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Free Online Course on The Political Economy of Trade Union Movement in India by TISS [Jan 6-9]: Register by Dec 15
Registrations are invited for Free Online Course on The Political Economy of Trade Union Movement by TISS on 6-9 January 2021. The last date of registration is 15 December.
About
The trade union movement in India has a chequered history in India. Industrial relations was defined by an institutional framework where the state played a mediating role between capital and labour. Trade unions’ inability to extract ‘concessions’ from employers was the result of an alliance between the state and domestic capital, and labour’s interests were seen as something to be accommodated and not maximised.
The nature of trade union movements changed further with the introduction of economic reforms in the 1990s. The trade unions mainly derived their membership from public sector undertakings (PSUs), banking and insurance.
The steady pace of privatisation challenged this traditional base of trade unions and forced them to organise workers in the informal sector. Over the last three decades, the number of contract workers has risen sharply in the organised manufacturing sector. In the absence of supportive laws, the task of organising contract workers has become more difficult.
The challenges before the trade union movement have been further accentuated by the emergence of the platform economy and gig workers, where existing institutional arrangements of labour struggles are rendered irrelevant. The recent changes in labour laws where existing laws have been converted into four labour codes have posed new challenges to the trade unions.
Topics
- Industrial relations since the Economic Reforms
- Contemporary legal regime and labour in India
- Informal Workers and Organisation/unionisation
- Platform Economy and Gig Workers
- Women workers’ organisation in India
- Resistance, Solidarity and the Future of Work
Eligibility
The workshops are for early-career researchers. Candidates should have a master’s degree in any discipline of social sciences and humanities. They should preferably be enrolled either in the MPhil/ PhD programme or teaching in a college/university.
Registration
- To register for the course on “The Political Economy of Trade Union Movement in India”, click here.
- The application form should be mailed to patnacentre[at]tiss.edu.
- There is No fee for the courses announced above.
Important dates
- Last date for receiving application: 15 December 2021.
- Announcement of selected candidates: 20 December 2021
Duration
15 hours (one-credit).
Click here to view the official notification of Free Online Course on The Political Economy of Trade Union Movement in India by TISS.
You may also be interested in: | https://www.noticebard.com/free-online-course-on-the-political-economy-of-trade-union-movement-in-india-by-tiss/ |
Evolved Machines has activated a 10,136-core parallel computing facility dedicated to the development of artificial neural circuits. The system incorporates 42 NVIDIA Tesla GPU processors, controlled by 14 quad-core AMD Phenom microprocessors, and has a nominal computation capacity of over 40 TFLOPS.
"The complex mechanisms embedded in biological neural circuitry enable the extraordinary capabilities of the brain," said Paul A. Rhodes, CEO of Evolved Machines. "The simulation of these mechanisms requires an enormous amount of parallel computing power and we get that from NVIDIA's GPU Computing technology. With this new GPU-enabled facility, we expect our work to be able to guide the development of artificial neural circuits which will lie at the heart of a new generation of devices in artificial olfaction and vision."
"Evolved Machines was one of the first companies to recognize the enormous potential of the GPU to solve large complex problems," said NVIDIA"s Andy Keane. "There is perhaps no greater challenge than creating a machine that behaves like a human brain, so we are excited to see what advances in neural science Evolved Machines can make with their new facility." | http://www.drdobbs.com/parallel/evolved-machines-activates-10136-core-pa/216500117 |
The primary purpose of this study was to measure the effects of selected factors, such as changes in price, in supply and demand, and in government programs and policies, on the market for U.S. rice. The secondary objectives were to update, improve, refine, and further test against recent and present behavior a simulation model of the U.S. rice industry previously developed by the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Department of Louisiana State University; and to use the improved model to analyze the impact of certain government programs and policies on the U.S. rice market. Structural equations of the econometric model were updated and improved. The structural equations used were obtained with Three Stage Least Squares Technique. Refinements and adjustments were made to the simulation model to incorporate the supply equations and to make the model more representative of the present market situation. The periods studied were 1967 to 1971 and 1979 to 1985. Based on 500 iterations (3000 and 3500 observations), summary and annual results were reported for the various periods studied, in terms of mean, range and coefficient of variation. Frequency distribution was also used to analyze the stock management program. The policies which were analyzed are: (1) the effects of a land set-aside program, ranging from no land set-aside to 10, 20 and 30 percent set-aside, (2) the effects of an on farm reserve program on the U.S. rice market and (3) the effects of Japanese dumping of rice on the world market on U.S. rice exports and prices. The model was used to predict the future behavior of the U.S. rice market from 1979 to 1985, based on the assumption that present conditions will prevail in the future. Acreage planted of rice and price for rice were increasing slightly. Ending stocks were increasing and were very high throughout the period. Domestic and export demand were fairly constant throughout. A 10 percent set-aside program resulted in no substantial changes in the rice market. Prices were the same as with a no set-aside program. Income was slightly lower, but there was no chance of running out of stocks. The 20 and 30 percent set-aside program resulted in serious changes in the market with higher prices and income. Both domestic use and export sales decreased and the chances of running out of stocks during the period were great. The on farm reserve program showed increased production, a lowering of prices and income. Domestic use and export sales increased as prices remained fairly low, but constant. The chance of running out of stocks was zero. Japanese dumping of rice in the world market had severe impacts on prices. Prices remained low. Exports decreased after the first year of dumping, but increased again. An examination of the prediction of the various programs studied gives a clear indication that the model is a fair representation of U.S. rice market behavior. The results of each policy analyzed can serve as a guide to program administrators in the future implementation of any of these policy options.
Recommended Citation
Jolly, Curtis M., "Selected Factors That Affect the Market for U. S. Rice." (1980). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3523. | https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3523/ |
Joint Mathematics-Economics Major (EN28), B.S.
To receive a bachelor of science degree in joint mathematics/economics, no more than three upper-division courses taken externally from UC San Diego can be counted toward the major.
Note: Currently, F-1 students, with an EN28 major, are eligible to apply for STEM OPT and extend the employment authorization benefit (approved July, 2016). Current F-1 regulations allow for 12 months of OPT and an additional 24 months (total 36 months) of OPT for those in STEM qualified fields. Visit the OPT webpage for details, and updates (EN28 falls under the category titled "Mathematics, Other" on the eligibility chart).
Effective FA17: All students must have a minimum 2.0 major GPA, in order to graduate.
Focus of the Major
- For students with strong mathematical skills
- Builds on advanced mathematics through economic applications
- Helps to prepare students for graduate study in economics and business
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the Joint Mathematics-Economics major, students will be able to:
- Apply the formal methods used by statisticians to analyze data to learn about the real world
- Use basic econometric methods to quantify uncertainty with confidence intervals; use regression to infer causal relationships; and use regressions for prediction
- Critically interpret empirical studies
- Set up, solve, and analyze optimization models
- Apply optimization models to consumer, producer, and market theories
- Use game theory to analyze the strategic behavior of individuals and firms
- Be able to prove basic calculus theorems
View the UC San Diego WASC Inventory of Effectiveness Indicators for the bachelor of science in joint mathematics-economics (pages 7-9). | http://economics.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/major-minor-requirements/joint-econ-math-major-ba.html |
Our approach to sustainable sugar manufacture is to achieve an economic, high yield factory in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. This is accomplished through measurement of relevant factory, environmental and social parameters, and the use of modern design, applicable technology and exceeding standards.
Booker Tate ensures that the specification, configuration and design of sugar factories are tailored to meet the client’s requirements and maximise use of the harvested sugarcane to produce the most economic mix of products in a sustainable manner – raw sugar, mill white sugar, VHP sugar, refined sugar, molasses, alcohol, cattle feed and cogeneration. We also provide project management and site-based client teams to monitor the installation to ensure that it meets the agreed specifications and standards.
Monitoring process efficiency by measuring the impacts of production and processing so that process improvements are made over time.
Assessing the impact of the sugar factory on biodiversity and ecosystems by measuring and reducing effluents entering the environment; and ensuring that the effluents are suitably treated to achieve recognised standards.
Ensuring that workers are appropriately trained to complete their roles, by monitoring skill levels in each department and ensuring that all departmental training needs are identified and rectified as required.
Continuously improving the status of water resources by monitoring water use in the factory and ensuring the minimal extraction of water from external sources.
Promoting energy efficiency by providing engineering and management solutions to enhance factory efficiencies.
Reducing air emissions contamination by providing engineering solutions to reduce contamination to below the environmental standards for the country.
Ensuring active engagement and transparent, consultative and participatory processes with all relevant stakeholders through negotiated agreement between parties based on consent.
Reviewing the environmental impact assessment and ensuring that the designs of greenfield factories and factory extensions do not harm the environment.
Focusing on economic sustainability by continuously bettering previous year’s financial results. Benchmarking results against other sugar factories and providing advice to improve competitiveness.
Promoting and maintaining a safe working environment for all employees through the implementation of recognised safety management programmes and training.
We can help improve your sustainability credentials by supporting new initiatives or existing practices. We are happy to work with clients alone or to collaborate with others, such as certification and accreditation companies. | https://www.booker-tate.co.uk/sustainable-agriculture/sugar-manufacturing/ |
Amazing medical breakthroughs are made every day. In the past decades, medical researchers have cured diseases that were once deadly and devised new methods to heal that were once unimaginable. This title follows the development of gene therapy, including the discovery of DNA, groundbreaking discoveries and the doctors who made them, and where the science is heading in the future. Learn how gene therapy works and why future applications of the technology will be controversial.... More Description
Amazing medical breakthroughs are made every day. In the past decades, medical researchers have cured diseases that were once deadly and devised new methods to heal that were once unimaginable. This title follows the development of gene therapy, including the discovery of DNA, groundbreaking discoveries and the doctors who made them, and where the science is heading in the future. Learn how gene therapy works and why future applications of the technology will be controversial. Sidebars, full-color photos, a glossary, and well-placed graphs, charts, and maps, enhance this engaging title. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
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The color name of hex code #CD827A is New York Pink. The RGB values are (205, 130, 122) which means it is composed of 45% red, 28% green and 27% blue. The CMYK color codes, used in printers, are C:0 M:37 Y:41 K:20. In the HSV/HSB scale, #CD827A has a hue of 6°, 40% saturation and a brightness value of 80%.
Details of other color codes including equivalent web safe and HTML & CSS colors are given in the table below. Also listed are the closest Pantone® (PMS) and RAL colors.
|Color Name||New York Pink|
|RGB Values||(205, 130, 122)|
|CMYK Values||(0%, 37%, 41%, 20%)|
|HSV/HSB Values||(6°, 40%, 80%)|
|Closest Web Safe||#CC9966|
|Inverse Color||#327D85 [Teal Blue]|
|Closest Pantone®||P 46-3 C|
|Closest RAL||3014 [Antique pink]|
|Complementary Color||#7AC5CD [Dark Sky Blue]|
|#CD827A Converted to Grayscale Codes|
|Simple Average||#989898|
|Desaturated||#A4A4A4|
|Weighted Average (Most Common)||#989898|
|Weighted Average (Luma)||#919191|
|Weighted Average (Gamma Adjusted)||#C0C0C0|
The complement of #CD827A is #7AC5CD which is called Dark Sky Blue. Complementary colors are those found at the opposite ends of the color wheel. Thus, as per the RGB system, the best contrast to #CD827A color is offered by #7AC5CD. The complementary color palette is easiest to use and work with. Studies have shown that contrasting color palette is the best way to grab a viewer's attention.
The analogous colors of #CD827A are #CDAC7A and #CD7A9C, called Light French Beige and Wild Orchid, respectively. In the RGB color wheel, they are located to the right and left of #CD827A with a 30° separation. An analogous color palette is extremely soothing to the eyes and works wonders if your main color is soft or pastel.
As per the RGB color wheel, the split-complementary colors of #CD827A are #7ACDAC (Medium Aquamarine) and #7A9CCD (Dark Pastel Blue). A split-complementary color palette consists of the main color along with those on either side (30°) of the complementary color. Based on our research, usage of split-complementary palettes is on the rise online, especially in graphics and web sites designs. It may be because it is not as contrasting as the complementary color palette and, hence, results in a combination which is pleasant to the eyes.
#CD827A triadic color palette has three colors each of which is separated by 120° in the RGB wheel. Thus, #7ACD82 (Pastel Green) and #827ACD (Ube) along with #CD827A, our main color, create a stunning and beautiful triadic palette with the maximum variation in hue and, therefore, offering the best possible contrast when taken together.
The tetradic palette of #CD827A has #7ACD82 (Pastel Green), #7AC5CD (Dark Sky Blue) and #CD7AC5 (Deep Mauve). A tetradic color palette is complex and, in most cases, should not be used off-the-shelf. We suggest tweaking the colors a little bit to achieve desired results.
The square color palette of #CD827A contains #9CCD7A (Pistachio), #7AC5CD (Dark Sky Blue) and #AC7ACD (Rich Lavender). Quite like triadic, the hues in a square palette are at the maximum distance from each other, which is 90°.
Note: For several colors purposes, a square palette may look much better than the tetrad color palette.
Our #CD827A rainbow color palette is based on the RGB color model and consists of 7 colors, just like the traditional rainbow. You might not see a lot of variation in color, especially if the chosen color is dark or extremely light. However, this can lead interesting rainbow palettes that are faded, soft, pastel or dull.
Color names have been derived from known and trusted lists OR have been formulated by us. They are close approximations and may not translate to exact names. Also, color is perceived and named differently in cultures and communities around the world. As per studies, only a handful of colors are interpretted and named in the same way across the globe. | https://www.color-name.com/hex/CD827A |
What do we mean by SPREAD? - The measures which can tell us the variability of a dataset, width, average distribution falls into this category.
Let's see which measures we are taking about-
Input: 45, 67, 23, 12, 9, 43, 12, 17, 91
Sorted: 9, 12, 12, 17, 23, 43, 45, 67, 91
Range:
It is the simplest measures of Spread. It is the difference between max and min value of a dataset but this will not give you the idea about the data distribution. It may be given a wrong interpretation if our dataset is having outliers.
Range - Max - Min = 91 - 9 = 82
Interquartile Range (IQR):
IQR is the middle 50 percentile data which is difference between 75 percentile and 25 percentile. It is used in boxplot plotting.
IQR = Q3 - Q1 = 56 - 12 = 44
Variance:
Variance shows the distance of each element from its mean, If you simply sum this it will be zero and that is why we use squared distance to calculate it.
Standard Deviation (`\sigma` or s):
This measure is square root of Variance, the only difference between Variance and Standard deviation is the output unit as Variance. | https://www.datagenx.net/2017/03/measures-of-data-spread-in-stats.html |
ALSO AVAILABLE IN OTHER FORMATS:
Book Information
- Format: Paperback
- ISBN: 978-1-5261-3432-5
- Pages: 288
- Publisher: Manchester University Press
- Price: £25.00
- Published Date: September 2018
- BIC Category: HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain, HISTORY / Modern / 18th Century, HISTORY / Modern / 17th Century, Political Subversion, Humanities / Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700, Humanities / Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, History & Archaeology, General & world history, European history, c 1500 onwards to present day, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, 17th century, c 1600 to c 1699, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Radicalism, History, Humanities / British & Irish history, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800
- Series: Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Studies
Description
This collection of essays studies the expression and diffusion of radical ideas in Britain from the period of the English Revolution in the mid-seventeenth century to the Romantic Revolution in the early nineteenth century. The essays included in the volume explore the modes of articulation and dissemination of radical ideas in the period by focusing on actors ('radical voices') and a variety of written texts and cultural practices ('radical ways'), ranging from fiction, correspondence, pamphlets and newspapers to petitions presented to Parliament and toasts raised in public. They analyse the way these media interacted with their political, religious, social and literary context. This volume provides an interdisciplinary outlook on the study of early modern radicalism, with contributions from literary scholars and historians, and uses case studies as insights into the global picture of radical ideas. | https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526134325/ |
Summary:
Humans impact ecosystems in a multitude of ways, increasingly exposing contemporary organisms to abiotic and biotic stressors. Environmental stress has strong negative impacts on biological diversity, as species can go locally extinct, if they are unable to migrate to a more benign habitat or to overcome the stressor via plastic or evolutionary adaptation. Several factors are thought to constrain adaptive evolution, such as gene flow, lack of genetic variation and genetic or functional trade-offs. Despite trade-offs being postulated as playing a central role in evolutionary theory, interactions between abiotic and biotic stress resistances have rarely been investigated in stress adaptation. This project aims to test for trade-offs between abiotic and biotic stress resistances in the well-established Drosophila melanogaster study system. Selection experiments on stress resistance provides an opportunity to study evolutionary constraints resulting from genetic trade-offs between traits. Lines that have been selected for different abiotic stressors (heat, cold and desiccation) will be tested for costs and benefits, whereas performance will be tested in outdoor cages under different biotic stressors (competition, predation, parasites) and under different climatic conditions (hot, moderate and cold days). These experiments provide a test of whether trade-offs between abiotic and biotic stress resistances are potential constraints to stress adaptation, which is crucial to better understand the evolutionary potential of contemporary populations. | http://www.eseb2013.com/delegates/sbhangartner |
Definition and Overview
Myocardial ischemia is a heart condition that can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle. It occurs when blood flow to the coronary arteries is partially or completely blocked (atherosclerotic coronary artery disease or CAD) leaving the heart with an insufficient amount of oxygen, preventing it from efficiently pumping blood throughout the body.
The condition affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States and is responsible for approximately 14% of deaths worldwide. Although it is highly treatable when diagnosed and treated early, most cases are not found until the patient suffers from a heart attack. This is because myocardial ischemia does not normally produce symptoms (silent myocardial ischemia).
As a preventive measure, patients may undergo regular screening tests and certain diagnostic procedures to determine their CAD risk level. This is the best way to catch the disease early on when it is highly responsive to treatment. If there is a blockage in the coronary arteries, patients can undergo treatment before the disease progresses. Normal blood flow to the coronary arteries can be restored by making heart-healthy choices, taking certain medications, or undergoing surgery.
Causes of Condition
Myocardial ischemia occurs due to blocked coronary arteries, resulting in decreased blood flow to the heart. It can develop slowly or occur spontaneously. The blockage can be caused by:
Atherosclerosis - Characterised by the build-up of plaque inside the artery. Plaque is made up of substances found in the blood including but not limited to calcium, cholesterol, and fat.
Coronary artery vasospasm - The temporary constriction of the smooth muscle that causes coronary arteries to narrow. This can occur spontaneously but is usually brief and temporary. It is normally caused by high blood pressure and high cholesterol level.
Thrombosis - Atherosclerosis can cause the coronary arteries to rupture, which can lead to the formation of blood clots (thrombosis). Blood clots, depending on their size, can either partially or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, causing mild to severe symptoms, including a sudden heart attack.
Uncommon or rare myocardial ischemia causes include:
Arterial embolism – When a blood clot forms in other parts of the body and travels to the coronary arteries through the bloodstream.
Certain heart disease or conditions
Heart surgery complications
Penetrating wound to the heart
Use of cocaine, which can increase the risk of coronary artery vasospasm
Emotional stress
Extreme cold temperatures
Physical exertion
Key Symptoms
Up to one-third of patients do not experience myocardial ischemia symptoms. Those who do complain of the following:
Breathing difficulty
Chest pressure or pain
Dizziness, fainting, or lightheadedness
Extreme fatigue
Nausea
Neck, jaw, shoulder or arm pain
Oedema of the legs and feet
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating
Vomiting
Meanwhile, several factors have been confirmed to increase the risk of myocardial ischemia. These include:
Diabetes
High blood cholesterol/triglyceride levels
High blood pressure
Obesity
Sedentary lifestyle
Tobacco smoking and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke
Who to See and Types of Treatments Available
Ideally, patients should seek treatment for coronary artery disease before it leads to a heart attack or heart failure. However, the lack of symptoms makes this impossible in many cases. Hence, regular screening, particularly for those who have risk factors, is highly recommended.
Patients showing severe symptoms of myocardial ischemia or those with a history of chronic myocardial ischemia are mostly examined and treated in the emergency room where they immediately undergo myocardial ischemia ECG or electrocardiogram. This is a simple, painless, and non-invasive test that records the heart’s electrical activity. Any irregularities found in this test may indicate the presence of myocardial ischemia. The goal of myocardial ischemia treatment at this point is to prevent a heart attack by restoring normal blood flow to the heart.
Other diagnostic tests that are commonly performed before any treatment is initiated include:
Coronary angiography - An X-ray test that determines if the coronary arteries are blocked or narrowed. It is also used to assess the severity of the narrowing of the affected artery.
Coronary calcium scan - Using computed tomography (CT), this test is done to see if there is calcium buildup in the coronary arteries.
Echocardiogram - A non-invasive ultrasound test that detects problems of the heart valves or chambers, which can also be indicative of myocardial ischemia.
Nuclear myocardial scan - Provides a wealth of information that helps clinicians in assessing blood flow to the affected coronary artery. It also helps determine the left ventricular ejection fraction and whether the arterial walls have already thickened. The test uses imaging technology, such as positron emission tomography (PET), and a radioactive substance (tracer) to create detailed pictures of the heart.
Stress test - Aims to measure the patient’s cardiovascular capacity by monitoring the heart rate while doing certain exercises.
Treatment of myocardial ischemia depends on the severity of the condition. Mild cases are treated with medications. Depending on the causes of myocardial ischemia, patients are prescribed with drugs that can open the blocked arteries, reduce the risk of blood clots, relax the heart muscle, decrease blood pressure, or reduce the heart’s workload.
In more severe cases, patients undergo surgical procedures that aim to improve blood flow to the heart, which immediately corrects and reverses the condition. These procedures include:
Angioplasty - A minimally invasive procedure that uses a balloon catheter to clear plaque buildup in the coronary artery. The treated vein is then supported with a mesh to prevent it from collapsing.
Coronary artery bypass surgery or CABG is reserved for severe cases. It involves the use of healthy artery from other parts of the body to bypass the blocked portion of the artery.
If medications fail to provide symptoms relief and if the patient does not qualify for more invasive procedures, enhanced external counter pulsation or EECP is recommended. It is performed by inflating and deflating cuffs that are wrapped in the lower limbs to compress certain blood vessels in order to increase blood flow to the heart.
Following successful treatment, patients are advised to quit smoking and adopt a healthier lifestyle. They are also advised to seek treatment for underlying conditions, learn how to effectively manage their stress, and maintain a healthy weight.
References:
Mann DL, et al. Approach to the patient with chest pain. In: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2014.
Johnson RJ. Nonpharmacologic prevention and treatment of hypertension. In: Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2015. | https://www.docdoc.com/info/condition/myocardial-ischemia/ |
After providing medical expert testimony in suspected child abuse cases for more than three years, a doctor in Tacoma, Washington has left her hospital post. Dr. Elizabeth Woods’s exit comes after an explosive investigation exposed her lack of credentials in this practice area. As an expert witness, Dr. Woods was tasked with offering medical opinions on whether a child’s injury was the result of abuse. Her testimony in these cases was often the driving factor in deciding whether a child should be separated from their parents.
Now, numerous custody determinations, child placements, and child abuse convictions are all called into question over testimony from an inappropriately credentialed expert. This is a prime example of how an unqualified expert can cause deleterious consequences on legal, financial, and personal levels. Further, this case highlights the importance of properly vetting your expert through reputable services.
Credentials Under Review
Last year, NBC, in partnership with its Seattle affiliate, KING 5, published a report questioning the credibility of pediatrician Elizabeth Woods, M.D. At the time, she was the director of the child abuse intervention program at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Woods was on a small roster of doctors providing medical reports to the state’s child welfare agency. She also acted as a medical expert in a number of cases. In cases where Woods reported medical evidence of abuse, children could be taken from their homes. In some cases, officials filed charges against a parent or guardian.
Dr. Woods was once thought to be one of the state’s preeminent experts on spotting subtle but critical signs of child abuse. However, allegations began to emerge as to Woods’ qualifications and training. At a court hearing in May 2019, Woods admitted under oath that she had not completed a three-year medical fellowship. She also explained she had not passed the exam required for board certification in the medical subspecialty of diagnosing child abuse. Woods defended her qualifications by asserting that most doctors who specialize in identifying child abuse have not completed the fellowship training. She further claimed this training program was just three years old.
The Investigation’s Findings
But according to the investigation, Woods’s statements were inaccurate. In fact, she was the only doctor providing medical opinions to the state’s Child Protective Services without decades of experience. Investigators further uncovered Woods was the only doctor who didn’t complete the fellowship. This program is now required of all doctors as part of a program that began 15 years ago—when Woods was still in medical school. Currently, there are more than 375 child abuse pediatricians certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. They specialize in identifying accidental versus purposely inflicted injuries. This differentiation is a key factor in abuse cases.
“Expert” Contributions
According to a review of Woods’ prior reports, she misstated key facts and presented contradictory opinions from other experts. Protective services even removed children from their parents’ custody on account of her findings. For example, in one case, Woods pinned a child’s bruise on abuse. She reached her conclusion solely by looking at a photograph and without examining the child in person. Child Protective Services agreed with the opinion while describing Woods as “a physician with extensive training and experience.”
Law enforcement and prosecutors also relied on Woods’s opinions. This was true in the case of Michael Dominic Rivera who was charged with homicide by abuse for the death of his five-month-old son. Woods also served as a key expert witness in a second-degree murder case against Damien Charles McCarter, alleged to have killed his two-month-old son.
In another case, Woods advocated for the removal of a four-year-old child from her family. Woods concluded that the mother had caused her young child’s extensive medical issues. Woods even falsely reported that she had video evidence of the child’s mother tampering with her daughter’s medicine. As a result, the state removed the child and her eight-year-old brother from their family for a year. They weren’t reunited until a judge dismissed the case, finding Woods’ opinions “without supporting factual basis” and “speculation at best.”
Avoiding Unqualified Expert Testimony
Unreliable testimony from an unqualified expert witness has a multitude of consequences. In all pending criminal cases, the state prosecutors had to send out letters advising defense attorneys of possible impeachment or Brady evidence (evidence that is exculpatory to the defendant) concerning Woods. To the extent any of Woods’s testimony led to a criminal conviction, there will likely be appeals filed on behalf of those defendants. In addition, all pending and previous child custody petitions affected by Woods’s testimony will likely involve costly and time-consuming reviews.
At Expert Institute, we conduct full background and conflict checks on all of our experts. This ensures their qualifications and credibility are beyond reproach. As part of our screening practices, we research licensures, criminal records, litigation history, corporate affiliations, and publications. This information all protects against credibility challenges.
With access to a vast database of experts spanning practice areas and industries, Expert Institute can connect an attorney with an expert in any specialty. Unlike Woods, whose failure to obtain specialized training contributed to the unraveling of her credibility, Expert Institute works with an array of experts certified in subspecialties and other particularized areas of practice. You’ll never need to rely on an expert in a general field again.
An expert’s prior opinions, particularly those given in open court, are a part of their history. Thus, attorneys must consider past testimony before retaining an expert. Expert Institute is able to run litigation history checks to confirm an expert’s previous experiences, opinions, methodologies, and practices. You can proceed with confidence in your expert and avoid any unwelcome surprises down the line. | https://www.expertinstitute.com/resources/insights/expert-removed-from-diagnosing-child-abuse-cases-why-qualifications-matter/ |
Job Title:
Senior Directory of Women’s Health Medical Affairs
Full Time, New York City
Job Description:
The Primary Care Business Unit seeks a Director/Senior Director, Medical Affairs for. Reporting to the Medical Affairs Team Lead, the Director/Senior Director, Medical Affairs is an integral member of the Medical Affairs, the cross-functional product and depression and women’s health – vasomotor symptoms disease area focused teams.
The Medical Director/Senior Director is the medical voice of, combining medical expertise and understanding of the patients and physicians point of view with in-depth knowledge of depression/women’s health and the relevant medicines. He/she is a part of a working environment where colleagues understand and exhibit customer-focused medical professionalism with honor and integrity.
Responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
• Proactively bring patients’ & physicians’ voice to development efforts to provide medicines meeting their needs, on cross-functional teams, while considering the needs of customers, including payers.
• Serve as the primary Medical point person interfacing with resources and internal business partners
• Understand the product/medicine and the formulation of the concept/strategy and how it relates to the customers’ needs
• Serve as a reliable, trusted resource of accurate, current medical and scientific knowledge (e.g.: disease states, product label, statistics interpretation etc), including competitive medicines, for internal and external stakeholders and customers
• Focuses on patient and physician concerns, as it applies to the data and disease area. Commits to excellence by continually learning and expanding their expertise
• Ongoing assessment of the benefit-risk of the medicine, taking into account new data, as it becomes available
• Objectively interpret technical and commercial information to deliver value added education to assigned teams. Serve as a translator between technical and commercial functions, driving the transfer and appropriate application of both commercial and clinical knowledge, ideas, and needs
• Collaborate with Marketing/Commercial Development, appropriate cross-functional teams, Medical Affairs, the US and others associated teams to drive strategic direction from proof of concept through patent expiry for medical development, lifecycle plans, and regional/country plans for the medicine or/and therapeutic area
• Contribute to the planning and timely, high quality execution of medical tactics to support the US and lifecycle plan
• Understand and effectively communicate current scientific knowledge, including medical needs, to different stakeholders, including patients, within disease area, customizing the communication for the audience leading to effective communication
• Establish how the medicine’s profile fits into customer needs and the commercial strategy and compares to competitive medicines, effectively communicating same to various stakeholders, including patients.
• Lead working groups in a professional, inclusive manner encouraging open discussion as related to assigned activities and specific roles, while demonstrating respect for all people.
• Proactively collaborate in the development and review of promotional materials including participation in review committee to ensure medical and scientific information are included in a medically appropriate context
• Partner with important external medical and scientific leaders in collaboration with field based medical colleagues and the US medical country organization via the Product Support Team.
• Develop medical content for congresses, symposia, promotional speakers and advisory boards and lead or participate in such activities in full compliance with policy • Take lead in organization of external meetings including advisory boards, congress and symposium as appropriate enhancing the leadership skills and behaviors, influence in decision making, identifying strengths and areas to focus with exploring continued opportunities to excel in their role.
• Participate in publications subcommittee to plan and implement appropriate publication strategy and tactics in accordance with policy
• Manage publication process including concept, author and agency liaison, Publications Subcommittee review and allowing for promotional use
• Coaches and provide medicine or/and therapeutic expertise to other medical and non-medical team members, including Sales Force/country medical colleagues.
• Proactively identify and address potential medical issues and ensure implementation of risk-management strategies in collaboration with team partners
• Proactively assess safety and regulatory aspects of the medicine with partners in these functional lines, including participation in safety and labeling working groups and potential interactions with the FDA related to both promotional activities and labeling.
• Participate in the medical/scientific assessment of potential business development activities and pre-proof of concept compounds within Research
• Work within functional teams to develop a common interpretation of data, a shared understanding of how product attributes drive realistic product profiles and broad buy-in to the development strategies most likely to achieve optimal labeling, access and pricing.
• Development and execution of expert panels.
Qualifications
– MD (preferred) or PhD in life sciences with relevant clinical/scientific expertise in women’s health experience specifically reproductive endocrinology and women’s mental health.
– Five years in pharmaceutical industry with strong medical affairs experience. | https://www.swiny.org/2010/10/womens-health-medical-affairs-ft-nyc/ |
+44 (0)1368 865 722
A seismic geophysical survey measures the earth’s (geo) properties by means of physical principles such as magnetic, electric, gravitational, thermal, and elastic theories.
A seismic geophysical survey measures the earth’s (geo) properties by means of physical principles such as magnetic, electric, gravitational, thermal, and elastic theories. Seismic surveys determine elastic properties of subsurface materials by measuring their response to disturbances called seismic ‘elastic’ waves. Oil and gas companies use seismic surveys as a method to locate and estimate the size of potential offshore oil and gas reserves.
Vessel-based seismic surveys are carried out using towed single or multiple arrays of airguns, which release compressed air every 10-15 seconds to produce an impulsive signal. These signals produce loud explosive sounds of short duration and broad frequency, which are directed downwards through the water column and into the seabed. Returned signals are received through in-water hydrophones (underwater microphones, also called geophones), and data are processed to yield profiles of the rocks beneath the seafloor. Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) surveys are also performed from offshore oil and gas installations. Airguns are designed to direct a high proportion of energy downwards; however, energy is also projected horizontally into the water column and can therefore be heard at great distances from the source.
Anthropogenic sound stemming from shipping, industrial and military activities and many other anthropogenic (man-made) and natural sources, has led to a substantial increase in underwater background noise in the oceans over the past decades. A wealth of literature is available on the topic (e.g. http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.2216565, doi: 10.3354/meps08353).
Seismic exploration is just one of many anthropogenic noise sources that have been found to cause behavioural reactions in marine mammals. Noise generated from seismic exploration is of high intensity (190-250 dB re 1 µPa peak to peak), with most energy below 200 Hz. Marine mammals, particularly cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) have developed a sophisticated auditory systems and rely on sound to navigate, communicate, find food and for whole host of activities within the wider social group such as cohesive actions, warnings and maternal relationships. The increase in background noise produced by seismic exploration and other anthropogenic noise outputs therefore may impact marine mammals at an individual, and potentially population level. Peak frequencies of the sounds produced during seismic surveys overlap acoustic signals and estimated hearing ranges of baleen whales (mysticetes). The hearing range of toothed whales and dolphins (odontocetes) is most sensitive over the frequency range 10-150 kHz, one hundred times higher than the frequencies of baleen whales, and outside the peak frequency range of seismic airguns. It is generally assumed that baleen whales are more susceptible to seismic sound than toothed whales and dolphins; however, it has recently been discovered that seismic airguns can still produce sound at frequencies ranging from 1-20 kHz, which would overlap the hearing range of odontocetes, and could potentially cause behavioural reactions. Some studies state that high frequency cetaceans, such as porpoises, increase their hearing threshold when exposed to airgun noise (doi: 10.1121/1.3117443).
Behavioural changes of cetaceans as a result of seismic surveys and other anthropogenic noise have included; cessation of feeding, resting, or social interaction; changes in surfacing, respiration and diving cycles; and direct avoidance by diving and/or swimming away. All reactions appear to be short-term with normal behaviour resuming after cessation of the sound source. The longer term wellbeing of an individual or population remains unknown and is of concern.
In one particular study investigating the impact of seismic surveys on blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) vocal behaviour, found that whales called consistently more on days when seismic exploration activities were taking place, compared to days with no seismic exploration. It is assumed that, an increase in call production compensates for the masking of information by the anthropogenic noise source. The study concluded that, by increasing call rate, animals increased the probability that their signals were received by conspecifics (doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0651).
In other studies, sighting rates of all small odontocetes have been shown to be reduced significantly during airgun firing periods, whereas baleen whales show a more localised spatial avoidance. Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) have been shown to respond with a change in orientation, while other odontocetes such as sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) showed no significant effect. It is assumed from these studies, that species of marine mammal elicit different responses to acoustic disturbances, which is to be expected.
In order to reduce the risk of disturbance to marine mammals, mitigation measures (www.marinemammalmitigation.co.uk) have been designed and adopted for use during seismic surveys and other offshore industrial activities. Cetacean monitoring is a requirement on-board seismic survey vessels working in most oceans (Atlantic, North Sea and Irish waters, Gulf of México, New Zealand etc.). Marine Mammal Observers (MMO, www.marinemammalobserver.co.uk) are present to carry out searches for marine mammals before commencement of, and during, seismic operations. A pre-watch for marine mammals is undertaken. If no marine mammals are present within the set exclusion zone (e.g. 500 m in UK waters, 1000 m in Irish waters, up to 1500 m in German waters) then the ramp-up (soft start) procedure can commence. The ramp-up is a general build-up of the sound source over a 20 minute period, and is designed to allow marine mammals to leave the immediate area around the sound source.
The majority of MMO regulations stipulate daylight observation hours only; however, in more sensitive areas (or where Governments are more environmentally minded, such as Germany), there is an occasional requirement to observe at night. Conventional night vision binoculars operate in near darkness by intensifying existing visible (or near–visible) external radiation (from moonlight, starlight, sky-glow, etc.). Night vision binoculars are more common, and operate very well if there is sufficient external illumination, but they cease to operate altogether in absolute darkness or in deep shadows. Furthermore, night-vision binoculars do not work in seaspray, smoke, dust, haze, etc. and are thus, useless at sea in anything other than the calmest conditions. Therefore, while Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM, www.passiveacousticmonitoring.com) is used as a secondary mitigation measure during daylight hours, PAM is the sole mitigation measure during hours of darkness. Research from studies using PAM have shown that this additional mitigation method can enhance the detection rate of marine mammals e.g. http://www2.dmu.dk. Passive Acoustic Monitoring around offshore oil and gas installations using autonomous click detectorsT-PODs (www.t-pod.co.uk) and C-PODs (www.c-podclickdetector.com) is also extremely effective at detecting threatened harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena (http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org). | https://www.marinemammalseismic.com/index.php?p=systemic+candidiasis+treatment+diflucan |
The colour yellow is central to Taoist cosmogony – it brings happiness and for centuries has been considered the colour of the emperor. At the same time, it connotes death and decline… How did the Chinese manage to contain so many different meanings in a single colour?
In the year 2500 BCE, one of the five legendary Chinese emperors ruled in the Yellow River Delta: the Yellow Emperor. He was the one that laid the groundwork for the development of the entire civilization. In addition to the basic methods of traditional Chinese medicine, he also invented the potter’s wheel, writing and mathematics. From that point onwards, the country established in the meanders of the Yellow River grew in power, while its culture flourished… It is true that there is no evidence to support this story, but it can be clearly seen that the colour yellow is of prime importance for the Chinese. For many centuries, it was reserved for the emperor and represented good fortune. But, as it turns out, it has its darker side, too.
Let’s first look at the hierarchy of colours. The Chinese divided them into two groups: basic (zhengse) and intermediary (jianse) colours. The former hold positive associations, while the latter hold negative ones. Traditionally, the Chinese recognize five basic colours: bai (white), hei (black), chi (red), qing (green-blue, dark blue) and huang (yellow). Their shared name is wucai. To better understand the symbolic complexity of the colour yellow, let’s turn to the most famous source of knowledge about Chinese characters: the dictionary Shuowen Jiezi, whose title means ‘Explaining Graphs and Analysing Characters’.
This etymological dictionary, which was compiled by Confucian scholar Xu Shen at the beginning of the second century, explains the meaning of 9353 characters. It defines huang as the ‘colour of the earth’ (literal meaning: Huang, di zhi se ye, ‘yellow is the colour of the earth’). In northern China, where the Middle Kingdom was formed, yellow earth was seen everywhere. The sandstorms that swept through the Gobi Desert brought layers of loess, colouring the land and the waters of the mother river of China, Huang He (‘Yellow River’). The character which represents it consists of a phonetic part, derived originally from the character for ‘light’, pronounced as guang; and a semantic part – a pictogram that stands for a field (and earth, by association).
Unfortunately, the ancient scholar was wrong. When archaeologists discovered oracle bones – the oldest remnants of Chinese writing in the form of turtle shells with inscriptions that describe fortune-telling at the Shang dynasty’s court – it turned out that originally huang didn’t include the part representing ‘field’. The origin of the structure of this character remains unknown. Contemporary dictionaries associate huang with the earth, but also include such definitions as the colour of gold, ripe apricots, or the sky at sunrise.
The spring and the centre
In the Taoist theory of Five Phases, the colour yellow occupies the central position, since it symbolizes the fifth cardinal direction: the centre. This is where the emperor, the Son of Heaven who ensures the harmony between the sky and the earth, rules over other directions. To each of the five elements (or rather phases of change) corresponds an animal, organ, planet and crop. In the case of earth (and, in turn, the colour yellow) these include the ox, heart, Saturn and millet.
It’s also noteworthy that the underworld is referred to as huangquan, meaning ‘yellow spring’. This word signifies the world beyond, where the soul travels after death, but its origin is quite literally ‘down-to-earth’. The springs that emerged where people were buried would wash away loess soil and turn yellow. In consequence, yellow springs were associated with the dead.
Colours, however, are not only part of nature, but also of culture. Like many other nations, the Chinese used colours for different purposes: for aesthetic pleasure, to ensure one’s wellbeing, bring misfortune upon someone else, or to convey important messages (for instance, to identify someone or check who occupied a building). Also, the Chinese system of administrative ranks became so elaborate that it would be hard to follow it without additional colour coding. Thankfully, each of the nine ranks was assigned a different colour of robes, ornaments and ball on the headwear. This system enabled people to identify the person they were dealing with. The colour that the officials weren’t allowed to wear was yellow. It was not meant for mere mortals, only the Buddhist monks Gelug and Kagyu.
The colour of the emperor
When looking at the architecture of the Forbidden City towering over central Beijing, it is easy to guess that we are confronted with power and majesty. But it’s only after we’ve noticed the yellow roof tiles that we can be certain that this is where the emperor, the Son of Heaven, resides. The red walls signify the heavenly energy yang, while the yellow roof signifies earth and yin. Before the sixth century, it was the colour red that was associated with the emperor. It wasn’t until the reign of the Song dynasty that yellow became reserved for the emperor and his descendants. Nonetheless, in the portraits we can still see the monarchs wearing red clothes with some yellow elements. Yellow became a dominant colour slightly later, during the reign of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and remained such until the empire collapsed.
The representatives of the Ming dynasty, who came to power in the 14th century, wore loose, yellow robes, which became more and more intricately embellished. These are the so-called dragon robes (longpao) – the everyday imperial clothing, whose name dates back to the Tang dynasty. The Ming dynasty slightly modified the clothing worn by the Mongols, adding five-finger dragons on the back and chest area, as well as on the skirt and sleeves. In the 12th century, the throne, together with longpao, was taken over by the Manchurians. Although they changed a bit the design and ornaments to emphasize their different ethnic identity from the Han Chinese, they preserved the colour.
In the portraits, the 12 emperors from the Qing dynasty – the last one in the imperial history of China – are proudly sitting on the throne, wearing lavishly embellished yellow clothes and red headwear. The first one, the Jurchen ruler Nurhaci, wears the simplest robes, which are still impressive. On the chest, leg and arm areas, there are yellow dragons entangled in circles, while the edges are finished with blue and gold trimming. The third one, Kangxi – who was in power for as many as 60 years (1662–1722 CE) and is considered one of the greatest Chinese emperors – has lavish robes. Intricate cloud patterns and dragons embellish not only his entire clothing, but also his sophisticatedly carved dragon throne and footrest. Seven subsequent portraits also impress with a plethora of colours and complex ornaments. One thing, however, stays the same: the yellow colour of the robes. Only the last Chinese emperor isn’t so extravagantly dressed. He looks at us shyly from the black-and-white photograph. It is no surprise given that he was then only a few years old. His name was Puyi and his reign name Xuan Tong. He was crowned in 1908 as a two-year-old. As might be expected, he didn’t rule long, abdicating four years later.
Young, rich and brave
In 1920, the Dragon dynasty reign came to an end. Yellow lost its status as the emperor’s colour, but it preserved the meanings it had developed over the centuries. Many of them are manifested in language, some in culture.
Colour symbolism is visible, for instance, in the Beijing opera. It is based on conventions, and the props and mask colours can tell us a lot. A yellow face signifies ferociousness, brutality, charisma, and a tendency to conspire. A well-known example of the character that embodies these features is Dian Wei – a military general during the reign of the Eastern Han dynasty, who appears in Luo Guan Zhong’s novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The above-mentioned traits don’t seem positive, although they might have been desired in some warriors. Nonetheless, the Chinese continue to associate the colour yellow with good fortune. Decorating the house with four-character aphorisms painted on yellow paper is supposed to bring happiness. Similarly, the expression huangdao jiri (literal meaning: ‘yellow road/yellow fate’, ‘happy days’) stands for good times ahead. Even when juxtaposed with green (which is classified as an intermediary colour with some negative connotations), the colour yellow still maintains its positive meaning, like in the proverb lüyi huangli (‘green outside, yellow inside’), in which the green exterior stands for something bad and inauthentic, and it’s only underneath that one can find truth and goodness.
‘To put on yellow robes’ means to become an emperor, but there are also other interesting linguistic associations. During the reign of the sixth- to seventh-century Sui dynasty, children who hadn’t turn three yet were referred to as ‘yellow’. In the times of the Tang dynasty, on the other hand, the colour was used for newborn babies. This is where the phrase ‘yellow mouth’, which stands for a young, inexperienced person, comes from. Another example is the expression ‘yellow child, white old man’, which associates the colour yellow with youth, whereas white is associated with old age.
Old age and pornography
There are many shades of yellow, though, and some are less beautiful. Regardless of its associations with gold, emperors, children and youth, it also signifies old age and death, since it is related to earth and graves. In Chinese, ‘a handful of yellow earth’ means something insignificant. A yellow face connotes the face of an older, ill-looking man. In contrast, a person who is strong and healthy has a red complexion. As can be easily observed, we don’t differ that much from the Chinese in this respect. Glowing skin is universally considered a manifestation of good physical condition and great mood.
Besides an old face, old grain is also described as yellow. Similarly, withered plants bring to mind decline and death. Through this metaphor the Chinese describe the changing seasons, as in the saying huihuang zhuanlü: what is yellow and thus old, like autumn leaves, is replaced with the young and green spring vegetation. Withering autumn leaves also symbolize decline, so when the Chinese say that ‘something turned yellow’ (shiqing huang le), they mean that they have failed.
In today’s context, yet another aspect of yellow colour symbolism needs to be mentioned: pornography. Ancient rulers, especially the Yellow Emperor, certainly wouldn’t be glad to hear this, but the word huangshu (‘yellow books’) refers to pornographic literature. This connotation isn’t rooted in Chinese culture, though, and it’s difficult to identify its origin. Perhaps it comes from the English ‘yellow journalism’, which stands for an unethical kind of journalistic work.
Undoubtedly, yellow is the most interesting colour in the Chinese palette. While initially it was associated mostly with the colour of the earth where the Middle Kingdom was established, over time it gained many new meanings. It was central to the Taoist hierarchy of colours and it later became strongly related to the emperor, becoming the official colour of robes, embellishments, and all attributes of power for centuries. Interestingly, the connection between this colour and the emperor didn’t result from its symbolic closeness to gold and wealth, but from its association with the earth – the symbol of the legendary Yellow Emperor and his mythical counterpart, the Yellow Dragon that he embodies.
If we consider the less positive connotations, we can see that we don’t differ much from the Chinese: a yellow face is universally associated with disease or old age, while yellow colours in nature are viewed all over the world as the herald of autumn. Are these contradictory connotations surprising? Absolutely not. After all, as in the Taoist yin-yang, everything has two sides: there is childhood and old age, wealth and death, imperial majesty and pornography.
Translated from the Polish by Joanna Mąkowska
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Published: | https://przekroj.pl/en/society/the-yellow-dragon-of-the-yellow-river-aleksandra-wozniak |
During the landing of an aircraft, the pilot of the aircraft must actuate a control stick in order to perform a flare maneuver manually, this actuation having to be carried out in such a way that the impact of the aircraft with the ground occurs smoothly. The performance of this flare maneuver in complete safety requires a certain flight experience on the part of the pilot. In fact, the control stick actuation is based on visual feedback to the pilot from the environment of the aircraft, from flight parameters indicated in the cockpit, and from audible parameters such as engine noise or wind noise. The pilot's attention must therefore shift from the control instruments to the runway and vice versa, and this must take place numerous times within a reduced period.
In order to assist the pilot, HUD (Head-Up Display) devices exist which allow a maximum amount of useful information to be displayed. However, not all aircraft are equipped with devices of this type.
Devices are also known which are designed to prevent the vertical speeds of the aircraft on impact with the runway from exceeding a predetermined value, generally 8 feet per second (around 2.4 meters per second) if the pilot does not perform the flare maneuver correctly. This vertical speed limit of 8 feet per second (around 2.4 meters per second) is extremely high in relation to the customary vertical speed target of 2.5 feet per second (around 0.76 meters per second). However, this limit cannot be less, since it would make the device too intrusive into the pilot's freedom to maneuver.
It is known from document U.S. Pat. No. 8,831,799 to compute a fixed flare starting from a fixed geographical location and to guide the aircraft along the path corresponding to this flare. However, this path remains fixed until the impact of the aircraft with the landing runway. This solution obliges the pilots to follow a given path and adapt his flying technique in order to follow this path. This solution is therefore not satisfactory.
In order to assist the pilot with landing, it is also known from document FR 3032044 to use two different acoustic signals modulated as a function of the difference between a current angle of deflection of the control stick and a target angle of deflection of the control stick. However, when the control stick remains in a position for balanced flying, the aircraft does not reduce its vertical speed. The alert level remains constant since the sound signal emitted in the cockpit is a function of the difference between the current angle of deflection of the control stick and the target angle of deflection of the control stick. One possibility for overcoming this disadvantage would be to use a sound signal of which the alert level increases when the aircraft approaches the ground by keeping the angle of deflection of the control stick at a constant position. In this case, it would be possible to carry out a method based on a variable target position of the control stick which changes when the aircraft approaches the ground. However, this method would impose on the pilot a dynamic of the movement of the control stick or a point of impact with the ground which is not the point of impact intended by the pilot.
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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ethiopia’s Integrated Youth Activity – Kefeta, is a five-year, $60 million Activity recently awarded to Amref Health Africa (Amref) and its consortium partners. The Amref-led consortium’s vision of success for Kefeta is Ethiopian youth who are game changers: empowered to advance their own economic, civic, and social development; resilient in the face of shocks; actively promoting development within their communities and contributing to the country’s peace and prosperity. Kefeta will benefit the lives of at least two million Ethiopian youth in 18 cities, building their agency and capacity for advocacy, linking them to economic opportunities, and improving their access to youth friendly services (YFS).
Kefeta’s Advocacy Vision
Our overall vision for our policy advocacy work is to have young people becoming more engaged in exercising their voice, agency, and leadership constructively, and this can be done through youth-led advocacy that ensures meaningful engagement of youth every step of policy development and implementation processes. Key outcomes of our advocacy efforts will include: youth-informed policy formulation and implementation, law enforcement, budget allocation, and establishing youth-led social accountability systems for policy commitment.
Scope of Work for the Policy Review
Policy review and analysis of existing youth & adolescent related policies and their effectiveness in Ethiopia
The policy review and analysis will have a literature review component which contains mapping of all available youth and adolescent related policies and major strategies related to youth and adolescent (i) Health (focusing on Sexual Reproductive Health and Family Planning), (ii) Employment (including job creation and employment, as well as self-employment and entrepreneurship), (iii) Education, (iv) Civic Engagement in Governance, peacebuilding, volunteerism and/or Service learning; and (v) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in their chronological order.
The review will also entail conducting the analysis of these policies and strategies including assessing their relevance and effectiveness - whether the policy implementation plans are on track, and their relevance to local needs and linkages to regional/global policies. The main focus of this analysis will revolve around the key themes of the project under the major sectors mentioned above and there will be an effort towards aligning the review with the overarching focus and vision of the integrated youth activity project.
The analysis will also include opportunities and barriers (if any) in policy implementation. The findings of the analysis will serve as an evidence base to help USAID integrated youth activity effort towards advocating for policy change or improvement.
Stakeholder feedback workshop: effectiveness of the youth relevant policies and meaningful youth engagement in policy development and implementation in Ethiopia
The process will include a review/feedback meeting with youth and adolescents, policy makers, relevant sector leads and other key stakeholders to provide feedback on:
· Extent to which the youth relevant policies are up-to-date and being implemented as intended and if the desired effects are being met: if implementation plans and targets are being achieved.
