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Why do an exit interview? After all, the employee is leaving the business, so is this time well spent?
The answer is a resolute yes! An exit interview is a crucial component to understanding why an employee is leaving your organisation. The feedback from it can provide insights into what you can do better to keep your workforce around and reduce overall turnover.
Many employees who choose to leave do it without any bad blood towards your business. They may be changing a career path, developing different skills, or taking a break from corporate life for personal reasons. In these instances, it is likely they don't want to close the door to your company completely, and neither should you.
Keep reading as we touch on the benefits and drawbacks of an exit interview. We will also discuss what kinds of questions you can ask to attain helpful information about the motivations for leaving and what your organisation can improve on to increase retention.
What Is An Exit Interview?
In short, an exit interview is a final check-in with departing employees to understand their experience at your company better. You can do it in two parts: first, by giving them an exit survey, and then by inviting them for a candid interview.
Many employees perceive it as a friendly gesture as it shows you still value their input, and they won't be leaving without some form of verbal affirmation.
This interview shouldn't just be used to review their experience but also to let them know you are open to future collaboration.
Why Do An Exit Interview: What HR Can Learn From It?
You can measure the usefulness of your exit interview by the beneficial changes it generates for your organisation.
Here is what you as HR can learn from your exit interviews:
Understand The Employee's Experience Of Their Position
Here you will gain insights into the employee's general feelings towards their colleagues, the culture of the office, and their working conditions. This can help management and HR improve the worker's experience, add or increase incentives, and make necessary changes to team support structures.
Identify Issues Related to HR
This is a common goal for any exit interview. The interview can help uncover problematic factors relating to the onboarding or offboarding process in your company. It may inform you about your talent acquisition management process.
During this part of the interview, pay attention to the employee's feelings about their salary and benefits and if they are leaving because their pay packages don't align with their peers or competitors.
Make Key Observations About Leadership In The Company
While many departing employees hold back and try to give positive feedback during the final interview process, it is essential to make them comfortable enough to provide constructive feedback.
Here, you can encourage feedback regarding their superiors' leadership style. Did they feel they were managed in a way that made it easier for them to do their jobs effectively and feel supported?
The Pros And Cons Of Holding These Interviews
It is essential to understand the pros and cons of this final step as it helps to validate the 'why' of an exit interview.
- You can take feedback and use it to make improvements to the company's internal structure.
- Understand how the business weighs against competitors (salary, benefits, etc.)
- By treating departing employees with respect, you create advocates for your organisation.
- You gain information that helps you avoid losing additional staff.
- Employees may be reluctant to share the true nature of their experience because they are afraid of not receiving good references.
- You may have an employee that feels hostile and uses the interview to vent without providing any helpful information.
It's Key To The Offboarding Process
Offboarding is one of the only ways for management and HR to know that they have covered all their bases when a person leaves. This includes filling out paperwork, rescinding access to your systems, retrieving company assets, and giving the employee any outstanding documents or payslips.
Offboarding helps both the departing employee and the team they are leaving behind to transition smoothly.
Finally, an effective offboarding programme allows your company to leave the door open to any employee who wants to return in the future.
Ideas On What To Ask During The Interview
During the interview process, try to make it as friendly and constructive as possible. Get to the heart of things but avoid sounding robotic.
Make sure the employee knows they are welcome not to answer questions they feel uncomfortable with.
Here's a list of some general questions you can ask the people who are on their way out the door:
- Let us know what your general feelings about working here were, and if possible, please explain why you have chosen to leave?
- Do you have any suggestions about how we can improve working conditions?
- What could be done to improve the situation that has caused you to leave?
- Do you think that other employees have the same feeling about this situation?
- What did you enjoy most about working here?
- Is there anything you would have liked to have implemented here or in your department?
- Please complete the following sentence: "I don't know why the company doesn't just…."
- Name two or three things you have enjoyed about working with your supervisor?
- What aspects of your onboarding programme do you feel could have been improved?
There are many reasons why you should do an exit interview when employees leave. They can offer valuable insights into pertinent aspects of day-to-day operations that greatly influence the employee experience. It also lets them know you are open to doing business in the future.
If you would like to learn more about improving the employee experience with &Team, get in touch with us to arrange a free demo.


- FC-B/I method;
 - [18F]β-CFT-FE;
 - DAT;
 - monkey;
 - brain
The competitive inhibition of dopamine transporters (DAT) with cocaine, a specific DAT inhibitor, was evaluated with a feedback-controlled bolus plus infusion (FC-B/I) method using animal positron emission tomography (PET) in the living brain of conscious monkey. 2β-Carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl)-8-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl) nortropane ([18F]β-CFT-FE; Harada et al. [2004] Synapse 54:37–45) was used for this study because it provided specific, fast, and reversible kinetic properties to DAT in the striatum. In FC-B/I method, the real-time image reconstruction was started just after intravenous bolus injection of [18F]β-CFT-FE to generate a time-activity curve in the striatum, and the infusion rate was adjusted to achieve an equilibrium state of the striatal radioactivity concentrations by means of a feedback-control algorithm. The first equilibrium state in the brain was reached within 20 min after the infusion start. Intravenous administration of cocaine at the doses of 0.02, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg shifted the equilibrium radioactivity level to the second equilibrium state in a dose-dependent manner, while no significant alterations was observed in the cerebellum. The present results demonstrated that the combined use of FC-B/I method and PET probe with fast kinetics like [18F]β-CFT-FE could be useful to assess the occupancy of drugs in the living brain with PET. Synapse, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


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milleporeArticle Free Pass
millepore, also called stinging coral, or pepper coral, (Millepora), any of a genus of invertebrate marine animals comprising the order Milleporina (phylum Cnidaria). Millepores are common in shallow tropical seas to depths of 30 metres (about 100 feet). Unlike the true corals, which belong to the class Anthozoa, millepores are closely related to the hydra. Both hydras and the millepores belong to the class Hydrozoa. Some species form branching treelike growths up to 50 centimetres (about 20 inches) high. Others form massive and shapeless or leaflike growths. Most are whitish, yellowish, or beige in colour. As with other cnidarians, they bear powerful stinging structures called nematocysts, which are used for defense and for capturing food.
What made you want to look up "millepore"? Please share what surprised you most...

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Several case studies conducted by the IMI-GetReal project planned to use registry data to inform their data analysis. For example, by using individual participant data (IPD) from a patient registry in a network meta-analysis to establish the relative effectiveness of medicines in situations where no head-to-head RCT data is available. For some case studies, the registries seemed very willing to engage with the case study teams and provide access to registry data. However, for other case studies, registry data access was declined, despite compliance with the registry holders' procedures for access.
To apply for data access, each case study team had to comply with the general procedures required by each registry. This generally included filling out an application form and submitting a research proposal. These documents were subsequently reviewed by the scientific advice committee, general advisory committee, or both. Afterwards a final decision was made.
Each proposal needed to be tailored to the specific registry holder. For example, case study teams were encouraged by registry advisors to involve academic groups, which conventionally perform all statistical analyses for the registry, as a means of increasing the chance of access approval. In some cases, this meant that clearance was required from GetReal (as well as funding) to involve other academic groups affiliated with the registry to participate.
Issues with access to registries
The following list outlines some of the common issues that were experienced when applying for access to registry data. We recommend that these should be considered before approaching registry holders for access to data:
- Timelines too short: timelines were sometimes unrealistic and difficult to maintain because of the time needed for the application procedure, difficulties in engaging the registry steering committees, expected timelines for approval used by steering committees, and cleaned registry data being unavailable within the case study time frame.
- Difficulty submitting a data access application: in some instances it was difficult to submit an application for data access to the steering committee. For example, sometimes little information was known about when the registry steering committee would consider the application.
- Access affected by registry type: accessibility to disease-specific registries was particularly difficult compared with product registries.
- Access affected by the disease area of the registry: access to registry data on chronic diseases may be easier than for oncologic indications. For example, the case study team of the IMI-GetReal rheumatoid arthritis case study were actively approached by the registry to inform them of the availability of a new update of the data.
- Clean data: once IPD from a registry is made available, cleaning the data is often a lengthy process.
- Ongoing academic research: in some instances, data access was declined because of a conflict of interest, for example, when academic work (such as a PhD thesis) was performed by parties involved in the registry. In other instances, data access was granted under the provision that analysis conducted would not interfere with the academic work being done by registry affiliates.
- Legal aspects: guaranteeing patient consent may be cumbersome and current European legislation on privacy of health data are also restrictive.
- Collaboration: working together with researchers directly involved with the approached registry can be constructive in gaining access to registry data. Alternatively, it may be possible to outsource the analysis to the research team directly associated with the registry.
- Purchasing registry data: some registries provide the possibility to purchase their data. Although this may be an option, it can be very costly and require substantial funding.
- Network: having a connection with one or more individuals involved in a registry is crucial to gain data access, since they can help initiate the dialogue on applications for data access.
Issues with the registry data provided
When access to registry data was granted, most often summary or aggregate data were provided, rather than access to IPD. This could present several obstacles, depending on planned analyses, since aggregate data does not conventionally include detailed information on covariates. As a result, it becomes difficult for research teams to examine the effects of covariates on observed outcomes. This may be a strong limitation when patient characteristics and treatment patterns, for example, have a considerable effect on the outcome measure (for example, overall survival).
Amr Makady and Rachel Kalf, Zorginstituut Nederlands (ZIN)

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Water, aquaculture and fish:
Water organisms in cultivation, sea and lake
At SLU, you will find expertise in aquaculture, in the ecology of the aquatic fauna and flora, as well as in fish and water management. The state of the aquatic ecosystems is followed. We also investigate how resource use, e.g. fishing, affects the ecosystems.
Aquaculture comprises cultivation of all living animals and plants in water, mainly in sea cages or in basins. In Sweden, fish, crayfish and shells are the most commonly grown organisms. Fish are cultivated for different purposes; either for consuming or for planting out in fishing waters.
Some areas of research are suitable fish strains for cultivation and the composition of fish fodder. Environmental and hygiene aspects of water and the role of water in agricultural land and in forests are other research fields. The chemical and biological quality of water is regularly monitored in many lakes in Sweden.


