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|Introduction | Sustainability Factors | Content Categories | Format Descriptions | Contact|
|Full name||ESRI Shapefile|
The ESRI Shapefile (known here as the ESRI Shapefile format), stores nontopological geometry and attribute information for the spatial features in a data set. A shapefile consists minimally of a main file, an index file, and a dBASE table.
In the main file, the geometry for a feature is stored as a shape comprising a set of vector coordinates. This main file is a direct access, variable-record-length file in which each record describes a shape with a list of its vertices. In the index file, each record contains the offset of the corresponding main file record from the beginning of the main file. Attributes are held in a dBASE format file. The dBASE table contains feature attributes with one record per feature. Attribute records in the dBASE file must be in the same order as records in the main file. Each attribute record has a one-to-one relationship with the associated shape record.
The shapefile format can support point, line, and area features. Area features are represented as closed loop, double-digitized polygons.
Instances of the Shapefile format have often been used as a data exchange format from ESRI formats to non-ESRI applications. The format is most useful for writing simple features and attributes quickly as there are limitations inherent in the Shapefile format related to both geometry and attributes. As outlined elsewhere in this description, these limitations may cause loss of data when using shapefiles to contain or exchange complex geometry or attributes. The Shapefile format may be used as an intermediary between data creation applications and more functionally capable GIS formats and applications, albeit with the limitations noted in the Dataset/Normal Dataset section.
The cluster of files is typically stored in the same file directory or project workspace, with all component files having the same filename (prefix) and identified by individual file extension (suffixes). Three components are mandatory: a main file that contains the feature geometry (.shp), an index file that stores the index of the feature geometry (.shx), and a dBASE table (.dbf) that stores the attribute information of features. A comprehensive list of component files follows:
See Notes for more information about filenames and contents.
|Production phase||The Shapefile format is open and popular for data transfer. An initial state format during map and shape digitization output, employed as a middle state format by many programs and publishers, and used for data transfer between GIS applications. Shapefiles can be created by exporting any data source to a shapefile, digitizing shapes directly, using programming software, or writing directly to the shapefile specifications by creating a program. See Adoption under Sustainability Factors and Notes.|
|Relationship to other formats|
|Must have component||Main file (.shp) and index file (.shx), not described separately on this website.|
|Must have component||Shape_DBF, dBASE Table for ESRI Shapefile (DBF)|
|May have component||Optional component files include files with the following extensions:.sbn;.sbx;.atx;.fbn;.fbx;.ain;.aih;.ixs;.mxs; prj; xml; cpg. None of the formats for these files are described separately on this website.|
|LC experience or existing holdings|
|LC preference||For works acquired for its collections, the list of Library of Congress Recommended Format Specifications for Still Image works, as of June 2014, indicates that the Shapefile format, ESRI_Shape, is a preferred format for cartographic images. Since ESRI_Shape is supported by widely adopted geospatial information systems and by well supported open source software libraries it is also a preferred format for geospatial data. See the Library of Congress Recommended Format Specifications for Datasets/Databases.|
|Disclosure||Fully documented. Developed and regulated by the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), as an open specification for data interoperability among ESRI and other software products.|
|Documentation||ESRI Shapefile Technical Description: An ESRI White Paper—July 1998|
During the 1990s, ESRI introduced the Shapefile format and it soon became a de facto standard. The format is still widely deployed today, although the limitations outlined in the Quality and functionality factors and Notes within this description have led many contemporary users to move to geodatabase formats.
There are many applications, software libraries, and programming languages that can view, use or manipulate data in the Shapefile format including nearly all GIS applications, as well as web-based applications such as Google Earth. Data streams, such as those from global positioning system (GPS) receivers, can also be stored in the Shapefile format or X,Y event tables.
A number of U.S. government agencies have distributed data in Shapefile format, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the interagency National Atlas of the United States project led by USGS. See Notes for more detail on the Shapefile format data available from these agencies. In addition, the Open Source Geospatial Foundation Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (OSGEO/OGR) supports the Shapefile format, and the Safe Software FME Spatial Data Transformation Platform supports read and write of the Shapefile format on Windows, Linux 32 and 64 bit, and Solaris operating systems.
|Transparency||Computer programs can be created to read or write the Shapefile format using the technical specification in ESRI Shapefile Technical Description: An ESRI White Paper—July 1998.|
|Self-documentation||GIS metadata documenting important characteristics of the resource found in the Shapefile format such as bounding coordinates, datum, etc. may be included as a.xml file within the file group.|
|Technical protection considerations||TBD|
The ESRI Shapefile format is a special-purpose dataset for storing nontopological geometry and attribute information for the spatial features in a data set. Its component Shape_DBF file uses a constrained form of the dBASE File Format (DBF) to store feature attributes using a limited set of data types.
Some relevant considerations are outlined in the ESRI Help explanation "Geoprocessing Considerations for Shapefile Output," including the idea that the relative simplicity of the Shapefile format's structure means that data may be lost if the format is used to transfer complex geometry and attributes. The document also notes that the format's attributes cannot contain null values, and stores numeric values as characters rather than binary, thus leading to rounding errors for numbers containing decimal places, i.e., real numbers. The format also lacks good support for Unicode character strings, thus limiting the use of non-English languages, and does not allow field names longer than ten characters. The format cannot store both a date and a time in the same date field, and cannot support spatial domains or subtypes. In terms of geometry limitations, instances of the Shapefile format have a 2 GB size limitation for any of the component file, but any given instance may take up to three to five times as much space as file GIS databases. The Shapefile format does not contain an XY tolerance (the minimum distance between coordinates before they are considered equal), thus impacting the precision with which comparison between features can be calculated. Since circular arc curves are not supported in the format, existing circular arc curves will be transformed to simple line features with closely spaced vertices rather than as true arcs.
|Support for software interfaces (APIs, etc.)||There are many non-ESRI applications that can view, use and output instances of the Shapefile format, although the instances that are output can easily be corrupted, and may not be properly formatted. Information about how to create data in the Shapefile format can be found within the ESRI Shapefile Technical Description: An ESRI White Paper—July 1998. Links to a free C library for reading and/or writing the Shapefile format, and an Open Source (MIT License) Python library for reading/writing in the format can be found in the Useful References section.|
|Data documentation (quality, provenance, etc.)||The minimal requirements for an instance of the Shapefile format do not specify a place for the documentation of data quality or provenance.|
|GIS images and datasets|
The minimal structure for the Shapefile format (i.e., the required.shp,.shx,.dbf files in the cluster) facilitates georeferencing to the extent that "auxiliary" files are also clustered in the same directory structure, including a.prj file for projection information, and a.txt or.xml file for metadata. If the metadata record for a given Shapefile format instance includes coordinates, datum, and scale, the location for the features represented by the instance of the format can be accurately and precisely determined.
The Shapefile format handles single features that overlap or that are noncontiguous. The format can support point, line, and area features. Area features are represented as closed loop, double-digitized polygons.
Because the format does not have the processing overhead of a topological data structure, it typically requires less disk space and is easier to read and write. It has advantages over some more complex geospatial data formats such as faster drawing speed and editability. However, Shapefiles do not have a spatial domain, which defines the geographic extent that all coordinates must fall within. This spatial extent is useful when editing geometry since it prevents you from entering coordinates outside the extent. See Normal Dataset and Notes for further limitations.
|Support for GIS metadata||When.txt or.xml files are included within the Shapefile cluster's directory, they are usually intended


