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Why New Zealand Royal Jelly Is Food Fit For The Queen - And You!
A Sweet Experience is our blog series sharing our time with Chris, our bee keeper in the beautiful and remote, Bay of Islands. We chat with him on his experiences of living up here with his marae community and caring for his bees. It's a never ending job that yields some of the finest Manuka Honey in the world - from hive to shelf this is a sweet experience!
This week we are chatting with Chris on the importance of the queen bee in a hive and New Zealand royal jelly; the nutritious food fed to the queen bee now turned popular supplement. We accompanied him to one of his apiaries (area with hives) where he talked us through one of his hives and showed us an example of a queen cell - where the queen bee develops and royal jelly is stored.
As the queen bee is the only bee who lays eggs (up to 1,500 eggs per day), she plays a crucial role within the hive. If a hive has lost their queen, or believes they've lost their queen, they will be in disarray, becoming agitated and may swarm to set up a new colony. The worker bees will have to find a new queen as the colony will not survive without one and without her presence, an agitated and aggressive hive is created.
"You can tell the happiness of a hive by how it sounds when you visit it. A happy hive is a quiet hive! A hive with no queen will hum so much louder than normal"
Queen bees will develop in a distinct, vertically hanging 'queen cell' - watch the video below too see what it looks like!
Larvae inside queen cells are specifically fed a nutritious substance called royal jelly. This makes the bee develop into a queen bee (without it, the larvae would grow into a regular worker bee). The queen bee is different to the worker bees in a few important aspects; lifespan, size, morphology and role in the hive. She lives longer than any of the other bees in the colony (5 years compared to 6-8 weeks); an astounding 40 times longer than the worker bee! She is almost twice the size and doesn't have the pollen collecting attributes on her legs as she doesn't leave the hive like worker bees do.
Royal jelly is mainly made up of water, protein, sugars, and lipids. The protein, royalactin, is suggested to be the active ingredient in royal jelly responsible for the development of a queen bee. Royal Jelly is the exclusive natural source of 10H2DA (10-Hydroxy-decenoic acid) which is suggested to have a wide range of benefits including supporting hormonal balance and increasing collagen production
"When finding it in the hive it appears quite milky and creamy, I've actually tasted it, it's like a weak yoghurt, I wouldn't say it's delicious!"
It's made inside the hive by the worker bees. As it was Autumn when we were with Chris and his hives, there wasn't much to see and harvest, but during Summer when more queen cells are produced, that is when you can find it. The queen cells are full royal jelly!
The use and benefits of royal jelly has a history that dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who would use it on their skin to keep it glowing. It has long been used as a supplement for a wide range of concerns including supporting one's reproductive health, hormonal balance, energy levels, cardiovascular health and immune system. It is also used in cosmetics and skincare due to its suggested skin-serving properties and touted anti-ageing benefits through increasing collagen production!
Research has been undertaken to understand it if has any potential in cancer treatment and easing the harmful effects of chemotherapy.
We offer both supplements and cosmetics utilising the nourishing benefits of royal jelly.
We are currently offering a special on our best selling royal jelly supplement - Avoca Royal Jelly 1000mg soft gel capsules -
Buy 5 get 1 Free
Made in New Zealand and using New Zealand royal jelly, it is a pure, high-quality source offering great value.
Try adding Royal Jelly to your anti-ageing skincare regime with our exclusive product
Stay tuned for more Sweet Experiences with Chris.
We understand people are currently looking for ways to support their health - please reach out to us if we can help you in anyway. We have an exceptionally knowledgeable team that can assist you in choosing products right for you.


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The first state agencies formed for the purpose of constructing roadways were established in 1895. In that year, the Bureau
of Highways was created to study the laws, physical features, and economic and legal status of highways in the State (Stats. 1895, ch. 203). In addition, a Tahoe Wagon Road Commissioner was appointed to investigate the possibilities of construction
of a road to Lake Tahoe (Stats. 1895, ch. 119).
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Short answer: yes. Skip to the last paragraph for a few examples.
Long answer: it depends.
Firstly, the Chinese language is:
- isolating (low morpheme per word ratio)
- written with characters
As you said, words used in English text speak are acronyms, i.e. made up from initial letters of some other words:
brb = be right back
In Chinese, characters are morphemes which are also words, therefore if text speak = acronyms (like imho, wrt), then there's very little room for it.
You do have sort of acronyms, or abbreviations, in Chinese. The most common occurrence is in lengthy names, for instance those of institutions, which comprise several two-character words. These are most of the times abbreviated using the most significant character from each distinct word. Example:
(食品)药品监督管理局 (food &) drug administration
If text speak = word contraction, then yes, there are some forms commonly used in colloquial speech that eliminate bound morphemes:
什么 > 啥
怎么 > 咋
Finally you can find some slang words used in written language that resemble more closely those you are talking about. Not real acronyms for the reasons stated above, but roman letters used in place of characters with the same pronunciation, which we can construe as examples of slang text speak in Chinese:
- p了 （bullshit!) -> letter
p instead of 屁 (pi4)
- sb (idiot) -> first pinyin letters of 傻逼
- wp (outsider) -> first pinyin letters of 外屁
pi, a distortion of 外地(人) used as a slur for non Shanghainese people in Shanghai.
- ooxx (having sex) -> letters
o (read oh) and
cha as 叉 cross, same pronunciation as 插, insert/stick）

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


_USER_{Pages2007education, abstract = {This paper assesses labor market segmentation across formal and informal salaried jobs and self-employment in three Latin American and three transition countries. It looks separately at the markets for skilled and unskilled labor, inquiring if segmentation is an exclusive feature of the latter. Longitudinal data are used to assess wage differentials and mobility patterns across jobs. To study mobility, the paper compares observed transitions with a new benchmark measure of mobility under the assumption of no segmentation. It finds evidence of a formal wage premium relative to informal salaried jobs in the three Latin American countries, but not in transition economies. It also finds evidence of extensive mobility across these two types of jobs in all countries, particularly from informal salaried to formal jobs. These patterns are suggestive of a preference for formal over informal salaried jobs in all countries. In contrast, there is little mobility between self-employment and formal salaried jobs, suggesting the existence of barriers to this type of mobility or a strong assortative matching according to workers' individual preferences. Lastly, for both wage differentials and mobility, there is no statistical difference across skill levels, indicating that the markets for skilled and unskilled labor are similarly affected by segmentation.}, address = {Bonn}, author = {Carmen Pag\'{e}s and Marco Stampini}, copyright = {_URL_ keywords = {J21; 330; Labor mobility; segmentation; barriers to entry; skills; informality; Latin America; transition economies; Arbeitsmarktsegmentierung; Qualifikation; Arbeitsmobilit\"{a}t; Selbstst\"{a}ndige; Bildungsniveau; Albanien; Georgien; Ukraine; Argentinien; Mexiko; Venezuela}, language = {eng}, number = {3187}, publisher = {IZA}, title = {No education, no good jobs? Evidence on the relationship between education and labor market segmentation}, type = {IZA Discussion Papers}, url = {_URL_ year = {2007} }


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Smart Solar Lighting PayGo System is a system that designed for users to pay for the prepayment or installment of this solar DC system.
There are two forms of payment system, which can be full payment and pre-existing payment.
Prepayment payment system is Increased user's purchasing power and enthusiasm for using the product.
1. DC input and DC output
2. 2.5W*5pcs LED light
3. 2 USB output port
4. Inbuilt Battery 7.2Ah/11.1v
5. Solar Panel :10W/18V
6. Display with system info
PayGo System Manuel
1. Often press the key, the display lights up for boot
2. Repeatedly press the black button on the right side of the first row on the panel of the enclosure to display a series of digital codes.
3.open the file in the PC SOFTWARE page (Figure 1), click Recharge, Figure 2 page
4. Enter the numeric password shown on the display into the first line of Figure 2, and then select the number of days in the second line. After clicking OK, a string of digits will appear on the third line.
5. Enter the numeric code appearing in the third line of Figure 2 into the chassis display and press the Enter key (the rightmost key in the last line of the black key)
6. connect the LED can be used normally
7. often press the switch button on the chassis to shut down


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Find the Right Spot and Dig
The ideal place to dig a snow cave is relatively flat and already has around 5 feet of snow. Forest area is best because tree growth ensures that the spot isn't an avalanche path. According to the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center, two snow-shoers in the Cascades were killed in 2001 after setting up an emergency camp in an avalanche shoot. The accident could have easily been avoided if they had chosen a more suitable spot.
Forested areas are also a great choice because the trees will create snow drifts that are easier to dig into. Always start by digging a trench first. The trench allows you to get deep enough in the snow to begin tunneling into the wall. Shed layers as you warm up to avoid sweating, but always wear a waterproof layer between you and the snow. Even though the digging will cause you to warm up, the most important goal is to stay dry.
The mouth of the cave should be just small enough to fit through to avoid wind exposure. Tunnel at an upward angle so that the entrance is lowest spot of the cave--this will allow ventilation without sacrificing any warmth your body contributes. Also, be aware of how close you are to the surface. The thicker the walls and ceiling of the snow cave, the more insulation it will offer, and the less likely it will be to collapse in sudden temperature changes.
Dig a Cold Sink
The design of your snow cave will determine the lowest temperatures it will reach. By digging a hole deeper than the area you'll be sleeping in, or by building an elevated platform to sleep on, you allow the coldest air to drop below you. The hole, or cold sink, ideally will double as the entrance to the cave so that oxygen can circulate.
Round Out the Inside
Using your gloves, smooth out any rough edges, especially in the ceiling of the cave. The humidity of your breath and your general body heat will gradually cause melting on this inside of the cave and droplets will collect on any sharp points. As miserable as sleeping in snow sounds, it's even worse getting damp under a constant water drip.
Create a Ventilation Hole
One of the most important parts of building a snow cave is also the easiest to forget. Puncture a hole the size of a baseball in the ceiling all the way to the surface. Snow is incredibly good at insulating warmth, but it holds gasses just as well. Carbon dioxide just from breathing can reach dangerous levels without ventilation. Furthermore, if you light a candle or a portable stove, the carbon monoxide can build up quickly. In August 1999, four snowboarders suffocated in a snow cave in Koscuiszko National Park, Australia, because the mouth of the cave doubled as the ventilation hole and falling snow blocked it throughout the night. If you need to sleep in a snow cave, check periodically that the hole in the ceiling remains open. This is especially important if new snow continues to fall.
Mark the Cave on the Surface
The disadvantage of sleeping in a snow cave is that you are nearly impossible to spot by rescuers above. Trample down as much snow as you can in the surrounding area before hunkering down for the night, and leave skis and poles tied to bright pieces of clothing propped in the snow to flag down anyone searching for you.


