49]), and do not naturally experience large wildfires.
{#fig-1}
Given what is known from previous observations from other islands, we hypothesize that burned areas will have a significantly different vegetation community from not recently burned or modified comparison areas. We expect that grasses and ferns, especially *Dicranopteris linearis*, will be present at higher proportions in burned areas than in comparison areas. We also expect that burned areas will contain more introduced species and higher abundances of introduced species than are present in comparison areas, but that native (especially herbaceous) vegetation will persist or recolonize burned sites ([@ref-1], [@ref-3]). We investigate whether site or burned status (burned or comparison) is more significant in explaining species diversity and observed abundance in study areas. We examine which plant species are present through colonization, regrowth, or persistence, in burned areas. One aim of this study is to identify which of the species existing in an already highly modified plant community are likely to become more abundant or invasive after wildfire, with special attention to modern invasives and plants that are known to increase fire hazard. These results may have implications for conservation efforts in southeastern Polynesia and elsewhere in Oceania.
Methods
=======
We conducted research on the island of Mo'orea, French Polynesia (17°32′S, 149°50′W) during the austral-spring dry season of October and November 2013 ([Fig. 1](#fig-1){ref-type="fig"}). The wetter summer season lasts from December--April, and the drier winter season lasts from May--November. Large rainfall events can occur in the mostly dry winter months, and there can be substantial interannual variation in cumulative rainfall. Weather station measurements provided by the Moorea Coral Reef Ecosystem LTER for August 2006--October 2010 report monthly average temperatures ranging from 24.5 to −27.2° C, and monthly cumulative rainfall between 0.8 mm and 716.8 mm ([@ref-76]). Winds are generally stable and dominated by southeasterly trade winds, although powerful wind events, including cyclones, occur somewhat regularly (<http://mcrlter.msi.ucsb.edu/data/variable/>).
Study sites
-----------
We worked at three sites, each containing two study areas: a post-wildfire ("burned") area that was paired with a nearby, "comparison" area (within 0.2--0.5 km) that had no recent history of fire or agricultural modification. Post-wildfire sites represented a variety of times since fire disturbance, total burned area, original vegetation communities, elevations, slopes, aspects, and microclimates. We chose to work in sites previously studied by [@ref-44], where burned and comparison areas at a single site had the same or very similar slopes, aspects, average rainfalls, and soil types ([@ref-8]), and an additional site with similar description. The seasonality and severity of the burns were not controlled for in analyses, and the post-wildfire climatic conditions are not known, each of which can influence species richness and abundance in post-wildfire communities. We clarify that this collection of sites in not meant to represent plant community succession for different-aged sites, because we did not measure or control for site-to-site variation in temperature, precipitation, and other factors important in structuring plant communities.
Study sites varied in location, time since burn, and other characteristics, but were all located on the wetter side of the island ([Table 1](#table-1){ref-type="table"}). Site 1 was located at the Col des Trois Cocotiers (accessible via the "Three Coconuts trail") on the saddle between Mount Tohi'e'a and Mount Mou'aroa. This wildfire originated from a small campfire at the top of the ridge (J.-Y. Meyer, personal communication) in 2004 (nine years before this survey was conducted), burning \<1 ha. The site receives an average annual rainfall of 4,500--5,000 mm, was characterized in 1993 as having an average annual temperature of 20--22.7 °C ([@ref-8]), and is in direct sunlight throughout the day. The slope at this site varies with a maximum of 30%. The adjacent comparison area was similar to the burned area but receives slightly more shade, and was located to the west of the burned area.
10.7717/peerj.5114/table-1
###### Summary of characteristics for burned and comparison sites, which have no recent history of disturbance.
Name of site and location Age at time of sampling (year of burn) Condition Latitude/longitude Elevation (m) Size of burned area No. species (no. observations)
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ------------ ------------------------------ --------------- --------------------- --------------------------------
Site 1: Col des Trois Cocotiers 9 years (2004) Burned 17°32′49.9″S 149°50′32.5″W 374 \<1 ha 26 (179)
(NA) Comparison 17°32′47″S 149°50'35"W 379 (NA) 30 (331)
Site 2: North of Ha'apiti 18 years (1995) Burned 17°33′10.39″S 149°52′14.63″W 154 ∼4 ha 18 (150)
(NA) Comparison 17°33′4.09″S 149°52′3.68″W 146 (NA) 21 (212)
Site 3: Southeast of Ha'apiti 22 years (1991) Burned 17°33′30.44″S 149°51′50.48″W 120 5 ha 13 (160)
(NA) Comparison 17°33′40.98″S 149°51′53.15″W 45 (NA) 17 (167)
**Note:**
Centers of burned areas were determined from aerial photos.
Site 2 is also located on the southwest side of the island, north of the town of Ha'apiti. According to [@ref-44], the fire occurred in 1995 (18 years before survey), starting in a noni (*Morinda citrifolia*, or "*nono*" in Tahitian) fruit plantation and traveling up the slope of a west-facing ridge for approximately 1 km. The width of the burned area was ∼300 m, with a total area of ∼4 ha. The slope of this site averaged approximately 25% slope, and the ridge can receive direct light for the entire day. The average annual precipitation is 1,720--2,000 mm, with an average annual temperature of \>22.7 °C ([@ref-8]). The adjacent comparison area was located to the northeast of the burned area.
Site 3 was located on the southwest side of the island, southeast of Ha'apiti. According to [@ref-44], the wildfire occurred in 1991 (22 years before this survey was conducted), and started as a pile of burning waste in a cemetery on the outskirts of Ha'apiti. The fire traveled along a west-facing ridge for approximately 1.5 km. The total burned area was ∼5 ha, nowhere exceeding 250 m in width. The slope is ∼25% along the entire length of the burned site ([@ref-44]). The ridge receives direct sunlight for the majority of the day, the average annual precipitation at the site is 2,000--2,350 mm, and the average annual temperature is \>22.7 °C ([@ref-8]). The adjacent comparison area was located to the southeast of the burn. Center points of all burned and comparison areas, and total area burned were estimated using Google Earth ([@ref-31]).
Field surveys
-------------
Each of the paired study areas at three sites (Sites 1, 2, and 3) comprises a post-wildfire burned area and an adjacent, unburned comparison area, for six total study areas. Five transect lines were placed in each study area, for a total of 30 transects. Transect lines were placed approximately 4 m apart in comparison areas and in burn sites where the shape of the post-fire area allowed. For long burn-scar sites, transects were placed slightly closer to one another or end-to-end. Vegetation was sampled at 4 m intervals along the length of each transect (starting at the zero point, for a total of 13 samples per transect and *n* = 390 total data points) at all sites along points on a 50 m transect tape, using a method modified from the Line Interception Method (or "line-intercept method," [@ref-11]).
For each burned and comparison area, all individuals of vascular plant species touching and directly above a vertical measuring post placed at 4 m intervals were recorded. Lichens and mosses were not included in this study. Individual plants were counted on transect points (as "observed abundance") and identified to the species level in the field if possible, and photographs were taken for later verification. For plants that could not be field-identified, samples were collected for examination at the University of California, Berkeley Gump Station using online and printed plant identification keys (Moorea Digital Flora Project, [@ref-55]; [@ref-78]). Samples and photographs were verified through expert opinion (of J.-Y. Meyer, R. Taputuarai, and J. Nitta). Voucher specimens collected from each site have been deposited in the University Herbarium (UC) at the University of California, Berkeley. Field surveys were conducted under the authorization of a University of California Berkeley permit associated with an undergraduate educational course (ESPM C107) from the Government of French Polynesia.
Analyses
--------
Plant species were categorized by origin as native or introduced, and within the category of introduced species, a distinction was made between "Polynesian introduction" (prior to European contact) and "modern introduction" (post European contact) for analysis ([Table 2](#table-2){ref-type="table"}). Historical presence was assessed by consensus and expert opinions including the following: [@ref-6], [@ref-9], [@ref-10], [@ref-25], [@ref-26]), [@ref-27], [@ref-47], [@ref-48], J.-Y. Meyer (2013, personal communication), J. Nitta (2013, personal communication), [@ref-62], [@ref-75] and [@ref-78], [@ref-77].
10.7717/peerj.5114/table-2
###### Plant species recorded at the three study sites, categorized by broad taxonomic groups.
Species are also categorized by their historical presence in the Society Islands: e.g., native, introduced by humans before 1767 C.E. ("Polynesian introductions"), or introduced by humans since 1767 C.E. ("modern introductions"). Lichens and mosses were not included in this study. Historical presence was assessed by consensus and expert opinions including the following references: [@ref-6], [@ref-9], [@ref-10], [@ref-25], [@ref-26], [@ref-27], [@ref-47], [@ref-48]; J.-Y. Meyer (2013, personal communication); J. Nitta (2013, personal communication), [@ref-62], [@ref-75], [@ref-78], [@ref-77].
Historical Presence Type of Plant Species
------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Native Club mosses *Lycopodiella cernua*
Ferns *Angiopteris evecta*
*Arachniodes aristata*
*Asplenium australasicum*
*Blechnum patersonii*
*Davallia solida*
*Dicranopteris linearis*
*Diplazium ellipticum*
*Lygodium reticulatum*
*Nephrolepis hirsutula*
Monocots *Freycinetia impavida*
*Pandanus tectorius*
Eudicots *Cyclophyllum barbatum* (*Canthium barbatum*)
*Commersonia bartramia*
*Fagraea berteroana*
*Hibiscus tiliaceus*
*Ipomoea littoralis*
*Ixora mooreensis*
*Metrosideros collina*
*Neonauclea forsteri*
*Phyllanthus manono* (syn. *Glochidion manono*)
*Xylosma suaveolens*
Polynesian Introduction Monocots *Cocos nucifera*
*Cordyline fruticosa*
*Dioscorea bulbifera*
*Miscanthus floridulus*
*Musa X paradisiaca* (cultivar)
*Zingiber zerumbet*
Eudicots *Inocarpus fagifer*
*Syzygium malaccense*
Modern Introduction Ferns *Adiantum trapeziforme*
*Diplazium proliferum*
Monocots *Ananas comosus*
*Centotheca lappacea*
*Dypsis madagascariensis*
*Melinis repens*
*Spathoglottis plicata*
Eudicots *Falcataria moluccana* (syn. *Paraserianthes falcataria, Albizia falcataria*)
*Carica papaya*
*Elephantopus mollis*
*Emilia fosbergii*
*Lantana camara*
*Mangifera indica*
*Merremia peltata*
*Miconia calvescens*
*Mikania micrantha*
*Passiflora foetida*
*Polyscias scutellaria*
*Psidium guajava*
*Rubus rosifolius*
*Spathodea campanulata*
*Stachytarpheta urticifolia*
*Syzygium cuminii*
*Tecoma stans*
Unknown Origin Fern unknown fern 1
Fern unknown fern 2
Monocot unknown grass 1
Line-intercept transect data were used to calculate relative frequencies of species' abundances for burned and comparison areas at each of the three study sites. Observed abundances were calculated as total number of individuals in each species pooled across all five transects in one study area. Total species richness was calculated as number of species encountered on all transects in each area. Plants were organized for analysis by presence in burned areas, comparison areas, or both, and graphed by category for further examination. Differences between species richness by category of origin was assessed with Pearson's Chi-squared tests for proportions, with the null hypothesis that the burned areas have the same proportions of species richness by category of origin as the comparison areas. Similar calculations were made for observed abundances of plants by category of origin.
To test the relative importance of site (SITE) and burned or comparison status (STATUS) in determining the plant community in an area, we constructed separate sets of Poisson-distributed generalized linear models (GLMs) for species richness, and for observed abundances at each transect point (Poisson and Gaussian models were run in each case and compared to each other with AIC and log likelihood values). We included an interaction effect of SITE:STATUS in each model. Akaike's Information Criterion adjusted for small sample sizes (AIC*c*) was applied to each model set for model selection.
For plant data in each survey area, we performed a two-dimensional non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) using a Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix to assess community-level differences among sites and between burned and comparison areas, using individual transects as data points. Bray----Curtis NMDS analyses evaluate community composition and structure. We employed Wisconsin double standardization (using R package "vegan" "metaMDS" analysis, [@ref-59]). Results of the NMDS were evaluated using a permutational multivariate analysis of variance ("adonis" in R software package "vegan") modeling the NMDS against burned or comparison status of study areas. A statistically significant value of the "adonis" *F*-test would indicate that the burned areas are different from the comparison areas in terms of community composition, measured in squared deviation from the centroid of each group in ordination space.
All analyses were conducted in "R" version 3.1.3 ([@ref-65]), with additional packages "vegan" version 2.5-2 ([@ref-59]), "MASS" version 7.3-34 ([@ref-73]), and "AICcmodavg" version 2.1-1 ([@ref-46]).
Results
=======
Fire effects on species composition
-----------------------------------
Wildfire at all surveyed sites had large effects on the species composition of the resulting communities, in contrast to comparison areas. Species that were only present in comparison areas (23 species), outnumbered those that were only present in burned areas (11 species), but showed comparable richness to species that were present in both burned and comparison areas (23 species) ([Fig. 2](#fig-2){ref-type="fig"}). Some of the most common species present only in comparison areas included the native fern *Angiopteris evecta*, the Polynesian-introduced ginger *Zingiber zerumbet*, the modern introduction *Miconia calvescens*, and the coconut *Cocos nucifera*. In burned areas, some of the most common species were the native fern *Dicranopteris linearis*and the native tree *Metrosideros collina.*Species found in all sites included the native tree *Hibiscus tiliaceus* and the modern introduction *Paraserianthes falcataria*.
{#fig-2}
Fire effects on species richness and abundance
----------------------------------------------
Burned and comparison sites contained a total of 57 vascular plant species (one club moss, 13 ferns, 14 monocots, and 29 eudicots; [Table 2](#table-2){ref-type="table"}). Of the vascular plants, 54 were identified to the species level, and three unknown species were given unique identifiers for analysis. At comparison sites, 46 species were found in total, with 34.8% native species, 17.4% Polynesian introduced species, and 41.3% modern introduced species (with three unidentified species of unknown origin). By comparison, 34 species were found in burned sites, 38.2% of which were natives, 5.9% Polynesian, and 50.0% modern introductions ([Figs. 3](#fig-3){ref-type="fig"} and [4](#fig-4){ref-type="fig"}; raw data visualized in [Supplementary Material](#supp-1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Observed abundances varied on a site-to-site basis, with wildfire increasing observed abundances at two of three sites, and sharply decreasing observed abundances at Site 2.
