text:
Subjetividad y procesos cognitivos
On-line version ISSN _PHONE_
MALDAVSKY, David; SCILLETTA, Delia; PEREZ ZAMBON, Silvina and ARGIBAY, Juan Carlos. On the unit of analysis for the study of wishes in the speech acts with the David Liberman Algorithm (DLA). Subj. procesos cogn. [online]. 2011, vol.15, n.2, pp. 53-82. ISSN _PHONE_.
This paper aims at discussing methodological problems of reliability related to the application of the DLA instrument to the analysis of wishes in the patient's and therapist's speech acts developed during the session. The paper is composed by five parts. In the first one we describe some generalities about the method (DLA) and in particular about the instrument for the analysis of speech acts, and we present the problem related to the criterion to decide which is the type of unit of analysis (speaking turns, sentences, utterances) more appropriate from the methodological point of view. In the second part we describe 5 inter-judge reliability tests: 1) establishment of the sample, 2) segmentation and analysis of utterances, 3) segmentation and analysis of sentences, 4) segmentation and analysis of the patient's speech, 5) segmentation and analysis of the therapist's speech. The same pair of raters participated in all the tests. Due to the fact that the results of the analysis of wishes with each type of segmentation are different one from the other, in the third part we discuss which is the type of unit of analysis that has the is preferable in the quantitative research. In order to respond to this problem we compare the sensitivity of the different types of segmentation of the sample. The results of this comparison indicate that when the unit of analysis is the utterance, the research may capture the nuances of the speech acts in a finer way than in the other units of analysis. Thereafter, the results of this test suggest that in the quantitative research it is better to segment the sample into utterances. In the fourth part we describe two additional reliability tests between independent judges about the segmentation and the analysis of the two samples, consisting respectively in a session of a different patient. First study, kappa.776, Sig. <.001, and second study kappa.738, Sig. <.001. In the fifth part we show two strategies of presentation of the outcomes of the research of the vocalizations in the therapist's speech acts. One of the strategies is syntagmatic and it tends to analyze the discursive sequence, while the second one is paradigmatic, and tends to group the speech acts considering the wish that they express and, in second place, its specificity inside that wish. The sixth part contains the conclusions of the paper.
Keywords : Reliability; Speech acts; Wishes; Unit of analysis.


Taking the temperature of deep geothermal reservoirs
Scientists collect water samples from a hot spring near Dixie Valley, Nevada. Berkeley Lab scientists are developing a computer program that calculates the temperature of subsurface geothermal reservoirs that feed such springs.
CA lot can happen to water as it rises to the surface from deep underground. It can mix with groundwater, for example. This makes it difficult for scientists to estimate the temperature of a geothermal reservoir, which is an important step as they decide whether a site merits further exploration as a source of clean, renewable energy.
Now, Berkeley Lab researchers have developed a new way to take a geothermal reservoir's temperature.
The method isn't new really, but rather a high-tech makeover of a 20-year-old technique. It's a computer program, called GeoT, which calculates a deep reservoir's temperature by starting with the concentrations of dissolved salts in a fluid sample obtained at the surface, such as from a hot spring. It then reconstructs the data to reflect what the water composition would be in a deep geothermal reservoir, which can be one kilometer underground.
Because the solubility of a mineral is a function of temperature, this reconstruction can indicate the temperature of the subsurface reservoir.
Initial tests show that the technique has the potential to be more reliable than current methods for thermal waters that have mixed with groundwater, lost gases, or both. As such, it could become a valuable tool to help scientists evaluate geothermal sites.
"Our method is not intended to replace older techniques, but to complement them and advance a way of investigating deep reservoirs in a more integrated manner," says Nicolas Spycher, a scientist in Berkeley Lab's Earth Sciences Division who leads the project.
"It's another way of increasing our confidence over whether a geothermal resource is worth further study," Spycher adds.
The technique is based on a time-tested method called solute geothermometry, in which the temperature of a deep reservoir is estimated by measuring the concentrations of dissolved minerals in a water sample. Simple tests are based on the concentration of silica, while others use elements such as sodium and potassium.
Recommended For You Contamination of La Selva geothermal system in Girona, Spain
But these chemical signatures can change as fluid rises. Minerals can reach a new equilibrium, water can boil away as pressure changes, or the fluid can mix with saline water. When this happens, a fluid sample obtained at the surface may not be a good indicator of a subsurface reservoir's temperature.
Back in the mid 1980s, Spycher, then a graduate student at the University of Oregon, helped Prof. Mark Reed develop a method that estimates a reservoir's temperature by measuring the full water composition, not just one or two elements. This "whole-water analysis" irons out some of the influences that perturb traditional solute geothermometry measurements.
Working with several scientists, Spycher has now modernized this approach by developing GeoT. The program automatically reconstructs the deep-reservoir composition of a fluid sample, and then estimates the reservoir temperature by numerically lining up the myriad saturation points of the minerals in the sample. Unknown or poorly understood variables are estimated by numerical optimization.
The software has been tested on a well-characterized geothermal system at Dixie Valley, Nevada.
"In the past, processing whole-water analyses was time-consuming, and lining-up mineral saturation points required eyeballing and trial and error," says Spycher. "Our new software makes the process much easier, and allows processing multiple waters at the same time."
More information:
N. Spycher, L. Peiffer, E.L. Sonnenthal, G. Saldi, M.H. Reed, B.M. Kennedy, "Integrated multicomponent solute geothermometry," Geothermics, Volume 51, July 2014, Pages 113-123, ISSN 0375-6505, _URL_.1016/j.geothermics.2013.10.012 (_URL_ ii/S0375650513001016)
Note : The above story is based on materials provided by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory


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Nov. 20, 2012 Do birds change their tune in response to urban noise? It depends on the bird species, according to Dr. Alejandro Ariel Ríos-Chelén from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and colleagues. Their work shows that while some birds do adapt their songs in noisy conditions by means of frequency changes, others like the vermilion flycatchers adapt their song by means of changes in song lengths.
The work is published online in Springer's journal, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Birds use their songs during social interactions to attract females and repel intruders. Factors affecting acoustic communication, such as urban noise, may therefore impair breeding success. Research to date has shown that several songbird (or oscine) species like robins, nightingales and blackbirds, adapt their song in response to noise. This is done in order to improve acoustic communication in noisy conditions. However, little work has been done on the more tropical sister group of the oscines, the sub-oscines, which includes the vermilion flycatcher.
Rios-Chelén and team investigated whether male vermilion flycatchers adapted their song under noisy conditions in the same way as their less tropical sister group. They recorded the songs of 29 territorial vermilion flycatcher males in different parks and urban areas of Mexico City. They registered noise levels at different moments of both the pre-dawn and dawn chorus, measured song length, and counted the total number of elements in the birds' song to assess song versatility.
They found that males occupying territories with relatively high noise levels produced longer songs, whereas males in quieter places sang both long and short songs. Males also showed song plasticity as they sang less versatile songs later in the morning when noise level was higher, but time of day seemed to play a more important role in driving this shift than did noise levels.
The authors conclude, "While these results show that time of day has an effect on individual song versatility, we cannot discard an influence of noise... this study supports the idea that sub-oscine adaptation to noise is different in degree and mode to that taking place among oscines, suggesting heterogeneity in the capacity of bird species to colonize and survive in the urban environment."
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
- Alejandro Ariel Ríos-Chelén, Esmeralda Quirós-Guerrero, Diego Gil, Constantino Macías Garcia. Dealing with urban noise: vermilion flycatchers sing longer songs in noisier territories. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s00265-_PHONE_-0
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


ʚĩɞ Lobna ʚĩɞ ʚĩɞ Lobna ʚĩɞ
Vocabulary & Listening [TP 3]
Elementary level
In this lesson, students learn some verbs to describe feelings towards activities. The lesson starts with showing flash cards to elicit vocabulary. SS practice listening for gist and specific information.This is followed by providing Ss with the target vocabulary. The target vocabulary is made up of some sentences are that used to describe feelings towards their activities. Finally, Ss will be involved in some controlled practice.
Abc Hand out
Main Aims
 - To provide clarification and practice of Verbs & activities in the context of Jack loves water, he doesn't like loud music
Subsidiary Aims
 - To provide gist and specific information listening practice using a text about Verbs & activities in the context of Jack likes sports. Layla loves shopping
Holding flash cards about feelings to elicit vocabulary from students before playing the record.
Look at EX 1 you have 1 minute to answer it. Give students table chart with the same questions they answered this time asking their friends mingling and speaking the target language.
Highlighting (2-8 minutes) • To draw students' attention to the target language
Give students the handout, have them look at the activities. Elicit activities from them then drill it. Give them Ex 2 to read then and underline or highlight what does Layla like and what doesn't like? And also for Jack.
Have students look at exercise 2,Then work in pairs discuss what does everyone like and dislike.
Look at exercise 3 and guess who likes or dislike each one of these activities if he is Jack, put J. If she is Layla, put L.
Now listen to the record and check your answer. Okay check your answer together.
Oka, Are you similar to Jack of Layla? Now work in pairs, ask your partner : What do you like or hate? Etc Then i ask them about it
Web site designed by: Nikue


