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Pollution in Border Reservoir Worries Armenia
Future health of the vital water resource ultimately depends on restoration of ties between Armenia and Turkey.
By Yeranuhi Soghoian in Gyumri (CRS No. 492, 8-May-09)
Armenian environmentalists fear the important reservoir dividing their country from Turkey is increasingly polluted, posing dangers to the health of people consuming crops grown from its waters.
The Akhurian reservoir is a crucial asset to both Armenia and Turkey. Holding 525 million cubic metres of water, it irrigates almost 104,000 hectares of agricultural land in both countries.
The reservoir, which entered into active service in 1980, straddles 20 kilometres of the state border in the middle reaches of the Akhurian river.
Armenian researchers first raised the alarm after delving into the ecosystem of the reservoir a few years ago. They say the water system is polluted with heavy metals and different toxic materials.
But with no cooperation between Armenian and Turkish ecologists, they fear there is little they can do about it.
The ecologists say the reservoir contains no self-cleaning mechanisms that can either absorb or remove excess traces of heavy metals.
These move from one biological system to another, interacting with various living organisms and having potentially dangerous consequences for humans who consume them.
"Our investigation discovered small concentrations of heavy metals in the reservoir that can't be overlooked," said Levon Martirosian, head of the of the Geophone Research Institute that carried out the survey.
"Heavy metals can intoxicate the cultivated vegetation through irrigation water; these pollutants also accumulate in different fish tissues."
Heavy metals and their compounds can penetrate into the human body through mouth, skin and mucus membrane. They exit through the kidney, liver, stomach, gut membrane, perspiratory glands and salivary glands, infecting the organs as they do so.
A characteristic feature of mercury and lead intoxication is stomatitis, complicated by gum erosion, ulcers and bleeding, while arsen and copper poisoning more often results in gastric problems. Blood intoxication is accompanied by hematocytolysis (more characteristic of arsen and copper poisoning) and anemia.
Martirosian says his team became aware of the problem in the reservoir after a Swiss company bought a 60-hectare apricot orchard near the reservoir a few years ago.
Intending to export the fruit, the company wanted packages with labels designating the fruit an ecologically clean product.
For this purpose, they ordered an examination of the irrigation water. And so, in 2002, environmental research on the ecosystem of the Akhurian reservoir began.
From the start, the Armenian specialists knew their survey would be incomplete, because they had no means of finding out the quantity or dynamics of harmful substances penetrating the reservoir from the Turkish side.
Since the 1980s, Armenian and Turkish officials have met monthly from spring till autumn in the village of Jrapi to talk over the issue of water and particularly the Akhurian reservoir.
But these meetings solely concern the amount of water to be released for irrigation, while other issues are not addressed.
Owing to the lack of official cooperation or sharing of environmental information between ecologists, Martirosian visited Turkey in a private capacity to sound out some contacts.
"I went to Kars for three times as a tourist in 2004 and 2005 because it was impossible to organise an official visit connected with our investigation," recalled Martirosian.
"I tried to find some environmental organisation or stakeholders there but it was useless.
"There wasn't a single public organisation with which to start even informal cooperation."
Moreover, on his visit to Kars, Martirosian spotted some alarming sights: a leather recycling plant in the town and a sugar factory on the outskirts.
The expert says he feared waste from those plants might be flowing into the reservoir through the river Kars.
An additional area of concern is the amount of domestic garbage flowing into the lake from the river Akhurian on the Armenian side.
The river Gyumri also carries sewage to the reservoir. The amount of waste brought in by another river, the Kars, is not yet known.
Armenian ecologists want a more detailed survey of the entire reservoir ecosystem, including surveys on the territory of neighbouring Turkey.
They want an investigation into the annual dynamics of the water, micro-flora and fauna, as well as the local foliage and particularly the cultivated vegetation areas irrigated by the reservoir.
The reservoir is now almost half a century old – fruit of the once cordial relations between Turkey and the old Soviet Union.
A mixed Soviet-Turkish commission signed the agreement to construct the lake on April 25, 1963. The agreement regulated the flow of four rivers into the lake – the Akhurian, Kars, Karakhan and Chorli.
Seyran Minasian, head of the Laboratory Investigations Department of the Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre (part of the Armenian environment ministry), who took part in the survey of Akhurian reservoir ecosystem in 2002, is more optimistic than some of his colleagues.
He maintains that the extent of heavy metal pollution is not as alarming as some say and that levels of concentration are not dangerous.
But Minasian agrees that the Turkish government is unlikely to be much concerned about pollution in the remote east of the country.
"We know the Turkish government carries out water monitoring but prefers not to spend money on the eastern regions of the country," he said.
"It's obvious that the quantity, not quality, of the Araks and Akhurian rivers water is what's most important for Turkey."
The Armenian side, in turn, says that since 2006, at the request of the environment ministry, the Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre, has been surveying the reservoir periodically.
But Minasian says these investigations cost money, and even richer, developed countries only monitor water whenever it is necessary.
Many river protection groups in Europe and America successfully involve community members in research and monitoring works.
These groups mainly consist of high-school pupils and residents of the river and reservoir areas. They participate in special seminars, which explain the impact of water and environmental pollution to local people. It often turns out that as a result, people simply stop polluting the environment.
Meanwhile, Armenian researchers say the issue of starting a dialogue with Turkey on the reservoir, its maintenance and development, remains a primary goal.
Artush Mkrtchian, head of the Caucasus Business and Development Network Gyumri office, links the fate of the reservoir to the overall issue of the closed borders.
He has been working in the field of Armenian-Turkish relations for nine years, organising programmes aimed at creating dialogue between the estranged peoples.
Mkrtcian has always believed the borders will re-open some day, mainly as a result of European Union pressure on Turkey.
"Turkey's long-standing attempts to become a member of the European Union as well as Armenia's own economic and national interests mean that sooner or later they will open the borders, " said Mkrtchian.
He notes that business cooperation between the two countries has quietly grown in recent years.
As one example of collaboration, he cites an agreement hateched in 2007 between cheese-makers from Gyumri in Armenia, Ninotsminda in Georgia and Kars in Turkey to market a single product.
As a result of this cooperation, a new brand of "Caucasian" cheese was launched in Gyumri in May 2008, whose label notes that it was produced in all three towns. Producers from Georgia and Turkey came to Armenia for the event.
Currently, there are similar plans to market a new brand of Caucasian wine, involving vintners from Cappadocia in Turkey and the Ararat Valley.
Artush Mkrtchian notes that trade between the two countries has always been active, and is currently worth about 100 million US dollars a year.
Mkrtchian says the problems concerning dialogues between businessmen occur mainly when those businessmen have close ties to their respective political structures.
As for the ecological problems, he believes their resolution hangs on the success, or failure, of the current efforts to end the Turkish-Armenian diplomatic impasse.
"Water resources are state property, which means that the problem should be talked over by the governments of Armenia and Turkey," he said.
"But these countries simply do not exist for each other [diplomatically]. Hence, the problem will remain unresolved until the establishment of diplomatic relations."
Levon Martirosian, of the Geophone ecological organisation, says international pressure on both sides remains the reservoir's best hope.
Steps should be taken to ensure the opening of a dialogue with Turkey through the mediation of some international ecological organisation or other stakeholders.
There have been several successful examples of international mediation in environmental matters in the region in recent years.
Since 2006, for example, branches of the international conservation organisation WWF in Armenia and Germany and Armenia's environment ministry have been working on a programme to protect the Armenian-populated Samtskhe Javakheti region in Georgia, which Armenians call Javakhq, and the Shirak region in Armenia. The programme is funded by the German government-owned development bank, KFW.
The programme aims to maintain the biological diversity of the uplands of the Javakhq and the Shirak regions and support local communities through the creation of the Arpi Lake National Park.
Initially, three countries were involved in the programme – Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. But as Azerbaijan refused to join, Turkey's participation is being discussed, because the Shirak region borders also with Turkey.
Goyets Shuerholts, an international expert on land-utilisation issues, says European countries are very interested in water protection issues well beyond Europe's borders.
"From an ecological view borders don't exist, as the elements


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Adolescents and the native-immigrant mental health gap in Spain. The same story as in the U.S.?
Yumiko Aratani, Columbia University
Hector Cebolla, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)
Amparo Gonzalez-Ferrer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Mariña Fernandez Reino, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
This paper explores and explains migrant-native differentials in psychological health of adolescents in Spain. As a recent immigration country, research on integration outcomes in Spain is attracting growing attention. Spain was the second largest destination of international migration only after the US from 2000 to 2007, and the impact that the Great Recession is being particularly strong among migrant families and other disadvantaged groups. Our paper is inspired by a growing body of research from United States showing that Latin American origin adolescents tend to show highest risks for mental health even after controlling for age, gender and socioeconomic status. Despite of the growing size of this population in Spain, research on their mental health and psychological wellbeing remains very limited due to a serious dearth of adequate data. We take advantage of a recently released dataset, the Chances (2011) survey, which sampled students enrolled in the 3rd and 4th grades of secondary education in the municipality of Madrid (n=2,734). The survey oversampled adolescents of immigrant origin, which allows for separated analyses of this population. In addition, it contains very rich information on the life of adolescents, including indicators of mental health and psychological wellbeing, quality of the relationship within the family, relationships with friends and schoolmates, etc. A parallel survey was taken with the parents of half of the adolescents sample (n=1,239), which includes additional information about family characteristics and intergenerational relationships. Finally, the data also permit to examine the impact of contextual factors such as schools and neighbourhoods. Our findings suggest worse mental health outcomes of children of migrant families compared to native families in Spain. Using several indicators of mental health outcomes (e.g. difficulties to concentrate, sleep, self-esteem), the paper examines the effect of parent characteristics, family conflict, and school and neighbourhood context on adolescent mental health.
Presented in Session 38: Child well-being, health and development

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Definition of Rebidden
1. rebid [v] - See also: rebid
Click the following link to bring up a new window with an automated collection of images related to the term: Rebidden Images
Lexicographical Neighbors of Rebidden
Literary usage of Rebidden
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Northern Antiquities: Or, An Historical Account of the Manners, Customs by Paul Henri Mallet, Walter Scott (1847)
"Fraternities ceived in the north, but by degrees the object was changed. of this sort still subsisted after the Christian religion was rebidden at them,..."


