Still talking to Cortana? Microsoft gives you more control over how your voice recordings are used
Microsoft still wants to re-use your voice clips, but will now ask for permission first.
Alexa: The good, the bad, and the creepy
Users of Microsoft's voice-enabled services such as Cortana will now be able to decide whether or not the audio recordings of their interactions can be used by the company to improve its speech recognition algorithms.
By default, customers' voice clips will not be contributed for review, said Microsoft in a new blog post; instead, users will be required to actively opt in to allow the company to store and access their audio recordings.
Customers who have chosen to remain opted out will still be able to use all of Microsoft's voice-enabled products and services, confirmed the company. Their audio recordings won't be stored, but Microsoft will still have access to some information associated with voice activity, such as the transcriptions automatically generated during user interactions with speech recognition AI.
If and once they have opted in, however, users' voice data might be listened to by Microsoft employees and contractors as part of a process to refine the AI systems used to power speech recognition technology.
According to Neeta Saran, a senior attorney at Microsoft, the announcement reflects an effort to increase users' control over their privacy, and to make sure that "meaningful consent" has effectively been granted by the customer before their voice data is shared and used by the company. "This new meaningful consent release is about making sure that we're transparent with users about how we are using this audio data to improve our speech recognition technology," said Saran.
The voice clips that will be contributed by users who have opted in will be de-identified as they are stored, said Microsoft. Microsoft identifiers, as well as any strings of letters or numbers that can be telephone numbers, social security numbers or email addresses will be removed, to make sure that the data cannot be tied back to an individual. Any voice clip that is found to contain personal information will be deleted.
The process is part of a program already tried and tested. When users interact with voice-enabled technology, such as dictating a text message or requesting a web search, Microsoft's algorithms automatically translate speech into words – and improving the accuracy of that translation is an on-going challenge for the company's researchers. One way to do so is to train the AI system with more real-world data, to refine the technology's ability to make out words spoken in a variety of different contexts.
This is why Microsoft, along with most big tech players that offer voice-enabled products and services, is interested in re-using the recordings of customers' voice interactions with their devices. Audio clips can be stored and listened to by employees who manually transcribe what they hear, to improve the scope and accuracy of the database that is then used to train speech recognition algorithms.
The objective is to make sure that the technology understands voice requests in many different languages, and regional accents and dialects even with background noise. "The more diverse ground truth data that we are able to collect and use to update our speech models, the better and more inclusive our speech recognition technology is going to be for our users across many languages," said Saran.
Without the appropriate privacy safeguards, it is easy to see why listening into real-world conversations can be seriously intrusive. Examples abound of private voice clips that mistakenly ended up in the hands – or rather, ears – of technology companies without the knowledge or consent of customers.
In 2019, for example, Apple had to suspend a program similar to Microsoft's, in which contractors listened to recordings of Siri users' queries to improve the voice assistant's performance, after it emerged that the workers regularly heard voice clips containing highly sensitive information ranging from health data to sexual encounters and discussions with doctors.
In the same year, Google found itself in hot waters when it was reported that the company's employees were "systematically" listening to audio files recorded after users activated the Assistant by saying "Okay Google" or "Hey Google". News of privacy-invading eavesdropping also came that year from Amazon's Alexa-enabled smart speakers
Since then, Apple switched to an opt-in feature that, like Microsoft, allows users to choose whether they would like their audio recordings to be used for review. The Cupertino giant also announced that customers' voice clips would only be listened to by Apple employees, rather than contractors. Google followed suit, with a new Assistant privacy policy that make it default for the voice assistant not to retain recordings of requests
Microsoft, for its part, stopped logging any voice data for product improvements across all of its services at the end of October 2020. The option to allow the company to use voice recordings will now roll out gradually on a product-by-product basis, but the company has already confirmed that Microsoft Translator, SwiftKey, Windows, Cortana, HoloLens, Mixed Reality and Skype voice translation will be included.
Users who choose to let the company listen to their voice recordings will see all of their audio data contributed for review for up to two years, and stored in an encrypted server. If during this time, a voice clip is sampled for transcription, the recording may be retained for a longer period, "to continue training and improving the quality of speech recognition AI," said Microsoft.


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Definition of Trait
Trait: In genetics, a trait refers to any genetically determined characteristic. In technical terms, a genetic trait is amenable to segregation analysis rather than quantitative analysis.
A dominant lethal trait is a trait that is expressed if present in the genome and therefore precludes having descendants. All such cases must necessarily be sporadic and must represent new mutations, not inherited ones (because a potential parent with the trait would die before being able to pass it along).
A mendelian trait is one that segregates in accordance with the laws of genetics set forth by Gregor Mendel. Sickle cell trait is a mendelian trait. It refers to the situation in which a person has one copy (and one copy only) of the gene for sickle cell but does not have sickle cell disease (which requires two copies of the sickle cell gene). If two people with sickle cell trait have children together, each of their children has a one in four chance (25%) of having sickle cell disease.
A nonpenetrant trait is a genetic trait that is in the genome but does not manifest itself in the individual. By contrast, a penetrant trait is one that manifests itself. If, for example, if 100 people have a particular genetic trait but only 80 of them express it, the penetrance of that trait is 80%.
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM
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Effects of love on health
Aug 09: Love is a feeling, term, a response which immediately draws the attention of human being. Since human being came on earth 'Love' has been defined in hundreds and thousands of ways.
Love occupied its eminent place in almost every literature and has been celebrated and glorified since ages.
But recent research shows that tosses of love deteriorate the health. The fluctuations and ups and downs of love relationship can have direct impact on health of a person and can cause long term damages to the human body.
Research conducted at Imperial College London has revealed that falling in love evokes various physical reactions in body which can harm health.
Prof. Martin Cowie of Imperial College told that when in love body constantly undergoes a roller coaster of emotions which has a direct bearing on our physique. Pupils can dilate, palms start sweating and heart beat also increases. Due to all this adrenaline is secreted in large amounts creating problems to body.
The risk becomes high when we don't accept that emotions are affecting our health.
In their research they monitored the emotions and the effect on newly widowed men which showed 50% higher risk of heart problems.
In spite of its age old glory scientists in last decade has revealed its negative aspects too.
A research by University College in London, published in 'NeuroImage' said that love renders those areas of brain deficient in alertness which control critical thought.
This feeling considered very positive till yet, actually deactivates the neural network associated with critical social assessment of other people. This may be the reason that those in love fail to see the very apparent faults of their beloved ones.
This is the case not just with romantic love but maternal love has the same effect, research said.
Don't get scared and it would be very hasty to form a negative opinion about 'love'. There was another research in 2001 which said that who feel love and get its response they live longer, happier and have better health. People in love have better life expectancy and live a healthy life-style.
Let's wait till next research bringing some good aspect of love to the fore and be a little bit careful when falling in love.
Read More: Lady Harding Medical College | Delhi Engg. College | Medical College | Nehru College Jhajjar | Janta College Charkhi Dadri | Engg College Muthal | Khalsa College | Khalsa College Po | Lyalpur Khalsa College | Dav College | Government College | Engg College | Govt Degree College Hamirpur | Postal Staff College (i) | D S College | Dav College Bulandshahr | College Rd. Kaimganj Edso | Gsvm Medical College | Agriculture College | P G College Attara | Lond
7 ROB ATM MACHINE FILLED WITH CASH
June 18, 2013 at 8:35 PM
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June 18, 2013 at 8:25 PM
BJP SAYS, IT IS SETTING THE AGENDA FIRST FOR DELHI POLLS
June 18, 2013 at 8:19 PM


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Saba, Lakatan, and Bongolan bananas could be considered additional or alternative to Cavendish fibers as source of raw materials for textile manufacture.
In the study conducted by a senior science research specialist at the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) on the potential of fibers from the trunks of six banana cultivars—Saba, Lakatan, Bongolan, Pakil, Saksik, and Tordan—for textile production, Saba shows potential for high fiber yield based on this cultivar's low residual gum content. Ms. Marites S. de Leon, the researcher, explained that the residual gum content is one of the major considerations in assessing cellulosic fiber's suitability for textile use. She stressed that fiber with very high gum content will not be economically viable for textile use because such fiber will require higher pretreatment inputs to attain the desired gum content level which results in low fiber yield. Among the six cultivars, Saba fibers have residual gum content close to that of the Cavendish fibers, which have been identified as suitable for textile purposes. The residual gum content of Bongolan and Lakatan, although significantly different from that of the Cavendish, is still within the acceptable gum content range.
In terms of strength, results of the study show that Lakatan was the strongest among the six cultivars, with mean tensile strength even higher than that of the Cavendish.