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There are many reasons you might choose to forget a Wi-Fi network, especially while troubleshooting wireless network problems. Regardless of the causes, provided below are a few solutions on how to forget your Wi-Fi Network swiftly.
How to Remove a Wi-Fi Network on a Macbook?
Here's how you can remove a Wi-Fi network on a Macbook.
- Head to the Menu Bar at the top of the Mac home screen.
(You may also opt to navigate towards the WiFi settings by clicking on the Apple Logo at the far left of the menu bar and heading towards the System Preferences)
- Click on the Wi-Fi icon present on the Menu Bar.
- As soon as you click on this, a menu bar will appear. Click on the Advanced Options at the bottom of the menu.
- The Advanced Option leads to another tray with detailed options based on managing your computer networks.
- You will notice a list of Wi-Fi networks located under Preferred Networks.
- Select the Network you would like to be removed and Press on the (–) symbol located below it.
- Your Macbook will then reconfirm the option in another Dialog Box.
- Select the Remove option. The selected Wi-Fi is now removed.
How to Remove Wi-Fi Network Using Keychain Access?
Apple devices have a file named Keychain Access which stores all your login, passwords and other information related to your Macbook accounts. This file also lets you access your WiFi network passwords.
You can remove your Wi-Fi network through this file as well. Follow the steps below to remove your WiFi network via Keychain Access.
- Open Launchpad on your Macbook.
- Search for Keychains in the Search Bar located at the top of the Launchpad.
- Click on the Keychain Access Application.
- As soon as you open the application, the list of saved passwords in your current and connected iOS Devices will appear. Press on the column with the Kind category enlisted.
- This makes it easier to distinguish the AirPort Network Passwords.
- Control Press on the WiFi Network you'd like to forget.
- Select the Delete option.
How to Retrieve a Wi-Fi Password Using Keychain Access?
After forgetting a Wi-Fi network, you might find yourself in another fix to access it later. There is a file that stores all our previous passwords.
Keychain Access comes to the rescue once again. You can easily retrieve your old Wi-Fi passwords using these simple steps:
- Open Keychain Access in your Macbook.
- Under the Kind category, you will find the list of all specified types of saved passwords. Scroll saved Wi-Fi passwords through the Airport Network Password and search the Wi-Fi network you'd like to retrieve.
- Control Press the network you would like to retrieve and select the Get Info option.
- Another Dialog Box will appear with details based on the selected Wi-Fi. Select the Show Password option.
- This will guide you to another Dialog Box, prompting you to enter your Keychain Access Password. Enter your Macbook login password (Username Password) and Press Ok.
- You have now successfully retrieved your WiFi Password.
How to Prioritize Your Wi-Fi Networks?
Instead of forgetting networks, you may also opt to prioritize stronger WiFi Networks. Saving the old networks instead of deleting them helps you keep older networks available for a rainy day. Here are a few quick steps to prioritize a network:
- Following the steps mentioned above, navigate towards the Network Settings.
- Press on the Advanced button.
- This opens up another box with all the WiFi Network Connections placed under Network Name.
- Simply, select the WiFi Network connection that you would like to prioritize and move it above other WiFi networks. The higher the Wi-Fi placement, the bigger the priority.
- So, the next time you open your Macbook and try to connect a known Wi-Fi, it will connect based on priority in the list.
Why Is My Wi-Fi Network Lagging?
Your router can usually support up to 250 devices at once. However, if there are many devices connected, the bandwidth will be distributed. This can ultimately cause lagging and bad reception.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Some users will find that they have existing test code that they would like to run from unittest, without converting every old test function to a TestCase subclass.
For this reason, unittest provides a FunctionTestCase class. This subclass of TestCase can be used to wrap an existing test function. Set-up and tear-down functions can also be provided.
Given the following test function:
def testSomething(): something = makeSomething() assert something.name is not None #...
one can create an equivalent test case instance as follows:
testcase = unittest.FunctionTestCase(testSomething)
If there are additional set-up and tear-down methods that should be called as part of the test case's operation, they can also be provided like so:
testcase = unittest.FunctionTestCase(testSomething, setUp=makeSomethingDB, tearDown=deleteSomethingDB)
To make migrating existing test suites easier, unittest supports tests raising AssertionError to indicate test failure. However, it is recommended that you use the explicit TestCase.fail*() and TestCase.assert*() methods instead, as future versions of unittest may treat AssertionError differently.
Note: Even though FunctionTestCase can be used to quickly convert an existing test base over to a unittest-based system, this approach is not recommended. Taking the time to set up proper TestCase subclasses will make future test refactorings infinitely easier.
See About this document... for information on suggesting changes.


UK is branded a 'climate criminal' over coal plans
Campaigners in 40 countries say UK's proposed new coal power plants will undercut emission deals
A global protest against UK plans to build new coal power plants is being launched today by campaigners from more than 40 developing countries accusing the government of being a "climate criminal".
They have written an open letter to energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband that follows repeated warnings from UK groups that the decisions to approve new coal power plants and the expansion of Heathrow airport would damage the nation's position in international negotiations when it tries to persuade other countries to cut global-warming emissions.
The 27 groups, including campaigners from India, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines and Uganda, say they are "alarmed" that the UK government is considering allowing new coal plants to be built, including one at Kingsnorth in Kent. They blame emissions from rich countries for causing global warming and the "increased floods, droughts, sea-levels and disease" that threaten the livelihoods of "hundreds of millions of people".
"Coal power is the most climate-polluting way to generate electricity," continues the letter. "New coal power stations in the UK will exacerbate the impacts of climate change on impoverished communities in the south[ern hemisphere]... A decision to support new coal power stations will confirm the UK as a climate criminal in the international climate-change negotiations."
The groups oppose the current plans to build coal plants with no equipment for carbon capture and storage (CCS), and existing proposals for a "demonstration" of the technology are inadequate, said the World Development Movement, the UK-based poverty campaigning charity which coordinated the letter.
The letter also criticises proposals to offset the carbon dioxide from coal plants by investing in clean technology projects in the developing world through the UN's Clean Development Mechanism, which the groups say has "continuously had negative impacts on communities in the global south while failing to cut emissions".
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Scientists Spend 27,000 Euros to Study the Ozzy Osbourne Genome
By: Jordan M - Published: • References: &
The Ozzy Osbourne genome is the target of a 27,000-euromapping procedure, making the rocker one of the few people in history to have the process done on them.
Scientists from the US company 'Knome' have chosen the Ozzy Osbourne genome because they feel his continued survival after decades of legendary drug and alcohol abuse might shed some light on how the human body adapts to drugs, and why some people like Ozzy Osbourne are more resistant to their negative long-term effects.
If they've already chosen Ozzy Osbourne, however, it definitely can't be long until Keith Richards gets the call as well. Stats for Rockstar Genome Mapping Trending: Older & Chilly
Traction: 1,066 clicks in 242 w
Interest: 4 minutes
Concept: Ozzy Osbourne
Related: 46 examples / 35 photos
Segment: Neutral, 18-55+
Comparison Set: 17 similar articles, including: 25 dna & art fusions, 40 dna and genome finds, and dr develops enzyme that destroys aids.


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Cyber Terrorism: Political and Economic Implications
Cyber Terrorism: Political and Economic Implications is a cyber terrorism brief that outlines many of the recent terrorist activities, political objectives, and their use of cyberspace. Much of this book is dedicated to illustrating the use of the global information infrastructure by terrorists for the communication and coordination of distributed terrorist cells, the gathering of target intelligence, and the use of cyber criminal activities as a force multiplier for both physical attacks and infrastructure destabilization. This book identifies the underlying technologies of the global information infrastructure as a means for presenting how critical this emerging domain has become. It then discusses the current attack methods and lays out a series of scenarios for key industry sectors. Lastly, Cyber Terrorism: Political and Economic Implications puts forward prevention and response policies for reducing cyber terrorism activities in the context of traditional information security objectives.
What people are saying - Write a review
Review: Cyber Terrorism: Political and Economic ImplicationsUser Review - Davin - Goodreads
The book was well written and discusses the ideals of terrorism in a cyber generation. It did not talk over what a normal person should be able to understand. The concepts are presented clearly. I was... Read full review


