Terms and Conditions
Article 1 Definitions
 1. Advertisement: An advertisement in which a rental property is offered and which is visible on the website of Huurda.nl;
 2. Advertisement agreement: The agreement between Huurda.nl and the user regarding the placement of advertisements.
 3. Service: The search for housing through the website, or placing an advertisement, or bringing users into contact with the website;
 4. User: The natural or legal person with whom an agreement is made, or who uses the service of Huurda.nl;
 5. Website: Huurda.nl
Article 2 Applicability
 1. These general terms and conditions apply to all agreements, offers and services of Huurda.nl. By using the website Home Seeker and Landlord declare themselves familiar with and agree with these General Terms and Conditions.
 2. The applicability of general terms and conditions other than these is in any case excluded.
Article 3 Agreement
 1. An advertising agreement is concluded by placing the rental property, or by means of a written confirmation to the User that the advertisement will be placed. The corresponding rates are mentioned on the website.
 2. By offering an advertisement the user gives Huurda.nl permission to place all information in the advertisement on the website.
 3. The user cannot hold Huurda.nl liable for damages and claims of third parties caused by placing an advertisement on the website.
Article 4 Placing houses
 1. Placing a property on the website is done by means of an advertisement. Only properties of which you are the owner or where you work on behalf of the owner may be placed on the website.
 2. In the advertisement, the property must be displayed correctly and the advertisement must paint a realistic picture of the property, possibly by means of text and photos. The advertisement may not contain misleading information. Huurda.nl retains the right to modify or if necessary remove advertising texts and/or photos that contain incorrect information at all times.
 3. No contact details may be given in the advertisement description and the advertisements may not contain information about third parties.
 4. Huurda.nl cannot be held liable for unlawful content or copyright infringement of advertisements placed by or on behalf of the landlord of the accommodation.
 5. User must ensure adequate handling of the received responses to accommodation and advertisements of properties that have already been rented out must be removed by user.
 6. By placing the advertisement Huurda.nl gives user permission to place this information on the website. Huurda.nl is authorized to use the advertisement for marketing and / or advertising purposes, with the aim of bringing the property to the attention of potential tenants.
Article 5 Content of advertisements
 1. The user may be held liable for the unlawful content of the advertisement placed by him on the website.
 2. The ad complies at least with the following:
 1. The content of the advertisement may not be unlawful or contrary to the laws and regulations in force in the Netherlands;
 2. The content of the advertisement may not harm Huurda.nl in any way;
 3. The content of the advertisement may not harm and/or harass other users;
 4. The accommodation that is offered for rent by the User should be the property of the User or of the person on whose instructions the User works and is intended for rent;
 3. User should not misuse the website, including the following:
 1. Unlawful texts, including discriminatory and insulting texts;
 2. Mentioning or referring to other websites, other than Huurda.nl or advertisements from other websites, other than Huurda.nl;
 3. Advertisements not aimed at the rental of housing.
Article 6 illegal rental
 1. It is not permitted to offer housing on the website if the occupant cannot or may not register with the municipality at the address.
 2. It is not allowed to offer housing on the website if the property does not have a residential destination, but where the occupant can register at the address with the municipality.
 3. The requirements mentioned above under 1 and 2 arise from the Basic Registration of Persons Act (Wet Basisregistratie Personen).
 4. Huurda.nl reserves the right to adjust or remove advertisements with illegal offers of housing. Huurda.nl can also take appropriate measures against landlord.
Article 7: Use of service
 1. The personal data of potential tenants may not be used by the user for purposes other than the conclusion of a rental agreement.
 2. User is not allowed to approach other users for commercial purposes.
 3. Huurda.nl can terminate the agreement with user in case of violation of these terms and conditions. Already paid costs will not be refunded to user. Huurda.nl can also block user.
 4. Huurda.nl has the right to report criminal offences and in doing so Huurda.nl has the right to provide all necessary information about user to the third party who is entitled to do so.
 5. Any damage suffered by Huurda.nl as a result of breaches by the user can be recovered by Huurda.nl from the user.
Article 8 Tariff and payment
 1. Placement of a rental Advertisement must be paid for by the Advertiser. The applicable rates are indicated on Huurda.NL. Placement of the Advertisement takes place after Huurda.nl has received the amount due for the Advertisement.
Article 9 Right of withdrawal
 1. Placing an Advertisement may in certain cases be subject to the right of dissolution as referred to in Section 6:230 of the Dutch Civil Code.
 2. In any case, the right of dissolution does not apply to Advertisements that have been removed from the Website because they contravened the terms and conditions.
 3. Unless agreed otherwise, you agree that an Advertisement will be placed immediately, during the statutory period of dissolution. This has consequences for any applicable right of dissolution. You also declare that you waive any applicable right of dissolution as soon as Huurda.nl has placed the Advertisement.
 4. If the right of dissolution referred to in article 9.1 applies to the Advertisement placed by you then you agree that if you use your right of dissolution, you owe Huurda.nl a proportionate fee for the services provided by Huurda.nl. In certain cases this proportional fee will be calculated based on the number of days that remain from the agreed-upon advertising period and/or the average number of responses to your Advertisement, as periodically determined by Huurda.nl, when using your right of withdrawal.
Article 10 Intellectual property rights
 1. All property rights on the website belong to Huurda.nl. The content of the placed advertisements does not fall under the property rights of Huurda.nl.
 2. Huurda.nl is free to place advertisements on partner websites.
 3. Huurda.nl explicitly reserves the copyrights. It is therefore - without the prior written permission of Huurda.nl - not permitted to reproduce or publish the Publication in whole or in part in any way, with the exception of permitted deep links. Mentioning Huurda.nl as source does not make that any different.
 4. If the user infringes the rights of Huurda.nl the user is responsible for all damage suffered by Huurda.nl as a result, including the costs of investigation and legal assistance.
Match-Make a Move BV
Twentepoort Oost 34
7609 RG Almelo
Phone: 088 - 700 99 00
CoC No.: 63421461
VAT No.: NL855228647B01


text:
Aztec grass (Liriope muscari "Aztec Grass") is a perennial plant with a grass-like appearance. The foliage is silver-grey and grows 15 inches tall in clumps. Plant Aztec grass in a spot that gets full sun, at least six hours a day in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 8; in zones 9 and 10, pick a spot that gets four to six hours of sun per day. Keep this attractive groundcover looking neat and tidy by trimming periodically.
Late Winter Trim
Keep Aztec grass looking healthy and full with an annual cutting in mid to late winter, before the new spring shoots emerge. In large areas, simply mow the plants down to the ground using a mower. In smaller areas, a pair of sharp clippers work well. Cut the stalks down to the soil line. Compost the clippings or spread them around the base of the plant as a mulch layer.
Tidy Plants Throughout the Year
Keep the plants looking tidy throughout the year by removing any dead or brown foliage. Use a pair of clippers to cut the individual stalks down at the base. Alternately, remove the individual stalks by pinching them at the base using your fingernails.
Keep Aztec grass healthy and avoid mid-growing season browning by following a regular watering routine. Water once a week throughout the growing season, soaking the soil at the base of each plant. In hot, dry weather, increase the water application as needed. Press your finger 1 inch deep in the soil to test it for moisture. When it feels dry an inch down, add water to the soil.
Dividing Aztec Grass
Aztec grass is a perennial that spreads from underground roots. As the plants expand they can get over crowded, causing the plants to grow poorly. Divide Aztec grass every two to three years to keep the plants healthy and avoid over crowding. In early spring, dig out the clump and divide. Replant half the plant at the same location and plant the other half in a new location, or pot up and give away.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Billy Biggs
Tue Jun 17 21:50:21 EDT 2003
Alexander Kellett, a KDE developer, was looking for a way to dynamically change the colours in a desktop theme, but still keep the set of colours consistent. Imagine taking a theme where the icons are predominantly blue and changing it to a red-based colour scheme.
My suggestion was to rotate the colours using the hue angle from a perceptual colour space like CIELAB. This keeps the lightness (perceptual brightness) and amount of colour unchanged while rotating the hue.
The following is an example of a colourful image rotated by its hue, and then an example of a set of ten KDE icons. The icons show how each new colour scheme is relatively consistent in appearance, and our transition around the hue axis results in a reasonably even walk around the available colours. Finally, we show a saturated chromaticity diagram rotated by its hue to better show how these colours are mapped.
The source code for performing this rotation has been made available under the MIT license.
For a better idea of where colours get rotated to, click here for some renderings and a visual description of the CIELAB hue circle.


text:
Home Market Effect Hypothesis in a Multi-Country World
AbstractThe home market effect (HME) is commonly defined as a more than proportional positive causation from demand to supply. Recent theoretical literature, however, shows that the traditional definition highlighted within two-country framework does not always survive in higher dimensional settings. This is because 'third' country effects (i.e. adjustments in foreign expenditures) may reverse the positive impact that an increase in domestic demand has on its production. As such, empirical implementations of the HME hypothesis are problematic. In this paper, we try to fill this gap by proposing a revised version of the HME test, robust to an arbitrary number of countries. Using Behrens et al. (2004), which extends Krugman (1980) model to a multi-country setting, we derive a theory-founded empirical specification that accounts for a complete geographical structure of demand and proximity incentives offered to firms when choosing location sites to set up production facilities. We estimate the evolution of production structure in the EU countries for 24 manufacturing sectors over _PHONE_. We find support for the presence of the HME in a number of industries. The results also emphasize the importance of countries access to foreign markets.
Download InfoIf you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies in its series IHEID Working Papers with number 16-2007.
Date of creation: Feb 2007
Date of revision: Feb 2007
New trade theory; multi-country models; economic geography; home market effect; market potential; market access;
Find related papers by JEL classification:
- F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
- F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
- F17 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Forecasting and Simulation
- R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
- R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
You can help add them by filling out this form.
reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.Access and download statisticsgeneral information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Johannes Eugster).
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.


