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Jezreel Expedition Update July 2012
By Jennie Ebeling
Associate Professor of Archaeology
University of Evansville
By Norma Franklin
The Zinman Institute of Archaeology
University of Haifa
Members of the Jezreel Expedition headed by co-directors Norma Franklin (Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa) and Jennie Ebeling (Department of Archaeology and Art History, University of Evansville) conducted an intensive landscape survey of greater Jezreel in June 2012. The main goal of the inaugural season was to record surface features in a three square kilometer area to the west, north, and east of Tel Jezreel in order to identify areas for excavation in summer 2013 (Figure 1). The Jezreel team documented more than 360 features, including cisterns, cave tombs, rock-cut tombs, agricultural and industrial installations, terrace and village walls, quarries and more; most of these features had never been systematically recorded before. The results of this survey shed light on the extent of different settlements at Jezreel from late prehistory through to the 20th century CE Palestinian village of Zerin.
In preparation for the 2012 season, maps, plans, aerial photographs, and various other unpublished materials relating to the site were collected from sources in Israel, Great Britain, and elsewhere. In February 2012, The Jezreel team commissioned a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) airborne laser scan of ca. 7.5 square kilometers of greater Jezreel from Ofek Aerial Photography, Ltd. The LiDAR scan provided us with accurate locational and height data that enabled the creation of a three-dimensional model of the land surface (Figure 2). The resultant model was examined to identify historic and natural features and georeferenced with aerial photographs (the earliest of which dates to 1918); this provided us with data concerning the landscape before mechanized farming and other modern surface-changing events took place. This is the first time that aerial LiDAR has been used by an archaeological project in Israel.
Land to the west, north, and east of the tel was divided into survey areas based on the LiDAR model; when possible, natural, and modern features delineated these large areas. Each identified feature was assigned a locus/feature number and information was recorded along with one or more sketch plans on a locus sheet. Coordinates and elevations were taken for each feature using a handheld GPS (Garmin eTrex HC), and a digital camera was used to document each feature from several angles (Figure 3).
Since the goal of this survey was to identify surface features, pottery and other artifacts were not systematically collected other than in Area T, located on the terrace that overlooks Ein Jezreel (the spring) (Figure 4). Pottery, lithic, and ground stone artifacts were collected on the terrace to the west and the east of the masha, or uncultivated area that was too overgrown to properly survey, designated Area S. To the west of the masha, the team collected pottery from the Early Bronze, Intermediate Bronze, Middle Bronze, Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and modern periods; to its east, Wadi Rabah, Chalcolithic, Early Bronze, Intermediate Bronze, Iron, and Byzantine pottery was collected. This information, along with the results of earlier surveys conducted by N. Zori and members of the Tel Aviv British School of Archaeology excavation team in the 1990s led by P. Croft, suggest that the site was inhabited continuously from as early as the late Neolithic period until the Byzantine period. The team plans to open an excavation area on the terrace in 2013 in order to investigate the occupational phases of this lower site. Other excavation areas are also planned in selected areas on the tel and on the north and east slopes.
The 2012 Jezreel Expedition team included Norma Franklin (University of Haifa) and Jennie Ebeling (University of Evansville), Ian Cipin (University College London), Julye Bidmead (Chapman University), Noga Blockman (Tel Aviv University), and Deborah Appler (Moravian Theological Seminary) along with eight archaeology majors and alumni from the University of Evansville: Megan Anderson, Nathan Biondi, Sarah Carlton, Emma Dunleavy, Kelly Goodner, Michael Koletsos, Emily Mella, and Hilda Torres (Figure 5). John Egerton, Deborah Graf, and Rebekah Thomas of Moravian Theological Seminary participated for several days, as well did Jeff Anderson (Wayland Baptist University), Willie Ondricek (University of the Holy Land), and Daria Trumbo. Technical support was provided by Peter Ostrin (University of Leicester) and Matthew Bradley in Oxford. The team wishes to thank former co-director of the Tel Jezreel Excavations David Ussishkin (Tel Aviv University) as well as Mina Weinstein-Evron and Michael Eisenberg (University of Haifa) for their support of this project, and Deborah Cantrell (Vanderbilt University), Shimon Gibson (University of the Holy Land) and Eran Arie (Tel Aviv University) for their advice and assistance. We have benefited from cooperation with the Megiddo Expedition and the generosity of directors Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin (Tel Aviv University) and Eric Cline (George Washington University). We also wish to thank Sheila Bishop, President of The Foundation for Biblical Archaeology, for her generous assistance. The Jezreel team lodged in the Partnership House at Kibbutz Yizreel for the month of June and enjoyed the warm hospitality of kibbutz members.
For more information about the Jezreel Expedition, please visit our website: _URL_
Figures 1 and 4 courtesy of Todd Bolen.
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Forest Communicators' Network
The UNECE/FAO Forest Communicators' Network (FCN) is mandated by the UNECE Timber Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission (EFC) with the overall objective to improve the ability of the forest and forest products sector to communicate effectively, within and outside the sector, through:
1. Providing a forum for international interaction and cooperation in forest related communications;
2. Strengthening the ability of the Committee, the Commission and the Working Party on Forest Statistics, Economics and Management to reach out to relevant constituencies, within and outside the forest sector, including through cooperation with other Teams of Specialists;
3. Developing the professionalism of forest communicators by introducing and encouraging state of the art and innovative communication approaches, strengthening networking and supporting capacities in the region.
Participation in the FCN is open to all sharing the concern about its common objectives and tasks.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Hey guys! Im new to the forums and just started a programming course in college and im having some difficulties. The exercise is as followed:
The binary logarithm of n (log2n) is the power to which the number 2 to must be raised to obtain the value n. Write a C function that calculates log2 of an unsigned integer n using the following approach: find the most significant set bit in n and return the position of this bit. For example, if n is 17 (0b10001), the function should return 4.
The C function should have the following signature:
int mylog2(unsigned int n)
I'm not sure what to do and what "find the most significant set bit in n and return the position of this bit" means. And also how to I can do this, I certainly dont want u guys to do this for me, but some info on how to do it would be appreciated.
I have asked my teacher for help, but he just said read the goddamn books, but I have and still dont know the steps to solve this. Thanks


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Mmm … Doughnuts! National Doughnut Day
Ever wonder where this sweet, circular treat (Homer Simpson's fave!) came from?
The Early Years
Doughnuts have been around for hundreds of years. Archaeologists turned up several fossilized fried cakes with holes in the center in prehistoric ruins in the Southwestern United States. How these early Native Americans prepared their doughnuts is still unknown.
Most historians talk about doughnut history as starting in the mid-19th century, when the Dutch wrote down their recipes for "olykoeks," or "oily cakes," which were balls of sweet dough fried in pork fat, with apples, prunes or raisins in the middle. Soon after, the Pilgrims brought the tasty snack with them to America. There was just one little problem with doughnuts back then – when the olykoeks were pulled out of the hot oil, the centers were hardly ever cooked through.
Hole In One
So how did doughnuts get their modern-day name? There's a story about a woman from New England – Elizabeth Gregory – who was known for her yummy olykoeks. Her secret was to add a hint of nutmeg and fill the center with hazelnuts or walnuts. She even had a special name for her creation: dough-nuts. (She may have got the name from an instruction in the recipe, which said to make "little nuts of dough" and place them into the hot oil.
And how did doughnuts get the whole in the center? Well, the story of Elizabeth Gregory continues, though there are a few different endings. In one, she gives her son – a sea captain – some dough-nuts to take with him on one of his ocean journeys. But when a storm started at sea, the captain found himself having a hard time holding the treat and steering the ship. So he impaled the dough-nut on one of the steering wheel's spokes, creating a hole in the middle of it.
Another version of the story says the captain simply didn't like the nuts his mother put in the center of the dough-nuts, so he poked them out, leaving an empty whole in the middle. Whatever the real story is, there were benefits to making doughnuts with holes. They cooked more evenly and their unique shape made them extremely popular.
During World War I, doughnuts had already achieved status as an American favorite. Young American men fighting oversees were served doughnuts by grateful Frenchmen as a reminder of the food back home.
By the 1920s doughnuts were being mass-produced, mostly as a snack in theaters. To satisfy the growing demand for doughnuts in one New York neighborhood, a Russian named Adolph Levitt created the first doughnut machine. By 1934, the same year that the World's Fair in Chicago declared the doughnut "the food hit of the Century Of Progress," Levit was pulling down twenty-five-million dollars annually for the sale of his doughnut machines to bakeries.
Doughnut chains like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Dunkin' Doughnuts started popping up in the 1940s and 50s.
In 1998, Winchell's House of Donuts in Pasadena created the world's largest doughnut to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The gigantic apple fritter weighed 5,000 pounds and was 95 feet wide.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Your comprehensive resource for ladybug facts, crafts, products & fun!
Size: Most ladybugs are 1/4 of an inch long or smaller!
Elytra: The most recognizable part of a ladybug is called the elytra. The elytra (plural of elytron) are hard and shell-like and are red with black spots on the species of ladybug we traditionally think of. There are however other colors that a ladybug could be such as orange, yellow, green and even blue! The elytra covers the very delicate wings of the ladybug. Though spot markings may reside on other areas of ladybug anatomy only the ones on elytra are counted. Below are just a few samples of very different appearances of ladybug elytra in difference species.
Some examples of different ladybug elytra
Wings: The ladybug's wings are so thin that you can see right through them.
Pronotum: The pronotum is often mistaken as the ladybug's head. It is responsible for protecting the ladybug's very small head, the two white spots (seen on the 7-spotted ladybug images below) on both sides look like eyes, but actually the eyes are on the ladybug's tiny little head. The head on these ladybugs also has two small white spot markings.
Ladybugs can actually retract their heads somewhat under the pronotum much in the same way a turtle does, though not as far. In the images below you can observe how a dormant or inactive ladybug can appear more spherical as its head, pronotum and legs are tucked in. The active ladybug has its pronotum, head and legs extended outward giving a more oval body shape. When observing ladybugs at their actual size this can make their markings on the head and pronotum appear different.
Antenna: The ladybug also has two antenna used to feel it's way around and to smell and taste things.
Legs: Ladybugs have six jointed legs which also have organs that can smell on them!
Ladybug Anatomy Poster
The above ladybug anatomy chart is available as a poster. Great to have for classrooms for anyone who loves ladybugs and wants learn more about their anatomy. Definitely worth a look.
Anatomy of a Ladybug (Coccinellidae) Poster
Ladybug In Slow Motion
In this remarkable ladybug video you get to see the slowed footage of a ladybug in flight. The forewings (known as the elytra) have pulled up, open and forward. The soft underwings which the ladybug actually uses for flight have unfolded and are flapping rapidly back and forth to maintain flight. The ladybugs wings beat at about 85 times per second.
More Detailed Ladybug Anatomy
Click to view Ladybug Morphology
If you want you take a really thorough look at ladybug anatomy, you will need to check out the Ladybug Morphology created by the entomologists over at Ladybirds of Australia website. This wonderful flash module will show you all the intricute parts of a ladybug with descriptions about what each part is.
Learn some great facts about ladybugs such as what they are, what they eat, where to find them and much more!
Ladybug Life Cycle
Ladybugs sure grow up fast. Like other beetles they have complex little lives. Learn the phases of a ladybug's life cycle here!
Ladybug for Pest Control
Ladybugs are renowned for their abilities to control a number of pests that eat our plants. Learn the facts about ladybugs & pest control here.
Learn how to attract ladybugs to your yard or property the natural way. On this page we have some info how to get these colorful little beauties to start showing up in your garden.