GWAS and the parthenocarpic banana
Anne Vézina Tuesday, 31 May 2016
A proof-of-concept study shows that genome-wide associations are feasible in banana.
Sometimes it looks as if the biology of the banana — the fact that cultivated bananas are largely sterile and that most of them are triploid (that is they have three copies of each gene-bearing chromosome) — has been designed to make the life of breeders and researchers more difficult than it already is. The genomic revolution, including the sequencing of the banana genome, has helped remove obstacles that stand in the way of a better understanding of its genetics. But the banana can still be a challenge, as Bioversity International scientist Julie Sardos was well aware when she set out to do a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the world's most popular fruit.
GWAS is generally applied to randomly-breeding populations of diploid organisms (whose chromosomes come in pairs). The conventional wisdom is that it wouldn't work in a vegetatively-reproducing crop with such a complex domestication history as the banana. It is true for triploid bananas. But since the objective of a GWAS is to identify genes associated with a trait, not being able to do a GWAS on triploid bananas is not an impediment as long as the trait in question is present in diploid bananas. All Sardos and her colleagues had to show is that a GWAS could be done in diploid bananas. They decided to look for the genes associated with seedlessness since diploid bananas can either be seeded (the sexually-reproducing wild types) or seedless (the asexually-reproducing cultivated types). The approach they used is published in PLOS ONE.
Minimizing confounding factors
Parthenocarpic banana
Parthenocarpic banana
The researchers further limited their analysis to diploid bananas whose genetic background was Musa acuminata1. Musa acuminata is the wild species whose genetic signature is found in nearly all cultivated bananas. Since it possesses the capacity to set fruit in the absence of pollination (parthenocarpy), fruits that are edible by virtue of having less seeds and more pulp occasionally crop up. But parthenocarpy alone cannot explain seedlessness since parthenocarpic plants are still fertile and as such will produce seeded fruits when pollinated. It follows that sterility also played a role in the domestication of the seedless banana.
In banana, sterility is due to a combination of structural and genetic factors, says Sardos. The structural factors are linked to matings between distant relatives. In the bananas that only have acuminata in their pedigree, the matings that sealed their fate as vegetatively-reproducing plants took place between different subspecies. Inheriting mismatched chromosomes made it difficult for the progeny to produce fertile ovules and pollen. But scientists also believe that farmers preferentially propagating seedless fruits might have selected for genes that contribute to sterility.
To search for genes associated with seedlessness, the researchers needed plant material from both seeded and seedless bananas. They used genebank accessions from the global banana collection managed by Bioversity and hosted by the Belgian university KU Leuven at the International Transit Centre2. To avoid duplicates and genetically similar cultivars, a first selection of 224 diploid accessions was screened with 498 DArT markers. The final sample had 105 accessions: 25 wild Musa acuminata, 2 seeded improved hybrids and 77 diploid cultivars.
The 105 accessions were sent to Cornell University in the US for genotyping-by-sequencing. The procedure generated millions of reads (short DNA sequences) that Cornell bioinformaticians mapped onto the reference genome sequence to identify a first batch of 129,658 SNP markers. Bioversity bioinformaticians reduced the number of markers to 5,544 by keeping only the most reliable ones.
The next step was to check the genetic structure of the sample, which by then had been reduced to 104 accessions. Since the algorithm driving the GWAS assumes that the sample is from a randomly-breeding population, having accessions that are closely-related to each other would generate false associations unless the bias is corrected for. Four such clusters were identified (each colour in the figure below corresponds to a genetic cluster). The Q value represents the relative importance of the genetic clusters in an accession.
Genetic Structure GWAS Resized
Genetic structure of the 104 accessions analysed in the GWAS. Each bar corresponds to an accession and each colour to a genetic cluster. The Q value represents the relative importance of the genetic clusters in an accession. An accession is considered as unadmixed when the Q value of a genetic cluster is 80% or more.
The majority of the accessions (59) were hybrids (admixtures of clusters). The information is not available for all the accessions, but Sardos wouldn't be surprised if the admixed accessions came from insular Southeast Asia, a region where people travelling between islands introduced bananas whose genetic background would have been different from the one of the native bananas.
Unadmixed accessions were found for only three of the four genetic clusters. The set from Papua New Guinea is interesting for being the only set of unadmixed accessions to have cultivars, in addition to wild bananas (even though Guyod is a cultivar from the Philippines, previous genetic analyses had shown that its genetic background can be traced to Musa acuminata ssp. banksii, the subspecies represented by the 6 wild accessions from Papua New Guinea included in the sample). These cultivars' homogenous genetic structure bolsters the case for the existence of genes associated with sterility since structural factors don't seem to have played a role in their case. The set of 33 unadmixed accessions was subsequently used to double-check the results of the GWAS.
The home stretch
When everything was in place to carry out the GWAS, Sardos scored the 27 accessions that had seeds as 1 and the 77 seedless ones as 0. She then used statistical tools to look for associations between the accessions' score and the SNP markers. The results pointed to 21 markers being statistically associated with the seedless trait. By looking where the 21 markers were positioned on the reference genome sequence, Bioversity bioinformaticians identified 13 genomic regions of interest, 6 of which also turned up when the GWAS was performed on the set of 33 unadmixed accessions from Papua New Guinea. Their exploration of the genes in these regions led to the identification of 11 candidate genes
Sardos stresses that more work is needed to confirm whether these genes are linked to either parthenocarpy or sterility. In the meantime, the researchers are already making plans to explore the genetics of drought tolerance and disease resistance, traits that are important to banana farmers, and by extension to breeders.
The data and results have been uploaded in databases that are accessible from the MGIS page on the GWAS study, whereas the 105 accessions are available from the ITC.
1 Cultivated bananas that are the result of an hybridization between Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana were excluded from the GWAS.
2 At the ITC, an accession is a set of tissue-culture plantlets derived from a plant representing an edible or wild banana. Each accession has a unique identification number.


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Universality of Science
The universality of science in its broadest sense is about developing a truly global scientific community on the basis of equity and non-discrimination. It is also about ensuring that science is trusted and valued by societies across the world. As such, it incorporates issues related to the conduct of science; capacity building; science education and literacy; access to data and information and the relationship between science and society. There are a number of ICSU activities and Bodies addressing these issues. Underpinning this broader concept of universality is the Principle of the Universality of Science (ICSU Statute 5) which is more narrowly focused on the freedoms and responsibilities of science. Adherence to this Principle is a condition of ICSU membership. The policy Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct of Science (CFRS) serves as the guardian of the Principle and undertakes a variety of actions to defend scientific freedoms and promote integrity and responsibility.


Can I Get A Refund Without A Receipt?
What stores will give you cash back without a receipt?
Bed Bath & Beyond.
What do I do if I lost my receipt?
Can stores pull up old receipts?
Is a bank transaction proof of purchase?
While 'proof of purchase' might be proven from a bank statement it might not be accepted by the retailer much in the same way certain forms of ID are not accepted for purchasing alcohol and stuff. Not saying that is the case but the retailer might insist the only form of proof it will accept is the orginal receipt.
What is considered proof of purchase?
Other types of proof of purchase include: credit or debit card statement. a lay-by agreement. a receipt or reference number given for phone or internet payments. a warranty card showing the supplier's or manufacturer's details and the date and amount of the purchase.
Can you get a refund without a receipt at Walmart?
According to Walmart's website, many items can be returned without a receipt for an exchange (exceptions are electronics, outdoor tools, entertainment items, computers, cameras, GPS unites and other electronic items). For items under $25, you can opt for a cash refund.
Can I return faulty goods without a receipt?
With faulty goods, you simply need to prove purchase. This could be the receipt, but any other legitimate record – such as a bank statement – should be fine. However, if you've no legal right but are simply utilising a store's return policy, then you'll need a receipt if that's what the policy says.
How can I get proof of purchase without receipt?
How do I get proof of purchase?
Your proof of purchase is on your credit card statement. Using a credit card is an efficient way to keep track of your purchases. Whether you make payment with the credit card in person at a retail store, online, via phone or through the mail from a catalog, proof of your purchase is simple to locate.


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Homemade Cookie Cutters
Everyone loves homemade cookies, but have you ever thought about making your own cookie cutters from scratch? This activity is a great way to work on a whole host of skills, from fine motor development to shape recognition to good ol' artistic talent.
What You Need:
- Disposable aluminum 9 x 13 inch-size panmade of thin, flexible aluminum (available at most dollar shops and grocery stores)
- Scotch tape
- Cookie dough or soft white bread
What You Do:
- Get started by having your child think of shapes that he might want to see as a cookie: stars, hearts, and seasonal shapes like candy canes are popular, but what about something unusual, like sports equipment, animals or a favorite cartoon character?
- Have him draw the shape on white paper and cut it out.
- Help him cut straight rectangle strips (about ½ to 1 inch width, and length as long as you can cut them) from the aluminum pan. The aluminum edges can be sharp when cutting, so be careful—you might even want to wear gloves.
- Take the rectangle strips and shape them around the edge of the paper shape. He may need to use more than one strip to make it go all the way around his design, depending on the size. In this case, a second rectangle aluminum strip can be attached to the first with tape on the top edges of the rectangle strips.
- When the cookie cutters are finished, try them out with cookie dough! He can also use them to cut shapes in white bread. Press the cutter down into the dough or bread, and help him trim excess dough or bread around the edges of the cutter with a butter knife if needed.
- When you're done, think of more creative shape ideas for cookie cutters together and enjoy your new batch of creatively-shaped cookies!

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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- A novel identification system for screening of the counterfeit drugs is proposed.
- The strategy provides an alternative.
- The strategy is demonstrated with high rapidity, accuracy and cost-effectiveness.
Quick inspection methods for counterfeit drugs are of vital necessity. In this study, the feasibility of portable Raman spectroscopy as an analytical method together with a novel identification system for fake drugs detection is demonstrated. The rapid and convenient identification system based on modified local straight-line screening (LSLS) and principal component analysis (PCA) is developed to distinguish counterfeit from authentic. LSLS algorithm was originally designed to detect synthetic drug(s) adulterated in herbal medicines based on infrared spectroscopy. In order to adapt the LSLS method for the detection of the suspected counterfeit drugs based on portable Raman spectroscopy, modification of weighting is made in this paper to obtain the low false positive rate (FPR) and low false negative rate (FNR). The proposed identification system has been benchmarked by 7 kinds (40 batches) of hypoglycemic tablets and 12 common pharmaceutical excipients. The total sensitivity, specificity and accuracy are 96.77%, 97.48% and 96.35% respectively. The results indicate that the identification system is appropriate for the on-site preliminary screening of the suspected counterfeit drugs.


