content
stringlengths 0
1.88M
| url
stringlengths 0
5.28k
|
|---|---|
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive type of cancer with an overall survival rate of less than 7–8%, emphasizing the need for novel effective therapeutics against PDAC. However only a fraction of therapeutics which seemed promising in the laboratory environment will eventually reach the clinic. One of the main reasons behind this low success rate is the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, a highly fibrotic and dense stroma surrounding tumor cells, which supports tumor progression as well as increases the resistance against the treatment. In particular, the growing understanding of the PDAC TME points out a different challenge in the development of efficient therapeutics – a lack of biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models that resemble the complexity and heterogeneity of PDAC observed in patients. The purpose and scope of this review is to provide an overview of the recent developments in different in vitro and in vivo models, which aim to recapitulate the complexity of PDAC in a laboratory environment, as well to describe how 3D in vitro models can be integrated into drug development pipelines that are already including sophisticated in vivo models. Hereby a special focus will be given on the complexity of in vivo models and the challenges in vitro models face to reach the same levels of complexity in a controllable manner. First, a brief introduction of novel developments in two dimensional (2D) models and ex vivo models is provided. Next, recent developments in three dimensional (3D) in vitro models are described ranging from spheroids, organoids, scaffold models, bioprinted models to organ-on-chip models including a discussion on advantages and limitations for each model. Furthermore, we will provide a detailed overview on the current PDAC in vivo models including chemically-induced models, syngeneic and xenogeneic models, highlighting hetero- and orthotopic, patient-derived tissues (PDX) models, and genetically engineered mouse models. Finally, we will provide a discussion on overall limitations of both, in vitro and in vivo models, and discuss necessary steps to overcome these limitations to reach an efficient drug development pipeline, as well as discuss possibilities to include novel in silico models in the process. | https://research.utwente.nl/en/publications/translating-complexity-and-heterogeneity-of-pancreatic-tumor-3d-i |
The paper by Simi Afonja, a member of the first group of RAP investigators, reviews the application in Africa of the original guidelines to the evaluation of health-related programmes. She describes RAP as slowly penetrating the planning and implementation strategies of governmental and pare-governmental agencies. According to Afonja, RAP methodologies are being used successfully in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Lesotho, to evaluate and improve family planning programmes of the World Bank, UNFPA, IPPF, and others. In Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, Zaire, Malawi, and Somalia, RAP was used to evaluate immunization programmes; and in Kenya, Nigeria, and Niger for academic research. Afonja's review at the Conference expanded the generally held view of RAP use in Africa. She concluded with a summary of the positive contributions that RAP has made in Africa and a plea that it be formalized to a greater extent. - Eds.
RAPID ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES (RAP) are a recent phenomenon in African social science, agricultural and health research. Their emergence has been encouraged by recent shifts from the dominant functionalist paradigms and the evolution of new approaches to development policy formulation and implementation in the region.
African social science started to experience significant paradigmatic shifts in the 1970s when alternatives to functionalism and the systems approach developed on the continent. The latter perspectives encouraged widespread empiricism and a positivist orientation to research; hence most research followed the rigours of the quantitative scientific endeavor and were pursued primarily to integrate scientific inquiry in the region into the universal body of scientific knowledge. A major limitation on this emphasis of the positivist orientation was that it excluded cultural and historical aspects from projections of African reality. Consequently research findings often misguided policy or were not very relevant to it. Since each stage in the cycle of scientific inquiry was dominated by the researcher and excluded the subjects studied, theory building and policy formulation were usurped by the elite, and the top-down approach was widespread.
The first major break with this tradition was in response to the challenges posed by structural and radical Marxism. Kemal and Bryceson associated the development of participatory research and approach to development with this alternative theoretical orientation. They argued that radical and structuralist Marxists conceived of real development as the realization of the creative energies of the people and, to that extent, defined a people-oriented approach to development. Other theoretical approaches, namely symbolic interaction theory, phenomenology and ethnomethodology, though less popular, may have created greater impetus for methodological change than Marxism. Gran noted that the failure of both capitalism and socialism to transform the lives of the poor created the need for alternative paradigms for the understanding of society and for creating change. Participatory and action-oriented approaches were answers to this need.
Participatory development was described by Gran as a process through which the currently marginalized poor become aware of the wide range of value choices open to them, and their social and political implications. He pointed out that participatory development strategies change the 'top down' service delivery model of interaction between bureaucrats and people to a 'bottom up' response demanding model. The planning, implementation and evaluation strategies require people participation, hence more qualitative than quantitative data are collected.
Action-research is also a people-oriented strategy for creating change. It is a flexible, problem-solving approach in which planning, implementation and evaluation belong to one single process during which emerging problems are solved and alternative strategies adopted in the process of creating change. It involves a collaborative arrangement between change agents, programmers and beneficiaries of the change process.
Participatory and action-oriented approaches require data on cultural and historical peculiarities of a people, data on problem identification by the people, their perceptions and evaluations of specific projects. These have necessitated the use of qualitative methodologies to complement the logico-deductive method or as the main instruments of social investigation.
Rapid assessment methodologies emerged on the African continent within the context described above, although they are more widely used by international development agencies than by academicians. Most donor agencies have now adopted the participatory or action approach to programme formulation and implementation and are therefore applying qualitative methodologies.
This paper discusses the applications of RAP to programmes of health and nutrition in the region. It describes the types of users, the types of methodologies commonly used, and the contribution of RAP to health research and programming. It also describes the use of RAP in the country programme assisted by UNICEF in Nigeria. Nigeria is presented to illustrate the usefulness of RAP in programme improvement.
Three types of sources provided data for this review on the use of RAP in West Africa: the national and international agencies that had sponsored studies using RAP in Nigeria; library sources; and scholars and administrators who had applied RAP. Data collection was done over four weeks in August/September 1990. The agencies visited were those based in Nigeria, but international journals in health and health-related fields were consulted. The agencies visited were the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The Nigerian Family Health Services Project (NFHSP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Health Communication for Child Survival Project (HEALTHCOM), and the Ford Foundation. The studies selected for review used one or more of the RAP methodologies and related to health and nutrition.
The
majority of the reports are on health and nutrition programmes in
Nigeria. However, there were also reports on Kenya, Liberia,
Lesotho, Ghana, Zaire, Malawi, Somalia and the Sudan.
RAP is described by Scrimshaw and Hurtado as methodologies that provide health workers, social scientists in fields other than anthropology and anthropologists guidelines for conducting rapid assessments of health-seeking behaviour, that is, behaviour involved in maintaining health and overcoming illness, including the use of both traditional and modern health services. RAP is a holistic methodology designed to organize macro and micro level data into one. This involves synthesizing data on health structures, health beliefs and perceptions for the explanation of health-seeking behaviour.
Since the impact of a health programme can be best understood through inter-subjective data and individual cognitive representations, qualitative data on individual perceptions, beliefs, values and definitions of the situation are central to RAP and are obtained through the following procedures:
1. Formal interviews,
2. Informal interviews,
3. Conversations with well informed individuals or groups,
4. Observations,
5. Participant observations, and
6. Focus group discussions (FGD).
All the United Nations agencies involved in health development, and donor agencies such as the Ford Foundation and the International Development Research Council (IDRC) are committed to participatory and action-oriented strategies for development. RAP is applied by these agencies for programme development, collection of baseline data, and development of instruments for a larger monitoring or evaluation studies.
Through the collaborative agreements between them and governments, RAP is slowly penetrating the planning and implementation strategies of government ministries and parastatals. A small proportion of university-based researchers, usually those hired as consultants to the agencies, have been using RAP.
Since the logico-deductive method is still pervasive, there is resistance to the way international agencies set research priorities through their control of research and consultant projects. Such resistance affects methodological innovations adversely and encourages the more traditional theoretical and methodological orientations. Two important consequences of this are that RAP has not been formalized into the teaching curriculum in the universities and few journals publish articles based on this methodology. Thus, those who are most often exposed to RAP are the consultants to donor agencies and middle level personnel who employ the methodologies to support implementation of health programmes.
The qualitative methodologies adopted by each agency are usually designed to suit its program priorities. However, it is apparent from the papers reviewed that RAP is used for the following:
1. Programme development
2. Collection of baseline data
3. Monitoring and evaluation
4. Information, education and communication (IEC)
When RAP is
used for programme development it is described as a formative
research tool for collecting information for developing a
programme or product for the end users. Using RAP to develop the
research instruments for a much larger study is part of formative
research.
Thirty-nine of the 41 reports reviewed for this paper were on primary health care (PHC). Fourteen were reports on the expanded programme of immunization (EPI) and PHC, nine on oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and 15 on family planning. There were three on nutrition, two on child care and child development and one each on health education, leprosy, and deaf children.
Most
reports were project evaluations, although a significant
proportion reported IEC and formative research strategies. RAP
was applied to baseline studies in only three cases.
Focus group discussions are used in the IEC activities of the NFHSP in the design, production and evaluation of educational materials in support of ORT, EPI, malaria control, breast-feeding and child spacing. A music evaluation FGD conducted for the organization by Research Bureau Nigeria Limited (RBNL) provided information on the type of music preferred by listeners, their perception of campaign artists and their reaction to various messages rendered by two local musicians on family planning. In order to strengthen the family planning programmes in Nigeria, focus group discussions were also carried out in three states on the knowledge of family planning, on perceptions of existing services, and methods. The studies also measured knowledge of PHC services, use, perceptions of services and methods and media habits. Strategies for future interventions were derived from the results of these FGDS.
HEALTHCOM operates along similar lines. The main goal of this USAID funded project is to develop and demonstrate innovative and effective methods of public health communication, to assist in the design, production and evaluation of educational materials in support of the major foci of the Nigerian Child Survival Programme. RAP is being used in different ways to achieve these objectives. For example, FGDs and in-depth interviews are the methods of research utilized in determining health priorities in two local government areas of Niger State, Nigeria.
The use of ethnomethodological research in the development of health programmes by HealthCom was described by S. P. Yoder (personal comments, 1989) with examples from Nigeria and Zaire. This methodology was called for by the need to learn, from the culturally diverse groups in the areas studied, the differences in knowledge of disease, illness, and how different cultural groups diagnose and treat childhood illnesses. The study carried out in Niger State, Nigeria and in Zaire relied on group interviews with three to five men and women in identifying local concepts, cultural definitions of disease and illness. This qualitative methodology was enlisted for designing the measuring instruments for a quantitative survey.
The formative research process is also being applied to the Child Survival for the Computer Age Project, a study jointly sponsored by UNICEF, Lagos, and Tufts University, United States of America and carried out by consultants at Lagos University, Nigeria. The main objective of the study was to extract and utilize factors in the household that are positively correlated with a child's ability to grow well, nutritionally and cognitively, under conditions of economic hardship. Phase I of the project was an empirical investigation into the relationship between cognitive development and nutrition and between cognitive development, nutrition, mother-child interactions and stimulation provided by the environment. The six different instruments for data collection included a nutrition interview schedule on diet history, food frequencies and attitudes relating food to the moral training of the child.
The results of this study were considered useful for curriculum design, teacher training, parent education and the development of educational materials. Phase II of the project will, in a formative process, translate these into messages and educational materials. The existing data will be supplemented with Focus Group Discussion data on cultural beliefs, food taboos and child rearing practices. Phase II is expected to rely on concept testing and material pretesting for the development of two teaching texts, one for training health and social service professionals and the other for students in primary six. RAP methodologies are currently being used by the World Bank, UNFPA and International Planned Parenthood in a new initiative to improve population programme implementation in sub-saharan Africa.
Pilot surveys have just been completed in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. The action-oriented studies applied in-depth interviews, participant observation and FGDs as the main instruments for eliciting information from policy makers, opinion leaders, implementers and beneficiaries about the level of political commitment to population programmes and activities. The studies also measured the major constraints to the programmes, the ways in which communities could contribute to their own development, and identified potential change agents. The results will be used to design policy programmes that will be acceptable to the people and that will effectively reduce population growth .
The World Bank sponsored study of health and family planning services in Lesotho also falls into the group of formative research. The study was motivated by the "...need to provide policy makers with guidelines and knowledge on attitudes and practices of the Basotho regarding health" . A study based on qualitative data on individual and household behaviour was designed to complement the nationwide quantitative data on health and nutrition. The instruments for data collection were participant observation and open-ended interviews. There were supplementary interviews as patients left the clinics and provider-patient interactions were also observed. As in the case of the agenda for population programme implementation, the Lesotho study was to assist in refining future health and family planning programmes.
Another World Bank-sponsored study that falls into this category is the Nigerian study on the underutilization of public health sector facilities in Imo State. A World Bank mission to Imo had noted this as one of the severe health problems facing the state. Ten FGDS were set up, seven with rural groups and three with urban groups of consumers and practitioners. These were supplemented with in-depth interviews of four different practitioners. The interview guides featured the following:
1. Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding child bearing and its impact on the health of mothers and children;
2. Basic health values;
3. Prenatal, postnatal and preventive care;
4. Perception of infant and childhood morbidity and mortality and of their impact on fertility;
5. Steps taken when illnesses occurred;
6. Cost of health care - by type of practitioner;
7. Access to health facilities and perception of general utilization;
8. Problems encountered with government health facilities and recommendations for government action.
Responses
to these and to the guides for providers were used to draw up
strategies for improving the utilization of government health
facilities.
Situational analysis is an important dimension of programme development and it requires baseline data prior to intervention. Observations from the reports reviewed here indicate that RAP methodologies are not popularly used for baseline data collection. They are at best supplementary to quantitative data as in the studies by Egboja (I. A. Egboya, personal communication, 1989) end Adeniyi and Olaseha (personal communication, 1990). Egboja applied in-depth interviews, informal discussions with health staff, and observations of health facilities to assess staff performance, training needs and constraints to the ORT programme in Benue State, Nigeria.
The study by Adeniyi and Olaseha (1990) was a baseline study of two Local Government Areas (LGAs), of Niger State, Nigeria. Its main objective was to identify health problems of the LGAs as perceived by the people. FGDs, key informant interviews, and observation methods were the main instruments for data collection. The qualitative data in both studies were used to design the questionnaires for later sample surveys.
There were
two other baseline surveys commissioned by UNICEF, Lagos on
pre-school age children in Oyo and Ondo states. Both surveys
collected information on the health and nutritional status of the
children, socialization practices, and the quality of the
environment and stimulation by the home in pre-school years. Data
were also collected on mothers' perception of their children's
development and attitudes regarding the available child care
options. The investigators relied on structured instruments, but
complemented these with in-depth interviews and observational
data on child rearing practices and foods administered (E. B.
Wilson-Oyelaran and P. A. Ladipo, personal communications, 1988,
1989).
Most health planning agencies now appreciate the importance of informing, educating and communicating with the people for the success of their programmes, and realize that the tasks of social mobilization and advocacy at all levels require strategic planning. RAP has been used to develop these strategies and the content of the messages. To a large extent, this function of RAP overlaps with its use as a formative research tool. HealthCom and NFHSP are using focus group discussions for IEC purposes and these are prominent features in community-based distribution programmes (CBD) on family planning and other PHC interventions in Africa.
CBD programmes emerged to promote contraceptive and health service availability through community participation. Its primary objective, as described by Ebo is to make health-related and family planning information and services available and accessible to the masses in rural and urban areas. Its operational strategies described by Wawer and Gorosh include focus group discussions, observations and interviews with local health and community leaders. The reports on Nigeria by Delano , on Kenya by Mworia , the experiences in Zaire, Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Sudan reported by Kingoni and Mangmi , Rukuongwe , Akwetteh and Nzuma , respectively, describe how the CBD operates with community participation strategies in these countries.
HealthCom, in collaboration with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and Regional and State Broadcasting Authorities, produces prototype educational radio programmes on child survival for dissemination at the national, regional and state levels (S. P. Yoder, personal communication). Focus group discussions were set up in ten different communities in Niger State for studying beliefs about illnesses, attitudes towards EPI and ORT, and the people's media habits. The latter focused on identifying the most convincing person/news source locally; papers and magazines, posters, or pamphlets, other media, songs, stories, the effectiveness of the EPI logo.
Nigerian
artists are being encouraged by FHS and UNICEF to write songs
with appropriate family planning messages. FHS has used FGDs to
identify the artistes preferred by the audience and their
understanding of the songs written.
RAP has been widely accepted as a tool for programme monitoring and evaluation. As indicated earlier, participatory and action-oriented research demands quick appraisals of the effect of ongoing PHC interventions. RAP has therefore become a popular means of assessing EPI and ORT programmes.
Eight such evaluations were made of EPI programmes in Nigeria, Liberia, Kenya, Zaire, Malawi and Somalia. In-depth interviews, FGDs, and observational methods were applied by the author in an evaluation of the EPI in Owo LGA, Nigeria two years after the model project was set up there. The assessment of the EPI in Nigeria (Blum and Philips, personal communication) relied on in-depth and exit interviews. The study of immunization drop outs in Liberia by Bender and Macauley applied FGDs to mothers, frontline health workers and administrators. This was described by the authors as "...a community-based methodology for identifying reasons for vaccination non-return and recommendations for alternative delivery system."
The EPI programme in Ogun State, Nigeria was also evaluated by a UNICEF team using RAP. Twenty-one FGDs were held in five LGAs with mothers, fathers and community leaders. The major issues focused upon were children's diseases, symptoms, preventive strategies, and knowledge of immunizations.
There were four different evaluations of ORT programmes involving the use of RAP. Part I of Egboja's (I. A. Egboja, personal communication, 1989) studies of the control of diarrhoeal diseases in Benue State relied on in-depth interviews, informal discussions with health staff, and observations of the health facilities visited. The objective of the study was to assess staff performance, training needs, and constraints to the programme. Debis's investigation into the improper treatment practices for diarrhoea in Conakri, Guinea applied in-depth interviews of mothers and health staff in 30 out of 76 neighbourhoods in the city. Questions were asked about each diarrhoea episode, the use of health facilities and about treatment in the home. Casalino's study of infections associated with diarrhoeal diseases in urban Somalia relied on exit interviews, physical measurements, and observations. The study was designed to identify the first reference point for the treatment of children's severe diarrhoea.
A providers' survey was commissioned by the United Nations University, Tokyo as part of evaluations of the PHC and nutrition programmes in Nigeria. The study examined the adequacy of human and materials inputs as perceived by users and providers. The import of such data as observed by the author was to find out if health inputs were adequate and accessible and if the processes of health care delivery were constraints on the PHC programme. Data were collected on the following:
1. Physical characteristics of health resources, clinic schedules, personnel, health infrastructure, services rendered, and costs to patients.
2. Socio-economic characteristics of health staff, their professional training, work attitudes and behaviour.
3. The process of health care delivery, including waiting room interactions between patients, between patients and staff, and the actual consultation with the provider.
4. Providers' perceptions of the PHC and of the health status and health needs of the communities. This study relied on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.
Another evaluation that needs to be noted is that of the ICHD in Oyun LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria carried out by the author. After two years of intervention, the study sought to find out how much awareness had been created by the social mobilization programme, and it also measured knowledge, attitudes and practices in respect of EPI, ORT, household food security, nutrition and early child care, the essential drugs programme and the extent of community participation in the programme. The study did not apply RAP methodologies directly, but developed the instruments for survey analysis with concepts that emerged from the Owo study.
RAP methodologies have been applied predominantly to health programmes in the region; hence this review features only four applications of RAP to nutrition programmes. The study on the place of cassava in household food security and nutrition in Owo LGA, Ondo State, Nigeria was a rapid case study that relied solely on in-depth interviews. The main objectives of the study were to ascertain the extent of cassava cultivation, consumption, amount of trade, amount of feeding cassava meals to weaning children, varieties of cassava grown, processing and storage methods, and the overall place of cassava in household food security and nutrition in the LGA (L. K. Opeke et al., personal communication, mimeo, 1986). A similar study was commissioned in Oyo State. These studies were sponsored by UNICEF, Nigeria under its household food security programme. A much larger monitoring and evaluation report was compiled (A. Ikpi, personal communication, mimeo, 1988) for Oyo, Kwara and Ondo states under the same programme after implementing the household food security programme in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. Although the study relied predominantly on a structured questionnaire, it was supplemented with observational data and the collection and weighing of cooked foods before, during and after consumption by individual family members.
Peter Ay's
(personal communication, mimeo, 1990) study on the spread and
impact of IITA cassava varieties is another evaluation of the
UNICEF-IITA Household Food Production and Nutrition programme.
The data collected on the proportion of farmers growing IITA
cassava varieties, the proportion of land planted,
characteristics and varieties of cassava planted, mechanisms of
spread, preservation and multiplication relate directly to
agricultural production. But the impact on household nutrition
and economic empowerment of the spread of improved varieties is
of direct relevance to UNICEF's nutrition programme. In-depth
interviews of individual farmers, group interviews, and
identification of cassava variety through observations are RAP
methodologies that yielded significant results in that study.
Ethnographic methods in African social science research are quite dated, but RAP has not been prominent in studies originated by researchers. The few studies discussed are published in medical journals. Social science journals publish few articles based on RAP, presumably because consultants do not publish results of commissioned studies. The implication is that RAP is not proliferating fast enough. Theoretical and methodological developments on the continent are therefore out of step with each other.
RAP has been used in medical research on malaria, iron deficiency in pregnant women, in research on leprosy and in studies of deaf children. One of the two studies on malaria relied on participant observation and in-depth interviews, for the understanding of Yoruba beliefs about malaria and febrile convulsions. Studying beliefs was necessitated by the need to fill the communication gap between medical practitioners and community members . The second malaria study was an investigation into the chloroquine treatment of falciparum malaria in Kenya, and the primary instruments of research were in-depth interviews, exit interviews, physical and clinical measurements of children aged one to 10 years, who were attacked by this strain of malaria .
The study of iron deficiency, pregnancy and breast-feeding was conducted in the Republic of Niger by Brunengo et al. . The investigation took place in April and May 1987 among a non-randomized population of 173 pregnant or breast-feeding women. An in-depth interview schedule in the vernacular extracted information on age, parity, pregnancy stages, adherence to, and tolerance of, side effects of treatment. In-depth interviews also featured among the instruments used by Ponnighaus et al. in a study of clinical leprosy in a total population of the Karonja district of Malawi. In addition, physical examinations were carried out by paramedical control assistants. The study of the care of deaf children by Oyemade also relied on in-depth interviews and case notes on deaf children in a Nigerian city.
RAE' was
originally conceptualized as an anthropological approach that
could be executed within a period of six to eight weeks. The
different applications discussed above have rescued it from the
narrow confines of anthropology and programme evaluation and
established it as a methodology for development initiatives.
The future of RAP depends on its widespread use, but, more importantly, on the extent to which it can continue to provide the right answers to important issues of development and the understanding of society.
The limited use of RAP methodologies arises mainly from its confinement to studies commissioned by development agencies. To overcome this, it would be necessary to formalize RAP as other major methodological approaches have been treated and incorporate it into methodology courses. RAP must develop simultaneously with its corresponding theoretical perspectives to expose it to a larger body of users and thus develop confidence in it.
Another obstacle that needs to be overcome concerns the doubts about RAP's scientific status. Adherents of quantitative analysis cannot actually visualize its scientific status; neither do traditional anthropologists have confidence in it, hence the resistance to the method and the lack of adherence to stipulated procedures.
There are also problems of application that need to be overcome. Usually the interview guides are administered in the same manner as structured questionnaires, thus losing the insights the interviews are expected to bring out. One solution to the problem of the scientific status of RAP is to perceive qualitative and quantitative methodologies as complementary, each presenting the most reliable data when used for large samples and with equal reliability when qualitative methods are applied to small groups and samples.
It is important to compare RAP methodologies according to the type of data that derives from each method. The work of Becker is particularly useful for this comparative analysis. In a discussion of these various types of qualitative methodologies, he located the differences and similarities at two different levels. He contrasted those involving data volunteered with those in which data are requested by the researcher, and those that require data that are publicly presented by the subjects against those presented to the researcher in private. Morgan placed these two differentiations along a continuum and classified focus groups on researcher-directed publicly-stated end, and individual interviews on the interviewer-directed privately stated end of the continuum. Morgan like Scrimshaw and Hurtado believed that using more than one method was better for data reliability and validity but he judged focus groups, if properly set up and moderated, to be better than interviews and participant observation techniques. This perhaps explains the widespread application of FGDs in the studies reviewed above.
There is no
doubt that RAP has brought new insights into health planning and
health research, and it will continue to do so as commitment to
participatory and action-oriented approaches increases. RAP gives
more than a one-time perspective of a programme or of the health
status of a people. It sheds light on people's priorities, the
means for attaining them, how to break through contextual
barriers and achieve the set goals. RAP definitely has a future,
but is in dire need of being formalized.
1. Kemal M, Bryceson D. The concept of development in the social sciences. In: Kassam Y. Mustafa K, eds. Participatory research: an emerging alternative methodology in social science research. New Delhi. Society for Participatory Research, 1982: 13-28.
2. Gran G. Development by people: citizen construction of a just world. New York: Praeger, 1983.
3. Scrimshaw SCM, Hurtado E. Rapid assessment procedures for nutrition and primary health care: anthropological approaches to improving programme effectiveness. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center, 1987.
4. World Bank. Proposal for the development of an agenda for action to improve the implementation of population in sub-sahara Africa in the 1990s. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1989.
5. Hall D, Malahleha G. Health and family planning services in Lesotho: the people's perspective. Lesotho: Morija Museum and Archives, 1989.
6. Ebo A. Ongoing community-based/alternative health/family planning delivery programs in sub-saharan Africa: an overview. In American Public Health Association eds. Bringing family planning to the people: Proceedings of a Conference on community-based distribution and alternative delivery systems in Africa. Washington, DC: APHA, 1986: 22-28.
7. Wawer M, Gorosh M. Components of CBD program management. Ibid 5, 43-49.
8. Delano E. Organizing for community participation in a rural health centre/family planning project. Ibid 5: 55-58.
9. Mworia K. Family planning association of Kenya community-based distribution of contraceptives pilot project. Ibid 5: 66-12.
10. Kinzoni M, Mangani N. The CBD program of family planning services of Zaire. Ibid 5: 102-104.
11. Rukuongwe A. Community-based distribution pilot project in Tanzania. Ibid 5: 105.
12. Akwetteh LSN. The Ghana social marketing programme. Ibid 5: 113.
13. Nzuma T. Community-based distribution/alternative delivery systems programme in Zimbabwe. Ibid 5: 116.
14. Bender D, Macauley RJ. Immunization drop-outs and maternal behavior: evaluation of reasons given and strategies for maintaining gains made in the national vaccination campaign in Liberia. Int Quart Community Health Education 1988-89, 9: 83-98.
15. Debis F. Improper practices for diarrhoea treatment in Africa. Trans Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1988; 82: 935-36.
16. Casalino M. A two-year study of enteric infections associated with diarrhoeal diseases in urban Somalia. Trans Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1988; 82: 637-41.
17. Ramarkrishna J, Brieger WR, Adeniyi JD. Treatment of malaria and febrile convulsions: an educational diagnosis of Yoruba beliefs. Int Quart Community Health Education 1988-89; 9: 305-319.
18. Brandling-Bennett D. Chloroquine treatment of falciparum malaria in an area of Kenya intermediate chloroquine resistance. Trans Royal Society of Tropical medicine and Hygiene 1988; 82: 833-837.
19. Brunengo JF. Iron deficiency, pregnancy and breast-feeding in the Republic of Niger. Trans Royal Society of Tropical medicine and Hygiene 1988; 82: 649-50.
20. Ponnijhaus JM, Fine PEM. Sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis and the search for risk factors for leprosy. Trans Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1988; 82: 803-9.
21. Oyemade A. The care of deaf school children and other handicapped in Nigeria. Royal Society of Health 1975; 6: 282-83.
22. Becker HS. Problems of inference and proof in participant observation. Am Sociological Review 1958; 23: 652-60.
23. Morgan
D. Focus groups as qualitative research. Beverley Hills: Sage,
1988. | https://archive.unu.edu:443/unupress/food2/UIN08E/UIN08E0A.HTM |
Identity Films is an award winning documentary production company that tells meaningful stories about individuals and communities in engaging and insightful ways.
We focus on character driven films that delve into the complexity of the human condition and the world we live in.
Our films have received glowing reviews in prominent global media ranging from the Hollywood Reporter to the Times of London, and have featured at film festivals in North America, Europe, Asia, Israel and Australia.
We make commissioned documentaries for leading broadcasters around the world, from the BBC in the UK to the ABC in Australia.
Our storytelling is compelling and thought provoking. We don’t shy away from tough issues, in fact we welcome them; be they political or personal. We also revel in telling great cultural tales that reflect the soul of our societies and are just good fun.
Whatever story we tell, we always find the quirky and humorous elements in a story.
We work on both 2D and virtual reality (VR) films.
Identity Films is based in Melbourne, Australia, but tells stories from around the world for a global audience.
The company was established in 2006 and is headed by award winning producer and director and former professor Danny Ben-Moshe.
Follow Identity Films on Facebook and Youtube. | http://identity-films.com/page/2/ |
Carbon-Ukraine ltd. serves diverse customers across a variety of industries including the filtration, energy, defense, pharmaceutical, and biomedical sectors. Our mission is the development, production and supply of porous and activated carbon materials, materials characterization, as well as design and manufacturing of equipment for carbon production. Our consultative process leads to custom materials tailored to each customer's precise needs.
We are located in Kiev, Ukraine, and represented in the USA by MedTech Diamond LLC. Our staff includes engineers trained in nanotechnology, organic and inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science and metallurgy. Carbon-Ukraine ltd. has gained wide recognition for its innovative processes and products.
Whether you're creating new products or want to upgrade existing ones, we welcome your inquiries. Our controllable process allows us to rapidly optimize a material for your specific needs, and our engineering and sales team is always available to answer your questions. We encourage you to learn more about the exciting possibilities we offer you, and we look forward to partnering with you to improve your product's performance.
Our Kiev area research and manufacturing center is fully capable of developing and producing porous carbon materials tailored to meet your needs. | http://carbon.org.ua/component/tags/tag/17-carbon-nanomaterials |
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”– Eckhart Tolle, German writer, 1948
This month of November, people in the US and some parts of the world celebrate Thanksgiving. We feast, enjoy, and be thankful for our blessings during the holiday. Thanksgiving is also a wonderful time to teach our children the value of gratitude and living a life of gratefulness.
As the quote above says, acknowledging our blessings is the foundation for all abundance. Gratitude attracts more beautiful and wonderful things in life. And it is not just a state of mind, of positivity. In fact, studies have shown that practicing gratitude can benefit our well-being, including our children’s.
Highlight
Here are some interesting facts about Thanksgiving day created by TransCulturalGroup.com.
Here are some study results and evidence showing the benefits of being grateful.
- One study showed that writing about gratitude made participants more optimistic and better about their lives. Compared to those who wrote about daily irritations, they also tended to exercise more and had fewer doctor’s visits.
- Another study showed that people expressing gratitude towards one another felt more positive towards each other and felt more comfortable communicating about their relationship.
- Dr. Kristin Francis, MD, said, “Expressing gratitude can positively change your brain.” It boosts the happy chemicals in your brain (dopamine and serotonin) that improve your mood and make you happy.
- Another research also shows that those who express gratitude tend to share more freely with others, forgive more willingly, and give more emotional support and assistance.
Benefits of practicing gratitude
If you practice gratefulness and instill value in your children, you can improve their well-being and welfare. Here’s a quick list of benefits when practicing gratitude:
- improves lowers stress and improves mood
- leads to lower rates of sadness and depression
- foster optimism or positive outlook in life
- promotes better relationships with family and friends
- improves physical health
In other words, instilling gratitude in your children can help them develop holistically by improving their mental, social, and physical health.
How to develop gratitude in your children
There are many ways to practice and develop gratefulness in your children, including the following:
- Set a good example. The more you appreciate your children and those around you, the more your child can develop gratefulness. A consistent “thank you” for every favor received can go a long way.
- Create thank-you notes. Nurture family relationships by exchanging thank-you notes on certain occasions, like the Thanksgiving holiday. Encourage your children to give thank-you notes to whom they appreciate, like their friends and teachers.
- Encourage journal writing. Tell your children to write anything they are thankful for the day, whether it be a wonderful gift, gesture, or experience.
- Teach them to reset sad thoughts with better thoughts. Some days can be challenging for your children, but you can teach them to make it better. Inspire them to think of something good that may come up from a bad situation. For instance, your child might not be able to go to their friend’s party when sick, but they can rest and recharge for fun activities in the future.
Instilling gratitude in your children does not only benefit their well-being. It would also result in a happier home and make your children stewards of happiness everywhere they go.
FUN FACT: The word gratitude derives from the Latin word gratia, meaning grace, gratefulness, or graciousness, depending on the content of your sentence.
Sources: | https://i-ville.com/gratitude-a-way-to-your-childs-well-being/ |
“Trust me, I know” – personal reflections on being a women in architecture
So I consulted with my friend about what I should say on Women in Architecture. Knowing my thoughts about Zaha, she advised me not too speak too much about her. I replied: do I now have to defend Zaha the same way we support Hillary Clinton? She reminded me of Trevor Noah saying: if Hillary loses, we get Trump; if Hillary wins, we just get another bad president.
So I guess, that is another way of saying that Zaha was just another bad architect.
If I had had this conversation earlier, I might have titled my talk: “Just another bad architect”. But I had already decided on the title: “Trust me, I know”, and I must now explain why.
I recently presented a talk with the same title on “personal reflections on the decolonization debate”. I explained the expression, “Trust me, I know”, through three personal stories, which I share again here. (Please refer to blog on decolonization debate).
….
Our writing and knowledge contributions considered irrelevant. Is this selective memory, deliberate obliteration or innocent ignorance?
Which leads to my third story on being “written out” of history. I prefer not to delve into the details of this story at this particular forum, at Boukunde, University of Pretoria, where I worked for almost 12 years. We are often subjected to erasure, eradication and obliteration. In architecture, there are many forms of exclusion that we have to contend with in a highly elitist profession. In academia, the exclusion is evident in attempts to “silence” difference; dismiss as “nonprofessional” any alternative forms of design, thinking or practice, declaring “other” voices and forms of expression as invalid.
Generally, architecture is not an easy field to study, teach or practice. I do not believe that we are a very nice group of people – I do not exclude myself from any comment I make about the profession or the professionals. We tend to be rather cruel towards each other and dismissive of each other’s efforts. Perhaps it is something in the nature of the studio critiques that encourages that? And the examination panels that become a forum to openly compete against each other impose or own point of view or demonstrate our superior abilities to “rip a project apart”? I honestly do not know. But I am sure that we are not a very nice bunch of people! But, speaking in our favour, we are a very passionate group of people!
During preparations for UIA 2014 Durban, I also learnt that many of us felt strongly that the event was a reflection of our professional values, what we believe about education, practice and how we view life in general. I learnt that we could never achieve consensus in a room full of architects. I also learnt that my role demanded that I try to be as fair and accurate as possible in understanding and reflecting the intentions of a very diverse group of people. I therefore learnt to moderate my own views.
At a presentation prior to the event, I shared with colleagues some of the complexities that I faced in trying to reconcile the diverse opinions on speakers – with emails such as: “Richard Rogers is unique in that he has an ethical way of running the office which is really singular… a man of the highest principles apart from a great architect, a modest, pleasant person and runs a team office of the highest standard… So I was looking at the slot [in the draft programme], currently held by Zaha Hadid… I rest my case…”.
Our nomination of Zaha led to a flurry of emails, sms’s and phone calls. I would not be exaggerating if I say that there was a sense of outrage amongst the South African architects I interact with. I received a communication: “I find… Zaha almost incoherent…” Others told me that she would probably not show up. Another communication said: “…the finest architects are not the most famous, rather… most often the famous are the biggest bull*******.”
After Zaha’s passing, the rhetoric somewhat changed. In Sudan we say “may the day of your praise never come”, meaning the day of your death. Zahas’ day of praise had come. As a woman, architect and African/Arab, I would like to say that I do not at all subscribe to the opinion that “the loss of Zaha Hadid is personal” for female architects. I find the assumption that I would aspire to break the “glass ceilings” in the kind of environment that she operated in as something of an insult. As a woman architect, I aspire to change the profession completely so that young woman architects are inspired to question this particular interpretation of what architecture is – and what the “rise to the top” means. This is a sensitive topic – considering the fact that powerful women have historically been “violently” vilified. Systemic misogyny is real and women tend to be subjected to aggressive forms of slander.
I have no doubt that Zaha was subjected to some unfair treatment. However, the reality is that we are questioning our profession, its practice and relevance. We are questioning the very institutes that confer awards and the criteria that they use.
Women architects should be equally questioned. It was interesting to see the celebration of Zaha in social media after her death – as we witnessed negative sentiments with regards to the awarding of the Pritzker to Alejandro Arevena. I think we need some serious self-reflection as architects, and the ethics and relevance of our profession needs to come to the fore.
As a woman architect, that is the difference that I would like to bring to the profession. We seem to deny that there are ethical aspects to our work. I prefer to engage with the content and meaning of architecture – rather than the symbolic aspect of having more women in the profession, though symbolic transformation also has some value.
I have generally hated and avoided labels. Woman. Black. Muslim. We need to look beyond the issue of women empowerment and focus more on what women can contribute through adding more diverse voices and views to the profession. Women imitating men and following their lead, rather than innovating new ways of doing things, means no real change will be achieved.
There is also still much research to be done in terms of gender dimensions in architecture. In my PhD I write about women, dress forms and space use in northern riverain Sudan, how a woman’s space “expands” depending on her dress form and how she takes over men’s space in the home at certain times of the day. I also write about makeshift kitchens and nomadic patterns in the home. How these patterns are then translated into contemporary urban homes is lightly touched upon. Having more women in the profession would enable space articulation to be better suited to women’s needs, better serving women and society in general in private and public spaces.
Our most celebrated architects propagated very specific and disadvantaging gender roles through their work. Le Corbusier’s designs reinforced very strong ideas about the role of women in society and in the home. How various standards are imposed on society through built form and space needs to be dealt with in a conscious manner. As women architects, we need to bring more awareness into the profession with regards to gender, space and power. Space can reinforce power relations between people. Space can disempower and disadvantage. As a Muslim Woman, not having equal access to places of worship reinforces my position as a “second class” Muslim, deprived from equal experience of the main spaces of mosques – and in turn deprived from equal access to the spiritual experiences and knowledge that can be derived from having physical access to those spaces.
Being relegated to ancillary spaces, as opposed to main spaces, to side entrances, which are usually dark, unacknowledged, uncelebrated, small and difficult to find – is a powerful reflection of what society thinks of me, my contribution, my role and my rights. All space and forms are value-laden; they contain meaning; they are not neutral. How spaces and entrances are designed for women say much about power structures in society.
Playing with form and technology at the expense of people and their daily, lived experience is something that our male-dominant profession tends to do. As with racist attitudes crossing between races – equally, sexist attitudes cross between genders. In other words, a women architect can be as much a culprit, as a male architect, in perpetuating egotistical, elitist and irrelevant modes of practice in the profession.
I end with the same words I ended my decolonization contribution. With regards to the topic of Women in
Architecture, I would like to invite those who often say, “trust me, I know” to a conversation. I hope we are able to engage and to share knowledge with an open mind, with generosity, integrity and above all, with humility. | http://amiraosman.co.za/2016/08/10/wia-speech-boukunde/ |
Who is the director of Star Wars?
Irvin Kershner
J.J. AbramsGeorge LucasRian JohnsonRichard Marquand
Star Wars/Directors
Who directed Star Wars last Jedi?
Rian JohnsonStar Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi / DirectorRian Craig Johnson is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick, which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Wikipedia
Did George Lucas write The Force Awakens?
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main Star Wars franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012. The first installment, The Force Awakens, was released on December 18, 2015.
Who produced The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams
Kathleen KennedyBryan Burk
Star Wars: The Force Awakens/Producers
Is George Lucas still alive Yes or no?
(born May 14, 1944) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur….
|George Lucas|
|Born||George Walton Lucas Jr. May 14, 1944 Modesto, California, U.S.|
|Alma mater||Modesto Junior College University of Southern California|
|Occupation||Director producer writer entrepreneur|
|Years active||1965–present|
Who is George Lucas wife?
Mellody Hobsonm. 2013
Marcia Lucasm. 1969–1983
George Lucas/Wife
Is Rey a Jedi?
Rey Skywalker, once known only as Rey, was a human female Jedi Master who fought on the side of the Resistance in the war against the First Order. A former scavenger from the planet Jakku, her life was changed by the tumultuous events of the last days of the New Republic Era.
Has Disney ruined Star Wars?
Disney did not ruin Star Wars. Without Disney, we wouldn’t have had any more movies, or at least not anytime soon. Lucas was done making the movies. Disney saved Star Wars, at least canon works.
Is George Lucas still involved with Star Wars?
In October 2016, Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the film but would remain an executive producer. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first film of a Star Wars anthology series was released.
Who wrote Star Wars Episode 7?
Lawrence KasdanMichael Arndt
Star Wars: The Force Awakens/Screenplay
Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, marketed as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is a 2015 film directed by J.J. Abrams; co-written by Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt; and produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Bad Robot Productions.
How old is Harrison Ford?
79 years (July 13, 1942)Harrison Ford / Age
What age is Daisy Ridley? | https://tracks-movie.com/who-is-the-director-of-star-wars/ |
Environmentalists once agreed with Biden on car emission standards. Now they don’t
For once, the big American automakers and the president agree on how much they should be required to limit greenhouse gas emissions from their vehicles.
But as climate change worsens to the point that international scientists are calling it a “code red for humanity,” some of the country’s leading environmental organizations are pushing the administration to go further.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the League of Conservation Voters and others are calling on the Biden administration to finalize stricter rules than those proposed at the start of the last month, and eliminate what they argue these are loopholes that would allow the auto industry to continue creating gasoline and diesel vehicles into the future.
“What we are urging the administration to do is keep the president’s promises that he will make the climate a priority,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity.
President Joe Biden has set the goal of achieving net zero emissions across the economy by 2050. Many conservationists argue that to achieve this goal, the latest gasoline and diesel cars must be sold by 2030, as vehicles remain on the road for around 20 years.
“So the simple math leads us to fear that the standards proposed by the president are far too low,” Becker said.
The public’s opportunity to weigh in on the rules ends Monday, when loud comments on the administration’s proposed rules are expected to flow into the federal registry. But groups offered a snapshot over a two-day period in late August, when a majority of commentators urged the administration to implement the strictest rules possible.
“I certainly think there is an opportunity for the proposal to change” as a result of those comments, said Dave Cooke, senior vehicle analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ clean transportation program.
“We will continue to push for the stronger alternative.”
Moving targets
In 2010, President Barack Obama put in place new rules to reduce transportation emissions by 5% per year until model year 2025. Towards the end of his presidency in 2020, Donald Trump finalized a rule that reduced those standards to an annual emission reduction of 1.5%, arguing that this would lower vehicle costs for manufacturers and consumers.
When he came to power, Biden promised to change those standards again to make them more stringent. Environmentalists saw the Biden presidency as an opportunity to make big strides in slowing climate change while automakers signaled they were ready for bigger emissions cuts anyway, with big investments in them. electric vehicles and, for some, an agreement with California to meet stricter standards.
In early August, the administration released a proposal that would eventually exceed Obama’s standards, but not right away.
Under the rule proposed by the EPA, emissions reductions are expected to increase by 10% in the 2023 model year, according to the EPA. Then it would follow the Obama-era model of cutting emissions by 5% per year until model year 2026. The administration plans to revise the rules after that to potentially make them even stricter.
The EPA says the rule regulators have landed on strikes the balance between significantly reducing emissions while proving “technologically feasible at a reasonable cost” for automakers.
âWe are at a pivotal moment in the history of the light transport sector – a transition to zero-emission vehicle technologies is already underway, and it has great potential for dramatic reductions in GHG emissions and key pollutants. longer term, âthe EPA said in the proposal.
But the EPA also came up with two alternatives to its rule and asked the public what they think about it: a less stringent alternative that would come close to the 2.5% annual reduction in emissions from a deal struck between the state. of California and several automakers, and another more stringent. this would immediately revert to Obama-era standards for model year 2023 and extend to model year 2026.
Climate fears
Most environmentalists are pushing the administration to go as far as possible by adopting the second alternative plus a further reduction in emissions of 10 grams per mile.
They are also asking the EPA to remove additional incentives for automakers to help them comply with the rules, arguing that they will only allow companies to continue selling for-profit gasoline and diesel vehicles only to them. years to come. Automakers would be allowed to carry over credits generated in the past four years, obtain additional credits for electric vehicles and other “advanced technologies”, obtain credits for hybrids or full-size electric pickups and obtain more credits for “off-cycle” efficiency improvements. .
“We don’t want to see any loopholes that give automakers extra credit for electric vehicles,” said Katherine GarcÃa, interim director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign.
These incentives were designed under Obama to help automakers switch to electric vehicles, she and others said. But now that major automakers have invested billions in electrified technology and the Detroit Three have said they aim to sell 40-50% electric vehicles by the end of the decade, that may not be necessary anymore. .
âThere is a way to meet our climate goals and make sure we have vehicles produced in the United States, and the answer is clean, zero emission vehicles,â GarcÃa said. “This settlement will help us get there – if it is a strong settlement, it will help us get there as quickly as necessary.”
Environmentalists also argue that the off-cycle credit program has been abused to reward automakers for technology that doesn’t have such a big impact on emission reductions or that is difficult to measure, like thermal controls in the air. interior of the cockpit.
âIt turns out that a lot of manufacturers basically ticked the boxes and said ‘yes, my technology qualifies’,â Cooke said. The EPA acknowledges in the proposal that the current program does not adequately test the claims and says it will change those definitions.
“So that’s a real concern for us. There is a lot of evidence that this off-cycle credit program is already leading to undue credits for manufacturers,” he said. “And on top of that, the EPA is proposing to increase the number of credits that can be earned in the system.”
Most automakers have failed to meet federal standards or earn net greenhouse gas credits in recent years. In the latest EPA report available on the 2019 model year, only five automakers met the standards, and the Detroit Three were not among them.
Instead, automakers rely on these extra credits and credit trading systems to comply. This is especially important for Tesla Inc., the automaker that regularly accumulates credits and is dedicated to selling them to competitors. The company has pushed federal regulators to increase civil penalties for automakers who fail to comply.
Adding credits to systems would only continue this trend by giving automakers the credits they need to save time and avoid compliance, several environmental groups have argued.
âThis is all very wrong. Yet automakers love it because they don’t actually have to cut emissions,â Becker said. “It’s so much horse hockey.”
Automakers note that they may be investing heavily in EVs, but that’s not a safe bet: EVs only account for around 2% of new car sales, and although vehicle sales electrics are expected to skyrocket in the coming years, their sales targets of 40-50% by 2030 still seem ambitious to many in the industry.
“A significant amount of new technology electrifying vehicles will be needed to meet these standards,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an advocacy group representing most automakers selling vehicles in the United States. . “So it’s really important that the ruler has the tools to encourage and accelerate this technological change.”
The Alliance has testified before the EPA that it supports the rule – a big change from the more adversarial relationship between automakers and the administration as Obama developed emissions standards a decade ago. But automakers still say the industry needs help from the government to achieve what’s called for as it shifts to a more electrified fleet.
“At the same time (as we invest in electrification), we need to make sure that the gasoline vehicles we continue to produce are also more efficient and produce lower emissions than the vehicles they replaced,” Bozzella said. | https://lyon-hockey-club.com/environmentalists-once-agreed-with-biden-on-car-emission-standards-now-they-dont/ |
Effective communicators are able to use the thread (communication skills) to shape the future. To be an effective communicator, one must know how to put words together that communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings. These thoughts, ideas, and feelings are then expressed in writing or delivered orally. Some individuals are immortalized because of their ability to put words together. A few examples of those who have been immortalized are Patrick Henry, Nathan Hale, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill. Consider the impact of their messages. Words will move people to action.
Patrick Henrys words were a moving force behind one of the sparks that ignited the Revolutionary War in 1775. The impact of that revolution is well known to all Americans. Many Americans are familiar with his speech to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. The most familiar part of his speech is I know not what course or give me death! (North American Biographies, 1994,92) Words show an individuals commitment and can be very inspirational. Nathan Hale (Ubbelohde, 1993, 710) needed only these 14 words to show his commitment to his cause: I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.
These words are committed to memory by many and are still inspiring. One of the most famous speeches ever delivered was Lincolns Gettysburg Address. Kane (1989,100) refers to the speech as an immortal address. It is debatable as to whether the opening lines Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal or the closing lines and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth are most familiar to Americans.
Another speech of significant magnitude was delivered by Winston Churchill. (1940, 572) His words not only lifted the spirits of the British but also were motivational to those committed to the Allied cause. We shall go on the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the
Seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, would carry on the struggle, until in Gods good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.
The power of the written and spoken word can have a significant impact on the lives of those who hear or read it. Developing at using the spoken and written word is important to a persons success. Not everyone can be immortalized by their words, but everyone can have an impact on those with whom they associate by being skilled at using the written and spoken word. | https://benjaminbarber.org/communication-as-the-thread-that-binds-our-society-together/ |
Tips for Writing a Grant Proposal
You've decided which grant to apply for and have reviewed the grant materials and requirements. Now it's time to explain how the design and purpose of your project are consistent with the requirements and goals of the grant.
Before Starting to Write
First gather the required documentation. You will need background information in at least four areas:
- Your School or Organization
- Your Need
- Your Project
- Project Expenses
Your project goals and objectives must be clearly defined and fall within the guidelines of the funding source.
Determine how your project fits into the philosophy and the mission of your school or organization. It is important for the funding source to know that your proposed project reinforces the overall direction of your school or organization.
Provide background information on other projects your school or organization has been involved in and be able to describe their relationship to your proposed project.
Abstract
The Abstract is where you will need to write an overview of your project. Here you can briefly lay out the components about which you will go into more detail in the main part of your grant proposal:
- Need and/or Problem
- Goals and Objectives
- Strategies and Activities
- Expected Results
- Evaluation
- Estimated cost
Project Narrative
- Demographics: Describe your school or district: location, grades, numbers and kinds of schools, total students, socio-economic populations, etc. Describe the groups involved in your grant project: students, teachers, administrators, parents, etc. Include numbers and percentages of students in various categories who are part of your project: Title I, English language learners, special education, etc.
- Need: Establish the need for your project. You can do this by enumerating student scores on your state assessment or on various standardized reading/language tests – such as the Woodcock Johnson, CELF, TOLD, etc. – and the levels where student scores should be if they were at grade level proficiency. Discuss how the stated need has adversely affected your school, district, and community, and what it would mean to improve the situation.
- Goals and Objectives: What are your project’s general goals (e.g., students reading by the end of third grade) and specific objectives (e.g., 85% of third grade students reaching grade level reading proficiency as measured by your state assessment).
