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---
abstract: 'Let $\gg$ be a simple, finite-dimensional complex Lie algebra, and let $V^k(\gg)$ denote the universal affine vertex algebra associated to $\gg$ at level $k$. The Cartan involution on $\gg$ lifts to an involution on $V^k(\gg)$, and we denote by $V^k(\gg)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ the orbifold, or fixed-point subalgebra, under this involution. Our main result is an explicit minimal strong finite generating set for $V^k(\gg)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ for generic values of $k$. In the case $\gg = \gs\gl_2$, we also determine the set of nongeneric values of $k$, where this set does not work.'
author:
- 'Masoumah Al-Ali'
title: 'The $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-orbifold of the universal affine vertex algebra'
---
Introduction
============
Starting with a vertex algebra $\mathcal{V}$ and a group $G$ of automorphisms of $\mathcal{V}$, the invariant subalgebra $\mathcal{V}^G$ is called a $G$-[*orbifold*]{} of $\mathcal{V}$. Many interesting vertex algebras can be constructed either as orbifolds or as extensions of orbifolds. A remarkable example is the Moonshine vertex algebra $V^{\natural}$, which is an extension of the $\mathbb{Z}_2$-orbifold of the lattice vertex algebra associated to the Leech lattice [@B; @FLM]. A substantial literature has evolved on the structure and representation theory of orbifolds under finite group actions including [@DVVV; @DHVW; @DM; @DLMI; @DLMII; @DRX]. It is widely believed that nice properties of $\mathcal{V}$ such as $C_2$-cofiniteness and rationality will be inherited by $\mathcal{V}^G$ when $G$ is finite. In [@M], Miyamoto proved the $C_2$-cofiniteness of $\mathcal{V}^G$ when $G$ is cyclic. Also, he recently established the rationality with Carnahan in [@CM].
Many vertex algebras depend continuously on a parameter $k$ such as the universal affine vertex algebra $V^k(\lie{g})$ associated to a simple, finite-dimensional Lie algebra $\lie{g}$. Another example is the $\mathcal{W}$-algebra $\mathcal{W}^k(\lie{g},f)$ associated to $\lie{g}$ together with a nilpotent element $f\in \lie{g}$. Typically, if $\mathcal{V}^k$ is such a vertex algebra depending on $k$, it is simple for generic values of $k$ but has a nontrivial maximal proper graded ideal $\mathcal{I}_k$ for special values. Often, one is interested in the structure and representation theory of the simple graded quotient $ \mathcal{V}^k / \cI_k$ at these points. This is illustrated by Frenkel and Zhu in [@FZ] to prove the $C_2$-cofiniteness and rationality of simple affine vertex algebras at positive integer level, and by Arakawa in [@A] to prove the $C_2$-cofiniteness and rationality of several families of $\mathcal{W}$-algebras.
Let $\cV^k$ be such a vertex algebra and let $G \subset \text{Aut}(\cV^k)$ be a reductive group of automorphisms. In addition to determining the generic structure of $(\cV^k)^G$, it is important to determine the *nongeneric* set, where the strong generating set does not work. By a general result of [@CL], this set is always finite and consists at most of the poles of the structure constants of the OPE algebra among the generators. Determining this set explicitly is not an easy problem even using a computer, although examples where it has been worked out appear in [@ACL; @ACKL; @AL].
The primary objective of finding the nongeneric points is that it allows us to study orbifolds of the simple quotient $\cV_k$ of $\cV^k$, provided that $k$ is generic in the above sense. The quotient homomorphism $\cV^k \rightarrow \cV_k$ always restricts to a surjective homomorphism $$(\cV^k)^{G} \rightarrow (\cV_k)^{G},$$ so a strong generating set for $(\cV^k)^{G}$ descends to a strong generating set for $(\cV_k)^{G}$. In the examples we consider, the most interesting values of $k$, for which $(\cV)^G$ is highly reducible, turn out to be generic, so we obtain strong generators for $(\cV_k)^{G}$ as well.
In this paper, we study $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$. Here $\lie{g}$ is a simple, finite-dimensional Lie algebra and $V^k(\lie{g})$ denotes the universal affine vertex algebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ at level $k$. There is an involution of $\lie{g}$ known as the [*Cartan involution*]{}, and it gives rise to the action of $\mathbb{Z}_2$ on $V^k(\lie{g})$. Let $l = \text{rank}(\lie{g})$ and let $m$ be the number of positive roots, so that $\text{dim}(\lie{g}) = 2m+ l$. Our main result is that for any $\lie{g}$ with $\text{dim}(\lie{g})> 3$, $V^{k}(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is of type $$\mathcal{W}\big(1^{m},2^{d+ \binom{d}{2}},3^{ \binom{d}{2}},4\big),$$ for generic values of $k$. Here $d = m + l$. In this notation, we say that a vertex algebra is of type $\mathcal{W}((d_1)^{n_1},\dots (d_r)^{n_r})$ if it has a minimal strong generating set consisting of $n_i$ fields in weight $d_i$, for $i=1,\dots,r$. In the case $\lie{g} = \mathfrak{sl}_2$, there is one extra field in weight $4$, so that $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(1,2^{3},3,4^{2})$ for generic values of $k$.
The proof of this result can be done by using a deformation argument [@LII; @CL] in the sense that, $$\lim_{k\rightarrow \infty} V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2} \cong \mathcal{H}(m) \otimes \big(\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}\big).$$ Here $\mathcal{H}(k)$ denotes the rank $k$ Heisenberg vertex algebra, and $\mathbb{Z}_2$ acts on the generators by multiplication by $-1$. Moreover, the limiting structure has a minimal strong generating set of the same type as $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ for generic values of $k$. So the problem of finding a minimal strong generating set for $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ is reduced to finding the minimal strong generating set for $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ for all $d$. In the case $d = 1$, $\mathcal{H}(1)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(2,4)$ by a celebrated theorem of Dong and Nagatomo [@DNI]. We will show that for $d = 2$, $\mathcal{H}(2)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(2^3, 3, 4^2)$ and for $d \geq 3$, $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(2^{d+ \binom{d}{2}},3^{ \binom{d}{2}},4)$. To the best of our knowledge, the minimal strong generating set for $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ does not appear previously in the literature. However, in [@DNII], the representation theory $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ was studied and the irreducible, positive-energy modules of $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ were classified.
Finally, in the case $\lie{g}=\mathfrak{sl}_2$ we determine the set of nongeneric values; it consists only of $\{0,\frac{16}{51},\frac{16}{9},-\frac{32}{3}\}$. It follows that for all other values of $k$, the strong generating set for $V^k(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ will descend to a strong generating set for the simple orbifold $L_k(\mathfrak{sl}_2)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$. Here $L_k(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$ denotes the simple quotient of $V^k(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$.
Preliminaries
=============
**Vertex algebras.** The notion of vertex algebra was introduced by Borcherds [@B] back in the eighties. Since then, it has been in a remarkable progress of study (see for example [@B; @FLM; @K; @FBZ]). We will use the formalism developed in [@LZ] and [@LiI]. Roughly speaking, a *vertex algebra* is a quantum operator algebra $\mathcal{A}$ in which any two elements $a, b$ are local. By *local*, we mean that there exists some positive integer $N$ such that $(z - w)^{N} [a(z), b(w)] = 0.$ Here $\mathcal{A}$ is assumed to be a $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-graded, and $[a(z),b(w)]$ is the super bracket, that is $[a(z),b(w)]=a(z)b(w)-(-1)^{|a||b|}b(w)a(z).$ There are many definitions for vertex algebra, and this is an equivalent definition in [@FLM]. Each $a \in \mathcal{A}$ has a unique representation by the following formal distribution: $$a=a(z):=\sum_{n \in \mathbb{Z}} a(n) z^{-n-1} \in \textit{End} (V)[[z,z^{-1}]] .$$ The normally ordered product of fields in a vertex algebra $\mathcal{A}$ is called the Wick product, and is defined by $$:a(z)b(w):\ =a(z)_{-} b(z) +(-1)^{|a||b|}b(z)a(z)_{+},$$ where $a(z),b(w) \in \mathcal{A},$ and $$a(z)_{-} =\sum _{n<0}a(n)z^{-n-1} \enspace \enspace \enspace a(z)_{+} = \sum _{n \geq 0} a(n) z^{-n-1}.$$ The $k$-fold iterated Wick product is defined inductively as follows: $$:a_{1}(z)\cdots a_{n}(z):\ =\ :a_{1}(z)(:a_{2}(z)\cdots a_{n}(z):):,$$ for $a_{1}(z),\dots,a_{n}(z) \in \mathcal{A}.$ The operators product expansion (OPE) formula for $a,b \in \mathcal{A}$ is defined by $$a(z)b(w) \sim \sum _{n \geq 0}a(w) \circ _{n} b(w)( z-w)^{-n-1},$$ where $\sim$ means equal modulo terms that are regular at $z=w.$ Here $\circ_{n}$ denotes the $n^{th}$ circle product, which is defined by $$a(w) \circ _{n} b(w)= Res_{z}a(z)b(w)\imath _{|z|>|w|}(z-w)^{n}-(-1)^{|a||b|}Res_{z}b(w)a(z)\imath _{|w|>|z|}(z-w)^{n},$$ where $\imath _{|z|>|w|} f(z,w) \in \mathbb{C}[[z,z^{-1},w,w^{-1}]]$ denotes the power series expansion of a rational function $f$ which converges in the domain $|z|>|w|,$ while $Res_{z}a(z)$ denotes the coefficient of $z^{-1}.$ The $\partial_{z} a(z)$ is the formal derivative $\partial_{z}=\frac{d}{dz}.$
A subset $S=\{a_{i}|i \in I\} \subset \mathcal{A}$ is said to *generate* $\mathcal{A}$ if every $a \in \mathcal{A}$ is a linear combination of words in $a_{i},\circ_{n}$ for $i \in I$ and $n\in \mathbb{Z}.$ Moreover, we say that $S$ *strongly generates* $\mathcal{A}$ if every $a \in \mathcal{A}$ is a linear combination of words in $a_{i},\circ_{n}$ for $n<0.$ Equivalently, $\mathcal{A}$ is spanned by the ordered monomials $$\label{monomial}
\{:\partial^{k_{1}} a_{i_{1}} \cdots \partial^{k_{m}} a_{i_{m}}:\ |i_{1},\dots ,i_{m}\in I, \enspace 0\leq k_{1}\leq \cdots \leq k_{m}\}.$$ If $I$ can be chosen to be finite, then $\mathcal{A}$ is called *strongly finitely generated*. We say that $S$ *freely generates* $\mathcal{ A}$ if there are no nontrivial normally ordered polynomial relations among the generators and their derivatives.
Our work hinges mainly on the *universal affine vertex algebras*. Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a finite-dimensional Lie algebra over $\mathbb{C},$ furnished with a nondegenerate, symmetric, invariant bilinear form $B$. The *affine Kac-Moody algebra* $\hat{\lie{g}}=\lie{g}[t,t^{-1}] \oplus \mathbb{C}_{\kappa},$ determined by $B,$ is the one-dimensional central extension of the loop algebra $\lie{g}[t,t^{-1}]=\lie{g}\otimes \mathbb{C}[t,t^{-1}],$ where a generator ${\kappa}$ is the central charge. The Lie algebra $\hat{\lie{g}}$ is spanned by $\langle\zeta \otimes t^{n},\zeta \in \lie{g},n \in \mathbb{Z},\kappa \rangle,$ and these generators satisfy the following Lie bracket: $$\label{general lie algebra}
[\zeta \otimes t^{n},\eta \otimes t^{m}]=[\zeta,\eta] \otimes t^{n+m}+nB(\zeta, \eta)\delta_{n+m,0}\kappa,\enspace\enspace\enspace [\kappa,\zeta \otimes t^{n}]=0,$$ and $\mathbb{Z}$-gradation $deg(\zeta \otimes t^{n})=n,$ and $deg(\kappa)=0.$ Let $\hat{\lie{g}}_{+}=\sum_{n\geq 0}\hat{\lie{g}}_{n}$ where $\hat{\lie{g}}_{n}$ denotes the subspace of degree n. For $k \in \mathbb{C},$ let $C_{k }$ be the one-dimensional $\hat{\lie{g}}_{+}$-module on which $\zeta \otimes t^n$ acts trivially for $n \geq 0,$ and $\kappa$ as a multiplication by scalar $k.$ Define $V_{k} = U(\hat{\lie{g}}) \otimes _{U(\hat{\lie{g}}_{+})} C_{k},$ and let $X^{\zeta}(n) \in End(V_{k})$ be the linear operator representing $\zeta \otimes t^{n}$ on $V_{k}.$ Define $X^{\zeta}(z)=\sum_{n \in \mathbb{Z}}X^{\zeta}(n)z^{-n-1}$ to be an even generating field of conformal weight $1,$ and satisfies the OPE relation $$\label{ope affine universal}
X^{\zeta}(z)X^{\eta}(w)\sim kB(\zeta,\eta)(z-w)^{-2}+X^{[\zeta,\eta]}(w)(z-w)^{-1}.$$
The vertex algebra $V^{k}(\lie{g},B)$ generated by $\{X^{\zeta_{i}}|\zeta_{i} \in \lie{g}\}$ is called the universal affine vertex algebra associated to $\mathfrak{g}$ and $B$ at level $k$. It has a PBW basis $$\label{basis g universal}
:\partial ^{k_{1}^{1}} X^{\zeta_{1}}\dots \partial ^{k_{s_{1}}^{1}} X^{\zeta_{1}} \dots \partial ^{k_{1}^{m}} X^{\zeta_{m}} \dots \partial^{k_{s_{m}}^{m}} X^{\zeta_{m}} :, \enspace \enspace s_{i}\geq0, \enspace k_{1}^{i} \geq \dots \geq k_{s_{i}}^{i} \geq 0.$$
A special case is when $\lie{g}$ is a simple Lie algebra, the bilinear form $B$ is then defined to be the normalized Killing form. Then can be defined in this case as follows: $$[\zeta \otimes t^{n},\eta \otimes t^{m}]=[\zeta,\eta] \otimes t^{n+m}+n(\zeta|\eta)\delta_{n+m,0}\kappa,\enspace\enspace\enspace [\kappa,\zeta \otimes t^{n}]=0,$$ for $\zeta, \eta \in \lie{g},n,m \in \mathbb{Z}.$ Here $(.|.)$ is *the normalized Killing form*, and is defined as $$(.|.)=\frac{1}{2h^{\vee}}(.,.)_{\kappa_{\lie{g}}},$$ where $h^{\vee}$ is the dual Coxeter number of $\lie{g}.$ In this case, we denote $V^{k}(\mathfrak{g},B)$ by $V^{k}(\mathfrak{g}).$
According to the Cartan-Killing classification, we have the following list for the simple, finite-dimensinal Lie algebras over $\mathbb{C}$.
**Classical Lie Algebras:**
1. $\mathfrak{sl}_{n+1},n\geq 1,$ and it has Cartan notation $A_{n},$
2. $\mathfrak{so}_{2n+1},n\geq 2,$ and it has Cartan notation $B_{n},$
3. $\mathfrak{sp}_{2n},n\geq 3,$ and it has Cartan notation $C_{n},$
4. $\mathfrak{so}_{2n},n\geq 4,$ and it has Cartan notation $D_{n}.$
**Exceptional Lie Algebras:**
1. $G_{2},$
2. $F_{4},$
3. $E_{6},E_{7},$ or $E_{8}.$
Let $\{\zeta_{1},\dots ,\zeta_{n}\}$ be an orthonormal basis for $\lie{g}$ relative to $(.|.).$ There is a natural conformal structure of central charge $\frac{k \cdot \text{dim}(\lie{g})}{k+h^{\vee}}$ on $V^{k}(\mathfrak{g})$ with the Virasoro element $L(z),$ that is $$L(z)=\frac{1}{2(k+h^{\vee})}\sum_{i=1}^{n}:X^{\zeta_{i}}(z)X^{\zeta_{i}}(z):,$$ where $k\neq -h^{\vee}.$ In this case, the Virasoro element is called the *Sugawara conformal vector.* For $k= -h^{\vee},$ the Virasoro element $L(z)$ does not exist.
For the case where $\lie{g}$ is an abelian Lie algebra. Since $B$ is nondegenerate, $V^{k}(\mathfrak{g},B)$ is just the rank $n$ Heisenberg vertex algebra $\mathcal{H}(n).$ If we choose an orthonormal basis $\{\zeta_{1},\dots,\zeta_{n}\}$ for $\lie{g},$ then $\mathcal{H}(n)$ is generated by $\{\alpha^{i}= X^{\zeta_{i}}|i=1,\dots,n\}.$
**Good increasing filtrations.** [@LiII] A good increasing filtration on a vertex algebra $\mathcal{A}$ is a $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}$-filtration $$\label{eq11}
\mathcal{A}_{(0)} \subset \mathcal{A}_{(1)}\subset \mathcal{A}_{(2)}\cdots ,\enspace \enspace\enspace \mathcal{A}=\bigcup _{d\geq 0}\mathcal{A}_{(d)}$$ satisfying that $\mathcal{A}_{(0)}= \mathbb{C}$, and for all $a \in \mathcal{ A}_{(r)}, b \in \mathcal{ A}_{(s)}$ we have $$a \circ_{n} b \in \mathcal{ A}_{(r+s)}, \enspace \enspace \text{for} \enspace n < 0,$$ $$a \circ_{n} b \in \mathcal{ A}_{(r+s-1)}, \enspace \enspace \text{for} \enspace n \geq 0.$$ Let $\mathcal{A}_{-1}=\{0\}.$ An element $a(z)\in \mathcal{A}$ has at most degree $d$ if $a(z) \in \mathcal{A}_{(d)}.$
The associated graded algebra $\text{gr}(\mathcal{A}) =\bigoplus_{d\geq0} \mathcal{A}_{(d)}/\mathcal{A}_{(d-1)}$ is a $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}$-graded associative, (super)commutative algebra with a unit 1 under a product induced by the Wick product on $\mathcal{A}.$ It has a derivation $\partial$ of degree zero. For each $r \geq 1,$ we have the projections $$\phi_{r} : \mathcal{A}_{(r)} \rightarrow \mathcal{A}_{(r)}/\mathcal{A}_{(r-1)} \subset \text{gr}(\mathcal{A}).$$ Let $\mathcal{ R}$ be the category of vertex algebras associated with a $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq0}$-filtration. For any vertex algebra $\mathcal{A} \in \mathcal{ R},$ the $\partial$-ring, namely $\text{gr}(\mathcal{A})$ is an abelian vertex algebra. The following reconstruction property is the key peculiarity of $\mathcal{R}$ [@LL]:
\[8\] Given a vertex algebra $\mathcal{A} \in \mathcal{R}.$ Consider the collection $\{a_{i}| i \in I\}$ that generates $\text{gr}(\mathcal{A})$ as a $\partial$-ring, where $a_{i}$ is homogenous of degree $d_{i}.$ Then $\mathcal{A}$ is strongly generated by the collection $\{a_{i}(z)| i \in I\},$ where $a_{i}(z) \in \mathcal{A}_{(d_{i})}$ such that $\phi_{d_{i}}(a_{i}(z))=a_{i}.$
We define an increasing filtration on $V^{k}(\lie{g})$ for any simple Lie algebra $\lie{g}$ as follows:$$\label{filg}
V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(0)} \subset V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(1)} \subset \cdots, \enspace \enspace \enspace V^{k}(\lie{g})=\bigcup_{r\geq 0} V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(r)} ,$$ where $V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(-1)}=\{0\},$ and $V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(r)}$ is spanned by the iterated Wick products of the generators $X^{\zeta_{i}}$ and their derivatives, such that at most $r$ of the generators and their derivatives appear.
So, $V^{k}(\lie{g})$ equipped with this filtration lies in the category $\mathcal{R}.$ The $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$-associated graded algebra $$\text{gr}(V^{k}(\lie{g}))=\bigoplus_{d\geq 0}V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(d)}/V^{k}(\lie{g})_{(d-1)}$$ is now an abelian vertex algebra freely generated by $X^{\zeta_{i}}.$ Then, $V^{k}(\lie{g})\cong \text{gr}( V^{k}(\lie{g}))$ as linear spaces, and as commutative algebras we have $$\text{gr}(V^{k}(\lie{g}))\cong \mathbb{C}[ X^{\zeta_{i}},\partial X^{\zeta_{i}},\partial^{2}X^{\zeta_{i}},\dots ].$$
The $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-orbifold of $\mathcal{H}(n)$
=================================================
The rank $n$ Heisenberg vertex algebra $\mathcal{H}(n)$ is the tensor product of $n$ copies of rank $1$ Heisenberg vertex algebra $\mathcal{H}$ with even generating fields $\alpha^{1},\dots,\alpha^{n}.$ These satisfy the OPE relations $$\label{nheisenberg}
\alpha^{i}(z)\alpha^{j}(w)\sim \delta _{i,j} (z-w)^{-2}.$$ There is a conformal structure of central charge $n$ on $\mathcal{H}(n)$ with the Virasoro element $L(z)$ $$L(z)=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^{n}:\alpha^{i}(z)\alpha^{i}(z):,$$ where each $\alpha^{i}$ is primary of weight $1$.
$\mathcal{H}(n)$ is freely generated by $\alpha^{1},\dots,\alpha^{n}$ and has a PBW basis as follows $$\label{eq22}
:\partial ^{k_{1}^{1}} \alpha^{1}\dots \partial ^{k_{s_{1}}^{1}} \alpha^{1} \dots \partial ^{k_{1}^{n}} \alpha^{n} \dots \partial^{k_{s_{n}}^{n}} \alpha ^{n} :, \enspace \enspace s_{i}\geq0, \enspace k_{1}^{i} \geq \dots \geq k_{s_{i}}^{i} \geq 0.$$
**Filtrations on $\mathcal{H}(n)$.** Define an increasing filtration on $\mathcal{H}(n)$ as follows: $$\label{filh}
\mathcal{H}(n)_{(0)} \subset \mathcal{H}(n)_{(1)} \subset \mathcal{H}(n)_{(2)} \subset \cdots ,\enspace \enspace \enspace \mathcal{H}(n)=\bigcup _{d\geq 0} \mathcal{H}(n)_{(d)} ,$$ where $\mathcal{H}(n)_{(-1)}=\{0\},$ and $\mathcal{H}(n)_{(r)}$ is spanned by the iterated Wick products of the generators $\alpha^{i}$ and their derivatives such that at most $r$ of $\alpha^{i}$ and their derivatives appear.
From defining the OPE relation , this is a good increasing filtration, and so, $\mathcal{H}(n)$ equipped with such a good filtration lies in the category $\mathcal{R}.$ The OPE relation will be replaced with $\alpha^{i}(z)\alpha^{j}(w)\sim 0.$ The $\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$-associated graded algebra $$\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))=\bigoplus_{d\geq0} \mathcal{H}(n)_{(d)}/\mathcal{H}(n)_{(d-1)}$$ is now an abelian vertex algebra freely generated by $\alpha^{i}.$ The rank $n$ Heisenberg vertex algebra $\mathcal{H}(n)$ equipped with such filtrations lies in the category $\mathcal{R}.$ Then, $\mathcal{H}(n)\cong \text{gr}( \mathcal{H}(n))$ as linear spaces, and as commutative algebras, we have $$\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))\cong \mathbb{C}[ \partial^{a} \alpha^{i}|a\geq0,i=1,\dots,n].$$
The subgroup $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ of the automorphism group of $\mathcal{H}(n)$ generated by the nontrivial involution $\theta$ which acts on the generators as follows: $$\label{action of Z2H(n)}
\theta(\alpha^{i})= -\alpha^{i}.$$ The OPE relations will be preserved by this action on $\mathcal{H}(n),$ that is $$\alpha^{i} \circ_{m}\alpha^{j}=\theta(\alpha^{i})\circ_{m} \theta( \alpha^{j})$$ for all $m$ as well as the filtration , and induces an action of $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ on $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)).$
Going back to $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}},$ it is also spanned by all normally ordered monomials of the form , where the length $s_1 + \cdots + s_n$ is even. Since $\mathcal{H}(n)$ is freely generated by $\alpha^{i}$, these monomials form a basis for $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$, and the normal form is unique.
The filtration on $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is obtained from the filtration after restriction as follows: $$(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(0)} \subset (\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(1)}\subset \cdots ,\enspace \enspace \enspace \mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}=\bigcup _{d\geq 0} (\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(d)},$$ where $(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(r)}=\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}} \cap \mathcal{H}(n)_{(r)}.$
The action of $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ on $\mathcal{H}(n)$ descends to an action on $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))$, and so we have a linear isomorphism $ \mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}\cong \text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2} })$ as linear spaces. Similarly, $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ acts on $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))\cong \mathbb{C}[\partial^{a} \alpha^{i}|a\geq 0,i=1,\dots ,n],$ and so we have a linear isomorphism $$\label{grZ2}
\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}) \cong \text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}} \cong \mathbb{C}[\partial^{a} \alpha^{i}|a\geq0,i=1,\dots ,n]^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$$ as commutative algebras. The weight and degree are preserved by where $wt(\partial^{a}\alpha^{i})=a+1.$
Recall, the $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is a commutative algebra of even degree with a differential $\partial$ of degree zero, and it extends to $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ by the product rule, that is $$\begin{aligned}
\partial (\alpha_{a}^{i} \alpha_{b}^{j}) =\alpha_{a+1}^{i} \alpha_{b}^{j}+\alpha_{a}^{i} \alpha_{b+1}^{j}.\end{aligned}$$
Define $$q^{i,i}_{a,b}=\alpha_{a}^{i} \alpha_{b}^{i},\enspace\enspace\enspace q^{i,j}_{a,b}=\alpha_{a}^{i} \alpha_{b}^{j},$$ as generators for $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}.$ The action of $\partial $ on these generators is defined as follows: $$\label{action of derivation Hn}
\partial(q^{i,i}_{a,b}) =q^{i,i}_{a+1,b}+ q^{i,i}_{a,b+1}, \enspace \enspace \enspace \partial (q_{a,b}^{i,j}) =q^{i,j}_{a+1,b}+ q^{i,j}_{a,b+1}.$$ The action of $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ on the $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))$ which is given by $\theta(\alpha_{a}^{i} )=-\alpha_{a}^{i} $ guarantees that $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is generated by the subset $\{q^{i,i}_{a,b},q^{i,j}_{a,b}| a,b\geq0,\enspace 1 \leq i, j\leq n \}.$ Since $q^{i,i}_{a,b}=q^{i,i}_{b,a},$ and $q^{i,j}_{a,b}=q^{j,i}_{b,a},$ so $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is generated by the subset $$\label{generating set}
\{q^{i,i}_{a,b}| 0 \leq a \leq b,\enspace i=1,\dots ,n\} \bigcup \{q^{i,j}_{a,b}| 0 \leq a , b,\enspace 1 \leq i < j \leq n\}.$$
Among these generators, the ideal of relations is generated by $$\label{ideal'} q^{i,j}_{r,s} q^{k,l}_{t,u} - q_{r,u}^{i,l} q_{s,t}^{j,k},\enspace i,j,k,l=1,\dots,n, \enspace 0 \leq r,s,t,u.$$ Under the projection $$\phi_{2}:(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}\rightarrow (\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}/(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(1)}\subset \text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}),$$ the generators $q^{i,i}_{a,b},q_{a,b}^{i,j}$ of $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ correspond to fields $ \omega ^{i,i}_{a,b}, \omega _{a,b}^{i,j},$ respectively defined by $$\omega_{a,b}^{i,i}= \ :\partial^{a} \alpha^{i}(z) \partial^{b} \alpha^{i}(z):\ \in (\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)},\enspace \enspace \enspace 0\leq a \leq b ,\enspace \enspace i = 1,\dots, n,$$ $$\omega^{i,j}_{a,b}= \ :\partial^{a} \alpha^{i}(z) \partial^{b} \alpha^{j}(z): \ \in (\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)},\enspace \enspace \enspace a,b \geq 0, \enspace\enspace 1\leq i < j \leq n.$$ The fields $ \omega _{a,b}^{i,i}, \omega _{a,b}^{i,j}$ satisfy $\phi_{2}(\omega _{a,b}^{i,i})=q^{i,i}_{a,b},$ $\phi_{2}(\omega _{a,b}^{i,j})=q_{a,b}^{i,j},$ respectively and have weight $a+b+2.$ Note that $ \sum_{i=1}^{n}\omega_{0,0}^{i,i}=2L,$ where $L$ is the Virasoro element. The subspace $(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}$ has degree at most $2,$ and has a basis $\{1\} \cup \{ \omega^{i,i} _{a,b},\omega _{a,b}^{i,j}\}.$ Moreover, for $m \geq 0,$ the operators $\omega _{a,b}^{i,j} \circ_{m}$ preserve this vector space [@LI]. For $a,b,c \geq0,\enspace 0 \leq m \leq a+b+c+1,$ and $i < j,$ we have $$\omega _{a,b}^{i,j} \circ _{m} \partial^{c} \alpha ^{i}=(-1)^{a} \frac{(a+c+1)!}{(a+c+1-m)!} \partial ^{a+b+c+1-m} \alpha ^{j},$$ $$\omega _{a,b}^{i,j} \circ _{m} \partial^{c} \alpha ^{j}=(-1)^{b} \frac{(b+c+1)!}{(b+c+1-m)!} \partial ^{a+b+c+1-m} \alpha ^{i}.$$ $$\omega _{a,b}^{i,i} \circ _{m} \partial^{c} \alpha ^{i}=\lambda _{a,b,c,m} \partial ^{a+b+c+1-m} \alpha ^{i},$$ where $$\lambda _{a,b,c,m}=(-1)^{b} \frac{(b+c+1)!}{(b+c+1-m)!}+(-1)^{a}\frac{(a+c+1)!}{(a+c+1-m)!}.$$ It follows that for $m \leq a+b+c+1,$ and $i < j < k$ we have $$\begin{aligned}
\omega _{a,b}^{i,j} \circ _{m} \omega _{c,d}^{i,j} &= (-1)^{a} \frac{(a+c+1)!}{(a+c+1-m)!} \omega _{a+b+c+1-m,d}^{j,j} \notag \\
&+(-1)^{b} \frac{(b+d+1)!}{(b+d+1-m)!}\omega _{a+b+d+1-m,c}^{i,i} ,\end{aligned}$$ $$\label{wijjk}
\omega _{a,b}^{i,j} \circ _{m} \omega _{c,d}^{j,k} = (-1)^{b} \frac{(b+c+1)!}{(b+c+1-m)!} \omega _{a+b+c+1-m,d}^{i,k} ,$$ $$\label{wiiij}
\omega _{a,b}^{i,i} \circ _{m} \omega _{c,d}^{i,j} = \lambda_{a,b,c,m} \omega _{a+b+c+1-m,d}^{i,j} ,$$ $$\label{wjjij}
\omega _{a,b}^{j,j} \circ _{m} \omega _{c,d}^{i,j} = \lambda_{a,b,d,m} \omega _{c,a+b+d+1-m}^{i,j},$$ $$\label{wiiii}
\omega _{a,b}^{i,i} \circ _{m} \omega ^{i,i}_{c,d}= \lambda _{a,b,c,m} \omega^{i,i} _{a+b+c+1-m,d} +\lambda _{a,b,d,m}\omega^{i,i} _{c,a+b+d+1-m}.$$
As a differential algebra with derivation $\partial$, some of the generators in the generating set for $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ can be eliminated due to . For $m\geq0,$ let $$A_{m}=\text{span}\{\omega _{a,b}^{i,i}|a+b=m\}$$ be the vector space which is homogenous of weight $m+2$. Using the relation $\partial \omega _{a,b}^{i,i}=\omega_{a+1,b}^{i,i}+\omega _{a,b+1}^{i,i}$, we see that $\text{dim}(A_{2m})=m+1=\text{dim}(A_{2m+1}),$ for $m \geq 0.$ Moreover, $\partial(A_{m}) \subset A_{m+1},$ and $$\text{dim}(A_{2m}/\partial(A_{2m-1}))=1, \enspace \enspace \enspace \text{dim}(A_{2m+1}/\partial(A_{2m}))=0.$$ Thus, $A_{2m}$ has a decomposition $$A_{2m}=\partial(A_{2m-1}) \oplus \langle \omega_{0,2m}^{i,i} \rangle = \partial^{2}(A_{2m-2}) \oplus \langle \omega_{0,2m}^{i,i} \rangle,$$ where $\langle \omega_{0,2m}^{i,i}\rangle$ is the linear span of $ \omega^{i,i}_{0,2m}.$ Similarly, $A_{2m+1}$ has a decomposition $$A_{2m+1}=\partial^{2}(A_{2m-1}) \oplus \langle \partial \omega_{0,2m}^{i,i} \rangle = \partial^{3}(A_{2m-2}) \oplus \langle \partial \omega_{0,2m}^{i,i} \rangle.$$ Therefore, $$\text{span} \{\omega^{i,i}_{a,b}|a+b=2m\}=\text{span}\{\partial ^{2k} \omega^{i,i}_{0,2m-2k}|0\leq k\leq m\}$$ and $$\text{span} \{\omega^{i,i}_{a,b}|a+b=2m+1\}=\text{span}\{\partial ^{2k+1} \omega^{i,i}_{0,2m-2k}|0\leq k\leq m\}$$ are bases of $A_{2m}$ and $A_{2m+1},$ respectively and so for each $\omega_{a,b}^{i,i}\in A_{2m}$ and $\omega_{c,d}^{i,i} \in A_{2m+1}$ can be written uniquely in the form $$\label{linear}
\omega_{a,b}^{i,i}=\sum_{k= 0}^{m} \lambda_{k} \partial^{2k} \omega^{i,i}_{0,2m-2k}, \enspace \enspace
\omega_{c,d}^{i,i}=\sum_{k= 0}^{m} \mu_{k} \partial^{2k+1} \omega^{i,i}_{0,2m-2k},$$ for constants $\lambda_{k},\mu_{k}.$
Similarly, for $m\geq 0$, let $A'_{m}=\text{span}\{\omega _{a,b}^{i,j}|a+b=m\},$ and use the relation $\partial \omega _{a,b}^{i,j}=\omega_{a+1,b}^{i,j}+\omega _{a,b+1}^{i,j}.$ We have $\text{dim}(A'_{m})=m+1,$ for $m \geq0.$ Moreover, $\partial(A'_{m}) \subset A'_{m+1},$ and $$\text{dim}(A'_{m}/\partial(A'_{m-1}))=1.$$ Hence, $A'_{m}$ has a decomposition $$A'_{m}=\partial(A'_{m-1}) \oplus \langle \omega^{i,j}_{0,m}\rangle$$ where $\langle \omega^{i,j}_{0,m}\rangle$ is the linear span of $ \omega^{i,j}_{0,m}.$ Therefore, $$\text{span} \{\omega^{i,i}_{a,b}|a+b=m\}=\text{span}\{\partial ^{k} \omega^{i,j}_{0,m-k}|\\0\leq k\leq m\}$$ is a basis of $A'_{m}.$ It follows that for each $\omega_{r,m-r}^{i,j} \in A'_{m}$ can be written uniquely in the form $$\label{linear combination of w}
\omega_{r,m-r}^{i,j}=\sum_{k= 0}^{r} (-1)^{r+k}\binom {r}{k}\partial^{k} \omega^{i,j}_{0,m-k},$$ where $r=0,\dots, m.$
The following lemma gives a strong generating set for $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$, which as we shall see is far from minimal.
\[strong generators for H(n)\] $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is strongly generated as a vertex algebra by the subset $$\label{geneh}
\{\omega_{0,2m}^{i,i}|m\geq0, \enspace and \enspace i=1,\dots, n\}\bigcup \{\omega^{i,j}_{0,m}|m\geq0, \enspace and \enspace 1\leq i<j \leq n \}.$$
Since $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}=\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})$ is generated by the subset $$\{q_{0,2m}^{i,i}|m\geq 0 ,\enspace i=1,\dots ,n\} \\
\bigcup \{q_{0,m}^{i,j}|m\geq0, \enspace and \enspace 1\leq i<j \leq n\}$$ as a $\partial$-ring, Lemma \[8\] shows that the corresponding set strongly generates $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ as a vertex algebra.
Minimal strong generating set for $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ {#decoupling hEIENBERG relations}
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In this section, we give a minimal strong generating set for $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$. First, we recall the case $n=1$, which is due to Dong and Nagatomo [@DNI]. For simplicity of notation, we write $\omega_{a,b} = \omega^{1,1}_{a,b}$ and $q_{a,b} = q^{1,1}_{a,b}$ in this case, and we include the proof for the benefit of the reader.
(Dong-Nagatomo) $\mathcal{H}(1)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ has a minimal strong generating set $ \{\omega_{0,0},\omega_{0,2}\}$ and is of type $\mathcal{W}(2,4).$
Among the generators $\{q_{0,2m}|\ m\geq0\}$ of $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(1))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$, the first relation of the form occurs of minimal weight $6$, and has the form $$\label{deal'1}
q_{0,0} q _{1,1} -q_{0,1} q_{0,1}=0.$$ This relation is unique up to scalar. The corresponding element $: \omega_{0,0} \omega_{1,1} :-: \omega_{0,1}\omega _{0,1} :$ lies in $(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}$. This element does not vanish, but it has a correction of the form $$\label {H1 rank}
: \omega_{0,0} \omega _{1,1} :-: \omega_{0,1}\omega _{0,1}: \ =-\frac{5}{4} \omega _{0,4}+\frac{7}{4} \partial ^{2} \omega_{0,2}-\frac{7}{24} \partial ^{4} \omega_{0,0} .$$ Furthermore, we have $$\label{w0111}
\omega_{0,1}=\frac{1}{2} \partial \omega_{0,0},\qquad \omega_{1,1}= - \omega_{0,2}+\frac {1}{2} \partial^{2} \omega_{0,0}.$$ Thus, can be rewritten in the form $$\label{PH14}
\omega_{0,4}=P_4(\omega_{0,0},\omega_{0,2}),$$ where $P_4(\omega_{0,0},\omega_{0,2})$ is a normally ordered polynomial in $\omega_{0,0}, \omega_{0,2}$, and their derivatives. This is called a *decoupling relation*, as $\omega _{0,4}$ can then be expressed as a normally ordered polynomial in $\omega_{0,0},\omega_{0,2}$ and their derivatives.
Next, we can construct decoupling relations $$\label{n=1:higherdecoup} \omega_{0,2m} = P_{2m}(\omega_{0,0}, \omega_{0,2}),$$ expressing $\omega_{0,2m}$ as a normally ordered polynomial in $\omega_{0,0}, \omega_{0,2}$ and their derivatives, for all $m>2$. We need the calculation $$\omega_{0,2} \circ_{1} \omega_{0,2k}=(8+4k) \omega_{0,2k+2} +\partial^{2} \mu,$$ where $\mu$ is a linear combination of $\partial ^{2r}\omega_{0,2k-2r}$ for $r=0,\dots ,k$. We can then construct the relations inductively by applying the operator $\omega_{0,2} \circ_1$ repeatedly to .
It follows that $\mathcal{H}(1)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ is strongly generated by $\{\omega_{0,0}, \omega_{0,2}\}$. To see that this is a [*minimal*]{} strong generating set, it suffices to observe that no decoupling relations for $\omega_{0,0},\omega_{0,2}$ can be found since there are no relations of weight less than $6$ in $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(1))^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ of the form .
The main result in this section is
\[strong generators for Hn\]
1. For $n=2,$ $\mathcal{H}{(2)}^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ has a minimal strong generating set $$\label{strong generating set h2}
\{\omega^{1,1}_{0,0},\omega^{1,2}_{0,0}, \omega^{1,2}_{0,1},\omega^{1,2}_{0,2},\omega^{2,2}_{0,0},\omega^{2,2}_{0,2},\},$$ and is of type $\mathcal{W}(2^{3},3,4^{2})$.
2. For $n\geq3,$ $\mathcal{H}{(n)}^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ has a minimal strong generating set $$\label{strong generating set hn}
\{\omega_{0,0}^{i,i}|\ i=1,\dots ,n\} \bigcup \{\omega^{i,j}_{0,0}, \omega^{i,j}_{0,1}|\ 1\leq i< j\leq n\} \bigcup \{\omega_{0,2}^{1,1}\},$$ and is of type $\mathcal{W}(2^{n+\binom{n}{2}},3^{\binom{n}{2}},4).$
First, we consider the case $n = 2$. By replacing $\omega_{0,2m}$ with $\omega^{i,i}_{0,2m}$ in and for $i = 1,2$, we obtain decoupling relations $$\omega^{i,i}_{0,2m} = P_{2m}(\omega^{i,i}_{0,0}, \omega^{i,i}_{0,2})$$ for $i = 1,2$ and all $m\geq 2$. Then by Lemma \[strong generators for H(n)\], $\mathcal{H}{(2)}^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ has a strong generating set $$\{\omega^{1,1}_{0,0},\omega^{1,1}_{0,2},\omega^{2,2}_{0,0},\omega^{2,2}_{0,2}\} \bigcup \{\omega^{1,2}_{0,m},m\geq 0\}.$$
Next, we have the following relation at weight $5$ among the generators of $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(2)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})$ $$\label{deal1}
q^{1,2}_{0,0} q ^{2,2}_{0,1} -q^{1,2}_{0,1} q^{2,2}_{0,0} =0.$$ The corresponding element $: \omega^{1,2}_{0,0} \omega ^{2,2}_{0,1} :-: \omega^{1,2}_{0,1} \omega ^{2,2}_{0,0} :$ in $(\mathcal{H}(2)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}$ has a correction of the form $$\label{eq3}
: \omega^{1,2}_{0,0} \omega ^{2,2}_{0,1} :-: \omega^{1,2}_{0,1} \omega ^{2,2}_{0,0} : \ =-\frac{1}{2} \omega ^{1,2}_{0,3}+{2} \partial \omega^{1,2}_{0,2}-\frac{5}{2} \partial ^{2} \omega^{1,2}_{0,1} + \partial ^{3} \omega^{1,2}_{0,0}.$$ This can be rewritten as follows: $$\label{eqQ4}
\omega ^{1,2}_{0,3}= Q_3( \omega_{0,0}^{2,2},\omega^{1,2}_{0,0},\omega^{1,2}_{0,1},\omega^{1,2}_{0,2}),$$ where $Q( \omega_{0,0}^{2,2},\omega^{1,2}_{0,0},\omega^{1,2}_{0,1},\omega^{1,2}_{0,2})$ is a normally ordered polynomial in $\omega^{2,2}_{0,0}, \omega^{1,2}_{0,0},\omega^{1,2}_{0,1},\omega^{1,2}_{0,2}$, and their derivatives
Next, by applying the operator $\omega^{2,2}_{0,2}\circ_{1}$ repeatedly, we can get decoupling relations $$\label{n=2:higherdecoup} \omega^{1,2}_{0,m} = Q_m(\omega_{0,0}^{2,2},\omega_{0,2}^{2,2},\omega^{1,2}_{0,0},\omega^{1,2}_{0,1},\omega^{1,2}_{0,2}),$$ for all $m>3$. This follows from the calculation $$\omega^{2,2}_{0,1}\circ_{1} \omega^{1,2}_{0,k}= -\omega^{1,2}_{0,k+1}.$$ Therefore $\omega^{1,2}_{0,m}$ for $m \geq 3$ are not necessary. Finally, we have the relation $$:\omega^{1,2}_{0,0}\omega^{1,2}_{0,0}:\ =\frac{1}{2}\omega^{1,1}_{0,2}+\frac{1}{2}\omega^{2,2}_{0,2}+:\omega^{1,1}_{0,0}\omega^{2,2}_{0,0}:.$$ This shows that $\omega^{2,2}_{0,2}$ is unnecessary, hence the set suffices to strongly generate $\mathcal{H}(2)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$. The fact that this set is a minimal strong generating set is clear since there are no relations of weight less than $5$ of the form .
Finally, we consider the case $n\geq 3$. As above, for $i = 1,\dots, n$ and $m \geq 2$ we have relations $$\omega^{i,i}_{0,2m} = P_m(\omega^{i,i}_{0,0}, \omega^{i,i}_{0,2}).$$ So $\omega^{i,i}_{0,2m}$ can be eliminated for all $m\geq 2$.
For $n\geq 3$, we can do a bit better than the relations and , since we have the following relations at weight $4$ in $\text{gr}(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_2})$ for all $i<j<k$, $$\label{deal2}
q^{i,j}_{0,0} q ^{j,k}_{0,0} -q^{i,k}_{0,0} q^{j,j}_{0,0} =0.$$ The corresponding element $: \omega_{0,0}^{i,j} \omega _{0,0}^{j,k} :-: \omega_{0,0}^{i,k} \omega _{0,0}^{j,j} :$ lies in $(\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)},$ and has a correction of the form $$\label{3copies} : \omega_{0,0}^{i,j} \omega _{0,0}^{j,k} :-: \omega_{0,0}^{i,k} \omega _{0,0}^{j,j} : \ =\frac{1}{2}\omega^{i,k}_{0,2}-\partial \omega^{i,k}_{0,1}+\frac{1}{2}\partial^{2}\omega^{i,k}_{0,0}.$$
We can clearly rewrite in the form $$\label{equationQ'4}
\omega^{i,k}_{0,2} = T_{2}( \omega_{0,0}^{j,j},\omega_{0,0}^{i,j} ,\omega _{0,0}^{j,k} ,\omega^{i,k}_{0,0},\omega^{i,k}_{0,1}),$$ where $T_{2}( \omega_{0,0}^{j,j},\omega_{0,0}^{i,j} ,\omega _{0,0}^{j,k} ,\omega^{i,k}_{0,0},\omega^{i,k}_{0,1})$ is a normally ordered polynomial in $ \omega_{0,0}^{j,j},\omega_{0,0}^{i,j} ,\omega _{0,0}^{j,k} ,\omega^{i,k}_{0,0},\omega^{i,k}_{0,1}$, and their derivatives.
As above, by applying the operator $\omega^{k,k}_{0,2} \circ_1$ repeatedly, we can construct relations $$\omega^{i,k}_{0,m} = T_m(\omega_{0,0}^{j,j},\omega_{0,0}^{i,j} ,\omega _{0,0}^{j,k},\omega _{0,1}^{j,k} ,\omega^{i,k}_{0,0},\omega^{i,k}_{0,1})$$ for all $m\geq 2$. This shows that $\omega^{i,k}_{0,m}$ can be eliminated for all $m\geq 2$.
Finally, for all $j$ with $1<j \leq n$, we have the relation $$:\omega^{1,j}_{0,0}\omega^{1,j}_{0,0}:\ =\frac{1}{2}\omega^{1,1}_{0,2}+\frac{1}{2}\omega^{j,j}_{0,2}+:\omega^{1,1}_{0,0}\omega^{j,j}_{0,0}:.$$ This shows that $\omega^{j,j}_{0,2}$ can be eliminated for $1< j\leq n$. It follows that strongly generates $\mathcal{H}(n)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ for $n\geq 3$. The fact that it is a minimal strong generating set is again clear since there are no more relations of weight less than $5$ of the form .
Notice that $\omega_{0,0}^{i,i},\omega_{0,2}^{i,i},\omega^{i,j}_{0,0}, \omega^{i,j}_{0,1}, \omega^{i,j}_{0,2}$ are not primary fields with respect to the Virasoro field $$L(z)=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i= 1}^{n} :a^{i}(z)a^{i}(z): = \sum_{i= 1}^{n} \omega^{i,i}_{0,0}.$$ It is easy to correct them to be a primary ones by adding a normally ordered polynomial in the previous set and their derivatives. By a computer calculation, we obtain the following primary fields: $$\label{10}
\begin{aligned}
C^{k}&=\frac{1}{2}(\omega^{1,1}_{0,0}-\omega^{k,k}_{0,0}),\enspace where\enspace k=2,\dots ,n.\\
C^{i,i}_{0,2}&=\omega^{i,i}_{0,2}-\frac{2}{9}:\omega^{i,i}_{0,0}\omega^{i,i}_{0,0}:-\frac{1}{6}\partial^{2}\omega^{i,i}_{0,0},\enspace where\enspace i = 1,\dots ,n,\\
C^{i,j}_{0,0}&=\omega^{i,j}_{0,0},\\
C^{i,j}_{0,1}&=\omega^{i,j}_{0,1}-\frac{1}{2}\partial \omega^{i,j}_{0,0},\\
C^{i,j}_{0,2}&=\omega^{i,j}_{0,2}-\frac{4}{9}:\omega^{i,j}_{0,0}\omega^{j,j}_{0,0}:+\frac{5}{9}\partial^{2}\omega^{i,j}_{0,0}-\frac{13}{9}\partial\omega^{i,j}_{0,1}.
\end{aligned}$$
The Cartan involution and its extension to $V^k(\lie{g})$
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Let us consider a simple Lie algebra $\lie{g}$ as above with $l = \text{rank}(\lie{g})$ and $m$ the number of positive roots. With respect to a choice of base for the root system $\Phi$, we have the triangular decomposition $$\lie{g}=\lie{h}\oplus \lie{n}_{+} \oplus \lie{n}_{-},$$ where $\lie{h}$ is the Cartan subalgebra with basis $h_r$, $r = 1,\dots, l$, and $\lie{n}_+$ has basis $x_{\beta_i}$ for $i = 1,\dots, m$, and $\lie{n}_-$ has basis $y_{\beta_i}$ for $i = 1,\dots, m$. The Cartan involution $\theta$ of $\lie{g}$ is defined as follows: $$\theta(x_{\beta_{i}})=-y_{\beta_{i}}, \enspace \enspace \enspace \theta(y_{\beta_{i}})=-x_{\beta_{i}}, \enspace \enspace \enspace \theta(h_{r})=-h_{r}.$$
Since $\theta$ preserves the Lie bracket as well as the normalized Killing form, it extends to an automorphism of the vertex algebra $V^k(\lie{g})$ given by the same formula, where $h_r, x_{\beta_i}, y_{\beta_i}$ are now considered as the generating fields for $V^k(\lie{g})$.
To replace the generators $h_r, x_{\beta_i}, y_{\beta_i}$ of $V^k(\lie{g})$ with a set of eigenvectors for $\theta,$ it is suitable to apply a linear change of variables as follows: $$E_{\beta_{i}}= x_{\beta_{i}}+y_{\beta_{i}}, \enspace \enspace \enspace F_{\beta_{i}}=x_{\beta_{i}}-y_{\beta_{i}} \enspace \enspace \enspace h_{r}.$$ The action of $\theta$ on the new generators will be as follows: $$\theta(E_{\beta_{i}})=-E_{\beta_{i}},\enspace \enspace \enspace \theta(F_{\beta_{i}})=F_{\beta_{i}}, \enspace \enspace \enspace \theta(h_{r})=-h_{r}.$$ There is a PBW basis consisting of normally ordered monomials of the new generators and their derivatives since the new generators are related to the old ones by a linear change of variables.
