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Although some may consider the practice old school, electrical taping is a valuable skill you shouldn't let slip away
With all of the new products and electrical insulation kits currently on the market, the use of conventional electrical tapes has gone down. As a result, electricians today may not possess the taping skills that once were such an important part of their predecessors' work. Nevertheless, there is still good reason to master this craft — especially for those times when repairs are needed quickly and other products are simply not available.
According to Steve Anderson, a National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) director, the NJATC believes strongly in the importance of splice and termination taping skills for electricians and linemen. "Taping is the first thing covered in our cable splice training course, and we spend a lot of time in this area," Anderson says.
Anderson points out that repair situations can arise in the field where a splicer does not have access to a particular kit for the job. However, knowing how to make proper use of tape can save the day, getting the customer back online quickly. "It's far more economical to complete a job on the spot with tape than to go in search of a kit," Anderson maintains.
The primary tapes used in electrical applications are vinyl, rubber, mastic, and varnished cambric. These products have been used in electrical work for many years, are code approved, and conform to key industry standards, including UL 520, ASTM D1000, and CSA 22.2. The Table below lists the primary uses for each of these types of tape.
The function of moisture-sealing tapes such as vinyl, rubber, and mastic products is to exclude moisture from the insulation assembly and provide electrical insulation. One of these tapes — or alternately a mastic pad — generally forms the second layer of the insulation assembly. Rubber, mastic, and filler tapes are also used to pad the underlying surface by covering sharp edges.
Rubber tapes are generally non-adhesive, and are either equipped with a liner or are linerless. Stretched and overlapped layers will fuse or bond together to form an effective electrical insulation and moisture barrier. For low-voltage (1000V or less) applications, rubber tapes should be stretched during wrapping so that tape width is reduced to approximately 75%. For highand medium-voltage applications — where the electrical stresses are high (e.g. connector areas, lug areas, and cable shield cut-back areas) — tape should be stretched just short of its breaking point.
Vinyl tape forms the final outer layer and serves several important functions in addition to electrical insulation, including abrasion protection, corrosion resistance, UV resistance, and protection from chemicals including alkalis and acids. Conformable vinyl tape is tougher than the softer, stickier surfaces of rubber, mastic, and putty tapes it protects.
Several grades of vinyl electrical tape are available — all of which differ in conformability, ease of unwinding, resistance of the adhesive to heat and cold, and loosening (flagging). While general-use vinyl tapes are appropriate for bundling, wire pulling, and other ancillary tasks, premium-grade vinyl tape is the best choice for permanent insulation work as it handles the broadest range of environmental factors and functions, such as cold weather.
You should use a minimum of two half-lapped layers of vinyl tape to insulate and jacket low-voltage components. A half-lap (see Figure above) consists of overlaying each turn by one-half the width of the tape. The general rule of thumb calls for a tape thickness of 1.5 times the thickness of existing wire or cable insulation. In every case, tension on the tape should be sufficient to conform the tape evenly to the surface. A slight reduction in tension is encouraged for the final wrap. Trim the tape end and allow it to return to shape before pressing down with the thumb to avoid lifting or flagging.
When properly applied, quality tapes can serve as valuable standby resources for jobs such as insulating motor lead connections, inline splices, and split bolt and bus bar connections. Let's take a look at some guidelines for each.
Motor lead insulation. In the case of low-voltage motor lead connections, the tape insulating process consists of connecting feeder cables to motor leads and arranging the conductors for easy wrapping. You should begin by wrapping two layers of varnished cambric tape, which is available with or without adhesive. For the adhesive type, apply with the adhesive side out for clean re-entry.
Follow up this first step by wrapping four half-lapped layers of rubber insulating tape over the cambric tape, which creates a moisture barrier and provides the primary insulation in the connection. Finally, over-wrap the assembly with a minimum of two half-lapped layers of vinyl electrical tape. This should extend approximately two tape widths beyond the ends of the rubber tape. Stretch this tape as you wrap it so you get good conformance to the underlying structure. This also helps complete the moisture seal.
Inline splice insulation. You can protect a low-voltage inline splice in a similar manner by wrapping the installed connector with four half-lapped layers of rubber mastic tape or rubber splicing tape, and then over-wrapping it with two half-lapped layers of premium vinyl electrical tape.
Split bolt connection. Protection of a split bolt connection begins with installing the connector and wrapping it with two layers of varnished cambric tape. Next, wrap the splice with four half-lapped layers of rubber or rubber mastic tape. Complete the job by over-wrapping with at least two half-lapped layers of premium vinyl electrical tape.
Bus bar. A common method of insulating a bus bar connection is to first wrap it with two layers of varnished cambric. The subsequent steps consist of four half-lapped layers of rubber or rubber mastic followed by two half-lapped layers of premium vinyl tape.
Electrical tapes are versatile, suited to a multitude of tasks, and when installed properly provide a long-term, effective insulation. According to Anderson, both the NJATC headquarters and local training efforts are strongly supported by industry suppliers, which provide sample products and assist with course development and hands-on instruction. In addition, manufacturers of electrical-grade tapes are generally willing to provide technical support and instruction on proper taping techniques.
"There are many kits and products available to electricians today that simplify their work and help increase productivity," Anderson says. "The properties of electrical tapes have also been steadily improved over the years. These proven products can be adapted to many important electrical insulation tasks, and they continue to be valuable assets for our industry. For that reason, we continue to stress the importance of taping skills and strong product and application knowledge."
Goodman is a technical service engineer and Brown is a technical service senior engineer with 3M in Austin, Texas.


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I was doing an experiment for finding the radiation pattern of Pyramidal Horn Antennas at RF frequencies(as part of my course curriculum). There I came across the Friis Transmission Equation
enter image description here
What I don't understand here is the two terms Gt and Gr. What does these gain terms refer to? Gain is something associated with active devices like amplifiers. But how come antennas have gain? They don't have any source of energy so that they can amplify the power, they are transmitting or receiving.
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The gain is an indication of directionality. IF you have an isotropic emitter that sends, say 1 W, into complete sphere you are emitting radiation over \$4\pi\$ steradians solid angle. If you make the antennae more directional and emit over a smaller area then the energy is concentrated (per steradian) in a smaller solid angle. This increase is a gain, gain in an active amplifier is a dimensionless number, and so is this.
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Thanks, great help. I got it. :) – Bishal Aug 10 '14 at 5:13
Emitting radiation over \$4\pi\$ what? – Phil Frost Aug 10 '14 at 11:46
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Photograph, Beautiful Fatima
Photography was critical to imperialism. The French army (and the British army in India) employed the camera's lens to chronicle military exploits, first in Algeria during the 1850s, and later in Tunisia and Morocco. With advances in photographic technology, portrait studios were established in Europe and in European empires. Most studio photography in this period produced family portraits that were staged and arranged by the photographer. However, as the demand for images of non-Western exotic peoples, particularly of women, swelled in Europe and elsewhere, postcards illustrated with posed studio photographs were produced by the tens of thousands.
By the late nineteenth century in Algeria and elsewhere, contrived photographic images of the "Arab woman" or "la Mauresque" [The Moorish woman]who was provocatively presented either covered or uncoveredwere widely produced. Many were done in studios in Algiers (or in France or Europe) and employed the same stage "props"—water pipes, oriental carpets, lavish "traditional" costumes, and allegedly "native" women and men. Often, however, the people posing were not even North African. This image of "Beautiful Fatima" was produced in a studio in Algiers and used as a postcard sent home by travelers or tourists to Algeria. This particular pose does not seem especially offensive, although the languid, fey pose assumed by the woman suggests indolence as well as sexual availability. Other postcards, however, were sexually suggestive or explicitly racist, showing men and women—supposedly Algerian—in a demeaning manner. Visually representing "the" Arab or Muslim or Algerian woman in strange, exotic, or erotic ways served to distance the colonized from modern, enlightened, Western societies, and thus to justify their subjugation under the colonial regime. Thus, images and representations of various kinds have always served imperial aims.
Source: "Beautiful Fatima." Late 19th century photograph. Algiers. The Getty Research Institute.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


About IATP
Mission statement
Rooted in family farms
Facing globalization
IATP works with organizations around the world to analyze how global trade agreements impact domestic farm and food policies. Alongside a global coalition, IATP advocates for fair trade policies that promote strong health standards, labor and human rights, the environment and, most fundamentally, democratic institutions.
Building sustainability
We are developing alternative economic models that include clean sources of energy such as wind power and biofuel that would spur rural development. We're working with landowners to form cooperatives that promote sustainable forest management. We're advocating for green businesses and farms that reduce toxic runoff into the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.
Safe food, healthy ecosystems


