text: This paper describes the implementation of controlling physical parameters through IoT applications with GSM module. The ever increasing requirements for information being accessible at any time, from any place, regardless the type of remote device or planned operation, together with the need of complete control of a specific scenario or device has paved the way towards the next technological revolution: Internet of Things (IoT). In this project, the parameters are sensed by the respective sensors and are monitored by the individual microcontrollers. Finally, the values are displayed with the help of individual LCD displays. The microcontroller is connected to the PC through zigbee bus and the output will be displayed in that PC with the help of RS232 serial communication. This data is stored in the Pc and uploaded to the cloud. The system is reliable and stable. It is the most effective and most economical means of equipment safety monitoring.


Skip to definition.
Verb: whiz (whizzed,whizzing) wiz
 1. Make a soft swishing sound
 "the motor whizzed";
 - whizz, whirr, whir, birr, purr
Noun: whiz wiz
 1. Someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
 - ace, adept, champion, sensation, maven, mavin, virtuoso, genius, hotshot, star, superstar, whizz, wizard, wiz, megastar
 2. A buzzing or hissing sound as of something travelling rapidly through the air
 "he heard the whiz of bullets near his head"
Derived forms: whizzing, whizes
Type of: expert, go, sound
Encyclopedia: Whiz


There are various reasons why you may be experiencing an echo on your calls. Please follow the below listed actions to troubleshoot this issue.
1. Check if you're able to reproduce this issue on our Sample App. If not, this may be an implementation issue on your end.
2. Check that your test devices are in a separated environment and not in close proximity to each other.
3. Check that you're using the latest SDK version.
4. Use a headset/ earphones.
 - If you hear an echo on a 1-1 call, ask the participating peer to wear a headset/earphone to communicate.
 - If you hear an echo on a multiparty call, ask each participating peer to mute one by one to identify the origin of the echo. Ask that peer to use a headset/earphone or mute themselves when they are not actively speaking during the call.
Other Audio Troubleshooting Documentation you may wish to see
No audio on call


High-Def Time-Lapse of Embryo Division is Straight Out of THE TREE OF LIFE
Anybody who's seen Terrence Malick's 2011 experimental drama The Tree of Life definitely remembers the roughly 14-minute cosmic sequence where the universe and life itself explodes miraculously into existence in a stunning combination of CGI and a wicked cinematic score. And while the above clip of a European Common Frog embryo undergoing cell division looks like it belongs right in the middle of that sequence—another wondrous life process modeled by a computer—it is in fact real, and unedited.
Cell-Division-GIF-03212017The stunning (and, let's be honest, slightly squirm-inducing) footage comes via Colossal, and was recorded by YouTuber and "supplier of short educational films/clips about Wildlife behavior and Science subjects," FrancisCheeFilms. In order to record the breathtaking time-lapse, which condenses 33 hours of cell division into 23 seconds of video, the person behind the channel (presumably named Francis Chee), had to customize a microscope that uses "an infinity optical design," which is a design that enables "the insertion of auxiliary optical devices." In this case, Chee used LEDs to light the frog embryo, although the description below the video makes clear that "there [were] countless other variables involved in performing this tricky shot," including taking into account ambient temperature, collection time of the eggs, how the eggs were handled, and what type of water was used.
As far as what you're actually watching in the video, it's cleavage taking place just after a sperm has fertilized an egg. The fertilized egg is a zygote with a diploid nucleus, or a single cell that has two complete chromosomes, one coming from each parent cell. The cleavage of the embryo begins an exponential division of that single cell, from 1 to 2 to 4 to 8, and on and on. Note that the size (volume and mass) of the embryo does not change. Chee puts it pretty succinctly in the video's comments: "Think of cutting up a sphere, no matter how many pieces you cut it up into, the overall size will remain the same."
If you want to see a more complete video of a frog's early growth stages, somebody else in the video's comments posted another pretty fantastic time-lapse. Or you can just marvel at this GIF from the The Tree of Life:
What do you think about this footage? Does it make you feel a bit squirmy too? Let us know in the comments below!
Images: francischeefilms


text:
In a Nutshell: Just like other businesses, banks need extra cash on occasion. But a bank that takes out a loan can be perceived as being a weak institution, so banks generally try to conduct their borrowing activities behind the scenes. A recent paper, "The Quality of Banks at Stigmatized Lending Facilities," by Federal Reserve Board economist Sriya Anbil and Claremont McKenna College Economics Professor, Angela Vossmeyer, Ph.D., explores how an emergency lending facility that is not confidential can attract a different caliber of bank asking to borrow money. The researchers looked at two emergency lending facilities during the Great Depression — one that remained confidential and one that was exposed. Anbil and Vossmeyer's research concluded that an exposed emergency lending facility can impact the quality of banks that approach them.
Let's talk about bank loans. But not the kind you're probably thinking about. Let's talk about loans that banks get from other lending facilities.
The topic isn't something the average consumer likely thinks about very often. But, just like any other business, banks need an infusion of funds from time to time whether it's to meet the daily reserve requirement or to cover other unexpected expenses.
At the same time, banks can be (understandably) a little touchy about having to borrow money. The issue is more complex, but on the surface, the immediate question from consumers and other businesses may be "Who wants to do business with a financial institution that can't handle its own finances?"
It's like going to a department store to buy a shirt, but you discover the store is out of shirts. But the sales clerk runs to the store next door, borrows a shirt, then sells it to you. You probably wouldn't leave the store with a great impression of the business and probably wouldn't shop there again.
Similarly, banks try to avoid having such a stigma attached to them.
A recent academic paper explores this behind-the-scenes world of banks that take out loans from emergency lending facilities, and how the quality of the bank can be deduced by which lending facilities they turn to.
"The Quality of Banks at Stigmatized Lending Facilities" was written by Federal Reserve Board economist Sriya Anbil and Claremont McKenna College Economics Professor Angela Vossmeyer, Ph.D. We recently spoke with Vossmeyer about this impactful corner of the finance world.
Exploring the Stigma Associated with Lending Facilities
Banks generally take out loans behind the scenes in one of a variety of ways.
A bank's daily reserve requirement is the amount of liquid funds it must have on hand at the end of each day. When the bank does not meet the requirement, it may take out an overnight loan from another bank, or it may borrow funds from the Federal Reserve Discount Window.
The interest rate at the discount window is slightly higher than the rate from other banks. The Federal Reserve sets the rate higher because it would rather banks borrow from one another. Therefore, if a bank must borrow from the discount window, it may be seen as a weaker bank because it can't get a loan from a peer institution.
Because of this, some view the discount window as a stigmatized lending facility. Banks also use other emergency lending facilities, but again, once the facilities have been revealed they can have a stigma attached to them, which may make them less than ideal for banks with good reputations.
"Coming into this paper, I had written previous papers on one of the facilities — the Reconstruction Finance Corporation — and came up with some econometric models about how banks choose to go to a facility," Vossmeyer said. "And then, on the other end, how the central bank decides which banks are the best to bail out in a crisis."
This means that, when a financial crisis arises, the Federal Reserve may be able to assist some banks to keep them afloat. But in evaluating which banks are worthy of bailing out, it may consider how often a bank has needed to borrow from an emergency lending facility.
Vossmeyer said she and Anbil were discussing the topic after they met at a conference and realized that, even as economic experts, they still had a lot of questions surrounding the issue of banks, stigma, and emergency lending facilities.
"We really didn't know the answers to some really basic questions," Vossmeyer said. "We didn't know exactly how banks choose which facility to go to, or even just how many banks would go to all facilities. Why wouldn't you, if you needed help? Why wouldn't you go to them all? So, we said, 'Let's dig into this.'"
During the Great Depression, Some Banks Were Hesitant to Approach Stigmatized Lending Facilities
"With this paper, we basically wanted to know if and how that pool would change if the facility suffered from the stigma problem where banks feel reluctant to ask for assistance because it might be taken as a sign of financial weakness," Vossmeyer said.
In the paper, Anbil and Vossmeyer noted they were not able to study the recent financial crisis because the current standing facility, the discount window, was arguably already stigmatized when the 2008 crisis began.
Instead, Anbil and Vossmeyer looked back to the Great Depression — specifically, 1932.
"We study the two lending facilities available to banks during the Great Depression — the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) and the Federal Reserve's Discount Window (DW)," according to the paper. "Upon the RFC's establishment in February 1932, both facilities were confidential and engaging in collateralized lending."
But the authors note differences between the two lending facilities.
"First, the DW's interest rate of 3.5% was 1-1.5 percentage points lower than the RFC's; second, the RFC was both willing to accept worse collateral and more flexible in making its decisions," Anbil and Vossmeyer wrote.
In the first half of 1932, banks approached both facilities nearly equally, but they used their best collateral for a better rate at the discount window and their inferior collateral at the RFC.
"However, an unexpected event occurred on August 22, 1932, that changed the cost of approaching the RFC," according to the paper. "A partial list of bank names that had received RFC assistance was leaked and published in the New York Times, stigmatizing the RFC."
Through their research, Anbil and Vossmeyer were able to determine that after the leak, 44 banks approached the RFC, while twice as many approached the non-stigmatized discount window.
Conclusions Reveal That Stigma Can Impact the Caliber of Bank Clients
"So, what we're finding is that, once the second facility is no longer confidential, the type of bank that's approaching — and essentially how that bank is using the emergency assistance — is different from the original pool of banks," Vossmeyer said.
She said the banks that continue to go to the stigmatized facility are either unable or unwilling to maintain liquidity buffers, which means keeping a stock of safe assets on the balance sheet.
Vossmeyer noted it's not really possible to distinguish between the banks that were unable to maintain the buffer from the banks that were unwilling to do so. But, rather than buying safe assets, the unwilling category comprises banks that are taking assistance and generally operating at a level of much higher risk.
"It's very possible that that latter scenario is driving a lot of this because when we look at these banks, and we follow them over time, the confidential facility continues to have these very high levels of participation," she said.
Essentially, the facility that remained confidential continued to attract a pool of highand low-caliber banks at a normal rate, while the stigmatized facility saw lower participation numbers. And the banks that did approach the RFC could generally be perceived as being of lower quality because of their inability or unwillingness to maintain liquidity buffers.
"In this paper, we find that the quality of banks that approached a stigmatized facility is very different from that of banks that approached a facility that maintained confidentiality," according to the paper's conclusion. "Once stigma was introduced at the RFC, stronger banks reduced their participation while weaker banks continued borrowing. These weaker banks maintained smaller liquidity buffers, signaling to the regulator that they might require closer monitoring."
Anbil and Vossmeyer wrote that the paper's findings have implications for how emergency lenders should be designed in some cases.
"If the goal of a facility is to mitigate banking panics, our results suggest that a confidential lending facility will attract both stronger and weaker banks, allowing the lender to inject much of the banking sector with liquidity," according to the paper.
But, recent policy changes mandate that the Federal Reserve must release the names of borrowing banks, which means the standing facilities may always be stigmatized.
"Therefore, our results suggest that a stigmatized lending facility may help examiners identify weaker banks that require closer monitoring," wrote Anbil and Vossmeyer.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Formula for Calculating Typing Speed
For calculating Typing Speed there are two formulas are used. One formula is based upon characters counting and the second one is directly applied on words count. Let explore the two typing test speed calculation formulas in detail.
1. Character based Formula :
A. Gross WPM
hindi typing gross word per minute formula
Here WPM = Word Per Minute
All typed entries = Total Key Strokes (or key depression)
Gross WPM is really the typing speed that you typed in one minute its getting by total key Stroke (Key depression) divided by 5 (One word = 5 character) and then divided by total minute to get word per minute speed.
If you type 200 character in 1 minute then your typing speed will be = 200 / 5 = 40 WPM
But GWPM is not your actual speed, actual speed is calculating by correct word you typed known as 'Net WPM'.
Note: delete, backspace, shift and other keys are not calculated in key stroke.
B. Net WPM Formula
Calculation of Net WPM
Net speed can be calculated by deducting errors in gross wpm. For example if you typed 40 Word in 1 Minute but you typed 3 word wrong then your Net WPM = 40 - 3 = 37 WPM
C. Accuracy Formula:
Accuracy is a percentage ratio of Gross and Net Word Speed:
Accuracy = (Net WPM / Gross WPM ) * 100 = 37 / 40 * 100 = 92.5 %
2. Words based formula :
In word base calculation each space separate two words. The word count regardless of how many characters in it. For Example the sentence "We are learning typing." As you can see here total 4 words.
A. Gross WPM : Total Words Typed / Total Time Taken (in minutes)
Example : Suppose a candidate A Typed total 350 Words in 10 Minutes:
Gross Speed in WPM : 350/10 = 35 WPM
B. Net Speed : (Total Words Typed - Word Error ) / Total Time Taken (in minutes)
Example : Suppose the A candidate typed total 350 words in 10 Minutes in which he typed 20 words wrong:
Net Speed in WPM = (350 -20) / 10 = 33 WPM
C. Accuracy : (Net WPM/ Gross WPM ) * 100
Accuracy = 33/35 * 100 = 94.28 %
Calculation of Errors
Errors are calculated by following two criteria
1. Errors thats corrected
If you correct wrong word that you typed then you will use backspace to delete that word will not calculated in WPM.
2. Errors that are incorrect
If you not correct the errors you made then you will penalize 5 character for each word error (Regardless of how many character in this wrong word). So always try to type accurate and if mistake made then correct it.