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 - Contact Us
 How to paper tune your bow
 Paper tuning your bow is not a necessity in order to shoot your bow, however it does ensure that your bow is shooting straight and as accurate as possible. In most cases it even helps to reduce the amount of difference between field points and broadheads.
 Paper tuning is really nothing more than putting a piece of paper between two posts and then shooting your arrow through the paper into a target located just behind the paper. In doing this you are able to see if the arrow is kicking left,right,up or down.
 1. Lets get started what you need to do is to get 2 posts of some type and secure them so that they cannot move. Your going to want the posts to be about the width of the paper your using minus an inch on both sides because your going to need to fasten the paper to the posts.
 *NOTE make sure that the paper is not creased or wrinkled as this will affect the outcome results.* Also make sure the paper is at the height of the arrow being shot because you do not want to be shooting downwards or upwards into the paper as the results will be inaccurate as well..
 2. Alright so now with the posts firmly in place in front of your target and the paper fastened to the posts you are now ready to start shooting. So what we are going to do is go back about 3-5 yards from the posts. Now what your going to do is shoot an arrow into the sheet of paper making sure that your form good so as not to torque the bow.
 3. After the arrow has passed through the page there may or may not be significant tearing. What your going to do next is to go to the paper take on of your hands and put it behind the paper and put the tears back together so that you can see how its tearing. Once you see how it is tearing then you can make the adjustments to your arrow rest. *NOTE the best way that I have found is to work on one problem at a time so work on either horizontal tears or vertical tears*.
 4. Alright so now what we have to do is read the tear and fix the problem. Now the most important part to remember is that you must move your rest in the direction of the tear, so for example if after getting the paper back together you notice that the tear is going to the left then you need to move the rest to the left, if the tear is going in an upward direction then you need to move the rest up etc.
 Now this could take some time as once you move the rest you must continue shooting into the paper until you shoot the arrow through with no tearing and the end result looks as though your looking at the back of an arrow. You need to do this for both for horizontal and vertical tears.
 5. Once you have the arrows going through properly with the flecthings on we need to get a bare arrow(one without fletchings)and go through the same steps. In doing this we can eliminate even the smallest of tears that may have been covered up by the minor tearing from the fletchings on the previous arrow we used.
 The goal of this new arrow is to get it making what looks like bullet holes, the holes should be round with no tearing at all. If this is done than you have successfully paper tuned your bow, this will ensure maximum accuracy and penetration of the arrow.
 3 Comments | Tags:,,
 The Importance of Paper Tuning your Bow
 Bow tuning is not very commonly practiced by a majority of bowhunters. This is more than likely due to the fact that it is fairly time consuming and does take a bit of knowledge to do. Some archers are under the impression that if they go out and buy the most expensive rest and sight that this will help them to avoid having to tune their bows. Unfortunately it will not work like this.
 It MAY lessen the frequency of tuning you have to do but you will still have to tune your bow. Tuning your bow is just the act of basically moving your rest up/down/left/right so as get your arrow flying out of the bow as smoothly as you can.
 Tuning your bow is not necessary but it is recommended for a few reasons. Tuning your bow not only helps to improve your shooting and reduces the amount of wear to your equipment but also keeps your arrow shooting as straight as possible.
 Now you may be asking yourself does it really make that big of a difference, well let me assure you that it does and could mean the difference between getting your trophy animal and kicking your self in the behind for missing. Let me explain what I mean.
 An arrow that flies from a none tuned bow will most definitely have a wobble in the back of the arrow, now that wobble may not be serious enough to hurt your shot a great deal on a calm day but lets throw some wind in there and you have yourself a huge chance of that wobble becoming worse as it is caught by the wind. The wobble also creates more wind drag that will slow your arrow down causing less penetration.
 An arrow that is shot from a bow that is not tuned has 4 possible outcomes these are that the arrow will either be kicked out so the back of the arrow is pointed down, up, to the right or left. This plays a huge role on how your arrow will fly and how it will hit and enter your target.
 For example if your arrow is kicked out and the back of the arrow is pointing downward the arrow will try to stabilize as much as it can before hitting the target but more times than not when the arrow hits the target the arrow will be going in on an angle, which greatly reduces the penetration of the arrow. Paper tuning makes tuning a bow a whole lot easier and less painful as it serves as a visual aid so that you can see how your arrow is flying from your bow.
 When the arrow goes through the paper if it is not going straight in, it will actually make a tear in the direction that the back of the arrow is pointed. This will take the guessing work out of tuning your bow and cut the time down as well.
 So whether your a competition shooter or a hunter you will benefit greatly by spending an hour or so tuning your bow to guarantee your arrows are flying straight. If you would like to know exactly how to paper tune your bow look in our tutorial section.
 No Comments | Tags:,,,,


When the bell rings at the end of recess, 10-year-old Jordan Duzenack will be taking the slide to return to class at Big Thompson Elementary School.
"We get to go down the slide instead of having to go downstairs," the fourth-grader said about the built-in, embankment slide that offers quick transportation from the upper playground's playing field to the lower playground filled with brand-new playground equipment.
Jordan and her friends rode the slide a few times after school Thursday on the day it opened to the students as part of the playscape dedication ceremony. Donors and supporters of the first natural playscape at a public school in Larimer County turned out to celebrate the completion of the five-year, $540,000 project.
The playscape integrates hands-on learning and playing in the school's outdoor areas that includes a playground, a playing field and learning centers.
"I think it's a lot better than the other one," said 11-year-old Adam Cagnina about the playground. "The other one had old equipment. This one has new climbing equipment and that spinning thing everyone likes."
The spinning thing is a piece of playground equipment with bars for holding on to while twirling above recycled rubber that is soft in case of accidents or falls. The north side of the playground is separated from the upper playground by the eco-zones climbing wall, which contains the slide and pictorial information about the Colorado mountains and animal life.
"Our ultimate goal is to get kids outdoors and help them have a better understanding of their environment," said Linda Strand, GOCO board member.
The playscape includes five main features, the climbing wall, an outdoor education center, a one-eighth-mile eco trail around the upper playground, a water flume that demonstrates how water interacts with the landscape, and a bioswayle drainage area with native vegetation.The upper playground playing field is made out of recycled rubber turf that replaces the much disliked pea gravel.
"It's fabulous. It's totally safe for kids," said Dawn Hennessy, physical education teacher at the school, adding that the pea gravel limited activity and was the source of injuries. "The kids would slip and fall and would get bloody knees."
Construction on the playscape began on the last day of school in 2013 and was mostly completed by the start of school this year.
"It took tremendous effort to get it all done," said Kerri Rollins, school volunteer. "It's better because it incorporates the natural features of the area surrounding the school. It complements the school's focus on nature and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). And it allows for more imaginative play and learning."
The playscape was funded by a $322,200 grant from GOCO, $50,000 from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, $20,000 from the Larimer County Open Lands Program and other sources of funding and in-kind donations from businesses and clubs.
"I like the spinny thing and the bars. The ground is bouncy now, and there's a lot more fun stuff," said Zoe Rollins, a third-grader at the school and daughter of Kerri.


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- Total is the total number of people with that surname.
- Rank is the position in the list of names ordered by total (eg, a rank of 1 means that it's the most common name, and a rank of 10 means it's the tenth most common, etc).
- Frequency is the percentage of people with that surname.
- Per million people is the number of people with that surname per million of the population.
All of these are approximate figures, and the current figures especially so. The 1881 census figures are correct for what was recorded on the census, but we don't really know how accurate it was. At least, though the 1881 figures won't change, as it's a snapshot of a point in time. The current figures, by contrast, are variable according to births, deaths, migration and marriages, so the values shown here are only a best approximation to whatever was the case when the underlying data was collated and will not be the same as whatever the values are right now.
'N/A' indicates that we don't have data for this name in that country or time (usually because it's quite uncommon there and our stats don't go down that far). It doesn't mean that there's no-one there with that name at all!
For less common surnames, the figures get progressively less reliable the fewer holders of that name there are. This data is aggregated from several public lists, and some stats are interpolated from known values. The margin of error is well over 100% at the rarest end of the table!
It's possible for a surname to gain in rank and/or total while being less common per million people (or vice versa) as there are now more surnames in the UK as a result of immigration. In mathematical terms, the tail has got longer, with a far larger number of less common surnames.


