Union leader: 'With more social ambition, climate ambitions will also become higher'
Judith Kirton-Darling, pictured in 2014, when she was a Member of the European Parliament for Northeast England. [© European Union 2014 - Source EP]
This article is part of our special report Poland's energy transition.
European trade unions welcome ambitious EU climate policies, but warn that they need to be implemented alongside an equally ambitious social transition plan or risk sowing the seeds of a backlash, says Judith Kirton-Darling.
Judith Kirton-Darling is Deputy General Secretary of IndustriALL Europe, an international trade union federation.
The coal phase-out in Europe is gathering pace, many countries are pushing forward their coal exit dates. Overall, how is Europe faring when it comes to managing the social fallout of the coal phase-out, both at EU and national level?
There has indeed been an acceleration of the coal phase-out in Europe, which is due partly to climate policies and partly due to the economy, including the COVID-19 crisis. All of this means we're heading for a coal phase-out across the whole of the European continent.
How is this managed? Well, there are certainly good examples in Spain and Germany where coal commissions were set up and included a just transition framework. These have allowed a negotiated agreement to emerge, which included the social partners and strong collective bargaining to ensure social acceptance.
At IndustriALL, we measure these processes against the guiding principles adopted in 2015 at the ILO. And those principles say a just transition is about creating quality jobs, about balancing the economy, the environment, and the social dimension, as well as avoiding situations where workers feel that they're being talked about without being involved.
At the moment, I'm not going to lie to you, it is really intense. As a trade union federation, we are trying to support our affiliates in different countries who may be negotiating sometimes at the national level, the regional level or at company level.
And at the same time, we try to ensure that these principles of just transition are mainstreamed into the European policy, including the pandemic recovery plans or the upcoming just transition territorial plans, which will deal with more than 100 regions across Europe.
So there are multiple layers to the coal phase-out in Europe, and they all impact on each other.
Obviously, I think the speed of the coal phase-out in, particularly in central Eastern Europe is very influenced also by the European Green Deal, including the emergence of the just transition mechanism and fund.
And our red lines throughout these policies is to ensure worker participation, social justice, and good jobs for the workers involved.
You mentioned Spain and Germany as good examples of negotiated coal phase-outs, do you have also counter-examples that should not be followed?
The cautionary tale is in the northeast of England, where the British coal phase-out from the 1980s onwards was pretty brutal. And the experience of the British coalfields has definitely played out in all the different negotiations in other countries – people are very aware of the long shadow in terms of socio-economic impacts of bad management, for example when it comes to depopulation in those regions.
In Spain, by contrast, policies on depopulation are mainstreamed within the ministry of ecological transition.
At the moment, we're evaluating the development of just transition territorial plans across Europe. And our very basic view so far is that there is very poor involvement of trade unions in some regions. In many countries, the involvement is quite superficial, whereas the depth of this transition demands, good quality, meaningful dialogue.
Social policy at EU level is managed at the national level, it's not an EU competence. Overall, do you believe there has been enough coordination between EU regions and countries in order to manage the social policy dimension of the transition?
We're indeed always in a situation where the policy ambition is at the European level, and the policy tools are at the national level. So you end up with a puzzle effect and regional disparities as a result of that, with leaders and laggards.
That's why we emphasise the Spanish and German coal commission as good examples, to try and inspire others as much as possible.
There are definitely big issues specific to central and Eastern Europe, where jobs in the coal industry tend to be relatively good quality jobs. And we have in many countries, effectively a low wage trap, where investments in new industries have been built around low pay.
That means the transition to new jobs is very difficult because coal industry jobs pay better. And we hear this when it comes to jobs in the renewable energy industry. That has been the case historically in other member states, I remember this was an issue a decade ago in Germany where jobs in the wind industry were more precarious than jobs in well unionised sectors.
That story has slightly shifted in countries like Spain and Germany. But there's still that that issue in central and Eastern Europe.
Now, your point about lack of social policy competence at European level is true. But that's where the action plan on the European pillar of social rights is really important. And particularly initiatives like the European minimum wage, the promotion of stronger collective bargaining, benchmarks at European level, and so on.
This is about the quality of jobs, and it will have positive feed-ins into the job creation that is necessary to support the coal phase-out.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has urged OECD countries to end coal by 2030 at the latest in order to fight climate change. Do trade unions support this? What would be the social implications of this? Are they well understood?
At the moment, there is no consensus among our affiliates, about specific coal phase-out dates. Where there is an enormous consensus however is about the need for ambitious climate action.
That might sound slightly contradictory. But it's partly because within the trade union movement, we've moved beyond the conversation about whether the coal phase-out should happen into a conversation about how we deliver it socially.
And how the social impact will be felt, either positive or negative, will be directly determined by negotiations around the phase-out date.
We are extremely sceptical of situations where you set a target, and you assume that the social dimension will be rectified in a kind of natural way without any intervention.
There's an automatic assumption in climate policy, that it's right to intervene into the market to achieve climate outcomes. And sometimes there isn't the same logic when it comes to the social aspects.
As a trade union organisation, we are fully signed up to climate neutrality by 2050, on the condition that there is that social transition alongside. And that was the promise of the European Green Deal that was made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and executive vice-president Timmermans.
The social management of change is a moral duty for politicians. And let's be honest, this is not rocket science. It's about basic anticipation of change, working out where are the people affected and developing transition pathways for them in negotiation with the unions to ensure social protection systems are in place to catch anybody who falls between the gaps.
So we welcome strong, ambitious climate policy, but not without a comprehensive view of how you're going to deliver the just transition. Politicians at every level need to understand: we need climate ambition, but we need that social pillar alongside. That's what we as trade unions have been advocating now for decades.
That means coal phase-out dates will vary depending on the outcome of social bargaining in the different countries or regions, not because of the climate emergency?
That is the current reality of amongst our members, yes. The scale of the challenge in different across regions and countries, and people have different resources to manage the transition.
If you think about the magnitude of the challenge in Poland compared to somewhere like Slovakia, it's a different scale. So I think we have to have to see the direction of travel and aim to be as ambitious as possible in climate terms as well as socially.
And I believe that with more social ambition, the climate ambitions will also become higher. Because you get buy-in, people feel secure in the transition, and you reduce the anxiety about change. And that allows change to come quicker.
Here's a concrete example, we heard in the Just Transition Platform. In Poland's East Wielkopolska region, there is a coal company called ZE-PAK, which has about 4,000 workers. They have adopted a plan to phase out coal by 2030, and possibly even before. The local unions and the management have written to the Polish government saying, "we can go quicker if you give us the social support to ensure that it's a fair transition for the workers".
So the appetite is there, that's not the question. But people need the security of managing this transition. And coal is just one sector because the transition is happening across the whole economy, all at the same time. This is enormous change that we're asking people to embark on, in one generation.
So we need to provide some security for workers so that it's not just a leap into the dark that people are being asked to make. Workers need more than just investment forecasts, they need to see concrete new jobs being created today.
Days ago, the Polish government and miner's unions signed off on a plan to phase out coal mines by 2049. Is that sufficient with regard to the climate crisis?
2049 is the last mine closing. If you look at the timeline of the initial agreement struck in September, you will see that the majority of coal mines are scheduled to close a lot earlier than 2049. And if you look at the demographic pyramid in the coal mining sector, it's basically accompanying the last miners to the last mine in terms of working life.
Like I said, people are starting in different places. And politics matters in this. And what


What is an example of verbal irony?
1 Answer
Mar 28, 2018
See below
Verbal irony is when you say something but you meant the opposite.
For example: The brawny cookie is as soft as concrete.
What I really want to tell the person is that the brawny cookie is not soft to eat :) (Trust me, we have these kind of cookies in my school.)
I hope this example give you some ideas :)


How to prevent workplace stress
Author: Lynda Macdonald
 - Recognise the potential legal consequences for employers of failing to protect employees from workplace stress.
 - Remember that the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 obliges all employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees and that "health" in this context includes mental health.
 - Focus on measures that will prevent workplace stress, but also consider those designed to alleviate stress that has already been generated.
 - Begin the process of preventing workplace stress by examining current working practices to establish if any aspect of the working environment is placing excessive pressure or demands on any specific employee(s).
 - Take measures to ensure that workloads, targets and deadlines are realistic and strive to give individuals more control over their work.
 - Tackle any organisational practices that place pressure on employees to work consistently long hours and take positive steps to ensure that every employee takes regular breaks and holidays.
 - Offer flexible working hours and patterns whenever possible and encourage employees to achieve a work-life balance.
 - Ensure that employees who need it receive support and also that sufficient coaching and training is available to enable employees to perform their job effectively and confidently.
 - Implement an anti-bullying/harassment policy and complaints procedure, making sure that everyone knows that bullying and harassment will not be tolerated.
 - Ensure effective two-way communication between management and staff at all times.