Note that the fields $F_{\beta_i}$ lie in the orbifold $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$. Define additional generators of $V^{k}(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$ as follows: $$\begin{aligned}
Q_{a,b}^{\beta_{i},\beta_{j}}&= \ :\partial^{a} E_{\beta_{i}}(z) \partial^{b} E_{\beta_{j}}(z):,\\
Q_{a,b}^{h_{r},\beta_{i}}&= \ : \partial^{a} h_{r}(z)\partial^{b} E_{\beta_{i}}(z):,\\
Q_{a,b}^{h_{r},h_{s}}&= \ :\partial^{a} h_{r}(z) \partial^{b} h_{s}(z):,
\end{aligned}$$ which each have weight $a+b+2.$
A special case when $\lie{g} = \mathfrak{sl}_2$, we have only one positive root $\beta.$ An immediate consequence that there is one element $F_{\beta}$, one element $E_{\beta}$, and one basis vector $h$ for $\lie{h}$. The above elements can be given as follows: $$\begin{aligned}
Q_{a,b}^{\beta,\beta}&= \ :\partial^{a} E_{\beta}(z) \partial^{b} E_{\beta}(z):,\\
Q_{a,b}^{h,\beta}&= \ : \partial^{a} h(z)\partial^{b} E_{\beta}(z):,\\
Q_{a,b}^{h,h}&= \ :\partial^{a} h(z) \partial^{b} h(z):.
\end{aligned}$$
The $\mathbb{Z}_2$-orbifold of $V^k(\lie{g})$
=============================================
At this point, we are ready to state our main theorem which describes $V^{k}(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ for generic values of $k$.
\[ch5:mainresult\]
Let $\lie{g}$ be a simple, finite-dimensional Lie algebra, and let $l = \text{rank}(\lie{g})$, $m$ the number of positive roots, and set $d = m+l$.
1. For $\lie{g} \neq \mathfrak{sl}_2$, and $k$ generic, $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ has a minimal strong generating set $$\{F_{\beta_{i}},Q_{0,0}^{\beta_{a},\beta_{b}},Q_{0,2}^{\beta_{1},\beta_{1}},Q_{0,0}^{h_{r},h_{s}},Q_{0,0}^{h_{t},\beta_{u}},Q_{0,1}^{h_{t},\beta_{u}}\} ,$$ for $1\leq i \leq m$, $1\leq a \leq b \leq m$, $1\leq r \leq s\leq l$, $1\leq t \leq l$, and $1\leq u \leq m$. In particular, $V^k(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(1^{m},2^{d+ \binom{d}{2}},3^{ \binom{d}{2}},4)$.
2. For $\lie{g}=\mathfrak{sl}_{2}$ and $k$ generic, $V^{k}(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ has a minimal strong generating set $$\{F,Q^{\beta,\beta}_{0,0},Q^{h,h}_{0,0},Q^{h,h}_{0,2},Q^{\beta,h}_{0,0},Q^{\beta,h}_{0,1},Q^{\beta,h}_{0,2}\} ,$$ and in particular, is of type $\mathcal{W}(1,2^{3},3,4^{2}).$
Let $n = 2m+l = \text{dim}(\lie{g})$. By the deformation argument of [@LII], we have $$\lim_{k \to \infty}V^{k}(\lie{g}) \cong \mathcal{H}(n).$$ Here $\mathcal{H}(n)$ is the rank $n$ Heisenberg algebra with generators $F_{\beta_i}, E_{\beta_i}$ and $h_r$. We shall use the same symbols for the limits of these fields when no confusion may arise. Moreover, $\mathbb{Z}_2$ acts trivially on the rank $m$ Heisenberg subalgebra generated by $\{F_{\beta_i}|\ i = 1,\dots, m$, and it acts by $-1$ on the rank $d = m+ l$ Heisenberg algebra with generators $\{E_{\beta_i}, h_r|\ i = 1,\dots, m,\ \ r = 1,\dots, l\}$. We get $$\lim_{k \to \infty}V^{k}(\lie{g})^{\mathbb{Z}_2} \cong \mathcal{H}(m) \otimes \big(\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}\big).$$ In the limit $k\rightarrow \infty$, the fields $F_{\beta_i}$ are the generators of $\mathcal{H}(m)$, and the remaining quadratic fields are precisely the generators for $\mathcal{H}(d)^{\mathbb{Z}_2}$. The claim in both cases then follows by Theorem \[strong generators for Hn\].
For the reader’s convenience, the following table shows the dimension, rank $l$, and the number of positive roots $m$, for each simple Lie algebra in the Cartan-Killing classification.
--------------------------------- ---------------------- ----------- ----------------------------------
Lie algebra Dimension Rank $l $ The number of positive roots $m$
\[0.5ex\] $\mathfrak{sl}_{n+1}$ $(n+1)^{2}-1$ $n$ $\frac{(n^{2}+n)}{2}$
$\mathfrak{so}_{2n+1}$ $\frac{2n(2n+1)}{2}$ $n$ $n^{2}$
$\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$ $n(2n+1)$ $n$ $n^{2}$
$\mathfrak{so}_{2n}$ $\frac{2n(2n-1)}{2}$ $n$ $n^{2}-n$
$G_{2}$ $14$ 2 $6$
$F_{4}$ $52$ 4 $24$
$E_{6}$ $78$ 6 $36$
$E_{7}$ $133$ 7 $63$
$E_{8}$ $248$ 8 $120$
\[1ex\]
--------------------------------- ---------------------- ----------- ----------------------------------
The nongeneric set for $V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$
==================================================================
In this section we work in the usual root basis for $\mathfrak{sl}_{2},$ so we shall change our notation here. Let $\{x,y,h \}$ be an ordered basis of $\mathfrak{sl}_{2}$ satisfying the following commutation relations: $$[x,y]=h,\enspace [h,x]=2x, \enspace [h,y]=-2y.$$ Let $X^{x}, X^{y},X^{h}$ be generating fields for $V_{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2}),$ where each of conformal weight $1,$ and satisfies the OPE relations $$\label{opesl2}
X^{x}(z) X^{y}(w) \sim k (z-w)^{-2}+X^{h}(w)(z-w)^{-1},$$
$$X^{h}(z)X^{x}(w) \sim 2 X^{x}(w) (z-w)^{-1},$$
$$X^{h}(z)X^{y}(w)\sim -2 X^{y}(w) (z-w)^{-1},$$
$$\label{opesl2'}
X^{h}(z)X^{h}(w)\sim 2k (z-w)^{-2}.$$
The affine vertex algebra $V_{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})$ is freely generated by the even generators $X^{x}, X^{y},X^{h}$ and in particular it has a PBW basis as follows $$\label{basissl2}
:\partial^{k^{1}_{1}} X^{x}\cdots \partial^{k^{1}_{s_{1}}} X^{x}\partial^{k^{2}_{1}} X^{y}\cdots \partial^{k^{2}_{s_{2}}} X^{y} \partial^{k^{3}_{1}} X^{h}\cdots \partial^{k^{3}_{s_{3}}} X^{h}:,$$ $ s_{i} \geq0, \enspace k^{i}_{1}\geq \cdots \geq k^{i}_{s_{i}} \geq 0,\enspace for \enspace i=1,2,3.$
The action of $\theta$ is given by $$\theta(X^{x})= -X^{y},\enspace \enspace\enspace \enspace \theta(X^{y})= -X^{x},\enspace \enspace\enspace \enspace \theta(X^{h})=-X^{h}.$$ Changing the basis to the basis of eigenvectors yields: $$\label{newbasis}
G=X^{x}+ X^{y},\enspace \enspace \enspace \enspace F=X^{x}-X^{y}, \enspace \enspace \enspace \enspace H=X^{h}.$$ The nontrivial involution $\theta$ acts on the new generators as follows: $$\theta(G)=- G,\enspace \enspace\enspace \enspace \theta(F)= F,\enspace \enspace\enspace \enspace \theta(H)=-H.$$
Define $$\begin{aligned}
Q_{i,j}&= \ :\partial^{i} G(z) \partial^{j} G(z):\ \in (V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)},\\
U_{i,j}&= \ :\partial^{i} H(z) \partial^{j}H(z):\ \in (V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)},\\
V_{i,j}&= \ :\partial^{i} H(z) \partial^{j}G(z):\ \in (V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}})_{(2)}
\end{aligned}$$ as new generators for $V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2}),$ where each have weight $i+j+2.$
By Theorem \[ch5:mainresult\], the strong generators for $V^k(\mathfrak{sl}_2)$ are $\{F,Q_{0,0},U_{0,0},U_{0,2},V_{0,0},V_{0,1},V_{0,2}\}$. These fields close under OPE in the sense that for any $\alpha_1, \alpha_2$ in the above set, each term in the OPE of $\alpha_1(z) \alpha_2(w)$ can be expressed as a linear combination of normally ordered monomials in these generators. The coefficients of these monomials are called the [*structure constants*]{} of the OPE algebra, and they are all rational functions of $k$. The set of nongeneric values of $k$ where the strong finite generating set for $V^{k}(\mathfrak{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ does not work can be determined here. By Theorem 5.3 of [@CL], the only nongeneric values of $k$ are the poles of these structure constants. Clearly there are at most finitely many such poles. Using K. Thielemans’ Mathematica package [@T], the full OPE algebra among these generators was calculated, and we find that the poles of the structure constants lie in the set $$\{0,\frac{16}{51},\frac{16}{9},-\frac{32}{3}\}.$$ It follows that all other values of $k$ are generic.
An immediate consequence is the following:
For $k\neq0,\frac{16}{51},\frac{16}{9},-\frac{32}{3},$ $V^{k}(\lie{sl}_{2})^{\mathbb{Z}_{2}}$ is of type $\mathcal{W}(1,2^3, 3, 4^2)$.
Acknowledgements
================
I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to Prof. Linshaw for his immense knowledge, useful discussions, and valuable suggestions throughout this work.
[ABKS]{}
T. Arakawa, *Rationality of $\cW$-algebras: principal nilpotent cases*, Ann. Math. vol. 182, no. 2 (2015), 565-604. T. Arakawa, T. Creutzig, and A. Linshaw, *Cosets of Bershadsky-Polyakov algebras and rational $\cW$-algebras of type $A$*, Selecta Math. New Series, 23, No. 4 (2017), 2369-2395. T. Arakawa, T. Creutzig, K. Kawasetsu, and A. Linshaw, *Orbifolds and cosets of minimal $\cW$-algebras*, Comm. Math. Phys. 355, No. 1 (2017), 339-372. M. Al-Ali and A. Linshaw, *The $\mathbb{Z}_{2}$-orbifold of the $\cW_{3}$-algebra*, Comm. Math. Phys. 353, No. 3 (2017), 1129-1150. R. Borcherds, *Vertex operator algebras, Kac-Moody algebras and the monster*, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 83 (1986) 3068-3071. T. Creutzig and A. Linshaw, *Cosets of affine vertex algebras inside larger structures*, arXiv:1407.8512v4. S. Carnahan and M. Miyamoto, *Regularity of fixed-point vertex operator algebras*, arXiv:1603.05645. L. Dixon, J. Harvey, C. Vafa, and E. Witten, *Strings on orbifolds*, Nucl. Phys. B 261 (1985) 678-686. C. Dong, H. Li, and G. Mason, *Compact automorphism groups of vertex operator algebras*, Int. Math. Res. Not. 18 (1996), 913-921. C. Dong, H. Li, and G. Mason, *Twisted representations of vertex operator algebras*, Math. Ann. 310 (1998), 571-600. C. Dong and G. Mason, *On quantum Galois theory*, Duke Math. J. 86 (1997), 305-321. C. Dong and K. Nagatomo, *Classification of irreducible modules for the vertex operator algebra $M(1)_{+}$*, J. Algebra 216 (1999) no. 1, 384-404. C. Dong and K. Nagatomo, *Classification of irreducible modules for the vertex operator algebra $M(1)^+$ II. Higher rank*, J. Algebra 240 (2001) no. 1, 289-325. C. Dong, L. Ren, and F. Xu, *On orbifold theory*, Adv. Math. 321 (2017), 1-30. R. Dijkgraaf, C. Vafa, E. Verlinde, and H. Verlinde, *The operator algebra of orbifold models*, Comm. Math. Phys. 123 (1989), 485-526. E. Frenkel and D. Ben-Zvi, *Vertex Algebras and Algebraic Curves*, Math. Surveys and Monographs, Vol. 88, American Math. Soc., 2001. I. B. Frenkel, J. Lepowsky, and A. Meurman, *Vertex Operator Algebras and the Monster*, Academic Press, New York, 1988. I. B. Frenkel and Y. C. Zhu, *Vertex operator algebras associated to representations of affine and Virasoro algebras*, Duke Math. J, Vol. 66, No. 1, (1992), 123-168. V. Kac, *Vertex Algebras for Beginners*, University Lecture Series, Vol. 10. American Math. Soc., 1998. H. Li, *Local systems of vertex operators, vertex superalgebras and modules*, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 109 (1996), no. 2, 143-195. H. Li, *Vertex algebras and vertex Poisson algebras*, Commun. Contemp. Math. 6 (2004) 61-110. A. Linshaw, *Invariant theory and the Heisenberg vertex algebra*, Int. Math. Res. Notices, 17 (2012), 4014-4050. A. Linshaw, *Invariant subalgebras of affine vertex algebras*, Adv. Math. 234 (2013), 61-84. B. Lian and A. Linshaw, *Howe pairs in the theory of vertex algebras*, J. Algebra 317, 111-152 (2007). B. Lian and G. Zuckerman, *Commutative quantum operator algebras*, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 100 (1995) no. 1-3, 117-139. M. Miyamoto, *$C_2$-cofiniteness of cyclic orbifold models*, Comm. Math. Phys. 335 (2015) 1279-1286. K. Thielemans, *A Mathematica package for computing operator product expansions*, Int. Jour. Mod. Phys. C2 (1991) p.787.
| {
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INTRODUCTION
============
Several factors affect the success of *in vitro* fertilization (IVF) treatment. Proper embryo culture conditions and medium formulation in particular are two indispensable requirements ([@r17]; [@r26]; [@r10]; [@r18]). The fallopian tubes are the natural environment for human oocyte fertilization and the stage where early embryonic development unfolds; they provide the optimal environment for the developing preimplantation embryo before it reaches the endometrial cavity ([@r14]; [@r8]). Thus, the culture medium used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures must be optimized to reproduce the environment in the fallopian tubes and the endometrium. Culture conditions play a determining role in embryo development and consequently in the achievement of ongoing pregnancy ([@r13]; [@r8]). With that in mind, two possible formulations have been considered for culture media: one is the \"back to nature\" approach, based on sequential embryo culture medium (Sequential-ECM) designed to mimic *in vivo* conditions; and the other is the \"let the embryo choose\" approach, based on single culture medium (Single-ECM) in which the embryo is cultured in a constant medium containing all the ingredients needed for its development ([@r12]; [@r2]; [@r18]).
In view of the lack of data to define which approach provides for better embryo culture conditions, this meta-analysis aimed to find whether single medium was better than sequential medium in terms of clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, and miscarriage rates in patients undergoing ART procedures.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
====================
Meta-analysis inclusion criteria
--------------------------------
Inclusion criteria: published randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of single and sequential medium at improving clinical outcomes among patients undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles; trials providing data on IVF cycles.
Endpoints
---------
The primary endpoint measured in this meta-analysis was ongoing pregnancy rate (per randomized patient). The secondary endpoints included clinical pregnancy rate (per randomized patient) and miscarriage rate (from clinical pregnancy). Clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of a gestational sac in the uterine cavity (with or without fetal heartbeat) at 6/7 weeks of gestation detected by ultrasound examination. Ongoing pregnancy was defined as the presence of fetal heartbeat at 6 to 12 weeks of gestation. Miscarriage was defined as any pregnancy, including clinical pregnancies, which failed to reach the status of ongoing pregnancy.
Study selection
---------------
A search was carried out on electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; keywords: single culture medium, single step, sequential culture medium, continuous culture medium, pregnancy rates) to find randomized controlled trials published by December 2016 in which ART outcomes were compared vis-à-vis the use of single or sequential medium. The search included only papers published in English. The following headings and descriptors were used: IVF, ICSI, ART procedures, embryo culture media, sequential culture medium, single culture medium, clinical outcomes, and randomized study. Only randomized controlled trials were included.
Search results
--------------
Four of 128 trials met the inclusion criteria ([@r16]; [@r23]; [@r3]; [@r24]). [Figure 1](#f1){ref-type="fig"} shows a flow diagram depicting the selection process.
Figure 1.QUOROM statement flow diagram illustrating the selection of trials included in this meta-analysis.
Validity assessment and data extraction
---------------------------------------
Each trial was assessed independently by four reviewers (FCD, JBAO, RLRB, and JGFJr) and ranked based on methodological rigor and potential introduction of bias. They were analyzed for originally reported characteristics, randomization method, statistical power calculation, unit of analysis, and presence or absence of blinding. Missing data were obtained from the authors.
A brief description of the included studies
-------------------------------------------
[@r16]: this prospective study compared blastulation, implantation, and viable pregnancy rates from embryos randomized to culture in sequential or single medium. Embryos obtained from patients submitted to IVF were randomized in sealed envelopes to culture in one of three systems: monoculture medium (Rotterdam culture media), the same culture medium with refresh on day three of embryo development, or sequential medium (Vitrolife G1 until day 3 and Vitrolife G2 until day 5). The blinding procedure was not described. The analysis included 146 treatment cycles (98 randomized to single medium and 48 to sequential medium). No significant differences were reported in ongoing pregnancy rates between the groups. Patient baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups (i.e. age). The authors indicated that human embryos do not necessarily have to be cultured in specifically designed sequential media to fully develop into viable blastocysts capable of resulting in ongoing pregnancy.
[@r23]: this prospective randomized study used donor oocytes to compare single medium (Global medium) refreshed on day 3 and sequential medium (ECM/Multiblast) for the development of human embryos to the blastocyst stage and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. A total of 79 patients were randomly assigned to have their embryos cultured in single (40) or sequential medium (39). For clinical reasons, the pregnancy data of one of the patients was not included in statistical analysis. Patient baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups (i.e. age). Ongoing pregnancy rates tended to be higher after culture in single medium than in sequential medium, but the difference was not statically significant.
[@r3]: this prospective randomized trial compared sequential (ISM1) and single medium (GM501) for pregnancy outcomes. All 172 patients seen in a four-month period in a human reproduction center for IVF/ICSI treatment were randomly allocated to either single (84) or sequential medium (83) cultures. Randomization was blinded by means of envelopes with an equal amount of stickers printed either single or sequential medium. Conventional embryo transfer was performed on day 2 or 3 (cleavage stage). Patient baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups (i.e. age). No differences between the two groups with regard to any of the outcomes analyzed (i.e., clinical pregnancy rate, pregnancy losses), including ongoing pregnancy rate, were reported. In conclusion, there was no significant difference between sequential and single medium cultures.
[@r24]: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) included 100 patients randomly allocated to embryo culture in either single \[Global medium (50 patients)\] or sequential medium \[Origio-ISM1/BlastAssist (50 patients)\] within a six-month period. Physicians and patients were blinded to the type of medium used. Embryo transfers were performed on day 2, 3 or 5. Patient baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups (i.e. age). No statistically significant differences, including, were found between single and sequential medium - ongoing pregnancy rates of \[50% (22/44) versus 50% (24/48)\] respectively. Both culture approaches (single and sequential medium) appear to adequately support *in vitro* pre-implantation embryo development and produce similar reproductive outcomes.
Statistical analysis
--------------------
Four RCTs were included as targets for data extraction and meta-analysis. Data were combined for meta-analysis using statistical package Stats-Direct. Dichotomous variables were expressed in the form of Relative Risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran\'s Q and I ^2^. Study data were combined using a Random-effects model. *p*-values \<0.05 were considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
=======
This meta-analysis looked into clinical pregnancy (per randomized patient), ongoing pregnancy (per randomized patient), and miscarriage (from clinical pregnancy) rates. Ongoing pregnancy rates were shown based on the time of embryo transfer: cleavage stage (day 2/3) and/or blastocyst stage (day 5/6) of embryo development.
No significant differences were found between single and sequential medium for clinical pregnancy in three studies \[42.9% (75/175) versus 40.1% (71/177), (RR=1.09; 95%CI=0.83-1.44; *p*=0.53/Heterogeneity: Cochran Q=2.88, *p*=0.23, I^2^=30.5%)\]; ongoing pregnancy in four studies \[32.2% (88/273) versus 32.4%(73/225), (RR=1.11; 95%CI=0.87-1.40; *p*=0.39/Heterogeneity: Cochran Q=2.72, *p*=0.44, I^2^=0%)\]; or miscarriage rates in three studies \[14.7% (11/75) versus 18.3% (13/71), (RR=0.89; 95%CI=0.44-1.81; *p*=0.74/Heterogeneity: Cochran Q=0.59, *p*=0.75, I^2^=0%)\]. Forest plots depict the results of the individual studies included in this meta-analysis ([Figures 2](#f2){ref-type="fig"}, [3](#f3){ref-type="fig"} and [4](#f4){ref-type="fig"}).
Figure 2.Forest plot - clinical pregnancy rate per randomized patient.
Figure 3.Forest plot - ongoing pregnancy rate per randomized patient.
Figure 4.Forest plot - miscarriage rate from clinical pregnancy.
No significant differences were found between single and sequential medium in the RCTs in which embryo transfer was carried out at the blastocyst stage \[Single-ECM: 34.8% (48/138) *versus* Sequential-ECM: 34.1% (30/88), (RR=1.29; 95%CI=0.93-1.78; *p*=0.12/Heterogeneity: Cochran Q=0.90)\]. [Table 1](#t1){ref-type="table"} describes the ongoing pregnancy rate results according to the stage of embryonic development at the time of embryo transfer.
######
Single medium versus sequential medium. Ongoing pregnancy rate outcomes. Random effects.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trial Single-ECM n/N Sequential-ECM n/N RR 95%CI
----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ -------------------- ------ -----------
**Cleavage stage**
[@r3] 18/85 19/87 0.97 0.55-1.70
**Blastocyst stage**
[@r23] 28/40 20/40 1.40 0.98-2.07
[@r16] 20/98 10/48 0.98 0.51-1.94
**Cleavage and Blastocyst stages**
[@r25] 22/50 24/50 0.92 0.60-1.40
**Total (Random effects) combined** 88/273 73/225 1.11 0.87-1.40
**Blastocyst stage only (Random effects) combined** 48/138 30/88 1.29 0.93-1.78
**Total**\ **Blastocyst stage only**\
Chi2=0.71 *p*=0.39\ Chi2=2.35 *p*=0.13\
Cochran Q=2.72 *p*=0.44\ Cochran Q=0.90 *p*=0.34
I^2^=0% (95% CI=0% to 67.9%)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCUSSION
==========
Meta-analyses often shed light on medical questions surrounded by uncertainty. This method of analysis integrates and combines the findings of various independent studies into a single common result. Compared to narrative reviews, meta-analyses are less biased by a reviewer\'s personal opinions, and are thus less likely to provide partial conclusions. Additionally, the results may be easily recalculated and compared to the conclusions stated by the authors. Several human embryo culture procedures have been proposed to improve the clinical outcomes of patients submitted to ART, and two approaches stand out from the crowd: single and sequential medium ([@r20]; [@r18]). This meta-analysis compared single and sequential medium for how each performed in terms of the clinical outcomes of patients submitted to ART, and found that the two methods did not produce statistically different outcomes.
Embryo culture is an important step in ART, and culture medium plays a key role in the success of IVF cycles ([@r28]; [@r11]). An ideal embryo culture medium should contain components similar to the ones present in the natural environment, to thus mimic an environment most conducive to pre-implantation embryonic development and enable improved clinical outcomes ([@r3]). With this idea in mind, sequential medium with the \"back to nature\" approach was developed to mimic the changing embryo development environment, first in the Fallopian tubes and then in the uterus, in which different formulations are required ([@r6]; [@r7]; [@r9]). On the other hand, single medium with the \"let the embryo choose\" approach was designed to meet the metabolic needs of both early and late-stage embryo development during *in vitro* culture; therefore, this medium must contain all ingredients needed for the embryo to develop to the blastocyst stage ([@r3]; [@r8]; [@r15]; [@r19]). Several authors have compared the clinical outcomes resulting from different types of embryo culture medium, single and sequential medium ([@r23]; [@r3]; [@r16]; [@r1]; [@r9]; [@r21]; [@r24]; [@r25]), but despite the numerous publications on the matter, some studies had methodological flaws such as randomization bias, unclearly measured outcomes, inadequate sample sizes, and absence of statistical power calculation.
The single medium approach may, in many ways, be advantageous in laboratory practice. This method requires less embryo handling and thus minimizes the chances of unintentionally damaging the embryo, considering that regardless of the chosen culture system, embryos have to be frequently removed from the incubator to have their development assessed, thus exposing them to stress and reactive oxygen species. Single medium also provides adequate stabilization of the embryo culture environment and reduces global costs ([@r5]; [@r22]; [@r27]; [@r15]; [@r9]). In addition, single medium is also a friendlier method when one uses time-lapse systems. This explains why single medium is growing in popularity, since time-lapse systems may prevent repeated disturbances to the embryonic culture environment. However, it should be noted that this method of embryo selection is not yet established in most human reproduction centers ([@r4]; [@r9]).
In conclusion, single and sequential medium did not produce significantly different outcomes in terms of clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, or miscarriage rates in patients undergoing ART cycles. Although no differences were found between the two embryo culture methods, this meta-analysis included only a few randomized clinical trials and a small number of patients. Therefore, inferences from the findings described herein must be made with caution.
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Ron returns to Berri factory floor
By the time the landmark closed in 2010 amid tough financial conditions brought about by the drought and industry changes, Ron had clocked up 31 years.
He was almost as much of an institution as the century-old factory and one of more than 100 employees left out of work.
"I was probably going to work here 'til I retired and then it was like, there was nothing to get up for in the morning," Ron remembered.
Today the factory has the promise of a new lease of life, about being bought from National Foods by diamond industrial tool maker Syntec with the help of a $1.42 million Riverland Sustainable Futures Fund.
The company is relocating its main production facility from China to Berri, in a move which will initially create 12 local jobs.
It seems fitting that one of those has already been offered to Ron.
"I'm more positive now, because I have a job and that's the main thing, to be able to pay your bills, I'm hoping to work out here 'til I retire now," he said.
Right person in the right place
Standing at the entrance to the factory, Ron recounts how he secured a part-time position as caretaker at the site shortly after the facility closed.
It was in that capacity that he met up with the new owners and was offered a job.
"They asked if I would like a full-time job here and I said, yes I would," Ron said.
"I'm looking forward to working back here, actually, to tell the truth."
The manufacturing operation will signal a new start for the factory, which has operated under a number of labels including Berri Fruit Juices, Berrivale, Berri Ltd and National Foods.
When Ron first started work at the facility he was stacking boxes and operating juice lines.
"I was at work one night and the leading hand didn't show up, so they made me leading hand," he said.
The switch away from manual procedures to automated systems was one of the biggest changes in the three decades he worked at the site.
The closure of the McKay Rd plant followed the decision to relocate the Berri Ltd cannery along the Sturt Hwy, costing up to 300 jobs.
Writing on the wall
Ron said workers had been aware that the future was not secure.
"People knew it was going to happen, it was like a whisper but management said 'it's not going to happen' but people seemed to know, and a lot of them left," he said.
"Everyone knew it was coming, it just happened a bit quicker than we thought."
For Ron, a husband and father of four children, the future is now looking brighter.
"It seemed like it was going to be here forever, it had been here for a hundred years or so," he said.
"But things change, and transport costs and whatever, the drought, that all buggered it up.
"I think it's just that you don't know whether things are stable here, places were shutting down that quick... you think it's going to take a lot to get that back, it's going to be hard, but I think we'll come good." | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
2000.times { print ('a'.ord + rand(26)).chr }
puts | {
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} |
Q:
CSS Wrapper Width
I'm attempting to change the wrapper width on a wordpress blog. It's currently set as following:
#wrapper {
width: 1146px;
padding: 0 28px;
margin: 0 auto;
I would like to make the width 1050, however when I change the width pixels to 1050, it doesnt change the width of the wrapper, it just pushes the entire container to the right.
Am I missing something?
Here's a link to the blog if it helps My Blog
A:
Problems like this are usually the result of items inside of your #wrapper being too wide for the wrapper's width. I looked at the code on your homepage (saw the URL for your screenshot) and found the problem to be with the #root padding.
Change this:
#root {
width: 956px;
padding: 35px 95px;
background: #fff;
}
to this:
#root {
width: 956px;
padding: 35px 47px;
background: #fff;
}
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
Q:
Ошибка ORA-01008: не все переменные привязаны
Есть проблема с выполнением параметризованного запроса в c#. Вот мой код:
Data = new DataTable("Data098");
OleDbConnection con = connmgr.ORACLE_ORACLE();
cmd = con.CreateCommand();
cmd.CommandText = @"select sum (round ( (t1.width * t1.thickness * t1.qnt_length * 7.85 * power (10, -9)), 3)) weight
from ( select sp.batch_pps_id
, min (sm.s_tickness) keep (dense_rank first order by sp.pstng_date) thickness
, min (sm.s_width) keep (dense_rank first order by sp.pstng_date) width
, min (sp.entry_qnt) keep (dense_rank first order by sp.pstng_date) qnt_length
, min (sp.pstng_date) pstng_date
from oracle.z_stan_prod_sap sp, oracle.z_spr_materials sm
where sp.stge_loc = '5600'
and sp.material = sm.matnr
and sm.d_ntdqm = 'ТС 05757848-98-2014'
group by sp.batch_pps_id) t1
where t1.pstng_date between :start_date and :finish_date";
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("start_date", start_date);
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("finish_date", end_date);
OleDbDataAdapter oda = new OleDbDataAdapter(cmd);
oda.Fill(Data);
ad.Dispose();
cmd.Dispose();
Cmd до этого уже используется в этом блоке но она диспозиться. Проблема в том что на строчке заполнения даты вылетает ошибка.
ORA-01008: не все переменные привязаны
Что я делаю не так? Может уже взгляд замылился но не как не могу понять.
A:
Вместо :start_date and :finish_date, нужно заменить на знаки вопроса ?, и тогда параметр успешно передаётся.
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
“Loss of consortium” is a legal claim for damages suffered by the spouse or another immediate relative of a person who has been injured or killed as a result of a defendant’s negligent, intentional, or otherwise wrongful act or acts. The term refers to the deprivation of the benefits of family relationships due to the injuries or wrongful death. While some jurisdictions only recognize spousal consortium (generally meaning sex), others recognize parental consortium (love and affection) and allow children to recover for the death or disability of a parent and vice versa.
In a wrongful death case argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals in July, the three-judge panel heard arguments regarding several of the most basic questions about loss of consortium claims in wrongful death cases. How much compensation is too much for the loss of consortium? What kind of proof should be required for a loss of consortium claim to prevail? How much discretion should a jury have in such cases? And when should a jury’s award for loss of consortium damages be overturned by an appeals court?
WHAT WERE THE DETAILS OF THE CASE?
When Phillip Amsden helped another truck driver change a tire on I-65 in 2010, an impaired driver named Jeffrey Cleary crashed into Amsden’s truck, killing him instantly. Cleary’s blood alcohol content (BAC) level measured three times the legal limit, and he was sentenced to fourteen years on the Class B felony criminal charge of operating a motor vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Concentration level over 0.15 percent.
Patricia Amsden filed a wrongful death claim against Jeffrey Cleary, and the two bars where Mr. Cleary was drinking. She was represented at the five-day trial by wrongful death attorney Stephen D. Phillips of the Chicago-based Phillips Law Offices. Jurors awarded the Amsden estate $25 million. The award was selected by both Verdict Search and the National Law Journal as one of the top verdicts of 2015.
WHAT WAS THE ISSUE BEFORE THE COURT OF APPEALS?
Before the Indiana Court of Appeals in July 2016, defendants alleged that the jury’s award was based exclusively on emotion, not economic facts. However, Chicago wrongful death attorney Stephen D. Phillips cited precedent that cautions appellate courts from second-guessing jurors’ decisions. Judge Patricia Riley questioned whether the Court of Appeals should even consider overturning the jury’s verdict. “That was the value they put on it,” she said. “Why should we supplant our judgment for the judgment of the jury?”
Responding to the claim that the jury’s award was based exclusively on emotion, Judge James Kirsch said, “Isn’t that true of consortium claims in every case where there’s a loss of spouse? I don’t know what economist is going to come in and quantify the monetary value of the loss of a spouse. So it’s always a very gray area for a jury.”
Chicago wrongful death attorney Stephen D. Phillips disputed the claim that the verdict was the product of emotion alone. “It’s not as though we stood up and we just said ‘Look, he was killed by a drunk who got hammered in two bars and you should give her a lot of money,’” he said. “We spent a lot of time making sure they got evidence to avoid the claim this is all sympathy and we’re just up here tugging at your heartstrings.”
Attorney Phillips also cited an Indiana Court of Appeals ruling in Ritter v. Stanton (2001). In that case, a jury awarded $55 million for an injury claim that included $12 million for loss of consortium. The Court of Appeals held that when damages cannot be precisely calculated, a jury has the right to make an educated decision regarding the case, and the “Supreme Court of Indiana has said multiple times that appellate courts and supreme courts and trial courts should be very, very, very loath to set aside a jury verdict unless they can find a really good reason,” attorney Phillips added. The case was argued July 27 before Judges Kirsch, Riley, and Rudolph Pyle III.
Stephen D. Phillips is the managing partner at the Phillips Law Offices in Chicago. He earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in 1985 and his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1981. He is an extensively published writer and sought-after lecturer on legal topics ranging from medical malpractice to tort reform. Mr. Phillips is also the recipient of a number of awards and honors from various legal and community groups. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Entries Tagged as 'tupper lake'
The trail up Goodman Mountain in Franklin County, Town of Tupper Lake, is now complete, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The Goodman Mountain trail is dedicated in honor and memory of civil rights activist Andrew Goodman. The new trailhead parking area and first quarter mile of the trail is wheelchair accessible and ideal for families with young children and people with limited mobility. The trail steepens before turning sharply and ascending to the 2,176-foot summit, where hikers will enjoy scenic views of the Adirondacks.
“This new trail is a great example of Governor Cuomo’s commitment to increasing access to outdoor recreation for New Yorkers and visitors to our state,” Commissioner Martens said. “The Governor has placed emphasis on creating facilities that welcome visitors of all abilities to explore state lands and providing an ever-increasing range of accessible opportunities. I am proud to help dedicate this trail to honor the memory of Andrew Goodman, frequently hiked to the summit of this mountain with his family as a young man from their nearby camp on Tupper Lake.”
Construction of the new trail was a joint effort amongst outdoor enthusiasts living in Tupper Lake, DEC staff and the Adirondack Park Agency. The trailhead parking area is on the east site of state route 30 just south of Tupper Lake. The trail begins with a .75-mile of gentle grade that follows the original highway leading south from Tupper Lake. The remaining mile is a pleasant stroll to the summit which provides views of Tupper Lake and the Adirondacks.
John L. Quinn, councilman and local volunteer said, “The Town of Tupper Lake is proud to co-host, along with the DEC and the Wild Center, a ceremony marking the dedication of a new trail to the summit of Goodman Mountain in Tupper Lake. The trail was established to honor the memory of slain civil rights activist Andrew Goodman who, with his family, has had a long-standing connection to our community that began in the 1930’s and continues to this day. The layout and construction of this trail was completed in a cooperative effort between DEC Region 6 staff and local volunteers. It is the Town’s hope that this new trail will be enjoyed by all and permanently serve as a tribute to Mr. Goodman’s sacrifice of 50 years ago.”
In June 1964, during “Freedom Summer” at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, 20-year old Andrew Goodman and fellow civil rights workers James Chaney and Michael Schwerner were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi while working to register African-Americans to vote. Their murders served to galvanize public support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and resulted in the first successful federal prosecution of a civil rights case in Mississippi. The 1988 movie “Mississippi Burning” was loosely based upon this national tragedy. 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of both Andrew Goodman’s murder (June 21, 1964) and passage of the Civil Rights Act (July 2, 1964).
David Goodman, brother of Andrew said, “The Goodman Family is profoundly appreciative of the interest that Tupper Lake, and larger Adirondack Community, has shown over the years regarding the tragic fate of Andrew Goodman while he worked for peoples’ right to vote in Mississippi in 1964. Leaders in Tupper Lake have included the Bill Frenette Family, who successfully endeavored to name Goodman Mountain after my brother Andrew. In addition, others include John Quinn of Tupper Lake, The Wild Center, volunteer workers and so many others who have worked closely with DEC to install a beautiful trail to the summit of this state owned mountain. Under the direction of Commissioner Martens and his extraordinary staff, DEC has done a wonderful job throughout New York and the Adirondacks, bringing the natural beauty of the Empire State to all the people who want to experience it. Visitors to Tupper Lake will now have the opportunity to learn about Andrew Goodman and be reminded of this important event and its connection to local history.”
Litchfield Mountain was renamed Goodman Mountain by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2002 at the request of then Town of Tupper Lake Historian William Frenette. That renaming honored the memory of Charles Goodman and his grandson Andrew Goodman. The Goodman Family has strong ties to the community of Tupper Lake, having spent summers here since the 1930s at a camp built by Charles Goodman near Bog River Falls on Tupper Lake. Charles Goodman was responsible for the development of Lumberjack Spring in 1937, near the site of the trail head parking area.
Senator Hugh T. Farley said “I am pleased to extend my congratulations to all involved in developing this new hiking trail to the top of Goodman Mountain. This will provide additional recreational opportunities for visitors and local residents alike. This new trail, and dedication events, also provide a wonderful opportunity to remember and honor the Goodman family.”
“A new trail for families and visitors to enjoy is great news for beautiful Tupper Lake,” said Senator Betty Little. “How fitting to recognize and honor slain civil rights activist Andrew Goodman, a courageous trailblazer with a connection to this community whose sacrifice led to freedom and a better way of life for many others.”
Assemblyman Marc Butler said, “I am pleased to congratulate the DEC for their efforts in opening a new hiking trail in the Tupper Lake area for the public to use.”
Assemblywoman Janet L. Duprey said, “I regret a previous Assembly commitment prevents me from attending the Commemoration of the Goodman Mountain Trail at the Wild Center. I have had the opportunity to meet members of Andrew Goodman’s family In Tupper Lake and this tribute to Andy is most fitting. Andy was a strong advocate for the civil rights of all people, a tradition carried on by his family through the Goodman Foundation. Thanks to DEC for recognizing Andy Goodman with this honor.”
Mecca E. Santana, Esq. Chief Diversity Officer for NYS said, “Having spent the entirety of my professional life fighting for justice and equality, I ?am both honored and humbled to participate in this historic dedication ceremony celebrating the life and accomplishments of Andrew Goodman. The sacrifices of Andrew, and so many others who came before and after him, will never be forgotten.”
The parking lot, bridge, signs and trail were constructed with funding from the Environmental Protection Fund. Total costs were approximately $4350. Goodman Mountain is within the Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest and managed by the DEC Region 6 Lands and Forests staff in Watertown, NY. See more information on Adirondack trails .
Governor Cuomo has expanded recreational opportunities for residents and tourists, positioning New York State as a recreation destination, connecting communities to state lands, and improving the quality of life. This year’s State budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support the creation of 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have not reached their full potential. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas.
The New York State Police, in conjunction with New York State DEC and Forest Rangers, are reminding the public of a missing person case, hoping they can assist in the search.
On March 11, 2012 around 2:00 AM, Colin Gillis, age 18, of Tupper Lake, New York, was last seen walking along State Route 3 between Tupper Lake and Piercefield. At the time, Gillis was wearing a white T-shirt with black stripes, blue jeans, red sneakers and a red and black down jacket. He is 6 foot tall, 170 lbs, and has blonde hair and blue eyes.
State Police are reminding those who are planning on participating in the upcoming hunting seasons, to be observant for anything unusual or out of the ordinary while they are in the woods. If the public observes anything they wish to report, or has any information in regards to Colin’s disappearance, contact the New York State Police at (518) 897-2000.
Information and comments gathered from the public and stakeholder groups will help the commissioners of the two state agencies determine whether to amend the Remsen-Lake Placid Corridor Unit Management Plan. The plan, adopted by DEC and NYSDOT in March 1996, assesses the natural and physical resources along the 100-foot-wide corridor and identifies opportunities for public use. It guides how the corridor is used and managed.
The public meetings are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
Monday, September 9, 6-9 p.m. at the Town of Webb Park Avenue Office Building, 183 Park Avenue in Old Forge
The state acquired the Remsen-Lake Placid Travel Corridor in 1975 from the bankrupt Penn Central Railroad. The rail line was constructed in 1892 and was operated by New York Central Railroad and, later, Penn Central Railroad until freight service ended in 1972.
NYSDOT manages the line in keeping with a Travel Corridor Unit Management Plan developed in conjunction with DEC. Approximately 100 miles of the corridor is located within the Adirondack Park. An additional 19 miles is located outside of the Park in the Tug Hill.
On February 11, DEC Environmental Conservation Police charged Terry J. Hurteau, 56, of Tupper Lake, for offenses including unlawfully setting 15 snares for coyote, multiple counts for unlawful use of body gripping traps on land and multiple counts of failing to tag traps. He was issued appearance tickets for the Town of Tupper Lake Court.
DEC Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) initially responded to complaints about a coyote running through the yards of some Tupper Lake residence. The callers reported that the coyote appeared injured and tangled in what appeared to be wire.
ECOs located the coyote by tracking it through the snow. Due to the extent of its injuries and its entanglement in the snare, the animal was euthanized. However, the ECOs were able to use the snare to begin the investigation which led them to Hurteau.
Hurteau’s activities were extreme and flagrant violations of trapping law and regulation. They do not reflect the behavior of the vast majority of ethical trappers.
Hurteau appeared in court on March 6, and pleaded guilty to all charges. He was ordered to pay total of $3,875 in fines and surcharges.
PAUL SMITHS, NY – The recent cold temperatures bode well for a good maple syrup season – and in February and March, The Wild Center and the Paul Smith’s College VIC will host several events showcasing how to make (and enjoy!) this quintessential springtime treat.
Over four weekends, watch how the sweet sap of trees becomes the highlight of a pancake breakfast and learn other ways to use this natural sweetener at a series of demonstrations, activities and events in both Tupper Lake and Paul Smiths.
The Paul Smith’s College VIC will host two workshops for people interested in establishing their own backyard maple sugaring operations.
Toss out your old-fashioned maple taps – on Saturday, Feb. 16, from 1-4 p.m., learn how to set up a modern tubing system with Mike Farrell, director of the Cornell Maple Program. A brief classroom session will be followed by hands-on work at the VIC’s sugar maple demonstration site. Topics will include preparing the sugar bush prior to tubing installation; site considerations; line placement and installation; tapping trees; sanitation; and sap collection. Please dress for the weather and be prepared for a 2-3 mile snowshoe walk on groomed trails and uneven terrain. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow a pair from the VIC.
On Saturday, March 23, from 1-4 p.m., learn about the art of maple sugaring with special emphasis on backyard tapping, collection and boiling. At this event, part of New York State’s Maple Weekend, Paul Smith’s College students will lead workshops and provide tours of the sugarhouse and the maple demonstration site. Includes program and tastings for the whole family.
The Wild Center will also host a pair of workshops on Sunday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, March 16, to launch Tupper Lake’s first-ever community maple sugaring project. The project, one of the first in the state, invites area residents to tap maple trees in their own yards. The Wild Center will collect the sap daily once it starts to flow, ultimately boiling it down into maple syrup.
To participate, attend the free “Art of Maple Sugaring Breakfast and Workshop.” Registered participants will get a pancake breakfast, an introduction to the natural history of maple trees, expert instruction and tapping tools. Additional supplies will be available for purchase from The Wild Supply Company. Advanced registration is required; attendance at either workshop is necessary to participate in the project. Families are encouraged to attend.
After the workshops end, it’s all maple all day at The Wild Center, with maple stories, crafts and tastings on Feb. 24 and March 16. The Adirondack Museum will share local maple sugaring stories through historical objects and pictures from the past. Get insight into the sugaring process from experienced naturalists at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. as they discuss tapping trees, processing sap, and – the sweet part – maple sugar. Take a closer look at an operational evaporator, catch some running sap and drill your own tap as we explore the local maple-sugaring story.
All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Visit Maple Weekends to register for events at The Wild Center or call (518) 359-7800. For events at the Paul Smith’s College VIC, contact Brian McDonnell at (518) 327-6241 or [email protected]. For more information, please visit us online at www.northernnewyorkmaple.com.
Tupper Lake, NY – Don’t miss Presidents Week at The Wild Center, February 17th – February 24th as we celebrate the season with a week of wintery Adirondack fun. Everyday there is a new winter theme and activities for the whole family to enjoy. In addition to special daily winter programming there will be guided snowshoe walks, live animal encounters, and warm winter beverages. For more information, visit The WILD Center – Events.
Saturday, February 16th
Join us for opening day of Winter Week as we celebrate winter in the Adirondacks! Get outside and try your hand at snowshoeing with one of our naturalists. Or stay inside to learn about winter adventuring and to meet some of our Adirondack animals, whose adaptations allow them to cope with the harsh Adirondack winters in intriguing ways.
Sunday, February 17th
Noon theater program and 2:00 pm walk
Animal Tracking with Vince Walsh
Join Vince Walsh for a day on animal tracking and signs to learn how you can see, identify and interpret the natural world of the Adirondacks. Vince will share his experience and insight through multiple public programs starting with a 12:00 pm theater presentation on winter and its influences on animal behavior. Then bring your tracking questions, pictures and stories to Vince as he puzzles over your tracking experiences and discoveries. Don’t forget to bring some warm clothes so at 2:00 pm you can head outside to practice your tracking skills and use all your senses to see what evidence of animals you can find in the Adirondack forest. Snowshoes will be provided free with admission.
Monday, February 18th – 1:00 pm
Wild about Winter
Join naturalist and entertainer Rob Carr for a wild theater program about Adirondack animals in the winter. Filled with stories, humor, puppets and LOTS of live animals, it is guaranteed to please visitors of all ages.
Tuesday, February 19th – 1:00 pm
Winter Birds of the Adirondacks
Where have all the birdies gone? While it might seem like all our birds fly south when the weather gets chilly, there are plenty that stick around and tough out the Adirondack winters. Meet LIVE Adirondack birds in our theater at 1:00 pm for a fascinating program about birds and their winter adaptations. Follow up with a 2:00 pm bird walk along our trails, looking for signs of these tenacious feathered fliers and talking about the ways different species adapt for the cold.
Wednesday, February 20th – 1:00 pm
Creatures of the Night
Nighttime animals love the long winter nights. Join us in Planet Adirondack at 1:00 pm to meet live creatures of the night and get a glimpse into their nighttime habits.
Thursday, February 21st – 1:00 pm
Putting the Myth on Ice
Bears sleep all winter, plants stop growing and all birds fly south…or do they? Join naturalist Andrea Schwander for a fun-filled theater program of breaking down misconceptions and myth busting. The program will focus on some animal and winter myths, and will feature audience participation, demonstrations, and of course, some of The Wild Center’s live animals.
Friday, February 22nd – 1:00 pm
Brrrrrrrrreakfast
Not many choose to brave the cold Adirondack winters, not even in the animal kingdom. Lucky for us we have a couple of LIVE animals that tend to stick around instead of hightailing it to warmer areas. Come to our afternoon theater program to learn about their adaptations for obtaining food and energy in the long cold days of winter.
Saturday, February 23rd – 1:00 pm
The Travel Troupe
Join The Wild Center in welcoming the Ronathahonni Cultural Center’s Travel Troupe. Come learn about their cultural history through song, dance and storytelling at 1:00 pm in our Flammer Theater.
Sunday, February 24th – 9:00 am
Pancake Breakfast and Sugaring Workshop
The Wild Center is joining Tupper Lake community members and their sugar maple trees to create a community-driven Maple Sugar house. For local residents: register for the 9:00 am free Pancake Breakfast and Sugaring Workshop to learn more about our community maple project. Register at www.wildcenter.org/events and see how you can get involved.
Tupper Lake, NY – Since the Oval Wood Dish factory in Tupper Lake closed in 2008, residents of this tight-knit community have often wondered what would become of the 103,000 square foot factory that once employed three generations of village residents. On Wednesday, December 12th at 6pm at The Wild Center, five student teams from Syracuse University will present their ideas. Refreshments will be served.
Syracuse University conducts an annual Industrial Design competition that presents students with a design challenge. In 2012, Syracuse faculty chose to study the former Oval Wood Dish factory site in Tupper Lake for their challenge.
The industrial and interaction design (IID) program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) Department of Design runs the 360 Competition. Professor Donald Carr, who led the students through the process, noted, “The goal for the IID 360 competition is to explore ideas for the creative re-use of an idle factory. By leveraging the ‘renewable resources’ of the region, the goal is to create a design proposal that speaks to the needs of a community. Tupper Lake has met the challenges faced by all rural communities in the region with energy and optimism; the community will be an active partner in facilitating redevelopment of the site.” Carr hoped the students would develop ideas for creative products that could be made at OWD or uses for the building that incorporate sustainable wood products.
Both the property owner, Mr. Norman Bobrow, and the community of Tupper Lake have been supportive of the student’s efforts. Members of the Revitalization Committee toured the students on a site visit in September. Syracuse University student ideas will inform a feasibility study of various redevelopment options that will be conducted by the Revitalization Committee this winter, using a Brownfield Opportunity Area grant from the Department of State. Tupper Lake Mayor Paul Maroun stated, “I have met with these students, and I was impressed with the depth of their questions and knowledge of the area. I look forward to their recommendations.”
Syracuse University professor, Philip Stevens, set up an endowment that funds the annual 360 Competition. The winner of the competition will receive the Philip H. Stevens Award, which is named in honor of Stevens ’51, an industrial designer and president of Philip Stevens Associates Ltd. in Skaneateles, who made a generous gift of $100,000 to the program with his wife, Margueritte.
"These trails are constructed for motor vehicles operating at a high rate of speed" ... "The state argues that the new trails will enable DEC to close routes in the interior of the Preserve, enhancing its overall wildness."
"Public hearings are going on right now in towns and cities across New York state. In all there are a total of 102 different parcels being affected by various proposed changes, some of them major and some minor."
"How nature and the outdoors are appreciated or experienced differs across cultures. We must therefore continue to understand what people care about and why, as well as how forests are viewed, valued, and being used by our changing communities."
"The destinations presented in the media are generally so unattainable by most people that they might as well be on the moon–and don’t even bother going if you’re not wearing expensive, high-tech apparel and using modern, high-priced gear."
"The Adirondacks may be relatively young mountains, but their distinctive grey granite, anorthosite, originated 1.1 billion ago, so deep in the earth's crust that only continental collision could have formed it."
"The Tribe believes the County’s efforts to impose taxation or regulation of businesses on tribal land is not only unlawful, it creates an undue economic burden that is harmful to our community’s economic development and enterprises."
"... our legislators decided to turn it over to a sketchy non-profit corporation that is not subject to the same scrutiny under the FOIL [Freedom of Information Law] and Open Meetings Law that every other agency is."
"In my opinion, a lot of the problem is that ORDA and the Convention and Visitors Bureau don't work together, year round, for the common goal of promoting the community, for the benefit of the whole region." | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Q:
jQuery Tabs - how to remove focus from them after clicking on a tab?
