text:
Proterogyrinus - Wiki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[Photo] Proterogyrinus - reconstruction autor - Bogdanov _EMAIL_
Fossil range: Carboniferous
Proterogyrinus was an anthracosaur which lived in the Carboniferous period.
Its name is Greek for "earlier tadpole".
During the Late Carboniferous period(323 - 290 million years ago), the amphibians were an exciting and diverse group of animals that had come to dominate the waterlogged forest world. Proterogyrinus was one of the largest amphibians, and was perfectly adapted for life in the swamps. It was a top predator that hunted both on land and in the water. Its powerful jaws had sharp teeth could handle animals that were quite large, such as fish, reptiles, and other amphibians.
Most Carboniferous amphibians were good swimmers and could move fast through the rivers, lakes, and bogs surrounding the lowland forests, but also could walk on land like some amphibians today. Many species either stayed in the water at all times or could only wriggle through the mud on the banks; few (including Proterogyrinus) ventured further into the forest.
In popular culture
Proterogyrinus also appeared in Walking with Monsters. It was shown acting like a crocodile; basking on the shorelines and leaping out of the water similar to modern alligators to catch a Meganeura. In the episode, it fought an Arthropleura and won when the Arthopleura came down from rearing and impaled itself on a bush stump.
|The text in this page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article shown in above URL. It is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.|


Skip to content
Related Articles
Related Articles
ConstantsGo Language
 - Last Updated : 01 Feb, 2021
As the name CONSTANTS suggests means fixed, in programming languages also it is same i.e., once the value of constant is defined it cannot be modified further. There can be any basic data types of constant like an integer constant, a floating constant, a character constant, or a string literal.
How to declare?
Constants are declared like variables but in using a const keyword as a prefix to declare constant with a specific type. It cannot be declared using := syntax.
package main
import "fmt"
const PI = 3.14
func main()
 const GFG = "GeeksforGeeks"
 fmt.Println("Hello", GFG)
 fmt.Println("Happy", PI, "Day")
 const Correct= true
 fmt.Println("Go rules?", Correct)
Hello GeeksforGeeks
Happy 3.14 Day
Go rules? true
Untyped and Typed Numeric Constants:
Typed constants work like immutable variables can inter-operate only with the same type and untyped constants work like literals can inter-operate with similar types. Constants can be declared with or without a type in Go. Following is the example which show typed and untyped numeric constants that are both named and unnamed.
const untypedInteger = 123
const untypedFloating typed = 123.12
const typedInteger int = 123
const typedFloatingPoint float64 = 123.12
Following is list of constant in Go Language:
 - Numeric Constant (Integer constant, Floating constant, Complex constant)
 - String literals
 - Boolean Constant
Numeric Constant:
Numeric constants are high-precision values. As Go is a statically typed language that does not allow operations that mix numeric types. You can't add a float64 to an int, or even an int32 to an int. Although, it is legal to write 1e6*time.Second or math.Exp(1) or even 1<<('\t'+2.0). In Go, constants, unlike variables, behave like regular numbers.
Numeric constant can be of 3 kinds i.e., integer, floating-point, complex
Integer Constant:
 - A prefix specifies the base or radix: 0x or 0X for hexadecimal, 0 for octal, and nothing for decimal.
 - An integer literal can also have a suffix that is a combination of U(upper case) and L(upper case), for unsigned and long, respectively
 - It can be a decimal, octal, or hexadecimal constant.
 - An int can store at maximum a 64-bit integer, and sometimes less.
Following are some examples of Integer Constant:
85 /* decimal */
0213 /* octal */
0x4b /* hexadecimal */
30 /* int */
30u /* unsigned int */
30l /* long */
30ul /* unsigned long */
212 /* Legal */
215u /* Legal */
0xFeeL /* Legal */
078 /* Illegal: 8 is not an octal digit */
032UU /* Illegal: cannot repeat a suffix */
Complex constant:
Complex constants behave a lot like floating-point constants. It is an ordered pair or real pair of integer constant( or parameter) And the constant are separated by a comma, and the pair is enclosed in between parentheses. The first constant is the real part, and the second is the imaginary part. A complex constant, COMPLEX*8, uses 8 bytes of storage.
(0.0, 0.0) (-123.456E+30, 987.654E-29)
Floating Type Constant:
 - A floating type constant has an integer part, a decimal point, a fractional part, and an exponent part.
 - Can be represent floating constant either in decimal form or exponential form.
 - While representing using the decimal form, you must include the decimal point, the exponent, or both.
 - And while representing using the exponential form, must include the integer part, the fractional part, or both.
Following are the examples of Floating type constant:
3.14159 /* Legal */
314159E-5L /* Legal */
510E /* Illegal: incomplete exponent */
210f /* Illegal: no decimal or exponent */
.e55 /* Illegal: missing integer or fraction */
String Literals
 - Go supports two types of string literals i.e., the " " (double-quote style) and the ' ' (back-quote).
 - Strings can be concatenated with + and += operators.
 - A string contains characters that are similar to character literals: plain characters, escape sequences, and universal characters.And this is of untyped.
 - The zero values of string types are blank strings, which can be represented with " " or in literal.
 - String types are all comparable by using operators like ==,!= and (for comparing of same types)
type _string struct {
 elements *byte // underlying bytes
 len int // number of bytes
Example to show string literals:
"hello, geeksforgeeks"
"hello, \
"hello, " "geeks" "forgeeks"
Here, all of the above three statements are similar, i.e., they don't have any particular type.
package main
import "fmt"
func main()
 const A = "GFG"
 var B = "GeeksforGeeks"
 // Concat strings.
 var helloWorld = A+ " " + B
 helloWorld += "!"
 // Compare strings.
 fmt.Println(A == "GFG")
 fmt.Println(B < A)
GFG GeeksforGeeks!
Boolean constant:
Boolean constants are similar to string constants. It applies the same rules as string constant. The difference is only that it have two untyped constants true and false.
package main
import "fmt"
const Pi = 3.14
func main()
 const trueConst = true
 // Type definition using type keyword
 type myBool bool
 var defaultBool = trueConst // allowed
 var customBool myBool = trueConst // allowed
 // defaultBool = customBool // not allowed
My Personal Notes arrow_drop_up
Recommended Articles
Page :


text:
Abstract Background Heterogeneity is a common finding within tumours. We evaluated the imaging features of tumours based on the decomposition of tumoural dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data to identify their prognostic value for breast cancer survival and to explore their biological importance. Methods Imaging features (n = 14), such as texture, histogram distribution and morphological features, were extracted to determine their associations with recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients in the training cohort (n = 61) from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). The prognostic value of the features was evaluated in an independent dataset of 173 patients (i.e. the reproducibility cohort) from the TCIA I-SPY 1 TRIAL dataset. Radiogenomic analysis was performed in an additional cohort, the radiogenomic cohort (n = 87), using DCE-MRI from TCGA-BRCA and corresponding gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The MRI tumour area was decomposed by convex analysis of mixtures (CAM), resulting in 3 components that represent plasma input, fast-flow kinetics and slow-flow kinetics. The prognostic MRI features were associated with the gene expression module in which the pathway was analysed. Furthermore, a multigene signature for each prognostic imaging feature was built, and the prognostic value for RFS and overall survival (OS) was confirmed in an additional cohort from TCGA. Results Three image features (i.e. the maximum probability from the precontrast MR series, the median value from the second postcontrast series and the overall tumour volume) were independently correlated with RFS (p values of 0.0018, 0.0036 and 0.0032, respectively). The maximum probability feature from the fast-flow kinetics subregion was also significantly associated with RFS and OS in the reproducibility cohort. Additionally, this feature had a high correlation with the gene expression module (r = 0.59), and the pathway analysis showed that Ras signalling, a breast cancer-related pathway, was significantly enriched (corrected p value = 0.0044). Gene signatures (n = 43) associated with the maximum probability feature were assessed for associations with RFS (p = 0.035) and OS (p = 0.027) in an independent dataset containing 1010 gene expression samples. Among the 43 gene signatures, Ras signalling was also significantly enriched. Conclusions Dynamic pattern deconvolution revealed that tumour heterogeneity was associated with poor survival and cancer-related pathways in breast cancer.
|Date made available||2019|

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
The transformation of the society requires a continuous adaptation and alignment to the different cultures and their values. If that scope was overlooked, it could cause the creation of a work environment where the respect of the collaborators would not be guaranteed.
OM Team choose to adapt a Ethic Code in order to set up a work environment that would result responsible, free from prejudices and from any kind of discrimination. This tool defines our reference values: the behaviors are disciplined through rules that anyone in the team, from the bottom to the head, must respect.
The Ethic Code underlines the pledge for OM Team to reach the total respect for its collaborators, identifying the operating standards and the behavioral rules.
The principles are:
- Transparency and Completeness of the information
- The centrality of the individual
- Equality and impartiality
- Protection of our human resources
- focus on quality and innovation through the research
- Relationship with the University of Rome "Tor Vergata"