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A newly published study examines the role of climate change in extinction, finding that very few populations have gone extinct simple because it got too hot for the plants and animals to survive, instead climate change more often leads to local extinctions and declines by influencing interactions between species.
Stony Brook, New York – A new study, published online today in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, reviewed 136 case studies to determine the underlying causes of why many populations have gone extinct due to changing climate.
The article, entitled "How does climate change cause extinction?" describes research led by John J. Wiens, an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University and by PhD students Abigail E. Cahill and Matthew E. Aiello-Lammens.
According to the authors, extinctions of plant and animal populations from human-related climate change are already widespread, but the causes of these extinctions are very poorly understood.
Contrary to expectations given global warming, the results of the study show that very few populations have gone extinct simply because temperatures got too hot for the plants and animals to survive.
"Instead," said Dr. Wiens, "climate change more often leads to local extinctions and declines by influencing interactions between species, such as reducing prey populations for predators. These shifting interactions may make even small climatic changes dangerous for the survival of plant and animal species. So, for example, many animals may starve to death because of climate change long before the climate gets hot enough for them to die from overheating."
Co-authors of the study include M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Xia Hua, Caitlin Karanewsky, Hae Yeong Ryu, Gena Sbeglia, Fabrizio Spagnolo, John Waldron, and Omar Warsi, all from the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University.
Source: Stony Brook University
Images: Stony Brook University; Shea Lambert


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Who Was Sky Woman?
Nine years after Megapolensis recorded his account of the Mohawk creation story, Adriaen Cornelissen van der Donck captured another version, this one with an interesting variation. We find it in his Description of New Netherland (1653).
They say that before the world and the mountains, humans, and animals had come into existence God was with the woman who dwells with him, and no one knows when that was or where they had come from. Water was all there was or at any rate water covered and overran everything. Even if an eye had existed at that time it could not have seen anything but water wherever it might have been, for all was water or covered by water. What then happened, they say, was that the aforementioned beautiful woman or idol descended from heaven into the water. She was gross and big like a woman who is pregnant of more than one child. Touching down gently, she did not sink deep, for at once a patch of land began to emerge under her at the spot where she had come down, and there she came to rest and remained. The land waxed greater so that some areas became visible around the place where she sat, like someone standing on a sandbar in three or four feet of water while it ebbs away and eventually recedes so far that it leaves him entirely on dry land. That is how it went with the descended goddess, they say and believe, the land ever widening around her until its edge disappeared from view. Gradually grass and other vegetation sprang up and in time also fruit-bearing, and other trees, and from this, in brief, the whole globe came into being such as it appears to this day. Now whether the world you speak of and originally came from was then created as well, we are unable to say. At the time when all that had been accomplished the high personage went into labor and, being confined, gave birth to three different creatures: the first was in every respect like a deer as they are today, the second resembled a bear, and the third a wolf. The woman suckled those creatures to maturity and remained on earth for a considerable time during which she cohabited with each of the said animals and was delivered a number of times of various creatures in multiple births. Thus were bred all humans and animals of the several kinds and species that can still be seen in our day. In due course they began to segregate according, to the families and species still existing, both from an innate urge and for the sake of propriety. When all those things had thus been disposed and made self-perpetuating the universal mother ascended again to heaven rejoicing at having accomplished her task. There she continues to dwell forever, finding her entire happiness and delight in keeping and fostering the supreme Lord's love for her. To that she is devoted and from it derives her complete enjoyment and satisfaction; therefore, God vouchsafes her his fondest love and highest esteem. Here below meanwhile humans and animals of all the various species that were the result of miscegenation increase and multiply, as does all creation the way we find it still. That is why human beings of whatever condition still exhibit the innate characters of one or other of the three animals mentioned, for they are either timid and harmless in the nature of deer, or vindictive, cruel, bold, and direct in the nature of bears, or bloodthirsty, greedy, subtle, and treacherous like wolves.
Van der Donck's version of the creation story leaves out the "Turtle Island" imagery but retains the celestial woman who falls to earth and brings forth life, in this case by giving birth to a deer, a bear, and a wolf. Other versions, such as those told by elders today, say that Sky Woman gave birth not to three animals, but to a daughter who would later give birth to twin sons, variously known as Sapling and Flint or Teharonhiawá:kon and Tawískaron. (Some say Sky Woman herself gave birth to the twin sons.) These twins created many of the things on earth but eventually had a great battle to determine who would rule the world.
Teharonhiawá:kon is of course the Tharonhij-Jagon that Megapolensis's elderly Mohawk informant mentioned, the very same "God" who went out walking with his brother and killed him over a dispute. Megapolensis assumed that this was just a garbled version of the Cain and Abel story from the Bible that somehow found its way into the Mohawk legends, perhaps from earlier contacts with Europeans, but today we are more inclined to recognize a universal duality going on in this story rather than just a case of cultural contamination.
Perhaps the identities of Sky Woman and her battling progeny aren't quite as mysterious as all of this may seem. Perhaps we're really talking about real, flesh and blood people, our own ancestors. Sky Woman may have been the original woman who led us to our historic place on the turtle's shell, and Sapling and Flint may have been her sons or grandsons, perhaps leaders of rival factions. Maybe she isn't just one woman, but a symbolic representation of the women who were in control back then. Her giving birth to various animals in the van der Donck version may simply explain the origin of various clans.
An archaeologist who has studied the Mohawk Valley believes that when our ancient ancestors established themselves there, they already had a matrilineal society. The Iroquoian mix of horticulture, hunting, and fishing required a more sophisticated social and political structure than your typical roving band of male-dominated hunters. The prominence of a "Sky Woman" in our creation story not only gives our matrilineal society an ancient pedigree, but a sense of divinity. Who can argue with something sent from heaven?


Politismos eMagazine | Vitamin A
Vitamin A Tag
Dried plums (Prunus Domestica)
01.03.2019 in Gastronomy
Dried plums (Prunus Domestica) ORIGIN AND TRAITS Why is it that tasty and appetizing food is associated with unhealthy choices, while nutritious options are usually not as desirable? This question is commonplace when it comes to health and diet and it lies behind the eternal dilemma "Is food fuel for my body or is it pleasure?" Especially when it comes to cravings, we subconsciously have the idea that a bar of chocolate or a bag of chips is a satisfying afternoon. While it is not easy to let go of unhealthy habits, there are food choices that can…
The unique foods of Greece and their health benefits – Goat's Milk
13.02.2018 in Gastronomy
The unique foods of Greece and their health benefits – Goat's Milk Since ancient times, the Greeks had realized how precious the gifts of Mother Nature were. The Mediterranean climate along with the geological formations of the country created a fertile ground where an abundance of wild herbs and plants could grow. About 1800 endemic species that grow, or graze, on Greek soil have certified medicinal properties. This month, we take a look at the silky goodness of goat's milk! "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." –Hippocrates Goat's milk ORIGIN AND TRAITS …


Bangladeshis retell their history through the revival of this ancient fabric
·2-min read
If you're at all a member of the beauty community or the parent of a newborn, chances are that you're very familiar with a muslin cloth — a cotton fabric that serves all sorts of purposes and is softer than the traditional terrycloth towel.
The history of muslin traces back to the 16th and 17th centuries, where it was traded throughout the Middle East and Europe. Original muslin was produced from a specific cotton plant called Phuti Karpas. The plant grew along the banks of the Brahmaputra river, which flows through Tibet, India and Bangladesh.
Muslin, during this time, was a legendary and very sought-after fabric that, at times, was worth more than its weight in gold.
But at the turn of the 20th century, the muslin industry was destroyed by exploitative economic regulations. Colonial rulers infiltrating Bangladesh at the time essentially erased the industry and groups like the East India Trading Company made the fabric obsolete with its machine-made fabrics.
Today, there are Bangladeshis like author Saiful Islam, who are fighting to restore the proper history of muslin cloth.
"Muslin sits in our history. It occupies a place where we have a positive difference — where we have a sense of pride; we have a sense of identity," Islam told In The Know. "You are literally creating something which is so special that even with the skill all around the subcontinent, this couldn't be replicated."
Islam is the CEO of a group called Drik, an internationally reputed multimedia organization based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The project's goal is to retell the muslin origin story from the viewpoint of the people who created it and to inspire the revival of "new-age" muslin.
While Phuti Karpas is believed to be extinct now, Islam is searching for the plant's closest living relative to revitalize the muslin industry in Bangladesh. After traveling the Meghna river, he found a plant that was able to produce a fine quality cotton thread that was super similar to muslin.
Why is Islam going to all the trouble to do this? It's a part of his nation's history. Now with this new version of muslin, weavers in places like Dhaka can create shawls and saris using the same traditional techniques that were employed hundreds of years ago.
"You have got all this technology, and all of it can be used, you know, to bring so many things back," Islam explained. "Hopefully, we can apply such resurrection to lost languages to lost species, to lost, you know, heritage."
Spring is here! Get ready to plan your next picnic with these essentials
If you enjoyed this story, read about Corine Tan, who's making it her mission to make the workforce more accessible and empathetic.
More from In The Know:
Teachers on Reddit reveal the new Gen Z school cliques
This hands-free hack for feeding your baby is a game-changer : 'looks silly but does the job'
Make these colorful letter sandwiches to spell out personalized messages to your kids
The post Bangladeshis retell their history through the revival of this ancient fabric appeared first on In The Know.