- Strategies and Activities: What strategies (e.g., implement the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant software) and specific activities (e.g., students will use Fast ForWord Language 40 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 9-13 weeks) will be undertaken to achieve your goals and objectives? Describe your implementation plan.
- Timeline: When will your activities be conducted and completed?
- Evaluation: How can you prove you have been successful in meeting your objectives? What tests will you use? Who will be responsible for the evaluation process?
- Sustainability: Provide a statement on how the school, district, or organization will sustain the innovation once funding has ended.
- Budget: Describe the costs necessary to carry out the activities you have described in your proposal. Include costs for the Fast ForWord and/or Reading Assistant software, staff, administration, etc. | https://www.scilearn.com/resources/funding/proposal-writing |
The distinct flavour of the Habanero can lend a balance to any chef’s recipe The elements of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter can all be enhanced by the addition of the legendary Habanero Pepper.
Pure Habanero Red Savina Gourmet Pepper Sauce contains the world’s hottest commercially grown habanero, the “Red Savina”, which has a range of 400,000-500,000 Scoville units.
Ingredients: Habanero Pepper, Salt, and Vinegar. | https://www.saucemania.com.au/pure-habanero-red-savina-gourmet-pepper-sauce-111ml/ |
Aisha Francis is the founder of Project: Restore Families Impacted by Incarceration (FIBI).
As Canadians learned with dawning horror the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ingredients for public-health disasters became clear: close quarters and limited access to proper health care, with disproportionate impacts on Black and South Asian communities. As a result, senior care homes became hot spots of transmission, while cities have worked to expand homeless shelters.
These realizations also prompted a call for both provincial and federal corrections to reduce the number of people in custody. To its credit, the Ontario government initiated a mass exodus that began in mid-March to mitigate the spread of the virus in the province’s jails, releasing more than 2,300 incarcerated people.
Story continues below advertisement
This was a victory, albeit a small one, and many continue to be released as a matter of public health. But broader structural, systemic and anti-Black racism issues surrounding incarceration, release and reintegration – concerns that had already existed – haven’t been solved. This pandemic-sparked exodus only exacerbates them.
I know this firsthand, because my husband received a seven-year sentence in 2004 that devastated our family. His incarceration, coupled with the insidious stigma of crime and being jailed that dismisses the needs and traumas of those in prison and their loved ones, led us to experience racism on the part of neighbours, corrections staff and in social institutions such as school and church. We also dealt with social isolation, housing precarity, employment and economic instability, and a lack of vital social and mental-health supports.
Our challenges only intensified during his “reintegration” – though that might not be the right word for his release and re-entry after his term, since the definition should involve fitting back into a broader whole of societal normalcy. Instead, my husband – suddenly without the physical and psychological structures of prison – became anxious, worried about the unknown, and hyper-vigilant of his comings and goings and surroundings.
Our experience is sadly relatively common, because our current frameworks and best practices for what a successful outcome after prison time should look like are not viable.
Right now, the reintegration process begins six weeks prior to release, and there is no continuum of services and support before or after that point. The individual is simply given their release date and their release papers are prepared. With their property in hand and bus fare as needed, they are released to their families, directed to their local social services, or referred to a community program.
This is what qualifies as successful re-entry. There is no formal process of reintegration once a person has been released; though Black and Indigenous families are disproportionately incarcerated and marginalized, there are no viable frameworks or culturally specific best practices.
Effective approaches to reintegration remain fraught, complex and uncertain, and the ones that do exist tend to focus almost exclusively on the needs of the incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individual. But these approaches ignore the fact that incarceration effectively imprisons every person in the individual’s immediate ecosystem. They especially fail to acknowledge the collateral effects and experiences of family members who often have to take on responsibility for the released individual.
Story continues below advertisement
The experiences of prison widows – women whose partners and spouses are incarcerated – is often internalized or ignored by a society that has no empathy for trauma or grief that arises from incarceration. Marriages tend to end at a high rate for incarcerated people and, according to a 2014 U.S. study, every year of incarceration increases an inmate’s odds of divorce by an average of 32 per cent.
Nonetheless, families are charged with providing housing assistance for a safe transition from jail back into the family home while supporting their loved one’s economic well-being. This forces them to become first responders in mental-health crises and social workers with a specialty in conflict resolution.
Families must learn all of this on their own, often on the fly. If they stumble or fail, the risks of homelessness, mental-health crises, addiction and reoffending significantly increase. Relationships with an incarcerated person are challenging.
Right now, the gross impact and exorbitant cost of incarceration – overseen by the three, often independent-functioning factions of policing, judicial processing and corrections that comprise the criminal-justice system – is shrouded. Ample resources must be allocated to help people exiting prison and their families; in doing so, broader society would benefit. We need to have greater emphasis on what success and livelihood mean after incarceration so we can develop a better plan.
In our work with families stitching their worlds back together again and reimagining what their lives and families look like after prison, we have come to know that reintegration is a process that must consider the entire family unit.
The more our society understands that reality, the likelier it is that we fundamentally get reintegration and public safety right. And given the innovative approaches already taken in the justice system in the name of public health, the pandemic provides us a unique opportunity to do so.
Story continues below advertisement
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.
Due to technical reasons, we have temporarily removed commenting from our articles. We hope to have this fixed soon. Thank you for your patience. If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to [email protected]. If you want to write a letter to the editor, please forward to [email protected].
Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe.
Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Click here to subscribe. | |
art.inhavana.net, online site managed by frency, offers space to visual creators with a contemporary production.
art.inhavana.net, online cuban art site , offers space to visual creators with a contemporary production. It involves artists, projects, art critics and curators. It offers information about spaces, exhibitions, events, studios of artist and other modalities of socialization of the institutional and independent art from the capital of Cuba, with a national and international reach of their creators.
It understands as contemporary a sensibility that apprehends the spirit of the epoch through the new tools that emerge and combine with the traditional ways of expression, to investigate artistically in problematics of the present time, strongly related with culture and precedent history. These artistic tools consists in: drawing, painting, engraving, sculpture, object, installation, environment, photographs, mixed Media, performance, intervention, process art, Media art, New Media or Emerging Media.
The aesthetic bases that art.inhavana.net promotes, although diverse, are committed with the experimental, conceptual, minimalist, relational and diverse renovation that characterizes one of the most interesting areas in the contemporary artistic production. It estimates their discursive orientations supported in a critical perception toward the social field, the spiritual dimension and the linguistic ground. | http://www.inhavana.net/artinhavana-space-cuban-contemporary-art/ |
Q:
What's the magnification of a full frame macro lens on a MFT camera?
I think I've got this right but I would like to be positive before I buy a lens.
If I were to use a Nikkor 55mm full frame macro lens with a 1:2 magnification and a 9inch min focus on a micro four thirds body it would still have a 9inch min focus but because of the crop factor, the magnification would be 1:1. Correct?
A:
Sorry, no; the magnification designation of a macro lens is the ratio of the physical size of the object to the size it appears on the sensor, meaning at 1:2 magnification, the image of the object would be half life size on the sensor (so e.g. a 2cm diameter coin would have an image 1cm wide on the sensor).
Of course being a smaller sensor, the image would take up a greater proportion of the sensor than would be the case with a full frame camera, so would appear larger on an image printed at the same dimensions, but this difference in magnification occurs when the print is made, not when the image is exposed.
You are correct that the 9 inch minimum focus would be unchanged, however.
| |
Gene expression, telomere and cognitive deficit analysis as a function of Chornobyl radiation dose and age: from in utero to adulthood.
Objective - to estimate the possible effects of low dose ionizing radiation on human cognitive function in adult hood and in utero. Cognitive tests, telomere length and expression of genes regulating telomere function were studied in Chornobyl cleanup workers who were exposed to doses under 500 mSv (n = 326) and subjects exposed in utero during the first days after the accident Prypiat town (n = 104). The neurocognitive assessment covered mem ory, attention, language, executive and visiospatial functions. In young adults after prenatal exposure a relation ship was analyzed between a cognitive function and radiation dose to foetus, brain and thyroid gland. Internal con trols were used for both groups - the group of Chornobyl cleanup workers exposed in doses less than 20 mSv and an age matched comparison group from radioactively contaminated areas for subjects exposed in utero. Cognitive functions in cleanup workers exposed to ionizing radiation at adulthood are characterized by symptoms of a mild cognitive impairment according to the MMSE (mean group score 25,58 ± 2,95) and a significant ly higher level of mental disorders according to the BPRS in a dose related manner. Cleanup workers exposed to doses over 500 mSv demonstrate a significant cognitive deficit in comparison with those exposed below 500 mSv and espe cially non exposed patients. Subjects exposed in utero during the check at age of 25-27 years exhibit an excess of the disorders of autonomic nervous system (ICD 10: G90). Neurological microsymptoms as well as neurotic, stress relat ed and somatoform disorders (F40-F48) dominate. Relationship were revealed between the TERT, TERF1, TERF2 genes expression, relative telomere length (RTL),cognitive deficit and cerebrovascular pathology, radiation dose and age. Telomere length in cleanup workers is sreduced after 50 years (6.1 %). The most significant reduction in telomere length is shown after 70 years (11.7 %). Negative correlation was found between telomere length and degree of cog nitive deficit (MMSE scale) and between age and degree of cognitive deficit. The RTL is significantly decreased in groups of persons with cognitive deficit compared to a comparison group. Telomere length at the late period after low dose radiation exposure is downregulated by the high TERF2 gene expression combined with low expression of TERT gene. After exposure to doses over 250-500 mSv a cognitive deficit and dementia were associated with a substantial increase in TERT gene expression, overexpression of TERF1 and decrease in expression of TERF2 gene. A relationship was revealed between the TERF2 gene expression and CD95+ cell fraction susceptible to apoptosis. This study shows that cognitive deficit in humans at a late period after radiation exposure is influ enced by dose, age at exposure and gene regulation of telomere function.
| |
Biomass energy refers to the energy of all products derived from living organisms. Just like fossil fuels, biomass is formed by the Sun which, through photosynthesis, converts carbon dioxide and water into organic matter. However, unlike fossil fuels that take millions of years to form, biomass can be produced in a short period of time. In fact, this is how the human body converts food into the energy it needs to perform daily tasks. Many of the materials we use and much of the by-products of our activities are biomass; they can be burned directly or converted into liquid and gaseous fuels such as methanol, ethanol, biogas and synfuel.
Although only a tiny fraction of the solar energy that reaches the earth is converted into biomass, it can fulfill all the world’s energy needs. Currently, biomass contribution to overall energy consumption is small. However, if energy contained in food is included, biomass provides about 15% of all the energy consumed in the world and, after oil, coal, and natural gas, is our fourth largest energy resource (a). Until the mid nineteenth century, wood provided 90% of energy used in the United States, before better coal technology and the discovery of petroleum reduced the demand for biomass. Today, about 3% of the US energy demand is supplied by biomass, mostly for residential heating and cooking in the form of firewood, but also indirectly as feedstock for the production of liquid and gaseous biofuels (1). Some developing countries, mainly China and India, satisfy as much as one third of their total energy needs from biomass.
Tires, pulp, paper, wooden products, foodstuff, rice husks, peanut shells, fruit pits and animal waste are all examples of biomass. Municipal solid wastes are, for the most part, derived from plants and other organic matter. Unfortunately, they contain a variety of other substances that are highly toxic and could pose a health hazard if burned; due to these toxic components many people do not consider them to be biomass.
Although biomass energy is renewable, it is not clean, and when burned, like other conventional fuels, it produces pollution. The emissions are lower, however. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide produced from the combustion of biomass offsets that used up during its formation, maintaining zero net production of this dangerous greenhouse gas.
In this chapter, we will discuss the mechanism for the formation of biomass, its resources, and its many applications.
When the earth was formed about 5 billion years ago, it was nothing more than a collection of extremely hot cosmic dust with no atmosphere. With time, these particles lumped together by the force of gravity forming an early atmosphere of mostly hydrogen and helium. This was followed by volcanic eruptions which produced water vapor, nitrogen, methane, sulfur, and a few other gases present in today’s volcanoes. No free oxygen was yet present. As earth cooled, water vapor turned into liquid, filling up oceans. Small amounts of oxygen gas appeared only after sun’s ultraviolet radiation broke up the water molecules. The condition was now just right for carbon dioxide and water to react through a process called photosynthesis, making the simpler organic compounds. As by-products, oxygen and ozone were also formed. As the atmosphere thickened, dinosaurs, birds, more complex animals, and eventually the primary form of man appeared.
Contents
References
(1) EIA International Energy Annual Report, 1998.
(2) Toossi Reza, "Energy and the Environment:Sources, technologies, and impacts", Verve Publishers, 2005
Additional Comments
(a) Excluding food energy (See Chapter 1), wind energy is the fourth largest energy resource.
Further Reading
Sims, R., Bioenergy Options for a Cleaner Environment in Developed and Developing Countries, Elsevier, 2003.
Tillman, D., Combustion of Solid Fuels & Wastes, Academic Press, 1991.
Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture, The Worldwatch Institute, 2007.
Biomass and Bioenergy, Science Direct Elsevier Science Publishing Company.
External Links
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Biomass Research (http://www.nrel.gov/biomass).
US Department of Energy (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass).
Biomass Energy Research Association (http://www.bera1.org).
American Bioenergy Association (http://www.biomass.org). | http://wwww.thermalfluidscentral.org/encyclopedia/index.php/Biomass_Energy_Overview |
The essential duties and responsibilities are listed below. Other duties may be assigned.
Maintain safety within each shop through awareness of surroundings and potential hazards. Notify Safety Coordinator when hazards are found, make immediate corrections of unsafe work practices and review areas of concern with Supervisors and location Manager.
Meet production guidelines by scheduling workable cars into shop based upon Plant Manager's guidelines and individual crew abilities.
Determine appropriate makeup and staffing levels of crews by evaluating workable care availability, car repair production forecasts and enroute car list.
Ensure that crew has adequate equipment by continually evaluating equipment requirements of crews and individuals. Arrange equipment requisition through purchasing department as needed.
Assist Plant Manager with development of goals and objectives for crews.
Maintain the efficiency and product quality of the work crews by establishing goals and providing needed training to achieve stated goals. Counsel employees and crews when goals are not met, taking corrective actions as needed.
Assist in hiring of employees by interviewing applicants and providing evaluation to hiring supervisor.
Establish goals and objectives for assigned supervisors.
Evaluate assigned supervisors' job performance by providing a written appraisal for Plant Manager to review. Review performance appraisal with each supervisor and provide new goals and objectives.
Maintain the training program for employees by providing all needed maintenance updates, conducting periodic meetings, and ensuring proper certification of employees. Ensures that training programs are clearly documented and that employees sign off as required.
Ensure the accuracy of daily and weekly time cards by auditing daily time cards each morning for prior shift and auditing weekly time cards for correct time off.
Ensure the accuracy of Car Billing Papers by confirming that all repairs have been signed-off by operator and inspector, that all par numbers are included and correct and that all repairs are authorized by the customer.
Manage facility in absence of Plant Manager and report to General Manager as needed. | https://careers.gbrx.com/san-antonio-tx/foreman/4113B784B250425BB70979D5C9A3E8A4/job/?vs=28 |
Sepura Appoints Head of Hardware to Lead Product Development Team
Sepura have made an exciting addition to their product team with the recruitment of Dr Heather Rolls as their new Head of Hardware Development. Heather has joined the global critical communications supplier at a crucial time to lead their development of next generation Sepura devices.
Heather will head up a team of engineers designing Sepura’s powerful radios, using experience gained in developing mission critical products for the security and defence market.
Speaking about her new role with Sepura, Heather said: “I am really excited to be joining Sepura at such an exciting time in its history, as it looks to bring to market intelligent solutions to support public safety users. My experience is very much in matching user requirements to industry capability to produce true innovation. Sepura is a great home for me given the company’s history in breaking new ground within critical communications.
“We have seen in recent years that many organisations including police forces in the UK, Sweden, Italy, Germany and around the world have chosen Sepura to support their front-line staff. Our challenge is to continue developing new products that keep us as the device of choice for these leading organisations.”
"Our challenge is to continue developing new products that keep us as the device of choice for these organisations."Dr Heather Rolls, Head of Hardware, Sepura
In previous roles at Ultra Electronics and Teledyne e2v, Heather delivered successful products deployed in some of the world’s most demanding markets. These included electrical systems which prevented the build-up of ice on the wings of both commercial and military planes.
Duncan Crouch, Operations Director at Sepura, was delighted to add Heather to his team, commenting: “The design and manufacturing excellence for which Sepura is known are crucial our customers and to the company’s future success. Heather has proven experience in developing mission critical products for customers in the defence and security markets, and we are delighted to add her to our team in Cambridge. | https://www.sepura.com/news/sepura-add-excellence-to-product-development-team |
- This event has passed.
St. Augustine Record Fair featuring Bears & Lions & DJ Papi Disco on Sept. 25
September 25, 2022, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
The St. Augustine Record Fair returns to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. This event is a free, family-friendly event that is open to the public. Music lovers and collectors are invited to shop thousands of music-related items including new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, posters, turntable equipment and supplies, memorabilia, collectibles and more.
Bears & Lions will perform at 12pm
Born wild. Forced into captivity. Escaped the circus. Now rocking the universe! | https://singoutloudflorida.com/event/st-augustine-record-fair-featuring-bears-lions/ |
dividing two matrices in c
Posted 26 October 2013 - 11:13 AM
so i wrote a code to populate two matrices with random numbers. then i am supposed to multiply, dividem add and subtract the matrices. i have it all printed out and everything looks good... except my divide function isn't working to give me a fraction of a number. matrix[a] and matrix[b] are int and matrix[c] is a double.
Re: dividing two matrices in c
Posted 26 October 2013 - 12:08 PM
random numbers are defined as:
a[i][j]=rand()%49+1;
that should take care of zeros.
now, if i wanted find the numbers that were odd and print them for each part... would i just create a loop to divide by two and use the modulus operator to see if it =/0 then print the digits that falls into? would that be the most efficient way?
| |
A first-of-its-kind study from the National Institutes of Health is analyzing how screen time affects children's brains, CBS News reported. Over the next decade, the study will follow more than 11,000 children, who are currently 9 to 10 years old, as they grow up around screens.
According to Dr. Dimitri Christakis, the lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics' most recent screen-time guidelines, these negative effects occur because children don't know how to translate two-dimensional skills learned on a screen to the real, three-dimensional world. "If you give a child an app where they play with virtual Legos, virtual blocks, and stack them, and then put real blocks in front of them, they start all over," he said on "60 Minutes."
The newest screen-time guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics stress the importance of face-to-face communication and suggest parents avoid screen time for toddlers between the ages of 18 and 24 months, with the exception of video calling. The guidelines also suggest parents accompany young children whenever they are using screens.
Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest parents and children use screens together. | https://www.4ccn.org/toddlers-and-screen-time/ |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – It’s already time for college students to start thinking about filing for financial aid for next year and Governor Bill Haslam is working to make sure families are prepared.
In order to qualify for the maximum amount of financial aid it’s important to file your application as early as possible.
The best way to get all of your questions answered and fill out your application on time is to participate in your local Tennessee FAFSA Frenzy event.
The Tennessee FAFSA Frenzy begins Saturday. Click here for more about the program.
Schools across the state are planning to have special events for students and families. | http://wkrn.com/2016/09/27/students-urged-to-participate-in-fafsa-frenzy/ |
Young archers to compete in Madison in July
MADISON – The 6th annual National Archery in the Schools World Tournament will take place in Madison at the Alliant Energy Center July 11 to 13. The event will showcase archers from all around the world and is open to the public.
The National Archery in the Schools Program is an in-school curriculum for students in grades four to twelve. A number of schools participating in the NASP program have created after school programs and archery teams in addition to their in-school archery program.
"While the National Archery in the Schools Program focuses on the process of shooting and shooting safely rather than the outcome or score of the arrow, the NASP tournaments offer participants in the program an opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in the sport," said Dan Schroeder, NASP coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which is serving as host for the world tournament.
Archers qualify for the NASP World Tournament based on their scores at the NASP national tournament. Archers and teams from countries outside of the United States follow a similar qualification process through their respective provincial and national tournaments. In 2014, archers are expected from Canada, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Mongolia.
Competitive flight times are as follows:
Friday, July 11: 8 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, July 12: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 13: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The public is welcome as spectators for a fee of $5 per day for people 8 years old and up and parking of $6.50 per day. Food and beverage will be sold on site.
Last year, the NASP World Tournament was held in St. Louis, Mo. Participation from 2012 to 2013 increased by 134 percent -- 2,907 archers competed at the 2013 world tournament. Additional growth is expected in 2014.
Josh Ohlert and Riley Mabe, the overall male and female champions in 2013 respectively, scored the highest individual world tournament scores ever recorded by NASP at last year's world tournament.
Ohlert and Wendi Thomas, the male and female high school champions in 2013, have graduated and will not be defending their title in 2014. However, Mabe enters ninth grade this fall and will defend her title.
A pair of two-time defending world champion teams, Trigg County High School of Cadiz, Ky. and Caudill Middle School of Richmond Ky., will each try to achieve a third straight victory in 2014.
For more information regarding the National Archery in the Schools Program, please visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword "NASP" or visit www.naspschools.org. For tournament information, visit www.nasptournaments.org.
For more information: | https://www.postcrescent.com/story/sports/outdoors/hunting/2014/06/25/young-archers-to-compete-in-madison-in-july/11349741/ |
Q:
How to insert the contents of one list into another
I am trying to combine the contents of two lists, in order to later perform processing on the entire data set. I initially looked at the built in insert function, but it inserts as a list, rather than the contents of the list.
I can slice and append the lists, but is there a cleaner / more Pythonic way of doing what I want than this:
array = ['the', 'fox', 'jumps', 'over', 'the', 'lazy', 'dog']
addition = ['quick', 'brown']
array = array[:1] + addition + array[1:]
A:
You can do the following using the slice syntax on the left hand side of an assignment:
>>> array = ['the', 'fox', 'jumped', 'over', 'the', 'lazy', 'dog']
>>> array[1:1] = ['quick', 'brown']
>>> array
['the', 'quick', 'brown', 'fox', 'jumped', 'over', 'the', 'lazy', 'dog']
That's about as Pythonic as it gets!
A:
The extend method of list object does this, but at the end of the original list.
addition.extend(array)
| |
Q:
How do I calculate a spearman rank correlation in pandas?
I have a dataframe that looks like this: Each value represents a value one of 5 distances (1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m, 0).
'key1': array([ 1.21, 0.99, 6.66,
5.22, 3.33]), 'key2': array([ 2.21, 2.99, 5.66,
6.22, 2.33]), 'key3': array([ 4.21, 1.59, 6.66,
9.12, 0.23])......
I want to calculate a Spearman rank correlation between the values and the distances for each of the keys.
I have a lot of 'keys' I would like to do this somehow in pandas. And then plot a graph of spearman rank and distance averaging across all keys.
A:
Since you mention pandas , and there is corr function in pandas with method spearman
pd.concat([pd.DataFrame(v),pd.DataFrame(d)],axis=1).corr(method="spearman").iloc[-1]
Out[1302]:
key1 -0.5
key2 -0.4
key3 0.1
0 1.0
Name: 0, dtype: float64
A:
This is one way via a dictionary comprehension and scipy.stats.spearmanr.
import numpy as np
from scipy.stats import spearmanr
d = np.array([1000, 800, 600, 400, 200])
v = {'key1': np.array([ 1.21, 0.99, 6.66, 5.22, 3.33]),
'key2': np.array([ 2.21, 2.99, 5.66, 6.22, 2.33]),
'key3': np.array([ 4.21, 1.59, 6.66, 9.12, 0.23])}
res = {k: spearmanr(v[k], d)[0] for k in sorted(v)}
If you want to use pandas, my advice is perform your calculations as above and create a dataframe from your results.
This will almost certainly be more efficient than performing your calculations after putting data in pandas.
df = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(res, orient='index')
Result:
0
key1 -0.5
key2 -0.4
key3 0.1
| |
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be strict and uphold the highest standard in hiring new police officers in its ranks following the go signal to recruit 10,000 additional new police officers.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that “the best time to weed out undesirables is during the recruitment process, therefore the NAPOLCOM and the PNP must only hire those with the necessary skills, are morally upright, and will enforce the law without fear or favor.”
"Let's raise the bar and be stringent as we are potentially taking in individuals who are either going to be heroes or bad eggs. We should uphold the highest standard possible," he adds.
The NAPOLCOM chaired by the DILG Chief recently approved the recruitment of 10,000 Patrolmen and Patrolwomen through Resolution No. 2019-707, 7,895 of which will be assigned in the PNP Mobile Forces under the 17 Police Regional Offices (PROs) nationwide while 2,105 of the new recruits will be assigned to the National Support Units (NSUs) and other PNP offices.
Año says that 10,000 additional police officers is no easy task, thus the PNP must only hire individuals who will contribute to the fulfillment of its mandate and will be assets of the police organization.
He explains that as the PNP continues to clean its own ranks, choosing individuals who fit the DILG mantra of “matino, mahusay, at maaasahan” will ensure that internal cleansing will be a thing of the past for the PNP. "Piliin na ang mga aplikanteng may tunay na pagmamahal sa bayan para hindi na kailangang magsagawa pa ng internal cleansing sa kanila."
Requirements
The DILG Chief adds that now that uniformed personnel, including the police officers, have received a substantial pay hike under the current administration, it is expected that the 10,000 new law enforcers must also double their efforts in protecting and serving the people.
"Hindi din po biro ang salary at compensation na matatanggap ng mga magiging bagong pulis na ito kaya kailangan piliin natin ang mga nararapat at tapat na mga lingkod bayan," he says.
Interested applicants may apply online through the NAPOLCOM Directorate for Personnel and Records Management website. Basic requirements are: a citizen of the Philippines; a person of good moral character; must have passed the psychiatric/psychological, drug and physical tests to be administered by the PNP; and must possess a formal baccalaureate degree from a recognized learning institution. Aspiring law enforcers must also pass the PNP Entrance Examination to be administered by the NAPOLCOM.
He says that background checks will be administered to ensure that applicants meet all requirements, including: must not have been dishonorably discharged from military employment or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government; and must not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude.
Applicants must be at least one meter and sixty-two centimeters (1.62m) in height for male and one meter and fifty-seven centimeters (1.57m) and must weigh not more or less than five kilograms (5kg) from the standard weight corresponding to his/her weight, age, and sex.
They must not be less than twenty-one (21) nor more than thirty (30) years of age and must submit the following documentary requirements: Civil Service Personal Data Sheet; Philippine Statistics Office-authenticated Birth Certificate; authenticated Certificate of Eligibility; two (2) pieces 2x2 black and white picture with name tag, one (1) bust-size picture, and one (1) whole body picture; authenticated Transcript of Records/Diploma; local clearances such as Barangay, Police, RTC/MTC and NBI; Medical Certificate; and fingerprint and handwriting specimen.
The 7,895 new cops will be distributed to the following Police Regional Offices: PRO1- 450; PRO2- 350; PRO3- 300; PRO4A- 295; PRO4B- 600; PRO5- 750; PRO6- 400; PRO7- 300; PRO8- 450; PRO9- 350; PRO10- 700; PRO11- 400; PRO12- 350; PRO13- 500; PRO COR- 600; PRO ARMM- 800; and NCRPO- 300.
Meanwhile, the remaining 2,105 will be under the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG)- 100; Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG)- 50; Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP)- 200; Communications and Electronics Service (CES)- 50; Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)- 300; Crime Laboratory (CL)- 250; Drug Enforcement Group (DEG)- 200; Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management/ Women and Children’s Protection Center (DIDM/WCPC)- 80; Explosive Ordnance Disposal/K9 Group (EOD/K9)- 75; Health Service (HS)- 100; Headquarters Support Service (HSS)/PNP BAND- 200; Intelligence Group (IG)- 100; Information Technology Management Service (ITMS)- 50; Logistics Support Service (LSS)- 50; Maritime Group (MG)- 75; Training Service (TS)- 100; Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG)- 75; and Police Retirement Benefits Service (PRBS)- 50. | https://dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-to-PNP-Uphold-highest-standard-in-hiring-10000-new-cops/NC-2019-1254 |
FRESH FRUIT GLAZE
Make and share this Fresh Fruit Glaze recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Barb in WNY
Categories Fruit
Time 7m
Yield 1 cup glaze, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Combine fruit juice and cornstarch in a 2 cup microwave-safe measuring cup.
- Stir in sugar and crushed fruit or rind.
- Microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes at High, stirring once, until thickened.
- Stir in flavoring.
- Cool.
- Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 44.2, Sodium 0.2, Carbohydrate 11.3, Sugar 9.4
BASIC SUGAR GLAZE
Steps:
- 1. Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.
QUICK VANILLA GLAZE
This is the perfect glaze for a dessert bread. It is so simple to whip up, you will be adding it to all of your breads.-Mary Faulk, Cambridge, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 5m
Yield 1/2 cup.
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken if desired. Spoon over bread.
Nutrition Facts :
MIRROR GLAZE RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: water, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, gelatin sheets, white chocolate, gel food coloring
Provided by Alvin Zhou
Categories Desserts
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Boil the water, sugar, and condensed milk in a pot for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
- Bloom the gelatin sheets in 8 cups (2 liters) of cold water for 5 minutes, then wring the gelatin sheets of excess water and mix into the sugar mixture.
- Pour the liquid over the chocolate, letting it sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften.
- Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the chocolate and the liquid, making sure that you are not blending in air bubbles by lifting up the blender too high. It's okay to go slow, just make sure it's all blended with as little bubbles as possible, which will show up in the final product.
- Sieve the mix into a large jug or vertical container to remove any excess bubbles. If there are still bubbles, continue to sieve back and forth. A trick to remove air bubbles from the surface is to manually pop them with a toothpick or to press cling film into the surface and remove the bubbles.
- Separate the glaze into different containers and color them to your desire.
- We used red and white for this cake. Blend the coloring with the glaze until the color is distributed evenly, then cover each container with the cling film, pressing the film into the glaze to ensure that there is no skin when you are ready to use the glaze.
- When you are ready to use the glaze, make sure each one is around 90-96°F, then pour the colored glazes back into one container. Swirl them if you'd like, then glaze your cake!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 699 calories, Carbohydrate 96 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 15 grams, Sugar 96 grams
BALSAMIC GLAZE
Make your own balsamic glaze to add to salads. It's easy to make and is lovely drizzled over a caprese salad with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella
Provided by Anna Glover
Categories Condiment
Time 7m
Yield Makes 40ml (6 servings)
Number Of Ingredients 2
Steps:
- Mix the vinegar and sugar in a small pan over a low heat and simmer for 4-6 mins until thickened and glossy. Leave to cool (it will thicken as it cools), then transfer to an airtight jar. Will keep for up to 2 weeks. Drizzle over a caprese or green salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 17 calories, Carbohydrate 4 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 4 grams sugar, Protein 0.1 grams protein, Sodium 0.01 milligram of sodium
DOUGHNUT GLAZE
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories dessert
Time 13m
Yield enough glaze for 20 to 25 doughnuts
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners' sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water. Dip doughnuts into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a draining rack placed in a half sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving.
BASIC GLAZE ICING
Steps:
- Put the sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly add the water, the corn syrup and vanilla extract. When the sugar is sufficiently moistened (it won't fly out of the mixer), raise the speed to high, and beat for 2 minutes until completely smooth and glossy.
- Divide and color, as desired. Store at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the icing, to prevent forming a skin.
- For cupcakes: Dip the surface of the cupcakes into the icing, allowing excess to drip into bowl. Clean any excess from the sides. Alternately, use a knife or a spreader to apply. Whisk as needed to keep icing glossy and smooth while using.
- For Light Blue Icing: Combine 2 to 3 drops of blue food coloring to 1 cup of Basic Glaze Icing.
- For Deep Yellow Icing: Combine 4 to 5 drops of yellow food coloring to 1 cup of Basic Glaze Icing.
- For Purple Icing: Combine 4 drops of red and 5 drops of blue food coloring to 1 cup of Basic Glaze Icing.
VANILLA GLAZE
Great on Apple Cookies!
Provided by Jamie Langston
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings Dessert Glazes
Time 10m
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 15.4 calories, Carbohydrate 3.7 g, Cholesterol 0.2 mg, Fat 0.1 g, SaturatedFat 0.1 g, Sodium 6.7 mg, Sugar 3.7 g
EASY BBQ GLAZE
Baste any grilling fish or meat with this smoky-sweet sauce and you'll turn the smallest get-togethers in to a raging barbecue.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes about 3/4 cup
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients. Liberally brush on meat and vegetables throughout grilling.
More about "glaze recipes"
EASY FOUR INGREDIENT CAKE GLAZE RECIPE | JULIE BLANNER
From julieblanner.com
5/5 (29)Total Time 5 minsCategory DessertCalories 219 per serving
EASY FRUIT GLAZE RECIPE: PERFECT FOR TARTS AND PIES
From mountainkitchen.com
10 RIDICULOUSLY EASY HAM GLAZE RECIPES
From bettycrocker.com
10 BEST COOKING WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE RECIPES | YUMMLY
From yummly.com
MY FAVORITE GLAZE RECIPES – PHILLIP SCHMIDT POTTERY
From phillipschmidtpottery.com
BROWN SUGAR HAM GLAZE | RECIPETIN EATS
From recipetineats.com
BASIC POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE RECIPE - PILLSBURY.COM
From pillsbury.com
WHAT ARE SOME GOOD HOMEMADE POTTERY GLAZE RECIPES
From spinningpots.com
CONE 6 GLAZE RECIPES | GREAT MID RANGE POTTERY GLAZES
From lakesidepottery.com
BASIC VANILLA CAKE GLAZE WITH FLAVOR VARIATIONS RECIPE
From thespruceeats.com
5 DONUT GLAZE RECIPES - GEMMA'S BIGGER BOLDER BAKING
From biggerbolderbaking.com
MIRROR GLAZE CAKE RECIPE + VIDEO | SUGAR GEEK SHOW
From sugargeekshow.com
MEATLOAF RECIPE WITH THE BEST GLAZE
From natashaskitchen.com
BALSAMIC GLAZE RECIPE - NATASHASKITCHEN.COM
From natashaskitchen.com
BALSAMIC GLAZE RECIPE - HOW TO MAKE BALSAMIC …
From thekitchn.com
10 BEST HAM GLAZE RECIPES | YUMMLY
From yummly.com
EASY DESSERT LEMON GLAZE RECIPE - THE SPRUCE EATS
From thespruceeats.com
11 GLAZE RECIPES IDEAS | CERAMIC GLAZE RECIPES, GLAZE RECIPE, GLAZES ... | https://www.tfrecipes.com/glaze/ |
Central to the field of microbiology is the ability to positively identify microorganisms at the level of genus, species or serotype. Correct identification is not only an essential tool in the laboratory, but it plays a significant role in the control of microbial contamination in the processing of food stuffs, the production of agricultural products, and the monitoring of environmental media such as ground water. Increasing stringency in regulations that apply to microbial contamination have resulted in a corresponding increase in industry resources which must be dedicated to contamination monitoring.
Of greatest concern is the detection and control of pathogenic microorganisms. Although a broad range of microorganisms have been classified as pathogenic, attention has primarily focused on a few bacterial groupings such as Escherichia, Salmonella, Listeria and Clostridia. Typically, pathogen identification has relied on methods for distinguishing phenotypic aspects such as growth or motility characteristics, and for immunological and serological characteristics. Selective growth procedures and immunological methods are the traditional methods of choice for bacterial identification and these can be effective for the presumptive detection of a large number of species within a particular genus. However, these methods are time consuming and are subject to error. Selective growth methods require culturing and subculturing in selective media, followed by subjective analysis by an experienced investigator. Immunological detection (e.g., ELISA) is more rapid and specific, however, it still requires growth of a significant population of organisms and isolation of the relevant antigens. For these reasons interest has turned to detection of bacterial pathogens on the basis of nucleic acid sequence.
It is well known, for example, that nucleic acid sequences associated with the ribosomes of bacteria are often highly conserved across genera and are therefore useful for identification (Webster, U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,653 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,558; Enns, Lab. Med., 19, 295, (1988); Mordarski, Soc. Appl. Bacteriol. Tech. Ser., 20 (Chem. Methods Bact. Syst.), 41, (1985)). Weisburg et al. (EP 51736) disclose a method for the detection and identification of pathogenic microorganisms involving the PCR amplification and labeling of a target nucleotide for hybridization to 16S rDNA of E. coli. Lane et al. (WO 9015157) teach universal nucleic acid probes that hybridize to conserved regions of 23S or 16S rRNA of eubacteria.
Although bacterial ribosomal nucleic acids contain highly conserved sequences, they are not the only sources of base sequence conservation that is useful for microorganism identification. Wheatcroft et al. (CA 2055302) describe the selection of transposable elements, flanked by unique DNA sequences, for the detection of various Rhizobium strains. Similarly, Tommassen et al. (WO 9011370) disclose polynucleotide probes and methods for the identification and detection of gram-positive bacteria. The method of Tommassen et al. relies on probes corresponding to relatively short fragments of the outer membrane protein, OmpA, which is known to be highly conserved throughout gram-positive genera. Atlas et al. (EP 517154) teach a nucleic acid hybridization method for the detection of Giardia sp. based on designing probes with sequences complementary to regions of the gene encoding the giardin protein. Webster et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,653) has expanded upon the use of rRNA in disclosing a method for the characterization of bacteria based on the comparison of the chromatographic pattern of restriction endonuclease-digested DNA from the unknown organism with equivalent chromatographic patterns of at least 2 known different organism species. The digested DNA has been hybridized or reassociated with ribosomal RNA information-containing nucleic acid from (or derived from) a known probe organism. The method of Webster et al. effectively establishes a unique bacterial nucleic acid "fingerprint" corresponding to a particular bacterial genus against which unknown "fingerprints" are compared.
Methods for the identification of Listeria monocytogenes on using specific hybridization probes or primers are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,205 and JP 05219997 teach DNA probes capable of hybridizing to a portion of the genome of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes, but do not hybridize to genomes of other Listeria species. DE 4238699 and EP 576842 teach methods for detection of Listeria monocytogenes using primers designed to give amplification products specific to the monocytogenes genome. EP 576842 discusses a method for the detection of L. monocytogenes using amplification primers based on genes encoding the highly conserved iap (invasion-associated protein) of Listeria and WO 9008841 teaches nucleic acid probes capable of hybridizing to ribosomal RNA (rRNA) or rDNA of Listeria and not to rRNA or DNA of non-Listeria.
The methods described above are useful for the detection of bacteria, but each relies upon knowledge of a gene, protein, or other specific sequence known a priori to be highly conserved throughout a specific bacterial group. An alternative method would involve a nontargeted analysis of bacterial genomic DNA for specific non-phenotypic genetic markers common to all species of that bacteria. For example, genetic markers based on single point mutations may be detected by differentiating DNA banding patterns from restriction enzyme analysis. As restriction enzymes cut DNA at specific sequences, a point mutation within this site results in the loss or gain of a recognition site, giving rise in that region to restriction fragments of different length. Mutations caused by the insertion, deletion or inversion of DNA stretches will also lead to a length variation of DNA restriction fragments. Genomic restriction fragments of different lengths between genotypes can be detected on Southern blots (Southern, J. Mol. Biol. 98, 503, (1975)). The genomic DNA is typically digested with any restriction enzyme of choice, the fragments are electrophoretically separated, and then hybridized against a suitably labeled probe for detection. The sequence variation detected by this method is known as restriction length polymorphism or RFLP (Botstein et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet. 342, 314, (1980)). RFLP genetic markers are particularly useful in detecting genetic variation in phenotypically silent mutations and serve as highly accurate diagnostic tools.
Another method of identifying genetic polymorphic markers employs DNA amplification using short primers of arbitrary sequence. These primers have been termed "random amplified polymorphic DNA" or "RAPD" primers (see Williams et al., Nucl. Acids. Res., 18, 6531 (1990) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,239; also EP 0 543 484 A2, WO 92/07095, WO 92/07948, WO 92/14844, and WO 92/03567). The RAPD method amplifies either double or single-stranded, nontargeted, arbitrary DNA sequences using standard amplification buffers, dATP, dCTP, dGTP and TTP, and a thermostable DNA polymerase such as Taq. The nucleotide sequence of the primers is typically about 9 to 13 bases in length, between 50 and 80% G+C in composition and contains no palindromic sequences. RAPD detection of genetic polymorphisms represents an advance over RFLP in that it is less time consuming, more informative, and readily susceptible to automation. Because of its sensitivity for the detection of polymorphisms, RAPD analysis and variations based on RAPD/PCR methods have become the methods of choice for analyzing genetic variation within species or closely related genera, both in the animal and plant kingdoms. For example, Landry et al. (Genome, 36, 580, (1993)) discuss the use of RAPD analysis to distinguish various species of minute parasitic wasps that are not morphologically distinct. Van Belkum et al. (Mol. Biochem Parasitol., 61, 69, (1993)) teach the use of PCR-RAPD for the distinction of various species of Giardi.
In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,728, Applicants disclosed a method of double-nested PCR which is used to detect the presence of a specific microbe. This disclosure first describes identifying a random, unique segment of DNA for each individual microorganism which will be diagnostic for that microorganism. To identify and obtain this diagnostic nucleic acid segment a series of polymorphic markers is generated from each organism of interest using single primer RAPD analysis. The RAPD series from each organism is compared to similarly generated RAPD series for other organisms, and a RAPD marker unique to all members of the group is then selected. The unique marker is then isolated, amplified and sequenced. Outer primers and inner primers suitable for double-nested PCR of each marker may then be developed. These primers comprise sequence segments within the RAPD markers, wherein the inner set of primers will be complementary to the 3' ends of the target piece of nucleic acid. These nested primers may then be used for nested PCR amplification to definitely detect the presence of a specific microorganism.
In commonly owned PCT U.S. 95/06704 (WO 95/33854), Applicants more particularly adapted and described this RAPD methodology to identify a sequence or marker. The presence of the marker is diagnostic for all individuals of the genus Salmonella. PCT U.S. 95/06704 teaches a method involving a RAPD amplification of genomic DNA of a representative number of Salmonella individuals to produce a RAPD amplification product, termed the diagnostic fragment. This diagnostic fragment must be present in the RAPD profiles in over 90% of the individuals tested. Sequence information from the diagnostic fragment enables identification of the most suitable PCR primer binding sites within the diagnostic fragment to define a unique diagnostic marker. Primers flanking this marker are useful for the generation of amplification products from Salmonella genomic DNA, but will not produce any amplification products in non-Salmonella genera.
In commonly owned U.S. Ser. No. 08/608,881, Applicants disclose a method, diagnostic sequences and primers that are useful in the identification of the Escherichia coli 0157:H7 serotype. The method involves the identification of a RAPD-amplified DNA fragment common to 0157:H7 Escherichia coli, the identification of the most conserved regions of that fragment, and the preparation of specific primers useful for detecting the presence of a marker within the fragment whereby that set of primers is then useful in the identification of all 0157:H7 Escherichia coli. The method of 08/608,881 does not teach markers useful for the specific identification of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp.
A detection methodology using PCR/RAPD specific to Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. would be of high utility in the food industry. Detection methods not dependent on sequences derived from a known gene or associated with a known phenotypic characteristic of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria spp. have not previously been disclosed.
| |
This paper will discuss the effects of implementing e-commerce applications on a non-profit organisation, both pre- and post implementation of this form of business application. The commonality of the problems between a not-for-profit organisation and a typical profit-making organisation makes...
- Explaining the Key Elements of Information Systems-Based Supply-Chain Strategy That Are Necessary for Business-to-Business Electronic Marketplace Survival. Ogden, Jeffrey A.; Lowry, Paul Benjamin; Petersen, Kenneth J.; Carter, Phillip L. // Supply Chain Forum: International Journal;2008, Vol. 9 Issue 1, p92
Business-to-business electronic marketplaces (EMs) were hyped as the future of efficient supply chains and as essential to the growth of e-commerce, but in spite of this promise, many EMs failed in the first few years after 2000. Although numerous studies have involved EMs, little research has...
- B2B Fashion's Online Time. // WWD: Women's Wear Daily;7/17/2012, Vol. 204 Issue 11, p1
The article tracks the growth of the business-to-business (B2B) sector of the retail industry as digital sales become more profitable to companies. Topics include profiles of B2B retailers ShopToko, The Runthrough, and Fashion GPS, which provide electronic commerce (e-commerce) platforms for...
- SMB marketers taking advantage of technology. HOSFORD, CHRISTOPHER // B to B;9/16/2013, Vol. 98 Issue 4, p3
The article focuses on the study "Defining the Modern Marketer: SMBs Driving Results," sponsored by Oracle Eloqua, which found that greater advantage of modern marketing techniques are being experienced by marketers from smaller companies. It is noted that while rating a number of marketing...
- On Developing Interoperable B2B e-Commerce Models for SMEs. Woon Kian Chong; Tadjouddine, Emmanuel M.; Boon Leing Tan; Shafaghi, Mathew // International Proceedings of Economics Development & Research;2011, Vol. 3, p243
Business-to-business (B2B) electronic marketplaces (e-Marketplaces) have been in the limelight since 1999 with the commercialisation of the Internet and subsequent "dot.com" boom. Literature is indicative of the growth of the B2B sectors in all industries, and B2B e-Marketplace is one of the...
- A CLASSIFICATION METHOD FOR REPUTATION MECHANISMS IN ELECTRONIC MARKETS. Malaga, Ross A. // Review of Business Research;2008, Vol. 8 Issue 3, p116
Individuals who use the World Wide Web (WWW) to purchase goods and obtain information face a high level of uncertainty as to the quality of those goods and information. Reputation management systems are one way in which information about past transactions can be used to form judgments regarding...
- How do your leads measure up? BELICOVE, MIKAL E. // Entrepreneur;Jul2011, Vol. 39 Issue 7, p48
The article focuses on the use of lead-scoring models in identifying online customers who are most likely to purchase profitable products. It states that the best customers purchase products profitable for the business instead of loss leaders, make larger purchases, are repeat customers, bring...
- Software service simplifies upstream e-commerce. // Offshore;May2011, Vol. 71 Issue 5, p150
The article focuses on the software services being offered by Amalto Technologies SA that help manage structured electronic data exchange between suppliers and customers. It says that the e-Business cloud, a set of hosted software solutions with connectivity permutations from Amalto, can...
- Gateway to business effectiveness. // NZ Business;Jun2007, Vol. 21 Issue 5, p7
The article provides information on E2theMax, which stands for Effective to the Max, an Internet-based Hawkes Bay company in New Zealand. The company profiles businesses and professionals with a proven track record in providing effective business solutions. E2theMax was established by Jacqui... | http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/119113014/applying-multidimensional-ethics-scale-c2c-e-commerce |
Thermal management in semiconductor devices and circuits is a critical design element in any manufacturable and cost-effective electronic and optoelectronic product, such as light generation and electrical signal amplification. The goal of efficient thermal design is to lower the operating temperature of such electronic or optoelectronic device while maximizing performance (power and speed) and reliability. Examples of such devices are microwave transistors, light-emitting diodes and lasers. Depending on the frequency of operation, power requirements, and specific application, these devices have been conventionally made on silicon, gallium arsenide (GaAs), or indium phosphide (InP). In recent years, gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN) and other wide-gap semiconductors have surfaced as new choices for both power electronics and visible-light generating optoelectronics. Gallium nitride material system gives rise to microwave transistors with high-electron mobility (necessary for high-speed operation), high breakdown voltage (necessary for high power), and thermal conductivity that is greater than GaAs, InP, or silicon, and thus suitable for use in high power applications. GaN is also used in manufacturing of blue and ultraviolet lasers and light-emitting diodes. In spite of the high-temperature performance (owing to its wide bandgap and high critical field), GaN electronic and optoelectronic devices are limited in performance due to relatively low thermal resistance of the substrates commonly used for growth of GaN. This deficiency is most pronounced in high-power microwave and millimeter-wave transistors and amplifiers where reduced cooling requirements and longer devices life, both benefiting from lower junction temperature, in critical demand. Similar need is exhibited in high power blue and ultraviolet lasers where several-micrometer-wide laser cavity stripe dissipates power into the chip though low thermal conductance materials.
The primary focus of this application is thermal management of high power microwave transistors, but the heat-flow management inventions introduced for microwave devices can be applied for heat management of semiconductor lasers, superluminescent diodes, and light-emitting diodes with departing from the spirit of the invention. The primary device on which the inventions will be described is the AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT).
The Structure of Conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs
Typical epilayer structure of AlGaN/GaN HEMT is shown in FIG. 10 (PRIOR ART). GaN is presently grown on several different substrates: sapphire, silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, single-crystal diamond, and GaN substrates. With the exception of GaN substrates, all other materials have lattice constants that differ from that of GaN and AlGaN. In order to epitaxially grow high-quality AlGaN alloys on top of substrates with lattice constant different from GaN or AlGaN alloy, it has been common practice in the industry to grow a layer or a combination of layers on top of the lattice-mismatched substrate in order to terminate the dislocations and produce a low-dislocation density epilayer on top of which growth of a high-quality active layers is possible. The active layers and resulting devices may be high-frequency transistors and/or optoelectronic devices such as laser diodes, light-emitting diodes, and super-luminescent diodes. The layers grown on top of the lattice-mismatched substrate are commonly referred to as nucleation layers or transition layers, and they can include any number of binary or ternary epitaxial layers followed by a suitably thick gallium-nitride layer added for achieving low dislocation density. Typical dislocation densities of GaN on silicon, silicon carbide, and sapphire epi-wafers for use in field-effect applications can be between 1E8 1/cm2 and 1E9 1/cm2. Defect density required for efficient operation of bipolar devices, such as, bipolar transistors and optoelectronic devices ranges from 1 E6 1/cm2 to 1 E8 1/cm2.