Critical Thinking And Analytical Skills
Asier Romero/
A Need For Critical Thinking And Analysis
Operating a business over the years, we've had to interact with governmental tax agencies. As a result, I always call the tax advisors more than once for the same query. Why do I do this? According to the government, during a routine audit, it's my responsibility, not the government's, to receive valid information. Now, I always call the advisors several times to confirm I'm receiving consistent and valid answers. Why is this story relevant and timely? It proves that even those you consider "experts" are fallible and may mislead you unintentionally. It's not that those government advisors intended to mislead me. It's more they didn't realize the error or they were unable to acknowledge their own ignorance. Come to think of it, this may have been an opportunity to provide better training for the advisors. This story expresses the need to hone your critical thinking and analytical skills. The simplest way is to question everything, continue questioning, then question the answers you receive. This technique annoys our clients to no end because we question a lot! But this ingrained habit allows us to discover the root cause of their issues.
Question Everyone And Everything
Many people don't differentiate between someone being smart and someone being an expert. Yes, experts are smart but smart people aren't necessarily experts. Just because you deem someone smart doesn't mean they're an expert in the topic they're sharing with you.
Once you've identified an expert, you need to know when, what, and how to question them to confirm their expertise and, more importantly, that you're receiving the right information. What's astounding is how many "experts" exist in the Learning and Development space, and why you, as a practitioner, must question everything they tell you.
First, recognize the type of "expert" you're dealing with. Categorize them into one of four groupings to decide whether the conversation should continue.
1. Fabricators
The first group is the "fabricators." These experts, when confronted, fabricate answers to save face. You've encountered these people on many occasions. They're the long talkers and/or double talkers. They deflect and offer responses so convincing that you believe they've answered your question until you realize, sometime later, that they didn't. They add little value so get rid of them.
2. Pretenders
The next group is the "pretenders." These experts roam social media and wander conference trade shows working for learning vendors. They hold job titles such as "Learning Evangelist," "Learning Guru," or "Community Manager." Many know just enough to get by, and when you seek depth of topic their reflex is to end the conversation, deflect, or feign the truth. Don't get me wrong, there are genuine experts working for vendors, however, this brings up conflict-of-interest issues. The ones with integrity disclose their vendor position. The problem is when they don't. Their advice is biased since it's colored from a vendor perspective. Question these experts; then question again.
3. "Here's What I Know" Experts
The third group is the "here's what I know" experts. They are experts who are, unfortunately, stuck in time. Just like you love the music of your youth and are resistant to new music, they're comfortable with what they know and believe their knowledge is still valid. They will discredit up-to-date experts as being out of touch, support their position with out-of-date sources, and craft responses using limited or dated knowledge. You should not only question them but always verify their sources.
4. "Challenge Me" Experts
The fourth group, and the ones offering substance, is the "challenge me" experts. They expect people to question and challenge them. If you don't, they'll provoke you to do so. These experts are typically accredited professionals who must maintain their professional development. They're exceptionally diligent in their work and with proposed solutions, transparent about how their work is done, welcome varied perspectives, and disclose all sources. These experts (the best ones) are also peered reviewed, meaning, their peers, who are equally qualified, review and fully verify their work.
Weight Of Accountability
Unlike other operational roles, those responsible for organizational learning carry the "heavy weight" of accountability. Sharing inaccurate or inappropriate knowledge can lead to adverse consequences for the organization. Additionally, learning practitioners are under tremendous scrutiny and hold fragile credibility with operational stakeholders. For this reason alone, you must always question what you're being told, even from the most credible sources.
Those who do not question either fear how others will perceive them or are willing to remain uninformed. Don't be one of these people. The word "learning" fundamentally implies discovering something you didn't know and always asking questions. Learning is also about ensuring employees receive and can apply accurate and relevant knowledge. As a learning practitioner, it's your obligation to fulfill these expectations. Your leaders expect it. Be sure to seek out the knowledge from credible experts. But be sure to apply critical thinking and analytical skills when doing so, or at the very least, question everything you hear.
Living In A New World
We're all living in a time of crisis. Learning is central to awareness so please take pride in what you do. You're essential to helping people get through tough situations and helping them solve problems. Realize your value isn't only in the learning you produce but in how you're able to deploy it effectively to everyone, especially in times like these.
I want to extend my knowledge and expertise to anyone who requires it without obligation. Should you require support, guidance, counsel, or simply just want someone to lend an ear please don't hesitate to contact me through Twitter. My handle is BizLearningDude.
Please share your thoughts and feedback with us. We'd enjoy hearing about your efforts. And who knows, it may be the topic of our next eLearning Industry article. Also, please check out our LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more about developing your business credibility for your learning efforts. Please share your thoughts and remember _TAG_!
Please be safe and please stay healthy.


text:
Young people are our future innovators
The NSTF promotes science, engineering, technology, (SET), including mathematics and innovation among the youth. This is important because
- SET subjects open doors for learners to pursue fulfilling careers
- The future of SET and innovation depends on young people being inspired to explore the subjects, study courses and exciting careers that exist already, and the new ones that will exist in future
The NSTF promotes SET among the youth in the following ways:
- The Brilliants programme celebrates the top performers in matric maths and science, and aims to motivate and inspire them to continue with studies for SET-related careers
- The Share 'n Dare programme creates platforms for top researchers and other SET professionals to inform and inspire high school learners and university students
- The Bursary database for SET-related studies collects bursary information so that SET-related study funding can be found in one place for easy access.
- The details of 50 SET career paths gives information for learners and students on SOME of the many great careers that can be pursued
- Financial contributions towards projects that promote SET education and awareness, through the proSET (professional associations) sector of the NSTF
Youth projects previously implemented by NSTF:
- National Youth Service (NYS) programme (on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)) which provides opportunities for work experience to previously unemployed young SET graduates. NSTF managed the NYS programme from 2007 to 2012. Anyone interested in the current programme can contact SAASTA, which is part of the National Research Foundation.
- Incentive Bursary Scheme for undergraduate students in SET studies (on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology) which provided study support to about 70 students from 2008 to 2015. (The programme has now been phased out by the DST).


Kids across Connecticut may be used to seeing masks in grocery stores, restaurants or pharmacies. But the new school year could bring a new challenge – wearing a mask for an extended period of time. According to experts at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, parents can help their children now, in the weeks before they head back to class.
How to Wear a Mask
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children 3 and older wear masks in areas where they can't maintain proper social distancing. They should wash their hands first, then put on their mask by holding the loops that go around their ears. Cloth masks are fine, but any mask a child wears should fit their face, covering both their nose and mouth.
A good fit is not just about safety. Since children have smaller faces, it can be hard for the mask to stay up. A broader strap behind the ear makes a mask more comfortable, and a proper fitting mask will be easier for a child to wear.
What Can Parents Do?
Parents can help their child get used to wearing a mask by modeling good behavior. Every time mom or dad goes out in public, they should wear their mask properly too.
Don't surprise kids by having them wear a mask for the first time while out in a crowded space. Instead, try just 10 minutes at a time at home. Once kids get comfortable with that, it will be easier for them to wear a mask for longer periods of time.
Certified Child Life Specialist Katie Stein recommends getting kids involved with picking out their mask.
"I think kids do best when there are choices," she said. "Letting kids design their masks, choose their masks, the patterns that are on their masks. Decorating their masks with fabric markers, making it their own."
Speak With Your Child
Stein said parents should also explain to their kids why masks are important. It's become routine for kids to cough or sneeze into their elbow, because they've been taught it helps stop the spread of germs. You can use the same example when talking to kids about masks.
Vicki Smetak, MD, Medical Director of Regional Strategy and Partnerships for Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, and a Pediatric Hospitalist, explained that most kids are fairly resilient. Adults shouldn't underestimate their ability to adapt to change.
"Wearing a mask, as difficult as it may be for some of the younger children, once they grasp it and they embrace it and it's normalized for them, they'll wear it. And they'll actually seek it out because it's kind of this cool thing now that they're going to wear," Dr. Smetak said.
Social distancing may be harder for kids. But Dr. Smetak said parents will need to be consistent in their messaging.
"Please be patient because this isn't like flipping a switch," Dr. Smetak said. "Children are social creatures and we're asking them to do something against their nature and it's doable, it just takes patience and re-direction."


text:
SWEEP: The angle measuring how far the outline of the fin is curved backwards; also referred to as rake. Sweep has a direct influence on pivot. Fins with more sweep produce a longer turning arc, less sweep offers a tighter turning arc.
FLEX: The distortion of the fin from its original shape caused by lateral pressure during a manoeuvre. Flex influences the response characteristics of a fin. Fins with little flex (stiff) produce instant response, speed and drive. Fins with more flex (flexy) are more forgiving and offer a whipping sensation.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
If the planets were evenly distributed over a cubic light year then there would be one Pluto or larger size planet every 2200 astronomical units or one for every cubic two light week volume.
This situation would not be like islands in the Pacific Ocean for Polynesian colonization. The reason is that there is almost no friction in space. If we have a colonization ship that gets up to 5 to 20% of the speed of light, then it would make no sense to spend fuel to slow down at a nomad planet and then use the same amount of fuel to speed up again. Other consumable supplies should be carried onboard and recycled as efficiently as possible.
For long term colonization the nomad planets would require a civilization not wanting to be near the solar energy of a star.
If they have a power source that was efficient and independent of a star, then this could be conceivable. Still for major colonization of particular nomad planets there would have to be something useful about the particular nomad planet. It is not efficient to develop a colony in space and then move resources over many light weeks or light months.
The resources on Earth or at any particular location need to be worth using at that location. There are no resource limitations that need resources to be moved from a moon to a planet or from Pluto to Earth.
There could be a need for secret base and the hidden construction of a space fleet but those kinds of future scenarios would be dependent on some hypothetical political situation.
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks


How a sensory garden can improve your wellbeing
Thursday, 18th June 2020, 9:00 am
Updated Thursday, 18th June 2020, 9:01 am
Sensory gardens are great for helping to reduce anxiety and stress, providing a natural retreat to relax in and offering us a place that encourages wellbeing and mindfulness, writes Sara Milne.
A sensory garden is really just a collection of plants and materials with different textures, shapes, colours, scents and heights that are laid out in such a way to stimulate our senses through smell, sound, touch, taste and sight.
Adding visual interest to a garden can be easily achieved by being clever and selective with your planting.
Use flowering perennials, layer plants at different heights, use screens or hedges to form backdrops and plant rows of the same species to elongate areas.
You can also make sure your planting has the desired effect by using colour to provide focal points and ambience.
For stimulating, invigorating areas use hot, vibrant colours - reds, pinks and yellows.
Think sunflower, echinacea, marigold, salvia, dahlia even ornamental vegetables such as swiss chard with its multi-coloured stems and leaves.
For a more gentle, calm effect use cool, relaxing colours such as whites, blues and greens.
Lavender, foxglove, hydrangea, delphinium and climbers that also provide height such as jasmine and honeysuckle.
Plants and trees that change colour through the seasons also provide interest with blossoms and berries and leaves that turn to shades of gold, red and brown in the autumn.
Changes in colour and appearance of materials like paved and pebble pathways when they get wet also add colour and visual appeal.
Shapes are also important in a sensory garden, so try using materials like crazy paving and rough-cut flagstones.
You can also create interesting routes and pathways through the garden to promote a sense of discovery and orientation.
Movement catches the eye, so think about trees that wave in the wind such as willow or grasses that sway in the breeze.
Water features provide wonderful focal points and also attract wildlife.
Make sure you have a variety of plants that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies as well, lovely to watch of a summer's afternoon.
Our general wellbeing is intrinsically linked to the natural world which is why Thrive - the gardening for health charity - has developed the Thrive Gardening Club.
Fortnightly tips on getting the most out of your garden, whatever you age or ability, and information on how gardening can keep you healthy and feeling good.
For more details, click here.


text:
A reconstruction of the anagenetic transformations from fins to tetrapod limbs is represented considering the self-evident mechanical constraints which must have limited the construction and thus the function and the transformation.
The meaning of optimality and economy in phylogenetics and evolutionary biology is discussed.It can be shown that the prevailing concepts of optimality and economy are equivocal as they are not based on strict theoretical positions and as they have a variable meaning in different theoretical contexts. The ideas of optimality and economy can be considered to be identical with the expectation of a relatively simple order in a particular field of study. Although there exists no way of inferring one or (...) several methods of solving scientific problems from the presupposed idea of economy and optimality, a lack of motivation for scientific investigations would result if the concepts of economy and optimality in nature were dropped. (shrink)
Introduction: education, philosophy and politics -- Writing the self: Wittgenstein, confession and pedagogy -- Nietzsche, nihilism and the critique of modernity: post-Nietzschean philosophy of education -- Heidegger, education and modernity -- Truth-telling as an educational practice of the self: Foucault and the ethics of subjectivity -- Neoliberal governmentality: Foucault on the birth of biopolitics -- Lyotard, nihilism and education -- Gilles Deleuze's'societies of control': from disciplinary pedagogy to perpetual training -- Geophilosophy, education and the pedagogy of the concept - (...) Humanism, Derrida and the new humanities -- Politics and deconstruction: Derrida, neoliberalism and democracy -- Neopragmatism, ethnocentrism and the politics of the ethnos: Rorty's 'postmodernist bourgeois liberalism' -- Achieving America: postmodernism and Rorty's critique of the cultural left -- Deranging the investigations: Cavell on the philosophy of the child -- White philosophy in/of America. (shrink)
Quantification is a topic which brings together linguistics, logic, and philosophy. Quantifiers are the essential tools with which, in language or logic, we refer to quantity of things or amount of stuff. In English they include such expressions as no, some, all, both, and many. Peters and Westerstahl present the definitive interdisciplinary exploration of how they work - their syntax, semantics, and inferential role. Quantifiers in Language and Logic is intended for everyone with a scholarly interest in the exact (...) treatment of meaning. It presents a broad view of the semantics and logic of quantifier expressions in natural languages and, to a slightly lesser extent, in logical languages. The authors progress carefully from a fairly elementary level to considerable depth over the course of sixteen chapters; their book will be invaluable to a broad spectrum of readers, from those with a basic knowledge of linguistic semantics and of first-order logic to those with advanced knowledge of semantics, logic, philosophy of language, and knowledge representation in artificial intelligence. (shrink)
This book offers a comprehensive roadmap for determining when and how to regulate risky reproductive technologies on behalf of future children. First, it provides three benchmarks for determining whether a reproductive practice is harmful to the children it produces. This framework synthesizes and extends past efforts to make sense of our intuitive, but paradoxical, belief that reproductive choices can be both life-giving and harmful. Next, it recommends a process for reconciling the interests of future children with the reproductive liberty of (...) prospective parents. The author rejects a blanket preference for either parental autonomy or child welfare and proposes instead a case-by-case inquiry that takes into account the nature and magnitude of the proposed restrictions on procreative liberty, the risk of harm to future children, and the context in which the issue arises. Finally, he applies this framework to four past and future medical treatments with above average risk, including cloning and genetic engineering. Drawing lessons from these case studies, Peters criticizes the current lack of regulatory oversight and recommends both more extensive pre-market testing and closer post-market monitoring of new reproductive technologies. His moderate pragmatic approach will be widely appreciated. (shrink)
Responding to Jacques Derrida's vision for what a "new" humanities should strive toward, Peter Trifonas and Michael Peters gather together in a single volume original essays by major scholars in the humanities today. Using Derrida's seven programmatic theses as a springboard, the contributors aim to reimagine, as Derrida did, the tasks for the new humanities in such areas as history of literature, history of democracy, history of profession, idea of sovereignty, and history of man.
This article aims to highlight why R. S. Peters' conceptual analysis of 'education' was such an important contribution to the normative field of philosophy of education. In the article, I do the following: 1) explicate Peters' conception of philosophy of education as a field of philosophy and explain his approach to the philosophical analysis of concepts; 2) emphasize several (normative) features of Peters' conception of education, while pointing to a couple of oversights; and 3) suggest how (...) class='Hi'>Peters' analysis might be used to reinvigorate a conversation on one central educational aim—that of how we might educate citizens for the 21st century. (shrink)
This article examines the work of R. S. Peters on moral development and moral education, as represented in his papers collected under that name, pointing out that these writings have been relatively neglected. It approaches these writings through the lens of the 'familiar story' that philosophical work on this topic switched during, roughly, the 1980s from an emphasis on rational principles to an emphasis on virtues and care. Starting from what Peters called 'the paradox of moral education'—roughly, that (...) a rational morality must be developed in part through habit—the article discusses not only Peters' rational morality of principles and rules but also elements of his thought concerning virtues and care. Running through the discussion is the question of whether Peters, in drawing for instance on Aristotle as well as Kohlberg, is attempting to combine incompatible ideas. Against this, it is suggested that in reading Peters now we can learn from his explicit claim that we need a pluralistic, not a monolithic, approach to moral development and moral education. (shrink)
Richard Peters pioneered a form of philosophical analysis in relation to educational discourse that was criticised by some at the time and is today somewhat out of fashion. This paper argues that much of the objection to Peters' methodology is based on a misunderstanding of what it does and does not involve, that consequently philosophical analysis is often wrongly seen as one of a number of comparable alternative traditions or approaches to philosophy of education between which one needs (...) to choose, and that, partly consequentially, there is a relative lack of philosophical expertise among today's 'philosophers of education'. Furthermore, his methodology vindicated, it can be said that Peters was indeed 'nearly right about education', perhaps more so than he has subsequently come to believe himself. (shrink)
Richard Peters argued for a general education based largely on the study of truth-seeking subjects for its own sake. His arguments have long been acknowledged as problematic. There are also difficulties with Paul Hirst's arguments for a liberal education, which in part overlap with Peters'. Where justification fails, can historical explanation illuminate? Peters was influenced by the prevailing idea that a secondary education should be based on traditional, largely knowledge-orientated subjects, pursued for intrinsic as well as practical (...) ends. Does history reveal good reasons for this view? The view itself has roots going back to the 16th century and the educational tradition of radical Protestantism. Religious arguments to do with restoring the image of an omniscient God in man made good sense, within their own terms, of an encyclopaedic approach to education. As these faded in prominence after 1800, old curricular patterns persisted in the drive for 'middle-class schools', and new, less plausible justifications grew in salience. These were based first on faculty psychology and later on the psychology of individual differences. The essay relates the views of Peters and Hirst to these historical arguments, asking how far their writings show traces of the religious argument mentioned, and how their views on education and the development of mind relate to the psychological arguments. (shrink)
This note is a reply to "On the Lumping Semantics of Counterfactuals" by Makoto Kanazawa, Stefan Kaufmann, and Stanley Peters. It shows first that the first triviality result obtained by Kanazawa, Kaufmann, and Peters is already ruled out by the constraints on admissible premise sets listed in Kratzer (1989). Second, and more importantly, it points out that the results obtained by Kanazawa, Kaufmann, and Peters are obsolete in view of the revised analysis of counterfactuals in Kratzer..
In this essay Kelvin Beckett argues that Richard Peters's major work on education, Ethics and Education, belongs on a short list of important texts we can all share. He argues this not because of the place it has in the history of philosophy of education, as important as that is, but because of the contribution it can still make to the future of the discipline. The limitations of Peters's analysis of the concept of education in his chapter on (...) "Criteria of Education" are well known. In the chapter on "Education as Initiation," however, Peters offered a synthetic sketch of education that, Beckett argues, points us toward a more comprehensive definition of education, one which, he maintains, can be accepted by all philosophers, regardless of the tradition they work in. (shrink)
The concept of respect plays a central role in several recent attempts to re-actualise the programme of a critical social theory. In Axel


