text:
MU	-5.48% 85.07
Access Your Profit Alerts
Send with mail | ahoo instead.
To: Required Needs to be a valid email
From: Required Needs to be a valid email
Subject: 2012 Financial Crisis: Wall Street's Latest Scheme Uses Your Bank Account to Create the Next Crash
URL: http://mney.co/1FDYdoV
Required Please enter the correct value.
2012 Financial Crisis: Wall Street's Latest Scheme Uses Your Bank Account to Create the Next Crash
By Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist, Money Map Report • March 23, 2012
Comment on This Story Click here to cancel reply.
Or to contact Money Morning Customer Service, click here.
Sign me up for the Money Morning newsletter
In 2008, reckless credit default swaps nearly obliterated the global economy. Now comes the next crisis - rehypothecated assets.
It's a complicated, fancy term in the global banking complex. Yet it's one you need to know.
And if you understand it, you will get the scope of the risks we currently face - and it's way bigger than just Greece.
So follow with me on this one. I guarantee that you'll be outraged and amazed - and better educated. You'll also be in a better position to protect your assets at the end of this article, where I'll give you three important action steps to take. So follow along...
Their Profits on Your Money
Few people know this, but there's a process through which banks and trading houses are leveraging your money to increase their profits - just like they did in the run-up to the last financial crisis. Only this time, things may be worse, as hard as that is to imagine.
Consider: In 2007 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that this form of "leverage" accounted for more than half of the total activity in the "shadow" banking system, which equates to a potential problem that would put this insidious little practice on the order of $5 trillion to $10 trillion range. And this is in addition to the bailouts and money printing that's happened so far.
Wall Street would have you believe this figure has gone down in recent years as regulators and customers alike expressed outrage that their assets were being used in ways beyond regulation and completely off the balance sheet. But I have a hard time believing that.
Wall Street is addicted to leverage and, when given the opportunity to self-police, has rarely, if ever, taken actions that would threaten profits. (In fact, we've uncovered a massive scheme in the silver markets - involving powerful banks... questionable trades... secret informants... perhaps even the federal government itself. It's all converging right now into the biggest short squeeze in history. It could be big enough to push silver past $200. Get the report here.)
Further, what I am about to share with you is one of the main the reasons why Europe is in such deep trouble and why our banking system will get hammered if the European Union (EU) goes down.
And what makes this so disgusting - take a deep breath - is that it's our money that's at stake.
Regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and their overseas equivalents are not only letting big banks get away with what I am about to describe, but have made it an integral part of the present banking system.
Worse, central bankers condone it.
As you might expect, the concept behind this malfeasance is complicated. But it's key to understanding the financial crisis and to avoiding a possible global recession in 2012 and beyond.
What we're talking about is something called "rehypothecation."
Most people have never heard the term, but trust me, you will shortly. Let me explain what this is, and why you need to know about it. Then, I'll offer three ideas to trade around it.
What Does Hypothecation Mean?
Hypothecation is what it's called when a borrower pledges collateral as a means of securing a debt. The borrower retains ownership of the collateral but it is hypothetically under the control of the creditor who can seize possession of the collateral if the borrower defaults.
If you own a house and have a mortgage, you have hypothecated it to your mortgage company, for example. This means that you still own it, but in the event of a default, your bank or your mortgage company (the creditor) can take ownership and do what it wishes.
"Re hypothecation" varies slightly when it is applied in the financial markets.
For example, if you put a buck in your checking account and the bank has to keep 10% of that in reserve, it can loan out $0.90. But then, if somebody else deposits $0.90, the bank can loan out $0.81 cents or 90% of the total assets on deposit. And so on, until literally all the money on deposit is effectively hypothecated to another entity. This is why banks are constantly seeking new depositors - to feed the hypothecation machine and their profits.
Obviously a buck is still a buck no matter which way you cut it, so cash does count for something. But at the end of the day, any banks can create a daisy chain of rehypothecated assets that results in as much as $10 in new checking accounts and rehypothecated assets against every $1 in actual deposits. Perhaps more.
If you're a brokerage house, the process is similar. Have equities, the collateral gets posted and used accordingly. Bonds, same thing. The brokers will reuse them by rehypothicating them at their discretion while making sure a fraction of the actual underlying value remains in reserve as collateral.
Typically, banks and investment houses have rehypothecated customer assets to back their own trades, their own borrowing, and their own operations.
Just like your house, which can be seized if you don't pay up, assets on deposit with a broker may be sold by the broker (hypothecated) if investors fail to keep up with margin payments or if the securities drop in value and the investors in question fail to respond to requests to boost their collateral - all at the broker's discretion depending on their margin and clearing requirements.
Now here's where it starts to get sticky.
Let the Leverage Games Begin
SEC Rule 15c3-3 allows broker dealers to rehypothecate assets equal to 140% of clients' liabilities to meet their financial obligations to customers and other creditors.
Here's an example.
If a client has $10,000 in securities on deposit and a debt deficit of $2,000, the net equity is $8,000. This means the broker-dealer could rehypothecate up to $2,800 of client assets to finance its own activities - often without notice.
Not only is this legal, it's common practice specified in the fine print of most brokerage agreements.
If you've ever traded on margin, chances are you're in the game whether you want to be or not because any common stock, cash, or other securities - even gold and Chinese yuan - can be used as collateral that the broker can hypothecate or rehypothecate.
And that's where the real games begin.
Remember our checking account example? It's the same thing here. Assets in brokerage accounts can be used and re-used in such a way the credit multiples far outweigh the actual assets in the accounts. In effect, rehypothecated assets become part of a daisy chain, for lack of a better term, wherein one company's liabilities become another's assets.
If there is a hiccup anywhere in the chain, the effect is one of instant collateral collapse as everybody in the chain is forced to buy back, or recall, their assets. The effect is not unlike a colossal global "short" on world markets.
Imagine what happens if something goes wrong and everybody wants their $10 back, but find that there is only $1 in actual cash.
I believe this is what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his counterparts at the ECB are so concerned with and why they are obsessed with liquidity. Everybody knows that too much debt caused this mess, but what they don't realize is that it's the use of rehypothecated assets that make collateralizing it nearly impossible barring massive injections and printing.
Here's why. By their very definition, rehypothecated assets are those pledged as collateral against borrowings. That means they support not one, but two separate borrowing transactions - one of the originating firm's tally and one on the borrower's tally - perhaps even more if the broker in question takes its activities offshore to other jurisdictions not bound by the same rules.
Take the United Kingdom, for example, where there is no limit on the amount of client assets that can be rehypothecated. There, brokers have reportedly and routinely rehypothecated 100% of the value of client accounts, not just those assets pledged as collateral.
That's why firms like MF Global, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM), the Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY), Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE ADR: CS), Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC), and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) more frequently establish U.K.-based investment pools and lateral assets from other jurisdictions like the U.S. into them.
Not only does this allow them to skirt the law and limits on their activities here, but it leads directly to the creation of even more leverage and, potentially, higher returns - which is why they do this.
Of course, it also potentially leads to catastrophic losses. But with government bailouts in their back pockets, and central bankers who have by their actions determined the big firms are worth saving at the expense of Main Street investors, the big financial firms don't seem the slightest bit troubled that they are playing with our money.
However, I find this deeply troubling on a lot of levels.
Billions Off the Books
You'd think that regulators would have a firm grip on this but they don't. Rehypothecated asset transactions are completely off balance sheet so it's exceedingly difficult to track what moved where and when. Worse, because of the lack of transparency, it's also very complicated to determine which firms - those stateside or those overseas in markets like the U.K. - hold the money.
Allegedly, MF Global couldn't live with the 140% SEC mandate so it began arbitraging differences between rehypothecation regulations in various markets and used off balance sheet entries to ratchet up leverage to obviously unsustainable levels. Now there may be an estimated $1.7 billion in customer money that can't be accounted for in that firm alone.
What makes this especially problematic is that it's tough enough to unwind rehypothecated assets in one country. Now, though, we are facing a situation where the regulators, lawyers and lawmakers may have to unwind rehypothecated assets that are effectively pledged as collateral in multiple transactions in multiple jurisdictions with multiple clearing firms. Absent balance sheet controls and forensic accounting, it's going to be very difficult to determine who really owns what.
As for why this is so serious, try this on for size.
There is conjecture that the actual asset backing for the sum-total of rehypothecated assets may be as little as 25% of the notional value at risk. In other words, a firm with $25 billion in rehypothecated assets may be at risk for $100 billion in instruments that are completely off balance sheet and for which there is nothing but thin air backing them up -- perhaps a whole lot more, depending on how many times the actual assets have been rehypothecated and levered up.
According to Thompson Reuters, here's a partial list of firms and their rehypothecated assets in 2011:
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ($28.17 billion).
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ($72 billion).
Royal Bank of Canada (rehypothecated $53.8 billion of $126.7 billion available).
Oppenheimer ($15.3 billion).
Credit Suisse Group AG ($353 billion).
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) ($546.2 billion).
Morgan Stanley ($410 billion).
That adds up to almost $1.5 trillion -- and that's just a partial list of what we know about.
Now queue up your best "Death Star approaches" music.
The mainstream press has reported that EU liquidity is drying up on default fears. But what if they know something else that they're not telling us?
I'm not into conspiracy theories, but I can very easily envision a scenario in which the underlying collateral has been rehypothecated between the various EU/US banks so many times that the actual value at risk may be more than four times the figures disclosed to the public to date.
This is one of the reasons that I have suggested -- since the beginning of the EU crisis -- that we're looking at several trillion euros before we can even think the EU situation is under control versus the "worst case" 200 billion-euro estimates floated at the time.
The other is far simpler. I believe Europe remains in denial, as do our own leaders. Much of the growth over the past 20 years was driven by excess leverage and speculation. Until that's gone, the markets will demonstrate the kind of reflexive pessimism we've seen recently that's characterized by short, sharp rallies and generally higher overall volatility.
To think that the EU will miraculously line up, that China will suddenly speed up again, and that the U.S. will suddenly rein in its exploding debt is pure folly.
How to Protect Yourself - And Even Profit
So how can you trade this?
I can think of a few strategies:
Short specific banks or the broader financial sector as a whole. But be prepared for a bumpy ride. The world's entire central banking community is playing against you and will do everything it can to prevent a meltdown by sustaining the illusion granted to us by the rehypothecation process.
As the markets rise on the illusion of a fix or improving data or both, allocate a small portion of capital to put options or inverse funds. If nothing else, you'll sleep better knowing that these things will explode when the day of reckoning ultimately arrives.
Remain long with what you've already got, but continually ratchet up trailing stops to protect gains. Why the markets rally is not important, that you capture profits as they do is. It is absolutely possible to be a market bull and an economic bear.
Consider moving part of your funds into real assets like gold or silver. These "safe haven" investments are just that - safe. They tend to maintain their value through a bear market. And a new financial crisis will drive gold and silver prices even higher as frightened investors pile in. With gold in the thousands, though, silver is probably your best bet. You can find specific recommendations in our latest silver report right here.
Join the conversation. Click here to jump to comments…
Browse Keith's articles | View Keith's research services
Keith is a seasoned market analyst and professional trader with more than 37 years of global experience. He is one of very few experts to correctly see both the dot.bomb crisis and the ongoing financial crisis coming ahead of time - and one of even fewer to help millions of investors around the world successfully navigate them both. Forbes hailed him as a "Market Visionary." He is a regular on FOX Business News and Yahoo! Finance, and his observations have been featured in Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and MarketWatch. Keith previously led The Money Map Report, Money Map's flagship newsletter, as Chief Investment Strategist, from 20007 to 2020. Keith holds a BS in management and finance from Skidmore College and an MS in international finance (with a focus on Japanese business science) from Chaminade University. He regularly travels the world in search of investment opportunities others don't yet see or understand.
… Read full bio
Display Name (Public)
simone smith
i wont a price on silver please
Profit Alerts
Never miss a profit pick again.
Choose from the topics below to receive our money-making recommendations in real time.
Plan & Protect
Get in on the Ground Floor
Track the Markets
Follow the Experts