Paleomagnetism of the Liassic member of the Zarzaïtine Formation (stable Saharan craton, Illizi basin, Algeria)
M. E. M. Derder, B. Henry, N. Merabet, B. Bayou, M. Amenna
A paleomagnetic study was carried out in the carbonates and marls of the Liassic member of the Zarzaïtine Formation of the Illizi basin (SE Algeria) deposited in a continental environment. Two magnetization components were identified. The first, defined at relatively low blocking temperature, was isolated in five sites, and yields the following paleomagnetic pole (80.8°N, 20.1°E, K = 811 and A 95 = 2.2°). This magnetization is considered an overprint acquired during Cenozoic times. The second component was defined by both normal and reversed polarity. The normal polarity was identified in fourteen sites using both linear regression and great circles. The reversed one was inferred in four sites from the remagnetization circle and demagnetization path analyses. This component is mainly (it could be in part the primary magnetization) a late diagenesis magnetic overprint. It yields a new Liassic pole (71.8°S, 54.9°E, K = 91 and A 95 = 3.9°) for Africa.
Africa;paleomagnetic pole;liassic;apparent polar wander path;sahara craton
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Symmetric decompositions of cost variation
European Journal of Operational Research, Volume 285 p. 1189- 1198
In this paper a number of symmetric, empirically implementable decompositions of the cost variation (in difference and ratio form) of a production unit are developed. The components distinguished are price level change, technical efficiency change, allocative efficiency change, technological change, scale of activity change, and price structure change. Given data from a (balanced) panel of production units, all the necessary ingredients for the computation of the various decompositions can be obtained by using linear programming techniques (DEA). An application is provided.
|Cost variation, Decomposition, Efficiency change, Productivity and competitiveness, Technological change|
|European Journal of Operational Research|
|Organisation||Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University|
Balk, B.M, & Zofio Prieto, J.L. (2020). Symmetric decompositions of cost variation. European Journal of Operational Research, 285, 1189–1198. doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2020.02.034


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Brief History of Canberra. Watson, F.. 1927. A brief history of Canberra the capital city of Australia by Frederick Watson, outlines the early history of the region
in some detail from European discovery by Charles Throsby in 1820, settlement by Moore and others from 1826, the determination of the site for a federal capital to the early development of the city. Apart from the trials and tribulations of the first European settlers the dialogue covers the establishment and early years of the Church of St John the Baptist, and the exploits of Frank Gardiner and his fellow bushrangers. The Oliver Inquiry into the selection of a site for the Australian Capital territory and the subsequent debate occupies a significant section of the book as does the initial planning by Griffin and the initial construction period from 1921 to 1927. The establishment of Duntroon in 1910 and its early years are also featured. The publication names early settlers in the area and some have significant biographical information written about them including Throsby, Moore, Campbell, Ainslie, and Farrer. Other men mentioned who have lesser biographical details included but are still well worth accessing include, Murray, MacPherson, Klensenddorlffe, Palmer, and Hayley. Old historical records are a valuable resource for local, family and social historians as well as for researchers in other fields of Australian history. They provide information on the environment experienced by the residents of the time and how they lived, as well as their occupations.


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Mercury History: Henry Ford adopted the Mercury brand in 1939 to compete with the General Motors Buick but most models were based on other Ford models. Mercury became a part of the Lincoln division in 1945 and adopted the Lincoln platform in 1949, the year Mercury's also became know as "Lead Sleds". Mercury's heyday was in the 1950's but it was considered a spin off of Fords, and then Lincolns, until the early 1970s when the Cougar and Marquis were introduced. Sales peaked in 1978 when almost 600,000 units were sold but by the 1980s the Mercury had lost its uniqueness again and the image began to suffer. Ford tried to revive the Mercury lineup in the 1990s with front-wheel drive, an import called the "MMerkur" and a mini van but less than 100,000 units were sold in 2010. Ford dropped Mercury from the Lincoln division the following year.
The first Mercury logo was a head profile of the Roman god Mercury. From the 1960s to the 1980s the Cougar became the logo amid a series of cat-named models followed. Some of the upper end models adopted the Lincoln diamond.
Click on column names to sort listings - Mercury
Enter keywords (Ex: 1957 chevy door) or use filters to see what we have.


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Using scientific techniques and cutting-edge equipment, researchers at the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Conservation Science Laboratory have recently solved mysteries about paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Giorgio de Chirico. Since opening in early 2011, the Conservation Science Laboratory has undertaken multiple projects that have provided the museum world with new research, techniques and advances in the field of conservation.
A partnership between the IMA Conservation Science Laboratory and the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) has shed new light on the colors that Vincent van Gogh used in his 1890 painting Undergrowth with Two Figures. Van Gogh was known to use vibrant colors in his paintings but many of his works today have lost this original vibrancy. Undergrowth with Two Figures is one such work and during a cleaning of the work, former CAM paintings conservator Per Knutas unearthed miniscule traces of bright pink colorant in areas where the frame covered the edge of the painting. This discovery prompted Knutas to contact Dr. Gregory D. Smith, the IMA Otto N. Frenzel III Senior Conservation Scientist. Smith agreed to help identify the paint colorant used by van Gogh and worked with visiting researcher Dr. Jeffrey Fieberg, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Centre College in Danville, KY, to examine the painting and solve the mystery.
I gladly accepted the challenge to identify the colorant, knowing this project would allow the Conservation Science Laboratory to build ongoing partnerships within the museum community, contribute useful research on paint fading and fully utilize the state-of-the-art instruments available in the lab, Smith said. This project is a shining example of the type of research the lab is equipped to conduct.
Van Gogh painted Undergrowth within the last five weeks of his lifea period when he was known to have used a bright Geranium Lake organic dye and the brilliance of Geranium Lake is short lived when exposed to light. A helpful clue in the process came from a letter written by van Gogh to his brother, Theo, while he was painting the work stating it contained... undergrowth, lilac trunks of poplars, and underneath them some flower-dotted grass, pink, yellow, white and various greens. Since the pink flowers rapidly faded to white, the question addressed by the IMA lab was which flowers were white because of the fading, and which ones were always white.
The painting was brought to the IMA for an in-depth, nondestructive analysis. Smith utilized a small broken paint chip found lodged in the varnish to analyze the dye by Raman microspectroscopya process that collects a characteristic spectral fingerprint from the dye by measuring changes in laser light scattered by the molecules. Comparison of the spectrum to a digital library of thousands of materials identified the dye as eosin, which gives Geranium Lake its vibrant color. After identifying the ink, Smith and Fieberg painstakingly mapped out its location by elemental spectroscopy in the 387 dobs of white paint used by van Gogh to represent the flowers. The team used Adobe Photoshop to record all the spots in which the dyestuff was detected, creating a virtual restoration of the aged painting.
The research collaboration between Smith, Fieberg and CAM is ongoing. An upcoming scholarly publication by the projects core collaborators will make the information more widely known to art history scholars. Smith is now working with forensic scientists at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis to refine the coloration used in the virtual restoration based on actual microcolorimetry measurements of small paint flakes from the van Gogh painting.
Van Gogh said,... in the colours there is adulteration as in wines. How can one judge correctly when, like myself, one knows nothing of chemistry. Although the damage has already been done, through chemistry the IMA is now working to understand the changes in this work and others by van Gogh in the Museums collection and to give todays admirers of his work a more accurate picture of his artworks brilliance.
The Conservation Science Lab did similar work on a Giorgio de Chirico painting from the IMAs permanent collection. IMA Associate Curator for Research, Annette Schlagenhauff, gained assistance from the science lab and conservation imaging specialists while studying the provenance and authenticity of de Chiricos The Mysterious Departure. The piece was taken off view for more than 30 years because of the belief that it might be a forgery. Closer examination revealed a figure study underneath that was characteristic of de Chiricos later works. It is now believed that de Chirico painted this work in the 1930s as a copy of one of his earlier pieces to take advantage of the popularity of this metaphysical style later in his career.
Other ongoing projects in the Conservation Science Lab include:
Developing internship opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students
Offering sabbatical programs for university professors who teach Chemistry of Art courses
Studying fading behaviors in photographs and woodblock prints
Developing non-destructive identification techniques for plastic materials used in modern design objects