The epilayer structure of a typical AlGaN/GaN HEMT shown in FIG. 10 includes multiplicity of epilayers 9 disposed on top of a native substrate 1. The epilayers 9 can be divided into two functional parts: the transitions layers 8 and active layers 7. The transition layers 8 comprise of at least one layer, but typically a multiplicity of binary and ternary compound semiconductor epitaxial layers that are grown directly on top of the native substrate 1 and then followed by the buffer layer 3. The quality of the epilayers grown on the native substrate 1 improves past the layers 2 as the growth progresses and at some thickness indicated with dashed line 17, the crystal quality (defect density) of the buffer 3 becomes sufficient for high-crystal quality growth of the active layer 7. The active layers 7 comprise multiple epitaxial layers whose number, thickness, and material choices are designed and optimized to perform specific function of the electronic or optical device. For example, for an AlGaN/GaN HEMT, the active layers will typically comprise a barrier layer 6 on top of a layer structure 4 that may include a below-channel barrier to reduce drain-induced barrier lowering as is well known in the art. The barrier layer 6 may furthermore include a several nanometer thick layer of GaN and/or an AlN interlayer to improve the electron mobility in the two-dimensional electron gas 2DEG 5 as is also known in the art. The active layers 7 may comprise multiple layers of AlGaN or InGaN semiconductor alloys or GaN, AlN, InN or any other related material to realize the desired electrical performance of the HEMT. The boundary 17 between the active layers 7 and the transition layers 8 may not be a sharp line as indicated in FIG. 10, because the buffer layer 3 serves other purposes besides reducing the dislocation density. It is needed to electrically separate the transition layers from the electron gas 5 and its thickness may be increased to improve the device breakdown voltage. The exemplary HEMT shown in FIG. 1 will also feature contacts to the transistor denoted with 10 (source), 11 (gate), and 13 (drain). The source 10 and the drain 13 contacts will typically make ohmic contacts to the active layers 7, while the gate 11 will make a Schottky contact to the active layer 7. Additionally, individual HEMTs may be isolated from adjacent devices on the same wafer or chip using isolation trenches 12 or implantation (not shown) to form monolithically integrated circuits on the same chip. The operation of this transistor and device enhancements described above have been described in publicly available literature, such as, books by Rüdiger Quay titled “Gallium Nitride Electronics”, and Umesh K. Mishra and J. Singh titled “Semiconductor Device Physics and Design”, both books published by Springer in 2008.
GaN-based HEMTs are used for numerous high power applications owing to the high density of electrons in the 2DEG in GaN and the high-breakdown field which lead to high operating currents and voltages, higher than GaAs devices of similar geometry. The dominant heat generation in high-electron mobility transistors occurs in an area between the gate and the drain 15, close to the device surface. In this area, the energy of electrons accelerated with the high drain potential are first converted into optical phonons by electron-phonon scattering and then by phonon-phonon scattering into acoustic phonons which carry heat (heat conduction). Conventionally, the HEMT shown in FIG. 10 is mounted with the back of the substrate 1 down onto a heat sink: The back metallization 16 is attached to a heat sink (not shown in FIG. 1). The heat generated in the active layers of the transistor has to diffuse to the backside of the wafer and be carried away through the backside 16 by the heatsink and dissipated in the ambient. The temperature rise of the active layer relative to the ambient temperature for a given power dissipated by the device is referred to as the thermal resistance and is an essential design parameter for all electronic devices as it determines the device performance and its reliability. It is the objective high-power electronic and opto-electronic design is to minimize the thermal resistance of any device and thereby improve their performance over temperature and reliability.
Thermal resistance of commercial HEMTs with exemplary structure shown in FIG. 10 is dominated by the relatively low thermal conductivity of the layers in the immediate proximity of the active layer, namely, the thermal conductivity of the active layers 7 and the transition layers 8. More specifically, the nucleation layers 2 which are a part of transition layers 8 may comprise ternary compound semiconductor alloys which exhibit low thermal conductivity due to alloy scattering. Finally, some of the materials used commercially for the substrate 1 have low thermal resistance further contributing to the overall thermal resistance of the devices (eg. sapphire, silicon). The result of these materials and structure limitations is that conventional AlGaN/GaN field-effect transistors are limited thermally, but could be made better if its the thermal resistance could be somehow reduced.
There is a need in the industry to improve the thermal performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs and similar high-power electronic and optoelectronic devices. This need has spurred a number of investigations in integrating wide-bandgap device active materials with highly thermally conductive substrates by wafer bonding and/or direct growth of wide-gap materials
| |
Why Do We Still Use QWERTY Keyboards?
CARDIFF GARCIA, HOST:
Hey, everyone. It is Stacey and Cardiff. Everyone types on a QWERTY keyboard, you know, where the first six letters across the top of the keyboard are Q, W, E, R, T, Y - QWERTY. But what is it about this arrangement of letters that explains why practically every keyboard uses it?
STACEY VANEK SMITH, HOST:
This is THE INDICATOR from Planet Money.
GARCIA: Pretty fast.
VANEK SMITH: I'm Stacey Vanek Smith.
GARCIA: (Laughter).
VANEK SMITH: I've been using a QWERTY keyboard for a long time now, Cardiff (laughter). And it turns out that there are some important economic lessons in the story of the QWERTY keyboard, the story of why it originally became the standard keyboard way back in the late 1800s and the story of why it has remained the standard keyboard for all the time since. And a great person to tell us the story is our own Tim Harford, an old friend of the show who just launched Season 2 of his own podcast, 50 Things That Made The Modern Economy.
GARCIA: So for today's episode of THE INDICATOR, we kind of just stole one of Tim's podcast episodes.
VANEK SMITH: Borrowed, borrowed.
GARCIA: Borrowed, yeah.
VANEK SMITH: Inspired by.
GARCIA: Stole with permission, as we like to do here - so it'll be Tim's voice that you hear coming right out of the break. Enjoy.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
TIM HARFORD: It matters where the keys sit on your keyboard. There are good arrangements and bad ones. Many people think that QWERTY is a bad one; in fact, that it was deliberately designed to be slow and awkward. Could that be true? And why do economists of all people argue about this? It turns out that the stakes here are higher than they might first appear. But let's start by figuring out why anyone might have been perverse enough to want to slow down typists. In the early 1980s, I persuaded my mother to take down her mechanical typewriter from a high shelf, delighted by this miraculous machine.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HARFORD: I'd bang down on a key - not easy for little fingers. And when I did, a lever would flick up from behind the keyboard - a tiny golf club of a thing that would whack hard against an inked ribbon, squeezing that ink against a sheet of paper. On the end of the lever - called a typed bar - would be a pair of reverse letters in relief. I discovered through impish trial and error that if I hit several keys at once, the type bars all flew up at the same time into the same spot, like two or three golfers all trying to strike the same ball. For a professional typist, the results would leave something to be desired. And a professional typist might just run into that problem.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HARFORD: Typing at 60 words a minute - no stretch for a good typist - means five or six letters striking the same spot each second. And at such a speed, the typist might need to be slowed down for the sake of the typewriter. And that is what QWERTY supposedly did. Then again, if QWERTY really was designed to be slow, how come the most popular pair of letters in English - T, H - are adjacent and right under the index fingers? The plot thickens.
The father of the QWERTY keyboard, Christopher Latham Sholes, a printer from Wisconsin, sold his first typewriter in 1868 to Edward Payson Porter of Porter's Telegraph College, Chicago, which gives a clue as to what was going on. The QWERTY layout was designed for the convenience of telegraph operators transcribing Morse code. Why do we still use it? The simple answer is that QWERTY won a battle for dominance in the 1880s. Sholes' design was taken up by the gunsmiths E. Remington And Sons. It wasn't the only typewriter around. Sholes has been described as the 52nd man to invent the typewriter, but the QWERTY keyboard emerged victorious.
Yet this brief struggle for market dominance in 1880s America determines the layout of the keyboard on an iPad. Nobody then was thinking about our interests today. But their actions control ours. These things have a momentum of their own. And that's a shame because more logical layouts exist; notably, the Dvorak, designed by August Dvorak and patented in 1932. It favors the stronger hand. Left- and right-hand layouts are available. And it puts the most used keys together.
The U.S. Navy conducted a study in the 1940s, demonstrating that the Dvorak was vastly superior. Training typists to use the Dvorak layout would pay for itself many times over. So why didn't we all switch to Dvorak? The problem lay in coordinating the switch. QWERTY had been the universal layout since before August Dvorak was born. Most typists trained on it. Any employer investing in a costly typewriter would naturally choose the layout that most typists could use.
Economies of scale kicked in. QWERTY typewriters became cheaper to produce and thus cheaper to buy. Everyone trained on QWERTY. Every office used it. Dvorak keyboards never stood a chance. So now we start to see why this case matters. For a leading economic historian, Paul David, QWERTY is the quintessential example of something economists call lock-in. Paul David argued that we get locked into standards like QWERTY all the time.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HARFORD: This isn't about typewriters. It's about Microsoft Office and Windows, Amazon's control of the retail link between online buyers and sellers and Facebook's dominance of social media. If all your friends are on Facebook apps such as Instagram and WhatsApp, doesn't that lock you in just as surely as a QWERTY typist? It doesn't matter if you personally might want to make the shift. You can't do it by yourself. The stakes here are high. Lock-in is the friend of monopolists, the enemy of competition and may require a robust response from regulators.
But there are two sides to the argument. Maybe these dominant standards are dominant not because of lock-in but just because the alternatives simply aren't as compelling as we imagine. Consider that famous Navy study that demonstrated the superiority of the Dvorak keyboard. Two economists, Stan Liebowitz and Stephen Margolis, unearthed that study and concluded it was badly flawed. They also raised an eyebrow at the name of the man who supervised it; the Navy's leading time and motion expert, one Lieutenant Commander August Dvorak.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HARFORD: Liebowitz and Margolis don't deny that the Dvorak design may be better. After all, the world's fastest alphanumeric typists do use Dvorak keyboards. They're just not convinced that this was ever an example where an entire society was desperate to switch to a hugely superior standard yet unable to coordinate. These days, Windows, iOS and Android all offer Dvorak layouts. If you prefer it, you no longer need to persuade your coworkers, your employers and secretarial schools to switch with you. You can just use it. Nobody else is even going to notice. Yet most of us stick with QWERTY. The door is no longer locked, but we can't be bothered to escape.
Lock-in seems to be entrenching the position of some of the most powerful and valuable companies in the world today, including Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. Maybe those locks are as unbreakable as the QWERTY standard once seemed or maybe they're vulnerable to being crowbarred off at the first sign of restless consumers. It wasn't long ago after all that people worried about users being locked in to MySpace. One of the most important questions in the economy today is whether the locks that surround technology standards are formidable or feeble.
GARCIA: Again, Tim's podcast is 50 Things That Made The Modern Economy. It's from the BBC. THE INDICATOR is a production of NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. | https://www.npr.org/transcripts/714080306 |
Many years ago, I used to type in the QWERTY layout, which is very widely used as it is the default keyboard layout in almost all physical computer keyboards and computer software. I mostly used a weird self-devised hunt and peck method utilizing only two to four fingers per hand. My maximum typing speed in QWERTY was just around 40 to 50 words per minute.
On my mobile devices, I used and I still use the default QWERTY layout for virtual keyboard. One of the design goals of QWERTY more than a century ago was separating the most commonly used key combinations to stop a typewriter machine from jamming. While this is unnecessary for modern physical computer keyboards, it can be argued that this would coincidentally also stop two fingers from jamming on a small touch screen.
I have a photo of a typewriter that I took during my visit to a museum. A careful reader may notice that M key is not observed to the right of N key in the pictured typewriter, indicating that its position is different from that in modern QWERTY.
A typewriter with QWERTY keyboard layout in a museum exhibit (2018) (f/4.625, 1/395, ISO 6400)
Learning the Dvorak keyboard layout #
I remember learning about the Dvorak keyboard layout from comments on Hacker News in around 2015 to 2016 although I lost the links to the exact threads I read. At the time I had the idea of learning to touch type properly to increase my typing speed, and the suggestion of starting over with an alternative layout was a great inspiration.
With determination I proceeded to try out the Dvorak layout. Learning to touch type in Dvorak was not as hard or time-consuming for me as some other learners described. The absence of cognitive dissonance because of my lack of experience in touch typing in any keyboard layout could be advantageous in my learning process. I could listen to irrelevant presentation videos while simultaneously practicing typing on a Dvorak keyboard training website with a Dvorak layout reference diagram on-screen, which I used until I felt confident to switch the keyboard layout in the operating system I used to Dvorak.
There is no need to memorize the key mapping table for QWERTY to Dvorak. This brings the advantage of having the physical QWERTY keyboard useless to look at while typing in Dvorak, which forces one to learn to properly touch type.
After much practice in a few months, I managed to increase my typing speed in Dvorak from 0 to a maximum of around 80 to 100 words per minute. Ever since then, I have been exclusively typing in Dvorak on physical keyboards.
Note that I am unable to conduct a fair comparison on typing speed between QWERTY and Dvorak since I never fully touch type in QWERTY. Nonetheless, it has been reported that switching from QWERTY to Dvorak or other optimized alternative layouts does reduce occurrence of finger pain and typing errors. Some studies and anecdotes linked in this post contain more information on that matter.
I found a photo in my phone photo library of an old keyboard, which I already threw away after I fried it by accident. Back when I was learning to type in Dvorak, I re-arranged the key caps on that keyboard as it was fun to see that happen.
My old keyboard of which the key caps have been swapped to Dvorak layout (2018)
Using a Chinese IME with an alternative keyboard layout #
It can be observed that key labels for various Chinese input methods, including Zhuyin, Dayi and Cangjie, were printed on the key caps on my old keyboard. These aids for Chinese IMEs were not useful to me since I had the key mapping table for English letter to Cangjie letter code memorized by heart when I was much younger.
As a side note on Chinese IMEs, for occasional typing of Chinese characters, I have been using a rather obscure derivation of Cangjie called NewCJ3, which is a superset of standard Cangjie code and also a superset of standard Simplified Cangjie code. Its support for fuzzy Cangjie code brings the convenience of not having to use the full Cangjie code to type a character, while being more nuanced than Simplified Cangjie.
Since a Chinese IME is an input source configured at the same level as an alphanumeric keyboard layout like Dvorak, I needed to switch the alphanumeric layout to Dvorak in Chinese IME software gcin on Linux and OpenVanilla on Mac.
Some fluent typists of Chinese may already have "muscle memory" of the physical positions of every letter code of their favorite Chinese IME in the QWERTY layout, in which case they may retain the QWERTY layout in Chinese IMEs while switching to an alternative layout for English.
Inconveniences of using an alternative keyboard layout #
Unfamiliarity with the QWERTY layout on a physical keyboard after long-term exclusive touch typing with the Dvorak layout is a problem when I have to type on other people's computers. While I can look at the keyboard and type with two fingers as if using a virtual QWERTY keyboard on my mobile devices, typing in QWERTY becomes slower and more error-prone than before the switch from QWERTY. As a result, I scored a below median score in the analytical writing section of the GRE General Test, as I was not able to type long passages in the 30-minute time limit for each essay on the keyboard with a fixed QWERTY layout in the test center.
Another inconvenience is that users of QWERTY layout who try to type on my computer would get frustrated by my "non-standard" keyboard layout. This problem can be easily solved by keeping QWERTY in the list of system keyboard layouts and switching between them whenever necessary using the shortcut key Ctrl + Option + Space.
Some users of the Dvorak keyboard layout reconfigure keyboard shortcut mappings in software to avoid clumsy two-handed shortcuts with, for example, Z/C/V. This is often done by remapping shortcut keys to the same physical positions as in QWERTY layout. While this approach can free one hand for mouse usage, it has not been a problem for me to always using my keyboard with both hands since most common operations can be initiated with keyboard shortcuts. For example, I use the arrow keys to move the cursor, Cmd + ` to switch between windows, and Cmd + Tab to switch between applications in Mac.
Other alternative keyboard layouts #
When I learned to type in Dvorak, at the time I was not aware of the other more obscure layouts that might be better than Dvorak. Examples of such other layouts are in abundance, including:
- Colemak which preserves 9 letter key positions from QWERTY including Z/X/C/V
- QGMLWY which Carpalx claims to be the most algorithmically optimized layout
However, it is usually regarded that a switch from a non-QWERTY optimized layout to another is not as cost effective as switching away from QWERTY. Therefore, I decided to keep typing in Dvorak for the foreseeable future.
Further reading #
Some external links to insightful articles about alternative keyboard layouts are provided as follows.
-
Why we can’t give up this odd way of typing is a journalistic article on BBC with information on the history about how QWERTY became the dominant computer keyboard layout, overview of keyboard layout adoption in European countries, stories of some Dvorak evangelists, and highlight of the cost of switching from QWERTY to Dvorak layout.
-
I type in Dvorak is a blog article by programmer Nayuki who answers questions about her experience in typing with the Dvorak keyboard layout and presents a humorous sticker design that warns people of Dvorak layout in use. The author shares similar experience as mine in keeping keyboard shortcuts consistent with Dvorak and in using the US English Dvorak variant. However, she thinks that switching to Dvorak layout was difficult, and she types in Dvorak on mobile too.
-
Carpalx - keyboard layout optimizer presents a quantitative comparison for efforts of popular alternative keyboard layouts illustrated by bar charts of simulated effort statistics. It shows that all common alternative layouts are far better than QWERTY, and therefore it may not matter much that Dvorak may not be best layout. | https://tomkwok.com/posts/dvorak-keyboard/ |
Backyard bauble loses its sparkle
In-ground pools have long been a suburban dream. But toddler drownings, close calls, and concerns about costs have begun to dim their appeal.
By Peter Schworm Globe Staff / August 7, 2010
Text size – +
The backyard swimming pool has long ranked among suburbia’s sweetest perks — a status symbol and centerpiece of cocktail parties and family barbecues. But increasingly, it is seen in a more ominous light. (Full article: 995 words)
This article is available in our archives: | http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/07/drownings_put_focus_on_pool_safety/?page=2 |
A lawyer who received £60,000 in disability benefits after claiming he could barely walk was caught out when he became 'particularly elated' when he won a case, a court heard.
Dr Alan Blacker, 47, was filmed by investigators 'moving with ease' following a crown court trial victory, even though he said he was only able to walk with 'much intrepidity, pain and fear of falling after only 20 yards', it is alleged.
Dr Blacker, who also goes by the name Lord Harley, also helped construct a miniature railway and was seen engaged in first aid training while claiming state benefits between September 1997 and October 2015, a jury heard.
The solicitor advocate, from Rochdale, was said to have claimed disability living allowance, including a high-rate mobility component which is usually applicable to claimants who have no legs or feet from birth or due to amputation, jurors were told.
In one claim form from 1998 he is said to have written: "My whole life centres around avoiding pain, I cannot carry on through life without it really impacting me and causing me real pain. I am not able to keep my focus on any other thing.
"I started with these problems in 1996. I have problems with self care.
"These problems cause a risk to my life."
The jury heard that in a subsequent statement, he said he had his own specially adapted shower and said: "Some days I lay in bed all day and cannot motivate myself to get up. I feel like my condition has worsened.”
Alan Blacker is said to have failed to tell the Department of Work pensions his condition had actually improved. (Image: Cavendish Press)
She said: ''Witnesses describe many circumstances where he was engaged in a number of actions such as first aid training, which requires physical actions and the construction of a model railway.
''He was seen walking up and down stairs and getting into and out of vehicles without difficulty. He was seen to use a stick but there was nobody helping him standing or walking.
''He believed he was someone who was entitled to retain his benefits but the prosecution say he was dishonest about the changes in his circumstances in order to continue to claim disability living allowance.
"The high rate mobility component is available to people who cannot walk at all, or have no legs or feet from birth or due to amputation.
''They can only walk short distances before being in severe discomfort or endangering their life. They are either 100 per cent blind and/or 80pc deaf, or somewhat mentally impaired.
"A middle rate care component is available for people who require frequent assistance getting in and out of the bathroom, washing, dressing and tending to their needs. They also require supervision throughout the day.
''The defendant said he needed someone for 'physical support', for getting to the bathroom, and he had a problem keeping his balance. He said he could walk no more than 20 yards, says he falls over regularly and has trouble crossing the roads.
''When asked if he would need someone he said 'yes, everyday without fail. I cannot rise from my feet without someone, I cannot stand up for long enough'. He also said he has problems cutting up food and eating and drinking.
''He said he always found sitting painful and said he has to use large handled cutlery. In 2011 there was a further form claiming his entitlement to benefits was appropriate as he was unable to walk and needed full physical support.
"He said he received physical care from someone and said he was at risk of harming himself by accident.''
Minshull Street Crown Court (Image: MEN Media)
DWP officials arrested and quizzed Dr Blacker after they filmed him during a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in 2014, jurors heard.
Ms Fordham added: ''He said he practiced law through a charity and not for financial gain and was shown footage where he was seen moving about with ease at Cardiff Crown Court in 2014.
''He told them he won a crown court case on behalf of a client and he became particularly elated but it must have been clear to Alan Blacker that once he was able to move around, he should have informed those facts to the DWP.
Read More
Read More
John Breen, from the DWP told the court:"He was reviewed on his claim he was virtually unable to walk. He said he needed frequent attention from another person throughout the day in connection with his bodily functions, for example going to the bathroom and going about his everyday life.
"Various cases at random are checked to make sure the claimant is receiving the right amount, a kind of spot check and this was issued to Alan Blacker.
"He said what his conditions were and said he always makes sure he is accompanied by someone or if he is in public in case he falls. He said his knees give way a lot and he is often fatigued and said he had his own specially adapted shower.
"The outcome of this assessment was that his claim was extended but in 2016 I was provided evidence from the Fraud and Error Service, which is part of the DWP plus statements, some CCTV and surveillance.
Read More
Read More
"The CCTV was taken from Cardiff Crown Court and the surveillance was taken by the fraud officer. To read all the statements it took me three days in total to consider all the evidence before I had come to my decision. I disallowed the care component and mobility component." | |
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
SUMMARY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
1. Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to a single ring process kit for use in a plasma processing chamber.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various semiconductor fabrication processes, such as plasma-assisted etching, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition, among others, are performed in plasma processing chambers in which a semiconductor work pieces engaged with a dielectric collar (also known as a cover ring) during processing. For example in a plasma processing chamber configured for etching a work piece such as a semiconductor substrate, the substrate is mounted on substrate support pedestal within the processing chamber. The substrate support pedestal includes a metal electrode to which an RF bias may be applied to sustain a plasma formed from a mixture of process gases provided to the processing chamber. The pressure within the processing chamber is maintained by a pump which also removes etch by-products from the chamber. An RF power supply is coupled to the electrode inside the substrate support pedestal so as to produce on the electrode a negative bias voltage relative to the plasma. The bias voltage attracts ions to bombard the work piece so as to promote the desired fabrication process. Because the electrode is negatively biased, the substrate support pedestal often is called the cathode.
The cathode is typically surrounded by covers and liners to protect the cathode from damage due to the ion bombardment. For example, a liner may be utilized to surround the sidewalls of the cathode, while a cover ring is utilized to cover the upper surface of the cathode. Since the substrate typically is positioned inside the cover ring while supported on the substrate, ample tolerances and gaps are required between the substrate and cover ring to allow the substrate to be placed on, and removed from, the substrate support pedestal using conventional robotic mechanisms. These gaps are generally maintained in excess of 3.0 um to accommodate the above mentioned substrate motion and thereby allow interface with the robotic mechanisms without substrate damage due to misalignment.
However, the gap between the substrate and the cover ring also allows the migration of free radicals from the plasma to pass below the edge of the substrate. It has been found that particularly during aluminum etching, the gap between the cover ring and substrate allows a significant amount of free radicals to reach the back side of the substrate. The free radicals interact with the edge and backside of the substrate to create defects, such as bevel peeling and particle generation.
As circuit densities increase for next generation devices, critical dimensions, such as the width or pitch of interconnects, vias, trenches, contacts, devices, gates and other features, as well as the dielectric materials disposed therebetween, are correspondingly decreasing. Additionally, further scaling of devices increases the impact from particles introduced into the manufacturing process, such as those through defects such as bevel peeling. In smaller devices, the size and number of particles have a greater effect on device performance and can undesirably change the electrical properties of the device, including bridging between interconnect features. Therefore, the tolerance to the amount and size of particles and associated manufacturing defects has decreased, making gaps between the cover ring and substrate which were once was acceptable for larger critical dimensions no longer good enough for smaller, next generation devices.
While conventional cover rings have been found to improve older semiconductor fabrication processes, further improvements for preventing radical migration for the purpose of preventing edge defects are needed to enable commercially viable device yields in the manufacture of next generation devices.
Embodiments of the invention provide a single ring comprising a circular ring-shaped body with an inner surface, closest in proximity to a centerline of the body, and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. The body has a bottom surface with a slot formed therein and a top surface with an outer end, adjacent to the outer surface, and an inner end adjacent to a slope extending, towards the centerline, down to a step on the inner surface. The body has a lip, disposed on the inner surface extending out from a vertical face below the step toward the centerline of the body, and is configured to support a substrate thereon. The body is sized such that a gap of less than about 2 mm is formed on the lip between the substrate and the vertical face of the step.
To facilitate understanding of the embodiments, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Embodiments of the invention provide a cover ring that enables extreme edge and backside particle defect reduction over conventional substrate processing which may result in bevel polymer peeling after a plasma etch process. Beneficially, the cover ring enables etching of aluminum (Al) bond pad thicknesses beyond the 3.5 um technology.
The new cover ring design provides a narrow gap between the extreme edge of the substrate and the ring. During the etching of an Al bond pad, the narrow gap prevents polymers and radicals (i.e. radical migration) from attacking the extreme edge and the backside of the substrate. The substrate initially undergoes a deposition of a metallic film coating. Examples of some metallic film coatings may be (TiN/Ti/AL/Ti/TiN). The metallic film coating has a photoresist mask produced using a lithographic operation. The metallic film is then etched in a processing chamber. The cover ring used in the processing chamber has a narrow gap defined between the substrate and cover ring, for example from less than about 2 mm down to at least about 0.9 mm, so as to substantially reduce the flow of plasma free radicals around the extreme edge of the substrate.
FIG. 1
100
130
100
illustrates an exemplary processing chamber having a cover ring . The exemplary processing chamber is configured as an etch processing chamber and is suitable for removing one or more material layers from a substrate. One example of the process chamber that may be adapted to benefit from the invention is an AdvantEdge Mesa Etch processing chamber, available from Applied Materials, Inc., located in Santa Clara, Calif. It is contemplated that other process chambers, including those from other manufactures, may be adapted to practice embodiments of the invention.
100
105
105
112
118
126
112
115
112
100
105
100
120
120
The process chamber includes a chamber body having a processing volume defined therein. The chamber body has sidewalls and a bottom and a ground shield assembly coupled thereto. The sidewalls have a liner to protect the sidewalls and extend the time between maintenance cycles of the process chamber . The dimensions of the chamber body and related components of the process chamber are not limited and generally are proportionally larger than the size of the substrate to be processed therein. Examples of substrate sizes include, among others, substrates with a 150 mm diameter, 200 mm diameter, a 300 mm diameter and 450 mm diameters, among others.
110
105
105
113
112
105
120
100
113
A chamber lid assembly is mounted on the top of the chamber body . The chamber body may be fabricated from aluminum or other suitable materials. A substrate access port is formed through the sidewall of the chamber body , facilitating the transfer of the substrate into and out of the process chamber . The access port may be coupled to a transfer chamber and/or other chambers of a substrate processing system (both not shown).
145
112
105
123
−8
A pumping port is formed through the sidewall of the chamber body and connected to the chamber volume through the exhaust manifold . A pumping device (not shown) is coupled to the processing volume to evacuate and control the pressure therein. The pumping device may include one or more pumps and throttle valves. The pumping device and chamber cooling design enables high base vacuum (about 1×ETorr or less) and low rate-of-rise (about 1,000 mTorr/min) at temperatures suited to thermal budget needs, e.g., about −25 degrees Celsius to about +500 degrees Celsius.
160
105
160
105
160
4
2
2
2
A gas source is coupled to the chamber body to supply process gases into the processing volume. In one or more embodiments, process gases may include inert gases, non-reactive gases, and reactive gases if necessary. Examples of process gases that may be provided by the gas source include, but not limited to, carbon tetrafluoride (CF), hydrogen bromide (HBr), argon gas (Ar), chlorine (Cl), oxygen gas (O), among others. Additionally, combinations of the gases may be supplied to the chamber body from the gas source . For instance, a mixture of HBr and Omay be supplied into the processing volume to etch an aluminum (Al) containing substrate.
110
114
114
160
100
148
100
142
148
141
100
142
120
120
142
100
The lid assembly generally includes a nozzle . The nozzle has one or more ports for introducing process gas from the gas supply into the processing volume. After the process gas is introduced into the chamber , the gas is energized to form plasma. An antenna , such as one or more inductor coils, may be provided adjacent the processing chamber . An antenna power supply may power the antenna through a match circuit to inductively couple energy, such as RF energy, to the process gas to maintain a plasma formed from the process gas in the processing volume within the chamber . Alternatively, or in addition to the antenna power supply , process electrodes comprising a cathode below the substrate and an anode above the substrate may be used to capacitively couple RF power to the process gases to maintain the plasma within the processing volume. The operation of the power supply may be controlled by a controller that also controls the operation of other components in the chamber .
135
122
120
122
120
135
122
125
124
122
125
125
120
122
128
122
135
136
135
100
136
115
136
115
A substrate support pedestal may include an electro-static chuck for holding the substrate during processing. The electro-static chuck (ESC) uses the electro-static attraction to hold the substrate to the substrate support pedestal for an etching process. The ESC is powered by an RF power supply integrated with a match circuit . The ESC comprises an electrode embedded within a dielectric body. The RF power supply may provide a RF chucking voltage of about 200 volts to about 2000 volts to the electrode. The RF power supply may also include a system controller for controlling the operation of the electrode by directing a DC current to the electrode for chucking and de-chucking the substrate . The ESC has an isolator for the purpose of making the sidewall of the ESC less attractive to the plasma. Additionally, the substrate support pedestal has a cathode liner to protect the sidewalls of the substrate support pedestal from the plasma gasses and to extend the time between maintenance of the plasma processing chamber . The cathode liner and the liner may be formed from a ceramic material. For example, both the cathode liner and liner may be formed from Yttria.
122
120
120
129
135
120
The ESC is configured to perform in the temperature range required by the thermal budget of the device being fabricated on the substrate . For example, the ESC may be configured to maintain the substrate at a temperature of about minus about 25 degrees Celsius to about 100 degrees Celsius for certain embodiments, at temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius to about 200 degrees Celsius temperature range for other embodiments, and at about 200 degrees Celsius to about 500 degrees Celsius for yet still other embodiments. A cooling base is provided to protect the substrate support pedestal and assists in controlling the temperature of the substrate .
130
122
135
150
130
120
130
120
135
100
135
120
135
130
135
120
135
120
The cover ring is disposed on the ESC and along the periphery of the substrate support pedestal . A gap is formed between the cover ring and the substrate therein. The cover ring is configured to confine etching gases, radicals, to a desired portion of the exposed top surface of the substrate , while shielding the top surface of the substrate support pedestal from the plasma environment inside the processing chamber . As the substrate support pedestal is raised to the upper position for processing, an outer edge of the substrate disposed on the substrate support pedestal is surrounded on its periphery by, and in close proximity to, the cover ring . Lift pins (not shown) are selectively moved through the substrate support pedestal to lift the substrate above the substrate support pedestal to facilitate access to the substrate by a transfer robot or other suitable transfer mechanism.
100
160
100
100
100
A controller may be coupled to the process chamber . The controller may include a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and support circuits. The controller is utilized to control the process sequence, regulating the gas flows from the gas source into the process chamber and other process parameters. The CPU may be of any form of a general purpose computer processor that can be used in an industrial setting. The software routines can be stored in the memory, such as random access memory, read only memory, floppy or hard disk drive, or other form of digital storage. The support circuits are conventionally coupled to the CPU and may comprise cache, clock circuits, input/output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. The software routines, when executed by the CPU, transform the CPU into a specific purpose computer (controller) that controls the process chamber such that the processes are performed in accordance with the present invention. The software routines may also be stored and/or executed by a second controller (not shown) that is located remotely from the process chamber .
100
120
135
125
148
142
160
135
120
130
120
135
During processing, gas is introduced into the process chamber to form a plasma and etch the surface of the substrate . The substrate support pedestal is biased by the power source and an RF antenna is biased by the power supply to maintain the plasma formed from the process gases supplied by the gas source . Ions from the plasma are attracted to the cathode in the substrate support pedestal and etch the substrate . The cover ring prevents the free radicals in the plasma from attacking the extreme edge or underside of the substrate , while preventing plasma damage to the top surface of the substrate support pedestal .
130
100
120
130
130
150
120
130
120
120
130
130
FIGS. 2 and 3
The configuration of the cover ring in plasma processing chamber is specific to the diameter of the substrate . For instance, a cover ring configured for use with a 200 mm diameter substrate would be sized differently than cover ring configured for use with a 300 mm or 450 mm diameter substrate. The gap defined between substrate and the ring controls the flow of free radicals and therefore influences the amount of edge defects which may be formed on the substrate . To better understand the causal relationship between edge defects on the substrate and the cover ring , the cover ring will be described below in greater detail with reference to .
FIG. 2
130
130
200
210
220
240
240
200
220
200
225
200
250
250
230
250
200
230
200
200
200
2
3
depicts a top view of the cover ring . The cover ring has a single ring-shaped body that includes a top surface having, an inside edge and an outside edge . The outside edge of the single ring-shaped body is configured to fit a substrate pedestal in a plasma processing chamber. The inside edge , of the single ring-shaped body , forms a lip on which the substrate rests upon. Additionally, the single ring body has a flat which corresponds to a flat formed in the perimeter of substrate. The flat is a distance measured perpendicular from the flat to the center of the single ring body . The distance determines the size of the single ring body , and is sized according the diameter of the substrate processed in the processing chamber. In one or more embodiments, the single ring body is comprised of an yttrium (Y) containing material, for example, bulk yttrium oxide (YO). The material of the cover ring body provides enhanced resistance to corrosion thereby improving the service lifetime of the chamber component and thus reducing maintenance cost.
200
200
230
220
240
220
225
220
The single ring body may be configured to fit 200 mm, 300 mm, 450 mm or any conceivably sized substrate. A single ring body , configured for a 300 mm diameter substrate, has a radial distance of 5.825+0.005/−0.000 inches. The inside edge is described with a diameter of 11.736+0.005/−0.000 inches (295.91 mm to 296.16 mm). The outside edge is described with a diameter of 15.12 inches (384.05 mm). The 300 mm diameter substrate rest on top of the lip formed by the inside edge . The lip has a second vertical face opposite the vertical face of the inside edge . The second vertical face forms a cylindrical wall sized to accept the 300 mm diameter substrate therein.
200
200
200
200
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
A more detail look for ring body can be found in . depicts a cross sectional view for the single ring body designed for an ICP plasma processing chamber. The single ring body generally includes a body that may be fabricated from a ceramic material such as yttria, or other acceptable material.
200
240
220
200
240
220
304
210
The body includes the outside edge and the inside edge . In the following example, the single ring body is sized for a 300 mm diameter substrate. The outside edge and inside edge are substantially vertical cylindrical walls that are concentric in orientation, while the outer bottom and the top are substantially horizontal.
220
200
321
200
225
220
220
225
243
200
321
343
The inside edge of ring body has a diameter which ranges from about 11.736 inches to 11.741 inches (295.91 mm to about 296.16 mm). The ring body includes a lip formed by the inside edge which is utilized to support the substrate thereon. The inside edge of the lip has a height which ranges from about 2.95 mm to about 3.05 mm. In one or more embodiments of the ring body , the diameter is about 295.91 mm and the height is about 3.05 mm.
225
303
303
322
342
342
303
322
321
322
225
303
303
The lip has a second vertical wall . The second vertical wall is cylindrical, and has a diameter and a height . The height for the second vertical wall is about 0.054 inches (1.37 mm). The diameter ranges from about 11.884 inches to about 11.889 inches (about 301.85 mm to about 301.98 mm). The diameter is smaller than the diameter of the substrate while the diameter is larger than the diameter of the substrate. When a 300 mm substrate deposed on the lip , a gap is defined between the substrate and the second vertical wall . The gap is less than or equal to about 2.0 mm. In one or more embodiments, the gap between a 300 mm substrate and the second vertical wall is about 0.9 mm.
200
306
303
307
308
307
308
323
200
323
322
303
306
306
The ring body has a second lip . The second lip is defined between the second vertical wall and the foot of the inclined wall . The foot of the inclined wall is a distance from the center of the ring body . The difference between distance and the diameter of the second vertical wall defines a length of the second lip . In one or more embodiments, the length of the second lip is about 6 mm.
308
309
308
210
200
308
360
360
360
360
308
308
341
306
201
341
225
210
The inclined wall has a top defined at the intersection between the inclined wall and the top of the single ring body . The inclined wall is inclined at an angle . The inclined angle may be selected to increase the process uniformity over the surface of a substrate. That is, the angle may be adjusted to change the concentration of plasma ions directed towards the center of the substrate. In one or more embodiments, the angle is about 80 degrees. In embodiments wherein the angle of the inclined wall is about zero, the inclined wall may have a vertical rise which is defined as the perpendicular distance between the second lip and the top . In one or more embodiments, the vertical rise is about 0.086 inches (about 2.18 mm). This makes a distance from the lip to the top about 0.14 inches (about 3.56 mm).
200
210
210
308
210
310
240
310
210
240
360
310
210
240
210
310
210
240
240
334
334
240
200
The body has a top . The inner portion of the top intersects the inclined wall . The outer portion of the top comes to an intersection with the outside edge . The intersection of the top with outside edge may be rounded, chamfered, beveled, angled or have some other type of mating. The angle and type of mating for the intersection provides for a length of the top which may vary. However the outside edge determines the extent for the top length. As shown, the intersection has a radius of about 0.13 inches (about 3.3 mm) between the top and the outside edge . Additionally, the outside edge is a cylindrical wall having a diameter . The diameter of the outside edge of the ring body is about 15.12 inches (about 384.05 mm).
240
210
304
200
304
200
333
334
210
304
350
240
240
350
The outside edge has a top portion which meets the top and a bottom portion which meets the outer bottom of the body . The outer bottom is a flat portion of body located between the diameter and the diameter . Additionally, a distance between the top and the outer bottom defines a height of the outside edge . In one or more embodiments, the outside edge has a height of about 0.475 inches (about 12.07 mm).
333
305
333
305
332
305
332
305
332
333
305
305
200
200
305
305
304
314
305
351
304
352
314
305
305
351
352
The diameter defines the outer portion of the isolator key . The diameter of the isolator key configured for use with a 300 mm substrate may be between about 13.785 and about 13.775 inches (about 350.14 mm and about 349.885 mm). The diameter defines the inner portion for the isolator key . The diameter of the isolator key configured for use with a 300 mm substrate may be between about 13.045 and about 13.035 inches (about 331.34 mm and about 331.089 mm). The difference between diameter and diameter is the width of the isolator key . The isolator key is configured to engage a mating feature of the pedestal such that the single ring body may be precisely positioned on the pedestal. In one or more embodiments, the mating feature of the pedestal disposed in the plasma processing chamber fits into the single ring body at the isolator key . The isolator key fits in between the outer bottom and inner bottom . The isolator key has a depth from the outer bottom and a depth from the inner bottom . The size and configuration for the isolator key is predicated on the size and shape of the isolator in the plasma processing chamber. In one or more embodiments, the isolator key has a depth of about 0.160 inches (about 4.06 mm), a depth of about 0.235 inches (about 5.97 mm) and a width of about 0.74 inches (about 18.80 mm).
305
314
332
314
332
315
331
318
315
314
318
331
331
The isolator key meets the second bottom at diameter . The second bottom extends from diameter inward to vertical surface at diameter . The intersection where vertical surface and inner bottom meet may be rounded, chamfered, beveled, angled or possibly some other type of mating. As shown, intersection is rounded and has a radius of about 0.04 inches (1.02 mm). The diameter is configured to fit an electrostatic chuck, and may range from about 12.205 inches to about 12.195 inches (about 310.01 mm to about 309.75 mm). In one or more embodiments, the diameter is about 12.200 inches (about 309.88 mm).
315
200
331
315
314
316
344
315
314
316
344
315
315
The vertical surface of the center single ring body is defined by a diameter . The vertical surface is located between the inner bottom and the lip bottom . The height of the vertical surface is the perpendicular distance between the inner bottom and the lip bottom . In one or more embodiments, the height of the vertical surface is about 0.292 inches (about 7.42 mm). The vertical surface is positioned adjacent to a portion of the substrate support pedestal.
316
316
331
316
315
321
316
220
316
321
331
316
The lip bottom rests atop the substrate pedestal in the plasma processing chamber. The lip bottom has a width which extends from diameter , where lip bottom intersects vertical surface , to diameter , where lip bottom intersects inside edge . The width of lip bottom is the difference between diameter and diameter . The width may range between about 0.235 inches and about 0.227 inches (about 5.97 mm and about 5.77 mm). In one or more embodiments, the width of the lip bottom is about 0.232 inches (5.89 mm).
Tooling for the various surfaces may leave a small radius for interior angles. Such radiuses up to a maximum of 0.01 inches (0.25 mm) are generally acceptable, unless otherwise noted. Sharp edges may also be broken by a radius of 0.01 inches (0.25 mm).
303
130
120
130
120
130
120
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
Minimizing the gap between the substrate and the second vertical wall controls the flow of the free radicals around the extreme edge of the substrate. The free radicals influence the amount of defects present at the edge of a substrate. However, the gap provides the necessary clearance for the insertion and removal of the substrate from the cover ring in the plasma processing chamber by a robot. Reducing the gap to less than 1.0 mm has shown significant improvements in the quality of the extreme edge of the substrate. illustrates edge defects on the wafer extreme edge and backside after etching in an ICP plasma processing chamber with the conventional single ring design. depicts the extreme edge of a 300 mm substrate after etching with a conventional ring having a gap of about 3.00 mm between the conventional ring and substrate. , conversely, illustrates the extreme edge and backside of the substrate after etching in an ICP plasma processing chamber equipped with the cover ring . The substrate shown in has a 300 mm diameter, and the gap between the cover ring and substrate was about 0.90 mm.
FIG. 4
FIG. 4
410
460
450
420
430
440
460
includes four extreme edge to backside images of a substrate illustrating particle defect arising from bevel polymer peeling after a conventional Al bond pad etch utilizing the conventional wide-gap cover ring. As discussed above, the reduction in particle defects arising from the bond pad etch reduces additional manufacturing steps which would be required to make a substrate acceptable for further processing. The images depict the extreme edge of a 300 mm diameter substrate scanned under an electron microscope. Orienting the substrate with the flat on the bottom, first image depicts the substrate left side extreme edge under such magnification. Bevel polymer peeling is prevalent particularly at the underside of the substrate. Image depicts the flat edge of the substrate (oriented to the bottom) under the same magnification. Image depicts the left side of the edge of the substrate under magnification. Image depicts the top (opposite the flat) of the edge of the substrate under high magnification. Bevel polymer peeling is prevalent on all the edges of the substrate. Therefore, the substrates illustrated in will require additional operations to clean the bevel edge of the peeling prior to acceptance for additional processing.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
130
130
130
510
560
550
520
530
540
560
540
570
540
440
570
540
470
440
, includes four extreme edge to backside images of a substrate after an Al bond pad etch similar to the etch performed on the substrate shown in except that the etch process utilized the narrow gap cover ring described above. The images of depict the extreme edge of a substrate having a 300 mm diameter scanned under an electron microscope. The substrate depicted in was etched using the cover ring having a gap between the substrate and cover ring of about 0.9 mm. Orienting the substrate in a similar fashion as described in for ease of comparison, the first image depicts the left side of extreme edge of the substrate under magnification. Substantially no bevel polymer peeling is present on the underside of the substrate. Image depicts the flat edge of the substrate (oriented to the bottom) under high magnification. Image depicts the left side of the edge of the substrate under high magnification. Image depicts the top edge of the substrate (opposite the flat) under high magnification. Substantially no bevel polymer peeling is discernible in any of the images. Image has the most visible bevel polymer peeling . However, comparing image of to the corresponding image of , the bevel edge peeling shown in image is improved substantially relative to the bevel edge peeling shown in image . The improvement in the bevel edge by reducing the gap the substrate, as illustrated in , is substantial in that the substrate no longer requires additional operations to clean the bevel edge prior to subsequent operations.
The new narrow gap cover ring advantageously extends the process capabilities of the Al bond pad applications to, or beyond, a 3.5 um thick devices. Further, a simple process flow is realized with the new narrow gap cover ring which lowers manufacturing cost by controlling substrate bevel issues without additional tooling, allows installed plasma processing chambers to be cost effectively retrofitted with the inventive cover ring, and allows for the elimination of bevel cleaning after an Al bond pad etch process step. Thus, the new narrow gap cover ring enables “all in one” etching while reducing overall manufacturing costs.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the embodiments herein are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.
FIG. 1
depicts an ICP plasma processing chamber having a cover ring.
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
depicts a top view of the cover ring depicted in .
FIG. 3
FIG. 1
depicts a cross sectional view for the cover ring depicted in .
FIG. 4
illustrates edge defects on an extreme edge and backside of a substrate after etching in a ICP plasma processing chamber utilizing a conventional wide gap cover ring.
FIG. 5
FIG. 1
illustrates the extreme edge and backside after etching in a ICP plasma processing chamber utilizing the cover ring depicted in . | |
Last Updated on September 15, 2022 by Plant Mom Care
Osteospermum, a genus of plants in the Calenduleae, is a small group from the Asteraceae family. Commonly known as African daisy, they consist of about 70 species indigenous to south and east Africa including the Arabian Peninsula, most plants today are hybrids and cultivars derived from O. jucundum, O. ecklonis, and other species.
These plants range from 1–3 feet high and 1–2 feet wide. The green leaves alternate but some variegated varieties exist and vary by shape – lance-like or ovate and smooth, lobed, or toothed in hardy types. These perennial plants have a quick rate of growth, flowering about two months after germinating from seeds. Very hardy in USDA zones of 10 – 11, they are planted as annuals in other zones.
The flowers are similar to regular daisies as their petals radiate from a central disk and even belong in the same Asteraceae family, but their coloring is dissimilar to the classic daisy. When introduced to the world, some people initially thought that the flowers were dyed.
The central disks of the flowers can even look like they’re painted. Petals are smooth and flat or radiate outwards in the shape of a tubular spoon. The flowers commonly open in the day, close at night, and in overcast weather. However, some new cultivars, including ‘4D Berry’, ‘4D Pink’ and ‘4D Silver’ don’t close at night.
The flower consists of ray florets and disc florets, coming in several colors like yellow, blue, and purple. Hardy types, until yellow pollen appears, typically have a dark blue center. The female ray florets have diverse colors of pink, purple, mauve, white, cream, and yellow.
Several species bloom a second time in late summer when they are stimulated by cooler temperatures at night. Hardy types profusely flower in spring but don’t produce a second set of flowers.
They are often grown as summer bedding arrangements in gardens and parks. They grow well either in containers or in the ground. They stop flowering in hot spells at the height of summer.
African Daisies Light Requirements
They produce more flowers under full sun and less in partial shade, although plant growth won’t be affected.
African Daisies Watering
While they are a little drought-tolerant when mature, water them at least once weekly. During periods of extreme heat or drought, growth and flowering slow down as they go dormant.
Keep the soil moistened but don’t overwater, as soggy soil encourages diseases such as root rot. They need more water if grown in containers and soil shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. If this happens, the plants will go dormant, flower buds will die and they won’t easily begin flowering again.
African Daisies Humidity
Humidity usually isn’t a problem for these plants, provided that they have enough air circulation and appropriate watering, and excellent soil drainage.
African Daisies Temperature
They produce more flowers in mild weather and can handle night temperatures down to about 40°F, although frost will damage or kill the plants. Their preferred growing temperature ranges from 65 – 80°F. Protect them from lower temperatures when they are cultivated in containers.
African Daisies Soil
They prefer rich organic soil with good drainage and somewhat acidic pH, add compost or organic matter when planting to add nutrients and improve drainage.
African Daisies Repotting
If you grow these plants in containers, the root ball might get congested in time, affecting growth so repot them into larger containers with good drainage.
African Daisies Propagation
The seeds are viable for just 2 – 3 years, so check the date on the seed package. The majority of modern varieties are hybrids that rarely produce seeds and don’t grow true from harvested seeds from your existing plants, but these plants can be easily propagated from cuttings.
Propagation from Seeds
The hybrids sold at garden centers are typically available as seeds, but you might be able to find seeds of some pure species/varieties, such as O. ecklonis.
Around 2 months or so before spring begins, sow seeds directly in a pot of regular potting mix. Lightly press down the seeds since light is necessary for germination. Place the pot under bright indirect light and keep the mix moist until the seeds germinate.
Continue watering the seedlings until the weather becomes warmer. Plants started indoors must be hardened off two weeks before planting them outdoors. Pinch back seedlings after planting to encourage thicker growth.
First, fill a pot with a seed-starting mix and lightly moisten the mix. Then take 2 – 3 inch long cuttings with two leaf nodes. Remove any flower buds and lower leaves and plant the cutting in the mix.
Cover with a transparent plastic packet and place the pot under bright indirect light with temperatures between 60 and 68°F. The cutting should be rooted in 4 – 6 weeks. Transplant to a container filled with rich organic soil or outdoors in your garden.
Additional Care
These flowers need plenty of food to bloom and grow at their best. Other than adding compost to the soil, a balanced fertilizer suitable for flowering plants should be applied every month throughout their growing season. Potted plants might require more frequent feeding.
After flowers wither and die, remove them and any dead leaves to produce more flowers and stimulate growth.
Pruning will also stimulate bushy growth, continual production of flowers, reduce overcrowding, promote good ventilation, and allow the plants to receive more sunlight. This also helps prevent powdery mildew and gray mold and pests like aphids and whitefly.
African Daisies Common Problems
If these plants are kept in stress-free conditions and under proper care, there are not many diseases or pests that can trouble them. However, in humid or damp conditions watch out for powdery mildew or gray mold fungal diseases. These diseases will damage or discolor foliage. Pruning will improve air circulation and prevent these diseases. Use a suitable fungicide if needed.
Common plant pests like whitefly and aphids can be a problem, particularly for stressed plants. They can be controlled with insecticidal soap and/or neem oil.
They generally don’t need plenty of encouragement to flower, but several conditions can affect blooming such as poor nutrition. If the plants don’t bloom well, increase feeding to every 2 to 3 weeks. As mentioned earlier, potted plants require more fertilizer, extreme heat and under-watering can also play a role in shading the plants and increasing watering frequency, particularly in hot weather. Insufficient light will cause leggy growth and fewer flowers. Transplant them to a sunnier location.
Animals such as groundhogs and deer love to feed on these plants. The only protection against these animals is strong fencing. | https://plantmomcare.com/african-daisy-osteospermum/ |
rom primitive cave dwellers to modern city dwellers, people have always played percussion instruments. A percussion instrument is any musical instrument that you play by striking or hitting using either sticks or your hands. There are many kinds of percussion instruments, including drums, cymbals, and xylophones.
Of all the percussion instruments, drums are the most prevalent. They are commonly found all over the world. Every culture has developed its own type of drum. The drums may differ from culture to culture, place to place, and group to group, but all of them possess the same basic elements. They usually have a hollow shell, or frame, and a round drumhead. The shell can come in many shapes and sizes. Shells are usually made out of metal or wood. They can be shallow like a snare drum’s or deep like a conga drum’s. They can be shaped like a cereal bowl, an hourglass, or even a kettle.
