Skip Navigation LinksHome > August 2011 - Volume 64 - Issue 8 > Environmental design enhances hearing rehabilitation
Hearing Journal:
doi: 10.1097/01.HJ._PHONE_.95712.4a
Environmental design enhances hearing rehabilitation
Hull, Raymond H. PhD
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Raymond H. Hull, PhD, is Professor of Audiology/Neurosciences and Coordinator of the Doctor of Audiology Program in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Wichita State University. Thoughts about something you've read in this article? Write to us at
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Meeting rooms, classrooms, church sanctuaries and fellowship halls, nursing home all-purpose rooms, auditoriums, bank lobbies, and many other environments are generally not conducive to hearing and understanding speech. They resemble reverberation chambers (too many almost subliminal echoes), or anechoic environments in which sound does not carry well.
These rooms are often square or rectangular in shape with hard floors (tile, concrete, marble, or wood), sheetrock, concrete block, or brick walls, and they frequently have tile ceilings that are sound-reflective. They usually have white boards or blackboards, uncovered windows, glass-covered pictures, and other sound-reflective surfaces. Most church sanctuaries have hard wooden pews, vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, hard reflective walls, and hard floors, all sound-reflective or reverberant surfaces.
Figure. No caption a...
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These reflective surfaces cause speech and other sounds to bounce from one surface to another, setting up reverberant echoes that distort sound, particularly complex sounds such as speech. These echoes can play acoustic havoc with impaired peripheral and central auditory systems by distorting the sounds hearing-impaired individuals are attempting to transduce and interpret, particularly if they happen to be wearing hearing aids.
In contrast, homes designed for comfort are generally furnished in such a way that they essentially become anechoic chambers. That is, they do not give sound the life that is needed to travel well because there are few, if any, reverberant characteristics that enhance sound transmission.
It seems intuitive that too much reverberation, or too many echoes, in a listening environment would be bad for speech understanding and that a typical non-reverberant home environment would enhance hearing, but that is not the case. Many homes designed with comfort in mind restrict the movement of sound by absorbing it before it can travel, which deadens it. Soft carpeting, window drapes, soft chairs and sofas, wall paper, and heavily textured ceilings all absorb sound, and a complex acoustic signal such as speech cannot travel far enough to be heard well from any distance or any angle. Because speech comprises an extremely complex set of acoustic signals, it cannot negotiate stairwells (up or down), travel through doorways, move around corners, or find its way through walls to be received clearly enough by the listener and understood well. Music is a less complex signal, and so will travel with at least a fair degree of accuracy in a home environment—perhaps not the words of the song but the melody at least.
In a typical home, speech will not travel well farther than about seven feet in a straight line. If a speaker is farther from the intended listener, it is important that he move within that optimal distance from the listener prior to speaking. This is also a reason to avoid the seats under the balcony in an auditorium or church sanctuary because speech does not travel well in these areas.
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It is not necessary to engage in extensive renovations when working to enhance listening environments. Some environmental modifications can be made by the hearing health care provider. For others, the person with auditory difficulties may have to be his own advocate, and suggest changes that will improve the communicative environment for his specific needs. Audiologists and other care providers can also act as a coach to the patient and his family to assist in making simple environmental changes.
A host of ideas are available to help patients by choosing one or two of these strategies that are most appropriate for their individual situation:
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Meeting rooms, church sanctuaries, and other common places
The goal here is to reduce reverberation to enhance the transmission and quality of distortion-free speech so that it is more easily heard and understood. The frustrating aspect of a reverberative listening environment is that the room may actually carry the speech signal so well that the individual may experience little difficulty hearing, or so it seems to the listener. He may think he is hearing fairly well, or at least loudly enough, but may have difficulty understanding what is being said due to crowding of the speech signal.
It is important to avoid taking the listening environment from a state in which there is too much reverberation to one that becomes acoustically dead. In other words, the room should not be changed so much that it becomes one without echoes, caused by adding too much absorbency.
* Because these rooms are typically square or rectangular, patients should do whatever is necessary to alter this shape. This can be done by adding light ceiling-to-floor drapes on an expandable curtain rod to one or two corners of the room, creating a rounder shape and reducing reverberation.
* Hang light drapes to the sides of windows (not over the windows), with the length two to three inches above and about six to eight inches below the window. If there are no windows, hang light floor-to-ceiling drapes at a few strategic locations on the walls.
* If the ceiling is higher than most rooms, hang decorative flagging at regular intervals across the ceiling to reduce echoes.
* If soda machines, ice makers, or water fountains are nearby, make sure that the sound is muffled or quieted as much as possible. If neither option is possible, have these items moved to another location.
* If a food preparation area is attached to or near the meeting room, use heavy drapes to block off that area to quiet the noise of pots and pans and people talking. Adding a wall with a sliding door to block off the area is an even better solution.
* Make sure that the PA system is adequate. A poor or unused PA system can be one of the greatest distracters to successful meetings, particularly when there is a speaker for the event.
* When adding to or installing a new PA system, make sure the speakers are as close to the ceiling as possible with polarity reversed. Acoustic feedback will be avoided, and sound will carry more efficiently because it will drop down over the audience. If PA speakers are at floor level, sound cannot easily rise, and it will be blocked by those sitting in the first row.
* Coach speakers on how to speak with clarity. This can be done very simply by telling them to slow their rate of speech. Persons over 60 can understand speech best when it is uttered at a rate of around 124 words per minute. The average person speaks at a rate of around 160-180 words per minute, a speed that the human central auditory nervous system is simply not designed to process and comprehend.
* Instruct speakers how to properly use the microphone. Most microphones in these environments are high impedance, meaning that they resist the voice signal. They are traditionally placed in areas where other extraneous sounds may possibly be picked up, such as a singer in a nightclub with an amplified backup band.
* These microphones are designed to be held within three to four inches of the mouth. If the amplifier is turned up to compensate for a microphone held farther away, acoustic feedback such as a squealing or whistling will be emitted, and can be quite disturbing to listeners. The amplifier and speakers must be far enough away from the microphone to prevent this from occurring.
* Advise those responsible for banquets or other activities to avoid background music, or Muzak. No matter how it will set the mood for the event, it competes with speech recognition, and at the least interferes with speech understanding.
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The home acoustic environment may explain why people generally congregate in the kitchen during family gatherings. Conversations can take place with greater ease because kitchens frequently have a harder floor than other areas of the house, and other hard surfaces such as kitchen tables, cupboards, shelves, and stoves further enhance sound transmission.
People generally entertain in the living or family room, but these rooms are typically not ideal environments for conversation, particularly if they contain soft, overstuffed furniture, carpeting, heavy drapes, or textured wallpaper or ceilings.
* While most people cannot ask homeowners to remove the texture and softness of the living environment, some minor changes can be made to enhance the transmission of the speech sounds—replacing heavy carpeting in a room with laminated wood (throw rugs can still be added to keep a feeling of warmth in the room), substituting heavy drapes with window blinds, or exchanging couches and overstuffed chairs with ones that have greater firmness. These changes should not be instituted simultaneously or in the same room, or the environment may become too reverberant.
* Auditory distractions must be reduced. Turn the TV or radio volume down or completely off.
* Do not attempt to communicate with a person who is located around the corner in another room, upstairs, downstairs, or on the other side of an open doorway. The sounds of speech cannot travel well through or around any of these obstacles.
* To ensure that the person with whom communication is taking place can hear and understand what is being said, advise others not to speak unless the other person can see the face of the speaker—again, not from another room or while walking away from the listener.
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Coffee-Break Tutorial: Easy Typewriter Dialogue (DnD)
Coffee-Break Tutorial: Easy Typewriter Dialogue (DnD)
Today's coffee-break tutorial covers a great effect that is useful in a wide variety of situations. Making a dialogue object that has lines of text that appear a letter at a time, just like it was being written on a typewriter! How to make an effect like this is a recurrent question we see come up on the forums and other social platforms, and while there are a number of great assets out there that will permit you to do this. We thought we would show you how this can be done in the simplest form, so you can learn and have base to build your own text systems.
NOTE: This tutorial is for people that use DnD. If you prefer to use GML to make your games, we have a companion article for you here.
For this tutorial, you will need to create a new project in GameMaker Studio 2 as we'll be starting from scratch. In this project you should add a new font asset and give it a name (in this tutorial we'll be calling it simply fnt_dialog), and then add a new object asset and name it obj_dialog):
Project Setup Font And Object
We'll be adding all our actions into the dialog object and the idea is that we'll be creating an array of text, where each item in the array is a complete sentence or paragraph of text, and then we'll be taking that text and drawing only a section of it each step, advancing the section to show a new letter little by little to create the typewriter effect. So, let's get started...
Before we add any actions into our dialog object, we need to first define a function that we'll need to deal with wrapping text that is too long for the space we want to draw it in. Now, GameMaker Studio 2 has a GML function draw_text_ext that can be used to automatically wrap text when it overflows a given length, and in many cases that will be perfectly fine to use. However, since we will be drawing our text a letter at a time, this function causes an issue where words will start to appear on one line, then "jump" to the next as the GML function detects that they are now longer than the maximum width. You can see this happening in the following GIF:
Draw_text_ext Overflow Problem
To prevent this from happening, we are going to take our input string then run it through a function that will add in the required line breaks based on the position of spaces in the text. This will mean that the string will be pre-formatted to go to a new line before it's even drawn.
You should make a new Script asset for this and while you can name it anything you wish, for the sake of this tutorial, we'll call it the same as the function it's going to contain: string_wrap. In the script you'll see that there is already a Declare A New Function action present, so fill it out as shown in the image below, and add an Execute Code action to it:
string_wrap function declaration
The code we'll be using is shown below, and you should simply copy and paste it directly into the Execute Code action:
var _text_wrapped = "";
var _space = -1;
var _char_pos = 1;
while (string_length(_text) >= _char_pos)
 if (string_width(string_copy(_text, 1, _char_pos)) > _width)
 if (_space!= -1)
 _text_wrapped += string_copy(_text, 1, _space) + "\n";
 _text = string_copy(_text, _space + 1, string_length(_text) - (_space));
 _char_pos = 1;
 _space = -1;
 if (string_char_at(_text,_char_pos) == " ")
 _space = _char_pos;
 _char_pos += 1;
if (string_length(_text) > 0)
 _text_wrapped += _text;
return _text_wrapped;
All this script is doing is looping through the given string a letter at a time and checking to see if the length of the string after each letter is added to it overflows the permitted text width, while also storing the position of the last space found between words in a variable. If the text does overflow the given width, then the function adds a line break ("\n") into the text at the last space, then continues on, and it will do this for the entire length of the given text, adding as many line breaks as required.
With that done, we can turn our attention to the dialog object and actually start to code our typewriter effect. To start with we need to add a Create Event to set up some variables that our object will need. We'll need quite a few variables to control things, so we've broken it into blocks of variables to make it easier, so add a Create Event to the object now, and then add this first block:
Create Event block one
This first block defines an array which is what we'll use to contain each of our lines of dialogue. Here we're adding in two lines, but you can add more as you wish, just make sure that you increment the array position for each line. Now add the following:
Create Event block two
This next block initialises all the controller variables that will be required to draw our text using the typewriter effect. These variables are as follows:
 - text_current : this will be used to tell GameMaker what the current text array position to use for the text.
 - text_last : this will be used to tell GameMaker what the last array position is, in this case 1 as we have 2 positions - 0 and 1 - in our array. For an array with position 0, 1, 2, and 3, then this variable would be set to 3.
 - text_width : this is the maximum width that we want the text to be drawn before it wraps to a new line
 - text_x : the X position where we want to draw the text in the room
 - text_y : the Y position where we want to draw the text in the room
The final block of variables to add looks like this:
Create Event block three
These two variables will control the current last character of the text being drawn, and the timing of when each character is drawn. By changing the variable char_speedyou can change how fast or slow the text appears on the screen.
The last thing to do in our Create Event is to call the function we created earlier on the first line of text we'll be drawing so that it wraps correctly within the given width:
Create Event block four
Most typewriter effects permit you to skip the effect in some way, and so we'll be adding this into our own example. We want the skip effect to work in two different ways:
 - If the current line hasn't finished being drawn, then pressing skip will draw the whole line right to the end instantly
 - If the current line has finished being drawn, then pressing skip will go to the next line and start drawing that
We'll do this using the Space key on the keyboard, but you can use any input method you want as the actions we'll show will be the same. So, add a Keyboard Pressed - Space event to the dialog object now. First, we'll check the length of the whole string being drawn against the current position of what is actually being drawn, like this:
Keypress Space event block 1
All this does is set the current last character being drawn to the last character in the whole string, so the whole string will instantly be displayed. If the whole string is already being displayed, then we need to use the elseand add into that the following:
Keypress Space event block 2
Here we advance the variable that tells GameMaker which array position to get the text from, and then we check to see if we've advanced outside of the size of the array. If we have, then we restart the room, but that's just for this tutorial. Normally you'd then destroy the dialog object or have your game perform some action here. If there is still more text in the array, then we call our string_wrapfunction to add line breaks to the next line to be displayed and reset the current last character to the start of the string ready to display it letter-by-letter again.
The draw event is probably the simplest of all to set up and we'll start by setting how we want the text to be displayed by choosing a font, position and colour. Add a Draw Event now and give it these actions:
Draw Event block 1
With that done, it's time to actually draw our dialogue text! First, we need to check the current last character of the text being drawn, and if it's not the last character of the whole text, advance it by the speed that we set in the create event:
Draw Event block 2
To draw the text, we simply use the string_copy() function to copy the section of the total text from the beginning to the current last character and then draw that, like this (under the "If", not as part of it):
Draw Event block 3
You can add the dialog object to a room now and run the game and the results should be something like this:
The final effect in all its glory
With this, you now have a dialog object that you can use at any time in a game! How do you ask? Well, all you need to do is