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being used in adults following failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass, after cardiac surgery or in cases of severe respiratory failure. Knowledge of the different types of ECMO circuits, expected locations of cannulas and imaging appearance of complications is essential for accurate imaging interpretation and diagnosis. Commonly encountered complications are malposition of cannulas, adjacent or distal haemorrhage, stroke, stasis thrombus in access vessels, and distal emboli. This article will describe the imaging appearance of different ECMO circuits in adults as well as commonly encountered complications. If a CT (computed tomography) angiogram is being performed on these patients to evaluate for pulmonary embolism, the scan may be suboptimal from siphoning off of the contrast by the ECMO. In such cases, an optimal image can be obtained by lowering the flow rate of the ECMO circuit or by disabling the circuit for the duration of image acquisition.
• Femoroatrial VV ECMO: femoral vein drainage cannula and right atrial return cannula.
• Femorofemoral VV ECMO: return and drainage cannulas placed in femoral veins.
• Dual-lumen single cannula VV ECMO: via the right IJ/Femoral vein with the tip in the IVC/SVC.
• Peripheral VA ECMO: peripheral venous drainage cannula and peripheral arterial return cannula.
• Central VA ECMO: direct right atrial drainage cannula and aortic return cannula.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) refers to the life support system utilised in pulmonary or cardiopulmonary support for gas exchange . The goal of the system is to oxygenate the patient's blood while removing carbon dioxide. Also referred to as extracorporeal life support, ECMO is well established in neonatal respiratory failure. Use in adults has increased and ECMO is commonly used following failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass after cardiac surgery or in cases of severe respiratory failure .
Initial use of ECMO was largely in neonates given findings of increased survival in severely hypoxic infants but no significant benefit to severely ill adults [3, 4]. The results of these initial studies were due in large part to the reversibility of severe respiratory illness in neonates and non-reversible ventilator-associated lung injury present in adults . Today, several inclusionary and exclusionary criteria help guide ECMO application in adults (Table 1).
Complete discussion of paediatric ECMO is beyond the scope of this article. Neonatal and paediatric ECMO encompasses different cannula sizes, configurations and complications. For example, in neonates arterial cannulation is limited to placement via sternotomy or via cut down technique for carotid cannulation. In such small patients, peripheral cannula placement is exceedingly difficult. Additionally, initiation of VA ECMO usually encompasses carotid or internal jugular vein ligation, a technique that is not well tolerated in adults given the risk of stroke . Similarly, ECMO in the non-neonatal paediatric population may or may not require carotid or jugular ligation. Imaging considerations in paediatric ECMO have been previously discussed in the literature . For the purposes of this discussion, only the imaging of adults on ECMO will be addressed.
In 2009, the CESAR study found improved outcomes in adults treated with ECMO versus conventional therapy . This study randomised patients with severe but reversible respiratory failure to either conventional therapy with intermittent positive pressure ventilation or therapy with ECMO. With the primary end point being severe disability or death at 6 months, the CESAR study demonstrated improved survival and decreased morbidity in patients randomised to ECMO.
There are two types of ECMO: veno-arterial (VA) and veno-venous (VV) . VA ECMO refers to siphoning of deoxygenated blood from a vein with return of oxygenated blood into an arterial vessel. VV ECMO refers to siphoning of deoxygenated blood from a venous vessel and return of oxygenated blood to a systemic venous vessel or the right atrium. The catheters used in ECMO for blood exchange are referred to as 'cannulas', a term used in this context to avoid confusion with other vascular catheters. ECMO cannulas may assume variable configurations on radiographs and CTs. Familiarity with differing positions and access sites is important when interpreting images. Additionally, a multitude of complications may arise intrinsic to either ECMO or cannula placement.
The circuit consists of a pump, blender, oxygenator, control console, heater/cooler and two cannulas. The blender mixes oxygen with CO2. This mixture of gas usually consists of 95 % oxygen and 5 % CO2 and is referred to as the 'sweep gas'. The pump is usually a centrifugal or roller pump and is used to transport blood throughout the circuit. The heater/cooler aids in temperature regulation of extracorporeal blood. The cannulas provide direct transport of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to and from the patient.
The initial oxygenators consisted of venous blood pools that were oxygenated with oxygen bubbles. These first clinical attempts at extracorporeal life support began in the 1950s and were largely unsuccessful beyond several hours as direct exposure of blood to oxygen led to life-threatening coagulopathy, haemolysis, and multi-organ failure. In 1959, Burns developed the definitive solution involving a silicone membrane that separated blood from oxygen and allowed for indirect oxygenation of blood . This was a major step in extracorporeal life support. In the years following (1972–1976) the first published reports of the successful use of extracorporeal life support emerged . Modern membranes are largely made from polymethyl-pentene, which is lower in resistance and causes less consumption of blood products .
VA ECMO is used for both cardiac and pulmonary support such as acute cardiac failure or failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass after cardiac surgery . VV ECMO is used for reversible respiratory failure with normal cardiac function. The most common use is in acute respiratory distress syndrome, which may be secondary to severe pneumonia or influenza . More specifically, eligibility was defined in the CESAR trial by a Murray score >3, a pH of less than 7.20 and having a reversible disease process.
The Murray score consists of four factors including (1) the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, (2) PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure), (3) dynamic lung compliance in ml/cmH20 and (4) number of quadrants infiltrated on radiographs  (Fig. 1b). Each element is graded on a scale of 0–4. The scores are then averaged and the mean score is used to grade the severity of respiratory disease; 0 implies no significant disease and 4 implies the most severe disease. Normal for the above elements are PaO2/FiO2 ≥ 40 kPa, PEEP ≤ 5, compliance ≥ 80 and 0 quadrants infiltrated on the radiograph .
Relative contraindications include high pressure ventilation, high FiO2, limited vascular access and organ dysfunction that would lead to poor quality of life. In patients with pre-existing disease such as metastatic cancer or severe irreversible brain injury, ECMO may be contraindicated. Absolute contraindications include any conditions that preclude anticoagulation .
Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) play crucial roles during initial cannula placement. A full discussion on the role of echocardiography in ECMO is discussed by Platts et al. in "The Role of Echocardiography in the Management of Patients Supported by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation" .
Radiographs of the chest and abdomen are useful initial examinations for cannula position. They may reveal malposition or unintended migration. They often offer the first clue towards complications such as haemothorax, pneumothorax or mediastinal fluid collections.
Ultrasound is a portable, focussed and readily available modality that can be used to evaluate for insertion site haematomas, peri-cannula thrombus or deep venous thrombus. Spectral colour Doppler is a powerful tool to evaluate distal limb perfusion as the arterial return cannula can lead to obstruction/occlusion with decreased forward flow in the access artery. It can also be used for evaluating thrombus in the access vein. Interpretation of spectral Doppler waveforms with comparison of flow in the contralateral vessel can help in differentiating slow flow, which may be due to a systemic cause such as poor cardiac output, from slow flow in the access artery from either the access cannula itself or thrombus.
CT is reserved for evaluation of complications that cannot be fully evaluated by radiographs, ultrasound or Doppler imaging. While lacking the functional data of spectral Doppler, CT provides excellent anatomic detail. This may be used in evaluating cannula position or malposition, haematoma formation, haemothorax, stroke or arterial/venous thrombus in large vessels. A full summary of the different imaging modalities and their indications are provided in Table 2.
Evaluation of quadrants for Murray scoring.
VV ECMO is usually placed percutaneously and peripherally. Several configurations are seen. In the 'femoroatrial' configuration the drainage cannula is introduced via the femoral vein and advanced to the level of the diaphragm, below the hepatic veins . The return cannula is introduced via the internal jugular vein and advanced to the level of the superior vena cava (SVC)-atrial junction (Fig. 1). The tip is directed towards the tricuspid valve. This particular configuration is optimal to minimise recirculation , a phenomenon in which a portion of the returning oxygenated blood is prematurely siphoned back to the ECMO circuit. Recirculation will result in less oxygenated blood returning to the pulmonary circulation and thus the systemic circulation.
A configuration in which the drainage cannula and return cannula are introduced via the femoral veins is termed 'femorofemoral ECMO'. In this configuration the drainage cannula may be placed on one side and the return cannula on the other. Alternatively, both cannulas may be introduced on the same side. In either case the drainage cannula is advanced to the distal inferior vena cava (IVC) and the return cannula is advanced to the right atrium .
Another configuration of VV ECMO is the single cannula, dual lumen ECMO (Fig. 2a) . This cannula is usually inserted via the right internal jugular vein with the tip advanced to the IVC. Alternatively this cannula may be inserted via the femoral vein with the tip advanced to the SVC. The atrial return port is identified on radiographs as a lucency in the cannula (Fig. 2b, c). Rarely, this dual lumen cannula may be inserted via the left internal jugular vein if the right is scarred or thrombosed. The distal tip of this cannula drains deoxygenated blood and a separate opening at the level of the right atrium allows for oxygenated blood return.