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Greece - 10 lepta 1978 (Charging bull)
Germany - 2 euros 2013 (Maulbronn Abbey in Baden-Wurttemberg)
Cyprus - 2 euros 2009 (10th anniversary of the EMU and the birth of the euro)
Greece - 20 lepta 1976 (Stallion)
Greece - 2 cents 2012 (Corvette)
Greek euros with mintmarks
On January 1, 1999 eleven European member states adopted the euro as their formal
currency and started producing the required coins and banknotes in order to replace their national
currencies by January 1, 2002. The only member state that did not meet the economic criteria to
join the new european currency was Greece. Following a delay of exactly two years, Greece was also
accepted into the Eurozone by the European Council's Decision of June 19, 2000.
Mintmarks on Greek coins
- Anthemion flower: Quality symbol of the Greek Mint
- "S": Finland (Suomi) on the 1 and 2 euro coins
- "E": Spain (Espana) on the 20 cent coins
- "F": France on the 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 cent coins
Because of the delay, however, it became impossible for the
Hellenic Mint to produce 1300 million euro coins in time for the
January 1, 2002 changeover to the new currency. The officials
decided to order 500 million coins from abroad (Spain, Finland and France) and these coins feature
two different mintmarks: the anthemion flower, which can be found on all the Greek modern coins
and a small letter indicating the mint in which the coin was struck.
The lettered mintmarks can be found in different positions on each coin, but always inside a star close to the date.
- Mintmark "S" can be found inside star No7
- Mintmark "F" can be found inside star No3, No9, No11
- Mintmark "E" can be found inside star No9
|1 cent "F"
||2 cents "F"
||5 cent "F"
||10 cents "F"
||20 cents "E"
||50 cents "F"
||1 euro "S"
|2 euros "S"|
The Historical Use of Mint Marks
A mint mark is an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced. Mint marks were first developed to locate a
problem. If a coin was underweight, or overweight, the mint mark would immediately tell where the coin was minted, and the problem
could be located and fixed. Another problem which could occur would be a dishonest mint official debasing the coin, or putting less
precious metal in the coin than specified.
The use of mint marks on coins dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks. They called them "Magistrate Marks" because they
referred to the magistrate in charge of producing that coin. If there was a problem with a coin, they would know which magistrate
was in charge of its production. Some common problems at the time could have been a coin being overweight or underweight. Debasing
a coin (putting less precious metal), or otherwise tampering with it, was a very serious crime, often punishable by death in many
civilizations. For example, in 1649, the directors of the Spanish colonial American Mint at Potosi, in what is today Bolivia, were
condemned to death for seriously debasing the coinage.


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The slopes from the Chateau run down to the River Creuse in the south and the River Claise in the north. Once across the Creuse in the south, the land starts to rise little by little, towards the Massif Central. At Tilly, the most southerly village in the Parc, the altitude is 218m.
Water plays a very important role in the Parc, almost entirely originating from precipitation, and present in four main guises:
1. Etangs - shallow (averaging 1.5m deep) stagnant water used for fish farming. These small (average 1-3ha) lakes are not naturally occurring or spring fed. The largest is la Mer Rouge (180ha). They are typical of la Grande Brenne, also known as the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes' (at last count there were in fact 2237 étangs and the number is increasing). The Parc's success, leading to an increase in the number of étangs, many of them privately owned, stocked and managed on a more modern commercial (ie intensive) scale, is not without its problems. Etangs are arranged in series and emptied one into the next, requiring considerable planning to manage when a number are to be emptied into catchment areas in close proximity.
a) The Claise - to the north it is chalk and sand, to the south, clay. The river is greatly controlled with 22 weirs between Luant and Martizay. The flow of water at Martizay in the summer is 100l/second. The Claise flows into the Creuse in Indre-et-Loire (ie outside the Parc).
b) The Creuse - a rather large valley carved out in the Quaternary Era, which today flows across the marine carbonates (limestone) known as the Mid Jurassic Dogger series in the Parisien Basin. The word 'creuse' means 'crease'. The flow in summer at Scoury is 2m³ but is dependent on what is released at Eguzon.
c) The Anglin - upstream the riverbed is a geological coating of igneous* rock, whereas downstream the substrate is limestone, with a flow of 810l/second in summer at Mérigny.
3. Ponds - these are small reservoirs, generally less than 1ha and are typical of the south of the Parc. They have a natural tendency to reduce in size but play a role in collecting and retaining surface water.
4. Springs - there are no springs in most of the Brenne, but in the southern part they are common and often responsible for the creation of wet grassland.
(Note: Much of this information has been cribbed from 'Flore remarquarble du Parc naturel régional de la Brenne' by François Pinet. Any errors are the result of me either misunderstanding or mistranslating the French terminology.)
*The 'Flore remarquarble' actually says 'La partie amont coule sur un revêtement géologique cristallin alors qu'à l'aval le substrat est calcaire,' but I was puzzled by the use of the word 'cristallin'. Many thanks to my geologist contacts for helping with this: Stu, who is English but works in France, taught me the useful phrase 'oui, c'est cristallin ça, je comprend' ('yes, that's crystal clear, I understand') and told me the story of how when the site office at the English end of the Channel Tunnel was jacked up ready to be removed it became clear that about a dozen adders had taken up residence underneath. Apparently you have never seen so many big burly guys scatter so quickly, notwithstanding that they were all wearing full personal protection gear, including safety steel cap toed boots! Thanks also to Hugh (Scottish and working in Scotland) at the British Geological Survey, who put me on to Gaud (French but working in Scotland).


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Aug 2011: MobileHCI Conference Tutorial
31 August 2011, Katarzyna Wac is giving a tutorial titled "Performance evaluation of mobile services: measurements-based methodology and example assessment techniques" at the MobileHCI conference in Stockholm, Sweden.
This tutorial first presents a generic methodology for measurements-based performance evaluation of a mobile communication system and its service(s), and second, it presents an application of this methodology to mobile healthcare services. The performance evaluation aims at analysis of, for example, mobile system bottleneck or scalability characteristics or at analysis of its responsiveness, where all metrics contribute to the overall experience of the mobile service use. The presented methodology has been derived from previous studies on performance of communication networks. The methodology is outlined to perform (practical) measurements, as opposite to (theoretical) simulations or modeling. The methodology includes detailed steps for objectives determination, system instrumentation, and measurements execution and performance evaluation activities. The tutorial illustrates use of the methodology for performance evaluation of MobiHealth system and its vital sign tele-monitoring service provided to a mobile patient wearing a Wireless Body Area Network.


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Ancient Roman proverbs can certaintly be confusing, but they are certainly rich in meaning. Here are some of my favorite proverbs :
adversus solem ne loquitor literally means, "do not speak against the sun. It's used when someone is arguing or advocating something that is obviously and blatantly wrong. Since the sun is guaranteed to exist forever (assuming that a geologic catastrophe doesn't occur), the proverb is saying that one shouldn't argue against something that is so likely as the sun's existence.
ignis aurum probat literally means, "the fire tests the gold". When ancient Roman blacksmiths refined gold, they would do so in a hot fire. Therefore this phrase is used when someone's character is being "refined" by adversity.
aquila non capit muscas means the eagle does not catch flies. In ancient Rome, eagles were considered majestic animals. Conversely, flies were considered insignificant and a nuisance. Therefore this proverb was used to imply that people of high rank (the eagle) won't have the time or patience to deal with trifling matters (flies).
hic abundant leones means "here the lions abound". The lions are a metaphor for the unknown, like uncharted territory. When the Ancient Romans were first starting to conquer other nations, some of the territories on their maps were labeled with this phrase.
auribus teneo lupum literally means, "I grasp a wolf by the ears". It's supposed to convey a situation where you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. In other words, grabbing on to the wolf's ears or letting go could both end in disaster.
in cauda venenum which means, "poison in the tail" is a metaphor of a scorpion sting. This phrase is used when a situation starts without a hitch and becomes deadly in the end.
una hirundo non facit ver means, "one swallow does not make a summer". In Ancient Rome, swallows were considered good fortune. Therefore it means that one good outcome (or swallow) doesn't guarantee that a situation will be successful in every single instance.