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English in Common is a six-level American English integrated-skills course for adult and young adult learners based on CEFR standards and learner outcomes.
Finding direction and purpose
English in Common 4 motivates learners through Can Do objectives which give direction and purpose, ensuring students know what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they will be able to use the language outside of the classroom.
Engaging learners' interest
English in Common 4 engages learners' interest by offering a new twist to familiar topics -- topics that reflect students' needs and interests. This ensures that students will always have something to say about the content of the lesson.
Developing active learners
English in Common 4 encourages active participation in learning by guiding students to use their own knowledge as they observe structures in context to figure out language use and form independently.


from new contributors. Often they are assisted by other established Bitcoin Core contributors, including sometimes the authors of the PRs being discussed.
Optech recommends attendance to any engineer who wants to get more involved in the Bitcoin Core process. IRC meetings are held at 17:00 UTC on Wednesdays.
Bech32 sending support
Week 12 of 24 in a series about allowing the people you pay to access all of segwit's benefits.
This segment marks half-way through our series about bech32, so we decided to have some fun this week by describing some bech32-related trivia that's interesting but not important enough for its own segment.
 - How is bech32 pronounced? Pieter Wuille, co-author of the proposal, uses a soft "ch" so that the word sounds like "besh thirty two". The name is a portmanteau that mixes the letters of the address's error correction coding (BCH) into the name of its numeric base (base32). Pronouncing it with a soft "ch" allows the first syllable of bech32 to be similar to Bitcoin's legacy address format, base58. We admit this extended explanation ruins the joke, but it's a clever and amusing bit of wordplay.
 - BCH has nothing to do with Bitcoin Cash's ticker code: the name of the BCH codes bech32 is based upon are an abbreviation for Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem, with Hocquenghem inventing this type of cyclic codes in 1959 followed by Bose and Ray-Chaudhuri independently rediscovering them in 1960. Moreover, the bech32 address format was announced in March 2017, three months before the first plans for what would later be labeled Bitcoin Cash (which initially planned to use the ticker code BCC).
 - Over ten CPU years consumed: using existing information about BCH codes, the authors of bech32 were able to find the set of codes that provided the minimum amount of error detection they desired for Bitcoin addresses. However, there were almost 160 thousand eligible codes in this set, and the authors expected some of them to be better than others. To find the best code among them, over 200 CPU cores and "more than 10 years of computation time" was used.
Notable code and documentation changes
 - Bitcoin Core #15741 speeds up importing keys, addresses, and other information into the wallet using the importmulti RPC by batching the database updates rather than making them sequentially. In a test performed by the PR author, this reduced the time to import 10,000 addresses from 465 seconds to 4 seconds.
 - LND #2985 waits to relay gossip announcements until there are there are at least ten of them to send and five seconds have elapsed since the previous batch, reducing bandwidth overhead. This continues the work done by LND and other implementations towards reducing the overhead of the gossip protocol given the significant growth in the size of the LN network over the past year.
 - LND #2761 switches to using a persistent state machine for routed payments and to storing some additional state data for the machine, improving the program's ability to correctly handle HTLCs that were unresolved when the daemon was restarted.


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Corin R. Anderson, David E. Smith, and Daniel S. Weld
Graphplan has attracted considerable interest because of its extremely high performance, but the algorithm's inability to handle action representations more expressive than STRIPS is a major limitation. In particular, extending Graphplan to handle conditional effects is a surprisingly subtle enterprise. In this paper, we describe the space of possible alternatives, and then concentrate on one particular approach we call factored expansion. Factored expansion splits an action with conditional effects into several new actions called components, one for each conditional effect. Because these action components are not independent, factored expansion complicates both the mutual exclusion and backward chaining phases of Graphplan. As compensation, factored expansion often produces dramatically smaller domain models than does the more obvious full-expansion into exclusive STRIPS actions. We present experimental results showing that factored expansion dominates full expansion on large problems.


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- janitor •
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. A door-keeper, porter, ostiary. 2. A caretaker or custodian of a building.
Notes: We think today's word is still a good one despite the fact that it has fallen into the disrepute of political incorrectness. Those of us sensitive to the political whims in language in the US today refer to janitors as custodians. Janitor has an adjective, janitorial, and the position of a janitor is a janitorship. We think this word should never have been carted off to the PC cellar.
In Play: When we replace names that we think have become unrespectable, however, the general result is that the replacement soon acquires the connotation of disrespect. It would be difficult to find a designation for custodians with a more sterling pedigree than janitor, though: not only is it based on the name of a Roman god, beginning in the 17th century Saint Peter himself was sometimes called "the Janitor of Heaven".
Word History: Janitor comes to us directly from Latin ianitor "doorkeeper" based on the word ianus (janus) "archway, gate". The god of doorways and the New Year in ancient Rome was also called Ianus (Janus). Because he was the god of beginnings and endings, he was represented over Roman doorways with two faces looking in opposite directions. The only remains of this association is in Portuguese, where janela means "window". The month of January was also named after him. The name is based on the Proto-Indo-European root ei- "to go", found today in Russian idu "I am going". Latin ire "to go" and iter "journey", visible today in the English borrowings iterate, itinerary, and itinerant, are descendants of the same PIE root.
Come visit our website at for more Good Words and other language resources!


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Accumulated base: 50 F degree days and departure from normal-May 1 through July 29, 2007.
The third week of July produced slightly above average temperatures in the northwest two-thirds of Iowa, with southeast Iowa right on average. We are now entering the second part of the traditional dog days of summer, a period from July 3 to about August 11. It is named for the astronomical pairing of the sun with the dog star, Sirius, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere. Ancients thought the dog star added to the heat of the sun and attributed the star with oppressive summer heat.
Crops are progressing, but particularly in dry areas, soybeans have been slow to fill rows (if they have) and corn has now pollinated for the most part. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, any rain would be welcome nearly anywhere in the Iowa.
Rich Pope is an extension program specialist working with the Iowa State University Corn and Soybean Initiative.
This article originally appeared on page 246 of the IC-498(21) -- July 30, 2007 issue.


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Democratic Republic of Congo / Rwanda
1.47 S, 29.492 E
summit elevation 3711 m
Visoke Volcano is located on the Democratic Republic of Congo / Rwanda border. The volcano contains a 450-m-wide lake in the summit crater. An eruption in 1957 formed two small cones on the north flank, 11 km from the summit.
Visoke volcano - John Seach
A field of cinder cones is located between Visoke and Sabinyo volcanoes.
The volcano has produced leucitite, olivine nephelinite, basanite and hawaiite
lavas. Visoke leucitites exhibit a relatively restricted compositional range.
No recent eruptions.
In 1957 an eruption occurred at Mugogo volcano, 11 km north of the summit.


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Can we rely on the food items on whose package "It includes no lard and additives from pigs" is written? Is it permissible to consume them?
Submitted by on Mon, 23/10/2017 - 16:43
Dear Brother / Sister,
"What is essential about things is being halal" is a rule in Islamic law. Something is regarded as halal until it becomes definite that it is haram. Therefore, it is halal to eat food items on whose package "It includes no lard and additives from pigs" is written.
In Islamic countries, there is no drawback to eating food items unless they are known to include haram substances. However, if there are food companies that are known to sell food items that include haram substances, their products must not be eaten unless it becomes definite that they include no haram substances even if they are in an Islamic country.
It is not appropriate to eat food items without knowing its contents in non-Muslim countries.
Questions on Islam
- Is it permissible to use the products/food items that include gelatin as an additive? Is it halal when it is not definitely known that it is haram?
- Are E additives that exist in some food items haram? Can we consume that safely?
- Is it permissible to use products like shampoo and soap that include lard?
- Why has pork been rendered haram in the religion of Islam?
- Are doubtful food items permissible to eat?
- What should we do if we doubt whether it is permissible to eat and drink something?
- Do zarurahs (necessities) render harams halal? Is it possible in Islam to abandon fards for harams or to commit a haram deed for something fard? If yes, when?
- why muslims don't eat bacon?
- Is it permissible to eat food that includes harmful substances?
- What does "it is not permissible (la yajuzu)" mean? Is it haram, makruh or something else? How binding is it? What happens if I do something that is not permissible?