text:
Did Bacteria Fuel World's Worst Extinction?
Nickel-eating bacteria may have worsened the mass die-off some 250 million years ago, scientists suggest. (Shown here, International Space Station astronaut Ron Garan captures one of the 16 sunrises they see each day, on Aug. 27, 2011.)
SAN FRANCISCO — Nickel-eating bacteria may have worsened the world's worst mass die-off by producing huge amounts of methane, a new study suggests.
The study is the latest attempt to explain how most of the world's ocean species died off in just a few hundred thousand years at the end of the Permian era, about 250 million years ago. The researchers presented their findings Tuesday (Dec. 4) here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.
The study proposes that a series of steps caused the mass extinction, but that bacteria played a key role. First, massive volcanic activity in Siberia released nickel into the atmosphere, which somehow reached the ocean. As a result, populations of ocean-dwelling bacteria that use nickel in their metabolic pathway exploded, releasing huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere and depleting ocean oxygen levels as a byproduct of that metabolism. Because methane is a greenhouse gas, the catastrophic gas release trapped heat in the atmosphere and caused the mass extinction by making the climate uninhabitable.
But while the findings are intriguing, many of the steps in this process are speculative, said Anthony Cohen, a researcher at the Open University in the United Kingdom, who was not involved in the study. [Wipe Out: History's Most Mysterious Extinctions]
"There are a lot of assumptions you have to make," Cohen told LiveScience.
For instance, it's not clear how the huge nickel deposited in lava flows in Siberia could have made it into seawater around the globe, he said.
The Great Dying
During "The Great Dying," up to 90 percent of the world's species perished. Though no one knows exactly how the mass die-off occurred, fossil records suggest gradual changes like ocean acidification and lessening atmospheric and oceanic oxygen first killed off species slowly, and cataclysmic volcanic eruptions or asteroid impacts then quickly wiped out the vast majority of life.
Another theory holds that vast troves of the greenhouse gas methane, which are normally trapped beneath the seafloor, were released from the ocean rapidly, causing apocalyptic levels of global warming.
But just what caused that massive methane release remained a mystery. Daniel Rothman, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his colleagues wondered whether ocean-dwelling bacteria that churn out methane were the culprits.
His team found through genetic analysis that bacteria called methanosarcina evolved the ability to break down nickel and make methane as part of its metabolism about 251 million years ago. The bacteria may have exploded in population, thereby releasing the ocean's vast methane reserves. And because the bacteria add an oxygen molecule to methane during metabolism, an exponential rise in methanosarcina may have catastrophically depleted ocean oxygen levels.
But in order for methanosarcina to rapidly reproduce, the population would need a huge source of nickel.
Volcanoes fuel extinction
Around the same time, cataclysmic volcanic activity at the Siberian Traps in Norilsk, Russia, spewed up to 2.7 million square miles (7 million square kilometers) of nickel-rich lava.
"The worlds largest nickel deposits are in Siberia," Rothman said during the AGU conference. "They are there as a result of Siberian volcanism around 252 million years ago." [Watch Live: Latest News from 2012 AGU Meeting]
So the bonanza of nickel needed to spur a population explosion in methanosarcina likely came from the Siberian Traps. If that's the case, then catastrophic volcanoes and methane-making bacteria may have combined to cause the world's worst extinction event.
Though many of the study's proposed causes for the end Permian extinction are familiar, it does provide a new timeline of events, Cohen said.
"Quite a lot of the ideas have been around for a long time. It's just putting them together."
MORE FROM LiveScience.com


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The COSYS-Med LMI
The COSYS-Med International Mixed Laboratory is a research organization created in 2014 for a period of 5 years which brings together Tunisian and French laboratories whose objectives are:
- Study the impact of contaminants on the functioning and diversity of the coastal food web. Particular attention will be given to the first trophic links (microorganisms) considering their essential role in structuring the entire food web.
- Describe the dynamics and the different processes of contaminant transformation by biotic (microand macroorganisms) and abiotic (photodegradation) pathways, interactions with organic matter
- Quantify the Sahelian contributions and identify the types of molecules likely to modify equilibria within the pelagic microbial network
- To define the modes of interactions between contaminants, Sahelian inputs and organisms, from the microbial world to the fish resources and intermediate and higher trophic levels
- Develop scientific expertise from the collection of the necessary data, to make a diagnosis on the state and fate of biodiversity and ecosystem services in order to offer assistance to the management of aquaculture and fishing activities in the face of a modification of the environment related to contaminant inputs.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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The New England Aquarium saw the whale and her calf last week in the waters of the Great South Channel, off the Cape Cod elbow.
In January, the errant pair were found in the Gulf of Mexico, off of Panama City. It was the first confirmed sighting of right whales in the Gulf of Mexico in more than 20 years.
Usually right whales come up the east side of the Florida Peninsula. In the Gulf, the pair had to deal with water up to 20 degrees warmer than normal and they had to navigate nearly a thousand miles of unfamiliar territory to reach the Atlantic coast, where they knew their way.
Now the whale is nicknamed Derecha, which means right in Spanish, because of her penchant for Mexico and the warm Gulf waters.


Hallmark Card Studio for Mac requires internet access. This is true even for boxed versions on DVD.
If you are getting errors saying it cannot connect to the internet, or it cannot load some of the designs, please start by verifying that you have a good, constant connection to the internet. The program requires it.
If your Mac is currently connected, you should check your anti-virus, firewall or anti-malware software on your computer.
Often it is one of these programs blocking the Hallmark program's access to the internet.
In some instances the connection may be too slow, or have too much latency for the program.
This is especially true on satellite internet (such as HughesNet), internet via a cellular connection, dialup, and some slower DSL ISPs under 1 megabit.
You can clear cache by following those steps
1. Close the program thru Hallmark Card Studio>Quit Hallmark Card studio, or via Force Quit
2. Use Go To Folder, in the Finder's Go menu (also accessible by pressing Shift+Command+G)
3.Type in ~/Library and click Go
4. Double-click "Application Support" folder
5. Double-click "Hallmark Card Studio" folder
6.Drag the Backup folder to the Trash bin
 7.Re-launch Hallmark Card Studio, click Choose A Design


What Does It Mean When A Gerbil Wags Its Tail?
Do gerbils know their name?
Can Gerbils Learn Their Name.
Not only can your pet gerbil learn its name, but it can also learn how you interact with it.
Like other pets, they know when you are going to play or feed them, and with some dedication, you can even teach your gerbil how to do some small tricks..
Do gerbils like music?
Gerbils can hear frequencies between 100 and 60,000 Hz. They can hear most music, except lower-pitched sounds (bass, for example). Most gerbils enjoy classical music played quietly, as it relaxes them. Loud or fast music, such as rock and metal, can be stressful for gerbils.
Do gerbils die easily?
Pet gerbils are susceptible to many illnesses and diseases. But it can be difficult to figure out what caused your gerbil to die. The most common causes of death in gerbils are old age, heart failure, stroke, neglect, Tyzzer's disease, scent gland tumors, fighting, and respiratory infection.
How do you comfort a dying gerbil?
Gerbils can get really cold when they're dying, so you can comfort them by trying to warm them up. This can be done with a good heat lamp or by placing a safe heat mat close by. You can also warm them up by placing a warm water bottle next to the part of the cage that they're in.
What is the average lifespan of a gerbil?
Pachyuromys duprasi: 5 – 7 yearsGreat gerbil: 2 – 4 yearsGerbils/Lifespan
What are the signs of a gerbil dying?
There are many reasons why gerbils die, and some have noticeable symptoms. Strokes and heart disease cause sudden death in gerbils. Their symptoms, like seizure and swelling, have a quick onset. Shock or fright can also cause death through seizures.
How do you befriend a gerbil?
Taming a GerbilUse lots of treats and work in small steps, making sure your gerbils are comfortable with each step before proceeding to the next. … Start just sitting next to cage to acclimate gerbils to your presence. … Offer a treat, such as some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, when the gerbil approaches the cage bars.More items…•
Can gerbils die of loneliness?
The short answer is no they cannot die directly from loneliness, but they can die from certain conditions caused by loneliness. Just having a pair or group of gerbils is especially important for their health reasons because they tend to groom each other to keep clean.
Can you kiss a gerbil?
Pet rodents (such as hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, guinea pigs) can make great pets for the right family. … Do not kiss, nuzzle, or hold rodents close to your face. This can startle your rodents and also increase your chances of being bitten. Bites from pet rodents can spread germs and possibly make you sick.
Does a wagging tail mean happy?
Studies show that dogs wag their tails to the right when they are happy or confident and to the left when they are frightened and there is a reason for this. The left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body and vice versa.
Why is my gerbil wagging his tail?
Wagging the tail is almost like thumping their hindlegs. Males do it a lot more than females apparantly. It's sort of a way to get the rest of the gerbils to pay attention I guess, though I have a litte female who wags her tail whenever she jumps on my hand.
How do you tell if a gerbil is stressed?
Thumping. This is something gerbils do when they are excited or stressed, as a warning to other gerbils. 3 The thumping is produced by pounding both hind legs on the ground.
Is tail wagging a good sign?
While some wags are indeed associated with happiness, others can mean fear, insecurity, a social challenge, or even a warning that if you approach, you are might get bitten. In some ways, tail wagging serves the same communication functions as a human smile, a polite greeting or a nod of recognition.
Why does my dog's tail stop wagging when I pet her?
A dog's tail stops wagging to communicate that the dog is relaxed around you or that he doesn't want to be pet. If the dog is yours, it usually means that they're comfortable enough around you and are just relaxed since they're getting the petting that they wanted.
Do dogs get embarrassed?
Should you cover a gerbil cage at night?
Unlike covering a bird cage, covering a gerbil cage at night won't help your gerbil sleep. Gerbils are active throughout the day and night, so darkness doesn't act as a sleep cue. However, covering the gerbilarium can help to muffle any noise coming from within. This may make it easier for you to sleep.
Do gerbils like to be picked up?
Gerbils are an excellent choice of pet and enjoy being held. They love to be held, stroked, and played with, in fact, they adore attention all around. … However, how you pick them up and hold them is important to build trust between gerbil and owner.
How do I know if my gerbil is happy?
Feel if your gerbil vibrates or purrs when you pet it. This is a sign that it is happy and relaxed. It is responding positively to your petting and scratching. Its whole body may vibrate when you hold it or pet it.


