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Ten polymorphic microsatellite markers in Michelia maudiae (Magnoliaceae).
ABSTRACT • Premise of the study: Michelia maudiae is a threatened species in the Magnoliaceae. Microsatellite markers were developed and characterized in M. maudiae for further investigation of its conservation genetics. • Methods and Results: Microsatellite markers were developed in M. maudiae using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences Containing Repeats protocol. Ten polymorphic microsatellites were assessed in two populations of M. maudiae. The number of alleles detected per locus varied from 1 to 8. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.792 and from 0.000 to 0.826, respectively. Six primer pairs showed transferability in the two related species Michelia foveolata and Michelia chapensis. • Conclusions: This set of microsatellite markers provides a useful tool for future studies of the conservation genetics of M. maudiae and other congeneric species.


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Relationship between Personal Well-Being and Academic Achievement among Pakistani International Students Studying in ChinaJournal: International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) (Vol.9, No. 12)
Publication Date: 2020-12-05
Authors : Amna Khalid Chaudhry; Zainab Ikram;
Page : _PHONE_
Keywords : Personal Well-Being; Academic Achievement; Pakistani International Students;
This study explored the relationship between academic achievement and personal well-being of a sample of 85 students (Male=72), (Female=13) studying at the prestigious universities (Pakistani international students) in China enrolled in the scholarship program. The sample comprised 10 undergraduate language diploma students, 44 Master's, and 10 Post-Graduate students. The students who were not in the People Republic of China during the epidemic was excluded from the survey. Due to the epidemic situation, the data collection was done through an online website as a survey method. The relationship between academic achievement the previous grade and expected grade point was self-administered by the respondents. Personal well-being and the demographic group differences including gender, age, educational level were assessed. In addition, the personal well-being index (PWI-A) for adults was used to analyze the personal-wellbeing of the student population. A positive correlation was identified between academic achievement (expected grade point) with subjective well-being (.913**) Whereas, there was no significant correlation between (previous grade) academic achievement and subjective well-being respectively. Testing Anova for the group differences, there were no significant differences between the demographic groups respectively. Keywords: Personal Well-Being, Academic Achievement, Pakistani International Students.
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Last modified: 2021-06-28 17:17:01

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Revista de Biología Tropical
Print version ISSN 0034-7744
ALTRICHTER, Mariana; SAENZ, Joel C; CARRILLO, Eduardo and FULLER, Todd k. Dieta estacional del Tayassu pecari (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) en el Parque Nacional Corcovado, Costa Rica. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2000, vol.48, n.2-3, pp. 689-702. ISSN 0034-7744.
The diet of the white-lipped peccari Tayassu pecari was studied from July 1996 to April 1997 in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica, through fecal analysis and direct observations. The feces consisted of 61.6% fruits, 37.5% vegetative parts, 0.4% invertebrates and 0.5% unidentified material. These proportions are similar to those reported for white-lipped peccaries diet in South America, but the species consumed were different. In Corcovado, the white-lipped peccary fed on parts of 57 plant species (37 of them fruits). Moraceae was the most represented family. In contrast, the diet of the Peruvian Amazon peccary primarily consists of plant parts (Arecaceae). Costa Rican peccary diet consisted of vegetative parts from Araceae and Heliconaceae. Direct observation showed that peccaries spent 30% of feeding time rooting. Samples taken from rooting sites suggest that peccaries fed on earthworms. Diet differed between months, seasons and habitats. They ate more fruits in coastal and primary forests and more vegetative parts in secondary forest. In the months Octubrer and November the consumption of vegetative parts exceeded fruit consumption.
Keywords : Seasonal diet; fecal analysis; direct observations; Tayassu pecari; white-lipped peccary; rain forest; Costa Rica.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Forestry in Finland
Forests are a major source of both economic and social well-being for Finland. About one in seven Finns come from families who own forests. The material resources and amenity values of forests provide a wide range of opportunities for income, employment and business. Forests are also important settings for recreation, so they also generate wider benefits in terms of health and happiness.
Finland's forests represent the country's most significant renewable natural resource. As the demand for natural resources rises in the future Finland's timber reserves are sure to become an even more important asset. Since forests have so many roles as a source of wood-based products, energy, recreation and well-being, it is important to ensure that their benefits are utilised widely but also sustainably. Forests are also highly significant considering the urgent need to combat and adapt to climate change.


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Textile fibres are estimated to be the single largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry. Spinnova is at the forefront of helping brands significantly reduce their emissions and has now verified its climate impact with an expert assessment with the help of an external climate business consultancy. Their assessment shows that Spinnova's carbon footprint is 1.28 kg CO2e/kg fibre which is 72% lower compared to conventional cotton (4.6 kgCO2e/kg fibre).
The only by-product of Spinnova's first commercial factory is carbon neutral surplus heat, which will be reused in a local district heating network, reducing 3.2 kg CO2e/kg of emissions that would otherwise be produced in generating district heat. Taking this into account, Spinnova's production actually saves more CO2 emissions than it emits. The emission savings of Spinnova's annual production correspond to driving almost 14 million kilometres, or 350 times around the globe.
"The results confirm what we have expected: that SPINNOVA® is an extremely climate positive textile fibre. It supports our brand partners' exceptionally sustainable products, achieving their carbon neutrality targets and a winning competitive advantage for both them and Spinnova", comments Spinnova's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder Juha Salmela.
When replacing conventional cotton with SPINNOVA®, fashion brands can save 6.5 kg CO2e/kg of fibre produced. This positive climate impact is called the carbon handprint, and it compares the climate impact of two products intended for the same use. In this case, SPINNOVA® fibre produced at the first commercial factory in Jyväskylä was compared to the average climate impact of conventional cotton production from cradle-to-gate – so from farming the raw material, wood or cotton, to the end of the fibre production process. The calculation methodology has been developed by the Finnish Technical Research Centre VTT and LUT University.
"The carbon handprint methodology was developed to holistically evaluate and communicate positive climate impacts of solutions tackling climate change. Spinnova is setting an example with their impressive result and transparent reporting", says Sari Siitonen, CEO and founder of climate business consultancy Clonet, who calculated Spinnova's carbon handprint.
Low-emission technology and surplus heat as main drivers of positive climate impact
Spinnova's low-emission technology includes use of CO2-free energy and smart energy systems. The factory only uses wind power and heat recovered from its own process as its energy sources. The surplus energy recovered from Spinnova's process with heat pumps is recycled into the local district heating network, reducing the local energy provider Alva's emissions by replacing energy sources such as peat. The heat pump facility recovering and reusing energy from Spinnova's process is being built by energy systems supplier Calefa. Valmet, the supplier of fibre drying technology for the factory, has also been involved in planning and supplying technology for the energy solutions.
Because we use wind power, the carbon footprint of Spinnova's process is already very small, but we've wanted to push our technology even further. The energy solutions we have developed together with our partners further improve this process from both a sustainability and efficiency viewpoint. We are very proud of this and our climate impact overall, Salmela adds.
Important milestone on Spinnova's commercialisation journey
The calculations are based on the emissions of Spinnova's technology and production process used at the company's first commercial-scale factory in Jyväskylä, expected to be completed at the end of this year. The calculations are based on known quantities and, as the factory is not yet operational, some assumptions. The opening of the factory is a major milestone on Spinnova's commercialisation journey and important part of Spinnova and its joint venture partner Suzano's scaling target of producing one million tonnes of SPINNOVA® fibre annually within the next 10-12 years.
By scaling its fibre production using low-emission technology, Spinnova helps its brand partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their value chains. The other key environmental benefits of SPINNOVA® include minimal water use, zero microplastics, biodegradability, and that no harmful chemicals are used in the manufacturing process.
Carbon handprint calculation
The carbon handprint calculations were made according to the carbon handprint methodology developed by the Finnish Technical Research Centre VTT and LUT University, and they are based on the ISO 14067:2018 standard. Clonet made the calculation on their OpenCO2.net platform with widely used methodologies and emissions databases.


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You may be thinking to yourself, "What the heck is transfaunation?" Or, perhaps you are already familiar with the term. If you have experience with a large dairy farm, you probably already know. I think a lot of us have seen cows (usually of the dairy variety) with windows into their abdomen at fairs and perhaps even at a farm you visited. Though the idea of putting a window in the side of a cow is cool enough on its own, it does actually serve a purpose. Before we explore that purpose, let me first explain a little about the stomach and the window.
The stomach of a cow is divided into four compartments. The rumen is the largest of these compartments, and I mean large. In a Holstein cow the rumen can hold over 40 gallons! The rumen can also be thought of as a holding and fermentation vat. Being prey animals in the wild, evolution has designed cows to go out and eat as much food as possible while it is safe. Obviously there isn't time to properly chew your food if you are eating it as quickly as possible. This is why we see cows chewing their "cud" almost constantly when they are relaxed. They will regurgitate a wad of material from their rumen back into their mouths and chew it properly so that it can pass to the other stomach compartments and eventually into their intestines. The environment inside the rumen is not very acidic like it is in most other species. This is because the cow is constantly regurgitating the material and an acidic environment would injure their esophagus, and also because of the bacteria that live in the rumen and help break down the cow's food. A very acidic environment would kill off the bacterial colonies and the cow would not be able to properly digest her food. So, what I really want you to take away from this whole paragraph is that the bacteria inside the rumen of cows is of utmost importance to their survival. Got it? Good.
Now, the window. A healthy cow is chosen by her owner to undergo this procedure and become the source of rumen material for any cow that may need it in her lifetime. A veterinarian will cut into the abdominal wall of the cow and into the rumen, from there a plastic cannula is placed in the incision site. This cannula is what holds the side of the abdomen open permanently. A plastic screw-in plug is usually placed in the opening that can be removed whenever needed. Cows recover well from the surgery and do not even notice their new accessory.
Ok, enough about all that. What is transfaunation?! Transfaunation is the transfer of one cow's digestive flora into another cow. Digestive flora is the healthy bacteria, protozoa and fungi that live in the animal's (all animals, yes, even humans!) digestive system and help break down food. If a cow is sick, she will very often stop eating and/or drinking. Or, if she has to be treated with antibiotics they can kill off the good and the bad bacteria in her system. Yes, it's important to get rid of the bad bacteria that are making her sick, however, when the good bacteria are also killed off it will inhibit her ability to digest food and absorb all the nutrients she needs. For whatever reason a cow loses her healthy bacteria, it is imperative that she gets it back quickly or her health will continue to decline. That is where our cannulated cow comes in to save the day, and possibly the life of her barn mate. The farmer can simply reach into the rumen of the cannulated cow and take out some of the material in there. He will then feed it to the sick cow (cows will eat just about anything), or if she is not eating, they can force it into her with a stomach tube. This rumen material is filled with all the healthy microorganisms that our sick cow needs to have recolonize her rumen and make her a happy, healthy, milk producing cow again. So you can see, the job of the cannulated cow is very important, and the procedure of transfaunation can save a life.
Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!