The shell acts like a speaker to amplify the sound, or make it louder. A small drum, like a bongo, will sound faint compared to the huge noise made by a big bass drum used in a marching band.
The drumhead is usually made from an animal hide. The animal hide, or skin, is stretched tight over the drum shell. When the drummer hits the drumhead, it vibrates, or moves very quickly back and forth. This vibration creates a resonant, or deep and rich, sound. A drum’s pitch depends on the size and the tightness of the drumhead. A smaller, tighter drumhead makes a higher-pitched sound.
Drumbeats are like beating hearts. You can hear their rhythms through the ages.
TEACHING READING SOURCEBOOK • SAMPLE TEXT 7
Copyright © 2008 by CORE. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
In addition I would add visuals or regalia for ELLs and other students as well.
I think primitive is Tier 3 because it is content specific.
I think percussion, instruments, plus all separate instruments. primitive, dwellers and striking would be important for a student to understand this paragraph.
I think primitive, dwellers, and percussion would be vocabulary to directly teach. For this article, and especially if the end assignment had a writing expectation, I would use a GLAD input chart to teach vocab and use a lot of realia pictures to best support my students.
I teach a very young grade so my brain thinks about every single word I read with students. Just looking at the first paragraph alone, I see 8 words that I would discuss and possibly break down or find models at least to demonstrate meaning for students.
This paragraph has great context clues for helping the students understand what a percussion instrument is. The paragraph gives a definition and examples.
For my students I would pull out the words Primitive, dwellers, percussion, amplify, and rhythms. I say rhythms because it can be confused with other words which will confuse the idea of the passage. I really like the word Mapping idea because it give the student a complete understanding of the word.
For the word primitive, the students could think of other words that sound similar and see if their meanings have a connections, such as primate. They could also look up the meaning of the words or roots of the words to find their meaning.
Percussion is tier 2 words that has multiple meanings. It can mean both the act of striking the instrument or the actual instrument.
I agree. In addition, it could also be used to reinforce one way to use context clues and text-provided definitions to figure out meaning.
I agree, my students would not have any idea that striking would mean to hit the ball. futhermore, strike has a couple of meanings and if they remember earlier last school year the Teachers almost went on “strike” they would be confused.
I agree with you that connecting this word to another word with similar meaning that might be more familiar would be beneficial.
That is a good call, my students would definitely benefit from a vocabulary word mapping of dwell, most of them probably have never heard it and if they have they don’t remember what it means.
Do you think Primitive could be a tier 3 word? Its possible we may see it a couple of times in english or reading class but it will be used a lot in Social Studies.
This paragraphs provides two clear examples of context clue types – definition and example.
In the first paragraph, primitive can be taught using contextual clues such as cave dwellers. Also comparing the phrase primitive cave dwellers to modern city dwellers demonstrates modern as an antonym to primitive.
I also was wondering if primitive was a Tier 2 or Tier 3 level word. Another comment was made suggesting that in the lower grades, it would be considered Tier 3 which makes sense.
Overall I think this is such a rich passage for vocabulary development. I also think it speaks to letting children “act out words” to help build understanding.
Since I am an interventionist, I would look at the article first and preteach the vocabulary. Then I would phrase read with the children. After we phrase read talk about the phrase or sentence. At my school, which is a Title 1, the children need to know background knowledge about a word first.
I totally agree. There are so many words in just that sentence that I would directly teach. Dwellers does not seem like a very common word that students would hear in daily language but I still think its a word to discuss in order to compprehend the text. Modern seems more like a tier 2 word that I would pull out and teach.
I agree, I don’t think dwellers would be a common word students are familiar with. There are several opportunities to use text as well.
I would have to provide vocabulary instruction on both of these words. I would definitely use a graphic organizer to teach both words.
dwellers is probably going to be an unfamiliar word and I think it might be a Tier 2 word. The context isn’t going to help much here and it doesn’t have a Greek or Latin root (it’s germanic/old english). This might be a word that’s best looked up in dictionary or online!
Primitive, modern, and dwellers all seem like words that would require explicit instruction. I think the vocabulary strategy worksheet would be a good tool for these words. Using visual images may also help.
I think primitive is an important word to help students have a better understanding of the text. I think it’s a Tier 2 word. Percussion is also important as many students do not know that word.
Students could be confused about if dwellers means to visit or to live.
Asking the percussion section from a local band to visit, giving students time to play or make percussion instruments, and even a comparison chart about how these specific instruments are similar/different would help students build understanding.
Students within my school district have limited understanding of percussion and will struggle with reading as there are limited ways to connect toward the text.
I think prevalent, culture, hollow and shell are important. I would use a cognitive content dictionary for this whole article and include photographs.
I think prevalent, elements, possess and hollow should all be explicitly taught.
Resonant is a tricky word, however there are context clues that could be taught in this paragraph such as the words deep and rich.
I think prevalent and shell would be very good words to teach students. Shell especially is used many times and has some imbedded definitions and can be used in a variety of ways (good synonym, antonym and dictionary use)
At first I focused on hollow, but shell is key to understanding the drum and how it works.
Well, hollow is a critical feature too. What if you did a semantic feature analysis of different percussion instruments. That would help them use more vocabulary and words to describe the different percussion instruments. Some percussion instruments are not hollow to create a vibration with realia, they can begin to see the reason to have describing words for the features.
Useful tier 2 word that applies to lots of content/texts
This might be a good time to point out how differ is a part of the word different (word family).
As a Tier 2 word, possess would be a good one for direct instruction especially because it’s also a root word in the words possession, possessor,
Also a great spot to teach context clues and text-embedded definitions (“make it louder”).
Vibration should be explicitly taught. A hands on activity in which students can feel a vibration might help with remembering what the word means.
the way it’s used here it would be considered a tier 3 word.
I agree that students may call up a different meaning than intended which could throw comprehension off. We would want them to know that in this context hide is about animal skin and not a verb or a description of where you sit while hunting.
Hide could have multiple meanings and depending on a student’s experience, they may not know it.
Talk about understanding the definition of each word individually and then creating a picture of what this word ‘looks’ like.
and students can interact with the words in playful ways such as: finish the idea, choices,and questions. I would also use a word map especially since graphic organizers will help ELL students. It just depends on if you are using this text as a read aloud or independent read. Pave map and I like the idea of starting a Vocabulary Hotshot Notebook for students so that they will have more exposure to the word.
This entire article is an excellent way to teach students how to gain meaning of words through appositive definitions.
Students could go through and highlight all of the words and definitive clues throughout the text.
For younger students, I would incorporate visuals for a deeper understanding/comprehension. Finally, while the word dweller needs to be explained, I don’t believe it is imperative to learn/review the word because it is not imperative to comprehend the overall meaning of the article. Thoughts?
I agree with you Angela. I found the text to be heavy with context clues and would use those clues to help younger readers. Using context clues is especially helpful for struggling readers. I feel that when students are able to use context clues and then create their own sentences using the vocabulary words it aides in greater comprehension of the words meaning.
Before I give the text, students look up and jot down definitions for shell, pitch, and faint.(Guidelines for Using the Dictionary) I will also ask what they know about percussion instruments and together we will make a Concept Definition Map which we will add to as we read. (This will also activate Prior Knowledge) The two words that I predict will be troublesome are prevalent and resonant. We can use word-part and word family clues; however, my lower-level class may have to use the dictionaries.
Logging in, please wait... | https://nowcomment.com/documents/40909?scroll_to=2455823 |
In my last blog post, I shared the news of my bad back and how it was impacting my goal of being fit when I reached the grand ol’ age of 50. The good news is that after 3 weeks of inactivity, this week I’ve been able to get active again.
In fact, the previous week I was able to start the ramp up by walking regularly both during lunchtime walks as well as in the treadmill.
This Monday, I got back in my adventure bike and commutes to and from work. I felt my lower back aching a little in the evening so decided to alternate my cycle commute days by cycling Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursday and Friday, I drove to work and then went for 30 minute runs. Tuesday’s was a little too early with a pre-6am alarm and a run that started while it was still dark.
As well as that, I decided that I’d try to walk around 2 miles a day. There are lots of health benefits of regular walking and this also acted as a great way to take a break from the office and a recovery from the cycling/running.
On Thursday morning’s run, I made the decision to complete 2600 miles of exercise this year through a combination of running, walking and cycling. That means 50 miles per week. I’m likely to achieve that with 30 miles of cycling, 10 miles of walking and 10 miles of running.
As well as that challenge, I decided to join my wife on Saturday for a swim. As mentioned in a recent post, I swam once last year. That amounted to less than 1 mile in distance – a far cry from the 100 miles I covered 5 years ago when I was training for triathlons.
Having zero swim fitness, I was pleased to complete 40 lengths of the pool.
With today to complete (a run is planned), it’s been a good week with Garmin summarising my activities below:
So far, so good.
So, my rough plan for the coming weeks will be something like: | https://triathleteintraining.co.uk/author/sitereport/ |
Let’s discuss the question: how satan corrupts through compassion. We summarize all relevant answers in section Q&A of website Myyachtguardian.com in category: Blog MMO. See more related questions in the comments below.
What is God’s definition of compassion?
To have compassion means to empathize with someone who is suffering and to feel compelled to reduce the suffering. It’s a fuller, truer definition than feelings alone, and it’s a very biblical understanding.
What does the Bible say about compassion and empathy?
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32. 1 Peter 3:8 is one of the most well-known Bible verses about compassion: “Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” We can practice compassion in everyday life.
A brief history of the devil – Brian A. Pavlac
Images related to the topicA brief history of the devil – Brian A. Pavlac
Is empathy the same as compassion?
Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.
What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?
Sympathy involves understanding from your own perspective. Empathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and understanding WHY they may have these particular feelings. In becoming aware of the root cause of why a person feels the way they do, we can better understand and provide healthier options.
What are 3 examples of compassion?
Giving up a seat to a pregnant woman, being polite to retail workers, helping your friend move, taking a second to listen at work — compassion takes many forms.
How do you show compassion?
- Open the door for someone. …
- Motivate others. …
- Practice acts of kindness. …
- Allocate time to bond with friends and family. …
- Say encouraging words. …
- Share a hug or a handshake. …
- Incorporate the phrase “thank you” into your daily routine. …
- Offer to help someone with their to-do list.
Why is it important to show compassion?
Compassion is shown to improve health and wellness because of its ability to drive meaningful interactions. It pushes us to address inequality, cruelty, and the struggles of others. It encourages us to be kind. It allows us to see others and how we can help them or hold space for them.
What does Mark 12/31 say?
The verse says: “love your neighbor as yourself”, the imperative word here being “as”. The long form of this phrase would be “love your neighbor as you love yourself”. This implies that in order to be kind, compassionate, and generous to our neighbor, we must first be these things to ourselves.
What does the Bible say about showing compassion to others?
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
Is feeling sorry for someone the same as compassion?
Sympathy is a feeling of pity or sense of compassion — it’s when you feel bad for someone else who’s going through something hard.
How does compassion change a person?
There are numerous proven benefits of both self-compassion and compassion toward others, such as increased happiness, improved medical outcomes, reduced stress, reduced psychopathology, and increased social connectedness.
Satan Is Using a NARCISSIST to Attack You If . . .
Images related to the topicSatan Is Using a NARCISSIST to Attack You If . . .
What is not compassion?
uncompassionate Add to list Share. Uncompassionate means indifferent or uncaring about the way other people feel. An uncompassionate person isn’t emotionally affected by the sight of someone who’s crying.
What are the 4 types of empathy?
There are also, however, different types of empathy that have been defined by psychologists. These are cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy. This page explains what is meant by each of these types if empathy.
What are the 3 types of empathy?
Empathy is an enormous concept. Renowned psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman have identified three components of empathy: Cognitive, Emotional and Compassionate.
What are the 4 qualities of empathy?
- Perspective taking.
- Staying out of judgment.
- Recognizing emotion in another person.
- Communicating the understanding of another person’s emotions.
What kind of actions show compassion?
One simple way to show your compassion for others is to listen and communicate with sincerity, empathy, and kindness. You can also show your compassion through actions, such as advocating for others or volunteering for good causes. In order to show true compassion, it’s important to cultivate a compassionate attitude.
What stops us from being compassionate?
Stress, tension, and exhaustion can negatively impact one’s ability to be compassionate. Putting yourself on the priority list to get enough sleep, nourishment, and do activities you enjoy is part of self-care.
How do you treat someone with compassion?
- Practice good manners. …
- Show personal interest. …
- Take the time to think about what they have been through. …
- Always acknowledge their feelings. …
- Lastly, take time to care for your own emotional needs.
How do you show mercy and compassion?
- Be a Good Listener. One of the best ways to show our compassion is to listen. …
- Be Empathetic. There is a difference between being sympathetic and empathetic. …
- Be an Advocate. The Bible calls us to be an advocate for the downtrodden. …
- Be a Volunteer. …
- Be Private. …
- Be a Giver. …
- Be Aware. …
- Be Kind.
How does a student show compassion?
The simplest way to demonstrate to your students you care and have compassion for them is to tell them often and in different ways. Genuine praise for tasks, asking questions about their day, and sharing with them tidbits from your life are excellent ways to show students you care.
Satan’s 5 Strategies Against You
Images related to the topicSatan’s 5 Strategies Against You
How do you show empathy and compassion?
- How to Show Empathy. …
- Acknowledge their pain. …
- Share how you feel. …
- Show gratitude that the person opened up. …
- Show interest. …
- Be encouraging. …
- Be supportive. …
- There is No Script for Empathy.
What are the qualities of compassion?
Compassion consists of six ‘attributes’: Sensitivity, Sympathy, Empathy, Motivation/Caring, Distress Tolerance, and Non-Judgement. 6. “The feeling that arises in witnessing another’s suffering and that motivates a subsequent desire to help” (Goetz et al., 2010, p. 351).
Related searches
- empathy vs sympathy christian
- empathy in the church
- sermon on empathy
- untethered empathy
- trauma desiring god
- lack of empathy christian
- desiring god manipulation
- the enticing sin of empathy twitter
Information related to the topic how satan corrupts through compassion
Here are the search results of the thread how satan corrupts through compassion from Bing. You can read more if you want.
You have just come across an article on the topic how satan corrupts through compassion. If you found this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. | https://myyachtguardian.com/how-satan-corrupts-through-compassion-new/ |
The Swell Wave Standing by avant-garde designer Andrew Kudless embodies the House's historical spirit of movement and travel. Its inventive construction resembles an ancient rock face sculpted over the centuries by wind and rain. This free-standing structure features shelves crafted from polished oak and a frame wrapped in Louis Vuitton leather, whose motion calls to mind rolling ocean waves.
Detailed features
- H 68.9 x W 63 x L 13.8 inches/H 175 x W 160 x L 35 cm
- Weight: 132.3 pounds/60 kg
- Light Blue
- 80% oak, 10% leather, 10% metal
- Maximum load: 220.5 pounds/100 kg
- For indoor use only
-
Client servicesBy Telephone : | https://hk.louisvuitton.com/eng-hk/products/swell-wave-standing-by-andrew-kudless-nvprod2070179v |
Did you know that Harry Potter’s Birthday is May 2? May 2 is also J.K. Rowlings Birthday. In honor of Harry Potter we bring to you a few bits of Harry Potter Eyewear Trivia
Eye Bogglers:
- Spellotape was used to hold Harry Potters Glasses together.
- William Luff designed Harry Potter’s eyeglasses in the films.
- Harry Potter was giving glasses because J. K. Rowling stated ‘the reason she gave Harry glasses was that she wore them herself as a child and was fed up with reading books in which the bespectacled character was the “brainy one.” She said she wished to read about a hero who wore glasses’
- Harry Potter broke 7 pair of glasses during the filming
- Several spells can mend broken glasses. Hermione Granger used the Occulus Reparo spell to mend Harry Potter’s glasses when they first met on the Hogwarts Express in 1991. Arthur Weasley probably used a nonverbal version of this spell to fix Harry’s glasses in 1992. | https://theopticalvisionsite.com/five-ff-trivia-about-harry-potters-eyeglasses/ |
Q:
Sum of dynamic number of values derived from fomula
In short my question is this. If I use the SUM function (or some other function) that can take one or more arguments, is there some way I can pass in these arguments as an array which varies over some variable? For example, SUM(CONCATENATE("1", A1)) and then have it go through a range in column A.
Longer explanation, my situation is this. I have a number of sheets in which there's a column for which I want the sum, based on the value of another column.
Sheet 1:
Sheet 2:
I have another sheet with the sums for values A and B. Using the INDIRECT function let me do this for Sheet 1:
The formula used is
SUM(IFERROR(FILTER(INDIRECT(CONCATENATE("'",$D$2,"'!","A:A")),EQ(A1,INDIRECT(CONCATENATE("'",$D$2,"'!","B:B")))),0))
As you can see, it yields the correct sum for values A and B for Sheet 1. What I'd like to do now is add values to column D as more sheets are added in the future, and have the sum calculated over all the sheets. Can I do this using formulas, or is there need for a scripting function? I've tried using ARRAYFORMULA but the end result is that the names of all the sheets get concatenated for the INDIRECT function, so that doesn't work.
I feel that there must be some way to define a variable in a formula and then have it evaluated for an array of values for that variable, but I can't quite figure it out.
A:
The script below will perform a summation throughout tabs, taking into account different strings, as shown in your question.
Code
function mySum(tabRange, strings) {
// small error handling
if(typeof tabRange === 'string') {
throw 'Multiple tabs are needed. Otherwise use SUM';
return
}
// get active spreasdsheet and create empty arrays
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActive(), aStr = [], output = [];
// push first result in array to control different strings
aStr.push(strings[0][0], 0);
// iterate through tabs
for(var i = 0, iLen = tabRange.length; i < iLen; i++) {
// get all data (at once) from tab
var data = ss.getSheetByName(tabRange[i][0]).getDataRange().getValues();
// iterate through strings
for(var k = 0, kLen = strings.length; k < kLen; k++) {
// create and set the summation per string
var strSum = 0;
// iterate through the data
for(var j = 0, jLen = data.length; j < jLen; j++) {
// if a match is found, then add to the strSum
if(data[j][1] === strings[k][0]) {
strSum += data[j][0];
}
}
// find index in array that matches a string
var index = aStr.indexOf(strings[k][0]);
// if found, then add to existing value
// else, create a new entry for that string
// so that it will be found the next time
if(index !== -1) {
aStr[index+1] += strSum;
} else {
aStr.push(strings[k][0], strSum);
}
}
}
// get rid off the strings
for(var l = 1, lLen = aStr.length; l < lLen; l += 2) {
output.push(aStr[l]);
}
// show the outcome
return output;
}
Screenshot
Example
I've created an example file for you: Sum of dynamic number of values derived from fomula
| |
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 20: There are 11,851 Kuwaiti citizens registered under CSC in the waiting list for employment; 77.3 percent of them (9,157 in number) are women, and 22.7 percent (2,694 in number) are men, reports Al-Anba daily quoting informed sources from Civil Service Commission (CSC).
They explained that the statistics issued by CSC on Aug 19 reveal that the total number of the registered highly qualified applicants is 1,985, those without any qualifications is 1,712 and those holding diploma certificates is 423.
Majority of the registered applicants hold elementary level certificate. They are 3,077 in number, constituting 25.96 percent. The sources said the aforementioned applicants will be offered positions in different ministries and state bodies based on the keenness of CSC to ensure citizens receive employment and to implement the replacement (Kuwaitization) policy.
The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has suspended procedures for cutting water supply in private housing units whose owners failed to pay their bills on time and it will resume after the Eid Al-Adha holiday, reports Al-Rai daily.
Meanwhile, offices in the Consumers Affairs Department at the ministry recently witnessed crowds as a large number of citizens came to rectify their situation after the announcement of the list of consumers whose debts exceeded KD1,000 and they have been warned that the services will be cut if they do not settle their bills.
Sources said many defaulters have requested for postponement of disconnection until they rectify their situation, indicating the ministry collected KD1.7 million within one day after the announcement of the list of defaulters with huge amount of outstanding bills.
On the other hand, a number of monitors at the Consumers Affairs Department asked for expansion of powers granted to them to enable them to receive 25 percent of the total debt as first payment from consumers who are willing to settle outstanding bills, instead of 50 percent.
They also requested for authorizing heads of departments and legal affairs employees to do the same in a bid to provide the service to as many citizens as possible. The monitors pointed out that they are away from their offices most of the time due to the nature of their work so when consumers come to their offices to pay they are usually outside touring various offices in governorates as part of their duties; hence, the need to authorize the heads of departments and legal affairs employees to receive payment. | http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/11851-kuwaitis-on-jobs-waiting-list/ |
Researchers develop 'personalized advantage index,' a new decision-making tool
One of the primary social motivations for scientific research is the ability to make better decisions based on the results. But whether it is deciding what material to use in making a solar panel, what antibiotic to use on an infection or when to launch a satellite, most decisions involve weighing multiple factors, all of which interact with one another in determining the best course of action.
Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh have developed a decision-making model that compares and weights multiple variables in order to predict the optimal choice.
They tested their model on data from a study of patients seeking treatment for depression, who received either cognitive behavioral therapy or medication. By using the model to generate a score for each patient that indicated which treatment was likely to be more effective for him or her, researchers showed an advantage equivalent to that of an effective treatment relative to a placebo.
Called the "predictive advantage index," this analytic tool could be used not just in personalized medicine but in any decision-making scenario with complex, and potentially conflicting, variables.
"If you pay attention to only one variable, you're going to make a decision that is only true with all else being equal," said Robert DeRubeis, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences. "But we know that all else is not equal. We need to take all of those inequalities into account at once to find out what is likely to work the best."
The study was led by DeRubeis and Zachary Cohen, a doctoral candidate in Psychology. Nicholas Forand, Lois Gelfand and Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, also of Psychology, contributed to the research. The Penn team collaborated with Jay C. Fournier, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.
It was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
In developing the predictive advantage index, the researchers chose a decision-making case with which they were familiar as psychologists: which treatment would be more effective for a depressed patient, cognitive behavioral therapy or medication? Both types of treatments have been shown to be effective in combating depression, but some patients respond better to one type than the other.
The researchers drew upon a longitudinal study of 154 patients that received one of those two treatments. The study collected data on the success of the treatment each patient received, as well as personal information that might play a role in which of the treatments each patient was best suited for, such as marital status, number of previous exposures to antidepressant medications or number of negative life events experienced in the past year. Psychologists have long used this type of information to make clinical recommendations but have never been able to look at all of the relevant data in a comprehensive way.
"The status quo for many decades," Cohen said, "has been for clinicians to either use clinical judgment, intuition based on what they have done before and the results they've seen, or to use a single variable to push the decision in one direction or the other."
Many randomized control trials have tackled relevant single variables, such as marital status or negative life events, to determine whether they are indicative of one type of treatment's effectiveness over another. While such studies have occasionally provided strong evidence of certain traits' correlation with the effectiveness of a given treatment, they have a serious limitation when it comes to applying them to clinical decision-making.
"These studies always look at those variables in isolation," Cohen said. "That leaves clinicians with little ability to go beyond those single variables. What happens if you have a patient come in with conflicting variables? Which one do you trust?"
In building the predictive advantage index, the researchers' goal was not to determine which variable to trust above all others but to see the degree each variable played in producing the outcome. They used a "leave-one-out" validation method, where they cycled though each of the patients, using the relationships between the variables and outcomes for the other 153 to predict the results for the 154th. This method was important to avoid "overfitting," or an over-use of variables that leads to an accurate prediction for those whose data are used to develop the predictive algorithm but fails to be fully generalizable to those outside the data set.
The result of this statistical technique is an algorithm that maximizes the predictive value of the group of variables by assigning weights to each one. This provides useful context for the variables that both intuition and isolated studies suggest may play a role in a given decision's outcome, as well as a new lens to look at the efficacy of those individual variables.
"Personalized medicine approaches might involve genetic assays or neuroimaging or other kinds of diagnostics," Cohen said. "The cost of all of this data gathering needs to be weighted against the value it provides to the ultimate predication of efficacy, which is something [the predictive advantage index] can help us investigate."
While the researchers cannot yet say how accurate the personalized advantage index's predictions will be outside the context of their test case, the early results suggest it would have clinical value.
"If this treatment selection approach had been used when the patients in our data set were actually being treated," DeRubeis said, "it would likely have produced an average benefit that's equivalent to what you see between groups given medication and groups given a placebo."
Machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques could further improve the index by comparing variables in complex, non-linear ways, opening the door to a new way of doing analytics for many types of applications, including ones with more complicated variables and outcomes.
"This is a way to begin to close the chasm between the wealth of information on how to improve outcomes and how that information is actually applied," DeRubeis said. | https://phys.org/news/2014-01-personalized-advantage-index-decision-making-tool.html |
Coolpad E2 runs Android,7.1.1 Nougat and features a 720 x 1280 pixels 5.0 inches display and a Quad Core 1.09 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor paired with and 16GB native storage capacity.
The Coolpad E2 boasts of a 8MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Li-Po 3000 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB and Dual SIM (Nano SIM). | https://www.gizbot.com/new-mobiles/coolpad-e2-5830/ |
As part of our study of Sink and Float and Submarines, we re-created a classic experiment: the Cartesian diver bottle. Here’s a video of our final product in action:
A Tutorial – How to Build a Cartesian Diver Bottle
The basic idea: You take a large plastic bottle filled with water, then add a “diver” who floats. When you squeeze the bottle, he dives to the bottom. When you release pressure, he returns to the surface.
The science behind it: Why does it work? The diver has an air bubble trapped inside, making the density of the diver a little less than the water, so it floats (it’s positively buoyant). When you squeeze the bottle, it increases the pressure, water is forced up into the diver, and the air bubble trapped in the diver compresses (gets smaller). Water is denser than air, so this increases the mass and density of the diver, so it sinks. When you stop squeezing, the air bubble expands, forcing water out of the diver, and the diver rises. (Sources: Steve Spangler, Science Bob, Physics.org.)
The history: In 250 BC, Archimedes described buoyancy
Any object, wholly or partially immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.
In the 16th century, scientist and mathematician Rene Descartes is said to have invented this experiment which demonstrates buoyancy.
Options for the diver
Criteria: You need something that can contain some air or catch an air bubble underneath it. You need to be able to adjust the weight till you get it just right. It needs to fit through the bottle opening. It needs to just barely float.
- Use a small piece of bubble wrap (like 6 bubbles of air)
- Use an eyedropper. Fill it partway with water until you’ve achieved the right buoyancy. http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/eye-dropper-cartesian-diver/
- Use a pipette. Add weight to the bottom to weigh it down and to keep it upright.
- Use a pen cap and modeling clay: https://sciencebob.com/make-a-cartesian-diver/
- Use a straw and blue tack: www.physics.org/interact/physics-to-go/cartesian-diver/
- Cut a diver out of foil or heavy plastic, create an “oxygen tank” with a straw and a paper clip. Weight feet with putty as needed: http://coolscienceexperimentshq.com/bottle-diver-science-experiment/
- Use a ketchup packet: www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/cartesian-diver-ketchup/ (or a mustard packet or soy sauce packet – all the same principle)
- One book recommends a wooden matchstick with a little putty on one end
- We used plastic straws, cut to shorter lengths, with silly putty to seal the top end, as our air tanks. Then we weighted them with paper clips. We had a variety of lengths of straw, various sizes and types of paper clips, and the putty is infinitely adjustable, so it was easy to fine-tune the variables.
Building, Testing and tinkering with the diver: Have a cup full of water to test in. Set the diver in. He should just barely float. If he sinks, remove some weight or add more air. If he tips over onto his side, add more weight to the bottom. Keep adjusting till you’ve got him just right. This is the hard part…
Assembling the bottle: Use a plastic bottle, like a one-liter water bottle. Remove the labels to get a good view of the dive. Fill it almost all the way. (If you fill it all the way, then when you add the diver, he’ll displace some water, and it will spill out.) Gently add the diver. Screw lid on tight. Squeeze to test. (You’ll have to squeeze hard.)
Have fun tinkering! | https://inventorsoftomorrow.com/2016/06/06/cartesian-diver-bottles/ |
On Sunday November 2nd, runners gathered from all over the world to run the New York City Marathon.
Among the 50,000 runners who competed to complete the 26.2-mile course, there were several Withings Pulse wearers. We decided to take a closer look at the Pulse marathon runners. Pulse wearers finished the marathon on average in 3h40, far below the 4h34 reported as the average of all participants.
If we examine the distribution of the number of steps per hour of the day, we can see that:
1: There were several departure waves between 10am and 11am. 10 am was the start time of the marathon for non-professional runners.
2: From 11am to 2pm, all runners were in action, at the electric pace of almost 10,000 steps per hour!
3: After 2pm, the average pace decreased, due to the first runners having finished the race and other runners having lowered their speed during the last miles.
We can also analyze how the runners’ average speed varied according to the run distance. The following graph reveals that:
1: During the first 1.5 miles the runners increase their speed to reach a maximum average speed of 8.6 mph.
2: Then, until mile 6, their speed decreased gradually until stabilizing at a cruising speed of 7.4 mph.
3: Runners kept their pace at this average cruising speed until mile 20.
4: From mile 20, we observe a significant drop, with some fluctuations between 6.2 and 6.8 mph until the end of the race. Runners probably hit the famous “marathon wall”, related to the depletion of glycogen in the body which occurs typically around
the 20 mile mark .
A second interesting way of analyzing the speed evolution throughout the race is to compare this evolution against the elevation profile of the circuit. The following graph displays this relationship. In this graph, we have superposed speed and elevation, so that we can better visualize the potential links between these two variables.
1: The speed increases in the beginning of the marathon, even if during the first 1.5 miles the ascent seems steep. The speed reaches a maximum and is kept at this level from the moment when the elevation decreases and runners start descending.
2: The elevation varies little during this phase. The speed decreases gradually, due to some increases in elevation but also to runners showing the first signs of tiredness after the first 4 miles of the race.
3: The speed then stabilizes at 7.4 mph. We can observe a peak in the elevation profile at 15.5 miles, and the accompanying dip in the speed curve.
4: In the last phase of the race, the speed decreases again and oscillates between 6.2 and 6.8 mph until the end. This phase is characterized by an overall positive elevation variation. Knowing that at this point runners have already run 20 miles, the observed decrease in speed is very logical.
Congratulations to all these runners that powered through until the last mile and were able to cross the finish line of the 2014 NYC Marathon! Did you know that a subject weighing 160 lb burns over 3000 kcal during a marathon? A well-deserved rest period is now required. On our side, we will see you again in March 2015 for the next edition of the Paris Marathon!
About the data
This study was conducted upon a panel of users of the Withings Pulse in the US. Withings guarantees the confidentiality of personal data and protects the privacy of all its users. Therefore, all data used for this study are anonymized and aggregated. | https://blog-admin.withings.com/2014/11/12/the-pulse-attends-the-new-york-city-marathon/ |
I would like to clarify which areas shall I include in Combined Density calculations, namely:
1) the buildable land (acres) refers to "portion of site where construction can occur". This means that, for example in a site with 1000 sf and permission to buid 4 floors, buildable land shall be 4 x 1000 sf? Or only the site area (1000 sf) shall be counted?
2) If the number of floors shall be considered for buildable land calculations, then, for example in a building where 5 floors were allowed to be built but only 3 of them were actually built, the number of floors to consider is still 5, correct?
3) Total floor area (m2) shall be calculated considering the actual floors already built (e.g. building in a site with 500 sf and 10 floors, is counted with 5000 sf). Is this correct?
Regards, | https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/buildable-land-calculations |
A trader buys apples at 9 for Rs. 11 and sells them at 11 for Rs. 9. Find his gain/loss %?
Title: A trader buys apples at 9 for Rs. 11 and sells them at 11 for Rs. 9. Find his gain/loss %?
📌 Which of the following factor is not consideredwhile selecting accounting policies?
📌 Semiconductors are materials with how many valence electrons ?
📌 Fastest shorthand writer was?
📌 Which scientist discovered the radioactive element radium?
📌 In a dicotyledonous stem, the sequence of tissues from the outside to the inside is ?
📌 What is the name of the CalTech seismologist who invented the scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes?
📌 The two basic types of diodes are ?
📌 What is the difference between an N-type and P-type material ?
📌 Which one among the following is not true for Special Economic Zones?
📌 Ultra vires loans granted by the company are?
📌 In a certain code, CLOUD is written as GTRKF. How is SIGHT written in that code ?
📌 Kalidas is a great poet. Most of the great poets marry beautiful ladies.
📌 Miss World – 2012? | https://mympsc.com/Share.aspx?ArticleID=755FA23B-BD7B-4CC5-A8D8-E289E81A64C4 |
Abstract: Skin cancer is a common form of cancer, and early detection increases survival rates. This paper presents a comparison of the different types of deep learning models used to detect skin cancer. Based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), the skin cancer detection is done. The different networks in CNN are used, namely ResNet18, AlexNet and ResNet50. Transfer learning is a neural network model, which is also used in skin cancer diagonosis. HAM10000 is the skin cancer dataset used and the accuracy obtained in using different models is then compared.
Keywords: Deep Learning models, CNN, ResNet18, AlexNet, ResNet50, Transfer Learning, Cancer, Skin Cancer, Deep Learning
Edition: Volume 9 Issue 6, June 2020, | https://www.ijsr.net/get_abstract.php?paper_id=SR20609215148 |
Eleven Spartans tackled the Watford hills for a chilly half marathon. They came back with a bronze medal and a new personal best.
ERICA GRAYSON has been running with the Spartans for twelve months and her first race last year was the Watford Half. This year she had a fantastic time running with JULIE SHADBOLT and took 5 minutes 29 seconds off last year’s time coming in at 2 hours 3 minutes 40 seconds. She’s very happy with that good start to this year’s running.
Spartan ADRIAN BUSOLINI ran a great new personal best of 1 hour 26 minutes 26 seconds.
JIM BROWN won the county BRONZE medal by 26 seconds having overtaken the fourth placed Vet 60 runner in the last 500 metres. He was exactly one minutes ahead of the fifth. The Watford Half is a popular open race but included the Hertfordshire county championship for veteran runners.
An eighty minute run is a tremendous minutes achievement on such a tough course and fastest from Fairlands GRANT RAMSAY was 49th out of the 1875 finishers in 1 hour 20 minutes 51 seconds. He was fifth in the county championships for veterans 40 plus.
RUTH REILLY ran a tremendous 1 hour 38 minutes 8 seconds for a category seventh, the same time as TIM SABAN. CHRIS HOLLAND came in with 1:47:22, JAMES KILROY with 2:01:18 and ROBERT WRIGHT with 2:03:01. Spartan SHARON CROWLEY may have been the last in for the club but she still had more than 250 runners behind her with her 2:11:34.
BRIAN WHITE has qualified for the England Masters team in the Birmingham 10K by beating 40 minutes and finishing third veteran 60 plus in the Chichester 10K. He was 176th overall out of 1506 in 39 minutes 58 seconds. Brian enjoyed a very flat fast course finishing with a complete lap of the Goodwood Race Circuit.
New members JONATHAN and HAZEL JONES competed in the Cancer Research 10K Winter Fun Run in London. Jonathan finished in 56 minutes 7 seconds and Hazel in 1:25:37. GERRY ROSEN improved his personal best (PB) by more than six minutes finishing in 1:00:22.
Spartans JOHN NELMS and RICHARD HAZLEDENE finished the Thames Trot Ultra Marathon on Saturday in 10 hours 50 minutes. The event started in Oxford and followed the Thames river tow path all the way to Henley. While the point to point distance between these two locations is only 22 miles following the meandering river makes it just under 50! In cold and wet conditions, not getting about five degrees, the main feature of the run was mud. In places the mud was six inches deep and the trail only just passable. This came just three weeks after John and Richard completed the Country to Capital Ultra – a mere 43 miles from Wendover to central London.
The Spartan open club championship results will be released at the champions’ night, presentation evening, dinner and disco on Friday 23rd February. 239 different individuals completed at least one event in the short championships and 156 in the long championships.
The long distance championships for women and men consist of the best three out of 10 miles; half marathon (13.1 miles); 20 miles and full marathon (26.2 miles). All performances must be in accredited, measured races.
The short distances are the best three from 1500 metres; 5K; 5 miles and 10K.
On a wet morning DANNY SCANLON filled his recent customary “first Spartan home” position at Stevenage, finishing 7th in 19:57. STUART ARCHER ran a new course PB of 21:04 in 9th and BARRY OSBORNE was 10th in 21:07. MARTIN DUDLEY, MARK BEASLEY and RYAN DUNNING all made the top 30, and there was also a new course PB for DAVID SCOTT, finishing just outside the top 30 men in 23:48.
CLAIRE EMMERSON was the first Spartan woman to finish, 5th in a time of 24:30. KAREN PALMER was the third Spartan with a new course PB at Stevenage, coming home 8th in 26:11. KAREN ELLIS was 24th in 28:55. ERICA GRAYSON and JULIE SHADBOLT also finished in the top 30.
Elsewhere there were new course PBs for DAVE SMITH at St Albans (17th in 20:02), ANDY JAY at Westmill (12th in 25:00) and NICOLA KENNEDY at Nobles (2nd woman in 24:44). There were also Spartans in action at Hyndburn, Alice Holt, Forest Rec, Panshanger and Harlow. | https://www.fvspartans.org.uk/watford-half-bronze/ |
The subject of this article is not named in-game.
The current title is from a guide or other published source.
- This article is about the room in Area 5's middle level. For other uses, see Water-filled room (Disambiguation).
The water-filled room is a room in Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid: Samus Returns.
Description
The water-filled room is located in the middle level of Area 5 of SR388, and is explored during Samus Aran's mission to exterminate the Metroids. It is located within the Chozo ruins.
In Return of Samus, the water-filled room does not actually contain any water, which is seen outside the ruins in the Grand Cavern. Instead, it is an artificial vertical shaft without any platforms in the middle, but with indents on the walls to help Samus ascend. Two Gunzoos patrol the room and fire at intruders; these are the only Gunzoos that appear in Return of Samus.
The room's greatest significance in Return of Samus is that it contains four Red Hatches along its left wall. Each of these doors leads to an item room with a Chozo Statue holding a specific beam weapon. From bottom to top: Ice Beam, Wave Beam, Spazer Laser Beam, and Plasma Beam. Since Samus can only equip one beam at a time, she can use this room as a hub to easily switch between beams without needing to backtrack to previous areas.
In Samus Returns, the redesigned water-filled room still appears to be the interior of a Chozo building, with angular architecture visible in the background. However, much of the room has been flooded with water, and it is now overgrown with vegetation, seaweed, and coral-like growths. The only remaining Chozo robot is a single Autrack, with the rest of the room's enemies consisting of various wildlife.
The water-filled room has a more complex structure in Samus Returns. The middle two doors are part of a subchamber that cannot be directly accessed from the rest of the room. Samus must travel back and forth between the water-filled room and an adjacent room in order to reach the room's Red Hatch. This door leads to an upper section of the adjacent room, containing a Chozo Statue holding the Gravity Suit.
Because Phase 7 was heavily expanded in Area 5, it is unclear if the water-filled room in Samus Returns corresponds directly to a single room in Return of Samus. It may be the case that the Gunzoo-patrolled room in Phase 7 was split into multiple smaller rooms in Area 5, much like the Grand Cavern. However, since both rooms are found in approximately the same location and contain four doors on the left side, it is most likely that the water-filled room is redesigned from the Gunzoo room.
Connecting rooms
In Return of Samus, the bottom of the water-filled room connects to a room that then leads out of the ruins and into the Grand Cavern; the top of the water-filled room connects to a nearly identical room. Four Red Hatches along the room's left side connect to item rooms containing the Ice Beam, Wave Beam, Spazer Laser Beam, and Plasma Beam.
In Samus Returns, a Gigadora-covered door at the top connects to an Elevator room leading to the upper left section of Area 5. Two Beam Doors and one Red Hatch connect to different sections of the Gravity Suit's chamber.
Inhabitants
Return of Samus
- 2 Gunzoos
Samus Returns
- 1 Autrack
- 3 Glow Flies
- 1 Meboid swarm
- 4 Moheeks
Items
- Missile Tank
- In Samus Returns, a Bomb Block in the bottom right corner of the water-filled room leads to a vertical shaft lined with spikes. Samus must use the Grapple Point to lift herself through the shaft, then shoot a Missile Block to reveal the Missile Tank hidden within. The Spider Ball or Phase Drift must be used to avoid falling through the Pit Blocks below. | https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/Water-filled_room_(Area_5_middle_level) |
Chicken is a very popular ingredient for porridge, second only to pork.
Chicken is highly nutritious and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Compared to other meats, chicken is low in fat and will not add extra calories to your diet.
Chicken congee is gentle on the digestive system and the carbohydrates from the rice serves as a good energy source.
It is recommended as one of the essential ingredients in the diet of pregnant women.
To make, boil congee with white rice. Add bite-sized chicken cubes and cook until the color turns white. Add chopped preserved eggs, bring to a boil and season with salt and white pepper. | http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/food/2012-06/27/content_15526747.htm |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an MRI apparatus combined to an existing RF coil assembly to be used equally to a phased array coil.
SOLUTION: This MRI apparatus generates an MR image based upon a plurality of MR data (k space data) of a subject collected simultaneously from a plurality of RF coil elements disposed in the vicinity of the subject. The apparatus individually generates images P1, P2, P3, ... of either a plurality of real images or an imaginary image based upon the plurality of MR data of every RF coil element, and synthesizes a synthetic image CPc of either the real image or the imaginary image from the plurality of images P1, P2, P3 ... using the relationship expressed by Cpc=W1×P1+W2×P2+W3×W3 where the weight functions are defined as W1, W2, W3, ... ( wherein the weight functions W1, W2, W3 are set to the ratio of absolute value obtained by smoothing W1:W2:W3:...=P1 :the absolute value obtained by smoothing P2: the absolute value obtained by smoothing P3).
COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT | |
A few weeks ago, LFern and Mr. Fern made dinner for me. I thought I should return the favor. The menu is filled with my favorites. Nothing new here, just some surefire good food.
On the board tonight:
- Pasta Caprese
- Caesar Salad
- Chocolate Pecan* Torte
From August 2010:
Pasta Caprese
- 9 oz linguine or fettuccine
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 4 oz cubed mozzarella
- salt & pepper to taste
saucepan and large serving dish
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, mix remaining ingredients together. Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold. Add a nice loaf of bread for a complete dinner.
I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier and absorbs more flavors. Any locally produced mozzarella would work. Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand-makes many flavors of pasta. This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on. You can also change-up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil and use a chili flavored pasta for a whole new dish. The possibilities are endless.
From January 2011:
Chocolate Hazelnut*Torte
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tbsp milk or cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 7 eggs
- 3 tbsp Frangelino (opt)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts*
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform baking.
In a medium saucepan, whisk the chocolate, milk and butter together over low heat until a smooth mixture forms. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool.
In a blender, beat eggs well. Add sugar, blending until the mixture turns thick and pale yellow. Add the Frangelino and gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture, blending slowly until combined. Add baking powder, vanilla and nuts; mix until just combined.
Bake for 40 minutes, turn oven down to 350 degrees, then cover with foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack until completely cooled. Serves 12 small portions
*I had to make do with pecans because there was not a hazelnut to be found at the grocery store today. Was there a shortage? embargo? and I missed it?
One last note: This entire meal (minus croutons) was gluten free for LFern. The pasta is Tinkyada Rice Pasta, you’d never know the difference, it’s good stuff. | https://whats4dinnersolutions.com/2011/06/09/thursday-night-menu-dinner-guest-edition/ |
Work in progress
In May 2017, Argyll began the construction of two RC frame buildings to contain 7 apartments, 2 retail units and an amenity space on a bomb damage site in Walthamstow.
In May 2017, working to the designs of award winning architects, Bureau De Change; Argyll began a high end residential refurbishment with a unique stepped brick extension in Hampstead.
In April 2017, Argyll began a structural repair programme to a listed building on Russell Square for Birkbeck University.
In early 2017, Argyll completed an enabling works package to a unique coastal castle in East Sussex. Completion demolition and rebuild will commence in the later part of the year.
In October 2016, working with the multiple award winning Hogarth Architects; Argyll London began a 14 month basement renovation and basement formation in Fulham.
In April 2016, Argyll started building 7 new passivhaus units on the Isle of Dogs in East London. There will be 2 new houses and 5 apartments along with the refurbishment of the existing lock keeper’s house. Achieving the world’s leading low energy standard building on an Island in London will be an exciting challenge. The project is designed and managed by Roberts Tregeur one of London’s most innovative architectural / property development companies. | https://www.argyll.london/portfolio/work-in-progress/ |
First, they are a mix of serif and sans-serif fonts, which come in extremely handy.
Second, these fonts represent five historical categories of fonts: old style serif, transitional serif, slab serif, neo-grotesque sans-serif, and geometric sans-serif. If that sounds like a bunch of nonsense to you, you're reading the right article. I'll explain below.
Because they represent five very different categories of fonts, nearly every lettering style you will meet will relate to one of these five fonts in some way, even if something about them is a little bit different. Once you learn these five fonts well, you can alter them to make your own styles or to fit a particular piece you are trying to create.
Familiarizing yourself with their ins and outs will help you be able to identify the unique traits of other fonts, to be able to mimic them too. These five fonts are, in a sense, a very quick survey of font history, and are a great starting place for getting to know typography, which is the basis of hand-lettering.
Once you download the workbook and begin to trace the letters, try to identify the summary of traits for each font that I detail below. Try to compare and contrast each letter. In addition, the workbook contains a list of things to observe about fonts that will help you be able to trace and mimic them better.
Iowan is an old style serif, from a time period that spans roughly from the mid-1400’s to the early 1700’s. This was a time when, “Rather than using the blackletter [...] that Gutenberg used, printers began to create type mimicking the Latin writing hand of the philosophers and scribes of the time.”1 The earliest of the old style serifs are more calligraphic in nature; meaning, some letters are angled and not perfectly upright, some serifs are angled as well, and all serifs are strongly bracketed (meaning, there is a curve that connects the serif to the rest of the letter). These fonts tend to have a lower contrast between thick and thin strokes.
Baskerville, created in the late 1700’s, is our representative for the transitional typefaces, which mark the transition between old style and modernist typefaces. Printing technology had progressed so that more character detail could be carried over into the final product, so these typefaces tend to be a little more complex and detailed. They are usually very upright and not slanted, serifs become flatter, and there is a higher contrast between thick and thin.
I did not choose to officially include a modernist serif (1800’s-1900’s), but this group bears mentioning here. Didot or Bodoni are good representations of this period. Once you’ve had experience with Iowan and Baskerville, these will be easy to replicate. They are known for their extreme contrast between thick and thin and abrupt/bracketed serifs (meaning, there is no curve connecting the serif to the rest of the letter; it joins it at a right angle).
Next, also during this timeframe are the slab serifs, which are characterized by—you guessed it—serifs that are as thick as slabs! Some slab serif typefaces do have bracketed serifs, and some don’t. Our font selection, Adelle, finds a happy medium between the two.
Helvetica is a neo-grotesque sans-serif. Stroke widths are pretty consistent; there is very little contrast between thick and thin. The x-height (the height of the letters without the ascenders and descenders) is pretty tall. Helvetica has become one of the most widely-used sans-serif fonts, and is a good jumping off point for creating other sans-serif variations with your hand-lettering, which is why I include it here.
And finally, I included Futura, one of the most popular geometric sans serifs. These typefaces also have very little stroke contrast, and each letter is usually either circular or rectangular (i.e. geometric).
You might have several of these fonts on your own computer, and could print them off and trace them. However, I have created some free, simple worksheets for each of these fonts to get you started.
Each letter is positioned on a grid, so that its individual characteristics can be observed and easily mimicked.
There will be room to both trace and try each letter on your own. I’ve also included tips for you based on how I like to go about drawing certain letters.
At the beginning of the workbook, I’ve created a guide to observing and mimicking letters to get you started, along with other tips and tricks.
This practice page can be printed on any kind of letter-sized paper (8.5in x 11in).
Subscribe to our email newsletter below (which are few and far between, and always come with more freebies!) to receive access to the free workbook! | https://www.doorpostdesigns.co/blog/2018/4/9/basic-hand-lettering-block-lettering-l7af8 |
House painting in Pleasanton is considered the easiest and most cost-effective way possible to refresh your space. While anyone can hold a brush, not everyone has the skill or patience for painting a home — because it doesn’t only involve the painting part itself. There is lots of other work to be done, too!
Want to know why? Here are the tasks that the typical interior paint job will include:
1. Remove the furniture — if you can’t move them out, you will want to cover them with drop cloths.
2. Remove any fixtures, light installations, wall hangings, drapes, outlet covers and switch plates.
3. Protect the flooring — either bare hardwood or carpet — by covering it with canvas drop cloths because they are sturdier and less likely to cause accidents.
4. Clean the surface. A damp cloth or sponge will do if you’re going to clean off the dirt, dust, and grime on the surface. You may need a brush, detergent, store-bought wall cleaning solution or TSP if you are going to clean more stubborn dirt. After washing, rinse the surface and let it dry completely.
5. Repair any flaws you find on the surface including cracks, indents, nail grooves, etc. Fill them with a filler, spackling compound, or a drywall compound. Let the filler dry before sanding. Don’t overfill, but in case you do, sand the surface to remove the excess filler and to smoothen the surface.
6. If you find any peeling or cracking paint, scrape them off using a metal scraper. Using a fine-grit sandpaper, sand the surface to smoothen it.
7. Tape the trim, door and window frames, baseboards, and anywhere else you don’t want to be painted. Be sure to use only painter’s tape as other tape may damage the surface.
8. Depending on the situation or the condition of the drywall, prime the surface. This will help with bonding of paint to the surface.
9. Begin by painting around trim and cutting in corners, using an angled brush.
10. The easy way to paint the surface is by using a roller. The roller is also the faster way to apply paint. The common rolling technique is to begin at the corner and make a 3×3-foot “W” pattern. Roll quickly and continuously to cover the lap marks, without lifting the roller. Paint one wall at a time.
It is easier and more practical to paint around trim and corners first before painting the entire surface, rather than the other way around. The paints around the trims and corners, while still wet, will blend in well with the rolled paint. It also helps in avoiding the annoying lap marks.
11. Gently peel off the painter’s tape while the paint is still wet to ensure a crisp, clean edge.
And that’s not all. After the paint has been dried, you have to clean the area, put back the furniture, and re-install the fixtures. There’s also washing and cleaning the tools, and disposing of whatever debris that’s been left from the painting job.
These steps may overwhelm the first time DIY painter. But like in many other activities, house painting requires practice, patience, and caution — even professional painters have undergone trial and error before getting things right.
House painting can be tackled by the homeowners themselves. After all, there is a wide variety of paints, primers, stains, brushes, rollers, and other tools available for the DIY home painter. It is recommended, though, they should buy ones that are of good quality, and good quality cannot be sacrificed for such a big home project.
