text:
Bending But Not Breaking: Understanding and Reinforcing Teen Resilience
This workshop will examine the many layers of teen resilience.
We will explore why some adolescents are better able to adjust to life stressors, bounce back from challenges and view difficult times as opportunities to grow, and then identify ways in which these qualities can be strengthened in others. This workshop will present research and recent publications supporting ways to identify and reinforce teen resilience. We will also hear from teenagers via video clips sharing their experiences. This workshop will identify resilience-building strategies for teens and for the significant adults in their lives.
Topics will include:
- Defining teen resilience.
- Examining the crucial components of teen resilience.
- Viewing teen resilience in action.
- What the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us about teen resilience.
- The components of Post Traumatic Growth and how it relates to teen resilience.
- Identifying practical and creative strategies to strengthen teen resilience and reduce stress.
- Taking a look at some of the books on teen resilience and how they can be of help.
You will receive 2.5 CEs
Participants will be able to:
- summarize the important components of teen resilience and post traumatic growth to help recognize areas for supporting important life skills in teens.
- analyze research results that can translate into practical applications for promoting and strengthening teen resilience.
- apply strategies to help teens build and reinforce resilience.
- identify strategies to help parents recognize and support resilience in their teenagers.
$75- Regular Registration
$65 – Alumni, FI, Adjunct
$30 – VET, Students Free with promo-code
About The Presenter
Kristan Baker, PsyD, is a NY licensed Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working in the field. Dr. Baker has a private practice in Huntington, NY., providing therapy services for teens and adults. Since 2003, she has worked as a clinician and director for MercyFirst, a non-profit agency that serves youth who have been placed in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems. Her work focuses on addressing intergenerational trauma and community safety. In addition, she has focused on training and supervising clinical and program staff regarding trauma-informed interventions. Dr. Baker earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University, Post Campus, with training in cognitive-behavioral, trauma-focused CBT, dialectical-behavioral and psychodynamic theories.
Adelphi University School of Social Work is an approved provider for continuing education credits for the following:
- NYSED Social Workers
- NYSED LMHC
- NYSED LMFT
- CASAC Renewal
- APA Psychology, pending NYSED Psychology
- NYSED LCAT
Successful completion for the award of approved continuing education credits requires attendance at the entire training/workshop and submission of a completed evaluation form.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide refunds for cancellations made seven working days or fewer before the event for any reason—or for no-shows. We can provide credit towards a future workshop up to 24 hours before the event. After that, no credit will be issued.
The Student Access Office ensures equal access to all of Adelphi University's programs, services and facilities for students with documented needs. Through assistance, advocacy and reasonable accommodations, the office provides an accessible and supportive campus environment.
The Student Access Office provides cost-free assistance and services that are tailored to meet the needs of individuals based on their specific, appropriately documented needs, while preserving Adelphi's academic integrity and high standards of academic expectations and performance.
If you are a student with a documented disability and wish to request accommodation services, please submit a Petition for Reasonable Accommodations form along with the required information as detailed in the Guidelines for Documentation.
Please be aware that all decisions regarding accommodations and equal access are made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and prevailing University Policy.
For further information, please contact the Student Access Office at _PHONE_ or _EMAIL_.


Quick Answer: What Is A Platonic Romance?
Can platonic relationships turn romantic?
Platonic relationships can turn into erotic or romantic relationships, but most often the strength lies in the strong friendship.
While there might be some sexual tension between platonic friends, they might both decide to keep things simple and not become sexual..
How can you tell the difference between romantic and platonic attraction?
Platonic love is a term used for a type of love that is non-sexual. In simpler terms, it is a love between two heterosexual people. It is named after Plato. Romance is the expressive and generally pleasurable feeling from an emotional attraction towards another person.
Can man and woman just be friends?
Daily experience suggests that non-romantic friendships between males and females are not only possible, but common—men and women live, work, and play side-by-side, and generally seem to be able to avoid spontaneously sleeping together. … Men were much more attracted to their female friends than vice versa.
Are Platonic soulmates real?
A platonic soulmate is essentially just a best friend that was always meant to be your best friend. It's that divine intervention from above that you always hoped would bring you the perfect mate, but instead delivered an amazing friend. … Although we are using the word "soulmate," there is no romance involved.
What does platonic love mean?
What is a platonic soulmate?
A platonic soulmate is someone you love, madly, the instant you meet, a love beyond understanding. Plato defined this type of love as a love that goes beyond the personal self: a mysterious recognition of what is good, beautiful, and true.
Can you cuddle Platonically?
Originally Answered: Can a girl platonically cuddle/spoon guy friend? No, it's completely normal, cuddling is a fun activity that can be completely platonic.
Can guys have platonic female friends?
Researchers found that while women were generally not attracted to their male friends and saw the relationship as strictly platonic, the men usually had romantic feelings for their lady friends. … This isn't to say that truly platonic male/female friendships aren't possible.
Is platonic romantic?
platonic love. … The addition of physical intimacy to platonic feelings does not mean love, it simply means that you continue to have a friendship but scratch a physical itch with that friend rather than using a romantic partner. There could be many reasons why, but it will never progress into romantic love.
What is platonic girlfriend?
Is platonic love cheating?
Can platonic friends fall in love?
Can you be platonically in love with someone?
Is kissing platonic?
What is love between friends called?
Philia – friend bond Philia, Greek: φιλία) is the love between friends as close as siblings in strength and duration. The friendship is the strong bond existing between people who share common values, interests or activities. Lewis immediately differentiates friendship love from the other loves.
How do you know if someone is your platonic soulmate?
10 Signs You've Found Your Platonic SoulmateYou always have topics to discuss.Silence feels homey and comfortable.You know what they will tell you.You have some sense of humor.You put up each other's pet peeves.Always there for each other.Acceptance is unconditional.You miss them when they are not around.More items…•
Are all friendships platonic?
Platonic friendship doesn't mean… Friendships fulfill an important social need, and they can look different for everyone. … But a friendship that involves the desire to pursue romance or sexual intimacy, whether you share those feelings or not, isn't platonic.


text:
I've been working on trying to solve the problem of calculating the average of a row of numbers in which some of the cells have a null value. I'm convinced there's no easy way to do this. I found an example on the net that I have been working from but I can't seem to get that to work either. The example is:
$sql = mysql_query("SELECT *, (COALESCE(example, 0) + COALESCE(example2, 0) + COALESCE(example3, 0)) / (3 - (COALESCE(example - example, 1) + COALESCE(example2 - example2, 1) + COALESCE(example3 - example3, 1)) ) AS row_avg FROM attrib1 WHERE recid=".$recordid) or die(mysql_error());
I'm not sure what exactly this query is doing, and thus equally unsure of how to use it do my advantage. Any input would greatly appreciated.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Skip to content
- Implementing the policies and programs chosen by the administration is the act or job of management.
- The administration is a deciding function, whereas management is an executive function.
- While management makes decisions within the parameters of the framework that is established by the administration, the administration makes all of the important decisions for an enterprise.
- Government, military, religious, and educational institutions tend to employ administrators. On the other side, commercial firms employ management.


text:
I think this would be easier to use improper fractions since you are going to have to multiply. Also, since 2-11/63 is NOT a reasonable width, possibly the area of the kitchen is 1.75 the area of the room (not 1 minus 3/4 = 1/4). So here goes:
The area of the room is 99-3/7 = 696/7. The area of the kitchen is 1-3/4=7/4 of the area of the room (WHICH IS MORE). Therefore, the area of the kitchen is 696/7*7/4 = 696/4 (since the 7/7 reduces to 1) which equal 174 square feet for the kitchen area.
If the length of the kitchen is 14-1/2 = 29/2 feet, then solving Area = Length * Width...
174 = 29/2 * W ==> multiply both sides by 2 and divide both sides by 29 to clear the multiplier of the variable [you could have chosen to set this up as a proportion to solve the equation 174/1 = 29W/2]
2/29(174/1) = 2/29 (29/2 * W)
348/29 = W ==> multiply across the numerators and across the denominators
12 = W ==> division
Therefore the Width of the Kitchen is 12 feet.
NOTE - the Area of the Kitchen is 14.5 ft X 12 ft = 174 ft2 which is clearly MORE than the area of the room (since it is 1.75 times it)


