Iranian regime forces killed yet another kolbar
The Iranian regime forces killed a kolbar in the city of Shino, in the Kelashin region of Eastern Kurdistan.
According to the information received, a Kolbar named Ezizi Reisi was killed by the regime forces in the city of Shino within the Urmia province.
It was learned that Reisi was from the village of Girdik in Mèrgewer, Urmia.
On 1 October a kolbar was injured in a mine explosion in the Hewraman area.
On 22 September a group of kolbars in the Shino region became the target of the regime forces. A kolbar was killed in the attack and one injured.
On 23 September the regime forces opened fire on a group of kolbars in Urmia, injuring one.
At least 37 kolbars killed in six months
According to Kolbernews, during the six-month period from the beginning of March to the end of August, at least 37 kolbars were killed and 82 were injured following the attacks of the Iranian regime, mine explosions, extreme cold or avalanche between the borders of East, North and South Kurdistan.
29 of the deaths occurred as a result of the Iranian forces opening fire.
The tragedy of the kolbars
East Kurdistan has been impoverished year after year with the conscious policies of the Iranian regime. It stands out as one of the poorest regions in Iran.
Compared to other regions, there is less investment here, and development was deliberately curtailed. The development of agriculture and industry was prevented. As a result, unemployment rate reached the highest level compared to other parts of Iran.
In order to fight discrimination, oppression and impoverishment policies, carrying and trading illegal goods is not a choice but a necessity for survival.
Kolber or kolbar comes from the union of the Kurdish words "kol" and "bar". "Kol" means back and "bar" means load.
Kolbars make their living by carrying their goods across the dangerous border line.
This goods includes cigarettes, cell phones, covers, household items, tea and rarely alcoholic beverages.
This trade between South Kurdistan and Eastern Kurdistan is dangerous. The brought goods are sold at very high prices in commercial centers like Tehran.
However, at the expense of their lives, kolbars get very small profits.


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The tobacco plants are harvested for cigars two to three times yearly at Tabacalera Esteli. It takes about 80 to 90 days for a tobacco plant to fully develop from a small seed into tall plants ready for picking. The tobacco fields are planted with seedlings a few weeks apart so that the harvest is spread out throughout several months. This allows for careful and precise supervision of the crop and the subsequent hand selecting and picking of the leaves.
Every step is carefully supervised to make sure that the tobacco plants grow healthy.
Learn More. Continue to:
Or Return to:

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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This example uses both channels of USRP® B210, X300 or X310 to receive an LTE downlink signal. LTE System Toolbox™ is used to perform the cell search procedure and to decode the MIB and SIB1 messages if present.
LTE System Toolbox provides functions and tools to decode LTE waveforms. This example shows how an LTE waveform can be captured with SDR radio hardware such as a USRP®-based radio. The signal can then be analysed and decoded. In this example the captured waveform is searched for the presence of a suitable LTE signal. If found, the MIB and SIB1 messages are decoded.
This example decodes the MIB for a burst of captured frames, and then decodes the control format indicator (CFI) for each subframe, which informs the user equipment (UE) of the size of the control region. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) is then decoded. With this information the SIB1 message in the PDSCH is finally decoded.
The example outputs recovered cell wide information including the detected cell identity and checks the SIB1 CRC. The example also plots the signal spectrum, the PDCCH constellation and the magnitude of the channel estimate.
If you have a second SDR platform, a suitable signal can be generated by the companion example Two Antenna LTE SIB1 Transmission using USRP® based Software-Defined Radio (SDR).
This example requires the USRP®-based Radio support package. This can be installed using the Add-On Explorer.
More information about other supported SDR platforms can be found here.
The full example description and source code can be found in the list of examples using USRP® under the name "LTE Cell Search, MIB and SIB1 Recovery with Two Antennas".
Universal Software Radio Peripheral® and USRP® are trademarks of National Instruments Corp.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Everyone has an evil voice that spews doubt, self criticism and negativity. Learn how to make your's shut up!
In this keynote, Greg Smith reveals to the audience his greatest challenge: No, it is not his muscular dystrophy and his gradual weakening of muscles throughout his body. It is not his congestive heart failure and his periodic battles with fluid retention in his lungs. It is not the physical barriers or the negative reaction he gets from society because of his disability. It is not racism. Greg's greatest challenge is the negative voice that speaks to him from within, constantly reminding him of his inadequacies and revealing the reasons why he will fail. That same voice is within us all. In dramatic fashion, Greg personifies that voice on stage! In character, "The Voice" shares stories of the time he made Greg quit for the first time in his life, and the time he almost killed him. In this presentation, attendees will discover three successful tactics Greg used to silence that negative voice, and how those tactics can be applied to their own lives to rid the negative voice from its position of dominance!


Documentation Contribution Guide
Good documentation is crucial for any kind of software. This is especially true for sophisticated software systems such as distributed data processing engines like Apache Hop. The Apache Hop community aims to provide concise, precise, and complete documentation and welcomes any contribution to improve Apache Hop's documentation.
Our documentation is not yet fully implemented
ideas and contributions are very welcome, come discuss with us on our chat.
Types of documentation
Apache Hop has multiple types of documentation, each type is directed to a different audience and covers other use cases. We are maintaining a user manual which contains basic and more advanced instructions on how to use and set up Hop.
User manual
The goal for the user manual is to give a general feeling to how the application works, which transforms and actions are available and a guide on how to use them. A default template is used to explain how transforms and actions work, an Archetype is included in the repository to use as a template.
Technical documentation
Technical documentation contains best practices and general guidelines on how to use Hop in several environments and use cases.
API documentation
This is code documentation and only needed when you want to explore the internals of Hop or contribute code.
Obtain the documentation sources
Depending on the type of documentation the Apache Hop documentation is maintained in the separate git repository as the code base.
User manual and Technical documentation
The easiest way to contribute documentation is to fork Hop's repository on GitHub into your own GitHub account by clicking on the fork button at the top right. If you have no GitHub account, you can create one for free.
Next, clone your fork to your local machine.
git clone/hop-doc.git
The user manual documentation is located in the hop-user-manual/ subdirectory. The technical documentation is located in the hop-technical-documentation/ subdirectory.
API documentation
To contribute to the API and code documentation create a fork of Hop's code repository.
git clone/hop.git
The API documentation is located in the docs/ subdirectory
Before you start start working on the documentation…
… please make sure there exists a Jira issue that corresponds to your contribution. We require all documentation changes to refer to a Jira issue, except for trivial fixes such as typos.
Update or extend the documentation
The Hop documentation is written in Asciidoc. Asciidoc is a lightweight markup language which can be translated to HTML.
In order to update or extend the documentation you have to modify the Asciidoc (.adoc) files. For more information on Asciidoc check out this website.
Still working on a way to validate the user manual and technical documentation in a stand alone mode see HOP-30
Please feel free to ask any questions you have on the developer chat channel.
Documentation translations
We are planning on providing all documentation in multiple languages. We are looking for contributors that want to work with us and make this possible! If you are interested to maintain a translation language feel free to contact us on our chat.
Submit your contribution
Apache Hop accepts documentation contributions through the GitHub as Pull Requests. Pull requests are a simple way of offering a patch by providing a pointer to a code branch that contains the changes.
To prepare and submit a pull request follow these steps.
Commit your changes to your local git repository. The commit message should point to the corresponding Jira issue by starting with [HOP-XXXX].
Push your committed contribution to your fork of the Hop repository at GitHub.
git push origin myBranch
Go to the website of your repository fork (/hop-doc) and use the "Create Pull Request" button to start creating a pull request. Make sure that the base fork is hop master and the head fork selects the branch with your changes. Give the pull request a meaningful description and submit it.
It is also possible to attach a patch to a Jira issue.


Profiles of Female Genius: Thirteen Visionary Women Who Changed the World
Gene N. Landrum, Author
Gene N. Landrum, Author Prometheus Books $29.98 (437p) ISBN 978-0-87975-892-9
Reviewed on: 07/04/1994
Release date: 07/01/1994
Landrum, a marketing specialist who wrote a study of male entrepreneurs, Profiles of Genius, here turns his attention to 13 successful women he views as geniuses. Limited to those who developed original and influential concepts during the past 40 years and did not inherit or marry into their profession, Landrum's choices are drawn from diverse fields, including fashion (Liz Claiborne and Lillian Vernon), politics (Golda Meir and Margaret Thatcher), entertainment (Madonna and Oprah Winfrey) and philosophy (Ayn Rand). The author's analysis of the factors that supposedly account for his subjects' abilities are presented in a frequently oversimplified pop psychology format. Landrum argues that these women generally are born first among their siblings, had self-employed fathers, and attended all-girls schools. Common character traits include perfectionism, high self-esteem, independence and charisma. It is unclear whether the women were chosen to fit Landrum's model or vise versa. (July)
The Best Books, Emailed Every Week
Tip Sheet!