First time a vertebrate has been seen to evade predators by smelling like its habitat
Tane Sinclair-Taylor
The filefish appears to have come up with a clever way to elude its predators
A reef fish can hide from predators by adopting the smell of the coral it eats, according to researchers in Australia. This is the first time that chemical crypsis – the ability of an organism to avoid detection by using odour-based camouflage – has been observed in vertebrates.
It has been known for centuries that animals can visually blend into their environment to hide from predators. But given that vertebrates rely on more than just their sight to find prey, researchers have questioned whether other types of camouflage exist.
'With the importance of smell for a lot of animals, it makes sense to be chemically camouflaged but there's very little evidence for it,' says study author Rohan Brooker formerly from James Cook University, Australia. He goes on to explain that until now caterpillars were the only creature discovered that hid themselves from predators in this way. The caterpillars eat their plant habitat, assume their smell by absorbing certain chemicals in the plant, and become invisible to predatory ants. 'A [coral-eating fish and coral] system is analogous to the chemical system of the caterpillar,' explains Brooker. 'So we thought maybe they were doing a similar sort of thing.'
Brooker and his colleagues looked at the harlequin filefish, a reef-dweller that looks like a coral branch. They wanted to find out if the fish could replicate a reef's smell through its coral-based diet and whether predators could sniff them out.
The team placed a piece of coral and the filefish at opposite ends of a water tank. A coral-dwelling crab was placed in the centre of the tank and 'blind-folded' so it was unable to see which end the coral was at and had to rely on other senses such as smell. The team found that the crab was just as likely to move towards the fish as the coral. '[It] suggests that the smell was a pretty good match,' says Brooker. 'A lot of them did get confused.'
The group carried out a similar test but replaced the crab with cod, a filefish predator, to see if the coral fish could fool the cod's acute sense of smell. They found that the cod were less interested in the filefish if they were close to coral they had fed on. If the filefish was close to a coral that was a different species to the one it had eaten or if there was no coral in the tank, the cod became much more active. The team state this is the first evidence of chemical camouflage in a vertebrate but they do not yet know how it achieves this.
Martin Stevens, an ecologist at the University of Exeter, UK, believes the study could have a wide impact on the wildlife community. 'I think it could be very important in stimulating work looking at chemical camouflage,' he tells Chemistry World. But Stevens adds that more research will need to be carried out on this system before it can be translated to other vertebrates and mammals. 'It's potentially a really exciting and important study,' he says. 'The question, I think next, is how does [this chemical camouflage] work and how widespread is it.'


How Not to Choose an Expression
We sometimes have a requirement to select between two or more expressions dependant on user selections or some other condition. For example, this chart Expression.
 // Calculate with Commision
 SalesAmount - SalesAmount * CommissionRate)
 // Calculate without Commission
The if() will select one or the other sum() expression based on the value of the vWithCommmision variable. Because a variable is being tested — not a row value — only one sum() will be chosen for the entire chart.
If performance is important, this is not a good way to implement the requirement. QlikView does not "short circuit". Short circuit means to stop evaluating when the condition is true. QlikView will calculate both sums and then return one of those results.
Some people mistakenly believe that putting the above expression in a variable changes the behavior. This is incorrect. The if() evaluation is still done at the chart level and the performance impact remains.
A performant way to solve the requirement is to put each calculation into a separate chart Expression and use the Conditional property to select the Expression.
An Expression with a Conditional evaluating to False will not be calculated or displayed.
There is also the possibility of choosing the calculation in a variable, but you have to follow a few rules.
 1. The variable should return the string representation of the formula. Note the single quotes in the example below.
 2. The variable definition should begin with "=". This causes the if() to be evaluated only once.
 3. In the chart Expression, reference to the variable should be made with $(). eg $(vChooseCalc)
 SalesAmount - SalesAmount * CommissionRate)'
For more performance tips, join us at the upcoming "Masters Summit for Qlikvew" in San Francisco May 2015 where Oleg Troyansky presents an always enlightening session on Performance Tuning. Can't make SF? Check out the other dates and locations on the website.
14 thoughts on "How Not to Choose an Expression"
 1. Rob, I was recently informed that if you are desiging for the Ajax client you should NOT begin the variable definition with "=" as it impacts performance. Can you verify that is correct?
 1. It was during a consult with a Qlik employee at the World Conference in Orlando. It was within the context of chart performance in the ajax client.
 I load variables (constants and expressions) using a text file. He said that I should define the variables without using a "=". I haven't throughly tested it yet, but the expressions don't seem to work if you don't have the "=".
 2. Do you know if the same applies to PICK statements as to IF statements? We have a scenario where we're using those to select between a 5 options for how to calculate a specific field in the chart… if it's calculating all 5 options each time, that could obviously be a pretty big performance hit!
 3. Hi Rob
 As interesting as usual. Just a question, i use the pick() function when there are more than one expression, does it performs like an if, or just evaluates the "picked" expression?
 1. Pick performs just like an if(). That is, all expressions are evaluated and then the pick() is applied to select a result.
 4. Hello Rob,
 this is pretty interesting, but a little bit disturbing, at least for me.
 your definition of 'short circuit' doesn't match with these ones
 you said that qlikview will calculate both sums before to evaluate condition, also with a pick, as you wrote in a comment above.
 if this is true, this is a not really good feature for qlikview.
 Is there any kind of official doc about this from QlikTech?
 Thank you very much for your blog, I enjoy it a lot.
 Best regards
 5. Alberto,
 Actually, the lack of short circuiting is not always bad. In this thread read Henric's explanation of why they don't short circuit (about half way down the thread). In most cases it's a good thing. It only becomes a potential negative when testing a variable (vs a row by row condition) and even then is only noticeable in large apps.
 6. Hello Rob,
 Is it still true that false branches are not terminated? I have made different attempts to test this (11.2 SR6), but I can not verify it. Instead it seems like the following expressions get the same calculation time (SEK selected in SelectedCurrency):
 compared to
 (I would however anyway write this expression differently)
 7. I'm not aware of any changes to the eval logic. I did some recent testing and it appeared that all branches were evaluated. I should clarify that I have no way of knowing for sure what was actually executed, but I speculate based on timing tests as you do.
 I'm not sure why your test shows the same calc time. It could be your testing methodology or it could be something else I'm missing.
 8. I have a nested-if for a formatted Income Statement report that performs decently, but it's not ideal. Since the chart can have a blank line (for formatting purposes), an Earnings Per Share line (which is formatted differently – out to 3 decimals), and then all other lines formatted normally, the approach below is the only way I've thought to handle this. Is there any way around a nested-if in this case?
 if([Level] = 'Space',' ', // Blank Line
 if([Level] = 'EPS',$(eEPS(Actual)), // EPS
 if([Calculation]='Total', num(sum(-[Actual]*[Amount])/vDivideBy,'$#,##0;($#,##0)'),
 9. Mark,
 This is actually a very good use of if(). At some row of the chart, each condition of the expression will be true. This is a situation where QV's lack of "short circuit" is actually advantageous.
 The issue discussed in this post applies when only one condition could be true. Your if() statement looks fine to me.
 10. if condition are in which level gives good performance in script level are expression level?
 can any one help me.
Leave a Reply