text:
There are many types of smartcards. Phonecards are one type of smart-cards. Generally, a smart-card is any type of pocket-sized card (like credit cards) with an embedded chip on one side. This chip is actually a microcontroller with a non-volatile memory of specific size.
Pinout configuration of telecard smart-cards
First of all, let's see the pinout of those phonecards. If you take a closer look to the parallelogram chip, you will notice that there are lines which separates the surface into 6 or 8 areas:
Each one of these areas is a pin used either to provide power to the embedded microcontroller, or to interface this microcontroller with the outside world. For the telecards, these pins are:
1: VCC, the 5 volts supply for the microcontroller
4: Reserved for Future Use
6: VPP, programming voltage (5 or 21 volts if NMOS card)
7: I/O pin
8: Reserved for Future Use
Short description: Number 1 and 5 are for the chip's power supply, which is 5 volts. Number 3 and 7 are the clock and data pins for the interface: By providing pulses to the clock pin, the corresponding bit of the current memory position of the chip appears at the I/O pin, it is THAT simple. Finally, the Reset pin: This pin is used to reset the memory position counter.
The communication protocol
Like any other interface, smart cards have their own interface protocol. For the telecards, this protocol is very simple. One thing that I must mention is that this page talks about only the Greek second generation phonecards with 128 bits memory and 5-bytes octal counter! For more information regarding other types of phonecards, check out the references section of this circuit.
Let's take a look now the available 4 operations that we can do with a phonecard:
1 Reading the phonecard memory
During the reading operation, the reset pin must be held LOW. There is an internal memory position counter (MPC) which increases each time a pulse is applied to the clock pin. The MPC increases during the positive edge of the clock pulse. During the negative edge, the data of the memory position that the MPC points appears at the I/O pin. Here is the timing diagram of this operation:
2 Resetting the MPC (Memory Position Counter)
There is no direct method to define which memory position bit we want to perform a read operation. The only way is to reset the counter and start again reading from memory position #0. It is very important to run a cold reset sequence before start reading the phonecard, because there is no other reliable method to determine in which memory position the MPC points at. The sequence to do a cold-reset is this:
After this sequence, the Memory Position Counter will become 0, and the very first bit of the card memory (position 0) will appear at the I/O pin. You can immediately read this bit and go on reading the rest of the card memory as explained before.
Here is the timing diagram of the reset sequence:
3 Write to the memory card
With this command you can write to the octal counter in the card's memory position which holds the calling units. Later on we will discuss about the memory mapping of the phonecards. In short, the octal counter is a 4 or 5 bytes long counter which holds the calling units that a telecard has. I do not know for the other smartcards, but as far as the phonecards are concerned, you can only decrease this value. This makes absolute sense of course. Should the embedded microcontroller had allowed someone to increase this octal counter, then we could increase this counter whenever a phonecard ran out of calling units and refill it again. The octal counter can ONLY be decreased... No other operation is allowed.
Although the write sequence is common for all phone cards, the counter may differ from country to country. Go to the references section to get more info. I will only discuss about the 2nd generation Greek phonecards. These cards have a 5-byte long octal counter and a write command can only turn aces into zeros. Here is the write sequence:
After this sequence is ended, the unwritten memory position bit will be erased and the new value will automatically appear at the I/O pin. Here is a timing diagram of this sequence during which the ace (1) bit of the current memory position is written so that it becomes zero (0):

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Bates College GPA Calculator
Cumulative GPA: 0.00
Semester 1 GPA: 0.00
Class 1
Credits / Hours:
Class 2
Credits / Hours:
Class 3
Credits / Hours:
Class 4
Credits / Hours:
How to Use the GPA Calculator
1. Enter the letter grade and credit hours you have earned or expect to earn from from each class in a given semester
2. Click Calculate to calculate your semester GPA
3. Use + Semester to add all additional semesters and calculate your cumulative GPA
In the field labeled Grade, enter the letter grade that you have earned or expect to earn from a given class (e.g. A+, A, A-, B+, etc.).
Enter the total number of credit hours that your class is worth in the Credits/Hours field. A typical class is 3 credit hours, but there are a lot of variations. If you aren't sure how many credit hours your class is worth, check the course syllabus or your school's course catalog.
What is the difference between semester and cumulative GPA?
Your semester GPA is the grade point average that you earned for a single semester, so it is the numerical weighted average of your class grades. Your cumulative grade point average is the numerical weighted average of the grades you've earned over your entire college career.
How are grade points measured?
Grade points are calculated using your letter grade on a conversion scale. For instance, at most schools an A+ grade equals 4.0 grade points while a B- grade equals 2.7 grade points. The weighted average of these numbers gives us your GPA.
Bates GPA Calculator
Calculate your Bates grade point average (GPA) using our Bates College GPA calculator and stay on top of your college grades. Simply enter in the grades you have received for each Bates course you have taken and the respective number of credit hours and the Bates College GPA calculator will calculate your cumulative GPA. It takes just a few seconds, so go ahead and calculate your Bates grade point average today!
Back to Top
Log In
Contact Us
Upload An Image
Please select an image to upload
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use
Image not available.
Add a Photo
Please select a photo to upload


This guide will show you how to use the Nreal Light controller and Nreal phone controller. The tutorial will demonstrate how to create apps using Nreal Light controller as an interaction model.
Controllers provide a simple way for users to navigate in mixed reality. In the latest version, NRSDK supports two types of controlling methods: Nreal Light controller and Nreal phone controller. The Nreal Light controller can be paired with a Nreal Light computing unit or a mobile phone through Bluetooth. The Nreal phone controller is only available when using the phone as Nreal Light's computing unit.
Currently, only the Nreal Light controller (available in the Nreal Developer Kit) is available to developers. The Nreal phone controller will serve as a second input choice for users in the future.
How to Use the Nreal Light Controller
The Nreal Light Controller
 - On the front
Controller Features Description
3DoF Tracking 3 degrees of freedom
Touchpad Press = Trigger Button. Can detect touching and clicking. Customizable for your app, e.g. scrolling.
App Button Press and hold to recenter your controller. Press can be customized for your app, e.g. opening an in-app menu or performing a special action. ( Pay attention: For Nreal Light Controller, pressing the App Button equals to pressing the Touchpad Button)
Home Button Press and hold to open Exit App Window. Press can be customized for in-app action, e.g. return to the previous step.
LED Light Display controller status
 - On the back
Controller Features Description
Charging pins The three bottom-facing charging pins connect the controller with the computing unit. It is also used to send data from the computing unit to the controller.
Power Switch The Nreal Light controller on/off switch is below the charging spots. Green means the power is on, and red means the power is off.
 - Nreal Light Controller LED Guide
See LED demo below:
 - Connecting the Nreal Light Controller
 1. Make sure the Bluetooth on your Neal Light computing unit/or Android mobile phone is on. (The Bluetooth on Nreal Light computing unit is on as default.)
 2. Turn the Nreal Light controller power switch on. Long press the touchpad until the green light starts blinking.
 3. Put the Nreal Light controller on the computing unit, and they will be paired automatically.
 4. If pairing is successful, the LED will stop blinking and become solid green. If you cannot complete this step, remove all other controllers in the Bluetooth record list and try again.
 - Charging the Nreal Light Controller
Magnetically attach to the Nreal Light computing unit. Battery power will be shared between the two whether the controller is on or off.
The lithium battery in the controller is not removable. Please do not attempt to open the controller. Damage caused this way cannot be fixed.
How to Use Your Phone as a Controller
Controller Features Description
3DoF Tracking 3 degrees of freedom
Home Button Press and hold to open Exit App Window. Press can be customized for in-app action, e.g. return to the previous step.
Tutorial： Nreal Light Controller
Input in Unity
These following points will help you better understand the Input from NRSDK in Unity.
ControllerProvider: This provides various controller state information to NRInput, including rotation, button press, button up, battery, and gyro. There is a default provider for Nreal controllers. You can also write a custom controller provider.
EventSystem: Integration with Unity's standard EventSystem supports user interaction with GUI and other physical objects. NRIput will automatically generate an EventSystem when the application runs.
Visualizations: Default visualizations, such as controller visual, ray visual, and reticle visual, are already included. There is also an interface for you to reskin visualizations.
Enabling NRInput
To enable NRInput, simply drag the NRInput prefab into your scene hierarchy. If you already have a Main Camera set up, drag it onto Override Camera Center in the NRInput prefab. Otherwise, the prefab will find the Main Camera. Users can now interact in the app using Nreal Light controllers.
Raycast Modes in NRInput
There are two raycasting modes included in the NRInput: the Gaze Mode and the Ray Mode.
The Ray Mode is the default raycasting mode most apps will be based on. In this mode, the ray will start from the center of the controller.
When in Gaze Mode, the raycast will start from the center of the user's forehead and emanate in a forward direction. Thus, the ray will be invisible.
Current Controller Features
Since NRSDK supports multiple types of controllers, a method was scripted to help you understand the features your current controller supports.
 - Sample Use Case:
bool supportsPosition = NRInput.GetControllerAvailableFeature(ControllerAvailableFeature.CONTROLLER_AVAILABLE_FEATURE_POSITION);
bool supportsGyro = NRInput.GetControllerAvailableFeature(ControllerAvailableFeature.CONTROLLER_AVAILABLE_FEATURE_GYRO);
Some Common Usage of NRInput
 - Sample Use Case:
void Update()
 //returns a int value of how many available controllers currently
 //returns true if a Trigger button is currently pressed
 //returns true if a Trigger button was pressed down this frame
 //returns true if a Trigger button was released this frame
 //returns if controller is 3DoF, otherwise returns the position of the domain controller
 //returns the rotation of the domain controller
 //returns the ControllerType of the domain controller
 ControllerType controllerType = NRInput.GetControllerType();
 //returns true if the touchpad is being touched
 //returns a Vector2 value of the touchpad, x(-1f ~ 1f), y(-1f ~ 1f)
 //returns a Vector3 value of gyro if supports
 //to get what hand mode is using now, left-hand or right-hand
 ControllerHandEnum domainHand = NRInput.DomainHand;
 //the same as NRInput.GetRotation()
 //returns the rotaion of the left hand controller
Get Frequently Used Anchors
The NRInput provides an easy way to get frequently used anchors quickly.
 - Sample Use Case:
Transform gazeAnchor = NRInput.AnchorsHelper.GetAnchor(ControllerAnchorEnum.GazePoseTrackerAnchor);
Transform leftRayAnchor = NRInput.AnchorsHelper.GetAnchor(ControllerAnchorEnum.LeftRayAnchor);
Raycasters in NRInput
Three raycasters are included in the NRInput prefab. One of which for Gaze Mode, and the other two for Ray Mode. The raycaster class inherits from Unity's BaseRaycaster class. A chosen raycaster's farthest raycasting distance can be modified directly from the Inspector window. You can also define which objects are interactable by changing the parameter of its Mask.
Building a Project with User Input
To help you get started with integrating control into your own app, we have prepared a sample case study.
By reading the study you will be able to:
 1. Select a range of appropriate inputs to use with the controller.
 2. Write code in C# to receive user inputs such as the Home, Bumper, Trigger and Touchpad.
 3. Activate, rotate, and move a GameObject by using the input.
 4. Interact with physical objects and UGUI in the unity environment.
 1. When pointing the controller at the cube, its color will change to green.
 2. The color of the cube will randomly change when you press the trigger button.
 3. The cube will rotate with the controller.
 4. Activate or deactivate the cube for rotation by pressing the UGUI button.
 1. Drag NRCameraRig and the NRInput prefab to the scene hierarchy.
 1. Create a cube. In the Inspector window, set its position to (0, 0.1, 3), and scale to (0.3, 0.3, 0.3).
 1. Create a script named "CubeInteractiveTest.cs" as follows and add it to the cube.
 public class CubeInteractiveTest : MonoBehaviour, IPointerClickHandler, IPointerEnterHandler, IPointerExitHandler
 private MeshRenderer m_MeshRender;
 void Awake () {
 m_MeshRender = transform.GetComponent();
 void Update()
 //get controller rotation, and set the value to the cube transform
 transform.rotation = NRInput.GetRotation();
 //when pointer click, set the cube color to random color
 public void OnPointerClick(PointerEventData eventData)
 m_MeshRender.material.color = new Color(Random.Range(0f, 1f), Random.Range(0f, 1f), Random.Range(0f, 1f));
 //when pointer hover, set the cube color to green
 public void OnPointerEnter(PointerEventData eventData)
 m_MeshRender.material.color =;
 //when pointer exit hover, set the cube color to white
 public void OnPointerExit(PointerEventData eventData)
 m_MeshRender.material.color = Color.white;
 2. Add a DirectLight to brighten the cube.
 1. Add a Canvas and delete the EventSystem.
 1. Set the Canvas RenderMode to WorldSpace, and then set its position and scale to an appropriate value such as that listed below.
 1. Remove the "Graphic Raycaster" component from it and add Canvas Raycast Target.
 1. Add two buttons to the Canvas as its children. Name one button activeBtn and the other deactive. Remember to also change the