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If anybody is still asking why the Event hasn't happened yet, here is the answer again:
Earth primary anomaly quantum fluctuations well, or in other words Earth primary anomaly accretion vortex, maintained by the plasma implant grid and supported by plasma strangelet and toplet bomb retaliation mechanisms is the background meta-strategy of the Chimera which maintains quarantine Earth status and still prevents the Event, Disclosure and First Contact.
Parts of the plasma accretion vortex structure were recently detected by the mainstream science:
The activity of this plasma accretion vortex gets magnified every month around the time of the full moon, when Earth-Moon plasma doorway opens:
When the Earth-Moon plasma doorway is open, both the presence of Light and clearing of darkness get magnified.
Plasma implants were first put into surface humanity population 26,000 years ago. Each time just before an individual was incarnated, he was re-implanted again. In this way, the surface population was kept in amnesia for the whole 26,000 year cycle.
The implants were maintained by implant stations below the surface of the planet and throughout the Solar System, and kept replenished with fresh anomalous plasma from interplanetary and interstellar space.
An implant is a plasma black hole with an approximate diameter similar to the diameter of an electron (10-17 meters). It is rotating in a strong magnetic field which produces an antigravitational effect on the plasma.
The network of implants in the plasma energy bodies of the surface humanity is the deepest hole of the collective subconsciousness and the basis of the planetary plasma anomaly accretion vortex.
The implants in the frontal lobe of the brain compromise the decision making process and keep the person separated from the Source. The implants in the reptilian brain cortex keep the person locked into survival fears and thus susceptible to become a slave worker for the central banking system. The implants above the navel separate heaven from Earth, a man from a woman, emotions from the mind and love from sexuality. They fragment the personality and block the flow of kundalini life force. They suppress the emotions, which lower their vibrational frequency from joy into pain, then further into anger, and down into sadness, further down into fear, then apathy and finally into unconsciousness. This is the reason why many people feel nothing.
Light emanating from the Galactic Central Sun dissolves the implants. Cintamani stones serve as a focal lens for that Light and they ease the plasma dissolution process.
You can accelerate the process of implant removal with this very efficient meditation:
In this meditation exercise, you put yourself in one part of the figure eight, and your implants in the other part of the figure eight, as described in the link above.
Here is another interesting protocol for implant clearing:
The concept of karma as punishment and reward system and the concept of planet Earth as a school was designed by the Archons to keep people from discovering the truth about the Archon/Chimera control system and the implant grid.
It is true that everybody is responsible for their actions and that we can learn from our mistakes, but to imply that by experiencing our present life conditions we are »paying off« karma of our past negative actions is a very subtle and deep form of manipulation and a very handy excuse for the Cabal to keep doing what they are doing, as they are simply »teaching us a lesson in the school of life«.
Primary anomaly is the root cause of all suffering, and all negative actions of all sentient beings are a chain reaction of generational trauma, originating in the original fall from grace, the original encounter with the primary anomaly millennia ago, and the original experience of the implantation process in that distant past.
All this will be resolved as a result of the energetic intervention from the Galactic Central Sun.
The Breakthrough is near!


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The OR operator tells Google to search for either keyword in your query. In other words, only one of the keywords must be present in your search results. OR must be typed in uppercase letters or Google will ignore it.
Here are some ways to use the OR operator in genealogy searching:
- Use OR to search for multiple spellings of a name. There are many surnames in my family tree that I have seen spelled differently from document to document. Instead of doing a search for one surname spelling followed by another search for the second spelling, you can use the OR operator to search for both spellings in just one query. Your search results will list web pages that have either spelling.
- Use OR to search for words that have the same meaning.
obit OR obituary OR "death notice"
- Use OR to search for a location and its abbreviation. Some web pages will list one or the other but not both. You can also use the OR to look for webpages that may contain the old-fashioned abbreviation that data transcriptions from years ago may have used.
- Use OR in combination with quotes to search for the various ways a name may appear on a webpage.
sara OR sarah
meyers OR myers
reed OR reid
DE OR Delaware
DE OR Delaware OR Del
"Patrick Powers" OR "Powers, Patrick" OR "Patrick J. Powers"
You can also use the ¦ symbol in place of the word OR. On my computer keyboard, the ¦ symbol is on the key above the "enter" key (using the shift key). Using the ¦ will give the exact same search results as using the OR. Some people may prefer to use it because it is only one keystroke. NOTE: On some computers the symbol ¦ may appear to be a solid bar; on other computers, the symbol ¦ may have a space in the middle of the bar.
sara ¦ sarah
meyers ¦ myers
DE ¦ Delaware
reid ¦ reed
obit ¦ obituary ¦ "death notice"
For step by step instructions for building a Google genealogy query, go to Learn to Build a Genealogy Query


The Importance of Sharing Grounds
A lot of the time on the Arduino forums we get questions regarding wiring things together. One common format is:
I want to connect my 12V powered LED strip to my Arduino but I can't get it to communicate. I have checked all the connections and they seem fine. I have a 12V power supply for the LEDs and the Arduino is powered from the computer.
And 9 times out of 10 the first question we have to ask in return is:
Have you connected the grounds together?
And guess what the reply to that usually is? Yep:
No, do I need to? And isn't that dangerous, connecting a 12V ground to the 5V Arduno ground?
That in itself shows a fundamental lack of knowledge about what "ground" actually is. So let's start by clearing that up:
Ground, technically, is just a name given to a point in your circuit. That point is a point chosen by you against which all other voltages in the circuit are measured. Often it is the point of lowest potential, such as the - side of a battery, or the - connection of a power supply. Or it may have been chosen for you, such as the ground signal from the USB connection to your computer.
The 5V pin of the Arduino isn't actually 5V - it is 5V with respect to the ground pin. Equally you could rename the 5V pin to Ground, and what was the ground pin then becomes -5V with respect to [the new] ground.
So ground has to be a single point in your circuit against which all voltages "make sense".
Let's take a look at the typical circuit from the original question. An Arduino connected to some 12V device (such as some 12V LEDs):
Here you can see the Arduino connected to, for example, a 5V USB charger. It could be a battery, or it could be the USB port on your computer. It matters not. Connected to that is a 12V device which then has its own 12V power supply. Now. Where is ground in that circuit?
The 5V pin of the Arduino is 5V with respect to the ground pin of the Arduino. So seen from the Arduino's point of view ground is, in the image above, the bottom line of the Arduino's power circuit (charger -). However, the 12V of the external circuit is 12V with respect to the - side of the 12V PSU. So seen from the point of view of the 12V device the ground is the lower side of the 12V circuit - the "PSU -" connection.
That doesn't sound too bad, does it? Each device's power is correct with respect to the power supply it is running off. As far as that goes, sure. However take a look at the data signal going from the Arduino to the 12V device. What voltage is that at?
Well, seen from the Arduino's point of view, with respect to it's ground, since it is generating the signal, it is a 5V signal. But, what about what the 12V device sees? What voltage is that signal with respect to the 12V circuit ground?
Given that voltages aren't absolute - they are only relative to a reference point within the same circuit, it is impossible to know what the voltage is there.
There's something more fundamental at play here though which can help you to understand it even better. In the image above there are two red arrows in loops. That is the flow of the current around the circuit (shown as conventional current flow). The key phrase there is around the circuit. Current has to flow out of a supply, through a circuit, and back to the supply from where it came.
In the circuit above the current can flow out of the 5V, through the Arduino, and back to the 5V again because there is a complete loop there. Likewise there is a loop from the 12V supply, through the 12V device, and back to the 12V supply again. But there is no such loop for the signal from the Arduino to the 12V device. If we think of the Arduino's output pin as a small power supply there really should be some way for the current to get out of the Arduino, through whatever it is connected to, and then back to the Arduino again. There is no way for that to happen in this circuit.
So you connect the grounds. As soon as you do that a lot of things start to happen. Let's do that now and see how the circuit looks:
The grounds are now linked by the green wire at the bottom. Immediately we can now see a loop has appeared where the current from the IO pin can flow through the 12V device, out of the ground connection of the device, along the green wire, and back up through the ground connection of the Arduino.
In actuality the loop is a branch from the 5V power loop. Current goes from 5V into the Arduino where it splits, some to run the Arduino and some out of the IO pin. From there it goes through the 12V device, down to ground, then joins the current flowing out of the ground of the Arduino to go back to the 5V supply. It's useful to think in terms of discrete loops though so you can get a better idea of how the ground fits into things.
Also, now, since the ground of the 5V section and the ground of the 12V section are one and the same (in a schematic all points along a line are the same point) any signals generated from the 5V side are recognisable by the 12V side as 5V since the reference point (ground) is the same for every point in the circuit.
But isn't it dangerous?
Absolutely not. Not only is it not dangerous, it's safer than not connecting grounds together. Since now the whole circuit has a single baseline voltage to reference everything from 12V is 12V and 5V is 5V. Without that link the voltage difference between ground on the 5V side and 12V on the 12V side could potentially be many hundreds of volts (especially when the distances between the two points is great). For fully isolated systems, such as battery powered devices, that is not a problem. For anything using power supplies though it can be quite dangerous. And that leads me on to my next point - a slight variation on the question:
I built a circuit with a 12V device powered from a power supply which is controlled by my Arduino. It all works well. But as soon as I run the Arduino from a battery instead of my computer it stops working.
This is a classic case where the grounds haven't been connected together by the user, but there exists another path linking the grounds together. This is most often the earth connection of the computer and the earth connection of the power supply being linked together through the house wiring:
As you can see the current loop still exists, it just takes a longer route. As soon as you remove the Arduino from your computer and power it from batteries - or a power supply that has no connection to earth - the lower part of that loop disappears completely and you are back to the original circuit with only 2 loops. And it stops working.
Connect the grounds together manually, though, and you reinstate that portion of the loop, making it all work again.
So there you have it. If you have multiple power supplies in your project, whatever they may be (except in special circumstances) you must connect the grounds together for it to work. If it works without connecting the grounds together then you are inadvertently relying on some pre-existing ground connections to do the job for you, and that is likely to fail if your setup ever changes.
Designing a Development Board


