Montgomery County health inspectors rarely order eateries to close, but they do dole out plenty of citations and threaten to issue fines if a business doesn't address sanitation concerns.
We looked at restaurants that received seven or more serious violations last month or those that temporarily closed due to fire or when fire suppression equipment was discharged.
Every inspection is generally regarded as a "snapshot in time" and not necessarily a reflection of day-to-day conditions. Most violations were fixed immediately on site in the presence of an inspector.
To look up reports on a specific Montgomery County restaurant or a Philadelphia, Bucks or Gloucester County eatery, or read more in the Inquirer's Clean Plates series, visit philly.com/cleanplates.
Visible mold on cheese in walk-in cooler; debris on fan guard in retail beer cooler and on floor below cook's line; mold on door gasket of walk-in cooler; raw eggs stored over ready-to-eat food items in work top cooler; insect control device hanging from faucet at three basin sink at bar; hair restraint lacking for food handler; no thermometer in retail beer cooler and two door bar cooler; potatoes for French fries and bottled sauces were stored on the kitchen floor.
Montgomery County Health Department will conduct a re-inspection on or after Oct. 12 due to number of violations and repeated violations. Inspected on Sept. 28.
Raw marinating chicken not covered in walk-in refrigerator; foods not covered in storage; unwrapped partial loaf of lunchmeat in direct contact with packaging of another product in freezer; bulk ingredient lid with wide crack, employee beverages not in cup with lid and straw and placed on food prep surface; a can opener blade and mechanism found with dried accumulation; a bowl of sliced lemons was stored in contact with ice for beverages; mop and mop bucket stored outside rear of facility.
Should facility not be in compliance at the time of re-inspection they will be required to attend an administrative conference and will receive an additional re-inspection. Inspected Sept. 28.
Raw chicken and raw shelled eggs inappropriately stored in prep units and walk in refrigerator; an employee meal was found on the prep table in the kitchen; personal items stored on dry storage shelf; food slicer on shelf under prep table was unclean; a scoop lacking handle was stored in bulk food containers; outside trash dumpster lid open.
Raw vegetable stored next to and in contact with raw swordfish in plastic bag; mold accumulation on interior walls and ceiling of basement ice maker; improper thawing method observed on raw frozen portions of tuna steaks in walk-in refrigerator and not removed from cryo vacuumed packages; can opener blade and soda gun nozzles were unclean; unlabeled chemical spray bottle found in ware wash area; fly glue stick hung above food prep slicer area; food handler lacking hair/beard restraint.
A follow-up inspection has been scheduled to ensure compliance of violations that are unable to be corrected at time of inspection. Inspected on Sept. 21.
No faucet handle for hot water or cold water in the kitchen hand sink; raw shrimp and beef stored over the produce in walk-in refrigerator; absorbent linen material found on top of prepared sushi rice and container to scoop bulk foods; no ambient thermometer for one-door condiment storage refrigerator under sushi bar counter; food boxes and packages stored directly on the floor of walk-in refrigerator; ice cream scoop stored in stagnant water; establishment freezes salmon for raw fish consumption on site and the packages did not have freezing dates.
Facility heats and hot holds breakfast sandwiches and items, other than hot dogs, on a hot roller; cigarette butts and ashes found on floor below three basin sink; rodent droppings found in cabinet under sandwich hot holding unit; debris on floor below shelves in walk-in cooler; frost build-up found around door, on shelves and inside the walk-in freezer; facility lacks a probe thermometer to take internal temperatures of food; hot sandwich held at inappropriate temperature;tThe water sensor is broken on restroom hand sink.
Montgomery County Health Department will conduct a re-inspection on or after Oct. 6 due to number of violations and repeated violations. Inspected Sept. 22.
19 violations; 8 food-borne illness risks.
Tylenol stored on shelf at salad prep unit; the can opener piercing point, inside of wait staff ice machine, a food cart in the walk-in refrigerator and a food slicer splash guard were unclean; food items throughout refrigeration stored in open original cans; a food container was stored directly on the floor in walk-in refrigerator; a scoop lacking handle stored in bulk dry goods in dry storage area.
Facility was scheduled for a re-inspection on or after Sept. 26. Inspection on Sept. 12.
Employee beverages lacking cup with lid and straw was stored over food prep refrigerator; food stored in non-food grade bags in walk-in and dry storage; dust hanging from walk-in refrigerator fan guard; scoop for cooked rice with tape on handle; oil squeeze bottle wrapped with paper towels at cooks line; menu lacking consumer advisory for raw or under cooked food items.
Facility was scheduled for a re-inspection on or after Sept 25. Inspected on Sept. 11.