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Here's my current solution for doing it solo. It's a multi-step process, but not too challenging and not fatiguing on your body.
See photo below.
1. Hook up ropes (with loops about 1-2 foot or two apart).
2. Hook rubber straps with S-hooks to the wheels and then attach them to the ropes with good tension.
3. Go to the front of the boat and lift up. The tension from the rubber straps will automatically pull the wheels under the boat.
4. Then readjust the tension by hooking the rubber straps further up the rope.
5. Repeat until you're the wheels are as close to the side-stay connection points (boat's center of gravity) as possible.
6. It's best to ditch the rubber straps at this point and secure the wheels with rope. (Not doing so you'll find challenges as you're wheeling it down or up the beach because the rubber straps will stretch and will thus come out a ways from the center of gravity, making it difficult to maneuver.)
The key to solo-launching is to have the wheels directly at the center of gravity. It will make you chuckle with how easy it is to move the boat.


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No such restriction applies generally to the UFO people, however, because neither helmets nor other breathing equipment were seen in the majority of the sightings. Most of the UFO people of both races appear to be perfectly comfortable breathing
the air. This dilemma demands a set of circumstances consistent with the observations about wearing helmets; that is, some do, some don't.
The most significant aspect of this data is that large numbers of the UFO people can and do breathe the air. There can be no doubt that their biological system is based upon metabolism of oxygen, since no other atmospheric gas can serve this function. Their life energy must depend upon consumption of oxygen obtained through breathing combined with the chemical degradation of foods, in the manner of humans. Furthermore, the atmosphere that they are accustomed to breathing must contain oxygen, and the amount cannot be greatly different than on earth.
To pursue this inquiry further requires some technical details about gas mixtures and respiration. The oxygen content of air is about 21% based upon dry volume, and that proportion remains nearly constant at all altitudes up to about 25 miles. But the proportion of oxygen is not directly related to breathing. Man lives comfortably at sea level, but he cannot survive above 25,000 ft without supplemental oxygen. The molecular concentration of oxygen, or the pressure exerted by oxygen alone, at the higher altitudes becomes insufficient to transfer oxygen to the blood in the lungs. The important parameter that indicates the suitability for breathing is the partial pressure of oxygen. At sea level it is 159mm Hg. The minimum viable value for man is about 69 mm Hg. But there is no upper limit; man can breathe pure oxygen.
Although the UFO people have been seen wearing helmets that suggest a special gas mixture for respiration, there is no need to assume that they were compelled to do so. As pilots of craft that fly to extreme altitudes, they might habitually wear helmets and, in a few landings, merely fail to take them off. Simply seeing the helmets does not necessarily mean that the UFO people would be uncomfortable or possibly imperiled by breathing air. They could be accustomed to an atmosphere that is identical or very similar to that on earth. But many other explanations are possible.
Let it be supposed that the helmets are intended to supply a
special mixture of gases and, for the moment, explore the implications concerning only one gas, oxygen. If the partial pressure of oxygen that these people customarily breathe were less than on earth and their range of oxygen tolerance were comparable to man, then they should not have any difficulty in breathing ordinary air, relatively rich in oxygen for them, and helmets should not be required. On the other hand, if the partial pressure of oxygen in their native atmosphere were greater, than on earth, a distinct need for the helmets might arise. The difference would have to be substantial, say, by a factor of two or three times greater, before they would experience difficulty. Being acclimated to an oxygen-rich atmosphere, they would find the oxygen-poor atmosphere on earth to be troublesome. Helmets would be in order for extended exploration outside the craft; however, shorter excursions might be undertaken without them. In time, they might become adjusted to the earth's atmosphere and no longer need the helmets. For their native atmosphere to have a partial pressure of oxygen vastly greater than on earth is out of the question because they would then never be seen sans helmets. It appears that a native atmosphere containing oxygen at a partial pressure somewhat higher than on earth is at least compatible with the observations.
Unfortunately, this line of inquiry conflicts with another forceful implication of the data. As the dwarves are sometimes reported to have abnormally large chests, (47) they may have adapted to low concentrations of oxygen in their homeland as have the South American Indians who live in the Andean highlands. (48) It may be worth noting that this adaptation in South America has occurred in a short period of time compared to the millions of years usually associated with evolutionary changes. The penetration of homo sapiens into the Western hemisphere was initiated by Mongoloid people crossing the Bering Sea from Asia to North America about 11,500 years ago. They and their progeny spread gradually southward across the continent, reaching the northern portions of South America in a period of about 700 years, or about 10,800 years ago. (49) If a certain fraction of
these people having abnormally large chests preferentially sought out the mountain habitat and others did not, eons of time may have been taken in developing the chest. It seems much more reasonable to postulate that a typical group of immigrants by chance, found the mountains to their liking and settled there. In this case, the maximum time available for the adaptation to be achieved was only 10,800 years. Even less time would have been involved if the people first saturated more favorable locations before moving into the highlands by choice or when fleeing from the victors in tribal warfare.
One wonders if the sighting reports contain any clues that would aid in estimating the total atmospheric pressure in the homeland of the UFO people. Helmets might be used as part of a space suit to prevent caisson disease, also known as the bends, if their native pressure were much lower than the atmosphere on earth. A serious medical hazard arises when a person is exposed to nitrogen under increased pressure for an extended period. The blood absorbs more nitrogen than usual and, if decompression proceeds too rapidly, the blood releases it in the form of bubbles. To avoid distressing symptoms or death, the individual must be returned to his normal pressure in slow and controlled stages, allowing the excess nitrogen in the blood to be expelled gradually by the lungs. If the UFO people were accustomed to an atmosphere in which the pressure of nitrogen were much lower than on earth, one would rarely observe them without their helmets.
On the other hand, a native pressure considerably higher than one atmosphere would also require the use of a helmet but here the question reverts back to an adequate supply of oxygen as already discussed.
In summary, wearing of helmets on earth is not usually required and they may be worn more from personal preference than from necessity. The native atmosphere certainly contains oxygen but the available information is too sketchy to establish its partial pressure relative to that on earth. Neither can the total pressure be deduced. However, the partial pressure of oxygen
and the total pressure cannot be greatly different from 159 mm Hg and 14.7 psi, respectively.
Boots and Gloves
Footwear is seldom noted but two types have been recognized, namely, ordinary boots and a heelless shoe that is integral with the trousers, such as children's' "pajamas-with-the-feet-in- 'em." A robot-like being associated with a UFO was seen in Florida wearing thin, white gloves but the report does not suggest why. (50)
Footnotes: Chapter 8
1. Hynek, J. Allen, The UFO Experience, p.164, Regnery, 1972.


