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A scientist from Los Alamos National Laboratory works on a plutonium pit under the Plutonium Sustainment Program. Photo by Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Defining Disarmament: The Challenge of Eliminating Fissile Materials
While the world's nuclear powers could quickly retire their nuclear arsenals, eliminating the fissile materials from which these weapons are made is no simple matter. This raises doubts about the feasibility and permanence of global disarmament.
by Cameron Tracy Guest Author
Published: July 30, 2018 Last Updated: December 7, 2018
Calls for a world without nuclear weapons are common, even at the highest echelons of U.S. government. The United States unsuccessfully pitched this concept to the United Nations in 1946, and later served as a driving force behind international adoption of the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), mandating the pursuit of nuclear disarmament.[1] More recently, this call was echoed by President Barack Obama, as well as former Secretaries of State and Defense.[2]
Despite these lofty ambitions, progress has remained modest. Under a series of bilateral treaties, culminating in the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the United States and Russia have removed from deployment thousands of nuclear warheads, delivery vehicles, and launchers.[3] However, these efforts have so far addressed only the low-hanging fruit of assembled weapons systems. While straightforward, this approach leaves intact the nuclear material that comprises the fundamental building block of a nuclear weapon. Elimination of this material is challenging. Thus, as disarmament proceeds from warheads and their accoutrements to these basic material ingredients, it will become more difficult.
While such concerns may appear distant, their implications are key to current policy debates. Dissatisfied with the slow pace of disarmament, last year 122 United Nations member states voted in favor of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), vexing American policymakers who consider its requirement of rapid, complete disarmament to be unrealistic.[4] Opponents of this accelerated approach posit the difficulty of verification, the persistence of weapons design know-how, and the stabilizing effects of nuclear weaponry, but as the fundamental physical embodiment of nuclear armament, weapons material elimination stands at the crux of the matter. Both proponents of accelerated disarmament and those in favor of the conventional incremental approach would be wise to consider the challenges, feasibility, and permanence of the elimination of nuclear weapons materials.
Disposal, destruction, and disarmament
The most substantial steps towards global nuclear disarmament taken to date involve the dismantlement of assembled nuclear warheads. These consist, at their most basic level, of a package of conventional explosives that rapidly compress a mass of exotic material, so as to induce a nuclear chain reaction. Two solids, known as fissile materials, are used for this purpose: mined uranium that has been laboriously treated so as to enrich it in a specific isotope (highly enriched uranium or HEU), and plutonium that is synthesized during the irradiation of uranium-bearing fuel in a nuclear reactor. Warhead dismantlement involves separation of the components of these weapons (conventional explosives, fissile materials, etc.) and, in order to preclude reassembly, their subsequent destruction.
The plutonium pit is the key component of a modern nuclear weapon, initiating a nuclear chain reaction when compressed by conventional chemical explosives. Additional components amplify the warhead's explosive power. Image from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
While conventional explosives, electronics, and the like are easily destroyed, fissile materials are another matter. Physical defacement has little effect on their potential for weaponization, as the expensive, time-consuming process of their synthesis is the limiting factor on weapons production, dwarfing the effort necessary to machine them into weapons components. They are composed of only a single chemical element (uranium or plutonium), so chemical processing is similarly ineffective, as no such treatment can change one element into another. Thus, it is these fissile materials, the foundation of nuclear weapon production, that represent the ultimate obstacle to achieving lasting, global nuclear disarmament.
While this may appear intractable, the past several decades have seen substantial progress in the elimination of HEU stockpiles. This material is distinguished from readily-available, non-weaponizable natural uranium by its isotopic enrichment. Thus, it can be deweaponized by mixing it with large quantities of natural uranium. This process, known as downblending, renders it no more a threat than the uranium found abundantly in Earth's crust and oceans.
Elimination of plutonium is a more daunting task. The plutonium produced in nuclear reactors needs no isotopic alteration for use in a weapon, and non-weaponizable isotopes exist in such small quantities as to preclude downblending. Faced with the near-insurmountable cost and complexity of nuclear methods that completely destroy plutonium by converting it into another chemical element, a 1994 assessment by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) instead recommended methods that render plutonium more difficult to isolate and process.[5] The NAS was inspired in this endeavor by the large quantities of plutonium contained in civilian stocks of spent nuclear power plant fuel, which are protected from weaponization by their dilution in a soup of highly-radioactive elements.
The study ultimately recommended two strategies for disposal: conversion to nuclear fuel by mixing with uranium dioxide and irradiation in a nuclear reactor, or intimate mixing with preexisting radioactive waste. Both were pursued by the United States as part of the 2000 Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA), a US-Russian reciprocal stockpile reduction scheme.[6] Mixing with radioactive waste was quickly abandoned as a cost saving measure and due to a lack of suitably large waste inventories. Efforts to convert plutonium to nuclear fuel continue, yet construction of the necessary conversion facilities has been plagued by decadal delays and severalfold increases in the projected cost.[7] Regardless, neither approach would drastically reduce the size of plutonium inventories. They would merely make it less easily obtainable. Even irradiation as fuel in a nuclear reactor would eliminate only a portion of incorporated plutonium, while additional plutonium would be bred by the uranium with which it is mixed.
Having judged the fuel conversion approach economically infeasible, the United States' current plans involve burial of plutonium in a geological repository, eschewing any radiation barrier to extraction. Recovery would be as simple as mining the fissile material. Advanced mining methods might even allow this to be accomplished clandestinely, making it difficult for the international community to detect and prevent nuclear rearmament.[8] This approach would leave the state possessing the geological repository with a route to acquiring plutonium that is potentially faster, cheaper, and less conspicuous than the conventional reactor-based route.
A world without nuclear materials
While all of the stockpile reduction efforts described above could superficially foster a world without nuclear weapons, they would not reduce global nuclear risk to the level extant prior to the advent of nuclear weaponry, as none serve to irreversibly eliminate plutonium stockpiles. That said, there does exist one nuclear reactor-based method which could effectively destroy plutonium by converting it to a mixture of non-weaponizable elements without simultaneous production of additional plutonium. This approach mirrors the fuel conversion strategy described above, but substitutes the uranium dioxide dilutant with a more inert material that does not breed plutonium when irradiated. Irradiation of this inert matrix fuel (IMF) in an advanced nuclear reactor could consume roughly 80% of the plutonium it contained. [9] The remaining plutonium could afterwards be recycled into fresh IMF fuel for further irradiation.
Yet even this approach involves uncertainty and risk. IMFs and the advanced nuclear reactors in which they would work best are largely unproven technologies that would require long development periods and massive investment. The extensive transport and handling of plutonium necessitated by this approach would make it vulnerable to loss or theft. Most importantly, reliance on the long-term operation of a large fleet of nuclear reactors to irradiate IMFs sets a ceiling on the extent to which the permanence of disarmament can be guaranteed. As long as such reactors operate, they could be loaded with uranium-bearing fuel and used by the possessor state to produce new plutonium in a matter of months. The means of fissile material destruction and production are thus coupled. The act of permanently and irreversibly destroying the world's plutonium stockpiles would simultaneously serve to sustain the capability of nuclear-armed states to reverse the steps they have taken towards nuclear disarmament.
Clearly, there is more to nuclear disarmament than a binary distinction between the existence of weapons and their absence. Rather, the degree of disarmament is a complex function of various choices that influence the time, expense, and risk associated with reconstitution of a dismantled arsenal. Due to the persistence of fissile materials, no disarmament path can realistically render the production of nuclear weapons as great a challenge as it was prior to nuclear armament. Those favoring disarmament must therefore decide what end state is acceptable. For example, is burial of plutonium in a geological repository superior or inferior to complete destruction via irradiation of IMFs? The former could be accomplished relatively quickly, yet leaves the fissile material vulnerable to recovery in a matter of weeks. The latter would eventually yield complete elimination of this material but would, in the interim, require the operation of many nuclear reactors, any of which could be used to produce new plutonium.
Because fissile material disposal becomes a major factor only at the tail-end of a hypothetical disarmament process, these issues may seem irrelevant in the present day. However, given the technologically-demanding nature of disposal, the need for sustained international cooperation, and the decadal timescales projected for even modest fissile material elimination efforts, those interested in the pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons should think carefully about precisely what such a world entails.
[1] Bernard Baruch, "The Baruch Plan," presented to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, 14 June, 1946; Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 1 July 1968
[2] See Barack Obama, "Remarks by President Barack Obama," Prague, 5 April 2009, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-barack-obama-prague-delivered; George P. Schultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissenger, Sam Nunn, "A World Free of Nuclear Weapons," The Wall Street Journal, 4 January 2007, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116787515251566636
[3] Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, 8 April 2010
[4] Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 20 September 2017
[5] US National Academy of Sciences, Management and Disposition of Excess Weapons Plutonium (National Academy Press: Washington, D.C., 1994)
[6] Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation Concerning the Management and Disposition of Plutonium Designated as no Longer Required for Defense Purposes and Related Cooperation, 1 September 2000
[7] Aerospace Corporation, Plutonium Disposition Study Options Independent Assessment Phase 1 Report, 13 April 2015
[8] Per F. Peterson, "Long-term safeguards for plutonium in geologic repositories," Science & Global Security vol. 6, pp. 1-29; Per F. Peterson, "Issues for detecting undeclared post-closure excavation at geologic repositories," Science & Global Security vol. 8, pp. 1-39
[9] US National Academy of Sciences, Management and Disposition of Excess Weapons Plutonium: Reactor-Related Options (National Academy Press: Washington, D.C., 1995), p. 47
About the Author: Cameron Tracy
Guest Author — Cameron Tracy is an affiliate at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and a postdoctoral research fellow at its Department of Geological Sciences. His policy research focuses on strategies for the multilateral reduction of nuclear and chemical weapons stockpiles, as well as the safety and security of geologic repositories for nuclear waste.
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Home→Zionism→Zionism and Jewish religion→Reconciling Jewish religious law and nationalism
← A nationalist and a Zionist
WZO Resolution: Klal Yisrael, Jewish Unity, and the Centrality of the State of Israel →
Reconciling Jewish religious law and nationalism
Aldeilis (EN) Posted on 14. November 2005 by Administrator 21. March 2014
The Conversion Crisis 1995 – Present
Non-Orthodox Conversions in Israel:
— The Goldstein Case
The Conversion Bill
The Ne'eman Committee
The 'Technical' Proposal
— The Goldstein Case:
The precursor to today's "conversion crisis" was a November 1995 Supreme Court decision in the Goldstein case on recognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel. Hava (or Eliyani or Elaine) Goldstein, a native of Brazil, emigrated to Israel in 1990 and converted to Judaism under Reform auspices in Israel a year later. She married a Jewish, Brazilian-born Israeli in a civil ceremony outside Israel. Goldstein applied for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return and sought to register as a Jew with the Ministry of Interior. Since Goldstein could not produce a conversion certificate from the Rabbinate, her request for registration was denied. The Court decided that the Interior Ministry's request for a conversion certificate from the Rabbinate had no basis in Israeli law. The Ministry of Interior was given six months to register Goldstein as a Jew.
"I do not believe that this issue can be resolved through litigation or legislation. We would rather have neither. What we need is an agreement among religious leaders
of all the parties involved…."
The Goldstein decision was hailed by Reform and Conservative leaders as de facto official state recognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel.
Recognizing the implications of their decision, the justices refused to comment on the validity of non-Orthodox conversions or their legitimacy in Israel. Noting that previous Supreme Court decisions (most notably "Miller") had clarified the matter of conversions performed outside of Israel and other related issues, the Court directed the Knesset to clarify the guidelines for conversions performed in Israel. Should the Knesset fail to establish such guidelines, specifically regarding state recognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel, the responsibility would fall to the Court in future cases.
The Conversion Bill:
Almost immediately, political forces mobilized to initiate legislation further clarifying state-recognized conversions performed in Israel. The Reform and Conservative leadership looked to the Labor government under Shimon Peres to promote legislation recognizing non-Orthodox conversions in Israel. However, these hopes were soon disappointed when Interior Minister Haim Ramon told a delegation of American Reform rabbis that he would not support the registration of Goldstein as a Jew both as a matter of principle and of political survival. In turn, the Orthodox parties sought to introduce legislation which would codify the State of Israel's long-standing, de facto practice of nonrecognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel. Orthodox leaders in Israel expressed the fear that were such legislation not passed, the Conservative and Reform movements would gain recognition for their conversions performed in Israel through the judiciary.
Following the May 1996 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a coalition agreement with the National Religious Party and Shas in which the new Likud government agreed "the law of conversion shall be changed so that conversions to Judaism in Israel will be recognized only if authorized by the Chief Rabbinate." News of the agreement was greeted with great concern in the Diaspora, with the Reform and Conservative movements vowing to fight any legislative move that would take away the recognition for conversions performed under their auspices which they had earned in the courts. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged that any legislation would only deny state recognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel. Non-Orthodox conversions performed outside of Israel would continue to be recognized by the State of Israel according to the Law of Return and the "Miller precedent."