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Needs Summary: This article does not have a summary. Summaries give a brief overview of the topic and are automatically included on some listing pages that link to this article.
The width property is a standard HTML attribute. The value of this attribute is usually an integer.
It is very common to see HTML tags like images, iframes or object elements have width (and height) attributes.
This property is an integer value. Although an HTML author can specify the width as a percentage, this property always specifies the width in pixels in C++. In Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 it is possible to set the width property, but doing so has no effect on the rendering of the frame.
This article contains content originally from external sources.
Portions of this content come from the Microsoft Developer Network: [Windows Internet Explorer API reference Article]


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This material must not be used for commercial purposes, or in any hospital or medical facility. Failure to comply may result in legal action.
Patellar Fracture in Children
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
A patellar fracture is a break in your child's kneecap.
WHILE YOU ARE HERE:
is a legal document that explains the tests, treatments, or procedures that your child may need. Informed consent means you understand what will be done and can make decisions about what you want. You give your permission when you sign the consent form. You can have someone sign this form for you if you are not able to sign it. You have the right to understand your child's medical care in words you know. Before you sign the consent form, understand the risks and benefits of what will be done to your child. Make sure all of your questions are answered.
Stay with your child for comfort and support as often as possible while he is in the hospital. Ask another family member or someone close to the family to stay with your child when you cannot be there. Bring items from home that will comfort your child, such as a favorite blanket or toy.
- Pain medicine: Your child may be given medicine to take away or decrease pain. Do not wait until the pain is severe before you give your child his medicine.
- Antibiotics: These medicines help fight or prevent an infection. They are usually given if your child has an open fracture.
- Td vaccine: This vaccine is a booster shot used to help prevent diphtheria and tetanus. Your child may need the Td vaccine if he has an open patellar fracture.
- MRI: This scan uses powerful magnets and a computer to take pictures of your child's knee. Your child may be given dye in his IV to help healthcare providers see the images better. Tell the healthcare provider if your child is allergic to dye, iodine, or seafood. Do not enter the MRI room with anything metal. Metal can cause serious injury. Tell healthcare providers if your child has any metal in or on his body.
- Bone scan: This is a test to look at your child's patellar fracture and check for infection. Your child will get a radioactive liquid, called a tracer, through a vein in his arm. The tracer collects in your child's bones and pictures are taken.
- Brace, cast, or splint: These are supportive devices to stop your child's kneecap from moving and help it heal. They often extend from the groin to the ankle. He may also need to use crutches to help him move around while his knee heals.
- Irrigation and debridement: This procedure is done to clean and remove objects, dirt, or dead tissue from the fracture area.
- Open reduction and internal fixation: During this surgery, healthcare providers make a large incision over your child's kneecap. The broken pieces of bone and ligaments are moved back to their correct places. Bone pieces and ligaments may be secured using wires, pins, screws, or bands.
- Closed reduction: During this surgery, healthcare providers move the broken pieces of bone and ligaments back to their correct places without a large incision. External fixation may be used to hold your child's kneecap in place, and then later removed.
- Patellectomy: During a partial or complete patellectomy, part or all of your child's kneecap is removed.
- Physical therapy: Your child may need to see a physical therapist to teach him special exercises. These exercises help improve movement and decrease pain. Physical therapy can also help improve strength and decrease your child's risk for loss of function.
- Your child's leg may get stiff if he wears a supportive device. He may still have knee pain, even after treatment. His knee may not look like it did before the injury. He may need to have surgery again. Even after surgery, the broken pieces of bone or the hardware may move out of place. He can get an infection.
- Without treatment, your child's kneecap may not heal correctly. It may be permanently displaced. This can affect how your child walks. His leg muscles may weaken, which can limit your child's activities.
CARE AGREEMENT:You have the right to help plan your child's care. Learn about your child's health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your child's healthcare providers to decide what care you want for your child.
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2019 Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. All illustrations and images included in CareNotes® are the copyrighted property of A.D.A.M., Inc. or IBM Watson Health
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
Learn more about Patellar Fracture in Children (Inpatient Care)
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Which is better a permanent or contract job position?
Getting a desirable career – a permanent position with benefits, recurring income, and retirement package at a respectable organization-is something of yesteryear. Some claim that these days, the principle of focusing on a single profession is out of date, especially with the gig economy.
In order to further their learning and acquire varied experiences, the new fashion is to invest their energies in many kinds of occupations. One of the common employment arrangements embraced by these individuals is contract employment. Let's look at the pros and cons that are possible.
 1. Pay
In pay terms, contract workers typically earn higher wages. No other advantages are predicted. During a deal, no holidays or unpaid leave. A fixed wage and a (variable) performance-related bonus mostly pay permanent workers. Additional benefits can include, in some cases, retirement, dental, paid leave, stock options and preferential rates on loans and mortgages. Although a reasonably rational comparison should be the overall reward, many individuals are slightly biased and drawn to the "guaranteed" higher pay of contract employee jobs. In order to determine the two choices, it would be more prudent to take an objective and risk assessed approach.
In short, the pay of a permanent career provides you a healthy net income, with a number of benefits to shield you from certain risks and add to your retirement savings. A fair comparison of the wages of the contract worker is to measure the disposable income by taking out the portion you will allocate for unexpected expenditure and retirement (which in turn is based on your risk appetite).
2. Job Security
As a contract employee, at the end of each contract, you need to find a new position. But there are also situations in which your client will employ you after the contract as a permanent employee if they see your value. If the company is doing well and not on a decreasing trend due to shifts in business model and technology, there will be greater work protection for permanent workers. Re-organization will alter your position, but your job will only be at risk of downsizing.
The availability of contract employee jobs would be more susceptible to economic conditions. For example, the first to cut contracts and contract employee services would be when an organization wants to downsize. The last to go would likely be permanent employees, especially high performers who clearly add value to the organization (if ever). There will be severance payments or other benefits equal to months of pay for those who are to be let go (depending on length of employment).
The other angle to consider is whether the position of the business and work you are in is on the increase. If so, the probability of making several or recurring contract offers is high and you have basically no chance of project gaps. Furthermore, your salary is likely to rise much quicker than that of a permanent employee.
Vice versa, it'll be just as real. If your work is easily replaceable or the market is shrinking, once your current one ends, you will face the dilemma of seeking a new contract. Even if you have a permanent employment, due to downsizing, you will still face layoffs. The benefit of working in a big corporation as a permanent employee is that you probably have a chance to re-skill yourself in a different role.
In conclusion, job protection is more important to your position in the job (i.e. the abilities you have) and the industry in which you are. You have more flexibility in re-skilling yourself if you are a permanent worker in a big organization. If you are a contract employee, you would be on your own, and you would be under constant pressure to keep your skills up-to-date and marketable.
3. Career Progression
Continuing as a contract employee means that your hard skills and expertise are being sold. In a specialized area, you will be the top expert, but it is doubtful that you will step into general leadership positions. There are 2 options open to permanent workers. To gain expertise in a special area, they can concentrate on a "technical path" or they can pursue a "management path" to be developed into an executive.
That's where the difference is greatest. Contract workers can shift horizontally, but if he has not been in a management role before, a business would seldom hire a contract employee into an executive position. By nature, permanent workers will have the channel for vertical movements. They will get the preparation, experience and opportunity needed to move up gradually.
As a young adult, a management position seems far away, so it does not matter to pick a contract staff job. However, after a few years of seeing what management looks like, if you plan to become an executive one day, you should seriously consider it. You need to prepare to move into permanent employment if you do. If you have moved up to the management tier, you can still switch positions, but the jump from individual contributor to manager would require you to gain faith from the senior level to give you the chance.
The choice between contract and permanent employment is not easy, but by being more cautious in comparing the compensation packages and deliberately self-assessing your risk appetite, you can mitigate your prejudices. If you have done well in acquiring your hard skills, improving your soft skills and choosing the right form of job in an insurrection industry, it makes no difference whether a contract worker or a permanent role.
As a matter of fact, you will get preferential benefits (e.g. bonus, paid training and vacation) even as a contract employee if you have outstanding skills (both hard and soft) in your career. Employers, regardless of their form of jobs, store great resources and will go all the way to hold them as long as they are needed.
It is also a good idea for you to try both if you have just joined the job market or in your first 5 years. After 10-15 years or when you have substantial life event shifts, the option will become more important (or plans, such as getting married, having children). This is because your risk appetite will shift, you are likely to commit to longer-term arrangements, and you need to take retirement savings seriously.
Check out my related post: What challenges do millennials face?
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Indigenous Peoples Can Show the Path to Low-Carbon Living If Their Land Rights Are Recognized
Youba Sokona of Mali is co-chair of the IPCC Working Group III. Photo: Citt Williams, OurWorld2.0
by Stephen Leahy
Many indigenous peoples are living examples of societies thriving with sustainable, low-carbon lifestyles. Successfully meeting the global climate change challenge requires that much of the world shift from high carbon-living to low.
This shift is daunting. Current emissions for Australia and the United States average about 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person. In the coming decades that needs to fall to two tonnes per person as it is currently in Brazil or the Dominican Republic.
Emissions from most indigenous peoples are even lower and are amongst the lowest in the world.
All options for making the shift from highto low-carbon living need to be explored and that's why the United Nations University Traditional Knowledge Initiative (UNU) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) invited indigenous peoples to a special three-day workshop in Cairns, Australia last week.
"Climate change is the result of our behaviour," said Youba Sokona, co-chair of the IPCC Working Group III that will report to governments in 2014 on ways carbon emissions can be reduced.
The IPCC is the world authority on climate, assessing the state of knowledge on the issue every five to six years. Traditional knowledge of local and indigenous peoples have been left out until now.
"One of the critical solutions is to change our behavior, to change our production and consumption systems," said Sokona, a climate expert from the African nation of Mali.
The Climate Change Mitigation with Local Communities and Indigenous peoples workshop offered a number of "examples of local peoples in Siberia, in Australia, northern Canada and in some African countries demonstrating that it is possible to change our behavior," he said.
Marilyn Wallace, a Kuku Nyungkal Aboriginal woman. Photo: Citt Williams, OneWorld 2.0
"I live in a shack but I love being on my 'bubu', my traditional land," said Marilyn Wallace of the Kuku Nyungka 'mob' (tribe) in northern Queensland, Australia.
Wallace has lived in towns but fought for years to "return to country" and live in her tropical forest homeland 60 kilometers from Cooktown.
At the workshop Wallace and every other indigenous delegate focused on land rights. The simple truth is that if they can't live on and manage their lands with time-tested traditional methods, they can't be part of the solution to climate change.
For complete article see Nat Geo's NewsWatch