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A type experiment made together with Simon Egli (Zurich).
 - Poster explaining how our system works.
 - Description:
 A type experiment made together with Simon Egli (Zurich).
 Allpatterns used in the experiment are taken from books that whereproduced in the same period of Shakespeare. Borrowed from the BritishLibrary.
 After buying a CD with all the Shakespeare sonnets we imported the sound files into a program where you can take out all information from the sound and make parameters/rules out of them.
 By using the parameters we get a set of rules that our type would follow. And the end result is not controlled by us as designers, but by the set of rules that we set up.
 Explanation of the process:
 LOUDNESS / DB: The loudness is divided into 5 paragraphs (1-5). When the loudness is analysed and the letters are placed in position, considering the recorded sonnet, you will be able to read the position of the letter in our system. 1 is the lowest while 5 is the loudest tone
 Take for instance the word "light" which you find in the sonnet 001. The L is inside parameter 1-2, the I inside the parameter 1-5, the letters G and H are inside the parameter 1-4 and the letter T is inside parameter 1-3.
 FREQUENCY: The frequency is divided into 4 parameters. When the frequency is analysed, you will see that there are certain tones that are more frequent then others. To show this we have chosen to make a pattern which is based on the same grid as the type. but instead of following the type, we wanted them to be able to show how the words differ in time.
 This pattern is made up by 4 patterns that are mixed up. If the letter uses all the paragraphs in the frequency, you will get a square that fits the middle part of the grid. If it uses 1 or 2 paragraphs, this will deconstruct the square. Take for instance the word THY which you will find in the Sonnet 001.
 MERGING: After analysing the Sonnets in this way we will have a unique set of letters, put into the environment of a digital analyses which presents the text as sound. This enables you to look at the text as something that is not only design after what the designer thinks or believes, but in the way it follows certain rules which lies in the nature of the content that the designer can not control.
Comments: ( Comments )


Wednesday, 5 December 2012
How to make Roman coins
Ebi-kun has had an interest in ancient Rome and gladiators recently so we decided to make some Roman coins.
We used a basic salt dough and added brown food colour.
Salt dough recipe
2 cups of plain flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup hot water
+ brown food colour
Just throw everything into a bowl and mix until you get a dough. Then take a small lump of dough, roll it into a ball the squash it flat. We experimented with different tools but found the end of a paintbrush worked best for engraving the numbers.
We baked them at 180c for 10 minutes then turned them over and gave them another 5 minutes.
Once they had cooled we painted them with varnish, Ebi-kun is a bit heavy handed with the varnish so some came out a bit splogy.
1 comment:
 1. What a great idea!! We have made some for my sons Roman topic at school, really enjoyed this and he secretly was learning about roman numerals without really knowing about it!!! Don't tell him LOL
Thank you!
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text:
Absence Note Guidelines
The CSUSB Student Health Center provides two types of notes for class and both require a visit:
- Verification of visit for any scheduled appointment. This note verifies you were seen on a particular time and date, and nothing else. It does not include a diagnosis nor recommendations for missed activities.
- Medical documentation during visits for significant medical illness or injury requiring substantial time off from school.
We do not routinely provide medical excuse notes.
The majority of legitimate medical issues that cause students to miss class are due to conditions that get better on their own, such as colds, headaches, stomach flu, etc. These illnesses tend to be difficult to confirm objectively, especially after the fact.
In most cases these conditions improve with self-care (fluids, resting in bed) and do not require a medical visit.
The Documents section on this page contains links that will allow students to print an Absence Self-Verification Form, and a Letter to Faculty from the CSUSB Student Health Center, and articles explaining current best-practices set forth by the American College Health Association.
All medical records are strictly confidential. Information from records will not be released to any one without the written authorization of the patient, except as required by law. The staff at the Student Health Center can assist you with the following services:
- Requesting copies of your medical records
- Sending copies of your medical records to an outside provider
- Clearing Immunization holds Holds will be cleared within 24 hours
- General Standards of Patient Rights and Responsibilities (PDF)
Health information is confidential, and access is restricted to authorized CSUSB Student Health Center personnel ONLY. Information in the health record will not be released to parents (except in the case of minors), professors or anyone else without written consent or when required by law, court order or when subpoenaed.
- Advance Directive (PDF) An Advance Directive is a written document in the form of a living will or Durable Power of Attorney prepared by a competent individual that specifies what, if any, extraordinary procedures, surgeries, medication or treatments the patient desires in the future, when he or she can no longer make such decisions about medical treatment. Please see the attached form and instructions for more detailed information.
- Release of Medical Records form (PDF) Consent is required to release medical records to another facility or provider. Proof of identity is required to pick up records in person. Records cannot be mailed or faxed directly to students. Please indicate specific dates needed and allow 7-10 working days to process.
- Request for Medical Records (PDF) Consent is needed to release any medical records from an outside physician or health care facility that is mailed directly or faxed to the CSUSB Student Health Center.
- Consent for Medical Treatment of a Minor (PDF).pdf Parental consent is required to provide health care to minors.
*(ExceptionsCalifornia Law: Request for contraception services, or an Emancipated Minor)
- Immunization Exemption Declaration (PDF) A Signed Waiver is required to decline immunization requirements due to personal, medical or religious beliefs. Bring the verification form with proof of identity to the Student Health Center. NOTE: This waiver may bar students from campus in an outbreak situation for their own protection or that of the campus community.


SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online
vol.49 issue2Leonardo, a flauta: uns sentimentos selvagensAproveitar a vida, juventude e gravidez author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing
Revista de Antropologia
Print version ISSN 0034-7701
VARGAS, Eduardo Viana. Uso de drogas: a alter-ação como evento. Rev. Antropol. [online]. 2006, vol.49, n.2, pp. 581-623. ISSN 0034-7701.
This article asks the cast of questions and answers that we usually formulate regarding the uses of drugs and take into account another way of thinking about these practices. It suggests that it is not enough to inquire "why do people use drugs?" and "which is the meaning of the drug's use?"; neither to be contented with the answers that are presented when these questions are placed, because they usually conclude by "mistake", "lack" or "weakness". It proposes other questions: "what happens with practices like these?", "what kind of experiences users and drugs realize?" Therefore, we also propose other answers. Those new answers point out the existence of events (the 'high' of drugs) that bring paradoxical agencies of self-abandon. The article propose that the 'high' event is not a by-product of users' subjective fantasies, neither a by-product of substances' objective determinations, but asks for modalities of (in)action such those present on the paradox of passion or on deep plays. It supports that the 'high' event points out singular ways of engaging in the world, ways where substances are indispensable mediators. Finally, it suggests that better than ask who controls the 'high' is to ask if the 'high' occurs or not, or, after Gabriel Tarde, if alteraction exists or not.
Keywords : drugs; medicines; event; action; Gabriel Tarde.
 · abstract in Portuguese · text in Portuguese · pdf in Portuguese


How to Identify the Bogus ID
In existing entire world, determining a phony ID has turn out to be a difficult work. With buy fake euro notes on austria of time, much more and a lot more individuals are utilizing bogus IDs and are creating problems in the lives of hundreds and countless numbers of individuals. So, detection of these untrue IDs has grow to be virtually needed.
Methods to Detect Faux Id
There are several tactics, adhering to which one can uncover out those illegal Ids. Some this sort of crucial strategies are described below:
* It is often highly recommended to notice a person's physique language. Typically, nervousness suggests that the man or woman is faux. So, the man or woman should be retained below strict observation.
*The man or woman should be compared to his picture. Hairstyle of folks may possibly alter, but we must always keep this in brain that facial characteristic of a person never modifications. So, the investigator ought to emphasis his consideration on the nose and eyes of a man or woman.
* One should be mindful about the expiration day. Usually, it is seen that the license of a individual has expired extended back. This signifies that, he has borrowed this license from yet another man or woman. Other point that a single have to do is to examine no matter whether an ID is marked as duplicate or not. A replicate ID generally indicates that the first license holder has asked for for a 2nd license so that one more individual can use it.
* It is often greater to preserve a most recent report of drivers' license details. This is since while examining one's ID, this license specifics help a great deal. It is needed to examine the day of birth towards the chauffeurs' license quantity. This is carried out since the forgers usually overlook to alter this individual depth.
*If you are not sure, it is better to inquire that man or woman for a 2nd or third form of ID. You can also check his credit rating card.
* If you scent one thing wrong you can usually request diverse concerns to the suspected individual, such as, his calendar year of graduation, zodiac signal, preliminary name. If he hesitates, you need to be much more alert, since this signifies he has done anything incorrect.As a result by subsequent these above-pointed out techniques, 1 can detect forgery.
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text:
Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) (French, 1604/5?–1682)
Pen and brown ink, brown wash over black chalk, heightened with white
11 13/16 x 17 1/2 in. (30 x 44.4 cm)
Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1997 (1997.156)
This magnificent compositional study, which came to light in the late 1980s, stands out in Claude's graphic oeuvre for its high degree of finish and detail. The biblical subject is set in an invented landscape animated by a diffuse naturalistic light. It was presumably made as a presentation drawing for François Bosquet, bishop of Montpellier, who had commissioned from the artist a pendant to his Sermon on the Mount (Frick Collection, New York). The resulting painting, considered by Claude to be his most beautiful, was later largely destroyed by fire (a fragment survives at Holkham Hall, England). Claude here depicts the Old Testament story of Queen Esther, who went to the king's palace to implore mercy for her condemned people. As uninvited appearances before the king were forbidden under penalty of death, Esther collapsed in fear as she neared his throne, a scene commonly depicted by Baroque artists. By choosing instead the moment of Esther's approach to the palace, which is not described in the biblical text, Claude has shifted the focus from the clemency of the king to Esther's act of bravery when its outcome was still unclear.