Call _PHONE_ to speak with a counselor.
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is also known as sexual aversion disorder and is seen in both men and women[1]. It is defined as "an absence or lack of any sexual desire and sexual fantasies". Usually it can be mild, but when it becomes severe, it can cause severe distress in the patient and also cause problems with the relationship.
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is listed in the DSM-IV under "Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders" category. The disorder has to be unrelated to any other mental illness, or drug abuse for it to be recognized as a sexual disorder. The disorder has many subtypes but it is mostly a lack of sexual desire for their partner. It can originate even after normal sexual function at anytime in a person's life and can become life-long.
The exact cause of the disorder is unknown; it can be a combination of social, physiological and psychological elements that can cause it. Simply having low sexual desire is not enough for the disorder to be diagnosed; rather it should be severe enough to cause marked depression and distress to the patient. The following are a few causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder:
Physical Causes:
Hypoactive sexual desire disorder can cause tension in your relationship.
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
A low sex drive can start with a change in medication or illnesses. Physically the person may not feel up to indulging in sexual intercourse. The following are some physical causes of HSDD:
Sexual Problems:
Sexual problems such as experiencing pain during intercourse or not being able to experience orgasm can hamper sexual desire
Medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, neurological conditions and coronary artery diseases can also affect sexual desire.
Prescription medicines which include anti-seizure medicines and antidepressants also cause a drop in sexual desire.
Alcohol and Drugs:
Over indulging in alcohol and illicit drug use can kill sex drive in people. Too much alcohol use can decrease sex drive markedly.
Surgery which is related to genitals or breasts in women (such as surgery for cancer) can also hamper sexual desire due to low self esteem and body image issues.
Constantly caring for young children or aging parents can tire out a person leaving no mood for sexual intercourse.
Psychological Causes:
Psychological causes of low sex drive are many and include depression and anxiety as the main causes. The following are a few psychological causes of a low sex drive in men and women:
 - Depression
 - Anxiety
 - Stress especially work stress or financial stress
 - Body image issues
 - Low self esteem
 - Physical abuse or sexual abuse in the past
Relationship Issues:
If a relationship suffers, sex drive may also suffer. For many people, especially women, closeness in the relationship is necessary for sexual intimacy. If the relationship has problems, a low sex drive can develop[3]. If there are any unresolved conflicts, lack of communication, constant fights, infidelity and breach of trust and miscommunication between partners, a low sex drive may develop in one of the partners.
Hormone Changes:
Women going through hormonal changes experience altered sexual desire. These changes are most prominent during the following:
When a woman is going through menopause her Estrogen levels tend to drop during the period of transition[4]. This can cause vaginal dryness and a decrease in sex interest. Due to vaginal dryness, painful intercourse also results. The male hormone testosterone also drops, which although is much lower in women, is also important to boost sex drive. Some women are able to have a satisfactory sex life during menopause and even after it, but many women also experience mood swings and depression during the period which also contribute to low sexual desire.
Pregnancy and Lactation (Breast Feeding):
Sometime hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and during the period after birth can dampen a woman's sex drive. Fatigue and body image issues also contribute to the overall lowering of sexual desire. This can also work in the opposite manner, when the male partner can feel sexual aversion due to pregnancy and lactation (breast feeding) in their partner.
Specific Causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Men:
Usually men are diagnosed with one of the following three subtypes, even if more exist these can be:
Life-Long or Generalized: in this men feel no sexual stimulation or desire for sex. This type is rare as the male may feel no desire with a partner or even on his own, and never has before.
Situational or Acquired: in this disorder a man who was previously sexually active is now not active anymore. The sexual desire has been lost for their present partner but not lost overall. That is, sexual stimulation still exists with a partner other than their present one.
Acquired Generalized: in this disorder a man who was previously sexually interested in their present partner has lost all sexual interest altogether. This includes a loss of sexual desire with another partner or even sexual stimulation on his own.
The disorder can be treated with the help of medication and counseling at times, but most of the time the root cause has to be diagnosed for successful treatment to begin. Thorough tests and examinations need to be conducted followed by a detailed interview in which the psychological causes are also assessed if a person is feeling a low sexual desire.
Current medicines taken by the patient are reviewed by the doctor and if the current medicines are interfering with sex drive, they can be switched to other medicines that don't cause this side effect. Hormone therapy can also help if a lowered hormone level is the cause.
Usually a sex therapist or a skilled counselor can help a person understand their own loss of sexual desire. Therapy includes sexual response education and other practice exercises for couples.
DSM-IV The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition


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Methodios and Irene.
Irene fasted for a week, thanking God for the apples. After this, she ate small pieces of the first apple daily, without any other form of sustenance, for forty days; when she ate, she smelt as if she was exuding myrrh; during this time, the remaining apples became more beautiful and aromatic. On Holy Thursday, she directed her sisterhood to receive Communion; after the Liturgy, the second apple was divided between them; when eaten, so sweet was the taste that the sisters felt as if their souls were being fed. The third apple was kept until Irene would know what to do with it and until then she would often inhale its outstanding fragrance. She partook of this marvelous apple the last week before her repose, at 103 years of age, as her only sustenance.
In the narthex of the Church of St. Irene in Lykovrisi there is a sign concerning the apples distributed at the monastery which reads: "You eat, you believe, you hope" (Τρως, πιστεύεις, ελπίζεις). This pretty much summarizes the instruction on how to obtain divine grace and receive divine intervention towards your needs.
The Monastery of Saint Irene Chrysovalantou in Lykovrisi contains what many believe to be an actual tree of life. Apples played a major role in the life of St. Irene and the monastery has planted apple trees that are blessed and mediate divine grace and healing to all those who receive it with proper faith and preparation. Remarkably these apples also do not rot when cut in slices and maintain moisture, and there is a wonderful fragrance that emit from these apples for a long time even when they dry up after many months.
Many couples who wish to have a child frequently visit or request apples to be sent to them from this monastery hoping in a miracle. Thousands over the years have received this miracle, as is evidenced by the large number of both males and females among the Orthodox who bear the name of either Chrysovalantou or Chrysovalanti. Children who are considered a gift of St. Irene through her miraculous intervention either bear this name as a first or middle name. I have given a sample of two such miracles that appeared in last months periodical of the monastery at the bottom of this page.
It is not only infertile couples which receive miraculous intervention, but also those who are suffering any kind of ailment such as various body pains, cancers, incurable illnesses and diseases, and even emotional pains. It is recommended that to be a recepient of such divine grace, that one must fast strictly for three days and pray. Couples should not enter into sexual relations for those three days either. During those three days if you have holy water, a little should be drunk each day and if you have holy oil from the monastery you should anoint the area of the body for which you are praying with the sign of the cross. If it is a child you are seeking, the mother should also request a belt/cord that is made by the nuns with prayers and blessed for the specific purpose of receiving a child as a gift. When the three days have passed you are to eat the apple. If it be God's will, believe that God will heal you of your ailment and suffering through the intercessions of his faithful and fervent intercessor St. Irene.
The Blessing of the Apples takes place every year on the feast of the Saint on July 28th. A prayer is said "in remembrance of the three apples which were given from Paradise to Saint Irene Chrysovalantou". The apples keep vigil during the service in front of the wonderworking icon of the Saint at which time the appropriate prayer of blessing is said for divine grace to permeate through the apples to bring life to infertile couples and health to all those in need.
In some parishes it is customary to bless apples on the feast of St Irene Chrysovalantou.
My Aunt Received a Vision of Saint Irene in Athens
My mother Panagiota has a very special reverence for Saint Irene Chrysovalantou. Every time she travels to Greece from Boston she always makes a special trip to St. Irene's monastery in Lykovrisi to venerate her wonderous icon. Growing up we always had the periodical being mailed to us from the monastery and our home never lacked a slice from the miraculous holy apple.
One year back in the 1970's she made one of her special pilgrimages together with my father Panagioti and my Aunt Penelope, or Popi as we all call her. Whenever my mother visited this monastery she would always make an offering in gold to the holy icon to be used for the benefit of the monastery and this year she continued that tradition. My father also was wearing a gold necklace and decided to offer this as well. When his older sister, my aunt, saw this she scolded him saying: "Panagiota already made an offering. There is no need for you to make one too and lose your expensive gold necklace." This sounded logical to my father, so he put his necklace back on and they left for Menidi (where my aunt lived) after all had venerated the holy icon.
That night everyone went to bed. As my Aunt Popi was getting ready her husband Apostoli had already fallen asleep. My aunt then got into bed and before she fell asleep, even though the room was pitch dark, she saw a nun enter her bedroom. With fear my aunt looked at her. The nun then said: "Penelope, why did you not allow Panagioti to make his offering?" The nun then turned around and disappeared as she walked away. My aunt realized at once that St. Irene had visited her and scolded her for what she had done.
The next morning when everyone awoke she urgently told my father and mother to get dressed because they had to go back to the monastery for my father to make his offering. They returned to the monastery and my father gladly made his offering.
Years later I had the chance to visit this monastery with my Aunt Popi. In front of the wonderworking icon of St. Irene she became very reverential, remembering the scolding she had received years earlier.
My Grandfather Was Healed By Saint Irene of his Lung Cancer
[The following was written by my sister Vaso Christopoulos concerning another miracle of St. Irene related to the one above, but this time involving my grandfather. -J.S.]
In 1995, my Grandfather, Vasili, who lived near us in Boston, was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was 21 years old and planned a vacation to Greece for that summer. During his chemotherapy treatments my mother Panayiota, who has a special devotion to St. Irene Chrysovalantou, had given her father, my grandfather, the monthly periodicals she received in the mail from St. Irene Chrysovolantou Monastery for him to read since they were written in Greek. These periodicals were filled with miraculous stories of healings through the prayers of St. Irene. He was very moved by these and found faith and hope from reading the stories. He asked that when I visit St. Irene's Monastery to give them a donation from him and buy him an icon of St. Irene as well as a "milo" [apple].
I arrived in Greece and decided to just have a relaxing vacation by myself and visit family, allowing myself no burden of having anything planned. During my stay in Athens I visited with my Aunt Popi from Menidi [see above] and I had the beautiful opportunity (I believe) to be part of a miracle of St. Irene Chrysovolantou. It was a very hot summer afternoon. I spent the day at my aunts house relaxing because of the heat. There weren't many neighbors or family around that day. I had taken an afternoon nap as I usually did, but that afternoon was different. I woke up from my nap with an extreme urgency to go visit the monastery immediately. I didn't question myself nor did I care about the heat or how I was going to get there, but I got up with a mission to go immediately. I remember telling my Aunt Popi and cousin Demetri: "I MUST go to the monastery right now!" Without question, they agreed. My cousin Demetri had a long day at work, but simply said: "OK let's go, I will drive you!" I went with the monetary donation that my Pappou Vasili had given me, and upon his request I prayed before the icon of St. Irene for his recovery of the cancer, spoke to two nuns about my Pappou Vasili, and they assisted me in lighting a candle on his behalf and gave me the milo, an icon and their monthly periodical to bring back to him. I knew I had to call my mother and tell her the task that my Pappou asked me to fulfill was complete.
I called my mother in Boston from my Aunt Popi's house the very next morning when I woke up. I remember telling her the details of my visit to the monastery and at the end of the conversation she gasped and questioned me again to clarify if I really went the day before. I told her yes. Apparently during the time of my visit to the monastery it was also the same time that my Pappou was visiting the doctors to get the test results of his on-going cancer treatments for the lung tumor. The results came back clear of all traces of the tumor. Our family firmly believes that this was a miracle of St. Irene and I have the humble honor of being a part