Symbols of Canary Islands
By Isleta Design Studio 6 years ago
The inspiration
Fascinated by this beautiful archipelago in the Atlantic ocean and its wonderful landscapes, we decided to pay homage to Canary Islands representing those who are officially considered by the region as symbols of nature of each major island.
Presa Canario
The Perro de Presa Canario, a.k.a. the Canary Mastiff, is a large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarian catch dog", and is often shortened to Presa Canario or simply Presa. It's the animal symbol of the island of Gran Canaria.
Presa canario dog on a beach, symbol of Gran Canaria island
Avutarda hubara bird on a sandy beach, symbol of Fuerteventura island
Avutarda hubara
The Avutarda Hubara (Chlamydotis undulata) is a large bird in the bustard family. This bustard is found in arid habitats spread across northern Africa and Southeast Asia with a population on the Canary Islands. It is the animal symbol of the island of Fuerteventura.
Cangrejo ciego
Munidopsis polymorpha is a species of squat lobster, also known as the blind albino cave crab, Cangrejo ciego, that is endemic to Lanzarote, Canary Islands. They are small, blind and pale, and can be found in the caves of Jameos del Agua, lava tubes formed by volcanic eruptions 3,000 years ago. It is the animal symbol of the island of Lanzarote.
Cangrejo ciego crab at the bottom of the ocean, symbol of Lanzarote island
Pinzón azul bird on a tree with Teide mountain landscape, symbol of Tenerife island
Pinzón azul
The Pinzón azul (Tenerife blue chaffinch) is a species of passerine bird in the finch family of Fringillidae, endemic to Tenerife in Canary Islands. This bird is the animal symbol of the island.
Paloma rabiche
The Paloma rabiche (Laurel pigeon or White-tailed laurel pigeon) is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to the laurel forest habitat of Canary Islands. It is the animal symbol of the island of La Gomera.
Paloma rabiche pigeon bird on hill, symbol of La Gomera island
Lagarto gigante lizard standing on a rock, symbol of El Hierro island
Lagarto gigante
Gallotia simonyi is a species of wall lizard that can be found on the island of El Hierro, Canary Islands. This omnivorous giant lizard has been chosen as the animal symbol of the island.
The Graja is a subspecies of Red-billed chough or Cornish chough, a bird in the crow family, endemic to the island of La Palma, Canary Islands. This little chough is the animal symbol of the island.
Graja crow bird next to a cliff, symbol of La Palma island
Canary Islands art prints by Isleta Design Studio decorating the HashtagWorkspace coworking patio
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text:
In yesterday's Boston Globe, H. D. S. Greenway closed an opinion piece titled "'Surge' doomed to final failure" with a Revolutionary anecdote. It began:
In early April 1775, the British governor of Boston sent John Howe out to gather intelligence in that hotbed of insurgency now called the western suburbs, but then the Anbar province of its time.The analogy is fairly solid, but the anecdote is not. "John Howe" was the putative author of a pamphlet published in 1822, but it was a hoax, a rewrite of an authentic British spy report with more exciting stories and better jokes. See more detail from Mass Moments.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Brimstone / Satanic Cross
Pendant Size: 1.25"
Sometimes referred to as Crux Satanus or Satan's Cross. The symbol also represents the alchemical element sulfur, or brimstone. The symbol has relevance in Alchemy where it represents Sulphur and is analogous to the human soul. It is both masculine and feminine and as such shows life and the universe in balance.
Brimstone / Satanic Cross
 Sigil of Baphomet - Phoenix, Arizona. - Email:


Erlang Day Two
Haskell, But Quickly
Heads Up!
I'm writing a book about building and deploying web applications with Haskell and Yesod. Want to know when it's released? Click here.
Today we're diving deeper into the functional programming paradigm with Erlang, looking at the language's control structures, lists, and a little more on functions.
 1. Matching with tuples
 2. Manipulating a list
 3. Parsing Tic-Tac-Toe
 4. Thoughts
Matching with tuples
Consider a list of keyword-value tuples, such as [{erlang, "a functional language"}, {ruby, "an OO language"}]. Write a function that accepts the list and a keyword and returns the associated value for the keyword.
description_for_term(Languages, Term) ->
 {_, Description} = lists:keyfind(Term, 1, Languages),
I'm surprised at how little code I had to write to make this work. I initially thought of iterating over the list and manually comparing Term to the first element of each tuple, but after some digging around I found the keyfind method in the lists module, which does the work of searching through the list for the tuple I want.
I then use the idea of unification that I learned from Prolog to bind the second element of my tuple to the variable Description, which I return at the end.
Manipulating a list
Consider a shopping list that looks like [{item, quantity, price}, …]. Write a list comprehension that builds a list of items of the form [{item, total_price}, …], where total_price is quantity times price.
This problem was a nice opportunity to exercise Erlang's list comprehension construct. I could have done this with lists:map(function, list), but I think the idiomatic way is with this bracket syntax.
invoice_for_shopping_list(Shopping_list) ->
 [{Item, Quantity * Price} || {Item, Quantity, Price} <- Shopping_list].
The syntax may look slightly cryptic at first, but I think it's quite elegant and easy to understand. On the first line (ignoring the module and export declarations) I declare a function that takes one parameter, which is the shopping list.
Now reading the second line from right to left: For each item in the list Shopping_list, bind the elements of the tuple to Item, Quantity, and Price. The tuple returned has the Item unaltered, and then the product of whatever was bound to Quantity and Price.
Parsing Tic-Tac-Toe
I'm feeling confident and I'm so far quite enjoying Erlang, so I'll have a go at the bonus problem from this chapter.
Bonus problem: Write a program that reads a Tic-Tac-Toe board presented as a list or a tuple of size nine. Return the winner (X or O) if a winner has been determined, draw if there are no more possible moves, or no_winner if no player has won yet.
t3_state(Game) ->
 case Game of
 [x,x,x|_] -> x;
 [_,_,_,x,x,x|_] -> x;
 [_,_,_,_,_,_,x,x,x] -> x;
 [x,_,_,x,_,_,x,_,_] -> x;
 [_,x,_,_,x,_,_,x,_] -> x;
 [_,_,x,_,_,x,_,_,x] -> x;
 [x,_,_,_,x,_,_,_,x] -> x;
 [_,_,x,_,x,_,x,_,_] -> x;
 [o,o,o|_] -> o;
 [_,_,_,o,o,o|_] -> o;
 [_,_,_,_,_,_,o,o,o] -> o;
 [o,_,_,o,_,_,o,_,_] -> o;
 [_,o,_,_,o,_,_,o,_] -> o;
 [_,_,o,_,_,o,_,_,o] -> o;
 [o,_,_,_,o,_,_,_,o] -> o;
 [_,_,o,_,o,_,o,_,_] -> o;
 [A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I] when A =/= e, B =/= e, C =/= e,
 D =/= e, E =/= e, F =/= e,
 G =/= e, H =/= e, I =/= e -> draw;
 _ -> no_winner
This is probably the corniest code I have ever written. The whole thing is one big pattern match, where I test every possible win condition. I'm certain there's a less verbose way of expressing this function, but I haven't thought of it yet.
On the one hand, it's interesting that such a visual approach can be taken to solving a programming problem. On the other hand, I feel that I should refactor this to remove the duplication. If I do decide to revisit this challenge at some point (there are many rainy days in Sweden, so this is likely), I think I would create a function that checks that each group of three contiguous cells have the same marker, and return that marker. I'd also like to write a function that rotates the game board, so that instead of checking three rows, three columns and two diagonals, I would check three rows and a diagonal, then rotate and repeat.
One thing that makes me slightly unhappy is that I couldn't use a list comprehension in the penultimate guard — I had to compare every cell on the game board with the atom e (which in this context I'm using as an empty value) and string the comparisons together with commas which are a bit like logical ANDs in Erlang and Prolog.
If the game board has three contiguous atoms, we return the winner. If we don't find three contiguous atoms, we fall through to the penultimate clause and check for any empty cells. If no cells are empty, the game is a draw. If there are empty cells, we fall through to the catch-all pattern and return no_winner.
I'm still thoroughly enjoying Erlang, despite its few warts. I'm not sure if it's Erlang itself or the functional programming paradigm in general that I'm enjoying more since as I understand it, Erlang shines brightest when dealing with concurrency and telecommunications stuff, none of which I've covered yet.


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The MUSCLE algorithm is for gene level alignment of either protein or nucleotide sequences. To run a MUSCLE alignment, select two or more sequences and choose Align > (Re)Align Using MUSCLE.
If you wish to change method options, instead choose Align > Align with Options. Options vary depending whether the sequences are protein or nucleotide (protein version shown below).
Change settings as desired:
- Use the Align drop-down menu to select sequences to align or realign.
- In the Using drop-down menu, choose MUSCLE.
- Substitution matrix – (protein sequences only) Choose from a list that includes one or more members of the VTML, BLOSUM GONNET and PAM series of matrices.
- Gap open penalty – This option affects the chance of gaps being introduced into alignments, and must be zero or a negative number. Decreasing the magnitude of the gap open penalty may lead to an excessive amount of gapping. The default is -400 for DNA; -420 for RNA; -2.9 for protein.
- Gap extension penalty – This option affects the lengths of gaps, and must be zero or a negative number. Lowering the magnitude of the gap extension penalty may allow for longer gaps. The default is 0.
- Center penalty – This must be zero or a negative number. The default is 0 for DNA; -300 for RNA; and -0.52 for protein.
- Maximum iterations – This option, which must be a positive integer, affects the number of rounds of refinement used to produce an alignment. Depending on your data, the alignment might finish before the specified number of rounds have been performed. The default is 8.
- Use Brenner's Alignment – Checking the box causes MegAlign Pro to use Brenner's method for the root alignment. Brenner's method uses less memory than the default root alignment, but the alignment will not be as accurate as if the box were left unchecked. For this reason, it is not usually necessary to check the box unless you received certain types of error messages during a previous alignment attempt.
- Disable anchors optimization – The default for MUSCLE is for anchor optimization to be enabled (i.e., for this box to be unchecked). One side effect of anchor optimization is that the selected number of Maximum iterations, if greater than two, may be over-ruled during sequence processing. If you instead wish to run the exact number of iterations selected in Maximum iterations (above), add a checkmark to this box.
- Use the drop-down menus to choose the desired Cluster method for Initial iterations and Later iterations.
|Fast O(N2) approximation to the textbook UPGMA algorithm.
|Variant of UPGMA that is used, by default, for both iteration 1 and 2.
|Better at making phylogenetic trees, but slower, and usually worse for making guide trees for progressive alignment. Not recommended for most alignments.
- Choose the desired Distance measures.
|Kmer 4-6 [default for DNA/RNA; not available for protein]
|Kmer 6-6 [default for protein]
|Kmer bit 20-3
|Kimura % identity [default]
|Log % identity
- Select the desired Sequence weights for Initial iterations and Later iterations.
|Do not weight sequences.
The following table shows how the MegAlign Pro settings correspond with settings in MUSCLE online.
|MegAlign Pro setting
|Gap open penalty
|Gap extension penalty
|Use Brenner's Alignment
|Disable anchors optimization
| Cluster method:
| Distance measure:
| Sequence weight:
After making your changes:
- Choose Align to use the entered options to perform a multiple sequence alignment.
- Use the Reset to Default button if you would like to reset all values to the MegAlign Pro defaults.
- Select Cancel to leave the dialog without saving any changes.
Need more help with this?


