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Individual differences |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
DAMP is similar to MBD (Minimal Brain Dysfunction), a concept that was formulated in the 1960s. Both concepts are related to certain psychiatric conditions, such as hyperactivity. The concept of MBD was strongly criticised by Sir Michael Rutter [Gillberg, 2003, p.904] and several others researchers, and this led to its abandonment in the 1980s. At the same time, research showed that something similar was needed. One alternative concept was ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Gillberg proposed another alternative: DAMP. Gillberg's concept was formulated in the early 1980s, and the term itself was introduced in a paper that Gillberg published in 1986 (see Gillberg ). (DAMP is essentially MBD without the etiological assumptions.)
The concept of DAMP met with considerable criticism. For example, Sir Michael Rutter stated that the concept of DAMP (unlike ADHD) was "muddled" and "lacks both internal coherence and external discriminative validity... it has no demonstrated treatment or prognostic implications"; he concluded that the concept should be abandoned. Another example is the criticism of Per-Anders Rydelius, Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Karolinska Institute, who argued that the definition of DAMP was too vague: "the borderline between DAMP and conduct disorders [is] unclear... the borderline between DAMP and ADHD [is] unclear"; he concluded that "the concept is in need of revision". And in 2000, Eva Kärfve, a sociologist at the University of Lund, published a book which argued that Gillberg's work on DAMP should be rejected.
Perhaps the strongest criticism of DAMP is that Gillberg and his co-workers in Gothenburg are almost the only people doing research on DAMP. Indeed, in a review of DAMP published by Gillberg in 2003, it was noted that there were only "about 50" research papers that had been published on DAMP and that the "vast majority of these have either originated in the author's own clinical and research setting or have been supervised and/or co-authored by him" [Gillberg, 2003, p.904]. This is in contrast to ADHD, on which "several thousand papers" had been published [Gillberg, 2003, p.905]. As far as clinical practice goes, DAMP has been primarily accepted only in Gillberg's native Sweden and in Denmark [Gillberg, 2003, p.904], and even in those countries acceptance is mixed.
In 2003, Gillberg revised his definition of DAMP. The new definition is as follows: (a) ADHD as defined in DSM-IV; (b) DCD (Developmental Coordination Disorder) as defined in DSM-IV; (c) condition not better accounted for by cerebral palsy; and (d) IQ should be higher than about 50 [Gillberg, 2003: box 1]. (In the WHO system, this would be a hyperkinetic disorder combined with a developmental disorder of motor function.) About half of children with ADHD are believed to also have DCD [Gillberg, 2003; Martin et al., 2006].
Strong criticism of DAMP, however, has continued. In particular, it has been observed that "the validity and utility of DAMP will remain unclear until stronger evidence of the special status of the overlap between its constituent disorders is provided."
In 2005, there was an hour-long television program broadcast on Swedish TV, questioning why Sweden, almost alone in the world, would accept the DAMP construct. The program featured critical commentary from Sir Michael Rutter. It also considered some of the controversies over Gillberg's Gothenburg study.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rydelius, 2000
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sonuga-Barke, 2003
- ↑ Gallup et al., 2005
- ↑ Kärfve, 2000
- ↑ Martin et al., 2006
- ↑ Rasmussen, 2003
- ↑ Andersson, 2004
- ↑ Bagge, 2005
- Andersson, Emelie (2004), Debatten om DAMP: En kontroversstudie (University of Stockholm). [In Swedish]
- Bagge, Peter (5 July 2005), "Forskarstrid: DAMP ifrågasätts från fler än ett håll", Sveriges Television. (Summary of televised show, in Swedish.)
- Gallup, Raymond; Miller, Clifford G.; Elinder, Leif R.; Brante, Thomas; Kärfve, Eva; Josephson, Staffan (July 2005), "Rapid Responses", British Medical Journal.
- Gillberg, Christopher (1986). Attention deficit disorder: diagnosis, prevalence, management and outcome. Pediatrician 13: 108-118.
- Gillberg, Christopher (2003). Deficits in attention, motor control, and perception: a brief review. Archives of Disease in Childhood 88: 904-910.
- Kärfve, Eva (2000), Hjärnspöken: DAMP och hotet mor folkhälsan, Stockholm: Brutus Östlings Bokförlag. [In Swedish.]
- Martin, Neilson C., Piek Jan P., Hay, David (February 2006). DCD and ADHD: A genetic study of their shared aetiology. Human Movement Science 25 (1): 110–124. ISSN 0167-9457.
- Rasmussen N.H. (17 November 2003), "Deficits in attention, motor control, and perception: a brief review", Archives of Disease in Childhood eLetters.
- Rydelius P.-A. (2000), "DAMP and MBD versus AD/HD and hyperkinetic disorders", Acta Pædiatrica, 89: 266–268.
- Sonuga-Barke E.J.S. (2003), "On the Intersection Between AD/HD and DCD: The DAMP Hypothesis", Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 8 (3): 114–116.
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Fab Lab Fab Academy Final Project Software Defined Cooking with ESP8266
Fab Lab Fab Academy Final Project Software Defined Cooking with ESP8266
Software Defined Cooking with ESP8266
There is an idiom: the proof of the pudding is in eating it. Same applies to the successful implementation of Software Defined Cooking with ESP8266; the proof is in the egg and eating it.
The objective of this final project to be submitted in due course for completion of Fab Academy 2016 is to design and fabricate an apparatus that display & control the temperature of a heated water bath (Sous Vide) over the Internet. DS18B20 acquire the temperature of the water bath, ESP8266 send this data via HTTP to thingspeak, and via MQTT to Node-Red server hosted on Cloud or VM. PID controller is defined in Node-Red with a set point. Output of PID is send via MQTT to ESP8266 to control the CPC1966B connected with heater.
Ever since humans discovered fire to cook food. The desire to have tasty food hot, and ready to serve without significant labour contributed to the preparation is insatiable. Progressively over different period of time, the labour required to prepare food is contracted to another person whether specialized or otherwise. By logical extension of the idea of the labour is contracted out to prepare food for humans, here comes the robot cook. Hence the notion of Software Defined Cooking meant for robots or home appliances have to be defined. An industry framework is needed to define protocols, communication standards, recipe, dispensing of food items, quality assurance and etc for Software Defined Cooking. Through observations on demonstrations in CES over the years, the software defined cooking appliances meant for smart kitchens are implemented in product silos by the respective vendors. Appliances that do not interact with other makes of smart appliances, and human owners are nothing close to the ideals of a Software Defined Cooking.
Some vendors have disrupted the market by inventing heating mechanism meant for cooking that is controllable by software. FreeScale have invented a "solid-state, high-power output, high-operating temperature radio frequency (RF) transmitter technology" to address software defined cooking. This articlehere explains the FreeScale RF solution and addresses the following issues:
1. "Heating is difficult to control with both thermal (heat) and temporal (time) precision. Heating elements take time to heat, are frequently not calibrated to a precisely measured numeric temperature scale, and then take time to cool to lower temperatures.";
2. "It is extremely difficult to track the "doneness" state of the inside of food with precision."
3. "The feedback loop between sensing doneness and adjusting temperature has been performed mostly by human observation, judgement and labor throughout recorded human history."
The article above also outline three features of a Software Defined products
A. "Gather and analyze sensor data."
B. "Maintain peak performance and health based on sensor data analysis (feedback loop)."
C. "Communicate their analysis with other software-define products and cloud services for continuous improvement." Besides the highlights of the 3 issues and 3 features, the article mentioned above and the product video of RFSage, an innovative appliance utilizing the FreeScale RF technology did not communicate enough details for a layman to deduce whether the RF mentioned is used for both transferring heat and communicating cooking data between different make of smart appliances in the category of software defined cooking.
A little more historical background. Back in 2011, I chanced upon sous vide while clicking away on cooking videos over the Internet, and saw a demo of thermal circulator in a chemistry lab, I have never looked back since. The essence of sous vide cooking is to maintain a water bath at precise temperature, with food placed in food safe bags submerged into this precise temperature controlled water bath. We started off with a store bought DIY kit that cost quite an arm and leg. We even went to the extent to make sous vide shield for Arduino. At that point in time, a dedicated sous vide supreme is out of the equation, it has to give way to tuition fee, rent, transport, and food.
Sous vide solved two out of the three issues highlighted earlier. Doneness of the inside of the food is precise with sous vide, thus the inexperienced novice is spared from the labourious sensing doneness and adjusting temperature to prevent overcooking; hopefully stop food wasting from bad cooks. The other pressing issue is the calibration between heat transfer and time needed for heat to transfer is solved partially with some sous vide implementations. Some amateurish sous vide controller uses "bang-bang" algorithm for open feedback loop system, which is bad, really bad and hardly precise at the required set point. Some comes with PID controller, in which a controller for continuously adjusting the heat and time components in a closed feedback loop system.
The three features mentioned above speaks of the cloud computing itself without mentioning the name. A server in the cloud will collect and collate information send by the sensors, perform computations on the data collected, transmit control to the actuators, and lastly communicate to user through the use of visualizations.
Full implementation here:
Anjar Very said...
tank for information, visite me,
Dr Purva Pius said...
Hello Everybody,
1. Name Of Applicant in Full:……..
2. Telephone Numbers:……….
3. Address and Location:…….
4. Amount in request………..
5. Repayment Period:………..
6. Purpose Of Loan………….
7. country…………………
8. phone…………………..
9. occupation………………
11.Monthly Income…………..
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text:
Definitions of lead:
- noun: the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
Example: "The lead was in the dummy"
- noun: a position of leadership (especially in the phrase 'take the lead')
Example: "He takes the lead in any group"
- noun: mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
- noun: thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
- noun: an advantage held by a competitor in a race
Example: "He took the lead at the last turn"
- noun: evidence pointing to a possible solution
Example: "The police are following a promising lead"
- noun: the introductory section of a story
Example: "It was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter"
- noun: a news story of major importance
- noun: (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
Example: "He took a long lead off first"
- noun: the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
- noun: a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull gray
Example: "The children were playing with lead soldiers"
- noun: the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
- noun: an indication of potential opportunity
Example: "A good lead for a job"
- noun: a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
Example: "It was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads"
- noun: restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
- noun: an actor who plays a principal role
- verb: tend to or result in
Example: "This remark lead to further arguments among the guests"
- verb: be ahead of others; be the first
- verb: pass or spend
Example: "Lead a good life"
- verb: cause to undertake a certain action
- verb: travel in front of; go in advance of others
- verb: take somebody somewhere
Example: "We lead him to our chief"
- verb: be in charge of
- verb: be conducive to
Example: "The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing"
- verb: lead, extend, or afford access
- verb: cause something to pass or lead somewhere
- verb: lead, as in the performance of a composition
- verb: move ahead (of others) in time or space
- verb: result in
- verb: preside over
- verb: stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
Search for lead at other dictionaries: OneLook, Answers.com, Merriam-Webster
"Works flawlessly!": RhymeZone apps for iPhone/iPad and Android!
Help, Feedback, Customize, Android app, iPhone/iPad app
Copyright © 2013 Datamuse