Home Environment Green News
Ethiopia Can Generate a Surprisingly 60,000 MW of Clean Energy
According to a study cited by Corporate Communication Chief Officer with Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo), Misikir Negash, Ethiopia has proven to be a novel source of renewable energy with great potential.
The hydroelectric, wind and geothermal resources can be harvested to generate approximately 60,000 MW of electricity. Ethiopia's potential capacity is unevenly generated from the clean energy sources, as follows: 45,000 MW from hydroelectric power, 10,000 MW from wind and 5,000 MW from geothermal sources.
Ethiopia is currently capable to generate about 2,000 MW, mostly obtained from hydroelectric power and plans to expand it up to 8,000 MW in the next five years.
The state-run news agency, ENA, reported also that a 120MW wind power plan has been set up in Tigray State and similar projects are to begin in Adama, Aysha (located between Dire Dawa and Dewelle), Debreberhan and Mesebo.
Summing up, Ethiopia has set a daring target of expanding the country's electric coverage from 41% to 75% in the following five 5 years. Moreover, there will be a premiere in the electric sector, as EEPCo will install a 500 kV high-voltage electric cable covering up to 434 km.
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text:
Although most of the parakeets owned by Americans today were born in pet stores or parakeet nurseries here, long ago, these colorful, noisy birds lived in the jungle.
The parakeet belongs to the same large group of birds as the parrot. These birds live in most tropical regions of the world, especially in Africa, India, and South America. But parakeets once lived in America too, roaming as far north as the Great Lakes.
Parakeets have been kept as pets since the days of ancient Rome, and even before. The Romans taught their pet birds to talk, and occasionally ate the birds as well!
The parakeet and its relatives in the parrot family are the only birds that can hold food in their claws!


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Grants and Contracts Details
The outbursts of supermassive black holes are thought to prevent the cooling catastrophe at the centers of groups and clusters of galaxies. Turbulence provides a viable way for the energy dissipated into heating up the intracluster medium. We propose to perform a systematic study of a carefully selected sample of groups and clusters with archival ALMA, MUSE, and MaNGA observations. We will the velocity structure function of the filaments over a wide range of the scales to constrain the level and origin of turbulence of their cold gas. We will complement our study with deep Chandra observations and specifically tailored numerical simulations.
|Effective start/end date||9/1/21 → 8/31/24|
- National Science Foundation: $278,074.00
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.


Text::Pangram - utilities to find English pangrams
Version 0.01
use Text::Pangram;
my $text = "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."; my $pangram = Text::Pangram->new( $text );
print "Pangram!\n" if $pangram->is_pangram;
if ($pangram->find_pangram_window) { print "Smallest window is ". $pangram->window_length " characters:\n"; print $pangram->window. "\n"; } else { print "Not a pangram!\n"; }
A pangram is a text that contains every letter of the alphabet. This module provides utilities for identifying pangrams.
Constructor. Receives the text that will be analyzed.
Returns true if the supplied text is a pangram.
Finds the shortest "pangrammatic window" in a text: the shortest span of text that contains a pangram. It is designed to be fast when scanning large texts.
The method will return false if the text does not contain a pangram at all. If the text is pangrammatic, $pangram will allow you to access three pieces of data:
The length of the shortest pangrammatic window.
The pangrammatic window from the original text.
The stripped text of the pangrammatic window. (That is, with all nonalphabetic characters stripped out.)
Jesse Sheidlower <>
Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-text-pangram at, or through the web interface at I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.
Extend to handle non-English text, other alphabets, etc.
Thanks to Adam Turoff, Ben Rosengart, and Perrin Harkins for help and suggestions.
Copyright (c) 2014 Jesse Sheidlower.


Sequence Planning for Integrated Product, Process and Automation Design
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2010
In order to obtain a unified information flow from early product design to final production, an integrated framework for product, process and automation design is presented. The framework is based on sequences of operations and includes a formal relation between product properties and process operations. This relation includes liaisons (interfaces) and precedence relations, where the precedence relations generate preconditions for the related process operations. From this information a set of sequences of operations (SOPs) is generated. A formal graphical language for hierarchical operations and SOPs is then introduced and defined based on automata extended with variables. Since the operations are self-contained they can be grouped and viewed from different angles, e. g., from a product or a resource perspective. These multiple views increase the interoperability between different engineering disciplines. A case study is performed on a car manufacturing cell, where the suggested modeling framework is shown to give comprehensible SOPs. Note to Practitioners-When designing an automation system, an important challenge is to specify in what sequence the different tasks, or operations, should be executed. This has become a problematic bottleneck in the automotive industry, especially for body-in-white manufacturing. The rising needs on manufacturing flexibility increases the complexity of the entire manufacturing system, as well as its control function, the sequence of operations. This paper proposes a new sequence planning approach, where sequences are viewed based on the relations among operations instead of manually constructing the sequence. By the use of different views the sequence of operations related to, e. g., the part flow, robot operations or operator tasks can be visualized. Different views help the user to easier understand the relation between different parts and components, as well as the total system behavior.
discrete-event systems
sequence of operations
supervisory synthesis
Concurrent engineering
Bengt Lennartson
Chalmers, Signaler och system, Systemoch reglerteknik, Automation
Kristofer Bengtsson
Research and Development
Chengyin Yuan
General Motors
Kristin Andersson
Chalmers, Signaler och system, Systemoch reglerteknik, Automation
Martin Fabian
Chalmers, Signaler och system, Systemoch reglerteknik, Automation
Petter Falkman
Chalmers, Signaler och system, Systemoch reglerteknik, Automation
Knut Åkesson
Chalmers, Signaler och system, Systemoch reglerteknik, Automation
IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering
_PHONE_ (ISSN)
Vol. 7 4 791-802
Dataoch informationsvetenskap
Mer information


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Background: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) remains the gold standard for detecting rejection episodes in orthotopic heart transplant (OTH) patients. Follow-up protocols vary widely between transplant centers. At our center, we have implemented a conservative strategy protocol and here we report our outcomes. Methods: Patients from 2 cohorts were used for comparison analysis. OHT recipients from 1990 to 1995 comprised the standard strategy group, and those from 2004 to 2009 comprised the conservative strategy group. Survival outcomes and rejection episodes were compared between groups. Results: Mean age at OHT was 56 ± 10 years in the standard strategy group and 53 ± 10 years in the conservative strategy group. Both groups were predominantly composed of white men. The etiology of congestive heart failure was ischemic cardiomyopathy in more than 50% of the patients in both groups. From 6 to 12 months after OHT, we found that the number of episodes of rejection/total number of EMBs was 4.9% (8/163) in the standard group vs 2.0% (1/50) in the conservative group. From 12 to 24 months after transplant, the rate was 2.5% (8/320) in the standard group vs 11.9% (5/42) in the conservative group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Surveillance EMB after 6 months post-OHT in patients receiving contemporary immunosuppression is associated with a low yield of EMB-confirmed rejection in the absence of a clinical indication or echocardiographic findings that support clinical rejection. Most episodes of cellular rejection are mild and do not warrant treatment or a change in immunosuppression. The frequency of EMBs did not correlate with an increased risk of cardiac allograft vasculopathy or death.
- endomyocardial biopsy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine


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Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is the information system designated by the Continuum of Care to comply with HUD's data collection, management, and reporting standards and used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other planners and policymakers at the federal, state and local levels use aggregate HMIS data to obtain better information about the extent and nature of homelessness over time. Specifically, an HMIS can be used to produce an unduplicated count of homeless persons, understand patterns of service use, and measure the effectiveness of homeless programs.
Proposed Rule for HMIS Requirements
HUD was required by the HEARTH Act to establish standards related to HMIS, including standards related to encryption of the data collected and the rights of persons receiving services under the McKinney-Vento Act. As a result, HUD published the proposed rule for HMIS Requirements in the Federal Register on December 9, 2011. This proposed rule provides for: 1) uniform technical requirements of HMIS; 2) proper collection of data and maintenance of the database; and 3) confidentiality of the information in the database. The public comment period closed on February 7, 2012.
- HMIS Data Standards (March 2010)
- HMIS Data Standards Comparison Worksheet
- HMIS Summary of Changes from 2004 Notice to 2010 Notice
HMIS Questions should be submitted to OneCPD Ask A Question.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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This painting reflects upon current environmental crises, particularly in relation to Tasmania's lost natural habitats and its extinct or threatened plants and animals. It borrows the format of Tasmania's 1917 coat of arms and refers to the motto inscribed beneath, Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness).
The two Tasmanian Tigers display, in place of the coat of arm's original symbols of industry and agriculture, an art historical symbol of fertility – Gustave Courbet's L'Origine du monde (The origin of the world, 1866). Set against a brown landscape decimated after decades of exploitation by the agricultural and forestry industries, the painting heralds a land stripped of life. The optimistic "fertility and faithfulness" of a hundred years ago has here been replaced by a barren landscape governed by avarice and neglect.
Egg tempera on linen canvas


