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Questions About Criminal and Civil Cases
How is civil litigation handled in Georgia?
Magistrate Courts in Georgia handle civil litigation up to $12,000.00. You can file civil claims for a multitude of reasons including car accidents and personal injuries, tenant disputes and more.
How do I protect my rights?
As American citizens, we enjoy certain constitutional rights, which are not to be violated. When you were arrested, you should have been read your Miranda rights. You can inquire into why you were arrested and you do not have to answer questions regarding the accusations against you. You have the right to have an attorney when being questioned.
I have been charged with a crime, what should I do now?
Remember Georgia punishes conviction for criminal acts harshly with jail, probation, with large fines and surcharges. Many victim crimes require the payment of restitution.
Most of Georgia's traffic laws result in the suspension of your driver's license, restitution to victims, large fines and court fees, incarceration in a jail. It takes experience with these types of crimes to navigate through the criminal justice system.
What are some different types of criminal charges you represent?
 - Theft Crimes. These types of crimes involve taking or receiving another's property illegally. This may be through a direct taking, a deceptive act or converting someone else's property. Many thefts include some type of scheme. Understanding how the State puts these cases together goes a long way in properly defending this type of criminal charge.
 - Shoplifting. In Georgia, based on the amount of the items stolen, shoplifting can be prosecuted as a felony or a misdemeanor. The State has the burden to prove the amount of the items as well as the manner in which the item was taken. Shoplifting is also charged when an individual fraudulently refunds merchandise or changes pricing on items.
 - Assault. Assault occurs when your action places someone else in immediate fear of injury or death, the crime of assault is charged. This offense does not require actual physical contact or harm in order to be prosecuted. If the assault involves an intention to rape, rob or murder, the penalties you face will be substantially increased. Because actions sometimes speak louder than words, you need an experienced attorney to defend these crimes.
 - Battery. Battery is when you actually make physical contact with another person resulting in substantial physical harm. In Georgia a battery against a spouse or other family member can be charged as Family Violence Batter. The types of cases carry heavy fines, counseling and sometimes jail sentence. In addition, FVA can affect your ability to be hired in certain jobs as well as affect your ability to own a firearm in Georgia.
 - Drug crimes. Georgia drug offenses include illegal possession, possession with intent to sell, distribution, manufacturing, trafficking, cultivation or driving under the influence of drugs. These crimes can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies, depending on various factors such as the type and amount of drugs involved and other circumstances. Because of the far reaching consequences of drug crimes it is essential you be represented by an experienced attorney.
You should always contact an attorney whenever you or a family member is faced with criminal charges.
Questions About Divorce and Child Custody
I want a legal separation? What should I do?
Legal separation is not something that you can file for. It is something that you do. If you are not engaging in a marital relationship, then you are legally separated, even if you are still living together.
I want a divorce. What should I do first?
If you want a divorce, you need to file for divorce in the county where the other party lives. There is an exception where a spouse leaves the county where the parties resided together during marriage and the divorce is filed within six months of separation.
How long should I expect the divorce to take?
Most cases take three to four months. If the case is settled, it can be finished within 31 day; however, some cases may take several months.
Can I date while my divorce case is being settled?
No. You are married until the divorce is granted and if you date prior to that, it can change custody issues, child support and monetary issues in the divorce. It will make the divorce more complicated, drawing it out and costing you more.
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process by which a trained mediator helps the parties work out a mutually acceptable solution to their disagreement. Both parties and their attorneys meet with a mediator to help resolve some, if not all of the issues in their case. The process begins with both parties being open to reaching a resolution that they control instead of a judge or a jury. A mediator does not make decisions; they serve as a neutral person in the case. A mediator is the go between the two parties to help facilitate a settlement and help the parties to reach a resolution. If child custody is involved, mediation is mandatory.
What is child support?
Child support is a regular, ongoing payment a parent is asked to pay by family court to the party that has custody of the child. In many cases, this is based on the result of divorce, but not in every case. If neither parent has custody of the child, the third party with custody may request support from the parents
What is sole physical custody?
Sole physical custody is when the child lives with one parent and the other parent keeps court approved visitation rights.
What is joint physical custody?
Joint physical custody is when both parents maintain a significant amount of continual contact with the child.
What is sole legal custody?
Sole legal custody is when one parent has the right to make all decisions regarding the child. The other parent obtains visitation rights.
What is joint legal custody?
Joint Legal Custody is when both parents have the right to make decisions regarding the child; however, the parents must work together regularly for the best interest of the child
What is legitimation?
Legitimation is a process that allows a biological father to seek a legal relationship with an illegitimate child. Recently, Georgia passed a law that allows legitimation to be filed with a paternity action. Through the combination of these actions a father can establish both his biological and legal connection to a child.
What is voluntary legitimation?
Voluntary legitimation is when both parents consent and acknowledge the legal relationship between father and child.
What is contested legitimation?
Contest legitimation is when one party does not agree, and cases will have to be made before the court.
FAQ's Related to Immigration
I have a criminal record. Can I still obtain citizenship?
If you have a criminal record, you can still obtain citizenship. You will need to work with an immigration attorney who can help you clear your criminal history.
Is there anything I can do to help my family members immigrate?
Yes, you can help your family immigrate to the United States. Reuniting family is of the highest immigration priority to the U.S Government; therefore, the law provides special considerations available for this type of situation. U.S citizens and permanent residents may file petitions for their parents, siblings, spouse and children to receive permanent residency?
If I am a permanent resident or United States citizen, can I apply for my family members to receive permanent residency?
What steps can I take to be ready for immigration proceedings?
 - Important identity documents -With any application for immigration benefits, you are required to present nationality documents. Locate your consulate to make sure that you have a valid passport or identity document.
 - Physical Presence Proof - Start gathering proof that you have been living in the United States for as many years as you can find. Items like bills, pay stubs, tax returns, school records etc will be useful.
 - Start saving money - There will be a fee associated with the filing, and the possibility of a penalty for your illegal presence. It is always wise to consider hiring a licensed attorney who is familiar with the laws and regulations to help you file your case.
 - Criminal Convictions - If you have any arrests, you will need to show proof of the case disposition to determine whether you are eligible. USCIS can find out if you have been arrested, so make sure you disclose any and all arrests!
 - Documents from family members - If you have any family members who have lawful status in the US (permanent residents, citizens, DACA), make copies of their documents.
What is Deportation Defense?
Deportation Defense is an area of Immigration Law that concentrates on defending a person from being deported from the United States.
What is crimigation?
As an example, if you were charged in 2000, an attorney can go back and get that case reopened for a post-conviction release.
Me and members of the community want to learn more about the new immigration laws. Can you help?
Yes. Upon request, the attorneys at Gillsville Law will conduct community information sessions. We can come to your church, community center or other location to discuss the laws and recent changes.
I was just arrested for DUI what should I do now?
You need to act fast. Based on what you agreed to do at the time of arrest, you may be facing a license suspension before you ever go to court. Understand that in Georgia you only have 10 days to request a hearing if you did not take a test or your results are greater than.08. If you are under 21, you can be suspended for an.02 test result.


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Siberian farmers may stop plowing the land
Russian scientists proposed replacing traditional methods of cultivating crops with two resource-saving methods: minimal and zero tillage. Such methods help to obtain a high yield with maximum profitability and to reduce the negative impact on the environment.
The research team at the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center and the Kemerovo State University have found that crops grown on untreated soil in a forest-steppe zone of southern Siberia are not inferior in yield to cultivated plowing. The introduction of minimal tillage and direct sowing reduces costs by almost 50%.
Resource-saving technologies reduce soil erosion due to plant residues on the surface, reduce the energy intensity of agricultural production, increase labor productivity and economic efficiency of growing crops.
Drones will save crop from vole mice
Engineers at the Institute of Control Sciences RAS proposed using drones to fight field mice. UAVs can remotely find vole colonies and deliver targeted anti-rodent chemicals.
Researchers carried out aerial photography of a field in the Voronezh region of Russia to determine rodent populated areas. Based on the obtained data, engineers have developed optimal drone routes. After receiving the flight task, the drone delivered up to six liters of chemicals to the affected areas. In 20 minutes one UAV is able to process 60 colonies of pests.
By using this method of pest control farmers will be able to destroy rodent colonies without harming crops with wheeled or tracked vehicles. This will increase the effectiveness of anti-pestsmeasures and provide greater environmental safety.
Artificial skin from agricultural waste
Bacterial nanocellulose has a number of advantages over its plant analogue, regular cellulose. Its fibers are longer, wider and stronger. Such pulp has practically no impurities that would impair its strength and absorbing properties.
Russian scientists developed a new method of obtaining a nutrient medium for the synthesis of bacterial nanocellulose. As a source of raw materials, they used oat husks and miscanthus biomass. Researchers used chemical accelerating enzymes to turn raw materials into sugar solutions to produce nanocelluloses.
Bacterial nanocellulose could be instrumental in creating of artificial skin: it plays an active role in stimulating regenerative processes, helping to heal wounds. Due to the large surface area and porous structure, nanocellulose is able to absorb a significant amount of various substances that can be used in medicine to create bandages. The high strength of bacterial nanocellulose makes it possible to use it as a material for 3D printing of certain types of human tissue, for example, cartilage.
Elia Kabanov is a science writer, covering past, present, and future of technology (_USER_).

