text:
We're on the subject of viscosity maintenance again, and for good reason too. The matter is one that needs to be addressed year round, in both hot and cold weather. However, this time we're talking about maintaining the proper viscosity of your liquids under all perceivable circumstances, whether in room temperature, on cold or hot days.
Viscosity Maintenance Has Two Sides
In previous articles, we've discussed viscosity maintenance as it applies to maintaining low viscosity levels in your liquids through the use of Powerblanket® heating products. Of course, the reason we've talk so much about this is because it's pertinent to so many scenarios. However, maintaining low viscosity levels is only half the story when it comes to the entire viscosity conundrum. Some operations and product maintenance require the other side of the spectrum. In other words, Powerblanket can help with maintaining high viscosity levels as well.
If you store or use liquids that need to be very low in viscosity, then Powerblanket heating solutions can help you keep your liquids at temperatures high enough to keep the viscosity of the liquid very low. But, if the opposite challenge is your concern, Powerblanket can help there too. Our new Powerblanket ICE cooling products can keep your liquids cool enough to maintain high viscosity levels, even in really hot weather.
If the liquids you're storing are at risk of losing their viscous qualities when the temperatures rise, then Powerblanket ICE is going to be an invaluable ally for your operations. Powerblanket ICE comes in three performance levels and will help you keep your liquids cool and viscous, even in really hot weather.
- Keep your liquids cool during hot weather, maintaining viscous qualities and eliminating spoiled product
- Eliminate downtime associated with lost viscosity and the need for expensive cooling interventions
- Increase output and profit by increasing operational efficiency
Powerblanket ICE Features:
- Powerblanket ICE uses Powerblanket patented heat-spreading technology in reverse to draw heat away from the container and cool the contents inside.
- Powerblanket ICE covers and insulates your container with the same robust system used in the Powerblanket heating products.
- All three performance levels of Powerblanket ICE, the ice pack, ice box, and chiller-driven systems are portable (120VAC required).
- Powerblanket ICE allows you to control the temperature of bulk materials with ease:
- Increase yields (Bulk materials that sit at high temperatures will reduce yield for most viscous liquids. With Powerblanket ICE, you can bring the temperature down, and keep it there.)
- Maintain the viscous quality of your liquids
- Decrease operational inefficiencies
- Blankets can be left installed and running while bulk material containers are in use.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
Cross posted from stackoverflow at the suggestion of a commenter.
I have a series of CSV files of timestamped coordinates (X, Y, and Z in mm). What would be the simplest way to extract motion data from them?
The information I'd like to extract includes the following:
 - Number of direction changes
 - Initial acceleration of the first and last movements
 - Bearing (angle) of these movements
 - Average speed whilst non-stationary
Ideally, I'd eventually like to be able to categorise patterns of motion, so bonus points for anyone who can suggest a way of doing this. It strikes me that one way I could do this would be to generate pictures/videos of the motion from the coordinates and ask humans to categorise them - suggestions as to how I'd do this are very welcome.
A complication is the fact that the readings are polluted with noise. In order to overcome this, each recording is prefaced with at least 20 seconds of stillness which can serve as a sort of "noise profile". I'm not sure how to implement this though.
If it helps, the motion being recorded is that of a persons hand during a simple grabbing task. The data is generated using a magnetic motion tracker attached to the wrist. Also, I'm using C#, but I guess the maths is language agnostic.
There is a bounty open on the original question, so feel free to post your answers there as well as here.
share|improve this question
You want to do what 3Sphere suggests in the answer below, and then filter it using a Kalman Filter. Let me know if you're still interested in this problem and I can explain more. – Chris Taylor Jun 9 '11 at 20:03
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up vote 0 down vote accepted
If I were modeling this, I would treat the initial point in the file as the displacement relative to the some fixed point and each subsequent point as a displacement from the previous point. In this way, you effectively end up with a sequence of vectors that can be reasoned over using standard methods from vector analysis. That is, the points in the file $\{p_0, p_1, \dots p_n\}$ yield the sequence of vectors $\{v_0 = p_1, v_1 = p_1 - p_0, \dots v_n = p_n - p_{n-1} \}$. Using these vectors you can then find the angle between them, determine the average speed, etc, according to elementary formula. As for dealing with noise in your data, I can't comment much on that other than to note that it might be helpful to introduce a notion of tolerance similar to that which is introduced to determine whether two floating point numbers are "equal". If the magntitude of displacement between point $p_i$ and $p_j$ is less than some tolerance value $\epsilon$ and/or change in direction also falls within a certain level of tolerance then perhaps it can be ignored. There are of course much more sophisticated statistical techniques that can be employed that I'm not really qualified to explain.
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text:
A cooling system
The manufacture of water-soluble sodium silicate (water glass) does not include a forming process after the melting phase. The glass must simply be cooled down in a controlled way. A special plate conveyor with a heat resistant surface has been developed for this. The glass flows onto the plates directly from the melter and cools as a result of air convection. It is then crushed to obtain the necessary grain size. Dissolved in water, sodium silicate is used in many products such as detergents, colours and adhesives.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


The colón was the currency of El Salvador between 1892 and 2001, until it was substituted by the U.S. Dollar. It was subdivided into 100 centavos and its ISO 4217 code was SVC. The plural is colones in Spanish and was named after Christopher Columbus, known as Cristóbal Colón in Spanish.
On October 1 of 1892, the government of President Carlos Ezeta, decided that the Salvadoran peso be called 'Colon', in homage to the "discoverer" of America. The colón replaced the peso at par in 1919. It was initially pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 2 dollar. El Salvador left the gold standard in 1931 and its value floated. On June 19, 1934 the Central Bank was created as the government body responsible for monetary policy and the sole body authorized to issue currency in the nation. On January 1, 2001 under the government of President Francisco Flores, the Law of Monetary Integration went into effect and allowed the free circulation of U.S. dollar in the country (see dollarization), with a fixed exchange rate of 8.75 colones. The colon has not officially ceased to be legal tender.


