In the United States and Canada we love our fireworks like anyone else, but one city in Mexico makes us all look like amateurs.
Tultepec is the center of the fireworks industry in Mexico, and every year the city hosts Mexico's National Pyrotechnic Festival. The festival began in 1989, after a fireworks accident in 1988 led to the banning of the production of fireworks within city limits. From its first year, the festival has been a rousing success, with the highlight being the pamplonada—hundreds of bulls are made from wood and paper maché, filled with fireworks and then set alight after being paraded through the town.
Did you know?
 1. Between 50-80% of the fireworks in Mexico are made in the region of Tultepec—a town near Mexico City.
 2. Fireworks crafting is a family tradition going back generations, with many people making fireworks in their own homes.
 3. The Patron saint of the town, San Juan de Dios, is also the patron saint of fireworks and firefighters.
 4. Tultepec isn't known only for its fireworks making; they helped invent the sparkler, made star and rocket design advancements along with new colors and color enhancements.
 5. The National Pyrotechnic Festival brings up to 100,000 people to Tultepec to witness the gunpowder artistry.
 6. Unfortunately, fireworks bring tragedy along with magic to the town. In December 2016, a chain of explosions in the open-air fireworks market killed 42 people and injured dozens more.
 7. In response, safety regulations were improved, but this was the third fireworks accident in the town in 12 years.
 8. In March of this year, the dead and injured were commemorated with a fireworks display.
 9. Over the past 20 years, over 100 people have died in Tultepec as a result of firework production and sales, with the town's open-air market having been destroyed twice.
 10. Speaking with the AP in 2016, Tultepec's mayor said, "We know it is high-risk, we regret this greatly, but unfortunately many people's livelihoods depend on this activity."


A confidence band is the lines on a probability plot or fitted line plot that depict the upper and lower confidence bounds for all points on a fitted line within the range of data. On a fitted line plot, the confidence interval for the mean response of a specified predictor value are the points on the confidence bands directly above and below the predictor value.
For example, a materials engineer at a furniture manufacturing site wants to assess the strength of the particle board that they use. They collect stiffness data from particle board pieces with various densities. The engineer uses linear regression to create a fitted line plot of the relationship between stiffness and density. The confidence bands above and below the fitted line represent confidence intervals for the mean response of a specified predictor value. For example, the model indicates with 95% confidence that a density of 15 will generate a mean stiffness between approximately 28 and 35, which are the y-values of the lower and upper confidence bands at X = 15.
Density vs. Stiffness
You verify the validity of this regression model by assessing the residuals for normality.
Probability plot of residuals
All the points fall close to the fitted line, so the assumption that the residuals are normal is reasonable. The Anderson-Darling statistic (0.395) and p-value (0.35) confirm this conclusion.
For a fitted line plot, the confidence intervals that form the confidence bands are calculated separately for each point on the fitted line, without controlling for family error. Therefore, if you use 95% confidence bands to estimate more than one parameter per sample, your actual confidence level for the group of estimates will be less than 95%.


text:
According to background information in the article, "there is growing concern worldwide about a possible increase in the risk of cancer among users of hair dyes." The authors add, "An association between hair dyes and cancer would be an important public health concern since about one-third of women in Europe and North America, along with 10 percent of men older than 40 years, use some type of hair dye. Permanent dyes, the most aggressive type, represent 70 percent of the market share even more in Asia."
Bahi Takkouche, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and colleagues analyzed data found in a medical literature search identifying 79 studies from 11 countries to examine the association between personal use of hair dyes and relative risk of cancer.
"Our results indicate that, globally, there is no effect of personal hair dye use on the risk of breast and bladder cancer," the authors report. "There is a borderline effect for hematopoietic cancers (for example, leukemia and multiple myeloma). However, the evidence of a causal effect is too weak to represent a major public health concern."
"Some aspects related to hematopoietic cancer and other cancers that have shown evidence of increased risk in one or two studies should be investigated further," the authors write in conclusion. "Efforts should be targeted toward the assessment of the risk of cancer in occupational settings where exposure to hair dyes is more prolonged and has a higher concentration and frequency than personal exposure."

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
A while back in this thread, before Eric Chan pointed out that there were two image processing pipelines in Lightroom and that all my integer TIFF testing wasn't really relevant to raw processing, some of you asked about different error measures than CIELab Delta-E, specifically something related to hue errors. These color difference measures can get quite complicated. Here's an example
. I can, if there's sufficient interest, implement some of these more complex, and presumably, accurate, measures, but I'll present here just the basics. In the precious post, I presented the Delta-E curves.
Here's a set of Delta-H curves, the basic CIEL*a*b* difference metric that measures hue error:
Like Delta-E, Delta-H can't go negative.
Here are the Delta-C curves, which measures differences in what's called "metric chroma", the radial distance from the grey axis:
Delta-C is positive if the test color is more chromatic than the reference, and negative if the test color is less chromatic than the reference. The fact that there's a tendency towards positive Delta-C indicates that making positive LR exposure adjustments tends to make the colors more chromatic than they should be. You can see that from the scatter plots as well.
If you look at the numbers in the Delta-H and Delta-C plots, you can see that most of the chromaticity error comes from too much chroma, not from hue shift.
And, although it's not a CIELab standard, I like to look at hue angle errors. The big potential problem with looking at hue angle alone is that errors near the grey axis, where they are inconsequential, can have the same value as errors in highly chromatic colors, where they are significant. Still, it gives indications of any possible hue shift bias. Here is the hue angle data:

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


How to Read Your Meter
What is a Water Meter?
A water meter is a device that measures the volume of water delivered to a property. In El Paso, we measure water in cubic feet. One cubic foot equals about 7.5 gallons.
The face of a water meter.
Step 1: Locate Your Meter
Most residential water meters are located near the curb or sidewalk at the front of the property in a concrete "box." It is likely in a direct line from the main outside faucet of your home. The water meter box will have a metal lid and may be marked "Water."
Use a long screwdriver to remove the lid. However, be cautious as insects, reptiles or other small animals occasionally take residence inside the boxes. Lift the cover. You may need to wipe dust, dirt or debris from the face to read it.
Step 2: Read Your Water Meter
Since El Paso Water bills in hundred cubic foot (CCF) increments we only read up to the thousand foot dial (the last dial that has a black digit against a white background). This number increases by one every time a hundred cubic feet of water passes through the meter.
The small red triangular dial near the center of the register is a flow or leak indicator and it will turn counterclockwise with the slightest amount of water that flows through the meter, even a dripping faucet.


text:
From left to right: fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes), the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and the long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis).
With the widespread effects of the changing climate on biological communities and landscapes across the world, it has become increasingly important for ecologists to identify indicator species among these ecosystems that can indirectly relate information about environmental changes that are not apparent or easily accessible. So it is in the west, the Rocky Mountains and in particular the Colorado River Basin, where temperatures have increased more than anywhere else in the contiguous United States, an average 1.2° C higher than the 20th century averages. The biggest increases in temperature happens at the highest elevations, which is
With warming temperatures comes less precipitation and less snowpack, which means during the summer months, the breeding season for most species, there is significant reductions of stream discharge, which has reduced the flow of the Colorado River. Thirty million people rely on the water provided by the Colorado River, and the Basin is foundational to all life in such a dry environment. Bats, as this article in Ecology explains, are particularly sensitive to these changes and, due to their enormous numbers, are integral to food webs as predator and prey. They may be that indicator ecologists are looking for.
Using capture and environmental data from over 12 years - 1996 to 2008 - Rick Adams from the University of Colorado has demonstrated dramatic correlations between the reduced availability of water and declines in the reproductive success of certain species of bats in the west. Bats are particularly sensitive to evaporative loss because of their small size, large surface area to volume ratio and uninsulated wings. Reproductive females are particularly sensitive considering that 76 percent of their milk is water. Lactating fringed myotis bats have been demonstrated to drink 13 times more often than non-reproductive females from nearby sources like streams or pools.
The study area was in the foothills of the Rockies, between 1650 m and 2250 m, a mix of montane meadows, shrubland, pine woods, riparian woodland and mixed coniferous forest, the habitats of nine species of bats; data was collected on the five most common: small-footed myotis (M. ciliolabrum), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), long-eared myotis (M. evotis), and fringed myotis (M. thysanodes). The 2,329 bats captured were put into one of four categories: Non-reproductive, Pregnant, Lactating or Post-lactating.
The reproductive output of these bats has declined, especially when stream discharge dipped below 7 cubic meters per second. During the hottest and driest years, 2007 and 2008, Adams captured more non-reproductive females. Among two species, M. thysanodes and M. lucifugus, the percentage of non-reproductive females was remarkably high, 56 percent and 64 percent respectively.
Both of these species use maternity sites having south or southeast aspects that promote highest solar gains throughout the diurnal roosting period (Adams and Thibault 2006; Adams and Hayes 2008), maintaining internal temperatures between 27° C and 36° C (Adams unpubl. data). Such microenvironmental conditions within roost sites promote high evaporative water loss and consequently a greater need for water intake, especially during the lactation period.
The other myotis species are more likely to roost in cooler, more humid microclimes, closer to the ground.
So if bats - mammals with high mobility* - are facing difficulties from a reduction of water availability, what about other animals more restricted to certain areas? How is this aspect of climate change affecting them? Bats, Adams says, are good bioindicators, organisms that can help scientists predict similar, indirect effects of climate change in other regional animal populations.
Current predictions from the IPCC tell us that this is just the beginning; it's "very likely" (90 percent confidence) that ecosystems will be significantly affected if the warming trend continues. In the next century, due to continued average temperature increases and an increase in the frequency of heat waves and drought, the Colorado River is facing a potential 8 - 11 percent reduction of flow. This will certainly exacerbate the bats' reproductive problems, but perhaps the continuance will afford ecologists the opportunity to transpose data to study similar problems among other animals and propose meaningful, sensible solutions - even if they are bandaids, like providing artificial water sources for vulnerable populations, temporary but viable, buying much needed time for more comprehensive applications.
*Bats are mobile, but they stick to their traditional maternity sites, still focused in a local area.
Adams, R. (2010). BAT REPRODUCTION DECLINES WHEN CONDITIONS MIMIC CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Ecology DOI: 10.1890/09-0091