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Joseph Henry was born in Albany in December 1797. He was the son of Scottish emigres-turned-Albany residents William and Ann Alexander Henry. This younger son of a marginal southside family was sent to live with his grandparents in rural Saratoga County even before his father died in 1811.
He returned to Albany when he was fifteen already having displayed the intellect and curiosity of a scholar. He moved into the South Pearl Street home of his widowed mother.
He also found work as a tutor and surveyor. Interested in drama, he was an amateur actor.
In 1826, he was appointed to the faculty at his alma mater, the Albany Academy.
In May 1830, he married Harriet Alexander in Schenectady. She was the niece of his mother. They had four children.
In 1830, he was listed as a professor at the Academy on Fayette Street in the city directory. His widowed mother also lived at that address.
In 1832, he left Albany for Princeton University. In 1846, he was appointed secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
Joseph Henry died in Washington, DC in May 1878.
Although among the most notable of native sons who became reknowned after they left Albany, his story is most significant in an early Albany context as a case of extreme upward mobility - laborer's son to world-class scientist!
Sources: The life of Joseph Henry is CAP biography number 8420. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources. Numerous biographical treatments in print and online. But see: The Papers of Joseph Henry:... The Albany Years. This sketch considers only his early years in Albany.


text:
How do I view my screen history?
Before you start
Before viewing a screen's history, here are some things to note:
- To ensure that screens appear in the screen history, follow the screen-replacement process mentioned in this article: How do I replace a screen?
- Currently, you cannot view screen history for a Studio prototype.
- You cannot restore old screen versions from History mode.
Viewing a screen's history
To view a screen's history:
- Sign in to your account and navigate to the Projects page.
- Open your prototype and click to open the desired screen.
- At the bottom of the page, click the History mode icon ().
- To view a previous screen version, navigate to the left column and click the desired version.


Team Greatness
Every business, every company, and sport team wants to have the team that excels in is consistent. In business the employees are the ones and especially the frontline employees, where they are in contact with the customers daily. It is here that the customers will see attitudes, moods, plus whether an employee looks happy at the job or not. This is part of what gives the customer the impression of the company. How does a frontline manager or any manager know that the employees are in a good state of mind and a productive state of mind?
There are daily indicators that will allow the manager to know if the team and the day is running smoothly. Following are some of the indicators.
1. Team members treat each other with respect. They talk to each other and interact with each other with smiles and in a helpful manner. They are courteous not only to the customers but also to each other. They make sure that their job is done so that it does not fall on another team member. They are talking to each other and updating each other on how the day is going.
2. At different times during the day there is joking going on but it is professional joking with smiles and laughter. The work is still getting done and it's getting done in an active way. But what is very noticeable is that there is a very upbeat atmosphere.
3. When the shifts need to be covered because something unusual has come up and an employee needs the day off, they will help each other cover the shift. In other words someone will step up and cover the shift for the employee that needs off. This becomes a common practice where no one is taking advantage in any situation.
4. The team as a whole and the individuals of the team want to know more. They are eager to have more training and to learn new things. They want to be involved in what's going on and they want to be heard with new ideas and better ways of doing things.
5. The individuals of the team know the importance of the team. They know from doing a good job, getting things done, and being noticed they are an important part and a valued part of the organization.
When managers stay in touch with teams and the individuals of the team they can notice when the team comes up or goes down. A manager can see when there is a frustration that is affecting the team. When this is caught right away adjustments can be made to get the team back on track. It is about being involved, about seeing what's going on, and is about being part of the team.
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In business over 22 years receiving awards for employee and team building. Now write and coach. Books published. Internationally published. Life Ownership Coach -certified - coaching people to the success of goals and dreams. Have appeared on many radio and speaking engagement. International Coach Federation -2009 National Association of Professional Women Professional Speakers Bureau - International Official guide on for team building


