will turn to shame or guilt can be shaped by the organisation itself, because feelings of shame and guilt are essentially mixtures of a simple affective element (a raw feeling) and a cognitive process (a 'knowing', I guess).
The categories of Bullshit Jobs
Bullshit jobs, in my view, come in the following flavours (the list continues to grow):
1. Template populators: A template is an abstract structure or order into which relatively simple information or actions can be inserted in order to produce complex but standardised outputs, meeting the template designer's specifications. When you prepare statutory financial reports or regulatory returns, write contract tenders (or invitations to tender, for that matter) for the private or public sectors, if you manage a standardised 'evaluation', 'impact assessment', or 'consultation' process, if you're a UK solicitor involved in conveyancing, a health & safety inspector, or an HR employee taking applicants through a structured behavioural interview, then you are a template populator.
Templates allow complex processes to be standardised and parcelled out, so that individual populators can be allocated tasks they are able to perform, even if they are incapable of efficiently carrying out the whole process. The entire task can thus be performed with the lowest possible level of skilled labour input while meeting the given specification - not what the client wanted necessarily, but what they can be proven to have asked for.
Templates create and protect elites in two ways. First, by making the work of the skilled individuals who design templates scalable. The designer of the template creates a saving by substituting more skilled (designer) labour with less skilled (user) labour and reducing (user) distraction - thus making unskilled (user) labour more productive and releasing skilled (designer) labour to more productive uses. The more they can effectively 'own' the template, the more the designers of the template can capture at least some of this saving as rents.
Second, a template allows the extraction of rents by insulating both its designer and their immediate reports (middle management) from risk, at the expense of pretty much everyone else. After all, a template approved by the principal is almost incapable of producing an outcome the agent can get into trouble over. Which is why, for instance, audit firms rarely get into trouble every time a business they audit fails spectacularly.
When designers aren't effectively able to keep users from replicating their valuable templates elsewhere, it is still possible to restrict usage of the templates, by law or convention, to a relatively small number of users. These user-designers are known as professionals, and they are forced to share the collective rents extracted through templates fairly equally.
2. Junior Lobbyists: a Senior lobbyist in the wider sense is a person who creates 'value' for a constituency by bending the coercive powers of the state in their favour - delivering legislation or, even better, institutions, that allow them to either capture rents, or avoid conceding them to other parties. A corporate lobbyist is only the most obvious example. But the sprawling 'policy' industries of the Anglo-saxon world, the corporatist institutions of Europe, and the well-connected mega-corporates of Asia and Africa, are the preserve of senior lobbyists as well.
Now, a junior lobbyist does none of these things. Junior lobbyists create 'value' by supplying the senior lobbyist with legitimate means of getting close to the people they need to influence, and overcoming initial resistance. They create audiences, venues and props that enable the senior lobbyist to do their job.
Through their work, the constituency cross-subsidises other constituencies' senior lobbyists in return - especially once one considers that government ministers are themselves senior lobbyists to some extent, and their department staff are themselves junior lobbyists.
Finally, the existence of junior lobbyists provides reassurance to their constituents, who typically cannot observe the senior lobbyists at work, that their money is being spent in their best interests.
3. Outsourced compliance clerks, and their handlers: People usually speak of 'compliance' if they are in a regulated environment, and a specialist department has been given the role of checking that the business can be demonstrated to toe the line or better yet, stay off the regulator's radar altogether. I'm not too worried about them because they are essentially Template populators as per no. 1 above.
But compliance in practice can be more about internal policies than external regulations. Ever worked in a company that employs frequent travellers? I have. Our travel was ostensibly booked by a departmental PA, but in reality the poor lady was merely the first point of contact - she was required, by company policy, to forward our travel requests to a travel agent, who then came back with a quote. In all my years working for the company I was never able to get a quote from them that I couldn't beat with a simple search. They were costing, rather than saving, money. So the company, and our customers were getting negative value.
Why did this job exist? Because back in the day someone decided (correctly) that our department was spending too much on travel, with no one checking whether the travel was actually value-for-money and that people weren't treating themselves to the odd cheeky upgrade. The tough way to fix this would have been to speak to line managers and tell them it's their responsibility to keep travel costs down. Even better - give them a team budget each and end the tragedy of the commons. The easy way was to write up our policies, forward them to a contractor and say 'don't book anything that isn't compliant.' The travel agent isn't saving us money, or even making us waste less money. They simply ensure that we waste only within the boundaries of what is approved; and they skim a little bit of value out of this.
Our departmental PA (otherwise a highly competent person) wisely moved on to a better job. She didn't mention the word 'bullshit' but I think it was mostly out of courtesy.
4. Organisational Placebo Buttons
A placebo button is a button (e.g. on an elevator or a train door) that isn't actually wired to do anything, but exists in order to create an illusion of control. Placebo buttons exist because automation has advanced faster than the users it seeks to serve - and its purpose is to keep the latter content.
Organisational placebo buttons are created when senior decisionmaking bodies in organisations are stripped of their power or are forced to capitulate to an executive office. Alternatively they may be needed when decisionmaking bodies are ultimately powerless but their memberships aren't ready to admit this. This doesn't usually happen in purely commercial organisations, but it is very likely to happen in any kind of membership organisation, where the tension between management and membership needs to be management. The 'placebo button' is a person whose job it is to liaise with the fallen ex-decisionmakers for the sole purpose of assuring them they still matter. The purpose of all this is to allow management to run the organisation according to its own interests and yet appear to be paying close attention to the membership, for whom the organisation supposedly exists.
The placebo button job holder serves management of course, but, as long as they are junior enough, will tend to be flattered by the opportunity to rub shoulders with the senior'stakeholders' they are meant to reassure and soak in their wisdom. Once again, the progression is asymptotic - the placebo man or woman will almost certainly never become one of the stakeholders, or one of the senior manager rentiers they are covering for.
5. Scar tissue
Ursula LeGuin's The Disposessed offers an interesting thought on how anarchist societies might fail; in LeGuin's world, crises, in her case natural but I guess also man-made ones, can have a lasting effect on even an ideal anarchist society. They do this by building a'scar tissue' of control around the affected area, in order to resolve the crisis quickly and prevent it from arising again. The scar tissue never fades completly, and successive crises only add new, differently shaped layers to it. Commercial businesses, public sector bodies and non-profits act in much the same way.
When a product fails to click with its intended audience, you know a new layer of market research will e required before any further products get approved. When a newsletter or report prompts an angry response from important people, you know future editions will tend to require additional senior sign-off. When colleagues complain about being excluded from meetings, you know the organiser's response will be to copy them pre-emptively into everything remotely of interest in future.
Everyone's job incorporates scar tissue over time - eating away at the essence of their jobs even if they show no obvious signs of being bullshit jobs. The more'stakeholders' and 'internal clients', the greater the potential for crises, and the faster the buildup of scar tissue. The scar tissue protects senior management by helping the organisations draw less of its stakeholders' attention - which is essential if they are to continue to believe they call the shots.
Some of these jobs are set up in order to artificially create an 'owner' for a diffuse risk, or an owner for the metrics of said risk. Suppose you hire somebody, a third of whose job it is to 'co-ordinate' action on hospital waiting hours. They will collate, analyse and present figures on hospital waiting hours; they will 'liaise' (that word again) with people who actually can make a difference to the situation. But when responsibility is diffuse, these people are likely to be too senior, too remote, or too culturally silo-ed to reach. The 'waiting hours' person will know within a month that their job is not to improve


text:
The population pyramid for Mexico in 2010 is shown below:
What does this pyramid tell us about Mexico's population and possible future trends?
The number of babies born during the last 20 years has been more or less equal for each 5-year period. This is despite a higher number of females in the age-bearing categories (15-45). These two statements, taken together, must imply that both birth rates (number of births/1,000 people) and fertility rates (number of children per female of child-bearing age) have fallen and continue to fall.
There are numerous implications for a population with a declining number of babies. Perhaps the most obvious is that fewer school places will be required in ten years time than are currently needed. In Mexico's case, it is unlikely that school buildings will be closed (at least not in the short to mid-term) since many government-run schools currently house two independent school populations, one attending classes every morning, and the other attending classes in the afternoons.
The decline in babies also means that the average age of Mexico's population continues to rise. The median age of Mexico's 112.3 million inhabitants is now 26 years (i.e. half the population is older than 26 years, the other half is 26 years or younger).
Several chapters of Geo-Mexico: the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico discuss additional insights into Mexico's population dynamics and trends, and their implications for future development. An earlier post here includes a link to a pdf file showing Mexico's population pyramid in 1990, and the predicted pyramid for 2050. The 2050 pyramid shows just how fast Mexico's population will age if present trends continue.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text: What is paid attention is what is noticed. "Notice" is derived from gnosis. What is noticed is what is known. What is known is what is, is what you are. To know is to be, I am. Why attend to "the problem," when the whole world shows its perfection? We have only to pay attention, to notice.


text:
I have a blackbird nest in my wildly overgrown hedge. The babies have hatched, but how do I know if this is the blackbirds' first brood?
8 June 2007
Sent in by Julie Bush, Leeds
We do not recommend cutting or removing hedges or trees between the months of March and August.
Light pruning to neaten up a hedge from straggly shoots should not be damaging to nesting birds but the use of power tools and vigorous cutting and can be very destructive. If any work takes place it is vital to check for nesting birds before the work takes place. Nesting birds are often difficult to find even by the most observant of gardener so it is best to err on the side of caution. Certainly if you see a nest or a bird taking food into the hedge, I would leave well alone.
The best time cut a hedge is generally autumn or if it is a berry bearing species, early spring but no matter when you do it, always check first.
Blackbirds can start breeding as early as February if the weather is favourable. It is normal for a blackbird to have up to three broods in a season, this activity can go on until late summer, sometimes even into autumn. Other species like the robin, song thrush, dunnock and wren are also common hedge nesting birds among many others that may be vulnerable from hedge cutting.
It is also worth highlighting the fact that gardens that are neat and tidy are often not the best gardens for wildlife. Leaving wild patches and cutting hedges and lawns less often will be beneficial to wildlife. Gardens are vital for wildlife in built up areas as they may be the only suitable habitats for birds, insects and mammals. By leaving hedges to grow through the summer, planting wildflowers, creating a pond and a log pile it is likely your garden will become an urban oasis.
Please see the pages on the website on creating a wildlife garden.
How you can help
Do you have have a wildlife-related question you've always wanted to ask? You can use our online form to ask a question by clicking on the link below.
Ask a question