How Much Waste Does London Produce?
London is the most populous city in the UK, and, with over eight million residents, it produces a lot of pollution. The government has introduced multiple policies to improve the air quality and environment surrounding the capital city, such as the congestion charge. Whilst this aims to better the air quality, it doesn't do much to solve biological pollution made by waste.
How Much Rubbish Does London Make?
More than 18 million metric tonnes of waste are produced every year in the capital, and as the population increases, so will the amount of rubbish.
Of all the rubbish produced, roughly 9.7 million tonnes can be attributed to the construction and demolition industry, most of which can be recycled. For example, rubble can be transformed into aggregate and wood can be used to make new items such as furniture. Unfortunately, most construction waste continues to be sent to landfill where it takes many years to break down.
In addition to the 9.7 million tonnes of construction waste, five million tonnes of waste is produced from the commercial industry. Commercial waste relates to business rubbish and it can include everything from wrappers and paper to food waste and cardboard.
The final portion of waste produced in London is domestic/household waste. Just over 3.1 million metric tonnes of household waste are produced every year, with most of it being food waste and recyclable waste like cardboard, bottles and tins.
Where Does London's Waste Go?
Of the 18 million metric tonnes of waste produced in London, roughly 32% is recycled or composted. This is one of the lowest rates in the country. The good news is, this number is continually increasing and the government is aiming for 65% of London's waste to be recycled by 2030, but at present, a large proportion of waste is still going into landfill or incineration – both of which are detrimental to the environment.
In 2016 alone, 560,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions were produced from incinerating London's waste. It has the highest incineration rate of any local authority in the UK, and with more incineration plants set to open, the efforts to reduce air pollution will be in vain unless waste management is improved.
What are the Challenges of Waste Disposal in London?
Whilst more needs to be done to tackle waste management in London, it doesn't come without its challenges. Space in London properties comes at a premium, and a lot of households don't have adequate room to separate their rubbish. For example, people who live in blocks of flats commonly utilise rubbish chutes, but those chutes aren't usually used for recycling which leaves residents having to take their rubbish to designated bins on the street. Busy lifestyles and high-rise blocks or overflowing bins mean many people simply add their recycling into their general waste for ease.
Not only this, but a lot of material that could be recycled becomes too contaminated, resulting in it being disposed of with general waste. This often comes from a lack of awareness people have around recycling. It's not quite as easy at putting items that can be recycled into a recycling bin – if they are too soiled with food waste, they cannot be recycled.
In addition to this, there are no uniform rules regarding waste disposal in the UK, and different councils have different guidelines. This means what can be recycled in an E14 postcode cannot necessarily be recycled in a W14 postcode. This can be confusing for people who commute from one part of the city to the next, and mixing up rubbish can make it extremely difficult to sort and dispose of properly.
For commercial businesses, food waste is a problem. Uneaten and wasted food goes to landfill, and when it decomposes it produces methane which contributes to global warming. In fact, it's thought that more than 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the world are a direct result of food waste. London produces anywhere between 1.5 – 1.75 million metric tonnes of food waste every year. For reference, 1kg of wasted food totals 2.5kg of CO2. The issue arises when you begin to consider alternatives for disposing of items like food.
How to Tackle London's Waste Problems
Without overhauling the entire waste disposal system in London, there are several ways businesses and Londoners can begin to make a difference to London's waste problem. The first way is to try and live a less wasteful lifestyle; for example, not wasting as much food, donating unopened/uneaten food to those in need, and buying second-hand products/furniture and donating old items.
Another way to help with the waste issue is to dispose of rubbish responsibly. It's worth taking the time to separate your rubbish and cleaning out your recyclable items to reduce contamination. If you're unsure of how to dispose of items, get in contact with Central Junk.
We will responsibly get rid of items like rubble bags, tyres, general waste, furniture and appliances in an ethical and responsible way. Any items that are able to be re-used or enjoyed by someone else will be donated. We work across the Greater London area and are on hand to assist wherever you are, whenever you need us.
Simply get in touch today and help improve the way London deals with its waste production.


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Let's find possible answers to "Japanese emperor" crossword clue. First of all, we will look for a few extra hints for this entry: Japanese emperor. Finally, we will solve this crossword puzzle clue and get the correct word. We have 1 possible solution for this clue in our database.
- "Princess Ida" follow-up operetta, with "The"
- "Tit-Willow" opera (with "The")
- Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, with 'The'
- Ruler in a Gilbert and Sullivan title
- Gilbert and Sullivan operetta (with "The")
- The _, Gilbert and Sullivan work featuring Ko-Ko and Nanki-Poo
- Gilbert and Sullivan emperor


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The osmolality urine test the concentration of particles in urine. Osmolality (particles/kg water) and osmolarity (particles/liter of solution) are sometimes confused, but for dilute fluids such as urine they are essentially the same.
How the test is performed:
A "clean-catch" (midstream) urine sample is needed. For information on how to collect the sample, see clean catch urine culture.
How to prepare for the test:
Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any drugs that may interfere with the test. Drugs that can increase specific gravity measurements include dextran and sucrose.
Receiving intravenous dye (contrast medium) for an x-ray exam up to 3 days before the test can also interfere with results.
Eat a normal, balanced diet for several days before the test.
How the test will feel:
The test involves normal urination, and there is no discomfort.
Why the test is performed:
This test helps evaluate your body's water balance and urine concentration.
Osmolality is a more exact measurement of urine concentration than the urine specific gravity test.
Normal values are as follows:
- Random specimen: 50 to 1400 milliosmoles per kilogram (mOsm/kg)
- 12 to 14 hour fluid restriction: Greater than 850 mOsm/kg
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
What abnormal results mean:
Abnormal results are indicated as follows:
Greater-than-normal measurements may indicate:
Lower-than-normal measurements may indicate:
- Aldosteronism (very rare)
- Diabetes insipidus (rare)
- Excess fluid intake
- Kidney failure
Renal tubular necrosis
- Severe pyelonephritis
Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:
- Complicated UTI (pyelonephritis)
- High blood sodium level
- Low blood sodium level
- Excessive urination
Bazari H. Approach to the patient with renal disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 115.


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Saul Greenberg is a Faculty Professor and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Calgary. While he is a computer scientist by training, the work by Saul and his talented students typify the cross-discipline aspects of Human Computer Interaction, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, and Ubiquitous Computing. He and his crew are well known for their development of:
- toolkits enabling rapid prototyping of groupware and ubiquitous appliances;
- innovative and seminal system designs based on observations of social phenomenon;
- articulation of design-oriented social science theories, and
- refinement of evaluation methods.
Saul's research is well-recognized. He is an ACM Fellow, and has held the AITF/NSERC/Smart Technologies Industrial Chair in Interactive Technologies. He was elected to the ACM CHI Academy for his overall contributions to the field of Human Computer Interaction, and also received the Canadian Human Computer Communications Society Achievement Award and the ACM UIST Lasting Impact Award.
Saul has also consulted for various well-known companies as an Expert Witness involving patent infringement matters.
Saul is a prolific author who has authored and edited several books and published many refereed articles, available at his research web site. He is also known for his strong commitment in making his tools, systems, and educational material readily available to other researchers and educators.
Graduate Applicants: I have no openings at this time.
---- A slightly longer bio is also available.


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Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
Salticus species are typically marked with a black and white pattern, with some featuring transverse stripes, often gaining them the popular name "zebra spiders".
This one was on the Senna tree, a host plant for Sulphur butterflies.
Lat: 33.15, Long: -97.02
Spotted on Jun 13, 2012 Submitted on Jun 16, 2012


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A difference equation model for the dynamics of a semelparous size-structured species consisting of juvenile and adult individuals is derived and studied. The adult population consists of two size classes, a smaller class and a larger more fertile class. Negative feedback occurs through slowed juvenile growth due to increased total population levels during the developmental period and consequently a smaller adult size at maturation. Intra-specific competition coefficients are size dependent and measure the strength of intra-specific competition between juveniles and adults. It is shown that equilibrium states in which adults and juveniles occur together at all times are in general destabilized by significantly increased juvenile vs adults competition with the result that stable periodic cycles appear, in which the generations alternate in time and hence avoid competition. This result supports the tenet that intra-specific competition between juveniles and adults is destabilizing. Exceptions to this destabilization principle are found, however, in which populations exhibiting non-equilibrium, aperiodic dynamics can be equilibrated by increase competition between juveniles and adults. This occurs, for example, when adult fertility and competition coefficients are significantly size class dependent.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Environmental Science(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Computational Theory and Mathematics


