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pass through a 60um mesh, and these ground particles reconstituted into a gel-based food. To assess the effects of chemical traits unrelated to structural and nutritional traits, freeze dried plants were extracted 3–4 times for 1–2 h each time in a 2∶1 mixture of dichloromethane: methanol and this extract coated onto freeze-dried and finely ground lettuce to create an artificial food in a gel-matrix. Masses of lettuce and extract were varied so as to match the dry mass per volume of the natural plants being evaluated. Plant densities (dry mass/volume) were calculated by measuring volumetric displacement of live plant tissue and mass of the associated freeze dried material to calculate g/ml (N = 5 per plant species). The agar gel recipe included mixing 3 ml of deionized water, enough ground plant matter to equal 10 ml of live plant, and then 0.19 g of agar in 7 ml of boiling deionized water. Agar and plant mixtures were combined and quickly spread into either a fiberglass mold with window screen underneath or into assay "dominoes." Dominoes were 102 by 55 mm pieces of flat PVC with 30 3 mm wide by 1 mm deep indentations drilled into opposite halves of each block. The warm agar food was scraped into the indentations where it hardened as it cooled. The native and exotic plants being compared were randomly assigned to opposite ends of a domino and ends labeled to allow identification at the end of each bioassay. Feeding was quantified as the number of indentations from which crayfish removed and consumed the food. Dominos proved to be a good methodology for crayfish, whose sloppy feeding sometimes makes measurement of consumption from fiberglass screen gels difficult. The fiberglass mold was appropriate for apple snails because their radulas could more effectively graze from the flat surface of the gel than from the holes in the dominoes and the grid of the screen made it easy to assess feeding as the number of grid squares from which snails had consumed the artificial food.
Preferences were converted to a single number by calculating the proportion consumed that was exotic (grams of exotic consumed divided by the sum of the grams of exotic and native plant combined). Correlations were completed between the results from the live plants and ground plants or live plants and extracts from the plants to determine the influence of structural and chemical characteristics. Similarly, protein content was measured using a modified Bradford assay and correlated with live plant preferences. This provides a crude measurement of the importance of structural, nutritional (as measured by protein) and chemical characteristics.
A. Brown, Z. Marion, and K. Chernoff helped in the lab and field; R. Burke collected C. esculenta; an anonymous reviewer provided helpful comments.
Conceived and designed the experiments: WEM MEH. Performed the experiments: WEM. Analyzed the data: WEM. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MEH. Wrote the paper: WEM MEH.
- 1. Pimentel D, Zuniga R, Morrison D (2005) Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecol Econ 52: 273–288.
- 2. Byrnes JE, Reynolds PL, Stachowicz JJ (2007) Invasions and extinctions reshape coastal marine food webs PLOS ONE 2: e295.
- 3. Sala OE, Chapin FS III, Armesto JJ, Berlow E, Bloomfield J, Dirzo R, et al. (2000) Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science 287: 1770–1774.
- 4. Kolar CS, Lodge DM (2001) Progress in invasion biology: predicting invaders. TREE 16: 199–204.
- 5. Hayes KR, Barry SC (2008) Are there any consistent predictors of invasion success? Biol Invasions 10: 483–506.
- 6. Maron JL, Vila M (2001) When do herbivores affect plant invasion? Evidence for the natural enemies and biotic resistance hypotheses. OIKOS 95: 361–373.
- 7. Keane RM, Crawley MJ (2002) Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis. TREE 17: 164–170.
- 8. Levine JM, Adler PB, Yelenik SG (2004) A meta-analysis of biotic resistance to exotic plant invasions. Ecol. Lett 7: 975–989.
- 9. Parker JD, Burkepile DE, Hay ME (2006) Opposing effects of native and exotic herbivores on plant invasions. Science 311: 1459–1461.
- 10. Verhoeven KJF, Biere A, Harvey JA, van der Putten WH (2009) Plant invaders and their novel natural enemies: who is naïve? Ecol Lett 12: 107–117.
- 11. Crawley MJ (1989) The relative importance of vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores in plant population dynamics. In: Bernays EA, editor. Insect-plant interactions. Boca Ratón:: CRC Press. pp. 45–71.
- 12. Baldwin IT (1998) Jasmonate-induced responses are costly but benefit plants under attack in native populations. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 95: 8113–8118.
- 13. Parker JD, Hay ME (2005) Biotic resistance to plant invasions? Native herbivores prefer non-native plants. Ecol Lett 8: 959–967.
- 14. Carpenter D, Cappuccino N (2005) Herbivore, time since introduction and the invasiveness of exotic plants. J Ecol 93: 315–321.
- 15. Xiong W, Yu D, Wang Q, Liu C, Wang L (2008) A snail prefers native over exotic freshwater plants: implications for the enemy release hypotheses. Freshwater Biol 53: 2256–2263.
- 16. Agrawal AA, Kotanen PM, Mitchell CE, Power AG, Godsoe W, Klironomos J (2005) Enemy release? An experiment with congeneric plant pairs and diverse aboveand belowground enemies. Ecology 86: 2979–2989.
- 17. Ricciardi A, Ward JM (2006) Comment on "Opposing effects of native and exotic herbivores on plant invasions". Science 313: 298.
- 18. Hill SB, Kotanen PM (2009) Evidence that phylogenetically novel non-indigenous plants experience less herbivory. Oecologia 161: 581–590.
- 19. Dawson W, Burslem DFRP, Hulme PE (2009) Herbivory is related to taxonomic isolation, but not to invasiveness of tropical alien plants. Divers Distrib 15: 141–147.
- 20. Cappuccino N, Carpenter D (2005) Invasive exotic plants suffer less herbivory than non-invasive exotic plants. Biol Lett 1: 435–438.
- 21. Hay M, Steinberg P (1992) in Herbivores: Their Interactions with Secondary Metabolites.Evolutionary and Ecological Processes. Rosenthal G, Berenbaum M, editors. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 371–413.
- 22. Lodge D, Cronin G, Donk E.v, Froelich A (1998) in The Structuring Role of Submerged Macrophytes in Lakes. In: Jeppesen E, Sondergaard M, Sondergaard M, Christofferson K, editors. New York: Springer. pp. 149–174.
- 23. Mitchell CE, Agrawal AA, Bever JD, Gilbert GS, Hufbauer RA, Kironomos JN, Maron JL, Morris WF, Parker IM, Power AG, Seabloom EW, torchin ME, Vazquez DP (2006) Biotic interactions and plant invasions. Ecol Lett 9: 726–740.
- 24. Best RJ, Arcese P (2009) Exotic herbivores directly facilitate the exotic grasses they graze: mechanisms for an unexpected positive feedback between invaders. Oecologia 159: 139–150.
- 25. Eschtruth AK, Battles JJ (2009) Assessing the relative importance of disturbance, herbivory, diversity, and progagule pressure in exotic plant invasions. Ecol Monogr 79: 265–280.
- 26. Lind EM, Parker JD (2010) Novel weapons testing: Are invasive plants more chemically defended than native plants? Plos One 5: e10429.
- 27. Liu H, Stiling P (2006) Testing the enemy release hypothesis: a review and meta-analysis. Biol Invasions 8: 1535–1545.
- 28. Cappuccino N, Arnason JT (2006) Novel chemistry of invasive exotic plants. Biol Lett 2: 189–193.
- 29. Lowe S, Browne M, Boudjelas S, De Poorter M (2000) 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species