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I need to cite a work from antiquity that has no known date, using natbib and author-year citations. The best suggestion I've found is to write the citation using "n.d." (no date) for the year of publication, but putting that into by bibtex file renders an ugly citation without periods:
(Author nd)
when what I'd like is:
(Author n.d.)
Wrapping it in curly braces ("{n.d.}") doesn't seem to help with the in-line citation (though it works in the bibliography).
How can I force BibTex to render the date in an in-line citation with punctuation?
Example.bib
 Author = {Aristotle},
 Booktitle = {Works of Aristotle},
 Title = {Categoriae},
 Year = {{n.d.}}}
Example LaTeX
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet \citep{aristotle}, consectetur adipiscing elit.
(Ugly, incorrect) output
Lorem ipsum dolor (Aristotle, nd) sit amet.
Aristotle (n.d.). Categoriae.
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It seems that apalike.bst strips everything from the contents of the year field except for the last up to four letters or digits. The culprit is the function calc.label; if the call to purify$ is removed, then n.d. is accepted (as it consists of four characters). – egreg Jul 19 '12 at 15:18
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1 Answer
up vote 8 down vote accepted
The function calc.label in apalike.bst is responsible of this: it strips away all non alphanumeric characters and keeps the last up to four characters remaining.
If you copy apalike.bst to myapalike.bst and change the function defined in lines 896-912 to become
FUNCTION {calc.label}
{ type$ "book" =
 type$ "inbook" =
 { type$ "proceedings" =
 'editor.key.label % apalike ignores organization
 'author.key.label % for labeling and sorting
 ", " % these three lines are
 * % for apalike, which
 year field.or.null #-1 #4 substring$ % uses all four digits
 'label :=
then \bibliographystyle{myapalike} will accept year={n.d.} as you wish: it consists of four characters, after all!
The change consists simply in removing the string purify$. I can't say if this may have adverse effects on other entries; but, as long as you have only years or n.d., all should go well.
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Ah, excellent. That feels like a bit of a hack, but it definitely gets the job done. Thanks! – Doches Jul 19 '12 at 19:30
_USER_ You should consider switching to biblatex. – egreg Jul 19 '12 at 19:42
I'm definitely getting that impression -- but I'm mid-thesis, and right now what I'm using is working. Mostly. And wrangling with LaTeX, while kind of fun in a what-the-fuck-debugging-time way, won't actually get this PhD written any faster... Next piece of LaTeX writing, though? Definitely. – Doches Jul 20 '12 at 11:52
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text:
Uppercase Letters: W
Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Draw your favorite kind of cookie next to the jar and then trace the uppercase W's by connecting the dots in the correct order. Then try writing the letter W on your own. This worksheet will help your preschooler work on his fine motor skills, building a strong foundation for future writing success!
Check out the rest of this alphabet series:


text:
Exposed units: Warren House Formation
The quarry lies on the northeast corner of Hangman's Hill and 160m northwest of Dales Hall. About 12m of crag is exposed at present. Removal of the loose soil cover would easily expose more. The unit is a type of basalt called spilite (basalt that has been chemically altered by reacting with sea water) and is part of the Precambrian Warren House Formation. Rocks at the eastern end of the site preserve pillow lavas, further suggestive of the unit's eruption under water. Sections through the pillows measure approximately 1m x 30cm, with a vertical long axis. During eruption, the long axis of pillow structures will be oriented in the direction that the lava was travelling and therefore will be lain down at an angle close to horizontal. Vertically oriented long axes in the current outcrop therefore indicate that that the Warren House Formation has been subsequently tilted away from horizontal. The top of the unit is present in the north side of the quarry, which comprises about 5cm of broken rock.
Platt, J.I., 1933, 'The petrology of the Warren House series', Geological Magazine, vol.70, pp. 423-429.
Click here to request data


text:
ESSA Mental and Behavioral Health Services for School Psychologists
The Big Picture
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides significant opportunity to increase access to comprehensive school psychological services to help improve student and school outcomes. In particular, ESSA expands emphasis on and funding for efforts to meet students' mental and behavioral health needs. As states and local districts work to improve school-based mental health services, it is vital that decision makers understand both the importance of providing comprehensive, integrated services and the critical role that school psychologists can play in effective design and implementation. The alternative risks an increase in fragmented services and a dysfunctional disconnect between services and learning. School psychologists are uniquely positioned in schools to facilitate the development, delivery, and monitoring of prompt, effective, and culturally responsive mental and behavioral health services that are effectively coordinated with needed community services. These services involve universal, preventive measures as well as targeted service delivery for students with significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
Mental and Behavioral Health Services
ESSA acknowledges the direct link between students' mental and behavioral wellness and overall positive student achievement, school climate, high school graduation rates, and the prevention of risky behaviors and disciplinary incidents. Importantly, and consistent with NASP standards for training and practice, ESSA identifies school psychologists as school-based mental health services providers who are qualified to provide the full range of comprehensive school psychological services. ESSA provides great flexibility for states and districts and does not mandate the implementation of a specific service delivery system or require the use of specific practices. As such, it is imperative that school psychologists are actively engaged in the development and implementation of school mental and behavioral health service delivery systems to ensure alignment with best practices and the mission of schools. ESSA authorizes various funding streams (e.g., Title I, Title II, and Title IV), including funds specifically reserved for schools identified for targeted support and improvement, to support state and district efforts to:
- Implement multitiered systems of support (MTSS), positive behavior interventions and support, or other school-wide tiered models to address the social–emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs of all students.
- Administer universal mental and behavioral screening and provide early intervention for at-risk students.
- Increase access to comprehensive school mental and behavioral health services, including wellness promotion.
- Improve quality and effectiveness of family engagement and school community mental health partnerships.
- Provide mental health first aid and other professional development and training for relevant school staff to:
- Facilitate early identification and referral of students who may be in need of mental health supports.
- Implement suicide prevention policies and practices, including suicide risk and threat assessment.
- Support the implementation of trauma informed practices.
- Increase knowledge of culturally competent practices.
- Support evidence-based efforts to prevent school violence, bullying, and harassment; improve school safety; and foster safe and supportive learning environments.
School psychologists have unique training and skills to assist schools in implementing and delivering high-quality, comprehensive services to address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students. We can help schools and districts use funding available to implement both preventive and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes. As states and districts begin to develop service delivery models, we can work with administrators and other decision makers to ensure that we are utilized in a way that supports our comprehensive role, that services are provided within a MTSS framework, and that all students have access to comprehensive school mental and behavioral health services delivered by qualified providers.
- MTSS is an evidence-based framework for effectively integrating services to address the academic achievement, social–emotional, mental and behavioral health needs of students.
- Schools are a natural setting for mental health prevention and treatment services. School psychologists can help schools conduct comprehensive needs assessments to develop strategies to address the mental and behavioral health needs of their school communities.
- With expertise in data collection and interpretation, school psychologists can develop and monitor universal mental health screening processes to identify students in need of mental and behavioral health services, or concerns affecting the entire school community.
- School psychologists:
- provide mental and behavioral health services for individual students and groups of students;
- implement wellness promotion programs and social–emotional learning;
- empower parents and teachers to identify and refer students who may be in need of mental health supports;
- provide professional development related to student mental and behavioral health to school staff.
- School psychologists can facilitate effective collaboration with community agencies/providers to support the availability of the full continuum of mental health services.
- School psychologists are already part of the school team and are able to provide appropriate, sustainable supports to students, staff, and families that reinforce student well-being and learning.
Engaging as early as possible with the key stakeholders most relevant to designing school-based mental and behavioral health services is critical. Although specifics in each district and state will vary, these stakeholders are likely to include:
- State chief school officers
- State/local school boards
- State governors and legislators
- District superintendent
Details and contact information for stakeholder groups can be found at _URL_
Topic Specific Resources:


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I've read some tutorials regarding Cg, yet one thing is not quite clear to me. What exactly is the difference between vertex and fragment shaders? And for what situations is one better suited than the other?
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possible duplicate of What is Vertex and Pixel shaders? – Amro Mar 6 '11 at 13:50
5 Answers 5
up vote 70 down vote accepted
A fragment shader is the same as pixel shader.
One main difference is that a vertex shader can manipulate the attributes of vertices. which are the corner points of your polygons.
The fragment shader on the other hand takes care of how the pixels between the vertices look. They are interpolated between the defined vertices following specific rules.
For example: if you want your polygon to be completely red, you would define all vertices red. If you want for specific effects like a gradient between the vertices, you have to do that in the fragment shader.
Put another way:
The vertex shader is part of the early steps in the graphic pipeline, somewhere between model coordinate transformation and polygon clipping I think. At that point, nothing is really done yet.
However, the fragment/pixel shader is part of the rasterization step, where the image is calculated and the pixels between the vertices are filled in or "coloured".
Just read about the graphics pipeline here and everything will reveal itself: _URL_
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Thank you, very clear and concise explanation. I think I get it now. – adivasile Dec 12 '10 at 11:04
Vertex shader is done on every vertex, while fragment shader is done on every pixel. The fragment shader is applied after vertex shader. More about the shaders GPU pipeline link text
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Nvidia CG Book:
Vertex transformation is the first processing stage in the graphics hardware pipeline. Vertex transformation performs a sequence of math operations on each vertex. These operations include transforming the vertex position into a screen position for use by the rasterizer, generating texture coordinates for texturing, and lighting the vertex to determine its color.
The results of rasterization are a set of pixel locations as well as a set of fragments. There is no relationship between the number of vertices a primitive has and the number of fragments that are generated when it is rasterized. For example, a triangle made up of just three vertices could take up the entire screen, and therefore generate millions of fragments!
Earlier, we told you to think of a fragment as a pixel if you did not know precisely what a fragment was. At this point, however, the distinction between a fragment and a pixel becomes important. The term pixel is short for "picture element." A pixel represents the contents of the frame buffer at a specific location, such as the color, depth, and any other values associated with that location. A fragment is the state required potentially to update a particular pixel.
The term "fragment" is used because rasterization breaks up each geometric primitive, such as a triangle, into pixel-sized fragments for each pixel that the primitive covers. A fragment has an associated pixel location, a depth value, and a set of interpolated parameters such as a color, a secondary (specular) color, and one or more texture coordinate sets. These various interpolated parameters are derived from the transformed vertices that make up the particular geometric primitive used to generate the fragments. You can think of a fragment as a "potential pixel." If a fragment passes the various rasterization tests (in the raster operations stage, which is described shortly), the fragment updates a pixel in the frame buffer.
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Vertex Shaders and Fragment Shaders are both feature of 3-D implementation that does not uses fixed-pipeline rendering.In any 3-D rendering Vertex shaders are applied before fragment/pixel shaders.
Vertex shaders operates on each vertex.if u have a fixed polygon mesh and u want to deform it in a shader u have to implement it in vertex shader.i.e any physical change in vertex appreances can be done in vertex shaders.
Fragment shaders takes the output from the vertex shader and assocaites colors, depth value of a pixel etc.after these operations the framgment is send Framebuffer for display in the screen.
some operation as for example lighting calculation u can perform in Vertex shader as well as freagment shader. but frragment shader proviedes better result than the vertex shader.
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In rendering images via 3D hardware you typically have a mesh (point, polygons, lines) these are defined by vertices. To manipulate vertices individually typically for motions in a model or waves in an ocean you can use vertex shaders. These vertices can have static colour or colour assigned by textures, to manipulate vertex colours you use fragment shaders. At the end of the pipeline when the view goes to screen you can also use fragment shaders.
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"To manipulate vertices individually typically for motions in a model or waves in an ocean" - As this may be true this is more appropriate for a Geometry Shader which takes part after the Vertex Shader and before the Pixel/Fragment shader. – Placeable May 30 '13 at 8:17
Your Answer


It is commonly stated that the low energy theory of some non-relativistic fermion band structure with a linear dispersion $E = vk$ implies the
 1. low energy effective theory is a relativistic fermion theory.
 2. there is an emergent Lorentz symmetry at or near the node
Of course $E = vk$ is necessary condition, but it does not seem to be sufficient to show 1 and 2. Also the Lorentz spinor degrees of freedom is unclear.
My questions
 - why 1 and 2 are true? What conditions guarantee those? (Sketch a physics proof?)
 - How to determine which relativistic fermions they have at low energy: Dirac, Majorana, Weyl or Majorana-Weyl spinors? as Lorentz spinors?
 - why are they Lorentz spinors? (they can be approximate spatial rotational symmetries, but not the Lorentz spacetime boost + rotational symmetries?)
enter image description here
Figure from _URL_ _URL_


OmniHTTPD File Corruption and Command Execution Vulnerability
OmniHTTPD is a compact Windows based web server by Omnicron Technologies. OmniHTTPD has various features including multiple domain support, keep-alive connections, supports virtual IP and non-IP servers and standard CGI support.
Due to the implementation of'statsconfig.pl' multiple vulnerabilities exist in OmniHTTPD. It is possible to corrupt various known filenames and execute arbitrary commands. By appending a known filename to the 'cgidir' form variable accompanied with a null argument, the known filename will be corrupt. In addition, it is possible to execute commands on the target server. This is due to statsconfig.pl creating a perl script on the file. When the perl script is created, user supplied data (the mostbrowsers form variable if it is present) is written directly to the perl script file. If an attacker sets this value to semi-colon separated perl commands, they will be executed when statsconfig runs the script. This can result in an attacker gaining interactive access on the victim host with the privilege level of the webserver/cgi process.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to complete comprimise of the host or denial of service.
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Copyright 2010, SecurityFocus


text:
|a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.|
|a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.|
in Roman religion, the god of the countryside, similar in character to Faunus, the god of animals, with whom he is often identified; he is usually depicted in the guise of a countryman. Initially the spirit of the unreclaimed woodland fringing the settlement, he had some of the menace of the unknown. As clearings pushed back the forest, he evolved into a god of woodland pastures, of boundaries, and of villas, parks, and gardens. He never enjoyed a state cult or temple, but the simple ritual of his private worship at a sacred grove or tree had a universal appeal. In Latin literature his character tended to merge with that of the Greek god Silenus, a minor woodland deity, or Pan, a god of forests, pastures, and shepherds, and to be assimilated into the Greco-Roman mythological tradition.
Learn more about Silvanus with a free trial on Britannica.com.


North Mole Fremantle WA
North mole is a rock wall which marks the entry into the swan river. The proximity to the shipping lanes means you have deep water close to the bank. This spot is known for a variety or species including snapper, whiting, squid and even the occasional Spanish Mackerel or Tuna have been caught.
Even if you have a boat, this spot is worth considering especially if the weather isn't quite calm enough to go out in open water. It actually can be more fruitful in a storm as crabs and small fish get injured in the swell and pushed into the area around North Mole. This in turn attracts predators such as Snapper.
Regardless of the wind direction, there is always a spot where you can have the wind to your back. There is a little inlet where a lot of boats and marine equipment are moored. If you time your tides right, you can easily get a feed of Herring or Whiting. Some Squid is also not uncommon.
Most people go towards the end of the point near the lighthouse to get their baits into deeper water.
 - Portland barrels
 - What a Marlin season