text:
AberystwythArticle Free Pass
Aberystwyth, coastal town, Ceredigion county (historic county of Cardiganshire), Wales, where the River Rheidol flows into Cardigan Bay. Traces of extensive Iron Age earthworks have been found on the hill Pen Dinas, which overlooks the old port and town. The medieval walled town grew around the castle erected by the Normans (1277) on a rocky headland immediately north of the mouth of the River Rheidol, into which the mouth of the River Ystwyth has also been diverted. The town spread northward along the coast, especially after the coming of railways. The port, now virtually unused, once handled coastal, Irish, and even transatlantic shipping (Welsh emigrants, for example, would sail direct for the United States) and served as the outlet for the once-flourishing Cardiganshire lead mines.
The town has grown since the late 19th century as a holiday resort and rural service centre and is the headquarters of many regional services of western Wales. Though established by English conquerors in the Welsh heartland, Aberystwyth has become a principal stronghold of Welsh culture. The founder college of the University of Wales was established there in 1872. Modern university buildings and the National Library of Wales, one of Britain's copyright libraries, overlook the town from Penglais Hill to the northeast. In the Rheidol valley the inland hamlet of Llanbadarnfawr has become a suburb; its church was once a great centre of Dark Ages learning and Celtic Christianity. Pop. (2001) 11,607.
What made you want to look up "Aberystwyth"? Please share what surprised you most...