text:
British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association logo
|National Olympic Committee|
|President||HRH The Princess Royal|
Also includes the following dependencies:
|Part of a series on|
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It represents the Olympic movement and organises the participation of athletes ("Team GB") at the summer, winter and youth Olympic Games.
The association comprises members from the following -
Constituent countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Sovereign Base Areas
Working with the national governing bodies of each sport, the BOA selects Team GB's members to compete in all sports at the summer and winter Olympics. The BOA is independent and receives no funding from the government. Its income comes from fundraising and events.
The United Kingdom (which competes as "Great Britain") is one of only five countries (the others being Australia, France, Greece and Switzerland) which have never failed to be represented at the Summer Olympic Games since 1896. Great Britain, France and Switzerland are the only countries to have been present at all Olympic Winter Games. Great Britain has hosted three Olympic Games, all of them in London: in 1908, 1948 and 2012, which is the highest record for any city.
At its formation in 1905 the association consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing, athletics, Rugby football, Association football, and archery. It now includes as its members the thirty-three national governing bodies of each Olympic sport, both summer and winter.
A representative of each of the Olympic sports makes up the NOC, the BOA's decision and policy-making body. The NOC elects four officers: a President, a Chairman, and two Vice-Chairmen, each for a four-year term. Six members of the NOC are elected to the Board, which oversees the work of the BOA and puts forward proposals for decision by the NOC.
- President: HRH The Princess Royal
- Chairman: Lord Coe
- CEO: (vacant)
- Vice Chairmen: Albert Woods, David Hemery
The BOA's origins pre-date the International Olympic movement and its governing body, the International Olympic Committee.
It traces its roots back to the National Olympian Association (NOA), which held its inaugural meeting at the Liverpool Gymnasium, Myrtle Street, Liverpool in November 1865. It promoted an annual series of sporting events across Britain, with the aim of encouraging participation in Physical Education through Olympian festivals. The NOA came about mainly through the efforts of John Hulley of Liverpool (Chairman), Dr. William Penny Brookes (of Much Wenlock) and E G Ravenstein (president of the German Gymnastic Society of London). It took the existing Olympian Games of Much Wenlock as its example, thus the NOA Games "were open to all comers" and not just the products of Britain's public schools.
After the NOA closed in 1883 its motto and ethos were inherited by the National Physical Recreation Society (NPRS) which was founded in 1885. From 1902 the President and Treasurer of the NPRS were members of the Olympic "Comité Britannique" and the NPRS was a founding body of the British Olympic Association in 1905.
See also
Further reading
- Rule Britannia: Nationalism, Identity and the Modern Olympic Games by Matthew P. Llewellyn (Routledge 2012)
- "Lord Coe becomes chairman of British Olympic Association". BBC News. 7 November 2012.
- The Liverpool Mercury, 7 November 1865
- National Olympian Association, The John Hulley Memorial Fund


text:
Petroleum Engineering Program:
The overall program mission for the B.S. degree in chemical or petroleum engineering is to provide a modern chemical or petroleum engineering education with proper balance between theory and practice. Graduates are prepared for professional practice in industry or government and for post-undergraduate training in chemical or petroleum engineering, medicine, etc. In addition to scientific and engineering training, students receive training in educational skills and in the humanities and social sciences.
Program Educational Objective
The principal objective of our program is to prepare graduates for professional practice in industry, government, or post-undergraduate training in petroleum engineering, and other related disciplines.
- Students must develop an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
- Students must develop an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
- Students must develop an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
- Students must develop an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
- Students must develop an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
- Students must develop an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
- Students must gain the ability to communicate effectively
- Students must gain the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
- Students must gain a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
- Students must develop a knowledge of contemporary issues
- Students must develop an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Petroleum Engineering Program Criteria
The program must demonstrate that graduates have competency in: mathematics through differential equations, probability and statistics, fluid mechanics, strength of materials, and thermodynamics; design and analysis of well systems and procedures for drilling and completing wells; characterization and evaluation of subsurface geological formations and their resources using geoscientific and engineering methods; design and analysis of systems for producing, injecting, and handling fluids; application of reservoir engineering principles and practices for optimizing resource development and management; use of project economics and resource valuation methods for design and decision making under conditions of risk and uncertainty.
Achievement of Outcomes and Assessment Tools
Senior Exit Interviews
Each student completing the baccalaureate program is asked to complete a senior exit survey. Each student is also asked to schedule an interview time with a member of the CPE Advisory Board during the Board's spring meeting. The student is asked to complete the survey ahead of time and either turn the survey in or bring it to the interview. The interviewers are asked to follow the guidelines of the survey, following up on the answers given by the students.
The assessment of student and program outcomes is done annually by the Petroleum Engineering Facult
Job/Graduate School Placement
Placement data are maintained by the School of Engineering Placement Office. These data are an indication of the demand for students and the perception of industry and graduate programs relative to the quality of the program.
The Petroleum Engineering Program Bachelor of Science program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, _URL_.


When using the Diffie-Hellman key-exchange, it is said to be important to use a safe prime. However, if a non-prime modulus with sufficient bit-length is generated, is there an attack that can be used to recover the shared secret from the public communication (g, g^a, g^b, modulus) or to decrypt an encrypted message?
TL;DR: Yes, it possibly could be decrypted.
NOTE: I originally did not realize your question has a subtle nuance to it. You mention safe primes and then non-primes. But safe primes is a mathematical term. Not every prime is a safe prime! Safe prime is a prime 2p + 1 such that p is also prime. It is not only important that modulus in DH is prime but it should be a safe prime for best security.
Why you should not use non-primes
Whether non-primes can be safe depends on what you mean by sufficient length. It may not be possible to reasonably break them, if the numbers are much bigger then usual, but it would very much depend on the exact numbers.
One of the reasons we use safe primes as modulus (p) is to make sure we generate many possible secrets from the range <0, p). When p is not prime, this may not be the case. The fewer secrets we generate, the easier to brute-force them.
For example lets say we use g=5, p=25. Then the generated secret s will always be either 0 or 5. Obviously this is much easier to brute-force than all the numbers from 0 to 24. Safe primes (not normal primes) generate large prime subgroups, meaning the secret can have many values, even if not all the possible ones.
Another even bigger problem is that, if you use a non-prime you would only have to solve the discrete logarithm problem for the factors of p, which is much easier. You can read more on CryptoSE.
Now as you can see, it is still possible to think of numbers large enough that it would be secure enough. For example if we choose two different primes both large enough to be secure on their own and then multiply them and use the result as p, then this should be secure. But you can't really be sure for arbitrary values as there may be many small factors or the same factors and using unnecessarily large numbers would cost you in performance.
There also may be other problems I am unaware of.
Thanks to AleksanderRas for the link to CryptoSE.
Why you should use safe primes
The reason to use safe primes is related to the first reason to use primes. Even a prime number may have a small prime group. This means it does not generate many secrets from the range <0,p). Safe primes are better at having large prime groups and therefore generating more secrets making brute-forcing harder. You can read a bit more at CryptoSE.
Yes, it would be quite feasible to recover the shared secret, because you would now "only" have the discrete log problem modulo all the primes that make up the composite numbers. This could still take some time but would be possible to do in a reasonable time.
Also see this question on CryptoSE for more information.
Your Answer


text:
Astronomers in the control room of the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope
Astronomers from around the world come to Parkes Observatory to use the telescope to observe naturally produced radio energy from space. They control the telescope from a desktop computer and monitor the operation of the telescope and some initial results on the monitors around the room. The data is recorded for later analysis.
Date added to scienceimage