The initial bill proposed by Shas in October 1996 went far beyond the one detailed in the coalition agreement. Instead the bill banned state recognition of non-Orthodox conversions performed both in Israel and the Diaspora, stating, "there shall be no legal validity whatsoever to a conversion unless it receives the approval of the highest religious court in Israel of the religion to which the aforementioned wishes to join." In March 1997, the Cabinet formally approved a more limited legislation, mirroring that of the coalition agreement, denying state recognition to non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel only. This legislation passed its first reading in April.
The Ne'eman Committee:
As the Knesset prepared for the bill's second and third reading in June, the government sought a compromise setting guidelines for non-Orthodox conversions whereby (ideally) there would be no need for Orthodox parties to pursue the legislation while the Reform and Conservative movements would have no need to pursue judicial challenges.
Prime Minister Netanyahu created a committee chaired by Yaakov Ne'eman, a respected lawyer (who was appointed Finance Minister one month later), bringing together Orthodox, Reform and Conservative representatives to hammer out a solution. The Reform and Conservative movements agreed to temporarily suspend their court cases pending the recommendations of the Ne'eman Committee. (At this time, a number of cases were pending before the Supreme Court including a case petitioning for state recognition of children from the former Soviet Union who were adopted by nonreligious Israeli Jews, denied Orthodox conversions, were converted to Judaism under Conservative auspices in Israel and thus were denied state recognition as Jews, as well as a petition for the inclusion of Reform and Conservative representatives on local religious councils in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Kirat Tivon. Reform and Conservative movements agreed to suspend this judicial action if the Orthodox parties agreed to suspend action on a bill legislating the exclusion of Reform and Conservative representatives from serving on local religious councils.) Heralding the historic mission of the Ne'eman Committee, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared, "I do not believe that this issue can be resolved through litigation or legislation. We would rather have neither. What we need is an agreement among religious leaders of all the parties involved…."
Its deadline extended three times, the Ne'eman Committee met more than fifty times over the next seven months, and submitted its report to the Prime Minister in late January 1997. The Ne'eman Committee set as its goal a comprehensive solution to the matter of non-Orthodox conversions in Israel which would comply with Jewish law. Ne'eman himself has stated that he hopes this solution will enable the approximately 200,000 non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union living in Israel to convert to Judaism if they so wish. According to press reports, the preamble of the proposal declares, "It is agreed by all parties that there must be a single, uniform, official conversion procedure that will be conducted in accordance with Jewish law and will be recognized by all segments of the Jewish people….The composition of the commission, which includes representatives of both the Reform and Conservative movements, reflects a desire for cooperation among all three major movements in Judaism and for Jewish unity."
The Committee proposed to create "conversion institutes," to prepare potential converts for conversion. The institutes would be sponsored by the Jewish Agency, and operated jointly by the three denominations. Aspiring converts would attend classes at the institutes but the actual conversion would be performed under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate, according to Orthodox guidelines. With the establishment of these institutes, the Reform and Conservative movements would agree not to perform conversions outside the framework of the institutes.
The agreement brings benefits to all the involved parties. Under this proposal, every convert to Judaism in Israel would enjoy both state and Rabbinate recognition as a Jew. This convert would be free to officially immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return (even if the conversion was performed in Israel), to register with the Ministry of Interior as a Jew, marry, divorce and be buried in Israel as a Jew. The acceptance of this proposal would also mark the first time the State of Israel and the Rabbinate would officially recognize the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel in matters of personal status.
The 'Technical' Proposal:
Fearing that the Ne'eman Committee compromise would be rejected by the Rabbinate and the Ultra-Orthodox parties in the Knesset, Jewish Agency chairman Avraham Burg convened a meeting of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform representatives to work out an interim measure to prevent the reintroduction of the conversion bill in the Knesset. Over the course of a weekend the group arrived at a stop-gap measure meant to circumvent Orthodox and non-Orthodox sensitivities without mandating comprehensive solution.
Burg's plan calls for a replacement of the word "Jew" (in Hebrew "yehudi/a") in the identity cards of Israeli Jews, with the letter "yud" ("j"). Jews-from-birth would have the letter "yud" with the individual's date-of-birth. Jews-from-conversion, regardless of the type of conversion, would have the letter "yud" with the date of the individual's conversion stamped in their identity card.
This ambiguity pleases the Reform and Conservative movements by enabling individuals who convert under their auspices in Israel to receive identity cards nearly identical to those of other Israeli Jews.
Ultra-Orthodox parties would be satisfied since the non-Orthodox convert would not be designated as "Jew" ("Yehudi/a") but only as the letter "yud" ("j") which could stand for the word "Jew," or for the word Israeli ("Yisraeli/a"), or for any other word beginning with the letter "yud." Moreover, ultra-Orthodoxy sees no religious significance in the symbols of modern Israeli nationhood, with which it often finds itself in conflict, and thus has no problem with labeling converts as a separate designation on their identity cards.
In general, the "nationalist-Zionist" camp does not support this plan. For religious Zionists, the national and religious are intertwined. Designating converts on identity cards violates this ideology by creating different standards and classes for nationality and religion.
There are, however, many flaws to the plan. Individuals converting to Judaism under non-Orthodox auspices in Israel will still not be recognized as Jews by the Rabbinate, and thus will be barred from marrying, divorcing or being buried as Jews in Israel. Critics point out that the plan would officially label converts to Judaism, thus distinguishing them from other Israeli Jews and effectively creating two official categories of Jews.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Europe's addiction to Russian gas: How long before withdrawal symptoms set in?
by Leonid Krutakov for Odnako
(translated by: Robin)
In mid-January, EU Energy Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held talks with Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak in Moscow. After the talks, Mr. Šefčovič expressed surprise at three circumstances.
First, Gazprom has no intention of building the South Stream pipeline. Second, in the future natural gas will be delivered to Europe via Turkey. And, third, Russia is not prepared to discuss the terms of its gas deliveries to Ukraine.
To quote Mr. Šefčovič, all three circumstances, were "very surprising," even though Russia's decision to cancel South Stream and instead build Turkish Stream was announced in December of last year in Ankara at a joint press conference held by the Presidents of Russia and Turkey.
It's easy to wax ironic about Mr. Šefčovič's ignorance of South Stream in Turkey. And most commentators did just that. But his attempt to discuss new conditions for gas supplies to Ukraine with his Russian partners deserves much more attention. And confirmation of that was not long in coming.
Last week, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev convened a meeting with Messrs. Miller and Novak. He asked them for the details of their talks with Mr. Šefčovič, Ukraine's gas debt and the repayment period. The meeting was broadcast live almost in its entirety.
Mr. Miller reiterated to Mr. Medvedev that Europe had only a few years to build its own transmission infrastructure to the Greece-Turkey border, where it will have to connect to the Russo-Turkish pipeline system. If Europe fails to do so, the gas will go to other markets.
And Mr. Novak pointed out that, when last year's agreement on a $100 discount for gas sold to Ukraine expires on April 1, there will be no new discussions or agreements. The contract is valid and no one has cancelled it.
If we compare these statements, the fact that they were reiterated and broadcast live makes it clear that Russia has given Europe a firm ultimatum, outlined the consequences and set a deadline. So what is the nature of the ultimatum?
It's a long story. But, like any long story, it offers an advantage. It allows you to assess the Ukrainian events not in terms of the abstract and immediate concepts of a struggle for freedom and democracy, but rather in the concrete terms of profit and loss over the long run.
At first glance, the link between the recent events in the Ukraine (the Maidan protests, the coup and the civil war) and the supply of Russian gas to Europe and the gas contract that Yulia Tymoshenko concluded in 2009 seems improbable. But any event whose workings are hidden from us is bound to seem improbable and inexplicable.
The European Union's Third Energy Package (TEP) also came into effect in 2009. The gist of this document is that it establishes uniform rules for the gas supply system within the EU. All gas purchases must take place on an "entry-exit" basis at the European border. In other words, it creates a sort of single virtual gas buyer able to dictate terms to the seller.
The document sets other parameters, but they are all generally based on the idea of unbundling gas suppliers from the EU's internal infrastructure and retail market, where prices are often more than three times the price of the "entry" price.
The stated reason for TEP was the need to enhance competition and reduce costs at the expense of a free flow of gas within Europe. This statement didn't fool anyone. It was a new instrument that targeted only Gazprom, which is tightly connected to the European system.
In the event that Europe adopted unacceptable conditions, suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) could at any time redirect their deliveries. In fact, that is what happened after TEP was adopted. The main flows of LNG left for the Asian markets. Gazprom, whose gas deposits are far from ports and have to be shipped by pipeline, could not pull off this trick.
As a result of the adoption of TEP, European gas prices did not fall; in fact they went up. From 2009 to 2013, the price of gas in the EU rose by an average of 29% to 30%. At the same time, the average price of Russian gas fell from US$410 per thousand cubic metres in 2008 to US$385 in 2013. And the volume of gas increased.
The paradox of a rising domestic price along with a falling "entry" price is easily explained by the nature of the increase. The increase was due mainly to the higher cost of gas transmission within the EU, which rose about 16%, and internal taxes, which were up 13%.
In fact, the energy component of the final gas price increased by no more than 2%, and even that was due to LNG. At the same time, the significant increase in the price of LNG was offset by the discounts that the EU obtained from Gazprom, taking advantage of Gazprom's lack of wiggle room. And this occurred despite long-term contracts linked to the price of oil, which increased four-fold from 2008 to 2011.
In fact, TEP ultimately ended Gazprom's access to the internal European market and, moreover, obliged it to sell 50% of its gas while still in the pipeline, even before it entered the EU. Under TEP, gas carried by the pipeline system has to come from at least two suppliers.
As for the timing, Gazprom's long-term contracts with its European customers were renegotiated in 2004, and the following year saw the beginning of the TEP discussions. The peak of the discussions took place in 2008-2009, and precisely at that time the second Ukrainian-Russian gas war broke out.
Kiev, which was behind in its payments for Russian gas deliveries, began to siphon off transit volumes illegally, and in response Russia cut off the flow of gas. The EU had to take urgent action, brokering a gas contract signed by Yulia Tymoshenko almost entirely on Russia's terms. Six months later, when peace prevailed, TEP was adopted, and so began the systematic effort to squeeze out Gazprom across the board.
South Stream was blocked on the grounds of non-compliance with TEP, even though the contract for its construction was agreed to before TEP was adopted on the government level. In point of fact, TEP was created to prevent individual countries from taking such "initiatives" in the future.
It should be noted that South Stream was blocked immediately after the start of the events in the Ukraine. The structure developed in such a way that the Ukraine retained its status as a major transit country for Russian gas and became a sort of gas reservoir for Europe. With the advent of TEP, under any new contract Gazprom had to halve its gas supplies to the EU or sell half of the volume to the Ukraine on the Russian border.
Simply put, Russia ultimately was expected to pay from its own pocket the cost of the Ukrainian coup and the formation of a Russophobic government in Kiev. That is why the United States initially tried to bail out Naftogaz of Ukraine. The son of U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden even became a member of the Ukrainian gas monopoly's board.
Vladimir Putin's visit to Ankara and his agreement with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the construction of Turkish Stream has put paid to all that. The role of European transit country has now shifted to Turkey; moreover, in accordance with TEP rules, to fulfill a contract all Gazprom has to do is deliver the gas to the EU border. Moving it any farther is not Gazprom's responsibility.
It was a calculated, well-aimed blow. Turkey is the only communication corridor offering an alternative route for Russia's gas. For example, the proposed Nabucco pipeline to supply gas from Central Asia and the Middle East to the EU, bypassing Russia in the process, is based exclusively on Turkey as a transit country. But now there's no getting around Russia.
The only question without a public response is the deadline attached to Russia's ultimatum to Europe. Mr. Miller did not specify any period, saying only that Europe has little time left, in fact only a few years. This is understandable because contract terms and conditions are confidential.
But, not being bound by any confidential agreements, we are free to speculate about the deadline. Most of Gazprom's European contracts, as already stated, were concluded in 2004. Earlier on, in the 1980s, such contracts had a term of 30 years. The term of the last contract was reduced to 15 years. It follows that D-Day – the time for renegotiation of contracts under the terms of TEP – will arrive in 2019, in other words, in only four years.
Four years is a political framework that limits Europe's decision-making time. The choice is very difficult. In fact, there is no choice. Rejecting Russian gas supplies to Europe is tantamount to suicide. Switching to LNG, which is from one and a half to two times more expensive, would instantly make all European industries uncompetitive.
Europe needs Russian gas. All it can choose is the routes and the means for its delivery. It can negotiate with Russia on clear and transparent conditions, or it can break Russia's resistance in order to gain access to the gas on its own terms. And the conductor standing behind the EU finds only the second scenario acceptable.
In fact, Europe has even less time (just making a decision is not enough) because it has to build a pipeline to the Turkish border. Otherwise it will have to "surrender" Ukraine. We do not want to play the role of Cassandra, but in four years anything can happen – even attempted assassinations of top politicians, in both Russia and Turkey.
By the way, one curious detail is that the Russian-Ukrainian contract signed in 2009 by Yulia Tymoshenko and Vladimir Putin has a non-standard term of 10 years. And, like most of Gazprom's European contracts, it ends in 2019. Would that be by coincidence or by design?
Labels: Gazprom, Russian energy exports, South Stream
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The Heart Has It's Reason..............."why"
Blaise Pascal, perhaps thinking about the question of "Why" said: "The Heart has it's reason , that reason knows not of."
This opens another question: "Why" does the Heart have a reason?
Marvin Ashton offers an answer when he said: We learn to Love that which we serve, and we serve that which we love."