Health and Income Mobility
How income mobility contributes to health disparities
with Alberto Palloni
Recent research on U.S. income mobility and health using community and individual data shows that higher mobility is associated with lower mortality risks. That relationship seems to be stronger and more consistent than the relationship between income inequality and health (a topic widely studied), although considerably smaller than the impact of income on mortality. This preliminary evidence suggests that income mobility might be a relevant determinant of health and mortality. Surprisingly, this potential pathway has received little attention in the literature.
My dissertation builds on that small literature and examines the robustness of the relationship between income mobility and health at the aggregate and individual level. By using different data sources and modeling approaches, I describe the magnitude and variability of this association in the U.S., and explore the plausibility and consistency of explanations offered in the literature. The central argument is that the effect of income mobility on health is stronger and larger than the impact of income inequality and that the mechanisms behind it, although related to income inequality, are theoretically distinct and independent of those of income and inequality, and can have powerful and lasting consequences.
Agents moving across counties / neighborhoods based on the income of their residents.
To ground this argument, I use two strategies. First, I analyze aggregate and individual data to assess the magnitude, robustness, and variability of the effects of income mobility, and empirically examine whether some of the potential pathways and mechanisms proposed in the literature are supported by the data. Secondly, building on this evidence, I use a theoretical model to assess the conditions and plausibility of the potential mechanisms involved in the association between income mobility and health. By formulating a generative model, where I precisely define (represent) a set of mechanisms (causal relationships) likely to bring about the observed patterns, I am able to assess the internal consistency of the theory and evaluate its generative sufficiency.
More info here.


text:
Posted by: Ivy Wigmore
a or an, abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms, acronyms and prepositions
Which is correct?
An enhanced driver's license contains _______ that allows authorities to pull up your data.
a. a RFID tag
b. an RFID tag
The official pronunciation of RFID is R-F-I-D – saying the letters of the initialism separately. However, if something can be said in two syllables rather than four, that's usually going to happen (and who am I to argue, since I pronounce ASAP as A-sap). RFID is commonly pronounced ARE-fid. Whether you pronounce the letters separately, though, or say are-fid, "an" is the correct article because both sound as if they start with a vowel.
There are also those who pronounce RFID as RIFF-id or RIFF-dee. If that's how you pronounce it, you could write a RFID but be aware that most people would read that as "a ARE-EFF-EYE-DEE" or "a ARE-fid," which would not leave a good impression of your intelligence. Try saying them out loud and you'll see what I mean.
The Urban Dictionary discusses RFID, including its pronunciation.
Follow me on Twitter _USER_

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Why the asterisk is a new symbol of pride
When academics generate data on race in higher education, they often include an asterisk next to the Native American category. That little mark lets researchers know the population is "statistically not significant," usually meaning roughly less than 1 percent of the student population.
In March, Stylus Publishing will release what is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of writing by Native American scholars to date: "Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education." With contributions from more than a dozen leading Native Americans in higher education, the new book examines the Native American college experience from almost every angle — from the first-year experience, to tribal colleges, to Native American Greek organizations and culturally sensitive housing.
"One of the things that constantly came up [for the Native American academics] was this concept of invisibility: in scholarship, research, data, curriculum and on the campuses," says Heather J. Shotton, the lead editor of the book. Shotton is a professor at Oklahoma University and a member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. "For us, the idea was to offer some perspective on Native students, from Native professors."
Shotton is quick to point out that the Native experience is different from other minority groups.
"I think what separates Native students is that Native people are not just a racial or ethnic group. We are also considered a political group," she says. "We are citizens of sovereign nations — tribal nations, but also citizens of the United States."


With heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems eating up about 50 per cent of energy used in homes and buildings, cars are now being deployed in the United States with thermal-imaging rooftop rigs that create heat maps to detect building envelope inefficiencies.
The technology has been developed by Essess, a spin-out from MIT, to provide a more scalable and cost-effective approach to auditing buildings. On-site audits for residential and small commercial units can be difficult to implement on a large scale due to the cost and time required to manually conduct an audit on each unit, but each imaging rig can capture thermal images for tens of thousands of units in a single night.
The rig includes two long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiometric cameras and near-infrared cameras. In order to get a robust, vertical image of the scene, data streams from the LWIR are stitched together using proprietary algorithms. A LiDAR system - a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analysing the reflected light - captures the images in 3D and separates building facades from the physical environment.
The vehicles are also armed with an on-board rig management system with a suite of driver and navigator tools to maintain and troubleshoot the imaging rig in real time, as well as optimise route planning.
"In our calculations, we assume the average temperature and pressure inside of the home and are able to measure the exact temperature and pressure in the outside environment. The technology can, very accurately, show blatant hot spots throughout the building envelope," explained Navi Singh, head of solutions delivery at Essess.
The data captured using the thermal imaging system is then combined with utility data, weather data, property records and demographic information to deliver a highly personalised energy efficiency analysis for each building envelope. Combining multiple sources of information enables an analytical engine to identify the optimal structural improvements.
Thermal cameras have previously been very expensive – costing as much as $40,000 – with lower resolution than ordinary smartphone cameras. But a technology breakthrough by Field Intelligence Lab has led to low-cost cameras – about $1,000 – which produce high-resolution thermal images.
"We've made thermal imaging very automated on a very large scale," says Essess co-founder Sanjay Sarma, who co-invented the technology.
The inherent scalability of the thermal imaging technology offers the potential for electric and gas utilities to scan their entire service territories in a matter of days or weeks to derive intelligence around their customers. That information has previously been far too costly to obtain.
By way of example, the map below displays over 17,000 buildings in Cambridge, Massachussetts which were scanned in a matter of hours.
Building Envelope Efficiency of Houses In Cambridge
Building envelope efficiency of houses in Cambridge
The different colors represent a building's energy loss via the envelope. Blue or purple buildings have more efficient building envelopes, whereas red buildings suffer from some form of structural inefficiency that results in substantial energy loss.
From an HVAC perspective, system efficiency is affected by the system itself, by household behavioural factors such as thermostat and window usage, and by the building envelope. Companies measuring HVAC efficiency today, by reading meters and using other data, have no building-envelope scans, so they can't really determine if the envelope is the cause.
If the audit team sees high meter usage that corresponds to really high HVAC load, but see a really strong envelope captured by the thermal imaging camera, this will alert them to an abnormality that has to be addressed by an HVAC contractor.
There have been, and continue to be, significant challenges but efficiencies are continuing to improve.
Temperature differences and vibrations, among other things, mean that infrared cameras need daily calibration. Constant tweaks have also had to be made to the GPS system, while software development is an evolutionary process.
Furthermore, it was only with the system running that they realised that when there is a tree in front of the building, in the thermal image it was hard to figure out where the tree ends and the building begins. That is what led to the installation of the LiDAR system, to better differentiate building facades from the surrounding environment.
Singh also agreed that there are and will always be outliers in the data set.
"What if someone has gone on vacation and left their heat on a really low setting, for example? For the majority of the data scanned, the information is still very useful. For someone having a party, they may have a really high internal temperature than can often be very useful as it further highlights where heat is leaking from the building. Furthermore, in cases where one home is extremely out of sync with other homes in the neighborhood, the algorithm highlights that particular home and we will look at the data for that home in more detail in order figure out exactly why that home is an outlier," he said.
Essess estimates that by making homes just two per cent more efficient, billions of dollars could be saved.
 - Despite their ubiquity in the built environment, people still grossly underestimate the impact of HVAC installations on energy consumption and utilities bills.


text:
Why should students with disabilities consider studying design fields?
According to Building a World Fit for People: Designers with Disabilities at Work, design itself is improved when individuals with disabilities participate as designers. Designers with disabilities found that "living with a disability while thinking about improving designed spaces had heightened their thoughtfulness, determination, maturity, problem-solving skills, empathy, aesthetic consciousness, kinesthetic awareness and social justice in design." The creativity they had developed to live well as an individual with a disability aided them in being successful in careers in design fields.
For students with disabilities interested in a creative career path, design fields like architecture, interior design, apparel design, landscape architecture, and graphic design can be great career choices. Design careers are creative fields that allow an individual to create work that fulfills others' needs, according to an article titled "What is Design?" by the Institute for Human Centered Design.
Inaccessible studio spaces and activities are often listed as reasons why some students with disabilities are not fully included or encouraged to pursue design. The incorporation of technology and universal design strategies can eliminate or minimize potential barriers so that students with all types of disabilities can participate and succeed in design classes.
For more information on careers in design fields and people with disabilities consult Why Design is a Good Fit for People with Disabilities.
AccessDesign has been developed in partnership with Access to Design Professions, Institute for Human Centered Design, (IHCD) Boston, MA and funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).