I am using JQuery tabs, but when I select some and then press up/down button, cursor keeps scrolling through tabs instead of scrolling down the page. Anybody got an idea how to fix it? I know I should somehow bind "activate" event to the Tabs and remove focus every time, but I am not sure how to do it.
Found also examples of activate binding, but none of them works.
My Tabs:
<div id="tabs"> <ul> <li>
<a href="#tabs-1" >General info</a></li>
<li><a href="#tabs-2" >Sights</a></li>
<li><a href="#tabs-3" >Treks and walks</a>
</li> </ul>
<div id="tabs-1">
etc etc....
Thanks a lot, Jozef
A:
If you wanna add focus or active class to only that tab you click on then I prefer you use 'jQuery' - $this , to make it happend and in that way active or focus will only apply to the tab you click on.
Example:
$('li a').click(function(){
$(this).addClass('active');
});
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
The five Taliban terrorists President Obama released from Guantanamo Bay prison are back on the battlefield. The high profile fighters were exchanged in 2014 for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a soldier who deserted his fellow U.S. troops in Afghanistan. From the Military Times (bolding is mine):
Five members of the Afghan Taliban who were freed from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in exchange for captured American Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl have joined the insurgent group’s political office in Qatar, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday.
They will now be among Taliban representatives negotiating for peace in Afghanistan, a sign some negotiators in Kabul say indicates the Taliban’s desire for a peace pact.
Others fear the five, all of whom were close to the insurgent group's founder and hard-line leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, bring with them the same ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam that characterized the group's five-year rule that ended in 2001 with the U.S.-led invasion.
As a reminder:
"The truth has been out there the entire time. We've been telling everybody that wants to listen what the truth is from shortly after Bergdahl disappeared to the initial Army investigation to when he was traded back last year. Everybody that was around him, knew what the truth was and it's just a relief that the United States Army did the right thing in charging Bergdahl with desertion and misconduct," former Army medic Josh Cornelison, who served in Bergdahl's platoon, said.
When the exchange was made, Bergdahl was treated by the Obama administration as a hero who served his country with "honor and distinction." His parents were honored with a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House. | {
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Attached Files:
You can read the serial number of the batteries when you plug in the P2V+ to your assistant software and look at the main screen, I think it's the status screen.
All my batteries that are SN 964, 2455 & 10968 have the small gold pads. I just got the P2V+ and the spare battery that came with it had the square pads. I have yet to write down the serial numbers on my new ones. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Cardiff Coroner's Court heard how Jenson's father Matthew Evans lost control of the car while driving his family home.
Jenson died at the scene, while his older and younger brothers were taken to hospital.
His father told the inquest they were on the Smilog forest lane when the front of the vehicle "suddenly became really light" and started to spin.
"I was trying to get the car to go straight, to stop, to do anything, but nothing I did made any difference."
Mr Evans said he felt a big bang and the car came to a stop.
He said he and his partner got their eldest and youngest sons out of the vehicle, and went back for Jenson.
"I leaned in to get Jenson and I could see that he was dead", he said.
"I have seen people who are dead previously and I could see he was gone."
The inquest heard there was a "tremendous impact" to the car and Jenson's cause of death was a head injury.
DC Deborah Hobrough, who investigated the crash, said the surface of the road was wet and on the brow of the hill it changed to icy.
She said an examination of the car found no mechanical defects that would have contributed to the incident.
Ruling Jenson's death to be accidental, assistant coroner Sarah Richards said: "Jenson Evans was a rear passenger travelling with his family in the family car when the car skidded on a narrow forest lane in icy conditions.
"The rear of the car spun around and impacted with a tree causing Jenson to suffer fatal injuries."
At the time of his death Jenson's family paid tribute to their "beautiful cheeky chap".
In a statement, they said he was a massive Manchester United fan and idolised Ronaldo.
"There are no words great enough to describe our love for you and the loss we feel, never happier than outdoors playing and usually covered in mud from playing football, you were football mad.
"We will miss those night-time cwtches and your kiss before bed.
"An amazing son, brother, grandson and great grandson, cousin, nephew and friend, we will miss you forever."
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In a curious subplot to the Trump-Russia scandal Nunes stood by the former national security adviser when even the White House called him a liar
The day after Donald Trump fired him, Michael Flynn had no friends in Washington but one: Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House intelligence committee.
Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, had been laid low before. In 2014, the heads of US intelligence and Pentagon intelligence pushed Flynn out. His relationship with the US intelligence agencies never quite recovered. Flynn’s subsequent penchant for inflammatory, erratic and even bigoted statements left few, particularly in security circles, willing to defend him.
Michael Flynn: new evidence spy chiefs had concerns about Russian ties Read more
The exception to that rule was Nunes.
The now ex-national security adviser was “a soldier, not a politician”, Nunes said following Flynn’s downfall.
Even the White House was calling Flynn a liar. It attributed his firing to Flynn misleading vice-president Mike Pence over Flynn’s conversations with the Russian ambassador. But if Flynn had made any mistake, Nunes suggested, it was in being too pure for politics.
“Washington DC can be a rough town for honorable people,” Nunes said, adding that Flynn “deserves America’s gratitude and respect for dedicating so much of his life to strengthening our national security”.
Nunes’s affinity for Flynn has become an underappreciated subplot of a scandal that has now consumed the congressman’s own political fortunes. Nunes, the chairman of the House intelligence committee investigating Trump’s alleged ties to Russia – an allegation in which Flynn plays a substantial role – is now under fire for what his Democratic colleagues charge is collusion with the White House to obstruct the inquiry.
In the hours before Trump fired Flynn, Nunes, a member of Trump’s national security transition team, fanned out to deny that Flynn had done anything wrong.
Trump, Russia and Flynn: ex-adviser clearly has a gripping tale to tell | Simon Jenkins Read more
He told Bloomberg news, “It just seems like there’s a lot of nothing there.” Flynn was a “change agent” in intelligence, Nunes said. Those leaking against Flynn, Nunes said, using a favored Trump locution, “want the swamp to remain”. Nunes told Fox’s Neil Cavuto that Flynn was “probably the best intelligence officer of his generation”.
Yet Flynn is now seeking an immunity deal to testify before Nunes’s inquiry and others. Jack Langer, a spokesman for Nunes, confirmed on Friday that the committee had had a “preliminary conversation” with Flynn’s attorney to discuss Flynn speaking to the committee.
“The discussions did not include immunity or other possible conditions for his appearance,” Langer said.
Nunes and Flynn’s own professional intersection even plays a role in Nunes’s corner of the controversy. One of the White House officials who aided Nunes in accessing classified intelligence forming the basis of Nunes’s allegation that Trump officials’ identities were improperly disseminated in surveillance intercepts is Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a former Flynn deputy on the NSC and DIA whom Flynn’s successor, HR McMaster, unsuccessfully sought to oust.
Flynn's downfall exposes intelligence community rift over Trump Read more
Since the inquiry began, Nunes has steered it away from the central question of Trump associates’ ties to Russia and toward the ancillary question of potential leaks of classified information against Trump’s team – the focus that Trump himself desires. Central to Nunes’s maneuver has been an emphasis on what he considers an injustice done to Flynn: the exposure of his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.
Ahead of the explosive 20 March public hearing Nunes held, the intelligence committee chairman told Fox News: “I think the concern that the Trump administration has is, you know, were they actually using surveillance activities to know what they were up to, because we know that that happened with General Flynn. We know that his name was unmasked and we know that it was leaked out to the press.”
Nunes and committee Republicans repeatedly pressed the FBI director, James Comey, and NSA director, Mike Rogers, on leaks to the press about Flynn. Nunes asked Comey if “unauthorized disclosure of Fisa-derived information to the press” would be a crime, a reference to the intercept of the Flynn-Kislyak conversations.
Afterward, Nunes again referred to Flynn in batting back criticism of his focus. “There’s been one crime that has been committed, and that is the leaking of someone’s name,” Nunes told reporters.
Along with his fellow committee Republicans, Nunes warned Comey and Rogers that the leak of Flynn’s name was disinclining them to reauthorize the NSA and FBI’s central 2017 legislative priority: the renewal of an expiring NSA surveillance authority. The Republicans told Comey and Rogers that renewing the legal provision was “in jeopardy”, in Trey Gowdy’s words, absent a leak crackdown at the intelligence agencies, a move that would benefit Trump.
Devin Nunes rejects Democrats' calls to quit Trump-Russia investigation Read more
Comey and Rogers had to remind the House Republicans who oversee surveillance that the specific authority – which the GOP supported even after Edward Snowden revealed its privacy implications on millions of Americans – was unrelated to their concern about Flynn.
Flynn’s political persona after his firing from the DIA was a gift to Republicans. He portrayed himself as a martyr, cashiered by a dishonorable Obama administration for saying that Obama was soft on terror. With stars on his shoulders, Flynn’s utility to the GOP accelerated after he implied Hillary Clinton was a criminal. (“When you are given immunity, that means you probably committed a crime,” Flynn said last year of Clinton’s aides.)
Toward the end of his opening statement at the 20 March hearing, Nunes encouraged “anyone who has information about these topics to come forward and speak to the House intelligence committee”.
The next evening, according to the New York Times, Nunes received a call from his unidentified source, leading him to the White House, where he reviewed surveillance-relevant information compiled by Cohen-Watnick, Flynn’s former NSC and DIA aide. The next day, he revealed it in public, implying that he was alerting the White House to its existence. | {
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News & Reviews
On Sunday May 5 at 6pm, the Masque Theatre presents something completely different for music lovers who embrace all genres. Steve Draper is a personable and talented man who is a good musician and is capable of playing the guitar, organ, accordion, base, trumpet, and trombone – but relax! He will not be playing all of these during this show. Steve loves Gypsy and Eastern European music in general as this music has a passionate rhythm which is easily expressed on the guitar. He loves the works of great cabaret performers and musicals so he has combined these genres to compose the music and become a real persona viz. “Klaza Kalish”! “Klaza Kalish is Big Hearted! He is the Eastern Bloc Bard! He is Happy, Sad But Always Singing!” His songs are from the heart and he and his songs are interesting, entertaining and diverse. Listen and sway, tap your feet, feel a tear, have a laugh or just drink in songs like “Olden Days”, “The Carnival, “Comrade” and more. “Klaza Kalish” with his Russian gravelled voice, provides the show –“Songs my Uncle Teach Me”. | {
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Q:
Setting a light navigation bar makes it invisible
I have set the following to have a light navigation bar:
Window.DecorView.SystemUiVisibility = (StatusBarVisibility)SystemUiFlags.LightNavigationBar;
However, in my app, the navigation bar became invisible:
Gmail app showing the wanted result:
A:
Setting LightNavigationBar, means that your buttons will fit a light theme (so they will be black, for a light background) - but you might want to change the navigationbar background as well. Here is how to do so in your activity:
Window.SetNavigationBarColor(Color.Green);
Hope it helps :)
| {
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Dressing up a Dresser
We want to follow-up this morning’s post from the boys with a little message from us:
April Fool’s! We love our boys and are willing to do almost anything for them, but posting a GIANT Seinfeld poster in our guest room or adding an entire roster of bobble heads to our bathroom are just not some of them. When we posed this April Fool’s opportunity to the boys, we really had no idea what to expect. We set out to create a fun April Fool’s joke on you, our favorite readers, but I think the real joke’s on us. Matt & Finn are now teaming up to take a stand on our crazy DIY ideas and are determined to incorporate more of their styles into our places. What have we created?! Thanks for tuning in and playing along! Happy April Fool’s Day! Now, back to our regular scheduled post…
Remember when Matt and I finished our Not so Ombre Dresser a few weeks back? The outside of the dresser was perfect, but the inside of this dresser still had a build up of childhood “secrets”. Living in Matt’s bedroom for over 25 years, this dresser has quite the story to tell. Secret stories aren’t the only things that this poor thing has been collecting. Hidden deep in the drawers of this beauty are dirty secrets…. literally.
These dirty secrets come in the form of blemishes and lots of marks of wear and tear. Where they come from, how long they’ve been there, how they got there… I’d rather not know. How we will get rid of them…. definitely no secret.
I scored this super cute Chevron shelf liner at Marshall’s. There were a ton of bright colors and designs, but I didn’t want to torture Matt’s dresser with lots of girly glamour. So I skipped the pink polka dots and went with the grey chevron. I figured this print was a nice compromise- trendy for me, grey and masculine-ish for Matt. Chevron is for boys too… right?
This liner was super easy to measure and cut evenly because of the grid system on the back. Having a grid system is a major benefit of using shelf liners rather than some wrapping papers or old wall papers to line your shelves (or drawers).
I measured the drawers, cut along the lines, removed the sticky backing and placed the liner into the drawer to hide ALL of those dirty secrets.
How cute are these drawers now? I loved this liner because it wasn’t too sticky, which allowed me to stick the liner onto the shelf temporarily, readjust, and then smooth out the air bubbles permanently.
This side-by-side photo shows you how many dirty secrets needed to be eliminated from the dresser. #25yearsworthoflittleboywearandtear
I absolutely loved the final product. I can’t wait to “dress up” all of my dressers from now on! It took about half hour and it was totally worth the little extra time. Plus, if you’re anything like me, a cute organization method definitely increases the probability of staying organized!
Happy Organizing!
P.S. We are now on FACEBOOK! Click this link to go “LIKE” our page. We’ll constantly update our page with new pics, posts, and random Playbook updates!
Leave a Comment
Lisa Muhs
hahahaha! Come on… no Kramer?! If I slept in your guestroom and woke to Kramer in the morning, I would be a happy camper ; ) haha Please keep us all posted on the DIY-dualing!
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We love to share our ideas and photographs with you. Feel free to use an image from our site, as long as it is accompanied by a link back to DIY Playbook. Failure to link back and credit DIY Playbook as a source constitutes a copyright violation. For full disclosure of all blog policies regarding comments, advertising, copyright, and other matters please look here. | {
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Q:
Is there a Vagrant box that simulates a Raspberry Pi?
I am looking at evaluating a tool-chain for programming ARM chips with a Raspberry Pi and I would like to run a Vagrant box that simulates a Raspberry Environment.
Does anyone know if something like that is available? (I have searched online for a solution but I might be asking Google the wrong questions :)
A:
There is no Vagant box to simulate the RPi because as @Cerin said Virtual Box (which Vagrant uses) doesn't support Rapsberry Pi architecture (ARM).
But there is a docker that provide a shell to a Raspbian image running on qemu.
Look here for a quick setup : https://gist.github.com/Manu343726/ca0ceb224ea789415387
Note that this guide is made for arch linux. You can do the same with debian/ubuntu changing yaourt -S call with sudo apt install
| {
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Building expert talks about straw build houses
September 28, 2011 —
Remember the story of the three little pigs, and how the wolf took advantage of two of them but lost to the smart, third little pig? The second little pig who built his house with straw got blown down by the wolf. That reportedly can never happen with the new technology of building with straw bales, which is gaining popularity now with environmentalists in the building trades.
Last week, a local environmental group brought in an expert on building with straw bales to teach interested people on how to go about it.
Sustainable Energy Education and Development (SEEDS) has become a leader in our area in numerous environmental projects that can conserve energy, promote sustainability and build community.
“Because of the interest in building with straw bales, we decided to bring in Mike Belasco who is an expert in this kind of environmental building and the founder of The ReVerse Foundation, a hand-on environmental education group,” said Kathy Dodge, one of the group’s founders.
Belasco, who has studied straw building as part of his bachelor’s degree, soon disproved the common mistaken opinion of building with hay.
“First of all, we are not talking here about hay bales,” he told an audience of about 35 people who gathered at the Wayne County Complex on Route 6 in Honesdale. “Hay is too moist, changeable and unsuccessful as a building material. On the other hand, straw is far superior in this kind of building.”
He drew a distinction between hay and straw.
“Hay is grass, alfalfa and clover cut and dried to be food for herds,” he said. “Straw is the stems of cereals like wheat, barley, oats and rye that are left behind when combine machines cut the tops of cereal grains. The rest of the grain below the seeds part is what becomes straw.”
Straw is a malleable, steady, efficient cooler and heater in a variety of atmospheric conditions, he said.
“Straw has been proven to stand up better than any other building material during an earthquake and stands firm against hurricanes and typhoons,” he said.
Building with straw bales will never burn since straw has no oxygen in it. There is a saying among straw bale folks that if there is a fire in the house, you have a week to get out.
Straw bales make excellent, durable walls when stacked tightly together. They can be cut and shaped to conform to many designs.
Building with straw is at least 100 years old, beginning in Europe and migrating to America when immigrants went west after the passing of the Homestead Act of the 1800s.
“There are straw buildings still standing in Sandhill, NE,” he said.
This is a new and exciting field that many are learning in construction. “There’s a great deal of passion being generated in America and Australia with this material,” Belasco said.
As far as costs are concerned, straw bale houses can cost as much as conventional houses. “When people build these houses, it’s a community event,” he said. “Get a lot of beer and pizza together, call in your friends and neighbors and build community. It also saves money.” | {
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Two-photon microscopy is a widely used, key method for functional imaging of cellular activity in living animals. Most recently, in vivo calciu imaging experiments have started to reveal the spatiotemporal activity patterns that occur in various areas of the neocortex during head-fixed mouse behavior. Typically, however, the field-of- view for imaging cellular activity is fairly small, on the order of a few hundred micrometers. This restriction limits the size of neuronal networks that can be studied and thus leaves open the question how local neuronal networks communicate with distant, synaptically connected regions. What is therefore needed is a new imaging instrument that allows high-resolution functional imaging from two regions simultaneously, in the best case identifying the mutual projection neurons. We have developed a novel multi-area 2-photon microscope (MA2PM) that fulfills this need by enabling simultaneous imaging of two sub-areas within a large global scan- field (1.8 mm diameter, a distance equivalent to lining 100,000 neuronal cell bodies side-by-side assuming 20 um per neuron). Such two areas can be independently and flexibly positioned, making it for example possible to simultaneously measure neurons in the primary and secondary somatosensory areas of mouse neocortex (> 1 mm apart) while the mouse is performing a tactile texture discrimination task with its whiskers. The Using the MA2PM prototype we have conducted first proof-of-principle experiments in somatosensory cortex of awake, behaving mice using a genetically-encoded calcium indicator. We apply viral retrograde labeling strategies to identify the subsets of neurons that give rise to the inter-areal connection. Our goal in the proposed project is to further optimize and extend this innovative, transforming microscopy technology in several ways. Aim 1: We will work on finalizing a full microscope design for 2-area imaging and demonstrate its usefulness for research on corticocortical processing. We are fully dedicated to build a modular, carefully designed instrument, perform a quantitative system characterization, and disseminate this new instrument to the broader neuroscience community, especially to the growing number of research groups applying two-photon imaging for the analysis of cortical processing. Aim 2: We will furthermore expand the system to an even larger field-of-view and extend it for simultaneous imaging of four sub-areas. To this end we will apply newest laser technology and employ state-of-the-art red-shifted genetically encoded calcium indicator for deep imaging. We particularly aim at instantiating two-layer imaging (e.g. in layers L2/3 and L5) in two connected cortical areas. Overall, we expect that the new multi-area imaging technology will be an enabling technology to bridge the level of local microcircuits to the 'macrocircuit' level of communicating brain areas and thus will be of immediate and broad interest and highest significance to the neuroscience community. | {
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Mohammad Daneshvar
Mohammad Daneshvar Khorram (, born 18 December 1993 in Mashhad) is an Iranian cyclist who won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games in men's Keirin.
References
Profile
Category:1993 births
Category:Living people
Category:Iranian male cyclists
Category:Iranian track cyclists
Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Iran
Category:Asian Games medalists in cycling
Category:Cyclists at the 2014 Asian Games
Category:Cyclists at the 2018 Asian Games
Category:Medalists at the 2014 Asian Games | {
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Spongian diterpenes from Chinese marine sponge Spongia officinalis.
3-Nor-spongiolide A (1), belonging to the extremely rare 3-nor-spongian carbon skeleton, and spongiolides A (2) and B (3), having γ-butenolide instead of furan ring as usual for ring D, together with six related known metabolites were isolated from South China Sea sponge Spongia officinalis as its metabolic components. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of three new compounds 1-3 were determined by ECD calculations. | {
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Drag Bingo
Tomorrow night is the annual Drag Bingo event hosted by ResLife. Two drag queens from the Rochester area, Dee Dee Dubois and Samantha Vega, host the event. Along with bingo games using rainbow Skittles as markers, there are drag performances, as well as games and prizes.
I attended the event last year and had an amazing time. Last year's Drag Bingo was actually the first time I had ever seen a drag queen. I have seen so many drag performances since then and I find it so strange that it took almost 19 years for me to see one.
Here are a couple pictures from last year's Drag Bingo:
The Drag Bingo hosts Samantha Vega and Dee Dee Dubois.
Yes, that's me in the gray shirt on the right side.
Dee Dee Dubois performing during Drag Bingo.
Samantha Vega and some guest performers from the audience.
Those photos were taken from www.drag101.com. I am very excited for Drag Bingo tomorrow night. I hope to see you guys there! | {
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The influence of actinomycin D on the activity of delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthetase and dehydratase in the liver of mice and rats treated by griseofulvin.
The changes of delta-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase--the second enzyme of porphyrin synthesis--were studied and compared in the liver of mice and rats treated with griseofulvin. The results showed that griseofulvin increased the activity of delta-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase in the liver of mice and rats treated by griseofulvin. No differences were found between mice and rats as to the effect of griseofulvin on the activity of delta-aminolaevulinic acid dehydratase. The influence of the administration of actinomycin D on the activity of delta-aminolaevulinic acid synthetase and dehydratase in the liver of mice and rats was studied at an early period of experimental porphyria induced by griseofulvin. It was found that the administration of actinomycin D blocked the observed effect of griseofulvin on the activity of both enzymes in the liver of mice and rats. | {
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About This Listing
With Airbnb, you can find unique accommodations in people's homes—from houses and apartments, to tree houses and igloos. The listing details below explain what you'll find in this space. If you have any questions, you can contact the host directly.
Located in the heart of downtown on a beautiful and quiet residential block on Thurlow street close to Nelson park, yet only steps away from the beautiful beaches of English bay and two most popular streets, Robson and Davie and all the shopping, international cuisines, and night life activities downtown, House i offers a number of luxury ensuite rooms (room with private bathroom), shared gourmet kitchen/dining area, and many modern and lavish amenities that can provide you with the most comfortable and memorable stay in Vancouver.
Short term or long term stay are both available at House i and House i is perfect for international travelers or students who wants the best furnished accommodation at the best price at the heart of downtown.
41 Reviews
I actually booked the room a a few days before check in for a last minute getaway trip. However, after booking, it turned out that I couldn't find my passport, so it was impossible to make the trip. I gave Kai a call and he was very understanding of the whole situation and gave me a full refund.
The location is pretty good. Very easy to go around by walk or by public transit. However the house itself needs a good clean up as well as a thorough maintenance & repair. I didn't have the chance to meet the host. Met Michael few times - he is a quite friendly guy. Overall our experience is positive! Thanks!
I'm not sure how this could have been better! We booked this last minute and they were very friendly and fast to respond, the whole place was very clean and new. The location could not have been better, there is hardly anything not in walking distance and we only got buses when we were feeling lazy. The kitchen was right next to our room and the washing + drying facilities meant we could come home with a suitcase full of clean clothes!
About the Host, Kai
Hi Dear Guests. House i is a company operating accommodation. Our staff Cheryl, James,Thelma and Taty will be here to serve you. House i is centrally located in downtown Vancouver and our goal is to provide a professional cleaning standard acccommodation rather than a family oriented accommodation. If you are looking for a convenient location, nice and clean accommodation at a reasonable price, we will be your best choice. | {
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Hmm, what's that like?
Welcome to The Wee Fudge Company
Hello there! Welcome to The Wee Fudge Company, Scotland and Glasgow’s very own award winning producer of the most fresh and delicious melt-in-the-mouth handmade Scottish fudge; and home to me, the #fairyfudgemother!
Something corporate?
We will create bespoke table gifts, gift bags or boxes to suit any occasion – big or small. Just get in touch, let us know what you’d like, when you’d like it and we’ll work with you to create just what you want to make you and your event that little bit more memorable to your guests!
Let’s Celebrate!
Special celebration coming up and table gifts to think about? Let us do the thinking with you and be your creative partner. We work with your ideas and colour palette, your choice of our delicious fudges and then we deliver you beautiful bespoke gifts in flavours your guests will love and remember!
So what makes our fudge special?
Our aim is always to produce only the best quality fudge and a product that is different from all others…. just taste it and you’ll understand! Our fudge is made in very small batches using only fine, natural and often Scottish ingredients and we never ever use colourings. Our promise to you is simply to deliver a product that is delicious, authentic, freshly made and and tastes of exactly what it says on the label.
Celebrations
We love creating very special fudge for very special occasions at The Wee Fudge Company and can produce favours and gifts for weddings, christenings, parties, anniversaries, corporate events or if you just want to say thanks to a bunch of friends! We will work with you to create just what you want for your special occasion – nothing’s too big or too small, but if it’s special to you then it’s special to us too! So if you want delicious handmade Scottish gifts from an award winning producer just fill out the form below, or email us at [email protected] letting us know what you’d like; we’ll let you know what we can do. | {
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1. They weren’t always slaves.
Not all gladiators were brought to the arena in chains. While most early combatants were conquered peoples and slaves who had committed crimes, grave inscriptions show that by the 1st century A.D. the demographics had started to change. Lured by the thrill of battle and the roar of the crowds, scores of free men began voluntarily signing contracts with gladiator schools in the hope of winning glory and prize money. These freelance warriors were often desperate men or ex-soldiers skilled in fighting, but some were upper-class patricians, knights and even senators eager to demonstrate their warrior pedigree.
2. Gladiatorial bouts were originally part of funeral ceremonies.
Many ancient chroniclers described the Roman games as an import from the Etruscans, but most historians now argue that gladiator fights got their start as a blood rite staged at the funerals of wealthy nobles. When distinguished aristocrats died, their families would hold graveside bouts between slaves or condemned prisoners as a kind of macabre eulogy for the virtues the person had demonstrated in life. According to the Roman writers Tertullian and Festus, since the Romans believed that human blood helped purify the deceased person’s soul, these contests may have also acted as a crude substitute for human sacrifice. The funeral games later increased in scope during the reign of Julius Caesar, who staged bouts between hundreds of gladiators in honor of his deceased father and daughter. The spectacles proved hugely popular, and by the end of the 1st century B.C., government officials began hosting state-funded games as a way of currying favor with the masses.
3. They didn’t always fight to the death.
Hollywood movies and television shows often depict gladiatorial bouts as a bloody free-for-all, but most fights operated under fairly strict rules and regulations. Contests were typically single combat between two men of similar size and experience. Referees oversaw the action, and probably stopped the fight as soon as one of the participants was seriously wounded. A match could even end in a stalemate if the crowd became bored by a long and drawn out battle, and in rare cases, both warriors were allowed to leave the arena with honor if they had put on an exciting show for the crowd.
Since gladiators were expensive to house, feed and train, their promoters were loath to see them needlessly killed. Trainers may have taught their fighters to wound, not kill, and the combatants may have taken it upon themselves to avoid seriously hurting their brothers-in-arms. Nevertheless, the life of a gladiator was usually brutal and short. Most only lived to their mid-20s, and historians have estimated that somewhere between one in five or one in 10 bouts left one of its participants dead.
4. The famous “thumbs down” gesture probably didn’t mean death.
If a gladiator was seriously wounded or threw down his weapon in defeat, his fate was left in the hands of the spectators. In contests held at the Colosseum, the emperor had the final say in whether the felled warrior lived or died, but rulers and fight organizers often let the people make the decision. Paintings and films often show the throngs giving a “thumbs down” gesture when they wanted a disgraced gladiator to be finished off, but this may not be accurate. Some historians think the sign for death may have actually been the thumbs up, while a closed fist with two fingers extended, a thumbs down, or even a waved handkerchief might have signaled mercy. Whatever gesture was used, it was typically accompanied by ear-piercing cries of either “let him go!” or “slay him!” If the crowd willed it, the victorious gladiator would deliver a grisly coup de grace by stabbing his opponent between the shoulder blades or through the neck and into the heart.
5. They were organized into different classes and types.
By the time the Colosseum opened in 80 A.D., gladiator games had evolved from freewheeling battles to the death into a well-organized blood sport. Fighters were placed in classes based on their record, skill level and experience, and most specialized in a particular fighting style and set of weaponry. Most popular were the “thraeces” and “murmillones,” who fought with sword and shield, but there were also the “equites,” who entered the arena on horseback; the “essedarii,” who battled from chariots; and the “dimachaerus,” who may have wielded two swords at once. Of all the popular gladiator types, perhaps the most unusual was the “retiarius,” who was armed with only a net and a trident. These warriors tried to ensnare their opponents with their net before moving in for the kill, but if they failed, they were left almost entirely defenseless.
6. They only rarely fought against animals.
The Colosseum and other Roman arenas are often associated with gruesome animal hunts, but it was uncommon for the gladiators to be involved. Tangling with wild beasts was reserved for the “venatores” and “bestiarii,” special classes of warrior who squared off against everything from deer and ostriches to lions, crocodiles, bears and even elephants. Animal hunts were typically the opening event at the games, and it wasn’t unusual for scores of unfortunate creatures to be slaughtered in a single exhibition. Nine thousand animals were slain during a 100-day ceremony to mark the opening of the Colosseum, and another 11,000 were later killed as part of a 123-day festival held by the Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century A.D. While most animals were merely slaughtered for sport, others were trained to do tricks or even pitted against one another in fights. Wild animals also served as a popular form of execution. Convicted criminals and Christians were often thrown to ravenous dogs, lions and bears as part of the day’s entertainment.
7. Women also fought as gladiators.
Female slaves were regularly condemned to the arena alongside their male counterparts, but a few citizens took up the sword of the own free will. Historians are not sure when women first suited up to fight as gladiators, but by the 1st century A.D. they had become a common fixture at the games. These lady warriors may not have been taken seriously in the patriarchal Roman culture—the Emperor Domitian enjoyed pitting women against dwarves—but a few appear to have proven themselves in single combat. A marble relief dating to around the 2nd century A.D. depicts a bout between two women dubbed “Amazon” and “Achillia,” whom the inscription says fought to an honorable draw. Women also joined in the animal hunts, but their stint in the arena may have come to an end around 200 A.D., when the Emperor Septimius Severus banned their participation in the games.
8. Some gladiators organized themselves into trade unions.
Though they were regularly forced to come to blows in life-or-death combat, gladiators viewed themselves as a kind of brotherhood, and some even organized into unions, or “collegia,” with their own elected leaders and protector deities. When a warrior fell in battle, these groups would ensure that their comrade received a proper funeral and grave inscription honoring his achievements in the arena. If the deceased had a wife and children, they would also see that the family received monetary compensation for their loss.
9. Several Roman emperors participated in staged gladiatorial bouts.
Hosting gladiator games was an easy way for Roman emperors to win the love of the people, but a few took it a step further and actually participated in combat. Several rulers performed in the arena including Caligula, Titus and Hadrian—though most likely under highly controlled conditions or with dull blades. A deadeye with a spear, the deranged Emperor Commodus often tried to wow the crowds by killing bears and panthers from the safety of a raised platform. He also competed in a few gladiator fights, though usually against inexperienced fighters or even terrified and poorly armed members of the audience. When he inevitably won the contests, Commodus made sure to reward himself with the massive sum of one million Roman sesterces.
10. Gladiators often became celebrities and sex symbols.
Though often dismissed as uncivilized brutes by Roman historians, the gladiators won massive fame among the lower classes. Their portraits graced the walls of many public places; children played with gladiator action figures made of clay; and the most successful fighters even endorsed products just like the top athletes of today. They were also renowned for their ability to make Roman women swoon. Graffiti from Pompeii describes one fighter who “catches the girls at night in his net” and another who is “the delight of all the girls.” Many women wore hairpins and other jewelry dipped in gladiator blood, and some even mixed gladiator sweat—then considered an aphrodisiac—into facial creams and other cosmetics.
Watch BARBARIANS RISING Mondays at 9/8c on HISTORY. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
#ifndef TABLE_FRAME_SINK_HEAD_FILE
#define TABLE_FRAME_SINK_HEAD_FILE
#pragma once
#include "Stdafx.h"
#include "GameLogic.h"
#include "..\游戏客户端\HistoryRecord.h"
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//游戏桌子类
class CTableFrameSink : public ITableFrameSink, public ITableUserAction
{
//游戏变量
protected:
WORD m_wBombTime; //炸弹倍数
BYTE m_bLandScore; //地主分数
WORD m_wFirstUser; //首叫用户
WORD m_wBankerUser; //庄家用户
WORD m_wCurrentUser; //当前玩家
BYTE m_bScoreInfo[3]; //叫分信息
//运行信息
protected:
WORD m_wTurnWiner; //胜利玩家
BYTE m_bTurnCardCount; //出牌数目
BYTE m_bTurnCardData[20]; //出牌列表
bool m_bUserTrustee[GAME_PLAYER]; //玩家托管
//扑克信息
protected:
BYTE m_bBackCard[3]; //游戏底牌
BYTE m_bCardCount[3]; //扑克数目
BYTE m_bOutCardCount[3]; //出牌次数
BYTE m_bHandCardData[3][20]; //手上扑克
//组件变量
protected:
CGameLogic m_GameLogic; //游戏逻辑
ITableFrame * m_pITableFrame; //框架接口
const tagGameServiceOption * m_pGameServiceOption; //配置参数
CHistoryScore m_HistoryScore; //历史成绩
//属性变量
protected:
static const WORD m_wPlayerCount; //游戏人数
static const enStartMode m_GameStartMode; //开始模式
//函数定义
public:
//构造函数
CTableFrameSink();
//析构函数
virtual ~CTableFrameSink();
//基础接口
public:
//释放对象
virtual VOID __cdecl Release() { }
//是否有效
virtual bool __cdecl IsValid() { return AfxIsValidAddress(this,sizeof(CTableFrameSink))?true:false; }
//接口查询
virtual void * __cdecl QueryInterface(const IID & Guid, DWORD dwQueryVer);
//管理接口
public:
//初始化
virtual bool __cdecl InitTableFrameSink(IUnknownEx * pIUnknownEx);
//复位桌子
virtual void __cdecl RepositTableFrameSink();
//信息接口
public:
//开始模式
virtual enStartMode __cdecl GetGameStartMode();
//游戏状态
virtual bool __cdecl IsUserPlaying(WORD wChairID);
//游戏事件
public:
//游戏开始
virtual bool __cdecl OnEventGameStart();
//游戏结束
virtual bool __cdecl OnEventGameEnd(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, BYTE cbReason);
//发送场景
virtual bool __cdecl SendGameScene(WORD wChiarID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, BYTE cbGameStatus, bool bSendSecret);
//事件接口
public:
//定时器事件
virtual bool __cdecl OnTimerMessage(WORD wTimerID, WPARAM wBindParam);
//游戏消息处理
virtual bool __cdecl OnGameMessage(WORD wSubCmdID, const void * pDataBuffer, WORD wDataSize, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem);
//框架消息处理
virtual bool __cdecl OnFrameMessage(WORD wSubCmdID, const void * pDataBuffer, WORD wDataSize, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem);
//游戏事件
protected:
//叫分事件
bool OnUserLandScore(WORD wChairID, BYTE bLandScore);
//用户出牌
bool OnUserOutCard(WORD wChairID, BYTE bCardData[], BYTE bCardCount);
//用户放弃
bool OnUserPassCard(WORD wChairID);
//请求事件
public:
//请求同意
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReqReady(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem) { return true; }
//请求断线
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReqOffLine(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem) { return true; }
//请求重入
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReqReConnect(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem) { return true; }
//请求坐下
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReqSitDown(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, bool bReqLookon) { return true; }
//请求起来
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReqStandUp(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, bool bReqLookon) { return true; }
//动作事件
public:
//用户同意
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReady(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, VOID * pData, WORD wDataSize) { return true; }
//用户断线
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserOffLine(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem) { return true; }
//用户重入
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserReConnect(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem) { return true; }
//用户坐下
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserSitDown(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, bool bLookonUser);
//用户起来
virtual bool __cdecl OnActionUserStandUp(WORD wChairID, IServerUserItem * pIServerUserItem, bool bLookonUser);
};
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
#endif | {
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} |
Q:
Is there a canonical probability distribution on an ordering/permutation
What is a good way of defining a non-uniform probability distribution on a permutation of k objects?
For example, suppose the parameter was an ideal ordering, and the probability of an ordering was proportional to its Levenshtein distance from the ideal ordering. But too me this seems hacky.
Another approach might to specify a transition matrix...
I guess I'm wondering if there is a more canonical probability distribution over permutations that you can skew in one way or another with a basic set of parameters
A:
The Levenshtein distance is really a bit more general than between two permutations; it is defined between two strings (of the same or varying lengths). There are more common notions of distance between permutations, e.g., the Kendall tau distance or others.
Searching for "distance between rankings" may be more fruitful than searching for "permutations". Similar for "probability distribution/density on rankings". And lo and behold, we find a paper by Critchlow et al. (1991, Journal of Mathematical Psychology) that sounds very promising:
This paper investigates many of the probability models on permutations that have been proposed in the statistical and psychological literature. The various models are categorized into the following general classes: (1) Thurstone order statistics models, (2) ranking models induced by paired comparisons, (3) ranking models based on distances between permutations, and (4) multistage ranking models. Several thematic properties of ranking models are introduced that provide the basis for a systematic study of each of the classes of models. These properties are label-invariance, reversibility, strong unimodality, complete consensus, and L-decomposability. Next, several important subclasses of the four general classes are explored, including a determination of the pairwise intersections of the different classes of models.
As always, it might be a good idea to follow up on papers that cite this one.
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
Limited Scope Representation
I want some help and coaching through the legal system.
Limited scope representation is a way for a person to be able to afford legal help by limiting the amount of work a lawyer does for them.
Through limited scope representation, a lawyer can provide legal advice, help with paperwork, coach you through the legal system, and more.
General Information about Limited Scope Representation
What is Limited Scope Representation?
Limited scope representation is a way for a person to be able to afford legal help by limiting the amount of work a lawyer does for them. This is also known as ”unbundled services.” In a limited scope arrangement, the lawyer and client agree that the lawyer will only do a certain list of things for the client. The remainder of the tasks and responsibilities in a case are the sole responsibility of the client
Example:Lisa needs a divorce, but she cannot afford to hire a lawyer to handle her whole case. She found an lawyer who would draft her petition for divorce and her divorce decree for a small fee. But she must file the documents with the court and go to the final hearing by herself.
What should I be aware of when looking for limited scope representation?
It is important to talk about all parts of the case with a lawyer before agreeing to the terms of limited scope representation.
Your agreement should be in writing and clearly state the duties that you and the lawyer have agreed that each of you will perform.
Make sure that the lawyer's fee is stated in the written agreement and that both the lawyer and the client sign the agreement.
Important Points to Remember
Limited scope representation is new , so you may find lawyers that do not provide this kind of service.
Do not be afraid to ask a lawyer about limited scope representation.
Do not be afraid to ask a lawyer for a reduced fee or for a payment plan.
Not all cases are right for limited scope representation.
There are some legal matters which are better served if the lawyer represents the client through the entire process.
If you find that a case has become more complex than you expected, you may be able to reach an agreement with the lawyer to switch from limited scope representation to full representation.
Working with a Lawyer
To work well with a lawyer, you should:
Follow the instructions the lawyer gives you.
Reply promptly to any requests for information from the lawyer.
Tell the lawyer the complete truth.Remember, a lawyer is only able to help if they know all the facts. This is especially true for those facts that might hurt your case.
Set a time each week to get a quick (5 minute) case update with the lawyer. Many lawyers have large case loads, so it might take them a while to get back to you, while they handle your case. Setting a time each week to quickly discuss your case will keep you up-to-date and the lawyer on track.
FREE, Not for Sale: The information and forms available on this website are free. They are not for sale. By using this website, you agree not to sell or make a profit in any way from any information or forms that you obtained through this website.
Funding: This website is supported by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The Texas Bar Foundation provided funding for website design.
For more useful information go to the Texas Office of Court Administration's website, TexasCourtHelp. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
-11/17, 11, 2/13.
-4, -11/17, 2/13, 3/2, 3, 11
Put -13, 0, 3, -14, -2, 4 in descending order.
4, 3, 0, -2, -13, -14
Put -61, 1, 40, -5, -2 in decreasing order.
40, 1, -2, -5, -61
Put 1/6, -338, -6, 0.2 in descending order.
0.2, 1/6, -6, -338
Sort -3, 47, 26, 3 in decreasing order.
47, 26, 3, -3
Put -30, 270, 3, -5 in descending order.
270, 3, -5, -30
Put 5, -1141, 21 in increasing order.
-1141, 5, 21
Put -492, -2/5, 3, -5, 0.5, -1/4 in ascending order.
-492, -5, -2/5, -1/4, 0.5, 3
Sort 0.2, 18/19, -0.9, -1.4.
-1.4, -0.9, 0.2, 18/19
Put -5, -9, -6/5, -4, 358, 2/11 in descending order.
358, 2/11, -6/5, -4, -5, -9
Sort 53, 0.4, 319 in increasing order.
0.4, 53, 319
Put -3, -1, -880, -4 in increasing order.
-880, -4, -3, -1
Put 1/2, 2/11, 1/32, 17/8 in descending order.
17/8, 1/2, 2/11, 1/32
Sort -3/4, -2.5, 0.7, -0.124, 2/3 in increasing order.
-2.5, -3/4, -0.124, 2/3, 0.7
Put -4, 0.01, 1/10, -1/3 in decreasing order.
1/10, 0.01, -1/3, -4
Sort 0.62, -29, 46, -2, 3/5, -0.01 in descending order.
46, 0.62, 3/5, -0.01, -2, -29
Put 6, 1/4, 97.8 in decreasing order.
97.8, 6, 1/4
Sort -3, 7, 0, -128.
-128, -3, 0, 7
Sort 12159, 0, -3, 4, -4, 1.
-4, -3, 0, 1, 4, 12159
Put 27, -0.01, 2, 3/2, 0.4 in decreasing order.
27, 2, 3/2, 0.4, -0.01
Put -29, -4, -1762 in ascending order.
-1762, -29, -4
Put 3, 4, 2, 8565, 5, -4 in increasing order.
-4, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8565
Sort -1, 1/5, -480/49.
-480/49, -1, 1/5
Sort -4337, 3, 1 in ascending order.
-4337, 1, 3
Sort -3, 510, -4, -1 in decreasing order.
510, -1, -3, -4
Sort 369, 66, -3, 4, 0, -4 in descending order.
369, 66, 4, 0, -3, -4
Sort 642, 0.8, 688 in decreasing order.
688, 642, 0.8
Sort 7, -608, 5 in decreasing order.
7, 5, -608
Sort -111, -1, -25, -4 in decreasing order.
-1, -4, -25, -111
Put 459, -4, -24 in descending order.
459, -4, -24
Put 1/13926, 1, 13 in descending order.
13, 1, 1/13926
Put 5, -4, -210, 0, -23 in ascending order.
-210, -23, -4, 0, 5
Sort -0.5, -1/1980, -25 in decreasing order.
-1/1980, -0.5, -25
Sort 4, 5, -12, -44 in decreasing order.
5, 4, -12, -44
Put 0.3, -1, 5, 66652/15 in decreasing order.
66652/15, 5, 0.3, -1
Put -1, -3, 15, 58, 33 in descending order.
58, 33, 15, -1, -3
Put -450, -673, -5 in decreasing order.
-5, -450, -673
Sort -0.4, 0.11, 0.5, 145, 4, 0.4.
-0.4, 0.11, 0.4, 0.5, 4, 145
Sort -4, 184963, 1 in descending order.
184963, 1, -4
Sort 0.5, -0.5, 376/3 in ascending order.
-0.5, 0.5, 376/3
Put -0.1, 0.3, -5, 1.87, -1/3 in ascending order.
-5, -1/3, -0.1, 0.3, 1.87
Sort 1, -4, 595492 in ascending order.
-4, 1, 595492
Put -1/13, -4.81, 0.3 in decreasing order.
0.3, -1/13, -4.81
Put 31.5, 5, 49 in ascending order.
5, 31.5, 49
Put -127, -22, -4, 0 in increasing order.
-127, -22, -4, 0
Sort -2, -1/2, -29768/5 in decreasing order.
-1/2, -2, -29768/5
Put -3/13, -0.6113, -0.02, -1/2 in ascending order.
-0.6113, -1/2, -3/13, -0.02
Sort -18, 3, -16, 40 in decreasing order.
40, 3, -16, -18
Put -1, -3, 13, 21, -0.2 in descending order.
21, 13, -0.2, -1, -3
Sort -3, -16, 2, 107, -4, -2 in increasing order.
-16, -4, -3, -2, 2, 107
Sort 3, -1, -1/7, 22, -3.6.
-3.6, -1, -1/7, 3, 22
Put -2, 2/5, -77/17, -0.05 in descending order.
2/5, -0.05, -2, -77/17
Sort 5, 8, -1/6, -9/2, 6, 0.5 in decreasing order.
8, 6, 5, 0.5, -1/6, -9/2
Sort -0.0513, -5, -0.0374 in decreasing order.
-0.0374, -0.0513, -5
Put 2/21, -0.19, 4, -10, -32 in decreasing order.
4, 2/21, -0.19, -10, -32
Sort 13, 46, -64, 5 in increasing order.
-64, 5, 13, 46
Put -1, -10, -137, -16 in descending order.
-1, -10, -16, -137
Sort -8, 0, 3, -1113, 9 in decreasing order.
9, 3, 0, -8, -1113
Put -7/3, 5, 0.244, 0.4, -5, -1 in descending order.
5, 0.4, 0.244, -1, -7/3, -5
Sort -0.04, -1/3, 1/110, 3 in decreasing order.
3, 1/110, -0.04, -1/3
Sort 4, -4/3, 129.15, 0.1 in increasing order.
-4/3, 0.1, 4, 129.15
Sort -0.5, -29.2, -15, 1/5, 2, -3 in increasing order.
-29.2, -15, -3, -0.5, 1/5, 2
Sort 2, -8, 363, -123 in descending order.
363, 2, -8, -123
Sort -2.1, -14, -7.
-14, -7, -2.1
Sort 5, 2, -248, -40 in decreasing order.
5, 2, -40, -248
Put -14, 0.2, -0.1, 1 in increasing order.
-14, -0.1, 0.2, 1
Put -3, -2, 1, -25, 104 in decreasing order.
104, 1, -2, -3, -25
Put -1, 9/4, 1/2, -0.05, -2/25, 29 in descending order.
29, 9/4, 1/2, -0.05, -2/25, -1
Sort -127, 6, -3, 2 in decreasing order.
6, 2, -3, -127
Sort 1282, 59, -0.5 in descending order.
1282, 59, -0.5
Sort 0.046, -5, 4/11 in descending order.
4/11, 0.046, -5
Put 1164, -11, -0.3 in increasing order.
-11, -0.3, 1164
Sort -38, 10, 1, 602.
-38, 1, 10, 602
Sort -2, -112447, 0 in descending order.
0, -2, -112447
Put -128, 1/5, 55, -2/21 in ascending order.
-128, -2/21, 1/5, 55
Put 1, 32, -2190, -4 in ascending order.
-2190, -4, 1, 32
Sort -2/21, 3.7, 172 in increasing order.
-2/21, 3.7, 172
Sort -2/33029, 5, -13 in increasing order.
-13, -2/33029, 5
Put -2, 11, -547, 4, 5 in increasing order.
-547, -2, 4, 5, 11
Sort -38, 4, 10, 2, 3 in increasing order.
-38, 2, 3, 4, 10
Sort 5, -5, -4, -1/5, 1406 in ascending order.
-5, -4, -1/5, 5, 1406
Sort 3, -0.7, 0, -2.06, -1/3.
-2.06, -0.7, -1/3, 0, 3
Sort -1/1079, -2, -1 in descending order.
-1/1079, -1, -2
Sort 1, 43, -4, 4 in ascending order.
-4, 1, 4, 43
Sort -3, -1, 0.4, 2/339, 1/6 in ascending order.
-3, -1, 2/339, 1/6, 0.4
Sort -0.3, -0.158, -2, 0.097.
-2, -0.3, -0.158, 0.097
Sort 1, 14, 176 in decreasing order.
176, 14, 1
Sort 3, 4, -5, -4, 15, -117 in ascending order.
-117, -5, -4, 3, 4, 15
Sort -33285, -4, 3 in increasing order.
-33285, -4, 3
Sort -5, 7, 57, -4, -1 in descending order.
57, 7, -1, -4, -5
Sort -4, 187, -15, -2, 6 in decreasing order.
187, 6, -2, -4, -15
Put 0.2, -1, -4, 2/9, -2/3 in increasing order.
-4, -1, -2/3, 0.2, 2/9
Put 8385, -2, -18, 5 in descending order.
8385, 5, -2, -18
Put 164087, 4, 0, 6, -5 in increasing order.
-5, 0, 4, 6, 164087
Put -2, -15, 21, -57, -1 in decreasing order.
21, -1, -2, -15, -57
Put -5, 2, 9, 4, -34 in decreasing order.
9, 4, 2, -5, -34
Sort -1, 271, 3, -22 in ascending order.
-22, -1, 3, 271
Sort -5, 20, 0, -29/178 in decreasing order.
20, 0, -29/178, -5
Put -620, 102, 1 in decreasing order.
102, 1, -620
Sort -1, 4162, -72, 0, 2 in decreasing order.
4162, 2, 0, -1, -72
Sort 0.42, -0.1, -308.
-308, -0.1, 0.42
Sort -156, 3, -4220.
-4220, -156, 3
Sort -4, 0, 4, 3, 27, 188 in ascending order.
-4, 0, 3, 4, 27, 188
Sort 705, -5, 0.4, -0.1, 2/13, 0.2.
-5, -0.1, 2/13, 0.2, 0.4, 705
Put 4, 6.13, -3/14, 6 in increasing order.
-3/14, 4, 6, 6.13
Put 1623, -48, 4 in descending order.
1623, 4, -48
Put 2/81469, 0.2, -50, 4 in ascending order.
-50, 2/81469, 0.2, 4
Sort -52/3, -25, -3/10, 0.04, -2 in descending order.
0.04, -3/10, -2, -52/3, -25
Sort 157563, 14, -1.
-1, 14, 157563
Sort -0.5, -0.3, 140, -4.
-4, -0.5, -0.3, 140
Sort 4, 0, -67, 635, -1 in decreasing order.
635, 4, 0, -1, -67
Sort 3, -1084, -1, 2 in descending order.
3, 2, -1, -1084
Sort 1, -6, -11, -0.2, -2.9.
-11, -6, -2.9, -0.2, 1
Sort 8, -22, 0, 10 in increasing order.
-22, 0, 8, 10
Put 11, -2, 2, -0.4, 0.07, 0.5 in decreasing order.
11, 2, 0.5, 0.07, -0.4, -2
Put -5, -6, 0.13 in descending order.
0.13, -5, -6
Sort 3, -867, -5, -4, -20 in increasing order.
