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Cheaters beware! Tool sniffs out plagiarism
March 3, 2008, 2:21 PM UTC
By Bryn Nelson
Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton called it "change you can Xerox." Barack Obama, her opponent for the Democratic nomination, said it was much ado about nothing (although not in those exact words).
But the resulting brouhaha over whether Obama really committed plagiarism when he borrowed a passage from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick for a recent speech is overshadowing a larger question that has plagued scientists for years. Without YouTube or blogs or talking heads to guide them, how can researchers uncover the flagrant copycat studies that have infiltrated the scientific world?
A Dallas research group may be providing some new answers by setting its computer-assisted sights on questionable cut-and-paste documents published by fellow academics, revealing startling examples of unethical behavior in the process.
The group's freely available online search engine has identified thousands of potential instances of plagiarism by highlighting significant similarities between blocks of text within a vast database of medical research. Subsequent sleuthing by the team of curators at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has led to the retractions of three published studies and an additional seven investigations out of 20 cases pursued so far.
Beyond the evidence of blatant pirating, the results have hinted at broader reasons for worry. By plagiarizing a report on a clinical procedure, for instance, an unethical researcher can artificially bolster the initial report's conclusions. "In medicine, researchers and clinicians rely very heavily on the research, and so this has high potential for doing harm," said Harold "Skip" Garner, a professor of biochemistry and internal medicine at the medical center and one of the project's co-leaders.
Or, to borrow the phrasing of at least one presidential contender: Words matter.
Uncovering plagiarism
Garner said he and his colleagues originally devised their program, named eTBLAST, as a service for other biomedical researchers. By depositing a research summary or entire document in the program's search window, scientists can retrieve similar documents among the millions stored in MEDLINE, an online storehouse. "You can check the novelty of your idea. You can identify competitors or collaborators, or other experts in the field," Garner said.
You can also, as it turns out, identify instances of less-than-honorable behavior. Spurred on by ethical discussions in several high-profile publications, Garner and his collaborators began asking whether their program could find studies that were a bit too similar. Last year, the team randomly selected summaries, or abstracts, from the MEDLINE database and put its tool to the test. "We quickly discovered that our code works very well," he said.
With funding from the federal Office of Research Integrity, Garner's group conducted a more systematic review. The results, published recently in the journal Bioinformatics and in a follow-up commentary in the journal Nature, found that essentially identical research published by different sets of authors — potential plagiarism — represented about 0.04 percent of MEDLINE's database (roughly 6,700 cases in all).
Highly similar studies re-published by the same authors represented another 1.3 percent of the database's documents. Garner estimated that about half of those seeming duplicates may represent clinical updates, reports of annual meetings or other legitimate publications. But re-positioning the same data in different journals can also pad an author's resume, a far murkier ethical issue that he said is likely to be resolved not with algorithms or text mining but with clearer community standards.
In all, the group's aptly named Déjà vu database has flagged more than 71,000 suspicious pairs.
"It's a sensitive topic, so we've tried to be very precise and analytical about this," Garner said.
How the database works
After first throwing out common words such as "and," "or," and "the," eTBLAST compares the abstract's remainder to the wording of other summaries in the database and retrieves the top 400 to 1,000 matches.
For the second step, the algorithm goes sentence by sentence, scanning for matching keywords and word order. The program doesn't always match alternate spellings of the same word but can pick out synonyms and different forms of the same word — matching "cancerous" and "tumor" to "cancer," for example.
For highly similar abstracts written by different groups, at least two curators in Garner's group read the corresponding full-text articles side by side, noting their similarities and differences and posting their comments in Déjà vu.
Within that public database, suspicious pairings have pointed toward several serial plagiarists who have copied others' work a half-dozen times or more.
Investigations launched
So far, Garner's group has sent out e-mails calling attention to 20 individual cases, notifying authors and journal editors of the striking resemblances and asking for clarification.
The surprised reactions of editors and initial authors, and the subsequent investigations and retracted papers are likely to be repeated on a much larger scale. In the coming weeks, Garner's group will send out automated questionnaires related to another 80 cases in which at least two curators have found reason to continue the process. Thousands more potential duplicates remains to be sorted.
Garner cautioned that the review is meant to initiate a process that should involve everyone with a vested interest. "We're really trying not to be the judge and jury here," he said. With the publicly available tool, though, some journal editors and reviewers have become sleuths on their own, and in at least one case have intercepted a manuscript before its publication and referred it to a university's ethics committee. "That validates our statement that tools like this can help make the medical database better," Garner said.
The computer program isn't perfect, he said, and determined rule-breakers can still escape detection. But as knowledge spreads about the tool, researchers may be less tempted to act unethically. And those who do now have a higher probability of being caught and punished. Under the common federal definition of misconduct for U.S. scientists, plagiarism, fabrication and falsification of data all carry stiff penalties.
Bad behavior detectors
The concept of an online bad behavior detector is nothing new (the popular Web-based Turnitin, developed by University of California at Berkeley researchers, got its start more than 10 years ago). What sets Garner's work apart is its method of picking out specific instances of questionable conduct and estimating the overall prevalence within a massive database, said Melissa Anderson, director of the Post-Secondary Education Research Institute at the University of Minnesota.
In 2005, Anderson and two co-authors published the results of an anonymous survey of more than 3,200 researchers in the U.S., a seminal report that, as she put it, revealed "some rather shocking estimates" of ethical lapses. Among her team's findings, 4.7 percent of researchers confessed to re-publishing the same data within the past three years while 1.4 percent admitted to outright plagiarism.
Anderson said her group's results, based on self-reporting by academics, couldn't be directly compared to Garner's study. Nevertheless, she praised his approach as a "great idea" aimed at firming up the figures.
Understanding the intent behind those numbers is still a delicate matter. Differing cultural norms could be one contributing factor, Anderson said, especially for researchers from countries where copying is seen as a way of honoring a good idea. Her group's analysis also suggests that scientists who perceive a tenure review as unfair are more likely to engage in unethical practices. A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science backs that assessment, finding that students with more fatalistic beliefs — ones primed to believe they have less control over their own destinies — are more likely to cheat and lie.
A drain on research
Regardless of motive, Anderson believes the problem must be addressed before it creates an even bigger drain on legitimate research. "People work really hard to get good science published," she said. "Then those venues are being wasted on research that isn't new, when that space could have gone to new science. That's a waste of public dollars."
Garner's team is taking a similar angle in a recent expansion of its work: comparing summaries of government-funded grant proposals. If groups are funded multiple times from different agencies, he believes, the new tool could help cut waste and root out unethical practices. The same watchdog concept could be applied to a slew of publications stashed away within the suite of LexisNexis storehouses or any other accessible database, whether term papers or political speeches.
Ultimately, Garner believes his program has just as much potential to uncover positive connections. Among its newest projects, his team has begun working with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to establish social networks among scientists conducting related cancer studies. From an initial computer-assisted search through similar-sounding research, the effort aims to promote auspicious pairings, opportunities for fruitful collaborations and a faster overall pace for subsequent research.
Those matched words, Garner hopes, will be the ones that eventually matter most of all.
Bryn Nelson