Concentration? Percentage? How do I figure the water amount for my lye solution?
When it comes to cold process soapmaking, some things are absolutely necessary and rigid, like how much sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is needed for a given amount of oils. It's a property of the oils and can't be changed without affecting the outcome of the soap, sometimes in really bad ways.
Other things are much more flexible, like the amount of water that is used to make the lye solution. The water is only there to dissolve the NaOH. Using more or less may affect how the soap mixes up, but in the end the water evaporates out and the finished, cured soap is what's left. In fact, many experienced soapmakers use lye solutions that are quite concentrated so that they don't have to wait so long for their bars to get dried-out and hard. It's a real time-saver!
If you're ready to start using your lye solution at a higher concentration, I can help you figure out how much water you will need to get there. The math can be a bit confusing for some. But I have a little formula that should do the trick.
So first, let's explain percentage strength of a solution.
When we talk about a solution being, for example, at a 25% concentration, we are saying that it is 25% solute (the thing you are making the solution out of) and 75% diluent (the thing that you are dissolving the solute in).
In our case NaOH is the solute and water is the diluent. So a 25% lye solution is 25% NaOH and 75% water. "Per cent" means "per 100". So the total percentage always adds up to 100.
Want another way to think about it? Imagine you have a 25% lye solution in a bowl. If you have 100 gr of lye solution in that bowl, there is 25 gr of NaOH and 75 gr of water.
OK, got the concept? Now how do you get your lye solution to be the concentration you want?
Well, you could use a lye calculator that can figure it out. The one in Soapmaker 3 software will do the math for you. So will the Soap Calc online.
But what happens when you're not near your computer? Or you just like doing the calculations yourself. (Yay for math geeks!)
I'll show you how to work it out. Now don't get scared off by the math. Just think of it as a simple ratio. All we have to figure out is how many parts of water do we need for the amount of NaOH in our recipe to get a given percentage.
Here's the formula:
(100 minus "percentage you want") divided by "percentage you want" = the multiplication factor that you use to calculate the water
Huh? Yeah. Let's plug in some numbers.
Let's keep using our 25% solution example. And let's say that I need 72g of NaOH for the recipe that I'm going to make (I used a lye calculator to figure that out for me.) I need to know how much water to use to make my solution 25%.
Here's that formula with the numbers plugged in:
(100 minus 25) divided by 25 = 75 divided by 25 = 3.00 <– that is the ratio of NaOH to water
So now we multiply the amount of NaOH times the ratio:
72g X 3.00 = 216g <– the amount of water you need
Mix 72g of NaOH and 216g of water and you get 288g of a lye solution that is at 25% concentration.
Easy, right?
It works for whatever concentration you want. Just make sure your ratio answer has at least 2 decimal places to be more accurate.
Now, I'll show you what happens if I changed my mind and I want my solution to be 34% concentration. It's going to be more concentrated, so I'm going to need less water. How much less? Let's find out:
(100 minus 34) divided by 34 = 66 divided by 34 = 1.94
So, 72g X 1.94 = 140 gr of water, which is what you need to make a 34% solution. Wow! That's quite a bit less water!
Remember to use the higher concentration of NaOH only when you are comfortable with soapmaking, and are familiar with the formula that you will be using. You don't want to do this with a brand new fragrance for example, or you may end up reading about soap that seizes!
40 thoughts on "Concentration? Percentage? How do I figure the water amount for my lye solution?
 1. Ruth thank you for spelling this out so clearly! Now even I understand! To rely on soapcalc is so easy until you don't have it and now I don't have to it is an option!
 2. Hi Ruth, I attended my first HSMG conference last week and heard you speak on alternative liquids. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. You are a good speaker, I like how simple you make it. I'd like to try this method, does it shorten curing times at all? For a first timer how much of a solution would you suggest? I am currently using a 28% solution (if I did the math right).
 - Hi Naomi! I'm glad you enjoyed my talk!
 Yes, using less water to make your lye solution does mean that your soap will be dryer sooner. So it will probably cut a week or so from curing time, depending on where you live. For a beginner, 28% is a great concentration. Once you get comfortable with soapmaking, and are familiar with making a few batches with a given fragrance, then you can try 30% or 33%. The highest I've ever heard of using is 40%, but that was from some very experienced soapmakers!
 Good luck with yours!
 3. Ruth, I just wanted to give you a quick update. I tried using 34% lye solution and I'm thrilled with the results! Thanks so much again for sharing this information. I found my soap is drier much sooner than usual. I found I can cut 24 hours off my waiting time before cutting my soap. I used to wait until my soap is 4 weeks old to stamp it because it was so soft, but now I am able to cut that down to just 2 weeks. In addition to that I've cut one whole week off of my curing time, yah! I've discovered that I must work even quicker with certain FOs that are prone to seizing, though. I've made 15 small batches with this new formula and I'm making it a permanent change. Many thanks to you!
 4. Ruth thank u for yuors willingness.i tried to make with 28% concentration but i have not understand how much fatty acid used for 72 gm of NaOH? And when i tried 500gm fatty the lather of soap is not enough so what shall i do for better lather formation thank u for yours time spending
 5. How can I make my bar soap harder and prevent it from sweating. I'm in Ghana can u assist me to get get titanium dioxide 1kg to buy? Can you help me get it through post since i can get here, by letting me know mode of payment?
 - Hi! Are you asking about cold process soap? Oils that help with making a harder bar are palm oil, cocoa butter and rice bran oil. Try including some of those in your recipe. The sweating comes from the glycerin in the soap. Depending on your environment and how humid the air is, it may be hard to stop that. Try storing the soap in as dry a place as you can. And I don't sell supplies, but some of my favorite US suppliers are Bramble Berry, TKB Trading and Soap Making Resource. Good luck!
 6. Great article Ruth – I'm not sure what I was doing during maths at high school, but it wasn't maths. My burning question is this. I'm upscaling the size of my batches so the slushy method of goat milk soap making is getting harder to manage. I want to make a very concentrated lye and then use goat milk to make the balance. I've always made 100% goat milk so I'm not keen on going to 50/50 style. I'd like to know how concentrated a lye solution I can make without the sodium hydroxide saturating the solution and precipitating.
 - Thanks, Melissa. I'm afraid that the highest concentration you can go with sodium hydroxide is 50% before it just won't go into solution anymore. So that means 50% goat milk is the best you can do, unless you use evaporated goat milk. But I'm guessing that you have your own fresh goat milk, so that wouldn't be very appealing to you. But I think 50% goat milk is still pretty wonderful! :)
 7. I have been making soap for 3 years using the water to oil % and have just learned about the lye concentration, dont know how i missed it before. I've been using 38% water to oils, so if i change to using the lye concentration method ( I understand how to work it out I'm not sure what concentration i should use. I have been playing around with