text:
How and where was the Reigate cache discovered?
Left: The Reigate doublet in a purpose made mount and a replica now displayed at J. Stoneman and Sons showroom
The Reigate cache of two concealed objects was discovered in 1990, in a shop in Reigate. The funeral directors and monumental stonemasons, J.Stoneman and Sons own the shop. The shop was undergoing a re-fit at the time the cache was found concealed: a doublet and an inkwell.
The cache was located above the ingle-nook fireplace behind the main beam, between the ground floor and first floor. The fireplace is a common location for concealed objects to be found. When found the doublet was crumpled and dirty; it was first thought to be a sack, but recognised as a garment because of the buttons.
What reaction did the discovery of the cache provoke?
The owner luckily recognised that the doublet and inkwell may be of some significance and took them to curator Kay Staniland of the Museum of London for identification. The Textile Conservation Centre was contacted by the Museum of London for advice. Conservator Dinah Eastop examined the doublet and later took the doublet on as a student research project. The interest in the doublet was primarily founded on the fact that it appeared to be an item of working class dress, of which there are very few surviving examples. In the area above the ingle-nook fireplace the doublet would have been protected from some of the environmental conditions that cause textiles to decay; the area would have been dark and dry and the surrounding stone and wood, would have buffered temperature changes.
Susan Stanton undertook the research project at The Textile Conservation Centre from _PHONE_. Examination of the materials and construction of the doublet confirmed the preliminary dating to the early 17th century. Research into the age of the building in which the doublet was found supports this conclusion. Despite the doublet's crumpled, dirty and degraded state, careful research was able to identify that it was made of three layers of linen; an outer, an interlining and a lining, all of a brown/grey colour.
Where is the cache kept now?
The doublet and the inkwell are currently displayed in the J.Stoneman and Sons shop in Reigate where they were discovered. When deciding how she would approach the treatment of the doublet it was important for Susan Stanton to consider how and where it would be displayed, and how the object's history and context could be represented. To preserve the fragile doublet and support it in the best possible way, some of the dust and dirt was carefully removed and it was placed in a custom-made, fully supportive mount. It was not unfolded and placed on a mannequin, although this may have made it easier to recognise the doublet's original shape and construction, because it was too delicate. Instead Stanton constructed a replica, after taking careful measurements from the original. The replica is display alongside the doublet and inkwell.


text:
A recent study has published findings that may find a correlation between the sensitivity of a child's taste buds and their risk of obesity.
German researchers have reported findings that obese children have less sensitive taste buds than their normal weight counterparts.
The researchers studied 193 healthy children whose ages ranged from 6-18. For the study researchers placed taste strips that represented five different kinds of taste including sweet, sour, salty, umami (savory) and bitter. There were four different levels of intensity plus two strips that had no taste.
Obese kids had a significantly lower score of 12.6 compared to a score of 14 from the normal weight kids. Which means the obese kids had a harder time distinguishing between tests.
Here's what the report said:
"For example, the hormone leptin is associated with hunger, fat storage and the ability to taste sweet things. Obese people may be less sensitive to its daily cycles. Also, if the level of insulin circulating in the blood stream remains consistently elevated for long periods of time, as it does in many obese people, it could weaken the cells' receptors to the hormone, which in turn could mute taste sensitivity."
If there is a correlation between less sensitive taste buds and childhood obesity - research could help parents in helping children whom are more at risk to obesity to create strategies that focus on mindful eating and taste preferences rather than calorie counting.


text:
The Finnish Youth Research Network produces multidisciplinary research information and participates in discussion in society, offering perspectives for practical work with young people and for the fields of administration and politics. Youth research has a particular responsibility to address topical phenomena that concern young people. Our research covers topics that are familiar to and acknowledged by society as well as themes that are ignored or marginal. This responsibility is local, national and global.
The research operations of the Finnish Youth Research Network are based on multidisciplinary and ethical approaches and a combination of basic academic research and applied research that is relevant in terms of youth policy. This broadens conventional understanding of the scope of expertise and the roles of researchers. Within the Finnish Youth Research Network, we seek to make versatile use of various research methods by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, for example, and to look beyond conventional research questions and environments.
The research carried out by the Finnish Youth Research Network is divided into three fields of knowledge. These fields reflect the key perspectives of social responsibility and the high-quality scientific research conducted by the Finnish Youth Research Network. The goal is to produce a diverse range of studies on social divisions that lay the framework for the lives of young people and on the everyday experiences and practices of young people and the adults who work with them. Research projects and the researchers involved in the projects cooperate in various sections of these focus areas.
More information about research projects in progress within the Finnish Youth Research Network is available on the Research Projects page.
Research within the Finnish Youth Research Network is funded by ministries, international providers of research funding, the Academy of Finland, foundations, organisations and municipalities, among other parties. We cooperate with universities, universities of applied sciences, research institutes, organisations, scientific societies and many other partners.


text:
Last month Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida, leaving a wake of devastation in its path. An estimated $2.5 billion in damage was done to production agriculture across the Sunshine State. Dairy producers were not hit as hard as other sectors, but losses are still expected to total near $12 million according to officials with the Florida Department of Agriculture.
"Florida agriculture took it on the chin as Hurricane Irma pummeled the state, and the $2.5 billion in agricultural damages is only an initial assessment," says Adam H. Putnam, Florida commissioner of agriculture.
A report released by the Florida Department of Agriculture with data from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service assessed damage in all of Florida's 67 counties.
Irma forced milk processing plants to shutdown prior, during and after the storm. Southeast Milk Inc., a milk cooperative in with members across Florida, lost an estimated $1,951,695 from milk dumping and milk being sold at lower prices in other markets.
Electricity went down for several days at dairies making cooling animals with fans difficult, leading to heat stress and lower milk production. It is estimated Florida dairy farms will lose $7.5 million in revenue during the next four months because of the health setbacks cattle suffered.
An estimated 40 dairies incurred significant damage from Irma to barns, equipment, fences and other structures. No official number is released, but estimates include:
- $4,000 per farm in debris cleanup and rebuilding fences: $160,000.
- $50,000 per farm in damage to barns, sheds, milk parlors, and other infrastructure: $2,000,000.
- $5,000 per farm in equipment damage: $200,000.
"We're likely to see even greater economic losses as we account for loss of future production and the cost to rebuild infrastructure," Putnam says.
Total losses, including crop losses, to dairy producers in the state are estimated to be $11,811,695.
Losses for other agriculture industry sectors include:
- Citrus: $760,816,600
- Beef Cattle: $237,476,562
- Aquaculture: $36,850,000
- Fruits and Vegetables (Excludes Citrus): $180,193,096
- Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture: $624,819,895
- Sugar: $382,603,397
- Field Crops: $62,747,058
- Forestry $261,280,000
The report states Florida has more than 100 dairies milking 125,000 total cows. Annually milk sales are more than $500 million in Florida.


text:
Kit Consists of: 40 oz MIL Engine Treatment, 8 oz Compound 90, 8 oz Fuel System Treatment
What you can expect after installing an one-time treatment:
- Reducing noxious emissions.
- Improve engine efficiency.
- Reducing fuel consumption.
- Decrease maintenance costs.
- Extending the life of your engine.
- Provides optimal performance.
- Smoother operation.
- Increased horsepower and torque.
- Engine Treatement is Microlon's standard formulation and is added to the crankcase
for the treatment of internal combustion engines.
- Fuel System Treatment is added to the fuel tank and contains the highest quality cleaning agents, corrosion inhibitors and antioxidants. These ingredients combine to prepare the pore structure to receive the Microlon Engine Treatment and provide lasting protection.


text:
Word Origin & History
1593, from M.Fr. caisse "money box," from Prov. caissa, It. cassa, from L. capsa "box" (see case
(2)); originally the money box, but the secondary sense of the money in it became sole meaning 18c. Verb meaning "to convert to cash" (as a check, etc.) is first attested 1811.
Like most financial terms in Eng., ultimately from It. (cf. bankrupt, etc.). Not related to (but influencing the form of) the colonial British cash "Indian monetary system, Chinese coin, etc.," which is from Tamil kasu, Skt. karsha, Sinhalese kasi. Cash crop is attested from 1869; cash flow from 1954.


text:
Because the friar prepares a potion contrary to anything known to science, some critics have labeled this a supernatural element in the plot. Is it plausible that the friar should have in his possession a potion capable of making a person appear dead for a set length of time?
Answers 1Add Yours
Answered by Aslan
Plant science and apothecary science were well established in Elizabethan times. They certainly had sedatives made from plant extract so we can accept the Friar's potion, even if the idea of a prolonged "sleep" is a little far fetched.


text:
This list was the first seriously researched peakbagging list ever created, by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. Prior to this time, detailed topographic maps for large areas were not available, so it is not surprising that the first list was made in a nation where the Ordnance Survey was ahead of the pack in creating high-quality maps.
A "Munro" is a peak in Scotland over 3000 feet high. The list has been revised many times over the years by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and the latest revision in 1997 has 284 summits. There is a separate list of 227 "Munro Tops" with less prominence than the Munros, but there is no consistent criteria for determining if a peak is a "Top" or a full Munro.
There is no serious list of peaks in the British Isles that does not own a huge debt to Alan Dawson's The Relative Hills of Britian, the ultimate reference for the subject. The Range classification above is based on his chapter headings, with some modifications. Dawson also pioneered the use of prominence numbers to help classify peaks.