Re-expressing Your Data
For this blog post, I'm going to take a step back and not go into data visualization best practices. Rather, I'm going to explore what you can do with your data before arriving at a final visualization – what I like to call "re-expressing" your data. Accordingly, we are going to look at the topic of transforming your data. More specifically, we are going to examine how to transform a measure (quantitative value), such as sales into accumulated sales, before visualizing it.
As usual, I'm not going to be able to go through everything, but, hopefully, this can get you started and maybe give you some ideas about how to transform your data. Also, in all examples, I'm going to use bicycle rides in New York from 2014 as a basis.
Let's start off with accumulation, as it's probably the easiest transformation to understand. For most types of accumulations, you would want the accumulation to be calculated over time. That way, you can see what the total value is, instead of the unique value per time step.
In the examples below, the first data visualization does not include accumulation as a measure. As you can see, it's a representation of the number of bicycle rides per month, starting with January and running through December. The second visualization includes accumulation, showing total bicycle rides across time. We can compare total rides with a target annual utilization number, which we may predefine. Alternatively, we could compare the total number of rides to the number of rides of another year, which would let us know if bicycle rides have increased or decreased.
Another method to transform your data is to normalize it. In doing so, instead of looking at an absolute value we can look at a relative one, seeing how it contributes to a total value.
In the example below, again we are looking at rides per month; however, the area colored blue represents males and the area colored red represents females. In the first data visualization, we can compare rides each month by looking at how many riders were male or female. But, if we try to determine if the percentage of female to male riders has increased over time, we'd be forced to manually calculate the percentages.
Instead, we can transform the data and stack the areas in our chart. As you can see in the second visualization, it's easy to spot the percentage of female riders at the beginning and end of the year and notice the increase in female ridership during the summer months.
Transforming your data to use an index is great if you have multiple measures of either different magnitudes or units. The index can then be used to see how much a value increases or decreases over time.
In the example below, I've plotted a couple of measures to see how the measures affect the total amount of rides over time. Due to the measures either having different units or there being too big a difference between them, we end up with some flat lines, as shown in the first visualization. This can potentially be solved by using a dual axis chart, but today I'm going to go with an index instead.
In the second visualization, which includes an index, I'm now calculating each value as a percent compared to the first value, starting in January in which all values converge. This way, each following value, calculated each month, is compared to the initial value, and we can begin to see trends in the data.
With this visualization, we can see that as the number of rides increases, so does the temperature and the duration of each trip. What doesn't seem to change that much is the average age of the riders. There is also an interesting pattern in February where the temperature hasn't changed much, but the number of rides has decreased and the duration has increased.
Moving Average
When it comes to having many data points with a spread of values, the normal method is to aggregate them. In the first visualization below, we are looking at rides per day, and we can see that there is a lot of spread in our data. As a result, it becomes quite hard to read the visualization and find patterns, as there are hundreds of data points being represented. If we aggregate the data to rides per week, as in the second visualization, we can see that there is some seasonality to the rides; however, we lose significant detail using this method.
What we can do — to retain the visualization's detail and readability — is to use a moving average to transform and smooth out the data by calculating an average across multiple days. In the third visualization, I've done this using a three-day rolling average. We can see how this reduces the appearance of too much data spread while still allowing us to see both seasonal and local patterns. The length of the rolling average, of course, depends on your data and should be carefully considered. If not, you could potentially remove valuable information from your data.
Hopefully, these transformations give you some inspiration to try out other ones. Being able to re-express your data allows you to more deeply explore it, prompting questions and providing insights you may not have thought to seek out or were unable to see.
Own own _USER_ takes us through different _TAG_ expressions and transformations that can unlock insights and value. Read his latest blog post.
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It may be tempting to go crazy with panelGroupLayout components in ADF Faces and ADF Mobile. The panelGroupLayout is not the universal hammer. In many cases, you will have a simpler structure (easier to maintain, more predictable, faster performing, more flexible) if you build your structure using a panelGridLayout or tableLayout instead.
When you are given a mock-up of what the application should look like, you may not know how to break it down into something simple. Either print out the design on a piece of paper or open it up in a graphics program where you can draw some lines.
- Draw vertical lines representing potential column divisions (red)
- Draw horizontal lines for potential row divisions (green)
- Now that you have a basic grid structure, use a different color (yellow) to draw x marks where you see cells that need to span multiple columns or rows:
- You may find that your column lines really don't make sense (in this case, the 2 middle columns had no cells in them that didn't need to span into a nearby column. This is an indication that there probably ought to be 2 separate grids or tables. Use a new color (magenta) to draw a line where the division makes sense and repeat the process again:
Now you can go back to coding your gridRow/gridCell or rowLayout/cellFormat components because you can visually see where the content goes and where you need to use a special columnSpan or rowSpan. As an added bonus, you now have the ability to specify the sizes for your cells as well as the horizontal and vertical alignments of your cells–something panelGroupLayout would not allow you to control.
Notice that the labels and fields of grid 2 (columns 1 and 2) are showing separate components. This is done so that there can be matching horizontal alignment among the fields of the two rows. If these were input or select components, you would need to use simple="true" (to hide the built-in label) and then use separate outputLabel components that reference them.
While we are only using consecutive grids in the example discussed in this article. You might come across a need to nest a grid inside of another grid. Do not excessively nest panelGridLayout nor tableLayout components (if you have 3 or more deep, consider a re-evaluation of your structure). You may find it helpful if someone else reviews your structure. Your goal should be to create something simple.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Now you can answer the telephone without anyone recognizing your voice.Press a button and completely change your voice. A man can sound like a stranger, a woman like a man, or a grand-dad like a child. With the Voice Transformer's pitch slider, you can control pitch independently, while its formant slider works to effectively control the vocal cords and shape of the vocal tract. So it can change a male voice into a female or even a child's voice, yet sound completely natural.
10 different voices (5 High and 5 Low)
Easy to use, Just Plug and Play
*Note: This unit must be directly connected to a telephone in order to work


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|Dodder on a Danewort|
about 100–170 species
The genus is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. Most species live in subtropical and tropical regions. The genus is rare in cool temperate climates, with only four species native to northern Europe.
Dodder can be identified by its thin stems. They look leafless, with the leaves reduced to minute scales.
From mid-summer to early autumn, the vines can produce small fruit that take the same color as the vine, and are about the size of a common pea. It has very low levels of chlorophyll; some species, such as Cuscuta reflexa, can photosynthesize slightly. Others such as C. europaea are entirely dependent on the host plants for nutrition.
Dodder flowers range in color from white to pink to yellow to cream. Some flower in the early summer, others later, depending on the species. The seeds are tiny and produced in large amounts. They have a hard coating, and can survive in the soil for 5–10 years or more.
Life habit [change]
If a plant is not reached within 5 to 10 days of germination, the dodder seedling will die. Before a host plant is reached, the dodder, as other plants, relies on food reserves in the embryo; the cotyledons are very small.
After a dodder attaches itself to a plant, it wraps itself around it. If the host contains food useful to dodder, the dodder produces 'haustoria' that insert themselves into the host. The original root of the dodder in the soil then dies.
The dodder can grow and attach itself to multiple plants. In tropical areas it can grow continuously, and may reach high into the canopy of shrubs and trees. In temperate climates it is an annual plant, restricted to low vegetation that can be reached by new seedlings each spring.
Dodder is parasitic on a very wide variety of plants, including a number of agricultural and horticultural crop species, such as alfalfa, flax, clover, potatoes, chrysanthemum, dahlia, trumpet vine, ivy and petunias, among others.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cuscuta|
|Wikispecies has information on: Cuscuta.|
- Machado M.A. & Zetsche K. 1990. A structural, functional and molecular analysis of plastids of the holoparasites Cuscuta reflexa and Cuscuta europaea. Planta 181: 91–96.
- David Tenenbaum (2006). "The Why Files". University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents.. _URL_ Retrieved 2010-06-22.
- "Devious Dodder vine sniffs out its victims". National Public Radio. _URL_ Retrieved 2007-07-21. "Some flowers release a pleasing fragrance. Other plants smell. And then there's the parasitic dodder vine, which has the remarkable ability to sniff out its victims. Farmers have placed the dodder on a ten most-wanted list of weeds."
- The first leaves, which are stored in the seed
- Macpherson, G.E. (1921) Comparison of development in dodder and morning glory. Botanical Gazette 71: 392–398.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


logo - Join me in the 1900s early C20th
Florence Cole as a child
How people washed themselves
in Victorian and Edwardian England
YOU ARE HERE: home > housing
In the early 1900s when I was a child growing up on the working class housing estate of Victorian-style terraces, it was a matter of principle that we - and indeed adults too - were kept clean.
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Where we washed
We washed every day in the scullery in a little alcove with a curtain across that provided some privacy.
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The 'wash basin' - the scullery sink
Old stoneware sink with a single brass cold water tap above it
Stoneware sink with a single brass cold water tap above it. Photographed in Fagans Museum of Welsh Life.
The 'wash basin' was the sink that was used for washing up.
Old white enamel washing-up bowl
Enamel washing-up bowl. Photographed in Milton Keynes Museum.
It was a large box-like 'glazed stone' affair with a single brass cold-water tap in the wall above it.
Sometimes we used an enamel bowl in it.
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The soap
A wooden soap box was also on the wall. No exotic soap ever found its way there. It was always general household soap, usually Sunlight, which invariably had little pieces of grit embedded in where my mother had used it to wash the floor. I don't think our complexions suffered as a result. I was reputed to have had a very good complexion as a child.
old bar of Sunlight household soap from the early 1900s, used for washing the floor
 as well as washing oneself
Sunlight household soap, used for washing the floor as well as washing oneself.
So the Sunlight soap did little harm, although I well recall having little patches of dry skin in on my chin in the winter. This was quite common with most children and was treated with Vaseline.
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The temperature of the water
We usually washed in cold water, but sometimes as a luxury we had warm water if the copper was lit, or if someone bothered to boil a kettle on the range.
In summer when it was too hot to light a fire, water was probably heated on a primus stove. My cousin who lived with my grandparents in World War Two reports that that was what happened there.
Pat Cryer, webmaster and daughter of the author
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The flannel
Flannels were squares of towelling.
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Being washed as a young child
I always remember my great grandmother washing me at the scullery sink. It wasn't a case of just wiping sticky hands. It was a good old wash, and my ears burnt for hours afterwards. Her generation seemed to have a thing about ears. It was always, "Have you washed behind your ears?". It could have been why earache seemed so prevalent in those days. We children always had a twisted corner of the flannel rammed down our ears.
Pat Cryer, webmaster
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PostgreSQL – REGEXP_REPLACE Function
 - Last Updated : 01 Feb, 2021
The PostgreSQL REGEXP_REPLACE() function is used to replaces substrings that match a POSIX regular expression with a new substring.
Syntax: REGEXP_REPLACE(source, pattern, replacement_string, [, flags])
Let's analyze the above syntax:
 - The source is a string where the search and replace opertaion in executed.
 - The pattern is a POSIX regular expression for matching substrings which is to be replaced.
 - The replacement_string is a string which replaces the substrings using match the regular expression pattern.
 - The flags argument is used to control the behaviour of the function for matching characters.
 - The PostgreSQL REGEXP_REPLACE() function returns the final string after the replacement of the original string with the substring.
Example 1:
For instance imagine you have a name of a person in the following format:
first_name last_name
And you want to rearrange the name as follows:
last_name, first_name
To do this, you can use the REGEXP_REPLACE() function as shown below:
SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE('Raju Kumar', '(.*) (.*)', '\2, \1');
Example 2:
Suppose you have data in the form of a string. This string is mixed with alphabets and digits as follows:
The following query removes all alphabets e.g., A, B, C, etc from the source string:
SELECT REGEXP_REPLACE('ABC12345xyz', '[[:alpha:]]', '', 'g');
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Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy
Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy by Jose Antonio Cheibub
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US$ 24.00
This book addresses the following question: why are presidential democracies more likely to break down than parliamentary ones? Conventional wisdom among political scientists pointS to the incentives generated by the form of government itself; the independence of the executive and legislature that defines presidentialism generates incentives that are not conducive to the consolidation of democracy. On the basis of a data set that covers all democracies between 1946 and 2002, this book demonstrates that this is not the case: the incentives generated by presidentialism are as conducive to the consolidation of democracy as the ones generated by parliamentarism. The book argues that what kills presidentialism is the fact that it exists in countries where democracies of any type are not likely to survive. This book will be of interest to academic researchers, graduates and advanced undergraduates enrolled in courses on comparative politics and political economy.
Cambridge University Press; November 2006
222 pages; ISBN 9780511254727
Read online, or download in secure PDF format
Title: Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy
Author: Jose Antonio Cheibub
Buy, download and read Presidentialism, Parliamentarism, and Democracy (eBook) by Jose Antonio Cheibub today!