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الرئيسية›Home›Statements›Supreme Council›The Final Communiqué of The 30th Session
The Final Communiqué of The 30th Session
The Closing Statement of the Thirtieth Session of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)
Kuwait-State of Kuwait
27-28 Dhul Hijja 1430AH/ 14-15 December 2009AD
In response to the gracious invitation extended by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, the Supreme Council convened its 30th session in Kuwait City on Monday and Tuesday, 27-28 Dhul Hijja 1430 AH/14-15 December 2009 AD. The meeting was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait and the Chairman of the current session of the Supreme Council, in the presence of Their Majesties and Highnesses:
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan,
President of the State of the United Arab Emirates(UAE);
His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eisa Al-Khalifa,
King of the Kingdom of Bahrain;
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
His Highness Al-Syed Fahad Bin Mahmood Al-Saeed
Deputy Prime Minister for the Affairs of the Council of Ministers of the Sultanate of Oman;
His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani,
Amir of the State of Qatar;
H.E. Abdul Rahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the GCC Secretary-General also participated in the meeting.
The Council congratulated His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait—may God protect him—on his assuming the chairmanship of the current session of the Supreme Council. It praised the sublime speech of His Highness which articulated a purposeful vision, a keen desire to activate the cooperation process between the GCC States in all fields and to further expand and reinforce this process in the coming period, by the Grace of God.
The Council also expressed its appreciation of the tremendous, sincere, and genuine efforts made by the His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed Al-Muazzam—may God protect him—Sultan of Oman and Chairman of previous session of the Supreme Council, and by his prudent Government, as well as the dear Omani people, during His Majesty's Chairmanship of the 29th session of the GCC Supreme Council, towards the keen follow-up on the implementation of the Supreme Council resolutions, the crucial steps taken and achievements made to push forward the cooperation process to a more advanced stage, lifting it to broader horizons, and bringing further prosperity for the people of the GCC States.
The Supreme Council congratulated His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates-may God protect him—on the occasion of his reelection as the President of the State, and on the occasion of the 38th National Day, wishing the United Arab Emirates and its brotherly people constant progress, advancement and prosperity.
The Supreme Council also congratulated the His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Eisa Al-Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain—May God Protect Him—on the occasion of the 38th National Day, and on the occasion of the completion of 10 years of His Majesty's reign, wishing the Kingdom of Bahrain and its brotherly people constant progress, advancement and prosperity.
Likewise, the Supreme Council congratulated His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar—may God protect him—on the occasion of the National Day, wishing the State of Qatar and its brotherly people constant progress, advancement, and prosperity.
Similarly, the Supreme Council expressed happiness on the safe return of his Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Premiere, Minister of Defense and Aviation, and Inspector General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the soil of the country hale and hearty after recuperating from the illness, entreating the almighty God to grant His Highness lasting health and complete recovery.
The Council assured the support of GCC States to the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia—may God protect him—in confronting the aggressions and transgressions of the armed infiltrators on its territories, in violation of the border, and in contravention of the neighbor's rights. The Council expressed its complete solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and absolute backing of its right to defend its territories and the security of its people. It affirmed that any infringement upon the security and stability of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shall be deemed as the infringement on the security and stability all GCC States.
The Council also expressed its complete support to the integrity, security, and stability of Yemen.
The Supreme Council expressed condolence and commiseration on the fatalities and injuries caused by the flash floods which were accompanied by rains of mercy that fell in Jeddah city and other regions. The Council supplicated to the almighty God to suffuse the dead in his infinite mercy and to grant the injured quick recovery, and to give fortitude and solace to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the people of Jeddah.
The Supreme Council lauded the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, the Chairman of the GCC Supreme Council, and the Chairman of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, towards implementing the resolutions of the Economic Summit held in Kuwait last January. In particular, the Council highly values the contribution of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, in support of the initiative of the Chairman of the Arab Economic Summit on encouraging the private Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Arab world.
The Council extolled the constant efforts of being made by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar, Chairman of the current Arab Summit, in making successful the Arab joint process, and His Highness's active role in deepening the cooperation and harmony between the Arab countries.
The Council also extolled His Highness's speech in the opening session of the World Summit on Food Security held in Rome, Italy, in which he likened the starvation and poverty that afflict one billion and a hundred million people around the world to being more dangerous than the nuclear weapons.
The Supreme Council reviewed the outcomes and recommendation submitted by the Ministerial Council with regard to the vision of the State of Qatar, and the proposals contained therein aimed at enhancing and stimulating the joint process. The Supreme Council directed the Ministerial Committees and the Secretariat-General to implement the contents of the vision, according to relevance.
The Supreme Council affirmed the importance of the ideas and views contained in the vision of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the advancement of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and decided to entrust the Ministerial Council with the study of the ideas and views contained therein, in order to implement them within a specific timeframe, provided that the Ministerial Council submits a report on the outcomes of its works to the next Consultative Meeting of the of the GCC Supreme Council.
The Supreme Council studied the effects of the global economic crisis, and hailed the efforts being made by the GCC States to put an end to this crisis, expressing confidence in the strength of the economies of the Member States and in the ability of these economies to overcome this crisis due to the soundness and effectiveness of the relevant policies and procedures prevalent in the Members States. The Supreme Council appreciated the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the G20 Summit, and in coordinating the efforts to bring about financial stability, the stability of energy prices, and working towards extricating the international economy form the global financial crisis.
Stemming from the keenness of the leaders of the GCC States to strengthen the joint process and to advance it to broader and more inclusive horizons, the Supreme Council explored the recommendations and follow-up reports submitted by the Ministerial Council, as well as the achievements of the joint process in all fields since the convening of the previous Summit. It also discussed the development of the political, economic, regional and international issues in light of the rapidly unfolding events, and took appropriate decisions pertaining to them as follows:
First: Areas of Joint Cooperation:
The Ministerial Council perused the report of the Ministerial Committee concerned with the follow-up on the decisions pertaining to the joint process, and expressed satisfaction at the progress made with regard to implementing the decisions of the joint process, and looked forward to the implementation of the remaining decisions in this connection.
In the Field of Economy
The Supreme Council examined the progress report in the area of the Customs Union, the GCC Common Market, the Monetary Union, and the infrastructure integration projects in the GCC States, the most important among them being the electricity grid project, and the feasibility study for the GCC railways. The Supreme Council expressed satisfaction at the achievements made and issued directives pertaining to them.
Within the framework of discussing the recommendations submitted pertaining to the proposals contained in the vision of the State of Qatar about activating the role of the GCC, the Supreme Council directed the Ministerial Committees to activate Article V of the Economic Agreement concerning the strengthening of the investment environment, as well the activation of the Article XII concerning the undertaking of joint venture projects, and increasing mutual investment that would contribute to the realization of integration between the GCC States in all fields. In this connection, the Council decided that the Financial and Economic Committee should look into the proposal presented by the State of Qatar about the establishment of the GCC Joint Development Bank in its next meeting in light of the clarifications and information provided by the State of Qatar about the proposed bank in light of the study which the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee has assigned the Secretariat-General to undertake. Moreover, the Supreme Council authorized the Ministerial Council to approve the cost of the economic feasibility studies of the joint ventures which shall be chosen by the Financial and Economic Committee in the fields of education and health.
The Supreme Council blessed the ratifications by the Member States parties to the Monetary Union and ordered the establishment of the Monetary Council, and entrusted its governing board with intensifying efforts to perform the functions delegated to it by virtue of the agreement, including the fixing of the timetable for the issuance of the unified currency and putting it for circulation.
In connection with th
e GCC railway project, the Supreme Council assigned the competent Ministerial Committee and the Secretariat-General to complete the detailed studies of the project, and to study the establishment of the GCC Railways Authority to oversee the implementation of the whole project, and to coordinate between the Member States to harmonize the GCC Railways with the national railways network of the GCC States.
It authorized the Ministerial Council to approve the required amounts to cover the cost of these studies, emphasizing the need to intensify efforts to complete this vital project at the earliest time possible in line with the top global standards in existence.
GCC Common Market
The Supreme Council expressed satisfaction at the achievements made towards the implementation of its decisions pertaining to the GCC Common Market, and gave its consent to equality of treatment between the citizens of the GCC States in the field of technical education.
Relations with the Countries and Economic Blocs
The Supreme Council welcomed the signing last May of the Free Trade Agreement between the GCC States and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. It also welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations with New Zealand and the initialing of the Free Trade Agreement with it last October, as these two agreements would bring good returns in relations with these countries.
The Council also expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the strategic dialogue between the GCC States and the ASEAN countries which was held in Bahrain last June, as well as the outcome of the strategic dialogue with the Republic of Turkey, which was held in Istanbul last July.