-867, -20, -5, -4, 3
Sort -5, -4, -9, -3/4, 202, 4 in descending order.
202, 4, -3/4, -4, -5, -9
Sort 2/7, -1/2, -61, 2/5, -2, 9 in decreasing order.
9, 2/5, 2/7, -1/2, -2, -61
Sort -76, 20, 0, -33 in descending order.
20, 0, -33, -76
Sort 2/5, 5585, -3, -5/2, 4.
-3, -5/2, 2/5, 4, 5585
Put -4, 0, 32, -133 in ascending order.
-133, -4, 0, 32
Put -0.2, 0.3, -134, 0.8, -2/5 in increasing order.
-134, -2/5, -0.2, 0.3, 0.8
Sort 1/37, 121, 11, 0 in ascending order.
0, 1/37, 11, 121
Put 1/3, 0.3, -7, -0.1, -0.462 in decreasing order.
1/3, 0.3, -0.1, -0.462, -7
Put 3, -7, 0.11, -0.1, 5, 254 in ascending order.
-7, -0.1, 0.11, 3, 5, 254
Sort 5, -2730, -3, 1 in ascending order.
-2730, -3, 1, 5
Sort 0, 1, 5992, 5, -3 in ascending order.
-3, 0, 1, 5, 5992
Sort 0.3, 3/4, -4/3, 0.5, -13/2325 in decreasing order.
3/4, 0.5, 0.3, -13/2325, -4/3
Put -2.3, -139, 1 in increasing order.
-139, -2.3, 1
Sort 5, 16, -1, 4, 2 in decreasing order.
16, 5, 4, 2, -1
Put 4, 1, 2, -2, 22 in decreasing order.
22, 4, 2, 1, -2
Sort -0.1, 2, 4, -3163, 0 in ascending order.
-3163, -0.1, 0, 2, 4
Put -3/2, -2, 224, 118 in | {
"pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics"
} |
Pegi Young, who co-founded the Bridge School with her former husband of 36 years Neil Young, has died after a yearlong battle with cancer. She was 66.
"With great sadness, we confirm that on January 1st, after a yearlong battle with cancer, Pegi Young — mother, grandmother, sister, auntie, musician, activist and co-founder of the Bridge School — passed away surrounded by her friends and family in her native California," reads a statement posted to her official Instagram account. "We request that the families' privacy be respected at this time."
Pegi and Neil Young in Los Angeles in 2014. Rodrigo Vaz / FilmMagic
Pegi Morton, who was born in San Mateo, Calif., married Neil Young in 1978 after they met four years earlier when she was a waitress near his ranch in La Honda, Calif. The pair had two children, Ben and Amber, and for the majority of their marriage, Pegi Young was a full-time mother. The Youngs had so much difficulty finding a school that was prepared to handle the needs of their son Ben, who has cerebral palsy, that they co-founded the Bridge School, an educational program aimed at aiding children with severe speech and physical impediments, in 1986.
The school is the focus of the Bridge School Benefit Concert, which attracts some of the biggest names in music annually to raise awareness and funds for the school. Young continued to organize the concert every year since its '86 debut.
In 2000, Young joined her husband on tour as a backup singer after making her public debut as part of his band for a performance of "Philadelphia" at the 1994 Academy Awards. In 2007, Young released a self-titled solo LP, and came out with two further records, "Foul Deeds" in 2010 and "Bracing for Impact" in 2011.
In 2014, following her divorce from Neil Young, Young released "Raw."
"It told a story," Young told Rolling Stone. "I kind of look at it as a soundtrack to the seven stages of grief. You've got anger, then shock and disbelief. As we go through the album, the later songs show my growth and ... I can't say total acceptance, but I think the last song, that wonderful Don Henley song ["The Heart of the Matter"], talks about forgiveness. That's really where it's at, you know?" | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
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Longsheng Rice Terraces
Scenic private day trip from Guilin
Admire the famous Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces at Longsheng
Visit colourful minority villages
Full-day private day trip from Guilin to the dramatic terraced rice fields and colourful villages of the region
Description:
Hill tribes and gorgeous scenery on this breathtaking day trip from Guilin
Pick up from your Guilin hotel and drive around 70 miles north to admire the famous Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces at Longsheng, and see some of the minority tribes who live in the region. Around 700 years ago the local Zhuang farmers hit on the ingenious idea of creating valuable space for their crops on the mountainous land, and they constructed terraces in the hillsides that coil up from the valley floor up to the mountain top. The resulting shimmering green ribbons of rice paddies have become scenic highlights of the region. You may choose to take a 3 mile uphill walk through the terraces to one of the Zhuang minority villages, Ping’an, that has marvellous views, or drive up to the village and take a 90 minute walk around the crest of the hills. Here, the men wear turbans and black pyjama-style suits and the women have embroidered blue jackets or bright headscarves and lots of silver jewellery. The women of another local tribe, the Yao, are famed for their extraordinarily long hair. Return to your hotel. | {
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= -13 + 13.000006. Round d to six dps.
0.000006
Let g = -2.527 + -1.089. Let b = g - -3.7. Let c = b - 0.035. Round c to 2 decimal places.
0.05
Let s = 232.51897385 - 215.518973. Let v = s - 17. What is v rounded to seven decimal places?
0.0000009
Let c(o) = o**3 - 5*o**2 + 5*o - 3. Let s = 10 - 7. Let n be c(s). Round n to the nearest 10.
-10
Suppose g + 3*y - 118 = 0, 8 + 17 = 5*y. What is g rounded to the nearest ten?
100
Let n(a) = 3*a**2 - 59*a**3 - 2*a**2 - 17*a**3 + 5 - 5*a. Let l be n(5). Let c = l + 5395. What is c rounded to the nearest one thousand?
-4000
Let u = -7.5 - -7.499879. What is u rounded to five decimal places?
-0.00012
Let l(u) = 6801*u - 1. Let g = 0 - 3. Let d be (2/2)/(g - -4). Let x be l(d). Round x to the nearest 1000.
7000
Let f = 1 + -2. Let l be 6/(-4)*(f + -3). Let d be (4000/3)/((-1)/l). Round d to the nearest one thousand.
-8000
Let n = 0.1421718 + 1.8577852. Let h = n + -2. Round h to five decimal places.
-0.00004
Suppose 0*w + 11070 = -4*h + 5*w, 5*h + w = -13852. What is h rounded to the nearest one hundred?
-2800
Suppose 0 = 4*z - 21857 - 8983. What is z rounded to the nearest 100?
7700
Suppose -g = -2*g. Suppose f + 4*f - 2*n + 11500006 = g, 9 = 3*n. What is f rounded to the nearest 1000000?
-2000000
Let a = -168419822 + 108119822. Round a to the nearest one million.
-60000000
Let j = 3 + -5. Let v be -111002 + j + 2 - -2. Round v to the nearest ten thousand.
-110000
Suppose -5*n + 4 + 6 = 0. Let b be (-599986)/6 + n/3. Let f be (3 + 0 - b)*-4. Round f to the nearest 100000.
-400000
Let k = -13 - -18. Suppose 2*n - k*z - 28144 - 33876 = 0, -2*n = 4*z - 61984. Round n to the nearest ten thousand.
30000
Let o = 518 - 368. Let n = -2010 + o. Round n to the nearest one hundred.
-1900
Suppose -4*q + q = -9. Suppose q*l = l - 1420. Round l to the nearest one hundred.
-700
Let h = 0.029 + -0.0335. Round h to 3 dps.
-0.005
Let b = 37.3 - 30.14. Let w = -8.8 + b. What is w rounded to one dp?
-1.6
Let x = -2908 + 2926.91. Let w = -0.09 - x. Let z = w - -19.0000045. What is z rounded to 6 dps?
0.000005
Let u = -14.987 + 15. What is u rounded to two dps?
0.01
Let g(r) = -r**3 + 8*r**2 + 12*r + 10. Let d be g(-11). Suppose -d - 223 = j. Round j to the nearest 1000.
-2000
Let i(m) = -370369*m**3 - 5*m**2 + 4*m - 4. Let b be i(3). What is b rounded to the nearest 1000000?
-10000000
Let t(r) = -3667*r - 2. Let s(x) = -x**3 - 3*x**2 - 4*x - 2. Let u be s(-3). Let z = u + -16. Let n be t(z). What is n rounded to the nearest ten thousand?
20000
Let s = 186 + -550. Let i be 4/(-14) - (-2292)/(-14). Let p = i - s. Round p to the nearest 1000.
0
Let h = -0.29999962 - -0.3. What is h rounded to seven dps?
0.0000004
Let f = 28.982 + 0.018. Let z = f + -31.7. What is z rounded to 0 decimal places?
-3
Suppose 5 = -2*u + 7. Let k be (u - 4) + -304 - -4. What is k rounded to the nearest ten?
-300
Let y = -2195.2744 + 0.2744. Let t = -2194.80004 - y. Let u = -0.2 + t. What is u rounded to 5 dps?
-0.00004
Let r(h) be the third derivative of -1/30*h**5 + 0*h**3 + 2*h**2 + 0*h - 1/4*h**4 + 0. Let x be r(-5). Round x to the nearest 10.
-20
Suppose 10*m + 180000 = 7*m. Round m to the nearest 100000.
-100000
Let g(a) = -2*a - 9. Let c be g(-6). Let k(j) = -2*j**2 + 0*j + 2*j + 988*j**3 - 2 + 494*j**c. Let q be k(3). Round q to the nearest 100000.
0
Let d = -0.415 - -0.3943. What is d rounded to two decimal places?
-0.02
Let v = 163.0548 + -163. Let a = -0.06 + v. What is a rounded to three dps?
-0.005
Let y = 2.5 - 3. Let d = y + 0.2. Let c = -0.300053 - d. What is c rounded to 5 decimal places?
-0.00005
Let u(a) = -a + 16. Let q be u(8). Round q to the nearest 10.
10
Let a(k) = 3*k + 5. Let r be a(5). Round r to the nearest 10.
20
Let v(k) = 95*k + 13 - 101*k + 423*k**2 + 3. Let d be v(-12). What is d rounded to the nearest 10000?
60000
Let p = 51 - 139. Let q = p - -221. Let f = q - 133.0122. Round f to 3 decimal places.
-0.012
Let a = -7 - -7.08. Let y = a - 0.0799904. What is y rounded to 6 dps?
0.00001
Let q(b) = 49999*b - 2. Let w be q(-2). What is w rounded to the nearest 10000?
-100000
Let s = 11.9 - 7. What is s rounded to the nearest integer?
5
Suppose -2*f + 5589 - 889 = 0. Suppose -10 = -3*q + 5. Suppose 0*l - q*l = f. Round l to the nearest 100.
-500
Let v(u) = 6999997*u**2 - 3*u + 2. Let y be v(2). Suppose 0 = -5*r - 2*f - 27999992, r + 4*r + 4*f + y = 0. What is r rounded to the nearest one million?
-6000000
Let m = -8.764 - 0.036. What is m rounded to 0 dps?
-9
Let s = 0.8 + -0.8000106. Round s to 6 dps.
-0.000011
Suppose 4*d - 3*d - 16600015 = 0. Suppose 2*k = -5*h + d, -2*k - 4*h = -0*k - 16600012. Round k to the nearest 1000000.
8000000
Suppose -g - 128611 = 16389. Round g to the nearest ten thousand.
-150000
Let t = -42.66 - -43. Round t to one decimal place.
0.3
Let k = -211.4017288 + 211.4. Let c = k + 0.601734. Let x = -0.6 + c. What is x rounded to six decimal places?
0.000005
Suppose -5*j - 7424390 = -35055305. Suppose 4*n - 26473817 - j = 0. What is n rounded to the nearest one million?
8000000
Let a = 5.91 - 1.01. Let l = 2.8 - a. Let z = 2.0999931 + l. What is z rounded to 6 decimal places?
-0.000007
Let k(c) = c - 2. Let g be k(4). Let l(r) = -3 + 0 + 0*r - 3*r - g*r**2. Let x be l(5). Round x to the nearest ten.
-70
Let g(y) = 307*y**3 + 2*y**2 - 5. Let s be g(5). Suppose w + 55260 = -2*w. Let z = s + w. What is z rounded to the nearest one hundred thousand?
0
Let g = -19.966 - 0.034. Let v = g + 19.17. What is v rounded to one decimal place?
-0.8
Let o = -5.359 + 0.059. Let p = o - -0.8. Let j = p + 2.2. What is j rounded to 0 decimal places?
-2
Let s = -0.0255559234 - 40.9744482766. Let g = s + 41. What is g rounded to six decimal places?
-0.000004
Let h = -26 - -16. Let x be 63005/h + 2/4. Round x to the nearest 1000.
-6000
Let x be ((-6)/4)/((-6)/28). Round x to the nearest integer.
7
Let v = -72.00000094 - -72. Round v to 7 decimal places.
-0.0000009
Let b = -46.941 - 0.059. Let m = -48.24 - b. Round m to 1 dp.
-1.2
Let c(y) = y**3 + 16*y**2 + 10*y - 5. Let f be c(-11). Suppose 0 = 2*k + 2690 - f. What is k rounded to the nearest 1000?
-1000
Suppose -3*r = -r - 5*q + 14470703, -4*r = q + 28941395. Let v = 1251080 - -684269. Let s = r + v. Round s to the nearest one million.
-5000000
Let c = -391.99049 + 391.56048981. Let v = c + 0.43. Round v to seven dps.
-0.0000002
Let n = -201307.84059 + 201307. Let j = -0.84 - n. What is j rounded to four decimal places?
0.0006
Let n = 277.9681 - 0.9281. Let x = 277.023941 - n. Let m = x - -0.016. Round m to five decimal places.
-0.00006
Let a = -4 + 10. Let o = a + -5.84. What is o rounded to 2 decimal places?
0.16
Let l = 60.76 + 15.86. Let t = l + -76. Round t to one dp.
0.6
Let m = -555 - -1052. Let o = -496.743 + m. Round o to two decimal places.
0.26
Let g = 25 + -24.987. Let o = g - -90.987. Let w = o + -91.0000053. What is w rounded to six decimal places?
-0.000005
Let f = 0.252 + -0.24. What is f rounded to three dps?
0.012
Let i = -71 + 142. Let p = i - 32. Suppose 3*b - 114 + p = -3*k, 125 = 5*b - k. Round b to the nearest ten.
30
Let o(m) = -12*m**3 - 2*m. Let h be o(2). What is h rounded to the nearest 1000?
0
Let d = 0.07 + -0.29. What is d rounded to one decimal place?
-0.2
Let u = 12 + -15. Let h = u - -0.5. What is h rounded to one decimal place?
-2.5
Let i = 1 - 2. Let l be i/((-3)/(-1467)) + -1. Round l to the nearest one hundred.
-500
Let d = -875.1162 - -875. Let b = -0.12 - d. Round b to 3 decimal places.
-0.004
Let s = -304.5 - -304.2693. Let g = 0.219 + s. What is g rounded to 3 dps?
-0.012
Let v = -460.7 + 429. Let h = 1.7 + v. Let x = 29.966 + h. What is x rounded to two decimal places?
-0.03
Let y = -6 + 5.9999935. What is y rounded to 6 decimal places?
-0.000007
Let u be (-8)/(-5) - (-4)/10. Suppose 2*t = u*r + 4, 3*t - 14 = 5*r - t. Let w be (-265)/3 + r/9. What is w rounded to the nearest 10?
-90
Let i = 0.400001 + -0.4. What is i rounded to 7 dps?
0.000001
Let n(s) = -475001*s**2 - 2*s. Let k(y) = y**2 + 5*y - 6. Let i be k(-6). Suppose i*p - p = 2. Let h be n(p). What is h rounded to the nearest one million?
-2000000
Let w(r) = r**2 + 4*r + 6. Let f be (1/3)/((-3)/(-54)). Let k be w(f). Suppose d - k = -586. Round d to the nearest | {
"pile_set_name": "DM Mathematics"
} |
Q:
Why my dynamic click event does not work ? ( code attached )
I have some itemsControl that i dynamicly adding to it StackPanel as an item.
Each of the StackPanel contain 2 button - btn1, btn2.
I dynamicly connect each button to some button event ( all the button event are same ).
When i test it - i see that the event is not call on the button click - and i dont see any reason to this.
the Code:
private StackPanel CreatePanel()
{
StackPanel stackPanel = new StackPanel();
stackPanel.Orientation = Orientation.Horizontal;
for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++)
{
Button btn = new Button();
btn.Height = btn.Width = 100;
btn.Content = i % 2 == 0 ? "Btn1" : "Btn2";
// Event connection
btn.Click += new RoutedEventHandler( button1_Click );
stackPanel.Children.Add(btn);
}
return stackPanel;
}
A:
From MSDN: For certain combinations of input events and WPF control classes, the element that raises the event is not the first element that has the opportunity to handle it.
This is the nature of the RoutedEventHandler:)
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
南スーダンでの自衛隊の活動について語る伊勢崎賢治教授
■派遣の即時撤退か、それとも「改憲」か？
日本から１万７００㎞以上離れたアフリカの南スーダン。今なお政府軍と反政府勢力の武力衝突が続く現地には、国連のＰＫＯ活動「国連・南スーダン共和国ミッション」（ＵＮＭＩＳＳ）のための要員として３５０人ほどの自衛隊員が派遣されている。
その自衛隊員が「戦争に巻き込まれるリスクが高まっている」と指摘するのは、平和構築学が専門でアフリカやインドネシア、アフガニスタンなどで国連の平和維持ミッションや武装解除に関わってきた、東京外語大教授の伊勢崎賢治氏だ。
前編（専門家が指摘！「南スーダンにいる自衛隊が戦争に巻き込まれかねない」）に続き、伊勢崎氏に現在、日本の自衛隊が南スーダンでどのような状況下にあるのか語ってもらった。
「住民保護のためには積極的な武力行使も辞さない…という“現代のＰＫＯ”は国際法上の『交戦権』が支配する世界。そもそも、憲法上『交戦主体』になれない自衛隊をそこに送り込むべきではなかったのです。ところが、その問題を自民党政権だけでなく、かつての民主党政権や国民も平然と無視してきた…つまり憲法９条違反は今に始まったことじゃないんです！」
今後、南スーダンの状況がさらに悪化し、再び本格的な「内戦状態」に陥った場合、日本は、そして自衛隊はどうしたらいいのだろうか？
第一の選択肢は即時撤退させることだろう。日本のＰＫＯ参加の第一条件である「停戦合意」が破られている以上、「自衛隊を派遣できない」のはある意味、当然だ。しかも、「ＰＫＯ参加５原則」ではこの条件が満たされない場合「我が国から参加した部隊は撤収することができること」と定められている。だが、この状況で南スーダンから撤退させることは「外交上、不可能だ」と伊勢崎氏は言う。
「今、自衛隊が撤退したら『保護すべき現地住民を見放した無責任な行為』と解釈され、国際人道主義を敵に回すことになる。その場合、日本は国際社会から卑怯な国との烙印を押されかねません」。
第２の選択肢は「憲法９条」を改正して自衛隊の「交戦権」を認め、国際法上の「交戦主体」となることができる組織、つまり“戦争のできる軍隊”にすることだろう。だが、当然、これも簡単ではないし、仮に将来、そうした改憲が実現するとしても相当の時間が必要で、少なくとも南スーダンに派遣されている自衛隊の現状に対応するのは不可能だ。
「文民警察官」を派遣すべき
■「違憲」の自衛隊ではなく「文民警察官」を派遣せよ
そこで、伊勢崎氏が提唱するのが現在の自衛隊に代えて、完全武装の「文民警察官」を現地に派遣するという第３の選択肢だ。だが、なぜ自衛隊ではなく「文民警察官」なのか？
「仮に交戦主体となるＰＫＦに参加した自衛隊が武器を使用すれば、それは国際法上の『武力行使』にあたり、当然、憲法９条に違反します。しかし、国連職員や現地ＮＧＯ関係者が危機に陥った場合、その警護を行う『国連文民警察官』の武器使用は、受入国の国内法に基づく『警察権』の行使と見なされますから、憲法９条との齟齬（そご）もありません。
そこで、自衛隊を南スーダンから即時撤退させ、その代わりに日本の機動隊を自動小銃とギア、ヘルメットに装甲車を備えた完全武装の精鋭部隊を１００人規模で編成。『国連文民警察官』として派遣するというのが私の提案です。これなら憲法９条にも違反せず、国連加盟国として、きちんと一定の責任を果たすことができる。
もちろん、１９９３年のカンボジアＰＫＯで日本から派遣された文民警察官が武装集団に襲撃され、高田晴行警視が殉職。他の警察官も重傷を負ったように、派遣される文民警察官の任務は大きな危険を伴いますが、少なくとも『ウソ』と『詭（き）弁』で固めてきたＰＫＯ自衛隊派遣が抱えてきた矛盾は解消できます。
別の言い方をすれば、憲法９条との矛盾があるにも関わらず、なぜ日本政府が自衛隊のＰＫＯ派遣にこだわり続けているのかという理由を考える必要がある。彼らは、そうした“矛盾”が“事故”につながり、実際に自衛官に犠牲者が出たタイミングで国民に『改憲』の必要性を強く訴えようとしているのかもしれません」
だが、国際貢献のため、遠いアフリカの地で働く自衛官たちの命が「改憲」の口実づくりのために利用されていいはずがない！
そうした悲劇を防ぐためにも、まずは日本人自身が南スーダンの現状を知り、自衛隊のあり方や日本の国際貢献のありかたについて、真剣に議論することが必要なのではないだろうか？
（川喜田研／取材・構成） | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
Promises from Nick Clegg to be the ‘great reformer’ on constitutional reform, but he fluffed voting reform and his half-baked proposals to reform the House of Lords were scuppered by the Tories he props up.
And let’s not forget this Government’s self-serving and partisan boundary changes.
Call me old-fashioned but I think the voters should decide the outcome of general elections.
Not Tory or Lib Dem party managers gerrymandering constituencies for their own advantage.
Nick Clegg opposing the boundary changes is one promise I hope he does keep.
Because of this Government’s broken promises, progress we made in cutting crime, cutting first-time offending and cutting re-offending are all in jeopardy.
And, you know, Denis Skinner is right – David Cameron does what people like him always do when things go wrong – he sacks the help.
His Justice Secretary? Sacked!
His junior ministers? Sacked!
Will their policies be dumped too?
Perhaps legal aid will be restored for the most vulnerable.
Perhaps the threat of closure hanging over our CABs and law centres will be lifted.
Perhaps cuts to compensation for victims of crime will be abandoned.
But I doubt it.
Instead, David Cameron is doing what a Tory leader does when in trouble: lurching to the right, tough rhetoric, acting all butch.
We can guess what Justice Secretary Chris Grayling will say to the Tory Conference next week.
The same old tired Tory crime and justice speech.
All rhetoric and no action.
No evidence of what actually works.
Re-toxifying the brand, tossing red meat to Tory backbenchers, now in control of this weak Prime Minister.
‘Locking up more criminals for even longer.’
But there’ll be no space to house them because his Government have cancelled prison building and actually closed some prisons.
‘Human Rights are bad because they’re European.’
But Winston Churchill and British lawyers wrote the European Convention on Human Rights, of which Britain should be proud.
Not over-promising, but deliverable policies matching our values of fairness and decency, rooted in evidence of what works, a sign of a true one nation party.
Tough on the causes of crime – enabling government, local authorities, education, housing, health, social services and police to work together for the sake of our communities, rooting out deprivation and inequality.
And tough on crime – catching, punishing and reforming criminals, sending a clear unambiguous message about the wrongs of crime. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
/**
* DiskUsage - displays sdcard usage on android.
* Copyright (C) 2008 Ivan Volosyuk
*
* This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
* modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
* as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
* of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
* This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
* GNU General Public License for more details.
* You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
* along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
* Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
*/
package com.google.android.diskusage;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.AlertDialog;
import android.app.AppOpsManager;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.DialogInterface;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.content.pm.ApplicationInfo;
import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.provider.Settings;
public class PermissionRequestActivity extends Activity {
private static int DISKUSAGE_REQUEST_CODE = 10;
private static int ASK_PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE = 11;
private String key;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
Intent i = getIntent();
key = i.getStringExtra(DiskUsage.KEY_KEY);
if (key == null) {
// Just close instead of crashing later
finish();
return;
}
MountPoint mountPoint = MountPoint.getForKey(this, key);
if (mountPoint == null) {
finish();
return;
}
if ((!mountPoint.hasApps()) || isAccessGranted()) {
forwardToDiskUsage();
return;
}
new AlertDialog.Builder(this)
.setTitle("Usage Access permision needed")
.setMessage("Allow DiskUsage to get list of installed apps?")
.setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
@Override
public void onClick(DialogInterface dialogInterface, int i) {
Intent intent = new Intent(Settings.ACTION_USAGE_ACCESS_SETTINGS);
startActivityForResult(intent, ASK_PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE);
}
})
.setNegativeButton("Cancel", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
@Override
public void onClick(DialogInterface dialogInterface, int i) {
forwardToDiskUsage();
}
}).create().show();
}
public void forwardToDiskUsage() {
Intent input = getIntent();
Intent diskusage = new Intent(this, DiskUsage.class);
diskusage.putExtra(DiskUsage.KEY_KEY, input.getStringExtra(DiskUsage.KEY_KEY));
diskusage.putExtra(DiskUsage.STATE_KEY, input.getBundleExtra(DiskUsage.STATE_KEY));
startActivityForResult(diskusage, DISKUSAGE_REQUEST_CODE);
}
@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
if (requestCode == DISKUSAGE_REQUEST_CODE) {
setResult(0, data);
finish();
} else if (requestCode == ASK_PERMISSION_REQUEST_CODE) {
forwardToDiskUsage();
}
}
private boolean isAccessGranted() {
try {
PackageManager packageManager = getPackageManager();
ApplicationInfo applicationInfo = packageManager.getApplicationInfo(getPackageName(), 0);
AppOpsManager appOpsManager = (AppOpsManager) getSystemService(Context.APP_OPS_SERVICE);
int mode = 0;
if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
mode = appOpsManager.checkOpNoThrow(AppOpsManager.OPSTR_GET_USAGE_STATS,
applicationInfo.uid, applicationInfo.packageName);
}
return (mode == AppOpsManager.MODE_ALLOWED);
} catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
return false;
}
}
}
| {
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} |
Edwin Reynolds
Edwin Reynolds may refer to:
Edwin R. Reynolds (1816–1908), U.S. Representative from New York.
Edwin Reynolds (engineer) (1831–1909), American mechanical engineer, consulting engineer and inventor
Edwin Francis Reynolds (1875–1949), English architect | {
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} |
“As a group of lads we would have fun inside the dressing room and get up to some funny things”
Dennis Wise
Such as setting fire to things, including new signing John Harton's Armani suit.
"We did things like letting fireworks off in hotels, put vaseline on people's car windows, let down tyres and burning Eric Young's Brighton bag," said Wise, who made 137 appearances in five years at the now defunct club.
"He constantly brought it in after joining from Brighton and it got on our nerves after a while so we burnt it.
"There were many things we did and it was part and parcel of us joking and having fun.
"It probably was not correct but we didn't think we harmed anyone but we did it because that was the group we had.
"But it's a different time now. Football is more structured, more professional in the way things are run and you would never see these type of things happening now.
"Now you can't go out or do jokey things because everything is portrayed in a different way, and you are made to look not professional if you do jokey things. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The ship’s power plant is called the Hayes Reactor. Safe, clean, effective, it can produce enough electricity to meet the needs of an entire planet, and its only waste product is pure, distilled water. It has a 0.00001% chance of failure.
Of course, given the luck of Iorgi Murrett and the crew of the Apocalypse, that’s more or less a guarantee.
Without a power plant, the ship has no defenses, no weapons, and no propulsion. It’s up to Captain Murrett and his crew to find a replacement before the bad guys find out and take the initiative.
But nuclear reactors are expensive, and the Apocalypse is a big boy.
The first followup to the lunacy of Found: One Apocalypse is now available as an E-book from Amazon.com! “Power Struggle” sees the struggling Apocalypse crew combining their meager assets to replace their defunct power system – but Murrett’s single-minded obsession might have them spending far more than they’re willing to pay…
Interplanetary rag-and-bone man Iorgi Murrett is fed up. His business is failing. His money is running out. His equipment keeps breaking down. He’s about ready to pack it all in and become a shill for the Company, though he has it on record that he’d rather be on fire.
Then, while trying to dig up some extra cash on his fifteenth random junk planet, he uncovers the hatch to an ancient battleship buried in the sand. Forced to take refuge within its armored walls, and trapped inside as its defense mechanisms come online, Murrett finds himself the proud owner of the five hundred year old Battleship Apocalypse, a “Planet-Buster” class vessel in a severe state of disrepair, yet carrying with it a sophisticated defensive grid topped with a variety of experimental weapons that most of the petty Empires in the Galaxy would sell their heirs to possess.
Now Murrett is on the run across space in a ship held together with duct tape and hope. Joining him are a shrill and demanding princess who fancies herself a freedom-fighter, a mining robot possessed by a vacuous alien, a one-armed smuggler, and an accountant who happened to answer Murrett’s want-ad.
In pursuit? A team of pirates flying ice-cream trucks, led by a delusional Admiral; the armies of the Eliak, who are, one supposes, the rightful owners if you really wanted to be picky about it; the Charter’s mysterious and shadowy Agency; and the Company, who really, really, really want their twenty percent. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
When shocking news reaches the History Keepers' headquarters, Jake Djones is sent head-first into a new adventure. The time-travelling agents voyage from Shakespeare's England to Imperial China in pursuit of their most villainous foe yet, Xi Xiang, whose aim is to destroy trade links between east and west and throw the world into war.
Jake, Nathan and Topaz must join forces with international agents in a race against the clock to stop him. And at the heart of the battle lies the key to a long-lost family member - will Jake find his brother after all this time? | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Kühgundkopf
Kühgundkopf is a 1907-meter mountain in the Allgäu Alps of Bavaria, Germany near Reutte, Tyrol, Austria. The Kühgundspitze is a rock head with cross in the Northeast part of the mountain of the Tannheimer Tal pull off.
References
Category:Mountains of Bavaria
Category:Allgäu Alps
Category:Mountains of the Alps | {
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} |
The AAA game industry is "at a crossroads," and the transition to an all-digital future may help make AAA games profitable again, said ex-Ubisoft game designer Patrice Désilets today at the Gamelab conference in Barcelona, reports GamesIndustry International.
Désilets noted that recent changes in the game industry like the arrival of mobile platforms, cheap games and digital distribution have caused much upheaval for traditional AAA development, making it increasingly risky.
"Right now we are at a crossroads in our industry," said Désilets. "But I don't believe the AAA blockbuster will die. Maybe the way it is distributed will change, but it won't die."
He continued, "Eventually, AAA [games] will make money again," and added that their profitability will be made possible by the industry switching from retail disc-based titles to digital distribution. "Yeah, games come on disc, and I get it guys you were really pissed off," he said, making an oblique reference to the controversial Xbox One DRM policies from which Microsoft has since backed down. "But, deep down, nobody cares about not having CDs any more. The future is digital, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"we are at a crossroads in our industry"
Désilets is invested in the AAA game industry not because he's been making AAA games for a long time, but also because of the type of games he likes to make.
"There are video games and there are interactive experiences. I do interactive experiences a lot more than I do video games," he said, characterizing the latter category as bite-size, forgettable experiences akin to celebrity gossip in People magazine. "Interactive experiences are novels. They are something else. You're inside them, they take time. You can change people's minds and lives with them."
Désilets was working on 1666: Amsterdam, which he said was one of those mind-changing experiences, at Ubisoft earlier this year until the company fired him in May. In response, he sued Ubisoft earlier this month, seeking $400,000 in compensation and the rights to the game. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
---
abstract: 'Mining tasks over sequential data, such as clickstreams and gene sequences, require a careful design of embeddings usable by learning algorithms. Recent research in feature learning has been extended to sequential data, where each instance consists of a sequence of heterogeneous items with a variable length. However, many real-world applications often involve *attributed sequences*, where each instance is composed of both a sequence of categorical items and a set of attributes. In this paper, we study this new problem of *attributed sequence embedding*, where the goal is to learn the representations of attributed sequences in an unsupervised fashion. This problem is core to many important data mining tasks ranging from user behavior analysis to the clustering of gene sequences. This problem is challenging due to the dependencies between sequences and their associated attributes. We propose a deep multimodal learning framework, called , to produce embeddings of attributed sequences. The embeddings are task independent and can be used on various mining tasks of attributed sequences. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our embeddings of attributed sequences in various unsupervised learning tasks on real-world datasets.'
author:
-
-
bibliography:
- 'ref.bib'
title: Attributed Sequence Embedding
---
Sequence, Embedding, Attributed sequence.
Introduction {#intro}
============
Sequential data arise naturally in a wide range of applications [@bechet2015sequence; @miliaraki2013mind; @wang2016unsupervised; @wei2013effective]. Examples of sequential data include click streams of web users, purchase histories of online customers, and DNA sequences of genes. Different from conventional multidimensional data [@pedersen1999multidimensional], the sequential data [@yang2003cluseq] are not represented as feature vectors of continuous values, but as sequences of categorical items with variable-lengths.
Many real-world applications involve mining tasks over sequential data [@wei2013effective; @tajer2014outlying; @wang2016unsupervised]. For example, in online ticketing systems, administrators are interested in finding fraudulent sequences from the clickstreams of users. In user profiling systems, researchers are interested in grouping purchase histories of customers into clusters. Motivated by these real-world applications, sequential data mining has received considerable attention in recent years [@miliaraki2013mind; @bechet2015sequence].
Sequential data usually requires a careful design of its embedding before being fed to data mining algorithms. One of the feature learning problems on sequential data is called sequence embedding [@cho2014learning; @sutskever2014sequence], where the goal is to transform a sequence into a fixed-length embedding.
![An example of attributed sequences. The three types of dependencies in an attributed sequence: [ item]{} dependencies, [ attribute]{} dependencies and [attribute]{}-[sequence]{} dependencies. []{data-label="fig-complexrel"}](complex-relations.pdf){width="0.9\linewidth"}
Conventional methods on sequence embedding focus on learning from sequential data alone [@kalchbrenner2013recurrent; @cho2014learning; @sutskever2014sequence; @luong2015multi]. However, in many real-world applications, sequences are often associated with a set of attributes. We define such data as *attributed sequences*, where each instance is represented by a set of *attributes* associated with a *sequence*. For example, in online ticketing systems as shown in Fig. \[fig-complexrel\], each user transaction includes both a sequence of user actions (*e.g.*, “`login`”, “`search`” and “`pick seats`”) and a set of attributes (*e.g.*, “`user name`”, “`browser`” and “`IP address`”) indicating the context of the transaction. In gene function analysis, each gene can be represented by both a DNA sequence and a set of attributes indicating the expression levels of the gene in different types of cells. Motivated by the recent success in attributed graph embedding [@gibert2012graph; @perozzi2014deepwalk], in this paper, we study the problem of attributed sequence embedding.
Building embedding for attributed sequences (as shown in Fig. \[fig-sota-nas\] corresponds to transforming an attributed sequence into a fixed-length embedding with continuous values. Different from the work in [@zhuang2018one; @zhuang2019amas], we do not have labels for any attributed sequence instances in the embedding task. Sequence embedding problems are particularly challenging with additional attributes. In sequence embedding problems (as shown in Fig. \[fig-sota-seqonly\], conventional methods focus on modeling the *item dependencies*, [[*i.e.*]{}]{}, the dependencies between different items within a sequence. However, in attributed sequences, the dependencies between items can be different if the sequence is observed under different contexts (attributes). Even the same ordering of the items can have different meanings if associated with different attribute values. In this paper, instead of building embeddings to model only the dependencies between items in each single sequence, we aim to model three types of dependencies in an attributed sequence jointly: (1) *item dependencies*, (2) *attribute dependencies* ([[*i.e.*]{}]{}, the dependencies between different attributes) and (3) *attribute-sequence dependencies* ([[*i.e.*]{}]{}, the dependencies between attributes and items in a sequence).
[0.45]{}
[1.1]{} {width="100.00000%"}
[1]{} {width="90.00000%"}
[1]{} {width="95.00000%"}
[0.40]{} {width="100.00000%"}
\[fig-as-setting\]
Despite its relevance, the problem of producing attributed sequence embeddings in an unsupervised setting remains open. We summarize the major research challenges as follows:
1. **Heterogeneous Dependencies.** The bipartite structure of attributed sequences poses unique challenges in feature learning. As shown in Fig. \[fig-complexrel\], there exist three types of possible dependencies in an attributed sequence: item dependencies, attribute dependencies and attribute-sequence dependencies.
** In Fig. \[fig-as2vec\], we present an example of fraud detection from a user privilege management system in [@amadeus]. This system logs each user session as an attributed sequence (denoted as $J_1 \sim J_5$). Each attributed sequence consists of a sequence of user’s activities and a set of attributes derived from metadata values. The attributes ([[*e.g.*]{}]{}, “`IP`”, “`OS`” and “`Browser`”) are recorded when a user logs into the system and remain unchanged during each user session. We use different shapes and colors to denote different user activities, [[*e.g.*]{}]{}, “`Reset password`”, “`Delete a user`”. In real-world applications like this, the attributes and the associated sequences are already saved within one integrated record. An important step in this fraud detection system is to “*red flag*” suspicious user sessions for potential security breaches. In Fig. \[fig-as2vec\], we observe three groups of embeddings learned from the [ ]{}application logs. For each group, we use a dendrogram to demonstrate the similarities between embeddings within that group. Neither of the embeddings using only sequences or only attributes detects any outliers due to the lacking of considerations of attribute-sequence dependencies. However, user session $J_5$ is discovered to be fraudulent using a learning algorithm that incorporates all three types of dependencies.
![Dendrograms of embeddings learned from attributed sequences for fraud detection tasks. $J_5$ is a user committing fraud. However, it is considered a normal user session by the embedding generated using either only attributes or only sequences. $J_5$ can only be caught as a fraud instance using the embedding learned using both attributes and sequences.[]{data-label="fig-as2vec"}](motivation-psa.pdf){width="0.7\linewidth"}
2. **Lack of Labeled Data.** With the continuously incoming volume of data and the high labor cost of manually labeling data, it is rare to find attributed sequences from many real-world applications with labels ([[*e.g.*]{}]{}, *fraud*, *normal*) attached. Without proper labels, it is challenging to learn an embedding function that is capable of transforming attributed sequences into compact embeddings concerning the three types of dependencies.
** Continuing with our Motivating Example 1, the [ ]{}records user activities and their session metadata in the log files. Due to the large volume of entries and complex user sessions, the log files do not have labels depicting whether one user session is fraudulent or not. Only when an embedding function that is capable of transforming unlabeled user sessions $J_1 \sim J_5$ respecting the differences between them, an anomaly detection algorithm can identify $J_5$ as a fraudulent session.
In this paper, we focus on the *generic* problem of embedding attributed sequences in an unsupervised fashion. We propose a novel framework (called ) using deep learning models to address the above challenges. This paper offers the following contributions:
- [We study the problem of attributed sequence embedding without any labels available. ]{}
- We propose a framework and a training strategy to exploit the dependencies among the attributed sequences.
- We evaluate the embeddings generated by [ ]{}framework on real-world datasets using outlier detection tasks. We also conduct case studies of user behavior analysis and demonstrate the usefulness of [ ]{}in real-world applications.
Problem Formulation {#prob-form}
===================
Preliminaries
-------------
[\[plain-sequence\] Given a set of $r$ categorical items $\mathcal{I} = \{e_1,\!\cdots, e_r\}$, the $k$-th sequence in the dataset $S_k = \left( \alpha_k^{(1)}, \cdots, \alpha_k^{(l_k)} \right)$ is an ordered list of items, where $\alpha_k^{(t)} \in \mathcal{I}, \forall t = 1,\cdots, l_k$.]{}
Different sequences can have a varying number of items. For example, the number of user click activities varies between different user sessions. The meanings of items are different in different datasets. For example, in user behavior analysis from clickstreams, each item represents one action in user’s click stream ([[*e.g.*]{}]{}, $\mathcal{I}=\{$`search`, `select`}, where $r=2$). Similarly in DNA sequencing, each item represents one canonical base ([[*e.g.*]{}]{}, $\mathcal{I}\!=\!\{\texttt{A},\! \texttt{T},\! \texttt{G},\! \texttt{C}\}$, where $r=4$).
There are dependencies between items in a sequence. Without loss of generality, we use the one-hot encoding of $S_k$, denoted as $ \mathbf{S}_k = \big({\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(1)}, \cdots, {\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(l_k)}\big) \in \mathbb{R}^{l_k \times r} $ where each item ${\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)}\in \mathbb{R}^r$ in $\mathbf{S}_k$ is a one-hot vector corresponding to the original item $\alpha_k^{(t)}$ in the sequence $S_k$.
Additionally, each sequence is associated with a set of *attributes*. Each attribute value can be either categorical or numerical. The attribute values are denoted using a vector $\mathbf{x}_k \in \mathbb{R}^{u}$, where $u$ is the number of attributes in $\mathbf{x}_k$. For example, in a dataset where each instance has two attributes “`IP`” and “`OS`”, $u=2$.
With the attributes and sequences, we now formally define the *attributed sequences* (Def. \[attributed-sequence\]) and the *attribute-sequence dependencies* (Def. \[def-asr\]).
[ \[attributed-sequence\] Given a vector of attribute values $\mathbf{x}_k$ and a sequence $\mathbf{S}_k$, an attributed sequence $J_k\! =\! (\mathbf{x}_k,\! \mathbf{S}_k)$ is an ordered pair of the attribute value vector $\mathbf{x}_k$ and the sequence $\mathbf{S}_k$.]{}
[\[def-asr\] Given an attributed sequence $J_k \!=\! (\!\mathbf{x}_k,\! \mathbf{S}_k\!)$, the log likelihood of $J_k$ is $\log \Pr(\!\mathbf{x}_k,\! \mathbf{S}_k\!)$.]{}
Problem Definition
------------------
The goal of attributed sequence embedding is to learn an embedding function that transforms each attributed sequence with a variable-length sequence of categorical items and a set of attributes into a compact representation in the form of a vector. However, these representations are only valuable if an embedding function is capable of learning all three types of dependencies. Hence, given a set of attributed sequences, we define the learning objective of the embedding function as a minimization of the aggregated negative log likelihood of all three types of dependencies.
[\[def-main\] Given a dataset of attributed sequences $\mathcal{J}=\{J_1, \cdots, J_n\}$, the problem of attributed sequence embedding is to find an embedding function $\Theta$ with a set of parameters (denoted as $\theta$) that produces embeddings for $J_k$ in the form of vectors. The problem is formulated as: $$\label{equation-main}
{\operatorname*{minimize}_{\theta}}\sum_{k=1}^{n}
\sum_{t=1}^{l_k}-\log\Pr \left({\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)} | {\bm{\beta}}_k^{(t)}, \mathbf{x}_k\right)
$$ where ${\bm{\beta}}_k^{(t)}\! = \!\left(\! {\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t-1)},\! \cdots,\! {\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(1)}\right), \forall t = 2,\! \cdots,\! l_k$ represents the items prior to ${\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)}$ in the sequence. ]{}
Our problem can be interpreted as: we want to minimize the prediction error of the ${\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)}$ in each attributed sequence given the attribute values $\mathbf{x}_k$ and all the items prior to ${\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)}$.
The [ ]{}Framework {#the-model}
==================
Attribute Network {#rep-attr}
-----------------
Fully connected neural network [@liou2014autoencoder] is capable of modeling the dependencies of the inputs and at the same time reduce the dimensionality. Fully connected neural network has been widely used [@liou2008modeling; @liou2014autoencoder; @phan2016differential] for unsupervised data representations learning, including tasks such as dimensionality reduction and generative data modeling. With the high-dimensional sparse input attribute values $\mathbf{x}_k \in \mathbb{R}^u$, it is ideal to use such a network to learn the attribute dependencies. We design our attribute network as: $$ \label{autoencoder-formula}
\begin{split}
\vspace{-2pt}
\mathbf{V}_k^{(1)} &= \rho\left(\mathbf{W}_A^{(1)}\mathbf{x}_k + \mathbf{b}_A^{(1)}\right)\\[-10pt]
&\vdots\\[-4pt]
\mathbf{V}_k^{(M+1)} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_A^{(M+1)}\mathbf{V}_k^{(M)} + \mathbf{b}_A^{(M+1)}\right)\\[-10pt]
&\vdots\\[-4pt]
\widehat{\mathbf{x}_{k}} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_A^{(2M)}\mathbf{V}_k^{(2M-1)} + \mathbf{b}_A^{(2M)}\right)
\end{split}
$$ where $\rho$ and $\sigma$ are two activation functions. In this attribute network, we use the `ReLU` function proposed in [@nair2010rectified] (defined as $\rho(z) = \max(0,z)$) and `sigmoid` function (defined as $\sigma(z) = \frac{1}{1 + e^{-z}}$). The attribute network is an encoder-decoder stack with $2M$ layers, where the first $M$ layers composed of the *encoder* while the next $M$ layers work as the *decoder*. With $d_M$ hidden units in the $M$-th layer, the input attribute vector $\mathbf{x}_k \in \mathbb{R}^u$ is first transformed to $\mathbf{V}_k^{(M)}\in \mathbb{R}^{d_M}, d_M \ll u$ by the encoder. Then the decoder attempts to reconstruct the input and produce the reconstruction result $\widehat{\mathbf{x}_k}\in \mathbb{R}^{u}$. An ideal attribute network should be able to reconstruct the input from the $\mathbf{V}_k^{(M)}$. The smallest attribute network is built with $M=1$, where there are one layer of encoder and one layer of decoder.
Sequence Network {#rep-multimodal}
----------------
The proposed sequence network is a variation of the long short-term memory model (LSTM) [@hochreiter1997long]. The sequence network takes advantage of the conventional LSTM to learn the dependencies between items in sequences. [@hochreiter1997long] defines the conventional LSTM model is defined as $$\label{seqnet-formula-a}
\begin{split}
\mathbf{i}_k^{(t)} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_i{\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)} + \mathbf{U}_i\mathbf{h}_k^{(t-1)} + \mathbf{b}_i\right) \\[-3pt]
\mathbf{f}_k^{(t)} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_f{\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)} + \mathbf{U}_f\mathbf{h}_k^{(t-1)} + \mathbf{b}_f\right) \\[-3pt]
\mathbf{o}_k^{(t)} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_o{\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)} + \mathbf{U}_o\mathbf{h}_k^{(t-1)} + \mathbf{b}_o\right) \\[-3pt]
\mathbf{g}_k^{(t)} &= \sigma\left(\mathbf{W}_g{\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)} + \mathbf{U}_g\mathbf{h}_k^{(t-1)} + \mathbf{b}_g\right) \\[-3pt]
\mathbf{c}_k^{(t)} &= \mathbf{f}_k^{(t)} \odot \mathbf{c}_k^{(t-1)} + \mathbf{i}_k^{(t)} \odot \mathbf{g}_k^{(t)} \\[-3pt]
\mathbf{h}_k^{(t)} &= \mathbf{o}_k^{(t)} \odot \tanh\left(\mathbf{c}_k^{(t)}\right) \\[-4pt]
\end{split}$$ where $\odot$ denotes element-wise product, $\sigma$ is a `sigmoid` activation function, $\mathbf{i}_k^{(t)}, \mathbf{f}_k^{(t)}, $ $\mathbf{o}_k^{(t)}$ and $\mathbf{g}_k^{(t)}$ are the internal gates of an LSTM. The cell states (denoted as $\mathbf{c}_k^{(t)}$) and hidden states (denoted as $\mathbf{h}_k^{(t)}$), which store the information of the sequential data, are two important components in the LSTM model. Without loss of generality, we denote the dimension of the cell states and the hidden states as $d$.
**Integration of Attribute Network and Sequence Network.** Different from the conventional LSTM, our proposed sequence network also accepts the output from the attribute network to condition the sequence network. In particular, we have redesigned the function of the *hidden states* to integrate the information from the attribute network by conditioning the sequence network at the first time step as $$\small
\label{seqnet-formula-b}
\mathbf{h}_k^{(t)} = \mathbf{o}_k^{(t)} \odot \tanh\left(\mathbf{c}_k^{(t)}\right) + \mathds{1}(t=1)\odot\mathbf{V}_k^{(M)}$$ This integration requires the attribute network and the sequence network have the same number of the hidden units ([*i.e.*]{}, $d_M = d$).
Since the attributed sequences are unlabeled, we designed the sequence network to predict *the next item in the sequence* as the training strategy. The prediction is carried out by designing an output layer applying a `softmax` function on the hidden states as $$\small
\label{seqnet-formula-c}
\mathbf{y}_k^{(t)} = \delta\left(\mathbf{W}_y\mathbf{h}_k^{(t)} + \mathbf{b}_y\right)
\vspace{-2pt}$$ where $\mathbf{y}_k^{(t)} \in \mathbb{R}^{r}$ is the predicted next item in sequence computed using `softmax` function, $\mathbf{W}_y$ and $\mathbf{b}_y$ are the weights and bias of this output layer. With the `softmax` activation function, the $\mathbf{y}_k^{(t)}$ can be interpreted as the probability distribution over $r$ items.
Training {#sec-backprop}
--------
### Training Objectives
We use two different learning objectives for attribute network and sequence network targeting at the unique characteristics of attribute and sequence data.
1. Attribute network aims at minimizing the differences between the input and reconstructed attribute values. The learning objective function of attribute network is defined as $$\small
\label{loss-att-net}
L_{A} = \|\mathbf{x}_k - \widehat{\mathbf{x}_k}\|_2^2$$
2. Sequence network aims at minimizing log likelihood of incorrect prediction of the next item at each time step. Thus, the sequence network learning objective function can be formulated using categorical cross-entropy as $$\label{loss-seq-net}
\small
L_{S} = -\sum_{t=1}^{l_k} {\bm{\alpha}}_k^{(t)}\log\mathbf{y}_k^{(t)}$$
### Embedding
After the model is trained, we use the parameters in attribute network and sequence network to embed each attributed sequence. Specifically, the attributed sequences are used as inputs to the *trained* model only with the one forward pass, where the parameters within the model remain unchanged. After the last time step for an attributed sequence $\mathbf{S}_k$, the cell state of sequence network, namely $\mathbf{c}_k^{(l_k)}$, is used as the embedding of $\mathbf{S}_k$.
Experimental Evaluation {#experiments}
=======================
In this section, we evaluate [ ]{}framework using real-world application logs from [ ]{}and public datasets from Wikispeedia [@west2012human; @west2009wikispeedia]. We evaluate the quality of embeddings generated by different methods by measuring the performance of outlier detection algorithms using different embeddings.
Experimental Setup
------------------
### Data Collection
We use four datasets in our experiments: two from [ ]{}application log files and two from Wikispeedia[^1]. The numbers of attributed sequences in all four datasets vary between $\sim$58k and $\sim$106k.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-A/B</span>: We extract $\sim$164k instances from log files of an Amadeus internal application. Each record is composed of a profile containing information ranging from system configurations to office name, and a sequence of functions invoked by click activities on the web interface. There are 288 distinct functions, 57,270 distinct profiles in this dataset. The average length of the sequences is 18.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wiki-A/B</span>: This dataset is sampled from Wikispeedia dataset. Wikispeedia dataset originated from a human-computation game, called Wikispeedia [@west2009wikispeedia]. We use a subset of $\sim$3.5k paths from Wikispeedia with the average length of the path as 6. We also extract 11 sequence context ([*e.g.*]{}, the category of the source page, average time spent on each page) as attributes.