text:
John P. McDonough, Secretary of State
Photograph by Tom Darden, State of Maryland
The Maryland flag has
been described as the perfect state flag bold colors, interesting
patterns, and correct heraldry—a flag that fairly shouts "Maryland." The
design of the flag
comes from the shield in the coat of arms of the Calvert family, the colonial proprietors of
Maryland. George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, adopted a coat of arms that included a shield
with alternating quadrants featuring the yellow-and-black colors of his paternal family and the
red-and-white colors of his maternal family, the Crosslands1
. When the
in 1904 adopted a banner
of this design as the state flag, a link was forged between modern-day Maryland and the very
earliest chapter of the proprietorship of the Calvert family.
Despite the antiquity of its design, the Maryland flag is of post-Civil War origin. Throughout the
colonial period, only the yellow-and-black Calvert family colors are mentioned in descriptions of
the Maryland flag. After independence, the use of the Calvert family colors was discontinued.
Various banners were used to represent the state, although none was adopted officially as a state
flag. By the Civil War, the most common Maryland flag design probably consisted of the great
seal of the state on a blue background. These blue banners were flown at least until the late
The Calvert family coat of arms was reintroduced in Maryland in an 1854 law that called for a
new great seal based on the Calvert design. The seal created pursuant to this act contained several
inaccuracies, and in 1876 the General Assembly provided for a new great seal that conformed
closely to the Calvert original.
Reintroduction of the Calvert coat of arms on the great seal of the state was followed by a
reappearance at public events of banners in the yellow-and-black Calvert family colors. Called
the "Maryland colors" or "Baltimore colors," these yellow-and-black banners lacked official
sanction of the General Assembly, but appear to have quickly become popular with the public as
a unique and readily identifiable symbol of Maryland and its long history.
The red-and-white Crossland arms gained popularity in quite a different way. Probably because
the yellow-and-black "Maryland colors" were popularly identified with a state which, reluctantly
or not, remained in the Union, Marylanders who sympathized with the South adopted the
red-and-white of the Crossland arms as their colors. Following Lincoln's election in 1861, red
and white "secession colors" appeared on everything from yarn stockings and cravats to
children's clothing. People displaying these red-and-white symbols of resistance to the Union and
to Lincoln's policies were vigorously prosecuted by Federal authorities.
During the war, Maryland-born Confederate soldiers used both the red-and-white colors and the
cross bottony design from the Crossland quadrants of the Calvert coat of arms as a unique way of
identifying their place of birth. Pins in the cross bottony shape were worn on uniforms, and the
headquarters flag of the Maryland-born Confederate general Bradley T. Johnson was a red cross
bottony on a white field.
By the end of the Civil War, therefore, both the yellow-and-black Calvert arms and the
red-and-white colors and bottony cross design of the Crossland arms were clearly identified with
Maryland, although they represented opposing sides in the conflict. As officers and soldiers
returned home after the war to resume their peacetime occupations, the greatest challenge facing
the country was reconciliation. Nowhere was the problem more serious than in deeply divided
Maryland, where veterans who had fought under the red-and-white secession colors" had to be
reintegrated into a state that had remained true to the Union.
As the slow process of reconciliation took place in post-Civil War Maryland, a new symbol
emerged. A flag incorporating alternating quadrants of the Calvert and Crossland colors began
appearing at public events. While the design derived directly from the seventeenth-century
Calvert family coat of arms, for Marylanders of the 1880s the new banner must have conveyed a
powerful message. The passage of time had gradually diminished the passions of former Rebels
and Yankees, permitting them to work together once again. Now the colors they had fought under
had come together as well, symbolically representing through this new flag the reunion of all the
Neither the designer nor the date of origin of this new Maryland flag is
certain, but a banner in this form was known at least by October 1880.
Flags incorporating four quadrants alternating between the yellow-and-black
Calvert arms and the red-and-white Crossland arms appear in published sketches
by Frank B. Mayer depicting the huge 150th birthday parade held in
Baltimore that month. Eight years later, in October 1888, a large flag
with the alternating Calvert and Crossland colors was carried by Maryland
National Guard troops escorting Governor Elihu E. Jackson at the dedication
ceremonies for the Maryland monument at the Gettysburg Battlefield. A year
later, in October 1889, the Fifth Regiment, Maryland National Guard, adopted a
flag in this form as its regimental color. The Fifth Regiment thereby
became the first organization to adopt officially what is today the Maryland
The adoption of this new flag by the Fifth Regiment helped popularize the
design. The Fifth was the largest component of Maryland's military after
1870, and it played a conspicuous part in major public events both in and out of
the state. Organized in May 1867, the Fifth Regiment was the successor
organization to the Old Maryland Guard, a military unit formed in Baltimore in
1859 that dissolved when most of its officers and men went south in 1861 to join
the Confederate Army.
True to its heritage, the original Fifth Regiment consisted primarily of
Maryland-born former Confederate officers and soldiers. The new regimental
color adopted in 1889, combining the traditional yellow-and-black "Maryland
colors" with the red-and-white "secession colors" in the form of a bottony
cross, must have seemed especially appropriate to members of the Fifth.
The colors symbolically represented what had happened to the Fifth Regiment
itself in the quarter century since the Civil War. Originally denounced as
a "Rebel Brigade," the Fifth had by the 1870s become Maryland's premier
military organization, attracting Union veterans as well as former Confederates.
From its inception, the Fifth Regiment had demonstrated through its prominent
participation in public events and with its summer encampments in the north that
former Confederates could be good soldiers and loyal citizens of the state and
The Fifth Regiment's new regimental color was not the only example of former
Confederates perpetuating and thereby popularizing the use of the red-and-white
Crossland colors and the cross bottony design. The monument on Culp's Hill
at the Gettysburg Battlefield commemorating the Second Maryland Infantry, CSA,
carries a cross bottony on each face, and the Maryland Line Confederate
Soldiers' Home, established in Pikesville in 1888, featured a large cross
bottony on service badges and on invitations to events sponsored.
Beginning a custom that would later be officially recognized by law, the Fifth
Regiment by 1905 had replaced the silver eagle on the flagstaff bearing its
regimental color with a cross bottony.
In 1904 the General Assembly affirmed the popular support shown for a banner
composed of alternating Calvert and Crossland quadrants by declaring it the
State flag. In 1945, a gold cross bottony was made the official ornament
for a flagstaff carrying the Maryland flag.
The Maryland flag, flown on a staff properly ornamented with a gold cross
bottony, is therefore much more than a symbol of state sovereignty. The
flag excels as a state banner because it commemorates the vision of the founders
while it reminds us of the struggle to preserve the Union. It is a unique
symbol of challenges met and loyalties restored, a flag of unity and
reconciliation for all the state's citizens.
1: Design - The Calvert colors are described as gold and
black, and the Crossland colors as red and silver, but in heraldry gold is depicted with yellow and
silver with white. The cross in the Crossland arms ends in demi-fleurs-de-lis and is properly a
cross flory; the cross in the Maryland flag terminates in buttons, and in heraldry is termed a cross
bottony. The word "bottony" is spelled several ways; the version used here conforms to the 1945
law that made the cross bottony the official ornament for a flagstaff carrying the Maryland flag.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
MOTYS 2001 is a word game containing an french and english dictionary with 100000 words. The objective of this game is to discover a word which is randomly chosen by the computer like Mastermind.
At each attempt the computer indicates the correct placed characters (red background) and the ones incorrectly placed (green background).The game is fully parametrized time to think, initial difficulty, addition/deletion of words to the dictionary. The more difficult the setup is chosen, the faster the score rises! Many sounds accompany a game.
MOTYS 2001 is available in french and english. The clear and user-friendly interface let you dive right-away into action!


text:
Simplified Simulation Models for Indoor MANET Evaluation are not Robust
1st IEEE Communications Society Conference on Sensor and Ad Hoc Communications and Networks (SECON), Santa Clara, CA, October 2004
We evaluate the robustness of simplified mobility and radio propagation models for indoor MANET simulations. A robust simplification allows researchers to extrapolate simulation results and reach reliable conclusions about the expected performance of protocols in real life. We show that common simplified mobility and radio propagation models are not robust. Experiments with DSR and DSDV, two representative MANET routing protocols, show that the simplifications affect the two protocols in very different manners. Even for a single protocol, the effects on perceived performance can vary erratically as parameters change. These results cast doubt on the soundness of evaluations of MANET routing protocols based on simplified mobility and radio propagation models, and expose the urgent need for more research on realistic MANET simulation.


Understanding urine test strips for pets
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Various reasons why blood in pet's urine
When people find a positive test result on the "blood" parameter with ThePetCheckup it is often due to some type of infection. Any positive result on the blood parameter should be followed up.
There are many reasons for blood appearing positive on the urine test, but they are not always from serious causes. It may be as simple as something rough (perhaps a piece of a stick) that your dog ate or a very tough blade of grass that your cat chewed on. This can irritate the digestive track, but is a temporary situation and should heal right up. If no other symptoms are noticed, the amount of blood is minimal, you can just retest in a day or so and see if it has cleared up.
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Home urine testing for dogs and cats
We occasionally are asked if there are two separate test kits for dogs and cats.
The answer is no: the same ThePetCheckup kit is used for both dogs and cats.
Our test materials are calibrated for animals and are sold to veterinary clinics throughout the world. The special packaging of our test strips is to enable pet owners to use them for preventative care and early detection.
It is generally easier to collect a urine sample from a dog, but we do offer several suggestions in our manual for collecting samples from cats. And we also let people know about the Smart Cat Box, which makes testing urine very simple!
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Beautiful quote
One of my favorite quotes:
Sharon Callahan, Animal Communicator _URL_
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Testing your pet's urine at home for preventative medicine
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Background story on home urine kit for dogs and cats
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Trace protein may be normal in dog or cat's urine test
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Puppy urinary tract infections
Some people are surprised to know how common urinary tract infections are in puppies. There are some specific reasons for this:
Since puppies are usually in the process of being potty-trained, having an accident in the house may not be the red flag it would be with an older dog. That enables the untreated urinary tract infection to become more serious.
Another reason is due to the high energy level of puppies. If they are not drinking enough water, the urine in the bladder becomes more concentrated and that can lead to an infection.
Not getting your dog spayed can also lead to urinary tract infections. The pH changes as your female dog goes through puberty. Getting your pup fixed before the first heat will prevent this imbalance.
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Dolphin strandings on Cape Cod continue
Since the beginning of the year, over 120 dolphins have stranded on Cape Cod. I love to read the Cape Cod paper online everyday, but it is really heartbreaking to see that the strandings keep continuing.
IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and many volunteers are doing an amazing job to save as many dolphins as they can. And several of the released dolphins have headed out to deep water and more have been recorded up by the Maine coast.
There are several possible theories regarding this mass stranding, and scientists will continue to study the situation. There most likely are several factors that are contributing to the stranding of these beautiful animals that live in a sea of man-made pollution. I hope NSTAR is taking note and re-evaluating their position of spraying chemicals needlessly and irresponsibly around their power lines.
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Testing your dog and cat's urine at home
We recommend testing your dog or cat's urine first thing in the morning. Results are generally more reliable.
For example, nitrite which is an indicator of a bacteria infection may show a negative result if the urine was not in the bladder for at least 4 hours.
Specific gravity, which is the ratio of the weight of urine compared to the weight of an equal amount of water can vary before and after exercise. (This is especially important in comparing test results for your dog).
Testing the same time of day each time you test and recording your results on the results page will give you an easy way to compare any changes that may appear over time.
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Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'd like to fit a function to the Sun's electrons flux data (blue dots), please note that x,y axis are in the log scale. The green dots are the "best" fit from the gnuplot program. I have taken the a/x as a test function, but in the log scale that is a linear function. Could anyone give me advice which test function should I take? Great thanks for any advice:)
x - electrons energy [MeV], y - flux
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BTW---$ax^b$ is a line when plotted log--log and collectively these are called "power laws". – dmckee Jul 20 '12 at 15:13
3 Answers 3
up vote 1 down vote accepted
It would be helpful to include what the x/y axes represent -- the physics of the problem may suggest an answer.
For a generic approach you could just (explicitly) construct $y'=\ln y$, $x'=\ln x$ and then do polynomial fits to this data $x',y'$.
A functional form that might be worth considering is $y = c x^{a +b x}$ which could give you the curvature you're seeing in the log-log plot, but I'd only go there if there was some physical motivation for the $x^{bx}$ behaviour.
share|improve this answer
the x axis is an energy [MeV] of electrons; y axis is a flux e- cm^-2 s^-1. – nykon Jul 20 '12 at 14:38
In general you don't want to be thinking "How do I fit to this data set?", but rather "What physics do I suspect here and how should I parameterize it?" so that your fit is physically meaningful.
share|improve this answer
You probably have too few points to get a physically significant fit. To get the curvature on the log scale you might try $$\ln(y)=a\left(\ln(x)\right)^2+b\ln(x)+c,$$ i.e. fitting a parabola to those points, but it's unclear that that will give you anything of value (it gives the model $y=Cx^{b+a\ln(x)}$ which is pretty ugly).
I would say you're doing this the wrong way round: start with physical considerations to derive some kind of model and then do a fit to see if it works. The problem is that there is probably a large number of different curves that will fit those points well enough, and more so if you allow more than three or four parameters. The only way out (and even then I'd say it's a feeble one) is to get a large amount of data with large precision. Then, if a model with only a few parameters fits all your points within their uncertainty, you're on to something that theory has to account for.
It also depends on what you want your fit to do. Do you expect some kind of theoretical insight? then look to theory. Do you want to interpolate your data? then there are ready-made interpolation algorithms (some, but not all, of which include a polynomial fit to the data, though they are not usually least-squares fits to all the data but rather exact fits to part of the data). Do you want some kind of derivative or integral from that curve? then evaluate it numerically. And so on.
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Thank You for a good advices. The best scenario is to get the function describing the data. But I think I have to take polynomials into consideration. – nykon Jul 20 '12 at 15:58
This it the way to approach the problem as pure mathematics, but fitting without a physics motivation is very rarely a good idea. – dmckee Jul 20 '12 at 16:51
+1 to dmckee. You won't get a physically meaningful "function describing the data" without some physical insight about what your data is describing. – Emilio Pisanty Jul 22 '12 at 12:58
Your Answer