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Title: Physical Properties and CO2 Reaction Pathway of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Ionic Liquids with Aprotic Heterocyclic Anions
Ionic liquids (ILs) with aprotic heterocyclic anions (AHA) are attractive candidates for CO2 capture technologies. In this study, a series of AHA ILs with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([emim](+)) cations were synthesized, and their physical properties (density, viscosity, and ionic conductivity) were measured. In addition, CO2 solubility in each IL was determined at room temperature using a volumetric method at pressures between 0 and 1 bar. The AHAs are basic anions that are capable of reacting stoichiometrically with CO2 to form carbamate species. An interesting CO2 uptake isotherm behavior was observed, and this may be attributed to a parallel, equilibrium proton exchange process between the imidazolium cation and the basic AHA in the presence of CO2, followed by the formation of "transient" carbene species that react rapidly with CO2. The presence of the imidazolium-carboxylate species and carbamate anion species was verified using H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. While the reaction between CO2 and the proposed transient carbene resulted in cation-CO2 binding that is stronger than the anion-CO2 reaction, the reactions of the imidazolium AHA ILs were fully reversible upon regeneration at 80 degrees C with nitrogen purging. The presence of water decreased the CO2 uptake due to the inhibiting effect of the neutralmore » species (protonated form of AHA) that is formed.« less
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Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
DOE Contract Number:
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry. B, Condensed Matter, Materials, Surfaces, Interfaces and Biophysical Chemistry; Journal Volume: 118; Journal Issue: 51
Sponsoring Org:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
Country of Publication:
United States


text:
Environmental Initiatives: Air Emissions
- A stringent preventative maintenance program is in place whereby flue gas emissions, combustion efficiency, oxygen levels and CO2 levels are monitored monthly by an independent, accredited company.
- In terms of air emissions, Belgotex complies with South African legislation and bylaws.
- We make use of superior quality coal that has a high calorific value. This means that it is cleaner burning and low in phosphorus.
- All our forklifts have been changed to LPG Gas


text:
Why precast foundations and footings might be the solution on your next project.
By Evan Gurley
Like most construction projects, the wide variety of available building materials requires some research and consideration before settling on the best value. With foundation systems, the selection process is unique for each project, but the quality and proper procedures should remain constant.
Precast concrete foundations/footings have many strong attributes that make precast a front runner for use in concrete foundation/footing design. Precast concrete foundations address the numerous problems that can arise during the design and installation processes with typical cast-in-place foundations and foundations that are simply placed into an excavated hole.
Precast Concrete Addresses the Foundation/Footing Design & Accuracy Requirements
Since precast concrete foundations and footings are manufactured in a controlled environment, they can exhibit high quality and uniformity. Adverse factors found on a typical job site such as inaccurate dimensions/measurements, extreme temperatures and improper curing are all but eliminated in a quality controlled environment.
The controlled manufacturing environment also means that dimensional accuracy is seldom an issue. Precast foundations and footings can be manufactured to exacting specifications. By contrast, concrete foundations and footings poured on site may experience lines that are out of level or out of plumb due to poor craftsmanship and adverse conditions. This can create multiple issues ranging from:
- Cracks in the structure/building
- The structure/building becomes unlevel
- In the worst cases, the structure/building eventually becomes uninhabitable or collapses.
Precast concrete foundations/footings manufacturers also can produce mixes with higher compressive strengths and superior durability. Precast concrete foundation systems are constructed with a minimum of 4,000 psi concrete.
Designing a concrete foundation or footing with a lower water-to-cementitious ratio and a controlled curing process will create a denser matrix within the concrete to provide a foundation/footing that is less susceptible to water infiltration.
Precast Concrete Addresses the Subgrade/Soils Requirements
Precast concrete foundation/footing manufacturers specify that the concrete foundations are to be installed on a level, compacted gravel, sand or stone sub-base, which eliminates many of the problems that arise when a concrete foundation/footing is simply poured into an excavated aperture without preparing a proper subgrade or checking dimensional accuracy. Since foundation panels are typically specified to be installed on compacted gravel or stone sub-base, water can drain away from the wall, minimizing the possibility
of settlement. Water standing or running alongside a foundation after rains may cause differential settlement of a foundation. If soil grading is such that water runs alongside a foundation during rains, the water will run under the edge of the foundation and carry away soil supporting the foundation.
Having a level, sound sub-base specified for the foundation/footing to rest on is crucial since the weight of the structure distributes the load from the building to the concrete foundation/footing and then directly to the soil beneath. The soil pressure from this direct loading is greatest directly under the foundation/footing, and the load distribution spreads out as the depth of the affected soil increases. Figure 1 on page 18 illustrates the distribution of the loads beneath the foundation/footing and points out the location of the critical compaction zone.
Using a precast concrete foundation/footing will help eliminate poor practices by requiring that a properly compacted, level subgrade is prepared.
In order for precast concrete foundations/footings to be as effective as possible, contractors and building officials should be educated on installation best practices.
Precast concrete foundations/footings manufacturers typically provide proper installation literature and/or assistance to the end user of the precast product. In addition to providing the appropriate literature and assistance, precast concrete foundations manufacturers typically check the install sites prior to the foundation wall installation. This is another added benefit of using precast concrete foundations.
Follow the regulations & codes
Designing a foundation/footing with proper accuracy (forms) and proper subgrade is essential. Unsound practices can jeopardize the integrity of the structure.
Each component of these codes is essential in construction and design practices, and each has consequences that coincide with using poor methods.
Excavation is one of the first factors that should be outlined in the design of a concrete foundation subgrade.
During excavation the contractor should be required to remove any materials that do not comply with the IBC code (debris, organic material, etc.) or other specified codes and standards. Removing materials and soils listed in the IBC codes helps create a level, firm subgrade and helps eliminate settlement or shifting (causing cracking) that can occur using poor materials.
It also must be realized that while excavating the soil, excavation loosens up the undisturbed soil and mixes air into the soil, which decreases the density. A decrease
in density of soil results in a loss in the load-bearing capacity, or the loss of the soil to support loads. Proper compaction of the disturbed native soil or imported fill material is needed to regain its intended design density properties.
All components, considerations and variables must be realized and outlined in the design stage.
Whether it is a foundation, driveway, patio or sidewalk, native soil or granular fill cannot be simply placed in the excavated fill area and covered with concrete. It is vital that the engineer requires the compaction of all fill materials in proper lifts, regardless if it is a native soil or a granular material to provide a dense, flat subgrade. If the fill material is not compacted in a uniform fashion, uneven settling of the foundation/footing can occur, resulting in cracking of the foundation/footing. The engineer should call out the appropriate backfill/compaction lifts, which coincide with the material/soil being used for backfilling the area. If the engineer calls for excessive backfill lifts, the foundation is subject to leaning, buckling and possible collapse.
Compacted Fill Material
There are six reasons why proper fill materials and compaction methods are essential for designing a proper subgrade for a concrete foundation.
1. Provides stability
2. Reduces water seepage and swelling
3. Reduces settling of soil
4. Prevents soil settlement and frost damage
5. Increases the load-bearing capacity
6. Provides good drainage properties and can be used to avoid moisture concentrations beneath the foundation walls, which lead to a weakening of the foundation
If improper fill materials are used, adverse effects such as settlement, differential settlement, leaning or tipping of the concrete foundation/footing may occur. Differential settlement will damage the concrete foundation/footing by producing (usually vertical, possibly diagonal or stair-stepped) cracks and other symptoms of wall movement.
Also, improper use of compaction machinery may inflict damage to the concrete foundation in the form of breaks, buckling or leaning.
Dimensional accuracy is a key component to any structure, but especially true for concrete foundations/footings, since foundations/footings require precise level lines to provide a flat, level base for construction. If the foundation wall is not designed accurately in accordance with the soil characteristics and with a proper sub-grade preparation, the foundation could be subject to several failures (foundation cracking, differential settlement, etc.).
Building standards and codes require that foundations and footings are designed to a certain dimensional criteria based on the soil loads, backfill height and the estimated wall height. Table 1805.5(5) in IBC Section 1805 states the minimum wall thickness based on these criteria.
When planning for building foundations and footings, precast concrete is the ideal material. Precast makes sense where quality, value and permanence are important.
Evan Gurley is a Technical Services Engineer with NPCA.
International Building Code. 2006 Edition
ACI Manual of Concrete Practice, Part 3. 2007


text:
Term of Award
Master of Science, Kinesiology - Exercise Science Concentration
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology
Committee Member 1
Committee Member 2
Context: Hyperthermia is induced during prolonged exercise which promotes fatigue and a decline in performance. Basketball athletes have trouble preventing an onset of hyperthermia; thus, cryotherapy is applied intermittently to combat the negative effects.
Objective: To determine, (1) effect intermittent cooling has on simulated basketball performance, perceived exertion and perceived recovery; and (2) change in performance while applying two different forms of intermittent cooling during the Basketball Specific Fatigue Protocol (BSFP).
Design: Crossover study design.
Setting: Indoor collegiate basketball court.
Patients or Other Participants: Sixteen competitively trained recreational basketball athletes (15 males, 1 female; age = 21.1 ± 1.2 yr).
Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed 3 trials of the BSFP. Between quarters, intermittent cooling was applied for 5-minutes to the lower extremity using either a phase changing material (PCM), wetted ice (WI) or received no treatment (control). Change in countermovement jump height (ΔCMJ), 10m sprint time (ΔST), heart rate (ΔHR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and perceived recovery score (PRS) were recorded each quarter.
Results: PRS found to significantly increase starting quarter 2 (Q2), (7.0 ± 2.0, p = 0.02), with significantly higher PRS at Q2 using the PCM (7.5 ± 2.0, p < 0.01). HR and ST saw significant change between quarters (ΔHR: Q1 = 81.8 ± 2.6 bpm, p < 0.01; ΔST: Q1 to Q4 (- 0.2 ± 0.1 s, p = 0.02), Q2 to Q4 (- 0.1 ± 0.0 s, p = 0.03), but not between conditions (ΔHR: p = 0.51, ΔST: p = 0.33). RPE significantly increased each quarter until the completion of the simulated game (p
Conclusions: Intermittent cooling, applied to the lower extremity via PCM, can increase perceived recovery through the first half of simulated basketball game performance.
Cousin, Dalton E., "The Effect Of Intermittent Cooling On Simulated Basketball Game Performance" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2076.
Research Data and Supplementary Material