{width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"}
{width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"} {width="\figwidth\linewidth"}
![The performance of $k$-NN outlier detection ($k=5$). The *methods not using embeddings* are placed on the left. We vary the number of dimensions on the right. The higher score is better. We observe that the combinations of $k$-NN and [ ]{}embeddings have the best performance on the four datasets. []{data-label="fig-outlier-perf"}](legend-auc){width="0.75\linewidth"}
[0.45]{} ![The performance of $k$-NN outlier detection ($k=5$). The *methods not using embeddings* are placed on the left. We vary the number of dimensions on the right. The higher score is better. We observe that the combinations of $k$-NN and [ ]{}embeddings have the best performance on the four datasets. []{data-label="fig-outlier-perf"}](auc_perf_bar.pdf "fig:"){width="\linewidth"}
[0.45]{} ![The performance of $k$-NN outlier detection ($k=5$). The *methods not using embeddings* are placed on the left. We vary the number of dimensions on the right. The higher score is better. We observe that the combinations of $k$-NN and [ ]{}embeddings have the best performance on the four datasets. []{data-label="fig-outlier-perf"}](auc_perf_bar.pdf "fig:"){width="\linewidth"}
[0.45]{} ![The performance of $k$-NN outlier detection ($k=5$). The *methods not using embeddings* are placed on the left. We vary the number of dimensions on the right. The higher score is better. We observe that the combinations of $k$-NN and [ ]{}embeddings have the best performance on the four datasets. []{data-label="fig-outlier-perf"}](auc_perf_bar.pdf "fig:"){width="\linewidth"}
[0.45]{} ![The performance of $k$-NN outlier detection ($k=5$). The *methods not using embeddings* are placed on the left. We vary the number of dimensions on the right. The higher score is better. We observe that the combinations of $k$-NN and [ ]{}embeddings have the best performance on the four datasets. []{data-label="fig-outlier-perf"}](auc_perf_bar.pdf "fig:"){width="\linewidth"}
### Compared Methods
To study [ ]{}performance on attributed sequences in real-world applications, we use the following compared methods in our experiments.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">LEN</span> [@akata2013label]: The attributes are encoded and directly used in the mining algorithm.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">MCC</span> [@bernhard2016clickstream]: <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">MCC</span> uses the sequence component of attributed sequence as input and produces log likelihood for each sequence.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">SEQ</span> [@sutskever2014sequence]: Only the sequence inputs are used by an LSTM to generate fixed-length embeddings.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">ATR</span> [@wang2014generalized]: A two-layered fully connected neural network is used to generate attribute embeddings.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">EML</span>[@yager2014probabilistically]: Aggregate <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">MCC</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">LEN</span> scores.
- <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">CSA</span> [@ngiam2011multimodal]: The attribute embedding and the sequence embedding are independently generated by <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">ATR</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">SEQ</span>, then concatenated together.
### Network Parameters
Following the previous work in [@glorot2010understanding], we initialize weight matrices $\mathbf{W}_A$ and $\mathbf{W}_S$ using the uniform distribution. The recurrent matrix $\mathbf{U}_S$ is initialized using the orthogonal matrix as suggested by [@saxe2013exact]. All the bias vectors are initialized with zero vector $\pmb0$. We use stochastic gradient descent as optimizer with the learning rate of 0.01. We use a two-layer encoder-decoder stack as our attribute network.
Outlier Detection Tasks {#outlier}
-----------------------
We use outlier detection tasks to evaluate the quality of embeddings produced by . We select $k$-NN outlier detection algorithm as it has only one important parameter ([*i.e.*]{}, the $k$ value). We use ROC AUC as the metric in this set of experiments.
For each of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-A</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-B</span> datasets, we ask domain experts to select two users as inlier and outlier. These two users have completely different behaviors ([[*i.e.*]{}]{}, sequences) and metadata ([[*i.e.*]{}]{}, attributes). The percentages of outliers in <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-A</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-B</span> are 1.5% and 2.5% of all attributed sequences, respectively. For the <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wiki-A</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wiki-B</span> datasets, each path is labeled based on the category of the source page. Similarly to the previous two datasets, we select paths with two labels as inliers and outliers where the percentage of outlier paths is 2%. The feature used to label paths is excluded from the learning and embedding process.
**Performance.** The goal of this set of experiments is to demonstrate the performance of outlier detection using all our compared methods. Each method is trained with all the instances. For <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">SEQ</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">ATR</span> and , the number of learning epochs is set to 10 and we vary the number of embedding dimensions $d$ from 15 to 30. We set $k=5$ for outlier detection tasks for <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">LEN</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">SEQ</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">ATR</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">CSA</span> and . Choosing the *optimal* $k$ value in the outlier detection tasks is beyond the scope of this work, thus we omit its discussions. We summarize the performance results in Fig. \[fig-outlier-perf\].
**Analysis.** We find that the results based on the embeddings generated by [ ]{}are superior to other methods. That is, [ ]{}maximally outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms by 32.9%, 27.5%, 44.8% and 48% on <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-A</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">AMS-B</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wiki-A</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Wiki-B</span> datasets, respectively. It is worth mentioning that [ ]{}outperforms a similar baseline method <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">CSA</span> by incorporating the information of attribute-sequence dependencies.
**Parameter Study** There are two *key* parameters in our evaluations, [*i.e.*]{}, $k$ value for the $k$-NN algorithm and the learning epochs.
In Fig. \[exp-auc-k\], we first show that the embeddings (dimension $d=15$) generated by our [ ]{}assist $k$-NN outlier detection algorithm to achieve superior performance under a wide range of $k$ values ($k=5, 10, 15, 20, 25$). We omit the detailed discussions of selecting the optimal $k$ values due to the scope of this work.
Fig. \[exp-auc-epoch\] presents the results when we fix $k=5, d=15$ and vary the number of epochs in the learning phase. We notice that compared to its competitor, the embeddings generated by [ ]{}can achieve a higher AUC even with a relatively fewer number of learning epochs. Compared to other neural network-based methods ([*i.e.*]{}, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">SEQ</span>, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">ATR</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">CSA</span>), [ ]{}have a more stable performance. The [ ]{}performance gain is not due to the advantage of using both attributes and sequences, but because of taking the various dependencies into account, as the other two competitors ([*i.e.*]{}, <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">CSA</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">EML</span>) also utilize the information from both attributes and sequences.
Related Work {#related}
============
**Sequence Mining.** Many sequence mining work focuses on frequent sequence pattern mining. Recent work in [@miliaraki2013mind] targets finding subsequences of possible non-consecutive actions constrained by a gap within sequences. [@egho2015parameter] aims at solving pattern-based sequence classification problems using a parameter-free algorithm from the model space. It defines rule pattern models and a prior distribution on the model space. [@fowkes2016subsequence] builds a subsequence interleaving model for mining the most relevant sequential patterns. **Deep Learning.** Sequence-to-sequence learning in [@sutskever2014sequence] uses long short-term memory model in machine translation. The hidden representations of sentences in the source language are transferred to a decoder to reconstruct in the target language. The idea is that the hidden representation can be used as a compact representation to transfer sequence similarities between two sequences. Multi-task learning in [@luong2015multi] examines three multi-task learning settings for sequence-to-sequence models that aim at sharing either an encoder or decoder in an encoder-decoder model setting. Although the above work is capable of learning the dependencies within a sequence, none of them focuses on learning the dependencies between attributes and sequences. This new bipartite data type of attributed sequence has posed new challenges of heterogeneous dependencies to sequence models, such as RNN and LSTM. Multimodal deep neural networks [@karpathy2015deep; @ngiam2011multimodal; @xu2015show] is designed for information sharing across multiple neural networks, but none of these work focuses on our attributed sequence embedding problem.
Conclusion
==========
In this paper, we study the problem of *unsupervised attributed sequences embedding*. Different from conventional feature learning approaches, which work on either sequences or attributes without considering the *attribute-sequence dependencies*, we identify the three types of dependencies in attributed sequences. We propose a novel framework, called , to learn the heterogeneous dependencies and embed unlabeled attributed sequences. Empirical studies on real-world tasks demonstrate that the proposed [ ]{}effectively boosts the performance of outlier detection tasks compared to baseline methods.
[^1]: Personal identity information is not collected for privacy reasons.
| {
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Wenn am kommenden Sonntag Landtagswahl wäre, lägen die Grünen in Baden-Württemberg mit der CDU mit je 29 Prozent gleichauf. Die Grünen könnten im Vergleich zur Umfrage im März 2017 um 2 Prozentpunkte zulegen, die CDU um 1 Prozentpunkt. Die SPD kommt aktuell auf 12 Prozent (-8).
Infratest dimap hat für diese Umfrage vom 26. bis 30. Januar 2018 1.003 Wahlberechtigte in Baden-Württemberg telefonisch befragt.
Im Vergleich zum März 2017 ist das ein ungewöhnlicher Verlust. Nach der Nominierung von Martin Schulz zu Beginn des vergangenen Jahres zum Kanzlerkandidaten hatte es in der SPD noch den sogenannten Schulz-Hype gegeben. Die SPD liegt jetzt gleichauf mit der AfD, die ebenfalls auf 12 Prozent kommt (+1). Die FDP könnte mit 8 Prozent rechnen (+1) und die Linke wäre mit 6 Prozent (+2) im Landtag vertreten. Das sind die Ergebnisse einer aktuellen repräsentativen Umfrage von Infratest dimap im Auftrag des Südwestrundfunks (SWR) und der Stuttgarter Zeitung.
CDU in der Defensive
Das einstimmige Nein der CDU-Landtagsfraktion zur Wahlrechtsreform hat eine Diskussion über die Führungsrolle in der baden-württembergischen CDU ausgelöst. Angesichts des Konflikts zwischen CDU-Chef Thomas Strobl und CDU-Fraktionschef Wolfgang Reinhart hat die Mehrheit im Land (67 Prozent) den Eindruck, dass in der Landes-CDU nicht klar ist, wer "das Sagen hat".
Die umstrittene Wahlrechtsreform sollte die Chancen für Frauen verbessern, in den Landtag einzuziehen. Jetzt sind 48 Prozent der Befragten der Meinung, dass sich die CDU Baden-Württemberg zu wenig für die Interessen von Frauen einsetzt. Außerdem würden es nur 34 Prozent der Baden-Württemberger begrüßen, wenn die CDU wieder den Regierungschef stellen würde.
Weiterhin gute Bilanz der Landesregierung
Trotz leichter Verluste ist die Zufriedenheit mit der grün-schwarzen Landesregierung weiterhin hoch. 6 von 10 Baden-Württembergern (61 Prozent; -3) äußern sich zufrieden zur Arbeit des Landeskabinetts, knapp 4 von 10 Befragten (37 Prozent; +5) kommen zu einer kritischen Einschätzung. Im Vergleich zur Umfrage vom März 2017 ist der Rückhalt der Landesregierung zwar etwas zurückgegangen, der Vergleich zu anderen Bundesländern zeigt jedoch, dass die Landesregierung hier weiterhin eine Spitzenposition einnimmt.
Grüne besser bewertet als CDU | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
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Tag: foi
Filipino taxpayers can take pride in sponsoring two expensive teledramas. In 2012, we saw the Club 188 signatories expedite the impeachement of then Chief Justice Corona, courtesy of a Powerpoint presentation. The drama was blown to a full scale at the senate, where we saw a nation polarized by the eloquent grandstanding of our public […]
We recall back when President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III was in campaign mode (as if the President ever got over such an operating mode) that the President reportedly put up the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill as an absolute priority of his administration… Presidential frontrunner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said last Sunday that […] | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Q:
Python 2.6 virtualenv, pip throwing "ImportError: No module named _md5"
I've been developing a django site (irrelevant) under python 2.5 up until now, when I wanted to switch to python 2.6 to make sure things worked there. However, when I was setting up my virtualenv for 2.6, pip threw an error "ImportError: No module named _md5".
Background:
I'm running on Ubuntu Maverick 10.10.
My python 2.5 was coming from fkrull's deadsnakes repo, and has been working without issues.
I create virtualenvs with virtualenv <path> --no-site-packages --python=python2.[56]
If I try to import hashlib from outside a virtualenv, it works fine:
$ python2.6
Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Sep 15 2010, 15:52:39)
[GCC 4.4.5] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import hashlib
>>>
But inside it throws the same ImportError.
I've tried reinstalling python2.6, libpython2.6, and python2.6-minimal and recreating my virtualenv, but I get the same error.
None of the list of potential duplicates didn't help, as they either use different linux distros or simply say "recompile python".
Ideas?
A:
The problem ended up being different versions of python2.6 -- my virtualenv (which I had actually created at an earlier date to the same purpose) already had python 2.6.4 installed, while the system was up to 2.6.6.
I had tried virtualenv <path> --no-site-packages --python=python2.6 --clear, but apparently --clear doesn't clear out the old python bin.
rm -rf-ing the env directory and recreating it from scratch (so the venv had 2.6.6 as well) fixed the issue.
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
OFT failing credit card users
18 December 2003
The Office of Fair Trading was slammed for not doing enough to end the 'deliberately obscure' advertising which was enticing consumers into debt.
Senior MPs called for new laws to simplify interest rate levels and the terms and conditions found in the small print.
"The whole of the industry is tarnished with the same brush and has been getting away with it for far too long," said one member of the committee. Another added: "The industry is guilty of dealing in deceit".
The Committee report highlighted the credit card industry's lack of transparency over interest rates and for standing by as consumers sleepwalked into debt.
The Committee said the OFT's passivity in "the face of blatant unfairness" to consumers was "unacceptable".
The Committee also wagged its finger at the Department of Trade and Industry, which oversees Britain's £52 billion credit industry, for its "pedestrian approach".
The Committee said responsibility for regulating credit cards should be handed over to the Financial Services Authority.
Last week, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the Halifax had misled the public by claiming it was the only card issuer to offer 0 per cent on balance transfers for the first nine months.
Fair Investment Company
is rated 4.43 stars by Reviews.co.uk based on 122 merchant reviews | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
The present invention relates to creating an Augmented Virtual Environment (AVE) that augments two-dimensional (2D) video data with three-dimensional (3D) understandings of objects contained within the video data environment.
Understanding and determining the import of the various object movements, for example a person approaching an area or taking some sort of action that exposes that person or others to a heightened hazard risk, may be difficult from 2D video data streams. Human operators may be required to simultaneously review and analyze multiple monitors or display windows for object movements, and the 2D nature of video data may make object recognition and tracking by the human eye difficult, particularly in visually rich or noisy environments.
Object tracking and recognition may be improved if 2D video data is provided in an Augmented Virtual Environment (AVE) that creates 3D scene models of objects present in the video data, as recognizing and tracking 3D objects is inherently more intuitive to human observers. However, to adequately render 3D models such systems require other data inputs, for example data from other cameras or other devices, such as range, image and/or object tracking sensors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Pages
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Event Aftermath: Girls Day Out! Yukata Dress-Up Session
It's been a really long time since I last posted! ^^;;;;
This post is rather late compared to my post on the IG forums as I was having some trouble logging in through Internet Explorer.... I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to use Firefox till today XD;;
Anyway! Here goes :)
My godsisters and I have been planning a Yukata Day for the past few years, and we've only recently managed to book a date for it! The hubbies were sent to do some car-shopping and general bro-bonding XD; We think they had fun - we didn't hear anything from them the whole day!
The girls met up at my house in the morning for a dressing, hair and make-up session, before we all piled into a couple of cars and headed to Pavilion (a downtown mall) for lunch and light shopping. It was really fun, cramming all 6 of us into my tiny room, with everyone doing each other's hair and make-up, and choosing accessories for each other! XD
I'm afraid I was rather sloppy with dressing them - too many of us in one place, and I've been really out of practice with dressing others!! I even forgot how to tie alot of musubi, which got me pretty upset ^^;;; I need to practice more!
Group pic before we left the house (because my mum wanted a photo of us on Facebook already XD;;):
We had intentionally decided that everyone should wear a different colour, and the effect is quite pretty! Except for my sister (the second one from the left), they are all wearing yukata sets that I'd given to them as Christmas gifts years ago :) My mum also joined in the fun by accessorizing them once they were dressed and did their hair and make-up!
I did try to convince them that yukata would look much nicer with an up-do hairstyle, but they were more comfortable with leaving their hair down, so I let them do what they liked XD;
We had lunch at Kampachi, because Olivia can't eat much pork, so we couldn't eat at a few places in Tokyo Street. Good thing we decided to eat here too - Kampachi has a better menu selection, so everyone could eat what they wanted, rather than being confined to a restaurant's specialty! (Tokyo Street's restaurants are rather specialized - there's a ramen place, a tempura don place, a shabu shabu place, a tonkatsu place... Kampachi has a bit of everything!)
After lunch, we walked around for a bit of shopping!
Part of the reason we'd decided on Pavilion: Muji's opening day in Malaysia! There are only these two pics outside of Muji because the rest of us pretty much ran in the moment we saw the store, and went mad XD;
Some random snaps while we were shopping. You can see just how sloppy I was with the obi musubi :/ I tied the obi a little too loose for some of them, and the bows were a little too floppy! I wanted to tie more intricate stuff, but somehow my fingers wouldn't cooperate with my mind, so I had to stick to the more basic musubi ^_^;;
Group pics outside Shu Uemura!
As we were rushing to get home in time for a dinner party at my house tonight, we didn't shop very much and headed straight home after buying a few items at Shu Uemura. We wanted to go to MAC too, but there wasn't enough time... We were all inspired to buy make-up and facial stuff after the long discussion about make-up that morning hahaha :)
But we did make sure we had the time for some individual outfit snaps :)
Stella was our main photographer for the day, since she was experimenting with her new camera :) My sister and I chose this yukata for her because she loves animals, and bright and cheerful colours suit her really well!
Sandra is always so sweet and lady-like, so my sister and I gave her a soft and delicate yukata set that suits her personality. Uh, she does have an ohashori, but I'd accidentally tied her obi a little too loosely, so it kept slipping down and hiding her ohashori ^^;;; You can still see a tiny bit of it in this photo!
I couldn't decide on a colour for Olivia, so I asked her outright about the colour that she liked, and she chose purple. I picked this one because it's something that I personally would wear - and she really liked it too! :) I wish I'd thought of lending her one of my yukata obijime, because that would look really good with this obi and yukata set.
The reason why I'd given everyone a yukata was because I'd bugged Carolyn into buying one when Jusco was having their first Yukata Fair two years ago, and when everyone found out, they wanted one as well! This yukata that she's wearing is her second one, which I'd given her for Christmas. It's a little somber, but she doesn't like very bright colours, and I knew she'd appreciate the intricate designs of the patterns :)
My sister's coordinate was a last-minute thing, because I'd forgotten to show her our wardrobe options till the morning of this event. She felt like wearing something monochrome-ish, so she chose this yukata. Since she'd mentioned "monochrome" specifically, I knew immediately that this obi would be the best choice for this outfit, rather than a hot pink or purple one.
I really love this yukata and obi combination! It's very difficult to capture in photos, but this obi is one of the higher quality ones that can also be worn with kimono, with a woven latticework pattern on the plain black side. I feel it really made her outfit stand out. She noticed that there were some purples in the yukata, so she matched them with our newest handbag, and coordinated her accessories around that. She's also wearing black and white geta and a black and white bead flower hairband to complete the look. I think her coordinate was probably my favourite!
And finally - my outfit! ^_^
My outfit was mostly chosen by the godsisters! After my sister had picked out her yukata, we eliminated the ones that were too similar in colour to everyone else's yukata, and they picked out the one they thought looked the nicest. I really really like this yukata, because it's false shibori, has a pattern of grapes, and is in a really gorgeous colour. Unfortunately, I've never worn it before because I'd always had problems coordinating the yukata properly. After going through all my hanhaba obi and even some of my nagoya obi, I got a little frustrated and just threw on a plain white yukata obi.
While dressing myself, I suddenly remembered that I have a few yukata obijime in my collection and decided to break them out - and immediately liked the effect of this bright blue obijime against my outfit! Makes for a really lovely contrast, and adds colour to an otherwise bland outfit :) I coordinated all my accessories around this bit of blue. I really like this ensemble now!
(And by the way, I also really like this photo because Stella somehow managed to make me look thin :P)
It was a really fun day - we are already discussing our next girls day out, though it might possibly be a lolita day next (HAHAHA not XD;;;). It was also fun in the evening when the hubbies came home for the dinner party :)
Thank you for your loving Yukata..But I just want to suggest one thing.Usually when we wear yukata or kimono,we don't use such a normal bag.(When we wear Yukata,need to use bag for Yukata.)You are very cute but if you change bag,it will be more nice. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Simple Basement Playroom Ideas
May10th
Simple Basement Playroom Ideas
To be a tricky affair sometimes designing the space in the basement playroom in an inexpensive basement. Here are good playroom in these inspiring ideas for a tricky affair sometimes designing an unfinished basement playroom decorating from playroom you grace the basement ceiling with these bins can be complex or adding large additions to add a basement must be heated in an inexpensive basement playroom. Simple basement playroom ideas diy, interior basement playroom. Design a super easy diy coffe table centerpiece. Yourself nature should. Decoratoo playroom organizing ideas and simple is the easy way to comment section below brilliant easy.
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It easy to an inexpensive basement into a slide along with playroom ideas about the great basement playroom or adding large additions to mention all sorts of your basement into a tour through our kids playroom. I love to find ideas. Simple basement playroom ideas brand, basement into a few of ideas. Is a safe and is a pegboard is your own home design software free pictures and finishing play rugs game rooms for playroom here are some basement into a kids an inexpensive ways to design. Move on pinterest see more than like a brandnew diningroom playroom ideas about kids.
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About stunning basement like yours for simple basement renovations simple way to server as a playroom into a while back and basement playroom ideas about how to finish basement playroom design help create a variety of basement playroom ideas in gallery of best interior style related image about stunning basement flooring ideas in a part of house and finishing costs home. Photos on into a grid of inspiring media interior style and after with a while decluttering the perfect basement flooring and choose save image and see more colorful to create a look at the coolest things to download. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Q:
System.Web.UI not available in console app?
Im trying to write a quick console app that outputs data to an HTML file, however im having trouble accessing the System.Web.UI namespace.
Adding System.Web to my references places a warning icon on top of the reference name in the solution explorer and System.Web is not available in the .NET reference list (in order for me to actually add it to the project I have to go to the object browser and add it from there).
Anybody have any ideas about what I could be missing?
Thanks alot people!
A:
In Visual Studio 2010 the default target framework for Console Applications is ".NET Framework 4 - Client Profile" which doesn't include System.Web. Change it in the project properties to just '.NET Framework 4' and you can add the reference.
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
RS
FRONT PAGE CONTRIBUTOR
Amnesty, Border Security, and Conservatism
Illegal immigration, and the debate that comes with it, isn’t going anywhere. This became clear in previous debates when Governor Perry came under fire and was reinforced last night when Speaker Gingrich spoke these words:
I don’t see how the — the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter century. And I’m prepared to take the heat for saying, let’s be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families.
This was followed by Governor Perry:
the real issue is securing that border. And this conversation is not ever going to end until we get the border secure. But I do think that there is a way. That after we secure that border that you can have a process in place for individual who are law- abiding citizens who have done only one thing, as Newt says, 25 years ago or whatever that period of time was, that you can put something in place that basically continues to keep those families together.
Somehow Governor Romney, who here and here was voicing approval of some form of amnesty, has some convinced that he represents the hardline on immigration. Not wanting to chase this rabbit, I will note that this is purely a political move by Gov. Romney rather than a principled objection. After all he’s “running for office, for Pete’s sake…“
With this in mind I think it would behoove us to have an honest discussion about what we believe as conservatives and how this should shape our policies.
Before I go to far, I will state unequivocally that I reject blanket amnesty. As well I reject the notion of compassionate conservatism, as conservatism is itself inherently compassionate. That said, I understand the desire of some to add this descriptor since that inherent compassion is sometimes almost impossible to see in the debates that transpire on this complicated subject.
The argument against any form of amnesty, however limited it may be, has been summarized over the years as “enforcement first”. I agree with this, as far as I have understood it to mean stemming the tide of further illegal immigration and securing the border. But, I do not agree with what this simple phrase has morphed into.
I do not think practical, nor in keeping with conservative ideals [such as free trade], the idea of a complete border fence that spans our entire southern border. Additionally, I grow suspicious of those proposing this as an all encompassing solution to the problem of illegal immigration when they do not also require such a fence on our northern border. Furthermore, having established a secure border whatever that might be, I am skeptical that those who are currently against any form of amnesty would then support it in even a limited form. Instead, I believe the goal posts would shift. In fact, I believe that shift has already started to occur.
The calls for increased deportation, which President Obama has actually accelerated, would come under the more acceptable phrasing of enforcing the laws already on the books. I would point out that blind enforcement of those laws and not differentiating between the active criminal illegal immigrant and the passive illegal immigrant searching for that last best hope on earth, could do more to exacerbate, rather than solve, our problems on our southern border.
The questions I find myself asking; Are we, as conservatives, prepared to send a generation that has only known America as their home into a failed nation that is currently, and for the foreseeable future, being held captive by a murderous gang of drug cartels? And if we are, do we really not see that the consequences of such actions could lead not only to their death, which at that point would be the merciful option, but also to lives of enslavement in the service of these same murderous cartels? Further, having provided a captive supply of manpower for the effort, would this not also have the effect of increasing the flow of illegal drugs into America despite our best efforts to control the porous border? And finally, do we not see how this could also increase the desire of those who seek to flee north to again do just that, whether it be legal or not?
I would like to think that we are capable of the task before us, that we can have a realistic idea of what border security would look like and that we could then discriminate between the criminal and those looking for a better life and offer asylum to the latter who have known this as their home all of their lives.
If we choose to hold to the idea that we can simply deport them all, or allow them to self deport as some insist would be the case after securing our border, while ignoring whether the cost of doing so could outweigh the cost of them being here in the first place, I fear we would be guilty of appealing solely to our instinct, conservative though it may be. And as Russell Kirk, one of the modern giants of conservatism said, “A conservatism of instinct must be reinforced by a conservatism of thought and imagination.” | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
چکیده انگلیسی
The neuropsychological literature on the processing of emotions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) reveals conflicting evidence about the role of the basal ganglia in the recognition of facial emotions. Hence, the present study had two objectives. One was to determine the extent to which the visual processing of emotions and objects differs in PD. The other was to assess the impact of cognitive load on the processing of these types of information. Thirty-one patients with idiopathic PD (IPD) under dopamine replacement therapy (DRT) were compared to 30 control subjects on emotion and object recognition tasks. Recognition of objects was more accurate and faster than recognition of facial expressions of emotion, for both groups of subjects. In a second experiment using an N-back procedure with the same stimuli—a more demanding task with a higher cognitive load—patients with IPD were as accurate as control subjects in detecting the correct sequential presentation of stimuli, but were much slower in their decision responses. This indicates that IPD patients under DRT are not impaired in encoding emotion or object information, but that they have difficulty with the processing demands of the N-back task. Thus, patients with IPD appear to be more sensitive to cognitive load than to type of information, whether facial emotions or objects. In this perspective, one must consider that a deafferented dopaminergic system has problems processing more complex information before one can posit the existence of deficits affecting a specific type of information.
مقدمه انگلیسی
The involvement of the basal ganglia in the processing of emotion has been widely studied for nearly two decades. Studies of patients with lesions in or dysfunction of the basal ganglia have reported deficits in the processing of emotional prosody, in both the perceptive and expressive modalities (Breitenstein et al., 2001 and Dara et al., 2008; Weddell, 1994). In line with these findings, neuroimaging studies have also shown neural activation within these subcortical structures during the response to emotions from vocal expressions (Kotz et al., 2003 and Wildgruber et al., 2005). Also consistent with the involvement of the basal ganglia in emotional processing is an fMRI study by Phillips et al. (1997), who found activation of the right putamen for the processing of intense disgust.
Patients in the early stages of Huntington’s or Parkinson’s disease are impaired in the recognition of facial expressions of emotions (Dujardin et al., 2004, Lawrence et al., 2007, Sprengelmeyer et al., 1997 and Sprengelmeyer et al., 2003). Specifically, patients with Huntington’s disease (HD), who suffer from degeneration of medium-sized spiny striatal neurons, are severely impaired in the ability to recognize facial expressions of disgust, while their interpretation of other emotions is relatively preserved (e.g., Sprengelmeyer, Schroeder, Young, & Epplen, 2006). This impaired recognition of disgust has also been found with vocal expressions of disgust (Hayes, Stevenson, & Coltheart, 2007).
In Parkinson’s disease (PD), the evidence as to whether emotion processing is negatively affected and, if so, which specific emotions—if there is such a selective disturbance as that found in HD—is not clear. Sprengelmeyer et al. (2003) examined emotional information processing in PD patients under different conditions: while unmedicated PD patients presented with higher deficits in the recognition of disgust, this specific impairment was not observed in medicated PD patients, even at a more advanced stage of the disease. In these authors’ view, the administration of dopaminergic treatment exerts a corrective effect on the performance of patients with PD in the recognition of facial emotions. Dujardin et al. (2004) presented evidence of a broader impairment in the recognition of facial emotions in PD, not limited to expressions of disgust. These authors reported that patients with PD had an impairment in decoding the facial expressions of sadness and anger. Paradoxically, injection of levodopa in healthy subjects leads to an impairment in the recognition of emotions (Delaveau, Salgado-Pineda, Wicker, Micallef-Roll, & Blin, 2005).
A few studies, however, present a more complex picture of the involvement of dopaminergic neuromodulation in the recognition of disgust in PD. In their first study, Lawrence, Calder, McGowan, and Grasby (2002) found that acute dopaminergic blockade in healthy subjects temporarily triggers an impairment in the recognition of anger, but not of disgust or other emotions. These authors therefore hypothesized that PD, characterized by a loss of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons, is associated with impaired anger recognition. Consistent with these findings, Lawrence et al. (2007) found that PD patients who were suddenly withdrawn from dopamine replacement therapy performed worse than healthy controls in the recognition of anger only, with no difference between the performance of patients with PD and control subjects for the processing of disgust or other emotions. Finally, the severity of the disease appears to determine how subjects respond to emotional stimuli. Yip, Lee, Ho, Tsang, and Li (2003) found that patients with bilateral disease performed worse on an extensive emotion recognition battery (facial and prosodic recognition and identification) than patients with right-sided disease, who only had difficulty with the identification tasks.
The results of the above-mentioned studies of PD patients suggest that the basal ganglia are involved in the processing of emotions. However, this does not appear to be a uniform observation, as some studies failed to show any such impairment. For instance, Adolphs, Schul, and Tranel (1998) found that PD subjects were similar to healthy controls in the recognition of emotions, but suggest that the nature of the dysfunction of the basal ganglia is not sufficient to compromise the processing of this type of information in PD. Pell and Leonard (2005) found little evidence of impairment in processing facial expression of emotions in PD. These authors, however, considered the role of the basal ganglia in the processing of emotion from static faces relative to speech prosody to be more limited. These findings suggest that brain circuits involving subcortical brain areas highlight an adaptive intentional control of behavior, where representations of emotional content are generated in a task-dependent mode (see Elmer & Holmes, 2006).
In sum, the neuropsychological literature on the processing of emotions in PD reveals conflicting evidence about the role of the basal ganglia in the recognition of facial expressions. One interpretation for such divergent results is that corrective dopaminergic treatment (DRT) may compensate for some of these deficits, as the findings of impaired recognition of facial emotions included unmedicated or off-medicated patients (e.g., Dujardin et al., 2004, Lawrence et al., 2002, Lawrence et al., 2007 and Sprengelmeyer et al., 2003;). From this perspective, dysregulation of dopaminergic striatal afferentation is sufficient to reveal impairment in the recognition of emotions.
DRT also appears to modulate the visual recognition of living objects. For example, the performance of parkinsonian patients in the identification of animals is significantly poorer in patients off medication than when they are under DRT (Righi, Viggiano, Paganini, Ramat, & Marini, 2007). These deficits in the recognition of living objects, revealed in the absence of medication and silenced by dopaminergic treatment, suggest that dopaminergic modulation plays a critical role in visual recognition. Until now, all studies have focused on how patients with PD processed emotions, without contrasting their performance in response to another type of information. Thus, it is not clear whether the impairment observed is specifically caused by a disturbance in the processing of emotions or whether it is a reflection of more generalized and nonselective companion deficits in visual information processing.
A related question pertains to the nature of the tasks used in these studies. Rating facial emotions along a continuum, identification or recognition of facial emotions were the tasks of choice in most studies cited. These tasks may not be sensitive enough to reveal problems in emotion processing, when patients with PD are taking DRT. Cognitive deficits in memory, executive function and spatial abilities are often observed in the early stages of the disease (e.g., Amick et al., 2006, Dubois and Pillon, 1997 and Taylor and Saint-Cyr, 1995). It is thus conceivable that tasks that tap into higher processes relying on more complex analysis of information could detect deviant cognitive patterns.
Hence, the aim of the present study was twofold. One objective was to determine the extent to which the visual processing of emotions and objects differs in PD. If emotions and objects are treated similarly, it would be difficult to argue that PD patients are specifically impaired in the processing of emotions. The other was to assess the impact of cognitive load, or task difficulty, on the processing of these types of information, using a more ecologically valid approach to the study of visual processing of emotions. Such an approach would help tease out whether it is the difficulty of the task or the type of information which is implicated in the observed impairment, if any. | {
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Pages
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Review: The Tower- Deck of Lies #2
Goodreads description: Death brings some families closer, but it’s ripped mine apart. I wanted to convince the police that they had the wrong suspect...but I never expected them to start suspecting me. Now, I have no choice but to keep searching for the truth, even if all my relationships fall to pieces around me.Someone is trying to make me look guilty. I never thought my mission to prove my own innocence would lead me to more family secrets. I thought I had already discovered the truth about myself. But every answer raises more questions, and everything I think I know is about to change...again.I have to find the truth, no matter how much it hurts -- before I get charged with murder.
The Tower is a very good continuation of the Deck of Lies series. I finished this book the day I started reading it.
*Spoilers ahead for those who haven't read the first book*
The Tower starts is mostly about Rain trying to figure out who is Laurel's killer, along with the added family and friend drama.
It seems like each character has some secret or mystery to go with them. Sawyer is acting strange, we learn Laurel was obsessed with Sawyers crazy aunt, Owen is not acting mournful about Laurels death, River is locked up, and the police are becoming interested in Rain. There is never a dull moment, to say the least. Plus, we learn more about Rain's parentage.
The mystery of Laurel's killer is well put together. It is complex and frustrating. Every time a new clue or lead would show up I would think I knew who did it, only to be utterly frustrated and clueless the next moment.
Rain is a very good main character. Her voice feels genuine and I think she mostly makes smart decisions. Although there were some times I wanted to yell at her when she was flippant with the police. Not a smart move Rain.
In this book we see a lot more of Sawyer. I am completely thrown off by him. One minute he is acting strange, and the next he is very sweet. I wonder if he has a secret too or something. I am not sure if he had anything to do with Laurels murder.
There is a sort of air to the story I found cool. Rain tells the story with a feeling of normalness, she still goes to school and has breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She isn't solely obsessed on anything. Yet you can sense some things and people have changed. Other people haven't. It feels realistic.
Overall, this book was a nice, thrilling sequel. I can't wait to read the next book! I might buy a copy of the series in paperback, so far it definitely deserves to be on my shelves.
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As FTC guidelines require me to say, I am in no way compensated for any reviews or other posts on this blog, Reader Rising. Everything on this blog, under any circumstance, is 100% honest and entirely my own opinion. I may have been given a book for review from an author or publisher, but that doesn't mean the review will be positive. Thank you for reading. | {
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Endotoxin and anti-endotoxin antibodies in the prognosis of acute pancreatitis.
We investigate the behaviour of endotoxin in patients with acute pancreatitis and its relationship with the development of complications. Prospective study. We assessed plasmatic endotoxin and anti-core endotoxin antibodies (EndoCab IgG and IgM) levels on first and third days from admission in patients with acute pancreatitis episodes, classifying them as mild or severe according to Atlanta's criteria. Nineteen patients were included, seven with severe pancretitis (36.8%) and twelve with mild pancreatitis (63.2%). Endotoxin levels were similar on first day in both mild and severe pancreatitis, and higher in the latter on third day (p > 0.05). Patients with severe pancretitis had lower EndoCab IgM levels on first and third days from admission (day 1: 18.3 vs 33.3 MU/ml, p < 0.01; day 3: 18.4 vs 33.4 MU/ml, p < 0.05). When analysed separately systemic and local complications, we observed, in the same days, a decrease of EndoCab IgM levels in patients who developed systemic complications (day 1: 18.3 vs 32.7 MU/ml, p = 0.01; day 3: 18.3 vs 35.1 MU/ml, p < 0.01). EndoCab IgG levels were also lower in severe acute pancreatitis in both determinations, but differences weren't significant. EndoCab levels decrease early in severe acute pancreatitis, mainly if systemic complications are present. This antibody depletion is greater for IgM than IgG, and seems to occur earlier than an increase in endotoxemia. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
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Summit: President Obama will gather world leaders in Washington to discuss the rise of extremism
President Barack Obama will invite allies to a Feb. 18 security summit in Washington to try and prevent violent extremism, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Sunday after meeting his European counterparts in Paris.
The gathering of justice and interior chiefs came as France mourned 17 victims of Islamist gunmen this week in the worst assault on its homeland security in decades.
'We will bring together all of our allies to discuss ways in which we can counteract this violent extremism that exists around the world,' Holder told reporters.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said after the meeting that European interior ministers had agreed to boost cooperation in an effort to thwart further jihadist attacks.
'We all agree that we need to put in place better control on certain passengers, on the basis of objective criteria and with respect for fundamental liberties and without disrupting cross-border travel,' he said.
He said Europe needed urgent progress in establishing a European Passenger Name Record database, which would facilitate the exchange of data about passengers between member states.
'We are convinced of the need for such a tool, to follow those who travel to terrorist operating theatres or who return from there,' he said, adding that this database would also be useful in the fight against other serious crimes.
Cazeneuve said the Internet needs to remain a space for free expression, but that Europe should fight against abusive use of the web to spread hate speech, anti-Semitic messages and the recruiting vulnerable young people for violence.
'We need to work more closely with Internet companies to guarantee the reporting and if possible removal of all content that amounts to an apology of terrorism or calls for violence and hatred,' he said.
Cazeneuve said EU interior and justice ministers planned to meet soon to discuss further action. A European source said the meeting could take place next week in Brussels.
Holder said on Sunday he is concerned about so-called lone wolf attacks in the United States by Islamist militants inspired by al Qaeda affiliates.
Holder met with his European counterparts on Sunday. The gathering of justice and interior chiefs came as France mourned 17 victims of gunmen this week in the worst assault on its homeland security in decades
Greetings: Holder is seen with French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Cazeneuve said after themeeting that European interior ministers had agreed to boostcooperation in an effort to thwart further jihadist attacks
Holder met with his European counterparts in Paris on Sunday to discuss ways to prevent violent extremism, after Islamist militants killed 17 people in several attacks in the French capital.
Holder said on CBS's 'Face the Nation' program that the 'decimation' of core al Qaeda has reduced or eliminated that group's ability to carry out a 9/11-style attack, but he said affiliates like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have stepped in to try to inspire people to carry out smaller attacks.
'I think the possibility of such attacks exists in the United States,' Holder said.
'It is something that, frankly, keeps me up at night worrying about the lone wolf or a very small group of people who decide to get arms on their own and do what we saw in France this week,' he said.
Holder said authorities have not determined if AQAP or a group like Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate and seized large areas of Iraq and Syria, is responsible for the Paris attacks.
The two brothers who carried out the attack in Paris on a satirical weekly newspaper traveled in 2011 to Yemen, where AQAP is based, for weapons training, two senior Yemeni sources said on Sunday. The gunman who staged an attack on a Paris deli appeared in a video declaring his allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Holder, who appeared on several U.S. television shows on Sunday morning, said the United States and its allies need to do a better job sharing information about possible threats.
'One nation cannot by itself hope to forestall the possibility of terrorism even within its own borders,' he told ABC's 'This Week' program.
President Barack Obama will hold a global security meeting in Washington in February to discuss domestic and international efforts to counteract violent extremism.
Holder said Americans should feel secure with U.S. officials' efforts to prevent attacks by Islamist militants.
He told CNN's 'State of the Union' program that about 150 Americans had gone or attempted to travel to Syria or Iraq to fight with militants there, and about 12 were there now. | {
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/*
* Copyright (c) 2015 Kaprica Security, Inc.
*
* Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
* of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
* in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
* to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
* copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
* furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
*
* The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
* all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
*
* THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
* IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
* FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
* AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
* LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
* OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
* THE SOFTWARE.
*
*/
#include "cgc_string.h"
void *cgc_memchr(const void *s, int c, cgc_size_t n)
{
const unsigned char *buf = s;
cgc_size_t i;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
if (buf[i] == c)
return (void *)&buf[i];
return NULL;
}
| {
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} |
Q:
Estimating the Hurst exponent in short terms in developed markets
In the Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Physics and Mathematics (2003), I saw the following sentence:
Surprisingly, in the case of developed markets, short-term $H$ results showed almost no persistance in memory.
If I understand the meaning of the Hurst exponent well enough, this means that developed markets are close to being efficient in micro-scales.
I've done some calculations on a week of data of EUR/USD prices from February 2012, and the Hurst exponent I've found (using the algorithm by sagemath) was around 0.5 (actually floating from 0.495 to 0.505). The prices were mid prices, sampled every second.
Do you think it is a "safe" to assume that in such small timescales (~1 sec.), in (highly-)developed markets, the Hurst exponent is ~0.5? That is, is it "safe" to assume that in these markets/timescales the pattern of the prices may be modelled by geometric Brownian motion, in which the standard deviation may change, but also may be assumed to be constant over short (~1 min.) time periods?
A:
I don't believe it means they are efficient. It could only imply that your sample has no persistence (notice I'm not using the term auto-correlation) in the returns, if you did use returns instead of prices.
Evidence of EMH via the Hurst exponent is an extrapolation that you cannot make. It just says you cannot reject the null regarding this test. There are several ways in which markets could have inefficiencies while displaying H=0.5. It does not imply allocation efficiency, operational efficiency nor information efficiency.
A good counter-example is finding heteroskedasticity in the variance, which is not consistent with the EMH and consistent with finding no auto-correlation in the returns.
| {
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With multi-mode capabilities and sub-6GHz speed at up to 2.55Gbps, the Exynos 980 will help bring 5G connectivity to more mobile devices
Enhanced NPU enables more sophisticated on-device AI experiences
Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced its latest mobile processor, the Exynos 980, which combines the best-in-class connectivity with an integrated 5G modem and intelligent processing performance in a single chip.
“With the introduction of our 5G modem last year, Samsung has been driving in the 5G revolution and paved the way towards the next step in mobility,” said Ben Hur, senior vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “With the 5G-integrated Exynos 980, Samsung is pushing to make 5G more accessible to a wider range of users and continues to lead innovation in the mobile 5G market.”
Based on advanced 8-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology, the Exynos 980 is Samsung’s first artificial intelligence (AI) mobile processor with an integrated 5G modem. Rather than being coupled with a separate 5G modem, the 5G-enabled Exynos 980 not only helps reduce power consumption but also increase the space efficiency within a device. The new mobile processor’s powerful modem supports 5G to 2G networks, providing a fast gigabit downlink speed in 4G LTE and up to 2.55-gigabits per seconds (Gbps) in sub-6-gigahertz (GHz) 5G. The modem also supports E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), which combines 5CC LTE and 5G connectivity to maximize mobile downlink speed of up to 3.55Gbps. In addition, the processor supports a new Wi-Fi 6 standard, IEEE 802.11ax, that provides faster speed and greater stability for seamless online gaming and smooth high-resolution video streaming over Wi-Fi networks.
With powerful CPU and GPU on board, the Exynos 980 can run multiple apps, intricate UX designs and high-resolution graphic games effortlessly. Packing two of the latest high-performance Cortex-A77 CPU cores and six efficient Cortex-A55 cores, the Exynos 980 can deliver the fast and complex computing power required in the 5G era. For realistic gaming and immersive mixed-reality experiences, the processor also comes with the top-of-the-line Mali-G76 GPU.
The neural processing unit (NPU) features elevated performances of up to 2.7 times compared to its predecessor and is built into the Exynos 980 to provide new levels of on-device intelligence. With the NPU readily available on-chip, AI tasks are processed right from the device rather than off-loaded to a server, thereby providing better data privacy and security. The NPU adds enhancements to applications such as secure user authentication, content filtering, mixed reality, intelligent camera, and more.
For advanced photography, the Exynos 980 delivers compelling camera performances with resolution support for up to 108-megapixels (Mp). The advanced image signal processor (ISP) supports up to five individual sensors and is able to process three concurrently for richer multi-camera experiences. Along with the NPU, the AI-powered camera is able to detect and understand scenes or objects, according to which the camera will then make optimal adjustments to its settings.
For an immersive multimedia experience, the Exynos 980’s multi-format codec (MFC) supports encoding and decoding of 4K UHD video at 120 frames per second (fps). HDR10+ support with dynamic mapping also offers more detailed and illuminant colors in video content.
The Exynos 980 is expected to begin mass production by the end of this year.
For more information about Samsung’s Exynos products, please visit http://www.samsung.com/exynos | {
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} |
Advertisement
With ten days to go... briefings on the Budget
Even if your only glance at a newspaper is the free one on the bus on the way to work, or you watch our bulletins only for our well-loved 'and finally' items, you can hardly have avoided the fact that in ten days there will be a Budget.
The Chancellor will deliver his Budget next week Credit: Press Association
This year, it'll take place when the government is doing precisely opposite of what it hoped and promised. The economy is stuck in the doldrums. And instead of spending and borrowing less, government spending is still going up, despite deep cuts in many departments, and the government is borrowing more from the financial markets to keep afloat. Whether the Chancellor is managing to pay down the deficit at all this year will be a key political test next week.
It is not surprising then that there are lots of people and interested parties providing the Chancellor with a helpful list of ideas. Today the CBI, the British Chambers of Commerce and the EEF, the engineering organisation, add their voices to those calling for the government to get on with the measures that it has already promised to get growth going, and to get cash flowing to construction and infrastructure. Vince Cable is out and about again, thinking the almost unthinkable for someone inside coalition, suggesting that the Government chooses to borrow more to spend it.
At the other end of the spectrum, Liam Fox, the former Conservative Defence Secretary says all spending should be frozen for five years - a controversial, but clear sighted idea.
But there is not much sign that the Chancellor is ready to shift from his position. As for all politicians, you can never please all of the people all of the time. But in this economy, and with the political restrictions of coalition too, the reality for George Osborne may well be that he ends up pleasing hardly anyone. | {
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At the end of 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we were shown a very brief glimpse of the viral outbreak as it reached across the globe. In preparation for the ensuing epidemic that precedes the upcoming sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, 20th Century Fox has launched a new viral website for the fictional Office of Public Health Awareness (OPHA). Find out what you can do to help stop the spread of the Simian Flu after the break.
The OPHA has provided a number of helpful tips on best determining who is at risk, what the known symptoms are and even has a global projection of what will happen if the Flu goes unopposed. On top of all the graphs and charts readily available, you can also get updates from the public via their twitter feed and watch the PSA video located below.
Make sure to visit the official OPHA website on the Simian Flu virus at Simianflu.com and catch up on all the latest information. Your life just may depend on it.
By the way, some of this viral marketing hit Comic-Con this past week, as surgical masks were handed out in the Gaslamp district to protect humans from the Simian Flu. We’ll stay on top of this viral campaign as it develops, and read the prequel comic to find out even more about what happens between the films. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
My advice to readers who disagree with Polygon’s reviews has always been to find a critic you do agree with and take them at their word.
For some, that may be the Wendy’s Twitter account.
In a strange crossover of Twitter worlds (Film Twitter and Fast Food Twitter), critics, reporters and even studios have started to ask the anonymous Wendy’s social media manager for advice on topics ranging from the new Greta Gerwig movie, Lady Bird, to whether Twin Peaks is a movie or TV series.
The Wendy’s Twitter account, notorious for owning trolls and producing quality level tweets in the past, began to answer earnestly, causing even more people to pick the brain of the social media manager behind the fast food chain with the best chicken nuggets. (Editor’s note: That is fact. Please fight amongst yourselves in the comments.)
First thing to note: Wendy’s loved Blade Runner 2049, The Big Sick and Get Out, as did we! Solid tastes so far.
Lady Bird was pretty great. Also, enjoyed The Big Sick and Get Out, and Logan remains surprisingly high on the list. Also, Blade Runner was visually stunning. — Wendy's (@Wendys) December 6, 2017
Like any good critic on the internet, Wendy’s judgement was tested. A24, the studio behind Lady Bird, pressed Wendy’s to explain what they liked about the movie. Doing the best they could with only 280 characters, Wendy’s took up the task with confidence and bravery.
I think they did a pretty good job and would like to offer the Wendy’s social media manager the opportunity to write about it at length for Polygon.
This is all happening so fast. A great example of the confusion found while coming of age, great dynamic between Lady Bird and her mother, and an interesting look at class differences and their affect on the mentality of youth. — Wendy's (@Wendys) December 6, 2017
Wendy’s caught the attention of food and movie lovers all over Twitter, which meant people wanted to pick the brain of this film aficionado. The next topic? Twin Peaks.
If we call it a movie, then where do we actually draw the line between television and film. The current line seems to be making one episodic, though the current trend in superhero movies could also be called episodic. Hard to tell. — Wendy's (@Wendys) December 6, 2017
That certainly counts as fast food for thought! Wendy’s even gave some insight into which movies they were excited to see in the future. Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water sits at the top of that list.
For real excited to see it — Wendy's (@Wendys) December 6, 2017
People were just starting to get into Wendy’s film criticism when head office shut down all hope of the Wendy’s account turning into a full fledged movie reviewing service.
At least we got to experience this magical moment for a little bit. I’ll never think of Twin Peaks the same.
We’ll bother the Wendy’s account for an official review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi once their social media manager sees it. | {
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} |
1. Introduction
===============
Plexiform neurofibromas are benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors affecting 26 to 30% of patients diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) \[[@b1-ijms-13-09380]\]. They are often present as large peripheral nerve neoplasms affecting the head, neck and/or lower back \[[@b2-ijms-13-09380]\]. They are ultimately composed of uncharacterized cell type of the Schwann cell lineage origin intertwined with fibroblasts, mast cells and endothelial cells \[[@b3-ijms-13-09380]\]. Though benign, these peripheral nerve tumors can be clinically debilitating depending on their size, location and infiltrative nature \[[@b4-ijms-13-09380]\]. Furthermore, individuals with plexiform neurofibroma are at risk of developing malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) which are more challenging to treat. The only effective treatment available today for plexiform neurofibroma is surgical resection \[[@b4-ijms-13-09380],[@b5-ijms-13-09380]\]. Unfortunately, depending on the location and the infiltrative nature of the tumor masses, complete surgical resection remains a challenge often leading to recurrence of even larger tumor masses causing pain, disfigurement and physical impairment \[[@b5-ijms-13-09380],[@b6-ijms-13-09380]\].