The Supreme Council considered the report on setting into motion the Cooperation Agreement between the GCC States and the European Union, and expressed the desire of the GCC States to strengthen cooperation between the two sides in a manner that would serve the joint interests.
Military Cooperation and Combined Defense
The Supreme Council considered the progress of the various fields of military cooperation, and looked into the practical steps taken in those fields. It endorsed the defense strategy of the GCC States, development of the abilities of the Joint Peninsula Shield Forces of the GCC States, and the Joint Military Projects. The Supreme Council emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation among its members in the prevention of arms smuggling to the GCC States.
The Council examined the decisions and recommendations made by the Joint Defense Council in its 9th ordinary session held in Muscat last November, and approved those decisions and recommendations.
Security Cooperation and Coordination
The Supreme Council discussed the progress of security coordination and cooperation in light of the conclusions of the 28th meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Interior, which was held in Muscat last October. It expressed satisfaction at the achievements made in this connection, something that will reflect positively on the societies of the GCC States and on their protection. The Council stressed upon the need to intensify the exchange of information between the different security departments of the GCC Member States.
Likewise the Supreme Council welcomed the signing of the Security Agreement by the State of Qatar, and looked forward to the signing and the ratification of this agreement and other agreements related to security by the remaining Member States.
The Supreme Council expressed its unwavering stand against the phenomenon of terrorism and the danger it poses to the human societies, and on the importance of combating terrorism, terror financing, and the extremist ideas leading to it. It also underlined the importance of intensifying collective international efforts to confront terrorism and information exchange, and to prevent the use of territories of countries for the purpose of preparing, planning, inciting, and committing terrorist acts. The Supreme Council stressed upon the recommendations of the World Counterterrorism Conference which was held in Riyadh in 2005, and which adopted the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the establishment of a World Counterterrorism Center to strengthen the global efforts in this regard.
The Supreme Council underlined its unwavering stands on rejecting terrorism in all its forms and images, reiterating its denouncement of the terrorist activities, and its consequences in terms of killing of the innocents, and the destruction of property. It asserted the importance of confronting it collectively and internationally. The Council called towards reinforcing international cooperation in the field of counterterrorism through intensification of information exchange, and by not allowing the misuse of the territories of the countries for preparing, planning and inciting to commit terrorist activities. It also called towards the extradition of elements involved in terrorist activities.
Sea Piracy
In relation to the prevention of sea piracy, the Supreme Council expressed its concern at the continued acts of sea piracy in the international waterways of the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and other areas. The Council stressed the need for intensifying regional coordination to confront these criminal acts, as well as to arrest and to bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes in accordance with the relevant international and local laws as they are the perpetrators of international crime.
The Supreme Council lauded the efforts of the Armed Naval Forces of the GCC States in combating sea piracy towards protecting the waterways, and joining the Arab Task Force under the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Council expressed satisfaction at the efforts of the Naval Forces of the Kingdom of Bahrain in participating with the International Task Force (CTF 150).
The Supreme Council approved the recommendations submitted by Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Justice. These recommendations are aimed at strengthening the joint cooperation process in the field of justice. In this context, the Supreme Council approved the implementation of the Muscat Document on the Unified Law on the Registration of Real Estate in the GCC States (Amended), and Its Explanatory Note thereof as a Model Law for four years.
Human and Environmental Affairs
The Supreme Council perused the follow-up report on education, and expressed satisfaction at the steps taken to implement the decisions made by it, and at the development endeavors being made by the Member States for the advancement of General and Higher Education.
The Supreme Council approved the general framework of the implementation programs and activities for the provisions of the Cultural Strategy of the GCC States.
The Supreme Council blessed the conferral of Ibn Sina Gold Medal by UNESCO to His Royal Highness Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in recognition of the efforts being made by His Highness in supporting culture, human heritage, UNESCO activities, development of education, and the establishment of the Arab Center for World Heritage in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Scientific and Technological Cooperation
The Supreme Council praised the efforts made towards the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in the GCC States, and emphasized the importance of continuing those efforts.
Environent
The Supreme Council deliberated on the global environmental situation, affirming that the GCC States are taking great interest in making successful the Framework Convention for UN Climate Change Conference(COP15) and the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol being held at Copenhagen, Denmark, from 7 to 18 December 2009, emanating from the principle of collective responsibility, and based on the belief that potential effects of climate change entail international movement and solidarity within the framework of sustainable development. The Council expressed its support for the efforts of the international community towards achieving the desired results.
In this context, the Supreme Council renewed its appreciation of the Sultanate of Oman for its efforts towards supporting the joint process in the field of environment by the dedication of a Prize by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Seed Al-Muazzam to the Human and Environmental Affairs Sector of GCC Secretariat, considering the importance of this sector at the level of the joint process. The Supreme Council approved the following guides and manuals:
1. Model Guide for Formulating the National Plan to Respond to Nuclear Radiation Emergencies in the GCC States.
2. Model Guide for Setting Procedure for Levels for Radionuclides Present in Food, Water, or Produce.
3. Guide for Licensing and Registering in the Field of Radiation in the GCC States.
4. Model Inspection Manual for Ascertaining the Safety of the Radiation Practices in the field of Prevention in the GCC States.
5. Training Programs Manual for the Staff working in the field of Radiation Protection.
In line with the global efforts for the protecting the environment, the Supreme Council congratulated the State of the United Arab Emirates on its elections as the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The Supreme Council appreciated the donation by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of USD 300 million, as well as USD 150 million each by the United Arab Emirates, the State of Kuwait, and the State of Qatar for the establishment of a fund for energy, environment, and climate change research, which was announced by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the third OPEC Summit held in Riyadh on 17-18 November 2007.
Joint Municipal Process
The Supreme Council approved the following guides:
1. The Model Guide on the Urban Observatories, prepared by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. The Model Guide on Municipal Fees and Ways to collect them, prepared by the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Supreme Council perused the follow-up note on the steps that have been taken within the framework of the implementation of recommendations issued by the Satellite TV Forum and the ethical and moral challenges facing the GCC Youth. It passed the directive to form a permanent coordination committee with the aim of planning and coordinating joint cooperation in the field of satellite TV and Youth, and entrusted the competent Ministerial Committees with the follow-up on implementation conclusions reached by it.
Dialogue between Followers of Different Civilizations, Religions, and Cultures
The Supreme Council renews its emphasis on the importance of conducting dialogue between the followers of different civilizations, religions, and cultures, and on the keenness to build bridges of convergence between the peoples and civilizations, and this is what was embodied by the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud—may God protect him—for dialogue between the followers of different civilizations, religions, and cultures. This was also emphasized by numerous conferences that have been held as part of this initiative; but unfortunately, we were surprised by the results of the referendum on banning the minarets in the Swiss Federation, and the inclination of some countries to support this tendency, which indicates an unacceptable approach and discrimination against Islam and Muslims. This will undermine the efforts to strengthen dialogue and convergence between different civilizations and cultures. In this context, the Supreme Council calls the Swiss Federation and the international community to intensify efforts to ensure the religious rights and the protection of the places of worship.
Consultative Commission of the Supreme Council
The Supreme Council considered the views of the Consultative Commission of the Supreme Council on the topics that have been completed, which are as follows:
1. Evaluation of the GCC Process;
2. A Study of the Global Financial Crisis and its Effects on the GCC States, and the Measures that May be Taken.
3. A Study of the Food and Water Security of the GCC States.
It decided to approve these studies and to refer them to the competent Ministerial committees to activate and enhance the joint process between the GCC States, in the light of those studies.
The Supreme Council noted the growing role of the Consultative Commission of the Supreme Council and the sincere efforts of its members in enriching the cooperation process by presenting positive views on the topics assigned to it. In this context, the Supreme Council decided to assign the Consultative Commission with the study of a number of topics during its 13th session, as follows:
1) Development of the production of the agricultural yields of high economic value endemic agriculture like dates, and raising the contribution of agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries in the GDP.
2) Greenhouse Effect and the Climate Change.
3) Welfare of Persons with Special Needs and the Prevention of Disability.
These studies are to be submitted to the Supreme Council in its 31st Session.
Legislative, Shoura, Representatives, National, and Ummah Councils
The Supreme Council expressed satisfaction at the conclusions reached by the third ordinary meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Heads of the Legislative, Shoura, Representatives, National and Ummah Councils of the GCC States, held in Kuwait in the beginning of this December, and at the efforts being made by these Councils, the views submitted by them with a view to bolstering the joint process.
Cooperation with the Republic of Yemen
The Supreme Council perused the Secretary-General's report on the tracks of cooperation between the GCC States and the Republic of Yemen in relation to the funding by the GCC States of the development projects in Yemen, and urged the donor countries and organizations to quickly fulfill the pledges that they had made at the Donors' conference in London. The Council approved the accession of Yemen to Committee of the Heads of Postal Agencies.