―Han Solo, referring to the Millennium Falcon[src]
A parsec was a unit of astronomical distance equivalent to about 19 trillion miles (3 light years).[1] For example, Tatooine was less than a parsec away from Geonosis, and the Kamino system was located twelve parsecs south of the Rishi Maze.[2]
During the Clone Wars, the planet Toydaria became vital to breaking the Separatist blockade over Ryloth because it was 2000 parsecs closer to the Ryloth system than the nearest Republic fleet.[3]
Han Solo claimed his starship, Millennium Falcon, made the Kessel Run in "less than twelve parsecs,"[4] boasting about its ability to withstand shorter, more dangerous routes through hyperspace.[1] In reality, the Falcon only made it through the Run in less than twelve parsecs on a technicality, as one needed to round down to reach the number Solo claimed.[5]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
In other languages


text:
Stowe Elementary School in Duluth, MN, has approximately 375 students in preschool through the fifth grade. The school is two blocks from a highway, which creates a barrier for children who want to bicycle or walk to school but must cross the highway. Additionally, many of the neighborhoods surrounding the school lack sidewalks, so some children who walk to school must walk on dirt paths that run next to the streets.
In 2008, Stowe Elementary received $171,360 in Safe Routes to School funding from the Minnesota Department of Transportation to make infrastructure improvements around the school and to encourage pedestrian safety among the students.
Most of the funding will be used to implement the infrastructure projects. The first project will narrow the two outside lanes of the highway for two blocks in an effort to slow the traffic along the road. The funds also will be used to construct sidewalks and concrete curb extensions and to purchase LED streetlights, school crossing signs and flashers. Using grant funds, the school also will implement an age-appropriate safety education curriculum and begin Walking School Bus activities. In March 2008, the school organized a Walking School Bus program for one week, in which parents led four walking school buses. About 40 students participated in the Walking School Bus, and the school saw an increase in the number of children who walked and bicycled to school.
Stowe Elementary plans to start the infrastructure projects in summer 2008 and for the projects to be completed within two years.


7 popular AI use cases today
Fact check! AI in journalism helps report, spot fake news
Source: Getty Images
Visual Editor: Sarah Evans
AI in journalism has been making waves for years. The Washington Post is just one well-known publication reaping the benefits of robot reporters. The esteemed publication debuted its AI bot, Heliograf, in 2016 for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games. Heliograf is credited with autonomously reporting more than 800 articles. Similarly, Yahoo Sports has used the technology to assist in high school and college sports coverage. Reuters uses AI technology to monitor Twitter feeds for breaking news.
Researchers are also fueling the trend of using AI in journalism. Google and Facebook are two conglomerates trying to use algorithms to detect fraudulent news articles. Image recognition, for example, has come a long ways in terms of identifying edited images and accurately being able to identify objects, people and places. At the moment, there hasn't been as much success with AI algorithms being able to pick up on "fake news."
View All Photo Stories


text:
A filtered category is a categorification of the concept of directed set. In addition to having an upper bound (but not necessarily a coproduct) for every pair of objects, there must also be an upper bound (but not necessarily a coequaliser) for every pair of parallel morphisms.
A category whose opposite is filtered is called cofiltered.
Equivalently, filtered categories can be characterized as those categories where, for every finite diagram, the diagonal functor is final. This point of view can be generalized to other kinds of categories whose colimits are well-behaved with respect to a type of limit, such as sifted categories.
This can be rephrased in more elementary terms by saying that:
Just as all finite colimits can be constructed from initial objects, binary coproducts, and coequalizers, so a cocone on any finite diagram can be constructed from these three.
In constructive mathematics, the elementary rephrasing above is equivalent to every Bishop-finite diagram admitting a cocone.
More generally, if is an infinite regular cardinal (or an arity class), then a -filtered category is one such that any diagram has a cocone where has arrows. The usual filtered categories are then the case. Note that a preorder is -filtered as a category just when it is -directed as a preorder.
Even more generally, if is a class of small categories, a category is called -filtered if -colimits commute with -limits in Set. When is the class of all -small categories for an infinite regular cardinal, then -filteredness is the same as -filteredness as defined above. See ABLR.
If is the class consisting of the terminal category and the empty category — which is to say, the class of -small categories when is the finite regular cardinal — then being -filtered in this sense is equivalent to being connected. Note that this is not what the explicit definition given above for infinite regular cardinals would specialize to by simply setting (that would be simply inhabitation).
Every category with a terminal object is filtered.
Every category which has finite colimits is filtered.
A product of filtered categories is filtered.


