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There are two statements about the grassmannian (of complex k-planes in n-space embedded via Plucker coordinates) that I have encountered in several places never accompanied with a proof or reference.
 - The topology inherited from projective space coincides with the Zariski topology.
 - The map from the Chow ring to the cohomology ring is an isomorphism.
I'm looking for nice explanations of these two facts.
EDIT: by the topology inherited from projective space I do not mean the Zariski topology, but the classical topology (given by balls in the Euclidean metric on the affine space from which we construct projective space, say). Since I have no intuition for the Zariski topology in this embedding, I'm not even sure I've got the statement correct: one place where it occurs is on page 147 in Fulton's Young tableaux book.
EDIT 2: I have gotten it wrong; Fulton claims only that the Zariski closures of the open cells equal their classical closures. But he also calls it a general fact. I guess the proper version of my first question should be: why are the Zariski closures of the open schubert cells equal to their classical closures in the Pluecker embedding, and is there a general fact from which this follows?
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The topology inherited from what topology on the projective space? – Mariano Suárez-Alvarez Apr 3 '14 at 18:43
The classical topology on projective space does not induce the Zariski topology on the Grassmannian; it induces the classical topology on the Grassmannian. Many topological statements about the Grassmannian are true for both choices of topology because in practice, most of arguments involving open sets in the classical topology can be made using only open sets from the Zariski topology. – Michael Joyce Apr 3 '14 at 19:41
I updated my answer. – Dan Petersen Apr 3 '14 at 19:50
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$\!$Hej Erik! Your first question asks why an open Schubert cell has the same closure both in the Zariski and in the classical topology. This is the same as asking why the closure of a cell is a closed subvariety. But each cell is defined by a collection of polynomial equations ($f = 0$) and inequations ($f \neq 0$), and it's easy to check that the closure in the classical topology is obtained by just discarding the inequations. Then it's clear that the closure is a subvariety.
For your second question, this follows because Grassmannians admit an algebraic cell decomposition (i.e. they are the disjoint union of locally closed subvarieties isomorphic to some $\mathbf C^d$), the Schubert cell decomposition. See this question: For which varieties is the natural map from the Chow ring to integral cohomology an isomorphism? and the reference to Fulton's book in Donu Arapura's answer.
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Probably the OP is asking why the Pluecker map is a closed immersion, in particular, why it is a homeomorphism from the domain to the image. – Jason Starr Apr 3 '14 at 19:09
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Census Records for North Dakota
From Ancestry.com Wiki
- Indexed—1850 as Pembina County, Minnesota Territory; 1860, as unorganized Dakota; 1870, as Dakota Territory; special 1885 (see below), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930
- Soundex—1900, 1920
Industry and Agriculture Schedules
- Agriculture—1870, 1880
- 1860, 1870, 1880 Indexed as Dakota Territory; 1885
Union Veterans Schedules
The first federal census records available for this area can be found with the 1836 Iowa Territory census. North Dakota State Archives and Historical Research Library of the State Historical Society of North Dakota (see North Dakota Archives, Libraries, and Societies) holds microfilmed copies of 1850 Pembina County Minnesota; 1860, 1870, and 1880 of Dakota Territory; the 1890 Union veterans and widows census; the 1900 census, including Soundex; and 1910 census. Dakota Territory agriculture schedules for 1870 and 1880 are on microfilm at the South Dakota State Historical Society.
The 1857 census for Pembina County, then part of Minnesota Territory, is located at the State Archives and Historical Research Library.
Part of the special, pre-statehood, federal 1885 census is available in print (see Collections under Background Sources for North Dakota). Only part of the indexing has been completed by AISI and is also available at _URL_. This schedule included a special veterans and mortality return. This and the unindexed 1915 and 1925 state censuses are available on microfilm at the State Archives and Historical Research Library and through interlibrary loan.
Several series of censuses were taken at the different reservations. Indexing is variable. Unless otherwise indicated, the State Archives and Historical Research Library retains these censuses:
- Fort Totten Reservation: 1885–1905, 1910–39
- Fort Berthold Reservation: 1889–93, 1895–1939
- Standing Rock Reservation: 1885–1913, 1915–39 (located at National Archives—Central Plains Region in Kansas City)
- Turtle Mountain Reservation: 1885–1905 (with Fort Totten Reservation), 1910–39
- Digger Indians: 1899–1904, 1915–20

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: että, Etta, and -etta
From the digit ett (one)
etta c
 1. one; the digit or figure "1".
 2. first-grader; person who attends the first year of school
 3. a class of first-graders
 De barnen går i ettan.
 Those children are in first grade.
 5. (uncountable, mainly used in the definite) first gear
 6. a apartment with one room (and possibly a kitchen)
 7. winner of a competition; the person or team who ended up in the first position
 8. one; neutral element in multiplication
See also[edit]


text:
Trellises are essential for growing climbing plants, such as clematis vines (Clematis spp.) and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus). They provide a structure onto which plants can climb and keep crops off the ground, making them less susceptible to rot and infestation. As plants grow, however, the weight can sometimes pull on the trellis and cause it to lean, especially with heavy vine crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). The plants can eventually pull the trellis to the ground without intervention in the form of braces.
Inspect the trellis to determine in which direction it leans so you can install braces on the correct side. If the trellis leans forward, install braces to the front of the trellis; if it leans to the left, install braces on the left side of the trellis.
Measure from the center of the trellis down to the ground at a 45-degree angle to determine the length needed for the braces.
Cut one 2-by-4-inch board for each end of the trellis, using the 45-degree angle measurement from the center of the trellis to the ground. This requires two boards to brace the front or back of the trellis or one board to brace the side of the trellis. The brace boards will be about 1.4 times the length of the 45-degree angle measurement from the ground to the trellis because the miter cuts take away from the overall length of the boards.
Cut a 45-degree angle miter cut on each end of a 2-by-4-inch board. Cut one end so the board lines up evenly with the trellis and the other end with a point to easily dig into the ground.
Push one end of the angle-cut 2-by-4 into the ground, then prop the trellis up with the other end of the board. Place the board on the center of a frame board on the edge of the trellis and not against the weaker lattice material.
Nail or screw the board to the trellis with 3-inch nails or screws. Repeat this process, installing an angle-cut 2-by-4 to each frame board on the side of the trellis you wish to support.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- 2-by-4-inch lumber
- Circular saw
- Miter saw
- Nails or screws
- Hammer or screwdriver
- Gravel, optional
- Bypass pruners, optional
- If the soil has poor drainage, you can put gravel under the end of the brace board to improve drainage and prevent the board from rotting in the ground.
- You may need to clip away foliage to gain access to the trellis if the climbing plant is overgrown.
- You can substitute other materials, such as metal pipe or sturdy branches, for the 2-by-4-inch board braces, depending on the trellis material.
- David De Lossy/Valueline/Getty Images

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Name: Stromerius (Named after Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach).
Phonetic: Stro-meh-re-us.
Named By: Philip D. Gingerich - 2007.
Classification: Chordata, Mammalia, Cetacea, Archaeoceti, Basilosauridae.
Species: S. nidensis (type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Uncertain due to lack of remains.
Known locations: Egypt - Qasr el-Sagha Formation.
Time period: Mid Priabonian of the Eocene.
Fossil representation: In total 16 vertebrae.
 Stromerius is a genus of basilosaurid whale that has been discovered in the world famous fossil deposits of Egypt, some of which are well known for turning up the fossils of whales. Unfortunately the harsh environmental conditions there can quickly erode exposed fossils, and as for the case of Stromerius, only some of the vertebrae of this whale are known at the time of writing.
Further reading
- Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt. - Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology 31 (13): 363–78. - Philip D. Gingerich - 2007.
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Geothermal Energy in Mexico: new plant in Puebla with 50 MW
Mexico ranks third worldwide in geothermal energy generation with 959 megawatts, just behind the United States and the Philippines. In Mexico there are geothermal power plants in Baja California, Coahuila, Puebla, Michoacan and Jalisco.
This year will open the geothermal energy plant Los Sumeros in the state of Puebla, which is a project that has been working for the past year the federation and the state.
In this regard the Secretary Federal Energy (Sener), Jordi Herrera Flores, said that one of the renewable energy resources in Mexico is geothermal energy, and the state of Puebla has the conditions necessary to exploit this resource to generate renewable energy.
Los Sumeros geothermal energy plant will be achieved up to 50 megawatts of power, which is a normal scale in this type of technology, so the state will seek to support more resources to complete the power plant as soon as possible.
It should be noted that geothermal energy is provided by the heat of the earth and is generated through a variety of factors, which, according to federal officials, Puebla has the necessary conditions for obtaining the resource.
By José Santamarta,


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Windows server by default has many restrictions, and security options enabled. One such feature may cause some downloaded files to be locked.
For example, if you download an installation file from some unknown source and try to execute it, it just won't start, and it would look like nothing is happening - this most likely means a file is locked by the system. You can resolve this by following these steps:
- Press the right mouse button on the file that isn't opening;
- Select "Properties" from the list;
- Select tab "General";
- At the bottom of it you will see the following:
- To unlock the file, simply check the "Unblock" checkbox and then apply the changes.
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Who We Are
The Byelich Foundation plans to open a self-sustaining, viable Primary School in Uganda, Africa.Â This vision came about when Matthew Byelich, a veteran of the Iraq War, volunteered as a teacher in Uganda.Â While teaching, he noticed problems in the educational system.
Being concerned, Byelich discussed the difficulties with with two Ugandan teachers, Jesse William Emuge and Michael Mujimba.Â It was agreed that a new type of school was needed in Uganda.Â Jesse and Michael have been working on the logistics of building and operating this planned school.Â They have devised a structure to fix the problem that is holding most schools in Uganda back.
The Issue at Hand
The major problem comes from the actual school system.Â For example, a passing grade is just a twenty percent.Â With this low standard, children are able to move on to the next grade without learning the material.Â Also, textbooks and other resource for educational are rarely seen in the classroom.Â Due to these difficulties, educators are not given the proper system to become effective teachers.
The key to fixing this problem is simple: we must first create a self-sustainable school and teach the teacher
s how to teach. This can be done by creating workshops, which will give the faculty different teaching tools and techniques. The instructors of these workshops will primarily be Ugandans.Â Â However, my sister, Leann Byelich, and Dave Schwind, who both have a degree in education, will be playing an active role in the schoolâ€™s development.Â Leann and Dave plan on building strong teachers by holding workshops for the teachers before the start of the new school year.
How You Can Help
You can help give the Uganda children the education system that they need and deserve by making a one time or recurring donation. Â By simply donating as little as $10 a month, we can begin to build the foundation of an efficient and effective school system.
Based on a preliminary proposal, it will take $19,500 to obtain the land and build the school.Â Another $6,300 will be needed to make the school functional.Â The fixed costs and variable costs for the first year are projected to be about $11,000.Â Basically it will cost about $36,600 to start up the school.Â In order for the school to be successful, the school has to be self-sufficient.
The Byelich Foundation Inc. has been approved to be exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Â Any donations or contributions to the Byelich Foundation Inc. can be a tax deductible under section 170 of the code.