Second: In the Political Sphere
The Occupied Emirates Islands and the Relations with Iran:
In relation to the continued occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of the three islands: the Greater and the Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, which belong to the State of United Arab Emirates, the Supreme Council stated its unwavering and well-known stand, which have been reiterated in all the previous statements, as follows:
• Supporting the right of the State of the UAE to regain sovereignty over her three islands: the Greater and the Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, and over the territorial waters, the airspace, the continental shelf, and the economic zone of the three islands, as they are an integral part of the State of the United Arab Emirates.
• Expressing disappointment that the repeated contacts with the Islamic Republic of Iran have not yielded any positive outcomes that would actively contribute to the resolution of the issue, and lead to the security and stability of the region.
• Continuing to look into all peaceful means that would lead to the restoration of UAE's right on the three islands.
• Urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the efforts of the UAE and the international community in solving the issue by peaceful means or taking recourse to the International Court of Justice.
The Council demanded that Iran abide by the basic pillars of promoting good neighborly ties, mutual respect, and non-interference in the internal affairs.
The Iranian Nuclear Dossier
The Supreme Council reiterated its stable position on the importance of following the international legality, and it emphasized its stance aimed at rendering the Middle East region free from nuclear arms.
The Supreme council hailed the international efforts aimed at solving the Iranian Nuclear crisis through diplomatic means, and expressed hope that all concerned sides would reach a political settlement that would eliminate the fears and doubts on the nature of this dossier, bring about peace and stability in the region, guarantee the right of the countries of the region to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes within the framework of the relevant international agreements, and in line with the standards and procedures set forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency and under its supervision, and implementation of these standards on all countries of the region without exception, including Israel.
Arab Reconciliation
The Supreme Council praised the gracious and wise initiative launched by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, during the Arab Economic and Social Development Forum held in Kuwait in January 2009, for Arab reconciliation. The initiative expressed the extent of his desire to bring about unity and solidarity between the Arab countries.
The Palestinian Issue and the Middle East Peace Process
The Supreme Council considered the development of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the developments pertaining to the peace process, and the crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli military machine, as well as the tyrannical blockade of and the collective punishment imposed on the Gaza Strip. The Supreme Council called the active international parties to put an immediate end to this situation, and to implement the UNSC resolution 1860 which has called for lifting the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza, and to open the crossings. The Supreme Council welcomed the decision, in this context, the adoption by the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council of the Goldstone Report on the grievous violations of the human and international law and the principles of human rights by committing war crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza. The Supreme Council demanded that the perpetrators of these crimes be held to account, compensation be paid to the victims, and those responsible for these crimes be pursued and be referred to the International Courts. Simultaneously, it urged the Security Council to shoulder their complete responsibility, in its capacity as the institution responsible for maintaining world security and stability.
In this connection, the Supreme Council expressed support for the decision of the Arab League Council pertaining to holding the special session of the International Security Council to announce the establishment of a Palestinian State on its territories occupied in 1967. The Supreme Council condemned the unilateral Israeli policies, and the attempts to impose the fait accompli, by altering the geographic and demographic situation of the occupied Palestinian territories, the ongoing judaization of East Jerusalem, intensification of the settlement policy, and the expansion of the existing settlements. The Council appealed to the international community to fulfill its responsibility towards putting an immediate end to the settlement activities, razing down the racist wall, preventing Israel from infringing upon the status of Holy Jerusalem, and protecting the Islamic and Christian sacred places.
The Council asserted that the achievement of comprehensive fair and lasting peace depends on the Israeli withdrawal from all Arab Territories occupied in Palestine in 1967, the Occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, the Alghajar village according to the UNSC resolutions 425 and 426.
The Supreme Council considers the statement of the European Union rejecting any change to the boundaries of the sixth of June 1967 as a first step towards the assuming of responsibility by the international community. The Council reiterated the Palestinian right to have the Holy Jerusalem as capital within the framework of the establishment of an independent, contiguous, and viable Palestinian State in line with the principles of international legality, UN resolutions, the principle of land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Supreme Council emphasized the importance of respecting all the legitimate Palestinian institutions including the elected Legislative Council. The Supreme Council called all Palestinian factions towards unity, unison of voice, and formation of a national unity Palestinian government, in an effort to forge Palestinian unity, and to empower the Palestinian people to recover their usurped rights, and to establish their independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Supreme Council condemned the recent explosions targeting the Iraqi cities, hoping that security and stability will be achieved for Iraq and its people. The Council reiterated its unwavering stand regarding the respect for the unity of Iraq, its sovereignty, independence, and regional security, as well as non-interference in its internal affairs, and the preservation of its Arab and Islamic identity. It also stressed that the achievement of security and stability calls for expediting the realization of the Iraqi national reconciliation to make the comprehensive political process successful which must include all Iraqis without exception or discrimination.
The Supreme Council stressed upon the need for Iraq to implement all relevant UNSC resolutions, and urged the United Nations and other related organizations to continue their efforts to conclude the two issues of ascertaining the fate of the remaining prisoners and the missing citizens of the State of Kuwait or the citizens of other countries, and the return of the assets and the national archives of the State of Kuwait.
The Supreme Council renewed its full support to the implementation of the all the provisions of the Doha Agreement between the Lebanese factions which was reached under the gracious patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, and its fruition in the successful election of the deputies. The Supreme Council welcomed the formation of the Lebanese government under the leadership of the Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri. The Council expressed hope that this will contribute towards supporting and strengthening national unity, achieving security, stability, and prosperity in Lebanon. It noted the efforts made by the Lebanese sides towards reaching the agreement to form the government. It renewed its stand in support of Lebanon and its people in all that would contribute to the reinforcement of its security and stability. The Supreme Council reaffirmed the importance the Taif Agreement between the Lebanese sides.
The Council praised the efforts being made to solve the Darfur problem, as well as other efforts in reaching a peaceful negotiated solution. The Council also expressed its solidarity with the Republic of Sudan and non-acceptance of the measures taken by the International Criminal Court within the framework of the conflict in Darfur.
In this context, the Supreme Council acknowledged the good efforts made by the State of Qatar within the framework of the Arab Ministerial Committee and in coordination with the African joint mediator of the African Union and the United Nations for arranging and sponsoring peace talks in Doha between the Sudanese government and the armed movements. The Council looks forward to the success of these negotiations and hopes for the realization of the desired Sudanese concord. It hailed the Doha declaration issued by the meeting of sections of the Darfur Civil Society which was held in Doha last November. This declaration contains principles that affirm that Darfur is an integral part of one and unified Sudan, and that Darfur is a political issue which cannot be solved except through serious dialogue between the sons of the same soil. The Council expressed support for the efforts of the State of Qatar aimed at reaching just and lasting peace in Darfur.
The Supreme Council expressed regret at the continued deterioration of the situation in Somalia and condemned the terrorist operation that targeted students, officials and civilians in a hotel in the capital Mogadishu in early December, and renewed its call for all Somali parties to stop violence and to give up all the actions that create obstacles in the way of national reconciliation efforts. It reiterated its support for the agreement reached in Djibouti on June 9, 2008 and the legitimate government led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
The Council urged all Somali parties to abide by the agreements and commitments that have been signed in the city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, aimed at putting an end to human suffering and to provide security, stability and prosperity for the Somali people.
In conclusion, the Supreme Council expressed its deep appreciation of and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait—may God protect and take care of him—Chairman of the current session of the Supreme Council, and his prudent government and the people of dear Kuwait for the warm welcome and generous hospitality and the sincere fraternal sentiments with which his brothers Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC States were greeted. The leaders also noted the importance attached by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait to this meeting, the gracious patronage given by him, and the wise management of this meeting, which had the greatest impact on reaching important outcomes and decisions.
The GCC Leaders expressed their confidence that the State of Kuwait would during presidency of this session push forward the blessed march towards greater achievements, and take it to wider and more comprehensive horizons in light of the rapid developments in local, regional and international spheres in order to achieve security, stability and prosperity for the peoples of the GCC and the region.
The Supreme Council decided to appoint the Kingdom of Bahrain's candidate for the post of the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf for a period of three years with effect from 1st April 2011, as a successor to His Excellency Mr. Abdul Rahman Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah the current Secretary-General whose tenure expires at the end of March 2011.
The Supreme Council welcomed the gracious inviation extended by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan—may God protect him—President of the of the State of the United Arab Emirates to hold the next the 31st session of the Supreme Council in the States of the United Arab Emirates in 2010.
Issued At Kuwait City
28 Dhul Hijja 1430AH
15 December 2009AD