TechnologyNov 08, 2016
Solving Logical Business Problems Using Prolog: Part Four
Micah Jones
We will continue to use SWI-Prolog, which comes with a useful set of libraries called JPL. JPL can be used as an interface between Java and Prolog, allowing Java programs to execute Prolog code and vice versa. We will be using the jpl.jar library file from the swipl-7.2.3 release, located in the installed lib folder.
There is some environment setup required, which differs between operating systems. On Windows you should be able to follow the instructions in the official documentation. I use Mac OS X, which unfortunately requires some extra effort. I installed Prolog using macports to get a working version that could be called by the JVM, and then added its location to my java.library.path variable. See this Stack Overflow article for more details.
Our Java project for calling the Prolog Scheduler program can be found on GitHub.
Our program interacts with Prolog by instantiating and executing Query objects, which generate Prolog predicate calls. To build the call to load our Scheduler program, we create the following Java object:
new Query("consult", new Term[] {new Atom("")})
This query will call the built-in consult predicate, which loads a source file into the Prolog engine. A predicate's arguments are represented by an array of Term objects. In this case we need only one argument: an Atom referring to the source file In effect, this Query is equivalent to the Prolog call consult( We execute it by calling the Query's member method hasSolutions(), which returns true if the query is successful or false if it fails.
Our Scheduler program uses a database of Prolog facts to generate its constraints and find a valid result schedule. To create those facts, we use the built-in Prolog predicate assert. For example, to create an entry for an employee named micah, our Java Employee class runs the following code:
new Query("assert", new Term[] {new Compound("employee", new Term[] { new Atom("micah")})}).hasSolution();
This is equivalent to executing the Prolog call assert(employee(micah)), which generates the fact employee(micah). Here we have used a Compound object, which takes as input the functor name employee and its list of terms, in this case the lone atom micah.
After asserting our database of facts, we build a call to our main predicate schedule(Schedule):
Query q1 = new Query("schedule", new Term[] {new Variable("Schedule")});
Here we use a Variable object to declare a name for the variable we will read when viewing solutions. Remember that Prolog can non-deterministically return several solutions; JPL allows us to read each one in succession by using the Query object's nextSolution() method.
Our primary loop will read up to NUM_SOLUTIONS results into Java ScheduleEntry objects and display the results:
for (int i = 0; (i < NUM_SOLUTIONS && q1.hasMoreSolutions()); i++) { System.out.println("Solution #" + (i+1) + ":"); List entries = new ArrayList(); Map resultMap = q1.nextSolution(); Term[] results = resultMap.get("Schedule").toTermArray(); for (Term term : results) { Term[] termArgs = term.args(); String employee = termArgs[0].args()[0].toString(); String taskName = termArgs[1].args()[0].toString(); String shiftDay = termArgs[1].args()[1].args()[0].toString(); String shiftPeriod = termArgs[1].args()[1].args()[1].toString(); entries.add(new ScheduleEntry( employee, taskName, shiftDay, shiftPeriod)); } for (ScheduleEntry entry : entries) { System.out.println(entry.toString()); } System.out.println(); }
The main inner for loop processes the next returned Schedule object by looping over its terms. Each term is a single employee assignment and is of the following form in Prolog:
We extract the variables inside that term to populate the Java String variables employee, taskName, shiftDay, and shiftPeriod. Those variables are then used to instantiate a new ScheduleEntry object, which then can be referenced in Java as needed. In this case we simply output all of our ScheduleEntry objects after collecting them from the Schedule result.
This is a simple program that is only intended as a proof of concept. However, it would be easy to expand it to, for example, a SOAP endpoint in a Spring Framework web server. By doing so, we could use our employee scheduler as part of a larger system coded in Java.
Thus concludes our series on Prolog, a powerful logic programming language that uses deduction to infer solutions to complex, challenging problems. We have shown how to reduce an employee scheduling system to a satisfiability problem, which is easy to solve with SWI-Prolog's CLP libraries. In addition, we have used the JPL libraries to build an interface between Prolog and Java, allowing us to utilize the strengths of both in real-world systems.
Micah Jones is a consultant in Credera's Integration & Data Services (IDS) practice. In 2011, he received his doctorate in computer science from the University of Texas at Dallas, specializing in programming language-based security.
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Shipping Industry Initiative Seeks to Measure and Abate Methane Slip
A collation of leading companies from across the shipping industry are coming together in the latest effort to address the ongoing controversy over methane emissions from ships fueled with LNG. The Methane Abatement in Maritime initiative is a technology acceleration program aimed at identifying, accelerating, and advocating technology solutions to measure and manage methane emissions, commonly referred to as methane slip.
The shipping industry has been quick to adopt LNG in the last few years at least as a bridging fuel to support decarbonization due to its ability to reduce or eliminate harmful emissions including CO2, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Dioxide (Sox), and particulate matter. Scientists, environmentalists, and other activists however argue that any benefits are far outweighed by the release of unburnt methane which is more harmful to the environment as it is a potent greenhouse gas that accelerates global warming.
In establishing this new initiative, the organizers point out that "no globally recognized methods for measuring methane slip" currently exist. As part of their aim to minimize the environmental impact of LNG used in shipping, their first goal is to establish a methodology of measuring the extent of the problem and developing technologies to reduce methane slip. It is hoped that the new solutions identified by the innovation initiative will help the industry to understand the extent of, and then manage, their methane emissions activities.
"Shipping currently lacks the information and tools they need to accurately measure the amount of methane released by LNG-fueled ships and the extent of this impact," said Steve Price, Head of Partnerships at Safetytech Accelerator, which will lead the program. "Understanding the extent of this methane slip will allow companies, society, and policymakers to understand LNG's real environmental impact. Empowering markets to channel investments to new technologies that can reduce methane slip, or to other transition fuels."
LNG advocates argue that new engines and technologies are largely eliminating methane slip from the ships. Environmentalists however dismiss these assertions and last year one group used infrared cameras to illustrate what they said is an increasing problem for the shipping industry as the number of LNG-fueled ships increases.
Since 2010, the number of vessels using LNG has grown consistently by 20 to 40 a year. In its market analysis released yesterday, DNV for example said that LNG vessels make up the majority of in-service and on-order vessels using alternative fuels. The class society calculates that there are over 900 LNG-fueled vessels operating and another 500 ordered.
The new initiative will define what constitutes negligible methane emissions and then ensure that the sector meets the targets. Once the solutions have been validated, this collation will seek to endorse them to the industry. They are also committed to encouraging the adoption of proven abatement technology at scale. Their goal is to have solutions in place by 2023. Separately, there are several other groups also working on developing filtering technology to remove methane from vessels' exhaust.
This new program is also focusing on supporting the next generation of biofuels. They highlighted that measuring the scale of methane emissions, and understanding if they can be managed to negligible levels, would contribute to the understanding of Liquefied Bio Methane (LBM) and Liquefied synthetic methane (LSM) and if they are viable pathway fuels to help achieve the industry's 2050 decarbonization targets.
Established by Lloyd's Register, the program will be led by Safetytech Accelerator. Seven industry-leading companies, Maran Gas Maritime, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Carnival Corporation, Seaspan, Shell, Lloyd's Register, and Knutsen Group, are partnering with the program. It will also draw on the expertise of academics, civil society, and other stakeholders, such as the National Physical Laboratory.