Help us get to over 4,000 biographies in 2018.
Henry Barton Turner
From Magicpedia, the free online encyclopedia for magicians by magicians.
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Henry Barton Turner
BornDecember 2, 1885
Brierley Hill, Birmingham, England
DiedDecember 6, 1970 (age 85)
Henry Barton Turner (_PHONE_) was a magician, specializing in escapes, that performed as Houdeen, Henri Deville, the Wizard of the Army, The Great Deville.
Turner became a music hall performer as The Great Deville, the Wizard of the Army, in the 1920s and this career continued until the early 1930s.
The act incorporated Houdini-style escapes and earlier in his career, during the first decade of the twentieth century when Houdini and his brother Hardeen were topping bills Europe, Turner briefly adopted the name of Houdeen.
"The Wizard of the Army" title used by Deville was a foil to Val Walker, "The Wizard of the Navy", who was also featuring unusual escapes in the early 1920s.
Illusions were also featured by Deville in some of his performances including "Dividing a Lady in Two, the 20th Century Unsolved Problem and Super Miracle", a version of Selbit's "Sawing a woman in half".
By 1936, he started a business selling illusions, manuscripts and books. Some of his manuscripts offered were of Hindu Fakir's Feats, 25 Long Lessons in Hypnotism, and Ventriloquism for Amateurs with 9 Dialogues.
During World War II, Deville worked for the Fairey Aviation Company building aircraft but also managed to continue his magic business[1]
See also: Mr Eugene Deville "Dr Henri Deville" of Manchester, who was elected to membership of The Magic Circle on 4th June 1929.
 1. No. 134. THE GREAT DEVILLE, WIZARD OF THE ARMY, Complete Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities by Edwin A. Dawes (2005)


Homework for September 23rd, 2018
Dear parents,
Here are the home works assigned by class level for each of the Telugubadi students. All these home works are due on September 23rd, 2018.
Please make sure that your children complete this home work before the next class.
Prathamika - 1& 2
1. Write / Trace the words written in the notebook.
2. Write two additional words for each letter written in the notebook.
Madhyama - 1
1. Write the words in the bottom section of on pg # 15 ( pg # 17 in new text books) in the notebook.
2. Practice acchulu, hallulu well.
Madhyama - 2
1. Write Aksharamala అ-ఱ one time each day, and Guninthaalu from క-ఘ and vothulu of క-ఘ 3 times each day.
2. Write all the words reviewed on page 16 * 3 times each day.
3. Memorize the last two lines of the padyam "నీ పాద కమల"
Utteerna - 2
1. Answer the questions after the passage: "అవ్వ మేక"
2. Speak in Telugu every day of the week for 30 minutes and get one of your parent's signature.
3. Be prepared to write a short paragraph (300 words) in Telugu about any topic.
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Homework for February 3rd, 2019
Homework for February 10th, 2019


text:
Several years ago for a period of more than a year, I kept several live Rumina saharica, the smaller relative of the better known land snail Rumina decollata (actually, neither species is that well known). I had kept copious notes and took some photographs. So, recently I decided that I had enough data for a short paper and started working on it.
One activity that I was lucky enough to witness and photograph was R. saharica's mating.
In fact, I observed 2 pairs mating simultaneously next to each other. When I took this photograph, one pair had separated, but one snail (on the left) still had its penis everted (white arrow). The pair on the bottom was still mating. Their mating position is interesting: one snail lies on its side, while the other, also on its side, stretches its head over that of the lower snail. As far as I can tell, each snail inserts its penis into its mate's genital opening (red arrow).
Rumina decollata is known to be a facultative selfer, that is, it can reproduce without mating (Selander et al. 1974. Self-fertilization in the terrestrial snail Rumina decollata. Veliger 16: 265). Can R. saharica also reproduce without mating? You have to wait for my paper to learn the answer.


Skip to definition.
Noun: penis (penises,penes) pee-nis
 1. The male sex organ ('member' is a euphemism)
 "the vagina receives the penis during coitus";
 - phallus, member
Derived forms: penes, penises
Type of: erectile organ
Part of: family jewels [slang], lunch box [Brit, slang], male genital organ, male genitalia, male genitals, male reproductive system
Encyclopedia: Penis


text:
This Robot's Offspring Will Clean Your Future Home
- 6:36 PM
Bossa Nova Robotics has developed a robot that the company says is "the first step towards the creation of a 21st century personal robotics platform for everyday consumers." It's called Project mObi, and instead of wheels or even bipedal legs, it uses a sphere for locomotion.
This "ballbot" approach is based on technology patented by Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. The robot balances and moves around on a sphere at its base, which lets it navigate deftly through human environments and means it can have a slimmer profile. I think it gives the robot prototype a kind of Rosie from The Jetsons look. Or maybe a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
mObi stands 4 feet, 9 inches tall and is 19 inches at its widest point. Up top it uses a tablet as a head, and that blue circle on its body is its "Emotive Light Array," which looks like it could be used for signaling what state or mode it's in. It can run Windows or ROS, the open source Robot Operating System.
You won't be seeing mObi inside homes and businesses anytime soon, though. The robot will first be available to developers and researchers in 2013. In the meantime, if you want something robotic wheeling around your office you'll just have to settle for a telepresence device like the Beam.
via IEEE Spectrum


text:
Stanfords Robotic Helicopters Teach Each Other New Tricks
Posted In: flight, helicopters, learning, rc, robot, Robotic, Stanford
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Maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but what about robot helicopters? A team of Stanford University geniuses have learned how to get a team of autonomous helicopters to fly better than the expert RC stunt pilot who "trained" them. The core of the system is a computer that analyzes data fed to it from instruments both on the 'copters and on the ground, and sends 20 instructions every second to the units in flight.
Previous attempts had autonomous helicopters trying to mimic the instructions an RC pilot would send, but due to the unpredictable nature of the wind, the result was stiff flying and potential crashes. Stanford's 'copters can "watch and learn," by analyzing the way a human operator reacts to his helicopter to keep it aloft during precise tricks, and then respond to changes in the air more fluidly.


text:
On the moon, the acceleration due to gravity is -1.6 m/(sec^2). A stone is dropped from a cliff on the moon and hits the surface of the moon 20 seconds later. How far did it fall? What was its velocity at impact?
So far i have s(20)=0


text:
There's a misconception within the events industry that bandwidth is the same thing as Wi-Fi. However, bandwidth is actually the stuff that makes Wi-Fi work. It's usually the biggest factor in calculating the cost to bring Wi-Fi to a meeting. That's why it's crucial to understand what it is, where it comes from, and how to estimate bandwidth needs for a conference.
Here, SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals breaks down what you need to know about bandwidth, so you can keep costs contained and still provide a pleasant, high-speed experience for your attendees.
1. What is bandwidth?
Without getting too technical, bandwidth in its purest form is a frequency that's used to transmit a signal. However, in the course of our daily lives, we usually think of it as the internet. For the purposes of event planning, that understanding will work. The question then is: How do I bring dedicated internet to my event? The answer is through Wi-Fi access points.
2. Where does bandwidth come from?
There are several sources of bandwidth and each has its own advantages and limitations. And because bandwidth is a two-way exchange of data, it can occur symmetrically or asymmetrically. Symmetric bandwidth allows for the same rate of transfer in both directions, up and down, i.e., 50 megabits per second (mbps) up/50 mbps down. Asymmetrical bandwidth occurs when the rate of transfer is different in each direction, i.e., 10 mbps up/50 mbps down.
To ensure a positive experience, it is always best to work with a seasoned Wi-Fi engineer who can vet the bandwidth options against your desired outcome for the event. Below is a quick overview of bandwidth sources.
As event organizers, you've probably worked with venues that promise fast and reliable Wi-Fi, but fail to disclose the "but, ifs" that often prevent them from providing it. Despite what most venues want you to believe, you are not required to adhere to their "exclusive" arrangements with in-house telecommunications or audiovisual providers. (You can read more about how to avoid being roped into an "exclusive" IT vendor contract here.)
To determine how much bandwidth is needed for an event, consider how many people are attending — keep in mind the average user carries two to three devices to an event — and how they'll be using the internet. Since bandwidth can be expensive, you'll want to only use it in the most mission critical ways. That often means limiting Wi-Fi access to production staff at a large event, or confining it to specific geographic spaces.
4. How does bandwidth work?
While bandwidth is fairly standard, how bandwidth is dispersed across a convention is not. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to Wi-Fi in an event environment. Executing a successful Wi-Fi plan in a temporary environment is part science and part art. It is often too big a job for your average IT technician, especially for outdoor events or events that plan to support the news media.
Once a bandwidth source has been determined, the Wi-Fi engineer will assess the venue itself to determine what, if any, added infrastructure is needed to distribute the bandwidth. During an event, the Wi-Fi engineer can manage the flow of bandwidth from a centralized command center, with the ability to shift bandwidth from one use to another instantaneously.
For example, in Figure A below the allotted bandwidth for the Vendor Village at this event was 40 mbps. On the fourth day (labeled "25"), usage exceeded that amount. To accommodate that usage, the Wi-Fi engineer was able to shift bandwidth from the Athlete's Village, where usage was lower than expected, shown in Figure B.
Understanding the difference between bandwidth and Wi-Fi is integral to successfully bringing fast and reliable internet to an event. Sources for bandwidth in an event setting vary from low-cost and easy-to-implement solutions with limited performance capabilities to high-cost, complex solutions that provide robust performance with minimal chance of failure. Working with a seasoned and reputable Wi-Fi vendor to execute high-profile events, especially where there are aggressive social-media marketing expectations, is recommended to optimize the use of bandwidth and keep costs down.
Watch here to learn more about how to get Wi-Fi for your events.