Take the 2-minute tour ×
Are there any means in xUnit.net framework similar to the following features of NUnit?
 [Test, TestCaseSource("CurrencySamples")]
 public void Format_Currency(decimal value, string expected){}
 static object[][] CurrencySamples = new object[][]
 new object[]{ 0m, "0,00"},
 new object[]{ 0.0004m, "0,00"},
 new object[]{ 5m, "5,00"},
 new object[]{ 5.1m, "5,10"},
 new object[]{ 5.12m, "5,12"},
 new object[]{ 5.1234m, "5,12"},
 new object[]{ 5.1250m, "5,13"}, // round
 new object[]{ 5.1299m, "5,13"}, // round
This will generate 8 separate tests in NUnit GUI
 [TestCase((string)null, Result = "1")]
 [TestCase("", Result = "1")]
 [TestCase("1", Result = "2")]
 public string IncrementDocNumber(string lastNum) { return "some"; }
This will generate 5 separate tests and automatically compare the results (Assert.Equal).
 public void StateTest(
 [Values(1, 10)]
 int input,
 [Values(State.Initial, State.Rejected, State.Stopped)]
 DocumentType docType
This will generate 6 combinatorial tests. Priceless.
Few years ago I tried xUnit and loved it but it lacked these features. Can't live without them. Has something changed?
share|improve this question
1 Answer 1
up vote 20 down vote accepted
xUnit offers a way to run parameterized tests through something called data theories. The concept is equivalent to the one found in NUnit but the functionality you get out of the box is not as complete.
Here's an example:
public void Should_format_the_currency_value_correctly(decimal value)
 //...
In this example xUnit will run the Should_format_the_currency_value_correctly test once for every InlineDataAttribute each time passing the specified value as argument.
Data theories are an extensibility point that you can use to create new ways to run your parameterized tests. The way this is done is by creating new attributes that inspect and optionally act upon the arguments and return value of the test methods.
You can find a good practical example of how xUnit's data theories can be extended in AutoFixture's AutoData and InlineAutoData theories.
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Apparently, it is not allowed to use decimal literals as attribute parameters. – Sergii Volchkov Jul 26 '13 at 13:53
_USER_ your link is not found. Go here instead: blog.benhall.me.uk/2008/01/introduction-to-xunit-net-extensions – Ronnie Overby Feb 4 at 13:19
You'll need the xUnit.net: Extensions (NuGet Package) or otherwise the [Theory] attribute is not available. – Virtlink Apr 29 at 18:35
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Abstract: by ISSA. The general Conditions of
The aim of this paper is that the exact solutions of Non-Newtonian fluid namely micropolar fluid with MHD in porous medium by traveling wave solution. The governing equations PEDs for incompressible micropolar fluid with MHD in porous medium are reduced to ODEs through wave parameter. Finally we represent the result in 2D or 3D graphs.
In the present, every researcher is working on the Non-Newtonian fluid from the both essential and sensible point of view. These fluids are immediate effects on the processing of polymer, animal blood, liquid crystal, geographical stream in the earth mantle. Non-Newtonian fluids were defined by ISSA. The general Conditions of Non-Newtonian fluid are exceptionally non-linear and higher-arrangement than Navier-stokes equations. Therefore many analytical and numerical solutions are accessible of Non-Newtonian fluid on the topic.
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The electrically conducting fluid and magnetic properties are sufficiently studied in MHD. MHD has specific applications like as Engineering Science, Metallurgical industry, Electromagnetic pump, Power generation, Flow meter and etc. Hydromagnetic movements have a major part in the fields of aerospace, astronomical and planetary magnetosphere. The cleansing of liquid metals from non-metallic presence through the use of the attractive field is another basic component of MHD.
Micropolar fluid model is kind of Non-Newtonian fluid which is depended upon a microstructure and belongs to non-symmetrical stress tensor. Micropolar fluid theory was introduced by Eriggen.
Physically, Micropolar fluid may be rigid particles, at random oriented (spherical) elements suspended in a thick medium where the change of fluid elements is disregarded. Micropolar fluid can perform a better model for animal blood.
There are many methods for solving NLPDE (non-linear partial differential equations) such as bilinear Transformation, Homotopy perturbation method, (G'/G) expansion method, Exp-function and so but traveling wave method is useable for solving NLPDE because it gives us exact solution of NPLDE.
The study of the non-Linear physical phenomenon is analysis of NLPDE by traveling wave solution. The importance of this method in NLPDE is applicable in the field of fluid mechanics, chemical Kinematics, Electrically, Plasma state of matter and so.
Abstract: A series of 2-(3-(4-Chlorobenzamido) -2-(aryl)4 oxo -thiazolidines were prepared by treating substituted 4 chlorobenzo hydrazide with reaction of thiomalic acid. Structures of the newly synthesized compounds were assigned on the basis of elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR.
Keywords: Thiazolidinone derivatives, Schiff base, different aldehyde,Thiomalic acid.
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Heterocyclic compounds are an important class of compounds, making up more than half of all the known organic compounds. Heterocyclic compounds are very widely distributed in nature and are particularly important because of the wide variety of pharmalogical activities.
4-Thiazolidinone derivatives play an important role in many biological processes and synthetic drugs. They also play an important role in variety of pharmacological activities.
4-Thiazolidinones is the core of many pharmacological agents.4-Thiazolidinones moiety has a broad spectrum of biological activities such as, antiviral 1, anticancer 2, 3, anti-tubercular 4, antimicrobial 5-17 etc.
From above data and reasoning we have directed our work to synthesized a new derivatives consisting of 4-thiazolidinones.
The administration of oxytocic drugs during caesarean section is an important intervention to prevent uterine atony or treat established postpartum hemorrhage. Considerable past and current research has shown that these agents have a narrow therapeutic range. A detailed knowledge by anesthetists of optimal doses and side effects is therefore required. Oxytocin remains the first line agent. In view of receptor desensitization, second line agents may be required, namely ergot alkaloids and prostaglandins. This review examines the adverse hemodynamic and side effects, and methods for their limitation. An approach to dosing and choices of agent for the limitation of postpartum hemorrhage is suggested.
Uterine atony, is a serious condition that can occur after childbirth. It occurs when the uterus fails to contract after the delivery of the baby, and it can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition known as postpartum hemorrhage.The objective of drugs are used to treat this condition and save the thousands life of children and mother. It was the life threaten many decades ago but the use of life saving drugs such as oxytocin,mesoprostol,prostaglandin, ergot alkaloids and carbetosin, syntometoine can save may live.
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Every year 166 000 women die of obstetric hemorrhage and more than 50% of these deaths occur insub-Saharan Africa.1 Uterine atony is the commonestcause of severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), as tragically described by Hemingway. Consequently the administration of uterotonic drugs during caesarean section(CS) has become essential to diminish the risk ofPPH and improve maternal safety. These agents havea narrow therapeutic range in terms of maternal morbidity.The exact dose, route and rate of administrationare therefore important, as well as a detailed knowledgeof their pharmacology.Central to the mechanism of the contraction of uterinesmooth muscle during labour, which is enhanced bythe action of oxytocin, is the enzyme myosin light chainkinase (MLCK). Intracellular calcium, the levels ofwhich are controlled by voltage and receptor operatedchannels and by release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum,is bound to calmodulin and stimulates conversionof MLCK-P to MLCK, which in turn phosphorylatesmyosin and initiates smooth muscle contraction
Classification of drugs used in uterine atony:
Uterus stimulants:
I. Posterior pituitary hormone: Oxytocin, desamino oxytocin
II. Ergot alkaloids: Ergometrine, Methyl ergometrine
III. Prostaglandins: PGE2, PGF2A,pge1
General uses of drugs used in uterine atony:
Uterus stimulants:
I. Oxytocin causes the stimulants of contraction of uterine fundus.
II. It avoids postpartum hemorrhage.
III. It is also used for labour augmentation and induction.
IV. Prostaglandins cause the initiation of labour at term and also for pre term labours and enhances the contractions and ripening of cervix.
V. Ergot alkaloids induces titanic contraction of uterus.
VI. It causes contraction of uterus as a whole. (fundus and cervix)
Side effects of drugs used in uterine atony:
I. Nausea
II. Vomiting
III. Diarrhea
IV. Hypertension because of contraction of blood vessels
V. Vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels which leads to Gangrene.
Oxytocin is a peptide hormone and neuropeptide. Oxytocin is normally produced by the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary. It plays a role in social bonding, sexual reproduction in both sexes, and during and after childbirth. Oxytocin is released into the bloodstream as a hormone in response to stretching of the cervixand uterus during labor and with stimulation of the nipples from breastfeeding.This helps with birth, bonding with the baby, and milk production. Oxytocin was discovered by Henry Dale in 1906. Its molecular structure was discovered in 1952. Oxytocin is also used as a medication to facilitate childbirth.
? What is it: oxytocin is a non-peptide hormone released in pulses from the posterior pituitary and is the basis of Syntocin and Syntocinon.
? Drug Indication: Used for labor induction, augmentation of labor, postpartum abbreviation of third stage of labor, postpartum control of uterine bleeding, termination of pregnancy and for the evaluation of fetal respiratory capability. Oxytocincannot be used for elective induction of labor, there must be a clear medical requirement.
? What does it do: It has a number of roles including stimulating contraction of myometrium and myo-epithelium of the mammary ducts, and influencing maternal behaviour.
? How does it act: Uterine motility depends on the formation of the contractile protein actomyosin under the influence of the Ca2+-dependent phosphorylating enzyme myosin light-chain kinase. Oxytocin promotes contractions by increasing the intracellular Ca2+, which in turn activates myosin's light chain kinase.. Oxytocin has specific receptors in the muscle lining of the uterus and the receptor concentration increases greatly during pregnancy, reaching a maximum in early labor at term.
Activation of oxytocin receptors (OTR), in common with many other agonists, causes the activation of phospholipase-C? (PLC?), which hydrolyses phosphatidylinositol bis


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Recently there has been an error that bothers many users and is the message "Some Settings Are Manage By Your Organization."
In this tutorial, you will see how to fix this error.
How To Fix
- Press the following keys Winkey + R and execute the command: gpedit.msc
- Now, go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Build.
- There, double click in the policy "Allow Telemetry":
- Activate the "Enabled" box and in the "Options" field select "Full".
- Click on the "Apply and OK" button to save the changes.
With this method, you will delete this message and be able to take full advantage of your Settings.
- Go to the following link and download gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editor): LOCAL GROUP POLICIES
- Once downloaded, go to C:\Windows\SysWOW64
- There, copy the following:
folders: GroupPolicy GroupPolicyUsers gpedit.msc (console document)
- Paste these elements in the following routes:
So you have seen how to remove this annoying Windows 10 Message.


text:
Laser Cooled Atomic Physics, while based on physics experiments preformed in the 1940s,
is a very young field of research dating from about 1980. Three physics Nobel prizes
have been awarded for this field since that date, demonstrating the excitement that the
new results have generated in the community of physicists.
The Fundamental Physics research program presently supports four flight experiments and
nineteen ground-based experiments in LCAP. The four flight experiments are described
in the write-ups for PARCS, RACE, BEC, and SMW-G. The first flight for PARCS is expected
to occur in 2003. PARCS will demonstrate the technology development of the ultra-stable
clock, plus the experiment will provide tests of Gravitation and Relativity Physics.
Other experiments in this field will examine the standard model of physics, providing
tests of ideas such as time reversal symmetry (Can experiments run backward as well as
forward in time?).