Compared with VV ECMO, the VA variation is associated with a higher incidence of bleeding, a greater need for transfusion, an increased need for reoperation and greater resource utilisation . Despite this, VA ECMO is preferred when cardiac support is required in addition to pulmonary support and also after sternotomy. The two main types are central and peripheral. Central refers to cannula placement in the mediastinum and peripheral VA ECMO refers to placement outside of the mediastinum . A summary comparison between VA and VV ECMO can be found in Table 3.
Also known as mediastinal VA ECMO, central VA ECMO involves direct placement of cannulas into the aorta (return cannula) and right atrium (drainage cannula) through an open sternum (Fig. 3). This is usually done when there is failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass in the operating room as direct access is readily available. If left ventricular (LV) function is poor, a drainage catheter may be placed in the LV (Fig. 4) to aid in decompression . Left ventricular unloading is indicated when there is an extremely poor ejection fraction with a closed aortic valve . This predisposes the patient to stasis of blood in the ventricle and subsequently thrombus formation. Patients with aortic regurgitation may also have a LV drain as retrograde flow of blood may compromise ventricular recovery after the initial insult . Finally, patients with severe pulmonary oedema may also require an LV drain to help decrease the pulmonary afterload . The drain can be introduced directly into the left ventricle after sternotomy. Alternatively, the LV drain can also be introduced via the femoral artery or right upper pulmonary vein. The LV drain is connected to the ECMO circuit along with the drainage cannula.
In peripheral VA ECMO, the arterial cannula may be seen projecting over the femoral or axillary arteries. At our institution, carotid artery cannulation is less commonly used in adults. The arterial cannulas are usually advanced to the level of the iliac arteries or abdominal aorta , and usually multiple surgical clips are used for anchoring that are readily visualised on radiographs. The venous cannulas may be seen on the same side as the arterial cannula but are advanced closer to the right atrium, terminating in the SVC or IVC (Fig. 5). Often a distal perfusion catheter is placed in the access artery to prevent distal perfusion defects and limb ischaemia (Fig. 6).
Initial placement of ECMO cannulas is usually confirmed by echocardiography and the position reaffirmed by radiographs. The cannulas are anchored by sutures to prevent displacement or malposition. Any change in the position of the cannulas on follow-up radiographs should be noted. As noted above, for VV ECMO, venous drainage cannulas should be placed in the proximal SVC or IVC and return cannulas should be placed in the right atrium. Although discerning artery from vein may be difficult on radiographs, any change in cannula positioning with reference to adjacent bony landmarks should prompt the radiologist to enquire about ECMO malfunction. If suspected, CT and ultrasound are better suited to evaluate cannula dislodgement and/or displacement. A superior approach cannula placed too inferiorly may traverse the right atrium into the IVC and obstruct hepatic outflow (Fig. 7a). Alternatively, an inferior approach cannula placed too high may obstruct the SVC (Fig. 7b).
Gaseous microemboli can be introduced into the ECMO circuit during cannula placement, from inadequate priming of the filter system, from the perfusionist accessing the circuit (for blood draws or medication injection), from the pump or from turbulent flow within the tubing [17, 18]. Only large air emboli may be seen on conventional imaging and only a few cases exist in the literature. Gaseous microemboli are not well seen on conventional imaging and in fact require specialised ultrasound machines for detection in the circuit .
Vascular complications are seen in 10–16.9 % of patients on ECMO . Clinical presentation may include pallor, diminished or absent pulses, compartment syndrome or gangrene. In our experience, spectral Doppler ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice for evaluation of peripheral vessels in this setting.
The large size of arterial cannulas poses a significant risk of occlusion . Initial examinations with spectral Doppler in the artery distal to the cannula may demonstrate an arterial waveform with a prolonged systolic peak and diminished amplitude (pulsus parvus et tardus) (Fig. 8a). However, it is normal for the peak and mean velocities to decrease by 30–50 % after ECMO placement . Occlusion may also show lack of flow as well as absent waveforms (Fig. 8b). Given the risk of occlusion, some surgeons may choose to place arterial catheters in the distal extremity to augment downstream limb perfusion. Options include placement of an anterograde catheter in the common femoral artery/axillary artery or placement of a retrograde catheter in the tibial artery [22, 23]. It is important to note that vascular waveforms also depend on myocardial function, particularly left ventricular function. A poor ejection fraction may also produce dampened waveforms or accentuate partial occlusion by a cannula. This can be assessed by comparing waveforms in the contralateral limb.
In venous obstruction, colour Doppler may show a lack of flow or absence of normal phasicity on spectral Doppler imaging. Although much consideration is given to arterial perfusion, venous drainage should be an equally important consideration. If the venous cannula is large enough to obstruct venous return, severe limb oedema and ischaemia result . As such, one may see an additional catheter in the distal access vein that assists with venous drainage. Comparing flow in the non-cannulated extremity vessel will again help elucidate whether the suspected flow abnormality is due to poor cardiac function or true occlusion.
The incidence of deep venous, pulmonary and arterial thrombosis in patients on ECMO is not well documented in the literature. In fact experience with these entities is restricted mainly to case reports. In cases of acute arterial thrombus in the setting of peripheral VA ECMO, spectral Doppler imaging will show lack of flow, absent waveforms and an abrupt cutoff of distal vessels. In venous occlusion by thrombus, spectral Doppler imaging may show thrombus within or surrounding the cannula. There may also be enlargement of the affected vein and extension of the thrombus distally.
With poor left ventricular function in patients on VA ECMO, inadequate flow may lead to stasis thrombus forming in the left ventricle, left ventricular outflow tract and ascending aorta proximal to the return cannula. Non-contrast CT will demonstrate high-density thrombus in the ascending aorta, proximal to the insertion of the arterial cannula (Fig. 9). Additionally, similar cases of thrombus forming in the aortic root and descending aorta have been described in the literature but are rare . Common clinical presentations are biventricular failure and failure to wean from ECMO. Not surprisingly, case reports also document significant mortality.
Up to 50 % of patients on ECMO demonstrate severe neurological sequelae . It is however unclear whether neurological damage is secondary to ECMO itself or secondary to the patients inciting reason for hospitalisation . Autopsies performed on patients who did not survive ECMO demonstrated evidence of hypoxic-ischaemic injury or injury in a vascular distribution . The clinical suspicion for stroke may be obscured in ECMO patients given the multitude of other systemic or metabolic derangements usually encountered in ICU patients. For new-onset neurological symptoms, CT may be used to identify cerebral infarcts (Fig. 10).
Distal haematoma may be seen as haemothorax or haemorrhagic ascites. It is usually multifactorial. Factors such as anticoagulation, consumption of complement and prothrombotic substances in addition to recent cannulation may cause subacute haemothorax to develop over time. Radiographs may demonstrate new effusion and/or displacement of mediastinal structures. Ultrasound will demonstrate echogenic fluid that can be confirmed by CT as high-attenuation fluid.
Poor right ventricular function will predispose patients to slow flow within the pulmonary arterial system and thrombus formation. Evaluating these patients remains a challenge. As intra-venous contrast is injected, the venous cannula of the ECMO circuit siphons off contrast before it can opacify the pulmonary arteries . Evaluation of pulmonary embolism using standard protocols may lead to suboptimal opacification of the main pulmonary artery and a non-diagnostic examination (Fig. 12a). If clinical suspicion for pulmonary embolism remains high and initial CT angiography with the ECMO circuit fully operational leads to a non-diagnostic examination, the solution may be obtained in two ways.
The first is to reduce pump flow to the ECMO circuit typically to 500 cc/min for 15–25 s, inject IV (intravenous) contrast and place the region of interest locator at the main pulmonary artery. Minimal flow will preclude thrombus formation in the cannulas. With the ECMO circuit in low-flow status, IV contrast will opacify the pulmonary arteries . As cardiac function may be poor in these patients, CT acquisition may be manually triggered when the region of interest demonstrates a peak or a plateau in the opacification of the main pulmonary artery. This plateau will vary according to right ventricle function and may be different for each patient. Triggering the scan will vary accordingly. Scan parameters are as follows: kVp and mAs are as determined from the initial scouts. IV contrast is injected at 4–5 cc/s (contrast volume = 4–5 cc × [delay time of the scanner from initiation of bolus trigger + scan duration]) .
If pulmonary arterial opacification is suboptimal with the above technique, a repeat scan should be considered with the circuit completely disabled for the duration of the CT acquisition. This will typically be 10–15 s for a 64-slice MDCT. The pulmonary arteries will be opacified in a near anatomic manner depending on cardiac function. Bolus tracking as described above may be used.
ECMO cannula configurations are extremely variable. The radiologist should be familiar with the expected locations of cannulas in VV ECMO, peripheral VA ECMO and central VA ECMO. As such, the radiologist should be able to comment on malposition and prospectively search for complications such as vascular obstruction. Additionally, there should be a high index of suspicion for haemorrhage, venous thrombus, stasis thrombus and cerebral ischaemia. Familiarity with the appropriate imaging modalities and common complications will be useful for the interpreting radiologist.
Organization ELS (2014) ELSO website, under registry information. [website] 2014 [cited 2014; Available from: http://www.elso.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95&Itemid=478.