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4 Safe Homemade Alternatives for Windshield Washer Fluid
As a child, you may have noticed a resemblance between brightly-colored windshield washer fluid and your favorite sugary drinks, which compelled you to speculate, "I wonder if that stuff Dad puts in his car is as tasty as my favorite blue juice."
If you did have that thought, good thing you never gave it a taste! Windshield washer fluid is made of methanol, also called methyl alcohol, and just a couple spoonfuls of it can be fatal.
Now, think about that toxicity as every car around the globe sprays it off its windshield to drain into the ground and sewers along the road. Can you imagine how many bottles of fluid that amounts to? Sure, the liquid is necessary to drive in snowy, dirty, and freezing conditions, but is there an alternative we could be using?
Good news: there is! We're proud to present a list of environmentally-friendly alternatives to methanol that you can mix yourself.
Have Questions About Financing Your Car? Get easy answers here!
- White Vinegar: This all-natural substance won't freeze in cold temperatures and is known for being an effective glass cleaner. Just dilute one part distilled white vinegar to three parts water to ensure that the acidity won't affect your car's paint or mechanical components.
- Rubbing Alcohol: Like vinegar, isopropyl alcohol also cleans dirt off of windows and is freeze-resistant. To dilute it, mix three cups with one gallon of water. Be sure not to ever put this flammable liquid in its pure form into your fluid tank.
- High Proof Vodka: True, it's a shame to waste good vodka to wash your windshield, but it is a comparable substitute for isopropyl if you're low on options. Follow the same instructions above.
- Household Glass Cleaner: While this substance is not completely natural, it's much less harmful than methanol. Mix one part glass cleaner to three parts water and toss in a spoonful of dishwasher fluid for good measure. Just note that this solution will only work for drivers in warm weather.
- Water: If you're in a bind and need something to keep the dust from the road off your windshield, a couple cups of pure water in the tank should be enough to keep the grime away. Just be absolutely sure you're in warm territory before making this decision, as frozen water can break your fluid tank. Pour in a bit of isopropyl if you're worried about that.
You can also add liquid castile soap to most of these mixtures for an extra boost of cleanliness. Or, you can combine them to form your own solution (like one gallon of water, one cup of glass cleaner, and a half cup of rubbing alcohol). Small steps like this may not seem like much, but will lead to fewer impacts on the environment.
How It Works: A helpful guide to the process of buying a car


Food Safety Tips for MAYA Pancakes
Making pancakes can be a really wonderful family bonding experience. Since your kids will be working in the kitchen with you, here are a few tips to make sure everyone gets the most out of the activity while keeping safety a top priority.
 1. Always check the expiration date of products you'll be using. If expired, discard immediately to avoid food poisoning.
 2. Before flipping the hotcake, always check if it has enough bubbles (they appear at the edge of the pancake) and if it is dry around the edges. Uncooked batter may be harmful to your kids if ingested.
 3. Do not eat raw pancake batter before cooking it.
 4. Always read the ingredients of the pancake mix. Most pancake mixes contain highly allergenic food such as eggs, wheat, and milk.
 5. 10428322_10152614947175774_94132885453099820_o
 6. Avoid adding too much pancake flavors (e.g. berries or chocolate chips) because it can weigh down the batter and prevent the hotcake to cook properly, and it can cause burnt fillings. A few spoonfuls of blueberries per batch or a few banana slices per pancake will do. Additional tip: Lighter ingredients give your pancakes more texture.
 7. Preparing the batter the night before will result in flatter pancakes. Leavening agents like baking soda act on wet ingredients immediately. The longer the batter sits, the less effective those agents will be.
 8. Bring your wet ingredients to room temperature before adding. Cold liquids and eggs produce soggy hotcakes.
 9. Use a small measuring cup like ¼ or 1/3 to ensure uniformly sized pancakes. Irregular sized hotcakes are harder to cook evenly.
 10. 12042914_10153721950855774_7132375026593257192_n
 11. To cook a perfect hotcake, you can use either an electric griddle set to the lowest setting, or a regular skillet at low to medium-low heat. If your pan temperature is too high, you can get a burnt cake; if too low, it can turn out flat and tough.
 12. Discard cracked and dirty eggs. Bacteria from dirt or chicken droppings on the outside of the shell can enter the egg through cracks that are sometimes too fine to see. Once inside the egg, bacteria can grow, increasing the risk of illness.
 13. Supervise children in the kitchen at all times.
 14. Clean up as you go along.
Take these tips to heart, and all your pancake making sessions will not only be deliciously enjoyable, but worry-free as well. Once you've mastered the art of making the perfect pancake, you may want to try your hand at some MAYA pancake art.
For more tips, articles, and recipes, visit and
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We have twice seen Mr.3 open seastone cage/cuffs with his wax powers, once in Alabasta and once in the war of the summit. How can his wax key not melt once inside the keyhole?
As stated in seastome wikia
Seastone only works upon direct and constant contact.
Which means it works only on devil fruit user not on the power or material they produce using power.
It has been shown that although a Devil Fruit user loses his/her powers when in contact with the Seastone, said powers can still be used on and affect the Seastone. Example is when Mr. 3's candle wax key could open Seastone cuffs and cell doors, though this may be because the locks themselves are not made of Seastone or because the wax has no Devil Fruit powers inside it, as shown when he unlocked Ace's Seastone handcuffs. Another example is when Shiki levitated battleships in Marineford, despite the hulls being lined with Seastone. Trafalgar Law was also able to switch Seastone chains with regular ones, using his abilities.
Another example is Aokiji Kuzan's ice formation power, which he uses it to make ice road on the sea to travel in his bicycle. Here the ice doesn't melt just because it came in contact with the sea.
And this is just the guess but seastone might melt if comes in contact with Akainu's lava where the temperature of lava is greater than melting point of seastone.
oda stated that devil fruit can't be affected after activating it, we can see it clearly when MR3 in marineford made a key to rescue ace, after the key was formed they could open, and also happened with aokiji when he did the ace age, so that means the seastones won't affecte on the devil fruit abbility after it activated


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In a region saturated with spectacular aquamarine waters and bright coral reefs, the colorful Schaus swallowtail butterfly once was a familiar sight as it flitted over Biscayne National Park in South Florida.
But the insect's numbers have declined over the past decade. With only five recent sightings, three confirmed, at the island park, federal wildlife officials are trying to save the species from extinction.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late last week issued an emergency authorization to collect up to four Schaus swallowtail females within the park and collect and raise their eggs.
"This is a very low number of individuals compared to what should be in the field," said Jaret Daniels, an entomology researcher with the University of Florida.
Biologists and state and federal officials, in a conference call Wednesday, said there was no one factor responsible for the butterfly's decline.
Habitat destruction, drought, hurricanes, illegal collection and pesticide use outside Biscayne National Park are likely contributing, they said.
Also, the Schaus swallowtail's breeding habits aren't helping.
"It has one generation a year, which is unusual for a subtropical butterfly," said Daniels.
The Schaus swallowtail, contained to a relatively small area in southeast Florida, in 1976 was listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened. It reached the endangered status eight years later.
During the 2011 survey, there were 41 sightings, mostly on Elliott Key, the park's largest island. Six of the 41 were found on north Key Largo.


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Abstract Routing Models and Abstractions in the Context of Vehicle Routing / 2639
René Schönfelder, Martin Leucker
The functional and the algebraic routing problem are generalizations of the shortest path problem. This paper shows that both problems are equivalent with respect to the concept of profile searches known from time-dependent routing. Because of this, it is possible to apply various shortest path algorithms to these routing problems. This is demonstrated using contraction hierarchies as an example. Furthermore, we show how to use Cousots' concept of abstract interpretation on these routing problems generalizing the idea of routing approximations, which can be used to find approximative solutions and even to improve the performance of exact queries. The focus of this paper lies on vehicle routing while both the functional and algebraic routing models were introduced in the context of internet routing. Due to our formal combination of both fields, new algorithms abound for various specialized vehicle routing problems. We consider two major examples, namely the time-dependent routing problem for public transportation and the energy-efficient routing problem for electric vehicles.