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Did your Civil War ancestor make a scrapbook about the Civil War?
If so, then you may have a window into your ancestor's attitudes toward the war and what he or she thought important to remember.
Ellen Gruber Garvey, a professor of English at New Jersey City University, in a column in The New York Times noted:
"A newspaper-clipping scrapbook... does not give us the direct information or expression we expect from diaries. Instead, it is a reminder that like us, Northerners and Southerners living through the Civil War relied on the media to tell them what was happening at a distance, or even across town. They looked to the media to support and express their feelings. And like 21st-century Web users sharing links, they saved items that mattered to them and sent them around again to friends, family or strangers."
What is in your ancestor's scrapbook? What does it say about him or her?


text:
Nordic Agenda 2017: As Their Lead Slips, Nordics Look to Revitalize Growth
After more than a half-century of economic and social success, Nordic countries are confronting the reality that they must adapt. The countries' ability to keep providing world-class social benefits is in question because of changes that are eroding the foundations of their economies. Those changes include the rise of new global competitors and the trend toward digitalization of economic activities around the world. While Nordic countries are still operating from a position of strength, their future is no longer assured.


text:
An named anchor, so you could target section of the page, like jump to content, used to be
You could access it in a link prefixing the name with a '#' like
Jump to content
The name attribute is obsolete. Consider putting an id attribute on the nearest container instead.
Or you could add '_TAG_' without the quotes to the end of the url in the browsers address bar.
 Field label:
The name and id can have the same value although the id must be unique on the page. Names can be reused as they are with radio or checkboxes.
CSS3 target pseudo class
You can style an element that is currently targeted, ( the _TAG_ is in the browsers address bar) using the pseudo class :target. This opens up some interesting possibilities such as displaying developers info or Pure CSS Slides.
Any element with an id can be a target, a useful pseudo class to keep in mind..


when it pains you not to speak
I'm reclaiming the word witch. To do so, I've got to take things all the way back to its roots…which are, much like the way we regard the word itself—shadowy, misunderstood and not completely clear. Even renowned scholars of etymology can't quite agree on how it first sprang up, but they all admit its origins are tantalizingly old, stemming from times and places where those labelled with the word witch were revered rather than reviled. Here are just a few of the earliest meanings to be found in the word's possible origins: One who bends (like a willow,) one who dances and makes mysterious
Continue Reading
Site Footer


text:
Surface area of a square pyramid calculator
The surface area of a Square Pyramid Calculator
Don't know how to calculate the area covered by the Square Pyramid? Mycaclu helps you to find it through the Surface area of a Square Pyramid Calculator. This free online calculator is very effective and easy to use as it does not require any skill to master.
Surface Area of a Square Pyramid Calculator
Surface Area of a Square Pyramid Calculator Result
How to use the Mycalcu Surface area of a Square Pyramid Calculator?
- Select the unit of length
- Enter the value of the base length in the respective box
- Enter the height of the pyramid
- Click on calculate to get the result
Would you like to use Surface Area of Sphere Calculator
Formula of the Surface area of a Square Pyramid
Surface Area = L² + 2L√(L²/4+H²) Where
H = Height of the pyramid
L = Length of the Square Pyramid
How to calculate the Surface area of a Square Pyramid?
- Take the square of the length for calculation of base area
- Add the areas of the four triangles
let's assume the length of the Square Pyramid is 45 feet and height is 156 feet
= L² + 2L√(L²/4+H²)
= 45²+2 x 45√(45²/4+156²)
= 9.38095 Feet³


text:
Literacy in Kindergarten Dramatic Play Centers, Part 2
- Grades: PreK–K
Our kindergarten bakery center is called "Easy Bake Shop," and everything on the menu my students can actually make in the Easy-Bake Oven or toaster oven. We also have pretend food for those who only want to pretend to eat. Because we do real cooking, this center requires adult supervision. But the kids would all agree it's worth it. As a bonus, the kindergarten bakery center also includes a good deal of math.
Literacy in Your Kindergarten Bakery Center
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Item: Signs
Come up with a name for your kindergarten bakery center by visiting Named At Last, and get ideas for a logo at The Logo Factory. To make signs for your kindergarten bakery center, you can get some professional-looking clip art right in Microsoft Word.
The images I used for the menu in my kindergarten bakery center came right off Google Images. I do not own the copyrights to the images.
You can find official recipes for the Easy-Bake Oven on its official site. For more affordable, longer-lasting recipes to use in your kindergarten bakery center, try EBO Recipes, Budget 101, eHow, or Cooking With Kids.
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Items: Ingredients, Timers, and Measuring Supplies
Almost everyone has these in their kitchen. Even if you don't have your students actually make anything, you can provide more literacy for your students just by putting a few food boxes, ingredients, and cooking supplies in your kindergarten bakery center.
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Item: Name Tags
If you don't want to make business cards for your kindergarten bakery center by hand, visit Moo.com.
To make a "Take a Number" ticket dispenser for my kindergarten bakery center, I attached numbers to a large tape dispenser. If you use this method, be aware that your students will need help ripping off the numbers because the blade is bigger. As long as an adult helps, it isn't a problem.
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Items: Cups, Plates, Napkins, and Place Mats With Bakery Logo
For links to Web sites where you can print play money for your kindergarten bakery center, see my post "Literacy in Kindergarten Dramatic Play Centers, Part 1."
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Item: Frequent-Buyer Punch Cards
Kindergarten Centers Literacy Item: Customer Reviews
Speaking of literacy, yesterday was Family Literacy Day and this year's theme is "Play for Literacy," which means the classroom dramatic play center isn't the only place children can learn to read — they can play at home with their families, too! So encourage the families of your students to extend the bakery center to cooking at home, or to play some board games together. Every little bit helps. Read more at the National Center for Family Literacy.
How do you use literacy in your kindergarten bakery center?
Have a delicious weekend!
If you enjoyed this article, please link to it using this html:
Literacy in Kindergarten Dramatic Play Centers, Pt. 2: Bakery/a>


Creating demand versus time-shifting demand
I have two really bad habits: an interest in global politics and economics. Given the global economic downturn, there's been plenty to read about in both areas.
Recently, I've found an interesting subject in the debate over the 'Cash for Clunkers' program in the United States that has encouraged consumers to trade in their gas guzzling automobiles for more fuel efficient ones. Depending on who you listen to, 'Cash for Clunkers' is an example of Keynesian economics working wonders or it's a wasteful, inefficient government program whose true benefits are overestimated.
In the debate, skeptics frequently make an important point: 'Cash for Clunkers' is merely shifting future demand for new automobiles to today, not stimulating new demand. If one believes this to be a valid argument, which I do, the implication is obvious: the program isn't stimulating new auto sales, it's 'borrowing' them from the future.
While this point seems lost on many, the idea that demand can be both created and time-shifted is an important one to pay attention to if you run a business. In the context of a business, long-term sustainability generally requires the stimulation of demand for products and services, either from new customers or existing customers. Running a successful business, however, sometimes calls for the time-shifting of demand to meet immediate goals and manage cash flow.
Hypothetical example: you run a company that licenses a software product to customers. It should go without saying that you need to sell licenses to build a successful business. That means you have to acquire customers. Without customer acquisition, you're not going anywhere. Once you have a base of customers and have hit a plateau, taking your business to the next level will probably require that you develop new markets. You might do this by adding new products that your existing customers could benefit from or you might do this by finding a new market in which your product has an application. All of this falls under 'creating demand'.
Sometimes, however, creating demand isn't all there is to it. Perhaps, for instance, you have quarterly earnings estimates that need to be hit to secure an additional round of financing from an investor or perhaps you have bills coming due at the end of the month and cash flow is tight. Since you have a short-term need to bring in cash, trying to create new demand is probably not the most expedient approach. So you instead look to time-shift demand. This may entail offering a customer a discount on an early license renewal so that you can book revenue this quarter instead of next. Or it may entail giving an existing customer a sweetheart deal on a product it isn't already licensing.
In the final analysis, creating demand is all about growing and developing business; time-shifting demand is all about managing and choreographing the business you already have. For business owners, understanding that there's a difference and knowing when each should be employed is a crucial part of building a company that's sustainable over the long haul but that doesn't get lost navigating the short-term obstacles that almost all businesses eventually face.
Photo credit: MikeBlogs via Flickr.
Topics: Strategy & Operations
Add your own
Reader comments (3)
 1. Rob Mclaughlin Rob Mclaughlin
 European Web Analytics Specialist at Canon Europe
 11:10AM on 20th August 2009
 Great post. This is a real challenge in ecommerce - if/when to offer a discount - total monthly revenue vs total quarterly etc...
 I suppose it points towards the need for CRM based approaches to discounting.
 It is a great concept to get your head around - knowing that someone will almost definitely buy so working to optimize their purchase date for your business :)
 2. Avatar-blank-50x50 Benjy
 3:08PM on 21st August 2009
 I hadn't really thought of it like that before... but you're dead on. This demand shift is exactyl what the auto makers needed, though, given the cash tied up in languishing inventory and other cash flow issues. Better to sell tomorrow's cars today and see tomorrow than to wait for tomorrow's sale and be gone before the consumer shows up. While the desperate situation of Detroit is one thing, how many other businesses hurt themselves in the long run by training customers to wait for sales/discounts before the end of a quarter, etc? Demand shifts and average price drops, so they have to create more demand just to tread water.
 3. Avatar-blank-50x50 Jim Novo
 12:51PM on 23rd August 2009
 Interactive business models are particularly prone to this demand shifting by their nature, and especially among best customers. This will be "discovered" when the use of control groups becomes common in the testing of online Marketing programs (as it already is offline).
 A good example is shopping cart recapture programs where discounts are offered. The fact response rates are exceedingly high is not good; it just means most of these respondents would have bought anyway and the company is flushing future margin dollars down the pipe today.
 Th sad thing is this borrowing from the future (often called subsidy cost in Marketing) is so easy to measure and twist to your financial benefit using a simple controlled test setup. Exclude a random sample from the program, measure *incremental* response over this control group.
 You find there is a "most profitable moment" to make such an offer, and it is certainly not when response rates are maximized, which the "faster the better" crowd touts as optimization of cart recapture programs. Optimizing for response under this scenario simply maximizes margin erosion.
 And I doubt that's what the senior folks in the company had in mind.
 Sure, if you're coming up to the quarterly targets and want to drive Sales over Profits, by all means, go right ahead and subsidize best customers. But know what you're doing and do it for a reason.
Log in to post a comment