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The Military: Organization behavior and causes for insubordination Essay
The Military: Organization behavior and causes for insubordination
Organizational behavior is the science and the study of the manner in which individuals and groups would function in an organization. Organizational behavior determines the manner in which people would behave in the organization in relation to the individual itself, the group, and the organization and with the social structure. The main aim of studying organizational behavior is to ensure better relationships exist in the organizations, between the individuals groups, and the management, and also that the social structure is improved.
It includes several areas such as management, administration, human resource, leadership, change management, team structure, etc. It also includes several elements, including values, attitudes, culture, vision, goals, and philosophy. One of the serious issues which need to be taken into consideration with reference to the army is military insubordination. Very frequently it is seen that certain individuals or groups in the army may be not compliant to the orders of seniors.
It is very important to note the hierarchical system followed in the army. An individual in the lower rank should follow the orders given by the seniors. It is the duty of the senior to ensure that actions and the behavior of the subordinates are controlled. However, in certain forces of the army, a certain degree of organizational culture exists in which the subordinates would not be following the order of the senior staff members and the process resulting to certain amount of conflict in the army.
In the army, there may be two kinds of situations:-
1. The government expresses are preference for certain actions from the staff members
2. The government allocates certain duties and the tasks for the staff members to carry out.
When a situation arises in the army, these two factors act as indicators to determine the levels of compliance with the orders from the authorities. The level of military subordination can express itself in several ways:-
1. General slowing down of the army operations
2. Soldiers abandoning their assigned positions and duties
3. Giving operational command to the opposition
4. Providing internal information to the opposition
In the army it is found that rational and logical principles guide the behavior of military organizations. Frequently, when actions are required from the lower rank staff members in the army, before any drastic action is taken, they would be questioning the reason behind their actions. Usually, it is the organizational culture, which guides such actions. In developing the organizational culture, the beliefs, values, attitudes and norms play an important role. This organization also plays an important role in determining the manner in which it would react to the external environment.
Frequently, it is the relationship between the higher rank and the lower rank staff members that is utilized to maintain proper functioning in the army. If the degree to the compliance is less, then the relationships existent in the army is poor. Besides, a certain code of organizational ethics needs to be established to ensure that the actions of the staff members are justified. Insubordination can arise due to poor job satisfaction levels, lower levels of investments with other groups and lack of alternatives to redress.
University/College: University of Chicago
Type of paper: Thesis/Dissertation Chapter
Date: 12 January 2017
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New York City Will Reopen Elementary Schools and Phase Out Hybrid Learning
 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an abrupt shift in managing schools during the pandemic. Officials had faced criticism that they prioritized activities like indoor dining over the well-being of children.
Credit...Sarah Blesener for The New York Times
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday that he would reopen public elementary schools, abruptly shifting policy in the face of widespread criticism that officials were placing more of a priority on economic activities like indoor dining than the well-being of New York City's children.
Mr. de Blasio said that middle and high schools would remain closed, but he also signaled that he would overhaul how the city manages schools during the pandemic, which has forced millions of children in the United States out of schools and is widely perceived to have done significant damage to their education and mental health.
The mayor said the city would abandon a 3 percent test positivity threshold that it had adopted for closing the school system, the largest in the country, with 1.1 million children. And he said the system would aim to give most parents the option of sending their children to school five days a week, which would effectively end the so-called hybrid learning system.
Students can return only if they have already signed up for in-person learning, meaning fewer than 335,000 of the city's schoolchildren, or roughly a third, are even eligible.
Children in pre-K and elementary school can return starting Dec. 7. Mr. de Blasio also announced that students with the most complex disabilities can return on Dec. 10.
"Whatever happens ahead, we want this to be the plan going forward," Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference. "We know what we didn't know over the summer, we know what works from actual experience."
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Starting in the summer, Mr. de Blasio sought to make New York the first big city in the country to fully reopen its public school system. After a series of logistical and political problems forced the mayor to twice delay the start of in-person classes, the city welcomed hundreds of thousands of children back into classrooms about two months ago.
Reopening, despite its many issues, was seen as a major milestone in the city's long path to recovery. But less than eight weeks after school buildings reopened, Mr. de Blasio on Nov. 18 again shut schools down as a second wave of the outbreak threatened the city.
Still, the number of cases in the school system itself remained very low, so Mr. de Blasio's decision became a flash point in a broader debate throughout the country and the world over what should be closed during the pandemic. Officials have wrestled with whether to keep classrooms open while forcing restaurants and bars, which are far more likely to spread the virus, to shut their doors
Mr. de Blasio does not directly control regulations regarding indoor dining, gyms and other facilities — those are the purview of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
CORONAVIRUS SCHOOLS BRIEFING: It's back to school — or is it?
Mr. de Blasio's announcement on Sunday reflects a stark departure from the city's original approach to managing the schools during the outbreak.
The new blueprint represents the city's second shot at reopening, after the first attempt was plagued by problems and his threshold to close schools was roundly criticized by parents, politicians and public health experts.
Instead of using a specific metric to close schools, the city will now closely monitor the number of classrooms and schools that close because of multiple confirmed virus cases.
And the mayor had long insisted that the entire public school system should reopen, and that every student, from kindergarten through 12th grade, should have the option of learning in person.
Now, the nation's largest public school district will operate more like other systems across the country that have reopened, by offering classroom instruction only to young children and students with disabilities.Since Mr. de Blasio first announced his plan to reopen schools in July, mounting evidence has shown that elementary schools in particular can be relatively safe, as long as schools follow strict safety protocols.New York's schools had extremely low test positivity rates during the roughly eight weeks they were open this fall, and there was wide agreement from everyone from the president of the teachers' union to the mayor's top public health officials that schools were safer than they had anticipated.
When school buildings reopen, the city will significantly increase its random testing in schools: rather than testing a sampling of students and staff in each school building once a month, the city will conduct tests weekly. Students will not be allowed to attend school in person unless they have signed consent forms from their parents, allowing them to be tested.
Nothing else about New York City's safety plan will change: all staff members and students will still be required to wear masks throughout the day, and social distancing will be mandated. But the city will largely shed its hybrid learning plan, under which children physically attended school a few days a week and learned remotely the rest of the time.
The hybrid learning plan was undercut from the start by a series of rules about who could teach and when, which had been agreed upon by the teachers' union and City Hall.
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Foods with draining qualities such as aduki beans and alfalfa sprouts as especially useful in resolving Dampness in the lower abdomen, affecting the genitourinary system and colon. Dampness in the middle zone of the body which inclusion the Liver Gall Bladder and Stomach can be helped by bitter foods which dry Dampness such as endive and dandelion and pungent foods which break through Dampness such as the onion family. In the upper body, Phlegm in the Lung can be helped by pungent foods such as radish, garlic or mustard greens.
Fruit is generally moistening but certain fruits have decongesting qualities that can benefit Dampness. Papaya, pineapple and pears can be useful helper. Papaya enzymes have sometimes been used to increase the digestibility of meat, and pineapple is a natural accompaniment to cheese. It would be a mistake, and a shame, to cut out fruit; rather, more care needs to be taken not to cause fermentation though combining fruit with starchy foods. It is the more lubricating fruits such as banana and the tropical fruit the are most likely to aggravate Dampness; although, where cold and Dampness combine, all raw fruit intake needs to be very restricted.
The treatment of Dampness depends on how and where it is manifesting. It may be combining with Heat or Cold and focused in the Gall Bladder or manifesting as Phlegm in the Lung. Generally speaking all bitter flavor herbs will be helpful. For example, a cup of coffee a after a meal can help the breakdown of food and when Dampness is affecting the skin, burdock is a good remedy Barley water is an excellent general counter to Dampness (see recipe section). It is customary in China to serve jasmine or green tea with a meal to reduce its Dampening effects. Sage I also recommended as a general remedy for all Damp conditions.
Pungent, decongesting foods can be used to accompany rich foods such as meat. Mustard and horseradish are particularly useful in damp and cold climates such as northern Europe's. These are native plants ideally suited to the civilizations they live with.
Spleen Dampness is addressed by strengthening the Spleen Qi and by stimulating the Spleen's action through the use of bitter and aromatic flavor. This makes aromatic basement rice the rice of choice, especially when flavoring by aromatic herbs and spices such as basil, thyme and fennel. Most beans have a strengthening as well as a drying action: broad bean, which is somewhat a romantic, and chickpea are especially helpful. Corn-on-the-cob and pumpkin provide both Spleen-nourishing and Damp-resolving actions. The combined condition of Cold and Dampness affecting the Spleen can be countered by the inclusion of warm and pungent herbs such as horseradish, cardamom, ginger, clove and black pepper.
Porridge made from millet will help remove Damp Heat from the Stomach and spleen whilst strengthening the kidney at the same time. It is also common to find conditions of Damp Heat in the Intestines. Here both cooling and draining qualities are called for rice and barley are mildly diuretic grains which will help as will the diuretic actions of aduki and mung beans and the draining action of celery, seaweed or watercress. When bloods present in the stool, auburn can be helpful. The bitter nature of pumpkin seedling is also useful.
Dampness in the Stomach, Liver and Gall Bladder
When Dampness combines with Heat and affects the Stomach, Gall Bladder and Liver this may manifest as nausea, discomfort around the lower ribcage, a bilious taste in the mouth and reactionary to foods with moist and hot energies such as fried and fatty food. Bitter foods are called for here and food with cool the system and drain moisture. Judiciously use of sour foods such as unsweetened pickles will also help to decongest the Liver.
Such bitter leaves as chicory and endive are helpful; rye and roasted barley are helpful grains; mung beans will cool and drain moisture. Soup of mung bean and seaweed or water crease soup would be appropriate. A dish of barley and lightly cooked cabbage also has a reputation for helping this condition. Useful herbs include inclusive purslane, wormwood, golden seal, the gentian and dandelion root.
Dampness in the Bladder
Dampness in the Bladder can combine with either Heat or Cold. Its characteristic symptoms are difficult, frequent and cloudy urination. Heat or coldly are distinguished by the color of the urine: more yellow in cased of Heat and more paled in cases of Cold. This pattern frequently occurs as a result of exposure to cold or damp environments. The appropriate dietary approach is to drain the Dampness and resolve the Heat or Cold.
Diuretic foods such as aduki bean or peas are helpfully for all conditions of Dampness in the Bladder. Where Heat is present, melon, alfalfa, aduki or mung bean are good choices; golden-seal, celery seed or corn-silk (the taste on the end of corncob) are very effective as tea and barley water is a classic remedy (see recipe section). Where Cold is present, some warming spices such as fennel, fenugreek or ginger can be added to support the Kidney Yang.
In cases of Hot Phlegm such cooling, bitter and/or pungent foods as radish, watercress and seaweed are appropriate. Where there is Cold, more warming foods such as garlic, onion, horseradish, mustard greens or kohlrabi can be chosen. A simple dish of turnip can be used as a remedy for both Hot and Cold Phlegm.
Expectorant herbs such as mullein, colts-foot, eucalyptus and elderly flower help to resolve conditions of Hot Phlegm. An effective and pleasant tea can be made from equal parts colts-foot, mullein and licorice. Thyme, hyssop, basil and winter savory can be used to resolve Cold Phlegm and tangerine peel is excellent in tea. Nettles provide a useful tonic for the Lung and help resolve all conditions of Phlegm.
Moderating the Effects of Dampening Food
To moderate the Dampening nature of wheat, wheat bread can be toasted; or less Dampening flours such as rye can be used. Caraway, dill seed or other decongesting spices and herbs can be added when making your own bread. In the case of pasta, use pesto, garlic, pepper, onions or walnuts to create a decongesting sauce. Pizza can be served with toppings of anchovy. Garlic, onion, tuna, sweets-corn and olives, flavoured with Damp-resolving herbs such as basil and thyme and accompanied by a small bitter salad.
If using dairy, try goat and sheep, soured dairy products, soya milk and unpractical raw milk and consider combining them with some Damp-resolving spices. Hard cheese can be eaten with apple or onion, cottage cheese, which is a less Dampening option, can be accompanied by chives, the garlic, a pineapple. Rye crackers make a more drying base.
Beef and heavy meat can be served with horseradish or mustard and accompanied by green leafy vegetables or a bitter salad. Beer drinkers can favor more bitter varieties, organically produced and served at room temperature. Nuts can be dryly roasted gently to lessen the effects of rancidity. Sugar 'fixes' can make use of less refined sweeteners such as molasses malt extract, date syrup, anmsake or honey.
The absolve avoidance of Dampen foods isn't fun. When Dampening food is consumed try to limit the amount, avoid overeating and offset the food's Dampening nature with foods that have Damp-resolving properties.
Some Guidelines for Eating
- Eat simply. Too many ingredients poorly combined make hard work for the Spleen (the Organ governing the digestive process in traditional Chinese medicine). Simple food will help support easy digestion as well as an inner sense of clarity.
- Eat lightly. Overeating will congest the Spleen's function and is a major cause of Stagnation and Dampness. The art is to stop just before becoming full. If we can do this we will find that we have much more energy levels.
- Reduce sugar. Sugar and all highly sweet foods can easily over whelm the Spleen. The over-consumption of sugar easily leads to intestinal fermentation and creates a happy home for intestinal parasites. It also weakens the Blood and destination Energetically levels.
- Include a few naturally fermented foods in the diet such as natural sauerkraut, dill pickles or natural yoghurt. These are good helpers to the digestive process.
- Separate sweet foods and fruit from the main meal. For many people this helps reduce digestive fermentation and supports the Spleen's action of sifting and sorting.
- Drink between rather than with meal. The Spleen is easy over whelmed by too much fluid. It is generally better to limit intake to a cupful of water or tea at meals so as not to over-dilute the digestive juices.
- Avoid too much cold food. Cold food overwhelms the digestive fire and can slow down the digestive process.
- Chew well. Chewing starts the digestive process in the mouth