++ or C# languages, would know that this kind of a behavior is quite obvious in other languages, and is known as, pass-by-reference.
 1. void namelength (Person person, ref int count, ref Exception problem) {
 2. if(string.IsEmptyOrNull(person.name)) {
 3. count = 0;
 4. problem = new Exception ("Name is empty");
 5. } else {
 6. count = person.name.Count;
 7. problem = null// Redundant call
 8. }
 9. }
So far, we have explored how functions behave in Go language. Now, let us take a look at the methods. We already have seen that Go language does not contain classes, and that means no object-orientation. At least not the way other languages have implemented and supported them. In Go, you have to attach the functions to the types after they have been declared—not inside the body. Attachment of the function happens something like this.
 1. func (type) name (params) returns {
 2. // code
 3. }
What this suggests is that the functions need to know the type of the variables they can work on, and then Go language can inject those types and variables inside the scope of the function. So, let's rewrite the namelength function that we have been using for a few sections now.
 1. func (person Person) namelength() (count int, problem error) {
 2. if person.name == "" {
 3. count = 0
 4. problem = errors.New ("Name is empty")
 5. } else {
 6. count = len(person.name)
 7. problem = nil
 8. }
 10. return
 11. }
This can be easily called on the type to get the value for it, like,
 1. person := Person { name: "Afzaal Ahmad Zeeshan", age: 23 }
 2. count, problem = person.namelength()
 3. // other code
So this behaves in a way like an object-oriented code, that your types now hold data and they can perform some certain actions, and contain states. Quite a useful property of the Go language as seen here. So this now helps us to solve the problem of interface implementation, now if you recall we saw that a type is said to be implementing an interface in Go if it contains a function as such. So, we can go ahead and implement our Work interface.
 1. func (person Person) work() error {
 2. // Now person works
 3. }
This way, now we can use the Person type anywhere a type of Works interface is required by the program. It is even simpler than it sounds, all you need to do is, provide the functions to the type, and there you have it then. Now if we pass the person in the function above, it will work, because person type does not contain a function work of the same signature.
Now there is one thing left, that needs to be discussed, that is, how do we reflect the changes from a function in the variable itself. If you execute the code above and try to modify a field, you will realize that the actual type remains the same. How do we overcome that? Read the Go and Pointers section ahead, and you will find out. :)
Go and Pointers
One thing that needs to be spoken about is the pointer in Go language. They are the same as they were in C language, but way too managed than the old days. Go pointers are used to create references to the memory locations, and make changes to, read from, update the same memory location that is created instead of passing around the variables in and out of functions in a program. This makes the program look like a mess. Pointers solve the problem by granting access to the same memory location, and enabling the developers to update the same variable without having to pass-in or get anything out of the function.
Some certain points to remember about pointers in Go are, that they don't just die as you exit the function, do this would survive,
 1. func getperson (pName string) *Person {
 2. return &Person{ name: pName }
 3. }
Unlike in most other languages, these types would die as soon as the scope goes out. Pointers are of enough size to hold an address (32-bit systems, 64-bit systems...), and they do not support arithmetic. The reason behind this behavior is that they are not arrays. Unlike what you were told about arrays in C, that they are pointers, and indexing is done to check the next address. In Go, that does not happen, and arrays in Go are also value-types, not reference-types, but we can leave that for another time. However, you can still access the pointer's actual data using *, and you can even assign the value to the variable being pointed to, using a * operator, see this link, for example, _URL_
Passing something to a function takes a pointer type. Passing pointers, and receiving pointers is safe in Go and does not involve leaking. In fact, a new type is created and passed along to the next scope.
 1. func main () {
 2. gottenPerson := getPerson()
 3. fmt.Printf("gottenPerson exists at address %x\n", &gottenPerson)
 4. }
 6. func getPerson() Person {
 7. p := Person{}
 8. fmt.Printf("p exists at address %x\n", &p)
 9. return &p
 10. }
 12. // Output
 13. p exists at address &{61667a61616c 0}
 14. gottenPerson exists at address c042004030
So, they are not the references to the same object that was created in the second function (first one is a zygote type, the second one is an allocated variable). But, a safe way to share around the same object, and expect the changes to reflect outside the scope as well, unlike with value-types.
At this spot, we get to introduce the two more important, and interesting points, the make and new operators in the Go language. These operators are used to allocate memory for the types and return their pointer (as in the case for new) or the variable (as in the case of make). They both have their own purpose in the language. The make operator is used to initialize the reference types, such as slice, maps etc. We will take a look at them in their own post. Let's take a quick look at the new keyword, and see how that differs in the behavior of this program, and how that helps us in understanding how pointers work.
 1. func getPerson() Person {
 2. p := new(Person) // returns *Person
 4. return p
 5. }
Function changes a bit now; we get a pointer to the type—quite similar to what we get in C++ using new and using malloc in C. That also makes us change the return type, from &p to p itself, because of the type of the return of our function. Getting the address of p would return the address where our pointer is stored, not where the object is stored. Rest of the concepts of the functions are same, as they are in other languages, passing a pointer and modifying that, would ultimately cause a change in the actual value to be changed too. For example,
 1. func (person Person) rename (newName string) {
 2. person.name = newName
 3. }
This will not have any effect on the actual instance of our Person type, the reason being the fact that this is being passed in the function as a value type. In order to overcome this situation, we need to pass this in as a pointer,
 1. func (person *Person) rename (newName string) {
 2. person.name = newName


Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa
Conseil pour le développement de la recherche en sciences sociales en Afrique
Conselho para o Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa em Ciências Sociais em África
مجلس تنمية البحوث الإجتماعية في أفريقيا
Steering Epistemic Access in Higher Education in South Africa: Institutional Dilemmas
Michael Cross, 2018, ISBN: 978-987-722-328-6
Number of visits: 298
This book utilises a broadly critical cultural approach to explain access and retention. In recent years, the use of cultural approaches has made a significant contribution to how we understand societies and particularly social institutions undergoing transition. The impact of these approaches is evident in the social sciences and in interdisciplinary fields such as education, where different dimensions and perspectives within respective cultural approaches have been applied to a variety of topics.
February 12 2019


text:
Domestic Furnishings - Overview
Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.
The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.


What is a Quotation in Business?
Businesses are commonly asked for a quotation by potential customers to help them to understand exactly how much a product or service is going to cost before they commit to buying.
What is Included in a Quotation?
A quotation can be quite a detailed document, depending on the product or service involved. They become necessary in businesses that do not have a standard price list and/or need to provide bespoke pricing for each piece of work they carry out. A quote can include details such as:
 - Time requirements
 - Delivery timescales
 - Pricing
 - Materials
 - Exclusions
 - Terms of service
 - Requirements from the customer
 - Expiry date or time that the quote is valid for
Quotations form part of the source records in accounting, helping with activities such as financial forecasting and budgeting as a business plans for its future.
What is the Difference between Quotation and Sales Order?
A quotation tells a potential buyer how much goods or service will cost them, but they are not legally bound to make a purchase. A sales order is raised once a quotation is accepted by the customer, which is a binding document between the parties involved meaning the customer cannot cancel the order unless the business offers a cancellation policy.
The Difference Between a Quotation and an Estimate
Normally a quotation cannot be changed once they are sent to a customer and the business will most likely need to honour the price they quote. That means they need to make sure what they quote is correct and covers all the costs of the product or service being sold. Where it is not possible to estimate the cost of a job with certainty, a business will provide an estimate.
What is an Estimate?
Sometimes it is very difficult to provide an upfront quotation of what a job will cost because there is an element of unknown. For example, a builder renovating an old property may face unexpected problems as they start work.
In these cases an estimate may be provided which is a reasonable guess at what a product or service might cost, using their experience. It gives the customer an idea of what it is going to take to get the job done and incorporates a contingency (buffer) to account for the unknown costs.
About Anita Forrest


text:
A November 2, 1979 article by John Yemma in the Christian Science Monitor outlined Jesco Von Puttkamer's vision of America's future in space. Von Puttkamer was a planner for NASA and even consulted on the first Star Trek movie.
By the late '80s or early '90s, a huge solar power satellite may be constructed to beam microwave energy to Earth. And after that, a natural step as Mr. Von Puttkamer sees it, will be space colonies built with nonterrestial material and using solar energy.
Space Colonies by Don Davis
Sport in Space Colonies (1977)
Solar Energy for Tomorrow's World (1980)


Importance of 108
On word of caution since 108 is mostly related to chanting mantras, regardless of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
Harshad number: 108 is a harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (harshad is from sanskrit, and means "great joy")
Desires: there are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: there are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Sanskrit alphabet: there are 54 letters in the sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: if one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Sri yantra: on the sri yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the sri yantra as well as the human body.
Delusions: there are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Marmas: marmas or marmasthan are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
8 extra beads: in doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to god and guru.
1, 0, and 8: some say that 1 stands for god or higher truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and earth: the diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth. The distance from the sun to the earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun.
Moon and earth: the average distance of the moon from the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon.
Meditations: some say there are 108 styles of meditation. Paths to god: some suggest that there are 108 paths to god.
yogini meditating sivaom yoga
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Maha Mrityunjay Mantra
The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra reads:
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्
om tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam
urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyor mukṣīya maamṛtāt
Word-by-word meaning of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra:-
ॐ aum = is a sacred/mystical syllable in Sanatan Dharma or Hindu religions, i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism. Aum also appears in ancient African religion i.e. Ancient Egyptian Religion (Kemetic). Aum appears in the Ancient Egyptian papyri of Leiden and Demotic). In Ancient Egyptian Religion the sound 'Aum' is a Sacred word of power called Hekau.
त्र्यम्बकं tryambakam = the three-eyed one (accusative case),
त्रि + अम्बकम् = tri + ambakam = three + eye
यजामहे yajāmahe = We worship, adore, honour, revere,
सुगन्धिम् sugandhim = sweet smelling, fragrant (accusative case),
पुष्टि puṣṭi = A well-nourished condition, thriving, prosperous, fullness of life,
पुष्टि-वर्धनम् = puṣṭi+vardhanam = पुष्टि: वर्धते अनेन तत् = puṣṭiḥ vardhate anena tat (samas)= The one who nourishes someone else and gives his life fullness.
उर्वारुकमिव urvārukam-iva = like the cucumber or melon (in the accusative case); or like a big peach.
Note: Some people have decomposed the compound urvārukam in this way: 'urva' means "vishal" or big and powerful or deadly; 'arukam' means 'disease'. But urva (उर्वा) does not mean 'vishal' in Sanskrit; Another possibility would be ūrva (root ऊर्व्), meaning 'to kill, hurt', which could bend the translation to 'please eredicate all disease' as ūrva is in the imperative mood. Another way: uru: big, large; ārukam (in the accusative case): peach; iva: like.
बन्धनान् bandhanān = "from captivity" {i.e. from the stem of the cucumber} (of the gourd); (the ending is actually long a, then -t, which changes to n/anusvara because of sandhi)
Note: bandhanān means bound down. Thus, read with urvārukam iva, it means 'I am bound down just like a cucumber (to a vine)'. If you read it with mṛtyormukṣīya it means 'liberate from the bounds of death'
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय mṛtyormukṣīya = Free, liberate From death
मृत्यु: + मुक्षीय = mṛtyoḥ + mukṣīya= from death + free (Vedic usage)
मा ∫ मृतात् mā ∫ mṛtāt can be translated in a number of different ways:
1) मा + अमृतात् = mā + amṛtāt = not + immortality, nectar
Translation would be: (Free me from death but) not from immortality.
2) मा (माम) + अमृतात् = mā (short form of mām) + amṛtāt = myself + immortality
Translation would be: Give me some life rejuvenating nectar
3) मा (माम) + अमृतात् = mā (short form of mām) + amṛtāt = myself + sure, definitely
Translation would be: Free me from certain death.
The true meaning is as follows:
Yajamahe: Yajanam is invocation; I invoke
Sugandhim Pushti Vardhanama: Increase my good vasanas (not of material aspects like gold, money,sex, anger, the 6 enemies etc)
Urvarukam iva bandhanaan mrityor mukshiya ma mritaat: When i die my soul should leave the body as easily (without attachment) as the cucumber falls from its plant.
It is also called the Rudra mantra, referring to the furious aspect of Lord Shiva; the Tryambakam mantra, alluding to Shiva's three eyes; and it is sometimes known as the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra because it is a component of the "life-restoring" practice given to the primordial sage Sukracharya after he had completed an exhausting period of austerity. Its Devata is Rudra or Lord Shiva in his fiercest and most destructive roopa or aspect. In the Vedas it finds its place in three texts – a) the Rig veda VII.59.12, b) the Yajur Veda III.60, and c) the Atharva Veda XIV.1.17.
It is said to be beneficial for mental, emotional and physical health and to be a moksha mantra which bestows longevity and immortality.
According to some puranas, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra has been used by many Rishis as well as Sati during the time when Chandra suffered from the curse of Prajapati Daksha. By reciting this mantra, the effect of the curse of Daksha, which could make him die, slowed, and Shiva then took Chandra and placed it upon his head.
This mantra is addressed to Lord Shiva for warding off untimely death. It is also chanted while smearing Vibhuti over various parts of the Body and utilised in Japa or Homa (havan) to get desired results. While its energy protects and guides the initiates a mantra re-links consciousness to its deeper and more abiding nature and repetition of the mantra constitutes Japa, the practice of which develops concentration that leads to a transformation of awareness. Whereas the Gayatri Mantra is meant for purification and spiritual guidance, the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is meant for healing rejuvenation and nurturance.