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Written by Kento Kamiyama PT, DPT
"I want to penetrate your corpus callosum" – Ron Hruska
In late September, I took the advanced course from PRI called Cervical Revolution with Ron Hruska the founder of Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). In one word, WOW. Ron Hruska saw something we did not a long time ago. He has such a different way of thinking that it was difficult to keep up that weekend but somehow…I feel like I came out of it a tad smarter. To be honest, this course was a little over my head once they went into the cranium and occlusions so I wanted to review a little more before posting a course review.
Cervical Revolution is a relatively new course because it used to be called Craniocervical-mandibular course. These notes are something I could gather up with a course that needs to be retaken several times to get a good grasp on it. Anyway…here we go.
**NOTE: As any course review, the material here does not have comprehensive information. For further understanding of the course please visit the postural restoration.com website and take the course**
In the beginning of the course some introductory remarks of the cervical cranial complex were reviewed. Instead of boring you with all the little facts I'll try to make it as simple as possible.
- Normal C2-7 lordosis is 30-35 degrees
- Our goal with Cervical revolution is to gain back normal C/S Lordosis
- Normal C2-7 flexion is 35-40 degrees
- Normal C2-7 extension is 55-60 degrees
- Normal Spinal Coupling in the C/S produces ipsilateral spinal coupling in rotation and sidebending. The OA joint, on the other hand, couples contra laterally. When rotation and side bending is opposite in the C/S it is considered pathological as per the course.
- C2 serves as an automatic shifting fulcrum or balance point for the mandible. Hence, C2 stability is crucial for jaw.
Cervical Spine Examination Tests:
With any other PRI courses, you learn how to make some orthopedic tests. In the cervical pattern, the most common pattern is the R TMCC pattern where it usually correlates with a L AIC and R BC pattern. Here were some of the new tests:
- Horizontal Abduction Test
- This is to test HG (Humeralgleno) horizontal abduction test. In a R TMCC pattern the left is commonly restricted
- Cervical Extension Test
- This is a test to check C/S Lordosis. Its surprising how many necks lost its lordosis when you test it.
- Cervical Axial Rotation
- You are looking at lower C/S rotation. This is cool because I never really thought of just looking at lower C/S Rotation more specifically. In supine, left lower C/S is more limited due to the positioning we are in with R TMCC/R BC patterns
- Cervical Lateral Flexion
- Cervical OA Lateral Flexion
The R TMCC Patterns:
The most common R TMCC patterns include Left side bending and R torsion as per the course. They do point out that other patterns exists but this is the most common. After 6 weeks of the course, clinically it seems to be true.
L Side bending
I don't want to go into too much osteokinematics because… I'm still not certain with some of the mechanics. I'm getting there but not quite yet. Simply put it is named when the the left greater wing of the sphenoid is lower. With these individuals, it is common to see their mandible lateral shifted to the left.
Gary Busey seems to be an easy one to see here. Check his mandible shifted to the left and how his eye line is slanted down to his left.
R torsion is when the greater wing is higher on the R while the occiput and sphenoid rotate around an sagittal axis in the opposite direction. This is usually a pattern that has a history of whiplash, visual instability, significant malocclusions, chronic anteriorly repositioned TMD discs, head trauma and dysautonomia. For these individuals, usually interdisciplinary work is necessary such as dental or visual work.
Note this individuals mandible shifted to the right. You may see more of this in a PEC/B TMCC patients. It is recommended to gain neutrality first then get multidisciplinary work to achieve long term results.
Use of a Dentist
Out of the 2 patterns, R torsions are likely to need this type of work. One of the greatest thing about this course was learning when it is good to refer out. I strongly believe in working inter-professionally to improve one's health. With all the PRI work, you may get the individual to be neutral. However, if they have visual disturbances or poor occlusion they may continue to go back to their dysfunctional state. Utilizing other disciplines can make the process much better. Good occlusion = good proprioceptive input.
Also try to avoid invisalign products with braces. Since they try to group the teeth together, they tend to cause dysfunctions. Who knew?
Miscellaneous Information I enjoyed:
- There are 200 muscle spindles per gram of muscle in the sub occipital region compared to only 16 muscle spindles per gram in the 1st lumbrical of the hand
- Most C/S dysfunction is associated with TMD (70%) than TMD alone (29%)
- The average chewing rate is 79.2 cycles/min. The slower the chewing rate, the better the masticatory performance and the smaller the food particles achieved (this is more important than you may think).
- Breathing and TMD is highly correlated such as mouth breathing. During mouth breathing, the mandible must be lowered, decreasing the tension in the supra hyoid muscles and allowing the hyoid downwards and backwards leading the pharyngeal air passage reducing. Therefore, to get adequate airflow, one will create forward head posture to bring the hyoid forward and back upwards.
- Tongue position is important! It is our more important orthodontic appliance we have. To maintain good maxilla shape, it is important to keep your tongue up on the roof of the mouth and sitting behind the front teeth
- If tongue is in the right position, every time you swallow the tongue spreads against the maxilla contributing to good cranial motion
- When giving PRI correctives, try to keep it as simple as possible. This is PT 101. The PRI correctives can be very complicated but if you are a experienced PRI practitioner or clinician, you'll know how to keep the cueing very simple. The instructors tend to know how to do that.
- With corrections of the cervical, it include TMJ, Eyes, Cervical and breathing coordination. All the rest of the correctives you learned in Postural/Pelvis/Myokin are important because it ultimately needs to be performed with….yes good breathing.
There was SO much depth to this course I definitely need to take it again.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Acid Bench 73
This article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the wiki.
|Acid Bench 73|
|Chemicals Used||Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)|
|Supported Processes||Supported Processes|
|User Processes||User Processes|
|Warning:||This page has not been released yet.|
Acid Bench 73 is a wet bench used for working with acids, mostly for etching and cleaning of samples that have had metals and/or polymers on them. It is considered a Metals class tool, so wafers with metal are allowed in the bench. It is intended for use with mixed materials and all substrate sizes up to 6 inches with the main focus being on piece parts.
- Update this with announcements as necessary
Acid Bench 73 is for wet processing of with piece parts, 4, and 6 inch samples of mixed materials. This includes III-V and II-VI materials, samples with polymers, and irregularly shaped samples.
- Feedback controlled hotplate
- Rinse tank can be run as either a Quick dump rinse (QDR) or Overflow tank.
- Sink with goose neck
- Automated Bottle Wash
- Acetic Acid (C2H4O2)
- Aluminum Etch
- Buffered HF (BHF)
- Hydrofluoric acid (HF)
- Chromium Etch
- Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
- Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
- Gold Etch
- Nitric acid (HNO3)
- Phosphoric Acid (H3O4P)
- Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
- Feedback control hot plate
- Quick dump rinse (QDR)/Cascade tank
- Automatic Bottle Wash
- Sink with goose neck
- Open deck space
|Warning:||You must use the buddy system for all chemical processing. No processing if you are alone in the lab. If the yellow warning lights are on it means that there are 2 or 1 people in the lab.|
Working with chemicals can be very dangerous. Chemicals used at this bench are some of the most hazardous in the lab. To minimize the chance of accident, make sure you always:
- Wear personal protective equipment. Required PPE at this bench is an apron, face shield, and Trionic gloves.
- Know the properties and hazards of chemicals you are working with. If you don't know, find out by reading about them or asking staff.
- Plan the details of your process. Before you start working, plan what quantities of chemicals and sample carriers you will use. Plan how you will rinse your sample and what you will do with any waste generated. Make sure you know how the controllers work.
- Do not use this bench without proper training.
- Waste from this bench goes into the LNF's acid waste neutralization system and then to city sewers.
- No solvents can be used or disposed of here.
- Solutions which contains toxic materials that cannot be removed by neutralization (such as gold and chromium etch) should not be aspirated or disposed of down the drain.
- Piece Part to 6 inch wafers
- Open to all approved substrates/materials
- Some materials may require the use of private beakers
The Acid Bench 73 is designated as a Metals class tool. Below is a list of approved materials for the tool. Approved means the material is allowed in the tool under normal circumstances. If a material is not listed, please create a helpdesk ticket or email _EMAIL_ for any material requests or questions.
There are a variety of chemical processes that can be performed on this bench, including:
If you wish to perform any other processes on this bench, they must be approved by a tool engineer. Please create a helpdesk ticket for assistance.
Standard Operating Procedure
Widget text will go here.
- Take the General Wet Bench Training, if you haven't already.
- Read through this page and the Standard Operating Procedure above.
- Practice with your mentor or another authorized user until you are comfortable with tool operation.
- Open a helpdesk ticket and request a checkout.
- A tool engineer will schedule a time for checkout.
- Complete the 1440 Acid Bench quiz.
- If you pass the quiz the tool engineer will authorize you on the tool. If not you will be contacted to repeat.
There are no staff maintained processes or tanks at this bench.


Removing the Blue Lines in Forwarded Emails
Ever try to forward a really funny or thought provoking e-mail, only to have the forward appear horribly mis-formatted due to a bunch of weird, commonly blue, vertical lines streaking down the left side of your e-mail? Well, you can take a small amount of comfort knowing you are definitely not alone. An odd anomaly generated by some e-mail clients/services when a message is forwarded, these colored lines are not only annoying, but typically a pain to get rid of as well. However, there are a few tricks that can speed up your ability to remove these annoyances without resorting to using a third party "e-mail cleaner" program. Here are the top three methods to remove vertical lines in some of the most common e-mail programs and services...
Microsoft Outlook:
Despite possibly having the most options for formatting e-mail of any e-mail program or service available, Outlook has, surprisingly, the simplest method of removing vertical lines from forwarded e-mails:
Step 1. Open the e-mail you wish to forward, select the content directly in front/to the right of your vertical line(s) in the body of the e-mail message, and press Ctrl+C to copy the highlighted contents to your clipboard.
Step 2. Create a new blank e-mail message.
Step 3. Paste (press Ctrl+V) your copied e-mail into the new e-mail message. Your e-mail message will be pasted into the new message window sans most, if not all, vertical lines.
Step 3-1. If any vertical lines remain, simply copy any text and images with said vertical lines still attached, and paste the copied content into the same e-mail just above the content you just copied.
Step 3-2. Repeat Step 3-1 until all vertical lines are gone.
Step 4. Delete any duplicate or unnecessary text/images beneath your newly cleaned content, and send your e-mail.
Quick, simple, and easy!
Windows Live Mail
For those needing to remove vertical lines in the latest evolution of Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail offers a push button solution to removing these email annoyances:
Step 1. Select your e-mail and press the forward button to open it in the standard "Send E-mail" editor.
Step 2. Place your cursor directly in front of (to the right of) the vertical line you wish to remove.
Step 3. At the top of your e-mail editor, select the Message tab if it is not already selected. Various message formatting options will appear.
Step 4. Find and click the Clear formatting button just next to the font size and style fields.
Step 5. Voila! The vertical line will instantly disappear. Repeat Step 4. as needed to remove any additional vertical lines.
Step 6. Once all vertical lines have been cleared, you will likely be left with a bit of margin space to the right of your e-mail content. To remove this, simply select the message content you wish to forward, copy it (Ctrl+C), and paste it (Ctrl+V) at the beginning of your message. Delete the old content beneath your freshly formatted message, and hit Send.
And that's it!
~J. Conboy


Social Media: 8 Reasons Seniors Should Care
Keep in touch
Social media sites allow seniors to stay in better touch with family and friends. Not just family or peers their same age but younger grandchildren as well. Seniors are able to connect with their young family and participate in their activities and accomplishments. Seniors are able to stay closer with family.
Ask questions and Research
Social media is a great tool that provides a way for seniors to do research about topics they are interested in. Also, they are able to interact with others who may be searching for the same information. Because seniors are not afraid to navigate websites and research on their own they also are able to connect with customer support services faster. They can speak to representatives quickly and get the answers they need.
Meet Others and Socialize
Social networks allow seniors to meet and socialize with others on both business and relationship terms. They are able to engage int he community and interact with others. Staying socially active is very important for seniors and offers many mental health benefits. If a senior cant leave their house the internet will provide a way for them to still connect and feel alive.
Stay Safe Online!
Seniors are no longer hiding away from technology; instead, they are embracing it more often than not. The benefits above are enough reason to get your senior connected. However, as the popularity of using these social sites rises so do the risks. Be sure to educate yourself and your friends on how to use social sites safely.
Use caution when clicking links
Even if it seems that the link came from a friend or trusted source use caution when clicking. This is a common way scammers and hackers can access your data.
Do not share your personal information
Never give away your personal information (Medicare number, social security, etc) over unsecured sites. No email! Email is not a secure platform to send confidential information. No legitimate source will ask you for your private information without providing you a secure way to send it.
Know the privacy policy
Be sure to read and understand the privacy policies of any social media site you plan to use. You will most likely be sharing personal information (address, work/life history, images, etc). Therefore, treat these sites as you would a site you are entering a credit card.
Ask your kids
The majority of the time you will be able to ask the younger generation to help you understand social media sites.
Use of the internet and social media among seniors has become a healthy emotional outlet and a world of benefits. Be sure to use the sites safely!


text:
Welcome to the Classwork Problems Web Page!
Classwork Problems are PDF files which present a problem along with the answer and solution. Since the problems are PDF files, you will need a PDF viewer installed on your machine in order to actually view the files on your screen or to display them on the video projector. Generally printing is also best done from inside a PDF viewer.
We also have a small number of PowerPoint slides available for use. These will require you to have a PowerPoint viewer of some sort available on your machine.
For further instructions on editing and using the Classwork Problems, see the Instructions page.
Otherwise select the problem category from the list below:
Once inside the appropriate category, you will find two links: projector and transparencies.
Projector files are for use with a video projector in multi-media classrooms. They are formatted into two pages, with the question on the first page, and the answer/solution on the second page. This is so that you can project the questions and answers on the screen independently.
Transparencies are for use with a standard overhead projector (print the transparencies first). They are formatted as a single (divided) page, so you can cover the bottom answer/solution section until needed (and then reveal it).
Once you select one of the two formats, you will be shown a list of all the Classwork problem files for that category. Simply click on the desired file name to display that problem.