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The hormonal fluctuations experienced during pregnancy can cause many unexpected changes in your body, including your eyes and vision. Most of these changes are temporary and will return to normal once you give birth. It's important to know which vision changes are normal for an expecting mother and which could indicate a problem that requires medical attention.
Normal Vision Changes
Visual Acuity/Blurred vision
During pregnancy, you may notice a change in your vision due to hormone levels. If you find that your vision has gotten blurry or that your current prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses are not helping as much as they usually do, speak to your eye doctor. Often the change in your vision is due to fluid retention which can temporarily change the shape of your cornea. Since your hormones will continue to fluctuate and will return to normal shortly after you give birth or after you finish nursing, your doctor may advise waiting until after you deliver to assess whether you need to change your prescription. However, you may need a temporary pair of glasses with your current prescription if you need lenses for driving or other tasks that are dangerous or difficult without perfect eyesight.
Dry eyes is a common and usually temporary condition that is experienced during pregnancy. Dry eyes can lead to irritation and discomfort in general and especially when wearing contact lenses. To relieve dry eyes, over-the-counter lubricating or rewetting eye drops are completely safe to use during pregnancy and nursing. It's a good idea to consult with your optometrist to make sure you're using a good dry eye solution, and definitely see the eye doctor if symptoms persist or if you wear contact lenses.
Along with many other areas in the body, eyelids may swell during pregnancy. To reduce water retention, make sure you drink a lot of water and limit your intake of sodium and caffeine.
Vision Changes that Require Medical Attention
Some serious vision changes could be signs of preeclampsia, a potentially serious issue that occurs in 5-8% of pregnancies. Vision symptoms associated with the condition include temporary vision loss, light sensitivity, blurry vision, auras and the appearance of flashing lights, along with high blood pressure. If you experience these symptoms seek medical attention immediately.
Both women that are regularly diabetic and those that have gestational (pregnancy) diabetes need to keep an eye on their vision as blurred vision can indicate elevated blood sugar levels. The risks of vision loss associated with diabetes is heightened during pregnancy so it is critical to monitor blood sugar levels at all times. Women with gestational diabetes should get a diabetic eye exam, which includes dilating the eye and examining the retina for signs of retinopathy.
While minor changes in your eyes and vision are a normal part of pregnancy, if at any time you notice persistent eye pain, vision loss or discomfort, visit your doctor. It is always better to be safe than sorry.


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Australian Rainfall and Runoff Newcastle Flood Model
Client: Australian Rainfall and Runoff - Engineers Australia
Project Reference: _PHONE_
The floods in Queensland and Victoria in 2011 have been a timely reminder of how destructive and dangerous these types of natural disasters can be. While State and Local government authorities are busy with the important task of restoring infrastructure for communities in these flood affected areas, researchers at the University of New South Wales Water Research Laboratory (WRL) are working to assist planners and emergency managers to more effectively deal with future floods.
Sophisticated, two-dimensional numerical computer models are commonly being used to provide baseline data describing flood levels, depths and velocities in flood prone areas. Statistically analysed, these data can be used by planners and managers to define the risk and relative hazard (safety) of flood prone areas. The data can be used to determine a wide range of planning outcomes from safe evacuation routes out of flooded regions to whether areas are suitable for rebuilding or future development.
But how accurate and reliable are the baseline data from these models? A recent research project by Grantley Smith and Conrad Wasko, using funding from the Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Engineers Australia, as part of the review of Australian Rainfall and Runoff, has used the advanced numerical and physical modelling capabilities of WRL to review current industry modelling practice.
A physical model of an urban floodplain in Merewether, a suburb of Newcastle, NSW has been built at WRL and calibrated to the famous 'Pasha Bulker' storm of June 2007. Detailed flow measurements from the physical model have been compared with predictions of the June 2007 flood from various numerical flood software packages commonly used by industry. The research has shown that there are numerous areas where modelling approaches can be improved. WRL's report will inform the revision of industry guidelines and be included in the next edition of Australian Rainfall and Runoff. The findings can also be used to provide an improved assessment of building stability on floodplains.
In the Press
- UNSW TV - Getting the Measure of Floods
- UNSW Engineers - Water, Water Everywhere
- Civil Engineers Australia - Modelling the Influence of Buildings on Flood Flow
- Newcastle Herald - Plain Model Shows Flow
- UNSW Newsroom - Improving Flood Planning
- Australian Water Association - AWA Water E-News
- UNSW Uniken - Flood Watch
- BBC News - The Quest to Beat Floodwaters in Australia
Areas of Expertise


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hol kept his interest in religion very private and it only became more widely recognised after he died.
- Does knowing he was religious change our understanding of him as an artist? In what way?
- Why might he have felt the need to keep this part of his life so hidden?
Text has been used by many artists to convey powerful messages, including religious ones like Andy Warhol's.
Find a statement that means something personal to you and think of how you could turn it into a work of art. This might be by using a certain type of text, adopting a bold graphic or hand-drawn font style, or experimenting with different media to creaye your text piece.
Explore text-based artworks from Tate's collection in the slideshow above to get some inspiration.


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Short U Word Families Slide & Learn Flash Cards
Grades K - 2. More than just simple flash cards, these interactive cards make learning fun! Slide the card open to reveal the correct answer. Images appear on both sides of each of the 13 cards, providing 26 learning activities in each box.


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Research continues on several "biophysical" parameters which can influence the survival of the human red cell under conditions of blood-bank storage, for example, the type of container, above-freezing temperature, buffer, pH, anticoagulants, dehydrants, etc. While supplying worthwhile information for improvement in the art of blood-banking, these approaches do not at the present appear destined to yield any major extension of red cell life.
Another biophysical approach, the complete suspension of degradative changes by deep freeze, has led to recent notable advances. There is now no question that red cells can be stored at —80 C or below in the presence of glycerol for months or even years, and be thawed under appropriate conditions to give an essentially normal post-transfusion lifespan. Rapid progress is being made in the development of techniques for processing the frozen red cells, particularly through the combined efforts of the Protein Foundation in Boston and the Chelsea


I have railed against this particular form of lawn care hokum ever since I first heard about it, but I think I might have narrowed down it's origin. The story goes like this.
Rumors float around the net saying that sugar can control weeds in your lawn. Guys like me say "no, it really can't." Internet responds with "you're in the pocket of the big chemical companies."
I dug in to search around the internet for any sign that someone had done some testing on this that would have set off the stampede to the grocery store's baking goods section.I finally tracked down a scientist who actually has done the work, and I think may have inadvertently created the data that so many people misinterpreted and misused. Dr. Suzanne Prober was kind enough to write back to my inquiries and clarify her studies.
She writes:
"I'm not convinced sugar would be useful for home lawns. Use of sugar for weed control capitalizes on some particular ecological differences between weeds and target plants in certain common situations, as follows:
1. The weeds are nitrophilic, ie they don't grow well at low available nitrogen
2. The plants that you do want grow well at very low available nitrogen (<2.5 mg/kg nitrate)
3. The plants that you do want have the capacity to maintain these low nitrogen levels once established (otherwise it would be necessary to add 0.5 kg/m2 sugar every three months)
We have found for instance, than in grassy eucalypt woodlands, native herbaceous species thrive at low nitrate, but many exotic annuals like wild oats do not. We use the sugar to temporarily control the weeds, to give sown native grasses a chance to establish well. The native grasses, especially Themeda australis, then keep the soil nitrate levels low in the longer term, so that the weeds are suppressed in the long term."
I responded:
"Thank you very much for your response. Just to be clear that I understand correctly, does sugar have the effect of actually lowering the available nitrogen? If this were the case, logic would lead me to believe that the result in a home lawn care setting would be the opposite of what is claimed. The lower nitrogen levels would not benefit grass growth, but might allow for weeds like clover to get a foothold. Am I understanding correctly?"
She responded again:
"Yes it's correct that the sugar temporarily lowers available nitrogen, which I imagine wouldn't be good for lawn grasses. This could favour some types of weeds."
So there you go folks. The perfect example of a little knowledge leading to bad practice. Stick to fertilizers as needed and save the sugar for your coffee.
-Chris Brown