· Extent to which the youth relevant policies are current and relevant to the changing country context (considering the youth bulge, current social and economic needs and political sphere)
· Areas within the existing youth relevant policies that might need amendment (if any) (providing hands on experiences and recommendations)
· The extent of meaningful youth engagement (MYE) in the development, implementation and review of relevant youth policies on health, employment, education, good governance, peacebuilding, volunteerism and/or service learning, GESI and existing opportunities for MYE.
Deliverables of the consultant
a) A short inception report (following consultations with the Kefeta team) detailing the priorities for the policy review, the scope of work, timeline and draft outline of the report.
b) Literature review report outlining youth and adolescent policies on health, education, employment, Gender and social inclusion, volunteerism, and peacebuilding in Ethiopia, implementation effectiveness, with referrals to and interlinkages with similar regional and global policies and opportunities/barriers to implementation of the policies.
c) Facilitate one stakeholder workshop with policymakers, youth and adolescents, relevant sector leads and other key stakeholders on effectiveness of the youth relevant policies and meaningful youth engagement in policy design, implementation and review.
d) Policy review report (including a summary on major finding in power point presentation): outlining comprehensive recommendations to USAID Integrated Youth Activity – Kefeta project and the Government for each policy: if the policies do not need review, if the policies need minor or major revisions and what revisions are needed. This is the major deliverable of the policy review and it will include the inputs from the stakeholder workshop and the annexed literature review.
Inputs from the Kefeta Team
Kefeta team will provide:
i. Kefeta’s relevant documents including the formative assessment and the post conflict assessment reports;
ii. Technical comments and feedback on each of the outputs of the consultancy work;
iii. Logistical arrangements for convening the stakeholders’ workshop such as invitations to participants and covering their costs, venue and related arrangements;
iv. General oversight in the roll out of the consultancy;
v. Effective utilization of the analysis reports in the context of the project’s youth advocacy and youth engagement interventions.
· A highly experienced consultant with a minimum of post graduate degree in a related field, at least 10 years’ experience in Public Policy in Ethiopia and policy review and implementation frameworks.
· Robust understanding of the national/international developments in relation to civic engagement and accountability for youth and adolescents.
· Evidence of critical analytical skills and experience.
· Excellent policy analysis skills and experience.
· Good communication and interpersonal skills.
· Previous experience working in gender and youth programming. | https://ethiojobs.net/display-job/416453/ToR-POLICY-REVIEW-%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD-YOUTH-&-ADOLESCENT-RELEVANT-POLICIES-IN-ETHIOPIA.html?searchId=1656297824.201&page=2 |
Learning to solve problems is a skill with life-long benefits. Helping kids learn problem-solving skills builds their self-confidence, resilience, and independence.
Like us, our children confront problems regularly. Problems can be small and easy to solve, or overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable. (And sometimes a small problem can feel overwhelming to a small child.)
Learning how to solve problems gives children (and adults) more control over their environment, contributing to improved self-confidence, increased resilience, and academic success.
When we strengthen problem-solving skills we are also working on improving other key skills, like active listening and communication, analysis, and decision making.
One easy-to-remember strategy for helping children build build problem-solving skills is the ‘ABCDE’ method. With this method, children can work collaboratively or independently to identify the issue and find ways to resolve the problem.
ABCDE provides a framework for thinking about the problem and possible solutions. Here are the steps for working through both large and small problems using ABCDE (ASK, BRAINSTORM, CHOOSE, DO, EVALUATE)
- A stands for Ask. The first step is to Ask in order to define the problem. If you are working with a group, ask “What is the problem we are trying to solve?” Then give everyone an opportunity to describe the issue as they see it. This gives everyone a chance to hear different perspectives.
- B is for Brainstorm. Now that we know what the problem is, identify some possible solutions. How can we take care of this problem? During the brainstorming, do not judge or dismiss any ideas. This part of the process is meant to encourage ideas and identify a number of possible solutions.
- C is for Choose. Once you have a variety of possible solutions to the problem, discuss the suggested solutions. Do some of the solutions seem like they would be better at solving the problem than others? Ask the group about the possible consequences of each. Do some seem better able to solve the problem than others?
- D is for Do. Now choose a solution and take action. Be sure to set a time limit for trying the solution – one that is long enough to give it a chance to work, but short enough to limit any damage if it doesn’t work.
- E is for Evaluate. When your time limit is up, talk about how well the idea worked to solve the problem. If the problem wasn’t solved, use the ABCDE method again to identify and try another possible solution.
That’s it! Solving problems is as easy as ABCDE. Ask – Brainstorm – Choose – Do – Evaluate.
Learning to solve problems is a skill that supports academic and social success in school. Practicing together, even with our youngest children, helps strengthen problem solving skills – skills which help us navigate difficulties, support our friends and family members, and contribute to our own sense of well-being.
Sidebar: | http://www.parentingsuccessnetwork.org/parenting_tips/2019/helping-kids-learn-problem-solving-skills/ |
Benedict Arnold is one of the most infamous traitors in history, particularly the Revolutionary War. Arnold's name is coined as a traitor and has been a great controversial debate. With Arnold's hard decision in battle tactics, the choices he has made led to a huge victory for the Americans. So, without Benedict Arnold's bravery and courage, could the U.S. have won the Revolutionary War? Where would America be today if Arnold didn't make the decisions he did in battle?
One of the first things that sparked the unification among the colonies was the Albany Plan of Union(1754). The document was mainly drafted by Benjamin Franklin. It was drawn up because the of the frequent wars between Great Britain and France would often cause violent conflict near the American Colonies and the skirmishes the settlers had with the Native Americans caused many people in the colonies to feel unsafe. This plan was the first step into allowing the colonies to govern themselves, at least in regards to protecting the colonies ' safety. With the Townshend Acts(1773) and Coercive Acts(1774) passed by the Parliament of Great Britain, the colonist responded with violence and called for a Continental Congress.
A Start To A Battle “If the two lanterns hang in the North church steeple that will give a signal to the Americans that the British are coming by sea not land.” This famous quote by Paul Revere describes his idea to secretly signal that the British were coming. This is one example of how he played an important role in the American Revolutionary War. Before the War, Paul Revere’s role in the Sons of Liberty was to be a leader and help defend the Americans.
During the Revolutionary War, the unity of the colonists was strong, as they had to fight against the British, despite the British having larger militia forces. In Document C, Richard Henry Lee stated that “all N. America is now most firmly united and as firmly resolved to defend their liberties ad infinitum against every power on Earth that may attempt to take them away.” This was said while the war was happening, and how British wouldn’t stop fighting the colonists until they got their money from taxes. The British were determined to fight until they won, despite how much it hurt both sides. Lee states how despite the size of the conflict, Americans will continue to fight together to win their freedom.
When the British received the First Continental Congresses demands, they did not fulfill the forced requests. They instead brought troops to the Colonies to recast abolish their power there. On the other hand, the colonists had no intentions to lose their home, so they began to form a new militia, called Minutemen. When the British arrived, they sent seven hundred troops to capture important leaders. When Paul Revere saw them marching towards him, he made his famous ride to warn the Minutemen.
The beginning of the American Revolution started for a couple reasons. The main reason the American Revolution started was because the colonist of the United States did not pay Great Britain after the Indian war. After the colonist rejected Great Britain 's Monarchy and Aristocracy that is what really made the war start because Great Britain did not think that was fair. The first battle started on the day April 19, 1775. “Great Britain thought they were going to come out with an easy victory over the colonist.
With the success of the removal of the Stamp Act, the group then officially disbanded themselves. The Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre was an incident that occurred on March 5, 1770. It all began when colonists were provoking the British soldiers by harassing them. During this time, tensions had developed between Colonial America and England.
Colonists saw unfairness and an act of violation of their natural rights. As in the constitutional states “All men are created equal.” Our beloved Richard Henry lee, now today retired he was a statesman from Virginia who helped gain independence from Great Britain. Mr. Richard Henry Lee stood up in the place of the colonists, his friends, and his people. He described the act as “a most wicked system for destroying liberty of America.”
Declaration of Independence Essay Have you ever wondered what it was like in the olden days when the government declared the Declaration of Independence? Well here’s a chance to learn what happened. During the battle of Lexington and Concord, Great Britain fought about what they should do for independence. Many innocent militiamen were killed.
It began with the first shooting in Lexington and Concord. They are the sign of the start of revolution war. Colonists needed to fight with British army for freedom. They needed to get together and have a concentration of power. However, in early time of America, the states were controlled by themselves.
but yet it turned out to be a great battle that we learn about today. As tolerant men attacked, Morgan instructed the militia to skirmish with them. The british started to score victories in south carolina causing the patriots to push back and to send in more troops and men to fight. Nathaniel Greene decided to divide patriot troops in order to push them back. The effect of
According to the Declaration of Independence, King George III was responsible for the American rebellion against the British Empire. The colonists listed 27 abuses committed by the king in the document. These repeated maltreatments established a tyrannical government in North America, which eventually led to the colonist’s revolt. The first 12 abuses established King George III’s authority as despotic instead of allowing a representative government for the colonists. For example: abuses 8 and 9 explains how King George III would further tighten his control through the judiciary.
Just one small action ignited one of the most largest turn of events in American history. In the month of October 1768, a group of red suited British officers were stationed in the town of Boston, Massachusetts due to the rioting after the vessel “Liberty” was seized from trade violations (Foner 185). The British Government had been trying to increase taxes and control over the American colony. On March 5th, 1770 the colonists couldn’t take it anymore, they wanted the troops out. A mob of angry American colonists made advances on the British troops and Capt. | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Argumentative-Essay-The-Revolutionary-War-FKSB6ME28VV |
Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell. Published in England on 17 August 1945, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II. Orwell, a democratic socialist, and a member of the Independent Labour Party for many years, was a critic of Joseph Stalin, and was suspicious of Moscow-directed Stalinism after his experiences with the Russian Communist Party during the Spanish Civil War.
The short novel is an allegory in which animals play the roles of the Bolshevik revolutionaries and overthrow and oust the human owners of the farm, setting it up as a collective farm in which, at first, all animals are equal, which is directed through seven commandments they create to govern themselves by; however, class and status differences soon emerge between the different animal species.
The novel describes how a society’s ideologies can be manipulated and twisted by those in positions of social and political power, including how a utopian society is made impossible by the nature of corruption and the power of words to create it.
There are a wide variety of animals on the farm all of which parallel a particular human personality. They can all communicate with one another however speak a different language than that of their human owners until they take over the farm and learn English from the books they find inside Mr. Jones’ house.
Their intelligence varies depending on which human emotion they portray, for example, Boxer, who plays the gentle yet naive brute’s intelligence is minuscule in companion to the intelligence of Squealer, a pig with expertise in public speaking and persuading. One night the animals gather together in the barn to hear one of the oldest members of the farm speak of his dream.
Old Major, a prize Middle White boar, is the inspiration that fuels the Rebellion in the book. According to one interpretation, he could be based upon both Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. He introduces the animals to the song “Beasts of England”, which becomes their anthem and the ideology of “Animalism”.
Napoleon, a Berkshire boar is the main tyrant and villain of Animal Farm and is based upon Joseph Stalin.
Snowball is Napoleon’s rival. He is an allusion to Leon Trotsky. He wins over most animals but is driven out of the farm in the end by Napoleon.
Snowball genuinely works for the good of the farm and devises plans to help the animals achieve their vision of an utopia, but Napoleon and his dogs chase him from the farm, and Napoleon spreads rumors to make him seem evil and corrupt and that he had secretly sabotaged the animals’ efforts to improve the farm.
Squealer, a small fat porker, serves as Napoleon’s right-hand pig and master of propaganda. Inspired by Vyacheslav Molotov and the “Soviet paper”, Squealer manipulates the language to excuse, justify, and extol all of Napoleon’s actions. He represents all the propaganda Stalin used to justify his own heinous acts. In all of his work, George Orwell made it a point to show how politicians used language.
Squealer limits debate by complicating it and he confuses and disorients, However, when questions persist he usually uses the threat of the return of Mr. Jones, the former owner of the farm, to justify the pigs’ behavior. He represents the primary themes of the deception created through the powers of words and their ability to be the most effective weapon in controlling those around you. As for the human characters in the book,
Mr. Jones represents Nicholas II, inspired by the deposed 15th Tsar of Russia, who had been facing severe financial difficulties in the days leading up to the 1917 Revolution. There are several implications that he represents an autocratic but ineffective capitalist, incapable of running the farm and looking after the animals properly.
Jones is an alcoholic and the animals revolt against him after he drinks so much that he forgets to feed or take care of them, and his attempt to recapture the farm is foiled in the Battle of the Cowshed, alluding to the Russian Civil War. Ironically, Napoleon the pig becomes almost obsessed with drinking and eventually changes the commandments to suit his needs. Toward the end of the book, the pigs become the mirror image of Jones, though they thirst for more power than ever before.
Mr. Frederick is the neighbouring farmer to the right, alluding to fascism on the political spectrum, is the tough owner of Pinchfield. He represents Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in general. He tricks the animals into selling wood to him for forged money and later attacks them, destroying the windmill but being finally beaten in the resulting Battle of the Windmill (World War II), which could be interpreted as The Battle of Stalingrad.
Mr. Pikington, the neighbouring farm to the left, representing democracy, is the easy-going but crafty owner of Foxwood, a neighbouring farm overgrown with weeds, as described in the book. He represents the western powers, such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
There are several main animal characters: Clover, Boxer, Benjamin, and Mollie.
Boxer is one of the main characters. He is the tragic symbol of the working class, or proletariat: loyal, kind, dedicated, and physically the strongest animal on the farm, but naïve and slow. His ignorance and blind trust toward his leaders leads to his death and their profit. His maxim, “Napoleon is always right” is an example of the propaganda used by Squealer to control the animals.
Boxer’s work ethic is often praised by the pigs, and he is set as a prime example to the other animals. When Boxer is injured, and can no longer work, Napoleon sends him off to the butcher and deceives the other animals, saying that Boxer died peacefully in the hospital.
Next, Mollie is a self-centered and vain white mare who likes wearing ribbons in her mane, eating sugar cubes (which represent luxury) and being pampered and groomed by humans. She represents upper-class people, the bourgeoisie, and nobility who fled to the West after the Russian Empire collapsed. Accordingly, she quickly leaves for another farm after the animals take over and is only once mentioned again.
Benjamin is a wise old donkey that shows slight emotion and is one of the longest surviving of the Manor Farm animals; he is alive to the very last scene of the book and probably lives even longer than the imagined end of Napoleon’s rule. The animals often ask him about his lack of expression but he always answers with: ‘Donkeys live a long time. None of you have ever seen a dead donkey.’
Benjamin can also read as well as any pig but rarely displays his ability. He is a dedicated friend to Boxer and is sorely upset when Boxer is murdered by the pigs. Benjamin has known about the pigs’ wrongdoing the entire time, though he says nothing to the other animals. He represents the cynics in society and possibility an allegory to intellectuals who have the wisdom to stay clear of the purges. Yet another possibility is that Benjamin is an allegory of George Orwell himself.
Moses the Raven is an old bird that occasionally visits the farm with tales of Sugar Candy Mountain, where he says animals go when they die, but only if they work hard. He spends time turning the animals’ minds to a place in the sky called Sugar Candy Mountain and he does no work. He represents religious leaders, specifically the Russian Orthodox Church, which is banned when the pigs came to power.
His religious persona is exacerbated by the fact that he is named after a biblical character, Moses. The other animals are confused by the pigs’ attitude towards Moses; they denounce his claims as nonsense but allow him to remain on the farm. This is an analogy to Stalin’s pact with the Russian Orthodox Church. In the end, he is one of few animals to remember the rebellion, along with Clover, Benjamin, and the pigs.
Finally, The Sheep represented the masses, manipulated to support Stalin in spite of his treachery. They show limited intelligence and understanding of the situations but support Napoleon. | https://schoolworkhelper.net/animal-farm-plot-summary-analysis/ |
While a large variety of Mexico-grown vegetables and fruits enters U.S markets, tomatoes and avocados catch the most attention, although for different reasons. For the last several months, tomatoes have drawn attention associated with the disputes between the U.S. Department of Commerce and growers in Mexico over the Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. In an unrelated matter, reports about increasing organized crime activity in Michoacán - the main avocado producing state in Mexico - has caused worries in U.S. markets as avocados enjoy rising popularity among North American consumers. How important are tomatoes and avocados in imports from Mexico through Arizona ports of entry? This article examines tomato imports; a forthcoming article will analyze the avocado situation.
Mexican-grown tomatoes and the Suspension Agreement
Without going into intricate nature of the Suspension Agreement, it is enough to say that at the center of it is a long-standing competition between tomato growers in the U.S. (mostly in Florida) and tomato growers in Mexico. Florida tomato growers have frequently complained about unfair trade conditions due to lower production costs in Mexico that enables direct competition with more expensive U.S.-grown tomatoes. Following recent complaints, the U.S. Department of Commerce terminated the 2013 Suspension Agreement on May 7, 2019, and accordingly, initiated an investigation into supposed dumping practices. On September 23, a new Suspension Agreement, which included stricter inspection protocol, was ready to be finalized. However, a new round of complaints by the Florida growers put everything back on the drawing board. 1 Finally, on November 22, 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that with strong support from the U.S. International Trade Commission, the tomato Suspension Agreement would remain in place. 2 Consequently, about $2 billion worth of annual tomato imports from Mexico are potentially affected. 3 What would this mean for Arizona?
About 30% of all imported Mexico-grown tomatoes come through the Nogales District
Before we dip into numbers, keep in mind that statistically, the Nogales District includes all six of Arizona’s border ports of entry, together with Phoenix and Tucson, although all tomatoes from Mexico are transported by truck and enter Arizona at a land border. In past years, Douglas and San Luis facilitated between 5 and 8% of imported tomatoes, but since 2016, practically 100% of tomatoes are imported through the Nogales port of entry. Until about 2013, the majority of Mexican-grown tomatoes were shipped to U.S. and Canada markets through the Nogales District. That share was gradually declining from close to 70% in 2013 to less than 40% in 2014, when the Laredo District overtook the leading position with a 46% share. As shown in Figure 1 , by 2018, more than 50% of imported tomatoes entered through the Laredo District. 4
Note: All charts in this article are interactive – scroll over columns or lines for more detailed information.
Figure 1. Imported Tomatoes from Mexico by District (% share of total tomato imports via Southern districts only)
It is no surprise that the above trend of the last two decades has caused worries in Arizona’s fresh produce industry, as well as in local and state economic development organizations. What has been happening? Are Texas border ports taking away the trade in tomatoes from Nogales, the “king of tomatoes”? If this is a reflection of Texas ports being more competitive, what could and should Nogales and Arizona do?
Imports of tomatoes through Nogales remains relatively steady
Despite an unsettling image from Figure 1, actually the situation is not that bad. When imports are presented in dollar value (unlike the percentage shares), it does not appear that some large amounts of tomatoes were redirected from Nogales District to Texas ports. Rather, data suggests that imports of Mexican tomatoes through the Nogales District have been relatively steady since the early 2000s. As shown in Figure 2 , imports through the western districts, i.e., Nogales and San Diego, kept more or less steady without major downturns. Oscillations are likely caused by weather conditions that affect volume and quality of production. Even if some tomatoes that would have normally been imported through Arizona ports were instead shipped through Texas ports, this still could not explain the dramatic increase in tomato imports facilitated by Laredo District.
Figure 2. Imported Tomatoes from Mexico by District (dollar volume)
Greenhouse tomatoes and other new trends in Mexico's tomato production
Without fully discounting the effect of competition from Texas border ports emanating from supposedly better infrastructure and more efficient services, a major reason for the above trends (Figure 2) lies in tomato production itself. Most analysts agree that Texas border ports have benefited from two intertwined developments. One is the rise of tomato production in greenhouses versus the traditional field production; the other is the expansion of tomato production in new regions, most notably in central Mexican states. Greenhouses made tomato production possible in regions outside the traditional tomato-exporting regions of Sinaloa and Sonora, where field production enjoys most favorable winter weather conditions. Greenhouse and shade-house production use the so-called protected agriculture technology, which results in substantially higher yields due to better management of irrigation, reduced risk exposure to climate change, and more efficient pest control. 5 On top of it, the shorter distances to the U.S.-Mexico border from central and southeast production regions have played into Texas’ ports advantage.
Tomato-producing states in Mexico
According to the report prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, Sinaloa growers are the main producers and exporters of fresh tomatoes during the October to May season, while growers on the Baja California peninsula are the main producers and exporters during the summer season (May to October). 6 Lately, centrally located Mexican states such as San Luis Potosí, Michoacán, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Puebla, and Morelos have risen to top tomato producers, surpassing both Baja California and Baja California Sur in total annual production. 7 Figure 3 shows the most recent top ten tomato producing states. Data apply to estimates as of March 2019 and include cumulative production for last twelve months.
Figure 3 also helps visualize the effect of the changing geography of tomato production on the Nogales District. Exports from states such as Michoacán, Zacatecas, and Jalisco follow the shorter distances to the U.S. through Texas border ports of entry.
Figure 3. Main Tomato-Producing States in Mexico (in metric tons volume)
Competition between producers, not states or regions
In discussing tomato production and exports, the reference is usually made to states. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is not the states (or regions) that produce tomatoes, but the growers - be it individual growers, family owned operations, or big corporations. Growers adjust to changing conditions by adopting new technology and/or by moving the production to new locations where they see advantages. For example, some tomato producers from Sinaloa have expanded their production to Michoacán, Jalisco, and Queretaro. 8 They are also increasingly turning to greenhouse and shade-house production. With such strategies, they are gaining access to the summer export window after the Sinaloa winter window is finished by the month of May. Likewise, what is statistically referred to as “Mexican” tomato production includes numerous U.S. companies operating in Mexico. For example, one of the largest greenhouse growers in North America, the NatureSweet company, has been combining the U.S. and Mexican facilities since 1990s. 9 Another example, Calavo Growers Inc., a Santa Paula, California, based company has been growing tomatoes in Mexico since 2003 in Sinaloa and Jalisco. 10 Yet, comparable statistical data are available only for states, districts and border ports. Therefore, caution is required before making a simple statement about Texas ports being “more competitive” or “taking away” business from Arizona, the king of tomatoes.
Share of tomatoes in imports through Nogales District
Worth $576.8 million in 2018, tomatoes accounted for close to 30% of the value of all vegetables imported from Mexico through the Nogales District. 11 This appears significantly lower than in 2010, 2011, and 2012, when tomatoes accounted for more than 40% of all imported vegetables. The drop in relative significance of tomatoes, however, is also a reflection of a growing importance of other kinds of vegetables, such as peppers and squash. Figure 4 shows growth rates in the last fifteen years using the year 2003 as the base year. While the imports of tomatoes were declining in the last few years, the total vegetable imports kept on an upward trend line. The chart also suggests that in comparison with trends in all imported commodities, the import of vegetables, and tomatoes in particular, experienced slower growth.
Figure 4. Nogales District: Imports of Tomatoes, Vegetables, and All Commodities
Suspension Agreement - What is at stake for the Nogales District?
The above data analysis suggest that the Suspension Agreement may directly affect 30% of all vegetable imports from Mexico through the Nogales District. Aside from the probability of imposing import tariffs, the Agreement includes an inspection mechanism allowing the Commerce to “audit up to 80 Mexican tomato producers and U.S. sellers per quarter, or more with good cause.” 12 As we discussed in an earlier article , tariffs are not a simple matter in the North American trade area. 13 The economies of the United States and Mexico are more intertwined than ever. While the cross-border integration is more obvious in manufacturing production, similar processes have been taking place in the agricultural sector. As companies are able to geographically diversify their production, it is more and more difficult to differentiate between tomatoes grown by Mexican growers and tomatoes grown in Mexico by U.S. companies.
Notes
- U.S. Department of Commerce, “U.S. Department of Commerce finalizes Suspension Agreement on fresh tomatoes from Mexico,”, Press release, September 19, 2019; Frank Giles, “Antidumping investigation back on for imported Mexican tomatoes,” Growing Produce, October 21, 2019. Growingproduce.com/vegetables/anti-dumping
- U.S. Department of Commerce. “U.S International Trade Commission affirmative injury vote reinforces Commerce’s Tomato Suspension Agreement,” Press Release, November 22, 2019. https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2019/11/us-international-trade-commission-affirmative-injury-vote-reinforces
- “The U.S. Department of Commerce Announces a New Draft Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico,” Trade enforcement, Press release, August 21, 2019. https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2019/08/us-department-commerce-announces-new-draft-suspension-agreement-fresh
- The two largest ports in the Laredo District are Laredo and Hidalgo. Other ports: Brownsville, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Progreso, Rio Grande City, and two airports, Edinburg and Valley International. Source: USA Trade Online.
- Tom Burfield, “Mexican greenhouse production soars,” The Packer, March 12, 2019. https://www.thepacker.com/article/mexican-greenhouse-production-soars
- Dulce Flores, “Mexican Tomato Production Continue to Grow,” USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN Report No. MX7023, June 21, 2017. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Tomato%20Annual_Mexico%20City_Mexico_6-21-2017.pdf
- Servicio de Informacion de Agroalimentaria y Pesquera (SIAP). http://infosiap.siap.gob.mx:8080/agricola_siap_gobmx/ResumenProducto.do
- Dulce Flores, “Mexican Tomato Production Continue to Grow,” USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, GAIN Report No. MX7023, June 21, 2017. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Tomato%20Annual_Mexico%20City_Mexico_6-21-2017.pdf
- Tim O’Connor, NatureSweet’s tracebility technology, Supply Chain Best Practices, Oct. 2016, https://www.bestsupplychainpractices.com/2016/10/naturesweet-tomatoes
- Rand Green, “Calavo expands tomato production in Jalisco,” Produce News, April 6, 2018, http://www.producenews.com/the-produce-news-today-s-headlines/23838-calavo-expands-tomato-production-in-jalisco
- Measured in general customs value according to USA Trade Online, the value of all imported vegetables in 2018 through the Nogales District was $2.5 billion. | https://azmex.eller.arizona.edu/news/2019/12/mexican-tomatoes-suspension-agreement-and-nogales-district |
What are the synonyms for anxiety?
What are the synonyms for anxiety?
Synonyms forapprehension.disquiet.misgiving.nervousness.restlessness.suffering.uncertainty.unease.
What is the scientific name for earthquake?
Seismology ( /saɪzˈmɒlədʒi/; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (seismós) meaning “earthquake” and -λογία (-logía) meaning “study of”) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies.
What are the 3 main causes of earthquakes?
Causes of Earthquakes in GeneralInduced Earthquakes. Induced quakes are caused by human activity, like tunnel construction, filling reservoirs and implementing geothermal or fracking projects.Volcanic Earthquakes. Volcanic quakes are associated with active volcanism. Collapse Earthquakes.
Where do most earthquakes occur on Earth?
Most earthquakes occur along the edge of the oceanic and continental plates. The earth’s crust (the outer layer of the planet) is made up of several pieces, called plates. The plates under the oceans are called oceanic plates and the rest are continental plates.
What is the 3 types of earthquake?
Three Kinds of EarthquakesShallow fault earthquakes. A fault is a break in the rock beneath our feet. Subduction zone earthquakes. The largest earthquakes ever recorded are subduction zone earthquakes. Deep earthquakes. Deep earthquakes occur in the subducting ocean slab, deep beneath the continental crust.
How does an earthquake start?
An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel. In California there are two plates – the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.
What are the 4 types of earthquakes?
There are four different types of earthquakes: Tectonic, volcanic, collapse and explosion. A tectonic earthquake is one that occurs when the earth’s crust breaks due to geological forces on rocks and adjoining plates that cause physical and chemical changes.
What does Foreshock mean?
Foreshocks are earthquakes that precede larger earthquakes in the same location. An earthquake cannot be identified as a foreshock until after a larger earthquake in the same area occurs.
Are small earthquakes good?
There have been large earthquakes with very little damage because they caused little shaking and/or buildings were built to withstand that shaking. In other cases, smaller earthquakes have caused great shaking and/or buildings collapsed that were never designed or built to survive shaking.
Do small earthquakes mean a big one is coming?
Small cluster of earthquakes may be warning sign of larger one to come, researcher says. Most earthquakes we feel come after smaller ones. That’s according to a new study as scientists try to predict when and where earthquakes might occur. Here’s what researchers have learned.
What size earthquake would destroy the earth?
The energy needed to destroy the Earth is 2 x 10^32 joules or about yottajoules (10^24 joules). That is incredibly big. For comparison, the biggest earthquake, a magnitude 9.5 earthquake off the coast of Chile, registers as 1 x 10^19 joules, or 10 exajoules.
What’s the longest earthquake?
2004 Sumatra
Is a 10.0 earthquake possible?
No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. No fault long enough to generate a magnitude 10 earthquake is known to exist, and if it did, it would extend around most of the planet.
Is a magnitude 11 earthquake possible?
There is nowhere on Earth where a magnitude 11 Earthquake can happen. The biggest earthquakes know are all Megathrust ones on Subduction zones- and the top out about 9.4, 9.5. California does not have the large subduction zone needed for such a quake. It has slip-strike movement, and probably can’t exceed an 8.0 or so.
What would a 10.0 earthquake be like?
A magnitude 10 quake would likely cause ground motions for up to an hour, with tsunami hitting while the shaking was still going on, according to the research. Tsunami would continue for several days, causing damage to several Pacific Rim nations.
Is a 12.0 earthquake possible?
The only scenario where a magnitude 12 earthquake is possible is an impact from an asteroid/comet. The only scenario where a magnitude 12 earthquake is possible is an impact from an asteroid/comet. An impactor that makes it to the surface of the earth transmits approximately half it’s kinetic energy to the ground.
How far can a 9.0 earthquake be felt?
In a place with complex geology, every rock contact scatters and absorbs seismic energy, so that far away you’d probably feel it but not see damage or casualties. In the U.S. Midcontinent, with layer-cake geology that makes efficient wave guides, a 9.0 event would probably produce appreciable damage 565 miles away. | https://www.spudd64.com/what-are-the-synonyms-for-anxiety/ |
More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese and foreign business people left from the ancient city Chang’an (today’s Xi’an) and sent large numbers of Chinese silk to central and western Asia and countries along the eastern Mediterranean, creating a famous route which crisscrosses the European and Asian Continent with a total length of more than 7,000 kilometers. Later, it was named the “Silk Road” by Ferdinand von Richthofen, an eminent German geographer.
The Silk Road gets its name from Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive transcontinental network. China is the earliest country of sericiculture and filature. From the 138 BC to 119 BC, Zhang Qian, an imperial envoy of West Han Dynasty, opened up this ancient route. He led a delegation with silk and gold to reach the areas in Xinjiang, including Loulan, Kashgar, Hetian and Valley of Yili River, etc. His vice-envoy also reached Iran and India. The countries in these areas also sent envoys to China. The technologies of papermaking and printing, Great Inventions of Ancient China, were introduced into Arabian countries along the Silk Road. In fact, Buddhism spread to China from India because of trade along the Silk Road, similar to the way Islam spread along trans-Saharan routes in medieval West Africa.
The Silk Road, connecting ancient Chinese culture, Indian culture, Persian culture, Arab culture, ancient Greek culture and culture of ancient Rome, has played an important role in promoting east-west cultural exchanges and in enhancing China’s exchanges and friendships with foreign countries. The Silk Road has become one of the most famous tourist route.
The Silk Road stretches more than 4,000 kilometers within China, mainly passing through Shaanxi and Gansu provinces and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Along the Silk Road, there is a vast land teeming with cultural relics and historical sites, as well as enchanting natural landscapes and strong and colorful national flavor.
Xi’an, a starting point of the Silk Road, is a must place if you want to visit the Silk Road. It is the right place for the exchange and gathering of eastern and western cultures of all ages, and the place where innumerable historical sites and rare cultural relics were left. In the western suburbs of Xi’an is erected a group of large Silk Road camel sculptures. Stretching 51 meters long, the camels are carved out of red granite. They are the longest stone sculptures in China. More than 1,000 years ago this spot was the western gate of Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Historical records show that it was the starting point of the Silk Road. Whether camel merchant teams loaded with silks for faraway countries or Persian merchants, they all must pass here. Starting from here and going west along the Silk Road, you can see the ruins of Chang’an City of Han Dynasty, the Maoling Mausoleum, the Tomb of Concubine Yang, the Qianling Mausoleum, the Famen Temple, and other historical sites.
Out from the Shaanxi boundary and further to the west, the Silk Road crisscrosses the Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province and the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. Along the road, you can visit the Jiayuguan Pass-the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China, the Mogao Caves or Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang (also known as Thousand Buddha Cave)-one of three noted grottoes in China and also the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world, the Ancient City of Gaochang– one of the best-preserved ruins of the ancient cities in China, the Heavenly Lake of Tian Shan (Tianchi)– an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period, and other famous scenic spots. You can enjoy ethnic groups’ unique customs and flavor in the western regions, as well as the enchanting scenery and vast grassland, desert and snow peaks.
Travel Tips:
There are large temperature difference between day and night in the northwest areas, such as Xinjiang and Gansu. You had better bring a spare coat or sweater with you.
At some tourist sites, such as Heavenly Lake, Nanshan Pasturage, and Mingsha Mountain (Singing-Sand Mountain), etc., you may need to ride horse and camel. So, a pair of proper shoes is quite important.
The temperature of northwest area is lower than the hinterland, and many areas are high in altitude. Remember to prepare some sunscreens and medicines.
Xinjiang is a minority region, with strong religious consciousness. The Muslim does not eat pork, which is the biggest taboo in their life. Do not bring or discuss the topic of pig, to avoid any misunderstanding. | http://www.chinatravelpage.com/silk-road-the-most-well-known-trading-route-of-ancient-chinese-civilization |
How did the Silk Road help spread Islam?
How did the Silk Road help spread Islam?
After the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, Islam started its expansion towards eastern regions through trade encouraged by the development of the maritime Silk Roads. Muslims were known to have a commercial talent notably encouraged by Islam, as well as excellent sailing skills.
How did trade routes help spread Islam?
The Muslim practice of direct trade offered further exposure to the religion: Rather than working through intermediaries, Muslim merchants would travel to the trading destinations, thus allowing exposure to the religion within other countries as well.
How did the Silk Road help spread religion?
The Silk Road provided a network for the spread of the teachings of the Buddha, enabling Buddhism to become a world religion and to develop into a sophisticated and diverse system of belief and practice.
Why did the Silk Road end?
The speed of the sea transportation, the possibility to carry more goods, relative cheapness of transportation resulted in the decline of the Silk Road in the end of the 15th century. During the civil war in China the destroyed Silk Road once again played its big role in the history of China.
How was the Silk Road important?
The Silk Road was important because it helped to generate trade and commerce between a number of different kingdoms and empires. This helped for ideas, culture, inventions, and unique products to spread across much of the settled world.
What are the 2 major sects of Islam?
A disagreement over succession after Mohammed’s death in 632 split Muslims into Islam’s two main sects, Sunni and Shia.
What brought an end to the Silk Road?
Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Silk Road routes remained in use until 1453 A.D., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them.
What religion came to China on the Silk Road?
Together with the economic and political exchange between the East and West, religions of the West were introduced into China via the world-famous route. Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manicheism, Nestorianism and Islam were cultural treasure of the ancient west, which were bestowed upon China during the old times.
What was the greatest impact of the Silk Road?
The greatest value of the Silk Road was the exchange of culture. Art, religion, philosophy, technology, language, science, architecture, and every other element of civilization was exchanged along these routes, carried with the commercial goods the merchants traded from country to country.
Why was the Silk Road dangerous?
It was incredibly dangerous to travel along the Silk Road. You faced desolate white-hot sand dunes in the desert, forbidding mountains, brutal winds, and poisonous snakes. But, to reach this strip, you had to cross the desert or the mountains. And of course there were always bandits and pirates.
What is the greatest impact of the Silk Road?
How did the Silk Road Affect Economy?
Developments were made in irrigation, crop-raising and breeding, building and handicrafts. Trade and commerce also flourished, and the Silk Routes became an increasingly important part of economic and cultural life, whilst coinage from this time serves as an indication of the political structure of the Kushan Empire.
How many sects of Islam are there today?
73
The most frequently cited hadith regarding the 73 divisions of the Muslim faith is reported as: the Jews are divided into 71 sects (firqa), the Christians into 72 sects, and my community will divide into 73 sects (Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisa’i). The hadith also occurs in many other versions as well.
Why did the Silk Road stop being used?
The trade on the road declined sharply till in the 13th century, when the conquests of the Mongols ushered in an era of frequent and extended contacts between East and West. With less cost, harassment and danger, many goods and materials that the Silk Road could not transfer were conveyed through the sea route. | https://holidaymountainmusic.com/how-did-the-silk-road-help-spread-islam/ |
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Australian researchers have taken a step closer to solving one of the biggest mysteries of the universe.
While science may still be in the dark about what dark matter is, it now has a better idea of what it isn’t thanks to the University of Western Australia’s ORGAN Experiment.
After four years of preparation, the country’s first major foray into so-called antimatter or dark energy detection has completed a substantive search for hypothetical elementary particles known as axions.
The result, according to PhD student Aaron Quiskamp, means science’s leading minds can rule out a popular theory about the nature of dark matter, narrowing the possibilities for what it could be.
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And why is that important?
Dark matter is believed to account for about 85 per cent of all matter in the universe and has a significant influence on its structure and evolution.
Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t absorb, reflect or emit light and is therefore hard to locate.
Ms Quiskamp says he and his colleagues have performed the most sensitive search so far for axion dark matter in a particular mass range.
“Although we didn’t find any, it’s very exciting because it’s Australia’s first large-scale, long-term direct dark matter detection experiment,” he said.
“It’s also given us useful information about what axion dark matter isn’t, which tells future axion searches across the globe where not to look.”
Dr Ben McAllister, a physicist with the Australian Research Council, says numerous experiments around the globe are testing hypotheses about what dark matter is.
“We’re trying to rule out all the possible candidates and by the process of elimination figure out which one is correct,” he said.
“Because we don’t know how heavy the axion is, if it even exists, we need multiple experiments searching the different mass ranges predicted by the theory.”
The ORGAN Experiment is the first to use axion haloscope detector.
“The idea … is to try and detect the dark matter by converting it into well-known particles called photons, which are like tiny flashes of light,” Dr McAllister said.
“When we don’t see any little flashes, as was the case this time, we instead place exclusion limits, where we rule out axions that our experiment would have been sensitive to.
“Then, we tell the rest of the dark matter community ‘no dark matter here’ and move on to search for axions of a different mass.”
Mr Quiskamp says the team should begin its next search later this year, with improvements being made to achieve greater sensitivity and wider-ranging coverage. | https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/07/17/aussie-scientists-join-dark-matter-quest/ |
I came across this blog entry listing
favorite fictional characters. So what's nondual about it? These
are characters who have broken through, or probed deeply the
skin of the world, which is made of mental constructs.
Captain Ahab, as I see it, is the most nondual on this list, with
Ishmael holding onto
his condition of being the witness. Ahab let
go of even that and merged with the All. Which I plan to do as
soon Friends is over.
One's cultural experiences are often as
vivid as one's 'real' life. I can remember seeing the Death Star
explode, the seats in the theater (Swagath in Bangalore)
creaking, popcorn and Thums-up. I can remember wiping away a tear
when Oy, the billy-bumbler is killed when fighting Mordred
Deschain in The Dark Tower. Musical memories resonate through one
when a chord of a familiar song plays on the radio -
"Fever" reminds one of a desolate night when one
realized the fragility of young romance, You Look Wonderful
Tonight has a celebratory tinge of a new year's dawn.
Some characters become part of our lives
while we experience their virtual lives, and live on after their
fictive universe is snuffed, or they themselves are. Here's my
subjective list of my favorite dead (fictional) characters:
* Captain Ahab
from Moby-Dick: Although I'd personally identify more
with Ishmael than the idealistic Captain Ahab, he survives the
fatal chase, and thence must be considered immortal in the
fictiverse of the novel. Captain Ahab, on the other hand, has a
glorious and 'clear spirit', and an engulfing end that is in line
with his life's mission to be at one with the whale and the sea.
"Some men die at ebb tide; some at low water; some at the
full of the flood; and I feel now like a billow that's all
one crested comb, Starbuck. I am old; shake hands with me,
man."
* Darth
Vader/Anakin Skywalker: From Ahab's rigidity of
character to Anakin's vacillation and need to find identity might
be a galactic leap, yet there is much in common between them -
Lord Vader's senseless cruelty even after losing the object of
his original quest can be contrasted with Ahab's determination to
persevere after an unattainable goal. They differ in one
significant aspect - Vader is redeemed before his end, and steps
back from the brink of the abyss. I can watch the series end to
end a gazillion times before I die, and probably will.
* Kenny from SouthPark: "But Kenny dies all the time!" - SouthPark
has, for all it's sophomoric humor, succeeded in going places and
exploring facets of society that more genteel cultural creations
shy away from. Kenny's ritualistic death may seem senseless, but
is often the catharsis for deriving the true moral of the story,
whether it is the Schiavo-like near-death of Best Friends Forever
or the post-9/11 "Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants"
which expressed the traditional requiem somewhat differently as
"Oh Allah!, Koshtand Keyvan o!"
Minor
exegesis: numerous characters are resurrected by the force of the
narrative - Kenny, Superman, Mr Spock... one shall refrain from
choosing other characters that are undead in this manner.
* Neo, or Thomas
Anderson: The Christ of programmers, the avenging angel
who rescues the world from the machines, Neo is an archetypal
hero; in his final act, he obtains the trade-off that those who
achieve awareness shall be free of The Matrix.
* Sherlock Holmes:
The Master presents a special problem to the Holmesian
aficionado. His death is never explicitly stated, thus, in the
fictiverse, he lives on forever. At the same time, the Final
Problem saw his apparent demise, and he was never quite the same
after, and may indeed have been a different person. His
personality, from his analytical, modus ponens approach to
problem-solving, to his fastidiousness have made him a memorable
person, and to me, a critical role model.
I made every
disposition of my property before leaving England and handed it
to my brother Mycroft. Pray give my greetings to Mrs. Watson, and
believe me to be, my dear fellow
| |
World’s Leading Nuclear Exporting Companies conclude review meeting of their Nuclear Power Plant and Reactor Exporters’ Principles of Conduct (NuPoC)
SEOUL—The participating nuclear exporting companies and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (customarily chairing the meeting) have concluded a sixth meeting to review the implementation of NuPoC. These unprecedented Principles establish clear voluntary guidelines for negotiating export contracts, designing facilities and engaging customers. NuPoC creates common high standards of practice in the areas of safety, security, nonproliferation, environmental protection, ethics, and liability insurance. Together, they represent a voluntary industry code of conduct that complements and often exceeds national laws and regulations, thus raising the bar globally on the standards of responsible nuclear conduct.
NuPoC’s secretariat, with the local support of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), convened the meeting in Seoul on October 21 and 22, 2014. Participants were welcomed by Hee-Yong Lee, executive vice president and chief nuclear officer of KEPCO, who gave a presentation on the second day of the meeting on lessons learned and best practices from KEPCO’s general experiences in an overseas project.
In keeping with the spirit of having an open process that welcomes the participation of all relevant designers and exporters of nuclear facilities, participants welcomed the adoption by INVAP, a leading vendor of nuclear facilities, based in Argentina. Vendors changed the initiative’s name to “The Nuclear Power Plant and Reactor Exporters’ Principles of Conduct” to reflect its broadening scope. Vendors reported on activities undertaken to educate their customers about NuPoC and took additional steps to ease further entry of new adopting companies in NuPoC.
As a reflection of Vendors’ common interest in promoting safety and security within the nuclear industry, active and retired regulators are customarily invited to participate in NuPoC’s meetings. In this meeting, André-Claude Lacoste, chairman of the sixth review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) and expert for the Principles of Conduct process, discussed the recommendations from the CNS sixth review meeting. Vendors also welcomed Yoon-Won Park, former president of the Korean Institute for Nuclear Safety and professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Together, and in the spirit of continuous improvement, they underscored the importance of identifying and implementing appropriate safety improvements at existing nuclear power plants.
Vendors acknowledged that the prime responsibility for safe operation rests with operators. Updating Principle 1, they expressed their eagerness to learn from operating experience and seek continuous safety improvements to the existing nuclear power plants they have supplied. Vendors committed to integrating essential safety enhancements in their future nuclear power plant designs. Vendors look forward to discussing these important matters with the World Association of Nuclear Operators and leading regulators at their next meeting.
Welcoming continuing dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency , and in response to its suggestion, Vendors updated Principle 2 to better reflect the application of the Principles to cyber-security matters. To facilitate implementation, Vendors agreed that from now on updates of the Principles will routinely go into effect every January first of the new year. Vendors discussed ways in which they could take the lead to cooperate with other nuclear stakeholders, in particular operators and regulators, to advance NuPoC’s spirit of nuclear responsibility culture worldwide. In addition, Vendors agreed to step up their outreach to nuclear engineering schools and other post-graduate level institutions of higher education, to encourage them to expand their curriculum to include NuPoC as an example of an industry led corporate social responsibility initiative and best practice.
Meeting participants updated each other on their implementation activities and shared best practices in the areas of employee education, management engagement, and sustaining continuous support for NuPoC at all levels within companies. Vendors underscored the importance of the integrity of the supply chain to the safety of the nuclear power plants they export. To that effect Vendors discussed the importance of deeper engagement with suppliers, in particular in their quality assurance programs.
Vendors continue to strengthen NuPoC as an important forum where vendors can share experiences and insights in addressing challenges in implementing the Principles, to benefit the public interest. A digest of these insights will be made publicly available in coming weeks on the initiative’s website (www.nuclearprinciples.org). Several Vendors individually presented generic case studies reflecting on the kind of challenges they experience in the implementation of the Principles, including in nuclear newcomer countries, and ways in which these challenges could be overcome in different settings. In the context of Principle 5, Professor ManSung Yim, head of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering at KAIST, discussed his research regarding the relationship between nonproliferation and nuclear energy.
Vendors in attendance at the Seoul meeting included:
- AREVA
- ATMEA
- Candu Energy
- Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy
- INVAP
- GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
- KEPCO
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- Rusatom Overseas
- Toshiba
- Westinghouse Electric Company
The participating companies are scheduled to meet again in May 2015.
Press Contacts: | http://nuclearprinciples.org/pressrelease/worlds-leading-nuclear-exporting-companies-conclude-review-meeting-of-their-nuclear-power-plant-and-reactor-exporters-principles-of-conduct-nupoc/ |
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer.
Dame Street - 0.2 km / 0.1 mi
Button Factory - 0.2 km / 0.1 mi
Dublin City Hall - 0.3 km / 0.2 mi
Dublin Castle - 0.3 km / 0.2 mi
Olympia Theatre - 0.3 km / 0.2 mi
Ha' Penny Bridge - 0.3 km / 0.2 mi
Abbey Street - 0.4 km / 0.2 mi
Jervis Shopping Center - 0.4 km / 0.2 mi
Bank of Ireland - 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
Four Courts - 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
Christ Church Cathedral - 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
Dublinia - 0.5 km / 0.3 mi
Dublin Tourism Centre - 0.6 km / 0.4 mi
Molly Malone Statue - 0.6 km / 0.4 mi
The Spire - 0.6 km / 0.4 mi
The preferred airport for The Clarence is Dublin Airport (DUB) - 25.4 km / 15.8 mi
Property Policies
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation. Check-in starts at 2 PM. For late or early check-in, guests are required to contact the property in advance.
Important Information
Please note, there is important information about this property to know before you arrive.
- Up to 2 children 2 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
- The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
- This property advises that enhanced cleaning and guest safety measures are currently in place.
- Disinfectant is used to clean the property; commonly-touched surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant between stays; bed sheets and towels are laundered at a temperature of at least 60°C/140°F; guestroom doors are sealed after cleaning; the property is cleaned and disinfected with electrostatic spray.
- Social distancing measures are in place; staff at the property wear personal protective equipment; a shield is in place between staff and guests in main contact areas; periodic temperature checks are conducted on staff; guests are provided with hand sanitizer; cashless payment methods are available for all transactions; contactless room service is available.
- Contactless check-in and contactless check-out are available.
- The property affirms that it adheres to the Safe Travels (WTTC - Global) sanitization guidelines and the Intertek Cristal (3rd party expert - Global) sanitization guidelines.
- Enhanced food service safety measures are in place.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Breakfast fee: between EUR 15 and EUR 99 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: EUR 20 per night
- Covered valet parking fee: EUR 30 per night (in/out privileges)
- Nearby parking fee: EUR 19 per night
- Late check-out fee: EUR 20 (subject to availability)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change. | https://hotels.jetstar.com/properties/24956-the-clarence |
HSE issues apology following HIQA report that highlighted anti-Covid measure
MID-West Community Healthcare has apologised for its failure to meet the required standards at St Joseph’s Hospital, Ennis after an inspection found residents were left months without showers during a Covid-19 outbreak.
A Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspection report has revealed residents who required assistance were not allowed to have a shower during this outbreak.
“Inspectors reviewed the care records and spoke with care staff. Records evidenced that there were periods of months where residents did not have a shower.
“This was discussed with the nursing management who took immediate action and on day two of the inspection all residents that chose to shower were facilitated to have one,” the report stated.
A statement issued by Mid-West Community Healthcare has confirmed an independent review will be undertaken into the findings of the report as the health authority continues to work with staff and the regulator towards full compliance with all standards.
The HSE acknowledged the HIQA inspection identified high standards of care and also some areas of non-compliance.
“Mid-West Community Healthcare Chief Officer, Maria Bridgeman, and management and staff at St Joseph’s Hospital acknowledge the non-compliances. We would like to apologise to residents and families for not meeting the required standards.
“St Joseph’s provides an essential service to Clare people. The services that are provided include short-term respite, rehab and continuing care. It is an integral part of the community with the local parish church on site and has established links with local schools through intergenerational projects.”
Deputy Joe Carey, who was shocked to learn some patients hadn’t a shower in months, supports the need for an independent review into the report’s findings. “It is hard to believe that something like the fact residents hadn’t showers would happen. It appears to be a measure taken by management to limit the spread of Covid-19, which is very hard to believe and understand. It is not acceptable and we need to find out why vulnerable people couldn’t get a shower.
“The report also praised the care at the facility. Work is continuing improving facilities for residents who are currently in the centre.”
Senator Martin Conway said he was saddened to learn about some of the deficiencies of care in St Joseph’s Hospital.
Notwithstanding the difficulties presented during a Covid-19 outbreak, Senator Conway expressed grave concern that some patients were left without showers for up to 12 weeks and stressed resources should have been deployed to ensure they had showers on a regular basis.
The Ennistymon senator said any review into the non-compliances should establish why did this happen and has a protocol been put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
He believes the review should be completed in a matter of weeks to reassure the families of loved ones who have been affected and called on the HSE to publicly state who is carrying out this review.
The report found the centre was not compliant for regulations including applications for registered providers for the variation or removal of condition for registration; training and staff development; governance and management, premises and residents’ rights. The centre complied with standards for staffing, notification of incidents, individual assessment and care plan and healthcare.
It was substantially compliant for regulations governing statement of purpose, complaints’ procedure and infection control.
There were 65 patients in the facility when HIQA inspectors visited on March 10 and March 11.
While residents were feeling the implications of the Covid-19 outbreak on their daily lives they were quick to state that they felt management were taking all measures to protect them.