text:
Home / Store / Journals / Electronic Articles / Nuclear Technology / Volume 186 / Number 2
Sunil D. Weerakkody
Volume 186 / Number 2 / May 2014 / Pages 139-144
Format:electronic copy (download)
Until the late 1990s, inspection and enforcement practices at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) were minimally influenced by probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) results. In the late 1990s, the NRC noted various shortcomings of the licensee assessment process [commonly known as the systematic assessment of licensee performance (SALP)] established in 1980. For example, the SALP process was found to lack focus on the most safety important issues and was subjective. The resulting new reactor oversight process is a risk-informed performance-based framework that uses PRA insights. Consequently, the NRC set up a significance determination process (SDP) that would rely on the risk significance of performance deficiencies of the licensees. The SDP assesses contributions from both internal events and external events using the best available information. Over the last two to three decades, the NRC has completed the development of high-quality PRA models that are capable of assessing risks due to internal events. Several recent regulatory actions, some of which were prompted by the events at Fukushima, have provided the impetus for the NRC and the licensees to enhance the methods and information related to assessing risks associated with external events such as earthquakes and floods. This paper describes the current status on how the NRC staff uses the best available information to assess risk associated with external events and notes a plethora of regulatory actions that may provide inertia for the development of high-quality models for external events. The paper then points to past trends on how the regulatory actions in the fire PRA area contributed to significant advancements in fire PRA technology and points to tangible evidence on how the same trend has begun in the area of seismicand flood-related risk assessments.
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May 31, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Robotic sounds spill out of the speakers of what used to be a Speak & Spell. Although it might sound like random humming and high-pitched beeping, this device demonstrates the basics of circuit bending, a trend in the music industry.
When the device is turned on, it emits a series of R2-D2-like noises that vary depending on which point of the circuit board is touched.
The violet-colored children's toy, when resting on its plastic front, shows a disordered jumble of yellow and black wires connected to a green circuit board. Although it might look like a complicated electrical entanglement, it was created in a matter of minutes for the sheer purpose of demonstration.
"[Circuit bending] is basically, in a nutshell, creative short-circuiting, and you're trying to get results and delve into an interface," Daniel Park says. "It's like being able to pinpoint control over chaos."
In other words, circuit bending is simply controlling circuits of electricity that produce a sound. This technology can be applied to musical instruments and creates a futuristic, electronic sound.
Park, 34, constructs modified instruments. He considers this not only music but also an intuitive art form. "You're just experimenting and seeing what happens," Park says. "I want to explore sound and make music. That's my bottom line." His first experiment took place seven years ago after buying a cheap Casio keyboard.
Park distributes his circuit-bent devices to producers and studios, mostly from Australia, England and Japan.
"It's one of those things like jazz where it's not really appreciated as much in our own country," he says.
He builds each of the devices in his home and handles all the business aspects. He's sold more than 500 devices, which range in price from $300 to $1,000.
Although there are many different approaches people have taken with this technique, Park relies on his musical background while experimenting. When toying around with wiring and sounds, he seeks changes in tones and patterns.
Throughout the years, Park has worked with musical instruments such as synths and keyboards as well as electronic children's toys. The price of the object determines how he will approach it. With cheap toys such as Speak & Spell, Park tends to get a little more daring. But when he's working with instruments, he's focused and cautious.
"People have done toys and stuff like that, but I haven't seen people really get into complex audio equipment — that's where I stand out," he says. "It's really risky to a certain point 'cause you could be damaging this stuff."
Although electricity is involved, no experience as an electrician is required. "Part of the excitement is that it's a street-level art," Park says. "It's very accessible, and anyone can do this sort of thing." However, he warns about possible electrical shocks.
Much like the intricate and contorted paths on a circuit board, Park is challenging the standards of instruments by breathing life into his creations. "I treat each one like its own living organism," he says. As a musical Dr. Frankenstein, Park takes these old machines and makes them do something completely different.


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Role of Regional Cooperation and Integration in Improving Energy Insecurity in South Asia
Energy security is a nation's ability to meet the energy needs of its inhabitants uninterruptedly at an affordable price.
Energy security affects national security as well as the availability, extraction, and utilization of natural resources like water, agriculture land, and mining resources. Therefore, energy security is a nation's ability to meet the energy needs of its inhabitants uninterruptedly at an affordable price—both in the short and in the long term. Over the last 2 decades, the energy security landscape has changed enormously at the global, regional, and local levels. This is particularly true in the context of South Asia, which has experienced rapid economic growth. However, wide disparity exists in terms of its energy security across the regions and between and within countries in Asia. These interrelated aspects, coupled with natural resource and energy constraints, are critical for Asia's long-term growth and development. In particular, people see enhancing energy security through regional cooperation as an important precondition for improving its relationship to regional trade and cooperation. We examine the literature on energy security in Asia and identify existing gaps. In particular, we provide a growth nexus overview of Asia in the face of a resource-constrained future and discuss key challenges and potentials in enhancing energy security in the region. We show that increasing regional cooperation can help to improve the access to energy among the energy-deficit developing countries in Asia and can benefit the region in terms of the preservation of natural assets, agricultural production, and food security. We conclude that enhancing regional cooperation and integration in different layers of resource sharing, production, and trade can bring countries together into an interdependence network to ensure maximum use of renewable and non-renewable energy resources.
WORKING PAPER NO: 1120
Also in this Series
- Industry Fragmentation and Wastewater Efficiency: A Case Study of Hyogo Prefecture in Japan
- An Energy Policy for ASEAN? Lessons from the EU Experience on Energy Integration, Security, and Decarbonization
- COVID-19 Impact on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises under the Lockdown: Evidence from a Rapid Survey in the Philippines


Containers & Kubernetes
Exploring container security: Use your own keys to protect your data on GKE
At Google Cloud, we already encrypt data at rest by default, including data in Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). However, we understand that you may need additional controls over encryption in GKE, especially for sensitive data that is used or accessed by applications running there.
Today, we're releasing two features to help you protect and control your GKE environment and support regulatory requirements: the general availability of GKE application-layer Secrets encryption, so you can protect your Kubernetes Secrets with envelope encryption; and customer-managed encryption keys (CMEK) for GKE persistent disks in beta, giving you more control over encryption of persistent disks.
On Kubernetes Engine, your data is already encrypted at rest by default, including both the disks attached to GKE nodes, and Kubernetes secret objects stored in the control plane database. These features give you control over the encryption keys used to encrypt your data.
Persistent disks in Kubernetes
Persistent disks in GKE are already encrypted at the hardware layer by default, if you have a need to add additional encryption where you manage the encryption keys, read on.
The Container Storage Interface (CSI) provides a standard for exposing arbitrary storage systems to workloads running in Kubernetes. CSI is generally available as of Kubernetes v1.13. This allows third-party storage providers to easily develop plugins for new storage systems without having to touch the core Kubernetes code—giving you more storage options. This is what lets us use encrypted Compute Engine persistent disks in Kubernetes!
To encrypt persistent disks in GKE, you must use the GCP Persistent Disk CSI plugin, which lets you protect disks in GKE with a key that you manage in Cloud KMS—by creating a StorageClass referencing a key. This encryption key is used to encrypt the disks created with that StorageClass. If your organization is required to manage its own key material, the CSI plugin provides the same functionality available in traditional CMEK for persistent disks in GKE.
First you will need to create a Cloud KMS key to use for encryption, then you can create a StorageClass that specifies the Cloud KMS key KMS_KEY_ID to use to encrypt the disk:
kind: StorageClass
 name: csi-gce-pd
 type: pd-standard
 disk-encryption-kms-key: KMS_KEY_ID
Storage volumes provided via CSI can be automatically created or deleted using dynamic provisioning. When you create a PersistentVolumeClaim, this triggers the dynamic creation of a new PersistentVolume using the specified StorageClass. (The CSI external volume plugin provisions a new PersistentVolume, and Kubernetes binds it to the PersistentVolumeClaim and makes it ready for use.)
To create a PersistentVolumeClaim using the above StorageClass:
 kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
apiVersion: v1
 name: podpvc
 - ReadWriteOnce
 storageClassName: csi-gce-pd
 storage: 6Gi
Then, to create a CMEK-protected persistent disk, deploy the PersistentVolumeClaim on your GKE cluster:
 kubectl apply -f pvc.yaml
Note that you can only use CMEK to protect data on new persistent disks attached to nodes in your cluster—you cannot use it to protect existing persistent disks. Nor can you use CMEK to protect node boot disks or control plane disks. To use CMEK with regional clusters, you must use GKE version 1.14 or higher, and the GCE PD CSI driver version 0.5.1 or higher.
Secrets in Kubernetes
The GKE control plane stores API objects, including Kubernetes secrets, inside the etcd database, which sits on a disk encrypted with a Google-managed key.
To add more protection for secrets, Kubernetes has allowed for application-layer envelope encryption of Secrets with a KMS provider since v1.10. A local key is used to encrypt the Secrets (known as a "data encryption key"), and the key is itself encrypted with another key (a "key encryption key") stored in a key management service, not in Kubernetes. This model allows you to regularly rotate the key encryption key without having to re-encrypt all the Secrets.
Application-layer Secrets encryption is now generally available in GKE, so you can protect Secrets with envelope encryption: your Secrets are encrypted with a local AES-256-CBC data encryption key, which is encrypted with a key encryption key that you manage in Cloud KMS.
You can use application-layer Secrets encryption with new clusters and existing clusters. To enable it, specify the --database-encryption-key flag as part of your cluster creation/update, with your Cloud KMS key KMS_KEY_ID:
 gcloud container clusters update [CLUSTER_NAME] \
 --database-encryption-key [KMS_KEY_ID]
Note that you can also use HSM-backed keys as the key encryption key! The only restriction is that you must use a Cloud KMS key in the same location as your cluster.
Support for application-layer Secrets encryption and customer-managed encryption keys provides new levels of assurance to organizations that want to use GKE to process sensitive data. To get started today, check out the documentation on using customer-managed encryption keys for GKE and application-layer Secrets encryption
The GKE team's David Zhu, Software Engineer, and Alex Tcherniakovski, Security Engineer, both contributed to this post.


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Hierarchical Path: War of the Spanish Succession (Main Page) >> Navies
|Units of measurement used|
|In our articles dedicated to the vessels in service at the time of the War of the Spanish Succession, unless specifically mentioned, units of measurement are presented in metric and/or Imperial units.|
Throughout the XVIIIth century, technologies related to naval warfare evolved very rapidly in Europe, faster indeed than land warfare technologies. Thanks to their navies, European powers held the world in their networks of colonies and trading posts.
The following navies were involved in the War of the Spanish Succession:
|Aligned with France||Aligned with the Empire|
Great Britain (31 articles)
N.B.: Some of the belligerents had no navy. To our knowledge, this was the case for Austria, Hanover, Prussia and Savoy.