Documentation Center
 - Trials
 - Product Updates
File name of currently running function
p = mfilename('fullpath')
c = mfilename('class')
mfilename returns a string containing the file name of the most recently invoked function. When called from within the file, it returns the name of that file. This allows a function to determine its name, even if the file name has been changed.
More About
expand all
When called from the command line, mfilename returns an empty string.
See Also
| | | |
Was this topic helpful?


statistical analysis in support of performing regulatory activities. It primarily focuses on data integrity and dataflow. Clinical Data Science (CDS) has expanded the scope of CDM by ensuring the data is reliable and credible. Risk-based data strategies are essential to consider as the most important component in the automation of clinical data management. Other solutions include identifying sites for clinical trials, targeting the right audience, recruiting the right patients, collecting reported outcomes, obtaining digital consent, remotely screening patients, and conducting decentralized trials. Not all data collected is useful for statistical or other analysis. There has been a steady increase in data volume; CDM can ensure which data needs to be collected to support further analysis. CDM is responsible for generating structured and unstructured data from various sources and transforming that data into useful information. Generating, integrating, and interpreting different data type new data technology strategies. Take Clinical Research Course from the Best. Sponsors have incredibly increased the use of healthcare apps and digital health technologies to collect other real-world data (RWD) and reported outcomes. Over 200 new health apps are added every day to app stores. Phase IV is most likely of all clinical trial phases to witness experiments with digital health. However, this is unfortunate since it can improve the efficacy of clinical research trials in various ways. Automation of clinical data management presents myriad possibilities for clinical research trials. Streamline clinical trial management, enhance data collection, analysis, and sharing, better matching of eligible patients with trials, and an overall improvement in experience for all stakeholders are some ways suggested and tested strategies. Still, a lot still needs to be done to enhance and maximize the benefits of automation. Take the Best Training in Clinical Research. Currently, electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic data capture (EDC) can rarely be integrated. The problems of exchange and the non-standardization of data should be solved for the clinical research industry to achieve the full potential of automated processes.
Laser Hair Removal Cost in Bangalore
Laser hair removal is safe, painless and the best solution for getting rid of unwanted body hair. This method has replaced the traditional methods of removing hair by providing excellent long lasting results. Laser hair removal selectively targets the dark melanin present in the hair follicles. When the laser energy is targeted over the skin, the hair follicles get heated up and are burnt which destroys the growth of hair and provides long-lasting hair free skin. Dr. Dixit Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic is the best clinic for laser hair removal in Bangalore and they use advanced technology to remove unwanted hair. Laser hair removal is a safe treatment as the rays used in the laser targets the dark melanin present in the hair follicle and does not damage to the surrounding skin areas. At Dr. Dixit Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Rasya Dixit, the laser hair removal procedure is performed to deliver safe and best results. The different types of laser used here are diode and Nd YAG lase, and both these lasers are considered safe for Indian skin types. This procedure gives long-lasting reduction in the hair growth. The laser hair removal cost in Bangalore depends on the target area, number of laser sessions provided, type of laser involved during the treatment. To know more about the laser technology consult Dr. Rasya Dixit. Disclaimer: Images and contents used in this post are only for promotional purposes.


1. Check that the keypad is not locked.
 2. Make sure that all keys are responding correctly when they are pressed. In some cases, a key may get stuck and freeze the whole keypad.
 3. Try removing and replacing the covers (if your phone supports that feature). Check that the power and side keys on the cover are properly aligned (e.g. pushed out) to their respective positions to have a proper tactile feel when pressing the keys.


text:
The interaction between dependent or connected risk and independent risk is interesting and will significantly change the overall probability of success or failure of an endeavour or organisation.
As discussed in my last post on 'The Flaw of Averages' using a single average value for an uncertainty is a recipe for disaster. But there is a difference between averaging, connecting and combining uncertainties (or risk).
Where risk events are connected, the ability to model and appreciate the effect of the risk events interacting with each other is difficult. In 'The Flaw of Averages' Sam Shaw uses the simile of wobbling a step ladder to determine the uncertainty of how safe the ladder is to climb. You can test the stability of one ladder by giving it a good 'wobble'. However, if you are trying to determine the stability of a plank between two stepladders doubling the information from wobbling just one is not a lot of help. Far more sophisticated modelling is needed and even then you cannot be certain the full set of potential interactions is correctly combined in the model. The more complex the interactions between uncertainties, the less accurate the predictive model.
However, when the risks or uncertainties are independent, combining the risks through the creation of a portfolio of uncertainties reduces the overall uncertainty quite dramatically.
The effect of portfolios
Consider a totally unbiased dice, any one throw can end up anywhere and every value between 1 & 6 has an equal probability of being achieved. The more throws, the more even the results for each possibility and consequently there is no possibility of determining the outcome!
The distribution after 10, 100 and 1000 throws.
As the number of throws increase, the early distortions apparent after 10 throws smooth out and after 1000 throws the probabilities are almost equal.
However, combine two dice and total the score results in a very different outcome. Whilst it is possible to throw any value between 2 & 12, the probability of achieving a number nearer the middle of the range is much higher than the probability of achieving a 2 or a 12. The potential range of outcomes starts to approximate a 'normal distribution curve' (or a bell curve). The reason for this is there is only one combination of numbers that will produce a 2 or a 12; there are significantly more combinations that can make 7.
The more dice you add to the 'throw', the closer the curve becomes to a 'normal distribution' (or bell curve), which is normally what you expect/get, which is the origin of the name!
The consequence of this phenomenon is to demonstrate that the creation of a portfolio of projects will have the effect of generating a normal distribution curve for the outcome of the overall portfolio, which makes the process of portfolio management a more certain undertaking than the management of the individual projects within the portfolio. The overall uncertainty is less than the individual uncertainties……
Each project carries its level of uncertainty and has a probability of succeeding off-set by a probability of failing (see Stakeholder Risk Tolerance) but as more projects are added the probability of the overall portfolio performing more or less as expected increases, provided each of the uncertainties are independent! This effect is known as the Central Limit Theorem.
One important effect of the Central Limit Theorem is the size if the contingency needed to achieve a desired level of safety for a portfolio of projects is much smaller than the sum of the contingencies needed to achieve the same level of 'safety' in each of the individual projects. Risk management is a project centric process; contingency management is better managed at the portfolio level. Not only is the overall uncertainty reduced, but the portfolio manager can offset losses in one project against gains in another.
Whist this theorem is statistically valuable, the nature of most organisations constrains the potential benefit. From a statistical perspective diversity is the key; this is why most conservative investment portfolios are diversified. However, project portfolios tend to be concentrated in the area of expertise of the organisation which removes some of the randomness needed for the Central Limit Theorem to have its full effect.
It is also important to remember that whilst creating a portfolio will reduce uncertainty, no portfolio can remove all uncertainty.
In addition to the residual risk of failure inherent in every project, there is always the possibility of a 'black swan' lurking in the future. Originally conceptualized by philosopher Karl Popper and refined by N. N. Taleb, a 'black swan' is a risk event that has never occurred before, if it did occur would have and extreme impact and is easy to explain after the event, but is culturally impossible to predict in advance (ie, the event could be foreseen if someone is asked to think about it but it is nearly impossible to think the thought for a compelling reason). For more on black swans see our blog post and White Paper.
The Law of Averages
The Central Limit Theorem is closely aligned to The Law of Averages. The Law of Averages states that if you repeatedly take the average of the same type of uncertain number the average of the samples will converge to a single result, the true average of the uncertain number. However, as the 'flaw of averages' has demonstrated, this does not mean you can replace every uncertainty with an average value and some uncertain numbers never converge.
Both the Law of Averages and Central Limit Theorem are useful concepts; they are the statistical equivalent of the adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket". When you create a portfolio of projects, the average probability of any one project succeeding or failing remains the same as if the project was excluded from the portfolio, but the risk of portfolio suffering an overall failure becomes less as the number of projects included in the portfolio increases.
However, unlike physical laws such as gravity, these laws are not immutable – drop an apple within the earths gravitational pull and it will fall; create a portfolio and there is always a low probability that the results will not conform to normal expectations!
Certainly the probability of a portfolio of projects 'failing' is lower then the average probability of each project failing but a reduced level of risk still leaves a residual level of risk.


text:
In this assignment, you will explore the dynamics of the small-group theory. You will learn the competing views of the small-group theory, understand the similarities and differences within the small-group theory, and identify these differences and similarities in your own group interactions.
Using the Argosy University online library resources and the Internet, read more about group dynamics and the small-group theory. Based on your research, in a minimum of 400 words, respond to the following points:
- Compare and contrast the competing views of the small-group theory and provide the most relevant information based on your research.
- Analyze how your current research on the small-group theory supports a past group experience of your own, especially in the area of human services, voluntary service, or otherwise.