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(comparative more maturely, superlative most maturely)
mature + -ly
Variant of mature
- full-grown, as plants or animals
- ripe, as fruits
- fully developed, as a person, a mind, etc.
- fully or highly developed, perfected, worked out, considered, etc.: a mature scheme
- of a state of full development: a person of mature age
- due; payable: said of a note, bond, etc.
- Geol. having reached maximum development of topographical form due to erosion, weathering, etc.: said as of a coastline that is relatively stable
Origin of matureMiddle English ; from Classical Latin maturus, seasonable, ripe, mature ; from Indo-European base an unverified form ma-, good, in good time from source Classical Latin Matuta, goddess of dawn
transitive verbmatured, maturing
- to bring to full growth or development, or to ripeness
- to develop or work out fully
- to become fully grown, developed, or ripe
- to become due: said of a note, etc.


text:
- Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
- Kidney Disease Stages
- What Is a Nephrologist?
- What to Expect with CKD
- Kidney Disease Management
- Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
- How Kidneys Work
- Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
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Hours of operation
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Different names, same great care
Fresenius Kidney Care dialysis centers are part of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA). Some centers may be known as Fresenius Kidney Care or Fresenius Medical Care, as well as other names. Every center listed in our dialysis finder results is part of the Fresenius Kidney Care dialysis network.
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Learn how to feel your best and thrive on dialysis. Choose the class format that fits your life—educator-led or self-guided.


text:
Surveyor, Job Ref. # SRV (0911)
Date: 15 April 2015
Location: Brisbane, Australia
- Establishing accurate horizontal and vertical control (Benchmarks).
- Verification of survey data accuracy, completeness of information and calculations.
- Maintain the results of survey activity including the geometrical and physical characteristic of surveyed area or structure
- Conduct survey and keeping record of data obtained in order to establish boundaries.
- Provide information or survey data and assist designers in developing design drawings.
- Provide assistance to construction engineers in identifying the location and elevations of underground utilities.
Required Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor Degree in Surveying or Civil Engineering is preferred.
- Must have experience with Microstation or Autocad, Terramodel Survey Software or similar.
- Experienced at managing site safety and quality control related to Surveying is essential.
- Have a significant relative work experience in project planning of community development, residential and hospitality sector and other related work experience in project execution.


01 November 2008
Why Test 67 Markers?
People who wish to test their Ydna often ask which test its best. First you have to determine what your goal is and then find the test that best meets it.
As genealogists, we want our test to further our research; therefore, it is imperative that the test be helpful within a genealogical time frame. The following numbers of markers that are tested give results which are and are not within genealogical time. Although the following are the tests provided by Family Tree DNA, any testing company using about that number of markers will produce a similar result. However, note that at this time, no other company tests 67 markers on the Y chromosome, except Family Tree DNA.
Thus chart indicates the time frame for a match within a set of markers.
DNA TMRCA (Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor) and Probability to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA)
12 marker Ydna test tells you only about your most ancient ancestry....over 600 yrs ago and before surnames. The Genographic Project uses only the 12 marker for males as they are only interested in tracking the migration pattern of our most ancient ancestors. Their project is an anthropological study; not a genealogical one, but in time their data will help us.
37 marker match gives you a 95% probability of having a common ancestor within the last 300 yrs.
67 marker match gives you a 95% probability of having a common ancestor within the last 150-200 yrs.
This means that the 37 marker and the 67 marker are the genealogists' best choices as they fall withing a genealogical time frame. Prior to 600 years ago some cultures did not establish surnames. Actually, the Irish were probably the oldest culture and they began around 1000 years ago. However, the Welsh, the Jews and many others hae only had surnames for the last few hundred hears..
Although one can order the lesser number of markers (37) and upgrade at any time to a 67 marker test, the cost is a bit more than the difference between the two. There are also good reasons to update to a 67 marker and, in cases, reasons not to bother, at least until it is necessary.
So why upgrade to a 67 marker?
The following information will help the tester determine if a 67 marker is important to your goals.
It is important to know that a Ydna 67 marker test can:
* further refine the estimate of how closely related two individuals are.
* help groups of related testers find mutations which identify sub-branches in the family.
The following scenarios are good reasons to upgrade to a 67 marker:
If you are a member of a group of closely related testers with a good 37 marker match, but there is no paper trial to connect the croup, it may be wise to upgrade as:
* More mutations can result, giving you the opportunity to further subdivide the large group and look for more recent common ancestors.
(See Talley Project at _URL_
If you are a member of a group with many mutations (more than the usually number…i.e., more than 3 with a 37 marker) and you think you are closely related with the paper trail.
* The marker increase may not increase the mutations.
* The marker mutations may increase, pushing the common ancestor too far away from the group.
* The marker mutations may help bridge the mutations within the group. Often this happens when you find a family who has many mutations and the paper trail supports a good connection. Some families do mutate more often than others. Finding more testers for the family may bridge the gap between those who have greater genetic differences. A 67 marker may also show the testers re closely related as the markers from 38-67 have few to no mutations. The more markers tested the greater number of genetic differences can be accepted for still being a close relationship.
Probability for Most Recent Common Ancestor
The following times back to the MRCA when ALL the markers match are based in the latest results of the mutation rate study conducted by the University of Arizona.
For example, with 37/37 match there is a 50% probability that the MRCA was no longer than 2 generations, and a 90% probability that the MRCA was within the last 5 generations.
For a chart showing the Probability for Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA), see: _URL_
SO, in conclusion, if your test results fits within one of the above scenarios, it may be advantageous to upgrade to a 67 marker.
In time, there may be an increase in available markers to test so upgrading to a 67 marker may be only a step to the future and not the end.
©_EMAIL_, 1 Nov 2008
M. Richardson said...
Surely the better way to argue the case for more markers were if fewer markers weren't able to differentiate between the surname under research and other surnames. Even for the most common surnames (Smith, Walker, Brown etc.) it hasn't been necessary to go to 67 markers. The data at SMGF uses fewer markers with excellent resolution of groups.
I understand that additionally tested markers allow for additional chances to observe mutations and thus show sub-groups within a larger group, but is 67 the right number, or 670? Or could you have seen the same information at less than 67? What would you consider the best number and how would you quantify it?
In your own project, is there good evidence that 67 markers has resolved any further groups of significance? If so, at what cost? There was a time when genetic genealogists were told 12 markers was good enough. I believe by the same company. I guess I'm saying take caution in what you are being sold as it sounds like the message alters if you listen to the marketing dept vs. taking a hard look at data. There's a very good reason to question it as ultimately you are asking your own relatives to buy into it too.
Genealem said...
Thank you for your comments. I was not suggesting that everyone should upgrade to a 67 marker. I was only giving some reason why it could help. It surely isn't necessary to have 67 markers to know if one belongs to a particular surname.
Sixty-seven is the current maximum amount for Ydna in the genealogy area. Only if more markers are determined to be helpful in breaking people down into subgroups even further would it be necessary to increase the number of markers. I doubt that 670 on the Y-chromsome would be practical.
There is no "best number" for any one situation. Much of it depends upon the tester's goals and the findings within the project.
In one of my projects we have a large group who matches with some mutations. Some of them with perfect matches until they upgraded to a 67 marker. In particular, one person who couldn't determine the common ancestor to the larger group found he had a mutation in the markers between 38 and 67. Now when he finds someone with the surname who matches him, but has that unique marker, he will know there is a closer match than with the group. This can help focus the research to a more specific situation.
I also have a group who matched at a 12 marker, but was all over the place with a 37 marker upgrade. It was just a bit more than the average mutations for a 37 marker. They sworn their paper trails were solid. We tested more people and found the newer testers were bridging the gap. After upgrading to 67 markers we found a better percentage of markers matching and led us to resolve that this family mutated more than the average.
SO...yes, one needs to set their own goals for testing, work with their administrator to understand all this and whether any upgrade could be helpful or not.
Dave Cook said...
Emily - A little late to this conversation, but I discovered something tonight that makes me have more confidence in a very close 67 marker match my line has with another. My Cook line from KY has a 65/67 marker match with a Koch line from PA. One of my early Cooks went by "Dutch" and I could never figure out why. Then I found this tonight: "The Pennsylvania Dutch, are not Dutch, but are of German and German speaking heritage, They are the descendants of the early German speaking settlers of the inland counties of Pennsylvania who arrived in Pennsylvania prior to the Revolutionary War."
How much confidence can I have in a 67 marker match with 2 mutations?
Genealem said...
You can have a lot of confidence in the 65/67 match. That's very good. AND...with your line being German, it is possible that Koch and Cook really have the same roots. Often names were altered. To know the really pronouciation of the German Koch could help. I have German line with the ancester being Thones Kunders. Surprisingly, I have learned that his being called Dennis Cunard isn't far from the German pronouciation. I was shocked, but this comes from a person who knows German and German research.
Deborah Richards said...


