text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:introduction}

Making knots with a length of rope is a skill that benefits humans in many everyday activities and there exists a large variety of knots for different purposes~\cite{knotsguide, ashley1993}.
Every knot is created by a sequence of knotting actions: For example, imagine a straight length of rope. Folding it to a bight so that both ends lie alongside each other. Crossing one end over the other results in a loop. Pushing the other end through the loop and pulling on both ends creates the \emph{overhand} type knot shown in the bottom of Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}.

What makes knotting difficult for robots is that it requires dexterous manipulation of a semi-compliant, flexible body in form of bending, twisting, holding, and inserting, as in the example above. Therefore, knotting often requires coordinating two or more manipulators and feedback control.

\begin{figure}[t]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.85 \linewidth]{fig/overview5.pdf}
\caption{%
\emph{Left:} Knotting simulation with robot's arms shown in yellow, robot's base in green, deformable rope in red, and target loop in blue.
\emph{Middle:} Experiment with NAO robot.
\emph{Right:} The target loops can have complex three-dimensional shapes.
\emph{Bottom:} Knot as a sequence of basic actions.
}
  \label{fig:overview}
  \vspace{-0.5cm}
\end{figure}

In this work, we focus on \emph{insertion through a target loop}. This is the most complex of the basic knotting actions as it requires moving a part of the rope, e.g. an end of the rope, on a trajectory relative to another segment of rope that forms the loop.
For this purpose we abstract the situation of the target loop with its crossing and two adjacent rope parts, shown at the bottom middle of Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}, and instead consider the closed target loop and the length of rope to be inserted separately, as seen in blue and red in the knotting simulation of Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}.

In three-dimensional space, the target loop can assume complex shapes, such as the ones displayed on the right in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}. This makes \emph{ad hoc} definitions of a center point or an inner surface for the loop---as they would be possible for planar loops---futile. This variety in loop shapes consequently prohibits simple geometric
parameterization of the required manipulator motion for insertion---such as for instance just approaching the loop's center or crossing the loop's inner surface from one side to the other.

On the contrary, to guide the manipulator holding the rope's end through the loop---and thus making sure that the rope gets tucked through the loop---we need to consider the spatial relationship of the trajectory and the loop. For any starting position of the manipulator, the trajectory must approach the loop, pass through, and leave on the other side. These conditions are fulfilled by all field lines of a magnetic field that is induced by an electric current flowing through the loop. Therefore, we model the insertion motion of the manipulator as that of a particle following the direction of the loop's \emph{virtual} magnetic force field.

The contributions are summarized as follows:
\begin{itemize}

\item Formulating insertion as a position-based controller with termination conditions---both based on the virtual magnetic field and applying to all shapes of 3d loops.

\item Coordinating basic knotting actions with a hybrid control system for knot-tying.

\item Evaluating insertion reliability with respect to loop deformation from simulated position noise.

\item Demonstrating the knotting system for a family of mathematical knots in simulation and with a NAO humanoid robot.

\end{itemize}

\section{Related Work}
\label{sec:related}

Inserting an end of a rope through a loop of rope or an anchoring entity, as in our insertion action, requires moving a manipulator into a hollow. In robotics, such tasks have been studied before:
Most similar to our approach is the high precision threading framework in \cite{wangonline}. Similar to us, they exploit the insight that magnetic field lines pass through the interior of a current-carrying coil. However, instead of formulating a control task and computing derivatives as in \cite{wangonline}, we directly refer to the magnetic field's direction to define reference positions. While they consider a surgical context with tight openings modelled by small, planar loops that are circular and static, we consider rope-based knot-making with dynamically deforming loops of arbitrary three-dimensional shape. For the planar case we additionally introduce a parametrization that allows adapting the manipulator's trajectory.

Further similar works based on topological coordinates are found in motion planning \cite{ivan2013topology, Ho:ICRA2013, Ho:TopologyIK:PG09, Ho_Komura:CAVW2011} and caging \cite{pokorny2013holes, stork2013integrated}. Instead of workspace coordinates, as in our system, these works refer to coordinates in terms of writhe \cite{ivan2013topology, Ho:ICRA2013, Ho:TopologyIK:PG09, Ho_Komura:CAVW2011}, winding \cite{pokorny2013holes}, or linking numbers \cite{stork2013integrated} and define success as reaching goal coordinates. In contrast, we define switching conditions for the insertion action as passing the magnetic field's maximum intensity. These works employ approximate inference \cite{ivan2013topology}, optimization \cite{Ho:ICRA2013, Ho:TopologyIK:PG09, Ho_Komura:CAVW2011, pokorny2013holes}, or random-based planning \cite{stork2013integrated} to generate manipulator trajectories. However, we directly refer to a virtual force field to derive the direction of motion. While small changes in workspace position can lead to fundamental changes in topological coordinates, we show that our control based on magnetic fields is robust to position noise.

In this work, we use insertion of an end of a rope as a central basic action in conjunction with other basic actions to create knots. Several other works also abstract the knotting problem by subdividing it into a set of basic steps\cite{matsuno2006manipulation, yamakawa2008knotting, van2012new, kudoh2015inair, wakamatsu2006knotting}. Often these works consider mathematical knots and implement Reidemeister moves that locally change the knot's link diagram\cite{matsuno2006manipulation, yamakawa2008knotting, van2012new, kudoh2015inair, wakamatsu2006knotting}. In contrast, we define a set of five basic actions---including grasping and releasing of the rope, twisting the rope, and inserting the rope through a loop---to create knots. Instead of representing the knot by its linking diagram, we note the sequence of actions that are required for its creation, for instance in form for a Behavior Tree~\cite{ale_icra2013}.

Speed and repeatability for industrial robotic knotting have been studied \cite{kenji1975automatic, bell2014knot}, often referring to feed forward control for simple knots~\cite{yamakawa2010motion, kudoh2015inair}.
Most of this research, formulates knotting as a motion planning problem in the context of deformable object manipulation~\cite{saha2006motion, saha2007manipulation, hashimoto2002dynamic, yamakawa2010motion, matsuno2001flexible, lynch1999dynamic}. In contrast, we do not model the rope or its physical properties. Instead, we assume that the rope is held by a manipulator and will comply to its motion when twisted and tucked through a loop.

All above motion planning approaches \cite{saha2006motion, saha2007manipulation, hashimoto2002dynamic, yamakawa2010motion, matsuno2001flexible, lynch1999dynamic, Ho:ICRA2013, Ho:TopologyIK:PG09, Ho_Komura:CAVW2011, stork2013integrated, ivan2013topology} have in common that they require time intensive re-planning if the situation changes. However, in knotting we manipulate a flexible body and move on trajectories defined with respect to other parts of the rope which constantly causes dynamic changes. We address this problem by employing feedback control that is directly based on the loop's shape and position for the insertion action.

\section{Virtual Magnetic Field-based Rope Insertion}
\label{sec:insertion-control}

To insert an end of a rope that is held by a manipulator though a loop, $\mathcal{L}$, we need to move the manipulator on a trajectory that passes through the loop's hollow. In our approach, we generate such a trajectory by continuously feeding reference positions for the manipulator, $\mathbf{x}^{r} \in \mathbb{R}^3$, to the manipulator's controller. In each time step, $t$, we compute the reference position from the manipulator's current position, $\mathbf{x}^{c}(t)$, and a directional offset, $\boldsymbol \delta(t)$,
such that
$
\mathbf{x}^{r} (t)
=
\mathbf{x}^{c}(t) + \boldsymbol \delta(t)
$.

Below, we define the directional offset, $\boldsymbol \delta(t)$, based on the magnetic field generated by a steady electric current, $I$, through the loop, $\mathcal{L}$. The definition relates direction, length, and proximity of current in $\mathcal{L}$ to $\boldsymbol \delta(t)$ and gives the direction in which the manipulator has to move. For this, we adopt the Biot Savart law and model $\mathcal{L}$ as an infinitely-narrow, closed wire.

\subsection{Adapting the Biot Savart Law for Control}
\label{sec:biotsavart}

The Biot Savart law relates the magnetic field, $\mathbf{B}$, at any coordinate, $\mathbf{x} \in \mathbb{R}^3$, to the electric current in the conductor $\mathcal{L}$. In Eq.~\eqref{eq:biot_savart}, it is expressed as a line integral, exploiting the superposition principle for magnetic fields.
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x})
=
\frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}
I\,
\int_{\mathcal{L}}
\frac{%
\mathrm{d}\mathbf{l} \times (\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{x}')
}{%
\|\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{x}'\|^3
}
.
\label{eq:biot_savart}
\end{equation}
Above, $\mu_0$ is the magnetic constant; $I$ is current intensity; $\mathrm{d}\mathbf{l}$ is the length differential of the conductor $\mathcal{L}$; $\mathbf{x}'$ is the position of a given segment $\mathrm{d}\mathbf{l}$; and $\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{x}'$ is a vector from $\mathrm{d}\mathbf{l}$ to $\mathbf{x}$. In case $\mathcal{L}$ is approximated by $n$ line segments, Eq.~\eqref{eq:biot_savart} reduces to a sum, allowing computation of $\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x})$ with time complexity $\mathcal{O}(n)$.

The magnetic flux density, as given by Eq.~\eqref{eq:biot_savart}, drops with increasing distance from the conductor,  $\mathbf{x} - \mathbf{x}'$. To guarantee that our insertion action has constant and adjustable approach speed, we normalize the magnetic field when defining the directional offset,
\begin{equation}
\boldsymbol \delta(t)
=
\gamma \,
\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x})
/
\| \mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x}) \|
\label{eq:biot_savart_normal}
.
\end{equation}
In this, we set the coordinate to the manipulator's current position, $\mathbf{x} = \mathbf{x}^{c}(t)$, and use $\gamma$ as a scaling factor.