{#fig-3}
{#fig-4}
A Poisson model of species richness ∼ SITE + STATUS had the most explanatory power (evidence ratio compared to next best model = 16.42) ([Table 3A](#table-3){ref-type="table"}). We found that comparison areas had greater species richness than burned areas (*P \<* 0.001); Site 1 had the greatest species richness ([Table 4](#table-4){ref-type="table"}). GLM analysis of observed abundances ([Table 3B](#table-3){ref-type="table"}) produced one model with explanatory power (abundance = SITE + STATUS + SITE:STATUS). Fixed effect parameter estimates ([Table 5](#table-5){ref-type="table"}) show that "comparison" status had higher abundance generally than burned areas (*P* = 0.079), though the effect size was relatively small (0.152). As was the case for the species richness GLM, the high point estimate and statistical significance of the intercept in each case indicates that more nuanced models with higher explanatory power could be developed.
10.7717/peerj.5114/table-3
###### Model selection for species richness and for observed abundance.
\(A\)
----------------------------------- --- -------- ------- ------ ------ ---------
*y* = SITE + STATUS 4 156.90 0 0.94 0.94 −73.65
*y* = SITE + STATUS + SITE:STATUS 6 162.49 5.60 0.06 1 −73.42
*y* = SITE 3 176.61 19.72 0 1 −84.85
*y* = STATUS 2 185.48 28.58 0 1 −90.52
*y* = 1 1 205.57 48.67 0 1 −101.71
\(B\)
----------------------------------- --- -------- ------- --- --- ---------
*y* = SITE + STATUS + SITE:STATUS 7 237.02 0 1 1 −108.96
*y* = SITE 4 253.67 16.66 0 1 −122.04
*y* = SITE + STATUS 5 254.89 17.88 0 1 −121.2
*y* = 1 2 255 17.98 0 1 −125.28
*y* = STATUS 3 256.13 19.11 0 1 −124.6
**Note:**
Models are shown in rank order of AIC*c* support. Here, *k* = number of parameters in model; AIC*c* = Akaike's Information Criterion value corrected for small sample sizes; ΔAIC*c* = difference of AIC*c* value compared to the next best-supported model; *w*~i~ = AIC*c* weight (a measure of strength of evidence for each model); Cumulative *w* = total model AIC*c* weights for best models in rank order; and LL = Log-Likelihood.
10.7717/peerj.5114/table-4
###### Fixed effect parameter estimates from GLM analysis of total species richness, from the top AIC *c*-selected model.
Parameter Point Estimate Standard error *P*-value
------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------------
**Intercept** **2.3937** **0.1113** **\<0.001**
**SITE THREE** **−0.7340** **0.1434** **\<0.001**
**SITE TWO** **−0.6039** **0.1373** **\<0.001**
**STATUS (Comparison)** **0.5532** **0.1191** **\<0.001**
**Note:**
Significant parameters are printed in **bold**.
10.7717/peerj.5114/table-5
###### Fixed effect parameter estimates from GLM analysis of observed abundance, from the top AIC *c*-selected model.
Parameter Point Estimate Standard error *P*-value
-------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- --------------
**Intercept** **3.68819** **0.0973** **\< 0.001**
SITE −0.06368 0.0410 0.138
**STATUS (Comparison)** **0.15209** **0.0831** **0.079**
SITE:STATUS (Comparison) 0.04208 0.0707 0.570
**Note:**
Significant parameters are printed in **bold**.
Fire effects on proportions of native and introduced species
------------------------------------------------------------
Species richness was compared between study areas by category of origin ([Fig. 3](#fig-3){ref-type="fig"}). Pearson's Chi-squared tests for proportions show no differences between proportions of species in the native, Polynesian introduction, and modern introduction categories for burned and comparison areas at each site (χ^2^ = 1.43, d*f* = 2, *P* = 0.434 at Site 1; χ^2^ = 3.65, d*f* = 2, *P* = 0.161 at Site 2; and χ^2^ = 3.58, d*f* = 2, *P* = 0.167 at Site 3). When modern and Polynesian introductions are grouped into one "introduced species" category, this result does not change, that is, there are no statistically significant differences between proportions of native and introduced species by native versus introduced categories (*P*-values on χ^2^ tests are all \>0.2).
Proportional abundances of all individuals were also compared across burned and comparison areas in three sites by category of origin ([Fig. 3](#fig-3){ref-type="fig"}). Pearson's Chi-squared tests show statistically significant differences between proportions of abundances of individuals in the native, Polynesian introduction, and modern introduction categories for burned and comparison areas at each site (χ^2^ = 7.523, d*f* = 2, *P* = 0.023 for Site 1; χ^2^ = 10.697, d*f* = 2, *P* = 0.005 for Site 2; and χ^2^ = 76.705, d*f* = 2, *P* \< 10^--5^ for Site 3). When modern and Polynesian introductions are grouped into one "introduced species" category, results are still statistically significant (*P* = 0.09 for Site 1; *P* = 0.005 for Site 2; and *P* = 0.01 for Site 3). Wildfire significantly increased the proportional abundance of individuals in the "introduced species" category at Sites 1 and 3, but decreased the proportional abundance of introduced species at Site 2.
Fire effects on plant communities
---------------------------------
Plant species composition and abundances by transect were analyzed using two-dimensional NMDS, which converged in 20 iterations, for a calculated stress = 0.160 (considered an acceptable fit), Procrustes root mean squared error = 1.64e-05, and maximum residuals = 2.98e-05. NMDS results were plotted with individual points representing species richness and observed abundances of a single transect ([Fig. 5](#fig-5){ref-type="fig"}). There was no overlap in the points between the burned and comparison areas, visually indicating large differences between burned and comparison communities in ordination space. Points for each of the comparison areas were highly clustered and did not overlap with points from other sites, indicating substantial differences in communities between different (not recently burned) comparison areas. In contrast, points for the burned areas are highly mixed and essentially indistinct from each other, and within-site spread of points in NMDS-ordination space is larger for the burned areas than for the comparison areas. The "adonis" permutational multivariate analysis of variance carried out on the NMDS produced test statistic values of *F*~1,28~ = 14.734 and *R^2^* = 0.345, with *P* \< 0.001, meaning that compositional differences between groups (in this case burned and comparison areas) are highly statistically significant.
{#fig-5}
Discussion
==========
Even in an already heavily impacted plant community, wildfire in low-elevation Pacific island vegetation creates communities that are very similar between sites, whereas comparison sites with no recent history of disturbance remain relatively distinct from one another. Wildfire does not appear to change the proportion of species in a community by their category of origin (i.e., native, Polynesian introduction, or modern introduction). Counter to our original hypothesis, we did not find more introduced species in burned areas than comparison areas. Observed abundances were generally higher in comparison areas than burned areas, but the effect of wildfire was highly variable between sites, and wildfire greatly lowered observed abundance at one of three sites (Site 2), possibly due to post-wildfire conditions for regeneration or other unmeasured variables. Our NMDS results (followed by multivariate variance analysis) also show significant differences in species composition of burned and comparison areas.
These results taken together provide evidence that wildfire impacts on the native community of plants vary from site to site, and may be related to microclimate or other environmental drivers affecting the original vegetation community ([@ref-71]; [@ref-35]), or properties of the fire events themselves (such as temperatures, intensity, heat flux, residence time; [@ref-30]; [@ref-71]), and post-fire climatic conditions ([@ref-30]) that were not measured in this study.
Our results suggest that there is a significant component of the low-elevation plant community that is directly benefitting from wildfire activity and are present only in burned areas. We found, as previous studies have, that the native fern *Dicranopteris linearis* (Gleicheniaceae) colonized burned areas, consistent with observations of the pyrophytic *Dicranopteris* savanna noted by other investigators ([@ref-60]; [@ref-54]; [@ref-50]). We did not find higher presence of grasses in general, as has been noted in Hawai'i ([@ref-37]; [@ref-36]; [@ref-15]; [@ref-3]), although we found that the non-native invasive grass *Melinis repens* (natalgrass, Poaceae) was present only in the burned sites. This species is considered invasive in both French Polynesia and Hawai'i, and the same pattern---presence in burned areas only--- was reported by [@ref-13]. It should be noted that all our study sites were located on the wet side of the island, and that non-native grasses are present in abundance only on the dry side of Mo'orea. A study designed to sample the dry side of Mo'orea might discover additional invasives that may be spreading through interaction with wildfire.
Among other species found only in burned areas are the native trees *Metrosideros collina (Myrtaceae)* and *Commersonia bartramia* (Malvaceae). This is consistent with observations of *Metrosideros collina* in association with either fire or *Dicranopteris* savanna ([@ref-60]) and of *C. bartramia* in *Dicranopteris* savanna ([@ref-26]; [@ref-50]). One observation of the native tree *Phyllanthus manono* (syn. *Glochidion manono*, Phyllanthaceae) in a burned area is interesting to the natural history of this species given that this genus has often been reported from disturbed contexts in Remote Oceania ([@ref-32]), but it was not noted at the time of the survey if this was an individual that had resprouted or grown from seed. Of other species found in association with fire, pineapple (*Ananas comosus*, Bromeliaceae) is a fruit crop that may have been planted following the fires, and therefore likely does not represent a "naturalized" species benefitting from fire. Papaya (*Carica papaya*, Caricaceae), on the other hand, does seem to benefit from fire in western Polynesia ([@ref-28]) although we are not aware of evidence that it is naturalized in southeastern Polynesia where this study took place ([@ref-70]).
Of the species present in both burned and comparison areas, the native tree *Hibiscus tiliaceus* (Malvaceae) is the most abundant, followed by a problematic modern invasive, *Paraserianthes falcataria* (Fabaceae). This species (syn. *Falcataria molluccana*, *Albizia falcataria*), when compared to other invasives, has been identified as having disproportionate effects on species loss in tropical systems it invades ([@ref-64]). Several native and introduced overstory trees are present in both burned and comparison sites, but are more common in the latter. These include the native *Neonauclea forsteri* (Rubiaceae), the Polynesian-introduced *Inocarpus fagifer* (Fabaceae), and the modern introductions *Spathodea campanulata* (Bignoniaceae) and *Mangifera indica* (mango; Anacardiaceae). We suggest that these have merely persisted through low-intensity fire in small numbers. Persistence of overstory trees in or at the margins of low-intensity burns may be more common, and such observations should be noted in future studies on this topic.
Of the comparison-area only plants, notable are coconut (*Cocos nucifera*, Arecaceae), which may have been planted, a host of native species which may be highly fire-intolerant, including *Ixora mooreensis* (Rubiaceae) and *Xylosma suaveolens* (Flacourtiaceae), a large number of native fern species, and an invasive species of special concern in French Polynesia, *Miconia calvescens* (Melastomataceae), which densely invades otherwise undisturbed areas ([@ref-52]).
Our results highlight four introduced and/or invasive species which may be facilitated by fire and which are of concern to land management in French Polynesia and the Pacific region. Natalgrass (*Melinis repens*), a modern introduction found only in burned sites in this study, is discussed above. *Miscanthus floridulus* (Poaceae) is much more abundant in burned than comparison sites in our study, as are *Paraserianthes falcataria* and *Lantana camara. Miscanthus floridulus* is a Polynesian-introduced grass which is considered a noxious weed in Hawai'i, although not in French Polynesia, and is considered native on Guam and the northern Mariana Islands, where it is a dominant component of fire-prone anthropogenic savannas ([@ref-53]). Although ranked only sixth in abundance in burned sites, *L. camara* is a modern introduction that is probably of higher concern than some of the more abundant species. Fire-*Lantana* interactions, including the possibility of a "fire cycle" or positive feedback between the two, are of special concern and have been reported from continental tropical areas ([@ref-24]; [@ref-20]; [@ref-33]; [@ref-7]). The flammability and other fire adaptations of this species compared to other vegetation in this system are not known. *L. camara* is bird-dispersed in French Polynesia ([@ref-67]), and so has the potential to increase its range rapidly through seed dispersal. *L. camara* is designated by the French Polynesian government as one of the most serious invasive plants in the country ([@ref-51]).
The comparison sites, like most low-elevation plant communities on Mo'orea and elsewhere in French Polynesia, are secondary forest or shrub communities heavily invaded by, and in many cases dominated by, non-native species of angiosperms. These heavily invaded plant communities have developed over a land use history that includes human clearing of land for agriculture and timber, the cultivation of agroforests by Polynesians before European contact, the extinction of native birds as seed dispersers, the extirpation of seabird colonies and their nutrient inputs, and the introduction of ungulates (especially pigs; *Sus scrofa*) ([@ref-43]; [@ref-48]; [@ref-68]; [@ref-19]). There is no evidence to suggest that these heavily transformed vegetation communities at low elevations on Mo'orea have a natural fire regime of the sort which occurs in continental regions. Fire in this context should be thought of as an anthropogenic disturbance that has profound effects on these primarily non-native vegetation communities. We found that in this context, fire facilitates a subset of the native flora (such as *Dicranopteris linearis* and *Metrosideros collina*) but also facilitates several of the most destructive invasive plants in French Polynesia (*Paraserianthes falcataria*, and *L. camara*), and two introduced grasses considered invasive in Hawai'i (*Melinis repens*, *Miscanthus floridulus*), one of which is listed as a noxious weed by the state of Hawai'i (*Miscanthus floridulus*).
Conclusions
===========
Our results demonstrate that wildfire on Mo'orea causes significant changes in plant communities, increasing similarity of communities between sites, increasing abundances of introduced species in burned areas, and changing community composition by facilitating colonization by *Dicranopteris linearis* as well as non-native species that have known positive fire feedback interactions. These changes are present in all post-wildfire sites (including the oldest site of 22 years). Long-term changes to the vegetation community that promote non-native and fire-prone species could be especially harmful on small tropical islands because they are more susceptible to invasion, and the plant diversity is already relatively low ([@ref-23]; [@ref-74]).
Pacific islands invasives are comparatively understudied ([@ref-63], [@ref-64]), and disturbance ecology has not been studied in many Pacific island groups. Our results may be generalizable to other islands both within the Society Islands chain and elsewhere in French Polynesia and southeastern Polynesia, where the original vegetation communities are similar to those on Mo'orea, and the invasive species available to colonize post-wildfire sites come from the same pool of available species. These results are important in light of frequent recent reports of wildfire events in local news media from multiple islands in French Polynesia, and because both wildfire frequency and total burned area per year may increase in future years with climate change, presence of invasive species, increasing populations that rely on fire for agricultural and waste management, and other changes in human land use.
Supplemental Information
========================
10.7717/peerj.5114/supp-1
###### Supplementary Material.
######
Click here for additional data file.
We thank the instructors of the Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands, G. Roderick, B. Mishler, V. Resh, J. Stillman, and S. Carlson, as well as graduate student instructors C. DiVittorio, J. Hopper, and L. Dougherty for project guidance; J.-Y. Meyer, R. Taputuarai, and J. Nitta for plant identifications; D.S. Godwin for comments and graphing code; and G. Simpson and R.B. de Andrade for comments. We especially thank C. Trauernicht for extensive comments and suggested analyses. We thank V. Brotherson and Gump Research Station for providing logistical support, field sites and facilities, and P. Frogier and the Délégation à la Recherche for providing permits to CAW, EAN, and DHH. We also thank K. Hartfield and the Arizona Remote Sensing Center for mapping support.