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you should first use the institution's own complaints procedure.
- If you are complaining about a further education college funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, you could also complain to the agency. Find out how to complain here:
- If your complaint is about a university in England or Wales, you could take your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (the OIA).
Race discrimination when providing goods, facilities and services
It is illegal for anyone providing goods, facilities or services in the UK to discriminate because of race, regardless of how the goods and services are provided or whether you have to pay for them or not..
- Refusal to provide you with goods, facilities or services because of your race;
- Providing any of these things on less favourable terms or conditions because of your race;
- Discriminating against you when you're buying something in a shop or over the internet; Discriminating against you when you're making a telephone enquiry or when someone gives you written information.
Clubs, associations and charities set up especially for people of a particular ethnic or national group are allowed to discriminate because of your nationality or ethnic or national origin but not because of your colour.
Race discrimination and public authorities
It is illegal for a public authority to discriminate against you because of your race while carrying out any of its functions. Public authorities include government departments, local authorities, NHS trusts, courts and tribunals, police officers and prisons.
In addition public authorities have a legal duty to take action against discrimination and to actively promote equality.
Race discrimination and advertising
With a few limited exceptions, it's illegal to publish or broadcast an advert which discriminates because of race, or which advertises discriminatory services.
If an advertisement like this is published, the Equality and Human Rights Commission can take court action against the publisher, if the case is referred to them.
Race discrimination in housing
Examples of direct discrimination in housing would be:
- An estate agent refuses to give details of a rental property to an Asian family because the landlord will not let to an Asian family;
- A letting agent insists that a Polish couple provide guarantors and a double deposit for a property but does not require either from British applicants;
- A landlord tries to evict his tenant when he finds out that the tenant is Jewish.
Direct race discrimination in housing can also include discrimination based on a false perception of a person's race/nationality/ethnic or national origins. An example would be if a landlord refuses to consider an application from a British Asian woman because they think she looks 'foreign', wrongly believing that she is a recent migrant from India who may not be allowed to stay in the UK.
Examples of indirect discrimination in housing would be:
- A housing authority has a policy that all applicants must attend an interview but refuses to interview a Nigerian applicant because he does not speak English;
- A landlord who decides he will only let his property to a family could be guilty of indirect discrimination if the landlord knows that there are large numbers of single migrant workers in the community who may otherwise apply to rent the property. If the landlord can reasonably justify his decision it will not be viewed as discrimination;
- If a housing provider only accepts people on their waiting list who were able to work without work permits.
Direct discrimination in housing is allowed if:
- A housing charity's lawful aims are to accommodate or help people of a particular race or ethnic or national origin or nationality;
- A housing association wants to make provision for a specific group who have a defined housing need, such as for housing with wardens who speak a particular language or hostel accommodation for refugees who have had traumatic experiences, or people who have specific dietary or religious requirements. There must be a demonstrable need and the special provision must be 'proportionate';
- A housing provider restricts access based on nationality in accordance with a statutory requirement.
What can you do about race discrimination
When deciding what action to take, you will need to think about what you are trying to achieve. For example, do you want financial compensation, justice or publicity? You will also need to think about how quickly you need to get a result.
The options include:
- Talking to the person or organisation that discriminated against you and trying to resolve it informally;
- Using a grievance procedure or making a claim to an employment tribunal if it is an employment problem;
- Taking legal action through the courts;
- Giving details of the problem to an advice agency who may able to refer it to the Equality and Human Rights Commission if you believe the problem is widespread;
- Publicising your case through the media.
Taking legal action
If you want to take legal action about race discrimination, you may be able to get some help with your case. You can get advice from your local Citizens Advice or from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
If you qualify for legal aid, you may get free legal advice and assistance from a solicitor.
Other types of discrimination
As well as race discrimination, you could be discriminated against for other reasons. For example, because of:
- Your sex;
- Sexual orientation;
You can claim for more than one form of discrimination at a time. For example, if you were a black woman who is pregnant and you're sacked and you think you've been sacked because you're black and because you're pregnant, you can make two claims, one for race discrimination and one for pregnancy discrimination.


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"Watering the distant, deserting the near" VI
Time changes everything. It is a matter of duration that affects the perception of this change in the minds of the individual and of the collective. Memory works in a similar manner; in other words, you can only remember an event if you have experienced it, and over time that memory too will fade, transform, and misinform. These sculpturs allude to both the catastrophic drying of Ain Adhari and its eminent disappearance from the living memory of Bahrainis.
Casting a layer of resin on top of plaster casts from the landscape of the spring at Adhari, I created three reliefs of varying heights. Each resin cast partially reveals some of the original landscape which the plaster captured while the remainder of the cast can be seen under the clear surface. These gestures replicate the process of water drying from the land, where portions of the earth are slowly revealed.
Much like the waters of the spring, the memory of this once iconic landmark will soon evaporate from the minds of future generations who now have other, newer monuments to refer to and preserve. The water is gone, and soon the memory of it will vanish too - but we still have stories to tell.
Three tables; plaster, resin, steel
50cm x 50cm x (40/50/60cm)


Beauty of Messinia
The land of the Olive Tree and Olive Oil
View of Castle of Koroni
View of Castle of Koroni
source photo:
Euripides called Messinia "the land of the good fruit" for its beauty and its fertile rich earth. It yields the world famous Kalamata Olives and Kalamata Olive Oil.
However Messinia is also renown for its natural beauty with the indented shores, sandy beaches, forested mountains and fertile valleys, which coexist with significant archaeological monuments and impressive Venetian fortresses.
People have lived in Messinia since the Neolithic age; however the Mycenaean age was indisputably the golden in Messinia's history and Pylos was the second largest city after Mycenae. On 20th October 1827, the allied fleet fought at Navarino bay, against the combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet, which event essentially signalled the independence of the Peloponnese from the Turkish domination.
Archaelogical Site Ancient Messini
Archaelogical Site Ancient Messini
 Greek history records the first inhabitants around 2,500 years B.C.
The region was rapidly developed into a significant financial and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. Its wealth, natural beauties and strategic location endowed its people with prosperity and, at the same time, attracting many conquerors.
Land of the Olive Tree
The olive tree, a sacred tree, has been cultivated in Messinia since the 12th century BC. Archaeological excavations in the palace of Nestor, the ancient king of Messinia, have brought to light evidence that show the enormous importance of the juice of the olive tree for the society of the time.
All of Messinia is a vast Olive Grove
Messinia, yields the world famous Kalamata Olives and Kalamata Olive Oil, particularly the Messinia Olive Oil, a 100% pure and natural fruit juice of the highest quality and of unique nutritional value, which has been ranked in the category of Extra Virgin Olive Oil after a series of chemical analysis. (source
Prefecture of Messinia
The Prefecture of Messinia has an area 2991 sq. Km. and occupies the southwestern part of the Peloponnese Region. To the north it borders with Ilia and east with the prefectures of Arcadia and Laconia, while to the west, south and a section in the east, the Ionian Sea and the Messinian Bay.
According to the 2001 census, its population rises to 176 876 inhabitants.
Following the recent administrative restructuring of all the prefectures of Greece in the context of the "Kallikrates", the Prefecture of Messinia is divided into the following 6 municipalities:
Kalamata, Messini, West Mani. Trifylia, Pylos-Nestor and Oihalia.
History of Messinia
Ancient Period
During the Mycenaean period Messinia dominated the Mycenaean kingdom of Nileidon. According to Homer other ancient traditions, and the excavations at Pylos seems the kingdom of Nileidon prevailed over a large area of southeastern Peloponnese that included the current Messinia, Triphylia and part of Arcadia. The Achaeans who were prevailed over the other tribes the Kafkones and Pelasgians in the area spoke the Greek language of the Mycenaean period and worshiped the gods of the Greeks and local deities. This kingdom finally collapsed after the invasion of area by the Dorians in the mid 12th century BC. It is believed that the leader of the Dorians who occupied Messinia was Kresphontes. The Dorians established their capital in the region Stenyklaro.
Messinia was famed for the fertility of the soil, which led later to the Spartan invasion in the region and at the outbreak of the First Messinian War. The outcome of the war resulted in Messinia being occupied by the Spartans and Messinian population was subjugated to the Spartans and were their Helots. A helot occupied a status "between free men and slaves" and was tied to the land. They worked in agriculture as a majority and economically supported the Spartan citizens.
The Messinians rebelled a century after bringing the outbreak of the second Messinian war. This war also involved other Peloponnese states. The Messinians were allied to the Argives, Arcadians, Sikyonians, Elis and Pisates while the Spartans allied themselves with the Corinthians and the Lepreates. The Corinithians were the sworn of enemies of the Argives and the latter were the enemies of Ilians.
After years of conflict, the Spartans managed to suppress the revolt. The Messinians revolted again in 464 BC. Following the devastating earthquake that struck Sparta the Messinians took the opportunity to revolt. Sparta needed external help from its allies to quell the revolution. The Spartans enlisted the help of Athenian soldiers who were sent to Laconia only to shortly to depart, as the Spartans felt uneasy with the presence of Athenian soldiers in their territory.
Eventually the resistance of the Messinians folden in 460 BC As a result of this defeat many Messinians took refuge in Nafpaktos. Messinia was finally liberated after the campaign of Thebes in the Peloponnese in 369 and 368 BC It was during this time that the new capital of Messina, Messini was founded.
Messinians never acquired great power in the coming years. After the Thebian hegemony they became allies of the Macedonians and later participated in the Achaean League until the conquest of Peloponnese by the Romans.
Medieval and Modern period (Ottoman Empire and Revolution)
The Byzantine era followed and during the 13th century the Messinans were conquered once again by the Franks. Finally in 1498 the region passed on entirely into the hands of the Turks.
From 1769 to 1770 Messinians and Maniates participated in the failed Orlofika movement; The Turkish reprisals were swift and devastating resulting in a large loss of life on the part of the Messinian population.
On March 23, 1821 Gregory Papaflessas declared the revolt against the Turks and liberated Kalamata. This was a major event in the war of independence, making Kalamata the first Greek city to be freed from the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. It remained free until 1825, when Ibrahim made his first foray.
Despite the heroic resistance of the Greeks, Ibrahim destroyed the whole of the Peloponnese which included the massacre of its population and the burning of its fruit and olive trees.
Finally on October 20th 1827, the Turkish-Egyptian alliance was defeated by the allied fleet at the Bay of Navarino. This led to the liberation of the Peloponnese and the creation of the new Greek state.
The beginning and the end of the Greek Revolution is written on Messinian soil
GREECE - CIRCA 1977: A stamp printed by Greece shows Sea battle of Navarino,
GREECE – CIRCA 1977: A stamp printed by Greece shows sea battle of Navarino