Take the 2-minute tour ×
My knowledge of quantum mechanics is rather limited, but what I always understood was that Bosons have integer spins and Fermions have half-integer spins.
My question is very simple: the Majorana particle has no spin according to this paper and this Physics Today article which (without wanting to go into a philosophical mathematical discussion) I would call integer spin. That would make the particle a Boson. So what is the reason that the particle is classified as a Fermion?
share|improve this question
Do you have a source for the statement that Majorana particles have no spin? – Chris White Feb 19 '13 at 6:35
Here: _URL_.5115 or here: physicstoday.org/resource/1/phtoad/v65/i6/p14_s1 In particular, the last post has a sentence saying: "As quasiparticles go, the Majorana is incredibly featureless: It's chargeless, spinless, massless, and without energy" – Michiel Feb 19 '13 at 6:51
Michael, you're actually wrong. Majorana fermions are defined as fermions that are complex conjugate to themselves, but they don't have to be created by spinor fields. In fact, the _URL_.5115 case has spinless Majorana fermions, indeed. This would contradict the spin-statistics theorem in a Lorentz-invariant theory but this condensed-matter application isn't Lorentz-invariant, so one may encounter spinless fermions. – Luboš Motl Feb 19 '13 at 7:47
Dear Lubos, could you elaborate your comment a bit (perhaps in a full-blown answer) because I am not sure whether I completely understand your comment. You say they are spinless, because they can be complex conjugates without creation by spinor fields. Then what is it that causes them to be complex conjugates? – Michiel Feb 19 '13 at 8:02
_USER_ I stand corrected. I was coming from a particle physics perspective, unfamiliar with the conventions in condensed matter. I deleted my old comment to avoid future confusion. – Michael Brown Feb 19 '13 at 10:58
1 Answer 1
up vote 8 down vote accepted
Majorana fermions are by definition fermions which are their own antiparticles, i.e. the do have spin and it's 1/2. An introduction to these fermions can be for example found here: _URL_ In contrast bosons are their own antiparticles, e.g. photons, i.e. one does not need a "Majorana-boson" definition.
Now, one has to say that these Majorana fermions have not been observed in nature except as quasiparticle excitations in seminconductors.
share|improve this answer
"one has to say that these Majorana fermions have not been observed in nature except [...]" Well, we've observed neutrinos and don't yet know if they are Dirac or Majorana, so let's say "have not been demonstrably observed" or some such weasel word. – dmckee Feb 19 '13 at 7:10
For completeness: Majorana fermions where recently observed (though indirectly) by the group of Leo Kouwenhoven in Delft – Michiel Jun 26 at 19:56
Bosons are not in general their own antiparticles -- e.g. the W+ boson has a distinct W- boson as its antiparticle. Nevertheless, a Majorana particle always seems to refer to a fermion. – mortenpi Oct 3 at 17:52
Your Answer


text:
Protein-protein interactions among the components of the biosynthetic machinery responsible for exopolysaccharide production in Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1CJournal of Applied Microbiology
AbstractAim: This study identified protein–protein interactions among the biosynthetic machinery responsible for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production in Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1C. Methods and Results: Protein–protein interactions were investigated using the yeast two-hybrid system. A strong protein–protein interaction was detected between the transmembrane activation protein Wzd and the protein tyrosine kinase Wze. Weaker protein–protein interactions were detected between two duplicate Wze proteins and between Wze and the phosphotyrosine phosphatase Wzh. Protein–protein interactions involving a Wzd/Wze fusion protein and Wzd and Wze may indicate that these proteins form multi-protein complexes. All combinations of the Wzh, Wzd, Wze, Wzg (regulation), CpsE (glycosyl-1-phosphate transferase), CpsS (polymerization), CpsL (unknown), CpsW (regulation) and CpsU (membrane translocation) were analysed for protein–protein interactions but no additional interactions were discovered using the yeast two-hybrid system. Conclusions: Interactions among the phosphotyrosine phosphatase, tyrosine kinase, and transmembrane activation protein are important in the regulation of capsule biosynthesis in Strep. thermophilus MR-1C. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provides some valuable insight into the organization and interactions between the many proteins involved in EPS production. A better understanding of this process may facilitate the genetic manipulation of capsule production to impart desirable properties to dairy starter cultures.
Citation InformationCefalo, A. D., J. R. Broadbent, and D. L. Welker. 2011. Protein-protein interactions among the components of the biosynthetic machinery responsible for exopolysaccharide production in Streptococcus thermophilus MR-1C. J. Appl. Microbiol. 110:801-812.


text:
Immunity-related GTPases (IRG) (also known as p47 GTPases) are a family of GTPase proteins found in vertebrates, which play critical roles in mediating innate resistance to intracellular pathogens. IRG genes have been found in a number of mammals and lower species including mice, rats, zebrafish and humans. Most of the mouse genes contain interferon-stimulated response elements which mediate transcriptional activation by IFNs. In humans, only two IRG genes have been found: human IRGC encodes a full-length IRG protein that, like the mouse homologue, is constitutively expressed in testis, while human IRGM encodes a considerably truncated protein that is constitutively expressed in cultured cells including some macrophage cell lines. As the two human genes IRGC and IRGM are not subject to IFN control, it has been suggested that the host resistance mechanism supported by IRG proteins in the mouse is lacking in humans. Two isoforms of IRGC are known to exist; this antibody will recognize both isoforms.
Additional Names : IRGC (CT), Immunity-related GTPase cinema 1, Interferon-inducible GTPase 5, Iigp5, CINEMA
Left: Western blot analysis of IRGC in mouse brain tissue lysate with IRGC antibody at (A) 1 and (B) 2 µg/ml.
Source :IRGC antibody was raised against a 12 amino acid peptide near the carboxy terminus of human IRGC.
Purification : Affinity chromatography purified via peptide column
Clonality and Clone : Polyclonal
Host : Rabbit
Application : IRGC antibody can be used for detection of IRGC by Western blot at 1 - 2 µg/ml.
Tested Application(s) : E, WB
Buffer : Antibody is supplied in PBS containing 0.02% sodium azide.
Blocking Peptide :Cat.No. 5295P - IRGC Peptide
Long-Term Storage : IRGC antibody can be stored at 4ºC, stable for one year. As with all antibodies care should be taken to avoid repeated freeze thaw cycles. Antibodies should not be exposed to prolonged high temperatures.
Positive Control :
1. Cat. No. 1403 - Mouse Brain Tissue Lysate
Species Reactivity : H, M, R
GI Number : _PHONE_
Accession Number : NP_062558
Short Description : (CT) Immunity-related GTPase cinema 1
1. Taylor GA. IRG proteins: key mediators of interferon-regulated host resistance to intracellular pathogens. Cell Microbiol. 2007; 9:1099-107.
2. Yamada K, Akimoto H, Ogawa Y, et al. Upregulation of immunity-related GTPase (IRG) proteins by TNF-alpha in murine astrocytes. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2009; 382:434-9.
3. Singh SB, et al. Human IRGM induces autophagy to eliminate intracellular mycobacteria. Science 2006; 313:1438–41.
4. Bekpen C, Hunn JP, Rohde C, et al. The interferon-inducible p47 (IRG) GTPases in vertebrates: loss of the cell autonomous resistance mechanism in the human lineage. Genome Biol. 2005; 6:R92.


text:
Part of my role as Collection Manager at Te Papa herbarium is contributing to the further development of our dried plant collection. At the herbarium we are interested in collecting indigenous and naturalised New Zealand plant species for future scientific investigation and as an historical record.
One of our recent collection development projects focused on collecting as many species as possible in a specific coastal plant community, Hue te Taka in Wellington. One of the species growing here is the naturalised succulent, Cotyledon orbiculata. This species is a relatively common coastal plant, at certain localities, along the east coast of New Zealand.
To preserve their specific characteristics properly, succulents take a bit more thought and time to prepare as a herbarium specimen than typical flowering plant specimens. However, this is probably one of the easiest succulent species to prepare. While still fresh, I was able to longitudinally section the flower stem and scoop out the flesh. I then cut the leaves in half and, using a razor blade, skinned them so very little flesh remained. The specimen was then dried out completely in our cabinet drier.
Other internet resources talk about preparing specimens in this way. Cross-sectioning some species (of cacti, for example) may provide further detail or identification characteristics and using alcohol or boiling water to kill the cells, before pressing, enable it to dry completely and prevent it from growing in storage.
Older specimens of Cotyledon orbiculata at Te Papa have been dried conventionally, without any special preparation, with varying success. I think the leaves in particular can be preserved in a truer form if prepared in this 'skinned' way. I doubt that this species would be able to grow in storage.
The end result was a good herbarium specimen that was able to be easily mounted. Things to improve on: a few nicks can be seen in the leaves from getting too close to the leaf surface when skinning and the placement of lower right leaf should be lifted above the label. Spreading out one of the flowers enables a clear display of the flower parts. Similarly, flowers may be cut in half and the two halves pressed.


text:
Simplified and Abstracted Geometry for Forward Dynamics
Geometric simplification has played an important role in the computer graphics field by allowing believable viewing of scenes too complex for timely computation. However, the approaches used in computer graphics for geometric simplification have as their goal the realistic portrayal of a scene to a viewer, not the similarity between the simplified or abstracted system and the physical ground truth. In rigid-body simulations of robots and complex mechanisms, geometry plays a key role in determining where the contact points, and thus collision joints, occur. Different simplification methods will lead to different simulated results, possibly too inaccurate for the required technical purpose. However, the model does not need to look like the original, as in computer graphics. If a robot's legs can be abstracted as a pair of ovals or rotating meshes that hit contact points appropriately, this might be acceptabel for a physical simulation. Wheras, it would be completely inappropriate for a graphical system.