How Time was Saved, 2014-01-13T03:06 UTC
Jan 12th, 2014
 1. (- How Time Was Saved -)
 3. (draft, 2014-01-13T03:06 UTC)
 5. <$:(an OTTification of
 6. "[How''the''World''Was''Saved|]"
 7. by Stanisław Lem (and translated from the original Polish by Michael
 8. Kandel)):>
 10. One day Mrorl the great bOTTifactor put together a machine that could
 11. grant any wish having a single parameter *n*. He gave it power to
 12. alter the very fabric of being, to the extent that he could have
 13. wished the Universe to have precisely 3 dimensions if he so
 14. desired.
 15. When it was ready, he tried it out, asking for a 15.4-kilometer
 16. autobahn, a 2.31-dimensional cauliflour, and 7 antennules, which it
 17. provided, and then Mrorl requested unrashness, lithography,
 18. ebullience, counterpressure, and bachelordom, each with an arbitrary
 19. and oddly specific quantification. The Machine granted his wishes
 20. precisely. Still not completely sure of its ability, he ordered it to
 21. partition, in turn: the arachnids (into 11 orders), clouds (4 types),
 22. crystals (14), dolphins (17), nuclei (287 types), and langues. This
 23. last it could not do, regardless of the numeric parameter, and Mrorl,
 24. considerably irritated, demanded an explanation.
 25. "You programmed me to grant wishes to any requestor, and language
 26. with all its diversity is a part of that. If I were to standardize
 27. language, or reduce language diversity, it would require a
 28. corresponding change in my programming. I can't go beyond what you
 29. programmed, so the langues will remain unchanged."
 30. "But what if I asked for there to be exactly one language with
 31. complete agreement. All aspects of parole, langues and translation
 32. would then be moot, and everyone could communicate to anyone including
 33. you. Surely you can do that."
 34. "No. If there were only one language I could not be a Machine That
 35. Grants Any Wish With A Single Parameter *N*, I would merely be a
 36. Machine That Grants Wishes Expressible in Mrorl's Language (and With A
 37. Single Parameter *N*)."
 38. "Very well," said Mrorl and ordered it to limit aggrievedness to 3
 39. types, which it did at once -- still irritating perhaps, but perfectly
 40. classified and distinguishable. Only then did Mrorl invite over his
 41. friend Balthacarius the great bOTTifactor, and introduced him to the
 42. Machine, praising its extraordinary skill at such length, that
 43. Balthacarius began to wonder if he'd ever get a chance to see some
 44. actual evidence.
 45. "Be my guest -- wish for anything, quantized by a single parameter
 46. *n*."
 47. "Anything?" asked Balthacarius. "That seems dangerous. Don't you
 48. think he needs a safeword?"
 49. Mrorl frowned a moment, but saw Balthacarius' point. "All right,
 50. let's see... the safeword shall be '*NI*'. Hear that, Machine?"
 51. "Yes," replied the Machine, "I understand. From this point forward
 52. you may suspend or halt the granting of any wish by uttering '*ni!*'.
 53. But of course, anything done is done, so you'll need to stay alert,
 54. if you're worried about a wish going awry."
 55. Satisfied by this, Balthacarius thought for a moment, inventing a
 56. suitable challenge. "Okay, I wish for there to be 12 Ideals!"
 57. The Machine whined, and in a trice Mrorl's front yard was packed with
 58. Loopists. They argued, each writing long posts detailing when and how
 59. events would eventually repeat, which the others tore to pieces; in
 60. the distance one could see flaming pyres, on which the Conclusionists
 61. were being martyred by the Fatalists; there was thunder, and strange
 62. baobab-shaped columns of smoke rose up; everyone talked at once, no
 63. one listened, and there were all sorts of haiku, songs, captioned GIFs
 64. and other document-types, while off to the side sat a few Old Ones,
 65. fervently updating their signatures and hatting avatars.
 66. "Not bad, eh?" said Mrorl with pride. "Idealism to a T, admit it!"
 67. But Balthacarius wasn't satisfied.
 68. "What, that mob? Surely you're not going to tell me that's the
 69. whole wish."
 70. "Heavens, no!" replied the Machine. "This is but a local sampling.
 71. In granting your wish, I have ensured that throughout the world, every
 72. goal, principle, and value fits one of Twelve Ideals, and you may
 73. travel anywhere and see for yourself. From Białystok to beyond the
 74. Butterfly nebula, from Antilles to Andromeda, everyone now ascribes to
 75. one of the Twelve, which may in future generations be called the
 76. Twelve Ideals of Balthacarius, the Great bOTTifactor who brought order
 77. to Idealism."
 78. Balthacarius blushed.
 79. "So, give the machine something else," offered Mrorl. "Whatever you
 80. like."
 81. For a moment Balthacarius was at a loss for what to ask. But after a
 82. little thought he declared that he would put two more tasks to the
 83. Machine; if it could fulfill them, he would admit that it was all
 84. Mrorl said it was. Mrorl agreed to this, whereupon Balthacarius asked
 85. the Machine to quantify Time.
 86. "That would be merely *observing*. The way this works is, you tell some
 87. way that Time can be measured, and tell me what that measurement
 88. should be, and I shall make it so."
 89. "I think perhaps *you* have misunderstood," replied Balthacarius. "I
 90. mean that I want Time to be quantized: It shall exist in distinct
 91. intervals, called Timeframes, spaced apart each from the next, and
 92. nothing shall happen in the time between, because there will no longer
 93. be any between."
 94. "Yes, precisely. What what is the interval? I require a single
 95. numeric parameter."
 96. "But that is a Timeframe, of course! The time between two frames.
 97. A Timeframe is the interval. *One*, if you need a number."
 98. The Machine thought about this for a while, and began to smoke. Some
 99. valves hissed behind a panel, and lights blinked oddly whilst distant
 100. gears groaned.
 101. "You're confusing the machine!" cried Mrorl, "*N--*"
 102. But Mrorl was interrupted when suddenly the metal voice rang out:
 103. "All right, your wish is granted. Time now exists in Timeframes, and
 104. there shall be no Times in between. And a Timeframe is precisely one
 105. point zero zero zero Timeframes long. Since you did not give that
 106. quantity in another unit, like hours, you might find the result to be
 107. a bit... irregular. Your perception of Time may vary from one
 108. Timeframe to the next."
 109. "Thank you. But now here's my third wish: Quantify colour!"
 110. The Machine sat still. At first, Balthacarius and Mrorl could see
 111. nothing happenning, but eventually, around the edges and in the
 112. shadows under