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Bannerman's Castle, one of today's modern ruins and one of the few castles left in the United States. Finished in 1918 this castle was home to the world's largest arms dealer and was his home and warehouse. Francis Bannerman is known to have bought most of the military surplus left after the Spanish-American War. This castle was his legacy.
"Resting in the Hudson River, on Pollepel Island, is a crumbling hulk of intricate concrete and brickwork that was once Bannerman's Arsenal. In 1900, Francis Bannerman VI bought the island to store ammunition for his prosperous military surplus business; more specifically, when he bought 90% of the US army surplus after the Spanish-American War ended and needed a place outside of New York City to store it all. The arsenal (sometimes referred to as "Bannerman's Castle") was constructed from 1901 to 1908, and was modeled similar to the architecture of an old Scottish castle.
A storm in 1950 sunk the ferryboat that served the island, Pollepel, and the arsenal was left more or less abandoned since then. On August 8th, 1969 a large fire destroyed much of the buildings. Neglect of the already burned and rotting wood roofs caused the deterioration of almost all the buildings except for the remaining stone walls. Submerged bulkheads and other structures make the surrounding area very dangerous for boaters; the island remains private property and is watched closely by preservation groups."
Some of the black and white photos are taken by photographer Shaun O'Boyle whose work consists of photographing abandoned edifices, or Modern Ruins as he calls them. Others have been taken fron the Bannerman Castle Trust archives.Bannerman Castle Trust: _URL_


Take the 2-minute tour ×
Suppose both I and my friend have a set of integer numbers. We want to know the number of common elements in our two sets but without knowing elements of the sets of each other. So I don't want my friend to know any element of my set and he don't want me to know his. But we want to know how many elements are in the intersection of our two sets (without also knowing which elements these are).
Are there any algorithm to achieve this goal? One that will calculate the number of common elements using data from which it is very difficult to compute elements of our sets? Or its just impossible?
All elements of our sets are integers so we can use algorithms of computational number theory.
share|improve this question
3 Answers 3
up vote 5 down vote accepted
Answer. Yes! It is possible to do this, using the magic of secure multi-party computation. The security property we get is basically the best one could possibly hope for: namely, your friend learns nothing more about your set of numbers than the maximum he could have learned by choosing his set in a clever way and learning the size of the intersection; and your friend gets symmetrical protection against you.
The particular problem you list is known as the cardinality set intersection problem or cardinality private set intersection problem, and there has been considerable research on protocols for this problem.
One way to solve this problem is using the standard general-purpose machinery for secure two-party computation. The general-purpose tools for secure two-party computation can be applied directly to this problem, giving one way to do what you want.
Alternatively, researchers have devised special-purpose protocols designed especially to solve the cardinality set intersection problem. These special-purpose protocols are considerably more efficient than what you get if you apply the general-purpose methods. Here are some some pointers into the research literature in this area:
Mathematical details. Here's the basic idea behind Kissner and Song's approach:
 1. They encode each set as a polynomial: for example, the set S = {3,5,17} is encoded as the polynomial s(x) = (x-3)(x-5)(x-17), the set T = {4,12,17} is represented as t(x) = (x-4)(x-12)(x-17), and so on. In general, a polynomial p(x) represents the set of roots of p(x), i.e., the set {a : p(a)=0}.
 2. Given polynomials s(x),t(x) representing the sets S,T, we can compute a polynomial u(x) representing the intersection U = S ∩ T, by picking random polynomials q(x),r(x) and computing
 u(x) = q(x)*s(x) + r(x)*t(x).
 Note that the roots of u(x) are (with high probability) exactly the common roots of s(x),t(x), i.e., u(a)=0 usually happens only when s(a)=t(a)=0.
 For example, if with sets S,T defined as in 1 above, we might pick q(x) = 2x^3 + 7x^2 + x - 3 and r(x) = 14x^3 + 3x^2 - 2x + 5. Then we can calculate u(x) = 16 x^6 - 502 x^5 +... - 3315, whose only integer root is x=17. This corresponds to the fact that U = S ∩ T = {17}.
 3. They use Pallier's additively homomorphic public-key encryption scheme. In particular, you and your friend jointly generate a Paillier public/private keypair, so that both of you know the public key but the private key is shared between you (it is only possible to decrypt if both of you jointly participate). There are known ways to do this.
 4. You take your set S, encode it as a polynomial s(x), and encrypt each coefficient under the Paillier public key, and send the resulting encrypted polynomial to your friend. Your friend takes his set T, encodes it as a polynomial t(x), encrypt each coefficient under the Paillier public key, and send the resulting encrypted polynomial to you. You jointly generate random polynomials q(x),r(x) (there are known ways to do this). Then, using the additively homomorphic properties of Paillier encryption, you can both compute an encrypted form of the polynomial u(x) = q(x)*s(x) + r(x)*t(x), where you get the encrypted value of each coefficient of u(x). You each share the value of u(x) you got with the other person.
 5. For each element a of your set S, you evaluate the encrypted polynomial at a, thus learning the encryption of u(a), call it E(u(a)) (the additively homomorphic properties of Paillier encryption allow you to do this), and then you pick a random non-zero value c and multiply to get E(c*u(a)). You do this separately for each element of your set, so you get |S| encrypted values, you shuffle them, and send them to your friend. Your friend does the same with his set and sends you a shuffled set of |T| encrypted values.
 In the running example, you'd learn the encryption of u(3), u(5), and u(17), you'd pick random non-zero values, say 8, 2, 5, and you'd share E(8*u(3)), E(2*u(5)), and E(5*u(17)) with your friend in random order. In this case u(3)=-50904, u(5)=152880, u(17)=0, so you'd be sharing E(8*-50904), E(2*152880), and E(0), in random order. Your friend would do something similar with his set.
 6. Finally, you and your friend jointly decrypt the encrypted values you've shared with each other, using the shared private key. You count how many zeros you see in the decrypted values your friend sent you. Your friend counts how many zeros are present in the decrypted values you sent him. This is the number of values you had in common, i.e., the cardinality of |S ∩ T|.
I've introduced some simplifications (e.g., all computations have to be done in an appropriate group, and many others). Please don't try to implement based upon this description alone. See Kissner and Song's paper for the full details. You might also look into the subsequent literature; there have been some follow-on papers that claim to improve their scheme to get better performance, though I'm not familiar with all the details. Also, in a real implementation, you'd need to add some zero-knowledge proofs at each step, to prove that each participant correctly performed their own computation (i.e., to lift from the honest-but-curious model to the malicious model). There has been follow-on research on that problem as well.
Summary. As you can see, this gets highly technical -- but the bottom line is that this problem has been studied in detail before, and there exist clever, beautiful, efficient solutions to it.
share|improve this answer
Not a complete answer, but it seems like the possible range of numbers needs to be very large and the actual numbers highly unpredictable. Otherwise, regardless of the specific algorithm, your "friend" could claim to have many or all of the numbers in his set and then learn information about how many you have in yours. If you were willing to perform the experiment repeatedly (and most automated systems are) the friend could learn your numbers through iterative refinement.
share|improve this answer
Yes, this is unavoidable. However: it is possible to limit the information leakage, simply by limiting the number of times you will run the protocol. Moreover: There exist protocols that achieve the best security that is achievable, i.e., that leak nothing more than this information (a fact that I find rather amazing and beautiful). See my answer. – D.W. Aug 18 '11 at 7:44
How about this idea:
 - We'll assume that the integers in the sets are all in the range [2, N] for some agreed-upon N. (why is the start of the range '2'? Because the below protocol doesn't work with the element 1; if the set has a different range, it is straight-forward to have a public mapping between the values that the set can be, and the range [2, N], if need be)
We'll call side 1's set E_i, and side 2's set F_i.
 - Both sides agree on a prime p with the properties:
 - Both p and (p-1)/2 are prime
 - (p-1)/2 > N
 - p is large enough that the decisional Diffie-Hellman problem is infeasible (decisional DH problem? Well, if the dDH problem was feasible, someone could attempt to attempt to use it to find matching pairs).
Phase 1:
 - Side 1 select a random value 1 <= e < (p-1)/2, computes the values P_i = (E_i)^(2e) mod p, shuffle those values into random order, and sends those values to side 2. (why 2e? Well, it's so that someone won't be able to use whether the elements were Quadratic Residues as a tag