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Last summer, staff at the Arbor Day Farm greenhouse reached out to a select group of members for their help with our hazelnut project.
The Foundation and its Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium partners – Rutgers University, Oregon State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – have worked since 2008 to develop disease-resistant hybrid hazelnuts that will thrive in a variety of soils and climates.
For years, we have been collecting hybrid hazelnuts from participating members, in hopes of getting closer to that so-called "super hazelnut."
The results have been fascinating. Hazelnuts we've gotten back here in Nebraska have been brown, almost black, some even reddish, and of varying sizes. All are healthy and critical to our continued research. Read more about it at the Lied Lodge & Arbor Day Farm Blog.
The benefits of hazelnuts as a perennial woody crop are profound. The leafy bushes are ideal for absorbing carbon dioxide through much of the year. The plants are drought and flood resistant, thus able to be maintained without heavy labor. And, protein-rich nuts provide a healthy source of nutrition for the planet's expanding population. One day, they could help feed healthy nations.
It's happening right here at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City – and in the yards of our members across the country.
Photos courtesy of Arbor Day Farm.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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News & Events
Capping Pipes Saves Wildlife
Concerned about the discovery of accidental bird deaths in California State, Missourians are taking action to eliminate similar hazards in the ShowMe State.
Workers at Audubon California's Kern River Preserve discovered the remains of hundreds of dead birds in a 20-foot-long pipe that had rusted and fallen over. Victims of the irrigation pipe, which had been in place more than 50 years, included bluebirds, woodpeckers and kestrels, along with lizards and other small animals that had gotten inside and were unable to escape. The death trap was part of an abandoned irrigation system.
Following the macabre discovery, Audubon staff began noticing similar hazards on their preserve and neighboring land. They found dead animals in pipes ranging from 1 to 10 inches in diameter and set to work removing or capping the pipes to prevent further carnage.
Missourians have discovered similar carnage here and are looking for ways to prevent further damage. Solutions include capping exposed vent pipes or fence posts or covering the open ends with hardware cloth. Removal is an option for obsolete pipes. See ca.audubon.org/ workinglands-pipes.php for more information.
About a month before the California revelation, MDC also had discovered a pipe problem and was re-examining the design of fishing-line disposal bins provided for anglers at popular fishing spots. The bins consist of PVC pipe mounted vertically on posts with caps on the bottom and uncapped elbows on top. Anglers place scrap line in the pipe, preventing it from becoming a hazard to wildlife.
Tree swallows and prothonotary warblers have been found dead and entangled in fishing line inside similar receptacles in other states. MDC is retrofitting line-recycling bins with covers with slits that still allow insertion of used fishing line without letting birds get inside. The covers are made from tire inner tubes or rubber roof sheeting held in place by pipe clamps. See mdc. _URL_ for details.
Deer, Turkey Harvest Wrap-Up
Missouri hunters had good success during the 2011–2012 fall deer and turkey seasons, proving that Conservation makes Missouri a great place to hunt. They checked 52,671 deer during the four-month archery season. That is 24 percent more than in 2010. Archers also checked 2,923 turkeys, an increase of 34 percent from the previous year. The fall firearms turkey harvest was 7,077, a 19-percent increase from 2010.
Hunters age 6 through 15 checked 2,193 deer during the late youth firearms hunt Jan. 7 and 8, bringing the 2011–2012 firearms deer harvest to 238,921. That is a 3-percent increase from the previous year.
The combined archery and firearms deer harvest was 291,592. That was up 6 percent from the previous year and virtually identical to the past 10 years' average of 252,029.
Expenditures by Missouri's more than 500,000 deer hunters pump $690 million into the state's economy each year, generating more than $1 billion of overall business activity and supporting more than 11,000 jobs.
MDC staff works with you and for you to sustain healthy wildlife. To learn more about the types of assistance available to private landowners, visit mdc.mo.gov.
Missourians Await Return of Martins
Hundreds of purple martins are on their way back to Missouri, and the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) needs your help finding them.
John Miller, a PMCA member who monitors purple martins in the St. Louis area, says he and other martin aficionados banded more than 800 martin nestlings in St. Louis, Licking and Marshall last year. They need to know when and where those birds return to Missouri in order to learn more about the birds' survival and movements.
The banded martins will arrive here a little later than older birds, trickling in from late April through early June. Previous banding studies (published at purplemartin.org) showed that only 10 to 20 percent of purple martin fledglings return to their natal sites. Most return to within 30 miles of where they hatched. However, a small percentage ends up hundreds of miles away. A female martin banded at a colony near Jamesport in 2009 turned up the next year in Jenera, Ohio, 650 miles from its birthplace.
Each of the martins banded in Missouri last year carries two bands, a silver federal band and a colored Missouri band that can be read with a spotting scope. The bands bear the letters "MO" and numbers. N aturally, people who maintain martin houses have the best chance of spotting one of the banded birds.
If you spot a banded martin, contact the Missouri River Bird Observatory at _PHONE_ or _EMAIL_ to report the sighting and learn the origin of the bird.
Help Bash Trash in April
Missourians care about keeping their state clean, and the annual N o MOre Trash! Trash Bash, co-sponsored by the Missouri departments of Conservation (MDC) and Transportation (MoDOT) each April, helps them act on that caring. The Trash Bash is part of the two agencies' ongoing No MOre Trash! statewide anti-litter campaign. During the entire month of April, people pick up litter all across Missouri from roadsides, parks, neighborhoods, rivers, streams and other places.
"This is the 10th year of No MOre Trash! In Missouri," said Stacy Armstrong, MoDOT No MOre Trash! coordinator. "Through the years, hundreds of thousands of volunteers have picked up more than half a million bags of trash as part of April Trash Bash activities," she said. "Now that's a lot of litter!"
MDC No MOre Trash! Coordinator Joe Jerek added that littering isn't just ugly, it hurts wildlife, is illegal and costs Missourians millions of tax dollars each year.
"Animals get tangled in litter, such as plastic six-pack holders and fishing line, and it can kill them," Jerek explained. "Litter also poisons wild-life and can cost a litterer up to $1,000 in fines and one year in jail."
MoDOT spends more than $5 million each year cleaning litter from Missouri's roadsides, while MDC spends almost $1 million a year to clean litter from conservation areas and other MDC locations.
Last year more than 157,000 bags of trash and many more truckloads of debris were collected by thousands of volunteers during April. Volunteers included MoDOT and MDC employees, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, Stream Team members and members of the public and community groups.
Anyone can report their activity at nomoretrash.org and get a free lapel pin for their efforts. "Besides the recognition, we all get a little exercise, some fresh air, and a cleaner place to work, live and play," Armstrong said.
Photo Tip of the Month: Zoom Lenses
In last month's photo tip we said that great wildlife photography requires more than just long zoom lenses. While that is certainly true, this month's phototip is devoted to why those long zoom lenses are also very helpful. The goal of good wildlife photography is to show a particular critter up close and personal, and because most wildlife tends to take offense when we get too close, a telephoto or zoom lens is vitally important.
Long lenses also have the added bonus of compressing the "depth-of-field." That is, the distance in front of and behind your subject that is also in focus is very short, so there is little else that is also in focus competing for attention with your subject. In the example image, you can see how the background is so out see how the background is so out of focus it becomes a diffuse backdrop that really helps the subject stand out.
Long lenses can, of course, get very expensive. Various things affect the price, and you have to weigh your budget against the features that are important to you. G enerally, the more money you spend the lenses get sharper, longer, have better auto-focus and other electronics, and have wider apertures. This last item is helpful because it means you can shoot in lower light conditions, or use faster shutter speeds to better freeze the motion of your subject.
This all assumes you have a camera with interchangeable lenses. If you want to take wildlife photos with your point-and-shoot, you can do so, but you have to understand the limitations. You will not be able to take photos like the pros. But, to increase your chances of getting a decent shot, be sure to purchase a point-and-shoot camera with the longest optical zoom possible. Do not be lured by the promises of digital zoom. Digital zoom essentially works by cropping your images, which degrades quality. Some point and shoots now come with as much as 21x optical zoom.
75th Anniversary of Conservation Photo Contest, Enter Now!
Remember to get out those cameras and search those photo files for your best images that
celebrate the natural wonders of Missouri and the 75-year legacy of MDC. A full list of rules and guidelines can be found on our website at _URL_. Entries will only be accepted via Flickr, an Internet photo sharing service. If you are not on Flickr, it is easy to join. Just go to our 75th anniversary photo contest Flickr site for more information: _URL_ groups/mdc75thanniversary/. When you add photos to the contest group in Flickr, the photos MUST be tagged


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You are hereThe Written Stone, Dilworth
The Written Stone, Dilworth
A large inscribed stone measuring eight feet long, two feet wide and one and a half feet deep was placed beside a old road (now known as Written Stone Lane) in Dilworth during the 17th century. The reason why the stone was placed is unknown, though several stories have grown up around it. The following account was published in 'Lancashire Legends' (1873) by John Harland & T T Wilkinson.
'The anonymous author of "The New Clock" mentions, in his "Curious Comers round Preston," that, having heard of a farm called "Written Stone," from an ancient stone bearing an inscription which stands near it, and that the place was reputed to be the haunt of boggarts, he determined to visit it. It is in the township of Dilworth, and parish of Ribchester, about two miles from the village of Longridge, and seven miles N.E. of Preston. Turning down a narrow lane, or old bridle-road, it soon plunged the searcher into a deep ravine, with a rapid mountain rivulet coursing through it, and a tall hedge of holly and hazel making the place a grove. For half a mile he walked and waded through mud and water, and on emerging from this long and tedious lane, turning to his right into a neat farmyard, he espied in a comer the object of his search. He describes it as a huge stone, a foot thick, nine feet long, two feet wide, and apparently from the adjacent rocks, placed like a gravestone on the cop. The inscription is on the side facing the road : — Ravffe : Radcliffe : laide : this : stone : TO : LYE : FOR : ever : a.d. 1655." *
The characters (he adds) are not the raised letters so prevalent in the seventeenth century, but deeply cut in the stone. He found the farmhouse tenanted by a young woman of very respectable appearance, the daughter of the owner of the estate, who, in this romantic spot, leads almost the life of a recluse. She had no dread of supernatural visitants, having never been disturbed by ghost or hobgoblin; and her theory on the subject was pithily summed up in the declaration, "that if folks only did what was right in this world, they would have nothing to fear." The date on the stone speaks of the days of sorcery and witchcraft, and of the troubled times of Cromwell's protectorate. Tradition declares this spot to have been the scene of a cruel and barbarous murder, and it is stated that this stone was put down in order to appease the restless spirit of the deceased, which played its nightly gambols long after the body had been "hearsed in earth." A story is told of one of the former occupants of Written Stone farm, who, thinking that the stone would make a capital "buttery stone," removed it into the house and applied it to that use. The result was, that the indignant or liberated spirit would never suffer his family to rest. Whatever pots, pans, kettles, or articles of crockery were placed on the stone, were tilted over, their contents spilled, and the vessels themselves kept up a clattering dance the live-long night, at the beck of the unseen spirit. Thus worried out of his night's rest, the farmer soon found himself compelled to have the stone carefully conveyed back to its original resting-place, where it has remained ever since, and the good man's family have not again been disturbed by inexplicable nocturnal noises. Well may they say with Hamlet, "Rest, perturbed spirit!"
*In Baines's "Lancashire" (vol. iii. p. 383), there is a somewhat different version of this inscription : — "Rafe Ratcliffe laid this stone here to lie for ever. a.d. 1607." He adds, that this Rafe was owner of the estate. It will be seen that neither christian name nor surname nor date agrees with the text, which latter, however, we believe to be correct.


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Depending on the Internet connection status, the details of the message changes as follows:
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1. 1. Think of your favorite place on earth. Where have you been that seems to be the ideal location to live?
2. Your essay should have a strong opening sentence followed by reasons why you would want to live in the place you've chosen, and a solid concluding sentence that ties it all together.
3. Describe the location with descriptive words.
4. Think of a way you'd make a change or two to make the town/city even better.


