Metamorphosis In Gregor's Metamorphosis By Franz Kafka
1067 Words 4 Pages
Franz Kafka's twentieth-century classic, Metamorphosis, shows the changes of the Samsa family after their son, Gregor, turns into a vile insect. Even though Gregor has turned into the most disgusting of creatures, this "metamorphosis" is ironic compared to the transformation that his family endures. While Gregor still sustains his humanity, the lack of any compassion and mercy from his family is what makes them the disgusting creatures rather than Gregor. The changes of Gregor's father, mother, and sister prove that the theme of metamorphosis is not exclusively present within Gregor.
Kafka's timeless novella, Metamorphosis, first shows, the physical and mental change of Gregor Samsa. As Gregor wakes up for work, he realizes that his body is
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This can be seen when Gregor enters the living room, and involuntary starts snapping his jaws at some coffee spilling form an overturned pot (Sweeny 67). This shows that even though Gregor does not want to scare his family, his natural instincts as an insect overpower his body and he scares them unwillingly. "Aside from a new acknowledgements of their existence, Gregor's new insectile attitudes and dispositions remain outside his consciousness (Sweeny 69). Gregor's consciousness refers to the mind of the human Gregor in the past, while Gregor the insect refers to his present physical …show more content…
When Gregor first reveals his newly transformed self and tries to speak, his father is the first to take action by hissing, stamping his foot, and forcing Gregor back into the room using a cane. Kevin Sweeny helps explain that, " Rational persuasion is deemed inappropriate. No plea of Gregor's helped, no plea was even understood; however humbly he might turn his head, his father merely stamped his feet more forcefully" (Sweeny 66). This shows the immediate metamorphosis of Gregor's father because he shows no sympathy and consideration for his son. The hissing noise that the father makes is also insect-like and atrocious, which is ironic due to the fact that it is Gregor who has undergone a physical transformation into a bug, not the father. Gregor's father, who seems to only care about the family's financial burn, now refers to his son as a monster. "By believing Gregor to be ill, Gregor's father reconciles the opposing beliefs that Gregor still survives and that the monster in the bedroom is something less than a person" (Sweeny 66). Throughout the novella, Gregor's father morphs into an insensitive parent that mercilessly beats Gregor multiple times and feels relieved and rejuvenated after his death.
The metamorphosis of Gregor's mother is the least apparent of the transformations in the Samsa family. When Gregor changes into an insect she faints when she first sees him. She realizes the lack of sympathy within
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Before the railroad came through in 1882, the community was almost purely agricultural, consisting of two country stores and a few dwellings. After the railroad, the town grew as a result of the marble-working industry.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Important early map of Rhode Island, from Carey's American Atlas, one of the earliest separate maps of Rhode Island printed in the US.
Includes towns, travel routes, topographical detail, and waterways. Carey published his American Atlas in 1795, which became the first folio atlas published in America. He later issued General Atlases in 1796 and after. In 1814, he became the first American publisher to offer hand coloring.


Automated Coin Toll System (ACTS)
AT&T developed and used a system for over 25 years that handled automated dial-direct long distance coin-based telephone calls. This system was known as ACTS (Automated Coin Toll System). This page describes the history of the system and its eventual disconnection.
History & Overview | How did ACTS Work?
Transition to OSPS | Why did AT&T discontinue ACTS?
ACTS lives on.. sort of
History and Overview of ACTS
Before automated operator systems, all pay phone based long distance calls had to be completed with the help of an operator. People dialed "0" and told the operator the desired number and she had to handle all charged manually (known as a manual ticket), as in the old days of long distance before automated billing systems.
The Bell System (AT&T Long Lines) invented the TSPS (Traffic Service Position System) automated operator system in 1969, based upon the #1ESS switch. With this system, 0+ (zero plus) operator assisted dialing was possible. This means that operator-assisted calls could be direct dialed and automatically billed.
However, this significantly helped operators with pay phone based long distance calls. Now pay phone customers could direct dial-their own long distance "1+" calls (as they could at home) as well as operator-assisted "0+" calls. TSPS was a significant step forward in operator bases services.
Even with TSPS, the operator still had to verbally inform the pay phone customer the amount the charges were, and in some cases, had to stay on the line to verify answer supervision (since some pay phones were not capable of coin return). Also, an operator had to be summoned every few minutes to collect extra money, and to collect money after a call had been completed.
AT&T needed a way to automate the process and to keep down the use of actual operators. Hence ACTS (Automated Coin Toll System) was invented.
ACTS debuted in Phoenix, AZ in 1977 as part of an already existing TSPS. Other TSPS systems were modified by the early 1980s for ACTS.
How did ACTS work?
ACTS was a combination of three separate systems that worked in unison. The first was the TSPS system. The second was the ACTS system (with voice prompt announcements) working in conjunction with TSPS, and the third part were the pay phones themselves.
Pay Phones
Pay phones send multi-frequency tones in response to money deposited in the coin slot. These signals are as follows:
Nickel Signal: 1700hz + 2200hz at 60 ms long
Dime Signal: 1700hz + 2200hz at 60 ms on, 60 ms off, twice repeating
Quarter Signal: 1700hz + 2200hz at 33 ms on, 33 ms off, 5 times repeating
TSPS switches handled answer supervision and billing. Also handles coin collection and coin return. TSPS control signals from the TSPS to the central office that physically controls the pay phone are as follows:
TSPS Coin Collect 700Hz + 1100 Hz at 1 second
TSPS Coin Return 1100 Hz + 1700 Hz at 1 second
TSPS Ringback 700Hz + 1700Hz at 2 seconds
(Note: All of these are proceeded with a 2600Hz "wink" of 33 ms on/33ms off/33 ms on)
ACTS sub-system (part of TSPS)
The ACTS sub-system of TSPS handled the automated voice announcements ("Please deposit 50 cents for the next 3 minutes") and worked with TSPS for coin deposit (start of call) coin collection/coin return (at end of call).
Transition to OSPS
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, AT&T phased out the original TSPS system with a more modern OSPS system (Operator Services Position System) which is based upon the AT&T/Lucent #5ESS switch. ACTS had a seamless transition and for many, the system was identically the same as it had been in the TSPS system.
When and why did AT&T discontinue ACTS?
By the early 1990s, many companies, including AT&T were issuing pre-paid calling cards. The use of pre-paid calling cards significantly reduced the cost of long distance calls from pay phones. (Long distance calls via ACTS, even if customer dialed, were still billed at very expensive Operator Assisted rates).
COCOTs (Customer Owned Coin Telephones) came into being shortly after post-divestiture of AT&T in 1984. The number of telephone company controlled pay phones were decreasing at an enormous rate. Most COCOTs handled their own long distance call billing. And by the 1990s, a number of telephone company pay phones were converted to COCOT like technology. They too handled their own billing.
What was the final nail in the coffin was the wide availability of inexpensive cellular phones. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, more than half of the US population had a cell phone. Many of these cell phone plans have a large number of minutes and free nationwide long distance. So for many people, the pay phone became obsolete.
AT&T wanted out of the long distance pay phone business for a number of years. They were forced to stay in the business by FCC mandate as part of the AT&T breakup in 1984. But by the early 2000s, they were charging extremely high rates - as much as $6 (and more) for a 3 minute out-of-state phone call! As a result, many people didn't use pay phone based long distance services for a number of years.
In addition, AT&T had to have special operator trunks to handle pay phones. These special trunks (known as Feature Group C) were able to "hold your line" so that the operator had complete control of the phone line and would not release it until they wanted to. ACTS also had this capability. Feature Group C trunks were more expensive than Feature Group D trunks, which do not have line holding capabilities.
Armed with this information, AT&T petitioned the FCC that they drop the requirement that AT&T had to provide coin telephone long distance. The FCC granted dropping of the requirement.
Starting in the early summer of 2002, AT&T started changing from Feature Group C to Feature Group D operator trunks. Telephone companies, one by one, started to block Inter-LATA (outside of your home LATA) pay phone long distance calls to OSPS. At the same time, OSPS was blocking long distance calls coming to it. In both cases, the caller received rejection recordings. Very rarely callers were able to know why, as most were given "generic" messages that the call could not be completed as dialed. Qwest was one of the first companies to start the disconnection, and Verizon was one of the last ones to drop Inter-LATA pay phone long distance. By October 2002, AT&T's ACTS was history.
ACTS lives on... sort of
ACTS technology is not completely dead, yet. Many RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies) such as Qwest, SBC and Verizon still have Intra-LATA (inside your own LATA) pay phone long distance services.
Some RBOCs (including Verizon and Qwest) use Nortel's TOPS (Toll Operator Position Station) for their operator services platform - based upon their DMS-200 tandem switch. TOPS systems were installed in the 1980s when RBOCs were forced to start their own operator services and "break away" from using AT&T.
The TOPS system has their own ACTS-like system for handling coin phone based long distance. The system works in a very similar way that the TSPS and OSPS based ACTS system did. However, the voice prompts are different, as they use a woman's voice that has a French Canadian accent.
However, RBOCs are not handling Inter-LATA coin phone based long distance services via TOPS. If they do offer coin phone based long distance services, they offer it though pay phones that use COCOT technology, rather than using ACTS like technology.
Listen to TOPS based ACTS from SBC (1 min) (Source: Strom Carlson)
Copyright 2008 Telephone World
Page last modified December 24, 2008
Contact us for more information