text:
title: The Rails router at a glance
description: Converting URLs into Controller actions
references:
    - title: Ruby on Rails Guide's Action Controller Overview
      url: http://guides.rubyonrails.org/action_controller_overview.html
---

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mr. Wise, I was waiting to talk to you after worship. Maybe you can help with a problem.
I can try. How are things going since you trusted Jesus as your Savior last month?
I'm happier; I have victory over my vices now. Well, most of them. One vice still bugs me.
Ah… Gambling… Betting. I'll bet on anything! I can't resist the temptation.
Hmm. I believe you can, Mr. Learner. Simply trust the Almighty to provide what you need without taking it from another.
Taking it? I don't rob anyone anymore, Mr. Wise.
Not directly, Mr. Learner. But when you win bets, you make others lose. You gain, another goes without. Your family wins, another family lacks.
Oh! I never thought of that. Hurting others never crossed my mind.
True, Mr. Wise. I've wanted to win enough so that I wouldn't have to work anymore. Okay, I'm going to be an ant! A very busy ant!
Ouch! That hits me, Mr. Wise.
Gambling can become a dangerous addiction. It has plunged thousands of families into poverty. Many, after losing their family's life savings, have committed suicide.
Then now is the time to stop idolizing the goddess of luck. Let's pray.
Trust God, not the goddess of luck.
Mr. Wise, every week I'll report my progress to you in avoiding gambling. Oh, praise God for freedom!
2 Thess. 3:10 says if one is not willing to work, he is not to eat (what the church provides). In what way might this principle apply to seeking wealth by gambling?


text:
A Closer Look: The Flowers of Evil
Posted on 21 September 2016 with categories: Random Anime Recommendations, Uncategorized
Well, after the Versus Show, how about some in-depth anime discussions this time? In this section I will talk in more details about anime/ manga that I'm passionate about. Please note that this is not an actual review. Honestly, I never truly agree with the concept of reviewing (and rating for that matters) at arts, at something we suppose to feel subjectively. If I want to review that much I'd rather be critic. But I'm not, at heart I'm an anime fan who love this medium just like you guys. This in-depth piece not only give me a deeper look at the works that cut me deeply, it's also serve as a reminder of why I love anime in the first place.
Lately, the world of The Flowers of Evil just can't seem to escape me, which is quite reasonable to be honest because psychological drama is always my thing. After all, one of my favourite director is Ingmar Bergman. For those who say this is a horror work: NO, it's not. It feels more like TERROR for me, something that can happen in real life (while horror's main intention is to scare you, period). I re-watched the anime again after its airing back in 2013, and this time I managed to read the manga to see how it all ends up. Thank god that the manga is finished so I don't have to wait for months for the next chapters to come. Flowers of Evil is one of the best anime/manga out there to really understand the dark side of growing up, the detachment to the world they live in, the self-confusion, the teen-angst and the obsession and destructive relationships. I will discuss in details below, really whatever springs on my mind. As this is obvious a spoiler-heavy post, please read it at your own risk.
Random Anime Recommendations – Episode 02
Posted on 14 August 2013 with categories: Random Anime Recommendations
Hey, i'm back with another list of recommendations. This one is just in written form because I don't feel like getting everything edited properly. This will still be a list of random recommendations from the nearly 1000-series long list of the anime I have seen, and I'll still write about the different series out of the top of my head (doesn't really give the same improvised feeling, but whatever). With this, I hope to introduce a few of you to some series you didn't know about.
Seikai no Senki II
Seikai no Senki is the third installment of the Seikai trilogy. You need to watch them in order, however all searons are significantly different from each other. Seikai no Senki is the third installment, and the focus is on politics. What sets this one apart is how intelligent it is, and it uses that incredibly well to use these politics to create a very exciting story. And this is in combination with characters who are really, really articulate about their thoughts (this is based on a light novel, and it shows!). The first Seikai seasons were perhaps a bit dry (though still really good as well), but this one knows to excalate perfectly.
Kuchuu Buranko
Kuchuu Buranko is this unique little series about psychology. Right when you see it for the first time, this starts out with its wacky colour scheme and over the top quirky style. Yes, this was done by Kenji Nakamura, the same guy who did Tsuritama and Gatchaman Crowds. It has this formula that you nowadays never see anymore: every episode we see a person with some kind of over the top psychological problem, and the main character of the series is a psychologist, tasked with solving these problems. At first this series seems very shallow, but as it goes on we see a very interesting overall picture develop, and in the end it turned into a series that actually changed my perceptions about the practice of psychology. Its a fun show to watch, however do note that it never shies away from trying to annoy you; however if it didn't do that you'd miss one of the big points that this show is trying to make.
Now here is an interesting one. This is basically the series that nearly bankrupted Gonzo. Of course things were already going bad for them, but what they did was they bet their entire future on this series selling well. And it became a massive flop. And it's a shame, because personally, I really liked it, although it is a series with huge ups and huge downs. The animation varies between absolutely gorgeous and off-model. The story jumps from one place to the other and it has quite a few holes. But I loved how ambitious it was. The creators came up with this really strance concept of carbon trading, and all sorts of neat and interesting ideas. The characters are also a bit of a mixed bag, but there really is a lot of charm to them. A lot of people hated this series though, Do NOT watch this if you like to objecitvely analyze your series!
Ah, more Gonzo. This one didn't work, though. This is their re-imagination of the classic Shakespeare story, and in true Gonzo fashion they just created their entire own story and made thankful use of creative liberties. It really could have worked, but unfortunately the story gets really bogged down in the middle by really a LOT of emo and angsting. At a certain point the story comes to a halt and never realy picks up again and it just remains boring for the rest of the airtime. A really big shame.
Jungle wa Itsumo, Hale Nochi Guu
Here is the thing with this series: if you love black humour, then by all means: do not miss this series. The humour in this seires is pitch-black; it tries to make the life of the main character, Hale, as miserable as possible. It's a journey to crack his mind. And in the process this series produces some absolutely delightful comedy. I watched this before starting this blog, so I don't have a review of it on this site, but I have never seen a series that does abusive comedy with the same flair as this show. Because while most other series that are so dark, they lack one thing: they don't feel genuine. And this series does. The downside is that this is quite a long comedy, and it's not always funny. There will be plenty of annoying scenes amidst the hilarity. And how many other series take place in the junble? Oh, and it's also got one of those instantly recognizable openings.
Chaos;Head is from the same series as Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes, but apart from that it has absolutely nothing to do with them. It's a story about paranoia and not knowing who you can trust while the fate of the world is at stake. Apparently the series really butchered the original source material it was based on, but meh. For someone who was unfamiliar to it, it was nice enough. It's incredibly sloppy, I'll give it that, and it's also quite low-budget, but it has interesting ideas and interesting plot twists overall, but it's also nothing special either. A nice watch if you're in the mood for something paranoia-ish.
Tihs is one that my memory is very vague on, but what I remember is that I watched this after becoming a fan of .Hack//Sign. I was excited to see that there was more of the series with .Hack//Dusk and Liminality. While Dusk turned out to suck, Liminality had me intrigued, as it tells the background story of some of the concepts that were used in .Hack//Sign. I was young, and a lot of the dialogue went over my head, but thinking back, it definitely made an impression to me and it still stands as my second-favorite .hack//-installment after Sign.
Himitsu The Revelation
Those of you who followed my blog back in 2008 know that I was a REALLY big fan of this series. This series is based on the works of a mangaka who who has mastered the art of mystery. Her stories are the product of brilliance, and that also really shines through in the anime version. As a murder mystery, it knows exactly how much it should reveal. Every clue adds a tiny bit to the puzzle.The storie are all incredibly varied, and some of them can become really disturbing, but they are all chockful of creativity. Not to mention, the premise was amazing: after death, your memories can be downloaded and viewed, and they use that for murder victims in order to solve who killed them. Also, awesome soundtrack is awesome!
Bokura ga Ita
Here is an interesting shoujo series. I remember really liking it when I watched it. It supposedly had these really realistic characters and this very doned-down atmosphere for a shoujo series. The thing is though, that when I think back at it, I hardly remember anything that really captured me. Of course it was a long time ago and all, but I can only recall lots of angst (and I mean LOTS), along with nothing much happening for 26 episodes. So yeah, it's probably very good if you like serious shoujo series, though I'm not sure anymore exactly why it was.
Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito
Hentai game adaptations that are actually good are really rare. Especially back in the days in which this series was released (2003). Most really are dull harems with no effort put into them whatsoever. What set this series apart though, was its sense of adventure. It's about this traveler who goes back and forth between a bunch of creative worlds and has a bunc of creative adventures. It's not great or anything, there are a bunch of really juvenile and annoying characters here, but when compared to the same old stuff that you usually get with these kinds of series. And I also remember that it had a really good ending: the destination was worth the journey.
Random Anime Recommendations
Posted on 14 June 2013 with categories: Random Anime Recommendations
Hey guys, I'm currently experimenting with a new format, inspired by the podcast I did together with Deadlights, Scammp and Juno. It inspired me to do a bit more with podcasts, but instead short ones. I've always had the idea of writing some kind of recommendation post: I mean I've written a lot of reviews at this point, but for most people looking for new stuff to watch it can be very intimidating to search through everything, so in these podcasts, instead of discussing the new shows I thought it'd be an interesting experiment to just recommend some older series that I've watched.
What I did, is that I've created some random generator of all the series that I've seen. After deleting some obvious sequels that list totals 964 series, movies and OVAs together. For each series I get, I'll give reasons why it is recommended, or why it's not to be recommended. I have no idea what series will come out of it, so it's going to be completely improvised. Yes, I like to torture myself sometimes.
Also, I apologize for my accent. I'm Dutch, but even then I know it's terrible. ^^;
These are the series that came out of the random generator this time, in order:
– Akira
– Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu
– Melody of Oblivion
– Love Hina
– Dororon Enma-kun Meerameera
– Kowarekake no Orgol
– She and her Cat
Also, apologies for ending so abruptly. I screwed around while cleaning up and accidentally removed the last few sentences. And feel free to discuss the series that I've mentioned. :)
Pink Pearl on Some Quick First Impressions: Given, Okaasan Online and DanMachi S2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Leija(llamada oficialmente San Pedro de Leixa) es una parroquia y un barrio español del municipio de Ferrol, en la provincia de La Coruña, Galicia.