Project public preposition
barking dog
Status not yet realized
Place People's House, Bucharest /RO
Technique Fences, spotlights, doghouse, 2 dogs in exchange, performance
Thanks Michaela Dedeoglu, Evelin Hust, Beate Köhler,
Oana Lapadatu, Mihai Oroveanu
Montage Archive Mischa Kuball, Düsseldorf /DE
barking dog, Bucharest (not realized)
For no other creature is territorial behavior so pronounced as it is for dogs. It is based on the instinct to take possession of a territory, to mark it and to defend it. Directly in front of the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest the leashed or enclosed animal would be an appellative symbol of a lost terrain, of the seizure and appropriation of public space for dictatorial and propaganda purposes by the then president Nicolae Ceausescu. In the process of constructing the palace in 1984, which included extensive plazas and boulevards, around 40,000 homes and countless churches and synagogues were torn down, and evictions were carried out in parts of the old city in the 1970s. The site of the former "People's House" would be temporarily occupied by the visibly "domesticated" dog, who thus symbolically reclaims the environment and living space of the citizens. (JO)


Based just outside of Bordeaux, France, biotech Fermentalg is designing a groundbreaking street lamp that absorbs enormous amounts of CO2, over 150-200 times more than a tree -- using microalgae.
The microalgae street lamp is a tube-shaped tank filled with green algae. Each street lamp absorbs 1 ton of CO2 per year, more than 150-200 times more than a tree.
As 25% of carbon emissions come from car exhaust, placing these sci-fi looking street lamps on roads and parking lots could have an enormous impact on CO2 emissions.
Moreover, the lighting structure of the lamp operates on a battery that charges during the day by "microalgal photosynthesis". I understand that the microalgae will feast on CO2 and sunlight to grow and produce sugars - but I'm still unclear about how this energy is converted to charge a battery. Clarification anyone?
The algae street lamp was recently tested in a parking lot in Bordeaux.


≡ ▼
Drosera Rotundifolia - Abdomen symptoms
Sundew, Drosera Dros.
Available in 2C-30C, 200C, 1X-30X, 1M-10M, 30C, 200CH, Q from $6.59
Purchase options
HPUS indication of Drosera Rotundifolia: Cough
Common symptoms: Cough, Hoarseness, Sore throat.
Below are the main rubriks (i.e strongest indications or symptoms) of Drosera Rotundifolia in traditional homeopathic usage, not approved by the FDA.
Have you ever used? Yes No
< < Drosera Rotundifoliamain page
Aversion to and bad effects from acids.
Respiratory Organs.
Spasmodic, dry irritative cough, like whooping-cough, the Paroxysms following each other very rapidly; can scarcely breathe; chokes
Cough very deep and hoarse; worse, after midnight; yellow expectoration, With bleeding from nose and mouth; Retching
deep, hoarse voice; hoarseness; laryngitis
Rough, scraping sensation deep in the fauces and soft palate
Laryngeal phthisis, with rapid emaciation
Anxiety; behind lower ribs
behind lower ribs
behind lower ribs; during cough
when coughing
Abdominal muscles; twitching and jerking
Noises from abdomen; gurgling
from acids
during cough
after stool
behind lower ribs; from coughing
behind lower ribs; from pressure
lower part of abdomen; on coughing
cutting; while sitting
sore, bruised, tenderness, etc.; behind lower ribs
sudden, sharp (sticking, etc.); groin region
sudden, sharp (sticking, etc.); sides; while sitting
urging to urinate (unhealthy desire); intermission of fever
urging to urinate (unhealthy desire); frequent (see urination, frequent); when period is suppressed
urination; dribbling (by drops)
burping, belching; evening
burping, belching; bitter
pain; from coughing
pain; on breathing in deeply
pain; cramping, griping, constricting; when breathing in
pain; pulling; inwards
pain; sore, bruised, beaten (tenderness); on coughing
with cough
retching; with cough
thirst; morning
thirst; after chill
thirst; on waking
without thirst; during heat
aversion to certain foods or drinks; fats and rich food
aversion to certain foods or drinks; pork
nausea; after eating; rich food
vomiting; before dinner
vomiting; food; from cough
vomiting; food; then mucus
nausea; afternoon
nausea; night; until morning
nausea; during cough
nausea; after eating
nausea; after fever
nausea; during headache
nausea; with intermittent diseases
nausea; thinking of it
vomiting; morning
vomiting; night
vomiting; after aggravation
vomiting; during chill
vomiting; on coughing
vomiting; after drinking
vomiting; after eating
vomiting; while perspiring
vomiting; bile; morning
vomiting; bile; during chill
vomiting; bile; during the fever
vomiting; blood
vomiting; mucus; blood
vomiting; mucus; from cough
vomiting; stringy
vomiting; water; on coughing
≡ more...


text:
The housing crisis is a nationwide, multi-faceted issue with numerous, complex underlying causes. Accordingly, it demands a multi-faceted response. We can and must address our housing needs while simultaneously protecting our environment. Advancing smart growth housing solutions supports Vermonters' quality of life, resilience to economic, social and environmental change, and and protects ecological systems. Smart growth allows people to more easily access jobs and services, increases transportation options, and lowers transportation costs. It also reduces municipalities' infrastructure costs, and cuts climate pollution by reducing how far people need to travel to jobs and services.
Legislative Priorities for 2023:
- Smart Growth Housing:Adopt a housing equity bill that makes it easier to develop, rent, and purchase smaller homes in downtowns and village centers, that are closer to jobs, services and affordable transportation.
- Expand funding and eligibility for downtown and village tax credits, and increase funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to build more smart growth housing.


Up your bilingual recruiting game
How credit unions can recruit bilingual talent
Many credit unions are actively recruiting bilingual talent at all levels (from tellers all the way to the executive suite!) to better serve their linguistically diverse members. However, they are facing the same problem that other organizations face: that hiring and recruiting bilingual talent is challenging. By taking the following steps, your credit union will be able to save time, effort, and money, all while ensuring the most qualified bilingual talent serves your members and effectively communicates your credit union's value to the community.
Step One: Revise Your Bilingual Talent Strategy
Some credit unions think they can just hire a couple of Spanish speaking tellers and they are good. Understanding the language needs of your members and of your community (if you want to grow) is crucial. Do a comprehensive analysis to the commonly spoken languages in your area. While many areas have large Spanish speaking populations, don't just assume Spanish is the only language of your community. Try to figure out or estimate how many members or potential members have limited English proficiency and develop a plan to hire enough bilingual talent to serve them. For example, if 25% of your members speak primarily Spanish, then you should consider having at least 25% of your staff be fluent in Spanish and ensure that you have personnel to provide services such as mortgage lending, business lending, investments, etc. in Spanish. If not, your credit union could have a "gap" or "deficiency" where it cannot effectively serve its members due to the language barrier.
Step Two: Provide Detailed Language Qualifications in Job Postings
I have seen countless job postings for bilingual postings where the technical skills are clearly defined, but there is one very small line stating "bilingual (English/Spanish)". It was clear whoever created the job post had no real idea about the bilingual part of the job. If the language skill matters, then you do need to include detailed language qualifications and specifics for how the language will be used on the job. Explain how the candidate will utilize reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills in that language. Will the candidate be expected to translate mortgage documents into Spanish? Will the candidate be helping Mandarin speakers open member accounts? Will the candidate be a community liaison into the local Polish community?
Also, if being bilingual is truly a major component of the job, then bilingual skills should be heavily weighted in the decision process. Don't just say bilingual skills are required, make it required. Many credit unions place a surprisingly low weight on the bilingual skills, which puts the credit union at risk of hiring an unqualified (from the languages aspect) candidate. In however way your credit union weighs qualifications, make sure bilingual skills are either the biggest or one of the biggest factors in making a hiring decision.
Ask that when a candidate applies, that they demonstrate proof or explain why they are qualified for the role from a language perspective. Can the candidate prove the targeted language is their native language? If not, can they demonstrate they studied the language or have extensive work experience in the language? You must make sure the candidate's language skills are just as strong as their technical skills.
Step Three: Initial Language Screening
Languages are one of the most difficult skills to verify in the recruiting process. Few people who are bilingual have credentials that prove it. Often candidates develop the skill through years of study and practice. That is why it is so crucial to conduct an initial screen of the job candidate's language abilities. Unfortunately, some candidates, intentionally or unintentionally, claim to be bilingual when they really are not. Just because someone took a year or two of high school language courses or downloaded the Duolingo app doesn't mean they're qualified for a bilingual position.
Therefore, I suggest that credit unions implement an initial screening process so that they can identify the candidates with strong language skills for further consideration and eliminate the ones with weaker language skills. Some companies develop their own ad-hoc language screening processes, but these often consume valuable time and effort. ECLPS360 offers the Enterprise Cultural & Language Proficiency Screener (ECLPS), which is a platform where job candidates can take an automated assessment in either English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, or Russian.
Step Four: Final Screening
After a small group of finalists have been identified, I highly recommend that an additional and more precise screening of the candidates take place, especially if it is a position where the language skills are critical. This level of screening is more intensive, and expensive, than then ECLPS described above, which is why it should be deployed at this late stage. Language Testing International, offers language assessments developed by ACTFL, the leading organization that advocates for the teaching and learning of languages. Not only will the candidate receive a nice credential in the form of a certificate, but the results will help make the final decision.
Don't look at the ECLPS and LTI assessments as a cost, but as an investment. In the same way you pay to inspect a home before buying it to uncover major issues, you should invest in effective screening methods to ensure the bilingual candidates are truly qualified. Hiring an unqualified bilingual candidate will cost your credit union far more than the screening and assessment costs.
Step 5: Retain & Develop the Bilingual Talent
Building the proper workforce does not end when the candidate joins the credit union. Make sure that you retain that talent (as they are in high demand and hard to find!) to serve your credit union for years to come. Just like with many other technical skills, look for professional development opportunities focused on the language. If you feel that a member of your team has room to improve their language skills, seek opportunities to raise their language skills and the investment will soon payoff.
Now you have a basic overview on how to improve the bilingual recruiting process at your credit union. Every credit union should have bilingual talent on their team to serve an America that is increasingly globally minded and diverse. Plus, that bilingual talent is the first step in gaining a competitive advantage over your competition and opening new markets for growth. I am also available to speak to and consult credit unions and industry associations about this topic.
Luis A. Valdez-Jimenez
Luis A. Valdez-Jimenez
Luis A. Valdez-Jimenez, Esq. MBA, is the Secretary of the Board of Directors for 360 Federal Credit Union. He is passionate about helping credit unions recruit young & diverse board... Web: _URL_ Details
More News