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Saint Catherine Area (Hide)
The Orthodox Monastery of St Catherine stands at the foot of Mount Horeb where, the Old Testament records, Moses received the Tablets of the Law. The mountain is known and revered by Muslims as Jebel Musa. The entire area is sacred to three world religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The Monastery, founded in the 6th century, is the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its initial function. Its walls and buildings of great significance to studies of Byzantine architecture and the Monastery houses outstanding collections of early Christian manuscripts and icons. The rugged mountainous landscape, containing numerous archaeological and religious sites and monuments, forms a perfect backdrop to the Monastery.


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Genome-wide association studies have identified noncoding variants near TBX3 that are associated with PR interval and QRS duration, suggesting that subtle changes in TBX3 expression affect atrioventricular conduction system function. To explore whether and to what extent the atrioventricular conduction system is affected by Tbx3 dose reduction, we first characterized electrophysiological properties and morphology of heterozygous Tbx3 mutant (Tbx3+/-) mouse hearts. We found PR interval shortening and prolonged QRS duration, as well as atrioventricular bundle hypoplasia after birth in heterozygous mice. The atrioventricular node size was unaffected. Transcriptomic analysis of atrioventricular nodes isolated by laser capture microdissection revealed hundreds of deregulated genes in Tbx3 +/- mutants. Notably, Tbx3 +/- atrioventricular nodes showed increased expression of working myocardial gene programs (mitochondrial and metabolic processes, muscle contractility) and reduced expression of pacemaker gene programs (neuronal, Wnt signaling, calcium/ion channel activity). By integrating chromatin accessibility profiles (ATAC sequencing) of atrioventricular tissue and other epigenetic data, we identified Tbx3-dependent atrioventricular regulatory DNA elements (REs) on a genome-wide scale. We used transgenic reporter assays to determine the functionality of candidate REs near Ryr2, an up-regulated chamber-enriched gene, and in Cacna1g, a down-regulated conduction system-specific gene. Using genome editing to delete candidate REs, we showed that a strong intronic bipartite RE selectively governs Cacna1g expression in the conduction system in vivo. Our data provide insights into the multifactorial Tbx3-dependent transcriptional network that regulates the structure and function of the cardiac conduction system, which may underlie the differences in PR duration and QRS interval between individuals carrying variants in the TBX3 locus.
|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|Nummer van het tijdschrift
|Gepubliceerd - 04 aug. 2020


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Imagine that you're a miner. Imagine you have diabetes (that, at least, shouldn't be too hard). Now, imagine that you have to spend two months trapped underground with other miners. How would you do?
It wasn't an imaginary exercise for Jose Ojeda, who was one of the 33 Chilean miners rescued last week. According to numerous news accounts and information from the Chilean rescuers, Ojeda has diabetes. What's more, he fared excellently in his two months underground.
How was that possible? It resulted from a fortunate combination of a smart official response, dedication on the part of the miners, luck, and a few peculiar facts about diabetes itself.
What we know
For all the coverage of the miners and their ordeal (10 million people watched the rescue on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC), we don't know everything about them. For instance, we don't know whether Ojeda is a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic.
A widower in his late 40s, he was the seventh miner rescued, which indicated that officials were concerned about his health. He also reportedly has kidney problems, and officials shipped him insulin during his confinement. All of those factors might point to a Type 1 diagnosis.
On the other hand, the miners survived for 17 days without outside contact after the initial cave-in, and Ojeda wasn't reported as being in worse shape than anyone else after that time. Accounts of his confinement also stressed diet over medication.
Ojeda -- who wrote the original note informing searchers that the miners were alive -- faced a challenge that few of us could imagine. Yet the situation was surprisingly positive for a diabetic.
For one thing, the miners kept a strict schedule. Once contact was established with the outside world, they ate at precise times, their food sent through narrow holes drilled from the outside. Breakfast came at 8:30 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 9 p.m. A couple of snacks were tucked in between.
The miners organized their days beyond food, too. They divided each day into three shifts: midnight to 8 a.m., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to midnight. Each miner would spend one shift sleeping, one shift working around the mine, and one shift relaxing -- writing those outside or exercising, for example.
Diabetics could well benefit from such a rigorous schedule. Consistent sleeping, eating and activity times make regulating blood sugars much, much easier.
We've already touched on the meal delivery system. But the meals themselves are almost as important for our diabetic miner.
The Chilean Health Ministry worked up meal plans for the miners, balancing carbohydrates and protein. The average miner ate 2,300 calories a day, spread between the three meals and snacks.
Special meals were prepared for Ojeda and another miner who needed a special diet. For the diabetic miner, the changes seem to have been small. Instead of regular Coca-Cola, he received a diet version. Fresh apples replaced the canned papayas others ate, and he used sugarless marmalade instead of jam.
The overall attention to diet was appreciated. Dr. Jorge Diaz, who helped oversee the health of the miners, told the BBC that Ojeda's "medication is the same as before, but now he has such a precise diet, which he never had earlier. He feels better now than ever."
The applications for every diabetic -- Type 1 and Type 2 -- couldn't be clearer. So much of daily management of the disease comes down to a healthy, balanced diet. Sadly, we all don't have a team of experts calculating our daily intake!
Attention and exercise
All the miners -- not just Ojeda -- had the attention of Chile's best doctors. But there was a source of assistance much closer.
Miner Yonny Barrios had been trained as a paramedic, and he helped the doctors on the outside with tasks like drawing blood, taking miners' blood pressure and giving injections.
For diabetics, both kinds of care are crucial. We need experienced physicians to set our courses of treatment. But we also need people closer to us -- sometimes family members, sometimes friends, sometimes nurses -- who can help with day-to-day challenges.
Finally, the miners had a great luxury for a group of supposedly trapped people. They weren't confined to a small space.
"They had the run of the mine," Jeffery Kravitz, of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, told the New York Times. A half-mile of open tunnel gave them "places to exercise and to use for waste." One of the miners ran miles each day.
Every diabetic knows the importance of physical activity. Ojeda had the opportunity not just to eat balanced meals, but he had the space and time to work out regularly.
From the sound of it, then, why don't all diabetics head down to mines? Given all those positives just outlined, wouldn't Jose Ojeda be in better shape now than ever?
The miners attracted public attention once they were found alive Aug. 22. But the mine had actually collapsed 17 days before. For more than two weeks, the men survived on two days' worth of supplies. Two days.
Their usual meal during those difficult days? According to the Associated Press, they ate two spoons of tuna and a bit of cracker, milk and peaches. And they only had that every other day. Small wonder, then, that when they were discovered, all needed careful attention.
Their digestive systems had nearly stopped, and their bodies were burning fat and muscle to keep them alive. Officials worked methodically to rehydrate them, adding in vitamins and a few more calories day by day until they were able to eat full meals again.
This kind of starvation regimen was tough on every one of the miners -- let alone the only diabetic. No report has mentioned specifically how Ojeda handled the challenge.
Isolation from friends, family and traditional support networks couldn't have been healthy either. Not to mention the instant fame that awaited them once they were rescued. Psychologists worked with the men to ensure that they would be ready.
The damp, warm environs of a cave posed another issue for Ojeda: skin infections. Many of the men developed fungal infections during their two months underground. Such infections are of particular concern to diabetics.
Post-rescue examinations, however, showed that none of the infections were serious.
Out and about
The miners came to the surface Wednesday, after an ordeal that few could imagine. News coverage raged, and gossipy reports (the miner who requested both his wife and mistress meet him on release) were legion.
We'll no doubt hear more about widower Jose Ojeda. We'll no doubt learn more about his disease, and how he fared during those two months. New reports Monday said his blood sugar was normal after his rescue, although his blood pressure was a bit high.
But the challenges of controlling diabetes, for him and for everyone else, will remain. Perhaps it's comforting to know that, even when he was trapped in the mine, Ojeda faced a common diabetic challenge. He celebrated his 47th birthday and didn't get any cake.
His fellow miners said they'd bake him a sugar-free one when they got out.
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0 comments - Oct 24, 2010
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetesboth newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.


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Estimated carbon emissions from the IUCN World Conservation Congress fully offset
12 February 2009 | News story
The IUCN World Conservation Congress is a truly unique event in its capacity to unite so many members of the global environmental community. To the delegates, this unmatched opportunity for learning, exchanging ideas, and meeting new people is priceless.
Yet, the world's largest environmental gathering represents a cost for the planet. An independent greenhouse gas assessment of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, held from 5 to 14 October 2008, conducted by ECCM, estimated that the event generated 7'934 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
With almost 7'000 delegates and staff attending from the four corners of the world, air travel to Barcelona represented the largest source of greenhouse emissions at close to 80% of the total. On-site, emissions remained marginal due notably to the high environmental standards of the conference venue.
Thanks to the support of participants and donors, the total estimated footprint of the Barcelona Congress was offset 100% through an investment in an innovative mitigation project in the Mediterranean region. Contributions collected through the Barcelona Carbon Offset Fund were used to purchase from the Climate Neutral Group, the equivalent of 7'934 tons of CO2 equivalents from a CDM certified organic composting project in Sharkia, Egypt.