Apart from the good quality tools, following the proper procedures (such as the steps illustrated above) will ensure you of a good painting job.
There are many experienced DIY-ers out there who know the ins and outs of painting, just like the pros do. Sometimes, they find painting the house easy, fun, and even therapeutical.
People have to start somewhere, right? If you want to begin house painting in the DIY way, it’s expected that you may not get it right the first time (counting possible major spills). But in the long run, you will find this DIY project more of a breeze after some practice.
Depending on your budget or experience, house painting in Pleasant Hill can be a DIY project. But if you want flawless results but you don’t want to bother holding a brush, the other option is to hire a professional painting contractor like Custom Painting, Inc., who will do the job for you. | https://custompaintinginc.com/should-house-painting-in-pleasant-hill-be-a-diy-project/ |
In vitro: PS-1145 blocks TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation through inhibition of IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, and blocks the protective effect of IL-6 against Dex-induced apotosis. PS-1145 also inhibits paracrine MM cell growth and IL-6 secretion in BMSCs triggered by MM cell adherence. In human primary CD4(+) T cells, PS-1145 abrogates cell proliferation and impairs the activation of NF-κB and AP-1 transcription factors by engagement of CD3 and CD28 coreceptor. In vivo: In male Wistar rats with DMBA-induced skin tumor, PS-1145 (50 mg/kg, i.v.) enhances tumor cell apoptosis by up-regulating p53, activating caspases and down regulating NF-κB and VEGF factor, and thus induces the tumor progression.
|Cell Experiment|
|Cell lines||MM.1S, U266, and RPMI8226 cell lines|
|Preparation method||The inhibitory effect of PS-1145 on MM growth is assessed by measuring MTT dye absorbance of the cells. Cells from 48-h cultures are pulsed with 10 μL of 5 mg/ml MTT to each well for the last 4 h of 48-h cultures, followed by 100 μl of isopropanol containing 0.04N HCl. Absorbance is measured at 570 nm using a spectrophotometer.|
|Concentrations||~50 μM|
|Incubation time||48 h|
|Animal Experiment|
|Animal models||Male Wistar rats with DMBA-induced skin tumor|
|Formulation||Dissolved at 0.4 mg/mL in DMSO and diluted with 0.9% NaCl|
|Dosages||~50 mg/kg|
|Administration||i.v.|
|Species||Mouse||Rat||Rabbit||Guinea pig||Hamster||Dog|
|Weight (kg)||0.02||0.15||1.8||0.4||0.08||10|
|Body Surface Area (m2)||0.007||0.025||0.15||0.05||0.02||0.5|
|Km factor||3||6||12||8||5||20|
|Animal A (mg/kg) = Animal B (mg/kg) multiplied by||Animal B Km|
|Animal A Km|
For example, to modify the dose of resveratrol used for a mouse (22.4 mg/kg) to a dose based on the BSA for a rat, multiply 22.4 mg/kg by the Km factor for a mouse and then divide by the Km factor for a rat. This calculation results in a rat equivalent dose for resveratrol of 11.2 mg/kg.
|Molecular Weight||322.75|
|Formula||C17H11ClN4O|
|CAS Number||431898-65-6|
|Purity||100.00%|
|Solubility||60 mg/mL in DMSO|
|Storage||at -20°C|
Interleukin 6, a nuclear factor-kappaB target, predicts resistance to docetaxel in hormone-independent prostate cancer and nuclear factor-kappaB inhibition by PS-1145 enhances docetaxel antitumor activity.
Domingo-Domenech J, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Sep 15;12(18):5578-86. PMID: 17000695.
NF-kappaB as a target for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease: comparative efficacy of bortezomib and PS-1145.
Vodanovic-Jankovic S, et al. Blood. 2006 Jan 15;107(2):827-34. PMID: 16174760.
|Related IκB/IKK Products|
|MLN120B
|
MLN120B is a potent and effective, ATP competitive IKKβ inhibitor with IC50 value of 20 μM.
|LY2409881 trihydrochloride
|
LY2409881 trihydrochloride is a potent and selective IKK2 inhibitor with IC50 of 30 nM.
|WS6
|
WS6 is a novel beta cell proliferation simulator, which promotes β cell proliferation in rodent and human primary islets with EC50 of 0.28 uM(R7T1 cell viability).
|LY2409881
|
LY2409881 is a novel selective inhibitor of IKK2 with IC50 of 30 nM; IC50 for IKK1 and other common kinases is at least one log higher.
|Bardoxolone
|
Bardoxolone is an IKK inhibitor, showing potent proapoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities; Also a potent Nrf2 activator and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor.
Products are for research use only. Not for human use. We do not sell to patients.
© Copyright 2010-2020 AbMole BioScience. All Rights Reserved. | http://www.abmole.com/products/ps-1145.html |
[permalink] [id link]
Conversely, a complete subset of a metric space is closed.
from Wikipedia
Some Related Sentences
Conversely and complete
Conversely, if the roots of the permanent tooth are more than ⅔ complete, the eruption of the permanent tooth will be accelerated.
Conversely, some regions such as Nuristan, in the northeast, and Hazarajat, in the central mountains of Afghanistan, were virtually untouched by the fighting, and lived in almost complete independence.
Conversely, a complete variety is close to being a projective variety: Chow's lemma states that if X is a complete variety, there is a projective variety Z and a birational morphism Z → X.
Conversely, complete dentures or full dentures are worn by patients who are missing all of the teeth in a single arch ( i. e. the maxillary ( upper ) or mandibular ( lower ) arch ).
Conversely, in December 2006 a University of Cambridge team reported an SCN9A mutation that created a complete " lack of " pain sensation in the family of a Pakistan street performer.
Conversely, high powered engines commonly complete a " 4th gear sweep " test in less than 10 seconds, which is not a reliable load condition as compared to operation in the real world.
Conversely, actions in the game could remove a character's gained virtues, distancing them from the construction of truth, love, courage and the greater axiom of infinity — all required to complete the game.
Conversely, Gaddafi was more interested in a complete merging of Libya and Tunisia into the Arab Islamic Republic.
To a graph G there corresponds a signed complete graph Σ on the same vertex set, whose edges are signed negative if in G and positive if not in G. Conversely, G is the subgraph of Σ that consists of all vertices and all negative edges.
Conversely and subset
Conversely, a subset R defines a binary function if and only if, for any x in X and y in Y, there exists a unique z in Z such that ( x, y, z ) belongs to R.
* The spectrum of any bounded linear operator on a Banach space is a nonempty compact subset of the complex numbers C. Conversely, any compact subset of C arises in this manner, as the spectrum of some bounded linear operator.
Conversely, every Polish space is homeomorphic to a G < sub > δ </ sub >- subset of the Hilbert cube.
Conversely, words such as banjee, while well-established in a subset of gay society, have never made the transition to popular use.
Suppose S is an immersed submanifold of M. If the inclusion map i: S → M is closed then S is actually an embedded submanifold of M. Conversely, if S is an embedded submanifold which is also a closed subset then the inclusion map is closed.
Conversely and metric
Equipped with this notion of length, a Riemannian manifold is a metric space, meaning that it has a distance function d ( p, q ) whose value at a pair of points p and q is the distance from p to q. Conversely, the metric tensor itself is the derivative of the distance function ( taken in a suitable manner ).
Conversely, using the last line as a definition one shows that the expression so defined is a connection compatible with the metric, i. e. is a Levi-Civita connection.
Conversely and space
Conversely, because space is expanding, and more distant objects are receding ever more quickly, light emitted by us today may never " catch up " to very distant objects.
Conversely, one might expect that inertial motions, once identified by observing the actual motions of bodies and making allowances for the external forces ( such as electromagnetism or friction ), can be used to define the geometry of space, as well as a time coordinate.
Conversely, in the bleak Orwellian world of " The High Ones "— where the Soviets have won the Third World War and gained control of the whole world — the dissidents still have some hope, precisely because space flight has not been abandoned.
Conversely, a metrizable space is separable if and only if it is second countable, which is the case if and only if it is Lindelöf.
Given a vector space V over a field K, the span of a set S ( not necessarily finite ) is defined to be the intersection W of all subspaces of V which contain S. W is referred to as the subspace spanned by S, or by the vectors in S. Conversely, S is called a spanning set of W.
Conversely, except in dimension 2, if the curvature of a Riemannian manifold has this form for some function K, then the Bianchi identities imply that K is constant and thus that the manifold is ( locally ) a space form.
Conversely, when a record is deleted, later records are moved down so that the free space remains contiguous.
Conversely, if X is projective, then the pullback of under the closed immersion of X into a projective space is very ample.
Conversely, if X is a Hausdorff space and ker f is a closed set, then the coimage of f, if given the quotient space topology, must also be a Hausdorff space.
Any point x gives rise to a continuous function p < sub > x </ sub > from the one element topological space 1 ( all subsets of which are open ) to the space X by defining p < sub > x </ sub >( 1 ) = x. Conversely, any function from 1 to X clearly determines one point: the element that it " points " to.
Conversely, any such one form defines ( via pullback ) a G-equivariant horizontal 1-form on P, and the space of principal G-connections is an affine space for this space of 1-forms.
Conversely and is
Conversely, if he gives a heavy rating to his own reading, and finds more accurate facts in it than in the others, a point is chalked up for the intrinsic, objective meaningfulness of this type of mediumistic material.
Conversely, an adiabatic process that is irreversible and extracts no work is in an isenthalpic process, such as viscous drag, progressing towards a nonnegative change in entropy.
Conversely, British English favours fitted as the past tense of fit generally, whereas the preference of American English is more complex: AmEng prefers fitted for the metaphorical sense of having made an object " fit " ( i. e., suited ) for a purpose ; in spatial transitive contexts, AmEng uses fitted for the sense of having made an object conform to an unchanged object that it surrounds ( e. g., " fitted X around Y ") but fit for the sense of having made an object conform to an unchanged object that surrounds it ( e. g., " fit X into Y "); and for the spatial senses ( both intransitive and transitive ) of having been matching with respect to contour, with no alteration of either object implied, AmEng prefers fit (" The clothes fit.
Conversely the use of true brass seems to have declined in Western Europe during this period in favour of gunmetals and other mixed alloys but by the end of the first Millennium AD brass artefacts are found in Scandinavian graves in Scotland, brass was being used in the manufacture of coins in Northumbria and there is archaeological and historical evidence for the production of brass in Germany and The Low Countries areas rich in calamine ore which would remain important centres of brass making throughout the medieval period, especially Dinant – brass objects are still collectively known as dinanterie in French.
Conversely, if a Boolean ring A is given, we can turn it into a Boolean algebra by defining x ∨ y := x + y + ( x · y ) and x ∧ y := x · y.
Conversely, modern biological sciences ( including even concepts such as molecular ecology ) are intimately entwined and dependent on the methods developed through biotechnology and what is commonly thought of as the life sciences industry.
Conversely, if the second theory is correct, then the Athenians were merely reacting to the Persians attacking them.
Conversely the equilibrium position is said to be " far to the left " if hardly any product is formed from the reactants.
Conversely, the islands do not receive the upwellings ( cold streams ) that affect the West African coast, so the air temperature is cooler than in Senegal, but the sea is actually warmer, because the orographic relief of some islands, as Sao Miguel with steep mountains, cover it with rich woods and luxuriant vegetation where the dense moisture condense and soak the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc.
Conversely in francophone Canada, one hundredth of a Canadian dollar is informally called a sou ( penny ), though cent is official in both English and French.
Conversely, an absence of secure cycle-parking is a recurring complaint by cyclists from cities with low modal share of cycling.
0.279 seconds. | https://www.altsci.com/3/s/Conversely-a-complete-subset-of-a-metric-space-i |
When planting your lilies, you should follow these quick rules:
How do you plant giant tree lily bulbs?
Plant tree lily bulbs in autumn for blooms the following summer. Plant the bulbs 10 to 12 inches (25-31 cm.) deep and allow 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm.) between each bulb.
When should you plant tree lily bulbs?
How to grow lilies in the garden. Plant the bulbs any time from now until March (autumn is preferred), in sun or partial shade, with 15cm (6in) of soil above them in rich, fertile but well-drained conditions. I feed mine every two weeks from flowering until they start to deteriorate. Don't forget to deadhead.
How do you plant a lily tree?
Plant your tree lily bulbs in autumn or spring. Cover them with compost so that just the tips of the shoots are poking out. Following their planting, caring for potted tree lilies is relatively easy. Put your container in a place that receives full sun, and water and fertilize well.
How do you split tree lily bulbs?
Dig about 12 inches (30 cm.) down and 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) from the clump to avoid damaging the bulbs. Brush off the dirt so you can see the divisions, then gently pull or twist the bulbs apart, untangling the roots as you work.
How long does it take for a lily to grow from a bulb?
|Plant Type:||Perennial flowering bulb||Flower / Foliage Color:|
|Time to Maturity:||30-120 days after spring growth emerges||Attracts:|
|Spacing:||10-12 inches||Avoid Planting With:|
|Planting Depth:||4-6 inches||Companion Planting:|
|Height:||2-8 feet||Uses:|
How do you overwinter tree lilies?
Overwintering. Ideally keep containers in a cool but frost-free, airy place with strong light, such as a well-ventilated cold greenhouse or frame. In southern England many lilies will be fully hardy and can be left outside in larger container year round.
What do you do with tree lilies after they bloom?
Are tree lilies poisonous to dogs?
Yes, lilies are poisonous to dogs. Some species of lily are “non-toxic” but still cause illness if eaten. If your dog eats any part of a lily plant, they will probably show signs of gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.
How many lily bulbs should I plant together?
Space bulbs at a distance equal to three times the bulb's diameter (usually about 8 to 18 inches apart, depending on the variety). For visual appeal, plant lilies in groups of 3 to 5 bulbs. Water thoroughly at time of planting.
Do tree lilies need staking?
Although tree lilies produce sturdy stems, these may need staking and supporting individually with bamboo canes, especially in very windy gardens. Tie the stems to the stake as they grow, in at least two different places, tying the knot around the stake and not the stem.
When can I move lily bulbs?
Lilies produce from bulbs and need to be divided and transplanted in the fall for the best results. Experts say late September or early October is when to move lilies. Immediately start transplanting lily bulbs once they have been lifted.
Will lilies grow in shade?
Though lilies look like they'd be fussy plants, they are actually very easy to grow. They're not particular about soil type or pH and they grow well in full sun, part sun, dappled shade and even light shade. Plant lilies as soon as you get them, either in the fall or the spring.
Why are my lily bulbs not coming up?
The reason for lilies not blooming is often because the bulbs are too small, overcrowded or planted to shallow. Not enough sunlight, drought, too much fertilizer and mild Winter temperatures can also prevent flowering. Cutting away the leaves after flowering can prevent lilies from flowering the following year.
How often do you water lily bulbs?
Tips For Watering Your Lily bulbs
Asiatics need 1 or 2 inches of water per week. During hot and dry weather, the lilies may need supplemental watering to ensure the root zone stays well moistened. (A drip hose is a great option.) The soil should remain moist and not soggy.
Can lilies survive frost?
It is not common for lilies to experience significant damage from frosts or freezes, as they are very hardy and resilient. If an unusually cold night is forecast for the late spring, this may be an issue for sensitive new leaf growth.
How long do tree lilies take to grow?
Tree lilies are the breathtaking result of years of painstaking breeding; these incredible varieties of oriental lily can grow as tall as 2.5m (8ft) in two years. One single Tree Lily bulb can produce up to thirty 20cm (8") trumpet blooms and will take on a shrub-like appearance over the years.
What if my cat eats a lily?
Get Quick Veterinary Treatment
If you suspect that your cat has eaten any part of a lily or its pollen or has drunk water from a vase containing lilies, immediately call your veterinarian or a pet poison control center. | https://bescord.com/how-deep-do-you-plant-tree-lily-bulbs/ |
* Any adjustments made to the serving values will only update the ingredients of that recipe and not change the directions.
15.4g
Protein
35.4g
Fat
2.8g
Fiber
409.3calHow to Calculate Atkins Net Carbs
Calories
How to Calculate Atkins Net Carbs
Atkins Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols/Glycerin (if applicable)×
INGREDIENTS
-
9 cup Boston or Bibb Lettuce, raw, chopped
-
2 cup Red Cabbage, raw, shredded
-
3 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long) Celery
-
1 cup Cauliflower
-
1 1/2 cup Button Mushroom, raw, sliced
-
0 1/2 cup slices Cucumber (with Peel)
-
0 1/2 cup, chopped Zucchini
-
10 each Cherry Tomatoes
-
6 large Boiled Egg
-
0 2/3 cup Real Mayonnaise
-
0 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
-
0 1/4 cup Tap Water
-
1 1/2 tsp Rosemary
-
0 1/8 tsp, leaves Tarragon
-
0 1/4 tsp Salt
-
0 1/8 dash Black Pepper
-
6 oz Blue or Roquefort Cheese
DIRECTIONSTop this salad with cooked sliced chicken to complete your meal.
- Make salad: in a large bowl, toss together lettuce, cabbage, chopped celery, sliced cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, chopped cucumber, chopped zucchini, quartered tomatoes and diced eggs.
- Make dressing: in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, heavy cream, water, rosemary, tarragon, salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended, then stir in cheese.
- Just before serving, pour dressing over salad, and toss well.
Cooking Tip
Feel free to swap in your favorite lettuce for this recipe, as net carb change will likely be minimal. | https://www.atkins.com/recipes/irish-pub-salad/241 |
- What types of projects (academic or otherwise) have inspired you in the past?
- What are some self-directed missions that may have influenced your career direction?
- Did you have a moment of epiphany when you KNEW what you wanted to be when you grew up?
- How does Microsoft fit into your vision?
- What are some things that excite and motivate you?
- What are some examples of poorly/well-designed software? What makes the software this way and how would you change it?
- What is your favorite Microsoft product? Why?
- What is your least favorite Microsoft product? Why?
- Explain a database to a young child.
- Explain the Internet to your grandparents
- What is your favorite web site? Why? Now improve it.
- Steve Jobs calls and asks you to improve the iPod. Go.
- What’s an example of great product design?
- Why do mirrors reverse right and left instead of up and down?
- If a bear walks one mile south, turns left and walks one mile to the east and then turns left again and walks one mile north and arrives at its original position, what is the color of the bear.
- How would go about finding out where to find a book in a library. (You do not know how exactly the books are organized beforehand).
- A band is going in the street with a constant speed. Someone in the last row has a dog. The dog runs ahead, reaches the front row of the band and gets back to it's owner. The dog's speed was constant all the way and while it was running the band passed 50 feet. Find the length of the dog's path,if the distance between the front and the rear row of the band is 50 feet.
- The government wants cars to keep track of whether or not they are speeding. The part to determine this is already able to determine the speed of the vehicle, how would you design the rest of the system.
- How many times a day do the hands on a clock overlap themselves?
- You have 8 balls. One of them is defective and weighs less than others. You have a balance to measure balls against each other. In 2 weighings, how do you find the defective one?
- There are 3 baskets. one of them have apples, one has oranges only and the other has mixture of apples and oranges. The labels on their baskets always lie. (i.e. if the label says oranges, you are sure that it doesn't have oranges only,it could be a mixture) The task is to pick one basket and pick only one fruit from it and then correctly label all the three baskets.
- Why is a manhole cover round?
- How many cars are there in the USA?
- You've got someone working for you for seven days and a gold bar to pay them. The gold bar is segmented into seven connected pieces. You must give them a piece of gold at the end of every day. If you are only allowed to make two breaks in the gold bar, how do you pay your worker?
- One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 20mph heading for Los Angeles on the same track. If a bird, flying at 25mph, leaves from Los Angeles at the same time as the train and flies back and forth between the two trains until they collide, how far will the bird have traveled?
- You have two jars, 50 red marbles and 50 blue marbles. A jar will be picked at random, and then a marble will be picked from the jar. Placing all of the marbles in the jars, how can you maximize the chances of a red marble being picked? What are the exact odds of getting a red marble using your scheme?
- Imagine you are standing in front of a mirror, facing it. Raise your left hand. Raise your right hand. Look at your reflection. When you raise your left hand your reflection raises what appears to be his right hand. But when you tilt your head up, your reflection does too, and does not appear to tilt his/her head down. Why is it that the mirror appears to reverse left and right, but not up and down?
- You have 5 jars of pills. Each pill weighs 10 gram, except for contaminated pills contained in one jar, where each pill weighs 9 gm. Given a scale, how could you tell which jar had the contaminated pills in just one measurement?
- If you had an infinite supply of water and a 5 quart and 3 quart pail, how would you measure exactly 4 quarts?
- You have a bucket of jelly beans. Some are red, some are blue, and some green. With your eyes closed, pick out 2 of a like color. How many do you have to grab to be sure you have 2 of the same?
- Which way should the key turn in a car door to unlock it?
- If you could remove any of the 50 states, which state would it be and why?
- There are four ants at four corners of a square of unit distance. At the same instant all of them start running with unit speed towards the person on their clockwise direction and will always run towards that target. How long does it take for them to meet and where?
- Design a music system for a car. What are the features? Draw a picture.
- Design a GPS navigation unit for a hiker.
- Design a communication device for Canadian park rangers.
- Design a remote control for an automatic window-blind system.
- Design a
coffee makerthat will be used by astronauts.
- Design an alarm clock.
- Design an alarm clock for a blind person.
- Design a search function.
- What are examples of poorly designed software?
- Design an instant messaging system.
- I am your grandmother. Describe what MATLAB is to me.
- How would you explain what a database is to a 5-year-old?
- Develop an algorithm for selecting objects in Visio.
- Tell me about a time when you made a decision and later found out that it was incorrect. What did you do to resolve the issue?
- Suppose you are one week away from the product shipping date and discover a bug in your software. What do you do?
- How would you test a keyboard?
- How would you test a pen?
- Imagine you have a closet full of shirts. It’s very hard to find a shirt. So what can you do to organize your shirts for easy retrieval?
- How would you test an elevator?
- How would you test a vending machine?
- How would you test a program that takes in two points and outputs the distance between the two points?
- Test the Windows scroll bar.
- Given a rectangular (cuboid for the puritans) cake with a rectangular piece removed (any size or orientation), how would you cut the remainder of the cake into two equal halves with one straight cut of a knife?
Microsoft Project Manager Interview Questions
Microsoft Project Manager Interview Questions
No comments: | https://www.cinterviews.com/2010/04/microsoft-project-manager-interview.html |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND ART
PRIOR ART LITERATURE
PATENT LITERATURE
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
Coding Device
Decoding Device
[Variation]
Second Embodiment
Coding Device
Decoding Device
Third Embodiment
Coding Device
Decoding Device
[Variation]
Fourth Embodiment
Coding Device
Decoding Device
[Variation]
Fifth Embodiment
Coding Device
Decoding Device
[First Variation]
[Second Variation]
DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
The present invention relates to a coding method and a decoding method for audio signals, such as speech signals, and a device and a program using the methods and, in particular, to a technique for compensating for information lost during coding and transmission of information, in which a code obtained by using a portion of lost information is added to a code transmitted to recover lost information during decoding.
When data is lost during coding of an input signal at a low bit rate or during transmission of such coded data, an extremely large difference between the input signal and a decoded signal (coding distortion) can be caused by lack of bits or lost bits. A large coding distortion can be perceived as uncomfortable noise. In one existing technique for concealing noise caused by data losses during transmission, a certain feature quantity of a signal is obtained and a previous decoded signal having a feature quantity close to that of the decoded signal is copied (Patent literature 1).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a speech signal transmitter 1 in Patent literature 1 and illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a speech signal receiver 2. An input speech signal is stored in an input buffer 10 of the transmitter 1 and the speech signal is divided into regular time periods called frames, that is, the speech signal is framed, before being sent to a speech waveform coding part 30. The input speech signal is converted to a speech code in the speech waveform coding part 30. The speech code is sent to a packet building part 70. A speech feature quantity calculating part 40 uses the speech signal stored in the input buffer 10 to calculate a speech feature quantity of the speech signal in the frame. The speech feature quantity is a feature such as a pitch period (which is equivalent to the fundamental frequency of speech) or power and only one of the features or all of the features may be used.
A speech feature quantity coding part 50 quantizes the speech feature quantity so that the speech feature quantity can be expressed by a predetermined number of bits, and then transforms the quantized speech feature quantity to a code. The coded speech feature quantity is sent to a shift buffer 60. The shift buffer 60 holds the speech feature quantity codes of a prespecified number of frames. When delay control information, which will be described later, is input in the shift buffer 60, the shift buffer 60 sends the code of the speech feature quantity of the speech signal of a frame the number of frames earlier specified in the delay control information, that is, a past frame, to the packet building part 70. A remaining buffer capacity coding part 20 receives a remaining buffer capacity and codes the remaining buffer capacity. The remaining buffer capacity code is also sent to the packet building part 70. The packet building part 70 uses the code of the speech signal waveform, the code of the speech feature quantity, the delay control information and the remaining buffer capacity code to build a packet. A packet transmitting part 80 receives the packet information built by the packet building part 70 and sends out the packet information onto a packet communication network as a speech packet.
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A packet receiving part 81 of the speech signal receiver 2 receives the speech packet through the packet communication network and stores the speech packet in a receiver buffer 71. The code of the speech signal waveform contained in the received speech packet is sent to a speech packet decoding part 31, where the code is decoded. In a frame in which no packet loss has occurred, the signal output from the speech packet decoding part 31 is output as an output speech signal through a selector switch 32. A remaining buffer capacity decoding part 21 obtains, from the remaining buffer capacity code contained in the received speech packet, delay control information that specifies the number of frames by which auxiliary information is to be delayed and added to a packet. The obtained delay control information is sent to the shift buffer 60 and the packet building part 70 in . The delay control information contained in the received speech packet is used in a loss processing control part. A remaining receiver buffer capacity determining part 22 detects the number of packet frames stored in the receiver buffer 71. The remaining buffer capacity is sent to the remaining buffer capacity coding part 20 in .
A loss detecting part 90 detects a packet loss. Packets received at the packet receiving part 81 are stored in the receiver buffer 71 in the order of packet number, that is, frame number. The packets stored are read from the receiver buffer 71 and, if a packet to be read is missing, the loss detecting part 90 determines that a packet loss has occurred immediately before the reading operation and turns the selector switch 32 to the output side of the loss processing control part. The invention in Patent literature 1 performs the process described above to conceal noise caused by data loss during transmission.
The loss processing control part functions as follows. Suppose that a packet loss has occurred in frame n. When a packet loss occurs, a receiver buffer searching part 100 searches through the received packets stored in the receiver buffer 71 for a packet that is close in time to the lost frame n (a packet with the timestamp closest to that of the lost packet) among the packets received in frame n + 1 or later frames. The code of a speech signal waveform contained in the packet is decoded by a read-ahead speech waveform decoding part 32 to obtain a speech signal waveform. The receiver buffer searching part 100 further searches through the packets stored in the receiver buffer 71 for a packet to which auxiliary information corresponding to the speech signal in the lost frame n has been added. If such a packet is found by the packet search, a speech feature quantity decoding part 51 decodes the found auxiliary information corresponding to the speech signal in the lost frame n into pitch information and power information of the speech signal in the lost frame n and sends the pitch information and the power information to a lost signal generating part 110. On the other hand, the output speech signal is stored in an output speech buffer 130. If such packet is not found by the packet search, the pitch period of the output signal in the output speech buffer 130 is analyzed by a pitch extracting part 120. The pitch extracted by the pitch extracting part 120 is the pitch corresponding to the speech signal in the frame n - 1 immediately preceding the lost frame. The pitch corresponding to the speech signal in the immediately preceding frame n - 1 is sent to the lost signal generating part 110. The lost signal generating part 110 uses the pitch information sent from the speech feature quantity decoding part 51 or the pitch extracting part 120 to extract a speech waveform from the output speech buffer on a pitch-by-pitch basis and generates a speech waveform corresponding to the lost packet. Thus, more natural decoded speech can be obtained in case of packet loss, because the waveform is repeated on a pitch-by-pitch basis of the speech waveform corresponding to the lost packet, rather than repeating a waveform on a pitch-by-pitch basis of the packet immediately before the lost packet.
WO 2005/109401
Patent literature 1:
The invention in Patent literature 1 encodes a feature quantity such as a pitch or power and transmits the feature quantity with a time delay. Therefore, if a packet to be decoded is missing, the invention in Patent literature 1 can synthesize a signal close to the lost signal by decoding a coded feature quantity and obtaining a signal that has a value close to the feature quantity from the receiver buffer. However, the invention in Patent literature 1 has a problem that processing for generating high-quality decoded speech cannot be performed with an encoder and a decoder alone because some feature quantity needs to be encoded and transmitted and information concerning the receiver buffer needs to be communicated to the transmitter.
A coding method of the present invention includes a source signal sequence generating step, a signal coding step, a signal decoding step, a local decoding coefficient searching step, and a code multiplexing step. The source signal sequence generating step generates a signal sequence including a predetermined number of signals from an audio signal and outputs the signal sequence as a source signal sequence to be coded. For example, an audio signal is divided into frames, each containing a predetermined number of signals, and the sequence signals making up one frame is output as a source signal sequence to be coded. Alternatively, a frame may be further divided into sub-frames and a signal sequence making up each sub-frame may be output as a source signal sequence to be coded. Alternatively, a signal sequence in a frame or in neighboring several frames may be frequency-transformed to a frequency-domain signal sequence and the frequency-domain signal sequence may be output as a source signal sequence to be coded. Alternatively, a frequency-domain signal sequence may be divided into sub-bands and frequency-domain signals making up a sub-band may be output as a source signal sequence to be coded. The signal coding step codes each source signal sequence and outputs a code index. The signal decoding step decodes the code index and outputs a decoded signal sequence. The local decoding coefficient searching step outputs replication shift information from the source signal sequence and the decoded signal sequence. The code multiplexing step multiplexes at least the code index and the replication shift information to generate a transmitter signal.
The local decoding coefficient searching step includes a replication determining sub-step, a candidate replication shift signal sequence generating sub-step, a distance calculating sub-step, and a minimum distance shift amount finding sub-step. The replication determining sub-step determines, for each source signal sequence, whether or not a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated from a decoded signal sequence, and outputs a replication determination flag. For example, if the power of the decoded signal sequence is less than or equal to a threshold value, the replication determining sub-step may output a replication determination flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated. Alternatively, if the power of the difference between the source signal sequence and the decoded signal sequence is greater than a threshold value, the replication determining sub-step may output a replication determination flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated. Alternatively, the signal decoding step may calculate the number of bits to be allocated to each source signal sequence and output the number of bits as bit allocation information and the replication determination step may output a replication determination flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated if the number of bits to be allocated to the source signal sequence is less than or equal to a threshold value.
τ
τ
(w)
(w)
(w)
The candidate replication shift signal sequence generating sub-step generates a candidate replication shift signal sequence for each predetermined candidate shift amount if the replication determination flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated. For example, a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] (where k = 0, ..., L - 1 and L is the number of signals in the source signal sequence) may be obtained from a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k]. If the source signal sequence is one of sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences S[k] into which a frequency-domain signal sequence has been divided according to frequency bands (where w = 0, ..., W - 1, k = 0, ..., L' - 1, W is the number of divisions, and L' is the number of signals included in one sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence), the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating step may use a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] corresponding to a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence provided by dividing the same frequency domain signal sequence to obtain a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k].
The distance calculating sub-step calculates a parameter representing the distance between predetermined signal sequences. The parameter representing the distance between predetermined signal sequences may be a parameter representing the distance between a candidate replication shift signal sequence and the source signal sequence or may be a parameter representing the distance between the source signal sequence and a candidate complementary decoded signal sequence which is a candidate replication shift signal sequence plus a decoded signal sequence. Alternatively, a signal sequence may be considered a vector and the parameter representing the distance between signal sequences may be the sum of squares of the difference between elements of the vector (Euclidean distance) or may be the inner product of two signal sequences. The minimum distance shift amount finding sub-step obtains a signal shift amount that minimizes the distance from the results of calculation at the distance calculating sub-step (the parameter representing the distance). The signal shift amount to be selected depends on the method of calculation used at the distance calculating sub-step (the parameter representing the distance). If the parameter representing the distance is Euclidean distance, a signal shift amount that minimizes the parameter representing the distance may be selected. If the parameter representing the distance is inner product, a signal shift amount that maximizes the parameter representing the distance may be selected.
A decoding method of the present invention includes a code demultiplexing step, a signal decoding step, a local decoding coefficient replicating step, and a recovered signal generating step. The code demultiplexing step reads a code index and replication shift information from a received signal and output the code index and the replication shift information. If the received signal also includes replication determination flag, the code demultiplexing step also outputs the replication determination flag. The signal decoding step decodes the code index and outputs a decoded signal sequence. The local decoding coefficient replicating step generates a complementary decoded signal sequence from the decoded signal sequence and the replication shift information. The recovered signal generating step generates a recovered signal which is a signal representing original audio information from the complementary decoded signal sequence. The complementary decoded signal sequence corresponds to the source signal sequence, examples of which have been given in the description of the coding method. That is, the complementary decoded signal sequence may be a signal sequence making up a frame, a signal sequence making up a sub-frame, a frequency-domain signal sequence, or a signal sequence making up a sub-band, for example. The recovered signal generating step recovers any of these types of complementary decoded signal sequences to the original audio signal and may perform processing that is determined appropriately for the type of the complementary decoded signal sequence.
The local decoding coefficient replicating step includes a replication determining sub-step, a replication shift signal sequence generating sub-step, and a complementary decoded signal sequence generating sub-step. The replication determining sub-step determines whether or not a replication shift signal sequence is to be generated from a decoded signal sequence or from the result of bit allocation performed using a first decoded signal, and outputs a replication determination flag. If the received signal also includes a replication determination flag, the replication determining sub-step is not required.
τ
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
The replication shift signal sequence generating sub-step generates a replication shift signal sequence on the basis of the shift amount indicated by the replication shift information if the replication determination flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated. For example, a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] may be obtained from a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] and the shift amount τ indicated by the replication shift information. If a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] is a signal sequence corresponding to a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] provided by dividing a frequency-domain signal sequence according to frequency bands, the replication shift signal sequence generating sub-step may obtain the replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] by using a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] corresponding to a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence provided by dividing the same frequency-domain signal sequence.
The complementary decoded signal sequence generating sub-step sets the replication shift signal sequence as a complementary decoded signal sequence and outputs the complementary decoded signal if the replication determination flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated. If the replication determination flag indicates that a candidate replicated signal sequence is not to be generated, the complementary decoded signal sequence generating sub-step sets and outputs the decoded signal sequence as a complementary decoded signal sequence. The complementary decoded signal sequence generating sub-step may add the decoded signal sequence and the replication shift signal sequence together and output the sum as a complementary decoded signal sequence if the replication determination flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated.
According to the coding method and the decoding method of the present invention, a signal obtained by shifting a decoded signal in time domain or frequency domain is copied or added to the decoded signal to reduce coding distortion and reduce auditory noise.
Because the signal to be copied is obtained by shifting the decoded signal in time domain or frequency domain, the following effects can be attained. The number of bits required for reducing noise can be reduced because bits for sending the signal to be copied are not required. In particular, when a frequency band is divided into frequency band equal-sized blocks (hereinafter referred to as "sub-bands"), signals corresponding to the sub-bands have correlation to one another. Therefore, particularly in high frequency bands such as 4 to 14 kHz, auditory noise can be reduced by copying or adding a signal in a neighboring sub-band to a sub-band to generate a signal of the sub-band. For a signal in time domain, when a frame is divided into equal-sized blocks (hereinafter referred to as "sub-frames"), signals corresponding to the sub-frames have correlation to one another. Therefore, auditory noise can be reduced by copying or adding the signal in a neighboring sub-frame to a sub-frame to generate a signal of the sub-frame.
Furthermore, since the signal to be copied or added to the decoded signal is generated by shifting the decoded signal in time domain or frequency domain and the amount of the shift when the distance between the input signal and a new decoded signal generated from the original decoded signal and the generated decoded signal is minimum is coded with a small number of bits and transmitted, the signal to be added or copied to the decoded signal for reducing coding distortion can be specified with a small number of bits.
Thus, auditory noise caused by a frequency band or a time range that has a large coding distortion can be reduced and the subjective quality of the decoded signal can be improved by using only a small number of bits.
Fig. 1
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of an existing speech signal transmitter;
Fig. 2
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of an existing speech signal receiver;
Fig. 3A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a first embodiment;
Fig. 3B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the first embodiment;
Fig. 4A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part and of the first embodiment;
Fig. 4B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part of the first embodiment;
Fig. 5A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the first embodiment;
Fig. 5B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the first embodiment;
Fig. 6A
illustrates conceptual diagrams of transformation of a time-domain signal sequence to a frequency-domain signal sequence using discrete fourier transform or discrete cosine transform;
Fig. 6B
illustrates conceptual diagrams of transformation of a time-domain signal sequence to a frequency-domain signal sequence using MDCT;
Fig. 7
is a diagram illustrating a method for generating candidate replication shift signal sequences;
Fig. 8A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a variation of the first embodiment;
Fig. 8B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the variation of the first embodiment;
Fig. 9A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the variation of the first embodiment;
Fig. 9B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the variation of the first embodiment;
Fig. 10A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a second embodiment;
Fig. 10B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the second embodiment;
Fig. 11A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part of the second embodiment;
Fig. 11B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part of the second embodiment;
Fig. 12A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the second embodiment;
Fig. 12B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the second embodiment;
Fig. 13
is a diagram illustrating a method for generating a candidate complementary decoded signal sequence;
Fig. 14A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a third embodiment;
Fig. 14B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the third embodiment;
Fig. 15A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part of the third embodiment;
Fig. 15B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part of the third embodiment;
Fig. 16A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the third embodiment;
Fig. 16B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the third embodiment;
Fig. 17A
illustrates a conceptual diagram of transformation of a frequency-domain signal sequence to sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences;
Fig. 17B
illustrates a conceptual diagram of transformation of sub-band complementary decoded signal sequences to a complementary decoded signal sequence;
Fig. 18
is a diagram illustrating relationship among a decoded signal sequence, sub-band decoded signal sequences and candidate sub-band replication shift signal sequences;
Fig. 19A
illustrates a method for generating a 0th sub-band replication shift signal sequence;
Fig. 19B
illustrates a method for generating a 1th sub-band replication shift signal sequence;
Fig. 19C
illustrates a method for generating a 2th sub-band replication shift signal sequence;
Fig. 19D
illustrates a method for generating a 3th sub-band replication shift signal sequence;
Fig. 20A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a variation of the third embodiment;
Fig. 20B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the variation of the third embodiment;
Fig. 21A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the variation of the third embodiment;
Fig. 21B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the variation of the third embodiment;
Fig. 22A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a fourth embodiment;
Fig. 22B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 23A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 23B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 24A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 24B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 25A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 25B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 26
is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating sub-band bit allocation information;
Fig. 27A
illustrates a relationship between bit allocation tables and codebooks in which search ranges do not overlap one another;
Fig. 27B
illustrates a relationship between bit allocation tables and codebooks in which search ranges overlap one another;
Fig. 28
is a diagram illustrating a method for selecting a code index;
Fig. 29A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a variation of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 29B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the variation of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 30A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the variation of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 30B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the variation of the fourth embodiment;
Fig. 31
is a diagram illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device of a fifth embodiment and a first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 32
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a decoding device of the fifth embodiment and the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 33
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 34A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the coding device of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 34B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the decoding device of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 35A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device of the fifth embodiment and the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 35B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device of the fifth embodiment and the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 36A
illustrates a method for generating a code index;
Fig. 36B
illustrates a structure of a dataset;
Fig. 37
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part of the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 3
8A
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the coding device of the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 38B
illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the decoding device of the first variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 39
is a diagram illustrating a process procedure in a dynamic bit reallocation part 9060;
Fig. 40
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part of a second variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 41
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part of the second variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 42A
illustrates an exemplary process flow in a coding device of the second variation of the fifth embodiment;
Fig. 42B
illustrates an exemplary process flow in a decoding device of the second variation of the fifth embodiment; and
Fig. 43
is a diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of a computer.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail. Like numerals are given to components having like functions and repeated description of those components will be omitted. The term "signal sequence" in the following description refers to one of sets of predetermined number of signals into which a signal is divided for coding and decoding. A signal sequence can be considered a vector having a predetermined number of elements. In this case, the individual signals are considered the elements of the vector. The term "signal(s)" refers to a series of signals not divided into sets of predetermined number of signals or to a single signal.
Figs. 3A, 3B
4A, 4B
5A, 5B
6A, 6B
7
Fig. 3A
Fig. 3B
Fig. 4A
Fig. 4B
Fig. 5A
Fig. 5B
Figs. 6A and 6B
Fig. 7
, , , and are diagrams for explaining a first embodiment. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part and illustrates a local decoding coefficient replicating part. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device. illustrate conceptual diagrams of transformation of a time-domain signal sequence to a frequency-domain signal sequence. illustrates a method for generating candidate replication shift signal sequences.
Figs. 6A and 6B
The coding device 100 includes a frame building part 1010, a signal coding part 1030, a signal decoding part 1031, a local decoding coefficient searching part 1000, and a code multiplexing part 1040. The frame building part 1010 converts an audio signal captured through a sensor such as a microphone to audio signal samples in digital form and combines a predetermined number L of audio signal samples together to build a frame. The frame building part 1010 applies time-frequency transform to each frame and outputs a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) corresponding to the predetermined number L of audio signal samples (S1010). The time-frequency transform may be discrete Fourier transform, discrete cosine transform, or modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT). illustrate conceptual diagrams of the time-frequency transformations. A frequency-domain signal sequence is a signal sequence to be coded (hereinafter referred to as a "source signal sequence") in the present embodiment. Accordingly, the frame building part 1010 is equivalent to a source signal sequence generating part 1012.
c
c
The signal coding part 1030 encodes each source signal sequence and outputs a code index (S1030). For example, the signal coding part 1030 assumes a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) to be an L-dimensional vector, performs vector quantization on the frequency-domain signal vector and outputs a code index I. In the vector quantization, a codevector that is at the minimum distance to the frequency-domain signal vector is selected from the codebook and the index of the selected codevector is output as the code index I. If Euclidean distance is used as the definition of the parameter representing the distance, a codevector is selected according to Equation (1) given below.
I
c
=
arg max
p
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
⋅
c
k
p
2
If the inner product between vectors is used as the definition of the parameter representing the distance, a codevector is selected according to Equation (2).
I
c
=
arg max
p
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
⋅
c
k
p
(p)
(p)
(p)
(p)
(p)
0
1
L-1
k
Here, the pth codevector stored in the codebook is represented by C = (C, C, ..., C). C represents the kth element of the pth vector.
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
0
1
L-1
c
0
1
L-1
The signal decoding part 1031 decodes the code index and outputs a decoded signal sequence (S1031). For example, the signal decoding part 1031 reads a codevector C = (C, C, ..., C) corresponding to the code index I from the codebook and outputs a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1). The decoded signal sequence S[k] can be obtained by using the codevector C as: Ŝ[0] = C, Ŝ[1] = C, ..., Ŝ[L - 1] = C.
r
τ
0
M
d
d
τ
d
d
τ
d
Fig. 4A
The local decoding coefficient searching part 1000 outputs a replication shift information τ from a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k], which is the source signal sequence, and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (S1000). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient searching part 1000 includes a replication determining part 1001, a candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 1002, a distance calculating part 1003, and a minimum distance shift amount finding part 1004. The replication determining part 1001 determines whether or not a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] (τ = τ, ..., τ, where M is the number of candidate signal shift amounts τ) is to be generated from the decoded signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) and outputs a replication determination flag Flag (S1001). For example, if the power P of the decoded signal sequence S[k] is less than or equal to a threshold value, the replication determining part 1001 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated (for example Flag = 1); if the power P is greater than the threshold value, the replication determining part 1001 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is not to be generated (for example Flag = 0). The power of the decoded signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) can be calculated according to Equation (3), for example.
P
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
^
2
k
d
d
d
d
τ
0
M
τ
S
˙
τ
k
=
S
^
-
-
+
L
τ
k
Fig. 7
The candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 1002 does not perform processing if the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is not to be generated (if Flag = 0). If the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated (if Flag = 1), the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 1002 generates a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] for each predetermined candidate signal shift amount τ = τ, ..., τ (S1002). For example, a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] may be obtained as:
(see ).
τ
0
M
The distance calculating part 1003 calculates a parameter representing the distance between each candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] and the frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (hereinafter referred to as the "distance parameter") (S1003). The distance parameter may be calculated using a method such as those given below. Each signal sequence may be considered a vector and d[τ] (τ = τ, ..., τ) ,which is a distance parameter between two vectors, may be calculated according to Equation (4) or (5). Equation (4) represents the Euclidean distance and Equation (5) represents the inner product. However, the equation for calculating the distance parameter is not limited to these equations.
d
τ
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
k
-
S
˙
τ
2
d
τ
S
k
k
-
S
˙
τ
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
r
r
If the distance parameter is calculated according to Equation (4), the minimum distance shift amount finding part 1004 obtains a signal shift amount τ that minimizes the distance parameter d[τ] and outputs the signal shift amount τ as replication shift information τ (S1004). Specifically, the replication shift information τ is obtained according to Equation (6).
τ
r
=
argmin
τ
=
τ
0
τ
L
-
1
…
d
τ
r
r
If the distance parameter is calculated according to Equation (5), the minimum distance shift amount finding part 1004 obtains a signal shift amount τ that maximizes the distance parameter d[τ] and outputs the signal shift amount τ as replication shift information τ (S1004). Specifically, the replication shift information τ is obtained according to Equation (7).
τ
r
=
arg min
τ
=
τ
0
τ
L
-
1
…
d
τ
c
r
c
r
The code multiplexing part 1040 multiplexes code indices I and replication shift information τ to generate a transmitter signal (S1040). Specifically, the code multiplexing part 1040 receives code indices I and replication shift information τ as inputs and arranges them in a predetermined order to generate one dataset. If the signal is transmitted through a network such as an IP network, the code multiplexing part 1040 adds required header information to generate packets.
c
r
c
The decoding device 200 includes a code demultiplexing part 2041, a signal decoding part 2031, a local decoding coefficient replicating part 2100, a frequency-time transform part 2021, and an overlap-add part 2011. The combination of the frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 will be referred to as a recovered signal generating part 2012. The code demultiplexing part 2041 reads a code index I and replication shift information τ from a received signal and outputs them (S2041). The signal decoding part 2031 decodes the code index I and outputs a decoded signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) (S2031).
~
r
τ
d
Fig. 4B
The local decoding coefficient replicating part 2100 generates a complementary decoded signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) from the decoded signal sequence S[k] and the replication shift information τ (S2100). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient replicating part 2100 includes a replication determining part 2001, a replication shift signal sequence generating part 2002, and a complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 2006. The replication determining part 2001 determines whether or not a replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated from the decoded signal sequence S[k] and outputs a replication determination flag Flag (S2001). The process performed by the replication determining part 2001 is the same as that performed by the replication determining part 1001 of the coding device 100.
d
d
τ
r
τ
S
˙
τ
k
=
S
^
-
-
+
L
τ
k
If the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated (if Flag = 1), the replication shift signal sequence generating part 2002 generates a replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] on the basis of the shift amount τ indicated by the replication shift information τ (S2002). For example, the candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] may be obtained from the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] and the shift amount τ indicated by the replication shift information as:
d
d
τ
d
d
If the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated (if Flag = 1), the complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 2006 sets the replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] as a complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] and outputs the complementary decode signal S̃ [k] (S2006); if the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is not to be generated (if Flag = 0), the complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 2006 sets the decoded signal sequence S[k] as a complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] and outputs the complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] (S2006). Specifically, one of the following equations
S
˜
k
S
˙
τ
k
k
L
=
,
⋯
,
-
0
1
when
Flag
d
=
1
S
^
k
k
L
=
,
⋯
,
-
0
1
when
Flag
d
=
0
=
is used to obtain a complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k].
The recovered signal generating part 2012 generates a recovered signal, which is a signal representing original audio information, from the complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] (S2012). In the present embodiment, the source signal sequence is a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k]. That is, the complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] is a signal in frequency domain. The recovered signal generating part 2012 therefore includes the frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011. The frequency-time transform part 2021 transforms the frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] to a time-domain signal sequence including L samples (S2021). The overlap-add part 2011 overlaps a half of each frame length of a signal obtained by multiplying the time-domain signal sequence by a window function with a half of the next frame and adds the overlapped portions together to calculate a recovered signal and provides the recovered signal (S2011).
The coding device and the decoding device of the first embodiment reduce coding distortion and auditory noise by shifting a decoded signal in time domain or frequency domain and copying or adding the signal resulted from the shifting to the decoded signal. Accordingly, auditory noise can be reduced and a decoded signal with improved subjective quality can be provided using only a small number of bits.
Figs. 8A, 8B
9A and 9B
Fig. 8A
Fig. 8B
Fig. 9A
Fig. 9B
, illustrate functional configurations and process flows in a variation in which the source signal sequences are time-domain signal sequences in frames. illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device.
The coding device 100' and the decoding device 200' are similar to the coding device 100 and the decoding device 200, respectively, with the only difference being signal sequences to be coded. Therefore, only the processes performed by a source signal sequence generating part 1012' and a recovered signal generating part 2012' are different from those in the coding device 100 and the decoding device 200.
The source signal sequence generating part 1012' is formed by a frame building part 1010'. The frame building part 1010' converts an audio signal captured through a sensor such as a microphone to audio signal samples in digital form and combines a predetermined number L of audio signal samples together to build a frame. The frame building part 1010' outputs signal sequences s[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) in frames (hereinafter referred to as "frame signal sequences") (S1010'). The processes performed by the other components of the coding device 100' are the same as those of the coding device 100.
In the decoding device 200', a complementary decoded signal sequence s̃ [k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) corresponds to a frame signal sequence s[k]. That is, a complementary decoded signal sequence s̃ [k] in the variation is a time-domain signal sequence. Accordingly, the recovered signal generating part 2012' does not require a frequency-time transform part and includes only an overlap-add part 2011. The overlap-add part 2011 overlaps a half of each frame length of a signal obtained by multiplying the time-domain signal sequence by a window function with a half of the next frame and adds the overlapped portions together to calculate a recovered signal and provides the recovered signal (S2011).
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the variation have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the first embodiment.
Figs. 10A, 10B
11A, 11B
12A, 12B
13
Fig. 10A
Fig. 10B
Fig. 11A
Fig. 11B
Fig. 12A
Fig. 12B
Fig. 13
, , and are diagrams for explaining a second embodiment. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device. illustrates a method for generating candidate complementary decoded signal sequences. Source signal sequences in the second embodiment are the same frequency-domain signal sequences (as in the first embodiment).