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of clothing. The game is a minor part of porn culture in Japan, and other Asian countries after the influence of TV variety shows and Soft On Demand.
In the Philippines, the game is called jak-en-poy, from one of the Japanese names of the game, transliterated as jan-ken-pon. In a longer version of the game, a four-line song is sung, with hand gestures displayed at the end of each line: "Jack-en-poy! / Hali-hali-hoy! / Sino'ng matalo, / siya'ng unggoy!" ("Jack-en-poy! / Hali-hali-hoy! / Whoever loses is the monkey!") The person with the most wins at the end of the song, wins the game.
In the Singaporean version of the game, "scissors" is replaced by "bird," represented with the finger tips of five fingers brought together to form a beak. The open palm represents water. Bird beats water (by drinking it); stone beats bird (by hitting it); and stone loses to water (because it sinks in it).
Singapore also has a related hand-game called "ji gu pa," where "ji" refers to the bird gesture, "gu" refers to the stone gesture, and "pa" refers to the water gesture. The game is played by two players using both hands. At the same time, they both say, ji gu pa!" At "pa!" they both show two open-palmed hands. One player then changes his hand gestures while calling his new combination out (e.g., "pa gu!"). At the same time, the other player changes his hand gestures as well. If one of his hand gestures is the same as the other one, that hand is "out" and he puts it behind his back; he is no longer able to play that hand for the rest of the round. The players take turns in this fashion, until one player loses by having both hands sent "out." "Ji gu pa" is most likely a transcription of the Japanese names for the different hand gestures in the original jan-ken game, "choki" (scissors), "guu" (rock) and "paa" (paper).
Additional weapons
As long as the number of moves is an odd number and that each move defeats exactly half of the other moves while being defeated by the other half, any combination of moves will function as a game. For example, 5-, 7-, 9-, 11-, 15-, 25-, and 101-weapon versions exist Adding new gestures has the effect of reducing the odds of a tie, while increasing the complexity of the game. The probability of a tie in an odd-number-of-weapons game can be calculated based on the number of weapons n as 1/n, so the probability of a tie is 1/3 in RPS, 1/5 in RPSLS and 1/101 in RPS101.
Similarly, the French game "pierre, papier, ciseaux, puits" (stone, paper, scissors, well) is unbalanced; both the rock and scissors fall in the well and lose to it, while paper covers both rock and well. This means two "weapons", well and paper, can defeat two moves, while the other two weapons each defeats only one of the other three choices. This version is also played in some areas of Germany; it often adds "the bull " (which drinks the well empty, eats the paper, but gets stabbed by the scissors, and is crushed by the rock). The well is made by forming a circle with the thumb and index finger to show the opening of a stone well; the bull is made by making a fist but extending the little finger and index finger to show the bull's horns. In theory, "unbalanced" games are less random but more psychological, more closely resembling real world conflicts. However, games of this sort are popular more for novelty than for exploring such ideas.
One popular five-weapon expansion is "Rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock", invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, which adds "Spock" and "lizard" to the standard three choices. "Spock" is signified with the Star Trek Vulcan salute, while "lizard" is shown by forming the hand into a sock-puppet-like mouth. Spock smashes scissors and vaporizes rock; he is poisoned by lizard and disproven by paper. Lizard poisons Spock and eats paper; it is crushed by rock and decapitated by scissors. This variant was mentioned in a 2005 article of The Times and was later the subject of an episode of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory in 2008.
The majority of such proposed generalizations are isomorphic to a simple game of modulo arithmetic, where half the differences are wins for player one. For instance, rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock may be modeled as a game in which each player picks a number from one to five. Subtract the number chosen by player two from the number chosen by player one modulo 5. Player one is the victor if the difference is one or two, and player two is the victor if the difference is three or four. If the difference is zero, the game is a tie.
See also
- Matching pennies, the binary equivalent.
- Morra (game) - Another hand game for deciding trivial matters
- Simultaneous action selection
- Nontransitive dice
- "Game Basics". Retrieved 2009-12-05.
- St. John, Kelly (2003-03-19). "Ready, set... Roshambo! Contestants vie for $1,000 purse in Rock, Scissors, Paper contest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
- Fisher, Len (2008). Rock, paper, scissors: game theory in everyday life. Basic Books. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-465-00938-1.
- Moore, Michael E.; Sward, Jennifer (2006). Introduction to the game industry. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 535. ISBN 978-0-13-168743-1.
- Linhart, Sepp (1995). "Some Thoughts on the Ken Game in Japan: From the Viewpoint of Comparative Civilization Studies". Senri Ethnological Studies 40: 101–124. hdl:10502/750.
- Linhart, Sepp (1995). "Rituality in the ken game". Ceremony and Ritual in Japan. London: Routledge. pp. 38–41. ISBN 9780415116633.
- Sosnoski, Daniel (2001). Introduction to Japanese culture. Rutland: Tuttle. p. 44. ISBN 9780804820561.
- Linhart, Sepp (1998). Ken no bunkashi. Tokyo: shoten Kadokawa. ISBN 4-04-702103-2.
- Ogawa, Dennis M. (1978). Jan Ken Po: The World of Hawaii's Japanese Americans. Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press.
- 長田須磨・須山名保子共編 (1977.4). 『奄美方言分類辞典』上巻. Tokyo: Kasama shoin. ASIN B000J8V5WU.
- In Korea the name of the game, Kai Bai Bo, or Kawi Bawi Bo, translates as "scissors, rock, cloth".
- After the Rome correspondent of a British paper described the traditional Italian hand-game of morra, which has some similarities to rock-paper-scissors, a brief correspondence began on the subject. One contributor described a game he had seen played in Mediterranean ports, called 'zot' or 'zhot', which was clearly identical with the modern "Rock-paper-scissors":'In this game the closed fist represents a stone, the open hand with fingers outstretched paper, and the closed fist with two fingers outstretched scissors...The players stand facing one another, and commence playing simultaneously by raising and lowering the right arm three times rapidly, coming to rest with the fist in any of the three above-mentioned positions. If you keep your fist closed and your opponent flings open his hand then you lose, as paper wraps up stones, and so on.' The Times. 1 March 1924. p. 15. Letter to the editor, from Paymaster Lieutenant G.L.P. Garwood, R.N.
- The Times. 6 March 1924. p. 8.: Letter to the editor, from Miss F.C.Pringle
- Gerard Fairlie, Scissors Cuts Paper, Hodder and Stoughton, (1927)
- La Vie au patronage. January 1927. p. 73.: "Jeux actifs et mi-actifs pouvant être joués en classe."
- New York Times, May 22, 1932 - The New York Times Magazine, article by Marion May Dilts: "COMMUTING WITH TOKYO'S SUBURBANITES; Their Morning Ritual Is Characteristically Japanese, but In Their Mode of Travel There Is Western Technique"
- Knoll, Byron. "Rock Paper Scissors Programming Competition". Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- Dance, Gabriel and Jackson, Tom (2010-10-07). "Rock-Paper-Scissors: You vs. the Computer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- "First International RoShamBo Programming


text:
Indonesia, biomass, renewable energy, agricultural residue, energy production
Indonesia has great potential of biomass sources from their agricultural residue, which can potentially be used for alternative energy generation. This preliminary research explores the most suitable technology for energy generation from agricultural residue and its challenge for application in Indonesia. The study showed that biomass utilization via the direct combustion process is recommended for energy generation. It is also reported that the pretreatment process of drying and washing, are required to increase the fuel quality and plant efficiency.
Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering | Energy Systems | Heat Transfer, Combustion | Oil, Gas, and Energy
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State
Irhamna, Adrian Rizqi, "Potential Energy Generation from Agricultural Residue in Indonesia" (2020). English Language Institute. 37.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
For an accessible version of this document, email request containing a link to this page to _EMAIL_.


text:
24 January 2012
Advanced technology ics cut all current paths to achieve zero power drain in standby
With standby power consumption representing a significant proportion of electricity consumed around the world, standards for no load performance are tightening. For example, the European Commission's Energy-related Products (ErP) Directive Tier 1, which permitted a no load consumption of 0.5W for products manufactured in 2010, was tightened in 2011 to 300mW for adapters with an output less than 51W.
When energy use standards were initially developed, targets were set at the levels achievable using the best technology available at the time. However, recent developments in switch mode power supply ic technology have enabled standby consumption levels much lower than the mandated requirements.
IEC 62301 describes zero standby as 'power dissipation below 5mW'. Achieving zero watt standby power is therefore realistic and achievable.
To meet the zero standby challenge, each section of the power supply must be optimised, saving a few mW with each adjustment. Two areas of power supply performance to consider are consumption under very low load and consumption under no load.
Low load or standby conditions apply when the power supply is still active and must provide a regulated output. No load typically relates to power adapters or chargers when the load is disconnected, but the adapter is left plugged into the mains. These conditions present different challenges.
The goal of the 65W power supply shown in Figure 1 was to produce a very compact notebook adapter that operates at high efficiency, has a low parts count, provides excellent load response, has latching overvoltage protection and derates the mosfet switch to 80% for ultimate reliability. The design provides a 3.42A, 19V output at an efficiency of more than 86%, yet achieves a no load consumption of <90mW at 230V ac.
It uses a TOPSwitch-JX controller and driver IC (U1) from Power Integrations. TOPSwitch-JX devices maintain virtually constant efficiency across a wide load range without using special operating modes. However, when the goal is to achieve sub 100mW no load consumption, every opportunity to save power must be exploited. Major contributions can be made at the line sensing network and input filter, although there are other opportunities.
Line sense resistors (R3 and R4) provide a line condition input to U1 and the required minimum bias current of 25µA. While the standard value for these resistors is 4MO, this results in a power drain of 30mW at 230V ac. By increasing line sensing resistance to 10.2MO, this power dissipation is reduced to 16mW. This required a further resistor to provide additional bias current and maintain the same line undervoltage threshold.
Resistors R7, R8, and R9 reduce the external current limit of U1 as the line voltage increases. This allows the supply to limit the output power to <100VA at high line, while still delivering the rated output power at low line, and to provide a nearly constant output over load power level with changing line voltages.
The clamp network limits the peak drain voltage spike caused by leakage inductance to less than the saturated drain-source breakdown voltage rating of the TOPSwitch-JX's mosfet. Under light or no load conditions, the leakage inductance energy and switching frequency are lower. In a standard RCD clamp, capacitor C4 is discharged and recharged each cycle, wasting a significant amount of energy. The RZCD arrangement solves this by preventing the voltage across the capacitor discharging below a minimum value (defined by VR2) and therefore minimising clamp dissipation.
High current rating, low Vf Schottky rectifier diodes were selected to reduce diode loss and improve efficiency. The snubber network (C12, R15) dampens ringing across the diodes and reduces high frequency conducted and radiated noise.
To minimise the dissipation of the secondary side feedback circuit, a high gain optocoupler was selected, with Q2 added to form a Darlington connection with U3B. This reduced the feedback current on the secondary to 1mA.
Eliminating power waste
Filtering at the ac input is provided by common mode inductors L3 and L4, an X class capacitor C1 provides differential filtering and resistors R1 and R2 provide a path for C1 to discharge. These resistors are undesirable because they dissipate 12mW at 230V ac.
Subsequent to the supply's design, PI introduced the CAPZero ic that eliminates this source of wasted power. Each CAPZero integrates a loss of ac detector and back to back mosfets. When the ac input voltage is present, CAPZero remains off, blocking current flow in the discharge path and eliminating power losses. When the ac is removed, it turns on, switching in the resistors and allowing discharge of the input filter capacitance.
In the design example, the line sense resistor values have been increased as far as possible to minimise dissipation. However, they still draw significant energy from the mains, regardless of whether U1 is operational or static. In high power applications, there may be several paths between high voltage rails; for example, feed forward or feedback signal paths connected to boost controllers in power factor correction (PFC) systems. The power drain through these paths can be eliminated with the use of a SENZero device.
SENZero comprises two or three 650V mosfets with internal gate drive and protection circuitry. The control circuitry provides gate drive to the mosfets in response to the voltage at the Vcc pin. In a typical application, the mosfets are connected in series with resistor paths running from the high voltage dc rail to 0V or to the controller. SENZero has a typical on state resistance of 500O at room temperature, a small percentage of the high value resistors typically used.
When the system enters standby, Vcc falls and gate drive is removed from the mosfets. The mosfets then switch to high impedance and isolate the current paths from the high voltage dc rail. Power losses are consequently reduced to less than 500µW per channel.
Washing on standby
Figure 2 illustrates how ultra low standby power could be implemented in a white goods application – in this case, a washing machine.
The system is put into standby by a power down pulse from the control circuitry. LinkZero-AX stops switching and remains in a quiescent state. A CAPZero device at the ac mains input isolates the X capacitor discharge resistor. A SENZero device isolates the line sense and zero crossing resistors from the power line, which still has ac mains applied. When LinkZero-AX is woken up, it starts switching and brings up the regulated Vcc. The Vcc voltage applied to SENZero triggers it to switch on the two internal mosfets. These feed the line sense and zero crossing signals to the control circuitry, ready for the microcontroller to reboot and assume control. While in standby, the system consumes less than 5mW.
Now 0W in standby is technically feasible, the standards authorities and major OEMs around the world are sure to take note and could make 0W the new standard.
Edward Ong is Power Integrations' product marketing manager for energy saving devices.
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text:
International Year 2008
The United Nations (UN) dedicates an entire calendar year to focus on particular topics or themes. Many countries actively participate in promoting these years.
timeanddate.com has list of "International Year" events allocated to an entire calendar year for 2008. Global organizations, such as the United Nations (UN), organized these events to raise public awareness on major global issues and to encourage international action.
The events for 2008 include:
- The International Year of Languages.
- The International Year of Planet Earth.
- The International Year of the Potato.
- The International Year of Sanitation.
Many countries worldwide celebrated these events.