text:
National Free and Open Source Software Policy
The goal of the project is to help create a National FOSS policy document for central and local government of Republic of Macedonia, based on the example of e-Croatia, in order to achieve higher efficiency in the work state bodies, as well as increased transparency and accountability of public procurement of computer equipment and software.
- Inclusive policy creation process conducted.
- National FOSS Policy finalized and published
- National FOSS Policy adopted by relevant state bodies


text:
Solution: Cleaner Fuels
Heavy fuels can be replaced with marine diesel oil (MDO) which is less carbon intensive and allows for more effective fuel combustion, resulting in better efficiency and lower levels of emitted particulate matter.
This switch can reduce carbon dioxide emossions from vessels by as much as 5 percent. Such a switch could also reduce nitrous oxide by more than 91 percent, particulate matter by 63 percent and nitrogen oxides as a group by nearly five percent.
Instead of cleaner MDO, the oil currently used by most ocean-going ships is of low quality. This type of "residual fuel" is used because of its low cost, around $550 per metric ton.
Even so, its use presents challenges for ship operators. Residual fuels must be heated to about 140 degrees C before being used. A proportion of the fuel, the sludge which cannot be put though the engine, must be removed, and is regularly burned on board for disposal.
The sulfur content of residual fuels varies according to the crude stock but globally averages about 2.5 percent. In contrast, cleaner fuels such as marine diesel oil contain 0.5 percent sulfur, while marine gas oil contains only 0.1 percent sulfur.
Switching to low-sulfur fuels would reduce emissions of fine particles, including black carbon, as well as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide, and enable the use of other emissions control equipment that the sulfur levels in residual fuel would otherwise impede.


text:
May 25, 2011 Economic recessions are weaker, expansions are stronger, and economic recovery is faster in U.S. states where people are more optimistic says a new study from the University of Miami School of Business Administration. Further, the effects are stronger in states where people are older, less educated and less socially connected.
"Previous studies have shown that economic conditions affect mood -- people would expect this, it's more obvious," said Alok Kumar, the Gabelli Asset Management Professor of Finance at the University of Miami School of Business and one of the study's researchers. "Our study is unique in that it shows, for the first time, that mood and optimism can directly affect overall economic activity."
In order to determine the link between mood and economic conditions, Kumar, along with Vidhi Chhaochharia and George Korniotis, assistant professors of finance, used several factors to measure mood, optimism and pessimism not influenced by the economic environment. The factors are:
- Weather: Average temperature and cloud cover. Sunny weather triggers the release of serotonin in the brain that causes people to be more alert and cheerful. The opposite is true for bad weather because it releases melatonin that makes people feel tired and down.
- Political Affiliation and Climate: The level of optimism is greater in a region where the local population favors the political parties in power.
- Sports-Related Optimism: People are likely to be more optimistic if their local sports teams have performed well (e.g., wins the Super Bowl or World Series.)
With these factors in mind, the researchers then studied how mood in a U.S. state affects local economic activity. To measure local economic performance, they created a novel index based on state housing conditions, the difference between state unemployment and national unemployment, and income growth. Here are the key findings:
- Peoples' overall good mood and positive outlook can make the impact of a recession weaker, shorter in length and easier to get over.
- Moderate optimism induced by the weather is good for the local economy. A state that is 10 degrees warmer experiences increased economic activity that, on average, is 26 percent stronger. It also experiences recessions that are, on average, 33 percent weaker.
- Mood affects local economic activity in part because it leads to higher retail sales.
These results are surprising because they imply that the economy is affected by non-economic, psychological factors. In an ideal world, mood, would not affect economic activity and retail sales because consumers would only spend more when their income was on the rise versus because the weather is pleasant.
- The impact of mood on economic activity is greater in states where people are older, less educated, less socially connected and therefore more prone to the psychological effects of mood.
"One policy implication of our study is that the development of sports-related infrastructures, like new sports stadiums or other factors that could effect the performance of local sports teams, is certainly something to consider as a way to make a real impact on a local economy for a relatively low cost," said Kumar.
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text:
Microrockets Fizz Along
Tiny devices push themselves forward on a stream of hydrogen bubbles
In an acidic solution, a microrocket zips around at speeds of up to 1,050 micrometers a second—not bad for something only about 8 micrometers long, too small to be seen by the human eye. The minuscule cone-shaped devices, created by nanoengineer Joseph Wang and his colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, work best in the kinds of harsh, acidic environments that are usually detrimental to most machines and sensors. As the team reported in the January 18 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the device is powered by a reaction commonly known in high school chemistry.
Wang and his colleagues fabricate the rockets with a tubular template that has an opening pore that is only 1 to 2 micrometers wide. The template's inner wall is first coated with a polymer film, then deposited with a layer of zinc. After the microrocket is complete, the template is dissolved away.
When placed in an acidic solution, the zinc undergoes oxidation, meaning it loses electrons to the surrounding fluid. Hydrogen ions in the acid take up the electrons and transform to a gaseous state, producing bubbles on the zinc surface. The bubbles are emitted from the larger end of the conical rocket, thrusting the rocket forward. "Now it can swim by itself," Wang says. "Every time a bubble detaches from the back surface, it moves the microtubular engine continuously."
The team can also coat the outer polymer surface of the microrockets with a metal such as nickel, allowing the rockets to be steered with an external magnetic field (such as from an MRI machine) from up to about 20 centimeters away. Using this system, Wang and his colleagues have demonstrated that the microrocket can pick up a small sphere, transport it some distance, then can be made to release the sphere by a rapid change in the direction of the external magnetic field. In later versions, Wang thinks that cargo could be attached chemically or with a link that can be cleaved by exposure to light.
The speed of the rocket is highly dependent on the acidity of the solution it is in, with speed increasing with decreasing pH. This correlation allows the microrockets to be used to visually sense and monitor the pH of the solution. "The thing that is amazing is the more acidic the environment, the better it works, and it's normally the opposite," Wang says. "It's nice that you go to the extreme and you get better performance."
Wang says the microrockets have potential applications in both biological and industrial environments. "Zinc itself is a nutrient, it's nontoxic, so there's no issue of zinc being dissolved in the body," he notes. The team has tested the devices in human serum, where the rockets move at a somewhat slower pace due to the higher viscosity of the fluid. The rockets eventually might be used to monitor stomach pH or deliver a medication. They could also keep track of acidity in the harsh etching baths used in the manufacture of semiconductors for computer electronics, or they might monitor the environment for acid rain. Even some carbonated beverages are acidic and need to be checked during production, so the potential applications could range widely.
Right now the zinc in the microrockets lasts only a couple of minutes at most before the oxidation reaction dissolves it away completely. That's still enough time for the rocket to do some useful work, such as take a biopsy or record an image, but Wang and his group are hoping to develop ways to expand the operation lifetime. "We are all dreaming that in the future, we'll be able to use a biological fuel like glucose in the blood," he says.
Research into microrockets such as these has only been going on for a couple of years, and previous versions have all needed some kind of additional "fuel" (primarily hydrogen peroxide) in order to function. "In this case we demonstrated for the first time the ability of a microrocket to swim in its own environment, without needing the addition of external fuel," Wang says.
"We made the breakthrough by eliminating the fuel requirement at all. This hydrogen-zinc reaction is very old, but nobody was implementing it into microrockets. We used the simple chemistry just to be able to connect the dots and put the pieces together.
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text:
Recently I wrote a program in which I wanted to generate a CRC for a given file. I did some checking on the web for sample CRC code, but found very few algorithms to help me. So I decided to learn more about CRCs and write my own code. This article describes what a CRC is, how to generate them, what they can be used for, and lastly source code showing how it's done.
What is a CRC
CRC is an acronym for Cyclic Redundancy Checksum or Cyclic Redundancy Check (depending on who you ask). A CRC is a "digital signature" representing data. The most common CRC is CRC32, in which the "digital signature" is a 32-bit number. The "data" that is being CRC'ed can be any data of any length; from a file, to a string, or even a block of memory. As long as the data can be represented as a series of bytes, it can be CRC'ed. There is no single CRC algorithm, there can be as many algorithms as there are programmers. The ideal CRC algorithm has several characteristics about it. First, if you CRC the same data more than once, you must get the same CRC every time. Secondly, if you CRC two different pieces of data you should get two very different CRC values. If you CRC the same data twice, you get the same digital signature. But if you CRC data that differs (even by a single byte) then you should get two very different digital signatures. With a 32-bit CRC there are over 4 billion possible CRC values. To be exact that's 232
or 4,294,967,296. With that many CRC values it's not difficult for every piece of data being CRC'ed to get a unique CRC value. However, it is possible for spurious hits to happen. In other words two completely different pieces of data can have the same CRC. This is rare, but not so rare that it won't happen.
Why use CRCs
Most of the time CRCs are used to compare data as an integrity check. Suppose there are two files that need to be compared to determine if they are identical. The first file is on Machine A
and the other file is on Machine B
. Each file is a rather large file (say 500 MB), and there is no network connection between the two machines. How do you compare the two files? The answer is CRC. You CRC each of the two files, which gives you two 32-bit numbers. You then compare those 32-bit numbers to see if they are identical. If the CRC values are different, then you can be 100% guaranteed that the files are not the same. If the CRC values are the same, then you can be 99% sure that the files are the same. Remember, because spurious hits can happen you cannot be positive that the two files are identical. The only way to be positive they are the same is to break down and do a comparison one byte at a time. But CRCs offer a quick way to be reasonably certain that two files are identical.
How to generate CRCs
Generating CRCs is a lot like cryptography in that involves a lot of mathematical theories. Since I don't fully understand it myself, I won't go into a lot of those details here. Instead I'll focus on how to program a CRC algorithm. Once you know how the algorithm works you should be able to write a CRC algorithm in any language on any platform. The first part of generating CRCs is the CRC lookup table. In CRC32 this is a table of 256 specific CRC numbers. These numbers are generated by a polynomial (the computation of these numbers and what polynomial to use are part of that math stuff I'm avoiding). The next part is a CRC lookup function. This function takes two things, a single byte of data to be CRC'ed and the current CRC value. It does a lookup in the CRC table according to the byte provided, and then does some math to apply that lookup value to the given CRC value resulting in a new CRC value. The last piece needed is the actual data that is to be CRC'ed. The CRC algorithm reads the first byte of data and calls the CRC lookup function which returns the CRC value for that single byte. It then calls the CRC lookup function with the next byte of data and passes the previous CRC value. After the second call, the CRC value represents the CRC of the first two bytes. You continuously call the CRC lookup function until all the bytes of the data have been processed. The resulting value is the CRC for the whole data.
In this sample program I wanted to show that there are many different ways of generating CRCs. There are over 8 different CRC functions, all based on the above steps for generating CRCs. Each function differs slightly in it's intended use or optimization. There are four main CRC functions, each described below. There are also two separate CRC classes, but more on that later. And lastly there are a few helper functions that CRC strings.
C++ Streams: The first function represents the simplest CRC function. The file is opened using the C++ stream classes
(ifstream). This function uses nothing but standard C++ calls, so this function should compile and run using any C++ compiler on any OS.
Win32 I/O: This function is more optimized in that it uses the Win32 API for file I/O;
CreateFile, and ReadFile. This will speed up the processing, but by using the Win32 API the code is no longer platform independent.
Filemaps: This function uses memory mapped files to process the file. Filemaps can be used to greatly increase the speed with which files are accessed. They allow the contents of a file to be accessed as if it were in memory. No longer does the programmer need to call
ReadFile and WriteFile.
Assembly: The final CRC function is one that is optimized using Intel Assembly. By hand writing the assembly code the algorithm can be optimized for speed, although at the sacrifice of being easy to read and understand.
Those are the four main CRC functions. But there are actually two versions of each function. There are two classes,
CCrc32Dynamic and CCrc32Static, each of which have the above four functions for a total of eight. The only difference between the static and dynamic classes is the CRC table. With the static class the CRC table and all the functions in the class are static. The trade off is simple. The static class is simpler to use, but the dynamic class uses memory more efficiently because the CRC table (1K in size) is only allocated when needed.
dwErrorCode = CCrc32Static::FileCrc32Assembly(m_strFilename, dwCrc32);
CCrc32Dynamic *pobCrc32Dynamic = new CCrc32Dynamic;
dwErrorCode = pobCrc32Dynamic->FileCrc32Assembly(m_strFilename, dwCrc32);
Whenever you calculate a CRC you need to take into account the speed of the algorithm. Generating CRCs for files is both a CPU and a disk intensive task. Here is a table showing the time it took to CRC three different files. The columns are the different file sizes, the rows are the different CRC functions, and the table entries are in seconds. The system these numbers were captured on is a dual Pentium III at 1 GHz with a 10,000 RPM SCSI Ultra160 hard drive.
As expected the C++ streams is the slowest function followed by the Win32 I/O. However, I was very surprised to see the filemaps were not faster than the Win32 I/O, in fact they are slower. After I thought about it some, I realized memory mapped files are designed to provide fast random access to files. But when you CRC you access the file sequentially. Thus filemaps are not faster, and the extra overhead of creating the "views" of the file are why it's slower. Filemaps do have one advantage that none of the other functions have. Memory mapped files are guaranteed to be able to access files up to the maximum file size in NT which is 264 or 18 exabytes. Although the Win32 I/O may handle files of this size, none of the documentation confirms this. [Note: The largest file I have CRC'ed is 40 GB, which all eight functions successfully CRC'ed, but took over 10 minutes each.]
If anyone who reads this article knows a way to improve the speed even more, please post the code or email me. Especially if you know of a speed improvement for the assembly code. I will bet there are further optimizations that can be made to the assembly code. After all I don't know Intel Assembly very well, therefore I'm sure there are optimizations I don't know about.