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I searched a lot, read many blogs, articles, tutorials, but until now did not get a working example that I could use face book account to log into my application.
I know that i have to use OAuth, get tokens, autorizations, etc...
Anyone can share a example? (on GAE/JAVA)
share|improve this question
5 Answers 5
up vote 38 down vote accepted
Here is how I do it on App Engine:
Step 1) Register an "app" on Facebook (cf. _URL_ ). You give Facebook a name for the app and a url. The url you register is the url to the page (jsp or servlet) that you want to handle the login. From the registration you get two strings, an "app ID" and an "app secret" (the latter being your password, do not give this out or write it in html).
For this example, let's say the url I register is "_URL_
2) From a webpage, say with a button, you redirect the user to the following url on Facebook, substituting your app id for "myfacebookappid" in the below example. You also have to choose which permissions (or "scopes") you want the ask the user (cf. _URL_ ). In the example I ask for access to the user's email only.
(A useful thing to know is that you can also pass along an optional string that will be returned unchanged in the "scope" parameter. For instance, I pass the user's datastore key, so I can retrieve the user when Facebook passes the key back to me. I do not do this in the example.)
Here is a jsp snippet:
<%_USER_ import="java.net.URLEncoder" %>
 String fbURL = "_URL_ + URLEncoder.encode("_URL_ + "&scope=email";
3) Your user will be forwarded to Facebook, and asked to approve the permissions you ask for. Then, the user will be redirected back to the url you have registered. In this example, this is "_URL_ which in my web.xml maps to the following servlet:
import org.json.JSONObject;
import org.json.JSONException;
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;
import java.net.URLConnection;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import javax.servlet.ServletException;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
public class SignInFB extends HttpServlet {
 public void service(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws ServletException, IOException {
 String code = req.getParameter("code");
 if (code == null || code.equals("")) {
 // an error occurred, handle this
 String token = null;
 try {
 String g = "_URL_ + URLEncoder.encode("_URL_ "UTF-8") + "&client_secret=myfacebookappsecret&code=" + code;
 URL u = new URL(g);
 URLConnection c = u.openConnection();
 BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(c.getInputStream()));
 String inputLine;
 StringBuffer b = new StringBuffer();
 b.append(inputLine + "\n");
 token = b.toString();
 if (token.startsWith("{"))
 throw new Exception("error on requesting token: " + token + " with code: " + code);
 } catch (Exception e) {
 // an error occurred, handle this
 String graph = null;
 try {
 String g = "_URL_ + token;
 URL u = new URL(g);
 URLConnection c = u.openConnection();
 String inputLine;
 StringBuffer b = new StringBuffer();
 b.append(inputLine + "\n");
 graph = b.toString();
 } catch (Exception e) {
 // an error occurred, handle this
 String facebookId;
 String firstName;
 String middleNames;
 String lastName;
 String email;
 Gender gender;
 try {
 JSONObject json = new JSONObject(graph);
 facebookId = json.getString("id");
 firstName = json.getString("first_name");
 if (json.has("middle_name"))
 middleNames = json.getString("middle_name");
 middleNames = null;
 if (middleNames!= null && middleNames.equals(""))
 middleNames = null;
 lastName = json.getString("last_name");
 email = json.getString("email");
 if (json.has("gender")) {
 String g = json.getString("gender");
 if (g.equalsIgnoreCase("female"))
 gender = Gender.FEMALE;
 else if (g.equalsIgnoreCase("male"))
 gender = Gender.MALE;
 gender = Gender.UNKNOWN;
 } else {
 gender = Gender.UNKNOWN;
 } catch (JSONException e) {
 // an error occurred, handle this
I have removed error handling code, as you may want to handle it differently than I do. (Also, "Gender" is of course a class that I have defined.) At this point, you can use the data for whatever you want, like registering a new user or look for an existing user to log in. Note that the "myfacebookappsecret" string should of course be your app secret from Facebook.
You will need the "org.json" package to use this code, which you can find at: _URL_ (just take the.java files and add them to your code in an org/json folder structure).
I hope this helps. If anything is unclear, please do comment, and I will update the answer.
Ex animo, - Alexander.
I want to add a few tidbits of information, my apologies if some of this seems a bit excessive.
To be able to log in a user by his/her Facebook account, you need to know which user in the datastore we are talking about. If it's a new user, easy, create a new user object (with a field called "facebookId", or whatever you want to call it, whose value you get from Facebook), persist it in the datastore and log the user in.
If the user exist, you need to have the field with the facebookId. When the user is redirected from Facebook, you can grab the facebookId, and look in the datastore to find the user you want to log in.
If you already have users, you will need to let them log in the way you usually do, so you know who they are, then send them to Facebook, get the facebookId back and update their user object. This way, they can log in using Facebook the next time.
Another small note: The user will be presented with a screen on Facebook asking to allow your app access to whatever scopes you ask for, there is no way around this (the less scopes you ask for, the less intrusive it seems, though). However, this only happens the first time a user is redirected (unless you ask for more scopes later, then it'll ask again).
share|improve this answer
I don't see you validating the signed_request property to verify if the user/request is actually valid, but apart from that, those are indeed the steps to be taken... – Marcelo Mar 6 '12 at 11:01
Alexander, with this code, if the user was logged into facebook, and open my GAE, it will auto-check the facebook account? or the user will always need to click somewhere to "Authenticate"? – LeandroRezende Mar 6 '12 at 12:39
You can do two things with this code. (1) Allow new users to click "sign up with facebook" and (2) allow existing users to log in just by clicking a "log in with your facebook account". They can both click the same link, and when the servlet above is run, you can check the database and see if you have a registered user with this facebookId. If so, you can log that user in. If not, you can create a new user, and store the facebookId. Yes, if the user is logged into facebook and has approved any permissions, this code will log the person in, without having to click anywhere. – yngling Mar 6 '12 at 12:55
A small additional note: You can of course also allow existing users of your app to log in with Facebook (i.e. updating their user object with their facebookId). This can for instance be done by passing the user's datastore key in the state parameter I briefly mention, then letting the servlet above grab it and update the user with the facebookId (or you could use the session to detect the user instead). – yngling Mar 6 '12 at 13:35
Alexander, thx for all your ideas, tonight i will try to make it work on my APP – LeandroRezende Mar 6 '12 at 19:25
You can try face4j _URL_ We've used it on our product _URL_ and have open sourced it for anyone to use. It works well on GAE.
There is an example on the wiki which should help you integrate login with facebook in a few minutes.
face4


text:
Each day, millions of diabetics across the world prick their fingers several times to check their blood glucose levels. Measuring glucose concentrations in tears may provide a noninvasive option for accomplishing the same objective, although it would likely need to be supplemented with some degree of blood measurement. "We are not suggesting that it is a replacement for blood glucose measurements. It could help in the monitoring of blood glucose by decreasing the number of blood finger pricks that a person with type 1 diabetes has to do," says Mark Meyerhoff, PhD, a professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) who coauthored a paper titled "Measurement of Tear Glucose Levels with Amperometric Glucose Biosensor/Capillary Tube Configuration" published in November in 2011 in Analytical Chemistry. "Instead of measuring your blood glucose, say, seven or eight a day, you might do three a day of blood and four of tear." More research, however, needs to be done to determine the feasibility of using of the technology, he says.
Many factors affect the blood glucose levels in tears and the level of glucose found in tears is likely to be individual and variable. Meyerhoff and a number of other researchers reported a correlation of blood and tear glucose in anesthetized rabbits in their research. "The ratio was different from animal to animal, and probably the same is true in humans," he says. Also complicating matters is that the ratio may change as a result of environment conditions or scratches to the eye's surface. "You have to be trained to [obtain tear samples] in a way where you don't scratch the eye. If you have any blood, then the levels are, of course, very different," Meyerhoff says.
Although tear measurement might not replace blood glucose measurement, even substantially reducing the number of finger sticks required to monitor glucose levels would be a significant breakthrough. Meyerhoff and fellow researchers are working to develop a simple electrochemical sensor that can accurately detect glucose in small tear volumes. Such a system also has to be capable of detecting minute concentrations of glucose, as the concentrations of tear glucose are much lower than they are in the blood. "Whereas blood glucose on normal is 5 millimolar, tear glucose might be only 50 micromolar or maybe even less in some cases," Meyerhoff says. In research on rabbits, he and his colleagues used volumes of tear fluid measuring several microliters. "Since that time, we have improved things and we are now down to measuring in a half a microliter or a [single] microliter of volume," he says. "Those are closer to the volumes that we need for humans and we have done some studies on rabbits that way and we see a correlation and we are getting geared up to potentially do some human testing," he says.
Meyerhoff's research group is partnering with EyeLab Group LLC (Ann Arbor, MI) to advance the research. "They are moving forward and excited about at least seeing what the correlations are once we get to humans."
Meyerhoff was named on a patent titled "Methods and Systems for Measurement of Tear Glucose Levels" that was approved by the U.S. Patent Office awarded on January 10, 2013.
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- The Four Myths of Time and Materials Estimates - Supplier Resource


text:
Perfect School Search
List of Free Online Interior Design Courses, Classes and Learning Materials
Learn interior design with these free online courses and learning materials. See the full list of free interior design courses and find the course that is right for you.
Free Online Course and Learning Materials Info
Although most free online interior design courses aren't affiliated with schools, a select few university classes related to design concepts are available. Most courses don't confer credits and can't be applied toward degree programs. Interior design classes and learning materials are often offered by commercial concerns in the industry. Users interested in these free online interior design resources should have a computer with high-speed Internet access to take full advantage of streaming videos and online software tools.
Autodesk Homestyler software allows users to place doors and windows in floor plans, experiment with actual product brands and see their designs in 3D. This web-based software is supported by Windows. Learners also have access to tip sheets for paint colors and design ideas, in addition to video presentations from an interior designer.
This commercial website offers consumers a variety of articles related to interior design and decoration items for sale, in addition to the Decorating Your Home 6-lesson course developed by a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Students learn key concepts about color and ideas for decorating various rooms in a home through text and pictures. Practice exercises are included.
Home and Garden Television
A collection of free online articles and videos, Design 101 is available through Home and Garden Television's website. The articles provide a general foundation on basic design topics, like choosing the right furniture, selecting a cohesive color scheme and deciding between traditional and contemporary designs. Users can also read about the fundamentals of feng shui, color theory and decorative fabrics. Additional resources include furniture and design glossaries and an 8-question design IQ quiz.
Decorating 101 provides a variety of articles with photographs on topics such as color, floors, light, walls and windows. The pages are printable. Learners also have access to photographic home tours, kitchen design ideas, principles of design information and Martha Stewart's blog.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
This school offers most of its classes free through OpenCourseWare. Credits are not awarded, and access to faculty members is not included. The entire contents of original courses may not be reflected in the materials that are made available. Principles of Design is an undergraduate course dealing with advanced theories of design. Students complete readings and assignments dealing with historic periods, lighting and color. Although this course is geared toward stage design, concepts learned may be transferred to design in the home, as well.
Daylighting is an advanced course concerned with the design decisions related to both daylighting and electric lighting. Students complete reading and homework assignments, in addition to a final design project.
Through LearningSpace, Open University offers free courses on a variety of topics. Design Thinking is a 10-hour introductory course available through download, content feed or print. Learners study principles of composition, such as structure, repetition, symmetry and proportion. Assignments include readings, how-to guides and design activities.
People-Centred Designing is a 12-hour introductory course that focuses on usability. Topics include design for users, inclusive design, ergonomics and designing for customers. Although product design is the major focus in this course, the concepts could also be related to the design of buildings, rooms, appliances and furniture.
Sweet Home 3D
Users may download the software for Sweet Home 3D or use it online. This software allows users to draw house plans and arrange furniture pieces within them, seeing the results in 3D. Learners also have access to a users' guide, video tutorial, picture gallery of home examples and a blog.
Utah Education Network
Utah's Family & Consumer Sciences Education division offers vocational education plans appropriate for students from high school through adult in these interior design classes. Courses include links, activities and lesson plans. Interior Design I addresses topics such as line, shape, space, elements of design, color, scale and floor plans.
Interior Design II focuses on the styles and history of architecture, furniture styles, construction techniques, surface treatments, textiles, window treatments and light. Students apply the knowledge gained in Interior Design I and II through various tasks and activities in Advanced Interior Design.