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
import React, {Component, PropTypes} from 'react';
import {Col, Input} from "react-bootstrap";
import Datetime from 'react-datetime';
import moment from 'moment';
import 'react-datetime/css/react-datetime.css'

export default class Time extends Component {
    static propTypes = {
        setValue: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
        delta: PropTypes.number.isRequired,
        timeFormat: PropTypes.string,
        valueFormat: PropTypes.string,
        locale: PropTypes.string,
    };

    static defaultProps = {
        timeFormat: 'HH:mm',
        valueFormat: 'HH:mm:ss',
        locale: 'ru',
    };

    handleChange(value) {
        const {setValue, valueFormat} = this.props;
        value = moment(value).format(valueFormat);
        setValue(value);
    }

    handleClick() {
        console.log("In Date:handleClick");
    }

    render() {
        const {timeFormat, value, locale} = this.props;
        return (
            <Col xs={3}>
                <label>Value</label>
                <Datetime
                    timeFormat={timeFormat}
                    dateFormat={false}
                    locale={locale}
                    value={value}
                    onChange={this.handleChange.bind(this)}
                    ref="datetime"
                />
            </Col>
        );
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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The ultimate test of a good job interview is whether or not you are called back for a second interview or are offered the job. There are, however, some clues you could use to let you know sooner. There are also some tips that you can follow to make sure you have a good job interview every time. As in most things, the key to a good job interview is to prepare ahead of time and to practice. Preparation consists of learning from formal and informal sources what the target company is looking for. Practice means conducting a mock interview, preferably recorded, using someone who can give you feedback and coaching on your performance.
Preparation for a good job interview can be started by looking at the job ad and job description. These documents give you a clear and formal description of the job requirements and duties that the target position demands. These two documents should be a source for you to learn the technical requirements that you will be expected to demonstrate in your job interview. Informal requirements and preferences can be learned by Internet research and by talking to people in your social network. These kinds of sources are good for learning the sorts of unsaid preferences the target company has regarding candidates, and the corporate culture of the target. Last but not least, a study of the relevant articles in the news and press should give you an idea of the competitive and economic environment the target company is part of.
Once you have a clear and complete idea of what the company is looking for, then you can begin preparing to answer interview questions in a way that conveys those characteristics. The best way to do that is to come up with a mental list of the traits the company is looking for and match them up with examples from your professional and personal life that most vividly demonstrate them. Think of the most concrete, specific examples you can and how you could quickly summarize them into a problem, action, solution, and result format to share during the interview.
The good job interview practice that you can undertake would include taking the questions that you have determined the interviewer is likely to ask and giving those to a coach or colleague who can conduct a mock interview. If you can record the mock interview, that's even better. In the mock interview, have the coach ask the questions you've prepared ahead of time. Do your best to respond to those questions in terms of your personal experiences. Also have your mock interviewer ask a few questions that aren't on the list to see how you react to the unexpected. After the mock interview, take a look at the tape with your coach and see where your strengths and weaknesses are for and spend time working on them before the real-life interview.


text:
不靠运气的游戏:组合博弈论
乔治亚理工学院
This course will cover the mathematical theory and analysis of simple games without chance moves.
Great course. I will try now the optional exercises and try having a deeper understanding on this.
An invigorating subject to learn about. Learning made great by the lecturer!
Week 4: Numbers and Games
The topics for this fourth week is Simplicity and numbers. How to play win numbers. Students will be able to determine which games are numbers and if so what numbers they are.
Some Numbers Are Games5:35
Some Games Are Numbers7:07
Simplicity5:26
More Numbers5:09
Quiz Preview1:35
Dr. Tom Morley
>> Games without chance. Okay. I just dealt myself a card hand by chance. And now look at what I got. You believe that? Okay. But, not a chance mix. This is the module. Simplicity. It's all about simplicity. Okay, let's look. What do I mean by simplicity? Remember last time we looked at things like, well let's do minus 3, 1. Now, it turns out that this is some number, and the number has to be between 1 and minus 3. Whenever you have a game like this that's a number, all the options over here are less than, strictly less than all the options over here. It turns out that unless that happens, that's not a number. There are games, lots of games that aren't numbers. But if it is a number, it has to be somewhere in between. But, you see we have lots of choices here, you know, minus 2 is in between, minus 1.12345 is in between. All kinds of numbers are in between, and if you actually believe in real numbers, which some people do. I happen to believe in real numbers sometimes. There are infinitly many numbers in between, and so, we have to decide, which one. And the answer is, the simplest one. Simplest one. So, This is some number. It's got to be, if this is some number, it's got to be, be between minus 3 and 1, and the question is which one. And the answer is the simplest number. Now, 0 is the simplest number of all. And then you have 1, 2, 3, and also their negatives. And then slightly more complicated than these are 1 half minus a half, numbers that are, 3 and a half would be a, actually, more complicated than 1 half, because it's bigger. And then is the quarters, and then the 8ths, and then the 16ths, etc., etc. Okay. So we'd look at the game 1, and 1 and 3/8. And ask, what's the simplest number that's in between? Well, it turns out there's a number where the 4th. Namely 1 and a quarter that's in between these 2. Even though this is. Involves 8ths. We don't have to go to 8th or 16ths to fit something in between. We can actually get something strictly in between. That's got a, that's got a 4 in the denominator. And having a 4 in the denominator is simpler than having an 8th in the denominator. So, so this is, 1 and a quarter which is in between 1 and 1 and 3 8th. So, when there's a choice Of, of which one to fit in between is the simplest one. Now let me actually explain something. One more thing. Take a look at say one. And 3 and 7 8ths. Okay, there's lots of numbers that fit in between here and the, The value here X that is, this is equal to a number X. The value of X is not the average of these two. It's the simplest that's fixed in between There's an actually a whole number that fits in between and so it's two. Okay, you can try one. You can try this at home. Let's try 3 8th, 3 quarters. What's the simplest number that's bigger than 3 8ths and less than 3 4ths? Try it at home. I think you'll find that, that number is halfway in between 0 and 1. Just to give away the answer. So, and to prove that this number is equal to 1 half, you would have to show this number, this game, minus this game, minus 1 half, is a 0 game, that is, a loss for the first player. So there we have it.


[Theme] GitHub themes no longer work?
Should I be concerned that most plugins and themes are not confirmed compatible?
How do I... remove elements of a theme?
[PLUGIN] fancyBox: jQuery lightbox script for displaying images, videos and more.