text:
The large degree of clinical heterogeneity within each of the major categories of inherited neuropathies can lead to difficulties in making correct diagnoses based on clinical findings alone. The observation of key clinical findings coupled with electrophysiological findings and understanding of inheritance patterns, should allow the clinician to make judicious use of genetic testing to confirm the clinical diagnosis. An understanding of the clinical and electrophysiological nature of these disorders, as well as an understanding of how to clinically distinguish the inherited conditions from acquired conditions, is imperative to this process.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Clinical Neurology


text:
Pia Larsen is an artist who works with text, drawing, printmedia, paper and metal. Her practice draws from a long-standing enquiry into the discourses of representation around bodies, with a focus on the constraints imposed through gender. Recent work examines bodies in Afghanistan in conjunction with those from her own culture, looking through history and at everyday life.
Pia Larsen Australian Artist print maker and teacher
Title: Their Loss is Our Loss
Dimensions: 336cm(w) x 238cm(h) x 6cm(d)
Materials: copper, acrylic paint, paper + pins


text:
The Environment type exposes the following members.
Terminates all processes.
Finalizes the MPI environment. Users must call this routine to shut down MPI.
|Equals||(Inherited from Object.)|
Verifies that the MPI environment has been finalized by calling Dispose().(Overrides Object..::.Finalize()()().)
|GetHashCode||(Inherited from Object.)|
|GetType||(Inherited from Object.)|
|MemberwiseClone||(Inherited from Object.)|
|ToString||(Inherited from Object.)|
Translates an MPI error code into an appropriate exception, then throws that exception.
Determine whether the MPI environment has been finalized.
Returns the rank of the "host" process, if any.
Determine whether the MPI environment has been initialized.
Returns the rank of the process (or processes) that can perform I/O via the normal language facilities. If no such rank exists, the result will be null; if every process can perform I/O, this will return the value anySource.
Returns the maximum allowed tag value for use with MPI's point-to-point operations.
Returns the name of the currently executing processor. This name does not have any specific form, but typically identifies the computere on which the process is executing.
The level of threading support provided by the MPI library.
Returns the time, in seconds, since some arbitrary time in the past. This value is typically used for timing parallel applications.
Returns the resolution of Time, in seconds.


MTD Blade Removal Tool for a Riding Lawn Mower
Length of Clip: 2:45
How to Use a Blade Removal Tool on a MTD Riding Lawn Mower
This video focuses on safely removing lawn mower blades on your MTD riding lawn mower. The blade removal tool helps to stabilize and remove the cutting blade so you can sharpen or replace it at the start of the season. Keeping your blades sharp increases fuel efficiency and leads to a much healthier lawn. It can also extend the life of your lawn mower. Maintenance on lawn mower blades should be done once a year for a lush, even, green lawn.
Step 1: Removing the lawn mower deck
Park your riding lawn mower on a flat surface, turn it off, remove the key and lock the brakes. You should also remove the spark plugs to avoid it accidentally turning on. Then remove the lawn mower deck as instructed in your operator's manual and place it upside-down on a piece of cardboard or blanket.
Step 2: Attaching the lawn mower blade removal tool
When working with the blades, make sure you have safety gloves on. Even lawn mower blades that are bent or need sharpening can cut you. Place the blade removal tool over one end of the lawn mower blade and adjacent side of mower deck.
Step 3: Tightening the blade removal tool
Tighten the clamping screw onto the mower deck unitl it's firmly in place and the blade is not moving.
Step 4: Loosening the blade nut and removing the lawn mower blade
Keeping hand away from the edges of the blade and using the proper sized socket, loosen the blade nut that connects the cutting blade to the spindle shaft. When removing the lawn mower blade, set the nuts and any other parts aside nearby. You should also pay attention to the orientation of the blade while removing it.
Step 5: Sharpening or replacing lawn mower blades
Check the condition of your lawn mower blades. If blades are not badly worn but have gotten dull, you may want to use a blade balancer and sharpener to get them ready for this season. However, if worn away, bent or damaged, replacing the lawn mower blades may be in order. Sharpen or replace the old blade, and secure it back on the blade shaft using the blade removal tool and the pieces you set aside before.
Step 6: Removing the lawn mower blade removal tool
Loosen clamping screw and detach the blade removal tool from the mower deck. right the mowing deck and reattach it to the riding lawn mower.
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text:
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People grumble for various reasons. There are many reasons behind complaints, but one of them is discontentment. Human beings are prone to compare themselves with others. When they aren't satisfied with their own circumstances but think others are much better off than themselves, they will instantly become Mr and Mrs Grumble.
The Israelites were being enslaved in Egypt and they cried out to God for deliverance (Exodus 2:22–23). Although God granted the Israelites the freedom, they were not satisfied with the prized independence that they longed for. Consequently, they turned against God's appointed leaders (Exodus 16:1–2). Let's ponder the story.
1The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. (Exodus 16:1–2 NIV)
Let's pose a question to God. "Could You teach me to be a content person?"
Let's practice what you learnt. Pray for a heart of contentment.
Let's proclaim to others about your experiential knowledge. Share the lesson that you learnt with a new believer.


text:
PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES UNCONVENTIONAL
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The objective of this course is to study non-conventional manufacturing technologies, including laser materials processing, additive manufacturing, ultrasonic machining, water jet machining, abrasive water jet machining, electro-discharge machining and electro-chemical machining. The study of these processes will be undertaken with a systematic approach based on modelling, providing an interpretation of the laws and mechanisms on which they are based. The advantages and limitations of each process will be analysed both in comparison with traditional machining technologies as well as for production of specific components. Process modelling will be oriented towards the analysis and prediction of the influence of process parameters on the obtained results.
Technical Design, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science and Technology, Mathematical Analysis, Manufacturing Technology
Course contents summary
Study of non-convectional manufacturing technology, including:
- Laser materials processing
- Additive manufacturing
- Ultrasonic machining
- Water jet machining
- Abrasive water jet machining
- Electro-discharge machining
- Electro-chemical machining
Introduction to non-conventional manufacturing processes: definition, classification and examples.
Laser Materials Processing (LMP). The duality of light: electromagnetic wave (wavelength, wavenumber) and flow of photons. Blackbody radiation as a function of temperature. Fundamental quantum mechanics underlying laser function. Absorption, spontaneous emission and stimulated emission.
Population inversion. Threeand four-level laser systems. Optical resonance and light amplification in lasers. Longitudinal modes and optical cavity length. Laser beam properties: linewidth, coherence (spatial and temporal), divergence and radiance. Laser efficiency and comprising elements.
Transverse electromagnetic modes (TEM) and beam quality factor. Spatial profile of a laser beam and definition of diameter. Temporal profile of a laser beam: continuous-wave and pulsed regimes. Techniques for generation of laser pulses as a function of duration. Polarisation (linear, circular, random).
Architecture of the most common types of gas and solid-state industrial laser sources. Active media: carbon dioxide, neon, neodymium, thulium, p-n junction (semiconductor). Modern fibre lasers.
Snell's law. The Fresnel equations and differences in absorption of "p" and "s" polarised waves. Laser-materials interactions: differences between metallic and non-metallic materials. Reflectivity and absorptivity and the dependence of these parameters on the wavelength, temperature, surface roughness, presence of oxide layers etc. Propagation and optical absorption within materials according to the Beer-Lambert law. Thermal effects on materials and changes of state in conditions of thermal equilibrium. Classification of the main processes as functions of process parameters.
Optical transport systems: mirrors and optical fibre. Function of an optical fibre and the concept of total internal reflection. Beam focalisation systems: minimum beam diameter depth of field and Rayleigh range. Focalisation from optical fibre. Beam movement systems: galvanometric heat, f-theta lens, linear axes and anthropomorphic robot.
Laser hardening: resolution of Fourier's equation under transient conditions. Thermal cycle: surface melting, quenching and tempering. Process feasibility for different types of component and production volumes. Industrial applications and laser hardening machines.
Solutions for the linear heat flux equation for semi-infinite solids subject to laser heating. Start-up and switch-off of laser source and effects on the treated material. Laser hardening of large surfaces and axial-symmetric components. Numerical simulation of general cases.
Laser cutting: functioning principle of the assist gas (inert or reactive). Influence of process parameters (power, cutting velocity, focused beam diameter, type of assist gas and gas pressure) on the cut depth and quality. Modelling of the cutting process: moving circular source. Prediction of the cut front angle and maximum cutting thickness.
Laser welding in different geometric configurations (overlap, but welding etc.). The influence of process parameters on the transition from conduction to keyhole welding. Instability of the keyhole. Modelling of laser welding: moving linear and point heat sources. Pulsed laser welding of thin sections.
Pulsed laser process, including laser ablation and surface modification. Laser-material interactions as a function of the pulse duration and fluence. Relaxation time and thermal conduction following ultrashort laser pulses. Changes of state in non-equilibrium conditions: over heating, critical temperature, vaporisation, fragmentation, phase explosion. Numerical simulation of laser ablation with short and ultrashort pulses. Industrial applications and systems for short pulse laser processing.
Classification of Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques. Methods of material deposition. Stereo lithography (SLA): process and device descriptions. The functioning principles of SLA: interaction between a UV laser and photopolymer. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): functioning principles and industrial applications.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Functioning principles and the influence of process parameters (laser power, spot diameter, scanning velocity, hatch spacing, layer thickness) on the porosity and mechanical strength of components. Design for additive manufacturing: manufacturing and functional advantages compared to traditional manufacturing technologies. Case-study of SLM fabrication of innovative components.
Ultrasonic Machining (USM). Underlying physical principles: impact of abrasive on a surface, hammering, cavitation, erosion. Process parameters: power, frequency, amplitude, removed volume. Process types: cleaning, drilling, milling, cutting, welding. Industrial applications and USM machines.
Water Jet Machining (WJM). Underlying physical principles: pressure intensification, nozzle and catcher. Material removal mechanism. Calculation of the strike pressure as a function of the supplied pressure. Morphology of water jet: core, transition zone, extinction zone. Definition of the stand-off distance. Process parameters and their influence on the maximum cut thickness and cut quality. Industrial applications and WJM machines.
Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM). Differences compared to WJM: type of abrasive employed, nozzles for water-abrasive mixing. Material removal mechanism: abrasion zone, transition zone and plastic-deformation zone. Process parameters. Calculation of the ideal mixing ratio for maximisation of the cut depth. Industrial applications and AWJM machines.
Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM). Process of material removal via electrical discharge between two electrodes separated by a dielectric liquid. Analysis of plasma channel and surface crater formation phases. Generators and relaxation, the Lazarenko circuit. Controlled pulsed generators. The dielectric: functions, cleaning, vacuum and injection. Effects of the dielectric on the tool. Industrial applications, EDM machines and tool feed systems with voltage feedback control.
Roughing and finishing operations with sinker EDM. Tool materials and dimensioning. Influence of process parameters, including discharge current, frequency and discharge time. Model for approximation of the feed velocity and surface roughness. Wire EDM: wire feed system. Cut progression, including front and side gaps. Actual cut edge profile and differences from theoretical profile. Correction of wire positioning compared to programmed profile.
Electro-Chemical Machining (ECM): Functioning principles of anodic dissolution and differences between ECM and galvanic coating. Faraday's law. Energy necessary to perform ECM. The phenomenon of electrode passivation. Calculation of the equilibrium gap during processing and in correspondence with inclined surfaces. Theoretical considerations and real conditions. Function of the electrolyte and its operating conditions. Temperature profile calculation in the working zone. Limitations imposed by the current regime.
Industrial applications and machines for ECM. The structure of the generator, pumping power necessary for circulation of the electrolyte, treatment systems. Tool dimensions, analytical methods for determining the cathode form. Influence of process parameters on ECM: feed speed and its influence on the equilibrium gap, absorbed energy, surface roughness. The influence of the current intensity of the removal ratio and surface roughness.
M. Monno, B. Previtali, M. Strano, Tecnologia meccanica le lavorazioni non convenzionali, 2012
E. Capello, Le lavorazioni industriali mediante laser di potenza, 2009
Lessons during the course with comprise both theoretical treatment of various non-conventional manufacturing technologies, as well as analysis of specific technical cases where such technologies have been successfully introduced into manufacturing environments. Exercises will be undertaken for select technologies to provide a more thorough understanding of the physical phenomena addressed during lessons. The preparation of a project relating to a specific non-conventional technology will form a fundamental part of the learning process and will be discussed during the oral exam.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam (50 %) and project relating to a specific non-conventional manufacturing technology (50 %)