text: We have previously reported that galanin message-associated peptide (GMAP), a fragment of galanin precursor protein, occurs in a limited number of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells in rats with intact sciatic nerves. In the present study, the localization of GMAP in dorsal root ganglia, dorsal roots and dorsal horn was analyzed immunohistochemically and compared between rats with intact and sectioned sciatic nerves. Furthermore, the effects of intrathecal (i.t.) GMAP on the flexor reflex in rats with intact and sectioned nerves were examined. In rats with intact sciatic nerves, i.t. GMAP elicited a moderate facilitation of the flexor reflex. The facilitation of the flexor reflex induced by conditioning stimulation (CS) of cutaneous C-fibers was strongly blocked by GMAP. GMAP also selectively antagonized the reflex facilitatory effect of i.t. substance P (SP), but not i.t. vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Unilateral sciatic nerve section induced an upregulation of GMAP in the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia 2 weeks after axotomy. The effect of GMAP on the baseline reflex was similar in normal and axotomized rats, but the blocking effect of GMAP on C-fiber CS-induced facilitation was significantly reduced after axotomy. GMAP did not antagonize the reflex facilitatory effect of SP after axotomy, whereas an antagonism on VIP-induced facilitation was observed. The possible role of GMAP in spinal transmission and comparison with the effects of galanin are discussed.


The scientific advancements with Fever patrol
Keeping in pace with the propelled time, researchers are caught up with concocting the things to limit the human endeavors. In ongoing time, the thermometer innovation has improved a great deal and the laser advanced thermometer is the most recent expansion in the situation. As of late, laser computerized thermometer has truly been a much discussed thing. Much the same as the name propose the thermometer takes a shot at the laser guideline. Be that as it may, this is obvious end result inferred out of the name.
Things being what they are, what is actually this laser advanced thermometer? As recommended before, these are the kinds of thermometers that deal with the rule of laser. At the point when any substance is hot it emanates the warmth from the entirety of its parts that causes the particles that are available in the zone to vibrate with greater speed. The laser thermometer can gauge the expansion of speed which is changed over into the temperature perusing. Laser thermometer can come up in numerous shapes and structures. The states of these thermometers are very similar to the weapons. There is a point from where the laser is radiated. The laser beam should be guided coordinated toward the article whose temperature is to be estimated. You do not have to put the thermometer on the article. Since the hot body of any substance emanates similar warmth from the entirety of its part you need not point it at a specific spot.
Fever patrol thermometer
You will get a similar perusing in the event that you take the temperature from any of the point. Since there is no utilization of direct touch to take the temperature perusing the thermometer can be called as the non contact laser fever patrol price as well. This non contact laser thermometer can peruse the temperature whenever precisely yet you have to take care that nothing impedes the way of the laser beams. The way of the non contact laser thermometer cannot be seen unmistakably yet where the beam contacts the surface would be viewed as a state of brilliant red dab. Things being what they are, the reason do not we dive into an additional subtleties on how it functions and the points of interest and the hindrances to utilize it?


text:
- TeraONE Super Query is a virtual integrated solution to aggregate data from diverse data sources and repositories and to inquire relevant data through a single access channel.
- Easily search and discover data
- Regardless of data type/structure and location, you can extract and aggregate data using standard SQL through single access channel.
- Speedily and Flexibly access various data
- Applying in-memory open source Spark Engine, you can access data easily and speedily from various data repositories(RDBMS, Hadoop)
- Synchronize stable metadata
- You can utilize trusted data by the megastore manager which manages meta information of all the data sources separately.
- Minimize application operational impacts
- You can use standard database interface and manage/allocate memory resources to minimize changes of the existing applications.


Write brokers/services for Bitbucket Cloud
Deprecation Notice
In the future, you will no longer be able to create a POST service from the Services screen, as Bitbucket's updated webhooks will replace this service. Existing services will continue to function as expected for now.
To create a new webhook, refer to the webhooks documentation.
No longer accepting new brokers
We are no longer accepting new brokers. Please refer to the information below about using the POST service.
Bitbucket Cloud integrates with external services through a set of brokers that run in response to certain events. Brokers are Python scripts that receive information about an event and then take one or more actions. For example, there is a Bamboo broker for integrating with Bamboo. The Bitbucket team developed many of our brokers. Third-party vendors also developed several brokers.
Using the POST service to integrate your application with Bitbucket Cloud
Most third-party web applications have a public RESTAPI. For example, Jenkins has a one. Using a third-party API, you can pass parameters to the service using Bitbucket's POST service. Bitbucket's POST service passes a payload to your third-party web application through its API. Your third-party application is responsible for receiving and transforming the payload.
To add a ^^top of topic href="/display/BITBUCKET/POST+service+management">POST service to the Bitbucket repository:
 1. Review the third-party REST API for the appropriate POST call.
 For example, your URL can include a user token such as:
 2. Navigate to your repository settings.
 3. Choose Services from the left-hand navigation.
 The Services page displays.
 4. Choose POST from the services dropdown.
 5. Press Add service.
 6. Enter the URL for your third-party service.
 7. Press Save.
 The new POST service appears in the active Services list.
The next time a user pushes to your repository, the POST service fires and sends a payload of data to your service. The service should receive the payload and handle the data appropriately using our REST API. For example, the application could call back into Bitbucket for specific resources using OAuth or other information, if needed.
The payload sent to your service by the service
The push payload, is a uniform dictionary containing information on the repository, the commits, and the service-specific values.
When a user makes a push against a repository, Bitbucket POSTs to the URL you provided. The body of POST request contains information about the repository where the change originated, a list of recent commits, and the user that made the push.
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8 Archived comments
 1. User avatar
 Including a version of BaseBroker (or just the source of the get_local method) would make it considerably easier to write a broker.
 05 Mar 2011
 1. User avatar
 class BaseBroker():
 def get_local(self, arg, theclass):
 return theclass()
 05 Mar 2011
 2. User avatar
 It would be really helpful if we could see the code of existing brokers to troubleshoot issues or extend their functionality. I would like to extend the Jenkins service to support authenticated builds, for example.
 30 Mar 2012
 3. User avatar
 Is is possible to include tags information in the payload?
 04 May 2012
 1. User avatar
 We do not include tag information in the broker payload. We only include branch information. If you would like to file an enhancement request please go to:
 04 May 2012
 4. User avatar
 Trent Clarke
 What events do the brokers fire on? Is it only on a push, or are there others?
 EDIT: We'd like our jenkins instance to respond to pull requests, in order to test them before they hit our mainline code. I'm assuming that we'd need a notification of a pull request to do this, but if there's another way I'm open to it.
 24 Jul 2013
 5. User avatar
 David Harris
 I would really love to see a post notification of a repository added to an account, as well as the ability to manage project specific hooks from an API.
 18 Dec 2013
 6. User avatar
 Shea Martin
 Is raw_author a reliable way to get the user's email address? There doesn't seem to be a way to do this with the API.
 06 Nov 2014
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text:
School crossing guards have one of the most important jobs in the education system – helping students all across California get safely to and around school. Many children walk or bicycle to and from school, and crossing guards are there to help students practice good safety skills and obey the law.
Like any job that requires you to work around the road, being a crossing guard can be hazardous. Here are some safety tips for California crossing guards:
Use an Appropriate Search Pattern: As a crossing guard, you are a role model for the students that you help protect. Model an appropriate search pattern for you and students, including:
- Stop at the curb
- Look left, right and left again
- Look over your shoulder at intersections to check for turning vehicles
- Cross the street at a consistent pace
Signaling Traffic: If you must signal traffic, use appropriate paddles or lighted wands. Make sure you signal clearly and if necessary, wear bright or reflective gloves that identify your movements.
Crosswalk Safety: If you are stationed at a crosswalk, make sure that any signals allow enough time for students to cross safely before the light changes. If you are standing in the crosswalk while students cross, make sure that you have appropriate paddles or gloves and a whistle. Be aware of traffic in all directions. If there are no signals at the crosswalk, you may need to stop traffic manually. Wear a reflective vest and gloves, and use paddles to increase your visibility.
Emergency Safety: If there is an emergency where you are stationed, take control of the scene as best you can to keep yourself and students safe. Group children together away from the street. Call 911 or ask someone nearby to do so. If the emergency is a victim in the street, use a vehicle to block them. Do not allow anyone to cross the street until first responders arrive.
Remember that even the most careful and well-trained crossing guard is vulnerable to distracted or negligent drivers. If you are injured while working as a crossing guard, inform your supervisor immediately and get medical attention.