September 28, 2012
Contact: Andy Hirsch, Director of Media Communications
_PHONE_ -
Sept. 28, 2012
In his new 'Plants Are Cool, Too!' episode, Professor Chris Martine explores an Idaho fossil deposit and the hunt for DNA that dates back 15 million years.
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell Professor of Biology Chris Martine is hoping YouTube can help share his passion for plants with the world. Martine, Bucknell's newly named David Burpee Chair in Plant Genetics and Research, recently traveled to Idaho to film the second episode of 'Plants are Cool, Too!' The Internet show, roughly about 15 minutes long, aims to draw people's attention to what Martine calls 'adventure botany.'
"Plants can be every bit as exciting and interesting as animals. But while it's really easy for young people to find shows about animals, there's really nothing out there like what we're trying to do," Martine explained. "There are gardening programs, there are programs that tell you what plants to use for cooking - but until now, there were no adventure botany programs that show you the coolest plants on earth."
In Martine's second episode of 'Plants Are Cool, Too!', which was just released, he traveled to a fossil bed in Clarkia, Idaho, where researchers are studying 15-million-year-old leaves, well preserved beneath the sediment of an ancient lake.
"As you can see in the video, we were able to hold the actual leaves that fell from trees 15 million years ago. They even retained their fall colors," Martine said. "Having access to actual biological specimens from the deep past allows scientists to do all sorts of otherwise-improbable things, from predicting atmospheric conditions to tracking changes in DNA over millions of years."
Martine's first 'Plants Are Cool, Too!' episode focused on Sarracenia alata, a carnivorous plant that uses a sweet nectar and self-produced narcotic to lure insects. The plant then digests the bugs in its stomach, very similar to how an animal's stomach works.
"It's a perfect example of what we're trying to highlight," Martine explained. "Most people don't know these types of plants exist, and we really want to raise that level of awareness. We want to show people how exciting botany can be and that, yes, plants are cool, too.'"
The next episode of 'Plants Are Cool, Too!' is scheduled to be filmed in January, and released early next year.
Places I've Been


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Grapefruit juice may make low doses of anti-cancer drug as effective as higher doses
(CBS News) New research finds a simple modification may make a cancer drug three times more powerful without the side effects a higher dose would likely cause. All it takes is a glass of grapefruit juice.
In the preliminary study published in the August issue of Clinical Cancer Research, scientists at the University of Chicago set out to analyze how certain foods would affect metabolism of the anti-cancer drug called sirolimus, which is an FDA-approved drug to prevent rejection of a kidney transplant and has been seen to help some people with cancer.
The problem with sirolimus, however, is that the drug is easily metabolized and leaves the blood stream before it can show benefits. The optimal dose needed to show anti-tumor benefits also brings with it significant gastrointestinal problems.
"Grapefruit juice, and drugs with a similar mechanism, can significantly increase blood levels of many drugs, but this has long been considered an overdose hazard," study director Dr. Ezra Cohen, a cancer specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine, said in a news release. "Instead, we wanted to see if grapefruit juice can be used in a controlled fashion to increase the availability and efficacy of sirolimus."
The researchers enrolled 138 patients with incurable cancers in early stage trials in which they were given sirolimus either alone, with an eight-ounce glass of grapefruit juice or with a drug called ketoconazole, which slows drug metabolism.
Patients started with low doses of sirolimus at first and increased them as the study went on to see how much of the drug would cause the best anti-cancer benefits with the least amount of side effects. The researchers found that the most optimal dose was 90 milligrams of sirolimus per week. However nausea and diarrhea would occur in people taking 45 milligrams per week, requiring subjects in the sirolimus-only group to cut their dosage.
For the other two groups, the amount of sirolimus needed to reach cancer-fighting levels in the blood was significantly lower: Those taking sirolimus with grapefruit juice needed between 25 and 35 milligrams of sirolimus per week. That suggests a 350 percent increase in drug levels, fueled by grapefruit juice. Those taking the drug with the ketoconazole only needed 16 milligrams of sirolimus to reach treatment levels - a 500 percent increase in drug levels.
"This is the first cancer study to harness this drug-food interaction," the authors wrote.
They explain that grapefruit juice prevents enzymes in the intestines from breaking down the drug within a few hours, and the effect gradually wears off over a few days. The researchers say grapefruit juice is non-toxic and has no risk of overdose which makes it an attractive option over ketoconazole.
As for sirolimus' cancer-fighting effects, no patients in the study had a complete response but 30 percent of the patients' cancers did not advance. One of the patients had a partial response, shrinking the tumor, which lasted for three years.
Dr. Jerry Avorn, chief of the pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who was not involved in the study, told ABC News that grapefruit juice may save patients money on their treatments.
"The cost of cancer treatments are very problematic for a lot of patients," he said. "If this were to pan out in subsequent studies, this could really be a boon in terms of affordability of these drugs."
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South Dakota Celebrates Native American Day
It's Columbus Day in the United States, but it's Native American Day in South Dakota.
The state Legislature in 1989 approved the change proposed by then-Gov. George Mickelson. South Dakota is the only state that celebrates Native American Day on Columbus Day.
Dani Daugherty grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She tells the American News that Native American Day is a time to recognize the resiliency and the contributions of native peoples.
But others have mixed feelings. Standing Rock Sioux member Gordon Tree Trop says he remembers being teased by classmates when he was growing up because he had his "own day."
Meanwhile, the Crazy Horse Memorial plans to celebrate Native American Day on Monday with a weather permitting mountain blast and a free buffalo stew luncheon.
Other activities and programs include Native American singers, dancers, artists and storytellers, the South Dakota Symphony's Lakota Music Project and an educational program.
The memorial is a mountain carving in progress that will honor Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. Work on the sculpture began in 1948.
South Dakota is the only U.S. state that celebrates Native American Day. Others observe the day as Columbus Day.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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On Palm Sunday, March 28, in a David vs. Goliath face-off, a group of children and concerned citizens gathered in a Pacifica neighborhood for a book recycling and fundraising effort to save 11 century-old palm trees from being cut down by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Kids4Change, a nonprofit children's group that performs charitable services and funding, voted unanimously to make saving the palm trees their current cause. They rallied Sunday with other children and adults to raise awareness about the fate of the trees they love.
These Canary Island palms were planted in this urban forest circa 1906, more than 50 years before the city was incorporated. Stunning in appearance, with large fronds that drape majestically from the crown, the trees are threatened not by disease but by poor urban planning. Though the trees are only a third of the way through their estimated 300-year lifespan, Pacifica's Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission voted to allow PG&E to cut down the first three of these trees because the city does not have the money to move utility poles or underground the wires, which are at risk of becoming a safety hazard. The core issue is that the trees have grown close enough to PG&E's high-voltage lines to present a fire and electrocution hazard.
Citizens argue that this was a foreseeable consequence of placing lines directly above the trees, which naturally have grown. PG&E is not willing to fund environmentally friendly solutions, such as redirecting lines, extending poles, or undergrounding wires. In the past 50 years, hundreds of trees have been removed from the rarefied tree-laden neighborhood of Vallemar. Many trees were sick or at the end of their lifespans. But the remaining healthy palms are at risk only because PG&E placed power lines directly in their line of growth, and the severe trimming required will kill them.
Concerned citizens and Kids4Change have joined with local nonprofit Vallemar Conservators, which has been working for decades to save and replace the lost grandeur of Vallemar's urban forest. This coalition is working to raise awareness of the situation in hopes of finding a solution other than tree removal.The kids and adults are collecting donations of books and money for the cause. The book sale is on April 17, in the same neighborhood, and all proceeds go to saving the trees. To learn more about the palm tree crisis, go to _URL_. And to donate or learn more about Kids4Change, please visit _URL_. All money raised between now and April 17 goes to saving the palm trees.
Recycle your old books and help save trees! Kids 4 Change, a local charity composed primarily of children ages 5 to 8, is running a book drive and sale. Dust off those old books and drop them at 119 Berendos in Vallemar, Pacifica, between now and April 17. Books will be sold for $1 each on April 17 at 119 Berendos. Proceeds will go to save several 100-year-old heritage palm trees in Pacifica, and any remaining books will be donated to Pacifica School Volunteers, Pacifica Resource Center, and/or local schools.
Donations to help save the palm trees: http://www.kids4change/donations.php


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The GL must perform a number of floating-point operations during the course of its operation. We do not specify how floating-point numbers are to be represented or how operations on them are to be performed. We require simply that numbers' floating-point parts contain enough bits and that their exponent fields are large enough so that individual results of floating-point operations are accurate to about 1 part in. The maximum representable magnitude of a floating-point number used to represent positional or normal coordinates must be at least ; the maximum representable magnitude for colors or texture coordinates must be at least. The maximum representable magnitude for all other floating-point values must be at least. for any non-infinite and non-NaN x.. x + 0 = 0 + x = x.. (Occasionally further requirements will be specified.) Most single-precision floating-point formats meet these requirements.
Any representable floating-point value is legal as input to a GL command that requires floating-point data. The result of providing a value that is not a floating-point number to such a command is unspecified, but must not lead to GL interruption or termination. In IEEE arithmetic, for example, providing a negative zero or a denormalized number to a GL command yields predictable results, while providing a NaN or an infinity yields unspecified results.
Some calculations require division. In such cases (including implied divisions required by vector normalizations), a division by zero produces an unspecified result but must not lead to GL interruption or termination.