text:
SDL presents a very simple interface to the display framebuffer. The framebuffer is represented as an offscreen surface to which you can write directly. If you want the screen to show what you have written, call the update function which will guarantee that the desired portion of the screen is updated.
Before you call any of the SDL video functions, you must first call SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO), which initializes the video and events in the SDL library. Check the return code, which should be 0, to see if there were any errors in starting up.
If you use both sound and video in your application, you need to call SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_AUDIO | SDL_INIT_VIDEO) before opening the sound device, otherwise under Win32 DirectX, you won't be able to set full-screen display modes.
After you have initialized the library, you can start up the video display in a number of ways. The easiest way is to pick a common screen resolution and depth and just initialize the video, checking for errors. You will probably get what you want, but SDL may be emulating your requested mode and converting the display on update. The best way is to query, for the best video mode closest to the desired one, and then convert your images to that pixel format.
SDL currently supports any bit depth >= 8 bits per pixel. 8 bpp formats are considered 8-bit palettized modes, while 12, 15, 16, 24, and 32 bits per pixel are considered "packed pixel" modes, meaning each pixel contains the RGB color components packed in the bits of the pixel.
After you have initialized your video mode, you can take the surface that was returned, and write to it like any other framebuffer, calling the update routine as you go.
When you have finished your video access and are ready to quit your application, you should call "SDL_Quit()" to shutdown the video and events.


text:
There are many kinds of connectors that crimp onto a wire. These connectors serve a wide variety of purposes, which all relate to joining wires together to make circuits.
A crimp-on connector has an end of a wire inserted into it, and then you crush the connector in a specific way so that it grabs the end of the wire. Often one uses a crimping tool, but in some cases pliers can do the job. In some cases there are special purpose crimping tools for specific connectors.
It is arguably a good idea to also solder a wire to a crimp on connector. Many claim that a crimp on connection doesn't give a good enough electrical connection, and that soldering does a much better job. Some do not crimp at all but only solder. While others only crimp and do not solder. Clearly to each their own.


text:
Floresville ISD AFTER SCHOOL DAY CARE takes pride in our Program and staff. Each day, we strive to give each child the love and nurturing they need in the absence of their parent(s), as well as create a positive learning experience where they can grow physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively by offering a variety of activities to all. This will ensure that during their time spent away from home they will be happily engaged. We believe that communication between staff and the parent(s) is essential.
Before your child can be admitted to our program, the following steps must be taken:
1. Enrollment forms completed with all signatures;
2. Parent Handbook acknowledgement signed with driver license or Texas ID number; and
3. Verification of legal custody (when indicated), parent or legal guardian must provide a signed copy for file.
COST AND HOURS OF CARE:
Monthly charge will be determined on the number of days of the school calendar. Payment is due no later than the 15th of each month. The center may discontinue services if tuition is two weeks or more delinquent.


Voice over BLE
Bluetooth SDK version 2.6.0 introduces a new software example for Thunderboard Sense (TB Sense) boards, called SoC – Voice over Bluetooth Low Energy (VoBLE). The example can be created directly from Simplicity Studio's Launcher after a Thunderboard Sense is connected to the PC.
The application samples data from the microphone on TB Sense, runs it through a filter and codec, and sends it over the Bluetooth link to a GATT client.
The GATT client application, which can receive the samples from the Thunderboard, is made available as an NCP host code. It can be run on a PC connected to an EFR32 device programmed with NCP - target image. The default location of the VoBLE NCP host app is:
How it Works
The block diagram below summarizes the data flow from the microphone into the Bluetooth link.
Block Diagram
The EFR32 on the TB Sense samples the microphone using the ADC with the sampling rate and resolution configured by the GATT client. The sampled data is then run through a digital filter (if the filter usage is enabled) and coded using ADPCM codec before being sent via the Bluetooth link to the GATT client using notifications.
By default, the high pass filter (HPF) is set as the preferred digital filter. To change the filter type, configure it in the Thunderboard Sense software before compiling. The supported filter types are listed in filter_type_t in filter.h.
/** Filter types */
typedef enum {
 LPF, /**< Low Pass Filter */
 HPF, /**< High Pass Filter */
 BPF, /**< Band Pass Filter */
 NOTCH, /**< Notch Filter */
 PEQ, /**< Peaking Band EQ Filter */
 LSH, /**< Low Shelf Filter */
 HSH /**< High Shelf Filter */
To change the filter and filtering parameters, choose one of the filters listed above and configure the DEFAULT_FILTER -macro.
/** Default filter */
_TAG_ DEFAULT_FILTER \
 { \
 HPF, /** Default filter type */ \
 0, /** Default gain */ \
 100, /** Default frequency */ \
 8000, /** Default sampling rate */ \
 2, /** Default bandwidth in octaves*/ \
On the GATT client side, the application starts by sending the configurations to the TB Sense and idles until audio data is received over notifications. Finally, the received data is saved into a file.
Setting up
To test this solution, you need one TB Sense and one WSTK with any of our EFR32BG/MG or BGM radio boards.
Thunderboard Sense (GATT Server)
 1. Attach the Thunderboard Sense to your PC.
 2. Open Simplicity Studio and select your board (Thunderboard Sense).
 3. Click on the SoC – Voice over Bluetooth Low Energy tile in the Software Examples column to create a new project.
 4. Optionally change the filter type as described earlier.
 5. Build and flash the project to the Thunderboard Sense.
WSTK (GATT Client)
 1. Attach the WSTK (with any radio board) to your PC.
 2. Open Simplicity Studio and select your board (WSTK with any radio board).
 3. Click on the NCP target - Empty tile in the Demos column to run the NCP target code on the board.
 4. Open a command prompt and navigate to.
 5. Run make-command (it is recommended to use mingw32, but cygwin can also work).
 This will create four new folders: build, exe, lst and scripts.
 6. Navigate to the exe-subdirectory. If the compiling was successful, you will see the executable application called voice_over_bluetooth_low_energy_app.exe.
Running voice_over_bluetooth_low_energy_app.exe, you should be greeted by the following help message.
Help message
The program can be configured using the flags shown in the above image. When giving the parameters to the program, all units must be omitted.
Few notes about the parameters:
Saving the Audio into a File
To record audio into an audio file using this ncp-host-application, you will have to provide at least the following parameters (examples in parenthesis):
In the example below, the verbose mode is used with the default settings for both sampling rate and resolution (16 kHz and 12 bits respectively) and saving the audio data in a file called my_audio_file.
Command output
If you have activated the verbose mode, as in the above image, you will get status messages from the GATT client application. The application will stop printing status messages after is has written all the configurations, which in the above image happens after transfer status has successfully been enabled. When the initialization is done, the GATT client (ncp-host) is ready to receive data from the TB Sense.
To start recording and streaming audio data over the BLE link, press and hold TB Sense BTN0 (left button). After the button is pressed, you should see activity on the terminal window, summarizing the transmission progress. All audio data will be saved to a file defined by the output filename -parameter ( my_audio_file.ima in this example ). If a file with a same name already exists, the audio data is appended to the end of that file.
To end the transmission in progress, send a interrupt signal to the application. On Windows OS, a keyboard interrupt signal can be sent with CTRL+C key combination.
Importing to Audacity
(Conversion with SoX explained in the next chapter)
To listen to the audio, you can use a freeware tool such as Audacity to import and decode the data. In Audacity, select File -> Import -> Raw Data and select the audio file you have created. The select VOX ADPCM encoding and write down the sample rate that you used, either 8000 or 16000 Hz. In this example 16000 Hz was used.
Audacity Raw Conversion
After the file is imported, you can listen to it by pressing the Play button on the top left corner. Then, you can export the file to wav format through File -> Export Audio.
Optionally, you can also upload it to Watson's Speech to Text to get a speech transcription of the audio recording.
Watson Speech to Text
Using the Provided Scripts
There are few scripts provided to streamline the process, by using a command line audio editing software called SoX. To use the scripts, install the SoX 14.4.1 on your machine (SoX 14.4.2 has issues when capturing standard output, for that reason it is required to use the previous version). Windows scripts can be found from …\scripts\win -directory.
Executes the voice_over_bluetooth_low_energy_app.exe using the parameters given in the config -file.
A helper script that is used to define settings.
_USER_ off
set CURRENT_DIR=%~dp0
set VOBLE_APP=voice_over_bluetooth_low_energy_app.exe
set VOBLE_APP_PARAM=-p COM8 -b 115200 -o audio_data.ima -t 1
set SOX_APP="C:\Program Files (x86)\sox-14-4-1\sox.exe"
Configuration options:
Searches the exe-folder for all files of a specified format and converts them to wav-format using SoX. Works for.ima or.s16 files.
Usage: convert.bat ima --OR-- convert.bat s16
The source code of this project can be found in the Bluetooth SDK, as explained in the Description section.