Definitions of twaddle
 1. noun
 pretentious or silly talk or writing
 synonyms: baloney, bilgewater, boloney, bosh, drool, humbug, taradiddle, tarradiddle, tommyrot, tosh
 see moresee less
 type of:
 bunk, hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality
 a message that seems to convey no meaning
 2. verb
 speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
Word Family


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The molar volume is equal to the atomic weight divided by the density.
The molar volume is also known as the atomic volume.
The standard SI units are m3. Normally, however, molar volume is expressed in units of cm3. To convert quoted values to m3, divide by _PHONE_.
The molar volume depends upon density, phase, allotrope, and temperature. Values here are given, where possible, for the solid at 298 K.
WebElements now has an online chemistry shop at which you can buy periodic table posters, mugs, T-shirts, games, molecular models, and more.


Really, like The Diving Pool before it, The Housekeeper and the Professor is good literature and a good read, and Picador has ensured that the paperback as a physical object is quite beautiful as well. I can't recommend this book enough. Go get it! And, if you haven't read The Diving Pool yet, go get that one, too!
Title: Grotesque
Japanese Title: グロテスク
Author: Kirino Natsuo (桐野夏生)
Translator: Rebecca Copeland
Publication Year: 2008 (America); 2003 (Japan)
First of all, I would like to say that Grotesque is a very, very dark novel. It's also filled with descriptions of all sorts of physical and emotional abuse, as well as numerous scenes of disgusting, extremely upsetting sex. In short, this novel is not for the faint of heart.
The novel essentially consists of the nameless narrator's account of the murder of her younger sister, Yuriko, and her pseudo-friend from high school, Kazue, each of whom were marred by deep psychological imperfections. These emotional deficiencies were exacerbated by the harsh and competitive nature of the exclusive private high school that the two attended. In the end, both Yuriko and Kazue became prostitutes and were both ultimately murdered by the same unsavory client.
Putting the sensationalism of the novel aside, perhaps the most chilling aspect of Grotesque is the voice of the narrator. The reader quickly becomes inured to the sex and violence, but the cold and bitter tone of the narrator, as well as her pronounced disgust with her fellow human beings, continue to add a tinge of horror to the novel until the very last page. The narrator occasionally interrupts herself to present "evidence" concerning the two murder cases: the diary of her sister, the testimony of the murder suspect, and a letter from her old classmate. These stories within the story allow the reader to experience the voices of the novel's other main characters, each of whom is just as disturbing as the main narrator.
In America, Kirino is mainly known for her first translated work, a massive chunk of a murder novel called Out (アウト, translated by Stephen Snyder). Like Out, Grotesque is long and depressing, and it would be a stretch to call any of the characters sympathetic. Unlike Out, however, Grotesque has a much smoother style, courtesy of translator Rebecca Copeland, and is therefore much easier to read. Also, compared to Out, the characters of Grotesque are much more artistically presented. Namely, in this novel, Kirino chooses to explore her characters' depravity instead of merely wallowing in it. Moreover, I found the portion of the book that concerns the narrators' experiences at their high school to be extremely entertaining. As I said earlier, Grotesque is not for the squeamish, but those readers who can deal with the darkness will be pleased to find an occasional glimmer of good writing and entrancing character study.
I should note that the version of Grotesque I reviewed is the British version, which I purchased in Japan. The American version of the book has been edited to remove all references to male child prostitution. Don't let this deter you from reading the novel, though – the passages that were cut aren't particularly riveting or important.
Ōe and Beyond: Fiction in Contemporary Japan
Fiction in Contemporary Japan
Title: Ōe and Beyond: Fiction in Contemporary Japan
Editors: Stephen Snyder and Philip Gabriel
Essays: 12, with an Introduction by the editors
Publication Year: 1999 (America)
Pages: 317
This book, while undeniably academic, is perhaps the most important resource for students of contemporary Japanese literature. Included in this book are twelve essays by prominent scholars on the biggest names in post-war Japanese literature. There are essays on political writers like Ōe Kenzaburō and Nakagami Kenji, feminist writers like Ohba Minako and Takahashi Takako, and contemporary popular writers like Murakami Haruki and Banana Yoshimoto. Each of these essays aims to look at the writer as a whole, considering his or her major works and themes, while at the same time attempting to evaluate his or her place in the larger body of modern and postmodern Japanese literature. Every essay is a sound piece of scholarly work, and none of the analyses rely on theory unfamiliar to a college graduate.
Because these essays are so general and yet so rigorous in their approach, I would like to recommend the collection to general readers, as well as specialists, who have cultivated an interest in a particular writer. You won't be disappointed by what you find. The short introductory essay is also a wonderful introduction to the state of Japanese literature at the turn on the 21st century.
Here is a list of the writers treated by the essays, as well as the authors of the essays themselves. An astute observer (such as myself, haha) will notice that many of the essayists are their subjects' primary translators, a fact which attests to their close relationship with the authors and their works.
1. Ōe Kenzaburō (Susan Napier)
2. Endō Shūsaku (Van C. Gessel)
3. Hayashi Kyōko (Davinder L. Bhowmick)
4. Ohba Minako (Adrienne Hurley)
5. Takahashi Takako (Mark Williams)
6. Nakagami Kenji (Eve Zimmerman)
7. Kurahashi Yumiko (Atsuko Sakaki)
8. Murakami Haruki (Jay Rubin)
9. Murakami Ryū (Stephen Synder)
10. Shimada Masahiko (Philip Gabriel)
11. Kanai Mieko (Sharalyn Orbaugh)
12. Yoshimoto Banana (Ann Sheif)
The Diving Pool
The Diving Pool
Title: The Diving Pool
Japanese Title: ダイヴィング・プール
Author: Yoko Ogawa (小川洋子; Ogawa Yōko)
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Publication Year: 2008 (America); 1991 (Japan)
Pages: 176
This is the first collection of Ogawa's fiction to be translated into English, and veteran translator Stephen Snyder (Murakami Ryū's Coin Locker Babies, Kirino Natsuo's Out) does Ogawa's sparse and poetic style justice with his smooth and intelligent translation. This volume includes three short stories: "The Diving Pool," "Pregnancy Diary," and "Dormitory." Although each of these stories is firmly grounded in reality, I don't think it would be too far-fetched to call them ghost stories. These eerie stories, although aesthetically beautiful and highly reminiscent of their setting in modern, urban Japan, derive their main appeal from an insightful portrayal of the small cruelties that people inflict on each other. The fact that all of Ogawa's characters are eminently sympathetic, combined with the lovely details of their daily lives, gives the subtle yet bizarre twist at the end of each story all the more impact.
I really cannot recommend this book enough, not just to people interested in Japanese literature, but to anyone who loves to read. It gives me great pleasure to start off this blog with this wonderful book!


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The "Mona Lisa" has been to the moon and back -- or at least a digital image of her.
The famous face was used in an experiment and carried in a laser beam to a man-made satellite orbiting the moon, NASA said Thursday.
The successful transmission is a significant achievement -- which Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci would have surely appreciated -- because it marks "the first time anyone has achieved one-way laser communication at planetary distances," said principal investigator David Smith of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
By using lasers, NASA is now on the verge of revolutionizing and speeding up delivery of data now dispatched from outer space and all around the solar system, the agency said.
Laser technology is used in CDs that have made albums obsolete, and now it holds the promise of bringing live, high-definition video feeds from far reaches of the solar system, including Jupiter, NASA said.
"In the near future, this type of simple laser communication might serve as a backup for the radio communication that satellites use," Smith said in a statement. "In the more distant future, it may allow communication at higher data rates than present radio links can provide."
The enigmatic "Mona Lisa" countenance was digitized and traveled via laser almost 240,000 miles from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Satellites beyond Earth use radio waves for tracking and communication, but the moon satellite is the only one to rely on lasers for tracking, NASA said.
NASA found a way to use that laser to deliver the "Mona Lisa"image to the satellite, which in turn confirmed its receipt by sending the image back to Earth using traditional radio telemetry.
The image transmission wasn't perfect and suffered defects because the Earth's atmosphere caused errors, even when the sky was clear, NASA said.


Quantum ESPRESSO (pw) & phono3py calculation
Quantum espresso package itself has a set of the force constants calculation environment based on DFPT. But the document here explains how to calculate phonon-phonon interaction and related properties using phono3py, i.e., using the finite displacement and supercell approach.
An example for QE (pw) is found in the example-phono3py/Si-QE directory.
To invoke the QE (pw) interface, --qe option has to be always specified:
% phono3py --qe [options] [arguments]
When the file name of the unit cell is different from the default one (see Default unit cell file name), -c option is used to specify the file name. QE (pw) unit cell file parser used in phono3py is the same as that in phonopy. It can read only limited number of keywords that are shown in the phonopy web site (_URL_
 1. Create supercells with displacements
 % phono3py --qe -d --dim="2 2 2" -c Si.in
 In this example, probably 111 different supercells with displacements are created. Supercell files (supercell-xxx.in) are created but they contain only the crystal structures. Calculation setting has to be added before running the calculation.
 2. Run QE (pw) for supercell force calculations
 Let's assume that the calculations have been made in disp-xxx directories with the file names of Si-supercell.in. Then after finishing those calculations, Si-supercell.out may be created in each directory.
 3. Collect forces
 FORCES_FC3 is obtained with --cf3 options collecting the forces on atoms in QE (pw) calculation results:
 % phono3py --qe --cf3 disp-00001/Si-supercell.out disp-00002/Si-supercell.out...
 or in recent bash or zsh:
 % phono3py --qe --cf3 disp-{00001..00111}/Si-supercell.out
 disp_fc3.yaml is used to create FORCES_FC3, therefore it must exist in current directory.
 1. Calculate 3rd and 2nd order force constants
 fc3.hdf5 and fc2.hdf5 files are created by:
 % phono3py --qe --dim="2 2 2" -c Si.in --sym-fc
 2. Calculate lattice thermal conductivity, e.g., by:
 % phono3py --qe --dim="2 2 2" -c Si.in --pa="0 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 0" \
 --mesh="11 11 11" --fc3 --fc2 --br


Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Text
You can move text from one place to another by using the "Copy That," "Cut That," and "Paste That" commands.
To copy, cut, or paste text:
 1. Select the text you want to copy or cut.
 2. Say "Copy That" or "Cut That."
 3. Move the insertion point to where you want to paste the text.
 4. Say "Paste That."