Additional Information and Declarations
=======================================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
[Erica A. Newman](#author-1){ref-type="contrib"} conceived and designed the experiments, analyzed the data, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
[Carlea A. Winkler](#author-2){ref-type="contrib"} conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
[David H. Hembry](#author-3){ref-type="contrib"} analyzed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft, plant identification and museum specimen curation.
The following information was supplied relating to field study approvals (i.e., approving body and any reference numbers):
This work was conducted under the authorization of a University of California Berkeley permit associated with undergraduate educational course (ESPM C107) from the Government of French Polynesia.
The following information was supplied regarding data availability:
Newman, Erica; Hembry, David; Winkler, Carlea (2017): Plant species and abundance records for burned and unburned areas. figshare. Dataset. <https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5718325.v1>.
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Table of Contents
What Food Do Turtles Eat In Minecraft? In the video game Minecraft, sea turtles can be fed sea grass.
What do turtles eat in Minecraft? Seagrass
Use the Seagrass
How do you attract turtles in Minecraft? Breeding turtles
How do you tame a sea turtle in Minecraft? To tame a turtle, drop sugar canes or melon slices next to the turtle. The item has to be dropped on the block the turtle is hiding on, or else it won’t eat it. You have to then back a few blocks away from the turtle so it can eat it.
What Food Do Turtles Eat In Minecraft – Related Questions
How long are turtles pregnant for in Minecraft?
roughly 10-30 seconds
6.
Why do dolphins die in Minecraft?
Despite being mammals and having lungs, dolphins will take damage and die if they are on land for too long. Dolphins can drown if they don’t go up to the water’s surface every once in a while because dolphins have lungs, so they can’t get air from the water. (Survives 2 minutes above water, 2 minutes underwater.)
How do turtles have babies?
Mating done, the female will climb on to the beach, lay her first clutch of eggs, bury them under sand and then return to the water; about two weeks later, she’ll return to the beach to lay her second clutch. In a single season, the female may lay up to eight clutches before leaving the nesting grounds, Balazs said.
Why won’t my turtles move in Minecraft?
Each turtle remembers the beach where it hatched as its home beach. No matter how far away the turtle travels, it always eventually returns to its home beach to lay its eggs after breeding. Thus, you can’t move turtles to a new location, unless you have tools with Silk Touch in order to move the eggs they lay.
Can you ride a sea turtle in Minecraft?
These mobs are currently the only mobs that can “breed a block” in Minecraft. It is possible for an adult sea turtle to swim into a boat and become stuck. This does not affect a player’s ability to use the boat, and the sea turtle will “ride along” when the boat it is used.
Are turtles Tameable in Minecraft?
How to Tame Turtles in Minecraft. Unlike some other mobs in Minecraft, you can’t actually tame Turtles. Turtles have a ‘home beach’ which they will remember, and this is the beach that they either spawn on, or the one they hatched on.
Can you ride a dolphin in Minecraft?
Can You Tame and Ride a Dolphin in Minecraft
How do you hatch a ender dragon egg?
You have to start digging right next to the egg, reach down 3 blocks, and dig the side where the egg has been kept, and place a bed there. Now, you need to break the blocks which are in between the bed and the egg. Now, the egg will fall on the bed and break, allowing you to carry it home with you.
What are turtles for Minecraft?
Turtle shells are a wearable item that let players breathe a little longer underwater. Wearing a turtle shell in a helmet slot, while out of water or in a column of bubbles, will give the player a “water breathing” status effect, which only starts counting down when the player submerges.
Can you Silk Touch turtle eggs?
Breaking. Turtle eggs can be obtained in the inventory using tools with the Silk Touch enchantment.
Do dolphins bite?
Truly wild dolphins will bite when they are angry, frustrated, or afraid. They are disturbed when people try to swim with them.
Can you tame a bee in Minecraft?
Holding a flower attracts the attention of nearby bees and encourages them to follow you.
You can use any flower for breeding (including Wither Roses, but they damage bees when they try to pollinate them).
Hand them over by equipping the flower and right-clicking on a nearby bee to give it to them.
Can dolphins kill you in Minecraft?
Because a dolphin is a neutral mob, it will only attack you in Survival mode if you attack the dolphin first. It will never attack you in Creative mode.
Can a turtle lay eggs without mating?
Females Can Lay Eggs Without Males
What is the lifespan of turtles?
Even so, if an individual survives to adulthood, it will likely have a life span of two to three decades. In the wild, American box turtles (Terrapene carolina) regularly live more than 30 years. Obviously, sea turtles requiring 40 to 50 years to mature will have life spans reaching at least 60 to 70 years.
Why do turtles swim in circles Minecraft?
Turtles when done breeding will not lay an egg, even if I made a newborn an adult and tried to breed that one. Once they are done, they just go in the water and swim in circles for eternity.
Why is my turtle not moving?
It’s normal for hibernating turtles to be lethargic, but a normal, healthy and active turtle should move around their tank and respond to stimuli like food, interaction with you, and his cage habitat. If your turtle is not eating, barely moving and also has trouble swimming, contact your veterinarian right away. | https://neeness.com/what-food-do-turtles-eat-in-minecraft/ |
Every student wishes to acquire higher education abroad, but very few proceed it in the correct way. Therefore, many people experience rejection, stress, and low morale. The following article is meant as a guide for all those who have the ‘how to study overseas’ question on their minds. If you follow the steps below,
you can get through the process.
1. Country of Study
Gather information about the country where you are going. Opt to go a country where foreigners and international students are welcomed. Find out the number of international students who go there every year, and if any of them are from your locality. If you know someone who’s already been to that region, ask his or her advice.
2. Degree Programs
The courses offered vary with each university. The quality of teaching is also not the same everywhere. Go through the websites of each university where you are planning to apply. Search the internet for its overall ranking, and ranking in the subject area of your interest. Make sure it has a good reputation and is recognized in the industry.
3. Application Process
Once you have finalized the institutions where you want to apply, jot down their deadlines and read their admission requirements thoroughly. Prepare for your application accordingly and submit it well before the deadline. Do not miss the deadline even by a minute or leave the form incomplete because you will automatically be rejected.
4. Immigration
International students often face immigration issues. Many times, a candidate is admitted into a university of his choice but fails in acquiring a visa. Study the immigration policy thoroughly, and apply for a visa as soon as possible.
5. Flight
When you are through the above steps, book your ticket. Try to reach the university at least a week before semester is due so you have ample time to settle in and are present for freshmen orientations.
If you are still confused about how to study overseas, then take suggestions from your seniors. They’ve already been through this process and can guide you effectively. | http://student-finance.com.au/how-to-study-overseas/ |
In this video, Red Feather Woman sings about how we are all connected to Mother Earth. Seen through the eyes of a Hawk, Red Feather Woman walks between nature and civilization, blending worlds of ritual, remembrance and hope for the future.
Her song, “The Keepers of the Earth,” relates the ancient story of the medicine colors. Red, black, yellow and white represent the nations of the world. White man keeper of the fire, black man keeper of the water, yellow man keeper of the air, and Red man keeper of the Earth.
Each nation has a gift. Our elders and wisdom of the medicine people have taught us we are all connected and in this story, all people have gifts in helping the world heal and helping one another. We must heed the call to honor our ancestors to help our future generations.
Many people made this video possible. Special thanks to Red Feather Woman; Kin Quitugua at Hawk Quest; John Gritts; Team Bearsheart: Brad, Ella, Nathaniel and Gabriele; Clint Rides His Horse; Dennison Elementary and Students; and Jackie Sanderson, Natural Resource Specialist at Prairie Canyon Ranch, Douglas County Division of Open Space and Natural Resources. | http://www.redfeatherwoman.com/blog/2016/8/12/new-video |
Rest in Peace,
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Panel discussion opens Cleveland Institute of Art exhibit showcasing green, affordable housing designs
Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 10/18/2006 - 13:37.
11/03/2006 - 17:15
11/03/2006 - 19:00
Etc/GMT-4
An eye-opening exhibition on environmentally friendly design of affordable housing opens with a panel discussion at The Cleveland Institute of Art at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2006. The traveling exhibition, HOME House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing, will be on view in the Institute’s Reinberger Galleries from November 3 – December 22, 2006. See images from the exhibition at the Weisman Museum here. Read On:
The exhibition began in 2003 with a competition sponsored by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Designers and architects were challenged to create appealing, affordable single-family house designs using Habitat for Humanity house plans as a starting point. The 440 entries originally submitted by designers from the U.S. and six countries were judged on their design appeal, affordability and use of environmentally sustainable materials, technologies and techniques.
HOME House Project is traveling the country, sparking discussions on the shortage of quality affordable housing, the demand for houses that conserve energy and incorporate environmentally friendly building materials, and the power of innovative design to bridge these two priorities. The Cleveland Institute of Art is known nationally for its Bachelor of Fine Arts programs in industrial design and interior design.
The exhibit’s senior curator, David J. Brown, will participate in the Nov. 3 panel discussion along with local environmentalists and green building advocates Deirdre R. McDonnell, president, Atlas Architectural Services; David Beach, executive director, EcoCity Cleveland; William A. Doty, Jr., co-founder, Doty & Miller Architects; James A. Larue, consultant, National Center for Healthy Housing; Holly Harlan, founder and president, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability; and Chris Warren, president, ShoreBank Enterprise Cleveland. Bruce Checefsky, director of the Institute’s Reinberger Galleries, will be moderator. The panel discussion is open to the public. A reception follows.
Mr. Brown’s book, “The HOME House Project: The Future of Affordable Housing” (MIT Press, 2005), chronicles the design initiative that led to this exhibit and challenges readers to imagine housing that is affordable and healthful for families and for the planet.
“So soon after Cleveland was again ranked the poorest big city in the nation by the U.S. Census Bureau, our hope is this collection of award-winning house designs will capture the interest of city planners, builders, architects, community development activists, advocates for the poor, environmentalists and any other residents concerned about the critical issues of affordable housing, environmental sustainability and good, community-oriented design,” Checefsky said.
To add dimension to the experience of viewing this display of designs, The Reinberger Galleries will include: a 14’ by 14’ cut-away of a room and a 16’ by 16’ section of a roof, both constructed by a local builder with peel-back areas revealing the “green” building materials used; books; and samples of non-toxic building materials including milk-based paint, bamboo flooring and high-density particle board made from wheat with no formaldehyde added. The construction samples and products added for the Cleveland viewing of HOME House Project are all suited to the extremes of Cleveland weather.
A 60-minute film, “The Rural Studio,” will show on a continuous loop during the Reinberger exhibition. This film chronicles the work of the late Samuel Mockbee, a MacArthur Fellow and Auburn University professor who, with his students, designed and constructed environmentally sensitive and affordable homes in impoverished Hale County, Alabama. Mockbee’s vision was that architecture could be a social art form that could raise the human spirit.
The Cleveland Institute of Art’s showing of HOME House Project is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, Sky Bank, Neighborhood Progress, Inc., Enterprise Community Partners, Cleveland Housing Network, Cleveland Neighborhood Development Coalition, Cleveland Public Art, EcoCity Cleveland, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, Habitat for Humanity, ParkWorks, and ShoreBank Enterprise Cleveland. A second panel discussion sponsored by Neighborhood Progress, Inc and its partner organizations later in November will feature professionals currently engaged in affordable housing development and will answer the question: how can Cleveland achieve inspired and sustainable design in the development of affordable housing? This event will kick-off a year-long series of public dialogues that will focus on current and future activities underway to create what Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has called “Neighborhoods of Choice” in Cleveland.
The Reinberger Galleries are located at 11141 East Boulevard. For directions or other information, please visit www.cia.edu or call 216-421-7407.
The Cleveland Institute of Art is an independent college of art and design committed to leadership and vision in all forms of visual arts education. The Institute makes enduring contributions to education and extends its programs to the public through gallery exhibits, lectures, a continuing education program and The Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, an art and independent film program. The Cleveland Institute of Art…Making Art Work. | http://smtp.realneo.us/CIA-panel-on-green-affordable-housing |
Novel Common Genetic Susceptibility Loci for Colorectal Cancer
Genetic predisposition is an important determinant of colorectal cancer (CRC), as demonstrated by the elevated frequency of this disease within the affected families. Besides the several known driver mutations of the key genes implicated in the tumorigenesis, there are also common genetic polymorphisms implicated in CRC. Each of these polymorphisms confers a small increase in risk, but the co-ocurrence of multiple risk alleles in one person defines a relevant risk that may be subjected to personalized screening. The discovery of these polymorphisms requires large scale studies, and it has been demonstrated that as sample size increase, new discoveries are made. Dr. Victor Moreno’s research team is part of big international consortia GECCO (Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium) and CORECT (Colorectal Cancer Transdisciplinary Study) looking for the genetic variations across the genome, important for elucidating inherited risk factors and their interaction with environmental factors.
Dr. Moreno and Henar Alonso from ICO-IDIBELL, UB and CIBERESP contributed with nearly 2,000 subjects to this big consortium effort to conduct an extensive Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), with a total of 165,315 subjects. The results, published in in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, describe 11 new variants associated with CRC at p < 5 × 10-8, constituting the 14.7% increase in familial relative risk explained by common risk alleles (from 10.3% to 11.9%). To reach to these results, the study conducted a large GWAS in European descent CRC cases and control subjects using a discovery-replication design, followed by examination of novel findings in a multiethnic sample. This study provides insight into the architecture of common genetic variation contributing to CRC etiology and improves risk prediction for individualized screening. | https://www.icoprevencio.cat/blog/pp-eng/?lang=en |
Understanding where you are going makes it easier to get there.
It’s easy for project managers to get caught up in day-to-day deadlines, issues and pressures, and lose sight of the bigger picture. Which is why there is the need for a high-level overview that keeps the project on track. The project roadmap is the strategic plan that explains the goal of the project, by looking at overall project milestones rather than daily task-related ones.
If the project is a jigsaw puzzle, then having a project roadmap ensures that everyone on the team understands which piece of the puzzle they’re working on. It provides a sense of purpose to individual team members and provides direction to the team as a whole.
Here are some key things to remember when creating your project roadmap:
- Allow for “fuzzy time” as and when required
Some tasks cannot be sharply defined, but should not be allowed to slip between the cracks. The concept of “fuzzy time” allows for flexibility when it comes to certain tasks, while ensuring that they are still identified and tracked.
- Treat it like an actual map
Just like an actual map shows you the entire landscape and puts your journey, location and destination in context, your project roadmap should do the same. In a single snapshot, it should immediately give you an understanding of where you are, what direction you’re heading in, and your path to the end goal.
- Be visual
Your project roadmap, if done right, should serve as the visual cue which gives everyone a shared understanding, common goal and purpose. A Gantt chart is the ideal and accepted way to create a project roadmap.
A successful and effective project roadmap usually includes the following:
- High-level project overview
Articulate your goals and priorities clearly.