As seen in Fig.~\ref{fig:field-lines}, every field line passes through the loop by entering the electromagnet near its south pole and exiting near its north pole. This allows us to decide from which side the insertion is performed by altering the direction of electric current in $\mathcal{L}$. Since any given coordinate, $\mathbf{x}$, lies on some field line, we can start with the manipulator at any position and pass through the loop by following $\mathbf{B}$. Importantly, we can identify that the manipulator has passed through the loop when the flux density, visualized in Fig.~\ref{fig:field-lines} by color, ceases to increase and starts to decrease.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.6\linewidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 1cm}, clip]{fig/lines/loop0_a.png}
\vspace*{0.1cm}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\linewidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 1cm}, clip]{fig/lines/loop1_a.png}
\vspace*{0.1cm}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\linewidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 1cm}, clip]{fig/lines/loop2_a.png}

\caption{%
Magnetic fields for loops of several shapes illustrated by the field lines.
Color indicates magnetic flux density, i.e. the intensity of the magnetic field.
Tracking a field line until the field drops off (black line) stops the manipulator in the ``middle" of the loop.}
\label{fig:field-lines}
\label{fig:stopping}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Parametrization for Planar Loops}

Many knots are described by a two-dimensional layout, similar to the diagrams in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}, using the 3rd dimension merely for crossings of rope segments~\cite{knotsguide, ashley1993}. Therefore, the insertion action is often performed on mostly planar loops. Below, we give a parameterization of the magnetic field for planar loops that allows changing the shape of the insertion trajectory, as exemplified in Fig.~\ref{fig:alpha_beta}, by adjusting two scalar parameters, $\alpha$ and $\beta$. We can, for example, continuously deform a trajectory if the computed insertion trajectory  is obstructed.

A planar loop lies on a plane that defines one normal and two parallel vectors to the loop: $\mathbf{v}_N$, $\mathbf{v}_{P_1}$ and $\mathbf{v}_{P_2}$. In Fig.~\ref{fig:biot_savart2}, these three vectors correspond to the axes $X$, $Y$ and $Z$, respectively.
We project $\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x})$ into this coordinate system to represent the magnetic field in terms of two scalar components, $B_{P_1}$ and $B_{P_2}$, which are parallel to the loop, and one scalar component, $B_{N}$, which is perpendicular to it. This yields the following expression for the magnetic field:
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x})
=
B_{P_1}(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_{P_1} + B_{P_2}(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_{P_2} + B_N(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_N
\label{eq:biot_savart_separated}
.
\end{equation}
We introduce the parameters  $\alpha$ and $\beta$  into Eq.~\eqref{eq:biot_savart_separated} to control the weight of the parallel and perpendicular components of the magnetic field,
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x}, \alpha, \beta)
=
\alpha B_{P_1}(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_{P_1}
+
\alpha B_{P_2}(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_{P_2}
+
\beta B_N(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{v}_N
\label{eq:biot_savart_param}
\end{equation}
and define the directional offset analogous to Eq.~\eqref{eq:biot_savart_normal},
\begin{equation}
\boldsymbol \delta(t, \alpha, \beta)
=
\gamma \,
\mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x}, \alpha, \beta)
/
\| \mathbf{B}(\mathbf{x}, \alpha, \beta) \|
\label{eq:biot_savart_normal_parameters}
.
\end{equation}
The influence of $\alpha$ and $\beta$ on the manipulator's trajectory is exemplified in Fig.~\ref{fig:alpha_beta}.

\begin{figure}[]
  \centering
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.45\linewidth}
	\includegraphics[width=\textwidth,trim={5cm 5cm 5cm 3.3cm},clip]{figtmp/trajectory_alpha_g_beta.pdf}

    \caption{\footnotesize red: $\alpha = \beta$, green: $\alpha = \sqrt{2}\beta$, blue: $\alpha = 2\beta$, cyan: $\alpha = 10\beta$, yellow: $\alpha = 100\beta$.}

    \label{fig:alpha_g_beta}
  \end{subfigure}%
  \hspace{10pt}
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.45\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth,trim={5cm 5cm 5cm 3.3cm},clip]{figtmp/trajectory_alpha_l_beta.pdf}

    \caption{\footnotesize red: $\alpha = \beta$, green: $\alpha = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\beta$, blue: $\alpha = \frac{1}{2}\beta$, cyan: $\alpha = \frac{1}{10}\beta$, yellow: $\alpha = \frac{1}{100}\beta$.}

    \label{fig:alpha_l_beta}
    \end{subfigure}
  \caption{Insertion trajectory for planar loops parametrized by $\alpha$ and $\beta$.

  }
  \label{fig:alpha_beta}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\centering
\hspace*{1cm}\includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth, trim={2.5cm 13.7cm 5cm 9.2cm},clip]{fig/test.pdf}
\caption{%
Parameterization for a planar conductor (cyan). Image adapted from, Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Addison Wesley.
\protect\url{http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/imprints/addison-wesley/}
}
\label{fig:biot_savart2}
\end{figure}

\section{Knotting System Overview}
\label{sec:framework}

As illustrated in the example of Sec.~\ref{sec:introduction}, making a knot consists in performing several basic knotting actions of which the insertion action is central. Since the rope needs to be handed over after insertion, we consider a two-armed robot with a movable base (as in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}). We formulate the knotting system as two feedback controllers---one for the base and one for the active manipulator---that are feed with reference points for each time step and action. The knotting process is governed by a hybrid system that decides on reference points and switching conditions
which determine when the next action needs to be triggered.
We present examples of hybrid systems for different knots in Sec.~\ref{sec:technique}. In this section, we detail how we realize individual basic knotting actions and define their switching conditions.

\subsection{Basic Knotting Actions}
\label{ssec:action_primitives}

\paragraph{Grasp Rope}
\label{sssec:grasp_rope}
Set the manipulator's reference to point on the rope; close gripper when reached.
\emph{Switching:} target point reached and gripper closed.

\paragraph{Release Rope}
\label{sssec:release_rope}
Set the manipulator's reference to same point from previous time step; open gripper.
\emph{Switching:} gripper opened.

\paragraph{Twist Rope}
\label{sssec:twist_rope}
Set the references of both manipulators to a predefined circular trajectory such that a loop is formed.
\emph{Switching:} trajectory completed.

\paragraph{Turn Base}
\label{sssec:turn_base}
Set the base's reference to rotate the robot about itself such that the manipulators twist the rope.
\emph{Switching:} trajectory completed.

The last two actions are redundant. In Sec.~\ref{sec:technique} we exploit this to show that knotting action sequences are compliant with the type of plans Behavior Trees (BTs)~\cite{ale_icra2013} represent.

\paragraph{Insertion}
\label{sssec:insertion}

Set the references of both manipulators using the target loop and the (parametrized) magnetic field in Sec.~\ref{sec:insertion-control} such that they approach the loop from opposite sides.
\emph{Switching}: the magnetic field drops when following the trajectory further.

The insertion action requires combination with a grasp and a release action to thread the rope through the loop.

\section{Tying Knots}
\label{sec:technique}

In this section, we describe hybrid control systems, that govern the knotting process and schedule basic knotting actions from Sec.~\ref{sec:framework}. For this, we first refer to the family of mathematical knots shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview-table}, since they can be tied with only two manipulators. In Sec.~\ref{ssec:beyond} we consider other types of knots based on the same knotting actions.\footnote{Knotting system and simulation: \url{www.github.com/~almc}.}

\begin{figure}[h]
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth, trim={0 6.7cm 0 0}, clip]{fig/Knot_table.pdf}
  \caption{A family of mathematical knots that can be tied using only two manipulators and their designation in A-B notation. Knot $3_1$ is called \emph{trefoil}.}
  \label{fig:overview-table}
\end{figure}

\subsection{The Trefoil Knot}
\label{ssec:trefoil_knot}

To tie the right-handed trefoil knot---referred to as $3_1$ in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview-table}---we require 9 steps (step 2 to 10) of which two use insertion actions. A step consists of one basic action instantiated within a particular context. When formulating the action sequence, we refer to the two ends of the rope as $R_0$ and $R_f$. Further, we assume that the rope has reasonable internal stiffness, the target loops are large enough for insertion with the manipulators, and that the manipulators can grasp and hold the rope. To support the rope, we employ to an \emph{anchoring entity} in front of the robot. An illustration of all steps listed below is given in Fig.~\ref{fig:knotting_all_steps}.

\subsubsection{Approach Loop}
Use base controller with reference to loop position and orientation. (Not a basic action.)

\subsubsection{Arm~2 Grasps $R_f$}
Using \emph{Grasp Rope}.

\subsubsection{Arm~1,2 Insert $R_f$ Through Anchoring Entity}
\label{sssec:p2}
Use \emph{Insertion}.

\subsubsection{Arm~1 Grasps $R_f$, Arm~2 Releases $R_f$}
Use \emph{Grasp} and \emph{Release Rope}.

\subsubsection{Arm~2 Grasps $R_0$}
Use \emph{Grasp Rope}.

\subsubsection{Constructing Rope Loop}
\label{sssec:construct_rope_loop}
Use \emph{Turn Base} (6.1) or \emph{Twist Rope} (6.2).

\subsubsection{Arm~1 Passes $R_0$ Through Rope Loop}
Use \emph{Insertion}.

\subsubsection{Arm~2 Releases $R_f$}
Use \emph{Release Rope}.

\subsubsection{Arm~2 Grasps $R_0$, Arm~1 Releases $R_0$}
Use \emph{Grasp} and \emph{Release Rope}.

\subsubsection{Arm~1 Grasps $R_f$}
Use \emph{Grasp Rope}.

\begin{figure*}
        \centering
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p0.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Base Approaches Loop}
               \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p0}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p1.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~2 Grasps $R_f$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p1}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p2.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~1,2 Insert $R_f$ Through Anchoring Entity}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p2}
        \end{subfigure}\\

        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p3.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~1 Grasps $R_f$, Arm~2 Releases $R_f$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p3}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p4.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~2 Grasps $R_0$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p4}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p5a.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Base Turns $\pi$ Around Itself (part 1)}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p5a}
        \end{subfigure}\\

        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p5b.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Base Turns $\pi$ Around Itself (part 2)}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p5b}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p6.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~1 Passes $R_0$ Through Rope Loop}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p6}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p7.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~2 Releases $R_f$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p7}
        \end{subfigure}\\

        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p8.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~2 Grasps $R_0$, Arm~1 Releases $R_0$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p8}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p9.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Arm~1 Grasps $R_f$}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p9}
        \end{subfigure}%
        \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\textwidth}
                \includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={0cm 0cm 0cm 2cm}, clip]{figtmp/p10.pdf}
                \vspace*{-0.7cm}
                \caption{Trefoil Loop Completed}
                \vspace*{0.1cm}
                \label{fig:p10}
        \end{subfigure}\\
        \caption{Step by step illustration of knotting a trefoil according to Sec.~\ref{ssec:trefoil_knot}.}
        \label{fig:knotting_all_steps}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Beyond The Trefoil Knot}
\label{ssec:beyond}

The other knots in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview-table} can be created by adapting the action sequence for the trefoil knot from Sec.~\ref{ssec:trefoil_knot}. For the sake of brevity, below we omit which arm grasps which side of the rope and from which side the loop is approached. However, each step's action together with the final knot type yield an unequivocal assignment. The numbering of the steps below refers to the numbering of the steps in Section~\ref{sec:technique}:

\subsubsection{Unknot}
Executing steps {\footnotesize\emph{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}}

\subsubsection{Knot $3_1$}
Executing steps {\footnotesize\emph{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}}

\subsubsection{Knot $4_1$}
Executing steps {\footnotesize\emph{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, \textbf{6}, \textbf{6}, 7, 8, 9, 10}}

\subsubsection{Knot $5_2$}
Executing steps {\footnotesize\emph{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, \textbf{6}, \textbf{6}, \textbf{6}, 7, 8, 9, 10}}

\subsubsection{Knot $7_3$}
Executing steps {\footnotesize\emph{1, \ldots, 5, 6, 6, 6, \textbf{7}, \textbf{8}, \textbf{9}, \textbf{7}, \textbf{8}, \textbf{9}, 10}}

In more detail:
The \emph{Unknot} is completed after passing the rope through the anchoring entity.
Knot $4_1$ requires the same steps as the trefoil but with two twists (i.e. step 6).
Knot $5_2$ requires the same steps as the trefoil but with three twists (i.e. step 6).
Knot $7_3$ requires the same steps as knot $5_2$, but with two insertions through the loop (i.e. steps 7, 8, 9).