What is an MFT?
Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are licensed mental health professionals who work with individuals; couples – whether or not married; families of all types; and groups to cure or relieve mental, emotional, and relational concerns of all kinds. MFTs work in a variety of settings throughout California and the rest of the country providing mental health services, as well as provide services in independent practice. MFTs have minimally acquired two-year master's degrees, 3,000 hours of supervised experience, and have passed two rigorous exams.
Source: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
What is the difference between an MFT, LCSW and Psychologist?
MFT or LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a master's degree in psychology, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, or marital and family therapy. Emphasis is on primary service in counseling and psychotherapy from a variety of therapeutic orientations with individuals, couples, families, and groups.
LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a master's degree in clinical social work. Emphasis on primary service in psychosocial diagnosis, assessment and treatment, client advocacy, consultation, evaluation and research.
Source: California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
What is Psychotherapy and counseling?
Psychotherapy, often referred to as counseling or therapy, is a process for helping you feel better and relieving the symptoms that you may be struggling with. The counseling experience most often begins with an initial meeting with a therapist to gather information and personal history in order to develop a plan to meet you an/or your families needs. Counseling can include individual, group, and/or family sessions.
How long does counseling take?
Counseling sessions typically lasts 45-50 minutes. Session frequency is based on a your specific needs and concerns and typically are once or twice weekly. Sessions are encouraged to continue you have met your specified treatment goals.
What about my privacy?
A therapist is mandated by law to maintain you confidentiality. There are however a few limits that pertain to this law, which include cases involving child abuse, elder abuse, or imminent danger to oneself or someone else.
How do I chose the right therapist?
It is important to choose a therapist who you feel is a good fit for you. This can often be identified through your initial and early assessment sessions with the therapist. Some practical things to consider also include the therapists qualifications, including education, training and experience, the fee for the session and the location of the office.
For additonal insight to finding the right therapist: Psychcentral: 5 Tips for Finding the Right Therapist
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text:
The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel. Spooky.
It is not often in the city of New York these days that a regular guy can truly influence the history of the city. But Bob Diamond is just one of those people. The story of the Atlantic Avenue tunnel is one that goes back through the annals of New York history, but it is also one that has a modern chapter, of Bob Diamond's quest to unearth and expose the tunnel as a significant New York landmark.
Let's jump back in history a little bit. If you think the argument today between bikers and joggers in the city is a big deal, then transport yourself to Atlantic Avenue in 1844. The street at the time was an extremely busy artery in Brooklyn. So much so that there was actually a Long Island Railroad train running down it. Because of the foot traffic, and the fact that it often took a train up to eight city blocks to stop, people and carriages kept getting hit. It was a major problem at the time (and the Brooklyn Dodgers were even once famously named the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers). To avoid this problem, mostly to make sure his trains were not delayed, the head of the LIRR, Cornelius Vanderbilt, decided to build the world's first underground train system under Atlantic Avenue.
The Tunnel was built in about seven months, using a cut-and-cover method: cutting into the tunnel and then covering it with a wood frame and then bricking it in. There was even a murder that supposedly occurred during the construction, which was done almost entirely by Irish Immigrants. One day, when the workers were told by a British contractor that they would have to miss church and work on Sundays, one of the Irish workers pulled out a gun and shot the contractor dead. Legend has it that the workers then buried his body behind the wall, where it rests to this day.
The tunnel was only open for about 15 years, and the last train ran in 1859 when, due to political reasons, it was shut down. Luckily for us, the contract to close and fill in the tunnel was given to a greedy man named Electus Litchfield. Instead of filling in the entire tunnel, Electus filled in only the ends, capped the holes in the street, and paid someone off to say that it had been filled.
Legends and stories persisted about the tunnel for the next 100 years. Walt Whitman once wrote: "The old tunnel, that used to lie there underground, a passage of Acheron-like solemnity and darkness, now all closed and filled up, and soon to be utterly forgotten."
But the tunnel was not to be forgotten, because of one Bob Diamond. In 1980, as a 19 year old engineering student, Diamond heard a story on the radio about the lost journal pages of John Wilkes Booth being buried in an old subway tunnel hidden under Brooklyn. This was the type of story that had spread around every once in awhile since the tunnel had been filled up, but nobody had yet to find it. Fortunately, Bob had the youthful exuberance that only a young engineering student could have, and so he decided to search for it.
An Engineering Diagram of the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel.
And search he did, hunting through all of the newspaper articles printed in Brooklyn in the 19th and 20th centuries, until he came across an article published in the Brooklyn Eagle in 1911. It was a full page article about the tunnel, which told of a set of plans located in the borough president's office. When he arrived at the office, he was told than the plans were not there, but he persisted and asked if he could look through an old locked box of papers. After breaking open the box, he found plans for the tunnel, with a small circle on it, possibly representing a manhole.
Bob Diamond Discovering the Tunnel Entrance in 1980.
So on one early morning in 1981, with the help of the department of transportation and some friends, Diamond opened a small manhole cover on the corner of Atlantic and Court street. As they looked down the hole, there was a floor of dirt, appearing that the tunnel had indeed been filled in. But he had come this far, and Diamond wanted to make sure. Crawling through a small trench of space he began to dig with his hands until he uncovered what looked like the brick ceiling. Diamond smashed through the bricks, sending a rush of cold, stale air into his face, and revealing a 15 foot drop. He had found the tunnel.
Entrance to the Tunnel.
Because of the find, Diamond was put in charge of the tunnel, and he now leads a crusade to save and improve it. He brought in lights leading all the way down the tunnel attached by a generator and created a stairwell to get down to the bottom from the manhole. He now leads monthly tours to explore the tunnel, explaining his story along with the history of the tunnel. There is even another mystery that he hopes to uncover, about what is on the other side of the far wall of the tunnel. 6 blocks of the tunnel are currently blocked off by a wall of dirt and this is where Diamond believes an old locomotive with the lost pages of John Wilkes Booth diary could be located. It seems that Diamond's exuberance had nothing to do with youth at all.
Far end of the tunnel where it is believed an old locomotive lies with the missing pages of John Wilkes Booth's diary. Too dark back there to focus correctly unfortunately.
Bob Diamond is trying his hardest to preserve an amazing part of New York history, of our country's history, and of the history of subway technology. He has constantly had to fight people from trying to stop him along the way. He hopes to one day open up the end of the tunnel, lay tracks down and run a locomotive tour down the tunnel. I can't imagine a more fitting way for the tunnel to end up, just as it had started.
To visit this one of a kind New York tour, you can find the tour schedules here.
Ceiling of the Tunnel. Perhaps where Bob broke through?
Boarded up hole in the ceiling.
Writing on the walls.
Tour group with flashlights moving.
Flashlights moving down the tunnel.
Me with tripod.


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During the the 20th World Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), 9-14 July 2017 in Toulouse, France, Martin Dahl presented our work titled 'Sequence Planner: Supporting Integrated Virtual Preparation and Commissioning'.
Abstract – It is essential to understand the operation sequences of a production system when designing or changing it. This paper will demonstrate how the software tool Sequence Planner (SP) not only supports this understanding by sequence visualization, but also improves the solution using optimization and verification. SP is a tool for modeling and analyzing automation systems. The tool has been developed since 2007 with an initial focus on supporting engineers when developing control code for programmable logical controllers. Today, SP is a micro-service architecture, usable in various areas like runtime control, online monitoring, energy optimization, and even emergency department patient planning. This paper presents a use case at an automotive company, where the operation sequences in a large number of automated robot stations, need to be modified. SP, together with virtual commissioning tools, automates this modification by identifying, optimizing, verifying and simulating operation sequences, and then updates the robot and control programs. This use case demonstrates the strength of SP and its architecture and how it is used for integrated virtual preparation and commissioning.