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Keynes at the Border?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A common fallacy holds that imposing taxes on imports and rebating taxes on exports would stimulate the economy.
A common fallacy holds that border tax adjustments—imposing taxes on imports and rebating taxes on exports—would enhance American exports and reduce imports. The reasoning behind this mistake is simple enough. A border adjustment seems to provide a subsidy to exporters and to levy a tariff on importers. Border adjustment proponents, noting that international trade rules allow nations to border adjust consumption taxes such as European-style value added taxes, urge the adoption of a consumption tax in the United States so that we can border adjust and enhance our trade competitiveness.
Yet, such an argument ignores an essential truth about imports and exports: over the long term, exports and imports must be equal. We can think of a country like a household. Purchases are paid for from the proceeds of sales, and sales are made for the purpose of additional purchases. In the long run, purchases and sales must be equal. A nation's trade policy works the same way. Over a nation's history, the value of exports in current dollars must equal the value of imports in present value. Any attempt to permanently increase exports and decrease imports is futile.
What would actually happen if we border adjusted imports and exports is that exchange rate movements would offset the trade effects and the dollar would appreciate. The key variable is the real exchange rate, which determines the terms at which a country buys and sells. (For the United States, the real exchange rate is the value of the dollar in terms of foreign currency—the nominal exchange rate—multiplied by the U.S. price level and divided by the foreign price level.) The real exchange rate adjusts to keep the present discounted value of exports and imports equal. The adoption of a border adjustment by the United States would trigger an increase in the real exchange rate that would offset the perceived boost to exports and the perceived restraint on imports.
The argument for border tax adjustments ignores an essential truth about imports and exports.
Imagine, for the moment, that one euro and one dollar have the same value under the current trade regime. If a firm in the United States wanted to import one euro's worth of German chocolate, the cost of the chocolate to the importer would be one dollar.
Now, let's imagine that we institute a 25 percent border adjustment. The cost of the chocolate to the importer would increase to €1.33 (25 percent of 1.33 is 0.33). At the same time, the dollar would appreciate to €1.33; conversely, one euro would be worth 75 cents. At the new exchange rate, the €1.33 chocolate would still cost the importer one dollar, so there would be no net increase in cost.
The same dynamics would be at play in the case where the United States is an exporter. Imagine that a German importer wants to buy one dollar worth of Florida oranges, which would cost one euro under the current trade regime. Under the border adjustment, the United States would rebate the American exporter 25 percent, so the cost to the German importer would decrease to 75 cents. Because the dollar would appreciate to €1.33, however, the cost to the German importer would still be one euro. There would be no competitive advantage for U.S. exports.
These examples reveal that the impact on overall trade flows would be neutral.
Even if a border adjustment could permanently increase exports and reduce imports, the impact of the change would be disastrous for an economy. In that case, the United States would send more goods and services, produced by our own labor and resources, abroad while receiving fewer goods and services in return. Because imports are the gain from trade while exports are the cost of trade, a permanent increase in net exports would reduce our standard of living. Although attractive at face value, the desire to permanently increase exports and reduce imports reflects the misguided view known as mercantilism, the doctrine that Adam Smith condemned so forcefully in 1776.
Even if a border adjustment could permanently increase exports and reduce imports, the impact would be disastrous for an economy.
Ironically, a border adjustment would result in a one-time wealth transfer from American to foreign asset holders. A border adjustment would tax the consumption of Americans financed by their holdings of foreign assets and would exempt from the tax base the consumption of foreigners financed by their holdings of American assets. Consequently, the value of foreign assets held by Americans would decline while the value of American assets held by foreigners would appreciate.
The popularity of Keynesian stimulus during the current recession has led to a renewed interest in border adjustments as a way to stimulate aggregate demand. But a border adjustment would not produce permanent changes in trade patterns. In addition, the desire to provide a permanent boost to the economy through a border adjustment constitutes a misunderstanding of Keynesianism. Sound Keynesian policies seek to make output more stable throughout the business cycle by increasing aggregate demand in a downturn and restraining demand during an upturn; they do not permanently boost aggregate demand in a futile effort to permanently raise output.
Supporters of consumption taxation in the United States often rely on misperceptions about border adjustments in order to make their case. There are compelling reasons to adopt a consumption tax in the United States, including simplification and enhanced capital accumulation. The ability to border adjust is immaterial. The border adjustment fallacy should not obscure the real case for consumption taxation.
Alan Viard is resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He was a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and an assistant professor of economics at Ohio State University. He has also worked for the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis, the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, and the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress. This article was adapted by Amy Roden, a research assistant at AEI, and Scott Ganz, AEI's program manager for economic policy studies, from a longer paper.
FURTHER READING: Viard recently released Tax Policy Lessons from the 2000s (AEI Press, 2009), a collection of essays which explore the role taxes play in setting policy and their effect on businesses' financial and investment decisions. Findings were discussed at this AEI event.
Image by Darren Wamboldt/the Bergman Group.


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Top Camping Spots: Nature Travel: Recreation & Travel
Camping has long been a popular recreational activity for nature enthusiasts seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It offers individuals the opportunity to immerse themselves in the serenity of natural surroundings while engaging in various outdoor activities. The allure of camping lies not only in its ability to provide solitude but also in the chance to explore diverse landscapes and ecosystems. For instance, imagine a hypothetical scenario where an individual embarks on a camping trip to Yosemite National Park, California. This person can witness firsthand the majestic beauty of towering sequoias, cascading waterfalls, and breathtaking vistas that make it one of the top camping spots globally.
In recent years, there has been a surge in interest among travelers worldwide to reconnect with nature through camping experiences. As a result, numerous exceptional destinations have emerged as must-visit sites for those seeking memorable adventures amidst enchanting wilderness settings. From dense forests teeming with wildlife to pristine lakes reflecting an azure sky, these locations offer unparalleled opportunities for recreation and exploration. This article aims to highlight some of the top camping spots around the world – places that combine scenic beauty, tranquility, and abundant outdoor activities – allowing travelers to fully embrace their love for nature travel while creating lasting memories along the way. Whether one Whether one is an avid hiker, a wildlife enthusiast, or simply seeking a peaceful retreat, there are camping destinations to suit all preferences. Here are some of the top camping spots around the world:
Banff National Park, Canada: Nestled in the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park offers awe-inspiring mountain views, pristine lakes, and abundant wildlife. Campers can explore hiking trails, kayak on turquoise glacial lakes, and even spot grizzly bears in their natural habitat.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile: Located in Patagonia, this park boasts towering granite peaks, glaciers, and azure lakes. Camping here provides unparalleled opportunities for trekking through breathtaking landscapes and spotting unique wildlife like guanacos and Andean condors.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania: For an unforgettable wildlife camping experience, the Serengeti is hard to beat. Witnessing the Great Migration of wildebeest across vast plains is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that campers can enjoy while surrounded by an array of iconic African animals.
Lake District National Park, England: Known for its picturesque lakes and rolling hills, the Lake District offers idyllic camping locations with stunning vistas around every corner. Hiking enthusiasts can tackle challenging trails like Scafell Pike or simply relax by quaint lakeside campsites.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia: Imagine waking up to the sound of waves crashing on your tent while being surrounded by one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Camping on secluded islands within this marine park allows snorkelers and divers to explore vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful fish species.
Denali National Park, Alaska: With its rugged mountains and vast wilderness areas, Denali offers true solitude for campers looking to disconnect from civilization. Visitors can catch glimpses of grizzly bears and wolves while enjoying activities like hiking, mountaineering, and river rafting.
Kruger National Park, South Africa: Famous for its Big Five game animals – lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalos – Kruger National Park provides an authentic African camping experience. Campers can embark on exciting game drives or guided walking safaris to spot these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
Remember to always research and follow the guidelines set by each camping destination to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite National Park, located in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities. With its diverse landscape of towering granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, lush meadows, and ancient giant sequoias, Yosemite offers a truly immersive experience for nature enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike.
For instance, imagine hiking along the Mist Trail to witness the awe-inspiring sight of Vernal Fall plummeting 317 feet into the Merced River below. The trail takes you through mist-filled canyons adorned with vibrant wildflowers during springtime. This real-life example demonstrates just one of the many unforgettable experiences that await visitors in Yosemite National Park.
One reason why Yosemite stands out as an exceptional camping destination is its range of activities suitable for people of all interests and ages. Whether you enjoy rock climbing on El Capitan's sheer face or prefer leisurely strolls through Tuolumne Meadows, there are countless options to suit every preference. Additionally, wildlife spotting opportunities abound within the park boundaries—keep an eye out for black bears roaming near your campsite or catch a glimpse of a soaring bald eagle above.
To further entice visitors looking for relaxation or adventure, here are some compelling features worth considering:
- Unparalleled Scenic Beauty: From Glacier Point's panoramic views of Half Dome to the serene Mirror Lake reflecting towering peaks, Yosemite presents picture-perfect vistas at every turn.
- Diverse Recreational Activities: Engage in activities such as biking, fishing, horseback riding, photography workshops, bird watching tours—the possibilities are endless.
- Educational Programs: Take advantage of ranger-led programs that provide valuable insights into the park's history, geology, flora, and fauna.
- Unique Wildlife Encounters: Encounter various species like mule deer grazing peacefully or elusive bobcats stealthily traversing their habitat.
|Majestic granite monolith that entices hikers from around the world to conquer its challenging ascent.
|Iconic valley showcasing towering cliffs, waterfalls, and meandering rivers—a true natural wonderland.
|Home to over 500 giant sequoias, including the famous Grizzly Giant—the largest tree in the park.
|A breathtaking vista offering a panoramic perspective of Yosemite Valley's iconic landmarks all at once.
As visitors immerse themselves in the wonders of Yosemite National Park—whether by marveling at its awe-inspiring vistas or engaging in thrilling outdoor activities—they will undoubtedly create cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
Transitioning seamlessly into our exploration of Banff National Park in Canada, another remarkable destination awaits nature lovers seeking diverse landscapes and unparalleled beauty.
Banff National Park, Canada
Heading: 'Banff National Park, Canada'
Imagine waking up to the breathtaking beauty of snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear lakes. Banff National Park in Canada offers an unparalleled experience for nature enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility. This section will delve into the wonders of Banff National Park, highlighting its unique features and attractions that make it a must-visit destination.
Exploring the Wilderness:
One can truly immerse themselves in the wilderness of Banff National Park through various activities. Whether hiking along scenic trails or embarking on wildlife spotting expeditions, there is something for everyone. For instance, imagine yourself trekking through Johnston Canyon, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and witnessing the awe-inspiring power of waterfalls cascading down from above.
- Experience the thrill of white-water rafting in the untamed Kicking Horse River.
- Marvel at the majestic beauty of Lake Louise, known as one of Canada's most iconic natural landmarks.
- Indulge in star-gazing sessions amidst pristine dark skies away from city lights.
- Relish the opportunity to spot rare species like grizzly bears and mountain goats while exploring backcountry trails.
Table – Wildlife Spotting Opportunities:
|Best Time to Spot
|Spring & Fall
|Forests & Grasslands
|Steep Cliffs & Mountainsides
The mesmerizing landscape of Banff National Park comprises rugged peaks, glaciers, turquoise lakes, and dense forests. The Columbia Icefield Parkway stands out as one of North America's most scenic drives, offering panoramic views of glaciers and majestic peaks. Picture yourself standing at the edge of Peyto Lake, its vibrant blue contrasting against the surrounding snow-capped mountains.
As we continue our journey exploring nature's wonders, let us now turn our attention to the magnificent Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Note: The markdown formatting for bullet points and tables may not be rendered properly here, but if you copy and paste this text into a Markdown editor or viewer, it should display correctly.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia
As we continue our exploration of top camping spots around the world, let us now dive into the enchanting underwater realm of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Imagine yourself snorkeling amidst vibrant coral reefs and swimming alongside an array of exotic marine life. To illustrate the allure of this destination, consider the hypothetical case of Sarah, a passionate scuba diver who embarked on a seven-day expedition to explore the wonders hidden beneath the crystal-clear waters.
One cannot help but be captivated by the sheer beauty and diversity that awaits at the Great Barrier Reef. Here are some key reasons why this natural wonder should be on every nature enthusiast's bucket list:
- Unparalleled Biodiversity: The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 1,500 species of fish, making it one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. From playful clownfish darting through anemones to majestic sea turtles gracefully gliding through the water, each encounter offers a glimpse into a mesmerizing underwater universe.
- Extraordinary Coral Formations: This UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts an intricate network of coral formations spanning over 2,900 individual reefs. Witness firsthand the breathtaking colors and shapes as you navigate through these submerged marvels.
- Educational Opportunities: Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the Great Barrier Reef serves as a vital scientific research site. Numerous organizations offer educational programs for visitors to learn about conservation efforts and contribute to ongoing studies aimed at preserving this delicate ecosystem.
- Thriving Ecotourism Initiatives: Visitors can engage with various sustainable tourism operators committed to minimizing their environmental impact while providing unforgettable experiences. By choosing responsible tour providers, travelers actively support initiatives dedicated to protecting this fragile habitat.
Table


