Creating an accessible Canada
Around the globe, many countries are proactively seeking a digital arena that's accessible for all. They're putting legislation in place to inform businesses of web accessibility standards and enthuse compliance - and that includes the Accessible Canada Act. But what is it and what does it mean for you?
What is the Accessible Canada Act?
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) has been set out by the Government of Canada to fulfill their vision of a barrier-free Canada, where everyone can participate fully within their communities, workplaces and services without barriers. It's a proactive measure to eliminate and prevent barriers to ensure greater opportunities for persons with disabilities.
What does this mean for digital inclusion?
When it comes to identifying, removing and preventing barriers, the goal of ACA is to see a change in culture, where standards are developed, and proactive compliance and enforcement measures are seen. The priorities outlined by ACA below are applicable when it comes to digital accessibility...
 - Service design and delivery - to ensure services can be accessed and received by all
 - Employment - to ensure equal access to employment opportunities, and workplaces that are accessible for all
 - Information and communication technologies - to ensure accessible digital content and technologies that can be used by all
Where does it apply?
What does this mean for you?
The Accessible Canada Act puts the onus on the providers of services as well as employers, to ensure everyone has equal access to their services and the tools in place to support diverse needs. As something that should be on everybody's minds, whether you fit into one of the above categories or not, being compliant to accessibility standards helps you to become a more inclusive organization. It also has other benefits - since some disabilities can be hidden, unidentified or acquired later in life, being proactive and having the right support in place can help save you time and money too.
Creating online accessible services
Most products and services now rely on the seamless connections and quick access made available by a digital landscape. One in five people in Canada has a disability, meaning it has never been more important to create accessible experiences - and that encompasses both creating inclusive online services, in addition to addressing the considerations around equal access to employment opportunities.
Helping to make digital content more accessible are tools such as ReachDeck - a solution that helps organizations to improve the accessibility, readability and reach of their online content. ReachDeck helps you to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines by identifying errors on your website. It helps you to follow best practice advice for content creation, by highlighting readability errors. And, it provides your web visitors with a web accessibility toolbar, helping them to engage with your content in the way that suits them.
Creating inclusive workplaces
In Canada 59% of working-age adults with a disability report being employed but just 1 in 3 have accommodations in the workplace to support them day-to-day. Companies who invest in the right tools for their employees see an increase in productivity, morale and retention.
Inclusive software such as Read&Write, can help staff to more efficiently, more accurately, and more confidently. As a powerful literacy and productivity tool, Read&Write is designed to suits everyone's workstyle, and particularly benefits employees with Dyslexia, Aspergers, Dyspraxia, Autism and ADHD.
Empowering your employees and customers
By providing both of these tools, you are empowering your employees and customers to translate, read, write, and communicate with confidence and independence - particularly those with disabilities or literacy barriers. This increases the inclusivity and efficiency of your process and practices - whilst helping to break down communications barriers and compliment the services you provide. Not only will this help you to meet parts of the Accessible Canada Act, but ultimately it is the right thing to do.
If you're interested in finding out more about how we can help you in your accessibility and inclusion journey, take a look at our workplace solutions.


text:
Probabilistic performance-based seismic design (PDF)
fib Bulletin No. 68
Title: Probabilistic performance-based seismic designs
Category: Technical report
Format approx. DIN A4 (210x297 mm)
In the last ten to fifteen years a vast amount of research has been undertaken to improve on earlier methods for analysing the seismic reliability of structures. These efforts focused on identifying aspects of prominent relevance and disregarding the inessential ones, with the goal of producing methods that are both more efficient and easier to use in practice. Today this goal can be said to be substantially achieved.
During these years scientific activity covered all of the many aspects involved in such a multi-disciplinary problem, ranging from seismology, to geotechnics, to structural analysis and economy, all of them to be consistently organised into a probabilistic framework. As the output of this research was dispersed into a multitude of technical papers, fib Commission 7 thought it worthwhile to select the essential aspects of this large body of knowledge and to present them into a coherent and accessible document for structural engineers. To this end a task group of specialists was formed, whose qualifications come from their personal involvement in the above-mentioned developments throughout this period of time.
From its inception the group decided that the bulletin should have had a distinct educational character and provide a clear overview of the methods available. The outcome is a compact volume that starts by introducing the concepts and definitions of performance-based engineering, continues with two chapters on assessment and design, respectively, presenting the methods in detail accompanied by illustrative examples, and concludes with an appendix with sample programming excerpts for their implementation. It is believed that at present fib Bulletin 68 represents a unique compendium on probabilistic performance-based seismic design.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


How to fix: fail to boot Ubuntu using USB
I always prefer using a USB to install Ubuntu or any other Linux distro because it is easier, more convenient and faster than using a CD or DVD. However, yesterday a friend of mine got an error when trying to use a USB to boot Ubuntu. When he booted up using the USB, the bios of his laptop display an error " Bootmgr is missing, Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart". Here is the picture of the error:
bootmgr is missing
The reason of this error is that the file system type of the USB is NTFS. To make the USB work, you need to change its file system into FAT first before using UnetBootin to create the bootable USB.
To format a USB stick, you can use Gparted or other similar tools with a GUI. However, the cooler way is to use the command line. Here I will show you how to do that:
First, plug the USB in then run the following command as root to find out the name of the USB:
 sudo fdisk -l
After you ran this command, you will see the name of the USB ( usually /dev/sdb1)
Next, you just need to run the following command to format the USB into FAT file system:
 sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
linux tips and tricks


text:
Application to Request Registration as a Beneficiary
What does it mean to be a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet beneficiary?
The MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme is a unique fundraising tool which is already being used by over 8 000 schools, charities and welfare groups (our "beneficiaries"). We provide these registered beneficiaries with the opportunity to use the MySchool programme in order to raise supplementary annuity income for their organisations. This tool includes our management of the programme infrastructure, logistics, payment processing and allocation, card issuing, client service, query management, and reporting tools. We also provide the registered beneficiaries with various resources, such as customised application forms, website content and advice on how to use the programme to raise monthly sustainable funds through the programme.
It is up to the beneficiary to use these tools to raise funds and incorporate it into their fundraising plan.
How much money do beneficiaries make? How do they ensure the programme is a success?
It is the beneficiary's responsibility to use the tools we have provided to their benefit. MySchool does not manage the individual beneficiary's fundraising efforts. Therefore the amount of funds raised through the programme is dependent on various factors. We can learn a lot from beneficiaries who use the programme to raise substantial amounts of funds each month.
Those registered beneficiaries that are currently successfully using the programme have:
- A dedicated fundraising champion who manages all fundraising activities - including the MySchool Fundraising programme.
- At least 1000 active MySchool supporters - who use their cards frequently (on a monthly basis) at the various MySchool partners.
- Supporters located in MySchool partner service areas (i.e the supporters are willing and able to support the organisation at local partners, and our national partners).
- A fundraising and communications plan. They communicate with their supporters on a regular basis, through their various communication channels, to keep them updated on where to swipe their MySchool card, the funds raised and how these funds are used - they also remember to say "thank you" to their supporters!
- Events where they sign up new supporters and ensure their current supporters keep supporting them.
- A MySchool information page on their website, linked to MySchool on social media platforms, and have marketing material to show potential supporters and encourage them that they can be nominated as a beneficiary.
What is the difference between a School, Village and Planet Beneficiary?
There is only one MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet card, which gives you access to support up to three Beneficiaries. Our Beneficiaries are all classified as one of the following:
- MySchool Beneficiaries: registered schools.
- MyVillage Beneficiaries: charities that helps communities and individuals (adults and children).
- MyPlanet beneficiaries: organisations that focus on the improvement and protection of the environment and animals.
How to become a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet Beneficiary
- Make sure you qualify for an organisation to qualify for registration as a MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet Beneficiary, it must be either:
- a school that is registered with the Department of Education; or
- a non-profit organisation (NPO) or a public benefit organisation (PBO) that is registered as an NPO or a PBO with the South African Revenue Services; and must focus on:
- uplifting people with physical or mental disabilities, orphans or the vulnerable; or
- uplifting people through education or social development; or
- protecting the environment; or
- protecting animals; or
Your organisation cannot qualify as a Beneficiary if it is:
- a charity promoting religion (this includes institutions such as churches, mosques and temples);
- a charity promoting a specific political group or orientation;
- a charity promoting specific social activism issues or views;
- a sports club or association;
- an interest or hobby group; or
- a profit-making company.
Individuals cannot qualify as Beneficiary.
2. Send us the correct documents
Send us the following documents (by email only) so that we may process your application to be a Beneficiary:
- the completed MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet Beneficiary Application Form containing your full details and your signature indicating that you agree with our Terms and Conditions;
- a copy of your organisation's letterhead;
- a copy of your organisation's VAT registration form (if VAT registered);
- a short (no more than 300 words) description of what your organisation does;
- a marketing plan setting out how you intend to manage your status as a Beneficiary. The marketing plan must include:
- how many SUPPORTERS you currently have;
- how you stay in contact with them; and
- how you plan to increase the number of Supporters you currently have.
3. Wait for us to contact you
We will review your application based on the criteria we have determined, at our sole discretion. The application review process takes 8 / 10 weeks from the time that we receive the completed application. Failure to submit the required details and supporting documentation will result in your application not being reviewed and your application being declined. We will contact you to let you know whether your application has been successful and to confirm the next steps.