Net zero investment portfolios: de-risking capital allocation
Author Robyn Ashton
Date April 2020
Long term climate change, while foreseeable, adds uncertainty to investment forecasts and increases risk. Portfolio asset managers and investors, especially those investing in assets such as commercial real estate, are particularly exposed to physical risk through increased storm damage, flood risk and increased temperatures. Ambitious climate strategies directed by net zero emissions (NZE) shows commitment to action and will increasingly become a key differentiator in investment selection. Targeting NZE for owned and managed assets provides a pathway to both mitigating risks and attracting investors.
By combining climate science with business insights, a board can receive robust facts, data and metrics to clearly articulate the management of climate related financial risks, and the ability to project climate driven changes in the value of different assets and their productive capacity.
The opportunity in Australia
As of last year,[1] 19 companies within the Australian real estate sector had announced emissions targets. A number of large property developers such as Mirvac[2], Dexus[3] and AMP Capital Real Estate[4] announced net zero targets covering scope 1 and scope 2 emissions sources[5].
Companies are missing a significant opportunity for differentiation and leadership in this sector. Energetics predicts that in 2020, the number of NZE commitments will increase significantly.
Figure 1. Current emissions targets in the property sector[6]
Emissions reductions modelling can scope the task from now through to the achievement of a net zero target by 2050. From this work, business cases can be developed for:
 - investments in energy efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption/demand
 - a procurement strategy incorporating on-site generation and renewable electricity procurement such as a corporate renewable PPA to further reduce costs and exposure to energy market volatility.
 - implementation and use of smart energy management systems that can optimise energy consumption and provide valuable business insights.
 - tracking performance and reporting on progress
 - managing climate risk dynamically by monitoring the scientific advice and community concerns.
How do I achieve NZE?
Investment portfolios require different strategies and opportunities for eliminating emissions. Many of these opportunities not only reduce emissions and increase investor interest, they generate savings for the assets.
A pathway for setting and achieving NZE is outlined below.
Figure 2. NZE roadmaps
Scope and define
Scoping, defining and calculating the portfolio's carbon footprint is the first step in reducing emissions. Understanding a portfolio's emissions is more complex than just adding up your electricity and gas use or using your NGER report. With a range of assets types within each investment portfolio including commercial offices, warehouses, industrial and retail, a range of emissions sources may be prevalent.
Identify opportunities and develop business cases
Identifying emissions reduction opportunities to reduce each emissions source may include:
 - Electric vehicles, electrification, refrigerant replacement (scope 1)
 - Energy efficiency, NABERS uplift strategies, on-site renewable energy, renewable electricity procurement (scope 2)
 - Waste reduction initiatives, flight and travel reduction, active transport (scope 3).
Including the financial impacts as part of these initial investigations will assist fund managers in understanding the investment requirements of achieving the target. While cost should not be the sole driver, it is often an important consideration. Some opportunities provide financial savings (energy efficiency, solar PV), some are cost neutral (renewable electricity procurement, EVs) while other may increase costs (refrigerant replacement, electrification).
It should be noted that offsets are typically required to meet a NZE target. The cost of offsets can significantly impact overall costs and should be a focus throughout the target setting process. Developing offset strategies and pricing forecasts are key requirements at the business case stage.
Actionable roadmaps
Energetics has experience developing emissions baselines and identifying emissions reduction opportunities. Together these are typically used to set interim corporate targets. Our experts have found that communication of objectives both within organisations and externally is key to reaching a target. Tools such as waterfall charts (below) aid in helping investors understand emissions sources and opportunities. Having a clear path to implementation provides stakeholders and investors with confidence in the strategy.
Figure 3. Example emissions roadmap
Implementation and offsets
Each emissions reduction opportunity should be implemented in line with the roadmap. Continuous monitoring of performance and achievements, and subsequent stakeholder communication and engagement, increases the program's chance of success.
Once emissions are reduced through direct actions, carbon offsets are required to offset residual emissions. Carbon offsets are seen as the last resort as they are a cost to the organisation offering no financial returns and can be seen negatively by investors if not supported by real action first. Due diligence should be undertaken to ensure that offsets to be purchased come from valid emissions reduction projects and that the project type or location of the project does not expose the company to reputational risk. Companies also need to be able to demonstrate that they are the unique purchaser of the offsets and that the offsets are not being recycled or reused in any way. Typically, this is through a transparent retirement of the offsets in a registry.
Each of these options provide benefits, but no single action will meet the target. A co-ordinated, planned approach that is clearly and widely communicated will promote a company culture that not only supports reducing emissions, but identifies further, and possibly innovative, opportunities.
Creating operational value in four ways
Firstly, as NZE requires a broad approach to energy and emissions management, it aids portfolio managers in identifying and implementing energy and emissions saving opportunities which in turn reduces operational costs. Secondly, sustainable buildings can improve rental yields by attracting rental premiums from tenants looking for both environmentally and operationally improved buildings. Thirdly, by improving the sustainability performance of assets and portfolios, an increased capital valuation can be achieved at sale. Finally, improved ESG management can enhance owner – tenant relations and increase asset visibility, therefore improving interest in investment. 5-star NABERS buildings have been found to attract a 9% rental premium and lower vacancy rates compared to buildings with less than 2 stars[7] and a US study found that for sustainable buildings operating costs decreased by 8% to 9%, building values increased by 7.5%, Return on Investment (ROI) improved by 6.6%, occupancy ratio increased by 3.5%, and rent ratio increased by 3%[8].
Lead, don't lag
Investment portfolio managers should define, scope and identify opportunities to reduce emissions to net zero by 2030. Aside from the increasing pressure to reduce emissions, there are other drivers: rising energy costs, investor uncertainty, physical climate impacts, reputational impacts (as an industry laggard), and potential market differentiation opportunities. While 2030 is a decade away, this challenge should not be underestimated. Setting clear roadmaps early will enable asset managers to identify opportunities and implement them at the correct time for the business. Reducing energy consumption and limiting emissions can provide savings to organisations and offer communication and marketing opportunities in competitive environments.
Energetics can support you in the development of your net zero emissions target and pathway to its achievement. Please contact us for more information.
[1] Climate Works Australia - Net Zero Momentum Tracker Property Sector (September 2019)
[2] Mirvac's plan to reach net positive carbon by 2030
[3] Dexus Sustainability Approach
[4] AMP Capital Media Release: AMP Capital launches ambitious 2030 real estate sustainability strategy (October 2019)
[5] These targets are defined as "closely aligned" as they do not include scope 3 emissions and therefore are not as "fully aligned" to the Paris Target of net zero by 2050 as defined originally.
[6] Climate Works Australia - Net Zero Momentum Tracker Property Sector (September 2019)
[7] Australian Property Institute - Building Better Returns
[8] Green Building Council of Australia - Valuing Green


text:
Meagan and Mitchell Turner helped restore the Cloverdale Garden at NASA.
Photo courtesy Andrea Turner
Native plants are as much a part of history as centuries-old brick-and-mortar buildings.
Just ask the Turner family of York County.
For a year, Andrea Turner and her children, Meagan and Mitchell, have worked to restore the historical Cloverdale Garden at NASA Langley Research Center.
The garden goes back about 277 years ago, when Augustine Moore purchased 50 acres of land from James Tomer, the grandson of Thomas Wythe I, according to a recent article in The Researcher News, a NASA publication. That land, which now occupies portions of the western area of NASA's Langley Research Center, was known as the Moorefield Plantation. It was home for the Moore family for roughly 35 years until they moved to the Moore House in Yorktown, where a treaty ended the American Revolution.
"The garden encourages people to plant natives that require less water, fertilizer and pesticides, thus adding fewer chemicals to the landscape and maintaining water quality in nearby rivers and streams," says Andrea. Husband Travis, a research scientist at Langley, also assisted with the garden.
In addition, most of the native species attract beneficial pollinators.
You can see the garden and talk to the Turners 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 22 during NASA's open house. Meagan, 10, and Mitchell, 8, members of the Conservation-Preservation-Restoration Committee of the Moore House Society, Children of the American Revolution, and Andrea, member of the Comte de Grasse Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, will feature information on native plants, and will give out free columbine seeds collected from their own plants. You need to show a driver's license at the gate to attend the free open house.
Native plants the Turners have planted include witch hazel, pawpaw, fringe tree, Yorktown onion, mayapple, Jamestown lily, woodland pinkroot, black-eyed Susan, Joe-pye weed, giant sunflower, button blazing star, thread-leaf coreopsis, anise-scented goldenrod, spiderwort, woodland aster, cardinal flower, common milkweed, purple coneflower, eastern red columbine and eastern dogwood. The garden also features graveled walkways and benches.
Many of these plants benefit pollinators and wildlife, giving them sanctuary, food and nesting sites.
"It helps people understand that pesticides will destroy our already diminishing pollinators that are needed for a healthy ecosystem," says Andrea.
"One of the primary goals of the CAR is to preserve and restore places of historical importance associated with men and women who forwarded American independence, this being the Cloverdale Garden. Their second charge for the CPR committee is to preserve our native ecosystem and conserve our resources." Learn more about these efforts through the Virginia Society Children of the American Revolutionhttp://www.vscar.organd the Moore House Society at _URL_
The Turners preserve and nurture native and colonial plants at their home, using them in the CAR's Yorktown Herb Garden, as well as the Cloverdale project. Andrea also sugars flowers and leaves to use and eat on cakes and cupcakes.
"Our next endeavor is to grow colonial plants that lend themselves to fabulous dye colors," says Andrea.
Plant sale. Hampton master gardeners sell thousands of plants 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Bluebird Gap Farm, 60 Chapel Hill Road, Hampton. Cash or check; _PHONE_.
Contact Kathy at _EMAIL_.