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Step 1a: Outlook 2010 - Click the File Tab, click Open, click Import.
Step 1b: Outlook 2007 - On the File menu, click Import and Export.
Step 2: 2. Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
Step 3: In the list, click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
Step 4: 4. Click the folder that contains the messages you want to back up. If the folder contains a subfolder that you want to include, select the Include Subfolders check box, and then click Next.
Note: if you want to export the entire mailbox, make sure you select "Mailbox – Your Name" for 2007 or Your email address for Outlook 2010 and make sure Include subfolders is selected.
Step 5: Under Save exported file as, click Browse, and then specify a name and location for your backup file, for example, Mail Backup.
If you back up a.pst file that you have backed up to before, click one of the following:
Step 1a: Outlook 2011 - On the File menu, click Export.
Step 2: Select your export options.
Step 3: Select the option "No, do not delete items"
Step 4: 4. Type a name that is suitable for the backup file in the Save As: box, and select a location where you can easily find your exported file.
Step 5: 5. You're all done. Click the Done button to complete the export process.


Quick Answer: What Is The Relationship Between Consumption And Income?
How does consumption story affect economy?
An increase of consumption raises GDP by the same amount, other things equal..
How does unemployment affect purchasing power?
Unemployment. When an economy experiences low unemployment rates, more people are likely to invest in the economy. … Conversely, as unemployment grows, fewer investors are attracted to the market. This creates a weakening in the value of the dollar and reduces the purchasing power of consumers.
What is the relationship between income and consumption according to Keynes?
(a) Absolute Income Theory: According to Keynes, on average, men increase their consumption as their income increases but not by as much as the increase in income. In other words, the average propensity to consume goes down as the absolute level of income goes up.
What are the four theories of consumption?
ADVERTISEMENTS: Since Keynes lays stress on the absolute size of income as a determinant of consumption, his theory of consumption is also known as absolute income theory….Relative Income Theory of Consumption: An American economist J.S. … Life Cycle Theory of Consumption: … Permanent Income Theory of Consumption:
What is an example of consumption?
An example of consumption is when many members of the population go shopping. An example of consumption is eating a snack and some cookies. An example of consumption is when a person consumes 2 bushels vegetables per day. The using up of goods and services by consumer purchasing or in the production of other goods.
How does unemployment affect the economy?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), when workers are unemployed, their families lose wages, and the nation as a whole loses their contribution to the economy in terms of the goods or services that could have been produced. … In this way, unemployment even impacts those who are still employed.
What is the relationship between consumption and unemployment?
Answer and Explanation: Consumption and unemployment are directly related. Consumption level in a given country determines the level of employment in a country.
What are the three types of consumption?
Three Consumption Categories Personal consumption expenditures are officially separated into three categories in the National Income and Product Accounts: durable goods, nondurable goods, and services. Durable goods are the tangible goods purchased by consumers that tend to last for more than a year.
Why consumption is positive when income is zero?
Households consume something even if their income is zero. If a household has accumulated a lot of wealth in the past or if a household expects its future income to be larger, autonomous consumption will be larger. It captures both the past and the future. We assume that the marginal propensity to consume is positive.
Is consumption good for the economy?
Consumer spending makes up more than 70 percent of the economy, and it usually drives growth during economic recoveries." Every quarter, when the government releases its latest GDP figures, we hear the familiar refrain: "What the consumer does is vital for economic growth."
Is consumption a income?
As long as consumption is more than income, saving is negative. But after some period, consumption increases but less than proportionately. When consumption is equal to income, saving is zero.
What is the concept of consumption?
Consumption is defined as the use of goods and services by a household. It is a component in the calculation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). … Also, GDP can be used to compare the productivity levels between different countries. Macroeconomists typically use consumption as a proxy of the overall economy.
Can excess savings lead to unemployment?
Unemployment rises. If the reduced consumption caused by a savings glut is not matched by higher investment or by a consumption glut, total demand drops, resulting in higher unemployment. … Because savings is simply the gap between production and consumption, unemployment causes the savings rate to drop.
What is theory of consumption?
The theory is that if people receive an unanticipated amount of money that increases their disposable income, they will likely spend it and drive up consumption and spending in the economy. Other economists believe that cutting personal income taxes is a better long-term way to drive consumption.


In partnership with the Maine Memory Network Maine Memory Network
Maine Memory Network
Experiences of Jewish Teenagers in Maine
Text by Madeline Kurtz
Images from Colby College Special Collections, Bowdoin College Library, and Maine Historical Society
In many ways, 20th century Jewish teens were exactly the same as the other teens throughout the state: they played sports, socialized regularly, and went to summer camp.
So what made them different? Jewish teens in Maine experienced discrimination in the first half of the 20th century, whether they were being excluded from fraternities on college campuses or being called names on the basketball court.
Nevertheless, Jewish teens established their own organizations that were distinctively Jewish, while still embracing and assimilating into the Maine lifestyle. They founded their own fraternities, attended Jewish summer camps, and experienced great success in athletics.
Beginning in the 1920s and continuing today, Jewish teenagers in Maine have sought both to integrate into Maine's teen culture and to establish their own identity as Jewish teens.
For these teens, their Jewish and Maine identities were equally important in their lives. Thus, the two cultures fused together to create a single identity of which the teens were extremely proud.
Madeline Kurtz of Westport, Connecticut, is a member of the Colby College Class of 2014.