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Bipartisan US Congressional Delegation Visits India, Meets PM Modi
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Prime Minister Modi signs the visitors' book at the White House last year. [Image: US Embassy New Delhi].
A bipartisan US congressional delegation called on Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The 26 congressional members were welcomed by the Prime Minister who lauded the visit as a good sign for the continued growth of bilateral ties between the two countries under the new US administration. He reflected positively on his phone conversation with US President Donald Trump early this month in which the two leaders emphasized their shared commitment to further strengthen defense and economic ties.
During the meeting with the US congressional delegation, Prime Minister Modi shared his hope to further strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties between India and the US. He highlighted the benefits that Indian talent brings to the US economy and culture, and encouraged the facilitation of the movement of skilled workers.
In 2015, US imports from India totaled $45 billion while exports to India totaled $21 billion. California's exports alone totaled $4.6 billion making it the top state exporter to India. Major exports to India include precious stones, machinery, aircraft, and optic and medical equipment. The main imports from India include diamonds, textiles, oil, organic chemicals, agricultural products, and textiles.
As of 2015 there were 3.6 million Indian-Americans in the US. California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas accommodate the highest number of Indian-Americans. Concentrated areas of Indian Americans exist within these states. Indian-Americans in Edison, N.J., for example, made up 28% of the population in 2010. Indians in the West Santa Clara Census County Division in California made up 11% of the population.
Indian students studying in the US contributed $5.22 billion to the US economy over a 5 year period. India was the second highest country of origin of international students in the US following China with 100,270 students enrolled. Texas has the highest number of Indian students with approximately 10,000 enrolling in Texan universities per year. Of the Indian students in the US, 66% of Indian students study STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) fields.


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What are some examples of sarcasm in the poem, "The Prologue"?
1 Answer | Add Yours
Almost everything in this poem is sarcastic unless you are going to take seriously the idea that Bradstreet is really saying that she, like all women, is not competent to write decent poetry. This poem is saying that her work is no good because she is a woman and that men should not judge it too harshly. But this is surely not what she means to say.
Once you understand this, you can see sarcasm pop up everywhere in the poem. For example, the first three lines of the poem say that she is not talented or smart enough to write about elevated things such as wars and kings.
Perhaps the most clear cut example of sarcsasm comes in the following line where Bradstreet claims that women are inferior to men:
Men can do best, and Women know it well.
Preeminence in all and each is yours
Given the fact that she is a woman trying to write good poetry, this is clearly sarcastic. If she believed this, she would not be trying to write poetry.
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source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Almost everybody loves having plants in their house or office. Sadly, only a few of us know how to take care of them well. Most of us are really not equipped with the nuances of gardening and end up with dead or wilted plants because we haven't been able to pay enough attention to them and do not know how much water, nutrients or light they need. To take the guesswork out of gardening, Switzerland-based company Koubachi has created this amazing Wi-Fi Plant Sensor. The sensor is designed to measure the amount of light, temperature and moisture that your plants need and can give the user precise feedback on how to keep their plants healthy.
To use, the Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor needs to be placed in a plant for a fortnight to gather the necessary data. The system can then provide accurate instructions for all the plants placed in the area. Next, the system sends alarms and care instructions to the user's email or smartphone via Wi-Fi allowing users to respond to the plants' needs in real time.
All the data gathered by the sensors is also stored in cloud storage for free. The system is designed to make gardening an accurate science for people who have little or no experience in taking care of plants. The Koubachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor retails at a price of approximately $104.


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Recall Corollary 4 from this post:
Corollary 4. If is a subgroup of, then the following are equivalent:
(i) is well-ordered;
(ii) is not dense;
(iii) is cyclic.
Let be a non-zero real number and take to be the subgroup of generated by and. This is a cyclic group if and only if
for some and
, i.e. is rational.
Now by the above corollary, is dense iff it is not well-ordered, i.e. iff
So we have the following criterion for irrationality:
Criterion 1. is irrational if and only if holds.
Note that is dense in iff is dense in. So we deduce:
Criterion 2. is irrational.
We demonstrate how this may be useful by proving that certain types of numbers are irrational.
Proposition 1. Let be a sequence of non-zero integers such that
Then is irrational.
Proof. We have
Multiplying by if necessary, we can take the expression in brackets on the right to be positive and it tends to as. Moreover, if
which cannot happen infinitely often as the left hand side tends to zero. So the conclusion follows by Criterion 2.
Proposition 2. If is a sequence of non-zero integers such that and, then
exists and is irrational.
Proof. It suffices to show that and above hold.
Convergence follows easily from the ratio test, so holds. Now
Some special cases of Proposition 2 are particularly interesting:
Corollary 1. is irrational for all positive integers.
Proof. Take..
Corollary 2. is irrational.
Proof. Take in Corollary 1.
Corollary 3. and are irrational.
Proof. Take and for, for sine, for cosine.
Corollary 4. and are irrational, where is the modified Bessel function of the first kind.
Proof. Taking in Corollary 1 shows that is irrational. Taking shows that is irrational.
Corollary 5. is irrational.
Proof. If it is rational, then so is, and so is
Taking in the above shows that this is false.
Corollary 6. Let be an integer and the Fibonacci sequence. Then
(i) is irrational.
(ii) is irrational.
Proof. (i) Take and use.
(ii) Take.


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The Zend Framework blog has a new tutorial posted by Matthew Weier O'Phinney covering error handling techniques in Expressive with a few examples making use of some custom middleware and logic.
One of the big improvements in Expressive 2 is how error handling is approached. While the error handling documentation covers the feature in detail, more examples are never a bad thing!
In their example they're creating an API resource that returns a list of book details (ones the user has read). The goal is to use the existing error handling for everything except the custom exceptions they want to throw but keep with the JSON handling throughout. First the middleware to handling the API request is shown, complete with sorting and pagination. Then come the custom exception examples for invalid requests and server issues. These exceptions are then put into the Problem Details format with the help of another middleware. This then all tied together with the nested middleware handling Expressive provides and an example of the end result is included.


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Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe the management of cataract and refractory glaucoma in a case of congenital aniridia (AN)-1. Methods: In an 18-year-old female patient affected by congenital AN, bilateral coloboma of the zonula and lens, cataract and glaucoma, pars plana vitrectomy, cataract extraction and subsequent transcorneal ciliary body argon laser photocoagulation were performed. Results: Five years after laser treatment, the best-corrected visual acuity was 20/50 and the intraocular pressure was stable at 18 mm Hg with topical pharmacological management consisting of timolol 0.5% and latanoprost 0.005%. Conclusions: From our experience, transcorneal ciliary body photocoagulation after cataract extraction and vitrectomy could be a useful technique to manage high ocular pressure in eyes affected by congenital AN. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.
- Congenital aniridia
- Lens coloboma
- Limbal stem cell deficiency
- Transcorneal ciliary body photocoagulation


- Will Downs
Draw Schedules for Construction Contracts
The draw schedule is the detailed payment plan for your construction project. It should be clear and agreed upon by both parties. It should also provide you adequate assurance that you will have the funds necessary to complete the project. Along these lines, here are some important considerations for your draw provision:
 - Initial draw: many owners' reluctance to front any payments has caused contractors not to ask for them. That puts contractors behind from the outset. In many other professions (such as legal) it is common to obtain an advance on work performed. Therefore, if having an upfront draw is necessary or advantageous, it doesn't hurt to ask for or require one.
 - Timing of draws: what triggers the payment of draws? Think about whether you need/prefer set dates for draws, or whether the draws should be tied to percentage completion. If they're tied to completion, then who decides on the completion progress? If the project is being financed by a construction loan, then the bank will determine progress. Even if it's not a construction loan, it may be advantageous to build into your pricing the cost of hiring a 3rd party inspector to conduct inspections to verify percentage completion - this way, the owner doesn't just have to rely on you (or vice versa).
 - Retainage: how much should be withheld pending completion of the punch list? It's common for the owner (or lender) to withhold a certain amount at the end of the project for final payment after the punch list is completed. But there is no set standard on the amount that should be withheld. As a contractor, you should try and negotiate retainage out of the contract altogether, or at least negotiate down the percentage amount that is withheld.
 - Manner of payment: How should payments be made? The goal is to get paid as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Wire or bank transfers are best for this purpose. If the owner or bank wishes to pay by check, make sure there is a clear deadline in your contract for when the check must be delivered to you. For instance, you could include a provision that the check should be delivered to you within three business days of the benchmark (completion %) being met.
The takeaway here is that you need to know for certain when and how you are getting paid. This is important for ensuring you have the funds you need to allocate to the project. If a payment deadline is missed, you need to know about it as soon as possible so that you can stop work if necessary to ensure you will not be out additional time and money.
At Downs Law, we understand that construction agreements can be confusing - but they don't have to be. In our free e-book, we've taken 10 important contract provisions and distilled them into plain, understandable language. You will be able to use these as a guide to determine whether your contract is on solid footing, or whether it needs more attention. And as always, we're here for you if you need help. Contact us!