text:
As an elementary teacher, I often took the whitest sand which I could buy. Then I mixed food coloring with sand in a baggie. After that I dried the sand on a metal tray in the oven at 225 degrees. Stir a couple of times to make sure it all completely dries.
Use plain table salt & colored sidewalk chalk. Pour the salt into a shallow container, "rub" the chalk over it, before you know it you have colored "sand". My Girl Scouts loved doing this sand art craft.
You take regular "play sand", put it in a plastic bag, add food coloring, shake to color.
Back when I was a kid, we did a similar project making colored salt. Using colored chalk, put a small amount on some paper and rub the salt with the side of the chalk. Continue rubbing the salt until it is the color you desire. Then we used the colored salt the same as you would use colored sand.
I know its not sand but I would imagine you could try this with sand and see what happens.
Add your voice to the conversation. Click here to answer this question.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Bob (plural Bobs)
- A generic male person.
- (cryptography, physics, etc.) A placeholder name for the person or system receiving a message or signal from a source conventionally known as Alice.
Despite being used as a common noun, the word is typically still treated as a name and left capitalized.
person or system receiving a message


text:
Las Palmas Water Theatre
The Las Palmas Water Theatre by Grimshaw was based on the biomimetic design principle of mimicking process - in this case the way in which the Namibian fog-basking beetle has evolved a way to create its own fresh water in a desert.
This scheme employed similar ingenuity to take advantage of the sunny conditions, steady wind direction and cold seawater to create large amounts of desalinated water for the town of Las Palmas. The evaporators and condensers which are the basis of this technology were arranged to create a back-drop to an outdoor amphitheatre. What might normally have been a mundane piece of infrastructure is elevated to the level of sculpture.


LITHIUM, THE THIRD ROCK FROM NOTHING! "In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth" [Genesis 1, KJV]. But what is that stuff made of? Well, to start from nothing, at least in this Godly firmament, you need the guide that science provides. The Periodic Table. And that is where lithium fits in. For [...]
"A Plague on your Houses"
"A PLAGUE ON YOUR HOUSES" That was William Shakespeare in his play, "Romeo and Juliet," written in 1592. [Act 3, Scene 1]. Appropriate at this time of our pandemic. For Europe had, by Shakespeare's writing, already suffered two hundred years of the Black Death! Let's investigate. The "Plague" is caused by a lowly bacterium, one [...]
SURROUNDING: Mammoth Cave!
Introduction This is a journey log. One of culture, history, and scientific exploration. A recognition that, when we focus on the significant, we often ignore the peripheral things of interest. And there is much to learn about in those places. I love Kentucky, its people, its culture, and its landforms. And I love the fact [...]
The Caves, Cane, and Coal of Kentucky
THE CAVES, CANE, AND COAL OF KENTUCKY "Paradise" is what the first European explorers called Kentucky. And Kentucky still fashions itself as a Commonwealth. But it was known to many people, plants, and animals long before Thomas Walker crossed the Cumberland Gap in 1750, Christopher Gist visited Lower Shawneetown in 1751, or John Findley showed [...]
SURROUNDING: Munfordville!
SURROUNDING : Munfordville Kentucky. In the center of that Commonwealth. At the crossroads. The Green River running west, and Interstate 65 north and south. You have driven passed Munfordville many times. Why didn't you stop? Confederate General Braxton Bragg and Union General Don Carlos Buell stopped there. Fought there. For there is where the Louisville and [...]
Three Rivers in the Civil War
 THREE RIVERS IN THE CIVIL WAR Why is it called "Civil?" It was anything but. Still isn't. And to me, no buts when it comes to the carnage. Lives torn away from homes and families. Then bodies. And, in Kentucky, armies lined up along three rivers. The Cumberland, Green, and Tennessee Rivers. When Confederate [...]
Special Metals and Useful Minerals
PALLADIUM It is worth more than gold! What is Palladium? One atom with 46 protons. Where does it come from? God, if you consider suns exploding into supernovas to be such an expression of wonder. Where is it now? In your car, the catalytic converter. Palladium is a catalyst that allows unburned exhaust to [...]
The Trouble with Trilobites
 DON'T STEP THERE! Yikes! Look down where you stand. Walk with care. Trilobites are everywhere! Well, at least here in Kentucky. Pick up a rock in your stream. Chances are that it contains trilobites. Or maybe just parts of them. That's the problem. We want it all now. A big, beautiful, completely whole [...]
The Story of the Horse in America
YIPEEI-YO-KIY-YAEEI! That's Gene Autry in the 1935 science fiction western serial entitled, "The Phantom Empire." He was one of the first actors in movie serials to play himself. You see, Autry wasn't a trained actor. And he couldn't ride very well either. But director William Witney could. And he taught Autry how to handle a horse. The great horsemanship [...]


text:
Do you want to grow parsnip seeds in Virginia, but don't know when to start them?
Starting parsnip seeds is not as easy as it seems.
- Parsnip Seeds must be consistenly watered, receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, & be kept at room temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you don't consistently water them they won't germinate. If they aren't in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit they won't sprout. And if it receives 8 hours of sunlight the plant itself won't grow.
- Because Virginia's growing season is not long enough, parsnip seeds cannot be sowed outside and should only be started indoors.
Because of this, I'm going to teach you the ideal time to start parsnip seeds indoors in Virginia:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Parsnip, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Start Parsnip Seeds Indoors
Depending on the type of parsnip, it takes roughly 180 days (26 weeks) to grow parsnip from seed indoors before you can transplant them into your garden.
The approximate date of when you should start your parsnip seeds indoors can be found by:
- Finding the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 180 days from it
You can also find the average last frost date for most major cities in the below chart that I have created:
To help ensure the greatest success of your parsnip seeds germinating you should:
- Use a heat mat to ensure the gardening pot remains at 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Use a grow light to control how much light your parsnip seeds receive
- Water your seeds with a spray bottle to ensure your seeds are not overwatered
It should also be noted that you will not want to introduce your parsnip plants into your garden until 2 weeks after your last frost or else your plant will potentially die or not bear vegetables.
If you want to learn WHEN to start ANY Vegetable Seed in Virginia, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.


text:
16 Jul SAE Technical Standards – J2450 scoring metric
Prior to the proposal of the J2450 scoring metric, created by the SAE Technical Standards, quality measurement of language translation in the automotive industry was subjective. In an industry where poor quality translation services could result in lower consumer confidence, additional warranty costs as well as injury and death, it was determined that a specified method for quality assurance was necessary. In response, the SAE developed the J2450 scoring metric to allow for tighter control of translation quality while also making sure that the source language, target language and method of translation did not bias the measure of quality.
More specifically, the actual metric consists of four elements, each of which further classify errors. The first element of the standard classifies errors into seven primary error categories, ranging from the use of the wrong term, grammatical errors as well miscellaneous errors. Secondly, errors are then classified as either serious or minor, as determined by the evaluator. Next, each error is given a numerical score, which is defined in the standard. The fourth and final element results in the normalized score which is computed by dividing the sum of the individual numeric weights by the total number of words in the source language text.
It is important to note that while the standard results in a normalized score, the SAE does not specify or suggest an acceptable threshold for the score.
For clients that require definite quality assurance measures to be part of their workflows, we are able to implement the J2450 scoring metric, among other procedures.


text:
This post is part of a series of reflections from 2017 Digital Scholarship Incubator participants.
L. Kelly Fitzpatrick: A Starting Point in Twine for Institutional Repositories
Research sharing is supported by actions moved forward by authors, institutions, and scholarly infrastructures. In the context of university libraries, these actions are centered around the institutional repository – a central location where authors affiliated with the university can share their scholarship – created with the goal of sharing, preserving, and supporting research produced by the university. For this incubator I'm going to look at how an open source game engine may be adapted to support the institutional repository deposit process.
In looking at the author facing tasks that surround the institutional repository deposit process, there's the actual point of deposit, but there are also secondary actions that may accompany it. Examples of these tasks may include registering for an ORCID identifier, or outlining how authors may find metrics for the work they've shared. How can we take these author-facing tasks into a process built on existing library infrastructure? Furthermore, how can we create a solution that is, in itself, open, and can be adopted across institutional settings? Through the duration of this incubator, I'm going to explore Twine as tool to unify institutional repository deposit workflows for authors.
Twine is an open source game engine, publishing works in HTML format on both in-browser and desktop platforms. In the games space, Twine has been used to create popular works of interactive fiction and digital storytelling which use the modular structure of Twine to guide their players through paths of playable content. Adapting Twine for use outside of gaming isn't a new idea, with notable uses including the Smith College Twine Tour, "a historical mobile tour of the Smith College campus, featuring photos and other primary sources from Smith College Archives." While options for adapting Twine as a tool for digital scholarship are as flexible as a platform itself, we can begin to extend these possibilities to the infrastructures that support that scholarship.
At this stage I'm working on defining what a tangible end product of incubator should look like for this project. This is largely a scope question of what can realistically be addressed within the set duration of the incubator, and what can be reserved for a later point. In recognizing obstacles of scope present in all projects, setting occasions to reflect on what those goals are, and where a project is going will help prevent moving targets in the future.
In looking at Twine as a tool to support institutional repository deposits, the current goal of the project is to build an author-facing deposit path using Twine, and document each stage of the process. Following the incubator, the tentative next stage will be compiling this information as an detailed outline for institutional adoption.