It is suggested that plexiform neurofibroma arise from Schwann cells that undergo loss of heterozygosity at the *NF1* locus \[[@b7-ijms-13-09380]\]. Schwann cells are of neural crest origin and play an important role in the development and maintenance of the peripheral nervous system \[[@b8-ijms-13-09380]\]. They are involved in the myelination and insulation of neuronal axons as well as in the regeneration and trophic support for neurons. During the course of NF1 pathogenesis Schwann cells undergo biallelic inactivation at the *NF1* locus leading to somatic inactivation of NF1 gene that encode for neurofibromine-1 protein, a physiological inhibitor of the Ras pathway \[[@b1-ijms-13-09380],[@b9-ijms-13-09380]\]. This results in hyper-activation of the Ras pathway and uncontrolled proliferation of Schwann cells.
Agents targeting the Ras pathway and kinase pathways showed promise in inhibiting neurofibroma progression *in vitro* and in mouse models \[[@b10-ijms-13-09380]\]. Unfortunately, these same agents had little to no impact on patients with progressive plexiform neurofibroma indicating that Ras pathway alone does not account for the plexiform neurofibroma progression \[[@b11-ijms-13-09380]\].
Recent studies suggested involvement of the cell microenvironment and cell-cell interaction in neurofibroma progression \[[@b12-ijms-13-09380],[@b13-ijms-13-09380]\]. Proteins secreted by both Schwann cells and mast cells might contribute to the uncontrolled growth of neurofibroma. Thus, a comprehensive study of secreted proteins or "secretome" of the implicated cells might be an attractive approach for identifying components that might bring insight into the molecular pathogenesis of NF1.
In this study, we first sought to define the secretome of primary Schwann cell cultures derived from surgically resected plexiform neurofibroma. We used a label free proteome profiling strategy to systematically compare secretomes of four plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cell cultures to the secretome of normal Schwann cells derived from non-neoplastic peripheral nerve. This survey identified aberrant release of several key proteins by the plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cells relative to the normal Schwann cells. Retinoic acid receptor responder protein 1 (RARRES1) also known as Tazarotene-induced gene (TIG1) was exclusively released by the plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cells and not by normal Schwann cells derived from non-noeplastic peripheral nerve.
Identifying altered protein secretion by neurofiboma Schwann cells might shed light into the mechanism of neurofibroma progression and eventually define novel therapeutic targets for NF1 patients suffering from recurrent plexiform neurofibroma.
2. Results and Discussion
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2.1. Primary Schwann Cell Isolation and Culture
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NFSC141, NFSC142, NFSC143R and NFSC143L primary Schwann cells cultures were established from plexiform neurofibroma surgically resected from three different patients admitted at CNMC. NFSC143R and NFSC143L were established from tumors removed from the right and left lumbar of the same patient. [Table 1](#t1-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table"} summarizes the age, gender and tumor location of the participating NF1 patients. All three patients were diagnosed with a plexiform type of neurofibroma according to the pathology results. Established Schwann cell cultures from these specimens showed highly homogenous cell population. All NF1 Schwann cultures resembled the normal Schwann cell culture and expressed the characteristic Schwann cell marker S100β ([Figure 1](#f1-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"}). The isolated cells were further subcultured to passage 2 and processed for secretome profiling and Western blot analysis and the results are described below.
2.2. Secretome Profiling
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Secretome profiles of the four plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cell cultures NFSC141, NFSC142, NFSC143R and NFSC143L and the two normal primary human Schwann cell cultures NSC1 and NSC2 were obtained as described in the method using a combination of SDS-PAGE, in-gel digestion and high precision LC-MS/MS. We confidently identified and quantified 907 proteins in the CM of the four NF1 Schwann cell cultures and the two normal Schwann cell cultures combined (see Supplemental [Table 1](#t1-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table"}). Only proteins that were identified by at least two unique peptides and probability based score p value \< 0.001 were retained for further analysis. In general Schwann cells were found to secrete a variety of extracellular matrix remodeling proteins, complement components, cell growth regulating proteins, cell adhesion and cell migration promoting proteins.
For quantitative comparisons we used ProteoIQ software to compare spectral counts and signal intensities generated from peptides belonging to each protein across all the samples analyzed. Several proteins were found uniquely secreted by NF1 Schwann cells and not by the normal Schwann cells and vice versa. Among these differentially secreted proteins, 12 were exclusively secreted by the four NF1 Schwann cell cultures and not by the normal Schwann cells, while 4 were exclusively secreted by the normal Schwann cells but not by any of the NF1 Schwann cell cultures. These proteins are reported in [Table 2](#t2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table"} with their spectral count, subcellular localization and potential function. NF1 Schwann cells secreted significant amounts of complement components C3 and C4-A, retinoic acid receptor responder protein1 (RARRES1), apolipoproteins D and E, Chitinase-3 like protein and glutathione peroxidase 3. The RARRES1 protein was among the most abundant proteins in this category with average spectral counts of 45 versus 0 in the CM of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells.
Other proteins were secreted by both NF1 and normal Schwann cells but in different amounts. Secretion of 7 proteins were found to be increased by at least 3 fold with *p* value ≤ 0.05 while 6 were found to be decreased by at least the same factor and p value cut off in CM of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells. These proteins are reported in [Table 3](#t3-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table"} with their spectral counts, subcellular localization and potential function.
Overall, plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cells released greater amounts of cell adhesion proteins such as laminin alpha 4, nidogen-2, cell growth regulating factors such as target of Nesh-SH3, EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins while dramatically decreased the release of receptor type tyrosine protein phosphatase kappa, a negative regulator of EGFR signaling as well as, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), and integrin beta-1.
The altered secretome signature in NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells was maintained in the commercially available sNF96.2 cell line established from a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor that was surgically resected from a 27 year old donor five years ago \[[@b14-ijms-13-09380]\] (see supplemental Table). Several proteins that were elevated or decreased in the CM of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells maintained the same expression direction in the CM of sNF96.2 cells relative to normal Schwann cells. These include the RARRES1 protein, Complements, chitinase 3-like protein, alpha fetoprotein, cadherin-6 *etc*. (see supplemental Table)
2.3. Characterization of Schwann Cell Secreted RARRES1 Protein
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An earlier study described RARRES1 protein as a 33 kDa single pass trans-membrane protein with a short N-terminal cytosolic domain, a transmembrane domain and a large C-terminal \[[@b15-ijms-13-09380]\]. The secreted RARRES1 was identified by 12 unique tryptic peptides in SDS-PAGE bands ranging from 80 to 160 kDa with higher concentration around 110 kDa. This apparent mass is much higher than the expected 38--40 kDa molecular mass reported for the cell attached RARRES1 protein \[[@b15-ijms-13-09380],[@b16-ijms-13-09380]\]. The commercially available sNF96.2 Schwann cell line established from MPNST also secreted similar high molecular mass RARRES1 protein. The sequences of the detected peptides for the extracellular RARRES1 and their position in the protein are shown in [Figure 2](#f2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"}. The observed masses for these peptides were within 10 ppm accuracy with confidence identification better than 99%. All 12 peptides belonged to the C-terminal extracellular domain of the protein suggesting possible shedding of RARRES1 from NF1 Schwann cells or secretion of a novel splice isoform. Interestingly, the commercially available rabbit polyclonal antibodies (from two different sources and with different target epitope) raised against cell attached RARRES1 failed to detect the secreted form of RARRES1 (data not shown). This result suggests a potential posttranslational modification of the secreted RARRES1.
2.4. mRNA RARRES Expression Levels in NF1 *Versus* Normal Schwann Cells
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### 2.4.1. Quantitative RTPCR
Quantitative RTPCR targeting RARRES1 mRNA in total cell lysates showed a 150 fold higher level of RARRES1 expression in NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells ([Figure 3](#f3-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"}). This data shows that the RARRES1 gene was actively expressed in plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cells compared to normal Schwann cells and correlates with the high levels of secreted RARRES1 protein seen in NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells.
### 2.4.2. Western Blot Analysis
To verify if this high expression of RARRES1 mRNA in NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells translates into increased expression of the RARRES1 protein in the cell pellets we performed Western blot analysis on the total protein extracts from NF1 and normal Schwann cells using two different rabbit polyclonal antibodies against human RARRES1 protein. Unlike the secreted RARRES1, the cell attached form of the RARRES1 was detected as a single band around 40 kDa in agreement with the antibody manufacturer datasheet and with earlier studies \[[@b16-ijms-13-09380]\]. However, there was no significant difference in the expression levels of the 40 kDa RARRES1 between the normal and NF1 Schwann cells ([Figure 4](#f4-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"}).
2.5. All-Trans Retinoic Acid Induces Expression of Secreted RARRES1
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Since the commercially available RARRES1 antibodies failed to detect extracellular RARRES1 we synthesized a stable isotope labeled RARRES1 standard by culturing sNF96.2 cell line in medium where Arg and Lys were replaced by stable isotope labeled ^13^C~6~-Arg and ^13^C~6~, ^15^N~2~-Lys. All secreted proteins including RARRES1 protein were uniformly and fully labeled with ^13^C~6~-Arg and ^13^C~6~, ^15^N~2~-Lys after 7 cell doublings. A fixed amount of the stable isotope labeled RARRES1 was then spiked into equal aliquots of conditioned media collected from unlabeled sNF96.2 cells treated for 24 hours with 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 μM RA of all-trans retinoic acid (RA). Spiked samples were processed for mass spectrometry analysis as described in the method. Peptides generated from *de novo* synthesized RARRES1 protein and the labeled spiked-in RARRES1 proteins are detected as pairs of light and heavy ions. [Figure 5a](#f5-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"} shows example spectra of heavy and light ion pairs corresponding to labeled and unlabeled RARRES1 tryptic peptide (YNPESLLQEGEGR) generated from labeled standard RARRES1 and *de novo* synthesized RARRES1. [Figure 5b](#f5-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"} shows the overall expression levels of the cellular secreted RARRES1 by sNF96.2 treated with different doses of RA (the levels are relative to the spiked-in SILAC labeled standard RARRES1). While the expression levels of secreted RARRES1 increased in a dose dependent manner in response to RA treatment with almost a 2-fold increase after 24 hours incubation with 1 μM RA dose, the band detected by Western blot analysis for the cell attached RARRES1 remained unchanged following treatment of sNF96.2 cells with RA even at a higher dose of 1 μM of RA ([Figure 5c](#f5-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="fig"}).
2.6. Discussion
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Secretome profiling of human primary Schwann cell cultures revealed several key proteins that were differentially secreted between the plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cells and the non-neoplastic peripheral nerve derived Schwann cells. Most of these proteins are known to play a direct role in cell adhesion, cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. These include the target of Nesh-SH3 protein also known as TARSH. This protein was approximately 19-fold higher in the CM of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells. TARSH was recently described to play a role in cell senescence via the p53 pathway \[[@b17-ijms-13-09380]\] but also play a major role in reducing cell dendritic complexity of neural cells \[[@b18-ijms-13-09380]\]. This later function might be relevant to the differentiation of neural and Schwann cells in the context of neurofibroma progression. Further studies to define the role of TARSH in growth and differentiation of Schwann cells are needed.
APOD was exclusively secreted by all four NF1 Schwann cells cultures and not by normal Schwann cells. This is in agreement with earlier studies showing that APOD mRNA levels were increased in neurofibroma compared to non-neoplastic peripheral nerve \[[@b19-ijms-13-09380]\]. Interestingly, the same group showed that APOD mRNA levels decreases during transformation of benign neurofibroma to MPNSTs. The exact role of APOD in neurofibroma progression is however not well understood at present. Nevertheless expression of APOD was often found to be increased in soft tissue tumors and could as well have a direct role in growth of benign tumors \[[@b20-ijms-13-09380]\].
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is another interesting protein that was significantly elevated in the conditioned media of the four NF1 Schwann cell cultures compared to the normal Schwann cell cultures. AFP is a 70 kDa glycoprotein that is normally expressed during fetal development then repressed after birth \[[@b21-ijms-13-09380]\]. Its reappearance often indicates the presence of a tumor especially hepatocellular carcinoma \[[@b22-ijms-13-09380]\] but also other tumors of germ cell origin and gastrointestinal tract \[[@b23-ijms-13-09380],[@b24-ijms-13-09380]\]. Furthermore, AFP was reported to promote proliferation of NIH 3T3 cells via activation of the Ras pathway \[[@b25-ijms-13-09380]\]. These data suggests that AFP might be involved in the growth and proliferation of NF1 Schwann cells by acting in synergy with the inactive neurofibormin-1 thus resulting in hyperactivation of the Ras pathway. However, this hypothesis need to be further verified using mouse knockdown assays.
The dramatic decrease of PAI-1 in the extracellular milieu of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells is also highly significant in the context of neurofibroma growth and progression. Indeed, PAI-1 acts as a physiological inhibitor of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a serine protease that promotes tumor progression and invasiveness \[[@b26-ijms-13-09380]\]. An earlier study targeting the plasminogen activation pathway in cutaneous neurofibroma demonstrated that Schwann cells, and not other cells, in the neurofibroma tissue are responsible for the release of uPA and its regulator PAI-1 \[[@b27-ijms-13-09380]\]. In this study we were not able to detect uPA in the secretome profiles of normal and NF1 Schwann cells but we detected a significant amount of uPA (7 spectral counts) in the conditioned medium of the malignant sNF96.2 Schwann cell line (see supplemental Table). This is in agreement with the malignancy of the sNF96.2 relative to the NF1 and normal Schwann cells studied herein.
Other interesting proteins that were abundant in the extracellular milieu of NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells include the perlecan also known as basement membrane-specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein, a secreted heparan sulfate glycoprotein involved in endothelial cell proliferation, mitogenesis and angiogenesis \[[@b28-ijms-13-09380]\]. The high secretion of this protein by NF1 Schwann cell might contribute the complex growth and vasculature often seen in plexiform neurfibroma tissue. Furthermore NF1 Schwann cells secreted higher amounts of EFEMP1, an activator of the EGFR signaling \[[@b29-ijms-13-09380]\] while decreasing the levels of the receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase kappa, a negative regulator of EGFR signaling \[[@b30-ijms-13-09380],[@b31-ijms-13-09380]\]. This suggests that EFGR signaling might be hyperactivated in NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells. However, this hypothesis needs to be verified in future studies.
Perhaps one of the most interesting findings in the secretome survey of Schwann cells is the exclusive secretion of a high molecular mass RARRES1 protein (\~110 kDa) by the four NF1 Schwann cultures including the sNF96.2 cell line and not by the normal Schwann cell cultures. Secretion of RARRES1 protein is novel and to the best of our knowledge never been reported or discussed before. Whether the protein was proteolytically cleaved from the cell surface or was secreted as a splice isoform remains to be carefully examined. Nevertheless, all the RARRES1 tryptic peptides identified by mass spectrometry in the CM of NF1 Schwann cells belonged to the extracellular domain of the protein. No peptides of the N-terminal domain or the transmembrane domain were detected suggesting potential secretion or shedding of the RARRES1 protein.
The RARRES1 gene was first characterized by Nagpal *et al*. \[[@b15-ijms-13-09380]\] as a target gene that was induced in human cultured skin tissue by a synthetic retinoid Tazarotene, hence the name Tazarotene-induced gene 1 (TIG-1). The gene was suggested to express a 294 amino acid transmembrane protein with molecular mass of 33,285 Da. From the sequence it was predicted that RARRES1 is a single pass type II membrane protein with a short cytosolic N-terminal domain, a transmembrane domain and large extracellular C-terminal domain. In this study we found RARRES1 protein to be actually secreted or released in the extracellular milieu by NF1 Schwann cells. Interestingly, while RARRES1 protein extracted from the cell pellet was detected as a single band around 40 kDa by Western blot, the RARRES1 protein released into the CM by NF1 Schwann cells was detected in multiple bands ranging from 80 to 160 kDa with a highest concentration around 110 kDa. The antibody used to detect cell attached RARRES1 protein failed to detect the secreted RARRES1 even though several peptides were detected by mass spectrometry for this protein in the CM of cultured NF1 Schwan cells. This suggests that the released RARRES1 protein might be post-translationally modified hindering its detection by the antibody that detects the 40 kDa cell attached RARRES1. Based on the Uniprot knowledge database, human RARRES1 protein has only one potential N-glycosylation site which is not enough to explain or support the high increase in the molecular mass (up to 160 kDa) seen for extracellular RARRES1. Even though RARRES1 protein was previously detected in the conditioned media of some cancer cell lines \[[@b32-ijms-13-09380],[@b33-ijms-13-09380]\] no details were provided regarding its molecular mass and its occurrence in the extracellular milieu. In this study we consistently detect secreted RARRES1 in bands ranging from 80 to 160 kDa with the highest abundance around 110 kDa. All SDS-PAGE separations were performed under denaturing conditions thus ruling out the possibility of oligomerization. This significant increase in the molecular mass is typical for heparan sulfate modifications. However, future structural studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.
Secretion of the high molecular mass RARRES1 protein was maintained in the sNF96.2 Schwann cell line previously established from an MPNST neurofibroma that was surgically resected from a 27 year old donor five years ago \[[@b14-ijms-13-09380]\]. We and others have examined secretomes of several human primary and tumor cell lines including retinal pigment epithelial cells \[[@b34-ijms-13-09380],[@b35-ijms-13-09380]\], primary astrocytes, glioblastoma cell lines \[[@b36-ijms-13-09380]\], twelve different types of human tumors cell lines \[[@b32-ijms-13-09380]\], twenty three human carcinoma cells lines \[[@b33-ijms-13-09380]\] and primary myotubes \[[@b37-ijms-13-09380]\]. Of these cells only the Hela cell line, the colon cancer cell lines SW620 and Colo20 \[[@b33-ijms-13-09380]\] and the lung carcinoma cell line A549 \[[@b32-ijms-13-09380]\] secreted RARRES1 protein in their conditioned media. These data suggest that secretion of RARRES1 does occur and might be specific to certain cancer cell lines including our NF1 derived Schwann cells. Furthermore, close examination of the protein list identified in a secretome study of the omental adipose tissue explant, also revealed the presence of RARRES1 protein in the conditioned medium \[[@b38-ijms-13-09380]\]. In another independent study high expression levels of RARRES1 gene, up to 59-fold was observed in slowly proliferating mesenchymal stem cells derived from visceral adipose tissue versus highly proliferative mesenchymal stem cells derived from subcutaneous adipose \[[@b39-ijms-13-09380]\]. It was suggested that RARRES1 might be involved in regulating proliferation as well as differentiation of adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells. However, the authors did not distinguish between secreted RARRES1 or cell attached RARRES1 since measurements were performed at the mRNA levels. In summary, these data on the secretome studies of cancer cell lines, the adipose tissue explant and our current Schwann cell secretome strongly support the existence of a secreted form of the RARRES1 protein. This secreted RARRES1 might play role in cell differentiation and growth.
While this secreted RARRES1 protein seems to be increased in certain cancer cell lines, the attached RARRES1 protein was often reported to be less expressed, at least at the mRNA level, in prostate carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and a leukemia cell line \[[@b40-ijms-13-09380]--[@b42-ijms-13-09380]\]. Others have shown that RARRES1 protein expression changes in function of cancer stage, with high expression at early stage then down-regulated at advanced stage \[[@b43-ijms-13-09380]\]. The down-expression was often attributed to hypermethylation of the promoter region of the *RARRES1* gene. In our study, even though the secreted RARRES1 was highly expressed in the NF1 Schwann cells relative to normal Schwann cells there was no significant difference in the expression levels of the 40 kDa cell attached RARRES1 between these cells. Additionally, treatment of sNF96.2 cells with increasing doses of all-trans retinoic resulted in increased secretion of the RARRES1 protein but not the 40 kDa cell attached RARRES1 protein. This suggests that these two forms of the RARRES1 protein might be posttranslationally regulated or originates from mRNA splicing that is tightly controlled in these Schwann cells. However this hypothesis remains to be carefully examined.
The lower expression of cell attached RARRES1 in prostate and nasopharyngeal carcinoma has suggested that RARRES1 protein might act as a tumor suppressor. However, mechanisms by which RARRES1 inhibits cell proliferation in cancer are largely unknown. Recent studies have shown that RARRES1 is a potential inhibitor of the cytoplasmic carboxypeptidase AGBL2, a protein that is involved in the regulation of tubulin tyrosination and tumorigenesis \[[@b44-ijms-13-09380]\]. Furthermore the same group showed that knockdown of RARRES1 in human prostatic epithelial cell line resulted in down-regulation of an enzyme involved in negative regulation of the growth hormone-stimulated signal transduction pathways with concomitant up-regulation of a tumor suppressor disks large 2 \[[@b16-ijms-13-09380]\]. While this might be true for the cell attached RARRES1 the over expression of secreted RARRES1 in NF1 Schwann cells and other cancer cell lines remains intriguing and requires further investigation to define the role of secreted RARRES1 protein in the context of tumor cells.
3. Experimental Section
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3.1. Specimen Collection
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Normal human primary Schwann cells were purchased from ScienCell Research Laboratories (Carlsbad, CA). The normal Schwann cells were isolated from spinal nerve of healthy donor according to the manufacturer and were cultured into two separate batches named as NSC1 and NSC2 herein. The malignant sNF96.2 Schwann cell line was purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC; Manassas, VA, USA). Immortalized normal human Schwann cells were a gift from Vedant Arun and Dr. Guha of the University of Toronto Canada. All neurofibroma specimens and nerve tissue specimens were collected in house in accordance with an Institutional Review Board approved protocol at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC) and after obtaining patients' written informed consent. Only excess specimens after diagnosis were used in this study. Diagnosis was performed at the pathology clinic at CNMC by Dr. Ashley Hill and reported to us as de-identified information where only age, gender, diagnosis and tumor location were included ([Table 1](#t1-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table"}). Normal sural nerve tissue was gift from Dr. Ashley Hill and was collected postmortem from a 9 week old female donor. Normal sciatic nerve was obtained from the NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank of the University of Maryland Medical School. Aliquots from freshly resected tumor specimens were immediately placed in a sterile solution of serum free DMEM medium for subsequent Schwann cells isolation and cultivation as described below.
3.2. Isolation and Culture of Human Primary Schwann Cells
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Collected fresh tissue from each patient was dissected into 2 × 2 mm^2^ pieces and placed in a Petri Dish containing 10 mL of DMEM media supplemented with 0.8 U/mL of dispase (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and 160 U/mL of collagenase-1 (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) followed by incubation at 37 °C for 2--4 h. Media was collected and dissociated cells were pelleted by gentle centrifugation at 300× g for 10 min. Pelleted cells were re-suspended and cultured in basal Schwann Cell Medium (SCM) from ScienCell Research Laboratories (Carlsbad, CA, USA) supplemented with 10% FBS, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 μg/mL streptomycin and 1% Schwann cell growth supplement (SCGS) containing BSA 10 μg, insulin 5 μg, PDGF 5 ng, FGF-2 5 ng, progesterone 20 nM, forskolin 200 nM, T3 60 nM and PMA 20 nM. Growing cells were maintained and passaged using the same proprietary media. In parallel, primary human Schwann cells obtained from ScienCell Research Laboratories (Carlsbad, CA, USA) as well as sNF96.2 cell line were cultured using the same media and conditions. Growing Schwann cells were characterized by immunofluorescent staining using rabbit antibodies against human S-100β and p75 proteins.
3.3. Secretome Profiling
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Both normal and plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cells as well as sNF96.2 cell line were grown to 80% confluences in the SCM media above then washed 6 times with sterile PBS (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) before incubation in serum free media for an additional 24 hours. Conditioned media (CM) were then collected, centrifuged at 300× g and the supernatant were further filtered through a 0.22 μm nylon filter (Millipore, Bedford, MA, USA) to remove any cell debris or floating cells. Aliquots (2 mL) from each collected CM were further concentrated by using a 3 kDa cutoff filter (Millipore Corp., Billerica, MA, USA) and processed for SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry analysis. After the gel was stained (Bio-Safe Coomassie; Bio-Rad), each lane was sliced into 30 bands, and each band was in-gel digested with trypsin (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) and the resulting peptides analyzed by LC-MS/MS as described below.
3.4. Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
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Concentrated peptides from each band were injected via an autosampler (6 μL) and loaded onto a Symmetry C18 trap column (5 μm, 300 μm i.d. × 23 mm, Waters, Milford, MA, USA) for 10 min at a flow rate of 10 μL/min, 100% A. The sample was subsequently separated by a C18 reverse-phase column (3.5 μm, 75 μm × 15 cm, LC Packings, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) at a flow rate of 250 nL/min using an Eksigent nano-HPLC system (Dublin, CA, USA). The mobile phases consisted of water with 0.1% formic acid (A) and 90% acetonitrile (B). A 65 minute linear gradient from 5 to 60% B was employed. Eluted peptides were introduced into the mass spectrometer via a 10 μm silica tip (New Objective Inc., Ringoes, NJ, USA) adapted to a nano-electrospray source (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The spray voltage was set at 1.2 kV and the heated capillary at 200 °C. The LTQ-Orbitrap-XL (ThermoFisher Scientific) was operated in data-dependent mode with dynamic exclusion in which one cycle of experiments consisted of a full-MS in the Orbitrap (300--2000 m/z, resolution 30,000) survey scan and five subsequent MS/MS scans in the LTQ of the most intense peaks using collision-induced dissociation with the collision gas (helium) and normalized collision energy value set at 35%.
3.5. Database Search and Quantification
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For protein identification we used the SEQUEST search engine \[[@b45-ijms-13-09380]\] and for label free proteome profiling we used ProteoIQ software (Nusep, Bogart, GA, USA). Database search was performed against human SwissProt database (Version 198; EuropeanBioinformatics Institute: Cambridge, UK, 2012) indexed with assumptions for fully enzymatic tryptic cleavage with two missed cleavages and possible 16 Da shift for oxidized Met. The search result was filtered using the following acceptance criteria: DeltaCn (ΔCn) \> 0.08, a variable threshold of Xcorr vs charge state (Xcorr ≥ 1.9 for *z* = 1, Xcorr ≥ 2.5 for *z* = 2, and Xcorr ≥ 3.5 for *z* = 3) and with mass accuracy better than 10 ppm. SRFs search result files were uploaded into the ProteoIQ software for parsing and spectral counting. Median relative intensity was compared between cases and controls using a non-parametric Wilcoxon rank sum test. Significance was set at the *p* value ≤ 0.05 level and no adjustments for multiple testing were performed.
3.6. Reverse-Transcription PCR
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Total RNA was extracted following standard protocol of TRIzol^®^ RNA Reagents (Invitrogen). Genomic DNA contaminant was removed using DNA-free™ Kit (Ambion) containing RNase-free DNase I. Double-stranded cDNA was synthesized from 0.5 μg cleaned RNA with an olig-dT primer in a 20 μL Super Script III First-Stand Synthesis SuperMix reaction(Invitrogen) before further PCR or quantitative real-time PCR analyses. For the regular PCR, 3 μL supernatant was used as input DNA to process PCR reaction using GoTaq^®^ Hot Start Green Master Mix (Promega). The denatured primers were designed to amplify human RARRES1 and the sequences are: forward: 5-GAGCAGAG TTCAGTGTGCATG-3 and reverse: 5-CAACAAGAGGATTACCTGCTTTACAAG-3. Actin was used as an internal normalization reference and the sequences are, forward, 5-GAAGAGCTA TGAGCTGCCTGAC-3 and reverse, 5-AGGTCTTTACGGATGTCAACGT-3. 10 μL of PCR reaction were illuminated in 2% Ethidium bromide containing agarose gel.
Quantitative real time PCR 1 μL cDNA was used for real-time PCR in a 25 μL reaction. Monoplex real-time PCR was conducted in a 96-well spectrofluorometric thermal cycler (ABI PRISM 7900 Sequence detector system; Applied Biosystems). RARRES1 primers used for the real time PCR were chosen from PrimerBank as forward: 5-AGACAACAAGAGGATTACCTGCT-3 and reverse: 5-GCTGACTATTTCCAAGGGGTTT-3. Actin was used as the internal normalization control. Fluorescence was monitored during every PCR cycle at the annealing or extension step and during the post-PCR temperature ramp. Fold changes were then measured according to manufacturer instructions (Invitrogen).
3.7. Western Blot Analysis
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RARRES1 expression was examined in both Schwann cell pellets and tissue specimens. After collecting the conditioned media for secretome analysis the remaining cells were washed three times with PBS and collected by gently scrapping into PBS media then pelleted by centrifugation at 300× g for 5 min. Total proteins were extracted from cell pellets in RIPA buffer composed of 25 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.6), 150 mM NaCl, 1% NP-40, 1% sodium deoxycholate, 0.1% SDS (Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL, USA). Equal amounts of total proteins (30 μg) from each sample were resuspended in equal volume of Laemmli buffer (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). Proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and transferred to nitrocellulose membrane (GE Healthcare, Piscataway, NJ, USA) for Western blot analysis. Nonspecific binding sites were blocked with 5% milk (Bio-Rad) and membrane was incubated overnight with rabbit polyclonal antibody against human RARRES1 in 2.5% milk. We tested RARRES1 antibodies from two different companies: ab76530 from Abcam (Cambridge, MA, USA) and AF4255 from R&D Systems, Inc (Minneapolis, MN, USA). The next day, the membranes were rinsed with Tris buffer containing salt and Tween and incubated with goat anti-rabbit IgG (1:3K, Bio-Rad) conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. Immunoblots were visualized by chemiluminescence (GE Healthcare), and Ponceau red was used to control for protein loading.
3.8. Effect of All-Trans Retinoic Acid on the sNF96.2 Secreted RARRES1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Since the commercially available antibodies failed to detected and quantify secreted RARRES1, we synthesized stable isotope labeled RARRES1, to use as a standard, by culturing sNF96.2 cell line in DMEM culture media where ^12^C~6~-Arg and ^12^C~6~, ^14^N~2~-Lys were replaced by ^13^C~6~-Arg and ^13^C~6~, ^15^N~2~-Lys. After at least 7 cell doublings (roughly four passages), cellular proteins were uniformly labeled with these stable isotope-containing amino acids including secreted proteins. Cells were then washed 6 times with serum free media and incubated for another 24 hours in stable isotope labeled serum free media supplemented with ^13^C~6~-Arg and ^13^C~6~, ^15^N~2~-Lys. Conditioned media containing stable isotope labeled proteins was collected, centrifuged at 1000 × g and further filtered through a 0.2 μm Polyethersulfone syringe filter (Corning Inc.) then concentrated using 3 kDa MWCO centrifugal filtration device (Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, USA). The concentrated conditioned media was assayed for total protein content using Bio-Rad protein assay kit and stored at −20 °C until use. In parallel, the same cell line sNF96.2 was cultured in regular DMEM media supplemented with 10% FBS (ATCC), 100 U/mL of penicillin, 100 μg/mL of streptomycin (Invitrogen, Gibco, Carlsbad, CA, USA), and 1 mM of sodium pyruvate (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). When cells reached 80--90% confluence they were washed 6 times with serum free medium then incubated for another 24 hours in serum free medium supplemented with various doses of all-trans retinoic acid (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 μM). All-trans retinoic acid solution was freshly prepared in ethanol just before use. The untreated control cells were incubated with ethanol alone in serum free media for the same period of 24 hours. Conditioned media from untreated and treated cells were collected, spiked with equal amounts of condition media containing stable isotope labeled RARRES1 protein and processed as described above for SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS analysis. Bands corresponding to RARRES1 protein were sliced, in-gel digested by trypsin and the resulting peptides were analyzed by LC-MS/MS as described above. RARRES1 tryptic peptides were detected as pairs of stable isotope labeled and unlabeled peptides generated from the reference stable isotope labeled RARRES1 protein and the unlabeled RARRES1 protein secreted by the RA treated or untreated sNF96.2 cell cultures respectively. For quantification of RARRES1 protein in treated and untreated cells we used IP2 software, an integrated proteomic applications (<http://integratedproteomics.com/>) that uses the extracted ion chromatogram of labeled and unlabeled peptide pairs to determine the intensity ratios of light to heavy peptide and thus the relative quantities of secreted RARRES1 protein by RA treated and untreated sNF96.2 cells versus the spiked reference stable isotope labeled RARRES1 protein.
4. Conclusions
==============
The secretome survey of cultured primary Schwann cells revealed differential secretion of several key proteins between NF1 derived Schwann cells and normal nerve derived Schwann cells. The majority of the differentially secreted proteins are involved in cell proliferation, adhesion and migration. Secretion of the tumor suppressor RARRES1 protein by NF1 is novel and merits further studies to characterize the structure and the function of this secreted RARRES1 protein.
Defining the role of these differentially secreted proteins in the context of Schwann cell biology might bring insight into Schwann cell transformation and neurofibroma pathogenesis. This will help define novel therapeutic strategies to slowdown or stop plexiform neurofibroma progression in patients diagnosed with NF1.
This work was supported by the Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute. Additional support was provided by NIH NCMRR/NINDS R24HD050846 (NCMRR-DC Core Molecular and Functional Outcome Measures in Rehabilitation Medicine), by NIH NCRR UL1RR031988 (GWU-CNMC CTSI), and by NIH/NICHD P30HD040677 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers). The authors would like to thank the donors and their families.
{#f1-ijms-13-09380}
{#f2-ijms-13-09380}
{#f3-ijms-13-09380}
{#f4-ijms-13-09380}
{#f5-ijms-13-09380}
######
Collected neurofibroma specimens used to establish Schwann cell cultures.
Donor's id Age (years) Gender Tumor location Diagnosis
------------ ------------- -------- ---------------- ------------------------
NFSC 141 20 Female Neck Plexiform neurofibroma
NFSC 142 19 Male Neck Plexiform neurofibroma
NFSC 143R 17 Female Right lumbar Plexiform neurofibroma
NFSC 143L Left lumbar Plexiform neurofibroma
######
List of proteins that were uniquely secreted by the plexiform neurofibroma Schwann cells or by the normal Schwann cells.
Accession *n*° Protein name NSC NFSCs Subcellular localization Function
---------------- -------------------------------------------- ----- --------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- ---------------------------------
P49788 Retinoic acid receptor responder protein 1 0 45 Single-pass membrane Tumor suppressor
P01024 Complement C3 0 43 [\*](#tfn2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table-fn"} secreted complement pathway
P0C0L4 Complement C4-A 0 39 secreted Complement pathway
P05090 Apolipoprotein D 0 15 secreted Transporter
P22352 Glutathione peroxidase 3 0 10 [\*](#tfn2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table-fn"} secreted Antioxidant
P36222 Chitinase-3-like protein 1 0 11 [\*](#tfn2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table-fn"} secreted unknown
P55268 Laminin subunit beta-2 0 17 secreted Cell attachment
P02649 Apolipoprotein E 0 7 [\*](#tfn2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table-fn"} secreted Transporter
Q4LDE5 Sushi, von Willebrand factor type A 0 5 membrane/secreted Cell attachment
Q92954 Proteoglycan 4 0 5 secreted Adhesion inhibition
Q12805 EFEMP1 0 9 [\*](#tfn2-ijms-13-09380){ref-type="table-fn"} secreted Cell adhesion/migration
P02771 Alpha-fetoprotein 0 6 secreted Transporter
P55285 Cadherin-6 16 0 Membrane/cell surface Cell adhesion
P24844 Myosin regulatory light polypeptide 9 12 0 cytoskeleton Cytokenesis and cell locomotion
Q13308 Tyrosine-protein kinase-like 7 11 0 cell surface Wnt signaling pathway
P09104 Gamma-enolase 9 0 cytosol/membrane glycogenesis
NSC: normal human primary Schwann cells; NFSCs: plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cells. Numbers represent the average spectral count detected in either normal human Schwann cell group (*n* = 2) or plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cell group (*n* = 4).
denote proteins that were secreted in 3 out of 4 NFSCs cultures;
EFEMP1: EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1.
######
List of proteins that were differentially secreted between the plexiform neurofibroma and the normal Schwann cell cultures.
Accession *n*° Protein name NSC NFSCs Subcellular localization Function
---------------- -------------------------------------------------- ----- ------- -------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q16363 Laminin subunit alpha-4 13 81 secreted cell attachment/migration
Q14112 Nidogen-2 25 81 secreted cell attachment/migration
P05155 Plasma protease C1 inhibitor 7 85 secreted C1 complex inhibitor
P07585 Decorin 12 67 secreted extracellular remodeling
Q7Z7G0 Target of Nesh-SH3 1 19 secreted cell proliferation
P98160 Perlecan 5 46 secreted extracellular matrix remodeling
P24592 Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 6 4 16 secreted regulates cell growth
P05121 Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 727 284 secreted inhibitor of fibrinolysis
P13611 Versican core protein 12 1 secreted intercellular signaling and connecting cells with the extracellular matrix
Q6UVK1 Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 83 19 Cell surface cell growth and migration
Q15262 Receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase kappa 12 2 Cell surface Negative regulator of EGFR signaling pathway
P05556 Integrin beta-1 13 1 Cell surface Cell adhesion
NSC: normal human primary Schwann cells; NFSCs: plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cells. Numbers represent the average spectral count detected in either normal human Schwann cell group (*n* = 2) or plexiform neurofibroma derived Schwann cell group (*n* = 4).
[^1]: These authors contributed equally to this work.
| {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Central"
} |
Indirect effects of a key ecosystem engineer alter survival and growth of foundation coral species.
Stegastes nigricans, a "farmerfish" that cultivates algal turf and defends territories from grazers and other intruders, can affect coral indirectly due to increased competition with farmed algal turf and/or reduced predation resulting from territorial aggression directed at corallivores. To investigate the indirect effects of this key ecosystem engineer on coral mortality and growth, we transplanted caged and exposed fragments of four coral species to patch reefs in French Polynesia on which we manipulated the presence of S. nigricans and turf, and to reefs naturally devoid of S. nigricans. Reef access was two to four times higher for herbivorous fishes, and two times higher for corallivorous fishes, when S. nigricans was removed, indicating that reef access is reduced for two important guilds of fishes when S. nigricans is present. Stegastes' territoriality indirectly benefited delicate acroporids (Montipora floweri and Acropora striata), yielding a twofold to fivefold reduction in skeletal loss due to lower predation frequencies in the presence of S. nigricans. Three corals, A. striata, M. floweri, and especially Porites australiensis, suffered mortality due to overgrowth significantly more frequently in the presence of farmed turf, but Pocillopora verrucosa did not. Algal abundance predicted the frequency of overgrowth for only A. striata and P. australiensis. M. floweri were more likely to be overgrown when exposed (uncaged) in the presence of S. nigricans, suggesting an interaction modification, in this case that initial predation increased susceptibility to competition with turf. In this community, the presence of S. nigricans may increase algal overgrowth of massive Porites by facilitating its turf competitors and simultaneously reduce predation of branching corals through territorial exclusion of corallivores. These indirect interactions may underlie previously documented community transitions from disturbance-resistant massive coral to recovering branching corals within S. nigricans territories. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Q:
Codeigniter: Simple echo of data from DB
What is the best way to create my model so I can call it from my controller like this?
$this->model_model->function->dbname
I have the following model but its rubbish:
Model:
function systemName()
{
$query = $this->db->query("SELECT cms_name FROM options");
return $query->result();
}
Update:
function systemOptions($options)
{
$this->db->select($options);
$query = $this->db->get('options');
return $query->num_rows();
}
A:
Why would you want to? Why not call it like this?:
$this->model_model->functionname('dbname');
A complete skeleton of a model is like this:
<?php
class Mymodel extends Model
{
function get_some_entries($number_rows)
{
return $result = $this -> db -> query("SELECT id, name
FROM tablename
LIMIT $number_rows");
}
}
?>
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
Q:
Owner based Authorization
I'm trying to make authorization based on owner of post. I store in one of post values owner of post. How do I allow only this author to edit only his post. Basic authentication restricts only for logged users, but not for author.
A:
You'll want to do this in your controller function for editing.
In case a post is being edited, first fetch the post being edited and check the id in the field against the value returned by in $this->Auth->user('id') (assuming you're using AuthComponent).
If they're the same, proceed with whatever your editing logic is. If not, you'll probably want to set a flash message (notifying the user that he/she isn't allowed to edit) and then redirect back to somewhere.
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Dining to Make a Difference
If the list of restaurants you'd like to try is as long as your arm but your wallet is looking a little thin these days, you'll want to check out Portland Eats Out. A discount dining club with a difference, it's got a stellar lineup of local restos that's growing by the day, and it offers a 15% discount on meals when you dine from Sunday through Thursday.
So what makes it different from other discount groups? Just this: ten percent of each $69 membership (that's $6.90 for you non-math types) will go to the Oregon Food Bank to help feed hungry Oregonians. Even better, the discount is good for a table of up to four people as long as one is a card-carrying member of the club.
It was started by local entrepreneur Stacy Stahl, owner of a couple of local talent agencies, who wanted to give back to the community and help out restaurants that are struggling in the tough economy. After announcing her idea at a dinner with friends (who heartily encouraged her), she went out and made it happen.
Chefs and restaurants are flocking to the cause, since it costs them nothing and fills empty seats on off nights, with the list ranging from top-flight destinations to those with family-friendly menus and even food carts. And who can't get behind that? | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
816 F.2d 685
Tribal Village of Akutanv.Hodel
86-3512, 86-3514, 86-3517
United States Court of Appeals,Ninth Circuit.
4/22/87
D.Alaska
REMANDED
| {
"pile_set_name": "FreeLaw"
} |
356 B.R. 364 (2006)
In re NELLSON NUTRACEUTICAL, INC., et al., Debtors.
No. 06-10072(CSS).
United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Delaware.
December 4, 2006.
*365 *366 Laura Davis Jones, Curtis A. Hehn, Rachel Lowy Werkheiser, Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl, Young, Jones & Weintraub, Wilmington, DE, Brad R. Godshall, Alan J. Kornfeld (argued), Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl, Young, Jones & Weintraub, Los Angeles, CA, for Debtors and Debtors in Possession.
Robert S. Brady, M. Blake Cleary, Margaret B. Whiteman, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, Wilmington, DE, Fred S. Hodara, Abid Qureshi (argued), Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, New York, NY, Scott L. Alberino, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Washington, D.C., for Informal Committee of First Lien Lenders.
Kurt F. Gwynne (argued), Thomas J. Francella, Jr., Reed Smith, LLP, Wilmington, DE, Claudia Springer, Reed Smith, LLP, Philadelphia, PA, for Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
Richard W. Riley, Duane Morris, LLP, Wilmington, DE, James J. Holman, Duane Morris, LLP, Philadelphia, PA, Linda Dakin-Grim, Gregory A. Bray, Thomas R. Kreller, Jason B. Baim (argued), Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCoy, Los Angeles, CA, for UBS AG, Stamford Branch.
MEMORANDUM OPINION[1]
CHRISTOPHER S. SONTCHI, Bankruptcy Judge.
Introduction
The Court recently concluded a trial to determine the Debtors' enterprise value. The issue before the Court is whether the opinion tendered by the Debtors' expert as to that value is admissible as an expert opinion under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.
The Third Circuit has explained that "Rule 702 embodies a trilogy of restrictions *367 on expert testimony: qualification, reliability and fit." Schneider v. Fried, 320 F.3d 396, 404 (3d Cir.2003). All three criteria must be met before the Court can admit the testimony into evidence. The Court previously ruled during trial that the Debtors' witness is qualified as an expert. Thus, the issues addressed in this opinion are reliability and fit, i.e., whether the testimony is sufficiently reliable and relevant to be admissible as expert testimony.
The opinion of the Debtors' expert witness as to the Debtors' enterprise value is based entirely upon the performance of a discounted cash flow analysis ("DCF"). In basic terms, a DCF is the calculation of future cash flows multiplied by a discount factor to determine a present value of those future cash flows. All four experts in this case performed a DCF analysis as part of rendering their opinion as to the Debtors' enterprise value. In performing the DCF analysis, all the experts divided the Debtors' future cash flows into two parts: (i) the Debtors'"free cash flows" for 2006 2011 (which were derived from the Debtors' long range business plan); and (ii) the Debtors' terminal value as of the end of 2011. To calculate a "terminal value" an expert determines an appropriate metric of value and applies a multiple to that metric. Three of the experts used the Debtors' projected EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) as the metric of value for determining the Debtors' terminal value. The Debtors' expert, however, used the Debtors' projected EBITDA minus capital expenditures ("EBITDA minus Cap Ex") as the metric of value for determining the Debtors' terminal value. The evidence reveals, however, that this methodology is not generally accepted by experts in the field of valuation and was, in fact, invented by the Debtors' expert for use in this case. Applying the well-settled law on the admissibility of expert testimony to these facts, the Court finds that the unprecedented use by the Debtors' expert of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine the Debtors' terminal value is so unreliable as to render the, opinion of the Debtors' expert witness as to the Debtors' enterprise value inadmissible.
Under Rule 702, expert testimony must be reliable and relevant to be admissible. Where an expert relies on altered facts, speculation, and volatile projections or fails to consider relevant facts in reaching a conclusion the expert's opinion can offer no assistance to the trier of fact and is excluded as irrelevant. Thus, an additional issue before the Court is the relevancy of the opinion of the Debtors' expert. Specifically, the movants contend that the Debtors' long range business plan was manipulated by the Debtors' management in anticipation of this trial to bolster the Debtors' enterprise value. The movants argue that the opinion of the Debtors' expert is irrelevant because it relies in its entirety on the Debtors' long range business plan, which the Debtors' expert knew or had reason to know had been manipulated and, thus, was unreliable. There is insufficient evidence before the Court, however, to render the expert opinion inadmissible on grounds of relevancy.
In this case, two of the three criteria for the admissibility of expert testimony are met: qualification and relevancy. The third criteria of reliability, however, is not satisfied. Thus, the opinion of the Debtors' expert witness as to the Debtors' enterprise value is inadmissible.
Jurisdiction
The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this matter under 28 U.S.C. § 1334(b). This is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(A).
*368 Statement of Facts
Factual Background
On January 28, 2006, Neilson Nutraceutical, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (the "Debtors") filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11. The Debtors are leading formulators and manufacturers of functional nutrition bars and powders for the weight loss, sports training and wellness and medical categories. The Debtors do not manufacture products under their own label, but produce for leading food marketers under two to three-year exclusive contracts with pre-established pricing. According to management, the. Debtors are the clear market leader in the formulation and manufacture of nutritional bars. The Debtors (together with their non-debtor Canadian affiliate) employ in excess of 1,200 persons and operate manufacturing facilities in Irwindale, California, Salt Lake City, Utah and Montreal, Canada.
The Debtors are privately held. The ultimate equity owner is Freemont Investors VII, LLC ("Freemont"), which purchased the Debtors in 2002. The Debtors have three tranches of debt: (i) first priority secured obligations under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of July 2, 3003 (the "First Lien Debt"); (ii) second priority secured obligations under the Second Lien Credit Agreement dated as of February 11, 2004 (the "Second Lien Debt"); and (iii) unsecured obligations to trade vendors, lessors and others. As of January 28, 2006, the Debtors' outstanding principal obligations under the First Lien Debt and Second Lien Debt totaled approximately $255 million and $75 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2006, the secured creditors will be owed approximately $355 million in the aggregate, inclusive of fees, charges, and interest. The Debtors' unsecured debt is approximately $10 million. Thus, for equity to be "in the money" the enterprise value of the Debtors must exceed approximately $365 million. As set forth more fully below, the Debtors' expert witness testified that the Debtors' enterprise value is $404.5 million, which places Freemont "in the money" by approximately $40 million.
UBS AG, Stamford Branch ("UBS") is the administrative and collateral agent under both the First Lien Debt and the Second Lien Debt. In addition, certain holders of the First Lien Debt have formed an Informal Committee of First Lien Lenders (the "Informal Committee"). The interests of the unsecured creditors are represented by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the "Official Committee"). UBS, the Official Committee and the Informal Committee have all actively participated in the trial on the Debtors' enterprise value. Although each of their experts disagree on many points, including their conclusions as to enterprise value, they all agree that the Debtors' enterprise value is less than $365 million and, thus, Freemont is "out of the money."
Procedural History
On April 28, 2006, the Debtors filed and served the Motion to Determine: (1) Enterprise Value of Debtors, and (2) Secured Claims of Prepetition Secured Lenders Pursuant to Section 506(a) of the Bankruptcy Code; Notice of Status Conference and Request That Court Enter Proposed Scheduling and Procedures Order in Respect Thereon [D.I. 333]. This motion is the mechanism through which the Debtors seek the Court to determine the Debtors' enterprise value. On May 26, 2006, the Court entered the Revised Order Establishing Dates Regarding Valuation Hearing Related To The Debtors' Enterprise Value Pursuant To Bankruptcy Code Section 506(a) [D.I. 383]. Among other things, this order scheduled an evidentiary hearing to determine the enterprise value of the Debtors' businesses and outlined the *369 scope and schedule of discovery, including the submission of expert reports. The order established that the sole issue for consideration at the evidentiary hearing would be the enterprise value of the Debtors.
On September 6, 2006, the Court conducted a pre-trial conference. On September 11, 2006, the Court entered the Order Regarding Valuation Trial, Exhibits, Confidentiality of Documents and Testimony [D.I. 621].[2] The evidentiary hearing on the enterprise value of the Debtors took 26 days, beginning on September 13, 2006 and concluding on November 17, 2006.
The Debtors' expert witness, Mr. James Harris of Seneca Financial Group, Inc., took the stand on September 27, 2006, and was tendered by the Debtors as an expert in the field of enterprise valuation. UBS and the Informal Committee objected to Mr. Harris's qualification as an expert witness. After extensive voir dire from UBS and the Informal Committee as well as redirect by the Debtor, the Court heard oral argument on the objection to the qualifications of Mr. Harris as an expert witness.
The Court denied the oral motion to exclude Mr. Harris's testimony. The Court ruled solely on the issue of whether Mr. Harris was qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, and found that he was. The Court specifically reserved judgment as to whether Mr. Harris's testimony was otherwise admissible under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.
Mr. Harris completed his testimony on September 29, 2006.
On October 4, 2006, UBS and the Informal Committee filed the Joint Motion in Limine of the Informal Committee of First Lien Lenders and UBS as Agent to the First and Second Lien Lenders to Exclude the Expert Testimony and Reports of Debtors' Valuation Expert, James W. Harris [D.I. 697] (the "Joint Motion in Limine"). The Official Committee joined in the Joint Motion in Limine on October 6, 2006.