A fuzzy inference system (FIS) typically implements a function $f: {BBR}^{N} rightarrow {mathfrak T}$, where the domain set ${BBR}$ denotes the totally ordered set of real numbers, whereas the range set ${mathfrak T}$ may be either ${mathfrak T} = {BBR}^{M}$ (i.e., FIS regressor) or ${mathfrak T}$ may be a set of labels (i.e., FIS classifier), etc. This study considers the complete lattice $({BBF},preceq)$ of Type-1 Intervals' Numbers (INs), where an IN $F$ can be interpreted as either a possibility distribution or a probability distribution. In particular, this study concerns the matching degree (or satisfaction degree, or firing degree) part of an FIS. Based on an inclusion measure function $sigma : {BBF} times {BBF} rightarrow [0,1]$ we extend the traditional FIS design toward implementing a function $f: {BBF}^{N} rightarrow {mathfrak T}$ with the following advantages: 1) accommodation of granular inputs; 2) employment of sparse rules; and 3) introduction of tunable (global, rather than solely local) nonlinearities as explained in the manuscript. New theorems establish that an inclusion measure $sigma$ is widely (though implicitly) used by traditional FISs typically with trivial (i.e., point) input vectors. A preliminary industrial application demonstrates the advantages of our proposeschemes. Far-reaching extensions of FISs are also discussed.
V.G. Kaburlasos, A. Kehagias, "Fuzzy inference system (FIS) extensions based on lattice theory", IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systemsvol. 22, no. 3, pp. 531-546, 2014.
View on ResearchGate


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Outcomes of an Interprofessional Fall Risk Assessment Program for Health Science Students (poster 8)
Haddad, Ann Ryan
Stricklett, Kate Martens
MetadataShow full item record
Background/Introduction: The interprofessional fall risk assessment program was first piloted in Spring 2011. Since then, it has been offered annually at both independent living and assisted living facilities in the Omaha area.Methods: From 2012 - 2014, 188 students participated in interprofessional fall risk assessment programs at 3 senior living communities. Students were recruited to participate through the Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service and Education in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Students attended an orientation, met their team, and completed the pre-Team Skills Scale survey prior to the event.Students completed their discipline-specific assessments onsite with senior residents who volunteered to participate in the fall risk assessment program. Nursing students completed interviews to collect health history information. Pharmacy students completed medication reviews or medication fall risk scores. Physical therapy students conducted Berg Balance assessments. Occupational therapy students completed home safety checklists.Interprofessional teams generated client-centered recommendations under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals. These recommendations were provided to the older adults in fall risk report cards. Facility staff received recommendations via care plans and medication action plans to discuss with their senior residents. Students then completed a post-Team Skills Scale survey.Results: The response rate ranged from 81-85% dependent upon students' completion of both pre/post Team Skills Scale survey questions. Scores for all questions improved significantly from preto post-measures.Conclusion: These opportunities allow students to interact with older adults, become proficient with health assessments, collaborate interprofessionally, and provide clinical recommendations. Student benefits of participating include applying clinical skills before clinical rotations, interacting with real clients (not patient simulations), developing team skills, and having the safety net of faculty onsite to supervise and coach them. The older adults received assessments not typically provided in these senior living communities.


- activity monitoring;
 - physical activity recommendations;
 - activity recognition;
 - locomotion
This study investigated which aspects of the individuals' activity behavior determine the physical activity level (PAL). Habitual physical activity of 20 Dutch adults (age: 26–60 years, body mass index: 24.5±2.7 kg/m2) was measured using a tri-axial accelerometer. Accelerometer output was used to identify the engagement in different types of daily activities with a classification tree algorithm. Activity behavior was described by the daily duration of sleeping, sedentary behavior (lying, sitting, and standing), walking, running, bicycling, and generic standing activities. Simultaneously, the total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured using doubly labeled water. PAL was calculated as TEE divided by sleeping metabolic rate. PAL was significantly associated (P<0.05) with sedentary time (R=−0.72), and the duration of walking (R=0.49), bicycling (R=0.77), and active standing (R=0.62). A negative association was observed between sedentary time and the duration of active standing (R=−0.87; P<0.001). A multiple-linear regression analysis showed that 75% of the variance in PAL could be predicted by the duration of bicycling (Partial R2=59%; P<0.01), walking (Partial R2=9%; P<0.05) and being sedentary (Partial R2=7%; P<0.05). In conclusion, there is objective evidence that sedentary time and activities related to transportation and commuting, such as walking and bicycling, contribute significantly to the average PAL.


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Boulder trails are common to the interior of Menelaus crater as materials erode from higher topography and roll toward the crater floor. Downhill is to the left, image width is 500 m, LROC NAC M139802338L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
Most boulder trails are relatively high reflectance, but running through the center of this image is a lower reflectance trail. This trail is smaller than the others, and its features may be influenced by factors such as mass of the boulder, boulder speed as it traveled downhill, and elevation from which the boulder originated. For example, is the boulder trail less distinct than the others because the boulder was smaller? What about the spacing of boulder tracks? The spacing of bounce-marks along boulder trails may say something about boulder mass and boulder speed. But why is this boulder trail low reflectance when all of the surrounding trails are higher reflectance? Perhaps this boulder trail is lower reflectance because the boulder gently bounced as it traveled downhill, and barely disturbed a thin layer of regolith? The contrast certainly appears similar to the astronauts' footprints and paths around the Apollo landing sites. Or, maybe the boulder fell apart during its downhill travel and the trail is simply made up of pieces of the boulder - we just don't know yet.
LROC WAC context of Menelaus crater at the boundary between Mare Serenitatis and the highlands (dotted line). The arrow marks the location of today's featured image at contact between the crater floor and NE crater wall [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
What do you think? Why don't you follow the trail to its source in the full LROC NAC frame and see if you can find any other low reflectance trails.


text: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is caused by a genetic change (mutation) that reduces insulin production and raises the blood sugar level. Most people with MODY become diabetic before age 25 years. Several types of MODY are caused by different gene mutations. The severity of the diabetes depends on the type of MODY. One type, known as MODY5, results from a mutation in the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1) gene. People with MODY5 may have kidney disease, although not the type that is typical for diabetes. Some also may have malformed genital organs. However, MODY5 is uncommon, and few studies describe the clinical and genetic findings associated with the disease.


Simple variable packet data May 2016
Until now, most of the wireless sensor nodes here at JeeLabs have been using a simple "map C/C++ struct as binary" approach as payload format. The advantage of this is that it simplifies the code in C (once you wrap your mind around how structs and binary data are stored in memory, that is) - but it's also a bit C-specific, compiler-dependent, and not truly flexible.
With Forth now taking over both sides of the wireless RF link, it's time to revisit this approach.
Here is a new design, which can efficiently package and send a number of numeric values in a generic form, and which is also easy to decode at the receiving end. This format and design is not language-specific, in fact it has been the basis of several commercial and open-source products since 1991. It's also used in the p1scanner code in a previous release of HouseMon.
The main idea is to transform integers into variable-length byte sequences. A packet is then simply a series of such values, starting with a packet format ID.
This particular encoding represents small positive integers more compactly than larger ones. And it'll work with arbitrarily large integers (the current Forth implementation can deal with up to 64-bit values). Negative integers can be handled in several ways, to be described further on.
The following example is for 32-bit integers, the most common size on ARM µC's, since that's the size of a native int and of a value on the Forth stack.
Here is how a 32-bit integer is converted to a sequence of 1..5 bytes:
As you can see, bits are grouped 7 at a time, with the high bit set only in the last byte. So all a decoder has to do is to advance through input bytes until it finds one with the high bit set, while accumulating and shifting the result 7 bits at a time.
Here's the trick: leading zero's are skipped. Encoded byte sequences never start with a 0-byte:
If the entire value is 0, then this emits a single byte with only the high bit set, i.e. 0x80.
For negative values, with all the high bits set to one, we have several options:
This approach leads to a compact binary data packet for simple integer values. By adding the convention that the first integer (a single byte, i.e. 0..127) represents the type of packet, we can play various tricks to make things more compact for certain cases.
Here is an actual encoded packet sent out by the JeeLabs Energy Monitor:
There are 6 bytes with the high bit set, therefore 6 values:
One potentially very useful property of this encoding is that the 0-byte never appears as the first byte in these variable-byte encodings. Which means that the 0-byte can be inserted as special "escape mark" for all sorts of purposes. It could be followed by an alternate representation for a small string for example, or even be the start of a much richer "separator" convention to allow encoding complete JSON data structures. Note that 0-bytes can appear inside byte sequences when some of the intermediate 7 bit groups are all zero.
And since only the last byte of each encoded byte sequence has its high bit set, we could also traverse multiple values in reverse order, if needed.
For now, the special 0-bytes are not used. They leave the door open for future enhancements.
Weblog © Jean-Claude Wippler. Generated by Hugo.