text:
In this section, there are tutorials constructed from my research as an undergraduate. Just click on the link for the full tutorial.
hubo LED display
This section includes tutorials on how to build a 100 LED dot-matrix LED display for the Hubo KHR-4 Humanoid Robot.
Tutorial 1: Assembling the DSP Breakout Board (Hubo Lab DSP Board)
Tutorial 2: Assembling the LED matrix and driver board (designed by myself)
Turorial 3: Software running in the F2808 DSP for the LED Display
In the spring and summer of 2008, I sought out for a new microcontroller for use in the lab. Since I am a usual subscriber to the Nuts and Volts magazine, I had some controllers lined up. Among the ones that I had in mind was the Netburner MOD5213. This microcontroller is a Freescale DSP on an easy-to-work-with 40 pin DIP package. The processor operates at 66MHz, with a 63 MIPS throughput rate. Some other features of the MODS5213 are:
- 8 channel ADC operating at 100kHz sample frequency.
- Up to 8 independent PWM Channels with two separate clock frequencies.
- up to 4 Digital Timer Inputs for measuring time and counting.
- 3 standard UARTs for communication via asynchronous 3.3 volt-level RS232.
- 1 QSPI (Queued Serial Peripheral Interface) Synchronous serial interface for up to 2 devices via the Chip Select pins.
- 3 IRQ Hardware Interrupt Pins for an Interrupt Service Routine.
- Up to 2 I2C (I-squared-C) ports for communications with real-Time-Clocks, EEPROMS, and other various devices.
Although most of the features are multiplexed together to fit in the 40 pins package, this was not a major downfall. I estimated that most of the functions will not be used simultaneously, thus eliminating the need to do everything at any given time.
Tutorial 1: Introduction to the Netburner DSP - This is a brief introduction to the Netburner DSP using the hardware development board. In this tutorial, the Factory Demo configuration is used to understand the basics of the Netburner API, and the hardware.
Tutorial 2: Netburner and GPIO Pins - This tutorial helps the user understand the concepts of a general purpose (GPIO - General Purpose Input Output) pin. Using the Netburner API, the user will toggle an LED on the development board. (Modification may also be necessary if the user is not using the development board).
Tutorial 3: Netburner and PWM Control - This starts to dive into how to use the Netburner software (the include files) to change registers for the PWM module. An oscilloscope may be used on the designated pin to see the output result of the PWM control.
Tutorial 4: Analog to Digital Converter for the MOD5213 - This tutorial explains how to set up the A2D Converter on the MOD5213 Netburner DSP. Caution must be observed, in that the Pins on the Netburner are not 5 volt tolerant, and must go through a voltage divider if voltages over 3.3volts are used.
Tutorial 5: Locked Anti-phase Motor Controller (PWM Control) - This tutorial uses the PWM module to drive a transistor H-Bridge. The control implemented is called locked anti-phase, in that when the signal is low, one side of the H-Bridge is operating, and vice versa for the high signal. When the PWM frequency is high enough, the motor will stop (due to increased motor impedance) and 50% duty cycle will signify a stopped speed for the motor. To drive the motor, simply offset the duty cycle to a longer or shorter pulse. (Ex. If the duty cycle is 75%, then the motor will be driven at: 75%-50% = 25% * 2 = 50% in the forward direction. Likewise, for a 40% duty cycle, 40%-50% = -10% * 2 = -20%, or 20% duty cycle in the reverse direction.)
Nothing Here yet, more to come in the future!
F2808 DSP Board
The first draft of tutorial 1 for the Hubo LED Display is up and ready!


text:
House Plant Propagation
House Plant Propagation
Indoor gardeners may want to propagate a house plant. Some plants get too big and need to be started over. Each plant will only respond to a few or only one of the many propagation techniques. Some methods of propagation are easy, others are more complicated. Know what methods work with a particular plant then use the one that seems to be the most effective.
A stem cutting is a terminal growing point on a plant. It is 4 to 6 inches long and is cut off at a node. A node is the point on a stem where a leaf is attached. The bottom leaves are removed from and the lower end is inserted into the rooting medium. Remove any flowers or flower buds that may be present.
Leaf section cuttings are made by cutting a leaf into pieces. Keep track of which is the lower end by notching the top of the cutting when it is made. Cuttings inserted into the rooting medium upside down will not root.
Entire leaf cuttings are used with plants such as rex begonia. All of the leaf blade is used but not the leaf stem or petiole. About 1/3 of the leaf blade is inserted into the rooting medium.
Leaf petiole cuttings are made up of the leaf blade plus the leaf stem or petiole. African violets are often propagated in this way. Do not use very young leaves. The petiole is inserted into the rooting medium.
A leaf bud cutting is made when part of the plant is cut off and sectioned. Each stem section has a leaf, or set of leaves, attached. The length of the attached stem can range from one to several inches, depending on leaf size. The stem is buried horizontally in the rooting medium with the leaf sticking up. If the leaves are in pairs on opposite sides of the stem, the stem may be split down the middle.
Cane cuttings are also called stem section cuttings. Cuttings are made by cutting a stem into sections. Each section must have a bud on it. Place the sections horizontally in the rooting medium with the bud side up and only the bottom side covered with soil.
Air layering is useful when plants become too large for their growing area. Air layering is the rooting of a stem terminal while it is still attached to the plant. First, cut the stem at a point just below a leaf. The cut should be about an inch long and go about half way through the stem. Insert a wooden match stick or toothpick into the cut to keep it open. If wood is not inserted into the cut, it may heal without rooting. Next, wrap the cut in moist sphagnum moss. The ball of moss should be about the size of a large orange or small grapefruit. Cover the moss with aluminum foil or plastic and secure the ends with string, tape or wire ties. Check the moss every few days to make sure it is still moist. When the roots are well developed, cut the stem below the root ball and pot up the new plant. Air layering is slow, taking as long as two to three months.
Division is one of the easiest methods of plant propagation. A crowded plant can be removed from its pot and cut into two or more sections. Each section is potted up separately. Division involving separating small plants may be more complicated. The best divisions will be those with good root development. When there are enough of these to furnish the desired number of plants, there is no problem. If more plants are wanted, it may be necessary to save small, poorly, rooted divisions. The rootless divisions are potted up and treated as cuttings. They will develop roots but take longer to develop into good plants.
All propagation methods require a rooting media that can be one of several things. One of the possibilities is vermiculite. This material is light, readily available, and easy to work with. Check it often for dryness. It drains well and many plants will root very nicely in vermiculite. Good, clean, sterilized sand can be used. Water is sometimes used to root plants. The roots formed in water are not the type formed in soil-like rooting media. Consequently water is not suggested as a rooting medium.
Cover rooting cuttings with a plastic tent. The tent keeps the humidity high and prevents drying out. Do not completely enclose the cuttings in plastic as some air circulation is necessary. Place sticks or wire in the pot to support the plastic. Drape the plastic over the supports, leaving it open at the bottom.
Once rooted cuttings can be potted up and placed in their new growing area. Do not delay potting until the plants are large with extensive root systems. More root injury will result from waiting.


Wagner Lab Research
University of Zurich
Institute of
Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Evolution by Gene Duplication
Much like humans, gene duplicates may be created equal, but they do not stay that way for long. Many of them get eliminated through deleterious mutations, others diverge in sequence and function, but the remainder may retain similar functions for a long time. What role does natural selection play in this divergence? How do new gene functions arise? Do gene duplications cause an increase in gene expression? Does this increase carry a significant energy cost? These are some of the questions we are asking about gene duplications.
Despite the divergence of most duplicate genes, some genes with overlapping functions have been retained, in some cases for hundreds of millions of years. Examples include the many partially redundant genes in vertebrates, the result of ancient gene duplications in primitive chordates. Gene duplicates with similar functions may provide robustness against mutations, environmental change, and noise. Does natural selection retain some duplicates with similar functions because of the robustness they can provide? Using the apparatus of mathematical population genetics, we showed that natural selection can maintain redundant gene duplicates in sufficiently large populations.
In other work, we characterized the sequence and functional divergence of thousands of duplicate genes in different organisms, and showed that this divergence is often asymmetric. That is, one of two duplicates diverges much more rapidly than the other, a process that may be driven by the functional divergence of one of the duplicates.
We also ask about the costs of gene duplication, and whether gene duplications would rise to fixation neutrally or aided by natural selection. Through comprehensive analyses of functional genomic data, we could show that the increases in gene expression caused by gene duplication carry an energy cost that is high enough to be selected against in large populations. In such populations, gene duplications could thus not go to fixation neutrally.
Selected Publications
Guo, B., Zuo, M., Wagner, A. (2012) Pervasive indels and their evolutionary dynamics after the fish-specific genome duplication. Molecular Biology and Evolution. doi: 10.1093/molbev/mss108. [reprint request]
Wagner, A. (2008) Gene duplications, robustness, and evolutionary innovations. Bioessays 30, 367-373. [reprint request]
Wagner, A. (2005) Energy constraints on the evolution of gene expression. Molecular Biology and Evolution22:1365–1374. [PDF]
Wagner, A. (2005) Distributed robustness versus redundancy as causes of mutational robustness. Bioessays 27,176–188. [PDF]
Wagner, A. (2002) Asymmetric functional divergence of duplicate genes. Mol. Biol. Evol. 19, _PHONE_. [PDF]
Wagner, A. (2000) The role of pleiotropy, population size fluctuations, and fitness effects of mutations in the evolution of redundant gene functions. Genetics 154, _PHONE_ [PDF]
Wagner, A. (2000) Decoupled evolution of coding region and expression patterns after gene duplications: implications for the neutralist-selectionist debate. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.97, 6579-6584. [PDF]
Wagner, A. (1994) Evolution of gene networks by gene duplications: a mathematical model and its implications on genome organization. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA.91, 4387-4391. [PDF]