text:
The Gaussian assumption in second-order estimation problems in digital communications
Tipus de documentArticle
EditorIEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
Condicions d'accésAccés obert
This paper deals with the goodness of the Gaussian assumption when designing second-order blind estimation methods in the context of digital communications. The lowand high-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) asymptotic performance of the maximum likelihood estimator—derived assuming Gaussian transmitted symbols—is compared with the performance of the optimal second-order estimator, which exploits the actual distribution of the discrete constellation. The asymptotic study concludes that the Gaussian assumption leads to the optimal second-order solution if the SNR is very low or if the symbols belong to a multilevel constellation such as quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM) or amplitude-phase-shift keying (APSK). On the other hand, the Gaussian assumption can yield important losses at high SNR if the transmitted symbols are drawn from a constant modulus constellation such as phase-shift keying (PSK)or continuous-phase modulations (CPM). These conclusions are illustrated for the problem of direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of multiple digitally-modulated signals.
CitacióVillares, J.; Vazquez, G. The Gaussian assumption in second-order estimation problems in digital communications. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 2007, vol.55, núm. 10, p. 4994-5002


Small Businesses Can Bridge the Budget Gap with Travel Analytics
William Gibson, Science Fiction Author
Multinational companies outsource their travel procurement to specialized travel management companies. So how can small businesses and fledgling travel programs operate as efficiently as these global companies with hefty travel budgets and specialized affiliates?
The answer is to embrace new technology and implement a smart strategy based on accurate travel analytics.
In general, larger companies hold many advantages over smaller ones. Large companies possess more leverage to negotiate advantageous deals with hotels and airlines. In addition, larger companies tend to find it easier to automate tasks like expense reporting than smaller ones. However, new technologies driven by machine learning and A.I. now allow smaller companies to even the playing field. SMBs can compete with multinationals by harnessing the power of data. There are three important phases: (i) collecting data from multiple sources, (ii) analyzing the data to reveal patterns, and (iii) implementing that analysis into travel policies and buying decisions. Today's technology is opening up travel management to efficiency and cost-saving opportunities, including predictive analytics.
How Do Predictive Analytics Work?
By using internal trends in past spending as well as external factors like weather, travel managers can predict future outcomes and adjust their booking decisions accordingly. For example, travel managers can narrow in on an optimal travel budget to set for a particular trip based on aggregate spending data from all past trips across all employees. In addition, travel managers can know exactly when to book hotels based on running a predictive model that forecasts when a particular vendor's prices will be lowest over the course of the year, or how events like the Super Bowl will affect pricing for trips during that month. Travel managers can arm their business travelers with knowledge that impacts them both in the air and on the ground.
The Importance of Data Collection
Just as important as the substance of business meetings, the aggregated data of a company's business travel is extremely valuable to a company, especially when every dollar counts. First, it's important to harness technology to receive business travel data in its totality.
Just like the multinationals, smaller companies now share the same access to technology that embeds AI into their corporate travel programs to collect big data and make for smarter, more efficient travel and improved compliance. And while the larger companies may take a more lackadaisical approach and allow some meaty insights to slip through the cracks, that leaves opportunities for scrappy SMBs to make use of their ingenuity and creativity to operate a tighter ship, relatively. Using intelligence from combined data sources–from reservations to receipts–will help companies build up a more comprehensive picture of their travellers and booking.
How to Avoid the Unseen Iceberg: Audits
Small crew on zodiac motor boat circling small iceberg
One disastrous obstacle that travel managers might not anticipate until it happens is a company audit. Corporate travel expense is one of the most difficult areas to clear an audit because it's difficult to verify the expenses from varied locations. The best way to avoid the issue is to plan ahead and equip your travel program with today's all-encompassing data collection tools.
For example, Traxo offers a suite of data collection and analysis tools to create full visibility for booking data, regardless if it's done in-channel or independently. Traxo transforms booking info from flights, hotels and car rentals into actionable data that is consolidated all in one place.
To simplify expense reporting, Folio, created by Chrome River, analyzes emails, credit card data, etc. and automatically morphs it into structured expense reports. Chrome River's dynamic readout can be configured to analyze by expense type, the charge code or billable client requirements. Not only does Folio cut down on accounting busywork, it helps control travel policy compliance.
Claire is a big data enabled artificial intelligence assistant that is available 24/7 to assist business travelers with booking policy-compliant flights seamlessly via their mobile device. Business travelers send a text message to Claire, who then responds with trip options based on individual preferences and past booking history. Claire applies travel policy automatically and tracks and reports travel expense data in real-time through a travel manager dashboard
Recycle Travel Expense Data to Improve Future Trips
Pile of Faded Paper Maps
If you run a corporate travel program for a small or mid-sized company, you're expected to make use of Travel Expense Data in order to increase R.O.I. Analyzing data is one of the most time-consuming tasks performed by a travel manager. Peter Levine of Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz notes that "More than 90 per cent of the data in the world today was created in the last two years alone." With the exponential rise of big data, technology analysts predict that most multinational companies will employ a chief data officer by the end of 2019. As an SMB, the way to compete with this trend is personalization.
You can add personalized value to analytics by asking specific questions pre and post booking. With this personalized approach, you can pinpoint common issues and understand why they happen. For example:
 - Why did a business traveler disregard policy?
 - Why was a booking placed at the last minute?
 - Why was an expensive itinerary change made?
 - Why did a traveler look up a flight but choose not to book it?
Post-trip reports deliver transparency of trip expenses and bookings, and any deviation from travel policy will enable you to further manage policy compliance or put in place stricter measures as required.
We've already provided a Travel Policy Template, and this valuable traveler data will help you amend your travel policy to mitigate instances of noncompliance.
Validating Vendor Loyalty
Are you loyal to your hotel vendor just for loyalty's sake, or do you have hard data to reaffirm your decision?
Applications that make use of machine-learning and artificial intelligence are transforming the manipulation of data so travel managers can truly analyze the value of vendor relationships.
New technology allows travel managers to build a total cost of trip view by traveler across multiple data sources to manage multiple travelers simultaneously like a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy gamer.
For example, once considered a discouraged off-platform booking, Airbnb has now established AirBnB for Work, a real-time booking program specifically designed for corporate travel managers that automatically routes AirBnb reservations into the company's travel management system. Travel managers can log into the AirBnB for Work dashboard to minimize travel costs by evaluating average daily rate, total spend and full booking details for all trips across all employees.
Holding on to the Human Element in Travel Planning
Close Up of Hands Shaping a Bowl on a Pottery Wheel in Black and White
Even though companies like Troovo are popping up that provide end-to-end automation of bookings and transactions, travel managers should not accept automation haphazardly.
Corporate travel management is largely a data-intensive practice, but it should not become exclusively about the numbers. One fear is that increased focus on automation will leave the business traveler experience out of the equation. There is still a need for human emotional intelligence within the decisionmaking chain to look out for the best interest of the business traveler.
As a corporate travel manager, your goal is to optimize travel expenses and increase savings. On the one hand, you serve the company by making economical decisions. But on the other hand, you represent the best interest for your employees out there on the road in terms of comfort, safety and well-being.
How to Accurately Report on Employee Satisfaction
Collecting receipts and monitoring per diem is one thing, but how can travel managers accurately collect data on their employee satisfaction? You can tally the number of times an employee uses the company credit card or orders an Uber, but how do you put a numerical value on employee satisfaction? The old-school way would be to pass out post-trip questionnaires to employees when they return to the office and rely on those answers. But is there a better way to pool data from a variety of sources to come to a more accurate conclusion? Stay tuned as we delve into which metrics matter in determining business traveler satisfaction.
Future Predictive Analytics Exploration
Big data and predictive analytics are a travel manager's secret weapons. Beyond simple cost-cutting, there is real potential in the ability to use big data to maximize efficiency within a corporate travel program by extracting insights from rich data sets. In the coming weeks, 30STF will be taking on an in-depth exploration of travel analytics and sharing ways that big data can be used more innovatively and strategically.
Post A Comment


text:
What would you do if every time you went to the bathroom you cried? One poor girl has to deal with this very issue:
In fact, a rare situation in which the eyes produce tears when a person passes urine may be more common that thought — because it's painless, and perhaps more of an inconvenience than anything else, people may be unlikely to seek medical help for it, researchers in England who dealt with the little girl's case reported today
The girl checks out as normal during an examination. And her condition is not new:
The problem began when the girl was just weeks old. An ultrasound of her kidneys revealed nothing abnormal, and there were no signs dry eyes or of any other medical problem.
The researchers searched the medical literature, and found only one other formal report of a similar case, from 1932. In that case, a young man who was a medical student reported a "copious flow of dears during defecation and urination."
Copious flow of dears? That last line has to be a typo. Of course, they mean tears. Or was a big crowd of folks thronging him when he was trying to conduct personal business? What could be called minding your pees and queues.
I tell you, these typos by professionals are enough to make me cry. Whhaaaa! Now I got to the bathroom. Wait, what is going on here? I thought it worked the other way...