- Schedule overview
Set the general timeline for the project along with any hard deadlines.
- Milestones
Identify the most important dates for the completion of your project.
- Dependencies
Show important deliverables and their connections to each other.
- Resource allocation
Estimate the cost and human resources needed to complete your project.
- Key contacts
Identify the go-to people on your project team.
Try Gantter free for 30 days, and see how easily your Gantt chart can include all the elements above (and much more!), giving you the perfect project roadmap for your execution team as well as your stakeholders! | https://www.gantter.com/blog/creating-an-effective-project-roadmap/ |
Another new calendar year is upon us. Instead of making resolutions I enjoy reflecting upon the past year(s). As I relived some experiences (in my mind) I thought about the subject of experience. One of the reasons I became a professional educator was to provide opportunities for others to gain experience. I also enjoy sharing my experiences with others with the hopes they can learn from my mistakes.
I recently retired from UC Santa Barbara after twenty-nine years of service. During that time I spent twenty-five years directing UCSBs Adventure Programs. Aside from leading hundreds of trips and teaching even more classes I was heavily involved in training adventure trip leaders, outdoor instructors and ropes course facilitators. I have trained more than one thousand staff in my tenure at the University. As a result I am a firm believer that one can teach what is commonly referred to as "good judgment." There are many aspects to teaching good judgment but I want to focus on just one for the purposes of this months reflection. The aspect I am referring to is experience. As a side note, the entire subject of teaching good judgment (which is really quality decision making) will be addressed in the future in an in-depth article on the USK web site.
As I grew up my dad often said, "you should learn from other peoples mistakes." Sometimes I would and sometimes I would go down the path of destruction. However, after I made the mistake there was little chance it would be repeated (except in my dating life). As dad also said "experience is the best teacher."
As I reflect upon my experiences and how I trained my staff I firmly believe we can learn from the experience of others. I found that lessons are best learned if you experience it yourself. However, there are experiences with potentially severe consequences that we hope we never have to face. Most of the time it is extremely difficult or not feasible to simulate the experience. One of the best ways I have found for training numbers of people at one time is setting up scenarios. I use the term scenario to describe the situation being presented to the group for consideration. If I had the time I would actually have the trainees role-play the scenario without prior knowledge of the scenario. After the role-playing was over we would collectively debrief (in writing with a discussion to follow) the courses of action taken by the players. Role-playing seemed to be the next best thing to actually living the experience. If I did not have the luxury of time, I would present the situation in writing and have the participants commit to their courses of action in writing. This also helps in developing the decision making process. Writing down answers seemed to make more of an impression than just talking about it. "What I hear I forget, what I see I remember and what I do I know." This quote is a basic tenet in my teaching philosophy.
I am not going to tell you that all of the staff learned all of the lessons I was trying to present. I do know that lessons were learned and potential disasters were avoided through this form of training. As an experiential educator I cherish learning by experience. However, there are some mistakes that should be avoided if possible because the consequences can be severe.
To this end I am adding another component to the USK web site. I am calling it "Course Of Action". Each month I will present a scenario for your consideration. At the end of the month I will post my course of action with the rationale for those actions. I will also post responses from others (see "Course of Action" for more details). My goal is to share collective experiences so we can hopefully learn from each other. At the very least we will be exposed to other perspectives, which in the long run increases our collective awareness.
There is a slippery slope that needs to be avoided with this type of forum. Who is right and who is wrong? Right, wrong, good judgment, poor judgment are matters of opinion based upon your beliefs, values, goals, perceptions, knowledge and experiences. As I have matured (a fancy way of saying aging and mellowing) I find I actually get annoyed when I hear folks judging and criticizing others who have had difficult decisions to make. It is easy to back seat quarterback when you are not in the exact situation. I am not saying people dont make mistakes. After the smoke clears it is easy to say he/she could have done this or that. At the time a decision needs to be made I believe most people try to make the best decision they can. I dont believe people intentionally try to make poor decisions when the consequences are serious. Even as I write this I am using the words best and poor. These are judgment words based upon my beliefs, values, goals, perceptions, knowledge and experiences. The USK Course of Action page will be a place to share ideas and alternatives, not a place for judgment.
Regardless of what is written and the actions we choose to take, we each must face the consequences of our actions. Consequences can be good or bad. It is part of the decision-making process. "I did this because someone else told me to do it" is a cop-out. You should have a rationale for all of your actions and believe in your actions. By sharing our collective experiences my desire is to have more of our consequences be good ones.
I find the paddling club environment a great resource
for training. I recommend to all clubs to put aside some time to have scenario
practice days. Select controlled conditions and role-play the scenarios. Make
sure to take time to debrief. I guarantee the groups collective skill
level and decision-making skills will show improvement.
To get the ball rolling here is the first scenario for your consideration:
"Panicking Swimmer"
One of your friends is panicking in the water after
they did a wet exit. You paddle up next to them to try to calm them down. They
freak out and grab you and try to climb onto your kayak. In addition, your bracing
skills are not very effective. What is your course of action?
As a side note, this is an excellent scenario to practice with your paddling partners on some calm water. This one is most affective when done without prior warning other than we will practice some scenarios. Remember your goal is to explore alternatives not to drown your partner.
Check the USK web site "Course of Action" link to see the posted response(s) at the end of the month. If you wish to share your response with us send them to [email protected]. Please include the reasons for your actions so we can better understand your point of view.
In closing we at USK want to thank all of you who have supported us over the past years by visiting our web site, e-mailing comments, taking clinics and purchasing our "In-Depth" instructional video series. In addition we want to thank all of you who voted USKs "ABCS of the Surf Zone" as the best video of the year in the Sea Kayaker Magazine Readers Poll. Hadley & I wish you a healthy & prosperous 2006. | http://www.useakayak.org/reflections/reflec_share_experien_1_06.html |
2016 8u Division Rules
For any rules or information not covered below, refer to the 2016 8U Babe Ruth Tournament Rules. All managers and coaches are responsible for reading and being familiar with the Babe Ruth Rulebook.
PLAYERS / SUBSTITUTIONS:
GAME:
BATTING / BASERUNNING:
PITCHING MACHINE:
CALLED TIME / OUTS:
PLAYOFFS:
For post-season play the same general rules will apply except as noted in this section. Four complete innings must be played, regardless of time/weather for the game to be official. For playoff games, time limit will be in effect but only after 4 innings have been completed. However, for the championship game there will be NO TIME LIMIT and shall last 6 innings. There will be no “tie” games. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation play, the game will continue until there is a winner at the end of a completed inning (equal times at bat for the teams).
The format for post-season play will be based on the number of teams. All games in the tournament will be single elimination. If there are 3 teams, Team 1 gets a “bye” in the first round, while Team 2 plays Team 3. Winner plays Team 1. For 4 teams, Team 1 plays Team 4, Team 2 plays Team 3...with the winners playing each other for the championship. For 5 teams, Team 1 gets a “bye” in the first round, Team 2 plays Team 5, Team 3 plays Team 4. In the Second round, Team 1 plays the winner of T3 vs. T4. That winner will move on to play the winner of T2 vs. T5 for the championship. Seeds are determined by final standings at the end of the regular season. This format may be changed if necessary due to weather or scheduling limitations. | https://www.varinayouthsports.org/Default.aspx?tabid=734008 |
It is far too easy to let loose paper, documents, and receipts build up at home, ultimately increasing the amount of clutter. Fortunately, there are several good ways to control paper clutter as well as reduce the amount of documents that might begin to pile up.
It will take some hard work if the clutter is already out of control to begin with in your house. Once the hard part of organizing is over with, regular organizational maintenance for some will still require persistent vigilance to prevent the paper clutter from creeping back in.
4 Tips to Help Control Paper Clutter At Home
1. Decide How You Want To Store Your Documents
Everyone has their own preferred system for filing and organizing. You might want to use plastic bins, or you may decide that a metal filing cabinet will do the trick. As long as you have a system for how you are going to store the paper documents so that they are no longer cluttering up surfaces and areas of the house, the mess will easily become organized and under control.
2. Separate the paper into categories
It does not make much sense to put receipts together in a pile with recipes. In order to control paper clutter most efficiently, you should try to store any similar documents together and label what type of papers they are somewhere on their storage bins. That way, when you need to look through old bills or statements, you will know exactly in which folder you should be browsing through. Your system can be whatever works best for you. As long as every page has a place to go and you can easily find it, your system should work.
3. Shred Papers That You Don’ Need
If there are any loose pages that you discover during the organizing process that you no longer need, you should probably shred them and get rid of these papers. It doesn’t make sense to take up valuable storage space for pages that you didn’t need to keep around in the first place. It might also make it harder for you to find the important pages in amongst the less useful ones. Sort through your papers and decide what papers are important for you to keep and destroy the rest.
4. Start Organizing On A Room By Room Basis
Sometimes, depending on how much clutter has already begun to build up, it might feel overwhelming to try to tackle the entire house all at once. Sometimes if you start with one room, it makes the entire thing less stressful and overwhelming. If the task is broken up into manageable chunks, the process of organizing the paper clutter becomes a lot easier to deal with. Start with whatever room is the most troublesome and begin organizing papers you find one room at a time.
Once all of the paper clutter is put away and organized, it is very important to form a habit of always putting away loose pages into the proper storage bins immediately. If you simply leave them all out around the house again, they will only start to pile up, landing you with the problem you had right before you started. With clutter.
Make a point of always having somewhere to store the paper documents you accumulate that you still feel a need to keep around. Start a household practice of not letting loose pages pile up around you. This requires everyone in the house to cooperate so that the paper clutter will always remain under control. | https://ottawamommyclub.ca/how-to-control-paper-clutter-in-your-home/ |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
0001 This invention relates to a printing method of forming an image directly on a printing medium.
0002 Printing methods for forming an image on a printing medium based on image data signals include an electrophotographic system, a sublimating dye transfer or thermofusible transfer system, and an ink jet system. An electrophotographic system involves a process of forming an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor (drum) by electrification and exposure, which requires a complicated system, making the apparatus expensive. The apparatus for a thermal transfer system is inexpensive but has a high running cost and produces waste because of use of an ink ribbon. On the other hand, an ink jet printer is inexpensive and has a low running cost with efficient use of ink because ink is directly ejected only to necessary areas of a printing medium.
Imaging, Part
Latest Hard Copy Printing Technology,
Kiroku Kiroku Gijutsu Handbook,
0003 The ink jet system includes a piezoelectric system, a thermal jet system, an electrostatic system, and a Spark jet system as described, e.g., The Society of Electrophotography of Japan (ed.), 2, ch. 3, Shashin Kogyo Shuppansha (1988) and Kokado Shiroshi (ed.), Maruzen Co., Ltd. (1992). Applications or combinations of these systems, such as those disclosed in JP-A-10-175300 (the term JP-A as used herein means an unexamined published Japanese patent application), JP-A-6-23986, JP-A-5-131633, JP-A-10-114073, JP-A-10-34967, JP-A-3-104650, and JP-A-8-300803, are also used suitably.
0004 The disadvantages of an ink jet printing method resides in that distortion of dot contour due to feathering or positional deviation of dots readily result in image deficiency or unevenness and that the printing speed is slow because of involvement of mass transfer in printing.
0005 In order to improve the printing speed, it has been attempted to reduce resolution while maintaining the requisite number of tone levels by varying dot size through control of drop volume, ejection time, and the like.
0006 For the purpose of solving the problem ascribed to positional deviation of dots, an image forming system which achieves tone reproduction by varying dot size has been proposed as disclosed, e.g., in JP-A-9-1866. According to this system, an image is segmented into a plurality of blocks, input/output characteristics corresponding to the pixel positions are varied among the blocks. For each of the blocks the density levels of image data are converted to density levels of dots to be recorded, and the position at which dots of a size are to be recorded is varied and dispersed among the blocks. As a result, the image structure is prevented from being perceived with the naked eye so as to suppress generation of a moire pattern.
0007 The above-described conventional technology is, in principle, a kind of pseudo area coverage modulation technology using a multi-level dither method, which has only limited discrete density levels. Its concept consists in that regularity of dot configuration (size and position) is minimized to make the image structure less perceptible with the naked eye and to reduce undesirable moire patterns.
0008 In more detail, R, G and B brightness data are converted into density data of three primary colors of printing, C, M and Y. Black component generation and under color removal are carried out based on the density data to obtain C, M, Y, and Bk (black) data. The C, M and Y data are then subjected to correction processing such as masking and then to tone processing together with the Bk data. In the tone processing the pixels at each position in the above-described block are divided into, for example, odd number lines and even number lines, and different tone conversion table characteristics are applied to each of them.
0009 According to this technique, however, because the characteristics of the tone conversion tables are monotonous, resulting prints unavoidably suffer from graininess where low density recording pixels are formed on a white background. Although the system proposed is used with assumption that printing substrates have stable characteristics, considerations should be given to application to printing substrates that cannot be, in fact, seen as always stable in characteristics. In the case of ink jet printing, the percent change of dot size due to, for example, ink spread or feathering that depends on the humidity and surface roughness of the printing substrate increases with decrease of dot size, which results in a subtle change of the printed image. While feathering hardly occurs as far as elaborated image information, such as data from photographs, is printed on paper for the exclusive use, ink jet printers fail to form high quality images on ordinary printing paper or non-absorbing printing media such as plastic sheets.
0010 Additionally, an ink jet printing system is apt to produce errors of dot positioning. Particularly with small dots, the influence of the errors on dot area unevenness will be exaggerated. Therefore, image unevenness attributed to dot positional deviation is readily allowed to manifest in a low density area made of small dots in a printed image.
0011 An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing method which uses an image formation technique effective for obtaining a high quality image and which is applicable to a printing medium that is not always seen as stable in characteristics.
0012 The present invention provides an ink jet printing method comprising forming an ink image directly on a printing medium according to image data signals and fixing the image to obtain printed matter, in which tone reproduction is based on conversion of density levels of the image data into dot sizes, wherein
0013 tone conversion tables are prepared based on at least five characteristics curves representing the relationship of tone values versus energy for forming recording dots,
0014 at least three characteristics curves are prepared each at a prescribed tone value in the half tone range, each having a converted energy value other than the maximum and minimum values, and
0015 the number of recorded dots the converted energy for which is substantially the minimum is a half or more than a half of the total number of the recorded dots at a tone value that is the least of tone values having a recorded dot the converted energy for which is substantially the maximum.
0016 In preferred embodiments of the printing method, at least three periods are used for sub scan (sub-scanning) for the respective printing colors, and the positions of recording dots are varied for the respective printing colors; or the relationship between a plurality of dots in a unit block and the tone conversion characteristic curve for at least one color varies among blocks. This one color is preferably the one having the lowest density, i.e., yellow.
0017 The present invention also provides an ink jet printing method based on the above-mentioned tone reproduction system, wherein:
0018 monochromatic images of at least two colors have different numbers of elements per unit block, and
0019 the unit blocks for the two or more colors are equal in width and length.