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By Vendor > AgBio Communications > grassland plants of south dakota and the northern great plains
grassland plants of south dakota and the northern great plains
"Learning to identify and understand the plants that produce the forage, provide the cover, protect the soil, and enrich our lives in many ways is an essential first step to conserving our native grassland, whether they are the grasslands we own and manage, or the grasslands we hunt and hike over, or simply the grasslands we view from our vehicles. This photographic guide can help you discover and learn about the plants inhabitating our northern prairies and plains." David J. Ode, Botanist/Ecologist, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department Authors are James R. Johnson and Gary E. Larson
$19.95 and Free Shipping
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Why Is Cheese So Expensive in Canada?
It's a struggle most Canadian dairy lovers are familiar with: Cheese up there is so expensive that a pound of cheddar can end up costing more than a pound of steak. Our neighbors to the north aren't exaggerating when they complain about steep cheese prices—costs are sometimes three times higher than comparable products sold in the States, and it's not because the Canadian air makes cows pump out liquid gold. It's all thanks to a little something called supply management.
Supply management is a blanket term used to describe the policies regulating Canada's dairy (and egg and poultry) markets. The dairy industry works differently in Canada than it does in other cheese-loving parts of the world. Both the European Union and the United States subsidize their dairy farmers—the Canadian government does not. Instead, they use other ways to get farmers the financial support they need.
Minimum price-setting for domestic dairy products keeps cheese prices above a certain mark, while strict quotas and high taxes on imports keep foreign competition under control. International cheeses account for a tiny fraction of the market, so cheese made in France, Italy, and other places abroad is difficult to find outside specialty shops. The result is more profits for Canadian producers taken straight from the consumers' pockets come check-out time.
When supply management was introduced to Canada in the 1960s and '70s, it served a clear purpose. The policies were put in place to protect farmers from unpredictable market fluctuations and keep their livelihoods secure. Since then many of the small family farms that were originally protected under the laws have been replaced with factory farms, and the relevance of supply management is now a topic of hot debate.
The laws aren't terribly popular among citizens (even police officers have been known to help smuggle cheese across the border), and it's not just because of the high grocery bills. Opponents argue that the regulations are bad for innovation, free trade negotiations, and restaurateurs. Canadian farmers still insist the benefits outweigh the costs. On the Dairy Farmers of Canada's web page, they write:
"While farmers around the world face unexpected and inexplicable wild market fluctuations, Canadian farmers sell their milk at constant and stable prices. As a result, Canadian dairy farming is one of the few agricultural sectors that are self-sufficient – providing income security for farmers and requiring no government subsidy. This means Canadian farmers can invest in their farms, communities and Canada."
Because farmers hold significant power in Canadian politics, supply management boasts supporters from every major party. But not all hope is lost for Canadian connoisseurs of affordable cheese. Progress on their front was made last year when a trade deal was signed slightly increasing the quota on foreign dairy imports. Consumers may benefit from the resulting price cuts, while Canadian farmers and processors will receive $4.3 billion from the government over 15 years to make up for the revenue loss. So next time you enjoy a plate of poutine, feel free to be a little less conservative with the cheese curds.


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Inequality, climate impacts on the future poor, and carbon prices
ABSTRACT: Integrated assessment models of climate and the economy provide estimates of the social cost of carbon and inform climate policy. We create a variant of the Regional Integrated model of Climate and the Economy (RICE)—a regionally disaggregated version of the Dynamic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy (DICE)—in which we introduce a more fine-grained representation of economic inequalities within the model's regions. This allows us to model the common observation that climate change impacts are not evenly distributed within regions and that poorer people are more vulnerable than the rest of the population. Our results suggest that this is important to the social cost of carbon—as significant, potentially, for the optimal carbon price as the debate between Stern and Nordhaus on discounting. Read the RESEARCH BRIEF below.
People often believe that future generations will be better off than their predecessors, but that may be a dangerous assumption when it comes to climate change, according to new Princeton research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Past research shows the poor bear the brunt of climate change impacts, especially in terms of long-term income growth. A new model developed at Princeton University predicts that, if the poor continue to be affected in this way — and current climate policies remain the same — the world's future poor will be even worse off than impoverished people today.
The model is the first to consider how the effects of climate change impacts, and the policies designed to address them, will produce very unequal outcomes between the rich and poor in the same country. Given the model's dire predictions, aggressive climate policies may be needed to protect the world's most vulnerable populations, the researchers said.
"It is very likely that what we do now will impact the poor more going forward, so we need models like this one that can properly assess this so we can enact the right policy strategy," said Marc Fleurbaey, a co-lead author of the paper and the Robert E. Kuenne Professor in Economics and Humanistic Studies at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and University Center for Human Values at Princeton.
The new model, the Nested Inequalities Climate-Economy model or NICE, builds off the Regional Integrated Model of Climate and the Economy (RICE), which was developed by William Nordhaus of Yale University. RICE, alongside other models, is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to determine the potential effects of different climate policies.
One factor these current models ignore, however, are the inequalities within regions and countries. This is equivalent to assuming that the damage caused by climate change — such as lower crop yields or coastal flooding caused by sea-level rise — will be proportional to households' incomes among a region's population. Structuring policies around such assumptions can be very misleading, the researchers said.
Given the vast differences in income levels and vulnerabilities within a particular country, the probability of climate change impacts being proportional to income across populations is unlikely. For example, it is likely that poorer farmers would get hit much harder by a climate change catastrophe — such as a drought or flooding — thereby significantly reducing their income. This would have significant long-term effects.
The new model developed at Princeton through support of the Climate Futures Initiative (CFI) has the power to examine a number of climate-related scenarios, and their impacts on varying populations, on a finer-tuned scale. CFI is an interdisciplinary research program at Princeton administered and sponsored by the Princeton Environmental Institute and also sponsored by the Princeton Institute for International Regional Studies and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
Using their new framework, the researchers examined what might happen to certain populations if there were increases in annual emissions and temperature rise. They also charted the implications for climate policies that best balance the costs of mitigation and the benefits of avoided climate impacts.
The results revealed significant policy implications. Depending on how climate impacts unequally affect the rich or poor within every region, the optimal policy may involve a lenient or sharp increase in the price of carbon over the next decades (lenient when impacts are proportional to income, sharp when impacts are concentrated on the poor). The rather lenient policies recommended by classical models that ignore such inequalities appear insufficient to protect the future poor of Africa in particular.
"When you change the assumption of who is hit hardest by climate impacts, very different results emerge," Fleurbaey said. "This is why it's urgent that we substantiate our assumptions going forward. We need more empirical studies to truly understand who will be most affected by climate change in the future."
The link between poverty and climate is of interest to the research community, especially the World Bank, which recently released a report titled, "Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty." Their analysis emphasizes the greater vulnerability of poor populations to climate impacts and highlights the need for better modeling, like that proposed by the Princeton team, to reduce poverty and climate change.
"We often hear about climate catastrophes that will happen under high temperature rises. But even at lower temperatures, catastrophes are bound to occur for the most vulnerable populations. We need to stop thinking that future generations will be uniformly rich," Fleurbaey said. "The policies of today need to keep this in mind to protect our future generations."
The paper, "Inequality, climate impacts on the future poor, and carbon prices," was published in PNAS on Dec. 7.
Co-authors include Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Emeritus, Robert Socolow and postdoctoral researchers Francis Dennig, Mark Budolfson and Asher Siebert, all from Princeton.


