text:
Foreign direct investment
Multiple pathways to upgrading in global value chains in Asia
Published 14 September 2022
Upgrading is the acquisition of technological capabilities and market linkages that allows firms to enhance their supply chain competitiveness and move to higher-value activities. This upgrading occurs in many different forms representing opportunities for decision-makers in Asia.
Countries upgrade GVCs in different forms. In Asia, Vietnam represents one trajectory, its economic model led by foreign direct investment (FDI) but focused on assembly tasks that depend on imports. Foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) are heavily involved in the country's economy. South Korea followed a different trajectory. Here, the country experienced a much larger role for domestic MNEs, and the economic model is more dependent on the exports it provides others. Both are widely deemed successful cases of development in their own right, highlighting the multiple potentially beneficial pathways to GVC involvement in Asia. Importantly, the pathway is right for the technological and socioeconomic context — not all countries achieve this.
When considering this context, there are two broad pathways regions can upgrade – both horizontally and vertically. Horizontal upgrading refers to the development of a new GVC product or industry in a region that is related to an existing area of specialisation of the local economy. For example, the manufacturing of mobile phones may follow from the existing production of laptops. Horizontal upgrading includes 'entry into the supply chain' upgrading that is the initial participation of firms in a local, regional, or global value chain.
Vertical upgrading offers a new function for the local economy, for example, R&D, or marketing, logistics, headquarters management, and perhaps production in an existing value chain. If horizontal upgrading describes a movement from laptop production to mobile phone manufacturing, vertical upgrading describes the movement from laptop production to laptop design. A particular form of vertical upgrading is backward linkages upgrading. Local firms become active in an industry supplying goods and services to an MNE in a foreign country already engaged in an existing value chain.
The types of linkages and the direction of upgrading are important to consider. Economies can upgrade through forward and backward linkages. Forward linkages, also known as downstream linkages, refer to linkages with firms further along the value chain; that is, firms closer to final goods or eventual export. Backward linkages, also known as upstream linkages, refer to linkages closer to suppliers or initial goods, or creation of services. Upgrading does not necessarily mean moving upstream or downstream. Rather, it is the process of climbing up the value chain in terms of value-add and skills.
Figure 1 makes it possible to visualize the diversity of possible patterns to upgrading in terms of backward and forward linkages. Backward integration is captured by the country's vertical specialization share, measured by the import content of the country's exports. Furthermore, a country also participates in GVCs as a supplier of inputs used in foreign countries' exports. Hence it is important to account for the share of exported goods and services which are used as intermediate inputs in other countries' exports – that of forward integration. The combination of these two shares offers a first description of an economy's participation in GVCs. This contribution is both as a user of foreign inputs – upstream links, that of backward participation – and as a producer of intermediate goods and services used in other countries' exports; that is – downstream links, that of forward participation.
Figure 1 below shows the position of a set of Asian economies covered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Trade in Value-Added, or TiVA, indicators in terms of backward and forward linkages for all industries. Backward and forward integration in 2005, represented by the blue dot, is compared with the current position, shown by 2018's orange dot. Interestingly, no country records an increase in both backward and forward linkages during this period. This evidence is in line with evidence on 'global stagnation' of GVCs that predates the Covid-19 crisis.
On the contrary, Thailand and, to a lesser extent, Cambodia have decreased their shares in both measures of GVC participation; both have become generally less integrated over the past decade. Convincing evidence shows GVC participation facilitates economic development. Therefore, these countries may be losing out by decreasing shares. Public policy can help reverse this outcome.
Figure 1 further shows another group of countries – composed of China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea (our initial example) – that increased their forward linkages while decreasing backward linkages. The economies in this group all rely less on imported value-add for their own exports but have become increasingly relevant in value generation in countries importing intermediate goods from them. For example, the significant movement recorded by Malaysia might reflect one of these two shifts. Either the country's shift towards automobile component manufacturing, as inputs into final car construction, or the increase in oil and gas exports, as inputs into petroleum products. Similarly, it reflects the country's shift into high-tech, with semiconductor devices and electrical products all inputting into mobile devices, storage devices, and photovoltaic panels.
Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more marginally, India showed a drop in forward linkages while increasing their backward linkages. Vietnam makes a considerable movement towards the bottom right corner, that being a larger share of backward linkages compared to forward linkages. This could be due to increases in the tasks for final stage assembly and seems to reinforce the specificity of this particular model of upgrading as discussed above.
For all examples, each country will be competing and trading on different comparative advantages; therefore, there is no ideal GVC direction with increases or decreases in linkages important to consider in local context. What matters is that policy decision-makers are making active GVC-sensitive public policy and investment to encourage task-based specialties.
Early studies of GVCs observed nation states as largely passive and restricted to facilitating the recruiting of lead firm investment. Yet today, there is agreement to act upon this ideal and to deliver on a more pro-active interpretive approach. Active mediation helps to advance national policy priorities and facilitate the coordination of actors. In addition, policymaking for GVCs should include designing and developing policy interventions for local development.
The design of evidence-based GVC-sensitive policies requires an understanding of both the position, and the origin of that position, of each economy. Yet today, there is agreement to deliver on a more pro-active interpretive approach.
 See Fernandez-Stark, K., P. Bamber and G. Gereffi (2011). "The offshore services value chain: upgrading trajectories in developing countries." International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development 4(1-3): 206-234.
 Taken from the companion White Paper to this blog available at _URL_
 Hummels, D., J. Ishii and K.-M. Yi (2001). "The nature and growth of vertical specialization in world trade." Journal of International Economics 54(1): 75-96.
 Gereffi, G. (1994). "The organization of buyer-driven global commodity chains: how US retailers shape overseas production networks." Contributions in economics and economic history: 95-95.
 UNCTAD (2020). World Investment Report 2020: International Production Beyond the Pandemic. UNCTAD.
© The Hinrich Foundation. See our website Terms and conditions for our copyright and reprint policy. All statements of fact and the views, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author(s).


Why Does Sarcasm Hurt?
Women holding a card that reads 'Really?'
Sarcasm is a double-layered expression — of playfulness, passive-aggressiveness, or awkwardness — which on the surface indicates that the person's acts and statements are neutral, but the second layer beneath the surface signifies aggression. Sarcasm is passive-aggressive by definition. And not everyone can always detect the subtle irony at play. Only a few individuals can … Read more Why Does Sarcasm Hurt?


Atomistry » Platinum » Physical Properties
Atomistry »
 Platinum »
 Physical Properties »
 Volatilisation »
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 Alloys »
 Diffusion of Gases »
 Solubility of Gases »
 Crystalline »
 Colloidal Platinum »
 Solid Hydrosol »
 Platinum Black »
 Atomic Weight »
Physical Properties of Platinum
Platinum is a silver-white metal, capable of taking a high polish. It is slightly harder than silver, however, and does not tarnish. It is both malleable and ductile, admitting of being beaten out into thin foil and drawn into fine wire. Addition of a small quantity of iridium increases the hardness of the metal, but decreases its ductility.
Platinum is hardened by mechanical treatment, but is softened again on maintaining at bright red heat for several minutes.
The density of native platinum varies from 14 to 19, the variation being mainly due to impurities such as iron which may range from 5 to 16 per cent., and to smaller quantities of copper, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and palladium.
The density of pure platinum varies according to its physical condition, as is evident from the accompanying data which give the density calculated for a vacuum at 4° C.:
1Annealed pure platinum wire21.4403
Same wire cold drawn, not annealed21.4336
2Annealed pure platinum wire21.4312
Same wire twisted, not annealed21.3985
The mean coefficient of linear expansion of platinum with rise of temperature between 0° and 1000° C. is:
α = 0.0000105t.
For temperatures ranging from 0° to 100° C.:
α = 0.0000089t.
These values are not far removed from those observed for different kinds of glass. Thus, for temperatures round and about 20° C. the following values have been obtained:
Soft glass0._PHONE_
Hard glass0._PHONE_
Flint glass0._PHONE_
For this reason platinum wire is used in the construction of electrical and other apparatus in which it is necessary to pass wire through glass and leave a perfectly air-tight and hermetically sealed joint. Electric-light bulbs are an important example of this.
The specific heat of platinum between 0° and 100° C. has the mean value of 0.0323.
The heat liberated by one gram of platinum in cooling from t° to is given by the expression:
Quantity of heat = 0.031590(t - t0) + 0._PHONE_(t2 - t02); and the specific heat at any temperature t is given by:
Specific heat = 0.031590 + 0.0558468t.
It will be observed that the specific heat of the metal rises with the temperature, and experiment shows that this is the case also at very high temperatures such as those of the incandescent metal, although theory would require its constancy under these latter conditions.
The melting-point of platinum has been variously given, the most recent results being 1753° C., and 1755° C. For other data the reader is referred to the references given below. The lowest temperature at which the volatilisation of platinum can be detected in a complete vacuum is given by Knocke as 540° C.
Spectra of platinum
The most intense lines in the arc and spark spectra of platinum are as follow:
Arc: 2659.60, 2702.50, 2705.99, 2719.12, 2830.40, 2929.90, 2998.07, 3042.75, 3064.82, 3408.27, 4442.75, 4498.93, 4521.10.
Spark: 2424.90, 2659.53, 2998.08, 3064.82, 3923.15, 4118.83, 4498.90, 4552.60.
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- Can someone read your text messages from another phone?
- Can someone read my text messages from their iPhone?
- How can you tell if someone is reading your text messages?
- Is someone spying on my phone?
- Can I track my wife's phone without her knowing?
- How can I track my husbands cell phone without him knowing and for free?
- How can I see my boyfriends text messages without him knowing for free?
- How do you tell if your phone is being monitored?
- Why am I getting my wifes text messages on my iPhone?
- How do I stop someone from getting my text messages?
- Can someone access my text messages?
- How can I read someones text messages without them knowing?
Can someone read your text messages from another phone?
No one is allowed to trace, track or monitor someone else's text messages.
One of the hacking spyware built and used for the text messages spying purposes mentioned above is mSpy.
Using cell phone tracking apps is the most well-known method of hacking someone's smartphone.
Can someone read my text messages from their iPhone?
Yes. If he has an iPad, Mac, or iPhone hooked up to the same iCloud account as you use on your iPhone, then all of the texts you receive will notify him too, and he can see your sent texts and send some of his own too.
How can you tell if someone is reading your text messages?
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How to see if someone has read your text message on iphone
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Is someone spying on my phone?
If you are the owner of an Android device, you can check whether there is spy software installed on your phone by looking at your phone's files. Go to Settings. Find "Additional settings."
Can I track my wife's phone without her knowing?
You can send your spouse an email with an image in it – once he or she clicks on it, the app is installed without their knowledge. This app can monitor their texts, emails, calls, and location as well. mSpy is the preferred tracker when it comes to Android phones and tablets.
How can I track my husbands cell phone without him knowing and for free?
mSpy can help you track your husband's cell phone. You can also monitor all calls dialed and received, contacts, calendar, text messages (SMS) and other important data to tell if your husband is cheating. With the help of mSpy you can track and locate your husband's cell phone without hime knowing.
How can I see my boyfriends text messages without him knowing for free?
The quickest, most hassle-free way to read your boyfriend's text messages without touching his phone is via Spyic for iOS. The app allows you to remotely read your boyfriend's texts without physically accessing the iPhone or even going near it.
How do you tell if your phone is being monitored?
Here are 10 ways to tell whether or not your phone is being monitored.
- Abnormally High Data Usage.
- Cell Phone Shows Signs of Activity in Standby Mode.
- Unexpected Reboot.
- Odd Sounds During Calls.
- Unexpected Text Messages.
- Deteriorating Battery Life.
- Increasing Battery Temperature in Idle Mode.
- Increased Shut Down Duration.
Why am I getting my wifes text messages on my iPhone?
If you're getting messages meant to go to another device or person in your family, it might be because your Apple ID is tied to their particular devices. To see which accounts are associated with your Apple ID, go to Settings>iCloud>select your account at the top>Devices. Head to Settings>Messages>Send & Receive.
How do I stop someone from getting my text messages?
To do this, open the conversation thread from them in the Messages app. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner, then choose "People and Options." Tap on "Block ." A popup window will ask you to confirm you want to block the number, noting that you will no longer receive calls or texts from this person.
Can someone access my text messages?
Reading Text Messages Secretly
You can read text messages on any phone, be it Android or iOS, without the knowledge of the target user. All you need is a phone spy service for it. Such services are not rare nowadays. There are so many apps that advertise phone spying solutions with top-notch services.
How can I read someones text messages without them knowing?
So you can read text messages from another phone without them knowing. While for Android phone you require a one-time app installation, the app always runs in stealth mode. Once the app is installed, the app icon vanishes from the menu list.