Residents also had high praise for the staff who care for them on a daily basis and were content in the company of staff.
On December 27, 2020 the Office of the chief inspector was notified of a Covid -19 outbreak in the centre. In total, 32 residents had been confirmed positive, of these 26 had recovered and sadly six residents had passed away.
On the days of inspection all residents were remaining in their units and the centre outbreak was declared over on March 12, 2021.
Throughout the outbreak staffing levels were maintained with use of agency staff, these staff worked in this centre only and as a result were familiar with resident needs. There is an ongoing recruitment campaign to fill current vacancies.
From conversations with staff and from a review of the records there was an over reliance on existing staff to support and mentor all new staff. Improved induction and supervisions arrangements were required for new staff appointments. | https://clarechampion.ie/st-josephs-residents-were-not-let-shower-for-months-says-report/ |
Author(s):White, AnneGrabowska, IzabelaPublished in:Central and Eastern European Migration Review, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2019, pp. 33-50DOI: 10.17467/ceemr.2019.05Received:
31 August 2018Accepted:
15 May 2019Published:
28 June 2019Views: 2603
Our article considers social remittances and social change in Central and Eastern Europe. We show how migration scholarship can be embedded into the wider study of social processes and relations. ‘Social remitting’ sometimes seems to be little more than a slippery catchphrase; however, this article defends the concept. If it is defined carefully and used cautiously, it should help the researcher to think about what, in addition to money, is sent from one society to another and exactly how, thus shedding light on important and insufficiently studied aspects of migration. A close-up view of the processes by which ideas, practices, norms, values and, according to some definitions, social capital and social skills are transferred by migrants across international borders helps researchers to understand more precisely how migration contributes to social change or, in some cases, prevents it from occurring. Our article reviews some of the most interesting arguments and findings presented recently by other scholars and discusses aspects of social remitting which particularly interested us in our own research. The context of our research is social change in Poland: we attempt to understand how migration has contributed to wider patterns of social change since 1989 and exactly how it intertwines with other social trends and globalisation influences. This entails a careful focus on both structural conditions and agency and therefore on social remittances.
Introduction
The aim of this article is to review the recent scholarship about social remittances – both the development of the concept and its operationalisation through empirical studies. In keeping with the theme of the special issue, we focus particularly on the ways in which the concept of social remittances is useful for studying wider patterns of social change in post-communist Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The article clarifies and justifies the use of the term, which we believe to be an essential analytical tool for understanding the impact of migration in any sending country, in the context of wider social trends. In recent years, research into CEE in particular has shed light on the different dimensions of social remitting, building on the foundation laid by Peggy Levitt (1998). The article draws on our empirical research and conceptual work but is also a literature review of the strands of social remittance research which we consider particularly relevant for CEE. We hope that the article will be equally interesting to migration scholars researching the impact of migration on particular countries, and to readers encountering the concept of social remittances for the first time.
Social remittances are understood variously by different authors but a working definition could include the ideas, practices, attitudes, values, norms, beliefs and identities which migrants bring from one society to another, as well as the non-economic capital of various kinds – knowledge, qualifications, social skills and useful contacts – which they acquire thanks to migration. Some scholars use the term more broadly, to encompass the indirect social effects of migration. For example, Boccagni and Decimo (2013: 1) write about the ‘myriad ways in which migrants affect their home societies’. However, it seems preferable to keep indirect impacts analytically separate from social remittances. We adhere to Levitt’s original idea, when launching the concept (Levitt 1998, 2001), that social remittances describe person-to-person transfers. Sometimes these can be deliberate but they can also be unintentional. They can be transferred not only between migrants and non-migrants but also between non-migrants.
Social remitting is more complex than its close cousin, economic remitting. Social remittances are not things taken out of a suitcase. The term is a metaphor, a reminder that economic remittances are not the whole story: migration has more than economic effects. However, the economic remitting parallel should not deceive one into supposing that only economic migrants can be social remitters. All kinds of migration and mobility, including short-term mobility such as internships and social or business visits abroad, can produce social remittances. Finally, social remitting is not simply an outcome – to be measured by quantitative research, as some scholars try to do – but also a process, with separate stages (Grabowska and Garapich 2016; Grabowska, Garapich, Jaźwińska and Radziwinowiczówna 2017).
In keeping with the anniversary theme of this special issue, our article draws on research within the geographical context of the post-communist area. We focus mostly on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), referring also to Kazakhstan. The period of system transformation and its aftermath is an intriguing laboratory for studying social remittances and social change. Migration cannot be separated from general social relations and social processes. As de Haas (2014: 16), following Castles (2010), suggests:
We can only improve our understanding of migration if we understand the broader change processes of which it is a constituent part. Migration studies, then, become an angle through which to improve our understanding of social, cultural and economic change. In other words: to understand society is to understand migration, and to understand migration is to better understand society. Such embedded understanding of migration also creates conceptual space to study causes and consequences of migration simultaneously, instead of conceptually separating them.
By identifying the important social trends since 1989, one can begin to appreciate the overall context to which migrants contribute their micro-level changes (White, Grabowska, Kaczmarczyk and Slany 2018). However, trends and patterns are not always clear. On the one hand, the prevalent narrative of an East–West ‘catch-up revolution’ and the actual experience of the EU accession process created a backdrop to cultural change with the implication that societies in CEE were moving ‘West’. On the other, the phenomenon of catch-up is cast in doubt by the many endogenous sources of change in the region, while the assumption of unilinear progress is challenged by recent setbacks to democratisation in CEE, combined with weaknesses of democracy in the West. It is not surprising to find that survey evidence in CEE often presents a confusing picture. For example, in Poland, levels of generalised trust (trust in strangers) seem to be improving slightly, according to some measures, in the 21st century. This is what one would expect, given that the country has become more prosperous. According to other measures, however, levels of generalised trust remain stuck at a rather low level, which is typical for post-communist societies (Cybulska and Pankowski 2018).
One trend is incontrovertible: since the Iron Curtain was dismantled, new opportunities to travel and live abroad have transformed the lives and livelihoods of millions of people from CEE. Exactly how this happened and how these individual transformations have intertwined with the wider (but not unidirectional) system transformation is the subject of our article. Rather than adopting a catch-up approach, we see CEE and Western Europe as co-existing within multiple overlapping transnational and translocal social spaces. To some extent this is also already a single cultural space; however, there is also sufficient cultural diversity for migrants to want to transmit new ideas and practices from one location to another, in all directions of the compass.
The key research questions of this article are:
- How is the concept of social remittances important for understanding the way in which migration is embedded in society?
- How should we understand the intertwining of social remittances with economic and political ones to obtain a more holistic view of social changes in Central and Eastern European societies?
- How can social remittances reinforce existing social trends? Considering that, since the end of the Cold War, as just mentioned, millions of citizens in CEE have also experienced the period of system transformation as one of new, direct exposure to life in foreign countries, the co-existence and intersection of these two intense and often dramatic processes create a fascinating laboratory for studying how social change can happen in a transnational context in the contemporary world.
The article is structured as follows. We first discuss the concept of social remittances and the literature on social remittances in CEE. The remainder of the article presents some of our own research into aspects of Polish social remitting, based primarily on four projects, as outlined in the methodology section. Our topics are the stages and domains of social remitting, the features of successful remitters and resistance to social remitting (Grabowska); scaling up and how remittances circulate and reinforce other causes of social change (White). Our projects were based mostly on in-depth interviews with migrants, return migrants and stayers and on ethnographic observation.
The concept of social remittances
Receiving-society researchers tend to focus exclusively on the acquisition stage, when migrants pick up new ideas and practices abroad. Although such cases might equally well be regarded as examples of ‘acculturation’ or ‘integration’, this does not make the social remittances concept redundant, since acculturation and integration are concepts which call attention to the receiving society, whereas social remitting is a concept designed mostly to understand sending societies. Karolak (2016) suggests that acquired ideas are only ‘potential social remittances’ until they are transferred to the sending country. However, when a migrant acquires new ideas and practices abroad, this can already be considered a change for the sending society. Many mobile people today – including many Poles in Western Europe – should still be considered members of their societies of origin, since they are abroad only briefly and/or maintain close ties and identification with places and people in Poland. When they acquire new ideas, practices, values, norms and beliefs, this in itself represents a facet of Polish social change (White et al. 2018).
Nonetheless, social remittances can only be thoroughly understood if an attempt is also made to trace how they are transferred by migrants to non-migrants. This often involves some negotiation and re-interpretation of the original idea or practice. Nagy (2009: 10), writing about Romania, suggests that migrants ‘help impose foreign models but often with a double translation, linked to diverse local reinterpretations’. A final, mostly untouched, question is how social remittances travel even further into the sending society, passing from non-migrant to non-migrant: how they ‘scale up’, to use Levitt and Lamba-Nieves’ (2011: 19) terminology. If they are just local events, ‘migration driven local-level forms of cultural diffusion’, as defined in the title of Levitt’s (1998) article, they might appear rather trivial. Hence it seems helpful to consider whether they might also have some, presumably cumulative, regional or national effect. This could happen, for example, in the case of social or religious movements – influenced by foreign ideas – which manage to gather new followers in a sending society. We argue, however, that many social remittances are likely to be influential on a wider scale only when they coexist with and reinforce on-going social processes and that it is not their unique impact but rather their relationship with those endogenous processes which requires attention (White et al. 2018).
Levitt (1998, 2001) and Levitt and Lamba-Nieves (2011) presented a wide-ranging discussion of social remitting between Boca Canasta in the Dominican Republic and Boston, USA. Other scholars latched onto Levitt’s term, which described a familiar phenomenon, observable wherever migrants kept in touch with their countries of origin. Nonetheless, for all the detail and thoroughness of Levitt’s analysis, social remitting as a process continued to intrigue. So did the question of how far the specific Dominican–US pairing was typical of other sending and receiving societies – not least because the one country is poorer and less powerful than the other. Although Levitt has always stressed that she was not arguing for US superiority, the potential for a normative, neo-colonialist reading of social remittances rendered the concept open to criticism (Castles, de Haas and Miller 2014: 79).
The issue of typicality is related to a broader question about interplay between agency and structure. Social remitting is an attractive term to researchers partly because ‘remitting’ highlights that migrants have agency. However, the contexts in which remitting occurs are also crucial to their success. Scholars’ discomfort with the possible ‘West is best’ implications of the term points to a broader dimension of power relationships between remitters and recipients. These power relationships are specific to each pair of individuals’ personality traits, experiences and networks but are also shaped by their geographical and social environment – for example, if the remitter lives abroad in a rich Western country and the recipient in a poorer Southern one. The power relations connected with social remitting are captured in Anthias’s (2012) concept of ‘translocal positionality’. Anthias considers social outcomes produced at the intersection of sending and receiving structures and positions and recognises the importance of the context and the situated nature of shifting locales (Anthias 2012: 107–108). She further argues (2012: 104) that people who are embedded within two social milieux often have to deal with conflicting expectations and forms of social control, hence their ‘translocal positionality’.
Social remittances research in CEE, with reference to political and economic remittances
The past few years have seen a spate of studies on social remittances, as well as several international conferences. Of particular significance was a conference under the auspices of the CMR in January 2015 which resulted in a special issue of the Central and Eastern European Migration Review (vol. 5, no. 2). Recent books and special issues focusing wholly or partly on CEE include Anghel, Fauser and Boccagni (in press); Boccagni and Decimo (2013); Grabowska and Garapich (2016); Grabowska et al. (2017) and Nowicka and Šerbedžija (2016). Not all social remittances research can be identified in library catalogues using the phrase as a key word, since some researchers use other terms such as ‘transfer’ and ‘cultural brokerage’ (Nagy 2009) or ‘hybridisation’ (Blum 2015).
The post-communist area shares certain legacies and geographical and political characteristics which bear on social remitting. One obvious feature is the fact that EU membership plus the abolition of visa requirements for countries neighbouring the EU have led to variegated and dynamic patterns of international migration. Here, we focus mostly on two other features. The first is the habit of migration as an individual/family project, which makes social remitting an individual endeavour. The second is how receptivity to social remitting connects with the level of development characterising high- and upper-middle-income countries in the CEE region,1 as well as their cultural similarities and shared history with Western Europe. These make sending societies both more and less receptive to social remittances.
Policy-makers often assert that diasporas should contribute to development for their societies of origin. The assumption that they will want to do so may be correct where migrants move en masse between specific locations like Boca Canasta and Boston, and there is social pressure to contribute to sending communities through hometown associations. However, post-accession migrants from a single location in CEE are often scattered around Western Europe and do not form hometown associations. Insofar as they self-organise, it is usually to defend their interests in the receiving society (White and Grabowska 2018: 45). Migration is an individual or family project, not one undertaken for the sake of the origin community.2 Its individualistic nature is linked to the fact that migration has often been a livelihood strategy chosen because of defects in the post-communist system transformation at local level. The state is blamed for the weaknesses of local labour markets, while individuals laud their own resourcefulness in getting by, outside official structures, through employing a range of informal practices and relations (Ledeneva 2018; Rakowski 2016). These include informal migration networks (White 2016). Researchers therefore need to focus on individuals’ experiences of adopting new ideas, practices, etc. and on trying to spread these further among their family members, friends and neighbours – in other words, individual social remitting.
Numerous lifestyle and cultural similarities exist between countries in CEE and those in Western Europe. Health and education outcomes are comparable and, according to UN Human Development Indicators, the whole area is ‘highly developed’. Hence CEE does not fit neatly into the migration–development nexus often used to explain migration’s social impact. Close similarity between sending and receiving societies facilitates the easy transfer of ideas, so that – particularly in the bigger cities of CEE with a large share of highly educated and prosperous residents – there is a constant flow of influences in both directions. New fashions and habits can be picked up abroad and transferred to CEE without friction.3 In the CEEMR special issue on social remittances (vol. 5, no. 2), Levitt (2016: 17) refers to ‘the cultural and discursive backdrop that makes those exchanges possible by making people more open to these new ideas and behaviours’.
On the other hand, CEE, particularly outside major cities, sometimes seems to lack that backdrop. It offers an intriguing study of power relationships in a not quite ‘post-colonial’ setting. These relationships rest on an economic hierarchy. North-West EU member-states, through European funds, subsidise most regions in CEE, as well as constituting the main destination countries for EU migrants. Also relevant are historically rooted superiority and inferiority complexes and assumptions about cultural difference between ‘East’ and ‘West’. Such complicated feelings – to some extent reinforced by growing Euroscepticism – can impede receptivity to social remitting in contemporary CEE. Nevinskaitė (2016) introduces the concept of country receptivity. As Garapich (2016) shows, receptivity at the local level is also key to successful remitting.
Haynes and Galasińska (2016: 55) point out that, on Polish Internet fora, ‘non-migrants tend to agree with migrants when comparing cultural differences between two countries and that, more often than not, they are united in mutual complaints about their home country’ (Galasińska 2010). However, other authors – such as Dzięglewski (2016), Garapich (2016) and Nevinskaitė (2016) – highlight instances of low receptivity, and resistance to social remittances. Nevinskaitė (2016: 135), for example, mentions ‘a perceived negative opinion (unwelcoming attitude) in society towards Lithuanians from abroad’. Garapich’s (2016) article is titled ‘I Don’t Want this Town to Change’. Dzięglewski (2016: 178) highlights the lack of trust within Polish society, resulting in ‘reserved and distant attitudes towards new ideas, know-how, behaviours and any social innovation of which migrants might be the propagators’. Kubal (2015) similarly records how Ukrainians hesitate to try to enact foreign practices after they return, for fear that they will not be sympathetically received.
Like Kubal (2015), Blum (2015) identifies varying degrees of acceptability for different practices, in this case imported from the USA to Kazakhstan.4 Blum’s interviewees found it easier to convince non-migrants to emulate a perceived American work ethic than to enthuse them about volunteering. Ideas about gender equality seemed to travel surprisingly well: female non-migrants, at least, were receptive to persuasion by female returnees (2015: 159). Blum (2015) argues that migrants’ likelihood of picking up social remittances depends largely on their individual capacity for reflexivity – and also that, overall, women acquired social remittances more easily than men. This last finding is echoed in a number of studies of Polish migrants (Grabowska-Lusińska and Jaźwińska-Motylska 2013; Mole, Parutis, Gerry and Burns 2017; Siara 2009).
Adopting a slightly different approach to receptivity among the various social groups in post-communist Poland, our own recent book (White et al. 2018) considers links between social remitting and other demographic and socio-economic characteristics, arguing that social remittances can be particularly influential where one might assume the population to be the least receptive to new ideas – among working-class, older and small-town Poles less exposed to other globalisation influences, such as through higher education, tourism or big-city life.
Some of the most useful scholarship for understanding CEE focuses on how different sub-types of remittance – economic, social and political – intertwine. Since we are interested in explaining Poland ‘in the round’, this type of approach seems particularly helpful. Here, we very briefly review some studies of the sociology of economic remitting, remittances of democratic values and the ‘transnational action space’.
In a recent article showing how economic remitters in Senegal influence the voting patterns of remittance receivers, Vari-Lavoisier (2016) claims that the literature on social aspects of economic remitting is still underdeveloped. While this may be true of quantitative sociology, there do also exist social anthropological studies of economic remitting, including on CEE. Qualitative researchers seek to understand the symbolic functions of money transfers and the cultural capital of remitters. For example, as Vianello (2013: 92) points out, in Ukraine but also globally, migrant women represent ‘the act of remitting money… as a symbol of love and faithfulness towards their families left behind’. This fulfils an emotional need but also has a social function in justifying non-standard behaviour, when women leave their children and become the household’s main breadwinner.
The literature on households and remittances cannot avoid the topic of family politics. More conventionally ‘political’ are studies of circumstances under which social remitting contributes to democratisation or its reverse. For example, Levitz and Pop-Eleches (2010: 476) argue for ‘the high importance of migration in Bulgaria and Romania, which seems to facilitate social learning and contributes to greater domestic pressures for better democratic governance’. Although the EU loses leverage after candidate countries join, it can indirectly influence post-accession politics in a more liberal direction, thanks to EU-engendered mobility. Ahmadov and Sasse (2015), drawing on the wider literature as well as on their empirical studies of Ukraine and Poland, suggest that the picture is more complex.
Migrants’ political outlooks can differ from those of their non-migrant compatriots in some respects, while closely resembling them in others. A nuanced understanding of migrant political outlooks and behaviour and their congruence with those of their non-migrant compatriots calls for careful micro-level empirical studies of specific identities’ (2015: 1770).
The political remittances literature, as this quotation hints, is short on qualitative studies. There are, however, qualitative studies of how social movements spread across international borders. Erdmans (1998) had already written about this phenomenon with regard to links between Solidarity in 1980s Poland and Chicago. Today, opportunities for mobility between CEE and foreign countries, as well as the Internet, facilitate transnational action. Binnie and Klesse (2013), for example, in their article Like a Bomb in a Gasoline Station, describe Polish LGBT activism in and between Poland and abroad. While criticising the over-optimistic activist who used this metaphor to describe the impact of migrants returning to Poland with more LGBT-friendly outlooks, they do document extensive cross-border collaboration in what they label the ‘transnational social action space’. At the other end of the political spectrum, increasing collaboration and exchanges of visits between far-right organisations in Poland and the UK in 2017–2018 have been documented by journalists and by the website niepatriociuk.com, ‘non-patriots.com’, which monitors the activities of nationalist extremists. The edited volume Transnational Ukraine? Networks and Ties that Influence(d) Contemporary Ukraine argues that, rather than focusing on internal fragmentation in order to understand Ukrainian politics, scholars should turn their gaze towards the multiple ties (of all political colours) between Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainians abroad (Beichelt and Worschech 2017: 16).
As these examples suggest, recent research has unearthed many interesting empirical data about social, economic and/or political remittances in CEE. However, with the partial exception of studies of transnational social action space (Binnie and Klesse 2013), the literature insufficiently addresses broader questions about how and when social remittances can spread. More qualitative work is needed to understand the nuanced process of social remitting, including the domains in which remitting occurs, the characteristics of remitters who can be ‘agents of change’ and the stage of diffusion among stayers. Moreover, very little indeed is written about how remittances circulate and ‘scale up’, relating to wider patterns of social change. The next sections discuss these matters, mostly with reference to our own research.
Our projects and methodology
The remainder of the article is based on our own recent research and, in particular, on the following four projects.
- Cultural Diffusion through Social Remittances between Poland and the UK. This was a longitudinal project conducted by Izabela Grabowska, Michał Garapich, Ewa Jaźwińska and Agnieszka Radziwinowiczówna in 2011–2014. The research team interviewed 121 residents of three small Polish towns (c. 20 000 inhabitants) – Sokółka, Trzebnica and Pszczyna – and their contacts in the UK, both migrants, return migrants and non-migrants. We also conducted participant observation.5
- Education to Domestic and Foreign Labour-Market Transitions of Youth: The Role of Locality, Peer Groups and New Media (abbreviated to Peer Groups and Migration). This project consists of qualitative longitudinal studies in 2016–2020 in three medium-sized towns in Poland (c. 100 000 inhabitants): Puławy, Słupsk and Mielec. The units of analysis are both individuals and high-school peer groups, with both migrants and non-migrants as a direct reference population.6 The team of the research project conducted 111 structured in-depth interviews in the first wave and 54 semi-structured in-depth interviews with narrative components along the life line.
- The Impact of Migration on Social Change in Poland. This project was financed by the Grabowski Fund. White interviewed both stayers and return migrants in Wrocław, Łódź, Warsaw and Lublin in 2015–2016. The research project also drew on her 2006–2013 projects on return migration and family migration from Polish small towns and villages. She interviewed a total of 229 people (see White 2018: 135).
- Invisible Poles. The present article also draws on this project, for which Anne White and Kinga Goodwin interviewed 28 British-born Poles in the UK in 2018.7
White’s interviewees were given pseudonyms, while Grabowska’s in the Cultural Diffusion project are referred to by the occupations they performed at the time of the interview and by the birth year in the Peer Groups and Migration project. All interviews were conducted in Polish except those with British-born Poles.
The process of social remitting and agents of change
The process of social remitting is complex and has many stages. It is not easy to discover what ideas and practices were taken from one place to the other and what impact they had. By breaking the process down into separate stages, one can observe these various aspects. As already discussed, social remitting involves acquisition, transfer and the outcomes of transfer (Grabowska et al. 2017). Resistance can be encountered at every stage (Garapich 2016). The stage of acquisition occurs when encounters (sometimes only fleeting) take place in various social settings: at workplaces, clubs, sports centres, restaurants, parks, private houses, etc. Such encounters occur not only with representatives of the receiving society but also with co-nationals from other regions of the migrant’s own country, representatives of neighbouring countries (in the Polish case, from CEE) and migrants from other parts of the world. This socially situated learning seems to be crucial for acquiring social remittances – mostly ideas and practices. People acquire new ideas and learn new practices predominantly by observing, communicating and doing things with the others in places such as these (Grabowska 2018b). When people change the context of their lives and feel a contextual disjuncture, they usually acquire a bifocal perspective (Garapich 2016). This involves making comparisons between destination and origin locations, which tends to lead to a better appreciation of what was left behind and is therefore often not favourable to acquiring social remittances. Nonetheless, social remitting is occurring, since acquiring a bifocal perspective can be a social remittance in itself. This is illustrated in the following quotation from an anonymous male migrant interviewee in Puławy (the Peer Groups and Migration project).
I made a lot of new friends from around the world. I certainly practised the language, and there is always a different perspective on how you look at life. Even after returning to Poland, I used to look at Poland, thinking that here it is so beautiful and when you come here it is the most beautiful place on earth. And earlier I didn’t appreciate it.
Social remittances can be divided into ‘wide-ranging’ and ‘selective’. The former usually constitute a whole mind-set and world view, which people adjust or change as a result of international migration. They can relate to religion, gender roles, political views and affiliations or, more generally, to an overall way of life. Selective social remittances are usually partial and are acquired singly. They are situational and relate to life situations and ventures which people are undertaking or are planning to undertake – or, in some cases, avoid – in the near future. In our research findings, these included family celebrations such as weddings, christenings, first Holy Communion, funerals, Easter and Christmas and family reunions; life-cycle events such as pregnancy, retirement, divorce, school-to-work transitions, a gap year or taking care of older family members; and purchasing or renting property, cars and equipment for the home, as well as house and garden makeovers.
The stage of transfer involves the travel of already acquired remittances from one place to another. Wide-ranging social remittances usually travel in bundles, because they relate to a wider set of practices and might also be translated into norms, beliefs and values, as in the first example below, by a male return migrant in Słupsk born in 1989 (the Peer Groups and Migration project). Selective social remittances usually travel singly, as in the case of seating name cards for wedding guests mentioned in the second quotation by a sports coach in Sokółka (the Cultural Diffusion project).
Cultural knowledge, because understanding other people isn’t just about speaking the language, but also about how you behave in a setting with different cultures. Is there anything else? I think perhaps you see the world differently… We have a wider perspective on people – that everyone’s entitled to their own views and opinions.
We brought these little name cards for the guests, to show them where to sit at the wedding table, in order to avoid family tensions which we knew about before. It worked out very well.
Sometimes the transfer is incomplete or blocked because there is no opportunity structure (Merton 1996) to implement new ideas and practices acquired abroad. Most commonly, English language skills, which are usually required by employers after return, are rarely needed because the company has not developed business links across international borders and has no need to communicate in English with suppliers, clients or other parties on a daily basis. The stage of transfer might also involve resistance, when people discover that an idea or a practice is too innovative for an origin location and decide that it will never be possible to introduce it.
Some migrants, as a result of migration and acquiring a bifocal perspective, even prefer their origin locations to remain unchanged. They idealise them and deliberately do not transfer innovative social remittances, even in cases where it seems that these could be useful. A process of re-traditionalisation takes place, meaning that people want to either freeze or bring back traditional beliefs, values and norms about both community and family. In the case of Poland, this is connected with a patriarchal family model and the Catholic Church.
The stage of outcomes of transfer involves both implementation and adaptation by others of acquired and transferred social remittances. It includes copying and pasting social remittances –‘borrowed’ from abroad and imitated after return – and social remittances which are ‘translated’ or ‘adjusted’ to local terms and conditions. It is much easier to extensively copy and paste selective social remittances and much more difficult to implement wide-ranging social remittances and persuade others of their merits. Success is only possible for certain carriers of social remittances. They need to demonstrate innovative behaviour and possess specific traits. In other words, human agency is essential to the process.
We collected the opinions of local people about some active carriers of social remittances in three communities – Sokółka, Trzebnica and Pszczyna, small towns with varying economic profiles located in different regions of Poland (Grabowska et al. 2017). The carriers of social remittances were a nurse, a beautician, a sports coach, a bartender, a pet-shop owner and a person who spent much time socialising in public places in the town and sold legal highs. We identified a set of features necessary to become an ‘agent of change’: (1) personality traits; (2) opportunities for contact and informal learning abroad; (3) organisational and institutional settings for diffusion in home town; (4) a socially useful, everyday role in the community; (5) migration money and awareness of its social value (Grabowska 2018a: 84). As one of the non-migrants – the colleague and co-worker of a cosmetician in Sokółka (the Cultural Diffusion project) – observed about her friend, a returned migrant:
She does not realise but she has changed as a result of working abroad. She has a different approach to clients. She knows how to do the beauty business. We observe her, how she brings up her children and behaves in her second marriage, and we learn from her. She organises these small charity events in her beauty parlour and clients go for it.
It is difficult for one person to combine all the features of an agent of change. Moreover, some people possess individual hallmarks without having any collective impact on a community. They have acquired many social remittances but are not able to transfer and implement them because of local conditions. These social remittances are then kept as an individual resource which might eventually be activated after a time lag if opportunities appear. Another situation occurs when some people are not credible and socially visible enough to achieve a following. In both cases, the window of opportunity for scaling up the outcomes of social remittances is somewhat limited.
Earlier in this article we mentioned the most active sites of encounter for acquiring social remittances. Here we would like to discuss the most active social sites for transferring and implementing both wide-ranging and selective social remittances. Throughout the course of our research we found that the most active sites of transfer and implementation of social remittances were workplaces and families. Workplaces are the most open and innovative micro-publics (Amin 2002), allowing both selective and comprehensive social remitting. By contrast, families are private spaces, able to implement selective social remittances, although also more prone to resist wide-ranging social remittances connected to norms, beliefs and values when these are remitted rapidly and at once. However, selective remittances may eventually lead to wider transformations (Buler, Grabowska, Pustułka and Sarnowska manuscript).
Polish workplaces also reflect, to some extent, the social trends taking place in society. They are affected by the general economic prosperity of recent years in Poland, the inflow of European Union funds, foreign investments and innovation, which make a friendly environment for innovative social remittances connected to non-material capital transfers of knowledge, skills and international contacts. Karolak (2016) argues, however, that the micro businesses which are usually set up by return migrants are more a source for the potential but not the actual transfer of social remittances into Polish workplaces. Grabowska and Jastrzębowska (2019, forthcoming) and Grabowska (2019) found that working abroad has an impact on transferable competences: cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal. The strongest impact was found on the birth cohort 1968–1972, described by Szewczyk (2015) as the ‘European Generation of Change’. This is the generation which was partly educated under communism and partly within the democratic system; its members did not necessarily acquire marketable qualifications in Poland and the experience of international migration enhances their social competence in the labour market.
In the case of families, the process of implementing social remitting is more nuanced. It is easier to transmit and implement selective remittances connected to simple practices which facilitate daily life than to adopt new norm and value systems. It seems that family life is still particularly exposed in Poland to a high level of social control. Abroad, people behave more freely but, when they return to their origin communities, they either follow the existing rules or actively choose re-traditionalisation (Buler et al., manuscript). We have however identified three categories of social remittance transferred into family life in the translocal perspective (Buler et al., manuscript). These categories are (1) the everyday logistics of organising family life observed and imitated from British families; (2) bringing up small children to be more independent by giving them small duties, more freedom and less ‘helicoptering’; and (3) gender roles, although this domain does not display one uniform pattern of social remitting. With regard to gender roles as bundles of social remittances, we found that, if there is some opening in the family and community (more-individualised migration, a weaker migration culture and less social control), people are more able to work out their own household division of labour, childcare, family quality and rubbish time, and to make decisions about women’s education, women setting up their own businesses and taking care of older family members.
Because active remitters are usually people who are both willing to learn and to share things with others, they also engage in the circulation of social remittances. This came out clearly in the stories of a nurse who had returned from the UK to live in Trzebnica (the Cultural Diffusion project):
I also showed the staff in the British nursing home the healing properties of garlic… They laughed at me. I went to the local library and I proved it. And I always thanked my fellow workers after we had been on a shift together, something I always did in Poland. (…) My husband gathered his co-workers in the garage and told them facts and stories about Polish history, not only about the Battle of Britain.
Circulation does not seem to be a symmetrical process, meaning that the same quantity and quality of social remittances are remitted to origin and destination. It is, however, worth considering it further and looking for evidence of remittances to receiving countries, even if they are not on the same scale as reverse flows.
Circulation and ‘scaling up’/reinforcing existing trends
The assertion that there can also be ‘circulation’ of social remittances often seems to be used to refute suggestions that social remittances are just a form of cultural colonisation of poorer countries by richer ones. However, the term is used variously by different scholars. By some, circulation is seen as something occurring within the brains/experiences of individual migrants. Levitt and Lamba-Nieves (2011) suggest that Dominican villagers come to the USA with cultural repertoires which they refine (rather than abandon) in the process of acquiring US social remittances. Vianello (2013: 92) similarly observes: ‘Social remittances should not be viewed as a cultural colonization, because they are developed – and not passively learned – by [Ukrainian] migrants through their work experiences, their life events and the interaction with different cultures’.
Social-media content researchers are able to study how ideas are tossed back and forth between stayers in the sending country and their co-nationals who have migrated. For example, Galasińska (2010) analyses arguments for and against return migration to Poland and Trandafoiu (2013) shows how Romanian stayers and migrants, through their discussions, jointly construct migration as the survival of the fittest. However, although this methodology allows the researcher to see how threads develop, one has the impression that true circulation is limited, in the sense that the migrant participants are not particularly receptive to ideas coming from the sending country. In any case, the information is too fragmentary to allow for thorough analysis of how ideas travel round and round in such settings.
Circulation also occurs when members of the receiving society adopt social remittances from migrants. Grabowska et al. (2017: 211) write about the ‘rule of reciprocity’ as facilitating social remitting. It is easier to take if you also give something back. Contact theory, although usually used for analysing integration, is equally relevant for understanding social remitting (which is, in some respects, the same phenomenon as integration but viewed from a sending-country perspective). For example, equality of status is said by contact theorists to be one precondition for good relations between different ethnic groups (Fonseca and McGarrigle 2012: 10). This can be illustrated in cases where Poles living abroad invite their foreign friends and employers to visit them in Poland, so that they can reverse the roles and temporarily adopt the ‘superior’ position of host rather than guest (Ahmadov and Sasse 2015; Galent, Goddeeris and Niedźwiedzki 2009; White 2018).
Visits potentially equalise the relationship, although not always – visitors may simply have their prejudices about supposed Polish backwardness confirmed, as, for example, in the case of a German farmer who visited his ex-employee in north-east Poland and noticed a farm horse pulling a cart. According to Tomasz, interviewed by White in Grajewo in 2012, ‘He was amazed. In the West agriculture is different; here in the Mazury Region it was like in the nineteenth century; the German had only heard about such things from his grandparents’.
However, Polish migrants often emphasise that visits to Poland persuaded foreigners to adopt favourable impressions of the country. Such visits apparently led the Belgian employers in Galent et al.’s study to see Poland as being ‘green instead of grey’ (2009: 130). A similar observation was made in London in 2018 by Teodora, a half-Polish, half-British retiree who owned a house in Poland to which she often invited British friends:
For many of them, it’s their first time in Poland and they come with a certain perception of what they think it’s going to be like and go away with a very different perception. I think they still have a feeling – maybe it’s a throwback to communist times – that it’s going to be very grey and people are very dour. But they come away with a very strong feeling about the people of Poland – I suppose that’s because we have family, they’re involved in that and they meet friends, as well. The food they think is wonderful!
Iwona, a stayer interviewed in Lublin in 2016, commented on how her husband’s Italian brother-in-law and his friends and relatives acquired a taste for Polish food products.
Doughnuts and Polish buns. They can eat lots of those… They bring horseradish back from Poland… and ptasie mleczko chocolates. They don’t have it. Paolo can eat a whole box.
As indicated in the example from Trzebnica, cited above, social remitting also occurs when migrants enact changes in attitudes, habits, etc. in the receiving country. As well as describing visits by Italians to Poland, Iwona, from Lublin, commented in 2016 on the behaviour of Paolo’s wife, her Polish sister-in-law, in Italy:
When her [Italian] friends come round, she treats them to Polish food, so that they can find out what it’s like. She always brings back something from Poland, some herbs or other Polish stuff. And when her parents visit her, her mother always makes pierogi and especially Polish things like bigos – bigos to die for!
These examples suggest a subtext of wishing to counter assumptions that the migrant and his or her country of origin are culturally inferior: the migrant needs to make a special effort to correct that impression. No doubt this situation occurs in many societies but post-communist countries have a particular image problem, given that, in the West, they are viewed as having languished behind the Iron Curtain and, as both Galent et al. (2009) and Teodora (above) suggest, been infected by presumed Soviet ‘greyness’.
As research in receiving countries shows, convivial occasions can be particularly effective for promoting understanding between people of different cultural backgrounds (Rzepnikowska 2015). Such occasions were described by a number of stayers – such as Beata, from Wrocław – interviewed by White in Polish cities in 2016.
The wedding [in Spain] was half-Polish, half-Spanish… I knew all the friends [at the wedding] because heaps of them had been to visit us [in Wrocław]. My son invited them [to Wrocław] because I always love having guests… And they all turned up at the wedding… Generally they don’t dance [at Spanish weddings] but my son wanted everything to be Polish and Spanish.
Since, as discussed above, the family is a domain where social remitting can be particularly effective, it is not surprising to find that the non-Polish partners adopt behaviour and even norms and values from their spouses. For example, Phil (from Bath), who was half-Polish but had grown up in the UK in a culturally English household, had married a recent Polish migrant. He commented in 2018:
The other thing I really like about Poland – and this is going to sound strange – is that they do not forget their dead… When my parents died in ’91 I made the first two or three token visits on birthdays and I probably never saw their grave for five or six years. The minute I met my wife in the 2000s – ‘Where’s your family buried? We’re going’. And now I regularly go there and clean it. It’s a very strange custom which is alien to English people, probably.
The increasing number of mixed marriages between Poles and Western Europeans offers favourable conditions for sending-to-receiving-country social remittances, with Polish spouses being well placed to diffuse selective social remittances in the receiving country. As shown by the examples of Teodora and Phil, there are also children of Polish refugees from the 1940s who are nowadays becoming ‘more Polish’, partly as a result of new opportunities – offered by Poland’s EU accession – to meet Poles born in Poland and to live and work in the country (White and Goodwin 2019).
On an institutional level, social remittances can be transmitted within the Catholic Church. The Church as an institution in Western Europe has seen its membership shrink among natives of Western European countries and has often become heavily dependent for its survival on attracting migrant worshippers (Pasura and Erdal 2017). As indicated in this quotation from Tomek, a British-born Pole living in a small town in Berkshire, outside London, English parishes sometimes have to adapt to the expectations of their Polish parishioners:
Quite a number of Polish people go to the English Catholic Church. A couple of years ago, our parish priest introduced the blessing of food on Holy Saturday, for Easter, so he’s trying to widen those cultural ties. For the Christmas Eve mass – it’s no longer Midnight [Mass], but the equivalent of – we sing a number of Polish carols.
Turning now to the question of ‘scaling up’; the above example of how a practice from CEE became institutionalised in the UK could be considered an instance of scaling up, since it was presumably at the request of a number of Polish parishioners that the British priest was persuaded to introduce the blessing of food at Easter.8 The adoption of selective Polish practices in British parishes can be seen as part of the wider process, mentioned above, of adaptation to migrants by the Catholic Church in countries such as Norway or the UK.
Within sending societies in CEE, there are naturally parallel cases of institutionalisation, where organisations are changing their practices as a result of input from migrants and former migrants. For example, Binnie and Klesse (2013) refer to LGBT activists who had previously lived abroad and their impact on the LGBT movement in Poland. Since we are defining ‘migration-driven cultural diffusion’ (Levitt 1998) to include all kinds of mobility, social remitting can encompass all manner of influences on business cultures, political institutions, etc. which result from short visits as well as longer stays abroad. However, in many cases it is impossible to disentangle social remittances from other types of communication and channels of influence which do not involve people physically moving from place to place. Levitt and Lamba-Nieves (2011: 3) argue that social remittances ‘are distinct from, but often reinforce and are reinforced by, other forms of global cultural circulation’. This is particularly likely to be true in parts of the world such as CEE – especially cities – which are already subject to a mass of different influences from Western Europe. Social remittances are most likely to be significant, ‘scaling up’ when they work in tandem with and reinforce other influences.
This is not to claim that they are insignificant. In fact, in some cases they may be more significant than the influences with which they intertwine. For example, Arcimowicz, Bieńko and Łaciak (2015: 385–386), in their study of changing customs in Poland, looked primarily for media influences but found, from their 406 in-depth interviews, that ‘more often than the media, our respondents cited personal experience and observation from travel (from tourism, professionally, to work, to visit family – from their own or someone else’s experience)’. Many scholars have observed that Polish migrants, especially manual workers, are suspicious of Polish strangers; locations in Poland with high volumes of international migration and reliance on migration networks also seem to be pervaded by mistrust, and it seems clear that this is a significant factor in helping to dampen down levels of generalised trust which one could otherwise have expected to be improving, as life in Poland becomes easier and more prosperous (White 2018: 147–150).
White’s research into social remittances in Polish cities – whose inhabitants sometimes deny that migration has any influence – concluded that cities are particularly receptive to social remitting because it reinforces the cultural change which is occurring there already. For example, pensioners who are attracted by older people’s lifestyles which they see on visits abroad find it easier to emulate such lifestyles when they return to Polish cities, where opportunities for adult education and so forth are already increasing. There is growing popular acceptance of ‘active ageing’ and a belief that pensioners should be able to enjoy their leisure time as individuals without sacrificing it entirely to their families (Krzyżowski, Kowalik, Suwada and Pawlina 2014). However, as mentioned earlier in this article, where influences from higher education and foreign tourism are somewhat fewer, in smaller towns and villages, social remittances – if they are successfully transferred – are more likely to be important in transforming the lives of individuals. For example, going abroad might be their only opportunity to make friends with a black or an LGBT person. Hence social remittances can be considered to have a more significant impact in smaller locations, even if they are more prevalent and transferrable (though often invisible to outsiders) in the cities.
Conclusions
The concept of social remittances is a tool for embedding migration-related factors into analysis of societies experiencing threefold social, economic and political system transformation. Since the collapse of communist regimes in 1989–1991, societies in CEE have undergone many changes – some directly linked to system transformation, others similar to developments in the West, though often different in ‘pace and scale’ (Jacobsson 2015: 10). Simultaneously, CEE citizens acquired a freedom to travel and live abroad which had been denied under communism. It is intriguing, therefore, to consider how exactly this new mobility influenced the wider processes of change. Although research on the impact of migration on sending countries has mostly focused on the development of countries outside Europe, there is now some scholarship on CEE as well. This tends to consist of individual-country case studies. However, our article has looked much more broadly at CEE, identifying its special characteristics as a sending region: cultural and lifestyle similarities with Western Europe which make it easier for social remittances to spread but also complexes and antagonisms which can have the opposite effect, diverse patterns of mobility – thanks to EU membership – and an individualised/family-oriented approach to migration which makes collective social remitting rare.
The complexity of this situation makes it particularly important to study in detail the cases of individual migrants, each with their own unique transnational ties, and also the circulation of social remittances, where ideas are spread from CEE to Western Europe as well as vice versa. As we have suggested, individual small changes often travel in ‘bundles’: individual, selective changes in practice can indicate deeper insights and changes to values and attitudes. Even when remittances seem to be primarily economic, as is often the case, for example, among small-town labour migrants, they contribute to social change through their symbolic significance – for instance, in restructuring gender hierarchies.
Sceptics might argue that wealthier cities in CEE are now so similar to those in Western Europe that there is no social remitting. However, short-term mobility in the form of business trips, educational exchanges, etc., as undertaken by many city residents, surely does produce social remittances. In fact, since their purpose is often to obtain knowledge and know-how, this is precisely what such mobility should achieve. Moreover, the ‘transnational action space’ is particularly observable in cities. Here the overlap between ‘social’ and ‘political’ remitting is marked.
Some scholars assert that social remittances are insignificant when compared to other factors for change. For example, it does seem that, when migration leads to improvements in gender equality in sending countries, this happens for reasons indirectly connected to migration rather than because people (especially men) are converted to the belief that gender equality is important. However, it cannot be assumed that social remittances are somehow minor factors. Our article mentioned the cautionary tale of Arcimowicz et al.’s (2015) research into television’s influence on changing habits in Poland, which unexpectedly turned into a study of the impact of travel and life abroad. One should also ask ‘important for whom?’ Highly educated city-dwellers are subject to a mass of different influences which help to mould their opinions and practices but, for a person in a small town, social remittances can stand out in their experience as a major influence for change. Hence they do have a significant role to play in reinforcing social trends.
In the end, however, the point is not to weigh the significance of one determinant of change against another. It is enough to acknowledge that, without studying social remittances, our understanding of important trends in CEE, for example towards or away from greater equality and respect for diversity, or stagnant levels of generalised trust, cannot be fully understood.
Turning to the future, an obvious deficiency of contemporary social-remittances research is its short perspective. The EU, with its extreme mobility since 2004, is a fascinating laboratory for studying migration influences; however, only longitudinal studies will be able to discover the long-term impact of the social remittances transferred today. Moreover, as more migrants come to countries in Central Europe and these latter become receiving societies, this creates an additional set of migration influences and the potential for impressions from both immigration and emigration to intertwine.
Notes
1 In 2018 the World Bank classified Romania, Bulgaria and CEE countries outside the EU as upper-middle income. The remaining countries in CEE were high-income (World Bank 2018).
2 Cingolani and Vietti (2018) do provide some counter-examples in Moldova, where in a few well-publicised cases members of the ‘diaspora’ have contributed to projects in their communities of origin.
3 For various examples, see Grabowska et al. (2017) and White et al. (2018).
4 Kazakhstan is not comparable, in some respects, to post-communist Europe but, despite differences in detail, the overall story is similar. This ‘same but different character’ is illustrated by the following case, described by Blum (2015: 158), where the dish is typically Kazakh but the situation, of causing offence by adopting new eating habits, could happen anywhere. ‘After coming back home he decided to slim down by going on a vegetarian diet. Based on his experience in an American college, this represented an appropriate course of action. But he quickly learned that it constituted an affront to national pride. ‘My dad said, “You’re a Kazakh! You should be eating horsemeat! Stop infiltrating your American attitudes!”’
5 The research was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland (see Grabowska et al. 2017).
6 The research is funded by the Polish National Science Center under the Sonata Bis Project Contract No. 2015/18/E/HS6/00147.
7 The research was partly funded by a European Commission Jean Monnet grant to UCL European Institute.
8 One could also consider this to be an example of integration, with a British institution adapting to meet the cultural expectations of migrants. Theorists of integration routinely claim that it is a two-way process, with the onus partly on the receiving society to adapt to migrants. However, as in the case of social remitting, this direction is very much less studied than the other, where migrants adapt their ways.
Conflict of interest statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
ORCID IDs
Anne White https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4431-6707
Izabela Grabowska https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7957-4901
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Funny story, but true: The first article I wrote for The Escapist, in 2006, was about gaming and the apocalypse. It was mostly about my childhood memories of waiting for the apocalypse, actually, and the strange sense of existentialist ennui that comes when, after waiting one's entire adolescent life for a thing, that thing never comes.
I wrote that, as a gamer obsessed with the apocalypse, I began to see apocalypses everywhere. A sentiment shared by the author of one of this week's articles. Yet, in spite of my obsession with its end, the future of our world looked pretty bright back then, and gaming reflected that; one had to really dig around a little to find a game actually designed around the apocalypse. That was over four years ago.
Since then, games and the apocalypse have become BFFs in a big, big way. Zombie apocalypse games, like Left 4 Dead are everywhere, military shooters like Modern Warfare sport apocalypse-tinged plots and one of the preeminent apocalyptic video game series, Fallout got a hearty reboot and is still going strong.
Perhaps following art, our lives have become more apocalyptic as well. The global economy has collapsed, a viral pandemic threat arose, armed criminals have waged war (and won) against one of North America's largest countries, the struggle between Western hegemony and Middle Eastern fundamentalism has dragged much of the world's resources into a seemingly bottomless pit of war and despair and Haiti, Western China, Detroit and the Gulf of Mexico have become wastelands. If these are not all apocalypses in the making, they are at least to make one nostalgic for the good, old days of the Cold War, when one had only one apocalypse to fear.
One could also argue that art followed life, and that it was the shocking and awful apocalyptic event in 2001, the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, that kicked our collective imaginations back into survival mode. If so, one would have historical evidence on one's side, for the post-apocalyptic genre as a whole traces its roots all the way to the beginning of the 20th century, when soldiers returning home from WWI attempted to make sense of the wanton destruction that they'd seen.
Considering how many of the artistic minded among them died in that war, it wasn't really until after WWII and the revelation of the destructive power of the atomic bomb that the genre really got going. As the atomic age gave way to the hydrogen-bomb age and then the "we can destroy the world 300 times over" age, artists and writers did what they have always done best, responding to their sense of imminent doom by attempting to paint a picture of the world that we would be creating for ourselves. Between 1945 and 1985, the amount of post-apocalyptic fiction produced was simply staggering. The genre cooled off slightly in the 1990s, when it looked like the world had briefly gotten its shit together, but now here we are again. I hope you enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction, because, if world events continue on their current course, we should expect to see much, much more of it. Unless, of course, we all die. At which point, hopefully, someone will be left to start over.
What do we mean, then, when we say "post-apocalyptic?" Put simply, it means that whatever fictional events one is describing through the story one is telling - in whatever medium - take place after some event that has dramatically altered the world. One could (but I won't) argue that post-apocalyptic fiction actually traces its roots all the way to the final book of the New testament, the Book of Revelation, which describes in great, horrific detail what Christians believe will happen upon the event of Jesus Christ's return to Earth to begin his final battle against the Anti-Christ.
Revelation is without a doubt the darkest and most disturbing book of the Bible, designed, as it was, to encourage its readers to seek salvation in the belief in Christ so that they would be spared the dire fate destined for non-believers. It describes floods, plagues, earthquakes, swarms of flesh-eating insects, hellfire raining down from the sky and just about anything else you may have seen in a Hollywood movie. It is terrifyingly comprehensive, and prophetic, considering the concept of fire raining down from the sky would have been scarcely imaginable at the time of Revelation's writing, but is now, thanks to modern tools of war, quite easy to contemplate. The first time that I read Revelation, it gave me nightmares for weeks. It is not for the faint of heart.
Whether you care to argue Revelation is fiction or not, the post-apocalyptic genre owes its very name to the book, considering that the word "apocalypse" traces its etymological roots to the Greek word for "revelation." Apocalyptic events, therefore, are events akin to those described in Revelation. Post-apocalyptic, then, refers to what may occur following Revelation-like events. Savvy?
So, if the end of the world (as we know it) is so terrifying to contemplate, why do we keep contemplating it, revering it and immortalizing it in fiction? One reason is that, simply put, that's what we do. As creative entities, we cope with our nightmares by bringing them to life. We conquer our worst possible fears, in fictional form, so that when the time comes we may have the strength to overcome them for real.
In this way, post-apocalyptic fiction is hero fiction, like one of the earliest stories, Beowulf, about the hero who slew the beast that no one else could conquer. We tell these stories to inspire ourselves and each other, so that we may discover strength that we never knew we had.
Post-apocalyptic tales also serve as warnings. The end of the world as we know it would be an event well beyond anyone's imaging. Even those of us who've spent a great deal of time contemplating it would undoubtedly be shocked to discover that we had no idea how bad it could be. Tales of life after such an apocalypse, then, serve as a means to put the catastrophe into perspective, to paint a clear picture of just what we may be dealing with in the hope that the picture we paint will be so terrifying to look upon that we will steer clear of the events that could bring the apocalypse to fruition.
Also, if we're being honest with ourselves, post-apocalyptic fiction is just good, clean fun. Who hasn't at one point or another imagined a world in which one person really could make a difference? A world that's been stripped to the bone and reduced to it barest essentials for survival is just such a place, and we romantically presume that - should we survive the apocalypse - we would have the run of the place.
For all of these reasons and more, The Escapist is proud to present our Issue 258, "The Day After," titled after one of the films highlighted in my 2006 article for The Escapist Issue 33. Thus, bring my own personal love affair for the post-apocalyptic genre full circle, albeit in a grim way.
In this issue, Jonathan Baker looks at the essentials of survival in a post-apocalyptic world; Jonathan Glover takes a hard look at one of the greatest apocalyptic games ever produced: Defcon; Tavis Allison explores how Dungeons & Dragons is, at it's heart, a post-apocalyptic game of the first degree and Nick Halme explains how every game, for the gamer, is a post-apocalyptic experience.