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Nipissing Guide to Reopening Child Care
Adapted with support from the YMCA-NEO Child Care Procedures for COVID-19 Emergency Operations and Reopening Child Care Plan
On June 9th 2020, the Government of Ontario announced child care centres across Ontario would be able to reopen effective Friday June 12th, 2020. This decision comes after the reopening of many business and establishments, leaving many parents in need of child care. This document is intended to support service providers with developing a plan to reopen their agencies in a safe and effective way.
The Government of Ontario has outlined that all child care service providers must have enhanced health and safety practices put into place prior to reopening. This document is intended to support in creating these practices. This document is modelled off of the YMCA NEO Child Care Procedures for COVID-19 Emergency Operation as well as their Reopening Procedures.
- First and foremost, ensure all health and safety procedures are in place at all times, safety exceeds the programming.
- Educate our staff on COVID-19 symptoms as well as preventative measures.
- Regulate food distribution to include grab-and-go options, smaller groups, and more.
- Mandate that those who are not feeling well to stay home to prevent the spread of germs.
- Develop a routine and schedule as it helps children feel safe and comfortable.
- Plan activities and experiences that support the interests and needs of the children with a program plan.
- Room capacities have been lowered; therefore, you may be flexible with the number of activities provided at one time. For example:
- Some toys can be taken out of rotation and disinfected, as long as there is enough variety and toys for the children.
- Suspension of all sensory activities (water, sand, etc…).
- Set-up enough table activities for the children, not necessarily all tables will be required.
- Some play areas may be closed at times (morning or afternoon) for disinfecting.
- Ensure you are supporting play by being a caring, sensitive and fun co-learner
- Toys that are harder to clean will be removed from the play environment.
- Children naturally play in close physical proximity. There is no requirement to separate children during play, rather we are implementing additional precautions like screening and enhanced disinfection to reduce the spread of illness.
- When choosing small groups, focus on keeping the same children and staff together as much as possible to reduce the spread of illness.
- Younger children will be in fenced areas or in strollers where Physical Distancing will apply.
- Be yourself, have fun, know that you are doing something important and that you are helping our community.
- All staff are screened.
- Regular tasks associated with opening the rooms (eg. Flush for lead, check for fire extinguishers, etc)
- Clean with detergent/soap and then disinfect using required dilution for outbreak (see label or Manufacturer Safety Data Sheet (MPDS) for more information on correct dilution):
- All high touch areas (e.g. door knobs/push bars, light switches, railings, sinks, toilets, soap/hand sanitizer dispensers, phones, computers, garbage cans, change tables, diaper genies, counter tops, table tops, chairs, mirrors) at least twice a day.
- All shelves, equipment, and toys.
- Put away all soft/plush toys, dress-up clothes, rugs, pillows, blankets, and furnishings that cannot be cleaned and sanitized easily.
- Put away all group sensory activities (I.e. no group water or sand play). Only use individual sensory activities that are discarded after each child's use.
- Put a plan in place to close the outdoor sand box, if children cannot physically distance themselves from others (eg. Sand box is small)or other outdoor sensory activities (e.g. tarp, cones or tape).
- Make sure to only have free running water when outside playing – so therefore no buckets or water tanks to play in – remove if water is still out.
- Take out of cubbies all regular children's personal belongings from cubbies and store in plastic bags, labelled with the child's name until our regular children return to child care. Clean and disinfect all cubbies. Mark every second cubby (e.g. masking tape) so that there is a cubby left empty between each child's personal belongings.
- Discard any expired or opened/unlabelled food.
- Take out of bins all regular children's personal belongings from the diapering area and store in plastic bags, labelled with the child's name until child returns to the center. Clean and disinfect storage baskets so they are available for the children.
- Take inventory of personal protective equipment including disposable covers for ear probe thermometers, vinyl gloves, masks (only procedural or surgical grade and must be minimum Class 1 or ASTM Level 1) and goggles and gowns (from blood spill kit). Let your Supervisor/Manager know what you need.
- Take inventory of cleaning and disinfecting supplies including detergent/soap, disinfectant, cleaning supplies like cloths, disposable disinfecting wipes, liquid hand soap and hand sanitizer. Inventory of all required supplies per classroom, kitchen and full centre will occur. Inform your Supervisor/Manager well in advance if you require more supplies (before your supplies are depleted).
- Take inventory of paper products including napkins, dishes, cutlery, disposable serving utensils, tissue, and paper towels. Inform your Supervisor/Manager well in advance if you require more supplies (before your supplies are depleted).
- Purchase back-up diapers, diaper wipes, and snacks/lunches for everyone in case families are not prepared for emergency situations.
- Rooms that do not have walls that go all the way to the ceiling between rooms, should have walls 8 feet high.
- There will be one room designated as the isolation room for anyone that becomes ill during operational hours. The room will have a door that can close. All PPE must be in a place that is known by all staff in the event this process is enacted (masks, gloves, cot, lined bucket, etc.).
- Families or guardians will be informed on the procedure for drop-off and pick-up. This will allot for Physical Distancing. Note: There will only be one family member allowed in the screening area at one given time.
- The screening area as a best practice will be outdoors (front entrance), weather permitting
- Post relevant information on the front door including:
- All signs and instructions
- Hours of operation and contact information.
- COVID-19 screening/information.
- List of items permitted in child care (eg. nut products, toys, etc)
- Address of short-term shelter/evacuation site.
- Update emergency contact list and ensure all staff know how to contact each other and all families.
- Short-term and long-term evacuation site must be contacted and accessible prior to reopening.
- Communication Methods – Intercoms, Personal Cell Phones, Walkie Talkies (ensure what needs to be charged is charged). The screener will need some form of communication to contact those people inside.
- Screening prior to approval and each day thereafter.
- Tour and/or training for all new persons approved to drop-off and pick-up will occur prior to their first day. Limit of 1 adult at drop-off and pick-up and consistent members and only those that are approved with the registration.
- Provide all staff with a copy of these COVID-19 procedures and review/train staff so that they understand their responsibilities. Post a copy on the staff information board.
- Supervisors will not be caring for ill children in isolation.
- Ensure that staff know how to use PPE correctly, as per Public Health guidelines.
- Reassure staff that masks/gloves are not recommended during regular activities – only when cleaning and disinfecting body fluids or caring for an ill child.
- Be onsite during all hours of operation (or a designate).
- Screening and registration. Record allergies/food restrictions, medication, and individualized plans (I.e. anaphylaxis, medical, special needs). Ensure there are emergency contacts in addition to immediate family.
- Dispense all medication, with the exception of emergency medications.
- Monitor symptoms of health of staff/children throughout the day.
- Monitor throughout the day, that staff are implementing COVID-19 procedures.
- Immediately report to the Public Health outbreak phone line, if a child, parent, or staff is suspected/confirmed positive for COVID-19. Follow all directions of Public Health.
- Orient staff who are new to the centre. Take them on a tour, review the fire/emergency plan and all children's emergency health information.
- All media inquiries will go to the approved designated contact. This designate is the only person that will speak with the media or any other person with inquires, including the public/neighbours, etc.
- Ensure all Policies are being followed. Staff who are unable to provide an updated PRC VSS will be required to sign a declaration allowing them to update their PRC VS within 6 months.
- Review PPE procedures with staff weekly.
- Welcome children and help them choose a cubby to store their personal belongings and assist them to wash their hands before entering the classroom.
- Add child to the attendance list.
- For many children, it will be like starting on their first day of child care all over again. Be patient with children. Allow them time to re-familiarize themselves with their environments, educators and peers.
- Provide play-based activities or experiences based on children's ages and interests and keep parents updated.
- Provide as many opportunities of programming as you are able to, keeping in mind current limitations or restrictions to:
- group sensory activities
- soft/plush toys, dress-up clothes, rugs, pillows, blankets, and furnishings
- singing – in closed spaces, areas


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Thousands of men with low testosterone use treatments like Striant. It is supposed to improve problems like fatigue, sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and sagging muscles. Instead, the FDA is investigating two studies linking testosterone and heart attacks.
What You Can Do & How a Striant Lawsuit Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Striant induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by Striant, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at _PHONE_.
Striant and Heart Attacks
Like all testosterone replacement products, Striant (testosterone buccal system) increases the risk of blood clots in the legs. The problem is that testosterone thickens the blood, increases the number of red blood cells, and elevates blood pressure. These adverse effects may also increase the risk of heart attack, which occurs when a blood clot obstructs a coronary artery.
FDA Requires Warnings About Striant Heart Attack Risk
March 3, 2015 — In a Safety Communication, the FDA has required warning about the possible increased risk of heart attacks on the label for all testosterone replacement products, including Striant. The FDA cautions that Striant is not approved or recommended for the treatment of "Low T" associated with aging. They are also requiring new clinical trials to assess the risk of heart attacks from Striant. Click here to read more.
Patients using Striant should seek medical attention immediately if symptoms of a heart attack or stroke are present, such as:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Weakness in one part or one side of the body
- Slurred speech
FDA Investigates Heart Attack Risk of Testosterone
In January 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a Safety Alert and began investigating two studies linking testosterone and cardiovascular events. One study found that men over 65 had twice the risk of heart attack if they used testosterone — and three times the risk of heart attack if they also had heart disease. Another study linked testosterone to a 30% increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Heart Attack Overview
The heart is a muscle that requires a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to function. There are several coronary arteries that supply different areas of the heart muscle with oxygen. Heart attacks ("myocardial infarction") occur when something obstructs a coronary artery — such as a blood clot or fatty plaque deposit.
- Chest pain: Usually described as crushing, squeezing, or tightness in the center or left side of the chest. May occur suddenly or gradually, spread to other areas of the body (neck, back, arms, jaw). Sometimes feels like back pain, indigestion, or heartburn.
- Shortness of breath or rapid breathing: Occurs when a heart attack limits the output of the left ventricle.
Other symptoms of a heart attack:
- Excessive sweating
- Pale, blue-gray skin
- Irregular heart rhythm
- Anxiety or feeling of impending doom
- Light-headedness or loss of consciousness
Call 9-1-1 Right Away
A heart attack is a medical emergency — call 9-1-1 for an ambulance within 5 minutes if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack. Paramedics in an ambulance can begin treatment on the way to the hospital, with drugs and equipment like:
- Aspirin (blood-thinner that prevents more blood clots)
- Heart medications (nitroglycerin)
- Defibrillator (may re-start the heart if it stops beating)
Do I have a Striant Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Striant injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured by Striant, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at _PHONE_.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.