National Pet Fire Safety Day – July 15, 2021
ThuJul 15
National Pet Fire Safety Day takes place every year on July 15, and it's a day to learn how to keep your pet safe in a fire. For many of us, pets are our most precious asset so it makes sense that we would dedicate a day to keeping them safe during one of the scariest things we can imagine. It was started by the Kennel Club and ADT Security in 2009 to help pet owners learn safety measures to protect their beloved pets and homes from fire, and it's a great opportunity to learn how to keep your fur baby safe.
History of National Pet Fire Safety Day
While our animals are oftentimes the culprit behind devastating fires, it's a little ironic that dogs (specifically dalmations) have become an American icon associated with firefighters today. Let's briefly explore how that came to be. A few hundred years ago, dogs were trained to trot alongside horse-drawn wagons and protect their occupants (and horses) from harm. Dalmations quickly became the ideal carriage dog for their strength, vitality, fortitude, and size. They also had a reputation for getting along well with horses and were known to have a calming effect while firefighters were battling a blaze. Overtime as motorized fire trucks replaced carriages, Dalmatians and other fire pups were seen less aboard fire trucks and more as on-site firehouse residents and mascots.
Today, many firefighters have pet Dalmatians, and firehouses around the country still have Dalmatians as station dogs. However, Dalmatians aren't the only dog in the firehouse. It's become common for firefighters (and sometimes entire fire teams) to adopt dogs rescued from fires. These lucky pups, whatever their breed, become symbols of the resiliency, bravery, and fortitude of firefighters and the individuals they help. They also take important steps into education and helping firefighters demonstrate fire safety and emergency preparedness for schools and community groups across the country. Teaching that pets cause over 1,000 house fires each year in the United States and the preventive measures we can take to protect our beloved companions.
National Pet Fire Safety Day timeline
13,000 B.C.
People Make Pets
Evidence suggests people bred dogs in Europe and Asia around this time.
6,000 B.C.
Sacred Dog Burials
Special dog graves include expensive items. Proof of their deep meaning to humans
Emotional Support Animals Protected
The Fair Housing Amendments Act allows people to keep their ESAs, despite landlords.
The Awareness Begins
The Kennel Club and ADT Security decided it was time to get serious about pet fire protection.
National Pet Fire Safety Day FAQs
How do pets start fires?
The NFPA says a stove or cooktop is the number-one cause of fires started by pets. Electrical cords can sometimes be seen by your dog as a chew toy. When damaged, they can spark and cause electrocution or a fire. Secure any cords and hide them behind furniture or other obstructions.
How do I get my pet out of a fire?
Keep a collar on your dog, and leashes and cat carriers in an easy-to-access spot near an exit point so you can grab them on your way out.
Where do you put the pet alert sticker?
Put one on each side of your house or one in every apartment window. Consider a second pack if you need more than 4 alert stickers.
How to Observe National Pet Fire Safety Day
 1. Get this useful decoration
 On July 15, get a free Pet Fire Safety Window Cling at your local volunteer firehouse. First responders will see this and know to look out for any pets inside.
 2. Share it to save lives
 Use _TAG_ to post on social media and raise awareness to friends and family about the day and ways that they can keep their pets safe from fires.
 3. Have a fire drill
 For families with kids, this tradition is even more important. Discuss your family evacuation plan, designate someone to carry out the pets and execute a fire drill on this day every year.
 1. Pyro Pets
 Pets cause over 1,000 house fires each year in the United States
 2. A Big Problem
 Nearly 360,000 house fires occur each year in the United States.
 3. Save a Life
 Over 40,000 pets die every year in house fires. Awareness can save lives.
 4. Furry (and Slithering) Heroes
 There are thousands of stories about pets, even snakes, saving humans from house fires.
 5. Have a Plan
 The #1 tip is to have an escape plan that includes your pets.
Why National Pet Fire Safety Day is Important
 1. Keep your pets out of trouble
 There are many ways to keep your pet from causing a fire. Blow out candles before leaving home, block off access to the kitchen or remove stove knobs if pets can reach it, and keep any and all wires out of chewing distance, especially from kittens and puppies!
 2. Have a pet rescue plan in place
 Discuss with your family who will be in charge of rescuing your pet in the event of a fire. Planning and practicing fire drills will help the family remain calm and help ensure that your pets are not forgotten during a chaotic evacuation.
 3. Make rescuers aware of your pets and their hiding places
 As part of your evacuation plan, include a list of your pet's hiding places, so that firefighters will know where to look in case your pets don't make it out with you. Also, make sure your pets have collars with up to date tags attached in case they escape on their own.
National Pet Fire Safety Day dates
2021July 15Thursday
2022July 15Friday
2023July 15Saturday
2024July 15Monday
2025July 15Tuesday