0020 In preferred embodiments of the present invention, monochromatic images of at least two colors have different numbers of elements per unit block, the relationship between a plurality of dots in a unit block and the tone conversion characteristic curve varies among blocks for each of the two or more colors, and the unit blocks of the two or more colors are equal in width and length.
0021 It is preferred that one out of four colors except the above-described three colors is a color having the lowest density, i.e., yellow.
0022 According to the present invention, a continuous gradation of tone is obtained by the image formation method in which at least five tone conversion characteristic curves representing the relationship of tone values versus energy for recording dot formation are prepared for preparing tone conversion tables, and there are at least three converted energy values in addition to the maximum and minimum values at a prescribed tone value in the half tone range. Further, even where recording dots of low density are formed on a white background, image graininess is markedly reduced by setting number of recorded dots the energy for which is substantially the minimum at a half or more than a half of the total number of recorded dots at a tone value that is the least of those having a recorded dot the energy for which is substantially the maximum.
0023 Use of the term substantially the maximum with respect to recorded dot forming energy implies that the energy of the characteristic curve at the highest tone value is higher than the energy at any other tone value for every color, which is effective in improving flatness in a solid image area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
0024FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus which can be used to carry out the image forming method adopted in the ink jet printing method of the invention.
0025FIG. 2 shows conversion characteristics (Bk) for a tone conversion table.
0026FIG. 3 shows conversion characteristics (C) for a tone conversion table.
0027FIG. 4 shows conversion characteristics (M) for a tone conversion table.
0028FIG. 5 is a matrix of a Bk image.
0029FIG. 6 is a matrix of a C image.
0030FIG. 7 is a matrix of an M image.
0031FIG. 8 shows enlarged recording dot patterns of Bk in a highlight.
0032FIG. 9 shows enlarged recording dot patterns of Bk in a half-tone.
0033FIG. 10 shows enlarged recording dot patterns of Bk in a shadow.
0034FIG. 11 shows another kind of conversion characteristics (Bk) for a tone conversion table.
0035FIG. 12 shows another kind of conversion characteristics (C) for a tone conversion table.
0036FIG. 13 shows another kind of conversion characteristics (M) for a tone conversion table.
0037FIG. 14 shows another kind of conversion characteristics (Y) for a tone conversion table.
0038FIG. 15 is a graphical representation of repeatability of tone reproduction.
0039FIG. 16 schematically illustrates a printing apparatus for carrying out the ink jet printing method of the invention.
0040FIG. 17 schematically illustrates another printing apparatus for carrying out the ink jet printing method of the invention.
0041FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-section of an ink jet head used in the printing apparatus of FIG. 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Example 2
10
20
30
20
0042 The present invention will be described with reference to its preferred embodiments by referring to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a color image forming apparatus which can be used to materialize the image formation method adopted in the ink jet printing method of the invention. The color image forming apparatus shown is composed of a digital data output section , an image processing section , and an ink jet printing section . The data to be processed in the image processing section are 8 pits for R, G and B each, totaling to 24 bits, per pixel.
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
30
10
20
0043 The image processing section has a density convertor , conversion tables , a unit for black component generation and under color removal (UCR), a color corrector , a data selector , and a tone processing unit . On starting up the ink jet printing section , digital image data are outputted from the digital data output section to the image processing section .
20
22
21
23
0044 The image data (R, G and B brightness data) inputted into the image processing section are converted into density data for each of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y), which are three primary colors for printing, by use of the conversion tables in the density convertor . The C, Y and M density data are sent to the unit , where UCR and black component generation are executed to output C, M, Y, and Bk (black) density data.
24
25
26
0045 The C, M, and Y density data are inputted to the color corrector , where masking or a like processing is executed. In FIG. 1, the thus processed C, M, and Y density data are indicated by symbols C, M, and Y, respectively. The C, M, Y, and Bk density data are forwarded to the data selector , where data of a color are selected and inputted to the tone processing unit .
26
0046 The tone processing unit introduces a screen angle into the input data for preventing moire patterns and converts the input data into special density values by use of a tone conversion table hereinafter described. Being conventional, the processing for introducing a screen angle for moire prevention is not described here in detail. The conversion processing by use of a tone conversion table will be discussed in detail.
0047FIGS. 2 through 4 present examples of tone conversion characteristics of Bk, C, and M and Y, respectively. The tone of inputted image is plotted in abscissa, and the recording pulse width (time) in the ordinate. The recording pulse width corresponds to the size of recording dots. The inputted image has 256 levels (0 to 255) of tone.
2
5
0048 In FIGS. to , the tone conversion characteristics are represented by at least five characteristic curves each showing the relationship of tone value of inputted image vs. energy for generating recording dots. Specifically, FIG. 2 has 16 curves from A to P; FIG. 3, 10 curves from A to J; FIG. 4, 8 curves from A to H. Each curve indicates dot growth from the threshold energy (the bottom of each curve).
2
4
0049 In FIGS. to , the tone conversion characteristics in the half tone range are represented by at least three characteristic curves at prescribed tone values, the three or more characteristic curves each having energy values other than the maximum and minimum energy values. The energy at the highest tone value (255) is set slightly higher than at the other tone values (by 190 s in FIG. 2, 220 s in FIG. 3, and 300 s in FIG. 4). As a result, flatness in a solid image area is improved.
0050 Further, at a tone value that is the least of those having a dot the energy for which is substantially the maximum, the number of recorded dots the energy for which is substantially the minimum is a half or more than a half of the total number of recorded dots at that tone value.
5
7
0051 FIGS. to are each a matrix (unit block) showing which conversion curve is to be selected from a plurality of energy conversion curves. FIG. 5 is a matrix of Bk; FIG. 6, of C; and FIG. 7, of M. These matrices are equal in width and length but have different numbers of dots because of differences in sub scan resolution. Tone conversion is executed in accordance with the tone conversion characteristics defined by the relative positional relationship in each block. Thereafter, different pulse widths are allotted to the individual converted tone values, and the energy to be applied to each recorded dot in each unit block is decided.
1
2
3
2
4
1
2
3
1
8
0052 In each matrix, all the elements X are recorded dots whose tone requires almost no energy application, and the numbers , , . . . are recorded dots corresponding to the characteristic curves A, B, C . . . of FIGS. to . The resolution in the main scan (the main scan) direction is 600 dpi, and that in the sub scan (sub-scan) direction is 1200 dpi (Bk), 900 dpi (C) and 600 dpi (M and Y) . The size of the matrix (horizontalsverticals) is 48 (Bk), 46 (C) and 44 (M and Y). Taking for instance the Bk matrix having a sub scan resolution of 1200 dpi, where 150 blocks are built per inch, each unit block containing 4832 dots, there is a possibility that 32 maximum tone conversion characteristic curves are necessary. However, because there are recorded dots which can be converted according to the same tone conversion characteristic curve, 17 kinds of tone conversion characteristics are allotted for 32 recorded dots with agreement between the number , , , . . . of the matrix and the symbols A, B, C, . . . in FIG. 2. This manner of allotment (hereinafter referred to as an unequivocal allotment) also applies to the C and M matrices. In the Y matrix, the eight kinds of tone conversion characteristics of FIG. 4 were allotted to the elements to at random.
0053 Although the Y matrix is equal to the M matrix in size (44) and resolutions (main scan: 600 dpi; sub scan: 600 dpi), the positions of the elements other than Xare randomly different among all the Y matrices so that the characteristic curves are decided as for the whole Y image. With the matrix size and resolution for each color being set as described above, matrices on an image are of a size, not given in number of the elements but in dimensions in a real space, irrespective of color.
0054 In this way, a large number of tone/recorded dot energy conversion (tone conversion) characteristic curves are prepared, and, in a half tone range, three or more tone values are allotted for recorded dots of mid-energy value (energy value except the maximum and the minimum) . As a result, continuity of tone can be obtained easily and stably.
0055 Conditions for building matrices are described below.
0056 Bk Matrix:
0057 1. Sub scan resolution conversion: 600 dpi/1200 dpi Nearest-neighbor correction (resolution of nearest pixels in sub scan direction: 128 or more tones) and linear interpolation (resolution of nearest pixels in sub scan direction: less than 128 tones) are applied to convert 600 dpi original data into 1200 dpi.
0058 2. Size: 48 (horizontalsverticals)
0059 3. Number of recorded dots per block: 32
0060 4. Tone conversion characteristic curves: A to P
0061 5. Allotment of tone conversion characteristic curves to recorded dots: unequivocal
0062 6. Tone conversion: 256 tones/64 tones Original 256 tone levels are converted into 64 tone levels according to a conversion table.
0063 7. Allotment of pulse widths: 64 tone levels are each allotted a pulse width according to a conversion table.
0064 C Matrix:
0065 1. Sub scan resolution conversion: 600 dpi/900 dpi Nearest-neighbor correction (resolution of nearest pixels in sub scan direction: 128 or more tones) and linear interpolation (resolution of nearest pixels in sub scan direction: less than 128 tones) are applied to convert 600 dpi original data into 900 dpi.
0066 2. Size: 46 (horizontalsverticals)
0067 3. Number of recorded dots per block: 24
0068 4. Tone conversion characteristic curves: A to L
0069 5. Allotment of tone conversion characteristic curves to recorded dots: unequivocal
0070 6. Tone conversion: 256 tones/128 tones Original 256 tone levels are converted into 128 tone levels according to a conversion table.
0071 7. Allotment of pulse widths: 128 tones are each allotted a pulse width according to a conversion table.
0072 M Matrix:
0073 1. Sub scan resolution conversion: no conversion (600 dpi)
0074 2. Size: 44 (horizontalsverticals)
0075 3. Number of recorded dots per block: 16
0076 4. Tone conversion characteristic curves: A to H
0077 5. Allotment of tone conversion characteristic curves to recorded dots: unequivocal
0078 6. Tone conversion: 256 tones/128 tones Original 256 tone levels are converted into 128 tone levels according to a conversion table.
0079 7. Allotment of pulse widths: 128 tone levels are each allotted a pulse width according to a conversion table.
0080 Y Matrix:
0081 1. Sub scan resolution conversion: no conversion (600 dpi)
0082 2. Size: 44 (horizontalsverticals)
0083 3. Number of recorded dots per block: 16
0084 4. Tone conversion characteristic curves: A to H
1
8
0085 5. Allotment of tone conversion characteristic curves to recorded dots: Recorded dots to are randomly allotted the tone conversion characteristic curves randomly.
0086 6. Tone conversion: 256 tones/128 tones Original 256 tone levels are converted into 128 tone levels according to a conversion table.
0087 7. Allotment of pulse widths: 128 tone levels are each allotted a pulse width according to a conversion table.
26
8
10
0088 The tone processing by the tone processing unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 10. FIGS. to are enlarged recording dot patterns of Bk in a highlight (64), a half-tone (128) and a shadow (192), respectively, in which (a) present recorded dots according to the above-described embodiment of the invention, and (b) conventional ones.
a
b
a
b
0089 In FIG. 8(), because a highlight is reproduced by a smaller number of dots than in FIG. 8(), wherein a size of each of the dots in FIG. 8() is mainly larger than that in FIG. 8(), dot missing, which is likely to occur in highlights, is less outstanding. As a result, even when pixels of low density are formed on a white background, image graininess can be avoided, and improved reproducibility is secured.
0090 Another embodiment of conversion by use of tone conversion tables will be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 11 through 14 which show tone conversion characteristics of Bk, C, M, and Y, respectively. The tone of inputted image is plotted in abscissa, and the recording pulse width (time) in the ordinate. The recording pulse width corresponds to the size of recorded dots. The inputted image has 256 levels (0 to 255) of tone.
2
4
5
7
0091 Similarly to those shown in FIGS. to , the tone conversion characteristics are specified by at least five conversion characteristic curves for each color which show the relationship of tone value of inputted image vs. energy for generating recording dots, i.e., 17 lines (A to P and X) in FIG. 11, 13 lines (A to L and X) in FIG. 12, and 9 lines (A to H and X) in FIGS. 13 and 14. The curves X are allotted to the elements X in the respective color matrices shown in FIGS. to such that a predetermined amount of energy is applied only for the maximum tone value (255).
2
4
0092 The difference from the Bk, C, M and Y tone conversion characteristics shown in FIGS. to resides in the pitch of the characteristic curves. That is, the curves have an increasing interval from highlight toward shadow areas.
11
13
5
7
0093 The tone conversion characteristics shown in FIGS. to are allotted for the matrices shown in FIGS. to . In allotting the tone conversion characteristics of Y to the matrix M (& Y) of FIG. 7, the characteristics X are allotted to the elements X unequivocally, whereas the characteristics A to H are allotted at random to the elements other than X.
0094FIG. 15 is a graphical representation of density reproduction with the recording dots according to the present invention (Example) and with conventional dots (Comparison) in repeatedly printing a highlight-to-shadow image, in which an average density is plotted as abscissa and a standard deviation as ordinate. It is seen that the prints of Example have a small standard deviation, proving the printing method of the invention to have high repeatability of tone reproduction.
0095 While the embodiments of the invention have been described predominantly with reference to Bk, the same applies to C, M and Y. Where colors are overprinted to reproduce a multicolor image, it is preferred that the sub scanning periods be varied among the colors so that the positions of recorded dots may be varied among the colors. As a result, the tone continuity is improved, and color misregistration, if any, can be made less perceptible by the naked eye.
0096 Japanese Patent 2608808 discloses an image forming system which is relevant to the present invention. The Patent teaches an example in which four characteristic curves are used in the tone conversion table, and two characteristic curves each having an energy level other than the maximum and the minimum values are set in the half tone range. It turned out, however, that this example failed to provide tone continuity stably when a recording material with a thin ink-absorbing layer was printed. In other words, even though a tone jump in gradation could be controlled below a visible level at a certain temperature and a certain humidity by some specific image forming conditions, it has been confirmed that the tone jump exceeds the visible level when the temperature or humidity changes.
0097 Hence, in the present invention, the tone conversion characteristics are specified by at least five characteristic curves, and the half tone range thereof are specified by at least three characteristic curves each having an energy value other than the maximum and minimum energy values. It has been confirmed that sufficient effects can be obtained as a result even where a recording material having a thin ink-absorbing layer is printed.
11
14
TABLE 1
Conversion Table 1 (Bk matrix)
X
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
63
0
63
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
64
0
63
63
63
51
36
21
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
65
0
63
63
63
53
38
23
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
127
0
63
63
63
63
63
48
15
1
1
1
1
1
1
128
0
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
51
18
1
1
1
1
1
1
129
0
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
191
63
63
63
63
46
12
1
1
1
192
0
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
47
14
1
1
1
193
0
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
53
63
63
253
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
59
55
254
0
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
53
63
63
61
60
255
48
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
63
0098 Conversion tables 1 for tone conversion and conversion tables 2 for pulse width allotment which are based on the tone conversion characteristics shown in FIGS. to are shown in Tables 1 through 8 below.