\subsection{Behavior Tree Formulation}
\label{ssec:bts}

The hybrid dynamics described in Sec.~\ref{ssec:trefoil_knot} and Sec.~\ref{ssec:beyond} can be conveniently instantiated in the form of a Behavior Tree (BT)~\cite{ale_icra2013}. Even though BTs were not used to implement the simulations in Fig.~\ref{fig:knotting_all_steps} or the experiments with the NAO in Sec.~\ref{sec:nao}, the hierarchical structure of BTs provides a convenient representation for the knotting task, see Fig.~\ref{fig:bt_trefoil}:
\emph{i)} step 1 must move the base to track the anchoring entity's motion throughout the whole task, represented using a so-called \emph{Sequence node};
\emph{ii)} steps 6.1 and 6.2 are alternative ways of achieving the same goal, represented using a so-called \emph{Selector* node};
\emph{iii)} step 3 could fall back to re-grasping the rope using step 2 if it was dropped during the insertion step, represented by another \emph{Sequence node}.

\begin{figure}[h]
  \input{fig/bt_trefoil}
  \caption{BT representation of the knotting task for the trefoil knot. Numbered boxes represent knotting actions within their context; for reference see the steps in Sec.~\ref{ssec:trefoil_knot}.}
  \label{fig:bt_trefoil}
\end{figure}

\section{Experimental Evaluation}
\label{sec:results}

To test the viability of our approach to rope insertion and knotting, we first analyse the robustness of the insertion action disregarding robot and rope dynamics (Sec.~\ref{sec:results-isolation}), then we test the controller of the whole robot with the rope in a Matlab knotting simulation (Sec.~\ref{sec:results-simulation}), lastly we implement the knotting system on a NAO robot. Illustrative real-time videos of the experiments described here are found under
\url{http://www.csc.kth.se/~almc/humanoids16/}.

\subsection{Insertion Action in Isolation}
\label{sec:results-isolation}

To perform the insertion action, the robot must move the manipulator which holds the rope into the loop, stop, and re-grasp the rope with another manipulator. Below, we study how our insertion action copes with different shapes of the target loop.

\subsubsection{Stopping}

The switching condition for the insertion action needs to stop the manipulator when its trajectory has passed through the loop. In Sec.~\ref{sec:insertion-control} we identify this condition by a drop in magnetic field intensity. We validate this formulation by simulating the trajectory of a manipulator for static target loops of different (non-trivial) shapes. We consider a planar loop (for reference), a 90$^\circ$ folded planar loop, and a double loop, as sketched in Fig.~\ref{fig:overview}.

Results are displayed in Fig.~\ref{fig:stopping}, where black lines indicate the manipulator trajectories. In all cases the trajectories stop centrally in the loop, confirming the switching condition.

\subsubsection{Deformation}

During execution of an insertion action with a real rope, the target loop might flex, bend, and change its size. Further, its position is subject to noise in perception. For this reason, we investigate the performance of our insertion action when the target loop deforms randomly during execution. We consider a \emph{planar} loop and compare  \emph{insertion quality} defined as the distance between the insertion point and the center of the loop and \emph{insertion delay} measured as the time it took (in number of iterations) for the particle to reach the plane of the loop. Further, we trace the trajectory and register whether it passed inside the loop (\emph{successful insertion}).

For the experiments, we start with a circular planar loop of radius 1~m (discretized to $0.1$ radians) laying in the $X,Y$-plane and perturb vertex positions in each time step. The perturbation consists of (a) isotropic Gaussian noise and (b) cylindrical Gaussian noise for the radial direction and the $Z$-axis with standard deviation between $0.0$ and $0.3$ in steps of $0.05$. We record 1000 trajectories (for each noise setting) from the same initial location and plot noise intensity against \emph{insertion quality} and the \emph{insertion delay} in Fig.~\ref{fig:alpha_beta_isotropic} and Fig.~\ref{fig:alpha_beta_radial} for different values of $\alpha$ and $\beta$.

The figures show that \emph{insertion delay} increases with higher intensities of noise for both isotropic and radial perturbation. \emph{Insertion quality} decreases with higher intensities of noise (greater distances) for isotropic noise. However, \emph{insertion quality} increases with higher levels of cylindrical noise.
Increasing $\alpha$, consistently yields insertions with better quality but taking slightly longer to complete. Conversely, increasing $\beta$, consistently decreases \emph{insertion quality} but finishes slightly faster.
Most relevant, for all the 42.000 insertion attempts, we observed only 14 failed insertions (occurring at the highest noise setting).

\begin{figure*}[]
  \centering
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
	\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a1b1_isotropic_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 1, \beta = 1$.}
    \label{fig:a1b1_isotropic}
  \end{subfigure}%
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a2b1_isotropic_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 2, \beta = 1$.}
    \label{fig:a2b1_isotropic}
    \end{subfigure}%
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a1b2_isotropic_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 1, \beta = 2$.}
    \label{fig:a1b2_isotropic}
    \end{subfigure}
  \caption{\emph{Insertion Quality} and \emph{Insertion Delay} plots for isotropic noise using three different $\alpha,\beta$ combinations.}
  \label{fig:alpha_beta_isotropic}
\end{figure*}

\begin{figure*}[]
  \centering
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
	\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a1b1_radial_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 1, \beta = 1$.}
    \label{fig:a1b1_radial}
  \end{subfigure}%
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a2b1_radial_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 2, \beta = 1$.}
    \label{fig:a2b1_radial}
    \end{subfigure}%
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.33\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{figtmp/a1b2_radial_1000.pdf}
    \caption{$\alpha = 1, \beta = 2$.}
    \label{fig:a1b2_radial}
    \end{subfigure}
  \caption{\emph{Insertion Quality} and \emph{Insertion Delay} plots for radial noise using three different $\alpha,\beta$ combinations.}
  \label{fig:alpha_beta_radial}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Insertion Action in Context}
\label{sec:results-simulation}

In reality, our approach needs to control a complete robot that manipulates a flexible body of rope. Further, both rope and anchoring entity can move and deform during execution of an insertion action. This makes it relevant to validate our insertion action in presence of rope and robot dynamics. Instead of a single particle as in Sec.~\ref{sec:results-isolation}, in this experiment, we simulate a length of rope and a two-armed robot with a mobile base and create trefoil knots. For more information about the simulator head to: \url{www.github.com/~almc}

\subsubsection{Deformation of The Loop}

In this experiment, we deform the anchoring entity's loop by adding a cosine wave of time varying frequency to its coordinates (either parallel or perpendicular to the loop's plane) as seen in Fig.~\ref{fig:deformation}.

We observe that the wave's frequency does not have an effect on the success or failure of the knot. However, extremely high frequencies require a more fine grained discretization of the anchoring entity which in turn increases the controller's computation time. In detail, we observe that the ratio between the amplitude of the wave and the loop's radius, $\mathcal{R}^w_l$, is a limiting factor for the controller. Setting the amplitude to $1/5$ of the loop's radius always yields successful knots. Increasing the deformation beyond $\mathcal{R}^w_l > 1/5$ is also successful up to $\mathcal{R}^w_l = 1/2$ but requires a more fine-grained model of the loop in our simulation.

\begin{figure}[h]
  \centering
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.4\linewidth}
	\includegraphics[width=\textwidth, trim={6cm 3.5cm 3cm 2cm},clip]{figtmp/d1.pdf}
    \caption{Parallel deformation.}
    \label{fig:def1}
  \end{subfigure}%
  \begin{subfigure}[b]{0.4\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth,trim={6cm 3.5cm 3cm 2cm},clip]{figtmp/d2.pdf}
    \caption{Perpendicular deformation}
    \label{fig:def2}
    \end{subfigure}
  \caption{Anchoring entity deformation: parallel and perpendicular to loop.}
  \label{fig:deformation}
\end{figure}

\subsubsection{Translation \& Rotation of The Loop}

In this experiment, we move the loop at various velocities following different trajectories. Regardless of the trajectory described by the loop, we observe that the knotting is successful as long as the velocity and acceleration are bounded. The threshold depends on the parameters of the base controllers and is robot dependent. This shows qualitatively that our approach can knot with loops that \emph{i)} do not move too fast for the robot and controller, and \emph{ii)} do not change their velocity too abruptly.

\subsection{Knotting with a NAO Robot}
\label{sec:nao}

In this part we want to find out whether our insertion action and knotting system are feasible on a humanoid robot platform. To this end, we conduct experiments with a NAO humanoid robot which additionally poses the problem of perceiving and following the rope and anchoring entity. For the experiments below, we provide the robot with visual markers to simplify the perception problem (see Figs.~\ref{fig:nao-camera},~\ref{fig:nao-unknot} and~\ref{fig:nao-trefoil}) and use visual servoing to move the robot's arms. Because of the NAO's limited manipulation abilities, in the trefoil case we manually hold the rope crossing point as seen in Fig.~\ref{fig:nao-trefoil}.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\includegraphics[height = 0.4 \linewidth]{fig/nao_rviz_loop_camera1s}
\includegraphics[height = 0.4 \linewidth]{fig/nao_rviz_loop1s}
\caption{\emph{Left:} The robot's camera perspective with visual markers, the detected anchoring entity (blue) and the manipulator trajectory (green). \emph{Right:} Same scene showing robot pose, detected loop (anchoring entity), and manipulator trajectory (computed following the magnetic field).}
\label{fig:nao-camera}
\end{figure}

\subsubsection{Dynamic Loop}
In this experiment, we test the dynamic adaptability of the magnetic field to cope with deformations in the target loop. We disregard temporarily the knotting task to focus only on insertion. We placed 5 markers around the target loop and instructed the NAO to insert through it.