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The Witch of Wall StreetThe Witch of Wall Streethttp://www.haverford.edu/calendar/details/217271Magill Quaker Collection2013-04-05T15:00:002013-04-05T15:30:00
April 5, 3:00PM
Magill Quaker Collection
Dig Into the Archives Series event, a different topic every month
WHEN: Friday - April 5, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Special Collections Reading Room in Magill
Hetty Howland Robinson Green (_PHONE_), America's first great female financier, is a largely forgotten figure in the annals of enterprise. Born into a wealthy Quaker family, Green inherited one million dollars from the deaths of her father and aunt, yet carried a grudge for both her entire lifetime. Setting out to prove her financial acumen, Green, through sound investing and pathological thrift, parlayed her inheritance into $100 million (over $2 billion in today's dollars), becoming the richest woman in America. While accumulating her vast fortune during the Gilded Age and into the twentieth century, Green exhibited numerous eccentricities, sensationalized by the media of the day and further embellished by posthumous biographies of her. This Dig Into The Archives will peel away the myth to reveal an underappreciated, yet deeply troubled woman, whose financial genius and misunderstood character earned her the title of the Witch of Wall Street.
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A standing wave pattern on a sting is described by y(x,t)= 0.050 sin(8π x) cos(60π t), where x and y are in meters and t is in seconds.
What is the period of the oscillatory motion for any (non-node) point on the string?
what is the speed and the Amplitude of the two travelling waved that interfere to produce this wave?
and what are the first three times (in ascending order) for t between 0 and 0.04 s when all points on the sting will have zero transverse velocity?
Preferly show Answers with work or a formula that helps solve questions like this!
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text:
In our last blog post The Equity Growth Value Paradigm Part I, we quashed the often cited "recession based" logic used to explain the oscillating growth / value performance disparity. This blog post focuses on creating a duration-based framework borrowed from fixed income to distinguish between equity growth and value and then graphically illustrates how extended periods of over performance between these styles can be explained using factors consistent with the duration-based framework.
The Fixed Income Framework
The distinguishing characteristics of equity style are:
- Growth Equity: Higher PE multiples, low or no dividend payment (earnings are plowed back into the company), with higher expected earnings growth, and lower book to market values
- Value Equity: Lower book-to-market values, higher dividends, with lower expected earnings growth, and higher book to market values
To begin to understand the driving factors for style performance disparity, consider equity valuation in a bond framework of duration. Duration is defined as the percentage change in bond price given a unit change in interest rates. Another way to think about duration, which is useful for our discussion, is the average weighted maturity of cash flows. Take note of the present value and maturity schedule below for a 2% coupon bond a zero coupon bond both maturing in 10 years, priced using the following 10 year yield curve.Year Yield 2% Coupon Payment PV Years⋅PV Zero Coupon Payment PV Years⋅PV 1 0.69% $2.00 $1.99 1.99 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 2 1.61% $2.00 $1.94 3.87 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 3 2.08% $2.00 $1.88 5.64 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 4 2.40% $2.00 $1.82 7.28 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 5 2.64% $2.00 $1.76 8.78 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 6 2.83% $2.00 $1.69 10.15 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 7 3.00% $2.00 $1.63 11.39 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 8 3.14% $2.00 $1.56 12.50 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 9 3.26% $2.00 $1.50 13.49 $0.00 $0.00 0.00 10 3.37% $102.00 $73.24 732.43 $100.00 $71.81 718.1
The total prices and durations of the bonds can be calculated using the Present Value column and the Year⋅PV column in the following formulas:
Using the values from the respective columns and the formulas provided, the price and duration are then:Bond Price Duration 2% Coupon Bond $89.00 9.07 Yrs. Zero Coupon Bond $71.81 10 Yrs.
Fixed Income Framework and Research
Therefore given a coupon paying bond and a zero coupon bond of the same maturity, the duration of the zero coupon bond is greater. Because all of the cash flows for a zero coupon bond occur at the final payment this intuitively reflects our second definition, where duration is the time weighted average maturity of cash flows.
Extending this analogy, one might guess that equities termed "growth equities" that pay out large fractions of their cash flows in the future (e.g. pay no dividends, plow back their earnings and have high earnings growth expectations) will also have higher duration — average weighted maturity of cash flows — than companies with large dividend payouts and lower earnings growth expectations (i.e. "value equities").
In fact, a brief survey of the literature shows considerable exploration of "Implied Equity Duration" since first proposed in 2004 by Dechow et al where equity duration and book to market ratios were found to be closely connected.1 Schröder and Esterer 2008 specifically find that "ceteris paribus, companies with a high cash-flow growth rate exhibit long equity duration [where a] relatively large fraction of cash flows occurs in the far future, such that the share price is very sensitive to changes in the discount rate."2
The financial literature corroborates our intuition comparing different equity styles to bond duration, implying that growth companies should have higher duration than value equities, and therefore greater sensitivity to discount factors. Furthermore, because equities represent long term investments whose expected cash flows extend far into the future, one could further conclude that longer term interest rates would have greater capacity to describe style over performance, where:
- (Declining / increasing) long term interest rates would explain (growth / value) over performance
- (Declining / increasing) term spreads — the difference between a long-dated rate and short-dated rate — would explain (growth / value) over performance
Illustration of Out Performance
To illustrate style performance disparity relative to yield curve levels and term spread, the period from April 1953 – December 2012 is broken up into decades. The "Ratio of Value to Growth" is a custom made index, starting with a value of 1,000 at the beginning of each decade period (performance information value and growth can be found on Kenneth French's website). A declining Value Growth Index indicates that growth is outperforming where an increasing index can be interpreted as value equity out performing. For ease of observation, the ratio of the index (i.e. value to growth) is chosen (i.e. value over growth instead of growth over value) so a declining Value Growth Index mirrors an interest rate and term spread decline.
Term spread is defined as the 10 year treasury yield less the 3 year treasury yield, and a dotted line is placed at the 0.0 for term spreads to clearly indicate inversions of the yield curve (i.e. term spreads fall below the dotted line). Long term interest rates are calculated using the 10 year treasury yield, and the shaded grey region represents a recession as defined by the OECD.In the first decade, (from April of 1953 to March of 1963) over performance between growth and value appears to be explained quite well using term spreads and long term interest rates, however the influence appears to oscillate with first interest rates, then term spread, then again interest rates, and finally term spread explaining the performance disparity. Over this decade, a multivariate regression of the Value Growth Index with independent variables of 10 year treasury yield and 10yr – 3yr term spread yields an adjusted R-Squared of 0.3854.During the first half of the decade from April 1963 to March 1973, there is a relationship between interest rates and equity style over performance, whereas term spreads seem to describe the relationship only after. A multivariate regression of the Value Growth Index with independent variables of 10 year treasury yields and 10yr – 3yr term spreads yields an adjusted R-Squared of 0.5303 during this decade.
The remainder of the illustrations are left to the reader to observe, however multivariate regression statistics are provided below each of the respective years.
April 1973 - March 1983 P Value 10 Year Treasury Yield 2.58e-20 10 Year - 3 Year Spread 7.35e-08
Regression Adjusted R-Squared: 0.511April 1983 - March 1993 P Value 10 Year Treasury Yield 0.04 10 Year - 3 Year Spread 3.0e-06
Regression Adjusted R-Squared: 0.157April 1993 - March 2003 P Value 10 Year Treasury Yield 4.91e-12 10 Year - 3 Year Spread 2.17e-09
Regression Adjusted R-Squared: 0.365April 2003 - December 2012 P Value 10 Year Treasury Yield 5.90e-20 10 Year - 3 Year Spread 4.67e-22
Regression Adjusted R-Squared: 0.8363
Summary TablePeriod Adjusted R-Squared 04-01-1953 to 03-01-1963 0.385 04-01-1963 to 03-01-1973 0.530 04-01-1973 to 03-01-1983 0.511 04-01-1983 to 03-01-1993 0.157 04-01-1993 to 03-01-2003 0.365 04-01-2003 to 12-01-2012 0.836 Entire Sample (_PHONE_) 0.389
The reader should note the style behavior during yield curve inversions — when investors demand higher rates for short term treasuries than long term treasuries. As term spreads decline and approach zero, long term investment decisions become secondary to preservation of capital. Because value equities have higher book to market values than growth stocks (book to market can be thought of as the hard asset value of the firm relative to its market value), zero or negative term spreads imply that investors have the greatest appetite for long term stores of value. Therefore, value equities frequently outperform growth during and prior to yield curve inversions.
The weakened (yet still significant)


text:
TITLE I SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAM APPROVAL
The Ambridge Area School District received official notification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Federal Programs, that effective July 1, 2015 we have been approved to operate a Title I Schoolwide Program in the following schools:
Highland Elementary, State Street Elementary, Ambridge Area Jr. High School, Ambridge Area High School
A Schoolwide Program is a comprehensive reform strategy designed to upgrade the entire educational program in a Title I school. The primary goal is to ensure that all students, particularly those who are low-achieving, demonstrate proficient and advanced levels of achievement on state academic achievement standards.
WHAT IS A SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAM?
- A schoolwide program is built on schoolwide reform strategies, rather than separate, add-on services.
- Serves all children in the building
- Provides flexibility in spending Title I funds
- Permits flexibility to combine other Federal funds in support of the schoolwide program
- Focuses on results
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A SCHOOLWIDE PROGRAM
- A schoolwide program is a catalyst for comprehensive reform of the entire instructional program
- It allows educators to come together and work collaboratively
- It addresses the needs of students in an integrated way
- It permits Federal resources to be spent in ways that most effectively raise the achievement of students
For more information please contact:
Barry King-Federal Program Coordinator
Cathy Hopkins-Federal Programs Secretary