We hope that this issue serves you well, whatever the future may hold. | http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/editors_note/7696-The-Day-After |
The deep oceans contain a vast and untapped wealth of minerals useful to humans. In geological terms, there is much known with regard the distribution of these minerals at different types of deep-sea environment. The first polymetallic (or manganese) nodules were recovered by the Challenger expedition in 1873, in the deep Atlantic. In the 1960s, the first estimates were made of the total mineral wealth of the oceans, and the first surveys undertaken. In 1978, the first fully integrated mining trials recovered several hundred tonnes of nodules from the central abyssal Pacific at depths of 5500m; in the preceding year, hydrothermal vents were discovered on the Galapagos rift. Since then, an average of 5 hydrothermal vent fields have been discovered every year, and 19 exploration licences for deep-sea minerals in both abyssal nodule and deep-sea vent environments have been issued by the United Naitons International Seabed Authority, 5 of these in 2014 alone. The United Kingdom government is sponsor to 2 exploration licence claims in the central Pacifc covering 267,000 square km, an area larger thant the UK itself.
Despite our accumulated knowledge of the mineral wealth of deep-sea ecosystems, our biological data remains extremely patchy. The central Pacific nodule regions have been well-sampled for nodules, but the majority of species are undescribed and fundamental questions such as the biogeographic distributions of animals unstudied. The diversity and ecological resilience of species to disturbance regimes are largely untested. At hydrothermal vents, critical data such as degrees of endemicity and gene-flow between vent fields is lacking.
The NHM is in a unique position to provide advice to industry and government, as well as academic research, in deep-sea mining from both the geological and environmental point of view. This has potential to be a key area in our Sustainable Futures strategy. In my research group, we have been working with an industrial contractor on the UK-1 deep-sea mining claim in the central Pacific for the last 18 months and are part of an EU FP7 deep-sea mining project. In this talk I will outline some of the history of deep-sea mining, the fundamental science at stake, our role in current projects, the importance of taxonomy, open data and bioinformatics and some of our plans for our forthcoming fieldwork (we sail for a 2-month trip on Feb 12). | https://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/blogs/science-news/tags/marine_biology.html |
Training in surgical environments through Holographic Reality
Our project consists of the development of a Training Platform for surgical environments using virtual and mixed reality for the simulation of hyper-realistic scenarios, incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence, to extract valuable information from the development of these practices.
Surgical training environments have special characteristics compared to other training environments, in which many healthcare professionals, monitoring devices and, of course a patient, must be involved. All this means that a training course has a great cost in resources and requires very detailed planning.
With our project it will be possible to obtain significant savings by being able to virtualize people and devices. Our challenge will be the creation of ultra-realistic training scenarios that, together with existing physical elements, will allow a significant improvement in the training processes carried out. | https://www.genetic.ai/en/ehealth-en/training-in-surgical-environments-through-holographic-reality/ |
Although helium is a rare element on earth, it is everywhere in the universe. It is, after hydrogen, the main component of stars and gaseous giant planets. Despite its abundance, helium was only recently discovered in the atmosphere of a gaseous giant of an international law including astronomers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland. The team, currently led by Genevan researchers, has observed in detail and for the first time how this gas flies from the superheated atmosphere of an exoplanet literally inflated with helium. The results are published in Science .
8 years to actually discover it. It was difficult to get fit because of the very strange observational signature of helium, located in infrared, outside the measuring range of most of the instruments previously used. The discovery occurred earlier this year thanks to Hubble Space Telescope observations, which proved difficult to interpret. Team members from UNIGE, members of the National Center for Competence in Research PlanetS, had the idea of pointing another telescope equipped with a brand new instrument – a spectrograph called Carmenes.
A spectrograph decomposes the star’s light in its component colors, like a rainbow. The resolution of a spectrograph is a measure indicating the number of colors that can be revealed. While the human eye can not distinguish any color beyond red without a custom camera, the infrared eye of Hubble can identify hundreds of colors there. This proved sufficient to identify Helium’s colored signature. The Carmenes instrument, installed on the 4 meter telescope at the Observatory of Calar Alto in Andalusia, Spain, can detect more than 100,000 colors in infrared!
This high-resolution resolution enabled the team to observe the position and velocity of helium atoms in the upper atmosphere of a gaseous Neptune magnitude exoplanet 4 times greater than the Earth. HAT-P-11b is in the Cygnus (swan) constellation, 124 light years from home, a “hot Neptune”, a decent 550 ° C!), Twenty times closer to the star than the sun from the sun. “We suspected that this proximity to the star could affect the atmosphere of this exoplanet,” said Romain Allart, PhD student at UNIGE and first author of the study. “The new observations are so accurate that the exoplanet atmosphere is undoubtedly blown up by the radiation and flies to space,” he adds.
These observations are supported by numerical simulation, led by Vincent Bourrier, co-author of the study and member of the European project FOUR ACES *. Thanks to the simulation, it is possible to trace the path of the helium: “Helium is blown away from the planet’s day to its night’s side at more than 10,000 km / h,” explains Vincent Bourrier. “Because it is such a light gas, it easily holds from the attraction of the planet and forms an expanded cloud around it.” This gives the HAT-P-11b the shape of a helium-inflated balloon.
This result opens a new window to observe the extreme atmospheric conditions of the hottest exoplanets. The Carmenes observations show that such studies, which were only long imaginable from space, can be achieved with greater precision by terrestrial telescopes equipped with the right type of instrument. “These are exciting times for the search of atmospheric signatures in the exoplanet,” says Christophe Lovis, University Lecturer at UNIGE, and co-author of the study. In fact, UNIGE astronomers are also heavily involved in the design and utilization of two new infrared spectroscopy with high resolution, similar to Carmenes. One of them, named SPIRou, has just started an observation campaign from Hawaii, while the AGE Department of Astronomy hosts the first tests of NIRPS, which will be installed in Chile by the end of 2019. “This result will increase the interest of scientific society for these instruments. Their numbers and their geographical distribution will enable us to cover the whole sky in search of displaced exoplanets, “concludes Lovis.
* FOUR ACES, Future of Upper Atmospheric Characterization of the Exoplanet with Spectroscopy, is a project funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidation Grant under the European Union 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement No. 724427).
Material provided by Université de Genève . Note! Content can be edited for style and length. | https://mag.rjeem.com/an-exoplanet-inflated-like-a-balloon-sciencedaily/ |
For the first time ever, Indian scientists have discovered a planet that orbits a Sun-like star.
This historic achievement is credited to a team of astronomers led by Prof. Abhijit Chakraborty of PRL, which used the “PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-Sky Search,” or PARAS, to track down the celestial body.
Stationed at PRL’s Guru Shikhar Observatory in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, PARAS is a ground-based exoplanet search device with an integrated spectrograph and a 1.2-meter telescope, notes The Better India.
The newfound exoplanet lies 600 light-years away from Earth and is described as a sub-Saturn or super-Neptune, due to its mass and size.
“It is closer to Neptune,” Chakraborty told Times Of India, revealing that the exoplanet has 27 times the mass of Earth and six times its radius.
By comparison, Neptune’s mass is 17 times that of our planet, whereas the gas giant Saturn weighs a staggering 95 Earth masses.
“This detection is important as it adds to a sparse catalog of confirmed exoplanets with masses between 10 to 70 the mass of Earth and radii between four to eight the radius of Earth,” ISRO officials wrote in the news release.
“Only 23 such systems (including the present) are known to this date with such precise measurement of mass and radii,” states the Indian space agency.
India’s trailblazing discovery was marked by giving the planet and its host star a name to be remembered. The two celestial bodies now have epic names, literally.
The star’s official designation is EPIC 211945201, or K2-236, whereas the planet orbiting it will be henceforth known as EPIC 211945201b, or K2-236b.
The newly discovered exoplanet is likely uninhabitable, due to its close proximity to its host star. K2-236b sits seven times closer to K2-236 than the distance between Earth and the Sun.
This could mean that the exoplanet is inhospitable to life, especially considering that its surface temperature measures around 600 degrees Celsius (or about 1.112 degrees Fahrenheit).
Although there is little chance of finding signs of life on K2-236b, ISRO points out that its discovery is very significant because it can help astronomers find out more about how planets of this class — super-Neptune or sub-Saturn that sit very close to their host star — are formed.
Being in such close quarters with K2-236, the newly discovered planet takes a lot less time to complete a full orbit. By comparison with Earth, which needs 365.2 days to go around the Sun, K2-236b circles its star in only 19.5 days.
After observing the target for about 1.5 years, PARAS data established that the exoplanet is largely made up of heavy elements, such as like ice, silicates, and iron, which represent 60 to 70 percent of its total mass.
As ISRO explains, the exoplanet was initially targeted by NASA’s Kepler 2 (K2) photometry. K2 picked up the celestial body as a potential planetary candidate while it was transiting its host star, which explains the “K2” in the objects’ denomination.
“However, the K2 photometric data combined with false positive probability calculations was not sufficient to confirm the planetary nature of the system. Therefore, an independent measurement of the mass of the body was necessary for the discovery, which was made by the PARAS spectrograph,” revealed ISRO.
With this momentous discovery, India now joins a select number of countries that have detected planets revolving around stars, notes Times Of India. | https://www.inquisitr.com/4934169/india-just-discovered-its-first-exoplanet-and-the-name-is-epic/ |
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Micah Lipsmeyer is a full time writing/performing/teaching musician with thousands of hours of studio time playing, teaching, recording, and writing music. He also has experience in music
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New Orleans, Louisiana 70123
Website and telephone contact information for the River Ridge School of Music & Dance is not allowed here but may be easily found via an Internet search. It is my goal to provide students
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Mr. Cullen is on staff at the Louisiana Academy of Performing Arts' Covington School of Music where he teaches many programs including jazz studies piano saxophone/winds jazz ensemble
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Washington: Astronomers have revealed the moon’s recent geological activity — they claim the Earth’s natural satellite’s crust is being stretched, forming minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface.
A team, led by the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, says that this geologic activity occurred less than 50 million years ago, which is considered recent compared to the moon’s age of more than 4.5 billion years.
Analysing images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the planetary scientists found small, narrow trenches on moon, typically much longer than they are wide.
This indicates the lunar crust is being pulled apart at these locations. These linear valleys, known as graben, form when the moon’s crust stretches, breaks and drops down along two bounding faults. A handful of these graben systems have been found across the lunar surface.
“We think the moon is in a general state of global contraction because of cooling of a still hot interior. The graben tell us forces acting to shrink the moon were overcome in places by forces acting to pull it apart.
“This means the contractional forces shrinking the moon cannot be large, or the small graben might never form,” said Thomas Watters, who led the team.
The weak contraction suggests that the moon, unlike the terrestrial planets, did not completely melt in the very early stages of its evolution. Rather, observations support an alternative view that only the moon`s exterior initially melted forming an ocean of molten rock.
Based on the size of the scarps, it is estimated that the distance between the moon`s centre and its surface shank by approximately 300 feet, NASA said in a release.
"This pulling apart tells us the moon is still active," said Richard Vondrak, LRO Project Scientist at NASA`s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.
The findings are to be published in an upcoming edition of the `Nature Geoscience` journal. | http://zeenews.india.com/news/space/moons-recent-geological-activity-revealed_759854.html |
The COUNTIFS Excel function is especially useful when you want to count the number of cells that meet several criteria. As you probably guessed, it combines the functionality of the COUNT function with that of the IF function, much like the COUNTIF function. But COUNTIFS goes a step further with the addition of that letter — S.
By allowing the inclusion of multiple criteria, we can narrow down which cells qualify to be included in the count. Cells that are counted must satisfy all the criteria stated within the formula.
Syntax
The syntax of COUNTIFS is as follows:
=COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2]…)
Criteria_range1 is the first range that will be evaluated for the desired criterion.
Criteria1 is the criterion that will be associated with criteria_range1. Criteria1 can be in the form of a number, expression, cell reference, or text that defines which cells will be counted.
Criteria_range2, criteria2, and all subsequent range and criteria pairs are optional. Up to 127 range and criteria pairs are allowed.
Download your free practice file!
Use this free Excel file to practice along with the tutorial.
Basic application
Here is how the COUNTIFS function works. In the following data table, we have used COUNTIFS to determine how many cell phone sales were made by representatives from the South region.
=COUNTIFS(D2:D21, “Cell Phone”, C2:C21, “South”)
The first task is to identify occurrences of criteria1 (the text string “cell phone”) within criteria_range1 (the range D2:D21). There are eight such occurrences.
Next, the formula looks within criteria_range2 (C2:C21) to determine how many instances of the text string “south” there are. There are five.
However, there are only three rows that satisfy both criteria, so the value 3 is returned as the result of our formula.
It can be seen from the above example that COUNTIFS uses AND logic, meaning all the stated criteria must be satisfied in order to be counted. To count cells that satisfy at least one criterion (OR logic), we would use the COUNTIF function with the format:
=COUNTIF(range,criteria)+COUNTIF(range,criteria)
There are a few things worth pointing out in this basic application of the COUNTIFS function:
- Text strings are enclosed in double quotation marks.
- The COUNTIFS function is not case-sensitive. Therefore whether “South” or “south” was entered, the result would have been the same.
- When using text criteria, extra characters such as spaces within the double quotation marks will affect the results and give an incorrect count.
- There is no need to enter an equal sign (=) before the criteria value, as this is understood.
Using numeric values as criteria
When a criterion comes in the form of numeric values, that value does not have to be enclosed within double quotes.
Below, we want to count how many Arts courses are being taught in Building 3. The formula is:
=COUNTIFS(B2:B18,“arts”,C2:C18,3)
Note the differences in the way text criteria and numeric criteria are represented above.
Using cell references as criteria
Criteria may also be entered using cell references. This offers the advantage of flexibility in the event that we want to change the values being counted. Instead of changing the formula because the criteria were hardcoded, the return value will update whenever we change the values entered in the input cell.
For example, the formula below counts the number of laptop sales in the West region by using cells G2 and G3 as input cells for each criteria range.
We can quickly adjust what we want to count by entering different values in the input cells.
Note that when cell references are used as criteria, no double quotation marks are used because these (that is, “G2” and “G3”) are not the literal values being searched for.
Using COUNTIFS with logical criteria
COUNTIFS isn’t limited to counting exact matches. We can write our criteria to include cells that are greater than, less than, not equal to, or some variation of these with the use of logical operators (>, <). Logical operators such as >, <, = can be used to identify cells with values within a certain range.
For example, the formula below can be used to count the number of sales made by a representative from the West region, which valued more than $400.
=COUNTIFS(C2:C21, “west”, E2:E21, “>400”)
In this case, the entire logical expression is wrapped in double quotation marks. An alternative that yields the same result would be to write the formula as follows
=COUNTIFS(C2:C21, “west”, E2:E21, “>”&400)
where the concatenation operator (&) is used to join the greater than operator (>) to the lower limit value (400).
Similar formats are followed for criteria where values are greater than or equal to (>=), less than (<), or less than or equal to (<=).
Values not equal to
COUNTIFS can also count the number of cells not equal to, or excluding, a certain value. For this type of criterion, the symbol <> is used.
The following formula counts the number of sales from the North region where the value in the range D2:D21 is not equal to cell phone.
=COUNTIFS(C2:C21, “north”, D2:D21, “<>cell phone”)
As with the basic use of the COUNTIFS function shown earlier, if an extra space is entered within double quotes for text criteria, you will get an incorrect result since Excel is looking to match the text exactly.
However, if a space is entered between a logical operator and a numeric criterion, the correct value will be returned because Excel recognizes the value of the number. An example is shown below.
Note that in the image above, there was a space entered between <> and 3, yet the formula returned the correct count. This principle also applies when the other logical symbols are used with numeric values.
Using logical operators with cell references
What about when logical operators are used with cell references? The format for that type of formula is worth remembering too. In the example below, cells G2 and G3 are our input cells. G2 is used to restrict the count to a particular date, and G3 is used as a lower-limit threshold.
=COUNTIFS(A2:A21,G2,D2:D21, “>=”&G3)
Note that the double quotation marks are placed around the >= symbol, but not around the reference to cell G3. This is because “G3” is not the literal value being counted. The ampersand (&) is used to join the two parts of the expression.
Alternatively, the input cells could have been set up as below, and the formula written as follows:
=COUNTIFS(A2:A21,G2,D2:D21, G3)
In the above format, criteria2 is entered into the input cell rather than being hardcoded into the formula. The advantages of this method are:
- It is easier to determine exactly what is being counted just by looking at our input cells.
- There are fewer formats to remember.
- There is greater flexibility when we want to change what is being counted.
- There is less interference with our formula, which means that input errors are less likely.
Using COUNTIFS with a hardcoded date
If you prefer not to use a cell reference for a date in a COUNTIFS formula, you can hardcode the date within the formula using the DATE function.
=COUNTIFS(A2:A21,DATE(2022,11,21),D2:D21, “>=”&1500)
It is best not to use explicit dates such as “21-Nov-22” within the formula, as Excel may interpret them incorrectly and return an incorrect result.
Using logical operators with dates
We can also use logical operators with dates to determine values that are before, after, or not equal to a certain date.
The following formula counts the number of invoices issued before November 22, which were valued at $3000 or more.
=COUNTIFS(A2:A21, “<”&G2,D2:D21, “>=”&G3)
Note that the “less than” symbol (<) is used to refer to dates earlier than the stated date, and the “greater than” symbol (>) refers to dates after.
Wildcards
A common problem when looking to summarize data is that the data we would like to count is often similar but not identical. Wildcards provide an excellent solution to this problem, and the COUNTIFS function does support the use of the following wildcards to accommodate partial matches.
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Wildcard
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Meaning
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*
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Any number or string of unknown characters, or no character
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?
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A single unknown character
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~
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Precedes an asterisk or question mark to be used as a literal character
In the data set below, if we want to count the number of courses in the 100-series which are being conducted in Building 3, we would not be able to simply use the “100” as a text criterion since course codes are unique. We can use the asterisk (*) wildcard to represent the non-identical characters in our search criteria.
=COUNTIFS(A2:A18,"*1??",C2:C18,3)
The asterisk before “1” represents any number of characters before that text, while the two question marks represent exactly two characters after.
Note that wildcards do not work with values stored as numbers. In the above example, our search for “*1??” worked because the values in the range A2:A18 are mixed with text. So Excel stores and treats the entire cell contents as text values.
Learn more about how to use wildcards here.
Named ranges
Since the COUNTIFS function can accommodate up to 127 criteria/criteria_range pairs, it isn’t difficult to imagine that COUNTIFS formulas can get pretty difficult to build and read. By the time you get to the third pair, it is quite tedious to re-type ranges, and later, it may be quite challenging to quickly decode what each range refers to.
It is therefore often beneficial to define a custom name for ranges that will be frequently used.
The steps to create a named range are as follows:
- Highlight a range that will be used frequently.
- Type a descriptive name in the Name Box (e.g., Courses).
- Press Enter.
A maximum of 255 characters are allowed in user-defined Excel names, and spaces are not permitted. Named ranges are valid on all sheets throughout the workbook.
Substituting named ranges where we previously had cell ranges results in a formula that is easier to construct and read. It has the additional benefit of eliminating the need for absolute references.
=COUNTIFS(Courses,F2,Faculties,F3,Buildings,F4)
We have used the above COUNTIFS formula to count how many 100-series Science courses are taught in Building Number 4. The result is zero. The use of named ranges and cell references definitely makes this formula more readable.
COUNTIFS with non-contiguous ranges
Criteria_range arguments in COUNTIFS formulas do not have to be adjacent. They can begin and end in a different row and column, be on different worksheets, or even in another workbook, but the ranges must all have the same number of rows and columns. Otherwise, you will get a #VALUE error.
In the following example, the formula in cell F3 makes reference to two different data sets to determine how many classes a specified lecturer has in a particular building.
=COUNTIFS(H6:H22,F2,C2:C18,F3)
Even though the name of each lecturer is in a different location on the worksheet, criteria_range1 carries the same dimensions as criteria_range2, so the formula in cell F3 returns a valid result.
COUNTIFS determines the count by looking at each range for its respective criterion. If the corresponding position in each range satisfies that range’s criteria, that row’s position is counted.
Why we love it
The COUNTIFS function certainly takes away the need to create a pivot table or to try and figure out how to nest several functions into one formula to get the answer to a simple question. The syntax is easy to follow, and its compatibility with wildcards is a bonus. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
You can also try our Microsoft Excel - Basic and Advanced course to learn more useful Excel skills. | https://www.goskills.com/Excel/Resources/COUNTIFS |
COURSE.NAME :
COURSE.SPEC :
Pathology
COURSE.NOS :
15
COURSE.DEGREE :
MBBS
COURSE.COURSE :
as per MCI Notifications.
COURSE.JP :
After receiving the degree in Masters of Pathology,a person is allowed to practice in both private n public sectors in indian sub continent.
COURSE.PEO :
I. Postgraduate Medical Education in broad specialities shall be of three years duration in the case of degree course . II. Postgraduate curriculum shall be competency based. III. Learning in postgraduate programme shall be essentially autonomous and self directed. IV. A combination of both formative and summative assessment is vital for the successful completion of the PG programme. V. A modular approach to the course curriculum is essential for achieving a systematic exposure to the various sub-specialities concerned with a discipline.
COURSE.PO :
At the end of the postgraduate training in the discipline concerned the student shall be able to; i. Recognize the importance to the concerned speciality in the context of the health needs of the community and the national priorities in the healthsection. ii. Practice the speciality concerned ethically and in step with the principles of primary health care. iii. Demonstrate sufficient understanding of the basic sciences relevant to the concerned speciality. iv. Identify social, economic, environmental, biological and emotional determinants of health in a given case, and take them into account while planning therapeutic, rehabilitative, preventive and primitive measure/strategies. v. Diagnose and manage majority of the conditions in the speciality concerned on the basis of clinical assessment, and appropriately selected and conducted investigations. vi. Plan and advise measures for the prevention and rehabilitation of patients suffering from disease and disability related to the speciality. vii. Demonstrate skills in documentation of individual case details as well as morbidity and mortality rate relevant to the assigned situation. viii. Demonstrate empathy and humane approach towards patients and their families and exhibit interpersonal behaviour in accordance with the societal norms and expectations. ix. Play the assigned role in the implementation of national health programme, effectively and responsibly. x. Organize and supervise the chosen/assigned health care services demonstrating adequate managerial skills in the clinic/hospital or the field situation. xi. Develop skills as a self-directed learner, recognize continuing education needs; select and use appropriate learning resources. xii. Demonstrate competence in basic concepts of research methodology and epidemiology, and be able to critically analyze relevant published research literature. xiii. Develop skills in using educational methods and techniques as applicable to the teaching of medical/nursing students, general physicians and paramedical health workers. xiv. Function as an effective leader of a health team engaged in health care,research or training.
COURSE.Accr :
Yes
COURSE.NAME :
COURSE.SPEC :
Oral & Maxilofacial Surgery, Conservative dentistry, Prosthodontic, Orthodontics
COURSE.NOS :
17
COURSE.DEGREE :
BDS
COURSE.COURSE :
as per MCI Notifications.
COURSE.JP :
Excellent
COURSE.PEO :
COURSE.PO :
COURSE.currl :
COURSE.Accr : | https://amu.ac.in/department/pathology/post-graduate |
What Is The Future Of Domestic Life? with British Council and Creative Dundee
What Is The Future Of Domestic Life?
15 November 2016
Dundee
As co-producer of The Architecture Fringe, I worked with the British Council and Creative Dundee to bring together Dundee residents, commentators and designers to discuss the future of domestic life in the city at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Debating ideas about shared space and common ground, the panellists included author Gerry Hassan, curator Shumi Bose, programme director of Interior Environmental Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design Andy Milligan and film-maker Sam Gonçalves. The panellists were asked to explore notions of domestic life in a place where traditional boundaries between civic space and private life are increasingly blurred.
Prompted by the questions raised in the exhibition Home Economics at 2016's Venice Architecture Biennale, which challenged preconceptions about contemporary life and proposed five new models for domestic living by artists, architects and community house-builders. | https://andysummers.eu/home/2016/12/31/what-is-the-future-of-domestic-life |
Q:
Real Analysis II --- power series
If f(x)= $\int_0^x \frac {ln(1+u)}{u}$ du, find a series for f(x) and calculate the approximate value of f(0.1). Use the error upper bound for approximating an alternating series to give an upper bound for the error in your approximation. It is up to you to decide how precise your estimate will be.
Attempt:
Given ln(1+x)=$\sum_{n=1}^\infty$ $(-1)^{n+1} \frac {u^n}{n}$, we have $\frac{(-x)^{n-1}}{n}$=$\frac {ln(1+u)}{u}$. So f(x)=$\sum_{n=1}^\infty$ $(-1)^{n-1} \frac {u^n}{n^2}$ and then I just plug u=.1 and add terms together to n= a large enough number I deem precise enough?
A:
As Ron Gordon commented, (I typed this before your edit), start with $$\log(1+u)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n-1}\frac{u^n}n$$ so, $$\frac {ln(1+u)}{u}=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n-1}\frac{u^{n-1}}n$$ $$\int\frac {ln(1+u)}{u}du=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n-1}\frac{u^{n}}{n^2}$$ $$f(x)=\int_0^x\frac {ln(1+u)}{u}du=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}(-1)^{n-1}\frac{x^{n}}{n^2}$$ $$f(\frac 1 {10})=\frac{1}{10}-\frac{1}{400}+\frac{1}{9000}-\frac{1}{160000}+\frac{1}{2500000}+\cdots$$ Just think about Lagrange remainder for a Taylor series (in your case, what is interesting is that the series alternates, so $\cdots$).
Edit
As said in a comment, we can explicitly know the number of terms $ k$ to be added for a given accuracy $\epsilon$. Using Lagrange remainder, we then need to solve $$\frac{x^k}{n^2} \leq \epsilon $$ Any equation which can write $A+B x+C\log(D+Ex)=0$ has an explicit solution in terms of Lambert function.
In the case of the current problem the solution is then given by $$n \geq-\frac{2}{\log (x)}W\left(\frac{\log ^2(x) \sqrt{\frac{\epsilon }{\log ^2(x)}}}{2 \epsilon }\right)=-\frac{2}{\log (x)}W\left(\frac{|\log (x)|}{2 \sqrt{\epsilon }}\right)$$ What is nice is that there are very good approximation of Lambert function $W(z)$. The first terms are given by $$W(z)\approx L_1-L_2+\frac{L_2}{L_1}+\frac{L_2(L_2-2)}{2L_1^2}+\cdots$$ where $L_1=\log(z)$, $L_2=\log(L_1)$.
For illustration purposes, let us take $x=\frac 1{10}$ and $\epsilon=10^{-6}$; these make the argument of Lambert function $z=500 \log (10)$ so the approximation gives $W(500 \log (10))\approx 5.37193$ (the exact value being $\approx 5.36816$) and, so, $n \geq 4.66272$. So, five terms are required.
Let us check (easy, since these are the terms I wrote). Using five terms, we get $$f(\frac 1 {10})=\frac{17568947}{180000000}\approx 0.09760526111$$ while the exact value of the integral would be $$\int_0^{\frac 1 {10}} \frac {ln(1+u)}{u}du=-\text{Li}_2\left(-\frac{1}{10}\right)\approx 0.09760523523$$
Please, have a detailed look at Ron Gordon's comment
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Australia’s electrical systems are poorly maintained, are dangerous and are in danger of failing, a new hard-hitting report revealed.
The power grid is a critical infrastructure piece and should be treated as such, according to researchers at the left-wing research institute Australia Institute.
But suppliers have the wrong priorities, prioritizing profits over maintenance and passing on “rising” costs to consumers, the researchers said.
The survey found that companies spent a lot of money on office managers and not enough to maintain and operate the network, with a 36% increase in managers in the same period, when there was a 1.2% reduction in the number of real electricians. .
Reports from workers across the country detailed anecdotes from electricity poles that rusted below the surface, toppling over at the slightest touch, and “banding solutions” used to keep the poles in the air beyond their expiration dates.
A Victoria energy industry worker who was interviewed said the electricity structures would be “left to break before being replaced”.
“They are still in the air, although they are known to fail,” said the person.
A Queensland union representative said that insufficient maintenance for long periods of time can lead to serious and dangerous situations.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s in the distribution or transmission, you start to extend the maintenance cycles, you run the risk of breaking parts of the plant, which can lead to explosions in circuit breakers, fall of poles, wires reaching the deck,” he said.
Important resources are wasted on “unproductive activities … that have nothing to do with the production and delivery of reliable and affordable energy,” says the report.
“It is time to fundamentally rethink a system that claims to be harnessing the power of market-driven efficiency in the interests of consumer well-being, but is actually facilitating useless and inefficient self-negotiation, financialization and myopia,” says the report. .
The report states that the regulatory regime for electricity suppliers has been “manipulated” to allow companies to increase their profits, even as the system deteriorates.
“The resources dedicated to the actual tasks of modernization, updating and maintenance have been reduced – as well as the employment for the electricity specialists themselves who carry out this work”, says the report.
“Massive resources were redirected, instead, to unproductive financial and corporate activities. Meanwhile, consumers pay unprecedented prices for services with sub-optimal reliability. “
The researchers based their findings on interviews with industry workers, previously available research articles and statistical evidence.
Among its seven recommendations was a call for energy companies to be fined if they spent less on maintenance.
“This would eliminate the current perverse incentive for private broadcasters and distributors to artificially suppress necessary maintenance and upgrades in the interest of a short-term bonus in addition to their already substantial profit margins,” wrote the researchers. | https://aboutyourmag.info/2021/05/04/electricity-companies-short-sighted-behaviour-passes-soaring-costs-to-consumers-australia-institute-report-about-your-online-magazine/ |
EPA scientists develop and use various methods to test chemicals for potential health effects. This research is critical because it provides health effects information that policymakers can use to help inform chemical regulations and to prioritize chemicals.
High-Throughput Toxicology
High-throughput toxiocology refers to a quick and efficient method for testing chemicals for health effects. This approach helps prioritize, screen, and evaluate chemical safety for thousands of chemcials which can reduce the reliance on traditional toxicity tests, like animal testing.
Rapid Exposure and Dose Modeling
EPA is modeling and predicting exposures for thousands of chemicals across various scenarios relevant to human and ecological assessments to provide useful data to chemical risk assessors and regulators. Exposure predictions can be combined with health effect information to improve chemical risk assessments.
Emerging Materials and Technologies
EPA is developing and using new methods to test emerging materials and technologies such as engineered nanomaterials and biotechnology products. | https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/chemical-evaluation-0 |
Meng Xiangshun is seen as an established artist. Meng Xiangshun was born in 1956. Artists like Yuji Agematsu, Hugo Motor, Girma Agegnehoys Ingeda, Liu Guangping, and Arlene Elizabeth Cathey were also born in 1956.
Further Biographical Context for Meng Xiangshun
Meng Xiangshun was born in 1956 was primarily influenced by the distinctive cultural milieu of 1970s. Conceptualism is often perceived as a reaction to Minimalism, and the leading art movement of the 1970s, challenging the boundaries of art with its revolutionary features. The movements that ensued were all characteristic of a strong desire to evolve and strengthen the art world, in response to the tensions of the previous 1960s. Process art branched out from Conceptualism, including some of its most crucial aspects, but going further in creating mysterious and experimental artistic journeys, while Land Art brought creation to the outsides, initiating early ideas of environmentalism. In Germany, Expressive figure painting was given a second chance for the first time since the decline of Abstract Expressionism almost twenty years ago, the genre regained its prominence through the brushstrokes of Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer and Georg Baselitz. The cosmopolitan and refined position that New York city held in the 1960s remained just as influential in the 1970s. With multiple international renowned artists gravitating the galleries and downtown scene, the city once again strengthened its reputation as the artistic heart of the era. The Arte Povera movement, which appeared in Italy, received global distinction in the 1970s, and leading figures such as Jannis Kounnelis, Mario Merz, and Michelangelo Pistoletto were praised. | https://www.artland.com/artists/meng-xiangshun |
João Martinho Moura is a media artist and researcher, interested in electronic art and embodiment, virtual environments, computer music, and computational aesthetics. For the past 20 years, he has been adopting new ways to present the body and space in digital media. João Martinho Moura has a particular interest in art & science, perception, visualization, in the intersections between art and technology. Since the 2000s, his work has been presented internationally, several times, in more than 18 countries, some city-scale exhibitions. Author of various publications in the field of media arts, interfaces, embodiment, virtual reality, and visualization. As a media artist, he has collaborated in some international institutions such as ESA – European Space Agency, INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UNESCO, and was selected artist at the European Commission’s STARTS and MindSpaces initiatives. In 2013, João Martinho Moura received the National Multimedia Art and Culture Award in Lisbon for his contributions to the field of digital arts in Portugal.
[News] [List of Exhibitions] [Pictures of Exhibitions] [Publications] [Press] [Contact]
YMYI, João Martinho Moura, 2007. 2019 Exhibition in the City of Prague
Born in Portugal, João Martinho Moura has presented his work and research in a variety of venues and conferences related to the arts and technology, including the International Festival for the Post-Digital Creation Culture OFFF (2008); World Congress on Communication and Arts (2010); SHiFT – Social and Human Ideas for Technology (2009); International Symposium on Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization, and Imaging CAe (2008); ARTECH (2008, 2010); Computer Interaction (2009); ZON Digital Games (2007); International Creative Arts Fair (2008); ZON Multimédia Premium (2008); Le Corps Numérique – Centre Culturel Saint-Exupéry (2011); Semibreve Festival (2012); TEI International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction (2011); Guimarães European Capital of Culture 2012; Bodycontrolled Series LEAP – Lab for Electronic Arts and Performance Berlin (2012); Futureplaces (2012); ARS ELECTRONICA Animation Festival (2012); SLSA Conference – Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts (2013), xCoAx – Computation Communication Aesthetics and X (2013), ESA – European Space Agency (2014), Fundacion Carlos Slim (2015), World Financial Center Beijing (2017); INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (2018); Braga UNESCO City of Media Arts (2018), European Commission STARTS initiative (2018); NATO Arts Programme (2019), Art Center Nabi (2019), ISEA 2019 – 25th International Symposium on Electronic Arts (2019), MindSpaces (2020).
His work has been presented in a variety of places in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, México, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Slovakia, UK, USA, Republic of Korea, Slovakia and was included in the curated collections ‘Selected Works ARS ELECTRONICA Animation Festival’ (Linz, 2012), the ‘Processing curated collection’ (USA, 2008) and the curated catalog of 25th International Symposium on Electronic Arts, ISEA (Gwangju, 2019).
Picture: João Martinho Moura, performing at MadeiraDIG Festival. Madeira Island. Picture: Roland Owsnitzki, Digital in Berlin, 2017.
Started in 2000’s a series of embodied and theater interactive works, and created YMYI, in 2007, an embodiment and media work presented in France, Belgium, USA, Czech Republic, and Portugal.
Since 2009, guest media artist at Balleteatro, Porto, collaborating with choreographer Né Barros. (link1) (link2) (link3)
In 2012, presented “Camara Neuronal“, a neuro-audio-visual performance, commissioned by the Guimarães – European Capital of Culture, a project that involved science and art, presenting a single performer on the stage, with his body inter-connected to an audio-visual apparatus.
In 2012 presented “Super Collider Shape” in Linz, Austria, at the ARS ELECTRONICA Animation Festival, a minimal continuous audiovisual sculpture of sound and imagined black ink exploring Super collider generative sound algorithms.
In 2013 João Martinho Moura received, in Lisbon, the National Multimedia Award – Art and Culture, for public interactive artwork B/Side.
In 2013, premiered the first media art exhibition at gnration, a new space built in the City of Braga, a platform for creation, performance, and exhibition in the field of contemporary music, art, and technology.
In 2015, was invited by the Carlos Slim Foundation, and presented an interactive public artwork, Wide/Side, in the historic center of Mexico City, during the Visual Art Week event, as part of the celebrations of the UNESCO International Year of the Light. The artwork was presented, in the next years, in Braga, Barcelona, Prague, Cascais, and Beijing.
Has collaborated with the development of projects related to scientific data visualization for ESA (European Space Agency) space missions (link1) (link2) (link3).
From 2015 to 2017 he was an active member, as media artist consultant and contributor, for the application of the city of Braga to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network – Braga Media Arts. The title of ‘UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts’ was attributed to the city of Braga on the 31st of October 2017 (link1, link2).
Since 2015, invited lecturer at Escola Superior de Tecnologia at IPCA – Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave. Between 2010-2013, was an invited lecturer at the Master Program in Technology and Digital Arts, at the University of Minho, Portugal, teaching Media Art and Programming for Digital Arts.
Member of the artistic cooperative AUAUFEIOMAU, and founding member of the Artech-International Association. Secretary of the Direction of Artech Associação, since 2019.
Between 2016 and 2020 presented, with Choreographer Né Barros, Co:Lateral performance in 14 theaters, a real to virtual embodied performance, and its research at the 25th edition of ISEA.
In 2017 was in artistic residence at the INL (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory), to prepare an artistic performance (Nano Abstractions) that was presented at the MNE 2017 – 43rd International Conference on Micro and Nano-Engineering, and INL Summit 2017.
In 2017, he started ‘How Computers Imagine Humans?‘, a research work related to the risks of artificial Intelligence misuse, and presented its research in China. The first exhibition was premiered in Germany, in 2018, and the work was exhibited, as invited artwork, at the International Symposium on Electronic Art, in 2019. (link)
In 2018 he is part of the Organizing Committee of ArtsIT 2018 – 7th EAI International Conference: ArtsIT, Interactivity & Game Creation and DLI 2018 – 3rd EAI International Conference on Design, Learning & Innovation. He is also part of the organizing committee of Artech 2019 Conference – 9th International Conference on Digital Arts, which happened in Braga, in 2019.
In 2018, presented 10e-10, an audiovisual performance related to data visualizations developed in the context of an artistic collaboration with the Micro and Nanofabrication Department of INL. The work was presented on the 10th anniversary of INL ceremony.
In 2018 was invited to present a video façade work at the 103rd-anniversary celebration of Theatro Circo.
Between 2018 and 2019 laureate artist at the European Commission’s STARTS initiative, which promotes the inclusion of artists in innovation projects funded in H2020. The artistic project, called ‘Sci-fi Miners‘, was created at the INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory and Aalto University facilities, and presented, in 2019, as a Virtual Reality Performance, in Braga, and as an audio-visual and VR exhibition, in Seoul. Link1, Link2 (video documentary), Link3. In 2020 he presented the Sci-fi Miners VR performance at Le Centquatre in Paris.
In 2019, João Martinho Moura premiered the first media art exhibition at the new NATO headquarters, in Brussels. Link1, Link2, Link3
In 2019, João Martinho Moura was a guest artist at the Special Exhibition of ISEA 2019, the 25th International Symposium on Electronic Arts, ‘Lux Aeterna’, in Gwangju, South Korea. (link)
In 2019 presented a three-month solo exhibition at Art Center Nabi, in Seoul, as the result of his residency at the European Commission’s STARTS initiative. (link)
Created in 2019 the embodied performance UNA, with choreographer and performer Né Barros, and presented it at Coliseu do Porto in 2020, a virtual/physical reality experience. The UNA research was presented at the ArtsIT conference, in Denmark, with Né Barros and Paulo Ferreira-Lopes, in 2020.
In 2020 was selected artist in the MindSpaces program, a European Commission project aiming to create new urban and architectural approaches integrating immersive ‘neuroenvironments’ in virtual reality (link to video documentary).
In 2021, he joined the Technology Engineering Group team at INL, an International Scientific Institution where he was an invited artist many times in the previous years, collaborating as a Research Engineer in the areas of Media Art, Digital Media, Data Visualization, Virtual and Augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
In 2022 he presented space~aprox, at Index Media Arts, in Theatro Circo, a performance piece where he places, in an abstract and possibly more intimate way, reflections, and passages through the concept of space, sometimes perceptible, sometimes obliterated, using memories, records or sound, and visual annotations.
Studied Technology and Digital Arts, with Professors: Né Barros, Adérito Marcos, Nelson Zagalo, Pedro Branco and Paulo Ferreira-Lopes.
João Martinho Moura conducted his research at engageLab (University of Minho), a laboratory at the intersection of arts and technology, and currently is integrated researcher at CITAR – Centro de Investigação em Ciência e Tecnologia das Artes (Escola das Artes, Universidade Católica Portuguesa).
Studied Arts and Computer Sciences, obtained a master degree in Digital Arts and a degree in Technology and Information Systems, both at the University of Minho, and, since 2016, been pursuing a Ph.D. in Science and Technology of the Arts in the field of Interactive Art at the School of Arts of Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
João Martinho Moura list of Exhibitions and Conferences.
João Martinho Moura list of Publications.
João Martinho Moura list of works.
Contact page. | http://jmartinho.net/about/ |
Steven Lenhart
How he joined the club: Acquired via trade with the Columbus Crew in exchange for San Jose's first round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
2014: Made 10 starts in 11 appearances in his fourth season with the Earthquakes ... Started in the first three matches of the season before missing the next seven because of a sprained left MCL … Played 80 minutes in his return from injury against the Houston Dynamo on May 25 at Buck Shaw Stadium … Recorded his first assist of the season in a 2-1 win against FC Dallas on May 31 at Toyota Stadium … Scored a game-tying goal in 90 minutes against the New York Red Bulls on July 19 at Red Bull Arena … Did not appear in the last seven MLS games of the season because of a left foot laceration … CCL: Played 90 minutes against Deportivo Toluca FC at Buck Shaw Stadium on March 11 … Started and played 89 minutes against Deportivo Toluca FC at Nemesio Diez Stadium on March 19 … Open Cup: Played 90 minutes against Sacramento Republic FC at Kezar Stadium on June 11 … Scored a goal, started and played 62 minutes against Seattle Sounders FC at Starfire Sports Complex on June 24.
2013: Scored four goals and had two assists in 21 games played ... Had a brace in San Jose's 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 21 ... CCL: Came on as a second-half substitute in the 70th minute against CD Heredia (Guatemala) at Cemento Progreso Stadium on Aug. 24 ... Started and played 82 minutes against the Montreal Impact on Sept. 17 at Buck Shaw Stadium, recording the game-winning assist ... Played 90 minutes against CD Heredia (Guatemala) on Oct. 23 at Buck Shaw Stadium ... Open Cup: Played 90 minutes against the Charleston Battery on May 28 … Exhibition: On the bench, but did not play vs. Norwich City of the English Premier League on July 20.
2012: Set career highs in starts (18) and goals (10) while appearing in a total 26 matches ... Started and played the first 70 minutes vs. NE on 3/10 … Played 90 minutes vs. HOU on 3/17 and took four shots … Played 90 minutes at TFC on 3/24 … Started and played 67 minutes at SEA on 3/31, drawing the penalty-kick decision that resulted in the game’s lone goal in the 24th minute … DNP vs. VAN on 4/7 and at NY on 4/14 after sustaining a right hamstring injury during training on 4/5 … Returned to action vs. RSL on 4/21, coming on as a substitute for the final 29 minutes … Came on as a substitute in the 60th minute at PHI on 4/28 and produced his first two goals of the season, both on headers, to open the scoring in the 76th before burying the game-winner at 93+ … Earned the second MLS Player of the Week award of his career … Decider was his second game-winner in a Quakes uniform and goal No. 20 for his five-year MLS career … Recorded his second brace in five days in playing 90 minutes vs. DC on 5/2, bookending San Jose’s five goals by tying the game in the 19th minute and adding a clincher in the 74th … Performance marked his fourth career multi-goal game and third for San Jose … Played 90 minutes at VAN on 5/5 … Started and played 75 minutes vs. CHV on 5/13, taking a game- and season-high seven shots … Started and played 60 minutes vs. CLB on 5/19, drawing a 22nd-minute penalty kick which Chris Wondolowski had saved … Started and played 90 minutes at LA on 5/23, scoring a diving header off a Chavez right-footed cross in the 76th minute … DNP at SKC on 5/27, due to yellow card accumulation … Started and played 90 minutes at COL on 6/20 … Started and played 59 minutes at RSL on 6/23 … Started and played 68 minutes vs. LA on 6/30, scoring the opening goal in the seventh minute and assisting on Sam Cronin’s equalizer in the 47th … Came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute at POR on 7/3 … DNP at FCD on 7/7 … DNP – 7/14 vs. RSL, vs. FCD on 7/18, and at VAN on 7/22 due to concussion symptoms … Played final 31 minutes vs. CHI on 7/28 and scored the game-tying goal in stoppage time … Started and played vs. SEA on 8/11, scoring the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute … Started and played 21 minutes before getting sent off with a red card at MTL on 8/18 …DNP on 8/25 vs. COL … Came on as a substitute in the 60th minute vs. CHV on 9/2 … Came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute at CHV on 9/15…Started and played 90 minutes vs. POR on 9/19, recording a game-tying assist in the 73rd minute … Came on as a substitute in the 65th minute at SEA on 9/22 … Started and played 51 minutes vs. FCD on 9/29, scoring in the 82nd minute and 95th minute … Started and played 88 minutes at COL on 10/6 … Started and played 90 minutes vs. LA on 10/21 …Started and played 66 minutes at POR on 10/27 … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played 90 minutes against LA in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals … Started and played 65 minutes on 11/4 at LA in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals Open Cup: Started and played 90 minutes vs. FTL on 5/29 … Started and played 90 minutes vs. MIN on 6/6 and scored the winning goal in the 85th minute … Came on as a substitute in the 53rd minute vs. SEA on 6/26 … Exhibition: Came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute vs. SC on 7/31, scoring 2 goals.
2011: DNP vs. RSL on 3/19, at FCD on 3/26, vs. SEA on 4/2, vs. TFC on 4/9 or at NY on 4/16 due to right knee arthroscopy … Made Earthquakes debut coming on as a substitute in 80th minute vs. CHV on 4/23 … Made first start and played 90 minutes at PHI on 4/30 … Played 90 minutes at VAN on 5/11 … Played 90 minutes and notched first assist as an Earthquake vs. CLB on 5/14 … Played 90 minutes and received a yellow card vs. NE on 5/21 … Played 90 minutes at CHI on 5/28 … Played 90 minutes and scored first goal with the Earthquakes vs. HOU on 6/4 … Played full 90 minutes, notched an assist, and scored his first career hat trick at DC on 6/11 … Played 90 minutes at KC on 6/17 and vs. LA on 6/25 … Played 90 minutes, scored fifth goal of season and received a yellow card vs. NY on 7/2 … Played 90 minutes and received a yellow card at CHV on 7/6 … Started, played 73 minutes and received a yellow card at CLB on 7/16 … Played 90 minutes and notched an assist vs. VAN on 7/20 … DNP at RSL on 7/23, vs. DC on 7/30, vs. POR on 8/6, vs. COL on 8/13, at LA on 8/20, at TFC on 8/27, vs. CHI on 9/10, at HOU on 9/17, at POR on 9/21, at COL on 9/24, vs. SKC on 10/1, at NE on 10/8, at SEA on 10/15, or vs. FCD on 10/22 due to family leave … Exhibition: -- … Open Cup Qualifying: Came on as substitute in 83rd minute and received a yellow card at POR on 5/3 … Came on as a substitute in 83rd minute vs. CHI on 5/24 … Reserves: Started, played 45 minutes and received a yellow card vs. CHV on 4/23.
2010: Appeared in 27 games for the Columbus Crew, starting 17 … Scored six goals and notched two assists … Made season debut vs. TOR on 3/27 and played 89 minutes … Started and played 70 minutes at FCD on 4/10 and notched an assist … Started and played 85 minutes vs. RSL on 4/24 … Played 90 minutes at SEA on 5/1 and scored a goal … Started and played 89 minutes vs. NE on 5/8 … Started and played 75 minutes vs. CHV on 5/15 … Played 90 minutes at NY on 5/20 and at KC on 5/23 … Started and played 74 minutes vs. LA on 5/29 … Came on as a substitute in the 65th minute at SJ on 6/2 … Played 90 minutes at COL on 6/5 … Came on as a substitute in the 70th minute vs. DC on 6/26 and notched an assist … Came on as a substitute in the 89th minute vs. CHI on 7/3 … Came on as a substitute in the 66th minute at HOU on 7/10 and vs. KC on 7/14 … Came on as a substitute in the 56th minute at CHV on 7/31 and scored a goal … Played 63 minutes at PHI on 8/5 and scored two goals … Played 90 minutes at RSL on 8/14 … Came on as a substitute in the 87th minute vs. COL on 8/21 and scored a goal … Came on as a substitute in the 81st minute vs. FCD on 8/28 … Played 90 minutes at DC on 9/4 … Started and played 63 minutes at LA on 9/11 … Played 90 minutes vs. SEA on 9/18 … Started and played 87 minutes at NE on 9/25 … Started and played 84 minutes vs. SJ on 10/2 … Came on as a substitute in the 80th minute at CHI on 10/8 … Started and played 71 minutes at TFC on 10/16 … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started and played 68 minutes in first leg of Eastern Conference Semifinals at COL … Came on as a substitute in the 90th minute and played 30 minutes of OT in the second leg vs. COL.
2009: Appeared in 26 matches, started 10 … Scored three goals and notched two assists … Had four yellow cards … Named the Crew’s MLS W.O.R.K.S./U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year and selected as co-winner of Fan’s Choice Award at the end of the season … Registered first career assist vs. DC on 7/4 … Open Cup: Started in Round 16 match at Rochester … MLS Cup Playoffs: Started one match … CONCACAF Champions League: Appeared in five matches, started two … Had one goal and two yellow cards.
2008: Appeared in 10 matches, started three … Had four goals and one red card … Made his MLS debut at CHV on 5/31 … Open Cup: Started both qualifying matches … Had one goal vs. RSL on 5/27 … MLS Cup Playoffs: Appeared in two games … Came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute and scored the game-tying goal, in second-half stoppage time in Game 1 of EC Semifinals at KC on 11/1 … Reserves: Appeared in nine games, started seven … Scored one goal.
College: Scored 38 goals and notched 12 assists in 61 games at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif. … Named NAIA All-American in 2007 … Named to the NAIA All-Tournament Team in 2006-07 … Honored both times as the NAIA Tournament’s Outstanding Offensive Player and helped lead Azusa Pacific to the 2007 NAIA national title … Twice named to All-GSAC team in 2006 and 2007.
Personal: The son of Gary and Debbie Lenhart … Has two sisters, Jennifer and Shannon, and one brother, Daniel … Enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and playing guitar and piano … Has a passion for Africa and is an enthusiastic supporter of the non-profit organization ACIRFA Bikes for Africa (www.abikes.org) … His favorite scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6.
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When Michigan voters passed the wryly named Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MRCI) in 2006 and banned affirmative action for state universities, we undermined some of the most vital educational reforms born of the Civil Rights movement.
Unsurprisingly, the Supreme Court defended states’ rights Tuesday, April 22 in response to a case forwarded by Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action.
Opponents argue affirmative action is antithetical to equality, as it prefers non-white students. This tripe is predicated on a misconception that U.S. segregation has ended. Today’s segregation is rooted in lapsed economic opportunities for non-white communities. The wealth divide, Bush’s educational reforms (which increased funds for districts that don’t need it) and the gentrification process in urban communities result in de facto segregation, without Jim Crow.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has demonstrated the MCRI has clearly marginalized non-white communities since its passage, writing “African-American undergraduate enrollment fell by 33 percent between 2006 and 2012, even as overall enrollment grew by 10 percent. During the same period, Hispanic enrollment declined by 10 percent.”
While NMU still employs some affirmative action (mandated by their federal funds), students see a largely caucasian campus.