text:
The shear wave velocity field, calculated using the Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) method (Park et al., 1999; Xia et al., in press) was used to map the bedrock surface at depths of 6 to 23 ft and identify potential fracture zones within bedrock at a site in Olathe, Kansas. Preliminary analysis of this site's hydrologic characteristics, based primarily on borehole data, suggested fractures and/or an unmapped buried stream channel could be influencing fluid movement along the drill-defined bedrock surface. Since topographic variations on the surface of bedrock can influence the transport and eventual fate of contaminants introduced at or near the ground surface, determining the nature and location of anomalous bedrock was critical to hydrologic characterization of this site. High velocity gradients within the shear wave velocity field were used as diagnostic of the bedrock surface, while localized lateral decreases in the shear wave velocity below the bedrock surface were considered characteristic of fracture zones or erosional channels. Calculating the shear wave velocity field from surface wave arrivals can generally be accomplished with a high degree of accuracy regardless of cultural noise. The insensitivity of MASW to cultural obstacles and noise was demonstrated at this site (e.g., approx 220,000 yd2 asphalt parking lot, electrical and mechanical noise from nearby industrial facilities, traffic noise from the adjacent highway, exploratory drilling on the asphalt parking lot, and aircraft noise). The depth-tobedrock map produced using only shear wave velocity data possesses significantly higher resolution than maps produced using drilling alone. There is less than 1 ft of difference in the depthto-bedrock interpreted from surface wave data versus the depths determined through drilling. Geophones used for this study were equipped with steel baseplates. Advantages of mapping the bedrock surface with the shear wave velocity field calculated from surface waves include the insensitivity of MASW to velocity inversions, ease of generating and propagating surface wave energy in comparison to body wave energy, and its sensitivity to lateral changes in velocity. Localized anomalies were observed on lines 2 and 4 that are likely representative of anomalies in the bedrock. Anomalously low velocities observed on the western portion of the east-west lines is very abrupt and localized, suggesting a zone of either fractures, a relatively shear-sided channel, or a fault. Based on the seismic data alone it is not possible to determine which of these scenarios is correct. Speculating from the character and apparent vertical extent of this feature, it is more likely a fault or fracture than a channel. The physical dimensions of this feature would require a channel to be over 20 ft deep and 30 ft wide with vertical side walls. A channel with these dimensions is possible, of course, but would not be expected in this setting. The general topographic trend of the bedrock surface suggests a north dip with an apparent change in the material composition of the shallow bedrock at a localized low in the bedrock surface. Bedrock lows are present at the north end of lines 1 and 3. Based on the drop in shear wave velocities, these lows are also areas with either increased weathered bedrock near the contact between unconsolidated material and bedrock or the bedrock material changes slightly (i.e., limestone to shale or possibly the shale limestone thickens). Lines 2 and 4 possess a low velocity bedrock material near their eastern ends. It appears to transition from high velocity to low velocity very subtly on line 2 while on line 4 the feature is very abrupt and similar in character to the fault/fracture/channel interpreted on the western end of both these lines. Bedrock toward the eastern ends of lines 2 and 4 can be interpreted to be either flat or maybe slightly shallower than near the building on the west. The depth-to-bedrock contour map produced using both drilling and seismic data is significantly more detailed and represents a closer approximation to the real bedrock surface than either drilling or seismic data could have produced alone. The match between drilling and seismic is excellent. Improved resolution on the surface of the bedrock provides insight into the texture of bedrock and permits identification and appraisal of short wavelength variations in the bedrock surface. The goals and objectives of this survey were met.
Full Paper KGS-99-09.PDF 1.86MB


Hilbert's Nullstellensatz
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Hilbert's Nullstellensatz (German for "theorem of zeros," or more literally, "zero-locus-theorem" – see Satz) is a theorem that establishes a fundamental relationship between geometry and algebra. This relationship is the basis of algebraic geometry, an important branch of mathematics. It relates algebraic sets to ideals in polynomial rings over algebraically closed fields. This relationship was discovered by David Hilbert who proved the Nullstellensatz and several other important related theorems named after him (like Hilbert's basis theorem).
Let k be a field (such as the rational numbers) and K be an algebraically closed field extension (such as the complex numbers), consider the polynomial ring k[X1,X2,..., Xn] and let I be an ideal in this ring. The algebraic set V(I) defined by this ideal consists of all n-tuples x = (x1,...,xn) in Kn such that f(x) = 0 for all f in I. Hilbert's Nullstellensatz states that if p is some polynomial in k[X1,X2,..., Xn] that vanishes on the algebraic set V(I), i.e. p(x) = 0 for all x in V(I), then there exists a natural number r such that pr is in I.
An immediate corollary is the "weak Nullstellensatz": The ideal I in k[X1,X2,..., Xn] contains 1 if and only if the polynomials in I do not have any common zeros in Kn. It may also be formulated as follows: if I is a proper ideal in k[X1,X2,..., Xn], then V(I) cannot be empty, i.e. there exists a common zero for all the polynomials in the ideal in every algebraically closed extension of k. This is the reason for the name of the theorem, which can be proved easily from the 'weak' form using the Rabinowitsch trick. The assumption of considering common zeros in an algebraically closed field is essential here; for example, the elements of the proper ideal (X2 + 1) in R[X] do not have a common zero in R. With the notation common in algebraic geometry, the Nullstellensatz can also be formulated as
for every ideal J. Here, \sqrt{J} denotes the radical of J and I(U) is the ideal of all polynomials that vanish on the set U.
In this way, we obtain an order-reversing bijective correspondence between the algebraic sets in Kn and the radical ideals of K[X1,X2,..., Xn]. In fact, more generally, one has a Galois connection between subsets of the space and subsets of the algebra, where "Zariski closure" and "radical of the ideal generated" are the closure operators.
As a particular example, consider a point P = (a_1, \cdots, a_n) \in K^n. Then I(P) = (X_1 - a_1, \cdots, X_n - a_n). More generally,
\sqrt{I} = \bigcap_{P \in V(I)} (X_1 - a_1, \cdots, X_n - a_n), \quad P = (a_1, \cdots, a_n).
As another example, an algebraic subset W in Kn is irreducible (in the Zariski topology) if and only if I(W) is a prime ideal.
Proof and generalization[edit]
There are many known proofs of the theorem. One proof is the following:
 1. Note that it is enough to prove Zariski's lemma: a finitely generated algebra over a field k that is a field is a finite field extension of k.
 2. Prove Zariski's lemma.
The proof of Step 1 is elementary. Step 2 is deeper. It follows, for example, from the Noether normalization lemma. See Zariski's lemma for more. Here we sketch the proof of Step 1.[1] Let A = k[t_1,..., t_n] (k algebraically closed field), I an ideal of A and V the common zeros of I in k^n. Clearly, \sqrt{I} \subseteq I(V). Let f \not\in \sqrt{I}. Then f \not\in \mathfrak{p} for some prime ideal \mathfrak{p}\supseteq I in A. Let R = (A/\mathfrak{p}) [f^{-1}] and \mathfrak{m} a maximal ideal in R. By Zariski's lemma, R/\mathfrak{m} is a finite extension of k; thus, is k since k is algebraically closed. Let x_i be the images of t_i under the natural map A \to k. It follows that x = (x_1,..., x_n) \in V and f(x) \ne 0.
The Nullstellensatz will also follow trivially once one systematically developed the theory of a Jacobson ring, a ring in which a radical ideal is an intersection of maximal ideals. Let R be a Jacobson ring. If S is a finitely generated R-algebra, then S is a Jacobson ring. Further, if \mathfrak{n}\subset S is a maximal ideal, then \mathfrak{m} := \mathfrak{n} \cap R is a maximal ideal of R, and S/\mathfrak{n} is a finite extension field of R/\mathfrak{m}.
Another generalization states that a faithfully flat morphism f: Y \to X locally of finite type with X quasi-compact has a quasi-section, i.e. there exists X' affine and faithfully flat and quasi-finite over X together with an X-morphism X' \to Y
Effective Nullstellensatz[edit]
In all of its variants, Hilbert's Nullstellensatz asserts that some polynomial g belongs or not to an ideal generated, say, by f1,..., fk; we have g = f r in the strong version, g = 1 in the weak form. This means the existence or the non existence of polynomials g1,..., gk such that g = f1g1 +... + fkgk The usual proofs of the Nullstellensatz are non effective in the sense that they do not give any way to compute the gi.
It is thus a rather natural question to ask if there is an effective way to compute the gi (and the exponent r in the strong form) or to prove that they do not exist. To solve this problem, it suffices to provide an upper bound on the total degree of the gi: such a bound reduces the problem to a finite system of linear equations that may be solved by usual linear algebra techniques. Any such upper bound is called an effective Nullstellensatz.
A related problem is the ideal membership problem, which consists in testing if a polynomial belongs to an ideal. For this problem also, a solution is provided by an upper bound on the degree of the gi. A general solution of the ideal membership problem provides an effective Nullstellensatz, at least for the weak form.
In 1925, Grete Hermann gave an upper bound for ideal membership problem that is doubly exponential in the number of variables. In 1982 Mayr and Meyer gave an example where the gi have a degree that is at least double exponential, showing that every general upper bound for the ideal membership problem is doubly exponential in the number of variables.
Until 1987, nobody had the idea that effective Nullstellensatz was easier than ideal membership, when Brownawell gave an upperbound for the effective Nullstellensatz that is simply exponential in the number of variables. Brownawell proof uses calculus techniques and thus is valid only in characteristic 0. Soon after, in 1988, János Kollár gave a purely algebraic proof valid in any characteristic, leading to a better bound.
In the case of the weak Nullstellensatz, Kollár's bound is the following:[2]
Let f1,..., fs be polynomials in n ≥ 2 variables, of total degree d1 ≥... ≥ ds. If there exist polynomials gi such that f1g1 +... + fsgs = 1, then they can be chosen such that
\deg(f_ig_i) \le \max(d_s,3)\prod_{j=1}^{\min(n,s)-1}\max(d_j,3).
This bound is optimal if all the degrees are greater than 2.
If d is the maximum of the degrees of the fi, this bound may be simplified to
Kollár's result has been improved by several authors. M. Sombra has provided the best improvement, up to date, giving the bound[3]
\deg(f_ig_i) \le 2d_s\prod_{j=1}^{\min(n,s)-1}d_j.
His bound is better than Kollár's as soon as at least two of the degrees that are involved are lower than 3.
Projective Nullstellensatz[edit]
We can formulate a certain correspondence between homogeneous ideals of polynomials and algebraic subsets of a projective space, called the projective Nullstellensatz, that is analogous to the affine one. To do that, we introduce some not