text:
Cancer and dogs.
Things you could try.....
When a dog is battling cancer his immune system needs to be focused on one thing - and that's the cancer itself.
The dog doesn't have the strength to fight other battles e.g. chemicals that might attack his system.
To help, try and find non toxic alternatives to all your chemical cleaners. Don't use pesticides in the garden.
Feed with organic food.
Frontline etc or vaccinations of any sort may be detrimental to your dog's fight.
Most vets recommend that dogs fighting cancer get a diet that is high in protein (about 95%) and low in carbs (5%).
Most dog foods are not helpful to the dogs fight against cancer.
A raw meat diet gives the right protein/carb mix and supplies additional nutrients to promote maximum energy and immune system support.
Natural holistic dog foods can be an alternative.
There are also several feed supplements available to help.
Some target the cancer cells - either destroying them or otherwise slowing their growth.
Others'starve' the cancer by depriving it of the elements it needs to grow. Others serve as an extra boost to strengthen the dogs own energy and immune system.
Most of these supplements can work well together.
Best to speak to a trained holistic expert or vet.
If the vet says for example that your dog has 6 months to live - you start to worry. We wonder how long the dog has left with us, is he suffering, could I have done something earlier etc.
Dogs can sense the worrying. They draw energy from us... our sadness...our fears...our concerns actually make them feel down.
As we worry we take energy from them.
You MUST try and stay positive and strong.
Your dog will be helped by positive reinforcement to heal.
Healing can help you both at this time.
It is complementary to veterinary care.


text:
Many boys and men with autism suffer from diminished social and communication skills. They may also suffer from a diminished number of neurons in their amygdala, according to the results of a new study. David Amaral and Cynthia Mills Schumann of the University of California, Davis, surveyed the number of neurons in the amygdala of nine autistic males and 10 nonautistic males ranging in age from 10 to 44. Painstakingly counting them under a microscope revealed significantly fewer neurons (electrical signaling cells) in the area of the brain associated with fear and memory.
"This is the first quantitative evidence of an abnormal number of neurons in the autistic amygdala," Amaral notes. "We were able to analyze more than double the number of previously examined postmortem brains, none of which had seizure disorders or any major neurological disorder other than autism."
Previous studies had relied on measures of the density of neurons as well as the brains of autistic males who had also suffered from epileptic seizures--a condition known to produce defects in the amygdala. Amaral and Schumann counted neurons with a three-dimensional probe at high magnification. They found that although there was no variance among amygdala volumes in all the brains, the autistic males as a group had roughly 1.5 million fewer neurons than their peers.
Other brain imaging studies have shown that autistic boys develop adult-size amygdala by around the age of eight, compared to late adolescence for other young males. And it remains unclear whether other brain regions in autistics might face a neuron deficit as well. "One possibility is that there are always fewer neurons in the amygdala of people with autism. Another possibility is that a degenerative process occurs later in life and leads to neuron loss," Schumann says. "More studies are needed to refine our findings." Their results appear in a paper published today in The Journal of Neuroscience.


text:
Millions of machines are now running on Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft has added many new features including its digital voice assistant Cortana in Windows 10. Known for its robustness among the operating systems, but we cannot predict ¬†when our hard disk might crash or OS might get corrupted. It's always a better option to have a backup of the currently working copy, as we don't need to go through the entire OS installation.
Most of the Windows 10 users might not have an idea about how to create a backup of the system image. Let's learn in this tutorial how to create system image backup and restore it. Before starting, make sure you have enough space in the hard disk or you have an external drive with enough space.
How to create system image backup
Follow the below steps to create system image backup in Windows 10.
- Click on Windows start button in the bottom left corner of the screen. Then select Settings from the list.
- The settings window will appear on the screen with various tiles. Click on Update & security option. Then update & security window will open within the Settings window.
- Click on the Backup tab on the left side of the window. You can see options appearing on the right side of the window. Now click on Go to Backup and Restore(Windows 7).
- Backup and Restore window will appear on the screen. Click on Create a system image option on the left side of the window.
- In Create a system image window, select On a hard disk and choose drive where you want to save the backup image. Click on Next button.
- Now select other drives which you want to include along with system backup.
- Click on Start Backup button to start the backup process once you confirm the backup settings.
- Take rest for some time as the backup process will last for some minutes. Once the backup image is created, you will see a success message on the screen.
How to restore¬†system image backup
Once you have system backup image, you can restore it by performing the below steps.
- Connect the drive containing system backup image to your PC and reboot your computer with Windows installation media.
- In Windows setup, click on Next button and then click on Repair your computer option on the bottom the left corner of the screen.
- Click on Troubleshoot, then click on Advanced options and select System image recovery option.
- Now select the backup image which you want to recover and then click on Next button.
That's it. You have successfully completed backup and restoring of system backup image.
Let us know your valuable comments and suggestions in the below comments section.


text:
more accurate.
- Engineering Design with Digital Thread
Victor Singh (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Digital Thread is a data-driven architecture that links together information generated from across the product lifecycle. Though Digital Thread is gaining traction as a digital communication framework to streamline design, manufacturing, and operational processes in order to more efficiently design, build and maintain engineering products, a principled mathematical formulation describing the manner in which Digital Thread can be used for critical design decisions remains absent. The contribution of this work is to present such a formulation from the context of a data-driven design and decision problem under uncertainty. Specifically, this work addresses three objectives: 1) Provide a mathematical definition of Digital Thread in the context of a specific engineering design problem. 2) Establish the feedback coupling of how information from Digital Thread enters the design problem. 3) Develop a data-driven design methodology that uses operational data collected from a previous design to improve the design of the next. The mathematical formulation is illustrated through an example design of a structural fiber-steered composite component.
- Predicting Atrial Fibrillation Mechanisms Through Deep Learning
Caroline Roney (King's College London, UK)
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting over 1.1 million people in the UK alone, and is associated with increased risk of other cardiovascular disease, stroke and death. Radio frequency catheter ablation, which creates lesions in cardiac tissue, is a first line intervention to treat specific groups of AF patients. Persistent AF patients are a heterogeneous population: some patients require multiple procedures, with more extensive ablation strategies; while for others, isolation of the pulmonary veins using ablation (PVI) is sufficient. Identifying persistent AF patients where PVI will be a sufficient treatment remains a clinical challenge, which if solved could lead to improved safety, better patient selection, as well as decreased time and cost for procedures. Biophysical simulations personalised to cardiac imaging and electrical data may offer substantial insights into the mechanisms underlying AF, but run too slowly to be used during clinical procedures. My objective is to develop a deep learning network that accurately quantifies the likelihood of success of PVI for an individual patient quickly enough for use during a clinical procedure, to guide ablation therapy. The network will be trained to large quantities of biophysical simulated data to ensure that the network captures the physics and physiology. The training will then be augmented with the complexity and reality of clinical data. Finally, the deep learning pipeline will be tested in a retrospective study.


EmberCommandEntry Struct Reference
Command entry for a command table.
_TAG_
Data Fields
const char * name
CommandAction action
const char * argumentTypes
const char * description
const char *const * argumentDescriptions
Command entry for a command table.
Field Documentation
◆ action
CommandAction EmberCommandEntry::action
A reference to a function in the application that implements the command. If this entry refers to a nested command, then action field has to be set to NULL.
◆ argumentDescriptions
const char* const* EmberCommandEntry::argumentDescriptions
An array of strings, with a NULL terminator, indicating what each argument is.
◆ argumentTypes
const char* EmberCommandEntry::argumentTypes
In case of normal (non-nested) commands, argumentTypes is a string that specifies the number and types of arguments the command accepts. The argument specifiers are:
 - u: one-byte unsigned integer.
 - v: two-byte unsigned integer
 - w: four-byte unsigned integer
 - s: one-byte signed integer
 - r: two-byte signed integer
 - q: four-byte signed integer
 - b: string. The argument can be entered in ascii by using quotes, for example: "foo". Or it may be entered in hex by using curly braces, for example: { 08 A1 f2 }. There must be an even number of hex digits, and spaces are ignored.
 - *: zero or more of the previous type. If used, this must be the last specifier.
 -?: Unknown number of arguments. If used this must be the only character. This means, that command interpreter will not perform any validation of arguments, and will call the action directly, trusting it that it will handle with whatever arguments are passed in.
 -!: Optional argument delimiter. If the command input has sufficient arguments such that the parser ends on a! symbol, then the command will be considered valid, even if it does not necessarily process the entire argumentTypes string. If there are additional arguments beyond a!, but still fewer arguments than the next either the next! or the end of the string, then the command will be considered invalid. Note that this leaves the called CommandAction function to actually validate what number of optional arguments it actually got. Example: Given a argumentTypes String: uu!vv!u!vv The following inputs type orders are valid: uu, uuvv, uuvvu, uuvvuvv The following are invalid: u, uuv, uuvvuv, uuvvuvvv
Integer arguments can be either decimal or hexidecimal. A 0x prefix indicates a hexidecimal integer. Example: 0x3ed.
In case of a nested command (action is NULL), then this field contains a pointer to the nested EmberCommandEntry array.
◆ description
const char* EmberCommandEntry::description
A description of the command.
◆ name
const char* EmberCommandEntry::name
Use letters, digits, and underscores, '_', for the command name. Command names are case-sensitive.
The documentation for this struct was generated from the following file:
 - command-interpreter2.h