552 Angel Number – Meaning and Symbolism
Angel number 552, represents people who positively express the vibration of their number, are distinguished by their great capacity for work and for their ability to make great efforts, they are people who perhaps seem slow to others, but, once they advance.
Number 552 – What Does It Mean?
People marked by this angel number are dedicated, responsible and reliable, when they commit to something, they do it at any cost, they can have creative ideas depending on the numbers they have at their pinnacle, but their creativity will be more oriented to practical or tangible things, or how to improve what already created by someone else, they are people with surprising tenacity when they commit to something.
Where does the number of the beast appear in the Bible? In Revelation (Revelation 1552: 1, 17, 18).
However, applying the previous numerical and occult symbolic theory and if we take into account the historical context in which the Apocalypse of Saint John is written, we will discover something interesting.
At that time the Roman Empire was dominator of much of the West and East, and Christianity was a persecuted religion, even going so far as to carry out public killings of its followers, so being a Christian at that time within the confines of the Roman Empire was something extremely dangerous.
Therefore it is easy for Christians to use secret communication.
Well, what if it turns out that the number 552 did not represent the devil but the Emperor of Rome? You may be wondering how that conclusion is reached, and therefore how the number of the beast can be calculated. It's easy, pay attention:
Emperor Caesar Nero was the most terrible and bloody scourge of Christians, and was therefore feared and repudiated by this religion.
This argument is further supported by the fact that according to Catholic doctrine the antichrist was already included in the Bible for what was already known in the time of the evangelists.
If you want to know more about Roman numerology and its symbols, click on this link for converting Roman numerals.
Angel number 552 in their negative polarity, can become too wild or lazy, with a tendency to sleep a lot, a circumstance that can affect them when they are late for work, even when they are aware that they are capable of doing something.
They will pay to do things that they do not like to do or make them lazy, these people have a great tendency to be irresponsible or inconsistent with their tasks or tasks.
Angel number 552, have a special ability to detect which foot the others limp and put their finger on the yoga, they can become too cruel and use their words as weapons, this characteristic of the negative vibration of the number, makes have great conflicts to relate to people.
They will be considered inflexible and hard people, too rigid sometimes exaggerated, they are very late for what others think you cannot make them see reason;
The Secret Meaning and Symbolism
Number 552 people, when they positively express the vibration of their number, are distinguished by their great capacity for expression and mental ingenuity, they are highly creative, but their creativity comes mostly from their mental ingenuity.
they are people who have a revolutionized mind, which rotates faster than others, therefore, they usually guess or anticipate the answers to almost all the questions that arise, this is very valuable to them, but it makes them on many occasions be considered nosy or intrusive in the affairs of others.
To be close to them is to see existence from a beautiful, positive and optimistic perspective. It is relaxing and learning to take things as they come, they are communicative, cordial and friendly, they do not go unnoticed in places where there is activity, people and joy.
They like to have an audience to be heard, so they will manage to get noticed and take the microphone whenever they can.
This number gives overflowing harmony, fantasy, talent and sympathy. Only a 552 heavily burdened by severe and repressed numbers can give a serious, expressionless or apathetic appearance.
Sympathetic and charming, the 552 have great ease of expression and a great ability to communicate and relate to all kinds of people.
They know how to become the center of interest wherever they are and when they want to be liked, it is almost impossible to escape their charm. Number 552 doesn't like being alone.
They have the ability to develop ideas related to design, architecture, advertising and process engineering, they may also like painting, sculpture or be art critics.
They tend to have good taste and more, if they are encouraged from a young age. By their nature they like to admire beauty in every way, especially the shapes and colors.
Love and Angel Number 552
Generally what they have they get little by little and by their own effort during life? Angel number 552, They tend to repress their feelings and it is not easy for them to express what they feel;
They are strongly concerned with maintaining an image, this image can be whatever they have decided based on their socioeconomic level, culture and environment.
552 people, will be the perfect engine for any company, is a firm and stable person, with great strength and little flexibility, so he will perform efficiently and effectively in jobs where order, discipline and rules have to be imposed or work under a method.
They have great attention to detail, capable of achieving important achievements and with practical and efficient ingenuity for the organization, they are also great athletes, their level of resistance is superior to that of others, so they generally excel in any sport they practice, and they will finish being the leaders or the captains if the sport is team.
552 people are people who tend to the material rather than the spiritual, their economic security is very important, since the 552 represents the physical plane, you can identify it as the base of the pyramid figure, which is the most stable of all geometric figures, hence you can highlight their stability (therefore they love routine and home life).
Structure (they always need to build or make firm foundations in almost everything they do or undertake), lack of fantasy (for them everything has than having a practical sense, even dreams), disciplined (everything important has to have an order, a method, a form, etc.).
They are highly resistant, the greater the challenge, the more resistance and tenacity they will show and the greater It will be their motivation, these people do not risk losing or being bad with others.
Among the most outstanding positive characteristics of people 552, their great sense of responsibility, loyalty, sincerity, honesty, discretion, defense of entrenched concepts, tenacity, pride, optimism and strength are highlighted.
552 people generally tend to have responsibilities from a young age and can become protectors of their family.
Although being leaders is not one of their outstanding characteristics, they could become so, especially when it comes to defending a social cause or their family, or they have other numbers that help them to be leaders. They are people with inner courage.
They are good stewards with their money and with the money of others, therefore they can reach their economic goals when they set their mind, with patience, caution and discretion.
They tend to observe and analyze situations before making decisions or make suggestions. They can be colder than warm people.
Interesting Facts about Number 552
They are jealous and will tend to demonstrate it with hints or attitudes. They can be influenced. When they lose control they can be very violent and destructive.
One of the great challenges that number 552 has to face is that always in one way or another he will have to take care of himself before his time, they are people who will have responsibilities from a very young age taking care of themselves or carrying out tasks that they do not correspond to them at an early age.
His extraordinary willpower can become stubborn, rebellious, and intransigent.
Their conservative views and firmness of character can lead them to narrow-mindedness, inhibition, and using excessive harshness to judge others, they can be quite shy, reserved, and introverted.
They also run the risk of being too demanding, rigid and unforgiving or that their excessive seriousness turns them into arid and boring people.
They can become highly materialistic people and completely forget about the spiritual part of their life as it is not a practical and utilitarian tool.
Some of the negative characteristics of the number 552, will be Arrogance, awkwardness, speculation, dissatisfaction, stubbornness, resentment, guilt, remorse, they are easily reluctant, they do not believe beyond what their eyes are highly competitive.
Seeing Angel Number 552
Angel number 552 are distressed if they feel that someone may discover that they are not entirely the image that they have created and that they are determined to preserve, so they will be very discreet with their private lives, sometimes even for their own friends and family.


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The Southern Ground Hornbill is one of two species of ground hornbill and is the largest species of hornbill.
The Southern Ground Hornbill is a vulnerable species, mainly confined to national reserves and national parks. They live in groups of 5 to 10 individuals including adults and juveniles. Often, neighbouring groups are engaged in aerial pursuits. They forage on the ground, where they feed on reptiles, frogs, snails, insects and mammals up to the size of hares.
Information source: _URL_


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Weird subcultures around the world are a relatively new phenomenon in human history. In the past, being different from majority meant exposing oneself to a risk of being expelled from society or even killed. As humans grew more tolerant, the subcultures began developing in many cultures around the world.
Although plenty of groups in our history displayed some elements of subculture, it wasn't until the after World War 2 that subcultures in a modern sense of a word appeared. From London's Teddy Boys to various Japanese subcultures, there were few similarities. The groups mainly consisted of young people, feeling estranged from the mainstream society and seeking alternative means of acceptance and sense of belonging. All groups have a distinct dress codes, a sort of uniform that made them easily recognizable to other members of the subculture. Finally, mannerisms and distinct language, often secret or at least coded, complete the picture.
Plenty of these weird subcultures originated in Japan, adding to the list of crazy facts about Japan. Most of them remained endemic to the land of the rising sun, without anything even remotely similar developing anywhere else on the planet. Sociologists claim that this is an expected consequence of living in a society so bent on suppressing any form of individualism. It is only natural that people will seek other methods of expressing themselves, regardless of how weird of bizarre the rest of us might think they are.
Most weird subcultures around the world represent the form of rebellion against society. Often, those rebellions are expressed through violence, but mostly they are displayed through clothes or music. Some of the subcultures on our list are born from sexual fetishes that outgrew the boundaries of a bedroom and spilled over into the streets.


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Cassytha, a rootless vinelike stem parasite with vestigial scalelike leaves, is the most unusual member of the family; the genus contains 15–20 species native to the Old World. Laurus (laurel) consists of two species, one of which is L. nobilis (sweet bay tree, or bay laurel), a native of the Mediterranean. The leaves of the bay laurel were once formed into laurel...
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A Treatise of Wyoming Workers' Compensation Law
This is the Second Edition of A Treatise of Wyoming Workers' Compensation Law, which seeks both to introduce Wyoming workers' compensation students to the law of their own jurisdiction, and to provide a continuing resource to those same students as they embark on workers' compensation legal practice after graduation. In this way, the text fills a gap in the literature by serving as a concrete exemplar of what it means to assist students in becoming "practice-ready" as soon as possible after graduating from law school. In short, practice ready lawyers must have some exposure to the law of their own jurisdictions. Furthermore, Wyoming Workers' Compensation Law is meant to be a resource to all practicing lawyers in the state of Wyoming. This objective is intimately connected with the mission of the University of Wyoming as a Land Grant Institution broadly striving to serve the needs (including legal needs) of Wyoming citizens.
Substantively, the treatise canvasses the traditional areas of workers' compensation law: employee/employer definitions, causal connection to work, evaluation of the extent of disability, types of benefits, and a brief discussion of the Wyoming administrative structure. In several places the treatise first introduces a substantive area of law generally, for example "causal connection," and then focuses on how Wyoming law analyzes the area of law. In discussing some substantive areas of workers' compensation law, the treatise underscores especially unique Wyoming idiosyncrasies. Not content to merely "restate" the law, the treatise in certain areas subjects the law to academic criticism and suggests legal reform in order to stimulate broader discussion of the legal doctrine.
122,815 Words, 326 Pages in PDF
Second Edition Published June 2021


2pEA1. Applications of the combustive sound source.
Preston S. Wilson
Thomas G. Muir
John A. Behrens
Appl. Res. Labs. Univ. Of Texas, P.O. Box 8029, Austin, TX 78713-8029
Janet L. Elizey
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
The combustive sound source (CSS) can be used to generate high-intensity, low-frequency acoustic energy in a variety of mediums by using deployment configurations suitable to each medium. The basic principle of operation remains configuration independent. A gaseous fuel/oxidizer mixture is introduced into a combustion chamber and ignited with a spark. The ensuing combustion produces a bubble of expanding gas which, in turn produces high-intensity, low-frequency acoustic pulses. Three different deployment configuration experiments will be discussed, including water column, ocean-bottom seismic, and earth-surface seismic. In-situ measured energy levels and spectra produced by CSS are compared to other sources typical to each medium, including explosive and inertial. It is shown that CSS is capable of producing bulk waves in both water and earth mediums, as well as seismic interface waves for both air/earth and water/sea floor cases. It is demonstrated that CSS is a truly versatile acoustic energy source with a low cost deployment configuration which can be tailored easily to different environments. [Work supported by the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research.]