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July-August 2002 State Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) discovered that Salvinia seemed to be multiplying and stepped-up their control efforts. By November 2002, most of the Salvinia was contained in the basin area (at the dam and spillway of the Lake) and the City & County of Honolulu (City) assisted in removal efforts using a front-end loader and dump trucks.
December 2002 Salvinia within the contained area by the basin and plants located outside of the containment area exploded in growth and took DAR and City crews completely by surprise.
January 2003 Salvinia had covered approximately 90% of the Lake's surface water area (270 acres) and posed the threat of a massive fish kill and a potential public health disaster.
January 31, 2003 Senate President Robert Bunda assembled a multi-agency government task force including legislators, congressional representatives, military services, businesses and concerned members of the community to address the eradication of Salvinia from the Lake. This group is now called the Salvinia "Partners" Working Group.
Early February The Governor designated the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) as the lead agency in addressing the infestation of Salvinia and deemed the infestation at the Lake a state priority.
By February 14, 2003 The Partners Working Group developed a 3-pronged short-term plan to address the immediate removal of Salvinia from the Lake:
Establish three extraction sites using heavy equipment consisting of an excavator, front-end loaders and dump trucks with supporting services (e.g. fueling and water tank trucks, etc.). Two to four boats with oil booms would be used to round-up the Salvinia and pull it towards the extraction sites. A two to four person ground crew would also be needed to secure the oil booms on-shore and to pull the booms toward the excavator. Initially, the State, City and the Military would provide their own manpower and resources to outfit their respective extraction site. Should additional resources become available and if suitable sites are located, one to two more extraction sites would be mobilized into operation. Landowners have provided a disposal area (approximately 30 acres) in their fallow fields and will later mulch and compost the weed material for use on their planting fields.
Herbicide spraying of Aquamaster will be used to kill and/or retard the growth of Salvinia so that extraction activities can over-take the exponential growth rate of the weed. Aquamaster is an Environmental Protection Agency approved herbicide for use in aquatic environments. No special protective equipment is necessary for spray application, the herbicide is bio-degradable, has a short residual time and becomes inactive upon contact with soil.
Last prong of the short-term plan is to solicit community support and volunteers to clear areas where the main extraction efforts cannot reach (e.g. along the edges of the Lake, between fallen tree branches, areas inaccessible by boats, etc.).
February 15, 2003 DLNR Chairperson Young assigned DLNR's Engineering Division to take the lead in the eradication of Salvinia at the Lake and statewide.
February 18, 2003 The City mobilized and started extraction efforts at Site #1 located in the basin area near the dam and spillway of the Lake.
February 19, 2003 The DLNR closed Wahiawa Freshwater State Park for public use and this area will be used for the State's extraction efforts as Site #2-A.
February 25, 2003 The State mobilized heavy equipment into Site #2-A and began extraction efforts the following day.
February 25, 2003 Approval was granted by the General Contractors Association to allow for use of military resources for eradication efforts (exemption for non-competition by private sector resources).
February 20-21, 2003 Department of Agriculture (DOA) conducted test spraying of herbicide.
February 24, 2003 DOA commenced full spraying operations. It is estimated that approximately 14 acres per day can be sprayed with a minimum goal of 50 acres per week weather permitting. Spraying operations anticipated to continue for six weeks.
March 8, 2003 Hawaii Army National Guard provides 2-loaders and 6-dump trucks to assist in eradication efforts.
March 10, 2003 The Army's extraction site # 3 located across from the City's extraction site along the north fork of the lake begins operation. Extraction site # 3 is located approximately 400 yards up-stream of the City's extraction site along the north fork of the Lake.
March 14, 2003 DOA completes initial spraying of Lake's surface area covered with Salvinia estimated to be around 214 acres. Spraying operations completed 3 weeks ahead of initial estimate. DOA to monitor effects of herbicide sprayed areas for the next two weeks.
March 20, 2003 Last day of extraction at State Site #2-A. Operations at site have become inefficient due to length of time necessary for boats to boom Salvinia weed to the excavator.
March 21, 2003 Mobilized two excavators to new State Extraction Site #2-B. This site is located on a peninsula in the basin area at the confluence of the North and South Forks of Lake Wilson.
March 24, 2003 U.S. Marine Corps' Waterfront Operations provides two boats with operators to assist in eradication efforts.
March 31, 2003 U.S. Marine Corps' Engineering Company (CSSG-3) provides one loader and one dump truck with operators to assist in eradication efforts.
March 31, 2003 DOA re-commences herbicide spraying along the edges of the Lake.
April 3, 2003 Last day of extraction at Army's Extraction Site #3.
April 4, 2003 Last day of extraction for one excavator at State Extraction Site #2-B. Last day of herbicide spraying along the edges of the Lake by DOA.
ESTIMATED CLEARED SURFACE AREA OF LAKE = 75% OR 225 ACRES
April 11, 2003 Mobilize equipment and clear new Army's Extraction Site #3-B. This site is located on the South Fork of Lake Wilson in the East Range of Schofield Barracks Military Reservation.
April 14, 2003 Received notice from the City that they will cease operations on Saturday, April 19, 2003 and are requesting for $276,000 in reimbursement from the State for removal costs.
April 14, 2003 Army begins to remove large debris (tree stumps and branches, timbers, etc.) from Extraction Site #3-B and will begin extraction activities the following week.
April 14, 2003 Boats begin operations of extracting weed material along the edges and small coves of the Lake.
April 19, 2003 City ceases operations.
ESTIMATED CLEARED SURFACE AREA OF LAKE = 85% OR 255 ACRES
May 6, 2003 - Army concludes bulk extraction at the East Range
ESTIMATED CLEARED SURFACE AREA OF LAKE = 95% OR 285 ACRES
Total amount of weed cleared via bulk extraction sites = 50,000 cubic yards (does not include amounts from followup maintenance by boat crews)
May 24 2003 - Department of Land and Natural Resources reopens the popular state park at Wahiawa Freshwater Recreation Area for public use of shore portions. The park reopening, after nearly 3 months of closure, follows successful completion of intensive bulk extraction activities by City and County, state and federal and military agencies to remove extensive growths of the Salvinia molesta aquatic weed that at one point covered an estimated 95 percent of the lake's 300-acre surface area.
Smaller-scale work daily work continues to eradicate remaining amounts of Salvinia along the lake's 20-mile perimeter.
Freshwater fishing clubs also assisted DLNR with volunteer cleanups of Salvinia at Lake Wilson on:
June 14, 2003 - Wahiawa Public Fishing Area (Lake Wilson reservoir) is reopened to boat fishing. Division of Aquatic Resources posts a sign at the boat launch ramp asking fishermen to kokua and assist in the removal of Salvinia from reservoir. As part of its necessary maintenance control for Salvinia, the Division of Aquatic Resources will conduct perimeter shoreline spraying with an EPA-approved herbicide on the second and fourth week of each month, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (except holidays) until the end of the year. The boat launch ramp will be closed and chained on the days when spraying will be conducted. The public's understanding and kokua is appreciated.
July 30, 2003 - Due to successful maintenance control spraying for Salvinia, Division of Aquatic Resources reduces boat launch ramp closures to once a month only on the first Tuesday of each month through the end of the year.
August 11, 2004 - More than a year after successfully controlling a crippling infestation, Lake Wilson remains almost completely Salvinia-free. DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources does monthly monitoring of the lake. Presently the only location where a few Salvinia plants still exist is on the South Fork amidst an area of California grass less than one acre in size. This area is completely enclosed by a floating oil boom to prevent any chance of the small plants from escaping, and the California grass which provides cover is being removed with the use of an aquatic harvester.
Timeline: Eradicating Salvinia from Lake Wilson
DLNR Press Release: Lake Wilson Closure: HTML page PDF (86k)
Lake Wilson Project Status


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CellCept/Iron Study: The Iron Ion-Mycophenolate Mofetil Chelation Complex Interaction in Renal Allograft Recipients
The objective of this study is to determine the extent and magnitude of the pharmacokinetic drug interaction between mycophenolate mofetil (MFF) (under Css conditions) in the presence of iron in renal transplant recipients.
A two phase pharmacokinetic study will be conducted to determine the bioavailability of MMF (under steady state, Css, conditions) in the presence of two commonly prescribed iron formulations (polysaccharide iron complex and sustained release ferrous sulfate) in renal transplant recipients. This study will evaluate valuable clinical information to help better guide the appropriate utilization of the following formulations and dosing strategies:
- Polysaccharide iron complex concomitant administration with MMF,
- Sustained release ferrous sulfate concomitant administration with MMF,
- Dose separation (2 hours) between MMF and iron (polysaccharide iron complex or sustained release [S.R.] ferrous sulfate)
End Stage Renal Disease
|Study Design:||Observational Model: Defined Population
Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional
|Official Title:||The Iron Ion-Mycophenolate Mofetil Chelation Complex Interaction: A Two Phase Pharmacokinetic Study in Renal Allograft Recipients at the University of Michigan Transplant Program|
|Study Start Date:||October 2003|
Following oral administration, MMF is rapidly absorbed and is presystemically hydrolyzed to its active form MPA in the liver. It is then metabolized by glucuronyl transferase to its inactive metabolite mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG). MPA and MPAG also undergo a significant enterohepatic recirculation process, which is thought to contribute to the secondary peaks in the serum concentrations.
Pharmacokinetic studies in healthy volunteers have demonstrated the bioavailability to be ~94%. Previous studies have shown that many concomitantly administered medications including magnesium and aluminum containing antacids and cholestyramine, significantly impair bioavailability and decrease serum MPA AUCs from 37% and 40%, respectively.
However, of the potentially significant drug interactions involving MMF, iron may have the most clinically significant consequences. A large portion of the transplant population, particularly renal allograft recipients, experience anemia requiring iron supplementation. A single dose pharmacokinetic study conducted in seven healthy volunteers evaluated the effect of concomitant iron (delayed release preparation) administration on the absorption of MMF. This study reported a significant (89.7%) decrease in AUC among patients receiving concomitant iron and MMF. Although this study provides valuable information, it fails to address several clinically pertinent questions for transplant clinicians including:
- the potential impact on steady state MPA kinetics in transplant patients,
- effect of immediate release iron preparation compared with sustained release iron product, and
- the effect of timing of the dose relative to administration of MMF.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00227045
|United States, Michigan|
|University of Michigan|
|Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48109|
|Principal Investigator:||Jeong Park, PharmD||University of Michigan Hospital|


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Engineering personnel e.g. Supervisors, Craftsmen and Final Year Apprentices who are involved with the installation and maintenance of pneumatic equipment.
By combining practical circuit building with the design and drawing of pneumatic circuits, course members will be introduced to a logical approach to fault diagnosis.
AIR COMPRESSORS - LAYOUT OF TYPICAL INSTALLATION INCLUDING:
a) Air infeed
d) Moisture separation
e) Air receivers
a) Examples of pipework and fittings
b) Air line, filters/regulators/lubricants
a) Diagrammatic principle of valve flow, including sections through valves.
b) Diagrammatic principle of cylinder operation including cushioning and
a) Pneumatic circuit symbols B.S. 2917
b) Design and drawings of simple circuits
c) Building of simple circuits
d) Introduction to multicylinder and cascade circuits
e) Building of complex circuits
f) Fault diagnosis
Introduction to Basic Programme Logic Control Systems (P.L.C.)


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JutlandArticle Free Pass
Jutland, Danish Jylland, projection of northern Europe forming the continental portion of Denmark. The peninsula is bounded to the west and north by the North Sea and the Skagerrak and to the east by the Kattegat and the Little Belt. The Chersonesus Cimbrica, or Cimbric Chersonese, of ancient geography, it was subsequently named for the Jutes (a Germanic people) and includes, in its larger sense, the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Politically, as the result of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, Jutland ends southward at Flensburg (Flensborg) Fjord and includes the islands north of the Limfjorden. Area 11,496 square miles (29,775 square km).
What made you want to look up "Jutland"? Please share what surprised you most...