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What sources of calcium can be used by organic gardeners?
Lime - Reducing the acidity of the soil is the primary purpose for using lime in the garden. However, liming materials also provide nutrients for plant use. Calcium and magnesium are the two elements most commonly provided by lime. Gypsum is used where more calcium is needed without raising the pH. In heavy clay soils, the use of gypsum helps increase moisture circulation. Organic gardeners use natural sources of lime, such as limestone, dolomite, shell, and marl. All these forms must be finely ground to provide maximum benefit to the soil and plants. Dolomite is preferred because it contains both calcium and magnesium.
For application amounts, follow the recommendations of a soil test. The test can be performed by your local Cooperative Extension Service. Apply lime well in advance of the planting date, preferably two to three months before the garden is planted. Mix well with the soil and keep moist for best reaction. Application closer to planting time is permissible, but its benefits are delayed.


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Future Safety Requires New Approaches to People Development
"It is easy to presume that the railway system will become safer and safer as it evolves. However, it can't do that if our thinking about how to manage safety and develop our people doesn't evolve with it" – Ann Mills, Head of Health and Safety Management, RSSB
In the previous 'Over the horizon' series, George Bearfield showed that rail is the safest form of land transport in the UK, and the safest of the largest EU railways. We owe our success to a complex recipe of safety management, operational learning, regulation, technology and the skills and dedication of our people at all levels.
It is easy to presume that the railway system will become safer and safer as it evolves. However, it can't do that if our thinking about how to manage safety and develop our people doesn't evolve with it. This article explores new thinking in safety and what it means for talent development. How can we evolve our development approaches to build on our strong safety pedigree and enhance our safety even further?
Currently, the rail industry relies heavily on procedural control to ensure safe operations. A primary focus of development and training for safety critical staff is around rule compliance. In many organisations, new recruits for safety critical roles are subjected to weeks of theory-based training, covering rules, instructions and technical information, before they experience the real context in which they will be working. Before people can work unsupervised they must demonstrate that they are 'competent' and a large part of our initial and ongoing development activity is geared towards a pass/fail competence judgement. There is a tendency to forget that competence is on a continuum with people at various stages along it such as novice, not yet competent, competent, proficient and expert.
Our railway is a complex socio-technical system. Complex systems are always capable of surprising those working with them. Although we do an admirable job of rule creation, there are already just too many states to comprehensively cover with rules. Thinking about the future rail system, this is even more so the case. There will be more complexity with more interlinked systems working together. There will be complex interfaces and interactions between existing and new systems. It isn't hard to foresee that the role of many of our staff will change dramatically. The railway system of the future will require different skills from our workforce. There are likely to be fewer roles that require repetitive procedure following and more that require dynamic decision making, collaborating, working with data or providing a personalised service to customers. A seminal white paper on safety in air traffic control acknowledges the increasing difficulty of managing safety with rule compliance as the system complexity grows: 'The consequences are that predictability is limited during both design and operation, and that it is impossible precisely to prescribe or even describe how work should be done.'
Since human performance cannot be completely prescribed, some degree of variability, flexibility or adaptivity is required for these future systems to work.
The new approach to safety
Recent safety literature has been calling for a new approach to safety, to supplement and strengthen our current approaches. It goes by several different names: Safety II, Safety Differently, New View of safety and Resilience Engineering, to name the main ones. There are two common themes. Firstly, recognition that work is safely and effectively achieved almost all the time. This is despite, and perhaps because of the variability of human performance. Hence, the next step in improving safety is to learn from successful work as much as from incidents and accidents. Secondly, the potential of people within the system to make the system more resilient is acknowledged and celebrated.
One key concept in this way of thinking is the difference between 'work as imagined' and 'work as done'. Although associated with this new approach to safety, this is a concept that has been around since the middle of the last century (see Steven Shorrock's excellent article for a fuller explanation). 'Work as imagined' is how different layers of an organisation think work takes place. 'Work as done' is what people actually do. There are overlaps of course but 'work as done' occurs in the real context which is often not quite what was imagined. 'Work as done' responds to the reality of conflicting goals, degraded situations and social context. To meet these real demands, people in the system make compromises and create solutions. 'Work as done' includes the whole range of performance of the system, star performance, poor performance, different ways of doing things, good days and bad days and everything in between.
Safety differently, development differently
When we think about safety differently, we are inspired to think about development differently. When we design a training programme, assessment or competence standard, or even when we write an objective for someone we manage, we are thinking of 'work as imagined'. This means we are missing an understanding of real work that could be invaluable to our development approach, now, and especially in the future. Equally, recognising that there will ALWAYS be a difference between 'work as imagined' and 'work as done' is critical.
How can we make the most of this difference rather than be caught out by it?
- Invest in manager skills to build a trusting relationship at all levels. Managers and supervisors need to be set free from the office and get onto the front line more to experience the context of real work and build their understanding of 'work as done'. They are likely to discover a rich diversity of practice including innovative work arounds and difficulties they may not have been aware of. But, to do this successfully, they need to develop the right skills, and organisational policy and the other demands of their job must be enablers not barriers. For example, what should they do if they discover a routine violation that is critical to keeping the service running?
- Explore 'work as done' with an open mind. Seek to shift the focus away from 'work as imagined' towards the reality of 'work as done' as much as possible. Development activities need to include more real context and complexity. For example, this might include learning with a diverse group of people who are at different places on the competence continuum, who don't communicate clearly or who don't always strictly follow the rules. Development activities need to reflect realistic operational scenarios such as equipment failures, incomplete information and bad weather. Acknowledge the gap between work as imagined and work as done and include the hazards arising from this in training. This does not mean that violations should be tolerated, it is about being realistic and proportionate.
- Shift focus of development activities onto 'how to make things go right' not just 'how to avoid things going wrong'. Recognise the skill and flexibility that people are using within their work to get things done safely and effectively and work out how to pass those skills on to new recruits. It's about learning how to make sensible and robust decisions in a world of changing circumstances, within the constraints that are important for safety. In this way, the conflict between safety and productivity, or safety and train performance, that is sometimes seen to exist disappears. 'Making things go right' means safe and effective.
- Harness the power of 'experts' to help develop newly competent people within the context of normal work. What is it that makes an expert better than someone who has only just learned the job? It is likely around their accumulated experience over time and how they have learnt from their own mistakes and successes in dealing with different situations. Consider opportunities to use the skills and experience of these experts to accelerate the development of less experienced colleagues.
- Recognise that workers may know more about what it takes for the system to work safety and efficiently than your trainers, and managers. Give more empowerment to staff at all levels to determine their own development needs and encourage them to take more responsibility in maintaining and developing their own competence. Let them say what they need to do their job even better and how they can best learn it.
The benefits of taking this approach will be hard to measure but a new approach is critical for us to successfully adapt to the future and compete with other transport modes as a service and as an employer. As the complexity of our rail system increases, it will simply become unwieldy to rely solely on rule compliance as one of our major safety defences. If we can be more flexible and take an approach inspired by new safety thinking, we will reap the benefits in terms of system resilience. We will learn about underlying weaknesses in our system that could lead to an accident. We will improve staff engagement and motivation. We will also learn more about how to continuously improve the effectiveness of our system from the experts operating it every day.