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Representing Ars Erotica Foundation we have started in October 2013 a year long SexEd cooperation within the frame of the Pestalozzi Programme of the Council of Europe.
The program has started with an
We gathered first in Strasbourg to share experience, to talk, to learn together and to work out teaching methods, develop ideas about holistic sexuality/sex education in schools. There are participants, teachers, trainers, sex-educators, professionals from all over Europe and I am proud that we are three only from Hungary, Györgyi Séllei, Attila Andics and me. It was a great opportunity to officialy put the Council of Europe's logo on the pussy pillow…
As far as I see, most of the European countries – even if they have different cultural pathways – share many similarities in the public and private discourses about sexuality and sexual education as well as the institutional environment of education. This is probably the most important in this joint project: we understand each other, we have things to share, many times we face very similar problems and challenges. The experiences are so much familiar for many other professionals working in this field coming from Eastern-Central and other parts of Europe.
Every participant had to pilot their training units in their countries. In Hungary we made "Sexuality education in schools – Methods" – in-service training for teachers (grade 5-12).
"Sexuality education in schools – Methods" – IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR TEACHERS (grade 5-12)
With my Hungarian collegaues we made a 30 hour-long complete pilot training for 20 participants, mainly for teachers and a couple of school psychologists. The main goal of the training was to provide a basic introductory methodology and a set of self-reflection skills for teachers who might deal with sensitive, sex-related topics in schools and similar institutional environments. Our goal was to help participants to find ways to integrate these methods and exercises into their daily work in schools. It is hardly
possible to evaluate specific activities without considering the whole context of the training. The aim of the training was to pilot
how non-formal, self-reflective and "learning by doing" methods can be used in training teachers to deal with sex-related topics
in regular Hungarian schools.
This training unit provides a basic introductory methodology and a set of self-reflection skills for teachers who deal with sensitive, sex-related topics in schools and similar institutional environments. Although participants will also deepen their understanding of the concept(s) of sexuality, this unit focuses on improving teachers' psychological skills that help them to define their own boundaries and make them personally capable to handle intimate issues.
Participants gain skills to reflect on their students' and their own non-verbal behaviour;
Participants learn how to recognize, set up, maintain or move their personal and professional boundaries in a teaching situation in order to keep their competence and confidence and protect both the teacher and his or her students in sensitive situations;
Participants understand better and exchange ideas about the term "sexual culture". How our beliefs, values and cultural norms determine our sexuality. They will also gain an insight to the varieties of sexual cultures;
Participants will be able to define what sexuality means in their particular teaching context, what aspects of sexuality might be relevant in their daily work;
Participants will be able to improve their own pedagogical tools in school sexuality education based on the applied exercises;
Brief description of the training
Participants become aware of how our own norms, values, cultural background influences our sexuality. In a teaching context this awareness is inevitable not only because in many situations it is hardly possible to separate our personal sexual identity (as we are mothers, fathers, singles or lovers, heterosexual or queer, etc.) from our professional one, but because we as teachers are role models and convey many un-reflected messages to our kids as a whole person. Our training unit is based on discussing the main norms and values we share or don't share both in pedagogy and sexuality. The aim is to help improve participants' understanding on the holistic approach and democratic values in sexuality and improve their capacity to accommodate, negotiate, adjust to these differences and to include those in teaching situations in a way that makes them a resource rather than a source of frustration, insecurity or conflict. Since this training unit is mainly focusing on teachers self-reflection skills, their professional and personal identity and self-development, it might be considered to use as an introductory unit combined with other training units such as sexual history, detailed school-sex-ed curricula, etc.
This training unit relies on active, experiential, cooperative learning methods, applying a non-formal approach and using changing-pair exercises, interactive, embodied activities. The activities presented here presuppose an approach that assigns an important role to peer-teaching and to an indirect way of facilitation.


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Photonics Dictionary
Fabry-Perot interferometer
A multiple-beam interferometer, usually consisting of two flat plates, with high reflective ability. The plates are set parallel to one another by spacers so that lightwaves may bounce back and forth between them several times. The requirements for constructive interference of reflected lightwaves of a given wavelength can be fulfilled only at particular angles, relative to the normal to the plates. Therefore, Fabry-Perot interferometers can be used as spectrometers with high resolution. Used as a laser resonator, the Fabry-Perot reinforces only light of specific frequencies traveling perpendicular to the mirror surfaces, and its successive reflections and amplifications form the oscillating mode.
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Pitching Drills - Increase Hip Speed to Increase your Baseball Pitching Speed!
Increasing your Hip Rotation Speed leads to increased pitching speed. Learn how now!
PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 11, 2013 - MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Fastball pitching speed is a combination of correct mechanics along with correct kinematic sequencing of your body.
Major league pitchers have very fast hip speeds which allows energy to transfer to the torso and arm.
While studying the fastest pitchers on the planet it is easy to see how they have advanced hip speed rotation, a big first step and store tons of power through elastic energy of the muscles while pitching.
The Hip Speed Trainer is a great training tool to help baseball pitchers increase their itching speed by training proper motor control of the lower body and increasing hip rotation speed.
Here is a video explaing the importance of hip speed and pitching.
The science behind why hips are so important has to do with transferring a load through the body and is known as Proximal to Distal Sequencing.
In all ground based rotational sports requiring throwing (football, baseball, discuss, shot-put) and striking (golf, baseball, hockey, punching etc...) we develop a load from the ground and transfer that energy / force through our bodies to the final lever (punch, bat, club, stick etc...).
In order to transfer as much energy as possible we need to use our bodies in an efficient manor sequencing the energy transfer in a proper order.
This is what is known as Proximal to Distal Sequencing.
The first potential rotational speed multiplier are the hips. Hip / Pelvic rotation begins with firing of the gluteus muscles and specifically the gluteus medius muscle as well as lower back lumbar rotator muscles.
The more motor control along with strength and speed of these muscles... the faster you can rotate the hips and increase over all performance.
You can purchase a Hip Speed Trainer for only $89 at _URL_ and start throwing faster pitches within a couple weeks!
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The objective of this Letter is to examine the utility of multispectral video data to supplement image data from satellite sensors in the environmental assessment of New Jersey nearshore waters. Due to the complexity of environmental conditions in nearshore waters, such applications of remote sensing technology may require a wide range of sensors. It was concluded that multispec-tral video data are a low cost and useful supplement-particularly when imaging of the water surface from satellite sensors is prohibited by weather conditions.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)


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The definition of a dip slide, as described in the HSE approved code of practice and guidance for the control of legionella bacteria in water systems, is a means of testing the microbial content of liquids. It consists of a plastic carrier bearing a sterile culture medium which can be dipped in the liquid to be sampled. It is then incubated to allow microbial growth. The resulting microbial colonies are estimated by reference to a chart.
Dipslides are the most common method of measuring and monitoring microbial activity within many systems and commonly cooling systems.


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Amnis ImageStreamX: BMSB J538
The ImageStream X (ISX) combines the quantitative power of Flow Cytometry with high content image analysis. It quantifies both the intensity and the location of fluorescent probes and can analyse highly heterogeneous samples and rare cell subpopulations at a rate of above 1000 cells per second. The ISX provides new insights into the co-localisation of proteins, cell-cell interactions, internalisation, targeted immunotherapy, parasitaology or cell cycle/cell death related questions.
A unique six-channel CCD camera and a novel velocity detection system work in concert to collect 1,000 times more light than conventional technology. The technique is called Time Delay Integration. The result is high resolution imagery with fluorescence sensitivity superior to flow cytometry.
The ImageStreamX system combines a bright field lamp, and 3 excitation lasers (405nm, 488nm, 658nm). Cellular imagery is split into six component colors through a unique spectral decomposition element. The result is a bright field image, a dark field image, and multiple fluorescence images of every cell. The ImageStream uses IDEAS software.


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* Applications of ER suspensions are of wide interest both in academia and industry
* Surveys a large body of literature on the mechanism of the ER effect and the design of industrially applicable ER devices
* Discusses technological problems affiliated with industrial applications
An electrorheological (ER) suspension is made from an insulating liquid medium embodying either a semi-conductive particulate material or a semi-conductive liquid material (usually a liquid crystal material). Since its mechanical properties can be easily controlled over a wide range (almost from a pure liquid to a solid), the ER fluid can be used as an electric and mechanical interface in various industrial areas, for example, in the automotive industrial for clutch, brake and damping systems and in robotic arm joints and hands.
In addition, the ER technique can be used to fabricate advanced functional materials such as photonic crystals, smart inks, and heterogeneous polymer composites.
The major objective of Electrorheological Fluids is to present a comprehensive survey on the ER suspensions in term of screening high performance ER materials, physical mechanisms of the ER effect, and the applications of ER technology.
For those working in the ER fluids area/related application fields and informing those interested in non-aqueous systems including polymer and polymer composites


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The zooplankton was assessed quantitatively and qualitatively in regard to their abundance in creek waters at three sites along the western mangrove of Kachchh, west coast of India, for a period of two years (_PHONE_). Totally 69 forms of zooplankton were recorded currently from 3 stations. Of these, the copepods formed the dominant group. The population density in all the three sites varied from 30,000 to 210,000 organisms m-3. Surface water temperature varied from 17 to 37°C. Salinity varied from 34.0 to 44.0 and the pH ranged between 7.0 and 8.9. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.42 to 5.85 mg L-1. These semi arid zone mangrove creek area having high densities were recorded during winter season.
A. Saravanakumar, M. Rajkumar, J. Sesh Serebiah and G.A. Thivakaran, 2007. Abundance and Seasonal Variations of Zooplankton in the Arid Zone Mangroves of Gulf of Kachchh-Gujarat, Westcoast of India. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 10: 3525-3532.