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The jaggery wrapped in a variety of smooth Kenda leaves.
The golden sugar of the kithul palm adds a consumate sweetness to life in Sri Lanka
Words Daleena Samara and Madhawa Nagahawatte Photography Rasika Surasena
Sri Lankans with a sweet tooth will tell you that there is no better sweetener than kithul jaggery. This unrefined sugar, prepared from the treated sap of the graceful kithul or fishtail palm (Caryota urens), is the best of the country's original sweeteners - soft, honeyed and healthy. Kithul jaggery's two local contenders, coconut palm jaggery and palmyrah jaggery, cannot match its distinctive sweetness. White refined sugar is a pale imitation.
The fishtail palm, called kithul in Sinhala and koondalpanai in Tamil, belongs to the family Caryota urens, a native of tropical Asia. It flourishes in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar and Nepal. Growing to heights of 20 metres, it proliferates in the luxuriant forested areas of Sri Lanka's low-country wet zone, especially in the Sabaragamuwa Province and in mixed species perennial gardens in the central highlands.
For lovers of sweets, it is the kithul flower that holds the magic
For lovers of sweets, it is the kithul flower that holds the magic. It is only when the palm has reached its maximum height after a period of about 20 years that it begins to blossom; florets bearing budding cascades of flowers that will eventually turn into hard cherry-sized fruit, begin to appear at the topmost intersection of branch and trunk. New blooms progressively arrive on the lower branches, until the appearance of the last bloom on the lowest branch sounds the death knell for the palm, which dies shortly after it produces fruit.
Sri Lanka fell into the kithul palm's honeypot centuries ago. The palm is mentioned in numerous historical records including the Ummagga Jathaka. The islanders learned early that they could harvest the flow of sugary sap, called thelijja in Sinhalese, in the floret and turn it into a heady liquor called toddy, or boil it down into a delicious treacle or jaggery (hakuru in Sinhalese).
They refined the art of making jaggery that they were able to prepare five different varieties of the sweet: sudu (white) hakuru, a rare, soft and sweet pale jaggery made of refined sap; the rock-like wax or iti hakuru, prepared with slightly fermented sap; madol hakuru, which is soft and easily soluble; the grainy weli hakuru, traditionally prepared by pouring treacle into a pouch made of areca nut leaves and drying it over a fireplace, and the very common kithul hakuru, infused with subtle woody and smoky flavours.
Kithul jaggery is a food fit for royalty. It is said that a certain monarch from the Kandyan period had a special fondness for sudu hakuru.
An old man famed for his sweet and soft sudu hakuru was tasked with keeping the King happy with a supply of his favourite sweet. One day, the King asked him how he was able to prepare such delicious sudu hakuru. The man answered: "Oh, King, the hakuru is prepared on a full moon night, under the shelter of a white sheet and on a floor covered with white, in a golden pot, over a fire of white sandalwood and stirred with a silver spoon."
Intrigued, the King disguised himself as a commoner and visited the man's house situated in a jungle. He found the man preparing the hakuru in a simple mud hut. Dressed in a simple sarong, he was stirring the liquid with a spoon made of coconut shell over an ordinary wood fire.
When the King revealed his identity, the man trembled. He fell on his knees and said, "May you attain Buddhahood, Oh King... for is it not said, that everything is but an illusion."
Pleased with the man's reply, the King pardoned him and was able to enjoy a continuous supply of sudu hakuru. Like the old man, Upali Ranjith, a professional tapper for 30 years, lives in a humble home in a village bordering the Sinharaja Forest. He makes a living tapping clusters of privately-owned trees deep in the forest. In return, he gets a day's wages and two thirds of the thelijja that he collects from the trees.
His wife transforms this produce into jaggery or treacle. She boils the watery thelijja into a thick syrup in a large pan, adds crushed herbs into it, and sets it aside for a few days. The liquid forms into a thick dark gold treacle. To make jaggery, she boils the treacle three times, then pours it into coconut shells that have a little hole at one end. The mixture hardens in a day and she is able to pop it out of the shell by pushing it through the hole in the coconut. She wraps the jaggery in a special smooth leaf called "hakuru kenda". The process is not as easy as it sounds, because the trick in making the best hakuru is to know how to stir it and when to take it off the fire.
Kithul tapping is a hazardous occupation. The palm grows very tall, and its smooth bark has little grip. In the past, the task was dominated by a special skilled caste of tappers who made a living from it. Today, it is a general occupation of villagers dwelling on the outskirts of forests. Often, a village would have a small group of tappers who tap all the palms in the neighborhood. In recent years, government initiatives have been set in place to invigorate the industry and get more rural folk to take up tapping as an occupation.
A skilled tapper respects his trees. He would never tap the first flower of the palm, because its seeds make the best kithul saplings and the palm must be propagated. He also cleans out the ridges on the trunk left behind by branches as a mark of respect. He twists a ladder of bamboo fibre around the tree to help his climb and erects a platform beside the flowers. He begins tapping with the second flower from the top when it is about two months old, priming it by warming its base, removing part of its sheath, and tying a poultice of herbs on it to stimulate the flow of thelijja. He makes a deep incision into the flower, which will then, he says, "shed a tear" because it is losing the nutrients it has collected from the sky and earth. He sets up a pot at the base of the floret to collect the thelijja. A master tapper can make a single flower produce thelijja for two months, and each palm will yield up to seven flowers in a lifetime.
Tapping is done in either the morning or the evening, but never at noon when the supply of sap drops. The supply increases during the rains. Often, wild animals and birds help themselves to some of it; Upali does not mind this because he says they have to eat as well.
Sri Lanka's indigenous system of medicine - ayurveda - treats kithul jaggery as a very rich food, which can make you gain weight in a healthy way. Ayurveda posits that if you are thin and weak, you will gain weight by eating kithul jaggery, but never gain weight in excess. Rich in calcium, minerals, salts and fibre, this sweet is slower to digest, thus it doesn't provide the rush of energy that refined sugar delivers. Like its South American counterpart, panela, it is said to be a source of iron and vitamins.
Kithul jaggery is the sweetener of Sri Lankan gastronomy. It is kithul jaggery and no other that takes pride of place as the perfect sweet accompaniment to the auspicious dish of milk rice on festive occasions. It is the sugar substitute to be nibbled on with a cup of herbal tea, the sweetener with congee and the honey in the rich dessert wattalapam. More recently, it has become the flavour of modern sweet treats like cake and ice cream, available in large supermarket chains and confectionery stores.
Undoubtedly, kithul hakuru is the nobility of Sri Lanka's original sugars. From forest to gourmet dining, it has marked a trail of incomparable sweetness across the land.


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Before any person moves for an order under division (A)(1)(g) of this section, that person shall make a reasonable effort to resolve the matter through discussion with the petitioner or prosecuting attorney seeking discovery. A motion for an order under division (A)(1)(g) of this section shall be accompanied by a statement reciting the effort made to resolve the matter in accordance with this paragraph.
The orders that may be made under division (A)(1)(g) of this section include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
With respect to a petition filed under division (A)(1)(a)(iv) of this section, the procedures and rules regarding introduction of evidence and burden of proof at the pretrial hearing that are set forth in divisions (C), (D), and (F) of sectionof the Revised Code apply in considering the petition. With respect to such a petition, the grounds for granting relief are that the person has been diagnosed with one or more of the conditions set forth in division (A)(1)(a) of section of the Revised Code and that, at the time of the aggravated murder that was the basis of the sentence of death, the condition or conditions significantly impaired the person's capacity in a manner described in division (A)(1)(b) of that section.
R.C. § 2953.21


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How to Make a Mosaic Wildflower Monolith Sign
Design a ceramic tile flower to decorate a stone sign.
Materials and Tools:
1-by-1-inch and 2-by-2-inch ceramic tile in various colors
PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue
contractor-grade waterproof sealant
bucket of water
offset tile nippers
square of wood for work surface
1. Cut and shape the wildflower with offset tile nippers and ceramic tile. Quarter a 2-by-2-inch off-white tile, and shape each square meticulously into a flower petal.
2. Shape several off-white tile petals.
3. Shape the corolla in the same manner from a 1-by-1-inch deep-yellow tile.
5. Cut a square from fiberglass mesh using scissors. Cover a scrap piece of wood with wax paper to use as a work surface. Tape the wax paper onto the wood. This will prevent glue from leaking through the mesh and sticking to the surface.
6. Tape the mesh to the wax paper on the scrap wood. Mark the center and a border around the mesh.
7. Starting at the center, glue the tile pieces for the flower first, and then glue the background tiles around the flower with PVA glue. "Butter" each individual piece with glue and put it into place on the mesh. Let the glue dry.
8. Prepare the substrate by tracing a template the approximate size of the mosaic on the stone with a pencil.
9. Wearing safety glasses and a respirator, use a grinder to score the prescribed space to the right depth and chisels to remove the small chunks within. When you're done, there will be a recessed well the depth of the tile.
10. Mix the mortar with water and apply it to the space for the mosaic. Press the mosaic into the mortar to assure a good bond. Allow ample time for the mortar to cure, which will vary depending on how thick the mortar is mixed, with 12 to 24 hours being optimal.
11. Mix sanded grout with water to the consistency of pudding. Mask off the stone around the edges of the opening. Apply the grout to the mosaic with a float, filling all spaces between the tiles. Let the grout stand for about 15 minutes, and then clean the monolith wildflower sign with a wet sponge. Remove the grout haze with a terry-cloth towel. Pull off the masking tape.
12. Let the grout cure for a minimum of 48 hours, and then seal the mosaic sign with a high-quality sealant applied with a foam brush.