text:
Game design – Ensuring there's Always a valid way/path
Today I would like to write about a simple but very important game design concept that is to ensure there is always a way or path.
In arcade games, one of the challenges when generating random levels is to get the right difficulty without risking impossible situations (or "No-exit" situation). Let's imagine the game is about a rocket that flies with a constant speed and needs to dodge circles that appear as he moves.
Ok, now that we have an idea about the amazing visuals of the game, these are our requirements:
- Random levels
- Difficulty progression with time
- The game must be fair so there must always be a path (no blockades where the player will die for sure)
Requirements 1. and 2. are easy to implement. In this case, for example, it would be enough to create new circles on a random Y at a right-offscreen position every X seconds. To make the difficulty progression, X would decrease with time. The problem with this approach is that as X gets smaller and the number of circles starts to get larger, the probabilities of a no-exit situation increase.
How to solve this problem? Well, there are different possible approaches depending on the complexity of the game and some design choices, I'll show you 2, the "Workaround way" and the "Pregenerated Path" way:
The Workaround way
A classic trick to solve this problem is to change the problem itself. Predetermine some hardcoded safe values (frequency in the example) to generate obstacles that for sure will not cause a non-exit situation. This frequency will remain constant through the game. Now, to increase the difficulty, instead of increasing the frequency generating more and more obstacles, just progressively increase the rocket speed. This moves the challenge from geometry path-finding to reaction time.
The Pregenerated Path way
If the first way is not an option, we need to make sure when creating the obstacles that there will be a path. To do that we need 3 things.
- Generate a random path for the rocket. You don't need to care about any obstacle, just make sure it moves randomly up and down as the rocket would do. We'll call this the Safety Path.
- Define the size for a bounding box for the rocket that we'll call Safety Area. Imagine the Safety Area follows the safety path. If you were playing the game you should be able to keep the rocket inside the Safety Area.
- Finally, when generating the obstacles, make sure they will not overlap the Safety Area on the future time T when the obstacle is at the same x position than the rocket. It may be necessary to make multiple checks (on an interval around T) depending on factors such as the width of the obstacles, Safety Path changes of direction, etc…
Here you can see a couple of examples to illustrate the way we've implemented it:
1. This level is about dodging bouncing circles
This one is about dodging shrinking circles
And a bit messier with rotating rectangles…
- Blue Rectangle is the Safety Area
- White dots on first screenshot and grey rectangles center point is the Safety Path
- Yellow shapes are the exact position and shape of the obstacles on T (plus extra checks)
- Light Blue circle is the main character
- Black shapes with white glow is the current position an shape of the obstacles
Even if it took some time to create the foundations for this checks, once done it allows us to add any amount and type of objects with randomly generated speed, shape, angular velocity, etc… to our levels without needing to worry about "no-exit" situations.
Pingback: How Dash till Puff! was born - Rifter Games


text:
The Mechanism of Ice Crystal Growth and the Theory of Evolution
by Larry Vardiman, Ph.D.
Presented at the Second International Conference on Creationism, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 30–August 4, 1990. Published in: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, R. E. Walsh & C.L. Brooks (Eds.), pp. 303–314, 1990.
© 1990 Creation Science Fellowship, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Published with permission. All Rights Reserved.
Ice crystal growth has been cited as an example of how evolution creates greater order. The modern explanation of ice crystal shape is described. The second law of thermodynamics is developed in terms of entropy change and applied to ice crystal growth. The difference between the operation of thermodynamic systems and their origin is discussed. It is concluded that ice crystal growth is similar to the operation of life processes but does not support the origin of life as described by the theory of evolution.
Ice Crystals, Growth, Shape, Second Law of Thermodynamics, Entropy, Thermodynamic Systems, Evolution, Snowflakes, Life Processes
For Full Text
Please see the Download PDF link above for the entire article.


text:
Study of Hail with C B and Dual Linear Polarization Radar
Liu Liping Xu Baoxiang Wang Zhijun Wang Jun(Lanzhou Institute of Plateau Atomspheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730001 )
This paper presents the calculations of the scattering properties of hydrometeors with different shapes and phases. Based on these properties and ZDR features of rain and clond echos, the dual linear polarization radar RHI data observed during hailstorm processes on August 9 and August 30, 1990 are analysed. We deduced that the area with negative ZDR values corresponded to hail shafts where may appear large oblate hailstones and small conical hailstones, and the area with great positive Z D R values corresponded to raining area. The Z D R greater than 5dB was caused by huge raindrops (D0.5cm). It is possible to detect the presence of hail using ZDR as a criterion. Compared with a S-band radar, the C-band dual linear polarization radar is unique in several aspects : the Z DR values are larger in raining area and smaller and negative in hail shooting area, which are useful for the study of microphysics and spatial structure of storms. The dual linear polarization radar will be impartant to cloud physics and weather modification.


assassin's creed 3 pc game free download
Assassin's Creed 3 is set in an open world and presented from the third person perspective with a primary focus on using Desmond and Connor's combat and stealth abilities to eliminate targets and explore the environment. Connor is able to freely explore 18th century Boston, New York and the American frontier to complete side missions away from the primary storyline. The game also features a multiplayer component, allowing players to compete online to complete solo and team based objectives including assassinations and evading pursuers. Ubisoft developed a new game engine, Anvil Next, for the game.
The game follows the series' standard level-based gameplay during the 21st century, as well as the open world gameplay set in 18th century colonial America, in which the player has access to a huge wilderness known as the Frontier (which is 1.5 times bigger than Rome in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood),the cities of Boston and New York as well as portions of the Eastern Seaboard and Caribbean Sea can be explored via the flagship of the Assassin's Navy, the Aquila., captained by Connor himself, with Robert Faulkner his first-mate advising and teaching him in the ways of the sea.
Free running has been simplified to allow for more fluid parkour in the cities and wilderness, such as climbing and running on trees, mountains, cliffs,etc. Close combat has been modified, allowing Connor to dual wield weapons and take down multiple opponents at once and players no longer need to manage the lock on mechanic.Aiding this, Connor has access to a wide range of weapons which include muskets, pistols, native weapons such as the tomahawk and bow/arrows, a rope dart (used to pull foes or hang them, while on a tree) as well as the Hidden blades. Human shields can be used against firing lines of enemies. Medicine is no longer used as health recovers automatically. Stealth is also revamped, allowing players to use natural elements such as tall grass and trees to hide, along with the ability to blend between any two people.
Assassin's Creed III features new weather simulations such as snow, fog, and rain. The seasons can also change i.e., Summer and Winter, which not only effect visuals but also gameplay, as the player will find running slower in deep snow. Snowfall can reduce visibility for the player and enemies, aiding stealth. Unlike the past games, this one includes animals varying from domestic (horses, cows, dogs) to wild (deer, wolves, bears). The wild ones are found in the Frontier, and can be hunted for meat or marrow in order to be sold. The quality of the kill determines the price, encouraging the player to hunt silently. For this, traps and bait can also be used.
Economy is now based on the Davenport Homestead, which also acts as Connor's adopted home. The site can be visited by people such as carpenters, tailors etc. suffering from displacement due to the war. Helping and interacting with these NPCs will encourage them to settle in the Homestead. From there on, the player can craft various items and trade with them, and then sell the goods to the cities via caravan. The player can also help them build relationships with each other, which will then result in the formation of a small village. The player can also upgrade the Homestead manor as well as Connor's ship, the Aquila.
A revamped version of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's recruitment feature returns as players can enlist citizens to the Assassins' cause by completing "Liberation" missions. They also have a much larger skill set, which allows them to start a riot, provide a covert escort, act a as a personal bodyguard etc. Other side missions include collecting Almanac pages, exploring underground tunnels to locate fast-travel stations, joining hunting and fighting clubs, investigating frontiersman rumours about UFOs and Sasquatch, "peg-leg" missions in which Connor goes to underground forts and wastelands to uncover the legend of Captain Kidd's treasure, and others.
Assassin's Creed 3 also features naval expeditions. Using Connor's warship, the Aquila, the player can navigate the high seas. Control of the ship relies on environmental factors such as wind direction and speed, local presence of storms, high waves, and rocks. Engagements are by cannon, with broadsides covering both flanks of the ship, and swivel guns that can be used to damage smaller ships which can also be boarded to find treasure. The Aquila is used in the side missions known as "Privateer missions" and is also used in some of the main missions.
System= Intel Core 2 Duo CPU 2.0 GHz
Video Memory= 512 MB
Size= 5.44 GB
OS= Windows Vista, 7, 8
This is a Torrent Download file, you must Install uTorrent in Your PC
Click Here to Download uTorrent Software
Torrent Download File
Post a Comment
Your feedback will be highly appreciable.


text:
An unpublished manuscript, entitled The Richmond Group of the Cincinnati Province, compiled by the late William H. Shideler, has been made available by the Division of Geological Survey as Open-File Report 95-1. Dr. Shideler was a professor of geology at Miami University from 1910 to 1957. He died in 1958.
The information in the manuscript was compiled by Shideler over a period of 17 years; he spent five summers during the 1920's in the employ of the Ohio Geological Survey. For 10 years, Shideler annually visited a series of classic exposures of highly fossiliferous Upper Ordovician rocks in southwestern Ohio and made extensive collections of fossils at these sections. From these data he was able to establish extensive faunal lists for each section and compile range charts for various species.
Shideler's typewritten manuscript was edited by Joe H. Marak, curator of the Carl E. Limper Geology Museum at Miami University. Marak notes that the manuscript is outdated, particularly in regard to the names of many fossil species, but will still be very useful to geologists and fossil collectors.
The 96-page report describes 26 exposures of Richmondian rocks in the Cincinnati area and includes an extensive index. Open-File Report 95-1 is available from the Division of Geological Surveys. Credit-card orders may be placed by calling _PHONE_.