Q: Should I get my chimney repaired now, or is it safe to let it go through another winter?
A: If it is at all possible, get your chimney repaired as soon as you notice anything unusual. It's much cheaper to repair it now, than to completely rebuild it later.
Q: Is masonry work able to be done all year long?
A: Yes, but most repair work is done only during the warmer months. New brick and stone veneers are more commonly done all year because the areas being worked on can be enclosed and heated.
Q: What causes the deterioration to the brick and mortar on my house?
A: The brick absorbs moisture from rain or melting snow, then freezes before it evaporates or dries out. When the brick finally thaws and possibly freezes again, there is expansion and contraction causing cracks and spalling.


Publishers interested in an agreement with ICINCO, concerning the publication of the proceedings or the post-publication of selected papers in journals or books, can contact the event secretariat to suggest a partnership or propose a publication service. ICINCO is ready to collaborate with publishers that provide a wide and prestigious dissemination of the scientific and technical work presented at the event, including facilitating the presence of those publishers at the venue.
LNEE publishes authored monographs and contributed volumes which present cutting edge research information as well as new perspectives on classical fields, while maintaining Springer's high standards of academic excellence. Also considered for publication are lecture materials, proceedings, and other related materials of exceptionally high quality and interest. The subject matter should be original and timely, reporting the latest research and developments in all areas of electrical engineering.
The audience for the books in LNEE consists of advanced level students, researchers, and industry professionals working at the forefront of their fields. Much like Springer's other Lecture Notes series, LNEE will be distributed through Springer's print and electronic publishing channels.