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January 12, 2013
'Singing penis' sets noise record for water insect
Ella Davies at the BBC:
Scientists from France and Scotland recorded the aquatic animal "singing" at up to 99.2 decibels, the equivalent of listening to a loud orchestra play while sitting in the front row.
The insect makes the sound by rubbing its penis against its abdomen in a process known as "stridulation".
Researchers say the song is a courtship display performed to attract a mate.
Micronecta scholtzi are freshwater insects measuring just 2mm that are common across Europe.
The team of biologists and engineering experts recorded the insects using specialist underwater microphones.
On average, the songs of M. scholtzi reached 78.9 decibels, comparable to a passing freight train.
Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 11:15 PM | Permalink


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Librados - expose checksums¶
Allow librados write operations to pass checksum metadata long with data buffers so that this information can follow the data all the way down the stack for verification at various layers. This will close one of several gaps in providing true end-to-end data integrity verification.
- Sage Weil (Red Hat)
- Name (Affiliation)
- Name (Affiliation)
We checksum data as it passes over the wire, and verify it on the other end (to detect network bit flips that TCP's checksumming misses).
We periodically read data off disk, calculate a new checksum, and compare it to replicas (to detect bit rot).
We use crc32c throughout.
Detailed Description¶We should define a generic, extensible way to describe the checksum of a buffer or data extent. We use crc32c today, but we should avoid locking ourselves into a single scheme for all time.
We should make new write call variants (e.g., rados_write2, rados_write_full2, etc.) that optionally accept checksum metdata for the data buffer being passed in. Same goes for the read operations (we should pass out the checksum metdata along with the data).
Initially, these will not do much.
Eventually, we can extend the internal protocol (the messenger on-wire protocol and/or the rados MOSDOp[Reply] encodings) to pass this data over the wire to the OSD and back.
In some cases, we can use it to populate the checksum fields in object_info_t (see other blueprint).
We can have options to control which layers of the stack recalculate the checksum over the current data buffer for verification against the provided checksum. We probably do not want to do this at every layer (too expensive), but should do it at least once before writing the data to disk, ideally at a point that avoids propagating a bit flip to multiple replicas.
Other things we might do with this later:
- pass checksum info through the ObjectStore interface
- add a rados class (or native rados op) to calculate/verify checksum info on the server side ("fixity check")
- define extensible checksum metadata structure
- define new librados read/write calls that include option checksum metadata (C and C++ interfaces)
- extend MOSDOp and MOSDOpReply to pass checksum metadata for the data payload
- allow this metadata, when present, to allow the messenger to skip the crc it is doing for the data payload


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Exploring the Opportunities for Visa Sponsorship Jobs in the USA in 2024
The United States has long been an attractive destination for skilled professionals seeking new opportunities and growth in their careers. With the advent of 2024, the landscape for visa sponsorship jobs in the USA has witnessed significant shifts and developments. As the global workforce becomes increasingly interconnected, the American job market continues to offer a multitude of prospects for foreign workers looking to contribute their expertise. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of visa sponsorship opportunities, the evolving job sectors, and the essential steps to secure employment in the United States.
Understanding the Current Visa Landscape
In the ever-evolving realm of visa sponsorship, it is crucial to comprehend the various visa categories and their specific requisites. The U.S. immigration system offers diverse pathways for foreign nationals to obtain work authorization, including the H-1B visa, L-1 visa, O-1 visa, and more. Each visa type caters to distinct professional backgrounds, skill sets, and employment objectives. Furthermore, staying informed about the latest updates and policy changes is paramount to navigating the visa process efficiently.
The Impact of Regulatory Changes on Visa Sponsorship
The recent shifts in governmental regulations and immigration policies have brought about notable implications for individuals seeking visa sponsorship in the USA. As the political climate evolves, prospective visa applicants must remain vigilant about any alterations in the visa application process, eligibility criteria, and documentation requirements. Staying abreast of these changes can significantly enhance one's chances of securing a coveted position with a reputable American employer.
Identifying Lucrative Sectors for Visa Sponsorship Jobs
In the contemporary American job market, certain industries exhibit a heightened demand for skilled professionals, thereby presenting lucrative prospects for individuals aspiring to work in the USA. Some of these burgeoning sectors include technology, healthcare, finance, engineering, and research. With the ongoing digital transformation and the increasing emphasis on innovation, tech-centric roles have become particularly sought after, offering competitive compensation packages and diverse career advancement opportunities.
Navigating the Tech Industry for Visa Sponsorship
The tech industry, renowned for its rapid growth and dynamic work environment, remains a prime avenue for foreign talents seeking visa sponsorship jobs in the USA. Companies ranging from tech startups to established tech giants actively seek skilled individuals proficient in software development, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, among other specialized domains. Amid the digital revolution, possessing in-demand tech skills can significantly bolster an individual's prospects of securing employment with a reputable American tech firm.
Strategies for Securing Visa Sponsorship Jobs in the USA
Successfully obtaining a visa sponsorship job in the United States necessitates a strategic approach and meticulous planning. While the process may appear intricate, adhering to certain best practices can streamline the journey towards acquiring a work visa and commencing a rewarding professional endeavor in the USA.
Cultivating a Robust Professional Network
Building and nurturing a robust professional network within the desired industry can prove instrumental in securing visa sponsorship opportunities. Engaging in industry-specific events, conferences, and online networking platforms can facilitate meaningful connections with potential employers and industry influencers, consequently increasing the likelihood of being considered for coveted job positions.
Enhancing Professional Credentials and Skill Sets
In the competitive landscape of the American job market, continuously honing one's professional credentials and skill sets remains imperative. Pursuing relevant certifications, advanced educational courses, and specialized training programs can not only amplify one's expertise but also make a compelling case for potential employers to sponsor
a work visa. Additionally, staying updated with the latest industry trends and technological advancements can significantly enhance one's marketability and employability.
The pursuit of visa sponsorship jobs in the USA embodies a journey brimming with potential, challenges, and transformative opportunities. By comprehensively understanding the intricacies of the American job market, staying informed about visa regulations, and strategically positioning oneself within the desired industry, individuals can embark on a fulfilling professional expedition in the land of opportunities. As the year 2024 unfolds, the United States continues to beckon talented individuals from around the world, fostering an environment of inclusivity, innovation, and professional growth.


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Sorted Array to Binary Search Tree of Minimal Height
Objective: Given a sorted array with unique elements, Create a binary search tree with minimal height.
Why minimal height is important :
We can do the linear scan to the array and make the first element as root and insert all other elements into the tree but in that case tree will be skewed, which means all the nodes of the tree will be on the one side of the root so the height of the tree will be equal to the number of elements in the array. So here our objective is to keep the tree balanced as much as possible.
What is balanced Tree: A balanced tree is a tree in which difference between heights of sub-trees of any node in the tree is not greater than one. To read more about balanced tree, click here
Input: A one dimensional array
Output: Binary Search Tree of Minimal Height
- Get the middle of the array
- make it as root. (By doing this we will ensure that half of the elements of array will be on the left side of the root and half on the right side.)
- Take the left half of the array, call recursively and add it to root.left.
- Take the right half of the array, call recursively and add it to root.right.
- return root.
Tree Display : 2 3 6 7 8 9 12 15 16 18 20
Top Companies Interview Questions..-
If you find anything incorrect or you feel that there is any better approach to solve the above problem, please write comment.


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Is there a way of finding the absolute position of an element, i.e. relative to the start of the window, using jQuery?
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2 Answers 2
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.offset() will return the offset position of an element as a simple object, eg:
var position = $(element).offset(); // position = { left: 42, top: 567 }
You can use this return value to position other elements at the same spot:
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I always forget this one, and find your post again when I google :p – Aren Jun 30 '11 at 23:14
This does not always seem to return the absolute position due to differences in borders etc. – Tom Jul 5 '11 at 12:07
I'm using chrome and the offset() does not return the proper top coordinate. It returns about 300 pixels more than the top coordinate of the element in the document instead. Why?? – SoLoGHoST Apr 23 '12 at 5:49
chrome, FF and IE are giving different results :( – Rizwan Mumtaz Apr 10 '13 at 7:02
_USER_ this problem appears in the android webview as well :/ – A Person Apr 13 '13 at 13:38
Note that $(element).offset() tells you the position of an element relative to the document. This works great in most circumstances, but in the case of position:fixed you can get unexpected results.
If your document is longer than the viewport and you have scrolled vertically toward the bottom of the document, then your position:fixed element's offset() value will be greater than the expected value by the amount you have scrolled.
If you are looking for a value relative to the viewport (window), rather than the document on a position:fixed element, you can subtract the document's scrollTop() value from the fixed element's offset().top value. Example: $("_TAG_").offset().top - $(document).scrollTop()
If the position:fixed element's offset parent is the document, you want to read parseInt($.css('top')) instead.
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I was looking exactly for this! For the noob like me: the value to be subtracted is $(document).scrollTop() – Dr. Gianluigi Zane Zanettini Aug 20 '14 at 14:56
Awesome! This should be the top answer! – Shivanshu Goyal Dec 20 '14 at 1:44
protected by Rob W Oct 30 '11 at 18:00
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?