TABLE 2
Conversion Table 2 (Bk matrix)
Tone after Convention
Pulse Width (&mgr;s)
0
0
1
170
2
185
15
380
16
395
17
410
31
620
32
635
33
650
61
1070
62
1085
63
1100
0099
TABLE 3
Conversion Table 1 (C matrix)
X
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
63
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
64
0
127
124
84
44
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
65
0
127
127
87
47
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
127
0
127
127
67
47
7
1
1
1
1
128
0
127
127
127
127
127
68
48
8
1
1
1
1
129
0
127
127
127
127
127
89
49
9
191
89
49
9
1
1
192
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
90
50
10
1
1
193
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
106
253
127
127
127
127
118
113
254
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
123
120
255
95
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
0100
TABLE 4
Conversion Table 2 (C matrix)
Tone after Convention
Pulse Width (&mgr;s)
0
0
1
214
2
225
15
16
379
17
390
31
32
555
33
566
63
896
64
907
65
918
125
1578
126
1589
127
1600
0101
TABLE 5
Conversion Table 1 (M matrix)
X
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
63
0
122
74
26
1
1
1
64
0
125
77
29
1
1
1
1
1
65
0
31
1
1
1
1
1
127
0
127
127
127
87
39
1
1
1
128
0
127
127
127
89
41
1
1
1
129
90
42
1
1
1
191
0
127
127
127
127
113
65
17
1
192
0
127
127
127
127
114
66
18
1
193
115
67
19
253
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
121
115
254
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
124
121
255
96
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
0102
TABLE 6
Conversion Table 2 (M matrix)
Tone after Convention
Pulse Width (&mgr;s)
0
0
1
258
2
275
15
16
513
17
530
31
32
785
33
802
63
1312
64
1329
65
1346
125
2366
126
2383
127
2400
0103
TABLE 7
Conversion Table 1 (Y matrix)
X
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
63
0
123
75
27
1
1
1
64
0
126
78
30
1
1
1
1
1
65
0
32
1
1
1
1
1
127
0
127
127
127
108
60
12
1
1
128
0
127
127
127
110
62
14
1
1
129
0
111
63
15
1
1
191
0
127
127
127
127
127
90
42
1
192
0
127
127
127
127
127
92
44
1
193
127
93
45
253
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
123
117
254
0
127
127
127
127
127
127
125
122
255
96
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
127
0104
TABLE 8
Conversion Table 2 (Y matrix)
Tone after Convention
Pulse Width (&mgr;s)
0
0
1
258
2
275
15
16
513
17
530
31
32
785
33
802
63
1312
64
1329
65
1346
125
2366
126
2383
127
2400
0105
103
104
101
102
105
106
103
104
0106 Ink jet printing was carried out using a web type printing apparatus shown in FIG. 16 having four ink ejectors for the respective colors arrayed to conduct overprinting on the same side of a printing medium M which is transported on a rotating drum . The apparatus of FIG. 16 additionally had a printing medium feed roll , a dust removing member , a fixing member , and a take-up roll . A shear-mode 500-channel piezo ink-jet (Xaar Jet 500S) was mounted on the apparatus as the ink ejectors . Oil inks available from Xaar were used. The gap was adjusted to 0.8 mm with a Teflon roller. Image data to be printed were sent to an image data computation control, and the 500-channel ink ejector heads ejected ink simultaneously onto the printing medium M while revolving the facing drum to obtain 500 prints. The imaging resolution was 360 dpi, and tone was reproduced by using eight dot sizes. As a result, imaging defects due to dust or influences of external temperature change were not observed at all. As the number of prints increased, the dot diameters showed changes that were not so great as to produce influences. Even after printing 5,000 times, extremely clear full color prints free from dot missing or scratches were obtained.
0107 After completion of the printing test, the nozzles of the ejector heads were wiped off with nonwoven paper, and a cover was put on the printing apparatus. After being kept in this state for 3 months with no maintenance, the printing apparatus was able to resume printing to produce satisfactory prints.
203
201
201
202
204
205
206
206
a
b,
a
b.
0108 Ink jet printing was carried out using a printing apparatus shown in FIG. 17 having four ink ejectors for the respective colors (600 dpi full line ink jet heads shown in FIG. 18) arrayed on both sides of a printing medium M. The apparatus of FIG. 17 additionally had a printing medium feed rolls -and -a pair of dust removing members (rotary nylon brushes), facing drums , a pair of fixing members (Teflon-coated silicone rubber rolls having a 300 W halogen lamp in the core), and a take-up rolls -and -
352
353
354
355
356
358
357
359
360
361
359
360
359
0109 The ink jet heads shown in FIG. 18 had an image data computation control , an ejection electrode , ink , an insulating upper plate , an insulating lower plate with an upper surface and a tapered surface , an ink channel , an ink gutter , and a backing plate . The ink was circulated by means of a pump, which also served for preventing precipitation and coagulation. An ink reservoir was provided between the pump and the ink channel and between the ink gutter and an ink tank, whereby ink was circulated by hydrostatic pressure difference. The ink was maintained at 35 C. by means of a heater, the pump, and a thermostat. A conductivity meter was set in the ink channel , and the ink concentration was controlled by dilution or addition of an ink concentrate according to the output of the meter.
352
203
204
202
205
2
0110 Image data to be printed were sent to the image data computation control , and the full line heads ejected oily inks onto the printing medium M which was transported between the rotating drums and had been cleared of any dust by the nylon brushes . As a result, printing was carried out satisfactorily with no imaging defects due to dust adhesion nor image quality deterioration due to external temperature change or with the increasing number of prints. The ink images were thermally fixed by passing through the fixing members under a pressure of 3 kgf/cm.
0111 According to the ink jet printing method of the present invention, continuity of tone is secured by setting at least five characteristic curves for a tone conversion table showing the relationship of tone value vs. dot formation energy and by setting at least three characteristic curves each having an energy value other than the maximum and minimum energy values in the half tone range of the tone conversion characteristics. Further, even when recording pixels of low density are formed on a white background, image graininess can be markedly reduced by setting the number of recorded dots the energy for which is substantially the minimum at or above a half of the total number of the recorded dots at a tone value that is the least of those having a recorded dot the energy for which is substantially the maximum. Thus, the ink jet printing method of the invention is applicable even to printing media that are not always seen as stable in characteristics and is capable of providing high quality prints.
0112 This application is based on Japanese Patent application JP 2001-31149, filed Feb. 7, 2001, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference, the same as if set forth at length. | |
Use ‘played’ in a sentence | ‘played’ example sentences
1- An old man played several airs on an accordion .
2- The oldest son present played an accordion while they sang praises.
3- He has also played accordion for 35 years.
4- The accordion was reported to have played musical sounds.
5- He has played accordion and guitar since the age of ten.
6- The cool, fresh air played with the ends of my hair, in the absentminded way my mother used to when we would talk.
7- Its community of abolitionists played a remarkable role in the eventual abolishment of slavery.
8- How well he played!I played tennis.
9- He played tennis.
10- I played football.
11- We played baseball.
12- She played a sonata.
13- She played basketball.
14- I’ve never played golf.
15- I played the accordion.
16- He played piano by ear.
17- We played on the beach.
18- We played all together.
19- He played his trump card.
20- He has never played golf.
21- She played on the violin.
22- We played around the farm.
23- I played soccer yesterday.
24- We played cards last night.
25- A smile played on her lips.
26- He played golf last Sunday.
27- He played tennis yesterday.
28- We played tennis yesterday.
29- You played hooky yesterday?
30- She played cards with Roy.
31- CNYou played tennis yesterday.
32- He played an important part.
33- We played baseball yesterday.
34- I played tennis after school.
35- We played cards after dinner.
36- We played cards to kill time.
37- He played the part of Hamlet.
38- Have you ever played baseball?
39- He played tennis all day long.
40- He played up his achievements.
41- We played many kinds of games.
42- I played against the champion.
43- He played Hamlet on the stage.
44- I was played out with walking.
45- I played catch with my father.
46- I often played tennis with her.
47- We played basketball yesterday.
48- We played soccer yesterday.
49- saebShe played a tune on the piano.
50- I played with Tony yesterday.
More Sentences: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 –
Related Words:
playbacks – playbill – playbills – playbook – playbooks – playboy – playboys – played – player – players – playful – playfully – playfulness – playgirl – playgoers –
—————————
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Compound-Complex Sentences with played in a sentence. | https://www.englishpedia.net/inasentence/played-in-a-sentence/ |
In Years 7, 8 and 9 students follow a core scheme of work which follows the National Curriculum. Students are grouped according to ability, prior attainment and target levels at Key Stage 3. Learning Objectives cover aspects of Number, Algebra, Shape, Space and Measures and Handling Data and students are assessed once a half term.
Skills which are developed are problem solving, thinking skills, group work, independent learning and functional maths. The course aims to enable students to solve abstract problems and apply their understanding to a real world context. Literacy skills are also developed in the reading and understanding of the text, interpreting questions, the use of key words and writing to explain or justify.
In Years 10 and 11
Students follow GCSE Linear Mathematics-
* Each exam board assesses over 3 papers (1.5hrs each) consisting of 1 x non-calculator and 2 x calculator papers.
* All exams are linear, hence sat at the end of the course.
* There are fewer marks at the lower grades and more marks at the higher grades for both tiers.
* There is greater emphasis on problem solving and mathematical reasoning.
The strength of the department lies in its ability to work together and to support each other during periods of change. We are also committed to providing revision classes for students and access to extension material. In this way we have been able to provide a quality education for our students.
Jesmond Park Academy
Jesmond Park West
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE7 7DP
Tel: +44(0)191 2818486
Fax: +44(0)191 2810381
Admin (Mrs Burn):
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Finance:
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Contact us:
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Job Opportunities: | http://www.jesmondparkacademy.org.uk/curriculum/faculties/mathematics.aspx |
by Jean Kirkpatrick in the Calaveras Enterprise, August 22, 1984
Editor’s note: I knew Jean very well, and Miss Fischer somewhat less well. Miss Fischer liked me, and a couple of times had asked me to meet with some young teacher that she had hired (at a time when teachers were in great demand) and I had done some other things for her and with her, including many, many years of Junior Relays. Anyway, even as I transcribe this, I find it very difficult to type just “Hazel”. To me and to most everyone else, she was always, and always will be, “Miss Fischer”. Before we begin the article, here are a few photos of Miss Fischer. As I look at the photo of Miss Fischer at 18 years old, I’m struck by the thought that this young woman was taking on a job that to me seems almost impossible to have success. Rowdy kids at least in part, no water, no janitor, no bus, well I just can’t picture it. She needed to be tough and obviously she was.
Who in the world was Hazel Fischer, and why was the school in White Pines named after her?
What a question! And yet a friend of mine who had lived in Arnold for years asked me that question the other day. It occurred to me then that there must be many newcomers to our county who have never heard of this great woman.
In 1916, Hazel Fischer was a young woman of eighteen when she came to Avery to teach in the little one-room school there. She found room and board at the Avery Hotel, and this was to remain her home for the rest of her life. In those days, school was held in the summer months because the winter snows closed the highway -at that time it was Moran Road -above Avery, and it was difficult for the children to attend. On hot days, Hazel took them swimming for their Physical Education period.
The school and the children who attended were her total responsibility and the center of her life. To make it the best possible school was her goal, and she pursued it for the next forty-seven years. In that long time, the society and the school grew and changed, but Hazel remained the old fashioned strict dedicated teacher so many Calaveras people remember with gratitude, love, and respect.
When the present stretch of highway between Avery and Big Trees was constructed in the late twenties, the area around what is now Arnold and White Pines began to develop. the coming of the lumber industry brought about a population shift, and a much larger school was built in White Pines. This building is today’s Independence Hall. Hazel, of course, was principal of the new school, and she remained as principal until two years before her retirement. The last two years she served as eighth grade teacher.
When she retired in 1964, the community and the Calaveras School Board were stumped as to how to honor her for her many years of dedication to the school. The decision to name the school for her was an inspired one, suggested by the children in her last class. It was the greatest gift they could have chosen, and it touched her as nothing else would have done. She is gone now, but how proud she would be of the fine growing school that bears her name today!
What was Hazel like as a person? It is hard to separate her from her school because she was totally wrapped up in it. She helped organize the Junior Olympics, now called the Junior Releays, and for years was the official scorer at that county-wide event. (Editor’s note: The relays were later renamed the “Hazel Fischer Relays”)
She was not always easy to get along with, as school boards and later the Calaveras Unified School District would testify. Let’s say she was not exactly a team player as far as the administration was concerned, and she was convinced that she knew what was best for her kids.
I remember when the district decided that all children would be dismissed at three thirty, and bus schedules were set up to that arrangement. Hazel felt that that was not a long enough school day, and she fought the district to a standstill. Her children went to school until 3:45, and the system just had to accommodate itself to her decision! It was shortly after that that she was relieved of her principal’s job, so perhaps the district won out after all. (Editors note: Not too long after this, the attendance area from and including Murphys, up to the Alpine County Line, took itself out of the Calaveras Unified School District and joined the Vallecito Union School District, so perhaps the district didn’t win out at all.)
Her home, as I have said, was always the Avery Hotel. Once, Louis Malaspina, a big landowner near Avery, offered to give her and acre of land so she could build a little house of her own, but she turned it down. She didn’t want the responsibility.
She never married, and had no family to speak of, but she owned a ranch she had inherited near Jesus Maria. There was no longer a house there but she kept a few cattle. She loved that ranch!
Once when she was taking a cow down to the stockyard in Stockton in the back of her old pickup, she was stopped by police. It did look peculiar as it was about two in the morning. He thought she was a cattle rustler!
Strange hours were usual with her because her days and evenings were spent at school, and all other activities took second place in her life. (Editor’s note: Each child in a California Public School had to have a Permanent Record kept up to date, and transferrable to another school if the child moved. Big job for teachers, and teachers like me hated the chore. Among other things, the recorder was torn between telling the truth, and not getting in trouble for slandering the child. “Just the facts, Mam”, as Joe Friday used to say. But facts didn’t tell the whole story, and opinions sometimes told more. At her school, Miss Fischer kept all the Permanent Records, ensuring that they would be done to her satisfaction.)
I know that she would have little patience with the educational system of today. Her children knew how to read, write, and compute, and a lot more before they graduated from her school. Besides their book learning, they learned to respect teachers and school property, to be polite to all adults, to be aware of their responsibilities, and to get along reasonably well with each other. I think it would be a good thing if we saw a little more of these old-fashioned values in our schools today.
Hazel, we still need you! | https://sierraloggingmuseum.org/our-community/avery-school-and-miss-fischer/hazel-fischer-a-grand-school-marm/ |
Coming off its lowest-scoring first half of the season, UCLA took almost three minutes to score in the second half off a jumper from sophomore guard Jaylen Hands.