Entidad de población

Entidad de población que forma parte de la parroquia:
 San Pedro (San Pedro de Leixa)

Demografía

Gráfica demográfica del barrio de Leixa y de la parroquia de San Pedro de Leixa según el INE español:

Referencias

Bibliografía

Enlaces externos

Parroquias del Ferrol
Barrios de Ferrol

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


New Zealand is arguably the best travel destination for adventure travellers in 2019. Travel in NZ is expensive, a clear budget is key no matter how much savings you have.
Living a life with Purpose is far better than living a life driven by Passion alone. Why? If you are feeling lost, as if something is missing in your life, this might be the blog for you.
2019 is the year for hiking & the year for traveling. These are the worlds best day hikes to tick off in 2019, so get your boots on and start planning your next great day hike.
Are ready to trade your moaning in for productivity & a day full of purpose? This unconventional read, is exactly what you need.
Since that moment we have begun to seek out new inspiration, from female artists that we resonate with on a purely creative level. It has drastically improved our creative process!
We are Jacques & Paulo, 28 year old twins with a passion for travel, photography & creating unique content across a range of different media. We both love what we do, spending the last decade developing a diverse skill set we are incredibly excited to be able to help others bring their visions to life.
WE HATE SPAM!.. Thats how you know we'll only send you the good stuff.
Subscribe & receive your free Welcome Wallpaper pack.
Thanks for joining us. Lets travel!
People Are Going to Hate You!
All information submitted is strictly confidential. We respect your privacy.


text:
Q: Formatting strings in Swift In some languages, like C# for example, you can create a string in the following way:
"String {0} formatted {1} "

And then format it with String.format by passing in the values to format.
The above declaration is good, because you don't have to know of what type its parameters are when you create the string.
I tried to find similar approach in Swift, but what I found out was something like the following format:
"String %d formatted %d"

which requires you to format the string with String(format: , parameters). This is not good because you would also have to know parameter types when declaring the string.
Is there a similar approach in Swift where I wouldn't have to know the parameter types?

A: Use this one:
let printfOutput = String(format:"%@ %2.2d", "string", 2)

It's the same as printf or the Obj-C formatting.
You can also mix it in this way:
let parm = "string"
let printfOutput = String(format:"\(parm) %2.2d", 2)

Edit: Thanks to MartinR (he knows it all ;-)

Be careful when mixing string interpolation and formatting. String(format:"\(parm) %2.2d", 2) will crash if parm contains a percent character. In (Objective-)C, the clang compiler will warn you if a format string is not a string literal.

This gives some room for hacking:
let format = "%@"
let data = "String"
let s = String(format: "\(format)", data) // prints "String"

In contrast to Obj-C which parses the format string at compile time, Swift does not do that and just interprets it at runtime.

A: In Swift, types need to conform to the CustomStringConvertible protocol in order to be used inside strings. This is also a requirement for the types used in string interpolation like this:
"Integer value \(intVal) and double value \(doubleVal)"

When you understand the CustomStringConvertible, you can create your own function to fulfill your needs. The following function formats the string based on the given arguments and prints it. It uses {} as a placeholder for the argument, but you can change it to anything you want.
func printWithArgs(string: String, argumentPlaceHolder: String = "{}", args: CustomStringConvertible...) {
    var formattedString = string

    // Get the index of the first argument placeholder
    var nextPlaceholderIndex = string.range(of: argumentPlaceHolder)

    // Index of the next argument to use
    var nextArgIndex = 0

    // Keep replacing the next placeholder as long as there's more placeholders and more unused arguments
    while nextPlaceholderIndex != nil && nextArgIndex < args.count {

        // Replace the argument placeholder with the argument
        formattedString = formattedString.replacingOccurrences(of: argumentPlaceHolder, with: args[nextArgIndex].description, options: .caseInsensitive, range: nextPlaceholderIndex)

        // Get the next argument placeholder index
        nextPlaceholderIndex = formattedString.range(of: argumentPlaceHolder)
        nextArgIndex += 1
    }

    print(formattedString)
}

printWithArgs(string: "First arg: {}, second arg: {}, third arg: {}", args: "foo", 4.12, 100)
// Prints: First arg: foo, second arg: 4.12, third arg: 100

Using a custom implementation allows you to have more control over it and tweak its behavior. For example, if you wanted to, you could modify this code to display the same argument multiple times using placeholders like {1} and {2}, you could fill the arguments in a reversed order, etc.
For more information about string interpolation in Swift: https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/LanguageGuide/StringsAndCharacters.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014097-CH7-ID292

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


AE 241. Private Flight Course. 1 Hour.
One hour of academic credit is given upon the awarding of the private pilot's license by the Federal Aviation Administration. Required documentation includes a letter from the F.A.A. designated examiner giving the check ride and a copy of the private license. The Department of Aerospace Engineering provides no ground or flight instruction. Graded on a satisfactory/fail basis. Prerequisite: Aerospace Engineering students only, with consent of instructor. IND.