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What is the Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential?
The Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential is an international credential encompassing the most comprehensive and rigorous demonstration of enterprise risk management (ERM) expertise available.
The CERA credential stems from the same rigorous process through which actuaries earn other credentials, the Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA).
Developed in response to the evolving complexity of the marketplace, it reflects the need of businesses to better manage enterprise risk amid growing volatility around the globe.
What are the benefits of receiving the CERA credential?
The Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential training does not stop with mathematics and financial engineering. A CERA learns how to apply both qualitative and quantitative insights to enterprise risk management (ERM), receiving the most comprehensive and rigorous credential in the rapidly emerging field.
CERAs have the knowledge and skill set to be able to contribute on a higher level in a broad range of industries. CERAs play more diverse roles at organizations of all kinds—giving them greater exposure to the C-Suite and leadership, and empowering them to become a more highly valued resource for a company.
In addition to the high recognition of actuarial credentials among employers in insurance, reinsurance and consulting markets, a CERA is a member of a professional organization with an impeccable code of ethics, professional standards, integrity, education requirements and discipline.
What is the CERA credential process?
The Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential takes an estimated three to four years to complete, and includes a rigorous curriculum of five examinations, e-Learning modules, validation of previous educational experiences and a professionalism seminar. The CERA credential curriculum includes the topics of probability, financial mathematics, micro/macro economics, corporate finance, construction and evaluation of actuarial models, fundamentals of actuarial practice, including the actuarial control cycle, and enterprise risk management.
How does the CERA credential differ from the FSA or ASA credential?
For Fellows of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and Associates of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), the Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential offers another avenue of opportunity, added competitive edge and professional growth. As new roles in enterprise risk management (ERM) continue to develop, actuaries are becoming leaders in the practice, by providing a 360-degree view of an organization's risk profile.
For those currently on the FSA pathway, what additional requirements are needed to achieve the CERA credential?
The new structure of the fellowship exams (effective July 1, 2013) will provide a means for candidates in all tracks to obtain the CERA credential along with their FSA by completing only two additional exam hours. Candidates seeking this option will choose the four-hour ERM exam in place of the two-hour track exam in their track. They will also need to choose the ERM module as one of their FSA modules. The Corporate Finance and ERM track already requires the ERM exam and ERM module, so candidates completing that track will automatically receive both the CERA and FSA.
How is the CERA credential different from the CFA charter?
A CERA displays knowledge in mathematics and financial engineering just like some of the other business professionals, but a CERA differs in that they also have unique insight in enterprise risk management (ERM)—empowering them to play a leading role in solving the complex business and financial challenges businesses face around the globe.
A CERA does not solely focus on capital management, but on how operational risk, investment risk and strategic risk collectively impact an organization. Therefore, a CERA is qualified for such strategic and leadership positions as risk analyst, risk manager or chief risk officer.
What industries offer the most opportunities from the CERA credential?
A CERA is trained to model future events by converting data into information that leads to strategic decisions, so the credential may be applied to many areas where actuaries are increasingly contributing, such as broader financial services, energy, transportation, manufacturing and healthcare, as well as insurance and human resources/benefits consulting.
What is Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)?
Enterprise risk management (ERM) is the process of coordinated risk management that places a greater emphasis on cooperation among departments to manage the organization�s full range of risks as a whole. Enterprise risk management offers a framework for effectively managing uncertainty, responding to risk and harnessing opportunities as they arise.
What is the Society of Actuaries (SOA)?
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is an educational, research and professional organization dedicated to serving the public and its members. The SOA�s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and improve decision making to benefit society. The SOA enhances the ability of actuaries to be trusted financial and business advisors on problems involving uncertain future events. To learn more, visit
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for most everything using a debit or credit card, because it allows me to track my funds with more accuracy, and because the rounding error that is change adds up over time, but is difficult to spend, keep track of or incorporate back into my accounts.
The agency is no doubt targeting young adults like me in developing this product. Numbers from Pulse, a research arm of Discover, find that members of the Millenial generation have the highest rate of ownership of debit cards (80%) and of contactless payment devices (12%); and the highest rate of online micro payments.
Lest I be accused of spreading propaganda for the agency, it is worth acknowledging that this is a tool useful only to people who have both a credit or debit card and a smartphone. As of May 2013, according to Pew, 56% of Americans had a smartphone, which means that 44% did not. Rates of ownership track with income and educational attainment, but are most strongly correlated with age. This sort of payment system largely excludes seniors, among whom only 18% report ownership of a device capable of running the software. As you might expect, many more Millenials (81%) own smartphones.
Freedom of mobility is a frequent topic here at Human Transit. How well does the network design and operation enable a person to move around the city? How well do the transit agency's materials communicate the possibilities for personal mobility? How does the agency make transit a reasonable choice? In the age of Amazon, Paypal, and in-app purchases, giving riders the option to pay in this way is an important step towards creating a truly civilized transit experience.
rebutting the "vagrancy" argument against free fares
Smart-Card-Reader-Light-Rail-Jake Blumgart did a good article back in March summing up the current status of debate about free-fare transit.
Generally, transit systems without fares are either really small and often rural — situations where the fares may not even cover the costs of charging fares — or else college towns, where the university is often subsidizing most of the ridership anyway. But there's the interesting case of Tallinn, Estonia. This is a significant city and capital, population 426,000, and it's posting results:
Tallinn's transportation department reports that traffic fell by 10 percent, meaning about 7,600 fewer cars in the city per day.
In that context, this passage from Jake's article was interesting:
Would such a scheme work in a mid-to-large American city? According to Jennifer Perone's 2002 study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Florida Department of Transportation, it isn't likely. While she wrote that free transit is manageable and worthwhile in rural regions and small towns, she cautioned against such a policy for larger systems:
All well-informed transit professionals that were contacted for their opinions spoke strongly against the concept of free fares for large systems, suggesting some minimal fare needs to be in place to discourage vagrancy, rowdiness and a degradation of service.
These experts drew on the experiences of three mid-sized American cities that briefly experimented with fare free transit. Between 1978 and 1979, both Trenton, N.J., and Denver, Colo. offered free transit during non-peak hours. In both cases, ridership increased (by 16 percent and 36 percent, respectively). The authors claim however, that these were generally not people lured from cars, but were what they call "problem riders." In Trenton, 92 percent of transit drivers reported that their jobs were less enjoyable after the free fare program was instituted. These issues, along with revenue problems, caused both cities to discontinue their experiments after a year.
It would be interesting to see if the last 11 years have changed US expert opinion. I'm sure it wasn't true that a 16-36 percent increase in ridership consisted largely of "problem riders," though I'm sure there were enough problem riders to be an issue. The new riders were probably mostly people getting where they're going, and quite possibly triggering fewer car trips as a result. And are we sure that nobody sold a car as a result of the free service?
(A significant share of transit trips by people without cars would be "chauffeured" if transit were not available; that is, someone would have made a car trip to transport the person. This is especially true of senior/disabled riders and essential errands, which therefore count as Vehicle Miles Traveled reductions due to transit, not just social-service benefits. Is your transit agency taking due credit for these?)
It sounds as though the authors were operating on the old binary model of choice-vs-captive ridership, under which additional ridership by people who don't own cars is assigned zero value to environmental or traffic outcomes. In fact, the overall transit service offering (including its cost) is an important in many people's choice not to own cars. The choice to not own a car is one of many complex possibilities that fries the circuits of algorithms (and experts) that rely on dividing all riders into boxes called choice (car owners who left the car at home) and captive or transit dependent. In fact, we're all on a spectrum between choice and captive, and we are each in different situations that may make us responsive to small improvements in transit service or, in this case, cost. If that weren't true, small changes in frequency or fare wouldn't cause small changes in ridership, as they almost always do.
It is likely that in the US experiments, there were enough "problem riders" to be a problem, but the obvious solution to this is Tallinn's solution, which is to require each free rider to use a smartcard, one that takes some effort to get and that can be revoked for bad behavior.
The problem with free-fare systems in big cities is not the "problem rider." The problem is that free fares cause such a huge ridership increase that no big-city US transit agency could possibly fund enough service to handle it. It would not just require the purchase and operations funds for hundreds if not thousands of new buses (and new facilities for them to be housed and maintained). It would also quickly require whole new rapid transit lines. Most of our current modelling of rapid transit in the US assumes that fares will continue to hold ridership down.
So yes, free fares would be a big deal in big cities (though not as much for small ones). They are a huge barrier to cross, especially for impoverished US transit systems in major cities. They would require a transformative degree of new public investment. All that must be debated.
But don't let the "vagrants" scare you.
are free fares realistic? it depends on the alternatives
fare-free transit spreading in europe? can cities do this on their own?
LogoIt's too soon to say, but Tallinn, Estonia (pop. 425,000) is now by far the largest city to offer fare-freefree public transit — not just in Europe but anywhere in the world as near as I can tell. Most other free-transit communities are either university-dominated small cities (like Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Hasselt, Belgium) or rural networks where ridership is so low that fares don't pay for the costs of fare collection technology, let alone contribute toward operating cost.
Tallinn — along with Hasselt and the small city of Aubagne, France — are also forming the Free Public Transport European Network, to spread the idea and disseminate experience about it.
As the city's webpage explains, Tallinn citizens must still buy a farecard, which will allow them to ride free. This allows the transit network to continue to collect fares from tourists and people living in other cities.
This raises the interesting possibility that any city, inside a bigger metro area with a regional transit system, could elect to subsidize transit fares for its own residents, by simply buying fares in bulk and giving them away to its own residents — just as some universities and employers already do for their own students or staff. Indeed, smart farecards make it possible for anyone to subsidize fares without much complexity, opening up a huge range of subsidy possibilities for any entity that sees an advantage in doing so. Yet another reason that city governments are not as helpless about transit as they often think, even if they don't control their transit system.
guest post: peter brown on the decline of u.k. privatization of transit
Peter Brown is a lifelong UK transit enthusiast (and an HT reader from the earliest days). He is a member of the Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), and a former volunteer tram driver at Seaton Tramway, Devon, England.
Twenty six years after the Thatcher government deregulated local bus services in the UK (outside London and Northern Ireland), the calls for some form of re-regulation persist.
The latest issue is the stated ambition of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE), which today calls itself 'Nexus,' to restore government control of planning and management for the bus system in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne/Gateshead/Sunderland conurbation. This is significant because for a few years in the 1980s this authority operated the UK's only example of an integrated transport system on a par with European best practise — a system that was destroyed by the Thatcher government.
Img_10384In the early 1980s, the Tyne and Wear PTE directly operated a large bus system which was formed