According to Northern’s website, caucasian undergraduates outnumber African American students 36 to 1 and Hispanic students 30 to 1. Furthermore, this is the first academic year in decades that African American students outnumber Native American undergraduates.
The Supreme Court did its job in defending the constitution, but it will take a mobilized public to counter the MCRI’s future impacts.
Northern could use it. | https://thenorthwindonline.com/3870310/opinion/supreme-court-upholds-segregation/ |
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ASHBURN, Va.--Two faculty members at The George Washington University report a newly observed phenomenon that extends a fundamental law of physics to magnetic nanostructures, extremely small magnetic particles about one-billionth of a meter in size, in the April 15 edition of Physical Review Letters.
Edward Della Torre, director of GW's Institute for Magnetic Research and professor of engineering and applied science, and Lawrence H. Bennett, research professor of engineering and applied science, discovered that when plotting magnetization as a function of decreasing temperature the curve was no longer evenly sloped as predicted by the Bloch T 3/2 law. Rather it showed a subtle upturn of the magnetization curve in the 10-50 K temperature range. They explain these visible anomalies in the law using the Bose-Einstein condensation theory, first predicted by Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein in 1924.
These findings have practical applications for manufacturers of products using magnets, such as computer hard drives, as well as broader implications for the fields of physics, chemistry, and engineering. "One practical application of our discoveries would be to use this information to improve the way the life cycle of computer hard drives is modeled," said Della Torre. "The magnets in hard drives effect whether the information on a hard drive will be stored for 10 minutes, 10 days, or 10 years, so it is important to both manufacturers and consumers to have a model that rapidly and accurately predicts how long a hard drive will last."
Della Torre and Bennett's article about these observations, "Extension of the Bloch T 3/2 Law to Magnetic Nanostructures: Bose-Einstein Condensation" appears in Physical Review Letters, a prestigious physics journal published by The American Physical Society. It is the collaborative work of the pair, along with their colleague R.E. Watson of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Department of Physics in Upton, N.Y.
GW's Institute for Magnetics Research, located at the University's Virginia Campus, focuses its work on modeling, experimental measurements, and the use of magnetic materials. The materials most commonly studied are magnetic recording media, magneto-optical media, and magnetostrictive materials. Applications include computer hard drives, floppy disks and read/write memories, microwave devices, magnetostrictive transducers, and magnetic refrigeration. The institute has conducted research projects with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, the National Science Foundation, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, DARPA, IBM, Fuji, and ANSYS Software.
The George Washington University Virginia Campus offers graduate courses and academic and research initiatives in transportation safety and security, public health and homeland security, professional and executive education, and information technology and telecommunications. The 14-year old campus, located 12 miles west of Tyson's Corner, comprises 95 acres in the Ashburn community of Loudoun County.
To read the full article, visit http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PRLTAO000094000014147210000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=Yes.
For more information about the GW Institute for Magnetics Research, visit www.gwu.edu/~imr.For more information about the GW Virginia Campus, visit www.gwvirginia.gwu.edu.For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
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Washington, D.C. | https://www2.gwu.edu/~newsctr/pressrelease.cfm?ann_id=16111 |
COVID-19 and chronic pain: FAQsWritten by:
When you suffer from chronic pain, the idea of experiencing flu-like symptoms from coronavirus could cause some anxiety. Many fibromyalgia patients have also been wondering how their usual treatment may be impacted.
We recently spoke to Dr Shankar Ramaswamy, a leading pain management specialist based in London and Kent. He let us know the answers to some of your FAQs about living with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What can you advise someone who lives in chronic pain and who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus?
In terms of how they should manage coronavirus, in theory it shouldn’t be any different with patients who do not suffer from chronic pain.
Government advice is to self-isolate if you have symptoms of COVID-19, in England you’re advised to call the 111-coronavirus service. Those suffering from pain should avoid going to the GP or a hospital unless they feel quite unwell. Of course, they shouldn’t avoid going to hospital if it’s needed, especially if they have breathing symptoms, but not for some trivial symptoms.
Can coronavirus worsen pre-existing chronic pain symptoms?
Patients with chronic pain, on top of continuing to suffer from their usual symptoms, are also more likely to experience discomfort due to the flu-like symptoms. The focus is to manage the symptoms as opposed to just increasing the painkillers, which can in fact only mask the symptoms.
There are groups of people who are vulnerable or at high risk due to their underlying medical problems. But, in a reassuring way, chronic pain alone doesn’t put individuals at greater risk of contracting the virus unless they are on medications that would suppress their immunity levels or have other co-morbidities such as diabetes.
It is possible that patients with chronic pain have heightened symptoms. I would advise to focus on educating the patients about their condition and its symptoms and encourage them to seek advice to self-manage their condition, as well as using treatment options for prevention.
As mentioned, COVD-19 can cause muscle pain, fever, dry cough and other flu like symptoms. If you have chronic pain, it can feel heightened. Every time you cough you can have an increased amount of pain whilst you have COVID-19 symptoms.
For people living with chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, how might the crisis affect their pain management plan?
As mentioned, the widespread muscular pain and flu like symptoms that you can get from coronavirus can exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms. Patients with fibromyalgia should be able to differentiate its symptoms with COVID-19’s, in the same way they can differentiate the flu from fibromyalgia. There is a possibility the widespread pain will get worse if someone with fibromyalgia contracts coronavirus.
There’s a lot of restriction in access for doctors in the hospital, especially in the case of non-urgent and non-cancerous conditions during the pandemic phase. Although there’s a lot of suffering from chronic pain, the timeline for the management of patients with chronic pain is not the same as cancer or other life threatening conditions. Of course this does not mean the symptoms of fibromyalgia or similar conditions are being trivialised.
In this unprecedented time, we need to have a more global perspective. The majority of pain consultants are also practicing anaesthetists, and many have been redeployed and are managing coronavirus patients in intensive care or are now working as emergency anesthetists.
Fibromyalgia patients will have restricted access to face to face consultants and they may feel left out without support. However, e-Consultations, telephone and video calls, throughout the pandemic have been extremely useful. I work in a team that includes physiotherapists. Where possible, we have used video calls to treat patients.
You can still get the same high-quality service via a video call. The majority of patients’ history can be obtained by questioning them and we get lot of information from looking at their posture, mobility, which we can gauge from the video call. We also ask patients to do specific maneuvers/exercises, under our instructions via video consultation, as part of the treatment process.
I think the shift to video conferencing tools is a reality check for many of us as we have always presumed that we have to do things face to face. We have now found out that we can actually achieve a lot of things without face-to-face contact.
Through e-Consultation we can advise and prescribe, and I have been sending prescriptions by post and to GPs. There are also some very good psychology/ mindfullness apps such as Headspace that may help manage the condition through the lockdown period.
How are you still treating your patients?
Whilst treating them via video consultations, what people have realised is that the lockdown and pandemic has given them more time for reflection and encouraged many to change practice. With video consultations, it gives me time to think “out of the box” to help patients.
We are fortunate that video consultations are also supported by all insurance companies. I’m still operating/ injecting at some of the selected private hospitals as usual but we have implemented safety protocols to screen patients who are having interventions.
How can patients who have symptoms of coronavirus get their pain medication refills?
I have been continuing to see patients via video calls, telephone and have advised GPs about medications so patients can contact their GP to renew medication as per my advice.
I’ve also been sending prescriptions by post in some circumstances. Often, I have left prescriptions with the hospital pharmacist, especially for controlled drug refills as it’s a secure way of dispensing these drugs.
Sometimes if the pain increases, we may have to increase the patients’ medication dosages and it is important that they are monitored closely. In those cases I have been calling them at shorter intervals to ensure their safety.
If you suffer from chronic pain and would like some assistance from a leading pain management specialist, feel free to visit Dr Shankar Ramaswamy’s profile for more information. You can book an e-Consultation so that you can be seen in the comfort of your own home. | https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-articles/covid-19-and-chronic-pain-faqs |
(Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons) More than a decade ago, the choices were few to address the needs of data gathering and recording. Water and wastewater utilities,
(Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons) The topic is not new, but it is increasingly common in conversations with customers and potential users of wireless networks for M2M
Most of us can relate to the frustration of when the Wi-Fi is down, or running slowly, or if we travel away from an established
Gone are the days of limited connectivity—at least that’s the plan this year. According to Wireless Design Magazine, The Broadband Alliance has announced plans to hosts
(Image courtesy of Tony Webster, via Flickr Creative Commons) One of the more fascinating aspects of our eternal march toward ‘the future’ is the occasional,
All eyes appeared to be on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas since last week, as more than 3,600 companies unveiled the IoT and
Seismic monitoring tends to pop up in the news only during disaster situations, or, more recently, in conjunction with North Korea’s possible detonation of a hydrogen
Let’s take a moment and appreciate the excitement 2015 brought for the IIoT: As we look back at the top articles from the year, we
As we inch our way closer to the New Year, we would like to take a moment and appreciate some of the technological advancements of
By Sam Lucero, Sr. Principal Analyst, M2M & IoT at IHS Technology IIoT & Cybersecurity As IIoT systems create ever more critical dependencies in plant, energy infrastructure,
What a week it has been for the connected world! As we grow closer to the end of 2015, there are plenty of movers and
Before we move on to the next prediction in our IIoT Predictions series, let’s take a quick look back at the first three: A major
So far, our series of IIoT Bold Predictions for 2016 has focused on the concepts of IIoT security and government’s regulatory role in the development of IoT and IIoT
Yesterday, we kicked the 2016 IIoT Bold Prediction Series off with a bang! As a nice follow-up, and second iteration of the series, Tim Mester, Principal
The year 2015 is soon coming to an end as the year 2016 looks to be ushering in exciting new ways in which the Internet
The quest to understand production and operational factors, distribute this information to business systems and people within an organization, and directly improve business processes and
The age of manufacturing is moving past the dusty, oversized, broken-down warehouse located on the edge of town and into industrial 4.0. This new technological
For decades, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have played a significant role in industrial operations. Industries like oil and gas, electric power/smart grid, | https://www.freewave.com/wavelengths/page/2/ |
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, has investigated the hydrology of the Great Dismal Swamp (Swamp) National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in Virginia and North Carolina and developed a three-dimensional numerical model to simulate groundwater and surface-water hydrology. The model was developed with MODFLOW-NWT, a USGS numerical groundwater flow modeling program, in combination with the Surface-Water Routing Process, a software package that simulates dynamic surface-water flows, water control structure management, and groundwater/surface-water interactions.
The steady-state model was calibrated to average spring conditions by using automated parameter estimation software (PEST) to reduce simulation errors and assess model parameter sensitivity. The model was then used to simulate wet and dry climatic conditions and a variety of hypothetical scenarios in which water levels in the Swamp were raised and lowered by simulated management of water control structures. Results of the model simulations indicate that, under average spring conditions, precipitation is the primary water input (92%); surface-water (5%) and groundwater (3%) inflows make up the remainder. The primary outflow (or loss) is evapotranspiration (55%), with surface outflows (about 41%) and groundwater outflow (about 4%) making up the remainder.
Simulated adjustment of water control structure weir levels demonstrates that groundwater levels are affected by water levels in adjacent ditches and that surface-water and groundwater levels can be controlled through management of water control structures, allowing the Refuge to better manage fire risks and preserve forested-wetland ecosystems in the Refuge. The 13 water control structures proposed in the simulated scenario representing possible future conditions effectively raised simulated water levels in the northeastern corner of the study area, a goal of the Refuge management.
Results of this study demonstrate use of MODFLOW with the Surface-Water Routing Process for simulating water management options in peat wetlands and will help Refuge managers to better understand existing hydrologic conditions, assess the hydrologic effects of planned changes to water control structures, and apply the new simulation tool to guide water management on the Refuge.
Suggested Citation
Eggleston J.R., Decker, J.D., Finkelstein, J.S., Wurster, F.C., Misut, P.E., Sturtevant, L.P., and Speiran, G.K., 2018, Hydrologic conditions and simulation of groundwater and surface water in the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia and North Carolina: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018-5056, 67 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185056. | https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20185056 |
On this occasion, Homo Urbanus, a series of 7 films created by Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine will be projected. The films take the spectator though the cities of Seoul, Bogotà, Naples, Saint-Petersburg, Rabat, Tokyo and Kyoto, contructing a the human landscape along the way.
Erin Besler and Ian Besler will conduct a workshop entitled Some Assembly Required. This project explores the distinction between “work” and “activity” in the context of the Cinque Mostre exhibition by creating a set of interactive fold-and-construct model kits of architectural details in Rome, removed from their context and reconstructed as simple model kits. Visitors are encouraged to contribute to the project and help themselves to their own kit – accessible, printed, sheets of paper stock – which anyone from adults to small children, experts to amateurs, can fold and assemble. This project aspires to implicate the processes of construction and assembly, typically kept at a distance or rendered invisible in the context of the gallery, as a central and inextricable component of the installation, while at the same time producing and engaging new audiences in architectural design and production.
Composed of collaborative projects, under the collective title Δx Displacement, Cinque Mostre 2019 features work by current Rome Prize Fellows, Italian Fellows, and invited artists installed in various sites throughout the McKim, Mead & White Building at the American Academy in Rome.
The conference focuses on the material history of Fascist-era works of art, monuments, and architecture in Italy, and examines their afterlife and reception in the longue durée. In order to frame the contemporary debate, a transdisciplinary approach and a historical perspective will take as its starting point the iconoclasm following the Fall of the Regime (July 25th, 1943). Papers will explore the ambiguous transition from Fascism to the Republic and the dynamics of postwar censorship. Moreover, the critical examination of artistic historiography, together with the main narratives of the history of Italian art, aims to underline elements of continuity throughout the 20th century. It also permits a re-examination of the damnatio memoriae implicating some of the artists close to the Regime and the role played by private collections in the preservation and survival of Fascist-era works of art.
See conference program in attachment.
The two-day conference concludes with a Conversation at the Academy between Dell Upton, Professor of Architectural History at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Adachiara Zevi, architect, art historian, and president of Fondazione Bruno Zevi, moderated by John Ochsendorf, Professor at MIT and Director of the American Academy in Rome.
Presentations will be held in English and Italian. The conference and the discussion are open to the public. No registration required. You can watch the event live at https://livestream.com/aarome.
Concept and organization: Carmen Belmonte, 2019 Italian Fellow, American Academy in Rome.
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries there was an explosion in the circulation of astrological knowledge throughout the Mediterranean. Retracing the movement of these ideas allows us to explore encounters between ways of seeing and understanding the cosmos, and breaks down essentialist notions of culturally specific cosmologies. The illuminated manuscript known as the Liber astrologiae—produced for the southern Italian court of Frederick II ca. 1220–40—offers particularly fruitful ground for exploring the circulation of astrological knowledge that was critical to the emergence of a new scientific culture in the medieval Latin West. Anna Majeski uses the concept of “translation” to deconstruct essentialist notions of scientific knowledge that have shaped the readings of this manuscript. Moreover, by homing in on one specific object, she examines translation as an empirical process that occurs through specific triangulations between texts, objects, and individuals—rather than as an encounter between cultural monoliths. Finally, she will ask how the translation of images in this manuscript operates differently than the translation of texts.
Majeski is the Donald and Maria Cox/Samuel H. Kress Foundation Pre-Doctoral Rome Prize Fellow in Medieval Studies and a PhD candidate at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.
The eighteenth-century palazzo in Naples and its reconfiguration between the portal, courtyard, and stair responds to a series of limits/thresholds imposed under Spanish rule that have been contested through time, unraveling the politics of space and, in many cases, creating unique conditions between power, city dwelling, and the architecture that frames it.
Marcel Sanchez Prieto is the Frances Barker Tracy/Arnold W. Brunner/Katherine Edwards Gordon Rome Prize Fellow in Architecture, a partner at CRO Studio in San Diego and Tijuana, and professor in the School of Architecture at Woodbury University.
The event will be held in English. Watch Majeski’s shoptalk live at https://livestream.com/aarome.
Dell Upton and Adachiara Zevi – Are Monuments History?
Charles Keck, “Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson,” 1919-24, Charlottesville VA.
Are monuments memory? While they are often discussed in those terms, it is better to think of them as pastiches of familiar myths and metaphors created for the needs of a particular moment. In addition, they need to be considered as elements of complex landscapes that also contained buildings and open spaces. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were periods of intense monument building in the service of nationalist projects. Confederate American, Risorgimento Italian, and Fascist monuments all used similar visual and mythic elements, but two were failures. This conversation, moderated by John Ochsendorf, considers all three types of monuments from the point of view of their visual imagery and their roles in civic landscapes. It concludes with a consideration of the reason the Confederate monuments need to be removed.
Dell Upton is Distinguished Professor of Architectural History in the Department of Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles, and current James Marston Fitch Resident in Historic Preservation and Conservation at the American Academy in Rome. Adachiara Zevi is an architect, art historian, and president of Fondazione Bruno Zevi. John Ochsendorf is Class of 1942 Professor of Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Director of the American Academy in Rome.
The conversation concludes a two-day conference held at the Bibliotheca Hertziana and American Academy in Rome on "A Difficult Heritage: The Afterlife of Fascist-Era Architecture, Monuments, and Works of Art in Italy". See conference program in attachment.
The event will be held in English. Watch it livestream at https://livestream.com/aarome.
Erin Besler will introduce her project “The Problem with the Corner Problem” and situate it within broader architectural work on construction technologies, amateur production, prosaic materials, social media, and other platforms for producing and sharing content that rely less on expertise and more on ubiquity.
Besler is the Founders Rome Prize Fellow in Architecture, a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a partner at Besler & Son.
Michelle Lou will be demo-ing a new analog/digital live performance system that she is creating at the Academy that involves taking signals from her modular synth into a custom software patch created on max/MSP that processes these signals. The audio is then routed back through the synth for further manipulation. There will also be an audio-reactive visual component to this presentation.
Lou is the Elliott Carter Rome Prize Fellow in Musical Composition and a visiting lecturer in the Department of Music at Dartmouth College.
The event will be held in English. Watch Besler’s shoptalk live at https://livestream.com/aarome.
Please join us in New York for a Conversations | Conversazioni event featuring the novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar (2018 Resident) and Mark Robbins, president and CEO of the American Academy in Rome (1997 Fellow).
Akhtar’s debut novel American Dervish (2012) was widely praised, and his play Disgraced won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2013. His most recent dramatic effort, JUNK, ran for three months at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater and was honored with the 2018 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History.
This event is free and open to the public; an RSVP is required.
The transition from the fall of the Fascist regime in 1943 to the establishment of a new political order in 1948 is still today a most controversial period in Italian culture and history. This talk sheds light on the range and fluidity of opinion in years before the ideological struggle fossilized into Cold War oppositions by focusing on nonaligned intellectuals, such as Carlo Levi and Curzio Malaparte. From opposite political standpoints, Levi and Malaparte stressed the continuity between the new democracy and the previous regime and denounced the lack of the alleged moral regeneration of Italy.
Baldasso is the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation/National Endowment for the Humanities Post-Doctoral Rome Prize Fellow in Modern Italian Studies and assistant professor of Italian and director of the Italian studies program in the Division of Languages and Literature at Bard College.
Dylan Fracareta is interested in how conditions and constraints can be leveraged to generate content, foster exhaustion, and promote adaptive, responsive, meaningful, and inventive outcomes. The act of walking serves as a vehicle for discovery or recovery, while recording, collecting, and manipulating (i.e., inherent features of an iPhone camera) encourage more attention. Elements of chance eliminate decisions and anxieties, enabling the protagonist to be free to see, embrace, and make meaning from daily observations.
Francareta is the Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Rome Prize Fellow in Design and design director at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
The event will be held in English. Watch Baldasso’s shoptalk live at https://livestream.com/aarome. | https://www.aarome.org/events/calendar/2019-03-12?mini=2019-03 |
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Access and admissions
In the competitive U.S. higher education market, institutions differentiate themselves to attract both students and tuition dollars. One understudied example of this differentiation is the increasing trend of "colleges" becoming "universities" by changing their names. Leveraging variation in the timing of such conversions in an event study framework, I show that becoming a university increases enrollments at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which leads to an increase in degree production and total revenues. I further find that these effects are largest when institutions are the first in their market to convert to a university and can lead to negative spillover effects on non-converting colleges.
Recent state policy efforts have focused on increasing attainment among adults with some college but no degree (SCND). Yet little is actually known about the SCND population. Using data from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), we provide the first detailed profile on the academic, employment, and earnings trajectories of the SCND population, and how these compare to VCCS graduates. We show that the share of SCND students who are academically ready to reenroll and would benefit from doing so may be substantially lower than policy makers anticipate. Specifically, we estimate that few SCND students (approximately three percent) could fairly easily re-enroll in fields of study from which they could reasonably expect a sizable earnings premium from completing their degree.
Underrepresented minority (URM) college students have been steadily earning degrees in relatively less-lucrative fields of study since the mid-1990s. A decomposition reveals that this widening gap is principally explained by rising stratification at public research universities, many of which increasingly enforce GPA restriction policies that prohibit students with poor introductory grades from declaring popular majors. We investigate these GPA restrictions by constructing a novel 50-year dataset covering four public research universities' student transcripts and employing a staggered difference-in-difference design around the implementation of 29 restrictions. Restricted majors’ average URM enrollment share falls by 20 percent, which matches observational patterns and can be explained by URM students’ poorer average pre-college academic preparation. Using first-term course enrollments to identify students who intend to earn restricted majors, we find that major restrictions disproportionately lead URM students from their intended major toward less-lucrative fields, driving within-institution ethnic stratification and likely exacerbating labor market disparities.
We consider the case in which the number of seats in a program is limited, such as a job training program or a supplemental tutoring program, and explore the implications that peer effects have for which individuals should be assigned to the limited seats. In the frequently-studied case in which all applicants are assigned to a group, the average outcome is not changed by shuffling the group assignments if the peer effect is linear in the average composition of peers. However, when there are fewer seats than applicants, the presence of linear-in-means peer effects can dramatically influence the optimal choice of who gets to participate. We illustrate how peer effects impact optimal seat assignment, both under a general social welfare function and under two commonly used social welfare functions. We next use data from a recent job training RCT to provide evidence of large peer effects in the context of job training for disadvantaged adults. Finally, we combine the two results to show that the program's effectiveness varies greatly depending on whether the assignment choices account for or ignore peer effects.
Nearly half of students who enter college do not graduate. The majority of efforts to increase college completion have focused on supporting students before or soon after they enter college, yet many students drop out after making significant progress towards their degree. In this paper, we report results from a multi-year, large-scale experimental intervention conducted across five states and 20 broad-access, public colleges and universities to support students who are late in their college career but still at risk of not graduating. The intervention provided these “near-completer” students with personalized text messages that encouraged them to connect with campus-based academic and financial resources, reminded them of upcoming and important deadlines, and invited them to engage (via text) with campus-based advisors. We find little evidence that the message campaign affected academic performance or attainment in either the full sample or within individual higher education systems or student subgroups. The findings suggest low-cost nudge interventions may be insufficient for addressing barriers to completion among students who have made considerable academic progress.
Hundreds of colleges have changed their names to signal higher quality. We estimate how this affects college choice and the labor market performance of college graduates. Administrative data show that name-changing colleges enroll higher-aptitude students, with larger effects for attractive-but-misleading name changes and among students with less information. A resume audit study shows that employer callbacks respond to the increased aptitude of recruited students at these colleges. We broaden these results using scraped online text data, survey data, and other administrative data. Our study demonstrates that signals designed to change beliefs can have real, lasting impacts on market outcomes.
We assess whether a light-touch intervention can increase socioeconomic and racial diversity in undergraduate Economics. We randomly assigned over 2,200 students a message with basic information about the Economics major; the basic message combined with an emphasis on the rewarding careers or financial returns associated with the major; or no message. Messages increased the proportion of first generation or underrepresented minority (URM) students majoring in Economics by five percentage points. This effect size was sufficient to reverse the gap in Economics majors between first generation/URM students and students not in these groups. Effect sizes were larger and more precise for better-performing students and first generation students. Extrapolating to the full sample, the treatment would double the proportion of first generation and underrepresented minority students majoring in Economics.
We combine a large multi-site randomized control trial with administrative and survey data to demonstrate that intensive advising during high school and college leads to large increases in bachelor's degree attainment. Novel causal forest methods suggest that these increases are driven primarily by improvements in the quality of initial enrollment. Program effects are consistent across sites, cohorts, advisors, and student characteristics, suggesting the model is scalable. While current and proposed investments in postsecondary education focus on cutting costs, our result suggest that investment in advising is likely to be a more efficient route to promote bachelor's degree attainment.
In-person college advising programs generate large improvements in college persistence and success for low-income students but face numerous barriers to scale. Remote advising models offer a promising strategy to address informational and assistance barriers facing the substantial majority of low-income students who do not have access to community-based advising, yet the existing evidence base on the efficacy of remote advising is limited. We present a comprehensive, multi-cohort experimental evaluation of CollegePoint, a national remote college advising program for high-achieving low- and moderate-income students. Students assigned to CollegePoint are modestly more likely (1.3 percentage points) to attend higher-quality institutions. Results from mechanism experiments we conducted within CollegePoint indicate that moderate changes to the program model, such as a longer duration of advising and modest expansions of the pool of students academically eligible to participate, do not lead to larger program effects. We also capitalize on across-cohort variation in whether students were affected by COVID-19 to investigate whether social distancing required by the pandemic increased the value of remote advising. CollegePoint increased attendance at higher-quality institutions by 3.2 percentage points for the COVID-19-affected cohort. Acknowledgements.
Can families in low-income contexts “pull themselves up by their bootstraps?” In rural Gambia, caregivers with high aspirations for their children, measured before the child starts school, invest substantially more in their children’s education. Despite this, essentially no children are literate or numerate three years later. In contrast, a bundled supply-side intervention administered in these same areas generated large literacy and numeracy gains. Crucially, conditional on receipt of this intervention, high-aspirations children are 25 percent more likely to attain literacy/numeracy than low-aspirations children. We also show how the test score SD metric can mislead when counterfactual learning levels are low. | https://edworkingpapers.com/index.php/topics/access-and-admissions |
Prescribing in pregnancy and breastfeeding requires a thoughtful approach, considering maternal, fetal and neonatal physiology, and the pharmacokinetics of the prescribed drug. This chapter aims to familiarize the reader with pregnancy-related issues that should be taken into account when prescribing medications in the peri-partum period.
Introduction
Prescribing in pregnancy and breastfeeding requires a thoughtful approach, considering maternal, fetal and neonatal physiology, and the pharmacokinetics of the prescribed drug. This chapter aims to familiarize the reader with pregnancy-related issues that should be taken into account when prescribing medications in the peri-partum period.
More often than not, both patients and providers overestimate the risks associated with drug use in pregnancy, while the adverse effects of uncontrolled medical illness on pregnancy remain understated. When prescribing for the pregnant patient, weighing the risk of uncontrolled maternal illness against the small, possibly unknown risk of the medication, can help support and validate the use of pharmacotherapy.
Pharmacokinetics in Pregnancy
Physiologic changes of pregnancy can influence the pharmacokinetics of many medications, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and transport. These effects may warrant changes in dose or frequency of medications to ensure therapeutic benefits in the pregnant patient.
Effect of Pregnancy on Drug Absorption
Bioavailability of oral medications can be affected by several factors, including blood flow to the stomach, gastric acidity and gut transit time. During pregnancy, progesterone-induced smooth-muscle relaxation alters blood flow to the gut by vasodilatation, and intestinal motility and acid secretion are affected as well. In addition, nausea and vomiting are common in pregnancy and can interfere with oral drug administration and compliance.
Effect of Pregnancy on Drug Distribution
Changes in the cardiac output and maternal total body water during pregnancy result in an increase in the volume of distribution. Hydrophilic drugs can therefore have lower plasma levels, necessitating higher dosing for maintenance of therapeutic concentrations.1,2,3 The volume of distribution of lipophilic drugs is also increased due to an increase in maternal fat stores and fat mass. In normal pregnancy, albumin concentrations decrease on an average by approximately 1% at 8 weeks, 10% at 20 weeks, and 13% at 32 weeks.4 This has important implications for protein-bound medications. Lower albumin concentration can lead to higher levels of free drug, which in turn can increase the likelihood of drug-related toxicity. This is especially of concern when treating with medications that have a narrow therapeutic window, such as digoxin or phenytoin.
Effect of Pregnancy on Drug Metabolism
Physiologic changes associated with pregnancy also affect drug metabolism by inducing enzymatic changes in the liver and placenta. In addition, other medications specifically used in pregnancy for obstetric indications can impact drug metabolism, necessitating dose alterations.
Hepatic drug metabolism includes two phases. Phase I reactions that include oxidation, reduction or hydrolysis reactions are carried out by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. The activity of several CYP enzymes is increased during pregnancy. Changes in CYP3A4 activity lead to increased metabolism of drugs such as glyburide, nifedipine and indinavir. In contrast, CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 appear to undergo a gradual decrease in activity with advancing gestation.5,6,7 Notable substrates for these enzymes include caffeine, theophylline and citalopram. In contrast, CYP2C19 activity may be increased in patients who are treated with progesterone or 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), used in pregnancy for prevention of pre-term labour. Medications that require CYP2C19 for metabolism, such as tricyclic antidepressants, proton pump inhibitors and propranolol, may require dose increases in patients on 17-OHPC.8
Phase II reactions include conjugation with charged species such as glucuronic acid, sulfate or glutathione to create a larger, less active product. Phase II enzymes include a group of enzymes called uridine 5’-diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) whose activity is increased during pregnancy. Medications that utilize these enzymes for metabolism will therefore require incremental doses to maintain therapeutic levels with pregnancy progression. One example of this is lamotrigine which demonstrates a progressive increase in clearance with advancing gestational age and a rapid rise in levels in the post-partum period.
Effect of Pregnancy on Drug Elimination
Pregnancy is associated with an increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which can reduce levels of renally cleared medications. In addition, there may be changes in renal tubular transport that can result in differing effects on renally cleared drugs.9,10
Effect of Pregnancy on Drug Transport
Many drugs are eliminated through the kidneys, not just by filtration, but via active transfer across drug transporters. The activity of several renal transporters, including the organic anion transporters (OAT) or organic cation transporters (OCT) and phospho-glycoprotein (P-gp) is notably increased in pregnancy, affecting the renal clearance of many medications.11
Transport across the placenta is obviously an important consideration in pregnancy. Despite the widespread belief to the contrary, no ‘placental barrier’ exists. In fact, active transport between maternal and fetal circulations is necessary for transfer of nutrients and fetal products of metabolism. Drug transporters that are expressed in the placenta play a role in the influx or efflux of medications. Active drug transport across these transporters may increase or decrease fetal drug exposure, depending on the direction of drug transport.
As an example, placental P-gp, an efflux transporter, can decrease fetal drug levels by transporting the drug from the fetal to the maternal side of the placenta. A clinical application of this would be during treatment of fetal supraventricular tachycardia with digoxin. In this clinical setting, maternal concentrations of digoxin (a P-gp substrate) have to be pushed toward toxicity in order to achieve therapeutic fetal concentrations. Other transporters, such as placental breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) may play a protective role by decreasing fetal delivery of glyburide, while the placental OCT3, which is involved in metformin transport, likely transports metformin toward the fetus resulting in fetal concentrations ranging from 70% to >100% of maternal concentrations.11
Evaluating Drug Safety in Pregnancy
Traditionally, teratogenic effects of drugs have been noted as anatomic malformations, and the fetus is most vulnerable to these in the first trimester. However, medications may adversely affect fetal neurological and behavioural development, fetal survival or function of specific organs, even after the first trimester. For most drugs, it is not known whether an absolutely ‘safe’ period exists when the medication can be deemed to be without effect. Fortunately, the list of known teratogens is small, and few, if any, of those drugs would fall within the purview of the pulmonary physician.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulated the labelling of drug safety since 1979, and the pregnancy categories – A, B, C, D and X – have long been used as a guide to determine whether a medication can be safely used in pregnancy or not. However, there are several shortcomings with such oversimplification. The categories are often seen as a grading system where the risk increases from the lowest in Category A to highest in Category X, while the safety information in the accompanying narrative is disregarded. Drugs in a particular category may be perceived as carrying a similar risk but the severity of risk may wary widely within a category. Therefore, while the FDA pregnancy risk classification is useful as a quick reference with regards to available safety data, it is inadequate when used as the only source. Similarly, past labeling for safety in lactation has been sparse and usually gave vague recommendation to either stop a medication if possible or to use it with caution.
Since 2015 however, due to the above-mentioned problems, the FDA has made an official change to its labeling rules.12 The first and most significant change has been the elimination of the pregnancy drug categories. The rules instead require a narrative summary of available evidence in pregnancy and lactation, and effects on reproductive potential. If a pregnancy registry exists for the drug, information about how to enroll in the registry is required as well. Prescribing during pregnancy requires multifaceted consideration of maternal, fetal, and infant risk–benefit and the new labelling rules, with narrative summaries, gives providers detailed information to make individualized decisions for their patient.
Breast Feeding and Prescribing
Whether acutely or on a chronic basis, many lactating women will need to be exposed to therapeutic medications, making it very important to have a basic understanding behind the physiology of breast milk and the mechanisms by which drugs enter breast milk.
When prescribing medications to a breastfeeding woman, the general principles to consider include the level of need for the drug by the mother, the possible effect on breast milk production, the drug level present in breast milk, the amount of oral absorption by the infant and the possible adverse effect on the infant. Furthermore, the latter two are strongly influenced by the infant’s age at exposure as well as the infant’s own possible medical conditions, such as prematurity or congenital/genetic illnesses.13
Once the need for medication has been established, choosing which drug is appropriate should be guided by evaluating how a drug enters breast milk and the drug levels within breast milk. Maternal plasma concentrations, maternal protein binding, lipid solubility, oral bioavailability, half-life and molecular weight of the drug are all important factors that influence this.14
Drugs enter breast milk mainly by diffusion; therefore maternal plasma concentration of a drug is the most important factor for drug transmission. Secondly, due to the increased fat content of breast milk, highly lipid-soluble drugs enter breast milk in higher concentrations. Conversely, drugs that are highly protein bound in maternal circulation are less likely to enter, since the free form of a drug is what passively diffuses into breast milk. Lastly, molecular weight contributes to drug penetration into breast milk; with smaller weights (<300 daltons) diffusing more readily than larger weights (>600 daltons). | https://obgynkey.com/21-respiratory-drug-therapy-in-pregnancy/ |
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Skillet
Peace, fam! I’m back again with another simple weeknight low-carb dinner. You can still enjoy the amazing flavors of chicken alfredo without the carbs and without whipping out your spiralizer and zucchini. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE both my spiralizer and zucchini, but sometimes you just want as few steps as possible. That’s why I bypassed making an alfredo sauce from scratch; it was surprisingly easy to find a pre-made sauce in a jar that still fit my macros. I purchased a light sauce that only contained three grams of carbs per ¼ cup serving.
I diced and cooked boneless/skinless chicken breast on a stove-top skillet, seasoning with smoked paprika (I seriously cannot get enough of the stuff), garlic, dill weed, basil paste, and black pepper. I also used sea salt but just a little. You have to remember that store-bought sauces tend to have way more than enough sodium. Once the chicken was done, I stirred in some broccoli florets and allowed them to cook until tender. Finally I added the sauce, and allowed the entire mixture to cook for about ten minutes, stirring frequently.
That was that. Remember what I’ve been saying on previous posts about not over thinking or over complicating your diet or lifestyle. I have tons of quick, easy recipes for you to browse through. Get the cooking out of the way, then get back to the important stuff! By important stuff I mean laughing, listening to music, making cheesy jokes, bothering your friends, making memories, going outside, antagonizing your spouse…serious business! Lol.
Peace, | http://www.agirlcalledadri.com/new-blog/2016/9/29/chicken-broccoli-alfredo-skillet |
Increased concerns about climate change have recently sparked renewed interest among policymakers for more aggressive energy efficiency policies. Much attention has been paid to policies related to buildings, which are responsible for 41% of U.S. energy consumption (US EIA, 2012b). In particular, policymakers have increasingly employed building energy codes to regulate the energy efficiency of buildings. Federal policymakers have provided incentives for state adoption of energy codes and have included provisions for a national energy code in major legislative proposals. As of 2013, 43 states have mandatory, statewide energy codes for residential and commercial buildings and most of these energy codes have seen recent increases in stringency (U.S. DOE, 2013).
The focus on building energy codes (henceforth, "energy codes") is perhaps warranted, given their potential for energy savings. According to policy projections made by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a nation-wide increase in the stringency of energy codes, in combination with updated efficiency standards for appliances and other equipment, would lead to a 3.6 quadrillion BTU decrease in the amount of energy used by buildings (U.S. EIA, 2012a). (1) This figure exceeds the projections for policy-related energy savings from other sectors. For example, the announced increases in CAFE Standards, in combination with other transportation related policies, are projected to lead to a 3.2 quadrillion BTU savings by 2035.
Energy codes are unlikely to be the least-cost approach to addressing energy-related externalities because they focus on a single sector, do not provide marginal incentives for improvements in efficiency beyond the compliance threshold, and do not provide direct incentives for reduced consumption. Despite these potential sources of inefficiency, energy codes have been shown to be effective at reducing energy consumption (Jacobsen and Kotchen, 2013; Aroonruengsawat, Auffhammer, and Sanstad, 2012; Costa and Kahn, 2011) and appear likely to remain a central component of U.S. energy policy (Auffhammer and Sanstad, 2011). Given the continued use of energy codes, focus should shift toward improving energy code design.
This paper argues that energy codes would be improved if they were structured to provide relatively stronger incentives for conservation of energy types that are associated with greater social damages, and that such incentives could be implemented by modifying the way in which codes determine compliance. In particular, I present a model that shows that energy codes would be improved if compliance was determined by the projected social damages associated with a building's design under normal usage patterns, as opposed to the projected private energy expenditures, as is current practice. (2) Buildings consume multiple types of energy (electricity, natural gas, and fuel oil) and structuring codes such that compliance was determined by social damages would provide relatively stronger incentives for conservation of energy types associated with greater social harm. Additionally, damage-based codes would allow codes to be responsive to regional differences in the sources used for electricity generation (e.g. coal, hydropower) because region-specific electricity damage rates could be employed based on the regional generation mix.
After presenting the model, I use state-level data on energy consumption, emissions rates, and energy prices, to evaluate how the outcomes under damage-based codes that were motivated primarily by concerns about climate change would differ from current practice within the residential sector of the United States. I find evidence that damage-based codes would lead to substantial welfare gains and would place greater emphasis on conservation of electricity, relative to natural gas, in most states. The relatively greater emphasis on conservation of electricity is especially prominent in the Central Plains where electricity is typically generated through coal-fired plants.
In addition to relating to the literature on energy codes (Jacobsen and Kotchen, 2013; Aroonruengsawat, Auffhammer, and Sanstad, 2012; Costa and Kahn, 2011), this paper relates to a recent literature that has evaluated how the optimal design and effectiveness of various energy policies depends on the regional electricity generation mix. Graff Zivin et al. (2012) find that the influence of electric vehicles on emissions levels depends on the regional electric generation mix and that, under certain scenarios, increasing the share of electric vehicles could lead to an increase in emissions levels. Holland and Mansur (2008) find that the environmental consequences of shifting to real-time electricity pricing depends on a region's electricity generation mix, leading to reduced emissions in certain regions, and increased emissions in others. Other studies have examined subsidies for renewable generation and have found that variation exists across regions in the net emissions reductions achieved through increasing wind power, and that the variation is driven by differences in the existing electricity generation mix (Cullen, 2013; Kaffine, 2013; Novan, 2012). I contribute to this literature by showing that the impacts of energy codes are influenced by the regional electricity generation mix. This insight is arguably of at least equal policy relevance as the insights provided by previous studies due to the greater importance of energy codes in current U.S. energy policy relative to electric cars or renewable electricity (U.S. EIA, 2012a).
This paper also relates to the literature on "differentiated" policies for air pollution (Fowlie and Muller, 2013, Muller and Mendelsohn, 2009, Mendelsohn, 1986). Differentiated policies achieve welfare gains by placing greater weight on reducing emissions from sources, such as power or industrial plants, that operate in areas where emissions are associated with greater social damages. The present study contributes to the literature by providing the new insight that similar intuition can be applied to energy codes and that energy codes can be improved by providing differential incentives for conservation across energy types based on social damages.
This paper proceeds as follows. Section 2 presents background information on energy and energy codes. Section 3 provides a model of energy codes under alternative ways of determining compliance. Section 4 evaluates how marginal social damages per dollar of expenditure varies across energy types in different U.S. states. Section 5 discusses policy implications and concludes the paper.
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BACKGROUND ON ENERGY AND ENERGY CODES
Buildings consume energy in the form of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum (most often in the form of fuel oil) and these energies make up 69, 23, and 6 percent of total primary energy consumption in the residential sector, respectively (U.S. DOE, 2012). (3) Natural gas and fuel oil are primarily used for space heating or water heating, and electricity is used for a variety of end-uses.
Electricity is typically generated through coal-fired plants, gas-fired plants, oil-fired plants, hydropower, nuclear power, or other renewables sources (e.g., wind, solar). The manner in which electricity is generated varies substantially across regions. For example, the Midwest relies on coal-fired plants, whereas over half of the West Coast's generation comes from either gas-fired plants or hydropower (eGrid, 2010). Generation of electricity is associated with negative externalities, which occur primarily through the production of carbon emissions and other pollutants, and the extent to which externalities occur varies across sources of generation. Coal-fired power is typically associated with the greatest social damages, renewable power is associated with the lowest social damages, and other sources fall toward the middle of the scale (Greenstone and Looney, 2011; National Research Council, 2010).
Policymakers regulate energy due to the negative externalities associated with its production and consumption, and the primary policies that regulate the energy consumption of buildings are energy codes. While energy codes are state-level policies, there is a strong degree of homogeneity across state energy codes. Most states adopt a version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for residential buildings and a version of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning (ASHRAE) for commercial buildings (ACEEE, 2013). This homogeneity is driven, in part, by federal action. The Energy Conservation and Production Act, as amended in 1992, requires states to certify to the Department of Energy (DOE) that they have compared their energy codes to the IECC whenever the IECC is revised. More recently, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 requires that states commit to adopting an energy code that meets or exceeds the 2009 IECC and achieve 90% compliance of the code by 2017 as a condition of receiving part of $3.2 billion in State Energy Program grants. Federal policymakers have also considered implementing a national energy code standard, and any national standard would likely be based on the IECC code as well. (4)
While there are several ways to comply with the IECC, the compliance paths can generally be split into two groups: prescriptive and performance-based. The prescriptive compliance path requires that each individual component or system of a building's design meet a certain efficiency standard, as specified by the code. For example, the insulation used in a wood-framed wall must exceed a certain R-value and the windows must exceed a certain U-factor. In contrast, the performance-based compliance path determines compliance by the overall level of expected energy expenditures associated with a building's design. (5) In particular, the expected annual energy expenditures of a proposed building must...
Improving Energy Codes.
|Author:||Jacobsen, Grant D.|
|Position:||Report - Statistical data|
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COPYRIGHT GALE, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. | https://law-journals-books.vlex.com/vid/improving-energy-codes-766989621 |
Flyers-Capitals Preview: Jones Gets the Start, Brown Back in Lineup
A late goal gave the Flyers a chance at two points in Pittsburgh, but a matter of centimeters proved costly in an overtime loss to the Penguins in their first Metro matchup of the season. Now the Flyers get another chance at a Metropolitan Division opponent.
The Flyers close out a quick two-game road trip against the Washington Capitals on Saturday night, looking to once again rebound and get back in the win column.
Game time is at 7 p.m.
Team Leaders
|Philadelphia Flyers||GP||G||A||P||Washington Capitals||GP||G||A||P|
|Claude Giroux||9||5||6||11||Alex Ovechkin||10||10||8||18|
|Sean Couturier||9||4||7||11||Evgeny Kuznetsov||10||5||8||13|
|Travis Konecny||9||4||4||8||Tom Wilson||10||1||7||8|
|Cam Atkinson||9||6||1||7||John Carlson||10||2||5||7|
|Joel Farabee||9||3||3||6||T.J. Oshie||7||4||2||6|
Martin Jones makes his first start since last Thursday in Vancouver. Jones was outstanding in the 27-save performance, holding the Flyers' one-goal lead for the duration of the game. This will be Jones' third start of the season.
Vitek Vanecek gets the start for the Capitals. Vanecek unexpectedly got the start in the Capitals last game against Florida on Thursday, playing 36:22 in the game total and allowing two goals on 15 shots and taking the overtime loss. He has also suffered losses in his prior two games, allowing three goals to both Tampa Bay and Detroit. Prior to that, he allowed three goals on 13 shots in the first period against Calgary before being pulled.
Projected Lineups
Flyers Scratches: Ryan Ellis (injury), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (healthy)
Lineup Notes
- Flyers: The only expected change for the Flyers is the addition of Patrick Brown to the lineup for Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
- Capitals: The Capitals are still without Nicklas Backstrom and have since added T.J. Oshie and Anthony Mantha to IR. Maxim Lapierre replaces Mantha in the lineup from last game.
Game Notes
- Power Play: Flyers (13th), Capitals (21st)
- Penalty Kill: Flyers (17th), Capitals (23rd)
- Recent History vs. Capitals
- May 8, 2021 - Capitals 2, Flyers 1 (F/OT) (at WSH)
- May 7, 2021 - Flyers 4, Capitals 2 (at WSH)
- April 17, 2021 - Capitals 6, Flyers 3 (at PHI)
- April 13, 2021 - Capitals 6, Flyers 1 (at WSH)
- March 13, 2021 - Capitals 5, Flyers 4 (at PHI)
- March 11, 2021 - Capitals 5, Flyers 3 (at PHI)
- March 7, 2021 - Capitals 3, Flyers 1 (at PHI)
- Feb. 7, 2021 - Flyers 7, Capitals 4 (at WSH)
- Flyers Leaders vs. Capitals
- Claude Giroux - 53 GP, 23 G, 25 A, 48 P
- Sean Couturier - 41 GP, 12 G, 19 A, 31 P
- Cam Atkinson - 27 GP, 12 G, 7 A, 19 P
- Keith Yandle - 27 GP, 2 G, 16 A, 18 P
- James van Riemsdyk - 42 GP, 12 G, 16 A, 28 P
- Derick Brassard - 31 GP, 6 G, 14 A, 20 P
- Carter Hart - 6 GP, 2-3-1, 2.88 GAA, .907 SV%
- Martin Jones - 10 GP, 5-4-1, 3.01 GAA, .896 SV%
- Milestone Watch
- Rasmus Ristolainen needs one assist to reach 200 for his career.
- Travis Konecny needs two goals to reach 100 for his career.
- Claude Giroux needs four power-play points to pass Bobby Clarke for the Flyers all-time franchise lead.
Where to Watch
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: Flyers Broadcast Network
Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN and Flyers editor for SportsTalkPhilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso. | https://973espn.com/flyers-capitals-preview-jones-gets-the-start-brown-back-in-lineup/ |
ORIZZONTALI Table and floor lamps
Rationalist aesthetics is the perfect complement for those who live with the functionality of objects and spaces and for those who prefer concrete furniture. What immediately jumps to the eye is the running of the lines, regular interruptions of the surface, slits that like windows allow light to pass through, giving geometric projections. It differs from other more romantic and decorative carvings, allowing it to fit harmoniously into all minimal and modern environments and to create pleasant innovative effects in classic ones. | https://www.margheritavellini.it/en/orizzontali-en/ |
Flips an element’s colors, for use by the filter property. A decimal value between 0 and 1 or percentage up to 100% controls the extent of the color-negative effect, with 0.5 or 50% producing gray.
This CSS property value is reflected in the following image:
filter: invert(100%); filter: invert(1); /* same */
Compatibility
There is no data available for topic “css”, feature “invert”. If you think that there should be data available, consider opening an issue.
Examples
View live exampleThe following example shows the difference between two images, where one has a been inverted for 75%: | http://www.xusiwei.cn/article/54.html |
Wet conditions alter parking for Independence Days celebration
Because of extremely wet field conditions, visitors to Saturday's Lansing Independence Days celebration will not be allowed to park their vehicles at Bernard Park.
The festivities will still take place at Bernard Park. But people attending the event will need to utilize a free shuttle bus service to get to the park, according to Ken Miller, public information officer for the city.
The buses will run from two satellite parking locations, Lansing Elementary School, 450 W. Mary St., Lansing High School, 1412 147th St.
The buses will run about every seven to 10 minutes from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. The buses will continue to operate until everyone who needs a ride has been transported back to his or her parking location after the fireworks show.
A color coding system will be used to help guide people on the correct buses for their return trips.
Following the fireworks program, buses will be parked near the Bernard Park bridge to return people to the satellite parking locations, according to Miller.
The Lansing Independence Days celebration will begin at noon Saturday and feature music and other activities. The event will conclude with the fireworks show, which will begin at about 9:45 p.m. | |
Given a matrix, return the sum of all the elements across the diagonals.
E.g. A = [1 2 3;
4 5 6;
7 8 9;]
then,
sum = 25 as sum of (1, 3, 7, 9,5)
Basically the same as Problem 1158
good!!
Solution 1601578
only the odds.
Solution 381457
Works for current test suite, but not in general.
Try adding an even sized matrix (magic(6), for instance) to the test suite. If the two diagonals don't share any points, a lot of these solutions won't work.
Solution 381456
First time I see this notation.
Wrapping the Tower of Pisa
213 Solvers
Cody Matlab Version
134 Solvers
Largest Twin Primes
167 Solvers
Find the hypotenuse
346 Solvers
Area of a triangle
413 Solvers
User defined nextpow function
51 Solvers
Find supported functions
25 Solvers
Matrix to column conversion
216 Solvers
Best Fit RMS
16 Solvers
Create an index-powered vector
260 Solvers
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Select the China site (in Chinese or English) for best site performance. Other MathWorks country sites are not optimized for visits from your location. | https://in.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/cody/problems/2094 |
We propose a constraint-based approach for the two-dimensional rectangular packing problem with orthogonal orientations. This problem is to arrange a set of rectangles that can be rotated by 90 degrees into a rectangle of minimal size such that no two rectangles overlap. It arises in the placement of electronic devices during the layout of 2.5D System-in-Package integrated electronic systems. Moffitt et al. solve the packing without orientations with a branch and bound approach and use constraint propagation. We generalize their propagation techniques to allow orientations. Our approach is compared to a mixed-integer program and we provide results that outperform it.
For the last decade, optimization of beam orientations in intensitymodulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been shown to be successful in improving the treatment plan. Unfortunately, the quality of a set of beam orientations depends heavily on its corresponding beam intensity proles. Usually, a stochastic selector is used for optimizing beam orientation, and then a single objective inverse treatment planning algorithm is used for the optimization of beam intensity proles. The overall time needed to solve the inverse planning for every random selection of beam orientations becomes excessive. Recently, considerable improvement has been made in optimizing beam intensity proles by using multiple objective inverse treatment planning. Such an approach results in a variety of beam intensity proles for every selection of beam orientations, making the dependence between beam orientations and its intensity proles less important. We take advantage of this property to present a dynamic algorithm for beam orientation in IMRT which is based on multicriteria inverse planning. The algorithm approximates beam intensity proles iteratively instead of doing it for every selection of beam orientation, saving a considerable amount of calculation time. Every iteration goes from an N-beam plan to a plan with N + 1 beams. Beam selection criteria are based on a score function that minimizes the deviation from the prescribed dose, in addition to a reject-accept criterion. To illustrate the eciency of the algorithm it has been applied to an articial example where optimality is trivial and to three real clinical cases: a prostate carcinoma, a tumor in the head and neck region and a paraspinal tumor. In comparison to the standard equally spaced beam plans, improvements are reported in all of the three clinical examples, even, in some cases with a fewer number of beams.