text:
Table of Contents
How to Farm Ginger in Nigeria
Ginger is a popular spice used in Nigeria for its medicinal and culinary benefits. It is used to treat various ailments like colds, cough, and sore throat. It also adds flavor to different dishes, making it an essential ingredient in Nigerian cuisine. Ginger farming can be a lucrative venture for farmers in Nigeria, provided they have the right knowledge and skills. In this article, we will explore how to farm ginger in Nigeria, from planting to harvesting and processing.
What is Ginger?
Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is Zingiber officinale, and it belongs to the same family as turmeric and cardamom. Ginger is a rhizome, which is an underground stem that grows horizontally and produces roots and shoots. The ginger root is the part of the plant that is commonly used in cooking and medicine.
The first step in ginger farming is soil preparation. Ginger prefers loose, well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. The soil should be tilled to a depth of about 15cm and mixed with compost or manure. The soil should be slightly acidic, with a pH of between 5.5 and 6.5. If the soil is too alkaline, add some sulfur to lower the pH.
Ginger is usually planted between March and April in Nigeria. The rhizomes are planted about 5cm deep and 20cm apart in rows that are 30-40cm apart. The planting area should be watered immediately after planting to ensure that the soil is moist. Ginger requires regular watering, especially during the dry season. It is also important to weed the area regularly to prevent competition for nutrients.
Ginger requires adequate nutrients to grow and produce a good yield. The soil should be tested before planting to determine the nutrient requirements. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the essential nutrients for ginger. The fertilizer should be applied in two stages – before planting and after emergence. A balanced fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 15:15:15 is recommended for ginger farming.
Ginger is usually harvested between 8-10 months after planting, depending on the variety and growing conditions. The leaves of the ginger plant will begin to turn yellow, indicating that it is time to harvest. The rhizomes are carefully dug up using a spade or fork. The rhizomes should be cleaned, sorted, and dried in the sun for a few days. The dried ginger can then be stored in a cool, dry place until it is ready for processing.
Processed ginger has a longer shelf life and can be sold at a higher price. There are different methods of processing ginger, depending on the intended use. Some of the common processing methods include drying, powdering, and pickling. Drying is the most common method, where the ginger is sliced and dried in the sun or a dehydrator. Powdering involves grinding the dried ginger into a fine powder, which can be used as a spice or flavoring agent. Pickling involves soaking the ginger slices in vinegar or brine, which gives it a tangy flavor and preserves it for a longer period.
Marketing is an essential aspect of ginger farming. Farmers can sell their ginger at local markets or to wholesalers who supply to supermarkets and restaurants. Farmers can also sell their ginger online through e-commerce platforms or social media. It is important to have a good understanding of the market demand and price trends to get the best price for the ginger.
Ginger farming can be a profitable venture for farmers in Nigeria. With the right knowledge and skills, farmers can grow high-quality ginger that is in demand in the local and international markets. Soil preparation, planting, fertilizer application, harvesting, processing, and marketing are the key steps in ginger farming. By following these steps, farmers can maximize their yield and income.
1. What are the common pests and diseases that affect ginger plants?
Ginger plants are susceptible to pests like aphids, thrips, and mealybugs, and diseases like bacterial wilt, fusarium wilt, and root knot nematodes. It is important to monitor the plants regularly and take appropriate measures to control the pests and diseases.
2. Can ginger be grown in containers?
Yes, ginger can be grown in containers, provided the container is large enough to accommodate the rhizomes and has good drainage.
3. Does ginger require a lot of water?
Yes, ginger requires regular watering, especially during the dry season. The soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged.
4. How long does it take for ginger to mature?
Ginger usually takes between 8-10 months to mature, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
5. Can ginger be grown in all parts of Nigeria?
Yes, ginger can be grown in most parts of Nigeria, provided the soil and climatic conditions are suitable.


text:
: the caste title Gounder and the clan name, example Perungudi. Nowadays it is common for people not to use any of these titles. So a Konguvel, son of Shanmuganathan, of say Erode, would call himself Konguvel Shanmughanathan, instead of the traditional Erode Perungudi Konguvel Gounder. This practise is of very recent origin though. Wife or child takes the given name of the husband or father (Usha married Satish, and may therefore be called Usha Satish or simply S. Usha). In many communities, especially Christian, names are formed by the given name as the first name, the family name and house name as the middle name(s) and the father's/husband's given name as the last name. Thus, the last name changes with each generation. The house name would also change as generations move out of their consanguineal family homes with the changing ownership of property upon the death of the patriarch. The Dravidian movement in the beginning of 19th century was instrumental in knocking off the concept of surnames in Tamil Nadu. Since many companies in the industrially rich Tamil Nadu managed to filter candidates just by looking at their names, the movement went on to such an extent that surnames/castenames were simply refused at primary school levels. The movement went so active that even Streets, roads and galis where names with caste name was published, road-tar was applied on caste names. For instance in a Ranganatha Mudaliar street, the
Mudaliar name was struck off with tar, leaving the street as Ranganathan Street. Similar was the case with almost all castes, Now it's hard to find a Mudaliar, Nadar, Pillai,
Goundar, Iyer, Chettiar etc in any public display. Only on arranged marriages, people feel proud to publish their caste names. In cases where people arrange their own marriages (intercaste / inter religion), the caste name almost vanishes. Hence the famous "ETHIRAJA MUDALIAR College" in Chennai is simply "ETHIRAJ COLLEGE" or "Kamaraja nadar road" is simply "Kamaraj road". This is being welcome my politicians from UP, Bihar etc.
Jains generally use Jain, Shah, Firodia, Singhal or Gupta as their last names. Sikhs generally use the words Singh ("lion") and Kaur ("princess") as surnames added to the otherwise unisex first names of men and women, respectively. It is also common to use a different surname after Singh in which case Singh or Kaur are used as middle names (Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Surinder Kaur Badal). The tenth Guru of Sikhism ordered (Hukamnama) that any man who considered himself a Sikh must use Singh in his name and any woman who considered herself a Sikh must use Kaur in her name. Other middle names or honorifics that are sometimes used as surnames include Kumar, Dev, Lal, and Chand.
The modern day spellings of names originated when families translated their surnames to English, with no standardization across the country. Variations are regional, based on how the name was translated from the local language to English in the 18th, 19th or 20th centuries during British rule. Therefore, it is understood in the local traditions that Agrawal and Aggarwal represent the same name derived from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively. Similarly, Tagore derives from Bengal while Thakur is from Hindi-speaking areas. The officially-recorded spellings tended to become the standard for that family. In the modern times, some states have attempted at standardization, particularly where the surnames were corrupted because of the early British insistence of shortening them for convenience. Thus Bandopadhyay became Banerji, Mukhopadhay became Mukherji, Chattopadhyay became Chatterji etc. This coupled with various other spelling variations created several surnames based on the original surnames. The West Bengal Government now insists on re-converting all the variations to their original form when the child is enrolled in school.
Javanese people are the majority in Indonesia, and most do not have any surname. There are many individuals who have only name, such as "Suharto" and "Sukarno". These are not only common with the Javanese but also with ethnic groups who do not have the tradition of surnames. If, however, they are Muslims, they might opt to follow Arabic naming customs.
Many surnames in Ireland of Gaelic origin derive from ancestors' names, nicknames, or descriptive names. In the first group can be placed surnames such as McMurrough and McCarthy, derived from patronymics, or O'Brien and O'Grady, derived from ancestral names.
Gaelic surnames derived from nicknames include Ó Dubhda (from Aedh ua Dubhda - Aedh, the dark one), O'Doherty (from dochartaigh, "destroyer" or "obtrusive"), Garvery (garbh, "rough" or "nasty"), Manton (mantach, "toothless"), Bane (bán, "white", as in "white hair"), Finn (fionn, "fair", as in "fair hair"), and Kennedy (cinnéide, "ugly head").
In contrast to England, very few Gaelic surnames are derived from placenames or venerated people/objects. Among those that are included in this small group, several can be shown to be derivations of Gaelic personal names or surnames. One notable exception is Ó Cuilleáin or O'Collins (from cuileann, "Holly") as in the Holly Tree, considered one of the most sacred objects of pre-Christian Celtic culture. Another is Walsh (Breatnach), meaning Welsh.
In areas where certain family names are extremely common, extra names are added that sometimes follow this archaic pattern. In Ireland, for example, where Murphy is an exceedingly common name, particular Murphy families or extended families are nicknamed, so that Denis Murphy's family were called The Weavers and Denis himself was called Denis "The Weaver" Murphy. (See also O'Hay.)
For much the same reason, nicknames (e.g. the Fada Burkes, "the long/tall Burkes"), father's names (e.g. John Morrissey Ned) or mother's maiden name (Kennedy becoming Kennedy-Lydon) can become colloquial or legal surnames. The Irish family of de Courcy Ireland became so-named to distinguish them from their cousins who moved to France in the 17th and 18th centuries.
In addition to all this, Irish speaking areas still follow the old tradition of naming themselves after their father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on. Examples include Mike Bartly Pat Reilly ("Mike, son of Bartholomew, son of Pat Reilly"), John Michel John Oge Pat Breanach ("John, son of Michael, son of young John, son of Pat Breanach"), Tom Paddy-Joe Seoige ("Tom, son of Paddy-Joe Seoige"), and Mary Bartly Mike Walsh ("Mary, daughter of Bartly, son of Mike Walsh"). Sometimes, the female line of the family is used, depending on how well the parent is known in the area the person resides, e.g. Paddy Mary John ("Paddy, son of Mary, daughter of John"). A similar tradition continues even in English-speaking areas, especially in rural districts.
Some Irish surnames can be mistaken for non-Irish. Anglicization of many surnames has been so thorough that bona-fide Irish names such as Crockwell and Harrington appear to be English. Other Irish names can appear to be German (Bruder), Italian (Costello), or even Polish (Comiskey).
i, ian, deh, dust, fard, far, ju, iya, nia, nizhad (or nejad), oo, par, parast, pour, rad, vand, vard, yar, zadeh, zad, zand
Sometimes name of cities or towns are attached as the last word in the family name such as: Tehrani, Shirazi, Esfahani, Tabrizi, Zanjani, Angurani, Samani, Farahani
Some common Persian last names are: Afsar, Agassi, Alivandi, Alizadeh, Amanpour, Ansari, Anvari, Ariani, Arki, Ashtari, Azria, Bahari, Bahrami, Bakhtiari, Bateni, Bozorgi, Dashti, Davoodi,, Ebadi, Elmi, Emami,Esfahani, Fakoor, Farahani, Feiz, Firozi, Gharani, Gharibpour, Ghasemi, Golzari, Hosseini, Kalbasi, Karimi, Kashani, Kiani, Kiyanfar, Kiyanpour, Loghmani, Mehranzadeh,Milani, Mirzapour, Motallebzadeh, Najafi, Nakhudeh, Niyazfar, Omidifar, Ovisi, Ovasi, Rabiee, Rahimi, Rastinpour, Rezaei, Rouzrokh, Samani, Sarafpour, S