Rootstrap Blog
How to Use Counter Caches in Rails (Example)
Counter caches are great until you get 20,000 people following the same influencer and the counter cache on that person locks the whole database.
The goal of this post is to go through the basics of counter caches explaining possible alternatives to overcome this.
What are counter caches for?
Counter caches were created to cache the counts of associated records.
Imagine we are developing a social media application where we have influencers and fans:
Everytime we display an influencer in the list we want to show how many followers he has.
The naive approach to achieve this is doing a count of the associated fan records for each influencer.
While this might be enough if we are rendering only one influencer, it definitely does not scale well if we are going to render a list of many influencers, since it's going to trigger a select count query for each influencer.
In the logs we get:
… and goes on for each influencer…
That's when counter caches gain importance. Counter caches are a built in Rails feature that allows you to track the associated records count by doing almost nothing. It only requires you to add a new integer column in the influencers table and let the associated model know that it has to update that column every time a records gets created or destroyed (or is no longer referencing the influencer).
To use Rails counter caches you need to create a migration to add a new integer column to the associated model:
Let the FanInfluencer model know it has to update the counter cache in the influencer model:
Reset the counters for existing records with:
And then you are ready to use the new column like you would with any other attribute:
Using the new counter cache the db will execute only one query that will select the influencers to be rendered, since fans_count is now just a column on the influencer and no counts or joins with other tables are needed.
(Should you need more complex counter caches, consider using Counter culture gem that works around some deficiencies in Rails original counter caches.)
So… what's the problem?
Counter Caches have a fairly simple implementation using callbacks to keep this column updated. Every time a fan influencer record is created, updated, or destroyed, the counter cache on the corresponding influencer needs to get updated. This might make these type of operations slower. If that's a cost you can take, go ahead. But consider the following situation:
Imagine a very famous influencer has been advertised and suddenly all of our users click on 'Follow'. Every 'Follow' action on that influencer creates a fanInfluencer record, which will end in the db trying to execute many update queries to the counter cache of the influencer around the same time, locking up that db row and making our users requests time out. Ugh…
First solution. Use an SQL alternative to dynamically calculate the count without falling into the n+1 problem raised before introducing the counter caches.
We need to add the following scope on the influencer model:
When we load the influencers to render we need to use the new scope:
And then we just call fans_count for a particular influencer to get the counter.
In the logs we get:
This solution is slower than having the counter cache when rendering the influencer list since the latter one only has to select attributes of the same table. However, using this method you don't need to keep any counter cache column updated, making create/destroy/update actions on the fan_influencer table simpler since they don't trigger any callback afterwards. The db lock problem will go away.
So, this SQL alternative could be appropriate for you if:
 - You have many create/destroy/update actions on the fan_influencer table in comparison to requesting the influencers fans count.
 - Your app is prone to facing situations like the mentioned above, where the counter cache of a single record could get updated more times in a small period of time than it can handle.
Comparing the three approaches
We measured the time it took to request all the influencers each with his fans count using the three different approaches. In the db there were only 10 influencers and 1,000 fans, all the fans following all the influencers. The times are calculated as the average Active Record time of 5 runs.
Method #1: Using naive approach (fans.count)
Method #2: Using counter cache column
Method #3: Using SQL dynamic count
Second solution. Store the changes of the counter in a buffer in a faster storage first (like redis or Memcached) to later update the real value in the database.
After a fan_influencer record has been created or destroyed, the value in the redis cache for the influencer key is increased or decreased by one. After a couple of seconds, the count value for the redis key is added (or subtracted) to the counter cache in the db, and reset to 0.
A good idea is to also use a recalculation job once in a while, to make sure the counters are updated with the real count value, compensating for transient errors that may cause the deferred counters to drift from the actual value.
There are many gems that help you achieve this if you don't want to implement it yourself.
In this post it was used Wanelo gem to enqueue the jobs for me, but since it hasn't been committed to since Oct 7, 2016 you might want to implement that part yourself.
Next it's explained how to achieve this using that gem and assuming you have redis and a background worker installed. In this case it was used Delayed Jobs as the worker but you will see that it is very simple to modify the solution to use another one.
Start by configuring the gem with:
Let the fanInfluencer model know how to use the counter cache:
Create a method in the influencer to update the count to the real value
And here is where the fun part begins.
The gem adds a callback after a FanInfluencer record gets created or destroyed that triggers the enqueue method in the class called CCWorker as we configured before. So we need to create this class:
As you might have noticed, the enqueue method decides which Enqueuer class to delegate the execution to depending on the option 'cache'. Since the gem is the one that makes the calls to this method with the right arguments, we just need to implement those two modes knowing that we will receive two calls after a fanInfluencer has been created or destroyed: one for recalculation and one for deffered.
We can begin by creating the parent Enqueuer class, that decides if the job needs to be enqueued or if it's already pending.
We will now implement the deferred mode, for which we will define the 'execute' method that will be called by the asyncrhonous worker once the time is up. For this mode the gem comes with a counter class that does the buffering and updating part for us, so we just need to use it.
For the recalculation mode, we will call the method that we defined in the influencer at the begging, to reset the counter agains the real count. The name of this method comes in the options so we need to invoke it.
And that's it. Now we can try creating and destroying fans and influencers and we will see how their count changes after the number of seconds that we picked, and a recalculation job is enqueued for later.
To test it, we can create 100 fans that would follow Taylor Swift.
For each fanInfluencer created we can see logs like the following, where after the fanInfluencer record is created, two delayed jobs are inserted:
You can see in the redis cli console how the new keys are created, with the values 100 in the key for the buffer managed by the gem, and a 1 in the other two keys that mark the corresponding jobs as enqueued so they won't be enqueued again. In this case '104' that you see in the key name corresponds to the id of the influencer created.
After the 20 seconds (or whatever you configured for the env var) have passed, if you turned on your worker, we can see Taylor Swifts fans count has been raised.
To test the recalculation mode, we can update the fans count to any other incorrect value and wait until the recalculation method fixes it.
Notice that when using Delayed Jobs, since two jobs need to be enqueued (inserted into the db) after a fanInfluencer has been created, the 'follow' action is in total slower than before when no other 'follow' action is being performed at the same time. However, under big load the row contention problem does not happen, making this approach more efficient in that case.
Since the solution for the enqueuer does not depend on the influencer model, you can reuse it for any other counter cache that you may want to optimize, just by configuring the counter cache in the associated class and defining the recalculation method.
1 Comment
 1. Felipe
 July 9, 2021 - 1:53 am
 Amazing, I implemented a similar solution in my company and now I'm writing a Gem to do it!
 Does this code has any license attached to it?
Leave a Reply


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Scotland Land and PropertyEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
Land records can help you determine where and when your family lived in a specific place. Sometimes these records will be based on inheritance, and such records will often mention two or more generations of a family. In Scotland the land system had feudal roots in which the crown owned all of the land.
Many courts were involved in actions regarding land. Some of the most important courts were:
- Chancery Courts
- Court of Session
- Sheriff Courts
- Burgh Courts
- Commissary Courts
- Regality Courts
In general, there are three types of Scottish land records:
Most of our Scottish ancestors never owned land but rather lived and farmed land belonging to someone else. The Estate owner kept management records of their lands, estates and tenants. Some of these records have survived and reside either in the hands of the current estate owner or are at the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) as a Gift and Depost (GD). Some large estates have their own archives on-sight. The types of papers in an estate could be:
- Rentals or leases called a 'tack'
- Lists of tenants
- Records of tenants who may have been in some trouble
In order to search estate records you need to know who owned the estate. To find this information search these sources available either online or at the FHL:
- Parish histories and gazetteers
- The Old & New Statistical Accounts of Scotland at the FHL and online at Edina.ac.uk
- Findlay, James. Directory of Gentlemen's' Seats, villages, &c. in Scotland… (FHL book Ref 941 E4d; film 599347 item 3; fiche _PHONE_) online at Archives.org
- Register of the Great Seal _PHONE_, 11 vols. (FHL book 941 N2sc): _PHONE_ are available on Ancestry
- Statistics of the annexed estates, _PHONE_: from the records of the forfeited estates preserved in the Scottish Record Office [NAS]. FHL Q book 941 R2sa. Lists tenants on the estates forfeited as a result of the 1745 Rebellion.
- Index of Place Names to the Abridgements of Sasines (see that section)
- Timperley, Loretta R. Directory of Landownership in Scotland circa 1770. (FHL book 941 B4sr n.s. v. 5)
- Return of Owners of Land and Heritages in Scotland 1872-73 (FHL Q book 941 R25i)
- National Register of Archives (searchable online) _URL_
Once the name of the land owner has been determined, search the NAS' catalog for their name or the property name along with references of E,GD or RH. The FHL catalog should also be searched under the county where the property was located and look under the topic of "Land and Property".
Taxes were determined by the value of the land. These records are called 'valuation rolls' and exist sporadically before 1855. The book entitled "Directory of Landownership in Scotland circa 1770" is based in part on the valuation rolls for that year. The FHL has only a few of these records and most are listed in the NAS online catalog with the reference of VR. To learn more about these records go to _URL_
For More Information
For more information about sasine, service of heir, deeds, and other Scottish land and property records, see the following website and books:
National Archives of Scotland Look at the "Guides to Records".
Dobson, David. Scottish-American Heirs _PHONE_. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1990. (Family History Librarybook 941 D2d.)
Encyclopedia of the Laws of Scotland. 16 vols and 2 supps. Edinburgh, Scotland: W. Green & Son, Limited, 1926. (Family History Library book 941 P36e.)
Gibb, Andrew Dewar. Students' Glossary of Scottish Legal Terms. Edinburgh, Scotland: W. Green & Son, Ltd., 1946. (Family History Library book 941 P36g.)
Gouldesbrough, Peter. Formulary of Old Scots Legal Documents. Vol. 36. Edinburgh, Scotland: The Stair Society, 1985. (Family History Library book 941 B4st v.36.)
An Introductory Survey of the Sources and Literature of Scots Law. Vol. 1. The Stair Society. Edinburgh, Scotland: Robert Maclehose & Co., Ltd. for The Stair Society, 1936. (Family History Librarybook 941 B4st; film _PHONE_.)
Sinclair, Cecil. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestry Research in the Scottish Record Office. Edinburgh, Scotland: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1990. (Family History Library book 941 D27s.)