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Are you in search of affordable appliances or looking to sell excess inventory?
Appliance liquidation sales present a fantastic opportunity for both buyers and sellers to engage in the thriving market of discounted appliances. Understanding the ins and outs of appliance liquidation is essential whether you're a savvy consumer looking for affordable solutions or a reseller aiming to maximize profits. This in-depth guide will examine the appliance liquidation process, offer professional advice on locating and assessing liquidation appliances nearby, cover various forms of liquidation, and address frequently asked issues.
Understanding the Process of Appliance Liquidation
Using a B2B recommerce platform like B-Stock, resellers have access to a vast network of enterprise retailers and manufacturers. These platforms play a crucial role in connecting retailers with excess or discontinued inventory to resellers who can effectively manage and sell these products. Let's dive into the appliance liquidation process, focusing on the "Big 5" of the industry: washers, dryers, refrigerators/freezers, dishwashers, and ovens/stoves/cooktops.
Collaboration between retailers and recommerce platforms
When retailers face situations such as overstock, store closures, or seasonal inventory turnover, they collaborate with recommerce platforms to efficiently handle the liquidation process. B2B recommerce platforms like B-Stock act as intermediaries, managing the logistics of the liquidation sales. These platforms provide a centralized marketplace where retailers can list their excess inventory for auction or direct purchase by qualified buyers with resale businesses.
The process of appliance liquidation often involves auction-based platforms. Resellers, registered on the platform, have the opportunity to bid on bulk quantities of appliances. The auction mechanism allows resellers to determine the value of inventory and what they're willing to pay for it. Resellers make important decisions about bid strategy, market knowledge, and estimations of possible resale value during the auction process.
Types of Appliance Liquidation
Appliance liquidation encompasses various types, each presenting unique characteristics and opportunities for buyers. Understanding these different types can help resellers navigate the market more effectively and capitalize on specific niches. Let's explore some common types of appliance liquidation:
Store closure liquidation
Store closure liquidation occurs when a retail store or chain shuts down its operations. To recover a portion of their investment under such circumstances, retailers frequently dispose of their inventory, in which a wide range of equipment usually becomes available at discounted prices. Store closure liquidation sales are excellent opportunities for resellers to acquire a diverse inventory of appliances from various brands.
Overstock liquidation arises when retailers have surplus inventory due to overestimating demand or changes in consumer preferences. Liquidating overstock appliances allows retailers to clear their storage space and free up capital. For resellers, this type of liquidation presents an opportunity to obtain brand-new appliances that have never been used or opened at discounted rates. Overstock liquidation sales often feature appliances in pristine condition, making them highly desirable for buyers.
Seasonal inventory liquidation occurs at the end of a particular season or holiday when retailers need to make room for upcoming products while recovering some of their investment. For example, at the end of the summer season, retailers might liquidate air conditioners, fans, and outdoor grills. By buying seasonal appliances at lower prices, resellers can potentially sell them at higher profits later. However, this approach requires them to have ample storage space to strategically hold onto this inventory.
Returned and refurbished
Another type of appliance liquidation is returned and refurbished liquidation. In this case, shops get appliances that customers have returned for a variety of reasons, like minor cosmetic damage, functional problems, or just a change of heart. After being examined, fixed, and reconditioned, these returned appliances are put back in working order. This product type adds an extra layer of reassurance for discerning buyers. Fun fact: Scratch and dent inventory is historically easy to sell and allows you to move inventory quickly. Something to think about: 80% of appliance purchases are replacement purchases. This means shoppers are looking for a unit to bring home fast, usually in the next 24-48 hours.
Retailers could be left with inventory that they need to liquidate when manufacturers decide to stop making a specific model. Appliances that would otherwise become obsolete can be purchased at steep discounts during discontinued and end-of-line liquidation deals. These appliances are frequently completely new and unused, but because older models are being phased out, they are now more reasonably priced.
Overall, bulk liquidation involves the sale of large quantities of appliances in a single transaction. When retailers or manufacturers have excess inventory or need to quickly clear out a substantial amount of appliances, they can sell it to traditional liquidators or B2B recommerce platforms.
Tips for Buying Liquidation Appliances
Evaluating inventory condition
As a reseller, it is essential to thoroughly evaluate the condition of the liquidated appliances before placing a bid or making a purchase. B2B recommerce platforms provide detailed product descriptions, condition reports, and often include photos to help resellers make informed decisions. Carefully reviewing this information allows resellers to assess the quality of the appliances and determine their resale potential.
Conducting market research
To maximize profitability, resellers should conduct comprehensive market research. This involves analyzing consumer demand, identifying popular appliance models, and understanding market trends. By staying informed about current market conditions, resellers can make strategic decisions regarding which liquidated appliances to bid on and which ones are likely to yield higher returns.
Calculating shipping and logistics costs
There are unique shipping and logistics costs associated with buying liquidated appliances. Resellers should factor in these costs to determine the overall profitability of their purchases. Accurate cost calculations help resellers set appropriate pricing and ensure they can still generate a profit after accounting for these shipping expenses.
Considering brand reputation and warranty coverage
Brand reputation plays a significant role in the resale value of liquidated appliances. By considering brand reputation and warranty coverage, resellers can strategically decide on inventory their customers will find most appealing. Appliances that still carry the original manufacturer's warranty can add value to potential buyers.
Finding Liquidation Appliances Near You
If you're interested in buying or selling appliances, here are some additional tips to consider:
Online liquidation platforms
In addition to B-Stock, there are several reputable B2B recommerce platforms that specialize in appliance liquidation. These platforms provide a large variety of manufacturers and retailers, guaranteeing a varied assortment of merchandise. Find the platform that best meets your company's demands by doing some research and comparing several options. To aid in your decision-making, look for marketplaces that offer transparent information about their sellers, product descriptions, and condition reports. You may also consider platforms that provide access to exclusive sales, early notifications, and additional support.
Create an auction strategy
Understanding market trends and demand is crucial when participating in liquidation auctions. Research popular appliance models, examine historical pricing information, and keep up with business news. You may use this information to set goals, create a budget, and strategically bid to acquire the greatest bargains. Consider setting bidding limits to ensure you don't overspend.


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Training, Help, Facilities, Equipment
The Imaging and Computing Center occupies the ground floor of Coram library, and is broken into four areas. It is a cross curricular facility open to all at Bates.
- The Imaging Lab: The Imaging Lab is an image acquisition facility containing a microscope suite and a digital photography studio.
- The Computer Room: The Computer Room workstations give users the tools to process and visualize data and to manipulate and present images.
- The Gallery: The Gallery is an informal space that provides a venue for students and faculty to work in small groups.
- The Office: The Imaging and Computing Center's office houses miscellaneous equipment and the center's staff, Matt Duvall and Will Ash.


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Optical EngineeringToward an analog very large scale integration system for perceiving depth through motion parallax
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We describe the development of an analog very large scale integration (AVLSI) system for perceiving depth of a stationary object, termed the depth through motion parallax (DTMP) system. The system consists of an AVLSI smart focal plane array and an optical lens, with a laser system for the object. The DTMP integrated circuit is implemented using the AMI Semiconductor 1.5-µm process available through the MOSIS integrated circuit fabrication service. The DTMP chip and the lens are mounted on a single motion-controlled stage to mimic the human head and eye. The object is mounted on a different motion stage and is manually moved to different depths with respect to the lens. We report experimental results obtained for depth perception with the head being stationary and the object moving with a constant velocity that is geometrically equivalent to the object being stationary and the head moving with a constant velocity. Our results show that the transit time across the DTMP chip, which is equivalent to the perceived velocity, can be used to determine the depth of an object, and uses less than 2 mW of average power.


Running the Numbers
It's easy to read more into the yield numbers determined by the ISO/IEC standard than they actually mean. The first thing you need to know is that they don't represent a guaranteed number of pages you'll get from every individual cartridge—not even if you're printing only the set of pages defined by the standard. Basically, the stated yield is a statistical prediction that if you pick a cartridge at random and follow the procedures in the ISO/IEC standard, you'll get at least that number of pages more than 90 percent of the time.
To calculate the yield for what the ISO/IEC standard calls a primary cartridge—black or tricolor, for example—you start with the individual results from a minimum of nine cartridges. More precisely, you need results from a minimum of three sets of three cartridges tested on each of three printers, to take variations among both individual printers and cartridges into account. (The standard defines a different approach for what it calls supplementary cartridges, such as light cyan or light magenta, but for our purposes that's an unnecessary complication.)
You have to run the results through basic statistical formulas to determine what's called the "90 percent lower confidence bound." That number gets reported as the yield. —next: Understanding the Yield Numbers >


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New scoring on dementia screening recommended for more highly educated peopleApril 15, 2009
A recent study by researchers from the Texas Tech University Health Science Center and the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine shows that raising the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, a standard screening tool for dementia) "cut score" for more highly educated people increases the early accuracy of results for this group. Earlier identification of cognitive decline could aid in their treatment.
Scores on the MMSE decrease with advanced age and less education. The standard MMSE cut score is 24, meaning that a score of 23 or below indicates possible dementia. However, a review of data for 4,248 people, including 1,141 with 16 or more years of education, suggests that a more appropriate cut score for college-educated individuals is 27. Raising the MMSE cut score for this group to 27 increased the accuracy of the classification rate from 89 to 90 percent and provided an "optimal balance" of sensitivity and specificity, the study results reveal. A cut score of 27 identified 70 of the 104 college-educated patients with dementia who were missed when a cut score of 24 was used.
The researchers conclude that older, more highly educated patients who complain of cognitive decline and score below 27 on the MMSE should be referred for a comprehensive dementia evaluation.
O'Bryant, S.E., et al. Detecting dementia with the mini-mental state examination in highly educated individuals. Arch Neurol. 2008 July. 65(7):963-67.
Page last updated: September 28, 2011


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Why It Is Done
A galactosemia test is done to:
- Determine whether a newborn has the enzymes needed to change galactose into glucose.
- Monitor the effectiveness of diet changes for a child with galactosemia.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference March 29, 2011|
|Medical Review:||Reference Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Reference Siobhan M. Dolan, MD, MPH - Reproductive Genetics