text:
Graph-based Semi-Supervised Learning in Acoustic Modeling for Automatic Speech Recognition
MetadataShow full item record
Acoustic models require a large amount of training data. However, lots of labor is required to annotate the training data for automatic speech recognition. More importantly, the performance of the acoustic model could degenerate during test time, where the conditions of test data differ from the training data in speaker characteristics, channel and recording environment. To compensate for the deviation between training and test conditions, we investigate a graph-based semi-supervised learning approach to acoustic modeling in automatic speech recognition. Graph-based semi-supervised learning (SSL) is a widely used semi-supervised learning method in which the labeled data and unlabeled data are jointly represented as a weighted graph, and the information is propagated from the labeled data to the unlabeled data. The key assumption that graph-based SSL makes is that data samples lie on a low dimensional manifold, where samples that are close to each other are expected to have the same class label. More importantly, by exploiting the relationship between training and test samples, graph-based SSL implicitly adapts to the test data. In this thesis, we address several key challenges in applying graph-based SSL to acoustic modeling. We first investigate and compare several state-of-the-art graph-based SSL algorithms on a benchmark dataset. In addition, we propose novel graph construction methods that allow graph-based SSL to handle variable-length input features. We next investigate the efficacy of graph-based SSL in context of a fully-fledged DNN-based ASR system. We compare two different integration frameworks for graph-based learning. First, we propose a lattice-based late integration framework that combines graph-based SSL with the DNN-based acoustic modeling and evaluate the framework on continuous word recognition tasks. Second, we propose an early integration framework using neural graph embeddings and compare two different neural graph embedding features that capture the information of the manifold at different levels. The embedding features are used as input to a DNN system and are shown to outperform the conventional acoustic feature inputs on several medium-to-large vocabulary conversational speech recognition tasks.
- Electrical engineering


40 Children Hurt By Lightning In France And Germany
Close to 30 children at a children's soccer match in Germany, and about 10 children at an outdoor birthday party in Paris, were reportedly injured when lightning struck this afternoon. A number of adults were also hurt. Some of the adults and children have suffered serious injuries and are being hospitalized.
Lightning Hits Paris Birthday Party
In Parc Monceau, an upscale park in Paris, France, party goers taking part in birthday celebrations took cover under a tree when a storm suddenly disturbed the festivities. One of the most dangerous places to be during a lightning storm is under a tree; the tree serves as a lightning rod since it is higher than its surroundings, it draws the electric current toward it and anything under the tree is in danger of electrocution. However, it appears the lightning was unexpected and the rains were very heavy, which explains why they huddled under the tree for cover.
The average age of the injured children was 9 years. Different reports give different numbers of victims. What is clear, however, is that at least 8 children and 3 adults were seriously harmed by the lightning. Off-duty fireman Pascal Gremillet was in the vicinity of the park and quickly arrived at the scene; he found 11 people lying on the ground. Gremillet gave them first aid and heart massages. Still, about four of those struck by the lightning remain in serious condition and are fighting for their lives. That number could have been higher had the fireman not run to the scene when he saw the lightning hit the park.
Lightning Struck Referee as He Blew the Final Whistle of the Game
Toward the end of a children's soccer match in western Germany, one of the referees, aged 45, was directly hit by lightning that seemed to come out of nowhere. 29 children were on the playing field. Some reports state none were hurt, but that they were taken to the hospital as a safety measure. In other reports, however, some children were experiencing an irregular heartbeat.
Lightning is Magnificent and Deadly
Lightning provides a beautiful display of the powers of nature. Sometimes those powers can be deadly.
Some places in the United States, such as Florida, are more prone to lightning than others. There are, on average, about 49 lightning deaths a year in the USA. According to the Geoscience News and Information website, Florida is fourth in the world regarding frequency of lightning storms; Central Africa has the greatest electrical activity, followed by the Andes, the Himalayan region, Florida, the Argentinian Pampas region, and Indonesia. Just 2 weeks ago, about 64 people were killed in Bangladesh by a lightning storm.
You can check out this website to see where lightning storms are taking place in real time around the world.
Lightning storms, and hence lightning warnings, are most frequent in the summer, building up from May and reaching a peak in July. August sees a much lower rate of thunder and lightning storms than take place in July.
Lightning kills animals, as well as humans. There can be much property damage as well. Power lines and other constructions can be destroyed and buildings damaged. Airlines sometimes have to delay or reroute flights because of lightning storm warnings. Human fatalities from lightening have significantly decreased over the years because of the move from rural to urban areas, where large buildings offer better protection, improved medical interventions, and enhanced warning systems.
Best Practices During a Lightning Storm
To be safe, as soon as you hear thunder, you should run inside a building. Buildings are equipped with lightning rods and can withstand the electric surge even if they may suffer some damage. If you are in a car, you should remain in the car unless you can quickly run into a nearby building. Remain inside the building or car until a few minutes after the last thunder, in order to make sure the electric storm has come to an end.
It is important to stay indoors during an lightning storm. If you have no other option, lay down on the ground in order to prevent the lightning from striking you. Lay far from trees, because their roots can serve as conductors.
[Image via Pixabay]