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end is what makes a life truly full of enjoyment, fun, and content.
How to Discover the Secret Game of Life?
We're back to rules. Fun or joy is an intangible, unwritten aspect of human experience. Fun and enjoyment are aspects that extend beyond rules. Joy transcends rules. But, this is why rules are important: We need to understand the rules to discover what game we're playing.
Rules are important for discovering the game the brings joy to life. That, I think is the best reason humans have built-in rules. There is a built-in mechanism to finding joy in life.
Final Thought
It's amazing what watching and playing with children can teach you about life. As an adult, I am a bit closer to understanding why sports, board games, miniature wargames, and video games are multi-billion dollar industries. We need games to return to a place that we understood as children. But, more importantly, the games we all play at tabletops, stadiums, on our computers and mobile devices, give us a hint at discovering the only game that really matters.
Keep calm and game on (living)!
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Background and Objective Studies showed that the metabolic disorder of lipid and inflammatory factor in blood might lead to the injury of endothelium, and then generate artherosclerosis gradually. It is difficult to distinguish plaque characteristics and composition by imaging characteristics. The authors aim to evaluate the risk degree of cardiovascular disease by analysing blood related gene expressing profile, cytokines profile and lipid metabolism profile.
Material and Methods Up to 205 imaging characteristics were analysed by Dual source CT. Subjects were divided into group A (control group without plaque), group B (calcification group) and group C (none calcification group, and combination group). Using GeXP technology to analyse cardiovascular disease related gene expression profile in peripheral blood including IL-β, IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, MCP-1, VWF, MTHFR, L-Selectin, TNFα, Ubiquitin, MCSF, ICAM-1, ID2, HMOX-1 and LDL-R. 10 items of cytokines expression profile were detected by liquid chip method including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFNγ, MCP-1, TNFα and GM-CSF. The variations of blood lipid and hsCRP level were evaluated on Hitachi automatic analyser.
Results Compared with control group, the level of systolic blood pressure, GLU, TC, TG, APOB, APOC2 and hsCRP increased in group C (p<0.05). Discriminant analysis showed that 85.7% of group C cases were correctly classified. These seven items yield an AUC (area under curve) of 0.720 in discriminating group C patients from control group with sensitivity of 60.5% and specificity of 76.8%. There was no significant different item between calcification group and control group. Multi-PCR systems for analysing 17 genes were set up. The within-run and between-run CV values were 3.69–2.53% and 4.40–13.40%, respectively. The authors detected 15-gene expression profile in plaque group and control group, and found expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP1 increased in group C (without diabetes) compared with control group (p<0. 05). Peripheral blood cytokine levels showed that IL-6 of group C increased significantly compared with control group. IL-6 yields an AUC of 0.592 in discriminating group C patients from control group with sensitivity of 78.0% and specificity of 39.7%. A diagnostic model was set up by IL-6 combined with biochemical items, which yield an AUC of 0.746 in discriminating group C from control group with sensitivity of 78.0% and specificity of 65.1%.
Conclusion In conclusion, diagnostic model was established to distinguish no calcification and combination group from control group, which could provide useful laboratory information for risk assessment of cardiovascular disease patients.


What is the Rochester Epidemiology Project?
The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) is a collaboration of clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin and involves community members who have agreed to share their medical records for research. Using medical record information, medical scientists can discover what causes the diseases, how patients respond to medical and surgical therapies, and what will happen to patients in the future. Research studies conducted in the local community may improve the health of people both locally and globally.
In The News
Vitamin D deficiency — a common thread, commonly missed
Feb 2020
Everyone has heard of vitamin D. Most of us know that our bodies produce vitamin D when we spend time in the sun, and that if we don't get enough sunlight, or if for some other reason our bodies don't produce enough vitamin D, it's not good. more


text:
Researchers to debate the call for sexual abstinence education in schools
29 October 2012
Introducing abstinence education into UK schools could be a less effective substitute for comprehensive Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) aimed at children and young adults, say a research team led by Sheffield Hallam University.
As part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2012, Sheffield Hallam and partners will host a one day event to debate the issues surrounding abstinence education.
Dr Julia Hirst, from the Public Health Hub at Sheffield Hallam, says "We hope to bring together politicians, teachers, youth workers, young people and their parents to discuss the re-emergence in our society of views promoting abstinence education in schools and youth settings."
Research shows that existing evidence fails to support the view that teaching abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid unintended pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV.
"Extensive research undertaken in the US points to negative outcomes associated with abstinence education including increased risks of unprotected sex and a more reluctance to seek advice or treatment related to sexual health and relationship matters," says Steve Slack, Director of the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV in Sheffield.
There is clear evidence that access to comprehensive SRE can have positive effects in terms of increasing the age of a first sexual encounter.
"By widening understanding of safer sexual practices and equipping young people with the skills and confidence to protect their sexual and emotional health reduces the risk of unprotected sex, unwanted sex, unwanted pregnancies, and STI's. Comprehensive SRE also includes strategies for young people who want support in abstaining from sexual activity." Dr Hirst points out.
Research shows that comprehensive sex education should include a greater focus on the issue of relationships, as well as sexuality, include more discussion of safer sexual activity and further debate regarding values and up-bringing in shaping attitudes to sex.
Steve Slack agrees: "Our discussions with young people consistently suggest that while there are pockets of good practice in terms of SRE in the UK, sex education overall is too little and too late and often fails to address young people's expressed needs for across-the-board sex and relationships education."
"If we look to countries with the lowest rates of unwanted pregnancy and STIs, the least relationship abuse and more attention paid to relationships, for example, the Netherlands or Sweden; these are the countries which have age-appropriate SRE embedded in their curriculum and it is supported by youth friendly sexual health services and well-informed parents. This is what we would like to see for young people in this country." Dr Hirst concludes.
For further information contact:
- Dr Julia Hirst
Telephone: 0114 _PHONE_
- Steve Slack
Telephone: 0114 _PHONE_
- Laurie Harvey, Sheffield Hallam University Press Office
Telephone: 0114 _PHONE_
ESRC Press Office:
- Sarah Nichols
Telephone: 01793 413122
- Jeanine Woolley
Telephone: 01793 413119
Notes for editors
- Event: Saying 'No' to Sexual Abstinence
Organiser: Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, SHU Public Health Hub (PHH)
Date: 5 November 2012
Venue: The Creative Lounge, Showroom and Workstation, Sheffield, S1 2BX
Audience: General audience
For more information: Saying 'No' to Sexual Abstinence
- Dr Julia Hirst is Reader in Sociology in the Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University and leads The Centre for Education and Inclusion Research (CEIR) sexualities, health and youth research sub-group. She is also Faculty lead for the University's Public Health Hub and a visiting international research fellow at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Steve Slack is the Director for the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health
- The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council and takes place from 3-10 November 2012. With events from some of the country's leading social scientists, the Festival celebrates the very best of British social science research and how it influences our social, economic and political lives - both now and in the future. This year's Festival of Social Science has over 180 creative and exciting events across the UK to encourage businesses, charities, government agencies, schools and college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. Press releases detailing some of the varied events and a full list of the programme are available at the Festival website. You can now follow updates from the Festival on twitter using _TAG_.
- The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.