The coding device 150 includes a frame building part 1010, a signal coding part 1030, a signal decoding part 1031, a local decoding coefficient searching part 1500, and a code multiplexing part 1540. The frame building part 1010, the signal coding part 1030 and the signal decoding part 1031 are the same as those of the coding device 100 of the first embodiment.
r
d
τ
0
M
d
d
τ
d
d
τ
d
Fig. 11A
The local decoding coefficient searching part 1500 outputs replication shift information τ and a replication determination flag Flag from a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k], which is a source signal sequence to be coded, and a decoded signal sequence S[k] (S1500). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient searching part 1500 includes a replication determining part 1501, a candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 1002, a distance calculating part 1503, and a minimum distance shift amount finding part 1004. The replication determining part 1501 determines from the power of a difference signal between the frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) and the decoded signal sequences S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) whether or not a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] (τ = τ, ..., τ, where M is the number of candidate signal shift amounts τ) is to be generated and outputs a replication determination flag Flag (S1501). For example, if the power P of the difference signal (S[k] - S[k]) between the frequency-domain signal sequence S [k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] exceeds a threshold value, the replication determining part 1501 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated (for example Flag = 1); if the power P is less than or equal to the threshold value, the replication determining part 1501 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is not to be generated (for example Flag = 0). The power of the difference signal (S[k] - S[k]) may be calculated according to Equation (9), for example.
P
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
k
-
S
^
2
τ
τ
τ
0
M
The candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 1002 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The distance calculating part 1503 adds the candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] to obtain a candidate complementary decoded signal sequence S̃[k] and calculates a parameter representing the distance between the candidate complementary decoded signal sequence S̃[k] and the frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (S1503). The distance parameter may be calculated using a method such as those given below. Each signal sequence may be considered a vector and d[τ] (τ = τ, ..., τ) ,which is a distance parameter between two vectors, may be calculated according to Equation (10) or (11). Equation (10) represents the Euclidean distance and Equation (11) represents the inner product. However, the equation for calculating the distance parameter is not limited to these equations.
d
τ
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
k
-
S
˜
τ
2
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
k
k
-
-
S
^
S
˙
τ
2
d
τ
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
k
⋅
S
˜
τ
=
⋅
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
k
S
^
k
k
+
S
˙
τ
The minimum distance shift amount finding part 1004 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
c
r
d
c
r
d
The code multiplexing part 1540 multiplexes code indices I, replication shift information τ and replication determination flags Flag to generate a transmitter signal (S1040). Specifically, the code multiplexing part 1540 receives code indices I, replication shift information τ and replication determination flags Flag as inputs and arranges them in a predetermined order to generate one dataset. If the signal is transmitted through a network such as an IP network, the code multiplexing part 1540 adds required header information to generate packets.
c
r
d
A decoding device 250 includes a code demultiplexing part 2541, a signal decoding part 2031, a local decoding coefficient replicating part 2500, a frequency-time transform part 2021, and an overlap-add part 2011. The combination of the frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 will be referred to as a recovered signal generating part 2012. The code demultiplexing part 2541 reads a code index I, replication shift information τ and replication determination flag Flag from a received signal and outputs them (S2541). The signal decoding part 2031 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
r
d
d
Fig. 11B
The local decoding coefficient replicating part 2500 generates a complementary decoded signal sequence S̃ [k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) from a decoded signal sequence S[k], the replication shift information τ, and the replication determination flag Flag (S2500). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient replicating part 2500 includes a replication shift signal sequence generating part 2002 and a complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 2506. The embodiment does not require a replication determining part because the replication determination flag Flag is contained in the received signal. The replication shift signal sequence generating part 2002 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
Fig. 13
τ
As illustrated in , the complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 2506 adds replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] to generate complementary decoded signal sequences S̃ [k] and outputs the complementary decoded signal sequences S̃ [k] (S2006). Specifically,
S
˜
S
˜
k
k
k
k
L
=
,
⋯
,
-
0
1
=
+
S
˙
τ
is calculated to obtain the complementary decoded signal sequences S̃[k].
The recovered signal generating part 2012 is the same as that of the first embodiment.
With the configuration described above, coding distortion due to a large difference between a source signal sequence and a decoded signal sequence can be reduced.
Figs. 14A, 14B
15A, 15B
16A, 16B
17A, 17B
18
19A, 19B, 19C and 19D
Fig. 14A
Fig. 14B
Fig. 15A
Fig. 15B
Fig. 16A
Fig. 16B
Fig. 17A
Fig. 17B
Fig. 18
Figs. 19A, 19B, 19C and 19D
, , , , , are diagrams for explaining a third embodiment. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device, illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device. is a conceptual diagram of transformation of a frequency-domain signal sequence to sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences and is a conceptual diagram of transformation of sub-band complementary decoded signal sequences to a complementary decoded signal sequence. illustrates relationship among a decoded signal sequence, sub-band decoded signal sequences and candidate sub-band replication shift signal sequences. illustrate methods for generating sub-band replication shift signal sequences. The embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that a frequency-domain signal sequence is divided into sub-band signal sequences according to frequency bands and the sub-band signal sequences are used as source signal sequences to be coded.
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
Fig. 17A
Fig. 17A
The coding device 300 includes a frame building part 1010, a band dividing part 3050, a signal coding part 3030, a signal decoding part 3031, a local decoding coefficient searching part 3000, and a code multiplexing part 1540. The frame building part 1010 and the code multiplexing part 1540 are the same as those of the coding device 150 of the second embodiment. The band dividing part 3050 divides a frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) into multiple sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences S[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) as illustrated in (S3050). Here, W represents the number of sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences into which the frequency-domain signal sequence is divided and L' represents the number of signals contained in a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence. In the example in , W = 4 and L = 4L'. In the following description, a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] is called the "wth sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence" when it is necessary to indicate what number in order the signal sequence S[k] is, or is simply called "sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence" when it is unnecessary to identify what number in order the signal sequence S[k] is. In this embodiment, the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences are source signal sequences to be coded.
c
(w)
(w)
The signal coding part 3030 performs processing similar to the processing by the signal coding part 1030 of the first embodiment, with the only difference being that sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences are coded instead of frequency-domain signal sequences. The signal coding part 3030 outputs code indices I for the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences S[k] (S3030).
c
(w)
(w)
The signal decoding part 3031 performs the processing similar to the processing by the signal decoding part 1031 of the first embodiment with the only difference being that sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences are coded for the code indices I instead of frequency-domain signal sequences. The signal decoding part 3031 outputs decoded signal sequences Ŝ[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) (S3031).
r
d
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
Fig. 15A
The local decoding coefficient searching part 3000 outputs replication shift information τ and replication determination flags Flag from the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (S3000). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient searching part 3000 includes a replication determining part 3001, a candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002, a distance calculating part 3003, and a minimum distance shift amount finding part 3004.
τ
0
M
d
d
τ
d
d
τ
d
(w)
(W)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
The replication determining part 3001 is similar to that of the second embodiment, with the only difference being the number of signals contained in a source signal sequence. Specifically, the replication determining part 3001 determines whether or not a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] (τ = τ, ..., τ, where M is the number of candidate signal shift amounts τ) is to be generated from the power of a difference signal between the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] and outputs a replication determination flag Flag (S3001). For example, if the power P of the difference signal (S[k] - Ŝ[k]) between the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] and a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] exceeds a threshold value, the replication determining part 3001 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated (for example Flag = 1); if the power P is less than or equal to the threshold value, the replication determining part 3001 may output a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is not to be generated (for example Flag =0). The power of the difference signal (S[k] - Ŝ[k]) may be calculated according to Equation (9), for example.
P
=
∑
k
=
0
L
-
1
S
w
S
^
w
k
k
-
2
d
d
τ
0
M
τ
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
If the replication determination flag Flag indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is not to be generated (when Flag = 0), the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002 does not perform processing. If the replication determination flag Flagd indicates that a candidate replication shift signal sequence is to be generated (when Flagd =1), the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002 generates a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] for each predetermined candidate signal shift amount τ = τ, ..., τ (S3002). For example, candidate sub-band replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] are generated from decoded signal sequences of the neighboring sub-bands as:
S
˙
τ
w
k
=
{
S
^
w
+
1
k
+
τ
r
w
when
w
or
and
k
Lʹ
=
,
≤
≤
-
-
0
1
0
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
+
2
k
Lʹ
-
+
τ
r
w
when
w
or
and
Lʹ
k
Lʹ
=
,
-
≤
≤
-
0
1
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
-
2
k
Lʹ
+
-
τ
r
w
when
w
and
k
>
,
≤
≤
-
1
0
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
-
1
k
-
τ
r
w
when
w
and
k
Lʹ
>
,
≤
≤
-
1
1
τ
r
w
τ
τ
τ
(w)
(w)
(2)
Fig. 18
According to Equation (14), candidate replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] are generated from decoded signal sequences corresponding to sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences provided by dividing the same original frequency-domain signal sequence. Because sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences provided by dividing the same frequency-domain signal sequence generally have a strong correlation to one another, candidate sub-band replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] close in distance can be obtained. illustrates an example of generation of Ṡ[k].
The distance calculating part 3003 and the minimum distance shift amount finding part 3004 are similar to those of the first and second embodiments, with the only difference being the number of signals in a signal sequence. The code multiplexing part 1540 is the same as that of the second embodiment.
c
r
d
c
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
The decoding device 400 includes a code demultiplexing part 4041, a signal decoding part 4031, a local decoding coefficient replicating part 4100, a sub-band combining part 4051, a frequency-time transform part 2021, and an overlap-add part 2011. The combination of the sub-band combining part 4051, the frequency- time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 will be referred to as a recovered signal generating part 4012. The code demultiplexing part 4041 reads code indices I, replication shift information τ and replication determination flags Flag from a received signal and outputs them (S4041). The signal decoding part 4031 decodes the code indices I and outputs sub-band decoded signal sequences Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L-1)(S4031).
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
r
Fig. 15B
The local decoding coefficient replicating part 4100 generates sub-band complementary decoded signal sequences S̃[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) from the sub-band decoded signal sequences Ŝ[k], the replication shift information τ and the replication determination flags Flagd (S4100). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient replicating part 4100 includes a replication shift signal sequence generating part 4002 and a complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 4005.
(w)
(w)
(w)
τ
The replication shift signal sequence generating part 4002 outputs sub-band replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) in the same way as the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002 does (S4002). For example, if the candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002 has generated candidate replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] according to Equation (14), the replication shift signal sequence generating part 4002 may generate the sub-band replication shift signal sequences Ṡ[k] according to Equation (15).
S
˙
w
k
=
{
S
^
w
+
1
k
+
τ
r
w
when
w
or
and
k
Lʹ
=
,
≤
≤
-
-
0
1
0
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
+
2
k
Lʹ
-
+
τ
r
w
when
w
or
and
Lʹ
k
Lʹ
=
,
-
≤
≤
-
0
1
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
-
2
k
Lʹ
+
-
τ
r
w
when
w
and
k
>
,
≤
≤
-
1
0
1
τ
r
w
S
^
w
-
1
k
-
τ
r
w
when
w
and
k
Lʹ
>
,
≤
≤
-
1
1
τ
r
w
Fig. 19A, 19B, 19C and 19D
illustrate the operation according to Equation (15).
(w)
(w)
(w)
The complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 4005 adds the sub-band replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] to generate and output a sub-band complementary decoded signal sequence S̃[k] (S4005).
Fig. 17B
The sub-band combining part 4051 combines sub-band complementary decoded signal sequences to generate a complementary decoded signal sequence as illustrated in (S4051). The frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 are the same as those of the first and second embodiments.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the third embodiment have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the first and second embodiments. In addition, the coding and decoding device of the third embodiment can further reduce auditory noise because they can reduce errors in frequency bands in which high distortion is caused by coding.
Figs. 20A, 20B
21A and 21B
Fig. 20A
Fig. 20B
Fig. 21A
Fig. 21B
, illustrate functional configurations and process flows in a variation in which source signal sequences to be coded are time-domain signal sequences in sub-frames. illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device.
The coding device 300' and the decoding device 400' are similar to the coding device 300 and the decoding device 400, respectively, with the only difference being source signal sequences. Accordingly, only processes performed by the source signal sequence generating part 3012' and the recovered signal generating part 4012' differ from those in the coding and decoding devices 300 and 400.
(w)
The source signal sequence generating part 3012' includes a frame building part 1010' and a frame dividing part 3050'. The frame building part 1010 converts an audio signal captured through a sensor such as a microphone to audio signal samples in digital form and combines a predetermined number L of audio signal samples into a frame. The frame building part 1010' outputs signal sequences s[k] (k = 0, ..., L - 1) in frames (hereinafter referred to as "frame signal sequences") (S1010'). The frame dividing part 3050' divides a frame signal sequence into sub-frame signal sequences s[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) (S3050'). The processes performed by the other components of the coding device 300' are the same as those in the coding device 300.
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
In the decoding device 400', a complementary sub-frame decoded signal sequence s̃[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) corresponds to a sub-frame signal sequence s[k]. That is, a complementary sub-frame decoded signal sequence s̃[k] in the variation is a time-domain signal sequence. Accordingly, the recovered signal generating part 4012' does not require a frequency-time transform part and includes only a sub-frame combining part 4051' and an overlap-add part 2011. The sub-frame combining part 4051' combines the complementary sub-frame decoded signal sequences s̃[k] to generate a complementary decoded signal sequence s̃[k] (S4051'). The overlap-add part 2011 overlaps a half of each frame length of a signal obtained by multiplying the complementary decoded signal sequence s̃ [k] by a window function with a half of the next frame and adds the overlapped portions together to calculate a recovered signal and provides the recovered signal (S2011).
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the variation have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the third embodiments.
Figs. 22A, 22B
23A, 23B
24A, 24B
25A, 25B
26
27A
27B
28
Fig. 22A
Fig. 22B
Fig. 23A
Fig. 23B
Fig. 24A
Fig. 24B
Fig. 25A
Fig. 25B
Fig. 26
Figs. 27A and 27B
Fig. 28
, , , , , , and are diagrams for explaining a fourth embodiment. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient searching part and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a local decoding coefficient replicating part. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device. illustrates a method for calculating sub-band bit allocation information, illustrates relationships between bit allocation tables and codebooks and illustrates a method for selecting a code index. Source signal sequences in the embodiment are sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences (as in the third embodiment).
The coding device 500 includes a frame building part 1010, a band dividing part 3050, a signal coding part 5030, a signal decoding part 5031, a local decoding coefficient searching part 5000, and a code multiplexing part 5040. The frame building part 1010 and the band dividing part 3050 are the same as those of the coding device 300 of the third embodiment.
Fig. 23A
(w)
(w)
As illustrated in , the signal coding part 5030 includes a parameter calculating part 5032, a first coding part 5033, a first local decoding part 5034, a dynamic bit allocation part 5035, a second coding part 5036, and a local code multiplexing part 5037. The parameter calculating part 5032 calculates a wth sub-band first parameter from a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1). The wth sub-band first parameter may be an average amplitude indicator Ã[w] (w = 0, ..., W - 1) of the wth sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (hereinafter the indicator will be referred to as the "wth sub-band average amplitude indicator"), for example. The wth sub-band average amplitude indicator can be calculated according to the following equation.
A
˜
w
=
round
A
w
A
w
=
1
2
log
2
1
Lʹ
∑
k
=
0
Lʹ
-
1
S
^
w
2
k
+
ε
rms
ε
rms
=
2
-
24
The wth sub-band average amplitude indicator can be used to calculate the wth sub-band average amplitude A'[w] according to the following equation.
Aʹ
w
=
2
A
˜
w
A
A
A
Then the first coding part 5033 quantizes the wth sub-band first parameter (w = 0, ..., W - 1) and outputs a first signal code index I. If the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Ã[w] (w = 0, ..., W - 1) is used as the wth sub-band first parameter, the first coding part 5033 assumes the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Ã[w] to be a W-dimensional vector and applies vector quantization to the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Ã[w] and outputs the index of a selected codevector as the first signal code index I. Alternatively, binary coding or Huffman coding may be used to encode the wth sub-band first parameter for each sub-band.
The first local decoding part 5034 decodes the first signal code index I and outputs a wth sub-band first decoded parameter (w = 0, ..., W - 1). For example, if the first coding part 5033 has encoded the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Ã[w], the first local decoding part 5034 outputs a wth sub-band decoded average amplitude indicator Â[w] (w = 0, ..., W - 1) as the wth sub-band first decoded parameter.
The dynamic bit allocation part 5035 calculates the number of bits to be allocated to each sub-band from the wth sub-band first decoded parameter and outputs wth sub-band bit allocation information. For example, if the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Ã[w] is used as the wth sub-band first decoded parameter, bit allocation information B[w] (w = 0, ..., W - 1) for the wth sub-band is calculated as follows. First, a wth sub-band perceptual importance ip[w] (w = 0, ..., W - 1) is calculated from the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator Â[w] according to the following equation.
ip
w
w
=
/
A
^
2
Then, a binary search algorithm is used with the wth sub-band perceptual importance ip[w] and a bit allocation table R to output bit allocation information B[w] for the wth sub-band. In the dynamic bit allocation, a "water level" is selected using the binary search algorithm based on the equation given below and the "water level λ" and the wth sub-band perceptual importance ip[w] are used to calculate wth sub-band bit allocation information B[w] according to the following equation.
B
w
Lʹ
b
⋅
-
ip
λ
w
-
=
arg min
b
R
∈
Fig. 26
1
i
Specifically, a method illustrated in may be used for example. First, parameters (maxIP, minIP, λ, i) are initialized (S50351). Then, a Bt[w], which is a temporary value for B[w], is calculated and adds the Bt[w] and a previously calculated Bt[w] to obtain Sum_Bt (S50352). Determination is made as to whether or not Sum_Bt exceeds a maximum allocatable total number of bits (total_bit_budget) (S50353). If the determination at step S50353 is YES, the parameters (minIP, λ, i) are changed (S50354). If the determination at step S50353 is NO, Bt[w] is changed to B[w] and the parameters (maxIP, λ, i) are changed (S50355). Determination is made as to whether or not i is less than a predetermined constant (S50356). If the determination at step S50356 is YES, the process returns to step S50352. If the determination at step S50356 is NO, B[w] is output as bit allocation information B[w] for the wth sub-band. After a predetermined number of iterations of the search have been completed, the equation of B[w] given above is evaluated. A convergence condition for ending the iterative process may be otherwise defined to end the process. For example, when the total number of allocated bits reaches the total bit budget (total_bit_budget), the process may be ended. If the ultimate total number of bits exceeds the total bit budget, the next bit counts in the table that are below the bit counts selected according to the equation given above may be allocated to the sub-bands in ascending order of ip[w], for example, to reduce the number of allocated bits so that the total number of allocated bits falls below the total bit budget, thereby determining the ultimate wth sub-band bit allocation information.
(w)
(w)
(w)
w)
(w)
(w)
B
B
B
Figs. 27A and 27B
Fig. 27A
Fig. 27B
Fig. 28
The second coding part 5036 uses the bit allocation information B[w] to quantize the wth sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] and outputs a wth sub-band second signal code index I (w = 0, ..., W - 1). It is assumed here that the bit counts in the bit allocation table are in a one-to-one correspondence with search ranges in the codebook as illustrated in . The search ranges may overlap one another. illustrates an example in which search ranges do not overlap one another; illustrates an example in which search ranges overlap one another. The second coding part 5036 quantizes the wth sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] according to the procedure illustrated in and outputs a wth sub-band second signal code index I(. First, bit allocation information B[w] is used to determine a search range in the codebook in the second coding part 5036. Here, when B[w] is less than or equal to a threshold value, coding is not performed. Then, a codevector at the minimum distance to the wth sub-band frequency-domain signal vector which is the wth sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] considered to be a vector is selected from the codebook search range determined from the bit allocation information B. The index of the selected codevector is output as the wth sub-band second signal code index I. If Euclidean distance is used as the parameter representing the distance, the codevector is selected according to Equation (17).
I
B
w
=
arg min
p
∑
k
=
0
Lʹ
-
1
S
w
k
-
c
k
p
2
If the inner product between vectors is used as the parameter representing the distance, the codevector is selected according to Equation (18).
I
B
w
=
arg min
p
∑
k
=
0
Lʹ
-
1
S
w
k
⋅
c
k
p
(p)
(p)
(p)
(p)
(p)
0
1
L'-1
k
Here, the pth codevector contained in the codebook is denoted as C = (C, C, ..., C). Here, C represents the kth element of the pth vector.
A
B
C
(w)
(w)
The local code multiplexing part 5037 arranges wth sub-band first signal code indices I and wth sub-band second signal code indices I in a predetermined order to generate a dataset and outputs the dataset as a code index I.
C
C
A
B
(w)
(w)
(w)
The signal decoding part 5031 decodes the code index I and outputs a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L' - 1) and bit allocation information B[w] (S5031). The signal decoding part 5031 includes a local code demultiplexing part 5038, a first local decoding part 5034, a dynamic bit allocation part 5035, a second decoding part 5039, and a decoded parameter processing part 5044. The local code demultiplexing part 5038 reads a bit count in a predetermined position in the code index I to output the wth sub-band first signal code index I and the wth sub-band second signal code index I
A
(w)
The first local decoding part 5034 decodes the wth sub-band first signal code index I and outputs a wth sub-band first decoded parameter. Operation of the first local decoding part 5034 is the same as the operation of the first local decoding part 5034 of the signal coding part 5030. The dynamic bit allocation part 5035 calculates the number of bits to be allocated to each sub-band from the wth sub-band first decoded parameter and outputs the number of bits as bit allocation information for the wth sub-band. Operation of the dynamic bit allocation part 5035 is the same as the dynamic bit allocation part 5035 of the signal coding part 5030.
B
B
0
1
L'-1
(w)
(w)
(p)
(p)
(p)
(p)
The second decoding part 5039 uses the bit allocation information B[w] of the wth sub-band to decode the wth sub-band second signal code index I and outputs a wth sub-band second decoded parameter. It is assumed here that the bit counts in the bit allocation table and the search ranges in the codebook are in a one-to-one correspondence as in the second coding part 5036 of the signal coding part 5030. Decoding is performed as follows. First, the bit allocation information B[w] of the wth sub-band is used to determine a codebook search range. Then, a codevector corresponding to the wth sub-band second signal code index I is selected from the codebook search range determined from the bit allocation information B[w]. A codevector C = (C, C, ..., C) corresponding to the selected codevector is output as the wth sub-band second decoded parameter.
(w)
(w)
The decoded parameter processing part 5044 uses the wth sub-band first decoded parameter and the wth sub-band second decoded parameter to output a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k]. For example, if the average amplitude indicator Ã[w] of the wth sub-band is used as the wth sub-band first decoded parameter and a codevector normalized so that an average amplitude of 1 is yielded is used as the wth sub-band second decoded parameter, each coefficient of the wth sub-band second decoded parameter is multiplied by the wth sub-band average amplitude calculated from the wth sub-band average amplitude indicator to calculate a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k].
γ
d
τ
d
d
τ
d
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
Fig. 24A
The local decoding coefficient searching part 5000 outputs replication shift information τ from the sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] and the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (S5000). As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient searching part 5000 includes a replication determining part 5001, a candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002, a distance calculating part 3003, and a minimum distance shift amount finding part 3004. The replication determining part 5001 outputs a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated (for example Flag = 1) if the bit allocation information B[w] of the wth sub-band is less than or equal to a threshold value. On the other hand, if the bit allocation information B[w] of the wth sub-band is greater than the threshold value, the replication determining part 5001 outputs a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is not to be generated (for example Flag = 0).
The candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part 3002, the distance calculating part 3003, and the minimum distance shift amount finding part 3004 are the same as those of the coding device 300 of the third embodiment.
c
r
C
r
(w)
(w)
The code multiplexing part 5040 multiplexes code indices I and replication shift information τ to generate a transmitter signal (S5040). Specifically, the code multiplexing part 5040 receives code indices I and replication shift information τ as inputs and arranges them in a predetermined order to generate one dataset. If the signal is transmitted through a network such as an IP network, the code multiplexing part 5040 adds required header information to generate packets.
C
r
C
(w)
(w)
The decoding device 600 includes a code demultiplexing part 6041, a signal decoding part 6031, a local decoding coefficient replicating part 6100, a sub-band combining part 4051, a frequency-time transform part 2021, and an overlap-add part 2011. The combination of the sub-band combining part 4051, the frequency-time transform part 2021, and the overlap-add part 2011 will be referred to as a recovered signal generating part 4012. The code demultiplexing part 6041 reads a code index I and replication shift information τ from a received signal and outputs them (S6041). The signal decoding part 6031 decodes the code index I and outputs a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L' - 1) and bit allocation information B[w] (S6031). The process performed by the decoding part 6031 is the same as the process performed by the signal decoding part 5031.
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
r
d
τ
d
d
τ
d
Fig. 24B
The local decoding coefficient replicating part 6100 generates a sub-band complementary decoded signal sequence S̃[k] from the decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] and the replication shift information τ (S6100).
As illustrated in , the local decoding coefficient replicating part 6100 includes a replication determining part 6001, a replication shift signal sequence generating part 4002, and a complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 4005. The replication determining part 6001 outputs a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is to be generated (for example Flag =1), if bit allocation information B[w] of the wth sub-band is less than or equal to a threshold value. On the other hand, if the bit allocation information of the wth sub-band is greater than the threshold value, the replication determining part 6001 outputs a replication determination flag Flag indicating that a candidate replication shift signal sequence Ṡ[k] is not to be generated (for example Flag = 0) (S6001).
The replication shift signal sequence generating part 4002 and the complementary decoded signal sequence generating part 4005 are the same as those of the decoding device 400 of the third embodiment. The sub-band combining part 4051, the frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 are the same as those of the decoding device 400 of the third embodiment.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of this embodiment have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the third embodiments.
Figs. 29A, 29B
30A and 30B
Fig. 29A
Fig. 29B
Fig. 30A
Fig. 30B
, illustrate functional configurations and process flows in a variation in which source signal sequences to be coded are time-domain signal sequences in sub-frames. illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device.
The coding device 500' and the decoding device 600' are similar to the coding device 500 and the decoding device 600, respectively, with the only difference being source signal sequences. Accordingly, only processes performed by a source signal sequence generating part 3012' and a recovered signal generating part 4012' are different from those in the coding and decoding devices 500 and 600. The source signal sequence generating part 3012' is the same as that of the coding device 300' of the variation of the third embodiment. The recovered signal generating part 4012' is the same as that of the decoding device 400' of the variation of the third embodiment.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the variation have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the fourth embodiment.
Figs. 31
32
33
34A
34B
35A
35B
36A and 36B
Fig. 31
Fig. 32
Fig. 33
Fig. 34A
Fig. 34B
Fig. 35A
Fig. 35B
Figs. 36A and 36B
Referring to , , , , , , , , a fifth embodiment will be described. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part, illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the decoding device. illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device. illustrate a method for generating a code index and a structure of a data set. Source signal sequences to be coded in the embodiment are sub-band frequency-domain signal sequences (as in the third and fourth embodiments).
The coding device 700 includes a frame building part 1010, a band dividing part 3050, a signal coding part 7030, a signal decoding part 7031, a local decoding coefficient searching part 5000, and a code multiplexing part 7040. The frame building part 1010 and the band dividing part 3050 are the same as those of the coding device 300 of the third embodiment and the coding device 500 of the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 33
(w)
(w)
A
B
As illustrated in , the signal coding part 7030 includes a parameter calculating part 5032, a first coding part 5033, a first local decoding part 5034, a dynamic bit allocation part 5035, and a second coding part 5036. The signal coding part 7030 differs from the signal coding part 5030 of the fourth embodiment in that the signal coding part 7030 does not include the local code multiplexing part 5037. The parameter calculating part 5032, the first coding part 5033, the first local decoding part 5034, the dynamic bit allocation part 5035, and the second coding part 5036 are the same as those of the signal coding part 5030. The signal coding part 7030 receives a sub-band frequency-domain signal sequence S[k] (w = 0, ..., W - 1 and k = 0, ..., L' - 1) as inputs and outputs a first signal code index I and a second signal code index I (S7030).
A
B
(w)
(w)
Fig. 34A
The signal decoding part 7031 decodes the first signal code index I and the second signal code index I and outputs a decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L' - 1) and bit allocation information B[w] (S7031). As illustrated in , the signal decoding part 7031 includes a first local decoding part 5034, a dynamic bit allocation part 5035, a second decoding part 5039, and a decoded parameter processing part 5044. The first local decoding part 5034, the dynamic bit allocation part 5035, the second decoding part 5039, and the decoded parameter processing part 5044 are the same as those of the coding device 500 of the fourth embodiment.
A
B
r
A
B
r
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
Figs. 36A and 36B
The local decoding coefficient searching part 5000 is the same as that of the coding device 500 of the fourth embodiment. The code multiplexing part 7040 multiplexes the first signal code index I, the second signal code index I, the bit allocation information B[w] and replication shift information τ to generate a transmitter signal (S7040). For example, the code multiplexing part 7040 outputs the first signal code index I as a dataset consisting of a bit string of a fixed number of bits as illustrated in (S7041). Then the bit allocation information B[w] is compared with a threshold value (S7042). If the bit allocation information B[w] is greater than the threshold value, the second signal code index I of the wth sub-band is appended to the dataset as a bit string of B [w] bits (S7043). On the other hand, if the bit allocation information B[w] is less than or equal to the threshold value, the replication shift information τ of the wth sub-band is appended to the dataset as a bit string of B[w] bits (S7044). Steps S7042 to S7044 are performed on w = 0, ..., W - 1 (S7045, S7046) and a transmitter signal is output.
A
B
(w)
The decoding device 800 includes a code demultiplexing part 8041, a signal decoding part 8032, a local decoding coefficient replicating part 6100, a sub-band combining part 4051, a frequency-time transform part 2021, and an overlap-add part 2011. The combination of the sub-band combining part 4051, the frequency-time transform part 2021 and the overlap-add part 2011 will be referred to as a recovered signal generating part 4012. The code demultiplexing part 8041 reads a first signal index I and a second signal code index I from a received signal and outputs them (S8041).
A
B
r
A
B
r
B
r
B
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
(w)
The signal decoding part 8032 decodes the first signal code index I and the second signal code index I and outputs a sub-band decoded signal sequence Ŝ[k] (k = 0, ..., L' - 1), bit allocation information B[w] and replication shift information τ (S8032). The signal decoding part 8032 includes a first local decoding part 8043, a dynamic bit allocation part 5035, a second decoding part 8042, and a decoded parameter processing part 5044. First, the first local decoding part 8043 decodes the first signal code index I and outputs a wth sub-band first decoded parameter. The dynamic bit allocation part 5035 outputs bit allocation information from the sub-band first parameter. The dynamic bit allocation part 5035 is the same as that of the decoding device 600 of the fourth embodiment. The second decoding part 8042 uses the bit allocation information B [w] of the wth sub-band to decode the wth sub-band second signal code index I and outputs a wth sub-band second decoded parameter and replication shift information τ. For example, the second decoding part 8042 performs the following operation for each w (w = 0, ..., W - 1). If the bit allocation information B[w] for the wth sub-band is less than or equal to a threshold value, the second decoding part 8042 reads and decodes a bit string of B [W] bits from the second signal code index I to output sub-band replication shift information τ. If the bit allocation information B [w] for the wth sub-band is greater than the threshold value, the second decoding part 8042 reads and decodes a bit string of B [w] bits from the second signal code index I to output a second decoded parameter. The decoded parameter processing part 5044 is the same as that of the decoding device 600 of the fourth embodiment.
The local decoding coefficient replicating part 6100, the sub-band combining part 4051, the frequency-time transform part 2021, and the overlap-add part 2011 are the same as those of the decoding device 600 of the fourth embodiment.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the embodiment have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the fourth embodiment.
Fig. 31
Fig. 32
Fig. 35A
Fig. 35B
Fig. 37
Fig. 38A
Fig. 38B
Fig. 39
In a first variation, a dynamic bit reallocation part 9060 is used in combination with the dynamic bit allocation part 5035. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a decoding device. illustrates a process flow in the coding device and illustrates a process flow in the decoding device. illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal coding part and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the coding device and illustrates an exemplary configuration of a signal decoding part in the decoding device. illustrates a process procedure in the dynamic bit reallocation part 9060.
Fig. 37
As illustrated in , a signal coding part 9030 includes a parameter calculating part 5032, a first coding part 5033, a first local decoding part 5034, the dynamic bit allocation part 5035, the dynamic bit reallocation part 9060, and a second coding part 5036. The parameter calculating part 5032, the first coding part 5033, the first local decoding part 5034, the dynamic bit allocation part 5035, and the second coding part 5036 are the same as those of the signal coding part 7030 of the fifth embodiment.
Fig. 39
min
total
The dynamic bit reallocation part 9060 generates bit allocation information as described below and illustrated in . An output (called "first bit allocation information B [w]" in the variation) from the dynamic bit allocation part 5035 is compared with a threshold value. If the first bit allocation information B [w] is less than or equal to the threshold value, bit allocation information of the sub-band is set to B[w] = b. The bits b remaining after the bits have been allocated to the sub-band with B[w] less than or equal to the threshold are allocated to the remaining sub-bands by an operation similar to the operation of the dynamic bit allocation part 5035 to determine and output values of wth-sub-band bit allocation information for all wth sub-bands.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the variation have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the fifth embodiment. In addition, because more appropriate numbers of bits can be allocated to sub-bands, the subjective quality can be further improved.
Figs. 40
41
42A and 42B
Fig. 40
Fig. 41
Fig. 42A
Fig. 42B
, , illustrate functional configurations and process flows in a variation in which source signal sequences are time-domain signal sequences in sub-frames. illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a coding device, illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a decoding device, illustrates an exemplary process flow in the coding device, and illustrates an exemplary process flow in the decoding device.
The decoding device 700' and the decoding device 800' are similar to the coding device 700 and the decoding device 800, respectively, with the only difference being source signal sequences. Accordingly, only processes performed by a source signal sequence generating part 3012' and a recovered signal generating part 4012' are different from those in the coding and decoding devices 700 and 800. The source signal sequence generating part 3012' is the same as that of the coding device 300' of the variation of the third embodiment and the recovered signal generating part 4012' is the same as that of the decoding device 400' of the variation of the third embodiment.
With the configuration described above, the coding device and the decoding device of the variation have the same effects as the coding and decoding devices of the fifth embodiment.
Fig. 43
illustrates an exemplary functional configuration of a computer. Any of the coding and decoding methods of the present invention can be implemented by loading a program for causing a computer 2000 to execute the steps of the preset invention into a recording part 2020 of the computer 2000 to cause components such as a processing part 2010, an input part 2030, and an output part 2040 to operate. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and the computer may be caused to load the program from the recording medium into the computer, or the computer may be caused to download the program recorded in a server or other device to the computer through a telecommunication network.
100, 150, 300, 500, 700, 900 ... Coding device
200, 250, 400, 600, 800, 950 ... Decoding device
1000, 1500, 3000, 5000 ... Local decoding coefficient searching part
1001, 1501, 2001, 3001, 5001, 6001 ... Replication determining part
1002, 3002 ... Candidate replication shift signal sequence generating part
1003, 1503, 3003 ... Distance calculating part
1004, 3004 ... Minimum distance shift amount finding part
1010 ... Frame building part
1012, 3012 ... Source signal sequence generating part
1030, 3030, 5030, 7030, 9030 ... Signal coding part
1031, 2031, 3031, 4031, 5031, 6031, 7031, 8032 ... Signal decoding part
1040, 1540, 5040, 7040 ... Code multiplexing part
2002, 4002 ... Replication shift signal sequence generating part
2006, 2506, 4005 ... Complementary decoded signal sequence generating part
2011 ... Overlap-add part
2012, 4012 ... Recovered signal generating part
2021 ... Frequency-time transform part
2041, 2541, 4041, 6041, 8041 ... Code demultiplexing part
2100, 2500, 4100, 6100 ... Local decoding coefficient replicating part
3050 ... Band dividing part
4051 ... Sub-band combining part
5032 ... Parameter calculating part
5033 ... First coding part
5034, 8043 ... First local decoding part
5035 ... Dynamic bit allocation part
5036 ... Second coding part
5037 ... Local code multiplexing part
5038 ... Local code demultiplexing part
5039, 8042 ... Second decoding part
5044 ... Decoded parameter processing part
9060 ... Dynamic bit reallocation part | |
(Author’s note: Each one of us has stories about how 9/11 affected them. This is one of mine. This post was originally published on http://seanheritage.com/blog/candy-jar-guest-post/ on June 30, 2015. – Jason)
Sometimes inspiration comes when various experiences blend into one to create a new concept we had never thought of before. This is the story of why I consider candy jars the true test of leadership.
On September 11, 2001, I was a young Cryptologic Technician Technical Second Class (CTT2) in San Diego going through Special Warfare Combatant Crewman (SWCC) training at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center on Coronado. On a normal morning, we would be out and already conducting physical training (PT) before 0500 local time (Pacific Standard Time/PST). Getting up that early ensured we could complete the first of our three or more PT sessions for the day. After our pre-breakfast crushing, we made our way, sandy and starving, to the mess hall. At 0446 PST, the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center. At 0503 PST, the second plane hit the second tower of the World Trade Center. At 0537 PST, the Pentagon was hit, and at 0603 PST, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.
Because of our early schedule and delays in reporting, we ended up watching these events in real time sitting in the mess hall. Our training staff did not pick us up until 1000 PST. When we marched out of the mess hall, one of our instructors gave us a pole with an enormous American flag on it. I became one of the primary flag carriers. We carried that flag at the front of our formations throughout training. We crossed a public road from one side of the base to the other at least twice a day. When we reached that road, we would give out a war cry and charge across the road, flag streaming out over us.
We knew the locals were watching as they were stopped in their cars waiting for us to cross. We also knew training had changed. We were headed to war. None of us really knew what that meant. We did know it was a serious thing. In a small way, we gave a little bit of ourselves to those people stopped at that road. We helped each other
One of the Navy civilians killed in the Pentagon on that day was James T. Lynch Jr. To many in the Pentagon, he was called the “Candy Man.” During lunch hours, he would walk around the halls of the Pentagon and hand out Werther’s Originals to whomever he met. Some stories said he did it just to make people smile, which is reason enough. I don’t know what is true, and there are certainly some who read this who knew The Candy Man. If so, forgive me if I embellish a bit on his legend. I cannot find a reference for what follows.
Shortly after 9/11 I read about his story. Whether it was in the story, a conversation that followed, or some combination of things in my own mind, I developed my own legend of him.
In this legend, someone once asked The Candy Man “Why do you give out candy?” His response was, “Because whenever you meet someone, they should never leave without you giving them something of value as well.” I interpreted this as, if someone comes in your office, at best you should be able to solve their problem. If not that, you should be able to help guide them to the right answer. If not that, you should be able to pass on some advice to help them. At the very least, they should walk away from your desk with a piece of candy. The Candy Man’s desk just happened to extend to the hallways of the Pentagon. He left everyone he engaged with something of value, a smile and a piece of candy.
His picture is up on the wall at the Pentagon where the plane hit. When I walk by, it reminds me to make sure whomever comes to my desk, wherever it may be, that they leave with something.
Following SWCC school I deployed with the Special Boat Teams aboard the MKV Special Operations Craft. I deployed to Iraq among other places in the events following 9/11. I have plenty of good stories about that to tell in other venues. For this story, the important part is, my mentors encouraged me to put in for an officer package and I was selected out of the Boat Teams for the Seaman to Admiral 21st Century (STA-21) Program. Under that program, I received orders to the University of Colorado to study physics and hopefully commission as an officer. While students, we were attached to the local Navy and Marine Corps ROTC unit.
The Commander of the unit was led by an old, crusty Marine Corps Colonel. He was firm, but beloved by those he commanded. My first day at the unit I was told to go see the “Captain.” Dutifully, I walked right up to the Colonel’s office, knocked and presented myself as the newest member of the unit. As I looked around the room at the folks gathered around his desk, informally chatting away, I realized I was definitely in the wrong place. While I was used to a Navy Captain commanding a ship, the Marine Corps Captain who I was supposed to go see is the equivalent of a Navy Lieutenant. As I abashedly explained my mistake, the Colonel waved me into this office, brought me into the group, and said, “Well, I didn’t ask you to swing by, but I am happy you did. Everyone, meet Officer Candidate Jason Knudson.” He reached onto his desk gave me a Werther’s Original and said, “You had better get along to the Captain’s office. I’m sure she is expecting you.”
Some gifts come in the form of ignoring mistakes.
The Executive Officer on the other hand was not beloved. She ruled with an iron fist and made it a habit of running officer candidates through administrative punishments as a training aide. I learned much from her, but mostly about what not to do. One time, I had just completed an office call with her to discuss the quality of advice I was giving the Midshipmen about enlisted personnel. I walked out and noticed some sad and lost pieces of candy sitting in a dusty Naval Academy Class of ‘XX crystal bowl. I remember them distinctly. There was a Tootsie Roll that appeared to be left over from a mid-1980s Halloween Party. There were mini Snickers left over from Easter. I was sure that had I opened up the Snickers, it would have been white on the outside as the cocoa butter separated over the years from the cocoa solids. Finally, there was a lonely Werther’s Original, hiding under the flap of one of the Snickers.
The Executive Officer’s Candy Jar was set on a plant stand next to the door. If you had cared to, you could have grabbed a candy on your way down the hallway. Then an epiphany happened. I realized, even though the candy was available, no one wanted to cross the threshold to take a piece.
I ran down the hallway to check something. The Commanding Officer’s door was cracked open and he had two Midshipmen in his office seated in front of his desk. He was sitting casually on the corner of the desk. Each Midshipman had a bulge in their cheek where I had to assume a Werther’s Original sat. To my surprise I was wrong! In the middle of his desk sat his candy jar with a fresh set of Star Brites Peppermint candies! He had been forced to change out his candy! This was a profound realization and I needed some good thinking time.
The Executive Officer taught Naval Leadership. As a result, I had plenty of spare time in her class to think about my experiences. This concept had sat in my brain for over seven years from 2001 until 2008. It took me a full semester to merge eight years of exprience into a single leadership lesson. I still use it to this day.
The leadership lesson is this:
Good leaders have a candy jar they keep on their desk that constantly needs refilling. Poor leaders have a candy jar they keep where all can reach it, but never need to refill it.
I ask you to think about this metaphor. Please don’t go out and buy a candy jar and place it on your desk in hopes it will work for you. For me, I don’t have a physical candy jar on my desk. I simply strive to ensure everyone I interact with leaves with something of value; a smile, a problem solved, a new way of thinking about something, or a piece of candy. Doing so keeps my “candy jar” fresh.
In some way, it also connects me to my experiences through 9/11 and the legend of a man I had never met.
- Where do you keep your candy jar?
- Do your subordinates, peers, and seniors feel comfortable taking candy/advice from you?
- How might you ensure everyone you interact with gets something of value?
- How often do you refill your candy jar?
- How has 9/11 affected your life? | https://stationhypo.com/2016/09/19/911-perspective-the-candy-jar/ |
Between Price, Utah and Grand Junction, Colorado, Highway 6 and Interstate 70 cross 170 miles of barren and windswept terrain. The drive would be lonely but for a constant companion: the thousand-foot-high wall of the Book Cliffs that parallels the highway just to the north. Winding for 250 miles across Utah and Colorado, it is the longest continuous escarpment in the world.
Near the town of Green River, Utah, a second escarpment, the Roan Cliffs, rises above the Book Cliffs, and together the two climb a vertical mile above the desert. From a distance the double rampart appears to be a smooth, unbroken wall, but on closer inspection it resolves into a complicated network of spurs, ridgelines, and canyons.
The Book Cliffs-Desolation Canyon wilderness is a merging of three different worlds: the great rampart of the Roan and Book cliffs, the high alpine forests and meadows of the Tavaputs Plateau, and the inner world of Desolation Canyon.
It is all marvelous wilderness. Abundant wildlife and rugged beauty have made the Book Cliffs wilderness one of Utah’s most popular backcountry destinations. Each year the region draws more than 6,000 hunters, and an equal number of river runners make the float trip through Desolation Canyon annually. The trip features 60 rapids and one of the most impressive river gorges in the country. Equally challenging, though less well known, are the hundreds of miles of pack trails that wind through the canyons. The Outlaw Trail, used by Butch Cassidy’s gang, runs the entire length of Desolation Canyon, providing an 80-mile trip for adventurous riders or hikers. Four private lodges located around the perimeter of the wilderness offer starting points for guided horsepack trips. | https://suwa.org/multimedia/map/book-cliffsdesolation-canyon-region/ |
Minimum edition: @RISK 6.0 Industrial. This model assumes that an insurance company is offering a local organization an insurance policy that will guard the organization against large heating oil costs from excessively cold winters. There are three sources of uncertainty: the price of heating oil, the weather, and the amount of heating oil required. The first two of these are modeled with @RISK's Time Series Fit tool, based on real historical data.
This model uses @RISK to run a discrete-event simulation of insurance claims through time. It assumes that a company starts with an initial number of customers and an initial amount of cash. There are three types of events, and the times between each are assumed to be exponentially distributed. A type 1 event is when a customer makes a claim for a random amount, a type 2 event is when a current customer leaves the company, and a type 3 event is when a new customer joins the company. All of the company's customers pay a premium at a given daily rate.
This model enables an insurance company to analyze the possibility of being reinsured. Without reinsurance, the company pays all claims, net of deductibles, for its policy holders. With reinsurance, it pays a fixed premium to another insurance company, the reinsurer. There is a reinsurance deductible. If the company's liability for all claims, net of deductibles, is less than this deductible, the company is liable for all of it. However, if this liability is greater than the reinsurance deductible, the company is liable only for the deductible; the reinsurer pays the rest.
@RISK’s RiskCompound function uses two distributions to create a single new input distribution, streamlining insurance models that must account for frequency and severity of claims. This function takes two arguments, each typically an @RISK distribution function. In a given iteration, the value of the first argument specifies the number of samples which will be drawn from the distribution entered in the second argument. Those samples from the second distribution are then summed to give the value returned by the RiskCompound function.
would be used where the frequency or number of claims is described by RiskPoisson(5) and the severity of each claim is given by RiskLognorm(10000,10000). Here the sample value returned by RiskCompound is the total claim amount for the iteration, as given by a number claims sampled from RiskPoisson(5), each with an amount sampled from RiskLognorm(10000,10000).
RiskCompound can eliminate hundreds or thousands of distribution functions from existing @RISK models by encapsulating them in a single function. The result is models that are much simpler to use, and run much faster. Two examples illustrate claims modeling using RiskCompound.
This model contains a portfolio of potential claims of different types. Each claim has different parameters for the distributions of frequency, severity, and duration. The model illustrates a powerful feature of the RISKCOMPOUND function: the argument that corresponds to the severity can be a reference to a cell containing a formula, rather than just a single distribution function.
This example shows how you might model the uncertainty involved in payment of insurance claims. To model this properly, you must account for the uncertainty in both the total number of claims and the dollar amounts of each claim made. This is done using the RiskCompound function.
Suppose that the company is required by law to have enough money on hand to pay all the claims with the probability of 95%, and that it can only set aside $2000 for the purposes of this particular insurance product. On the other hand, a simulation of the model shows that the 95th percentile of the Total Payment Amount is around $2700. Assume further that the company can purchase from a larger company an insurance policy against the number of claims being in the top decile. The policy under consideration specifies that if the number of claims falls within the top decile, the larger company will satisfy all the claims. The smaller company can model the situation with the policy in place by using Stress Analysis to stress the distribution for total number of claims from the 0th to 90th percentile. With the modified distribution the 95th percentile of the Total Payment Amount is reduced to around $1650. If the policy costs up to $350, the smaller company can purchase it and keep $1650 on hand to comply with the law.
Would the larger company be willing to sell the policy for under $350? There is a 10% probability that it will be required to make payments under the policy. The payments can be analyzed using the same model and stressing the distribution for total number of claims from the 90th to 100th percentile. This analysis shows the mean payment to be around $2800. Since there is only a 10% probability that claims will need to be satisfied, the mean cost to the larger company is around $280. Hence, it does not seem unreasonable for the larger company to sell the policy for $350.
a) Assessing the impact of changing the loss resulting from each event into a distribution, rather than assuming a fixed amount.
b) Assessing the impact if mitigating actions could be developed for certain events, so that, e.g., the amount of loss were reduced if these events occur (or the probabilities of events are reduced or both).
c) Creating dependencies or correlations between the occurrence (and/or magnitude) of some of the events.
d) Replacing the Binomial distribution with a Poisson distribution so that each event could occur more than once per period.
This example models different types of insurance claims from different lines of business and sums them in order to calculate an estimated total claims paid out for the next year. It incorporates @RISK’s distribution fitting to define distribution functions for claim amounts, and illustrates the use of correlations to describe relationships between different types of claims. The RiskCompound function is used to combine frequency and severity of claims, simplifying the model. | https://www.palisade.com/models/Insurance.asp |
How long can you survive on Mars without a suit?
In short, being basically anywhere in space without a spacesuit would be catastrophic. (Heck, even being in space in a spacesuit will do you some harm.) There’s nowhere besides Earth where you could survive any longer than two minutes.
Do any planets have oxygen?
Among the planets, Earth is unique for its oxygen-rich atmosphere. None of the other terrestrial planets contain much oxygen in their atmosphere, despite oxygen being a rather common element in the cosmos.
Why should we live on Mars?
Reasons for colonizing Mars include curiosity, the potential for humans to provide more in-depth observational research than unmanned rovers, economic interest in its resources, and the possibility that the settlement of other planets could decrease the likelihood of human extinction.
What planet is the coldest planet?
Neptune
Is Neptune very cold?
Neptune is dark, cold, and very windy. It’s the last of the planets in our solar system. It’s more than 30 times as far from the sun as Earth is.
Is Earth a dwarf planet?
That means that according to the definition of the International Astronomical Union, the Earth cannot technically be considered as a planet and that it is, in fact, a dwarf-planet. There were seven earth sized objects discovered in orbit around an ultracool dwarf star forty light years away using this method.
What do humans need to survive on Mars?
Humans will need self-sustaining water, food and oxygen to survive on Mars. Extracting water locked up in ice will be crucial, but with the recent discovery of flowing water on Mars may not be too difficult.
What is the coldest dwarf planet?
What is the 5 dwarf planets?
As the authority on the naming and classification of celestial objects, the International Astronomical Union officially recognizes five dwarf planets in the solar system:
- Pluto.
- Eris.
- Ceres.
- Makemake.
- Haumea.
What is the coldest temperature on Neptune?