Chickens prove key to tracing migration across Pacific
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
We all know why the chicken crossed the road but how the chicken crossed the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean is a riddle Australian scientists may have finally answered.
University of Adelaide archaeologists have retraced the movement of the domesticated bird based on genetic samples of ancient and modern chickens. The findings allow scientists to reconstruct the migratory patterns of their human carriers throughout Island South-East Asia, Micronesia and Polynesia more than 3000 years ago.
"The colonisation of the remote Pacific was one of the last great human migrations," said the study leader, Alan Cooper, of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.
But Professor Cooper said questions remained over the timing and routes used by these people, who travelled using outrigger canoes, relying on currents, wind patterns and the stars to navigate.
Using DNA samples from the bones of ancient and modern chickens, the group identified the genetic signatures of the original Polynesian chickens, which the group used to retrace the early migrations of Polynesians, known as Lapita people.
More than 3200 years ago, the chicken popped up in the Bismarck Archipelago, a group of islands above New Guinea. It then travelled with humans to islands in West Polynesia including New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Almost 1500 years later, humans, with their chickens in tow, ventured further east to another group of islands now known as French Polynesia. But their exploration did not stop there.
About 50 years later, the Polynesian chicken could be found as far north as Hawaii, as far east as Easter Island and as far south as New Zealand.
"The remarkable thing is that this breed is still alive today. In some of the remote Pacific Islands this thing is quite common," said Professor Cooper, whose results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
While the researchers are not certain when and by what route the bird arrived in the Bismarck Archipelago, they did trace its origins back further than 3200 years ago to the Philippines.
"We know from archaeology that the Lapita group, the first people moving across this area were really closely associated with carrying pottery, pigs, chickens and rats," he said.
Chicken bones were more common than human remains which made them easier to study.
The birds also had greater genetic diversity than other animals that travelled with humans.
The study analysed the mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down via the mother, from ancient chicken bones uncovered in Hawaii, Niue and Easter Island as well as modern varieties.
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What is a Sunburst Diagram,alternative to sunburst chart,sunburst chart generator,sunburst chart example,sunburst chart python,sunburst chart js,interactive sunburst chart,sunburst chart r,excel sunburst chart order,
What is a Sunburst Diagram?
As known as a Sunburst Chart, Ring Chart, Multi-level Pie Chart, Belt Chart, Radial Treemap.
This type of visualisation shows hierarchy through a series of rings, that are sliced for each category node. Each ring corresponds to a level in the hierarchy, with the central circle representing the root node and the hierarchy moving outwards from it. Rings are sliced up and divided based on their hierarchical relationship to the parent slice. The angle of each slice is either divided equally under its parent node or can be made proportional to a value. Colour can be used to highlight hierarchal groupings or specific categories.
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text:
Watch the 6ths online guitar lesson by Jeff McErlain from Blues Survival Guide: Rhythm Edition
Sliding 6ths always sounds good in a blues and is essential to blues survival! We can hear it on almost every blues tune and it always sounds sweet. The reason it always sounds great is that a 6th can be seen as an inverted 3rd and chords are made up of thirds. In this example I am playing the diatonic 6ths of G mixolydian (C major). We can see that some of these sound better than others this is because best sounding ones are the 6ths that contain the chord tones of the G7 chord. For example G to B is the 3rd and 7th of G7, but if we invert that interval so we get B to G we can see those two notes become a major 6th.


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Environmental health toolkits and resources
The air we breathe, the water we drink, and other factors of our environment affect our health and well being on a daily basis. When our air is fouled or water polluted, low income communities and communities of color face the worst exposures, and often don't have access to the preventative measures or treatments that can help to save lives.
In an effort to educate religious communities about environmental health issues, and promote action in this area, GreenFaith is creating a series of toolkits on various environmental health topics:
Download Breath is Life, GreenFaith's Asthma Toolkit. Designed with African American churches in mind, this toolkit provides prayers that can be used to pastor people afflicted by asthma, educational activities for adults and children, and handouts to help members understand the topic and make changes in their lives to be healthier.


text:
Objective To report the latest long-term outcome of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to analyze the predictors of prognosis.Methods Subjects who were diagnosed with ALS between January 2005 and December 2009 at a single institute were followed up until death or up to December 2014. Data regarding age, sex, date of onset, date of diagnosis, presence of bulbar symptoms on onset, date of initiation of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and the date of tracheostomy were collected. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate analyses of the risk of death were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results Among 212 suspicious subjects, definite ALS was diagnosed in 182 subjects. The survival rate at 3 and 5 years from onset was 61.5% and 40.1%, respectively, and the survival rate at 3 and 5 years post-diagnosis was 49.5% and 24.2%, respectively. Further, 134 patients (134/182, 73.6%) were initiated on NIV, and among them, 90 patients (90/182, 49.5%) underwent tracheostomy. Male gender and onset age of ≥65 years were independent predictors of adverse survival.Conclusion The analysis of long term survival in ALS showed excellent outcomes considering the overall poor prognosis of this disease.
Bibliographical notePublisher Copyright:
© 2017 by Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes


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On November 14, 2006, the South African National Assembly voted 230-41 to approve the Civil Unions Bill, becoming the first African nation to recognize same-sex marriages. The legislation, without reference to gender, recognizes the "voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnized and registered by either a marriage or civil union." It also includes an opt-out clause, which allows officiants to refuse to perform a same-sex ceremony if it conflicts with his or her "conscience, religion and belief." The legislation came in response to a ruling by the Constitutional Court, finding the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.
South African flag
Learn more about same-sex marriage from the JURIST news archive, and read commentary on the legislation's passage from JURIST Hotline.


text:
AutoSave for the Petrochemical Industry
Increase Safety and Reliability
MDT AutoSave is part of the change management and audit infrastructure that helps refineries and chemical plants identify and eliminate hazardous situations while increasing productivity. AutoSave ensures that proper rollback/recovery data exists while providing a proper audit trail and notification of changes. This can be invaluable in understanding what program changes were made, why, and by whom so that your people, process and equipment are protected.
AutoSave's unique features, including internal security capabilities, have long been beneficial to petrochemical companies seeking to better manage operational changes.


text: Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation, leading to a novel kind of'systemic' thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for health care, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed. Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions - from economics and politics to medicine, psychology and law.


Attorney Talking
Coal Mining: Do You Know How to Stay Safe?
Powered haulage trucks
Analyzing data from 2013 to 2017, powered haulage trucks caused the most coal mining fatalities. This year, powered haulage trucks have already caused five coal surface mining deaths.
Trucks are a necessary part of mining. They are used to transport workers, materials, coal, and waste. Since you cannot remove trucks from the mining process, let's take a look at some of the major contributing factors to the accidents, and see how you can stay safe around them.
Danger Factors
A number of factors contribute to trucking accidents at the mine. A few of the most common causes of truck failure and incident are:
 1. Steep road gradientsThe trucks were designed to travel on relatively flat surfaces. Driving on hills stresses the truck's mechanics, and can lead to malfunction.
 2. Heavy loads. Heavy loads stress out the equipment and can unbalance the truck, leading to equipment failures or accidents.
 3. Inadequate road design. Mine roads must be wide enough to support a truck, relatively flat, and durable to support a loaded truck's weight.
 4. Poor equipment maintenance and operating policies. Poor maintenance can lead to faulty brakes and other dangerous equipment malfunction.
 5. Inattentive driversJust like typical vehicle drivers, distracted drivers can cause accidents and put lives in danger.
 6. Imbalanced trucks. Trucks run the risk of overturning when dumping material on the edge of dump locations when they are too heavy or the ground is unstable.
Safety solutions
You can never guarantee safety, but there are steps that you can take to minimize risks. Talk with your supervisor to learn more about mine safety and other precautions you can be taking.
 1. Ask for truck safety manuals to be added to all trucks.
 2. Report any problems with a truck's performance and responsiveness.
 3. Always wear a seatbelt when inside a truck.
 4. Report mine safety violations immediately.
 5. Avoid driving in poorly lit conditions.
 6. Make sure that your truck is not carrying a load above the recommended weight limit.
Who is responsible for mine safety?
A number of people are responsible for keeping the mines safe. A few key groups include the mine operators, safety representatives, engineers, miners, state regulatory agencies, and MSHA.
Mining will always come with risks, and some safety issues are out of your control. If you are injured at work, consider contacting an attorney who can advise you on your rights, and help you gain compensation for injuries you suffered on the job.
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text:
|Look up a priori in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
A priori may refer to:
- A priori knowledge, a type of deduction justified by arguments of a certain kind
- A priori (languages), a type of constructed language
- A priori estimate, a type of estimate for the size of a solution of a differential equation
- A priori probability, a type of probability derived by deductive reasoning, with application in statistical mechanics
- Apriori algorithm, an algorithm used with databases
- A priori and a posteriori
- Priory, a monastery headed by a prior or prioress
- A posteriori (disambiguation)
disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title A priori.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.


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2012 SURF: Evolution of Fruit Fly Wings
Selection to Change the Wings in Drosophila
The goal of this project is to carry out controlled selective breeding on wings in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) so that we can shed light on the genetics of evolution. Fly wings are slightly different in closely related species, and very different in distantly related species. This experiment is showing that gradual changes are occurring every generation through selective breeding, so that the capacity for long term change can be quantified.
This experiment applies Darwinian selection to the creation of modifications in the wing. Can wings be changed gradually by selection on small variations, or only through big and uncommon mutational steps? Can major change be achieved by small additive steps, simply by consistently selecting those flies that vary slightly in the same direction? Finally, why are some features easy to change while others are difficult to change?