Inference on GMAT Reading Comprehension
When you are asked to infer on your own, how far can you go in your own direction? Not far at all! How far can your inference go from the text? Not far at all!
The art of inferring on the GMAT
On the GMAT Verbal section, Reading Comprehension will ask you to infer things. To infer means: to draw as a conclusion, by your own deductive powers, some statement that is not stated directly. Right there, that's one requirement for a good GMAT inference: if it's stated directly, in black and white, it can't be an inference. An inference has state something different from is stated explicitly. That, though, leads to the other big requirement. A good GMAT inference is not stated explicitly, but it is only a hair's breadth away from what is stated explicitly. In other words, if the text explicitly states A and B and C, then the correct inference D is a statement that any logical person would consider absolutely obvious and undeniable, given A & B & C. If it is possible for A & B & C to be true, and for D not to be true, then D is absolutely not a correct inference on the GMAT. A good GMAT inference must be an absolutely and unarguably necessary consequence of what is stated explicitly. In fact, this is precisely what can make the first requirement tricky. If D is such an ineluctable consequence of A & B & C, it may be that when you read A & B & C, you automatically assumed D, and therefore consider it "already explicitly stated." Be careful. The good inference will be that statement that you unavoidably assume, on the basis of what is explicitly stated, but if you look carefully, that statement itself is not explicitly written in the text.
An example
For simplicity, let's consider the shortest Reading Comprehension passage in the world: just a single sentence.
Roger slammed on the brakes of his car, and narrowly avoided a collision with the truck.
Suppose that's the whole of our passage, and we are asked to make an inference. The following statements would not work as inferences, because they are, in one way or another, stated explicitly.
1. Roger used the brakes of his car.
2. Roger did not hit the truck.
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3. No car accident occurred here.
4. Roger came close to having a car accident here.
Those all re-state information in the sentence. Notice, incidentally, if Roger skidded past the truck and hit another car — yes, that would be an accident, but that's a continuation of the story beyond what's explicitly stated. We have to base our answers on the passage as it appears.
The following statements are not good inferences because they are debatable: each one could be true, but everything explicitly stated could happen without any one them happening.
5. Roger had been driving fast.
6. Roger's car has good brakes.
7. Roger has good reflexes.
8. The truck was at rest.
9. The truck was initially moving slower than Roger's car.
10. Roger's car came to rest.
11. Roger's car left skid marks.
12. Roger's car would have suffered expensive damage in a collision with the truck.
Any of those could be true, but none of them has to be true. Perhaps this scenario, Roger initially was going fast, and therefore slamming on the brakes would have left skid marks, but perhaps this was all at extremely slow speeds, say, in a crowded parking lot. The truck might have been at rest, or Roger could have been following the truck and catching up to it, or Roger & the truck could have been moving head-on toward each other, which raises the possibility that the truck was moving faster — say Roger was moving 10 mph south, the truck was moving 15 mph north, and they both slammed on the brakes and avoided each other. We have no idea how this event would compare to another driver and/or another car, and therefore no way of evaluating the speed of Roger's reflexes or the condition of his brakes. We know nothing about the damage Roger's car would have sustained in the collision, first of all, because we don't know whether it was a high-energy or low-energy impact, and also because we don't know the condition of Roger's car: is it something already banged up, so that an extra dent wouldn't make a difference? or is it something incredibly solid, like a Hummer, that is more likely to inflict damage than be damaged? We don't know. We don't know whether Roger came to a stop, or whether he slowed down, swerved around the truck, and kept going: admittedly, that probably would not be the safest driving procedure, but we cannot rule it out on the basis of what is explicitly stated in the passage. None of those eight statements is a certain logical deduction, so none is a proper GMAT-worthy inference.
What, then, would be a valid GMAT inference? Consider this statement:
13) If Roger had continued in his path of motion without using his brakes, his car would have hit the truck.
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We know that Roger "slammed" on his brakes —- that is, used a lot of force on his brakes —- and he "narrowly missed" a collision, in other words, came very close to having a collision: in other words, he "almost" had a collision. Even using his brakes to maximum effect, he almost had a collision. "Almost" means: any slight change in the negative direction would have been enough to bring about the collision. Well, not using the brakes at all — that's not a minor change, but rather a catastrophic change. That is enough to imply, unavoidably, that if he had not used his brakes at all, he would have had the collision. There's really no substantial argument against that.
While this passage is entirely unrealistic in its brevity, this little exercise demonstrates the spirit of GMAT RC inference: not directly stated, but an absolutely unavoidable consequence of what is explicitly stated.
Practice question
Try your hand at this free GMAT RC inference question.
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What Is A Bank Levy And How Do I Fix It?
At some point in your life, you might be slapped with a bank levy. Before you panic, keep in mind that this is a fixable issue with the right tax attorneys and lawyers. If you're stressed out over a bank levy, here's everything you need to know.
What is a bank levy?
One of the first questions you might find yourself asking is "what is a bank levy?" This type of levy is a court-sanctioned legal action that enables creditors to take money from your bank account if you have a debt.
The creditor will receive a court order against you in order to pay off a debt. As such your bank account is frozen and you won't be able to touch the funds in your accounts until the debt is paid off. All new money going into your account will go directly to the creditor who has ordered the levy. Keep in mind that the IRS can also order a bank levy. The IRS makes regular audits and can audit a business within three years of the filing date. In fact, the IRS can move to collect back taxes owed up to 10 years ago.
Can I stop it?
It can be difficult to stop a bank levy because the creditor has won a case against you. They have the legal right to freeze your account. However, there is a time before money is removed from your account where the creditor or the bank will inform you that a levy is employed. This is when you'll want to talk to tax attorneys about how to stop a levy on your bank account.
Here are some of the primary ways you and your tax lawyer can stop a levy:
 - Create a payment arrangement with the creditor in question. Once you have made arrangements to repay your debts, the creditor may remove the levy on your account.
 - You were unaware of the court lawsuit. In the event the lawsuit was made against you without notifying you, your tax attorneys can work to have the court judgment null and void.
 - You were a victim of identity theft. If you are unaware you owe funds because you were a victim of identity theft, you and your tax attorneys will need to prove you didn't receive the money from the creditors.
 - Bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy can halt the process for a period of time.
 - It's an old debt. If you can prove the statute of limitations has passed on a debt, you can have the levy removed.
If you're struggling with a bank levy on your account, contact the best tax attorneys and tax lien lawyers with Whelan Tax. Get the representation you deserve.


text:
Snowy owls rare to Missouri are visiting the Kansas City area
KANSAS CITY Mo - Snowy owls from the Arctic tundra are being spotted in the Midwest this winter in uncommonly large numbers, including three at Smithville Lake in the Kansas City area.
The large, white owls with black markings are rarely seen in this area and only when their winter food supply is short in their natural habitats to the north. A single snowy owl in the region is big news to birders.
But bird watchers in recent weeks have watched and photographed three snowy owls in the Smithville Lake area. One was spotted earlier this winter at the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge and at the Nodaway Valley Conservation Area. At least eight have been seen in Kansas and several in Iowa, said Mark Robbins, an ornithologist at the University of Kansas who also does bird studies in Missouri.
"This clearly is a huge movement compared to some years," Robbins said.
Food shortages in the tundra are likely the cause, he said. Snowy owls feed on lemmings in the tundra. They rarely appear as far south as Missouri and when they do it's because lemming populations have crashed and they're forced to move south to look for food, Robbins said. Lemming populations rise and fall in threeto five-year cycles.
Even during down years for lemmings, though, it's unusual to see several snowy owls in one area this far south. Missouri is on the southern edge of their winter range.
The three snowy owls at Smithville Lake have been seen most often in the Little Platte Park area north of Smithville. A Christmas Bird Count for the National Audubon Society was conducted at the lake on Saturday and the three snowy owls were all spotted and include in the tally, said Linda Williams of Liberty. Williams is a birder and a member of the Osage Trails Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalist Program sponsored by MDC.
There were 89 species of birds noted in Saturday's count at the lake, Williams said. But the snowy owls were the most unusual. Three in one general area could be a record number for one day's count in the Kansas City area.
Anyone taking a digital photo of a snowy owl is welcome to send pictures to Robbins via e-mail at _EMAIL_. If possible, take close photographs of the back, the nape and the back of the head, and the tail. With good photos, Robbins is able to identify the sex and age of a snowy owl. Also send information on when and where the owl was spotted.
Unfortunately, most owls that make it this far south during winters do not survive to make a return to the tundra in spring, Robbins said. Some are already starved and too weak. They are used to a solitary life on the tundra with few humans and other natural predators, and they are not used to avoiding automobile traffic. The owls are also not accustomed to hunting prey in this ecosystem. Studies have shown survival is especially poor among the young snowy owls.
Anyone finding a dead snowy owl is asked to contact their local conservation agent.