Set block, you will receive a compiler error. If you wanted to create a read-only property in Visual Basic 6.0, you did not create the Property Let procedure, but no error was generated if you left it off. You just were unable to set the property at run time.
Try It Out
In the project you have created, you have one class and one form. You will now write code in the form that creates a new Line object, places a line of text into the Line property of your object, and then places the length of the line into the Text property of the txtLength text box on your form.
 1. In the Solution Explorer window, double-click the frmLineTest form to bring up the form in design mode.
 2. Double-click the Display Length button. Visual Basic.NET creates a btnDisplay_Click event procedure for you in the code behind this form. All you need to do is fill in the lines of code shown below, in the body of the procedure.
 Private Sub btnDisplay_Click( _
 ByVal sender As Object, _
 ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnDisplay.Click
 Dim oLine As Line
 oLine = New Line()
 oLine.Line = txtLine.Text
 txtLength.Text = oLine.Length.ToString()
 End Sub
Within this event procedure, you create a variable named oLine by using the Dim statement. This variable is defined as a reference to a Line class. You actually create the new object reference by using the New keyword, as shown in the next line after the Dim statement. The New keyword must be followed by the name of the class you wish to instantiate. Another difference between Visual Basic.NET and Visual Basic 6.0 is that you no longer use the Set keyword when creating a new object.
In Visual Basic.NET, you are allowed to combine these two lines into one, as shown in the code below.
Dim oLine As Line = New Line()
Dim oLine as New Line()
Visual Basic.NET (and all.NET languages) allow you to declare and initialize any variable on the same line. In Visual Basic 6.0, you were unable to do this, as the Dim statement was not an executable line of code. In Visual Basic.NET, Dim is an executable line of code so this syntax is perfectly legal.
Now let's examine the next two lines of this event procedure:
oLine.Line = txtLine.Text
txtLength.Text = CStr(oLine.Length)
The first line sets the Line property in your object to be equal to the value contained in the Text property of the txtLine text box on the form. This passes the data in the Text property to the Value variable in the Set…End Set block in the Line object.
Now you are ready to report back the length of the string contained in the txtLine text box. Remember, you set the value of this text box equal to the string "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." This is the value that is contained in the mstrLine variable within your object. You can invoke the Length property on your Line object and it will return the length of this particular string. Because the Length property is an Integer value, you need to convert that value to a string before you can place it into the Text property of the txtLength text box. You accomplish this by applying the ToString method to the Length property.
Create a Write-Only Property
A write-only property is one that defines a Set…End Set block and no Get…End Get block. You are allowed to place data into this property only at run time, but are unable to retrieve data from this property.
If you wanted to extend this Line class to be able to read the line of text in from a file on disk, you might pass the file name to this class. You could accomplish this by using a write-only property. Here is an example of what a write-only property might look like.
WriteOnly Property FileName() As String
 Set(ByVal Value As String)
 mstrFileName = Value
 End Set
End Property
This syntax is again different from Visual Basic 6.0 in that you use the WriteOnly keyword as a prefix to the Property statement. Visual Studio.NET creates the Set…End Set block for you automatically. If you try to add a Get…End Get block, the compiler will give you an error.
Create a Method
A method in a class can be a procedure that performs some sort of operation on the data within the class. Or a method could be a function that performs some operation on the data, and returns that data back from the class. To be able to call a method from an instance of this class, the method must be declared Public. If a method is declared Private, only other methods within the class can call that method. Creating a method in Visual Basic.NET is exactly the same as in Visual Basic 6.0.
Let's create a method in the Line class that breaks up the line of text passed into the class into each separate word. This method is a function that returns the first word contained in the line of text you pass in. If you used the string that was given to you when creating the form, the line of text will be "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." In this case, the first word returned will be "The."
 1. Open the Line.vb class in design mode.
 2. Just below your Property statements, create the following method:
 Public Function GetWord() As String
 Dim astrWords() As String
 astrWords = Split(mstrLine, " ")
 Return astrWords(0)
 End Function
The GetWord method converts the string to an array of individual words using the Split function. The Split function has been around since Visual Basic 6.0 and is passed a string and a delimiter to find. Split starts with the first character in the string and continues moving through the string until it finds the delimiter. Once found, it takes all of the string up to that point and creates a new array element. It then continues processing the string in this manner until the complete string has been put into array elements.
After converting the string to an array, you may return any word in the sentence you pass into the Line class. This example only returns the first word by accessing the first element of the array. In Visual Basic.NET, all arrays are zero-based just like the default in Visual Basic 6.0. The difference here is that you cannot make anything other than a zero-based array in Visual Basic.NET and you could in Visual Basic 6.0.
Note Another way you could have written the code to separate the words in the mstrLine variable into an array is to use the Split method on the String object as shown below.
astrWords = mstrLine.Split(" ".ToCharArray())
Try It Out
Follow the steps below to try out this new GetWord method you just wrote.
 1. Open the frmLineTest form in design mode.
 2. Double-click the Get Word button. This will open the code window with the btnGetWord_Click event procedure created for you.
 3. Add the following code to this event procedure, as shown in the example below.
 Private Sub btnGetWord_Click(ByVal sender As Object,_
 ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
 Dim oLine As New Line()
 oLine.Line = txtLine.Text
 txtWord.Text = oLine.GetWord()
 End Sub
This event procedure first creates a new instance of the Line class into the object variable oLine. You next set the Line property on the line class by getting the value from the Text property of the txtLine text box. Finally, you call your new GetWord method and it returns a string value. This value is assigned into the Text property of the txtWord text box you created on the frmLineTest form earlier in this paper.
Passing Data to a Constructor
In Visual Basic 6.0, you were unable to pass data when you created a new instance of a class. This meant you had to create the object, remember to call an initialization method, and pass data to that method. If you forgot to initialize the object, your object failed. Although you might remember to call this initialization method, if other programmers used your class, they may not know to call it.
This problem has been solved in Visual Basic.NET as the constructor method can now be passed data. The constructor method is called New in Visual Basic.NET. By default, Visual Basic.NET creates this New method for you without you having to do anything. You won't see this code within your code module, but it is there implicitly. If you wish to pass some data to this New method, you need to explicitly create it.
You can place the New constructor anywhere within your class, but you might want to choose a standard location, such as always near the top of your class definition. In this next exercise, you create a New constructor that accepts a String value. By doing this, you will be able to declare, initialize an object variable, and set the data for the Line object, all in one step.
 1. Open the Line.vb class in your project.
 2. Add the Sub New, as shown below, to your Line class:
 Public Class Line
 Private mstrLine As String
 Public Sub New(ByVal Value As String)
 mstrLine = Value
 End Sub
The New constructor is a procedure that you write to accept one or more parameters. In the code you just wrote, you created a parameter called Value. You then took the value and assigned it to the private