text: This dissertation applies the Bayesian approach as a method to improve the estimation efficiency of existing econometric tools. The first chapter suggests the Continuous Choice Bayesian (CCB) estimator which combines the Bayesian approach with the Continuous Choice (CC) estimator suggested by Imai and Keane (2004). Using simulation study, I provide two important findings. First, the CC estimator clearly has better finite sample properties compared to a frequently used Discrete Choice (DC) estimator. Second, the CCB estimator has better estimation efficiency when data size is relatively small and it still retains the advantage of the CC estimator over the DC estimator. The second chapter estimates baseball's managerial efficiency using a stochastic frontier function with the Bayesian approach. When I apply a stochastic frontier model to baseball panel data, the difficult part is that dataset often has a small number of periods, which result in large estimation variance. To overcome this problem, I apply the Bayesian approach to a stochastic frontier analysis. I compare the confidence interval of efficiencies from the Bayesian estimator with the classical frequentist confidence interval. Simulation results show that when I use the Bayesian approach, I achieve smaller estimation variance while I do not lose any reliability in a point estimation. Then, I apply the Bayesian stochastic frontier analysis to answer some interesting questions in baseball.


text:
All procedures in the Verilog HDL are specified within one of the following four statements:
-- initial construct
-- always construct
The initial and always constructs are enabled at the beginning of a simulation. The initial construct shall execute only once and its activity shall cease when the statement has finished. In contrast, the always construct shall execute repeatedly. Its activity shall cease only when the simulation is terminated. There shall be no implied order of execution between initial and always constructs. The initial constructs need not be scheduled and executed before the always constructs. There shall be no limit to the number of initial and always constructs that can be defined in a module
An initial block consists of a statement or a group of statements enclosed in begin... end or a signle statement, which will be executed only once at simulation time 0. If there is more than one block they execute concurrently and independently. The initial block is normally used for initialisation, monitoring, generating wave forms (eg, clock pulses) and processes which are executed once in a simulation. An example of initialisation and wave generation is given below
clock = 1'b0; // variable initialization
begin // multiple statements have to be grouped
alpha = 0;
#10 alpha = 1; // waveform generation
#20 alpha = 0;
#5 alpha = 1;
#7 alpha = 0;
#10 alpha = 1;
#20 alpha = 0;
An always block is similar to the initial block, but the statements inside an always block will repeated continuously, in a looping fashion, until stopped by $finish or $stop.
NOTE: the $finish command actually terminates the simulation where as $stop. merely pauses it and awaits further instructions. Thus $finish is the preferred command unless you are using an interactive version of the simulator.
One way to simulate a clock pulse is shown in the example below. Note, this is not the best way to simulate a clock. See the section on the forever loop for a better method.
initial clock = 1'b0; // start the clock at 0
always #10 clock = ~clock; // toggle every 10 time units
initial #5000 $finish // end the simulation after 5000 time units
Tasks and functions can bu used to in much the same manner but there are some important differences that must be noted.
A function is unable to enable a task however functions can enable other functions.
A function will carry out its required duty in zero simulation time.
Within a function, no event, delay or timing control statements are permitted.
In the invocation of a function their must be at least one argument to be passed.
Functions will only return a single value and can not use either output or inout statements.
Functions are synthesysable.
Disable statements canot be used.
Function canot have numblocking statements.
module function_calling(a, b,c);
input a, b ;
input a, b;
myfunction = (a+b);
assign c = myfunction (a,b);
Tasks are capable of enabling a function as well as enabling other versions of a Task
Tasks also run with a zero simulation however they can if required be executed in a non zero simulation time.
Tasks are allowed to contain any of these statements.
A task is allowed to use zero or more arguments which are of type output, input or inout.
A Task is unable to return a value but has the facility to pass multiple values via the output and inout statements.
Tasks are not synthesisable.
Disable statements can be used.
reg clock, red, amber, green;
parameter on = 1, off = 0, red_tics = 350,
amber_tics = 30, green_tics = 200;
// initialize colors.
initial red = off;
initial amber =


10 Successful Product Launches to Inspire Product Innovation
Written by
Frederik Bussler
June 1, 2021
Out of roughly 30,000 new products released each year, a whopping 95% fail, according to Harvard University professor Clayton Christensen.
We've explored how you can boost those odds by using AI for successful product innovation, and ensuring that you target the right markets at the right time with the right products and features. After all, this is how wildly successful companies like Unilever are creating winning products.
Now, let's take a look at 10 famous product launches to inspire your product innovation efforts. These are incredible examples of product innovation, which brought true out-of-the-box thinking to dominate their launches.
1. The Original iPhone
Apple's iPhone is one of the most successful product launches in history. With one million units sold within 74 days of its launch, the iPhone blew its competition out of the water, and has set the bar for what consumers expect from a device. Ultimately, over 6 million units were sold in just over a year, compared to just 1 million after a year and a half by the LG Prada, a leading competitor.
Under CEO Steve Jobs, Apple created a device that combined cell phone capabilities with a full-function computer operating system. The first-generation iPhone was unveiled on January 9th, 2007 and had an initial price tag of $499.
Ultimately, the iPhone is a classic example of product innovation, as it ushered in the age of the app, by changing the focus in mobile phones from hardware to software. Rather than try to merely iterate upon the latest phones in the market, Apple revolutionized the game by making a leap to a true smartphone.
2. The iPod
When the iPod was released in 2001, it became the first highly-portable, digital MP3 player to be able to store 1,000 songs.
At a time when space was at a premium, the iPod simplified access to music and data storage. From there, the iPod line only grew bigger and bolder, offering massive storage, cameras, gaming features, and more.
In 2010, Apple announced that they had sold 275 million iPods worldwide. As INSEAD writes, the iPod is a powerful example of the importance of proper timing, as it was released as soon as both MP3s and broadband were widely available, allowing it to ride technological trends to success.
3. Coca-Cola
In 1886, when Coca Cola was first introduced, just 9 bottles were sold a day. Today, around 2 billion Coca Cola beverages are enjoyed every single day.
From Coca Cola's trademarked contoured bottle to its beloved secret recipes from Coke Zero to Coke Lime, and its world-class advertising campaigns, Coca Cola is an innovation expert.
Today, Coca Cola is a Commerce.AI customer, using AI to scan massive amounts of product review data online, and fuel new product innovation.
After all, traditional product innovation is hard to get right. When Coca-Cola introduced New Coke to the world in 1985, the reception was so overwhelmingly negative that they re-introduced the original formula in less than 3 months.
4. Google Maps
Google Maps is one of the most revolutionary products ever released and is often credited with changing how we think about geographical space. Google Maps offers users detailed maps and directions, satellite images, traffic information, and street views all in one app. The service is now used by over one billion people each month worldwide.
Google has mapped almost the entire world, and has consistently released innovative features like real-time traffic, eco-friendly routes, using data from its one-billion-plus users to boost accuracy, indoor maps, and more.
5. Nike's Air Jordan 1
When the Nike Air Jordan 1 arrived in 1985, it was a true example of innovation. The shoe's black-red colorway violated the league's uniform policy - resulting in a $5,000 fine from the NBA every time Michael Jordan wore the sneakers, creating a legacy.
Nike's Air Jordan 1 was designed by Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield and Michael Jordan with input from Nike's CEO Phil Knight. The shoe became an instant hit with consumers who loved that it looked cool but also came with a comfortable ride thanks to its Nike Air technology cushioning system. Today, Air Jordan is still one of Nike's most popular lines of shoes and generated $126 million in sales in its first year alone, more than 35 years ago.
The Air Jordan 1 has been so wildly popular that it has seen at least six re-releases.
6. Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is a mobile messaging app that allows users to chat with friends by sending texts or using emojis while also being able to share photos or videos.
Even though it was first released ten years ago, Facebook Messenger continues to grow rapidly, and is soon expected to have nearly two-and-a-half billion users.
Facebook Messenger's innovations are numerous, from being the fastest-loading product of its kind to introducing stories early on.
7. Instagram
Instagram is a social networking platform that allows users to share photos and videos. It was first released in October 2010, racking up 25,000 users in one day, and now boasts more than one billion monthly active users.
It is especially popular with teenagers and young adults, who use it to post photos of everything from their daily meals to the latest fashion trends.
Instagram succeeded as the result of deliberate, bold, and consistent product innovation, from video editing features like Boomerang and Rewind, to creative interactive features like face filters and polling. As visual marketing and advertising has taken off, Instagram only continues to grow.
8. Amazon's Kindle
Amazon's Kindle is one of the most successful product launches in recent history because it revolutionized how readers consume media.
Amazon used its positioning as the "world's largest bookstore" to dominate the eBook market practically overnight. The Kindle format also runs on practically everything, instead of opting for lock-in, which has created millions of loyal fans over the years.
9. Nintendo's Wii
Nintendo's Wii was released in November 2006 and sold like hotcakes during the holiday season that year.
It sold so well that it became one of the best-selling consoles ever made with over 100 million units sold worldwide since its release.
The Wii was revolutionary because it gave players a unique gaming experience thanks to its motion-sensitive controllers and interactive gameplay that allowed users to get up off their sofa and use their whole body as part of the game itself.
Since then, many consoles have adopted this style of gaming, but Nintendo Wii was the first major device to do so.
10. Toyota Corolla
Product innovation doesn't need to be exciting to be wildly successful, as demonstrated by the Toyota Corolla.
Since 1966, the Toyota Corolla has offered simple comfort, practicality, and reliability at a low cost. In short, it's no Cybertruck or Ford Mustang, but it's a highly-reliable daily driver, which is exactly what tens of millions of people want.
Tapping into that consumer desire has been Toyota's big innovation win, and the Toyota Corolla now boasts over 40 million sales.
Innovation doesn't need to be exciting, revolutionary, or complex to be successful.
The Toyota Corolla shows that simple reliability can create a category-winning product. Coca-Cola shows that being distinct and listening to your users can lead to massive product success. Google Maps shows the importance of data collection.
Ultimately, there are many roads to product success, but innovation is at the heart of them all.
Return to blog