Hooded Warbler Habitat Selection
January 1, 1993 by Gregory Gough
Male and female hooded warblers separate into different habitats in the non-breeding season. In the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico long-running studies revealed that males occupy forest habitat while females are in the treefall gaps, forest edges, and other adjacent shrubby habitats.
small yellow bird
The key difference between the male and female habitats is the orientation of the vegetation. Males like their plant stems to be up and down while the females prefer their stems to be at an angle.
So ingrained is this preference that laboratory studies of hand-raised hooded warblers revealed that strips of black crepe paper arranged vertically were preferred by males whereas oblique arrangements were preferred by females.
But what would happen if the vegetation structure changed? In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert slammed into the study area and snapped off many a tree top.
In areas that had previously been the provenance of males, and had suffered significant changes to the vertical structure of the forest, females moved in. In areas that were relatively untouched the males remained.
This article summarizes the information in this scientific paper:
Morton, Eugene S., Van der Voort, M. and Greenberg, Russell S. 1993. How a warbler chooses its habitat: Field support for laboratory experiments. Animal Behaviour, 46: 47-53
Download scientific paper


text:
Residents who live in high-rise buildings have a unique lifestyle and different expectations for community living – even when it comes to their preference for disposing of garbage. In my experience, trash chutes and trash valet are typically the two options available for enclosed buildings in metropolitan areas. If you're left making this complex decision for your building, here are some guidelines to help you decide which trash management solution is right for you.
What is a Trash Chute?
A trash chute is a large, vertical tube in which garbage can be deposited at various points and collected in a single location. The chute spans multiple levels and each floor has a specific room that residents can use to access a portion of the chute.
Benefits of Installing a Trash Chute:
- Convenience. Residents don't have to adhere to a schedule - they can dispose of their trash at any time.
- Appearance. Hallways appear cleaner because trash cans aren't outside of each unit.
- Cost. Installation is during the construction phase of the building and existing employees can receive maintenance training.
Cons of Installing a Trash Chute:
- Maintenance. Because trash can get stuck in chutes and pile up in rooms, daily maintenance is required.
- Conditions. There is a lot of science involved. It's important to have the correct cleaning chemicals, fresheners, and air pressure throughout the year.
- Recycling. Recycling isn't always an option because all trash goes to the same place.
- Repairs. While installation is inexpensive, repairs to the chute doors can be costly.
- Location. The location may not be easily accessible for all units.
What is Trash Valet?
Trash valet is a garbage pick-up service that a property can offer to residents. Residents place a provided trash can outside of their unit at a scheduled time, and an employee will empty the resident's trash can and dispose of their garbage for them. After the trash has been discarded, residents are responsible for bringing the empty trash can back into their unit.
Benefits of Trash Valet:
- Convenience. Residents don't have to carry heavy or dripping bags of trash down the hall or flights of stairs.
- Volume. Trash won't pile up and smell in units or trash chute rooms.
- Recycling. Residents typically have the option to recycle because it's sorted by hand.
- Added value. Just like valet parking or a concierge, trash valet is another service that makes the high-rise more sellable and attractive.
Cons of Trash Valet:
- Scheduling. Residents must adhere to a strict pickup schedule.
- Enforcement. If residents don't comply with the schedule, fines may be issued.
- Appearance. The trash cans can make hallways appear cluttered at times.
- Cost. A staff member must be available to collect trash after hours, or outside vendors may need to be hired.
Overall, both trash chutes and trash valet have many benefits and challenges. While high-rise residents may live similar lifestyles, each building is different. Weigh your options carefully and choose what makes the most sense for your building. Regardless of your decision, always be consistent and set clear standards and expectations for the community.
About the AuthorMore Content by Leah Stanfield


text:
Environmental Volunteers promotes understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands-on science education. We train volunteers to teach natural science to children in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties through classroom lessons, day camps, nature walks and field trips that nurture a connection to nature and spark interest in lifelong discovery and learning. Our programs help schools meet state-mandated education standards and provide unique science education resources for teachers and parents.
The information above can be found on the official website of Environmental Volunteers. For more details about the organization and to find out how you can volunteer, please visit their website: _URL_


text:
Asian Dust Reaches Alaska
Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project,
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
This SeaWiFS view of Alaska (upper right) and the Bering Sea (center), collected on April 13, 2002, reveals an unmistakable wave of dust (brownish pixels) traveling southward along Alaskas western coastline and over the Aleutian Island chain. The dust, probably from East Asia, is easily distinguished from the bright white clouds (lower left) and the snow and ice covered surfaces on and around Alaska.
This image originally appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full, original record.


Tags » Pyrexia Of Unknown Origin
A case of Pyrexia of Unknown origin
Name: Halabasappa Sangayya
Age: 62 yrs/ Male
Religion: Hindu
Occupation: Clerk
Address: Kalwadi, Bijapur District, Karnataka State, India
Chief complaints:
 1. Recurrent episodes of high fever since 3 years.
 2. 230 more words
Spanish Influenza June 1918
"In the middle of June, during a stay at La Pierriere, the Battalion was ravaged by a mysterious epidemic, which claimed hundreds of victims before it passed. 459 more words


text:
Financial Management of Community Associations | Budgets and Replacement Reserves Part 4
Part 4 : Reserve Account/Reserve Funds
The reserve account consists of funds put aside in "reserve" for the replacement of major components of a community's common property (aka "assets"). Typically the reserve account is used to replace asphalt paving, concrete sidewalks, roofs, central heating and cooling plants, swimming pool, tennis courts, elevators, and many other property components. Revenue raised for adding a major item will be a major improvement expense; revenue raised for replacing that item when it deteriorates will come from the reserve account.
Major items that either come with the initial construction or are added later are placed on a replacement reserves schedule. The schedule is a framework for accumulating and spending the funds replacing major components of the property. The funds are put aside over a period of time to ensure that adequate amounts are available to replace components when necessary, either due to deterioration or technological improvements. The components, cost to replace the components, and the remaining useful lives of the components, will determine how much should be in the replacement reserves at any given time.
It is important to note that the IRS does not consider painting to be an eligible reserve component, which is deemed an operating expense (it is maintenance, not replacement). For those associations that want to set aside funds for a regular paint program, they should create a separate line on both the balance sheet and the statement of revenue and expenses, separate from the reserve budget allocation and/or fund, to track the monies set aside for this project (i.e., a painting reserve). Otherwise, if it audits the association, the IRS may impose additional tax obligations and penalties.
Reasons for Maintaining a Reserve Account: Often times owners will question the value of their contributions, since several items may not require replacement for several years, especially if they don't plan to live in the community that long. Reasons for maintaining a reserve account that may help convince the owners of the importance of budgeting replacement reserves include:
- Maintaining a reserve account meets legal, fiduciary, and professional requirements. A reserve account may be required by:
- Any secondary mortgage market in which your community association participates (I.e., Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA)
- Your state's statutes, regulations or court decisions
- Your community's governing documents
- Industry standards
- Maintaining a reserve account provides for the planned replacement of major items. Owners expect the community association to fulfill its obligations. At some point in time, the work will have to be done.
- Maintaining a reserve account equalizes the contributions of old and new owners. Major items deteriorate during use. Although a roof may be replaced when it is 25 years old, every owner who lived under that roof should pay a share of its replacement. Just as both old and new owners benefit from the presence of such an item, both contribute to deterioration.
- Maintaining a reserve account minimizes the need for special assessments. Owners, especially those on fixed incomes, have limited resources. They may not be able to afford the large special assessments that would be required if replacement reserves are insufficient to cover a major replacement. Special assessments have the reputation of being indicative of poor management, which could make it more difficult for an owner to sell their property.
- Maintaining a reserve account enhances resale values. Lenders and real estate agents are aware of what a reserve account is and the ramifications for a new buyer if reserves for replacement are inadequate Many states have replacement reserves disclosure requirements for potential buyers in a community association. Most lenders require adequate replacement reserves before approving a loan application. Some states require replacement reserves for replacements and/or replacement reserve studies.
Funding Goals: The answer to the critical question of how much replacement reserves are "enough" or "adequate" is not simple. Each association has different needs, so $100,000 may be excessive to one association but extremely low to another. (This is one reason why you can't easily compare assessments at one community to another; you don't know if their assessment allows for adequate funding of the association's reserves to properly maintain the community.)
Note that reliance on special assessments to pay for capital replacement projects is not considered a responsible funding plan. Funding plans are expected to project the revenue and expenses of the reserve account for 30 years or more. Many associations include the effects of interest earned from their reserve accounts "on deposit" and the effect of inflation on projected future expenses. While interest earnings tend to reduce the effects of inflation, the two factors do not offset each other, since interest is earned only on the reserve balance, while inflation affects the total replacement cost of all the reserve components.
Reserve Studies: Maintaining the association's common property is one of the Board's most serious responsibilities, and it takes a long range plan to prepare successfully for repair or replacement of the association's major common area assets. The reserve study is a budget planning tool with which the board can use to offset ongoing deterioration and prepare for inevitable future expenses. Reserve projects are typically the largest expenses that an association faces, and proper financial preparation is essential.
A reserve study is also used for developing a reserve account budget. The study addresses all major common physical components of the property that the association must repair, replace, restore, or maintain. The study should contain, at a minimum, a statement of the remaining useful life of each item; an estimate of the current cost of repair, replacement, or restoration of those items; and an estimate of the total annual contribution necessary to defray the cost of repair, replacement, or restoration, of those items after deduction of existing reserve funds. In essence, the study must include all items for which the community has long-term replacement responsibility. If your association does not have a Reserve Study, your Community Association Manager can get you proposals to have a study conducted.
Consequences of not having a reserve study:
- Under-funding: Special assessments, bank loans, deferred maintenance, or a combination of these
- Over-funding: Paying too much (more than owners "fair share"), for the benefit of future owners
- Board member liability: Exposure to claims of fiscal irresponsibility and loss of D&O insurance coverage
The physical components in community associations are constantly changing. As a reserve study is based upon facts at the time the study was conducted, managers and boards should plan for an update of their reserve study on a regular basis - typically 3 to 5 years - to ensure accuracy. Another reason to consider an update is if the association deviates from the reserve funding or spending plan. A reserve cash flow statement shows the amount to be funded and the amount to be expended from the replacement fund over a given period of time.
The board should review its reserve study annually, particularly its funding plan, because the association's physical assets may deteriorate at different rates than initially projected, interest and inflation rates change, and the association may change its reserve strategy from conservative to aggressive (or vice-verse). Associations should be encouraged to plan responsibly for the future, using the reserve study as a valuable tool.
Interest earned on the investment of reserve funds can be added to the replacement reserves on hand. If you do not update your reserve budget each year, you should add its interest income directly to the reserve account. This will help your reserve account keep up with increases in prices due to inflation.
Reserve Specialist: Whenever possible, use an experienced, qualified person to prepare a reserve study because of the technical detail involved. What is the value of having the reserve study conducted by a reserve specialist?
- Reduced liability exposure: Community managers and board members can limit liability by relying on expert advice.
- Independence: No potential conflict of interest
- Focus: Allows managers and board members to concentrate on running the association
- Credibility: If the person or committee preparing the reserve study isn't credible enough to effect a change in the association's budget, there is no point expending time on the study. A reserve specialist, by virtue of his or her credentials, has already established respect and credibility with the board.
- Accuracy: The reserve specialist does this year-round, and is well-versed in the implications of all the decision points.
Preparation of a Reserve Account Budget: to maintain the association's major common area assets, the board and manager must determine an appropriate level of revenue to segregate into a reserve account or replacement fund to pay for the eventual replacement of those assets as they wear out during the life of the development. Without a plan (a reserve study), it is strictly a hit or miss proposition. Usually a separate section of the budget packet includes the replacement fund budget.
Our previous articles looked in depth at Budget basics, roles and responsibilities and budget presentations. Find out how financially healthy your community association is now & get an email with your score!