No soap at hand sink entrance to kitchen; employee beverage stored on food prep surface; chicken and shrimp stacked above cold line basin along cook line equipment and a container of sprouts on counter found at inappropriate temperatures; back exit door to outside propped open; cell phone stored near food related items; frost build-up walk-in freezer; floors under cook line equipment unclean.
Facility was scheduled for a re-inspection on or after Sept. 25. Inspected on Sept. 11.
Food slicer unclean; food items held in two-door reach-in unit at back prep area at inappropriate temperatures; open packages of lunch meat stored in four-door reach-in unit lacking date marking; chemical spray bottle at waitstaff area lacking label; floors under cook line unclean; the two-door reach-in unit was not at a proper temperature; the refrigeration unit in customer seating area did not have a proper separation/lock; high temperature dish machine need to be repaired.
Brisket in steam table was not held at the required temperature; facility lacked sufficient thermometers for taking temperature of various Kosher Foods; containers of food on floor in walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer; utensils stored in stagnant water along cooks line; food handlers lacked beard/hair restraints; food prep sink plumbing was leaking into basement near dump sink; facility lacking variance for smoker in back of building; raw shelled eggs were found over ready-to-eat food items in walk-in cooler.
Facility is scheduled for a re-inspection on or after Oct. 9. Inspected on Sept. 25.
Milk had expired sell by or use by date; food uncovered throughout refrigeration units; can opener blade and interior of the microwave were unclean; dates were not marked on food containers in refrigeration; food handler lacking hair/beard restraint; wet wiping cloths not stored in a sanitizing solution.
Facility must correct and maintain all noted violations. Inspected Sept. 25.
Employee beverage not in cup with lid and straw; sauce made by facility held past seven days; foods, including pulled pork, held at inappropriate temperatures; license not publicly posted; warewashing machine did not have the appropriate amount of chlorine during final rinse.
Mice droppings found on the dry food storage shelves in basement; vacuum packaged frozen minced tuna and tilapia were thawing in original packaging condition in sushi bar reach-in refrigerator; no date markings on prepared foods, including cooked egg rolls, BBQ meats, cooked chicken morsels, that were held at the establishment for more than 24 hours and required refrigeration; raw meats and shelled eggs were stored over the prepared sauces and produce box in walk-in refrigerator; rice scoop stored in stagnant water and knives stored in crevices of prep table and cold prep refrigerator; exposed food containers in two-door reach-in glass door refrigerator in kitchen, food containers stored directly on the floor in basement storage area and at sushi bar.
Due to the numerous repeated out of compliance items and newly observed out of compliance items as observed during the most recent inspection, establishment required a re-inspection on or after Oct. 4. Inspected on Sept. 20.
Employee beverages not in cup with lid and straw; employee observed eating in food prep area; bar hand sink lacking soap and paper towels that bar employees must use when working; numerous chemical spray bottles lacking label; a container of sauce was cooling improperly; single use containers washed and re-used; glove tied to slicer blade cover; holes / gap around floor drain near beer walk-in refrigerator.
Mold on the surface of cheese block stored in deli display refrigerator; sliced tomatoes and lettuce stored at improper temperatures in sandwich prep refrigerator for unknown duration; no date markings on opened packages of variety of deli lunch meats and cheese between the change of ownership transfer; no labeling on commercially prepared fruit cups in bottom of display refrigerator; sandwich prep refrigerator did not maintain required temperature.
Colander of cooked chicken stored on re-used cardboard egg container in walk-in cooler; raw meats stored above ready to eat sauces in walk-in cooler; one heavily dented can observed on dry storage shelf; date markings lacking on prepared foods in walk-in cooler; garlic in oil stored at room temperature at cook's line must be marked; food containers stored on floor in walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer; single use containers without handles used as scoops, and stored in contact with product, in bulk dry storage containers.
Facility must correct and maintain all violations. Inspected Sept. 12.
Pint of Half & Half observed past date; raw fish found at meat walk-in and eggs in produce walk-in; employee beverage lacking lid stored on shake blender at waitstaff station; open loaves of lunchmeats lacking date marking; cigarette pack stored in box with raw agricultural product; foods at salad bar found at improper temperature; ice accumulation in walk-in freezer from refrigerant pipe; various strings etc. used to hang or support items throughout kitchen; shoes and a hat were stored next to foods.