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In studying communication concepts, principles and skills, there can be no better way than to observe communication behavior in real life contexts. In addition to developing your understanding of communication concepts and meeting the general course objectives as listed in the course syllabus, students see first-hand the very real connections between communication and community. The specific objectives of the Service Learning experience are:
- To enable students to examine the relevant concepts of communication theory and interpersonal, small group and public communication in real-life settings outside the classroom.
- To enable students to see first-hand the impact of communication skills and concepts in professional and community settings.
- To engage students with activities and assignments that encourage students to analyze, prepare and practice communication skills.
- To enable students to contribute to their community by making personal connections with special attention to positive, effective and ethical communication.
Each student will complete 15 hours of Service Learning. The Service Learning experience will relate to the field of education.
Fundamentals of Oral Communication Service Learning Contact:


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Given an equation $a_1 X_1 + a_2 X_2 + \cdots + a_n X_n = N$ where $a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n$ are positive constants and each $X_i$ can take only two values $\{0,1\}$. $N$ is a given constant. How can we calculate the possible no of solutions of given equation?
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Well in general the number of solutions depends on all your parameters, but do you need bounds on the number of solutions or something? i.e. the best way to know it is to dumbly compute all possibilities... but that's just not brilliant, isn't it. – Patrick Da Silva Nov 3 '11 at 4:11
_USER_ : "the best way to know it is to dumbly compute all possibilities..." This is not a good idea since N is very large. – code_hacker Nov 3 '11 at 4:17
So what do you need actually? Bounds? Or the exact number of solutions? That could be reaaaally hard. – Patrick Da Silva Nov 3 '11 at 4:23
I need exact number of solutions. – code_hacker Nov 3 '11 at 4:28
do you know the $a_i$? Because the answer depends a lot on them, probably more than on $N$. For example, with $a_i=2^i$ a simple reasoning shows that the answer is either $0$ or $1$, depending on which is bigger: $N$ or $2^n$. While with $a_1=1,...,a_n=1$ you will get $n$ chose $N$ solutions. And i assume all your numbers are probably integers.... – N. S. Nov 3 '11 at 4:29
2 Answers 2
This looks like the Knapsack Problem, which means there is no known general solution and there is unlikely to be one. Specifically, it is a hard problem to decide if there is even one solution. If all $a_i$ are equal, then it becomes simple.
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So my guess that this was a very hard problem was indeed right. Thanks for the answers both of you, user981570 and Carl =) – Patrick Da Silva Nov 3 '11 at 4:44
This is counting the number of solutions to the knapsack problem. You can adapt the Dynamic Programming algorithm to do this in pseudopolynomial time. (I'm assuming the input data are integers.) Let $s[i,w]$ = # of ways to achieve the sum $w$ using only the first $i$ variables. Then $$s[0,w]=\begin{cases}1 & w=0 \\0 & w \ne 0\end{cases}$$ For $i=1\ldots n$, For $w=0\ldots N$ $$s[i,w] = s[i-1,w] + s[i-1,w-a_i]$$
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Debug web hooks like a pro.
Create an endpoint to collect and respond to web hooks. View the last several requests, and configure canned responses in both JSON and XML.
Vanity URLs
You choose your own URL, nothing auto-generated here.
Custom Responses
Configure JSON or XML responses for requests that specify an Accept header with application/json or application/xml. Useful for stubbing out a web hook that participates in a workflow.
Analyze and Debug
View and debug the last several requests made to your URL. See headers and parameters/body information.
What is HTTP Responder?
Some services expose web hooks.
You know, where you give them a URL to hit.
Sometimes you want to inspect the POST before you point the hook to your app,
or you want to test out what happens if you respond with {something},
but making a website just to test a response is work you shouldn't have to do.
That's where we come in.
Create a new endpoint,
configure some canned JSON or XML to be returned,
and then point your service to us and inspect the requests.
Okay, got it? Let's get started!
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The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, did not take shape as a recognizable series of races until 1930. It was then that Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton coined the phrase "Triple Crown" in describing Gallant Fox's victories in those three races.
The Kentucky Derby is a 1 1/4 mile thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds run on the first Saturday of May each year at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky along with the Kentucky Oaks since 1875. It is the first race of the Triple Crown followed two Saturdays later by the Preakness Stakes and three weeks later, the Belmont Stakes.
The Preakness Stakes is a classic 1 3/16 mile race for 3-year-olds, held on the third Saturday in May of each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness is the second and shortest leg in thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown, and almost always attracts the Kentucky Derby winner, some of the other horses that ran in the Derby, and often a few new shooters. The Preakness is famous for its house horse, a local Maryland bred and run horse that skips the Derby. Two years before the Kentucky Derby was run for the first time, Pimlico introduced the Preakness during its first-ever spring race meet in 1873. Governor Bowie had named the mile and one-half race in honor of Dinner Party Stakes winner, Preakness.
The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, is a 1-1/2 mile race for 3-year-olds. Because of its length, and because it is the last part of the Triple Crown, it is sometimes called the Test of Champions. Most 3-year-olds are unaccustomed to the distance and lack the ability to maintain a winning speed for so long. The Belmont Stakes was named after financier and sportsman August Belmont, Sr. The race was first run in 1867 and it has been run at Belmont Park since 1905. The first post parade in the United States was at the 14th Belmont in 1880. The race distance has varied: from 1867 until 1873, it was 1 5/8 miles. In 1874 the distance was reduced to 1-1/2 miles, and from 1890 to 1892, and in 1895, the distance was 1 1/4 miles. From 1896 until 1925, the distance was increased to the original 1 5/8 miles. In 1926, the race distance was set at the present 1-1/2 miles
11 horses have won all three races and making them Triple Crown champions. Eleven horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. 18 horses have won the Preakness and the Belmont, but 7 of those horses did not start in the Kentucky Derby during the pre-Triple Crown era. Of the 32 horses who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, 2 of them did not run in the Belmont Stakes. Here are their stories.


then becomes: why did Latvia blow up its bubble when experts kept telling it not to? From 2004, Latvian politicians were finally free to do as they liked. For years they had listened to westerners telling them what to do to get into the EU; now they were in. Ainars?lesers, a politician who once campaigned as "Superman", wrote in 2004: "One should quit warning about some kind of economic overheating. We ought to push the pedal to the metal." Even if inflation hit 15 per cent, Latvia was a special case. The laws of economics didn't apply.
After the bubble burst the country's finance minister was asked what had happened. "Nothing special," he replied, helplessly. This is now a Latvian catchphrase. Some people have put in on their T-shirts. It sums things up nicely: the crash was nothing special, or exactly what you would expect given government policy. This is how a country can blow a bubble that will definitely burst: 1) Run high inflation; 2) Borrow profusely; 3) Import much more than it exports; 4) Build an economy on speculation in assets; 5) Put no public funds aside for a rainy day; 6) Meanwhile, peg its currency to a stable currency. Latvia ticked every box.
When the global crisis hit, banks stopped lending. Latvia's second largest bank, Parex, collapsed and was nationalised. Vyacheslav Dombrovsky, assistant professor at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, imagines that future economics textbooks will include a box on the Latvian bust of 2008, as the perfect case study in overheating. One afternoon in Riga I went to ask Europe's youngest prime minister what had happened to Latvia. Dombrovskis is one of the Latvians who rose fast after the USSR collapsed. A decade ago he was a research assistant in the electrical engineering faculty of the University of Maryland.
Later, he briefly served as finance minister. He was then lucky enough to spend the boom in Brussels, as a member of the European Parliament. This allowed him to return home in February with clean hands and take on the lowly temp job that is Latvian prime minister. Dombrovskis is a physicist-turned-economist, and that's exactly what he looks like, with his straight brown hair, ill-fitting suit and unpretentious glasses. He tore open a plastic box of cream, poured it into his coffee and talked like an economics teacher who is disappointed in his class.
He had stern words for Latvian consumers: "Of course there was too much optimism, in Latvia and I would say in most of the world. People were kind of expecting growth continuing forever, and here we are in this very difficult situation." He had stern words for Scandinavian banks: "To borrow irresponsibly you need someone to lend irresponsibly." But above all, Dombrovskis had stern words for his own predecessors: "Government was quite clearly ignoring some of the fundamental rules of economy."
...
He was happy talking about numbers, but when I asked him to describe the pain ordinary Latvians were now suffering, he was stuck. Instead of empathy, he offered more numbers: the recent 15 per cent cut in state salaries, the coming cut of 20 per cent more, the freezing of pensions, etcetera etcetera. Nobody can dismiss this man as a touchy-feely Clintonian. However, everybody I met in Latvia agreed with his central point: the economy collapsed largely because Latvia's politicians had been incompetent. Krista Baumane, development director of the think-tank Providus, says: "The politicians grew up in the Soviet Union. In a way you feel sorry for them: how were they supposed to know how to govern a democratic country if they never lived in one themselves?"
The political elite is not only small – drawn just from ethnic Latvians – but much of it is also corrupt. A World Bank report some years ago grouped Latvia with the "Stans" of central Asia when it came to corruption. So, in Latvia state companies sometimes get sold off cheaply, bridges get built expensively, and some politicians get rich. "People are worn out by the political elite," Dombrovskis told me. "We have something amongst the lowest approval rating of parliament in the whole EU." Latvians repeatedly kicked the bums out. Until 2006, every parliamentary election was won by a party formed less than 12 months earlier. But the politicians never seemed to improve.
Now the IMF is taking over. As a condition for handing over the $7.5bn, it has demanded that Latvia limit its budget deficit to 5 per cent. But Einars Repse, Latvia's new finance minister, has drawn up a budget that foresees a deficit of 7 per cent of GDP. In other words, he is hoping to persuade the IMF to accept new terms. His intentions may in any case prove irrelevant. Latvia's central bank says the budget deficit "could be as wide as 12 per cent". On April 2, the IMF refused to pay one tranche of the package. Now Latvia is begging it for leniency.
When the Latvian bubble burst, Olga Kotova called together the employees of her tableware company. "You know," she told them, "it's going to be shit. Not for a month, not for two months, but for a couple of years at least. Your salary will be cut, my salary will be cut." And some people would be sacked. Their sector had shrunk 40 per cent. Kotova is a strawberry-blonde ethnic Russian who became chief executive of Arkolat in 2008, just after Latvia's collapse. "I actually thought my employees would perceive it in the worst way," she told me. "They had bought flats, they had bought cars.
But after we had the meeting, from the way they reacted, I was very close to tears. They said, 'If we all try to stick together, we will make it.'" How did she explain their phlegmatism? "That's a good thing about people in this part of Europe," she replied. "We have been through difficult times. Our parents have been through difficult times. We understand a crisis. We will just go through it." Many people I spoke to in Riga made Kotova's point: Latvians had had ample experience of crises over the last century. "They are not as spoiled as Swedes and Icelanders," said Anders Paalzow, Swedish rector of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
That may explain the calmness that Mats Staffansson, Sweden's ambassador, perceives in Riga. But there's another reason: although the Latvian bust has been fantastic, so was the boom. Incomes are plummeting from unprecedentedly high levels. Dombrovskis told me that, "From the point of view of wage levels, we will be probably broadly back to the level of 2006." That, he said, was "sad but not disastrous", even if Latvians had more debt than in 2006, and unemployment was now 11 per cent and rising.
Latvians remember worse times. In April, Eurobarometer, the polling arm of the European Commission, polled 27,218 people in the 27 EU countries about the economic crisis. Latvians are probably the hardest-hit Europeans. Yet, Eurobarometer found, they were also among the four most optimistic nations about the future impact of the crisis on the world. Given this country's history, an economic depression is only a blip.
Bankers perpetuate crisis
During the past decade, the major reserve central banks have become the most powerful destabilizing force behind the world economy. Their policy of excessive monetary expansion and negative real interest rates aimed at boosting credit, real aggregate demand and employment, and depreciating exchange rates (tantamount to competitive devaluations that became a scourge during the Great Depression) has forced unprecedented flow of credit into the subprime market, the only market that can absorb, unproductively and without limit, such massive credit flows.
Credit expansion of this size will never be repaid. This cheap money policy has bankrupted, or will bankrupt, advanced banking systems and has inflicted trillions of dollars in bailout debt on taxpayers. It has eroded real savings and, therefore, the capital base for real economic growth.
During 2008-2008, national savings fell drastically in many industrial countries, becoming negative in the US, as external current deficits widened to record levels. Negative real interest rates and never-ending liquidity growth ignited exorbitant speculation in assets prices, commodities, housing, and currencies. Such speculative inflation has rewarded borrowers and speculators and drastically impoverished workers; it has brought the world economy to a standstill and has sharply contracted trade and employment.
In conjunction with record fiscal deficits, cheap money policy has derailed real economic growth in many advanced countries. The US economy contracted at an annual rate of 6% per year in real terms during 2008Q4-2009Q1, with unemployment rising to 8.9% of the labor force. The German economy, Europe's largest, contracted at the rate of 3.8% per year in the first quarter of this year. The Japanese economy contracted at the rate of 3.5% per year in 2008Q4. Exports of major industrial countries have plummeted at an unprecedented rate in 2008-2009, a rate that has not been exceeded in the post-World War II era