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Have you ever been compelled to leave your country for another due to your home country's hostile living conditions? If you have gone through that experience, then that is what Moroccans are going through in their homeland. They are leaving their country for other nations because of the harsh conditions in Morocco. Leaving your homeland due to poor residential situation is an experience you should never long to meet in your life. It encompasses challenges that pose risks to your life through exposure to fatal dwelling conditions and deficiency of basic needs. Leaving your nation may emanate for several reasons, and this explanation seeks to identify why Moroccans are fleeing Morocco.
There are varied reasons that compel Moroccans to move out of their land and settle in other parts of the world. These migrants target finding better residential areas that can help these Moroccans evade the harsh lives in Morocco. The poverty level is one of the major reasons that make Moroccans flee their motherland. It is because the living conditions in Morocco cannot allow them to continue residing in those areas. They are unable to meet their basic needs as they languish in hunger caused by increased poverty levels. Because of the strife caused by poverty, these citizens resort to other areas to have better lives and meet their needs.
Natural calamities explain why Moroccans are fleeing their land. On many occasions, these citizens confront calamities that impede their lifestyles in their homeland. For instance, many areas in Morocco are common to floods making life in those areas unbearable. These floods displace the citizens causing them to miss shelters. The floods have the effect of destroying property, making them lose their valuables, a condition that continues to worsen their lives. Famine is another calamity that affects the Moroccans making them move out of their realm.
Cultural influence is a vital factor that explains the increased instances of the Moroccans running away from their realm. This aspect is common among the young Moroccans who find it difficult to maintain their cultural practice. They have succumbed to cultural influences that compel them to move out of their realm to find a better avenue for expressing their desires for a new culture. The American way of life is the primary culture that poses risks to the Moroccan culture, making young people run away from their land. In this new culture, the desire to put on suits by those young people keeps them moving out of their roots to enjoy other charming practices of the western culture.
Unpleasant political policies in Morocco define the reasons why Moroccans are fleeing their nation. This aspect significantly affects the young populations as they feel that the political parties have neglected their presence. For instance, those political parties do not give space for the youths so that they can also take an active part in the activities within the parties. State parties do not offer leadership positions or the youths' chances to contest for the executive posts with state parties' support.
Incompetent government is a factor that makes Moroccans run away from their nation. It is because their government has ignored to support them and meet their needs. For instance, they cannot get a quality education that can help them improve their skills in different professions. The government has failed to offer employment chances for the young people, making them opt for different countries to get jobs. Those citizens are also suffering since their government has been unable to offer them social amenities like healthcare services to allow them to live healthy lives and get treatments for their sickness.
Indeed, Moroccans are leaving their countries for other nations, as their home country's life is unbearable. The need to find greener pastures is their primary goal: to quench their thirst for healthy living. Primarily Moroccans are moving out of their nation due to the increased poverty levels that can allow them to continue living there. The country's economy has gone down, and the government is not ready to consider alternatives to support its citizens. Natural calamities drive people out of their country in Morocco, as the living conditions are unbearable. Political parties have failed to give a space for the youth to express their skills in leadership positions. They have faced rejection as the older people have occupied all the leadership posts.


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Bile esculin agar
Composition and process
Bile salts are the selective ingredient, while esculin is the differential component. Enterococcus hydrolyze esculin to products that react with ferric citrate in the medium to produce insoluble iron salts, resulting in the blackening of the medium.
Test results must be interpreted in conjunction with gram stain morphology.
Bile Esculin Agar is used primarily to differentiate Enterococcus from Streptococcus. Members of the genus Enterococcus are capable of growing in the presence of 4% bile (oxgall) and hydrolyzing esculin to glucose and esculetin. Esculetin combines with ferric ions to produce a black complex.
For some purposes, certain bacteria are able to hydrolyze aesculin. A plate containing aesculin will fluoresce a pale blue under UV radiation. Some bacteria can hydrolise this, leading to UV dark colonies, as opposed to UV light ones.
When new techniques are produced to identify enterococci, they are often compared to the use of bile esculin agar.
- "BSCI424 Laboratory Media". Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- Lindell SS, Quinn P (May 1975). "Use of bile-esculin agar for rapid differentiation of Enterobacteriaceae". J. Clin. Microbiol. 1 (5): 440–3. PMC 275140. PMID _PHONE_.
- Grabsch EA, Ghaly-Derias S, Gao W, Howden BP (December 2008). "Comparative study of selective chromogenic (chromID VRE) and bile esculin agars for isolation and identification of vanB-containing vancomycin-resistant enterococci from feces and rectal swabs". J. Clin. Microbiol. 46 (12): 4034–6. doi:10.1128/JCM.00944-08. PMC _PHONE_. PMID _PHONE_.


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Re-topology, or sometimes just retopology, is the process of adjusting the topology of an existing 3D model. Topology refers to mesh-based 3D models, and is the way the individual polygons are meshed together into a 3d grid, with each polygon sharing a dividing line with each of it?s neighbours, until the mesh encloses a hollow 3D shape.
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By merging the traditionally distinct fields of topology and geometry, through the discovery of a new type of mathematics called persistent homology, math researchers have created a set of equations which simply describe the pattern and placement of complex fractals as part of a polygonal model - such as the unique froth on a wave, within the reach of real-time rendering
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BBC weather forcasting is about to get a makeover in the style of VR gameworlds. Weatherscape XT, a 3D meterological software suite developed by New Zealand firm Metra, and with help from the BBC itself, is set to give a realistic-looking,...
nternet, networks of connections between Hollywood actors, etc, are examples of complex networks, whose properties have been intensively studied in recent times. The small-world property (that everyone has a few-step connection to celebriti...
The freely available global mapping software proliferating the Internet? Google Earth in the main? is being eagerly adopted by researchers from a variety of fields as the most effective way to compare geographic data.
Researchers are edging toward the creation of new optical technologies using "nanostructured metamaterials" capable of ultra-efficient transmission of light, with potential applications including advanced solar cells and quantum computing...
Combining hospital MRIs with the mathematical tool known as network analysis, a group of researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley have mapped the three-dimensional global connections within the brains of seven adults who have genetic...


Benchmark the AI performance of Android devices
September 21, 2020
UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark for Android devices
Machine learning is powering exciting new features in mobile apps. Many smartphones now have dedicated hardware to accelerate the computationally intensive operations required for on-device inferencing.
Today, we're launching the UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark, a new test for measuring the performance and accuracy of dedicated AI-processing hardware in Android devices.
The benchmark uses a range of popular, state-of-the-art neural network models such as MobileNet V3, Inception V4, SSDLite V3 and DeepLab V4. The models run on the device to perform common machine-vision tasks. The benchmark measures performance for both floatand integer-optimized models.
The benchmark runs on the device's dedicated AI-processing hardware, with the Android Neural Networks API (NNAPI) selecting the most appropriate processor for each test. The benchmark also runs each test separately on the GPU and/or CPU for comparison.
UL Procyon benchmarks are designed for professional users. The AI Inference Benchmark is for hardware and software engineers who need independent, standardized tools to test the quality of their NNAPI implementations and the performance of dedicated AI hardware in Android devices.
Smartphone running the UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark app
 - Benchmark and compare the AI inference performance of Android devices
 - Tests based on common machine-vision tasks using state-of-the-art neural networks
 - The benchmark measures both inference performance and output quality
 - Compare NNAPI, CPU and GPU performance
 - Verify NNAPI implementation quality and compatibility
 - Use benchmark results to optimize drivers for hardware accelerators
 - Compare floatand integer-optimized model performance
 - Simple to set up and use on a device or via Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
Row of five smartphones showing results from the UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark
Results and insights
The UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark provides a range of useful results, metrics and insights. Use the main benchmark score to compare the AI performance of Android devices. The score breakdown helps you compare the performance and quality of different processors with integer and float models. The in-app ranking list shows you how a device compares with other smartphones.
A chart for each test shows the inference time with NNAPI and other processors, making it easy to see the difference in performance. A hardware monitoring chart shows you how the device's temperature, battery charge level and memory use changed during the benchmark run. You can also check the outputs from each model to ensure the hardware is returning the correct results.
The UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark is easy to install and run with no complicated configuration required. You can start the benchmark on the device or via ADB. You can view benchmark scores, charts and rankings in the app and export detailed result files for further analysis.
Available now
The UL Procyon AI Inference Benchmark is available now. Site licenses for professional users start at $1,495 (USD) per year.
Look out for more UL Procyon benchmarks coming soon
Procyon is a new benchmark suite from UL that's designed specifically for professional users in industry, enterprise, government, retail and the press. Each UL Procyon benchmark is developed for a specific use case and uses real applications where possible. UL works closely with its industry partners to ensure that every Procyon benchmark is accurate, relevant and impartial. Flexible licensing means you can pick and choose the individual benchmarks that best meet your needs. Find out more at
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VAN OVEN, BARNARD:
English physician and communal worker; born in London 1796; died there July 9, 1860; youngest son of Joshua Van Oven. He was brought up for the medical profession, studying under Sir William Blizard and receiving the degree of L.R.C.S. in 1818. He practised in London during his whole life, and had an extensive clientele among the Jewish community.
Van Oven was one of the pioneers in the movement for the removal of the disabilities of the Jews in England. In 1829 he wrote the first appeal which directed public attention to the subject, and which was entitled "An Appeal to the British Nation on Behalf of the Jews." He followed this up by organizing committees in support of the movement, and by convening public meetings, at which he was an indefatigable speaker. In 1847 he published the pamphlet "Ought Baron Rothschild to Sit in Parliament?" He was subsequently appointed chairman of the committee which celebrated the success of the agitation by the establishment of commemoration scholarships at several public schools. Van Oven served on the committees of most of the Jewish institutions of his day, and was instrumental in establishing the Jews' Infant Schools. In 1827 he had been appointed physician to the poor of the Great Synagogue, which position he filled for many years.
Van Oven was the author of a work entitled "The Decline of Life in Health and Disease" (London, 1853).
- Jew. Chron. July 13, 1860;
- Brit. Mus. Cat. s.v.