The perks of giving: how spending money on others can lower blood pressure
According to a new study, "prosocial spending" may be as good for blood pressure as a healthy diet and exercise
A lot of people believe that the way to become happier and healthier is by spending money on one's self. Putting in extra hours at work and saving up money to be able to buy the things that are believed to bring happiness. However, some research has shown that in terms of health, this isn't exactly the way to go.
Past research has shown that when money is spent on others, greater well-being is experienced than if that money was spent on one's self. Could something as simple as buying a friend dinner or donating to charity improve our health, too—and if so, how?
According to a paper published this February in the journal Health Psychology, it can—and one way it works is by lowering blood pressure.
In an initial study, researchers looked at the relationship between giving money to others (or "prosocial spending") and blood pressure, a simple measure of cardiovascular health. One hundred eighty-six adults who had been diagnosed with high blood pressure were asked to indicate how much money they spent on charities and other causes, and then followed up with two years later. By then, the participants who had initially spent the most on causes had lower blood pressure than participants who had spent less money. This association held even after accounting for the effects of income, education level, and age.
In a second study, the researchers looked at whether spending money on others could actually cause a reduction in blood pressure. On three days during a six-week study, 73 participants with high blood pressure were instructed to spend $40 given to them by the researchers. Half were told to spend the money on themselves, while the other half were told to spend the money on others. The researchers found that the participants who had spent money on others had lower blood pressure at the end of the study. Notably, this effect appeared to be as large as the benefits of healthy diet and exercise.
Why does prosocial spending have these benefits? One possibility is that it increases how socially connected people feel. Feeling closer to the ones who have received help can enhance relationships with others, which have a large impact on health.
Ashley Whillans, doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia and lead author of the paper, says that prosocial spending may also work to reduce the negative health effects of stress. According to Whillans, future research on prosocial spending and health could investigate whether "helping others protects us from the stresses and strains of our day-to-day lives."
How to maximize the health benefits of giving
If you are looking to spend money on others, researchers have found several ways to make sure that you get the greatest benefit from your spending.
Whillans reports that participants appeared to benefit most when they chose to spend money on people they were close to. This accords with past research suggesting that spending money on others benefits well-being most when it makes givers feel more socially connected.
Additionally, giving seems to be best when the choice to help others comes intrinsically: When it's pressured, the same psychological benefits are not likely to be experienced. Whillans and her co-authors point out that feeling burdened can undermine cardiovascular health, so helping others may not be as beneficial if we feel pressured to do so.
When giving money and time to others, research suggests, we end up gaining something as a result: We experience increases in health and well-being. In particular, giving to others may help strengthen our relationships and foster resilience in the face of stress. Even giving small amounts of money can be beneficial, Whillans reminds us: "It is possible to maximize the happiness and health benefits of every dollar."
This article was originally written by Elizabeth Hopper and was published on Berkeley's Greater Good
10 Short Answers to Hard Questions About Climate Change
10 Short Answers to Hard Questions About Climate Change
Svante Arrhenius (_PHONE_) was a Swedish scientist and probably the first person to ever mention climate change due to energy use in human activity, when he proposed a relation between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature. Several decades later, Al Gore made an impact in collective culture with "An Inconvenient Truth", a Documentary in which the former vice president of the United States aims to educate society about Global warming presenting a wide repertoire of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way.
The most talked-about documentary in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival has been criticized. Due to some of the phenomena presented, Al Gore was accused of exaggeration and alarmism, but most of what is proposed on the film is accurate, according to expert witnesses.
Another uncomfortable truth is that the issue with Climate Change is overwhelming. The science is confusing and predictions about the fate of the planet may vary.
The New York Times have put together a list of quick answers to often-asked questions about climate change. This should give you a running start on understanding the problem.
1. How much is the planet heating up?
1.7 degrees is actually a significant amount.
As of October 2015, the Earth had warmed by about 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, when records begin at a global scale. That figure includes the surface of the ocean. The warming is greater over land, and greater still in the Arctic and parts of Antarctica.
The number may sound low, but as an average over the surface of an entire planet, it is actually high, which explains why much of the world's land ice is starting to melt and the oceans are rising at an accelerating pace. The heat accumulating in the Earth because of human emissions is roughly equal to the heat that would be released by 400,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs exploding across the planet every day.
Scientists believe most and probably all of the warming since 1950 was caused by the human release of greenhouse gases. If emissions continue unchecked, they say the global warming could ultimately exceed 8 degrees Fahrenheit, which would transform the planet and undermine its capacity to support a large human population.
2. How much trouble are we in?
For future generations, big trouble.
The risks are much greater over the long run than over the next few decades, but the emissions that create those risks are happening now. Over the coming 25 or 30 years, scientists say, the climate is likely to resemble that of today, although gradually getting warmer. Rainfall will be heavier in many parts of the world, but the periods between rains will most likely grow hotter and therefore drier. The number of hurricanes and typhoons may actually fall, but the ones that do occur will draw energy from a hotter ocean surface, and therefore may be more intense, on average, than those of the past. Coastal flooding will grow more frequent and damaging.
All of this could take hundreds or even thousands of years to play out, conceivably providing a cushion of time for civilization to adjust, but experts cannot rule out abrupt changes, such as a collapse of agriculture, that would throw society into chaos much sooner. Bolder efforts to limit emissions would reduce these risks, or at least slow the effects, but it is already too late to eliminate the risks entirely.
3. Is there anything I can do?
Fly less, drive less, waste less.
If you want to offset your emissions, you can buy certificates, with the money going to projects that protect forests, capture greenhouse gases and so forth. Some airlines sell these to offset emissions from their flights, and after some scandals in the early days, they started to scrutinize the projects closely, so the offsets can now be bought in good conscience. You can also buy offset certificates in a private marketplace, from companies such as TerraPass in San Francisco that follow strict rules set up by the state of California; some people even give these as holiday gifts. Yet another way: In states that allow you to choose your own electricity supplier, you can often elect to buy green electricity; you pay slightly more, with the money going into a fund that helps finance projects like wind farms.
4. What's the optimistic scenario?
Several things have to break our way.
5. Will reducing meat in my diet help the climate?
Yes, beef especially.
Agriculture of all types produces greenhouse gases that warm the planet, but meat production is especially harmful – and beef is the most environmentally damaging form of meat. Some methods of cattle production demand a lot of land, contributing to destruction of forests; the trees are typically burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Other methods require huge amounts of water and fertilizer to grow food for the cows.
The cows themselves produce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that causes short-term warming. Meat consumption is rising worldwide as the population grows, and as economic development makes people richer and better able to afford meat.
This is worrisome: Studies have found that if the whole world were to start eating beef at the rate Americans eat it, produced by the methods typically used in the United States, that alone might erase any chance of staying below an internationally agreed-upon limit on global warming. Pork production creates somewhat lower emissions than beef production, and chicken is lower still. So reducing your meat consumption, or switching from beef and pork to chicken in your diet, are both moves in the right direction. Of course, as with any kind of behavioral change meant to benefit the climate, this will only make a difference if lots of other people do it, too, reducing the overall demand for meat products.
6. What's the worst case scenario?
There are many.
That is actually hard to say, which is one reason scientists are urging that emissions be cut; they want to limit the possibility of any worst-case scenario coming to pass. Perhaps the greatest fear is a collapse of food production, accompanied by


text:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Torbat-e-Heydarieh, Torbat-e-Heydarieh, Iran
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
In this paper, ongoing studies to investigate nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE) are extended by presenting a new concept in non-dimensionalization process. This concept is illustrated with a practical example of nonlinear ODEs, which cannot reliably solve using the numerical methods. In this paper, two perturbation techniques are used to solve the problem. Effect of varying the dimensionless initial displacement on the accuracy of solution is investigated. It is shown that if the process of non-dimensionalizing is done appropriately, the calculated results will be extremely accurate. Moreover, a new concept called ″behavior of results″ is proposed to find accurate results.