text:
ADULT HEALTH – Results of a recent Danish study suggest that patients who survive a myocardial infarction (MI or heart attack) may be at significant risk for overall and specific types of cancer.
However, the study was not designed to establish whether the significant association found between prior MI and cancer could be due to the patient's smoking status. Lifestyle data on smoking was not included in the study.
"We saw an especially increased risk within the first 6 months of having an MI. But even after that, there was still an increased risk of cancer, especially in the lungs and bladder. Future studies could include lifestyle data on smoking, among others," said lead author Morten Winther Malmborg of Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The study examined nationwide data from Danish registries for almost 126,000 MI survivors without a history of cancer and more than three million individuals with no history of either MI or cancer. Results showed an incidence rate (IR) for any cancer of 173.5 per 10,000 person-years for the MI survivors after up to 17 years of follow-up compared to an IR of 85.2 per 10,000 person-years for their healthy peers.
The highest relative risks for developing cancer were found during the first month following an MI. The risk then decreased steadily but stayed at a "constant rate" 6 months after the heart attack. The youngest age group (between 30 and 54 years) had the highest association between MI history and increased cancer risk after the 6-month mark.
The investigators underscored the need to focus on cancer in MI survivors. They believe that the results of their study have potential implications on future patient care, outpatient follow-up strategies, and distribution of healthcare resources.
Heart attack, cancer among top killers of Filipinos
According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart attack and cancers accounted for 67% of total deaths in the Philippines in 2012. Cardiovascular diseases including MI accounted for 33% of total deaths in the country for that year while cancers accounted for 10%.
The "2010 Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates"found that…[pq]…the most common forms of cancer among Filipinos are cancer of the lung, breast, cervix, liver, colon and rectum, prostate, stomach, mouth, ovary and leukemia.[/pq]
It is interesting to note that heart attack and cancer have many risk factors in common.
Heart attack risk factors
Certain factors contribute to atherosclerosis, the unwanted buildup of fatty deposits that narrows arteries throughout the body, including the arteries of the heart (coronary arteries). Heart attack risk factors include:
- Age – men age 45 or older and women age 55 or older are at increased risk
- Smoking and long-term exposure to secondhand smoke – the 2009 Philippines Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that almost 1 in 3 Filipinos (28.3%) aged 15 years old and over are smokers, and almost half (47.7%) of smokers in the country are men.
- High blood pressure – a nationwide survey conducted by the Philippine Heart Association in 2013 found that 1 in 4 adult Filipinos (28%) are hypertensive
- High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels (dyslipidemia) – the National Nutrition and Health Survey II (NNHeS II) conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and University of the Philippines-College of Medicine in 2008 found a dyslipidemia prevalence of 72%.
- Diabetes – NNHeS II revealed a prevalence of diabetes of 4% on the basis of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 5% by FBG and history, and 6% based on 2-hour post-prandial plasma glucose
- Family history of heart attack
- Lack of physical activity
- Obesity – NNHeS II revealed a prevalence of obesity of 4.9% based on body mass index (BMI), and 10.2% and 65.6% based on waist-hip ratio (WHR) in men and women, respectively.
- Illegal drug use, such as cocaine or amphetamines including "shabu"
- History of preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure during pregnancy
- History of an autoimmune condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Cancer risk factors
One in three cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risk factors:
- Excess weight
- Low fruit and vegetable intake
- Lack of physical activity
- Tobacco use
- Alcohol intake
– Eric Michael Santos, Medical Observer


How Nevadan are you?
They say you can tell alot about a person based on where they grew up. Do you consider yourself adventurous, outdoorsey and free? If you grew up in Nevada you are probably right!
Take this quiz to see how prepared you are to visit this beautiful state, and don't be sad if you don't score high, Virginia City is extremely tourist friendly! You're always welcome here!!
Created by: Lauren
Are you ready for...
Our "When Will I Die" Quiz?
 1. What is your age?
 2. What is your gender?
 1. What is the Sate Capital of Nevada?
 2. Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest Alpine lakes, and the largest lake in Nevada.
 3. Zephyr means:
 4. On what date did President Lincoln proclaim Nevada as the 36th State in the Union?
 5. The origin of the state's name is ________, meaning "__________".
 6. Nevada's state flower is:
 7. Have you ever gone camping for more than 1 night?
 8. You would rather eat freshwater, rainbow trout than any other seafood
 9. Nevada is more desert than forest, true or false?
 10. The Nevada state bird is:
 11. You know what a Magpie is
Remember to rate this quiz on the next page!
Quiz topic: How Nevadan am I?


text:
Names refer to objects. Names are introduced by name binding operations. Each occurrence of a name in the program text refers to the binding of that name established in the innermost function block containing the use.
A block is a piece of Python program text that is executed as a unit. The following are blocks: a module, a function body, and a class definition. Each command typed interactively is a block. A script file (a file given as standard input to the interpreter or specified on the interpreter command line the first argument) is a code block. A script command (a command specified on the interpreter command line with the '-c' option) is a code block. The string argument passed to the built-in functions eval() and exec() is a code block.
A code block is executed in an execution frame. A frame contains some administrative information (used for debugging) and determines where and how execution continues after the code block's execution has completed.
A scope defines the visibility of a name within a block. If a local variable is defined in a block, its scope includes that block. If the definition occurs in a function block, the scope extends to any blocks contained within the defining one, unless a contained block introduces a different binding for the name. The scope of names defined in a class block is limited to the class block; it does not extend to the code blocks of methods – this includes comprehensions and generator expressions since they are implemented using a function scope. This means that the following will fail:
class A: a = 42 b = list(a + i for i in range(10))
When a name is used in a code block, it is resolved using the nearest enclosing scope. The set of all such scopes visible to a code block is called the block's environment.
If a name is bound in a block, it is a local variable of that block, unless declared as nonlocal. If a name is bound at the module level, it is a global variable. (The variables of the module code block are local and global.) If a variable is used in a code block but not defined there, it is a free variable.
When a name is not found at all, a NameError exception is raised. If the name refers to a local variable that has not been bound, a UnboundLocalError exception is raised. UnboundLocalError is a subclass of NameError.
The following constructs bind names: formal parameters to functions, import statements, class and function definitions (these bind the class or function name in the defining block), and targets that are identifiers if occurring in an assignment, for loop header, or after as in a with statement or except clause. The import statement of the form from... import * binds all names defined in the imported module, except those beginning with an underscore. This form may only be used at the module level.
A target occurring in a del statement is also considered bound for this purpose (though the actual semantics are to unbind the name).
Each assignment or import statement occurs within a block defined by a class or function definition or at the module level (the top-level code block).
If a name binding operation occurs anywhere within a code block, all uses of the name within the block are treated as references to the current block. This can lead to errors when a name is used within a block before it is bound. This rule is subtle. Python lacks declarations and allows name binding operations to occur anywhere within a code block. The local variables of a code block can be determined by scanning the entire text of the block for name binding operations.
If the global statement occurs within a block, all uses of the name specified in the statement refer to the binding of that name in the top-level namespace. Names are resolved in the top-level namespace by searching the global namespace, i.e. the namespace of the module containing the code block, and the builtins namespace, the namespace of the module builtins. The global namespace is searched first. If the name is not found there, the builtins namespace is searched. The global statement must precede all uses of the name.
The builtins namespace associated with the execution of a code block is actually found by looking up the name __builtins__ in its global namespace; this should be a dictionary or a module (in the latter case the module's dictionary is used). By default, when in the __main__ module, __builtins__ is the built-in module builtins; when in any other module, __builtins__ is an alias for the dictionary of the builtins module itself. __builtins__ can be set to a user-created dictionary to create a weak form of restricted execution.
CPython implementation detail: Users should not touch __builtins__; it is strictly an implementation detail. Users wanting to override values in the builtins namespace should import the builtins module and modify its attributes appropriately.
The namespace for a module is automatically created the first time a module is imported. The main module for a script is always called __main__.
The global statement has the same scope as a name binding operation in the same block. If the nearest enclosing scope for a free variable contains a global statement, the free variable is treated as a global.
A class definition is an executable statement that may use and define names. These references follow the normal rules for name resolution. The namespace of the class definition becomes the attribute dictionary of the class. Names defined at the class scope are not visible in methods.
There are several cases where Python statements are illegal when used in conjunction with nested scopes that contain free variables.
If a variable is referenced in an enclosing scope, it is illegal to delete the name. An error will be reported at compile time.
If the wild card form of import — import * — is used in a function and the function contains or is a nested block with free variables, the compiler will raise a SyntaxError.
The eval() and exec() functions do not have access to the full environment for resolving names. Names may be resolved in the local and global namespaces of the caller. Free variables are not resolved in the nearest enclosing namespace, but in the global namespace. The exec() and eval() functions have optional arguments to override the global and local namespace. If only one namespace is specified, it is used for both.
Exceptions are a means of breaking out of the normal flow of control of a code block in order to handle errors or other exceptional conditions. An exception is raised at the point where the error is detected; it may be handled by the surrounding code block or by any code block that directly or indirectly invoked the code block where the error occurred.
The Python interpreter raises an exception when it detects a run-time error (such as division by zero). A Python program can also explicitly raise an exception with the raise statement. Exception handlers are specified with the try... except statement. The finally clause of such a statement can be used to specify cleanup code which does not handle the exception, but is executed whether an exception occurred or not in the preceding code.
Python uses the "termination" model of error handling: an exception handler can find out what happened and continue execution at an outer level, but it cannot repair the cause of the error and retry the failing operation (except by re-entering the offending piece of code from the top).
When an exception is not handled at all, the interpreter terminates execution of the program, or returns to its interactive main loop. In either case, it prints a stack backtrace, except when the exception is SystemExit.
Exceptions are identified by class instances. The except clause is selected depending on the class of the instance: it must reference the class of the instance or a base class thereof. The instance can be received by the handler and can carry additional information about the exceptional condition.
Exception messages are not part of the Python API. Their contents may change from one version of Python to the next without warning and should not be relied on by code which will run under multiple versions of the interpreter.
|||This limitation occurs because the code that is executed by these operations is not available at the time the module is compiled.|


text:
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Precipitation, Evaporation, Transpiration, Condensation
Precipitation - Make it Rain!
Raining Rainbows (shaving cream and food coloring) - A Bit of This and a Bit of That!
Rain in a Jar - Guest Hollow
Transpiration - Collect Plant Sweat!
Learn about transpiration through this hands on experiment from Weird Science Kids. By tying a large baggie around a plant's leaves on a super hot, sunny day, you will demonstrate how transpiration is part of the water cycle. Pour the water from the plant into a measuring cup. Kids use their measuring skills to figure out how much water the plant produced. Click here for full instructions! Save your water for the puddle experiment below!
Evaporation - Watch a Puddle!
Science With Me conducted a puddle experiment to teach kids about evaporation! Pour water on the pavement in a sunny spot. Then, draw a line around it with sidewalk chalk. Let it sit, then check up on it later. What happened? The water evaporated!
Condensation - Create a cloud!