text:
What Does Fox Scat Look Like?
Because foxes are nocturnal and avoid people, homeowners typically discover fox poop long before catching a glimpse of the animal itself. Fox scat can look like scat of other pests, so proper identification is important. Fox droppings are similar to coyote scat, only smaller. Usually, their feces are tan or brown and about two to three inches long with pointy ends. A fox's variable diet affects the look of its feces, so waste may contain bones, hair, insects, and pieces of fruit or seeds.
Hazards of Fox Feces
While foxes themselves can spread diseases like rabies and mange, contact with their droppings is equally as dangerous. It is not unusual for fox scat to contain tapeworms and roundworms. Additionally, these parasites and their eggs contaminate the soil beneath fox poop, as well. In addition to carrying a number of diseases that can infect people and pets, foxes may become aggressive if threatened. If you suspect a fox has taken residence on your property, Contact Us at Critter Control of Salt Lake City for professional removal!


text:
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|Title:||Isomaltulose production using free and immobilized Serratia plymuthica cells|
|Author:||Orsi, Daniela Castilho|
Sato, Helia Harumi
|Abstract:||Isomaltulose is a low cariogenic sweetener used as a substitute for sucrose in the food industry. In this study, isomaltulose production by Serratia plymuthica ATCC 15928 was performed using free and immobilized cells. Response Surface Methodology was employed to evaluate the influence of temperature, wet cell mass concentration and sucrose concentration during the conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose by free cells. After 2 h of reaction time in shake flasks, a high production of isomaltulose (85.23%) was obtained with a temperature of 25ºC, wet cell mass of 20% (w/v) and sucrose solution of 25% (w/v). The free cells were reused during seven successive batches and resulted in efficient isomaltulose conversion between 83.74 and 67.37%. The production of isomaltulose by immobilized cells in calcium alginate was studied in a packed bed bioreactor during seven days in a continuous process. A conversion yield of sucrose into isomaltulose between 81.26 and 70.89% was obtained, using immobilized cells in calcium alginate SynthÒ 2% (w/v), sucrose solution of 35% (w/v), wet cell mass of 30% (w/v) and temperature of 25ºC. The conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose remained high using free cells and using immobilized cells in calcium alginate during the period of execution of the experiments|
|Appears in Collections:||FEA - Artigos e Outros Documentos|
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text:
A low-cost catalyst to produce hydrogen, which could make clean energy cheaper
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed an inexpensive catalyst, sodium cobalt metaphosphate, to produce hydrogen from water. Hydrogen is a clean energy source used in fuel cells. Sleek vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells have just started entering the market. The IISc scientists' invention could be a major step in making fuel cells more affordable.
Typically, ruthenium and platinum are the catalysts used to generate hydrogen from water. These catalysts are quite expensive, but without them the reaction would be slow. Sodium cobalt metaphosphate, which the IISc team has developed, is just as effective a catalyst as ruthenium and platinum, but costs only a fraction as these.
"The material cost [of the sodium cobalt metaphosphate catalyst] is over two hundred times less than the current state-of-the-art ruthenium dioxide catalyst, and the reaction rate is also faster," Ritambhara Gond, a doctoral candidate at the Materials Research Centre at IISc, said in a press release.
According to a paper co-authored by Gond, published this March in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the high reaction rate could be due to a "chemical couple" between the catalyst and the carbon used in the reaction. Gond says that the catalyst can also be used over multiple cycles because it shows "high stability" even after the reaction.
A gel to protect farmers from pesticides
Researchers at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (InStem) in Kodigehalli have developed a gel that can protect farmers from the side effects of organophosphate pesticides. Organophosphate pesticides are very commonly used in India. While effective at killing insects, these can also harm humans and even cause death.
Farmers are exposed to these pesticides through the skin, and many report experiencing pain after spraying these. According to a paper by the InStem team, published last October in the journal Science Advances, these pesticides inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which causes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to accumulate. This in turn can lead to neurological disorders, paralysis, and suffocation.
A common way to prevent exposure is to use protective equipment like suits and gloves, but these are not used in India due to discomfort and inconvenience given the climate here. Hence the researchers wanted to develop a chemical that would deactivate pesticides on the skin before they entered the body.
They developed 'poly-Oxime gel' that can be used on the skin. Lab tests showed that rats on which the gel was applied, did not show any symptoms of poisoning when exposed to the pesticides. But when exposed to pesticides without gel application, they died.
"At present, we are conducting extensive safety studies in animals which will be completed in four months. Subsequently we plan a pilot study in humans to demonstrate the efficacy of the gel," Dr Praveen Kumar Vemula, a senior member of the research team was quoted in India Science Wire.
Materials that are superconductive at room temperature
IISc researchers have found that gold films with silver nanoparticles embedded in them display superconductive properties at room temperature.
Superconductors are substances that conduct electricity with no resistance to the flow of electrons, at a certain temperature called the critical temperature. The critical temperature for most conventional metallic superconductors is notoriously low – around -253°C – making their practical use difficult. Superconductors are used to make very powerful electromagnets, which find application in Maglev trains, particle accelerators, Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) machines and so on.
The IISc team tested 125 samples of thin films of silver nanoparticles embedded in a gold matrix, and found 10 of these to be superconductive. According to their paper published this May at arxiv.org, more of the samples displayed superconductivity when exposure to oxygen was minimised.
The team also found that increasing the concentration of silver and reducing the exposure of the film to the atmosphere increased the temperature at which superconductivity was exhibited. The material displayed superconductivity at temperatures as high as 77°C – over 300 degrees higher than the critical temperature of metallic conductors!
"If this [result] is correct, it would be the greatest work done in India since the discovery of Raman effect," physicist and IISc professor T V Ramakrishnan was quoted as saying in The Hindu.
A natural potential-cure for pancreatic cancer
A team of researchers at InStem have found that Urolithin A (Uro A), a compound found in pomegranate, reduces the size of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors.
PDAC is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide, and the third leading cause in the United States. Often diagnosed at an advanced stage, only nine percent of patients survive five years beyond diagnosis.
InStem team's paper published by this February in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, says that traditional chemotherapy involving the drug gemcitabine has not been very effective against PDAC.
The paper states that the team had based its research on the fact that there is an inverse relationship between berry consumption (pomegranates, strawberries, black raspberries) and PDAC occurrence. The correlation is likely due to chemicals named ellagitannins in berries.
In the body, ellagitannins are broken down to form ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is further metabolised to form Urolithin A, B, and C. Of these, Urolithin A is responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ellagitannins; it blocks the oncogenic pathways in PDAC cells.
The team genetically engineered mice that would develop PDAC and would mimic the effects of the disease in humans. The mice developed an invasive form of the cancer within four and a half weeks, and were given treatment at four weeks. The mice that were given Uro A had a higher overall survival rate compared to those that weren't treated.
These breakthroughs show that Bengaluru scientists are well making their mark among the global scientific community.


text: Cases of adult renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid features have been reported in the literature, usually in association with conventional clear cell and papillary tumors. Till date, only one report described chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid differentiation. We report a case of a 47-year-old male patient that underwent a routine medical check-up. Computer tomography scan revealed a large heterogeneous mass in the left kidney, multiple nodular changes in the lungs and multiple enlarged lymph nodes. On microscopic examination of the left nephrectomy specimen, 65 % of the kidney tumor was comprised of rhabdoid foci and the rest of the tumor showed eosinophilic areas consistent with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. Final diagnosis was chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid differentiation. Behavior of these tumors in adults is more aggressive, demands more aggressive treatment and has poor prognosis. Therefore, rhabdoid differentiation should be recognized in this type of carcinoma and mentioned in the pathohistology report.