Take the 2-minute tour ×
A bloom filter uses a hash function (or many) to generate a value between 0 and m given an input string X. My question is how to you use a hash function to generate a value in this way, for example an MD5 hash is typically represented by a 32 length hex string, how would I use an MD5 hashing algorithm to generate a value between 0 and m where I can specify m? I'm using Java at the moment so an example of to do this with the MessageDigest functionality it offers would be great, though just a generic description of how to do about it would be fine too.
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Usually you implement a bloom filter or hash table for speed. MD5 is aimed at collision resistance and cryptographic security, and is consequently very slow compared to other functions. You should look for other functions to use (but the answers below apply regardless of your hashing function) – Slartibartfast Aug 5 '10 at 3:45
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2 Answers
up vote 3 down vote accepted
You should first convert the hash output to an unsigned integer, then reduce it modulo m. This looks like this:
MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance("MD5");
// hash data...
byte[] hashValue = md.digest();
BigInteger n = new BigInteger(1, hashValue);
n = n.mod(m);
// at that point, n has a value between 0 and m-1 (inclusive)
I have assumed that m is a BigInteger instance. If necessary, use BigInteger.valueOf(). Similarly, use n.intValue() or n.longValue() to get the value of n as one of the primitive types of Java.
The modular reduction is somewhat biased, but the bias is very small if m is substantially smaller than 2^128.
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Thanks for your answer :) – dangerstat May 9 '10 at 17:38
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Simplest way would probably be to just convert the hash output (as a byte sequence) to a single binary number and take that modulo m.
share|improve this answer
Hi Dav, cheers for the reply could you flesh out an example of "just convert the hash output (as a byte sequence) to a single binary number" thanks :D – dangerstat May 2 '10 at 12:59
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Your Answer


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Google announced that they have a solution to get rid of the "on behalf of" notification in Gmail by using the SMTP (send mail) server of the address that you are sending mail on behalf of. The process is quite simple:
- Log into your Gmail account
- Click "Settings"
- Click "Accounts"
- In the "Send mail as" section click "Edit Info" next to one of the accounts
- Set your name and click to the next screen
- Click "Use the other e-mail provider's SMTP servers"
- You will be presented with SMTP server address, username, and password fields along with a SSL checkbox and a port drop-down
- The SMTP server is: smtp.gmail.com (by default the system pre-populates the custom domain, so you need to make sure that you change this)
- Your username is:
@ (i.e., _EMAIL_ | you have to put your entire e-mail address in there for the Google SMTP server to authenticate you)
- You password is: whatever password you use for that other account (not necessarily your primary Gmail account password)
- Click the SSL box; the port automatically sets correctly
- The system will verify your credentials and will only return you to the configuration screen if there is a problem.


4 Ways Cryofacials Can Naturally Improve Your Skin
We all want clear and beautiful skin, but the path to perfect skin isn't always easy. In the past, it wasn't unusual for people to go to extreme measures just to achieve soft, touchable skin. Ancient Chinese women would grind pearls into powder to soothe irritated skin and fight acne. It is still widely believed that Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, would lounge in baths of milk to retain her skin's youthful glow. Even today, it is not uncommon for people to subject their skin to harsh chemical peels in an effort to achieve healthy skin.
However, not all of us have a bag or pearls lying around or the extra gallons of milk needed to maintain these beauty routines. Nor do we want to continue to abuse our skin with harsh treatments. So what's a person who wants beautiful, healthy skin to do? Get a Cryofacial of course!
The Cryofacial, developed by Dr. Kuehne, is a cryogenic treatment that improves the health and youthful appearance of clients' skin by using a controlled beam of vaporized liquid nitrogen to freeze skin found on the face, scalp, and neck area. This process exfoliates your skin, removing the outer layer of dead skin cells from your face while simultaneously stimulating the growth of new cells underneath.
The advanced technology of Cryofacials allows us to directly target the problem areas you are most concerned with, allowing us to adjust each Cryofacial treatment to your unique skincare needs. Athletes and celebrities alike are raving about Cryofacials and with results this effective, it's hard not to! After your first session you'll immediately notice glowing skin and an overall rested appearance. Keep reading to discover 4 key ways a simple Cryofacial can improve the overall health and appearance of your skin.
1.) Improves Blood Circulation
During your Cryofacial, pressurized liquid nitrogen vapors are painlessly applied to your face, scalp, and neck. The intense cold causes your blood vessels to contract and then dilate, ultimately working to increase your blood flow. As your blood flow increases, important enzymes and nutrients are delivered to your skin while harmful toxins are flushed away.
Overtime, your blood circulation will improve, making your skin healthier and stronger, especially when it comes to fighting off any bacteria and infections that come your way. In fact, people who suffer from skin conditions like eczema often experience long-lasting positive results with regular Cryofacial treatments. When applied to your scalp, the increased blood flow can actually trigger your scalp into stimulating hair growth.
Furthermore, improving your blood circulation does more than just cleanse your skin or help your hair grow. It can also lower your heart rate, even your blood pressure, improve your oxygen levels, and improve brain function.
2.) Increases Collagen Production
Collagen production is essential to giving your face a youthful appearance. Collagen is a key protein in our body responsible for helping our organs stay safe, connecting ligaments to our bones, strengthening our blood vessels, and above all, keeping our skin firm and elastic.
When you're young, your body is a collagen producing factory, but as you age your body stops producing as much. The decrease of collagen production is what leads to those dreaded wrinkles. To make matters worse, our modern lifestyle has our skin constantly under attack from pollution, toxins, and stress. All of this can cause a loss of facial elasticity, deepen wrinkles, add bags under your eyes, and speed up other signs of aging.
Thankfully, each Cryofacial actively triggers collagen production under your skin to effectively smooth away wrinkles while giving you fuller, younger looking skin. As your face is gently bathed with vaporized liquid nitrogen, your skin becomes instantly tighter and your complexion changes to a more youthful glow. With continued treatments to enhance your collagen production, you can ultimately slow down signs of aging while feeling great in your skin.
3.) Decreases Pore Size
If you frequently suffer from blackheads, your pores may be the reason why. Large pores can make it incredibly easy for dirt, oil, and other gunk to penetrate your skin. All of this can create annoying blackheads. Once created, blackheads are hard to get rid of. However, you don't have to let them control your life any longer. Reclaim your skin and fight back with the power of Cryofacials.
Every time you get a Cryofacial, your pores react to the cold by tightening and shrinking. This makes it harder for your skin to be contaminated by outside dirt and toxins. Cryofacials have the added bonus of exfoliating your skin, so not only does each facial remove dead skin cells and other contaminations, but it also helps rejuvenate the newly freed skin cells. This helps your new cells grow to be smooth and healthy. With regular treatments, the effects can even be long-lasting, giving you clear, beautiful skin you can't wait to show off.
4.) Reduces Dark Circles and Puffiness
One of the first things people notice about you are your eyes. Therefore, it makes sense that we want the skin around our eyes to look healthy and attractive too. Sadly, our busy work schedules and stressful lifestyles can make it difficult to give our skin the nutrients and rest that it so desperately needs.
Thankfully, you can give the skin around your eyes an extra stimulated boost of nutrients each time you get a Cryofacial. When the pressurized liquid nitrogen vapors are applied to your face, your skin will immediately become tighter and your blood will flow faster. As your blood circulation is improved you'll start to notice a more even-tone in your overall facial skin, a decrease in inflammation and puffiness around the eyes, and an overall reduction of any dark circles hanging under your eyes.
Ready To Give Cryofacials A Try?
At Flow Cryotherapy, we use only the finest, most advanced cryogenics technology to give our customers the most effective treatments possible. Located near the heart of Salinas, CA, we believe there is no better type of business than one that helps others in our community live happier and healthier lives. Give us a call at _PHONE_ to learn more about the awesome benefits of Cryofacials, or visit our website to easily schedule your first Cryofacial appointment!


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Charles E. Griswold
Flies were collected generally using hand held aerial nets sweep nets,and stationary flight (malaise) traps. Perhaps 100 specimens were collected. An effort was made to collect three target groups for immediate study. Acroceridae ('small headed flies' are a primitive group of brachyceran flies that are worldwide in distribution but rare in collections. As larvae they are obligate endoparasites of spiders. Blepharoceridae ('net winged midges') are delicate nematocera whose larvae cling to rock faces in fast moving streams and waterfalls. Therevidae ('stiletto flies') are fast flying higher Brachycera most characteristic of arid regions. Unfortunately, no individuals of these families were collected.