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exception Internal_Error datatype token = Symb of char | Id of string | Number of int val symbols = String.explode "+-*()"The exception is for catching internal errors in the lexer. I tend to have such an exception in each module and raise it whenever something is non-expected. This way I eliminate an unexhaustive pattern match and make it clear to the reader what the intention of the code was. The datatype defines what tokens we have in our language. There are symbols, identifiers and numbers. Finally, we declare a character list of symbols our language has.
fun numTok ss = case Int.fromString (Substring.string ss) of NONE => raise Internal_Error | SOME i => Number i fun idTok ss = Id (Substring.string ss)The numTok function handles a number. It expects a substring and then converts it to an integer. The pre-condition of this function is that there is something to convert at all, or we face an internal error. The idTok expects the substring to be an identifier and converting that to a string is trivial. Substrings warrants an explanation. In Standard ML, strings are immutable. Strings cannot be modified once they have been created. In fact, strings are vectors of chars. And vectors are immutable. A substring is then 3 values (s, i, n) where s is the underlying substring, i is the index into it and n is the length. So substrings are slices of strings. Our main lexer function uses substrings to maintain a window over the original string. While it processes the string, this window is then systematically moved forward and the token stream is generated. Here is the main lexer function:
fun scan (toks, ss) = case Substring.getc ss of NONE => List.rev toks | SOME (c, r) => if List.exists (fn x => x = c) symbols then (* Symbol *) scan (Symb c::toks, r) else if Char.isAlpha c then (* Identifier *) let val (cs, rest) = Substring.splitl Char.isAlpha ss val tok = idTok cs in scan (tok :: toks, rest) end else if Char.isDigit c then (* Number *) let val (cs, rest) = Substring.splitl Char.isDigit ss val tok = numTok cs in scan (tok :: toks, rest) end else (* Skip whitespace, etc *) scan (toks, Substring.dropl (not o Char.isGraph) ss) fun lexer str = scan (, Substring.full str)The beast is easily explained: If we call lexer on a string, the string is made into a substring, and scan is called with an empty token list. The scan function carries out the hard work. If there are no more substring chars, then the tokens are just reversed and we are done. It might look odd to build the token list in reverse but SML mandates that list can only be built from the front, so this is the typical way to handle the last part of a tail-calling function. If there is a character, then we discriminate the type of character. For each possible discrimination, we break off some of the string, create the right token type, and proceed with the rest of the string. Finally, we have a skip of white-space in case nothing else matches. As a rather crude test
val testlex_str = "x + 33 * (y - 5)" val testlex_toks = lexer testlex_strresults in
exception Internal_Error datatype token = Id of string | Number of int | Symb of char val symbols = [#"+",#"-",#"*",#"(",#")"] : char list val numTok = fn : substring -> token val idTok = fn : substring -> token val scan = fn : token list * substring -> token list val lexer = fn : string -> token list val testlex_str = "x + 33 * (y - 5)" : string val testlex_toks = [Id "x",Symb #"+",Number 33,Symb #"*",Symb #"(",Id "y",Symb #"-",Number 5, Symb #")"] : token listWhich looks right. In the next part we will finish this up and write the combinator-parser for the token list into the abstract syntax tree we aim for. Swine Before Perl


text:
Light Reflective Value (LRV) measures the amount of visible and usable light that reflects from (or absorbs into) a painted surface. The scale is black/zero to white/100.
Red Green Blue
These Red, Green and Blue colour codes are used in digital representation of colour. These three sets of codes create wide representation of colours on the screen. Although it is critical to see the paint colour in person, the digital representation gives the idea when we research colours at home.
239, 221, 193
This color code is a hexadecimal way to represent RGB values, often used for building a website to represent colors digitally. It's a secondary color code that allows us to experience colors in digital format.


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Food Safety After A Fire
Discard food that has been near a fire. Three factors can affect food that has been exposed to fire: the heat of the fire, smoke fumes, and chemicals used to put out the fire.
One of the most dangerous elements of a fire is the release of toxic fumes from burning materials. These fumes can contaminate food, tableware, and cookware, as can toxic components from the chemicals used to put out the fire. Below are some guidelines to follow to ensure safety of food:
- Discard food in permeable packaging such as cardboard, plastic wrap, screwed topped jars and bottles stored outside the refrigerator
- Discard raw foods such as fruits and vegetables that were stored outside the refrigerator.
- Check the refrigerator and freezer for off odors. Doors on the units' do not seal airtight and fumes can contaminate within. Discard any foods that have off odors in the unit
- Decontaminate canned goods, tableware and cookware by washing in soap and hot water, and then submerge for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach per quart of water.
- Discard any canned foods that smell or look spoiled, as heat damage may have occurred.
For more information, please contact the Fairfax County Health Department _PHONE_; TTY: 711.


text:
Classroom therapy may not be answer to treating depression in teenagers, study findsNovember 7th, 2012 in Psychology & Psychiatry
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the University's Department for Health have found that introducing mood therapy into the classroom may not be the answer to treating depression in teenagers.
The team looked into the effectiveness of holding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions for adolescents in secondary schools with the aim of identifying those at high risk of depression, negative thinking and anxiety.
The Government is attempting to prevent children and adolescents developing depression by introducing various programmes in secondary schools to teach skills for wellbeing. Schools provide a convenient and accessible location for delivering depression prevention programmes.
The researcher's trial followed the Resourceful Adolescent Programme, a universal depression prevention programme that has been shown to be effective in Australia and New Zealand.
It was delivered to young people between the ages of 12 and 16 at eight schools by trained and supervised graduates and consisted of nine modules and two booster sessions each lasting about 50 to 60 minutes.
The programme aims to develop skills such as emotion-regulation capacities, coping mechanisms and thinking styles, which are reported to protect against the development of depression.
But the Bath researchers found that schools were not the appropriate setting to the deliver the therapy and suggested that more research is undertaken before the initiative is rolled out as part of the National Curriculum.
Professor Paul Stallard who led the study said: "Our findings suggest a more cautious approach is required to the implementation of depression prevention programme in secondary schools.
"Although secondary schools provide a convenient focus for mental health interventions the suitability of this setting for depression focused interventions cannot be assumed.
"We know that therapies such as CBT are effective but it seems they do not work as well in this type of setting. This may be because schools are ultimately designed for academic learning and are not set up to teach psychological wellbeing."
Depression in adolescents is an important mental health disorder. By the age of 19 up to 20 per cent of adolescents will have experienced at least one clinically important depressive episode, which can affect development issues, interfere with education and increase the risk of suicide as well as major depressive disorder in adulthood.
Although depressive episodes may be persistent in adolescents, depression is poorly recognised and comparatively few people receive specialist treatment.
Initial recovery with or without treatment is often good, but recurrence is common, with up to 75 per cent of people experiencing another episode within five years.
The results of the study are published in the paper: "Classroom based cognitive behavioural therapy in reducing symptom of depression in high risk adolescents" in the British Medical Journal.
Provided by University of Bath
"Classroom therapy may not be answer to treating depression in teenagers, study finds." November 7th, 2012. _URL_


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This handsome, respectful volume deserves a place on the shelf … it succeeds in accurately dramatizing honeybee behavior. – Kirkus Reviews
Flight of the Honey Bee review by artist, Claire Beynon:
"Given the state of our environment, the sooner we introduce our children to bees – to their intelligence, their intricate behaviour and increasing vulnerability – the better. Flight of the Honey Bee is the perfect book to do this, combining as it does Raymond Huber's careful language and well-researched text with Brian Lovelock's meticulously observed paintings. Cleverly formatted, fiction and non-fiction – story and fact – are woven together as two discreet yet interconnected strands: young readers can choose their flight path.
Exquisite to look at and a pleasure to explore.
Scout the bee – named after the feisty protagonist in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird – and her tightly-knit community of hardworking bees demonstrate these small creatures' importance in the pollinaton of plants and the well-being of our planet. Flight of the Honey Bee is about bee behavior but it will also teach children about subtler things; wonder, beauty, the value of group functioning and collaborative effort, reproduction, risk, courage, the joys of flight – those rhythms and principles essential for any thriving community. The hum of the parts.
This book has all the essentials of a satisfying story: it asks questions and it informs. It invites observation and participation. There's drama. Suspense. Conflict. Danger. Hope. And a happy ending. At the close of her adventure, Scout is a wily-er bee than she was when she set out from her hive on her first nectar-seeking adventure. As all characters must, she grows through her experiences. We come to care about her and her safe passage home.
Visually, Flight of the Honey Bee is exquisite to look at and a pleasure to explore – each double page spread is as stunning as the one preceding it. It will be immediately appealing to young readers. I was struck by how beautifully integrated the text and images are; they belong together like honey and honeycomb. The language is tender and witty (the line about 'sun-powder' is a wonderful change from 'gun-powder'); and the paintings – a combination of watercolour, acrylic ink and coloured pencils – are spectacular; compositionally bold, delicate, exuberant and information-rich. Looking at them through my adult eyes, I can't help thinking about fractals, the mathematics inherent in nature, the ever-present background dialogue between shape and sound, pattern and colour. Children will pore over them. And they will love Scout for her feisty resourcefulness.
More Flight of the Honey Bee reviews.