A corner 3-pointer by Hands followed by a fast break dunk by redshirt junior guard Prince Ali with just over 11 minutes to go started a 7-0 for the Bruins – but they couldn’t capitalize.
Washington got its lead up to 15 in the second half, led by guard Jaylen Nowell who finished the day with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds.
After scoring just four points in the opening half, sophomore guard Kris Wilkes was one of only two Bruins to score in double figures, totaling 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting and six rebounds. Ali finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
UCLA committed a total 23 turnovers compared to Washington’s 17. The loss marked the Bruins’ first to the Huskies since Jan. 28, 2016 and Washington’s first undefeated start to conference play since 1953.
The Bruins will next return home to host the Colorado Buffaloes (11-9, 2-6) on Wednesday.
Poll
The Undergraduate Students Association Council offers students textbook scholarships via its Financial Supports Commission to use in the UCLA Textbook Store. The program began in 2008 and awarded about 50 scholarships of $200 each quarter. The FSC is now providing 40 scholarships of $50 each, though not on a quarterly basis. What do you think about this?
Providing a total of $2,000 in textbook scholarships is an impressive feat, and the commission should be proud of its work.
USAC commands an enormous pool of student fees, and the commission should not be content committing so little to addressing a pressing student issue.
It doesn’t matter how much money the FSC puts forth in scholarships, as textbook prices will overshadow any amount of awarded money.
I have feelings about this issue not expressed in the options above.
Submit View results without voting » | |
Overly-zealous whale watchers who harass endangered orcas were given fair warning Wednesday after a Quadra Island man was fined $7,500.
Carl Eric Peterson, 52, agreed to pay the precedent-setting fine after being convicted of disturbing marine mammals and harassing a threatened species – the first such conviction involving killer whales under Canada’s Species at Risk Act.
“This is very important,” said federal prosecutor Larry Reynolds. “We’re trying to get the message out.”
The message is for all boaters to steer clear of killer whales and that’s exactly what Peterson did not do on Oct. 3, 2010.
“My mistake was what happened next,” Peterson wrote in a letter to the editor, which was part of his sentence (see below). “I decided to turn around and follow the whales out to the west of them to get a picture for my friend. This is what I did.”
Peterson had set out in his boat from Gowlland Harbour, near Quadra Island, when he encountered at least two orcas approaching him in Discovery Passage.
The encounter was also witnessed by federal fisheries officers Carlos Paramio and Greg Askey. During the trial, held exactly one year ago, Paramio testified the whales surfaced approximately 60 metres ahead of the boat and then Peterson accelerated towards them.
“As (Peterson) got closer to the whales, they dived and the boat slowed somewhat. The activity of the whales and the boat occurred at least four or five times, the boat getting closer each time. On the last…the boat was 15 to 25 metres behind the whales,” wrote Judge Brian Saunderson, in his decision handed down last August in Campbell River provincial court.
According to whale watching guidelines, boaters are expect to remain at least 400 metres away from orcas, front or back, and 100 metres laterally.
When Peterson turned his boat around and left the whales, the fisheries officers followed, stopped him and later charged him.
At trial, the Crown heavily relied on research provided by whale expert Dr. John Ford of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
In a document entitled “Impact statement regarding vessel disturbance of killer whales,” Dr. Ford wrote:
“There is substantial scientific evidence that close approaches to killer whales by vessels have the potential to disturb or disrupt the normal behaviour patterns of these animals…such disturbance can cause short-term disruption behaviours such as resting, feeding, socializing and mother/calf interactions such as nursing.”
In this case, Ford testified there was a “very high probability” the killer whales were disturbed and harassed.
He also said it was likely the whales were part of the northern resident orcas which are listed as “threatened” under the Species at Risk Act – southern resident killer whales are listed as “endangered.”
At Peterson’s sentencing hearing, held Wednesday in Campbell River provincial court, Reynolds told the court the $7,500 fine would go to the federal “Environmental Damages Fund.” The money was earmarked for orca education, research or conservation on the West Coast.
“It’s something to put back, restorative justice if you like,” the Crown prosecutor said.
He also noted the fine could have been higher – the maximum fine is $100,000 under the Act – but was mitigated by Peterson’s letter of warning (see letter above) to the public to steer clear.
Reynolds added it is important for all boaters to understand the seriousness of the Act and the government’s commitment to enforce regulations.
“I expect it will effect people in this community. It will get the message out,” said Judge Saunderson.
Defence lawyer Bruce Preston said the fine is a “substantial hardship” on Peterson and asked for two years to pay the $7,500.
Judge Saunderson gave him one year and concluded by suggesting that Peterson, “avoid two species in the future – one endangered and one not – killer whales and lawyers.”
[email protected]
As part of his sentence, and in addition to the $7,500 fine, Carl Peterson wrote this public letter entitled “This could happen to you,” and submitted it to the Mirror:
On October 3, 2010, I was exiting Gowlland Harbour on Quadra Island in my boat and I had turned south with the intention of proceeding to a boat ramp on Vancouver Island.
As I proceeded south along Quadra Island, I was met by a group of whales swimming north, pushed along by a moderately strong ebb tide. I stopped and let the whales pass.
My mistake was what happened next.
I decided to turn around and follow the whales out to the west of them to get a picture for my friend. This is what I did.
The entire event lasted approximately three to four minutes. As a result, I was charged and I had to go to court.
At the trial the judge found that I got too close to the whales – within 100 metres – and even though the whales showed no effects of having been disturbed or harassed, I was found guilty on the basis of expert witness Dr. Ford’s evidence that there was a strong probability that they were. | http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/186378261.html |
For the given input, why does this program freeze after computing about 150 cases?
Is there a way to generate palindrome number that consist of specific digits like 1 and 3?
So we got a text with about 600000 characters, that is without "space" and fullstops. I've removed those from the text. Now i gotta find all palindromes of length greater than 7 in that text, and I need a little help of how to get that done.
I have already tried one thing, but that was way too slow.
In short, iterate through your file searching every valid palindrome of length 7 and length 8 (thanks to @tobias_k that noted that otherwise you'll only get the odd palindromes), but instead of printing it, save its index to a separate list.
Now that you have your "base" for all future palindromes, it's easy to use the recursive relationship mentioned earlier to construct all other palindromes.
Problem occurs only when "someString" is around the 150th number input.
I don't think it is a case of stack overflow because: 1. The recursion is not more than a few thousand levels deep for any case. 2. Program runs perfectly when input is just "someString"
And I also don't see the possibility of an infinite loop.
What is the reason for the code not working?
Keeping space and time complexity in mind. How should I start?
Q:2] Why does N==n not fail? I was expecting it to fail in the for loop. | http://quabr.com/54616461/finding-palindromes-in-a-large-text |
Complaints will be made, in writing, in the first instance to Alex Hughes, the Branch Manager of Broomhill Property Shop, Glossop Road. Your complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days.
Within 14 working days of receipt of your written complaint, you will be informed with the outcome of the investigation and what, if any, actions are going to be taken.
Stage 2
If you are dissatisfied with how we have handled your complaint you should contact Jessica McMenamin, Broomhill Property Shop:
[email protected]
. A separate investigation of your complaint with be conducted.
You will be contacted within a further 21 days as to the outcome of the investigation.
Stage 3
If you are not happy with the second investigation you are at liberty to refer the matter to The Property Ombudsman.
Property Ombudsman address (for individuals): Milford House, 43-55 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2BP.
Property Ombudsman address(for businesses): RICS Dispute Resolution Service, Surveyor Court, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8JE.
Please note, this is a free service.
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This case study, from our Let’s Get Real action research program, looks at using live video streaming app Periscope to present collections in an innovative way. Choosing a sustainable ‘rhythm’ that users could get used to, the museum used the experiment as a chance to address ‘dumb’ questions in a five minute weekly broadcast.
About the participant:
Name: Annelisa Stephan
Organisation: The Getty
Jump to:
What was the research question behind your experiment? | Why was this important to your organisation? | What did you do to implement this? | What happened? | What were the personal challenges you faced when carrying out this experiment? | What did YOU learn? | What did YOUR ORGANISATION learn? | What next?
What was the research question behind your experiment?
We had two questions, one more research-based and one more culture/mindset based.
Research question: What does a Periscope art encounter look like to users who are very familiar with the medium?
Culture question: How can we generate a creative rhythm, with regular broadcasts, that will allow us to do something new we’re excited about?
Why was this important to your organisation?
When new digital tools come along, many organisations feel pressure to adopt them immediately in order to stay current. But new tools often embody paradigm shifts that require innovation, not just doing more of the same on a new platform. New digital tools invite us to respond with entirely new models of content presentation and interaction, if we have a moment to slow down, zoom out, and strategise. Showing that we can create something new if we give ourselves breathing room and collaborative space was important in this project.
Considering new models is particularly important for Periscope, the promise of which is to “discover the world through someone else’s eyes.”
We didn’t want to use the traditional museum-video model of having a camera-person tape an expert standing in front of an object. To replicate this model yet again in Periscope seemed to be a missed opportunity. With Periscope, the expert and the eyes, the host and the videographer, can now become one and the same. We wanted to really explore what that means.
We therefore created broadcasts in which an educator acts as tour guide, moderator, and virtual eyes, guiding viewers through interesting details of specific artworks and responding to all questions and comments in a rapid-fire manner.
To address the cultural question (doing something we really care about), this is critical for an organisation. Museums and other nonprofits attract people who are passionate, creative, and willing to accept less pay than in the private sector. Yet such organisations may not give these people the creative space to use that passion and to experiment and to have the freedom to fail. Showing that we can do such a thing and succeed is important for future experiments.
What did you do to implement this?
Working in a small team, we did a series of tests with various Periscope approaches that faced logistical challenges such as spotty Wi-Fi and copyrighted artwork. We decided to embrace our limitations and create broadcasts about single public-domain works with an educator guiding viewers and responding to their questions and comments.
Based on our group insight, we wanted to create a space for irreverent questions that people may feel too ashamed or “dumb” to ask in a museum — questions like, “Why do babies look so weird in old paintings?” or “Why is everyone naked in the art?” We titled our show “Literally Anything at the Getty” and picked one object to discuss each week for five minutes.
To address the rhythm/culture issue, we picked a rhythm — every Tuesday at noon for five minutes — that was sustainable and memorable for the audience. A Twitter poll 24 hours ahead decides between one of two objects. The moderator’s fun and informal interaction with the audience sets the tone for the broadcast, which is intended to break down emotional, intellectual, and geographic barriers to appreciating old art.
What happened?
We were pleasantly surprised by the level of interest and interaction we achieved from our very first broadcast. Based on looking at other Periscope broadcasts, we decided to stick to five minutes, then asked Twitter followers (and staff who tuned in) whether the pace felt too rushed. Almost all thought five minutes was a good amount of time, but that it was important to state the five-minute limit clearly up front and at the halfway mark. The compressed time scale gives the broadcast a rapid-fire energy that we also liked.
We’ve tried a few variations, including inviting a curator to co-host, buying new equipment (we tried various microphones and ended up with an iPhone lavalier mic), experimenting with text vs. emojis, and trying artwork of various sizes.
What were the personal challenges you faced when carrying out this experiment?
A person on my team left the Getty mid-way through the experiment and I had little time to work on this project. As the LGR participant it was incumbent on me to get things jump-started, but the people who had expressed interest in the project were also busy and therefore understandably not comfortable with the open-ended commitment — there were a lot of questions about required meetings and homework in between.
What did YOU learn?
I learned that I have an amazing small team who likes each other, is smart and talented, and has great ideas.
I learned that I need to more assertively manage meetings and interactions in ways that help projects move forward productively.
I learned that I am not comfortable with risk-taking and that I should listen to other people when they say everything is going to be okay.
What did YOUR ORGANISATION learn?
That we can experiment with new things and not die.
That digital media and education are converging.
I also shared notes and learnings from LGR with a wide Getty group, which I know many members of the organisation found valuable; and I held a hands-on training session for Periscope open to all staff, which shared the knowledge we had gained during the project.
What next?
We’re continuing our weekly Periscope sessions. We even had a fan from London, who we met via the show, join as a guest host when he was in Los Angeles. Now that we’ve gained more mastery of Periscope as a tool I hope we can expand our use of the platform and apply what we’ve learned so far to new experiments. | https://digipathways.co.uk/case-study-periscope-broadcasting/ |
We have constructed the largest sample of dust-associated class II 6.7 GHz methanol masers yet obtained. New measurements from the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) survey were combined with the 870 μm APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL) and the 850 μm JCMT Plane Survey (JPS). Together with two previous studies we have now identified the host clumps for 958 methanol masers across the Galactic Plane, covering approximately 99 per cent of the MMB catalogue and increasing the known sample of dust-associated masers by over 30 per cent. We investigate correlations between the physical properties of the clumps and masers using distances and luminosities drawn from the literature. Clumps hosting methanol masers are significantly more compact and have higher volume densities than the general population of clumps. We determine a minimum volume density threshold of n(H2) ≥ 104 cm−3 for the efficient formation of intermediate- and high-mass stars. We find 6.7 GHz methanol masers are associated with a distinct part of the evolutionary process (Lbol/Mfwhm ratios of between 100.6 and 102.2) and have well-defined turning on and termination points. We estimate the lower limit for the mass of embedded objects to be ≥6 M⊙ and the statistical lifetime of the methanol maser stage to be ∼3.3 × 104 yr. This suggests that methanol masers are indeed reliable tracers of high-mass star formation, and indicates that the evolutionary period traced by this marker is relatively rapid.
|Item Type:||Article|
|Authors/Creators:||Billington, SJ and Urquhart, JS and Koenig, C and Moore, TJT and Eden, DJ and Breen, SL and Kim, W-J and Thompson, MA and Ellingsen, SP and Menten, KM and Wyrowski, F and Leurini, S|
|Keywords:||stars: formation; stars: massive; ISM: molecules; submillimetre: ISM|
|Journal or Publication Title:||Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society|
|Publisher:||Blackwell Publishing Ltd|
|ISSN:||0035-8711|
|DOI / ID Number:||10.1093/mnras/stz2691|
|Copyright Information:||
|
This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. | https://eprints.utas.edu.au/32913/ |
We know, from Book Six, that Hogwarts has a financial aid for students in need. It's supposed to cover all expenses regarding materials and school supplies, so it certainly covers wands. So why didn't Ron simply apply for this fund when he broke his wand in Book Two, since his family could not afford a new one?
Seems absurd that no teacher would notice that Ron had a broken wand and inform him there's a school fund. Plot hole?