According to the paper introducting Batch Normalization, the actual BN function is given as:
 - Input: Values of $x$ over a mini-batch $\mathcal B = \{x_{1,\ldots,m}\}$; parameters to be learned $\gamma,\beta$.
 - Output: $\{y_i = \mathrm{BN}_{\gamma,\beta}(x_i)\}$.
$\mu_{\mathcal B} \leftarrow \frac1m \sum_{i = 1}^m x_i$
$\sigma^2_{\mathcal B} \leftarrow \frac1m \sum_{i=1}^m (x_i - \mu_{\mathcal B})^2$
$\hat x_i \leftarrow \frac{x_i - \mu_{\mathcal B}}{\sqrt{\sigma_{\mathcal B}^2 + \epsilon}}$
$y_i \leftarrow \gamma \hat x_i + \beta \equiv \mathrm{BN}_{\gamma,\beta}(x_i)$
(Here, $\epsilon$ is some small constant added for numerical stability. The above is an almost exact copy of the box Algorithm 1, in section 3 of the paper linked above.)
Now, $\gamma,\beta$ are learned parameters, as far as I can tell on the level of each mini-batch. In particular, for a fixed mini-batch they can take any value. It seems to me that this makes shifting by the mean and scaling by the standard deviation pointless. The resulting output values are given by $$ y_i = \frac{\gamma}{{\sqrt{\sigma_{\mathcal B}^2 + \epsilon}}}x_i + \beta - \frac{\gamma }{\sqrt{\sigma_{\mathcal B}^2 + \epsilon}}\mu_{\mathcal B}. $$ Hence, if we define $$ \gamma' = \frac{\gamma}{{\sqrt{\sigma_{\mathcal B}^2 + \epsilon}}}, $$ $$ \beta' = \beta - \frac{\gamma }{\sqrt{\sigma_{\mathcal B}^2 + \epsilon}}\mu_{\mathcal B}, $$ we might as just have defined and learned values for $\beta',\gamma'$ and then returned $y_i = \gamma'x_i + \beta'$.
I presume that I misunderstand -- can someone explain where I went wrong?
 - $\begingroup$ I had the same question and found the answer here. TL;DR the explicit mean and variance values are redundant but they make it easier to train. $\endgroup$ – Timmmm Jan 16 '19 at 17:00
I'm by no means an expert on this topic, but here are my thoughts.
I think the main point of batch normalization is that training of each network layer is unaffected by changes in scale of the preceding layers. The author wrote
$$BN(Wu) = BN((aW)u)$$
for any scalar $a$. Thus, also backpropagated error is unaffected as well. So there is no scale explosion, even when learning rate is high.
If you simply apply
$$BN(x) = y_i = \gamma_ix_i + \beta_i, \text{ where } x = Wu$$
the above no longer holds.
Parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ are a must have, because otherwise the normalized outputs $\hat{x_i}$ would be mostly close to $0$, which would hinder the network ability to fully utilize nonlinear transformations (authors give an example of sigmoid function, which is close to identity transformation in $0$ proximity)
Finally, one can argue that the input $y = Wx + b$ to the BN layer, as a combination of many factors, may resemble Gaussian distribution (CLT). So by studentizing it we keep the inputs stable and, hopefully, following standard normal distribution to some degree.
 - $\begingroup$ Unless I misunderstand, while it is true that $\mathrm{BN}(Wu) = \mathrm{BN}((aW)u)$, the function actually depends on two more arguments, which are hidden here. A more explicit equation would be $\mathrm{BN}_{\beta,\gamma}(Wu) = \mathrm{BN}_{\beta,\gamma}((aW)u)$. And that is all nice and true, but if $\beta,\gamma$ themselves may vary depending on which input we are talking about, the equation does not really tell us anything. I presume this is where my misunderstanding arises, but: I do still misunderstand. $\endgroup$ – Mees de Vries Apr 5 '17 at 20:17
 - $\begingroup$ _USER_ Why do you think it doesn't tell us anything, what does it matter that $\beta_i$ and $\gamma_i$ vary for each $i$. $\endgroup$ – Łukasz Grad Apr 5 '17 at 20:35
 - $\begingroup$ _USER_ $\gamma$ and $\beta$ are learned parameters, just like any others in network - weights and biases. You may even throw away bias nodes because $\beta$ acts as bias, and they don't change from batch to batch (maybe this is were you're stuck) you simply update them every batch according to batch gradient $\endgroup$ – Łukasz Grad Apr 5 '17 at 20:42
 - 1
 $\begingroup$ Ah, I see it now. Earlier on the page, $\gamma,\beta$ are introduced with an index (as $\gamma^{(k)}, \beta^{(k)}$, leading me in my haste to erroneously read that the values varied of $\beta,\gamma$ varied with the input; but these are just the coordinates of the (single, trained) vectors $\gamma,\beta$. Thank you! $\endgroup$ – Mees de Vries Apr 6 '17 at 8:41
If someone passes by this question in the future, Ian Goodfellow and Yoshua Bengio and Aaron Courville's Deep Learning, Section 8.7.1 can give a good explanation:
Normalizing the mean and standard deviation of a unit can reduce the expressive power of the neural network containing that unit. To maintain the expressive power of the network, it is common to replace the batch of hidden unit activations $H$ with $\gamma H+\beta$ rather than simply the normalized $H$. The variables $\gamma$ and $\beta$ are learned parameters that allow the new variable to have any mean and standard deviation. At first glance, this may seem useless — why did we set the mean to $0$, and then introduce a parameter that allows it to be set back to any arbitrary value $\beta$?
The answer is that the new parametrization can represent the same family of functions of the input as the old parametrization, but the new parametrization has different learning dynamics. In the old parametrization, the mean of $H$ was determined by a complicated interaction between the parameters in the layers below $H$. In the new parametrization, the mean of $\gamma H+\beta$ is determined solely by $\beta$. The new parametrization is much easier to learn with gradient descent.
 - $\begingroup$ +1 Thank you for adding this clear and concise explanation. I've added a more complete citation and used Mathjax ($\LaTeX$) formatting to improve clarity. More information: math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5020/… $\endgroup$ – Sycorax Jan 2 '20 at 16:15
Correct me if I am wrong... The BN normalization values are calculated for each components to normalize the input to a neuron (i.e. elliptic distribution becomes circular). The resulting distribution may be too wide or too narrow and shifted to "activate" well the activation function. To my understanding, the gamma and beta learnt parameters are constants applied to all components (not gamma and beta values per component) learnt, re-scaling and shifting optimally the more circular distribution before applying the activation function. Thus not equivalent to only learn beta and gamma (which is already learnt by backprop in W and b coef) without prior normalization.
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By Featured Speaker Lily Iatridis
We've all been there. You've prepared a 45-minute presentation, and you're ready to go. Then, before you get up to present, there's a change in schedule, and your host, boss, or whomever suddenly tells you that you only have 20 minutes to deliver your speech!
What do you do?! How do you edit your entire presentation in one minute or less and still make maximum impact?
10 Things to Do if You Have to Shorten Your Speech Drastically on the Spot:
- Take a deep breath. Calm yourself. Pretend that your fine with it.
- Throw out your Powerpoint. As we say in New Jersey, just "fahgeddaboutit!"
- Make a no-frills opening. Introduce yourself, and make your purpose or thesis statement immediately. Drop any interesting lead-ins.
- Focus the content on the one or two points that make the crux of your talk. In other words, what main points are vital to making an effective and relevant call to action? Focus on introducing those. Use one example for each to illustrate and better explain each main point. Forget the longer explanations and illustrative details.
- Include only one really great story.
- Rely more heavily on vocal variety and body language to engage and grab your audience's attention.
- Create a sense of urgency with the tone of your voice. You don't have a lot of time, but what you have to say is important.
- Ask the audience to hold questions until the end of the presentation. For a smaller group, take one question only after each main point is communicated, and ask everyone else to hold theirs.
- Keep your call to action as is.
- Tell the audience how to get in touch with you for more information on your message.
Good luck and remember, your audience won't know that you've just had to butcher your presentation unless you tell them so. If you keep your mind calm and focused on audience connection, they'll think you gave a great speech!
Lily Iatridis of Fearless Delivery, has a proven track record and knows the key elements in effective and engaging presentation. Her expertise is in supporting professionals to get their message expressed clearly to deliver the biggest results in their live and online presentations.
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I am thinking about an invasive species that was introduced into North America just a few (<20) generations ago. Using microsatellite genotypes (105 loci), I have identified almost no significant linkage across the genome. I'm tempted to speculate that this has something to do with rapid population expansion that has caused LD to decay that quickly, but I'm not sure whether this is a reasonable train of thought. Can anybody think of why this might or might not be the case?
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1 Answer 1
up vote 4 down vote accepted
It is certainly possible as yes, rapid population growth will reduce LD. From Slatkin, 1994:
In a rapidly growing population, however, there will be little chance of finding significant nonrandom associations even between completely linked loci if the growth has been sufficiently rapid.
Or Nature Reviews, 2002
Przeworski... showed that population growth tends to decrease the extent of LD, especially for longer periods of growth. By contrast, population subdivision tends to increase the extent of LD, especially when a sample contains individuals from several strongly differentiated subpopulations.
See also box 1:
Rapid population growth decreases LD by reducing genetic drift.
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Gerry Holtham says the form of income tax proposed by the UK Government to is unlikely to be usable
January 16th, 2014
The main weakness of the draft Wales Bill published by the Secretary of State for Wales in December is that much of it is likely to remain a dead letter. The principal tax measure, devolving a share of income tax, requires a referendum. It is unlikely that the current Welsh Government or indeed a majority of Welsh politicians will care to call for and campaign in such a referendum.
There are several reasons. Politicians are currently no more popular in Wales than in other parts of the United Kingdom. There is always a risk that a referendum will be treated as a general plebiscite on the performance of the government rather than a vote on the issue at hand. Moreover, any measure which can be represented as increasing the prospect of tax rises will inevitably incur some opposition. A referendum is therefore far from certain to succeed, with risks to the political careers of those promoting it.
If the costs are evident, the benefits are not. The principal, and correct, argument for significant devolution of taxation is accountability. That is of clear benefit to the electorate but its attraction to the politicians is less obvious. Who would be accountable if he or she could avoid it? The measure has to have other attractions to appeal to the political class. Yet the form of income tax devolution set out in the Bill is most unlikely ever to be used.
It would be going too far to say it is entirely unusable but the Commission I chaired analysed the case carefully before concluding that the single rate form of tax devolution was unsuitable for Wales. The Silk commission concurred. The Welsh border is too open for it to be safe to raise higher tax rates – revenue would be more likely to fall over time than rise. A cut in all tax rates would, however, be prohibitively expensive in the short to medium term, particularly so in current conditions of budget reductions.
However, in each case where Welsh and Scottish conditions diverge and a reasoned case was made for doing something different in Wales, the recommendation has been rejected. Wales can have what Scotland has and nothing else, like the youngest child of a poor family that gets only hand-me-down clothes, whether appropriate or not in style or size.
In any event, the devolution of income tax involves a risk for Wales, namely the risk that the Welsh tax base will be less buoyant than that of the UK as a whole and therefore less buoyant than that part of the block grant that it replaces. That is a risk that I believe it is fair to ask the Welsh Government to run. It is a necessary concomitant of accountability. However, it is combined with another risk, that when public expenditure begins to grow again in nominal terms the Welsh block grant will grow more slowly than public expenditure in England owing to the operation of the unreformed Barnett formula. The UK Government has given assurances that it will consider that issue when it arises but has given no categorical promise that it will do anything substantive about it and the Bill is mute on the block grant and its interaction with tax devolution.
To summarise, Welsh politicians are being asked to run a politically risky referendum for a power that they cannot use that will make them more accountable but will open them up to justifiable revenue risk while another unjustifiable source of revenue risk is allowed to continue. I suggest that only believers in Father Christmas would expect them to do it.
The incentive that the UK Government offers is the prospect of increased borrowing powers for capital investment after the referendum. The difference is probably between a debt stock of half a billion, agreed in any event, and one of one and a quarter a billion – the sum that would probably be available with income tax, on the basis of the ~Scottish precedent. I may be wrong but I doubt if that is incentive enough.
I have a modest suggestion. The Welsh block grant currently permits a level of public spending per head in Wales that is a little lower but within a few percentage points of what it would get if it were an English region, so there is no justification for a continuing Barnett squeeze. Poorer English regions that get higher levels of spending than more prosperous regions are not subject to any squeeze towards equal cash spending per head. Why not promise Welsh politicians that if the referendum is held and passed the Barnett formula will get a floor at roughly the point where devolved territories are getting only the level of potential public spending they would get if Wales were regarded as a region of England?
Such a floor would mean allocations per head in Wales would increase at the same percentage rate as the equivalent public spending in England. That promise would eliminate a revenue risk and enable Wales to more easily shoulder the necessary revenue risk that comes with income tax. It would also make a referendum easier to win since the package would include stabilisation of the block grant and an end to the Barnett squeeze. It would not be a mere sop to recalcitrant public opinion, however, because it would also have the advantage of being fair. It would have the further political advantage of causing no problems with the Scots, which cannot be said of wholesale Barnett reform.
The First Minister of Wales has himself argued that he cannot support a referendum until Wales gets "fair funding". He has tended to focus on the fact that Wales currently gets a little less public spending per head than it would if it were an English region (whereas Northern Ireland gets a little more and Scotland a lot more). However, the Welsh discrepancy will be reduced by the current period of austerity since the Barnett squeeze goes into reverse when public spending falls. One can argue indefinitely over needs measures and the point estimate is less significant than the trend. If Wales gets a Barnett floor, in my opinion, that would enormously strengthen the attractions of the referendum.
Of course, the foregoing argument assumes the Bill is serious and the Government actually wants the referendum to occur. If the Bill is just a piece of political theatre or legerdemain to give the impression of meeting Welsh aspirations or concerns but not embodying the intention of doing anything substantial, it may already be adequate for its purpose.
Tags:,,,,,,,
Gerald Holtham chaired the Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales and is an adviser to the Welsh Government. This is the written evidence he presented this week to the Welsh Affairs Committee of the House of Commons on the Draft Wales Bill.
18 Responses to:"Wales offered 'hand me down' fiscal devolution"
 1. Fred says:
 It stinks to high heaven.
 Money, money money!!
 What is in this union for England.
 Time for all the kids to leave home and earn their own,
 (Report comment)
 2. Phil Davies says:
 I think David Davies (Monmouth) has a huge responsibility on his shoulders at the moment and has been put in an impossible position by his government. He and his Conservative (and Lid Dem) colleagues have been asked to defend the indefensible on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee by rubber stamping a statute (the Income Tax parts of it) they know will never be enacted and can never be used. One could see in the proceedings this week that it offended the sense of reason for many of them as it dawned on them that they (and probably hundreds of Committee witnesses) will waste 1000s of man/woman-hours of time in the next 3-6 months on something that we all know is a non-starter.
 David Davies is instinctively opposed to any materially important degree of devolution and yet he is, in fairness, usually scrupulously honest. Will he have the courage to send the Bill back from the scrutiny stage to the Government with a firm "do it properly or don't do it at all"?
 (Report comment)
 3. G.Holtham says:
 Boris Johnson wants you to earn your own money if you live in the North of England, Fred. He doesn't see why London should pay so much to support you. I daresay people in Mayfair don't wan't support people in Peckham either. Where do you stop? I suppose it all depends on whether you think there is such a thing as society and where you draw the lines. The establishment doesn't seem to have any doubts when sending kids to Afghanistan. Plenty of British, non-English blood left there.
 (Report comment)
 4. Peter Hugh Charles Davies says:
 There is only one sensible step forward for 2014. That is for the Assembly to admit,it is a failure in charge of
 Welsh Health Services. It is a disaster in Welsh Education.Local Government is beyond its competence.Virtually everything is out of control and the only way Wales can Progress and improve the standard of living for the Welsh people, is to abolish the Assembly and ask Parliament in London to take back responsibility for its old jobs prior to devolution.
 (Report comment)
 5. Bob Jones says:
 Time to abandon the Assembly (and Wales itself) and allow our wiser neighbours to control our lives. There really is no alternative.
 (Report comment)
 6. Yvonne says:
 I've always had a lot of time for the work of Gerry Holtham and I think much of what he has said in this piece is entirely correct. The fact that he appears to have moved away from the idea of wholesale Barnett reform, transfers being based upon need and so on, is proof positive that he does sometimes take note of what those in Westminster say.
 But, am I the only one who gets confused when 'more devolution' needs to be made financially attractive to the people of Wales? What is all this 'devolution' for? If an independent Wales is the longer