We observed that the trajectory of the arm would continuously adapt to account for changes in the deformation of the loop as seen in Fig.~\ref{fig:nao-dynamic}. The limitations in the speed of adaptation came from the software infrastructure used (ROS topic communication) and not from the computation of the magnetic field itself. For a live demonstration of this experiment refer to the accompanying videos.

\subsubsection{Knotting The Unknot and The Trefoil}

In this experiment, we test if the robot can execute complete sequences of basic knotting actions to create knots. First, we let the robot create the unknot around the anchoring entity and then continue with a trefoil knot. The process is documented in Fig.~\ref{fig:nao-unknot} and Fig.~\ref{fig:nao-trefoil}, read from left to right. Real-time videos are provided in the supplementary material.

The experiments showed that the defined knotting actions suffice to control the robot accomplishing the knotting task successfully and robustly. It is clear that the robot's perception and manipulation abilities are too limited to tie complex knots in a completely autonomous fashion. Therefore, the robot requires assistance in holding the crossing point for the trefoil and regrasping the rope once released. The perception problem lies beyond the scope of our current work and it is therefore simplified for this demonstration.

\begin{figure*}
\centering

\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={17cm 5cm 23cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_robot_1.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={30cm 5cm 10cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_rviz_1.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={15cm 5cm 25cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_robot_2.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={30cm 5cm 10cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_rviz_2.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={20cm 5cm 20cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_robot_3.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={30cm 5cm 10cm 5cm}, clip]{video/dynamic/dynamic_loop_rviz_3.jpg}
\caption{NAO humanoid robot inserting through a dynamically deforming loop. For this, the NAO has to localize the target loop and recompute the magnetic field direction on each iteration of the controller. Each pair of figures from left to right corresponds to the same time instant.}
\label{fig:nao-dynamic}

\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v1.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v2.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v3.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v4.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v5.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/unknot/v6.jpg}
\caption{NAO humanoid robot knotting the unknot. For this, the robot has to perform one insertion action. The unknot is finished when both ends of the rope are held and the rope passes through the anchoring entity.}
\label{fig:nao-unknot}

\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v2.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v4.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v5.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v6.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v7.jpg}
\includegraphics[width = 0.15 \linewidth, trim={22cm 0cm 10cm 0cm}, clip]{video/trefoil/v8.jpg}
\caption{NAO humanoid robot knotting the trefoil knot. For this, the robot continues from the unknot in Fig.~\ref{fig:nao-unknot} and has to perform one twisting action, one insertion action, and finally grasp the free end of the rope.}
\label{fig:nao-trefoil}
\end{figure*}

\section{Conclusions}
\label{sec:conclusions}

We have presented and evaluated a method for the insertion action that recurrently appears in robotic knotting scenarios and showed how it can be used in conjunction with other basic knotting actions. Our magnetic field representation of the insertion action applies to target loops of all shapes and allows adjusting the quality and the speed of the insertion action through our parametrization. The reliability of our approach was validated in simulation experiments including dynamic loop deformation and motion. Further, we demonstrated how basic knotting actions can be used to create several knots by scheduling them in different sequences and described how BTs can represent redundancy and fallback handling which are inherent to knotting tasks. Lastly, we demonstrated the robustness of our insertion action by showcasing it with a NAO in a knotting task.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work proposing parametrized magnetic fields to address manipulation of deformable bodies in the context of knotting. By using magnetic fields we only rely on the loop coordinates and bypass the need for complex motion planners. This enables us to construct knots in responsive real time process, relying on a robust insertion action.

\section*{Acknowledgment}
This work has been supported by the Swedish Research Council (VR) and the European Union Project RECONFIG, \url{www.reconfig.eu} (FP7-ICT-2011-9, Project Number: 600825) and FLEXBOT (FP7-ERC-279933). The authors gratefully acknowledge the support.

\flushend
\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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HungaroControl Hungarian Air Navigation Services celebrated the centenary of Hungarian air traffic control by giving professional awards for the development of Hungarian air navigation services as well as supporting civil organisations. The reception on the occasion of the centenary was held on 12 February, 2016 in Budapest and was opened by Dr Anita Boros, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of National Development responsible for asset management. Following the speech by Mr Kornél Szepessy, CEO of HungaroControl, the HungaroControl Partner Award was given to Mr Hannu Juurakko ATM Director of Frequentis AG; the HungaroControl Best Business Partner Award to Mr Roy Langridge, Director of Mileridge Ltd.; and the HungaroControl Best Customer Award to Mr Gábor Horváth, Country Manager Hungary, Emirates Airline.
It has been a unique and unrepeatable century, during which Hungarian air traffic control started off with its initial stumbling steps on 31 January 1916 and reached its current world-class service. In the innovation phases all innovations were integrated into the practice of air traffic control, first parallel with radio technology inventions but later the profession also obtained distinctive features, became specialised and independent.
Hungarian air traffic control was established by a handful of radio telegraph operators in 1916 in Temesvár (today Timisoara, Romania). During these one hundred years the work, the supporting technology, the premises and the organisation have changed substantially, but the love for the profession, the commitment, the enormous responsibility and the continuous learning have remained the same.
In the past years, HungaroControl has become one of the leading air navigation service providers. It is a successful state-owned company with a number of innovations and developments both in terms of technology and infrastructure. "As an air navigation service provider committed to finding innovative solutions in air traffic management, HungaroControl has met international challenges with a series of innovations, development projects, key industrial partnerships and efficiency improvements in order to strengthen its position in the market", said Dr Anita Boros, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of National Development responsible for asset management in her opening speech. "In 2015, HungaroControl showed remarkable investment performance among state-owned companies, benefitting not only its owner and its partners but also, indirectly, airline passengers and those living in its area of operations", she added.
Traffic in the Hungarian airspace grew by 11.43% in 2015 – HungaroControl's air traffic controllers handled more than 730,000 aircraft. 2015 saw new traffic records both in en-route (more than 640,000 aircraft) and in terminal traffic (more than 90,000 arriving and departing aircraft) at Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Growing traffic can be handled safely only with the help of continuous development and new technologies. "With its innovations, HungaroControl strives to minimise its environmental footprint as well. Thanks to the introduction of Hungarian Free Route Airspace (HUFRA) last year, aircraft can now fly shorter routes, which results in fuel savings and a reduction in CO2 emissions. A year of experience now shows that the model works well, airlines take advantage of its benefits", emphasised Mr Kornél Szepessy, CEO of HungaroControl in his speech.
The HungaroControl Partner Award was established 13 years ago. It is awarded to those partners who have significantly contributed to the improvement of HungaroControl's air navigation services and thus to the building of the company's reputation.
The award was accepted by Mr Hannu Juurakko, ATM Director of Frequentis AG, from Mr Kornél Szepessy.
For years, Frequentis has been one of HungaroControl's reliable and innovative strategic suppliers. The company's management supports HungaroControl in maintaining its state-of-the-art technological infrastructure to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing and challenging environment. The two companies also cooperate in several innovation initiatives (SESAR2020 programme and several Centralised Services consortia).
The award was established in 2009 to express HungaroControl's renewed dynamic business attitude for partners who have greatly contributed to the development of Hungarian air traffic control, service improvement and the enhancement of the company's reputation.
The award was handed over to Mr Roy Langridge, Director of Mileridge Ltd. by Mr Gyula Hangyál, ATM Director of HungaroControl.
Mileridge has been HungaroControl's partner since 2012. During this time, the company has shown extraordinary accuracy and has provided high-quality and precise service. Mileridge has been an essential partner to HungaroControl to establish ADQ operations and documentation as well as in tasks related to the implementation of the new IT system.
Since 2008, HungaroControl has given the award to airlines, which have greatly contributed to the realisation of HungaroControl's strategic goals.
The award was accepted from Mr Zoltán Székely, HungaroControl's Safety and Security Director by Mr. Gábor Horváth, Country Manager Hungary, Emirates Airline.
In the past years, Emirates and HungaroControl have built a fruitful professional relationship. Emirates pilots and other professionals have been key participants in HungaroControl's service quality and customer satisfaction programme. Emirates Airline is a stable and reliable partner for HungaroControl, and, for years, our no. 2 customer in terms of turnover with a steadily increasing traffic. Since the autumn of 2014, it operates daily flights between Budapest and Dubai. The professional skills of Emirates pilots are highly regarded by HungaroControl's air traffic controllers.
At the reception, HungaroControl handed over financial support to four civil organisations: the Gyöngyvirág 18th District Children's Home; the Életjel Foundation supporting children with learning disabilities or mental impairment; the Hortobágyi Madárkórház Foundation and the Jövő Uniója Foundation, which provides disadvantaged children with experiences of a lifetime.


text:
Paralecanographa is a genus of lichen-forming fungi in the family Roccellaceae.

References

Roccellaceae
Lichen genera
Arthoniomycetes genera
Taxa described in 2011

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


There is a very strong systematic focus on the development of key skills in English and Maths providing many opportunities for pupils to use and apply their knowledge and skills. The majority of subjects are delivered through topics that creatively link the learning. Improvements in the curriculum have yielded even greater engagement from pupils as well enhancing retention of the areas and skills studied.