Regular backgroundProfessionally made DVDs, such as Hollywood movies, often incorporate audio and video on the menu screens. Most consumer DVD-authoring apps will let you do the same. For example, your menu can play a song, display a short scene looping in the background, and even play video clips inside the menu buttons that link to the video file itself.
Faded background
Production Notes
 - The audio and video used in multimedia menus require space on your DVD. If your project consists of a lot of data, such as large video files, you may have to compress your video so everything will fit on the disc.
 - If your video is over 80 minutes or so, adding lots of audio and video menus will require you to compress your project more than recommended. The result could be a noticeable degradation in quality.
 - When adding background audio to a DVD menu, keep the duration over a minute. Shorter clips are more repetitive and can quickly become annoying.
 - When inserting a video background, make sure it doesn't obscure other menu elements. If the background is busy or full of colors, you may have to fade or brighten the video clip slightly to ensure that buttons and other menu text are easy to see.
 - Like the special effects you can add to your videos, menu animations can be very irritating when overused. Don't use these effects just because you can. And when you do include animations, make sure the effect is aesthetically pleasing and matches the tone of the underlying video.


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Data-sparse approximation of non-local operators by 2-matrices
Contact the author: Please use for correspondence this email.
Submission date: 06. May. 2005 (revised version: February 2007)
published in: Linear algebra and its applications, 422 (2007) 2/3, p. 380-403
DOI number (of the published article): 10.1016/j.laa.2006.10.021
MSC-Numbers: 65F05, 68P05
Keywords and phrases: data-sparse approximation, hierarchical matrices, nested bases
Download full preprint: PDF (311 kB), PS ziped (244 kB)
Many of today's most efficient numerical methods are based on multilevel decompositions: The multigrid algorithm is based on a hierarchy of grids, wavelet techniques use a hierarchy of basis functions, while fast panel-clustering and multipole methods employ a hierarchy of clusters.
The high efficiency of these methods is due to the fact that the hierarchies are nested, i.e., that the information present on a coarser level is also present on finer levels, thus allowing efficient recursive algorithms.
-matrices employ nested local expansion systems in order to approximate matrices in optimal (or for some problem classes at least optimal up to logarithmic factors) order of complexity. This paper presents a criterion for the approximability of general matrices in the -matrix format and an algorithm for finding good nested expansion systems and constructing the approximation efficiently.


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7AAV7004 Material Culture of the Book Credit value: 20 credits
Module convenor: Peter Stokes
The module assessment consists of two parts:
Mockup/Prototype: 50% of grade. You are required to design and construct a mockup or prototype for a digital edition of a book, aiming to use the digital medium to capture as much of its material culture as is needed to contextualize it for further study. This does not count towards the total word-count but it should not contain substantial amounts of text.
Essay-Report: 3,000 words, 50% of grade. Together with the prototype each student must submit an essay-report discussing it, with particular emphasis on the the work it will enable or further and how it will do so, the trade-offs that were made and any significant problems encountered during its design and construction.
One two-hour seminar per week.
In this module we will look at the history of the book, and specifically at medieval manuscripts and late 19th to early 20th century printed books, in order to understand them as material objects and appreciate how they can best be studied using digital tools. We look not only in detail at the books' physical characteristics, such as format, layout, materials and colours, but also question the circumstances under which they were produced and first used. How can a digital version or edition of such objects represent not only as much of their physical characteristics as possible but also the circumstances of use? If we were to construct a 'virtual reality' version of a precious medieval manuscript or printed book, what new research would this allow? Short of a VR-version, using the tools now commonly available, what could online digital versions of such objects be like? And how best might we use existing digitised materials for research into the history of the book, recognising both the potential but also the limitations that these online surrogates bring?
- To develop students' understanding of how best to make new, digital objects from old, physical ones, as applied particularly to History of the Book.
- To develop students' understanding of books as a material objects in a cultural context, including what makes them valuable to us.
- To develop students' understanding of the potentials and limitations of digital surrogates of existing books.
- To introduce students to issues in the design of digital resources for book history, considering both how to develop new resources but also how to evaluate existing ones for given research purposes.
By the end of the module, the students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 7 module and in particular will be able to demonstrate:
- An awareness of how best to make new, digital objects from existing physical ones.
- An understanding of the challenge and limits of making new from old.
- Familiarity with social and material complexity of manuscript and printed books, including the physical characteristics, such as format, layout, materials and colours, but also circumstances under which they were produced and used.
- An understanding of how a digital version or edition of such objects might: - Represent these characteristics and circumstances - Benefit research and teaching in book studies
- Buchli, Victor, ed. (2002). The Material Culture Reader. Oxford: Berg.
- Burnard, Lou, Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe, and John Unsworth, eds (2006). Electronic Textual Editing. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
- Clemens, Raymond, and Timothy Graham (2007). Introduction to Manuscript Studies. London: Cornell University Press.
- Eliot, Simon, and Jonathan Rose, eds (2007). A Companion to the History of the Book. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
- Pearson, David (2011). Books as History: The Importance of Books beyond their Texts. London: British Library.
- Rehbein et al., eds. (2009–). Kodikologie und Paläographie im Digitalen Zeitalter — Codicology and Palaeography in the Digital Age. 2 vols. Norderstedt: Books on Demand.
- Schreibman, S., R. Siemens and J. Unsworth, eds (2004). A Companion to Digital Humanities. Oxford: Blackwell.
There are no pre-requisites for the module beyond basic familiarity with standard computing tools such as web browsers and word processors.