text:
Muhammad Akhtar Khan Kanju is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2010 to 2013. Previously he had been a member of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007.

Political career
He was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Constituency NA-155 (Lodhran-II) as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) in 2002 Pakistani general election. He received 103,209 votes and defeated Rana Rab Nawaz Noon, a candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

He ran for the seat of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-155 (Lodhran-II) as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N) in 2008 Pakistani general election but was unsuccessful. He received 41,642 votes and lost the seat to Hayat Ullah Khan Tareen, a candidate of PPP.

He was elected to the National Assembly from Constituency NA-155 (Lodhran-II) as a candidate of PML-N in by-polls held in August 2010. He received 79,744 votes and defeated Nawab Hayatullah Tareen, a candidate of PPP.

He ran for the seat of the National Assembly from Constituency NA-155 (Lodhran-II)  as a candidate of PML-N in 2013 Pakistani general election, but was unsuccessful. He received 60,524 votes and lost the seat to Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju.

References

Living people
Pakistani MNAs 2002–2007
Pakistani MNAs 2008–2013
Year of birth missing (living people)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


There are many kinds of insects. They may all look different, but they are alike. They are alike in three ways.
One way all insects are alike is that they have six legs. Three legs on each side of the body. The legs are attached to the thorax. The thorax is the middle part of an insect's body. Many insects have wings that are attached to the thorax.
Behind the thorax is the abdomen. It is usually the largest part of an insect.
In front of the thorax is the head. Eyes and a mouth are located in the head. Antennae or feelers are also found on the head. These are used to smell, feel, and taste things.
Insects have a skeleton too! Their skeleton is on the outside of their bodies. It is called an exoskeleton. Your skeleton is found inside your body, and it is made of bones. An insect's skeleton is the hardest part of its body. It is made of a material called chitin.
Directions: Answer the questions about insects.