text:
Full text not currently available from Enlighten.
Many different notions of property of interest and methods of verifying such properties arise naturally in programming. A general framework of Specification Structures is presented for combining different notions and methods in a coherent fashion. This is then applied to concurrency in the setting of Interaction Categories. As an example, we present a type system for concurrent processes strong enough to guarantee deadlock-freedom, and expressive enough to allow the treatment of some standard examples from the literature. This is illustrated using the classic Dining Philosophers problem.
|Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:||Gay, Dr Simon|
|Authors:||Abramsky, S., Gay, S., and Nagarajan, R.|
|Subjects:||Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science|
|College/School:||College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science|
|Journal Name:||Lecture Notes in Computer Science|


text:
BarbadosEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
Getting started with Barbados research
Many North Americans have early family connections to the Island of Barbados. Described as England's richest colony in the 1680s, a great deal of trade existed between Barbados (part of the Triangular Trade), the British Isles, Africa, and ports on the mainland in the New England, Chesapeake, and Carolina colonies. Many indentured servants from the British Isles served labor terms in Barbados in the 1600s, and upon receiving their freedom, could find no available land on the small island. Most set sail for Jamaica and the mainland English colonies.
Since the 1960s, Barbados has been an independent island nation in the Lesser Antilles, West Indies, east of the central Windward Islands, northeast of Venezuela between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean. Before that time, it had been part of the British Commonwealth.
Helpful guidebooks about researching Barbados ancestors in records on the island, as well as in English archives, are discussed in Barbados For Further Reading.
FamilySearch Historical Record Collections
Online collections containing these records are locted in FamilySearch.org.
Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:
New to the Research Wiki?
In the FamilySearch Research Wiki, you can learn how to do genealogical research or share your knowledge with others.Learn More


text:
Article – Decomposing the Drivers of Changes in Inequality During the Great Recession in Ireland using the Fields Approach
O'Donoghue, C., Loughrey, J., & Sologon, D. M. (2018). Decomposing the Drivers of Changes in Inequality During the Great Recession in Ireland using the Fields Approach. The Economic and Social Review, 49(2, Summer), 173–200.
In this paper we take as a case study a developed country that both experienced one of the highest sustained growth periods in recent decades, but also had one of the largest economic declines during the recent crisis period; Ireland. In particular, given the availability of data and the period from the peak before the economic crisis and the lowest point in the crisis, we focus on the period around the boom 2007-2012. We find that inequality in terms of disposable income decreased over the period, with an increase in the redistributive effect of the tax-benefit system offsetting a rise in market income inequality. We utilize the Fields regression decomposition to understand the impact of demographic, labor market and other drivers. We find that the explanatory power of the Fields regressions fell over time, reflecting the asymmetric shock induced by the economic crisis. Labor market drivers had the largest impact on the level of income inequality over the period, accounting for 64 per cent of variability in 2007, but rising to 75 per cent in 2012. Educational attainment is positively associated with inequality. However, the effect greatly diminished between 2007 and 2012. Changes in the demographic structure and changes in the level and distribution of market incomes increased inequality. We also decomposed the change in inequality into price and quantity effects that result from a change in the return and composition respectively.


text:
Traps & Interceptors
What is the difference?
The terms "grease trap" and "interceptor" are often used interchangeably.Traps are the most commonly used name. Smaller sizes are defined as hydromechanical grease interceptors (often placed above grade) and are rated in gallons per minute (GPM) of actual flow rate through the device. Testing for these is by CSA B481, PDI G101 or ASME A112.14.3 and highest flow rate covered is 100 gpm. The larger types of interceptors are nearly always set in ground, are gravity type interceptors rated in volume of liquid stored and designed to hold for extended periods. They can be identified by manhole covers, which provide access for regular pumping and cleaning.
Grease Traps…Generally unchanged for decades
In the late 1800's Nathanial Whiting designed and received a patent for the passive gravity separator, the device known today as a grease trap. The common grease trap remains relatively unchanged today as a means of separating fats, oils and greases from wastewater. is a problem in almost every locale in the country
Hydromechanical Grease traps are usually located near the sink. They slow the flow of grease on a baffle and "capture it" as floating material. Most of the heavier material…but not all…will sink to the bottom. As the "trapped" FOG and sludges build up the efficiency drops as the volume available for separation reduces and the trap has to be manually emptied out (pumped) to restore its efficiency for a short while.
The gravity type interceptors are much bigger and can store the FOG and sludges for a longer period between pump outs.


text: KLab Architecture created a dynamic, 'living' facade for a building in Glyfada (Athens), made of wooden pallets that open and close independently, according to climate conditions. The architects aimed at creating a modern identity for the building, using ingredients familiar and natural, such as wood and cement. As the building is located in one of Glyfada's main streets, they also sought to propose something new and innovative, that would nevertheless be familiar to passers by. The pallets create a low-maintenance energy shell that can be changed according to the time of day and season. They open and close using metal frames and electrical lifting cylinders. In both the closed and the open position, they allow natural light and ventilation inside the building, while functioning as vertical blinds which protect it from increased solar gains in the afternoons. By placing them in the southwest, west and northwest parts of the building facades, they act as passive solar cooling systems, thus helping achieve indoor thermal comfort and air quality throughout the whole year, significantly reducing the amount of energy consumed.


text:
Designers want to create many, varied concepts to choose among. Design Heuristics provide 77 specific strategies to help you generate novel designs that are different from each other, leading to innovative concepts.
Each card includes a description of the heuristic, an abstract image depicting the application of the heuristic, and two scketches that show how the heuristic is evident in consumer products.
Design Heuristics are easy to use with just a little instruction. Download this podcast for a short video covering the "why" and how of using Design Heuristics to generate ideas.
Our team consists of researchers from adiverse disciplines, including Industrial Design, Engineering, and Psychology.