text:
Nobody knows what the surface of neutron stars are made of but there's no shortage of suggestions. We know that iron must play a role because we can see its characteristics absorption lines in the spectrum from these exotic objects.
But we can't tell whether the iron forms a gaseous atmosphere, perhaps a meter or so thick above an ultra-hard crust, or whether the iron itself is solid.
Now Felipe Llanes-Estrada and Gaspar Moreno Navarro at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid Spain, say they know how to tell the difference. Here's how:
If the iron is solid, then it ought to form an extraordinary crystal, perhaps a few dozen atomic layers thick, almost perfectly smooth and enveloping the entire star.
One way to examine crystalline solids is to use x-ray crystallography. The new idea from Llanes-Estrada and Navarro is to look for pairs of neutron stars in which one is an x-ray pulsar and the other is dead with an iron crust. Then x-rays from the pulsar should be diffracted from the surface of the dead star and detectable on Earth. The signature would consist of a main pulse from the pulsar followed by the reflection at wavelengths related by Bragg's law of diffraction to the main pulse.
That's a neat and potentially clean way to study the surface of neutron stars: if astronomers can find the right kind of pairs.
If they do, it'll be a breath of fresh air for astrophysicists who have many ideas about the structure and behaviour of neutron stars but few ways to prune the dead wood from the theoretical undergrowth they've created.
Something for the team behind the Chandra X-ray telescope to get to work on, I'd say.
Ref: _URL_.4837: Bragg diffraction and the Iron crust of Neutron Stars


text:
Reducing Cost and Complexity with Industrial System Consolidation
More InfoLess Info
Manufacturers looking to lower operating expenses should consider using embedded virtualization to consolidate multiple factory functions onto a single hardware platform. With a high-performing, virtualized system, multiple workloads such as motion control, programmable logic control (PLC), human machine interface (HMI), machine vision, and data acquisition can share computing resources without risk of interference. This approach results in fewer devices and reduced complexity on the factory floor, leading to reduced costs for operations, energy consumption, and integration and support effort. Read on to learn how virtualization technology running on multi-core Intel Core vPro processors makes it possible.


text:
Lessons & Classroom Games for Teachers
ESL Game - Round the World
Title: Round the World
Type: Active Game
Target: Any conversation
Materials: picture cards
Procedure: Divide the class into groups of about 5-6 Each group will
have on leader. The leader keeps the picture cards. Then the first person out of
the 5 players stands up behind the person next to them. The whole team asks the
target question. Then the leader flips over a picture card and the first person out
of the two who are one behind each other to answer what the card says is the
winner. The winner stands up behind the next person and starts again. The first
person back to their original seat is the main winner and they become the leader
for the next round.
Comments: Could also be played as a whole class game rather than in groups.


text:
Bumps and bruises
Part of growing up
Minor cuts, bumps and bruises are a normal part of growing up. Allowing your child to explore the world around them (with supervision) helps them develop and learn. Most of your toddler's bumps will require no more than a cuddle to make them better. You will quickly be able to tell by the noise of the bang, the reaction of your child and the colour of the area affected, which are the more serious bumps.
If it looks like the bump may swell then use a cold flannel (soaking the cloth with cold water) or ice pack (but don't put ice directly onto the skin) to help reduce swelling and to cool the area for at least a few minutes.
If your child has had a bump to the head and it looks serious or symptoms worsen call NHS Direct. See the information under the head injury section for advice.
If your child is under a year old and has a bump on the head get advice from a doctor.
One of the signs of a severe head injury is being unusually sleepy; this does not mean you cannot let your child sleep.
You need to get medical attention if:
- They are vomiting and have vomited more than twice.
- They are complaining it hurts.
- They are not responding at all.
If they are tired from what's happened, or from crying, then it is fine to let them sleep. If you are worried in any way about their drowsiness, then you should wake your child an hour after they go to sleep.
Check that they are okay and that they are responding normally throughout the night.
Keeping them safe
Being a toddler means they are discovering the world around them. This can result in bumps and bruises. It is almost impossible to prevent every accident although there are things we can do at home which might help.
Think about safety gates, corner cushions for sharp furniture, cupboard locks, fireguards, window locks and non-slip bath mats.
My child has had quite a hard bump to the head. I have used a cold flannel on the bump.
They are tired. They have gone to sleep. This is normal after an upset.
Make sure your child is supervised. Check regularly that they are okay and behaving as usual.
If you are still worried, contact your own surgery. If you cannot get help straight away go to the Accident and Emergency Department.


text:
The cultural industries, which include publishing, music, cinema, crafts and design, continue to grow steadily apace and have a determinant role to play in the future of culture.
Their international dimension gives them a determining role for the future in terms of freedom of expression, cultural diversity and economic development. Although the globalization of exchange and new technologies opens up exciting new prospects, it also creates new types of inequality.
The world map of these industries reveals a yawning gap between North and South. This can only be counteracted by strengthening local capacities and facilitating access to global markets at national level by way of new partnerships, know-how, control of piracy and increased international solidarity of every kind.
- For a comprehensive understanding of cultural industries, browse 25 questions and answers and explore key concepts and ideas related to culture and trade in the context of globalization.
- A basic reference: the Florence Agreement
- Strengthening the Creative Industries
- Creative Cities Network
- Crafts and Design
- Books and Reading


text:
View Entire Collection
By Clinical Topic
Diabetes – Summer 2012
Future of Nursing Initiative
Heart Failure - Fall 2011
Influenza - Winter 2011
Nursing Ethics - Fall 2011
Trauma - Fall 2010
Traumatic Brain Injury - Fall 2010
Fluids & Electrolytes
This article focuses on two aspects of emotional intelligence, emotion understanding and emotion regulation. These abilities are important because of their impact on social communication and the way in which they influence a child's access to knowledge. Caregivers who engage their children in emotion talk may strengthen the ability of their children both to understand and to regulate emotion. Caregiver emotion talk can be facilitated by making the language used in emotion talk accessible, making implicit aspects of emotion explicit, and capitalizing on teaching moments when the child is most receptive.
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World Bank via Flickr
Based on a recent systematic review of youth employment programs, David Robalino shares how he would design a program from scratch.
After three and half years of work, we have finally completed our systematic review of youth employment programs. Many thanks to the co-authors who did the heavy lifting (Jose Manuel Romero, Jonathan Stöterau, Felix Weidenkaff and Marc Witte). The paper was presented at our recent Jobs and Development Conference. The team went over 40,000 papers to eventually find 103 that reported on credible impact evaluations of youth employment programs.
These were more-or-less equally focused on high and middle/low income countries. These studies were codified in detail, including programs' design features so that we could understand why some worked and others did not. Because different studies often look at more than one outcome variable (such as employment and earnings) and focus on more than one population group we ended up with a database with over 3,000 observations. We ran thousands of regressions trying to identify how different interventions and program design features affected the outcomes and the probability of success.
For those of you who are fans of youth employment program the results will be disappointing. Only 30 percent of programs in our database were successful; the majority had no positive effect or the effect was most likely the result of chance. Moreover, among the successful programs the effect size was often small. This is dramatic. Most of the programs operating out there have not even been evaluated. But most likely, only a few are achieving what they were set up to do.
What makes a program successful?
The key for success is to be able to respond to the needs of an often very diverse population of beneficiaries. For that you need flexible programs that offer multiple services ranging from counselling and training to job search assistance and stipends. So, there is no one type of intervention that is systematically better than others. We can't say, for instance, that training programs are better than employment services, or that entrepreneurship programs are better than wage subsidies. It all depends on the population group and the local context. The programs also need to have systems that allow managers and service providers to understand the constraints that individuals face to access jobs and the resources and incentives to address these constraints.
You can read the paper and draw your own policy conclusions. If I had to design a youth employment program from scratch this is what I would do:
 - Have a state-of the art information system to biometrically ID, register, and profile beneficiaries, mapping, broadly, the type and severity of the constraints they face.
 - Identify providers (public or private) that can offer multiple services, directly or in partnership with others. This includes administering cash transfers such as wage or transport subsidies, providing counseling, and identifying training needs and training opportunities (including through employers). These providers must be accountable for placing beneficiaries into jobs or internships/apprenticeships or connect them to entrepreneurship programs. In countries or regions where these providers do not exist or are few, competent international organizations and NGOs can be mobilized to build capacity working with local NGOs or with individuals they recruit and organize.
 - Set-up contracts and payment systems with these providers that give incentives to respond to both the needs of beneficiaries and employers. For each beneficiary, the provider should receive a budget that depends on the results of the profiling, with larger budgets given to more demanding profiles. There can then be different arrangements to compensate high performance and penalize underperformance. For instance, bonuses when specific targets are met. In all cases, providers should be monitored for performance, and should be ranked according to specific outcome variables such as placement rates and cost-effectiveness. Providers that do not meet minimum targets should be taken out of the system.
 - Allocate beneficiaries to these providers making sure that there is no adverse selection. Providers need to manage the pools they were assigned without discriminating. That is why they should receive larger budgets for more complex cases.
 - Have a state of the art monitoring and evaluation system to track beneficiaries, evaluate the quality of jobs/internships, and evaluate and pay providers.
But, even if successful, this type of program is likely to have only limited impacts on labor market outcomes. After all, the programs are simply trying to connect young workers to job opportunities that already exist. These programs won't do much if there arent a lot of opportunities. Thus, these programs need to be connected to interventions that expand job opportunities, for instance, through investments to support SME growth or the development of value chains in specific regions.
A final point to emphasize is that most existing public employment services are not designed in this way. These programs are most likely not making a difference and the resources they use are being wasted. We are working, for instance, with the ANETI in Tunisia that manages a set of dysfunctional active labor market programs. Great, motivated staff but wrong design. I am not suggesting these programs should be shut down because they do have a role to play. But they should be reformed. Once done, they would need to be expanded to be able to reach more vulnerable workers, particularly those living in rural areas.
This post is part of a series of blogs covering key themes from the Jobs and Development Conference, hosted by the World Bank Jobs Group and the Network on Jobs and Development. Related blogs in this series can be found herehere and here.
This expert contribution was originally published at the website of the World Bank.
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