text:
Photograph by Paul Horsefield, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / Desaturated from original, with colour filter.
1 February 2016 International Trade, Organisation of Markets Authors: Jan De Loecker (Princeton), Penny Goldberg (Yale University, CEPR and NBER), Amit K. Khandelwal (Columbia University and NBER), Nina Pavcnik (Dartmouth)
Prices, markups and trade reform
In our globalized economy, information about the costs, benefits, and distributional consequences of lowering trade barriers is essential to policymakers trying to decide if a particular agreement should be supported. This research fills an important gap in our knowledge concerning the effects of reducing trade barriers when firms have some degree of monopoly power.
The political debates over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and issues involving international trade more generally have been contentious. Advocates cite the benefits of trade liberalization such as lower prices of goods to consumers, increased competition, better quality, and an increase in the variety of goods available in the marketplace. Opponents counter that there are reasons why opening markets may not be desirable. In the presence of market failures and economies of scale, the costs of trade liberalization may exceed the benefits depending on the institutional context.
Does lowering trade barriers benefit a country? To answer this question, we need a better understanding of the costs and benefits of reducing trade barriers in the presence of factors such as market power that can have a large impact on standard cost-benefit calculations. Our paper "Prices, Markups and Trade Reform" takes a step in this direction, and demonstrates that the presence of market power can affect the degree to which consumers benefit from opening markets to international trade.
The gains from reducing trade barriers typically come about through lower costs that are passed through to consumers in the form of lower prices. While this mechanism is unquestionably important, it ignores another channel featured prominently in the public debate. When firms operate in markets that are less than fully competitive, they are able to raise the price of goods above the cost of producing them, and this markup above costs allows the firms to earn excess profits. Reducing trade barriers exposes these firms to more competition forcing them to lower their markups and ultimately their prices. This second mechanism is the so-called "pro-competitive" effect of trade. It is completely absent in traditional models of trade that assume either perfect competition (in which case the price of a good equals its cost) or constant markups that are invariant to policy (the latter arise as a result of the standard modeling assumptions in trade models).
Markups actually increased as a result of the tariff reductions
A recent set of theoretical and quantitative papers have developed models with variable markups that allow for trade to have pro-competitive effects. However, empirical evidence on such effects is scant. Our paper fills this gap by examining how prices and markups in India responded to the large trade liberalization India implemented in the early 1990s. The answer is surprising: we find that markups actually increased as a result of the tariff reductions.
Prices still declined due to the cost reduction effect, but the prices facing consumers declined by much less than one would have expected in the absence of market power. These findings do not provide evidence against the pro-competitive effects of trade. Rather, they demonstrate that the pro-competitive effects are dominated by a second effect that arises in settings where firms have market power and their markups are variable: the incomplete pass-through of cost reductions to prices.
To understand these surprising findings, it is important to interpret them in the context of the particular policy under study. As in many developing countries, the Indian trade liberalization had two conceptually distinct impacts: First, it reduced trade barriers (primarily tariffs) on final products imported from other countries. Second, it reduced trade barriers on intermediate goods used by domestic firms as inputs in the production of final goods sold to Indian consumers. The primary effect of the reductions of final goods tariffs (output tariffs) was to intensify the competition faced by domestic firms as imports became cheaper. This represents the "pro-competitive" effect of trade.
In contrast, the effect of the reductions of tariffs on intermediate products (input tariffs) was to reduce the cost of producing domestic products. This reduction consists of a direct effect (lower cost of imported intermediate goods) as well as an indirect effect (spillover effects on the prices of domestically sourced intermediate products).
Importantly, the "pro-competitive" effect and the "cost-reduction" effects have different implications for markups and prices. In the first case, we would expect markups to decline as competition intensifies, leading to lower prices. In the second case however, it is unclear what happens to markups. Depending on the market fundamentals (demand, market structure, and firm behavior), markups could stay the same, go up, or go down. Prices in turn would only decrease in full proportion to the cost reductions if markups did not increase. But if markups increased, prices would decline by less than costs. This is exactly what we find: the cost reductions associated with the reductions in the tariffs of intermediate imported inputs are not completely passed through to prices. In fact, this effect dominates the pro-competitive effect of output tariff reductions so that on net, markups go up and price declines are modest.
Before discussing the interpretation and policy implications of these findings, a few words on the methodology used to arrive at these conclusions are in order. Calculating the markup requires data on both prices and costs. Prices are observed. However, firm costs are not fully observed since surveys used to construct the data do not report the cost of capital. This difficulty is well known from the Industrial Organization literature. We therefore develop a unified framework for obtaining marginal costs and markups that is based on estimating production functions. This approach allows us to estimate markups and marginal costs at the firm-product level. These are then related to the tariff reductions observed in India. Since India's tariffs were passed quickly as part of a "shock therapy" with little debate and no time for the opponents to express their objections, our correlations have a causal interpretation.
These results lend support to the view that firms used the higher profits generated by the trade liberalization to finance innovation
Our estimates indicate that the trade liberalization led to significant cost decreases. However, cost pass-through is incomplete. We find that on average only a small proportion of the cost variation is passed through to prices. As a result, the price declines are small relative to the cost reductions. This does not mean that pro-competitive effects were absent. If costs are held constant, declines in output tariffs lead to a reduction in markups, and this decline is most pronounced for high-markup products. This implies that while markups did increase due to the cost reduction effect, they would have increased by even more if it had not been for the pro-competitive effects of trade.
What explains the incomplete pass-through? Our methodology does not pin down the mechanism(s) generating markup variability and incomplete pass-through. One way to think about our approach is that it reveals what happened as a result of the trade reforms based on relatively few assumptions that could inadvertently influence the results. But in order to shed light on the exact mechanisms behind the effects we document, our work needs to be complemented with the case-study approach used in the Industrial Organization literature. That is left for future research.
Importantly, however, the markup variability that is associated with incomplete pass-through does not necessarily indicate a change of firm behavior (for example the adoption of more collusive or anti-competitive practices). Markup variability can arise simply as a result of the market fundamentals (e.g., non-constant price elasticity of demand). Hence, the increase in markups does not necessarily translate to a call for a more stringent anti-trust policy.
The markup increases, which benefit firms, do not necessarily imply that consumers did not also benefit from the trade reforms. There are at least two channels through which consumers may have benefited in addition to the modest decreases in prices. First, it is likely that the reforms led to an increase in the quality of the products produced by Indian firms. That said, quality is costly, and we find that the marginal costs of production significantly declined as a result of the trade liberalization. But it is possible that the cost declines would have been even larger if quality had not improved. Second, firms that experienced the highest markup increases were also the most likely to introduce new products. Though this evidence is only suggestive, it lends support to the view that firms used the higher profits generated by the trade liberalization to finance innovation. To the extent that this is true, the total benefits to consumers from the trade reforms would exceed the benefits captured in our study.
Changes in tariffs or other trade policy instruments do not necessarily translate into proportional changes in prices as typically assumed in the literature
At any rate, the important insight for policy is that changes in tariffs or other trade policy instruments do not necessarily translate into proportional changes in prices as typically assumed. In the presence of less than fully competitive markets and variable markups, the response of prices is substantially more complex. This insight has implications for the aggregate gains from trade, their distribution across consumers and producers, and the channels through which consumers benefit from trade reforms.
This columns summarizes "Prices, Markups and Trade Reform," by Jan De Loecker (Princeton), Penny Goldberg (Yale), Amit Khandelwal (Columbia) and Nina Pavcnik (Columbia). The article is forthcoming in Econometrica.
Mark Thoma
Family welfare cultures: evidence from Norway's system of disability insurance
Wealthy 'hand-to-mouth' households: key to understanding the impacts of fiscal stimulus
8 April 2021 International Trade Authors: Giulia Brancaccio (Cornell University), Myrto Kalouptsidi (Harvard University), Theodore Papapgeorgiou (Boston College)
Whether by sea, land, or air, trade functions through the transportation sector. Transportation is therefore central to everyday life. Surprisingly little is known, however, about how the market for transportation services interacts with the global market for goods. Recently, the delays in trade costing billions caused by both the blockage of the Suez Canal by […]
5 January 2021 International Trade, Organisation of Markets Authors: L Kamran Bilir (University of Wisconsin – Madison), Eduardo Morales (Princeton University)
Innovation in the global firm
Multinational corporations are among the most innovative firms – and they account for the majority of the investment in innovation made around the world. Yet compared with the fragmentation of multinationals' production across countries, investment in innovation by these firms is typically concentrated in one 'headquarters' country. The potential geographical mismatch between where knowledge is […]
2 December 2020 International Trade Authors: Pablo D. Fajgelbaum (Princeton University and NBER), Penny Goldberg (Yale University, CEPR and NBER), Patrick Kennedy (University of California, Berkeley), Amit K. Khandelwal (Columbia University and NBER)
The Return to Protectionism
After more than a half-century of leading efforts to lower international trade barriers, the United States enacted several waves of tariff increases on specific products and countries in 2018 and 2019. Overall, the U.S. implemented tariffs on 17.6% of its 2017 imports, primarily from China, raising tariffs on targeted imports from an average of 3.7% […]


8 May Description: This project includes controller ATmega 32A, Led (blue,red,yellow), IR sensor modules. Specification: Power supply (12 v -1amp). 28 Nov Project is used to control traffic signal system automatically with IR sensors. Signal timing changes automatically on sensing the traffic density at. 18 Dec DENSITY BASED TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW Port 3 receives some control signals DENSITY BASED TRAFFIC.
9 Jun Density based Traffic Light Controller using Microcontroller. Density Based Traffic Light Control System - Free download as Powerpoint Presentation .ppt /.pptx), PDF File .pdf), Text File .txt) or view presentation slides. Density Based Traffic Control System ppt (1).pptx - Download as Powerpoint ADVANTAGES: Density based traffic light control have many advantages.
highest density (i e, more vehicles) and it delivers the corresponding signal to LED driver circuits. The LED driver circuit enables the LED to display for particular. bewellfrance.com Density Based Traffic Light Control System. Objectives: To control the traffic lights based on the density of the vehicles to reduce traffic congestion. road signal based on density. The conventional traffic light system is based on the concept expert automatic control combined with a simulation mode. Traffic Light Control in Wireless Sensor Network-based Intelligent operate in the system capacity speed headway density Time Space Diagrams Show vehicle . which provides the signal timing based on the traffic density. Keywords— Raspberry pi, Image Processing, Vehicles. Counting, Adaptive traffic control system.


text:
Q: Getting deleted character or text on pressing delete or backspace on a textbox I have a text box, I want to get the deleted character when I press a backspace or delete key.
I have a key up event handler and i am capturing if the key is backspace. Now inside this I need to perform some tasks based on the key deleted. Please help.

A: After making a little tweak for the getCursorPosition function in this thread, you can get the characters deleted by tracking the current cursor selection.
The code handles the following conditions:

*

*Type and then backspace at the end.

*Move cursor in the middle of the text and delete/backspace.

*Select a piece of text and then delete/backspace.