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How to: Create Custom Performance Counters
When you create a new counter, you first create a category, and then specify one or more counters to be included in it. You can do this in one of the following ways:
There are two special issues that you should consider when you create counters and categories. First, you cannot create custom categories and counters on remote computers. Second, your interaction with custom counters and categories is restricted to read-only mode unless you explicitly specify otherwise. In read-only mode, you cannot increment or decrement them or set the raw value or other values within them. You can use the ReadOnly property to set a custom counter to writable mode.
It is important to note the difference between creating a counter and creating an instance of the PerformanceCounter component. When you create a counter, you are creating a new category and its associated counters in the Windows operating system, rather than a component in your project or application. When you create an instance of the PerformanceCounter component, you create a component inside your Visual Studio project that references an external counter.
There are security restrictions that affect your ability to use performance counters. For more information, see Introduction to Monitoring Performance Thresholds.
Security noteSecurity Note:
When you create a performance counter, realize that the resource may already exist. Another process, perhaps a malicious one, may have already created the resource and have access to it. When you put data in the performance counter, the data is available to the other process.
The PerformanceCounter class is not fully supported on Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0. You can read from the system counters, but you cannot create, write to, or delete custom counters.
To create a new category and custom performance counter at design time
 1. Open Server Explorer and expand the node for the server you want to view.
 If the server you want is not listed, you have to add it. For more information, see How to: Access and Initialize Server Explorer/Database Explorer.
 2. Right-click the Performance Counters node and select Create New Category.
 The Performance Counter Builder dialog box appears.
 To access performance counters, you have to be a member of the security group that has access to performance counters (for example, the Performance Monitor Users group). Additionally, you might receive prompts on Windows Vista when you try to perform an action that requires elevated privileges, even when you are running under administrative permissions. For more information, see Windows Vista and Visual Studio.
 3. Enter a name and description for the category you want to create.
 If you specify the name of an existing category, an error will be raised. To overwrite an existing counter category, you must first delete the category by using the Delete method, and then add a new category.
 4. In the Counter List Builder frame, do the following:
 1. Click the New button.
 2. In the Counter frame, specify a name for the counter you want to create in the category.
 3. Choose a type from the Type drop-down list.
 4. Enter a description for the counter.
 5. Repeat step 4 for each counter you want to create in this category.
 Before you exit the dialog box, you can select any one of the counters in the Counters list and edit their values, or delete the counters.
 By default, counters and categories you create in the dialog box are read-write enabled, but your interaction with them through an instance of the PerformanceCounter component will be restricted to read-only unless you specify otherwise.
To create a new category and set of performance counters programmatically
 1. Create a collection of type CounterCreationDataCollection.
 2. Create the counters you want to create as objects of type CounterCreationData and set their necessary properties.
 3. Add the CounterCreationData objects to the collection by calling the collection's Add method.
 4. Call the Create method on the PerformanceCounterCategory class and pass the collection to it.
 The following example shows how to create a series of counters and pass them to the category when you create it:
 // Create a collection of type CounterCreationDataCollection.
 System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationDataCollection CounterDatas =
 new System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationDataCollection();
 // Create the counters and set their properties.
 System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationData cdCounter1 =
 new System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationData();
 System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationData cdCounter2 =
 new System.Diagnostics.CounterCreationData();
 cdCounter1.CounterName = "Counter1";
 cdCounter1.CounterHelp = "help string1";
 cdCounter1.CounterType = System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounterType.NumberOfItems64;
 cdCounter2.CounterName = "Counter2";
 cdCounter2.CounterHelp = "help string 2";
 cdCounter2.CounterType = System.Diagnostics.PerformanceCounterType.NumberOfItems64;
 // Add both counters to the collection.
 // Create the category and pass the collection to it.
 "Multi Counter Category", "Category help",
 PerformanceCounterCategoryType.SingleInstance, CounterDatas);
Community Additions
© 2014 Microsoft


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Saturday 25 May
Cape buttercup (Sparaxis grandiflora)
What's the World's Favourite Species?Find out here.
Cape buttercup fact file
- Find out more
- Print factsheet
Cape buttercup description
This perennial plant is well suited to its scientific name grandiflora, meaning 'large-flowered', as it bears prominent, cup-shaped flowers, in vivid shades of white, yellow or purple (4). The flowers, each measuring 35 to 45 millimetres across (4), are arranged in a cluster on the unbranched stem (5). Sparaxis grandiflora produces a fan of fairly succulent, sword-shaped leaves (4) (6), and an underground storage organ, or corm (2). The fruit of Sparaxis grandiflora is a capsule, within which are large, spherical, shiny seeds (5).
- Height: 10 - 25 cm (2)
Cape buttercup biology
Sparaxis grandiflora is a perennial plant (4), meaning that it lives for more than two seasons and, after an initial period, produces flowers once a year (7). The large flowers appear between August and September (2), and are pollinated by a range of insects, including bees, scarab beetles, and tabanids (8). A Sparaxis grandiflora plant may live for approximately ten years (5).Top
Cape buttercup range
Endemic to the Cape Floristic Region, an area of incredible plant diversity in south-western South Africa. Sparaxis grandiflora is distributed within this region from Clanwilliam south to Bredasdorp (2). The subspecies S. g. grandiflora is restricted to a few localities within the Tulbagh Valley (5).Top
Cape buttercup habitatTop
Cape buttercup status
Sparaxis grandiflora subspecies grandiflora is classified as Endangered (EN) on the Red List of South African Plants. Sparaxis grandiflora subspecies actutiloba, fimbriata, and violacea are all classified as Least Concern (LC) (3).Top
Cape buttercup threats
The subspecies S. g. grandiflora is classified as Endangered due to its small distribution. Previously more widespread, the expansion of agriculture, particularly vineyards and wheat fields, has taken its toll, and this subspecies can now only be found in small patches of natural renosterveld habitat that remain between agricultural lands. These remaining populations of S. g. grandiflora are threatened by pesticides, affecting the plant and its insect pollinators, and fertilisers, overloading the plant with excessive nutrients, that run-off the adjacent fields (5). With 90 percent of South Africa's wine production occurring within the Cape Floristic Region (9), the further expansion of vineyards poses a constant and significant threat to the survival of this subspecies (5).Top
Cape buttercup conservation
There are a number of protected areas within the Cape Floristic Region and several conservation projects being undertaken, which Sparaxis grandiflora may benefit from (10). The Custodians of Rare and Endangered Flowers (CREW), an initiative which has been involving communities in monitoring and conserving threatened plants in the Cape Floristic Region since 2003, mapped the natural vegetation of Tulbagh as part of the Tulbagh Renosterveld Project (11). The data collected by CREW confirmed the threatened status of S. g. grandiflora and alerted conservationists and local farmers to the importance of preventing further declines in the remaining populations (5). In addition, Sparaxis grandiflora, along with many other plants in the Cape Floristic Region, may benefit from a partnership between the wine industry and the conservation sector to conserve the rich biodiversity of this area. The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) arose out of concern that some of the region's vulnerable natural habitat might be targeted for vineyard expansion, and aims to prevent further loss of natural habitat in important sites, and promote changes in farming practices to enhance the suitability of vineyards as habitat for biodiversity, and reduce practices that have negative impacts. For example, the wine-producing owner of land at Contreberg set aside an area as a wildflower reserve, where Sparaxis grandiflora grows (9).Top
Find out more
For further information on the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative see:
Biodiversity and Wine Initiative:
Authenticated (06/07/10) by Lize von Staden, Red List Scientist, Threatened Species Programme, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Cape Floristic Region
- An area occupying about 90,000 square kilometres in South Africa that contains an incredibly high diversity of plant species (around 8,700 species), of which 68 percent are found no where else.
- A short swollen stem, which develops at ground level or below ground and has a storage function.
- A species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.
- A plant that normally lives for more than two seasons. After an initial period, the plant produces flowers once a year.
- To transfer pollen grains from the stamen (male part of a flower) to the stigma (female part of a flower) of a flowering plant. This usually leads to fertilisation, the development of seeds and, eventually, a new plant.
- An animal that in the act of visiting a plant's flowers transfers pollen grains from the stamen (male part of a flower) to the stigma (female part of a flower) of a flowering plant. This usually leads to fertilisation, the development of seeds and, eventually, a new plant.
- A type of fire-prone shrubland vegetation, characterised by a dominance of members of the daisy family. Renosterveld grows in fertile, clay-rich soils, where the annual rainfall is between 300 and 600 millimetres.
- A population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.
- Flies belonging to the family Tabanidae. Includes horseflies and gadflies.
- Heywood, V.H. (1978) Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J. (2000) Cape Plants: A Conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. National Botanical Institute of South Africa, Pretoria and Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri.
- Raimondo, D., Von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. (2009) Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
- Paterson-Jones, C. and Manning, J. (2007) Ecoguide Fynbos. Briza Publications, Pretoria, South Africa.
PlantZAfrica (March, 2008)
- Goldblatt, P. (1992) Phylogenetic analysis of the South African genus Sparaxis (Including Synnotia) (Iridaceae-Ixioideae), with two new species and a review of the genus. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 79(1): 143-159.
- Allaby, M. (1998) Dictionary of Plant Sciences. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Goldblatt, P., Manning, J.C. and Bernhardt, P. (2000) Adaptive radiation of pollination mechanisms in Sparaxis (Iridaceae: Ixioideae). Adansonia, 22(1): 57-70.
Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (March, 2008)
UNEP-WCMC: Cape Floral Protected Areas of South Africa (March, 2008)
- Ebrahim, I. (2005) Tulbagh Renosterveld Project. Crew News, 1: 5.
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What is pachyonychia congenita?
Pachyonychia congenita is a rare, inherited disorder of keratinisation. This is the process by which keratin is formed and deposited in the outer most layer of the skin. It occurs due to mutation in the genes encoding keratin 6a, 6b, 14, 16 or 17.
How is it inherited?
Pachyonychia congenita is most often autosomal dominantly inherited. That means the defective gene comes from one parent. An affected person has a 50% chance of passing on the disease to his or her offspring at each pregnancy.
A few cases of autosomal recessive pachyonychia congenita have also been reported, in which a family history may not be known as the abnormal gene is inherited from both parents. In this case, on average, one in every four of the offspring are affected.
Sporadic cases may also arise, due to mutations during conception.
What are the features of pachyonychia congenita?
Pachyonychia congenita affects the skin (especially palms and soles), nails, hair and mucous membranes. Specific features depend on which keratin gene is involved.
|Clinical feature of pachyonychia congenita|
|Palms and soles|
Classification of pachyonychia congenita
Pachyonychia congenita is classified into at least two types according to the clinical features,. Particular features may be more prominent in some patients than in others.
Pachyonychia congenita type 1
Type 1 (MIM# 167200) is also known as the Jadassohn-Lewandowsky type of pachyonychia congenita. Features are:
- Nail changes
- Palmoplantar hyperkeratosis
- Follicular hyperkeratosis (thickened horny plugs) on the face & extensor surfaces of the limbs
- Oral leukokeratosis (whitish areas inside the mouth)
Pachyonychia congenita type 2
Type 2 (MIM# 167201) or the Jackson-Lawler type of pachyonychia congenita includes the features of type 1 plus:
How is Pachyonychia congenita diagnosed?
Pachyonychia congenita is diagnosed by its clinical appearance.
Skin biopsies of the affected tissues will only show nonspecific changes.
Molecular genetic studies can be done by specialist laboratories to detect mutations in the affected keratin genes.
Unfortunately there is no cure for pachyonychia congenita. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the severity of the specific problem.Treatment might include:
- Keratolytics e.g. salicylic acid ointment
- Mechanical debridement
- Oral retinoids e.g. acitretin
- OMIM – Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (search term pachyonychia congenita)
- Pachyonychia Congenita – GeneTests GeneReviews
On DermNet NZ:
- Pachyonychia Congenita – Medscape Reference
- Pachyonychia congenita US National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference
- Pachyonychia congnita type 2 #167210 – OMIM
- Pachyonychia congnita type 2 #167290 – OMIM
Books about skin diseases:
See the DermNet NZ bookstore