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TRUE POTATO SEED (TPS)
True Potato seed (TPS) was first evolved through sexual reproduction like tomato, chili, brinjal etc., by Ramanujam in1957 and subsequently its commercial viability was tested. However, high heterozygosity of seedlings of TPS and uniformity in crop hampered its commercial adoption by farmers.
How to use TPS
Initially TPS is sown in nursery for raising seedlings which are latter transplanted in properly prepared seed bed but the process becomes labour intensive and very expensive. The TPS was tested and tried at international Potato Centre and Central Potato Research Centre Institute (CPRI) Shimla and recommended ways for eliminating raising seedlings and then transplanting. The method suggested two stage programme for raising healthy seeds, i. e.-
- Production of tuberlets in nursery beds in the first year.
- Storing them in cold store and planting them thickly as commercial crop in the following year. The method however needs testing field for its yield and economic viability. A seed rate of 50-150 g/hectare is used for sowing.
Advantages with TPS
Following are the advantages of TPS-
- This technique is used for disease free seed production. It is the technique for virus free seed production.
- Cost of tubers used in conventional method of planting is very high whereas the production of tuberlets in nursery for planting in next year relatively very low.
- Higher cost required for storage of huge bulk of conventionally used tubers is reduced as tuberlets (being very small in size) require very little space for storage. This also reduces cost in transplantation.
- The viral infiltration in the seed tuber is also less.
- The cost of tuber treating chemicals is also reduced because of relatively lesser volume of tuberlets.
- By this method, the disease free potato seed can be produced and prevention of diseases to new areas can be checked.
Submitted by JAI VIR SINGH on Thu, 07/01/2010 - 17:41


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The aim of this chapter is to reconstruct the regulatory framework concerning the prevention of psychosocial risks (PSRs) in the context of the European Union law and to assess its effectiveness.The analysis retraces the references to this topic, from the first Health-and-Safety at Work action programme of 1978 to the Communication on the Modernisation of the EU Occupational Safety and Health Legislation and Policy published by the Commission in 2017. Specifically, it highlights how these references found their roots and were translated into EU law, both through hard law sources, as interpreted by the Court of Justice, and soft law regulatory instruments, issued by the EU institutions or the social partners at European level. In this reconstruction, the author points out how the key question underlying the development of the EU regulatory system in the field of PSRs does not concern the actual existence of a solid protection basis at hard law level – which can be properly identified within the 89/391/EEC directive as interpreted by the ECJ and the European Commission – but rather to the effectiveness of such protection and to the functionality of soft law in ensuring its implementation and detailing its content.
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The lines between states and even countries are pretty arbitrary: The ties you have with people 50 miles away aren't going to be too-much affected by some imaginary line drawn up 200 years ago. What if you could remap the United States -- not by geography, but rather social ties?
MIT's Senseable City Lab has done just that, by analyzing mobile-phone calling patterns across the country. By looking at calls between cellphones, they've revealed states and cities that are closely connected -- and similarly, regions which aren't nearly as closely connected as you'd think. Here's their main result, color-coded by regional affiliation:
You see all sorts of super-states emerge: Arizona and New Mexico are closely bound, as are Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, The Carolinas, Louisiana and Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, New York and New Jersey, and all of the New England states.
With the biggest states, it's something different. California really is split into two distinct regions: Northern and Central California, and Southern California, which is more closely aligned with Nevada and Western Arizona.
You might think something like that would happen in Texas, with several sub-regions clustering around the big cities of San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. (Think of how different San Antonio and Houston are, culturally and ethnically.) But they managed to cohere into one connected region. But Texas really is like its own country, as Texans say it is -- It's not strongly connected to any of the states around it.
That's relatively rare: Only a few states, such as Colorado, Ohio, and Indiana, are marked by such insularity. And in the case of Ohio and Indiana especially, you could argue that those states stand somewhat removed from their neighbors because of old North/South divides dating from the Civil War; these were transition states that straddled the divide, and remained culturally distinct as a result.
Which brings us to the weirdest example of the lot: Florida and New York. Where most of the ties seem to stem from geographic proximity -- and generations of ties spreading out to places close by -- New York and Florida are the only two strongly connected states that are physically separated. Chalk it up to the fact that New York is the most populous cold-weather state -- and the fact that Florida is dominated by retired out-of-state immigrants.
But where things get really interesting is when you look at the absolute call volumes:
You'll notice here that the big cities draw visible connections to other big cities across the U.S. You can see thin purple strands linking Chicago with Seattle, Phoenix, and New York; you can see Miami sending linkages to cities all along the eastern seaboard.
You can drill into that trend by searching on the county-by-county interactive map. You've got to wonder if, amid all this city-to-city commerce, you're seeing an urban/rural divide that is the true invisible barrier in our country.[The map of connections with New York shows robust big-city connections all across the country]
For hours of fascinating data, check out the Senseable City Lab's interactive map, which lets you type in zip codes and see a heat map for every city.


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Colorado River flow expected to be down in 2012
A dry winter means there will be less water flowing in the lower Colorado River this summer.
"System wide total reservoir storage, as of April 4, was 63 percent of capacity," said Doug Hendrix, external coordination manager for the Bureau of Reclamation's Yuma Area Office.
"This year has been a little bit drier year. The precipitation to date in the Upper Basin into the Upper Basin reservoirs has been about 79 percent of average."
Another issue that means lower water levels was the very warm weather in March that prematurely melted an already small snowpack into the river's Upper Basin. Snow is the source of most of the river water flowing into the Lower Basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California.
Water levels in the river and lakes near Yuma may fluctuate slightly throughout the summer, Hendrix said. Blocks of water are released upriver periodically as water orders come in from entities such as the Yuma County Water Users Association and the Imperial Irrigation District, Hendrix explained.
"What we try to do is time the water deliveries to when they need the water down here. It wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to release a big block of water when it is not needed. We try to time it so it is put to its optimal use."
"We keep a fairly consistent level in the staging reservoirs on the way down, but you will see some fluctuation in the river as we bring water down this far to Senator's Wash or Lake Martinez."
Water users needn't worry about not having enough.
With precipitation at 110 percent of average in the areas that fed the river in the winter of 2010-2011, plenty of water remains stored in reservoirs to meet the needs of municipalities and farmers all the way down to the Yuma area, Hendrix said.
The lower Colorado River is no stranger to drought, as it has experienced such conditions for over a decade.
"We went through roughly 12 consecutive years of drought and last year was one year out of many that we had above-average precipitation levels," Hendrix said.
"It helped recharge the system somewhat, but when you've had 11 years behind that which were consecutively drier than average, it is going to take some time to recharge the system."
At current levels, and if drought conditions occur in the future, there is about three years worth of water left, Hendrix noted.
"If we continue to have below-average precipitation beyond 2017-2018, we could start going back to where we were two or three years ago when it was getting critically low. But because we had a fairly decent water year last year, we are not down around those shortage declaration levels."
As there is no way to control Mother Nature, "we certainly hope for wet weather," Hendrix said. "It is a lot easier to move water when we have it than trying to stretch water when we don't have it."
Chris McDaniel can be reached at _EMAIL_ or _PHONE_.