BIG pressures felt by European Commission senior staff members - revealed during keynote on leadership integrity. Watch results of anonymous e-polling during keynote - VIDEO
What is ethical leadership? Leadership ethics and integrity in public life.
We did anonymous electronic polling during this presentation which pointed to significant pressures within the senior levels of the European Commission staff to act in unethical ways on major as well as minor decisions, and that it is difficult for senior managers to know what to do, who to tell in such situations. How to win through when under ethical pressure: power of example.
Watch for yourself: very significant numbers of those present reported that they were under huge pressures, and had given in to them, doing things which would be front page banner headlines, huge news stories if revealed.
How do we encourage leadership integrity and fight corruption in leaders? At this session and afterwards, many participants confessed that they had been under significant pressure by bosses to do major things that they thought were unethical. Keynote conference speaker Patrick Dixon -- lecture at European Commission. Why leadership has to be based on trust, not just position, appealing to heart as well as to mind. Importance of the European Commission and trans-national regulation.
Astonishing question from a member of the audience at the European Commission: "In your experience have you EVER come across an organisation that you think is ethical" (!) Personal story of standing up to being bullied at work to do unethical things, and standing ground.
Trust crisis in banking and financial services as well as in politicians, governments and the European Union. How to restore trust and public confidence in political process, parties, elections and democracy itself. How trust can be lost instantly in media, web, Twitter, Facebook,, LinkedIn and other social media -- eg dioxin food contamination scandal -- Belgium and impact on Italy, and failure of agricultural ministers to win media debate. Leadership must connect with passion: things we feel strongly about, that really matter, that make a big difference. Eg debate on ethics of food-linked biofuels and burning food in vehicles, impact on global food prices, food riots, international security, connecting oil, food and land prices.
Researching my book The Truth about Westminster and UK political system, and how political system can compromise integrity. Tension between civil servants and government ministers -- secret confessions. Lack of integrity, dishonesty of many political campaigns with rare reversals of legislation after winning power: truth that in many EU nations most politicians agree on most things. Death of left wing and right wing divides and rise of single issue campaigns / pressure groups / activists. Compliance with EU regulation only part of story -- cannot protect corporation brand or media image against media attack if regulations seen to be in need of updating. Example: bribes were totally legal in some EU nations until recently -- tax deductible expenses. Now bribery is outlawed, no defence to say that bribes paid in the past were ethical because legal and compliant with auditing regulations at the time. So Ethical Leadership must go far beyond current laws to what we believe is morally right, not hiding behind what is permitted. Core ethic: building a better world. Basis of every effective leadership speech and leadership stye. Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt, JF Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill - the ultimate leadership speech. Even evil leaders appeal to "better world" ethics in their rhetoric with an audience. Trust means demonstrating that we are willing to put what is right ahead of self-interest.
Dangers in European Commission due to size, power, golden handcuffs and difficulty in moving to careers outside commission. Organisations that people cannot easily leave are usually corrupt -- history shows -- because power is harder to defy, fear, intimidation. Why true leadership never comes from position alone: elections for President of the World? Nelson Mandela usually nominated first. He has no office or official status yet is universally respected as a moral authority.
People who cannot be owned, bought or controlled, who are driven by high moral principles are usually greatly respected, even feared. Example negotiating better work-life balance with reluctant workaholic boss. Breaking free from economic slavery. Need to be prepared to leave an organisation to be a free spirit, otherwise constant risk of compromise. Developing an exit strategy as part of retaining own freedom to act against lack of integrity.
Power of the 80:20 rule. Winning respect, gaining influence and creating space for others to do the right thing.
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Emetteur infrarouge en carbone
The Carbon TWIN – a new CIR Carbon Infrared Emitter (anglais)
In the medium wave range, Heraeus offers tailor-made twin tube emitters or carbon round tube emitters of especially high efficiency. New is the unique combination of both of these technologies, which allows important synergy effects.
Carbon infrared emitter "TWIN"
Carbon infrared technology CIR® creating flexible, high efficiency heating processes
Heraeus carbon emitters have achieved what was never possible before by combining the advantages of medium wave radiation with very fast response times. Carbon IR emitters operate at a wavelength especially suited for materials such as plastics, paper and textiles. For these materials, as well as for dryingand adhesion applications, the carbon emitters achieve a significantly higher efficiency than that possible with short wave emitters. Consequently, heating processes are much faster and use less energy resulting in cost savings. The emitters are also ideal for fast cycle processes since they can be switched on and off in 1 to 2 seconds.
Carbon infrared emitter "CIR®"
Backend Options
Backend Options


Taxes and subsidies on Energy in Denmark
Denmark | April 2015 - June 2015
Taxes on energy serves to purposes. Besides raising government revenue, taxes promotes climate and energy policy objectives. Consumption of electricity and fossil fuels used for heating purposes are subject to substantial taxes, while renewable energy is exempt of taxes. It provides a significant incentive to replace coal and natural gas with biomass and solar. In the transport sector, is biofuel generally imposed the same tax structure.
Ea Energy Analyses has carried out an overview of the Danish system for taxes on behalf of the municipality of Fåborg-Midtfyn in relation to Energiplan Fyn. Furthermore, the analysis included recommendations of changes in the tax system to support the green transition of the Danish energy system.
The analysis consists of the following subjects: Fuels, emissions, tariffs, heatand chp plants, renewable electricity production, energy saving obligations, heat pumps, electric heaters, surplus heat and transport.


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Types Of Loaders You Need To Know
Loaders are heavy construction equipment that are mainly used in construction companies to load different materials into other machineries such as trucks and haulers. Also, they help in lifting different types of other weights like soil, construction debris, asphalt, wood, raw minerals, recycled materials, and rocks. There are many companies that provide loader on offer in Ontario.
Types of Loaders
There are three main types of loaders commonly used in construction sites in Ontario; wheel loaders, skid loaders, and backhoe loaders. Each of the three has different features and uses. It is hence of great importance to understand all the three types of so as to be able to select the most appropriate one for your desired application.
1. Wheel loader
This is generally front end heavy loading equipment. The basic operation of this machine is digging up materials from the ground and dragging them to the dumping site. Different wheel loaders have varied buckets of sizes and stipulated operating weights.
2. Skid loader
The skid loader is also known as the skid steer loader. This is heavy lifting equipment that is normally fitted with lifting arms and other attachments for different types of construction applications.
3. Backhoe loader
The last of the three types is the backhoe loader. This is another popular engineering vehicle that is commonly used in construction sites in the industry. It is basically in the form of a tractor fitted with two loading buckets.
All three types of loaders are favorable for specific circumstances and weights. It is therefore important for constructors to use the most appropriate loaders for their intended purposes.