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In his library research, Dr. Thistle noted that MTBE remains liquid in the body. He first tested the effects of MTBE by dissolving gallstones in test tubes. Then he implanted multiple human gallstones in a dog's gallbladder and tested the speed with which the ether solvent dissolved them. He found that not only did MTBE act more rapidly than diethyl ether and another solvent, mono-octanoin, used to dissolve gallstones in the bile ducts, but it did so without irritating the lining of the animals' gallbladders.
In recent years radiologists have often used skinny needles to explore various areas of the body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
So Dr. Thistle enlisted the aid of Dr. Gerald R. May, a radiologist at Mayo Clinic, to do his first human experiment in March 1983. The patient was a 64-year-old woman who refused surgery. With the MTBE therapy her gallstones dissolved in seven hours. Since then Mayo Clinic officials have approved the therapy as an investigational procedure.
In years past most gallstones were diagnosed on X-rays after an individual swallowed Telepaque pills, which contain a chemical that is opaque to X-rays. The radio-opaque Telepaque serves as a visual contrast to the gallstones, many of which could not otherwise be seen because they are radiolucent. Gallstones can also be detected with ultrasound tests.
When a person with gallstones is referred to Dr. Thistle, the doctor first determines if the gallstones are causing symptoms and, if so, how severe they are.
Once satisfied that the gallstones are the source of the symptoms, the doctors determine if they are cholesterol stones. For that purpose conventional gallbladder X-rays are used.
Appearance of the gallbladder as a white area on the X-rays shows that it is functioning normally and that there is no blockage of the cystic duct. The doctors also study the X-rays for evidence of calcium deposits, which, if present in the stones, would disqualify the patient from the therapy because that would sharply reduce the chances of complete dissolution.
The night before the ether solvent procedure the patient takes Telepaque pills. In the morning a radiologist uses a fluoroscope, a machine that allows a doctor to produce a continuous series of X-rays much like a movie, to make certain no stone has escaped to block the ducts and to locate the gallbladder.
As the patient lies on his back, xylocaine, a local anesthetic, is injected in the skin over the area where the tube will be inserted and fentanyl, a strong narcotic, is injected into a vein. Then the doctors, guided by the fluoroscope, thrust a long, skinny needle through the skin and liver into the gallbladder. They run a guide wire through the hollow needle and remove the needle.
The purpose of these steps is to create a thin pathway so a tube 1.7 millimeters in diameter, or about the thickness of a strand of spaghetti, can be threaded along the guide wire into the gallbladder.
Then Dr. Thistle uses a syringe to withdraw the bile and begins to replace it with MTBE, being careful not to let bile leak or the ether solvent spill into the liver or peritoneal cavity; the chemical could cause serious complications.
Stirring MTBE increases its dissolving powers. The doctors achieve that effect with a small pump.
The time it takes to dissolve all the gallstones depends on their number - there can be scores - and their size - larger ones take longer. The range is from seven to eighteen hours, and in that time the patient can read or talk. The treatment can be spread over two or three days, allowing the patient and the doctor to rest after an eight-hour session.
When the doctors can no longer see gallstones on the fluoroscope, another radiologist performs an ultrasound test, which Dr. Thistle said he has found more effective than X-ray in detecting tiny stones less than two millimeters in diameter.
The following day the patient goes home. Usually he is able to return to work a few days later. The entire hospital stay is about four days, in contrast to a week or so for a standard gallbladder operation.
So far the costs of the tests and the procedure match those of the conventional gallbladder surgery.
Dr. Thistle said he considered it unlikely that toxic effects would show up long after MTBE therapy because the body rids itself of the substance quickly through the breath. Of the side effects detected to date, naeaea and vomiting have been the leading ones, and three patients have reported feeling sleepy.
A Although Dr. Thistle expressed doubts that the MTBE therapy would be useful for every patient with cholesterol gallstones, he said he thought it might eventually spare thousands of people the risks of major surgery.
Meanwhile, Dr. Thistle stressed, ''surgery is an effective and safe treatment for'' otherwise healthy people who have gallstones. In time, he said, his and other teams would try the more difficult task of dissolving calcified gallstones.
If these measures succeed, they could have an important impact because cholesterol stones account for about 80 percent of all gallstones. The remaining 20 percent are comprised of bile pigments, which are not dissolved by either MTBE or the chenodiol pills.
It is not clear how often cholesterol gallstones will recur after the ether solvent therapy, in large part because there is such a wide variation in the incidence of gallstones among racial and national groups.
Almost 70 percent of the women in some Indian tribes get gallstones before they are 30 years old, whereas only 10 percent of black American women have gallstones. Gallstones are almost unknown among the Masai people in East Africa, and are more common among Swedes and Finns than among Americans.
Gallstones have recurred in one patient in the Mayo Clinic trial of MTBE, and that patient then had standard gallbladder surgery.


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Evaluation of experimental bridge [electronic resource] : Massman Drive bridge over Interstate 40 in Davidson County /
Abstract (Summary)The Massman Drive Bridge is a 284ft. two-span continuous steel bridge over Interstate 40 in Nashville, TN. The bridge is an experimental design that unifies the construction economy of simple span bridges and the structural economy of continuous span bridges. The structural system involves bridge girders initially erected with simple supports at the center bent and abutments. Before the deck is placed, an experimental connection is used to rigidly connect the two adjacent girders over the center bent. The experimental connection couples a cover plate in tension and two kicker wedge plates in compression. The kicker wedge plates supply resistance with direct bearing between each other and the compression flanges of the adjacent girders. A total of 84 weldable strain gages were applied to three of the five bridge girders. The majority of the strain gages were placed at the connection on the plates and girder. Data collected during placement of the bridge deck concrete was used to evaluate the bridge performance under dead load. Several live load tests were later performed and will be reported by others. The data indicate that the three girders instrumented were continuous across the experimental connection. The two interior girders were found to exhibit similar behavior. However, the one instrumented exterior girder was found to have a reduced stiffness at the connection, as compared to the two interior girders. The effectiveness of the connection appears to be dependent on the erection of the wedge plates. A rationale for this behavior is presented but is not conclusive. Overall, the conclusion is drawn that the method works, in the sense that continuity over the center bent was achieved under the weight of the freshly cast deck.
School Location:USA - Tennessee
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:bridges iron and steel
Date of Publication:


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Usechain is dedicated to developing the first mirror identity blockchain ecosystem. Usechain becomes the first public blockchain to be built on Mirror Identity Protocol and integrated with multi-level innovations in technology and structure design, which can be used to break the bottlenecks in the development process of blockchain, provide infrastructure of technology for the virtual and parallel world in the future, build an identity blockchain system built on a new technical structure etc.
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Bizarre Event, Twisted Facts and Weird phenomenon
4th monolith in new england - twist of creation - myterious strange monoliths
Incredible stories
Strange Mysterious Monoliths appear all over the World
What are the strange mysterious monoliths appearing all over the world? Could they be an extraterrestrial device, a form of futuristic art or a simple global prank? Let's check all the appearances to date and decide if they are real of fake.
1. The Mysterious Monolith from Utah desert
The first metal monolith was found in November, 2020, by a team of biologists surveilling the Utah dessert and analyzing the fauna. However, during their trip, they noticed something peculiar in the middle of nowhere. They shared the pictures of the mysterious monolith on the social media, hoping that someone will know what the object is. The structure was between 10 – 12 feet and appeared to be made of aluminum. Many viewers saw a strange similarity with the famous monolith from the SF movie "2001: A Space Odyssey". In the movie, the strange monolith is meant to show itself to evolved beings to reveal them the meaning of life. Our monoliths are not as smart as the object in the movie, but it's worth checking out.
People started to visit the metal column and take picture with it. However, after a few days, a team disassembled the structure during the night, claiming that the metal structure was sparking too much attention and the people who came to visit it started to leave trash in the nature. Here is the video and you can see that the monolith is just an empty metal structure.
2. New mysterious strange monoliths appear in the world, in Romania
Soon, a new monolith appeared, this time, in Romania. In the town Piatra Neamt, people noticed in a natural protected area a tall strange-looking metal structure. It was 9ft tall, but it looked more rudimentary and the wielding were visible all over its surface. It was quite obvious that the metal structure was man-made, and it disappeared after the Utah monolith was taken down.
Strange Monolith appear in Romania - twistofcreation
Strange Monolith appear in Romania – twistofcreation – Source:
3. Metal Monolith appears in California
And when we thought that the series of crazy monoliths ended a new metal column was found in California. The 3rd monolith was found in Pine Mountain in Atascadero. The three-sided object measured roughly 10ft and it was similar in shape and structure to the other monoliths. This object was first spotted by a hiker. Later, the monolith was taken down and removed by four men, at night.
It appears that these objects are becoming a trend and it is obvious by now that they are made by humans, but the question remains: Why?
4. 4th Monolith appears in New England – Mysterious Strange Monoliths
A new monolith appeared on the south coast of England sparking the curiosity once again. On the Isle of Wight, Tom Dunford spotted a new strange monolith while walking his dog. He was aware of the stories with the metal structure so he took pictures and videos of the newest metal object. The new monolith is 10 ft tall and has a very reflective surface, almost like a mirror. Now we can say that these monoliths are no longer mono, since they are not one of a kind.
We wonder if these monoliths will keep showing up everywhere in the world. Hopefully, we will find out what is their purpose and if they mean anything or are simple jokes.
5. Monolith appears in Belgium, in a potato field
After the monoliths from United States, Romania and UK, more monoliths appeared around the world. The people of a small town in Belgium were surprised to find a metal monolith in the muddy soil of a potato field, this week.
Later, more monoliths appeared, one in the town of Fayetteville and another one in Colombia. Check the posts from witnesses, below. The monolith from Chia, Colombia has a golden finish and the visitors believe it is controlling all of them, and that is cute…. 🙂
6. New Monolith found on a deserted beach in Romania, Constanta
This week, a new monolith was discovered on the Vadu beach in Constanta, Romania. This is the second mysterious strange monolith appearing in Romania. The size and shape is the same as usual, but this time the witness could also see car trails in the sand. This demonstrates that the metal structure was delivered using a car, and not an UFO.
Black monolith on deserted beach Constanta, Romania - twistofcreation
But if an actual extraterrestrial monolith were to show up in the future, we can definitely say that nobody will take it seriously. 🙂
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peoplepill id: hunfrid-margrave-of-istria
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Hunfrid, Margrave of Istria
Hunfrid, Margrave of Istria
Margrave of Istria
Hunfrid, Margrave of Istria
The basics
Quick Facts
Intro Margrave of Istria
Is Noble Military leader
Type Military Royals
Gender male
The details (from wikipedia)
Hunfrid (I) was the Margrave of Istria and, according to some sources, Duke of Friuli from 799 to c. 804, when a Duke John was ruling Istria. He was the founder of the family called the Hunfridings.
Hunfrid first appears in Istria as marchio in 799, the same year that Eric of Friuli died.
He was an Aleman and a count in (or of) Rhaetia, in 806 and 808. Based on his presence in a list of personages in the libri memoriales of Reichenau and Sankt Gallen, he is presumed to have married Hitta (Hidda), an Udalriching and probably the niece or granddaughter of Gerold of Vinzgouw and thus a cousin or niece of Hunfrid's predecessor in Italy, Eric. Based on the same memorial books, he is probably the father of Adalbert, his successor in Rhaetia, Odalric, who became Count of Barcelona in another part of the Empire, and Hunfrid II, who became dux super Redicam (duke over Rhaetia) and father of the later Hunfriding Dukes of Swabia.
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at Merit Academy Middle School
The History program at Merit offers a comprehensive study of humanity's past, helping students understand who they are as members of a global society. Historical knowledge is the background against which students can understand the struggles of the modern world and the problems of the future. Students who understand the struggles of history make well-rounded thinkers and citizens because they have a better appreciation of current international issues and a deeper respect for the diversity of different cultures.
Playing their parts with Shakespeare at the
The History curriculum is arranged in chronological order, helping students understand the historical forces that shaped the modern world. In 6th grade, students review the medieval period and study the Renaissance into 7th grade. In 7th grade, students explore the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and European exploration of the world. In 8th grade, students study the modern Age.
The coursework is rigorous. All courses require essays and major research papers. Students deliver speeches and answers questions about their research in addition to creating maps and timelines. At Merit's Movie Nights, students watch films about the historical periods they are studying in class.
The students travel extensively around the world, giving students the opportunity to experience different cultures and to examine history for a different perspective. In Middle School, students travel to England, France, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, and Africa. In addition to traveling abroad, Meritans also explore the rich history of the United States.