An Introduction To Infrared (IR) Photography
without comments
Infrared (IR) photography allows you to turn a simple shot into an other-worldly scene. Plants and trees turn bright white, while skies and water darken considerably.
summertime blues infrared image
summertime blues by mugley on flickr (licensed CC-BY-SA)
The sun puts out a lot of infrared light, as well as visible light. By using a camera that is sensitive to infrared and a filter that blocks the visible light, we end up with an infrared photo.
We are not talking about taking photos with cameras that are sensitive to infrared heat radiation, like police helicopters use to find people hiding at night. But rather, photos taken using what is technically termed as near infrared light. This infrared light is reflected from objects, just like visible light, but we can't see it.
Since we can't see infrared light, the world in infrared looks very different. Most plants and trees reflect a lot of infrared light, which is why they look so bright in infrared photos. Water and the sky does not reflect much infrared light, and so they appear much darker.
To take an infrared photo, you'll need a camera that is sensitive to infrared light, and a filter that passes infrared light while blocking visible light.
Cameras suitable for infrared photography
Nearly all digital cameras come with a built-in infrared blocking filter. However, on some older models, this filter was not very strong, and so still let through some infrared light.
You can test if your camera is sensitive to infrared light by taking a photo while pointing a TV remote at the camera lens. TV remotes use an infrared LED to send an infrared signal to the TV. So by pressing a button on the remote while pointing it at the camera, the remote will emit infrared light.
Take the photo in a dark spot, so it will be clear if the camera is picking up infrared light from the TV remote.
Photo of a TV remote with a button on the remote pressed and pointed at the camera
The camera that took this photo is clearly sensitive to IR light as it has picked up the light from the TV remote's infrared LED
If your camera is not sensitive to infrared light, you can purchase infrared cameras, or have an existing camera modified to shoot infrared. A well known company that converts existing cameras to infrared is Life Pixel. The cost of conversion is around $250.
You can find cameras already converted to infrared for sale on eBay, for example from the seller Digital Landscapes. Alternatively, you can purchase an old camera that has not been converted, but is still sensitive to infrared light. Popular cameras are the Nikon D70 and some of the old Sony Cybershot models.
Sigma DSLRs are particularly suitable for infrared photography, as they feature a user removable infrared cut filter. The camera can easily be converted back to a normal camera by just putting the infrared cut filter back again.
Converted IR vs. Full spectrum vs. IR sensitive
There are some differences between a camera that is sensitive to infrared light, one that has been converted specially for infrared photography, and one that is a full spectrum camera.
Full spectrum cameras
A full spectrum camera is one that has no blocking filters installed, and so captures ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. This means it can be used for ultraviolet photography, normal (visible light) photography, and infrared photography when used with the appropriate filter.
Black plastic wrapped haybales in infrared
Black plastic wrapped haybales in infrared by David Kennard Photography
But you need to fit the correct filter to the front of the camera's lens to block the wavelengths of light you don't want to capture, while passing the wavelengths of light you do want to capture. So for capturing infrared photographs, you would need to purchase an infrared filter, and mount it in front of the camera's lens.
The main problem with this is that there is an additional expense of the infrared filter. If the camera uses a through the lens optical viewfinder (most DSLRs), then you won't be able to see anything through the viewfinder with an infrared filter attached.
Converted infrared cameras
With a converted infrared camera, the infrared cut filter which is normally attached in front of the sensor, is removed. In its place is put a visible light cut and infrared pass filter.
Color infrared photo taken with a infrared converted digital camera.
Iridescent. by digitalpimp. on flickr (licensed CC-BY-ND)
The benefit of this is that you don't need to use any additional infrared filters in front of the camera's lens, as the filter is already installed in the camera. For cameras with through the lens optical viewfinders, it means the viewfinder is not affected at all. So you can still see through the viewfinder as you did before.
The disadvantage is that you can't change the filter. (We'll come on to different strengths of infrared filter a bit later). The camera becomes a permanent infrared camera, and can't be used for anything else.
Infrared sensitive cameras
Infrared sensitive cameras are those that have an infrared cut filter installed, but the filter isn't very strong and still lets some infrared light through. They are not modified in any way.
The disadvantage of these cameras is that because they have the infrared cut filter still installed, they are not as sensitive to infrared light as a full spectrum or converted infrared camera. You will need to use longer shutter speeds to gather enough light, and probably require a tripod.
Photo taken with a camera sensitive to infrared light and an infrared filter
The other problem is the same as with full spectrum cameras - you need to attach an infrared filter to the front of the lens to record infrared photos. This means that you can't see through the viewfinder with an IR filter attached when using a camera with a through the lens optical viewfinder.
The good point is that the camera can be used as a normal camera with no extra filters needed. If you already have a camera that is sensitive to infrared light, this is the cheapest way to get into infrared photography since it only requires an infrared filter.
Infrared filter types
Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, and is measured by its wavelength in nanometers. Visible light is around 400 nm (purple) to 750 nm (red). Cameras sensitive to infrared light are normally sensitive to light up to around a wavelength of 1000 nm.
For capturing infrared photographs, there are filters that have various cut-off points. Some filters capture only infrared light (above 750 nm), while others capture some visible and infrared light. Those that pass infrared light only cannot capture any color (since we can't see infrared), so are used to produce black and white images.
Infrared filters that let through some visible red light as well can be used to produce false color infrared photos. This is usually done by swapping the red and blue channels of a photo using photo editing software.
Probably the most popular filters for infrared photography are those that cut visible light below 720 nm. This produces a photo captured with a portion of visible red light, but mostly infrared light. An example of an infrared filter that cuts visible light below 720 nm is the Hoya R72 filter.
Photo taken with a Hitech Infrared filter, blocking light with a wavelength below 720 nm
A red 25A filter cuts light with a wavelength shorter than 580 nm. This produces images with more visible red color, which allows for stronger colors in the captured image.
Photo taken with 25A Red filter, blocking light with a wavelength below 580 nm
A pure infrared filter, like the B+W 093 blocks all visible light. These filters typically only transmit light with a wavelength longer than 800-900 nm. Because they capture no color information, they are good for strong black and white infrared photos.
Photo taken with a Lee infrared filter, blocking light with a wavelength below approx 780 nm
What makes a good infrared photograph?
The same guidelines that apply to standard photography also apply to infrared photography. Look for a good composition, and make sure your subject is clear.
There are some differences though. The contrast between subjects can be quite different in infrared. Plants by water can create a strong contrast (white foliage against dark water). Clouds also really pop out against the dark sky in infrared photos.
For this reason, shots of rivers and lakes can work very well in infrared. Sunny days where fluffy clouds float across the sky are also very good for infrared photography.
Fluffy clouds against a blue sky, great for infrared photography
Reach by Kyle May on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
Unlike normal photography, sunrise and sunset are not particularly special (they're not bad either though). Shooting during the harsh light of the middle of the day is fine for infrared photography.
Infrared photos of people can also be quite interesting. Skin takes on a much paler tone, with very little color.
Group IR portrait!
Group IR portrait! by Mad Wraith on flickr (licensed CC-BY)
How to process a false color infrared photo
An infrared photo that includes some color information will normally appear quite red. To create a false color infrared photo, with a blue sky, you can switch the blue and red channels. This process is described in the video below:
Switching the color channels relies on the Channel Mixer tool. This is included with most image editing software, but is missing from Photoshop Elements. If you use Photoshop Elements, you will need to download and install the Channel Mixer as an add-on. It can be downloaded for free as part of Grant's Tools from the Photoshop Elements and more website.
Infrared photography may not be to everyone's taste, but it does give you a chance to show the world in a different light (literally). If you want to give it a try without spending on a converted camera, I would suggest