text:
Upper Palaeolithic microblade technology
Begun in 2000, this research project investigates the origin and development of microblade technology in the Upper Palaeolithic of north-central China (30,000 - 8,000 BC).
The microblade technique is a unique flint-knapping method of manufacturing thin small tools (microblades). This prehistoric technology is one common feature of cultural manifestations of the early hunter-gatherers in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America. Most scholars regard microblade technology as compelling evidence for the peopling of the New World at the end of the Late Pleistocene epoch (12,000 - 8,000 BC); they believe that the technology originated in northeastern Asia (the exact area is debatable) and spread into North America (i.e. Alaska and Yukon) via Beringia.
The Shandong province in China represents an intermediate area where the technology may have been transmitted from north-central China to northeastern Siberia or Japan. Although previous studies have suggested that a large number of sites with microblades exist in the region, no detailed study has been conducted.
Field investigations and laboratory analyses of lithic (stone) artifacts have revealed that the Upper Palaeolithic technology in Shandong peninsula is much more complicated than previously thought—the region could be the southern area of a cultural inter-sphere that eventually reached North America.
We have identified four main cultural complexes in the study region: two are associated with microblade technology, and might have had external cultural influences; the other two might be local manifestations. In 2005, our project identified a few bifacial points which feature the "flute" flaking technique, widely present in North America. If proven to be a true flute technology, similar to the Clovis technique of North America dated to 12,000 – 11,000 BP, it presents additional evidence of the technological connection between Old World and New World.
This research has been funded by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2000 – 2004), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the ROM Governors. The project is a joint collaboration between the Royal Ontario Museum, the Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Shandong University.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
President Obama spoke
today in California about the future of America's energy landscape, and how
investments in the clean-energy industry can lead to the creation of more jobs
in California and throughout the country.
Clean coal is one of
these clean-energy technologies that must be developed as we move toward a green
economy and the creation of green jobs. Clean coal is already helping boost the
economy and employment in places like Michigan:
The U.S. Department
of Energy has
touted the returns from clean coal investment in the past. A study
entitled Benefits of Investment in Clean Coal Technology found that
by 2009, the cumulative benefits from
government investment in CCT totaled $6 billion and cumulative DOE costs totaled
$3.5 billion. By 2020, the cumulative benefits are expected to total $111
billion, at a cost to the DOE of only $8.5 billion.
has the 9th highest electricity prices in the nation. And as we
talked about last week rising energy prices threaten to drive more
businesses out of the state. Thankfully, CCT investment represents an
opportunity for California to create new jobs that will help the country arrive
at its clean energy future.


- Sofa Summits
How Transportation & Mobility in Cities Will Change Post Covid-19
Did you ever imagine the world economy coming to a standstill? We are less than half way through 2020, but it has been the strangest and saddest in living memory. With many countries on lockdown cities have seen up to 90% decreases in use of public transportation and in traffic flows - with the rise of social distancing citizens are shunning traditional transport methods.
Will this continue post Covid 19? Can cities use this as a positive to drive a green transformation in their transportation systems - redesigning cities for people and nature rather than for cars and vehicles.
Re-Inventing Public Transportation & Public Spaces
While it is important to look at how the Covid19 has slowed public transport, it is equally important to analyse how the pandemic will impact urban mobility in the long run. During the lockdown cities across the globe, such as Wuhan, Berlin, Milan, Paris, London etc, have seen significant improvements in air quality.
However, this is not likely to be a long-lasting impact with public transit and mobility slowly reviving as cities lift their respective lockdown measures. Can we really just go back to how things were? Can we use this to create greener cities?
In fact, there is a worry that it could have a negative impact, there is some evidence in China that more people are opting to buy personal cars, regarding them as safer and more hygienic than public and shared transport. This is a worrying trend, especially if the cars are petrol or diesel rather than electric - if such developments were mirrored across the globe then it would have a very negative impact on global warming. It will also have a negative impact on quality of life and air quality in cities. In the near future, cities may look to introduce measures that drive down personal car use, such as charging more for road use and parking.
As a result, cities and their transport agencies need to take the bull by the horns, they need to implement forward thinking and long-lasting strategies that focus on air quality and liveability. For now, changes on public transport have included requiring passengers, drivers and conductors to wear face masks, gloves and to sanitise.
However, there are more strategies emerging in major cities that will not only restore activity, but could also have a longer lasting effect on mobility as we know it. If cities plan their strategies well then they can use this crisis to create environmentally friendly and more resilient public transport systems.
Cycling and Walking
Many cities are taking advantage of the decrease in traffic to redesign city centres - prioritising cycling and walking. Cities such as Berlin, New York City and Milan have opened up a network of cycling lanes - decisions that would usually take years to make are being made in days as Mayors and city leaders seize the moment to create long term change in their cities
Milan is using pop-up infrastructure to mark cycling lanes without disrupting the vehicle traffic to any great extent. The plan is to create a new biking culture that will remain in the city and see a positive permanent change.
The city of Bogota in Colombia has opened up around 72 miles of new bike routes, while in the UK Manchester is in the process of finding ways to create better cycling and pedestrian zones to ease congestion. On an almost daily basis we are hearing of another city that is using the crisis to change planning so that they can design out cars and vehicles. Such radical changes have not been seen before in such short timescales - it will be interesting to see if city leaders can maintain these pedestrian and cycling zones post Covid-19.
Maintaining Hygiene
Every city also needs to look at hygiene on their public transportation systems - even with the opening of cycle lanes and pedestrian zones there will still be a great need for public transport when everyone gets back to some sort of work normality. Ensuring that the systems are hygienic is one way to help prevent a second wave.
Many countries are making it a requirement that people have to sanitise before getting on board, wear facemasks and have created barriers between drivers and the passengers, other hygiene solutions have been adapted that may well be a permanent feature for both public transit and buildings.
For example, more cities are embracing improved cleaning and disinfection mechanisms for transportation systems. Shanghai is using advanced Ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect buses, trains and stations, while Hong Kong is using robots to carry out the disinfection and cleaning procedures.
In the UK, potential solutions being discussed include self-cleaning doors that have titanium handles which heat up via kinetic energy or incorporating infrared lighting that kill germs on escalator handrails.
Our public transport systems will look very different in the post Covid-19 world - it will be the responsibility of city authorities to create an environment that is healthy for everyone and the responsibility of all citizens to ensure that these new procedures and measures are a success.
The Here & Now & the Future
The gradual opening up of cities and economies over the next few months will see many challenges for city leaders across the globe, but it will also create opportunities to be able to re-purpose cities so that they prioritise citizens at all times. The long lasting impacts of this could lead to cities that are more liveable, healthier and happier places for everyone and everything - not only humans, but nature too.
Are you interested in finding out more about transportation and other smart cities topics?
Then why not join our Smart Cities Sofa Summit?