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dimer is a valid word in this word list. For a definition, see the external dictionary links below.
The word "dimer" uses 5 letters: D E I M R.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after dimer (in bold), or to deimr in any order:
a - admire c - dermic f - firmed g - grimed l - milder m - dimmer rimmed n - minder remind o - dormie p - primed s - dermis dimers t - mitred
List shorter words within dimer, sorted by length
All words formed from dimer by changing one letter
Browse words starting with dimer by next letter


How do I adjust my hearing aid volume?
Your hearing aids are designed to meet the needs of many listening situations. Whether you are trying to hear someone whisper or trying NOT to hear your grandson's screaming, your hearing aids are designed to accommodate the most challenging listening needs – often automatically and sometimes via manual controls.
Automatic hearing aid volume control
Your hearing aids probably have built-in automatic volume control. This means that the hearing aid volume is adjusted automatically in accordance with your sound environment. Loud sounds picked up by the hearing aid are amplified less than soft sounds, and the level of amplification will always depend on your hearing loss.
Manual hearing aid volume control
Sometimes you may want to adjust your hearing aid volume yourself. Many hearing aids also have manual volume controls, which are shaped like small levers. According to Widex mechanical designer Niels Christian Damgaard Jakobsen, Widex designed these controls to be intuitive: "We use tactile switches in our new hearing aids," says Niels. "For example, the volume and program buttons on Widex FASHION give the users a 'click feeling' – so that the response they get is not only audio but also tactile, for example as a feeling in their fingers."
When designing the switches, we focus on makes the use of these functions as natural as possible: "From a usability perspective, the idea of having a toggle key for the volume on the top side of the hearing aid and a push button for programs on the bottom of the hearing aid was to divide the interaction intuitively. By doing so, the user would use one finger for volume adjustment and another finger for program toggle," says Niels.
Tips for using manual volume control
 - When you raise the volume, you will hear a higher beep-tone for each step the volume is raised.
 - When you lower the volume, you will hear a lower beep-tone for each step the volume is lowered.
 - A steady tone will sound when the maximum or minimum volume is reached.
NOTE: Any adjustment of the volume setting will be cancelled when your hearing aid is turned off, or if you change program.
If your hearing aids are InterEar, the volume is adjusted by using the volume control on just one of the hearing aids. For example, when you adjust the volume control on the right hearing aid, the volume automatically changes to the same level on the left hearing aid.
Using a remote control
Assistive listening devices allow you to adjust the volume on your hearing aids via a remote control. To adjust the volume using our RC-DEX and RC4: Press the volume up key (+) briefly to raise the volume. Press the volume down key (-) briefly to lower the volume.
When you activate the volume keys, you will hear a brief beep. When the maximum or minimum adjustment level is reached, you will hear a long beep-tone.
Getting used to hearing aid volume levels
Hearing aids can take some getting used to. During the first couple of days, the sound reproduced by the hearing aids may seem a bit overwhelming, and it may be difficult to recognize and distinguish between various sounds. If you use your hearing aids every day, you will gradually get used to the new sounds. Here are 5 tips to ease the transition:
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Do you love eating peanuts but avoid them due to the risk associated with heart disease and high cholesterol? You can forget these fears now as a new study claims that a high -fat meal rich in peanuts can actually [protect your heart from the negative effects of a high fat diet! Peanuts can be substituted for high-fat, nutrient-poor foods in the diet that contain solid fats, said the study recently presented at the American Society for Nutrition's 79th scientific sessions and annual meeting in Boston.
'Previous studies have shown that individuals who consume peanuts more than two times a week have a lower risk of coronary heart disease,' said lead researcher Xiaoran Liu, graduate student at the Pennsylvania State University, US. 'This study indicates that the protective effect of peanut consumption could be due, in part, to its beneficial effect on artery health,'Liu added.
The purpose of this research was to evaluate vascular function after a high-fat meal. Overweight males were randomised to consume either shake with peanuts or a control meal (a shake without peanuts) that were matched for energy and macronutrients. The lipid profile, glucose and insulin were measured five times after each meal. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured to assess vascular function. The control meal decreased FMD by 1.2 percent compared to baseline. In contrast, there was no decrease in FMD after the peanut meal.
These results demonstrate that the peanut meal maintained normal vascular function whereas the control meal impaired vascular function acutely, the researchers noted. Vascular dysfunction plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis, the formation of coronary plaques and lesions that lead to coronary artery disease.
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Definition of Long-wool
1. Adjective. (of sheep) having relatively long wool.
Click the following link to bring up a new window with an automated collection of images related to the term: Long-wool Images
Lexicographical Neighbors of Long-wool
Literary usage of Long-wool
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Report of the Secretary for Agriculture by United States Dept. of Agriculture (1866)
"The demand for long wool is still unsatisfied, and the movement of... The breeding of long-wool sheep, especially of Cotswolds, Shropshire, and other Downs..."
2. Report of the Secretary of Agriculture by United States Dept. of Agriculture (1865)
"The old Lincoln sheep produced a long wool, making a fabric of lustrous... 4 Mr. Unwin observed that there was a greater demand for long wool and a wider..."
3. The Monthly Review by Ralph Griffiths (1782)
"... long wool; for tbe duty on exportation mutt be laid in a determinate fum on every pound of wool exported...."
4. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1890)
"It will be obvious that the gill-boxes through which long wool passes, while possessing the power of bringing the fibres into s smooth, equal,..."
5. English Farming Past & Present by Rowland Edmund Prothero Ernle (1917)
"In England, long wool was employed mainly for worsted fabrics,... In long wool, or combing-wool, England had practically a monopoly of the markets,..."
6. The Parliamentary Debatesby Thomas Curson Hansard, Great Britain Parliament by Thomas Curson Hansard, Great Britain Parliament (1825)
"Every pound of long wool enabled the manufacturer to work up a certain quantity of inferior fine wool ; and, if the long wool were exported, the inferior..."


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Updated: Nov 11, 2020
The purpose of a Break in family life is to provide a technique to slow down emotions when things get heated. It also helps kids pause and think when they have deliberately or inadvertently acted out. A Break is an adult skill that every child needs to learn how to use. Some children move into the Break routine easily, but others, because of emotional intensity, react to it. It's not optional so practice, firmness, and resolve are important to get it working effectively.
Here is how you can implement the Break with your own children. Find out more in the podcast episode!
Below you can download your own copy, print it and post it on your fridge (just an idea!).


text: The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) International Programme for Antarctic Buoys (IPAB), through participating research organizations in various countries, maintains a network of drifting buoys in the Antarctic sea ice zone to support a better understanding of sea ice motion, meteorology, and oceanography. The IPAB Antarctic Drifting Buoy Data archive, presently spanning the years 1995 to... 1998, includes measurements of buoy position, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and sea surface temperature. Data are organized by daily and three-hour averages and the raw, instantaneous, non-interpolated data values. Data were collected from buoys initially deployed in three study regions: East Antarctica; the Weddell Sea; and the Bellingshausen, Amundsen, and Ross Seas. Data are in ASCII text format and are available by ftp. Data updates will become available as data are processed and new buoys are deployed.