GeoIndex Offshore | BGS
GeoIndex Offshore
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Spatial search: Click on either the 'Rectangle' or 'Polygon' buttons and draw a selection shape on the map. Alternatively, click on the 'Radius' button to search by radius on a point location.
Attribute search: Click on the 'Query' button to make a search based on feature attributes.
Create PDF map
Generate a printable PDF map of the current map and legend by clicking on 'Generate PDF Map'.
Search results, when available, can be exported to a tab-delimited text file using the 'EXPORT ACTIVE TAB' button.
Select either 'Distance' to measure distance or 'Area' to measure perimeter and area. Follow on screen instructions to draw shape.


text:
Context and research headlines
Since the introduction of the reformed, decoupled AS and A level qualifications, we've become aware of an increasing preference within schools for a two-year linear A level delivery model. This has been especially true in particular subjects and our research to date tells us that this movement towards A level is likely to continue.
In looking into this, we've heard a number of common reasons for the shift away from AS qualifications. These include:
- AS 'not counting' towards an A level grade
- distinct coursework (or speaking assessments) at AS and A level
- the volume of content of the reformed A levels
- time and budgetary constraints.
Teachers have also told us that they have seen the following benefits for students in focusing on a two-year A level-only course in these particular subjects:
- more time for students to engage with their subject
- more space to consider the content more deeply
- a longer development time for the necessary skills
- the opportunity to develop both breadth and depth of subject coverage
- less exam and/or coursework preparation and revision throughout the first year of the A level course.


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The capstan on an old ship.
- an apparatus, mainly on ships, around which cables or hawsers are wound for hoisting anchors, lifting weights, etc.: it consists of an upright, spool-shaped cylinder that is turned on an inner shafting by machinery or by hand
- a rotating spindle in a tape recorder mechanism that regulates the speed at which the tape is driven past the head
Origin of capstanMiddle English ; from Old ProvenÃ§al cabestan ; from uncertain or unknown; perhaps Classical Latin capistrum, halter, muzzle ; from capere, to take: see have
- Nautical An apparatus used for hoisting weights, consisting of a vertical spool-shaped cylinder that is rotated manually or by machine and around which a cable is wound.
- A small cylindrical shaft used to drive magnetic tape at a constant speed in a tape recorder.
Origin of capstanMiddle English, from Norman French, from Old Provençal cabestan, from cabestre, noose, from Latin capistrum, halter, probably from capere, to seize; see kapin Indo-European roots.
- (nautical) A vertical cleated drum or cylinder, revolving on an upright spindle, and surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for bars or levers. It is much used, especially on shipboard, for moving or raising heavy weights or exerting great power by traction upon a rope or cable, passing around the drum. It is operated either by steam power or by a number of men walking around the capstan, each pushing on the end of a lever fixed in its socket.
- (electronics) A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.
- catnaps, cat naps
From French cabestan, of uncertain origin.
capstan - Computer Definition
On magnetic tape drives, a motorized cylinder that traps the tape against a free-wheeling roller and moves it at a regulated speed.


How many valence electrons does scandium have?
Quick Answer
Scandium, element 21 on the periodic table, has 2 valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons that occupy the highest energy orbital of an atom. They are the electrons in an atom that participate in chemical reactions.
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Full Answer
Scandium's electron configuration is [Ar] 3d1 4s2. The 4s orbital is the one that houses its valence electrons. Since valence electrons are the primary electrons involved in chemical reactions, they are a key factor in determining an element's chemical properties. Elements in the same column, or group, of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons, so they frequently have similar chemical and physical properties; scandium is a group 3 element, and it shares many physical properties with other group 3 elements, such as lutetium and yttrium. For example, these elements have very similar melting points.
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The history of Peyo
Peyo, the very first smurf
A distant descendant of the pirate Robert Culliford, Peyo (whose real name was Pierre Culliford) was born in the Brussels commune of Schaerbeek, on June 25th 1928. No one knows if his first word was 'Schtroumpf'...
Peyo's passport
Peyo's passport
His real first name: Pierre
Last name: Culliford
Spoke: French (and a bit of Smurf)
Lived in: Brussels (Belgium) – the capital of waffles and Manneken Pis
Worked as: a comic artist
Biggest invention: The Smurfs
Is also the father of: Johan and Peewit, Poussy, a clumsy and mischievous cat; Steve Strong, a young boy with an incredible strength who loses this powers when he catches a cold.
The history of Peyo
Peyo's first job
The year is 1928... In New York the first 'talking' film is being projected and Walt Disney is drawing his first sketches of Mickey Mouse.
On June 25th of the same year a baby boy called Pierre Culliford was born in the outskirts of Brussels.
Due to his father's premature death, Peyo had to start earning a living at a young age. His first job was as a movie projectionist in the small 'Le Mirano' cinema. The medieval and science-fiction movies had a profound effect on him and inspired him throughout his career as an artist.
Fun fact: smoking was not allowed in the projection rooms so Peyo invented a technique to avoid getting caught: if his boss came into the room he would hide his lit cigarette in his mouth. An early sign of him being as mischievous as Jokey...
The history of Peyo
Peyo drawing
For his next job he almost became a dentist's assistant (thank goodness he didn't). Luckily, he was hired by a cartoon studio instead where he met and worked with some of Europe's most influential comic book artists such as Franquin (Marsupilami) and Morris (Lucky Luke). It was during a cartoon called 'Le cadeau à la fée' (The gift to the Fairy) that little blue imps with flowers as hats made an appearance as they put together a large cake in a very'smurfy' way! Unfortunately the studio closes down and Pierre Culliford decides to move into comics.
The history of Peyo
Peyo signature Smurfs - Johan and Peewit
Smurfly named Peyo
When he decided to become a full-time comic artist, Peyo, who was still signing his work with his full name, decided he needed a pen name. He found inspiration in his childhood nickname 'Pierrot' or, as one of his younger cousins (who couldn't pronounce the 'r') called him, 'Pe-yot'.
Captain Coky
After several unsuccessful attempts with pirate comics (Captain Coky), Peyo decided to draw what he really loved, stories based in the Middle Ages. He publishes strips in several dailies. He drew some Johan strips for the Belgian daily newspaper 'Le Soir' and then for 'Spirou' magazine.
Johan soon became a huge success and one of the magazine's main characters. The King's page, Johan, and his friend Peewit have fun and countless adventures defending the less-fortunate throughout the kingdom.
The history of Peyo
La flute a six Schtroumpfs
A Smurf is born!
For Johan and Peewit's ninth book of adventures, Peyo needed a group of imps to build a magic flute. He remembers a meal he had with his friend André Franquin (Marsupilami) when he'd wanted to ask Franquin to pass him the salt. But he couldn't remember the word so he says: "Pass me the... uhm... the smurf!". Franquin hands it over and answers: "Here's the smurf. Once you've smurfed with it you can smurf it back to me!" And so the name and language of the little imps were invented and on page 38 a small voice suddenly appears: "Can't you look where you smurf? You nearly smurfed me!" Then a blue skinned imp emerges from behind a rock. And that was the first time anyone ever saw a Smurf!
The history of Peyo
Le faux Schtroumpf
We want Smurf! We want Smurf!
The readers instantly fell in love with these mischievous and charming beings who love having fun, live in mushroom-shaped houses and speak a weird and wonderful language. The readers wanted to see them again in the following episodes.
The history of Peyo
Smurfandising in the 60's
Advertising departments rapidly saw the potential of the Smurf phenomenon and BP, Kellogg's, Côte d'Or and BN were some of the first companies to surf the incredible and increasingly popular Smurf wave.
But it is probably the PVC figurines of the little blue beings, first sold by Bully and then by Schleich, that had the most success.
Smurf toys
The history of Peyo
Smurf flute
The Magic Flute
The Smurfs were first seen on Belgian television in a series of short animated films, made by TVA Dupuis, the television animation studio of Charles Dupuis (the spiritual father of Robbedoes magazine). A couple of years later, in 1975, the Belgian Belvision studio produced a full-length feature based on 'The Magic Flute' which really triggered the Smurfs success. The movie was released in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
The history of Peyo
Click on the image above to see the video
What's on the Smurf tonight?
In 1981, The Smurfs debuted on the American NBC TV Channel, thanks to the famous cartoons produced by the Hanna-Barbera Studios, who also made 'Tom & Jerry' and 'The Flintstones'. But the success didn't stop there - the Smurfs were quickly aired around the world, even in countries that didn't even know the Smurfs comics! Even now, 30 years later, the Hanna-Barbera cartoons (the Smurfs star in 256 different episodes!) are still broadcast everyday on major TV channels worldwide.
The history of Peyo
Peyo toy
Planetary success
The success of the Smurfs became planetary in the 80's because of the cartoons. There are few regions left where their silhouettes are not recognised at first glance, but their name changes in every country: the Smurfs, die Schlümpfe, Los Pitufos, I Puffi, de Smurfen, les Schtroumpfs...
They are no longer limited to the page and the screen. The merchandising business really explodes. The Smurfs have become techno-music stars, as well as inspiring a steadily increasing collection of popular figurines, video games, toys...and many other derived products. On top of that, many companies made use of their image to promote their own products.
The history of Peyo
The Smurfs movie - trailer Click on the image above to see the video
Where the Smurf are we?
In August 2011, the Smurfs make their return to the big screen again, this time in 3D! The Smurfs Movie - Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation hybrid live-action and animated family comedy - in which the Smurfs get lost in present day New York City - was directed by Raja Gosnell and produced by Jordan Kerner. This event will introduce the beloved blue characters to a whole new generation of kids.
The history of Peyo
Smurf to the limit
Peyo left us on December 24, 1992 but the Smurfs have continued their many adventures and are today looking forward to a bright and even more exciting future, always ready to take on new challenges.
Meet the Smurfs
The village
Each Smurf has his own mushroom shaped house. Seen from the outside they all look the same, but once you go inside you really notice the Smurfs' different personalities.
The village
Johan and Peewit
Johan is a pageboy who defends widows and orphans. Peewit is Johan's friend. He rides a goat called Biquette and enjoys playing pranks on everyone. They're both good friends with the Smurfs.
Homnibus is a great magician and a very good friend of Papa Smurf. They spend long hours together talking about magic and alchemy.
Mother Nature
Mother Nature makes the different seasons come and go in Smurfland. When she's asleep, winter takes over and when she wakes up, so does nature.
The animals
The Smurfs are friends with all the animals (except for Azrael and the Howlibird of course). But some of them are particularly good friends, like the storks and the squirrels.
Gargamel's hut
Gargamel's hut is dangerous for the Smurfs. It's a gloomy and unhappy place where bats swoop around at night. There is nothing much there, except for an old long-dead tree.
Gargamel is a wicked sorcerer who wants to capture the Smurfs to extract their essence. That way he can create the Philosophal Stone which turns metal into gold.
Azrael is Gargamel's cat. His main preoccupation is to catch Smurfs