_PHONE_
Fighting Gravity Blog
Fighting Gravity: Assessing the True Cost of Lifting Decisions -Everything must come down, but needs some help to go up! The Fighting Gravity Series
Fighting Gravity:
Assessing the True Cost of Lifting Decisions
The Fighting Gravity Series
 The goal of the Fighting Gravity Series is to help operators, engineers and purchasers think through their requirements for lifting solutions, primarily in the lift range of loads of 1 tonne to 10 Tons, but many of the principles apply to all of your lifting decisions. Does a portable gantry solution make sense? What about an overhead gantry crane? When is a lightweight davit crane the appropriate tool?
In this edition of Fighting Gravity we will focus on a portion of your gantry crane planning: cost assessment. Having a framework to assess the costs is an important factor in arriving at the correct decision. There are a wide range of costs that aren't readily apparent at the time of purchase, so let's try and flush out a few of those hidden items below!
Assessing the Cost: Price vs Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Unfortunately most decisions start with the question "How much does that cost?" The correct question should really be "How much will this cost me over the life of the solution." It's often difficult to get an exact apples-to-apples comparison while evaluating competing products. Focusing exclusively on the up front price can miss the longer term cost of a solution. Rather than price, let's discuss the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of your lifting solution over the life span of the equipment. Products that appear slightly more expensive initially can often be very cost effective over the useful life of the equipment. Things to consider when assessing your TCO:
 - Cost to implement the solution
 - Annual costs
 - Product durability
 - Vendor reputation
 - Solution versatility
Costs to Implement the Solution
Certain solutions such as overhead gantry cranes will likely require extensive up-front planning, including engineering costs, a potential building review to ensure the structural integrity of the building, safety program planning, along with a number of other items depending on the situation. The number of service providers required to successfully implement the project can grow quickly, making organization and team management critical. You should also consider the cost of internal resources required to evaluate and manage the project. It can often require a diverse set of internal resources from engineering, finance, safety etc. to properly manage a project of that magnitude.
As a comparison, for lighter lifts, a 2 ton aluminum gantry crane would have no implementation costs aside from the purchase price, but different mobile gantry cranes come with different features. One question might be whether or not a beam trolley is included in the initial purchase price. Does it come with required safety documentation such as engineered stamped drawings or certificate of test? Is the manufacturer representing that it's been tested or will you need to that yourself (and take on that liability). These, plus other questions are important to consider at the outset of a purchase.
Annual Costs
Annual costs operating costs should be factored into the TCO calculation. These costs might involve annual maintenance or safety inspections, along with annual safety training or certification. It's critical for operator safety to know the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard (OSHA) for each piece of equipment and operating environment.
While the upfront implementation cost might be less burdensome for portable gantry cranes, there are definitely hidden annual costs to evaluate. Legacy steel mobile gantry cranes may require large pieces of equipment such as a forklift or front loader to move them around a facility due to their heavy weights and limited mobility. The cost of an operator's time, the operating cost of the machinery, along with the opportunity cost of that piece of machinery not engaging in a higher value added activity should be seriously considered. With a forklift costing more than $30k and a front-loader at $100k the opportunity cost can become substantial. Many operators or purchasers are shocked at how high these hidden costs are on an annual basis, sometimes equaling the entire cost of a less than mobile gantry crane! A general rule of thumb is to multiply these annual operating costs by 10-20x to understand their true cost over a longer term time period (say 10+ years). So if you will incur an additional $3,000 per year in annual operating costs for one solution vs a competing solution, then over the life of the solution the cost is really closer to $30,000 to $60,000 greater than the alternative.
Lightweight, aluminum portable gantry cranes avoid the trappings of the older legacy steel gantry cranes. The aluminum portable gantry crane can be easily moved from location to location, due to its lightweight, either by quickly disassembling it to move it or by easily rolling it around a facility. As lifting capacity increases, the difference between the aluminum gantry crane and steel gantry crane can become significant. A 3 tonne to 10 ton aluminum gantry crane can be moved without additional machinery, such as the ones we produce at Easily Moved Equipment (eme). Avoiding the cost of specialized equipment to move or rig the portable aluminum gantry crane can result in substantial savings over the life of the product, reducing the TCO.
Product Durability
Most operators or purchasers will focus on direct repair costs. However, loss of productivity due to downtime is the real economic monster. Wasting time and resources to replace or repair a piece of lifting equipment that should be functional, can ripple its way through the production process or service workflow, costing multiples of the initial equipment cost.
You should also consider the environment that the equipment will be located. Is it outdoors where the elements will eventually cause degradation in either the structural or operating integrity of the asset? If so, then maybe a mobile solution has a lower TCO over the long-run.
Vendor Reputation
Understanding your equipment vendor is very important while analyzing the risk of hidden future costs. A poor assessment here regarding quality, service costs, etc. of the vendor could be costly down the road.
Understanding your equipment vendor's reliability track record is critical in this area. How quickly do they respond to service requests, if necessary? Can you obtain parts domestically or are they shipped in from overseas? What does the vendors track record of quality look like? Do they rigorously test the equipment before sending it out to a customer? These are important questions to ask of your equipment vendor to assess your TCO.
Is your vendor committed to your particular market? As an example, are you dealing with an overseas vendor that's new to your particular geography? Is there risk that vendor may decide to pack up and head home if it doesn't achieve the sales levels it requires to justify geographic expansion? What does that mean to you if you are in the unfortunate position of needing service or parts 2 or 3 years after purchasing the gear?
Understand your vendor's full product line-up. Is the model you are buying from them their core competency, or did they simply produce a couple of products for "marketing purposes" and aren't fully committed to that technology and type of product for their core lineup.
Has the ownership of your vendor changed? Sometimes this can put the historical track record such as service or quality levels at risk since new ownership may decide to focus on financial metrics rather than putting the customer first. In that situation you might not be factoring the risk and cost of repair correctly.
Solution Versatility
Certain solutions are likely purpose built, such as the overhead crane that we discussed above. You can't move it to other parts of the facility, but it's there to do a specific job!
 Other solutions can potentially serve multiple functions around a facility or worksite. If it's possible to substitute a mobile 10 ton gantry crane for a 10 ton overhead crane, the solution could have significantly lower TCO. A mobile gantry can take on many different forms. An older steel gantry crane, as discussed above, may have such limited mobility at heavier rated capacity loads of 3 tonne, 5 tonne, 7.5 tonne or 10 tonne, that it's effectively an overhead crane but on the ground. In order to use these gantry cranes at that rated capacity, you likely need to incur the cost of having multiple steel gantry cranes at each desired location, even if it has infrequent use. In contrast, the eme portable aluminum gantry crane at a 3 tonne, 5 tonne 7.5 tonne or 10 ton rated capacity can be disassembled and moved around a specific location or to another site. This may allow the operator to replace multiple legacy products with significantly fewer aluminum gantry cranes. Not only is this likely to save up-front costs, but it reduces the complexity of having to maintain or potentially certify a higher amount of equipment each year.
Lastly, understand if your equipment vendor's products are interoperable with other products in their lineup. For example, if your primary need is


Table of Contents
Create a multi-column email layout
Go to your Email blast > Content.
1. Click on the + Add dropdown menu and select Table.
2. Create a table with one row and two columns. Set the width to 100%.
3. Click OK.
4. Click Save and update preview and the preview of the content will update.
Customize your multi-column layout using both the table and cell editor. You are able to adjust:
 - Borders
 - Padding
 - Colors
 - Images
These changes can be applied to the table or an individual cell. Once you have your layout finalized, you can re-use the format by cloning the email and inserting new content.
Responsive email tips
From time to time emails show up as stretched or squished in different ways on various devices. This can happen if the dimensions of the image or table is set to fixed pixel dimensions. For example if your image is too small for the email, it may look something like this:
As you can see, Sally (the Giraffe) doesn't look very good. To fix this issue, feel free to use these tips:
1. Wrap the email in a table that is 100% of the viewport. To do this in an email that you have already created, you would need to create a table with a 1 column by 1 row layout. Next, set that table to a width of 100% with the height setting empty (blank).
2. Set the dimensions of the image to be a responsive style such as 100%, 50% or 25%. These percentages will adjust the image based off of the size of the viewport of the email. For example, if you set the image dimensions to be 25%, the image would take up 25% of the viewport of the device the user is viewing the email on. You can find the dimensions setting for the image by selecting the image first. Then, click on the + Add dropdown menu and select Image
3. If you are having trouble getting images to be center side by side, just throw them in a table! For example, you would create a 2 column by 1 row table. Click within the left column and click on the icon that says "Table cell properties". From there, change the width of the column to 50%. Next, click on the right column and change the width to 50%. Finally, select each image and set them to be 100%. This will force the images to be 100% of their container which in this case is set to a width of 50% for each column.
Did this answer your question?