The average temperature on Neptune is a brutally cold -373 degrees F. Triton, Neptune’s largest satellite, has the coldest temperature measured in our solar system at -391 degrees F. That is only 68 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than absolute zero, a temperature in which all molecular action stops.
Can u live on Saturn?
Saturn. This is another space giant that will allow you to stay on it for less than one second. Apart from the gas clouds, Saturn constantly has very strong winds which can reach 1800 km per hour.
Can life survive in Mars?
NASA study: Life from Earth could survive on Mars, at least for a while. Scientists say some microbes from Earth could survive on Mars, at least temporarily, raising new problems and possibilities for future exploration of the red planet.
How cold is Neptune?
The average temperature on Neptune is about minus 200 degrees Celsius (minus 392 degrees Fahrenheit). Neptune, the farthest known planet of our solar system, is located about 30 times farther away from the sun than Earth is. | https://cowetaamerican.com/2021/12/19/how-long-can-you-survive-on-mars-without-a-suit/ |
Raise your awareness of everyday ethical issues in care and learn techniques to make ethical decisions.
- Duration4 weeks
- Weekly study2 hours
- AccreditationAvailableMore info
Ethical Decision-Making in Care
Learn how to use ethical frameworks to make decisions in care
On this course, you’ll explore ethical issues that arise in daily care, and learn the best practices for reflecting on and making moral decisions.
You’ll consider different ethical frameworks, including human rights, virtue ethics and the ‘Four Principles’ of medical ethics: nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy.
You’ll compare methods of analysing a caregiving scenario, and identify the moral and ethical problems of a care situation. You’ll also learn how to apply a deliberative framework, where deliberation on a decision from multiple points of view is essential.
What topics will you cover?
Different ethical frameworks:
- ‘Four Principles’
- Human Rights
- Virtue ethics
When would you like to start?
Date to be announced
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explain the meaning of 'ethics' in relation to care.
- Explain how ethics differs from related concepts.
- Explain The Four Principles Approach to care ethics.
- Apply the Four Principles to a midwifery scenario.
- Identify why ethics in care now receives a lot of media attention.
- Describe human rights frameworks that impact on care-giving.
- Evaluate the role of human rights in care.
- Apply insights in human rights to decision-making regarding disagreements in care.
- Describe the key elements of Virtue Ethics.
- Identify moral problems that arise in care.
- Debate the usefulness of Virtue Ethics in relating to care-recipient choices.
- Apply Virtue Ethics to public health decision-making.
- Identify ethical aspects of an elder care scenario.
- Compare and contrast three different ways of analysing an elder care scenario.
- Apply a Deliberative Framework to care-giving scenarios.
- Discuss the role of ethical decision-making in care during a pandemic.
- Reflect on your learning from this course.
Who is the course for?
This course is primarily designed for caregivers, care assistants and nurses.
However, the course will also be of interest to anyone engaged in health and social care, or who uses health and social care services.
Learner reviews
Do you know someone who’d love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #ethicsincare to talk about this course on social media. | https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ethical-decision-making-in-care2 |
For the problems listed below, you are to solve the type of inheritance and
explain the rationale of your choice.
cross 2: red-eyed F1 X red-eyed F1
gives F2:
36 red-eyed
13 white-eyed
cross 2: long-eared F1 X long-eared F1
gives F2:
36 long-eared
13 short-eared
cross 1: blue-flowered plant X white-flowered plant
gives F1: all pale-blue-flowered
cross 2: pale-blue F1 X pale-blue F1
gives F2:
27 blue
49 pale-blue
24 white
cross 2: type AB F1 X type AB F1
gives F2:
2 type A
4 type AB
1 type B
cross 1: tail-less mouse X normal mouse
gives F1:
10 tail-less
9 normal
cross 2: tail-less F1 X tail-less F1
gives F2:
10 normal
21 tail-less
9 dead
cross 1: red-eyed female X red-eyed male
gives F1:
50 red-eyed female
25 red-eyed male
25 white-eyed male
cross 2: white-eyed male F1 X red-eyed female
F1
52 crosses give:
30 red male
33 red female
48 crosses give:
22 red male
24 red female
21 white male
23 white female
cross 2: blue-eyed, short-toothed
F1 X blue-eyed, short-toothed F1
gives F2:
92 blue-eyed short-toothed
31 blue-eyed long-toothed
29 brown-eyed short-toothed
9 brown-eyed long-toothed
(NOTE how this result is different from the
blood-type result because here we are dealing
with two genes and there we were dealing
with multiple alleles of one gene.)
cross 2: tall, green X short, yellow
(different plants than (b))
gives F1:
19 tall green
21 tall yellow
enz A enz B
compound 1 ----------> compound 2 ------------> compound 3
(colorless) (red) (purple)
cross 1: AaBb X AaBb
predict the colors of the progeny.
enz B enz A
compound 1 ----------> compound 2 ------------> compound 3
(red) (colorless) (purple)
enz A enz B
red pigment <----------colorless compound --------------> blue pigment
cross 1: Aabb X aaBb
gives F1:
33 white
32 red
35 blue
cross 1: rough, soft pea X smooth, hard pea
gives F1: all rough, hard
cross 2: rough, hard F1 X smooth, soft (note: different mating than usual)
gives F2: 115 rough soft
110 smooth hard
8 rough hard
12 smooth soft
Progeny with the following phenotypes are seen:
Determine the order of these markers on the chromosome and the distances
between them in centimorgans.
Alkaptonuria is an extremely rare disease. The gene for Alkaptonuria
(ALK) has recently been shown to lie on human chromosome 9 and to be
linked to the gene encoding the ABO blood group, with a recombination
frequency of 11% between the loci.
A pedigree of a family with the disease is shown below, with affected
individuals indicated in black. In addition, the blood type of family
members is given.
The two alleles at the ALK locus will be denoted ALK+ and ALK-. The
three alleles at the ABO blood group locus will be denoted IA, IB (which
are co-dominant) and i (which is recessive to IA and IB).
(a) What is the genotype of individual 1 at the ALK and ABO loci?
(b) What is the genotype of individual 2 at the ALK and ABO loci?
(c) What is the genotype of individual 3 at the ALK and ABO loci? Which
alleles of each gene are carried on the chromosome he inherited from his
father and which alleles are carried on the chromosome he inherited from
his mother?
(d) Individuals 3 and 4 are expecting their fifth child. A physician
draws a prenatal blood sample and determines that the child has blood
type B. What is the probability that the child will have alkaptonuria?
Explain your answer. | http://www.sciencegateway.org/resources/biologytext/mg/problems.html |
Ask the Expert: Palliative care uses a team approach to maximize quality of life
Palliative care is more than a focus on physical symptoms such as pain; there is also an emphasis on the mental well-being and social support of that patient. Because of this, palliative care is practiced by teams (usually including physicians, nurses, chaplains and social workers) instead of by physicians alone.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a team approach to medical care that works to maximize quality of life for patients with serious illness. The World Health Organization defines it as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.”
Who are the best candidates for palliative care?
While there are no restrictions on what is defined as serious illness, some common illnesses that benefit from palliative care are:
- Cancer
- Heart failure (HF)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Kidney failure
- Dementia
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- HIV/AIDS
Does insurance cover palliative care?
Palliative care is a recognized medical specialty, similar to cardiology or oncology. It depends on your insurance provider, but most cover meeting with a palliative provider just as they would with any other specialist. Palliative care coverage does differ between insurance providers, so be sure to check with yours and see what options they have.
MORE ASK THE EXPERT:
Use your knees? Then you're at risk for knee pain
Be aware of any family history of psoriasis
Do you have to be in the hospital to receive palliative care?
No. Palliative care is offered many different ways. You can be inpatient, outpatient, or at home. It is currently more common for a hospital to offer inpatient palliative care, but outpatient practice is on the rise, as is at-home palliative care.
Can I still go to my regular doctors if I am receiving palliative care?
Absolutely. Palliative care is provided along with comprehensive, disease-focused treatment. In fact, multiple studies have shown that patients with serious illness have better outcomes from their regular treatments when they are receiving palliative care at the same time. Your palliative doctor typically coordinates with your other doctors to give you the best treatment available. Your other doctors are still treating your illness while your palliative doctors are focusing on the symptoms and stress associated with your illness/treatments.
What are the benefits of palliative care?
- Medical, social, and spiritual care from people who are experts in supporting patients through difficult health times.
- A team of experts providing insight from all different aspects of care.
- Support to enable you to continue living your life at the highest quality possible.
- Care extended to your family members to help manage their difficulties.
- Overall increase satisfaction of care.
- Continued treatment to combat your illness.
Who provides palliative care?
Palliative care is provided by an interdisciplinary team that could include multiple doctors that specialize in palliative medicine, nurses, chaplains, social workers and others. Palliative care can be offered by hospitals, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes or in-home care companies.
How can I find palliative care?
The first step in finding palliative care for you or a loved one is to speak with your doctor about the options available in your area. Another source of information for finding out more about palliative care and if it’s right for you is getpalliativecare.org/ or capc.org/about/palliative-care/.
Morgan Langhofer is the medical director of the Palliative Care team at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. For more information, visit iuhealth.org/ball-memorial. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/life/wellness/2017/08/23/ask-expert-palliative-care-uses-team-approach-maximize-quality-life/588974001/ |
We didn't find anything nearby, but here's what's happening in other cities.
No events
There aren't any events on the horizon right now.
Alamy
Gotterdammerung - New York Tickets
Gotterdammerung - New York TicketsWhen Gotterdammerung is performed in New York City, it is usually performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. Gotterdammerung is a musical drama that features both spoken word parts and operatic singing. It was composed and written by Richard Wagner. The show opened on Aug. 17, 1876, in Festspielhaus, Bayreuth. It made its Metropolitan Opera House debut on Jan. 25, 1888. Most recently, it was showcased at The Met April 27, 2019, through May 11, 2019. The storyline takes place on the Brünnhilde-Rock, Gunther’s castle on the Rhine and the wooded district by the Rhine. Audiences are transported to the location through the sets and costumes that spare no detail. This piece is the fourth part of what is considered the Ring cycle. For many in the performing arts industry, this work is an unsurpassed exaltation of German heritage and mythology. The orchestra uses leitmotifs to exude emotions that the characters do not even know they are feeling.
The Ring CycleGotterdammerung is also known as "The Twilight of the Gods." Robert Wagner was both the composer of the music and writer of the libretto. Gotterdammerung is the fourth work in a series of four. Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold"), Die Walküre ("The Valkyrie") and Siegfried are the other three. Together, they are known as The Ring cycle. When they were first performed, they were showcased in order on August 13, 14 and 16 as well as 17, 1876. It is said that Wagner was fascinated by early Norse and German heroic poetry, including the medieval German epic Nibelungenlied ("Song of the Nibelung"). In 1848, he sketched out a prose version of the Nibelung myth. Siegfrieds Tod ("The Death of Siegfried") became the basis of Gotterdammerung. In 1850, he began composing. In 1851, he began working backward because he realized he could not tell Siegfried’s death before telling his life. It took him 26 years to complete the project.
Where can I buy Gotterdammerung - New York tickets?Get Gotterdammerung tickets when it comes to New York at stubhub.com Backed by its FanProtect guarantee, StubHub — the world’s largest ticket marketplace — makes it easy to grab Gotterdammerung concert tickets safely and securely via its mobile and desktop platforms.
What can I expect from Gotterdammerung - New York?Audiences of a Gotterdammerung performance can expect to witness a journey. The music and the story, which are complemented by the sets and costumes, will whisk you away to a time of German mythology.
How long is a Gotterdammerung - New York performance?Gotterdammerung is performed in three acts. Its run time is five hours and a half. Audiences can expect two intermissions.
Who are the members of Gotterdammerung - New York?The direct of the Gotterdammerung performance that last took place in New York in early 2019 was Robert Lepage. Gutrune was played by Wendy Bryn Harmer, Waltraud Meier handled the role of Waltraute and Gunther was played by Iain Paterson. Alberich was played by Eric Owens.
What is Gotterdammerung - New York’s setlist like?Leitmotifs are used to express emotion in Gotterdammerung performances, so the music audiences hear are described as motives. The motives include "The Brünnhilde Motive," "The Motive of Bunnhilde’s Love" and "The Hagen Motive."
What other operas like Gotterdammerung can I enjoy in New York City?There is an opera being performed in New York City at any given time during the performing arts season, and if you like Gotterdammerung, you're likely to also like some of the other operas performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. At the Metropolitan Opera House, other operas like Madame Butterfly, La Boheme and MacBeth are performed as well as La Traviata, The Magic Flute and Tosca.Back to Top
Epic events and incredible deals straight to your inbox. | https://www.stubhub.com/gotterdammerung-new-york-tickets/performer/311497/ |
The St. Louis U. High strength and performance training program for our student-athletes or any student interested in enhancing their fitness and athleticism focuses on foundational fitness and functional movement development to enhance a player's performance in their sport. This is a unique opportunity that allows our student-athletes to receive supplemental training year round on campus, at SLUH.
Our goals for implementing this strength and performance training program are to:
- Support our students on campus by providing a convenient and affordable option for athletic performance training.
- Create a unified voice for our student-athletes that promotes consistency and quality with all-sports performance training.
- Educate our student-athletes on the finer aspects of athletic performance training, such as healthy nutrition, injury prevention, and other safe practices.
- Provide support and resources for coaches who may not have time for developing and leading athletic performance training.
- Enhance overall performance in and decrease injuries related to sports participation.
Please contact Director Of Sports Medicine and Performance, Jon McCutchen, at [email protected] with any questions. | https://www.sluh.org/athletics/sports-med-perf |
NVC is best known as a tool to engage with conflict and improve interpersonal relationships. It’s of course also a powerful pathway to compassion and empathic listening.
It is however rarely taught as a practice of liberation from the legacy of patriarchy, capitalism, racism and all other authority-based structures. Following our successful 1st series offered last may on the them of "From Powerlessness to Reclaiming Our Power", we will focus this time on the theme of togetherness. This will be both an introduction to NVC through a systemic lens for those who will come for the first time, and a deepening exploration for those who are already familiar with our approach.
"NVC for Liberation" was developed by Miki Kashtan and her late sister Inbal Kashtan. Aligned with Marshall Rosenberg's vision of transforming oppressive structures in society, they saw NVC as a profound practice to dismantle the inner structures that condition climate change, social inequality and all forms of control and command.
If you are an NVC practitioner, this may be a brand new exploration of the practice. If you are new to NVC and would love to understand what part you could play in tackling the climate crisis, this could be an empowering window of exploration.
Registration is not yet open. | http://verenenicolas.org/events-activities/ |
Kona test results in second doping positive for Kevin Moats
Formal news today (which was effectively revealed earlier this week, after he contacted the Slowtwitch website), that U.S. Age-Group athlete, Kevin Moats, tested positive for exogenous testosterone in a pre-competition drug test at the IRONMAN World Championship in October. The second time he has tested positive (first one in 2012) – for the same thing – his ban is eight years, effective 12th January 2018.
In 2017 Moats finished third in the 60-64 division. A multiple Age-Group World Champion in previous years, it’s ironic that in this 2007 feature, Moats was quoted as saying. “When you interview me in another 10 years, maybe it’ll be different. But for now, I’m there to race it. I’m not out there to say I finished an Ironman.”
Well, I doubt you’ll ever be finishing another one Kevin…
INDEPENDENT ARBITRATOR UPHOLDS SANCTION ON IRONMAN AGE-GROUP ATHLETE KEVIN MOATS FOR ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION
Today, the IRONMAN® Anti-Doping Program announced that American Age Group athlete Kevin Moats tested positive for a prohibited substance and has received an eight-year suspension. Mr. Moat’s positive sample was collected out-of-competition on October 12, 2017, during IRONMAN’s pre-competition testing at the 2017 IRONMAN® World Championship.
Moat’s sample tested positive for the presence of exogenous testosterone and its metabolite, which was confirmed by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) analysis. The use of any exogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroid, including testosterone, is prohibited at all times under IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Mr. Moats did not apply for or have a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.
All results-management proceedings and sanctions applied under the jurisdiction of the IRONMAN Anti- Doping Program are determined in accordance with the WADA Code and the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules. This is Moat’s second anti-doping rule violation under the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules. His first Anti-Doping Rule Violation was also for his use of testosterone, for which he received a one-year period of ineligibility by decision of a hearing panel of the American Arbitration Association consistent with the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Rules in effect at that time (Link). Athletes who commit a second anti-doping rule violation are subject to a period of ineligibility twice what would otherwise be applicable. Thus, the period of ineligibility for this anti-doping rule violation is eight years.
Mr. Moats advised IRONMNAN he would neither formally accept this sanction nor appeal IRONMAN’s decision. As a result, his period of ineligibility went into effect January 12, 2018 and he is ineligible to participate in any IRONMAN-affiliated competition or any events organized by any other WADA Code Signatory for a period of eight years. In addition, all of his IRONMAN competitive results subsequent to October 12 have been disqualified.
“Athletes must take responsibility for compliance with the Anti-Doping Rules,” said Kate Mittelstadt, Director of the IRONMAN Anti-Doping Program. “There is no excuse for athletes who choose to knowingly and intentionally compete while using prohibited substances. Athletes must work with their physicians and Anti-Doping Agencies to identify allowed alternatives or treatments that qualify under WADA’s International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions.”
To learn more about the IRONMAN Anti-Doping program, visit www.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/anti-doping.aspx. | https://www.tri247.com/triathlon-news/age-group/kevin-moats-second-doping-positive |
Do you often feel weighed down by feelings of stress, anxiety or depression? Are overwhelming emotions, thoughts, and behaviors interfering with your daily functioning or relationships? Perhaps you were diagnosed with a serious disease/illness, struggling with grief and loss, or suffering from chronic pain? Sometimes life can be overwhelming to the point that you feel stuck or you find it difficult to cope.
I am here to help you address a range of issues, overcome obstacles, and embrace a new journey of growth and healing. I offer a warm, empathetic, non-judgmental approach in a safe environment for you to share your innermost thoughts and feelings that are consuming your mind. You will learn new ways to manage challenging emotions and complex thought-processes, adjust to life changes, improve connections with others, and learn other tools to help achieve better mental and emotional well-being. I am passionate about helping others by creating a therapeutic alliance with my clients to offer support and work collaboratively to create goals unique to their needs to improve their quality of life and help restore functioning.
I have five years of clinical experience supporting adults to reduce emotional stress and symptoms resulting from challenging life experiences. I have worked in multiple settings: in private practice I have worked with individuals with depression, anxiety, anger/mood issues, and low self-esteem; in Community Mental Health I have provided case management and psychotherapy with older adults with severe and persistent mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar with medical comorbidity; in medical settings, including a veterinary hospital in which I worked with end of life issues and facilitated a pet grief/loss support group; as well as a Family Reunification Program and substance abuse treatment, both with individuals and groups. | https://www.therapytodaycc.com/our-counselors/leslie-jaquette/ |
Featured Image: A new study challenges the identity of a an isolated feather from the Jurassic Solnhofen limestone. From Kaye et al. (2018).
Papers (All Open Access):
- First fossil harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) from Spain and notes on the fossil record of Opiliones (PalaeoE)
- Tamilokus mabinia, a new, anatomically divergent genus and species of wood-boring bivalve from the Philippines (PeerJ)
- Size, weapons, and armor as predictors of competitive outcomes in fossil and contemporary marine communities (Ecological Monographs)
- The evolution of the axial skeleton intercentrum system in snakes revealed by new data from the Cretaceous snakes Dinilysia and Najash (Scientific Reports)
- Ecomorphology and bone microstructure of Proterochampsia from the Chañares Formation (APP)
- A new long-spined dinosaur from Patagonia sheds light on sauropod defense system (Scientific Reports)
- Detection of lost calamus challenges identity of isolated Archaeopteryx feather (Scientific Reports)
- A new baby oviraptorid dinosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia (PLOS ONE)
- Unique skull network complexity of Tyrannosaurus rex among land vertebrates (Scientific Reports)
- Useful old casts: a comment on Hansford & Turvey (2018), ‘Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae) (RSOS)
- Standing genetic variation as the predominant source for adaptation of a songbird (PNAS)
- The evolution of the syrinx: An acoustic theory (PLOS ONE)
- Oldest Finch-Beaked Birds Reveal Parallel Ecological Radiations in the Earliest Evolution of Passerines (Current Biology)
- Estimating age‐dependent survival from age‐aggregated ringing data—extending the use of historical records (Ecology and Evolution)
- Convergent gene losses illuminate metabolic and physiological changes in herbivores and carnivores (PNAS)
- New records and diet reconstruction using dental microwear analysis for Neolicaphrium recens Frenguelli, 1921 (Litopterna, Proterotheriidae) (Andean Geology)
- Climbing adaptations, locomotory disparity and ecological convergence in ancient stem ‘kangaroos’ (RSOS)
- Recent dating of extinct Atlantic gray whale fossils, (Eschrichtius robustus), Georgia Bight and Florida, western Atlantic Ocean (PeerJ)
- Ancient human genome-wide data from a 3000-year interval in the Caucasus corresponds with eco-geographic regions (Nature Comm)
- kuenm: an R package for detailed development of ecological niche models using Maxent (PeerJ)
- The R package divDyn for quantifying diversity dynamics using fossil sampling data (Methods in Ecology and Evolution)
- Inferring species richness using multispecies occupancy modeling: Estimation performance and interpretation (Ecology and Evolution)
Preprints/PostPrints:
- Cranial anatomy of the predatory actinopterygian Brazilichthys macrognathus from the Permian (Cisuralian) Pedra de Fogo Formation, Parnaíba Basin, Brazil (bioRXiv)
- Timing the extant avian radiation: The rise of modern birds, and the importance of modeling molecular rate variation (PeerJ)
Community Events, Society Updates, and Resources:
Meetings:
- PaleoFest, March 2–3, 2019, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford, Illinois (Link)
- Western Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists, March 15–17, 2019, University of Oregon (Link)
- 11th Conference on Fossil Resources, Casper, Wyoming, May 30-June 2, 2019 (Link)
- North American Paleontological Convention June 23–27 2019 (Link)
Funding Opportunities:
- Jurassic Foundation Grant, Deadline February 15 (Link)
News and Views:
Animals and Anatomy:
- Concerning an Isotelus and its acquaintances (Equatorial Minnesota)
- Bone cancer in a Triassic stem turtle (SVPOW)
- Eretmorhipis: Beast of the Week (PBW)
- These New Fossil Discoveries Show Why Evolution is the Coolest (Field Museum)
- Introducing Bajadasaurus pronuspinax. (Letters from Gondwana)
- New Spiky Dinosaur Discovered in Patagonia (Laelaps)
- Conflicto and the Evolution of Waterfowl (Raptormaniacs)
- Fossil Friday – more on Mystic the whale (Valley of the Mastodon)
Methods and Musings:
- Data, text, and Simulation: Alisa Bokulich’s “Using Models to Correct Data: Paleodiversity and the Fossil Record.” (Extinct)
- Learning New Methods (Time Scavengers)
- Artificial Intelligence Can Identify Microscopic Marine Organisms (Link)
Featured Folks, Fieldwork, and Museums:
- Memories of a Glacier in the Connecticut River Valley (Time Scavengers)
- Prehistoric Beast at the Academy of Natural Sciences: Part 2 (PBW)
Art, Books, Culture, Fun:
- Xenoposeidon‘s world-domination plan continues! (SVPOW)
- Pappochelys, the 240 million year old turtle ancestor with cancer (Don’t Mess With Dinosaurs)
Do you have some news, a blog, or something just plain cool you want to share with the PLOS Paleo Community? Email it to us at [email protected], tweet it to us at @PLOSPaleo, or message us on Facebook. | https://blogs.plos.org/paleocomm/2019/02/08/fossil-friday-roundup-february-8-2019/ |
In collaboration with the CASS Lab in the School of Mechanical Engineering, this project will enable the scaling of novel manufacturing analysis applications in a smart, human-centered manufacturing service system. This manufacturing service system will enable highly functioning relationships between a range of users, including service consumers (e.g., designers, entrepreneurs, makers) and service producers (e.g., manufacturers).
This project focuses on how uncertainty in dynamic environments (e.g., healthcare) influences how operators in such environments remember to execute important future tasks.
Emory investigators will work with Georgia State microbiologists and human factors researchers at Georgia Tech to assess the transfer of a marker for Ebola and other pathogens when removing personal protective equipment (PPE) and look at steps in the process where errors could occur. The group will visit Georgia’s five state-designated Ebola treatment centers and work with healthcare workers at those sites to assess opportunities to improve safety for healthcare workers. Georgia Tech’s human factors group from the School of Psychology will focus on behavioral interactions with PPE to identify high-risk components of the suits or of the process used to don or doff them.
Nurses in the PICU must manage a variety of threats while maintaining performance in critical tasks. The purpose of this project is to investigate what strategies nurses are using to manage these threats. Nurses are interviewed using the Threat Strategy Interview (Durso et al., 2015) to elicit the strategies they use to manage each threat. In addition to eliciting strategies, the interview technique also elicits the cues that lead to each threat and strategy, as well as in what situations they would use one strategy over another.
The purpose of this research is to investigate how nurses detect the threat of a hospital acquired infection and what kinds of cues or predisposing factors make a nurse more likely to detect an impending infection. In addition to the type of risk factors, the current research aims to investigate the role of experience and time pressure in accurate and timely detection.
This study focuses on improving healthcare provider interactions with the electronic health record (EHR) in an ambulatory pediatric hematology/oncology clinic. We will interview physicians and mid-level practitioners on their feelings toward the current EHR used, perform a cognitive walk-through with various scenarios while using both the current EHR software and the ideal EHR software that the participant will create to best work with the scenario, and observe the providers using the current EHR software in clinic.
This project aims to understand the underlying issues related to run through switches in train yards, a very common and expensive error. The project aims to conduct behavioral observations to illuminate the opportunities for these errors as well as critical incident interviews to elicit the events and decisions that led up to an actual run through switch.
Operators in dynamic environments, such as air traffic control, may often have to remember to perform certain tasks in the future (e.g., Loft, Smith, & Bhaskara, 2011).
The proposed study will examine whether previewing bags based on clutter metrics can lead to improvements in baggage screening performance. In addition, this study will explore whether the preview process is primarily driven by attention guidance or the limited capacity of visual working memory.
It is difficult to do research in an environment that does not yet exist. The CEL has been contracted to develop a simulator that will allow researchers to collect data about air traffic control in a variety of possible futures.
This research investigates PCEs in the railroad industry and evaluates the effectiveness of behavioral interventions designed to reduce PCEs.
We are evaluating taxonomies from a variety of domains and investigating how they can be used to reduce human error.
The Cognitive Ergonomics Lab is working with CSX to re-design rule books to increase readability and retention. | http://cel.gatech.edu/projects/ |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Machines of the shifting tray type have heretofore been provided to receive sheets of paper from a copier or printer. Such machines have involved various means for shifting the sheet inlet ends of the trays vertically past a sheet entry position so that the sheets may be fed into the receiving trays without complex sheet transport systems involving travelling belts or rollers and some form of deflector to direct sheets from the transport into the trays for collating sheets supplied from a copier or receiving collated sets of sheets from a printer, as well as for simply receiving one or more sheets in a selected tray for mailboxing or pigeon-holing the output from a copier, printer or facsimile machine.
Such machines are represented by Lawrence U.S. Pat. No. 4,343, 463 and DuBois and Hamma U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,963 wherein the sheet receiving ends of the trays are successively moved by cams from closely spaced positions above and below the sheet entry location to widely spaced or separated positions at the sheet entry location. Also, sets of horizontally extended trays have been supported in a frame or cage which is vertically shifted to the sheet entry location, as shown, for example, in Shirahase U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,787.
Fazio et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,358 discloses a set of fixed trays into which sheets are fed by a pivotal infeed.
In addition, as seen in Lawrence U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,434, a bin opener may be employed to move vertically relative to a set of trays and open the trays to receive sheets, while the trays remain close together at other times.
Langner U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,265,445 and 4,228,070 disclose a set of fixed trays to which a sheet guide or infeed is progressively moved, and DuBois U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,406 shows such a sorter in which the trays are sequentially spread apart to enhance sheet entry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a simple and inexpensive, small sheet receiving machine for use with small copiers, printers or facsimile machines in a structure which lends itself to use with small host machines, wherein the bin set is moved in a unique manner while affording access to the sets.
More particularly, the invention provides a sheet receiving machine having a number of horizontally extended trays forming a set of bins which are shifted as a set at least at their ends adjacent to a host copier, printer or facsimile machine so as to successively be positioned to receive sheets exiting from the host machine, with the successive sheet entry ends of each tray in the same position when receiving a sheet from the host machine. The trays are adapted to be manually spread apart to facilitate set removal, by virtue of the ends of the tray at one end thereof being freely mounted one on the other on bearings which are separable and being pivotally mounted at their other ends to allow the trays to be spread apart.
In accomplishing the foregoing, there is provided a base support on which the ends of the trays remote from the sheet entry location are pivotally carried in a vertically extended support which is horizontally slidable on the host support as the trays are actuated at their ends adjacent to the sheet exit location from the host machine and vertically moved in succession between positions above and below the sheet receiving position adjacent to the sheet exit from the host machine.
The invention has other features and advantages which will become apparent from the drawings forming a part hereof when viewed in the light of the following description and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the sheet receiver with the trays located in their lower, stacked positions below the sheet entry position for receiving sheets in the top tray;
FIG. 2 is a view corresponding with FIG. 1, but showing the trays in their upper position for receiving sheets in the lowermost tray;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sorter as seen in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a right side elevation of the sorter as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the sorter as shown in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 6 is a left side elevation of the sorter as shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As seen in the drawings the sheet receiving machine or sorter R of the invention has a main frame 1 adapted to be positioned adjacent to a host machine constituting a source of sheets, such as a copier, printer or facsimile machine to receive in trays 2 sheets of paper supplied by feed rolls F from the host machine when the trays are located at the position indicated by the arrow designated "Paper In", which is the sheet entry location for the receiver. It will be seen that all of the trays are below the sheet entry location in FIG. 1 and all but the lowermost tray are above the sheet entry location in FIG. 2, so that when the machine R is not being used to collate, the upper tray in FIG. 1 functions as a receiver tray into which are deposited all sheets exiting the host machine.
The ends of tray 2 designated 2a are sheet inlet ends located adjacent the host machine, while the ends 2b of the trays are remote from the host machine. The sheet inlet ends 2a are individually, separably supported one on the other while the remote ends 2b are supported to allow the sheet inlet ends to swing upwardly or downwardly so that the trays, at ends 2a, may be shifted upwardly and downwardly relative to the sheet receiving location at the Paper In level.
To cause the tray ends 2a to be moved between the positions of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, bi-directional actuator means 4 are provided, including an electric motor M suitably supported centrally of a cross member 6 vertically shiftable relative to the base and driving a pinion 7 which is in mesh with a rack 8 fixed in a frame section 9 between the lower position of FIG. 1 and the upper position of FIG. 2. Motor M is adapted to be controlled in ways well known in the art to shift the cross member 6 incrementally as the sheet or a desired member of sheets has been fed into a tray, so that tray ends 2a are shifted sequentially but as a set upwardly and downwardly to the sheet receiving position and held in that position until the next tray is to be moved into the sheet receiving position. It will be recognized, without illustration, that the relationship of the motor and rack may be reversed so that the motor is stationary and the rack is shiftably supported depending upon which of the motor or rack is mounted on the cross support 6 and the frame portion 9.
To separably support the tray ends 2a one on the other, the motor support 6 has at its upper end, a cross support member 10 having a partially arched or cylindrical upper surface 11. Each tray end 2a, has a support member 12 at each of its opposite sides having an arched or cylindrical upper surface 13 and an arched or cylindrical lower surface 14. The support members 12 rest one on the other, with the lowest support 12 resting on the motor support member 10. Thus, the tray ends can move together with the motor and cross support 10, but the tray ends 2a can be lifted or separated one from the other to facilitate removal of sheets or sets of sheets from the bins defined by the trays.
The support for the ends 2b of the trays enables the movement of the trays at their ends 2a. An upwardly extended support 15 at the tray ends 2b is pivotally connected by pins 16 to the tray ends enabling the ends 2a to swing open as described above. In addition, to enable swinging movement of the set of tray ends 2a between the position of FIG. 1 and the position of FIG. 2, the support 15 is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement and pivotal movement at its lower end by means of a guide pin 17 at each of its opposite sides engaged beneath a rail 18 in the frame structure. As support 15 slides longitudinally on the remote end of the base frame 1, the angle of inclination of the trays 2 progressively changes, causing support 15 to move at its lower end and change angle to allow the horizontal displacement of tray ends 2a.
To accommodate sheets of paper of different lengths in the trays and provide an alignment surface against which the sheets can abut as they are fed into the trays, the trays may be provided with an upwardly extended back stop 18 slidably supported on the bottom tray and positioned at different locations lengthwise of the trays as seen in the full and broken line positions of FIG. 1. The backstop is shown only in FIG. 1 for clarity.
It will be noted that since the tray ends 2a are separably supported one on the other above the lowermost tray, if desired, means (not shown) may be employed at the sheet entry location to elevate all trays above the sheet entry location to afford increased sheet entry space. | |
Hoaxes, Conspiracy Theories, and Witch Hunts – Google, Facebook and the Spread of Fake News After the Las Vegas Shooting
In the aftermath of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas, online hoaxes and unverified rumors spread widely online. Many of these featured prominently in Google searches, on YouTube, and on Google News. More were shared on Facebook pages, some of them verified by the platform.
This episode of the Storyful Podcast examines the ways in which Google and Facebook amplified the reach of false reports and rumors, and asks whether they need to be more cognizant of their responsibilities, now that they have become the gatekeepers of the internet for billions of users.
Della Kilroy talks to Alan O’Riordan and Padraic Ryan from Storyful, as well as Alexis Madrigal, a writer with The Atlantic.
| |
LITERATURE : AN INSPIRATION FOR OUR SOULS Part I
Literature has always been a part of our lives. Even of our unconscious life, which in turn our subconscious remembers well – all of us remember bedtime stories, don't we? Fairies, nymphs and all the fairy creatures have always been there with us in a different and magical world. A world where anything is possible, and the characters change roles as they want. This world of books is beautiful and it's full of adventures. It is different from ours, but always directly connected to our state of mind. Literature is actually a mirror of ourselves. Observe what books you read and what excites you most about them – there is the key to truth, you are a reflection of the words you read because your soul needs them. Literature makes you grow; it helps the evolution of the soul and the understanding of your own self. When a person reads, he gains wisdom, and that in itself is a treasure.
Let us imagine that books are numerous boats in a river. Each one is different from the other, each one has its own peculiarity. A large number of people, all different from each other, begin to choose their boat and board. And here begins the journey inwards to the soul (the river). The boats are full of people. In each boat, however, people observe and notice different things. Some of them are enjoying the beautiful landscape and nature, while others are enjoying the pictures they are taking during this journey. Everyone sees and understands what they need at that moment. It is the same with literature. Each reader chooses a different genre of literature and understands the words differently but at the end of the literary journey there is something to talk about, something to be excited about. Isn't that the point? Through books and the power of words each of us can find ourselves and meet our needs. The art world is a wonderful place to escape busy, everyday life. Imagine how nice it is – you're standing in the office, bored, but at some point you decide to grab a book off the shelf. You've had an eye on this book for a long time and you can't wait to find out more about it... Then you dive deep into literary reality and here you are – away from the boring day.
I think of literature as a garden of beautiful flowers hushed under the tender sunset; so intoxicating, magical and unforgettable, you almost wish you'd never left – that's the world of literature.
Reading books teaches discipline. A person who reads always knows that it takes some time to adapt to the characters, the details, and even the author of the book. He also knows that, however much we might want to, it is not a good idea to read the ending of a book directly; after all, the thrill and magic of the story is lost that way.
Our literary experiences are as real as those that happen to us every day in our reality. The words are vivid and awake in us a palette of feelings and emotions. In these moments each of us is a literary character and each of us writes his own story deep inside his soul.
Literature helps us to look at ourselves from all sides. It's like a portal to many different parallel universes – each with a different plot and different storyline. If we take authors as an example this time, we will quickly see how valuable literature is to them. The creativity they produce is a driving force in their lives. This force never decreases and perhaps that makes literature all the more impactful and magical. Think about how many emotions and thoughts an author puts into writing a book, for example. It is inevitable that these emotions will touch us in some way. As the reader flips through the pages, he or she exchanges energy with the author and thus develops his or her own energy. This helps the creative energy in the human soul to flow in a balanced way and guide the person in the right direction.
Books, reading, and a passion for literature – these are things that teach us to think and feel deeply. Reading heals and purifies the soul. Everyone knows that after reading to the end of a favourite book, you always feel somehow different – charged with energy and beautiful dreams.
Literature is the first step to good self-knowledge and plays a key role in our growth. The journey through the wonderland of words is long, but it’s worth it!
Choose your character and jump in! You’ll never regret it! | https://www.writeresque.com/post/literature-an-inspiration-for-our-souls-part-i |
The federal government is working to bolster the dwindling population of golden-winged warblers across the Great Lakes states in a last-ditch effort to keep the little bird off the endangered species list.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that it will pump $10 million into the effort to improve private land habitat for the warbler, which has been declining rapidly across North America for more than 45 years.
The American Bird Conservancy and Natural Resources Conservation Service are heading the effort with financial help from the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund and a long list of public and private partner landowners.
The golden-winged warbler favors very specific kinds of young forests for nesting — shrubby wetlands, upland shrub lands such as abandoned fields, and recently burned or logged forests. In centuries past, wildfires would create the patchwork of open and forested lands that the warblers needed. Now, much of that land simply grows into dense, scruffy shrub land that the birds can’t use.
The coalition wants to make habitat changes across about 12,000 acres within a few years, using methods such as logging, prescribed burns and mowing or brushing, among other efforts.
“The immediate goal is to stop the decline, then try to rebuild their numbers,” Peter Dieser, golden-winged warbler public land project leader for the American Bird Conservancy, said.
The group already has been working in Minnesota with help from a state conservation grant, with more than 2,000 acres of habitat work on public land and another 1,500 acres on private land over the past year, Dieser said.
MINNESOTA HAS MOST
The golden-winged warbler nests across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan as well as northeastern states and into Canada. Their numbers have held up better across Minnesota forests, which may be the summer home to half the birds that remain.
But across the rest of their range, golden-winged warblers haves suffered one of the steepest population declines of any songbird species in history, bird experts say. The bird already is listed as threatened in Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide by 2017 if the warbler warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has listed it a species of “greatest conservation need” mostly because of its decline in other states.
But supporters of the habitat program hope to do enough good to forestall endangered status or, worse, extinction of the species.
“Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have the largest remaining breeding population of the (golden-winged warbler) and habitat management actions there are considered critical to rebuilding populations rapidly,” said George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy.
The biggest problem, Fenwick and others note, is the loss of young forest. But other factors include urban sprawl, competition from other bird species and loss of habitat in their wintering grounds in Central America and South America.
Fenwick called the golden-winged warbler the “poster child” of so-called early successional forest habitat needs. But other species, including woodcock, lynx, bobcat and moose may benefit from the work being done.
Recent studies using tiny radio transmitters placed on female warblers show that, after nesting, the warblers quickly move into older, mature forests, making a mix of habitat critical.
The Minnesota efforts are focusing on a swath of forest from Roseau County in the northwest to Pine County in the east-central portion of the state; it includes Aitkin, Itasca, Carlton and St. Louis counties.
Habitat improvement efforts in recent years on land owned by paper companies appear to have shown success at increasing golden-winged warbler numbers.
“We want to expand on that to more private and public landowners; that’s where the program is going,” Dieser said.
The project is expected to create new breeding habitat for an estimated 1,180 pairs of golden-winged warblers and eventually result in an increase of 16,000 of the birds over four years. That’s still only a small increase in the estimated 414,000 warblers that migrate each year, down from numbers that once numbered in the millions.
FARM BILL CONSERVATION
The warbler habitat project is one of 115 across all 50 states announced last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, totaling about $370 million for what’s being called the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The federal grants require a local matching grant, putting the total conservation spending related to the effort at nearly $800 million.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement near Phoenix, where the new program will invest in a project with five local partners to clean and conserve water along the Verde River, a tributary of the Colorado River.
“These partnerships empower communities to set priorities and lead the way on conservation efforts important for their region. They also encourage private sector investment so we can make an impact that’s well beyond what the federal government could accomplish on its own,” Vilsack said in a statement.
In other parts of the Great Lakes region, for example, the effort is aiming to reduce nutrient runoff that has caused algae blooms.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program was created by the 2014 Farm Bill and is a combination of four former conservation programs. | https://www.twincities.com/2015/01/16/feds-aim-to-keep-minnesota-songbird-off-endangered-species-list/ |
Last updated: February 2020
Mon Sheong Foundation (“MSF”) maintains a website located at https://www.reach55.com (the “Website”) which provides a selection of articles, publications, information, data and other material (the “Content”). The Website is provided to your personal use subject to the compliance with these terms and conditions (the “Terms and Conditions”). By accessing and using the Content of the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to be bound by these Terms and Condition, please do not access or use the Website.
If any of the following Terms and Conditions is held to be invalid, illegal or otherwise unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, the remaining Terms and Conditions will continue to be in full force.
Modifications to the Terms and Conditions
MSF reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time and without notice. Your continued access to or use of the Website indicates your continued acceptance of these Terms and Conditions as modified. It is your responsibility to review these Terms and Conditions regularly and diligently.
Acceptable Use
When accessing or using this Website or its Contents, you must not:
- use this Website and its Contents in violation of any law, rule or regulation;
- use this Website and its Contents for commercial purpose;
- interfere with or disrupt this Website or any of our computer systems, servers, networks, databases, software, hardware or equipment used by or for this Website;
- interfere with the use of this Website and its Contents by others;
- introduce code which is disruptive or harmful;
- attempt to gain unauthorized access to our computer systems, servers, networks, databases, software, hardware or equipment; and
- use this Website and its Contents in any way that will adversely affect Mon Sheong and its business.
Copyright
Unless stated otherwise, the Website and its Content are the properties of MSF and is protected by Canadian and international copyright, trademark and other laws. Access and usage of the Website does not transfer to you any ownership or other rights in the Website or its Contents. Any unauthorized distribution, transmission or publication of the Contents is strictly prohibited.
Trademark
The official symbols and logo of Mon Sheong Foundation and R.E.A.C.H. for Aging Well project located on the Website and its Contents may not be reproduced without prior written authorization from MSF.
Third party sites and social media platforms
The Website may provide links to other third-party websites and some widely-used social media platforms. MSF does not endorse the information contained in those third-party websites and social media platforms or guarantee their accuracy or reliability for any purpose. If you choose to access those website and social media platform, you are doing so at your own risk.
Important Privacy Information: Any information that you provide to or through a social media platform or third-party websites is not collected or controlled by MSF. As such, social media platforms or third-party websites are not bound by our Privacy Statement.
Governing Law | https://www.reach55.com/terms-of-use/ |
Warning:
more...
Fetching bibliography...
Generate a file for use with external citation management software.
Gametogenesis is a complex process subject to strict controls at both levels of transcription and translation. Members of a family of conserved RNA-binding proteins encoded by the DAZ genes are required for the translational regulation of gene expression essential for this process. Although loss of DAZ family genes is associated with infertility in several organisms including humans, the identity of the transcripts regulated in vivo is unknown. Using a combination of immunoprecipitation and microarray analysis, we have identified a number of mRNAs that are bound by the murine Dazl protein both in vivo and in vitro. Sequence analysis shows that these transcripts contain binding sites for Dazl, which have been conserved during evolution between human, rat and mouse. We have focussed on mouse vasa homologue (Mvh), a gene that is essential for male gametogenesis, and show that Dazl stimulates translation via the Mvh 3'-UTR. Finally, we show that germ cells of Dazl null mice contain reduced levels of Mvh protein, indicating that Dazl-mediated regulation of Mvh translation is crucial for mammalian spermatogenesis.
National Center for
Biotechnology Information, | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16278232?dopt=Abstract |
Join us at our annual conference 2020 to see Rob kick off the conference as he talks about the tipping point: what it means (fire, drought and impacts) and what philanthropy can do (immediate action). Rob will share how he has used his philanthropic funding to lift diverse voices and the business sector.
Robert has had a long career in business and in the environmental sector. In business he has been Chairman or Director of public and private companies in areas including healthcare, engineering, and funds management.
In the environment, Robert has been involved in numerous environmental campaigns including tree-clearing in New South Wales and Queensland, “Save the Great Barrier Reef”, New South Wales container deposit (CDS), water reform, and the Tarkine in Tasmania. He also more recently chaired the successful campaign for Zali Steggall in the federal seat of Warringah.
In addition, Robert’s environmental work has focused on bringing his business skills to assist building the fundraising capacity of eNGOs, such as the recent merger of Environmental Defenders Office.
He is currently a Director of Climate Council of Australia, a Director of Farmers for Climate Action, a Director of Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientist, and a Trustee of Lizard Island Research Station. He is also the immediate past President of WWF Australia and a former board member of WWF International (the world’s largest science-based conservation organisation).
In 2004 Robert established the Purves Environmental Fund, which core objectives are to support advocacy and education on climate change and landscape management, and to improve environmental policy and capacity.
He invests in the energy transformation sector and co-founded the Renew Power Group, which develops and owns solar and wind assets.
Robert has a long family connection with the pastoral industry, and his family owns sheep and cattle farms in Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. | https://www.aegn.org.au/2020/01/rob-purves-am/ |
Bologna adopted ambitious goals to improve road safety and is stepping up its efforts with CIVITAS MIMOSA.
In 2003, Bologna adopted its Urban Traffic Safety Plan based on the Italian road safety plan and the EU’s White Paper on Road Safety. With CIVITAS MIMOSA Bologna will test a range of road safety interventions and assess their merit. A particular focus will be on the introduction of a 30 km/h speed limit pilot area and exchanging information with other MIMOSA project partners to learn from other cities’ experience.
The main objectives of the measure are to:
Bologna’s Urban Traffic Safety Plan from 2003 set out to halve the number of fatal accidents and accidents with serious injuries by 2010. Since the adoption of the plan, numerous measures have been implemented and intermediate results from 2005 confirmed that the city was making good progress. However, achieving the goal to halve casualties and serious injuries has proven challenging. Bologna realised that conventional measures such as providing a set of infrastructural interventions are not sufficient to reach its ambitious goal. Instead, the city decided that future efforts must take a long-term approach and involve citizens and stakeholders to a greater extent.
A scientific and detailed roadmap has been outlined in the Road Safety Masterplan. The plan identified the need for a comprehensive study to provide a set of technical insights and a statistical report on road accidents, a list of black spots and priority areas on which to concentrate efforts, as well as detailed plans for individual crossroads or streets.
Bologna has compiled a study based on statistical data on road accidents. The city has already introduced a 30 km/h speed limit zone in the Garavaglia area. It has been presented to citizens at a public event. At pedestrian crossings, two traffic islands were installed in the middle of the road and 14 new traffic lights were deployed to make pedestrian crossings safer. A central part of the area was refurbished with a new public garden and then pedestrianized. Furthermore, the city installed 17 so-called variable-message signs (VMS) on 12 roads. These panels display the speed of vehicles passing by. All of these interventions were evaluated by comparing the reports on road accidents and fines by the municipal police from before and after the intervention. Bologna has also run a communication campaign.
Following the pilot implementation of a 30 km/h speed limit area, in 2012 a second phase of the works started in the Garavaglia area followed by one in via Sacco and via Vanzetti (outside MIMOSA). The strategy for the Sacco and Vanzetti 30 km/h speed limit area was completed in cooperation with RER.
On top of this, dissemination activities on road safety have been carried out at public events and road shows. In addition, continuous monitoring of ‘black spots’ was carried out to update the accident and injury database and fine tune actions tackling future situations. According to findings so far, works have been implemented at black spots to improve the situation, in particular in 15 out of 30 black spots, where infrastructural and road safety interventions were planned, works have been completed or are underway. The remaining 15 interventions are at different planning and implementation stages.
This measure was linked up to other measures, which shared the high-level objective to improve road safety, namely “Safer roads to school” and “STARS” (STAR is a system for red light crossing control and automatic enforcement, consisting of a camera installed inside a protective device). Each above mentioned measure is characterized by its own target, objective and domain: measure 5.1 (Urban traffic safety plan) refers especially to vulnerable users and interventions to improve safety at crossings, measure 5.2 (Safer road to school) is targeted to young people, while measure 8.5 (Stars: Automatic Enforcement of Traffic Lights) focuses on reducing improper driver behavior at crossings equipped with STARS technology.
In measure designing, Bologna expected that the activities under this measure would have contributed to halving the number of casualties and serious injuries from road traffic in the urban area.
Results obtained so far record a 46% reduction of accidents at crossings with traffic islands (comparing data from before the interventions and after the end of the measure) along with a 34% reduction in accidents at crossings with traffic lights.
Furthermore, the bundled indicator (including accidents, people injured and killed all over Bologna territory, thus encompassing locations where no interventions were planned/made) show a significant reduction in values: 21.1% fewer accidents in 2010 against 2007 (the last year without any Mimosa measures) and 21.65 fewer people injured over the same period. In addition, thanks to the realization of the 30 km/h speed limit area under the MIMOSA measure, a 26% reduction in recorded flows was also achieved. | http://civitas.eu/content/urban-traffic-safety-plan |
In order to understand not only “how”, but also “why”, calculus evolved into that major subdivision of mathematics that it presently occupies, the binary arithmetic of three special numbers is selected as the starting point. When these three, herewith designated by the adjective “foundational”, numbers are combined with the six familiar arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, raising to a power and extracting a root, the basis for a new, enlarged perspective of ‘what is mathematics?’ is created. Note that the selected term, foundational number, was chosen over others who have referred to this same set of three numbers in a meta-mathematical context. Notwithstanding that this same set of three numbers was designated in as “boundary numbers”, such a name is herewith eschewed as the traditional concept of “boundary” has a very different denotation in mathematical physics.
Rather than rigidly following the traditional approach, based on function theory, which has been taught in high schools and colleges ever since it was independently developed by Leibnitz and Newton a third of a millennium ago, this treatise focuses attention on the arithmetic taught in elementary school, but from a more advanced standpoint in much the same manner as Felix Klein’s Erlanger Program and its Elementary Mathematics From an Advanced Standpoint . The single-most important difference in this formulation is that there is a new perspective which incorporates that long familiar, but not fully exploited, recognition that there does not exist a last number in the counting sequence. In other words, for any given number, call it “n“, there is another unique number n+1. Similarly, for n+1 there is an n+2; etc.
Because of the above, instead of the traditional side-stepping of the question, both this author and the reader have been left to fixate on this set of foundational numbers –which respectively quantify the heuristic concepts of “none”, “some” and “all”, along with the respective names of “zero”, “one” and “infinity”. Note that the alignment of “some” in symbolic logic with “one” in mathematics arises because in logical systems the term “some” denotes “1 or more”, while in mathematical systems. (as will be shown in the formulation of a co-ordinate system in Chapter 2, Section 2) the arbitrary choice of a measuring reference is usually standardized, irrespective of what is being quantified, by focusing on some pre-selected entity being assigned a magnitude equal to 1.