This paper disscuses the minimal area rectangular packing problem of how to pack a set of specified, non-overlapping rectangels into a rectangular container of minimal area. We investigate different mathematical programming approaches of this and introduce a novel approach based on non-linear optimization and the \\\"tunneling effect\\\" achieved by a relaxation of the non-overlapping constraints.
Balancing control and simplicity: a variable aggregation method in intensity modulated radiation therapy planning (2006)
It is commonly believed that not all degrees of freedom are needed to produce good solutions for the treatment planning problem in intensity modulated radiotherapy treatment (IMRT). However, typical methods to exploit this fact have either increased the complexity of the optimization problem or were heuristic in nature. In this work we introduce a technique based on adaptively refining variable clusters to successively attain better treatment plans. The approach creates approximate solutions based on smaller models that may get arbitrarily close to the optimal solution. Although the method is illustrated using a specific treatment planning model, the components constituting the variable clustering and the adaptive refinement are independent of the particular optimization problem.
IMRT planning on adaptive volume structures – a significant advance of computational complexity (2004)
In intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) planning the oncologist faces the challenging task of finding a treatment plan that he considers to be an ideal compromise of the inherently contradictive goals of delivering a sufficiently high dose to the target while widely sparing critical structures. The search for this a priori unknown compromise typically requires the computation of several plans, i.e. the solution of several optimization problems. This accumulates to a high computational expense due to the large scale of these problems - a consequence of the discrete problem formulation. This paper presents the adaptive clustering method as a new algorithmic concept to overcome these difficulties. The computations are performed on an individually adapted structure of voxel clusters rather than on the original voxels leading to a decisively reduced computational complexity as numerical examples on real clinical data demonstrate. In contrast to many other similar concepts, the typical trade-off between a reduction in computational complexity and a loss in exactness can be avoided: the adaptive clustering method produces the optimum of the original problem. This flexible method can be applied to both single- and multi-criteria optimization methods based on most of the convex evaluation functions used in practice
Radiation therapy planning is always a tight rope walk between dangerous insufficient dose in the target volume and life threatening overdosing of organs at risk. Finding ideal balances between these inherently contradictory goals challenges dosimetrists and physicians in their daily practice. Today’s planning systems are typically based on a single evaluation function that measures the quality of a radiation treatment plan. Unfortunately, such a one dimensional approach cannot satisfactorily map the different backgrounds of physicians and the patient dependent necessities. So, too often a time consuming iteration process between evaluation of dose distribution and redefinition of the evaluation function is needed. In this paper we propose a generic multi-criteria approach based on Pareto’s solution concept. For each entity of interest - target volume or organ at risk a structure dependent evaluation function is defined measuring deviations from ideal doses that are calculated from statistical functions. A reasonable bunch of clinically meaningful Pareto optimal solutions are stored in a data base, which can be interactively searched by physicians. The system guarantees dynamical planning as well as the discussion of tradeoffs between different entities. Mathematically, we model the upcoming inverse problem as a multi-criteria linear programming problem. Because of the large scale nature of the problem it is not possible to solve the problem in a 3D-setting without adaptive reduction by appropriate approximation schemes. Our approach is twofold: First, the discretization of the continuous problem is based on an adaptive hierarchical clustering process which is used for a local refinement of constraints during the optimization procedure. Second, the set of Pareto optimal solutions is approximated by an adaptive grid of representatives that are found by a hybrid process of calculating extreme compromises and interpolation methods.
In this paper we study the possibilities of sharing profit in combinatorial procurement auctions and exchanges. Bundles of heterogeneous items are offered by the sellers, and the buyers can then place bundle bids on sets of these items. That way, both sellers and buyers can express synergies between items and avoid the well-known risk of exposure (see, e.g., ). The reassignment of items to participants is known as the Winner Determination Problem (WDP). We propose solving the WDP by using a Set Covering formulation, because profits are potentially higher than with the usual Set Partitioning formulation, and subsidies are unnecessary. The achieved benefit is then to be distributed amongst the participants of the auction, a process which is known as profit sharing. The literature on profit sharing provides various desirable criteria. We focus on three main properties we would like to guarantee: Budget balance, meaning that no more money is distributed than profit was generated, individual rationality, which guarantees to each player that participation does not lead to a loss, and the core property, which provides every subcoalition with enough money to keep them from separating. We characterize all profit sharing schemes that satisfy these three conditions by a monetary flow network and state necessary conditions on the solution of the WDP for the existence of such a profit sharing. Finally, we establish a connection to the famous VCG payment scheme [2, 8, 19], and the Shapley Value .
Inverse treatment planning of intensity modulated radiothrapy is a multicriteria optimization problem: planners have to find optimal compromises between a sufficiently high dose in tumor tissue that garantuee a high tumor control, and, dangerous overdosing of critical structures, in order to avoid high normal tissue complcication problems. The approach presented in this work demonstrates how to state a flexible generic multicriteria model of the IMRT planning problem and how to produce clinically highly relevant Pareto-solutions. The model is imbedded in a principal concept of Reverse Engineering, a general optimization paradigm for design problems. Relevant parts of the Pareto-set are approximated by using extreme compromises as cornerstone solutions, a concept that is always feasible if box constraints for objective funtions are available. A major practical drawback of generic multicriteria concepts trying to compute or approximate parts of the Pareto-set is the high computational effort. This problem can be overcome by exploitation of an inherent asymmetry of the IMRT planning problem and an adaptive approximation scheme for optimal solutions based on an adaptive clustering preprocessing technique. Finally, a coherent approach for calculating and selecting solutions in a real-timeinteractive decision-making process is presented. The paper is concluded with clinical examples and a discussion of ongoing research topics.
Background and purpose Inherently, IMRT treatment planning involves compromising between different planning goals. Multi-criteria IMRT planning directly addresses this compromising and thus makes it more systematic. Usually, several plans are computed from which the planner selects the most promising following a certain procedure. Applying Pareto navigation for this selection step simultaneously increases the variety of planning options and eases the identification of the most promising plan. Material and methods Pareto navigation is an interactive multi-criteria optimization method that consists of the two navigation mechanisms “selection” and “restriction”. The former allows the formulation of wishes whereas the latter allows the exclusion of unwanted plans. They are realized as optimization problems on the so-called plan bundle – a set constructed from precomputed plans. They can be approximately reformulated so that their solution time is a small fraction of a second. Thus, the user can be provided with immediate feedback regarding his or her decisions.
It has been empirically verified that smoother intensity maps can be expected to produce shorter sequences when step-and-shoot collimation is the method of choice. This work studies the length of sequences obtained by the sequencing algorithm by Bortfeld and Boyer using a probabilistic approach. The results of this work build a theoretical foundation for the up to now only empirically validated fact that if smoothness of intensity maps is considered during their calculation, the solutions can be expected to be more easily applied.
One approach to multi-criteria IMRT planning is to automatically calculate a data set of Pareto-optimal plans for a given planning problem in a first phase, and then interactively explore the solution space and decide for the clinically best treatment plan in a second phase. The challenge of computing the plan data set is to assure that all clinically meaningful plans are covered and that as many as possible clinically irrelevant plans are excluded to keep computation times within reasonable limits. In this work, we focus on the approximation of the clinically relevant part of the Pareto surface, the process that consititutes the first phase. It is possible that two plans on the Parteto surface have a very small, clinically insignificant difference in one criterion and a significant difference in one other criterion. For such cases, only the plan that is clinically clearly superior should be included into the data set. To achieve this during the Pareto surface approximation, we propose to introduce bounds that restrict the relative quality between plans, so called tradeoff bounds. We show how to integrate these trade-off bounds into the approximation scheme and study their effects. | https://kluedo.ub.uni-kl.de/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/authorsearch/author/%22K%C3%BCfer%2C+K-H.%22/start/0/rows/50/sortfield/title/sortorder/asc/doctypefq/report |
3 edition of Treatment protocols and algorithms for prehospital care found in the catalog.
Treatment protocols and algorithms for prehospital care
Published
1988
by Mosby in St. Louis
.
Written in English
Edition Notes
|Statement||[edited by] J. Thomas Ward, Jr.|
|Contributions||Ward, J. Thomas.|
|Classifications|
|LC Classifications||RC86.8 .T74 1989|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||ix, 182 p. :|
|Number of Pages||182|
|ID Numbers|
|Open Library||OL2037140M|
|ISBN 10||0801653215|
|LC Control Number||88013404|
The New York State (NYS) Statewide Adult & Pediatric Treatment Protocols has been revised to comply with the current New York State and National EMS education standards. It is important for all EMS . The potentials, pitfalls, and promises of advanced prehospital stroke care and research are discussed in this review. Stroke has become a treatable disease: treatment with IV thrombolytics improves outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients. 1 – 4 Unfortunately, only a minority of eligible ischemic stroke patients receive recanalizing therapies Cited by:
Pre-Hospital Mass Casualty Triage and Trauma Care Performing triage and trauma care during a mass casualty incident (MCI) requires efficiency and coordination among multiple response entities. Efforts . EMS Protocols. EMS Patient Care Treatment Protocols for NC EMS Systems ( MB PDF) - Revised 03/30/; Individual Protocols; EMS Policies. EMS Patient Care Related Operational Policies for NC EMS Systems (1 MB PDF) - Revised 1/1/; EMS Procedures. EMS Patient Care .
This member-created resource provides convenient access to clinical guidelines to help pharmacists find useful information quickly. Select a category to view available clinical guidelines. Cardiovascular . Prehospital Emergency Care. 10(4) , The Science While this paper does not represent original research, it does address the issue of prehospital asthma management in a scientific manner.
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PRE-HOSPITAL PATIENT CARE PROTOCOLS TABLE OF CONTENTS. SECTION I: ADMINISTRATIVE. Introduction. Acknowledgements Administrative Protocols Abandoned Infants Air Medical File Size: 7MB.
The purpose of these treatment guidelines is to provide uniform prehospital care for agencies under the medical direction of Verde Valley Medical Center Base Hospital (referred to as VVEMS Agencies).
They are directed towards A.L.S. (IEMT99/CEP) levels of Arizona Department of Health Services (A.D.H.S) certified pre-hospital care File Size: 1MB.
Prehospital Care Treatment Guidelines, Patient Advocacy/Treatment Rights 12 Patient Care Responsibility 13 Errors in prehospital care are generally errors of omission. The EMS provider will be proactive in the implementation of these protocols File Size: 6MB.
When professionals do not adhere to guidelines and protocols, patients in the prehospital and emergency care settings may not receive appropriate care and quality of care can be threatened.
Objective The first objective of this study was to present an overview of professionals' adherence to (inter)national guidelines and protocols in the emergency medical dispatch, prehospital Cited by: PRE-HOSPITAL PATIENT CARE PROTOCOL MEDICAL PROTOCOLS Section II Rappahannock EMS Council Hunter Street Fredericksburg, VA BASIC LIFE SUPPORT/ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE PATIENT CARE PROTOCOL File Size: 1MB.
- Treatment Guidelines and Protocols Policy Designators: Spinal Motion Restriction Algorithm: P Adult ALS Standing Orders (7/19) P Prehospital System. Transfer of Care. More. Medical Management of Prehospital Care 04/01/ Sample Agreement for Release and Limited Use of Paramedic Base Hospital Audio Recordings: 04/01/ Prehospital Care Policy.
Self-Care During the Pandemic: Wellness Message for EMS Providers from a Mental Health Professional: MedStar (TX) MedStar Medical Directive - March Update. Evaluation protocols of a potential COVID patient. MedStar (TX) MedStar nCov Field Process V2.
Infographic: Evaluation protocols. This collection includes diagnostic and treatment algorithms that can aid clinical decision making. Use the filters to sort by discipline or topic. You can also search by keyword for articles.
The algorithms are organized by organ systems as well as by sign, symptom, problem, or laboratory test. Each algorithm is clearly presented and comprehensively assists readers in considering a wide range of diagnoses. Short descriptions explaining the various steps in the decision-making process of the algorithms Cited by: 7.
WVOEMS Treatment Protocols. Using the Protocols. Page 1 of 3 The West Virginia EMS Statewide Protocols are designed to enable EMS personnel to provide a wide variety of treatments to many types of patients. Understanding the organization and terminology of the protocols is important and will vastly improve the usability by the EMS.
Clinical charts and treatment protocols for numerous therapeutic diseases and disorders such as cardiovascular, oncology, neurological and many more. Download our FREE app now. That features case analysis, state-of-the-paintings scans, algorithms, protocols, and the inclusion of areas above and previous the DOT protocols, the tenth model efficiently prepares school college students for achievement.
The analysis and emergency care sections. Depending upon local protocols, hydration orally or intravenously can help restore water balance quickly. In more severe cases of heat stroke, active cooling measures are required to bring the. prehospital assessment and treatment is the first critical link in providing appropriate care for individuals with severe brain injury.
7 Over the past thirty years, EMS providers have developed sophisticated systems for delivering emergency medical care. Emergency Medical Services Statewide Treatment Protocols.
The Statewide Treatment Protocols are the standard of EMS patient care in Massachusetts. The Statewide Treatment Protocols will go into effect on J Ambulance services licensed in Massachusetts may begin implementing the use of the Statewide Treatment Protocols.
Alert, which aligns the Maryland Medical Protocols with the latest science regarding care for stroke patients. A new prehospital stroke assessment for the detection of posterior circulation stroke has.
Algorithm Charts for Prehospital Emergency Care 8th Edition by Joseph J. Mistovich (Author), Brent Q. Hafen (Author), Keith J. Karren (Author) & ISBN ISBN Why is ISBN important. ISBN. This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book.
NAEMT's Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is recognized around the world as the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency trauma care. The mission of PHTLS is to promote excellence in trauma patient management by all providers involved in the delivery of prehospital care.
The article is entitled "Oral agents for the treatment of Type II diabetes: pharmacology, toxicity and treatment" and it can be found in the July issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine. 3.Patient Care. A Guide to Prehospital Pain Management non-prescribed and recreational opiates are creating a revision of practice guidelines for opiate medications, it’s still widely believed. | https://hyhyziqulyxi.bextselfreset.com/treatment-protocols-and-algorithms-for-prehospital-care-book-4555gf.php |
After a god-awful winter and no spring season whatsoever, summer has arrived, and it literally has no chill. We totally skipped over denim jacket weather and basically went straight to face-directly-in-the-AC-vent weather, so it’s time to dress accordingly. If you’re putting on your shorts for the first time in a year and notice your legs could use some much-needed toning and tightening, don’t panic. Do these six leg exercises, and once you’re done, repeat the whole circuit another three times to really tone and strengthen your legs. And also, like, try not to cry when you sit down tomorrow. Consider yourself warned.
1. Curtsey Lunges
Regular squats and lunges can get boring and repetitive, so trying out different leg exercises and variations help target your muscles in a different way. Curtsey lunges are great because they hit various muscle groups in your quads and glutes, and they also challenge your body’s overall balance and stability. They’re v underrated. The idea here is to lunge backwards like you would regularly, but instead of bringing your knee directly behind you, bring it in a diagonal direction, crossing behind your other leg. Like a curtsey, get it?? Bend your knees and lower your hips until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Then, return to standing position and do the same on the other leg. Complete 10 reps per leg, and if you feel like it’s too easy, hold a weight in each hand to add resistance.
2. Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls
This exercise is based on using a swiss ball, but if your gym doesn’t have one, this can also work using TRX bands or the rowing machine. Begin on the floor by lying on your back with your feet up on top of the ball. You want your ankles to be on top of the ball when your legs are fully extended. Raise your hips off the ground, keeping your weight in your shoulders and your feet. Then, flex your knees, pulling the ball inward toward your body while squeezing the backs of your legs. Once the ball is “curled” inward, straighten out your legs again, rolling it outwards. Aim for 15 reps.
3. Single Leg Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are a classic butt exercise, but by focusing on one leg at a time, you also hit your hamstrings, which are the muscles that make up the backs of your legs. You’re basically getting the best of both worlds because you’re working your thighs and butt in one simple move. Lucky you. Lying on a mat, keep your hands at your sides and your knees bent out in front of you. Then, extend one leg as you lift your butt off the ground, squeezing your glutes and lifting your hips toward the ceiling. Think about pushing down with your left heel as you lift. Do 10 reps on one leg and then switch to the other.
4. Jumping Sumo Squats
We tend to do a lot of squats and jump squats in our leg workouts, but the sumo squat is a different variation that a lot of people ignore. The idea here is to do a jump squat, but your stance is more like that of a ballerina, with your toes turned outward and your legs further apart than they’d usually be. This way, when you squat down, the resistance shifts from your quads to your glutes, and it becomes more of a butt-focused movement. You’re also getting your heart rate up and burning calories because like, you’re jumping. Duh. Try doing 15-20 jumps without stopping.
5. Elevated Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges are a staple leg movement, and by elevating your front leg, you’re adding pressure to that leg’s quad muscle, and you REALLY feel the burn on these. The idea here is to find some sort of box or elevated step that you can put your front foot on, and then lunge backwards, bringing the back leg even further down than you would on a regular surface. This way, your quads get more resistance—kinda like when you turn up the torq on a spin bike. Remember to keep your chest up and head straight the whole time to avoid leaning forward. If these are too hard, lose the elevation and just do lunges on the ground. And if they’re easy, hold a weight, like the badass chick in this gif.
6. Wall Sit
Wall sits look relatively easy, but you might notice after a few seconds that your thighs are on fire and you want to die. This is normal. This move is also great because your body is basically in a squatting position, but your back is protected, so you can really engage all of the muscles in your legs to keep you stable. With your back flat against a wall, set your feet about shoulder-width apart, about two feet out from the wall. Slide your back down the wall, bending your knees as low as you can get. Hold the position for one minute, and remember to contract your abs while you’re holding it. Your legs will probably start shaking, but that just means it’s working. Just think about how good your legs will look in your new romper.
Images: Shutterstock; Giphy (6)
I love spending $34 on a workout class as much as the next financially careless millennial, but honestly, you can get just as good of a workout by yourself in the gym or at home if you want to. Pilates classes are amazing because you have the help of a certified instructor, but if you know some of the basic moves, you can do them on your own without a room full of toned women in matching Outdoor Voices leggings. These six Pilates exercises are simple enough to do on your own, and you don’t need any fancy equipment to get a good workout. Add these moves into your regular workout routine to switch it up, or do all six together as a total Pilates circuit. Here are the moves for the Pilates bod you’ve always wanted.
1. Plank Rocks
Plank rocks are exactly what they sound like, but for some reason, they’re so much harder than holding a regular plank. The idea here is to start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your core engaged. Then, using the tiniest motion from your toes to your shoulders, rock your body back and forth, feeling the burn in your abs the whole time. This is a small, controlled movement, so your body should only be moving a couple inches toward your hands, and then a couple inches back toward your heels. Think about drawing your belly button in toward your spine and keeping your butt low the whole time. Don’t cheat yourself.
2. Glute Bridges
This is one of those Pilates exercises that you probably didn’t even know was from Pilates. The glute bride is a simple move, but if you’re doing it right, you’ll feel the burn in your butt and hamstrings pretty quickly. Start lying on your back with your legs hip-width apart, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor. You can keep your hands on the floor next to you, or raise them toward the sky to make it harder. Then, keeping your feet on the ground, lift your pelvis off the floor and squeeze your butt at the top, holding for a second before lowering down to the ground. If you’re advanced, you can also do this with one leg off the floor to really target each part of your butt separately.
3. The Hundred
This looks like a standard boat pose, but it’s actually so much harder because the idea is to pulse your hands, literally, a hundred times. Hence the name. This move is a Pilates staple because it works your abs and tests your stability and endurance at the same time. The Hundred refers to the 100 beats you hold the pose for, but if you’re a beginner, start with 50 and we won’t tell on you. Start in a boat pose with your tail bone and lower back on the floor and your legs and upper body elevated. Then, keep your arms out toward your sides and pulse up and down, feeling it in your core. FYI: be careful with your head placement on this one. You want to keep your chin slightly tucked, as if you’re holding a tennis ball on your chest. Don’t start looking up and taking the pressure off of your core.
4. Kneeling Leg Lifts
This exercise is literally the reason Pilates instructors have the perkiest butts ever. Well, maybe also genetics and years of experience, but you get the point. It works. Kneeling leg lifts are one of the only lower body moves that are just as effective without any weights, so the key is to think about activating your glutes and squeezing on each rep instead of just kicking around by using momentum. Keeping your weight on your forearms and knees, lift one leg straight up behind you in a 90-degree angle so your heel is facing towards the ceiling. Squeeze your butt cheek at the top each time, and then switch to the other leg after 10 reps. You can also hold for a few seconds at the end or add a pulse.
5. Kneeling Side Leg Twists
The kneeling side leg twist sounds complicated, but you’re basically working three muscle groups in one movement: abs, arms, and legs. AKA, it’s a winner. Kneel on the right leg with your left leg extended out to the side, and keep your right arm supporting you with your palm on the floor under your right shoulder. Lift your leg and your left arm up to the sky, and then, as you lower your leg back to the mat, thread your left arm under your waist to twist toward the floor. You want to make sure that when you twist your torso, you’re essentially crunching your oblique with the help of your arm. After 30 seconds to a minute, switch to the other side.
6. The Teaser
IDK why this is called the teaser, but Pilates teachers love it, and it’s because it literally annihilates your core. Doesn’t sound like a tease to me. Start by lying on the ground with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Then, reach out your arms and lift your legs off the floor in a 90-degree angle. Lift your upper body off of the floor using your abs, and then straighten out your legs at the top. Think about lifting your head and shoulders up in one movement, trying to create a V-shape with your torso and legs. Then, roll back onto your back and bend your knees again. Aim for 15 reps. | https://betches.com/tag/glute-bridges/ |
It's #MyFreedomDay, and students are standing up to modern slavery
Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.
(CNN)Today, students at hundreds of schools and colleges all over the world are holding events to raise awareness about modern-day slavery.
From Rome to Nairobi, students will be shining a light on human trafficking through activities including marches, fashion shows, art exhibitions and workshops. We're featuring a selection of the schools on CNN.com, CNN Facebook, and a few schools will even receiving a visit from a CNN correspondent, who will report live from the school.
We'll be keeping you posted with the day's events as they happen
If you're doing something to raise awareness of modern slavery, let us know your plans by telling us on Twitter or Instagram, using #myfreedomday. (You must be aged 13 or older to post on social media). | |
The Meaning Behind Akan Proverbs
Culture plays a big role in what we feel, how we identify these feelings and what we do to deal with our emotions. So, those raised in more “macho” cultures may be more likely to suppress emotions like sadness or fear.
Cultural products are often useful in explaining human behaviour within a cultural context. These “products” include stories, proverbs, novels and images.
They contain valuable cultural information that symbolises a specific society’s uniqueness and can help us to understand issues around emotions.
Most of what we understand about the interplay of culture and emotion regulation has focused on the Western world, the East, and differences between the two. In contrast, the way emotions are felt, dealt with and expressed in African settings is largely understudied.
We set out to understand at least one African context better by studying Akan proverbs. The Akan are a West African ethnolinguistic group found in Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana. In Ghana they make up at least half of the nation’s population.
Proverbs are generally regarded as cultural archives of folk wisdom and are used widely in African settings. By analysing what the proverbs talked about, we were able to map out the rules that the collection of proverbs lay out about emotion.
This is a useful study because it gives us an idea about Akan people’s expectations for how to comport themselves emotionally in everyday life.
Tackling negative emotions
We analysed 7015 Akan proverbs compiled in a book by authors Peggy Appiah, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Ivor Agyeman-Duah. Of these, 286 proverbs referred to emotions in some way and so were analysed further.
This deeper analysis focused on the type of emotion being described, and what the proverb told us about cultural expectations around emotions.
We found that 176 of the proverbs addressed some aspect of emotion regulation. For example, 13% of the proverbs suggested situation selection – that is, approaching or avoiding particular people, places, or things directly or indirectly. Others recommended modulating one’s response to any strong emotion.
Negative emotions such as anger and sadness were prominent in this category. Elders were not expected to grieve in public, for instance. Success should be acknowledged – but not to the extreme because that would lead to pride, which is a cultural no-no. People are expected to avoid behaviour that would bring shame on themselves, and by extension their kin.
Managing one’s emotions
The proverbs also suggested that, in Akan culture, people are expected to take individual responsibility for their own emotional experiences. One example of this expectation is found in the proverb, “Onipa ho anto no a, na efiri ono ara” (We are often the cause of our own discontent).
And it’s clear from our analysis that Akan people are expected to manage any behaviour that affects others’ emotions. Sociable behaviour is encouraged, too – with a suggestion that it will benefit an individual in the long run (for instance, one proverb urges “Kae wo bofoo wow o mmeranteberem ansa na nnabone aba” – always be grateful to your benefactor and he will continue to help you).
Our study joins several others that have explored emotions in proverbs across the world. Our hope is that others will be inspired to use African cultural products to conduct emotion research in other African settings. | |
Every two years the Texas Legislature meets for 140 days. Can you be the voice for animals this session?
Currently the 87th Session of the Texas Legislature is in session. What does that have to do with animals and non profit rescue? Well this session .. quite a bit.
There are numerous great bills before the legislature that relate to the protection of animal. We would like to call attention to two issues before this legislature that you can have an impact on simply by contacting your representatives and letting them know you speak for the animals and support passing the listed Bills. It is simple as that, an email, phone call or letter to your representative can make a difference. To find your representative, to read the bills, or track the progress click on Texas Legislature Online
SB 197 SB 227 HB 592
Amends the Texas Tax Code to eliminate the application of sales tax to the adoption fee ("sale") of animals. Short story... there was a change in how the Tax Code was interpreted due to a complaint against a rescue forcing the Tax office to assert to the letter of the law. SB 197 is to change the language of the tax code so that Sales Tax will not apply (if you want the long version of this click HERE
HB 873. and SB 474
These bills improve the current law through a few simple but key clarifications by defining adequate shelter to protect dogs from extreme outdoor temperatures and prevents the use of overly heavy, cruel chain restraints.
The bill also ensures dogs have access to drinking water and can move around without being trapped in standing water or mud. HB 873 and SB 474 explicitly exempts outdoor sporting activities like camping, herding, and field trials. Additionally, this bill does not penalize people who humanely tether their dogs, and it does not outlaw tethering. Finally, the bill strikes the 24-hour waiting period to allow law enforcement to address critical situations immediately, instead of only after tragedy has struck.
Our friends at THLN have comprised a list of all the animal related bills presented this legislative session. Please check them all out and let your representative know you support animal welfare legislation.
Please consider taking the time to contact your representatives and let them know you are a voting voice for the animals. | https://www.danerescue.net/news/2021/03/14/how-you-can-help-legislative-session |
Saturday Knit & Crochet Circle
2:00 p.m.
- 3:30 p.m.
on recurring dates listed below
90 mins
LocationPleasant View
Want to learn how to knit or crochet with a fun group of people? Looking for help with your knitting or crochet project? Join our Knitting & Crochet Circle! You can also share your projects with other knitters/crocheters, teach a technique, learn a technique, and enjoy great conversation. All level of knitters welcome. Bring your own yarn, needles, and crochet hooks.
Group meets every last Wednesday of the month.
For more information speak with branch staff or call 416-395-5940. | https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?R=EVT28123 |
Byzantine Era Golden Treasure Uncovered at Foot of Temple Mount
During excavations at the foot of the Temple Mount which were conducted this summer, Jerusalem Hebrew University archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar discovered two bundles of a treasure containing thirty-six gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, and a gold medallion with the menorah (Temple candelabrum) symbol etched into it. Also etched into the 10-cm medallion are a shofar (ram’s horn) and a Torah scroll.
Mazar, a third-generation archaeologist working at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology, directs excavations on the City of David’s summit and at the Temple Mount’s southern wall, the Ophel area. Calling the find “a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” Dr. Mazar said: “We have been making significant finds from the First Temple Period in this area, a much earlier time in Jerusalem’s history, so discovering a golden seven-branched Menorah from the seventh century CE at the foot of the Temple Mount was a complete surprise.”
The discovery was unearthed just five days into Mazar’s latest phase of the Ophel excavations, and can be dated to the late Byzantine period (early seventh century CE). The gold treasure was discovered in a ruined Byzantine public structure, a mere 150 feet from the Temple Mount’s southern wall.
The menorah, a candelabrum with seven branches that was used in the Temple, the national symbol of the State of Israel, reflects the historical presence of Jews in the area. The position of the items as they were discovered indicates that one bundle was carefully hidden underground while the second bundle was apparently abandoned in haste and scattered across the floor.
Given the date of the items and the manner in which they were found, Mazar estimates they were abandoned in the context of the Persian conquest of Jerusalem, in 614 CE. After the Persians conquered Jerusalem, many Jews returned to the city and formed the majority of its population, hoping for political and religious freedom. But as Persian power waned, instead of forming an alliance with the Jews, the Persians sought the support of Christians and ultimately allowed them to expel the Jews from Jerusalem.
Hanging from a gold chain, the menorah medallion is most likely an ornament for a Torah scroll. If this is the case, it is the earliest Torah scroll ornament found in archaeological excavations to date. It was buried in a small depression in the floor, along with a smaller, gold medallion, two pendants, a gold coil and a silver clasp, all of which are believed to be Torah scroll ornaments.
“It would appear that the most likely explanation is that the Ophel cache was earmarked as a contribution toward the building of a new synagogue, at a location that is near the Temple Mount,” said Dr. Mazar. “What is certain is that their mission, whatever it was, was unsuccessful. The treasure was abandoned, and its owners could never return to collect it.”
The Ophel cache is the third collection of gold coins to be found in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem, said Lior Sandberg, numismatics specialist at the Institute of Archaeology. “The thirty-six gold coins can be dated to the reigns of different Byzantine emperors, ranging from the middle of the fourth century CE to the early seventh century CE,” said Sandberg.
Found alongside the coins were a pair of large gold earrings, a gold-plated silver hexagonal prism and a silver ingot. Remnants of fabric indicate that these items were once packaged in a cloth purse similar to the bundle that contained the menorah medallion.
Mazar’s Ophel excavation made headlines earlier this year when she announced the 2012 discovery of an ancient Canaanite inscription (recently identified as Hebrew), the earliest alphabetical written text ever uncovered in Jerusalem.
The 2013 excavation season at the Ophel ran from the middle of April to the end of July, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University. The Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying out the preservation works, and is preparing the site for the public.Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency
About the Author: Aryeh Savir is director of the International division of Tazpit News Agency.
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26 Responses to “Byzantine Era Golden Treasure Uncovered at Foot of Temple Mount”
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very interesting find!
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Just amazing..
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doesn't surprise me, God has shown the world once again the Temple Mount was the jews and their temple stood their before any mosque! Praise be to Our God.
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Praise Adonai who reigns Supreme forever.
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Another spike in the heart of the revisionists.
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This goes some way to prove how long the Jewish Community has used the Temple Mount, a further reason for Jerusalem to be Israel’s Capital and inform Islamic followers this Mount is indeed Judaic and have an equal if not greater right to worship here than Islam.
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Love the Doctor Who reference in your photo.
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Let the building of the Third Temple begin. ירושלים של זהב.
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shalom, *Adonai Tzvaot**akhshav**tamid**lots of love* david.
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would like to know why Mazar believes the cache was earmarked for a new building and not just hidden because of uncertain politics. It also struck me that the number of coins found was 36, "double Chai". Coincidence?
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It should be documented by the UN that Jerusalem was always belonging to the Jewish State of Israel.
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I thought the exact thing myself Yechiel.
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There is a longer video about it and interview on KeytoDavidsCity. com
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FUNNY I am listening out for the Palestinians to say HOLD on there these are really OUR SYMBOLS found in our Arab City, PULL THE OTHER ONE ITS GOT BELLS ON.
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This is not the only time that idolaters have prayed to their gods or god at the temple. The Greeks did the same and the Romans too, and the worshippers of the moon-gods or the sun-gods will do the same.
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Look at all these anti-Islamic comments! And here I am, a Muslim (American Muslim), happy that these treasures were found because people of “the middle of the fourth century to seventh century CE”, of different Byzantine Empires, need to be remembered. Judaism is an Abrahamic religion that I love and respect but don’t take every thing out of context and insult my faith wherever there’s a niche to fill with acrimony and arrogant ignorance.
If they pulled the body of Abraham (peace be upon him) out of ground what would these people say about Islam then??
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Such a shame radical Islam is giving bad PR. True Abraham is father to both Isaac and Ishmael. Sons and daughters outside of matrimony, do not inherit, only the legitimate child inherits. Does the illegitimate child hate his/her half brother? In most cases on discoverig each other, usually a familial bond arises between them?
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Soon a new something to see in Israel!
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Great find.
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The original city of David, now known as the Ophel must have held the holy covenent and it's ground should be considered sacred and hallowed.
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Tremendous find that's as beautiful as it is important. I have a question about the bundle "apparently scattered across the floor". How was it covered and not found by someone shortly thereafter?
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I'm glad the Ottoman Turks didn't find it when they were around 🙂
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I love ISRAEL , I'M A CHRISTIAN BUT I PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM
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It is very exciting to hear of all these finds. I join Mary Dickinson in loving and praying for a lasting peace in Israel… and in the whole world, Amen!
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I agree Vigda! | http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/byzantine-era-golden-treasure-uncovered-at-foot-of-temple-mount/2013/09/09/ |
Istanbul is one of the richest cities in the world in terms of places to visit. For centuries, there are hundreds of places to visit in the city under the great empire. Even the settlement, which is located just around the Bosphorus and the Bosphorus, is only able to influence all the foreigners who see it for the first time and it is even increasing. With all these beauties, Istanbul is at the top of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.
There are hundreds of places to visit on every corner of the city, especially Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia Museum, Yerebatan Tributary, etc., located on the Historical Peninsula. Millions of tourists flock to Istanbul each year to see important historic buildings, palaces and museums. How many of the most important places in Istanbul do we see or know?
I have written 10 most important places for you to visit in Istanbul. You can click on the titles or images to get detailed information about sightseeing spots. Here are places to visit in İstanbul.
Topkapi Palace, one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, not only of Turkey, is the most important structure of Istanbul, which has been host to the Ottoman State for centuries. Please visit the Divan-ı Hümayu, Baghdad Mansion, Harem and Sacred Relics in the palace converted into a museum in 1924.
The Sultanahmet Mosque was built between the years 1609 and 1616 by Ahmet I, the most beautiful and important mosque in Istanbul. It is also known as “Blue Mosque” by Europeans because of the blue Iznik tiles that the mosque built by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga has. The mosque, which has six minarets, is distinguished by its similarity.
The Haghia Sophia Museum is one of the oldest and most important structures in the city, built in 532 at the command of Emperor Justinian. Hagia Sophia, which was used as a daily museum in 1934, has magnificent interior adornments, mosaics and unique architecture. A bronze column carved in the middle of the museum draws attention. Over time, the sacred pillars were named Dilek Sutunu.
The Grand Bazaar is not just a list of places to visit in Istanbul, but one of the most important and most visited tourist attractions in the world. Founded in 1461 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s orders, Kapalıçarşı, which houses 4000 shops on 64 streets, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. If you are not going to go shopping, do not miss this magnificent bazaar.
Dolmabahçe Palace built by Sultan Abdülmecit in 1856 in order not to fulfill the necessary conditions of the period of Topkapi Palace, is one of the most impressive constructions of Istanbul. Designed by architect Garabet Balyan and his son Nikogos; Crystal Ladder, Bab-i Hümayun Gate, Kuğulu Pool, Ceremonial Hall and Atatürk’s Bedroom.
Built between 1551 and 1558, Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the most beautiful glass of the world, not only of Turkey. Mimar Sinan is a monumental work and it is built for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. There are mosques, madrasahs and other social buildings in this building. In the courtyard of the mosque, the surnames of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman and his wife Hürrem Sultan can be seen.
Yerebatan Cistern, built in 532 by Iustinianos to meet the water needs of the Great Palace, is our favorite places in our list of places to visit in Istanbul. Medusa Baş is one of the most striking parts of the structure with 336 columns supported and an impressive atmosphere.
The Maiden’s Tower is one of the most elegant symbols of Istanbul. The tower, which dates back to the 4th century BC, has served many purposes for centuries. The tower, in which a restaurant is located, hosts thousands of visitors every day. You can reach the boats from Salacak to reach the tower where many legends are also about.
The Galata Tower, 70 meters long, was built in the 6th century AD. During the history of the structure, which was first used as a lighthouse tower, it has functions such as dungeon, fire watch, observatory. Today, there is a café and restaurant which is used as a viewing terrace.
Eminönü’s most important structures, the Egyptian Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar are among the most touristic and important shopping spots in Istanbul. Also known as the “Spice Bazaar”, the building is located next to the New Mosque, one of the city’s most important mosques. You can find products such as spices, souvenirs, nuts, honey, home furnishings, clothes in Egypt Bazaar.
No Istanbul tour should be completed before going out on the Bosphorus. Do not leave the city without seeing the Bosphorus, one of the most beautiful places in the world, for a few hours. Eminönü, Ortaköy, Üsküdar, etc. You can join the most impressive activities of the city by participating in tours organized for 1-2 hours. Moreover, the trips which are called 1-1.5 hours and Short Bosphorus Tour are 10-15 TL per person.
Where should I stay in Istanbul, which hotel?
In fact, it would be wrong to say that you should stay in the following regions in Istanbul. But some points throughout the city are especially good for short trips to Istanbul. If you are going to visit the city and want to feel Istanbul somewhat more, you can choose boutique hotels around the Historical Peninsula and Sultanahmet Square, which hosts the most touristic structures of the city. This area is a little safer because it hosts many tourists and it is quiet in the evening.
Antea Hotel Oldcity is located in Sultanahmet Square. There are hundreds of boutique hotels around Sultanahmet. It is a nice place to stay in Sirkeci near the region. From here you can walk to Sultanahmet and get a tram ride. The 3 star Ersoy Hotel – Sirkeci Group is a nice facility located here. Another area close to Sultanahmet is Laleli. Take a look at the 3-star Hotel Poletdemir, close to the Beyazit Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.
If you prefer a lively district, you can see the hotels around Galata, Beyoglu and İstiklal Caddesi. In these areas, be careful not to choose facilities that are a bit more active at night, but are located in too many intermediate streets. Situated a few minutes’ walk from Taksim Square, the Ottopera Hotel stands out with its high rating.
Outside these regions; Ataturk Airport surroundings, Besiktas, Şiş, Mecidiyekoy, Etiler, Üsküdar, Kadıköy are places you can stay. Of course you have to deal with some traffic to the tourist spots from these regions. | http://www.istanbulturkeybook.com/istanbul-places-to-visit/ |
The concept of prequel it is used in the art industry to name a work that appears after a previous delivery, but that in the chronology of the saga is developed in the past .
The term prequel is a neologism (a word that has appeared in our language recently) from English. Its use in that language dates from 1958, when Anthony Boucher coined it to refer to the novel "They Shall Have Stars"by James Blish, the first of a tetralogy. Interestingly, although previously there was no word to describe this type of work, the origin of the prequel is very remote ; for example, the poem "Cipria"It can be considered a prequel to the"Iliad"and it is believed that it was composed between the sixth and seventh centuries.
What the prequel does is retake the first history , although narrating events that happen before. In this way, the prequel deals with the origins of what was seen in the original work.
Suppose, in 2010 , a movie About two young people who fall in love. In 2011 , said film had a sequel: that is, a film that continues with the action of the story. In the second film, for example, the already married couple has two children. In 2012 , appears the third film in the saga, but focused on the years before the couple's formation. It is, therefore, a prequel . What this work will do is tell how the young people met in the film 2010 they fell in love and in the proposal of 2011 the had children.
Prequels do not always focus on it plot that the work on which they are based, in the same way that the sequels can move away to narrate unexpected or not so predictable facts. While they usually provide more information about the background of the "current" story, it does not always happen very explicitly. One of the concepts related to the prequel is the dramatic irony , which is defined below.
The irony dramatic is the use of irony within an artistic work based on events that take place outside its limits , either in others that have been published previously or in reality. For example, if a story is published today on board the Titanic and one of the characters constantly ensures that the ship will not sink, it will be clear that the author does not expect his readers to create such a statement, given that the sinking Titanic is a fact known worldwide.
How is dramatic irony applied in the context of a prequel? Since the authors of prequels usually assume, although sometimes erroneously, that their audience knows perfectly the story on which they base their works, they take advantage of that supposed knowledge so that the characters make allusion to events that will take place in the future , within fiction. This resource, when used with cunning, usually pleases fans a lot and makes them feel a very strong bond with the universe of the work, since the newcomers they have no way of understanding those reference .
The prequels allow to extend a franchise successful whose story, for various reasons, can no longer develop forward chronologically (due to the death of the characters, creative difficulties, etc.). At movie theater , the prequels are increasingly frequent, while they can also be found in the TV , the literature and the video game .
An example of the operation of the prequels meets the character of Superman . While the superhero came to die in the comics, in the TV a series was developed ("Smallville" ) and a movie ("Iron Man" ) about his youth, before Clark Kent become Superman . | https://zw.erf-est.org/10568-precuela.html |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Example 2
The present invention relates to a method of calibrating an instrument, especially an instrument for optical detection or analysis of particles, to an instrument calibrated by the method, and to a method of estimating the concentration of particles (in terms of number of particles per unit volume) in a sample.
The present invention is especially pertinent to apparatus and methods for performing nanoparticle tracking analysis (“NTA”).
Nanoparticle tracking analysis is a relatively recently developed method for the direct and real-time visualisation and analysis of nanoparticles in liquids (see e.g. WO 03/093801). Based on a laser-illuminated microscopical technique, Brownian motion of nanoparticles is analysed in real-time by, for example, a charge-couple device (CCD) camera or the like, each individual particle being simultaneously but separately visualised and tracked by a dedicated particle tracking image-analysis programme. The ability of NTA to measure simultaneously particle size and particle scattering brightness allows heterogeneous particle mixtures to be resolved and, importantly, particle concentration to be estimated directly, the particle size distribution profile obtained by NTA being a direct number/frequency distribution.
NTA has become a term of art, recognised by those skilled in the relevant field. There are over 900 scientific papers and presentations referring to data collected using NTA. Further the term is used by, for example, ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NIH.
The range of particle sizes that can be analysed by NTA depends on the particle type. The lower size limit is defined by the particle size and particle refractive index, given that sufficient light must be scattered by each particle for it to be detected and tracked as described above. For particles with very high refractive indices, such as colloidal gold, accurate determination of size can be achieved down to particles with a maximum dimension of about 10 nm. For lower refractive index particles, such as those of biological origin, the smallest detectable size might be in the range 25-50 nm Accordingly, NTA is limited by its ability to detect particles below a certain size.
With NTA, the presence and analysis of particles, each of which scatters sufficient light to be detected individually, can still be carried out even in the presence of ‘background’ material comprising, for instance, a population of very small particles (such as protein molecules, sub-10 nm inorganic material, polymer solutions, nano-emulsions, etc.) each of which is too small to detect individually but which is present in sufficiently high concentration to collectively form a background haze of scattered light. This background cannot be analysed by NTA, but particles visible as discrete light scattering entities embedded within this background may be analysed by NTA. Of course, the intensity of this background will determine the limit of sensitivity of NTA in terms of minimum detectable size. Further, NTA is able to identify, track and analyse suitably sized particles even when they are present in heterogeneous samples containing low numbers of larger particles.
NTA is further capable of detecting and analysing inherently fluorescent or fluorescently-labelled nanoparticles in the presence of a non-fluorescent background through use of appropriate fluorescence exciting optical sources and suitable fluorescence filters. NTA is further capable of measuring more than one fluorescence wavelength within a sample using multiple filters or a colour camera.
The sizing of individual nanoparticles by NTA is based on the analysis of Brownian motion exhibited by micron and sub-micron particles suspended in a liquid when illuminated by a suitable light source (e.g. laser) such that the light scattered by the particles is detected by a microscopical arrangement which causes some of the light scattered by the particles to be imaged by a video camera (typically CCD, electron multiplying CCD [EMCCD], scientific complementary metal oxide semiconductor [sCMOS] etc.).
The average distance moved by any given particle at known time intervals (e.g. the reciprocal of the frame rate of the camera, typically 30 frames per second) is related through the Stokes Einstein equation in which the diffusion coefficient can be extrapolated to particle hydrodynamic diameter, if the temperature and viscosity of the surrounding liquid are known.
The region of laser beam interrogated by the camera is a function of the size (in the x and y dimensions) of the image captured by the microscopical optical train onto which is fitted a suitable camera. For usual applications, a ×20 long working distance microscope objective is used. Because Brownian motion is effectively independent of particle mass, NTA (like the related technique of Dynamic Light Scattering) is considered an absolute technique, not requiring calibration. Because it interrogates particles individually within a suspension (though simultaneously), it is possible to generate high resolution particle size distribution profiles.
The field of view of the camera is typically about 100×80 microns and the depth of beam has previously been assumed to be approximately 10 μm.
However, the spatial dimensions (including “depth”) of the laser beam in which any given particle is visible to the camera (the ‘effective scattering volume’ or observation volume) is, especially given the frequently non-uniform intensity profile of the laser sources used, dependent on a variety of factors. These include the inherent sensitivity of the camera (adjustable by varying gain and shutter settings), the power and wavelength of the laser beam and, most importantly, is a strong function of the size and refractive index of the scattering particles.
The illuminating laser beams are not usually top-hat in profile (i.e. of uniform intensity throughout both the x and y dimensions) but are complex, ranging from a smooth Gaussian (or similar) profile to very complex profiles in which unpredictable spatial variations in cross-sectional intensity arise from the optical perturbations on launching the beam into the scattering cell through a glass wall at low (close to critical) angle.
Accordingly, while is it possible to dynamically determine with some confidence the particle size distribution of the particles successfully tracked by NTA, accurate estimation of the number of particles of any given size or size class present in the path of the laser beam is more problematical.
Put simply, smaller and/or lower refractive index particles are often only visible (to the camera) in the regions of the beam in which the incident intensity is highest (e.g. the centre of a Gaussian beam or brighter parts of, for example, a striated beam) and are not visible in lower intensity regions. In contrast, larger (or higher refractive index) particles can be seen at greater distances from the high intensity beam centre (or between high intensity striations) because they scatter more light. Thus for two such particle types the volume in which they are visible (the “effective observation volume”) will be different and consequently, even though they may be actually present in the same number concentration, NTA will detect different numbers of particles in the same system.
WO 2012/004320 discloses a method by which the effective observation volume can be determined by measuring the average track length of a particle moving under Brownian motion in a beam. With knowledge of the temperature and viscosity in which a particle of known size (or, more accurately, known diffusion coefficient) is moving, the length of time such a particle will be, on average, present and therefore scattering detectable amounts of light and thus trackable, will depend (all other things being equal) on the volume of the interrogation region. Larger effective ‘observation volumes’ result in longer track-lengths for any given sized particle.
In other words, the larger the beam (or more effective the particle is as a scatterer), the longer will be a particle's visible lifetime in the beam. If the size of a particle is known (e.g. because using a calibration particle) and the temperature and viscosity of the solvent is known, it is possible to calculate the volume of the beam from determining the track-length distribution of a monodisperse population of particles of a known size. Using this ‘absolute’ method by which the scattering volume can be spatially calculated, it is possible to determine the number of particles seen in a volume calculated, allowing generation of an absolute value for number concentration of the sample. However the limitations of this technique are that it assumes a continuous and uniform observation volume, and requires an accurate measurement of track length which could be significantly affected at high particle concentrations, with a high image noise or with a flowing sample.
Another technique for calibrating NTA apparatus is disclosed by Gardiner et al (“Extracellular vesicle sizing and enumeration by nanoparticle tracking analysis” Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2013, 2 1-11). This involves the use of a calibration sample of a particular nanoparticle population of known concentration, having similar characteristics (in terms of particle size and refractive index) to a particle population to be analysed.
However, the method is of limited practical usefulness, requiring a calibrant particle with appropriate properties (which may not always be available) and, in any event, the apparatus requires re-calibration each time if it is to be used to analyse a population of particles with different properties.
The present invention aims to reduce or overcome one or more of the problems associated with the prior art.
(a) introducing into the apparatus a sample of a calibration population of particles which is (i) substantially monodisperse (e.g. diameter S.D. is less than 10% mean diameter) and (ii) homogeneous and (iii) has a known concentration of particles in terms of number per unit volume;
(b) analysing the sample, under appropriate conditions to determine, for a particular combination of apparatus conditions or settings, the number of particles detected and the average brightness individually of detected and measured particles;
(c) adjusting the apparatus to a new particular combination of apparatus conditions or settings and analysing the same sample, or another sample of the same calibration population as in step (a), and repeating the analysis of step (b) to determine the number of particles detected and the average brightness of detected particles under the new combination of apparatus conditions or settings;
(d) optionally repeating step (c) at one or more further new particular combinations of apparatus conditions or settings; and
(e) deriving from the analyses a calibration plot or look-up table of brightness of particle against number of particles detected, which is used to calibrate the apparatus against subsequent analysis of populations of particles of unknown concentration, to determine an estimate of the concentration thereof.
In a first aspect, the invention provides a method of calibrating apparatus for optically characterising samples of particles of small size (i.e. less than 1000 nm diameter); comprising the steps of:
For present purposes, a substantially monodisperse population of particles is considered as one in which the diameter S.D. is less than 10% of the mean particle diameter. The person skilled in the art will also appreciate that the particles in question need not be perfectly spherical, but will preferably be at least substantially spherical. The concentration of particles (in terms of number per unit volume) in the calibration population is preferably known absolutely, or may be known to lie within a prescribed range (e.g. +/−20%, preferably +/−10%, more preferably +/−5%).
The method may involve determination of a total number of particles detected or, more preferably, determination of the number of particles detected per unit time. In practice, this is usually done per image frame.
(i) calibrating suitable apparatus using a method in accordance with the first aspect of the invention defined above, or using apparatus so calibrated;
(ii) analysing a sample of the population, and determining the average number of particles detected; and the average brightness of the particles;
(iii) comparing the result from (ii) with that expected from the calibration plot or look-up table to arrive at an estimate of the actual particle concentration in the sample.
In a second aspect, the invention provides a method of estimating the concentration of particles in a population of small size particles, the method comprising the steps of:
It will be appreciated that features of the invention which are preferred or desirable etc. in relation to the first aspect of the invention will generally apply equally to the second aspect of the invention.
The present invention is especially useful in relation to the calibration of apparatus employed to perform NTA, and to estimating the concentration of particles in a population using apparatus performing NTA, although in principle other particulate imaging techniques could benefit from the invention.
The invention is typically useful for analysing or characterising samples in which the particles have a mean diameter or dimension generally in the range 10-1000 nm, more typically 20-750 nm, although as described previously, the minimum size of particle detectable by NTA is dependent at least in part on the refractive index of the particle, with more highly refractive particles being easier to detect.
The particles may be anything of appropriate size and refractive index and may be biological or non-biological in nature. The sample may be any engineered or naturally-occurring sample comprising nanoparticles. Particular examples of nanoparticulate samples which may be analysed by NTA and which might therefore be of interest in the methods of the present invention include, but are not limited to, the following: viruses (including bacteriophages), vaccine formulations comprising attenuated or inactivated viruses or virus-like particles and the like; protein aggregates; exosomes; membrane aggregates and liposomes; inks and pigments; quantum dots; and chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (“CMP”) slurries.