EWTN Catholic Q&A
organ donations
Question from jean robert on 08-22-2013:
what does the church teach about it.
Answer by Richard Geraghty on 10-20-2013:
Dear Jean,
Organ donations are permissible if they are done in the right way. The person has to be dead before the organs are taken out. In some cases the donor does not have to be dead as in the case of a person donating a kidney to another person. Since humans usually two kidneys, the operation is allowed.
Dr. Geraghty


Clicking Neck
Please read how the neck works before reading the following.
Most people fear that the clicking is caused by bone hitting bone. However, thankfully nowadays this is rare. If you have this it is likely that for many years you have been suffering severe pain and movement restriction. If this is you please go and see your GP for a referral to an Orthopaedic consultant as soon as possible.If you felt a click with a sudden or traumatic injury like a car accident or a fall you must see an Osteopath, Physiotherapist or doctor as soon as possible for a full assessment, because you may have damaged a vital ligament or bone.
If the noise is not painful it is most likely to be air pockets popping with the changes of pressure that movement causes inside the fluid of the neck joints. A clicking neck can also be caused by small particles swishing around in the fluid of the neck joints.
Painful clicking can be caused by soft tissue damage in the joint like cartilage that has been worn away or has broken off and is floating around in the joint. Clicking or clunking can also be caused by tendons or scar tissue slipping over bony prominences.
In summary – if your clicking neck is also painful you need to get it checked out but if it is not painful you need not worry about it. If in any doubt please get in touch!
We promise to never share your email address with anyone.
%d bloggers like this:


text:
The 12th International Conference on Fluidization - New Horizons in Fluidization Engineering
CANNOT FIND FILE: date.inc - CANNOT FIND FILE: location.inc
|Editors:||CANNOT FIND FILE: editors.inc|
May 13-17, 2007
The mixed gas of toluene and air was used as treated gas, self-made fluidized bed and ultraviolet lamp and TiO2/silica gel prepared in laboratory used as photo reactor and light source and photo-catalyst respectively to degrade toluene in the treated gas. The effects of operating parameters including initial concentration, operating gas velocity, ultraviolet light intensity and bed layer height on degradation rate of toluene have been probed into in this research. The results showed that degradation rate of toluene was independent of initial concentration (20～55mg/m3) but decreased with higher initial concentration; the degradation rate of toluene increased with gas velocity (below 3.98cm·s-1) but decreased in case of higher gas velocity(above 3.98cm•s-1). The results also showed that the degradation rate of toluene increased with higher light intensity or bed layer height.
Xiaoping Zhang and Cong Liao, "Photocatalytic Degradation of Toluene by Nano-TIO2 in a Fluidized Bed" in "The 12th International Conference on Fluidization - New Horizons in Fluidization Engineering", Franco Berruti, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Xiaotao (Tony) Bi, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Todd Pugsley, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Eds, ECI Symposium Series, (2007). _URL_


text:
The NAIRU is a key component of potential output and as such critically affects output gap estimates. In May 2014, the European Commission changed its specification of the NAIRU for several countries and lowered its NAIRU estimates in the case of Spain from 26.6% to 20.7% for 2015. To test the dependence of the new NAIRU on unemployment versus structural factors, we run counterfactual simulations applying one-standard deviation shocks to actual unemployment and to the structural variable real unit labor costs. We find that the NAIRU in its new specification is still largely determined by actual unemployment. This calls in question both the interpretation of potential output estimates as barriers to more vigorous inflation-stable economic activity and the accuracy of structural deficit figures.
NAIRU Kalman filter output gap euro area structural deficit


text:
Advanced Care for Veins & Arteries
The veins and arteries are an important part of cardiovascular system, transporting blood and oxygen throughout the body and keeping it healthy. Vascular disease, which affects millions of Americans, involves the narrowing of blood vessels caused by plaque buildup, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, amputations and other conditions if left untreated.
Comprehensive Vascular Care
The vascular specialists and interventional radiologists at Reston Hospital Center offer a continuum of services to diagnose and treat conditions of the vascular system. This includes:
- Carotid artery procedures for stroke prevention
- Carotid artery stents
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) treatment
- Hemodialysis access
- Lower extremity angioplasty, stents and bypass procedures
- Minimally invasive surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome
- Vascular malformations
- Venous procedures for varicose veins and venous reflux disease
Learn more about these and other vascular conditions and treatments at our online Health Library.
Using the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies, our vascular specialists look for the most effective and least invasive treatments that lead to the best outcomes for you. We'll work with you to develop a customized treatment plan for your specific condition.


text:
Blowing stuff up
It was for a class, no really, there was actual scientific research being performed when Dr. Henry Kowalski and four students, blew stuff up at the end of last semester (the students got actual credit for it too).
Doc K used students as an excuse to blow something up again. This time he did it with the blessing, and help, of the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad. (KetteringUniversitywhere you can blow stuff up in the name of scientific research!)
In truth, Doc K, also known as Dr.Henry Kowalski, professor of Mechanical Engineering, and four senior students in his Experimental Mechanics class, performed research on detonator cord for the Bomb Squad as the students' final class project.
They tested the commonly held theory that when blowing up something to open it or crush it (to reduce its danger potential), having water behind the detonator creates a more powerful explosion.
The testing they did on detonator cord (a la the popular Discovery Channel TV show Mythbusters) attempted to prove or disprove the theory. The State Police Forensic Science Division operated on the theory without knowing if it was true or not.
Ryan Gebs, of Preston, Idaho, Kay Bareiss, of Wesensteig, Germany, Michael Pedigo, of Hartland, Mich., and Kyle Kibbey, of Mason, Mich., blew up force plates with detonator cord on Friday, June 12 on the Kettering baseball diamonds.
"Force plates measure the force of an explosion, similar to a scale. Strain gauges inside measure tension or compression," said Gebs. The students attached the force plates to an oscilloscope to log data for analysis and used a high speed video camera to capture the results visually.
Detective Sergeant Rick Bekemeier, bomb technician and Sergeant Scott Hasse, bomb squad, assisted the students in setting up the tests and managed the detonator cord and explosions.
To test whether water behind the explosion increased the force of the blast, the group fired detonator cord without water and with IV bags lying on top of the cord. The IV bags were used because they provided a compact portable source of water.
"The IV bag holds down the detonator cord," explained Gebs, "without it the blast goes out in a 360 degree radius. Because the IV holds down the detonator cord it concentrates the blast downward onto the board, intensifying it in that direction," he added.
According to the data collection equipment, the first blast, without water, exerted about 4,000 pounds of force. The first blast with water was estimated to exert more then 10,000 pounds of force on the board.
The cord without water ripped through the first few layers of the plywood sheet used to protect the force plates, cutting through a few layers. The explosions with water behind them penetrated through four or more layers of the plywood and actually cracked a cement cinder block in half during one blast. Theory proved – there was about six times the penetration into wood with water behind the blast and much better penetration into the cinder block.
Doc K said he would like to secure the donation of a newer high speed video camera because he wants to see how paint balls explode. He'll probably claim THAT'S in the name of scientific research, too.
Written by Dawn Hibbard