How Do I Pull A Call Recording From Stages?
Follow these steps to learn how to pull recordings from the calls made on your accounts. You can use them to audit service quality and ensure your customers are being taken care of.
 1. To pull a call recording, first log into the Stages portal here:
2. Once you have logged into Stages, The first step to pulling a call recording is to open the site data screen for the account under "Site," in the main menu.
3. After opening the data screen window, click on the triangular "play" button at the top right of the account's history section.
4. To filter the results, you can enter the date of the signal you are looking for before pressing the play button.
5. Once you found the recording you are looking for, simply press the "speaker" button at the left of the event.


text:
Kingdom of Plants
Availability: In stock.
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- Foreword by Professor Stephen Hopper
- 200 colour photographs
'Kingdom of Plants - A Journey through their Evolution' accompanies the stunning new Sky series filmed at Kew Gardens. Explore the wonders of the botanical world with this beautifully illustrated hardback book.
In the last 500 million years, plants have undertaken an epic journey that has not only spanned the ages but has altered the very make-up of the planet. It was a journey that began in a dark and barren world, and has culminated in a planet that is draped in rich colours, and overflowing with a diversity of mystifying orchids, exploding seed pods and snapping carnivorous plants. But plants are far more than just beautiful and bizarre.
Through the chapters of this book we uncover how plants first began to live on land, how they have become linked with a multitude of animal and fungi partners, and how ultimately they have shaped both landscapes and cultures.
Author: Will Benson
Format: 246 x 189, Hardback
Pages: 256 pp


done by a professional dermatologist and not at home by yourself.
Laser removal
Concentrated beams of laser light are used to eliminate dark spots that are caused by acne and pimples.
The procedure is done at the clinic and is able to get rid of dark spots instantly. According to KP Cosmetic Services Clinic, laser removal of black pimple marks takes between 15 minutes and an hour.
Depending on how deep the black or brown marks lie, you might get one to three treatments to clear the blemishes permanently.
Otherwise, you should see the results almost instantly, which can be done by comparing before and after photos of yourself.
If the pimple marks are shallow, microdermabrasion can get rid of them fast – almost instantly or overnight if you like. This procedure works by exfoliating the skin, removing the skin layer that contains the black spots that come from blood clots when you pop pimples.
This non-invasive treatment for a pimple and acne blemishes is less costly compared to procedures such as laser removal of black marks.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are effective in removing pimple marks
Chemical peels can give you faster results if you use them consitently.
Chemical peels are widely used to improve the appearance of the skin. If your skin is laden with blemishes and wrinkles, they can help you remove these signs of aging.
Your dermatologist will use chemical preparations that will pull away layers of your skin. With it, dark pimple marks will be removed to give you instant results of a clearer and glowing skin.
Chemical peels are treatments that are listed as the fastest ways to remove acne marks and spots.
Other home remedies
At home, you can apply creams, treatments and other remedies that you can prepare in your kitchen.
To remove pimple marks naturally, calamansi fruit, garlic, toothpaste, vitamin E, C and even oils such as coconut oil and olive oil can be used. Let's see how to remove black marks naturally using these home remedies.
Coconut oil
If you are looking for a natural moisturizer that doubles up as a moisturizer, coconut oil will do. It can also be used to reduce the appearance of black marks on your face, hands, body and skin generally.
It is recommended that you use extra virgin coconut oil. Here's what to do to reduce pimple spots quickly.
 1. Scoop a generous amount of coconut oil on your palms.
 2. Massage it onto your face as it melts.
 3. Pay extra attention to acne scars because those are the areas you want to lighten.
 4. Leave the coconut oil on your face for one night.
Repeat this treatment to fade black patches caused by acne scarring.
 1. Extract garlic juice by crushing about 5 cloves.
 2. Apply the juice on the pimple dots using a dabbing cotton ball.
 3. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
 4. Wash off with clean water.
Toothpaste that contains mint can irritate your skin. However, it has been touted to not only lighten dark spots due to pimples but also shrink pimples and get rid of them fast.
We do not recommend that you use toothpaste as a home remedy for pimple marks since it can easily burn your skin and cause more damage than good.
Olive oil
Olive oil is rich in minerals, vitamins and fatty acids that keep your skin healthy and soft. Most uses for this oil originate from its power as an exfoliant.
Here's how to fade pimple marks using olive oil. You will need extra virgin olive oil, warm water, lime, honey and fine sugar granules.
 1. Cleanse your face with a gentle cleanser.
 2. Dampen it using warm water.
 3. Mix all the above ingredients in order to get a fine paste.
 4. Massage your face with this paste. Do this gently.
 5. Repeat this procedure once every week to remove pimple scars fast.
This treatment is safe and can be used during pregnancy. Most people get pimple spots during pregnancy due to the surge in hormones.
Bleaching soap
Pimples and dark spots are common on the face, forehead, hands, buttocks and even on chin. If you do not treat them, they will leave black spots.
The back and chest is also commonly affected. Some soaps are known to lighten dark skin and can help fade away black marks. Try the following bleaching soaps for pimple marks removal.
 - Kojic acid soap
 - African black soap
Use sugar scrub
A sugar scrub has many benefits for your skin other than removing pimple spots on face. While this remedy will not work in 2 days, it can really help give you a smooth, glowing skin free of blemishes. To use a sugar scrub to lighten blemishes:
 1. Mix 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk powder.
 2. Add 1 tablespoon of organic honey.
 3. Mix well to get a consistent paste.
 4. Scrub this sugar paste on your face
 5. Allow it to stay for 15 minutes.
 6. Rinse it off.
Repeat this procedure once every week to remove pimple marks from face in a few weeks.
Best cream to for acne scars
Topical creams are also available over the counter and can help fade dark spots on face due to acne and pimples.
Creams for lightening skin might be a bit expensive but can give faster results compared to natural treatments. So, how do you choose the best creams to remove pimple marks fast? Look for the following ingredients:
 - Kojic acid
 - Vitamin C or E
 - Retinoids or vitamin A
 - Cortisone-based creams
These ingredients are potent and can lighten the scars faster and more effectively. Other home remedies include belo creams, yogurt, vitamin E and sugar scrubs.
If you are prone to pimples and acne scars, it is best if you avoid, popping, touching and squeezing the itchy pimples.
 - Avoid picking pimples as they will scab and form dark scars on your face.
 - Do not squeeze pimples. This will not get rid of the zits. Instead, it will cause bleeding in the pore and leave you with a black blemish spot.
Your skin is elastic. Acne inflammation only leads to a weakened collagen. Picking and squeezing the zits worsens this situation. Squeezing acne bumps makes the infection in the pore to travel further deep. This is why you get those deep pimple marks on your face that are hard to get rid of.
Tips for a clear skin on face
Do pimple marks ever go away on their own? It takes a long time and you won't remember it. Your best effort is to prevent the scars. These tips will help you prevent acne scars from forming on your face or skin.
 - Do not pick the pimples and acne zits. This will make them bleed and form scars on healing.
 - Avoid popping the pimples even if they itch. This will damage the skin and cause scarring.
 - Drink a lot of water and fluids. Eat a lot of fruits to help the skin heal faster.
 - Avoid facial scrubs especially when you have small pimples on your face. This can cause severe dark spots on your face.
Sources and References