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Last modified: 06 April 2021


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PCAOB Releases 2021 Inspections Outlook and Audit Committee/Auditor Dialogue Tool
On April 6, the PCAOB released Spotlight: Staff Outlook for 2021 Inspections (2021 Outlook). This annual publication outlines areas the Board plans to focus on during the current inspection cycle. In addition, the 2021 Outlook provides an overview of changes in the inspections process, such as enhancing the unpredictability of inspections and the selection of nontraditional financial statement areas for review. The PCAOB also explains how inspections will address COVID-19 financial reporting and audit risks. The Board simultaneously released a separate document to assist audit committees in discussing inspection issues with their auditor. Audit Committee Resource: 2021 Inspections Outlook suggests questions related to the 2021 inspection focus areas that "audit committees—at their discretion—could use to further engage with their auditors."
Staff Outlook for 2021 Inspections
The Board's 2021 inspection plan has two primary objectives: to respond to the financial reporting and audit risks posed by COVID-19 and to reduce the predictability of inspections. As to COVID-19:
The Board plans to select audits for review in industries experiencing significant disruptions or elevated risks during the pandemic, such as transportation, entertainment, hospitality, manufacturing, certain aspects of the retail segment, and commercial real estate (including real estate investment trusts).
Inspections will focus on financial statement items and other reporting matters that have been particularly affected by the pandemic, such as impairments, going concern assessments, allowance for loan losses, and increased risk of fraud.
As to predictability:
The Board intends to significantly increase the percentage of audits select randomly (rather than based on audit risk or difficulty), especially for the largest accounting firms.
Inspectors will select accounts that have not traditionally been addressed for review. Since the Board has historically focused on the financial statement aspects that are the most challenging to audit, this apparently means that in 2021 inspections will concentrate on lower-risk, more routine accounts. The Board adds that it "will, of course, also continue to target areas that we believe pose higher risks of material misstatement in particular audits, or that are the subject of recurring audit deficiencies."
In addition to these process changes, in 2021 the Board plans to place emphasis on these topics:
Audit areas with continued deficiencies. The 2021 Outlook identifies revenue, accounting estimates, internal control over financial reporting, and independence as audit areas with recurring deficiencies and opportunities for improvement. In this context, the inspectors will also focus on audit firm procedures to identify and remediate audit deficiencies.
Firms' quality control systems. The Board plans to review audit firm quality control systems "as part of our goal to move towards a more preventative regulatory approach." In addition, continuing the approach taken in 2020, inspections will include quality control areas likely to be affected by COVID-19, including "leadership communications, consultation requirements, client acceptance and continuance procedures, real-time monitoring, and pre-issuance reviews."
Firm compliance with auditor independence requirements. Inspections continue to identify deficiencies that "suggest some firms may not have appropriate quality control systems in place to prevent and/or detect violations of applicable independence rules." The 2021 Outlook cites, among other things, compliance with audit committee pre-approval of non-audit services and auditor communications with the audit committee regarding independence as areas of attention.
Fraud procedures. 2021 inspections will assess how auditors identify and assess risks of material mis-statement due to fraud and how auditors design and implement audit responses to these risks. Inspectors also plan to focus on how auditors incorporate unpredictability in their selection of audit procedures.
Critical audit matters. PCAOB standards require the auditor to identify and communicate in the audit report critical audit matters (CAMs) identified in the audit. CAMs are those aspects of the audit that involved challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment. See More PCAOB Advice for Audit Committees on CAMs, July 2019 Update). Inspectors will review how individual engagement teams applied the CAM requirement.
Implementation of new auditing standards. New PCAOB requirements for the auditing of accounting estimates and for the auditor's use of the work of specialists took effect for audits of fiscal years ending on or after December 15, 2020. The Board will review how firms implemented these new standards.
Supervision of audits involving other auditors. Inspections will assess how auditors supervised the work of other participating auditors, particularly given travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
Responding to cyber threats. If there was a cyber incident affecting a public company or broker-dealer selected for review, the inspectors will evaluate how the engagement team applied the audit firm's cyber incident guidance, including whether and how the team reevaluated its risk assessment or modified the audit to address the effects of the breach on controls.
Auditing digital assets. The inspection staff will select audits for review where transactions in digital assets are material to the financial statements and will review how the audit firm identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement, including valuation issues.
In 2020, the PCAOB invited the audit committee chairs of most U.S. public companies with audits selected for inspection to speak with the inspection staff. See The PCAOB Speaks – With Audit Committee Chairs, January-February 2021 Update. The Board plans to continue this practice in 2021.
Audit Committee Resource
The new Audit Committee Resource suggests specific questions that audit committees might ask their auditor in in the areas highlighted in the 2021 Outlook. Examples of these questions are:
Auditor's risk assessments. How has the auditor assessed risks of material misstatement related to the public company's technology systems, including relevant cyber threats, and how has it addressed those potential risks?
· Firm compliance with auditor independence requirements. How can the audit committee and management assist the auditor in complying with independence requirements?
Critical audit matters. What items, if any, were considered "close calls" but ultimately not identified as a CAM by the auditor? Why were these items not determined to be CAMs?
Implementation of new auditing standards. Was the audit of the company's estimates affected by the PCAOB's new requirements?
Supervision of audits involving other auditors. Did restrictions on travel and in-person interactions create challenges for supervision and review of work performed by other auditors? If so, how were these challenges addressed?
Comment: The 2021 Outlook provides audit committees with insight into why a company's engagement may – or may not – be selected for review this year and why the inspectors may emphasize some aspects of the audit and ignore others. In addition, areas of PCAOB inspection emphasis may become areas of additional auditor focus in subsequent audits. Accordingly, audit committees may find the Audit Committee Resource publication helpful in planning discussion of the company's 2021 audit with the auditor.
The 2021 Outlook may also be helpful in evaluating the results of the 2021 inspections when they become available. One would assume that de-emphasizing high risk/high challenge engagements and financial statement areas will result in fewer inspection findings. Accordingly, the results of the 2021 inspections may not be comparable to those in prior years. Conversely, deficiencies identified in 2021 may be of particular concern if they relate to aspects of the audit that should have been relatively routine.


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Background: Specific inhibitors of protein kinases have great therapeutic potential, but the molecular basis underlying their specificity is only poorly understood. We have investigated the drug SB 203580 which belongs to a class of pyridinyl imidazoles that inhibits the stress-activated protein (SAP) kinases SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38β2 but not other mitogen-activated protein kinase family members. Like inhibitors of other protein kinases, SB 203580 binds in the ATP-binding pocket of SAPK2a/p38. Results: The SAP kinases SAPK1γ/JNK1, SAPK3 and SAPK4 are not inhibited by SB 203580, because they have methionine in the position equivalent to Thr106 in the ATP-binding region of SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38β2. Using site-directed mutagenesis of five SAP kinases and the type I and type II TGFβ receptors, we have established that for a protein kinase to be inhibited by SB 203580, the sidechain of this residue must be no larger than that of threonine. Sensitivity to inhibition by SB 203580 is greatly enhanced when the sidechain is even smaller, as in serine, alanine or glycine. Thus, the type I TGFβ receptor, which has serine at the position equivalent to Thr106 of SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38β2, is inhibited by SB 203580. Conclusions: These findings explain how drugs that target the ATP-binding site can inhibit protein kinases specifically, and show that the presence of threonine or a smaller amino acid at the position equivalent to Thr106 of SAPK2a/p38 and SAPK2b/p38β2 is diagnostic of whether a protein kinase is sensitive to the pyridinyl imidazole class of inhibitor.
- Protein kinase inhibitors
- SB 203580
- Stress-activated protein kinases
- TGFβ receptor