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As a record of pupil achievements
at KS2 Passport provides tangible
information to KS3 teachers to build
upon that success. A choice of investigations
and structured follow-up helps you
plan the elusive smoother transition.
Many primary and secondary schools
currently organise transition events
for pupils. Passport offers
a standard framework to make this
process easier for teachers.
Passport could also be used
as a stand alone activity in Year
6, to help pupils focus on their investigative
skills. Trial schools have found this
useful for post-SATs resources.
Passport is presented as a
colour or black and white pdf file
to print out which pupils write on.
pdf file contains an A5 twelve page
pupil booklet. The six pages should
be printed back to back.
additional sheet of visa stamps
can be printed onto sticky labels
or cut and pasted by pupils into
Page 1 - Cover
A designed cover for pupils.
Page 2 - Personal details
Name, school, class
Page 3 - Personal data
A record of personal features e.g.
height and eye colour in Year 6 and
Year 7. This gives an opportunity
to introduce variation in QCA Unit
7D, as some features change whilst
others remain the same.
A section on Good health. Pupils record
their vaccinations as they would in
a normal passport. This could be linked
to work on micro-organisms.
Page 4 - About yourself
Pupils think about the relevance
of science to their everyday lives.
When first asked to name a scientist
in their family many pupils will find
it difficult to give an answer. Pupils
think about different jobs that friends
and family do and begin to appreciate
where the science fits in.
Page 5 - My scientific skills
You choose your own criteria for
awarding 'Visas' to pupils as rewards
Practical visas. Pupils record their
skills so they can see their progression
through KS2 and 3. They learn to use
different equipment with a higher
degree of accuracy.
Page 6 - Apparatus visa
Pupils tick off pieces of apparatus
as they become competent with them.
Some can to be completed in Year 7
to show pupils their progression.
Page 7 - Vocabulary visa
Pupils keep a record of scientific
terms during Year 6 to take into Year
Pages 8-11 - Investigations visa
A choice of three investigations
to begin at KS2 and complete at KS3.
These pages are left blank for pupils
to record their investigations.
Page 12 - Where you have been
Pupils record web sites they use
for research during Year 6. They record
science visits with an official stamp
from the science centre.
The three investigation topics have
been chosen for their clear continuity
in content between the two key stages.
The Year 6 activities dovetail easily
with Year 7 units that can be covered
in September, and alternative activities
have been produced for children who
have not completed Passport
in Year 6. Choose from:
Looking at habitats and adaptations.
This activity is fun for the summer
term. The amount of fieldwork required
is flexible and options for different
habitats mean that school geography
is not a barrier. Communication, group
work and literacy are highlighted
at different points in the activity.
Uses easily resourced and much-loved
jelly dissolving to build investigative
practical skills, including predictions,
analysis and evaluation.
Focusing on their faces, pupils collect
variation data that draws them into
the world of the Ancient Greek 'Golden
ratio'. Numeracy is highlighted by
pupils calculating simple ratios.
Many primary schools trialled Passport
last term with some using their own
different investigations. We are eager
for feedback as to whether you would
find a generic writing frame useful
for the investigations. If so, what
sort of sections should be included?
Let us know by email to:


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Advantages of the PLC based system
To implement of a PLC based system compared with a system of manual control has had a number of benefits:
1. The PLC based system comprises more than reasonable its charge of installation.
2. The system is extremely less issue to human error than a system of manual. It is factual that the drivers of hilo can rarely do something out of the commonplace, for instance intended for the wrong mill, but practice has exposed that this does not occur more than two times a week. With a system of manual three additional communication lines have to be opened between the supervisor of cane yard and the controller of traffic, the clerk of weighbridge and the controller of traffic and between the drivers of hilo and the controller of traffic. This would be expected to guide to troubles.
3. The PLC based system is flexible while the program can be updated quite easily to integrate adaptations and new features.
4. The missed light recording options has helped hauliers by stressing lack in their arrangement, mainly at the change shift periods. Additionally by controlling on access to the system of weighbridge divides the cane yard effect postponements from delays because of too many vehicles in service or poor scheduling.
Disadvantages of the PLC based system
The PLC based system has a number of disadvantages:
1. The drivers of hilo in the area of weighbridge queue have to keep their idling of engines and their pressure up of brake in a light option anticipation.
2. It is not likely for the system to distinguish between burnt and unburnt cane. It means that the favoring old system of one tandem or the burnt cane has must be discarded.
The system now has some limitations even though these could be reduced by program changes or method changes the allocation of light sequence:
1. The hauliers with interconnects have a advantage of payload over standard trailers as the light ratio options in the sequence is presently based on loads number only, and is not weighted based on the payload differences.
2. If there is haulier with a small tonnage would occurrence huge delays if allocated a detailed light.
3. It should a vehicle progress to the wrong system tandem is ignorant of this and another load is not called even though it is requisite. This trouble could be programmed out with a routine of time delay.
Hopefully this article can add your insights. Please follow me:


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What is melee?
Melee refers to one of two attack types. Melee is the attack type that a close range combatant uses to physically strike a target unit. Generally this ranges from an attack range of 128, with the exception of a few heroes. Most melee heroes tend to be strength or agility orientated.
What is ranged?
Ranged is referencing the second of the attack types. Ranged attacks are conjured items or energy that is slung at a range to inflict damage to the target. Ranged attacks can very greatly in the overall length of attack. Ranged heroes are commonly intelligence or agility based.
I bet you're wondering why I listed this basic information. Well why isn't this relevant? Knowing the difference between these mechanics can make or break a game. I often see a very irrelevant section in guides consisting of pros and cons, I find this to just be a filler to make the guides longer. Within these guides lye a very common misconception, example:
A guide is generally written by a mediocre DoTA player who wants to share his personal play style with his peer players. The same mediocre player will look at other's guides to see their personal options and then take these guides to heart. The problem with this, is that with most opinions comes falsities. Often a hero will be criticized based on role or attack type:
"A support? No that's lame, where's viper?"
"Dude, we already have 3 carries! We need a support."
"No, I got it, Dazzle doesn't do any damage anyways."
This. DoTA2 matchmaking at it's finest. A misinformed player is not necessarily an ignorant player, just a misguided player. Often times a player provides themselves the notion that because a hero can attack you from a further range, that you automatically will be zoned from the lane. If this is the case then why are Nightstalker and Tiny so well at dominating mid lane? To answer this we have to look at the statistics and truths provided below.
Here is a list of SOME of the items that differentiate between melee and ranged heroes. Some have a quite small margin of difference, and some have a quite big impact on the play style of certain heroes.
Quelling Blade, bonus damage versus creeps: 32%
Vanguard, damage block: 40
Poor Man's Shield, damage block: 20
Skull Basher, bash proc chance: 25%
Manta Style, illusions deal 33% damage and take 350% damage. Cooldown: 35 seconds.
Vladimir's Offering, bonuses: lifesteal 16% and 15% bonus damage. Armor 5, mana regeneration 0.8.
Venom Orb, movement slow: 12%
Quelling Blade, bonus damage versus creeps: 12%
Vanguard, damage block: 20
Poor Man's Shield, damage block: 10
Skull Basher, bash proc chance: 10%
Manta Style, illusions deal 28% damage and take 400% damage. Cooldown: 50 seconds.
Vladimir's Offering, bonuses: Armor 5, mana regeneration 0.8.
Venom Orb, movement slow: 4%
There are certain attack modifications and auras that only affect heroes of a certain attack type. Most of these modifications have quite the impact on a hero. I've provided a list of SOME of these mechanics.
Denied Creep Experience: 36
Vladimir's Offering Melee Damage Bonus
Vladimir's Offering Lifesteal
Skeleton King's Lifesteal
Denied Creep Experience: 18
Drow Ranger's Ranged Damage Bonus
Ranged Units, Chance to miss uphill: 25%
Skadi, Buffplacer (Can stack with Lifesteal orbs)
Orb walking is a vital skill that allows ranged units to generate some severe harass. This mechanic is exploited by using the current spell system to work in your favor. Usually I'd write this section myself, but due to incompetence, I have brought in two sources to properly display this advanced technique:
" One of the strongest mechanics of some ranged carries is their ability to orb walk. An orb is a unique attack modifier that changes how your auto attacks will affect the enemy or yourself, such as lifesteal (Morbid Mask, Satanic), armor reduction (Deso), and movement slow (Orb of Venom, Skadi). Some ranged heroes, like Viper, Huskar, and Drow, have skills that are orbs you can toggle on and off to give unique orbs. The strength of these orbs is that they cost low mana and they count as spells. The reason why it is important that these orbs are spells is that they do not draw aggro from creeps when in lane. In a typical situation, if you right click to attack an enemy hero in the early game, the enemy creeps will re-aggro themselves to you instead of your allied creeps. When you cast a spell on an enemy, the aggro does not change. This is the real power behind orb walking; you can get free harass on the enemies in your lane while while not taking the counter attack from the enemy creeps.
Let's use Clinkz as an example. Clinkz's W, Searing Arrows, is an orb effect. To orb walk, simply press the W key on your keyboard, then left click on the enemy to cast it. This will allow for long range harass with no creep revenge. " - Awes0meo
" Typically when you right-click on an enemy hero, the nearby creeps will agro you, and attack you. When you cast spells on enemy heroes this is not the case. Orb-Walking involves using abilities that have Unique Attack Modifiers. Select the ability once and click on an enemy hero, this is now considered casting an ability so nearby enemy creeps will not attack you. You can repeat this as many times as necessary. On the contrary, however, if you enable auto-cast for the Unique Attack Modifier and right-click on a hero creeps will attack you. " - _URL_
I believe that within DoTA, every basic mechanic is balanced; and punishes the player appropriately. If you are being voided from your lane by Sniper, that's all on you. I'm not saying that DoTA is completely balanced, obviously values change and updates happen often, but what I am saying is that; if you're losing its not the game, its you.
If you have learned anything from this guide, or even if you just enjoyed the little rant, please give this a thumbs up so others may read this and also agree or disagree on this.
These guides are somewhat time consuming to produce, and most of them do lack some at the moment, but for the most part I believe they provide enough information to play properly with the given information. Even though the guide is still UNFINISHED, I still need feedback on how to better it. The opinions and such are always up for change, and your opinion is wanted as long as it's not something that smashes the entire guide because you don't like a little detail. Please keep in mind: if you have the time to read this guide and vote on it then you should have a sufficient amount of time to comment what pleased or displeased you.
Please take the time to provide feedback.
What can I change? What areas need improvement? Is the guide visually unappealing?