Integral Theory and Project Management–the Concept of A Holon (tenet #1)
1. Introduction
In his magnum opus Sex, Ecology, and Spirituality, Ken Wilber lays out the 20 fundamental tenets that he postulates for holons, which are entities that are at once a) wholes that are composed of parts, and b) parts that comprise larger wholes. This concept of a holon is fruitful in that it bridges the divide in the history of philosophy between theories that postulate the primacy of the many vs. those that postulates the primacy of the one.
Ken Wilber, in his book A Brief Theory of Everything explicates the 20 tenets of holons in a format that is easier to read and understand, meant for people who are looking for an introduction to his other philosophical works. In this post, I go through the first of these 20 tenets regarding the concept of a holon, and show how it can be applied to the practice of project management.
So it may seem like arcane philosophical discourse at first, but it has very important real-world consequences, and that is why I am interested in studying it in depth, as a kind of philosophical underpinning to project management.
1. Tenet #1: Reality is Composed of Whole/Parts, or "Holons"
A familiar example to explain this concept is that of a cell. It is composed of organelles, so it is a whole which contains parts or components. But a cell is of course a part of a larger whole, such as an organ of the body. A project's objectives are broken down into components called work packages, so a project contains parts or components as well. However, a project is also a part of a larger whole called a program (a series of related projects which share certain resources).
Likewise, a program is part of a larger whole called a portfolio (a series of programs which share certain business goals). And a portfolio is part of the business operations of an organization.
So going from smaller to larger, you have
work packages (deliverables) → project → program → portfolio → organization
The implication for a project manager is that you have to be able to change your focus to look both "downward" and "upward", if by "downward" we mean from the scope of the project as a whole to the details of its smallest components, the work packages which produce the deliverables of the project, and if by "upward" we mean from the project as a part of a larger program, which in turn may be part of a larger portfolio, all undertaken by the organization.
As a project manager, you have to on a regular basis transmit the status of your project as a whole, and sometimes include the details of some of its components (particularly if there are problems pertaining to them), to the larger organizational units within the company starting with the program manager.
These perspectives sometimes create a tension, an example of which I illustrate below.
As a project manager, your goal is to achieve a schedule performance index of 1.00 (meaning the project is being completed by the deadline) and a cost performance index of 1.00 (meaning the project is being achieved within the budget allotted to it). Ideally, you would like to have a schedule and a cost performance index greater than 1.00, which would mean you are coming in UNDER budget and BEFORE the deadline.
But what happens if, say, you get a schedule and a cost performance index of 2.00? That would mean that it took the project took only half the time you were allotted and it only half as much as the budget you were allotted. That would make you look like a real hero to the program manager, right? Well, perhaps, but the program manager, remember, has OTHER projects to be concerned about as well. If you completed the project using only half the resources you were allotted, then that means that, from the program manager's point of view, half the resources that you didn't use were locked up in your project unable to be used by any other project. That, from his standpoint, would be a waste of resources that could have been used productively elsewhere in his or her program.
So this example shows that you have to be sensitive not just to the many parts which you, like an orchestra conductor, weave into the symphony of activity called a project, but you must be sensitive to the various organizational units of which your project is merely a part.
Let's consider the stakeholders you must deal with on a project. Stakeholders can be broken out into categories that also can be explained using the concept of a holon. A project manager might have to deal with stakeholders who are a) internal to the project and internal to the organization (the project team, for example), b) external to the project and internal to the organization (the management sponsor of the project), or c) external to the project and external to the organization (suppliers, customers, regulatory agencies, etc.). Thus a project manager is dealing with a series of nested entities which he or she must take into account when running the project. This is one reason why I was attracted to integral theory, because it elucidates these hierarchical relationships you must often contend with. The other reason is that it facilitates the understanding of different perspectives, which is also necessary when you deal with many different types of stakeholders from each of the three categories mentioned above.
Next week I will discuss the second tenet of the concept of a holon, and its implication for project management.
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In Kenya, there are an estimated 1.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Nyanza Province, in western Kenya, has been the most severely affected; it has the highest prevalence in the country at 14.9% compared to 7.1% countrywide.
FACES works collaboratively with the Kenya Ministry of Health and other local partners to support and strengthen local capacity for quality HIV prevention, care, and treatment services in Nyanza province and Nairobi. FACES works to provide family-centered, comprehensive, compassionate care, and build the foundation for long-term, sustainable treatment.
FACES is a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) collaborative partnership. It was funded in September 2004 by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn more about FACES' Health and Support services, Education and Training programs, and Community Building initiatives.


Ir/Rational – Lighting and Video
Conceived and choreographed by: Erika Tsimbrovsky
Scenery and Costumes by Vadim Puyandaev
Original Music by: Joan Jeanranaud and PC Muñoz
Ir/Rational was conceived as a ficticious meeting between Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots. The dance and music moved through myriad performance styles from slow abstract movement to contemporary structured improvisation and then looping back to Renaissance musical and dance forms.
The video was built starting with historical documents such as a 16th century map of London, the execution letter written by Elizabeth for Mary, and historical paintings. Original footage of the dancers was also shot and incorporated into the work. Animations were made combining live footage of the dancers with historical paintings and then rotoscoped to create a moving painting that was projected. Various elements were music reactive as well. By taking a live music feed from the musicians and routing it through the video to manipulate and distort it I was able to match both movement and music to the images.
These images were obscured through various geometric masks that were echoed in the lighting. Boxes, diamonds, and parallelograms all created various feelings of confinement and separation for the two queens. Handwritten text scrolled over dancers and lit them as both an environmental element and a lighting source. One set of projectors were placed overhead to blend and create a single wide image on the rear cyc while a third projector sat on the ground serving as footlights. Knowing the two projected images would blend on the cyc, I created the visual imagery to work as a composite of the two sources with fun and interesting shadow play resulting from the floor mounted fixture.
Photography by Aleksey Bochkovsky


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Using segway-like balancing technology, these incredible robots can climb a pole while balancing, hop like a pogo stick, and even climb up stairs. These outstanding creations and more are the product of University of Southern Cal's robotics lab.
The first robot is called the iLean. It's basically two wheels attached to a pole which it plants on the ground and balances upon. It then turns its wheels inward and climbs up the pole while maintaining perfect balance.
Next is the iHop which is essentially a self balancing pogo stick. It also has wheels to help it balance and move freely. The pogo-stick like abilities are demonstrated later in the video.