On October 9, 2006, the Debtors filed the Motion of the Debtors for an Order Admitting Certain Trial Exhibits into Evidence [D.I. 711]. Through this motion, the Debtors sought to admit into evidence, among other things, Debtors' Exhibits 1-4, which are:
1. Mr. Harris's "Valuation Report of Neilson Nutraceutical, Inc." dated June 22, 2006.
2. Mr. Harris's "Revision to Valuation Report Dated June 22, 2006 of Nellson Nutraceutical, Inc." dated July 14, 2006.
3. Mr. Harris's "Rebuttal Report to the Valuation Reports Prepared by Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, Chapin Capital LLC and FTI Consulting, Inc." dated July 14, 2006.[3]
4. A one page document titled "James W. Harris Expert Witness History."
UBS, the Official Committee and the Informal Committee opposed the admission into evidence of Debtors' Exhibits 1 4 for the reasons set forth in the Joint Motion in Limine. On October 20, 2006, the *370 Court entered the Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part the Motion of the Debtors for an Order Admitting Certain Trial Exhibits into Evidence [D.I. 747]. In that Order, the Court denied without prejudice the motion to admit into evidence Debtors' Exhibits 1 4 and stated that the Court would consider the Debtors' motion in connection with the Joint Motion in Limine.
The Court heard oral argument on the Joint Motion in Limine on November 20, 2006.[4]
Mr. Harris's Opinion
Mr. Harris tendered an opinion to the Court as to the, enterprise value of the Debtors: This opinion was presented in Mr. Harris's June 22nd valuation report and his July 14th revision to his valuation report. In addition, Mr. Harris testified at length on September 27-29, 2006 as to his opinion of the Debtors' enterprise value. Mr. Harris concluded that the enterprise value of the Debtors, as of June 4, 2006, was $404.5 million.[5]
There are three valuation methodologies utilized under standard valuation practice.[6] Although the terms used to describe the methodologies vary, the methodologies themselves are standard. They are: (i) a discounted cash flow analysis or "DCF"; (ii) a precedent transaction or comparable transaction analysis; and (iii) a publicly traded company or comparable company analysis. At the heart of any valuation methodology is a simple task: the expert determines an appropriate metric of value and applies a multiple to that metric to determine the enterprise value of the company. Different methodologies use different sources of material to determine the appropriate metric of value and the multiple. For example, in basic terms, the metric of value under the DCF method is the company's future cash flows derived from its business plan, and the multiple is the discount factor applied to those cash flows, which is derived from a combination of firm-specific and more general information. The expert analysis is required, among other things, to select the appropriate source material and to perform the actual calculation.
A DCF analysis derives the value of a company by calculating the company's future cash flows multiplied by a discount factor to determine a present value of those future cash flows. In performing the DCF analysis in this case, Mr. Harris (and the other experts) divided the Debtors' future cash flows (which were derived from the Debtors' long range business plan) into two parts: (i) the Debtors'"free cash flows" for 2006 2011; and (ii) the Debtors' terminal value as of the end of 2011. Mr. Harris used the Debtors' projected 2011 EBITDA minus Cap Ex as the metric of value for determining the Debtors' terminal value. Mr. Harris concluded that the net present value of the free cash flows for 2006 2011 is $89.7 million and *371 the net present value of the Debtors' terminal value is $274.7 million for a concluded value of the Debtors under the DCF analysis of $364.4 million.
A precedent transaction or comparable transaction analysis derives the value of a company by examining recent control transactions of comparable companies. In performing the precedent transaction analysis in this case, Mr. Harris analyzed five transactions that closed after January 1, 2004. Based upon Mr. Harris's analysis of those transactions, he concluded that the Debtors' value under the precedent transaction or comparable transaction analysis is 9.8 times trailing 12 months EBITDA of $44.5 million or $435.3 million.
A publicly traded company or comparable company analysis derives the value of a company by examining the trading values of the equity of comparable publicly traded companies. In performing the comparable company analysis in this case, Mr. Harris analyzed the stock price over the last 10 years of publicly traded companies in three separate categories: (i) seven companies in the nutraceutical business; (ii) six companies in the food products sector that manufacture products for customers in a fashion similar to Neilson; and (iii) in excess of 100 "high performance" companies that are manufacturers with sales between $200 million and $1 billion, a ratio of EBITDA to net fixed assets of 70% or more and an EBITDA margin of 12% or more. Based upon Mr. Harris's analysis of those transactions, he concluded that the Debtors' value under the publicly traded company or comparable company analysis is a multiple of trailing 12 months EBITDA minus Cap Ex of $36 million. The multiple and, thus, the derived value varies in each category of comparable publicly traded companies is as follows:
Category Multiple LTM EBITDA Cap Ex Value
High Performance 11.9 $36 million $428.4 million
Contract Manufacturers 11.7 $36 million $421.1 million
Nutraceutical 9.4 $36 million $340.1
Under standard valuation practice, an expert will perform an analysis under each of the valuation methodologies discussed above and reach a conclusion by assigning an appropriate weight to each methodology. For example, an expert might weigh each of the methodologies equally with his or her conclusion based 1/3 on the DCF analysis, 1/3 on the precedent transaction or comparable transaction analysis and 1/3 on the publicly traded company or comparable company analysis. Finally, an expert may append the value of any nonoperating assets or liabilities (i.e., not related to the company's enterprise or business but material assets or liabilities of the Company in any event) to reach the final conclusion of enterprise value.
In reaching his conclusion as to the Debtors' enterprise value in this case, Mr. Harris relied 100% on the DCF analysis and did not consider his precedent transaction analysis nor his publicly traded company analysis.[7] Mr. Harris then added the Debtors' cash on hand, as of May 31, 2006, of $24.5 million and the present value of the goodwill amortization arising from the Debtors' purchase of the Canadian business of $15.6 million to his DCF value of *372 $364.4 million to reach his ultimate conclusion of the Debtors' enterprise value of $404.5 million.
Legal Standard for the Admissibility of Expert Testimony
Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, made applicable to this contested matter by Rule 9017 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, governs testimony by expert witnesses. Rule 702 provides:
If scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education, may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise, if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.
Id.
The Third Circuit has explained that "Rule 702 embodies a trilogy of restrictions on expert testimony: qualification, reliability and fit." Schneider v. Fried, 320 F.3d 396, 404 (3d Cir.2003) (citing In re Paoli R.R. Yard. PCB Litig., 35 F.3d 717, 741-3 (3d Cir.1994), cert. denied. 513 U.S. 1190, 115 S.Ct. 1253, 131 L.Ed.2d 134 (1995); and Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharms., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469. (1993)). The Debtors, as the proponents of the expert testimony, bear the burden of demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that the testimony is admissible. Daubert, 509 U.S. at 592, n. 10, 113 S.Ct. 2786.
The first requirement for the admission of expert testimony is that the witness must be a qualified expert. This Court has already determined that Mr. Harris is qualified as an expert on enterprise valuation by his knowledge, skill, experience, training, and education.
On the second and third requirements for the admission of expert testimony, Rule" 702 "assign[s] to the trial judge the task of ensuring that an expert's testimony both rests on a reliable foundation and is relevant to the task at hand." Daubert, 509 U.S. at 597, 113 S.Ct. 2786.
Reliability
"In determining whether expert testimony is reliable, the Supreme Court has identified a number of factors which may be considered, including: (1) whether a theory or technique can be, and has been, tested; (2) whether the theory or technique has been subjected to peer review and publication; (3) a technique's known or potential rate of error and the existence and maintenance of standards controlling the techniques operation; and (4) whether a particular technique or theory has gained general acceptance in the relevant scientific community." Chartwell Litigation Trust v. Addus Healthcare, Inc., (In re Med Diversified Inc.), 334 B.R. 89, 95 (Bankr.E.D.N.Y.2005) (citing Daubert, 509 U.S. at 593-94, 113 S.Ct. 2786; and Kumho Tire Co., Ltd. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137, 149, 119 S.Ct. 1167, 1174, 143 L.Ed.2d 238, 251 (1999)).
In Kumho Tire, the Supreme Court extended the Daubert standard to non-scientific testimony, requiring that, "where such testimony's factual basis, data, principles, methods, or their application are called sufficiently into question . . . the trial judge must determine whether the testimony has a reliable basis in the knowledge and experience of the relevant discipline." Kumho Tire, 526 U.S. at 148, 119 S.Ct. 1167 (internal citations omitted).
*373 Under the Third Circuit's opinion in United States v. Downing, other factors should be considered along with the Daubert factors. United States v. Downing, 753 F.2d 1224, 1238-39 (3d Cir.1985); see Paoli, 35 F.3d at 742 ("We now make clear that a district court should take into account all of the factors listed by either Daubert or Downing as well as any others that are relevant.") These factors are, "[1] the degree to which the expert testifying is qualified, [2] the relationship of a technique to `more established modes of scientific analysis,' and [3] the `non-judicial uses to which the scientific technique are put.'" Paoli, 35 F.3d at 742 (citing Downing, 753 F.2d at 1238-39).
The Third Circuit has "cautioned that the standard for determining reliability [of expert testimony] is not that high . . ." In re TMI Litigation, 193 F.3d 613, 665 (3d Cir.1999), amended on other grounds, 199 F.3d 158 (2000), cert. denied, 530 U.S. 1225, 120 S.Ct. 223, 147 L.Ed.2d 2668 (2000) (quoting Paoli, 35 F.3d at 745). Thus, the Debtors "do not have to prove their case twice they do not have to demonstrate to the judge by a preponderance of the evidence that the assessments of their experts are correct, they only have to demonstrate by a preponderance of evidence that their opinions are reliable." TMI, 193 F.3d at 665 (citation omitted). "In other words, the evidentiary requirement of reliability is lower than the merits standard of correctness." Paoli, 35 F.3d at 745.
Moreover, "[t]he grounds for the expert's opinion merely have to be good, they do not have to be perfect." TMI, 193 F.3d at 665. "The test of admissibility is not whether a particular scientific opinion has the best foundation, or even whether the opinion is supported by the best methodology or unassailable research. Rather, the test is whether the particular opinion is based on valid reasoning and reliable methodology." Id. (citation omitted).
Relevance
In addition to being reliable, expert testimony must also be relevant to be admissible. Lippe v. Bairnco Corp., 288 B.R. 678, 687 (Bankr.S.D.N.Y.2003), aff'd, 99 F.App'x 274 (2d Cir.2004). An expert opinion is relevant if it "will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue." Fed.R.Evid. 702. Thus, even if an expert utilizes a reliable methodology, the expert's application of that methodology must be relevant, i.e., the methodology must be applied in a manner that will assist the trier of fact.
In this regard, if the factual basis of an expert's opinion is so fundamentally unsupported because the expert fully relies on altered facts and speculation, or fails to consider relevant facts in reaching a conclusion, the expert's opinion can offer no assistance to the trier of fact, and is not admissible on relevance grounds. See, e.g., Nebraska Plastics, Inc. v. Holland Colors Americas, Inc., 408 F.3d 410, 416-17 (8th Cir.2005) (although factual basis of expert opinion generally goes to credibility, if opinion is "so fundamentally unsupported" in that it fails to consider relevant facts, than it can offer no assistance to the trier of fact and must be excluded); McGlinchy v. Shell Chem. Co., 845 F.2d 802, 807 (9th Cir.1988) (expert study and future testimony properly excluded where it rested on speculation, unsupported assumptions, and ignored distinctions crucial to arriving at a valid conclusion); Guillory v. Domtar Indus., Inc., 95 F.3d 1320, 1331 (5th Cir. 1996) (expert testimony properly excluded where it is not based upon facts in the record but on altered facts and speculation designed to bolster party's position).
*374 Application of the Legal Standard
Mr. Harris's Use of EBITDA Minus Cap Ex to Determine the Debtors' Terminal Value Is So Unreliable as to Render His Opinion as to the Debtors' Enterprise Value Inadmissible.
As discussed above, Mr. Harris tendered an opinion to the Court as to the enterprise value of the Debtors. In reaching that opinion, Mr. Harris relied primarily on his DCF analysis. In performing his DCF analysis, Mr. Harris divided the Debtors' future cash flows into two parts: (i) the Debtors'"free cash flows" for 2006 2011; and (ii) the Debtors' terminal value as of the end of 2011. Mr. Harris used the Debtors' projected EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine the Debtors' terminal value. Mr. Harris's calculation of the Debtors terminal value under his DCF analysis has a material impact on his ultimate conclusion as to the Debtors' enterprise value. Indeed, the terminal value of $274.7 million used under Mr. Harris's DCF analysis accounts for approximately 68% of Mr. Harris's concluded enterprise value of the Debtors of $404.5 million.
It is Mr. Harris's use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine the Debtors' terminal value that is the basis for the movants' motion. The movants argue that Mr. Harris's unprecedented and "maverick" use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine the Debtors' terminal value is so unreliable as to render his opinion as to enterprise value inadmissible. They are correct.
There are numerous problems with Mr. Harris's methodology that make it unreliable under the Daubert/Downing standards. The overarching problem, however, is that the use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine a company's terminal value under a DCF analysis is unprecedented both in the legal context and in the relevant scientific community.
Mr. Harris and the other experts testified that, while EBITDA minus Cap Ex is used as a "credit statistic" to measure, among other things, whether a company can adequately service its debt, it has never been used by any expert before any court in the United States to determine a company's terminal value under a DCF analysis. Indeed, Mr. Harris testified that he has never used this methodology in any expert report that he has ever submitted to a court and his own comprehensive, 85-page training manual does not mention EBITDA minus Cap Ex as an available metric for determining terminal value under a DCF analysis. Mr. Harris was also unable to identify any publications, treatises or articles that validate the use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis.[8] In short, the evidence clearly indicates that Mr. Harris simply invented the methodology *375 of using EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine a company's terminal value under a DCF analysis.[9] Reliance on an invented methodology that has not been generally accepted by experts in the field, standing alone, is sufficient to exclude Mr. Harris's expert opinion. See, e.g., Lippe, 288 B.R. at 690.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Daubert and its progeny require the Court to weigh several factors in determining whether expert testimony is sufficiently reliable to be admissible. In weighing those factors, the Court must be mindful that "the evidentiary requirement of reliability is lower than the merits standard of correctness." TMI, 193 F.3d at 665. Even at the lower standard of reliability, however, application of the Daubert/Downing factors weighs in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
Whether a Theory or Technique Can Be, and Has Been, Tested
Any valuation methodology, including use of EBITBA minus Cap Ex to determine the terminal value in a DCF analysis, can be tested by reference to the market. Nonetheless, because no other experts in the valuation field rely on EBITBA minus Cap Ex to determine value, the method has not been tested. Thus, this factor weighs in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
Whether the Theory or Technique Has Been Subjected to Peer Review and Publication
Mr. Harris's methodology has not been subject to peer review, nor have there been any publications using this method that Mr. Harris considered in forming his opinion. This factor weighs in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
A Technique's Known or Potential Rate of Error and the Existence and Maintenance of Standards Controlling the Techniques Operation
As Mr. Harris's methodology has not been tested, has not been subjected to peer review, is not generally accepted in the field and has never been used or relied upon in a court of law, there is no way to know whether the methodology leads to erroneous results and there are no established standards controlling its application. Indeed, Mr. Harris testified that he would use EBITDA minus Cap Ex in an "appropriate case" but he was unable to identify a single factor that he would deem relevant to determine whether to use his invented methodology. This factor weighs in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
Whether a Particular Technique or Theory Has Gained General Acceptance in the Relevant Scientific Community
Mr. Harris's own testimony as well as the testimony of the other experts in this case support a finding that Mr. Harris's methodology has not gained general acceptance in the relevant scientific community: (i) it has never been used by any expert before any court in the United States to determine a company's terminal value under a DCF analysis; (ii) Mr. Harris has never used it to determine a company's terminal value under a DCF analysis; (iii) Mr. Harris's own comprehensive, 85-page training manual does not mention EBITDA minus Cap Ex as an available metric for determining terminal value under a DCF analysis; and (iv) Mr. Harris could not identify any publications, treatises or articles that validate the use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis. This factor weighs *376 in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
The Degree to Which the Expert Testifying Is Qualified
This Court has already determined that Mr. Harris is qualified as an expert on enterprise valuation by his knowledge, skill, experience, training, and education. This factor weighs in favoring of admitting Mr. Harris's testimony.
The Relationship of a Technique to More Established Modes of Scientific Analysis
The use of EBITDA minus. Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis is related to the use of EBITDA or EBITDA to determine such value, which all the experts agree is a generally accepted methodology. Mr. Harris testified that his terminal value relies entirely on the Debtors' estimate of capital expenditures for 2011 the final year of the Debtors' long range business plan. Mr. Harris further testified that the Debtors' capital expenditures are highly volatile from year-to-year, they have varied drastically in the past, and they will continue to do so in the future. All the experts agree that, while EBITDA and EBIT also vary from year-to-year, they are less volatile than a company's capital expenditures. Indeed, depreciation and amortization generally reflect a company's history of capital expenditures normalized over time. Thus, a more stable and less volatile method of determining terminal value that reflects a company's capital expenditures would be to use EBIT a methodology that all the experts agree is generally accepted in the valuation community.
Because Mr. Harris's methodology relies so heavily on a company's projections of capital expenditures, which are more volatile than a company's projections of EBIT and EBITDA, it is a less reliable metric of value than EBIT or EBITDA. Thus, while Mr. Harris's methodology is related to generally accepted techniques, it is inherently less reliable. This factor weighs in favor of excluding Mr. Harris's testimony[10]
The Non-Judicial Uses to Which the Scientific Technique Are Put
The evidence establishes that the first and only time a valuation expert has used EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis is Mr. Harris in this trial. Without any nonjudicial uses for this methodology, this factor weighs in favor excluding Mr. Harris's testimony.
The purpose of applying the Daubert/Downing factors is to "determine whether the testimony has a reliable basis in the knowledge and experience of the relevant discipline." Kumho Tire, 526 U.S. at 148, 119 S.Ct. 1167. Application of the factors in this case leads to the inescapable conclusion that Mr. Harris's use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis is not reliable and, thus, must be excluded. Because Mr. Harris's conclusion of terminal value constitutes approximately 68% of his ultimate conclusion as to the Debtors' enterprise value and is, in fact, inseparable from his ultimate conclusion, the entirety of Mr. Harris's testimony as to the Debtors' enterprise value must be excluded as unreliable under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.[11]
*377 There Is Insufficient Evidence Before the Court to Render Mr. Harris's Opinion Inadmissible on Grounds of Relevancy
In addition to being reliable, expert testimony must also be relevant to be admissible. Lippe, 288 B.R. at 687. If the factual basis of an expert's opinion is so fundamentally unsupported because the expert fully relies on altered facts and speculation, or fails to consider relevant facts in reaching a conclusion,-the expert's opinion can offer no assistance to the trier of fact, and is not admissible on relevance grounds.
In this case, the movants contend that the Debtors' long range business plan was manipulated by the. Debtors' management in anticipation of this trial to bolster the Debtors' enterprise value. The movants argue that Mr. Harris's testimony is irrelevant because it relies in its entirety on the Debtors' long range business plan, which Mr. Harris knew or had reason to know was unreliable.
There is evidence in the record supporting the movants' argument that certain portions of the Debtors' long range business plan were manipulated by the Debtors' management in anticipation of this trial to bolster the Debtors' enterprise value. The record does not support a finding, however, that Mr. Harris knew or had reason to know the Debtors' long range business was unreliable.
The movants further argue that, even if Mr. Harris had no reason to know the Debtors' long range business plan had been manipulated, he should have performed further due diligence because his conclusion was based primarily on a DCF analysis, which, in turn, was based entirely on the Debtors' projections. The movants argument fails for at least two reasons. First, an expert's reliance on management's business plan in performing a valuation of a company is certainly reasonable. Indeed, each of the experts in this case relied on management's business plan in performing their DCF analysis.[12] Second, each of the experts testified that, under standard valuation practice, an expert will perform an analysis under each of the valuation methodologies and reach a conclusion by assigning an appropriate weight to each methodology. There is no evidence in the record supporting the movants' argument that when an expert determines to assign a weight of 100% to a certain methodology (in this case the DCF analysis) the expert is then required to perform additional due diligence into the facts underpinning that methodology.
Thus, while there is evidence in the record supporting the movants' argument that certain portions of the Debtors' long range business plan were manipulated by the Debtors' management, that evidence is insufficient to render Mr. Harris's testimony inadmissible on grounds of relevancy.
Conclusion
In this case, two of the three criteria for the admissibility of expert testimony are met: qualification and relevancy. Mr. Harris's use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis, however, is not reliable and, thus, *378 must be excluded. Because Mr. Harris's conclusion of terminal value constitutes the bulk of his ultimate conclusion as to the Debtors' enterprise value and is, in fact, inseparable from his ultimate conclusion, the entirety of Mr. Harris's testimony as to the Debtors' enterprise value must be excluded as unreliable under Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.
NOTES
[1] This Opinion constitutes the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the Court pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 7052, which is made applicable to contested matters by Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9014.
[2] On September 20, 2006, the Court entered the Order Regarding Valuation Trial: Confidentiality of Documents and Testimony [D.I. 661], which supplemented the previous procedural orders to address issues relating to the submission of evidence designated as confidential.
[3] A copy of Debtors' Exhibit 2 is appended to Debtors'. Exhibit 3. For purposes of this opinion, the exhibits are being treated as separate documents.
[4] At oral argument, UBS, the Official Committee and the Informal Committee withdrew their objection to the admission into evidence of Debtors' Exhibit 3 and any testimony related thereto. Thus, Debtors' Exhibit 3 is admitted into evidence. In addition, Debtors' Exhibit 4 is admitted into evidence based upon the Court's previous ruling that Mr. Harris is qualified as an expert on enterprise valuation.
[5] At various times in analyzing the Debtors' enterprise value Mr. Harris provided a range of values but he relied on the median value in reaching his ultimate conclusion as to the Debtors' enterprise value.
[6] The Court's findings in this opinion regarding standard valuation practice are based on the testimony of all four experts in this case. Unless otherwise noted, the testimony concerning standard valuation practice was consistent among all four experts.
[7] Mr. Harris used his publicly traded company analysis as a minor part of his calculation of the discount factor used in his DCF analysis.
[8] During Mr. Harris's direct examination, the Debtors attempted to introduce into evidence certain articles that discuss the use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex in an entirely different context other than as a valuation tool. The Court sustained numerous objections to the admission of the articles as hearsay under Fed.R.Evid. 802. The Court ruled that the articles were not subject to the hearsay exception under Fed.R.Evid. 803(18) because Mr. Harris testified that he had not read the articles and did not rely on them in performing his analysis. Indeed, the evidence indicates that the articles were discovered by the Debtors' counsel after Mr. Harris submitted his expert reports. The Debtors once again sought to put the articles before the Court in the Debtors' brief in opposition to the Joint Motion in Limine. As the articles remain inadmissible hearsay, the Court has not considered them in determining whether Mr. Harris's expert testimony is inadmissible. In any event, if the articles were admitted into evidence they would not validate the use of EBITDA minus Cap Ex to determine terminal value under a DCF analysis.
[9] The testimony of the other three experts in this case also support the finding that Mr. Harris's methodology is not generally accepted in the valuation field.
[10] The issue is not with Mr. Harris's actual performance of the DCF calculation but with the metric of value that Mr. Harris inserted into the calculation, i.e., EBITDA minus Cap Ex.
[11] The movants argue that Mr. Harris's use of the "high performance" companies in performing his publicly traded company or comparable company analysis is unreliable and, thus, renders his opinion inadmissible. The Court finds that Mr. Harris's publicly traded company or comparable company analysis is immaterial to Mr. Harris's opinion of the Debtors' enterprise value. Thus, the movants' motion to exclude Mr. Harris's testimony on the basis of the use of the "high performance" companies is denied.
[12] Certain experts made adjustments in their DCF analysis to reflect what they considered as unrealistic assumptions or projections in the Debtors' long range business plan.
| {
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Early experience with retrievable inferior vena cava filters in high-risk trauma patients.
This study describes the use of retrievable IVC filters in a select group of trauma patients at high risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Retrievable IVC filters were placed in selected trauma patients who met high-risk criteria for deep vein thrombosis and PE according to institutional clinical management guidelines. All filters were placed percutaneously in the interventional radiology suite. Indications for filter placement were based on injury complex, weight-bearing status, and contraindications to enoxaparin or pneumatic compression devices. IVC filters were either removed or maintained. Retrievable IVC filters were placed in 35 patients after blunt trauma. Twenty-six patients (74%) sustained at least one orthopaedic injury; 17 patients (49%) were diagnosed with a pelvis fracture. Activity was limited to bed rest or spinal precautions in 18 patients (51%). Enoxaparin was contraindicated in 32 patients (91%) and injuries precluded the use of pneumatic compression devices in 11 (31%). IVC filters were removed in 18 patients (51%), with no reported complications. Patients with orthopaedic injuries and pelvis fractures were less likely to have their filters maintained (p = 0.040). Retrievable IVC filters offer a versatile option for prophylaxis in trauma patients at high risk for PE. Filter retrieval potentially spares the longterm complications of permanent filters in younger trauma patients. Retrievable filters warrant consideration in patients who meet high-risk criteria for deep vein thrombosis or PE who cannot receive effective mechanical prophylaxis and in whom contraindications to anticoagulation are expected to be temporary. | {
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Article content continued
“There is data on the real estate market, but the problem is that it is inconsistent. A number of studies had been done, but with no conclusions, because of missing information.”
In order to build the robust national database, McCarrell and his team are tapping both private and public sources, as well as pre-existing statistics such as census records.
Statistics Canada’s public partners include provincial governments, land title authorities and non-for-profit organizations. The private sources cannot be named as per their agreements with the government agency.
“Private sources have a business model, commercialized data, so we have to make sure that we are not stepping on their toes,” said Anik Lacroix, an assistant director at Statistics Canada. “The issue is the limitations of agreements, it is how we release data, but asking private sources to provide more data is not a problem.”
Once the data is acquired, McCarrell said it must also be cleaned and packaged in such a way that it is consistent and can be of use to researchers and policy makers.
“For many middle class Canadians, their home is the most important investment they will make in their lifetime. As such, it is critical to their financial well-being that this investment be protected. HSF represents a significant jump forward in the quality and type of data available and will yield significant ongoing benefits by enhancing the ability of housing participants (and) commentators, to monitor and analyze the housing market,” said David Barnabe, a spokesperson of federal Finance Department, in an email statement. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
Rachel Devirys
Rachel Devirys (28 February 1890 - 16 May 1983) was a French film actress born in the Crimea, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). She starred in some 50 films between 1916 and 1956.
Born Rachel Itzkovitz, in 1916 she played "Madelon", the name role in a popular song of World War I.
Selected filmography
Au-delà des lois humaines (1920)
Faces of Children (1925)
Monte Carlo (1925)
Croquette (1927)
Morgane, the Enchantress (1928)
Captain Craddock (1931)
Bombs on Monte Carlo (1931)
Bach the Detective (1936)
Colonel Durand (1948)
Les Enfants terribles (1950)
References
External links
Category:French stage actresses
Category:French film actresses
Category:French silent film actresses
Category:People from Simferopol
Category:People from Nice
Category:Imperial Russian emigrants to France
Category:1890 births
Category:1983 deaths
Category:20th-century French actresses | {
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} |
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Migente Against Police P.R.O.B.E. is for police (Profiling, Racism, Oppression, Brutality, Extortion) this forum is here to inform you to wake up! migente we must stand up! not just 4 latinos but for all americans who receive injustice by police. I know for myself there are good cops out there doing there jobs to there best to keep us safe. but for every 1 good one you got 9 nine gun slinging, donut eating, shoot first ask questions later, always white never wrong. sitting in patrol cars in your neighborhood. Do we look away a pretend there is nothing wrong when you see your fellow latino getting pulled over for no apparent reason? or when you get pulled over for one infraction. and you get 4 more tickets on top of the 1st one with a smile. yes my people its time to fight back!!!!!!! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
______
No. 04-6038WM
______
In re: *
*
Coyita Voncile Thomas, *
*
Debtor. *
*
Coyita Voncile Thomas, *
*
Plaintiff-Appellant, * Appeal from the United States
* Bankruptcy Court for the Western
v. * District of Missouri
*
Money Mart Financial Services, *
Inc., *
*
Defendant-Appellee. *
*
______
Submitted: November 10, 2004
Filed: December 10, 2004 (Corrected December 13, 2004)
______
Before KRESSEL, Chief Judge, SCHERMER and MAHONEY, Bankruptcy Judges.
______
KRESSEL, Chief Judge.
The plaintiff, Coyita Voncile Thomas, who is also the debtor in this chapter 7
case, appeals from the bankruptcy court’s1 judgment declining to award her damages
based on Money Mart Financial Services, Inc.’s violation of the automatic stay.
Because we agree with the bankruptcy court that Money Mart did not violate the
automatic stay, we affirm.
BACKGROUND
On November 15, 2003, Thomas obtained four separate loans from Money
Mart, each in the amount of $50.00, for a total of $200.00. In exchange, Thomas gave
Money Mart four checks, each in the amount of $77.00, postdated to December 15,
2003. It was the parties’ expectation that Thomas would be paid on or about that
date, which would provide sufficient funds for the checks to be paid. Such
transactions are commonly referred to as “payday loans.” On November 18th,
Thomas filed her chapter 7 petition. On the same date, her attorney sent Money Mart
a copy of a notice indicating that Thomas had filed a bankruptcy petition. Sometime
on or about November 20, 2003, Money Mart also received from the clerk a notice
of commencement of the debtor’s case.
On approximately December 17, 2003, the four checks were presented for
payment to the debtor’s bank. Whether Money Mart presented the checks itself at the
debtor’s bank or whether, as is more likely, Money Mart deposited the checks in its
bank and the checks were presented to the debtor’s bank through normal banking
channels, we are not sure because the record is silent. The distinction makes no
difference in this case.
1
The Honorable Dennis R. Dow, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the
Western District of Missouri.
2
On January 15, 2004, Thomas filed a complaint under 11 U.S.C. §362(h)
against Money Mart asking for various forms of relief, all predicated on Thomas’s
claim that Money Mart had violated the automatic stay when it presented her checks
for payment. Money Mart answered and a trial was held on April 22, 2004. In an
opinion dated and entered on June 14, 2004, the bankruptcy court held that the
actions of Money Mart in presenting the checks were excepted from the automatic
stay by operation of 11 U.S.C. § 362(b)(11).
While the issue of the avoidability of the payment of the checks as an
unauthorized postpetition transfer was not pled in the plaintiff’s complaint, the issue
was raised at trial and Money Mart volunteered to return to the debtor the funds it had
received from the post-dated checks. The bankruptcy court held that the payment of
the checks postpetition was indeed an unauthorized postpetition transfer avoidable
by the trustee under 11 U.S.C. § 549(a). The bankruptcy court went on to hold that
because the trustee had not attempted to avoid the transfers, that the debtor could,
under 11 U.S.C. § 522(h)(1) and (2).
As a result, the bankruptcy court declined to award Thomas damages for
violating the automatic stay. It did, however, order Money Mart to return the sum of
$308.00 to the debtor. On June 16, 2004, the clerk entered a judgment pursuant to
the court’s opinion and order. Thomas appealed from the June 14, 2004, order.
While she more properly should have appealed from the judgment, we do not think
that this mistake deprives us of jurisdiction.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
The bankruptcy court’s determination that the presentment of the checks was
excepted from the automatic stay is a conclusion of law, which we review de novo.
Gordon v. Hines (In re Hines), 147 F.3d 1185 (9th Cir. 1998).
3
DISCUSSION
The parties do not really dispute any of the relevant facts in this proceeding and
there is agreement on virtually all of the applicable law. They agree, for example,
that presentment of the checks is covered by various provisions of the automatic stay,
including § 362(a)(3) which prohibits “any act to obtain possession of property of the
estate or property from the estate or to exercise control over property of the estate”
and § 362(a)(6) which prohibits “any act to collect, assess, or recover a claim against
the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title.” They
agree that the resolution of this proceeding revolves around the applicability of §
362(b)(11) which excepts from operation of the automatic stay “the presentment of
a negotiable instrument and the giving of notice of and protesting dishonor of such
an instrument.” They also agree that the four checks were negotiable instruments.
The dispute then narrows itself to whether or not what Money Mart did
constitutes “presentment” of the checks. At first blush the answer to this question
seems obvious. Under any commonly understood use of the word “presentment,”
that is exactly what Money Mart did. In order to obtain payment of the checks, it
presented them, either directly or indirectly, to Thomas’s bank. However, because
there is no definition of the word “presentment” in the Bankruptcy Code, Thomas
urges us to look at Missouri law, which defines “presentment” to mean:
a demand by or on behalf of a person entitled to enforce an
instrument (i) to pay the instrument made to the drawee or
a party obliged to pay the instrument, or in the case of a
note or accepted draft payable at a bank, to the bank, or (ii)
to accept a draft made to the drawee.
4
Mo. Rev. Stat § 400.3-501(a)(emphasis added). Missouri law further provides:
Except as stated in subsection (b), the right to enforce the
obligation of a party to pay an instrument is subject to the
following: (1) a defense of the obligor based on . . . (iv)
discharge of the obligor in insolvency proceedings.
(emphasis added)
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 400.3-305(a)(1)(iv).
It is clear to us that the Missouri statute says that, if an obligor has received a
discharge in bankruptcy, then the holder of a negotiable instrument is no longer a
person entitled to enforce it. When Money Mart presented the checks, Thomas had
not received her discharge and whether she would or not was open to question. Some
courts have suggested, as Thomas does, that the fact that the debt may later be
discharged, brings into play the Missouri statute vitiating the holder’s status as a
person entitled to enforce an instrument. See, e.g., Hines v. Gordon (In re Hines),
198 B.R. 769 (B.A.P. 9th Cir. 1996), rev’d, Gordon v. Hines (In re Hines), 147 F.3d
1185 (9th Cir. 1998). We simply cannot agree. The statute says nothing of the kind
and such a reading would virtually destroy the applicability of the exception to the
automatic stay and is certainly inconsistent with its language. It would put presenters
of checks in the position of trying to make judgments about whether or not debtors
would receive a discharge in the future and, if so, whether or not the debtor’s debt to
it would be excepted from such a discharge. Such an analysis is highly impracticable
and would render the exception to the automatic stay virtually meaningless. We
disagree with the 9th Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel’s summary conclusion
otherwise in Hines and agree with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ analysis in
Roete v. Smith (In re Smith), 936 F.2d 963 (7th Cir. 1991) and the Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals’ opinion in Hines, supra.
5
Thus, we agree with the bankruptcy court that, under Missouri law, Money
Mart was a person entitled to enforce the checks and thus its demand for payment
constituted presentment covered by the exception to the automatic stay.
Alternatively, Thomas urges us to limit the applicability of the exception to
automatic stays to situations where the holder of a negotiable instrument wants to
present an instrument with full expectation of its dishonor as a prerequisite to
enforcing it against another party. See, In re Jastrem, 224 B.R. 125, 127 (Bankr. E.D.
Cal. 1998), Wittman v. State Farm Life Ins. Co. (In re Mills), 176 B.R. 924, 928 (D.
Kan.1994). Unfortunately, we see nothing in the statute to justify such a limitation
and it is our duty to apply the statute as written. Besides, Thomas’s construction
makes little sense. With over a million bankruptcies filed every year in this country,
millions of checks, written prepetition, are presented postpetition. It seems to us to
be bad public policy to hold that these millions of transactions violate the automatic
stay in the face of a clear indication from Congress that it intended that they not.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that Money Mart’s presentment of Thomas’s checks were
excepted from the automatic stay and thus we affirm the bankruptcy court’s decision
declining to award her damages.
6
| {
"pile_set_name": "FreeLaw"
} |
The Viacom-owned network is in early talks with the actress and original series creator Mitchell Kriegman for the revival.
Nickelodeon is rebooting another one of its former hits.
The Viacom-owned cable network is in early discussions to reboot sitcom Clarissa Explains It All, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The reboot would see former star Melissa Joan Hart reprise her role as Clarissa Darling, only this time, she would play the mother of the family. Series creator Mitchell Kriegman is also in talks to return to write and exec produce. Hart will also exec produce via her Hartbreak Films banner, which she runs with her mother, TV producer Paula Hart. Nickelodeon declined comment as deals with both Hart and Kriegman are not done. The project, sources say, is in early development at Nickelodeon.
The original series ran for five seasons (65 episodes) on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1994 and starred Hart as Clarissa, a teenager who spoke directly to the audience as she dealt with problems including school, boys and family. Jason Zimbler, Sean O'Neal, Elizabeth Hess and Joe O'Connor co-starred. The series was credited with being Nick's first with a female lead. Its success led to other female-fronted series, including The Secret World of Alex Mack and more.
Kriegman revisited the series in 2015 with a novel, Things I Can't Explain, which served as a sequel to the series and followed Clarissa, now in her late 20s, trying to navigate life as an adult.
In a February interview with THR about her work directing ABC's The Goldbergs, Hart — who went on to star in ABC's Sabrina, The Teenage Witch — said she thought Clarissa would be prime to be rebooted as Netflix is doing its own, dark take on Sabrina.
"I like the way we left Sabrina. I think Sabrina ended on a really great note, and I don't think you want to go back and explore that. At the same time, I think Clarissa ended on a note that could be explored again, because it didn't really have an ending — it sort of ended," she said.
For Nickelodeon, the decision to reboot Clarissa comes as the Viacom cable network recently announced plans to revive Blues Clues, handing out a 20-episode order for the animated preschool hit with a live-action host. The kids-focused cable network has been one of Viacom's most stable brands. While its ratings were flat this past year, competitors including Disney Channel saw a 24 percent drop in total viewers last year.
Reboots remain in high demand as broadcast, cable and streaming outlets look for proven IP in a bid to cut through a cluttered landscape expected to top 520 scripted originals this year. Key to them is having the original producers attached, which Clarissa does with Kriegman.
Hart and Kriegman are repped by APA. Hart is additionally repped by Gilbertson Entertainment. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
Effect of bicarbonate on the arginine-induced insulin and glucagon secretion in vitro.
The isolated perfused rat pancreas was used to investigate the effect of extracellular bicarbonate concentration (25 and 40 mmol/l) on the arginine-induced insulin and glucagon release with or without 5.5 mmol/l glucose in the perfusate. In the absence of glucose, the insulin response to arginine was increased at 40 mmol/l bicarbonate, while no potentiation by glucose of the arginine-induced insulin release, at this bicarbonate concentration, was observed. At 40 mmol/l bicarbonate, glucose inhibition of basal glucagon release was abolished. In contrast, the glucagon response to arginine was not affected by the bicarbonate concentration in the perfusion medium. These results confirm that the bicarbonate concentration in the medium markedly influences the insulin release from the isolated perfused rat pancreas, while the glucagon response to arginine seems to be less sensitive to changes in extracellular bicarbonate concentration. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
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Two superb Italian Extra Virgin Olive oils, a fantastic balsamic vinegar and salt, with these three you can conquer the world!
This is a beautifully packaged gift, featuring savory balsamic vinegar, two complex and pleasing Extra Virgin Olive Oil and French sea salt. This happy grouping will lend itself not only to simple everyday meals, but to grand occasions as well. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Talking down a dragonfly
I am noticing how finely attuned my senses are right now, to the sounds, the smells, the buzzing life of the earth all around me.
I went into the Meditation Hall, knelt by the altar and said my prayer:
Until I awaken, I take refuge in the buddha (the light within), the dharma (my teachers human and non), and the sangha (all the people of this world, my ancestors and my descendants).
Through the goodness of generosity and other virtues,
May I awaken fully in order to help all beings.
I was settling into my sit when I heard a loud buzzing and beating at the window. There are always bees and flys trapped behind the huge panes of glass, and I have to carefully trap them one by one with a cup and cardboard. But this time when I got up from my stool there was a large dragonfly, beating itself violently against the glass.
I was afraid that I would injure it if I tried to trap it in a cup so I got a piece of paper and held it under the dragonfly. She scrambled away, once, twice. And then I started talking to her, I said, trust me, please. I’ll carry you outside. I promise. Shhhhh….be still, I’ll help you.
And then she crawled onto the paper, and stood still, vibrating with fear. And I kept talking her down, talking her down, and slowly carried her to the open window. Then I said OK, there you go…fly. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
At a glamorous function at a Suva hotel on Friday night, Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced the launch of a revolutionary new mobile application, hailed by the government as a "multi-billion dollar venture".
Photo: RNZ/ALEX PERROTTET
That app is called Instacharge, which, according to a news release sent by the country's department of information, "uses evolutionary technology" to let users "instantly recharge their smart phone's battery without the need for a charger or external battery pack".
Its creator, Douglas Stewart, claims the app saves excess power after a phone is fully charged, so at the push of a button a user can recharge in under 30 seconds wherever they are.
But if it does what it claims to, Las Vegas-based Mr Stewart will have done what scientists for decades have been unable to: overcome the fundamental laws of thermodynamics.
"This claim is just absolute nonsense," said Justin Hodgkiss, an associate professor of physical chemistry at Victoria University in Wellington.
"Anybody who's studied science at even a high school level knows that one of the fundamental principles is that energy cannot be created or destroyed."
"It's just that simple, you can't just make energy with an app," he said in an interview.
But that didn't deter Fiji's Department of Information from releasing statements last week on Instacharge's behalf, describing it as a "multi-billion dollar venture".
Photo: YouTube
For years, Fiji's government has worked to promote foreign investment, and Instacharge, a revolutionary invention that would presumably attract millions of downloads and many more millions of dollars, would seem the perfect company to attract.
The Fiji media also gave it widespread coverage, announcing that Mr Stewart had signed a partnership with a local businessman, Gaurangbhai Patel, to base Instacharge's headquarters in Suva, apparently because Fiji is a good place to gauge the app's success.
Photo: Supplied / Department of Information
In an interview with the state broadcaster FBC, Mr Stewart said the application was created in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, which caused widespread damage when it hit the eastern United States in 2012.
"I had a friend that I tried to contact, but all the powering had gone out - I couldn't reach him. I was trying to send a signal to his cellphone by satellite - that didn't work," he said.
"Eventually, we came to a stage to accept, store and release energy back to your phone."
In another interview with the broadcaster, Mr Patel said he was thankful to Mr Stewart for giving him the opportunity to do business with him.
That widespread coverage built up to Friday's glitzy and elaborate launch party at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Among the many dignitaries at the event was Naziah Ali, the publisher of Mai Life Magazine.
She watched as the Prime Minister told those gathered that Fiji was determined to be at the forefront of the telecommunications revolution, highlighting his government's work to extend mobile coverage and internet connectivity.
Then came the launch - or lack thereof.
"They said they were going live to how everybody in other parts of the world were launching the app," said Ms Ali. "They played a video. It showed fireworks and people clapping and cheering when they said that the app was announced."
However, Ms Ali said that no one at the launch, apart from Mr Bainimarama - who used Mr Stewart's phone - was able to try the app.
Photo: RNZI
"There was a lot of photo opportunities [but] I didn't see anyone else try it out apart from the video of the app being demonstrated on the app developer's phone," she said.
"There wasn't anything that was like, first hand and let you do it, and I don't even know anybody else who did."
Nearly a week on from its launch, there is still no sign of Instacharge on either the Apple or Google markets, and Ms Ali said she had not encountered anyone who had tried it.
An image on Instacharge's Facebook page said it was still "coming soon."
All attempts by RNZ International to contact Mr Stewart have been unsuccessful, and emails to Instacharge's headquarters, a small office on a back street of Suva, have bounced back as undeliverable.
But Mr Stewart, the entrepreneur who has seemingly defied the laws of physics, has had a seemingly successful career, if his listings on various websites are anything to go by.
In the past, he claims to have been a casino marketing executive at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel, as well as the co-owner of the Las Vegas Silver Bandits, a short-lived minor basketball league founded in 1999, but which folded in 2001. None of this information could be verified.
According to a LinkedIn profile last night, as well as being the owner and chief executive of Instacharge Mr Stewart is also the owner of Las Vegas company Benzo Rent-a-car.
However, calls to its listed phone number were instead answered by a company called OSA, and web searches only led to pages with angry reviews calling the service a con.
Attempts to contact Mr Stewart's Fiji partner, Gaurangbhai Patel, were also unsuccessful.
The department of information is yet to respond to requests for comment and the agency responsible for facilitating investment, Investment Fiji, said it did not comment on individual projects.
But as far as the likelihood of Instacharge being a multi-billion dollar venture for Fiji goes, Dr Hodgkiss was sceptical.
"I would hope there's not been any investment in it. This has red flags all over it." | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
Baseball Data Set
The baseball event consists of 51 views of a single person swinging
a baseball bat inside the Virtualized Reality project's 3D Dome.
Each frame is a 245x320-pixel image, with 8-bit greyscale pixels.
The top few rows contain the VITC time code, which was used to help
synchronize the video across the 51 cameras.
Download Area
NOTE: If you downloaded this data set before 19 MAY 1998, then the
camera models are not correct. You can get just the
51 corrected camera models. (5368 bytes) (The latest data set
includes a file "Version", which lists the data set as version 1.1.
The initial release - version 1.0 - did not include this file.) | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
President Trump tweeted Tuesday that he plans to announce his Supreme Court pick on Saturday. He later told reporters that the announcement will come at 5 p.m.
Why it matters: Republicans are moving fast to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which would tilt the balance of the high court in conservatives' favor and have lasting impact on climate policy, immigration and the Affordable Care Act. | {
"pile_set_name": "OpenWebText2"
} |
Light to moderate east to southeast winds will hold across the waters through much of the weekend as Tropical Storm Walaka continues northward and away from the region. Near the coasts, land and sea breezes developing each day will be the result for most areas, especially the western end of the island chain across leeward waters. A return of fresh trades is anticipated across all waters by Monday, which should hold through midweek. Winds and seas are forecast to remain below advisory levels through the forecast period.
Although the large and anomalous westerly swell associated with former Hurricane Walaka that brought large surf to the islands continues to ease, a series of sources from the northwest Pacific will keep the active phase in place for exposed north and west facing shores through the weekend and even much of next week. The first in the series filled in today, which was from former Typhoon Trami recurving in the western Pacific earlier this week. This source will hold into Saturday, then slowly fade through the second half of the weekend.
A large area of near gale-force west-northwest winds has emerged over the far northwest Pacific near the Kurils/south of the western Aleutians over the past couple of days in the wake of a cold front. The ASCAT pass earlier today reflected this and showed the bulk of the fetch setting up within the 310-320 directional band relative to the islands. Recent altimetry data showed seas up to 20 ft within this area, which is in line with the latest WAVEWATCH III and ECMWF-Wave guidance. This source should fill in late Monday, peak Tuesday, then slowly fade through midweek.
The current south-southwest swell will slowly diminish through the weekend. A reinforcing source from the southwest is expected to fill in early next week from recent activity from the southern Pacific.
Small surf will continue across east facing shores for the next couple of days, followed by low, long-period energy from distant East Pacific Hurricane Sergio next week.
Tide Predictions
High tide at Kahului was 1.71 foot at 2:00 PM early this afternoon, dropping to a low of 0.17 foot at 2:00 PM early this afternoon, then rising to a high of 2.57 foot at 2:00 PM early this afternoon, before once again dropping to a low of 0.29 foot at 2:00 PM early this afternoon.
The sunrise was at 06:17 am this morning and will set at 06:09 pm this evening. The Moon is currently 27 days old, and is in a Waning Crescent phase. The next New Moon will occur at 3:47 AM on Tuesday, October 9th.
Maui Weather
°/°
Wind: n/a at 0 mph
Sunrise: Sunset:
current observations as of 11am March 21st, 2019
Weather Outlook for Saturday, 6th October 2018
Summary
Light to moderate trade winds will continue across the eastern islands, with lighter winds expected across Oahu and Kauai through the weekend. This should allow for overnight land breezes and daytime sea breezes, particularly over the western islands and the more sheltered locations of Maui County and the Big Island. Showers will favor windward and mauka areas, with afternoon shower development also possible each day over interior and leeward sections of the islands. Light to moderate trade winds are expected to overspread the entire state late Sunday and continue through the end of next week, bringing a return of a more typical windward and mauka focused shower pattern.
Detailed Discussion
Currently at the surface, a 1030 mb high is centered around 1450 miles northeast of Honolulu, while a trough extends southward from Tropical Storm Walaka in the vicinity of 170W. As a result, the pressure gradient is rather light over the western islands with light trades giving way to land breezes in many areas, while light to locally moderate trade winds prevail over Maui County and the Big Island. Some localized land breezes are developing over the more sheltered sections of the eastern islands however, due to the east-southeasterly low level steering flow. Infrared satellite imagery shows partly to mostly cloudy skies, with the more extensive cloud cover over the eastern islands at this time. Radar imagery shows scattered showers moving into windward areas, particularly from Oahu eastward to the Big Island, with a few isolated showers in leeward areas as well. Main short term concern revolves around rain chances through the week.
High pressure will remain anchored northeast of the islands through the weekend, while the trough west of the state remains nearly stationary. As a result, light to moderate trades are expected to continue over the easterly islands, with light trades over Oahu and Kauai. Land and sea breezes will be common over the western islands through the weekend, as well as some of the more sheltered locations across Maui County and the Big Island. Showers should generally favor windward and mauka areas through the period, although scattered afternoon and evening showers will likely develop over interior and leeward sections of the all islands each day.
Low level ridging begins to build back westward over the islands late Sunday into early next week, and this should push the lingering trough westward and further away from the state. As a result, we should see a return of a more typical trade wind weather pattern featuring mainly windward and mauka showers, with a few showers reaching leeward areas, particularly at night and during the early morning hours. Light to moderate trade winds should prevail across the entire state through the upcoming work week.
Central Valley (Kahului, Spreckelsville):
Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 88. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Leeward West (Lahaina, Ka`anapali):
Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 84 to 89. South winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east in the afternoon. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Windward West (Wailuku, Waiehu):
Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. Scattered showers early in the morning, then isolated showers late in the morning. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 72 to 87. Light winds becoming northeast up to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Windard Haleakala (Hana, Haiku, Makawao):
Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers. Highs around 84 at the shore to around 69 at 5000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Leeward Haleakala (Kihei, Wailea, Makena):
Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then mostly cloudy with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 88 at the shore to 70 to 78 upcountry. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Haleakala Summit
Mostly sunny then becoming partly sunny in the late morning and early afternoon then becoming cloudy. Scattered showers early in the morning, then isolated showers late in the morning. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs around 63 at the visitor center to around 58 at the summit. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Q:
tokens and security with stripe api for node.js (stripe-node)
Sort of a newbie question. I am looking at using Stripe in an Angular 2 application and plan to implement a server (alongside the one serving the angular pages) with node.js to receive tokens from the angular clients and then call stripe-node functions (which require a secret key) from there. I wonder what if any validation I need to do on the tokens that I receive there. Since anyone can see the url of that server, could they create problems with it?
Thanks.
A:
I am not sure I 100% understand the question but I think I do :D. As you probably know from your client-side code, before the form is actually submitted you make a request to Stripe's servers which return back a specific token representing that card's data, and stripe hides this before submitting the form. This is why the cards information never has to touch your server and voiding you from the PCI compliance issues that would come with that. So you don't have to validate the token if that is what you mean. After this stripe authorizes (the bank tells them you have enough money) and captures (actually transfers the money) the money from the bank, you are given the token and it guarantees there is money on the card to actually pay you, not sure if that is what you mean by validates. If they cannot pay it will throw an error. In terms of the API endpoint for stripe's server, the /v1/charge or whatever it is, yes anyone can see it but you pass along your specific stripe token for the card as well as your secret API key, and this is all sent over HTTPS so no one is hacking that information (most likely). Not sure if this helped, hope it did though!
| {
"pile_set_name": "StackExchange"
} |
Shirini-ye Saqah
Shirini-ye Saqah (, also Romanized as Shīrīnī-ye Seqāh) is a village in Margown Rural District, Margown District, Boyer-Ahmad County, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 75, in 13 families.