the corresponding flight tasks can't be observed directly. The observable interactions can be associated with one or more than one task. A task can also be temporarily interrupted by other tasks and be continued later. This means we can observe sequences of interactions which were created by one or more tasks.
3.4.3 Monitoring Behaviour Adequacy Assessment
In order to assess the pilots' adequacy of monitoring behaviour, we use an attention supply-demand model (ASDM) for the assessment of the demand for attention of atomic information elements and the overall monitoring behaviour adequacy. In the ASDM, the pilots are considered as attention suppliers, and the information elements that can be attended to via the cockpit displays are considered as attention demanders. The pilots can supply visual attention to the displays in order to satisfy the demand for attention of associated information elements. For example, by supplying visual attention to the Primary Flight Display, the pilots can satisfy the demand for attention of information elements, such as current speed. The demand for attention of information elements depends on their relevance in context of the situation (pertinent tasks) and their attendedness. The relevance level represents the relevance of an information element in context of a given set of pertinent tasks at a specific point in time. The attendedness level derives from the ratio between the actual neglect time of an information element and the maximum neglect time of an information element. The demand for attention of an information element depends on these two parameters. Monitoring behaviour is considered as adequate if the demand for attention of information elements is low and inadequate if their demand for attention is high.
3.4.4. Situation Awareness Assessment
In the A-PiMod project, we focus on the assessment of the levels 1 and 2 of Situation Awareness as defined in Endsley's model. Level 1 SA is covered by the introduced approach for assessing the demand for attention of atomic information elements, and by the approach for assessing the pilot's monitoring behaviour adequacy.
Level 2 SA is covered by a set-based approach, which is adopted from Tversky's (1977) ratio model similarity function. This function allows comparing entities represented as vectors of Boolean features. We apply this measure to assess the fitness between what pilots should do and what they are actually doing. What the pilots should do is determined by the current distribution of pertinent cockpit level tasks. This information is provided by the TDis@CL module. What the pilots are actually doing is driven by their intentions. This information is provided by the CSI module's intention inference.
3.5 Task Distribution at Cockpit Level (TDis@CL)
The TDis@CL module is responsible for the selection of a suitable distribution of cockpit level tasks among the human crew and the automation. The Task Distribution at Cockpit Level proposes distributions of the pertinent cockpit level tasks among the individual agents (human crew members and automation). Thereby, restrictions of the tasks, preferences, taskload, strengths and weaknesses of the agents are considered. Different distribution strategies have already been proposed (first attempts go back to 1950s (Fitts, 1951)) and commented in deliverable D2.2. These strategies give some general ideas how tasks could be distributed between the human crew and the automation, with some respect to strengths and weaknesses of the agents. Our approach is to rely on cockpit level risk assessments that are associated with possible task distributions and select that task distribution that is associated with the lowest calculated risk. The cockpit level risk is an evaluation of the risk associated with the current task distribution for achieving the cockpit level tasks assigned to the cockpit. TDis@CL looks for the task distribution that minimizes that risk. If an appropriate task distribution, with an acceptable risk level, cannot be found, than the current cockpit levels tasks cannot be executed safely by the cockpit, which means that the current mission cannot be flown safely. This should mandate a mission modification (e.g. divert to alternate airport), because the cockpit cannot cope with the demand.
The TDis@CL module works in close cooperation with the RA@CL module. Basically, the module produces for a given list of pertinent cockpit level tasks all possible task distributions between the available agents. The RA@CL module produces for each possible task distribution a list of risks and forwards this list to the TDis@CL module. The TDis@CL module checks the results of the risk assessment and selects that task distribution that is associated with the lowest calculated risk. This is done by the Task Distribution Selector.
The TDis@CL module will also receive data from the Mission level-Cockpit level Management Display if a pilot modifies a task distribution manually. The modified task distribution is interpreted as some preference for agent assignment for tasks. For each task from a manually edited task distribution the Task Distribution Selector will respect this information for following task distributions as long as a task stays pertinent. When a task is no longer pertinent the agent assignment preferences are reset. If no preferences are available for a task the Task Distribution module will try to assign it at first to a human agent, under the condition that a human agent is able to fulfil this task. An exception is made if the criticality of a task exceeds a certain threshold. In that case the Task Distribution Selector tries to intervene by immediately choosing a task distribution where the concerned task is assigned to the automation.
3.6 Risk Assessment at Cockpit Level (RA@CL)
The primary scope of the RA@CL module is the calculus of risks threatening the successful completion of tasks at cockpit level. After receiving from the TDis@CL module all possible tasks distributions for the execution of the specific mission, the RA@CL module assesses them with a prospective and dynamic approach to extract the best one from a risk point of view (i.e. the one with the minor probability of an erroneous performance). The underlying methodology pursues a prospective approach, assessing the error propensity of not fulfilling a task distribution, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses, and considering organisational, technical, environmental and human factors. Moreover, the RA@CL is dynamic since it is based on variables changing in time evaluated on current conditions.
4 Multimodal Interaction
4.1 Mission and Cockpit Level Management Display (MCD)
The Mission and Cockpit Level Management Display (MCD) is a central component of the A-PiMod project, as it provides access to several functions of the investigated team-centred concepts for pilot-automation interaction. The MCD runs on a Microsoft Surface tablet. The MCD consists of a dedicated mission level view (top) and a cockpit level view (bottom). The display is shown in Figure 5.
In the mission level view, pilots can monitor the mission status in terms of risks and activate alternative missions if the risk for a mission turns out to high. In the upper row, the MCD provides information about departure airport, current flight phase and destination. Next, there is overall risk information. Below that, the display provides information about the risks of the current mission and – when requested – of one alternative mission. The risk of the current mission is shown on the left, the possible alternatives in the middle and the risk of the alternative on the right. In the current implementation, five different risk states are possible. These states are color-coded from green (non-critical) to red (critical).
On the cockpit level view, the MCD supports the management of tasks that are associated to the current mission. This includes, e.g. an overview of the pertinent tasks and the distribution of these tasks between the pilots and the automation. Tasks assigned to the crew are shown on the left; tasks assigned to automation are shown on the right. When selecting a task, a button appears to move it to the other agent. Above the list of task, the risk associated with this task distribution is given. On the left, the interface provides buttons to control which tasks are shown (all task – only non-obvious tasks – only critical tasks). On the bottom, the interface provides buttons to accept or reject the modification made to the task distribution. If changes to the task distribution are made, the Task Distribution component will considers these for following calculations of possible task distributions.
The MCD implements two strategies to augment a pilot's monitoring performance during flight. On the one hand, a notification is issued by the MCD to prompt an inattentive pilot to check certain information sources if DFA-scores fall below a defined threshold. In the current implementation, five different escalation states are possible. Similar to the risk states in the mission level view, the escalation states are color-coded from green (non-critical) to red (critical). The displayed colour represents the escalation state of the information source with the currently highest DFA-score. On the other hand, a pilot can always enter a view showing the current DFA-scores for each information source (see Figure6). The view can be entered by pressing the button labelled ">" next to the task label named "Monitor". The feedback view allows the pilot to get feedback on demand, e.g. in situations where there is less to do in the cockpit. The view shows a bar for each information source. The length and the colour of a bar represent the DFA-score of the associated information source.
4.2 Multimodal Interaction Manager
The Multimodal Interaction Manager realizes an interaction loop between pilot and aircraft systems. It interprets the meaning of multimodal events, plans adaptation, processes multimodal output strategies and then execute the output through multiple output modalities. It consists of Multimodal data fusion, Multimodal input interpreter, and Multimodal output processor. As input data sources, Cursor Control Device (CCD), Multifunctional Keyboard (MKB), speech and object under the cursor were used. As multimodal output, response in navigation display has been implemented.
4.2.1 Multimodal data fusion
The Multimodal data fusion takes separated data


text:
By Teis Jorgensen (ideas42)
Proper subway etiquette is lacking in New York, and the MTA (Metro Transit Authority) has responded with Courtesy Counts, an ad campaign prescribing social norms for good behavior on the subway. As revealed in last week's post, similar ad campaigns have been tried across the globe for decades, yet the problems persist: people still crowd the doors, lean on the poles and spread their legs across several seats. So why do these social norming campaigns seem so ineffective?
In order for these campaigns to change behavior, people must (1) be aware of the norm and (2) feel urged to follow the norm. When asked why the campaign isn't working, most New Yorkers quickly gravitate toward the first reason: a businessman remarked, "Are people really reading [the posters]? They don't catch the eye;" a worker for the MTA agreed, saying, "If more people saw them, they'd work more."
The idea that more information leads to more action underlies many efforts to fix a behavioral problem. The problem with this theory is that people don't always translate their knowledge of what they should do into action. If they did, we'd all be celery-munching marathon runners with perfect self-control, and I would have found a nice image to break up the text here.
The truth is that knowing about a social norm and actually following that social norm are far from the same thing. The MTA's current strategy for making people care about norms relies heavily on people's intrinsic desire to be courteous. Their slogan, "be someone who makes it a better ride for everyone," is effective as long as people wish to be perceived as courteous. For this reason, the campaign enjoys some success—for example, by teaching self-conscious people (like me) who wish to be courteous that removing a backpack during rush hour can help save space.
On the other hand, the greatest limitation to the success of an etiquette campaign is that people must be attentive: attentive to the message and attentive to their behavior. Therefore, even if commuters successfully internalize the messages of the campaign, they may not change their behavior, because they are not mindful of their actions. In fact, we all suffer from limited attention – so although I may have the best intentions to remain courteous, I may not give up my seat to a pregnant or elderly person simply because I fail to notice her presence.
Therefore, although we may be able to improve a social norming campaign in myriad ways – better poster design, catchier messaging, greater visibility of ads, increased social accountability, etc. – these adjustments may not be enough to overcome people's inattention. So perhaps the MTA should instead focus their efforts on creating nudges that encourage good behavior without requiring people to make the active decision to be courteous.
As discussed last week, most of our decisions and actions are influenced by our context. Train station designers across the globe have used this insight to design a simple intervention to improve flow in and out of the train:
A few weeks ago, the MTA followed suit, installing the following signage in two stops in Manhattan:
The MTA will be testing the effectiveness of this nudge in the coming weeks before deciding whether to scale it to all stations. At a glance, however, this nudge seems more likely to succeed than the original Courtesy Counts poster. It's both more visible and timelier than an etiquette poster: you are likely to look down at the platform to determine where the doors will open, and when you do, you'll be reminded to step aside as you wait for the train to come. In fact, you would have to actively choose to ignore the message to step in front of the opening train doors.
There are similar small changes that could be made to a train car to address other problems around etiquette. For example, let's take the problem of crowding the doors inside the subway car:
In general, I hypothesize that people entering a subway car without available seats will default to standing where it is most spacious and comfortable. I say "default" because in many instances I do not make an active choice about where I want to stand – I simply enter a train and will not move further into the car unless there is a reason to keep going.
In this case, people can be nudged to move into the center of the train car in several different ways. The easiest would be to simply point the way:
This nudge is reminiscent of the platform nudge described above: the hope is that a gentle visual cue may be enough of a reminder to encourage passengers to continue moving into the car.
Beyond just pointing the way, you could also change the context of a subway to make standing around the doors less comfortable. An extreme solution might be to shine a bright light around the doors, every time they open. In this case, passengers may feel uncomfortably illuminated when blocking the doors and choose to step out of the spotlight and into the interior of the car.
A more palatable solution would be to rearrange the poles in the subway car. Currently, the newest generation of New York subway cars is designed with poles clustered in front of the doors:
A solution to bring people further into the cars is to simply move the center poles further inside:
By providing more handholds further away from the doors, people will be more likely to take the extra step or two inside and leave room for others to enter.
Whatever the details of the intervention, we should take a hint from 70 years of failed etiquette campaigns and think beyond a poster for creating real change. As one woman I interviewed said, "Most New Yorkers just don't give a ****." If that's the case, it's time we stop relying on people's attention to courtesy and instead design a subway system that nudges positive behavior—especially if the solution could be as easy as painting some arrows on the floor or moving a subway pole a few feet further inside the car.