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I want to run a query on an Oracle database and for each column in the result set, I want to know the schema that the column came from. I tried the following:
ResultSetMetaData rsMetadata = rs.getMetaData();
String schemaName = rsMetadata.getSchemaName(1)
However, this returns an empty string. Is there any work around to get the schema name?
Edit in response to OMG Ponies:
The tool we are developing takes data from a database and analyzes the data to find the most informative subset for a given question. We then create a query which returns only the rows that are informative for the given question. For instance if we had a customer database and wanted to know which customers are most likely to discontinue their service, our tool can create a query which returns 5% of the customer records which can then be run through high powered analytics algorithms. The benefit is that we run our analysis on only a subset of the data which of course will save time. It turns out as well that the high powered analytics algorithms work better now because the first step was essentially filtering the noise out of our data.
So in response to OMG Ponies, the user specifies the database connection information and query as inputs to our tool. Because they can specify any query they like, it would be possible for a user to connect to connect to schema foo, and then run the following query:
SELECT* FROM bar.customer;
If for some reason eye color and gender were predictors of people discontinuing their service, the resulting query that our system generates might look like this:
SELECT * FROM bar.customer WHERE bar.customer.eye_color='blue'
 AND bar.customer.gender='M'
It would be nice to know the schema for each column in the results set so we can make sure our query will run correctly. We could assume the schema is the same as the schema used in the database connection and that should be fine 99% of the time. I'm just concerned for that 1% of the time a user might do something unexpected like run a query against another schema.
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Just need to look at the table(s) to get the schema, but that'll give you grief if you are dealing with a view... It begs the question - why don't you have access to the schema? – OMG Ponies Nov 2 '10 at 20:58
Good question! The short answer is that the user can specify any query they like which means they could in theory refer to any schema. I edited the question with the more complete answer. – Jay Askren Nov 3 '10 at 18:47
Can't the query manipulator verify that the schemas and tables are valid? It sounds like you're executing the modified query and passing the results back, so you already know it works. If you're actually passing the modified query back to be executed later, and really want the information, can you extract and pass back a list of the schemas/tables involved as well? I'm still not clear why it would be a problem, unless you're modifying and executing the query while connected as different users. – Alex Poole Nov 9 '10 at 19:31
2 Answers 2
up vote 2 down vote accepted
According to an old Oracle code sample:
OracleResultSetMetaData interface does not implement the getSchemaName() and getTableName() methods because underlying protocol does not make this feasible.
That implies to me that ResultSetMetaData will not have those methods for an Oracle either, at least when using an Oracle driver. (I tried with the OCI driver to see if that made a difference, but apparently not).
There's a WebLogic 8 document that suggests it could be done, but that type 4 driver has been deprecated in later releases. So it's possible you may still be able to find a third-party driver that supports getSchemaName() against Oracle, but it seems unlikely.
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You may be able to get this information with some custom functions and queries. Basically, find the columns used by a query with DBMS_SQL and then match that to the tables referenced in v$sql_plan. There are potentially a large number of issues with this approach though; possible ambiguities between which column came from which table, and different objects in the explain plan, etc.
--#1: Create some test data
create table employee (id number primary key, name varchar2(100), department_id number);
create table department(id number primary key, name varchar2(100), test number);
insert into department select level, 'department test', level from dual connect by level <= 100;
insert into employee select level, 'employee test', level from dual connect by level <= 100;
--Actually run the query for this example so there will be data in the data dictionary.
select employee.* from employee inner join department on department_id =;
--#2: The first difficult part is to find the sql_id of the query. Can you get this directly from the
-- result set? If not not you'll have to find it.
-- I'm not exactly sure how you'll want to do this, here are some options:
--Look at the last loaded query in v$sql (I don't think this always works, especially if the query has run multiple times)
select * from v$sql where v$sql.parsing_schema_name = user order by first_load_time desc;
--Compare the query text (sql_text removes newlines, sql_fulltext is a clob)
select * from v$sql where sql_text like'select employee.* from employee inner join department on department_id =';
--Find the last sql_id for this session. This doesn't work for me, maybe it's just an express edition bug?
select prev_sql_id, v$session.* from v$session where sid = sys_context('USERENV', 'SID');
--Look at the plan. Note that there may be an index instead of a table.
--(On my system the sql_id is 0k2t2y1d312j8, but it will probably be different on yours)
select * from v$sql_plan where sql_id = '0k2t2y1d312j8';
--3: Create a type and a function to return all of the columns from a specific query.
--It'd be more consistent to use the SQL_ID here, but then there are permission issues if we
--have to get the text from v$sql.
create or replace type varchar2_tab is table of varchar2(30);
create or replace function get_columns(sql_text in varchar2) return varchar2_tab
authid current_user pipelined is
 my_cursor number;
 column_count number;
 my_columns DBMS_SQL.DESC_TAB;
 select count(*) into column_count from v$sql;
 my_cursor := dbms_sql.open_cursor;
 dbms_sql.parse(my_cursor, sql_text, dbms_sql.native);
 dbms_sql.describe_columns(my_cursor, column_count, my_columns);
 for i in 1.. my_columns.count loop
 pipe row(my_columns(i).col_name);
 end loop;
--Test queries. Note that it's possible for a column to be listed twice.
select * from table(get_columns('select employee.* from employee inner join department on department_id ='));
--4: Find the columns and their tables and schemas that are used in a query.
--Currently this only works for tables and indexes in the explain plan.
--There's probably a large number of items that won't work - materialized views, clusters(?), pipelined functiions, etc.
--You'll need to add each object type as necessary.
--(Remember to replace the SQL_ID and the query text with the real values)
select distinct owner, table_name, column_name
 --Find all the columns for the relevant tables
 select all_tab_cols.owner, all_tab_cols.table_name, all_tab_cols.column_name
 --Find the relevant tables from the plans (may need to find the table behind an index)
 nvl(all_indexes.table_owner, plan_objects.object_owner) owner,
 nvl(all_indexes.table_name, plan_objects.object_name) table_name
 select object_owner, object_name, object_type
 from v$sql_plan
 where sql_id = '0k2t2y1d312j8'
 object_type = 'TABLE'
 or object_type like 'INDEX%'
 ) plan_objects
 left outer join all_indexes
 on plan_objects.object_name = all_indexes.index_name
 and plan_objects.object_type like 'INDEX%'
 ) relevant_tables
 inner join all_tab_cols
 on relevant_tables.owner = all_tab_cols.owner
 and relevant_tables.table_name = all_tab_cols.table_name
) relevant_tab_cols
--It would be more
inner join table(get_columns('select employee.* from employee inner join department on department_id =')) all_possible_columns
 on relevant_tab_cols.column_name = all_possible_columns.column_value;
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Your Answer


text:
Closed or stable optical cavities, used frequently to determine the efficiency of high performance chemical laser nozzles, are designed primarily for maximum multimode power extraction from the medium. The very large (>500) Fresnel numbers associated with such cavities have in the past necessitated their analytical modeling by representing them as plane-parallel Fabry-Perot or rooftop cavities. In this paper, a rigorous 2-D scalar diffraction formalism of the closed cavity is presented in which quasi-monochromatic partially coherent fields in the space-frequency domain are used to obtain quasi-steady state but stable solutions using a simplified gain model. Small power fluctuations in the numerical iterative solution history that displays no monotonic increasing or decreasing trends are interpreted as the redistribution of energy from one degenerate set of high-order transverse modes into another. The degree of coherence in the second-order spatial correlation function (or the mutual coherence function) required of the input fields which permit such solutions is presented. Further, it is shown that the upstream/downstream coupling in this closed cavity occurs as a natural consequence of the physical model itself rather than through some artificial geometrical means, such as that introduced in the rooftop model. The axial variation in the resulting mode width is in excellent agreement with the Hermite-Gaussian distribution predicted for the particular geometry of interest. The computed closed-cavity power variation with mode width using a simplified gain model shows qualitative agreement with experimentally observed trends; quantitative agreement is poor and is ascribed to the rudimentary nature of the gain model. In the limiting case of small Fresnel numbers (NF ∼ 1) this procedure yields, in the bare cavity, the well-known fundamental mode of the cavity when appropriate symmetry constraints are applied.
© 1983 Optical Society of America
Original Manuscript: March 31, 1983
Published: November 1, 1983
Anup Bhowmik, "Closed-cavity solutions with partially coherent fields in the space-frequency domain," Appl. Opt. 22, 3338-3346 (1983)