The Government of Trinidad & Tobago National Library And Information System Authority
Queen of the Sheba Imperial African Kingdoms Descendant Nations
Trinidadian born North-African Royal, Her Imperial Majesty Empress Shebah 'Ra – Queen Shebah lll was born in 1963 in Diego Martin, Trinidad, the 4th generation of migrated Nubian-Kushites of Nubia-Sheba Sudan, North-African Royals Ancestry. Queen Shebah III, as all of the family, lived a normal unassuming life in Trinidad and Tobago, and attended the Diego Martin Girls Roman Catholic School, and later Providence Girls Convent in Belmont, Trinidad.
Shebah III was born on September 19th 1963 to Asere - Kasambu 'Ra lines descendants, H.R.M Prince Michael I and H.R.M Queen Meryre/Mary 'Ra VII, the daughter of the late Nubian Imperial Matriarch Iris Meryre II, in Trinidad and Tobago, holding in accordance to Imperial Kingdoms tradition at birth as future Matriarch, the title of Imperial Queen, Shebah lll. Shebah III is the Sovereign Imperial Empress of the African Nubian Nations' Imperial Empire Kingdom of Sheba. The Sheba Imperial Empire Kingdoms is the Matriarchal Empire of Nubian Royal Kingdoms Nation throughout East, West, North, Southern and Central Africa Sheba/Nubia descendant Nations Lines of Africa's over 350 Major Empire Kingdom Nations and several thousand Royal Kingdom and Chiefdoms Nations on the African Continent.
H.I.M. Empress Shebah 'Ra – Queen Shebah III is the firstborn Grand-daughter of the late Imperial Empire Matriarch Iris Meryre II and a great-descendant Grand-daughter of the Royal Throne lines of King Abdul Shibah III. Shebah III is of the Northern Shibah Lines House of 'Ra - Asere Kasambu'Ra, 2nd Millennium 7th Dynasty Kingdoms Lineage of the Empire Kingdom Lines Nations of Sheba Imperial Empire of the descendant Empires and Royal Kingdoms Nations of Africa, of the House of Ra, Matriarchal Throne Line. The House of Ra is not an Islamic line, though the Empire Kingdom has both Islamic and non-Islamic Kingdom Nations under the Matriarchal Throne. It is from origin the Christian and traditional spiritual practices and beliefs lines. The Imperial Empire lines were a separate family line/branch of the Thrones' Islamic Royal lines of the Kingdom of Nubia descendants of present-day Nubia. The lines separated several centuries ago. ( Nalis BIOGRAPHIES S-Z )
Empress Shebah 'Ra - III Queen Of Sheba
SHEBAH III was born in Sierre Leone Diego Martin, Trinidad of its Northern Range St.Anns, Maraval and Paramin Family lines.
The island of Trinidad was a Spanish colony from the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1498 to the capitulation of the Spanish Governor, Don José María Chacón, on the arrival of a British fleet of 18 warships on 18 February 1797.[12] During the same period, the island of Tobago changed hands among SpanishBritishFrenchDutch and Courlander colonizers, more times than any other island in the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago (remaining separate until 1889) were ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens.[13] The country Trinidad and Tobago obtained independence in 1962, becoming a republic in 1976.
Trinidad and Tobago is the third richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it is recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial,[14] with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth is attributed to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.[15][16]


Syndicate content
Aid allocation: Should equally poor countries be treated equally?
Paolo Verme's picture
Both GDP per capita and the poverty rate are two powerful instruments to describe the welfare of countries. GDP per capita has the advantage of being simple, transparent, and available for virtually all countries in the world while the poverty rate provides a simple measure of poverty and is now available for almost all developing nations. The question we want to address here is whether these two indicators are sufficient to allocate aid according to income criteria. GDP per capita ignores the distribution of income and is not always a good measure of household income. At times, GDP per capita and household income per capita can significantly diverge, especially in resource rich countries. The poverty rate, on the other hand, provides a focus on the poor but ignores incomes of the non-poor.
As a simple example, consider two countries, country Red and country Black, and two different scenarios, scenario (1) and scenario (2) as depicted in Figure 1. In scenario (1), the two countries have identical income distributions below the poverty line which results in identical poverty rates (as well as identical poverty gaps and severity of poverty) but very different income distributions above the poverty line. In this case, the poverty rate would not be able to rank these two countries while GDP per capita would be able to rank country Black above country Red in terms of income needs. In scenario (2), the two countries have different income distributions below and above the poverty line (the two distributions cross at the poverty line) but identical GDP per capita. In this case, GDP per capita would not be able to rank these two countries while the poverty rate would be able to rank country Black above Red. In essence, with scenarios (1) and (2), one would need two different measures to rank countries Red and Black. Can a single measure consider both the income distribution of the poor and the income distribution of the non-poor and be able to rank countries Red and Black in any of the two scenarios considered?
This is the question addressed by a recent paper where the authors suggest considering the relation between the income of the poor and the income of the non-poor as a complement to other measures used to rank countries for the purpose of aid allocation, a concept called the "Income Lever". The idea is simple. By constructing indexes that take into consideration the relative size of the incomes of the poor to incomes of the non-poor, it is possible to measure the income capacity of a country to reduce its own poverty and it is possible to rank the two countries shown in Figure 1 under any scenario.
Such approach relies on a simple social norm. If country A has more taxable income than country B, then country B should receive more aid than country A, everything else being equal. Of course, other considerations are important, such as the institutional capacity of a country to reduce poverty. But if we focus on income criteria only, then it should be important to know the capacity of a country to reduce its own poverty – the income lever. The analogy with physics comes to mind if we think of the poverty line as the fulcrum where the income lever lays, incomes as the distances from the fulcrum and the sum of incomes of the poor and of the non-poor as the total forces applied to the two sides of the lever.
Figure 2 – The income lever
The income lever can complement existing measures and help rich and poor countries alike. Rich countries can use the income lever to defend the legitimacy of aid and maintain aid flows. In a world where rich countries are increasingly budget constrained, better and more refined criteria for aid allocation become more important for governments in rich countries to justify the aid budget. Measures of the income lever can also help poor countries to make a better use of existing income resources. It is well known that poor and emerging economies struggle to increase the tax base with the consequence that a large portion of the taxable income is lost to informality or illegality. The income lever can provide a measure of the potential tax base that poor countries could use to improve on poverty and on the distribution of incomes. Income lever indexes could provide both rich and poor countries with relevant information to improve on the distribution of aid and on the distribution of incomes.
Submitted by Anonymous on
What about the Gini Coefficient.I do come from the Sudan.A poor country by world standards,but the biggest problem is not this abject poverty but rather the uneven distribution of this income. In many instances the aid goes to the wrong people or the wrong projects.
Add new comment


text:
The Framingham Risk Estimate (FRE) is a total estimate of how likely a person is to suffer a heart attack within 10 years, and it is based on a summary estimate of major risk factors, such as age, blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels and smoking. However, cardiologist Roger Blumenthal, M.D. of the Ciccarone Preventive Cardiology Center at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart Institute.says, many women with cardiovascular problems go undetected despite use of the Framingham score.
In their latest report, the Hopkins researchers examined the risk of premature CHD in women whose average age was 50 and who were participating in the Sibling and Family Heart Study, a long-term study of how heart disease develops among family members. Study subjects had no symptoms of heart disease, but had a sibling who had been hospitalized for a coronary event, such as a heart attack before age 60.
The researchers calculated each woman's Framingham score and found that 98 percent were gauged to be at very low risk for future CHD, with an FRE of less than 6 percent, while only 2 percent of participants were judged to be at intermediate risk for future CHD, with an FRE between 10 percent and 20 percent.
When the results were contrasted with evidence gleaned from CT-scan measurements of calcium build-up in the arteries, the researchers found that one-third of women originally classified as very low risk actually had coronary atherosclerosis.
According to the researchers, performing cardiac CT scans on everyone with a low Framingham score is not a practical option. They found that people with two or more risk factors, such as obesity, smoking or metabolic syndrome, plus a family history for heart disease were those most likely to have a high calcium score. It is this group, the researchers say, who should be considered for a fast cardiac CT scan regardless of low Framingham scores.
MEDICA.de; Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions


Select Page
Robert Cain
The way traffic works here in Pokhara and Nepal as a whole is, in a word, alarming.
On the surface there is no method to the madness. In the busy streets, it is not uncommon to see scooters, dogs, cows, cars, tractors, and trucks all converging on an intersection with no stop sign or stoplight. In addition, the myriad of things in the road are likely going the wrong direction. To pass someone on the road, you simply honk your horn and drive into oncoming traffic, often causing other cars to stop driving completely. Despite the irregular and often terrifying roads, not to mention the lack of paved roads, I have only seen one wreck in 1 month. Although it does not seem to make sense to me, the Nepali drivers navigate the roads with ease. To me, this highlights their easy-going nature, and care for others, as they happily give way to other drivers, animals, and pedestrians.
The roads and lack of traffic patterns are just one of the many things that differ from what I have grown up with.
More importantly however, they are also one of the many things that I have come to appreciate about the Nepali culture and people as it highlights their non-Western outlook. They do not seek efficiency and profit as their highest goals. Although neither of these are inherently wrong in Western culture, the absence of these goals allows for the flourishing of other beautiful characteristics. The beautiful parts of the culture I am referring to include hospitality, contentment with small amounts of material goods, the importance of family, neighbors who really know and care for each other, physical touch among friends in public, and much more.
Understanding and appreciating the Nepali culture has also taught me a lot about what it means to do volunteer and development work in developing countries.
Before, I would have looked at the small houses and meager living situations and felt pity. Yes, there is abject poverty, and when basic needs are not being met one should feel badly and move to help their fellow human being. However, when I now see poorer living conditions, I see how thankful these people are for what they DO have, rather than focusing on what they don't. This understanding of how different cultures work is vital to doing sustainable and effective work in another country.
In Kathmandu, stop lights were installed at an intersection. In one day, several wrecks occurred, and the stoplights had to be taken down.
To me, this highlights how Western remedies are not always the best solutions in developing countries. I have learned much about sustainable development from being in Nepal, and have much to learn. I try to appreciate more and pity less. There are things that challenge me, things that cause me to rethink, and ultimately I don't like everything I encounter. But the point isn't liking things. The point is to foster external dialogue and internal reflection based on the different cultures and peoples with whom I interact daily as a result of volunteering in Nepal.
Blog Categories