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« Volume 3, Nomor 1,April 2014
PENERAPAN METODE COOPERATIVE LEARNING TIPE STAD UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KETERAMPILAN SOSIAL SISWA DALAM PEMBELAJARAN SEJARAHDinan Afifah Firdaus
AbstrakKata kunci : Keyword: Cooperative Learning, STAD, social skill, action research method
This research begins with a problem that occurs in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung. Based on the observation that the social skill of the students in XI IPS 3 on the learning of history is still relatively low. To solve the problem, researcher use action research method by Kemmis & Taggart model. The main problem in this research is "How the application of Cooperative Learning method STAD type to enhance student's social skill in the learning of history in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung?". So the problem is not widespread,researcher focusused into four questions, 1) How teacher plans learning of History by appliying cooperative learning method STAD type to enhance social skill of students in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung?, 2) How is developing steps of the application cooperative learning method STAD type to enhance social skill of students in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung? 3) How the result of student's social skill enhancement role in the learning of History by applying cooperative larning method STAD type in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung? 4) How the solution to face dificulity when applying cooperative learning method STAD type to enhance social skill of students in XI IPS 3 SMA Pasundan 1 Bandung? Based on the research for four cycles, can be obtained from the data that the application of cooperative learning method STAD type can increase student's social skill in XI IPS 3 succesfully. But, at 2nd cycle to 3rd do not change at all. Researcher then change the member of the group, so that aspect of social skill increase. Salient aspect of social skill in every cycle is search, select, and process information skill. Students are able to filter out information relate to the material before using it in doing worksheet. Expected for the next researcher to constantly form new group in the STAD at about 2-3 SAD period in order to increase students'social skill well.
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Does a woman's secretion nullify ablution and is it considered an impurity? – Ustadh Abdus Shakur Brooks
Answered by Ustadh Abdus Shakur Brooks
The maliki fiqh texts always talk about "the two passages" (sabeelayn) but in a woman's case, she has three passages. Also, if a woman is healthy, she is never dry. She constantly secretes vaginal fluid. If she did not, she would actually be suffering from vaginal atrophy. My question is this: Many scholars seem to say that such secretion would require her to make ablution again, but it seems maybe they are making an analogy with me because her situation is different because she secrets all the time. Some women more, some less, but the point is, it's a constant state, like saliva is for the mouth.
In Mukhtasar Khalil it mentions in the chapter of impurities that wetness of the vagina (which is what comes from secretion) is an impurity. This could be found in the commentaries of Khalil namely that of Shaykh Dardir (h.1201) and al-Hattab (h.954) both of which are two highly relied upon works in the Maliki mathab. Furthermore Al-Qadi Abd al-Wahab al-Baghdadi (h.422) mentions in his famous work al-Talqeen that everything that comes out of the vagina is an impurity. Researching the matter, I find that the scholars although they mention it as an impurity they never mention that it nullifies ablution. Furthermore, in the chapter concerning what nullifies ablution, wetness of the vagina is not one of those six things that come from a person's mid section that nullify ablution, therefore it is not to be assumed that it nullifies ablution unless we find the scholars explicitly stating such. Lastly there is another matter to consider, there are women who secret almost all the time as you mentioned which means that they will always be in need of washing the mid section before every prayer which is difficult. In the Maliki mathab there is a general rule concerning the removal of impurities and that is "impurities that are difficult to avoid are excusable". What that means is that a person is excused from having to remove it for the sake of prayer. This rule is mentioned in Mukhtasar Khalil briefly and its commentaries elaborate on the matter.
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Successor Liability Pitfalls in Asset Acquisitions
A significant step in the acquisition process is determining the structure of the deal. The two most common deal structures are: (1) the purchase of the ownership interests of the target (e.g., a stock deal), and (2) the purchase of substantially all of the target's assets (i.e., an asset deal). An often cited reason for structuring an acquisition as a purchase of substantially all of the target's assets is that the acquirer can choose which, if any, liabilities of the target that the acquirer will assume. In contrast, a stock deal results in the acquirer purchasing the entire company, which includes all liabilities of the target. In an asset deal, the implication is that the target's liabilities that are not expressly assumed by the acquirer remain liabilities of the target, and the acquirer will not have exposure for them. As a general rule, this is correct. However, there are exceptions to the general rule which impose "successor liability" on the acquirer. This article describes several of the more common exceptions.
Product Liability: Various exceptions arise in the area of product liability claims, when a plaintiff asserts that the acquirer should be liable for the damage or injury caused by a product that was manufactured by the target prior to being acquired by the acquirer. Many states recognize four traditional exceptions to the general rule against successor liability in product liability cases: (1) express or implied assumption of liability by the acquirer; (2) de facto merger of the target and the acquirer; (3) mere continuation of the target's business by the acquirer; and (4) fraudulent transfer. The applicability of any of these exceptions is determined by a fact driven analysis of the transaction and the preand post-closing activities of the target and the acquirer.
State Taxation: Another exception arises in the area of state taxation. Many states have enacted statutes that impose successor liability on the acquirer for the target's unpaid state tax liabilities (e.g. withholding and sales taxes), unless the acquirer has received a "tax clearance certificate" from the state taxing authority. Depending on the state, the target or the acquirer may request a tax clearance certificate from the state taxing authority. Processing times can be as short as a few days or as long as several months so acquirers and their tax and legal advisors should consider this issue as early on in the process as possible to avoid having to delay the closing. The receipt of a tax clearance certificate showing no unpaid state taxes eliminates the potential for the acquirer to have successor liability for the target's state taxes. If the certificate reveals that the target has unpaid state taxes, then the acquirer is usually required to escrow a sufficient portion of the purchase price to satisfy the unpaid tax liability.
Environmental: State and federal environmental laws also impose successor liability on an acquirer for the environmental liabilities of the target, such as liabilities for the cleanup of a toxic spill. Again, there are steps that the acquirer can take to reduce or eliminate exposure for the target's environmental liabilities. The most common step is to commission a environmental site assessment (i.e., a "Phase I") which, if conducted in compliance with specified standards, will afford the acquirer a defense to successor liability.
Benefit Plans: Multiemployer plans have the potential to lead to successor liability for the acquirer. There are reported cases where the acquirer was held liable for the target's unpaid contributions to a multiemployer plan plus, in some cases, interest, penalties, and attorneys fees. There is no safe harbor for the acquirer for these liabilities, so the acquirer should conduct thorough due diligence with respect to targets with multiemployer plans.
It is common practice for an acquirer to attempt to protect itself from unwanted successor liabilities by including representations, warranties, and indemnification provisions in the purchase agreement so that the target is required to make the acquirer "whole" for successor liabilities. The problem, however, is that successor liability issues often arise because the target is no longer in existence or financially able to satisfy the liability, so the third party claimant is looking to the acquirer for redress. In these instances, the acquirer's right to indemnification from the target is usually worthless unless a portion of the purchase price has been escrowed or the target's owners have guaranteed the target's indemnification obligations, and the owners have sufficient assets to satisfy the claims. Despite these pitfalls, an asset transaction still provides an acquirer more protection from the liabilities of a target than a stock deal, but acquirers will need to attempt to identify and resolve any potential successor liability issues during due diligence. If you wish to discuss successor liability and ways to mitigate exposure, please feel free to contact one of the attorneys in our M&A/Securities Practice Group.
by Taylor C. Dieckman and Eric B. Oxley
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Date of Award
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Frank J. Floyd, Ph.D. - Chair
This study examined mechanisms by which sibling relationships may buffer the harmful effects of negative peer experiences on the psychological adjustment of children with mental retardation (MR) or learning disabilities (LD). The study broadened existing findings with typically developing children and examined the effects of sibling social competency training on peer experiences and the impact of sibling relationship qualities, including warmth and positivity, supportiveness, conflict, and negativity, on children's loneliness, internalizing, and delinquent behavior problems. The participants included 100 families with children who were between 8 and 10 years old. The families had a sibling dyad in which the target child had MR (n = 36), an LD (n = 43), or was typically developing (n = 21), while siblings were typically developing. Parents, target children, and siblings completed questionnaires and interviews assessing family and peer relationships. Sibling dyads completed a video-taped interaction. Results indicated that, as predicted, children with an LD or MR experienced significantly lower rates of positive peer experiences and significantly higher rates of negative peer experiences than did typically developing children. They exhibited significantly higher rates of loneliness and internalizing, but not delinquent, behavior problems than typically developing children. There was only partial support for the hypothesized protective effects of siblings on children's development of adverse peer experiences. In particular, there was an indirect effect of one form of social competency training: social involvement mediated the effect of learning disabilities on adverse peer experiences. As predicted by the buffering hypothesis, emotional supportiveness by siblings moderated the impact of negative peer experiences on children's internalizing and delinquent behavior problems. In addition, negativity within the sibling relationship moderated the effect of negative peer experiences on children's internalizing problems while sibling conflict moderated the effect of positive peer experiences on loneliness. There were no significant effects for sibling warmth and positivity. Findings that siblings of children with MR or an LD can buffer some of the harmful effects of adverse peer experiences on psychological well being in specific instances suggest that including siblings in interventions aimed at improving peer experiences and psychological functioning may be relevant under certain circumstances.
Hindes, Andrea R., "The Buffering Effect of Sibling Relationships on Problems with Peer Experiences and Psychological Functioning in Children with Cognitive Disabilities" (2006). Psychology Dissertations. Paper 20.