Obs.: Even if Ron could afford a new wand, one could ask how we would purchase it (you must experiment personally to find a wand that chooses you). It turns out that there's a local branch of Ollivander in Hogsmeade. I'm sure that, under those circumstances, a second-year student like Ron would be allowed to visit Hogsmeade to purchase a new wand. | https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/26354/when-ron-broke-his-wand-why-didnt-he-apply-for-hogwarts-financial-aid |
The ULM Office of Financial Aid Services supports the mission of the University by assisting students in reducing or eliminating financial obstacles which might prohibit them from attaining an education. At ULM, we understand the financial burdens placed on students and their parents when pursuing a college education. The Office of Financial Aid Services is designed to help students and parents find the type of aid that best suits their needs.
Financial aid programs offered through ULM are scholarships, grants, loans, and employment. For additional information or questions, visit our website at http://finaid.ulm.edu. The Financial Aid Office is located in George T. Walker Hall 1-122.
Financial Aid is intended to assist students in financing their education when family and personal resources are not adequate to meet their total educational cost. There are three types of direct aid:
For a detailed explanation of the federal programs and how they are processed, consult the ULM Financial Aid Student Guide on our website at http://finaid.ulm.edu.
NOTE: Apply early for admission to ULM. You may obtain an Application for Admission from the Office of Recruitment and Admissions (Sandal Hall, Phone 318-342-5430) or on-line at www.ulm.edu. You must be admitted to ULM before aid can be awarded.
Federal regulations require that all students receiving Federal Title IV Financial Aid funds maintain standards of satisfactory academic progress in the pursuit of their degree or certificate. Satisfactory academic progress is defined as passing a required number of hours and achieving a required grade point average during a reasonable period of time. Regulations require that your entire academic history be considered, even if you have never received federal aid.
Three standards are used to measure academic progress for financial aid purposes:
To determine the maximum allowable hours for a specific major, refer to the University Catalog, note the total hours required for the degree, and multiply that number by 1.5.
The following are considered when evaluating a student’s satisfactory academic progress:
Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester for currently enrolled financial aid recipients. The academic progress of new financial aid recipients will be reviewed as ISIR data is received.
A student may appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility if extenuating circumstances interfered with the ability to meet satisfactory progress requirements.
In order for an appeal to be reviewed by the committee, the student’s circumstances must meet one of the following criteria:
Proper documentation will be required. Documentation may include:
Eligibility is re-established after the student improves his or her academic record to meet the minimum standards required by the SAP Policy or an appeal due to unusual circumstances is approved.
Students who receive Title IV Financial Aid, excluding the Federal Work-Study Program, will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy if the student withdraws before completing 60% of the semester in which the student was disbursed Title IV Aid.
The current policy, as a result of the Reauthorization of Higher Education Act of 1965, went into effect during Fall 2000 semester. Students must return unearned portions of the Title IV Funds to the Title IV Program.
If the percentage of earned aid is greater than 60%, the student does not have to return Title IV Aid.
After enrolling in classes, a student who wants to resign must:
The HEALTH PROFESSIONS LOAN PROGRAM is available to full-time students enrolled in Pharmacy. Students determined to have exceptional financial need and who are making satisfactory progress toward graduation are eligible for this program. The interest rate on the loan is 5% and repayment of the loan begins 12 months after the student graduates, drops below full-time, changes his/her major, or withdraws from the University.
THE DIRECT SUBSIDIZED LOAN PROGRAM provides affordable loans to students that are enrolled at least half-time, are meeting the minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, and have been determined to have unmet financial need as defined by federal guidelines. The amount of eligibility varies depending on the amount of the student’s unmet need and the number of academic hours earned to date. The interest accrued on the loan is paid by the government and principal payments are deferred as long as the student remains enrolled on at least a half-time basis and meets certain other pertinent criteria. Repayment of the loan begins 6 months after the student graduates, drops below half-time, or withdraws from the University.
THE DIRECT UNSUBSIDIZED LOAN PROGRAM. Loans are available to students on a non-need basis. While appropriately enrolled in school, the student has the option ofpaying the accrued interest on the loan while or allowing the interest to be capitalized into the balance of the loan. Principle and interest payments begin six months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment status.
THE ALTERNATIVE LOAN PROGRAM is offered to students by lenders; however, the interest rates and loan terms vary from lender to lender. Therefore, it is a good idea to research these alternative loan programs before you apply. The loan amount awarded is not to exceed the Cost of Attendance (less other aid received). Students must apply on-line for this loan at http://finaid.ulm.edu. Click on Financial Aid for Fall 2010/Spring 2011 to see information concerning this type of loan. (Note: This loan should only be considered when your loan options for the Direct Loan program have been exhausted. A FAFSA must be completed before an alternative loan can be awarded.)
The student employment program provides a large number of students with the opportunity to earn part of their expenses by working in the Library, Post Office, academic and administrative offices, and many other areas on campus. Student workers devote ten to twenty hours per week to their campus jobs. Each department coordinates a work schedule for the assigned student workers based in part on the total amount each student is allowed to earn. Campus employment is coordinated with all other forms of financial aid available to a student. Federal applications may be obtained from high school principals, counselors, or on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Student workers earn federal minimum wages.
The Office of Financial Aid Services, along with various academic departments, assists students in obtaining off-campus employment. Businesses in Monroe and West Monroe employ hundreds of students in part-time and full-time jobs. The listing of the jobs is on the Financial Aid website, http://finaid.ulm.edu. Applicants for all federal work programs must complete the FAFSA.
Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. Applicants for all grant programs must complete the FAFSA.
The FEDERAL PELL GRANT PROGRAM was established by the Higher Education Act of 1972 to provide needy students with financial assistance in meeting the costs of a college education. They are awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree and who are making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. The amount awarded to a student varies depending upon the amount of financial need determined through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The federal government determines the maximum Pell Grant award.
The FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANT (FSEOG) is available on a limited basis to undergraduate students that are eligible for the Pell Grant and have exceptional remaining financial need. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, and be enrolled on at least a half-time basis. Funding is limited and priority is given to full-time students.
The LOUISIANA GO GRANT is available to those undergraduate students who entered college as a first-time freshman or is age 24 or younger that entered college as a first-time freshman or is age 25 or older and who has had a break in enrollment of at least two consecutive semesters. Students must be a Louisiana resident, be enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis, be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree and a Federal Pell Grant recipient. | http://catalog.ulm.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=134 |
BLM seeks input on change to bison grazing at allotment
The American Prairie Reserve south of Malta is proposing to increase the size of its pasture for genetically pure bison to accommodate the expanding herd.
Ten years ago, APR returned 16 bison to the prairie.
This spring, 600 animals will be roaming the reserve, run by a not-for-profit and created to preserve some of the Great Plains’ remaining unbroken prairie.
Currently, APR owns and/or leases more than 305,000 acres of deeded and public land.
Bison pasture on about 30,000 acres.
Last summer, APR purchased the Holzey family ranch in south Phillips County. A public, 13,075-acre public grazing allotment owned by the Bureau of Land Management, called Flat Creek, was tied to that purchase and is now leased by APR.
Cattle previously had grazed the land.
APR has applied to change the class of livestock so bison can graze on the Flat Creek Allotment.
Kyran Kunkel, lead scientist for APR, said the bison herd is currently 450, but it’s expected to grow to around 600 this spring after calving, prompting the purchase of additional land and the accompanying public grazing lease.
“We’re going to need more and more space,” Kunkel said.
The goal is to eventually have thousands of bison on tens of thousands of acres, he said.
“The idea is that bison do best at a large scale,” Kunkel said.
Including the deeded portion of the Holzey ranch and the BLM allotment, another 22,000 acres will be available for bison, bringing the total bison pasture land to 52,000 acres, Kunkel said.
The BLM still must approve the livestock change.
The agency announced Thursday it is seeking public input for an environmental analysis on the change in classification from cattle to indigenous bison. In Montana, bison is classified as livestock, except for bison in Yellowstone National Park.
“This is just the standard operating process,” BLM spokesman Jonathan Moor said of the environmental analysis and request for public input.
APR has gone through the environmental review twice previously for other allotments it acquired, Kunkel said.
“They’ve monitored what our impacts are,” Kunkel said. “It should be pretty straight-forward because we’ve met or exceeded their standards on the first two allotments.”
The not-for-profit APR’s mission is to create and manage a prairie-based wildlife reserve that, when combined with public lands already devoted to wildlife, will protect the undisturbed prairie landscape.
APR hopes to link together purchased land with public acreage already set aside for wildlife and visitor access.
One of the goals is to restore genetically pure bison to their original habitat, providing visitors a chance to watch them.
Bison were crossbred with cattle at the turn of the 20th century in the hope of mixing cattle domesticity with bison hardiness, according to APR. Of the 500,000 bison alive today, fewer than 7,000 are non-hybridized.
Bison from conservation herds located elsewhere were first were introduced to the reserve in 2005. They have no cattle genes.
At the Flat Creek Allotment, the not-for-profit also is seeking permission to remove interior fencing and manage private lands along with the public lands as one common pasture, according to the BLM.
And APR is requesting to change the allotment grazing season to year-round from the current May 1-to-Nov. 15 season.
Bison tend to graze an area heavily and then move to a new area, Kunkel said.
“It’s more like a natural non-fence imposed rest-rotation system,” he said.
APR will be putting up a different kind of fence around the perimeter of the new bison pasture, Kunkel said. One solar-charged “hot” wire will be added as part of the new fencing. The bottom wire will be smooth to allow pronghorn antelope to pass safely underneath.
The carrying capacity of the public land would remain unchanged, according to the BLM, and existing range land health standards would apply.
Reach Tribune Staff Writer Karl Puckett at 406-791-1471, 1-800-438-6600. Twitter: @GFTrib_KPuckett.
To comment
Call B.J. Rhodes, range land management specialist, at 406-654-5120. Substantive comments about the application must be in writing and can be sent to the Malta Field Office, 501 South 2nd St. East, Malta, MT 59538 or [email protected]. Comments must be received by April 30 to be considered. | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2015/03/26/blm-seeks-input-change-bison-grazing-allotment/70516068/ |
Boomer the homing pigeon finds home
The banded pigeon who had taken up temporary residence at the Silver Creek home of Debbie Marzoni in June is roosting and flying in Kamloops.
Arriving in Marzoni’s backyard in early summer, Boomer happily accepted food, settled into her greenhouse and followed her around as she worked in the garden, while keeping a wary eye out for her cats.
While the greenhouse was a suitable summer abode, in September Marzoni began worrying about how the pigeon would fare in winter. The band Boomer was wearing was outdated and untraceable.
As cooler weather approached, Marzoni acted on expert advice, including taking Boomer as far away as Vernon in the hopes the bird would file a new flight plan.
But Boomer found her way back to the Silver Creek greenhouse within a couple of days.
In late September, Marzoni began seeking more suitable accommodation and, following a story in the Observer, received offers of a new home.
The one Marzoni chose for Boomer, who turns out to be female, is Greg Wagner and his Doves Above Kamloops, located at his home near Thompson Rivers University.
Wagner and his pure white “doves” are released for special celebrations in the Kamloops area. Following their release, the birds fly back to their comfortable home.
“There are two types of doves; true doves don’t have a homing instinct,” he says, pointing out why he can’t actually use doves for his business. “These are pure white homing pigeons.”
Rather than feeling duped, Wagner says most people attending the celebrations are usually keenly interested in the birds.
Wagner, whose family lives in Salmon Arm, was made aware of Boomer’s need for a home in an email from his sister.
“Are you missing a bird? Do you want a bird?”
He met Boomer when he came home for Thanksgiving and has since introduced her to the flock.
“She’s doing fine; I kept her inside for almost two months,” he says, noting when he first let her out with another group of birds, Boomer flew up and looked around. “She stayed out for the first night, which is common; it has happened with other birds I’ve re-homed.”
Wagner says he thinks the reason the birds stay out for a night or so has to do with their homing instinct.
“Maybe they go away to reactivate the homing instinct,” he says. “but after a night out, I think she realized there was food and water here so she came back.”
Although she’s getting better at keeping up with the other birds, Wagner says he’s not sure Boomer has the greatest homing instinct.
“She’s a little bit off,” he says, noting homing pigeons can return home from 200 miles away or more. “A bird from Lethbridge was sold to a Vancouver owner but two or three days later turned up back in Lethbridge.”
While she may not become part of the flying business, Wagner has other plans for Boomer and a darker male pigeon in the flock.
He had no intentions of breeding the male – who had other ideas and has since bred with Boomer, so he plans to use them as surrogate parents.
He removed Boomer’s eggs, which she produced at the end of last week, and says, not only does he not plan to breed the amorous pair, this is not a good time to incubate eggs.
Laughingly Wagner notes, he removed Boomer’s eggs and replaced them with wooden ones he purchased on Amazon.
“After 10 or 12 days, they’ll abandon the wooden eggs.”
Next up for Wagner and Doves Above Kamloops is a bridal show at the end of January. He has previously been called upon to release birds at weddings, funerals and a special cross removal ceremony at a local church. | |
It is a mammoth task that is going to take a lot longer than the 12 days of Christmas and involve far more than two turtle doves, but a group of Norfolk conservationists have set up a new group dedicated to saving this threatened species.
The Turtle Dove Trust aims to spearhead a recovery in the birds' numbers by rearing a stock of them in the county, which can then be released into the wild.
In Britain, numbers have declined by three-quarters since 1976 with the estimated UK population dropping from 125,000 pairs to around 45,000 pairs.
Habitat loss both here and in the birds' African wintering grounds and hunters targeting them on their migration across Europe are believed to be the main causes of their decline.
The new Trust has been set up by Bill Makins, Ed Pope and Chris Knights.
Mr Makins and his wife Francesca set up the world-renowned Pensthorpe Natural Park near Fakenham, while Mr Pope is known for his ground breaking work in conserving birds and antelope at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve near King's Lynn.
They have been joined by Chris Knights, a former farmer and conservationist who helped to re-establish the stone curlew in East Anglia.
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The Turtle Dove Trust hopes to maintain a flock of captive-bred birds which are able to survive in Britain without needing to migrate.
Mr Makins said: “I have had a lifelong passion to preserve turtle doves as well as many other iconic species which are suffering in this country, so I was delighted to set up the Turtle Dove Trust with fellow passionate conservationists Chris and Ed.”
Mr Knights added: “I have been a farmer all my life and I remember many years ago a field with up to 400 turtle doves on it and these birds have been declining to such an extent that it is now a red letter day when people see one."
Mr Pope said: “We can all perform work together in terms of habitat, conservation and feeding, but in some areas we need to be proactive and push the process forward and reintroduce them where they have become extinct.
"To do this we have captive turtle doves who lay eggs which we foster out to other doves to rear to adulthood before setting them free. In the wild a pair may only lay two eggs a year, but with this process we can get a pair of turtle doves to produce many eggs which in turn will produce a larger number of birds which we can release into the wild.”
The Turtle Dove Trust has already bred 315 turtle doves, of which 52 have been released back into the wild, with a further 263 being overwintered here.
For more go to turtledovetrust.org.uk/. | https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/trust-formed-in-norfolk-to-save-turtle-doves-8569198 |
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