Interesting Kazan Facts You Should Know
Millenium Bridge Kazan
Millenium Bridge Kazan |
Photo of Zita Whalley
8 October 2019
Kazan is drenched with culture and centuries-old history. As the heartland of the ancient Republic of Tatarstan and one of Russia's most modern cities, this dynamic, bustling hub is a convergence of the different eras that have shaped it throughout time. Immerse yourself in this fascinating city with these interesting facts about Kazan.
Kazan is older than Moscow
In fact, Kazan is not only one of the oldest cities in Russia, but in Eastern Europe as well. It's about 150 years older than Moscow. Officially founded in 1005, and became part of the largest Mongol-Tatar empire in the world, the Golden Horde, in the 13th century. Ivan the Terrible captured the city and brought it into the Russian Empire's reign in the 16th century.
Kazan is the third city of Russia, after Moscow and St Petersburg
As the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan is the cultural centre of the ancient Tatar people and was once nicknamed the 'Athens of the Volga'. Its cultural status has persisted in modern times too, as it is home to over 30 universities and over 40 museums and galleries. As a university town that is filled with young people, Kazan has a great nightlife too with lots of late night bars, clubs and pubs to choose from.
Kazan is a vibrant city | © zizimao/Pixabay
Most Kazan residents speak both Russian and Tatar
Actually, all of Tatarstan is bilingual. The two official languages of the republic are Tatar and Russian, and both have equal status. As a result, both Tatar and Russian can be seen around town. The Tatar language was originally based on the Arabic script, until the early 20th century when it swapped over to a Latin-based alphabet. During the Soviet Union, Stalin forced Tatar to adopt Cyrillic and in 1991, Tatarstan won the right to revert back to using a Latin alphabet.
Kazan is home to one of the largest mosques in Europe
Construction of the Qolşärif Mosque began in the 16th century and, at the time, was famed for being the largest mosque in Europe. However, in 1552 Ivan the Terrible stormed the city and destroyed Qolşärif, and it wasn't until 1996 that restoration began to take place. Finished in 2005, visitors can now see the mosque in its full splendour.
Kul Sharif Mosque, Kazan | © Madrugada Verde/Shutterstock | © Madrugada Verde / Shutterstock
Kazan's metro system has only 10 stops
The underground train system is comprised of only one line which runs through 10 stops. Riding the line from one end to the other will take approximately 15 minutes, making it one of the shortest metros in the world. Kazan's metro system was constructed in 2005, and announcements are made in Tatar, Russian and English. In line with Moscow's metro, the interior design of the stations are hugely impressive.
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Kazan's Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage site
As the only remaining Tatar fortress intact in Russia, the majestic white walls of Kazan's Kremlin are UNESCO World-Heritage listed. With parts of the structure dating back to the 10th century, the Kremlin is a rare, not-to-be-missed sight in the city.
Kazan Kremlin is the oldest intact Tatar fortress | © Bor1 go / wikimedia
Europe's longest river runs through the city
At 3,700 km (2,300 mi), the Volga is Europe's longest river. It starts in the Valday Hills in northwestern Russia, and eventually ends in the Caspian Sea. Kazan is set on the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, which makes for a pretty spectacular view from certain parts of town. Inside the Kremlin, among some of the city's most important sights, there is a lookout point where sightseers can take in the Volga's natural beauty.
Kazan sits on the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers | © Denis Larkin / Shutterstock | © Denis Larkin / Shutterstock
Tatarstan's national dessert is Chak-Chak
Kazan is a melting pot of cultures, and is the place to try Tatar cuisine. But if you had to try just one thing while in Kazan, it had better be the most iconic dessert in Tatarstan, chak-chak. It is a honey-smothered, fried-bread treat, often wheeled out at celebrations and weddings. For the city's millennium celebration in 2015, 20 people set out to make the biggest chak-chak on record, weighing 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).
Chak chak is made of fried flatbread drenched in honey | ©Andrey Starostin/Shutterstock
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text:
In Chapter 10 of Animal Farm, what changes have the years brought to the farm?
1 Answer | Add Yours
I think that one of the most profound changes that the years have brought to the farm is the consolidation of Napoleon's power. If one recalls the first chapter and the commandments laid down by Old Major in terms of animals being distinctive from humans, the years have shown a complete abdication of these ideals. Napoleon has become the unquestioned force of power and the source of authority on the farm. The pups that he took to rear for his own have become his own secret police, shown to be cruelly and brutally destructive in chapter 7. Napoleon's brokered deals with the humans from other farms as well as his eating dinner alone and representing the origin of all control and authority have created a situation where no other animal can pose a successful alternative to his power nor can remember any other power other than Napoleon. History has been rewritten to an extent and the present and future continue to be written so that Napoleon represents power in the most dominant of forms. The fact that the animals peering from the outside cannot see any difference between the animals and the humans indicates this.
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text:
On shell and off shell
In quantum field theory, virtual particles are termed off shell (mass-shell in this case) because they don't satisfy the Einstein energy-momentum relationship; real exchange particles do satisfy this relation and are termed on shell (mass-shell). In classical mechanics for instance, in the action formulation, extremal solutions to the variational principle are on shell and the Euler–Lagrange equations give the on shell equations. Noether's theorem is also another on shell theorem.
which gives the energy E in terms of the momentum and the rest mass m of a particle in classical special relativity. The equation for the mass shell is also often written in terms of the four-momentum; in Einstein notation with metric signature (+,–,–,–) and units where the speed of light c = 1, as. In the literature, one may also encounter if the metric signature used is (–,+,+,+).
Virtual particles corresponding to internal propagators in a Feynman diagram are in general allowed to be off shell, but the amplitude for the process will diminish depending on how far off shell they are. This is because the -dependence of the propagator is determined by the four-momenta of the incoming and outgoing particles. The propagator typically has singularities on the mass shell.
When speaking of the propagator, negative values for E that satisfy the equation are thought of as being on shell, though the classical theory does not allow negative values for the energy of a particle. This is because the propagator incorporates into one expression the cases in which the particle carries energy in one direction, and in which its antiparticle carries energy in the other direction; negative and positive on-shell E then simply represent opposing flows of positive energy.
The Euler-Lagrange equation for this action can be found by varying the field and its derivative and setting the variation to zero, and is:
Now, consider an infinitesimal spacetime translation. The Lagrangian density is a scalar, and so will transform as. By Taylor-expanding the Lagrangian density, we can find another equivalent expression for :
Substituting for and noting that (since the variations are independent at each point in spacetime):
But the fields themselves are scalars, so they transform exactly like :
Since this has to hold for independent translations, we may "divide" by and write:
This is an example of equation that holds off shell, since it is true for any fields configuration regardless of whether it respects the equations of motion (in this case, the Euler-Lagrage equation given above). However, we can derive an on shell equation by simply substituting the Euler-Lagrange equation:
We can write this as:
And if we define the quantity in brackets as, we have:


text:
Hair Loss in Ferrets
Treatment is dependent on the underlying cause of the hair loss. For example, tumors are excised in the case of cancer, and adrenal glands are surgically removed in the case of adrenal disease. Parasites, on the other hand, are removed using creams or other topical agents. Consult your veterinarian for the best course of treatment in your ferret's case.
Living and Management
Bring the ferret to the veterinarian for regular follow-up appointments so that they may monitor the animal's condition and the progress of the treatment.
As there are numerous causes for alopecia, no specific prevention method can be recommended. However, a healthy lifestyle, well-balanced diet with sufficient protein, and general cleanliness of the ferret's habitat may be helpful in avoiding needless hair loss.
The term for a type of medication that impacts immunity, metabolism, sexual characteristics, and other such elements of a living thing
Any type of arachnid excluding ticks
A condition in which growth and development are not up to normal standards
A condition of the blood in which normal red blood cell counts or hemoglobin are lacking.
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Fungal Infection (Dermatophytosis) of the...
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A rod of total mass $M$ and length $x$ has its tip attached to a string of negligible mass, so it spins in a circular motion horizontally free from friction with constant tangential velocity.
I have observed that the tension in the string can found via the integral
$$\text{tension}=(V_{\text{tangent}})^2 \int_0^x\mathrm dm/\text{length}$$
where $\mathrm dm$ is a small element of mass located along the rod.
However, suppose the rod is still attached to the string in a similar manner and instead I am only given its total mass $M$ and the location of its center of mass; how would I find the tension of the string in this scenario given that the rod is not attached at the point of its center of mass?
Your equation is wrong because $V_{tangent}$ varies along the rod. It should be inside the integral.
Finding the tension in the string by the 2nd method is much more sensible. All you need to do is apply the usual formula for centripetal force : $T=Mv^2/R$ where $R$ is the radius of the circle traced out by the CM of the rod.
 - $\begingroup$ For the second scenario i said we know the center of mass on the rod, but the rod is attached to the string NOT on the point of its center of mass, but yeah I now realize Vtangent varies $\endgroup$ – Prandals Jan 23 '17 at 20:12
 - $\begingroup$ Yes. $R$ is the distance from the CM of the rod to the centre of the circle. If the rod is uniform and the length of string is $L$ then $R=L+\frac12x$. $\endgroup$ – sammy gerbil Jan 23 '17 at 20:15
 - $\begingroup$ What if it wasnt uniform? Would knowing the center of mass be useless? $\endgroup$ – Prandals Jan 23 '17 at 20:24
 - 1
 $\begingroup$ $T=Mv^2/R$ applies even if the rod is not uniform. Knowing that the rod is uniform helps in locating the CM. If the rod is not uniform but you are told (or can otherwise calculate) the position of the CM relative to the end of the rod, you can still use the same formula.... The integral method and the CM method will give you the same answer for $T$. $\endgroup$ – sammy gerbil Jan 23 '17 at 20:28
 - $\begingroup$ Remember that V(r) in this case is proportional to r, since it is rotating as a solid. So that means that V^2(r)/r is also proportional to r. With that in mind you should fairly easily be able to show the indicated result with regard to the COM. $\endgroup$ – user93146 Jun 21 '18 at 15:28
Your Answer


text:
Previous Bayesian phylogeographic studies of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) explored the origin and spread of the epidemic from China into Russia, indicating that HPAIV circulated in Russia prior to its detection there in 2005. In this study, we extend this research to explore the evolution and spread of HPAIV within Europe during the 2005–2010 epidemic, using all available sequences of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene regions that were collected in Europe and Russia during the outbreak. We use discrete-trait phylodynamic models within a Bayesian statistical framework to explore the evolution of HPAIV. Our results indicate that the genetic diversity and effective population size of HPAIV peaked between mid-2005 and early 2006, followed by drastic decline in 2007, which coincides with the end of the epidemic in Europe. Our results also suggest that domestic birds were the most likely source of the spread of the virus from Russia into Europe. Additionally, estimates of viral dispersal routes indicate that Russia, Romania, and Germany were key epicenters of these outbreaks. Our study quantifies the dynamics of a major European HPAIV pandemic and substantiates the ability of phylodynamic models to improve molecular surveillance of novel AIVs.
Bibliographical notePublisher Copyright:
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Bayesian inference
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza
- Phylodynamic models


text:
The four seasons in the Japanese countryside, "SATOYAMA"
|"Satoyama" is a traditional form of agricultural
environment. "Sato" consists of "Mura" (village) and
"Nora" (paddy field). "Yama" means mountain. |
Traditional rural communities and their surroundings ("Satoyama") are sustainable natural environments, which have maintained a degree of complexity and diversity otherwise not seen nowadays. However, with rural depopulation and modern agricultural development, these environments have changed substantially.
Since the landscape in Satoyama is diversified with hills, woods, ponds, marshes, and brooks, etc., various kinds of life inhabit there. By the good combination of water and woods, nature in Satoyama is just like a patchwork; in other words, that is many lives' dwelling.
In Satoyama people and nature coexist side by side in harmony.
Here's some photos of the four seasons in the Satoyama in and around
Mt.Shigi-san, in western Nara Prefecture.
| SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN | WINTER |


text:
noun, plural: polar cells
In animals and humans, polar bodies are produced every after meiotic division. They are relatively smaller in size due to less cytoplasm compared to the gametocyte that will become the ovum. This is essential so that much of the cytoplasm is available and the chromosomal content is halved at the time of fertilization. The polar bodies will eventually degenerate.
Also called: polar body


text:
The following actions were taken during the Harrisburg School District meeting on Tuesday:
- The following were approved as instructors: Emily Ambrosius, seventhand eighth-grade science at Marshall; Samantha Hinchey, life skills at Camp Curtain; Jamie Spencer, fourth-grade learning support; and Larissa Tenley, third-grade long-term substitute at Marshall.
- The following personnel were transferred: Eileen Rausch, from Title 1 Math teacher at Foose to third-grade teacher at Foose; Rachel Shepler, from gifted long-term substitute at Ben Franklin, Downey and Scott to gifted long-term substitute at Camp Curtain, Foose, John Harris, Marshall, Melrose and Rowland; Armeka Eichelberger, from activity leader to teacher at Ben Franklin; Jennifer Rauscher, from lead teacher at Downey to teacher at Melrose; Treena Watson, teacher, from Camp Curtain to Ben Franklin; and Megan Ritter, from Rowland as the reading intervention specialist to Title 1 Math teacher at Roose.
- The following personnel retired: Susan Nock, principal at Melrose, effective Dec. 13; Lena V. Lewars, gifted/special education teacher at Sci-Tech, effective Jan. 30; and Jennifer Vogelsong, Spanish teacher at John Harris, effective Jan. 14.
- The following appointments were made: Valerie Gates, senior high class advisor; Cynthia Miller, senior high class assistant advisor; Nicolette Snell, counselor department representative; Craig Peters, assistant boys' basketball coach; Mackara Hem and Amber West, GEAR-UP Math tutors.
- Darrin Dietrich and Denise Sieke were awarded tenure.