text:
10 Prestigious Scholarships for International Students: Your Gateway to World-Class Education
In today's globalize world, pursuing higher education abroad has become an aspiration for many. Fortunately, there are numerous prestigious scholarships available to international students, offering them the chance to study at some of the finest educational institutions worldwide. In this post, we'll explore ten such scholarships that cover a range of disciplines and cater to diverse backgrounds.
- Awarded by the US Department of State, Fulbright Scholarships provide comprehensive support for postgraduate studies in the United States.
- This scholarship encompasses full tuition fees, monthly stipends, accommodation costs, travel expenses, and medical insurance.
- It encourages applications from underrepresented groups, minorities, and economically disadvantaged individuals.
- Funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chevening offers approximately 1000 scholarships annually for postgraduate studies in the UK.
- It covers university tuition fees, monthly living allowances, visa costs, and travel expenses.
- Applicants must have an undergraduate degree and at least two years of work experience.
- These scholarships cater to both postgraduate (masters) and short course (diploma) programs in Australian universities.
- Coverage includes tuition fees, allowances for books, accommodation, and study materials, travel costs, medical expenses, and academic support.
- Eligibility criteria vary by country, and applicants should confirm their eligibility on the official portal.
- Fully funded by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, this scholarship aims to attract international students to top universities in France.
- It provides a monthly allowance, medical insurance, and travel costs, varying for masters and PhD students.
- Fields of study include engineering, health sciences, mathematics, law, political science, and more.
- Awarded to high-achieving, low-income individuals from Commonwealth countries, these scholarships facilitate masters or doctoral programs in the UK.
- The scholarship covers tuition fees, travel expenses, and a monthly living allowance.
- Categories include PhD Scholarships, Split-site Scholarships, Master's Scholarships, Shared Scholarships, Distance Learning Scholarships, and Professional Fellowships.
- Fully funded by the German government, the EPOS Scholarships support applicants from developing countries in pursuing masters and PhD programs in Germany.
- It covers travel costs, medical insurance, study allowance, and monthly stipends.
- Eligible subject areas range from Economic Sciences to Media Studies.
- Aimed at individuals from developing countries, this scholarship allows them to pursue masters programs globally.
- Coverage includes full tuition, travel allowance, and living costs (amount varies by country).
- Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree, have at least 3 years of development-related work experience, and meet other criteria.
- These fully funded scholarships, sponsored by the European Union, support masters and doctoral programs across various academic fields.
- Both Europeans and Non-Europeans from any country are eligible to apply.
- The scholarship covers living costs, tuition fees, visa fees, travel, and insurance expenses. A bachelor's degree is required, and work experience is not mandatory.
- The Asian Development Bank-Japan Scholarship Program offers 135 scholarships annually to high-achieving individuals from developing countries with at least two years of work experience.
- This prestigious scholarship covers full tuition fees, medical insurance, monthly expenses, books, and travel allowances.
- Eligible academic areas include Science and Technology, Economics, Business and Management, Development Studies, Law, and Public Policy.
- The Rotary Foundation generously funds masters and doctoral level coursework or research in any country where the rotary club is located.
- Scholarships cover travel expenses, tuition, passport/visa, living allowances, or language training courses.
- Applicants are selected based on their leadership skills, academic excellence, and willingness to maintain a long-term relationship with the Rotary club.
These ten prestigious scholarships offer a golden opportunity for international students to pursue higher education in renowned institutions across the globe. Each scholarship program has its unique criteria, benefits, and areas of focus, catering to a wide range of academic interests. It's crucial to thoroughly research and apply for scholarships that align with your academic goals and background.
Remember, the journey towards a world-class education begins with taking the first step – applying for the scholarship that could shape your future.
While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, readers are advised to verify the details of each scholarship program on the official websites before applying. Additionally, eligibility criteria and application deadlines may be subject to change.


$.
The case r=0 can also be treated by hand and will be ignored. Now, we double-count. Observe that each $r$-element set in ${\mathcal D}$ has $r$ "children" as $r-1$-element subsets of ${\mathcal D}$, by removing one of the r elements from that set. On the other hand, each $r-1$-element set can have at most $n-r+1$ "parents", and so
$$ r f_r \leq (n-r+1) f_{r-1}.$$
(EDIT: Actually we didn't need to remove the r=0 case if we adopted the convention $f_{-1}=0$ here.)
In particular, if $r > \frac{n+1}{2}$, then $f_r < f_{r-1}$ we could remove both the r and r-1-element sets from the downset and again increase the sum; so we have $r \leq \frac{n+1}{2}$. In fact the same argument shows that, by changing the extremum ${\mathcal D}$ if necessary, we may assume that $r < \frac{n+1}{2}$, thus (since $n$ is 3 mod 4 and r is even) $r \leq \frac{n-3}{2}$. In other words, every element of ${\mathcal D}$ has cardinality at most $(n-3)/2$.
Now we flip the downset to look at the complementary downset ${\mathcal D}' := \{ A \in [n]: [n] \backslash A \not \in {\mathcal D} \}$. As n is odd, we have $\sum_{A \in {\mathcal D}'} (-1)^{|A|} = \sum_{A \in {\mathcal D}} (-1)^{|A|}$, and so ${\mathcal D}'$ is also an extremiser. Thus, by the above argument, every element of ${\mathcal D}'$ has cardinality at most $(n+1)/2$. Equivalently (as $n$ is odd), ${\mathcal D}$ contains every element of cardinality at most $(n-3)/2$. Combining this with the previous analysis, we see that the extremum is attained at the set consisting precisely of all subsets of [n] of cardinality at most $(n-3)/2$, which gives the required value of $F_+(n)$.
share|improve this answer
In retrospect, this would have been a great mini-polymath problem. Ah well. :-) – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 18:50
Wha do you mean "would have been"? Wasn't it? Also, do I get my Tao number now, or do I have to wait five business days? Gerhard "Happy To Have Rendered Assistance" Paseman, 2012.07.09 – Gerhard Paseman Jul 9 '12 at 18:59
Well, I guess it was in a de facto sense, if not in a premeditated sense. I unfortunately don't have a strong enough application for the bound in order to merit publication, though; I came across the question because I was wondering about how to bound partial divisor sums of the Mobius function, and then felt that it had enough independent interest to pose here, but the bounds don't seem to make any dramatic dents in the bounds for other number-theoretic quantities, alas. But it's still great that the problem seems to be solved, it may be of use at some future date... – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 19:23
Well, in the meantime, I think I'll submit the sequences F_+ and F_to OEIS. Whether this will count as a "publication" for the purposes of bibliographic metrics, I leave to the reader. – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 20:08
I think this question and its solution within 3 hours is a typical example of how much more efficient people can get when collaborating via mathoverflow. – Christian Stump Jul 10 '12 at 6:41
I tried it using linear integer programming for the first few values of $n$, with the following results.
$$ \matrix{ n & min & max\cr 1 & 0 & 1\cr 2 &-1 & 1\cr 3 & -2 & 1\cr 4 & -3 & 3\cr 5 & -4 & 6\cr 6 & -10 & 10\cr 7 & -20 & 15\cr 8 & -35 & 35\cr 9 & -56 & 70\cr} $$
These sequences do not appear to be in the OEIS.
share|improve this answer
The bounds for even $n$ look interesting. Does the pattern (i.e. min = - max) continue for further even $n$? – Michael Albanese Jul 9 '12 at 16:59
So far this is consistent with the tentative conjecture proposed above, which more explicitly asserts that the bounds should be $\pm \binom{n-1}{n/2}$ when n is even, between $−\binom{n-1}{(n-1)/2}$ and $\binom{n-1}{(n+1)/2}$ when n is 3 mod 4, and between $-\binom{n-1}{(n+1)/2}$ and $\binom{n-1}{(n-1)/2}$ when n is 1 mod 4. (Thus, for instance, the conjecture would assert -126 and +126 for n=10, -252 and 210 for n=11, and so forth, as both bounds snake down the middle of Pascal's triangle.) – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 17:29
For even $n$ it looks like $\max = -\min = {n \choose {n/2}}/2$, which is obtained taking all the subsets of cardinality $< n/2$ or $> n/2$. – Robert Israel Jul 9 '12 at 17:31
I can't believe I didn't see this before, but it is trivial that the max and min will be negations of each other in the n even case, because the reflected complement of a downset is again a downset. – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 17:44
_USER_: Nice observation! Indeed, since one can slice an n-dimensional downset into two n-1-dimensional downsets, and the alternating sum of the former is the difference of the two for the latter, I think this shows that the conjecture for even n is implied by the conjecture for n-1, and one of the two bounds for odd n is implied by the bound for n-1. So it's only the smaller of the two bounds in odd n that needs proof... – Terry Tao Jul 9 '12 at 18:13
Here is a simple proof which should give exact optimizers for "most" choices of n mod 4 and max/minimizing; and, near-sharp values for the remaining cases. I'll do it for upsets instead of downsets.
Identify the discrete cube with $\{-1,1\}^n$ and let $f : \{-1,1\}^n \to \{0,1\}$ be the indicator of $\mathcal{D}$ which is monotone since $\mathcal{D}$ is an upset. Up to a factor of $2^n$ we are trying to min/maximize $E_x[f(x) \chi(x)]$, where $x$ is uniformly random on the cube and $\chi(x) = \prod_{i=1}^n x_i$. Let $1 \leq j \leq n$ be uniformly random and let $x^{(j)}$ denote $x$ with its $j$th coordinate negated. Since $x^{(j)}$ is also uniformly distributed,
$E_x[f(x) \chi(x)] = E_{x,j}[\frac{f(x) \chi(x) + f(x^{(j)})\chi(x^{(j)})}{2}] = E[\chi(x)\frac{f(x)-f(x^{(j)})}{2}]$
where we used $\chi(x^{(j)}) = -\chi(x)$. Thus in absolute value, the quantity is at most
$E[\bigl|\frac{f(x)-f(x^{(j)})}{2}\bigr|] = \frac{1}{2n}E_x\left[\sum_{i=1}^n \bigl|f(x)-f(x^{(i)})\bigr|\right] = \frac{1}{2n}E\left[\sum_{i=1}^n f(x)x_i\right]$,
where the last step uses that $f$ is monotone. But
$\frac{1}{2n}E\left[\sum_{i=1}^n f(x)x_i\right] = \frac{1}{2n} E\left[f(x)(\sum_{i=1}^n x_i)\right]$
is clearly maximized among $