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More in Outdoors
Start by placing a pre-poured concrete slab where the base of the stairs will be (Image 1). (This will not be necessary in all cases.) Since this spiral staircase is coming off of the existing deck, we need to build a wooden template of the metal upper deck platform. Since the center support pole will be on the edge of the pad, we have to determine where it will land at the bottom. A plumb line ensures us an accurate calculation of where the pole's base plate will go (Image 2). If necessary, remove some of the railing around the porch to make access to the staircase (Image 3). (This will not be necessary in all cases.) Use a drill and a hammer to remove the spindles of the railing, but leave the handrails for support.
Once the plumb line has determined where the base plate will go, trace a circle around the base plate on the concrete slab. Also be sure to mark where the holes for the lag bolts will be. Drill pilot holes into the concrete where the lag bolts will go. Insert plastic anchors into the holes and ratchet the lag bolts into place, securing the base plate. Slide the pole into place on the base plate. The pole may need to be hammered into place to ensure that it is securely attached to the base plate.
Slide each riser onto the pole, alternating each step from side to side to maintain balance and weight distribution. Once all the stairs are on the pole, slide the upper deck platform into place (Images 1 and 2). Level the platform in all directions and then bolt it to the joists under the deck. Next determine the rise measurement, first measure the length of the pole from the floor to the upper landing. Then divide the distance by the number of steps. That determines where each riser will be installed. Then bolt each riser into place and tighten with an Allen wrench. Make sure each riser is level. Once the last riser is bolted into place, drill pilot holes into the concrete pad to secure the poles plate. Use lag bolts to secure the plate firmly into place.
Unfurl the metal handrail into the diameter of the staircase (Images 1 and 2). Once the diameter is reached, pull the handrail the distance of the staircase. It doesn't have to be exact, slight adjustments can be made later. Three spindles are added to each step and wrenched into place. The handrail is screwed to the top of each spindle. Use a hacksaw to cut the guard rail to the appropriate size. Secure the guard rail into place on the existing railing of the upper deck. Remove the original handrail from the entrance of the staircase.
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Aboriginal deaths in custody numbers rise sharply over past five years
Updated May 24, 2013 18:34:18
But there has been a spike in the number Indigenous deaths in custody, in line with an almost doubling of the number of Aboriginal Australians being locked up.
The findings come two decades after the landmark Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which made 339 recommendations for reform - most of which have not been implemented.
Around 30,000 people are behind bars, and Indigenous inmates account for a quarter of the prison population but only 2 per cent of the general population.
"It hasn't been getting better, it's been getting worse despite, I think, a lot of attempts by governments and agencies to try and bring that down," AIC director Dr Adam Tomison said.
The National Deaths in Custody Program Monitoring Report has found Indigenous death-in-custody rates have decreased over the past decade but risen again recently.
The report found:
 - Almost 1,400 deaths in prison custody have been recorded since 1980
 - 14 Indigenous people died in prison in 2009-10, the highest number on record
 - An increasing number of people are dying from heart attack and cirrhosis of the liver
 - From 2008-11, 33 of the 159 deaths in prison custody were Indigenous prisoners
Most of those deaths occur in prisons rather than other forms of custody like juvenile detention and police cells.
In 2008-09, 15 Aboriginal people died behind bars. By 2010-11 that number had risen to 21.
The AIC report shows that most of these deaths were due to natural causes like cancer and heart conditions.
Previously self-harm was the leading cause of deaths in custody.
"Prisons need to be aware of the health needs of older prisoners and to make sure that they're addressed to obviously prevent deaths," Dr Tomison said.
"That said though, the number of deaths is still too high."
NT has the highest rate of Indigenous deaths in custody
Based on current statistics, the Northern Territory has the highest rate of Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia.
Between 1979 and 2011, there were 32 deaths in custody in the Territory, 24 of which were Indigenous people.
The Territory has the highest incarceration rate of Indigenous people in Australia, with 97 per cent of juvenile detainees being Aboriginal.
Of adults in prison or other forms of detention, 82 per cent are Indigenous.
The Closing the Gap policy is focused on improving those outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Audio: Listen to Martin Cuddihy's report for The World Today (The World Today)
The Federal Government says it is supporting state and territory governments with $4.6 billion.
But Gracelyn Smallwood, an associate professor at James Cook University and an Aboriginal leader in North Queensland, says a lot of that money does not end up where it is needed.
"The infrastructure's very poor and most of the jobs are given to outside consultants which are mostly non-Indigenous people or companies that don't employ people on the ground, which is our local people," she said.
"They've abolished the work for the dole scheme, which was at least helping our communities to get some economic development.
"Closing the Gap is very, very important from a holistic point of view, and once you start cleaning up poverty then everything will start falling into line.
"I'm optimistic that if those recommendations were implemented that we could start closing the gap."
Associate Professor Smallwood says if all the royal commission's recommendations had been implemented, "we wouldn't have any deaths in custody and we wouldn't have a massive increase in the incarceration rates nationally".
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, indigenous-policy, aboriginal, black-deaths-in-custody, law-crime-and-justice, australia, nt, qld, wa, vic, tas, sa, nsw, act
First posted May 24, 2013 15:56:42


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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009)|
Pigeonholing is any process that attempts to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories (usually, mutually exclusive ones).
Common failings of pigeonholing schemes include:
- Categories are poorly defined (often because they are subjective).
- Entities may be suited to more than one category. Example: rhubarb is both 'poisonous' and 'edible'.
- Entities may not fit into any available category. Example: asking somebody from Washington, DC which state they live in.
- Entities may change over time, so they no longer fit the category in which they have been placed. Example: certain species of fish may change from male to female during their life.
- Attempting to discretize properties that would be better viewed as a continuum. Example: attempting to sort people into 'introverted' and 'extroverted'.
- Criteria used to categorize entities do not accurately predict the properties ascribed to those categories. Example: relying on astrological sign as a guide to someone's personality.
Also has to do with "pigeonholing" a bill in Congress
|This culture-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.|


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Main Difference – Golgi Bodies vs Mitochondria
Golgi bodies and mitochondria are vital organs found in the eukaryotic cells. Golgi bodies are made up a series of folded membranes. They are a part of the endomembrane system of the cell. Mitochondria are bean-shaped organelles surrounded by double membranes. The surface of the inner membrane is increased by the membrane folds known as cristae. The main difference between Golgi bodies and mitochondria is that Golgi bodies direct the flow of substances such as proteins to their destinations whereas mitochondria provide a location for the rearmost events of aerobic respiration.
Key Areas Covered
1. What are Golgi Bodies
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What are Mitochondria
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. What are the Similarities Between Golgi Bodies and Mitochondria
– Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Golgi Bodies and Mitochondria
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms: Aerobic Respiration, Cristae, Eukaryotic Cells, Golgi Bodies, Membrane-Bound Organelles, MAM, Mitochondria, Porins, Translocase
What are Golgi Bodies
Golgi bodies or Golgi Apparatus refer to a complex of vesicles and folded membranes inside the eukaryotic cells. The flattened, membrane-enclosed sacs are called cisternae. Golgi bodies provide a site for the syntheses of carbohydrates like pectin and hemicellulose. Glycosaminoglycans, which are found in the extracellular matrix of the animal cells, are also synthesized in the Golgi bodies. Golgi bodies receive proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. Further processing and sorting of proteins take place inside Golgi bodies. These proteins are transported to their destinations, plasma membrane, lysosomes or secretions. The structure of a Golgi body is shown in figure 1.
The most significant features of the Golgi body is its distinct polarity. Two faces can be identified in Golgi: cis face and trans face. Proteins enter the Golgi at the cis face while the exit of them occur at the trans face. The cis face is the convex of the Golgi body, and it is oriented towards the nucleus. The concave of the Golgi is its trans face.
What are Mitochondria
Mitochondria refer to the organelles found in large numbers in some cells in which the biochemical processes of the aerobic respiration take place. The number of mitochondria present in a particular cell depends on the cell type, tissue, and organism. The citric acid cycle, which is the second step of the cellular respiration, occurs in the matrix of mitochondria. ATP is produced in the oxidative phosphorylation, which occurs at the inner membrane of mitochondria. The structure of a mitochondrion is shown in figure 2.
Mitochondria are bean-shaped organelles separated from the cytoplasm by double membranes; inner and outer mitochondrial membranes. The inner mitochondrial membrane forms fold into the matrix called cristae. Cristae increase the surface area of the inner membrane. The inner mitochondrial membrane consists of more than 151 different protein types, functioning in many ways. It lacks porins; the type of translocase in the inner membrane is called as TIC complex. The intermembrane space is situated between inner and outer mitochondrial membranes. The outer mitochondrial membrane contains a large number of integral membrane proteins called porins. Translocase is an outer membrane protein. The translocase-bound N-terminal signal sequence of large proteins allows the protein to enter into mitochondria. The association of mitochondrial outer membrane with endoplasmic reticulum forms a structure called MAM (mitochondria-associated ER-membrane). MAM allows the transport of lipids between mitochondria and the ER through calcium signalling.
The space enclosed by the two mitochondrial membranes is called the matrix. Mitochondrial DNA and ribosomes with numerous enzymes are suspended in the matrix. Mitochondrial DNA is a circular molecule. The size of the DNA is around 16 kb, encoding 37 genes. Mitochondria may contain 2-10 copies of its DNA in the organelle.
Similarities Between Golgi Bodies and Mitochondria
- Both Golgi bodies and mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles found in eukaryotic cells.
- Both Golgi bodies and mitochondria play a vital role in the cell.
Difference Between Golgi Bodies and Mitochondria
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies refer to a complex of vesicles and folded membranes inside the eukaryotic cells.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria are a type of organelles in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur.
Golgi Bodies: Animal cells contain a few large Golgi bodies while plant cells contain many small Golgi bodies inside cells.
Mitochondria: The number of mitochondria present in a particular cell depends on the cell type, tissue, and organism. Human liver cells contain _PHONE_ mitochondria.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies are made up a series of membranous stacks.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria are bean-shaped organelles surrounded by double membranes.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies are composed of cisternae, tubules, vesicles, and Golgian vacuoles.
Mitochondria: The inner membrane of the mitochondria consists of finger-like inward projections called cristae.
Golgi Bodies: A Golgi body is enclosed by a single membrane.
Mitochondria: A mitochondrion is enclosed by double membranes.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies direct the flow of substances such as proteins to their destinations.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria provide a location for the rearmost events of the aerobic respiration.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies are the secretory organ of the cell.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies lack their own DNA.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria consist of a circular DNA molecule inside the organelle.
Golgi Bodies: Golgi bodies lack ribosomes inside the organelle.
Mitochondria: Mitochondria contain ribosomes.
Golgi bodies and mitochondria are vital organelles inside the eukaryotic cells. The maturation and transportation of molecules to their destinations take place inside the Golgi bodies. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell that carries out biochemical reactions of the aerobic respiration, producing ATP. The main difference between Golgi bodies and mitochondria is the role they play in the cell.
1.Cooper, Geoffrey M. "The Golgi Apparatus." The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, Available here.
2.Cooper, Geoffrey M. "Mitochondria." The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970, Available here.
1. "0314 Golgi Apparatus a en" By OpenStax – Version 8.25 from the TextbookOpenStax Anatomy and PhysiologyPublished May 18, 2016 (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. "Mitochondrion structure" By Kelvinsong; modified by Sowlos – Own work based on: Mitochondrion mini.svg (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia


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Explore Careers - Job Market Report
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers teach basic subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic or specialized subjects such as English or French as a second language at public and private elementary schools. Elementary school librarians are included in this unit group.
French immersion teacher – elementary school, elementary school teacher, elementary school teacher, English as a second language, elementary school teacher, French as a second language, kindergarten teacher, librarian, elementary school, primary school teacher, remedial teacher – elementary school, special education teacher – elementary school, supply teacher – elementary school.
- Prepare courses for presentation to students according to approved curriculum
- Teach students using a systematic plan of lessons, discussions, audio-visual presentations and field trips
- Lead students in activities to promote their physical, mental and social development and their school readiness
- Assign and correct homework
- Prepare, administer and correct tests
- Evaluate the progress of students and discuss results with students, parents and school officials
- Identify children's individual learning needs
- Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help
- Participate in staff meetings, educational conferences and teacher training workshops
- May supervise teachers' aides and student teachers.
Elementary school and kindergarten teachers may specialize in such areas as special education or second language instruction.
Wages for Elementary School and Kindergarten Teachers in Prince Edward Island
Wages depend on job requirements and work conditions. They also vary between regions, for reasons such as location, labour agreements, and the availability of workers. The wages below are estimated before taxes.
|Prince Edward Island||17.33||27.88||36.54||NoteLink opens in a new window|
- Date Modified:


Kumi Naidoo: my five lessons in civil disobedience
From anti-apartheid protests, to scaling Arctic oil rigs, the head of Greenpeace shares his experience of peaceful resistance
Kumi Naidoo
Kumi Naidoo is the international executive director of Greenpeace. Photograph: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images
Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 13.08 EST
Civil disobedience is a way of expressing political opposition that pushes beyond what the law allows you to do, in terms of resistance. It is an act that says "we are deliberately breaking an unjust law." We often talk about it as a problem. In fact, I would argue that our problem is civil obedience. People too readily accept governments that do not hold to their promises.
My first brush with civil disobedience was when I was 15 and in the years since, I've learned a few things about its power, and its limitations. Here's a few of my lessons:
1. Nothing important comes without sacrifice
Protesters in Fordsburg, South Africa. Photograph: Getty Images Photograph: Jurgen Schadeberg/Getty Images
I was one of thousands of young people in South Africa that joined the national student protests against inequality in apartheid education. At that age, you don't always understand the wider context of your actions. The slogan at the front of the march was "we want equality", and at the back it was " we want a colour TV".
Despite this, what we were doing was important: we were resisting by refusing to go to classes and challenging the law that legally prohibited more than four people to march in the streets together. It was only here that I discovered that Nelson Mandela actually existed, and learned about the bigger picture of apartheid in South Africa. The media were restricted in how much they could report on him and so I had never seen his picture.
Following this I led a protest in my community with between 3,000-4,000 people, where the police charged at us with tear gas. The experience of participating in these acts early on affected me in a very direct sense. They taught me the important lesson that nothing important will come without sacrifice, commitment and courage.
2. Stay positive: first they will fight you, but then you will win
Mahatma Gandhi leading the Salt March in protest against the government monopoly on salt production. Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images Photograph: Central Press/Getty Images
South Africa has a strong connection to Gandhi. It was during his time there that he learned his politics, and honed his Satyagraha, which means passive resistance or civil disobedience as we now tend to call it.
There was always a photo of Gandhi in my family home and he was an influential figure for me as I was growing up. I developed a strong adherence to his notion of "soul force". For me, this translated as the importance of being willing to take the violence of the state. The moral authority to take this stance means that ultimately you will succeed in your mission.
My favourite quote is from Gandhi and it is one that is so relevant to civil disobedience today: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win". If you look at the situation Greenpeace is in, they are fighting us really hard in the courts, they are invading our privacy and preventing our actions. But Gandhi's philosophy makes me optimistic that this is a positive indication that we are closing in on the changes we are campaigning for.
3. When governments respond with force, they help to grow the movement
Arctic 30
One of the Arctic 30, makes the victory sign as he is released on bail in St Petersburg. Photograph: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images
The power of civil disobedience as a strategy lies in its moral authority. If you have numbers, diversity of voices, and are able to maintain a peaceful event, then it can be immensely powerful. It speaks to the oppressed and the oppressor in different ways. To the oppressed, or the people affected, it gives them strength to continue their struggle. To the oppressors, exceptional acts of moral courage force them to listen.
The recent Arctic 30 campaign and the arrests it incurred on many activists, myself included, is a good example of this. It is clear that when I was up a rig on the oil ship being bombarded with water for 15 hours, I wasn't doing it for selfish reasons, and nor were any of the Arctic 30 doing it for personal gain. It was remarkable how many heads of state then came out and called for the release of the arrested activists. Governments badly miscalculate when they respond to civil disobedience by throwing activists in prison and assuming this will terrify the public. In fact, the effect is always the opposite: it helps to grow the movement. It forces those in power to recalibrate and recognise the democratic intent of what activists are trying to achieve.
4. Be patient, failure is integral to the path to progress
Martin Luther King
Civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King on the fourth day of their march from Selma to Montgomery. Photograph: Ben Martin/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image Photograph: Ben Martin/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image
You could say most acts of civil disobedience fail because they don't get results immediately. In the case of Arctic 30 they failed because oil was eventually drilled and removed from the area. But on the flipside, we now have more than 10 million people campaigning to have the Arctic declared a global sanctuary with no industrial activities. It is important to remember that not everything that counts can be measured.
We can learn from those who have engaged in civil disobedience in the past that it wasn't their first action that delivered their result. For Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks, it was an accumulation of lots of different actions over a long time.
5. Explore the potential of digital civil disobedience
How has technology and social media changed the way civil disobedience is expressed? Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images
Wikileaks and the Edward Snowden NSA revelations created an opportunity for people to know what governments were hiding from them and have changed the whole debate around privacy. These are good examples of digital civil disobedience.
I think the social media space has thrown up a lot of possibilities for civil disobedience, protest and the strengthening of civil society generally. When you look at resistance during the Arab spring, people used Facebook to spread the word, Twitter to tell people where to be when, and YouTube to document and share what they experienced and what they achieved. The question is what laws do you break online in terms of pushing that space? At Greenpeace we are trying to make sense of this new area but the future looks promising.
Today, unlike 50 years ago there are lots of forums for engagement between civil society and those in business and government. This is evident at UN meetings, where national civil society groups are invited to take part of the consultative process. I think we've long chased after some sort of explosion of democracy, and the idea that success would be when governments wanted to talk to us. But I think we should beware of the value of some of these engagements. Sometimes they are more insults than anything else, just a box-ticking exercise. We may need a different measure of meaningful progress.
Read more stories like this:
Are NGOs fit for the purpose of advocacy and campaigning?
Advocacy: the dark art of influencing policy
_TAG_: gimmick or powerful climate change campaign?
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Squirfoxaroos have a special way of speaking. They say Happy to Ya as a greeting and use some words that are almost like ones we use but not quite. Here is a list, a Glossary, of these words.
- Happy to Ya–A greeting, such as how are you and hello, but also a sentiment, as in I hope you are happy.
- Excitalated, excitalating, adjective. def: very enthusiastic and eager, super excited. "Maddieroo was excitalated when she saw Squirrel McNutt."
- Happenate, happenating, verb, def: to occur in an enthusiastic and exciting manner. "Happy to Ya everybody, what's happenating!"


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Improved Simulation of Stabilizer Circuits Scott Aaronson
Summary: Improved Simulation of Stabilizer Circuits
Scott Aaronson
University of California, Berkeley
Daniel Gottesman
Perimeter Institute
The Gottesman-Knill theorem says that a stabilizer circuit--that is, a quantum circuit consisting solely of CNOT, Hadamard, and phase gates--can be simulated efficiently on a classical
computer. This paper improves that theorem in several directions. First, by removing the
need for Gaussian elimination, we make the simulation algorithm much faster at the cost of a
factor-2 increase in the number of bits needed to represent a state. We have implemented the
improved algorithm in a freely-available program called CHP (CNOT-Hadamard-Phase), which
can handle thousands of qubits easily. Second, we show that the problem of simulating stabilizer
circuits is complete for the classical complexity class L, which means that stabilizer circuits
are probably not even universal for classical computation. Third, we give efficient algorithms
for computing the inner product between two stabilizer states, putting any n-qubit stabilizer
circuit into a "canonical form" that requires at most O n2
/ log n gates, and other useful tasks.
Fourth, we extend our simulation algorithm to circuits acting on mixed states, circuits containing a limited number of non-stabilizer gates, and circuits acting on general tensor-product
initial states but containing only a limited number of measurements.
Collections: Physics; Computer Technologies and Information Sciences