text:
would divide the polygon class into convex-polygon and non-convex-polygon, then subdivide the latter class into simple-polygon and self-intersecting-polygon. With this choice, however, you lose the ability to address all five-sided figures as a group.
One solution to this quandary is multiple inheritance—allowing a class to have more than one parent. Thus a five-pointed star could be a subclass both of pentagon and of self-intersecting-polygon and could inherit methods from both. The wisdom of this arrangement is a matter of eternal controversy in the OOP community.
Aspect-oriented programming takes another approach to dealing with "crosscutting" issues that cannot easily be arranged in a treelike hierarchy. An example in the geometry program might be the need to update a display window every time a figure is moved or modified. The straightforward OOP solution is to have each method that changes the appearance of a figure (such as rotate or scale) send a message to a display-manager object, telling the display what needs to be redrawn. But hundreds of methods could send such messages. Even apart from the boredom of writing the same code over and over, there is the worry that the interface to the display manager might change someday, requiring many methods to be revised. The AOP answer is to isolate the display-update "aspect" of the program in a module of its own. The programmer writes one instance of the code that calls for a display update, along with a specification of all the occasions on which that code is to be invoked—for example, whenever a rotate method is executed. Then even though the text of the rotate method does not mention display updating, the appropriate message is sent at the appropriate time.
An AOP system called AspectJ, developed by Gregor Kiczales and a group of colleagues at Xerox PARC, works as an extension of the Java language. AOP is particularly attractive for implementing ubiquitous tasks such as error-handling, the logging of events, and synchronizing multiple threads of execution, which might otherwise be scattered throughout a program. But there are dissenting views. Jörg Kienzle and Rachid Guerraoui report on an attempt to build a transactionprocessing system with AspectJ, where the key requirement is that transactions be executed completely or not at all (so that the system cannot debit one account without crediting another). They found it difficult to cleanly isolate this property as an aspect.
Surely the most obvious place to look for help with programming a computer is the computer itself. If Fortran can be compiled into machine code, then why not transform some higher-level description or specification directly into a ready-to-run program? This is an old dream. It lives on under names such as generative programming, metaprogramming and intentional programming.
In general, fully automatic programming remains beyond our reach, but there is one area where the idea has solid theoretical underpinnings as well as a record of practical success: in the building of compilers. Instead of hand-crafting a compiler for a specific programming language, the common practice is to write a grammar for the language and then generate the compiler with a program called a compiler compiler. (The best-known of these programs is Yacc, which stands for "yet another compiler compiler.")
Generative programming would adapt this model to other domains. For example, a program generator for the kind of software that controls printers and other peripheral devices would accept a grammar-like description of the device and produce an appropriately specialized program. Another kind of generator might assemble "protocol stacks" for computer networking.
Krzysztof Czarnecki and Ulrich W. Eisenecker compare a generative-programming system to a factory for manufacturing automobiles. Building the factory is more work than building a single car by hand, but the factory can produce thousands of cars. Moreover, if the factory is designed well, it can turn out many different models just by changing the specifications. Likewise generative programming would create families of programs tailored to diverse circumstances but all assembled from similar components.
The Quality Without a Name
Another new programming methodology draws its inspiration from an unexpected quarter. Although the term "computer architecture" goes back to the dawn of the industry, it was nonetheless a surprise when a band of software designers became disciples of a bricks-and-steel architect, Christopher Alexander. Even Alexander was surprised.
Alexander is known for the enigmatic thesis that well-designed buildings and towns must have "the quality without a name." He explains: "The fact that this quality cannot be named does not mean that it is vague or imprecise. It is impossible to name because it is unerringly precise." Does that answer your question?
Even if the quality had a name, it's not clear how one would turn it into a prescription for building good houses—or good software. Fortunately, Alexander is more explicit elsewhere in his writings. He urges architects to exploit recurrent patterns observed in both problems and solutions. For the pattern of events labeled "watching the world go by," a good solution is probably going to look something like a front porch. Taken over into the world of software, this approach leads to a catalogue of design patterns for solving specific, recurring problems in object-oriented programming. For example, a pattern named Bridge deals with the problem of setting up communications between two objects that may not know of each other's existence at the time a program is written. A pattern named Composite handles the situation where a single object and a collection of multiple objects have to be given the same status, as is often the case with files and directories of files.
Over the past 10 years a sizable community has grown up around the pattern idea. There are dozens of books, web sites and an annual conference called Pattern Languages of Programming, or PLoP. Compared with earlier reform movements in computing, the pattern community sounds a little unfocused and New Age. Whereas structured programming was founded on a proof that three specific structures suffice to express all algorithms, there is nothing resembling such a proof to justify the selection of ideas included in catalogues of design patterns. As a matter of fact, the whole idea of proofs seems to be out of favor in the pattern community.
Software Jeremiahs usually preach that programming should be an engineering profession, guided by standards analogous to building codes, or else it should be a branch of applied mathematics, with programs constructed like mathematical proofs. The pattern movement rejects both of these ideals and suggests instead that programmers are like carpenters or stonemasons—stewards of a body of knowledge gained by experience and passed along by tradition and apprenticeship. This is a movement of practitioners, not academics. Pattern advocates express particular contempt for the notion that programming might someday be taken over entirely by the computer. Automating a craft, they argue, is not only infeasible but also undesirable.
The rhetoric of the pattern movement may sound like the ranting of a fringe group, but pattern methods have been adopted in several large organizations producing large—and successful—software systems. (When you make a phone call, you may well be relying on the work of programmers seeking out the quality without a name.) Moreover, beyond the rhetoric, the writings of the software-patterns community can be quite down-to-earth and pragmatic.
If the pattern community is on the radical fringe, how far out is extreme programming (or, as it is sometimes spelled, eXtreme programming)? For the leaders of this movement, the issue is not so much the nature of the software itself but the way programming projects are organized and managed. They want to peel away layers of bureaucracy and jettison most of the stages of analysis, planning, testing, review and documentation that slow down software development. Just let programmers program! The recommended protocol is to work in pairs, two programmers huddling over a single keyboard, checking their own work as they go along. Is it a fad? A cult? Although the name may evoke a culture of body piercing and bungee jumping, extreme programming seems to have gained a foothold among the pinstriped suits. The first major project completed under the method was a payroll system for a transnational automobile manufacturer.
Ask Me About My OOP Diet
Frederick Brooks, who wrote of the tar pit in the 1960s, followed up in 1987 with an essay on the futility of seeking a "silver bullet," a single magical remedy for all of software's ills. Techniques such as object-oriented programming might alleviate "accidental difficulties" of software development, he said, but the essential complexity cannot be wished away. This pronouncement that the disease is incurable made everyone feel better. But it deterred no one from proposing remedies.
After several weeks' immersion in the how-to-program literature, I am reminded of the shelves upon shelves of diet books in the self-help department of my local bookstore. In saying this I mean no disrespect to either genre. Most diet books, somewhere deep inside, offer sound advice: Eat less, exercise more. Most programming manuals also give wise counsel: Modularize, encapsulate. But surveying the hundreds of titles in both categories leaves me with a nagging doubt: The very multiplicity of answers undermines them all. Isn't it likely that we'd all be thinner, and we'd all have better software, if there were just one true diet, and one true programming methodology?
Maybe that day will come. In the meantime, I'm going on a spaghetti-code diet.
© Brian Hayes


text:
A way to toughen up the latex particles used to make emulsion paints has been developed by UK chemists. The approach involves adding tiny slivers of clay armor to make the particles more hard wearing and fire resistant.
Until now, latex emulsion paints have been made by adding a soap-like surfactant molecule to allow the hydrophobic, or water-hating, polymer ingredients to mix with water. The surfactant stabilizes the paint mixture and allows decorators everywhere the chance to slap on a multitude of colors with a matt or satin finish to walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.
Now, chemist Stefan Bon and Patrick Colver of the University of Warwick have taken a different approach. They have found a simple way to individually coat the prospective paint's polymer particles with disks of Laponite clay just a few billionths of a meter in diameter. These nanodisks, just 1 nanometer thick and 25 nanometers in diameter, create an armored layer on the individual polymer latex particles in the paint. Because the Laponite clay has an ambivalent chemical nature, it can bond both to the hydrophobic particles but also sit comfortably in the "hydro", the water. So, not only does it provide particulate protection, it makes the surfactant additive redundant in emulsion paint.
The Lapointe clay disks can be applied using current industrial paint manufacturing equipment and treatment with ultrasound—sonication—say the researchers. Starting materials for the polymers are styrene, lauryl (meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, octyl acrylate, and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate.
The new clay armor is not only about improving home improvements. The team says the same technology can also be used to create highly sensitive materials for sensors. The researchers can take a closely packed sample of the armored polymers and heat it to burn away the polymer cores of the armored particles leaving just a network of nanoscopic interconnected hollow spheres. This gives a very large useful surface area in a very small space which is an ideal material to use in creating compact but highly sensitive sensors.
Bon, S., & Colver, P. (2007). Pickering Miniemulsion Polymerization Using Laponite Clay as a Stabilizer Langmuir, 23 (16), 8316-8322 DOI: 10.1021/la701150q