text:
Download Research Tools
It began with a simple question: "Why can't students earn digital rewards for being awesome?" A research group comprised of university faculty, staff, and students at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) decided to find out. The team delved into the everyday travails of college life—from academia to social activities—and developed a real-world game, Just Press Play, which helps students earn a digital reward for the ultimate achievement: collegiate success.
Each game participant receives trading cards equipped with secret codes and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) keychain that they can swipe to "check-in" at permanent and temporary locations. The cards and the keychain are just the first two tools that the students must learn to use in order to progress through the various aspects of the game. The game is based around challenges that occur both online and in the real world. The challenges are designed to encourage students to venture out of their comfort zones and get involved in all aspects of school—including interactions with school faculty and staff. Completing the challenges also gives the player access to web pages and videos that tell the story of an alternate history of RIT.
Blending Technology and the Humanities
The alternate history of RIT describes a battle fought between two rival factions: The Athenaeum and the Mechanics Institute. The Athenaeum represents the creative and exploratory aspects of a student's academic journey and the Mechanics Institute represents technical mastery. In order to succeed, the student must understand both aspects, although they may ultimately join one side or the other.
As the program manager who chose to fund this project, it should come as no surprise that I have a background in both science and art—and that I manage programs in games for learning as well as digital humanities. Our project team likes how RIT blends the technology and humanities disciplines. RIT focuses not only on STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—but also on what we like to call STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Financial support for the development of Just Press Play was provided by Microsoft Research. This project is also the culmination of three years of collaboration with RIT's School of Interactive Games and Media as part of our Games for Learning Institute. The mission of the institute is to study and create games that are fun, educational, and effective. Just Press Play fits that bill perfectly.
Just Press Play officially launched on October 13 at the RIT School of Interactive Games and Media. The kick-off event was streamed live to project partners at the University of Wisconsin, Teachers College at Columbia, and the New York Law School. These partners are assessing the effectiveness of the program and also exploring legal issues related to gameful education.
The Just Press Play team intends to expand the game throughout RIT next year if the initial pilot is successful, but other educational institutions will have to wait a bit before trying out the technology for themselves. Just Press Play will initially be available exclusively to students enrolled at RIT. The Just Press Play team will refine the structure of the game based on early results and then roll it out to partner schools at a later date. The developers are hopeful that the lessons learned from these early "games" could eventually be expanded to include more college-level institutions and, potentially, all education starting with pre-school and extending through lifelong learning and professional training.
The ultimate goal of the Microsoft Research Gameful Education project is to support the development of a unified game layer for education, one that can unify gameful experiences across schools and technologies. This platform will drive better educational outcomes and enable entirely new types of educational research.
—Donald Brinkman, Research Program Manager, Games for Learning, Digital Heritage, Digital Humanities, Microsoft Research Connections
Today (November 4) is the first anniversary of the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360 in the United States, with subsequent availability around the world. It has been a smashing success since its debut, thanks in part to contributions from Microsoft Research to its audio, skeletal-tracking, and facial-recognition capabilities. And further refinements could mean the best is yet to come.
Kinect for Xbox 360 has been a smashing success since its debut a year ago.
For more on this, we have collated a resource page of stories, videos, publications, and other information, all easily accessible in one place at Microsoft Research Contributions to Kinect for Xbox 360.
Microsoft Research Connections continues its focus on helping getting the word out about the Kinect for Windows SDK beta. Some of the results of this are starting to be shown through showcases such as the Kinect projects gallery at Channel 9. There are more than 100 entries shown there at the time of writing.
Microsoft built Kinect to revolutionize the way you play games and how you experience entertainment. But along the way, people started using Kinect in ways we never imagined. From helping children with autism, to helping doctors in the operating room, people are taking Kinect beyond games. And that's what we call the Kinect Effect.
What will you do with Kinect next? See the future of possibilities of Kinect that go beyond the expected, into truly amazing things that people around the world are beginning to imagine.
Released today: download the Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 now!
—Stewart Tansley, Director of Natural User Interface, Microsoft Research Connections
From November 9 to 12, 2011, Portland, Oregon, the City of Roses, becomes the City of Hoppers, as technology-minded women from the across the United States flock to the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) of Women in Computing, an annual conference that brings the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. Named for the legendary computer scientist, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, past GHCs have drawn 1,500 or more participants and dozens of corporate sponsors. This year, a record number of attendees (more than 2,000) are expected.
As in the past, leading researchers will present their current work, and special sessions will focus on the role of women in computer science, information technology, research, and engineering—as well as trends in these fields. And as always, a large contingent of corporate recruiters will be on hand—including many from Microsoft—looking to snag the top talent that GHC attracts and to help researchers and technical professionals expand their computer science knowledge and networks.
It's exciting to see the lineup of amazing speakers from academic institutions, governments, nonprofits, and industry—including more than a dozen from Microsoft. All in all, more than 100 Microsoft researchers and technical employees will be attending, and the company is involved in more than 16 plenaries and sessions (see the line-up of Microsoft speakers). We also will be actively involved in the career night, the poster session, and the Sponsor Night Party. Fact is, Microsoft is a Platinum Sponsor of the Grace Hopper Celebration, for the fifth year in a row. We are proud to support the GHC and the contributions of the Anita Borg Institute and the Association for Computing Machinery, which are critical in attracting and retaining the women who will create the new technologies and drive new innovations for our global future. Be sure to come visit our booth (Exhibit Hall B 417), learn about natural user interfaces, and try out Kinect for Xbox at our Kinect Lounge in Hall C next to CyberCenter.
Now, let me plug my hometown for just a minute. As the United States' top green city, Portland derives half its power from renewable sources; a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool, or public transportation; and it has more than 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Microsoft shares Portland's focus on harnessing green technology and was recently named one of the Top Green IT organizations by ComputerWorld. In line with our efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent per unit of revenue by 2012, Microsoft will be going collateral free at this year's GHC, so we encourage all attendees to visit our Grace Hopper event site to find the information that would typically have been available as booth handouts.
That said, we still want every Hopper to stop by the Microsoft booth to pick out a photosynthetic "research partner" from our Project Epiphyte nursery. You and your air plant will collaboratively recycle carbon dioxide and oxygen as you symbiotically photosynthesize and respire, and you will join the Project Epiphyte community of dedicated plant-human partners. What's more, you might even beautify your workspace. The epiphyte is more than just a highly-evolved organism that has transcended the limitations of its soil-bound ancestors. It symbolizes our desire to nurture a lasting relationship with GHC attendees and is a metaphor for the collaborative process of research, where knowledge is built on previous efforts and leads to entirely new fields of study. The first 1,500 attendees who visit our booth will receive an epiphyte and our renowned Microsoft Grace Hopper chocolate.
Stop by the Microsoft booth to participate in Project Epiphyte and learn what these items are all about.
Also, visit our recruiting booth (Exhibit Hall A566). In addition to full-time positions, we offer a number of internships, scholarships, and fellowships. We think Microsoft is a great place for technological women (and men) to realize their ambitions, and we aren't alone. Just last month, Great Place to Work, a global research, consulting, and training firm, named Microsoft the world's best global company at which to work. As I have been telling all my friends for the last 10 years that I work at the best company in the world, now they don't have to only take my word for it! So while you stop to smell the roses in the City of Roses, set aside some time to sniff out the possibilities of becoming a "Softie."
"What If" is this year's theme of the GHC,


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In mathematics, equality is a relationship between two quantities or, more generally two mathematical expressions, asserting that the quantities have the same value, or that the expressions represent the same mathematical object. The equality between A and B is written A = B, and pronounced A equals B. The symbol "=" is called an "equals sign". Thus there are three kinds of equality, which are formalized in different ways.
- Two symbols refer to the same object.
- Two sets have the same elements.
- Two expressions evaluate to the same value, such as a number, vector, function or set.
These may be thought of as the logical, set-theoretic and algebraic concepts of equality respectively.
- 1 Etymology
- 2 Equality in mathematical logic
- 3 Equality in set theory
- 4 Equality in algebra and analysis
- 5 Relation with equivalence and isomorphism
- 6 See also
- 7 Notes
- 8 References
Equality in mathematical logic
Equality is defined so that things which have the same properties are equal. If some form of Leibniz's law is added as an axiom, the assertion of this axiom rules out "bare particulars"—things that have all and only the same properties but are not equal to each other—which are possible in some logical formalisms. The axiom states that two things are equal if they have all and only the same properties. Formally:
In this law, the connective "if and only if" can be weakened to "if"; the modified law is equivalent to the original.
Instead of considering Leibniz's law as an axiom, it can also be taken as the definition of equality. The property of being an equivalence relation, as well as the properties given below, can then be proved: they become theorems. If a=b, then a can replace b and b can replace a.
Some basic logical properties of equality
The substitution property states:
- For any quantities a and b and any expression F(x), if a = b, then F(a) = F(b) (if both sides make sense, i.e. are well-formed).
Some specific examples of this are:
- For any real numbers a, b, and c, if a = b, then a + c = b + c (here F(x) is x + c);
- For any real numbers a, b, and c, if a = b, then a − c = b − c (here F(x) is x − c);
- For any real numbers a, b, and c, if a = b, then ac = bc (here F(x) is xc);
- For any real numbers a, b, and c, if a = b and c is not zero, then a/c = b/c (here F(x) is x/c).
The reflexive property states:
- For any quantity a, a = a.
This property is generally used in mathematical proofs as an intermediate step.
The symmetric property states:
The transitive property states:
These three properties were originally included among the Peano axioms for natural numbers. Although the symmetric and transitive properties are often seen as fundamental, they can be proved if the substitution and reflexive properties are assumed instead.
Equalities as predicates
When A and B are not fully specified or depend on some variables, equality is a proposition, which may be true for some values and false for some other values. Equality is a binary relation, or, in other words, a two-arguments predicate, which may produce a truth value (false or true) from its arguments. In computer programming, its computation from two expressions is known as comparison.
Equality in set theory
Equality of sets is axiomatized in set theory in two different ways, depending on whether the axioms are based on a first-order language with or without equality.
Set equality based on first-order logic with equality
In FOL with equality, the axiom of extensionality states that two sets which contain the same elements are the same set.
- Logic axiom: x = y ⇒ ∀z, (z ∈ x ⇔ z ∈ y)
- Logic axiom: x = y ⇒ ∀z, (x ∈ z ⇔ y ∈ z)
- Set theory axiom: (∀z, (z ∈ x ⇔ z ∈ y)) ⇒ x = y
Incorporating half of the work into the first-order logic may be regarded as a mere matter of convenience, as noted by Lévy.
- "The reason why we take up first-order predicate calculus with equality is a matter of convenience; by this we save the labor of defining equality and proving all its properties; this burden is now assumed by the logic."
Set equality based on first-order logic without equality
In FOL without equality, two sets are defined to be equal if they contain the same elements. Then the axiom of extensionality states that two equal sets are contained in the same sets.
- Set theory definition: "x = y" means ∀z, (z ∈ x ⇔ z ∈ y)
- Set theory axiom: x = y ⇒ ∀z, (x ∈ z ⇔ y ∈ z)
Equality in algebra and analysis
When A and B may be viewed as functions of some variables, then A = B means that A and B define the same function. Such an equality of functions is sometimes called an identity. An example is (x + 1)2 = x2 + 2x + 1.
An equation is the problem of finding values of some variables, called unknowns, for which the specified equality is true. Equation may also refer to an equality relation that is satisfied only for the values of the variables that one is interested on. For example x2 + y2 = 1 is the equation of the unit circle.
There is no standard notation that distinguishes an equation from an identity or other use of the equality relation: a reader has to guess an appropriate interpretation from the semantics of expressions and the context. An identity is asserted to be true for all values of variables in a given domain. An "equation" may sometimes mean an identity, but more often it specifies a subset of the variable space to be the subset where the equation is true.
In some cases, one may consider as equal two mathematical objects that are only equivalent for the properties that are considered. This is, in particular the case in geometry, where two geometric shapes are said equal when one may be moved to coincide with the other. The word congruence is also used for this kind of equality.
There are some logic systems that do not have any notion of equality. This reflects the undecidability of the equality of two real numbers defined by formulas involving the integers, the basic arithmetic operations, the logarithm and the exponential function. In other words, there cannot exist any algorithm for deciding such an equality.
The binary relation "is approximately equal" between real numbers or other things, even if more precisely defined, is not transitive (it may seem so at first sight, but many small differences can add up to something big). However, equality almost everywhere is transitive.
Relation with equivalence and isomorphism
Viewed as a relation, equality is the archetype of the more general concept of an equivalence relation on a set: those binary relations that are reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. The identity relation is an equivalence relation. Conversely, let R be an equivalence relation, and let us denote by xR the equivalence class of x, consisting of all elements z such that x R z. Then the relation x R y is equivalent with the equality xR = yR. It follows that equality is the finest equivalence relation on any set S, in the sense that it is the relation that has the smallest equivalence classes (every class is reduced to a single element).
In some contexts, equality is sharply distinguished from equivalence or isomorphism. For example, one may distinguish fractions from rational numbers, the latter being equivalence classes of fractions: the fractions and are distinct as fractions, as different strings of symbols, but they "represent" the same rational number, the same point on a number line. This distinction gives rise to the notion of a quotient set.
Similarly, the sets
are not equal sets – the first consists of letters, while the second consists of numbers – but they are both sets of three elements, and thus isomorphic, meaning that there is a bijection between them, for example
However, there are other choices of isomorphism, such as
and these sets cannot be identified without making such a choice – any statement that identifies them "depends on choice of identification". This distinction, between equality and isomorphism, is of fundamental importance in category theory, and is one motivation for the development of category theory.
- Kleene, Stephen Cole (2002). Mathematical Logic. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-42533-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Lévy, Azriel (2002). Basic set theory. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-42079-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Mac Lane, Saunders; Birkhoff, Garrett (1999). Algebra (Third ed.). Providence, Rhode Island: American Mathematical Society.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Mazur, Barry (12 June 2007), When is one thing equal to some other thing? (PDF