X-Ray image restoration in the wavelet domain
Type : Article de conférence
Auteur(s) : Yazid LAIB DIT LEKSIR, Hocine BENDJAMA, Aicha ALLAG
Année : 2006
Domaine : Electronique
Conférence: 9th European Conference on Non Destructive Testing
Résumé en PDF : (résumé en pdf)
Fulltext en PDF : (.pdf)
Mots clés : wavelet, X-ray, discrete wavelet transform DWT, image denoising
Résumé :
Wavelet expansions and wavelet transforms have proven to be very efficient and effective in analyzing a very wide class of signals and phenomena. Wavelet expansion allows a more accurate local description and separation of signal characteristics. While Fourier coefficient represents a component that lasts for all time, a wavelet expansion coefficient represents a component that is itself local and is easier to interpret. In this work, we have used images obtained by the microfocus radioscopy system for the quality control of the metallization step of silicon solar cells. In many systems, the observed image can result from the convolution of the true image and the point spread function (PSF) contaminated by noise from various sources. The goal of this paper is to investigate the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and its application to X-Ray image denoising. +EYWORDS Wavelet, discrete wavelet transform (DWT), X-ray, image denoising.


text:
There is considerable interest in alternative/adjuvant approaches for the eradication of infections using biologically active compounds, especially antioxidants from plants. Phenolic compounds in grape products play important roles for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Grapes are rich sources of potentially bioactive polyphenols. This study was conducted to measure the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of total grape (Vitis vinifera L., Vitaceae) against several pathogenic bacteria.Grape was extracted by percolation method. Aliquots of the extracts at variableconcentrations were then incubated with different bacterial strains, and the antimicrobialactivities of the ethanolic extracts from total grapes were determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Total grapes extract inhibited significantly, the growth of the tested bacterial strains. Among the bacterial strains tested, Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptibleility. Results from these findings suggest that total grapes extract may be used as natural antibacterial for treatment of some diseases, especially local skin diseases.
Key words: Antimicrobial activity, grape, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC).
Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0


text:
A Research Paper By Beth Ostrander, Life Coach, CANADA
Does Practitioners Specialization Have a Blind Spot Supporting Clients on Pleasure-Related Topics?
Within Positive Psychology, pleasure is listed as one of the controllable factors that increase happiness.1A2016 study aimed to replicate findings of 2011 study by Giannopoulos and Vella-Brodrick
Confirmed that interventions based on pleasure, engagement, and meaning are effective in increasing well-being and ameliorating depressive symptoms across different cultural settings and for longer periods than expected2
I have witnessed the positive impact of this with clients in my blended coaching practice as a Life Pleasure Coach. Unfortunately, I have heard from several clients that they could not speak about pleasure with other their previous Practitioners (e.g., coaches, counselors, therapists). As I noticed this coming up, I began to think perhaps some Practitioners were missing out on a powerful tool. In some cases, the clients did not feel safe bringing up the topic. In other cases, the clients were directed to take the issue elsewhere, sometimes without being provided with referrals. I wondered if Practitioners were expressing healthy professional boundaries or if there was more at play.
Over time, I chatted casually with many colleagues and have heard a common theme of concern about a client raising Pleasure-Related Topics. Since pleasure is taboo, it is no wonder that Practitioners experience some anxiety when Pleasure-Related Topics arise.
This has led me to explore with more intentionality the comfort level Practitioners have around Pleasure-Related Topics.
It is important to make two notes here:
Note #1: This research is not designed to confirm a Practitioners specialization. It is to explore a Practitioner's comfort level supporting their client with Pleasure-Related Topics. Not every Practitioner is going to specialize in Pleasure-Related Topics. However, Practitioners require a certain level of comfort providing general support for any topic a client raises. For example, if a client brings money up in the session, a Practitioner who isn't a money coach or a financial advisor would have a level of ease providing support on the topic. They would also be comfortable providing referrals if their client wanted to explore the topic more deeply.
Note #2: This research paper is not solely about sensual pleasure. The word "pleasure" is often translated to mean sensuality or sex only. In this research Pleasure-Related Topics include:
- Pleasure in General: for example, a client struggling to make time for self-care or making time to enjoy a date night when life is hectic.
- Body-Related Issues: for example, a client working through body image issues that are affecting their ability to select clothing for a work event or a first date.
- Intimacy: for example, a client grappling with the degree of vulnerability they want to show when sharing life details with a co-worker or with a loved one.
- Sex & Sexuality: for example, a client is concerned about telling friends and family members that they are questioning the state of their marriage or exploring their sexual orientation.
- Pleasure-Related Shame: for example, a client feeling guilty and shameful for having an abundance of things while others in the world go hungry or for desiring something that conflicts with their religious beliefs.
To explore this topic deeper, I conducted a 3-hour workshop for Practitioners called "Practitioners Workshop: Introduction to Authentic Pleasure". Twelve (12) Practitioners participated and received a pre-workshop questionnaire and a post-workshop feedback form. Some Practitioners also participated in a conversation before/after the workshop. The following demographics were represented ("Unconfirmed" = not disclosed or not asked):
- Practitioner Types: Social workers, Therapists, Coaches (ICA & other), Reiki
- Religions: Catholic; Jewish; Evangelical Christian; None; Unconfirmed
- Heritage/Cultures: Latin American, Filipino, British; Lebanese; Danish; German; Italian; New Zealander; Unconfirmed
- Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual; Pan-sexual; Unconfirmed
- Genders: CIS gender men; CIS gender women; Unconfirmed
Three main themes arose while exploring the Practitioners comfort level with Pleasure-Related Topics during client sessions.
- Raising the Topic
- Key Areas of Concern
- The blind spot around Pleasure-Related Topics.
Finding #1: Raising the Topic
Two of the indicators used to explore the Practitioners' level of comfort with Pleasure-Related Topics were related to how often the topic was raised with clients. First, the Practitioners were asked how often they raised Pleasure-Related Topics. Secondly, they were asked how often their client raised the topic. It was noticeable that 0% of the Practitioners "always" introduced Pleasure-Related Topics and 20% of Practitioners "never" introduced the topic. When it came to asking about the frequency that their clients raised the topic, the practitioners said that10% of their clients "never" introduced Pleasure-Related Topics. Overall, clients raise Pleasure-Related Topics slightly more often than practitioners.
The idea of "code words" for taboo subjects was introduced. When asked to consider what common "code words" their clients use in place of saying "pleasure", the Practitioners listed: Joy, Enjoyment, Desire, Happiness, Peace, Love, and Intimacy. When asked to consider what common "code words" their clients use in place of saying "pleasure-related shame", the Practitioners listed: Indulgent, Dangerous, Risky, Selfish, Destructive, Guilty, Sinful, Wrong.
After the Practitioners spent 3-hours in the workshop learning about and discussing Pleasure-Related Topics with their colleagues, they registered that their clients were bringing up Pleasure-Related Topics more than they had realized. Several Practitioners expressed that they likely have missed opportunities to support their client's self-awareness.
Pleasure wasn't even on my radar at all – professionally or even personally – and now I'm being more conscious. Pleasure is important to me, but it's never talked about. Therapist
Most Practitioners agreed they would now be more alert for "code words" and some Practitioners decided to include Pleasure-Related Topics in their client intake process.
Finding #2: Key Areas of Concerns
Three Key Areas of Concern showed up from this research:
- Information & Skill Gap
- Lacking Recognition of Pleasure-Related Issues
- Managing Personal Reactions.
Within each area, the Practitioners expressed the following specific concerns:
Key Area: Information & Skill Gap
- "Competency in addressing these topics"
- "An academic understanding of these terms/topics/areas"
- "Information about what pleasure is, what blocks pleasure, pleasure limits"
- "New approaches"
Near the end of the workshop, a coach put her pen down and asked to share. She had begun the workshop intending to gain information to support her clients more effectively. She shared that she now understood it was just as important to examine her awareness around Pleasure-Related Topics.
Key Area: Lacking Recognition of Pleasure-Related Issues
- "How to recognize when a client is experiencing pleasure-related shame."
- "Identifying and speaking about unidentified shame (they don't resonate with the word shame because its unconscious or they're too ashamed to admit being ashamed)"
- "Information about what pleasure is, what blocks pleasure, permission to feel pleasure"
- "How to speak with others to encourage them to explore and discover their pleasure."
- "A better understanding of pleasure, intimacy, and body-relatedness and how to recognize when a client needs help in one of these areas."
- "Bridging language for people who may be uncomfortable talking about sex and shame."
- "It has not come up so far with clients"
- "Most of my clients are business clients, we don't speak about these things and I know that they impact all areas of our lives."
Before the workshop, a therapist shared with me over the phone that she was nervous to bring up the topic with her all-female clients. She didn't think she had achieved enough success around pleasure in her own life. She shared her struggles taking time for herself as a solopreneur, her challenges with body-image issues, and her difficulties communicating with her partner about intimate issues.
Key Area: Managing Personal Reactions
- "Having an open mindset for the topic"
- "How to address my triggers when they arise in session."
- "Learning something that might relate to me personally in terms of intimacy in my partnership as well as how this topic can be useful in my coaching practice."
- "Feeling more comfortable and open when it comes to talking about Pleasure Related Topics with my clients."
- "Have a more positive attitude towards pleasure. Be better accepting of pleasure and drop the judgment."
- "More confidence."
During the case study debrief, a therapist shared that he had experienced a personal reaction when another Practitioner raised a Pleasure-Related Topic that he considered morally questionable. He was shocked by his judgemental reaction since he considered himself to be very open-minded.
Finding #3: Exposed Blind Spot:
The Practitioners all shared that they began the workshop with a "blind-spot" around supporting their clients with Pleasure-Related Topics.
The Practitioners shared the following specific blindspots that came into view for them:
- "Allowing others to truly tap into what are their pleasure, as well as my own."
- "Shame is often not explored in my practice."
- "My struggles with talking about pleasure with my clients."
- "Understanding of what I didn