text:
Welcome to the City of Rye, NY
Receive Community Alerts Instantly
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FOIL Procedures Effective May 1, 2013
RFP Blind Brook Watershed Study
2013 Annual Budget
Rye Golf Club 2013 Budget Information
Upper Pond Resizing Presentation
Joint City Council & Board of Ed Resolution
Rye City School District Proposed Project
Rye Historical Fact
- Benjamin Franklin developed the system of milestones for the Boston Post Road marking the distance from lower Manhattan. Three milestones, #24, 25 and 26, still exist in Rye.
- The first Rye settlers came from Greenwich in 1660. They bought Manursing Island from the Siwanoy for 8 coats, 7 shirts and 15 fathom of wampum.
- Rye was part of Connecticut in the late 1600s. The New York/Connecticut boarder dispute wasn't settled until 1731.
- George Washington stayed at the Square House (known as "Widow Haviland's") twice in 1789. He called it "a very neat and decent inn".
- John Adams and his cousin Samuel stopped at the Square House in 1774 on their way to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
- The first village square was located across from the Square House and was where the local militia trained. Criminals were punished there in stockades and a whipping post.
- Purchase St. wasn't paved until 1912. To keep the dust down, the Village Improvement Association used sprinkling carts to spray water on the street.
- When the Square House became the Village Hall in 1904, Rye's population was 3,500. The Square House remained the Village Hall until 1964 when City Hall was built.
- The railroad came to Rye in 1849. Before that, the most efficient mode of transportation was on the water.
- The Rye Arts Center building at 51 Milton Road was built in 1788 as the second Episcopal Church, replacing the original church that burned during the Revolution.


text:
Geostationary satelites are essentially for ever. This is becoming a problem since there are a limited number of places you want to put a geostationary satelite and most of them are full. Any collisions/explosions in geostationary mean debris will also stay there for a long long time.
For low earth orbit satelites it depends on their shape, altitude and the space weather.
The worst case is a large object in low orbit with large solar panels and hence a lot of drag. The ISS loses 90m/day and must be constantly boosted as the orbit gets lower the drag is worse and the falling accelerates - when first launched the ISS would lose 500m/day at it's lower orbit. The minimum safe orbit is around 150km, anything that falls to this level will quickly succumb to atmospheric drag
edit: Hubble is at an orbit of around 600km, with no more service missions after the end of the Space Shuttle it will renter in between 10 and 20years, ie 2020-2030


text:
|Origin:||pervertir, from Latin pervertere, from vertere 'to turn'|
to change something in an unnatural and often harmful way:
Genetic scientists are often accused of perverting nature.
to influence someone so that they begin to think or behave in an immoral way [= corrupt]:
TV violence perverts the minds of young children.
to deliberately prevent a fair examination of the facts about a crime


text:
Proprietary Drug Discovery Platforms
High Throughput, High Content Drug Discovery
The discovery platforms combine robotics, computer vision, machine learning and bioinformatics to capture and analyze data that can be distilled into a behavioral signature for a given compound or a behavioral phenotype for a disease model.
- Unbiased – Computer vision algorithms and bioinformatics eliminate human intervention and subjectivity.
- High throughput – can screen test tens of thousands of compounds for CNS activity in a year.
- High content – thousands of features are collected and proprietary bioinformatic algorithms are employed to detect drug effects or subtle phenotypic differences associated with a disease model.
- Screening compounds from diverse libraries.
- Repurposing compounds that are discontinued (for reasons other than safety) or currently being developed for other indications, including non-CNS indications.
- Assessing compound combinations for new or improved efficacy.
- Behavior Driven Lead Optimization.
- Disease model characterization, including phenotyping transgenics models or characterization of pharmacological, chemical, surgical interventions.


text:
Solid state drive/Memory cell clearing
On occasion, users may wish to completely reset the SSD to the initial "clean" state it was manufactured with, thus restoring it to its factory default write performance. Write performance is known to degrade over time even on SSDs with native TRIM support. TRIM only safeguards against file deletes, not replacements such as an incremental save.
Performing the Secure Erase does not reset the wear leveling status of SSD cells - a drive close to the end of its lifespan may become writable for a short while, but it will still fail after a limited amount of writes.
- Back up all data of importance prior to continuing! Using this procedure will destroy all data on the SSD and render it unrecoverable by even data recovery services! Users will have to repartition the device and restore the data after completing this procedure!
- Do not proceed with this if the target drive is not connected directly to a SATA/NVMe interface. Issuing the Secure Erase/Format/Sanitize command on a drive connected via USB or a SAS/RAID card could potentially brick the drive!
Step 1 - Make sure the drive security is not frozen
Issue the following command:
# hdparm -I /dev/sdX | grep frozen
In the security section of the output it should say "not frozen". If it shows as just "frozen" then you cannot continue to the next step. Some BIOSes block the ATA Secure Erase command by issuing a "SECURITY FREEZE" command to "freeze" the drive before booting an operating system.
A possible solution is to simply suspend the system. Upon waking up, it is likely that the freeze will be lifted. If unsuccessful, one can try hot-(re)plug the data cable (which might crash the kernel). If hot-(re)plugging the SATA data cable crashes the kernel try letting the operating system fully boot up, then quickly hot-(re)plug both the SATA power and data cables. If hot-(re)plugging of SATA cables still crashes the kernel, make sure that AHCI is enabled in the BIOS (AHCI allows hot-(re)plugging operations without a crash). Using a USB-to-SATA adapter is an option if it supports hotplugging. One can also use via USB.
If the command output shows "frozen", you may be able to work around it by:
- Reboot into the Dell BIOS by pressing F2 on startup.
- Set the Internal HDD Password in the BIOS (be careful, the keymap is en_US / qwerty).
- Apply the changes and reboot.
- When prompted for the password by Dell Security Manager, press Escape rather than entering it. The drive will remain locked but not frozen.
- Skip step 2, and go directly to Step 3 below.
Step 2 - Enable security by setting a user password
Any password will do, as this should only be temporary. After the secure erase the password will be set back to NULL. In this example, the password is
PasSWorD as shown:
# hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass PasSWorD /dev/sdX
security_password="PasSWorD" /dev/sdX: Issuing SECURITY_SET_PASS command, password="PasSWorD", user=user, mode=high
As a sanity check, issue the following command
# hdparm -I /dev/sdX
The command output should display "enabled":
Security: Master password revision code = 65534 supported enabled not locked not frozen not expired: security count supported: enhanced erase Security level high 2min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Step 3 - Issue the ATA Secure Erase command
The final step is to issue the secure erase command, instructing the device's BIOS to erase its contents. Note for the device used in this example, earlier output states:
2min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
As per ATA specification the enhanced security erase (
--security-erase-enhanced) performs a more elaborate wipe. If the estimated completion time for both commands is equal, it indicates the drive manufacturer shortcut the specification and uses the same erase function for both. A short time (like 2 minutes) in turn indicates the device is self-encrypting and its BIOS function will wipe the internal encryption key instead of overwriting all data cells.
- Triple check that the correct drive designation is used. There is no turning back once the command is confirmed. You have been warned.
- Ensure that the drive is not mounted when this is ran. If a secure erase command is issued while the device is mounted, it will not erase properly.
# hdparm --user-master u --security-erase PasSWorD /dev/sdX
Wait until the command completes. This example output shows it took about 40 seconds for an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD.
security_password="PasSWorD" /dev/sdX: Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="PasSWorD", user=user 0.000u 0.000s 0:39.71 0.0% 0+0k 0+0io 0pf+0w
The drive is now erased. After a successful erasure the drive security should automatically be set to disabled (thus no longer requiring a password for access). Verify this by running the following command:
# hdparm -I /dev/sdX
The command output should display "not enabled":
Security: Master password revision code = 65534 supported not enabled not locked not frozen not expired: security count supported: enhanced erase 2min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
The NVMe specification defines a standardized way to format NVMe drives, since those do not use the SATA interface protocol and therefore cannot be cleared in the same way as SATA SSDs. Originally it was the command (part of the ) which provided this feature, but while it still does Specification 1.3 added support for a dedicated command. As described by Jonmichael Hands, NVMe MWG Co-Chair, Sr. Strategic Planner / Product Manager, Intel:
- "These commands are used to securely erase user data from the device. This can be used when deploying a new device, retiring or at device end-of-life, using an SSD for a new application and so on. Sanitize was introduced in NVMe 1.3 specification, so before then NVMe Format was used exclusively to perform secure erase. While both options work, Sanitize is more robust for ensuring the data was properly wiped; format is good for everyday use and testing."
In order to verify what is supported by your drive, use the Identify Controller command:
# nvme id-ctrl /dev/nvme0 -H |grep "Format \|Crypto Erase\|Sanitize"
[1:1] : 0x1 Format NVM Supported [29:29] : 0 No-Deallocate After Sanitize bit in Sanitize command Supported [2:2] : 0 Overwrite Sanitize Operation Not Supported [1:1] : 0x1 Block Erase Sanitize Operation Supported [0:0] : 0x1 Crypto Erase Sanitize Operation Supported [2:2] : 0x1 Crypto Erase Supported as part of Secure Erase [1:1] : 0 Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s) [0:0] : 0 Format Applies to Single Namespace(s)
gives the following details about the Secure Erase Settings (
-s , --ses=) option:
- Secure Erase Settings: This field specifies whether a secure erase should be performed as part of the format and the type of the secure erase operation. The erase applies to all user data, regardless of location (e.g., within an exposed LBA, within a cache, within deallocated LBAs, etc). Defaults to 0.
Possible values :
|0||No secure erase operation requested|
|1||User Data Erase: All user data shall be erased, contents of the user data after the erase is indeterminate (e.g., the user data may be zero filled, one filled, etc). The controller may perform a cryptographic erase when a User Data Erase is requested if all user data is encrypted.|
|2||Cryptographic Erase: All user data shall be erased cryptographically. This is accomplished by deleting the encryption key.|
While the Format command accepts either the whole NVMe character device (e.g.
/dev/nvme0) or a specific namespace block device (e.g.
/dev/nvme0n1), make sure this feature is supported by your drive before triggering it. E.g. in the output of the Identify Controller command above, we see that the
Crypto Erase Applies to Single Namespace(s) and
Format Applies to Single Namespace(s) bits are set to zero, which according to the spec means that "the controller supports format on a per namespace basis" (see figure 249 byte row 524 "Format NVM Attributes (FNA)").
For example, to format
/dev/nvme0 with a crypto erase to namespace 1:
# nvme format /dev/nvme0 -s 2 -n 1
Seefor more information and important warnings regarding device/namespace selection.
- "According to the NVMe 1.4 specification, "a sanitize operation alters all user data in the NVM subsystem such that recovery of any previous user data from any cache, the non-volatile media, or any Controller Memory Buffer is not possible."