text:
Dave Kurlan is a top-rated keynote speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and expert on all things sales and selling.
You know all about reverse engineering, right? The Chinese do…that's how they've copied all of the products that others have created and sold them into the mass market, gray and black markets too.
Technology companies tend to be quite good at reverse engineering. How else can you explain one company's game-changing leap in capabilities, and the short time it takes for their competitors to introduce similar, if not the identical capabilities?
Can you reverse engineer your sales calls?
OTHER THAN THE PART OF YOUR SALES CALL THAT INVOLVES PRESENTING, could you break down and explain, each step, strategy, tactic, question, response and milestone met, in the order they occurred, why they were chosen, and the resulting reaction of each occurrence, AFTER you've completed an entire sales cycle?
If you can, congratulations. If you can't, it means the following:
- You don't have a formal, structured, optimized sales process or, if you do, you don't follow it very consistently;
- You are so involved in your sales call that you aren't in control of what you are doing, when and why;
- You tend to wing it;
- Whatever you are doing is not repeatable or scalable;
- You can't teach it;
- It's not indicative – you can't say, "if you follow these exact steps, reach these exact milestones, ask these specific questions, utilize these specific strategies and tactics and do so in this particular order you will get the business 75% of the time".
© Copyright Dave Kurlan All Rights Reserved
Want More Information?
Get in touch using the form below


text:
For those inclined to soak up as much Japanese culture as possible, a stay in a machiya, or traditional townhouse, is a highly unique and one-of-a kind experience. A long, narrow wooden home made primarily of natural materials, the machiya has typified the architectural style of Kyoto since the 1500's. Traditional machiya are still present to this day, available for anyone who wants to experience Japanese historic ways of life.
Kyomachiya (literally "capital town house") have served as places of business and residence in Kyoto for over five centuries. Merchants and artisans would show off their wares in the front of their machiya so passers-by could easily browse various products as they shopped along the busy streets of Kyoto. Behind this viewing area are the owner's family quarters, and in the very rear, a workshop, warehouse or craft area would be set up. These minimalist yet beautiful machiya extend for miles down the city blocks, their wooden facades inviting all visitors to experience commercial business and trade as it has existed for centuries.
The philosophy behind machiya architecture is also worth exploration due to its implementation of primarily natural materials. The emphasis on the perfection of craftsmanship is seen in every structure as sustainable materials like wood, earthwork, clay, and other resources found in nature is seen in every part of the machiya, from the edifice to the latticework, the walls, and the roof. Today, travelers may experience rustic, domestic Japanese living by walking the streets of Kyoto that are lined with block after block of machiya. An ethereal connection with nature is subsequently absorbed through exploring and living in these structures, which has left a lasting impression on traditional Japanese culture.
Thanks to the restorative efforts of activist groups that fight to preserve the historic value of Japanese architecture, there are still machiya and other traditional homes that exist for visitors to explore. One notable figure in the restoration effort is American activist Alex Kerr, who first began reconstructing traditional homes in Kyoto to preserve their history and heritage. Later, Kerr discovered an abandoned Japanese village in the Tokushima Prefecture and purchased an old thatched farmhouse in which he lived in for decades. After naming the house Chiiori (or "House of the Flute"), Kerr set up a trust that has aimed to reinvigorate the Tokushima Prefecture with sustainable materials, tourism, and organic agriculture which has since attracted visitors from all over the world.
|Press Release||Japan Map/Video||Japan Photo Archive||Japan Travel Specialist Program||Travel Trade||Meeting/Incentives||LGBT|


Server Memory "Dell PowerEdge 840 RAM Upgrade" by Andy Melton is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
How to Check Amount of Available Server Memory
In the sections below you will learn how to identify the amount of memory that is installed on your server, check how much of the RAM is being used, and see a list of the applications using the most memory. Other than physical memory that is installed on your server, servers may also have burst memory, VSwap, and Swap memory.
Before the main tutorial, some basic knowledge about the types of memory may come in handy. First we have physical memory which is the memory that is physically installed onto the motherboard. Swap memory is used when the physical memory has approached its limit; your operating system will start storing memory onto your hard drive, also known as Swap memory. VSwap is similar to Swap memory, but VSwap is used for VPS servers that use OpenVZ. VSwap allocates unused physical memory from the server and provides it as Swap Memory, but it does artificially slow down the reading and writing to the memory. Finally burst memory is something that mostly belongs in the past. Providers would provide additional memory to your VPS when you were starting to run low on memory if any additional memory on the server was available.
Check Amount of Memory
Checking the amount of physical memory on your Linux server is very simple. You want to use the command free to display the amount of memory that is currently used, free, and available. By default, the free command will use kilobytes for each column. I prefer using the option for free --human to display the values in a unit that better represents the value.
The command returns multiple columns: total, used, free, shared, buffers, cache, buff/cache, and available. The column "total" displays the total installed memory. Next the "used" columns displays the amount of memory that is currently being used. The column "free" displays the amount of memory that is unused. Shared shows the memory used by tmpfs. Buffers displays the memory used by kernel buffers. Cache shows the memory used by the page cache and slabs. Buff/cache shows the sum of the "buffers" and "cache" columns. Finally the "available" columns is an estimate on how much memory is available for starting new applications without swapping.
$ free --human
 total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: 7.3G 837M 5.0G 219M 1.5G 6.0G
Swap: 7.4G 0B 7.4G
Looking at the results above, the device has a total of 7.3 gigabytes of physical memory with 837 megabytes currently being used. The device also has 7.4 gigabytes of Swap memory with zero bytes being used.
Check Amount of Used Memory
Checking the amount of used memory is identical to checking the amount of available memory that we described above. You will use the command free and look under the column "used" to view how much memory is currently allocated. Below is an example of how to check how much memory is currently free in kilobytes.
$ free
 total used free shared buff/cache available
Mem: _PHONE_ 973068 _PHONE_ 224184 _PHONE_ _PHONE_
Swap: _PHONE_ 0 _PHONE_
As you can see, under the "used" column in align with the "Mem" row, we are using 973068 kilobytes of memory out of the available _PHONE_ kilobytes that is available. As for "Swap," we are using zero kilobytes of Swap memory. It's possible that the amount of used memory will not align with the amount of memory being used by active processes on your system. If a process doesn't properly free the allocated memory by the time it exits, the memory is still used even though it won't appear in process lists.
List Programs using the Most Memory
Depending on your preferences, there are multiple programs that can list the active processes on your system along with the system resources each process is using. This tutorial will using the command ps to list processes and order the list by the memory usage. We are sorting by "RSS" (Resident Set Size) instead of "VSZ" (Virtual Memory Size) to get the amount of memory that is actually being stored in physical memory and isn't swapped out. The "RSS" column will also include the amount of memory shared resources have allocated. For additional information on RSS and VSZ, read this StackOverflow answer explaining the difference between VSZ and RSS.
$ ps aux --sort -rss
root 5793 1.6 38.8 199492 195976 tty1 S+ 02:39 0:00./memory_hog
root 699 0.0 1.3 97360 6996? Ss 02:28 0:00 sshd: user [priv]
root 1 0.2 1.3 56964 6752? Ss 02:27 0:01 /sbin/init
user 701 0.0 1.2 64868 6352? Ss 02:29 0:00 /lib/systemd/systemd --user
root 733 0.0 1.1 56420 5936? Ss 02:29 0:00 /lib/systemd/systemd --user
root 351 0.0 1.1 69940 5604? Ss 02:27 0:00 /usr/sbin/sshd -D
root 736 0.0 1.0 21112 5116 tty1 S 02:29 0:00 -bash
As you can see from the snippet above from the ps command, the program memory_hog is using 195976 kilobytes of memory and is the process that is currently using the most physical memory on the system. Sorting by RSS can give you a false view of what processes are using the majority of memory though. If an application allocates a small amount of memory but is using a shared library, the application may appear higher in the list even though it's not using any additional memory as long as more than one application is using the shared library.
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What's the main difference between py2 vs py3?
 - From a beginner point of view what is the main changes in our Drawbot code when using Python 2 and Python 3?
 - admin
 For beginners there is not such a big difference:
 All strings are unicode string, so no converting back and forth, but this is actually the best thing!!
 print('hello world') requires brackets ( and )
 Divisions are always floats so no more rounding, this is also a good thing: 1/3-> 0.333333 instead of 0
 You keep the old behaviour with 1//3
 If you dive deeper:
 dict.keys(), dict.values(), dict.items() are not a lists anymore
 Looping (a for loop or a while loop) over a dictionary and changing content of that dictionary is tricky:
 for key in list(myDict.keys()):
 myDict[key] = "changed" + myDict[key]
 There is of course more
 - Thanks! I'll look more into it.
 - I noticed today iterate a dict works also different.
 While translating scripts from py2 to py3 this was a thing...
 If the keys are integers in py2 they will be sorted.
 In py3 the will stay in order as appended to dict.
 print {1:"A",0:"B"}
 > {0: 'B', 1: 'A'}
 > {1: 'A', 0: 'B'}
 (also it seems print() is not coloured in snippet)
 - _USER_ It's actually not generally true that keys get sorted in Py2. The order of a dict is in implementation detail that you should not rely on. If you need sorted keys: get sorted keys!
 d = {1:"A",0:"B"}
 > dict_keys([1, 0])
 > [0, 1]
 (Indeed print() not getting colorized may be a bug in the syntax colorizer. Or it's not yet fully Py 3 compatible.)
 - admin
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