Q&A – unpacking the secrets of the hidden REF
12th January 2021
In the following interview, Professor Simon Hettrick, Deputy Director of the Software Sustainability Institute and Chair of the hidden REF competition, together with Tony Roche, Emerald's Publishing & Strategic Relationships Director, dives into the reasoning behind the competition and the need for a radical shift in research culture.
What's the hidden REF and how did it get started?
Simon HettrickSimon: It all started because people kept coming to me asking how I helped get research software engineers (RSEs) recognised and could I help them do the same for data stewards, research managers or other roles in the research space. The point is these roles are largely hidden, so we needed something that people could submit ideas to and then we can sift those to see what hidden roles are out there. The obvious way to do it was through what has become the hidden REF.
We started with the categories from the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and chose the ones that aren't related to publications, you've got website content, software, data and so on. The one that really struck me was software. There were 191,000 outputs submitted to the last REF, but 186,000 of them were based on publications, and only 38 were in the software category.
I just thought 38 out of 191,000 is not representative of how much software is out there. When we survey across disciplines, we find about 70% of research is fundamentally reliant on software. A huge amount of software is used in research, but only a tiny amount is being submitted to the REF.
I was unsure whether the categories were fit for purpose, so we decided to design the first round of the hidden REF as one where people can submit ideas on how to change the categories or add new categories to better represent the actual work being conducted by researchers.
What kinds of categories have been submitted?
Simon: We've had lots of interesting categories come in, such as professional services and technicians – central supporting roles – no research can happen without those people, and people want to recognise that.
There are digital outcomes that people want to include in the competition, not just data and software, but also things like standards for data and software. People's careers are completely based around what appears to be little tweaks of the REF categories. But it's a difference that means their work can now be recognised and due to this they can justify their existence.
If there is a willingness to collaborate then we believe that we can play a supporting role in driving changes to the way that research is evaluated.
Simon Hettrick
How does the competition work?
Simon: Anyone who works for a university or research organisation can submit to the competition. The submissions are purposefully short, just a few hundred words. We're trying to raise recognition of the diversity of work in research rather than conduct the most stringent assessment. It's more about starting a conversation about research and identifying what outputs we need to recognise.
The closing date is 26 February. After this, we will have panels of volunteer experts who review the submissions and identify which ones are the most impressive.
What outputs should be submitted to the competition?
Simon: We took the REF categories and deleted all the publication-based ones. We don't allow publications because they are already well catered for in research assessment. Even within the committee that runs the hidden REF, that was an unpopular move. It's funny, we are so addicted to publications!
If you're going to submit a journal article into a competition, we already have the REF for that. I am interested in how people find the idea of taking publications completely out of this space. What's left in research when you do that? How are we going to identify impact?
We are so hooked on the easiness of counting the number of publications, multiply it by the impact factor and supposedly you've calculated your value to research. It's a very easy way of identifying impact, but there are plenty of industries around the world that don't have such easily countable metrics. Why is academia so focused on publications as the only metric?
At the end of it, I hope we will have a showcase of the 'hidden roles' in research, along with people that are working in these newly recognised roles.
Is the competition open to all researchers?
Simon: The competition is for the UK academy at this point. Although the competition is UK focused, the conversation we are having is international. Ultimately, there are hidden roles in research in all other countries.
Why is Emerald supporting the hidden REF?
Tony RocheTony: Our whole vision is about helping to broaden participation in research and publishing, as a facilitator towards real impact in society. As a publisher, our core competencies include helping authors to optimise the reach of their work, so I can't get away from the fact that we publish research. But we are guided by impactful content that can contribute to positive change in society, rather than the pursuit of 'REF-able outputs'.
The plan isn't to publish more journal articles as an end in itself, if anything it's about creating new forms of digital content that engage new audiences in different ways, appended to or associated with the underlying research so that it is useable without detriment to the rigour of the research itself. The research ecosystem is complex, and research culture slow to change, but if there is a willingness to collaborate then we believe that we can play a supporting role in driving changes to the way that research is evaluated, and by showcasing the many underrepresented through the research we publish.
We are also committed to driving the debate forward, to broaden the participation with people like Simon and the hidden REF team, as part of the wider movement. It's the research community's movement, but we want to be a facilitator, because it aligns to our real impact vision, and because we have creative and technical skills to support this.
Through our learning, we are also developing tools and services to support the research community in its approach to responsible research and publication. The foundation for all of this is built upon close collaboration with our communities, to co-create solutions that really support their needs, whether that be through publications, open research, or tools.
It's about how we are going to have an impact in driving new forms of research evaluation, and more broadly driving positive changes to research culture itself.
Tony Roche
What are the challenges to broadening your remit as a publisher?
Tony: We experience the same challenges that Simon reports around research evaluation, that there is inertia in the system and misaligned incentives. Many researchers say to us that they would like to better communicate their work to society more broadly, but their priority is to get the journal article (or the book) published. Once their work has been accepted via peer review, they rarely feel there is enough incentive or reward for them to invest in using digital media more creatively, to reach beyond the walls of the academy.
We are coming from a similar vantage point to Simon and the hidden REF team, we recognise the underlying challenges and want to do something that influences research evaluation to drive wider participation. As a result, much of what I talk about at conferences and panels, relates to the need for action. The sector needs to move beyond good intent, and beyond pointing out the problems and collective wringing of hands about things that are deemed too big to solve. It's ultimately about how we are going to have an impact in driving new forms of research evaluation, and more broadly driving positive changes to research culture itself.
Funders and policy makers are unlikely to listen to the voice of the publisher in isolation. We are committed to supporting a ground swell of researchers themselves, to influence those who hold power positions around evaluation in terms of what is recognised and rewarded in different roles and different forms of contribution. Progress is being made, but remains painfully slow.
How hopeful are you that there will be change?
Tony: We are optimistic that things will change as today's ECRs come through in support of the other drivers of change. What we have seen with Open Access, despite the commitment at the higher institutional level or funder level, and this is an inconvenient truth really, often the researchers aren't actually that engaged. If you put it in binary terms – open or closed, they will always say open, but actual commitment to transparent, reproduceable, open research behaviours is very different on the ground. That's not because we as a publisher want to maintain the status quo, indeed we see our future as one within a fully open environment. We are investing to support the move to open science behaviours, that go way beyond open access to outputs, for example through Emerald Open Research, our SDG-focused gateways for social science communities.
No one is saying we will arrive at the destination in 2020 or 2021, a bit like DORA, but we see a more collective effort emerging, involving multiple groups such as the hidden REF. As these challenges and opportunities gain more traction, the people who hold the power structures will increasingly commit and change. That's what we are here to support.
Contact Simon and his team to submit an entry to the hidden REF, provide support or offer your views on these issues.


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The pathways from economic and social policies to improved food security and nutrition for the poor often are not well understood. Yet each day governments decide on policies that ultimately affect their well-being. How households increase their incomes, acquire food, improve health, or cope with insecurity are important concerns that need to be examined in order to devise policies to help eradicate poverty. Nearly all attempts to study these issues have used snapshot approaches—those that look at one point in time. These approaches are limited in that they do not reveal anything about the actual dynamics of poverty, food security, and their consequences for nutrition and health.
In Poverty, Household Food Security, and Nutrition in Rural Pakistan, Research Report 96, Harold Alderman and Marito Garcia address these concerns by looking at longitudinal data for a three-year period, 1986-89, and analyzing fluctuations in incomes, consumption, savings, nutrition and health-seeking behavior of 800 households in five districts in rural Pakistan (Faisalabad and Attock in Punjab province, Badin in Sind, Dir in North-West Frontier Province, and Mastung/Kalat in Baluchistan). The report examines income sources and wage formation in rural Pakistan and investigates the level and distribution of income in poor households. It contributes to analysis of the temporal dimensions of poverty and thus adds to the literature on coping strategies of households. Although the three-year panel of data analyzed is too short to model fully the dynamics of poverty, it is sufficient to indicate the fluidity of the economic environment that households in Pakistan face. The report also traces the efficiency by which household incomes are converted to better nutritional well-being and the influence of other intervening factors such as health and education.


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Wendy Cadge on spirituality, religion and medicine
Her new book explores handling of issues of faith behind the scenes in hospitals
Wendy Cadge does not count rosary beads, daven or meditate, though she has gone to great lengths to research them all, including living in Sri Lanka where she immersed herself in Buddhism.
As a sociologist of contemporary religion, Cadge often teaches courses such as "Order and Change in Society" and "Methods of Social Inquiry." But, she admits, the classes that she most enjoys engage more-specific subjects, like "Living and Dying in America: The Sociology of Birth and Death."
"My classes are designed to help students understand something about topics," Cadge says, "but they're also aimed at getting them out into the world and helping them understand how and why they're living their lives the way that they are."
In "Living and Dying in America" for example, students write their own birth story, interviewing their families and incorporating class research such as how birth has changed in the United States through C-section rates and midwifery. The second half of the class challenges conventional wisdom about how people die.
"Students interview a friend or relative about their experience of death and write that person's story in the context of class readings," says Cadge. "People frequently die in hospitals, but when asked in surveys how they'd chose to die, most say they want to die at home, surrounded by loved ones."
Cadge says she wants students to learn about the ethical decisions that people have to make and practice having the hard conversations that precede such decisions before they're in the middle of a personal situation, when things can get extremely difficult.
"I try to think of my classes as helping students to learn about how to live, based on what is important to them, and what they care about," says Cadge.
Cadge's first book "Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravada Buddhism in America" examined how immigrant Buddhists from Thailand, and predominantly white converts to Buddhism, understand and practice Buddhism in the United States.
"I was interested in how these two very different sets of people pull from the same kinds of ideas and history of a particular religious tradition and use it to make sense of their very day-to-day lives," says Cadge.
|Associate professor Wendy Cadge|
During her research for the book she witnessed the head of the Thai Buddhist temple in Philadelphia dying in a hospital; the image of the Buddhist monk in his bright orange religious robes, laying on the stark white sheets of his hospital gurney, jumped out at Cadge. She soon became interested in understanding the forces of religion and spirituality in health and healthcare.
"Visiting him in the hospital got me thinking about how health care organizations [address] religious and spiritual issues," says Cadge. "I became very aware that most of us don't wear our bright religious or spiritual ideas on our bodies when we're in hospitals."
Cadge then spent a year shadowing doctors, and nurses to learn behind the scenes issues in healthcare. The findings will be in her second book, "Paging God: Religion in the Halls of Medicine," which will be published in October.
The book takes readers inside major academic medical institutions to explore how today's doctors and hospitals address prayer, religion and spirituality. From chapels to intensive care units to the morgue, hospital caregivers speak about how religion is part of their daily work in visible and invisible ways. Cadge shifts attention away from the ongoing controversy about whether or not faith and spirituality should play a role in health care and focuses on the many ways that these powerful forces function in healthcare today. She then asks: Are healthcare organizations supporting people whose spiritual and religious backgrounds are helping them deal with illness?
Although she grew up in a Protestant congregation, Cadge says she more or less left religion when she was in college. She currently plays handbells at Old South Church in Boston, a United Church of Christ congregation. She has spent a lot of time with Buddhists, but does not belong to a religious organization.
"The process of learning about how religion functions as part of people's lives has not really been a personal quest," says Cadge. "It's been one method to understand the ways that many people make or find meaning in their lives. It's been a lens for me to better understand what makes people tick."