Latest Album
Dora Lewis
Dancing makes us happy
Dancing makes us happy
Music is universal and we have it genetically incorporated, just like language or the ability to do numerical calculations. Therefore, most people except a few have a consistent musical ability to appreciate music.
Different studies have found that dancing has favorable repercussions on the body, since it improves physical and mental health and causes more happiness.
In a study by Swedish researchers, it was concluded that those who had some type of physical and emotional discomfort improved their mental health, decreased the physical discomforts they had and felt happier since they started dancing.
You no longer have an excuse not to get carried away when your favorite French Latino's song plays.
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text:
How to use Hot Potatoes to make a crossword – is an ideal embedded literacy exercise for ICT classes (or embedded ICT for literacy!) with step by step illustrated help for using this popular freeware program to create web based word puzzles.
Karen has also provided two sample crosswords to show learners the type of puzzle they can quickly produce. Puzzle A is on parts of speech, puzzle B is on punctuation marks. (See below)


analysis the movie quot the color purple quot
Calibri 11 point font, double spaced with margins of 1 inch
2-3 full pages in length
The review should include the follow paragraphs
A. One to two paragraphs providing the basic details of the movie selected, including date released, production company, actors, theme, and format (black and white, etc.).
B. One to two paragraphs providing details of the story line.
C. An analysis of 3 specific elements (a scene, a character or group, a location, etc.) and their historical accuracy, based on the information you possess from your textbook or other readings.
D. One paragraph or more that discusses why you think the movie remained either true to the historical record or veered into a less historicallyaccurate mode; and, what you thought of the movie, overall.


text:
- equanimity •
Pronunciation: ek-wê-nim-ê-tee or ee-kwê-... • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun, mass (No plural)
Meaning: Steadiness and composure under pressure; unruffledness in a stressful situation.
Notes: The adjective that accompanies today's Good Word is the rather odd-sounding equanimous [ee-kwæ-nê-mês] "even-tempered, balanced, composed", as an equanimous response to a provocative insult.
In Play: Stressful or embarrassing situations call for equanimity: "Joe Fell rose from his pratfall with uncommon equanimity and continued down the hall as though nothing had happened." Whatever raises stress levels, equanimity lowers them: "Duane Pipes received the news of his wife's leaving him with an equanimity that might have saved the marriage had he applied it more while they were together."
Word History: English borrowed this word from French in the 17th century. French inherited it from Latin æquanimitas "calmness, patience, equanimity", a noun based on æquus "even, equal" + animus "mind, spirit" or anima "soul". Æquus is apparently related to Sanskrit eka "one". Animus underlies animal, a thing of spirit; it comes from the same source as Greek anemos "wind", often thought of as a spirit in bye-gone years. The Greek word is the root of anemone "daughter of the wind", which is now the English word for the wind-flower (Anemone nemorosa). (Today we thank Rob N. Hood for having the spirit to suggest today's Good Word.)


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In what was purely a chocolate meets peanut butter accident, ReTweeting took on a new possibility for me. I am not sure if this is a new Twitter strategy or simply a "renaming" of something old. With that spirit in mind, I decided to combine a RT with a with a blog article I produced. For lack of a better phrase, let's call this new experiment: ReTweet Combos or RTC for short.
What is a RTC?
A ReTweet combo is the combination of a tweet you feel is valuable enough to recognize, by ReTweeting, and one of your own articles or that of another resource. Here is an example of my first ReTweet Combo:
In the example, I am ReTweeting _USER_'s tweet about UCLA's Study that describes how searching on the internet activates your brain. The second bit.ly link is to my deansguide article "Twiter Strategies: How Smart Do You Want To Be?" which describes how research on Twitter will make you smarter and more relevant.
Benefits of ReTweet Combos
- Recognize Your Resources: your RT recognizes your resources of people and companies
- Building: by adding your own article or an outside source you are building upon the original RT idea
- Authority by Association: by adding a link to your work you could be tied to that person-company's concept
- Networking: this could open up the lines of communication for networking
Possible Negatives of ReTweet Combos
- Authority by Association: the original source of the tweet may not want to have a "partner" in a RT
- Disagreement: the original source may not agree with your link regardless of whether it is your work or that of a 3rd party
- Recognition: the original source's information could be overshadowed by your information if it is stronger or more relevant


text:
You are here
The region known as Nunavut (which means "our land" in Inuit) is the newest and largest of the Canadian territories and has been home to the indigenous Inuit population for more than 4,000 years. Inuit throat singing is not singing per se, but more closely associated with vocal games or breathing games. Two women usually face each other – one leads, while the other responds – the leader produces a short rhythmic motif that is repeated with a short silent gap in between, while the other rhythmically fills in the gaps. Each singer uses the other's mouth cavity as a resonator. Sounds are either voiced or unvoiced through inhalation or exhalation. Thus, singers develop a breathing technique, somewhat comparable to circular breathing. Words and meaningless syllables are used in the songs – the words can simply be names of ancestors and the syllables often represent sounds of nature or cries of animals and birds. The game is such that both singers try to show their vocal abilities in competition, by exchanging these vocal motives. The first to run out of breath, or to be unable to maintain the pace of the other singer, will start to laugh or simply stop and lose the game.
Kronos' violinist and artistic director, David Harrington, first heard Inuit throat singing in 1981, and became convinced that the art form held great potential for a collaboration with Kronos; Harrington says, "Inuit throat singing is one of the most string-like sounds that I've ever heard come from the human voice." However, it was not until 2002 that he discovered a recording of Tanya Tagaq and realized immediately that he had found his collaborator. "She made every other Inuit throat singer sound like Mozart," Harrington explains. ""It was clear that Tanya was the Jimi Hendrix of Inuit throat singing. Her voice sounded like four voices – it was as if she were carrying around a quartet in her voice!"
To compose Nunavut, Kronos recorded a broad range of Tagaq's sounds in order to map out her stylistic vocabulary. From there, Kronos created an underlying compositional structure out of Tagaq's "alphabet of sounds," a set of building blocks that allows for improvisation on the part of both quartet and singer. The performers engage in a call-and-response exchange, with the instruments of the quartet acting as the second voice in the throat song game.
Kronos extends special thanks to Osvaldo Golijov and Jeremy Flower for their contributions to the creative process that resulted in this new work.
Henry Kolenko/Kolenko Productions was the Executive Producer of the world premiere tour of Nunavut.
Nunavut by Tanya Tagaq and the Kronos Quartet was commissioned by the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC, CBC Television, the Canada Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.


text:
Simply begin typing or use the editing tools above to add to this article.
Once you are finished and click submit, your modifications will be sent to our editors for review.
...marked contrast, embryogenesis of the orchids is more simple. Except when a suspensor is formed, early cleavages follow no well-defined plan, and the product is an ovoid mass of tissue called the proembryo. No cotyledon, stem apex, or root apex is organized in this early period; these organs do not appear until after germination has occurred.
What made you want to look up "proembryo"? Please share what surprised you most...


text:
Looking for feedback on the new strategic plan
The school board is working through development of a new 5-year strategic plan. The following is proposed content. A designed version will be created once the content is finalized.
We welcome your feedback through email to: [email protected]
Draft 2015-2020 Strategic Plan
Students prepared and empowered for the possibilities of today and tomorrow.
We create dynamic, inclusive educational experiences that develop capable, confident, curious learners who thrive and contribute to their communities.
- Achieving Excellence & Ensuring Equity
- Learning & Leadership
- Public Confidence
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE & ENSURING EQUITY
- Increase graduation rates and reduce achievement gaps for students not yet at the provincial standard.
- Provide programs and services to help each student achieve success.
- Support all students to be global-minded leaders and learners.
- Develop the elements of well-being for students and employees collaboratively.
- Create welcoming, inclusive, safe and accepting learning environments that optimize students' potential.
- Build the capacity of employees to deliver positive social and emotional learning experiences.
LEARNING & LEADERSHIP
- Collaborate as a learning organization to engage all employees in developing their growth plans.
- Involve students, cultivate student leadership and voice.
- Implement a renewed succession planning process for school and system leaders.
- Ensure effective management of all resources (human, financial, environmental, etc.).
- Operate through good governance.
- Be leaders in public education.
For more information, please contact:
Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, _PHONE_ or _PHONE_, extension 2354, [email protected]