Child deaths in Vermont
Change Indicator
(i) Select Table Type:
 - Detailed
Data Provided By
Definitions: Child deaths per 100,000 children ages 1 to 14 years old
Data Source: Vermont Agency of Human Services, Department of Health, Vital Statistics
Footnotes: Rate represents the sum of data for three years. For example, the 2009-2011 rate is derived from the sum of all deaths of children age 1 to 14 over that three year time period divided by the sum of the population of all children of that same age group over the same three years, multiplied by 100,000.
Change over time for child death rates is not applicable in most cases, as the actual number of deaths is very low.


text:
Building a gallery of thumbnails of same size in PHP
Creating Thumbnails: Part Two
In this second part, the script of thumbnails will be upgraded so that the height and width are both defined for all thumbnails, while keeping the proportions of the original images.
Indeed the disadvantage of the thumbnail script in the first part was to resize the image to a height or width given the choice, but the other dimension remained variable which does not allow to build galleries.
To achieve this, we will resize the image to create an intermediary thumbnail which retains the proportions, and then crop it either vertically or horizontally, depending in the form of the initial image.
Calculating the size of the intermediate thumbnail
The intermediate thumbnail will be either the width or the height of the final thumbnail, depending if the width or the height is less than the other side.
Dimensions of the final thumbnail
In the demo, the dimensions are 150 in height and 140 in width. Any other values could be choosen.
$thumbh = 150; $thumbw = 140;
Choice of formula
Should we crop on the height or width?
If the intermediate thumbnail has a height of 150, its width must be greater than or equal that 140.
If its width is 140, its height must be greater than or equal to 150.
To anticipate it, we calculate the ratio of height to width, for the source image and the thumbnail.
$ratio = $h / $w; $nratio = $thumbh / $thumbw;
If ratio, the original proportion, is more than nratio, the proportion of the final thumbnail, it must be cropped on the height, and on the width in the other case.
And if we crop on the height, the image is scaled depending on the width.
Resizing on the width
In case ratio is higher than nratio, in other words, the original image is too high compared to the thumbnail to achieve, the intermediate thumbnail is created on the base of the desired width:
$x = intval($w * $nh / $h);
if ($x < $nw)
$nh = intval($h * $nw / $w);
$nw = $x;
A temporary width of x is defined using the formula: w * nh / h.
If x is less than the desired width, the image is scaled on the height by
the formula nh = h * nw / w.
Otherwise the height is retained and the temporary value x is given to the width nw of the thumbnail.
Resizing on the height
If the new ratio nratio is bigger than the original ratio, the image is wider than high, it must be reduced on the basis of height, and then cropped horizontally.
$x = intval($h * $nw / $w);
if ($x < $nh)
$nw = intval($w * $nh / $h);
$nh = $x;
The calculations are inverted.
Creating the intermediate image
The PHP functions of the first part are used again to resize the image:
$resimage = imagecreatefromjpeg($oldname); $newimage = imagecreatetruecolor($nw, $nh); imageCopyResampled($newimage, $resimage,0,0,0,0,$nw, $nh, $w, $h);
But furthermore, we must crop the image, thus creating an empty image on which a part of the intermediate thumbnail is copied.
$viewimage = imagecreatetruecolor($thumbw, $thumbh); imagecopy($viewimage, $newimage, 0, 0, 0, 0, $nw, $nh);
Now we have just to save the thumbnail.
In the demo, an array of images is scanned by the foreach structure. See the complete source code below.
Thumbnail gallery created with the script
Click to display the original image.
- See the complete PHP script of thumbnail gallery.
- Download the archive including the script and images.


Best Jamaica Transportation Service
Jamaican cuisine the Ital way:
Ital cooking is a type of Jamaican cuisine developed by the Rastafarian faith who believed that natural foods, herbs and vegetables are the way to go. Rastafarians doesn't practice the consumption of meat and foods that are produced by synthetic chemicals.
Today Ital cuisine is well sort after in Jamaica and else where throughout the world. Credit must be given to the Rastafarian elders who created dishes to that fit into their beliefs.
At first Rastafarians was ridicule by locals as many people were ignorant to many healthy lifestyles. However, it came to past when these same people are being thoroughly warned by doctors to eat the healthier.
The revelation is that Rastafarians has introduced healthy recipes into the Jamaican cuisine. The no meat, dairy products and chemically produce foods surely has being adopted by many. Eating lots of raw foods was Rastafarian forte. Now we see conventional nutritionists recommending that 75% of ones complete diet should be raw foods.
Past generations had planted lots of fruit trees in Jamaica that continues to produce. They produce naturally without any fertilizer about from what naturally occurs over the years due to break down of organic materials. While many people don't stop to think about it, but they are having nature's best. These produce are marketed elsewhere as organic and fetch higher prices than normal.
Ital cooking brings another dimension in the Jamaican cuisine which makes it truly interesting. As the saying goes that prevention is better than cure, let your food be your medicine. Ital cuisine is just that.