employee beverages lacking lids and straws in prep areas, including in basin of hand sink; raw chicken stored above ready to eat foods in walk-in cooler; wings were not held at appropriate temperatures; date markings lacking on prepared foods in walk-in cooler; sandwich/salad prep cooler not holding correct temperature; prepackaged desserts in Coke cooler lack labels with all required information; food items stored in opened original cans; food items stored in grocery style bags with dye in walk-in cooler; food items stored in re-used cardboard boxes in prep cooler and one door reach-in freezer in storage closet; food boxes stored on floor in storage closet.
Facility must monitor temperature of pizza prep cooler to ensure proper cold holding at all times, including peak hours. Facility must correct and maintain all violations. Inspected Sept. 12.
Raw shelled eggs inappropriately stored in the walk-in refrigerator; facility lacking time log for prepared pizza; cut garlic stored in oil at prep table with improper internal temperature; food slicer on prep table unclean; food container stored directly on the floor in walk-in refrigerator; food handler lacking hair/beard restraint; outside trash dumpster lid open; raw wood palate stored under ware wash sink for chemical storage; dust build up on vent cover at waitstaff area; personal items stored on dry storage rack.
Montgomery County Health Department license expired; food in steam table not holding appropriate temperatures; date markings lacking on secondary containers in walk-in cooler; chemical spray bottle stored next to clean cups; no accurate thermometers in cooks line cooler; back prep area hand sink near oven is blocked; Employee jacket and bag hanging from food storage shelf; dumpster lid open at time of inspection.
Sugar packets were stained; microwave was unclean; General Tsaos sauce and fruit not refrigerated; yogurt not held at proper temperature, chemical cleaner found on prep table; fly in back storage area; cornstarch, corn meal, pecans, and cake batter were stored in open not sealable containers; floor drain behind ice machine, floor drain in front of cooks line and the side of the fryer were unclean.
Facility must correct and maintain all noted violations. Inspected Sept. 11.
Restaurants that were closed after a fire or when fire suppression equipment discharged.
The facility closed on Sept. 22 after employees used chemicals to bomb for fruit fly in the basement and accidentally set off the fire alarms. All food related equipment, utensils, food prep surfaces floors, walls, and ceilings have been clean and sanitized after the incident and the restaurant reopened. All any single service items and take out containers were discarded. The Montgomery County Health Department granted permission for facility to reopen contingent upon all other local approvals.
On Sept. 21, the health department was called to the facility after oil was poured on hot coils in the fryer and a fire suppression system was activated. The fryers on the cooks line that are used to fry hash browns and French fries were affected.The French fries were discarded and the restaurant voluntarily closed for cleaning.
The restaurant was instructed to clean and sanitize all food and non-food contact surfaces, utensils, and equipment that may have been affected. Facility must drain, clean, and sanitize all affected fryers and to discard any opened single use utensils that may have been affected.
The restaurant closed on Sept. 19 when a griddle caught fire while in use and employee used handheld fire extinguisher to put out the fire and flames. The establishment notified Abington Fire Marshal and voluntarily closed the operation to customers and ceased all food and beverage handling at the time. The restaurant discarded all the contaminated food, condiments, and single service utensils and food service equipment, including food contact and non-food contact utensils and perimeter surfaces have been cleaned from the chemicals. They were approved to continue normal business operations.
The Montgomery County Health Department was contacted by the facility after the fire suppression system had discharged and they were without hot water under pressure because gas had been turned off. The facility had closed and discarded all food items and single service items that may have been contaminated. They cleaned and sanitized the affected area. On Sept. 7, the health department granted permission to open and operate at time of inspection contingent upon all other necessary approvals.
On the night of Sept. 6, mall security used fire extinguisher on burner that caught fire. The facility voluntarily closed and began cleaning and sanitizing all affected areas. No food items were in the affected area. The manager called for repairs to the fire suppression/hood system. The facility remained closed until granted permission by the health department to reopen.
On August 31, the Montgomery County Health Department was called for a dish machine fire. The facility voluntarily closed during the incident and cleaned and sanitized all equipment/utensils in affected area. The dish machine was repaired by time of inspection. The health department granted permission for the restaurant to open and operate at time of inspection contingent upon all other necessary approvals.