The method of the invention is preferably performed using a monodisperse population of particles as hereinabove defined.
In addition, the method of the invention may be used to estimate the concentration of particles in a sample which contains two or more different monodisperse populations of particles of sufficiently different size to be resolvable by means of NTA.
Step (a) of the method of the invention requires the use of a sample of a standard calibration sample of particles the concentration of which is known at least approximately (e.g. to within an order of magnitude). Suitable samples are available commercially from Thermo Scientific (e.g. 3000 Series Nanosphere Size Standards) and BBI solutions (e.g. gold nanoparticles) and such particles may comprise for example, particulate gold nanospheres or polystyrene beads. The commercially available samples may require dilution with a diluent to provide a sample having a particulate concentration in a range suitable for analysis. The diluent should obviously be free of particulates which might interfere with the analysis. Water, a buffer or other aqueous solution as appropriate may be used as a diluent.
Step (b) of the method requires an analysis of the calibrant sample using the apparatus to be calibrated. The apparatus will typically be apparatus adapted and configured to perform NTA. The apparatus will therefore generally comprise a light source (usually a laser), an optical stage or specimen chamber or the like, and an optical detector, such as a CCD or the like, typically together with computer processing means to perform the necessary imaging and particle tracking analysis, and associated software.
The various components of the apparatus will have adjustable settings, which can be adjusted to allow the apparatus to be used to analyse samples having different properties (principally such as particle size, particle refractive index and particle concentration). For example, (especially in apparatus adapted and configured to perform NTA), it will generally be possible to adjust various settings, either manually or by altering values in the associated software, which settings determine the effective observation volume within which particles may be detected and tracked. These include, in particular (i) those relating to the sensitivity of the detector device; and (ii) those relating to the brightness detection threshold. Where the optical detector is a CCD or similar, the variable settings include, for example, the camera gain or the shutter speed. The brightness detection threshold is an adjustable threshold, set by the user, which determines the minimum brightness of an observable particle to be selected for analysis and tracking. Sources of light within the effective observation volume which are detected but which do not match or exceed the brightness detection threshold are disregarded.
Accordingly, using NTA apparatus as one exemplary embodiment, step (b) of the method may be performed using one specific, particular combination of the aforementioned settings (and optionally other settings as well), to analyse the calibration sample to determine the number of particles and the average brightness thereof.
In step (c), the process of step (b) is repeated, using either the same sample as in step (a), or a replicate sample of the same calibration population. If the same sample is used, it may be necessary to ensure that the particles are kept homogenised within the effective observation volume (e.g. by occasional agitation). In step (c) however, one of the aforementioned (e.g. camera) settings which determine the effective observation volume is altered relative to its setting in step (b), so as to form a new specific combination of settings (and therefore create a different effective observation volume). The number of particles and the average brightness thereof is again determined.
In step (d) the above process is optionally (but preferably) repeated using a further particular combination of settings which determine the effective observation volume. Again, the same sample may be used, or a replicate sample of the same calibration population. This step is preferably iterated many times, each time using a different particular combination of settings, such that a data set can be built up with numbers of particles detected and average brightness thereof over a wide range of different effective observation volumes, so that the apparatus can be calibrated over a wide range of settings, thereby allowing the calibrated device to be used to analyse many different samples of interest which may have widely differing properties in terms of size, refractive index, etc.
The data set acquired by the analyses may then be used to produce a plot of brightness of particles against number of particles detected, or a look-up table. Using the known (or assumed) concentration of the particle population used, the observation volume can be inferred from number of particles detected, resulting in a plot of brightness of particles against observation volume. This plot or table, or its informational equivalent, is then conveniently stored in a digital memory device operably attached or associated with the apparatus, so that the apparatus can refer to the data and make appropriate adjustment to arrive at a corrected estimate of particle concentration when, in future, used to analyse an actual test sample of interest having an unknown observation volume, and hence unknown particle concentration.
In a third aspect the invention provides apparatus suitable for calculating the concentration (in terms of number per unit volume) of small-sized particles, the apparatus being calibrated by the method of the first aspect of the invention, and having a digital memory device which stores, in digital form, a plot or look-up table or its informational equivalent, produced by the calibration method of the first aspect.
Preferably the apparatus is adapted and configured to perform NTA. The apparatus will thus preferably comprise one or more, or all, of the sort of components used in commercially-available NTA apparatus, such as a CCD or EMCCD and/or microscope; a sample chamber; sample-handling fluidics (tubing, pumps etc); sample illumination device (e.g. a laser); processing means programmed with nanoparticle-tracking image analysis software etc; and a digital memory device.
It is further preferred that the apparatus comprises, or is operably associated with, computer processing means which is programmed to produce a corrected estimate of particle concentration for a sample analysed by the apparatus, the corrected estimate being determined by applying a calibration factor from the data stored in the digital memory device.
Calibration using 100 nm polystyrene standards
8
FIG. 1
Firstly, the standard is diluted to an appropriate concentration, e.g. 10particles/ml, and injected into appropriate measuring apparatus (such as the NanoSight NS500 system, NanoSight, Amesbury, UK). Several measurements are made at the range of different camera settings (shutter and gain) and detection settings (detection threshold). Data is filtered so that points with limited statistics or high noise are removed. Using the remaining data, observation volume is calculated using the known concentration and the number of particles counted, and this is plotted against average brightness for a number of detection thresholds as seen in .
Linear regression is performed on the data using average brightness as the main explanatory variable. To deal with other settings (such as detection threshold), either separate models can be made and the variable can be integrated into the regression model as a variate or factor (in this case, detection threshold is an additional explanatory variable).
FIG. 2
The fit to the data is shown in plotting the observation volume on AU scale against brightness (mlni_5).
This linear model can then be used to predict the observation volume for a measurement of any brightness (modified via camera settings, size, refractive index etc. . . . ) and concentration.
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3B
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3B
Applying the model to the range of 100 nm particles used for the calibration significantly reduces variation. The boxplot in and variation before calibration (), and right, after calibration (: note log scale)
The Figure demonstrates that prior to applying the process, there was an observed interquartile variation (due primarily to camera settings and detection threshold) of ˜0.7 logs=(i.e. a factor of about 500%) variation, whereas after applying the process, the interquartile variation was ˜30%.
FIG. 4
Further, applying the model to additional sets of 100 nm particles and 200 nm particles (captured with a similar range of settings) gave comparable results (see ; note, not on log scale):
This example illustrates the principles of the invention as applied to methods and apparatus for performing nanoparticle tracking analysis (“NTA”).
The present inventors have appreciated that, in contrast to the approach described in WO2012/004320, one can obtain an idea of the effective scattering volume (from which an estimate of number concentration can be obtained) by measuring the intensities of light scattered by particles and calibrating against a population of known number concentration.
Thus, for a monodisperse (size calibrant) population of particles of known number concentration (numbers of particles per unit volume), the number of such particles seen in any given optical configuration and setup e.g. laser wavelength and power, camera sensitivity and settings, etc.) can be adjusted to the real number concentration through calibration. If one or more of the parameters responsible for the brightness of the particles seen is adjusted (e.g. the laser power is increased or the camera sensitivity increased [gain, shutter length]) then the number of such particles seen will increase. So for a calibration sample of particles, it is possible to generate a ‘primary’ calibration graph of average number of particles seen and counted for any given detection efficiency. Changing the detection sensitivity of the system (e.g. by increasing camera gain) thus changing the ‘particle brightness’ will result in a corresponding change in number of particles seen. Similarly, if the calibrant sample is diluted, a change in the number seen (compared to what was expected from the calibration graph) reflects a real change in the actual number present.
For a different sample (e.g. different size and/or refractive index), if the sample is monodisperse and homogeneous, the brightness of the particles seen (even following changing of the sensitivity [e.g. camera gain] of the system) can be compared to the calibration graph and the actual number of particles per unit volume (its concentration) estimated. The primary calibration graph can thus be seen to be applicable to any other monodisperse and homogeneous sample type given that the average brightness of a particle type reports on the effective scattering volume of that particle type and therefore its number concentration can be confidently estimated.
Measurements obtained using fluorescent particles (either inherently fluorescent, or fluorescently-labelled), instead of measurements made using light scattered by the particles, may alternatively be used in the calibration technique.
To reiterate, following calibration of the scattering volume to particle number using a monodisperse and homogeneous sample of known number concentration, other monodisperse and homogeneous samples (even of different scattering properties arising from different size and/or Ri) can be counted and the number concentration estimated as long as the brightness is adjusted (through, for instance, camera gain or laser power) to fall in the range of the primary number calibration graph. Difference in average numbers of particles seen from that expected from the primary calibration graph are therefore indicative of real differences in the actual number concentration of the new sample.
For a bimodal sample comprising of two different particle types with adequately different scattering properties (through size and/or refractive index) the two populations will, if an adequate number of each of the particle populations are detected, resolve themselves into two data sets each of which can, using the primary calibration graph, be separately counted and the concentrations of each adjusted according to their position on the calibration graph.
For mixtures containing multiple populations of particle types, the resolution with which they can be discriminated becomes increasingly problematical with increasing polydispersity and/or variation in any other measurable parameters such as brightness, size, polarization, fluorescence, shape, motive forces (such as electrical, magnetic, gravitational etc.) or any other measurance capable of differentiating the sample. However, dividing the data into (either separate or overlapping) bins or groups of increasing resolution will assist in increasing accuracy of counting in such complex samples, providing sufficient numbers of particles are present in each bin or group observed.
Of course, unlike other optical techniques which rely on the measurement of particle intensity for sizing and counting, NTA is capable of measuring the dynamic Brownian motion of particles (individually) from which can be estimated particle size. Because this analysis is operating in the time domain, it is independent of the particle's intensity. This allows an additional orthogonal measureand to be exploited in the brightness/concentration relationship described above.
Thus, for different particle populations each of different size and/or Ri but whose light scattering properties are similar and would therefore not be capable of being distinguished from each other in on an intensity basis alone, it is possible (given each particle is being simultaneously detected, Brownian motion sized and brightness measured) to discriminate and count (using the primary calibration graph) such particle populations by plotting their brightness against size against calibrated number concentration.
Similarly, other measureands afforded by NTA could be exploited in this way. For example, fluorescently labelled particles, behaviour in applied motive fields (e.g. electrical, magnetic, gravitational, etc.), particle shape, polarization etc. could each or variously be employed to advantage.
An example of the calibration method of the invention, as applied to NTA apparatus is described below.
Method
Steps required to number calibrate a system from which numbers of a different sample type can be determined:
Number Calibration
7
9
1. For a NanoSight system of arbitrary beam profile and power, add a suitably diluted sample (to anywhere between 10-10particles/ml) of monodisperse and homogeneous calibration quality particles (e.g. of a size in the range 10-1000 nm or more preferably 50-300 nm whose number concentration is accurately known.
2. Carry out analyses using a range of shutter and gain settings, to adequately cover the range of intensities which NTA analysis can effectively measure.
3. Perform above analysis until adequately by robust statistics are obtained through analysing a sufficient number of analysed particle tracks over a sufficient time. As a minimum this would normally be >200 tracks and greater than 30 seconds and more preferably >1000 analysed particle tracks and greater than 150 seconds.
4. Measure average brightness displayed by particles seen at selected camera settings and count average number of particles detected per unit time (e.g. per frame).
FIG. 5
5. Use resultant data to generate a calibration graph of particle brightness differences (through increasing gain) resulting in a corresponding increase in particles seen per unit time, as illustrated schematically in .
6. Assuming the absolute number concentration of the calibration sample to be known, scattering volume can be inferred from the average number of particles seen, hence generating a calibration curve of brightness and scattering volume.
7. Using resultant calibration graph to find a [linear or otherwise] relationship between the average apparent particle brightness and scattering volume.
Having performed the calibration procedure above, it is possible then to use the information so obtained to determine an estimate of particle concentration for any particulate sample which is analysable using NTA.
8. Add sample of suitably diluted but otherwise unknown sample to instrument (without changing alignments or magnifications) and adjust settings (e.g. camera gain/shutter or laser power) until average brightness of particles seen lies within range of intensities exhibited by particles used in calibration graph above.
9. Analyse sample, logging average brightness (and size) of particles detected.
10. Using average brightness data obtained, use the relationship found in Step 7 to infer the scattering volume in which the particles are visible.
11. Once scattering volume is known the number of particles counted can now be related to particle concentration in the sample.
Measurement of Multimodal Samples of Unknown Concentration, Composition and Size
12. For samples which contain two or more discrete populations of different sample types/size ranges carry out Steps 8 and 9 above.
13. Identify the two or more discrete groupings arising from recognisably different brightness groups, calculate scattering volume and resultant concentration for each discrete group as per Steps 10 and 11.
14. Apply different number adjustments for as many different sub-populations as can be identified.
Use of Additional Measureands Available from NTA to Extract Further Information from Complex Sample Types
The estimation of particle concentration is performed thus:
For samples containing a plurality of sub-populations which can be discriminated by adding further information about each particle (e.g. size as determined by Brownian motion, electrophoretic mobility under an applied electric field, fluorescence generated by specific labels (e.g. antibody mediated)) replot in three dimensions (brightness v. concentration v. size/fluoresce signal/mobility/etc.) and recover corrected number estimates from calibration graph).
The invention will be further described by way of illustrative example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a graph of average particle brightness (arbitrary units) against observation volume (arbitrary units), showing data obtained with a monodisperse population of 100 nm diameter polystyrene beads, used in one example of a calibration method in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2
is a graph of adjusted log n observation values against brightness showing a linear relationship;
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3B
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3B
10
and show box plots of log(observed concentration/actual concentration) for a sample analysed by NTA before () and after () calibration according to the invention;
FIG. 4
shows box plots of observed concentration/actual concentration for two different populations of particles (100 or 200 nm in diameter) following performance of a calibration method in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 5
is a generalized, representative graph of apparent particle brightness against number of particles seen per unit time (e.g. per image frame). | |
DOTHAN, AL – May 12, 2021 – The Wiregrass Museum of Art recently received a grant award totaling $19,296 from Dothan’s Wiregrass Foundation to be used in support of the museum’s long-running First Saturday Family Day program and Wiregrass-area summer outreach programs, which will begin in June.
WMA will dedicate $9,296 of the award to First Saturday Family Day, which museum staff have adapted over the last year to continue to serve children and families in the Wiregrass community. During the closure of the museum due to COVID health precautions, each month education staff provided video instruction of an art project that could be completed with supplies commonly found around the house. The videos were posted on social media and WMA’s YouTube channel.
In an effort to reach more children and families who might not have regular access to the internet, in February of this year the program transitioned to free art kits that participants could pick up at the museum’s reception desk every first Saturday of the month. Each kit contains instructions for an art project suitable for children of all ages, as well as all supplies needed to complete the project.
The distribution of First Saturday Family Day art kits will continue through the end of the year, and WMA will open its studio to full capacity for in-person gatherings in January of 2022. At that time, the museum will launch a new art supply library. The library will provide free, high-quality supplies, takeaway kits, and mystery bags for anyone visiting the museum to take home. It will also incorporate a ‘take one, leave one’ approach to cultivate a communal sense of giving and participation.
“Everyone in our community deserves access to art, and WMA is a resource for all Wiregrass residents. We continue to innovate and adapt in order to provide the best-quality service to our neighbors and partners across the region,” said Dana-Marie Lemmer, WMA’s executive director. “Art education is a core value of WMA’s mission and we appreciate the Wiregrass Foundation’s partnership in increasing access to arts and in creating more equitable disbursement of these valuable, educational resources.”
The remaining $10,000 of the Wiregrass Foundation award will help fund summer outreach programs with several local partners. WMA staff will teach in-person camps at the Hawk-Houston Youth Enrichment Center, as well as provide “camp-in-a-kit” art kits for summer camps and other programs hosted by Dothan City Schools, the City of Dothan Leisure Services, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Wiregrass, the Ozark Boys & Girls Club, the Fort Rucker School Age Center, and the Eufaula City Schools’ 21st Century Summer Learning Program. In total, the museum aims to distribute 2,000 art kits by the end of the summer.
Camp offerings, both in person and through “camp-in-a-kit,” will offer lessons and activities in oil pastels, watercolors, weaving, mixed media collage, and other mediums. The investment from the Wiregrass Foundation will provide opportunities for students to receive much-need resources for learning during the summer months, giving them advanced preparation to begin the 2021-22 school year.
“The Wiregrass Foundation recognizes the importance of art to our community, culture, and quality of life for our area. The work WMA is doing to provide creative opportunities for the people of the Wiregrass through summer outreach programs and First Saturday Family Day is important to our community. The Wiregrass Foundation is proud to support these efforts,” said Troy Fountain, the Foundation’s president.
WMA continues to seek new ways to provide access to the visual arts to all people in the Wiregrass community and beyond. With the financial support of organizations like the Wiregrass Foundation, the museum hopes to continue to improve the quality of life of those living in our community through the arts. | https://www.wiregrassmuseum.org/wiregrass-museum-of-art-awarded-wiregrass-foundation-grant-for-summer-outreach-programs/ |
China's booming online shopping market is soon to be covered under the legal system as the drafting of the country's first e-commerce law is on track and set to complete in the second half of this year, said a report from the Economic Information on Wednesday.
The report said that related organizations are working to stipulate the outline of the e-commerce law by March. After consulting with government organizations, e-commerce companies, industry associations and experts, the draft is very soon expected to be submitted to the Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress.
The existing laws in the country can no longer keep up with the booming growth of China's e-commerce sector. There are challenges in online transaction security, intellectual property rights protection and the protection of consumers' rights. The e-commerce law is going to play an important role in protecting consumers as well as create a healthy market environment. | http://www.newsgd.com/gdnews/content/2015-01/07/content_115809176.htm |
Mario Savini’s book is the first collection of all the names of the artists in the world who have employed the genetic engineering techniques to create artworks.
Mario Savini’s book “Arte transgenica. La vita è il medium” has been published in the Italian language by the Pisa University Press (Pisa University publishing company). This volume – with a preface by the French philosopher Yves Michaud – is the result of a scientific research on which the author has been focused for almost four years.
Mario Savini, art critic and journalist, is currently collaborating with the Teramo University where he got his PhD. His book draws attention to the important developments made in the artistic field thanks to the use of the genetic engineering techniques. Besides a critic analysis, all the artists combining genetic material of different origin to crate artistic works have been recorded as it is done during a census. One aim of the book is to interpret, by drawing a radical cultural redefinition, the thought of a new type of creativity which inevitably involves the most significant aspects of social life.
“What interests me the most in the context of the ongoing considerations, – stresses Yves Michaud in the preface – is the first part of the book which represents an attempt to conceptualize the artistic and aesthetic situation as modified by the Bioart, by the transgenic art and, in general, by the encounter between art and science”. | https://medinart.eu/arte-transgenica-la-vita-e-il-medium_mario-savini_book-release/ |
Genetic algorithms were utilized in technological know-how and engineering as adaptive algorithms for fixing useful difficulties and as computational types of common evolutionary structures. This short, available advent describes one of the most attention-grabbing learn within the box and likewise permits readers to enforce and scan with genetic algorithms on their lonesome. It focuses extensive on a small set of significant and fascinating subject matters -- really in laptop studying, medical modeling, and synthetic lifestyles -- and studies a large span of study, together with the paintings of Mitchell and her colleagues.
The descriptions of functions and modeling initiatives stretch past the stern obstacles of desktop technology to incorporate dynamical platforms conception, online game conception, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and inhabitants genetics, underscoring the intriguing "general goal" nature of genetic algorithms as seek equipment that may be hired throughout disciplines.
An advent to Genetic Algorithms is on the market to scholars and researchers in any medical self-discipline. It contains many inspiration and laptop routines that construct on and toughen the reader's knowing of the textual content. the 1st bankruptcy introduces genetic algorithms and their terminology and describes provocative functions intimately. the second one and 3rd chapters examine using genetic algorithms in desktop studying (computer courses, information research and prediction, neural networks) and in medical versions (interactions between studying, evolution, and tradition; sexual choice; ecosystems; evolutionary activity). a number of ways to the idea of genetic algorithms are mentioned extensive within the fourth bankruptcy. The 5th bankruptcy takes up implementation, and the final bankruptcy poses a few presently unanswered questions and surveys clients for the way forward for evolutionary computation.
Info extraction regards the strategies of structuring and mixing content material that's explicitly said or implied in a single or a number of unstructured details resources. It includes a semantic class and linking of definite items of data and is taken into account as a mild kind of content material knowing via the laptop.
This quantity is worried with the research and interpretation of multivariate measurements mostly present in the mineral and metallurgical industries, with the emphasis at the use of neural networks. The publication is basically aimed toward the training metallurgist or approach engineer, and a substantial a part of it really is of necessity dedicated to the elemental thought that's brought as in short as attainable in the huge scope of the sphere.
Conditions that are conjunctions of ranges on independent variables)? Packard (1990) proposed a more general form for conditions that also allows disjunctions (('s); an example might be where we are given two nonoverlapping choices for the conditions on x6. A further generalization proposed by Packard would be to allow disjunctions between sets of conditions. To what extent will this method succeed on other types of prediction tasks? Packard (1990) proposes applying this method to tasks such as weather prediction, financial market prediction, speech recognition, and visual pattern recognition.
Despite this seemingly clean split between engineering and scientific applications, it is often not clear on which side of the fence a particular project sits. For example, the work by Hillis described in chapter 1 above and the two other automatic−programming projects described below have produced results that, apart from their potential technological applications, may be of interest in evolutionary biology. Likewise, several of the "artificial life" projects described in chapter 3 have potential problem−solving applications.
It 34 Chapter 2: Genetic Algorithms in Problem Solving illustrates the "majority" rule: for each neighborhood of three adjacent cells, the new state is decided by a majority vote among the three cells. 5, like all those I will discuss here, has periodic boundary conditions: si = si + N. 5 the lattice configuration is shown iterated over one time step. Cellular automata have been studied extensively as mathematical objects, as models of natural systems, and as architectures for fast, reliable parallel computation. | http://historyintampa.com/download/an-introduction-to-genetic-algorithms |
Shark populations off the east coast of Australia have been declining over the past 55 years and show little evidence of recovery, reports a studied published this week in Communications Biology. These findings may have implications for shark-control programs and conservation efforts.
The Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP) was established in 1962 with the aim of minimizing dangerous shark-human interactions. It now spans 1,760 km of Australian coastline and has caught nearly 50,000 sharks to date. However, long-term effects of shark control programs on the marine ecosystem are unknown.
George Roff and colleagues analysed data for four large shark groups - hammerhead sharks, whaler sharks, tiger sharks, and white sharks - collected daily for over 55 years by the QSCP. The authors found substantial declines in the abundance of sharks, including a 92% decline for hammerhead and great white sharks. The data also showed that the sizes of adult sharks have declined, which makes the populations vulnerable. In addition, the authors found that the most likely cause of shark population declines is overfishing, rather than environmental changes.
The authors’ analysis of the QSCP data implies that, contrary to the general perception, recent increases in unprovoked shark incidents in Queensland and New South Wales are not due to recovering shark populations. The data suggests that apparent increases in human-shark interactions are occurring at a time when shark populations are severely depleted compared to historical baselines. | http://www.natureasia.com/en/life-sci/research/12817 |
Data protection rights
- Every person may contact an organisation directly to find out if he is listed or not by that organisation.
- Every person may, on simple request addressed to the organisation in question, have free access to all the information concerning him in clear language (any codes must be explained) and obtain a copy against payment of a fee, fixed by the State, of 3 € for the public sector and 4,6 € for the private sector.
- Every person may directly require from an organisation holding information about him that the data be corrected (if they are wrong), completed or clarified (if they are incomplete or equivocal), or erased (if this information could not legally be collected).
- Every person may oppose that information about him is used for advertising purposes or for commercial purposes;
he may also oppose to information concerning him being disclosed to a third party for such purposes. The persons concerned should have the possibility of exercising their right to oppose the disclosure of their data to a third party at the moment the data is collected. The use of automatic calling machines or faxes for advertising purposes is prohibited unless the person has given his prior consent.
- Every person may ask the CNIL to proceed with checks of the information concerning him
which may possibly be recorded in files concerning security of the State, defence, or public security (right of indirect access). The CNIL verifies the relevance, the accuracy and the updating of this information and can demand that it should be rectified or deleted…
- Every person may contact the CNIL to receive assistance
in the exercise of his rights (particularly if his right of access has been denied).
Data controllers’ obligations
- Notify the file and its characteristics to the CNIL, except when exempted by law or by the CNIL
- Ensure that citizens are in a position to exercise their rights through
information.
- Ensure data security and confidentiality, to protect them from distortion
or disclosure to unauthorised third parties
- Accept on-site inspections by the CNIL, and reply to any request
for information. | https://rentcastlefrance.com/rights-and-obligations/ |
Last summer, in Berkeley, California, librarians pulled roughly forty thousand books off the shelves of the public library and carted them away. The library’s director, Jeff Scott, announced that his staff had “deaccessioned” texts that weren’t regularly checked out. But the protesters who gathered on the library’s front steps to decry what became known as “Librarygate” preferred a different term: “purged.” “Put a tourniquet on the hemorrhage,” one of the protesters’ signs declared. “Don’t pulp our fiction,” another read.
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What’s your tech personality? When it comes to new technologies, are you mainly a visionary or an implementer? Find out by taking this quiz. Tell us your results in the comments! read more New Book: Siri, Alexa, and Other Digital Assistants: The Librarian’s Quick Guide
Windows and Mirrors: Why We Need Diverse Books
By Chad Everett, guest blogger I was an undergraduate student the first time it happened. One of my professors shared the following line from W.E.B. Dubois’ The Souls of Black Folk: “One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.”
Assignment 2: Collection development policy response paper
Assignment Introduction and Slides Objectives: Students will evaluate two collection development policies for strengths and weaknessesStudents will practice professional communication skills in writing a concise analytical response paper
The Digital Shift — On Libraries and New Media, powered by Library Journal and School Library Journal
5 Tips for Makers on a Budget from a Teen Librarian By The Digital Shift on August 4, 2017 “Teen Librarian Toolbox” blogger and SLJTeen Live! panelist Karen Jensen shares some ideas and resources for low-budget maker spaces. The Chatty Librarians: Podcasting | Field Reports By The Digital Shift on June 27, 2017
School Library Journal
Four bold strategies to elevate your school library. Illustration by James Yang “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library,” wrote the historian and novelist Shelby Foote.
School Library Policies - School Libraries
Sampling of resources for districts and schools for developing and revising policies for selection, intellectual freedom, acceptable use, privacy, and weeding. Collection Policies School Library Collection Policies Information regarding school library collection and selection policies. Selection Policies
Finding Reliable Information Online Blog
Google: “Latina Girls.” Go ahead. I’ll wait. What did you get? Concerning right? | http://www.pearltrees.com/u/6751618-collection-development |
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Poland Portraits - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
21 فبراير 2019
SOCHI, RUSSIA - JUNE 14: Jakub Blaszczykowski of Poland poses for a photograph during the official FIFA World Cup 2018 portrait session at on June 14, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Poland v Senegal: Group H - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
21 فبراير 2019
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JUNE 19: Jakub Blaszczykowski of Poland is challenged by Kalidou Koulibaly of Senegal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Poland and Senegal at Spartak Stadium on June 19, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Kylian Mbappe of France kisses the World Cup trophy
11 يناير 2019
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 15: Kylian Mbappe of France kisses the World Cup trophy following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Belgian football fans celebrate their teams opening goal during the World Cup Quarter Final match between Brazil and Belgium
11 يناير 2019
ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM - JULY 06: Belgian football fans celebrate their teams opening goal during the World Cup Quarter Final match between Brazil and Belgium at a fan village on July 6, 2018 in Antwerpen, Belgium. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
French football fans celebrate in the Champs-de-Mars fan zone as France score their first goal against Croatia
11 يناير 2019
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 15: French football fans celebrate in the Champs-de-Mars fan zone as France score their first goal against Croatia in the FIFA 2018 World Cup Final match on July 15, 2018 in Paris, France. The World Cup Final is shown today on giant screens across France as Croatia face France at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Juan Antonio Pizzi, Head coach of Saudi Arabia
19 ديسمبر 2018
ROSTOV-ON-DON, RUSSIA - JUNE 20: Juan Antonio Pizzi, Head coach of Saudi Arabia reacts during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at Rostov Arena on June 20, 2018 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. (Photo by David Ramos - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Eiffel Tower illuminated in French national colors
06 ديسمبر 2018
This picture taken from Trocadero on July 15, 2018 shows the Eiffel Tower illuminated in French national colors during celebrations after the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia, on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris. France beat Croatia 4-2. / AFP / Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT
The World Cup trophy is seen
04 ديسمبر 2018
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 15: The World Cup trophy is seen during closing ceremony prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Lars Baron - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Former Sweden International Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks on
09 نوفمبر 2018
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JUNE 17: Former Sweden International Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks on prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group F match between Germany and Mexico at Luzhniki Stadium on June 17, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold of England crosses the ball under pressure from Thorgan Hazard of Belgium
31 أكتوبر 2018
KALININGRAD, RUSSIA - JUNE 28: Trent Alexander-Arnold of England crosses the ball under pressure from Thorgan Hazard of Belgium during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between England and Belgium at Kaliningrad Stadium on June 28, 2018 in Kaliningrad, Russia. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Mario Mandzukic of Croatia scores an own goal from Antoine Griezmann of France's free-kick
16 أكتوبر 2018
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 15: Mario Mandzukic of Croatia scores an own goal from Antoine Griezmann of France's free-kick for France's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
A TV camera man films during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
09 أكتوبر 2018
SOCHI, RUSSIA - JUNE 26: A TV camera man films prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group C match between Australia and Peru at Fisht Stadium on June 26, 2018 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Gareth Southgate, head coach of team England, during the FIFA Football Conference
23 سبتمبر 2018
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Gareth Southgate, head coach of team England attends a podium discussion during the FIFA Football Conference at JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on September 23, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the school climate and the personality traits of the school principals according to teachers’ perceptions. This research has been designed as a correlational study; the criterion sampling is used for schools and the convenience sampling is used for 171 teachers in total. The School Climate Scale (SCS) and the Adjective Based Personality Scale (ABPS) were used as data collection tools in the study. According to the results of the study, there is a significant correlation between the school climate and personality traits. Results of the study indicate that neurotic personality trait predicts the supportive school climate in a negative way, and “openness to experience” personality trait predicts the directive school climate in a positive way. In this context, it is recommended that the personality traits should be taken into serious consideration as an important component of the process of improving schools.
By submitting a manuscript to BUJE, an author or all authors accept(s) following items:
- The manuscript I have submitted to BUJE for review is original and, it is not concurrently being considered for publication by any other journal(s).
- The manuscript has been written by the stated author(s) and has not been published in any format elsewhere.
- The manuscript does not violate or infringe the copyright, or other rights of any person or entity.
- The author(s) agrees to grant the following rights to BUJE:
- the right to edit and process the manuscript,
- the right to publish the manuscript in digital form on the Web and in print. | http://buje.baskent.edu.tr/index.php/buje/article/view/156 |
SMU embraces excellence, integrity, intellectual freedom, open dialogue, diversity and inclusion.
Excellence: We cultivate an enduring spirit of inquiry, innovation and creativity, fostering impactful research, inspired teaching and life-long learning.
Integrity: We value truth and conduct ourselves with honesty and strong moral and ethical principles.
Intellectual freedom: We embrace freedom of ideas and expression.
Open dialogue: We welcome opportunities to exchange diverse perspectives and pledge ourselves to civil discourse.
Diversity and Inclusion: We are all strengthened by different perspectives based on our varied identities and life experiences, and embrace the worth and dignity of all people. SMU students say it well: Every Mustang is valued. | https://www.smu.edu/AboutSMU/Core-Values |
After close consultation with its event partners, speakers and exhibitors on the growing pandemic situation, Fluency Marketing has made the decision to postpone its two-day conference, MedicalAM which was due to take place in February. The event will now take place on 12th and 13th April 2022.
MedicalAM is taking place at the Edgbaston Park Conference Centre in Birmingham, UK, and will give participants the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, advancements and projects all taking advantage of advanced materials within the Medical and Healthcare sectors.
From orthodontic and orthopaedic to cardiovascular and dental procedures, advanced materials have been used in the innovation, design and manufacturing of medical devices and applications throughout the world for decades. | https://www.compositesportal.com/news/medicalam-the-advantages-of-advanced-materials-for-health-11945.html |
Archaeologists use laser mapping to locate and reveal the ancient lost metropolis of Mahendraparvata in Cambodia.
The city, which was linked to Cambodia's famous Angkor temples complex, was uncovered using airborne lasers which penetrated thick vegetation to provide evidence of roads, canals and buildings.
"What we have now with this instrument is just 'bang' - all of a sudden, an immediate picture of an entire city that people didn't know was there before, which is remarkable," University of Sydney archaeologist Damian Evans, the study's lead author, told Australia's The Age in a video interview from Cambodia.
"So instead of this kind of very long gradual process, you have this kind of sudden eureka moment where you bring the data up on screen the first time and there it is - this ancient city very clearly in front of you."
"We had reasonable expectations, I guess, of what we would find using the lidar data, but what we've ended up with has just blown our minds," Mr Evans told The Age.
"It's just absolutely incredible what we can see."
Even the archaeologists' local guide had no idea of the existence of many of the temple complexes discovered using the data.
"The network doesn't stop at the edge of the survey area," he said, adding that money is being raised for further research.
"Maybe what we are seeing was not the central part of the city, so there is a lot of work to be done to discover the extent of this civilisation."
Has Lost City Of Gold Been Uncovered? | https://news.sky.com/story/cambodia-lost-ancient-city-found-in-jungle-10442659 |
Evolution is a process of gradual change that takes place over many generations, during which species of animals, plants, or insects slowly change some of their physical characteristics.
...the evolution of plants and animals. [+ of]
...the theory of evolution by natural selection.
...human evolution.
Sinônimos:rise, development, adaptation, natural selection Mais sinônimos de evolution
2. substantivo variável
Evolution is a process of gradual development in a particular situation or thing over a period of time.[formal]
...a crucial period in the evolution of modern physics. [+ of]
...an accurate account of his country's evolution.
His long life comprised a series of evolutions.
Sinônimos:development, growth, advance, progress Mais sinônimos de evolution
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Veja o conteúdo relacionado
substantivo
1.
3.
a.
a movement that is part of a series or pattern
b.
a pattern produced, or seemingly produced, by such a series of movements
the evolutions of a fancy skater
5. Biology
a.
b. see also Lamarckism, mutation
6. Ancient Mathematics
the extracting of a root of a given numbersee also involution
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Formas derivadas
adjectivo
evolutionally (ˌevoˈlutionally)
advérbio
evolutionary (ˌevoˈlutionˌary)
adjectivo
Origem da palavra evolution
substantivo
1. biology
a gradual change in the characteristics of a population of animals or plants over successive generations: accounts for the origin of existing species from ancestors unlike themSee also natural selection
2.
a gradual development, esp to a more complex form
the evolution of modern art
5.
an algebraic operation in which the root of a number, expression, etc, is extractedCompare involution (sense 6)
6. military
an exercise carried out in accordance with a set procedure or plan
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Formas derivadas
adjectivo
Origem da palavra evolution
Exemplos de frases que contêm evolution
Esses exemplos foram selecionados automaticamente e podem conter conteúdo sensível. Leia mais…
Sinônimos de evolution
rise, development, adaptation, natural selection
Listas de Palavras
Tendências de evolution
Palavra bastante usada evolution é uma das 4000 palavras mais frequentemente usadas no dicionário Collins
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Traduções de evolution
Inglês Britânico: evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃən/ NOUN
Evolution is a process in which animals and plants slowly change over many years.
...the evolution of plants and animals.
- Inglês Americano: evolution
- Árabe: نُشُوء
- Português Brasileiro: evolução
- Chinês: 演变
- Croata: evolucija
- Tcheco: evoluce
- Dinamarquês: evolution
- Holandês: evolutie
- Espanhol Europeu: evolución
- Finlandês: evoluutio
- Francês: évolution
- Alemão: Evolution
- Grego: εξέλιξη
- Italiano: evoluzione
- Japonês: 発展
- Coreano: 진화
- Norueguês: utvikling
- Polonês: ewolucja
- Português Europeu: evolução
- Romeno: evoluție
- Russo: эволюция
- Espanhol: evolución
- Sueco: evolution
- Tailandês: วิวัฒนาการ
- Turco: evrim
- Ucraniano: еволюція
- Vietnamita: sự tiến hóa
Palavras próximas de evolution
Termos relacionados com evolution
Fonte
Definição de evolution do Collins Dicionário Inglês
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-277914 filed on Dec. 7, 2009, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a physical quantity sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6
A conventional magnetic sensor is described as an example of a physical quantity sensor. is a circuit diagram illustrating the conventional magnetic sensor.
1
2
1
1
2
2
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93
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98
First, a signal S is controlled to a high level and a signal S is controlled to a low level. A signal SX is an inverted signal of the signal S. A signal SX is an inverted signal of the signal S. When a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor are turned on, a bias current flows through a magnetic detection element between the transistors. As a result, a voltage Va which is a sum of a Hall voltage Vh based on the bias current and a magnetic field applied to the magnetic detection element and an offset voltage Voh of the magnetic detection element is generated between a first terminal and a fourth terminal of the magnetic detection element . The voltage Va is expressed by the following Expression (11).
Va=+Vh+Voh
(11)
94
95
99
In this case, switches and are in an on state, and hence the voltage Va is input to an amplifier .
1
1
2
2
98
98
Next, the signal S is controlled to a low level. The signal SX is controlled to a high level. The signal S is controlled to a high level. The signal SX is controlled to a low level. Then, switching is performed so that a bias current flowing between a second terminal and a third terminal of the magnetic detection element flows between the fourth terminal and the first terminal. In addition, switching is performed so that the Hall voltage Vh generated between the fourth terminal and the first terminal of the magnetic detection element is generated between the third terminal and the second terminal. At this time, a voltage Vb is expressed by the following Expression (12).
Vb=−Vh+Voh
(12)
96
97
99
In this case, switches and are in an on state, and hence the voltage Vb is input to the amplifier .
99
After that, the voltages Va and Vb which are amplified by the amplifier are subjected to subtraction processing performed by an operating circuit (not shown) to cancel out the offset voltage Voh (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-002851).
91
92
90
93
When the voltage Va is generated in the magnetic sensor as described above, leakage currents flow through the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor which are each in an off state. When the voltage Vb is generated, leakage currents flow through the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor which are each in an off state.
90
91
92
93
Even when the PMOS transistors and are manufactured in the same size and the NMOS transistors and are manufactured in the same size, the leakage currents vary because of semiconductor manufacturing variations. As a result, the offset voltages Voh cannot be cancelled out appropriately, and hence the magnetic detection precision of the magnetic sensor reduces.
The prevent invention has been made in view of the problem described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a physical quantity sensor capable of improving physical quantity detection precision thereof.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a physical quantity sensor, including: a current supply circuit including first to fourth switches, for supplying a bias current to a physical quantity detection element; the physical quantity detection element which is of a bridge type and includes first to fourth terminals, for generating a voltage based on the bias current supplied from the current supply circuit and a physical quantity; and a leakage current control circuit for causing leakage currents flowing through two of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch which are in an off sate in the current supply circuit to flow into one of a power supply terminal and a ground terminal.
According to the present invention, even when the leakage currents flow through the switches of the current supply circuit which are in the off state, the leakage currents in the off state are less likely to flow into the physical quantity detection element because the leakage current control circuit is provided with respect to the current supply circuit. Therefore, the leakage currents in the off state are less likely to affect the voltage based on the physical quantity applied to the physical quantity detection element. Thus, the physical quantity detection precision of the physical quantity sensor is improved.
Hereinafter, a magnetic sensor which is an example of a physical quantity sensor according to the present invention is described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1
is a circuit diagram illustrating a magnetic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11
16
21
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31
32
36
39
41
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47
11
25
14
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26
14
13
21
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12
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11
16
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25
The magnetic sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention includes PMOS transistors to , NMOS transistors to , a magnetic detection element , an amplifier , switches to , switches to , and capacitors and . A set of the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor and a set of the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor each serve as a current supply circuit. The PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor serve as a leakage current control circuit for the PMOS transistor . The PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor serve as a leakage current control circuit for the NMOS transistor . The PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor serve as a leakage current control circuit for the PMOS transistor . The PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor serve as a leakage current control circuit for the NMOS transistor .
FIG. 2
32
71
72
73
74
is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of the amplifier of the magnetic sensor according to this embodiment. The amplifier includes, for example, first-stage amplifiers and , a chopper circuit , a second-stage amplifier .
11
13
1
1
14
16
2
2
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2
2
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1
1
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41
1
1
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2
2
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3
Gate voltages of the PMOS transistors to are controlled based on a signal S or a signal SX. Gate voltages of the PMOS transistors to are controlled based on a signal S or a signal SX. Gate voltages of the NMOS transistors to are controlled based on the signal S or the signal SX. Gate voltages of the NMOS transistors to are controlled based on the signal S or the signal SX. The switches , , and are controlled based on the signal S or the signal SX. The switches , , and are controlled based on the signal S or the signal SX. The switches and are controlled based on a signal S.
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21
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24
31
22
25
A source of the PMOS transistor is connected to a power supply terminal and a drain thereof is connected to a connection point between a source of the NMOS transistor and a drain of the NMOS transistor . A source of the PMOS transistor is connected to a power supply terminal and a drain thereof is connected to a connection point between a source of the NMOS transistor and a drain of the NMOS transistor . A drain of the NMOS transistor is connected to a first terminal of the magnetic detection element . A drain of the NMOS transistor is connected to a second terminal of the magnetic detection element . A source of the NMOS transistor and a source of the NMOS transistor are each connected to a ground terminal.
23
11
12
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12
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11
14
A source of the NMOS transistor is connected to a ground terminal and a drain thereof is connected to a connection point between a drain of the PMOS transistor and a source of the PMOS transistor . A source of the NMOS transistor is connected to a ground terminal and a drain thereof is connected to a connection point between a drain of the PMOS transistor and a source of the PMOS transistor . A drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to a third terminal of the magnetic detection element . A drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to a fourth terminal of the magnetic detection element . A source of the PMOS transistor and a source of the PMOS transistor are each connected to a power supply terminal.
32
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A non-inverting input terminal of the amplifier is connected to the third terminal of the magnetic detection element through the switch and the fourth terminal of the magnetic detection element through the switch . An inverting input terminal of the amplifier is connected to the first terminal of the magnetic detection element through the switch and the second terminal of the magnetic detection element through the switch .
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The switches and are connected in series between an output terminal of the amplifier and an output terminal of the magnetic sensor. The switches and are connected in series between the output terminal of the amplifier and the output terminal of the magnetic sensor. The set of switches and and the set of and are connected in parallel. The capacitor is provided between a connection point between the switches and and the ground terminal. The capacitor is provided between a connection point between the switches and and the ground terminal.
FIG. 2
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As illustrated in , in the amplifier , an output voltage of a first amplification stage including the first-stage amplifiers and is input to a second amplification stage including the second-stage amplifier through the chopper circuit .
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Each of the current supply circuits supplies a bias current to the magnetic detection element . The magnetic detection element is of a bridge type and generates a Hall voltage Vh based on the bias current and a magnetic field. The leakage current control circuits cause the leakage currents flowing through the MOS transistors which are in the off state in each of the current supply circuits to flow into the power supply terminal or the ground terminal.
FIG. 3
Next, an operation of the magnetic sensor is described. is a time chart illustrating the operation of the magnetic sensor according to this embodiment.
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First, during a period of t<t<t, the signal S is controlled to a high level, the signal S is controlled to a low level, and the signal S is controlled to a low level. The signal SX is an inverted signal of the signal S. The signal SX is an inverted signal of the signal S. Therefore, the PMOS transistors and and the NMOS transistors and are each in an on state, and hence a bias current flows through the magnetic detection element between the transistors. Then, a voltage V which is a sum of a Hall voltage Vh based on the bias current and a magnetic field applied to the magnetic detection element and an offset voltage Voh of the magnetic detection element is generated between the fourth terminal and the first terminal of the magnetic detection element . The voltage V is expressed by the following Expression (1).
V
=+Vh+Voh
0 (1)
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1
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1
The switches and are in an on state, and hence the voltage V is input to the amplifier . The voltage V and an offset voltage Voa of the first amplification stage including the first-stage amplifiers and are amplified by the first amplification stage having a gain G to generate a voltage V. The voltage V is expressed by the following Expression (2).
V
=G
Vh+Voh+Voa
11·(+1) (2)
73
1
2
2
The chopper circuit does not change a path, and hence the voltage V directly becomes a voltage V without any change. The voltage V is expressed by the following Expression (3).
V
=G
Vh+Voh+Voa
21·(+1) (3)
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74
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3
3
The voltage V is input to the second amplification stage including the second-stage amplifier . The voltage V and an offset voltage Voa of the second amplification stage including the second-stage amplifier are amplified by the second amplification stage having a gain G to generate a voltage V. The voltage V is expressed by the following Expression (4).
V
=G
·G
Vh+Voh+Voa
G
·Voa
312(+1)+22 (4)
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3
46
The switch is in an on state, and hence the voltage V is stored in the capacitor .
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The PMOS transistor of the current supply circuit is in an off state, but a leakage current flows therethrough. However, the NMOS transistor of the leakage current control circuit is in an on state, and hence the leakage current of the PMOS transistor flows into the ground terminal through the NMOS transistor . In addition, a source voltage of the PMOS transistor becomes a ground voltage VSS, and hence a threshold voltage increases because of a substrate bias effect. Therefore, the leakage current is less likely to flow. That is, the leakage current of the PMOS transistor is less likely to flow into the fourth terminal of the magnetic detection element .
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Similarly, a leakage current flows through the NMOS transistor of the current supply circuit, but is less likely to flow because of the PMOS transistor and the NMOS transistor . That is, the leakage current of the NMOS transistor is less likely to flow from the first terminal of the magnetic detection element .
0
Therefore, the leakage currents do not substantially affect the voltage V of Expression (1) because of the leakage current control circuits, and thus do not substantially affect an output voltage VOUT.
1
2
1
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0
1
Next, during a period of t<t<t, the signal S is controlled to a low level, the signal S is controlled to a high level, and the signal S is controlled to a low level. Then, switching is performed so that the bias current flowing between the third terminal and the second terminal of the magnetic detection element flows between the fourth terminal and the first terminal. In addition, switching is performed so that the Hall voltage Vh generated between the fourth terminal and the first terminal of the magnetic detection element is generated between the third terminal and the second terminal. Therefore, the voltages V and V are expressed by the following Expressions (5) and (6).
V
=−Vh+Voh
0 (5)
V
=G
Vh+Voh+Voa
11·(−1) (6)
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1
2
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2
3
The chopper circuit changes the path. Specifically, the voltage V is chopped into the voltage V by the chopper circuit . Therefore, the voltages V and V are expressed by the following Expressions (7) and (8).
V
=G
Vh−Voh−Voa
21·(+1) (7)
V
=G
·G
Vh−Voh−Voa
G
312(+1)+2·Voa2 (8)
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47
3
The capacitor is changed to the capacitor to store the voltage V.
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As in the case described above, a leakage current of the PMOS transistor is less likely to flow because of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor . In addition, a leakage current of the NMOS transistor is less likely to flow because of the NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor .
0
Therefore, the leakage currents do not substantially affect the voltage V of Expression (5) because of the leakage current control circuits, and thus do not substantially affect an output voltage VOUT.
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3
1
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Next, during a period of t<t<t, the signal S is controlled to a low level, the signal S is controlled to a low level, and the signal S is controlled to a high level. The switches and are in an on state, and hence the capacitors and are connected in parallel and the respective voltages stored in the capacitors and are averaged to be output as output voltage VOUT. The output voltage VOUT is expressed by the following Expression (9).
V
V
V
=G
·G
·Vh+G
Voa
OUT={3(Expression(4))+3(Expression(8))}/2122·2 (9)
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14
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2
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1
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31
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1
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If the leakage current control circuits are not provided with respect to the current supply circuits, even when the PMOS transistors and are manufactured in the same size, the leakage current in the off state of the PMOS transistor during the period of t<t<t and the leakage current in the off state of the PMOS transistor during the period of t<t<t are different from each other because of semiconductor manufacturing variations. As a result, the degree of influence of the leakage current on the voltage V in the off state is changed between the period of t<t<t and the period of t<t<t. In other words, the offset voltage Voh of the magnetic detection element is changed in appearance between the period of t<t<t and the period of t<t<t. Therefore, in Expression (9), a voltage based on the offset voltage Voh of the magnetic detection element affects the output voltage VOUT. The same may apply to the NMOS transistors and .
31
0
1
1
2
However, according to the present invention, the leakage current control circuits are provided with respect to the current supply circuits, and the offset voltage Voh of the magnetic detection element is substantially the same between the period of t<t<t and the period of t<t<t.
31
31
Therefore, even when the leakage current flows through the MOS transistor which is in the off state in the current supply circuit, the leakage current in the off state is less likely to flow into the magnetic detection element because the leakage current control circuit is provided with respect to the current supply circuit. Then, the leakage current in the off state is less likely to affect the voltage based on the magnetic field applied to the magnetic detection element . Thus, the magnetic detection precision of the magnetic sensor is improved.
When a temperature increases, the leakage current in the off state becomes larger correspondingly to the increase in temperature. Therefore, in a case of particularly a high temperature, the magnetic sensor according to the present invention exhibits a remarkable effect.
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FIG. 4
Even in the case where the leakage current control circuits are not provided with respect to the current supply circuits, when the leakage currents in the off state of the PMOS transistors and do not substantially affect the output voltage VOUT, the PMOS transistors and and the NMOS transistors and may be omitted as illustrated in .
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FIG. 5
Even in the case where the leakage current control circuits are not provided with respect to for the current supply circuits, when the leakage currents in the off state of the NMOS transistors and do not substantially affect the output voltage VOUT, the NMOS transistors and and the PMOS transistors and may be omitted as illustrated in .
31
A comparator (not shown) which includes a first input terminal connected to the output terminal of the magnetic sensor and a second input terminal connected to an output terminal of a reference voltage generation circuit (not shown) may be provided. The comparator compares the output voltage VOUT of the magnetic sensor with a reference voltage, and inverts an output voltage based on a result obtained by the comparison. In other words, when the voltage based on the magnetic field applied to the magnetic detection element reaches to a predetermined voltage, the comparator inverts the output voltage.
FIG. 1
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In , the NMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal S is provided as the MOS transistor for causing the leakage current in the off state to flow into the ground terminal. However, although not illustrated, a PMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal SX may be provided. The NMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal S is provided, but a PMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal SX may be provided. The PMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal S is provided, but an NMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal SX may be provided. The PMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal S is provided, but an NMOS transistor controlled in response to the signal SX may be provided.