text:
Realme 3 Launched in India. Comes with Helio P70 SoC, HD+ Display & 4230mAh Battery!
Mrinmoy Choudhury
The mid-range smartphone market in India has already seen the Redmi Note 7 series and Samsung M-series launch this year. Today Realme launched its Realme 3 smartphone which is the successor to the last year's Realme 2. Few days earlier, the company took a jab at Xiaomi claiming that the MediaTek Helio P70 chipset to be better than the Redmi Note 7's SD 660.
The Realme 3 comes with a new unibody design with gradient colors. It features a 6.2 inch display with a resolution of HD+ (1520 x 720 pixels) and a dew drop notch. It has a 19:9 aspect ratio, a screen-to-body ratio of 88.3 percent and protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Under the hood, it is powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. It is available in two configurations: 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage with expandable storage via microSD card.
In the optics department, it sports an AI-powered dual camera setup at the rear with a 13MP + 2MP configuration with features likes Chroma Boost to enhance dynamic range and something called Nightscape for low-light environment. On the front there is a 13MP selfie camera with AI Beautification, HDR and Face Unlock support. The handset runs on ColorOS 6 based Android 9 Pie which the company claims not to run Ads. It is backed by a 4,230 mAh battery but a USB Type-C port is not available. There is a fingerprint sensor at the rear.
In other stories: Realme X50 5G Launched in China. It's almost a Redmi K30 5G!
As for the pricing, the base variant with 3/32GB configuration is priced at Rs 8,999 while the 4/64GB variant comes at a price tag of Rs 10,999. The company further notes the 3/32GB variant price is part of an introductory offer for the first million buyers after which the prices will likely to be hiked. It will be offered in Dynamic Black, Radiant Blue and Black color options and will be exclusively available on Flipkart and Realme website. The first flash sale starts on March 12 at 12 PM(noon).
Furthermore, the company also announced the Realme 3 Iconin Cased that includes yellow, black and blue diamond-cut pattern that will be available at Rs 599. Realme also teased the Realme 3 Pro, which will be launched in India in April.
Realme 3 specifications
6.2 inch HD+ display
3GB,4GB RAM
32GB,64GB internal specs
13MP + 2MP AI rear camera
13MP selfie camera
ColorOS 6 based Android 9 Pie
4,230 mAh battery
Related Topics:Realme
OPPO F11 Pro & Oppo F11 Launched in India. Comes with 48MP Camera, Pop Up Selfie Camera & VOOC 3.0!
Vivo iQOO Gaming Phone Launched in China! SD855, 12GB RAM & 44W Flash Charge!
Realme X50 5G Launched in China. It's almost a Redmi K30 5G!
Realme 5i to launch on January 6 in Vietnam! Just another Realme 5.
Realme X2 Launched in India. Comes with SD730G & 30W VOOC Charging, Starts from Rs.16,999!
Honor 9X Launched In India! Too Little, Too Late.
Jayaditya Chakrabarty
Huawei's subsidiary brand Honor has launched the all-new Honor 9X today, in India. The Honor 9X launched in India is, however, a bit different compared to the variant that was launched in China a few months ago. First of all, this Global Variant of Honor 9X comes with Google apps and services, so that users don't need to worry at all about losing any Google services or functionalities offered by Google. Also, the Honor 9X Global Variant comes with a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone, whereas the Chinese variant of Honor 9X comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
The phone sports a 6.59-inch full-HD+ display with a pixel density of 391ppi. The screen-to-body ratio is pretty impressive here at 91%. The phone is powered by Huawei's HiSilicon Kirin 710F SoC paired with up to 6GB of RAM. The Chinese variant comes with a better Kirin 810 7nm SoC. There are two variants based on RAM- 4GB and 6GB. However, both the variants have 128GB onboard storage and the memory can be expanded up to 512GB using a microSD card.
In terms of camera, the Honor 9X comes with a triple camera setup on the back. There is a 48-megapixel main shooter with an f/1.8 aperture and AIS Super Night mode support. Along with that, there is an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with a 120° field of view, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portrait shots. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel pop-up camera for selfies and video calls.
The Honor 9X runs Android 9 Pie out of the box with Huawei's EMUI skin on top. The phone packs a 4000mAh battery with pretty regular, 10W charging via a USB-C port. Connectivity options on the phone include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, GPS, and GLONASS. The 4GB RAM variant of Honor 9X is priced at Rs. 13,999 whereas the 6GB RAM variant is priced at Rs. 16,999. The Honor 9X is available in two colors- Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue.
Honor 9X will be available for purchase, exclusively on Flipkart starting from midnight on January 19. On the first day of sale, buyers will get a flat Rs. 1000 discount on the purchase of the 4GB RAM variant of Honor 9X. ICICI Bank credit card and Kotak Mahindra debit or credit cardholders can avail 10% discount on purchases made between January 19 and January 22, 2020.
Basith Rahman
After many posters and leaks, Realme has finally launched the Realme X50 5G smartphone in China. The brand has also launched Realme UI in the event and Realme X50 5G is the first phone to run on the new Android 10-based software. Realme has also introduced X50 5G Master Edition created by renowned Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa in Black and Gold versions.
The Realme X50 5G sports a 6.57-inch FHD+ LCD punch-hole display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a screen to body ratio of 90.4%. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. This time there's no in-display fingerprint scanner instead we have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Realme X50 5G is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G SoC paired with Adreno 620. It is paired to work with 8 and 12GB of RAM. It has two internal storage options i.e 128 and 256GB. This time there's no microSD card slot for further storage expansion.
Talking about optics, the Realme X50 5G has a quad rear camera setup, which is aligned vertically and placed on the left corner of the back panel. The quad rear camera includes a primary 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor with an aperture value of f/1.8 which offers up to 78.6-degree field of view, which is coupled with a secondary 12MP telephoto sensor with an aperture value of f/2.5 which offers up to 20x hybrid zoom, a tertiary 8MP ultra-wide sensor with a field of view of 119-degree with an aperture value of f/2.25, and finally a 2MP macro sensor with an aperture value of f/2.4. To the front, it has two sensors, which include a primary 16MP Sony IMX 471 sensors with an aperture value of f/2.0 which is coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor with an aperture value of f/2.2 and a field of view of 105 degrees.
The Realme X50 5G is backed by a 4,200mAh battery with support for 30W VOOC 4.0 Flash Charge support. The company claims to charge the phone up to 70 percent in just 30 minutes. The device runs on Realme UI which is based on Android 10. The phone comes in Polar White and Glacier Blue color options. Realme X50 5G is priced at 2,499 Yuan (approx. Rs 26000 ) for 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option, 2,699 Yuan (approx. Rs 28,000) for 6GB RAM + 256GB storage variant, 2,999 Yuan (approx. Rs 31,000) for 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option. This master edition is priced at 3099 Yuan (approx. Rs 32,000) for 12GB + 256GB storage option.
Realme X50 5G Specifications
6.57inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with 120hz refresh rate
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
8 / 12GB RAM
128GB and 256GB storage options
64MP + 12MP + 8MP + 2MP rear
16MP + 8MP front
Realme UI based on Android 10
4,200 mAh battery with 30W VOOC 4.0
Oppo A91 & Oppo A8 Launched in China!
OPPO has launched 2 new under the "A" series in China; the OPPO A91 and the OPPO A8. Both the devices are launched under 2000 Yuan. There is no information regarding when it will launch in India or not.
OPPO A91 Specifications
OPPO A8 Specifications
The Oppo A91 sports a 6.4 FHD+ AMOLED waterdrop notched display with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has a screen to body ratio of 90.7 and in the aspect ratio of 20:9. OPPO claims that the in-display fingerprint scanner can be unlocked in 0.22 seconds. The display is protected under Corning Gorilla Glass. The device is powered by an octa-core Helio P70 processor which is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
Talking about optics, the Oppo A91 has a quad rear camera setup. It has a primary 48MP sensor coupled with an 8MP ultrawide lens with a 119-degree field of view and a tertiary 2MP macro lens and finally a 2MP depth sensor. To the front, it has a 16MP sensor with an aperture value of f/2.0.
The Oppo A91 is packed with a 4,000mAh battery which charges via type c and has support for VOOC 4.0 flash charge technology. The device runs on Colour OS based on Android Pie. The device comes in in Red, Blue, and Black color options. All with gradient color options. Oppo A91 is priced at 1,999 Yuan, which is approximately Rs 20,306 in India.
6.4 inch FHD+ AMOLED display
48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP rear
16MP front
ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9 Pie
The OPPO A8 sports a 6.5-inch HD+ waterdrop notched display. It has a screen to body ratio of 89%. The OPPO A8 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 chipset which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The internal storage can be expanded using a microSD card up to 256GB.
Talking about optics, OPPO A8 has a triple rear camera setup. It has a primary 12MP sensor which is coupled with a 2MP macro sensor and finally a 2MP depth sensor. To the front, it has an 8MP sensor.
The device is backed by a 4,230mAh battery. The device has a rear-facing fingerprint reader instead of the in-display fingerprint scanner. The device runs on Colour OS 6.1 on top of Android 9.0 Pie. The Oppo A8 is priced at 1,199 Yuan, which is around Rs 12,160 in India. Right now, it is unknown whether both the phones will be launched in India or not. Both the phones will go on sale from December 26 in China.
6.5-inch HD+ display
12MP + 2MP + 2MP rear
8MP front
Leaks4 days ago
Officially Launched7 days ago
Leaks24 hours ago


text:
3 posts tagged "Best of 2015"
Matthew Munhall and Matt McMahon | Thursday, December 10, 2015
1. "Gosh" / "Loud Places" [ft. Romy] — Jamie xx "Gosh" begins as a relatively tame electronic tune with fluttering percussion and vocal drops. Halfway through, the song transforms into an experiment, with the British producer seeing just how high he can take a euphoric synth line. "Loud Places," on the other hand, is his
Scene's Best Albums of 2015
Matthew Munhall, Erin McAuliffe, John Darr, Adam Ramos, Kelly McGarry and Matt McMahon | Tuesday, December 8, 2015
1. Kendrick Lamar — "To Pimp a Butterfly" K.Dot's follow up to "good kid, m.A.A.d city" maintains the same urgency as that album's personal narrative, but refocuses its subject on more universal questions of black identity. "To Pimp a Butterfly" uses Lamar's rise to the top of the rap game to explore the ways in
Overlooked Albums of 2015
John Darr, Matt McMahon, Matthew Munhall and Adam Ramos | Monday, December 7, 2015
This Wednesday, the Scene staff will unveil its list of the best albums of 2015 after much deliberation and anguish. Today, some of our writers make the case for their personal favorites that flew under the radar. The artists on this list run the gamut from a former girl group member turned shapeshifting pop auteur to