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text:
BC Field Hockey Preview: Part I
Taking a look at the 2015 squad
By Caleb Childers Aug 24, 2015, 12:00pm EDT
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Students getting pumped up for field hockey season.
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
With the end of summer comes many things. Students are returning to campus, the bookstore is making a killing, and the gridiron Eagles are getting ready to #SOAR. But while the bright lights are turned to Addazio's dudes, there are plenty of other teams preparing to take on their 2015 schedule. One of the lesser known yet successful squads is the field hockey team. The squad is coming off back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances while playing in the most brutal conference for field hockey and is hungry for more. Most people are not familiar with this team, so let's get you familiar with the 2015 BC field hockey squad.
Coach Kelly Doton is ready. After learning from the best for the last decade, the first year head coach is ready to pick up where her predecessor left off. Doton first joined the Eagles in 2012 after a successful stint coaching at Indiana. The Greenfield, Massachusetts native played college ball at Wake Forest and picked up two national championship rings. The 2004 graduate continued her playing career by playing for the US National Team, which included a trip to the 2008 Olympics. Her resume is stacked for a first year head coach, but she has big shoes to fill following fan favorite Ainslee Lamb. For the last ten seasons, Lamb lead the Eagles to a winning record in every single season and four trips to the NCAA tournament before moving on to other opportunities. I got the chance to interview Doton this past April, and she talked at length about how much she had learned from her mentor and how grateful she was for the chances that she had been given. Coach Lamb had talked about having Doton take over one day, and it makes sense with her being the associate head coach since 2012. Coach Lamb built up the program, and now she's handed over the keys to someone who can continue that growth.
The Captains
Kelcie Hromisin: The senior forward from PA is a leader by example on the field and off the field. Last season she scored 9 goals, appeared in every game, and was named to the 2014 All-ACC Academic Team as well as the National Academic Squad. Hromisin is a legitimate offensive threat and had a shooting percentage of .225, which was third on the team.
AshLeigh Sebia: Another forward, Sebia is key in setting up plays. She was second on the team in assists with 7, despite missing 2 games due to injury. While she racked up the assists, she struggled to find the back of the net herself, however, with only one goal. After scoring 4 goals her freshman year and 7 her sophomore, she will no doubt be hungry to convert more chances this season.
Romée Stiekema: If you're only going to score 1 goal in a season, it helps to make it count. The senior from the Netherlands recorded her first goal and helped the Eagles earn #OrangeEagle points when she scored in overtime against #4 Syracuse to give the team a 3-2 win. She may not lead the team in goals or assists, but Stiekema is a key part of the midfield and is going to play a critical role on the field this season.
The Twins
Possibly the most talented players on this 2015 squad are a set of twins, Emily and Eryn McCoy. The juniors from Lancaster, PA combined for 20 goals and 8 assists last season. Emily plays in the midfield and had a wicked .238 shooting percentage last season. She was named to the Second Team All-Northeast region list for her accomplishments. Meanwhile, Eryn plays in a more attacking forward role and had 25 points last season to lead the team. She too has also picked up quite a few accolades, including also being named to the Second Team All-Northeast region list. Be sure to pay attention to #6 in the midfield and #13 up top this season.
The Goalie
Whether it's soccer, ice hockey, or field hockey, having a good goalie is essential to success. A good goalie can make your team more confident and keep the crowd buzzing from save after save, and a bad one can completely suck the life out of a game with careless mistakes. Luckily, the 2015 Eagles team has a star goalie in Leah Settipane. So far she has yet to miss a game during her time as an Eagle, and the senior is already in the record books in numerous categories. Her 1.84 goals against average puts her sixth all time at Boston College, and she lead the ACC last year in saves with 117. The Rhode Island native has one more year to be the rock for the Eagles, and she will do doubt be a crucial part to the 2015 season.
These players are absolutely essential to the team and are going to play a huge role, but did not fit into the earlier categories.
Brittany Sheenan: The forward from PA was having a great season last year. She played in the first 11 games and started 7 of them as a sophomore. She was a crucial piece to the team with 7 goals scored and 3 of them being game winners. Unfortunately, during the loss to Wake Forest, she suffered a knee injury and missed the last 9 games of the season. Sheenan looks to be ready to go this season, so look for her to have a strong junior season.
Jacqueline Kelleher: The Eagles are losing a lot of the backline from last season, but Kelleher is back and ready for a big senior season. Last year she started in every game and is no doubt going to be crucial this season. Her biggest moment last year came in the win against eventual champion UCONN, when she made a crucial defensive save. But her most impressive moves may actually be off the field, as the senior economics major was given the Athletic Director's Award for Academic Excellence last season.
Chelcie Mendonça: Last season's super sub is looking to make a bigger impact this season. In 20 games last year as a freshman, she started in 4 games and was quick to come off the bench in the 16 others. This year Chelcie Mendonça should play a prominent role in the midfield.
Leah Frome: Not all of the Eagles' best forwards are from the Northeast! Frome, a goal scoring threat from Canada, scored 5 goals last year, including a dramatic goal against UNC to send the game into overtime. This year she will be a junior and is looking to play an even bigger role on the team.
The Freshmen
As is the nature of college sports, every year a group of accomplished student-athletes leave and a new crop comes up, ready to make their mark. This year, Boston College has a big freshman group, with seven new players.
Kaitie Fink: This explosive freshman was a four year player at Governor Mifflin Senior High School and a three-time all state player. Outside of her high school team, she was a part of the USA Field Hockey Futures program in 2011 and 2012 and played club hockey for High Styx, where she played in both the midfield and as a forward.
Lucy Lytle: The Illinois native joins the squad after four successful years at the Deerfield Academy. The midfielder started out her career as a forward before switching to midfield in her junior year. The move paid off because the last two years she was named a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council All-Star as well as being named the Deerfield team MVP in 2014. Lytle played a crucial role on her prep team, and she will no doubt look to make an impact during her four years in the heights.
Elizabeth Dennehy: What's better then getting a good recruit? Getting one who was already instructed by an Eagle. Dennehy was coached in high school by Kim Desto, who previously played for Boston College, at Weston High School. While in high school, Dennehy was a standout with 81 goals and 49 assists during her four years. Twice she was named a NFHCA All-American and was named to the "National 10 players to watch list in 2014" by Max Field Hockey.
Carly Kauffman: Another midfielder, Kauffman had a prolific career at Oley Valley High School in Pennsylvania. She was a three time all-state player and was a team captain her senior year. For the last few years she has played for the prolific XCaliber Field Hockey Club under coach Brian Hope. On top of that, Kauffman has a bit of international experience from playing with the Under-19 Junior National Indoor Team on a tour of Germany last year.
Ymke Rose Gote: Our team gets a bit of an international flavor with Gote from the Netherlands. Previously she played for the club team, Pinoke, where she had been for over a decade. She last played for coach Bjorn van der Dussen at the U19 level. While playing at the U17 level she captained the team for two years and won two Dutch National Championships. She's been a winner at multiple stages of her career, so hopefully that translates to her time with the Eagles.
Frederique Haverhals: Joining Gote is Frederique Haverhals, another player from the Netherlands. During her time in The Netherlands she played club field hockey for Hoc Gazellen Combinatie. She is a versatile player who plays in both the midfield and on the backline. Throughout her pre-BC days she played on squads above her age level and was successful in helping her club win the outdoor championship in 2013-2014.
Kayla Forrey: Last but not least is Kayla Forrey. The midfielder played her high school ball at Donegal High School in Pennsylvania. She split her time between field hockey, softball, and track and field and excelled in all three sports. During her high school career she scored 32 goals and had 10 assists as well as being named first team all-state in her Junior year.
And that wraps up part 1 of our season preview for Field Hockey. Their season opener is this Friday against Providence at home. Part 2 coming later this week will preview the team's schedule.


Five Things: UConn's Defense, Foul Shooting Fuel ChampionshipLast night, the Huskies cut down the nets in Dallas after beating Kentucky 60-54 to win the school's fourth national championship. Consider that Kentucky needed four straight late escapes to reach the final and you get a sense for what kind of Tournament this was.
Loyola To Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of 'Game Of Change' At White HouseMembers of Loyola University's 1963 national champion basketball team will meet President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, 50 years after they helped break down racial barriers.
Loyola's 1963 Championship Basketball Team Inducted Into Hall Of FameThe 1963 Loyola University Chicago men's basketball team will be the first team ever inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on November 24 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kentucky Wins NCAA Title Kentucky's 67-59 victory over Kansas on Monday night gave the Wildcats their eighth national title.
Seeding Is Where Selection Committee Needs HelpThe NCAA Championship game on Monday night was supposed to be the culmination of a tournament filled with upsets and buzz beaters.
Thompson: Why I Hope Butler WinsNo matter what happens during Monday night's NCAA championship game, one school will have a fitting ending to an incredible tournament run.
Bernstein: Butler Has Become AnnoyingIf the Butler Bulldogs win the national title, will they please leave?