Philips Avent uGrow
Philips DesignNetherlands
Production / Professional
Philips Design Team
uGrow is a Digital Parenting Platform that provides expert support and personalized advice to support baby's healthy development.
There is a paradigm shift in parenting. Parents are increasingly connected and millennials seek new routes for advice, with 75% of new parents turning to their mobile first for advice. uGrow enlightens them on some of the challenges of parenting, making sense of data to give their baby a voice.
uGrow explained:
Designed to provide expert support throughout the parenting journey, uGrow is a mobile app, connected to devices and services that combine into a complete digital platform to provide unique, personalized insights into baby's development and milestones.
A medically certified (class 1) digital service, it guides and supports parents with information and insights based on their baby's needs and behaviors. These are discerned through an ecosystem of uGrow connected products and devices.
- uGrow understands: Data is captured through trackers and connected devices
- uGrow reassures: Based on the unique data of the baby parents receive meaningful insights and relevant content matching the age and context of their child.
- uGrow celebrates: Memorable moments can be captured through photos and milestone stickers which are saved on a central timeline.
- uGrow remembers: To identify feeding and sleeping patterns and correlations parents can consult graphs and spot possible problem areas or share these with their pediatrician or midwife.
- uGrow is built onto the Philips Health Suite Digital Platform (HSDP) providing absolutely secure and medically certified data storage for all baby's data.
How it was developed:
- Design working in a close collaboration with the development team, co-located at least 2-3 days a week
- Design work according to the SAFe method (Scaled AGILE framework). Design actively engage on product ownership, supporting prioritization and working in sprints.
- Design initiated the concept of super sprint to address market and user feedback
- Continual testing: usability testing, home placement tests, iterative feedback loops. Closed BETA to open BETA launch structure.
- Design own UX runway, prototyping key features to support value stream.
This makes the design innovative and unique:
- uGrow is Human: Babies are much more than a set of data points. We track & visualize and provide insights on your baby in a way that is relevant & easy to understand.
- uGrow is Relevant: Content is offered and triggered related to parent / baby behaviors as well as age and stage of development. We keep it simple and contextually relevant, avoiding that parents get lost in complex and deep screen structures.
- uGrow is Meaningful: We know that parents love to collect milestones, but that its tricky to organize. uGrow automatically captures key milestones and the UX supports parents to capture their own with photos and stickers, with a unique timeline that automatically generates a memory.
© 2012 - 2021 Interaction Design Association


text:
Vermont Land and PropertyEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
Land records are primarily used to learn where a person lived and when he or she lived there. They often reveal other family information as well, such as the name of a spouse, an heir, other relatives, or neighbors. You may learn a person's previous residences, his occupation, if he had served in the military, if he was a naturalized citizen, and other clues for further research.
1600s - Vermont was part of Massachusetts.
1749 - New Hampshire claimed a large portion of the area and granted land for 129 towns in Vermont.
1764 - New York claimed jurisdiction over a large portion of the land held by New Hampshire.
1777 - Vermont became independent, and claimed the land was under its jurisdiction. The towns remained the same, and the town records contain the land deeds without regard to the political jurisdiction of the time.
Land disputes before 1777 mean that land transactions for those early years could be located in New Hampshire, New York or Vermont:
- New York
Information about New York land transactions in Vermont can be found in:
- Vermont. Secretary of State, New York Land Patents, _PHONE_ Covering Land and Included in the State of Vermont (Not Including Military Patents), (Montpelier, Vermont : Secretary of State, 1947)FHL book 974.3 B4s v. 7
- - O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey, comp. Calendar of New York Colonial Manuscripts, Indorsed Land Papers in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643–1803. 1864. FHL book 974.7 R2n. This indexes the Land Grant Application Files, 1642–1803, commonly referred to as the New York Colonial Manuscripts, Endorsed Land Papers, in 63 volumes at the State Archives. The records pertain to New York and Vermont.
- New York
After 1777, land records are in the town clerk's office. Most records have been microfilmed and are available in central repositories such as the Vermont Historical Society and the Family History Library.
Vermont's first landholders were called proprietors. There are many proprietors' records in the town records of each town. Most of these records are available at the Vermont Public Records Division, General Services Center. Vermont is a state-land state. After the Revolutionary War, the land was controlled and dispersed by the state government.
Some records of early land transactions are:
- 1763 to 1803 Holbrook, Jay Mack. Vermont's First Settlers. Oxford, Massachusetts: Holbrook Research Institute, 1976. FHL book 974.3 R2h. This source is an alphabetized list of persons who received land grants in Vermont from 1763 to 1803. Each listing identifies the time and location of the property and the page number of the source in volume 2 of the State Papers of Vermont. See Vermont Public Records.
- 1749 to 1803 Holbrook, Jay Mack. Vermont Land Grantees 1749–1803. Oxford, Massachusetts: Holbrook Research Institute, 1986. FHL fiche _PHONE_. This does not circulate to Family History Centers. This source contains a listing of the first 15,000 land grants by New Hampshire, 58 percent of which are in present-day Vermont. The remainder of the land became Vermont land charters. New York did not recognize the legality of the New Hampshire land grants, and New York issued its own land patents for much of the Vermont territory. This book lists the land grant townships with maps of the localities. It includes an alphabetical list of those persons who received the grants and shows the name, year, and source of the information.
- Sequestration, Confiscation, and Sale of Estates. State Papers of Vermont, v.6. Montpelier, Vermont: Secretary of State, 1941. FHL book 973.6 B4s v.6; film _PHONE_, item 4. This source includes an index. During the Revolutionary War, many residents would not sign an Oath of Allegiance to the rebel government. Their lands and property were confiscated, and by 1778 many fled to Canada. In 1783, after the war, many returned to Vermont, decided to sign the Oath of Allegiance, and petitioned to have their property returned. This 465-page source lists their names, claims, and value.
- 1688 to 1786 Vermont. Secretary of State. New York Land Patents 1688–1786: Covering Land Included in the State of Vermont, (Not Including Military Patents). State Papers of Vermont, v.7. Montpelier, Vermont: Secretary of State, 1947. FHL book 974.3 B4s v.7. New York and New Hampshire both claimed disputed land now in Vermont. This volume shows names and dates and includes an index.
- 1778 to 1881 Vermont. Secretary of State. Petitions for Grants of Land 1778–1881. State Papers of Vermont, v.5. Montpelier, Vermont: Secretary of State, 1939. FHL book 974.3 B4s v.5. This source includes an index. Each petition describes the property, location, and the reason for the petition.
Before 1780 jurisdiction over land records was with the county. During the 1780s the town clerks were given jurisdiction over land records and have that jurisdiction today. You should consult records of the town clerks to find deeds.
Deed books in Vermont often included information about births, marriages, and deaths until about 1850.
Vermont, Land Records, Early to 1900 have digitized records for many towns. This is not a name index. You need to look at the town index first to find your ancestor's name with the volume and page number for his entry, then look in the appropriate digitized deed book. For additional information, see Vermont Land Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).
Deeds and other land records for most Vermont towns are on film and can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place Search under:
VERMONT, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- LAND AND PROPERTY
VERMONT, [COUNTY]- LAND AND PROPERTY
VERMONTLAND AND PROPERTY
- My Vermont Genealogy explains Vermont land records and how to find them.
- State Papers of Vermont and Miscellaneous Archives Publications lists with a descriptive title the various volumes of the State Papers of Vermont.
- ↑ O'Callaghan, Edmund Bailey, comp. Calendar of New York Colonial Manuscripts, Indorsed Land Papers in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643–1803. 1864. Revised reprint, Harrison, New York: Harbor Hill Books, 1987
A wiki article describing this collection is found at:
- Vermont Land Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- Vermont Town Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
New to the Research Wiki?
In the FamilySearch Research Wiki, you can learn how to do genealogical research or share your knowledge with others.Learn More


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Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently associated with cancer. This study aimed to assess patients with acute PE and identify diagnostic predictors of new cancer after 1 year of follow-up. Methods: One hundred and twenty-one patients with PE were enrolled consecutively from the emergency department of a single medical center in Taiwan. Data from computed tomography angiography, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram and for baseline comorbidities, clinical presentation, and laboratory parameters were recorded. The surviving discharged patients without a cancer diagnosis were followed-up for 1 year, and new malignancies were recorded. Results: Of 121 patients with acute PE, 44 (36%) had an underlying cancer history (cancer group), and 77 (64%) did not (noncancer group). Baseline demographic characteristics, comorbidities, clinical symptoms, biochemical parameters, echocardiogram data, and electrocardiogram data of the two groups were similar except for a higher hospital mortality rate (56.8% vs 9.1%; p < 0.001), lower body mass index (22.6 ± 4.1 vs 25.5 ± 4.9; p =0.02), higher systolic blood pressure (139.7 ± 33.7 vs 125.4 ± 24.1; p = 0.02), lower low-density lipoprotein level (67.4 ± 38.3 vs 90.4 ± 33.8; p = 0.04), lower creatinine kinase (CK; 43.0 ± 43.0 vs 83.5 ± 83.1; p = 0.01), higher myocardial band (MB) form of CK ratio (0.2 ± 0.2 vs 0.1 ± 0.1; p < 0.01), higher partial pressure of arterial oxygen (122.81 ± 81.2 vs 90.2 ± 59.4; p = 0.03), and less presentation of chest pain (15.9% vs 40.3%; p = 0.01) in the cancer group. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that the 30-day survival rate was higher in the noncancer group than in the cancer group (log-rank p = 0.04). After 1 year of follow-up, 6 of 59 (10.17%) initial non-cancer-related PE survivors were diagnosed with malignancies. After multivariate analysis, only the initial CK-MB level was associated with a diagnosis of new cancer (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.029-1.811; p = 0.03). Conclusion: This study suggests that the CK-MB level is associated with future malignancy in patients with PE. Patients with cancer-related PE had a worse 30-day survival rate.
ASJC Scopus subject areas