text:
GW Sohlberg
Article | 1 September, 2002 11:06 AM | By Barbara Murray
Barbara Murray is Editor of Families in Business magazine.
Innovative vision and strong values have guided GW Sohlberg through 125 years of mixed fortunes and unexpected surprises
Family business success often comes at a price and many lessons have been learned by the four generations of Sohlbergs who built and shaped GW Sohlberg. The most notable of these lessons is to make sure meticulous plans for continuity are in place – with the understanding that unexpected events may put these plans into complete disarray.
The planning process brings peace of mind or perhaps the illusion that fate can somehow be controlled. But events can dictate that a different course of action is needed. In such circumstances, the Sohlberg's family values of commitment to its enterprise and employees have seen the family and the business through several upheavals in the past 125 years.
With a group turnover of €63 million in 2001 and over 600 employees in Finland, GW Sohlberg (GWS) is a significant business in a country with a population of just over five million people covering a massive geographical spread and challenging climate. GWS has interests in a diversified mix of wholly-owned firms, some struggling with intense competition in traditional, saturated markets, or in geographically distinct markets where competition has intensified.
These subsidiaries focus on internal efficiencies and productivity improvements, alongside exploiting marketing opportunities. GWS activities include industrial workstations and production systems (GWS Systems), project management and production of retail shop-fitting equipment (GWS Pikval). These businesses are dominant in the Nordic countries, and have a significant presence in Russia, Poland, France, Germany, the UK, the USA and China.
But there is more to GWS than its size and stature as a business. GWS is also renowned for embracing and preserving the ethical values of its founder and the four generations of successive Sohlberg families, while ensuring continuity by seeking innovative new areas of activity to strengthen the group and guarantee its future. It is also known for being affirmative about its family origins and the "edge" gained from its roots. Given the Sohlberg family's interests in publicly quoted companies, one might expect them to conform to expected norms and shy away from publicising the family's values and their influence over control, investment strategies and operations.
However, the Sohlberg businesses and the family's contributions to Finnish society and business are a testament to their values. This is eloquently described by Heikki Mairinoja, the company's first non-family Chief Executive Officer appointed in 2001, who commented: "[It] means, among other things, maintaining the best traditions of a family company and responsibility towards the staff. Correctly understood, these factors do not constitute a strain, but provide the edge in ever-tightening competition. In all business operations, profitability is, of course, the fundamental prerequisite, which cannot and must not be compromised."
When the family dimension brings advantage to the enterprise, why hide it? Normally, such statements, at the least, unsettle analysts and observers. Correctly understood, they explain the phenomenon of family entrepreneurship.
Last year, the Sohlbergs and their 650 employees celebrated the 125th anniversary of the founding of the company four generations ago at a magnificent gathering in Finlandia Hall for owners, employees and veterans of the company. Events like these are one of the rites of passage for an organisation and often for its owning family, too. They bring the opportunity for pause and reflection on where the organisation has come from, the challenges that have been overcome and the achievements over this period.
The first transition
Most entrepreneurs are driven by the sometimes opposing forces of what they want to do and what they have to do. They want to be their own boss and they have to provide the means to support their families. Those who get it right can enjoy a real sense of satisfaction. Then the time comes to consider what all this effort has been for – other than self-satisfaction and providing for a growing family – and they have to consider the legacy they want to leave behind.
Gabriel Wilhelm Sohlberg (called Wille), the founder of GWS, was no exception, according to fourth generation family member and present Chairman, Klaus Sohlberg. He reflected on how GWS started in 1876: "As one of 10 children born into a farming family to the west of Helsinki, Wille could see there was no economic future for himself in agriculture, so he moved to Helsinki.
"Seeing the need for a reliable income, he focused his efforts on qualifying by apprenticeship as a master blacksmith. He got married shortly before he had his master blacksmith papers and sought the opportunity to start his own business. He saw an opening for hand-crafted goods such as coffee pots. So the company was founded in 1876. Wille's first wife died at the age of 31 in 1881. As the father of three children and running his own business, he married again soon. Of course, you have to make a lot of coffee pots to feed a growing family.
"He soon saw more benefit from providing the roofing needs for Helsinki's growing population in the late 19th century than in craft work. But now that he had his own business, a growing staff of skilled craftsmen and apprentices, he was hampered by a seasonal market. He then saw the opportunity to fill the winter months producing tin stoves to supply the growing numbers of houses."
In Klaus's view, there are two features that differentiate Gabriel Wilhelm Sohlberg from the archetypal "self-made man" who makes as much money as possible and then sells out: "He was one of Finland's earliest social entrepreneurs. The first thing to note was his strong commitment to the requirements and social needs of working people, as he himself had come through the apprenticeship route and knew what it was like for a man to be faced with the awful prospect of having mastered a craft, yet have no work to provide for his family.
"When his business was big enough, he introduced pensions and he made 1 May a staff holiday. At the societal level, he was actively involved in the Helsinki groups, which established banks, insurance companies and cultural institutions.
"The second differentiating feature was his instinctive sense of what continuity planning is and therefore what was needed to ensure the business was passed into safe, socially responsible family hands, and to ensure his offspring would have a means by which to support their own families in the next generation. The transition from first to second generation was meticulously planned and Wille educated his two sons to prepare themselves well for their roles, in good time, ensuring they had a lot of experience behind them."
The reluctance of second generation successors to embrace entrepreneurial risk as their fathers would have is often noted in business families. There is a lot at stake for successors if it goes wrong and observers are watching all your moves. If the father has been a strong, autocratic, often absent, parent, the family home is more likely to have a culture of paternalism and compliance rather than one embracing consultation and shared
decision-making.
Of Wille's three offspring from his first marriage, the eldest son Wille and youngest son Toivo became the sibling team of successors as Managing Director and Technical Manager respectively; they became the "caretakers" of what they inherited, preserving it somewhat cautiously.
Klaus explained: "Sadly, Toivo died young, not long after his father. Wille also became the managing director of a bank and so he employed these skills to create a solid, solvent, well managed company. However, this "low risk" period in the company's history is not noted for any major developments."
Gabriel Wilhelm's actions can be used to teach a general lesson about passing on the legacy of what first generation family business owners have created. If entrepreneurial continuity is the goal, it requires an honest appraisal of what skills the adult children can offer and how the gaps will be filled. This is a completely different goal to the one founders often sense instinctively – continuity of control: that as long as there is family control of management and ownership after their day, somehow it will all work out well.
The second transition
Klaus explained that over the generations, his family continued the tradition of meticulous and diligent planning started by Gabriel Wilhelm: "Although the transition from second to third generation was as equally well planned as the transition from first to second generation, it did not, in fact, take place as planned at all. The business had become concentrated in Wille's hands due to the early death of his brother and Wille had only one child. His son, Sakari, was not interested in the business and studied law with a view to a career in the judiciary. Relations between Wille and Sakari were not good following Wille's divorce from Sakari's mother.
"Wille therefore began to think that the business would not go forward in the family's hands in future generations. Sakari developed a successful career in the law by becoming a member of the High Court. So Wille looked further afield for a family successor and sought out Toivo Gabriel (called Soko), the eldest son of his late brother Toivo, and began to prepare him for the role of the third generation leader."
This plan, however, also went awry because relations between the two were not harmonious. As a result of this tension, Soko left and started his own business. Unfortunately, his life did not turn out well and, tragically, he committed suicide. "When Wille died," says Klaus, "it really looked as if no one was interested and family business continuity was not possible. However, the wider family's sense of commitment to the enterprise and all it stood for came to the fore. Cousins Sakari and Olavi [Soko's younger brother] got together to discuss the seriousness of the situation.
"Sakari did not want to give up his legal career and left the decision to Olavi – my father – about whether to stick to his dream of being a judge or whether to take up the call to join the family business. This really was a life-changing decision, but my father decided in favour of the family business. So, in 1939 he threw himself into the challenge. He succeeded very well and made the company what it is."
The third transition
Olavi's career in the business spanned more than 50 years. Klaus reflected on his father's control of the business: "He took over a business that was financially very solid, but after the war he spotted opportunities and started to invest. We were using out of date machinery in the business and the latest technology had changed a lot. He made big investments for the future.
"Our first factory was in Helsinki and obviously we could not expand within the city, so in 1942 he acquired a site in the suburbs of Helsinki, where a new modern factory was built. In 1947 he moved the entire factory 10 km outside the city – there was nothing there at all then! He also expanded the firm to 800 employees. And in 1975, the remaining production units also moved to this site."
Continuing the Sohlberg tradition of having a family successor in mind, and conducting meticulous and detailed succession planning, Olavi invited two of his three sons, Kari and Klaus, into the business. Both Kari and Klaus started their GWS career working for a few years under their father. Kari took over as CEO in 1973 and Klaus became Deputy CEO in 1974.
An interesting feature of this generational transition was the brothers' approach to renovating the firm's corporate culture. Each new generation usually struggles to make its mark in some way in the business once installed in leadership positions, often because the previous generation's success track record leads to people feeling comfortable with the status quo. Currently, many next generation successors in family businesses are struggling to convince the incumbent generation that an executive can aspire to being the leader of a business and lead a balanced lifestyle. In the early 1970s, when Klaus and Kari took over, theirs was a different challenge.
Journalist Jyrki Vesikansa, author of From Tin to Perlos, described the changes brought in by Kari and Klaus: "The hierarchic, slightly militaristic style of management was replaced by group work, shared responsibility and an emphasis on strategic planning. Relations with the staff have always been nurtured at GWS, but patriarchy was replaced by a more modern style. In this respect, it was agreed that all those in the firm should address each other by their first name."
Compared with earlier transitions, this succession was relatively smooth, largely due to two factors: the quality of the relationship between the brothers and the fact that the two live and work in different areas of Finland. In 1973, the company had the opportunity to buy some furnishing companies north of Helsinki in Jyvaskyla. Since Kari was established as CEO in Helsinki, it fell to Klaus to become the architect of this acquisition.
Klaus worked on developments and was soon in charge three factories in Jyväskylä. This quirk of fate allowed each brother to have his own personal space and autonomy in which to operate as business leaders and as social entrepreneurs. As with the founder and subsequent generations, both brothers have devoted a lot of time to various activities in their area, as well as the local Chamber of Commerce and trade associations. Being in different cities meant that there were no leadership issues, and both brothers were known and respected for their roles and contributions to society in their respective areas.
The other reason for this relatively smooth transition was to do with the quality of the relationship between these men. Klaus commented, "Bear in mind that my father Olavi came from a generation of hands-on business leaders, and even though he had planned for his retirement and had other activities and hobbies, everyone knew he would have been miserable if he didn't have the opportunity to follow what was going on in the business.
"Even though he formally retired at the age of 65 in 1973, he was 83 when he retired completely from the board. His cousin Sakari had been Chairman of the Board since 1939 and wanted to continue as such. My father had no other obvious role in the system from that date and this created somewhat of a problem."
Kari and Klaus therefore had to find a solution to a potentially difficult problem with several facets to consider – a problem most successors face: how to honour the desire of their father to remain engaged with the business, how to retain the benefit of his experience and wisdom, and how to find a role suited to his stature in the business and in the family.
The solution they decided on was to amend the governance structure of the enterprise. Klaus explains: "My father was CEO until 1973. In 1980 he became Vice Chairman of the Board of Shareholders. In 1983 he and his cousin changed places: my father became Chairman and Sakari became Vice Chairman of the Board of Shareholders, and they both completely retired in 1992.
"We created a three-tier governance structure in 1973 to accomplish this. There was a Board of Shareholders on the top layer and an executive team of management on the bottom tier.
"Because we knew my father could not really retire, an 'informal board' was created and he was Chairman of this structure. This board was in between the management team and the shareholders but it comprised the same people as the management team, plus my father.
"Yes, it created a new layer of decision making and yes, perhaps decision making was a little more complicated, but he added value to our decisions by checking our assumptions, and he never tried to impose his own strategies or views on us. It was an elegant solution that suited the business, the family and the individuals involved."
Solutions to these succession dilemmas are often multi-faceted. Seniors can see from this case that it is extraordinarily difficult to let go – even when there is a life structure to move into that is satisfactory and appropriate for your stature; it is important for seniors and their supporters to prepare this structure and explore what "letting-go" means. It is also incumbent on adult children to help their parents prepare this new life.
The board also has a role in this process: it is its duty to be convinced the juniors are ready, willing and able to take on the role and the responsibility of leadership. No one willingly lets go unless there is sufficient faith in the ability of the next generation. The Sohlbergs' solution of a "transitionary structure" was one borne of personal and familial respect, and mutual benefit for the father, sons and the business.
Klaus clarified that the managers of his father's generation retired at the age of 65, but in the 1980s he and Kari initiated a policy of retirement at 60 for the members of the management team – and they have stuck to it. Kari retired at 60 last spring. Said Klaus: "We made a policy when we were still young that the retirement age should be 60 because we had seen the problems ourselves, especially because the senior generation managers don't see that much need for development and investments."
As is the Sohlberg tradition, planning for the next transition, from the fourth to fifth generation, started early with the creation of the GW Sohlberg Family Council at the beginning of 1990s with representatives from every Sohlberg family branch. As the Chairman of the Family Council, Klaus Sohlberg informs members of the council about the current company situation at every meeting.
Klaus described the approach used to prepare the next generation of Sohlberg owners for their responsibility as owners and possibly leaders in the future: "Next generation individuals interested in working in the business can plan a career with the company or can be initiated into the company operations through company-related memberships. They are also familiarised with GWS as members of the boards of the subsidiary companies where they can learn first hand how the performance of a business is monitored and controlled, and how change and innovation are managed in complex businesses. There is also the opportunity to become members of an unofficial Audit Committee and improve their knowledge of the family business in that way. Also for higher level positions at GWS, the next generation candidates have to acquire a suitable professional education and have proper and sufficient experience outside GWS."
Klaus continued, "When Kari retired from the CEO's position in 2001, we did not have a family member who met the high qualifications for the job, and so we now have the first CEO to come from outside the family. We hope somebody from the fifth generation will be able to take over the position in due course."
Looking to the future, Klaus sees that the profile of GWS family business ownership is in the process of change, especially as more women are becoming involved in the family council and in the overall governance of the business:
"In Finland, the significant role of women in working life results mainly from two facts. First, the level of education among women has grown continuously and second, women could be used as a work force while men were at war. The percentage of working women in Finland is high, and within the generations born during and after World War II women have strengthened their share of the leading positions both in politics and the Civil Service, as well as in the business community.
"You can see strong examples of this in that Finland has a female President, our parliament is chaired by a woman and our former CEO of the Bank of Finland was a woman (now Member of Board of the European Central Bank).
"As for GWS, ownership has always been available for female family members but none of the first through fourth generation female family members have shown a willingness to carry the responsibility and commitment that ownership calls for. This finally became reality at our annual shareholder meeting in spring 2002 when the first woman was elected a member of GWS board of shareholders."
GWS signifies tradition balanced by an open attitude toward change. This balance is not easy to achieve but the steps taken by successive Sohlberg leaders over the generations offer valuable insights to those aspiring to this philosophy of family entrepreneurship.
Featured In Issue:
Families in Business No05 September 2002
Related terms: Finland, glass, gw sohlberg, FB People, Family Business
Intertrust Group
Withers Bergman
Smith & Williamson
Aurora Gems Inc
Edgar Brandt Advisory SA