text:
You are looking at 1 - 9 of 9 items for
- Author or Editor: J.D. Obermiller x
A series of experiments was undertaken to compare the performance of an axial fan air blast sprayer equipped with air induction (AI) or conventional (C) nozzles in medium density apple (Malus ×domestica) orchards. Performance was compared by assessing 1) spray coverage within the canopy at four levels of across-row wind speeds, 2) ground deposits from airborne drift under still conditions, and 3) biological efficacy of a postbloom thinning spray and a seasonal "high-risk" fungicide program where thiophanate methyl was not included. Spray coverage was reduced by up to 50% with increasing across-row wind speeds, the most dramatic reductions occurring between 0 and 4 mph and at heights greater than 8 ft in the canopy. AI nozzles resulted in a 2-fold increase in spray coverage in the canopy of trees in the row immediately adjacent to the sprayer compared with C nozzles regardless of across-row wind speed. AI nozzles resulted in significantly less airborne drift compared with C nozzles under still conditions in an open field and within a mature 'Cripps Pink'/ 'M.7' orchard planted in rows 20 ft apart. Sprayer efficiency, measured as the proportion of total spray volume that was intercepted by the tree canopy, was higher for an airblast sprayer fitted with AI nozzles (38%) than for C nozzles (26%). The efficacy of a postbloom thinning spray (100 ppm benzyladenine plus carbaryl at 1 lb/100 gal) applied to 'Morgan Spur Red Delicious'/'M.111' trees planted at a between-row spacing of 15 ft was slightly greater when applied with AI nozzles compared with C nozzles. However, application of a "high-risk" fungicide program with AI nozzles resulted in a higher incidence of fruit with flyspeck (Zygophiala jamaicensis) at harvest compared with C nozzles. These inconsistencies were related to the combined effects of nozzle type, orchard row spacing, and canopy density on spray deposition on trees in the second row from the sprayer or to possible effects of nozzle type on droplet density on the target. AI nozzles should provide equivalent or possibly improved coverage and biological efficacy compared with C nozzles in well-managed orchards planted at distances of 18 ft or less between rows. However, when orchard rows are spaced greater than 18 ft apart, AI nozzles will result in reduced spray coverage and chemical efficacy compared with C nozzles because of a reduction in spray carry-over to adjacent rows as a result of reduced airborne drift.
The normal window for application of thinning chemicals in apple extends from bloom until 3 weeks after bloom, when the fruit reach a mean diameter of ≈16 mm. After this time fruit are generally insensitive to standard chemical thinning sprays. The potential for the photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor metamitron and the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) to thin apple fruit after the traditional thinning window was investigated in field experiments over three years. A standard rescue thinning spray of carbaryl plus ethephon plus naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) reduced fruit set of Gale 'Gala' if applied when the mean fruit diameter was 18, 20, and 27 mm in 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. The thinning activity of 400 mg·L−1 ACC was equivalent to the standard rescue thinning spray in 2010, whereas 350 mg·L−1 metamitron reduced fruit set more effectively than either the standard or ACC in 2010. Application of 400 mg·L−1 ACC plus 350 mg·L−1 metamitron when the mean fruit diameter was 18 mm reduced fruit set to almost no crop in 2010. The combination of metamitron plus ACC exhibited thinning activity after application at 25 and 33 mm mean fruit diameter in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Increased ethylene evolution was found in detached 'GoldRush' fruit 24 h after applications of ACC from 11 mm to 27 mm mean fruit diameter, but not when ACC was applied at 31 mm mean fruit diameter. Ethylene evolution was much higher after application of ACC at the 11 mm or 17 mm mean fruit diameter stage compared with application when fruit diameter was 23 mm or 27 mm. The thinning activity of ACC was related to the period of maximum ethylene response. The effects of delayed applications of ACC and metamitron on fruit set tended to be greater when these two chemicals were combined, suggesting that the creation of a carbohydrate stress and the capacity to convert ACC to ethylene are both required to trigger abscission of apple fruit larger than 18 mm in diameter.
A series of four experiments were undertaken to evaluate the effects of individual and combined applications of prohexadione-Ca (P-Ca) and GA4+7 primarily on fruit russet, but also on fruit set, fruit weight, early season shoot growth, and fruit maturity of 'Golden Delicious' apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.). A single application of P-Ca (138 to 167 mg·L−1) at petal fall (PF) reduced the severity of russet in three of the four experiments; however, multiple applications of 20 ppm GA4+7 at 10-day intervals beginning at PF generally reduced russet more effectively than P-Ca. P-Ca did not reduce the efficacy of GA4+7 sprays for russet reduction. However, GA4+7 sprays reduced the inhibitory effects of P-Ca on shoot growth measured 30 days after PF. A single application of P-Ca at PF had no effect on mean fruit weight at harvest. Fruit size was lowest for the combined P-Ca and GA4+7 treatment in every experiment, although there was a significant interaction between P-Ca and GA4+7 sprays on mean fruit weight in only one experiment. There were no consistent effects of P-Ca and GA4+7 sprays, alone or in combination, on fruit maturity parameters at harvest. These data show that a single application of P-Ca at PF reduced russet severity, and the effects of P-Ca and GA4+7 sprays on russet can be additive. The economic benefits resulting from a reduction in russet severity after combined P-Ca and GA4+7 sprays will need to be balanced against their occasional negative effect on fruit size. Chemical names used: prohexadione-calcium [3-oxido-4-propionyl-5-oxo-3 cyclohexenecarboxylate formulated as Apogee (27.5% a.i.)].
Experiments were conducted in commercial apple (Malus ×domestica) orchards in the southeastern U.S. between 1998 and 2006 with the primary objective of evaluating the effects of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and ethephon on return bloom. NAA increased return bloom in six of 10 experiments, whereas ethephon increased return bloom in four of seven experiments. Four biweekly applications of 5 ppm NAA during June and July (early summer NAA) increased return bloom more consistently than fewer applications. Four weekly preharvest applications of 5 ppm NAA increased return bloom of 'Delicious' and 'Golden Delicious' as effectively as early summer applications. Combining NAA and ethephon in early summer sprays did not consistently increase return bloom compared with either material alone. The flower cluster density of 'Golden Delicious' in the year of treatment had a negative effect on return bloom that was more pronounced on control trees than trees sprayed 5 weeks after bloom with 444 ppm ethephon (48 fl oz/acre Ethrel). Combining four early summer sprays of 316 ppm ethephon (24 fl oz/acre Ethrel) with 15 ppm gibberellin A4 + A7 (GA4+7) increased return bloom of 'Cameo' but had no effect on return bloom of 'Mutsu' or 'Golden Delicious'. Growth regulator treatments did not have a consistent effect on fruit firmness in the year of treatment. Naphthaleneacetic acid or ethephon treatments in the on year of a biennial bearing cycle can promote return bloom of apple spurs. However, the positive effect on return bloom may be minimal in cultivars with a strong natural tendency toward biennial bearing or when bloom or initial fruit set are heavy in the year of treatment.
The effects of foliar applications of the photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor metamitron on chlorophyll fluorescence and fruit set were compared in peach and apple trees. Metamitron increased dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence, measured as a reduction in Fv/Fm values, in both peaches and apples. Maximum suppression of the normalized ratio of variable fluorescence to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) in peaches occurred 1 to 2 days after application and Fv/Fm values recovered by 7 days after treatment. The effects of metamitron on chlorophyll fluorescence were more persistent in apples compared with peaches. Fv/Fm values in apple declined within 2 days of treatment and did not start recovering until 5 days after treatment or longer. Concentrations of metamit


12 Health Benefits Of Eating Chillies
Originated in America, Chilli has been a part of human diet since at least 7500 BC. With more than 200 varieties, and coloured anything from yellow to green and red to black, the heat in chillies range from mildly warm to mouth-blisteringly hot. Despite their fiery hotness, chillies are one of the most popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties.
Chilli, which actually is a fruit pod, is an excellent source of Vitamin A, B, C and E with minerals like molybdenum, manganese, folate, potassium, thiamin and copper. The Vitamin C content in chilli is several times more than what is present in an orange. Here are the health benefits of chillies which might have you motivated to cook with them very soon.
[vs slide="1″ slide_title="Powerful Antioxidants"]
1. Powerful Antioxidants
Chillies have Vitamin C and Vitamin A containing beta-carotenoids, which are a powerful antioxidant with capabilities to destroy free radical bodies. These radical bodies usually travel in the body causing huge
amounts of damage to cells, including nerve and blood vessel damage in diabetes. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing.
The antioxidants also have the capacity to wipe out the radical bodies that could build up cholesterol which cause major heart diseases like atherosclerosis and others. It also has properties to prevent other diseases like cataract and arthritis like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
[vs slide="2″ slide_title="Good For Heart"]
2. Good For Heart
Chilies have vitamin B6 and folic acid. The vitamin B reduces high homocysteine level. High homocysteine levels have been shown to cause damage to blood vessels and are associated with a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It also converts homocysteine into other molecules which is beneficial to lower cholesterol level.
[vs slide="3″ slide_title="Rich Iron Reserve"]
3. Rich Iron Reserve
Green chillies are an excellent natural source of iron.
Green chillies have a rich reserve of iron which is highly recommended for those prone to iron deficiency, especially Indian women.
[vs slide="4″ slide_title="Enhances Immunity"]
4. Enhances Immunity
Green chillies are rich source of Vitamin C. Often, consuming chillies helps in relieving congestion in nose. Along with this, Vitamin C in green chillies have the capabilities to strengthen your overall immunity to helps fight diseases naturally.
[vs slide="5″ slide_title="Work As Detoxifier"]
5. Work As Detoxifier
Chillies work as detoxifiers and help in removing waste products from our body and thus help increase supply of nutrients to the tissue. Chillies also act as gastrointestinal detoxicant, helping in digestion of food.
[vs slide="6″ slide_title=" Good For Brain "]
6.Good For Brain
Capsaicin in chillies stimulate brain to secrete endorphin and give
a sense of pleasure when consumed. This is the reason why people get addicted to chilli.
[vs slide="7″ slide_title="Prevent Lung disease"]
7. Prevent Lung disease
Chilies gives relief from nasal congestion by increasing the metabolism. It also dilates airway of lungs which reduces asthma and wheezing. It relieves chronic congestion in people who are heavy smokers. Cigarette smoke contains benzopyrene which destroys the vitamin A in the body. The vitamin A present in chili reduces inflammation of lungs and emphysema caused due to cigarette smoking.
[vs slide="8″ slide_title="Natural Pain Killer"]
8. Natural Pain Killer
Chillies stimulates the release of endorphins which are natural painkillers. They relieves pain caused due to shingles, bursitis, muscle spasm in shoulder, diabetic neuropathy and even arthritic pain in extremities.
[vs slide="9″ slide_title="Faster Digestion "]
9. Faster Digestion
696px) 100vw, 696px" />
Chillies have rich content of fibre and contrary to the existing misconceptions, eating chillies help in digesting your food faster.
[vs slide="10″ slide_title="Good For Skin"]
10. Good For Skin
Green chillies are rich in Vitamin E, which is essential in producing certain natural skin oils, which are helpful in getting good skin.
[vs slide="11″ slide_title="Reduce Risk Of Cancer"]
11. Reduce Risk Of Cancer
Vitamin C, beta-carotene and folic acid found in chilli is noted to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Chillies such as red pepper have carotenoid lycopene, which also prevents cancer.
[vs slide="12″ slide_title="Antibiotic Properties "]
12. Antibiotic Properties
Chillies help bring fresh blood to the place of infection. The fresh blood, rich with white blood cells and leukocytes, helps fight the viruses and
assist in fighting the infection faster.