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Characterisation of THz emission from double-metal-patterned gallium–arsenide multiple emitters
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Multiplexed gallium–arsenide (GaAs)-based terahertz (THz) emitters fabricated with periodic double-metal structures are demonstrated and the effect of different metals on the THz output is investigated. THz emission originates from the lateral photo-Dember effect and from the different Schottky barrier heights of the chosen metal pair. The metal combinations used were Au–Al, Au–Pb and Cu–Cr. The emitters were characterised according to temperature and the highest peak-to-peak THz emission was achieved with the Cu–Cr metal pairing at 150 K.
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 - 12. Bardeen, J.: 'Surface states and rectification at a metal semi-conductor contact', Phys. Rev., 1947, 71, (717).
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 - 10. Singh, R., Smirnova, E., Taylor, A.J., Hara, J.F.O., Zhang, W.: 'Optically thin terahertz metamaterials', Opt. Express, 2008, 16, (9), pp. 65376543.
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Check out this photo of Princeton and Mercer County from the 1920s. Princeton is the only town in the area. It appears as a dense cluster of buildings (imagine how walkable it must have been!!!!) surrounded on every side by farmland. Kingston is there too, a scattering of houses in the lower right-hand corner. West Windsor, Lawrence T'wp, Hamilton T'wp, and the ring of I-95/I-295 are nowhere to be seen. None of them were built yet.
Princeton really stands out as the major town in the area. Even today, Princeton is considered the hub of development in Central Jersey between Trenton and New Brunswick. But somewhere along the way, the area has gone through a big change. Princeton is no longer the only town in the area. It is no longer even the biggest town in the area. It is no longer even the most densely populated town in the area!
Let's look at the statistics. Here are the populations of local towns- 'Princeton'-comprising the combined populations of the former Borough and Township, South Brunswick, Lawrence Township, Plainsboro, West Windsor, and Montgomery. In 1950, several decades after the above photograph was taken, Princeton was still by far the biggest town in the area by population:
By 1970, several decades later, and a time that many of our older residents can clearly remember, Princeton was stillby some distancethe largest town around:
What is the situation today? Princeton has undergone an astonishing drop in population relative to surrounding townships. South Brunswick AND Lawrence T'wp now have larger populations than Princeton, even considering the consolidated population of Princeton.
This graph only shows directly neighboring towns– if we were also to consider Hamilton T'wp and Hightstown-East Windsor, Princeton would be the fifth-largest town in the area. What's more, under current growth rates, Plainsboro and Montgomery Township are on track to overtake Princeton in terms of population, making Princeton potentially the smallest community in the area in terms of population!
Now, we can debate whether this is a good or bad, but one thing is absolutely clear: the historic character of Princeton is being changed. We used to look for ways to accommodate population growth while maintaining the historic aspects of the town. Consider this quote from an article entitled 'A Look At The Future', published in 'Town Topics' in 1960:
The new comprehensive master plan, Mr. McHugh says in his report, is designed to conserve and, if possible, enhance the natural topographical features and the historic places, buildings and institutions, in accordance with the often-expressed desires of Borough residents. However, it is also designed to cope with a population increase which is expected to bring the total population of the Princeton area up to almost 100,000 by 1980.
Historically, Princeton was a growing town and we made provision for population growth. Many current residents of the town would be living some place else if it wasn't for the vision of earlier town planners, who looked for ways to enable population growth:
However, around 1970, the rate of Princeton's population growth sputtered to a halt. Aside from a blip in 2000 (considered to be a Census artifact), Princeton's population has barely budged in forty years, even as surrounding areas have expanded rapidly. This is largely due to resident pressure to prevent change in Princeton. "Preservation of Princeton's historic character" is a central theme of our current Masterplan, and this is invariably interpreted to mean minimal new development. However, this drive to prevent development is the very cause of the change in Princeton's character from being the major community of mid-central Jersey to becoming an elegant, but increasingly chi-chi suburb. Businesses recognize that Princeton is no longer "where it's at" for commerce, as popular retailers such as the Apple Store skip Princeton in favor of a Route 1 mall.
There are other costs associated with deliberately restricting Princeton's growth. A lack of housing has sent property prices through the roof, so that every year the Princeton community becomes increasingly wealthy compared to neighboring towns, and middle-class workers have to look for somewhere else to live. Open land in Central Jersey is being gobbled up to build new, car-dependent developments catering to people who work in Princeton. These commuters fill Princeton with traffic and produce huge volumes of greenhouse gases:
Princeton historically was the vibrant center of mid-central Jersey, had a compact walkable form, provided housing to all sections of society, and maintained its essential character. Regaining these essential characteristics, and avoiding a fate where the town becomes either a charming weekend getaway for rich bankers or a theme park for tourists, requires us to think about ways to add housing in the most efficient way. In future, instead of looking for ways to keep development to an absolute minimum, we should consider how to add extra housing, because it will get Princeton back on track to being a living, vibrant, inclusive town, confident of its primacy in the mid-central Jersey region, and confident of both its outstanding history and its future.


text:
The Thirteen in 13 Campaign
In 2013, we are inviting all 13 year olds to write a letter to the Prime Minister to tell him what they think would make a better Britain.
Extracts from the thirteen winning letters will be published in The Times, where David Cameron has also promised to write a response to the 13 winning letters!
We have also developed a pack of curriculum-linked teaching resouces to accompany the campaign.
The pack includes a powerpoint presentation, together with a selection of notes for teachers containing further information, curriculum links and discussion topics.
To access the resources:
- Download the document below and save to your computer.
- When you open the document, you will see a powerpoint presentation to use in your class.
- To view the accompanying teachers notes, please click on 'View' at the top of the screen, and select 'Notes Page'.
Click here to get involved with the Thirteen in 13 campaign.
_PHONE_ 5858
"I can't wait to see what issues and
topics they raise - and how the Prime
Minister reacts. Young people are our
future - let's listen to them!"
"A remarkable diary gave voice
to a girl in hiding. Now the children
of today have a unique opportunity
to have their own voices heard by
the most powerful person in the
"Anne Frank was both extraordinary
and ordinary. I think this is a brilliant
initiative: a chance both to honour
Anne's memory, and for today's teens
to write about their own lives in the
same thoughtful way."


text: Tsong kha pa (14th century) is arguably the most important and influential philosopher in Tibetan history. An Ocean of Reasoning is the most extensive and perhaps the deepest extant commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way), and it can be argued that it is impossible to discuss Nagarjuna's work in an informed way without consulting it. It discusses alternative readings of the text and prior commentaries and provides a detailed exegesis, constituting a systematic presentation of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy. Despite its central importance, however, of Tsong kha pa's three most important texts, only An Ocean of Reasoning remains untranslated, perhaps because it is both philosophically and linguistically challenging, demanding a rare combination of abilities on the part of a translator. Jay Garfield and Ngawang Samten bring the requisite skills to this difficult task, combining between them expertise in Western and Indian philosophy, and fluency in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and English. The resulting translation of this important text will not only be a landmark contribution to the scholarship of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, but will serve as a valuable companion volume to Jay Garfield's highly successful translation of The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.


Pipe Size notation: NPS vs NB vs DN. Is there any difference?
NPS vs NPB vs DN
Many of us, talk about pipe size either in DN (Nominal Diameter), NPS ( Nominal Pipe Size), or NB (Nominal Bore). Yet these all are notations of pipe size these all have some similarities and differences in terms of use and origin. In this article, you will know a brief explanation about these piping size notations.
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In informal chat conversations online, I have seen Spanish speakers write the abbreviation "xq." What does this stand for, and why?
share|improve this question
I'd suggest you not to use them, It's a bad habit and mostly used by teenagers – Luis Carlos Nov 26 '11 at 19:02
There is a universal law that whenever you write against incorrect usage of language, you will invariably make a usage faux pas of your own for everybody to see. For instance some people would regard the omission of a full stop/period at the end of a sentence to be a bad habit. (-; – hippietrail Nov 27 '11 at 10:42
I do it when I am in a hurry, texting, lazy or feel comfortable enough with someone to use it. If is something formal I would never use it – cayerdis May 22 '12 at 4:14
2 Answers 2
up vote 13 down vote accepted
It essentially means porque
x is widely recognized as the multiplication sign. To say it one says por.
x = Por
and q is the abbreviation of que. Being just a q there are no words I can think of that are monosyllables and that start with q. So it is safe to assume it is que.
q = que
xq = porque
share|improve this answer
"Porque" no lleva tilde. "¿Por qué...?" sí la lleva – belisarius Nov 25 '11 at 7:32
«xk» means the same as «xq», just as «k» means the same as «q» and both mean «que» (or «qué»). But «xD» has nothing to do with «por». Texting is hard. – Brian Nov 25 '11 at 8:22
xD resembles this smiley. – kodkod Nov 25 '11 at 10:46
Porqué lleva tilde cuando se utiliza la forma de la pregunta "por qué" en forma indirecta, como sustantivo. Son tres formas diferentes. Ejemplo: "Le preguntaron el porqué de su vestimenta inadecuada" – Leandro Jun 4 '12 at 23:04
In SMS/chat slang:
 - xq, xk, pq means "porque" or "por qué";
 - x means "por", because it looks like × (multiplication sign);
 - q or k means "que";
 - xf means "por fa(vor)"
 - qtl or ktl means "que tal";
 - qtpsa or ktpsa means "que te pasa";
 - = means "igual";
 - + means "mas" or "más";
 - - means "menos";
 - s means "es";
 - l means "el";
 - d means "de";
"+ o -"
"xk? ktpsa?"
share|improve this answer
It's harder to write slang than regular spanish! :P – Alenanno Nov 25 '11 at 12:48
It's hard to write slang in any language... except owns. – Braiam Jul 30 '13 at 19:59
Your Answer