Anawe, Paul Apeye Lucky and Fayomi, O. S. I and Ayoola, A. A. and Popoola, A. P. I. (2018) Effect of SnO2/SiO2 nano particle dispersant on the performance characteristic of complex multi-doped composite coating produced through electrodeposition on oil and gas storage tap. Results in Physics, 9. pp. 1570-1571.
The effect of SnO2/SiO2 nano particle dispersant on the performance characteristic of complex zinc multi-doped composite coating produced through electrodeposition is studied. The degradation behaviour in term of wear and chemical corrosion activities were considered as a major factor in service. The wear mass loss was carried out with the help of reciprocating tester. The electrochemical corrosion characteristics were investigated using linear polarization technique in 3.5% simulated sodium chloride media. The outcome of the analysis shows that the developed coating was seen to provide a sound anti wear characteristics in its multidoped state. The corrosion resistance properties were observed to be massive compared to the binary based sample. It is expected that this characteristic will impact on the performance life span of storage tap in oil and gas.


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Published on March 25, 2019 under content.


really, truly I hate this camera.. I thought I was getting a great one.. it's been out for about 7 months or so and I honestly thought Olympus was a great brand.. I read the reviews and most of them were really great, the only downside to most of them was that they drained batteries fairly quickly.. I wasn't deterred.. until I actually bought the camera myself.. the camera is an Olympus FE-310 and I purchased it for the much hyped "cuisine mode" It's not such a big deal. It's 'image stabilization mode' does nothing to prevent a shaky picture when you're a little less than steady (like with your elbow teetering at the edge of the table when you're trying to get a good foodie shot) the zoom makes everything blurry and I have yet to take a picture that is 'worthy' with this camera. It's very slow to focus and snap the shot and I just found out that without the "OPTIONAL" XD memory card all the functions do not work.. so then why do they call it optional? (and it has to be their brand or it may cause the camera to malfunction) Now, I really really really want to return this camera.. the hitch? I purchased it at Office Max and they have a pretty tricky return policy although 'satisfaction is guaranteed' it states that 'Electronic items, digital cameras, computers, PDA's and business machines must be returned within 14 days of purchase. Right underneath it states that OfficeMax will not accept returns of opened computers, pda's, digital cameras or software packages unless defective. These items that are defective may be exchanged for the identical item only.
So I think I'm stuck in a catch 22 here.. I'm gonna try tomorrow and see what I can do.. I really hate this camera.. and if it really comes down to it I might have to just sell it on ebay.. because, well. just because I don't like doesn't mean someone else won't too.