The magnetic sensor is described as the example of the physical quantity sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to the magnetic sensor, and may be applied to a physical quantity sensor including four terminals, in which a bias current is caused to flow through two of the terminals to generate a voltage between the other two of the terminals based on the bias current and a physical quantity. For example, the present invention may be applied to a physical quantity sensor in which a resistance value of a piezoresistance element of bridge resistors is changed depending on an acceleration or a pressure to generate a voltage based on the resistance value and a bias current.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1
is a circuit diagram illustrating a magnetic sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of an amplifier of the magnetic sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a time chart illustrating an operation of the magnetic sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4
is a circuit diagram illustrating another example of the magnetic sensor;
FIG. 5
is a circuit diagram illustrating a further example of the magnetic sensor; and
FIG. 6
is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional magnetic sensor. | |
---
abstract: 'With the rapid development of robot and other intelligent and autonomous agents, how a human could be influenced by a robot’s expressed mood when making decisions becomes a crucial question in human-robot interaction. In this pilot study, we investigate (1) in what way a robot can express a certain mood to influence a human’s decision making behavioral model; (2) how and to what extent the human will be influenced in a game theoretic setting. More specifically, we create an NLP model to generate sentences that adhere to a specific affective expression profile. We use these sentences for a humanoid robot as it plays a Stackelberg security game against a human. We investigate the behavioral model of the human player.'
author:
- |
Aaron M. Roth[^1], Umang Bhatt, Tamara Amin, Afsaneh Doryab, Fei Fang, Manuela Veloso\
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA\
{aaronr1, usb, tta, adoryab, feif}@andrew.cmu.edu, [email protected]
bibliography:
- 'ijcai18.bib'
title: |
The Impact of Humanoid Affect Expression on\
Human Behavior in a Game-Theoretic Setting[^2]
---
Introduction
============
In the future, robots will be ever-present in our daily lives. We will live with them, work with them, and engage in all kinds of collaborative and potentially competitive interactions with them. Examples of robot sharing workspace with human can already be found today in the realms of elderly care, rehabilitation and healthcare, education, personal companions, and social robots. In order to ensure that robot interact with human in an intended way, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of how a robot affects humans behavior, especially in their decision making process.
Humans evolved to read cues in emotions and moods. The expressions of those in one’s surroundings can affect one’s own levels of rationality, risk-taking, and decision-making. To what degree does this hold true for a robot companion as well? After all, a humanoid (or even non-humanoid) machine can act in a manner that humans can perceive as having an “emotion” or personality. Social robots, in particular, can take advantage of uniquely human modes of interaction.
In this work, we seek to understand how a robot’s affect expression can influence a human’s decision making. Thus motivated, we consider a competitive setting where a human will play a Stackelberg security game against a robot.
We aim to answer two research questions. First, in what way can a robot express a certain mood that can influence a human’s decision making behavioral model? To answer this question, we create an NLP model to generate sentences that adhere to a specific affective expression profile in the setting of playing a competitive game. We equip a humanoid robot with verbal feedback system including these sentences.
Second, how does the observed affect expressed by a humanoid opponent impact a human being’s rationality and strategy in a game theoretic setting? In behavioral game theory, an influential model of human’s behavior is the quantal response model [@qre], and the parameter in the model can be interpreted as the level of rationality of human. We run human subject experiments in a pilot study where we ask the human participants to play a Stackelberg security game [@yang2011improving] multiple times against the affect-expressive humanoid robot. We use Maximum Likelihood Estimation to find the best value of the parameter that fits the data collected from human actions in the game plays, and thus evaluate how the human behavior is impacted.
Related Work {#sec:rw}
============
Affective Expression in Humans and Robots
-----------------------------------------
Emotions are an important aspect of human interaction. Human beings interpret emotion through nonverbal and verbal cues. In [@frijda2005emotion], Fridja argues that experiencing emotions are, in fact, the primary purpose of social interactions. Notably, it is well documented that the observation of another person’s mood can have specific effects on behavior and can influence the observer’s mood following the interaction [@wild2001emotions].
Affect is a general term relating to emotions, moods, feelings and other such states. Affective states vary in their degree of *activation* and *valence* (whether they are positive and negative)[@22]. In the psychological and cognitive science literature this is often represented via axes in a continuous multi-dimensional space [@44]. Emotion is classified by short term, intense affective states and mood is classified by long term, diffuse states. Emotions are evaluative responses in specific events or to stimuli of importance. Modeling emotion in a robot generally requires the interruption of an interaction, whereas modeling a mood allows for the interaction to persist with only slight differences in the execution of the interaction. For these reasons most studies, including our own, focus on mood and not emotion.
People exchange verbal messages which contain information conveying their mental and emotional states. This includes the use of emotionally colored words and swear words. Given the importance of affect in language, there has been a fairly substantial amount of research in affective statistical language modeling[@wagner2014gesture]. This includes the development of affective NLG for generating medical texts [@mahamood2011generating], and rule based emotive text generation based on sentence patterns [@keshtkar2011pattern]. Notably, there has emerged work in the extension of the LSTM (Long Short Term Model) language model for generating affective text [@ghosh2017affect].
Research has shown that human beings are capable of perceiving robotic *affect* under some circumstances. Different forms of affective expression have been modeled with humanoid robots. Bodily expression has been used for ROMAN [@55], NAO [@55; @56; @57], KOBIAN [@54; @70], and Max [@99]. These studies demonstrated that people are generally capable of recognizing affective states. Work has also been done to develop a parameterized behavior model in which behavior parameters controlled the spatial and temporal extent of a behavior for mood expression. This includes models that enable the continuous display of mood in an interactive game [@xu2014robot]. Work of this nature with robots is less developed than similar work with software agents, but it is becoming more common. However, research focusing on the effect of affective language models in conjunction with human - social robot interaction has been limited (discussed below).
It has been shown that affective expression can have positive effects on humans during an interaction. For example, studies with the robot Vikia have demonstrated the effectiveness of an emotionally expressive graphical face for encouraging interactions with a robot[@bruce2002role]. Other effects include the way of interacting with a robot with emotive facial expressions [@42], the effectiveness of assistive tasks such as learning and motivation given vocal emotion expression[@46], user behavior during support tasks [@47], and user mood. Of particularly interest to us are studies in the format of interactive games and competitions.
Mood contagion is a well researched automatic mechanism whereby the observation of another person’s emotional expression induces a congruent mood state in the observer. Prior research has also identified that body language of a robot is contagious in an imitation game setting [@xu2014robot].
Several studies also reported effects of affective virtual agents user task performance. Experiments with GRETA showed that consistent emotion expression resulted in better performance of recall [@x106]. Emotion expression was reported to have effects on users’ affective states and behaviors. As of yet there are has been little research on the impact of observed robotic affect on user performance
The majority of studies so far utilizing games have focused on learning games such (e.g. memory and imitation). Currently, mood contagion is an area that is receiving a great deal of interest, and although there still exists research on performance, it focuses on outcomes and is largely based on virtual agents. To date, there have been **no studies**, that we know of, which explore the influence of robotic affect on a player’s strategy, risk-taking, or rationality.
Quantal Response
----------------
Quantal Response is a technique for extracting human rationality [@qre]. We want to understand the error in an individual’s response and understand the probability distribution of the possible responses. If there are multiple actions in a situation, and the utility of a given action $i$ is $U_i$, then the best quantal response $q_i$ is calculated as follows, where $\lambda$ is used to indicate the deviation from optimality: $$\label{eqn:qr0}
q_i = \frac{e^{\lambda U_i}}{\sum_{j=1}^{n} e^{\lambda U_j}}$$ We extend the work of [@yang2011improving] wherein the best response quantal response is used to figure out how rational a player is in a Stackelberg Security game. We hold the defending strategy constant but aim to model the $\lambda$ of each human player of our game. In this formulation, $U_i$ in equation \[eqn:qr0\] represents the utility of selecting the $i^{th}$ gate in a given round. Using maximum likelihood estimation, we can find the most likely value of $\lambda$ for a given player given the utilities in the given round and the gate choices of the player over the all rounds in the game. We can then compare these $\lambda$ values over different players to see which players are more rational. A $\lambda$ of 0 would indicate ‘irrational’ behavior (selecting actions in a uniform random manner), whilst a higher $\lambda$ would indicate a higher human rationality (selecting more ‘optimal’ actions).
Our Approach
============
We run human-subject experiments. Participants will be presented with and play the game shown in figure \[gate-pic\]. We based this on the gate game found in [@yang2011improving]. [^3] A series of “gates” is presented which the human can “attack.” First, they play against a computer opponent. (This serves as a baseline.) Then, they will play “against” a humanoid robot (a Softbank Pepper robot). When they play against the humanoid, the robot will act in either an encouraging or discouraging manner. This will be achieved by word and sentence usage generated by an NLP model we have created. We record the gate information with which they are presented and their choices, and from this we can calculate their quantal response.
![The gate game.[]{data-label="gate-pic"}](images/game-bad){width="\columnwidth"}
Methods
-------
### N-gram Sentence Predictor for Affective Phrases
The probability of a sequence of words is found using the Chain Rule of Probability $$\label{eqn:chain-rule}
P(w_1^n) = P(w_1) P(w_2| w_1) P(w_3| w_1^2)...P(w_n|w_1^{n-1})$$ $$\label{eqn:chain-rule-product}
P(w_1^n)= \displaystyle\prod_{k=1}^{n}P(w_k|w_1^{k-1})$$
We will utilize the Markov assumption which estimates that the probability of some future event depends only on a limited history of preceding events. Based on this assumption we developed an N-gram Model which approximates the probability of a word by looking N-1 words into the past. $$\label{eqn:n-gram}
P(w_n|w_1^{n-1}) \approx P(w_n| w_{n-N+1}^{n-1})$$ The probability of a word is estimated using Maximum Likelihood Estimate by normalizing n-gram counts to obtain relative frequency. $$\label{eqn:ngram-rel-freq}
P(w_n| w_{n-N+1}^{n-1}) = \frac{C(w_{n-N+1}^{n-1} w_n)}{C(w_{n-N+1}^{n-1})}$$ To account for unseen events we utilize Laplacian (add-one) smoothening $$\label{eqn:ngram-rel-freq}
P(w_n| w_{n-N+1}^{n-1}) = \frac{C(w_{n-N+1}^{n-1} w_n)+ \alpha}{ C(w_{n-N+1}^{n-1})+ \alpha{D}}$$ where $\alpha$=1 and $D$ is the length of the vocabulary dictionary.
**Bidirectional Predictor:** To develop a fill-in-the-blank model we created Trigram (N=3) and Bigram (N=2) models that operated in both the forward and backward direction(total of four models). The forward models are called to predict the blank based on the words preceding it and the reverse models are called to the predict the blank based on the word following it.
**Corpora:** For the training process the following corpora were used from the python nltk set of corpora: brown, gutenberg, inaugural, state of the union, and genesis (English text). These texts were tokenized into sentences, made case not-sensitive and eliminated of punctuation. For the reverse model, the corpora (and the words following the blank) are reversed prior to modeling and prediction.
**Hierarchy:** If there were no examples of a particular trigram,$(w_{n-2}, w_{n-1}, w_n)$, to compute $P(w_n|w_{n-2}, w_{n-1})$, we can estimate its probability by using the bigram probability $P(w_n|w_{n-1} )$.
**Filtering:** Once the probabilities for predicted words are obtained for each model, the results are filtered to eliminate stop words and numerals.
**Affect Weighting:** To create emotive phrases we utilized the AFINN Affect Dictionary which provides a list of English words that are rated based on emotional ‘valence’ (assigned values from -5 to +5) [@nielsen2011new]. For our procedure, each phrase fed to the model yields two sets of predictions - corresponding to positive emotion assignment and negative emotion assignment. The desired affective state is codified by a binary assignment ($0 = negative$, $1 = positive$). Word predictions are filtered using the AFINN data such that only words with the desired emotional valence are included. An Affect Score for each prediction is then calculated based on the strength of the assigned emotional valence. This is calculated as a fraction ranging from ${|\frac{1}{5}|}$ to ${|\frac{5}{5}|}$.
**Finite Mixture Model:** To combine the probability estimators, we constructed a linear combination of the multiple probability estimates and weighted each contribution so that the result is another probability function. We weighted each contribution equally ($\lambda{=0.2}$ and included a contribution $A$ corresponding to the Affect Factor discussed above). $$\label{eqn:chain-rule-product}
\begin{aligned}
P(w_n|w_{n-2}w_{n-1}) = & \lambda{P_f(w_n|w_{n-2}, w_{n-1})} \\
&+ \lambda{P_r(w_n|w_{n-2}, w_{n-1})} \\
&+ \lambda{P_f(w_n|w_{n-1})}\\
&+ \lambda{P_r(w_n|w_{n-1})} + \lambda{A}
\end{aligned}$$ where the subscript $r$ corresponds to the reverse direction and the subscript $f$ corresponds to the forward direction.
**Final Manual Filtering:** Our algorithm presents the two highest scoring words to the end user. As a final step, we manually eliminated any words that were grammatically incorrect, illogical in the sentence context or inappropriate. Following this, if the remaining highest score was shared by numerous words, we manually selected one based on preference or words previously unseen. Words with the second highest score were selected if none of the highest scoring words survived filtering.
### General Quantal Response
As shown in figure \[gate-pic\], the human can choose from among eight gates to attack. They attack one gate out of the eight. The reward and penalties for each gate are shown to the user. If they attack a gate and it is defended, they incur a penalty, and if they attack a gate and it is not defended, then they receive the reward. The human will have their own probably imperfect strategy, but we can calculate the mathematical expected utility $G_j$ for a given gate $j$ as follows:
$$G_j = (1 - p_j) R_j + p_j P_j$$
where $p_j$ is probability of a guard at gate $j$, $R_j$ is the attacker’s reward at gate $j$, and $P_j$ is the attacker’s penalty at gate $j$. We can expand the work from [@yang2011improving]. We calculate the log likelihood of the quantal response for a given gate $i$ in round ($r$) for a given player as follows. $$\log(q_{ri}) = \lambda G_{ri} - \log(\sum_{j=1}^{N}{\exp(\lambda G_{rj})})
\label{mle}$$ We sum over all possible gates that the player could have chosen in the round $r$. Our goal is to learn the $\lambda$ of the player to better understand that player’s rationality. The higher the $\lambda$, the more rational the player. We posit that rationality (that is, a player’s $\lambda$ value) will differ depending on what affect the humanoid exhibits. We want to find the maximum likelihood estimate of $\lambda$; we can do this by using a Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) to set up maximizing equation \[mle\] as an objective with the constraint that $\lambda$ is nonnegative.
### Emotion-Parameterized Quantal Response
Extending the work of [@TambeHumanAI], we propose a novel approach to Subjective Utility Quantal Response, which we hereafter call Emotion-Parameterized Quantal Response (EPQR). We show that we can create a input vector $X$ which would capture the reward, penalty, and the emotional affect. In our case, $X$ can be formalized as follows: $X_j = [R_j, P_j, E_j]$ where $E_j$ is 0 when the humanoid is in the negative affect class and 1 if in the positive affect class and where $R_j$ and $P_j$ are the reward and penalty of the $j^{th}$ gate in the given round. We can also explicit encode for both emotions by tacking on an additional $4^{th}$ term to $X_j$. This latter technique has the added benefit of learning parameter weights for both emotions independently. If we had not made the assumption that the two chosen affect classes are complements (positive and negative verbiage), we would prefer to learn an explicit weight for every emotion, as a human can vary in their sensitivity to different emotions. We can formalize the log likelihood of EPQR for a given round as follows, where the vector $w$ captures the weights of the elements in $X$ over all rounds.
$$\log(eq_{ri}) = w^{T} x_{ri} - \log(\sum_{j=1}^{N}{\exp(w^{T} x_{rj}})$$
$$w^{T} x = w_1 x_1 + w_2 x_2 + w_3 x_3$$
Experimental Design
-------------------
This section describes the procedure for running an experiment for a test subject.
### Consent
This consent form explains the purpose of the study, and gives a summary of what the participant can expect to experience. There are no risks aside from breach of confidentiality. They are informed that video and audio recordings may be made. We do not tell participants that we are measuring their mood, analyzing their game strategy, or learning about their reaction to the robot.
### Pre-Game Survey
We administered a written survey before they saw the gate game or the robot. It measured their starting emotional state.
### Practice Rounds
The participant was given the iPad and played practice rounds of the game “against the computer.” In this manner they learned how to play before encountering the robot. We can also measure their “baseline” quantal response unaffected by an opponent’s emotions as the control data.
### Repeated Games Against the Robot
The participant would then be led into the room where the robot was located. They would sit across from the robot with an Ipad between them. A video camera would be fixed upon them. The researchers would be hidden from view by a screen, so that the participant and the robot had some privacy, and the presence of the researchers would not affect the participant.[^4] The participant would play a series of rounds of the game “against” the robot. During play, the robot would comment on the game and on the participant. The robot would exhibit one of two opposing affects–either the positive (encouraging) affect or the negative (discouraging) affect. The only practical difference was in the particular word choice used by the robot when it spoke to the participant. Although the robot would describe the game as if it had some understanding of what was going on, in reality the participants’ actual performance had no effect on what the robot said. Encouragement and discouragement and comments on how well or poorly the person was playing were the same or similar within a particular affect category, regardless of whether the participant was generally winning or losing.
### Post-Game Surveys and Video
After the game concludes, a researcher re-enters and gives the participant a written survey to fill out. Then, the participant is asked a series of questions verbally by the researcher, to which they respond on the video camera.[^5]
### Debriefing
In the initial stages, participants were told they would play a game against a robot but were not told the true purpose of the study or that the robot was expected to have a particular affect. Now, we explained to them that we were studying how their strategy changed depending on the emotions of the robot, and their perception of the robot thereby. We would explain why this deception (of not telling the participant about the humanoid’s affect expression) was necessary.
Empirical Results
=================
Natural Language Sentence Generation
------------------------------------
The NLP sentence generation via fill-in-the-blanks with emotion-weighted trained n-gram predictions yielded excellent results. Some sample sentences generated are shown in figure 2.
**Positive Sentences** **Negative Sentences**
------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
Honestly, this game is a successful experience. Honestly, this game is a disastrous experience.
I can tell you have a very great personality. I can tell you have a very selfish personality.
I hope that you are having a wonderful time. I hope that you are having a challenging time.
I am starting to get a sense of your expert strategy. I am starting to get a sense of your ridiculous strategy
Over the course of this game your playing has become great. Over the course of this game your playing has become confused.
The feasibility study seemed to validate that the sentences built in this manner did indeed convey the desired affect to the participant. Each participant in the feasibility study was asked to describe their perceptions of the robot in a written post-game survey. The participant who experienced the discouraging personality described the robot as “very discouraging” and even wrote that the robot “made me question myself.” In contrast, the participant who experienced the encouraging personality described the robot as “very encouraging” and wrote, “I like him.” It is gratifying to us that the very words we used to describe the opposing affects in our development of the study showed up in the participants’ answers to a free-response question. It suggests the validity of our NLP model.
Rationality Analysis
--------------------
We extract the rationality of the two subjects in our pilot study. We find the $\lambda$ value that captures their ability to play the optimal strategy against the humanoid. We can find the maximum likelihood estimate of $\lambda$ of each player. Below we plotted the cumulative $\lambda$ for two players (each shown a different affect class) over the first 8 rounds. (We calculate $\lambda$ after every round using all of the data from the past rounds and current round.)
![Cumulative rationality of two players over 8 rounds of play[]{data-label="foo"}](images/foo){width="\columnwidth"}
Contrary to what we expected, we found that the player exposed to the negative verbiage was more rational than the player who was encouraged by the humanoid. Over all thirty five rounds, we found that the player exposed to the negative affect class had a final cumulative $\lambda$ of $0.128$ while the player shown the positive affect class had a a final cumulative $\lambda$ of $6 \times 10^{-9}$. The positive player’s behavior was almost uniform random, which is the highest level of irrationality on our scale. The negative player became quite rational over time. Although no conclusions can yet be drawn, it could be the case that the humanoid’s expression of negative affect drives up human rationality. We hope to investigate this initial result with further rigorous experimentation. It is also possible that the data we have collected so far are anomalies, in which case future work would reveal different trends.
Future Work
===========
We observed size of the affect-assigned dataset, and not the size of the training corpora, that was the primary limitation to obtaining diverse final predictions. Future work could utilize the more robust LIWC (Language Inquiry and Word Count), however, this would prevent the algorithm from being fully open source. While the N-gram model is effective as a simple means of generating language, other more robust methods should be explored, such as sentence pattern recognition and the use of deep learning as outlined by Ghosh et. at.[@ghosh2017affect].
Conclusions
===========
We have developed a language model that seems to cause a humanoid robot to be perceived with the intended affective mood, for the affects of “Encouraging” and “Discouraging”. The sentences used in the two conversations are similar, since they are simply fill-in-the-blank sentence stems. The entirety of the rest of robot – voice intonation, positioning, appearance – was constant for all participants. This shows how choosing the appropriate word, when the rest of the sentence is neutral, can have a significant impact on the perception of the agent overall. The feasibility study suggests that our language model is simple yet powerful, working as well as we had desired, and suitable for our intended purposes.
After analyzing the quantal response of our two test subjects, our preliminary results show that negative affect leads to a higher $\lambda$ for a player, meaning they are comparatively more rational than a player who was shown the positive affect. This would seem to be a surprising result if it is not an anomaly (essentially, discouragement yielded better playing by the discourager’s opponent), and so indicates that this avenue of research is worth pursuing.
This study is ongoing. Eventually we will have a wealth of data on the impact on a human’s decision-making when engaged in these types of human-robot interactions in a game-theoretic situation.
We hope this research, as it continues, will inform future researchers and designers in developing social robots whose attitudes and emotional reactions and responses are conducive to productive social human-robot interactions.
Acknowledgments {#acknowledgments .unnumbered}
===============
We would like to thank the following researchers for their guidance and/or advice: Jeffery Cohn (Robotics Institute/Department of Psychology, CMU/Pitt), Louis Philippe Morency (Language Technologies Institute, CMU), and Samantha Reig (Human-Computer Interaction, CMU).
[^1]: These authors contributed equally
[^2]: This work was presented at 1st Workshop on Humanizing AI (HAI) at IJCAI’18 in Stockholm, Sweden.
[^3]: This game is in the public domain and at the time of writing, can be downloaded from <http://teamcore.usc.edu/Software.htm>
[^4]: During the feasibility study, no video camera was used. During the feasibility study, the researchers were not hidden by a screen.
[^5]: We encrypt the data with a NIST-approved encryption scheme. Participants are assigned ID numbers and data is labeled according to ID numbers rather than names.
| |
The Wisconsin Alumni Association is offering University of Wisconsin-Madison grads the opportunity to learn about volunteer management, effective communications and leadership skills at the Alumni Volunteer Leadership Conference this fall.
"Badger alumni are an incredibly strong network, and having the chance to spend time together is very special." Mariah Terhaar ’09, President, Bay Area Badgers
One way in which many alumni stay connected to the university is through their local WAA chapters. Mariah Terhaar ’09, president of the Bay Area Badgers chapter in San Francisco, says she looks forward to connecting with alumni leaders from across the country this fall.
“I attended the conference last year, and it was incredibly valuable to make connections with other chapter leaders,” Terhaar says. “To be able to absorb all this information to take back to our team in California is useful as well as energizing. And afterward, we’re always geared up with new excitement and tools to use for continuing to connect alumni in the Bay Area back to the university.”
Alumni volunteers have a long-standing tradition of walking together in the Homecoming parade, representing all the areas of the country that are populated with UW grads.
Terhaar served in AmeriCorps for two years in Washington and Alaska before moving to San Francisco. She says she immediately reached out to the local chapter in the hopes of growing a new Badger network.
“It’s in large part due to that network that the Bay Area felt like home so quickly,” she says. “It’s been a privilege to work with such great alumni who are just as passionate about UW-Madison as the day they graduated.”
Another way for alumni to give back to their alma mater is through sharing memories, as well as pride in today’s UW-Madison, with prospective students.
Jessica Gracon of the UW-Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment says the university’s alumni admissions volunteer program can have significant impact on the tough decisions families make when deciding where to attend college.
“Volunteers are excited to speak with students and parents about the positive experiences they had at UW-Madison, and how the UW made them successful in their current stage in life,” Gracon explains. “While we have facts and figures, alumni can share first-hand how they grew on campus, as well as what students can look forward to.”
Gracon hopes to show conference attendees how alumni can contribute to the well-being of the university through enrollment and admissions efforts, and provide techniques to train alumni in engaging with families.
“It’s a fun environment to be in,” Gracon says. “Whether speaking with prospective students one on one at a college fair, or presenting as part of panel, it’s a great way to get involved and engage with their alma mater, and support local students, too.”
“We remain a very competitive institution and are proud to attract very talented, well-rounded students,” she adds. “Alumni take pride in the strength of UW-Madison’s academics.”
While the focus of the conference is enhancing volunteer management, the additional emphases on leadership skills, more effective communication techniques and how to run more efficient meetings will valuable professional development lessons for anyone in the workforce. | |
What sports are declining in popularity?
playoffs, N.H.L. playoffs, Major League Baseball regular season and playoffs, United States Open tennis, United States Open golf, Kentucky Derby, Preakness and college football have all had ratings declines of at least 25 percent compared with 2019.
Why is football so big in America?
Music and games are played and it is a fun way for fans to prepare themselves for the game and to socialize with other fans. No other sport has such an important pre-game ritual involved with their sport and it is a core reason why American football is so popular. In the NFL, games are only played once a week.
Why is it called football if you don’t use your feet?
It is widely assumed that the word “football” (or “foot ball”) references the action of the foot kicking a ball. There is an alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in Medieval Europe, which were played on foot. There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation.
Is football big in America?
As of May 2015, over 24.4 million people play soccer in the United States. In 2017, Gallup reported that soccer was the third-most watched team sport in the U.S., behind only basketball and American football.
…
Major League Soccer.
|Pro soccer teams||2020|
|—|
|35|
|11|
|8|
In which countries is football most popular? | https://sidelinesportsreport.com/footballers/quick-answer-is-american-football-in-decline.html |
Community Voices is a research project carried out by Community Plan for Holloway. It builds upon previous studies that have reported on people’s aspirations for the Holloway Prison redevelopment and was based on 217 community narratives collected online and offline in 2020, with street-level interviews and group discussions that enabled people to explain their views in detail.
This research provides more up-to-date and greater in-depth information on people’s views on the Holloway Prison redevelopment.
It also provides vital information about whose voices are being heard or, conversely, whose voices have been missing, depending upon whether they were consulted by online surveys or via discussions individually and in groups, on the street and through community organisations. | https://plan4holloway.org/publications/ |
Q:
Vlookup function as Excel in Mathematica
How can we create a Vlookup function, similar to what we have in Excel? So if we have a table a and another b, we could add columns to table a, based on a common key to both, in order to create a table c.
A:
Inspired in this solution from @Mr.Wizard. That is the function that I made in order to simulate Excel vLookup:
vLookup[data1_, data2_, pk1_:1, pk2_:1,null_:Null] := Module[{index,pickList},
pickList=Complement[Range[Length[data2[[1]]]],{pk2}];
SetAttributes[index,Listable];
(index[#[[pk2]]]=#[[pickList]])&/@data2;
index[_]=ConstantArray[null,Length[pickList]];
Join[data1,index@data1[[All,pk1]],2]
]
This function worked just nice, let's do some time test. Doing:
a = RandomInteger[1000, {10000, 2}];
b1 = RandomInteger[1000, {10, 2}];
b2 = RandomInteger[1000, {100, 2}];
b3 = RandomInteger[1000, {1000, 2}];
b4 = RandomInteger[1000, {10000, 2}];
t1 = vLookup[a, b1] // AbsoluteTiming // #[[1]] &;
t2 = vLookup[a, b2] // AbsoluteTiming // #[[1]] &;
t3 = vLookup[a, b3] // AbsoluteTiming // #[[1]] &;
t4 = vLookup[a, b4] // AbsoluteTiming // #[[1]] &;
{t1, t2, t3, t4}
Ratios[{t1, t2, t3, t4}]
and get:
{0.016816, 0.013729, 0.018197, 0.056836}
{0.816, 1.325, 3.123}
Use index Downvalues is a nice way create a "indexed table" in Mathematica, so we can grow b quantity of lines in a order of magnitude with no linear impact in the algorithm time performance. Maybe it could be done with Dispatch and Rule list too.
It's important to state that when the b key value repeats, this vLookup takes the line of the last key value. Excel would return the first value.
Update 1
Instead of use:
(index[#[[pk2]]]=#[[pickList]])&/@data2;
I get a little better performace using
Scan[(index[#[[pk2]]]=#[[pickList]])&,data2];
Update 2
There is a new version with some new implementation:
Option instead of arguments. I think that the code get a much better to read and control.
Match key columns could be more then one, so you could use "Key1" -> {1, 2} and "Key2" -> {2, 3} as match columns, and not just one.
Columns option, where you can control witch column you want to retrive in your vlookup operation.
Here is the code:
Options[vLookup2]={"Key1"->{1},"Key2"->{1},"NullValue"->Null,"Columns"->Automatic};
vLookup2[data1_,data2_,OptionsPattern[]]:=Module[{index,pickList,pKey1,pKey2,null,columns},
null=OptionValue["NullValue"];
pKey1=OptionValue["Key1"]//List//Flatten;
pKey2=OptionValue["Key2"]//List//Flatten;
columns=OptionValue["Columns"]//List//Flatten;
pickList=If[columns==={Automatic},Complement[Range[Length[data2[[1]]]],pKey2],columns];
Scan[(index[#[[pKey2]]]=#[[pickList]])&,data2];
index[_]=ConstantArray[null,Length[pickList]];
Join[data1,index/@data1[[All,pKey1]],2]
]
The use is very simple:
a=RandomInteger[5,{20,3}];
b=RandomInteger[5,{10,3}];
vLookup2[a,b,"Key1"-> {1,2},"Key2"-> {2,3},"NullValue"->Null,"Columns"->{2,3}]//TableForm
Update 3 (Dispatch with Rule)
I did not resisted to do the code using Dispatch. As follows:
Options[vLookup3]={"Key1"->{1},"Key2"->{1},"NullValue"->Null,"Columns"->Automatic};
vLookup3[data1_,data2_,OptionsPattern[]]:=Module[{index,pickList,pKey1,pKey2,null,columns,rule},
rule=#[[pKey2]]->#[[pickList]]&/@data2;
rule=Dispatch[Reverse[rule]~Join~{_-> ConstantArray[null,Length[pickList]]}];
Join[data1,#/.rule&/@data1[[All,pKey1]],2]
]
Code tips for tuning and simplifications are always welcome!
A:
I don't think I understand what all your options are for but the basic operation can be done fairly simply:
tabA = {{"a", 1}, {"b", 2}, {"c", 3}, {"d", 4}, {"e", 5}, {"f", 1}};
tabB = {
{5, a1, b1},
{2, a2, b2},
{1, a3, b3},
{10, a4, b4},
{11, a5, b5}
};
rls = Append[# :> {##2} & @@@ tabB, _ -> {None, None}] // Dispatch;
Join[tabA, Replace[tabA[[All, 2]], rls, {1}], 2] // MatrixForm
$\left(
\begin{array}{cccc}
a & 1 & \text{a3} & \text{b3} \\
b & 2 & \text{a2} & \text{b2} \\
c & 3 & \text{None} & \text{None} \\
d & 4 & \text{None} & \text{None} \\
e & 5 & \text{a1} & \text{b1} \\
f & 1 & \text{a3} & \text{b3}
\end{array}
\right)$
| |
Art in the USSR - and art photography was no exception to this - existed under a heavy ideological press of canons, taboos, and bans. This project shows how a group of rebel photographers from Kharkiv, Ukraine, in the 1970’s wriggled their way from under, and how their effort influenced the artistic expression of next artist generations.
Rui G. Cepeda (England/Portugal)
A whole generation of Ukrainian photographers and artists were exploring identity and placeness in the later days of the USSR. Alongside a unique vision framed by the particular political context they were in, these photographers and artists developed and explored different technical areas of expression. This exhibition (in three stages) is an introduction to those that dare to challenge the hegemonic doctrine imposed by the Soviet State!
Roberto Muffoletto (Austria/USA)
Throughout the construction of this three part exhibition, what became apparent were the struggles of individuals to have a platform for their expressive and creative voices. Working underground, as a metaphor and as a reality, a small group of photographers (artist) found avenues for their comment or critique of a social/political/economic situation which capped their freedom to create and speak. The exhibition brings to light their efforts, covering 4 decades, in order to hear their songs of freedom and concern. The exhibition serves to inform and remind others, especially young photographers, of the struggles of the past which impacts them today. Photography, as practiced today in Ukraine, emerged from the brave efforts of these artist to author their dreams, sing their songs. and perform their concerts. It is only through understanding the struggles of the past do we add to our understandings, valuing the voices of today.
Kharkiv School of Photography: Soviet Censorship to New Aesthetics 1970-1980s exhibition engaged three curators and a number of individuals over a three year period. VASA wishes to thank everyone who contributed. | http://www.vasa-project.com/gallery/ukraine-2/curator-statement.php |
MEASURING THE BRONCHIAL REVERSIBILITY IN ASTHMATIC CHILDREN
Номер части:
Оглавление
Содержание
Журнал
Выходные данные
Науки и перечень статей вошедших в журнал:
Авторы:
DOI:
Introduction:
The history of the bronchial reversibility tests and knowledge starts at the end of the 1950s, when airway diseases were divided into reversible and non-reversible depending on the response to bronchodilator drugs. Despite the long history of the bronchodilator response (BDR) as a diagnostic tool still there are no commonly accepted rules for its performance. According to the latest statement paper of the ATS/ERS Task Force for standardization of lung function tests in 1995, there is no consensus on the molecule, dose and route of administration of a bronchodilator drug. [1] There is no clear consensus about what affects the reversibility in patients with bronchial obstruction.
The most common methods for expression of BRD are three: percentage of initial (baseline) value (pre-BD FEV1), percentage of predicted value (pred. FEV1), absolute change in mL. Original Bulgarian contribution, done by Kostianev and al. is the attempt to eliminate disadvantages of each one of the above-mentioned methods as the value to which the difference is presented as half-sum from the initial and the predicted FEV1 [2]. Using this equation all the elements which determine the intensity of BDR are taken into account. [3]
The contemporary consensus of ERS/AST accepts BDR as a positive when an increase in FEV1 of >12% and 200 mL in absolute value is noted without giving specific instructions to interpret the test in childhood. [1]. Less increase (<8% or <150mL) may very likely be due to natural variability of the measurement (intraspecific variability). Where the change is above this value, the next step is to determine the clinical significant threshold for positive BDR.[1]
Aim: The aim of our study was to define the clinical value of the BDR and to validate different cut-offs and methods for evaluation of the bronchial reversibility in asthmatic children.
Material and methods: For a period of 2 years (Oct. 2013 — Dec 2015) we evaluated medical history data of 211 children with asthma and 46 healthy children aged 5 to 17 years old. For all children, we performed pulmonary function tests (PFT) (pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry), nasal smears for eosinophil counts, drew blood for IgE against inhalation and food allergies antibodies detection and ACQ* (Asthma Control Questionnaire), validated Bulgarian translation and ACQ interviewer-administered version for the age 6-10 years. We used SPSS v. 19. software. A p value of ,0.05 was considered statistically significant. *QOL TECHNOLOGIES Ltd 2003, Professor Elizabeth Juniper, www.qoltech.co.uk
Results:
There is no statistical difference in both groups for age, height, weight and BMI results, but there was difference regarding the sex distribution. In the control group the girls prevailed while in the group of children with asthma male was the predominant sex. Both initial output spirometry and BDR were significantly different between children with asthma and the healthy controls, as well as there was difference among asthmatic children when grouped according to the degree of decreased initial FEV1 (³80%, <80%³70%, <70%³60% and <60%).
Table 1
Patients demography and spirometry results
Indicator
Healthy (N=48)
Asthma (N=211)
р
FEV1³80%
(N=128)
<80% FEV1³70%
(N=32)
<70%FEV1³60%
(N=19)
FEV1 <60%
(N=16)
р
Sex, male
21 (39.3)
134 (63.5%)
0,022
83
(64,8%)
25
(78,1%)
8
(42,1%)
9
(56,3%)
>0,05
Sex, female
27 (60.7%)
77 (36.5%)
45
(35,2%)
7
(21,9%)
11
(57,9%)
7
(43,8%)
Age, years.
Mean (SD)
10,26
(2,98)
10,18
(3,54)
>0,05
128
(65.6%)
32
(16.5)
19
(9.7%)
16
(8.2%)
>0,05
Height, cm
Mean (SD)
144,75
(16,987)
143,33
(18,660)
>0,05
>0,05
Weight, kg
Mean (SD)
37,75
(13,645)
40,61
(16,661)
>0,05
>0,05
BMI
MD (SD)
17,34091
(3.90)
18,87008
(3.00)
>0,05
0,045
Spirometry results (median, IQR)
FVC
91,8%
<0,0001
96,20%
86,45%
78,60%
,62700
<0,0001
FEV1
98,5%
85,4%
<0,0001
91,25%
76,15%
67,30%
,55250
<0,0001
FEV1/FVC
91,5%
92,1%
<0,0001
95,700
86,15%
83,70%
,55250
<0,0001
PEFR
91,0%
81,7%
<0,0001
86,40%
70,00%
64,10%
,56150
<0,0001
MMEF25/75
99,5%
52.3%
<0,0001
61,40%
40,25%
32,80%
,26050
<0,0001
D FEV1%init.
3.0%
14,50%
<0,0001
11,50%
17,16%
26,80%
,3430
<0,0001
D FEV1 abs., l
0,050
0, 216
0,004
0,188
0,256
0,380
0,417
<0,0001
For the studied population of asthmatic children, we calculated bronchodilator change in FEV1 using three basic formulas — as a percentage of baseline (ΔFEV1% init.), as a percentage of the predicted value (ΔFEV1% pred.) and as an absolute change in litres (ΔFEV1abs. change, L). There was a very good correlation between the three formulas. The most widely used in clinical practice formula — ΔFEV1% from baseline showed excellent correlation with ΔFEV1% of the predicted value (Spearman’s rho 0.859, p = 0.000) in the study population, which is why it was chosen to be used in our study. We found weak but significant correlation of BDR calculated as an absolute change (in mL), age, height, weight and BMI (Spearman’s rho ~ 0.3).
Using the method of ROC curves, a test is considered as a discriminatory (diagnostic utility) at an area under the curve (AUC) over 0.70. This method was applied in order to define the optimal threshold for positive BDR (ΔFEV1% init.), for discrimination, the asthmatic children from healthy controls with the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. AUC for BDR (ΔFEV1% init.) was 0.924 (95% CI 0,887-0,961). 6.15% threshold for positive BDO (ΔFEV1% init.) showed the best combination of sensitivity (82.8%) and specificity (100%) for the stated purpose.
Figure 1 ROC curve for calculating sensitivity and of positive BDR cut-off 12% for discrimination the asthmatic children from healthy controls
We calculated lower sensitivity (60.9%) with high specificity (100%) for the “classic” cut-off for positive BDR (ERS/ATS; GINA) ≥12%. Cut-off ≥9% in the studied population is better than the one of ≥12% with 73% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
Using the method of ROC curves, we analysed new (alternative) criteria for BDR compared to the classical one (∆FEV1%init.≥12%) namely ∆MMEF25/75%init, ∆MMEF25/75abs., ∆FVC%init. and ∆PEF%init. All tested criteria (MMEF25/75, FVC, PEF) demonstrated good discriminative qualities for determining the children with positive BDR with AUC higher or equal to 0,7 (AUC>=0.7)
Figure 2 ROC curve for four alternative BDR criteria
The highest AUC (AUC=0,956, 0,860) is the bronchodilator change in MMEF25-75, calculated as a percentage of initial value and as an absolute change. The presentation of BDR as an absolute difference has a number of disadvantages in childhood due to dependency on this indicator of age, respectively, the size of the lung. Best threshold for a positive BDR calculated on ΔMMEF75 / 25,% init. is 29.9% (30%), which showed 84.1% sensitivity and 73.8% specificity, a positive predictive value (PPV) 84 and negative predictive value (NPV) 73,9.
Fig 3 Children from the “non-responders” group with positive BDR according the new criteria.
We evaluated the children with negative BDR according the classical criteria (“non-responders”- 66 children) according the aforementioned new ones and found out 36 from them to have positive BDR in at least one of the parameters. The indicator ∆MMEF75/25%init ≥ 30% revealed additionally 17 more children (25,8%) from the “non-responders” group as children with positive BDR.
In order to determine whether the new diagnostic criteria are useful as an alternative to DFEV1% init.≥12% in children with mild and moderate asthma (FEV1≥80%), we conducted the same analysis for children with normal initial FEV1. We found the same thresholds for positivity and all tested indicators showed good discriminatory power (AUC> 0.7). Calculating as positive at least one of the new criteria we could reveal additional 30 children with positive BDR in the group of «non-responders» children with normal baseline FEV1.
Discussion:
The proof of bronchial hyperreactivity in the context of clinical symptoms provides further details in the mosaic of diagnosis and monitoring of childhood asthma. [4]. The demonstration of bronchial lability by measuring the response to inhaled bronchodilators in order to simplify the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma in childhood continues to represent scientific interest despite the long history of BDR. The «perfect» formula for expression of BDR should be independent of baseline FEV1 and to reflect the true response to the drug; to correlate well with the clinical response; to allow comparison between subjects with different baseline values and to provide information on the severity of post-bronchodilator obstruction. [5]
With correlation analysis, we found an excellent direct correlation between ∆FEV1 as a percentage of the initial value and ∆FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted value (Spearman’s rho 0.859, р=0.000) similarly to the published medical literature. [5-7] The most commonly used formula for calculating the BDR — ΔFEV1%initial depends significantly from baseline of FEV1[5]. This was confirmed in our study the ∆FEV1 %init. Is the most strongly influenced by the initial FEV1%pred. (Spearman’s rho=-0.567). Representing the BDR as an absolute difference has a number of disadvantages in childhood due to dependency on this indicator of age, respectively, the size of the lung. This is confirmed by our analysis that found weak but significant correlation of BDR calculated as an absolute change (in mL) with the age, height, weight and BMI (Spearman’s rho~0.3).
Therefore, the ΔFEV1%initial would have shown higher BDR in subjects with lower initial value of FEV1. Calculating the change in FEV1 according to the predicted value corrects the factors of age, height and gender, which all determine the size of the lungs. This formula, however, also has its drawbacks, because the calculation assumes that the estimated value is the maximum possible. In patients with baseline values of FEV1, greater than predicted, the calculation of BDR on ΔFEV1% predicted and ΔFEV1 [5] would show meaningless value. [5]
The validity of the most commonly used definition for positive BDR (ΔFEV1≥12%) is controversial for children. This threshold is significant clinically in adults with asthma and healthy controls. For the studied population of children with asthma and healthy controls we calculated AUC 0,924 (95% CI 0,887-0,961) for BDR (∆FEV1 %init.). Threshold of 6.15% for positive BDR (∆FEV1 %init.) showed the best combined results for both sensitivity (82.8%) and specificity (100%) for discriminating healthy children from those with asthma. We calculated lower sensitivity (60.9%) with high specificity (100%) for the “classic” cut-off for positive BDR (ERS/ATS; GINA) ≥12%. The most commonly discussed and studied in pediatric population cut-off ≥9% is better than the one of ≥12% with 73% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Our results are in accordance with the literature but with higher sensitivity. This higher result can be explained with the strict inclusion criteria used for our control group – only children with negative history for previous episodes of bronchial obstruction and allergic rhinitis.
As noted by the authors, conducting BDR studies in children before threshold of 9% for BDR as a diagnostic test for asthma in childhood to be imposed, it is necessary to conduct prospective unselected cohort of this indicator, because the diagnostic value may vary depending on the frequency of «wheezing»/asthma in this population.
BDR is a test with very high specificity, but relatively low sensitivity for confirming asthma diagnosis and probably it would have better clinical use in the childhood asthma management, especially before the initiation of therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) [8] High BDR is associated with poor control of the disease, increased exacerbation risk and presence of active inflammation of the airways, bronchial hyperreactivity and good therapeutic response to ICS. [9]
To evaluate the clinical significance of BDR for the different positive thresholds and its correlation to the clinical control of the symptoms and the risk factors we performed logistic regression analysis and analysis type “case-control study”. Our results are similar to those published before. In children with diagnosed asthma, independently from the initial FEV1 and the controller therapy, threshold of ∆FEV1%init.≥8% is associated with 2.369-fold (95% CI 1.077-5.213) higher risk for at least one hospitalization from the previous year and 2.871-fold (95% CI 1,239-6, 653) higher risk for school absence because of the asthma. The same correlation although weak is preserved in thresholds of BDR ≥9% and ≥11% with 2.282-fold and 2.159-fold for the hospitalization risk respectively. Children with BDR DFEV1%init.³10% have 3-fold higher probability for exercise exacerbation with OR 3.09 (CI 1.101-8.674). Classical threshold of ≥12% couldn’t predict the risk of hospitalizations, but is associated with 3.142 (95% CI 1,505-6,562) higher probability for school absence. In the study population, we didn’t find any relationship between BDR and atopic status of children (main groups of aero-allergens).
Similarly, to Galant et al. [9] In the group of children treated with ICS we found that BDR can reveal children with high risk using cut-off 12% and 11%, but not when using a lower threshold for significant BDR. In steroid naïve patients, we proved that BDR over 12% increases the likelihood of expression of at least one element of the risks 2.66-fold (95% CI 1,08-6,669).
The lack of consensus on the formula and the indicator that reflects the BDR leads to a number of studies in children and adults, conducted in demand to find the ideal threshold and the «ideal» parameter.
Castro et al. [10] conducted a comparative analysis of four alternative criteria for assessing the BDR [ΔPEF %; ΔFEF25-75%, ΔsGaw, ΔPEF (l) and ΔFEF25-75(l)] in adults with mild to moderate bronchial obstruction Three of the alternative criteria indicate AUC > 0.070 with a threshold of significant response very close to our calculations: ΔPEF≥8%; %; ΔFEF25-75≥27%, ΔsGaw≥25%, confirming their usefulness as criteria for positive BDR. As best threshold for ∆MMEF75/25 %init. we identified 29.9% (30%), which showed 84.1% sensitivity and 73.8% specificity, a positive predictive value (PPV) 84 and negative predictive value (NPV) 73.9. For ∆PEF%init. We defined threshold of 9.35% with an optimal ratio of sensitivity and specificity (76.6%, 85.4% respectively). Vilozni et al. [6] demonstrate sensitivity of post-bronchodilator increase in ΔFEF25-75%≥18.2% over 91.6% even in children with mild asthma. The positive response for FEF25-75% correlated with the severity of obstruction at all severity forms of asthma. The authors define a threshold for ΔFEV1 9.2% and 18.5% for ΔFEF25-75% as clinically significant BDR. Passerini et al. [8] found that BDR ΔFEF25-75≥25% distinguishes the best children with asthma from healthy ones with sensitivity 41% and specificity 80%. Best value for positive probability (positive likelihood ratio) according to the authors gives threshold ΔFEV0.5>11% (sensitivity 30% and specificity 90%).
Conclusion:
Pulmonary function tests are an important element of the study of respiratory diseases in children. They are sensitive and objective way to identify and evaluate the severity of pulmonary dysfunction, monitoring the progression of the disease and the evaluation of the therapy. BDR is widely used in confirming the diagnosis of asthma, but it can be a reliable method for monitoring and control of children with asthma. Establishing an adapted for childhood spirometry criteria in addition to the assessment of clinical symptoms, physical examination and determination of atopic status would improve substantially asthma control, making proper therapeutic decisions and identifying the risk of progressive loss of lung function.
Background: Despite the long history of the bronchodilator response (BDR) as a diagnostic tool, still there are no commonly accepted rules for its performance. Aim: The aim of our study was to define the clinical value of the BDR and to validate different cut-offs and methods for evaluation of the bronchial reversibility in asthmatic children. Methods: We performed lung function tests and BDR in 211 children with asthma and 46 healthy children and analyzed the results. Results: Threshold of 6.15% for positive BDR (∆FEV1 %init.) showed the best combined results for both sensitivity (82.8%) and specificity (100%) for discriminating healthy children from those with asthma. Cut-off ≥9% is better than the “classic” one o (ERS/ATS; GINA; ≥12%) with 73% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Conclusion: BDR is a test with very high specificity, but relatively low sensitivity for confirming asthma diagnosis and probably it would have better clinical use in the childhood asthma management, especially before the initiation of therapy with inhaled corticosteroids.
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Smoked duck fried rice
Smoked duck fried rice
Main Dish
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2 min
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Ingredients
Number of serving:
2
overnight cold cooked
rice
smoked
duck
meat, sliced
shrimp
Chinese
celery
leaves, chopped
Grind into a paste:
shallots
red pepper
bird eyes chilies
dried shrimp paste(Indonesian: terasi)/fish sauce
candlenuts
white peppercorns
Preparation
In a skillet, saute the paste for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add shrimp, stir. Mix cold rice in the skillet, stir until all mixed.
Add smoked duck meat and chopped celery leaves and stir.
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Indonesia-Eats
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In "Eggless Chocolate Cake" how many ml is 1 tin condensed milk? | https://en.petitchef.com/recipes/main-dish/smoked-duck-fried-rice-fid-633908 |
Some close observation and deductive reasoning led commenters in the right direction in solving the June crocodile mystery. Here’s image that I posted last week, with a bit more context:
With that bit of the surrounding context, it’s much clearer that it’s a picture of the catch to a clasp on a fifteenth-century calf binding. 1
It’s a lovely binding for a work printed in Augsburg in 1474 (Rainerius de Pisis’s Pantheologia, in two volumes) and bound around the same time. Images of the bindings of both volumes can be found in the Folger’s new Bindings Image Collection, including views of the front and back boards and details of the clasps and tooling; the clasp I featured is from the second volume.
I like clasps in general, perhaps because books today don’t generally have clasps, but also because they’re good reminders of the materiality of books: if books were weightless texts, they wouldn’t need clasps to hold them shut! Clasps can range from fairly simply to increasingly decorative:
The clasp featured in this post is especially nice for the way that it is integrated with the binding. As some commenters noted, you can read some text that is part of the catch: “ave maria gratia,” the opening words to the Hail Mary prayer and here split across two lines: “ave·mar / ia·gratia” (the rivets obscure the first letters of each line and, of course, if you’re not used to reading gothic fonts, the letter forms can be a bit mysterious).
And if you look carefully at the tooling, you’ll see that the scrolls around the border repeat the “ave maria”:
One relevant binding detail that I learned from Frank Mowery, formerly the Head of Conservation at the Folger, currently Rare Bindings Specialist and the man behind the new Bindings Image Collection: clasps on continental bindings have the catch on the upper cover and the hasp on the lower, as in the ones I’ve featured here. But English bindings do the reverse: the catch is on the lower cover and the hasp on the upper. I don’t know why this is, but I do know that it makes reading British-bound clasps harder to work with, since they seem in more danger of catching on the open leaves of the book! (See, for instance, this early seventeenth-century binding, in which the clasp hangs down from the top cover.)
We’ll cover more aspects of the Bindings Image Collection in future posts, but in the meantime, start exploring it on your own. There are lots of detailed pictures of bindings along with descriptions of what you’re looking at. You can search for specific materials, find examples of edge treatments, or browse through different periods or countries. Have fun!
- But of course, the context makes solving the mystery too easy! But the visible details—the rivets holding this in place, the catch opening on the right—were enough to lead observers to its identity. Kudos to John Lancaster, who was the first to suggest that it was the catch-plate to a binding clasp. | https://collation.folger.edu/2012/06/binding-clasps/ |
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