text:
HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation
OpenVMS System Manager's Manual
19.8.3 System Load Test Phase
The purpose of the system load test is to simulate a number of terminal users who are demanding system resources simultaneously. The system load tests, directed by the file UETLOAD00.DAT, create a number of detached processes that execute various command procedures. Each process simulates a user logged in at a terminal; the commands within each procedure are the same types of commands that a user enters from a terminal. The load test creates the detached processes in quick succession, and the processes generally execute their command procedures simultaneously. The effect on the system is analogous to an equal number of users concurrently issuing commands from terminals. In this way, the load test creates an environment that is similar to normal system use.
The load test uses the logical name LOADS to determine the number of detached processes to create. When you initiate the UETP command procedure, it prompts for the number of users to be simulated (see Section 19.4.3) and consequently the number of detached processes to be created. Your response, which depends on the amount of memory and the swapping and paging space in your system, defines the group logical name LOADS.
The UETP master command procedure deassigns all group logical names assigned by its tests as part of the termination phase. The group logical name LOADS remains assigned only if the UETP package does not complete normally.
The command procedures executed by the load test can generate a large amount of output, depending on the number of detached processes created. For each detached process (or user), the test creates a version of an output file called UETLOnnnn.LOG (nnnn represents a string of numeric characters). The console displays only status information as the load test progresses.
Whether the load test runs as part of the entire UETP or as an individual phase, UETP combines the UETLOnnnn.LOG files, writes the output to the file UETP.LOG, and deletes the individual output files.
If DECnet for OpenVMS software is included in your OpenVMS system, a run of the entire UETP automatically tests DECnet hardware and software. Because communications devices are allocated to DECnet and the DECnet devices cannot be tested by the UETP device test, UETP will not test the Ethernet adapter if DECnet for OpenVMS or another application has allocated the device. The DECnet node and circuit counters are zeroed at the beginning of the DECnet test to allow for failure monitoring during the run.
The DECnet for OpenVMS test will work successfully on OpenVMS systems connected to all DECnet supported node types, including routing and nonrouting nodes and several different types of operating systems (such as RSTS, RSX, TOPS, and RT). To copy files between systems, the remote systems must have some type of default access. The DECnet phase tests the following nodes and circuits:
No limit exists on the number of communication lines supported by the tests. A test on one adjacent node should last no more than two minutes at normal communications transfer rates.
184.108.40.206 How the DECnet Phase Works
19.8.5 Cluster-Integration Test Phase
The cluster-integration test phase consists of a single program and a command file that depend heavily on DECnet for OpenVMS software. This phase uses DECnet for OpenVMS software to create SYSTEST_CLIG processes on each OpenVMS node in the cluster and to communicate with each node. SYSTEST_CLIG is an account that is parallel to SYSTEST, but limited so that it can only be used as part of the cluster-integration test. The following restrictions on the SYSTEST_CLIG account are necessary for a correct run of the cluster test phase:
These items are necessary to ensure the security and privacy of your system. If the test cannot create a SYSTEST_CLIG process on an OpenVMS node, it gives the reason for the failure and ignores that node for the lock tests and for sharing access during the file test. Also, the test does not copy log files from any node on which it cannot create the SYSTEST_CLIG process. If a communication problem occurs with a SYSTEST_CLIG process after the process has been created, the test excludes the process from further lock and file sharing tests. At the end of the cluster-integration test, an attempt is made to report any errors seen by that node.
UETCLIG00.EXE has two threads of execution: the primary and the secondary. The first, or primary thread, checks the cluster configuration (OpenVMS nodes, HSC nodes, and the attached disks that are available to the node running the test). For selected OpenVMS nodes, the primary thread attempts to start up a SYSTEST_CLIG process through DECnet software. If the primary thread was able to start a SYSTEST_CLIG process on a node, the node runs the command file UETCLIG00.COM, which starts up UETCLIG00.EXE and runs the secondary execution thread.
The process running the primary thread checks to see that it can communicate with the processes running the secondary threads. It then instructs them to take out locks so that a deadlock situation is created.
The primary thread tries to create a file on some disk on selected OpenVMS and HSC nodes in the cluster. It writes a block, reads it back, and verifies it. Next, it selects one OpenVMS node at random and asks that node to read the block and verify it. The primary thread then extends the file by writing another block and has the secondary thread read and verify the second block. The file is deleted.
The secondary processes exit. They copy the contents of their SYS$ERROR files to the primary process, so that the UETP log file and console report show all problems in a central place. DECnet for OpenVMS software automatically creates a NETSERVER.LOG in SYS$TEST as the test is run, so that if necessary, you can read that file later from the node in question.
During the test run, the primary process uses the system service SYS$BRKTHRU to announce the beginning and ending of the test to each OpenVMS node's console terminal.
You can define the group logical name MODE to the equivalence string DUMP to trace most events as they occur. Note that the logical name definitions apply only to the node on which they were defined. You must define MODE on each node in the cluster on which you want to trace events.
|Using the Error Formatter (ERRFMT)||Section 20.3|
|Using ERROR LOG to produce reports||Section 20.4|
|Using DECevent to report system events||Section 20.5|
|Setting up, maintaining, and printing the operator log file||Section 20.6|
|Using security auditing||Section 20.7|
|Using the Monitor utility to monitor system performance||Section 20.8|
This chapter explains the following concepts:
|System log files||Section 20.1|
|Error logging||Section 20.2|
|Error Log utility (ERROR LOG)||Section 20.4.1|
|DECevent Event Management utility||Section 20.5.1|
|Operator log file||Section 20.6.1|
|OPCOM messages||Section 20.6.2|
|Security auditing||Section 20.7.1|
|Monitor utility (MONITOR)||Section 20.8.1|
In maintaining your system, collect and review information about system events. The operating system provides several log files that record information about the use of system resources, error conditions, and other system events. Table 20-1 briefly describes each file and provides references to sections that discuss the files in more detail.
|Log File||Description||For More Information|
|Error log file||The system automatically records device and CPU error messages in this file.||Section 20.2|
|Operator log file||The operator communication manager (OPCOM) records system events in this file.||Chapter 2 and Section 20.6|
|Accounting file||The accounting file tracks the use of system resources.||Chapter 21|
|Security audit log file||The audit server process preallocates disk space to and writes security-relevant system events to this file.||Section 20.7|
The error logging facility automatically writes error messages to the latest version of the error log file, SYS$ERRORLOG:ERRLOG.SYS. Error log reports are primarily intended for use by Compaq support representatives to identify hardware problems. System managers often find error log reports useful in identifying recurrent system failures that require outside attention.
Starting with OpenVMS Version 7.2, DECevent Version 2.9 or later is required for analyzing error log files. DECevent Version 2.9 provides a separate utility, the Binary Error Log Translation utility, in the DECevent kit. This utility converts the new Common Event Header (CEH) binary error log file into a binary error log file whose header format and structure can be read by earlier versions of DECevent and by the older Error Log utility.
For more information about the Binary Error Log Translation utility, refer to its documentation, which is included in the DECevent kit shipped with the OpenVMS kit.
The error logging facility consists of the parts shown in Table 20-2.
|Executive routines||Detect errors and events, and write relevant information into error log buffers in memory.|
|Error Formatter (ERRFMT)||
ERRFMT process, which starts when the system is
booted, periodically empties error log buffers, transforms the
descriptions of


text:
Principal Component Analysis
1. If the Elutriation dataset in the Experiments navigator is not already highlighted, click it.
2. Click the Principal Component Analysis toolbar icon, or select Principal Component Analysis from the PCA menu, or right-click the item and select Principal Component Analysis from the shortcut menu. The PCA parameters dialog is displayed.
3. You may choose to perform PCA calculation on either Genes or Samples. The typical use of PCA is to reduce the genes to a smaller number of 'variables' as in this tutorial. Ensure that Genes is selected. (In other applications, where the samples are being thought of as 'variables' or measurements for particular genes, you would select Samples).
4. Click OK. The Experiment Progress dialog is displayed.
The dialog is dynamically updated as the PCA calculation is performed. Upon successful completion, a PCA: genes item is added to the Experiments navigator under the original dataset.
If you have automatic visualizations enabled in your user preferences, a 3D Score Plot is displayed.


scdebug: The Sculptor debug program
The Sculptor debug program is called scdebug. It enables a compiled program to be executed in a controlled fashion, stepping through the program code line by line.
Breakpoints can be set, specifing points where program execution is to halt and control to return to the debug program.
The user can view the current function stack, or the current value of any field, including data dictionary fields, temporary variables and Sculptor system variables, at any point during program execution, thereby tracing program flow and isolating bugs. The value of a field can be changed at run time.
Multiple source code files are supported, and the user may move rapidly and easily around and between source files.
Debug settings, including breakpoints and a list of watched fields, may be saved at the end of a session.
Another aid to debugging Sculptor programs is the dbgmsg program, which displays user-defined debug messages in a table.
Command line syntax
Files and directories created by scdebug
Toolbar options
Program state
Watched fields
Terminating the debug program


text:
|hour angle |
The angular distance, measured westward along the celestial equator, between the celestial meridian of the observer and the hour circle passing through a celestial body. A body's hour angle is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds, and corresponds to its right ascension as measured with respect to the observer's meridian (which changes with time) rather than the vernal equinox (which is fixed on the celestial equator). A celestial object that crossed the observer's meridian 3 hours and 20 minutes ago has an hour angle of +3 hours 20 minutes. An object that will not cross the meridian for another 3 hours and 20 minutes has an hour angle of -3 hours 20 minutes.