Skip navigation
Skip navigation
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser.
24 February 2004
Lost for 4-letter Words -- the freesearch Dictionary Top 10 Words We Look Up Online
Leading UK online dictionary highlights the 10 English-language words users search for most: harshest 4-letter expletives hold two of the top three places
The leading online dictionary for UK English,, has today released a Top 10 listing of its most frequently-searched words. The listing shows that despite their common usage in everyday language, the meanings of the harshest swear words f**k and c**t are still a matter of curiosity to many people in Britain. (also available at currently handles a word search every second from UK users - or around 2.5 million word searches per month - with traffic growing daily. The most popular searches are:
1. f**k
2. liaise
3. c**t
4. holistic
5. paradigm
6. affect
7. tw*t
8. effect
9. practise
10. love
The freesearch team report that f**k represents around 1 in every 1,000 dictionary searches, and is keyed in by users 50% more frequently than the modern jargon terms holistic or paradigm, at numbers 4 and 5 in the listing.
freesearch founder Shakil Khan believes that, despite the fact the f- and c-words are among the last taboos of mainstream TV and print media, the general public appears to be ambivalent about the true meaning of the words. When John Lydon recently made his famous outburst during ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, less than 100 complaints were received from well over 10 million viewers.
Khan said: These words have become casual expletives, so that many people are desensitised to hearing or reading them in everyday situations. Because they are commonly used they have become separated from their original meanings, and in fact become almost meaningless. Whether they cause offence now depends entirely on the context of use.
Of course, the popular search words for an online resource like the freesearch Dictionary will reflect the profile of those using the site, and typical Web users tend to be in the 12 to 30 age group. However the findings still show how many people are trying to get to grips with the English language as it constantly changes and evolves, Khan said.
With expletives removed, the freesearch Dictionary Top 10 search words is:
1. liaise
2. holistic
3. paradigm
4. affect
5. effect
6. practise
7. love
8. metaphor
9. liase (sic)
10. practice
The list also highlights confusion among UK users over near-homonyms such as affect and effect and on spelling variants practice and practise.
English-language dictionary editors and compilers worldwide have noted how rapidly new words are entering the English language in the last decade. This is attributed to the speed at which the web can spread little-known words into wider usage, and publish them for easy access. Around 800 new words are officially recognised in the English language each year. uses a regularly-updated database of over 150,000 British English terms, complete with examples of usage and related words.
Issued on behalf of freesearch, visit
Contact Shakil Khan on 07940 123789
Press contact: Craig Coward, 01625 511966 /
About is a new search destination which gives users clean and easy-to-use web searches with no distracting pop-ups or confusing layouts. also provides a comprehensive picture search and British English dictionary search function. is aiming for Tier 1 search destination status in 2004.


text:
Reports so far indicate that there may be another 29 Gootan ships in oceans around the globe and the number appears to be increasing daily.
"Gootan ships have been sighted by seamen and divers worldwide and the descriptions are amazingly similar," said Dr. Simon Michaels, a marine biologist with high-level contacts in the Pentagon.
"The undersea vessels are about 300 feet long with two saucer-shaped appendages and they are extremely fast. They are capable of reaching great depths – but can also pass from the water straight up into the atmosphere and right in out to stellar space.
"Over the past three decades, we've had such sightings from time to time. But the vast increase in reports over the last few months confirms that we are dealing with a major alien invasion from Planet Gootan."
The Gootan ship in the Baltic was found by a Swedish company named Ocean Explorer. They found the ship using their sonar technology – and immediately reported it to extraterrestrial experts at the U.N.


text:
Engineered allosteric activation of kinases in living cells.
Studies of cellular and tissue dynamics benefit greatly from tools that can control protein activity with specificity and precise timing in living systems. Here we describe an approach to confer allosteric regulation specifically on the catalytic activity of protein kinases. A highly conserved portion of the kinase catalytic domain is modified with a small protein insert that inactivates catalytic activity but does not affect other protein functions (Fig. 1a). Catalytic activity is restored by addition of rapamycin or non-immunosuppresive rapamycin analogs. Molecular modeling and mutagenesis indicate that the protein insert reduces activity by increasing the flexibility of the catalytic domain. Drug binding restores activity by increasing rigidity. We demonstrate the approach by specifically activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK) within minutes in living cells and show that FAK is involved in the regulation of membrane dynamics. Successful regulation of Src and p38 by insertion of the rapamycin-responsive element at the same conserved site used in FAK suggests that our strategy will be applicable to other kinases.
Pubmed ID: 20581846 RIS Download
Allosteric Regulation | Catalytic Domain | Models, Molecular | Mutagenesis | Phosphorylation | Protein Kinases


text:
The annual Community Forum provides students and educators with the opportunity to share their work with SEMIS Coalition members in a professional conference setting with peers and community members sharing methods and project development. This conference puts students in the position of educators, with the majority of sessions led by youth. This forum provides leadership and presentation opportunities for students, as well as sharing between SEMIS Coalition classes, families and communities.
Some of the place-based education projects presented on this year included:
- The gardens _USER_: A Cody youth ambassador project
- Creating real partnerships with parents and community members
- Great Lakes sing-‐a-‐long
- Natural observations: Drawing and writing in nature
- Stunning Salmon-‐-‐a water journey
- Getting to know H2O and service-learning efforts
- Permaculture and cycles for the 21st century
The Community Forum is also a venue for celebrating successes across the Coalition through an Awards ceremony.


Six Citizen Science Projects that Help Keep Tabs on Climate Impacts
Molly Samuel
Here's a round-up of apps and websites that ask you to observe the world around you, collect data, and contribute to our understanding of how the world looks now and how it's changing.
What You Do: Take pictures of the highest tides of the year, and add them to the California King Tides Flickr Group. Climate Watch has covered this project before.
How Your Data Is Used: Seeing how the highest tides affect low-lying ares on the California coast helps give us an idea of what's to come as the sea level rises.
What You Do: Every morning, take precipitation measurements (CoCoRaHS is an ungainly acronym for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network), and upload your data to the CoCoRaHS website.
How Your Data Is Used: The National Weather Service, among many others, uses the data to improve forecasts, including severe weather warnings. The precipitation data is updated on their website right after you upload it.
What You Do: On this website, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, keep a checklist of the birds you see, find out what birds are common in your area, and get alerts when rare ones show up. The Cornell Lab has many other projects you can participate in; there's a list on their citizen science projects page.
How Your Data Is Used: Researchers use the checklists to track where bird species are, and to look for trends and changes in population and distribution.
What You Do: Record the species you see using the Project Noah apps for iPhone and Android, or on the website. Upload photos, species ID's, and location to Project Noah. If you see something you can't identify, upload it and other project participants will help you out.
How Your Data Is Used: Project Noah's creators say their goal is to document all the world's organisms, and in doing so, raise awareness of how they're all doing. That's a lot of data. In the meantime, you can get involved in specific "missions," for example, the California Coastal Wildlife Watch, which asks participants to record species and pollution.
What You Do: Like Project Noah, you can use your smartphone to record, upload and share the species you encounter. Browse the website by location or species and find out more about the organisms you see. There are specific projects you can get involved in, like the Global Reptile BioBlitz, and iNaturalist also created a stand-alone iPhone app for recording redwoods. Climate Watch was in on the launch of iNat last year.
How Your Data Is Used: The managers of iNaturalist, a graduate of UC Berkeley's School of Information and a climate scientist at the Carnegie Institution hope the data collected by citizen scientists will help researchers study populations and extinction.
What You Do: Record when plants sprout leaves, grow flowers and produce fruit. Upload your data either on the Project BudBurst website, or using the Android App. The website has a list of plants to help you identify what you see around you.
How Your Data Is Used: Scientists can use your data to see how plants are responding to climate change. Interactive maps show where and when plants have been identified.
These projects are all climate-related. There are tons of others — climate-related and not. To find more, including a backyard bee count, a census of the wildlife in your home, and a crowd-sourced search for new planets, check out Scientific American's list of citizen science projects.
 - Juliejones10
 all well and good – but who is monitoring sky pollution? Aerosol spray or geoengineering…. with enough barium and aluminium being sprayed for weather modification — what about the birds and the bees, not to mention everything else. Why is this issue not getting attention?


text:
Akito Van Troyer - Electronics
Oliver Jan - Violin
Performed at the Eyedrum in Atlanta as part of Listening Machines 2009
This piece takes a geometric approach to analyze violin sound, generate visual representation, and synthesize audio signal. Information such as pitch, volume, and timbre from violin sound is used to construct the Voronoi diagram which is then used to generate image. Information that is generated by the Voronoi diagram is further passed down to synthesize sound that accompanies the violin player.


text:
Interdisciplinary Working Groups
With the founding of the first Interdisciplinary Working Group in 1986, the Johannes Gutenberg University created a new funding instrument for interdisciplinary collaboration in individual fields of research. The centres are established by the Senate, with a reservation of appraisal, for a certain period, and provided with €2,500 per year.
Interdisciplinary working groups serve, among other things, as nuclei for the formation of larger structures and for the creation of a critical mass, in order to find an increased echo among external funding sources.
At present Faculty 08 is involved in the following Interdisciplinary Working Groups:


Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about Sergei Prokofiev's ballet. For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation).
Romeo and Juliet (Russian: Ромео и Джульетта), Op. 64, is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. Prokofiev reused music from the ballet in three suites for orchestra and a solo piano work.
Commemorative coin depicting a scene from the ballet.
Galina Ulanova and Yuri Zhdanov in the Romeo and Juliet ballet
Based on a synopsis created by Adrian Piotrovsky (who first suggested the subject to Prokofiev)[1] and Sergey Radlov, the ballet was composed by Prokofiev in September 1935 to their scenario which followed the precepts of "drambalet" (dramatised ballet, officially promoted at the Kirov to replace works based primarily on choreographic display and innovation).[2] Following Radlov's acrimonious resignation from the Kirov in June 1934, a new agreement was signed with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on the understanding that Piotrovsky would remain involved.[3] However, the ballet's original happy ending (contrary to Shakespeare) provoked controversy among Soviet cultural officials;[4] the ballet's production was then postponed indefinitely when the staff of the Bolshoi was overhauled at the behest of the chairman of the Committee on Arts Affairs, Platon Kerzhentsev.[5] The ballet's failure to be produced within Soviet Russia until 1940 may also have been due to the increased fear and caution in the musical and theatrical community in the aftermath of the two notorious Pravda editorials criticising Shostakovich and other "degenerate modernists" including Piotrovsky.[6] The conductor Yuri Fayer met with Prokofiev frequently during the writing of the music, and he strongly urged the composer to revert to the traditional ending. Fayer went on to conduct the first performance of the ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre.
In 1955 Frederick Ashton choreographed a production of Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Danish Ballet.
In 1962 John Cranko's choreography of Romeo and Juliet for the Stuttgart Ballet helped the company achieve a worldwide reputation. It had its American premiere in 1969.
In 1965 choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan's production for the Royal Ballet premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev brought new life to the characters, as did the set and costume designs by Nicholas Georgiadis; Fonteyn, considered to be near retirement, embarked upon a rejuvenated career with a partnership with Nureyev.
In 1971, John Neumeier, partly inspired by John Cranko, created another version of the ballet in Frankfurt. In 1974 Neumeier's Romeo and Juliet premiered in Hamburg as his first full-length ballet with the company.
In 1977, Rudolf Nureyev created a new version of Romeo and Juliet for the London Festival Ballet, today's English National Ballet. He performed the lead role of Romeo, with British ballerina Patricia Ruanne creating the role of Juliet. As a partnership, they would tour the production internationally, and it continues to be a popular ballet in the ENB repertoire, with its most recent revival in 2010 being staged by Patricia Ruanne and Frederic Jahn, of the original 1977 cast.
The Joffrey Ballet presented the first American production of Cranko's choreography in its 1984–1985 season, including performances in New York City at the New York State Theater and in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center.
In 1985 choreographer László Seregi's production premiered at the Hungarian National Ballet, Budapest.
In 2007 Peter Martins made Romeo + Juliet on New York City Ballet to the Prokofiev music.
In 2008, Krzysztof Pastor presented a his version by the Scottish Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. The United States debut of this version was by the Joffrey Ballet in 2014. On July 4, 2008, with the approval of the Prokofiev family and permission from the Russian State Archive, the original Prokofiev score was given its world premiere. Musicologist Simon Morrison, author of The People's Artist: Prokofiev's Soviet Years, unearthed the original materials in the Moscow archives, obtained permissions, and reconstructed the entire score. Mark Morris created the choreography for the production. The Mark Morris Dance Group premiered the work at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in New York state. The production subsequently began a year-long tour to include Berkeley, Norfolk, London, New York, and Chicago.
In 2011, the National Ballet of Canada premiered a new choreography of Romeo and Juliet by Alexei Ratmansky in Toronto, with plans to take it on tour in Western Canada in early 2012.
In addition to a somewhat standard instrumentation, the ballet also requires the use of the tenor saxophone. This voice adds a unique sound to the orchestra as it is used both in solo and as part of the ensemble. Prokofiev also used the cornet, viola d'amore and mandolins in the ballet, adding an Italianate flavor to the music.
Full instrumentation is as follows:
The score is published by Muzyka and the Russian State Publisher.
List of acts, scenes and musical numbers.[7]
SceneNo.English titleRussian title (Original title)Tempo indicationNotes
Act 1
1IntroductionВступлениеAndante assai
Scene 12RomeoРомеоAndante
3The Street AwakensУлица просыпаетсяAllegretto
4Morning DanceУтренний танецAllegro
5The QuarrelСсораAllegro brusco
6The FightБойPresto
7The Prince Gives His OrderПриказ герцогаAndantea.k.a. The Duke's Command
8InterludeИнтерлюдияAndante pomposo (L'istesso tempo)
Scene 29Preparing for the Ball (Juliet and the Nurse)Приготовление к балу (Джульетта и Кормилица)Andante assai. Scherzandoa.k.a. At the Capulets' (Preparations for the Ball)
10Juliet as a Young GirlДжульетта-ДевочкаVivacea.k.a. The Young Juliet
11Arrival of the Guests (Minuet)Съезд гостей (Менуэт)Assai moderato
12Masks (Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio in Masks)Маски (Ромео, Меркуцио и Бенволио в масках)Andante marciale
13Dance of the KnightsТанец рыцарейAllegro pesantea.k.a. Montagues and Capulets
14Juliet's VariationВариация ДжульеттыModerato (quasi Allegretto)
15MercutioМеркуциоAllegro giocoso
16MadrigalМадригалAndante tenero
17Tybalt Recognizes RomeoТибальд узнает РомеоAllegro
18Gavotte (Departure of the Guests)Гавот (Разъезд гостей)AllegroGavotte (movement III) from "Classical" Symphony, Op. 25
19Balcony SceneСцена у балконаLarghetto
20Romeo's VariationВариация РомеоAllegretto amoroso
21Love DanceЛюбовный танецAndante
Act 2
Scene 322Folk DanceНародный танецAllegro giocoso
23Romeo and MercutioРомео и МеркуциоAndante tenero
24Dance of the Five CouplesТанец пяти парVivo
25Dance with MandolinsТанец с мандолинамиVivace
26The NurseКормилицаAdagio scherzoso
27The Nurse Gives Romeo the Note from JulietКормилица передает Ромео записку от ДжульеттыVivacea.k.a. The Nurse and Romeo
Scene 428Romeo at Friar Laurence'sРомео у патера ЛоренцоAndante espressivo
29Juliet at Friar Laurence'sДжульетта у патера ЛоренцоLento
Scene 530The People Continue to Make MerryНародное веселье продолжаетсяVivoa.k.a. Public Merrymaking
31The Folk Dance AgainСнова народный танецAllegro giocosoa.k.a. Further Public Festivities (Снова народный праздник)
32Tybalt Meets MercutioВстреча Тибальда с МеркуциоModeratoa.k.a. Meeting of Tybalt and Mercutio
33Tybalt and Mercutio FightТибалд бьётся с МеркуциоPrecipitatoa.k.a. The Duel
34Death of MercutioМеркуцио умираетModerato
35Romeo Decides to


text: Due to the inertness of the intrinsic (nondoped) amorphous SiC (i-aSiC) material to the chemical impact, for making it porous by the electrochemical etching method, one must use the electrolyte solution with an appropriate composition. For this purpose we have found that besides the use of solutions containing surface activation agent (Triton X-100 for example), one can use also solutions containing oxidation agent. In this report we present the results obtained with electrolyte solution in which H2O2 plays the role of oxidation agent. Results showed that with appropriate ratio of components in the HF/H2O/H2O2 solution, we can manufacture a porous layer in the i-aSiC thin film with the porosity similar to the porosity of the porous layer obtained by etching in the HF/H2O/Triton X-100 solution with optimal composition. Thin film of i-aSiC material with porous surface layer can be used in different types of sensors.


text:
July 19, 2011 Biomolecular imaging can reveal a great deal of information about the inner workings of cells and one of the most attractive targets for imaging are glycans -- sugars that are ubiquitous to living organisms and abundant on cell surfaces. Imaging a glycan requires that it be tagged or labeled. One of the best techniques for doing this is a technique called click chemistry. The original version of click chemistry could only be used on cells in vitro, not in living organisms, because the technique involved catalysis with copper, which is toxic at high micromolar concentrations.
A copper-free version of click chemistry that can safely be used in living organisms is available, but it is not always optimal in terms of reaction kinetics and target specificity. Now, a variation of click chemistry has been introduced that retains the copper catalyst of the original reaction -- along with its speed and specificity -- but is safe for cells in vivo.
Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in collaboration with researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in New York, have found a way to make copper-catalyzed click chemistry biocompatible. By adding a ligand that minimizes the toxicity of copper but still allows it to catalyze the click chemistry reaction, the researchers can safely use their reaction in living organisms. Compared to the copper-free click chemistry reaction, which can take up to an hour, the ligand-accelerated copper-catalyzed click chemistry reaction can achieve effective labeling within 3-5 minutes. The presence of the copper catalyst also enables this new formulation of click chemistry to be more target-specific with fewer background side reactions.
"The discovery of this new accelerating ligand for copper-catalyzed click chemistry should provide an effective complimentary tool to copper-free click chemistry," says Yi Liu, a chemist with Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry and the co-leader of this research with Peng Wu, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
"While copper-free click chemistry may have advantages for whole animal imaging experiments such as imaging in mice," Liu says, "our ligand-accelerated copper reaction is better suited for enriching glycoproteins for their identification."
The ligand-accelerated copper-catalyzed reaction was used to label glycans in recombinant glycoproteins, glycoproteins in cell lysates, glycoproteins on live cell surfaces, and glycoconjugates in live zebrafish embryos. Because a zebrafish embryo is transparent in the first 24 hours of its development, it allows labeled glycans to be detected via molecular imaging techniques, making it a highly useful model for developmental biology studies.
"Based on our results," says Peng Wu, "we believe that ligand-accelerated copper-catalyzed click chemistry represents a powerful and highly adaptive bioconjugation tool that holds great promise for further improvement with the discovery of more versatile catalyst systems."
Click chemistry, which was introduced in 2002 by the Nobel laureate chemist Barry Sharpless of the Scripps Research Institute, utilizes a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction that makes it possible for certain chemical building blocks to "click" together in an irreversible linkage, analogous to the snapping together of Lego blocks. While the technique immediately proved valuable for attaching small molecular probes to various biomolecules in a test tube or on fixed cells, it could not be used for biomolecule labeling in live cells or organisms because of the copper catalyst.
In 2007, Carolyn Bertozzi, a chemist who holds joint appointments with Berkeley Lab, the University of California (UC) Berkeley, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, led a research effort that produced a copper-free version of click chemistry. In this version, glycans were metabolically labeled with azides -- a functional group featuring three nitrogen atoms -- via reactions that were carried out through the use of cyclooctyne reagents that required no copper catalyst. With their latest reagent, biarylazacyclooctynone (BARAC), Bertozzi and her group have provided a copper-free click chemistry technique that delivers relatively fast reaction kinetics and the bioorthogonality needed for biomolecule labeling. However, the technique can only be used on biomolecules that can be tagged with azides.
"Our bio-benign ligand-accelerated copper-catalyzed click chemistry reaction liberates bioconjugation from the limitation where ligations could only be accomplished with azide-tagged biomolecules," Liu says. "Now terminal alkyne residues can also be incorporated into biomolecules and detected in vivo."
This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, and in part as a User Project at the Molecular Foundry, which is funded through DOE's Office of Science.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
- Christen Besanceney-Webler, Hao Jiang, Tianqing Zheng, Lei Feng, David Soriano del Amo, Wei Wang, Liana M. Klivansky, Florence L. Marlow, Yi Liu, Peng Wu. Increasing the Efficacy of Bioorthogonal Click Reactions for Bioconjugation: A Comparative Study. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2011; DOI: 10.1002/anie.201101817
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.