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Mr. Lincoln's Fredericksburg–May 23, 1862
May 22, 2012 May 27, 2012 / Historian	/ 3 Comments
On the eve of the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's visit to Fredericksburg, we refer you to a post we did nearly two years ago that documents pretty strongly that Lincoln visited the Sunken Road and Marye's Heights in May 1862. You can find that post–one of our most popular ever–here.
Union General Rufus King (center) on the front steps at Chatham in the spring of 1862. That's future Union general Judson Kilpatrick at right, already looking the daredevil. Lincoln marched up these steps and into the front door on May 23, 1862 to meet with King, McDowell, Gibbon, and others.
Lincoln's May 23 visit came at a critical time for the Union army, as McDowell's troops at Fredericksburg made final preparations for their advance south on Richmond, set for May 25. But while Lincoln was here, bad things were afoot in the Shenandoah that would completely disrupt the grand scheme, for on May 23, Jackson's men struck at Banks's forces at Strasburg and Front Royal. The climactic phase fo the Valley campaign had begun.
Lincoln's visit to Chatham and Fredericksburg was akin to President Obama's recent journey to Afghanistan–very few in the army or the press knew he was coming. Consequently, the visit received little notice in the press, and indeed is scantily recorded by men in the army either. Still, there are some worthwhile nuggets and impressions that have come down to us.
Union General John Gibbon left the best description of Lincoln's morning visit to Chatham in a letter to his wife (Gibbon had written an artillery manual before the war that the government had refused to adopt, something the general pointed out to the president):
The dining room at Chatham, where Lincoln had dinner on May 23, 1862. A photo from the 1920s.
The canal boat bridge
By this date 150 years ago, the canal boat bridge at Fredericksburg was in full operation. On May 23, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln would cross it during his tour of Fredericksburg. We wrote extensively about the bridge a couple years ago, and you can find our posts here and here.
Photo courtesy Marc Storch.
A town atwitter, bridges abuilding: the Yankees move in, 1862
May 9, 2012 May 9, 2012 / Historian	/ Leave a comment
From John Hennessy (the links herein are generally to posts we have done about whatever topic is in hypertext. Explore):
One hundred and fifty years ago, Fredericksburg was in the midst of a painful, annoying (at least to white residents) tumult, as the Union army took firm possession of the town. The army spent the three weeks between the Battle of Arby's and May 9 restoring the railroad line between Aquia Landing and Fredericksburg and preparing for McDowell's advance south on Richmond. The biggest task was the reconstruction of the massive Potomac Creek Bridge, which like everything else had been destroyed by the retreating Confederates.
The ruins of the bridge over Potomac Creek. The bridge would be reconstructed by May 15. Lincoln would christen it the "beanpole and cornstalks" bridge. For photos of the site today, click here.
Elsewhere, the army was busy building bridges into town, establishing camps on Stafford Heights (and farther back from the river), and cautiously feeling for hovering Confederates west and south of Fredericksburg. The first of the bridges to be completed was the canal boat bridge spanning Ferry Farm to the town docks in Fredericksburg. On May 5, Union engineers completed a more traditional pontoon bridge from the Stafford shore to the base of Hawke Street–just above Chatham. The army would reuse this site in December 1862, labeling it the Upper Crossing.
The pontoon bridge into Fredericksburg, May 1862.
By mid-May, as many as 400 soldiers had been assigned to help re-build the burned bridge of the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad into Fredericksburg–75 feet high and 600 feet long. Continue reading →
"All my sympathies were for the cause of the union and its supporters…" – Abraham Primmer of Stafford County
May 4, 2012 September 4, 2015 / Historian	/ 1 Comment
Park staff has recently been engaged in looking at Fredericksburg area's Unionist families and the role they played in the Civil War hereabouts. Staff Historian Don Pfanz recently authored an article on this subject in the locally published Fredericksburg History & Biography (Volume 10). A two-part post on this blog last year, which can be found here, looked at the activity of perhaps the most active Unionist in Spotsylvania County, Isaac Silver. Today's post seeks to introduce our readers to another of the local Unionist community who made hard choices about his involvement in the war, resisted Confederate authority and ultimately survived within a hostile environment.
Abraham Primmer moved his family to Stafford County, Virginia in 1853, purchasing a 360-acre estate, known as "Bell-Air." The property sat along the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad about 1.5 miles northeast of Falmouth. Abraham hailed from New York and spent his early adult life in Chemung County, serving as a Supervisor and Justice of the Peace for the town of Catlin, as well as an assemblyman for Chemung. The family included Abraham and his wife Elizabeth, along with their four daughters and three sons.
An 1867 map showing Abraham Primmer's "Bell-Air" in relation to other landmark residences in southern Stafford County.
On the subject of secession, the Primmers stood solidly behind the Union. Abraham later claimed that he "never drew a disloyal breath from beginning to end." On May 23, 1861, Virginians gathered at polling places throughout the state to cast their vote on whether or not to adopt the Ordinance of Secession. Abraham remembered that at his polling location, militiamen were on hand, intent on making sure the ordinance received overwhelming support.
"Every influence was employed to intimidate—–any who were suspected of the crime of being a union man. Up to this time I had determined to vote against secession and had spoken against it on several occasions, and was a marked man; where the vote was taken I was warned of my danger. I had two sons that I wanted to save if the state seceded and to save myself and family from the fury of these outlaws and the persecutions of the inflamed secesh." – Testimony of Abraham Primmer, Southern Claims Commission
The exodus begins: John Washington's greatest journey
May 2, 2012 July 12, 2017 / Historian	/ Leave a comment
[First, a prelude: In light of the topic of this post, a couple of reminders about this weekend's To Freedom event. Join us on Saturday night at 6:30 for "Bearing the Stones," a community procession down
Bearing of Stones, 6:30 Saturday.
Sophia Street from Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) to the middle crossing site below city dock, where hundreds, perhaps thousands of slaves crossed in 1862. Then, at 7:30, we will present "10,000 Lights to Freedom," an interpretive program of music, the words of those who were there, readings, and of course, the illumination of 10,000 lights on the Stafford shore. For more information on the weekend, click here.
Also, on Sunday at 1:30, I will be tracing a tour along the Trail to Freedom, from the Rappahannock to Aquia Landing–including the site of John Washington's crossing, described below. This program is being sponsored by Eastern National. There is a fee ($20, to help with the bus), and the tour will last three hours. You can reserve a seat by calling 540 654-5543.
On Saturday on the hour from 11 till 3, we will be doing walking tours, "A Slave's World and Beyond," which includes many sites associated with John Washington. Meet at Market Square. These are free, presented by myself, Steward Henderson, and Donald Pfanz of the park staff.]
Chances are, if you have spent much time here or on Fredericksburg Remembered, you have heard a bit about John Washington (see here). Washington was a slave who spent most of his life in bondage in Fredericksburg, and seven years after the war wrote a truly compelling memoir of his experience. His is an important voice–one of two complete memoirs from a Fredericksburg slave, and by far the best.
Of all the moments narrated in Washington's remembrance, by far the most vivid–for him and for us his readers–is his passage across the Rappahannock to freedom in April 1862. Washington crossed just hours after the arrival of the Union army at Falmouth; indeed, he may have been the first to do so, the first of more than 10,000 to follow. Because his is one of just two accounts from a slave's hand that narrates this passage (see the other here), his assumes immense historical significance. He conveys to us what must have been the sentiments of thousands of others.
Washington began his day that Good Friday tending bar at the Shakespeare House hotel on Caroline Street, where today's Soup and Taco stands (with the best tortilla soup in town). With the arrival of the Union army (we wrote of Washington's perception of that here), and while white residents rushed to flee or hide, Washington took to the streets.
He stopped first at his owner's residence in the Farmer's Bank building on Princess Anne Street. Washington is the classic example of a slave who humored those in authority, always taking care that they thought him willing and compliant. In his final act as a slave, he did so again. When he walked in the front door of the bank, his owner, Catherine Taliaffero, was busy packing to head to the country. "Child," she said to this 24-year-old man, "you better come and go out in the country With me So as to keep away from the yankees." Washington replied, "Yes madam," but asserted that he needed to return the keys to the hotel to the hotelier's wife. "I will come right back directly," he said, and then walked out the door never to return as a slave.
From the National Bank building Washington proceeded to the river, likely up to what we know today as the upper crossing site, at the base of Hawke Street. Continue reading →


Relatively thick Muang cotton which has been stonewashed. Material can shrink and the colours may run, especially on the first few washes.
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In their article "Cultural Hybridization in a 1930s Taiwanese Popular Song" Mei-Wen Lee and Timothy P. Urban present a comparison of the three different sets of lyrics used for the melody of the 1930s Taiwanese popular song, "Moonlight Sorrow": Taiwanese lyrics used by Yu-Xian Deng and Tian-Wang Chou in their 1933 arrangement, Japanese lyrics by Kurihara Hakuya from the late 1930s, and Mandarin lyrics added by Nu Chuan in the 1960s. Lee and Urban examine three orchestral settings of the "Moonlight Sorrow" melody. In the first orchestral version Japanese composer Hayakawa Masaaki uses the melody in a manner similar to that of The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. In the second arrangement Russian composer Yuri Yakushev combines a domra (a traditional Russian plucked string instrument) with instruments from both a classical orchestra and a jazz band in an easy-listening, Beguine-style. The last arrangement examined is by Taiwanese composer Szu-Hsien Lee who combines Western Baroque orchestration (with the addition of a clarinet) with Western triadic harmonies and harmony derived both from the pentatonic melody itself, as well as from the open string tuning of traditional Chinese instruments.
The above text, published by Purdue University Press ©Purdue University, has been downloaded 557 times as of 04/10/19.