Quick Answer: Is Styrofoam Good For Plants?
Can you put Styrofoam in the bottom of a planter?
Adding a few inches of foam peanuts or chunks in the bottom of the container reduces the amount of soil needed to fill the planter.
Also, the foam keeps soil from washing out of the drainage holes while assisting with drainage by keeping the soil from compacting at the bottom of the pot..
Can styrofoam be toxic?
Toxicity: Styrofoam is considered non-toxic when eaten. Expected symptoms: No symptoms are anticipated when a piece of styrofoam is accidentally ingested, but large pieces can cause choking.
Should I add perlite to my soil?
Adding perlite to potting soil is a good way to ensure the container garden drains well while also creating a light, fluffy soil for your plants. Container plants should be planted in a light, well-draining, nutritious soil mix.
Will Styrofoam kill plants?
Will Styrofoam absorb water?
Also question is, does Styrofoam soak up water? No. However, water can work its way through the foam under pressure or by gravity force. When the foam is placed on water it will float and upon removal it will not contain any water and it does not lose any of its insulating properties.
How do you get water out of Styrofoam?
The waterlogged Styrofoam can be repaired by drying in high sunlight, but it is cheap and more effective to simply replace the Styrofoam.Take the Styrofoam out of the cover, or from the area in which it has been overexposed to water. … Lay the Styrofoam out in a dry and sunny area, and allow it to sit for several days.More items…
Can you seal Styrofoam?
If you need to use a paint that's not Styrofoam friendly, you must first cover/seal the Styrofoam. … A perfect covering is done by applying the cover/seal in a thin layer and letting it dry. Then sand off any rough spots until the surface is perfect again. Then cover with another coat, let dry, and sand again.
Does Styrofoam leach into food?
Studies show that styrene, a likely carcinogen, can leach from StyrofoamTM cups and containers when heated. Never put hot food/drink into StyrofoamTM containers, and never microwave StyrofoamTM (or any other plastic) products!
How do you make homemade perlite?
Mix equal parts of dry cement, sphagnum peat moss and perlite in a bucket or other container. Measure each ingredient by volume instead of by weight, so if you measure with a dry scoop, use an equal number of scoops of each ingredient.
Can I use rice instead of perlite?
PBH rice hulls are proven alternative to perlite. In recent years, as greenhouse growers have embraced sustainability and looked for feasible ways to reduce production costs, the use of parboiled rice hulls in greenhouse growing media has become a popular substitute for perlite.
How do you dispose of Styrofoam packing?
Can you grow plants in Styrofoam?
You can grow garden vegetables in most containers, but polystyrene boxes – like the ones you see at the fruit and veg shop – are ideal. They're light, easy to manage, and the foam helps insulate the roots. Use deep boxes to give your vegies plenty of space to grow their roots.
Can I use Styrofoam instead of perlite?
This is okay for potted plants, but if using in garden soil, it's just adding plastic to the environment and it isn't safe. Styrofoam is NOT a substitute for Perlite. It is NOT a naturally occurring substance and does NOT decompose.
What can you use Styrofoam for?
Ways to Reuse Styrofoam Packing PeanutsReuse as Packing Peanuts. There's no reason why styrofoam peanuts can't be reused as what they were made for before! … Stuffing. … Alternative to Ice. … Plant Pot Fillers. … Tighten Loose Screws. … Christmas Tree Tinsel.
Is it OK to use Styrofoam peanuts in planters?
It is not recommended to use Styrofoam peanuts for potted plants now, because they may break down in water and soil, leaving you with sunken in containers. … If pieces begin to dissolve in the water, do not use them in the bottom of pots.
How long does it take for styrofoam to decompose in water?
Non-Biodegradable Pollutant It is unknown how long it takes for polystyrene to biodegrade. Some experts estimate the decomposition of Styrofoam to 500 years, with limited recycling options.
Is Styrofoam safe for hydroponics?
The short answer is yes; Styrofoam can be used in hydroponics without danger as it relates to the makeup of the styrene product.
What are the little white balls in potting soil?
Perlite used in soil resembles tiny white plastic foam balls, but it's actually a naturally occurring volcanic glass. When processed for use in potting soil, perlite is heated to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, so that it puffs like popcorn. When it puffs up, it expands to several times its original volume.


text:
Date Added: Nov 2011
Vehicular Ad Hoc NETworks (VANETs) adopt the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) for their security. In any PKI system, the authentication of a received message is performed by checking if the certificate of the sender is included in the current CRL, and verifying the authenticity of the certificate and signature of the sender. In this paper, the authors propose an Expedite Message Authentication Protocol (EMAP) for VANETs, which replaces the time-consuming CRL checking process by an efficient revocation checking process. The revocation check process in EMAP uses a keyed Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC), where the key used in calculating the HMAC is shared only between non-revoked On-Board Units (OBUs).


text: To make mosquito netting, using a plastic bag, you will need the following: a butane torch or a campfire, a lathe, thumbtacks, and a plastic bags. The holes need to be 2 mm or less. Heat up the lathe. Lay the plastic bag on a flat and protected surface. Run the heated lathe over the plastic bag. Try to get the rows really close, without getting too close or overlapping. Overlapping will cause the holes to be larger. Also, be careful not to let it slide along, which would cause bigger holes. Check the size of the holes. If there are holes that are too big, then you can patch them, with plastic, waxed paper, and an iron, in order to make an iron on patch. Do this process to all of the bags. Then, using the patch method to fuse the bags together.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'm studying Weil pairing and its applications in cryptography. I already know that it can be defined like this:
$$w(P, Q) = (-1)^n\frac{f_P(Q)}{f_Q(P)}\frac{f_Q}{f_P}(\mathcal{O})$$
$\textrm{div}(f_P) = n(P) - n(\mathcal{O})$ and $\textrm{div}(f_Q) = n(Q) - n(\mathcal{O})$.
This is not suitable for computation, so we shift the numerator by $R$ and the denominator by $S$ and we obtain:
$$w(P, Q) = (-1)^n\frac{g_P(Q+S)}{g_Q(P+R)}\frac{g_Q(R)}{g_P(S)}$$
$\textrm{div}(g_P) = n(P+R) - n(\mathcal{R})$ and $\textrm{div}(g_Q) = n(Q+S) - n(\mathcal{S})$.
Enter Miller's algorithm. In order to calculate $g_P(A)$ we define $h_k$ for $k = 0,\ldots,n$ as:
$$\textrm{div}(h_k) = k(P+R) - k(R) - (kP) + \mathcal{O}$$
Now, $h_n = g_P$ and we can calculate $h_{k+l}(A)$ from $h_k(A)$ and $h_l(A)$. So we construct a "double-and-add" algorithm similar to fast exponentiation.
Although $g_P(A)$ is never zero or infinity (for $A = Q+S$ or $A = S$), it can happen that during the execution of "double-and-add" algorithm we can encounter some $h_k(A)$ equal to zero or infinity. The solution is to randomly select new $Q$ and $S$ and start over.
How do I prove that there exist such $Q$ and $S$ that I will be able to calculate the Weil pairing of $P$ and $Q$?
If possible, I'd like to see some simple argument that does not refer to algebraic geometry, as I don't know anything about it - I come from cryptography.
share|improve this question
I fear that any legitimate proof that the algorithm succeeds after relatively few re-starts, or even that there exists a choice that would succeed, will require a little serious consideration of how elliptic curves work. Not "algebraic geometry", really. Ed Silverman has several books about elliptic curves addressing a range of audiences, starting with one with minimal prerequisites. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 18:30
Argh. Of course it's Joe Silverman. I'm an idiot. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:31
I think I recall that the additive group is the direct product of two cyclic groups or something similar. So you choose points in the "other half" (for the algorithm probabilistically they have high enough order, for the proof one exists with high enough order) so that no collisions/interactions happen. – Aeryk Jun 27 '11 at 19:40
2 Answers 2
I had thought that if suitably formulated, Miller's algorithm works without having to go back and recompute if some intermediate point turns out to be the point at infinity. Miller's algorithm is described in many books, but I'll point for example to the 2nd edition of my Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves (Springer GTM 106, 2009). The algorithm is described in Figure 11.6 on page 394, where note that the formula for $h_{P,Q}$ on that page depends on whether the relevant slope is finite or infinite. I'm not really an algorithms person, so there are likely to be ways to make the computation more efficient than what I described. And as a final note, there's an alternative way to compute the Weil and Tate pairings using elliptic divisibility sequences (nets) due to Kate Stange, The Tate pairing via elliptic nets, Pairing-Based Cryptography -- PAIRING 2007, Springer LNCS 4575 (2007), 329-348 [_URL_
_USER_ Garrett: Who is "Ed" Silverman?
share|improve this answer
_USER_... Argh... Sorry! In fact, there really was Ed Silverman, a professor at Purdue. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:29
(Actually, Ed Silverman was a math prof at Purdue some decades ago, is how the name got into my head... But, still, sorry!) – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:32
Thank's, I'll definitely look into that. Meanwhile, I think I found a simple argument, see my answer below. – Jasiu Jun 27 '11 at 20:20
_USER_: Not a problem, I figured it was a slip of the keyboard. So Edward Silverman (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 1948) had two PhD students at Purdue in the 1970s. (The math genealogy project is such fun!) – Joe Silverman Jun 27 '11 at 21:04
In order to calculate $h_{k+l}(A)$ from $h_k(A)$ and $h_l(B)$ you have to evaluate lines $l_1$ and $l_2$ at point $A$, where $l_1$ passes through $kP$ and $lP$ and $l_2$ is a vertical line through $(k+l)P$. The "double-and-add" algorithm takes $log_2(n)$ steps to compute $h_n(A)$, so only $O(log_2(n))$ points of form $mP$ are involved when determining lines $l_1$ and $l_2$ at various steps of the algorithm. There are certainly more points on an elliptic curve than that.
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


text:
Egghead Eggshell Planter
By: Amanda Formaro
Age: 5 and up
Parental supervision is recommended
No fancy materials are needed. With just an eggshell, a little soil and some seeds, you can grow your own planter. It's the ultimate in eco-friendly craft ideas!
What you'll need:
- Clean eggshell with just the top broken off
- Half a cup of potting soil
- Teaspoon of grass, wheat or rye seed
- Five to six inch strip of card stock
- Glue or tape
- Black marker (optional)
How to make it:
- If you wish, decorate your strip of cardstock. We flecked some yellow and blue paint onto ours with an old toothbrush.
- Tape or glue the cardstock into a ring to hold the egg.
- Use a small spoon to fill the egg almost to the top with potting soil.
- Sprinkle the soil with seed.
- Add a thin layer of potting soil on the top.
- Carefully water so as not to overflow or soak it.
- Keep in a sunny location.
- Your seeds will begin to sprout in a day or two and your egghead will grow "hair" in about a week! (See photo.)
- If you like, you can decorate the outside of the egg with a black marker by drawing a face on your egghead.
- Use a small measuring spoon to scoop the soil and add it to the egg. Use a small spoon to add the seeds as well.
- If you have cats, wheat seed grows thick wheat grass and is a tasty and nutritional addition to their diet. It also aids in food digestion!
- You can also use an egg carton to sprout any kind of seeds that you like. Some seeds that sprout quickly and grow easily are green beans and radishes.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
TM 10-1670-272-23&P 0009 00
1. After the parachute is placed in proper layout.
2. After the gores are folded and the flatfold is completed.
3. After the canopy is longfolded and the breakcord is tied.
4. After the deployment bag is closed (first regular stow).
5. After the suspension lines are stowed.
6. After the pack tray is closed.
7. After the static line is stowed.
TECHNICAL/RIGGER-TYPE INSPECTION PROCEDURES
Perform inspection as follows:
1. Overall inspection. An overall inspection will be made on the MC1-1B/MC1-1E parachute to ascertain
U.S. Navy utilizes NAVWPNCEN or NAWCWPNS CL /3512/11,
Parachute History Record.
a. Log record/parachute inspection data pocket and form. As applicable, inspect the assembly log
record parachute inspection data pocket to ensure the Army Parachute Log Record (DA Form
3912 and AFTO 391) is enclosed and properly attached as prescribed in WP 0003 00 (Installing
Attached Tie). Further, remove the log record from the pocket and evaluate the recorded entries
(WP 0003 00). Inspect and evaluate as follows:
The Army Parachute Log Record, DA Form 3912, and AFTO 391
are history-type maintenance documents that accompany the
parachute canopy and pack tray assemblies through the period of
service of the individual assembly. The log record provides a means
of recording maintenance actions performed on a parachute canopy
assembly. Normally, a log record is initiated and attached to a right
rear riser upon receipt by a using unit. However, if the item is
subjected to alteration or modification by a maintenance activity
during the interim period from date of manufacture to receipt by a
using unit, the log record will be prepared by the activity performing
the maintenance function. Once initiated, a log record will be
attached to, and contained in, an affixed parachute log record/
inspection data pocket, until such time as the parachute canopy
assembly is destroyed or rendered unfit for further use or repair.
Additionally, should an item that requires a log record, be transferred
from one unit to another, the log record for the parachute assembly
will accompany the item in the transfer action.