Q. Do you walk in the rain?
A. We have numerous rainy days in the Pacific Northwest so your walker will make adjustments to your dogs' routine according to the instructions you provide in your paperwork. During a light drizzle, dogs normally receive their traditional walk but for heavy showers, a quick potty break and some social/playtime in the house may be substituted. If thunder/lightning is forecasted, we will take them outside when it is safe and offer to turn on music to drown out the noise. Your walker will dry your dog and wipe its paws if towels are provided. During the fall/winter, we ask our clients to leave out towels or indicate where they can be found.


text:
necropolis
Greek Necropolis Outside Naples to Open to Visitors for First Time Ever
Patricia Claus - January 14, 2022
A spectacular Greek necropolis complex at Sanita, just outside Naples, will open to the public later this year, when the world will finally be able to see the stunning tombs that were carved into the volcanic tufa rock by...
Mycenaean Bronze Swords Uncovered in Greek Tomb
Theo Ioannou - November 1, 2021
Three bronze swords dating back to the Mycenaean civilization were discovered recently near the city of Aegio, in the Peloponnese. The swords, among other finds, were found in an ancient tomb, dating back to the 12th to 11th century...
Kerameikos: From Potters' Quarter to Greece's Largest Necropolis
Luisa Rosenstiehl - August 9, 2021
Kerameikos is the name of an Athenian demo formerly known as the potters' quarter, today the largest necropolis in Greece.
Ancient Greek Necropolis to be Revealed in New Exhibition Site
Stacey Harris-Papaioannou - June 24, 2021
$4.8 million has been approved for an exhibition space showing the findings of an ancient Greek necropolis under the SNFCC.
Ancient Greek Necropolis in Croatia Dates Back to Fourth Century AD
Patricia Claus - June 19, 2021
The gardens of a seventeenth-century Croatian palace were the setting for an ancient necropolis, where human remains were found in pithoi.
Utilities Workers Unearth Ancient Greek Necropolis in Gela, Sicily
Nick Kampouris - December 3, 2019
An important archaeological discovery was made recently in the town of Gela, in southern Sicily, Italy. While local public utilities workers from of Gela were digging up the streets of the town to lay down new cables for the area's...
Shackled Skeletons from Ancient Greece to Get Underground Display
Tasos Kokkinidis - June 11, 2019
Greece's Central Archaeological Council (KAS) on Tuesday announced that they have decided to construct an underground "shell" which will permanently protect and display the 80 skeletons discovered in 2016 in a mass grave in an ancient Greek cemetery, south...
New Ancient Sarcophagi Discovered in Bursa, Turkey Could Mean Area Is Necropolis From Late Antiquity Period
Kerry Kolasa-Sikiaridi - February 15, 2017
An olive grove in Bursa, Turkey has revealed what experts are hoping is just the beginning to a treasure trove of ancient Greek archaeology. In an area where previous items have been discovered, experts have now reported that three ancient...
Ancient Greeks Feared Zombies
Ioanna Zikakou - June 24, 2015
According to deviant burials unearthed at the necropolis of Greek colony Passo Mariano in Sicily, Italy, modern Greeks are not the first generation to fear the walking dead. According to the unique graves that were unearthed in the ancient cemetery, ancient Greeks feared...
New Archaeological Findings in Vergina, Northern Greece
Ioanna Zikakou - March 5, 2015
Clay figurines and other important findings were unearthed by archaeologists in the Tsakiridis section in the center of the ancient Greek city Aegae in Vergina, northern Greece. The artifacts were presented as part of the Archaeological Conference on the...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


One of the most useful stored procedures I have in my toolkit that I find myself using over and over on any system that I work on is the following procedure that allows me to return a list of stored procedures and user defined functions that contain a particular string of text.
I maybe looking for all procs or UDF's that contain a table or view name or need a list of all procs that do have SET NOCOUNT ON so that I can find those that don't or I may just be looking for a particular variable name or comment within all my procs and functions.
It makes use of the system view syscomments which stores all the text within the stored procedures and user defined functions contained within your SQL Server database. This is just another example of how having knowledge of the system views is a very useful skill to know.
It's one of those simple procedures that are very handy to have and save a lot of time. Being able to find a piece of text within all your stored procedures and functions quickly could literally save you hours of hunting about on a large system.
Useful procedure for SQL Server Programmers.


text:
Tag Archives: Marilyn Manson
MARILYN MANSON Playlist
To celebrate the release of Marilyn Manson's new album, 'Heaven Upside Down' (spoiler alert, it's good), Moderate Rock has curated a Spotify playlist of his weirdest and most wonderful songs. It's not a greatest hits- there are no Sweet Dreams here- and it's heavy on 'Holy Wood…' (His best album. Fight me.) but there's no denying it's some of Mr. […]
MARILYN MANSON- Heaven Upside Down
Marilyn Manson stumbles. If you've caught the news coming out of Mr Warner's comeback tour recently you'll already know that. But more dangerous than too-high heels or falling stage props are the blunders in Manson's back catalogue. He has undoubtedly proven himself capable of greatness but for every 'Antichrist Superstar' there's been a 'The High End of the Low', for […]
MARILYN MANSON returns with new album, 'Born Villain'
Marilyn Manson is back. Whether we get stomping industrial pop and top quality weirdness or clichéd wailing from a weird uncle remains to be seen (heard?) but the cover art and tracklisting for new album 'Born Villain' looks a little something like this… 'Hey Cruel World…' 'No Reflection' 'Pistol Whipped' 'Overneath the Path of Misery' 'Slo Mo Tion' 'The Gardener' […]


text:
Today's Gossip: Juve Close In On £78m Swoop Plus Latest On Mahrez, Sissoko & More!
Liverpool could spend another £28million on their midfield with the addition of Max Meyer, while Moussa Sissoko is wanted by Real Madri...
Liverpool could spend another £28million on their midfield with the addition of Max Meyer, while Moussa Sissoko is wanted by Real Madrid and Juventus.
Juventus Close In On Higuain
Arsenal appear set to miss out on Gonzalo Higuain, with the Napoli striker reportedly undergoing a medical at Juventus.
Earlier this month, reports suggested Arsenal were trying to broker a part-exchange deal for Higuain and had offered Olivier Giroud to Napoli in return.
However, according to Sky Italia, Juventus are poised to land the Argentina international, although the two clubs remain in negotiations for a fee. Last season, the 28-year-old broke a Serie A record in scoring 36 goals and is understood to have a €94.7 million release clause in his contract.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly spoke to Juventus counterpart Andrea Agnelli at a Serie A meeting last Monday to inform the Serie A champions that only the full amount of Higuain's release clause – around £78.5million – would be acceptable.
Juve were said to be willing to offer four players plus cash in exchange for the striker, with a deal seemingly getting closer.
Moyes Replaces Allardyce As Sunderland Boss
David Moyes has been confirmed as the new boss of Sunderland on a four-year deal.
The Scot replaces Sam Allardyce after he was installed as England manager on Friday.
The former Manchester United boss has been out of work since being sacked by Real Sociedad last November and Sunderland quickly identified him as Allardyce's successor when it became known they were losing their manager to the Three Lions.
Barcelona Reach Agreement With Atletico Madrid Over Vietto
Reports from Spain claim that Barcelona have reached an 'agreement in principle' to sign young Argentinian forward Luciano Vietto.
The beaten Champions League finalists signed Vietto from Villarreal last summer, but he has struggled to make an impact and scored only a single goal last season.
Nontheless, Luis Suarez has said the 22-year-old would be welcome at the Nou Camp: 'He has not been getting a lot of opportunities at Atletico, but there is no doubt about his quality. He is a player who could add a lot.'
Arsenal Reportedly Bid To Sign Leicester Playmaker Riyad Mahrez
Reports from France claim that Arsenal have made an offer for Leicester City playmaker Riyad Mahrez.
Despite being well stocked with creative midfielders, Arsene Wenger apparently wants to bring in last season's Player of the Yearfor 50million Euros (£42m). Mahrez's agent Kamel Bengougam was seen at last night's game between the Gunners and Lens.
Champions Leicester have already lost N'Golo Kante to Chelsea - while Arsenal failed in their bid to tempt Jamie Vardy to the Emirates.
James Rodriguez Wants To Stay At Real Madrid Despite £71m Bid
Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez insists he will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu outfit as he wants to fight for his place.
The Colombia international has also claimed an unnamed side has made a £71million bid for his services.
Speaking to Marca, Rodriguez said of his future at the European champions: 'I will fight to earn my place. That's my dream. I will stay at Real Madrid, I will succeed here.
Reds May Move For Meyer
Liverpool may have strengthened their midfield with the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum but it seems Jurgen Klopp still sees room for improvement.
German publication Bild are reporting that Klopp will go shopping again in the Bundesliga with a view to signing Max Meyer from Schalke.
The 20-year-old scored five goals and contributed eight assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances last season. Meyer won't come cheap, though, with the price of £28million quoted by Bild.
Klopp is set to face disappointment in his pursuit of Ben Chilwell, with The Telegraph reporting that the young left-back will sign a new five-year contract with champions Leicester.
Sissoko In Real Demand
Moussa Sissoko is desperate to leave Newcastle and it seems likely that the midfielder will get his wish.
The France international starred at Euro 2016, prompting Newcastle to raise their asking price to over £30million, but that does not appear to have put off Europe's big hitters.
The Sun claims Real Madrid are preparing an offer having missed out on Andre Gomes, who left Valencia to join Barcelona.
Juventus are also in the market for a midfielder, with Paul Pogba seemingly set for Manchester United. The Serie A champions have drawn up a shortlist that, according to the Daily Mail, includes Sissoko as well as Chelsea's Nemanja Matic.
Manchester City are close to resolving the John Stones saga, after resurrecting collapsed talks with Everton. (Daily Mirror)
Antonio Conte has told Roman Abramovich he needs five more signings to make Chelsea challengers again. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom have made a £7m bid for Brighton defender Lewis Dunk. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom defender Jonny Evans is being targeted by Bournemouth. (Daily Mirror)
Ross McCormack wants out of Fulham with Norwich, Newcastle and Aston Villa all lining up a £13m bid. (Daily Mirror)
David Moyes is set to take over at Sunderland this weekend – and kick start their summer spending.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is being put off a £60m move for Real Madrid star Toni Kroos – because of his huge wages. (The Sun)
Chelsea have reportedly tabled a £41.5m bid for Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani. (The Sun)
Swansea City are ready to enter a tug-of-war with Stoke for their former midfielder Joe Allen. (The Sun)
Manchester United are preparing a £25m move for Fabinho. (The Sun)
Real Madrid are preparing to launch an offer in a bid to sign European Championship star Moussa Sissoko after missing out on Andre Gomes. (The Sun)
Sunderland hope to have David Moyes installed at the Stadium of Light over the weekend after making good progress in their negotiations with the former Everton and Manchester United manager. (The Telegraph)
Liverpool target Ben Chilwell is close to signing a new five-year deal at Leicester City in another huge boost for Claudio Ranieri. (The Telegraph)
Everton are likely to demand £75m for Romelu Lukaku should Chelsea persist in their interest. (Daily Mail)
Sunderland have approached David Moyes to become their new manager after Sam Allardyce left to take over the England national team. (Daily Mail)
Crystal Palace have bid £20m plus add-ons for West Brom striker Saido Berahino. (Daily Mail)
Juventus have drawn up a shortlist of players to replace Paul Pogba which includes Nemanja Matic of Chelsea and Moussa Sissoko at Newcastle. (Daily Mail)
Galatasaray are interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva, according to club director Levent Nazifoglu. (Daily Mail)
Luis Enrique believes Javier Mascherano could sign a contract extension with Barcelona in the near future after confirming that the Argentine is in talks over a new deal. (Daily Mail)
Aston Villa are threatening Norwich's bid for Fulham striker Ross McCormack. (Daily Mail)
Cameroon international Alex Song has joined Russian outfit Rubin Kazan from Spanish giants Barcelona on an expected one-year loan deal. (Daily Mail)
Ryan Giggs is among the front-runners to be the next Hull boss after Steve Bruce sensationally walked out on the Tigers. (Daily Star)
Arsenal have confirmed that they are still in the market for new players. (Daily Star)
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is poised to leave Manchester United on loan. (The Times)
News transfer gist
Nigeria's Online Sports Magazine: Today's Gossip: Juve Close In On £78m Swoop Plus Latest On Mahrez, Sissoko & More!
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9OEoCWUPdEI/V5N8lHRmEfI/AAAAAAAANY4/NPcAAk3O_LYyPM5sxHgDodunBW4rcS6GACLcB/s640/higuain_rete-638x425.jpg
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9OEoCWUPdEI/V5N8lHRmEfI/AAAAAAAANY4/NPcAAk3O_LYyPM5sxHgDodunBW4rcS6GACLcB/s72-c/higuain_rete-638x425.jpg
http://www.wolexis.com/2016/07/todays-gossip-juve-close-in-on-78m.html