$.fn.getCursorPosition = function() {
    var el = $(this).get(0);
    var pos = 0;
    var posEnd = 0;
    if('selectionStart' in el) {
        pos = el.selectionStart;
        posEnd = el.selectionEnd;
    } else if('selection' in document) {
        el.focus();
        var Sel = document.selection.createRange();
        var SelLength = document.selection.createRange().text.length;
        Sel.moveStart('character', -el.value.length);
        pos = Sel.text.length - SelLength;
        posEnd = Sel.text.length;
    }
    // return both selection start and end;
    return [pos, posEnd];
};

$('#text').keydown(function (e) {
    var position = $(this).getCursorPosition();
    var deleted = '';
    var val = $(this).val();
    if (e.which == 8) {
        if (position[0] == position[1]) {
            if (position[0] == 0)
                deleted = '';
            else
                deleted = val.substr(position[0] - 1, 1);
        }
        else {
            deleted = val.substring(position[0], position[1]);
        }
    }
    else if (e.which == 46) {
        var val = $(this).val();
        if (position[0] == position[1]) {

            if (position[0] === val.length)
                deleted = '';
            else
                deleted = val.substr(position[0], 1);
        }
        else {
            deleted = val.substring(position[0], position[1]);
        }
    }
    // Now you can test the deleted character(s) here
});

And here is Live Demo

A: You could use the keydown event handler instead so that the last character to be deleted is still available:
$('textarea').on('keydown',function(e) {
    var deleteKeyCode = 8,
        value = $(this).val(),
        length = value.length,
        lastChar = value.substring(length-1, length);

    if (e.which === deleteKeyCode) {
        alert(lastChar);
    }
});

A: Live Demo
$('input').keydown(function(e){
    $(this).data('prevVal', $(this).val());
}).keyup(function(e){
    if(e.keyCode === 8) {//delete
        var ele = $(this);
        var val = ele.data('prevVal');
        var newVal = ele.val();
        var removedChar = val.substring(val.length-1);
        alert(removedChar);
    }
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This month we invited Shauna Schlender to join us on the Today Show to share her encouraging and inspirational story about batting breast cancer. She opened up about trying to stay positive, and says it could have not been possible without the help of all of her friends and family, including her husband and 2-year-old daughter, whom have helped her stay grateful for her many blessings.
Shauna was diagnosed earlier this year, and has had a mastectomy, eight rounds of chemotherapy, and is now undergoing radiation treatment. Fortunately, she has received a good prognosis from her doctor, and along with her unbelievable strength and faith she managed to serve as her sister's maid of honor in August.


Oslo Flow have been bossing the decks for well over a decade. Their 12" EP "They Done Found The Flow" hit the scene with a knockout punch in 2012, and before that they released some now-impossible-to-find records of skratch music under the name Wrists Of Fury. Anyone that's ever walked away from a live performance by these masters of scratch will tell a tale of jaws in hand and skulls pumped full of inspiration.
The level of hype for a DJ tool put together by Plato released on Cut & Paste Records is very high, and this record absolutely delivers. Beyond being one of the ultimate warlocks of the scratch game, Plato is a producer known for injecting high energy into his off-kilter beats.
"Try To Step" side A takes you on a journey of funk with 4 instrumental tracks that ride the sweet spot between loose flow and pristine perfection. Enough space to drop fader clicks galore, packed with a range of texured drums and rhythms drawing from Alx's multi-instrumentalist skills. In his own words: "The beats are all produced to enhance the skratchers inner funk"!
The B side is laced with the deadly dirt that keeps us up late at night destroying faders. Starting off with 10 vocal loops, configured at 166.66bpm (compatible with regular and unltrapitch turntables) that will have you flowin' like water from the Nile. These are followed by 4 banging skipless drum loops and a fat lock-groove synth-tone to get clever with.
No words are going to do "Try To Step" justice. Plato bleeds artistic integrity. Over a year of bouncing samples back and forth with Symatic to grind out a solid release went into this production. The album cover is a painting by Plato. Close inspection shows the raw texture of brush strokes on canvas, which very much match the vibe of this release. Get it on the platter and start flowing with what is guaranteed to be one of the illest scratch record releases by Cut & Paste Records in 2019.


Drawing on over 200 years of experience, Airepure is our flagship filtration brand; a fast-growing name in the HVAC industry and beyond – including industrial, processing, mining, infrastructure and health markets.
With its origins in Australia and New Zealand, it is now internationally recognised in these markets as a go-to brand for the maintenance and replacement of filtration equipment in critical industries.
A leading name in the air movement and filtration industry in the Australasia region, Airepure's strong ties with Elta Group across international markets have flourished in recent years.
Offering a wide range of air filters and ultra-clean air solutions for a wide variety of applications, its flexibility, quality and value have been key factors in its international success.


text:
Home Blockchain Games Inside Beyond The Void The Interview
Inside Beyond The Void The Interview
An exclusive interview with Camille from B2Expand about Beyond the Void, the first Blockchain powered MOBA Game.
George Tsagkarakis
Beyond the Void interview with camille marketing manager in b2expand
Beyond The Void is one of the oldest Blockchain Games, we first played it through steam platform a couple of months ago, and I must say it intrigued us. Now, after playing and researching, we are pleased to present to you an interview with Camille, Marketing Manager in B2Expand, who happily answered all of our questions regarding Beyond The Void, B2Expand, and the future of Blockchain Gaming.
You might want to read our review before going through the interview.
Let's begin with the interview. In Italic are our questions and comments.
Beyond The Void seems to be one of the first blockchain games, can you tell us how you came up with the idea of developing a crypto-MOBA game?
Beyond the Void was founded two years ago by two brothers. One has more than 10 Years of Experience in the gaming industry. The other is a new technology enthusiast, especially interested in blockchain technologies. The idea was to create a MOBA game allowing players to truly own their items and the solution came through blockchain technology. Beyond the company completed its ICO in 2016 and funded the project for future development, many skilled people joined the team at a later date.
Can you give us a background of B2Expand and the team working on Beyond the Void?
B2Expand was created in 2017 with the vision of empowering blockchain players and developers. The company is currently based in France and counts 18 employees actively working on numerous projects like the Nexarium, a cross-gaming ecosystem that will work seamlessly with Beyond The Void and other future releases from B2Expand in the first place and then also from other game studios and indie developers.
Right now, players can access Nexarium's Marketplace with numerous items available for the players, which will be available also for other games coming in 2019.
What is Beyond the Void? How many players are playing?
Beyond the Void is a Free to play hybrid strategy game in space available for download on Steam. It's a Moba style with Real-Time Strategy mechanics in battle arenas. You can call it a mix of Starcraft & League of Legends.
You start with a Spaceship, which is the base of your army, and your goal is to take out the opponent's planet through upgrades and strategy.
Beyond the Void, scheduled for full release this October 24, due to its playstyle and mechanics mostly relies on player's skills rather than other games where players gain huge advantages with items to achieve a victory. They were 1600 players during the last months. The team hopes the community will continue to grow now. The game will be officially released.
Discover more about the game on their website: http://beyond-the-void.net
Beyond the Void Blockchain Game Artwork
A great blockchain game needs a great economy to support it. Can you share more information about Nexium, the in-game cryptocurrency, and how you manage to make it valuable for the players?
The Nexium was created two years ago through an ICO. What players should know is that Nexium is not only the cryptocurrency of Beyond the Void, but it's also the currency for the Nexarium ecosystem of cross-compatible games B2Expand is building. Nexium is not mineable through games, but it can be acquired through tournaments on Beyond the Void and cryptocurrency exchanges. The Nexarium Marketplace is fueled by the Nexium token where players can purchase unique items in limited quantity and then resell them to the "Black market" in the price of their choice.
For all the Blockchain games, attracting non-crypto currency users seems like a challenge, what are your plans to grow your players base outside cryptocurrency sphere?
This is the main objective since we've created Beyond the Void. Our game is designed for traditional players with familiar mechanisms that Moba and RTS games share, available on Steam with millions of potential players. The idea is to create a familiar gaming environment before telling players about blockchain. Once players join the game and then the Nexarium ecosystem, through a series of actions, they are guided in the blockchain-world and offered all the necessary information to use and understand the blockchain economy, including wallet creation, community support and step by step guides.
Camille also stated that the Nexarium wallet would be easier to use (comparing to other ERC-20 wallets), and she gave an example of Myetherwallet private keys. An important issue for players unfamiliar with cryptocurrencies. They all have a huge chance to get locked out because once they lose the private key, there is no recovery option.
Let's accept that it's difficult to obtain crypto, especially if you are not aware of it, so B2Expand is currently looking for a reliable partner to accept credit card payments, the most widespread payment method in the world.
Excalibur Spaceship in Beyond the Void
Do you have plans to release Beyond the Void in other platforms like Android or console gaming?
Beyond the Void is a hybrid strategy game designed for PC. Like many other MOBA games, it is not available for smartphone or console. However, we have other games coming in the Nexarium ecosystem in 2019. Some will be for mobile phones and console.
B2Expand has links with Ubisoft, can you share more information on this for our readers?
In 2017 B2Expand was one of the five Ubisoft's startup program participants who created a win-win situation providing expertise and expanding the horizons of Beyond the Void through one of the most famous Game studios in the world.
On September 25, the Blockchain Game Summit will take place in Lyon and B2Expand is organizing this unique event, can you share with our readers why they should visit Blockchain Game Summit this year?
B2Expand is organizing the Blockchain Game Summit, a high-level summit where some of the experts of blockchain and gaming will present their games and discuss innovative ideas. Worth to mention that Ubisoft sponsors the blockchain Game Summit. Everyone interested in blockchain gaming should visit the particular summit and benefit through a series of workshops and speeches from the most popular blockchain games up to date.
If you miss your chance to be in the Blockchain Game Summit, there will be a recording for later view.
How will blockchain impact the Gaming industry? Are we going to see huge game studios joining the blockchain-movement anytime soon?
We are going to see the big players joining the Blockchain Gaming Industry. We are still in the early stages of development, but as we saw from what's following the Cryptokitties craze, more and more "true games" (not crypto-collectibles) join the industry every day. Larger game studios have the expertise, and the means to join blockchain and they are already here in the backstage.
Camille also stated that Ubisoft is currently developing a blockchain game through their Innovation Labs.
We would like to thank Camille and the B2Expand company for providing us with the opportunity to discuss their future objectives.
We hope the best for Beyond the Void, and we are looking forward to the main launch of the game on October 24.
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Rhode Island's Providence Brewing will grand open its new taproom this Saturday, Jan. 8 (grab a pint)
January 4, 2022 Keith Gribbins
Hey CBB'ers, here's our craft beer sojourn of the week. For beer drinkers in the New England area, may we suggest Providence Brewing Co., which recently announced the much-anticipated grand opening of its taproom in the heart of Providence's Valley Neighborhood this Saturday, Jan. 8. Put on something smart (including a mask; there's a mandate) and visit the Farm Fresh RI Food Hub building at 10 Sims Avenue in Providence. Doors will open at noon at the new location, bringing 16 taps of delicious Rhode Island-made beer under one roof. From the press release:
"Since the start of the pandemic, this taproom has been in the works for nearly a year, and we are so excited to share what we've created with everyone finally," said Efren Hidalgo, founder, and brewer of Providence Brewing. "Beyond great beverages, we believe we've created a space that is inviting, welcoming, and the perfect place to experience what Providence has to offer."
"Moving to this beautiful new location allows us to expand our taproom and brewing operations. That means we are now able to push the limits and boundaries of beverages made in Rhode Island," said Efren. "From beer to hard seltzer and eventually soda, craft beverage enthusiasts will be able to experience and explore it all in one space!"
Who are these beer makers?
First off, this is Rhode Island's first Hispanic revival brewery in Providence. Crafting fresh-grain-to-glass brews from the middle of the city, Providence Brewing Co. is a family-owned brewery located in the heart of Providence's historic Valley Neighborhood, two blocks from its landmark namesake, and the city's only renaissance brewery since prohibition. Beer is in the family's DNA: The son of immigrant-born Efren Hidalgo, who distributed beer for La Tropical in Cuba (ca. 1950-1952), 10 years before they emigrated to the United States moved to Boston. Over two generations, their love of beer has evolved into a passion for craft beer. Today, his son Efren Hidalgo II operates a 6-bbl brewhouse and nearly 3,000-sq-ft facility, crafting seven year-round canned beers, including the widely celebrated Battlecow IIPA, with distribution throughout Rhode Island, with plans to expand into Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Some mysterious images from Providence Brewing's Facebook page.
This new taproom will boast nearly 3,000 sq ft of indoor space and a spacious taproom. It's not just beer. On-site rotating food trucks, a dedicated retail space, artwork and music from local artists are all part of the property's extensive six-month buildout. Offering a lineup of year-round, seasonal and specialty releases, the on-site brewery will also house small-batch R&D production. Future plans include a shuffleboard court, movies and beer education classes, joint releases and lots more.
Upon opening, hours for the Providence Brewing Co taproom will be Tuesday-Thursday from 4-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 12-11 p.m. and Sunday from 12-8 p.m. The taproom will be closed on Mondays. This new taproom is both dog- and kid-friendly.