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When business people examine financial and economic information on which to base decisions, they differ in how they want the information presented. Some prefer spreadsheets, with the data organized into rows and columns of numbers. Others prefer the data presented more visually, such as bar graphs and line charts. The demand schedule and demand curve in economics represent ways of presenting the relationship of price and quantity demanded that satisfy both types of entrepreneurs.
The demand schedule and demand curve both illustrate the relationship between the price of a product or service and the level of demand for it. Other factors besides price, such as consumer income and the price of competing goods, influence demand. The demand schedule and demand curve, however, consider only price, assuming no change in these other factors, according to N. Gregory Mankiw, a Harvard economist and former presidential economics adviser.
The demand schedule illustrates the relationship between price and quantity demanded by using a table of figures. The demand schedule generally consists of two columns: one for the price of a product and one for the quantity demanded at that price. The price column displays different price levels, arrayed from lowest to highest, or vice versa, while the quantity demanded column displays the quantity of that good or service demanded at each price level. The demand schedule for most products will show a reduction in quantity demanded as the price increases.
The demand curve is a visual form of the demand schedule. Economists depict the demand schedule on a two-dimensional graph, consisting of a vertical axis representing price and a horizontal axis representing quantity demanded. The vertical axis displays different price levels from highest to lowest, while the horizontal axis displays different levels of demand. The apex of the vertical and horizontal axis has a value of zero for both quantity and price. Mankiw notes that the demand curve for most products slopes downward, indicating an increase in demand as the price declines.
The demand schedule and demand curve are complementary ways of examining the relationship between price and quantity demanded. The demand schedule helps create the demand curve. The individual rows in the demand schedule, showing specific price points and quantity demanded, provide the coordinates to be plotted on the graph. After plotting the individual coordinates, an analyst or business manager can draw the demand curve that connects the individual points.
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text: Using a structural dynamic programming model, we investigate the relative importance of family background variables and individual specific abilities in explaining cross-sectional differences in schooling attainments and wages. Given scholastic ability, household background variables (especially parents' education) account for 68% of the explained crosssectional variations in schooling attainments. When the effects of household background variables on ability are also taken into account, the percentage raises to 85%. However, individual differences in wages are mostly explained by abilities. Only 27% of the explained variation in wages is accounted for by parents? background variables as opposed to 73% by unobserved abilities (orthogonal to family background variables). When scholastic ability is correlated with family background variables, ability endowments explain as much as 81% of individual wages.


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Effect of atmospheric radiance errors in radiometric sea surface temperature measurements
In situ radiometric measurements of the sea surface skin temperature (SSST) are typically obtained by using infrared radiometer systems mounted on ships. The emissivity of seawater is less than unity and the signal measured by a radiometer viewing the sea surface is mainly composed of sea surface radiance and a small (<2%) downwelling skying radiance component reflected at the sea-surface into the radiometer field of view. For a given sea view angle the effect of ship roll and pitch or non-simultaneous sea and sky radiance measurements may result in the determination of inappropriate sky radiance measurements.
Bibliographic Reference: Article published in: Applied Optics, 39 (2000), pp2392-2397
Record Number: 200013110 / Last updated on: 2001-02-23
Original language: en
Available languages: en


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Maryland State Department of Education
EDUCATION THAT IS MULTICULTURAL AND ACHIEVEMENT
What are the goals of Education That Is Multicultural and Achievement in Maryland?
Education That Is Multicultural and Achievement (ETMA) is a process which involves schools and communities working to fulfill the following goals:
- To prepare students to live, learn, interact, work, and participate productively in our multicultural democratic society
- To promote student achievement through the use of resources and classroom practices that reflect the diversity and commonalities of students, cultural groups, and communities
- To provide pre-kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum and instruction that enable students to demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the contributions of cultural groups in Maryland, the United States, and the world
- To foster respect for individuals regardless of diversity factors including but not limited to region, socio-economic status, race, disability, national origin, and gender
- To eliminate achievement gaps related to diversity factors
What are the responsibilities of local school systems in implementing Education That Is Multicultural?
Each local school system in Maryland is required to address multicultural issues related to curriculum, instruction and staff development in their Bridge to Excellence Master Plans. Plans reflect the responsibilities outlined in Education That Is Multicultural Regulations adopted by the State Board of Education in 1994 (COMAR 13A.04.05). Local school systems submit annual progress reports on ETMA to the Maryland State Department of Education.
What types of programs are implemented in local school systems?
Examples of school system programs include expanding curriculum guidelines to reflect a greater depth of information about the contributions of diverse groups, offering educator training, courses and leadership programs for staff on multicultural education, establishing multicultural education resource centers for use by educators, and providing educational activities to promote intercultural understanding and to address bias, prejudice and harassment.
What resources and services does the Maryland State Department of Education provide?
The Maryland State Department of Education maintains a reference collection of multicultural books and audio-visual materials and has published and distributed to all public schools "Multicultural Connections," an annotated multicultural resource directory for educators. Connections is also available online at _URL_
The Maryland State Department of Education reports progress to the State Board of Education and promotes an inclusive multicultural focus in state assessments, publications, and school improvement initiatives.
How are local school systems involved in the statewide implementation of Education That Is Multicultural and Achievement?
An Education That Multicultural and Achievement Network, comprised of representatives from all 24 local school systems, MSDE, and higher education meets monthly to share resources and programs, develop ETMA materials for use by schools and communities, and participate in professional development activities.
Where can I get more information about Education That Is Multicultural and Achievement?
Contact the MSDE Equity Assurance and Compliance Branch at _PHONE_ or call your local school system central office for the name of the individual responsible for coordinating the implementation of Education That Is Multicultural. Information is also available through the "PROGRAMS" link on the MSDE website.


Distran releases the world's first ATEX certified ultrasound camera for gas leak detection
Distran Ultra Pro X detects gas leaks of any gas type in industrial facilities. It pinpoints the location of the sound source — i.e., the source of the gas leak, from up to a 50-meter distance. Gas leaks from gases commonly found in power plants and oil and gas facilities such as hydrogen, methane and compressed air can all be found by Ultra Pro X.
As an ATEX certified ultrasound camera, the Distran Ultra Pro X represents a revolutionary technology for surveying areas with potentially explosive gases. Instead of scanning each potential point of leak, Ultra Pro X allows to detect leaks from a safe distance outside of hazardous areas and to inspect closer once the area is deemed safe. The ATEX certification allows operators to improve their safety.
Like Distran's existing ultrasound camera, Ultra Pro X is a single handed ultrasound camera that captures ultrasounds emitted by gas leaks. The acoustic information detected from its microphones is overlaid in real-time onto an optical image obtained by a high-resolution camera, offering a clear pinpointing of leaks. The leak rate quantification is also indicated in real time, allowing users to classify leaks and prioritize maintenance operations. Looking for gas leaks is an essential task within industrial plants, to increase operators' safety to gas, ensure environmental safety and keep high availability.


Read Deepak
The Deepak Chopra Books Site
Deep Chopra Photo
Detoxify Your Life
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription
Ultimate Happiness Prescription Book Cover
Learn more about the audiobook
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription is about following certain life practices that bring you joy and fulfillment every day in your life, so you can turn so-called problems into opportunities, improve the conditions in your life for happiness, and make choices every day that will bring joy to you and happiness not only to yourself but to the people in your environment. It's called The Ultimate Happiness Prescription because it goes into an understanding of how to deal with existential unhappiness: how do you deal with old age, infirmity, and the fear of death? So, The Ultimate Happiness Prescription is not only about creating joy and happiness every day in your life, but about enlightenment: how do you get in touch with that part of yourself that is always happy, no matter what.
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription also deals with seven keys to joy and fulfillment. One: how do you get in touch with your body, the little computer that's connected to the cosmic computer. Number two: how do you find real self-esteem instead of confusing your self-esteem with your self-image. Number three: how do you detoxify your life? Get rid of emotional toxins, toxic relationships, toxic environments, toxic habits, and toxic substances. Number four: how do you find yourself, that part of you which does not feel the need to defend its point of view. How do you become so defenseless that there's nothing to attack? Number five: how do you see the world as your own reflection? In every moment of your life, the situations, circumstances, events, and people in your life are reflecting what's going on inside of you. So if you want to change the world, you have to make the shift inside of you instead of fighting or finding problems with the reflection. Number six: how do you live in the present moment? And number seven: how do you find the keys to enlightenment, move from ordinary states of consciousness to higher states of consciousness - cosmic consciousness, God consciousness, unity consciousness - so you lose the fear of death.
Learn more about The Ultimate Happiness Prescription.
Read an excerpt from The Ultimate Happiness Prescription
Visit Deepak Chopra's official site:


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What is Taking Action?
CCIS believes that the adoption of invasive species prevention best practices that encourages the public to get involved, change their behaviours, and start taking action will result in the reduction of introduction and spread of invasive species. This approach is based on the principles and theory of Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM), which is described as:
"Initiatives delivered at the community level that focus on removing barriers to an activity while simultaneously enhancing the activities' benefits."
— Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph. D. from "Quick Reference: Community-Based Social Marketing"
See Take Action Programs for Canada for more details/case studies on specific national programs being developed based on the principles of Community Based Social Marketing. Read more below about the principles and theory behind CBSM, and key components to an effective CBSM plan:
Community Based Social Marketing – Principles and Theory
Traditional marketing often is focused at creating awareness. Many of the measures of traditional marketing success are awareness measurement analytics – examples include: number of promotion pieces distributed, number of people to an event, number of subscribers to a magazine a particular advertisement has been placed in, etc. Unfortunately, there is not a direct correlation between awareness and having people actually moving to the next step of the desired action.
A classic example of this lack of correlation between awareness and taking action can be found examining blood donation in Canada. The Canadian Blood Services survey data has determined that: 97% of people are aware of blood donation; additionally they also understand and agree that donating giving blood is critically important. However, on average, only 3% of people in Canada actually donate blood. This is the challenge between creating awareness verses motivating people into changing their behaviour so they start taking action.
Key Definitions associated with CBSM:
- Social Marketing - Social marketing is the systematic application of marketing, along with other concepts and techniques, to achieve specific behavioral goals for a social good. Social marketing can be applied to promote merit goods, or to make a society avoid demerit goods and thus to promote society's well-being as a whole. For example, this may include asking people not to smoke in public areas, asking them to use seat belts, or prompting to make them follow speed limits or to stop behaviors that are spreading invasive species (Source: Wikipedia).
- Branding - Branding is critical component of creating a common consistent recognizable and repeatable message and is an important part in developing and delivering effective programs. A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or program that the target audience (consumers) connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan or design of the organization who owns the idea or image. Brand recognition also builds organization reputation and sets a standard to which the organization should strive to maintain or surpass. CCIS recognizes the importance and value of having commonly recognized aligned brands and programs across Canada. Across Canada, Council's members will work to build common national education and awareness approaches to help improve consistent messaging and effective programs. Over time, the goal is to have a rich range of resources that are used across Canada with key target audiences.
- Measurement methodology - for measuring changes for target audiences - Measurement of behaviour change is important for determining effectiveness of programs. Surveys have been used successfully in the past to measure changes in awareness and in targeted behaviours by comparing baseline pre-program data to data after the program has been implemented. Positive behaviour change has shown to be successfully achieved after implementation of the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers program in the US. This was one of the first invasive species programs developed specifically using CBSM principles.
7 Key Components to an Effective Community Based Social Marketing Plan:
- Identify a mandate – mission statement. Why are you doing this?
- Research – get some background on your project.
- Survey - Next, survey your audience.
- Pilot the Project - try it out – smaller scale means less expense before you go for full deployment.
- Build - you know what you want to build – what tools do you need to do it?
f. Remove Barriers/obstacles
- Deploy Social media vehicles with traditional vehicles:
a. Wired and non-wired. E-banners, bulletins, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, Yammer, Wiki's, Blogs.....non wired – guerrilla tactics, door to door, in the malls focus testing
b. Focus group test again – control group receives no prompts/intervention while the other group receives the social prompts. Randomly assign households/individuals to either group.
- Measure, measure, measure
Note: Full deployment is ready once focus groups have effectively changed their behaviour. Failure to identify barriers and benefits will often result in a program that either has a diminished impact or no impact at all (Doug McKenzie-Mohr)
CCIS has developed an Action Plan that identifies key priorities for managing invasive species in Canada through changing behaviour, including national education and awareness goals and objectives.
National invasive species management programs and initiatives are based on key pathways for the introduction and spread invasive species across Canada.
Across Canada, many of the programs that have been implemented in the past several years have been based on using the principles of Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) and targeted at changing specific behaviours of individuals.


SAOImage DS9 Reference Manual
DS9 is the next version of the popular SAOtng display program. It is a Tk/Tcl application which utilizes the SAOtk widget set. It also incorporates the new X Public Access (XPA) mechanism to allow external processes to access and control its data, GUI functions, and algorithms. DS9 supports the direct display of FITS images and binary tables, multiple frame buffers, region cursor manipulation, many scale algorithms and colormaps, and easy communication with external analysis tasks. It is highly configurable and extensible to meet the evolving needs of the astronomical community.
DS9 supports advanced features such as multiple frame buffers, mosaic images, tiling, blinking, geometric markers, colormap manipulation, scaling, arbitrary zoom, rotation, pan, and a variety of coordinate systems (including Image, Physical, Detector, and WCS). DS9 also supports FTP and HTTP access. The GUI for DS9 is user configurable.
How It Works Backup and Restore File Formats
Mouse and Keyboard Coordinate Grids Preferences
Command Line Options Catalogs 3-D Frames
XPA Access Points Colorbar
Printing IRAF Support
Regions Analysis Binning


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The number of animals awaiting adoption is integrally tied to length of stay (LOS). In general, the more animals are waiting for adoption, the longer the average length of stay will be. This is another way of thinking about the "odds of adoption" described above.
If 10 animals are waiting at any given time for adoption, and one is adopted each day, the odds of adoption for each animal on any day will be one in 10, and the average length of stay to adoption will inevitably be 10 days. If 20 animals are waiting at any given time for adoption and one is adopted each day, the average LOS will be 20 days. The only way to decrease LOS would be to increase the number of adoptions or decrease the number of animals waiting.
In some cases, the number of adoptions will be increased by making a greater number of animals available. On a short term basis, this can occur with big adoption extravaganzas, where a large number of animals are presented in the context of major publicity, special pricing or other promotions.
In between times, animals should wait in foster care or in homes (via managed intake LINK TO OUR MANAGED INTAKE SECTION) rather than waiting for prolonged periods in the shelter in preparation for big adoption events.
On a longer term basis, having more animals for adoption will lead to increased adoptions only when the reason adopters are not coming to the shelter and going home with a new pet, is that there is not an adequate variety of animals available from which they can choose.
Consider species, age, breed, color, behavior, and special characteristics when evaluating the need for variety. While many adopters are seeking friendly, healthy, young animals, some will seek out hard luck cases, older animals, and those with special challenges. Ideally, survey potential customers to see if they were considering adoption that day, and if so, why they did or didn't choose a pet.
The ASPCA refers to the frequency with which visitors become adopters as "transition rate," and has instructions for creating a customer survey to help understand determinants of transition rate in your shelter.
Beyond the number that ensures adequate variety on a daily basis, fewer animals for adoption at any given time will automatically decrease LOS while maintaining live release: If one animal is adopted each day, the annual adoption number will be 365, whether 10 or 100 animals are waiting for that adoption at any given time.
Finding that perfect "adoption number" is made both more critical and more complicated by the fact that length of stay is not neutral for shelter animals. Some animals will benefit from the opportunity to stay longer in the shelter, particularly those who will receive active treatment or rehabilitation while awaiting adoption, or those who have a unique characteristic (e.g. very large dogs, animals with conditions requiring special care) that makes them suited for a limited number of adopters that come along relatively rarely.
However, for most animals that enter the shelter healthy and friendly, increased length of stay tends to be detrimental rather than beneficial. The more stressful the conditions in the shelter and the less optimal the housing, the more this will be true.
Multiple studies have documented time in the shelter as the single greatest risk factor for illness in shelter dogs and cats [1-3]. In turn, illness contributes to yet longer stays – a detour within the shelter system with substantial cost and yet more challenges for care. An animal who is depressed or develops stereotypic behavior from prolonged confinement sees his or her chances for adoption further decrease.


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SAN FRANCISCO - A wooly mammoth tooth with its enamel still intact has been discovered during the excavation for a new transit center in downtown San Francisco.
A crane operator came across the 10-inch-long brown, black and beige tooth on Monday while digging a 200-foot hole for a piling at the Transbay Transit Center.
Woolly mammoths, elephant-like animals, roamed the San Francisco Bay area some 10 million to 15 million years ago in the Pleistocene era. The tooth is broken in two and missing a chunk, but is otherwise in relatively good condition.
"It's a significant find," Jim Allen, a paleontologist and geologist for the transit center project, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Other wooly mammoth fossils have been found in the Bay area, including in San Francisco, but Allen said the discovery right in the middle of downtown San Francisco as well as the tooth's surprisingly good condition are unusual.
The tooth is from the same era as fossils found in the La Brea Tar Pits in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles - a paleontological gold mine of Ice Age beasts that were trapped by asphalt bubbling upward through cracks and fissures. More than a million bones have been recovered from the ponds.
The tooth appears to be from a Columbian mammoth, a relative of today's elephants, Allen said.
Brandon Valasik, the crane operator who made the discovery, told the Chronicle he was digging through sand about 110 feet
"It looked too perfect to be a rock," he said.
Valasik stopped digging and called over a boss, who took pictures and sent them to Allen.
The transit center construction site has also yielded other treasures, including a gold nugget and artifacts from Irish neighborhoods that stood there in the 1800s.
Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, _URL_


Population, aged 15 to 64
percent of population, 1960–2016
Info Edit
 Percentage of the total population that is in the age group 15 to 64. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship, except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of the country of origin.
 Source: World Bank


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Over deze norm
1.1 This specification covers minimum requirements for exterior surface-applied bonding compounds for improving the adhesion of cementitious material to concrete or other masonry surfaces or any structurally sound surfaces.
1.2 This specification also covers test methods for determining performance requirements and physical properties.
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The SI metric values given in parentheses are approximate and are provided for information purposes only.
1.4 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the test methods described in Sections 9, 10, 11, and 12 in this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
|Nederlandse titel||Standard Specification for Surface-Applied Bonding Compounds for Exterior Plastering|
|Engelse titel||Standard Specification for Surface-Applied Bonding Compounds for Exterior Plastering|