text:
Opening (10 minutes), Session 6: The More We Get Together
In "Love Connects Us," a Tapestry of Faith program
Materials for Activity
- Chalice, candle, and matches or LED/battery-operated candle
- Newsprint, markers, and tape
- Heart ornaments cut from card stock (see Welcoming and Entering)
- Pens, pencils, or markers
Preparation for Activity
- Set up chalice.
- Write the words of James Vila Blake's covenant on newsprint, and post:
Love is the spirit of this church,
and service its law.
This is our great covenant:
To dwell together in peace,
To seek the truth in love,
And to help one another. — James Vila Blake
- Set heart-shaped ornaments, and pens, pencils, and markers by the chalice. If you will not do the Welcoming and Entering activity (where the early arriving participants create heart-shaped ornaments), make some in advance and set them by the chalice—one for each participant, plus a few extra.
- Be ready to model your own brief description of a way you have acted in service to the congregational community.
Description of Activity
The Opening brings participants together for a chalice-lighting ritual which honors the coming together of this community in the spirit of love, and reintroduces the Blake covenant.
Invite a participant to light the chalice. Lead the group to read aloud the Blake covenant. Say something like:
The covenant we said together says service is the law of this congregation. What does "service" mean?
Allow some responses. Then say:
If service means helping, how can that be a law?
Allow responses, if there are some. Then say:
Let's think about what would happen if, in our congregation, no one followed the law of service. What kinds of things would not get done?
Take a moment and think of ways our congregation depends on people acting in service of our community. Perhaps you can think of ways you or someone in your family has given service to help or support our congregation. What service have you done or could someone do?
Pause a moment. Then, ask a volunteer to select a heart shape, tell an example of an action to serve the congregational community, and briefly write or draw their idea on the heart. Or, model this yourself.
Invite participants to share verbally, one at a time. Also, invite anyone who would like to write on an ornament to do so, whether they choose to share verbally or not.
When all who wish to write on a heart shape have done so, ask participants to attach their heart ornaments to the Rainbow Wall Hanging. Show them how to tie the yarn which is looped through the ornament onto the wall hanging.
If your chalice contains an actual candle flame, re-gather the group around the chalice and blow it out together.
Including All Participants
Invite participants who may be unable to write on a heart shape to share verbally while you or another participant serves as "scribe." If you know some participants may be reluctant to share in a group, let them know as they enter the room that later they will be invited to share about ways we act in service to our congregational community. This may help them prepare an idea before the sharing time; however, do not put any participant on the spot to share in the group.
This work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors and congregations. Please consider making a donation today.
Last updated on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
- About the Authors
- Session 1
- Session 2
- Session 3
- Session 4
- Session 5
- Session 6
- Session 7
- Session 8
- Session 9
- Session 10
- Session 11
- Session 12
- Session 13
- Session 14
- Session 15
- Session 16
- List of Stories
- List of Handouts
- List of Leader Resources


How to Delete User Account Passwords using Command-Line in GNU/Linux?
Although these days the GNU/Linux operating system is a very user-friendly one thanks to the easy to use GUI (graphical user interfaces) which are usually created using both GTK and Qt toolkits. But as everyone knows, the true power of GNU/Linux lies in the "shell" or the command-line "interface" where you have the ability to execute commands using nothing but your keyboard.
The reason for this "behavior" is actually quite simple. It's because in the early days GNU/Linux was created by + for advanced PC users such as "ethical hackers" (the good fellas :P), programmers and system administrative type individuals.
This has both good and bad aspects but as said before those days are pretty much "over", for the average user. Although the GNU/Linux shell (came from Unix) or the command-line is still heavily in use...
Anyhow, one of the advantageous of using a shell command instead of a GUI is that, depending on the need, the shell command can do the same many times quicker than the GUI counterpart (not always true though).
This is because, one of the main issues that programmers usually confronted while creating GUI programs is the levels of "distractions" they create because of their nature (you know, they are more attractive than ugly command-line ones :D).
So, if you wanted to delete/disable a user account's password in GNU/Linux (say Ubuntu in this example) then you can use the built in GUI tools but as mentioned above, by using the command for that exact purpose in the "Terminal" window, you can achieve the same task, much more quicker!.
What is the use of this command anyway?
Well, let's say that you have a shared Linux computer (by your family, more than a single account) and someone couldn't remember their password and asked you to complete delete it so he/she can add a new one later.
In that case, you can log-in to your admin account and use the "standard" GUI tool OR, do that by using a single command which is quite fast as mentioned before + most importantly, you should use "opportunities" like these to showoff and let them know that you're in charge :P.
Sounds good Gayan, Lets do that!...
For this example I'm using my own beautiful other name :P "sameera". Now remember, GNU/Linux is a case sensitive operating system + when it comes to a user account, there are two main types.
*. The "actual" user name.
*. The "display" name.
For instance, I can enter "SAMEERA" or "SaMeeRA" as the display name, but the OS will automatically convert it to "sameera" (lower case - only), which is the actual user-name, because in GNU/Linux, user accounts are only kept in lower-case letters.
So, make sure to use the "actual" user name with the following command, not the display name.
1. Open your Terminal and enter the below command. Replace the text "name" with your actual user account name.
 sudo passwd -d name
That's it dudes!. Pretty simple stuff right?.
Also, as long as you remember the "sudo" password, you can even delete the default "sudo" attached user account (default admin) in Ubuntu (which is the first user account that you create while installing the OS).
To do that just use the the above command and replace the "name" with that defalut user account which holds the administrative privileges. But remember, if you do that, it raises security concerns since the apps that needs root privilages can now run freely (not all of them, but most).
So don't do that. You can add a new password for that admin account by using the below command afterward.
passwd name
Again, replace the name with that default account you created while installing Ubuntu and it'll ask for a new password and follow the on screen details. Once logged in to their accounts, other users can also use that command to change/add a new password, to their accounts as well.
You can read more about this Unix command-line which is called "passwd" by entering the below command which should open the manual. Enjoy.
 man passwd
No comments:
Post a Comment


text:
Bones piercing spears in Roman Gaelic Warfare. It remains in the bones after 2070 years
The enduring leɡасу of ancient conflicts often resides in the artifacts and remnants that survive the ravages of time. One such artifact, a stark testament to the brutality of warfare during the Roman Gaelic wаr, has recently come to light.
In a remarkable archaeological find, the heаd of a spear that had pierced through a bone during this tumultuous period still remains embedded in the bone after an astounding 2070 years.
The Roman Gaelic wаr, waged from 43 to 84 AD, was a protracted and feroсіouѕ ѕtruɡɡle between the Roman Empire and the Celtic tribes of what is now modern-day Ireland and Scotland.
It was a conflict marked by skirmishes, sieges, and pitched Bаttleѕ as both sides vied for control of these lands.
The discovery of this ѕрeаrheаd and the bone it pierced sheds light on the ɡrіttу reality of combat during this tumultuous time.
The ѕрeаrheаd, made of iron and with its tip still remarkably ѕhаrр, is a chilling relic of the vіolenсe that unfolded on the battlefield. Its position within the bone suggests that it was thrust into the body of a wаrrіor with ѕіɡnіfісаnt forсe.
The bone, belonging to an іndіvіduаl who likely perished during the conflict, has preserved the ѕрeаrheаd, acting as a time capsule that allows us to glimpse the Brutаl final moments of this ancient ѕoldіer's life.
Archaeologists and historians are now painstakingly examining this remarkable artifact, using it to ріeсe together the story of the іndіvіduаl it belonged to and the circumstances surrounding their deаth.
This find provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the weарonѕ and combat techniques of the time, offering insights into the strategies employed by both Roman and Celtic warriors.
Beyond its hіѕtorісаl and archaeological significance, the discovery of the ѕрeаrheаd still embedded in the bone is a poignant remіnder of the human сoѕt of wаr and the enduring іmрасt it leaves on individuals and communities.
It underscores the need to remember the lessons of history and to strive for peace and understanding in the modern world, where the echoes of ancient conflicts still reverberate through the ages.
This remarkable artifact serves as a bridge between the past and the present, inviting us to refleсt on the human experience and the enduring traces of our collective history.