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000,000 bushels
Cherries 5,382,000 pounds
Figs 45,000 pounds
Grapes 73,224,000 pounds
Hops 73,000 bales
Hay 3,000,000 tonnes
Lumber 900,000,000 feet
Pears 54,390,000 pounds
Peaches 21,015,000 pounds
Plums 43,938,000 pounds
Prunes 180,000,000 pounds
Raisins 100,000,000 pounds
Other Dried Fruit 41,000,000 pounds
Olive Oil 51,000 gallons
Potatoes 6,500,000 bushels
Walnuts 12,800,000 pounds
Wool 22,000,000 pounds
Wheat 4,700,000 centals
Wine 41,000,000 gallons
The total annual output of fruit from California farms is $40,000,000, and this is made up of all known fruits that grow in temperate and semi-tropical climates. In the year 1906 there were 30,000,000 fruit trees in California; this figure does not include nuts, figs, olives, or berries. Six million of these fruit trees belong to Santa Clara Valley alone. The principal fruit trees are as follows: apple trees, 4,000,000; apricot trees, 3,500,000; cherry trees, 1,000,000; peach trees, 4,500,000; pear trees, 2,000,000; orange trees, 6,000,000; lemon trees, 2,000,000. There are 272,500 acres of land devoted to the cultivation of grapes: 250,000 for wine, and 22,500 for table grapes.
The total value of the output in manufactures in 1900, according to the census, was $302,874,761. In 1906 it amounted to $400,000,000. The chief elements contributing to California's success in manufactures are an abundance of raw material from her soil, cheap fuel from her forests, and cheap power from her streams. The heaviest items of manufacture are sugar, lumber and timber products, flour, machinery, and leather goods. During 1906 the total output of sugar was 62,110 tons. The discovery of rich deposits of petroleum has given an impetus to manufactures that is already far-reaching in its results. In 1900 there were 12,582 manufacturing plants in California, representing a total investment of $205,395,025, and giving employment to 98,931 persons; the sum paid out for labour was $55,786,776, and for materials, $188,125,602.
Mining is still one of the most important industries of California, notwithstanding that the flood of population first lured to her mountains by the discovery of gold has long ago been turned to agriculture and commerce. There are some forty-seven mineral substances now being mined in the State. The value of the total output in 1900 was $28,870,405. In 1906 it was over $54,000,000. Gold, petroleum, and copper are now the most valuable items of this output. In the same year there were 1,107 producing mines in the State. The value of the gold output was $19,700,000; silver, $2,460,000; copper, $3,750,000; quicksilver, $904,000; petroleum, $10,000,000. It is estimated that in the petroleum industry alone the total investment is more than $20,000,000; 35,000,000 barrels of oil were produced in 1906. There are also large and valuable deposits of brick and pottery clays, lime, asphaltum, bitumen, and iron ore.
Twenty-two per cent of the area of the State is forest-clad, and the importance of the lumber industry in California increases each year as the mountains of the east and the north are denuded of their trees. California is the home of the redwood (Sequoia). These remarkable trees attain a height of three hundred feet in the famous groves of Big Trees in Mariposa and Calveras Counties. Redwood and pine are the two principle woods. It is estimated that, without the growth of another tree, the forests of California can not be exhausted for two hundred years. San Francisco alone sends 400,000,000 feet of lumber to the world each year. The total output of the State for 1906 was 900,000,000 feet. There are $16,000,000 invested in the industry, 250 mills, and the value of the total output, together with the by-products of the forests, is $17,000,000--the lumber itself amounting to $8,500,000.
Throughout the splendid harbour of San Francisco passes by far the greatest part of the ocean commerce of California, as well as of the entire Pacific Coast. The harbours of the State now carry on an ocean commerce of about $100,000,000 per year, the precise figure for 1906 being: imports $49,193,303; exports $45,479,422. The total foreign commerce of the State for 1900 was $119,212,911, and in 1906 San Francisco was fourth among the cities of the United States in point of customs receipts. Besides the ocean commerce of California with every port of the world which passes through her harbours, she has direct communication by rail with every quarter of the United States. Four great transcontinental railroads carry her goods and passengers to and from her cities, and a fifth is now (1907) nearing completion. In 1900 the total railroad mileage of the State was 5,532.
The educational system of the State commences with primary schools and continues through grammar schools and high schools, culminating in the State University. These are all public schools, being supported by the State and counties, and affording free education to all. The State Constitution creates the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; it also provides for a superintendent of schools for each of the fifty-seven counties of the State. It makes provision for the maintenance of the public school system, and directs that the proceeds of all public lands and of all escheated estates shall be appropriated to the support of the common schools. The State University is situated at Berkeley on the Bay of San Francisco. It was created by act of the legislature on 23, March, 1868, and this act is confirmed by the present constitution (that of 1879), making the organization and government of the university perpetual. The university is designed for the education of male and female students alike, and in fact the principle of co-education is recognized and put in practice in nearly all state educational institutions.
The total number of professors, including the various officers of instruction and research, in the University of California, for the year ending 30 June, 1906, was 318, as follows: academic, 252; art, 9; Lick Astronomical Observatory, 9; law, 6; medicine, 34; pharmacy, 8. The total number of students for the same period was 3,338, of whom 2,007 were men, and 1,331 women, the women being nearly 40 percent of the total enrollment. This percentage is far higher in the Colleges of Letters, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences, in which, as an average, the women outnumber the men more than two to one. The College of Agriculture, as well as several other technological colleges, including the College of Mechanics, the College of Mining, the College of Commerce, the College of Civil Engineering, and the College of Chemistry, are designed to afford a complete technical training in their respective branches. The Affiliated Colleges of the University, being the schools of Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry, are situated in San Francisco; there are several experiment stations for which the university receives $15,000 annually from the Federal Government; and there is a State University Farm of 780 acres at Davisville. The university has been the recipient of munificent endowments both from the State and from private persons. In addition to these, and the proceeds of public land already mentioned, a direct tax of two cents on every $100 of taxable property in the State is levied, and applied to the support of the university. But four of the fifty-seven counties of the State have no high school, and some counties have several. There are also five normal schools, situated respectively at San Francisco, Los Angeles, San José, San Diego, and Chico. In addition to these there are night schools, technical schools, and commercial schools in all the large cities of the State.
The public school system of the State was founded in the constitutional convention at Monterey, in September, 1849. The 500,000 acres of land granted by Congress to new States for the purpose of internal improvement were appropriated to constitute a perpetual school fund. It was also provided that a school should be kept in each district at least three months each year to secure any share of the State school funds. In the school year ending 30 June, 1906, there were 3,227 primary and grammar schools in the State, and 117 high schools. The total number of teachers in the public schools was 9,371; the total number of pupils, 321,870. The total number of pupils in private schools was 43,080. California has been more than lavish in


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This week Gerald Kitabu interviewed Elias Dominic, a teacher of Civics at Jitegemee Secondary School in Dar es Salaam on poverty alleviation among the youth. Excerpts:
QUESTION: What is the role of income and employment strategies in alleviating urban poverty among the youth?
ANSWER: Income generating activities are mostly associated with the level of employment in a particular place. This is not an exception in urban areas. In many cities of world the level of income has been deteriorating and this has always been associated with the declining labour market due to several reasons -- one being the Structural Adjustment Programmes which affected more the less developed countries. However, income and employment strategies can have tremendous results in reducing poverty in urban areas if they are carefully and strategically implemented.
There are several ways of implementing these strategies. It is imperative for the government to help poor people in urban areas to establish small enterprises, which through credits, can open up small businesses. This is only possible if poor people are helped to form groups which in the long run will be able to generate the capital they need for the small enterprises.
It is through coming together that poor people can overcome the barrier of insufficient capital. The role of the government and the urban authorities should be to provide favourable environment for operation of these groups. It is the duty of government to provide specific location for poor peoples' business; also the government has to provide a legal set up for the formation of these small business enterprises.
In Tanzania the informal sector is recognised and the government gives support through formulation of policies which are favourable for flourishing of poor peoples' small enterprises. Small and informal business entities in Tanzania get support and backing from NGOs like Poverty Africa, NIGP and organizations like the International Labor Organization (ILO). This can be a very useful strategy to help poor people. It is better to give a man fishing net instead of giving him fish.
Q: Looking at the urban youth, what is their main form of poverty?
A: The main form of poverty in urban areas is the so-called economic poverty which is characterised by income insufficient to survive in an urban environment and is attributed primarily to the capacity of the urban economies to generate sufficient formal employment and subsequent formalisation of the labour market.
Economic poverty leads to many outcomes to the urban dwellers such as inadequate consumption, poor housing facilities to mention just a few. In fact, urban poverty will not decrease unless the urban poor are integrated into the economy. In Latin America, for example, it is estimated that the number of urban poor now broadly exceeds the number of rural poor.
The causes of poverty in urban areas are many. They are complex and sometimes difficult to identify. In certain cities one cause can have a major impact while in another it is a combination of factors.
However, in many countries, like Tanzania, the increasing rural-urban migration has a great effect on the rapid increase of the urban poor. However, poor peoples' view on causes of poverty is associated with lack of income and assets to attain necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and acceptable levels of health and education.
According to the World Bank development report, 2000/2001, the assets they lack are classified into several groups like human assets, such as the capacity for basic labour, skills, and good health. Natural assets such as land, physical assets such as access to infrastructure, financial assets such as savings and access to credit and finally social assets such as networks of contacts and reciprocal obligations that can be called on in time of need, and political influence over resources.
All these assets are very important for social, economic and political progress of an individual. In developing countries like Tanzania, most of the people in the urban areas are not able or 'eligible' to borrow from financial institutions, this is so because of conditions set by financial institutions were by a person is supposed to have a collateral before he/she borrows. This has a serious consequence on the part of the urban dwellers since they cannot raise capital and hence they can not invest, generally this affects the income of urban people and the outcome is the increase in the level of poverty in urban areas.
Q: It is widely known that only few countries in Africa have managed to constantly increase their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the decline of GDP the rate of poverty also increases tremendously. What is its implication in the war against poverty?
A: The answer is simple, with economic stagnation the creation of jobs becomes only a dream, also governments cannot raise revenue which is desperately needed to provide social services to the majorities in the population. With this kind of situation the rate of poverty will always increase instead of decreasing.
However as it argued by the World Bank, "the level to which economic growth translates in to lower poverty depends on the initial level of inequality in the distribution of income and how that distribution changes over time".
Related to the above point is the issue of social exclusion, in urban areas social exclusion takes different forms, it may be in form of gender discrimination like in many cities in Africa women have a limited access to means of production.
In cites like Dar -es-Salaam most women can not engage in economic production because either they are denied access to jobs although they have qualifications to do them or they do not have the necessary capital to invest in small enterprises. Sometimes exclusion is relatively passive, based on the ignorance or preferences of more powerful and better groups while leaving out certain groups or individuals.