RoRBook/Basic Truck Requirements
From Rigs of Rods Wiki
Jump to:navigation, search
Note: Tutorials marked red are currently not available!
 1. Introduction
 2. Working Environment
 3. Land-based Vehicles and Basics
 1. Basic Requirements
 2. First Beams/Nodes
 3. Rigidity
 4. Wheels
 5. Engine
 6. Suspension
 7. Steering
 8. Commands
 9. Hooks
 10. Submeshes
 11. Flares
 12. Props
 13. Details
 4. Objects and Texturing
 1. Meshes
 1. Tools
 2. Basic Rules
 2. Materials
 3. Flexbodies
 5. Aircraft and Winged Vehicles
 1. Simple Aircraft
 2. Wings
 3. Fusedrag
 4. Engines
 1. Props
 2. Jets
 6. Nautical Vehicles and Boats
 1. Simple Boats
 2. Engines
 7. Packaging
Basic Vehicle Requirements
There are certain necessities for a truck that you need to have in place in order for it to function within Rigs of Rods. Not including certain sections can yield different results, from making the vehicle explode upon spawning, to its nonappearance in the selection menu, to crashing the game outright. Thus, it is important you get all the necessary sections in order before you go about putting in the optional ones. Read through every section of this because they're all necessary (except the cinecam and cameras sections when dealing with loads/trailers).
File Format
Your vehicle should have a file format/suffix depending on its type. The following table shows the types of vehicle and their formats.
Vehicle Type File Format
Ground Vehicle.truck
Air Vehicle.airplane
Sea Vehicle.boat
Trailer Load.trailer
Other Load.load
Machine/fixed object.fixed
For example, if I'm making a truck for Rigs of Rods, I might call it mytruck.truck, although obviously, what comes before the suffix is entirely up to you.
There are two different places to put your vehicle files.
Vehicles Folder
While editing your vehicle, it is best to put it in the "vehicles" folder ("C:\Documents and Settings\Rigs of Rods\vehicles" on Windows systems). If, for example, one were creating "mytruck.truck", then one would create a folder within the "vehicles" folder called "mytruck". Within this folder, one would place "mytruck.truck" as well as all files associated with it. (meshes, material files, etc.)
Zip Files
When one is preparing to release a vehicle, one ought to transfer it to a zip file. This makes the file more portable and easier to release on the Rigs of Rods Repository. To make a zip file for "mytruck.truck", one would take all the files contained within "mytruck" and place them in a zip archive called "". This zip can then be moved to the "Packs" folder ("C:\Documents and Settings\Rigs of Rods\Packs" on Windows systems).
You should name your vehicle before you go about doing anything else. The title must go on the very first line of the file. For example, if I want my vehicle to be called "My Truck", on Line 1 of my vehicle's file I put My Truck. Type it in as you want it to appear on the menuthere is no special syntax to worry about.
Here, we set our vehicle's mass, the mass of the load nodes and the material to be used on your vehicle. If you're planning on using a mesh, then you can just use "tracks/semi" for the material, but if you're going to use a Submesh Submesh to give your vehicle its appearance, it's a requirement.
;dry mass, cargo mass, material
 10000.0, 1000.0, tracks/semi
The globals section comes before the nodes and beams. The first number, called the "dry mass", in the above example, defines the mass, in kilograms, our vehicle will attempt to be. (each node has a minimum mass of 50kg.) The second number, called the "cargo mass", defines the mass of the nodes whose flag (see RoRBook/First Beams and Nodes#Nodes) is "l". These nodes are also known as the load nodes. The material, as stated above, defines the material and texture that is to be used on the submesh sections of your truck. This part of the globals is not important if you are going to make it fully out of a mesh (or multiple meshes), in which case you may simply use the material "tracks/semi".
This section is not necessary for a trailer or other load (unless you want to be able to get in your trailer or load [to activate custom flares on the trailer, for example]). It is also not necessary in airplanes or boats. In order to get into your vehicle, you will need an engine, so it's necessary for all the other vehicle types. You can find out how to use the engine section here: RoRBook/Engine
Nodes & Beams
You'll need nodes and beams - these are what make up any vehicle you see in-game. See RoRBook/First Beams and Nodes.
Cameras & Cinecam
These two sections are not at all needed if you're making a trailer or other load, unless you need to be able to enter the trailer (for example, to activate custom flares on it).
However, all the other types of vehicle do need these sections.
;centre, rear, left
 0, 1, 2
The above guide image and example should prove quite helpful in creating cameras. The cameras section has to come after the nodes and beam sections, and it consists of 3 numbers. These 3 numbers are nodes that have been defined in the nodes section, and are used to define the position of the vehicle. The pitch and roll indicators (and the similar attitude indicators in aircraft), for example, use these camera nodes to get the orientation of the vehicle. It also, as the name suggests, orients the camera views.
The first node is the centre node, and it must be aligned with both the rear and the left nodes, as is visible in the guide image. The rear node must be behind the centre node, so that if you look at the vehicle from the front, the rear node is hidden by the centre node. The left node should be to the left of the centre node, so that if you look at the vehicle from the right, the left node is hidden by the centre node.
;x, y, z, 8 bindings, spring, damping
0.66, 2.0, 1.8, 75,76,77,78,73,74,53,54, 8000.0, 800.0
The cinecam node is a node suspended with 8 beams used to define the position of the interior/first-person camera of your vehicle. Like the cameras section it must come after the nodes & beam sections.
The first 3 values define the position of the cinecam node, and are fairly self-explanatory. Like the nodes section, these values are in metres.
The next 8 values are nodes. Rigs of Rods will create beams from each of these nodes to your cinecam, in order to hold it in place.
The final 2 values define the spring and the damping factors of the beams that support your camera. The spring factor defines how stiff the beams are - the higher this number, the more stiff your camera is in terms of its position. The damping factor defines the beams' resistance to motion.
Those 2 values are optional, and if you don't include them the values will default to a spring rate of 8000.00 and a damping factor of 800.00.
The End
The final requirement for the file is a simple three-letter word, "end". This is the very last line of your file and simply closes your vehicle file. If you don't have this, Rigs of Rods may crash or have other issues (for example, sometimes the lack of the "end" means that physics will never be calculated upon the vehicle).
About Rigs of Rods
 Rigs of Rods is a unique soft body physics simulator.
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text:
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute
of Human Rights
Manfred Nowak is Professor of International Human Rights Protection at University of Vienna and Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights. He is one of the most significant scholars and experts of the international Human Rights field. As a researcher and practitioner he has authored numerous books and articles. He has been awarded the UNESCO Prize for the Teaching of Human Rights and was head of the European Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratization (E.MA) in Venice from 2000 to 2007. In the context of the UN he has performed a range of different tasks, among others as UN Special Reporter on Torture since December 2004.
Research Platform Human Rights in the
In February 2008, the research platform Human Rights in the European Context was established at the University of Vienna. It assembles academics of 12 departments of the University of Vienna with the purpose of strengthening the inter-disciplinary research on the topic of Human Rights in Europe.
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights serves as the platform's centre of communication and coordination.


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"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."
Salvador Dali was a prominent Spanish surrealist painter. Dali was known to be very eccentric and imaginative. He often wore a cape, carried a walking stick, and donned an upturned waxed moustache. He never did anything without great flourish. That is why I am not at all surprised he is credited with this quote.
Being smart is not enough. You must be driven, motivated, and focused. Have you ever engaged with an incredibly bright person who has no drive? Has that person made a difference in the world? Would you consider that person a change agent? Do you use the adjective "successful" to describe this person?
Ambition, therefore, is important, and there are a number of characteristics associated with ambition: persistence, discipline, determination, and creativity. Remember, a bird flying has a much more exciting life that the bird who sits in the nest never to leave.


text:
If you want to be an exemplary leader, don't wait for someone else to tell you how, what or why. Find access to your inner wisdom when you pause and then ponder.
Consider what is going on inside of you!
Reflect on what you notice.
Consider, how are those thoughts, feelings, and sensations, are connected to what is going on outside of you. Use this information to awaken that inner wisdom that can guide you forward.
Awaken Your Inner Guidance System
You get insights from your wise self when you ponder. Pondering is listening to your inner wisdom or what I call your Inner Guidance System. The insights gained by pondering can support and guide you. This Inner Guidance System is instrumental in mastering leadership confidence.
Stop to notice
Taking the time to ponder helps you see things you may have missed in the hustle and bustle of the day. In the last blogs, I introduced you to your Inner Guidance System and the first step of the Inner Guidance Cycle; pause. The first step is to pause periodically. Next, once you have stopped, you can move on to this second phase; ponder.
This stage, pondering, allows you to notice and observe thing you would have risked overlooking without the conscious exploration of your Inner Guidance System. Pondering allows you to pick up on subtleties during interactions such as:
Someone said something and that left you:
Perhaps an email you received sent you to:
Your staff's blunder may have you:
Your thoughts may be about someone else or the situation
Insights from within
The awareness of these thoughts, feelings and sensations and how they connect to your world can provide surprising insights. This new understanding or this inner wisdom is your Inner Guidance System in action. Understanding what is happening under the surface can prompt you to shift what you are doing, how you are interacting with others and maybe even more importantly, what you are saying to yourself.
Confidence begins inside
Your inner dialogue contributes to your confidence. Thoughts that empower you, inspire you and boost you up, will increase your confidence. Changing your thoughts starts with awareness of what you are currently saying. That is where pondering comes in.
Warning, no judgment
Notice that I did not suggest you judge or criticize your thoughts, feelings or sensations. This is not the time to beat yourself up. It is not another opportunity to berate yourself for screwing up, missing something or for telling yourself what you are feeling is wrong. It's simply time to notice.
Put a name to it
As you ponder, I want you to identify those feelings thoughts and sensations, attaching names or labels to them.
Put your Inner Guidance System to work
Pondering is the reflection portion of the Inner Guidance Cycle. It is the gathering and input of data into your Inner Guidance System. Remember, you are assembling the following:
Extra credits for going detailed
Over time, when you practice following the Inner Guidance Cycle you will get better able to pull the pieces within apart. You will be able to add in awareness of the stimulus and the subsequent reaction. In time, rather than reacting, you'll be able to choose a response to what is going on in your life.
Consider the following example:
Pause and then ponder.
All of this information gets put into your Inner Guidance System so that it can give you direction. In the next stage, pivot, we will learn what to do with all of this information you have gathered. For now, pause and ponder. Look at what going on inside of you and increase your awareness of how thoughts are connected to feelings and sensations. This alone will evoke your inner wisdom and help you to increase your confidence levels!
Grab your copy of Mastering Confidence today and learn how to ponder more effectively!
Available on Amazon
Women leaders often hit a point where they find themselves in over their heads and wondering if they have what it takes to lead.