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Collections: History Archives & Library
The History Archives of the Staten Island Museum is an important resource for all individuals interested in Staten Island history.
Journalists, students, land planners, home owners, genealogists, environmentalists, archeologists, naturalists, and many others use this vast collection for their research efforts.
A reference library with over 15,000 volumes can be consulted, as can more than 175 Special Collections that focus on history, science, nature, and art relative to Staten Island. Some of the most important collections utilized include: Staten Island Ferries and Railroads, Churches and Cemeteries, Architectural Survey Collection, Genealogies: Staten Island Families, 1597-Present, Newspaper Collections: 1834-Present, Biographies of Staten Islanders, _PHONE_, the William T. Davis Collection, and the George W. Curtis Collection. Maps and atlases, wills and deeds, census records, family bibles, cemetery and church records, city and county directories, military muster rolls and enlistment records, and numerous other documents, papers, and records are available to aid researchers.
The Archives also holds more than 60,000 images including photographs, negatives, carte de visite, daguerreotypes, tintypes, stereoviews, and other formats. The Archives of the Staten Island Museum is a rich repository for all researchers. This excellent resource is available by appointment at our new location: History Center and Archives, Building H, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, New York.
For more information or to make an appointment please e-mail or call _PHONE_.
We invite you to explore the links below to learn more:
From ferries to architecture, to portraits and beachfront promenades, the History Archives has over 60,000 images available for reproduction.Learn More >>
The Archives contain thousands of books covering five centuries. More than 16,000 books focusing on history, art, and nature are housed within the library.Learn More >>
More than 175 Special Collections that focus on history, science, nature, and art relative to Staten Island.Learn More >>


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Cleveland Metroparks is committed to maintaining the health and diversity of the natural resources within the Park District by:
- Appropriately managing native plant and wildlife populations to promote balanced and naturally functioning ecosystems
- Identifying, protecting, and managing endangered species and habitats within the Park District
- Substantially improving water quality within the Park District through monitoring and advocacy of appropriate improvement measures
- Promoting fisheries in appropriate bodies of water within the Park District
Protecting the Resources
Healthy, functioning ecosystems provide services for a healthy, functioning human society. While this statement is clear from the perspective of ecology, it is not always apparent in human-dominated landscapes where issues related to the day-to-day repair and maintenance of our built infrastructure (e.g. water, wastewater, transportation, energy) appear separated from natural ecosystem processes.
Naturally functioning and sustainable ecosystems provide services that support human activities in the region. For example, forests, wetlands, and natural lakes slow storm water runoff and reduce flooding while also providing habitat for native plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish.
Replacing natural infrastructure with human engineered infrastructure requires a large initial development investment and perpetual repair and replacement costs from human society. Protecting, conserving, and restoring natural ecosystem structure and function represent a cost-effective way to maintain and improve the benefits humans derive from the ecosystems they inhabit.
Cleveland Metroparks provides leadership in protecting existing and also additional open space throughout Northeast Ohio with special attention to areas adjacent to existing reservations. Through partnership, cooperative efforts, and the support of other agencies, the Park District aggressively pursues the protection of the remaining major river valleys within the seven counties of the Northeast Ohio region. To this end, the Natural Resource Division assists with the evaluation of tracts of land that are candidates for protection through acquisition, easement, or other means.
The mission of the Natural Resources Division is guided by Cleveland Metroparks primary responsibility for the conservation of natural resources:
The Board of Park Commissioners may acquire lands either within or without the Park District for conversion into forest reserves and for the conservation of the natural resources of the state, including streams, lakes, submerged lands, and swamplands, and to those ends may create parks, parkways, forest reservations, and other reservations and afforest, develop, improve, protect, and promote the use of the same in such a manner as the board deems conducive to the general welfare.
John Mack, Chief of Natural Resources
Jennifer Grieser, Senior Natural Resource Area Manager Urban Watersheds
Robert Golias, Natural Resource Area Manager Central
John Krock, Natural Resource Area Manager West
Ed Kuilder, Natural Resource Area Manager South
Erik Shaffer, Natural Resource Area Manager East
Jennifer Hillmer, Invasive Plant Coordinator
Terry Robison, Manager of Field Research
Mike Durkalec, Aquatic Biologist
Claire Weldon, Aquatic Research Coordinator
Constance Hausman, Plant and Restoration Ecologist
John Reinier, Wetland Ecologist


Coronavirus: information and updates
Asking staff for help on public transport
When travelling on public transport, sometimes things can go wrong, so it's important that you can ask staff for help and complain if there is a problem.
It can help to know your rights and plan your journey. This can make you feel more confident about what to do if things go wrong.
Book in advance if you need assistance. If you let transport companies know what equipment or help you need to travel, like a ramp, you can give them time to prepare.
Ways to plan and get assistance
Warning Coronavirus and face masks on public transport
Public transport providers may require passengers to wear non-medical face masks to protect others. But there are exemptions if you cannot wear a mask. These include if:
 - you cannot put on, wear or remove a mask because you are disabled, have a medical condition or mental health condition
 - your condition means that putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause you severe distress
 - you are travelling with or assisting someone who relies on lip-reading to communicate
If you need to eat, drink or take medication, you can remove your face mask to do this.
People who do not have to wear a face mask (GOV.UK)
You do not need to prove you cannot wear a mask. If you're worried about what other people might say or do, you can use 'exemption cards' to explain that you or your child cannot wear a mask. You can have it on your phone or print it.
Exemption cards and badges (GOV.UK)
You could also try getting a sunflower lanyard. This tells others that you have an invisible condition or impairment. You can get them free at supermarkets, including Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Argos, Tesco and Morrisons.
Sunflower lanyard (Hidden Disabilities)
Your right to travel on public transport
By law, you have the right to the same level of service as every other passenger using public transport. In practice, this means that the service may be different.
For example, you can get help to get on or off a train but only if the station has staff and there's space on the train. Booking assistance in advance could also mean that you're more likely to get the things that you need.
All transport providers have a duty to provide an accessible service. There are different standards for trains, taxis, buses and planes.
Your legal rights to accessible transport (GOV.UK)
What you can expect
Some staff may not understand how they can support you. Disability awareness training can help. For example, Transport for London (TfL) works with disabled people to train staff on how to support disabled customers.
Asking for help
Be clear about what you need. If you're asking for help on the day or booking assistance in advance, you should:
 - explain what support you need as staff may not know
 - make sure your request is polite but firm: you're trying to work out a solution together
It can help to build relationships with staff at stations or on routes you regularly travel. Thank the staff if they have helped you. Knowing you have good relationships with staff can make you feel more confident.
Challenging staff when you have a problem
Challenge staff if you have a problem or do not get the help you need. Explain in detail what went wrong, stay calm and stick to the facts.
Dealing with stress on public transport
If you cannot resolve the problem, ask to speak to a senior member of staff or someone in customer service. Be firm if you need to be.
Staff may offer you a compromise that is unlawful, such as asking you to fold your mobility scooter before you board the train and offering no help. If this happens, it's up to you to decide whether to travel or not.
If you're in the middle of a journey
Talk to a member of staff as soon as you can. The sooner you do this, the more likely they can put things right. For example, if your booked assistance did not arrive and you're stuck on a train, the train may be able to stop at the next station and provide a taxi.
What to do when something goes wrong on your journey
If staff mistreat you
Most staff should be helpful, but they might:
 - question your right to a Disabled Person's Railcard or bus pass
 - drive off without stopping to let you get on
 - dismiss your request for help or equipment
 - allow others to mistreat you, such as when the driver does not help you if a passenger refuses to fold a pushchair to make way for your wheelchair
If they do, you can make a complaint.
Making a complaint
Reporting issues to the transport operator will help them to make their service better.
You can complain if your journey goes wrong and the transport company should investigate it. You may be entitled to compensation if there is a delay to your journey or something goes wrong.
If you're comfortable using social media, making a public complaint on Twitter or Facebook can also help.
Complaining about public transport
Last reviewed by Scope on: 19/07/2021
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More on dealing with travel problems


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John Taylor's can trace its origins back to the middle of the 14th century. Indeed, while we were visiting, we saw a bell that had been cast in 1352 that had been returned for repair. Aside from the Latin inscription, it looked like other bells that were manufactured in the last 40 years, such is the longevity of the material and suitability to its use.
Taylor's is the largest bell foundry in the world. They cast the largest bell in Britain - Great Paul, the 17 tonne monster that hangs in St. Pauls. But most impressively, they provided the bells that AC/DC used on the Hell's Bells tour.
After an hour or two wandering around the workshop that tuned and repaired the bells, made the wooden wheels and twisted the ropes, the main event of the day was to see a bell casting. It is quite an event and there was an air of tension as we made our way into the foundry itself. It may have been an air of horse shit, as I understand that too plays a part in the traditional methods used.
After some testing of temperatures, the roaring furnace was turned off and several tonnes of molten bell metal poured into a crucible. From there, it was transferred by motorised hoist before being tipped into the casts that were buried in the sand floor.