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <base data-ice="baseUrl" href="../../">
  <title data-ice="title">src/ajax.js | API Document</title>
  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="css/style.css">
  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="css/prettify-tomorrow.css">

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    <input class="search-input">

Class

AjaxAdapter

Store

Function

ajax

src/ajax.js

import Rx from "rx";

var root = (typeof window !== "undefined" && window) || this;

// Gets the proper XMLHttpRequest for support for older IE
function getXMLHttpRequest() {
  if (root.XMLHttpRequest) {
    return new root.XMLHttpRequest();
  } else {
    let progId;
    try {
      let progIds = ['Msxml2.XMLHTTP', 'Microsoft.XMLHTTP', 'Msxml2.XMLHTTP.4.0'];
      for(let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
        try {
          progId = progIds[i];
          if (new root.ActiveXObject(progId)) {
            break;
          }
        } catch(e) { }
      }
      return new root.ActiveXObject(progId);
    } catch (e) {
      throw new Error('XMLHttpRequest is not supported by your browser');
    }
  }
}

// Get CORS support even for older IE
function getCORSRequest() {
  var xhr = new root.XMLHttpRequest();
  if ('withCredentials' in xhr) {
    return xhr;
  } else if (!!root.XDomainRequest) {
    return new XDomainRequest();
  } else {
    throw new Error('CORS is not supported by your browser');
  }
}

function normalizeAjaxSuccessEvent(e, xhr, settings) {
  var response = ('response' in xhr) ? xhr.response : xhr.responseText;
  if (settings.responseType === 'auto') {
    try {
      response = JSON.parse(response);
    } catch (e) {}
  } else {
    response = settings.responseType === 'json' ? JSON.parse(response) : response;
  }
  return {
    response: response,
    status: xhr.status,
    responseType: xhr.responseType,
    xhr: xhr,
    originalEvent: e
  };
}

function normalizeAjaxErrorEvent(e, xhr, type) {
  return {
    type: type,
    status: xhr.status,
    xhr: xhr,
    originalEvent: e
  };
}

/**
 * Creates an observable for an Ajax request with either a settings object with url, headers, etc or a string for a URL.
 *
 * @example
 *   source = ajax('/products');
 *   source = ajax({ url: 'products', method: 'GET' });
 *
 * @param {Object} settings Can be one of the following:
 *
 *  A string of the URL to make the Ajax call.
 *  An object with the following properties
 *   - url: URL of the request
 *   - body: The body of the request
 *   - method: Method of the request, such as GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE
 *   - async: Whether the request is async
 *   - headers: Optional headers
 *   - crossDomain: true if a cross domain request, else false
 *   - responseType: "text" (default), "json" or "auto"
 *
 * @returns {Observable} An observable sequence containing the XMLHttpRequest.
*/
export default function (options) {
  var settings = {
    method: 'GET',
    crossDomain: false,
    async: true,
    headers: {},
    responseType: 'text',
    createXHR: function(){
      return this.crossDomain ? getCORSRequest() : getXMLHttpRequest();
    },
    normalizeError: normalizeAjaxErrorEvent,
    normalizeSuccess: normalizeAjaxSuccessEvent
  };

  if(typeof options === 'string') {
    settings.url = options;
  } else {
    for(let prop in options) {
      if(hasOwnProperty.call(options, prop)) {
        settings[prop] = options[prop];
      }
    }
  }

  let normalizeError = settings.normalizeError;
  let normalizeSuccess = settings.normalizeSuccess;

  if (!settings.crossDomain && !settings.headers['X-Requested-With']) {
    settings.headers['X-Requested-With'] = 'XMLHttpRequest';
  }
  settings.hasContent = settings.body !== undefined;

  return new Rx.AnonymousObservable(function (observer) {
    var isDone = false;
    var xhr;

    var processResponse = function(xhr, e){
      var status = xhr.status === 1223 ? 204 : xhr.status;
      if ((status >= 200 && status <= 300) || status === 0 || status === '') {
        observer.onNext(normalizeSuccess(e, xhr, settings));
        observer.onCompleted();
      } else {
        observer.onError(normalizeError(e, xhr, 'error'));
      }
      isDone = true;
    };

    try {
      xhr = settings.createXHR();;
    } catch (err) {
      observer.onError(err);
    }

    try {
      if (settings.user) {
        xhr.open(settings.method, settings.url, settings.async, settings.user, settings.password);
      } else {
        xhr.open(settings.method, settings.url, settings.async);
      }

      let headers = settings.headers;
      for (let header in headers) {
        if (hasOwnProperty.call(headers, header)) {
          xhr.setRequestHeader(header, headers[header]);
        }
      }

      if(!!xhr.upload || (!('withCredentials' in xhr) && !!root.XDomainRequest)) {
        xhr.onload = function(e) {
          if(settings.progressObserver) {
            settings.progressObserver.onNext(e);
            settings.progressObserver.onCompleted();
          }
          processResponse(xhr, e);
        };

        if(settings.progressObserver) {
          xhr.onprogress = function(e) {
            settings.progressObserver.onNext(e);
          };
        }

        xhr.onerror = function(e) {
          if (settings.progressObserver) {
            settings.progressObserver.onError(e);
          }
          observer.onError(normalizeError(e, xhr, 'error'));
          isDone = true;
        };

        xhr.onabort = function(e) {
          if (settings.progressObserver) {
            settings.progressObserver.onError(e);
          }
          observer.onError(normalizeError(e, xhr, 'abort'));
          isDone = true;
        };
      } else {

        xhr.onreadystatechange = function (e) {
          if (xhr.readyState === 4) {
            processResponse(xhr, e);
          }
        };
      }

      xhr.send(settings.hasContent && settings.body || null);
    } catch (e) {
      observer.onError(e);
    }

    return function () {
      if (!isDone && xhr.readyState !== 4) { xhr.abort(); }
    };
  });
};

  Generated by ESDoc(0.2.6)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Brian Adams (* 13. März 1949 in Leicester) ist ein ehemaliger britischer Geher.

Bei den Olympischen Spielen 1976 in Montreal wurde er Elfter im 20-km-Gehen.

1978 wurde er für England startend bei den Commonwealth Games in Edmonton Vierter im 30-km-Gehen. Bei den Leichtathletik-Europameisterschaften in Prag belegte er im 20-km-Gehen den 25. Platz.

Bestzeiten
 10.000 m Gehen: 42:40,0 min, 29. März 1975, London
 20 km Gehen: 1:27:46 h, 11. Oktober 1975, Le Grand-Quevilly
 20.000 m Gehen: 1:29:18,6 h, 15. April 1978, Leicester
 30 km Gehen: 2:22:26 h, 17. Juni 1978, Sheffield
 50 km Gehen: 4:15:22 h, 17. September 1978, Sheffield
 50.000 m Gehen: 4:18:43,0 h, 7. Mai 1978, London

Weblinks
 Athletenporträt bei The Power of Ten

Teilnehmer der Olympischen Sommerspiele 1976
Geher (Vereinigtes Königreich)
Olympiateilnehmer (Vereinigtes Königreich)
Teilnehmer an den Commonwealth Games (England)
Brite
Geboren 1949
Mann