HRLN files Amicus in before Republic of Uganda for establishing food reserves
MIsc Appeal in CIVIL APPEAL N0.______OF 2020 AND 1. CENTER FOR FOOD AND ADEQUATE LIVING RIGHTS (CEFROHT) 2. ATTORNEY GENERAL | Court of Appeal of Uganda | Status: Pending | |
The High court of Uganda at Kampala brushed away the claim of CEROHT on access to food from government strategic food reserves to stabilize the rising food prices
on the market and enable easy access to food by all and declaring that the Country is a violation of and threat to rights guaranteed under the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy No.XXII, XXIII, Article 20, 8A and 45 of the Constitution of Uganda (as amended).
The SECR Net members including HRLN intervened by way Amicus in Appeal to the aforementioned proceedings by mainly summarising the following -
Established international, regional, and comparative right to food standards inform and reinforce the Ugandan State's human rights duties to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by:
1) recognizing and enforcing the right to food within the domestic legal order;
2) appropriately providing for all necessary food distribution during the pandemic;
3) establishing and maintaining food reserves;
4) ensuring economic accessibility of food and food price stabilization;
5) ensuring food safety; and
6) utilizing maximum available resources in the face of the food emergency.
 It was argued that vis a vis Constitutional law of India the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Conventions of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognize the needs which include right to food, clothing, housing, education, right to work, leisure, fair wages, decent working conditions, social security, right to physical or mental health, protection of their families as an integral part of the right to life.
It was further stated that the PUCL v Union of India, the Supreme Court of India recognized Right to food was envisaged as being a component of the right to life and the Court issued a continuing mandamus to monitor the overall implementation.
It was stated that, the timeout, nonrestrictive, nonarbitrary compliance with international standards, focus on disadvantaged and marginalized, and grave and risky situations can effect in maximum realization in minimum available resorces.


nag_dummy_vars (g04eac) (PDF version)
g04 Chapter Contents
g04 Chapter Introduction
NAG C Library Manual
NAG Library Function Document
nag_dummy_vars (g04eac)
+ Contents
 1 Purpose
 7 Accuracy
1 Purpose
nag_dummy_vars (g04eac) computes orthogonal polynomial or dummy variables for a factor or classification variable.
2 Specification
_TAG_
_TAG_
void nag_dummy_vars (Nag_DummyType type, Integer n, Integer levels, const Integer factor[], double x[], Integer tdx, const double v[], double num_reps[], NagError *fail)
3 Description
In the analysis of an experimental design using a general linear model the factors or classification variables that specify the design have to be coded as dummy variables. nag_dummy_vars (g04eac) computes dummy variables that can then be used in the fitting of the general linear model using nag_regsn_mult_linear (g02dac).
If the factor of length n has k levels then the simplest representation is to define k dummy variables, X j such that X j = 1 if the factor is at level j and 0 otherwise, for j=1,2,,k. However, there is usually a mean included in the model and the sum of the dummy variables will be aliased with the mean. To avoid the extra redundant argument, k-1 dummy variables can be defined as the contrasts between one level of the factor, the reference level and the remaining levels. If the reference level is the first level then the dummy variables can be defined as X j = 1 if the factor is at level j and 0 otherwise, for j=2,3,,k. Alternatively, the last level can be used as the reference level.
A second way of defining the k-1 dummy variables is to use a Helmert matrix in which levels 2, 3,, k are compared with the average effect of the previous levels. For example if k=4 then the contrasts would be:
1 -1 -1 -1 2 1 -1 -1 3 0 2 -1 4 0 0 3
Thus variable j, for j=1,2,,k-1, is given by where r j is the number of replicates of level j.
If the factor can be considered as a set of values from an underlying continuous variable then the factor can be represented by a set of k-1 orthogonal polynomials representing the linear, quadratic, etc. effects of the underlying variable. The orthogonal polynomial is computed using Forsythe's algorithm (see Forsythe (1957) and Cooper (1968)). The values of the underlying continuous variable represented by the factor levels have to be supplied to the function.
The orthogonal polynomials are standardized so that the sum of squares for each dummy variable is one. For the other methods integer ±1 representations are retained except that in the Helmert representation the code of level j+1 in dummy variable j will be a fraction.
4 References
Cooper B E (1968) Algorithm AS 10. The use of orthogonal polynomials Appl. Statist. 17 283–287
Forsythe G E (1957) Generation and use of orthogonal polynomials for data fitting with a digital computer J. Soc. Indust. Appl. Math. 5 74–88
5 Arguments
1: typeNag_DummyTypeInput
On entry: the type of dummy variable to be computed.
An orthogonal Polynomial representation is computed.
A Helmert matrix representation is computed.
The contrasts relative to the First level are computed.
The contrasts relative to the Last level are computed.
A complete set of dummy variables is computed.
Constraint: type=Nag_Poly, Nag_Helmert, Nag_FirstLevel, Nag_LastLevel or Nag_AllLevels.
2: nIntegerInput
On entry: the number of observations for which the dummy variables are to be computed, n.
Constraint: nlevels.
3: levelsIntegerInput
On entry: the number of levels of the factor, k.
Constraint: levels2.
4: factor[n]const IntegerInput
On entry: the n values of the factor.
Constraint: 1 factor[i-1] levels, for i=1,2,,n.
5: x[n×tdx]doubleOutput
Note: the i,jth element of the matrix X is stored in x[i-1×tdx+j-1].
On exit: the n by k * matrix of dummy variables, where k * = k - 1 if type=Nag_Poly, Nag_Helmert, Nag_FirstLevel or Nag_LastLevel and k * = k if type=Nag_AllLevels.
6: tdxIntegerInput
 - if type=Nag_Poly, Nag_Helmert, Nag_FirstLevel or Nag_LastLevel, tdx levels - 1 ;
 - if type=Nag_AllLevels, tdxlevels.
7: v[×]const doubleInput
On entry: if type=Nag_Poly, the k distinct values of the underlying variable for which the orthogonal polynomial is to be computed. If typeNag_Poly, v is not referenced.
Constraint: if type=Nag_Poly, then the k values of v must be distinct.
8: num_reps[levels]doubleOutput
On exit: num_reps[i-1] contains the number of replications for each level of the factor, r i, for i=1,2,,k.
9: failNagError *Input/Output
6 Error Indicators and Warnings
On entry, n = value while levels = value. These arguments must satisfy nlevels.
On entry, tdx = value while levels = value. These arguments must satisfy tdxlevels.
On entry, tdx = value while levels - 1 = value. These arguments must satisfy tdx levels - 1.
Dynamic memory allocation failed.
The contents of array v are not valid.
Constraint: all values of v must be distinct.
On entry, argument type had an illegal value.
All levels are not represented in array factor.
An orthogonal polynomial has all values zero. This will be due to some values of v being close together. This can only occur if type=Nag_Poly.
On entry, levels must not be less than 2: levels = value.
On entry, factor[0] = value.
Constraint: 1 factor[0] levels.
7 Accuracy
The computations are stable.
8 Further Comments
Other functions for fitting polynomials can be found in Chapter e02.
9 Example
Data are read in from an experiment with four treatments and three observations per treatment with the treatment coded as a factor. nag_dummy_vars (g04eac) is used to compute the required dummy variables and the model is then fitted by nag_regsn_mult_linear (g02dac).
9.1 Program Text
Program Text (g04eace.c)
9.2 Program Data
Program Data (g04eace.d)
9.3 Program Results
Program Results (g04eace.r)
nag_dummy_vars (g04eac) (PDF version)
g04 Chapter Contents
g04 Chapter Introduction
NAG C Library Manual
© The Numerical Algorithms Group Ltd, Oxford, UK. 2012


- PER PRENOTAZIONI: Tel. 392.317.48.64 / 320.110.77.64
049 dei9
20131022115928dl.jpg 415368877
amalfi 1
sentiero degli dei agerola
sentiero degli dei agerola1
1. The first itinerary we recommend starts from Le Cicale: 200 steps take you down in a few minutes to the historical centre of Conca dei Marini where the fine churches of San Michele, San Giovanni Battista and San Pancrazio all overlook the sea. Built in the Baroque style, they are rich in works of art. Close to San Pancrazio you can still see an ancient spring issuing from the hillside. The Convent of Santa Rosa is considerably older, dating back to the 11th century, and is famous because it's here that a popular local cake, the sfogliatella Santa Rosa, was invented. The small church contains various works of art and the body of Saint Barnabas the Apostle. The historical centre of Conca dei Marini is a fine example of local architecture, the houses featuring arches, loggias and vaulted ceilings as well as gardens with pergolas and lemon trees. Wandering among these houses, vegetable gardens and lemon groves in a scenario that has remained unchanged down the centuries is an unforgettable experience, and every now and then you get breath-taking panoramas of the sea and the cliffs.
2. The second itinerary starts from Le Cicale: walking down steps and along roads for about 30 minutes, you come to the Aragonese Tower which dominates the bay of Conca. It is a unique experience to walk out onto the terrace of the Tower and witness one of the most spectacular panoramas the Mediterranean has to offer.
3. The third itinerary starts from Le Cicale: walking down steps and along roads for about 40 minutes, you come to the fishermen's hamlet. This ancient settlement is lodged like a pearl between the mountain and the beach of Conca dei Marini. All the houses in the historical centre rise sheer above the beach, and the sea is an emerald green. In the 1960s Jackie Kennedy fell in love with the beach of Conca dei Marini while she was staying in style at Ravello.
4. The fourth itinerary starts from Le Cicale: you walk down through the Fiordo of Furore and in 35 minutes come to the ancient hamlet and fine beach. Here you will find a museum dedicated to Anna Magnani, protagonist of a famous film Roberto Rossellini made here in the sixties. The Fiordo is a nature sanctuary and a paradise for several rare species of both plants and animals, including a giant bulbous fern and the peregrine falcon. As well as the traditional fishermen's houses, known as monazzeri, you can see an ancient chapel cut into the cliff face, a mill that served the paper works, and a lime kiln.
5. The fifth itinerary starts from Le Cicale: in just 30 minutes it takes you to the Grotta dello Smeraldo. Discovered only 50 years ago by a fisherman from Conca dei Marini, this grotto provides a wonderful kaleidoscope of lighting effects, stalactites and stalagmites that has been thousands of years in the making. You will also see a marvellous underwater nativity scene.
6. The sixth itinerary starts from Le Cicale: 30 minutes walk will take you to Punta Sant'Elia. The church in this hamlet dates from the 13th century and houses a famous triptych painted in 1479 by Antonello da Capua. Just beyond the church is the start of the Passeggiata dell'Amore or "Lovers' promenade", with its luxuriant vegetation of agave, prickly pear, olive and carob, and stupendous views out over the sea.
7. The seventh itinerary starts from Le Cicale: eventually it takes you to San Lazzaro via Tovere. However, this walk is uphill and hard work, along steps and roads, and you must reckon on about 2 hours to get up to San Lazzaro. It takes paths and roads that are very little used, and you are sure to come across herds of sheep and goats and the ruins of abandoned properties in a totally unspoilt landscape. San Lazzaro itself is an ancient village in the municipality of Agerola; from its terrace you can enjoy a particularly fine panorama out over the Mediterranean.
8. The eighth itinerary starts from the main square in Bomerano, which you can reach from Le Cicale either by car, in 10 minutes, or on foot in about an hour. The itinerary goes through the municipality of Agerola and is known as the "Path of the Gods". It is the most famous walk in the whole of the Amalfi Coast, and quite demanding: it will take you about 3 hours to walk down to Positano. However, it gives you a full immersion in the Mediterranean landscape, with breath-taking views at every turn, and it is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime. It is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful walks anywhere in the world.
9. The ninth itinerary goes through the Monti Lattari Regional Park. Only recently instituted, it is a genuine novelty for all the lovers of the Amalfi Coast. Pristine landscapes and marvellous paths through woods and peaks rising to nearly 1500 metres, without ever being far from the sea.
Info e Contatti
Le Cicale - Case Vacanza
Via Panoramica, 65 - Conca dei Marini (Sa)
Mobile: (+39) _PHONE_
Mobile: (+39) _PHONE_
Email: _EMAIL_
A dream holiday in a magical place: untouched nature and pure relaxation
© 2016 Le Cicale Case Vacanze. All Rights Reserved. Designed By Punto Rada Agency