text:
Opportunities for bird watching abound. Wading
birds are especially prevalent along the edges of freshwater
marshes and ponds. Migratory warblers are abundant in March and
April and also during fall migration.
The interspersion of vegetation types on Half Moon
attracts species that use two or more natural communities,
resulting in a rich diversity of terrestrial vertebrates.
Wildlife Spotlight: Scrub-Jays
Half Moon hosts one of the few remaining
populations of federally threatened Florida scrub-jays in Sumter
County. Distinguished from the blue jay by lack of a crest, these
scrub-jays inhabit Half Moon's scrubby flatwoods, using unimproved
roads and fire lanes for foraging and acorn caching in place of the
patches of bare sand found in the scrub they typically inhabit.
Biologists survey scrub-jays on calm, clear days
beginning one hour after sunrise and ending before the heat of
midday. Scrub-jays are attracted by playing a tape recording of
territorial calls and scolds, including the female "hiccup" call. A
baseline survey conducted on Half Moon in 1990 detected an
estimated 15 scrub-jay groups, each consisting of 1-6 birds. Since
then, the population appears to be declining but more aggressive
habitat management and population monitoring efforts are cause for


text:
The COVID-19 Task Force had a meeting on Thursday, October 28th. Here are the meeting notes from the Augsburg Staff Union representative.
Minnesota Department of Health Updates:
- MDH suggested keeping the masking requirements indoors through the end of November.
- During the MDH meeting, there was a discussion of what not to use antibody testing for.
- MDH has an updated K-12 decision tree which can also be used in the higher education setting.
- MDH is preparing training for those sharing reassuring and accurate vaccine information with the community.
- We are continuing to see a low number of cases per week– both vaccinated and unvaccinated.
- Vaccination numbers (students and faculty/staff) continue incremental improvement.
- Regional transmission is still very active.
- Testing Access Update:
- A summary of testing opportunities will be discussed with Augsburg Day Student Government regarding how to use and share the information.
- Communication Update:
- COVID Policy hold communication has been sent to students, with information to faculty and staff who may get questions from students.
- Federal approval of booster vaccinations added to Outbreak Planning site.
We set up a Google Form so Augsburg Staff Union members could state their questions or concerns to be addressed at the meeting. The following question was requested in advance of the meeting:
- Q: When an Augsburg staff, student, or faculty member gets a booster to their COVID-19 vaccine, do they need to or are they encouraged to report that info to Augsburg? If so, how?
- A: Dawn Miller addressed this briefly during the meeting. HR is waiting for more detailed guidance from OSHA about federal requirements. Employees are welcome to upload their booster information on the Human Resources page, but this is not a requirement at this time. As more information is clarified, this question will be provided a fuller answer at a future meeting.
Please note: Urgent questions related to COVID-19 should not be submitted via the Google Form, those questions should continue to be sent to _EMAIL_, calling _PHONE_, and/or by using the Augsburg self-reporting form.
The interim staff union representative will continue to send weekly updates based on information gathered in the COVID Task Force meetings and questions asked in the google form.


text:
Hellcat, the F6F in World War II
Largely responsible for crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most... Show synopsis Largely responsible for crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was considered the most important Allied aircraft in the Pacific during 1943 and 1944. Designed for speed, range, and climb to compete with Japan's exceptional Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it succeeded not only in engaging the "Zeke" on equal terms but also in dictating the rules of combat. Fighters in every sense of the word, the Hellcats were credited with destroying more than five thousand Japanese aircraft, gaining outright air supremacy over the invasion beaches, and helping ensure Allied amphibious victories in the Central Pacific. Aviation historian Barrett Tillman presents the full story of the fighter plane--the men who built and tested it, the squadrons that flew it, and the heroes it created. Heavily illustrated with photographs from the pilots' own collections, this spirited, carefully documented operational history is an absolute must for anyone interested in aviation history. It is now available for the first time in paperback.


text:
New Research Illuminates Byzantine Artistic HeritageContact: Chris Gosier
A prominent scholar of medieval art spoke at Fordham on Oct. 17 about new research that is shedding light on the full artistic splendor of the Byzantine Empire.
Hundreds of relic containers all over France can give a more complete view of the Byzantine artistic heritage if they are systematically inventoried, said Jannic Durand, curator of objets d'art at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
He spoke of various relic containers, or reliquaries, that held the body parts of saints or objects associated with saints. Some of the reliquaries are missing, and must be reconstructed through drawings or descriptions hidden in obscure archives. Some are likely waiting to be discovered or identified, he said.
Sometimes, relics or reliquaries that were destroyed long ago can be re-envisioned through engravings, inventories, images and scholarly writings, he added.
In this way, "we can sometimes arrive at a relatively clear vision of the objects which made their way to France" at various times—in the immediate aftermath of the Crusades, but also in the centuries that followed, he said.
It was during the Crusades and shortly after the fall of Constantinople in 1204 that large numbers of Byzantine relics and reliquaries appeared in the West, particularly in France, he said. After the empire had been pillaged, its relics and reliquaries continued to trickle into the West without ever entirely stopping, he said.
Some are entirely preserved, such as the True Cross of Anjou, housed in Baugé, Maine-et-Loire, whose pearls and precious stones indicate its Byzantine origin, he said.
Others can be seen only in photographs, such as the skull of St. Akindynos, which had been stamped with a gilded silver medallion depicting his bust-length portrait. It was stolen from a church in Arbois, France in 1991.
More than 150 people attended the lecture, "Recovering a Part of Byzantine Heritage: The Afterlife of Byzantine Relics and Reliquaries in France," held in the 12th Floor Lounge of the Lowenstein Building at the Lincoln Center campus.
The lecture drew art historians, medievalists from around the New York area and Byzantine scholars who were in the area for the Byzantine Studies Conference held that weekend at Rutgers University.
Durand visited Fordham through the Forsyth Lectureship, set up by the International Center of Medieval Art to support lectures by a distinguished scholar of medieval art at multiple venues.
Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, and the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y.


_USER_{, title={Design and Implementation of Microcontroller Based Portable Drug Delivery System}, author={Mohammed Sabah Jarjees}, journal={Engineering and Technology Journal مجلة الهندسة والتكنولوجيا}, volume={29}, number={12}, pages={2580-2588}, year={2011}, abstract={Portable drug delivery system or portable syringe pump system is a small infusion pump used to gradually deliver drugs, at low doses and at a constant or controllable rate of drug to a patient who needs to take a drug dose regularly in specific periods all the day. The aim of this research is to design and perform a prototype of a portable drug delivery system controlled by micro controller. The micro controller will control the dose of liquid or medication which will be given to the patient and the time of repetition of the dose. The dose rate will be adjusted by controlling the operation of stepper motor which will drive the syringe pump through fine mechanism set.
} }


text:
Reversible Gating of Plasmonic Coupling for Optical Signal Amplification.
Amplification of optical signals is useful for a wide variety of applications, ranging from data signal transmission to chemical sensing and biomedical diagnostics. One such application in chemical sensing is surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), an important technique for increasing the Raman signal using the plasmonic effect of enhanced electromagnetic fields associated with metallic nanostructures. One of the most important limitations of SERS-based amplification is the difficulty to reproducibly control the SERS signal. Here, we describe the design and implementation of a unique hybrid system capable of producing reversible gating of plasmonic coupling for Raman signal amplification. The hybrid system is composed of two subsystems: (1) colloidal magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles for SERS enhancement and (2) a micromagnet substrate with an externally applied magnetic field to modulate the colloidal nanoparticles. For this proof of concept demonstration, the nanoparticles were labeled with a Raman-active dye, and it was shown that the detected SERS signal could be reproducibly modulated by controlling the externally applied magnetic field. The developed system provides a simple, robust, inexpensive, and reusable device for SERS signal modulation. These properties will open up new possibilities for optical signal amplification and gating as well for high-throughput, reproducible SERS detection.
Khoury, CG; Fales, AM; Vo-Dinh, T
Volume / Issue
Start / End Page
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)


text:
Sophisticated ideas are difficult to get across in a chart. For instance, the NYT recently described the gender gap in the workplace by comparing the proportion of men versus women in managerial positions relative to the overall proportion. Two simultaneous comparisons are taking place, one between men and women, and the other between managerial positions and overall employment.
The published chart (below left) used eight pie charts. To my eyes, this graphic is confusing, not least because the primary comparison between managers and overall is set far apart. The junkchart version (right) tries to fix this by graphically showing the gender gap using a horizontal line segment. Also, the 50% gray dotted line allows the reader to see quickly that in the three industries where men comprise the minority overall employment, they take up the majority of managerial positions.


text:
Miniature palm trees are palm trees that grow no more than 20 feet tall. This height is relatively small compared to standard palm trees that can grow as tall as 80 feet.
Some popular varieties that are within the 10- to 12-foot range include the pygmy date palm, bamboo palm, parlor palm, lady palm, European fan palm, Florida thatch palm and diamond palm. Additionally, the banana palm is a dwarf-sized palm that has varieties that are cold hardy. Miniature palms can be used on their own, or in a combination with other palms, shrubs or flowers to create a unique landscape.


text:
Mission, Vision, Foundation Goals
The Foundation of Florida Virtual School is the philanthropic arm of Florida Virtual School serving its students, teachers, and support staff. The Foundation is supported by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Laptops for Learners - a community-centered laptop loan program to facilitate student success Professional Development for Staff – enriching staff learning opportunities
Awards & Scholarships - provide expanded educational opportunities, and recognition of excellence, for both students and staff
Mission and Vision
- Mission Statement
The Foundation for Florida Virtual School invests its resources to provide access to Florida Virtual School education for under-served students.
- Vision Statement
The Foundation for Florida Virtual School strives to ensure all students have access to world-class education and quality online learning opportunities that prepare them for a lifetime for success.