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Q: Controller inside a folder inside a folder not working (Codeigniter) I've been doing pretty good with codeigniter but now I've hit a little snag. Instead of having everything in one controller file, I want to redistribute it throughout many files inside a sub-folder. For instance:
localhost/folderA/folderB/controllerFile
This way folder B replaces the home file for the controller and all the files can be dispersed inside this new folder since there's no need to have 10 different controller functions inside a single file (makes it large you know).
In routes I added a new line to
$route['folderA/folderB/(:any)/'] = 'folderA/folderB';
I don't even think it's even necessary to add a route but it wasn't working, always getting a 404 page no matter what. Now, the very same code for the controller works perfectly well if I bring it back by a folder. This means that /folderA/folderB/controllerFile works in /folderA/controllerFile without worries.
My objective is not to resort to moving these files up a directory but to keep the structure the same as it once was. Has anyone gone mad over something like this? I'd imagine so... lol
Thanks for reading!
Edit: For clarification this is what's going on:
  /application/controllers/file.php (OK)
  /application/controllers/folderA/file.php (OK)
  /application/controllers/folderA/folderB/file.php (This does not work)

I could do /application/controllers/folderA/file.php and have all of the functions inside of it so it works as followed:
localhost/folderA/file
localhost/folderA/file/functionb
localhost/folderA/file/functionc

But this makes the file rather unnecessarily large when the same result could be done using sub-sub directories. Makes sense?

A:
Instead of having everything in one controller file, I want to redistribute it throughout many files inside a sub-folder. ... all the files can be dispersed inside this new folder since there's no need to have 10 different controller functions inside a single file.

You can already put functions into multiple controller files under one directory called controllers.  There was never a requirement to put all functions into one controller file.
By default, all controllers are stored in the controllers directory...
/application/controllers/

Example:
/application/controllers/Users.php
/application/controllers/Auth.php
/application/controllers/Etc.php

I don't even think it's even necessary to add a route but it wasn't working, always getting a 404 page no matter what.

If you want to use subdirectories for controllers, then these subdirectories must be contained within the controllers directory and you need to follow the documentation.
/application/controllers/subfolderA/
/application/controllers/subfolderB/

As per the documentation:

If you are building a large application you might want to hierarchically organize or structure your controllers into sub-directories. CodeIgniter permits you to do this.
Simply create sub-directories under the main application/controllers/ one and place your controller classes within them.
When using this feature the first segment of your URI must specify the folder.
Each of your sub-directories may contain a default controller which will be called if the URL contains only the sub-directory.  Simply put a controller in there that matches the name of your default_controller as specified in your application/config/routes.php file.
CodeIgniter also permits you to remap your URIs using its URI Routing feature.

EDIT:

I could do /application/controllers/folderA/file.php and have all of the functions inside of it so it works as followed:

localhost/folderA/file
localhost/folderA/file/functionb
localhost/folderA/file/functionc

But this makes the file rather unnecessarily large when the same result could be done using sub-sub directories. Makes sense?

Why do you keep talking about a "single large file"?  You can break your functions up into as many controller files as you wish without the need of any subdirectories...
/application/controllers/Users.php
/application/controllers/Auth.php
/application/controllers/Etc.php

Respectively accessed via URL as
/users/function_foo
/auth/function_bar
/etc/function_foobar

Then using routes.php, you can achieve whatever complex URL you wish...
$route['foldera/testPage/testing'] = 'users/function_foo';

However, if you want to use a subdirectory within the controllers directory...
/application/controllers/subdirectory/Controller_a.php

Accessed via URL as...
/subdirectory/controller_a/some_function

Can be re-routed as literally anything you want...
$route['foo/bar/anything/here/tester/foobar'] = 'subdirectory/controller_a/some_function';

A: Okay so I figured out the solution using routes. While I don't understand exactly why codeigniter doesn't allow a 3-level folder, what I ended up doing is creating a new folder inside /application/controllers/test/ and within that folder I had my test.php file.
Then I went back to the routes configuration file and added the following line:
$route['foldera/testPage/testing'] = 'test/test';

What this effectively does is that when you direct your browser to the page
http://localhost/foldera/testPage/testing

It will treat that page as found in /application/controllers/test/test.php
It's basically giving it an alias. However if you go to localhost/test/test it will have no issues with this and treat it the exact same as foldera/testPage/testing.php In order to resolve this little issue, simply add another line to the routes config file
$route['test/test'] = 'notfound'; // Your 404 page controller

Now the only way to access that folder is directly from the URL that you want. Ta-da!