Article ID : 00099202 / Last Modified : 18/12/2020
Does Blu-ray Disc media have region codes?
 Blu-ray Disc media does have region codes, but unlike DVD players, the region codes for Blu-ray Disc media use letters instead of numbers to indicate a particular zone or region where the discs can be played.
 The Blu-ray Disc region codes are as follows:
 - Region A: North America, South America, U.S. Territories, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia
 - Region B: Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
 - Region C: Asia (except for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia)
 - Region FREE: This is not an official setting, but discs that have the region FREE symbol either have no flag set or have all region flags (A, B & C) set.
 NOTE: The region codes for commercial Blu-ray Disc movies can be found on the back of the Blu-ray Disc case.
 The Blu-ray Disc device or drive will support playback of Blu-ray Disc purchased in the same region, unless otherwise specified in the player or computer documentation. In other words, computers and Blu-ray Disc players purchased in countries / regions corresponding to region A can play back Blu-ray Discs for region A, but cannot play back Blu-ray Discs for region B or region C. (The exception is a disc, player or drive coded as Region FREE.) The same will be true for a computer or Blu-ray Disc player purchased in another region.
 Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs are region-free and can be played back using a player that supports Ultra HD Blu-ray, regardless of the region where they were purchased.
 - The region code settings for a Blu-ray Disc player device cannot be changed.
 - The region code settings for a computer Blu-ray Disc optical drive can only be changed within computers that have software capable of effecting that change, and can only be changed a total of five times. Refer to the Blu-ray Disc player software documentation for instructions on how to change the optical drive region code settings.
 - For most Blu-ray Disc optical drives, whatever the region code the software is set to upon the fifth region code setting change will become the permanent setting. Once this occurs the region code setting cannot be changed again.
 - If the region code of the Blu-ray Disc optical drive has been permanently set to an undesirable region, and you wish to use Blu-ray Discs with a different region code setting, the drive will need to be replaced.


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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
|This fact sheet is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information|
|Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-13-095 Date: September 2013|
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-13-095
Date: September 2013
PDF files can be viewed with the Acrobat® Reader®
Long-distance trips in the United States can take 2 days or 2 weeks and may involve cars, buses, planes, or all three. Whether for business, to see family, or visit a national park, such a variety of trip characteristics requires a detailed understanding of traveler needs. Exploring new ways to model long-distance traveler behavior and better identify the required supporting infrastructure is the goal of "Foundational Knowledge to Support a Long-Distance Passenger Travel Demand Modeling Framework," a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program study awarded to Resource Systems Group (RSG).
Highway infrastructure planning, high-speed rail development, and airport growth all depend on long-distance travel markets. To ensure infrastructure can meet growing demands in these areas there is a need to model and analyze passenger behavior. Interest in long-distance passenger modeling for statewide models has already been seen in California, Ohio, and Arizona, and high-speed rail studies have been conducted in Florida, California, and the Northeast Corridor; however, these models have been based on traditional travel demand forecasting methods rather than a robust understanding of underlying behavior and how and why long-distance passenger movements differ from other passenger travel.
Long-distance travel behavior will be explored in several key areas that move beyond traditional methods used for existing statewide models. For example, long-distance trips are scheduled weeks or months in advance of the trip and typically last several days or weeks. There are also significant seasonal effects that can influence long-distance travel, unlike short-distance travel which remains similar day-to-day. Both leisure and business travel are more sensitive to changes in the economy than short-distance travel and leisure activities will often differ from business activities as they are planned and executed with different goals and choices. Party size can also have a significant effect on mode and destination choices.
Several observations have been made based on current modeling techniques. Recreational travel models typically adopt a similar structure to business and other travel, despite broad differences between the two. Business models are generally more time-sensitive and less concerned with party size as a mode choice variable when compared to recreational travel models. For example, a business traveler on a long-distance trip is more likely to fly regardless of expense or the number of colleagues traveling in the party. A family on vacation, however, may decide to drive to save money even if the trip takes longer. Although advanced integrated activity-based models are currently operational, these are limited to an estimate of average weekday travel and do not account for scheduling, influence of other trips, other travelers, or social character.
An additional challenge is that no single dataset offers all the required features for estimating and applying long-distance travel demand forecasting models in the United States. A series of datasets have been identified for exploring long-distance models and the results will be a modeling framework that can be re-estimated once national long-distance travel data become available. The research team will use their experience to bridge the gap between ideal modeling design and implementing a tool that will be of practical use to planners.
The ultimate goal of this study is to explore new approaches for a national model that is estimated, calibrated, and validated on available long-distance travel data in the United States and can subsequently be updated with new long-distance travel data for use in planning applications around the country. In the short term, this project will examine possible new frameworks for a national model that identify specifications based on statistical analysis of available data.
"The framework being developed can provide a foundation for subsequent implementation of an innovative national passenger forecasting model," said Brad Gudzinas at FHWA. "The products of this research are first steps toward providing the tools needed to identify significant future travel trends and, ultimately, to make more informed decisions about policy and infrastructure investments," he added.
For more information on this EAR Program project,contact Brad Gudzinas, FHWA Office of Highway Policy Information, at _PHONE_ (email: _EMAIL_)..
What Is the Exploratory Advanced Research Program?
FHWA's Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program focuses on long-term, high-risk research with a high payoff potential. The program addresses underlying gaps faced by applied highway research programs, anticipates emerging issues with national implications, and reflects broad transportation industry goals and objectives.
To learn more about the EAR Program, visit the Exploratory Advanced Research Web site at _URL_ The site features information on research solicitations, updates on ongoing research, links to published materials, summaries of past EAR Program events, and details on upcoming events. For additional information, contact David Kuehn at FHWA, _PHONE_ (email: _EMAIL_), or Terry Halkyard at FHWA, _PHONE_ (email: _EMAIL_).


text:
You are here: REHACARE Portal. Up-to-date. Archive. Wheelchair.
Communicate and Steer a Wheelchair by Sniffing
The nasal cannula is used to carry
nasal pressure to the sensor;
© Weizmann Institute
A device based on sniffing – inhaling and exhaling through the nose – might enable numerous disabled people to navigate wheelchairs or communicate with their loved ones.
Sniffing is a precise motor skill that is controlled, in part, by the soft palate – the flexible divider that moves to direct air in or out through the mouth or nose. The soft palate is controlled by several nerves that connect to it directly through the braincase. This close link led Sobel and his scientific team to theorise that the ability to sniff – that is, to control soft palate movement – might be preserved even in the most acute cases of paralysis.
To test their theory, the researchers created a device with a sensor that fits on the nostril's opening and measures changes in air pressure. For patients on respirators, they developed a passive version of the device, which diverts airflow to the patient's nostrils. About 75% of the subjects on respirators were able to control their soft palate movement to operate the device.
'The most stirring tests were those we did with locked-in syndrome patients. With the new system, they were able to communicate with family members, and even initiate communication with the outside," said Noam Sobel who developed this system.
One patient who had been locked in for seven months following a stroke learned to use the device over a period of several days, writing her first message to her family. Another, who had been locked in since a traffic accident 18 years earlier wrote that the new device was much easier to use than one based on blinking. Another ten patients, all quadriplegics, succeeded in operating a computer and writing messages through sniffing.
In addition to communication, the device can function as a sort of steering mechanism for wheelchairs: Two successive sniffs in tell it to go forward, two out mean reverse, out and then in turn it left, and in and out turn it right. After fifteen minutes of practice, a subject who is paralysed from the neck down managed to navigate a wheelchair through a complex route – sharp turns and all – as well as a non-disabled volunteer.
Sniffs can be in or out, strong or shallow, long or short; and this gives the device's developers the opportunity to create a complex 'language' with multiple signals. The new system is relatively inexpensive to produce, and simple and quick to learn to operate in comparison with other brain-machine interfaces. Sobel believes that this invention may not only bring new hope to severely disabled people, but it could be useful in other areas, for instance as a control for a 'third arm' for surgeons and pilots.
REHACARE.de; Source: Weizmann Institute
- More about the Weizmann Institute at _URL_
( Source: REHACARE.de )


text:
Posted by Bruce Kahl on March 31, 2003
In Reply to: Origin of a weather proverb posted by Lucky on March 31, 2003
: Can anyone give me the origins of this weather proverb?
: "When the ditch and pond affect the nose,
: Look out for rain and stormy blows."
"When the ditch and pond affect the nose, Then look out for rain and storm blows"
"Sound traveling far and wide, A stormy day will betide."
Rain develops as the density of the air drops. This density change causes sound waves to travel differently, usually farther than normal.
This allows for a better mixing of the air which carries the fragrance of the flowers, or the putrid smell of the marsh or ditch to the nose.
High air pressure, associated with fair weather, tends to hold earthly scents to their source. When low pressure arrives, the odors are released and can be sniffed.