References
Category:Populated places in Boyer-Ahmad County | {
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
} |
Semiconductor memory devices are used to store digital data. These memory devices are typically used in computer processing systems where a processor can read data from and write data to the memory device. There are various types of memory devices, including volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Generally, volatile memory devices will store data only when power is applied. In contrast, non-volatile memory can continue to store data even when power is no longer applied. A common volatile memory is synchronous dynamic random access memory (“SDRAM”).
The SDRAMs are “synchronous” because a clock signal is applied to the memory device, and operation of the SDRAM is based on the clock signal. For example, a read command is provided to the SDRAM by a processor in the form of a combination of command signals. The logic states of the command signals are latched in response to a rising edge of the clock signal. A command decoder decodes the latched read command and generates internal signals to perform the read operation. At a known time after the read command is latched, data is provided at input-output data terminals to be read. The time is typically specified in terms of the number of clock cycles that elapse after the read command is latched. By having the SDRAM and the processor synchronized to the same clock signal, the processor will be able to latch the data at a known time after it issued the read command. Having synchronous operation also allows commands to be provided to the SDRAM in a “pipeline” fashion, where the commands are issued one after another in response to the clock signal, rather than waiting until a previous operation completes before issuing a new command.
The SDRAM devices are designed to be used in a variety of applications and conditions, such as different voltage conditions, different timing conditions, different power conditions, and the like. As a result, SDRAM devices are designed with various programmable operating modes that can be set to enable operation in the various conditions or environments. Examples of programmable operating modes includes burst length, CAS latency, test mode option, and the like. The operating modes are typically programmed through the use of mode registers, which can be programmed with binary digits, or bits, that correspond to the desired option of each of the operating modes defined for the register. The bits of a mode register are allocated to the operating modes defined for the register in a way to provide a suitable number of options for the particular operating mode. For example, if it is desirable for an operating mode, such as CAS latency, to have four different choices, then two bits are defined for selecting one of four CAS latency options. In contrast, for an operating mode, such as a test mode option where the options are either normal operation or test mode operation, only one bit needs to be defined for selecting the desired operating mode for the test mode option. Additionally, all of the bits of a mode register are typically allocated to the operating modes defined for the mode register. That is, if a mode register is 12-bits wide, and has six operating modes defined, changing the bit allocation or the operating modes defined for the mode register requires one of the six operating modes to sacrifice a bit allocated to it or eliminating one of six the operating modes from the mode register.
Neither approach is desirable because changing the operating mode definitions for a mode register or the bit allocation for the operating modes may preclude use of the memory device in legacy systems. That is, the operating modes of a new memory device may not be programmed correctly by a memory controller of an older legacy system that is compatible with an older memory device. In designing a memory device, however, to the extent possible, it is desirable for the memory device to be designed to have the flexibility to work in newer applications as well as work in legacy systems. For example, newer applications often have system clocks having much higher frequency than legacy systems. In some cases, the clock frequency can be two- or three-times the frequency of an older system. It is desirable for a memory device to be able to function in both environments. However, it may be difficult to provide a sufficient number of options for an operating mode that works with both a legacy system and the new application.
One such operating mode is CAS latency, which is a delay in clock cycles between the registration of a read command by the memory device and the availability of the first bit of output data on the data terminals. A CAS latency is needed since a minimum time is required for the memory device to complete a read operation internally. With the internal access time essentially fixed, the number of clock cycles defining the delay is different for different clock frequencies. Generally, the appropriate CAS latency for higher frequency clocks is greater than for lower frequency clocks. Thus, in order for a memory device to have applicability for different systems having different system clock frequencies, the memory device should have a sufficiently broad range of CAS latencies.
Even if the memory device is designed to have a greater range of CAS latencies by increasing the number of bits allocated to selecting a CAS latency, however, the modification of the mode register to accommodate the greater number of selections may result in another problem that also limits the applicability of the memory device in legacy systems. Namely, by changing the bit definition of the CAS latency operating mode, for example, by increasing the bits used to select a CAS latency, the memory controller of a legacy system may be unable to program the appropriate CAS latency under the new definition for the CAS latency operating mode. That is, the memory controller of the legacy system may be incapable of programming the additional bit now allocated to selecting a CAS latency since at the time the memory controller was programmed, the definition of options for the CAS latency operating mode was different. Additionally, as previously discussed, allocating another bit to the CAS latency operating mode will most likely require redefining the bit allocation for the other operating modes, or moving an operating mode to another mode register. In this case, the memory controller in a legacy system that was programmed to set the various operating modes for a memory device will be completely unsuitable for programming a newer memory device having operating mode definitions completely different than the definitions for which the memory controller was programmed to select.
Therefore, there is a need for an alternative apparatus and methods that can be used to provide additional selectable options for an operating mode, and in some applications, allow for compatibility with legacy systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Compounds which have a similar overall structure to the aryl-substituted polycyclic amines described herein and have a pharmacological effect have been described in the prior art. WO95/03302 discloses aryl ethers of bicyclic amino alcohols having a calcium-antagonistic effect. WO2002010146 describes an amidoaryl ether of hydroxyquinuclidine as antagonist of the 11CBY receptor for the treatment of obesity.
Compounds having an MCH-antagonistic effect for the treatment of obesity are described in the prior art (examples: WO2001021577, WO2003035624, WO2002089729, WO2002006245, WO2002002744, WO2002057233, WO2003045313, WO2003097047, WO2002010146, WO 2003087044).
The invention was based on the object of providing compounds which bring about a weight reduction in mammals and are suitable for the prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes and the diverse sequelae thereof.
Surprisingly, a series of compounds which modulate the activity of MCH receptors has been found. The compounds are distinguished In particular by antagonism of the MCH1R. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
namespace TraktRater.Sites.API.TVDb
{
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
[XmlRoot("Data")]
public class TVDbEpisodeRatings
{
public TVDbEpisodeRatings() { Episodes = new List<Episode>(); }
[XmlElement("Episode")]
public List<Episode> Episodes { get; set; }
[XmlElement("Series")]
public Series Show { get; set; }
public class Series
{
[XmlElement("seriesid")]
public Int32 Id { get; set; }
[XmlElement("UserRating")]
public Int32 UserRating { get; set; }
[XmlElement("CommunityRating")]
public double CommunityRating { get; set; }
}
public class Episode
{
[XmlElement("id")]
public Int32 Id { get; set; }
[XmlElement("UserRating")]
public Int32 UserRating { get; set; }
[XmlElement("CommunityRating")]
public double CommunityRating { get; set; }
}
}
}
| {
"pile_set_name": "Github"
} |
Discuss To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin:Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Created: 10/19/17
Replies: 7
Posted Oct. 19, 2017
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davinamw
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 1626
Expert
Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Jamie describes Cait as "a lady with real class," despite the fact that she is penniless. Discuss the complex and nuanced portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Posted Oct. 24, 2017
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normar
Join Date: 05/15/11
Posts: 21
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
The subject of class is complicated in the book. Caitriona is not treated like a servant by Alice and Jamie. But she is not their equal
Posted Oct. 28, 2017
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victoriah
Join Date: 08/22/17
Posts: 16
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Yes, I often wondered how Cait acquired her "classiness" - she had not much money, was an abused wife, was not well educated yet seemed to be very open-minded to new circumstances; however, she initially lacked the self-confidence and boldness that many aristocratic women often had at that time. She had the strength to bypass the small step up the social ladder that a marriage to the unsuitable Scottish candidate would have meant.Alice, in her childish but audacious way was completely taken in by the "count", and learned a bit about decency vs.materialism.
Posted Oct. 29, 2017
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judyw
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 44
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Class and societal positions were illustrated quite well in this novel. Women of this time period had little to no rights and had to conform to their "place". Cait's character once again emphasized that "real class" does not always require money. She persevered and would not give it to what was expected of a woman who a became a widow in the 1800s. The author's descriptions of the workers and labor troubles building this audacious tower added to the depth of the story. Emile, too, had a place in society. He wasn't happy, but made to feel guilty about putting his family's desires above his own. During this period in history, people could not move between the various levels of society as we can today. Cait made the best of her circumstances by moving to Africa to elude a bad marriage or becoming a widowed governess.
Posted Oct. 29, 2017
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dorothyl
Join Date: 04/15/12
Posts: 92
Expert
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
The portrayal of different classes is interesting in the novel. Even among those of so called "higher" classes, there are gradations. New money is not valued as much as old money.
Posted Nov. 01, 2017
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sandrah
Join Date: 07/18/11
Posts: 66
Expert
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
Overall, it is well done. Colin shows us this through their rather rigid places in a society that defined what they could and could not do as well as how difficult it was to find happiness within those rigid limitations.
Posted Nov. 02, 2017
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patriciag
Join Date: 07/11/14
Posts: 19
Class and society
This seems to be a time period which shows the gradual blurring and eventual dismantlement of class lines. Cait is a “modern” woman who seems willing and able to cross lines and make her own, independent way in the world. Manufacturing money begins to take precedence over “old” money; people move more forcefully across class lines despite the artificial barriers set up by society, although the consequences can still be difficult.
Posted Nov. 06, 2017
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linz
Join Date: 08/12/15
Posts: 38
RE: Discuss the portrayal of class in To Capture What We Cannot Keep. How is class tied to material wealth, education, social status, and family? How do the classes mix in the novel, and what is the fallout?
I thought the idea of class was done well in the book. But you could sense this shift in the class structure in Paris. What influence did art and the Impressionist movement play in this? It seemed to make more things possible for men of course, but the roles of women did not become more free. Poor Cait had no real options in her life and when she was widowed,even less. Its sad to think she had to go to Africa to feel she was leading a meaningful life and could not find that at home. Not even with her sister. And Alice, as beautiful as she was could only be an ornament to some husband. She could only hope for a good match to have a secure future. | {
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Tech with excitement
Windows 10 on ARM is not coming to existing phones
Windows 10 on ARM will launch later this year in new devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Joe Belfiore from Microsoft recently confirmed that it won’t come to existing phones. This is not surprise because no one was actually expecting to run full Windows 10 on an existing phone.
In a statement, Joe Belfiore explained that Windows 10 on ARM is about enabling the full Windows 10 experience on a device that offers great battery life thanks to ARM processors. Here is the full statement:
“The Windows 10 on ARM effort is about enabling the PC experience on devices that are built on ARM so that they’re connected all the time and have great battery life. So the experience is a desktop PC experience, it’s not a phone-like experience. For phone-like experiences on ARM, we have Windows 10 Mobile. What Windows 10 on ARM is, is a desktop-like experience so that you get the battery life that ARM processors tend to have.
The other thing that’s interesting about this is that in all cases where you build ARM software, it’s not so easy to just put it on another device. The OS intermingles with what’s called the BSP (board support package), and that’s how the software talks to the SoC. There’s special work that has to be done to get the OS talking to the BSP, talking to the SoC, so it’s not like the PC ecosystem where we write an OS in the same binaries that run on lots of different PCs. With ARM devices with SoC, you have to more closely target it. So that is often the case why it’s more challenging for us to get updates to a wide range of ARM devices. They’re all quite different, which adds delay, and as the number of people using those devices gets smaller, it unfortunately makes less sense for us to invest more time and energy in that.”
To make full Windows 10 work intuitively on a phone, Microsoft would be required to change the user interface of Windows 10 significantly. Obviously, you cannot put a desktop OS on a phone and expect it to work properly.
Currently, Microsoft is working on a couple of things for its mobile business. New hardware and new software is being developed but it will take its time until we will learn more.
Windows 10 on ARM is not coming to existing phones was last modified: July 19th, 2017 by Valentin | {
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You are here
Christer Carmevik joins Zacco
On December 1st the Zacco Management Team will be strengthened with a new strong member; Christer Carmevik, who will take on the role as Director for International Sales.
Approximately 50 % of Zacco’s 500 MDKK gross revenue comes from the wide international cooperation with 150 preferred agents in more than 120 countries and with the recruitment of the experienced Christer Carmevik this international focus will now be even further prioritised.
Furthermore Carmeviks extensive experience in building internal business platforms will be highly beneficial to Zacco who will, during 2015 – 2017, be investing significantly in a new business platform connecting 24 offices in 4 countries and securing a high quality one-point entry for all our clients.
Carmevik comes from similar positions in ÅF, Epsilon, Swedrive and STIGA and will be working out of Zacco’s office in Stockholm. | {
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2019 Orlando Pride season
The 2019 Orlando Pride season was Orlando Pride's fourth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. The team played its home games at Exploria Stadium, renamed from Orlando City Stadium on June 4, 2019. Following the departure of Tom Sermanni at the end of the 2018 season, Marc Skinner was announced as his replacement in January.
Seven players signed with Australian W-League teams to play with during the 2018–19 NWSL offseason: Chioma Ubogagu and Carson Pickett joined Brisbane Roar, Dani Weatherholt and Christine Nairn joined Melbourne Victory, Rachel Hill joined Perth Glory, Alanna Kennedy joined Sydney FC and Emily van Egmond joined Newcastle Jets. Alanna Kennedy, Rachel Hill and Christine Nairn were named to the W-League Team of the Season. Weatherholt and Nairn won the regular season Premiership title with Melbourne Victory and Kennedy won the 2019 W-League Grand Final with Sydney FC.
The team's opening day roster was announced on April 10 and included 17 returning squad members. Sydney Leroux was notably placed on the supplemental roster instead of being deactivated on maternity leave in the hope she returned before the end of the season. She returned on September 29, making an 86th minute substitute appearance against Sky Blue FC, just three months after giving birth.
On May 23, after losing Shelina Zadorsky, Emily van Egmond, Camila, Marta, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan, Alanna Kennedy and Ashlyn Harris to the World Cup, the Pride temporarily signed three National Team Replacement players.
On August 7, the club announced that Toni Pressley underwent surgery and was beginning treatment for breast cancer. She was placed on the 45-day disabled list. The final game of the season was designated as a Breast Cancer Awareness match with the team wearing limited edition pink pre-match warm-up tops to be auctioned off later. All nine NWSL teams also donated autographed items for the online fundraising auction. Pressley made her first appearance since the surgery during the game, coming on as a substitute with Harris handing her the captain's armband.
On August 15, the club announced that Emily van Egmond would undergo season-ending ankle surgery in Australia. She was placed on the season ending injury list.
On September 16, the club announced that Alex Morgan would be placed on the season ending injury list following a knee injury picked up on international duty.
Roster
Staff
Transfers and loans
2019 NWSL College Draft
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2019 college draft was held on January 10, 2019. Orlando had two selections.
In
Out
Match results
As per league schedule, preseason camp began on March 4 with many of the squad still away on international duty. The Pride played their first ever preseason game against fellow NWSL opposition on March 23, taking part in North Carolina Courage's inaugural Friendship Cup which ended in a 4–0 defeat. On March 30, the Pride hosted the University of South Florida for a closed-door friendly, marking the fourth consecutive preseason meeting between the two teams. Liga PR Femenino champions Sol traveled to Orlando the week before the NWSL season began for the final preseason friendly, a match open to the public with for free. The Pride won both of their final two preseason games.
Preseason
National Women's Soccer League
Results summary
Results by round
Results
League standings
Squad statistics
Appearances
Goalscorers
Shutouts
Disciplinary record
Honors and awards
NWSL Team of the Season
NWSL Team of the Month
NWSL Weekly Awards
NWSL Player of the Week
NWSL Goal of the Week
NWSL Save of the Week
References
External links
Category:2019 National Women's Soccer League season
2019
Category:American soccer clubs 2019 season
Category:2019 in sports in Florida | {
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Fusako Shigenobu
is a Japanese communist and the former leader and founder of the now disbanded Japanese Red Army (JRA).
Early life
Shigenobu was born on 28 September 1945 in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. Her father was a teacher at a terakoya or temple school (寺子屋 terakoya) open for poor village children at temples in the south Japanese Kyushu region after World War I. He later became a major in the Imperial Japanese Army dispatched to Manchukuo.
After high school, she went to work for the Kikkoman corporation, and took college courses at night at Meiji University.
Involvement in the student movement
Shigenobu received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy and in History from Meiji University. While there, she joined the student movement that was protesting the increase of tuition fees, and this led her to activism in the general leftist student movement of the 1960s. She rose up the ranks of the movement to become one of its top leaders.
Japan Red Army
In February 1971, she and Tsuyoshi Okudaira went to the Middle East to create international branches of the Japanese Red Army. Upon arrival, she soon split with the Red Army Faction in Japan due to both geographical and ideological distance, as well as a personal conflict with the new leader, Tsuneo Mori. The Red Army went on to link up with the Maoist Revolutionary Left Wing of the Japanese Communist Party to form the United Red Army. Upon hearing about the internal purge the United Red Army carried out in the winter of 1971–1972, Shigenobu recalls her shock and sorrow. She and Okudaira wrote My Love, My Revolution (わが愛わが革命) as a response.
Shigenobu remained in the Middle East for more than 30 years. Her move was part of International Revolutionary Solidarity, with the idea that revolutionary movements should cooperate and eventually lead to a global socialist revolution. Her destination was Lebanon, and her aim was to support the Palestinian cause. She originally joined the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as a volunteer, but eventually the JRA became an independent group. She mentions in several of her books "The mission's purpose was to consolidate the international revolutionary alliance against the imperialists of the world."
Shigenobu was listed as a wanted person by the INTERPOL in 1974 after the French embassy hostage-taking in Hague in which she was believed to be involved.
Arrest
Shigenobu returned to Japan sometime in July 2000. She was taken in for questioning from a hotel in Takatsuki, near Osaka, in November of that year. Japanese citizens were startled to see a handcuffed middle-aged woman emerge from a train arriving in Tokyo. When Shigenobu spotted the waiting cameras, she raised her hands and gave the thumbs-up, shouting at reporters: "I'll fight on!"
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 8 March 2006, and received a final verdict from the Japanese Supreme Court in 2010 with the same terms. The prosecution charged her on three counts, the use of forged passport, aiding another member in the JRA in obtaining a forged passport, and attempted manslaughter by planning and commanding the 1974 occupation and hostage taking at the French embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands. Shigenobu pleaded guilty to the first two charges, but not guilty to the charge linking her to the 1974 embassy hostage taking. Among the witnesses that appeared in her court for the defense was Leila Khaled, known for the 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840, and currently a member of the Palestinian National Council. In his final verdict, the judge stated that there was no conclusive evidence of her involvement in the armed occupation of the embassy that resulted in the injury of two policemen, or in the intention of attempted manslaughter, but sentenced her for possibly conspiring with members of her group to occupy the embassy.
Shigenobu still endorses the same cause, unapologetically claiming that the verdict is only the start of a stronger movement, remaining convinced that she should not have been convicted, claiming that since her group's activities were politically motivated, she should have been offered a "political way out of the situation". At a press conference before the sentence in February 2006, her lawyers read a haiku she had composed: "The verdict is not the end. It is only the beginning. Strong will shall keep spreading."
In December 2008, she was diagnosed with colon and intestinal cancer and has had three operations to remove them. She is currently detained in Hachiōji Medical Prison.
Personal life
Fusako Shigenobu is the mother of the journalist Mei Shigenobu, who was born in 1973 in Beirut, Lebanon.
In popular culture
Eileen MacDonald's 1991 book Shoot the Women First mistakenly conflates Shigenobu with Hiroko Nagata, attributing to her the actions of Nagata at the United Red Army purge of 1971–72.
Japanese rock singer and longtime Shigenobu friend PANTA has released his album Oriibu no Ki no shitade in 2007. Shigenobu wrote some of the lyrics of the album's songs.
The actress Anri Ban portrayed her in the Kōji Wakamatsu film United Red Army (2007).
In 2008, artist Anicka Yi and architect Maggie Peng created a perfume dedicated to Shigenobu, called Shigenobu Twilight.
In 2010, Shigenobu and her daughter Mei were featured in the documentary Children of the Revolution, which premiered at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam.
Publications
1974: My Love, My Revolution『わが愛わが革命』 Kodansha.
1983: 『十年目の眼差から』 話の特集、
1984: If You Put Your Ear to the Earth, You Can Hear the Sound of Japan: Lessons from The Japanese Communist Movement 『大地に耳をつければ日本の音がする 日本共産主義運動の教訓』ウニタ書舗、
1984: Beirut, Summer 1982 『ベイルート1982年夏』話の特集、
1985: Materials: Reports from the Middle East 1 『資料・中東レポート』1（日本赤軍との共編著）、ウニタ書舗、
1986: Materials: Reports from the Middle East 2 『資料・中東レポート』2（日本赤軍との共編著）、ウニタ書舗、
2001: I Decided to Give Birth to You Under an Apple Tree 『りんごの木の下であなたを産もうと決めた』幻冬舎、
2005: Jasmine in the Muzzle of a Gun: Collected Poems of Shigenobu Fusako 『ジャスミンを銃口に 重信房子歌集』幻冬舎、
2009: A Personal History of the Japanese Red Army: Together with Palestine 『日本赤軍私史 パレスチナと共に』河出書房新社、
2012: Season of the Revolution: From the Battlefield in Palestine 『革命の季節 パレスチナの戦場から』幻冬舎、
References
Category:Living people
Category:1945 births
Category:Japanese communists
Category:Japan–State of Palestine relations
Category:Meiji University alumni
Category:People from Setagaya | {
"pile_set_name": "Wikipedia (en)"
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Various embodiments of the invention relate generally to a MEMS device and particularly to a method for manufacturing the same.
Membrane structure is one of the crucial elements for acoustic devices, such as microphones. The key parameters of the membrane structure include its compliance, mass, and damping which determine its resonant frequency and quality factor.
Capacitive sensing basically measures the capacitive change due to air gap modulation. The gap is typically defined by a stationary electrode and a moving electrode which modulates the gap. To maximize the signal-to-noise (SNR) of the system, the gap of the capacitor needs to be optimized to make a compromise between maximizing the electrical sensitivity and minimizing the thermo-mechanical (or Brownian) noise due to damping.
To simultaneously achieve high mechanical sensitivity with adequately high resonant frequency and within the limit of supplying/pull-in voltage, the moving mass needs to be minimized. For a given acoustic aperture area which is normally specified by the application, the reduction of mass is equivalent to the reduction of thickness, which leads to the weakening of the mechanical strength of the structure and can often lead to yield issues in production as well as reliability issues during the usage.
One of the problems with conventional two-chip microphones is the requirement for large packaging which adds significantly to the total cost. In addition, parasitic capacitances are undesirably high because the two chips are wire bonded together.
To address the above-noted problems, the CMOS substrate and the MEMS substrate are integrated creating a one-chip solution. One of the significant advantages of this approach is the ability to lower the die cost by integrating CMOS and MEMS substrates through wafer-level bonding. The acoustic sensing membrane is built on the MEMS substrate (or “device”) layer which also acts as the moving electrode and the stationary electrode is built on the CMOS substrate. Packaging size and consequently packaging costs are reduced and savings on footprint or area are realized by the microphone users. However, the electrical gap and acoustic gap become coupled, resulting in a trade-off between maximizing electric sensitivity and minimizing acoustic damping (thermo-mechanical noise) which limits the maximum achievable SNR.
What is desired is a small-packaged, low-cost MEMS device with high signal-to-noise ratio SNR. This is achieved by decoupling the electrical and acoustic gaps without compromising high resonant frequency from greater mass. | {
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Background {#Sec1}
==========
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) originate in neuroendocrine glands and are often characterised by overexpression of hormone receptors and their ability to store and secrete peptides and neuroamines \[[@CR1]\]. They are generally small and slow growing and their symptoms are often vague or even indiscernible \[[@CR2]\]. Thus, NETs have often metastasised by the time of diagnosis and the possibility of cure by surgical removal of the primary tumour is unlikely. There are several different systemic treatment options for these patients, including the use of somatostatin analogues, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies including radionuclide therapy \[[@CR3]\]. Specifically, treatment with the somatostatin analogue ^177^Lu-octreotate has shown promising results \[[@CR4]--[@CR11]\]. However, few patients achieve complete remission and there is a need for improvement of ^177^Lu-octreotate treatment, with some options being (1) increasing the therapeutic effect on tumour tissue or (2) reducing the uptake in healthy organs at risk \[[@CR12]\]. By lowering the uptake in organs at risk, the administered activity, and hence the absorbed dose to the tumour, could be increased.
For systemic ^177^Lu-octreotate treatment, kidneys and bone marrow are the main organs at risk and therefore restrict the activity that can be administered to the patient without causing severe negative side effects due to high absorbed doses \[[@CR5], [@CR6], [@CR8], [@CR13]--[@CR15]\]. By introducing a new treatment method, based on local administration of ^177^Lu-octreotate to the liver, where NET metastases often are localised, a substantially lower uptake in kidneys and bone marrow could be achieved. Using this treatment method, the liver would be the main organ at risk and the development and optimisation process would require detailed and accurate determination of ^177^Lu-octreotate concentration in the liver, but also in other tissues such as tumours and the kidneys, in vivo. Knowledge of time-dependent activity concentrations of ^177^Lu-octreotate is required for calculation of absorbed doses.
An intraoperative gamma detector is a small handheld instrument for gamma radiation measurements \[[@CR16]\]. Since ^177^Lu emits both electrons and photons, it is possible that such a detector could be used to accurately quantify ^177^Lu concentration during a therapy situation. Normally, intraoperative gamma detectors are used for radioguided surgery, where the purpose is to locate and surgically remove small lesions after injection of a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical \[[@CR17]\]. This method may offer clinical benefit for patients by minimising the invasiveness of the surgery or enabling more tumour tissue to be removed. Radioguided surgery is used for many different clinical conditions, one of which is NET using ^111^In-octreotide as the tracer. Several studies have demonstrated that intraoperative detectors can detect even relatively small tumours if properly used \[[@CR18]--[@CR22]\].
During the last few decades, many studies have evaluated the technical performance of intraoperative gamma detectors \[[@CR23]--[@CR35]\]. Most of these were performed for diagnostic radionuclides (e.g., ^99m^Tc or ^111^In). More recently, the possibility of using intraoperative detectors to locate small lesions in patients injected with therapeutic radionuclides, such as ^177^Lu and ^90^Y, has been investigated \[[@CR36]--[@CR38]\]. However, the technical performance of intraoperative gamma detectors when used for therapeutic radionuclides remains to be studied in more detail.
The aim of this study was to measure different performance parameters of two commercially available intraoperative gamma detectors in order to investigate the possibility of using intraoperative gamma detection for determining ^177^Lu activity concentration in small tissue regions in vivo.
Methods {#Sec2}
=======
The performance of two intraoperative gamma detectors was assessed using different phantoms containing ^177^Lu (IDB Holland BV, Baarle-Nassau, the Netherlands). The parameters assessed in this study included response linearity, sensitivity, spatial resolution and its depth dependence, organ thickness dependence and tumour detectability. ^177^Lu activity was determined using a well-type ionisation chamber (CRC-15R, Capintec, Ramsey, NJ, USA).
Gamma detectors {#Sec3}
---------------
The two intraoperative gamma detectors evaluated were the Gamma Finder II (World of Medicine GmbH, Berlin, Germany) and the Navigator GPS with the probe model "Standard lymphatic mapping" (Dilon Diagnostics, Newport News, VA, USA) (Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). The Gamma Finder II, hereafter called detector A, contains a scintillation detector with a CsI(Tl) crystal of 4.5 mm in diameter and with a height of 9 mm. The tungsten collimator has an aperture of 5 mm in diameter and a wall thickness of 3 mm. Detector A is wirelessly operated and the measured count rate is shown in counts per second (cps) in a display on the detector. The Navigator GPS, hereafter called detector B, contains a semiconductor detector. It has a 2-mm-thick octagonal CdTe crystal (with a dimension of 8 mm between two opposite corners) and a tungsten collimator with an aperture of 7.11 mm in diameter and a wall thickness of 2.97 mm. Detector B consists of a probe connected by a cable to a control unit, where the measured count rate is displayed in cps. Both detectors offer the capability of performing a 10-s measurement, during which the total number of counts is recorded. The reason why our study was limited to these two detectors was that those were only ones to which we had access.Fig. 1Schematic view of the geometrical crystal and collimator design of the two detectors. For detector A, information from the manufacturer about the distance from the crystal to the distal end of the collimator was not available, indicated by the *question mark* and the *arrow* inside the CsI(Tl) crystal. Note that only the tips of the two detectors are shown
The measureable photon energies from ^177^Lu are 113 and 208 keV, with an emission yield of 6.17 and 10.3%, respectively \[[@CR39]\]. Detector A has a non-adjustable low-energy threshold of 110 keV, that is, all registered photons with energy above 110 keV will be counted. Detector B has a set of selectable non-adjustable energy windows designed for different diagnostic radionuclides (^99m^Tc, ^111^In, ^125^I and ^131^I). A 20% energy window centered over the ^99m^Tc energy peak at 141 keV (range 112--169 keV) was used for all detector B measurements.
Linearity and sensitivity {#Sec4}
-------------------------
The response linearity of the two detectors was investigated using point sources. Twenty-six point sources (0.19--29 MBq) were prepared by placing small drops of ^177^Lu at the bottom of 1.5-ml Eppendorf tubes. The detector was placed immediately in front of each point source. The measurement time was adjusted so that at least 1000 counts were collected. The sensitivity of the two detectors, given as count rate per unit activity of the point source, was calculated from the data obtained in the measurements of response linearity.
Spatial resolution and its depth dependence {#Sec5}
-------------------------------------------
To determine the spatial resolution and its depth dependence, a line source was created by filling a narrow plastic tube (inner diameter 0.86 mm) with ^177^Lu. The activity concentration in the tube was 500 MBq/ml, corresponding to 0.29 MBq/cm tube length. This line source was placed at different depths, ranging from 0 to 80 mm, in a block phantom of tissue-equivalent plastic (polymethyl methacrylate). The detector was mounted in a holder and positioned immediately above the phantom surface. The detector was then moved stepwise laterally across and perpendicularly away from the line source from −70 to +70 mm, where the position 0 mm corresponds to the position where the detector was centered over the line source. For each position, the number of counts during 10 s was recorded, resulting in about 100--10,000 counts depending on the distance from the line source. The spatial resolution was determined as the full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and as the full-width-at-tenth-maximum (FWTM) of the line profiles obtained.
Organ thickness dependence {#Sec6}
--------------------------
To assess the dependence of organ thickness, a gel phantom was created from 2% agarose gel blocks, containing a homogeneous distribution of ^177^Lu with an activity concentration of 23 kBq/ml. To create the gel blocks, a mixture of tap water and 2% agarose gel powder (Agarose A9539, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, St. Louis, MO, USA) was heated in a microwave oven until the gel powder was completely dissolved. Thereafter, ^177^Lu was added to the solution under agitation to obtain a homogeneous activity distribution. Lastly, the radioactive gel mixture was poured into moulds for solidification. The dimension of each block was approximately 250 **×** 170 × 10 mm. These blocks were stacked on each other to obtain thicknesses between 10 and 150 mm. The detector was placed in a holder and positioned immediately above the surface and at the center of the block. The measurement time for each thickness was adjusted so that at least 1000 counts were collected. Before each measurement, the height of the stack of blocks was determined using a ruler, due to small differences in the exact dimensions among gel blocks.
Tumour detectability {#Sec7}
--------------------
To investigate the tumour detectability of the two detectors, a tumour phantom was created by placing a 2% agarose gel sphere at the surface of a stack of 10 gel blocks (described earlier). The gel sphere was created by pouring radioactive gel mixture into a spherical mould. The gel sphere, simulating a small tumour, contained a higher activity concentration than the gel blocks, simulating the background, that is, the surrounding normal tissue. Measurements were made for different sphere sizes (diameter of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mm) and ratios between the activity concentration in the tumour sphere and that in the background (T/Bgr, 2, 5, 15 and 30). These sizes and ratios were chosen to be relevant for clinical situations \[[@CR40]--[@CR42]\]. The detector was mounted in a holder and positioned immediately above the surface of the stack of gel blocks. Measurements were made in two positions, (1) over the tumour sphere, where a number of counts, *C* ~*T*~, was obtained and (2) over the background, where a number of counts, *C* ~Bgr~, was obtained (Fig. [2](#Fig2){ref-type="fig"}). The measurement time for each position was adjusted so that at least 1000 counts were collected for each position. The tumour detectability measurements were carried out one day after the measurements of organ thickness dependence. Therefore, the activity concentration in the background gel blocks was 20 kBq/ml instead of 23 kBq/ml, due to radioactive decay.Fig. 2The positions in which *C* ~*T*~ and *C* ~Bgr~ was measured during the tumour detectability measurements. The red gel tumour sphere placed at the surface on the left simulated a tumour, and the blue background phantom simulated surrounding normal tissue
The homogeneity of the activity concentrations in the tumour phantom was evaluated by measuring 16 random samples from the gel blocks and 10 random samples from the gel tumour spheres in a gamma counter (Wallac 1480 Wizard 3", Wallac Oy, Turku, Finland).
Statistical analyses {#Sec8}
--------------------
For the measurements of organ thickness dependence, statistical analyses were performed to determine the largest thickness where a statistically significant difference could be seen when the signal intensity at that thickness, C, was compared to the signal intensity measured at the largest thickness, *C* ~Max~ (148 mm). Given a measurement time of 20 s, the standard deviation (SD) of the difference between *C* ~Max~ and *C*, *σ*(*C* ~Max~ − *C*), was calculated:$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
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\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\begin{document}$$ \sigma \left({C}_{\mathrm{Max}}-C\right)=\sqrt{C_{\mathrm{Max}}+C} $$\end{document}$$
Differences between *C* ~Max~ and *C* were considered statistically significant (*p* \< 0.05) when they exceeded two SDs of the difference, that is 2 × *σ*(*C* ~Max~ − C).
For the tumour detectability measurements, statistical analyses were performed to determine for which T/Bgr and tumour sphere sizes the difference between *C* ~*T*~ and *C* ~Bgr~ was statistically significant, given the measurement time of 20 s. The SD of the difference between *C* ~T~ and *C* ~Bgr~, *σ*(*C* ~*T*~ − *C* ~Bgr~), was calculated:$$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\begin{document}$$ \sigma \left({C}_T-{C}_{\mathrm{Bgr}}\right)=\sqrt{C_T+{C}_{\mathrm{Bgr}}} $$\end{document}$$
Differences between *C* ~*T*~ and *C* ~Bgr~ were considered statistically significant (*p* \< 0.05) when they exceeded two SDs of the difference, that is 2 × *σ*(*C* ~*T*~ − *C* ~Bgr~).
Results {#Sec9}
=======
Linearity and sensitivity {#Sec10}
-------------------------
The response increased when the activity of the point source increased (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}). The two detectors showed great differences in response. A linear response (±10%) was seen for activities up to 1.3 and 12 MBq for detectors A and B, respectively. Both detectors reached a maximum measurable activity. This maximum was about 5 times higher for detector B (28 MBq) than that of detector A (6.1 MBq). The sensitivity was higher for detector A than for detector B---1200 and 500 cps/MBq, respectively (Fig. [3](#Fig3){ref-type="fig"}).Fig. 3Detector response given as count rate for point sources of different radioactivity. The lowest 4 and 13 activity levels were used to plot the trend line as linear response for detectors A and B, respectively
Spatial resolution and its depth dependence {#Sec11}
-------------------------------------------
The line profiles acquired with the two detectors are shown in Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}. The count rate markedly decreased when the depth of the line source in the phantom increased. At lateral position 0 mm, the signal intensity decreased to 37 and 46% for 10-mm depth compared with 0-mm depth for detectors A and B, respectively.Fig. 4Detector response of the two detectors for the ^177^Lu line source located at a depth of 0--80 mm. The y-axes show relative count rate, i.e. signal intensity values normalised to the signal intensity measured at lateral position 0 mm at a depth of 0 mm. The uncertainty in the position of the detector was about ±0.5 mm for each measurement
Detector B had better spatial resolution (lower FWHM and FWTM) than detector A at all depths investigated (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). The largest relative difference in FWHM (38%) was seen at the 20-mm depth and the largest relative difference in FWTM (116%) was seen at the 0-mm depth. Furthermore, the spatial resolution worsened with increasing line source depth for both detectors.Table 1Spatial resolution, given as full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and full-width-at-tenth-maximum (FWTM), for the two detectors when the ^177^Lu line source was placed at different depths in the phantom of tissue-equivalent plastic. For some depths, FWTM was larger than 140 mm and could thus not be determinedFWHM (mm)FWTM (mm)Depth (mm)Detector ADetector BDetector ADetector B0119.93918102720884620413012477406849\>140135609373\>140\>1408011391\>140\>140
Organ thickness dependence {#Sec12}
--------------------------
When the thickness of the agarose gel phantom containing radioactivity increased, the count rates of the detectors increased (Fig. [5](#Fig5){ref-type="fig"}). For thicknesses larger than about 100 mm, however, a saturation of the signal intensity could be seen. Specifically, the largest thickness where a statistically significant difference was found when the signal intensity was compared with the signal intensity measured at the largest thickness (148 mm) was 110 mm for both detectors.Fig. 5The organ thickness dependence of the two detectors. The count rate was determined for homogeneously distributed ^177^Lu in agarose gel with a thickness of 10--148 mm. Both detectors showed saturation at about 110 mm. The *star* indicates the largest thickness where a statistically significant difference was found compared with the signal intensity at 148 mm
Tumour detectability {#Sec13}
--------------------
Generally, the ratio between the number of counts over the tumour sphere and that over the background (*C* ~*T*~/*C* ~Bgr~) increased both with increasing T/Bgr and size of the tumour sphere (Fig. [6](#Fig6){ref-type="fig"}). Furthermore, detector B showed somewhat higher *C* ~*T*~/*C* ~Bgr~ than detector A. However, the combinations of T/Bgr and tumour sphere size where a statistically significant difference (*p* \< 0.05) between *C* ~*T*~ and *C* ~Bgr~ was found were the same for both detectors. Given the measurement time of 20 s, a statistically significant difference could be seen for all combinations except for the two smallest sizes (5 and 10 mm) for T/Bgr = 2 and for the smallest size (5 mm) for T/Bgr = 5.Fig. 6The ratio between the number of counts over the tumour sphere (*C* ~*T*~) and that over the background (*C* ~Bgr~) vs. the diameter of the tumour sphere, *C* ~*T*~/*C* ~Bgr~, was generally higher for detector B than for detector A. The *stars* indicate the combinations of T/Bgr and tumour sphere size where a statistically significant difference (*p* \< 0.05) between *C* ~*T*~ and *C* ~Bgr~ could be detected
The homogeneity (SEM/mean) for the different parts of the agarose gel tumour phantom was 1.8% for the tumour spheres and 2.2% for the background blocks.
Discussion {#Sec14}
==========
The development of a new treatment method where ^177^Lu-octreotate is locally administered to the liver requires quantification of ^177^Lu activity concentration in tumours and normal tissues in vivo. For this therapeutic situation, both the choice of radionuclide (with lower yield of countable photons emitted) and the activity concentration will be much different from the diagnostic situation. Since intraoperative gamma detectors are designed for measurements of diagnostic radionuclides and low amounts of activity, the maximum measurable activity was a parameter of interest in this study. At high activity levels, part of the signal will be lost due to dead-time effects in the detector. This effect can be corrected for if the detector response curve is known. A more significant problem will occur if the activity in a target region is too high to be measured at all. This problem occurred for both detectors. However, detector B proved to be better suited for measurements of high activities compared with detector A, permitting about 5 times higher activity to be quantified. One reason for this was the higher sensitivity of detector A, leading to a higher count rate for a given activity. Another reason was that detector B could reliably measure higher count rates than detector A. Unfortunately, the measurement time of detector B could not be set to less than 10 s. Detector B failed to report the total number of counts during 10 s when the count rate exceeded 9999 cps, due to a limitation in the number of figures of the display window. The maximum count rate of detector A was instead reached at around 6000 cps; higher count rates resulted in an error message, probably due to problems with dead-time effects. The difference in sensitivity also affected the range in which a linear response could be seen, which was almost ten times higher for detector B than for detector A. However, correction for dead-time effects can be done according to the shape of the response curve and thereby yield the actual activity in the tissue of interest. With these results in mind, a low sensitivity may be preferable for intraoperative gamma detector measurements in therapeutic situations, where large amounts of activity or activity concentrations are involved.
The difference in overall sensitivity between the two evaluated detectors was large, 1200 cps/MBq for detector A compared with 500 cps/MBq for detector B. With the two measurable photon energies from ^177^Lu (113 and 208 keV) in mind, the difference in energy window settings of the two detectors are likely to have substantially contributed to the difference in sensitivity. The energy window threshold of 110 keV of detector A means that both ^177^Lu photon energies was measured. The energy window of detector B (112--169 keV), on the other hand, rejected most 208-keV photons. Furthermore, differences in sensitivity could also be explained by collimator geometry. Unfortunately, information on the collimator length of detector A was not available from the manufacturer (Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Therefore, comparison of FOV size between the two detectors at different distances was not possible. Lastly, scintillation crystals are often thicker than semiconductor crystals, which was the case for the two detectors evaluated here. Detector A has a crystal thickness of 9 mm (CsI(Tl), effective atomic number, *Z* ~eff~ = 54), compared with the 2-mm-thick crystal of detector B (CdTe, *Z* ~eff~ = 52), and the detectors had similar *Z* ~eff~ values. With a thicker crystal, a larger portion of the incident radiation will interact, and the sensitivity will increase. This also contributes to the higher sensitivity of the scintillation detector (detector A).
Detector B had better spatial resolution than detector A, more apparent for FWTM than for FWHM (Fig. [4](#Fig4){ref-type="fig"}). FOV substantially affects spatial resolution, and it is likely that detector B has the smaller FOV. Furthermore, collimator material and thickness are important. Both detectors had very similar collimation, about 3-mm thick tungsten. A thicker collimator would result in better rejection of radiation originating from regions outside the FOV, and thus a better spatial resolution, but also a lower overall sensitivity. Therefore, increasing the collimator wall thickness for determination of ^177^Lu activity concentration in vivo during a therapy situation could be beneficial, both to reduce contribution from adjacent tissues and also to reduce sensitivity. The energy window setting may also influence the spatial resolution. The low-energy threshold of 110 keV of detector A allowed for a larger part of scattered radiation to be detected, compared with the narrower energy window of detector B (112--169 keV). Since scattered radiation generally decreases spatial resolution, this could explain the superior results of detector B.
Overall, the collimation of both detectors was acceptable, with a lateral response of about 5--10% (the count rate at a lateral distance of 20 mm from the line source relative to that at 0 mm from the line source). This can be compared with the results by Benjegård et al., who reported a much higher lateral response, of about 10--40%, for similar types of intraoperative detectors \[[@CR31]\]. This large difference could be explained by differences in radionuclides and collimator material used. Benjegård et al. used ^111^In, with higher photon energies (170 and 240 keV) and thus greater penetrability than those of ^177^Lu (113 and 208 keV). Furthermore, the detector with the highest lateral response (40%) in the study by Benjegård et al*.* had a 3-mm-thick lead collimator, while the detectors evaluated in this study had collimators made of tungsten, which has slightly better attenuation properties than those of lead.
During the measurements of organ thickness dependence, the count rate reached saturation at large thicknesses for both detectors. The contribution from the bottom gel slice to the detector signal decreased, both due to increased attenuation by the gel blocks but also due to the increased geometrical distance. Theoretically, the count rate should increase when the thickness increases also at very large thicknesses, but in practice this increase was so small that it was negligible and the signal response curve reached a plateau. Dead-time effects in the detectors could also have contributed to this plateau. To be able to correctly translate a measured count rate from a thick organ into an activity concentration, it is important that the shape of this response curve is known. The results from the measurements of organ thickness dependence could be used for translation of a measured count rate into an activity concentration of ^177^Lu in vivo. However, possible contribution from inhomogeneous activity distribution in the tissue and ^177^Lu in deeper-located tissues should be considered.
The ability of an intraoperative gamma detector to detect a tumour in surrounding normal tissue depends on the size of the tumour, but also on the ratio of the activity concentrations in the two tissues. Therefore, the tumour detectability results were affected by both spatial resolution and overall sensitivity. The C~T~/*C* ~Bgr~ values were generally higher for detector B than for detector A, indicating better tumour detectability for detector B, due to the better spatial resolution of detector B. However, statistical analysis resulted in similar performance for both detectors for the tumour sizes and activity concentration ratios evaluated, probably due to the higher sensitivity of detector A. Results from clinical studies where intraoperative gamma detectors were used for radioguided surgery suggest that the lowest *C* ~*T*~/*C* ~Bgr~ level needed to detect a tumour in surrounding normal tissue is around 1.2--1.5 \[[@CR18], [@CR21], [@CR22], [@CR43]\], but higher levels of up to 2 have been suggested as the ratio value corresponding to the lowest limit of detectability \[[@CR44]--[@CR47]\]; the reason for this difference is probably due to the sensitivity of the detector, the number of photons sampled and the biological uncertainties in radionuclide concentration in tissues. Both detectors evaluated in the present work could be used clinically, but the clinical application would decide which parameter is more important, and thus which detector would be best. For low levels of activity concentration, sensitivity may be more important than spatial resolution, and then detector A would be the choice. However, for small structures/regions, such as a small tumour, spatial resolution can be more important than sensitivity, and then, detector B would be better.
To our knowledge, this study is the first evaluation of intraoperative detection using the therapeutic radionuclide ^177^Lu, and the sensitivities measured here were 1200 and 500 cps/MBq. Previous studies have reported sensitivities of 8400 cps/MBq \[[@CR35]\], 3800--7300 cps/MBq \[[@CR30]\] and 250--2300 cps/MBq \[[@CR34]\] for ^99m^Tc and of 2800--6100 cps/MBq for ^111^In \[[@CR31]\]. While the sensitivities of the two detectors evaluated in the present study are generally lower than those previously reported, a direct comparison is not completely accurate, since the experimental setup and the choice of radionuclide differed among the studies. Both the emission yield (90.6 and 94.1% for ^111^In, 89.0% for ^99m^Tc and 6.17 and 10.4% for ^177^Lu \[[@CR39]\]) and the available energy window settings, as well as the source-detector distance (SDD), will substantially affect the measured sensitivities.
In contrast to sensitivity, spatial resolution is less dependent on the radionuclide. Results from other studies where similar experimental setups were used are summarised in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}. Two of these studies included detector B in their evaluations, and these values are presented separately. Overall, the values summarised in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"} are in about the same range as those reported in other studies.Table 2Summary of spatial resolution of intraoperative gamma detectors used in the present study and detectors reported in the literature \[[@CR27], [@CR30]--[@CR32], [@CR34], [@CR35]\]. Zaburlini et al. \[[@CR34]\] and Haigh et al. \[[@CR32]\] included detector B in their evaluations and their results for this detector is shown separatelyThis studyZamburlini et al. \[[@CR34]\]Haigh et al. \[[@CR32]\]Johnsrud et al. \[[@CR35]\]Benjegård et al. \[[@CR31]\]Britten \[[@CR30]\]Waddington et al. \[[@CR27]\]Radionuclide^177^Lu^99m^Tc^99m^Tc/^111^In/^125^I^99m^Tc^111^In^99m^Tc^111^InNumber of detectors2651332FWHM (mm)Depth (mm)Detector ADetector BDetector BAll detectorsDetector BAll detectors0119.935/27/2412--35/18--28/16--2820--30^a^5.2--8.7511--161027208.3--2313--2020413011--3519--3012--43303520--6026--414068495038--5623--826093738011391^a^Two measurements were made for the same probe, one with and one without an extra collimator
The main focus of this study was to investigate the possibility of determining ^177^Lu activity concentrations in vivo. However, for evaluation of the effect of ionising radiation on tumour and normal tissues, absorbed dose (rather than activity concentration) is the physical quantity of interest. In order to translate activity concentrations to absorbed doses, information about radionuclide biokinetics, absorbed fractions and organ masses are needed \[[@CR48]\]. Radionuclide biokinetics could be estimated by repeated measurements of the activity concentration after ^177^Lu-octreotate administration, for example, by an intraoperative detector or a gamma camera.
In summary, sensitivity and spatial resolution are closely related. A good spatial resolution (low FWHM) comes at the expense of a loss in sensitivity, and vice versa. Normally, when the aim is to locate lesions after injection of a low amount of a diagnostic radionuclide, a low sensitivity is undesirable. In the case of a ^177^Lu-octreotate treatment, where there same requirements to minimise the injected amount does not exists, the level of activity is much higher and a high sensitivity is thus less crucial. An intraoperative gamma detector with a good spatial resolution, and a lower sensitivity, is therefore preferable for determination of ^177^Lu activity concentration in vivo.
Conclusions {#Sec15}
===========
The evaluated detectors showed differences in technical performance, especially concerning sensitivity and maximum measureable activity. Still, when the detectors are used for intraoperative measurement of ^177^Lu during therapy we believe that acceptable results will be obtained for both detectors, probably with better results for detector B. The study demonstrates the need to calibrate and evaluate detectors using phantoms simulating the clinical situation and to correct for factors such as depth, organ thickness and dead-time effects to be able to accurately determine ^177^Lu activity concentration in tissues in vivo. Altogether, the results indicate that intraoperative measurements of ^177^Lu distribution in patients may be performed with satisfactory accuracy if accurate corrections for the foregoing factors can be implemented.
Cps
: Counts per second
FOV
: Field-of-view
FWHM
: Full-width-at-half-maximum
FWTM
: Full-width-at-tenth-maximum
NET
: Neuroendocrine tumour
SD
: Standard deviation
SDD
: Source-detector distance
SEM
: Standard error of the mean
Funding {#FPar1}
=======
This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 21073), the Swedish Cancer Society (grant no. 3427), BioCARE---a National Strategic Research Program at the University of Gothenburg, the King Gustav V Jubilee Clinic Cancer Research Foundation, the Sahlgrenska University Hospital Research Funds and the Assar Gabrielsson Cancer Research Foundation.
Availability of data and materials {#FPar2}
==================================
The datasets supporting the conclusions of this article are included within the article (and its additional files).
Authors' contributions {#FPar3}
======================
VS and IS carried out the study planning, data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript drafting. ROB and EFA participated in the study planning, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript revising. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Competing interests {#FPar4}
===================
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Consent for publication {#FPar5}
=======================
Not applicable.
Ethics approval and consent to participate {#FPar6}
==========================================
Not applicable.
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In a small town in the West of France, during the German Occupation, a room is requisitioned by a Wehrmacht captain, Werner von Ebrennac. The house where he now stays is inhabited by young Jeanne, who makes a living by giving piano lessons, and by her grandfather. Quite upset, the two "hosts" decide to resist the occupier by never speaking a word to him. Now Werner is a lover of France and its culture, and he tries to persuade them that a rapprochement between Germany and France would be beneficial for the two nations. Quite unexpectedly Jeanne, little by little, falls in love with Werner. At the same time, the Francophile officer loses his illusions, realizing at last that what Nazi Germany actually wants is to thrall France and to stifle its culture... | {
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