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The snake tablet cracker emits the highest amount of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) amid popular firecrackers, perhaps the first-ever such study has shown. As per the findings of researchers at the Chest Research Foundation (CRF) and Pune University, a snake tablet burns out in only 12 seconds, but produces 64,500 mcg/m3 of PM2.5 in that time, the effects of which last for three minutes. The permissible limit of PM2.5 is just 50 mcg/m3. Particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter can reach deeper portions of the lung, causing more damage.
Watch what else is making news:
Snake tablets were followed by ladis (strings of 1,000 crackers), pulpuls (a kind of colourful fuljhadis), fuljhadis, chakris and anaars in the level of pollutants generated.
It is perhaps the first time that levels of PM2.5 between different firecrackers have been measured and compared, Dr Sundeep Salvi, the director of the CRF, and the main author of the study, said. The findings were presented in September this year at the European Respiratory Society.
"Our aim was to find out which firework used during Diwali produces the most amount of particulate matter air pollution. The experiments were done last year in November-December," said Salvi.
Dr Sneha Limaye, CRF senior scientist who supervised the study, said that if it was known which were the most harmful fireworks in terms of PM2.5, people could be advised to avoid burning them. Children generally burn the fuljhadi, pulpul and snake tablet barely a foot or two away from them, and end up inhaling a large amount of smoke particles.
The researches found that after a snake tablet, ladis with 1,000 crackers created the most harm. These burn for 48 seconds, produce 38,540 mcg/m3 of PM2.5 at their peak, and the pollutants last for six minutes. Of the six popular firecrackers, anaar produced the least pollution.
"We do not know why anaar produces the lowest levels, but it could be because the levels of PM2.5 were measured at a height of 3 feet and a distance of 6 feet (from where one generally watches a lit anaar)… Or there could be better combustion of the firepowder in the anaar than other fireworks," Salvi said.
During the experiment, the six firecrackers were burnt five times each, and individually, in an area simulating the front of a house. They were set off at a distance one would normally maintain. For example, the fuljhadi was lit around 1 feet away, and the ladi and anaar at a distance of 6 feet.
Sufficient time was given after the firecrackers had been lit to measure how long it took for the levels of PM2.5 to subside.
Researchers also pointed out that while in their experiment they burnt the crackers individually, on Diwali day,
there would be many going off simultaneously, causing PM2.5 to reach extremely high levels.
The PM2.5 levels were measured using Thermo PDR 1200, USA, a light-scattering photometer that counts the number of particles and converts them into mass, which are then expressed as mcg/m3. The inbuilt data logger recorded minute-by-minute levels of PM2.5.
Apart from particulate matter, even gaseous pollution is harmful for lungs, eyes, nose and heart.


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The letter of credit is a document, also called a credit letter which is given by a bank or financial services. A letter of credit guarantees a seller receives the agreed payment from the buyer. The bank pays the stipulated amount either full or the remaining portion to the seller in case the buyer is unable to pay the amount.
International transactions can be carried out using a letter of credit. Many different factors like distance, respective country laws, and unknown trade parties usually affect business, letter of credit is popular as it doesn't get affected by these factors. Banks charge 0.25 to 2 % depending on the type of letter of credit margin, customer credit rating, tenure, and other such factors.
How does it work?
- Letter of credit is issued by the beneficiary or any bank nominated by the beneficiary.
- The letter of credit can be transferable.
- If the letter of credit is transferable, another entity can be assigned like a third parent or corporate who has the right to draw.
- The collateral by the bank is usually in the form of cash or any other form of security before a letter of credit is issued.
- The service charge is dependent on the bank; it can be also a percentage of the letter of credit.
- The International Chamber of Commerce Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits monitors letter of credit used for international transactions.
Types of Letters of Credit
Commercial Letter of Credit
This letter credit is issued by the bank for direct payment to the beneficiary.
A standby letter of credit
This letter of credit is issued by the bank only when the account holder is unable to clear beneficiary dues.
Revolving Letter of Credit
This letter of credit is issued by the bank which allows a customer to make any number of draws within a certain limit during a specific time period.
Traveller's Letter of Credit
This letter of credit is for travelers planning to go abroad.
Confirmed Letter of Credit
This letter of credit is given by the second bank, confirming the payment. The second bank is usually the seller's bank. The confirming bank ensures that the letter of credit is honored in case the issuing bank defaults payment. This letter is usually issued for international transactions.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Letter of Credit
|A letter of credit is useful for making transactions with unknown partners or establish new trades.||The letter of credit is very costly, banks charge fees for providing services; additional features cost extra.|
|The letter of credit offers safety for the seller or exporter in case the buyer or importer goes bankrupt. The bank ends up paying as the issuing banks act as guarantors for the importer.||The letter of credit is based on quantity and not quality. The bank may end in dispute if the exporter's product quality is different from the sample.|
|A letter of credit allows both trading parties to dictate clauses in the letter of credit. It can be also customized for every transaction.||The letter of credit comes with an expiry date, and the exporter has a time frame limitation.|
|Letter of credit also helps to resolve disputes by allowing the exporter to withdraw funds.|
Table of Contents


Cheirolepidiaceae is a family of extinct coniferous plants.
This family of conifers, superficially similar to Cupressaceae, was a significant part of the flora of the Mesozoic, around 252 to 66 million years ago (Axsmith et al., 2004). They are united by the possession of a distinctive pollen type assigned to the form genus Classopollis. The name Frenelopsidaceae (as a separate family) or "frenelopsids" has been used for a group of Cheirolepidiaceae with jointed stems, thick internode cuticles, sheathing leaf bases and reduced free leaf tips.
Some species are thought to have been the first plants to be insect pollinated as they occur in association with extinct pollinating scorpionflies.[1]
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What is it that makes something alive?
With the success of molecular biology explaining the mechanisms of life we have lost sight of the question one level up. We do not have any good answers at a more systems level of what it takes for something to be alive. We can list general necessities for a system to be alive, but we can not predict whether a given configuration of molecules will be alive or not. As evidence that we really do not understand what it takes for something to be alive, we have not been able to build machines that are alive.
Everything else that we understand leads to machines that capitalize on that understanding — machines that fly, machines that run, machines that calculate, machines that make polymers, machines that communicate, machines that listen, machines that play games. We have not built any machines that live.
RODNEY A. BROOKS is director of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Chairman of iRobot Corporation. He builds robots.


You Are Registered As A Participant In A Mass Disturbance
Domestic, International
Ukraine Protests Kiev
Protesters in Kiev, Ukraine recently received an ominous text message based on their proximity to the ongoing demonstrations in the center of the city. It's easy to feel like technology is helping citizens organize and protest against the government until you receive a targeted text message reminding you that the government is watching your every move. While this cartoon is inspired by the events in Ukraine, it can be applied much more generally to protest and dissent in any country, as mass surveillance technologies like facial recognition continue to develop and become ubiquitous.