Bamasaba, Masaba in Uganda
Largest Religion
Main Language
Introduction / History
The Bamasaaba are a Bantu people group of about 1,000,000 who live in eastern Uganda, Mbale and Sironko Districts, adjacent to Mt. Elgon at the Kenyan border. They migrated from Kenya and were the first people to inhabit the western and southwestern slopes of Mt. Elgon (known as Mt. Masaba by the locals). The area is considered the food-basket of Uganda and is also known for producing high-quality Arabica coffee, the main cash crop.
The Bamasaaba are subsistence farmers, growing bananas, sweet and Irish potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, maize, beans, carrots, passion fruit and onions. They also raise cattle and other livestock and trade on a small scale. The main custom that distinguishes them from other tribes is their tradition of male circumcision. They see this rite as their defining feature as a tribe. They also have different naming rituals and worship a different local god than their neighbors although the majority belongs to one of the many Christian churches in the area. The problem they face is the dense population and minimal land; a father's land is inherited by all of his sons, so the land is being divided further and further into very small plots.
Where are they Located?
They live in the Mbale, Sironko, Bududa, Manafa and Bulambuli districts of Uganda.
What are Their Needs?
They need proper housing; especially housing situations that can withstand floods and landslides. They also need clean drinking water.
Profile Source: Anonymous
Expanded PDF Profile
People Name General Masaba
People Name in Country Bamasaba, Masaba
Population in Uganda 1,855,000
World Population 1,910,000
Countries 2
Progress Scale 3.2
Least-Reached No
Indigenous Yes
Alternate Names Gishu, Gisu
Affinity Bloc Sub-Saharan Peoples
People Cluster Bantu, Central-Lakes
People Name General Masaba
Ethnic Code NAB57d
People ID 13561
Country Uganda
Region East and Southern Africa
Continent Africa
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Location in Country East, Mbale and Sirinko districts, adjacent to Mount Elgon. Source: Ethnologue 2010
Masaaba (1,855,000)
Masaaba 1,855,000
Bible Translation Status (Years)
Bible Portions Yes (_PHONE_)
New Testament Yes (_PHONE_)
Complete Bible No
Audio Bible Online
Format Resource
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching (GRN)
Audio Recordings Online New Testament (FCBH)
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Masaaba
Major Religion Percent
0.00 %
Christianity (Evangelical 25.00 %)
83.00 %
Ethnic Religions
10.00 %
0.00 %
5.00 %
0.00 %
Other / Small
2.00 %
0.00 %
Christian Segments Percent
45.0 %
0.0 %
0.0 %
Other Christian
0.0 %
5.0 %
Roman Catholic
50.0 %
Photo Source: Anonymous
Map Source: Anonymous
Profile Source: Anonymous
Data Sources: Data is compiled from various sources. Read more
Get Involved
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Triple "A" Leadership; Touchstones from the Sea; Awareness – Part 3
In Parts I and II of Triple "A" Leadership, two "touchstones" were discussed that I believe are important to effectively lead. The first was AWARENESS; the second was ALIGNMENT. This issue of the Psychology for Business newsletter is the last of the series and will discuss ACCOUNTABILITY
Let's go back to the sea one last time to gather another example of leadership touchstones using a maritime analogy. Once again you are the captain of a sailing vessel (leader of an organization) embarking on an important voyage. A useful principle to help assure success is the concept of accountability
If you, as the captain, expect certain tasks to be accomplished by members of the crew (your employees), and they fail to do so, disaster can occur. If it is someone's job to bring fresh water or desalination equipment along and they forget, or only bring half empty containers, the ship won't reach its destination; the voyage will be a failure. If it is someone's job to inspect the sails to assure that they are in good repair and they choose to neglect this task, again the ship could be at risk.
Is it the captain's job to always check everything to assure a successful voyage? Well, if the ship is very small with no crew, the answer is "yes". However, if the ship is of any size, the captain needs to develop an effective process of delegation. This leads directly to the issue of trust.
For a captain to be effective, they must be able to delegate some of the tasks required for voyage preparation. For a captain to feel comfortable delegating important tasks, they must trust the crewmember that they are enlisting to accomplish the task. If the task is accomplished in a timely and complete manner, trust is enhanced and more responsibility is given. The captain can effectively mentor future captains by delegating increasingly important, complex responsibilities, enhancing the trust relationship and the commitment level of the crewmember. The inability to ever trust anyone dooms effective leadership. A weak captain resists delegation, fearing the mentee will outshine the mentor. This selfish mentality will undermine both the captain and the ship.
If, however, the crewmember fails to accomplish the task or completes it in a "half-mast" manner, trust is frayed or betrayed, leading to a decreased level of responsibility entrusted by the captain. If poor performance with a delegated responsibility happens often enough, the captain needs to acknowledge that the crew member cannot be trusted with responsibility and in order for the voyage to be successful and in the best interest of the rest of the crew, that person needs to leave the crew and their delegated responsibilities need to be met in another manner.
It is an important part of being an effective captain that after a crewmember is given adequate training, explanations and opportunities to perform and they still fail, the courage to cut the crewmember loose is imperative. As a leader, you are sending important messages to others if you fail to hold your reports accountable for their performance. By keeping non-performers around you are giving important messages to others regarding your tolerance of poor performance and that retained employment is based on things other than performance.
It is also important to note that by holding employees accountable you can enhance their belief in themselves and their capabilities. You can encourage continuous improvement in an employee's performance by collaboratively setting measurable goals for their performance, holding them accountable for goal achievement in a specified time period and rewarding them for successful completion of the goals. If they fail to achieve a desired goal, revisit it with them in a collaborative, non-judgmental manner to assess why the goal was not met. Many times it is not due to lack of effort; it could be due to a lack of adequate resources; a lack of accessing adequate resources; a lack of training; a lack of clarity; et cetera. The failure is not in missing achievement of the desired goal. It could be a failure, however, to not clearly identify why the goal was missed.
If you notice a consistent lack of effort at goal achievement, it may be due to a misalignment between job responsibilities and the individual's interests, skills or abilities or some other motivational deficit. This situation, as stated earlier, may warrant letting the employee go. Reasonable developmental enhancements (i.e. training, coaching, therapy, et cetera) can work in some cases, however, "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" and a wise leader needs to know the difference.
How does the concept of accountability apply to the captain of the ship?
Ultimately the captain is responsible for all activities related to completing a successful voyage. The captain is accountable to the crew (employees), the ship's owner (stockholders) and, most importantly, to themselves. On all but the smallest of ships, this is impossible without appropriate delegation of duties. Therefore it is incumbent upon the captain to clear obstacles that may prevent successful performance of delegated duties. If the captain has awareness of the state of his/her ship and crew and has created a culture valuing alignment of crewmembers and their activities, then they will have knowledge of how they can enable the crew to be successful.
As stated above, it is most important that the captains be accountable to themselves. In this series of three articles on "TRIPLE "A" LEADERSHIP" the case has been made for effective leaders to develop personal "touchstones" to guide their performance. When all is said and done, a leader must be accountable to themselves for their own performance. There are many paths to success as a leader. What guides you may be unique to your own circumstance and history. Are you going to leave your voyage up to chance? You may be successful. However, you may miss out on the chance to maximize your potential and lead your organization to currently unimagined success. The difference may rest on basing your leadership activities on principles that reflect the sum of your conscious and unconscious knowledge; your "touchstones" of leadership. I have suggested three that have proven to be important in my work with leaders.
I challenge you to have the courage and to take the time to determine what you know your organization needs to thrive.
Coaching, Management Consulting and Change Leadership Services


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Spironolactone Prevents Chlorthalidone-Induced Sympathetic Activation and Insulin Resistance in Hypertensive Patients
Recent studies from our laboratory indicate that chlorthalidone triggers persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system and promotes insulin resistance in hypertensive patients, independent of serum potassium. Mechanisms underlying these adverse effects of chlorthalidone remain unknown, but increasing evidence in rodents suggests the role of angiotensin and aldosterone excess in inducing both sympathetic overactivity and insulin resistance. Accordingly, we conducted studies in 17 subjects with untreated stage 1 hypertension, measuring sympathetic nerve activity at baseline and after 12 weeks of chlorthalidone alone (25 mg/d), chlorthalidone plus spironolactone, and chlorthalidone plus irbesartan, using randomized crossover design. We found that chlorthalidone alone decreased 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure from 135±3/84±2 to 124±2/78±2 mm Hg and significantly increased sympathetic nerve activity from baseline (from 41±3 versus 49±4 bursts per minute; P<0.01). The addition of spironolactone to chlorthalidone returned sympathetic nerve activity value to baseline (42±3 bursts per minute; P>0.05), whereas the addition of irbesartan failed to alter the sympathetic nerve activity response to chlorthalidone in the same subjects (52±2 bursts per minute; P<0.01) despite a similar reduction in ambulatory blood pressure (121±2/75±2 and 121±2/75±2 mm Hg, respectively). Chlorthalidone alone also increased indices of insulin resistance, which was not observed when used in combination with spironolactone. In conclusion, our study demonstrates beneficial effects of spironolactone in attenuating both chlorthalidone-induced sympathetic activation and insulin resistance in humans, independent of blood pressure reduction. Because sympathetic overactivity and insulin resistance contribute to the poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease, combination therapy of chlorthalidone with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists may constitute a preferable regimen than chlorthalidone alone in hypertensive patients.
- Received March 8, 2012.
- Revision received March 21, 2012.
- Accepted May 21, 2012.
- © 2012 American Heart Association, Inc.


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Guimerà, Ángel (änˈzhĕl gēmāräˈ) [key], 1845?–1924, Catalan poet and dramatist. His first successful play, Mar y cel [sea and sky] (1888), was followed by many others, among them Maria Rosa (1894) and his masterpiece, Terra baixa (1896; tr. Marta of the Lowlands, 1914). These were translated into Spanish by Echegaray. Guimerà's work is characterized by vigor and imagination and tends toward the sensual and macabre.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese Literature: Biographies


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Blue construction paper, foil (optional), glitter glue (optional), glue, scissors
Send your Hanukkah good wishes to friend and family by making cards. To make a pattern for the Star Of David star, first draw a triangle and then draw a triangle upside down. Fold a piece of blue construction paper in half to make your card. Trace the star on the front of the card. At this point, you can do several variations: trace the star with glitter glue, cut out the star so it makes a window into the inside of the card, or cut out a slightly smaller star out of foil (or white paper) and glue it onto the larger star then outline. Write a personal message inside and send to friends.


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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a member of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is mandated to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research and research training in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. The Institute also conducts and supports research and research training related to disease prevention and health promotion; addresses special biomedical and behavioral problems associated with people who have communication impairments or disorders; and supports efforts to create devices which substitute for lost and impaired sensory and communication function.
Differing from some other institutes, in 1999 the NIDCD discontinued the Multi-Purpose Research and Training Center funding mechanism (large center grants) for the entire institute focusing instead on single-project research awards (R01's).
|This United States government–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.|


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Dorothea Dix Biography for Kids
Dorothea Dix was a famous nurse who fought for the rights of individuals with mental illnesses. She is perhaps best known, however, as the superintendent of nurses for the Union Army in the Civil War.
Dorothea Dix was born on April 4, 1802, in Hamden, Maine. She grew up in Massachusetts. At the age of twelve, she went to live with grandmother in Boston to escape her abusive father and dismal childhood. From an early age, Dorothea was an ambitious and determined women. At the age of fourteen, she started her first school and gained a reputation as a capable teacher and strict disciplinarian. Work was always paramount in Dorothea's life, and she started a more formal school in 1821 which catered to Boston's rich and elite. During this time, she eagerly tutored poor and neglected students in her own home. Although Dorothea's chronic health problems caused her to leave her school, she spent her recovery time writing children's books. By 1836, her health had deteriorated to such a point that her school was forced to close permanently. Later that year, she decided to sail to Europe to spend time recovering on the coast of Italy. Unfortunately, she fell ill in England, where she was taken care of by the Rathbone family. William Rathbone was a wealthy humanitarian who fought for better care of the "mentally disordered" of England. It was he who influenced Dorothea's ideas on the moral and effective treatment of America's insane, which involved less use of mechanical restraints and more productive activities.
In 1841, Dorothea toured a prison in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was horrified at the conditions in which those classified as "insane" were forced to lived. They were underfed, dirty, and in some cases, chained to the walls or forced to sleep on stone floors. Dorothea decided to make it her life mission to improve the quality of life for such people. For the next two decades or so, Dorothea traveled the United States lobbying for the mentally ill. Her incredible efforts resulted in numerous studies, bills, and changes in legislation that improved the lives of the mentally ill. Furthermore, her efforts resulted in the formation of many hospitals specifically for the mentally ill.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Dorothea was named superintendent of Union Army nurses. Although she was in poor health, she organized women into nursing corps, inspected hospitals, and raised money for medical supplies. Furthermore, she insisted on equal treatment of both Union and Confederate soldiers, which angered some Northern Republicans.
After the war, Dorothea continued her travels and helped in the rehabilitation of facilities in the Southern United States. In 1882, and in ailing health, she moved into an apartment designated for her at the New Jersey State Hospital. She died on July 17, 1887.