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Langelier Saturation index(LSI) is an important term in water chemistry. LSI is a measure of a solution's ability to dissolve or deposit calcium carbonate, is often used as an indicator of the corrosivity of water. It is used for finding ability of water for corrosion or scaling in heat exchanger where water is used as heat transfer media in either side of heat exchanger. The scaling in pipe or heat exchnager tubes can cause insulation for heat transfer or metal loss in case of corrosion tendency of water. LSI is an equilibrium model derived from the theoretical concepts of saturation and helps in indicating the degree of saturation of water with respect to calcium carbonate.
Langelier derived an equation for the pH at which water is saturated with calcium carbonate (pHs). This equation is based on the equilibrium expressions of calcium carbonate solubility and bicarbonate dissociation. To approximate actual conditions more closely, pHs calculations were modified to include the effects of temperatureand ionic strength
The Langelier Index isdefined as the difference between actual pH (measured) and calculated pHs. Themagnitude and sign of the LSI value show water's tendency to form or dissolve scale,and thus to encourage corrosion. Although information obtained from the LI is not quantitative, it can be useful in estimating water treatment requirements for heat exchanges in process industry, low pressure boilers, cooling towers and its network, and water treatment plants, as well as a general indicator of the corrosivity of water.
The LSI is expressed as the difference between the actual system pH and the saturation pH:
LSI = pH (measured) − pHs
- For LSI > 0, water is super saturated and tends to precipitate ascale layer of CaCO3.
- For LSI = 0, water is saturated (in equilibrium) with CaCO3. A scale layer ofCaCO3 is neither precipitated nor dissolved.
- For LSI < 0, water is under saturated and tends to dissolve solid CaCO3.
The LSIis most widely used indicator of cooling water scale potential, It is also used to decide qty of water treatment chemicals in the cooling tower or any water system involved in heat transfer. With LSI we can only predict about the nature of water as scaling or corrosion but quantification cannot be derived.
For calculating LSI, it is necessary to know the
- alkalinity (mg/l as CaCO3),
- calcium hardness (mg/lCa2+ as CaCO3),
- the total dissolved solids (mg/l TDS),
- the actual pH,
- the temperature of the water (oC).
LSI = pH – pHs
pH is the measured water pH
pHs is the pH at saturation in calcite or calcium carbonate and is defined as:
pHs = (9.3 + A + B) – (C + D)
- A = (Log10 [TDS]
– 1) / 10
- B = -13.12 x Log10 (oC + 273) + 34.55
- C = Log10 [Ca2+ as CaCO3] – 0.4
- D = Log10 [alkalinity as CaCO3]
|LSI<0||Water is undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. Undersaturated water has a tendency to remove existing calcium carbonate protective coatings in pipelines and equipment.|
|LSI=0||Water is considered to be neutral. Neither scale-forming nor scale removing.|
|LSI>0||Water is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and scale forming may occur.|
|-0.5<0||Slightly corrosion but non-scale forming|
|LSI = 0,0||Balanced but pitting corrosion possible|
|0.0<0.5||Sligthly scale forming and corrosive|
|0.5<2||Scale forming but non corrosive|
For Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) calculator click here,
For cooling tower approach and its importance click here
For cross and counter flow cooling tower, click here


What Arctic Caves Reveal about Ancient Climate Cycles
Contemporary Science Issues and Innovations
June 14, 2016 Belmont Media Center,Belmont MA
Jeremy Shakun, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College. Paleogeologist Professor Jeremy Shakun deciphers the record of major climate shifts over millions of years: the ice ages and warming cycles that shaped Earth's history. One of the best sources of information is in Arctic caves: mineral deposits formed from groundwater are preserved in speleothems, such as stalactites and stalagmites. These deposits contain precise records of chemical and physical changes associated with deep-time freeze-melt cycles. Dr. Shakun describes how he and his paleogeology team gather this information from Arctic caves --and how this information is used to anticipate the effect of the present global warming pattern. He also discusses other sources of ancient climate cycle data: marine cores, glacial boulders, tree rings, Antarctic ice cores.
Professor Shakun's information on global warming
Media articles about Dr. Shakun's work
NOAA information about speleothems


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||This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2012)|
A cyclorama is a panoramic painting on the inside of a cylindrical platform, designed to provide a viewer standing in the middle of the cylinder with a 360° view of the painting. The intended effect is to make a viewer, surrounded by the panoramic image, feel as if they were standing in the midst of an historic event or famous place.
"Cyclorama" can also refer to the building designed to show the panoramic painting (pictured).
Panoramas were invented by Irish painter Robert Barker, who wanted to find a way to capture the panoramic view from Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, Scotland. He subsequently opened his first cyclorama building in Edinburgh in 1787.
Cycloramas were very popular in the late 19th century. The most popular traveled from city to city to provide local entertainment — much like a modern movie. As the viewers stood in the center of the painting, there would often be music and a narrator telling the story of the event depicted. Sometimes dioramas were constructed in the foreground to provide additional realism to the cyclorama. Circular and hexagonal-shaped buildings were constructed in almost every major US and European city to provide a viewing space for the cycloramas. For example, a 360° depiction of the land and naval battles of Vicksburg was completed and first exhibited in Paris. This work by Lucien-Pierre Sergent and Joseph Bertrand traveled to New York, Chicago and San Francisco and Tokyo. Hundreds of cycloramas were produced; however, only about thirty survive.
An extension of this concept into motion pictures was pioneered with the invention of the Cinéorama that debuted at the 1900 Paris Exposition. These evolved into such formats as IMAX and Circle-Vision 360° as can be seen Epcot's Reflections of China.
Ben-Hur dramatisation
The 1899 dramatisation of the novel Ben Hur was a Broadway smash hit. The main spectacle was the use of a live chariot race using real horses and real chariots set against a cyclorama. It ran for 21 years, and was seen by over 20 million people. The Era's drama critic detailed how it was achieved by "four great cradles, 20ft in length and 14ft wide, which are movable back and front on railways". The horses galloped full-pelt towards the audience, secured by invisible steel cable traces and running on treadmills. Electric rubber rollers spun the chariot wheels. A vast cyclorama backdrop revolved in the opposite direction to create an illusion of massive speed, and fans created clouds of dust. The critic for The Illustrated London News described it as "a marvel of stage-illusion" that was "memorable beyond all else". The Sketch's critic called it "thrilling and realistic... enough to make the fortune of any play" and noted that "the stage, which has to bear 30 tons' weight of chariots and horses, besides huge crowds, has had to be expressly strengthened and shored up". It went on to inspire the multi-oscar winning 1959 film adaptation of Ben Hur, starring Charlton Heston - featuring the key live chariot race.
Surviving examples
Some notable cycloramas still in existence include:
- Borodino Panorama, depicting the Battle of Borodino between Napoleon I of France and a Russian Army outside Moscow in 1812. On display in Moscow. 115 metres long by 15 metres high.
- Stalingrad Battle Panorama, depicting the Battle of Stalingrad between Nazi Germany army and the Russian Army in _PHONE_. On display in Volgograd, Russia. 120 metres long by 16 metres high (the biggest canvas of Russia).
- Pleven Panorama, depicting the Siege of Plevna in 1878, in Pleven, Bulgaria - also known as the panorama with the world's biggest canvas.
- The Racławice Panorama, depicting the Battle of Racławice during the Kościuszko Uprising is on display in Wrocław, Poland. 115 metres long by 15 metres high.
- Atlanta Cyclorama, depicting the Battle of Atlanta during the American Civil War is on display in Atlanta
- Behalt Cyclorama, depicting the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people
- Gettysburg Cyclorama, depicting the Battle of Gettysburg during the U.S. Civil War is displayed at Gettysburg National Military Park. The version on display is the second of four known versions of this painting, and one of only two extant. The original was temporarily lost from 1933–1965, and has not been on public display since 1933. The second version, originally created for a Boston exhibition, is now on display at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center.
- Cyclorama of Jerusalem, depicting Jesus Christ's Crucifixion is on display in Saint Anne de Beaupre, Quebec, Canada
- Waterloo Cyclorama, depicting the Battle of Waterloo is displayed in Belgium near the city of Waterloo
- 1973 October War panorama in Cairo, Egypt depicting the attack on the Bar Lev Line and the subsequent fighting during the Yom Kippur/1973 October War between Israel and Egypt.
- The Riesenrundgemälde (giant circular painting) in Innsbruck, Austria, shows the Battles of Bergisel, still in its original building.
- Panorama Mesdag, depicting the Dutch village of Scheveningen in 1881, displayed in The Hague, Netherlands
- Palace and Gardens of Versailles cyclorama, painted by John Vanderlyn on display in the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.(_URL_
- Bunker Hill Cyclorama, depicting the Battle of Bunker Hill, is displayed at the Bunker Hill museum.
- Arrival of the Hungarians (also called Feszty Panorama), by Árpád Feszty et al., completed in 1894. It was painted to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the 895 AD conquest of the Carpathian Basin by the Hungarians. It is displayed at the National Historical Memorial Park, Ópusztaszer, Hungary.
- Taejon Cyclorama, depicting the Battle of Taejon. On display at the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang, North Korea.
- "Land and Naval Battles of Vicksburg, Panorama in Asakusa Park, Tokyo," c. 1891; retrieved 2011-06-03
- Guardian article: Ben-Hur, London, 1902. 8 October 2003. Accessed 2010-05-27
See also
- Moving panorama
- Panoramic painting
- International Panorama Council
- Cyclorama of Jerusalem
- Toronto Cyclorama
- Visions & illusions: the art of the cyclorama
- The New Georgia Encyclopedia
- The Buffalo Cyclorama
- The Panorama Mesdag
- Gettysburg Cyclorama
- A Battle Scene's Full Circle: Massive Painting of Gettysburg Restored
- Big Touch-Up for the Blue and the Gray
- International Panorama Council. A worldwide network of experts in panoramas and cycloramas
- Battles of Vicksburg, cyclorama in Tokyo, circa 1891
- Stalingrad Battle panorama
- Borodino Panorama