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This example shows the use of recursive ("online") algorithms available in the System Identification Toolbox™. It also describes the data segmentation scheme SEGMENT which is an alternative to recursive or adaptive estimation schemes for capturing time varying behavior. This utility is useful for capturing abrupt changes in the system because of a failure or change of operating conditions.
|On this page…|
The recursive estimation functions include RPEM, RPLR, RARMAX, RARX, ROE, and RBJ. These algorithms implement all the recursive algorithms described in Chapter 11 of Ljung(1987).
RPEM is the general Recursive Prediction Error algorithm for arbitrary multiple-input-single-output models (the same models as PEM works for).
PRLR is the general Recursive PseudoLinear Regression method for the same family of models.
RARX is a more efficient version of RPEM (and RPLR) for the ARX-case.
ROE, RARMAX and RBJ are more efficient versions of RPEM for the OE, ARMAX, and BJ cases (compare these functions to the off-line methods).
Each one of the algorithms implement the four most common adaptation principles:
KALMAN FILTER approach: The true parameters are supposed to vary like a random walk with incremental covariance matrix R1.
FORGETTING FACTOR approach: Old measurements are discounted exponentially. The base of the decay is the forgetting factor lambda.
GRADIENT method: The update step is taken as a gradient step of length gamma (th_new = th_old + gamma*psi*epsilon).
NORMALIZED GRADIENT method: As above, but gamma is replaced by gamma/(psi'*psi). The Gradient methods are also known as LMS (least mean squares) for the ARX case.
In order to illustrate some of these schemes, let us pick a model and generate some input-output data:
u = sign(randn(50,1)); % input e = 0.2*randn(50,1); % noise th0 = idpoly([1 -1.5 0.7],[0 1 0.5],[1 -1 0.2]); % a low order idpoly model opt = simOptions('AddNoise',true,'NoiseData',e); y = sim(th0,u,opt); z = iddata(y,u); plot(z) % analysis data object
First we build an Output-Error model of the data we just plotted. Use a second order model with one delay, and apply the forgetting factor algorithm with lambda = 0.98:
thm1 = roe(z,[2 2 1],'ff',0.98);
The four parameters can now be plotted as functions of time.
plot(thm1), title('Estimated parameters') legend('par1','par2','par3','par4','location','southwest')
The true values are as follows:
hold on, plot(ones(50,1)*[1 0.5 -1.5 0.7],'--','linewidth',2), title('Estimated parameters (solid) and true values (dashed)') hold off
Now let us try a second order ARMAX model, using the RPLR approach (i.e. ELS) with Kalman filter adaptation, assuming a parameter variance of 0.001:
thm2 = rplr(z,[2 2 2 0 0 1],'kf',0.001*eye(6)); plot(thm2), title('Estimated parameters') legend('par1','par2','par3','par4','par5','par6','location','bestoutside') axis([0 50 -2 2])
The true values are as follows:
hold on, plot(ones(50,1)*[-1.5 0.7 1 0.5 -1 0.2],'--','linewidth',2) title('Estimated parameters and true values') title('Estimated parameters (solid) and true values (dashed)') hold off
So far we have assumed that all data are available at once. We are thus studying the variability of the system rather than doing real on-line calculations. The algorithms are also prepared for such applications, but they must then store more update information. The conceptual update then becomes:
1. Wait for measurements y and u. 2. Update: [th,yh,p,phi] = rarx([y u],[na nb nk],'ff',0.98,th',p,phi); 3. Use th for whatever on-line application required. 4. Go to 1.
Thus the previous estimate th is fed back into the algorithm along with the previous value of the "P-matrix" and the data vector phi.
We now do an example of this where we plot just the current value of th.
[th,yh,p,phi] = rarx(z(1,:),[2 2 1],'ff',0.98); plot(1,th(1),'*',1,th(2),'+',1,th(3),'o',1,th(4),'*'), axis([1 50 -2 2]),title('Estimated Parameters'),drawnow hold on; for kkk = 2:50 [th,yh,p,phi] = rarx(z(kkk,:),[2 2 1],'ff',0.98,th',p,phi); plot(kkk,th(1),'*',kkk,th(2),'+',kkk,th(3),'o',kkk,th(4),'*') end hold off
The command SEGMENT segments data that are generated from systems that may undergo abrupt changes. Typical applications for data segmentation are segmentation of speech signals (each segment corresponds to a phonem), failure detection (the segments correspond to operation with and without failures) and estimating different working modes of a system. We shall study a system whose time delay changes from two to one.
load iddemo6m.mat z = iddata(z(:,1),z(:,2));
First, take a look at the data:
The change takes place at sample number 20, but this is not so easy to see. We would like to estimate the system as an ARX-structure model with one a-parameter, two b-parameters and one delay:
y(t) + a*y(t-1) = b1*u(t-1) + b2*u(t-2)
The three pieces of information to be given are: the data, the model orders, and a guess of the variance (r2) of the noise that affects the system. If the variance is entirely unknown, it can be estimated automatically. Here we set it to 0.1:
nn = [1 2 1]; [seg,v,tvmod] = segment(z,nn,0.1);
Let's take a look at the segmented model. On light-colored axes, the lines for the parameters a, b1 and b2 appear in blue, green, and red colors, respectively. On dark colored axes, these lines appear in yellow, magenta, and cyan colors, respectively.
plot(seg) hold on
We see clearly the jump around sample number 19. b1 goes from 0 to 1 and b2 vice versa, which shows the change of the delay. The true values can also be shown:
plot(pars) hold off
The method for segmentation is based on AFMM (adaptive forgetting through multiple models), Andersson, Int. J. Control Nov 1985. A multi-model approach is used in a first step to track the time varying system. The resulting tracking model could be of interest in its own right, and are given by the third output argument of SEGMENT (tvmod in our case). They look as follows:
The SEGMENT alternative is thus an alternative to the recursive algorithms RPEM, RARX etc for tracking time varying systems. It is particularly suited for systems that may change rapidly.
From the tracking model, SEGMENT estimates the time points when jumps have occurred, and constructs the segmented model by a smoothing procedure over the tracking model.
The two most important "knobs" for the algorithm are r2, as mentioned before, and the guessed probability of jumps, q, the fourth input argument to SEGMENT. The smaller r2 and the larger q, the more willing SEGMENT will be to indicate segmentation points. In an off line situation, the user will have to try a couple of choices (r2 is usually more sensitive than q). The second output argument to SEGMENT, v, is the loss function for the segmented model (i.e. the estimated prediction error variance for the segmented model). A goal will be to minimize this value.
The reflected signal from a laser (or radar) beam contains information about the distance to the reflecting object. The signals can be quite noisy. The presence of objects affects both the distance information and the correlation between neighboring points. (A smooth object increases the correlation between nearby points.)
In the following we study some quite noisy laser range data. They are obtained by one horizontal sweep, like one line on a TV-screen. The value is the distance to the reflecting object. We happen to know that an object of interest hides between sample numbers 17 and 48.
The eye is not good at detecting the object. We shall use "segment". First we detrend and normalize the data to a variance about one. (This is not necessary, but it means that the default choices in the algorithm are better tuned).
hline = detrend(hline)/200;
We shall now build a model of the kind:
y(t) + a y(t-1) = b
The coefficient 'a' will pick up correlation information.