5 Ways Alternative Medicine will Shape the Wellness Industry in 2020
Written by: Peter Minkoff The wellness industry has been on the rise for years now all across the globe, as emerging economies have made it possible for people of various income statuses to focus more on leisurely activities, hobbies, and their personal health. The same can be said for established and prominent economies where the excess of income allows people to continuously work towards their health goals, longevity, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle overall. This trend has made it possible for other industries to rise as a result, fueling the ever-increasing consumer potential of CBD, and the popularizing the alternative medicine industry as well.This should come as no surprise, as alternative medicine brings numerous potential benefits to the modern health-conscious individual, and when complemented by western medicine and its practices, it can help people lead healthier lives overall. With that in mind, let's take a look at how alternative medicine is going to shape health, fitness, and wellness in general in the new decade.
Emotional wellness is at the forefront of alternative medicine
When people think of health, fitness, and longevity, they usually think of their physical health first. And unsurprisingly so, as we tend to notice the physical problems or the things we would like to change about their exterior image, first. However, even though the wellness industry is typically primarily focused on physical health, it's important to note that one of the key focus areas of alternative medicine is to heal the mind, as well as the "soul". Emotional well-beingis the emphasis here, and startups as well as professionals in the field of alternative medicine are increasingly developing practices and remedies to alleviate stress and anxiety, and bring peace and happiness to your everyday life. This is achieved through an increasing number of meditation studios, breathing workshops, and educational seminars that help people deal with day-to-day stress and ultimately banish it from their life.
The industry is embracing science
For too long, alternative medicine has been veiled in mystery as to the inner workings of its natural remedies as well as the numerous practices that have survived in some cultures for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Now that science and western medicine have advanced to the point where researching the effectiveness of certain treatment methods is easy and cost-efficient, startups and professionals in the alternative medicine industry can finally start to support their claims with scientific data.This creates an opportune environment for western and traditional medicine as well, as healthcare professionals can start prescribing more natural remedies now that scientific data is able to back them up. This is also a great opportunity for businesses to branch out, such as Walmart Healththat aims to disrupt US healthcare by making it more accessible to all and offering a variety of treatment options for those in need.
Medicinal plants are booming around the world
One of the biggest trends in the alternative medicine industry is the rise of medicinal plants and herbs around the world, as well as the fact that an increasing number of countries are passing legislation that supports or even legalizes the use of certain plants. One of the most obvious examples is marijuana and the way it soared in popularity across the globe in recent years, especially in China and Southeast Asia.In Asia, for example, prominent news portals such as Week in Chinaare regularly reporting on marijuana's increasing popularity, and how the Chinese mainland is home to half of the globe's cropland for legal cannabis – an industry that is predicted to rise to 16 billion US dollars by 2025. This is an amazing upward trend, one that will push alternative medicine forward and continue to reshape the wellness industry around the world. By monitoring these trends and following reputable news portals, aspiring business leaders can uncover new opportunities in both industries as well.
Creating a new brand experience
Both the wellness and the alternative medicine industries are highly-saturated and highly-competitive markets, so it should come as no surprise that in 2020 and beyond, we will witness the rise of experiential branding. The key focus of new brands in both fields are to develop a unique competitive advantage by creating an innovative brand experience in their stores.Brands are doing their best to embody their core values and identities in their stores by creating meditation spaces, wellness sections, free workshops, healthy-oriented eateries, and more. All of this aims to take the customer on a unique journey and inspire them to take better care of their emotional and physical self.
Focus on personal contact
Ultimately, alternative medicine is about empowerment and inspiration. This is achieved through personal contact, which is why professionals in the field and brands are nowadays putting emphasis on the individual. The goal here is to detach from the cold and distant practices of western medicine, and bring a more personalized experience to the modern health-conscious consumer. The results are heightened positivity and feelings of peace and calm, as well as an empowered mindset that can lead to faster recovery down the road.
Wrapping up
Alternative medicine has been on the rise in recent decades, and now that it is growing in scientific support as well, it is rapidly pushing the wellness industry forward. In 2020 and beyond, these trends will dominate the wellness market, and shape the next generation of consumers.Peter Minkoff is a lifestyle and health editor at HighStyleLifemagazine. Follow Peter on Twitterfor more tips.
Related: This Stock Is the "Amazon of Medicine"


text:
I will repeat the important part for clarity: "lookup" is not a verb. It's simply not.
This site is dedicated to educating people about the common misuses of words
"lookup." It is meant for both non-native speakers who may not know any better, and for
native speakers who should know better but don't. It is in no way
a substitute for a real education. Poor grammar is an excellent way to
make any presentation sound stupid --or program look sloppy-- so if you
intend to use this language much then it behooves you to learn it properly.
It is possible to conjugate verbs. They can change tense and mood. They can
change number and person. You will see how even basic conjugation fails for
Here are some examples with the verb "conjugate." If you doubt that
"conjugate" is a verb (or need to look up what it means), definitions from
agree. Note that, as with many verbs, noun forms exist. Here we're using
the verb form.
Conjgate is a regular verb, so the present tense is simple. Consider the past tense:
The past tense is easy to form with a weak verb like "conjugate." This is normal behavior for a verb. English has more complicated verbs, like irregular and strong verbs, but those are generally the oldest verbs in the language. New verbs are regular and weak.
As a new verb,
"lookup" should follow the regular, weak model that "conjugate"
exemplifies. Unfortunately, it does not:
Notice the problem with the third person singular. However, let's choose to ignore this problem for now. After all, we can't let one little conjugation problem make thousands of programmers and technical writers look like fools. Plowing right ahead, we'll look at the past tense:
Unfortunately, not a single one of those sounds right. It seems that
"lookup" can't change tense or conjugate like a normal verb.
A Strong Verb?
Many older verbs are strong verbs, meaning they change tense by modifying
an internal vowel or diphthong. As you will see, it doesn't behave like
a strong verb, either. Compare the above behavior to the strong verb "sing:"
|I sing||I sang|
|I run||I ran|
|I meet||I met|
A Separate Verb?
Some grammarians will call this a "phrasal" or "two-part" verb, but this is
mostly because some grammarians are seeking tenure at their university posts
and must publish anything they can to get or keep that coveted teaching spot.
Similar motivation has created definitions for "compound verbs" and "stretched
verbs" --all different kinds of verbs, supposedly. Essentially, though, a
two-part verb must have two parts and lookup only has one. The following
list of lookup's component parts demonstrates this fact.
|1st||I||look up||we||look up|
|2nd||you||look up||you [all]||look up|
|3rd||he/she/it||looks up||they||look up|
The past tense is also predictable:
|1st||I||looked up||we||looked up|
|2nd||you||looked up||you [all]||looked up|
|3rd||he/she/it||looked up||they||looked up|
|Owned||I have a book.|
|Modified||I have a secret book.|
I own the book, then make it a secret book. Truly, that is grand. Now I will do the same for "lookup."
|Owned||I have a lookup.|
|Modified||I have a secret lookup.|
"Lookup," it seems, works as a noun.
"lookup" is not a verb. It's simply not. If it is any part of speech
at all, it is a noun. While we did not explore every possible part of
speech, we saw with certainty that
"lookup" is not a verb. It's simply not.
If you take only one thing away from this page, take that one fact:
"lookup" is not a verb. Educate others. Correct manuals, software, and web pages as
you find them. Tell everyone you know that
"lookup" is not a verb. You
will make a pedant (me) happy. You will earn the respect of grammar nazis.
Most importantly, you will know the truth.
Magnanimousness demands that I offer solutions, or correct forms of some of
the common abuses of
"lookup" Here are some suggestions, assuming you prefer
"lookup" as a word rather than take a more conservative approach and insist the
proper form is
"look up" or "look-up."
|Can you lookup?||Can you look up?|
|I tried to lookup....||I tried to look up....|
|Enter your name at the lookup prompt.||(This is acceptable)|
|Please lookup again.||Please look up again.|
You can also continue your education by learning about other words that are not verbs.
For entertainment you can read a sarcastic rebuttal to the argument that lookup really is a verb and the language simply has evolved.
Thanks to Mark Pettit for the corrections to the "checkout" page.
Thanks to Nathanial Jones for the observation of phrasal verbs.
Thanks to someone whose email I deleted before I could record his name for his suggestion to add a note on prepositions.
Thanks to John Goodman for the correction on "carryout" in the index.


text:
Tuning the Mountain Dulcimer
In tuning the mountain dulcimer, the top two strings are tuned
to the same pitch. There is always an interval of a fourth between the strings:
so if the top two strings are a "G," then the bass string or melody
string is a "C." If there are four strings, then the bottom two strings
are tuned to the same pitch. "DO," or the first note of the scale,
should fall on the third fret of the top string.
Virginia's Appalachian Music and Literature in AppLit


When measuring the performance of an HVAC system, the term 'delta' is often used to express the difference between two measurements. Let's take a look at the family of HVAC industry "deltas" that we include in our day-to-day HVAC slang terms. Delta T, Delta P, Delta V and Delta H and let's add Delta C.
Besides the "difference between two related measurements" that we use, the word delta has an interesting history. Going way back, Delta or "Δ" just happens to be the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The name came from the appearance of a three-sided island that forms where two rivers meet. From there, any symbol that looks like a triangle also became known as a delta.
Delta T
"Delta T" is the most common use of the word delta in the HVAC industry, meaning temperature difference. If the temperature before a cooling coil is 75F and the temperature after the cooling coil is 55F, subtract 55F from a 75F to find a delta t of 20F.
Since the first time a service technician tried to explain delta to me, I've wrestled with a way to make the definition a little easier to swallow. It took him 20 minutes and I went away scratching my head. Remember that when talking to new technicians or the office staff. Take time to explain delta to those who need to become familiar with this valuable term.
Delta P
In our industry, Delta P means the difference in two related pressures. For example, when you measure the pressure before a filter and it's.12-in. WC, then, measure the pressure after the filter and it's.22-in. WC. Now, subtract the.12-in. WC from the.22-in. WC to find the Delta P or pressure difference of.10-in. WC.
Once you find a Delta P over a component in an air stream, compare the number to an industry standard. As you learn the industry standards, and compare your test results to them, test results suddenly start making sense.
The typical filter pressure budget for a constant speed fan is 20% of fan rated pressure. For example, a rated system fan of.50-in. WC multiplied by 20% reveals an acceptable filter pressure drop of.10-in. WC. So our example above is ideal.
Measure the pressure drop over the typical high efficiency filter and you'll find Delta Ps around.30-in. WC. Now if you match that filter with a.50-in. fan, and a coil with a Delta P of.30-in. WC, you have already exceeded the capacity of the fan. The Delta P of the duct system hasn't been added to these pressures yet. This system is in trouble.
Delta V
You guessed it. This one is the slang for voltage difference between two legs on feeding a blower motor or a compressor. Voltage differences are found by measuring the voltage of two power wires entering equipment and then by comparing the difference. If the entering voltage varies more than 10% between the wires, serious damage to the equipment may follow.