How to Homeschool Through Travel With a Gifted Child
September 12, 2012
Homeschooling around the worldour American kid doing Mandarin homework in Wadi Rum Jordan
Can combining travel and homeschool enhance education for a gifted kid? We think world travel is the best possible education for all children in our shrinking world and particularly beneficial for asynchronous development, advanced learners and gifted, creative families. How do you homeschool a gifted child through travel?
Roadschool? Worldschool? Virtual? We do a hybrid homeschool method using many approaches to education and suited to our family and trilingual child who also plays two instruments as we roam the world. There are endless ways to use travel to educate, but books geared to the travel, lots of first hand experiences, keeping a journal and lots of time for family discussion are all keys.
We've been traveling the world as a family non-stop for seven years now and it's been the best decision of our lives and has far surpassed our wildest dreams as far as benefits and enrichment. We travel the world primarily to educate our daughter, raise her as a global citizen and have much more quality and quantity time together since kids grow up so fast. Home education ( as the Brits call it) suits all of us as we are out-of-the-box, divergent thinkers. We've just decided that the world is our home and maximum freedom our calling.
Swimming with sharks in in Bora Bora, doing a camel overnight trek deep in the Sahara at 6 and riding a camel in Jordan at 10, learning to surf in Hawaii, learning archaeology in Pompeii, Ephesus, Troy, Mycenae, Delphi, Petra, Palace of Knossos etc ( amazing for a kid with a passion for Greek Myths and archeology), swimming with dolphins in Portugal and Florida Keys with marine biologists, seeing a ballet in Sydney's Opera House or Shakespeare at the Globe in London, celebrating Chinese New Year at temples in Asia or participating in Semana Santa in Spain, eating reindeer meat in a kota in Sweden, climbing the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan, playing violin on a Vienna stage or ending up in a Japanese film in Croatia, seeing world class operas in Verona in an ancient amphitheater, dissecting squid in California at a Johns Hopkins CTY science workshop, sailing the Turquoise coast in Turkey, cruising the Fjords of Norway, etc,etc etc...the educational opportunities have been mind-blowing.
We would never have been able to give her so much on our small budget without world travel. It is a dream life available to almost any ordinary family today because you don't have to be rich to live a rich life. You also don't have to wait until they are teens or in college to study abroad as there are so many advantages for younger school age children.
homeschool and travel in Europe...exploring history
Our daughter was five when we began our family world trip and she will soon be twelve, so we have extensive experience in this realm having been to 44 countries on 5 continents so far and doing it all on a low budget of $23/day per person.
Many of these countries have been deeply and thoroughly explored repeatedly over many years, so we've seen much more of Europe than most Europeans. There is hardly a book she reads or film she sees that she doesn't have first hand experience with the places mentioned and we've lost count of all the UNESCO World Heritage sites we've explored. The advanced reading skills of a gifted child helps them be a big part of the planning phase of travel even at a young age.
We're monolingual parents raising her as a fluent-as-a-native trilingual/triliterate from birth thanks to slow travel and our ultimate family adventure that also gives her profound, long term friendships around the world. Meeting all her needs are important to us as well as giving her a solid foundation.
With fluent Mandarin, Spanish and English, she can communicate with 75% of the people on the planet and read thier best literature, plus she wants to add French next,so that percentage will increase. Just her experience of knowing her way around subways/mass transit in NYC, Singapore, Paris, Sydney, London, San Francisco, Budapest, Stockholm etc as well as cargo ships, trains, planes, buses, distant biking etc has been a valuable education. She had never even even ridden on a bus before we left.
It is easier than ever today to do extended long-term travel thanks to tech, so most anyone can school or work ANY where if that is your priority (fulltime or part time), thus more and more families are doing just that. The world as your classroom...literally!
"I can't think of anything that excites a greater since of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again." Bryson
Our daughter showed exceptionally gifted signs early: taught herself to read at two, crawled all over at 4 months, walked and talked in two languages at 6 months with 5 syllable words in each, was a puzzle master before a year old, started violin at 23 months and piano at 3 and much more. Like many gifted kids she also had sensory processing issues and had a severe feeding problem, (so was never on the weight chart) and we spent a lot of time with occupational therapy and doctor visits.
One doctor told us she was developmentally like a 10 month old at 5 months and another M.D Pediatrician told us she was developmentally like an 18 month old at 9 months ( none of the doctors, even at Stanford Hospital, had ever seen a child like this which shocked me). Best advice I was given was to treat her like her developmental age instead of actual age, so even in babyhood and preschool years we had many exceptions based on her advanced abilities.
Thus, we had lots of warnings that we would have challenges trying to fit this square peg in the round-hole limitations of most schools. I must admit it was quite frightening and overwhelming at first, until we decided to travel the world together. It's been the perfect choice for us!
Most people don't realize that meeting the needs of a very gifted child can be as challenging as any special needs case. I don't like labels, so don't usually use the G word. She was tested as reading at a 3rd grade level when she was 3 ( her teacher wanted to do that as she had never seen it before and was incredulous).
I sat in on a 1st grade class at a gifted school that year she was 3 and my heart sank when I saw how far ahead she was of those bright 6 and 7 year olds. We tried long established Montessori and Waldorf schools, did a private kindegarten and one of the top rated public schools in California three years early, ( neither school had ever taken one so young and she has always been very tiny for her age), but we just couldn't find a good fit, until we decided to homeschool...and do it around the world.
Full time travel might not be the solution for everyone, but I know many gifted families that thrive on using travel as part of their homeschooling agenda. I encourage folks to think bigger, more exotic and longer ( extended travel saves money and the slower pace is more enriching) and to know that it is easier and cheaper today than ever before and needed in our fast changing global world.
* Homeschooling abroad or world schooling
* Why Learn Mandarin in Tropical Asia
* How we Learn as we Travel
* Learning Mandarin at Home and Abroad
* Learning Vacations
* Advantages of the global student
* Travel and Organic Gardening Homeschool
* How and why to raise a global kid
* How to raise a multilingual child
* Books and World Travel
* Writing in Spanish
Like many advanced learners, our daughter is globally gifted, extremely energetic, creative, a voracious book reader and likes to initiate her own learning, so we do mostly child-led activities and unschool, but have done some classical and eclectic educational things as well as virtual classes for piano, violin ( via Skype with teachers on other continents) and gifted classes like Johns Hopkins University CTY online and in person ( next summer we'll do some in Hong Kong). She has been to many of the best museums in the world..which we all love.
We've also dipped into local schools for language immersion in Spain and Penang for Chinese and will do this soon in China. You can't get a language this deep without this kind of committment to immersion and time. I am not really crazy about schools usually,( too many rules, restrictions and one-size-fits-all) but this method of hybrid learning combining homeschool with schools on three continents has added so much for us on many levels.
Since she is only in the school for language, long-term friends and cultural immersion and we do it for short time periods ( returning over years), I don't have to worry if they are meeting all of her gifted needs. Right now she is learning physics and Algebra in Mandarin with her gifted class in Asia, but this is after 10 straight months of unschooling in Europe and the USA. Besides long-term friends, things like elocution contests, choir, tea ceremony and participating in local festivals etc.. enrich.
 Fully experiencing local schools on 3 continents gives her a global perspective that very few get ( quite different than an international school bubble and I think more enriching than homeschooling travel alone where it would be almost impossible to master the written language well or have long term friends in foreign lands. )
"Broad,


text:
When you need to select a whole column, click on the column letter, and it will highlight the column. You can then manipulate the content or the formatting of that cell.
To select a whole row, click on the row number and it will highlight the row so you can make adjustments to fonts, etc.
Selecting Rows and Columns using Spacebar Shortcut
I also recently learned about a keyboard shortcut involving the Spacebar.
Ctrl + Spacebar selects the entire column
Shift + Spacebar selects the entire row
Using these shortcuts will save us from having to highlight and drag our way through a long worksheet.


text:
Authors: Nicolae Botezatu, Simona Caraiman, Dariusz Rzeszotarski, Pawel Strumillo
in: 2017 21st International Conference on System Theory, Control and Computing (ICSTCC)
Abstract: In this paper we describe the 3D acquisition component integrated in the Sound of Vision (SoV) system. SoV is a computer vision based sensory substitution device (SSD) for the visually impaired. Its main objective is to provide the users with a 3D representation of the environment around them, conveyed by means of the hearing and tactile senses. One of the biggest challenges for the SoV system is to ensure pervasiveness, i.e., to be usable in any indoor or outdoor environments and in any illumination conditions. To this end, the proposed 3D acquisition system was designed based on a fusion of data from different types of sensors. We present the hardware and software solution for developing this acquisition system and provide insight on its exploitation in various computational scenarios of the SoV system. In the first indoor trials with the system, carried out in modeled indoor environments, the visually impaired volunteers were capable of performing simple navigation tasks and avoiding cardboard box obstacles.
Article is not currently available.


text:
Delivery Time: 7 to 15 Working Days
Because of the complexity involved in understanding the environment, the choices made about environmental issues are often incomplete. In a perfect world, those who make environmental decisions would be armed with a foundation about the broad range of issues at stake when making such decisions. Offering a simple but comprehensive understanding of the critical roles science, economics, and values play in making informed environmental decisions, Environmental Decision-Making in Context: A Toolbox provides that foundation.
The author highlights a primary set of intellectual tools from different disciplines and places them into an environmental context through the use of case study examples. The case studies are designed to stimulate the analytical reasoning required to employ environmental decision-making and ultimately, help in establishing a framework for pursuing and solving environmental questions, issues, and problems. They create a framework individuals from various backgrounds can use to both identify and analyze environmental issues in the context of everyday environmental problems.
The book strikes a balance between being a tightly bound academic text and a loosely defined set of principles. It takes you beyond the traditional pillars of academic discipline to supply an understanding of the fundamental aspects of what is actually involved in making environmental decisions and building a set of skills for making those decisions.


text:
One of the most intriguing findings on language comprehension is that violations of syntactic predictions can affect event-related potentials as early as 120 ms, in the same time-window as early sensory processing. This effect, the so-called early left-anterior negativity (ELAN), has been argued to reflect word category access and initial syntactic structure building (Friederici, 2002). In two experiments, we used magnetoencephalography to investigate whether (a) rapid word category identification relies on overt category-marking closed-class morphemes and (b) whether violations of word category predictions affect modality-specific sensory responses. Participants read sentences containing violations of word category predictions. Unexpected items varied in whether or not their word category was marked by an overt function morpheme. In Experiment 1, the amplitude of the visual evoked M100 component was increased for unexpected items, but only when word category was overtly marked by a function morpheme. Dipole modeling localized the generator of this effect to the occipital cortex. Experiment 2 replicated the main results of Experiment 1 and eliminated two non-morphology-related explanations of the M100 contrast we observed between targets containing overt category-marking and targets that lacked such morphology. Our results show that during reading, syntactically relevant cues in the input can affect activity in occipital regions at around 125 ms, a finding that may shed new light on the remarkable rapidity of language processing.
- Visual M100
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Linguistics and Language
- Cognitive Neuroscience