Maurice Baring was a diplomat, Royal Air Force officer, and an elder statesman of English letters in the early twentieth century, who was accomplished in many literary forms, including poetry, drama, journalism, fiction, critical essays, and learned literary spoofs. He was a world traveler, spending time working for the Foreign Office and later as an international correspondent for The Times and The Morning Post. In his life he wrote over fifty books, countless articles and news pieces, a number of poems, and numerous essays. Nevertheless, this veritable giant of his age is barely known today. The works of Baring remain remarkably obscure and it seems that they are all but forgotten. It would seem somewhat appropriate then that despite his grandeur, and close association with Belloc and Chesterton, the John J. Burns Library's British Catholic Authors Collection has only scant material on Baring.
Baring was born April 27, 1874, in London, into an aristocratic English family and banking dynasty (of the famous Barings Bank). He was the son of the first Lord Revelstoke, and attended Eton School and Trinity College, Cambridge, though he left Cambridge in 1894 without taking a degree. His ability in languages–he was fluent in eight languages–led him to take a job with the Foreign Office at the age of 24. While in the diplomatic service he served as attaché in Paris, Copenhagen, and Rome, and worked for a year in London. During his years abroad he enjoyed the company of various social circles, which enriched his appreciation of the arts and broadened his view of European politics. These experiences shaped the cultural milieu that would set the background for many of his works.
In 1904 he left diplomacy to become a foreign correspondent for the London Morning Post, first covering the Russo-Japanese War in Manchuria, and then in St. Petersburg where he chose to stay until 1909, as he had grown enamored with the Russian culture and people. In 1909 he moved to Constantinople where he worked for the London Times covering the Balkan Wars. In the same year he converted to Catholicism, and he later described this decision as "the only action in my life which I am quite certain I have never regretted." During the First World War he became a staff officer of the Royal Air Force, and was later appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). His experiences during the First World War were recorded in his memoir, Flying Corps Headquarters 1914-1918 (1920). Likewise, the entirety of this early period of Baring's life is documented in his autobiography, The Puppet Show of Memory (1922).
The title page from Baring's autobiography, The Puppet Show of Memory. The left page has been turned and enlarged below the image to offer greater detail. British Catholic Authors Collection, PR6003.A67 .Z53 1922b BRITISH CATHOLIC AUTHORS, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
After World War I Baring wrote several poems in honor of the friends he lost in the war. The most famous of these poems was "In Memoriam: Auberon Herbert, Captain Lord Lucas, Royal Flying Corps, Killed November 3, 1916." With the exception of these verses and a biography of Sarah Bernhardt, Baring turned to writing novels after the war, and between 1921 and 1935 he published thirteen novels, the most famous of which are C (1924), Cat's Cradle (1925), and Daphne Adeane (1926). In these novels, Baring promoted the image of the stoic Russian spirit while focusing on the "travails that hide beneath the veneer of social propriety, and moral dilemmas that are resolved only through resignation and loss". Of Baring's large oeuvre of around fifty books, his novels have remained the most popular.
Baring was a close friend of Hilaire Belloc and G. K. Chesterton, and it has been suggested that Baring was the model for Horne Fisher, the connecting character of the stories that compose Chesterton's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1922). Towards the end of his life he involved himself in a literary correspondence with the author Enid Bagnold (Lady Jones), in which he advised her on her literary work, as they casually discussed the craft of writing. In 1936 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and he spent the last part of his life as the guest of Lord Lovat at Beaufort Castle, Beauly, Inverness-shire, Scotland. He died there on December 14, 1945.
One of the many correspondences between Maurice Baring. While it is of a more personal nature, they span a variety of topics and purposes. They are arranged chronologically in our collection. Maurice Baring Collection, MS2006-34, Box 1, Folder 9, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
The Maurice Baring Papers is a collection of four Baring acquisitions by the Burns Library and consists of correspondence, a single handwritten manuscript, and ephemera written by and concerning Maurice Baring. The collection dates from 1920 to 1963; most of the documents are letters by Baring to the writer Enid Bagnold, otherwise known as Lady Jones, written between 1931 and 1943. There are also letters from Baring to Gerald Gould, James Pond, Edward Shanks, S. K. Ratcliffe, and Leslie Chaundy. There are letters from 1963 between Bagnold and Julian Jeffs concerning Baring's letters to Bagnold. Various letters of this collection mention meetings with Noel Coward, Desmond MacCarthy, Hilaire Belloc, and Virginia Woolf. A short handwritten manuscript in French by Baring entitled Three Minutes, or the Death of Caesar; a copy of The Order for the Burial of the Dead; and a typed storage list of Baring's things dated December 9, 1942 complete the collection. The digital finding aid for this collection can be found online here.
A hand written and autographed manuscript of Three Minutes, or the Death of Caesar in French, the only manuscript by Baring in our collection. MS2006-34, Box 1, Folder 21, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
Cisco, Michael. "Maurice Baring." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Biography in Context. Web. 30 June 2015.
Downing, Ben. "Baring's collapse." New Criterion 26.8 (2008): 65+. Biography in Context. Web. 30 June 2015.
This entry was posted in Archives & Manuscripts, British Catholic Authors, Featured Collections & Books, Staff Posts and tagged boston college, british catholic authors, Burns blog, burns blog boston college, burns library blog, john j. burns library blog, maurice baring. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Jean-Louis Meunier est un critique littéraire et bibliophile français né en 1945.

Biographie
Fils d'instituteurs, Jean-Louis Meunier naît le  à Nîmes. Après des études secondaires au lycée Daudet, il suit les cours de l'école normale d'instituteurs de Nîmes puis part en Allemagne. En 2004, il soutient une thèse de doctorat ès lettres sous la direction de Pierre Caizergues. Il enseigne à l'école primaire avant d'obtenir des charges de cours à l'université (Aix-Marseille ou Nîmes). À partir de 2004, il est attaché de recherche au laboratoire Représenter-inventer la réalité du romantisme à l'aube du  (Montpellier-III), puis intègre en 2008 le Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les modèles esthétiques et littéraires (Reims).

Spécialiste à la fois des  et s, il a donné des travaux sur Pierre Louÿs (il dirige les Bulletins et Cahiers autour de son œuvre), Remy de Gourmont, les frères Goncourt ou l'École de Rochefort. Il est aussi l'exécuteur testamentaire de Lauretta Hugo, épouse de Jean Hugo.

, il est président des Bibliophiles de Nîmes et du Gard et secrétaire général de l'Institut Séguier. Élu membre de l'Académie de Lascours (1993), ainsi que correspondant (1979), puis membre l'Académie de Nîmes (2012), il préside cette dernière en 2015. Il est aussi rapporteur de la commission de la bibliothèque.

Il fait partie de nombreuses associations littéraires au sein desquelles il est particulièrement actif : le CARGo (Cercle des Amateurs de Remy de GOurmont), la Société Marcel Schwob, la Société des Lecteurs d'Henri de Régnier, etc.

Il a également joué pendant vingt ans de l'alto avec l'orchestre de chambre d'Avignon.

Ouvrages
 Le Goût d'Uzès, Uzès, Formes et Langages, 1973 .
 Charles-François Landry, Uzès, Formes et Langages, 1975 .
 Avignon racontée aux enfants (et un peu aux parents) (ill. Christine Le Bœuf), Avignon, Barthélemy, 1978 .
 Éd. de Pierre Louÿs, Hugo, Reims, À l'écart, 1984 .
 Éd. de Musidora, Souvenirs sur Pierre Louÿs, Muizon, À l'écart, 1984 .
 Éd. de Paul Léautaud, Lettre à Alfred Vallette (), Reims, À l'écart, 1985 .
 Éd. de Pierre Louÿs, Lettre à Georges Louis (), Reims, À l'écart, 1985 .
 111 petites reliures, Alès, musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André-Benoit, 1993 .
 Jean Hugo et Pierre André Benoit, Alès, musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André-Benoit, 1994 .
 Éd. de Jean Hugo, Carnets (1946-1984), Arles, Actes Sud, 1994 .
 Charles Marq, Brigitte Simon et Pierre-André Benoit, Alès, musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André-Benoit, 1995 .
 Gaston Puel, Michel Carrade et Pierre-André Benoit, Alès, musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André-Benoit, 1996 .
 Jean-Pierre Geay : du manuscrit enluminé au livre d'artiste, Privas, médiathèque municipale de Privas, 1997 .
 Marc Alyn, Max Jacob et Pierre-André Benoit, Alès, musée-bibliothèque Pierre-André-Benoit, 1997 .

Prix
 Prix Jean-Racine 1965.

Références

Annexes

Bibliographie
 .
 .

Liens externes

Naissance en octobre 1945
Naissance à Nîmes
Critique littéraire français
Président de l'Académie de Nîmes
Enseignant à l'université de Nîmes


MEXICO CITY, April 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Hoteles City Express" or "the Company") (BMV: HCITY), announced today the opening of City Express Junior Aguascalientes Centro, reaching 107 properties and more than 12,000 rooms in operation.
HCITY is covered by the following financial institutions and analysts: Actinver (Pablo Duarte), Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Carlos Peyrelongue), Citigroup (Dan McGoey), ITAU BBA (Ariel Bozza), J.P. Morgan (Adrin Huerta), Morgan Stanley (Rafael Pinho), Santander (Cecilia Jimnez). Signum Research (Armando Rodriguez), UBS (Marimar Torreblanca) and Vector Anlisis (Marco Montaez).
SOURCE Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V.


You need to work, if you, depending on how well you want to do, particularly if you want to start a company, you need to work super hard.
So what is super hard mean?
Well, when my brother and I were starting our first company, instead of getting an apartment, we just rented a small office and we slept on the couch and we showered in the YMCA.
We're so hard up that we had just one computer.
So the website was up during the day, and I was coding at night.
7 days a week, all the time.
she had to sleep in the office.
So, work hard, like, every waking hour.
That's the thing I would say, particularly if you're starting a company.
you're working 100, you'll get twice as done, as much done, in the course of the year as the other company.
or if you're joining a company, the most important thing is to attract great people.
So either be with, join a group that's amazing, that you really respect.
Or, if you're building a company, you've got to gather great people.
I mean, all a company is a group of people that have gathered together to create a product or service.
So depending upon how talented and hard working that group is, and to the degree in which they are focused cohesively in a good direction, that will determine the success of the company.
So, do everything you can to gather great people, if you're creating a company.
Then, the third thing I'd say focus on signal over noise.
A lot of companies get confused. They spend a lot of money on things that don't actually make the product better.
So, for example, at Tesla, we've never spent any money on advertising.
We've put all the money into R and D and manufacturing and design to try and make the car as good as possible.
And if they're not, stop those efforts.
And then the final thing is, is to sort of, don't just follow the trend.
So, you may have heard me say that it's good to thinking terms of the physics approach, the first principles.
With is, rather than reasoning by analogy, you boil things down to the most fundamental truths you can imagine, and then you reason up from there.
And this is a good way to figure out if something really makes sense, or is it just what everybody else is doing. It's hard to think that way, you can't think that way about everything.
It takes a lot of effort. But if you're trying to do something new, it's the best way to the thing.
And that framework was developed by physicists to figure out counter intuitive things, like quantum mechanics. It's really a powerful, powerful method.
And anyway, so that's, and then the final thing I would encourage you to do is now is the time to take risks.
You don't have kids, your obligations, well! Some of you… Hahaha, you probably don't have kids.
But as you get older, your obligations start to increase.
So, and, once you have a family, you start taking risks not just for yourself, but for your family as well.
It gets harder to do things that might not work out. So now is the time to do that.
Before you have those obligations. So I would encourage you to take risks now and to do something bold.
You won't regret it. Thank you….
Hopefully, these help you one way or the order.
If you don't know whom Elon Musk is, he is the guy at the forefront of self-driving cars, our trip to Mars, built PayPal – online payment solution now adopted by banks and payment gateways all over the world, and I won't forget his massive head start on how human can become less dependent on fossil fuel. Another credential – he bullsh*ted[my boss won't like me using this word but for lack of more descriptive word proper for the situation] President of United State after the latter stated he does not believe in green house effect.
Oh, I forgot, he is worth Billions of Dollars – richer than [Dangote+Donald Trump], for lack of better comparison.


text:
The Shipwrecked () is a 1994 Chilean drama film directed by Miguel Littín. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot
Aron is an exiled Chilean whose father has died during his years of absence, and whose brother is one of the thousands of 'disappeared'. Aron, back in his country, feels like a castaway lost in a place he doesn't recognize, trying to understand what happened to his family and to the country he once knew.