1. The speed in meters per second the attached GameObject will move in on the X, Y and Z axes.
 2. The space the movement will take place in, either World or Self. The World space transforms a GameObject in Unity's world space, ignoring the rotation of the GameObject, while Self considers the rotation of the GameObject in its calculations.
Now, add the following to Update:
transform.Translate(movementSpeed * Time.deltaTime, space);
This is what actually moves the GameObject by using a translation, that's a geometric term that means to transform a point by a distance in a given direction. Basically, it means to move GameObjects in the context of Unity.
The Translate method takes two parameters: The first is the direction and speed, while the second is the space in which the movement happens. The movement is multiplied by Time.deltaTime to perform a smooth movement over an amount of time.
Save this script and return to the editor. Add a Move component to Hay Bale, set its Movement Speed to (X:0, Y:0, Z:20) and leave Space set to World.
Now, play the scene and you'll see the hay bale flying towards the bridges and off the screen, great!
Drag Hay Bale into the RW/Prefabs folder to make it into a prefab and delete the original from the Hierarchy. You'll now be able to reference this prefab to create more whenever you want.
To make the hay machine shoot out the bales, you'll need to do some scripting. Open the HayMachine script and add the following variable declarations right above Start:
public GameObject hayBalePrefab; // 1
public Transform haySpawnpoint; // 2
public float shootInterval; // 3
private float shootTimer; // 4
Here's a brief explanation of the variables:
 1. Reference to the Hay Bale prefab.
 2. The point from which the hay will to be shot.
 3. The smallest amount of time between shots. This prevents the player from being able to spam the shoot button and fill the screen with bales of hay.
 4. A timer that decreases steadily to keep track whether the machine can shoot or not.
Now, add the ShootHay method below UpdateMovement:
private void ShootHay()
 Instantiate(hayBalePrefab, haySpawnpoint.position, Quaternion.identity);
The Instantiate method creates an instance of a given prefab or GameObject and places it in the scene. It takes three parameters: a prefab or GameObject, a position and a rotation. In this case, the reference to the Hay Bale prefab is used to create an instance with its initial position set to the same as the haySpawnpoint Transform. Quaternion.identity is used for the rotation, this is the default rotation value and is similar to Vector3.Zero as it sets the rotation to (X:0, Y:0, Z:0).
To call the code above, you'll need some code to poll for input. Add the following method just above ShootHay:
private void UpdateShooting()
 shootTimer -= Time.deltaTime; // 1
 if (shootTimer <= 0 && Input.GetKey(KeyCode.Space)) // 2
 shootTimer = shootInterval; // 3
 ShootHay(); // 4
Here's what this block of code does:
 1. Subtract the time between the previous frame and the current one from shootTimer, this will decrease its value by 1 every second.
 2. If the value of shootTimer is equal to or less than 0 and the space bar is pressed in...
 3. Reset the shoot timer.
 4. Shoot a bale of hay!
Lastly, add this line to Update, right below UpdateMovement();:
This calls the method above every frame.
Now, save this script and return to the editor. Select Hay Machine in the Hierarchy, unfold it by clicking the arrow to its left and take a look at the Inspector.
The new public variables you just added have become fields that can be assigned. Drag Hay Bale from RW\Prefabs onto the Hay Bale Prefab slot, drag Hay Machine's child Hay Spawnpoint onto the Hay Spawnpoint slot and set Shoot Interval to 0.8.
Now, save the scene and click the play button. Move the hay machine around with the arrow keys and shoot some hay using the space bar!
Everything should be working like the GIF above.
You may have noticed the bales never get destroyed and keep flying off endlessly into nothingness.
To fix this, you'll make smart use of triggers, tags and a line or two of code.
Tags and Reacting to Physics
To identify types of GameObjects, you can use tags. Tags are reference words like "Player" or "Collectible" you can assign to GameObjects to easily find them and differentiate them from other GameObjects. You can use any word or short sentence as a tag.
Creating a new tag is pretty easy, select Edit ► Project Settings... in the top menu and open the Tags and Layers tab in the Project Settings window. Now expand the Tags list and you'll notice the project already comes with two tags pre-loaded: DestroyHay and DropSheep.
Click the + button below the Tags list, name the new tag Hay and click the Save button to add this new tag to the list.
With the Hay tag added, close the Project Settings window and select Hay Bale in the RW\Prefabs folder. Open the Tag dropdown right below the name field and select Hay.
Now the difference between the bales of hay and other GameObjects is clear, you can add an area that destroys the hay when it comes into contact with it. Add a new empty GameObject to the Hierarchy and name it Triggers. Reset its Transform and add an empty GameObject as its child. Name this child Hay Destroyer.
Select Hay Destroyer, set its position to (X:0, Y:4, Z:68) and add a Box Collider to it. Check the Is Trigger checkbox on the Box Collider and set its Size to (X:60, Y:8, Z:12). Next, change the tag of Hay Destroyer to DestroyHay. You should now see a huge box-shaped collider appear in the Scene view, right outside of the camera's view.
Now, in order for this trigger to destroy any hay, you'll need to write yet another utility script. Create a new C# script inside RW\Scripts, name it DestroyOnTrigger and open it in a code editor. Remove the Start and Update methods completely and add this variable declaration in their place:
public string tagFilter;
This string will allow you to enter the name of any tag that will destroy this GameObject.
Now, add this method below the variable you just added:
private void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other) // 1
 if (other.CompareTag(tagFilter)) // 2
 Destroy(gameObject); // 3
Here's what's going on:
 1. OnTriggerEnter is a MonoBehaviour function, it's one of the special methods the Unity engine calls in specific circumstances. In this case, OnTriggerEnter gets called when a GameObject with a Rigidbody and a Collider enters the trigger area of a GameObject.
 2. Check if the GameObject that enters the trigger has the tag defined in tagFilter.
 3. Destroy the GameObject this script is attached to.
Save this script and return to the editor. Time to test it out!
Select Hay Bale in RW\Prefabs, add a Destroy On Trigger component and change Tag Filter to DestroyHay.
Now press the play button and try shooting some hay again. You'll notice any hay that hits the Hay Destroyer instantly gets obliterated.
Now that you have full control over the hay machine and its projectiles, it's time to introduce some fluffy friends.
Sheep Scripting
In the game you're creating, a bunch of sheep are panicking and running towards you, stopping at nothing. Unfortunately for them, that includes the ledge just behind the machine, yikes!
To start off, create a new empty GameObject in the Hierarchy and name it Sheep. Reset its Transform, set its Y rotation to 180 and add both a Box Collider and a Rigidbody. Check the Is Trigger checkbox of the Box Collider and change its Center and Size to (X:0, Y:1.4, Z:-0.3) and (X:2.5, Y:2, Z:4), respectively. Finally, check the Is Kinematic checkbox on the Rigidbody.
The Sheep should now look like this in the Inspector:
Now, drag the Sheep model from RW\Models onto Sheep to give it some visuals. Name the GameObject you just added Sheep Model, reset its Transform and set its X rotation to -90 so its head comes out of the ground.
Much better!
This sheep is now ready to be scripted!
Note: Up until now, you have created generic scripts that can be reused for any GameObject, or even other projects. The script you're about to write is a lot more specific because its interactions are quite unique and will get more complicated over time as you add more features to the game.
Create a new C# script named Sheep in RW\Scripts and open it in a code editor.
To get started, the sheep simply needs to run forward and disappear when it gets hit by a hay bale. Add the following variable declarations right above Start:
public float runSpeed; // 1
public float gotHayDestroyDelay; // 2
private bool hitByHay; // 3
Here's what these are for:
 1. The speed in meter per second that the sheep will run.
 2. The delay in seconds before the sheep gets destroyed after it got hit by hay.
 3. A Boolean that gets set


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Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The saw-whet owl is found throughout North America from southern Alaska and Canada to central Mexico. They inhabit dense coniferous or mixed forests, wooded swamps, and bogs. More migratory than most owls, they winter through and south of their breeding range, the migration being a general southward withdrawal to escape food shortages or extreme cold.
The saw-whet may be a more common winter resident in North Dakota than is believed due to their habit of roosting silently in coniferous trees and being difficult to flush. While a winter visitor for the most part, they have also been known to nest on rare occasions in North Dakota.
Strictly nocturnal, saw-whets prefer coniferous woods in swampy areas. They nest in abandoned woodpecker holes, often those of flickers, and also in natural tree cavities. When hunting, they float silently along edges of open parks and meadows, dropping on their prey in the grass. Their primary food is insects, but they will also eat mice, rats, small squirrels, chipmunks, and occasionally sparrows and juncos.