Use of union in C in place of structure will save memory?
The structure can not be replaced by a union in an application, just bear that in your mind. Both are two different things and are used in different scenarios. It is the basic thing that both structure and union can have some number of elements inside them. But their uses are quite different from each other depending on the information required to be contained.
The structure (keyword: struct in C) has some elements and all the elements of the structure shall reserve memory for them.
Here you see that we have declared a struct witch has two elements in it: 1- name (char array of size 20; occupy 20 bytes in memory) and 2- phone (integer array of size 12; occupy 4*12 = 48 bytes). This structure shall hold total 20 + 48 = 68 bytes in memory whenever we use a variable of this structure type. It can have both name and phone details and both are mandatory to store contact details in an application.
Lets take a case where any of these two attributes (name and phone) is enough for the contact detail, then also would it be good idea to hold 68 bytes in memory? Then answer is NO, use a union my friend.
In case of union, among its various elements, element which is largest in size would cause to hold only that much memory. Here in our case, name is of 20 bytes and phone of 48, so memory equal to 48 bytes will be reserved for this union type variable.
Here we need to understand again that only one element of the union can have the information, not all. So the programmer has to decide on the need for a specific application.
How to reset / unset a particular bit in a byte
In our previous post "How to set a particular bit in a byte" had a solution with '|' (OR) bit operator. Now to reset a particular bit in a word, we will see use of some more bit operators like, ~(NOT) and &(AND). Have a look on the following solution with a macro:
Be careful with the inappropriate use of the parenthesis with macro declaration.
Can const and volatile qualifiers be used at the same time in C?
In real time systems we can find a use where both const and volatile qualifiers are used for a single variable. Before going to know about there simultaneous usage we need to understand both the qualifiers separately.
When we talk about 'const', what is the first thing that comes to our mind?
const keyword gives a condition that it can not be changed during the life time of the program, e.g.
Here the value of pi (it's a float constant here) can not be changed during execution of program. Here the important note is 'pi' is such a value that must not be changes in any scenario of any calculations, if tried to change it by any operation an error shall be thrown.
Lets now talk about 'volatile' keyword. Earlier when we declare 'pi' as a constant, the compile was told that it's value would not be changed so compiler can optimize in a way where pi value can be referenced directly without checking whether it's value is updated in any of the operations recently (because it is a const value). Here we need to understand that compiler optimizes a lot of thing with it's intelligence without knowledge of user to save CPU cycles during various operations. The scenario will be just opposite if 'volatile' is used, e.g.
Here the temperature is the variable that can be changed at any time and thus whenever it's value is referenced it is required that it's recent updated value must be referenced. So it's a direction to compiler that the 'temperature' value is so sensitive to change and must not be optimized by the compiler in a way that it's latest updated value is missed in any operation. So such variables are not stored in the cache memory for quick reference by the compiler.
Now take a case when both volatile and constant can be used all together. e.g.
This is a valid case and where is it use? This combo is used in the embedded systems to access the registers (like status registers) which are updated by hardware like hardware interrupt, but change is not expected from any software operation.
How to set a particular bit in a byte
This question is the basic one when you face a embedded domain interview. If you can not answer this, interviewer may loose his faith in your low level C programming skills.
This question becomes more critical when it is asked to give the solution with a macro. Have a look on it's implementation below:
Here the bit operator '|' called OR has the property to set a bit irrespective of other operand if one operand is 1. Recall OR gate truth table from Digital Electronics for more fun on this.
How to find that system/processor supports little endian or big endian representation
First it is important to know that what are little endian and big endian representations. It can be understood by the storage of the byte of a word in the conjugate memory location.
Big Endian: Store the bytes (from left to right) of a word in incremented (BIG) memory location. 0x0A0B0C0D => memory location 0x100 shall hold 0A, 101(0B), 102(oC) and 103(oD).
Little Endian: Store the bytes (from left to right) of a word in decremented (LITTLE) memory location. 0x0A0B0C0D => memory location 0x100 shall hold 0D, 101(0C), 102(oB) and 103(oA).
The output of above program shall depend on the processor on which it is run. Here we are trying to know that where exactly the 01 of 0x00000001 (HEX representation of '1' if int is 4 byte) is stored in the memory. Pointer typecast is the key of this solution. If you are not very clear about pointer typecasting then first refer some text on that.
How to find the number of set bits in a byte or word
Lets assume a byte: 0110 0111
Method-1: This simplest way to get the count of set bit '1' is to run a loop for the length (in bits) and check if the LSB is '1' and increment the counter and shift the byte by one position left. At the end of loop the counter value shall hold the desired count of set bit.
It takes the iteration equal to total no of bits in the byte/word, Time Complexity: O(n).
Method-2: Another method that easily could be memorized as AND method, will give a save on no of iterations.
In the second method, the while loop iteration shall run only equal to the number of the 1's in the word, so this method is more optimized than previous one in terms of time complexity.
Hint: Logic behind this method can be understood by (num & num-1) shall remove the most right side '1' from the target number. Rest is left for your imagination.
If you know any other better solution than this, then please post your answer in the comment area below.
Find Maximum Difference between two elements of an Array
Maximum difference between two elements such that larger element appears after the smaller number
For example if we have array as 10, 7, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 5, 3
Maximum difference Array[j] and Array[i] is 7 between Array[6] and Array[2]
Condition is that "j" should be greater than "i"
Time Complexity: O(n)
Find the Number that Appears Only once in an array of Duplicates
We have an array with various duplicate numbers but one number is there which appears only single time. We need to find that number with minimum time complexity
XORing all elements of an array will give the output
Time Complexity: O(n)
Space Complexity: O(1)
If you know any better solution than this then please post it into below comment area.
Merge 2 Arrays without using Extra Space
We have two sorted arrays. Second array has sufficient space for merging first and second array elements. Without using additional space (memory) merge two arrays
Input Array1: 1, 20, 25, 35, 40
Input Array2: 5, 15, 30, 45, 50, _, _, _, _
Output: Array2 = 1, 5, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
Here we two arrays which are sorted in ascending order. In Array2, we have sufficient space to add elements of Array1.
Complexity: O(n+m)
Algorithm: We will start inserting largest element from the end.
Take two variable pointing last non empty element of two arrays. So "i" pointing to 20 and "j" pointing to 21
Now insert the greatest number at the end of second array
For example if Array2[j] > Array1[i] then insert Array2[j], i.e 21 at the end of Array2 and decrement "j"
Similarly proceed till "i" or "j" is not equal to -1
Below is the working code for the above problem where n and m are the number of elements in Array1 and Array2 respectively.
If you know any better solution than this, then please post it in below comment