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text:
Q: How to do a select *,  using Oracle NoSQL? I am executing the following query (test table) :
select * from users order by id;
{"id":1,"firstname":"David","lastname":"Morrison","age":25,"income":100000}
{"id":2,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Anderson","age":35,"income":100000}
{"id":3,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Morgan","age":38,"income":null}
{"id":4,"firstname":"Peter","lastname":"Smith","age":38,"income":80000}
{"id":5,"firstname":"Dana","lastname":"Scully","age":47,"income":400000}

Now I want to add a new column calling modification_time($u). So I've tried
select *, modification_time($u)  as mt from users $u order by id;

it is failing with a syntax error, so I've tried
select $u.*, modification_time($u)  as mt from users $u order by id;

it is failing with a syntax error too
FYI, the following query is working
select modification_time($u) as mt from users $u order by id;

The idea is to have the same result as for this query but without needing specify all fields
select id , firstname, lastname, age, income,  modification_time($u)  as mt from users $u order by id;
{"id":1,"firstname":"David","lastname":"Morrison","age":25,"income":100000,"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.326Z"}
{"id":2,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Anderson","age":35,"income":100000,"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.332Z"}
{"id":3,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Morgan","age":38,"income":null,"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.336Z"}
{"id":4,"firstname":"Peter","lastname":"Smith","age":38,"income":80000,"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.338Z"}
{"id":5,"firstname":"Dana","lastname":"Scully","age":47,"income":400000,"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.340Z"}

Can someone help me ?

A: The only expression that returns a row is a row variable, that is, a table alias whose name starts with '$'.You are already using this when calling the modification_time($u), so you just need to use this variable in your select.
select $u, modification_time($u)  as mt
from users $u order by id;

In your case, it will be return a record with all
the fields (select *) + your expressions
{"u":{"id":1,"firstname":"David","lastname":"Morrison","age":25,"income":100000},"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.326Z"}
{"u":{"id":2,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Anderson","age":35,"income":100000},"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.332Z"}
{"u":{"id":3,"firstname":"John","lastname":"Morgan","age":38,"income":null},"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.336Z"}
{"u":{"id":4,"firstname":"Peter","lastname":"Smith","age":38,"income":80000},"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.338Z"}
{"u":{"id":5,"firstname":"Dana","lastname":"Scully","age":47,"income":400000},"mt":"2021-06-18T08:39:08.340Z"}

I don't know if it is possible to have all fields at the same json "level" as you shown in your last output.
Hope that this can help

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Plastic and metal scrap as well as old pieces of jewellery got a new look with gold spray. I still haven´t had quite enough of it.
I bought a gold spray can a while ago. I didn´have a specific purpose for it in mind, I just new I had to have it. I´ve already used it to some pieces of jewellery and on a painting. Let´s see what I´ll manage to create using this golden touch.


text:
\section{Introduction}

A possibility of exciton confinement and manipulation in potential traps attracted considerable interest in the past. Excitons are bosonic particles in semiconductors and studies of the bosons in controlled potential reliefs are of fundamental interest. In particular, confinement of bosonic atoms in traps is crucial for experimental implementation of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates \cite{CornellWieman2002, Ketterle2002}. Also, controlling the optical properties of semiconductors by manipulating the excitons in microdevices may be used to develop new optoelectronic devices.

Pioneered by the electron-hole liquid confinement in the strain-induced traps \cite{Wolfe1975}, exciton confinement has been implemented in various traps: strain-induced traps \cite{Trauernicht1983,Kash1988,NegoitaAPL1999}, traps created by laser-induced local interdiffusion \cite{Brunner1992}, magnetic traps \cite{Christianen1998}, and electrostatic traps \cite{Zimmermann1997,Huber1998,Krauss2004}. An advantage of the electrostatic traps is a possibility for creating a variety of in-plane potential reliefs with the required parameters for the excitons and a possibility for manipulating the relief in-situ thus controlling the optical properties both in space and in time. In particular, electrostatically induced transport of excitons \cite{Hagn1995} and the electrostatically controlled capture and release of the photonic images \cite{Krauss2004} have been demonstrated.