Sign up ×
I am doing research estimating the value at risk for non-normally distributed assets. I need help in the process of estimating the parameters of Student's t distribution and which method to use. I would highly appreciate any assistance in this issue.
share|improve this question
Should this question perhaps be migrated to stats.SE? – Tal Fishman Aug 8 '11 at 3:22
Thank you for help. I will be thankful If you can be more detailed in the approach to the direct estimate method, Which software should I use for the estimation? Thanks – fariz Aug 8 '11 at 15:30
2 Answers 2
In software R use the function fitdistr ( package MASS). For more information:
share|improve this answer
Hi GrAra, welcome to quant.SE and thank you for your contribution. Please consider registering in order to track your answer and receive credit for your contributions to the site. – Tal Fishman Aug 9 '11 at 11:56
The pdfs of Student-t distributions have asymptotically Paretian tails, and the tail shape parameter (aka the maximal moment exponent) is equal to the distribution's degrees of freedom parameter. Assuming you have enough observations, you could estimate the Pareto parameter using the so-called Hill method (named after Bruce Hill, 1975). A word of caution: Use of the Hill method (and derived methods) is often criticized in fairly broad and rather unqualified ways. The main point to remember when using Hill's method is to use only observations that fall "safely" in the distribution's tails. Where this region lies differs from distribution to distribution. The only reasonably "safe" way is to plot the data in double-log coordinates: if the distribution does have Paretian tails, you'll see it in the graph, and you'll know where to set the cutoff for the observations that belong in the respective left and right tails.
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


text:
Misunderstandings in English as A Lingua Franca
An Analysis of ELF Interactions in South-East Asia
- Based on a corpus of misunderstandings that is made available to the reader.
- Provides a detailed analysis of misunderstandings and issues of intelligibility that can be understood by non-specialists.
- Offers guidance to teachers in ensuring their students achieve a high level of intelligibility.
Aims and Scope
This book explores the nature and causes of misunderstandings in ELF interactions. It is based on a corpus of conversations between English speakers from south and east Asia that helps us investigate what causes misunderstandings, particularly the pronunciation, grammar, word choice, and discourse. The book also considers how such misunderstandings may be signalled and repaired. Finally, it discusses the implications for teaching English around the world and offers guidance to teachers in enabling their students to become highly intelligible.
- Approx. 300 pages
- DE GRUYTER MOUTON
- Type of Publication:


text:
The prognosis of psychiatric disorders and the imperative of eclectic approach to treatment
This paper states that generally psychiatric disorders contribute significantly to disease burden worldwide and that the prognosis of many of these disorders is poor. It emphasizes that there is no system of therapeutics that treats all conditions; the orthodox psychiatric system being no exception. That being the case the paper encourages scientists from different cultural backgrounds to examine their indigenous systems of therapeutics and identify methods that may complement the current orthodox system in order to improve the outcome of psychiatric disorders. With this, patients will be able to enjoy a dignified existence as they will live normal and independent life.
Keywords: Treatment methods; eclectic approach; poor prognosis; high disease burden; psychiatry.


text:
Sample reports are modeled after actual reports. These reports exemplify the approach and depth of information desired in a strong MAP report. They have utilized the report writing guide but tailored them to meet specific museum needs. MAP staff expects all reports to do the same. Please use these as examples only.
If you have questions or concerns about your report, please contact MAP staff. We will be happy to discuss your report, review and critique a draft, help locate resources and provide whatever assistance we can.
Sample Organizational Assessment Reports
Candy Bar Museum
Showcases what the museum does well and gives reasonable recommendations on how to achieve even stronger results. This includes:
- Corresponding characteristics of excellence, at the beginning of each section, highlighting how the museum is connecting to these standards.
- Priority recommendations are given at the beginning, discussed in detail throughout the report and then extended in the end.
- Includes a timetable featuring short‐term, mid‐term and long‐term objectives, to make the timetable more manageable for the museum.
Download the sample Candy Bar Museum report.
- Gives straight-forward advice on the objectives of a smaller institution.
- Carefully considers the limitations of staff, board, and budget
- Gives the museum ways to begin improving their overall functionality
- Prioritizes recommendations at the end
Download the sample Moffett-Weigert Museum report.
The Gotham Museum
- Showcases characteristics of excellence throughout the sections with the entire characteristics listed at the end
- Breaks up section recommendations by short-term, mid-term and long-term goals, making it easier for the museum to develop a work plan. Furthermore, it stresses disaster planning.
- A good representation of how to address the complexities of a city museum and can be applied to many museums with parent organizations.
Download the sample Gotham Museum report.
Sample Collections Stewardship Assessment Reports
- Excellent example of a natural history museum and a good report for museums working with a different private non-profit society as its governing body
- Explanation of the emergency disaster plan is particularly comprehensive
- Prioritizing recommendations at the end by time (e.g., short term, medium range and long term)
Download the sample Geode Museum report.
Port City Social History Museum
- Detailed instructions and recommendations on how to accomplish collections management goals
- Books, website and other materials the museum will find useful in achieving their objectives are interspersed. This can sometimes be more useful than listing bibliographic materials at the end and expecting the museum to connect between the material and a particular bullet point.
- This museum is preparing for reaccreditation and the report targets that aspect in many explanations and suggestions.
Download the sample Port City Social History Museum report.
Sample Community Engagement Assessment Reports
- Showcases how a museum can look for new ways to reinvigorate its current niche audience and search for new ones.
- Focuses on how to work with and cultivate within a small to mid-size community base of support while remaining positive and upbeat.
- Recommendations are clearly outlined, making it easier for the museum to locate, organize and utilize them when seeking financial support.
Download the sample Norse Museum report.
The Arctic Museum
- Focuses on how to improve community engagement through interpretive planning, better resource management and better wayfinding signage and advertising.
- Recommendations are easily understood and while challenging, not overwhelming.
- Top recommendations are prioritized at the end, helping the museum figure out how to start taking advantage of them.
Download the sample Arctic Museum report.
Sample Leadership Assessment Reports
Ornamental Works Museum
- Report focuses on a relatively new organization (only 10 years old) having mixed success with its board and concerns with the economic recession
- Recommendations are well woven into the overall report and then pointed out at the end.
- This report makes clear recommendations and then additional ideas on how they may be achieved.
Download the sample Ornamental Works Museum report.


text:
A crowd awaits a ship at Station Pier, Port Melbourne.
Source: Italian Historical Society - Co.As.It.
Find out why this landmark has become such an evocative symbol of Victoria's immigration history.
Station Pier is one of Australia's longest operating passenger piers. It holds iconic significance in Victoria's heritage, and is particularly significant to Victoria's post-war immigrants for whom it is an ongoing symbol of their arrival and the start of their new life.
The exhibition provides an historical overview of Station Pier, including its early days as Railway Pier in the 1850s, and its upgrade in the 1920s in response to the growing needs of the city and port of Melbourne.


text:
Saving water for the Mujib Reserve, Jordan
Together with the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (RSCN) we worked in Jordan to reduce the impact of the dam upstream on the Mujib reserve, involve the local population in agricultural activities to save water and preserve water quality, and make sure that the Mujib reserve water needs are fulfilled in water management plans and decisions of the government.
More Action Details
Jordan is among the water poorest countries in the world. Population growth and unsustainable use such as pumping water for economic development since eighties of the past century have caused increase in the already high water stress. Nevertheless, Jordan does not have an integrated approach to water resource management.
Drivers of the current situation of water overexploitation are: conflict of use between different sectors (drinking water, agriculture, industries, tourism), poverty and sanitation problems; disappearance of wetlands (Azraq) and huge impact on ecosystems such as Mujib National Reserve.
Read more on our work in the Mujib Reserve, Jordan
Read the announcement of the workshop on December 2011
Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (RSCN)


text:
Empowering Parents With The Information They Need—School Report Cards
The movie "Won't Back Down" has gotten people across the country talking about what we can do to give parents more options when it comes to their kids' education.
There are many ways that districts and states can empower parents – "Won't Back Down" highlights one policy, parent trigger, that allows parents to petition to turn around their kids' failing schools.
If we want to get parents truly involved, however, we need to give them more information. Parents need to understand what's happening at their children's schools and how well they are learning. That's why StudentsFirst advocates for empowering parents with school report cards. Annual school report cards provide parents with information about how their kids' schools are performing in an easy-to-understand format, just like a student's academic report card. With school report cards, each school and district receives an A-F letter grade based on how well they are educating their students. School report cards can look at a variety of factors, such as student achievement and growth, achievement gaps among different groups of students, graduation and matriculation rates, and attendance. States such as Florida and Indiana have already started issuing school report cards.
Knowledge is power – the information included in school report cards will help give parents the information they need to be strong advocates for their kids and to make informed choices about schools.
To learn more about school report cards, see "Empowering Parents with Data: School Report Cards" below (or you can download it here).
Topics: Empower Parents