What Is 3 Tier Architecture Of Checkpoint Firewall?
What is the main purpose of a firewall?
Firewalls have been a first line of defense in network security for over 25 years..
What is a 3 tier network architecture?
What is Layer 7 firewall?
What is checkpoint blade?
A Software Blade is a security application or module such as a firewall, Virtual Private Network (VPN), Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), or Application Control to name a few, that is independent, modular and centrally managed.
What are the three essential components of the Check Point Security Management Architecture?
Explanation: Deployments Basic deployments: Standalone deployment – Security Gateway and the Security Management server are installed on the same machine. Distributed deployment – Security Gateway and the Security Management server are installed on different machines.
What is the advantage of 3 tier architecture over 2 tier?
Performance – Because the Presentation tier can cache requests, network utilization is minimized, and the load is reduced on the Application and Data tiers. Improved Security – Client is not direct access to database. In three tier architecture application performance is good.
What is a 4 tier architecture?
The four layers of four-tier architecture are presentation layer (PL), data service layer (DSL), business logic layer (BLL), and data access layer (DAL). Four-tier architecture is as shown in Figure 1.
Which firewall is best?
Top 10 Firewall SoftwareFortiGate.Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)Sophos XG Firewall.Huawei Firewall.WatchGuard Network Security.GlassWire Firewall.Cisco.SonicWall.More items…•
Which is best MVC or 3 tier architecture?
The mvc works on application level where a 3-tier architecture is on enterprise level. Your mvc web application is simply at application level of the 3-tier. The 3-tier would still have two other tiers, namely the service and database tier. … Other applications use that service tier for enterprise functionality.
What is a Tier 3 application?
A 3-tier application architecture is a modular client-server architecture that consists of a presentation tier, an application tier and a data tier. … The three tiers are logical, not physical, and may or may not run on the same physical server.
What is CPMI checkpoint?
checkpoint-cpmi. Full Name. Checkpoint CPMI. Description Check Point Management Interface (CPMI) is a proprietary protocol of the Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. CPMI provides security services for their VPN-1 virtual private network/firewall software.
What is smart console?
SmartConsole is a GUI client you use to manage the Check Point environment. For SmartConsole requirements, see the R80. … Gaia Portal of your Security Management Server or Multi-Domain Server.
What is the difference between 3 tier and 3 layer architecture?
In simple term 3 layer architecture can implement in single machine then we can say that its is 1 tier architecture. If we implement each layer on separate machine then its called 3 tier architecture. A layer may also able to run several tier. In layer architecture related component to communicate to each other easily.
How does firewall CheckPoint work?
Firewalls control the traffic between the internal and external networks and are the core of a strong network security policy. Check Point Software Blades are a set of security features that makes sure that the Security Gateway or Security Management Server gives the correct functionality and performance.
What is a two tier architecture?
What are the four layers of the computer architecture?
What Are The Four Layers Of The Computer Architecture? 1 Point Computer, Operating System, Software, User Hardware, Operating System, Software, User Binary, Hardware, Operating System, Software Hardware, Windows, Software, User 2.
Is MVC different from a 3 layered architecture?
MVC is a pattern used to make UI code easier to maintain and test. When the MVC pattern is used a larger portion of the UI code can be unit tested. 3 tier architecture is a pattern used for a completely different reason. It separates the entire application into meaningful "groups": UI, Business Logic, Data Storage.
What is multi tier web application?
What is the difference between N tier and n layer?
N-Tier refers to the actual n system components of your application. On the other hand, N-Layers refer to the internal architecture of your component. N-Tier architecture usually has atleast three separate logical parts, each located on separate physical server. Each tier is responsible for a specific functionality.
What are the advantages of 3 tier architecture?
3-tier architectures provide many benefits for production and development environments by modularizing the user interface, business logic, and data storage layers. Doing so gives greater flexibility to development teams by allowing them to update a specific part of an application independently of the other parts.
How many tier architectures are there?
Software Architecture: Software Architecture consists of One Tier, Two Tier, Three Tier and N-Tier architectures. A "tier" can also be referred to as a "layer". Three layers involved in the application namely Presentation Layer, Business Layer and Data Layer.


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In Northside ISD, learning and success go far beyond test scores and accountability ratings. Since 1998, students have been benefiting from a character curriculum taught throughout the District at all grade levels.
Northside's curriculum is based on six "Pillars of Character," developed by the Josephson Institute. The pillars are: Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Responsibility, Respect, and Trustworthiness.
Teachers weave lessons about the pillars into classroom activities, and every year, the Northside Education Foundation selects six NISD graduates to represent each Pillar of Character. The six alumni serve as the centerpiece at the Foundation's annual fundraising gala and each must make a commitment to visit schools and speak with students.
A poster of the current year's pillars hangs in all 6,000 classrooms in Northside to remind students that everyone has the potential to be a Pillar of Character.
Pillars can be nominated by anyone in the community by completing the pillars nomination form (MS Word). All nominees must be a Northside graduate.
For more information, call the NISD Partnerships office at _PHONE_.


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Skip to Main Content
Wireless power transmission (WPT) through microwave beams represents a key technology for the long distance transfer of energy in the absence of a traditional electrical network. Its importance is demonstrated by the increasing research and industrial activities concerned with the design, manufacturing, and prototyping of efficient WPT systems. In this framework, several design methodologies are being investigated for the synthesis of transmitting antenna arrays able to maximize the power beaming efficiency of WPT systems. In this contribution, the state-of-the-art design techniques for WPT arrays are reviewed, and some of the latest advances in this field are discussed.


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By Kerry Grens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For people with the chronic liver infection hepatitis C, heavy drinking is an obvious no-no, but a new study links even modest alcohol consumption with an increased risk of death - and not just from liver disease.
"What this study shows is... truly, even what might be considered a moderate and safe amount of alcohol use in people without hepatitis C is dangerous to your health if you have hepatitis C," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, a hepatitis C researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who was not involved in the study.
The findings support what liver specialists typically recommend - that people with hepatitis C should limit their alcohol use, said Dr. Zobair Younossi, the study's lead author and chair of medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA.
"Patients with hepatitis C should not really drink," he said.
But the reality is that people with hepatitis C have higher rates of alcohol use than people without the liver disease, said Proeschold-Bell, who studies interventions to reduce drinking among people with the disease.
Doctors have known that excessive drinking can exacerbate liver disease caused by hepatitis C, but there's some debate about whether less frequent drinking would have a similar effect.
Younossi and his colleagues looked to a large national survey on health and lifestyle that tracked people for several years.
They compared 8,767 people without hepatitis C to 218 people with the disease.
Hepatitis C is a virus spread through blood. Some 3.2 million people in the U.S. have a chronic hepatitis C infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease can cause serious liver damage, and while some people are treated with medications, others will go on to require a liver transplant.
The survey tracked the participants for 13 to 14 years. During that period, 19 percent of those with hepatitis C and 11 percent of those without the infection died.
Younossi's team found that people with hepatitis C who drank excessively - three or more drinks a day - were five times more likely to die than heavy drinkers who were not infected.
That result was not surprising, "We've known heavy drinking is particularly bad if you have hepatitis C," Proeschold-Bell told Reuters Health.
But people infected with hepatitis C who had up to two drinks a day were also twice as likely to die during the study than those with similar drinking habits who were not infected.
For the purposes of the study, a drink was equivalent to 10 grams of alcohol, which is roughly the amount in four ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or one ounce of hard liquor.
Younossi said the increased risk of death from liver disease is driving the numbers.
"What is incredibly striking is liver-related death in patients with hepatitis C who even drink moderately," said Younossi.
For instance, the risk of liver-related death among people with hepatitis C who averaged two or fewer drinks a day was 74 times that of similar people without hepatitis C.
Those moderate drinkers with the virus were also nearly three times more likely to die of "all causes," the researchers report in the medical journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
"A drink a day is not OK," Younossi told Reuters Health. "Even a moderate amount of alcohol use in the setting of hepatitis C can increase the risk of death and liver-related mortality specifically."
Proeschold-Bell said there is a great opportunity for intervening with people's alcohol use given that they are already interacting with the medical system if they have a chronic hepatitis C infection.
"This is potentially very powerful, because if the person with hepatitis C is already going in for medical care, they have some relationship with that clinic. They have some degree of trust, so (perhaps) you can provide alcohol treatment right then and there," she said.
Younossi said there's some evidence that if heavy drinkers without hepatitis C abstain from alcohol, their liver disease can improve.
He said he suspects the same might be true for patients with the infection, but that future studies will have to confirm that hunch.
SOURCE: _URL_ Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, online February 24, 2013.


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If you want to learn App Store Optimization Guide from beginner level then this guide is best for you. This Guide Includes all the information related to ASO from the very beginner to advanced level. App discovery is not an easy task to be done, a lot of apps on the app store are not properly optimized. If you want to rank high on a specific app.keyword then follow all the steps mentioned in this guide. These steps are really effective and will give you positive results during the short time span.
In-App Store Optimization Guide You Will Learn
- Optimizing Keywords
- Meta Data
- Screen Shots Optimization
- Icons Optimization


Introduction to PDF security
PDF Decrypter Pro
The application of security on documents has always been a delicate balancing act between ease-of-use and adequate protection for the document's contents. When the documents contain commercial content, insufficient security can mean lost income; when the protected content is sensitive confidential information, the consequences can be far more dire. On the other hand, if product documentation were to be password-protected, users may not be able to access it. This illustrates the point that stronger security doesn't necessarily mean that it's a better fit, so it's important not to mistake capability for imperative with regards to security.
There is a high level of granularity available in Acrobat 7 Professional and its associated products. For instance, it's possible to limit printing, the selection -- and hence, copying -- of text and image, prohibit changing the document or merging with other documents. It's also possible to prevent users from filling form fields or digitally signing the document. If the document is PDF version 1.6 (i.e. only compatible with Acrobat version 7 and above), then there are even more options, and all of this is just Acrobat's standard security! With Acrobat 7 Professional, it's even possible to separately encrypt a PDF document and its attachments. There are of course additional security measures available: depending on the needs of the document distributor, it's also possible to digitally sign a document to indicate approval and prevent changes from being made to the document, incorporate real-time authentication of a document each time someone attempts to open it and to limit the number of times a document can be opened. Because of the many options available, the primary focus of this article will be to cover general security usage principles and to briefly cover the various options directly available in Adobe Acrobat 7 Professional.
When deciding on the security measures needed for a given PDF document, the first questions you need to ask yourself relate to the document's purpose and intended audience:
 - Who is the document's intended audience? (e.g. all web site visitors, printers, or personnel who have signed an NDA. Which version of Acrobat or Reader are they using? Does the content need to be available to screen-reading assistive technologies?)
 - Where are you sending, posting or filing it? (e.g. prepress house, company web site, or corporate intranet.)
 - What kind of information is contained in the PDF? (e.g. text, graphics, multimedia.)
 - How will your intended audience use the document? (e.g. filling forms, forwarding by email, reviewing, updating or fixing the file.)
Once these initial questions are answered, the required document security measures start to take shape. For instance, if the document's intended audience is internal to the company and contains sensitive financial information, it will need to be protected from unauthorized changes and access by unauthorized personnel.
About PDF Standard Password Security
How Can I Know If a PDF File Has Password Security?
PDF Security Mark
When you see the icon Adobe Acrobat Reader Security Icon@at the bottom left of the Acrobat/Acrobat Reader program window, it indicates that the PDF file is secured. Place your mouse cursor over that 'locked' icon, and you will see a listing of the security options that were applied to the file.
PDF Security Properites
Screenshot of PDF Decrypter Pro