Start Planning
Emancipation Day
Turks and Caicos Islands
Emancipation Day 2021, 2022 and 2023 in Turks and Caicos Islands
Emancipation Day is a public holiday in the UK dependency of Turks and Caicos that commemorates the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. The law abolishing slavery was passed on 1 August, 1834, but Turks and Caicos now celebrates Emancipation Day on the first Monday of August instead to create a long weekend.
20211 AugSunEmancipation Day
2 AugMonEmancipation Day Holiday
20221 AugMonEmancipation Day
20231 AugTueEmancipation Day
20241 AugThuEmancipation Day
The movement toward abolition of slavery was gradual in Britain, but it began much earlier than most people realise. By the same token, full and true freedom took up to six years past 1834 in some cases.
In 1772, the ruling of Somerset VS Stewart concluded slavery violated English common law, though nothing was done about it. In 1796, the Slave Act somewhat restricted the right of slave holders to punish their slaves and declared, among other things, that they must get Christmas off work, be provided with food and clothes, and be subject to "compulsory religious education".
In 1807, the slave trade was abolished, along with slavery in the UK itself. Finally, on 1 August 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act (passed in 1833) was implemented. But it took four to six more years before slaves were finally fully free.
Emancipation Day is a time when Turks and Caicos remembers the horrors of slavery and celebrates its final demise.
Previous Years
20201 AugSatEmancipation Day
3 AugMonEmancipation Day Holiday
20191 AugThuEmancipation Day
20186 AugMonEmancipation Day
20171 AugTueEmancipation Day


text:
Life in a Drop of Water
by Mike Morgan
How often have we seen, in books aimed at the amateur microscopist, that one drop of sediment and water from the pond, would yield a wealth of organisms to view and wonder at?
I tried this, observing over a period of one hour, 25 microlitres of sediment/pond water.
Indeed there were a wealth of organisms to wonder at. I decided to split these observations into different articles, covering the types seen. The first will show the types of Rotifer observed and I will follow this with articles showing the protozoa and algae / desmids.
Three types of rotifer were seen. The most abundant was Brachionus sp. and I was able to see the rotifer both with and without her carrying her eggs (image above and left respectively).
Next to appear was Anuraeopsis. There is only one British and Irish species of this rotifer, i.e. Anuraeopsis fissa. The asexual eggs are very distinctive in being tear-drop shaped and are carried attached to an anal appendage or egg carrier.
The third rotifer observed was Rotaria neptunia. The telescopic nature of the rotifer's movement was clearly seen, as were the 3 toes and 2 spurs on the foot.
The more observant may notice a few other organisms, captured alongside the rotifers. The ubiquitous Paramecium, for one! My next two articles will cover the various protozoa and algae seen in what, for me, was a very exciting hour's viewing of that "drop of water".
Further reading: A Key to British Freshwater Planktonic Rotifera by Rosalind M Pontin. Freshwater Biological Association.
See a video clip showing the birth of a live rotifer of the genus Rotaria.
Please report any Web problems
or offer general comments to the Micscape Editor,
via the contact on current Micscape Index.
Micscape is the on-line monthly
magazine of the Microscopy UK web
site at Microscopy-UK


text:
I'm referring to the similar definitions of these four nouns – something raised and rounded. Why do these four rhyming words have similar meanings?
I have not found very specific sources for these words on the Online Etymology Dictionary and Wiktionary. Hump is "probably from Dutch homp." Rump is "from a Scandinavian source," "from Old Norse rumpr" ultimately from Proto-Germanic "rumpo." Lump is "perhaps from a Scandinavian source" and finally, Bump is "perhaps from Scandinavian," "probably of North Germanic origin."
Could these words come from the same root? Other than the fact that they all might come from northern Europe, the only hint I have in this direction is the following from Wiktionary, tracing the origin of Hump through Dutch, Middle Low German, Old Saxon and Proto-Germanic, to Proto-Indo-European *kumb-, *kumbʰ- ("curved"). Could this PIE root, which is not given in these online sources for any of the other three words, be a common root to all four words?
I find myself looking at other –ump words and "seeing" a curved or rounded line: jump (a curved trajectory), grump (a downturned mouth), pump (the action of the pump handle), clump (a rounded clod of earth, not sharp), etc. Am I just seeing this because the words sound similar, or is there something more to my tendency? For example, the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests the origin of jump is "perhaps onomatopoeic (cf. bump)" although this view is not echoed on Wiktionary. Is it possible that these words do all share a common root and are simply onomatopoeic variations of each other?
Are there other pairs or groups of words like these in English? (Wham! Bam! Ka-blam!) Does this phenomenon have a name?


Te Kete Ipurangi Navigation:
Te Kete Ipurangi
Te Kete Ipurangi user options:
Cut a recipe into strips to make a strip-story task and ask the students to collectively order the steps/instructions. Give each student one step/instruction to read and then memorise. Once they have memorised the steps/instructions, collect the strips and get them to work together to sort out the correct order. To make the task easier, let the students keep the written instructions while they are putting them in order.
A strip story for making a cup of drinking chocolate is on resource sheet 3.5.
Extension. A more difficult variation is to cut each strip in half so that each student starts with just half a strip. The students have to join the halves together before they can reconstruct the whole recipe.
A variation for younger or less confident students is to include picture clues that illustrate the words (with written instructions on separate strips from the matching pictures). Their task is to negotiate with their peers, match the words to the pictures, and reconstruct the recipe.
You can turn dialogues about food into strip stories, for example, a mealtime conversation.
Back to top ^


text:
John Brown Museum
Reverend Samuel Adair and his wife, Florella, were peaceful abolitionists who came to Kansas and settled near Osawatomie, an abolitionist community and a center of conflict during "Bleeding Kansas." The Adair cabin was a station on the Underground Railroad and Florella's half brother, John Brown, used this cabin as his headquarters. The cabin survived the Battle of Osawatomie where John Brown and 30 free-state defenders fought 250 proslavery militia in 1856, and stands on the battle site today. Visitors to the Museum can learn more about the Adairs, John Brown, and others who struggled to survive the border war.
The museum offers exhibits, tours, and occasional educational and recreational events.


Mystery bird: tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus
This neotropical mystery bird is a tyrant flycatcher, a group of birds whose name seems to forewarn birders of its confusingly (tyrannically?) similar family members
Tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus, also known as Azara's kingbird, Lichtenstein's kingbird, the Gray (Grey)-headed kiskadee, melancholy kingbird, the west Mexican kingbird and the yellow kingbird, photographed at Galveston County, Texas (USA).
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 14 May 2011 [velociraptorize].
Question: This North American mystery bird is part of a group of birds that tend to be so cryptic and difficult-to-identify that their name seems to allude to this quality. Can you name this group and tell me which species this is (and why you think it is that species)?
Since Pete Moulton asked for a recording of the bird's voice, here you go:
Now, if you're really ambitious, tell me what species of bird is calling in the background of this recording!
Response: This is an adult tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus, a member of the Tyrannidae, or tyrant flycatchers. Tyrant flycatchers are very difficult to distinguish, even when in-hand, so it requires a variety of morphological, behavioural, geographic and aural clues to make a reasonable identification, and even then, one must be satisfied to realise that it is simply not possible to identify all tyranids in all seasons and in all places -- something that also is true for all bird species.
But generally, tropical kingbirds can often be distinguished from several confusingly similar tyranids: (1) Cassin's kingbird, T. vociferans, has a darker gray head, back and breast (mostly not visible in this image) which make a stronger contrast with its white throat, and a white tip to its tail; (2) western kingbird, T. verticalis, has white outer edges on its black tail (not easily visible in this image), a grayer breast and a smaller bill. Which leaves us with Couch's kingbird, T. couchii, an almost identical species that was recently split from the tropical kingbird. These two species are best distinguished by voice, thus the song recording that Pete Moulton requested to make sure he'd gotten the correct ID.
Now to answer my "extra" question regarding the recording: the bird calling in the background is a ferruginous pygmy-owl, Glaucidium brasilianum.
twitter: _USER_


text: Closed-loop decoder adaptation (CLDA) is an emerging paradigm for achieving rapid performance improvements in online brain-machine interface (BMI) operation. Designing an effective CLDA algorithm requires making multiple important decisions, including choosing the timescale of adaptation, selecting which decoder parameters to adapt, crafting the corresponding update rules, and designing CLDA parameters. These design choices, combined with the specific settings of CLDA parameters, will directly affect the algorithm's ability to make decoder parameters converge to values that optimize performance. In this article, we present a general framework for the design and analysis of CLDA algorithms and support our results with experimental data of two monkeys performing a BMI task. First, we analyze and compare existing CLDA algorithms to highlight the importance of four critical design elements: the adaptation timescale, selective parameter adaptation, smooth decoder updates, and intuitive CLDA parameters. Second, we introduce mathematical convergence analysis using measures such as mean-squared error and KL divergence as a useful paradigm for evaluating the convergence properties of a prototype CLDA algorithm before experimental testing. By applying these measures to an existing CLDA algorithm, we demonstrate that our convergence analysis is an effective analytical tool that can ultimately inform and improve the design of CLDA algorithms.