New article about the formation of a Norwegian identity among immigrant origin youth
08. January 2021
In a new article publicised in Ethnic and Racial Studies, Jon Horgen Friberg shows that youth of immigrant origin gradually adopt a stronger self-identity as Norwegians, regardless of geographical and religious backgrounds. However: While adolescents of European immigrant origin report being seen as more "Norwegian" than they identify themselves, children of immigrants from Africa and Asia are seen by others as far less "Norwegian" than how they perceive themselves.


text:
17 December 2012
The Do: The Principle of Full and Empty Space
The following is an excerpt from the book Taekwondo: The Spirit of Korea (2000) by Steven D. Carpener, Jae Sik Suh and Edward H. Kim, from the chapter "The Technical Philosophy of Taekwondo" (p. 23-25). I'm sharing this excerpt as it very effectively explains the very important Princple of Full and Empty Space. Interestingly, while this book was published by Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a type of glossy coffee table book rather than an official reference book, this is one of the few English sources that so succinctly explains this core principle in Taekwondo.
...
Taekwondo's Taoist philosophy is expressed in the Tao (or Do in Korean) character found in taekwondo's name. The Do is generally understood as a way, path, or process one follows in anything one attempts. Do, as an Eastern philosophical concept is difficult to express in words. However, in describing taekwondo training it is possible to demonstrate how the Do elevates taekwondo from merely a spirited combat sport or self-defense technique to a way of expressing harmony between one's mental and physical states, and with one's environment.
The way the Do operates in taekwondo training must be understood in Asian philosophical terms. The general understanding of the Do is that it is a proper way to do something. In physical terms, this means when the body moves there is a proper way or path which that movement should follow to be most efficient, graceful, or appropriate. In taekwondo training, especially in sparring, this means that there is one most correct way to execute techniques in any given situation. This is the stage of skill. When one teaches a point where the body moves naturally according to the proper way or path, we say that one has mastered a particular skill. In taekwondo sparring, when one's movements are performed correctly according to the demands of the situation, one has experienced a moment of harmony between oneself and the opponent.
One of the key principles of the Do that makes this harmony possible is the principle of empty and full space. According to this principle, when two bodies interacts, the relative positions of those bodies in space and time create a continuous flowing exchange of full and empty space. Due to the limited number of ways the legs and arms can be used within the restrictions (rules) of sparring there are a fixed number of possible techniques. The result of this is that for every attack there are one or more perfectly complimentary counterattacks. And for every counterattack, there are one or more perfectly complimentary re-counterattacks. This means that each person knows what the likely responses to any given attack or counterattack will be. Therefore, the superior player is the one who can take advantage of the empty space created in the opponent's position by using speed, timing, and strategy.
The strategic aspect of taekwondo is especially fascinating. No other martial art uses kicking techniques with such finesse and accuracy. The superior player's body is able to predict or sense the moment when his or her opponent will surrender an instant of empty space which, if "filled" with the appropriate technique, results in a scoring strike that has the symmetry of two perfectly meshing gears. This moment, when a point is achieved by manipulating the principle of full and empty space, is not only the goal of sparring and competition, but can also be a moment of physical and mental harmony: the harmony of one's own spirit and body resulting in right action, and the harmony of one's fullness with the opponent's emptiness.
When approached in this way, taekwondo sparring is ripe with the potential for philosophical (educational) value. The moment of right action is very important not only in the sense that one's technique and spirit are correct but also because this is the instant when one has entered the level of the Do. It is the ultimate moment when one's body has found the way to fill the opponent's emptiness in the midst of fierce resistance. When one repeatedly experiences this harmony, the doors to higher understanding can be flung open. In fact, it may seem as if the secrets of the universe are being revealed through these quick, precise movements. The taekwondo practitioner then comes to see the opponent not as an adversary but rather, as the potential medium for creating a work of art, much as the sculptor does not merely see a piece of stone but, rather the creation waiting to be liberated.
Just as there is a technical or physical aesthetic in taekwondo, so also is there a spiritual aesthetic. In order to teach the level where one's techniques and movements approach the ideal, a great deal of training is needed. This training is a process which brings about mental and spiritual change.
...
The authentic practitioner understands that taekwondo is a way, a process, and not just a means to an end such as fighting skill or medals. This is the paradox of the Do; the authentic practitioner who values the internal process of development more than external rewards usually develops the best skills.


text:
Questions on allocating 529 contributions and gift tax liabilities over the five-year period.
1. RIA's 706/709 Deskbook contains the following observation:
The proposed regulations state that a donor may take certain contributions to a QTP into account ratably over five years only with respect to contributions not in excess of five times the annual exclusion amount [Prop. Reg. 1.529-5(b)(2)]. The authors believe that this provision would permit the following, although guidance is not clear.
Example 25D-5: Excess QTP contribution-election of amount less than $65,000.
Taxpayer contributes $33,000 to a QTP in Year 1 and elects to treat $25,000 as a prorated contribution over five years. (Assume a $13,000 annual exclusion for all five years.) Thus, in Year 1, taxpayer utilizes the annual exclusion amount with an $8,000 (non-prorated) contribution and $5,000 from the amount subject to the election to prorate. In Years 2 through 5, the taxpayer is electing to treat as a prorated contribution $5,000 per year.
I believe that the statute specifically requires that the entire $33,000 contribution in RIA's example be allocated over the five-year period. Have you focused on this issue?
The statement quoted above is in RIA's PPC Federal Tax Compliance Library, the 706/709 Deskbook, Chapter 25, Key Issue 25D.
First, why does the taxpayer in the above example want to make the election over only $25,000 and not $33,000? Because the taxpayer wants to use fully his or her annual exclusion for Year 1, and by doing so reduces the amount of annual exclusion deemed to be used for Years 2 through 5 from $6,600 per year ($33,000 ÷ 5) to $5,000 ($25,000 ÷ 5). Thus the taxpayer can make greater additional annual exclusion gifts in Years 2 through 5.
I read the statute as requiring the entire contribution to the 529 account to be subject to the five-year election, if such election is made. I read the proposed regulations as trying to modify this rule only to provide that if the aggregate contributions exceed five times the annual exclusion amount, the excess must be treated as a taxable gift all in Year 1 and cannot be spread out over five years.


text:
If you're a fan of Dungeons & Dragons, chances are you know how essential dice are in this iconic tabletop role-playing game. DND dice are curiously shaped polyhedral gems that can make or break your game. While there are different types and sets available, choosing the right dice can be daunting. But don't worry, this guide is here to help you navigate the world of DND dice. We'll explain their types, sets, and essential uses so you can focus on having fun and telling stories with your friends.
Understanding the Basics – DND Dice Types
Before we dive into dice sets and their uses, let's start with the basics: the types of dice used in Dungeons & Dragons. There are seven main types, represented by a 'd' followed by the number of sides:
- D4: A four-sided pyramid-shaped die for small damage rolls and certain character abilities.
- D6: The classic six-sided die, commonly used for everything from damage rolls to skill checks.
- D8: This eight-sided die is often utilized for weapon damage and healing spells.
- D10: There are two types of ten-sided dice in DND: the percentile die (marked from 00 to 90) and the regular d10 (marked from 1 to 10). These are used for various rolls, including damage and determining percentages.
- D12: A twelve-sided die primarily used for larger weapon damage rolls and some class features.
- D20: The iconic twenty-sided die, the most famous in DND. It's employed for attack rolls, saving throws, and determining the outcome of many actions.
- D100: A percentile die used together with the percentile d10 to determine random percentages.
Building Your Dice Set
Now that you know the dice types, let's talk about assembling your dice set. A typical DND player's set includes the following:
- 1d20: The workhorse of your set, used for many important rolls.
- 1d12 and 1d10: Useful for certain character classes and damage rolls.
- 1d8: Another significant die for damage and healing.
- 2d10: One for regular rolls and one for percentages.
- 1d6: Used for various rolls, including damage and skill checks.
- 1d4: Essential for smaller damage rolls and abilities.
Having these dice readily available ensures you're prepared for any in-game situation. Some players prefer to have multiple sets in different colors or designs for style and convenience.
Exploring Special Dice and Their Uses
Beyond the basic dice, there are special dice that come into play in specific situations:
- Fudge Dice: A set of four six-sided dice with two plus faces, two minus faces, and two blank faces. Used in the Fudge system for determining degrees of success or failure.
- DND Condition Markers: Not actual dice, but condition markers often come in dice form to track various conditions like poison or concentration.
- Legendary Dice: Unique dice sets that are sometimes released with special DND campaigns or events. These dice can have special effects or designs that make them highly collectible.
Collecting and Caring for Dice
Many Dungeon & Dragons enthusiasts see collecting dice as a hobby in itself. Dice come in various materials such as metal, acrylic, or gemstone, each offering a distinctive feel and aesthetic. Keeping your dice in a soft pouch or container is recommended to prevent wear and tear. However, if you're more of a practical player, there are many affordable options that work just as well.
Understanding the types of DND dice and knowing when and how to use them is crucial to the game. As storytellers, dice are our secret weapons, and having the right set at hand can enhance our gaming experience and bring us closer together as a community. So, whether you're a seasoned Dungeon Master or a new adventurer, use this guide to choose your perfect set of dice, and embark on epic quests that will keep you entertained and engaged for hours on end.