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Image: Ancient Egyptian statuette
A statuette of Anubis, jackal-headed god of the dead in the form of a mummy. It is a historical replica and is made from wood and painted plaster. It is made in the style of ancient Egypt and probably related to the XIX dynasty from the New Kingdom (_PHONE_ BCE).
- © Australian Museum


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Name : Mrs. M. Rani Kanchana Interview Date: 07.04.10
Qualification : MSc Micro-biology Board: Mr. P.K. Mishra
Hobbies : Voluntary in caner awareness,
helping husband in agriculture, reading books,
Option : 1. Geography
2. Tamil Lit.
1. What is the diff between elocution and debate.
2. Do you agree Indian democracy is off the people far the people and buy the people.
3. What is the diff between applied microbiology and medical microbiology? What do u do in both.
4. What is the diff between disease and illness?
PLEASE VISIT FOR REMAINING TARGET IAS


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Models can roughly be placed into two categories
Structural models capture the static features of a system by describing how these features are related to each other.
The most common form of structural models are UML Class diagrams, which is the primary model supported by TRIMM
Examples of the structural models
Domain models capture the data/information of your domain.
Domain Models are perfect candidates for being used in a Model Driven Development (MDD) approach to software development.
Domain models typically end up in some kind of datastore, e.g. a relational database, which is used to store the information of the given system/application. MDD can automate the translation proces of going from the Domain model (e.g. in the form of a UML class diagram as shown in the example below) to the final database design. The result of code generating from a Domain model could be the database schema (DDL script) and code necessary for working with the data in the database (Hibernate, JPA, PL/SQL, JDBC, etc.).
Example domain model from Veterinary Booking application
Integration models captures the interfaces and data that can be exchanged in e.g. a WebService/SOA integration scenario.
Integration models are perfect candidates for being used in a Model Driven Development (MDD) approach to software development.
Integration models typically end up as WebService contracts such as WSDL documents and XML Schemas. MDD can automate the translation proces of going from the Integration model (e.g. in the form of a UML class diagram as shown in the example below) to the WSDL documents and XML Schemas.
Example WebService integration model from a CustomerService application
Behavioral models describe the dynamic features of the system, by representing the interactions among the features described in the structural models.
Examples of Behavioral models:


The Trump Administration's First Foray into Federal Executions
Written by Anna Goodell
At 8:07 a.m. on July 14, 2020, the federal government executed Daniel Lewis Lee. His was the first federal execution since 2003. Lee was convicted twenty years ago of murdering a family of three by wrapping bags over their heads, tying rocks around their bodies and throwing them into a body of water. Lee and his co-defendant were both white supremacists, though Lee had since denounced those beliefs. His co-defendant, widely considered the more culpable of the two, was sentenced to life in prison. For many years, family members of Lee's victims sought the same life sentence for him and strongly opposed his execution.
As with most death penalty cases, courts were still working through challenges to Lee's death sentence in the early morning hours leading up to his death. But unlike most, some of those challenges remained unresolved, still pending in federal courts even after Lee's execution.
Resumption of Federal Executions
 Attorney General William Barr ordered the resumption of federal executions in a July 2019 Addendum to the Federal Bureau of Prison's Federal Execution Protocol, ending a seventeen-year informal moratorium on executions. While Barr did not provide a specific reason for doing so, both he and President Trump have long supported the death penalty. In a 1991 op-ed written while he served as Acting Attorney General, Barr stated, "We need a death penalty to deter and punish the most heinous federal crimes such as terrorist killings." Around the same time, Trump placed a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for the wrongly-convicted Central Park Five to be sentenced to death. Both continue to voice their support for the policy today.
In addition to resuming executions, the July 2019 Addendum announced a new method of execution. The DOJ stated its intention to use a single drug, pentobarbital sodium, replacing the lethal injection drug-cocktail that has come under fire after several botched state executions.
Death Row Inmates Challenge Their Executions
A series of challenges, focused primarily on the DOJ's use of pentobarbital, made their way through the federal courts during the weeks leading up to Lee's execution. Lee and three other death row inmates scheduled to be executed this summer challenged the use of pentobarbital as violating various federal statutes and constitutional provisions, including the Federal Death Penalty Act (FDPA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and the Eighth Amendment.
The four death row inmates sought preliminary injunctions for their executions, recognizing that without the extra time an injunction would afford them, they would be killed before the litigation was resolved. A preliminary injunction is an "extraordinary remedy" that requires assessment of four factors: (1) the likelihood of the plaintiff's success on the merits, (2) the threat of irreparable harm to the plaintiff absent an injunction, (3) the balance of equities, and (4) the public interest.
Last November, Judge Tanya Chutkan of the D.C. District Court granted an injunction based on the likelihood of success of the inmates' FDPA claim. The FDPA requires the federal government to carry out executions in the manner prescribed by the state of the inmate's conviction. Judge Chutkan held that the inmates were likely to succeed on the merits based on their argument that the 2019 Protocol exceeds statutory authority by establishing a single procedure for all federal executions rather than using the FDPA's state-specific approach. Judge Chutkan declined to rule on their remaining claims. The DOJ appealed, and in late June, the Supreme Court declined to review the D.C. Circuit Court's reversal of the injunction. The rest of the inmates' claims, however, remained.
Eighth Amendment Challenge
The day Lee was scheduled to be executed, the D.C. District Court ruled on the inmates' Eighth Amendment challenge. On Monday, July 13, Judge Chutkan held that the science before the court "overwhelmingly" demonstrated that the DOJ's use of pentobarbital most likely violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. She explained that evidence showed that the drug posed a serious risk of causing individuals to experience "an excruciating sensation akin to drowning as their airways fill with foam." She also found that the inmateshad identified "two available and readily implementable alternative methods of execution that would significantly reduce the risk of serious pain: a pre-dose of opioid pain or anti-anxiety medication, or execution by firing squad." Accordingly, Judge Chutkan found that Lee and his co-plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their Eighth Amendment claim, and consequently issued another preliminary injunction.
After Judge Chutkan's ruling, the DOJ halted Lee's execution, which was scheduled for 4 p.m. that day. Hours later, the D.C. Circuit Court unanimously upheld the district court's injunction. Instead of pursuing traditional appellate review of the decision, the DOJ asked the Supreme Court for an emergency order, a highly unusual move that would clear the way for Lee's execution without further review. The Supreme Court granted the emergency order, and at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14, issued a 5-4 decision reversing the injunction.
Lee's Execution
The DOJ acted quickly. By 4 a.m., they had called media and witnesses to the execution site in Terre Haute, Indiana, with plans to execute Lee immediately. The DOJ then became aware of an outstanding court order from a federal court in Arkansas that prohibited Lee's execution. The order involved a stay that had since been vacated, but the mandate to issue the vacation of the stay did not go into effect until July 16, 2020. The DOJ filed yet another emergency request to lift the order. The Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted the request at 6:36 a.m. C.S.T., and the federal government executed Lee less than forty minutes later. He had been strapped to the gurney with IVs in his arms for the four hours preceding his death. His counsel was not notified, and media reports suggest that he did not die instantly.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Challenge
But while the Eighth Amendment challenge had made its way up through the courts, however untraditionally, Lee's other challenges remained pending even after he was killed. Within twenty-four hours of Lee's execution, Judge Chutkan issued another preliminary injunction, finding that Lee and his three co-plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the use of pentobarbital violated the FDCA.
The FDCA requires a valid prescription, issued for a legitimate medical purpose, in dispensing any controlled substance to an "ultimate user." Lee and his fellow inmates argued that the amended 2019 Protocol does not require the DOJ to obtain a valid written prescription for the drug it would use to execute them, thereby violating the FDCA. Acknowledging that the Office of Legal Counsel has previously stated that the FDCA does not apply to lethal injection drugs, Judge Chutkan explained that D.C. Circuit case law has held the opposite view. She stated further, "Where the government argues that a lethal injection drug is legally and constitutionally permissible because it will ensure a 'humane' death, it cannot then disclaim a responsibility to comply with federal statutes that exist in order to ensure that the drugs operate humanely." "[A]bsent a preliminary injunction," Judge Chutkan said, "plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm." Regrettably, by the time she issued the injunction, one plaintiff already had.
Emergency Requests for Relief
The D.C. Circuit unanimously upheld Judge Chutkan's injunction before the Supreme Court reversed, granting the DOJ's request for more "emergency" relief, in the form of another stay of the lower court's decision. One is left wondering how these "emergency" procedural devices have become commonplace. The emergency stays that enabled Lee's execution in this case are generally unsigned and provide no substantive analysis, but still effectively allow the government to implement controversial policies that have been struck down by lower courts. The intended purpose of these last-minute stays is to preserve the status quo only while appeals work their way through the courts. Historically, the government has sought them infrequently. In the sixteen years under Presidents Bush and Obama, the government sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court only eight times. In the first three years of the Trump Administration, the DOJ has sought the same relief over thirty times.
Whether or not Lee would have ultimately prevailed on any of his remaining claims, the DOJ's handling of his execution should serve as a warning for advocates of future defendants under the Trump Administration. Capital punishment politics aside, the public has an interest in affording defendants the judicial review they are due. As Judge Chutkan put it, "The public interest is not served by executing individuals before they have had the opportunity to avail themselves of the legal process to challenge the legality of their executions." Justice Sotomayor agreed in her 2 a.m. dissent, accusing the majority of "hastily" putting an end to Lee's challenges, resulting in "no meaningful judicial review of the grave, fact-heavy challenges" he brought before the court.
Barr v. Lee, No. 20A8, 2020 WL _PHONE_, at *3 (U.S. July 14, 2020) (Sotomayor, J., dissenting).
Cate Stetson & Ruth Friedman, The Justice Department's Shameful Rush to Federal Executions, N.Y. Times (July 17, 2020).
Federal Government to Resume Capital Punishment After Nearly Two Decade Lapse, Dep't