text:
Radiation protection instrumentation - Installed ambient dose equivalent rate meters, warning and monitoring assemblies for neutrons with energies from thermal to 20 MeV
Assemblies of this type are commonly defined as area radiation monitors. They are normally employed to determine continuously the radiological situation in working areas in which the radiation field may change with time, for example, nuclear power plants, particle accelerators, high-activity laboratories, fuel reprocessing plants, etc., and provide alarms when the radiation field goes outside predetermined limits.
The assemblies considered in this document comprise at least:
- a detector assembly, which may, for example, consist of a detector probe (for thermal neutrons such as BF3 proportional counter, 3He proportional counter, 6LiI(Tl) scintillation detector, etc.) and a moderating and absorbing medium surrounding the detector;
- a processing assembly, which may be fitted into a centralized panel, which, in the case of warning assemblies and monitors, provides signal outputs and contacts capable of activating alarm or other trip circuits;
- alternatively, the case when all the processing electronics are placed within the detection unit (so called smart blocks) may be considered. In this case the functions of the processing assembly will be composed of only the indication, the providing signal outputs and contacts.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1994This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- this document has been updated to take account of the requirements of the relevant IEC standards, IEC 60532:2010 and IEC 61005:2014.


text:
Using fuses to protect a device based on semiconductors may
make you feel good, but it will seldom accomplish what is
intended. The reaction time of fuses is just too slow to actually
protect the semiconductors in most cases. When there is an
overload rather than an outright short, and the semiconductors
were designed with sufficient margin, it can work; but more often
the event that we are trying to protect against is indeed a
short circuit and the semiconductor is killed before the fuse
has time to react. For this reason, many systems that have
semiconductors are designed with fast reacting internal electronic
circuits to protect them against short circuits. The G203V stepper
motor driver and the G540 driver box are examples of this approach.
This does not mean that there is no need for fuses. They can
help by preventing total melt down or flame out even if they
do not save the semiconductors. This makes it more likely that
the unit will be repairable by replacing the semiconductors. Fuses
also serve to protect items like wiring and transformers that do not
fail faster than the fuse can blow.
With this in mind the question becomes where should the
fuse be located. My personal choice is to put the fuse in
the primary side of the power supply. This will protect the
supply and the items that it powers in most cases and only
requires a single fuse. True, it may allow one driver to draw
more current than it is rated to withstand, but if this is going
to happen with a G320X, the G320X has already failed. The
same can be said of most stepper and servo motor drivers because
their normal operation includes controlling the maximum current
into the motors.
If you do choose to put fuses between the power supply and
the G320X drivers, I would recommend that you also put a diode
across the fuse that allows current to flow from the G320X back
into the power supply even if the fuse is blown. This will help
protect the G320X from over-voltage after the fuse is blown.
Motor windings are inductors that will produce voltage spikes
when current is suddenly interrupted by the fuse blowing. The
diode provides a path to shunt this voltage spike. Also, a servo
motor that is being mechanically driven and operating as a generator
may apply excess voltage to the G320X if there is nowhere for
the current to go after the fuse is blown.
A fuse placed on the primary side of the power supply should be
sized according to the ratings of the power supply, assuming that
the supply is not grossly over sized.
PMDX.COM - Products for CNC and motion control applications


text:
The science behind handshakes
A new study suggests shaking hands is more than just a common greeting.
Researchers at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science say it's actually a way of smelling each other - much like animals do to learn more about one another. Except people are much more discreet.
The researchers used hidden cameras to observe more than 270 people while they waited alone. During that time the volunteers put their hands near their nose 22 percent of the time. Using some sneaky instrument that measured airflow to the nose, researchers realized they were actually sniffing their hands. Staff members eventually greeted some volunteers with a handshake. Participants who shake hands with someone of the same sex were twice as likely to subtly sniff their hands after.
Participants who shook hands with the opposite sex, however, were more likely to sniff their non-shaking hand.
The project's researcher told New Scientist, "People constantly have a hand at their face, they are sniffing it, and they modify that behavior after shaking hands. That demonstrates that the handshaking is a chemosignalling behavior."
Chemosignals are like pheromones that transmit information from our bodies - like sweating when we're afraid. New Scientist reports it's still unclear what chemical signals are exchanged through handshakes, or why there are different results for same-sex and cross-gender handshakes, but the team at Weizmann is now looking at how the signals might be affected in behavioral conditions like autism spectrum disorders.
They believe these results are just the "tip of the iceberg."
More on AOL:
First tortoise babies found on Galapagos Islands in more than 100 years
Free-range parents deemed responsible for 'unsubstantiated child neglect'
Iowa mother pregnant with rare set of monoamniotic twins


10 Things to Do: Ponce, Puerto Rico
By Leani García
Located on the southern coast, Ponce—La Perla del Sur (the Pearl of the South)—is Puerto Rico's second-largest city. Founded in 1692 by Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the legendary Spanish explorer's great-grandson, Ponce's museums and colonial buildings date to when it was Spain's capital for the island's southern region.
1. Stroll through Plaza las Delicias. Constructed in 1670, the Plaza of Delights is the heart of Ponce's historic zone. Visit the city's oldest colonial building, the Casa Alcaldía (City Hall), cool off at the Fuente...


text: Locus of Control refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them. Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe that events result primarily from their own behaviour and actions. Those with a high external locus of control believe that powerful others, fate, or chance primarily determine events. Those with a high internal locus of control have better control of their behaviour and tend to exhibition more political behaviours than externals and are more likely to attempt to influence other people; they are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation than do externals. The propensity to engage in political behaviour is stronger for individuals who have a high internal locus of control than for those who have a high external locus of control.


text:
In addition to stormwater management and creek maintenance, the city also takes steps to improve stormwater quality. The city has adopted local regulations that make causing or contributing to a discharge of pollutants into storm drains and waterways illegal. Creek or stormwater contamination should be reported immediately to General Services Division _PHONE_ for clean up.
- Starting in 2018, Citrus Heights residents can take their Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to the Sacramento County North Area Recovery Station (NARS). Citrus Heights residents may visit the city's Waste Management and Recyclingpage.
- Businesses that generate less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste can properly dispose of it by taking the hazardous waste in a sealed container to the Sacramento County North Area Recovery Station (NARS), located at: 4450 Roseville Road
North Highlands, CA 95660
- Use the least toxic products for cleaning and auto as well as pest and garden maintenance.
- Clean latex paint brushes in the sink, not outdoors.
- Maintain vehicles to keep the fluids from dripping onto the pavement.
- Properly dispose of auto fluids and batteries.
- When washing your car, use as little water and soap as possible to reduce the runoff and pollution, or better yet, use a commercial car wash that recycles the water.
Landscaping, Gardening & Construction
- Inform your landscape, construction and pool contractors about proper methods to prevent pollution.
- Sweep surfaces before hosing down to keep debris out of the storm drain.
- Consider safer alternatives to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Use sparingly and not before rain.
- Compost or recycle yard waste.
- Properly drain pools, spas, and fountains (see the Pools & Spas article)
Pick up pet waste, bag it, and dispose of the waste in the trash. This will prevent harmful bacteria from getting into our waterways. Visit the Animal Services Division's page for more information about the city's animal regulations.


Concrete Beam Design (per ACI)
Concrete Beam Design (per ACI)
100 - 500 downloads
Add this app to your lists
Concrete Beam Design is for the engineering investigation and design of reinforced concrete flexural slabs and beams. It performs flexural design, flexural investigation, moment redistribution, and shear design for rectangular and T-shaped concrete sections, while checking all ACI 318-11 Code requirements. Bar sizes, counts, and spacing are given for both flexural steel and stirrups.
Upgraded to include both US and SI units, metric reinforcing steel sizes, and the American Concrete Institute ACI 318-11 code.
Great for professional engineers who need quick input and detailed design output.
Great for students who can refer to the pertinent Code sections used in the Help file.
The application does the following:
-Accepts US or SI units and either US or European reinforcing bar sizes,
-Computes the required steel area and reinforcement for a given ultimate moment Mu,
-Computes the moment capacity ΦMn for a user input steel area,
-The user can select and save bar sizes for slabs and beams,
-Displays bar spacing for slabs and bar count for beams,
-Checks for the minimum code allowed bar spacing,
-Computes and displays the flexural strength ΦMn based on the bar size and bar count or spacing,
-Checks code requirements for both slab and beam minimum and maximum steel areas,
-Displays actual steel ratio along with the minimum and maximum allowed steel ratios,
-Displays the depth of the flexural compression block for use with T-shaped beams,
-Displays the flexural tensile strain εt,
-Computes the allowable moment redistribution and displays the redistributed moment and steel area,
-Computes the allowable shear force ΦVc,
-The user can select the stirrup bar size and the number of stirrup legs,
-Displays the stirrup bar size, number of vertical legs, and stirrup spacing for the Vu input,
-Computes and displays the shear strength ΦVn based on the stirrup bar size, leg count, and spacing,
-A Preferences screen saves the user's settings for US or Si units, member type, concrete strength, steel strength,
member width, member depth, slab bar size, beam bar size, stirrup bar size, and the number of stirrup legs,
-A Help screen provides instruction for the use of the app, and gives the section numbers for the pertinent ACI code sections,
-All input values and calculation results are saved when exiting the app, so that the data and results are available whenever the user returns to use it.
-The input and results can be emailed in a text file for sharing or printing.
Tags: concrete beam designs, concrete beam design, concrete column beam standard designed, beam design, reinforced concrete beam design, design of beam as per aci, peraci, design concret beam aci code31883, engineering information on concrete beams, design of concrete.
Recently changed in this version
-Improved for Android 4.x
Comments and ratings for Concrete Beam Design (per ACI)