Having no friends could be as deadly as smoking
How To Know Whether She Is Aroused and ready...
September 21, 2016 Comments Off on Ever Wondered Why Dogs Run Behind Moving Vehicles? Views: 3161 Awareness, Featured
Ever Wondered Why Dogs Run Behind Moving Vehicles?
Lately, most malayalis have taken a stand for or against street dogs. Most of us who hate them are just scared of them. Its true that when they run behind vehicles there is a possibility of accidents. But efficient drivers can manage without having one. But have you ever wondered why dogs run behind moving vehicles?
You must have seen dogs guarding poor people who are sleeping on the streets. They are their ultimate companion and really loyal to them. If you are a dog lover you will know why dogs actually bark. It is a way they show that the person is not invited in their territory. Or to find out if the person is trustworthy.
Some reasons why a dog runs behind moving vehicles are this, the dog may either be feeling hungry or just bored! When a dog finds a vehicle that has urine of any other dog, which does not belong to its territory, it can infuriate this dog further, as it'll tend to not accept any other dog from the other territory. Dogs usually get excited very fast and are curious in nature. Since moving vehicles perk up these instincts, their urge to chase those vehicles increases suddenly, and they end up running behind these vehicles. It is believed that although some dogs do it due to their share of bad experience with a driver, there are a few out there who are just very excited all the time and do it simply to kill time!
Loneliness is another reason for a dogs anxiety issues. They are very social animals and deserved to be loved. Howling is one way a dog's generally expresses its loneliness. Apart from this, the other reason to bark is just an attempt to get human attention! Sound Sensitivity Dogs have extra-sensitive hearing and smelling capability. They can hear the sound that a general human cannot hear. So, if they find any sound or any smell, which is unlikely, they would react to it by barking. For Protection Since dogs are protective by nature, it is protective about its own territory. The dog barks to let others know that something is approaching; and by barking, it makes the predator aware of its presence.


10 X Genomics Single-cell Transcriptome Sequencing
Next-generation Sequencing
Service Overview
Single-cell transcriptome sequencing is a novel sequencing strategy that reveals gene expression at single-cell level. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing enables distinguish of different cell populations from tissue samples and studies on single-cell behaviour at molecular level. 10X Genomics enables single cell capturing and individual library construction with help of microfluidics, oil droplets of nanoliters and up to millions of different barcodes. Transcriptome information of 500 to 10,000 single cells can be isolated within one run. Accompany with high-throughput sequencing, transcriptome study can be extended to single cell level, which makes it a perfect technique to reveal single cell phenotyping and differential expression analysis between cell populations. It has been widely applied in various biomedical arena including diseases, immunology, cancer research,etc.
10 X GENOMICS Workflow
Gel Bead-in-Emulsions
Single-cell sequencing platform consist of single cell separation, microfluidics-based amplification and data analysis, which overcomes the difficulties: 1) single cell separation and 2) Low quantity RNA reverse transcription.
Results Demo
Cell differentiation tracking
Marker gene identification
Cell type identification
tSNE clustering on cells
1How to identify the cell type of a cluster?
1. Based on marker gene: For cell types that have been extensively studied, marker genes that could represent cell type features can be found in literatures. For example, T cells are marked as CD3+/CD4+ and B cells are marked as CD19+/CD20+.
1) Loupe Cell Browser or similar software is able to define cell type of a cluster based on corresponding expression of marker genes.
2) Cell-Ranger and monocle2 or similar single-cell analyzing software are able to identify differentially expressed genes between clusters. Cell type can be identified by matching marker genes with DEG list.
2. Based on functional pathways of genes: For cell types without typical marker genes or clusters without known marker genes, DEGs between clusters can be identified and annotated with KEGG and GO database. Function of the clusters can be predicted.
2What are the differences between the software mentioned in report: Cell-Ranger, Monocle2 or other analyzing tools?
Each software is relatively independent. However, some analysis are overlapped between each other, e.g. cell clustering, differential genes identification, functional analysis, etc. Cell-Range is the official analyzing software provided by 10X. Its output is included in conclusive report (html ver. ). These analysis is less flexible for customized analysis. monocl2 is one of the most commonly used software to analyze single-cell data, which is developed by Cole Trapnell from Washington University (Developer of TopHat and Cufflinks). It covers most of single-cell analysis and highly flexible-for parameter setting,etc. SC3 software is also available for customized analysis of specific research goal.


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The ADT CHEETEH is a computational model simulating the response of a human target to Active Denial Technology (ADT). ADT is a counterpersonnel, nonlethal weapon system developed for military use. ADT subjects a target to pulses of focused 95-GHz electromagnetic energy. This diffuses approximately 400 microns into the target's skin, producing no skin damage (within a known range of doses) while still causing a burning sensation strong enough to repel the target. ADT CHEETEH estimates the physical output of the ADT system and its effect on the target's physiology, cognition, and behavior. Each model run completes in a few minutes on a standard laptop computer and quantifies the ADT system's main measure of effectiveness (repel or not) as well as its intermediate measures of performance (dose on target, temperature and damage in skin, perceived pain level, etc.).
The author has also published a paper relating to this topic. To view, click here


Research Seminar 2016-2017
Research Seminar Wednesday November 30, 2016
 Martine Debaisieux
« Peau d'Ane » musicienne, ou les entremises de la perversion chez Jacques Demy.
In his film adaptation of Charles Perrault's « Peau d'Ane » (Donkey Skin), Jacques Demy takes a significant distance from a "perverse story" — as he refers to it -– in order to make it suitable for a large audience. We will examine how Demy deals with the awakening of the incestuous desire in comparing text and movie sequence. (in French)
Samantha Mattocci
Boccaccio the Scribe: the Case of MS Laurenziano Pluteo 29.8
During his lifelong activity as a scribe, Giovanni Boccaccio produced a wide range of manuscripts that differ in layout, content, and format. This paper will focus specifically on the physical features of MS Laurenziano Pluteo 29.8., and aims to provide a comprehensive explanation of the nature and purpose of this Boccaccian autograph through the analysis of the manuscript's layout and of Boccaccio's writing practices.
Gilles Bousquet, Carlo Annelli, Caitlin Yocco-Locascio
Learn Local, Live Global? Exploring a University's Alumni and Global Connections
This presentation will feature an update on two distinct and related research projects, one on foreign direct investments in Wisconsin business, the other on the career trajectories of FRIT alumni, as part of a larger study on the evolution of public (research) universities in a time of national tension and global pressures.


text:
This title includes a number of Open Access chapters.
Edited by a leading researcher in the field, this book provides an overview of waste valorization and includes the editor's research in addition to other experts and recent and relevant studies on this critical topic. It covers treatment and pretreatment technologies and methodologies, energy recovery from solid wastes, recycling and reuse, additional cutting-edge valorization methodologies. Primarily aimed at researchers and advanced students in biochemical, engineering, and environmental fields, this book should also provide a valuable reference for municipal legislators and industry practitioners.
Table of Contents
Introduction. Overview. Valorization of Wastes, "End of Waste," and By-Produces using Hot and Cold Techniques. Advances on Waste Valorization: New Horizons for a More Sustainable Society. Treatments and Pretreatments. Optimization of Anaerobic Waste Management Systems. Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Biomethane Potential of Two-Phase Olive Mill Solid. Energy Recovery. Solid Waste as Renewable Source of Energy: Current and Future Possibility in Algeria. Energy Recovery Routes from Municipal Solid Waste: A Case Study of Arusha-Tanzania. Recycling and Reuse. Recycling of Pre-Washed Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Fly Ash in the Manufacturing of Low Temperature Setting Geopolymer Materials. A Perspective on the Prowaste Concept: Efficient Utilization of Plastic Waste through Product Design and Process Innovation. Recycling Glass Cullet from Waste CRTs for the Production of High Strength Mortars. Challenges and Alternatives to Plastics Recycling in the Automotive Sector. Other Methodologies. Case Study of a Successful Landfill Mining Operation. Multi-Stage Control of Waste Heat Recovery from High Temperature Slags Based on Time Temperature Transformation Curves. Index.