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In the wake of Syrian unrest, Israel's residents are scrambling to get their government-distributed gas masks. A month before the festival of Purim, Israeli children are learning to don another costume.
In the wake of Israel's strike on Syrian chemical weapons convoys on Wednesday, January 30th, Israeli citizens in the north, closer to the Syrian border, went to get their gas masks.Officials from the Israel Postal Company said that over 4,000 masks had been given out Tuesday, up from 1,400 on the days before. The company also stated that in Jerusalem and Beersheba the numbers were especially high, up from less than 400 a day to over 1,000. That means almost three times the average number of citizens came to distribution centers across the country to receive their protective gear.
As of now, more than 4,700,000 protective gear kits have been distributed countrywide.
Children are especially vulnerable to toxins, and Israel has had to create special gas masks for children. The image in the post is the cover to the User Manual (הוראות שימוש or horeot shimush) for a gas mask for children aged 0 - 2, and illustrates how Israel has coped with dangerous neighbors. In a a few short weeks, though, children will dress up very differently when they celebrate the redemption of the Jewish people from the evil plans of Haman on Purim.
Purim, celebrated on February 23rd, is a holiday for children (read more about the festival here).. Israeli children dress up and go around giving gifts - Mishloach Manot - to friends, as well as going to the synagogue to hear the Megilla (the story of Esther).
Help Israeli children celebrate this festive holiday and give them something to smile about in this trying time. Click here and purchase a Purim Treat for Children. Israel Today staff will go to various locations in the Jerusalem area and around Israel to deliver your Purim Treat to help children celebrate this festive holiday.
The Purim Treat will contain:
- A Noise Maker for Purim
- Lollies and sweets
- A Surprise gift bag
- Colorful stickers
Be part of the spirit of Purim. Bring joy to the children of Israel.


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Women who wish to conceive may do best by avoiding foods with trans fats as a recent study claims that taking trans fats even in small quantities can have significant effects on fertility. In the study, American researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health linked trans fats to fertility problems. Of the 18,500 women studied who were attempting to conceive, 438 women faced ovulatory problems. The researchers concluded that trans fats could raise one's likelihood of developing fertility problems even by 70 per cent. But they are unsure as to the exact process by which trans fats affect fertility.
Meanwhile, British scientists from Sheffield University have developed a test that could tell a woman how quickly her biological clock is ticking. The blood test calculates the number of eggs in a woman's ovaries and determines whether her fertility is on a downward spiral. This test, named Plan Ahead is the first fertility test to bring together pituitary hormone FSH and ovarian hormones inhibin B and AMH, as they are responsible for the number of eggs. With an increasing number of women preferring to have babies at a later stage in life, this test can help them prioritize between career and family.
On the other hand, Indian researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, have uncovered the disturbing fact that Indian women as young as 30 are reaching menopause. While 3.1 per cent women reach menopause between 30 and 34 years, 8 per cent do so between 35 and 39 years of age. Also, such premature menopause is more common in the rural areas than in the urban areas. However, women who wish to marry late have no cause for concern as giving birth at a later age delays the onset of menopause.
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Their initial design reflected experience gained from peacetime exercises and observation of foreign construction trends during the 1920s. It featured a new dual-purpose main gun battery with fire control on a more seaworthy high-forecastle hull.
There was much experimentation within the nominal 1,500-ton limit as construction progressed (and much more debated but never implemented). A major improvement was the introduction of high-pressure high-temperature steam propulsion machinery.
The tables on this page track major variations among five 1,500-ton classes and the derivative 1,570-ton Sims class funded in fiscal years 1932–37 and designed with this limit in mind—here listed in order of increasing technical sophistication: Farragut, Mahan (including the slightly-modified Dunlap and Fanning, differentiated here as the Dunlap class), Bagley, Gridley, Benham and Sims.
The successor Benson and Gleaves classes, funded beginning in FY 1938 and built on the same hull as the Sims class but with a split powerplant, culminated the sequence of changes begun by the 1,500-tonners, and set the stage for the 2,100-ton Fletcher class—no longer subject to treaty constraints—to follow beginning in FY 1941.


1930 Ponca Census Extraction
An extraction of the 1930 Indian Census for the Ponca tribe of the Ponca Reservation in South Dakota. In 1930 there were 398 members that fell under the jurisdiction of the Yankton Agency. Most of them still resided within the Ponca Reservation, but some had moved elsewhere and are so indicated within the actual census images. This extraction provides their given names, surnames, sometimes the maiden name, age, and sex of each tribal member.


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A whispering gallery is usually a circular, hemispherical, elliptical or ellipsoidal enclosure, often beneath a dome or a vault, in which whispers can be heard clearly in other parts of the gallery. Such galleries can also be set up using two parabolic dishes. Sometimes the phenomenon is detected in caves.
A whispering gallery is most simply constructed in the form of a circular wall, and allows whispered communication from any part of the internal side of the circumference to any other part. The sound is carried by waves, known as whispering-gallery waves, that travel around the circumference clinging to the walls, an effect that was discovered in the whispering gallery of St Paul's Cathedral in London. The extent to which the sound travels at St Paul's can also be judged by clapping in the gallery, which produces four echoes. Other historical examples are the Gol Gumbaz mausoleum in Bijapur and the Echo Wall of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. A hemispherical enclosure will also guide whispering gallery waves.
The gallery may also be in the form of an ellipse or ellipsoid, with an accessible point at each focus. In this case, when a visitor stands at one focus and whispers, the line of sound emanating from this focus reflects directly to the focus at the other end of the gallery, where the whispers may be heard. In a similar way, two large concave parabolic dishes, serving as acoustic mirrors, may be erected facing each other in a room or outdoors to serve as a whispering gallery, a common feature of science museums. Egg-shaped galleries, such as the Golghar Granary at Bankipore, and irregularly shaped smooth-walled galleries in the form of caves, such as the Ear of Dionysius in Syracuse, also exist.
||This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2012)|
United Kingdom
- St Paul's Cathedral in London is the place where whispering-gallery waves were first discovered by Lord Rayleigh c. 1878.
- The library of Dollar Academy in Scotland.
- The entrance gallery of the Aston Webb Great Hall at the University of Birmingham.
United States
- The Battle House Hotel in Mobile, Alabama has a whispering arch in the front lobby.
- Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal.
- Grand Central Terminal in New York City — the gallery in front of the Oyster Bar restaurant.
- The Mapparium at The Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston allows visitors to enter the interior of a reflecting surface forming a nearly complete sphere.
- A whispering gallery can be found on the main floor of the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago).
- Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.
- Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- The rotunda at San Francisco's City Hall.
- Curved stone benches on either side of the Smith Memorial Arch in Fairmount Park.
- Centennial fountain in front of Green Library at Stanford University in California
- The rotunda of the Texas Capitol and the Missouri State Capitol.
Rest of the world
- Barossa Reservoir, Williamstown, South Australia.
- Cathedral of Brasília in Brazil.
- Martello towers.
- The Echo Wall in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
- The Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, India.
- The Golghar Granary in Bankipore, India.
- The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
- Masjed-e Imam in Esfahān, Iran.
- Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome.
- Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Cathedral.
- The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem.
- Leaning Tower of Nevyansk, Sverdlovsk Oblast.
- Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey.
- St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.
- Monument to the Negev Brigade in Beersheba, Israel.
- The Salle de Cariatides in the Louvre, Paris, France.
- The Treasury of Atreus, Greece
- Secret's Chamber in El Escorial in Madrid, Spain.
- The Whispering Gallery in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
- Cleopatra's Bath in the Siwa Oasis, Egypt.
- Ear of Dionysius cave in Syracuse, Sicily.
- Meštrović Pavilion in Zagreb, Croatia
See also
- Lord Rayleigh, The problem of the whispering gallery, Philos. Mag. 20, 1001,1910.
- O. Wright, Gallery of Whispers, Physics World 25, No. 2, Feb. 2012, p. 31.
- C. K. Raman, On whispering galleries, Proc. Indian Ass. Cult. Sci. 7, 159, _PHONE_.
- W. C. Sabine, Collected Papers on Acoustics (Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA) 1922, p. 255.
- Peiping (American National Red Cross, American Red Cross Embassy Club) 1946, p. 17.
- Lord Rayleigh, Theory of Sound, vol. II, 1st edition, (London, MacMillan), 1878.