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Building a better maintenance schedule starts with understanding your assets and your resources, and how you can effectively bring the two together. This article looks at two core principles of PM scheduling, fixed and floating schedules, to help you better organize preventive maintenance.
Table of contents
Many everyday activities can be considered maintenance, from brushing your teeth to washing dishes. Most of these tasks are so routine, you barely think about how often you do them. Teeth are brushed at the same time every day and the dishwasher is run when it's full.
The same ideas guide preventive maintenance scheduling. Tasks are scheduled at certain intervals because it's what's best for the asset. But "what's best" for assets can differ. Understanding the difference allows you to coordinate PMs more effectively, build an efficient maintenance schedule, reduce the risk of downtime, effectively manage backlog, and control costs.
What are fixed and floating PM schedules?
Fixed PM scheduling is when regular maintenance is scheduled at a certain time or usage interval based on the target start date of the previous work.
For example, maintenance may be set up for a truck every 1,000 miles. A work order is triggered every 1,000 miles, regardless of when maintenance was last completed. That means that even if the previous PM was late (let's say it was done at 1,400 miles), the next PM would still be triggered at 2,000 miles. Fixed PMs can also be time-based. If that same truck is scheduled for maintenance every 10 days, a work order is sent out on the tenth day, whether the last PM was done on time, five days late, or not at all.
Building a better maintenance schedule starts with understanding your assets, your resources, and how to effectively bring the two together.
Floating PM scheduling is when preventive maintenance is scheduled based on the completion of the previous PM, the past usage of an asset, and the condition of the asset.
For example, a motor needs to be inspected after every 100 hours of operation. This maintenance might take place in a week or a month, depending on the production schedule. The next round of maintenance also changes if the motor is used differently. Maybe the motor is inspected after 120 hours of operation because a PM is done late. In this situation, the next work order for this PM would be triggered at 220 hours under a floating maintenance schedule.
When to use fixed PM scheduling
Fixed preventive maintenance scheduling doesn't work for every asset, nor does it work in every situation. There are a few scenarios when a fixed PM schedule works best and helps a facility use its resources efficiently while reducing downtime.
Maximizing labour and parts
Fixed PMs can help spread out tasks evenly for organizations with a large number of PMs. This makes it easier to plan labour and resources. Predictable tasks mean that the right number of staff and inventory (not too much and not too little) can be planned for a shift, day or week well in advance.
Creating effective schedules
If your facility has PMs that require shorter intervals, like daily or weekly, a fixed schedule is the easiest path to an effective schedule. It ensures that these tasks are completed consistently and on time, which is especially important when they're done on heavily used, production-critical assets.
Effectively managing warranties
Equipment manufacturers often recommend using a fixed PM schedule and can revoke warranties if these recommended schedules aren't followed. While you shouldn't completely base your maintenance schedule on warranties, it can be a factor, which makes sticking to a fixed schedule a good idea.
Meeting compliance regulations
Fixed PMs are generally more useful when certain assets or facilities are the focus of regulatory compliance or audits. Because a fixed schedule shows a predictable pattern, it is often seen as reliable proof that a facility is meeting certain regulatory benchmarks and is consistently giving attention to the necessary assets.
When to use floating PM scheduling
A floating PM schedule can be a more complex way to plan preventive maintenance and requires certain circumstances to work successfully. Certain assets and situations call for floating PMs more than others.
Increasing schedule flexibility
A floating schedule offers more flexibility for organizations with PMs that are spread over a long period of time and when those PMs can be late with minimal risk of failure or safety hazards. This flexibility allows the maintenance team to push PMs in favour of emergencies that have a huge impact on production.
Assessing risk and prioritizing tasks
Floating PMs are great for low-priority, routine preventive maintenance tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis, but won't affect the reliability or safety of equipment. In this situation, floating PMs allow the maintenance team to assess risk and prioritize tasks that matter most without an obligation to keep up with a strict schedule.
Coordinating maintenance and production schedules
A common use of floating schedules is for assets that are in high demand for production or service, but have a high degree of reliability and will not negatively impact safety or uptime if maintenance is late. The flexibility allows in a floating schedule means that unnecessary downtime can be reduced and uptime can be maximized.
How to use maintenance metrics to improve PM schedules
Asset type, asset history, and organizational processes determine whether you choose fixed or floating PMs for a piece of equipment. The next step is to set the frequency of these tasks. Maintenance metrics provide data to help you make this decision and optimize your schedule.
Mean time between failures
Mean time between failures (MTBF) helps establish how reliable an asset is and gets you closer to figuring out how long you have before that asset fails. This information can be used to shift PMs around and maximize time and resources without gambling with the health of equipment.
For example, an asset's MTBF may be 150 hours, but a preventive maintenance work order is created for the asset every 100 hours. It's apparent that the asset can be inspected less often, say every 125 hours. Having this information allows you to use time, labour, parts, and costs where they're needed more.
Preventive maintenance compliance
Preventive maintenance compliance (PM compliance) measures how successful your team is at completing preventive maintenance tasks. Keeping track of PM compliance for critical assets is one way to ensure time is being spent on the most important jobs and that you're not spreading the maintenance team too thin.
Tasks are scheduled at certain intervals because it's what is best for the asset. But "what's best" for assets can differ. Understanding the difference allows you to coordinate PMs more effectively.
For example, your facility's PM compliance on a critical piece of equipment might be 60%, which is very low. There are many potential reasons why PM compliance is low, but the most likely cause is a jam-packed schedule and not enough technicians to complete every task. In this situation, you can consider placing more technicians on these shifts or moving non-essential PMs to another day.
Maintenance cost as a percentage of replacement asset value
Maintenance cost as a percentage of replacement value (MPRAV) is one way to calculate if the value of an asset is worth the number of maintenance resources being given to it. A culture of total productive maintenance and better maintenance processes can reduce MPRAV and have an indirect, but huge, impact on PM scheduling.
For example, one of your assets might break down a lot. You're spending more time (and money) on PMs to reduce the frequency of failure. This puts a strain on the maintenance schedule. Calculating MPRAV helps you visualize these inefficiencies and find alternatives, like investing in new equipment, higher-quality parts, and better training. This leads to fewer breakdowns and less frequent PMs, leaving more time and money for other assets and PMs.
The bottom line on preventive maintenance scheduling
Every facility has unique assets, production schedules, and maintenance teams. That's why every facility will schedule its PMs a little differently. However, there are some tried and true methods for structuring and optimizing a PM schedule. This includes using fixed and floating schedules and metrics to bolster PM scheduling. When maintenance operations can apply these concepts to their schedule, it empowers them to cut costs, eliminate inefficiencies, use labour more effectively, and increase uptime.


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The lead coffin archaeologists found in the abandoned ancient city of Gabii, Italy could contain a gladiator or bishop.
Credit: University of Michigan
Archaeologists found a 1,000-pound lead coffin while digging in the ruins of an ancient city near Rome last summer. The mission now is to determine who or what is buried inside.
The project – which is headed by Nicola Terrenato, a professor of classical studies at the University of Michigan – is the largest American-led dig in Italy in the past 50 years.
"We're very excited about this find," Terrenato said. "Romans as a rule were not buried in coffins to begin with and when they did use coffins, they were mostly wooden. There are only a handful of other examples from Italy of lead coffins from this age – the second, third or fourth century A.D. We know of virtually no others in this region."
This coffin is of particular interest to Terrenato and his team of archaeologists due to its size.
"It's a sheet of lead folded onto itself an inch thick," Terrenato said. "A thousand pounds of metal is an enormous amount of wealth in this era. To waste so much of it in a burial is pretty unusual."
The coffin is set to be transported to the American Academy in Rome, where engineers will closely examine the bones and any symbols or gifts left in the coffin in order to determine who is buried inside.
Lead coffins tend to keep human remains well-preserved. In fact, an ancient Greek mummy of a middle-aged woman was discovered in a lead coffin and reported a couple years ago.
For the new finding, the researchers want to avoid breaking into the coffin, which could damage the contents. Instead, the team plans to use less invasive techniques, such as thermography and endoscopy (essentially tiny cameras) to examine the sarcophagus.
The process of thermography involves heating the coffin slowly and recording the thermal responses of the various contents. Bones would have different thermal responses than other artifacts that could be inside, Terrenato said. The researchers would then turn to endoscopy, which involves inserting tiny cameras inside the coffin. Still, the effectiveness of endoscopy is contingent on how much dirt has built up inside the coffin over the centuries.
If these techniques fail, researchers could perform an MRI scan on the container, but this option is expensive and would involve transporting the half-ton coffin to a hospital.
The dig that unearthed this mysterious casket began in the summer of 2009 and will continue through 2013. Approximately 75 researchers from across the U.S., including a dozen undergraduate students from the University of Michigan, spend two months working on the project on location in the ruins of the ancient city of Gabii (pronounced "gabby").
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