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We are happy to announce that our colleague Mr. Nikolaj Troels Graf von Malotky successfully defended his PhD thesis with the topic "Generische ITS-Softwarearchitektur und ITS-Prozess " (software architecture, software framework, prototype and process of an AI powered teaching software, a full specification of an intelligent tutoring system). Congratulations!
After successfully defending her master thesis entitled "Comparative study of the performance of various optimizers for Named Entity Recognition system" Sumaiya joined our group as a scientific researcher. She is working in the project eDEM-Connect where she investigates automated methods for knowledge extraction and learning of semantic structures from texts.
After successfully defending his master thesis entitled "A pipeline for named entity extraction from scarcely annotated and noisy text documents", Teodor Stoev has joined the CoMSA²t team. He works in the project BehavE where he deals with behaviour analysis from heterogeneous data sources, data fusion, and automatic generation of situation […]
We are happy to announce that Yi-Jie Lin successfully defended his master thesis entitled "Identification of Different Persons by Applying Machine Learning Methods on Odor Patterns". The thesis investigates methods for detecting the identity of a person based on their smell measured with odor sensors.


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The term liuli entered the Chinese arts and crafts taxonomy after contacts with the Western Regions in Chinese Central Asia during the Han dynasty.
Written in various homophonic characters, liuli is most frequently encountered in Chinese texts as referring to opaque glass or gemstones, but it can mean 'glaze' or anything with a glass-like surface.
According to historians of Chinese glass technology, liuli in pre-Tang (618–907) texts denoted all sorts of artifi cially manufactured objects made from silica-based material.
Many of these were imported from locations in the West, such as Kashmir and ancient Rome.
Due to its early development of glass-blowing technology, the Roman Empire exported many forms of glass to the rest of the world, including Central Asia and China.
Yet extensive archaeological investigation reveals that glass was produced in China as early as the Zhou dynasty (1066 BCE–256 BCE).
Large quanti-ties of opaque glass and eye-beads have been found in Warring States (ca. 770–221 BCE), Qin (221–206 BCE), and Han tombs, which indicate that they 'were comparatively common, made as a cheap imitation of jade for funerary purpose.'
Such a function probably accounts for the fact that the standard written form for both the characters liu and li has a 'jade' (Ch. yu) radical.
Since the material and methods involved in making glass and ceramic coatings (i.e. glazes) are similar, the latter became a common referent of liuli.
Though this fluidity is not uncommon in Chinese etymology, it poses a problem for deciphering the exact meaning of liuli in early texts.
Phrases contain-ing the term liuli may refer to glass objects or coloured stones, rather than glazed ceramics.
While in most pre-Han writings liuli means opaque glass, in later writings it could mean anything from glass vessels, ceramic coatings, coloured stones, brilliant surfaces, or could mean simply 'radiance' or 'shining.'
Perhaps because of this linguistic ambiguity, a new word, boli, appeared in Chinese literature in the Tang dynasty to denote glasswork only. Its coining is thought to be related to the importation of a new type of glass-blown transparent vessel, a novelty in the Tang.
Buddhist literature also contains evidence suggesting that both liuli and boli have Sanskrit origins: liuli is a variant of a number of words tran-scribing the Sanskrit word vaiḍūrya, a gemstone, and boli is a transcription of spātika, meaning crystal or quartz.
Despite this general diff erentiation, the exact referents of liuli are not always clear.
The kinship between glass and glaze is perhaps the main reason that thorough examination and interpretation of the term liuli has been conducted largely by scientists of Chinese glassmaking.
Scholars of early Sino-Western trade and cultural exchanges, such as Xinru Liu (b. 1951), and of the history of Chinese science and technology, such as Joseph Needham (1900–1995), opted to read liuli as 'glass.' Historians of Chinese architecture and ceramic technology, on the other hand, prefer to interpret it as the coating on pottery, that is, 'glaze.'
This technique so rich in history is today promoted by the LIULIGONGFANG studio, founded by Chang Yi and Loretta H. Yang.


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Jump to Main Content
Computational Fluid Dynamics and Additive Manufacturing to Diagnose and Treat Cardiovascular Disease
- Randles, Amanda, Frakes, David H., Leopold, Jane A.
- Trends in biotechnology 2017
- cardiovascular diseases, engineering, fluid mechanics, manufacturing, models, planning
- Noninvasive engineering models are now being used for diagnosing and planning the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Techniques in computational modeling and additive manufacturing have matured concurrently, and results from simulations can inform and enable the design and optimization of therapeutic devices and treatment strategies. The emerging synergy between large-scale simulations and 3D printing is having a two-fold benefit: first, 3D printing can be used to validate the complex simulations, and second, the flow models can be used to improve treatment planning for cardiovascular disease. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent methods and findings for leveraging advances in both additive manufacturing and patient-specific computational modeling, with an emphasis on new directions in these fields and remaining open questions.


Brandon, Ann M.W. Oak Forest High School
Objectives: The student will learn the basics of how to perform and calculate triangulation Materials: 1 small pizza box; 1 soda straw; 1 paper protractor; 1 straight pin, large head; some centimeter tape; some string; a stapler or masking tape; some super glue ("Krazy"); and 1 washer. Strategy: MAKE THE BOX: 1) Put box together as manufacturer intended. 2) Bend top backwards, at top crease. Staple under box, forming open end. 3) Fold side flaps up and staple near back (closed) end. 4) Punch hole in center of back (closed end), near bottom. 5) Glue protractor on inside bottom -- center protractor on eye hole. 6) Tie string to pin and eye hole. Length of string should be longer than half the length of the box. 7) Glue string to pin. 8) Stretch string and pin to sides of box, and mark on each side. | | | | A | | B |\ /| | \ / | | \ / | | \ / | | \ / | | \ / | | \ / | | \ / | | \/ | -------------------- E 9) Place centimeter tape from mark to mark. 10) Cut out side flaps back to centimeter tape, fold the remaining inside flaps around and tuck into back. 11) Measure the perpendicular distance from eye hole to tape and record this on the box. 12) Tape (glue) straw along back edge of box. You need a baseline laid out in meters (or feet, or any unit -- even sidewalk squares). "Permanent" Magic Marker used on the sidewalk will disappear in less than 1 month. Stand at some location on the baseline. (Record this location number.) Hold box level with hole in front of your eye, and edge parallel to baseline. Look toward object and place the pin in your line of sight. (You see pin and object in line with each other.) Record the number (on the cm tape) which is under the string. (Scale number 1.) Move a good distance along the baseline and repeat the sighting. (Location 2, scale 2). Subtract the locations (=D Baseline) and the scales (=D Scale). The distance to the object = D Baseline ------------ X Length to tape D Scale Why does this work? We are making use of two "facts": 1) light goes in straight lines; and 2) similar triangles have proportional dimensions. So: D Scale D Baseline -------- = ------------- Len to tape Distance to object The first triangle (the small one on the box) has a base along the tape (= D Scale) and an altitude (length to tape). The second triangle has a base along the baseline (= D Baseline) and an altitude (= distance to object sighted). NOTE: It is not necessary that these be acute triangles. Obtuse triangles work just as well. You will be finding the distance, D, perpendicular to the baseline. You will need a table of tangents. You may call for such a table or make one for yourself.
Return to Mathematics Index


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Actions in Analysis Services 2005: The URL Action - Page 3
December 11, 2006
Inspect the Operation of the URL Action within the Cube Browser
Once the deployment of the project has been accomplished, we can fully leverage the Browser that the Cube Designer makes available to us. We will do so by taking the following steps:
1. Click the Browser tab to initialize the Browser for the Designer, as depicted in Illustration 5.
2. Once the Browser loads, click the Reconnect button, as shown in Illustration 6.
Lets perform a Browse scenario to ascertain that our URL Action functions as expected. The Analysis Services Browser is an extremely convenient place to accomplish this and other examinations. (More in-depth details about use of the Browser, a formidable tool within itself, are developed within other articles of this series, in sections where the objectives, typically within verification procedures, are to examine or analyze values, and other details, within the cube.)
3. Within the cube tree appearing inside the Metadata pane, expand Measures.
4. Expand the Reseller Sales folder, as depicted in Illustration 7.
5. Drag the Reseller Sales Amount measure, followed by the Reseller Order Quantity measure, to the area of the Browser canvas marked Drop Totals or Detail Fields Here, as shown in Illustration 8.
6. Once again inside the Metadata pane, expand the Product folder.
7. Right-click the Product Categories hierarchy that appears in the expanding tree.
8. Select Add to Row Area from the context menu that appears, as depicted in Illustration 9.
9. Expand the Date folder in the Metadata pane,
10. Expand the Calendar folder that appears.
11. Expand the Date.Calendar hierarchy that appears within the expanded Calendar folder.
12. Right-click the Calendar Quarter level that appears.
13. Select Add to Column Area from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 10.
The available Calendar Quarters appear within the browsers column axis.