text:
There are several ways to propagate a plant. Air layering, rooting, grafting and planting cuttings, to name a few, all produce a clone of the parent plant under optimal conditions. However, using the ideal propagation method for the type of parent plant increases the clone's chances of success. For instance, woody plants, such as hydrangeas, do best when grafted or layered, whereas herbaceous plants, such as zinnias, reproduce well through division or rooting. Zinnias, perennials that thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 10, are vigorous growers that form united crowns after two to three years, making them prime specimens for division.
Locate a clump of zinnias with more than one united crown. Also look for clumps that doubled or tripled their size in the past three to five years, as well as those that have outgrown their allotted space. Any of these characteristics indicate the flowers are ready for division.
Irrigate the soil under the zinnias with 2 gallons of water per square foot. Watering the root system thoroughly before dividing the zinnias eases some of the stress of propagation.
Decide where you will plant the divided flowers and allot 18 inches of space between each division you will plant. Till the soil of the new planting site 6 to 8 inches deep with a garden fork or mechanized tiller. Add 1 inch of organic compost to the tilled soil, and till again to incorporate.
Cut around the zinnia clump with a garden spade, 6 to 8 inches deep and 2 to 3 inches out from the foliage spread. Work the spade under the root mass and lift the zinnias from the ground. Set the zinnias aside and remove any dead leaves and stems.
Position two pitchforks back to back, making sure the tines interlock, and insert them downward in the center of the root mass. Work the pitchfork handles back and forth so the tines tease the zinnias apart until the clump splits in half.
Dig holes in the plating site as deep as the root mass is tall and 2 inches larger in diameter, using a garden trowel. Place the root mass of each divided zinnia in the hole and backfill with the excavated dirt.
Irrigate the soil you planted the divided zinnias in with 6 gallons of water per square foot, or the amount it take to reach a depth of 6 inches. Keep the soil moist to a depth of 6 inches until new growth forms in about two to four weeks.
Moisten 4 gallons of sphagnum peat moss by placing it in a container and covering it with cold water. Allow the peat moss to soak in the water for one to two hours.
Combine 2 quarts each of fine, sterile agricultural sand and agricultural perlite. Squeeze the excess water from the peat moss and mix it with the sand and perlite.
Pour the mixed growing medium in five 6-inch pots to 1 inch from the top of each. Water the growing medium until water drains from the pots.
Clean the blades of your garden scissors with soapy water and allow them to air dry. Place the garden scissors and the razor blade in a solution of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts water for 10 minutes, and then remove.
Select five healthy side shoots from the zinnias that have at least one leaf node on each. Cut 3- or 4-inch-long sections of each of the side shoots that have the healthy nodes with the scissors, and pinch off all the leaves save for two. Make the cuts just under the nodes at 45-degree angles on each.
Dig a 2-inch-deep hole in the growing medium with a pencil and pour 2 tablespoons of rooting hormone powder on wax paper. Slice halfway through the leaf nodes using the razor blade; dip the bottom 3/8 inch of each cutting in the hormone powder.
Shake off the excess powder and place the cuttings in the holes without touching the sides. Mound the growing medium around the base of the stems and place the pots in a westerly facing window. If the temperature in your house is usually lower than 75 degrees Fahrenheit, place the pots on a heating mat set to the lowest setting. Keep the soil moist until the zinnias have new growth in approximately two to four weeks.
Things You Will Need
- Garden fork or tiller
- Organic compost
- Garden spade
- 2 pitchforks
- Garden trowel
- 4 gallons sphagnum peat moss
- 2 quarts fine, sterile agricultural sand
- 2 quarts agricultural perlite
- 5 6-inch pots
- Garden scissors
- Razor blade
- Household bleach
- 2 tablespoons rooting hormone powder
- Wax paper
- Heating mat (optional)
- Propagate zinnias when the ground temperature reaches around 65 F.
- Divide zinnias on a cloudy day to make it less stressful on their root system.
- Avoid wetting the foliage as much as possible when you irrigate the zinnias.
- Keep the soil packed around the root mass as intact as possible when removing the zinnias from the ground.
- Plant the zinnias as soon as possible after dividing them to prevent them from drying and adding additional stress to the root system.
- University of California Master Gardeners: Plant Propagation
- University of Minnesota Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: Plant Propagation
- University of Florida IFAS: Warm Climate Production Guidelines for Specialty Cut Flowers: Zinnia
- The Old Farmer's Almanac: Zinnias
- Fine Gardening: Choosing the Right Soilless Mix
- Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images


text:
35 - The Philosopher's Toolkit: Aristotle's Logical Works
Peter discusses Aristotle's pioneering work in logic, and looks at related issues like the ten categories and the famous "sea battle" argument for determinism.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
- J. Hintikka, Time and Necessity. Studies in Aristotle's Theory of Modality (Oxford:1973).
- W. Leszl, "Aristotle's Logical Works and His Conception of Logic," Topoi 23 (2004), 71–100.
- R. Smith, "Logic," in J. Barnes (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (Cambridge: 1995), 27-65.
- S. Waterlow, Passage and Possibility (Oxford: 1982).
On the "sea battle" problem:
- G.E.M. Anscombe, "Aristotle and the Sea Battle," in J.M.E. Moravcsik (ed.), Aristotle: a Collection of Critical Essays, (1967), reprinted from Mind 65 (1956).
- D. Frede, "The Sea-Battle Reconsidered: a Defence of the Traditional Interpretation," Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 3 (1985).
- J. Hintikka, "The Once and Future Sea Fight: Aristotle's Discussion of Future Contingents in de Interpretatione 9," in his Time and Necessity (see above).


text:
BASIC GEOMETRIC SHAPES
Architecture is the science of building. Architects understand the natural laws of gravity and their affects upon mass. There are four basic geometric shapes used by architects in designing buildings. They are the circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. A building may use one or a combination of the shapes in its design. When we study a building's design, we see the shapes as three-dimensional. As you look at each image in the kit see if you can spot them.


text:
Fact Sheet 2012–3070
This brief report, drawing from a multi-year effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), identifies significant decreases in rainfall and increases in air temperature across Chad, especially in the eastern part of the country. These analyses are based on quality-controlled station observations.
First posted June 21, 2012
For additional information contact:
Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.
Funk, C., Rowland, J., Eilerts, G., Adoum, A. and White, L., 2012, A Climate Trend Analysis of Chad, U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2012–3070, 4 p.
Food Security Context: Drying Trends in Food Insecure Areas in Eastern Chad
Rainfall Declines in the 2000s
Much Warmer Air Temperatures
Population Pressure and Stagnating Agricultural Growth
A Convergence of Evidence
Some Implications for Food Security and Adaptations
Objectives and Methods


text:
The working directory is the top-level directory in a repository, in which the plain versions of files are available to read, edit and build. Files in the working directory are usually from the tip, but may be from older revisions, or modified and not yet committed. The working directory is sometimes called the "working copy."
1. Manipulating the Working Directory
It's useful to think of the working directory as "the changeset I'm about to commit". If the working directory has no local modifications it is said to be clean.
Use hg revert to discard all local modifications (see revert).
To remove all files from the working directory (not the repository!), you can do
hg update null
A branch name can be set for the working directory.
Mercurial tracks various information about the working directory (see DirState).
A working directory has one or two parent revisions. The parent revision (or revisions) will become the parent revisions of the new revision which will eventually be created by a commit of the local modifications.
An hg update will change the parent revision, whereas hg revert will only modify the content of the working directory.
A working directory will only have two parent revisions as the result of a merge, but only until that merge has been committed.
Immediately after a commit (or after an update -C), the working directory has exactly one parent revision, namely the newly committed (or updated-to) changeset. This is even the case if the newly committed changeset was a merge.
The command hg parents (without a revision specifier) lists the parent revision(s) of the working directory.
Example output for a single parent (no uncommitted merge):
$ hg parents changeset: 2:86794f718fb1 tag: tip user: _EMAIL_ date: Mon May 05 01:20:46 2008 +0200 summary: Express great joy at existence of Mercurial
Example output for two parent revisions (after an uncommitted merge):
$ hg parents changeset: 2:c3844fde99f0 user: _EMAIL_ date: Tue May 06 20:10:35 2008 +0200 summary: Add description of hello.c changeset: 3:86794f718fb1 tag: tip parent: 1:82e55d328c8c user: _EMAIL_ date: Mon May 05 01:20:46 2008 +0200 summary: Express great joy at existence of Mercurial
3. When an update is needed
There are several ways to see if an update of your working directory is needed (see related mailing list thread):
To see the delta between the working directory and the tip, do:
hg diff -r tip
To see what patches would be applied to the working directory on an update do:
hg log -r tip:.
If the working directory is at the tip (that is, no update needed)
will write "tip" after the changeset id.