Furthermore, in the historical evolution of mathematical thought, these three numbers have produced paradigm shifts in understanding “what”, “how”, and “why” in mathematics. An example of this, which is one of the main compasses for this book, is a treatise written in 1941 by Richard Courant and Herbert Robbins which set out to answer the question: “What is mathematics?” Such a choice was made not only because this classical treatise is still one of the standards of excellence today, which has remained in wide circulation for three-quarters of a century since its original publication, but also the observation that the intended audience of that book is the one that this author hopes to reach with his treatise. Unlike these two mentoring references, which cut a wide swath of the domain of mathematics, the monograph which follows is limited to that subdivision of mathematics subsumed by the term “calculus”, along with emphasizing its place in the larger picture of intellectual inquiry. The following remarks, extracted from the preface of , expresses precisely the audience to whom this monograph is directed:
“For more than two thousand years some familiarity with mathematics has been regarded as an indispensible part of the intellectual equipment of every cultured person. . . . Teachers, students, and the educated public demand constructive reform . . . It is possible to proceed on a straight road from the very elements to vantage points from which the substance and driving forces of modern mathematics can be surveyed. . . . The present book is an attempt in this direction. . . . It requires a certain degree of intellectual maturity and a willingness to do some thinking on one’s own. This book is written for beginners and scholars, for students and teachers, for philosophers and engineers, for class rooms and libraries”.
Keywords: Algebra, All, Counting, Denotation vs. Connotation, Foundational Numbers, GIGO and Half-right Answers, Ideas, Indeterminate Forms, Infinity, Inverse, None, Numbers Denoting, One, Primitive, Repetition, Some, Twelfth Commandment, Why vs. How, Word vs. Term, Zero. | http://www.eurekaselect.com/chapter/9748 |
You can approach your local General Practitioner for a referral to these services or look for services in the area that show on their website that they have experience in the area of SM.
A diagnosis of SM is typically made when assessment has demonstrated that the individual meets the following criteria:
-
Consistent failure to speak in specific social situations (in which there is an expectation for speaking, such as at school) despite speaking in other situations.
-
Not speaking interferes with school or work, or with social communication.
-
Lasts at least 1 month (not limited to the first month of school).
-
Failure to speak is not due to a lack of knowledge of, or comfort, with the spoken language required in the social situation not due to a communication disorder (e.g., stuttering).
-
It does not occur exclusively during the course of a pervasive developmental disorder (PPD), schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorder.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). - See more at: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/selectivemutism/#sthash.LMIUKaQP.dpuf
It is essential that the assessment includes a detailed case history/parental interview, information gathering from school and 1:1 assessment with the child for hearing, speech and language concerns.
According to some professionals it is not possible to have a co-diagnosis of SM and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to the criteria of the DSM. However, leading specialists in the area would argue that a diagnosis is possible – SM would be the secondary diagnosis and ASD the primary e.g. Dr Shipon Blum, Maggie Johnson and there is research out there to indicate that there is a high prevalence of SM within the ASD population.
Where SM is suspected when a diagnosis of ASD has already been provided it is vital to identify the cause of the absence of talking. If the individual is not experiencing discomfort due their silence it may be that they are not speaking due to difficulties understanding social interactions (how to interpret others behaviour and how to predict and respond)or communication difficulties inherent with their diagnosis of ASD. As such intervention should focus more on explicit instructions for social interaction/communication and then building comfort in social situations rather than the latter first and foremost. Similarly it is important to acknowledge that speaking anxiety can occur in addition to ASD and thus should be treated accordingly. | https://www.selectivemutismwa.com/diagnosis |
After this research, the first thing that I did was to deep clean my makeup brushes. Convicts or no convicts, looking at their current condition and possibility of makeup, grime and dust build up they deserved to get a thorough bath. While I was cleaning them I got the idea to write an article on deep cleaning of makeup brushes. Ideally, after a few weeks of using makeup brushes we should clean them as not doing so can get all grime transferred to our face and may cause skin breakout, rashes or other infections. Usually, most experts recommend cleaning makeup brushes weekly, but if you tend to forget or you are a lazy person like me, then try to wash them at least every other week.
Here are the steps that I followed to deep clean makeup brushes.
Step 1: Run the bristles of your makeup brushes under lukewarm water. Keep the bristles angled downward in the direction of flow of water and focus on the lower end of bristles. Ensure that the water does not reach the point where handle of the brush meets the bristles, and the water is not very hot. If you do not take care of both these things you may ruin the glue that clamps the bristles together and end up losing your favorite brush. Until you see clear water that is devoid of residual makeup and grime keep the water running on the bristles.
Step 2: Take a shallow bowl. Fill it 1/4th with some lukewarm water, add a dollop of mild shampoo. Use a spoon to stir the concoction to create lather.
Step 3: Dip lower end of the bristles in the bowl and swirl them for a couple of seconds. Be careful that the water does not reach up towards the point where handle meets the bristles.
Step4: Take the brush out and swirl it on your palm to create lather and loosen up residual makeup.
Step5: Gently squeeze the bristles to get rid of excess water and shampoo. Run the bristles under lukewarm (angled downward) taking all the precautions that I have mentioned in step 1.
Step6: Keep repeating step 3, 4 & 5 until water runs clear from the bristles.
Step7: Take a clean cotton cloth and gently pat the bristles on it to remove excess water. Spread the bristles in the original shape and lay them flat on the cloth until the bristles are completely dry.
Step 8: Once the bristles are completely dry again gently spread and swirl them on your palm. Your makeup brushes are ready to use now.
Do let me know how frequently you clean your makeup brushes? Do you use a brush cleaner or something else?
Thanks Rashmi, and you are right I should keep them in a closed box !
Lovely step by Step dear.. Clean makeup brushes do make a difference.. | https://www.brideeveryday.com/how-to-deep-clean-makeup-brushes-at-home |
“Neither my spouse nor I know anything about investing. Who do you go to for advice?” Many people learn about financial planning by reading. They cull through the financial pages in newspapers or online and read financial magazines and books.
Financial Planning with Your Friend
Are you unsure how to discuss your friend’s care and finances with their family? Here are some topics to remember as you navigate the financial decisions with your friend’s family members.
- Talk to your friend’s siblings or other family members about the various costs involved in your providing care to their family member.
- Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to be paid for being a caregiver if you are caring for a U.S. military veteran or for someone eligible for Medicaid. Read AARP’s summary (also available in Spanish) to see if your caregiving situation qualifies.
- Keep in mind that you may need to hire services for your friend, such as transportation services, home health aides, or visiting nurses. In addition, you may need to make some modifications to their home to accommodate your friend, such as bathroom grab bars, a hospital bed on the first floor, or a ramp. The websites Homemods.org and Caregiverstress.com have ideas and prices for calculating such costs.
- If you are providing most of the care, consider asking your friend’s family to pay you as an independent contractor. If you are paid, you can set up a small-employer type pension plan, such as a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP).
- If you don’t have a workplace retirement plan or a SEP, open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
- Take steps to alleviate the financial burdens on yourself by accessing resources to assist the person you care for.
- 1 in 5 caregivers experience short and long-term financial strain and many experience strain such as bankruptcy while caring for a loved one. Read caregiver tips here and here on how to manage your finances to avoid the risk of bankruptcy (tips also available in Spanish).
Legal Agreements for Families and Caregivers
For both financial and practical reasons, an increasing number of people are turning to “personal care agreements” to help manage caregiving responsibilities. These are formal contracts that state what care is to be provided and how much the caregiver will be compensated. The contract can be used whether or not the caregiver is a family member. These agreements make the care and payment clear for the caregiver, the recipient, and also for other people involved. It can help avoid conflicts about who will provide care and how much they will be paid. For this reason, the agreement should be discussed with your friend’s family members to resolve any concerns before it is drafted.
Because these agreements are formal contracts, it is important to understand what needs to be included. A personal care agreement that involves paying a person for caregiving services should be in writing and be for payments provided in the future (not services already performed). The amount of compensation provided must also be reasonable, meaning it should be similar to what you would typically be charged in your state or geographic area for similar services.
A personal care agreement should also include:
- Date care begins
- Detailed description of services
- How often services will be provided (and allow for flexibility with language such as “no less than 20 hours a week” or “up to 80 hours a month”)
- How much and when the caregiver will be compensated (i.e. weekly, monthly)
- How long the agreement is in effect
- Location where services will be provided
- A statement that the terms of the agreement can be modified by mutual agreement (in writing) of the parties involved
- Signatures by the parties and date agreement was signed
More care resources are available through the Family Care Navigator (also available in Spanish).
Search the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) to find lawyers who specialize in elder care. You can search by location, practice area, and language spoken.
For a care agreement example, go to the website for Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Family Independence.
5 Things Mothers Should Tell Daughters about Money and Retirement
Older women have a wealth of experience and information to offer to younger women. WISER encourages all mothers, grandmothers and other women to share their money experiences with a daughter, granddaughter or another young woman in their life. Helping a
Guides for “Managing Someone Else’s Money”
The “Managing Someone Else’s Money” guides can help you understand your role as a financial caregiver, also called a fiduciary. Each guide explains your responsibilities as a fiduciary, how to spot financial exploitation, and avoid scams. Each guide also includes
Keeping a Budget as a Caregiver
In this blog celebrating National Family Caregivers Month, we’ll take a look at another important issue for caregivers—budgets! Being a caregiver can have financial consequences, both long term and short term. As mentioned in our last update, caregivers pay an
Creating a Household Budget
Caregiving can involve increasing household and medical expenses depending on the care your friend needs. Small expenses add up quickly and could prevent you from saving enough for your own retirement.
Especially if you are considering reducing your hours at work or quitting a job, a household budget is essential. It will help you decide how to adjust your lifestyle and expenses depending on your individual expenses and what you think your friend will need.
As your friend’s caregiver, you may also help manage their budget and finances. Keeping careful track of spending is a way to protect yourself from false allegations of financial exploitation. It can also prevent future conflicts over what was spent and why. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has Managing Someone Else’s Money guidebooks that can also help.
- Buy a small notebook and take it with you everywhere you go for one month. Write down everything you spend money on, from the smallest “odds and ends” to larger purchases.
- After a few weeks, put your expenses into categories, like food, transportation, and clothing. You may be surprised, for example, how much you spend on food when eating out.
- Make a list of bills you have to pay on a regular basis like car insurance, rent or mortgage payments, dental checkups, and gifts.
- Study your credit card statements and bank statements to make sure you have included (accounted for) everything. Make sure you have included time-sensitive items like:
- Health insurance premiums
- Requirements for health insurance enrollment periods
- Filing income taxes or requesting an extension
- Any real estate taxes
- Utility bills
- Mortgage payments
- Add up your total income—all the money you receive in salary, other payments and benefits and any earnings on investments each year. Divide your annual income by 12 to calculate your monthly income.
- Subtract all your regular monthly bills and the other expenses that you found by keeping track of your spending in your notebook.
- Use a Monthly Budget Template like WISER’s to start this method of tracking your expenses.
- If your income is not covering your expenses, find ways to cut back and reduce your debt. Listing all your expenses will help you think of ways to economize.
- Look at NCOA’s Benefits CheckUp tool to find other ways of supplementing your income or reducing household expenses.
- If you have expensive debt like credit card debt, it is important to figure out a plan for paying it off. This will help your long-term financial future. Read WISER’s page about debt warning signs and what to do about it.
- If you find yourself picking up expenses for your parent, be sure to track these expenses and include them in your monthly budget. You may want to consider other options such as asking other family members to help with expenses.
Planning for Medical Expenses
Depending on your friend’s caregiving needs, you may need to plan for current or future medical expenses. These can take up a large portion of household income. But there are resources and strategies you can use to help pay for the care your friend’s needs.
Long-Term Care Insurance is a type of insurance that can help pay for long-term care services your friend might need:
- daily care and health care services that might allow them to stay in their own home when they are no longer able to do certain things themselves, or
- The resources to choose an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Medicare and Medicaid are public long-term care insurance, but they only cover some care if individuals meet specific requirements. Private long-term care insurance can cover more but must be purchased. Read WISER’s Long-Term Care Insurance post to learn more about this form of insurance.
Older adults can spend a significant amount of money out-of-pocket on necessary prescriptions. But there are different strategies and subsidies to help pay for medication. Visit NCOA’s Prescription Assistance for Caregivers page to review tips on help paying for medication.
Unexpected medical bills are one of Americans’ greatest worries. But surprise medical billing can happen when an out-of-network provider gives your loved one care in an emergency or in a situation where you do not realize the provider is not in-network. AARP has created A Survival Guide to Surprise Medical Bills (also available in Spanish) for caregivers who must take care of surprise billing for their loved ones. Review their tips and resources to deal with big health care bills. | https://wiserwomen.org/caregiver-home/family-financial-planning-friend/ |
Interested in our whitepaper: Introduction to the vehicle-to-everything communications service V2X feature in 3GPP release 14?
One pillar of modern society is mobility. Conveyance of goods and passengers is essential for a prospering economy. The growing affluence in many developing as well as industrialized countries is becoming apparent through the increase in individual mobility.
The increase in the efficiency of transportation systems achieved through conventional road building often reaches its limits in terms of land consumption and lack of public acceptance. Engineers and scientists are seeking processes and technologies to enhance traffic flow through sophisticated traffic management.
The expectation with the established system, commonly known as the intelligent transportation system (ITS), is to avoid traffic congestion and increase overall traffic efficiency. End-to-end digitization, starting from the single vehicle through all elements of the transportation system from road infrastructure to backend server, provides the general basis for continuous control and management of traffic flow. …Still interested? | https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/campaign/v2x-whitepaper/v2x-whitepaper-register_234250.html |
Typically, Title VII as well as other employment laws only covers employees and therefore volunteers would not be protected.
There are several circumstances where an employment relationship could be found where there is no traditional employment relationship.
In the case of Bryson v. Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department, the 6th Circuit rejected the Second Circuit’s two step test which first examines whether the putative employee receives significant remuneration and then analyzes the common law right to control test. The Sixth Circuit, in a 2-1 panel decision, declares a split with the Second Circuit and holds that remuneration is only one factor – not a threshold factor – in the judicial determination about whether volunteer workers should count as employees.
Judge Moore of the Circuit courts says:
“We have applied the common-law agency test . . . to determine whether an employment relationship exists under different statutes, particularly in the context of distinguishing employees from independent contractors. . . . However, we have not considered the issue of employment relationships in the context of a volunteer.”
The majority goes on to hold:…” To be sure, ‘[t]he degree of importance of each factor [will vary] depending on the occupation and the factual context in which the services are performed.’ . . . . But no one factor, including remuneration, is decisive, and therefore no one factor is an independent antecedent requirement.”
While looking into the factors, including renumeration, to decide whether an employee relationship exists, the outcome could affect volunteers. Moreover, interns, graduate students, even prisoners – are just some examples of categories of people who might be deemed “employees” of an organization under Title VII, depending on the conditions of their work and how they might be compensated for their services.
While an employee may be volunteering their time and services, this does fact alone does not strip them of Title VII rights without further inquiry to the employment relationship. Such persons should not shy away from seeking legal advice to determine if their employment relationship grants protection under employment law. | https://www.theharmanfirm.com/blog/are-volunteers-protected/ |
Human and environmental factors affect food production in both England and Japan. Human production factors and include farmers and their families, the likelihood of farmers to make profits and benefit from incentives from the government, as well as the availability of new equipment, techniques, as well as technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of food production. Essentially, farmers have a high-profit motive when they sell the surplus at local markets, which increases food production. However, before selling the surplus, it is inevitable to grow crops in a conducive environment. In fact, the adequacy of the food supply in any country, including England and Japan, is mainly dependent on the climatological factors. Adverse climate changes, for example, due to climate change is poised to have an effect that is measurable on the quantity and quality of food that is produced in a particular country. Fortunately, if there are excellent climatic conditions, the food production will increase significantly (Frenzel, 2014). Another aspect that promotes increased food production is technology and availability of factories. England and Japan being economic giants in Europe and Asia respectively have suitable climatic conditions and technology that allows for increased food production, but also the culture and flavor, types of food and profitability connection, as well as the cooking styles and techniques also influence food production in both countries.
Japan and England are similar in food production culture in that they borrow from other cultures, for example, Indian, Celtic, and China (Hope, 2011; Assmann & Rath, 2010). Also, the two countries include fish species in their cuisine. Incorporation of vegetables in meals is also a common practice, and thus, traditional foods are still part of the cuisine in both countries. Notably, vegetables are cooked in broth in both countries. The flavors are similar in that they include spices as a flavoring, including herbs, for example, thyme, that accompany meat stews and sauces in England (Wall, 2015). Curry is also common in England. In Japan, they use soy sauce, green tea ice cream, and syrup (Assmann & Rath, 2010). In most instances, both the English and Japanese cuisines incorporate one or more main dishes and side dishes. Soup is also a typical delicacy in both cuisines.
However, there are a few differences. For instance, in Japan, they detest different flavored dishes in the same dish compare to the English people, and thus, various dishes are given their plates. Also, traditional cuisine in Japan is based on rice with miso soup (Ashkenazi & Jacob, 2013) while in England includes bread and cheese (Wall, 2015; Hope, 2011). Besides, while the Japanese cuisine is mainly based on staple foods while that of England is on meat.
There are various fish species in English cuisine. These include catfish, crawfish, crayfish, cuttlefish, dab, gray mullet, haddock, herring, mackerel, monkfish, salmon, sea trout, tuna, crabs, and trout (Hope, 2011). On the other hand, fish species found in Japanese cuisine include mackerel, Japanese amberjack, skipjack tuna, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, scallops, shell, tairagi, oysters, kaki, gaper, murugai, abalone, awabi, sazai, and ubagai (Ashkenazi & Jacob, 2013). As such, there are some of the similarities in the number of species included in both Japan and England, and these include crabs, mackerel, and tuna.
In Japan, there are various cooking techniques that are applied to the primary dishes, which is referred to as okazu, which entail raw (referred to as sashimi), simmered (in some instances, it is called boiled), grilled, vinegared, deep-fried, dressed, and steamed. Therefore, Japan uses almost all the cooking techniques available (Ashkenazi & Jacob, 2013). On the other hand, English cuisine incorporates various techniques, which include poaching, boiling, baking, braising, steaming, broiling, frying, grilling, roasting, sauteing, and stewing (Hope, 2011). Also, just like the Japanese, the English also deep fry. Therefore, there is a similarity among the two cuisines that indeed use similar styles and techniques.
Environmental factors also influence food production in Japan and England. Japan is located in Asia while England is in Europe. England is in north-western Europe and bordered in the south by the English Channel, to the west by the Irish Sea and the east by the North Sea. On the other hand, Japan is located east of China, particularly in the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. Both countries are similar in that they are islands. However, the only difference is that Japan is made of a chain of islands.
Japan is rainy with high humidity, and because it is a series of islands, there are a variety of climates. It is characterized by a humid and temperate climate and regional variations that range from cool in Hokkaido to Kyushus subtropical (Saito, 2015). Climate also varies with the altitude. Northern Japan is warm with long summers and cold winters coupled with heavy snow. Central Japan is however hot, with humid summers and short winters. Average precipitation averages 100 and 200 millimeters between June and September where 70-80% of precipitation falls in this period and when agriculture is viable (Saito, 2015). In contrast, the climate in England is temperate oceanic. The eastern areas are drier, cooler, and with fewer winds. Northern areas are colder, wetter, and characterized by broad temperature ranges (Frenzel, 2014). There is also high precipitation of about 130 millimeters annually. Therefore, both climates are conducive for agriculture.
Anthropic Environment Factors also influence food production in both countries. Anthropic factors are external factors that influence crop production, such as deforestation, urbanization, agriculture pasture, nutrient release, availability of factors, as well as forests. In both Japan and England, there is increased mechanization of crop production, as well as the availability of many factories that can manufacture the crops and in turn provide food for the population (Saito, 2015; Frenzel, 2014). Factories manufacture end products that can easily be accessed in the retailing and eatery joints. The two countries are similar in that they also export agricultural produce and the factories can preserve the foods and crops for extended periods of time. Both countries have maintained afforestation which helps preserve diversity (Saito, 2015; Frenzel, 2014). This, in turn, helps preserve the ecological conditions, thereby allowing for increased crop production. Even so, both countries have also deforested forests for agricultural purposes, which has, in turn, increased production of food. However, the deforestation has been accompanied by afforestation, thereby allowing for ecological protection.
As such, it can be concluded that human and environmental factors influence food production in England and Japan. Human factors includes the culture of each of the cuisines involved. Essentially, the culture is crucial as it helps the people adopt various cooking styles, as well as highlights the adoption of traditional and new cooking styles. In both England and Japan, there is a similarity in the use of flavors. Both cuisines seem to have borrowed some of the practices from other cultures. Also, there is a similarity in the types of fish species in both cuisines, such as crabs, mackerel, and tuna. Besides, there is a similarity in the styles of cooking, such as steaming and frying. Both England and Japan have conducive environmental factors that can be used for increased crop production. The precipitation allows both countries to grow a variety of crops. Also, the countries usually use technology for increased crop production. These factors when coupled together lead to increased crop production.
References
Assmann, S., & Rath, E. C. (Eds.). (2010). Japanese Foodways, Past, and Present. Illinois, CA: University of Illinois Press.
Ashkenazi, M., & Jacob, J. (2013). The essence of Japanese cuisine: An essay on food and culture. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Frenzel, F. (2014). Exit the system? Anarchist organization in the British climate camps. Ephemera, 14(4), 901.
Hope, A. (2011). Londoners' Larder: English Cuisine from Chaucer to the Present. United Kingdom, UK: Random House.
Saito, O. (2015). Climate, famine, and population in Japanese history: a very long-term perspective. Environment and Society in the Japanese Islands, 213-29.
Wall, W. (2015). Recipes for thought: Knowledge and taste in the early modern English kitchen. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Request Removal
If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the customtermpaperwriting.org website, please click below to request its removal:
- Leaders and the Contribution of Cultures on Their Leadership: Colin Powell, Satya Nadella, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
- The Effects of Sierra Leones Natural Resources on the Mende People - Research Paper Example
- Essay on Living in Latin America
- Food Tourism - Research Paper Example
- Why the United States Must Re-Enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
- Obon Festival: Japanese Annual Festival in Buddhist Temples - Narrative Essay
- Media and Culture: Can Facebook Finally Go Live in China Mainland? | https://customtermpaperwriting.org/essays/essay-on-food-differences-in-england-and-japan |
The Mind & Body Programme at King’s Health Partners supports a number of projects across the partnership that are working to integrate physical and mental healthcare.
Integrating Mental & Physical healthcare: Research, Training & Services (IMPARTS)
A screening project in physical health outpatient clinics to detect anxiety and depression in those with physical health conditions.
Resource for Electronic Development of Interventions for Talking Therapies in Long-Term Conditions (RE-EDITT) and Compass
A project developing an electronic cognitive behavioural therapy tool, called Compass, that is tailored to those with long-term conditions.
3 Dimensions for Long-Term Conditions (3DLC)
A multi-disciplinary service that integrates mind and body care for patients with heart failure, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Integrating our Mental and Physical Healthcare Systems (IMPHS)
The Mind & Body Programme received funding from Maudsley Charity for the 3-year Integrating our Mental and Physical Healthcare Systems (IMPHS) project which will focus on closing the mortality gap for patients at South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The project will be delivered through three workstreams aimed at improving physical health of patients by improving the support for physical health issues in in-patient settings through training and quality improvement, in community settings through a volunteer-delivered intervention and across the trust via a digital tool.
Physical Health in Severe Mental Illness (SMI)
A group of projects across our partner organisations aiming to improve the physical health of those with SMI. While SMI does not have a precise definition, we include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, bipolar disorder and other long-term mental health disorders.
Leukaemia UK Mind and Body Team
A project funded by the charity Leukaemia UK to improve physical and mental healthcare for people and families living with blood cancer and related diseases.
Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for Long Term Conditions
IAPT is an NHS England programme to improve treatments for people with anxiety and depression. We support a series of projects working towards increased integration and collaboration between local IAPT services, and local primary and secondary care services for those with long-term conditions.
Mind & Body Research
All across King's Health Partners, we are supporting research that will support better mind and body care in the future, including by using the data generated by IMPARTS.
SHRINE (Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment)
SHRINE: Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment, is a four-year Mind and Body project launched on 16 May 2016 and funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.
SHRINE delivers and evaluates sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) for three specific communities in Lambeth and Southwark.
King's Health Partners Learning Disability Strategy
In 2020, King’s Health Partners finalised and published the Learning Disability Strategy which is a collaboration across the partnership and incorporates the views of people with lived experience of learning disabilities and autism and their families and carers. The strategy is being delivered and monitored by a Working Group of professionals across mental health services, acute trusts and community teams in partnership with social care and the voluntary sector. | https://www.kingshealthpartners.org/our-work/mind-and-body/our-projects |
What will be the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems?
For the first time in history, a health crisis has shut down the entire global economy, painfully demonstrating how inseparable healthcare and the economy have become. Is heath intrinsically more important now? Or is the overflow of continuous digital information exacerbating fear and influencing political choices? Or is this because so-called ‘developed markets’ are truly affected this time? This article will not attempt to answer these questions; however, they are critical to contextualize the future of healthcare systems.
Across the globe, our healthcare systems were not designed to deal with this crisis: an unpredictable, large-scale health challenge that requires urgent mobilization of resources and affects the whole population. Debating these systems’ ability and efficiency to deal with it is therefore not relevant per se. In many ways, the Covid pandemic is diametrically opposed to the direction that healthcare systems, particularly in developed countries, have been taking over the past years i.e.,
Focus resources on non-communicable, chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions
- Health issues related to lifestyle changes and an aging population made this type of healthcare burden more relevant for healthcare systems than pandemics. As Zhou Maigeng from the Chinese Center for Disease Control said last year, “going forward, the burden of chronic health problems, especially among the elderly, will far exceed infectious diseases”1.
- People aged over 65 will represent more than 11.8% of the total population by 2023, peaking at 29%in Japan and 22% in Western Europe2.
- The number of people living, for example among chronic diseases, with diabetes is projected to increase by 48% to 629 million by 2045, with China (114.4 million), India (72.9 million), and the United States (30.2 million) topping the list3.
Drive efficiency, shifting care from hospital to outpatient settings
- In France, the number of overnight hospitalization beds decreased by 4.2% while outpatient care beds increased by 7.4% and in-home hospitalization increased by 3.4% from 2013 to 20184.
- In the United States, aggregate hospital revenue from outpatient services grew from 30 percent in 1995 to 47 percent in 20165, while in England, from 2012 to 2016, the increase in inpatient admissions was 9% and outpatient attendances increased by 21% over the same period6.
Incentivize innovation for smaller unmet needs and vulnerable populations primarily, increasing relative focus and spend on Specialty Care
- Rare disease patients make up less than 0.06% of the population in the United States, less than 0.05% in the EU, and less than 0.04% in Japan7. In contrast, worldwide orphan drug sales are expected to have doubled at 12.3% over the 2019–24 period. By 2024, orphan drugs are projected to make up one-fifth of worldwide prescription sales, amounting to US$242 billion8. In parallel, oncology is expected to have almost a 20% share of the worldwide market by 2024, and an 11.4% in CAGR growth9.
Limit investment in overall prevention
- In 2015, less than 3% of healthcare spending went to prevention in OECD countries. Most of these countries spent between 2 and 4%, which has remained stable over the long-term. In addition, nearly 50% of prevention spending was on healthy condition monitoring programs, such as check-ups and dental examinations, 25% on health promotion while both immunization and screening programs accounted for less than 10% each. This raises a question on resource allocations; while many immunization and some screening activities have shown to be cost-effective (and some even cost-saving), there is less consensus on the effectiveness of general (including dental) check-ups10.
Immediate and near-term challenge: the Covid emergency and its collateral impact
Leaders around the world are putting in place emergency measures to cope with this health crisis, adjusting in real-time and ‘spending each day fixing errors they made yesterday’.
In the near term, healthcare systems will face two major, additional, “collateral” issues. The first will be the physical and mental exhaustion of the healthcare workforce, along with worn-out hospital infrastructure. The second will be the growing “backlog” of healthcare procedures. For example, the inability or fear of high-risk patients to consult a doctor is disrupting chronic disease management and delaying some critical cancer care procedures. In France, consultations have fallen by 40% among general practitioners and by 50% among specialists since the beginning of the epidemic, even when accounting for the surge of tele-consultations. Concurrently, cancer centers have decided to postpone monitoring consultations and operations considered to be non-urgent11. In addition, containment (and progressive de-confinement) measures, compounded by the economic recession, will undoubtedly affect mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression) and physical health (e.g., weight gain, unbalanced nutrition).
Long-term view: addressing a new reality while remaining sustainable
The Covid pandemic will have a longer-term impact on healthcare systems, that should be addressed by political and healthcare authorities as soon as possible.
Non-communicable diseases will continue to rise – they were projected to account for 75% of all deaths in 2030 — up from 63% in 201312. Within them, chronic conditions are associated with intensive use of healthcare resources, with for example 70% of total health funding in England spent on 30% of the population that have long-term conditions13. In addition, mental health is projected to become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally by 203014. In parallel, the existing management of communicable diseases, including through vaccination, will continue to be a focus.
So, on top of this, how will already resourced-constrained healthcare systems (re)configure to improve their ability to handle unpredictable large-scale health crisis like Covid while remaining sustainable?
The current crisis will inevitably reshape the world we know. In a recent article15, we described scenarios to illustrate the different ways in which our world could unfold after the crisis, across five dimensions:
- Economy: will worldwide economies rebound after absorbing a passing storm OR enter an extended recession?
- Society: will social cohesion rise with a heightened appreciation for interpersonal and familial relationship OR fall as xenophobia and suspicion of others become the norm?
- Politics: will governments around the world gain trust and international organizations such as WHO grow in relevance OR adopt isolationism to protect their constituents?
- Technology: will technology advances stay on course OR diverge among different markets, with a focus on advances in surveillance and control measures?
- Sustainability: will focus on sustainability, including climate change, be renewed OR decline as countries shift towards energy independence?
Our top 10 questions for healthcare systems around the world
These dimensions are key to understand the broader environment that healthcare systems will operate in in the future. We believe they will face ten fundamental questions.
1. Will healthcare continue to be managed as a cost, or will it be approached as an investment? Will the global average of 10% of GDP spent on healthcare16 remain the norm, or will we see a significant increase, including to account for a short-term GDP decrease across countries?
2. Will we see a shift towards prevention and communicable diseases? Will the transition of care out of the hospital continue? Will we see an increase in hospital budgets?
3. How will the approach to dependency (e.g., elderly, youth, disabled, mentally ill populations) and to the elderly more broadly evolve, especially given the anticipated rise of mental health issues?
4. Will the mix between universal health coverage pushed by the WHO17 and individual, potentially private, health management evolve?
5. Will the skillset of the healthcare workforce change (e.g., more healthcare professionals able to intubate) and the system become more flexible (e.g., ability to reallocate resources / budgets rapidly)? Will the capacity of the healthcare workforce and infrastructure increase, including through ‘safety nets / buffers’?
6. Will we see more centralization or decentralization of healthcare decision-making (e.g., confinement measures decided nationality or by region) and infrastructure (e.g., few large centers of excellence vs. more, smaller local units)?
7. Will governments integrate national technological sovereignty in health policy, force organizations to buy in-country or in-region production, or even nationalize companies to ensure continued supply of vital services /products? How will they balance the need for more sanitary independence while remaining competitive in a global economy?
8. Will intellectual property frameworks and incentives for innovation fundamentally change (e.g., new regulatory and access pathways) to anticipate and respond rapidly to the next crisis?
9. Will public-private partnerships become the norm in the healthcare ecosystem (providers, manufacturers, insurers, etc.)? Will we see an increased role of data-oriented players and GAFAM in tracking / monitoring systems, prevention, and e-health?
10. Will healthcare systems accelerate digitalization, including community and hospital workflows, patient health records, telemedicine, decision support? Will the regulation and management of health data (e.g., integration of datasets) change significantly? Will consumers be more willing to share health data? Will their trust in scientific institutions, health authorities and private healthcare organizations (e.g., pharma) increase?
It is imperative to think about these fundamental questions now to inform near- and long-term decisions. Covid-19 might just be a “rehearsal” if we look at the rising evidence of a link between climate change and health issues (including infectious diseases)18. And if the questions are mainly the same across the globe, a one size-fits-all solution seems unlikely. Each region, each country, each society, each system constituency, individually and as a group will need to rethink its role and contribution to a safer world.
1 Asian Scientist, China Faces The Challenge Of Chronic Disease, 2019
2 Deloitte 2020 global health care outlook - Laying a foundation for the future
3 Deloitte 2020 global health care outlook - Laying a foundation for the future
4 DREES, base statistiques 2013-2017 and SAE 2018 Base administratives
5 Deloitte 2020 global health care outlook - Laying a foundation for the future
6 Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions, Time to care – Securing a future for the hospital workforce in the UK, 2018
7 Deloitte 2020 global life sciences outlook - Creating new value, building blocks for the future
8 Deloitte 2020 global life sciences outlook - Creating new value, building blocks for the future
9 Deloitte 2020 global life sciences outlook - Creating new value, building blocks for the future
10 How much do OECD countries spend on prevention? OECD Health Working Papers No. 101, Dec 2017: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/f19e803c-en.pdf?expires=1587028684&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=F6A64ECB9123788D95FB13903709D073
11 Le renoncement aux soins, hors coronavirus, explose et inquiète- Pharmaceutiques (Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien, Les Echos), Apr, 2020
12 Non-communicable Diseases – European commission : https://ec.europa.eu/knowledge4policy/foresight/topic/shifting-health-challenges/non-communicable-diseases-ncds_en
13 Karen Taylor, Cosima Pettinicchio, and Maria Arvanitidou, The transition to integrated care: Population health management in England, Deloitte, 2019
14 Mental health statistics: global and nationwide costs – The Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-global-and-nationwide-costs
15 Deloitte - The world remade by COVID-19: Planning scenarios for resilient leaders: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/covid-19/covid-19-scenarios-and-impacts-for-business-and-society-world-remade.html
16 Worldbank : https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
17 WHO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 3.8
18 The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change
What will be the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare systems? | https://www2.deloitte.com/fr/fr/pages/covid-insights/articles/impact-covid19-healthcare-systems.html |
In the world of advocacy, one of the biggest changes made during the pandemic was the immediate cessation of visits to the U.S. Capitol, the House and Senate office buildings, administration buildings and in-district congressional offices. In mid-March 2020, advocacy shifted from in-person to on-screen overnight.
Now, as the country begins purposeful and methodical steps toward post-COVID-19 activities, we are learning what that means for farmer and rancher advocates.
The results of a comprehensive survey by the Public Affairs Council indicate one new normal: In-Person meetings with federal policymakers will become rarer. The survey of 157 government affairs executives finds that 87% of respondents say it will become increasingly common to use video conferencing for lobbying and another 60% believe that even after the pandemic is over, it will remain difficult to meet with federal policymakers in person.
In the short-term, that is to say the remainder of 2021, advocacy will look a lot like it did in 2020. What has not changed is meetings with lawmakers and their staff -- virtually or in-person -- are necessary for Farm Bureau to be effective and influential. Farm Bureau relies on farmers and ranchers around the country advocating for ag policies. Whether you are a leader or just getting started in Farm Bureau, you can raise your voice to influence policies impacting agriculture. Learn how to be a successful advocate.
Still, Congress is looking at how to re-open the people’s house to their constituents. Many advocates would like to visit Washington, D.C., as soon as possible. Those making the trip should expect it to be very different than they remember.
Security is extremely high surrounding the Capitol building and the House and Senate office buildings. Visitors will have to navigate new security measures including: . | https://m.farms.com/news/the-state-of-future-visits-to-washington-d-c-167568.aspx |
July 27, 2022
Do you ever wish you could last a little longer on the treadmill or stay more focused at work? Whether physical or mental, stamina is the ability to keep doing an activity for a long period. Stamina isn’t a part of fitness itself — it’s a result that comes from becoming more fit. Having strength and energy allows you to endure stress during an activity and reduces exhaustion so you can bounce back and perform at a higher level.
Whether your goal is to stay focused or run a longer distance, there are a few sure-fire ways to increase your stamina.
The first step to increased stamina is a literal one: get active! If you’re low on energy, it might be hard to get motivated for exercise, but regular physical activity is shown to provide more energy and even improve cognitive function.
As your bones and muscles strengthen (and you lose weight) from regular exercise, it becomes easier to sustain physical activity longer — a key aspect of physical stamina.
To get started, make the things you do each day more physical, like walking to work or taking the stairs whenever you can. Track your progress and schedule time in the gym or to get outside for some cardiovascular exercise.
Meditation helps you train your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. Doing this can help to reduce stress and increase concentration, both of which help increase your mental stamina. You can begin practicing meditation by finding a quiet space and focusing on your thoughts and relaxing. To amplify its impact, consider practices such as guided meditation, mantras, or transcendental meditation.
Your body gets its energy from the food and drinks you consume, so it should come as no surprise that your diet plays a critical role in determining your physical and mental stamina. Eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, and cutting out saturated fats and sugar, are all good places to start.
Try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Replace processed foods with plenty of fresh items in-season. Skip caffeinated beverages and instead drink plenty of water — you’ll miss the buzz at first but will eventually have much more energy.
It may seem odd to think about sleeping as a way to increase stamina, but the most elite athletes take their recovery time seriously. If you’re an adult, you should plan for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. The different phases of sleep provide energy for the following day, allow the heart and vascular system to rest, and release growth hormones to increase muscle mass.
Better sleep also helps you focus longer and can make managing stress easier — key aspects of mental stamina. And, as any athlete will tell you, good sleep is a foundation for physical performance.
To get the benefits of increased stamina through sleep, begin by setting a consistent sleep schedule. As you’re getting ready to drift off, make sure you rid yourself of distractions, including noises and lights.
It takes time to build stamina, so what’s most important is committing to the four strategies discussed in this article and making them a continued priority. Each day of exercise, mindfulness, healthy eating, and quality sleep will build on the one before, and will eventually help you achieve the levels of stamina you desire. | https://www.phillyvoice.com/how-to-increase-physical-mental-stamina-059991/ |
(Reuters) - Tonga’s massive underwater volcanic eruption could deliver long-lasting damage to coral reefs, erode coastlines and disrupt fisheries, say scientists studying satellite images and looking to the past to project the future of the remote region:
ACID RAIN
Since the initial eruption, the volcano has been releasing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide — two gases that create acid rain when they interact with water and oxygen in the atmosphere.
With Tonga’s tropical climate, “there is likely to be acid rain around Tonga for a while to come,” said volcanologist Shane Cronin at the University of Auckland.
Acid rain causes widespread crop damage, and could ruin Tongan staples like taro, corn, bananas and garden vegetables. “Depending on how long the eruptions last, food security could be compromised,” Cronin said.
Satellite imagery shows the plume spreading westward, which means Tonga could be spared some of this acid rain though Fiji could then be in its path.
In a bulletin on Monday, the U.N. humanitarian affairs office said Fiji was monitoring its air quality, and has advised people to cover their household water tanks and stay indoors in the event of rain.
FISH DIE-OFFS
Tonga’s exclusive economic zone of nearly 700,000 marine square kilometres (270,271 square miles) is 1,000 times larger than its land area. And most Tongans get their food — and livelihood — from the ocean.
While scientists have yet to investigate on the ground, “the few pictures that are available seem to show a blanket ... of ash” on land, said Marco Brenna, a geologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
In the ocean, that ash can be harmful to marine life. Weeks before Saturday’s eruption, Tonga Geological Services had warned that nearby seawater was contaminated with toxic volcanic discharge, and that fishermen should “assume fish in these waters are poisoned or poisonous.”
Inevitably, the eruption has made the situation worse. Murky, ash-filled water near the volcano will deprive fish of food and wipe out spawning beds. Some fish will perish, and survivors will be forced to migrate, scientists said. Further changes in the structure of the sea floor could create new obstacles for fishing vessels.
“It will be a while before the same or new fishing grounds will be restored,” Brenna said.
SMOTHERED CORALS
Falling ash can also smother coral reefs, which in Tonga are the mainstay of a tourism industry that brought in up to $5 million per year before the coronavirus pandemic.
Even before the eruption, Tonga’s reefs were threatened by disease outbreaks and the effects of climate change including coral bleaching and increasingly strong cyclones.
Now, “vast areas of the reefs in the immediate impact area at Hunga Tonga are probably buried and smothered by large deposits of volcanic ash,” said Tom Schils, a marine biologist at the University of Guam who has studied volcanic eruptions and corals in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Such eruptions also release more iron into the water, which can boost the growth of blue-green algae and sponges that further degrade reefs.
Reefs may have to start over - a process that could take years, said Brian Zgliczynski, a coral reef ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Species more tolerant of poor water quality will arrive first,” while hard corals and fish would take longer to return, he said.
ERODED COASTLINES
A loss of coral reefs would also affect Tonga's ability to cope with rising waters and storm surges. This is a concern for Tonga, where climate change is driving the sea level to rise by about 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) per year — double the global average.
In a 2015 report https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leanne-Fernandes/publication/317341776_National_marine_ecosystem_service_valuation_summary_Tonga/links/5bbe5828299bf1010178adac/National-marine-ecosystem-service-valuation-summary-Tonga.pdf, Tonga valued its natural storm buffers including coral reefs as well as coastal seagrasses and mangroves at some $11 million annually.
With the latest eruption, a Tongan sea level gauge recorded a tsunami wave of 1.19 metres (nearly four feet) before it stopped reporting. Tsunamis are known to cause rapid coastal erosion. And before communication systems went down, videos revealed damage to manmade seawalls.
“Coastal defences and reclaimed land could all be strongly impacted by the tsunami waves, leaving the islands more vulnerable,” Cronin said.
By Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) - When Halime El Kaakour enters Lebanon's parliament as a newly elected lawmaker next week, she will step past the same concrete...
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have asked television broadcasters to ensure that female presenters on local stations cover their...
By Jose Luis Gonzalez and Cassandra Garrison ASCENCION, Mexico (Reuters) - The Mennonite community in Chihuahua, Mexico, can trace its roots as far back as a century ago, when the...
Add a Comment
Are you sure you want to block %USER_NAME%?
By doing so, you and %USER_NAME% will not be able to see any of each other's Investing.com's posts.
%USER_NAME% was successfully added to your Block List
Since you’ve just unblocked this person, you must wait 48 hours before renewing the block.
I feel that this comment is: | https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/explainertongas-volcanic-eruption-may-harm-environment-for-years-scientists-say-2740709 |
Mass vs Volume
Mass and volume are two units used to measure objects. Mass is the quantity of substance an item possesses, whereas volume is the amount of space it occupies. A simple example would be to compare a basketball to a bowling ball – each has about the same volume, although the bowling ball contains much greater mass. It is important to distinguish between mass and volume when taking precise measurements.
Measurement is the process of determining the quantity and temperature of an object, including its length, weight, mass, and volume. It employs the kelvin, second, meter, and kilogram as units of measurement.
What is Mass?
Mass is the physical quantity that represents the amount of matter in an object’s or substance’s body. It measures an object’s or substance’s inertia, which is its resistance to fluctuations in velocity or the amount of force required to move it. The greater the observed velocity, the greater the mass. This is known as inertial mass. It also measures the gravitational mass, which is the force that an object encounters in a gravitational field. It is a property of an object or substance that remains unchanged under any conditions.
Mass is denoted by the symbol “m”, with the gram and kilogram serving as the International System of Units (SI) for small and large quantities, respectively.
What is Volume?
The term “volume” refers to the measurement of the amount or quantity of three-dimensional space occupied by an object or substance, as well as the shape it occupies or maintains. Its SI unit is the meter cube, and it is measured in centimeters cubed and liters.
The volume of gases and solids is determined by the displacement of liquid or fluid, but the volume of a container is determined by the amount of substance it contains as opposed to the space that is displaced. The volume of various shapes is estimated using arithmetic, mathematics, and calculus formulas.
Therefore, mass is a physical value, while volume is a geometric value. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter contained in a substance or an object, whereas volume is a measurement of the amount of space and surface of a particular point.
For instance, the mass of water can be determined by first weighing the container and then reweighing it with the water inside. The mass of the water is obtained by subtracting the weight of the container from the weight of the container containing water.
The length, depth, and width of a rectangular container are multiplied to determine how many cubic feet it can hold when filled with water. The volume is obtained by multiplying the product by the number of cubic feet contained in a gallon (7.48).
Why Mass and Volume are Critical for Pumping Processes
The existence of two types of flow rates, mass flow, and volume flow, continues to puzzle vacuum technology professionals. The issue is that both terms have distinct meanings, but there is an understandable propensity to confuse them or assume they are synonymous. This is an important distinction when designing a pump and process equipment system.
Volume Flow
Typically, the volume flow is employed to define and measure pumping speeds. Most pump sales literature will include a pumping speed versus pressure curve. Since volume flow is defined as the volume of gas moving at a given pressure, it is evident that pressure must be taken into consideration when comparing pumping speeds.
Throughput
Mass flow, when viewed as throughput, becomes a key factor when attempting to evaluate the performance of a system during design or operation. This is especially true when adjusting the pump type and pumping speed to the real requirements of the process.
Illinois Process Equipment, IPE, offers quality pumps and process equipment solutions to a broad range of market applications and industries. Our team of pumping specialists possesses deep technical knowledge of pumping equipment, offering design, installation, and testing to ensure optimal performance and safety.Contct us to learn more about improving your pumping application with the most efficient and reliable pumps and process equipment to meet your fluid transfer requirements. | https://ipe-pumps.com/process-equipment/mass-vs-volume-explained/ |
Humans are born with natural survival instincts, such as the need for water, food, and shelter. Although these factors are needed to survive humans also need additional factors to value the will to survive such as companionship and personal connections. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, first published in 1818, Dr. Victor Frankenstein tells his story about how he brought a creature to life and the aftermath of it all to a man on a ship who rescued him. Immediately after the monster was awaken by Frankenstein he experienced rejection as his creator and every other individual to come was terrified of his appearance. Through constantly being unaccepted the monster experienced loneliness and rejection, yet all he sought for was companionship and belongingness from others romantic or not.
Just like humans, the monster was longing for his basic need of companionship because a bond allows a sense of belonging, the opportunity to love and be loved by others, and most importantly the relief of not being alone. To start, the monster is not a murder by nature but by nurture. He was not born with evil tendencies, yet the built up pain of rejection and isolation he experienced from not only strangers but his creator as well led to him having malicious motives. The monster simply killed each individual on the basis that they meant something to Frankenstein and he wanted his creator to suffer from loneliness just like he had all these years. Firstly, if the monster was ever given the opportunity to experience an emotional bond with a companion it could have prevented the hurt he felt from society. Through consistently being ostracized the monster never knew what it was like to belong and coexist with others. Since the monster’s basic need of companionship was denied he had no sense of belongingness therefore he had no perception of what it was like to relate, laugh, or experience happiness. As a result, the loneliness and neglect of a bond became a mental illness that was internally painful for the monster to endure.
Nurture begins to play into the monster’s actions as the novel progresses and he incorporates the intentions of others into his responses in situations. For instance, besides the detrimental tactics learned from Frankenstein he also referenced literature as a source of guidance to help develop him as a person since he had no no true parental figure due to his exclusion. However, by the lack of companionship, specifically a bond, he was never taught the basic ethical values of society like that murder is prohibited. Not to excuse the actions of the monster, yet if he had the opportunity to coexist with society than he would’ve adapted to the morals of society. To contrast, the monster is stereotyped just as much as the villain of the novel due to his inexcusable murders and that he was aware of what he was doing in the moment. To counter, yes the monster was wrong to kill, however, he was a product of derogatory humans so by pointing him as the villain it is essentially also stating that the human species is the true villain.
Hasan explains why humans have a vital yearning to form bonds by stating, “People seek relationships with others to fulfill this fundamental need to belong” (429). The correlates back to how companionship is a basic human need for survival and through having that camaraderie one is able to mentally grow as an individual. Secondly, companionship provides the chance to experience the emotional rush to love and be loved by another. Although the monster was denied this opportunity in the novel with a female companion of the same phenotypic traits as himself it was for the greater good of humanity due to the unknown actions of a female monster. However, if the monster was able to know the feeling of love first hand with a companion he’d potentially change his motive from teasing Frankenstein to building up himself and his new connection. All the monster was seeking was someone to love so he could positively put his energy into something for once, yet Frankenstein prevented this for considerable reasons but only after misleading the monster into hopeful happiness. In volume three of the novel Victor destroys the female monster physically and the original monster emotionally. Devastated by Victor breaking his promise the monster says, “Shall each man,’ cried he, ‘find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone?” (Shelley 120). Without an outlet to put his passion into positively the monster then transfers all that energy into informing Victor of his intentions to do unto him what he did to the monster. Lastly, if the monster was given the basic need of companionship he would ultimately not be alone and be removed from the isolation he was forced into.
Social isolation and loneliness are drastically embedded all throughout the novel from Walton’s unwanted seclusion to Frankenstein’s intended absence from society as he does his studies. However, in both of those instances both parties had experienced or were able to access communication with others whereas the monster was not given the time to ever vocally express himself without being prejudiced against. Being denied his deserved need of companionship the monster was unaware of what happiness personally felt like; all he knew was a made up version he had created through watching others. Leibowitz explains the connection between friendship and happiness and why companionship is necessary by stating, “That the extent to which we value something can be influenced by our awareness of the value others attribute to it suggests that recognizing that others value our own lives may impact on our sense of self-worth” (101).
This correlation between companionship and happiness helps understand the characters of the novel who didn’t have close bonds specifically the monster. For instance, both the monster and Walton didn’t have many friends and they both expressed this form of loneliness and loss of connection between themselves and the outside world. All in all, if the monster was exposed to honest companionship within the novel instead of rejection and banishment from society the monster would have had clarity when making decisions, yet his mind was infected and filled with negativity and pain since his awakening allowing him to become malicious and spiteful. Towards the end of the novel the monster is filled with such heartache and cloudiness that he begins to see not society and Victor as the issue yet himself as the root of the problem. The monster goes on to say, “I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me, or be the prey of feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched” (Shelley 161). These emotions and self-harming thoughts overwhelmed the monster due to his lack of companionship to help communicate his issues with, yet since he lacked the company of another he was left to internalize all this hurt. The monster plus a companion would blossom into an individual who is capable of coexisting, loving, and having company all if he was given the basic human need of companionship. | https://writix.co.uk/essay-examples/longing-for-a-connection |
Subsets and Splits