Make your children geniuses.. GMA COURSE FOR Develop academic intelligence and general intelligence Benefits of the program:
Development of mental intelligence What is mental calculation:
Is a Malaysian program that develops the mental abilities of the student and enables him to excel in mathematics very quickly and a fun and easy to mentally without resorting to the calculator. From learning the calculations using finger techniques in preparation for the use of the Chinese Abacus meter, and then trained to form and consolidate the image of the Chinese counter in his imagination to be carried out then the large and complex mental calculations, which develops a markedly self-confidence and intelligence and the power of focus and memory and imagination, not to mention Study progress.
Benefits of the program:
1 – refinement areas of the functions of mind and increase the strength of focus and discipline in the child.
2 – Perform calculations in a way beyond the calculator.
3. Develop my mental focus and imagination skills.
4 – Exceed the state of slow and neglect to the state of passion for lessons and a sense of learning pleasure.
5. Promote self-confidence and eagerness to learn with enthusiasm and motivation.
6. To acquire the abilities that lead to efficiency and success in educational attainment and life situations.
7. Develop my skills of response speed and intuitive.
8- Developing many logical, analytical, reasoning and other reasoning skills.
9. Develop and strengthen memory, especially memory numbers.
1-Practical Training.
2-An administrative and educational body that is scientifically and practically qualified with long experience.
3-Computer rooms are equipped.
4-Equipment with the latest scientific teaching aids.
5-Graduates receive a certificate from the Academy.
6-Provide the trainees with the books.
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The Market for Evaluations
Paul Resnick, and
Richard Zeckhauser. 1999. "The Market for Evaluations."
American Economic Review,
Recent developments in computer networks have driven the cost of distributing information virtually to zero, creating extraordinary opportunities for sharing product evaluations. The authors present pricing and subsidy mechanisms that operate through a computerized market and induce the efficient provision of evaluations. The mechanisms overcome three major challenges: first, evaluations, which are public goods, are likely to be underprovided; second, an inefficient ordering of evaluators may arise; and third, the optimal quantity of evaluations depends on what is learned from the initial evaluations.
Article Full-Text Access
Avery, Christopher (Harvard U)
Resnick, Paul (U MI)
Zeckhauser, Richard (Harvard U)
L15: Information and Product Quality; Standardization and Compatibility
D83: Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief
O33: Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes


text:
Engineers and scientists are constantly pushing the envelope to deploy embedded equipment in extreme environments. The recent Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster – and subsequent failures to cap the well that's leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico – illustrate all too clearly the consequences of such equipment failing. The challenges engineers face in capping the well and in tracking oil dispersion stem largely from the extreme environment they are working in. Remote monitoring, control systems, autonomous robotics, and all embedded systems become much harder to implement in extreme environments like the deep ocean.
This article explores the challenges system designers face in providing power to and designing control systems for equipment deployed in extreme environments.
One of the challenges in any embedded system deployed to an extreme environment is providing power. Whether it's because of deployment in a remote location or because it must be self-contained, most embedded equipment for extreme environments uses battery power. Introducing batteries into a system also introduces additional weight and requires additional space, both of which are usually at a premium in embedded systems. The space and weight costs associated with the introduction of an adequate power source often affect the design (or redesign) of the entire system.
In the case of an autonomous robot, engineers need to power a controller, communication equipment and circuitry, motors, and drives, as well as provide sensor excitation, just to cover the basics. The power allocated for each of these subsystems determines the number of sensors allowable, motor and actuator power level, and the rate and range of communication. Trying to balance total power consumption between all the systems and still maintain all the desired functionality while meeting size and weight restrictions can drive most of the design decisions, and almost always involves trade-offs, with designers prioritizing certain characteristics of their systems over others.
Engineers are now trying to address the power challenge in embedded remote systems from both sides of the problem. One approach is to use some source of renewable energy to recharge the batteries and generate sustained power. The other is to alter the structure and operation of subsystems themselves to be smarter with the power that is available. Often both approaches are applied to the same design, as in the case of a solar-powered, programmable wireless sensor node installation.
Figure 1. This programmable wireless sensor node for voltage measurements is encased in an IP (ingress protection) enclosure for protection from the environment. Engineers can program it to perform selective sampling and sample averaging.
Click on image to enlarge.
Renewable energy for embedded systems
Renewable energy still has its challenges, including variability in power output depending on environmental conditions and, again, size and weight restrictions. Equipping installations with renewable energy generation equipment also requires specialized engineering expertise to integrate the power source with the embedded system hardware. As renewable energy generation and storage technology continues to mature, however, so will the possibility to use it in a wider variety of remote applications.


System Administration Guide: Network Services
ProcedureHow to Enable SLP Proxy Registration
 1. Create a proxy registration file on the host file system or in any network directory that is accessible by HTTP.
 2. Determine if a service type template exists for the service.
 The template is a description of the service URL and attributes of a service type. A template is used to define the components of an advertisement for a particular service type:
 - If a service type template exists, use the template to construct the proxy registration. See RFC 2609 for more information on service-type templates.
 - If a service type template is not available for the service, select a collection of attributes that precisely describe the service. Use a naming authority other than the default for the advertisement. The default naming authority is allowed only for service types that have been standardized. See RFC 2609 for more information on naming authorities.
 For example, suppose a company that is called BizApp has a local database that is used to track software defects. To advertise the database, the company might use a URL with the service type service:bugdb.bizapp. The naming authority would then be bizapp.
 3. Follow the next steps to configure the net.slp.serializedRegURL property in the /etc/inet/slp.conf file with the location of the registration file that was created in the previous steps.
 4. Become superuser or assume an equivalent role.
 5. Stop slpd and all SLP activity on the host.
 # svcadm disable network/slp
 7. Specify the location of the proxy registration file in the net.slp.serializedRegURL property of the /etc/inet/slp.conf file.
 net.slp.net.slp.serializedRegURL=proxy registration file URL
 For example, if the serialized registration file is /net/inet/slp.reg, you configure the property as shown in the following:
 8. Save your changes and close the file.
 9. Restart slpd to activate your changes.
 # svcadm enable network/slp


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Otis is the world's largest elevator manufacturer. It is estimated that between its elevators, escalators and moving walkways, they transport the equivalent of the world's population every 3 days! This makes Otis the most popular form of transportation on Earth! If we restrict it only to elevators, it's estimated that Otis transports the world's population every 9 days!
The company has over 60,000 employees today and makes an annual revenue over 11 billion. Some famous Otis installed elevators are in the Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, and World Trade Center. The company was founded in Yonkers, New York by Elisha Otis in 1853. The company pioneered the development of the safety elevator, which was invented by Otis in 1852.


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Artist Jim Dingilian, first introduced to Neatorama in early 2012 by John Farrier, continues to receive attention and art gallery showings for his unusual art. Dingilian fills bottles with smoke, thus coating their inside surfaces with soot. He then reaches inside and selectively erases certain areas of the soot, using brushes and small implements mounted on the ends of dowels.
Dingilian's work overall focuses on subtractive images created on found objects. The artist explains his thought process, which strikes me as being remarkably similar to film director David Lynch:
"The miniature scenes I depict are of locations on the edge of suburbia which seem mysterious or even slightly menacing despite their commonplace nature. The bottles add to the implied narratives of transgression. When found by the sides of roads or in the weeds near the edges of parking lots, empty liquor bottles are artifacts of consumption, delight, or dread. As art objects, they become hourglasses of sorts, their drained interiors now inhabited by dim memories."


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the mask for that layer.
To do this, we first make sure the layer mask is active by clicking on it. Then we can open the Adjust Color Levels dialog through the menu:
With the Adjust Color Levels dialog, we now want to sharpen up the edges of the mask a little bit:
What we want to do is adjust the Gamma and White point sliders. I started by dragging the White point slider down to increase the prominence of the plasma layer, then pushed the Gamma up to emphasize it more. (If you're following along, you can also just copy my values from above).
The trick is to increase the definition of the edges of the text, without going too far and causing it to look very jagged (aliased). Play with the settings to see how they affect your results. Here is what my plasma layer looks like after applying the above levels to the mask:
Creating a Drop Shadow
Now we may want to get a little fancier and add an effect of a drop shadow behind the logo to make it seem as if it's floating above the background. We've already created what we need to generate this effect, we just need to move a couple of things around to do so.
Make a copy of your "Visible" layer that had your original blurred text on it. Select the layer first to activate it, then you can do:
Or Right-Click on the "Visible" layer, and choose "Duplicate Layer":
This will create a new layer called "Visible copy". Move this layer above your background color layer to just beneath your plasma layer as shown (you can Left-Click and drag the layer in the palette):
This layer will become our shadow, but we need to modify a couple of things first. We'll first invert the colors of the layer to make the text black using:
Then we need to change the layer so that all of the white areas will be transparent. This can be found in the menu:
The layer should now have black text over a transparent background. We'll now just want to shift this layer a bit to simulate a height by offseting it down and to the right a bit. To do this we can use the Move Tool:
If we hold down Shift and click on the canvas, we restrict the Move Tool to modifying only the active layer (our shadow layer). Drag the layer to the right and down a bit to simulate the shadow. I ended up with this:
At this point we can make it a bit more fancy by adding a Gaussian Blur to the shadow to spread it out a little more. We can also modify the layer Opacity, adjusting it to let the background show through a bit as well.
Here is the final state of my image, where I applied a Gaussian Blur with a 10px radius, and adjusted the shadow layer Opacity down to 80:
Here is my final floating logo image when everything is done:
The neat thing about our process is that we can now use any background we want behind the image, and the effects and shadow will still be there:
Or we could save it as a PNG file with no background at all, thus allowing whatever background there is to show through:
So that's it! Go on and have fun making floating logos.
For those interested, I've made available the.xcf.bz2 file I used to create this tutorial available to download here (96KB).
The original tutorial this was adapted from can be found here.
GIMP Tutorial - GIMP Quickies (text & images) by Pat David
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.