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I hope this is not too trivial to be asked here, but here it goes anyway. This is just out of curiosity (regarding a problem with graphs but I have "reduced" it to the problem below:)
Let $S_0={\{a_1,a_2,\ldots, a_n\}}$ where $0< a_i \leq n$.
Form $S_1$ by adding the two smallest elements of $S_0$, form $S_2$ by adding the two smallest elements of $S_1$, etc.
Let $J$ be the smallest integer such that at least one of the elements of $S_{J+1}$ is greater than or equal to $n$.
I find that $j \leq (n+1)-$ average of the $a_i$'s
works for the $a_i$'s I've tried, although Im not quite sure how to show it. What is a better upperbound for $J$ aside from this.
For example, $S_0={\{1, 1, 2, 3, 4\}}, S_1 = {\{2, 2, 3, 4\}}, S_2 = {\{3, 4, 4\}}, S_3 = {\{4, 7\}}, S_4 = {\{11\}}$. So $J=3 < 6-2.2$.
share|improve this question
It doesn't work if the initial set has too many 0's. Gerhard "Ask Me About System Design" Paseman, 2012.03.21 – Gerhard Paseman Mar 22 '12 at 4:48
Here is another approach. Try characterizing j and S_j, and then pick an element from S_j and breaking it into two to form S_j-1. Gerhard "Jacobi Didn't Say Think Backwards" Paseman, 2012.03.22 – Gerhard Paseman Mar 22 '12 at 10:41
You're right, it doesn't work with 0's. – Ken Gonzales Mar 23 '12 at 6:51
I think this question is too trivial, I vote to close it. – domotorp Mar 29 '12 at 9:10
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What is "Real Property"?
Property laws make distinctions between two main types of property: "real property" and "personal property". These classifications have many implications, legally speaking.
Real property is defined as land, as well as anything that is affixed to, growing on, or built on that plot of land. It therefore includes man-made structures and buildings as well as crops, plants, and even oil, gases, and minerals that may be found under the ground. An easy way to think about real property is basically property that doesn't move, or property that is attached to the ground.
In comparison, personal property is defined as "anything that may be subject to ownership, besides land". Thus, the main foundation of physical property is that it can be moved, unlike land or real property. Personal property may be further divided into two types: tangible and intangible. Tangible personal property includes items that can be physically handled, like jewelry, clothes, electronics, etc. Intangible property are assets that can't be handled, like stocks or bank account amounts.
So, as you can see, there will be major differences with regard to laws covering real and personal property. For instance, personal property can sometimes be lost or mislaid, whereas you can't really "lose" or "misplace" land or buildings. Also, real property must be transferred in a different way (i.e., through a deed or other document), since you can't really "hand" over land to someone else.
What Happens to Real Property During a Divorce?
In particular, property laws are very specific with the way property is divided in relation to a divorce. It is generally easier to separate personal property in relation to a divorce; it is often simply a matter of identifying who owns which item. In comparison, real property can be difficult to "divide".
In many instances, it depends largely on whether property (whether real or personal), is considered "community property" or "communal property". In most states, communal property is defined as property that was acquired while the couple was married. As such, communal property is usually split evenly between the parties when they divorce.
In contrast, property obtained outside of the marriage (i.e. before the marriage) may be considered "separate" property; each spouse usually keeps their own separate property in full when they divorce. Communal property generally does NOT include:
 - Property obtained before marriage;
 - Property given as a gift specifically to only one spouse;
 - Any property obtained after divorce or separation proceedings has already been initiated.
One major point here is that each state may have very different laws regarding the way that communal and separate property are both classified and distributed. For instance, "community property states" or "marital property states" are states whose laws split community property evenly during divorce or separation.
Other states may follow different guidelines for distributing property. For example, some states might exercise some sort of "equitable distribution" formula, which incorporates a broad range of factors to create a fair property distribution arrangement between the parties.
On the whole, the property rights of divorced persons are highly complex. They can involve issues such as whether one spouse improved upon property, or whether property was commingled during marriage, whether property was moved across state lines, and other issues.
What is Trespassing?
Trespassing is a legal issue that is specific to real property, not personal property. Trespassing occurs when a person enters another person's land or real property unlawfully and without their permission. Trespassing can also involve other issues, such as interfering with another's ability to use their property, or when a person remains on property without permission.
Generally speaking, property owners owe a duty of care to ensure that visitors do not get injured while on their property. It even extends in a limited sense to trespassers on the land, especially trespassers that the owner knows to be on the land or trespassers who enter the land frequently.
However, property owners owe the highest duty of care to persons they have invited to be on their property. For instance, they have a duty to repair property structures in disrepair, especially if they are aware of the dangers or risks that the structures might pose to a visitor.
What are Other Types of Property?
There are various other types of property, many of them overlapping with other types of property such as real and personal property. For instance, state and federal laws often address other types of property like:
 - Intellectual Property: Intellectual property is a type of property that is generally intangible and without physical form, such as songs, names and logos attached to products, inventions, and authored works. These types of property can generate income for the owner, but they can also be subject to unauthorized use, theft, and infringement issues;
 - Business Property: Business or commercial property is property that is owned by a business or a company. It can involve both real property (such as an office building) or personal property items (like company tools or computers, etc.). Business property may be subject to business property tax laws not usually applied to other types of property;
 - Private Property: When the term "private property" is used, it is usually referring to real property owned by individuals, as opposed to property that is owned, maintained, or managed by the government (i.e., "public property"). Private property owners generally have various rights to their land, as well as obligations to keep it safe. In limited circumstances the government can sometimes seize private property and convert it for public uses. In such cases, they will usually have to reimburse the property owner for taking and using the property.
Property disputes can arise in connection with each of these types of property. There are many other forms of property as well. Legal disputes over property can be complex, and can often take years to resolve (especially for larger plots of land).
Do You Need a Lawyer for Issues with Your Property?
Property issues can be broad and may involve various other legal issues as well. IT may be in your best interests to hire a property lawyer if you have any issues regarding your property. If you have a civil issue involving a property dispute or issue, you may need to hire a civil real estate or property lawyer in your area. If you are facing any type of charges for theft or destruction of property, then a criminal lawyer may be necessary to help you with your case.
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text:
Edible craft projects can be a big hit with kids. Would your children like to snack on ants on a log? You'll need pretzels or celery sticks, peanut butter, and raisins. First, let them use a plastic butter knife to coat the top of the celery stalk or pretzel with peanut butter. Then, let them add 'ants'--also known as raisins--to the top of their treat. While they eat this snack, ask them if the ants tickle their tummies! Here's an idea that's especially good for toddlers: finger painting can be dangerous if your tot still explores new things by putting them in his or her mouth. Let them finger paint with pudding. You can use the instant kind you prepare yourself, or purchase a multi-pack of the pre-made individual servings. Let your toddlers use wax paper for their creations, and you can display these briefly, or allow them to eat their masterpieces.
©2004 Bluestreak Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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FTP Sites Aren't The Only Way
FTP sites are great in theory, and at one time they were a terrific way to transfer large files. But improved technology and heightened safety concerns have exposed their flaws. Most FTP users spend more time on support measures for their site than on its actual intention: sharing files.
A safer and more efficient alternative to an FTP site is to use a cloud-based file-sharing service such as Citrix ShareFile. So how does ShareFile work, and why is it a smarter option than an FTP site?
Why ShareFile > Average FTP sites
An FTP site can be a headache to set up and a pain in the neck to maintain. First, you have to build the site. Then you have to spend valuable time servicing it and the needs of your clients.
ShareFile requires no hardware to install, no software to maintain and no additional IT resources. You can literally begin transferring large files with ShareFile within minutes with our free 30-day trial.
Any user can log in to an FTP site and download files. This is fine if you're just sharing music from your band or chapters of that novel you've been writing. But is this rogue file sharing what you would want for important business documents or client information?
ShareFile allows you to select the users you would like to grant access to particular folders and password-protect each one. You can even set up email alerts to notify you when someone downloads a file.
There is no way to encrypt a file in an FTP site. Because of this, many businesses are hesitant about using FTP sites or are avoiding them altogether.
ShareFile uses AES 256-bit encryption to protect your files. It's the same encryption method used by the U.S. government to transfer top secret files.
FTP sites have limitations on their ability to transfer high volumes of data. Simultaneously sending files to multiple recipients or documents that are excessively large in size often cause a painfully slow transfer process or an error message.
ShareFile allows you to instantly send files of up to 100 GB in size with no impact in regards to the number of recipients.
Most basic FTP sites require additional steps in order to access the network remotely, if that's even possible.
How will you transfer files from now on?
A. With an FTP site
B. With ShareFile
You know the right answer to this one.
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text:
A partnership between Albuquerque Public Schools and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
Close the Education Achievement Gap!
If a child cannot read, the world is closed to them.
Poverty directly relates to literacy rates
- Children in poverty average 25 total hours reading before Kindergarten
- Children not in poverty average 1000 total hours reading before Kindergarten
3rd grade reading levels indicate future:
- Dropout rate
- Crime rate
Having reading modeled improves students' reading ability
You can change a child's life
The 2004-2005 Albuquerque Reads results are IMPRESSIVE!!!
-At the beginning of 04/05 school year, only 3% of students were reading at or above grade level.
-At the end of the school year 72% were reading at or above grade level and another 21% were at the cusp of reading at grade level
-The students participating in this program will enter the first grade reading at or above the first grade reading level
- Reading overcomes poverty
- The more educated our future generation is, the better the quality of their lives
- With a more educated workforce we can build a better, stronger community
GACC Partnering with APS in Albuquerque Reads •Albuquerque Reads is a structured program
-Focus on Title I schools where 85 % of children receive free or reduced cost of lunch
-Early intervention proven successful
-Explicit instruction and guided practice
Modeled after Columbus Reads
-High poverty schools used program to help pass the statewide 4 th grade proficiency test
-Albuquerque Reads developed by Educators at Bel Air Elementary School and tailored to each individual student's needs
-Training materials aligned with kindergarten reading standards and classroom instruction.
-The program meets state and district standards
Make a difference!
We are all better off when Albuquerque Reads
Help a child learn to read…. and you open a new world
Volunteering for Albuquerque Reads:
- 70 minute commitment each week
- October 3, 2005 – May 8, 2006
- Three schools
- 800 Volunteers needed
- Three hour training session
- Required Background checkfingerprinting- paid by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
- 10 minutes guided instruction with site coordinator
- Two students-30 Minutes each every week
–10 minutes Reading
–10 minutes Writing
–10 minutes Literacy activity (skills development)
- WHERRY Elementary School– Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of each week 9:50 am to 11:05 am
- ATRISCO Elementary School– Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week 8:45am to 10:00 am
- BEL AIR Elementary School – Completely filled
- Attendance each week is imperative to success!
How to become a tutor:
Click here to download the enrollment form.
UNM staff members should submit form to Karin Retskin, _PHONE_, _EMAIL_.
Click here to down an Albuquerque Reads brochure.
-Call 505 843-READ (7323)
-Call _PHONE_
-Web site: _URL_ Click on the Albuquerque Reads button
UNM staff members:
Contact Karin Retskin, _PHONE_, _EMAIL_
Kevin Stevenson, _PHONE_, _EMAIL_
Thank you for your commitment to this program--The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Albuquerque Public Schools
Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce


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Transcriptional regulation of the human MUC7 mucin gene in airway epithelial cells
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The human MUC7 gene encodes a small mucin glycoprotein that functions in lubricating and protecting epithelial surfaces of the oral cavity, and likely of the respiratory tracts. MUC7 mucin can inhibit bacterial colonization by masking their surface adhesins, thereby mediating the clearance of bacteria. To understand regulation of MUC7 expression, and its underlying mechanisms, this study was designed (i) to investigate the alteration of MUC7 expression in human airway cells in response to stimulations by a bacterial product or a proinflammatory cytokine, and (ii) to characterize the gene promoter structure and function. We have studied the effects of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and human tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on MUC7 gene transcription in three model systems: (i) normal human tracheobronchial epithelial (NHTBE) cells, (ii) a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549), and (iii) MUC7 gene transgenic mice. The levels of MUC7 transcription was assessed using northern blot analysis and real-time PCR. We found that NHTBE cells can express the MUC7 gene only when the cells are differentiating. Both LPS and TNF-α were able to up-regulate MUC7 transcription in NHTBE cells; in A549 cells, TNF-α increased MUC7 transcription, but LPS did not; in transgenic mouse airway tissues (trachea and lung), MUC7 transcription was increased by exposure to LPS. To identify the transcriptional control region, we performed functional analysis of MUC7 gene 5'-flanking region. The -2,732/+30 bp region of MUC7 genomic DNA was subcloned into a reporter expression vector. A series of promoter/reporter constructs were generated via sequential deletion of the -2732/+30 bp fragment, and analyzed in A549 cells. Results of the luciferase assay showed that a minimal functional MUC7 promoter is present in the region of -138/+30 bp. This region also revealed the greatest increase in promoter activity in response to TNT-α-stimulation. Two putative AP1 binding elements and one NF-κB binding element are present in the proximal promoter. Further analyses using gel shift assays and mutagenesis demonstrated that the two AP1 elements play an essential role in constitutive expression of the MUC7 gene, and that the NF-κB element is important in response to TNF-α-stimulation. This study brings new insight into understanding MUC7 gene regulation.


text:
First the context. There are two similar words that cannot be confused:
- Millar → Conjunto de mil unidades. → Set of one thousand elements.
- Millón → Mil millares. → One million.
I've seen a couple of times the word millar used when millón should be used, I think because the former is less used since there are other ways to express its meaning, e.g.:
Millares de personas salieron a las calles
Miles de personas salieron a las calles
Thousands of people marched on the streets.
My question is the following:
Is it advisable to use miles instead of millares to avoid confusion, or is their difference actually understood among Spanish speaking people?