text:
Estimating numerical error in neural network simulations on Graphics Processing Units
James P Turner1 &
Thomas Nowotny1
Modern graphics processing units (GPUs) are becoming a popular hardware substrate for spiking neural network simulations [1–3], due to their massive parallelism and impressive cost-to-speed ratio. However, verifying and interpreting the results of a GPU simulation can be difficult because the results are never exactly reproducible, unlike those from an equivalent serial simulation on a CPU; not only is the simulation subject to the usual rounding errors of floating-point arithmetic, but there are also elements of stochasticity due to the non-determinism of the thread scheduling mechanism on the hardware, alongside the non-associativity of floating-point addition and multiplication. Consider, for example, a typical postsynaptic integration step for the summation of incoming synapse currents, executed on a GPU. If there are multiple threads, which are each simulating an incoming synapse, there is no guarantee for the order in which each synapse thread's current will be accumulated into the total current. Therefore, rounding errors will be different depending on this order and the result could be different every time the simulation runs. Such effects would initially be small but can be amplified in unstable or chaotic systems to a degree that the final results appear completely random across different runs (see Figure 1).
In repeated runs, results of numerical simulations on GPUs can vary. Mean, standard deviation and range of observed membrane potential of a neuron in a network of 10,000 Izhikevich neurons, 8,000 excitatory and 2,000 inhibitory, with 1,000 random connections each; after only 190 ms simulation the results start to diverge visibly, and after only 210 ms, they differ largely.
When comparing runs between GPU and CPU implementations there are additional sources of divergence. There are subtle differences in the way each architecture implements floating-point arithmetic. For instance, the NVIDIA C2070 GPU tested in this study implements the fused multiply-add (FMA) operation, introduced in the latest IEEE-754-2008 floating-point standard, whereas most Intel CPUs perform the multiplication and addition operations separately, with lower accuracy. Only Intel's most recent Haswell CPU architecture implements the more accurate FMA operation, whilst many current lab workstations contain chips that do not.
The aim of the work presented here is to analytically determine the theoretical worst-case and average-case numerical absolute error incurred when simulating neural network models on an NVIDIA CUDA GPU. These error measurements are also compared with the absolute error resulting from the equivalent serial algorithm running on a single CPU core, using standard float32 (float) and float64 (double) precision floating-point arithmetic, to determine a reasonable error margin for verifying the results of parallel GPU simulations against those of equivalent serial CPU simulations. Furthermore, both CPU and GPU implementations are compared against an equivalent simulation using an accurate arbitrary-precision floating-point arithmetic library, to determine how far the CPU and GPU simulation trajectories deviate from the analytically 'correct' trajectory. For illustration, the divergence of a single neuron in a 10,000 neuron Izhikevich network is plotted in the figure. Finally, we also analyse the role of errors originating from approximate integration methods and compare them to the underlying numerical errors discussed thus far.
GeNN. accessed 20-02-2015, [https://github.com/genn-team/genn]
NeMo. accessed 20-02-2015, [http://nemosim.sourceforge.net/]
CARLsim. accessed 20-02-2015, [http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma/CARLsim/]
Centre for Computational Neuroscience and Robotics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
James P Turner & Thomas Nowotny
James P Turner
Thomas Nowotny
Correspondence to James P Turner.
Turner, J.P., Nowotny, T. Estimating numerical error in neural network simulations on Graphics Processing Units. BMC Neurosci 16, P182 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2202-16-S1-P182
Graphic Processing Unit
Neural Network Simulation
Standard Float32
Arithmetic Library
Approximate Integration Method


Abstract. The quality of the upgraded version of the CMEMS biogeochemical operational system of the Mediterranean Sea (MedBFM) is assessed in terms of consistency and forecast skill, following a mixed validation protocol that exploits different reference data from satellite, oceanographic databases, Biogeochemical Argo floats, literature. We demonstrate that the GODAE metrics paradigm can be efficiently applied to validate an operational model system for biogeochemical and ecosystem forecasts. The accuracy of the CMEMS biogeochemical products for Mediterranean Sea can be achieved from basin-wide and seasonal scale to mesoscale and weekly scale, and its level depends on the specific variable and the availability of reference data. In particular, the use of the Biogeochemical Argo floats data allows for a relevant enhancement of the validation framework of operational biogeochemical models, providing new skill metrics for key biogeochemical processes and dynamics (e.g. deep chlorophyll maximum depth), which can be easily implemented to routinely monitor the quality of the products and highlight any possible anomaly.
How to cite: Salon, S., Cossarini, G., Bolzon, G., Feudale, L., Lazzari, P., Teruzzi, A., Solidoro, C., and Crise, A.: Marine Ecosystem forecasts: skill performance of the CMEMS Mediterranean Sea model system, Ocean Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/os-2018-145, in review, 2019.
Total article views: 191 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 191 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.


EDMONTON — New research suggests that hydraulic fracking of oil and gas wells is behind earthquakes caused by humans in Western Canada.
A study, published Tuesday by a group of top Canadian researchers, says problems in Alberta and British Columbia aren't being caused by injecting waste water underground. It's a major step in understanding seismic events that have already led to changed regulations in Alberta and caused public concern in both provinces.
"It's critical that we get to a complete scientific understanding of the issue," said David Eaton, a University of Calgary geophysicist and a co-author of the study.
Fracking involves pumping high-pressure fluids underground to create tiny cracks in rock to release natural gas or oil. Scientists had previously concluded that oilpatch activity can cause earthquakes by making it easier for faults in underground rock to slip, but they didn't know whether the Canadian quakes were caused by fracking or by the disposal of waste water by injecting it back underground.
Public interest has been high, especially after a tremblor in January shook pictures on the walls of homes in Fox Creek, Alta., a community in the centre of the Duvernay oil and gas field. Measuring between 4.2 and 4.8 on the Richter scale, the quake was the largest of hundreds of similar shakers around the community since 2013.
Eaton and his colleagues began with a database of more than 12,000 fracked and disposal wells drilled between 1985 and 2015. They cross-referenced that with another database of seismic events over that time.
A complex statistical analysis pinned the blame convincingly on fracking and not disposal, Eaton said.
"There are more earthquakes in Western Canada that are more related to hydraulic fracturing than waste-water injection by a factor of about two."
Eaton said the situation is reversed in the United States, where waste-water disposal is considered to be behind most human-caused seismic activity.
That doesn't mean that a lot of wells cause earthquakes. Eaton calculates that about 0.3 per cent of fracked wells create problems.
But there are enough wells drilled for even that tiny fraction to be a concern.
"Even at 0.3 per cent, because of the very large number of hydraulically fractured wells, it still represents an issue that is of high priority to address scientifically," said Eaton.
Alberta's energy regulator has already changed regulations for the industry as a result of the Fox Creek earthquakes. Eaton said regulators in British Columbia are also considering changes.
"The regulators have been quite responsive."
Eaton suggested his findings raise questions about how well the geology of heavily fracked oilfields in Alberta and British Columbia is understood.
"The occurrences in Canada have come as a surprise — in some cases to industry — because there was a belief that all the potential faults had been identified," he said. "One of the things we're actively researching is to find new and better ways to identify these features.
"We're looking for the signature of critically stressed faults in new and different ways."
Scientists are aware of the pressure they face getting the issue right, Eaton said.
"There's a mixture of science and the whole social-political aspect of this."
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article credited CP for the photo. The caption has ben updated as being a photo by Damien Gillis/Common Sense Canadian.