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Compliance of stress-induced therapy, controlled by actimeters
- Published on 2013
Introduction: In hemiplegia, constraint-induced movement therapy of the upper extremity has become a classic. The main difficulty of the method lies in its observance.
Objectives: Using actimeters to objectify membership protocol is proposed.
Methods: Two patients with stable paresis after stroke have received constraint-induced therapy for four weeks. Two actimeters (Actisleep ®) were placed one healthy side, the other side injured for 6 weeks, one before and one after restraint stress. A discussion with the patient is given after 3 weeks of recording. The clinical efficacy of treatment was assessed by dynamometry (Pablo ®) MESUPES and Jebsen test.
Results: For the first time, we were able to objectify the observance of the strain (80% observed for the first patient and 40% for the second patient). Quantification of movements by actimeter healthy side versus affected side was correlated with the results of motor and functional changes. Treatment despite very different adhesions was effective for both patients.
Discussion: The continuation of this study should determine the minimum level of compliance of the stress required to maintain the effectiveness of the method, while making it more tolerable as possible. It also opens a real chrono-biological perspective of movement and bi-handedness. Finally, the patient adheres more to the protocol because it knows observed and faces the quantification of stress at mid-test.
Conclusion: This new preliminary approach used here in the constraint-induced therapy of upper limb, presents actimeters as a new simple tool in the management of hemiplegia.


The link between global poverty and violence emerges clearly from this ranking. Many of the causes of violence in Latin America can be directly linked to symptoms of poverty such as hunger, political instability and weak public institutions. Venezuela, the country with the chart-topping city of Caracas, demonstrates this connection clearly.
Caracas ranked as the most violent city in the world for the second year in a row. In addition, four of the top 10 most violent cities were Venezuelan. Venezuela currently finds itself in a crisis state from a mix of political instability, extreme hunger and economic desperation. Venezuela's financial woes spring from the collapse of the oil industry, governmental corruption and economic mismanagement. The crisis has become so extreme that 75 percent of the population has lost an average of 19 pounds in five years. The desperation and frustration from this situation have inspired massive government protests, many of which have turned violent. This confluence of factors has contributed to Venezuela's prominent position on the list of most violent cities.
Venezuela presents one of the most extreme examples of the connection between poverty and violence, but a number of other trends also characterize the Latin American cities that dominate the list. Drug trafficking throughout the region is a large contributor. Violence between rival cartels placed Acapulco, Mexico in the number two spot on the list.
Brazil, the country with the most cities on the list, faces many of the same challenges as Venezuela. Governmental corruption and poor public services have spurred massive demonstrations that have led to widespread violence.
A few small Central American countries also face their own unique challenges. Countries such as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have a disproportionately high number of cities on the list given their tiny sizes. Drug trafficking and weak public institutions are important causes in these countries. But impunity and histories of civil war and divisive social issues also play into the high violence rates in these small countries.
The range of violence in Latin America is large, but there are various factors that can be generalized across the region. Foreign aid from countries like the United States can help alleviate some of the common causes of violence. For instance, Venezuela's economy has reached its last $10 billion. Providing food and economic support to the Venezuelan people could help stabilize the country and lead to more democratic and peaceful state than the violence currently ravaging the country. More than anything, people in Venezuela and the region at large need money and resources to stem the tide of violence across Latin America.
Bret Anne Serbin
Photo: Flickr


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What does CNP mean in Physiology?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand CNP in the Medical field in general and in the Physiology terminology in particular.
Find a translation for CNP in other languages:
Select another language:
Discuss this CNP abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
CNP also stands for:
- Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance
- California Natural Products
- Card Not Present
- Center for National Policy
- Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
... and 23 more »


text: OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects of increasing gas prices on mortality. METHOD: We developed a simulation-based partial equilibrium model that estimated the public health effects of a 20% rise in gas prices. Estimates on price elasticity for gasoline, price elasticity of motor vehicle crashes, relations among gasoline use, air pollution, and mortality were drawn from literature in economics, epidemiology, and medicine. RESULTS: For sustained 20% increases in gasoline prices over 1 year, and assuming other prices and factors were constant, we estimated: 1994 (range, 997 to 4984) fewer deaths from vehicle crashes and 600 (range, 300 to 1500) fewer deaths from air pollution. Combining both, we estimated 2594 fewer deaths. A Monte Carlo simulation involving varying assumptions on elasticities and relations indicated that 95% of the combined reduction in deaths was between 1747 and 3714. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that high gas prices have public health implications.


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Using a horror film to bring your date closer is a classic move in the teenage playbook. Now, a study of Australian birds finds that other animals use the same "scary movie effect" to attract female attention, by hitchhiking mating signals onto the calls of predators.
Male splendid fairy-wrens, a sexually promiscuous small bird native to Australia, are known to sing a special song each time they hear the call of one of their predators, the butcherbirds. New research from scientists at the University of Chicago finds that this seemingly dangerous behavior actually serves as a call to potential mates a flirtation using fear.
Published in the journal Behavioral Ecology, the study involved painstaking field research playing sound clips to splendid fairy wrens at a conservation center in Southern Australia. Experiments determined that the "vocal hitchhiking" of male birds is a courtship behavior that uses predator calls to grab the attention of female birds.
"We have shown that females do, in fact, become especially attentive after hearing butcherbird calls," said Emma Greig, PhD, first author of the study and currently a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. "So, it seems that male fairy-wrens may be singing when they know they will have an attentive audience, and, based on the response of females, this strategy may actually work!"
Splendid fairy-wrens are interesting to scientists studying evolution and mating patterns due to their unique social structure, said Stephen Pruett-Jones, PhD, associate professor of ecology and evolution and senior author of the study. While the birds are socially monogamous, forming male-female pairs that last their entire lives, they are sexually promiscuous, mating predominantly with birds outside of their home pair.
After years of studying these birds and their close relatives, the superb fairy-wrens, researchers noticed the unique, consistent pairing of butcherbird calls with a unique fairy wren call known as Type II song.
"The male begins his Type II call immediately after the butcherbird begins to call, so they're basically right on top of each other," Pruett-Jones said. "It sounds like a duet."
But theories varied as to why fairy-wrens would risk exposing their location to a predator by singing. Was it an alarm call to other fairy-wrens in the area? A display of their bravery and physical fitness to attract mates? Or an effective means of capturing the attention of any females in the area?
For the study, Greig played different combinations of songs from her iPod to male and female fairy-wrens in their natural habitat: the territorial Type I song, as well as the Type II song with and without the preceding predator call. The experiments found that females were most attentive as measured by looking in the direction of the call and responding with their own song when the butcherbird-preceded Type II song was played.
The results suggest that males use the predator call as an "alerting signal," Pruett-Jones said, similar to how humans might capture another person's attention by starting their sentence with "Hey!". For the females, the signal may carry information about the location of potential mates in neighboring territories, and potentially may nudge them towards mating, Greig said.
"The most exciting possibility is that Type II songs have a sexual function, and that females are more easily stimulated by, or receptive to, displays after being alerted by a predator, such that the male's song is especially attractive," Greig said.
Ongoing research is measuring the physical attributes and genetics of male splendid fairy-wrens and their offspring to see if there is a connection between Type II singing and mating success. But so far, no link has been found between the behavior and physical health, suggesting that the Type II singing is not a self-imposed handicap to make males look more fit and attractive to females.
"All males, regardless of age, color, or other measures of individual 'quality,' gave Type II songs with equal frequency, which suggests that singing after a predator vocalizes may not be as costly a behavior as you might imagine," Greig said. "Contrary to what you might expect, singing after a predator call may actually be quite safe: the male fairy-wrens know where the predator is located, and he also knows that the predator isn't actively hunting at that moment, but is instead singing its heart out."
Greig is also currently testing how common the "scary movie effect" is beyond the splendid and superb fairy-wrens. While only two other birds, fairy gerygones and white-throated magpie jays, are thought to demonstrate similar predator-elicited display, the researchers believe it may be present and undetected in other species as well.
"We suspect it may be more common than previously appreciated. It's definitely rare, but people just haven't followed up in these other species to do these kinds of experiments," Pruett-Jones said.
Explore further: Honeybees trained in Croatia to find land mines
More information: The study, "Danger may enhance communication: predator calls alert females to male displays," was published in the October 12, 2010 issue of Behavioral Ecology.


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Rushes must be controlled or they can overrun grasslands. According to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, rushes can be soft or hard weeds that grow in the wild. The weeds provide natural cover for wild birds and can grow in dry or moist areas. Rushes typically grow in environments with low pH levels. Reducing or eliminating rushes is necessary to keep grasslands healthy and prevent the unnecessary creation of shelter for dangerous wild animals.
- Skill level:
- Moderately Easy
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Cut the rushes. Identify the area of grasslands with rushes; if two-thirds or more of area is covered with rushes, it is time to cut. Use a tractor-mounted cutter to mow and destroy rushes. Cut rushes only between July 15 and the end of July. Trimming rushes too soon may result in the killing of nesting birds, while cutting in the latter half of July makes it an ideal time to uproot the rushes just before they bloom. Always leave at least one-tenth of your grassland rushes intact to provide nesting birds a natural habitat.
Apply herbicides. Spray an herbicide such as Clopyraid to eliminate large areas of hard thistle. Put on gloves and provide a spot-herbicide treatment to smaller areas. Rub the herbicide directly onto the stem and bud of each plant between May and July.
Let goats graze. Place goats in areas where rushes grow. Goats naturally eat thistle and other rushes. Place the goats on the grasslands after they have been cut to reduce the odds of returning rushes.
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