V2 Cigs Review - One Million Customers. Do They Like This e-cigarette?
They are one of the biggest and best e-cigarette companies out there and have received rave reviews from those that have used them to make the switch from conventional cigarettes to their electronic counterparts. Even on the website it states that they are the Number One American e-cigarette company and when you take a closer look, it's not hard to see why.
I went for the V2 Standard Kit which costs $59.95. For this price I got 2 batteries (one manual PLUS one automatic!), 10 cartridges, a wall adapter and USB "smart" charger. To be honest, aside from one extra battery perhaps, you don't need much more than this to get you started.
This one needs to be constantly plugged in as it has no battery and relied on the USB-powered lead to keep things going. You will get this plus 5 cartridges. It's worth getting this if you spend a lot of time at your desk but you may find that some of the larger starter kits will contain this as well.
This one is pretty cool because you'll get a disposable e-cigarette with your package so you can give those a shot at the same time. On top of this, you'll get the little USB cigarette, 5 cartridges and one battery. It's not a great starter kit for me but it might be for someone!
For just under a hundred bucks, you'll get 2 batteries (one manual and one standard|), 10 cartridges, USB charger, wall adapter plus a portable charging case which I shall talk about in just a moment.
This whopping kit sure gives you some bang for your buck and, in my eyes, is one of the best kits around at the moment. With three batteries, 25 cartridges, a wall adapter, USB charger, car adapter, XL portable charging case, metal carry case, USB or "power-"cig AND a lanyard, you have all you need and more to get you started for not a bad price really. Just think of how much you would normally spend on smoking over the course of a month anyway!
You will find that there is a starter kit for everyone and definitely makes them one of the winners in the race for the best e-cigarettes!
You get a whole bunch of options from V2 Cigs when it comes to battery options. Most starter kits will allow you to pick and choose your choice of batteries from three lengths and even between manual and automatic varieties.
You've first got the Shorty Cig which will give you around 160 puffs. Its pretty small at 10 cm long. If you're looking for the "natural" cigarette length, you'll want the Standard Cig which is 1.1 cm long and will give you about 200 puffs and more. For more juice in the battery, you'll want the Long Cig which is 1.4 cm long and gives you a fairly impressive 300+ puffs out of a full charge.
In laymen's terms, the long ones will last you from 7am to when you get home from work that night at about 6pm. The short ones will do you for the rest of the evening with pretty much chain-puffing until you go to bed at 11pm. Well, that's how it went for men. The standard one comes in at somewhere in the middle as you would expect. You'll find the longest battery takes about four hours to charge which isn't bad for how long it lasts.
With silver, black, blue and white colors available, you can customize everything to your specifications so if you would rather not have an electronic cigarette that looks like a regular cigarette, you have a couple of options available.
Replacing them won't break the bank either with them ranging from $14.95 for the Shorty Cig to $22.95 for the Long Cig.
We have just one bad thing to say about the V2 Cigs Long Cig. It is much heavier than you'd expect, and this makes it much harder to smoker. When compared to other brands that offer similar battery styles, it just feels too heavy. It's not the biggest deal in the world but I wasn't all that into it. It felt like I was waving around a magic wand.
The best thing about V2 Cigs is the fact that they offer you the chance to refill your cartridges; something that could end up saving you even more money. They offer a pretty impressive range of cartridges and e-liquids, and the other thing that we loved was the fact they had a large number of strengths available.
This means if you are planning to quit, the journey will be easier as you have more strength options to drop down before you get to the final of zero nicotine. 2.4% of nicotine is more than enough to start with for normal smokers. Maybe just super-heavy smokers need a something stronger (White Cloud offers higher nicotine percentage as well).
You've got your generic tobacco flavors such as V2 Red, Sahara and Congress. I found V2 Red good enough to remind the heaviest of smokers of the nicotine taste, but I was a Sahara-kinda guy with my "average" smoking habits.
If you like a menthol kick to your smoking, why not check out one of the three flavors V2 Cigs has to offer – Menthol, Peppermint and Mint Tea. I didn't care much for mint tea but peppermint wasn't bad.
If you fancy something a little different, you can make your pick from Cherry, Coffee, Vanilla and V2 Cola. I did quite like the cola one even though I thought I wouldn't.
To find your favorite flavor, you could check out the V2 10-Flavor Sampler. At a little under $17, you could get 10 different ones to pick from. At least by doing this you can wean out the ones you don't like!
I did like the flavors offered by V2 Cigs but in my experience, the flavor wasn't consistently strong enough throughout the duration of the cartridge. For the most part, one cartridge would let me one day but the flavor would die before the liquid ran out, making for a rather bland smoking experience for the last couple of hours use.
The best thing, and the thing that I feel counteracts this, is the fact that you can buy liquids to refill your cartridges and this DOESN'T void the warranty.
When it comes to throat hit and vapor, you won't be disappointed. It's as if you are actually smoking!
As you've probably guessed if you've read a few of the other reviews, I'm not really a big fan of accessories and find most of them pointless and a waste of money. With V2 Cigs however, I found that the Accessories section of the website caught my eye for all the right reasons.
The XL Portable Charging Case might set you back just shy of $60 but you can charge up to 8 batteries with just one charge of the portable pack. With black, silver and white options available, it looks like something out of a space age movie!
There's the average charging case, USB cig, carry cases, lanyards, drip tips and plentiful chargers – all things that you would probably make good use of. I certainly did! Although I would never admit it, even the lanyard came in handy. I have a tendency to lose the e-cigarette around the house.
The "lifetime" warranty is good for 5 replacements but that's only as long as you have made an order for cartridges or e-liquids from V2 Cigs within the last 90 days before you make your claim. Firstly, since when does five replacements class as a lifetime warranty when I've not found a battery that lasts longer than around 12-14 months. If you go through batteries at a rate of one per year, that's only a five year warranty, right?
There's a pretty complicated way of getting your replacements too. Firstly you need to call up their customer services guys so that they can try and troubleshoot your problem. If they can't, they send you the replacement item. With that you will get an envelope and you must send the faculty product back to them within 3 days, you will be charged for the full price of the replacement item. At least they don't expect you to send them the faulty product first, still leaving yourself one battery down. You'll get the replacement between three to ten days too. I was impressed!
They offer a faster shipping option if you didn't realize you were going to run out of e-liquid until just now and you urgently need to get some more. You will need to pay a bit extra, of course, but it is something they offer. It's more than other brands we've come across at least.
On top of this, you have a 30 day money back guarantee so if you aren't happy with what you have purchased, you can send it back for your money back. You won't get the shipping costs back though – you should probably bear that in mind. It also only applies to starter kits.
There is a rewards program with V2 Cigs called the Smoke4Free program which instantly caught my eye. When you spread the word and encourage others to buy V2 Cigs products, (they need to buy using your referral code) you'll get a $15 credit to use in the store. With just one signup, you will have earned enough to buy a packet of five cartridges. Not bad, right? Your friends/family/work colleagues will get a discount on their orders too!
Although I found the cartridges weren't as flavorsome for as long as I would have liked, and the warranty wasn't quite what I expected, V2 Cigs were a great brand that I thoroughly enjoyed smoking. They have a selection of things to choose from with great prices and gave a pretty impressive amount of vapor and throat hit. All in all, it was good fun with a cigarette that gave me exactly what it was I was looking for. You can't really argue with that and I feel that it is well worth the 4.5 stars I am about to give it!
My input with V2 cigs. was at first great. However, in the last two months I have waited over a month to get a small order, just for myself. I tried emailing support, no response, tried calling them and waiting over 12 minutes on the phone to cancel the order I put in 35 days ago. I am changing to another e cig because of the customer service.
I started out with V2, with the small starter kit. I was very pleased with the quick shipment of my kit. I was also pleased with the flavors, I've had all 3 lengths of batteries. Overall, I was fairly happy with V2's product. I only switched bcuz I wanted a bigger vape experience.


text:
Q: Spark: Json with schema returns Null The below spark code returns null value on read:
Json Data:
 {
      "TITLE" : "FLIGHT AND IATA LIST",
      "AIRLINES":
    [
      {
        "IATA_CODE" :"UA",
        "AIRLINE": "United Air Lines Inc."
      },
      {
        "IATA_CODE" :"AA",
        "AIRLINE": "American Airlines Inc."
      }
  ]
    }

Schema:
import org.apache.spark.sql.types._

object Airlines {

  val airlines_fields = Array(
    StructField("Title",StringType,false),
    StructField("Airlines",ArrayType(
      StructType(Array(
      StructField("IATA_CODE",StringType,false),
      StructField("AIRLINE",StringType,false)
      ))
    ),false)
  )

  val schema = StructType(airlines_fields)
}

Spark code:
spark.read.schema(Airlines.schema).json("src/main/resources/airlines.json").show()

I tried without specifying schema, it throw'ed me an error, so created schema but this time returns null value.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Tell your loved one that your heart belongs to them with this expressive textual image. Each time you connect on Facebook, you can share colorful imagery to attract more attention to your posts and comments. We have an emoticon for every imaginable situation. Once you begin to browse, you can see for yourself just how extensive our database really is.


Is there any way to generate an online statement at a certain time, because I need a statement that is no older than 30 days for an application as evidence of available funds. Looking through my online statements they are for a period of 3 months and my next statement will be on the 18th Jan, is it possible to get a statement sooner as I would like to apply this week or will I have to wait?
There isn't a way to get your next statement sooner as they work on a regular cycle, but you could possibly take a printout of the recent transactions for one of your accounts which will have a running balance so be evidence of your account balance and provide a bit of history in much the same way as a statement would? You could also take a printout of the homepage which would show the balances of all your accounts?
I don't think taking a screenshot will be able to provide proof that I have access to the funds because it will not show my name.
I will try an old statement and a screenshot to see if the will accept it.
Do you know if bnz charge a fee to produce an official letter on bank letterhead providing a evidence of amount in an account.
I need this to provide to a university in USA and it will also be used for my visa application, so I think the might be strict on what they accept.
Hey , for proof of a certain amount in your accounts you can go into one of our stores they'll be able to print off a details summary that will have your name, address and the balance of your accounts. It's not a letter as such in that it doesn't say 'To whom it may concern, Sam01 has X number of accounts with BNZ…' etc. but it will show a summary of accounts and their balances and be stamped and signed. They'll provide you that for no cost.


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Error: There was a problem validating if the certificate was installed.
certutil: function failed: SEC_ERROR_BAD_DATABASE: security library: bad database.
$ certutil -N -d "sql:$HOME/.pki/nssdb"