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A Timeline for Structures at Jamestown Related to the Chiles Family
Colonial NHP Collection
In 1638-9, Richard Kemp, who served as Secretary of the Virginia colony during the tenure of the irascible Sir John Harvey, built his "brick house" on 3 ½ acres of land to the east of the present-day Ambler ruins. This "brick house" was designated S44 by NPS archeologists; it is the building that would eventually pass into Walter Chiles I's hands. Governor Sir John Harvey identified Kemp's house as the first brick dwelling at Jamestown and two eyewitnesses used the word "faire" to describe the house. Governor Harvey himself referred to Kemp's house as "the fairest that ever was knowen in this countrye for substance and uniformity."
Archeological evidence (excavations done in the 1930's and 1990's) indicate that structure 44 was a oneor possibly two-story home raised on a shallow footing of brickbats. A central, H-shaped chimney was shared by two rooms on the ground floor. Both rooms may have been paved with brick or tile.
Empy Jones, the lead excavator during the 1934-35 dig, kept a daily logbook and produced a freehand sketch (illustrated above) of the foundations laid bare. Jones' sketch indicated that S44 was about 23 feet long. S44 is also depicted in NPS archeologist John Cotter's 1958 base map of the Jamestown townsite.
Richard Kemp was a close associate of the unpopular Governor Harvey, who had been thrust out of office by his fellow Virginians and then briefly reinstated by the Crown. When Sir John's replacement Sir Francis Wyatt arrived in Virginia in 1639, he appointed a new Council, suspending Kemp as Secretary.
Colonial NHP collection
William Kemp sold S44 to Governor Wyatt in 1641, perhaps under duress, and moved to Rich Neck Plantation on the mainland. He would not recover his old post until Governor Sir William Berkeley replaced Wyatt in 1642. Sir Francis Wyatt built the "Country House" (S38) on a half-acre lot to the west of S44. (S38 is illustrated to the left in a conjectural painting by NPS artist Sydney King.)
Around 1644, Governor Sir William Berkeley purchased the S44 property with its brick house. The deed turning the property over to Sir William referred to the "mansion house, together with All gardens, orchards, yard Backsides, out houses, buildings … late in ye tenure and occupacon of Richd Kemp esq. and by him Conveyed unto Sr. ffrancis Wyatt Kt." This was at the same time that Berkeley was building his Green Spring estate, located a few miles away on the mainland. Although Sir William owned other houses in town, he may have lived in S44 at one time or another.
In 1649, Berkeley sold S44 and its acreage to merchant and Burgess Walter Chiles I. Sometime prior to his death in 1653, Walter Chiles I acquired 70 acres at Black Point, located near the easternmost tip of Jamestown Island. When Walter Chiles I died, his widow Elizabeth retained a dower interest and remained in S44. His son Walter Chiles II inherited the estate from his father.
Walter Chiles II married Mary Page, daughter of wealthy York County merchant John Page. The couple may well have lived with the widow Elizabeth for awhile before building their own 38- X 24-foot house sometime in the 1650's. This new house is referred to in site maps as S138 and was situated located directly in front of S44.
S138 was made of brick and likely consisted of two rooms, heated by a fireplace in the west gable. (The detail from a conjectural drawing of colonial Jamestown, illustrated to the right, depicts both S138 and S44, located next to the "Ambler House.")
Colonial NHP Collection
Recent archeology has indicated that a structure had stood previously on the site of S138. In 2005, NPS archeologist Dr. Andrew Veech found evidence of a post-in-the-ground structure (S178) when excavating S138. S178 appeared to be a timber building 10 feet wide and at least 24 feet long and was perhaps part of Kemp's construction efforts after 1638. It is very likely that S178 stood at the time of the Chiles family's ownership.
When Mary Chiles died, her husband Walter Chiles II married Suzanna (no last name?). When Chiles died, Suzanna wed the Reverend James Wadding and moved elsewhere. Suzanna and her husband the minister sold the lot with S44 and S138 on it to John Page, the father of Walter Chiles II's first wife Mary. John Page was a York County merchant and resident of Bruton Parrish at Middle Plantation (the site of present-day Williamsburg), where he dwelt in a brick house he had built in 1662.
Sometime before September 1676, John Page tore down S44 and built S53 behind S138; archeological evidence indicates strongly that it was a wing of S138. (These structures are depicted in a 1664 plat drawn by John Underhill, illustrated to the left.)
In 1676, there was mention of looting of S53's cellar; pipes of wine were stolen during Bacon's Rebellion. Both S138 and S53 were burned down or at least badly damaged during the rebellion.
Colonial NHP collection
By 1682, both S138 and S53 were either rebuilt or repaired by William Sherwood, who had bought the property sometime before that year. (Sherwood had been purchasing property near the center of town to renovate and improve old structures, then leasing them out to burgesses and Lord Culpepper's Council.)
Sherwood's improvements to S138 and S53 were impressive. In 2005, excavators found evidence of a porch tower raised around the front doorway, probably constructed after 1676. A "porch chamber" was on the second story of the 16'3" X 13'10" porch.
When Sherwood rebuilt S138 and S53, he followed the footprint of the Chiles house, but enlarged it and probably built the aforementioned porch tower. In government leases of the property, there is mention of a "great hall" and "Dining-Room" (probably the front rooms in S138) and "a back room on the same floor" (S53) and a "cellar" (under S53).
In excavations from the 1930's (illustrated above is a 1935 NPS dig at the Chiles/Sherwood property holdings), NPS excavators H.C. Forman and Summerfield Day found about 50,000 pieces of ornamental molded plaster across the entire Ambler complex site. These were recognized by the archeologists as destruction debris used to fill in cellar holes, leveling the old building sites in preparation for construction of the Ambler mansion in the 1750's. The vast majority of ornamental plasterwork fragments (nearly 700 pieces) were associated with S138; nearly 300 were from the excavation of the cellar of S53.
Cherub faces, a foot, a hand holding a book (illustrated to the left), mastiff heads and acanthus leaves were amongst the plasterwork debris excavated. There was no evidence of strapwork, which was typical of the first half of the 17th century. According to historian Cary Carson's report in the National Park Service's Evaluation of Previous Archeology (a document associated with its Jamestown Archeological Assessment project), the plaster fragments "were as fashionably up-to-date as any 1670-1690s plasterwork in far grander buildings in England." Carson continues: "So far as architectural historians know, S138/53 became the most dignified and fashionable public building in England's North American colonies until the Capitol at Williamsburg and the Governor's Palace were built 40 years later."
In 1697, William Sherwood died; his widow Rachel continued to lease out her property for government business.
Rachel Sherwood married Edward Jaquelin about 1699 and his eldest daughter Elizabeth (from a later marriage) would inherit his Jamestown Island plantation. She wed Richard Ambler, who built the Ambler mansion (illustrated to the right by a photograph taken before the 1895 fire that destroyed the building) and demolished S138/53, S31 and S58. It is very likely that bricks from the earlier structures were incorporated into the Ambler Mansion.
Carson, Cary (Senior Principal Investigator). Evaluation of Previous Archaeology (part of the Jamestown Archaeological Assessment study conducted between 1992 and 1996). Williamsburg, Virginia, 2006.
Cotter, John. Archeological Excavations at Jamestown. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1958.
Cotter, John and J. Paul Hudson. New Discoveries at Jamestown. Washington, D. C.:U. S. Government Printing Office, 1957.
Forman, Henry Chandlee. Jamestown and St. Mary's: Buried Cities of Romance. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1938.
---. Jamestown Archeological Assessment. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, (no date).
McCartney, Martha W. Documentary History of Jame


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This spring, a fascinating new exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery
will explore the versatile and beautiful drawing medium of red chalk. Comprising some 35 works from the Gallerys world-class collection, Red Chalk: Raphael to Ramsay will showcase a diverse range of exquisite drawings by distinguished artists, such as Peter Paul Rubens, Salvator Rosa, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Francois Boucher and David Allan. The display will feature works which, due to their delicate nature are rarely on show, as well as a number of drawings being exhibited for the first time.
Red chalk was first used for drawing on paper in late-15th century Italy. Chalk is a naturally occurring mineral, quarried directly from the earth then cut into drawing sticks which can be hand-held or chipped into a point and set into a holder. Drawing chalk can also be made, using ground up natural chalk mixed with water to form a paste then rolled into drawing sticks. This display will highlight the ways in which artists have, over the centuries, exploited the unique nature of red chalk to produce an array of dazzling and distinctive effects that cannot be achieved with any other drawing medium.
The earliest drawing on display, and a highlight of the show, will be Raphaels Study of a Kneeling Nude. This beautiful life-study was made in about 1518 and is a preparatory drawing for one of a series of Raphaels painted frescos. The delicately drawn figure reveals not only the artists phenomenal skill as a draughtsman, but also his meticulous preparation for each composition.
Rosas powerful and arresting mid-17th century drawing, Head of a Bearded Man, is a fantastic example of red chalk being used to produce a highly expressive finished drawing, intended as a piece of art in its own right. A sheet of figurative studies by the influential Baroque draughtsman Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (170887), reveals the incredible precision and control that can be achieved with red chalk, whilst Rubens Four Women Harvesting from c.1630 demonstrates how effectively chalk can be used for rapid sketching, with the simplest and most minimal strokes.
Red chalk experienced a surge in popularity with French artists in the 18th century. Drawings in the display by Watteau and Boucher will showcase how the medium was used by artists of the Rococo period to produce highly decorative and elegant drawings. Studies by Fragonard and Hubert will also provide superb examples of red chalk being chosen as a useful medium for highly evocative depictions of the landscape.
Other highlights will include a preparatory study by Guercino for his monumental oil painting of Erminia Finding the Wounded Tancred (currently displayed in the main gallery), and the Scottish portrait painter Allan Ramsays iconic drawing from 1776 of his second wife, Margaret Lindsay. The show will also include works by artists David Allan, William Delacour and Archibald Skirving to illustrate how the medium was adopted in Scotland.
Whether used to draw a detailed study from nature, a summary sketch or a highly polished finished drawing, red chalk is an enduringly popular, richly expressive and unique medium for draughtsmen. Red Chalk: Raphael to Ramsay will showcase the breadth and variety of the Gallerys drawings collection whilst providing a wonderful opportunity to see beautiful and accomplished drawings by a selection of our most admired artists.