because it can release the waste heat from cold side to the ambient. 2.2.3 Multistage TE Module The COP of the cooling system will decrease when the dissimilar temperature is increased, but the usage of multistage thermoelectric module can improve its performance [2,15-16]. The researchers reported that the difference performance between single module and multistage module is about 35.8%. The multistage module may lead to the maximization of the cooling efficiency with appropriate number of stages with cascaded thermoelectric cooler modules. Figure 5 is the picture of single module of TEC.
Fig. 5. Single module of TEC [7].
Multistage module highly required when the temperature different is large. The multistage design essentially place two or more single module which stacked on each other just like figure 6 [10]. Increasing the number of stages increases the coefficient of performance for a given cold side temperature.
Fig. 6. Picture of multistage module of thermolelctric cooler [7].
The average (COP) of the cooling system of TEC with photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) is calculated and the result shows that the cooling capacity of the heat pipe PV/T is about 35.77 KWh during daytime. This system is very useful in summer days because the high surrounding temperature and the heat produced by TEC will give electrical energy to the PV/T [17]. Harman method can be used to evaluate the cooling performance of TEC by obtaining the figure of merit, ZT through direct current and transient voltage response. Nonetheless, this method does not work accurately. Therefore, a heat flow meter was developed to reduce the measurement time. By using this method, the figure of merit is expected to be achieved by 3% of deviation due to the transient cooling power, variable technique to measure and value of thermal loss [18]. In 2014, Harman method is testing for isothermal condition which is small condition and isothermal interface, flexible thermal gradient but compare to Wei Zhu et al.[18] that measure the cooling performance by the obtained the figure of merit. The configuration and its imedence of the module is including for this method because different application usage required to measure large impedance variation of the module. This method is to measure the module but it does not include the ceramic part of TEM [19]. The comparison COP between TEC and conventional cooling system is the TEC have limited usage in cooling application due to the low COP but Jaziel et al. have found that an optimal cooling with respect to the injected electric currents with 36% improvement in the performance by determining the relationship between elliptic isocontours for different temperature and thermal performance measured by thermal ZT. The isocontour obtain to apply electric current for each thermoelectric and the current flow in stage of cooler condition [20]. While the COP of conventional cooling system is higher due to the currently technology but it is still does not reduce the electricity usage if the system is running continuously. 2.3 Thermoelectric Applications TE device is considered as successfully commercialized due to high reliability, low weight and less maintenance. [21]. Thermoelectric offers two primary applications, one is for renewable energy utilization and second is for generating electricity with waste energy during heating or cooling process. This module can operate as a cooler or electricity generator. Cooler mode allows the module to transform the current flow to the the temperature current to temperature gradient. Meanwhile, electricity generator mode allows the module to produce electricity caused by the temperature gradient.
2.3.1 Air Conditioner Thermoelectric air conditioner is simple, convenient system and environmental friendly [1]. The cooling and heating mode is easily changed by reversing the current input. Nevertheless, the system is costly. The low (COP) of thermoelectric is the factor that limits its application for domestic cooling even though the thermoelectric air conditioner (TEAC) is noiseless and compact. The COP of cooling performance of an air conditioner can highly performance depends on the absorption of heat from thermoelectric converter. 2.3.2 Refrigerator A refrigerator installed with a TE system used Peltier cooling principle to provide a quick cooling cycle which can reduces theof electrical charges in the thermoelectric material. This principle is noiseless, reliable, has low cost of production and has the merit of being light. One interesting additional application for refrigerator where the solar cell operated in tandem with thermoelectric device through photovoltaic effect that receive solar energy from solar cell and then converts it to electricity [1]. 2.3.3 Electronic Cooling Device An ice-free portable cooling system such as a picnic cooler and portable food and beverages cooler can be implemented with a TEC module. The thermoelectric system is also used to control the cooling of an electronic components of industrial equipments [22] with limited cooling capacity that less than 1000W [23]. 2.3.4 Power Generation Thermoelectric modules can also be used as a power generator. Recent researcher evaluated the performance of TE module in terms of consistency, power output and conversion efficiency [24]. The cost can be reduced to 0.02/kWh. Thermoelectric generator is to produce electricity by harvesting waste heat from the thermoelectric system [1]. Therefore, the heat waste also can generate high potential electric. Due to the electricity produced the steelwork industry and automobile engines are applied the heat waste as as energy sources. Sharma et al. [5] has reviewed that the electrical power generation of thermoelectric is able to generate thermoelectric refrigerator and heat pump. 2.3.5 Hybrid System Sharma et al. [5] had experimented the hybrid system with vapor compression and thermoelectric system. The performance of the thermoelectric air conditioner has a large potential market because of its simplicity, reliabilty and environmental friendly. However, the cost of this system is expensive. Although the COP of thermoelectric air conditioner is low, it can used for small enclosures such as car and submarine. Some researchers analyzed the performance of the thermoelectric cooling attached with a solar cell and they found that the waste heat was able to produce temperature gradient which is appropriate for application that control temperature [5,25].
2.4 Commersial TEC Air Conditioner (TEAC) In our daily life, the refrigeration is required for many applications and Peltier Effect is more interesting for air conditioner. The efficiency of an air conditioner is measured by the COP, the rate of heat transfer and the maximum value of temperature that can be reached from hot side and the cold side. The COP depends on the figure of merit of semiconductor material [26]. TEAC is widely used in the lower cooling capacity because it can be powered directly with a DC supply. The TEAC is also convenient, light, easy to control and can be set up quickly. S.B.Riffat and Guoquan Qie reported that the range of operating temperature is about -40℃ to 70°C and can directly powered to sources or photovoltaic cell [27].
Fig. 7. Schematic of TEAC [27].
Figure 7 shows the process of removing heat from the room which is then utilized by the air conditioner which produces a cooling effect to the refrigerant. However, the refrigerant used in the air conditioner may cause the release of harmful gases such as Freon, Ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. By installing the TE module to the air conditioner might reduce the air pollution as it is an eco-friendly device [28]. Benziger and Anu Nair [28] conclude that the lower power input can be obtained at higher COP so the rate of energy consumption can be reduced. Tipsaenporm et al. [29] reported that the thermoelectric cooling capacity will proportionally increase depending on the current electrical input and ratio of thermoelectric element. 2.5 Discussion TEC is the module that can be applied in different areas due to its functionality that gives many advantages. There are no limitations of TEC usage in any application. However, the improvement of the COP of the cooling system has been made and the researcher found that the COP is increased when the cooling capacity is increase [29]. The TEC module has been implemented in medical and scientific application, automotive heating and cooling, and air conditioning integrated with PV solar. The application of thermoelectric has been summarized in certain characteristic such as an electronic device, automobile application, local refrigeration and scientific usage [30]. However, the application of TEC is not limited because the material is made of high performance efficiency.
The comparison of COP between TEC and conventional air conditioner has been made which resulting the range of actual COP is 2.6-3.0 and 0.38-0.45 respectively [30]. However, optimization on the TEAC needed to be done to increase the cooling performance in a higher cooling range by reducing usage of cooling capacity. The corresponding experimental data will be used for validation purpose. The experimental validation offers the expected accuracy level quantification and demonstrates the reliability of the model in the practical conditions.
3 Conclusion An extensive literature review has been carried out on the cooling performance of TEC and its application to appliances. At this point, the specific result of the flexibility aspect of TEAC technique found that the solution about the conventional air conditioner problem such as noise, size and vibration can be overcome by TE module. For many years, Bismuth Telluride (BiTe) is the best ZT that equal to 1 which the efficiency is about 5-7% for most application but still not suitable for temperature over 230℃ because it can fall off rapidly at the hot side of TEC [11]. However, the performance of BiTe


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The fruit looks somewhat like a small grapefruit with an uneven skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Yuzu fruits, which are very aromatic, typically range between 5.5 cm (2.16 in) and 7.5 cm (2.95 in) in diameter, but can be as large as a regular grapefruit (up to 10 cm (3.93 in) or larger).
Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has many large thorns. Leaves are notable for a large, leaf-like petiole, resembling those of the related kaffir lime and Ichang papeda, and are heavily scented.
Yuzu closely resembles sudachi (a Japanese citrus from Tokushima Prefecture, a yuzu–mandarin orange cross) in many regards, though unlike the sudachi, yuzu eventually ripen to an orange colour and there are subtle differences between the flavours of the fruit. The yuzu originated and grows wild in central China and Tibet. It was introduced to Japan and Korea during the Tang dynasty, and is still cultivated there. It grows slowly, generally requiring 10 years to fruit. It is unusual among citrus plants in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy C. ichangensis ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters as low as −9 °C (15 °F) where more sensitive citrus would not thrive.


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[Breaking Down Wooo UT] 19 Lamps? Surprised at Odd Number [Part 6]
Nikkei Electronics Breakdown Team started analyzing the ultrathin backlight unit. After observing the optical sheets, we looked into the light source.
The thickness of an LCD panel greatly depends on what light source and what locating method are employed. Hitachi explained it had employed an EEFL (external electrode fluorescent lamp), a kind of fluorescent tube, for the light source and used the "direct method," which locates the lamps behind the panel.
That gave us a hint. We thought we would surely find multiple lamps (EEFLs) under the optical sheets. To confirm it with our own eyes, we removed the four sheets and the diffuser panel. It certainly was the direct method. There was an array of slim lamps beneath the display.
"What? Nineteen?" cried an engineer, breaking the silence of the Breakdown Team, which was impressed that the sight was exactly as expected.
Apparently, 19 lamps were used in it. We heard most 32-inch LCD TVs use 10 to 14 lamps. Is the engineer being amazed at the larger number of lamps in there? To reduce the thickness of a backlight unit, however, it is a sure formula to increase the number of lamps.
The engineer continued, "An odd number of lamps is rare."
I see. He was surprised that the odd number of lamps was used.
The engineer began to guess why Hitachi had chosen to use the odd number of lamps.
- [Breaking Down Wooo UT] Hitachi's 35mm LCD TV Arrives [Part 1]
- [Breaking Down Wooo UT] 'It's So Simple' - Rear Chassis Removed [Part 2]
- [Breaking Down Wooo UT] Mysterious Cream-colored Sheet [Part 3]
- [Breaking Down Wooo UT] 'Stunned' by Ultrathin Power Board [Part 4]
- [Breaking Down Wooo UT] '4 Sheets' in Ultrathin Backlight [Part 5]


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Welcome to your Jewish StudiesResearch Guide. This guide is intended to introduce students enrolled in Jewish Studies courses to useful research materials. Within this guide you will find information on how to locate, utilize and cite information resources that support the Jewish Studies research here at CSUN and beyond.
The following databases are recommended for Jewish Studies Research.
Using OneSearch type in your keywords and click Go.
Click on the 'Books' filer under 'Resource Type' on the left-hand side of the search results. You will find books on your subject (like these examples pictured below), both in print and electronic formats.


'Biology in a Box' Makes Science and Math Fun
Students across eighty school districts are playing with skulls, fossils, and teeth while learning about math and science through the Biology in a Box program. The program—the brainchild of Susan Riechert, professor of ecology and evolutional biology and a collaboration with NIMBioS— consists of boxes which house scientific materials such as preserved specimens, instruments, audio and visual clips, etc., with corresponding exercises that integrates both science and mathematics through all grade levels. It has been successful in attracting students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines by incorporating a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to teach the wonders of the living world, as well as introducing the scientific methods and math skills used to understand that world.


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Council of Europe publishes report on minority languages in Slovakia
Strasbourg 28 February 2007. The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers made public the first report on the situation of minority languages in Slovakia on 21.02.07.
On the basis of this report, the Council of Europe calls on Slovakia to improve its legislative framework in favour of minority language protection. In particular, it asks the Slovak authorities to review the remaining restrictions on minority language use in all spheres of public life, including the limitation of administrative use to those municipalities where at least 20% of the population are minority language speakers.
This report has been drawn up by a committee of independent experts which monitors the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Further to the report, the Committee of Ministers has adopted a series of recommendations addressed to Slovakia. These include:
- Improvement of the provision of minority language education
- A stronger presence of minority languages in the media
- Promotion of awareness and tolerance concerning minority languages in Slovak society at large
In Slovakia, 9 minority languages are protected under the Charter: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Polish, Romany, Ruthenian and Ukrainian.
The full text of the report and the Committee of Ministers' recommendations can be downloaded from the Charter's website: _URL_ ("Reports and Recommendations" section).
Further information can also be found on the Charter's website, or by contacting the Charter Secretariat (Directorate of Co-operation for Local and Regional Democracy, DG I - Legal Affairs, Council of Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg, _EMAIL_)