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A commissioner is a member of a commission, or the leader of a governmental body. Commissions are commonly created to solve specific problems or address specific ongoing issues, and are staffed with experts in those areas, these experts would be commissioners.
In 2267, the Federation maintained some form of commission for the purpose of mediating disputes; this body dispatched assistant commissioner Nancy Hedford to Epsilon Canaris III. Her goal was to prevent the outbreak of war; her mission was cut short when she developed Sakuro's Disease and had to be recalled. (TOS: "Metamorphosis")


Is there a minimum number of slices when running the N4 Filter
When running the N4 filter as part of my (c#) code, I see that if the input image has only 1 slice I get an error, even if I set ShrinkFactor=1. The error message is:
Exception thrown in SimpleITK N4BiasFieldCorrectionImageFilter_Execute: d:\a\1\sitk-build\itk-prefix\include\itk-5.2\itkImageBase.hxx:165:
ITK ERROR: Image(00000218C297CE70): A spacing of 0 is not allowed: Spacing is [0, 123, 123]
With 2 slices or more, I don't get an error (as long as the shrink factor is 1).
Will be glad for any advice - thank you!
Hello _USER_,
This is strange. When you read a single 3D slice you should have an image of size [x,y,1] and spacing [dx,dy,1.0]. Not sure how a spacing of zero happens in your case.
Possibly a manually created image and not one read from disk?
I get the same error also when trying to run the N4 filter from within the "Slicer" application when input-ing a single dicom slice extracted from a 3d dicom image.
How would it matter if the image is ""manually created" vs read from the disk?
When working with a 3D "slice", with a dimension of size 1, frequently the image needs to be reduced to 2D.
The ExtractImageFilter can be used to convert a 3D image into a 2D image. When the extraction size has a "0" value for a dimension then that dimension will be collapsed and the output dimension reduced by 1.
Also the SimpleITK ImageFilterReader can take an extraction size (and index) to perform the same operation as part of the IO. Here is an example: Advanced Image Reading — SimpleITK 2.0rc2 documentation
1 Like
Thanks you very much! It worked :slight_smile:


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Watch students respond to the question "Why A Mountain?"
For the last several years, fifth grade students at PS 119 have analyzed an excerpt of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's last speech in which he speaks about being to the mountain top. The lesson "Why a Mountain?" involves students in discussions focused on Dr. King's use of poetic imagery in his speeches and on the civil rights struggle as they use the mountain as a timeline of famous historic events in the struggle for civil rights. A visiting Service in Schools
intern Ugonna Igweatu, a film student at Yale, who was at the school last year to attend the school's Pajama Program Service Award Ceremony donated his time to create this video of students' poetry written in response to the question "Why A Mountain?"
This story is part of a series to promote the ongoing school-based programs and activities through the Respect For All initiative.


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The high quality oats that Saskatchewan produces are in demand for the horse industry in the United States. Oats are primarily used for livestock feed or breakfast foods.
Common root rot, seedling blight and prematurity blight of cereals are caused by the same species of soil-inhibiting fungi (Cochliobolus sativus and Fusarium spp.).
What is Crown Rust of Oat?
Ergot is a plant disease caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which infects the developing grains of cereals and grasses.
The importance of seed-borne diseases in cereals.
Sooty moulds often show up as grey patches in the field.
What variety of oats should I seed?
What kinds of field should I avoid?
Oat is an important crop world wide, with production at approximately 25 million tonnes.


How long does a compensation claim take?
Every claimant wants to settle their claim as quickly as possible and move on from their injury. But to get to the point where a compensation claim can be settled involves evidence, expert opinions and investigations from insurers. It also requires clear communication between insurers, specialist solicitors, claimants and occasionally the courts. All of this can take time.
Some claim types are known to settle more quickly than others. In cases where negligence is obviously clear, and a defendant insurer has no reasonable option other than to make an admission of liability, a claim will settle more quickly. Conversely, in a matter relating to a more complex claim where negligence isn't so easily obvious, a claimant solicitor will have to make a strong argument to succeed and achieve an admission of liability, and a claim will take longer to settle.
Claims that tend to settle more quickly
Claims often settle within a few months, when:
 - Liability against the party that caused an accident is clear and obvious
 - The claim relates to relatively minor injuries with full recovery
 - Claimants respond quickly to requests for information
 - Accident details have been properly reported and recorded
 - Injuries and losses are not in dispute
Claims that can take longer
As you would expect, there are many issues that can arise that are beyond our control and slow the claims process down. Furthermore, two seemingly similar claims may initially give the view that they will settle quickly – yet one could take six months and the other could take 18 months. Each claim does need to be looked at on its own merits and complexities, but common issues that can cause a slower claim timeframe include:
 - Complex claims, including severe and life changing injuries
 - Incomplete medical treatments meaning injury/recovery prognosis is not known
 - Split liability or denied liability claims
 - Claimant failure to respond quickly to solicitor queries
 - Inefficiency and slow work by other parties – for example, defendant insurers
 - Claims that have to go to court
In more serious and complex cases, where negligence is not obvious and evidence is not so clear cut, there can be denials of liability from a defendant insurer. This will lead to an unavoidable slowing of the claims process. At this point, a claimant solicitor will seek further instructions from a claimant to enable them to fight a denial of liability and seek expert opinion from a barrister in an effort to force an admission of liability.
In cases where a defendant has accepted responsibility, and will therefore make a compensation settlement offer to a claimant, they may dispute the value of a claim settlement or the losses incurred by a claimant, and request further evidence and medical assessments to support the claim. They could state a desire to take the matter to court for a judgement on the settlement, and such issues will definitely slow a claim down.
Insurer deadlines and legal protocols
It is the third party insurer's job to minimise any settlement they have to pay, and they aren't always good act acting quickly. Helpfully for claimants, there are legally-binding timeframes in place to prevent claims being dragged out longer than necessary. These 'Pre-Action Protocols' give a maximum time for defendant insurers to respond to claims and carry out their investigations. The times vary depending on the claim type involved.
At Direct2Compensation, we realise that much rests on the speedy action of our team and partners to minimise delays, that defendants are pressed to ensure that deadlines are met, and that the claim is regularly chased. We work tirelessly to ensure that claimants are kept informed and that their claim is settled fairly and quickly.
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Questions & Answers
 1. Tracy
 My question is how long does a company take or is there a time limit for investigation to finish?
 - Ian Morris
 Hi, I am a little unsure as to what you mean with your question – do you mean how long does a claim take or are there time limits in the claims process regarding how defendant insurers investigate claims and how long do they have to reply to a claim?
Direct2Compensation Personal Injury Claims
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enter image description hereI created a shape. It will be a room.
here is the code:
 room = new Sprite();
 room.graphics.beginFill(0xFFFF00, 1);
 room.graphics.moveTo(0, 0);
 room.graphics.lineTo(0, 500);
 room.graphics.lineTo(500, 500);
 room.graphics.lineTo(500, 250);
 room.graphics.lineTo(300, 250);
 room.graphics.lineTo(300, 0);
and i have a red rectangle at the middle. I wanna know which wall and two point is close to this rectangle. For example: in this screenshot left wall is nearest.
Thank you
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up vote 3 down vote accepted
This is not an actionscript question at all. You need just an algorithm.
Simple solution: find center of the object and then use any line distance algorithm you can find to check this center point distance to all room edges.
For example this: Shortest distance between a point and a line segment
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I would add to this that to be able to check your room and red rectangle you need to store it as collection of points which then you will be able to run through and compare. – Lukasz 'Severiaan' Grela Oct 4 '12 at 11:55
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So what do coding and climbing have in common?
Well, aside from a good head for heights, reaching the top of the climbing wall involves planning an effective route, much trial and error and adapting your strategy as you go along (and up!). A bit like coding, in fact.
To design and implement the code for a computer programme, it takes an understanding of the problem to be solved, finding a sequence of instructions to complete specific tasks, and a whole lot of testing and adapting to reach the final solution.
Computational thinking
Computational thinking is the term used to describe this way of solving problems and designing strategies and systems; the same concepts that are used in computer science. It can be applied in many different contexts to help children understand the world around them.
With the introduction of coding and programming into the curriculum, many schools are understanding the benefits of computational thinking, and its application in a wider context – even in the great outdoors!
Students on a PGL adventure camp for example, demonstrate computational thinking techniques every day, without even realising it.
Yr 7 orientation camp will test their ability to perform a series of tasks, using initiative and resourcefulness as they use the materials provided by the rainforest to cook meals and build shelter.
Building a raft to successfully race across the lake at PGL Campaspe Downs will also involve planning, testing and adapting their approach to avoid falling in!
Developing innovative thinkers
Many of the activities at a PGL activity camp will encourage children to find their own creative solutions to problems, build their confidence, and with trial and error, develop the resilience to not be afraid of failing.
So whether children want to navigate a climbing wall with ease or develop a really useful computer programme, using computational thinking in the great outdoors is a great way to develop innovative thinkers, who are better able to understand the world around them and better equipped to succeed inside the classroom and out.
Initiative exercises develop computational thinking
By PGL Adventure Camps.
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