Cast
 Luis Alarcón as Sebastian Mola
 Bastián Bodenhöfer as Ur
 Tennyson Ferrada as Rene
 Benjamin Littin
 Marcelo Romo as Aron
 Valentina Vargas as Isol

References

External links

1994 films
1994 drama films
Chilean drama films
1990s Spanish-language films
Films directed by Miguel Littín


Zero hour contracts are by no means a new thing, but they are on the increase. They also help to keep unemployment figures low, as although you may not get work week in week out – you aren't on the benefit system either. So, it would seem as with most things, it works for some and not for others.
Our main concern over this type of contract is the amount of people who agreed or signed up to them, without actually understanding what it means. Is this a by-product of internet terms and conditions? We all know that if we download the latest app we can't use it without ticking the little t&Cs box – but how many of us take time to read those t&cs? Are we becoming so blasé about accepting terms that we sign employment contracts without reading them?
This is SO important. It's how we earn a living; it's how we feed our children; how we keep a roof over our heads. It must be read AND understood.
Zero hour contracts have also had an effect on employers using temping agencies, there's no denying it. It means they can have their own pool of staff, on call, 24/7 without some of the charges. However, temping benefits the worker so much more. If you are temping for one client and they have no work that week, you are perfectly within your rights to work for another employer, or even another agency, providing you comply with working time regulations etc.. You are not obliged to accept the work that week if you have other commitments – you have true flexibility.
What's in it for the employer? The temps are managed by the agency, vetted, paid, engaged, disengaged. If one can't work, we have a pool of people who can. In days gone by, temporary workers were paid a premium for their flexibility; the fact that they didn't have a permanent contract often meant that they were paid more. This is rarely the case now, unless in the professional or specialist industries. Temps are often thought of as some sort of sub class, people who can't hold down a job, people who don't know what they want to do.
Well, we refute that. Temps are worth their weight in gold!
It takes a certain confidence to walk into a company, pick up a job, do it to the best of your ability and move on when the task is done. Look at a locum doctors, pharmacists, supply teachers – they're all temps.
So, let's stop chuntering about zero hours and start celebrating the fact that the UK, still has a vibrant flexible working economy. Let's praise our temps and thank them for the scrapes they get us out of, the sick and holiday cover they provide, the busy times they get us through and the low times, when we can take people on permanently.
Long live our temps! Because, they're the people keeping those jobs open.


Since Dynavector's MC cartridges first appeared almost 20 years ago, they have enjoyed great success worldwide due to their combination of advanced design and production techniques. During the same period CD arrived and has taken much of market share for music reproduction.
However, many audiophiles soon learnt that digital media left much to be desired. Recently the introduction of new multimedia formats and the dispute over formats such as DVD-Audio and SACD have left consumers confused and holding CD collections with an uncertain future. This along with the heavy commercialization of the digital industry puts at risk our great heritage of recorded music from the last 100 years.
Dynavector decided to fight back in order to protect the vast existing stock of recordings in analogue media, by producing a cartridge capable of musical reproduction above, or at least equal to any digital source. The XV-1 cartridge was designed to meet this ambitious brief and has succeeded in providing the finest analogue reproduction possible. Listening to the XV-1 it is evident that here is the finest cartridge in the world.
At a glance, the XV-1 is different from all cartridges that have gone before. Its magnetic circuit comprises 8 small ALNICO magnets. The magnetic path is divided into two - In the magnetic gap, a specially designed magnetic flux equalizing piece is placed. On the front yokes, magnetic stabilizing coils are wound. By this special combination, the magnetic field becomes widely homogeneous and more linear than the conventional magnetic design that is common in existing MC cartridges. Currently the design trend of MC cartridges is to employ stronger and harder magnets. The XV-1 takes the opposite approach. This is the theoretical conclusion of Dynavector.
The result? - deeper and more accurate bass, brighter but much smoother treble and better L/R separation. Very low distortion, especially of 3rd harmonics, results in a life-like musicality and ease of reproduction impossible using normal MCs. After hearing the music produced by the XV-1 even 'high-end' CD players sound thin, lacking any real deep bass. This cartridge handles the smooth string note and heavy dynamics of big orchestral works like Prokofiev, Schostakovich, Mahler etc. with unique ease, to bring the full glory of analogue recordings to the listener who wants the very best possible sound from their stock of LP records.
Analogue is greater than Digital !!


More emails about the Class 40.
Designer Allen Clarke reports: 'We have sold two Class 40 to the US, both will be based on the east coast. We have sold in total seven semi-custom Class 40 from Jaz Marine and Composite Creations and seven production Express Class 40 from Sail Ventures (pictured right).
Just to recap, the Class 40 ( more here ) is for anyone looking the challenge of their life. This is the affordable ticket to two-handed and single-handed races like the Transat, epics like the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum, and soon you'll be able to race one around the world in Josh Hall's and Brian Hancock's Portimão Global Ocean Challenge .
Ohmigod!! I knew there was something I hadn't done this week.


text:
Q: .sql file dump returns empty tables Someone has sent me a database dump as a .sql file dumped using phymyadmin interface. I am trying to restore the dump using the mysql command prompt, however I keep getting empty tables. The .sql file creates a database before creating tables and populating them. When the empty tables message first showed up I thought it was because the database had to be created before running the script, so I created the db and ran the script again, however the tables still show up as empty set.
I tried these steps,

*

*logged in as root.

*create database x (this is the name of the db in the create db command in the .sql file)

*mysql x -u root -p < my_x_db.sql

*logged in as root

*show databases

*use x

*show tables -- empty set

What should I do different and how can I troubleshoot this?
Thanks

A: There was a create database statement in the .sql file. I solved this by simply commenting the statement. I had already created the database with the same name externally.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Reuben Harris, PhD of University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN talks about a clinical impact of APOBEC enzymes. Breast tumor patients with low APOBEC-3B expression levels have a better prognosis than patients with high level of that enzyme, as shown in a retrospective analysis of primary tumor specimens. In addition, dr Harris talks about the analysis of ER-positive tumor samples, where primary tumor APOBEC-3B levels also predicted patient outcomes, with high levels of APOBEC-3B associated with lack of response to tamoxifen and poor outcomes. Recorded at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference in Liverpool, UK.


text:
home / issues / Religious Liberty and Conscience
The courage of Barronelle Stutzman
Joseph Backholm
Joseph Backholm is Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council. This article appeared in WORLD Magazine on December 14, 2021.
Nearly a decade ago, a florist from rural Washington State turned her world upside down by respectfully refusing to use her creative talents in the service of a same-sex wedding. Thanks to a recent settlement, Mrs. Stutzman no longer faces the threat of losing her home or retirement, but before we let her return to the peace and quiet she has always deserved, we should make sure we understand what happened.
To that point in her life, Barronelle Stutzman had lived quietly, not in the sense that she had not done anything remarkable—her successful business and large family said otherwise—but in that she had not been someone to cause trouble. On the contrary, her Christian sensibilities had her on good terms with the world. That included Rob Ingersoll, the long-time client who had become a friend and would eventually ask her to create floral arrangements for his same-sex wedding.
Citing her beliefs about marriage, she politely declined the request and assumed that would be the end of the matter. She was wrong.
What she may not have recognized then, but should be clear to us now, is this: what appeared to be a professional opportunity was really a coercive call to worship. The culture has created gods out of sex, tolerance, and autonomy, and in many places, the culture—if not the law—tells us to worship those idols on command. The sacrifice these gods require is seemingly small but hugely significant; a rainbow sticker, a pronoun, or even silence may suffice for now. But make no mistake—if you refuse to make the sacrifice, you will be treated as the heretic you are.
Mrs. Stutzman violated the first commandment of the sexual revolution which is "thou shalt have no other gods before me." You may recognize that commandment because the God of the Bible issued the same command, which puts those seeking to serve both in an impossible place. Barronelle Stutzman chose to serve the God of the Bible and, as a result, became a symbol of bigotry.
How strange. How hurtful.
She could have easily avoided all the trouble with a simple apology, a promise to listen and learn, a promise to do same-sex weddings in the future, and an expression of regret for all the pain her actions caused. There were likely moments that path seemed desirable. After all, no one enjoys being misunderstood and misrepresented. She could have even become, by secular standards, one of the "good Christians" who will bow to the secular pressure, but she chose fidelity to God.
For many of us, the prospect of government pressuring Christians to surrender their loyalty still feels strange. We remember a world in which people were free to make different decisions based on different beliefs, and the government, as well as the community, would accept that.
As disturbing as our current situation is, it may be comforting to know it is not new. Christians have long been asked to resist pressure to worship false gods. The church was born into a polytheist culture that worshiped gods of war, gods of the sea, as well as gods of the moon and sun. There was a goddess of fertility, another for hunting, and there was no expectation that you would choose only one god. As such, the problem Romans had with first-century Christians was not that they worshipped Jesus but that they proclaimed there was "no King but Jesus." It is Jesus's exclusive right to our worship that presents the problem.
Despite the history of conflict, many in the church today insist the real source of the conflict is that Christians are not friendly enough. Like Barronelle, the story of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission suggests otherwise. For most of a century, they have helped addicts with their addictions, housed the homeless, and given refuge to the abused regardless of who they are or from where they have come. You cannot find more considerate, compassionate people. Still, the Union Gospel Mission's commitment to biblical sexuality has earned them the same scorn—and lawsuits—as everyone else who rejects the claims of the sexual revolution.
The truth is, you can't be nice enough to please the powerful authorities of this culture; the only path to peace with the culture is submission. Significantly, that also happens to be the only path to peace with God. This is a binary choice: Serve God or serve the idols.
Ten years ago, Barronelle Stutzman made her choice. But the rest of us should never forget what happened and be mindful that our call to worship will come as well. No one escapes this conflict. Hopefully, we will recognize it when it happens, and, by God's grace, may we respond just like her.


Harker Avenue Cafe is located at 1123 Harker Ave, East Liverpool, OH. This business specializes in Cafes.
Harker Avenue Cafe can be found at Harker Ave 1123. The following is offered: Fast Food. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In East Liverpool there are 10 other Fast Food. An overview can be found here.