kids encyclopedia robot
Kerry Bog Pony facts for kids
Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Kerry Bog Pony
Young Kerry Bog Pony
Distinguishing features Small pony, uniquely adapted to boggy ground
Country of origin Ireland
Breed standards
Kerry Bog Pony Co-Operative Society of Ireland Breed standards
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
The Kerry Bog Pony is a mountain and moorland breed of pony that originated in Ireland. Possibly descended from the Irish Hobby horse, it originally lived a mainly feral existence in the peat bogs of what is now County Kerry in southwestern Ireland. Local inhabitants used the ponies as pack and cart horses for transporting peat and kelp to the villages. The breed developed physical characteristics including a low weight-to-height ratio and an unusual footfall pattern, which helped it move on soft ground such as peat bogs. The ponies were known for hardiness and an ability to survive in harsh conditions.
War, increasing mechanisation and declines in the local small-farm population almost resulted in the breed's extinction. In 1994, a local man found and genetically tested a herd of 20 ponies he used as the foundation stock for rebuilding of the breed. In the early 2000s, the breed was recognised by the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food and the European Commission; equine passports began to be issued for members of the breed, and small numbers of ponies were exported to the United States. At the same time, Irish and American breed registries were formed. As of 2011, the registered population is more than 300 ponies.
Kerry Bog Pony head
The head and thick mane and forelock of a Kerry Bog Pony
Kerry Bog Ponies generally stand 10 to 12 hands (40 to 48 inches, 102 to 122 cm) high. The Irish breed standard calls for mares to stand 10–11 hands and stallions and geldings to stand 11–12 hands. Their low weight-to-height ratio enables them to walk on wet ground. Their hind feet tend to track outside their front feet, allowing better progress on soft ground. They exhibit a relatively upright pastern and steep hoof angle compared to other breeds, possibly another characteristic that aids their movement in peat bogs. Kerry Bog Ponies are easy keepers, and when feral they lived on low-nutrient heather, sphagnum moss and possibly kelp from the shoreline. Overall, they are muscular and strong and their heads have concave profiles, small ears and large eyes. Their winter coat is long and dense, serving as protection from harsh weather. All solid coat colours are found, including dilute colours such as palomino, and white markings are common. Pinto-coloured animals are not accepted by the Irish registry. The breed is known by enthusiasts for strength, intelligence and athleticism, and generally used for driving, as companion animals and for therapeutic riding programs.
Kerry Bog Ponies were historically known in Ireland as "hobbies", possibly derived from the Gaelic practice of obaireacht, or the calling out of "Hup, Hup" to attract a pony back to the farmyard. It is considered one of the mountain and moorland pony breeds from Britain and Ireland. A 2006 study using mitochondrial DNA found that the Kerry Bog Pony is not closely related to the other two native Irish breeds, the Irish Draught and the Connemara pony. It has a rare haplogroup more closely related to other small horse breeds found in western Europe, including the Shetland pony and Icelandic horse. A 2012 study found relationships between the Kerry Bog Pony and the Dartmoor Pony and Exmoor Pony breeds, and a lack of common ancestry with the Welsh Pony, as well as reinforcing the lack of relationship to the Connemara. The study also suggested that the Kerry Bog Pony population had some amount of crossbreeding with other mountain and moorland breeds as part of the initial attempts to increase the population in the 1990s. The Kerry Bog Pony may have been one of several breeds that contributed to the development of the Gypsy Vanner horse (also known as the Irish Cob).
Kerry bog pony stallion
A stallion with pack saddle
The original ancestry of the Kerry Bog Pony is unknown, but there were horses living a feral existence in peat bogs in what is now County Kerry in southwestern Ireland since at least the 1600s. Some enthusiasts claim that the breed is a descendant of the ancient Irish Hobby. In a 1617 book illustration, the horses pictured resemble both the Kerry Bog Pony of today and the original Irish Hobby, showing the two breeds' similar morphology. Originally, Kerry Bog Ponies were used to transport peat and kelp. They were known for their ability to navigate through the bogs, around soft spots and over rocks often in wet and windy weather, and for their strength relative to their small size. Some were trained to work in harness and used to pull carts. The ponies were turned loose into the peat bogs when they were not needed, then later re-caught for work. Few if any breeding programs existed; instead, they were left to reproduce in their feral setting. In 1720, Isaac Ware travelled to County Kerry and observed that the horses resembled Asturcón ponies from Spain.
The British cavalry became aware of the ponies in 1804, during the Peninsular War, and used them as pack animals during the conflict; most did not return to Ireland. The famine of 1845–1852 furthered their decline, as farmers who previously utilised them died or emigrated. In addition, Spanish donkeys were brought to the island to replace the ponies, and when peat declined as a fuel source, pack animals were no longer needed. In the 1850s, farms began to be consolidated, and more machinery and large draft horses were employed, further reducing the number of ponies needed. Consequently, the ponies were left to run feral, mostly ignored and sometimes shot at by locals.
Kerry Bog Village Museum Kerry Bog Pony
A pony at the Kerry Bog Village Museum
In 1994, John Mulvihill, who operated the Red Fox Inn at the Kerry Bog Village in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, began a search for remnants of the Kerry Bog Pony population, despite reports that the breed was extinct. He eventually found 20 ponies that resembled those he remembered from his childhood, and removed them from the bog to his stables. In 1995, he had blood typing performed on the ponies by Weatherby's Ireland, which identified their DNA markers. Subsequent DNA testing showed them to be a unique breed that formed a separate population from other local ponies and from other breeds in Ireland and Great Britain. Of these 20 ponies, only one was a stallion, named Flashy Fox. Between 1995 and 2012, he sired more than 140 foals, and played a significant role in repopulating the breed.
Mulvihill continued breeding and promoting the ponies, and in 2002, the breed was recognised by the Irish Government as the Irish Heritage Pony. The same year, the Kerry Bog Pony Society was formed. Also in 2002, Americans became interested in the breed, and the first ponies were exported from Ireland to the US in 2003, to a farm in Ohio. In 2005, the American Kerry Bog Pony Society was founded, with 11 initial registrants. Also in 2005, the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food and the European Commission recognised the Kerry Bog Pony as an official breed; the following year, the Irish Horse Board issued the first equine passports for members of the breed. Until 2009, there was an exception in place that allowed unrelated ponies that met the physical breed standards to be bred as Kerry Bog Ponies, with the offspring being registered and given passports certifying them as purebred Kerry Bog Ponies. This was in part due to a concern of inbreeding among the small number of ponies initially registered. Kerry Bog Ponies were also part of the Irish Rural Environment Protection Scheme (closed to new applicants in 2009), which financially rewarded farmers for using environmentally-friendly methods. The Kerry Bog Village, an open-air museum on the Ring of Kerry is one location that breeds and houses part of the existing Kerry Bog Pony population.
As of 2011, there were 335 mares and 51 stallions registered with the Irish registry, which included 59 new foals that year. Herd numbers have steadily increased since registrations began in 2005. These numbers make the Kerry Bog Pony third in population numbers among Irish breeds, behind the Connemara pony and the Irish Draught. Despite the increasing numbers, the breed is still considered to be critically endangered by the Equus Survival Trust. The horses are administered by the Kerry Bog Pony Co-Operative Society of Ireland (formerly the Kerry Bog Pony Society), which is based in Ireland with a branch in Great Britain. Inspections are required before ponies are allowed into the studbook. The book is divided into four classes: Class 1 ponies meet all requirements, Class 2 ponies do not meet the height requirement, Class 3 ponies do not meet the color requirements, and Class 4 ponies have yet to submit to an official inspection. The breed association has hosted an annual breed show and sale in Glenbeigh, County Kerry since 2007.
The first two ponies exported from Ireland went to a farm in Austria in August 2016. The International Kerry Bog Pony Association


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Let $f:X\to Y$ be a universal homeomorphism of regular (excellent finite-dimensional) schemes, $Z\subset Y$ be a regular subscheme. Is $f^{-1}(Z)$ necessarily regular?
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Well, $f^{-1}Z$ could easily be non-reduced (for example, take the relative Frobenius morphism $\mathbb A^1_k \to \mathbb A^1_k$, defined by the embedding $k[y] = k[x^p] \subseteq k[x]$, where $k$ is a field of characteristic $p > 0$, and let $Z \subseteq \mathbb A^1$ be defined by $y = 0$), so I would guess that the question should be interpreted as asking whether $f^{-1}Z$ with its reduced structure is regular. But the answer is negative even in this case. For example, take the morphism $\mathbb A^2_k \to \mathbb A^2_k$ defined by the embedding $k[y,t] = k[x^p, t] \subseteq k[x, t]$, and let $Z \subseteq \mathbb A^2_k $ be defined by $y + t^{p+1} = 0$.
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Can't we base-change $f : X \to Y$ with $Z$ and obtain: $g : f^{-1}(Z) \to Z$? This also is a universal homeomorphism by construction, right? So now we have a universal homeomorphism to a regular scheme, but a regular scheme is weakly normal, see A. Andreotti and E. Bombieri, ''Sugli omeomorfismi delle varietà algebriche''.
Therefore $g$ is an isomorphism at least as long as $f^{-1}(Z)$ is reduced and the map $g$ is birational.
EDIT: My argument that $f^{-1}(Z)$ was reduced was junk. I shouldn't have tried to do math while on the run. But as long as $f^{-1}(Z)$ is reduced and $g$ is birational, then I think things are ok.
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Sorry, why $f$ being a universal homeomorphism contradicts its generic inseparablity? – Mikhail Bondarko Mar 20 '11 at 13:09
I was being dumb. Nevermind. – Karl Schwede Mar 20 '11 at 18:57
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Dr. Lilia Savova, Department of English, was a featured speaker at the second annual K-12 Dream Day during the forty-fifth annual TESOL convention in New Orleans, 2011 (March 16–19).
The title of her speech was "The ESOL Textbook: Dead or Alive." In it, she addressed major teacher concerns about the use of ESOL textbooks.
The presentation clarified textbook selection and adaptation as well as the nature of textbooks as objects and constructs. It positioned the discussion in the context of an ecological approach to the ESOL classroom, which encourages a dynamic view of educational environments. It treated textbook use as part of a system whose effects emerge from the interaction of its components, as interconnected in a curriculum system that changes constantly (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008). In short, applying complexity theory to the analysis of ESOL textbook use, it viewed it as part of a complex and dynamic ecosystem (Larsen-Freeman, 1997).
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