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Java Wrapper Classes - Wrapper Classes in Java
Wrapper Classes in Java
Java Wrapper classes wrap the values of the primitive data type into objects. In other words the Java wrapper classes create objects for primitive data types. The Java wrapper classes are Boolean, Byte, Character, Short, Integer, Float, Long and Double.
For example an object of type Double, contains a field whose type is double, representing that value in such a way that a reference to it can be stored in a variable of reference type. Java Wrapper classes also provide a number of methods for converting among primitive values, as well as supporting such standard methods as equals and hashCode.
The following Java Wrapper Classes table shows which wrapper class is for which primitive data type.
Advantages of Java Wrapper Classes
- Java Wrapper Classes convert primitive data type into Object data type.
- Java Wrapper Classes are very helpful in Java Collection Framework. Because most of the Java collection classes accepts object data type.
- Java Wrapper Classes needed to use the classes of java.util package.
What is the Autoboxing in Java?
Automatic conversion of primitive data type to the object data type with corresponding Java wrapper class is called as Autoboxing.
For example convert primitive data type int to Java wrapper class Integer.
Java Autoboxing example
What is the Unboxing in Java?
Automatic conversion of Java wrapper class object to the primitive data type is called as Unboxing.
For example convert Java wrapper class Integer to primitive data type int.
Java Unboxing example


Depth and Deblurring from a Spectrally-varying Depth-of-Field
Ayan Chakrabarti; Todd Zickler
We propose modifying the aperture of a conventional color camera so that the effective aperture size for one color channel is smaller than that for the other two. This produces an image where different color channels have different depths-of-field, and from this we can computationally recover scene depth, reconstruct an all-focus image and achieve synthetic re-focusing, all from a single shot. These capabilities are enabled by a spatio-spectral image model that encodes the statistical relationship between gradient profiles across color channels. This approach substantially improves depth accuracy over alternative single-shot coded-aperture designs, and since it avoids introducing additional spatial distortions and is light efficient, it allows high-quality deblurring and lower exposure times. We demonstrate these benefits with comparisons on synthetic data, as well as results on images captured with a prototype lens.
Project Page:
BibTex entry
_USER_ { 329, title = {Depth and Deblurring from a Spectrally-varying Depth-of-Field}, year = {2012}, month = {07/10/2012}, address = {Firenze, Italy}, author = {Ayan Chakrabarti and Todd Zickler} }


text:
How To Mitigate Five IT Problems Affecting The Financial Industry
Technology has always played a key role in the financial sector. With the rise of Fintech in a new world of digitization, constantly changing technology for the financial industry has brought new challenges along with opportunities, exposing organizations to cyberattacks and high-impact security risks. Read this whitepaper to see how you can mitigate the following five financial services industry IT challenges.
- Minimizing security breaches
- Reducing cyber theft, a top concern for banks and financial institutions
- Using technology specifically to improve overall network performance
- Improving compliance to regulatory mandates
- Leveraging technology to provide a competitive advantage


How Do You Know If There Is A Spark Between You?
Can you fall in love after a kiss?
Scientists agree that the first kiss can be make or break.
How long should a first kiss last?
How do you know if someone is constantly thinking about you?
Can someone feel you thinking about them?
Can You Really Feel When Someone Is Thinking About You? Yes, you can really feel when someone is thinking or talking about you because when they do so, they send out energy vibrations to you.
What does chemistry with someone feel like?
How long does it take to feel a spark?
5-30 minutes up to several hours at most. Usually you'll sense it almost instantaneously or within a few minutes.
How can you tell if two people are sleeping together?
What does it mean to feel a spark with someone?
We naturally feel comfortable with each other. A "spark" can also take the form of a sinking feeling, goosebumps, or butterflies in your stomach feeling when you look at them, get a call from them, they touch you, etc. — u/onekate. That spark is just being excited to be with them.
How do you know if there is a connection with someone?
Can two people feel a spark?
Final Thoughts on Recognizing a Spark of Chemistry. When two people feel an instant connection across the room or in a crowd, there can be sparks that instantly fly. It's as if you are being drawn together by forces outside yourselves. It's not something you can make happen.
Do you really feel sparks when you kiss your true love?
There's no 'right' way to feel during a kiss. … Different kisses mean different things. It's possible to still have 'sparks' with someone that you've known for a long time. If you're both fairly happy with your relationship, then it might be worth shaking things up a bit to see if you can up the sexual ante a bit.
Are you meant to feel something when kissing?
It varies person to person, everyone feels it a little differently, but if you enjoyed it, that's about it! There is no "normal" feeling for a kiss really, just people trying to explain what they individually felt from things.
Can a relationship work with no spark?
Can you feel mutual attraction?
Does chemistry ever go away?
Chemistry can also be felt with a complete stranger, as long as we can infer enough information that our value systems match. Over time, our value systems change, and chemistry may fade. Then there should be an understanding and maturity in the relationship.
What does a spark in a relationship feel like?
It feels like excitement, like anything could happen when you're with them and you want to find out what. I still get it when he comes home from being out, or we go on a date or something. I look at him and just being in that moment with him is enough. That 'spark' can definitely be created over time.
How do you know if there's chemistry between you?
What is a spark between man and woman?
It is the impulse that you have to see this other person again. It can be described as a profound connection, a bond, a "spark." As one woman put it, "I got tingles all over my body." Bodily sensations, such as getting tingles all over your body, is our experience of chemistry on a biological level.
What does romantic chemistry feel like?
Good chemistry can happen between a romantic partner and someone you just really click with. When it's a romantic partner, it's sexual. It feels magnetic, likes there's static or sparks in the air. You get goosebumps or a tingly warm feeling.
How do you know if the feeling is mutual?
Here are some signs of a mutual attraction, according to experts.There's Reciprocity. … There's A Special Look In Their Eyes When You Make Eye Contact. … You Like Their Smell & They Like Yours. … Your Hips Face Each Other When You Talk. … They're Curious About You & Remember Random Details About Your Life.More items…•Oct 11, 2019
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This thesis consists of two parts. In the first part we present propagation algorithms, which are used for solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSP). One approach to solve a CSP is based on interleaving constraint propagation and search. The task of a propagation algorithm is to prune portions of the search space which do not contain a solution so that the search does not have to explore them. We present propagation algorithms for the following constraints: Sortedness, Alldiff, WeightedPartialAlldiff and NonOverlapping (of convex polygons).
The second part deals with a tree processing problem, which is represented as a dominance graph. The task is to assemble a collection of tree fragments into a tree T such that the ancestor relation of T satisfies some given constraints. We discuss efficient algorithms for deciding whether a dominance graph D has a solved form and for enumerating all (minimal) solved forms of D.
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Wed Sep 16 10:47:00 2009


Webcomic: Divine Bells
Do red camellias ring any bells?
Divine Bellsnote is a Korean webcomic by Lee Hye. It is a Fantasy Drama with a major Quest set in a magical land divided in to countries. The titular bells choose Not really they were controlled/asleep for a long time their own masters and they determine the status, prestige, and influence of the countries their masters rule. The presence or lack of these Bells also has great influence on the political status of each country. In particular, the political future of King Hong-Ryeong seems doomed without a Bell, but at equally great peril if he obtains one.
When the owner of three of the eight existing Divine Bells dies, leaving them to choose new owners, the resulting turmoil leads to a race to find the original creator of the Bells in order to gain power over the entire world.
This work contains examples of:
 - Reincarnation: Baek-Yeom seems to have been reincarnated as the first prince of Dae-hyun. Then it turns out to be a red hearing and he actually is the youngest prince.
 - Royals Who Actually Do Something: Most of the royals are very active in working to gain and maintain power. Some are just not as active as others, others prefer to watch.