text:
Leafy Spurge Control
Leafy spurge is a deep-rooted perennial that ranges in height from 6 inches to 36 inches (15 to 91 cm). Its greenish-yellow inflorescences are borne in an umbel pattern, and it typically blooms from May to October. Each umbel supports seven to 10 groups of tiny, inconspicuous flowers, subtended by four crescent-shaped glands and two conspicuous greenish-yellow bracts. The bluish-green leaves of leafy spurge are usually alternate except for those located immediately under the inflorescence. These are in a whorled arrangement. Another characteristic is the two kinds of leaves present on the stem: leaves located on the lower half of the stem are scale-like, while those on the upper portion are linear to oblong. Leafy spurge has milky white sap that will flow from any part of the plant following injury. This sap may cause severe irritation to human skin and is reported to cause blistering and hair loss on the legs of horses in heavily infested pastures.
The most conspicuous features to look for when distinguishing leafy spurge from other plants are its greenish-yellow inflorescences; alternate, linear to slightly oblong or scaly leaves; and milky-white sap that flows readily upon injury to the plant. Leafy spurge should be accurately identified before attempting any control measures. If identification of the species is in doubt, the plant's identity should be confirmed by a knowledgeable individual and/or by consulting appropriate books.
Native to Europe and temperate Asia, leafy spurge currently is found throughout the world with the exception of Australia. It was probably introduced into the United States as a contaminant in imported grain. Since its introduction, the plant has become a serious management problem, particularly for the north and central plains states. States with the greatest infestations include Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The plant has been documented in Missouri from Grundy and Chariton counties, but it is probably more widespread in northern Missouri than records indicate.
Leafy spurge is adapted to a wide range of soil moisture conditions from moist to dry. However, it is especially aggressive in very dry situations where competition from native species is less intense. Areas most sensitive to leafy spurge infestation include pastures, roadsides, abandoned fields, railroad ballasts, disturbed and undisturbed mesic to dry prairies, and possibly open natural communities such as savannas. It is not a common invader of tilled cropland sites.
Leafy spurge emerges in the early spring when temperatures still fluctuate around freezing. Seedlings at this time may be deep red or purplish in color. As the temperature rises, the stems grow rapidly and, if the plant is over a year old, flowers may appear as early as May. After four to six weeks, each stalk may produce and disperse more than 200 seeds with a germination rate of 60 to 80 percent. However, in spite of this impressive germination rate, the key reproductive capabilities of leafy spurge remain underground. The root system of the plant is very extensive. Some roots may penetrate to a depth of 12 feet. Vegetative reproduction from both crown buds and root buds explain not only the persistence of this weed, but the difficulties encountered in eradicating it as well. Even if the foliage of the plant is removed or destroyed, the living root tissue will regenerate new shoots, and the new shoots can emerge from buds located anywhere along the length of the root.
Effects Upon Natural Areas
If leafy spurge becomes well established in Missouri, it will probably threaten mesic to dry prairies. Forbs and native grasses can be completely displaced by leafy spurge in a few years if the infestation is left unchecked.
Leafy spurge is not a widespread species in Missouri at present. It does occur in at least two counties of northern Missouri. Great Plains states northwest of Missouri report expanding populations of this weed, and there is every reason to believe that it will continue to spread in our area.
Leafy spurge is well established in the central plains states where much time and effort is spent trying to find a control. Most agree that the key to stopping this pest revolves around the ability to destroy its root system. The best way to inhibit this nuisance plant from becoming as destructive as purple loosestrife and multiflora rose is to recognize it as a pest now; treat the initial invading populations and prevent it from spreading any further. The sooner you attack leafy spurge--in its first year if possible--the better the chances of controlling it. All methods below may need to be repeated for five to 10 years.
Whatever the treatment, it is important to remember that leafy spurge cannot be controlled with a single herbicide application. At Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming, managers have been spraying on an annual basis for about 20 years and have significantly reduced but not eradicated leafy spurge populations.
Several chemicals have been used for leafy spurge control. These include picloram, 2,4-D, dicamba and glyphosate. Picloram is thought to be the most effective; but, due to its expense, it is often mixed with 2,4-D to treat large infestations. Picloram's residual activity in the soil may harm non-target species in natural communities. Biannual application of 2,4-D alone will probably prevent seed production and limit the spread of leafy spurge. It is unlikely to reduce the size of the original infestation, however.
For top growth control, the herbicide 2,4-D amine can be sprayed on the foliage in a 25-percent solution (1 part 2,4-D in four parts water) twice a year. The most effective time to apply the herbicide is midto late June when the true flowers (not the bracts) begin to appear. The second spray application should be made early to mid-September when fall regrowth has begun but before a killing frost occurs.
The nonselective herbicide Roundup (a formulation of glyphosate), sprayed on leafy spurge foliage as a 33-percent solution (one part Roundup in three parts water), will provide 80- to 90-percent top control if applied between mid-August and mid-September. A follow-up treatment with a 25-percent solution of 2,4-D amine between mid-June and mid-July of the following year is necessary to control seedlings.
Apply the herbicide with a hand-sprayer until the spray coverage is uniform and complete. Do not spray so heavily that herbicide drips off the target species. Roundup is a nonselective herbicide that kills grasses and broadleaf plants. 2,4-D is a selective herbicide that kills broadleaf plants, but not grasses. Try to spray leafy spurge only, and carefully avoid contacting non-target species. Native non-target plants will be important in recolonizing the site after leafy spurge is controlled. The herbicide should be applied while backing away from the areas to avoid walking through the wet herbicide. By law, herbicides only may be applied according to label instructions.
Prescribed burning and herbiciding
Fire in conjunction with herbicides may be more effective than either method alone. Burning stimulates vegetative growth, making the plant more vulnerable to herbicides. Plants can be sprayed with 2,4-D in autumn (September) and burned the following spring (April). This should be followed by another 2,4-D treatment in June and a fall burn in October. The process may have to be repeated many times.
Biological control is being actively researched at many locations and since the 1960s several insects have been released in certain location, most notably the spurge hawk moth, Hyles euphorbiae. Biocontrol agents alone have not so far been effective in controlling spurge populations, but may become valuable if several different insects can be successfully used together or in conjunction with other control methods.
Grazing by goats has been used to control the spread of leafy spurge in pastureland, but the plant will probably resume its spread as soon as the grazers are removed. Cattle avoid grazing this plant.
Failed or Ineffective Practices
Mowing or hand cutting is not completely effective because the root system remains undamaged and new sprouts will reappear rapidly. Also, mowing would have to be done continuously because it stimulates development of inflorescences on the lateral branches. Hand-pulling, digging or tilling is not completely effective because the entire root system must be excavated for complete control of leafy spurge. Pulling and digging can rip or cut the root into smaller pieces, leaving portions to re-sprout. This method could actually increase the number of plants.
Prescribed burning will not be likely to provide adequate control if used alone because its effect would be only on top growth and seeds. Established plants would quickly re-sprout.


Barbed Wire Tattoos
Barbed Wire Tattoos Barbed Wire Tattoos History
The Barbed Wire Tattoos originated during Second World War and were used by prisoners to mark their bodies. The barbed wire depicted their state of mind and also their captivity. These tattoos have different associations. Initially, they were mainly associated with prison. Of late it has gained popularity among youths as is used as a symbol of rebellion and freedom. Barbed wire tattoos symbolize control of certain portion of land and punishing those who do not respect this rule. So it began as a violent symbol. In many countries some of the people that spend time in jail get barbed wire tattoos that represent the number of years they spend serving their sentence.
It also used to be used to identify convicts that have been sent to prison for life! While in Russia, this tattoo was etched on a convicts wrist or all across the forehead, to show that he had been put in for a lifelong term of imprisonment for an unforgivable crime, such as murder. barbed wire tattoos were invented in 1800's and have undergone an interesting evolution. The reinvention of this design is related to the prison camps during the World War II. In Russian prison system, a barbed wire tied on the forehead of the prisoner indicated a lifelong imprisonment. It was then adopted into the Latino culture in California. Previously, the number of spikes on the tattoo indicated the number of years spent in the prison.
Barbed Wire Tattoos Meaning
The Barbed Wire Tattoos are often made to symbolize and unbreakable bond between the person and God. Many times you will see barbed wire tattoos wrapped around a cross. People will get these on their biceps, back, and chest. These tattoos are made to represent that no matter what happens in someone's life, their connection with God is unbreakable. They represent an unbreakable faith with God. The barbed tattoo has taken its inspiration from the crown of thorns which Jesus was made to wear before being crucified.
It is a symbol of strength and faith in the power of the almighty. It is also a symbol which represents the fact that the individual wearing the tattoo has seen much hardship in his life and has been able to withstand all hurdles and pain, because of his faith in the Lord. barbed wire are known for the extremely prickly and strong features, a barbed wire tattoo can show that the tattoo bearer has the same nature. In some sense it may be used to show physical strength along with the sheer grit and determination. A person who has strong inner strength often chooses to get this tattoo made.
Barbed Wire Tattoos Design
The Barbed Wire Tattoo Designs are supposed to be an expression of imperviousness and imprisonment which was used by the old prisoners during the wars to express trauma and theirs getting used to live even in cruel custody. barbed wire tattoo designs is a very traditional tattoo. It is often worn by men around their biceps. Another popular tattoo is barbed wire wrapped around a heart. There are two different designs, which can be made using the barbwire. The first of them is the intertwined barbed design and the other one is the spiked barbed wire design. Depending upon your liking, you can decide any one of the designs for your tattoo. This tattoo design is popular not just with the menfolk but with the women folk as well. Women usually get one that has fine delicate design without losing the raw look.
Barbed Wire Tattoos Ideas
These tattoos can be carved on any part of the body. Ankles, wrists, upper arms are some of the popular places. Some people even go for such a tattoo on the neck, back, waist and chest. When sculpted on wrists and ankles, these tattoo designs look like bracelets. On neck, these tattoos look like permanent necklaces. One can even go for a barbed wire tattoo on the waist to form a belt like design. The back is also a good place to get such a tattoo. Since it provides for a broad expanse of canvas to make a tattoo, it is a preferred location. The tattoos can also extend from one shoulder to another, or from one's neck to just above the bottom.


text:
TOSCA – ANSA Environment (TAe)
TAe is a comprehensive solution for TOSCA™ optimization analysis. It is based on ANSA's Task Manager technology, an intuitive process manager that guides the user through various steps of problem setup, model verification and TOSCA™ runs from a single GUI. TAE is also able to initiate post processing of optimization results using the VTF visualization module in TOSCA™. TAe can be accessed through the ANSA pre-processor or can be acquired as a stand-alone module. Simulia TOSCA™ is a product of Dassault Systèmes.
The tools, automatically defines a ready-to-run FE model, with validated integrity and accuracy of the optimum solution. The model validation process consists of:
- Re-meshing of the surface model that produced from the Tosca Smooth module in order to improve the elements quality
- Automatic volume meshing of the surface model
- Redistribution of the boundary condition entities like SPC, MPC, loads and pressure from the initial to the optimized model
- Run the validation model to a predefined solver.
TAe offers solutions for optimization during the concept phase of the product and provide lighter and stiffer structures while it respects the manufacturing constraints. It's ideal for prototype builds. The process consists of:
- Removing elements from the initial design space
- Creation of a smooth surface around the remaining elements using Tosca Smooth
- Definitions of the validation model that is a solid structure ready-to-run in the solver.
Shape optimization is used to improve existing designs and provide more reliable and durable components by minimizing stress, strain, and damage. The optimizer applies smooth modifications on the surface to improve model behavior.
Bead optimization is used to improve the static and dynamic behavior of shell structures by generating optimal bead layouts. The bead generation respects manufacturing constraints and can be addressed in complex geometries and realistic loads.
Sizing optimization modifies the sheet thicknesses of the model and finds the optimum combination between weight, stiffness and dynamic behavior. It works efficiently for large-scale models with up to millions of design variables.


text:
In order to ensure a smooth onboarding and start of students, Teaching Institutions
- Have a responsibility to onboard a student (to include login credential creation and delivery) in a timely fashion that aligns with the guidance provided in the Teaching Institution Welcome Letter.
- Are required to make available to the College Consortium a contact who can resend login credentials when needed.
- Are required to provide a help desk phone number for students to contact when technical assistance is required.
- Are required provide a reporting of student attendance 48 working days before the drop date.