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extended foreign decls
trd at cs.mu.OZ.AU
Wed Dec 6 20:54:26 EST 2000
On 06-Dec-2000, Marcin 'Qrczak' Kowalczyk wrote:
> > As people have pointed out, we need to avoid being totally C-centric,
> > which is why there needs to be a language identifier attached.
> hsc2hs is of course C centric, but for another language simply
> a different preprocessor would be used.
> Anyone wants to design hsc++2hs? :-) But currently you would have
> to write extern "C" wrappers for all native C++ functions, methods,
> constructors, destructors, conversions, casts through virtual
Perhaps should talk about that the approach I intend to take to allow
Mercury's FFI to interface to multiple languages. This is intended
to avoid having to write extern "C" wrappers by hand.
Each backend (e.g. gcc C code, Java, MS IL) will have a "preferred"
foreign language. If the compiler actually compiles to this language
it could be possible to inline foreign language code snippets
(this happens with the C backend, and could happen with IL assembler
or Java foreign code too). The compiler knows how to interface Mercury
code to this preferred foreign language.
For ("preferred" language, foreign language) pair, you define an
"extrusion". This defines how to generate the appropriate code to
interface with one foreign language in another. For example, for
predicate/function 'foo' with an implementation written in C++ code,
with a C code backend:
- put the 'foo' foreign code snippet inside a C++ function
'foo_cpp' with C linkage (e.g. use extern "C" wrappers around the
- generate a foreign code snipped 'foo_c' that calls C++ function
'foo_cpp' (so you need to be able to generate a call in C)
- use 'foo_c' as the implementation of 'foo'.
After extrusion, all remaining C++ code gets shoved into a
.cpp file, which will be compiled and linked. The trick of
automatically putting the code into a separate file, generating the
correct linkage and calling it should work fine for most compiled
languages if C is available as a backend. Note that each C++ fragment
gets translated into a new C++ fragment plus a C fragment.
Say you wanted to do the same with Python:
- generate a foreign_decl("C", "_TAG_ ")
- generate a C fragment that looks something like:
PyObject *locals, *globals, *result;
char * pythoncode =
"... code for foo, using local variables as parameters...";
locals =... code for marshalling parameters into locals...
globals =... any useful globals...
result = PyRun(pythoncode, 0, globals, locals);
... marshall result if necessary...
- use this C fragment as the implementation
There are of course different ways of doing this that have different
trade-offs, but this approach will work pretty well for any interpreter
with a C API. Note that each Python fragment gets translated into a single
C fragment -- the python code disappears into a C string. After
extrusion the Mercury compiler will never see any python code, just C
The build environment would define compilers, flags, link options, etc.
The exact supported languages and combinations is implementation
specific (and installation specific -- if you don't have the compilers,
obviously it's not going to work).
The compiler needs to know how to interface Mercury to a single
"preferred" foreign language (probably one per backend).
The compiler (or external tool or plugin) also needs to know how to
generate enough of this "preferred" foreign language to call each
supported non-preferred language. Finally it needs to know
what to do with any "left-over" non-preferred code after extrusion
(e.g. put it into a separate file).
The neat thing is that you should be able to chain the extrusions.
E.g. if we write code to let the Mercury compiler extrude C into Java
(so we can use C code in the Java backend), then we can extrude Python
to C and hence we can call Python from Java. Getting the compile flags and
link options right for all of this could be quite tricky, of course,
because build and link tools are rarely orthogonal enough to handle
We also need to handle which language to prefer if there are multiple
workable implementations available.
This is a research proposal that is half implemented at the moment
(the extrusion is still not quite finished).
Tyson Dowd #
# Surreal humour isn't everyone's cup of fur.
trd at cs.mu.oz.au #
More information about the FFI


text:
Middle Bass Island is an island of the U.S. state of Ohio, located in Lake Erie. A small town, Middle Bass, lies on the island. The 805-acre (3.258 km²) island is shaped like the Big Dipper and is one of three Bass Islands located at the center of a group of 23 smaller islands.
Some of its more famous neighbors are South Bass Island, with the town of Put-in-Bay, Kelleys Island, and Pelee Island. The island has a year-round population of 95 residents (2000 census). Seasonal population surges to near 1,500 residents during the summer.
The island was landed upon by French explorer, Robert La Salle, in 1679. The abundance of wildflowers on the island impressed La Salle and his crew so much that they appropriately named it Isle des Fleures, the Floral Island. It would retain this name for the next 200 years until it was acquired by a German count in 1856. With the aid of immigrant German workers, the island was used for growing grapes. This proved to be a very successful undertaking.
By 1875, Middle Bass Island's Golden Eagle Winery was reputed to be the largest wine producer in the United States. The Lonz family acquired the business in 1884 and owned and operated it until the death of George Lonz in 1968. Lonz Winery has often been compared with the wineries of the German Rhineland. The old castle-like structure has been visited by countless dignitaries including five American Presidents. The winery is now part of a corporation bearing the Lonz name. Since 1979, the wines have been made by Italian enologist Claudio Salvador.
Lonz Winery was purchased by the state of Ohio with the intention of one day establishing a state park.


can write: $$\frac{df(x;dx)}{dx} = f'(x).$$
All of this, however, should come with a few remarks.
It is clear that these notations above do not constitute a definition of the derivative of $f$. Indeed, we needed to know what the derivative $f'$ meant before defining the function $df$. So in some sense, it's just a clever choice of notation.
But if it's just a trick of notation, why do I mention it at all? The reason is that in higher dimensions, the function $df(x;dx)$ actually becomes the focus of study, in part because it contains information about all the partial derivatives.
To be more concrete, for multivariable functions $f\colon R^n \to R$, we can define a function $df(x;dx)$ of two n-dimensional variables $x, dx \in R^n$ via $$df(x;dx) = df(x_1,\ldots,x_n; dx_1, \ldots, dx_n) = \frac{\partial f}{\partial x_1}dx_1 + \ldots + \frac{\partial f}{\partial x_n}dx_n.$$
Notice that this map $df$ is linear in the variable $dx$. That is, we can write: $$df(x;dx) = (\frac{\partial f}{\partial x_1}, \ldots, \frac{\partial f}{\partial x_n}) \begin{pmatrix} dx_1 \\ \vdots \\ dx_n \\ \end{pmatrix} = A(dx),$$ where $A$ is the $1\times n$ row matrix of partial derivatives.
In other words, the function $df(x;dx)$ can be thought of as a linear function of $dx$, whose matrix has variable coefficients (depending on $x$).
So for the $1$-dimensional case, what is really going on is a trick of dimension. That is, we have the variable $1\times1$ matrix ($f'(x)$) acting on the vector $dx \in R^1$ -- and it just so happens that vectors in $R^1$ can be identified with scalars, and so can be divided.
Finally, I should mention that, as long as we are thinking of $dx$ as a real number, mathematicians multiply and divide by $dx$ all the time -- it's just that they'll usually use another notation. The letter "$h$" is often used in this context, so we usually write $$f'(x) = \lim_{h \to 0} \frac{f(x+h) - f(x)}{h},$$ rather than, say, $$f'(x) = \lim_{dx \to 0} \frac{f(x+dx) - f(x)}{dx}.$$ My guess is that the main aversion to writing $dx$ is that it conflicts with our notation for differential $1$-forms.
EDIT: Just to be even more technical, and at the risk of being confusing to some, we really shouldn't even be regarding $dx$ as an element of $R^n$, but rather as an element of the tangent space $T_xR^n$. Again, it just so happens that we have a canonical identification between $T_xR^n$ and $R^n$ which makes all of the above okay, but I like distinction between tangent space and euclidean space because it highlights the different roles played by $x \in R^n$ and $dx \in T_xR^n$.
share|improve this answer
Cotangent space. Also, in case of multiple variables if you fix $dx^2,\ldots,dx^n = 0$ you can still divide by $dx^1$ and get the derivative. And nothing stops you from defining differential first and then defining derivatives as its coefficients. – Alexei Averchenko Feb 11 '11 at 2:30
Well, canonically differentials are members of contangent bundle, and $dx$ is in this case its basis. – Alexei Averchenko Feb 11 '11 at 5:54
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but I never made any reference to differentials in my post. My point is that $df(x;dx)$ can be likened to the pushforward map $f_*$. Of course one can also make an analogy with the actual differential 1-form $df$, but that's something separate. – Jesse Madnick Feb 11 '11 at 6:18
Sure the input is a vector, that's why these linearizations are called covectors, which are members of cotangent space. I can't see why you are bringing up pushforwards when there is a better description right there. – Alexei Averchenko Feb 11 '11 at 9:12
I just don't think pushforward is the best way to view differential of a function with codomain $\mathbb{R}$ (although it is perfectly correct), it's just a too complex idea that has more natural treatment. – Alexei Averchenko Feb 12 '11 at 4:25
My favorite "counterexample" to the derivative acting like a ratio: the implicit differentiation formula for two variables. We have $$\frac{dy}{dx} = -\frac{\partial F/\partial x}{\partial F/\partial y} $$
The formula is almost what you would expect, except for that pesky minus sign.
See _URL_ for the rigorous definition of this formula.
share|improve this answer
Yes, but their is a fake proof of this that comes from that kind a reasoning. If $f(x,y)$ is a function of two variables, then $df=\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}dx+\frac{\partial f}{\partial y}$. Now if we pick a level curve $f(x,y)=0$, then $df=0$, so solving for $\frac{dy}{dx}$ gives us the expression above. – Baby Dragon Jun 16 '13 at 19:03
Pardon me, but how is this a "fake proof"? – Lurco Apr 28 '14 at 0:04
_USER_: He meant $df = \frac{∂f}{∂x} dx + \frac{∂f}{∂y} dy$, where those 'infinitesimals' are not proper numbers and hence it is wrong to simply substitute $df=0$, because in fact if we are consistent in our interpretation $df=0$ would imply $dx=dy=0$ and hence we can't get $\frac{dy}{dx}$ anyway. But if we are inconsistent, we can ignore that and proceed to get the desired expression. Correct answer but fake proof. – user21820 May 13 '14 at 9:58
I agree that this is a good example to show why such notation is not so simple as one might think, but in this case I could say that $dx$ is not the same as $∂x$. Do you have an example where the terms really cancel to give the wrong answer? – user21820 May 13 '14 at 10:07
I don't know. Assume dependence on a third dummy variable with respect to which everything is constant so that the lhs is really a partial? – asmeurer May 13 '14 at 17:45
It is best to think of $\frac{d}{dx}$ as an operator which takes the derivative, with respect to $x$, of whatever expression follows.
share|improve this answer
This is an opinion offered without any justification. – Ben Crowell Apr 30 '14 at 5:20
What kind of justification do you want? It is a very good argument for telling that $\frac{dy}{dx}$ is not a fraction! This tells us that $\frac{dy}{dx}$ needs to be seen as $\frac{d}{dx}(y)$ where $\frac{d}{dx}$ is an opeartor. – Emin May 2 '14 at 20:43
Over the hyperreals, $\frac{dy}{dx}$ is a ratio and one can view $\frac{d}{dx}$ as an operator. Therefore Tobin's reply is not a good argument for "telling that dy/dx is not a fraction". – user72694 Dec 15 '14 at 16:11
Typically, the $\frac{dy}{dx}$ notation is used to denote the derivative, which is defined as the limit we all know and love (see Arturo Magidin's answer). However, when working with differentials, one can interpret $\frac{dy}{dx}$ as a genuine ratio of two fixed quantities.
Draw a graph of some smooth function $f$ and its tangent line at $x=a$. Starting from the point $(a, f(a))$, move $dx$ units right along the tangent line (not along the graph of $f$). Let $dy$ be the corresponding change in $y$.
So, we moved $dx$ units right, $dy$ units up, and stayed on the tangent line. Therefore the slope of the tangent line is exactly $\frac{dy}{dx}$. However, the slope of the tangent at $x=a$ is also given by $f'(a)$, hence the equation
$$\