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What is the mind?
July 19, 2009
What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? This video from Google Personal Growth Series features Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., discussing these questions in an hour-long talk. Dr. Siegel is an associate professor of psychiatry at UCLA School of Medicine, a wellknown researcher in this field, and the author of several very good books on this subjectThe Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience
(1999), Parenting From the Inside Out
(co-author)(2003), and The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being
(2007). He also discusses Mindsight, a learnable skill to increase increase perception and strengthen the mind- i.e., increase empathy and/or reduce ADD. I have read his books and attended several of his presentations and have always found him to be clear and engaging. Although an hour in length, this talk is accessible and informative and worth the time to watch.


text:
Castellani, Davide Serti, Francesco Tomasi, Chiara
Year of Publication:
LEM Working Paper Series 2008/04
This paper offers a portrait of Italian firms that trade goods. Combining data on firms' structural characteristics and economic performance with data on their exporting and importing activity, we uncover evidence supporting recent theories on firm heterogeneity and international trade, together with some new facts. In particular, we find that importing can be as important as exporting as a source of firm heterogeneity. First, we document that trade is more concentrated than employment and sales, and we show that import is even more concentrated than export both within sectors and along the sector and country extensive margins. Second, while supporting the fact that firms involved in both importing and exporting (two-way traders) are the best performers, we also find that firms involved only in importing activities perform better than those involved only in exporting. We submit that this may have to do with being mainly importers of high-tech capital goods. Third, the performance premia of internationalized firms correlate relatively more with the degree of geographical and sectoral diversification of imports.


text:
Skip to Main Content
Block matching based motion estimation employs conventionally pixel-based sum of absolute differences (SAD) metric for distortion measure. Many fast matching mechanisms have been developed to lower the computational load for block matching, such as those exploiting block feature based or attribute-based SAD calculations. By examining a subblock-sum-based SAD measure, where the subblock-sums can be considered to be intra-subblock features, we propose both intraand inter-subblock features based SAD measure for more effective block matching in terms of achieving better coding efficiency. Interestingly, the proposed feature based SAD measure can be interpreted as subblock-based sum of absolute Hadamard transformed differences (SATD). The new features can be constructed in a multilevel structure, which may provide a flexible and scalable means for a tradeoff between computation load and coding efficiency. Encoding results are shown to compare the proposed scheme against other relevant feature based SAD measures.


text:
The TO HVL filter stand is designed for use with any x-ray system. This test object (when used with an appropriate set of Al. filters and a multi-meter) allows the medical physicist or radiographer to test the half value layer (HVL) of their x-ray system.
TO HVL features the following test details:
- Adjustable height; four options − 30, 35, 45 and 50 cm FID, to suit a range of modalities
- Quick central alignment check
- Detector recess in base
TO HVL is supplied in a protective carry case.
Conforms to standards:
- IEC 60601-1-3


text:
Railroads and ferries brought prosperity
|A. B. Safford Memorial Museum in Cairo, Illinois, built in 1883|
Cairo, Illinois, is at the extreme southern tip of Illinois, at the point where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers converge.
I always have mixed feelings as I drive through Cairo (pronounced "Kay-roh".) Sadly, the town has endured a long period of hard times and population loss. In the business district, empty lots suggest that many deteriorated buildings have been bulldozed and hauled away. Some old buildings, still standing, are candidates for the next demolition list.
|I'm not sure if this church is in use.|
Cairo became an important railroad hub after the Civil War, and the town enjoyed several decades of great prosperity. Train cars (and other vehicles) were ferried across the rivers, and the ferry business was as important to local fortunes as the railroad and river-shipping businesses.
|The Riverlore in Cairo, Illinois|
Then in 1889, the Illinois Central Railroad completed the Cairo Rail Bridge across the Ohio River (image, another image). It was a masterpiece of engineering. The metal bridge itself was nearly 2 miles long and the entire structure including the wooden approaches was almost 4 miles long. Freight from Chicago could travel directly to New Orleans via the Cairo Rail Bridge -- a revolution in rail shipping, but a blow to Cairo.
|More mansions in Cairo|
Vehicles traveling in the Cairo area still used the ferries until two highway bridges were built -- the Mississippi River bridge (leading to Missouri) in 1929, and the Ohio River bridge (leading to Kentucky) in 1937. The bridges and roads connected a short distance south of Cairo, so travelers could quickly cross both rivers without even entering town.
The loss of the railroad and ferry industries was significant, but it alone did not kill the town. By the early 1900s, other serious problems (racism, corruption, violence, crime) were well-established in Cairo. Over the next century, these evils had a slow-but-deadly effect on the town. You can read about the darker side of Cairo's history at "Cairo, Illinois, Death by Racism."
|Overgrowth and disrepair, too!|
A photo I took inside the Customs House some years ago
Seen at Wickliffe, Kentucky
|Ohio River bridge, just south of Cairo|


text:
End statistics with hammer
- 2+: Ends where the team scored at least two points (i.e. the team was able to capitalize the hammer).
- 1: Ends where the team scored one point (i.e. opponent forced the team to take only one point with hammer).
- 0: Ends that the team blanked with hammer.
- Steal: Ends where the opponent scored at least one point (i.e. opponent stole points without hammer).
End statistics without hammer
- Steal: Ends where the team scored at least one point (i.e. the team managed to steal points without hammer).
- 0: Ends where the opponent blanked the end with hammer.
- 1: Ends where the opponent scored one point (i.e. the team managed to force the opponent to take only one point with hammer).
- 2+: Ends where the opponent scored at least two points (i.e. the opponent managed to capitalize the hammer).
- Result avg: Average result (points for - points against)
- Hammer avg: Averate points / end in those ends where the team played with hammer.
- Without hammer avg: Average points / end where the team played without hammer.
- Hammer value: Describes the value of hammer to the average points the team scored in an end.
Remarks about statistics
Apart from the result average, last end scores have been ignored in those cases where the losing team scored points. The purpose of this is to clean the data from distortions so the statistics would describe how teams have played in "normal" situations.
Example: the winning team has given a steal of one point in the last to guarantee a victory. This end has been ignored because the situation in the game is not "normal"


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Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) facility
During the Cold War Cuba had an agreement with Russia which allows Moscow to maintain a signals intelligence facility near Havana at Torrens [23°00'01"N 82°28'56"W], also known as Lourdes, which was the largest Russian SIGINT site abroad. The strategic location of Lourdes makes it ideal for gathering intelligence on the United States. It has been reported that the Lourdes facility is the largest such complex operated by the Russian Federation and its intelligence service outside the region of the former Soviet Union.
The Lourdes facility is reported to cover a 28 square-mile area with 1,000-1,500 Russian engineers, technicians, and military personnel working at the base diuring the late Cold War. Experts familiar with the Lourdes facility confirmed that the base has multiple groups of tracking dishes and its own satellite system, with some groups used to intercept telephone calls, faxes, and computer communications, in general, and with other groups used to cover targeted telephones and devices.
According to American intelligence, an unusually large number of Soviet ships delivered military cargoes to Cuba beginning in late July 1962, to support the construction of a variety of military activities, including setting up facilities for electronic and communications intelligence. In the area just south of Havana city, a number of farms were evacuated and the boys' reformatory at Torrens, two and one half miles on the road to San Pedro from Havana, was converted for living quarters for numbers of foreign personnel. The numerous Soviet personnel who moved in early in August 1962 wore casual, dirty, civilian clothes.
The SIGINT facility at Lourdes was among the most significant intelligence collection capabilities targeting the United States. This facility, less than 100 miles from Key West, is one of the largest and most sophisticated SIGINT collection facilities in the world. It was jointly operated by Russian military intelligence (GRU), FAPSI, and Cuba's intelligence services. The Federal Agency for Governent Conununications (FAPSI) evolved in the early 1990's from the former KGB's SIGINT service. According to Russian press sources, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) also had a communications center at the facility for its agent network in North and South America.
The complex is capable of monitoring a wide array of commercial and government communications throughout the southeastern United States, and between the United States and Europe. Lourdes intercepts transmissions from microwave towers in the United States, communication satellite downlinks, and a wide range of shortwave and high-frequency radio transmissions. It also served as a mission ground station and analytical facility supporting Russian SIGINT satellites.
The facility at Lourdes, together with a sister facility in Russia, allowed the Russians to monitor all US military and civilian geosynchronous communications satellites. It has been alleged that the Lourdes facility monitored all White House communications activities, launch control communications and telemetry from NASA and Air Force facilities at Cape Canaveral, financial and commodity wire services, and military communications links. According to one source, Lourdes had a special collection and analysis facility that is responsible for targeting financial and political information. This activity was manned by specially selected personnel and appeared to be highly successful in providing Russian leaders with political and economic intelligence.
From this key facility, first the Soviet Union and Russia monitored US commercial satellites, and sensitive communications dealing with US military, merchant shipping, and Florida-based NASA space programs. According to a 1993 statement by Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro, Russia was said to obtain 75 percent of its military strategic information from Lourdes.
The Lourdes facility enabled Russia to eavesdrop on US telephone communications. US voice and data telephone transmissions relayed by satellites visible to the facility are vulnerable to Russian intercept. Although sensitive US government conununications are encrypted to prevent this intercept, most other unprotected telephone communications in the United States were systematically intercepted.
In addition to its military strategic value, after the Cold War Lourdes was increasingly used to support the Russian economy, a high FAPSI priority. In addition to unprotected commercial information, personal information about US citizens in the private and goverrunent sectors also could also be snatched from the airwaves and used by Russian intelligence to identity promising espionage recruits in these sectors.
In October 1995, Cuba and Russia produced an agreement on the continued functioning of the site until the year 2000. Although the amount of Russian compensation for the site is unclear, a 1994 agreement called for Russia to provide Cuba approximately $200 million worth of fuel, timber and spare parts for various equipment, including military, for the operation of the facility during that year.
The strategic significance of the Lourdes facility grew following the 07 February 1996 directive from Russian President Boris Yeltsin directing the Russian intelligence community step up the acquisition of American and other Western economic and trade secrets. However in congressional testimony delivered on March 16, 1995, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Alexander Watson stated that pressuring Russia to discontinue SIGINT activities in Cuba "could limit our ability to promote reform and stability in Russia" as it could "be seen by the Russians as interfering with the exercise of their right under the START Treaty to monitor compliance with the agreement...."
In contrast to the situation in the early 1980s, when the bulk of US voice traffic was carried by microwave, Lourdes can no longer intercept a significant fraction of US telecommunications, because most US telecommunications do not any longer travel via microwave radio. At the very best the Lourdes facility might possibly be able to see occasional microwave scatter traffic from southern Florida and the Caribbean on very good days. But the facility is well placed to intercept domestic and international satellite traffic from US satellites with footprints that include the Caribbean.
Section 106(d) of the Helms/Burton Legislation [P.L. 104-114] signed into law on 12 March 1996, withheld US assistance from Russia by an amount equal to the sum of assistance and credits provided (on or after the enactment of this provision) in support of the Russian intelligence facility at Lourdes, Cuba. However, the provision included a presidential waiver if such assistance to Russia is in the US national security interest, and if the President certifies that Russia is not sharing intelligence data collected at Lourdes with officials or agents of the Cuban government.
In mid-1999, it was reported that the main Chinese intelligence collection facilities in Cuba were located northeast of Santiago de Cuba and in Bejucal, in the province of Havana [located at 22°55'43"N 082°23'19"E ]. Reportedly China signed an agreement in 2000 with the Cuban government to use Cuba's satellite intercept facility at Bejucal, southwest of Havana. The facility, located near the Russian facility at Lourdes, was built in the early 1990's with Russian equipment.
The Russian publication Novye Izvestiya reported on 23 August 2001 that Russia was closing the facility near Lourdes, and that the withdrawal of Russian equipment and personnel had already begun. Defense Minister Ivanov and Vice Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov refused to confirm the report. The declining intelligence significance of the center, its high cost, and its impact on Russian-American relations were reported to have factored in the decision to close the center. Another factor was reportedly the refusal of Fidel Castro to repay Cuban debts to Moscow by cancelling rental fees on the site. The paper said President Putin might announce the closure of the site during his visit to the US in November 2001.
On 15 July 2003, a US government-funded broadcasting agency condemned Cuba for allegedly jamming US international broadcasts to Iran. A statement released by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency which oversees all U.S. non-military international broadcasting, including the Voice of America, called the Cuban action "a 'deliberate and malicious' effort to block Iranian audiences from getting access to truthful news and information." The jamming was reportedly first detected on 06 July 2003, on the date of VOA's launch of a daily half-hour Persian language television news and analysis program.
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English Wikibook (edit)
General: Introduction - Grammar
Parts of the sentence: Subjects - Predicates
Types of sentences: Simple Sentences - Complex Sentences
Types of Phrases: Adjective - Adverb - Noun
Types of Clauses: Adjective - Adverb - Noun
An Appositive is a noun or noun phrase/clause that renames another noun or pronoun beside it.
For example, "The statement, that he found money in the street yesterday, cannot be believed". Here, the clause "that he found money in the street yesterday" is used in Apposition to the Main Clause.
Again, in the sentence "It is unbelievable that he will fail", "that he will fail" is an Appositive.