Our new 4 wheel cushion electric trucks continue to follow Doosan's tradition of delivering efficient, reliable products, while offering the best value for our customers.
Whenever the operator leaves the seat, traveling and lifting will be restricted.
Operators perform best when their working conditions are ideal, and the Doosan 7 Series has been designed to make this a reality. From the steering wheel to the full suspension seats, everything about these trucks have the operators' in mind.
Lifting will be disabled when the battery is discharged to 20% during operation. This function is to protect the battery from damage and prevent sudden loss of power due to a dead battery.
The BC-7 Series provides smooth operation in various work applications. With the precision AC motor controller and the optimized design, Doosan's new machine is able to deliver efficient operation even in the tightest spaces.
Effective storage is the primary goal for many warehouse managers. Our 4 wheel models have brand new steer axles, which have been carefully designed to minimize the turning radius. It can now achieve an outstanding 86° steer angle, enabling the machines to maneuver with ease even in the tightest spaces.
The Doosan 7 Series electric forklifts are practically waterproof and are safe for outdoor use.


text:
<?php
defined('IN_PHPCMS') or exit('No permission resources.');
pc_base::load_sys_class('model', '', 0);
class block_history_model extends model {
	public function __construct() {
		$this->db_config = pc_base::load_config('database');
		$this->db_setting = 'default';
		$this->table_name = 'block_history';
		parent::__construct();
	}
}
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prision, I am not free.
Three things cannot long be hidden the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Becoming and being are the yin and yang of our lives. One inner one outer. Today, we value becoming to the exclusion of being; we applaud human becomings. The secret is balance.
perhpas I should post the second part of the dixies project there, for the most "atrevidos"
...one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought.
Awww hell. And I thought it had to do with electric pulses and radio waves and all sorts of other spooky technological stuff that I'd never be able to understand.
That's why he's . . . . . Einstein, and I'm me.
"as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; as fishes are suddenly taken in a net, unhappy for them, which is at once cast over them, while they are sporting and playing in the water, and catching at the bait; and as birds, being decoyed, are unawares taken in a snare; that is, both of them know not the time of their being caught......"
It is human nature to take things for granted and think that they will last forever. But life is short and all things are fleeting, and we must treasure the moments where there is peace and we are with our loved ones.
What a great quote...Have this one on my fridge now. WONDERFUL!!


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text:
Mappe campus
Ricerca di contatti, progetti,
corsi e pubblicazioni
Mappa competenze
Altre unità organizzative
Fernanda Gallo
http://usi.to/kpz
Fernanda Gallo is Teaching Fellow in Politics at the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath and she is also collaborating with the SINERGIA research project "Milan and Ticino (1796-1848). Shaping spatiality of a European Capital", funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, at the University of Lugano, where she also teach "Citizenship and public opinion".
She was awarded by the Swiss National Science Foundation with the PostDoc Mobility grant, thanks to which she has spent a research period at the Faculty of History at University of Cambridge and at the Centre for the History of Political Thought at Queen Mary University of London, where she also taught History of Political Thought.
In 2015 she obtained her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Maurizio Viroli (Laboratory of civil studies) with a thesis entitled "The longing for the missed Reformation. The Renaissance in 19th century Italian Hegelianism" (Summa cum laude).
Before achieving the Master in Civic Education, organized by Princeton University and Ethica Foundation, she graduated (M.A.) in Philosophy at the University of Naples "Federico II" with a thesis on the Hegelian tradition in the Italian Risorgimento (110/110 cum laude and Dean's Award).
She spent research periods as visiting student at Cambridge University (Sidney Sussex College) - UK; Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg - Germany; Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen - Germany, and she got several study grants by the Italian Institute for the philosophical Studies - Naples – Italy.
She is member of the board of the Research Network for the History of the Idea of Europe (UEA) and a founding member of the Society for Political Studies.
fernanda.gallo@usi.ch
tel +41 58 666 4705
Stabile principale, Ufficio 255 (Livello 2)
Via Buffi 13, 6900 Lugano
Ruoli
Assistente con dottorato - Facoltà di scienze della comunicazione
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Year-end accounting processes often involve important deadlines and cut-off dates. If you have questions about these deadlines, please contact Accounting.
June-July All Daily approval of entries (all billings must be current). Approve all Concur expense reports.
June 25 Monday 9:00 p.m. LTIP cutoff for June activity (FY 2018 LTIP transactions can continue to be posted through 7/16, these transactions will be included as July LTIP activity).
June 30 Saturday Delegates set up for Year End (YE) e-docs.
June 30 Saturday 8:45 p.m. Final collector files and enterprise feeds.
June 30 Saturday 9:00 p.m. In-year e-docs will be automatically disapproved [Budget Adjustment (BA), Distribution of Income and Expense (DI), General Error Correction (GEC), Internal Billing (IB), Intra-Account Adjustment (IAA), Transfer of Funds (TF), Salary Expense Transfer (ST), Benefit Expense Transfer (BT)].
July 1 Sunday FY 2019 in-year e-docs available.
July 2 Monday Final procurement card load (PCDO auto-held until 7/20).
July 5 Thursday Central biweekly payroll accrual posted to P12 (7 days: 6/21, 6/22, 6/25, 6/26, 6/27, 6/28, and 6/29).
July 5 Thursday Final Payment Request (PREQ) input for FY 2018 (last day fiscal officers can adjust accounts on PREQs for FY 2018).
Note: The vendor invoice date must be June 30 or earlier to post back to June. If the vendor invoice is July 1 or later, it will post to the new fiscal year.
July 6 Friday Auxiliary Voucher (AV) for FY 2018.
July 10 Tuesday 9:00 p.m. Procurement card post-back period end (last day procurement card transactions can be posted to FY 2018).
July 12 Thursday First account reversion.
July 12 Thursday Final gift feed.
July 13 Friday Second account reversion.
July 17 Tuesday 3:00 p.m. Final YE e-doc creation/submission (all except central DFA/UBO staff).
July 17 Tuesday 5:00 p.m. Final YE e-doc approval (all except central DFA/UBO staff).
July 17 Tuesday 5:00 p.m. KFS and e-SHOP will be unavailable, 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
July 17 Tuesday 5:00 p.m. Third and final account reversion.
July 18 Wednesday 9:00 p.m. Central DFA/UBO final creation/approval of YE Salary Transfer (YEST) e-docs.
July 19 Thursday 5:00 p.m. Central DFA/UBO final creation/approval of YE e-docs. YEJV only active e-doc.
July 20 Friday 5:00 p.m. Year-end close (KFS and e-SHOP will be unavailable, 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.).


text:
Double Awards Success for the Pheasant Inn
27 Sep'19
Staff at the five-star Pheasant Inn in Tattenhall are celebrating after winning a prestigious dining award in a renowned annual publication.
The latest edition of the Good Pub Guide has named the inn Cheshire's 'County Dining Pub of the Year' for 2020, a prize awarded to establishments around the country who produce 'exceptional meals in convivial surroundings'.
The news of this special award comes shortly after the pub was recognised by website Big 7 Travel as serving one of the top 50 Sunday dinners in the UK in a recent article.
The Pheasant is a quintessentially English country pub nestled in the gloriously unspoilt Peckforton Hills.
Proudly overlooking everything from the Cheshire Plain to North Wales from its location along the historic Sandstone Trail, this hidden treasure is a retreat for locals and visitors alike, championing delicious, honest, homecooked food made from the finest locally sourced fresh ingredients and produce.
Whether our visitors choose to experience our AA Rosette awarded dining, handpicked ales and fine wines, or stay and unwind in one of our 12 rural-chic bedrooms, this unique, idyllic and unparalleled inn keeps a warm welcome waiting for visitors time and time again.
Andrew Nelson, Operations Director of Nelson Hotels Group said: "To be named 2020 County Dining Pub of the Year, Cheshire is a huge honour and privilege and one we are delighted to have received from the Good Pub Guide.
"This, alongside the recognition The Pheasant has received from Big 7 Travel for its frankly delicious Sunday roast is a tremendous double accolade following a very busy summer."


DARIEN, IL – A new study found that spouses of military service members experience significant sleep problems, which can impact their health and psychosocial functioning.
The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Sunday, June 12, in Denver at SLEEP 2016, the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).
The study was supported by RAND National Defense Research Institute; Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army, and the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Presentation Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
SLEEP 2016 is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The SLEEP 2016 abstract supplement is available online. For a copy of the abstract or to arrange an interview with the study author or an AASM spokesperson, please contact AASM Senior Communications Coordinator Amy Pyle at 630-737-9700, ext. 9366, or apyle@aasm.org.


Holly Atkinson is a sculptor,mixed media artist and thing maker. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Sheridan College in Art Education.
Holly has her own studio where she works primarily in paper, fabric, metals, mixed media and found objects.
Her unique and contemporary pieces are based on people, places and things usually based on different cultures, nature and imagination.