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making methods are renegade and rational. Renegade decision-making methods work outside organizational norms, rules and procedures to bring changes while the rational method works within the organizational norms, rules and procedures.
To be successful in decision making, it is necessary to wear cultural lens and adopt the appropriate style. Managers in individualistic, high power distant and uncertainty accepting societies are more likely to prefer renegade championing strategies than are managers in collective, low power-distant and uncertainty avoiding societies. Inorder to avoid poor decision within a business environment, the values that drive the culture of that environment should be understood. Expectations and assumptions that shape both the perception of a problem and the direction necessary to solve it are shaped by culture. Any creative decision-making process should not begin with "Define the problem" but instead define the operating assumptions. This "ready" stage in the "Ready, Aim, Fire" sequence of the decision making process is the most essential to put decisions on target.
The DNA of Customer Experience – How emotions drive value by Colin Shaw


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Job Vacancy For E-Commerce Manager At Arik Air Nigeria
- Responsible for designing, developing, implementing, maintaining and managing all electronic commerce (EC) channels.
- Control all aspects of company's online business.
- Develop websites that will promote the brand and generate revenues.
- Define company's objectives for using electronic commerce and decide what computer applications are needed to achieve them.
- Develop marketing plans that explain how the e-commerce proposals will increase the company's business.
- Monitor the company's e-commerce strategies as they are being implemented
- Staying up to date on any software or data management trends.
- Constructing and maintaining Web back-end systems and ensuring the currency, quality, and integrity of information on the sites.
- Track online sales progress by analyzing sales statistics, conducting online traffic studies, and analyzing site data.
Desired Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Operations Management, or equivalent experience. MCSE+Internet and PMI certifications are pluses.
- Minimum of 7 years of information systems and business unit experience, 5 of which are in increasing levels of responsibility in a technical management capacity and program management.
- Must have a strong ability to lead with a very strong understanding of what it takes to develop a successful ecommerce operation.
- 4 or more years of team/project leadership responsibilities in a web/e-commerce environment, developing project plans and managing web-based solution delivery from implementation through to completion.
- Must possess a broad but thorough knowledge of EC and IT systems as well as comprehensive knowledge of relevant business functions and their interdependencies.
- Thorough knowledge of Web technology and solutions, and experience delivering through third-party providers.Must have advanced knowledge of Visual Basic.
- Basic knowledge of networking protocols, configuration, network administration
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Experience in a large organization and experience developing successful vendor relationships.
- Experience with relational databases and object oriented and event driven techniques.
Deadline: Not stated


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- Regional development
- Private sector development
- Job creation and training
- Agricultural value chains
- Data and development
- Gender and youth
ADE carried out data collection activities during three weeks in April and May 2023 in close contact with key stakeholders and local partners.
During the field phase, on-site visits to projects in sectors including transport, agriculture, power, water, social, public, and private were carried out. These field visits will support a comprehensive assessment of the projects and their effects on the ground. By conducting these field visits and engaging with various stakeholders, ADE's evaluation team sought to gather first-hand information and insights.
The evaluation aims to assess the design and implementation of the AfDB's strategy, programs, and operations. It also aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the AfDB's CSPs in achieving expected development outcomes. Additionally, the evaluation will identify operational factors that either facilitated or hindered successful implementation. The goal is to derive evidence-based lessons that can contribute to the improved design and implementation of the next cycle of the AfDB's CSP in Kenya.


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Persimmon is a delicious and nutritious fruit that is enjoyed by many. Its vibrant orange color and sweet flavor make it a popular choice, especially during the autumn months. However, some people have noticed that eating persimmon can leave their mouths feeling dry and parched. In this article, we will explore the reasons why persimmons have the potential to dry out your mouth and discuss ways to mitigate this uncomfortable sensation.
The Nature of Persimmons
Before delving into the reasons why persimmons may cause dryness in your mouth, let's understand the nature of this fruit. Persimmons belong to the genus Diospyros and are native to various regions around the world. They are classified into two main types: astringent and non-astringent.
One of the most common varieties of astringent persimmons is the Hachiya persimmon. These fruits are typically consumed when fully ripe and have a soft, jelly-like texture. Astringent persimmons contain high levels of tannins, which contribute to their characteristic mouth-puckering sensation.
Non-astringent persimmons, such as the Fuyu variety, are firm and can be eaten when they are still slightly crisp. Unlike astringent persimmons, they have a milder flavor and lower tannin content, resulting in a less astringent experience.
Tannins and Mouth Dryness
Tannins, the compounds responsible for the astringency in persimmons, are found in various plant-based foods, including grapes, tea, and certain fruits like persimmons. These compounds bind to proteins in the saliva, leading to a sensation of dryness in the mouth.
When you consume a persimmon, the tannins interact with the proteins in your saliva, causing them to coagulate. This coagulation can create a dry, sticky feeling in your mouth, similar to the sensation you may experience when consuming an unripe banana or an overly ripe banana.
Ripe Persimmons vs. Unripe Persimmons
The level of mouth dryness you experience when eating persimmons can vary depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Unripe persimmons contain higher levels of tannins, intensifying the astringency and the subsequent dryness in your mouth.
On the other hand, ripe persimmons, particularly non-astringent varieties like Fuyu, have lower tannin levels. This results in a milder astringent effect and a reduced likelihood of experiencing excessive mouth dryness.
Managing Mouth Dryness from Persimmons
If you enjoy persimmons but find that they tend to dry out your mouth, there are a few strategies you can try to mitigate this effect:
Choosing Ripe Persimmons
One way to minimize the dry mouth sensation is to select ripe persimmons. Ripe persimmons have a softer texture and a milder flavor. Fuyu persimmons can be enjoyed while they are still firm, but for Hachiya persimmons, it is crucial to wait until they are fully ripe and have a jelly-like consistency. Ripe persimmons have lower tannin levels, which reduces the drying effect.
Another technique to reduce the drying effect is to eat persimmons in smaller bites. Taking small, deliberate bites allows your saliva to mix and interact with the tannins more effectively, minimizing the drying sensation. Additionally, chewing the persimmon thoroughly before swallowing can aid in breaking down the tannins, reducing their impact on your mouth.
Dry Mouth Oral Spray
In addition to the mentioned techniques, another effective way to combat the dry mouth sensation caused by persimmons is to use a dry mouth spray. Dry mouth sprays are specifically designed to provide instant relief from dryness by moisturizing the mouth and stimulating saliva production.
Dry mouth sprays contain ingredients like xylitol, glycerin, and natural lubricants that help to lubricate the oral cavity, relieving the uncomfortable dry sensation. These sprays can be conveniently carried with you and used whenever needed, making them a practical solution for combating dry mouth caused by persimmons.
Pairing with Hydrating Foods
If you find persimmons particularly drying, consider pairing them with hydrating foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as watermelon, cucumbers, or oranges, can help counterbalance the drying effect of persimmons. The additional moisture will keep your mouth hydrated and alleviate the dry sensation.
Hydrate Before and After
To prevent excessive dryness, it is advisable to drink water before and after consuming persimmons. Staying hydrated will not only help alleviate dry mouth but also promote overall oral health. Drinking water before eating persimmons can create a thin protective layer in your mouth, reducing direct contact between the tannins and your mucous membranes.
While persimmons are a delightful and nutritious fruit, their high tannin content can leave some individuals with a dry and parched sensation in the mouth. Understanding the binding effect of tannins and employing techniques to mitigate the drying effect can help make persimmons a more enjoyable experience.
Moreover, choose ripe persimmons, eat them in smaller bites, pair them with hydrating foods, use dry mouth oral spray, and stay hydrated before and after consumption. By doing so, you can continue to relish the unique flavor and benefits of persimmons without the discomfort of a dry mouth.
So go ahead, enjoy the goodness of persimmons, and keep your mouth hydrated along the way!
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