by admin on April 1, 2010
Crabs Live All Over The World
What Eats A Crab? Photo:Gordon E. Robertson
What eats crabs?
What do crabs eat?
Crabs live all over the world. Some kinds, or species, live in salt water, others live in fresh water. Some even spend all their time on dry land.
Most crabs have many natural enemies, or predators. Birds attack smaller crabs, sometimes carrying them high into the air and then dropping them on boulders to crack their shells.
Fish with powerful, shell-crunching jaws also eat crabs.
Many kinds of mammals, from seals to raccoons, also look forward to a crab dinner.
What does a crab eat? Crabs eat small bits of plant and animal material that they find in the water and along the shoreline.
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text:
A User-interface for Proofs and Certified Software
by Janet Bertot, Yves Bertot, Yann Coscoy, Healfdene Goguen and Francis Montagnac
By making it possible to express the properties of procedures and functions, proofs assistants can be used to help develop certified software. However, these proof assistants are often complicated to use and deserve real user-interfaces to make software development feasible. Since 1990, The CROAP team at INRIA Sophia-Antipolis has been studying the development of user-interfaces for theorem provers to reduce this level of complication. We have implemented a powerful prototype, CtCoq, that has been used successfully in the development of certified algorithms for program manipulation or polynomial mathematics. The last version of this proof environment has been released in February 1997.
The semantics of programs can be mathematically described using relations between inputs and outputs or using functions from the domain of inputs to the domain of outputs. When these relations and functions are formally described, it is possible to use a computer to check mechanically some of their properties. This leads to the perspective of checking that programs fulfil a formal specification and ultimately to zero-default software. Since the correction of a given program may rely on an arbitrarily complex corpus of mathematics, the system used for the verification needs to have very powerful proving capabilities. To date, only the systems known as theorem provers or proof checkers provide enough mathematical capabilities for this task.
The Coq proof assistant is one such proof checker (see previous article). It uses type theory to express the properties of functions and encode powerful mathematical tools such as recursion and algebraic structures. Intuitively, the types used in a programming language like Pascal or C make it possible to verify simple consistency properties between the components of a software. When using language with more expressive types, the properties that can be expressed using types can actually cover the complete specification of a software system.
The CtCoq user-interface is an independent front-end for the Coq proof assistant. It uses technologies from the domain of programming environments to help the proof developer in several ways.
The first element taken from programming environment technology is the use of syntax directed tools. These tools use a precise description of the proof assistant's syntax to help in the rapid construction of syntactically correct logical sentences, specifications, and proof commands. For instance, syntax directed menus make it possible to perform transformations on expressions or commands that respect the syntactic correctness of these expressions, thus reducing the time spent in correcting low-level errors. Syntax aware tools also make it easier to recognize usual mathematical notations and render them using multiple-font display, in a wysiwyg fashion.
These tools make semantic manipulation of data possible, with interpretation of the user's pointing or dragging gestures using the mouse. For instance, pointing at an expression can be interpreted guiding the proof process towards this expression. In the same realm, dragging an expression can be used to rearrange data when the algebraic properties make it possible.
Other tools taken from programming environments use the analysis of dependence graphs between functions, mathematical objects, and proof commands. This analysis can lead to quicker tools to help finding and correcting errors in specifications, thus making the development of completely proved software quicker.
Powerful analyses also make it possible to extract natural language presentation from proofs data structures, thus making the results of proof developments understandable by mathematicians and engineers outside the community of Coq and CtCoq users.
The CtCoq proof environment has been used successfully in the development of algorithms for symbolic computation, trajectory planning, and program partial evaluation.
Future research around this user-interface aims on one side at a better integration with symbolic computation and computer algebra systems and on the other side at a better use of dependency graphs to make large proof maintenance and re-engineering feasible.
Publication references for this research can be found at: _URL_
The CtCoq system can be retrieved by following the instructions found at: _URL_
Yves Bertot - INRIA
Tel: +33 4 9365 7739


text:
Metrics & Indices that Describe Space Weather
Scientists who study weather on Earth measure wind speed, rainfall amounts, and temperature. They use special terms, like dew point, relative humidity, and barometric pressure. Scientists who study space weather do the same sorts of things. They also use special terms and measure certain traits of the "weather" in space.
The first place to look when measuring space weather is the Sun. Sunspots are visible forms of active regions on the Sun. We have sunspot records over long time periods, so sunspot counts are an important metric for tracking activity levels on the Sun. Solar flares, gigantic explosions on the Sun, are classified using letters and numbers. X-class flares are the most powerful. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are a third type of solar phenomena for which scientists have developed classification schemes.
A second realm for which measures of space weather are needed is interplanetary space. The solar wind is characterized by its speed, particle density, pressure, and temperature. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is described in terms of the magnitude of the magnetic force and the directions of the polarity of that field.
The third and region in which we need quantities that describe space weather phenomena is Earth and near-Earth space (geospace). Some measures describe the strength and orientation of Earth's magnetic field at various places on and near Earth. Other metrics relate to characteristics of Earth's atmosphere, especially the various layers of the ionosphere. A third set of metrics describe the flow of electrical currents in the upper atmosphere and the magnetosphere. Finally, indices that describe features of auroras round out the set of metrics needed to track space weather phenomena in geospace.


Magnetic resonance elastography reveals altered brain viscoelasticity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Kerstin Riek, Jason M. Millward, Isabell Hamann, Susanne Mueller, Caspar F. Pfueller, Friedemann Paul, Jürgen Braun, Carmen Infante-Duarte, Ingolf Sack
Cerebral magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) measures the viscoelastic properties of brain tissues in vivo. It was recently shown that brain viscoelasticity is reduced in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), highlighting the potential of cerebral MRE to detect tissue pathology during neuroinflammation. To further investigate the relationship between inflammation and brain viscoelasticity, we applied MRE to a mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE was induced and monitored by MRE in a 7-tesla animal MRI scanner over 4 weeks. At the peak of the disease (day 14 after immunization), we detected a significant decrease in both the storage modulus (G′) and the loss modulus (G″), indicating that both the elasticity and the viscosity of the brain are reduced during acute inflammation.
Read the full article here


Social and Media Impact Evaluation
Primary tabs
The Social Impact Assessment is an important tool that scientists can use to communicate and transmit knowledge to society. However, how to measure it? What causes a scientific result to be ignored or adopted by society? How do society problems influence science?...
These are just some of the questions that the group explores.
The evaluation of the social impact of a project includes the process of data collection, analysis and representation. These data, coming from diverse sources, and their temporal evolution are difficult to collect and analyse, but they are the best knowledge available to perform the task.
Based on social projects, we develop a methodology to determine the social consequences of scientific projects, by analyzing large data sets to assess the consequences of the implementation of specific projects, monitoring their progress and assisting in the planning of new projects.
We combine data science and data visualization to improve our understanding of society and the impact that projects have on it.
- Analyse social impact of certain projects
- Develop data representation/visualization tools to analyse the social impact of projects.