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kottke.org posts about pimovie
Pi, God, and apartment supercomputers Jul 18 2005
The New Yorker recently ran a feature on how a couple of mathematicians helped The Met photograph a part of The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries. That same week, they ran from their extensive archives a 1992 profile of the same mathematicians, brothers David and Gregory Chudnovsky. The Chudnovskys were then engaged in calculating as many digits of pi as they could using a homemade supercomputer housed in their Manhattan apartment. There's some speculation that director Darren Aronfsky based his 1998 film, Pi, on the Chudnovskys and after reading the above article, there's little doubt that's exactly what he did:
They wonder whether the digits contain a hidden rule, an as yet unseen architecture, close to the mind of God. A subtle and fantastic order may appear in the digits of pi way out there somewhere; no one knows. No one has ever proved, for example, that pi does not turn into nothing but nines and zeros, spattered to infinity in some peculiar arrangement. If we were to explore the digits of pi far enough, they might resolve into a breathtaking numerical pattern, as knotty as "The Book of Kells," and it might mean something. It might be a small but interesting message from God, hidden in the crypt of the circle, awaiting notice by a mathematician.
The Chudnovsky article also reminds me of Contact by Carl Sagan in which pi is prominently featured as well.
According to Wolfram Research's Mathworld, the current world record for the calculation of digits in pi is 1241100000000 digits, held by Japanese computer scientists Kanada, Ushio and Kuroda. Kanada is named in the article as the Chudnovskys main competitor at the time.
(Oh, and as for patterns hidden in pi, we've already found one. It's called the circle. Just because humans discovered circles first and pi later shouldn't mean that the latter is derived from the former.)


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Preparing for the Sacraments are significant spiritual milestones that students experience alongside their classmates. Parents are included in preparing their children for reception of the Sacraments through adult education evenings.
Sacred Heart School students in 2nd grade prepare for and receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist during the school year.
Students in 7th grade prepare for and receive the Sacrament of Confirmation during the school year.
Practicing Catholic students who have received their First Communion may receive Eucharist during school Masses. Catholics and non-Catholics who are not prepared to receive communion are encouraged to come forward for a blessing.
Opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are offered to students at the beginning of each school year, during Advent, during Lent, and at the end of the school year. All students are encouraged to participate; non-Catholics will receive a blessing.
All students who receive Sacraments must be baptized Catholic and be members of the Catholic faith.


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Our work on the dynamics of heavy impurities interacting with a Fermi gas at zero and finite temperature is now published in the review journal "Reports on Progress in Physics". You find our article here: Rep. Prog. Phys. 81, 024401 (2018)
In this work we study the dynamical response of heavy quantum impurities immersed in a Fermi gas at zero and finite temperature. We review the experimental approaches taken to study and observe the Fermi polaron and highlight their universal connection. By investigating both the frequency and time domain, we identify interaction regimes which are characterized by distinct many-body dynamics. From our theoretical study emerges a picture in which the impurity dynamics is universal on essentially all time scales, and where the short-time few-body response is tied to the long-time dynamics of the Anderson orthogonality catastrophe by Tan relations. We introduce the reader to three complementary theoretical approaches: functional determinants give an exact numerical solution for timeand frequency-resolved responses, bosonization provides accurate analytical expressions at low temperatures, and the theory of Toeplitz determinants allows us to analytically predict response up to high temperatures. Using these three approaches we calculated the thermal decoherence rate of the fermionic system and we prove that the fastest rate of decoherence is universally given by γ = π k T/4 for a large class of models describing Fermi polarons. We show that Feshbach resonances in cold atomic systems give access to new interaction regimes where quantum effects can prevail even in the thermal regime of many-body dynamics. The key signature of this phenomenon is a crossover between different exponential decay rates of the real-time Ramsey signal. Furthermore, we show that the physics of the orthogonality catastrophe can be observed in a power-law dependence of thermal spectral weight on temperature that is reminiscent of the physics of heavy ions in liquid 3He. This feature presents a novel signature tied to the Anderson orthogonality catastrophe that is experimentally observable at temperatures as high as T/TF = 0.2. The presented results are in excellent agreement with recent experiments on LiK mixtures, and we predict several phenomena which can be tested with currently available experimental technology, and we review these findings in the context of past and ongoing research in ultracold atoms and solid state systems.


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This information describes the symptoms of hand-foot syndrome and hand-foot skin reaction and how you can manage them.
Hand-foot syndrome and hand-foot skin reaction are conditions that affect the skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Some chemotherapy medications can cause these conditions.
Medications That Can Cause Reactions
The following medications may cause hand-foot syndrome.
- Capecitabine (Xeloda®)
- Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®)
- Fluorouracil (5-FU®)
- Liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®)
- Cytarabine (Cytosar-U®)
The following medications may cause hand-foot skin reaction:
- Sorafenib (Nexavar®)
- Sunitinib (Sutent®)
- Cabozantinib (Cometriq®)
- Regorafenib (Stivarga®)
- Axitinib (Inlyta®)
- Pazopanib (Votrient®)
- Vandetanib (Caprelsa®)
- Vemurafenib (Zelboraf®)
- Dabrafenib (Tafinlar®)
Symptoms of hand-foot syndrome and hand-foot skin reaction can begin 3 to 6 weeks after starting chemotherapy. Depending on which medication you're taking, you may have any of the following symptoms on your palms and soles:
- Stinging tingling,or pain that feels like burning, especially in your fingertips and toes
- Dry, cracked, scaling, or peeling skin
- Thickened skin, similar to what a callus looks like
- Mild or bright redness
Symptoms of hand-foot skin reaction usually appear on parts of your body that you put a lot of pressure on, such as on toe pads, in between the toes, and the sides of the feet.
The symptoms of hand-foot syndrome and hand-foot skin reaction can range from mild discomfort to a painful sensation that can prevent you from doing your usual activities. It may be hard to pick up small things such as a pen or a fork. You may have trouble buttoning your clothing. Some people have trouble walking.
Symptoms usually go away when the dose of chemotherapy is lowered or treatment is stopped. Your skin will begin to heal after a few weeks.Back to top
Managing Your Symptoms
Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as you begin to have symptoms. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have diabetes, vascular disease, or peripheral neuropathy. These conditions can cause your skin to break down, keep your wounds from healing, and may cause infection.
Follow these tips to help you manage your symptoms.
- Break open any blisters if they develop. Apply a petroleum-based ointment, such as Vaseline®, and cover it with a bandage (Band-Aid®).
- Soak your hands and feet in hot water or in a hot tub.
- Take hot baths.
- Wear socks, pantyhose, or shoes that fit too tightly.
- Do anything that would make you rub your palms or soles, with the except putting on lotion or cream.
- Wear thick, soft cotton socks with all your shoes. Also, add foam-type absorbing soles and shock absorbers to relieve pressure points in your shoes.
- Wear thick cotton gloves when doing activities outside or in the house, such as cleaning the house, gardening, or going food shopping.
- Keep your hands and feet well moisturized. Soak them in cool water for 20 to 30 minutes, pat them dry, and then apply a fragrance-free moisturizer such as Eucerin®. Do this at least once a day.
- Try a fragrance-free lotion or cream that contains petroleum, such as:
- Kerasal® One Step Exfoliating Foot Moisturizer TherapyTM
- Udderly Smooth®
- If you're 18 and over, you can also use the following products. Don't use these if you're under 18.
- Salicylic acid
- CeraVe® SA
- Your doctor may prescribe topical medications to treat the area. Topical medications are medications that are applied to your skin. These medications may include:
- Medications that remove extra skin
- Anti-microbial medications (medications that kill germs)
- Pain medications
- Liquid bandage, such as Dermabond®,to close any open skin on your hands or feet
- If your symptoms become severe, your doctor may prescribe oral (by mouth) medications for pain control or swelling.
Call Your Doctor or Nurse if You Have:
- A temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher
- Symptoms that are not going away or that are getting worse
- Any of the following symptoms on the skin of your palms or soles:
- Skin that is hard, warm, or hot to the touch
- Bright yellow or green drainage
- Foul odor
- Increasing redness or swelling
- Increasing pain or discomfort
- Any questions or unexpected problems


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The Virginia Freedom of Information Act promotes awareness, transparency and openness about public bodies and their activities. While the act was intended to provide greater transparency to the public, it also has an unintended consequence of allowing criminals access to the operations of local governments.
Although local governments face the same fraud tactics as private companies, the options available to local government entities to manage the risk are constrained. Globally, criminals can more easily find who, when, where, what, why and how much on the activities of any local government, creating a target opportunity.
Fraudulent instruction, also known as phishing, scams are sophisticated. Criminals exploit human weaknesses, such as the use of authority, eagerness to please or endearment to perpetrate their scams. These incidents are reported under the crime coverage policy for the loss of money being sent to a fraudulent third party.
Further, traditional cyber liability covers loss of stolen data – not voluntary parting of property. As a result, VML Insurance Programs (VMLIP) added two endorsements on the cyber liability coverage part for the 2018-2019 program year – telecommunications fraud and fraudulent instruction fraud.
To protect your entity's funds:
- Educate and train staff on best practices for online, e-mail, system and payments.
- Establish separation of duties requiring two or more employees to sign off on any payment.
- Validate and document any payment instructions received.
- Look for the red flags:
- Do you recognize the sender and their address?
- With e-mail, watch out for attachments. Only download those from a trusted sender.
- Grammatical errors or awkward writing.
- Verbally verify the request to confirm authenticity from a known number which may be different than one on the form of communication.
- Contact the entity to confirm any requests for payment method changes.
- Review all payments before they are sent and ensure all correspondence is validated and documented in a unified way.
- Make sure that user credentials are updated and set individual user limits appropriate for the payment type and the user.
- Use one-time wire templates and repetitive wire templates to reduce manual intervention and data manipulation.
- Slow down. Social engineering fraud often plays on inherent actions of employees.
Why VMLIP cyber liability?
Our cyber liability coverage is comprehensive and robust. We provide access to training, sample documentation and policies, resources, consulting via Cyber Risk Analytics' YourCISO and Beazley's cyber portal.
In addition, VMLIP monitors an extensive cyber database which includes interactive dashboards, leaked email accounts and vendor and member assessments.