The principle of the electrostatic traps is based on the quantum confined Stark effect \cite{Miller1985}: An electric field $F_z$ perpendicular to the QW plane results in the exciton energy shift \mbox{$\delta E = e F_z d$}, where $d$ is the exciton dipole moment. For the indirect excitons in coupled quantum wells (CQWs) \cite{Hagn1995,Huber1998} electrons and holes are separated in different QWs and $d \approx L_{QW}$, the distance between the QW centers. The laterally modulated gate voltage $V_g(x,y)$ creates a laterally modulated electric field and, in turn, a lateral relief of the exciton energy $\delta E(x,y) = e F_z(x,y) d$. Control of $V_g(x,y)$ allows manipulation of the in-plane potential profile for excitons both in space and in time. However, an intrinsic obstacle for exciton confinement in the electrostatic traps is an in-plane electric field $F_r$ that can lead to exciton dissociation \cite{Miller1985}. A strong exciton confinement in the electrostatic traps requires a strong lateral modulation of $V_g$, which, in turn, can lead to a strong $F_r$ and exciton ionization \cite{Zimmermann1997}. In Ref. \cite{Zimmermann1997}, the intensity of the exciton PL was decreased with increasing modulation of $V_g$ indicating that exciton ionization worked effectively against the exciton confinement to the electrostatic traps.

We modeled electrostatic trap geometries that are variations on the theme of a CQW in an insulating layer sandwiched between a patterned set of top gate electrodes and a single homogeneous bottom gate electrode. To find the field distribution for given voltages at the gate electrodes, the Poisson equation was solved numerically for a static dielectric constant using the boundary elements method \cite{Beer2001}.

\begin{figure}[t]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8.6 cm]{trapsfig1.ps}
\caption{
\label{fig:simplewell}
Schematic cross-section of an electrostatic trap formed by sandwiching a AlAs/GaAs CQW between a homogeneous bottom gate and a top gate with a hole. The indirect exciton effective potential (a) and lateral component of electric field in the CQW plane
(b) are shown for $V_g=1$ V, $D=1000$ nm, $d=3.5$ nm, and for two CQW positions --- $D_b=$100 nm ($z=D_b/D=0.1$) and 500 nm ($z=0.5$) above the bottom gate. Left inset: the top gate electrode, which forms the periodic trap or bump arrays measured in the experiment. Right inset: AlAs/GaAs CQW band diagram.
}\end{center}
\end{figure}

The first trap is studied for AlAs/GaAs CQWs. It is obtained by making a circular hole in the top gate (\figref{fig:simplewell}). The separation between the gates is taken to be $D$ = 1000 nm and the exciton dipole moment in AlAs/GaAs CQWs is $d \sim 3.5$ nm. \figref{fig:simplewell}a displays the calculated effective exciton potential $\delta E(r) = e F_z(r) d$ for a top gate voltage of 1 V for two positions of the CQW --- 100 nm and 500 nm above the bottom gate. This trap has only two gates and its spacial profile is controlled by the ratio of the hole diameter versus gate separation. The applied voltage modifies only the strength of the trap (at positive $V_g$) or bump  (at negative $V_g$), not its shape.

The lateral component of the electric field $F_r(r)$ at the CQW plane is shown in \figref{fig:simplewell}b. Positioning the CQW close to the lower gate results in a strong suppression of the in-plane electric field at the CQW plane, by an order of magnitude for the example shown in \figref{fig:simplewell}. This is because the in-plane electric field is concentrated near gate edges and vanishes at the homogeneous bottom gate. The exciton ionization time reduces exponentially with the in-plane electric field $\tau \sim exp[4 E_{ex}/(3 e F_r a_{ex})]$, where $E_{ex}$ is the exciton binding energy and $a_{ex}$ is the exciton Bohr radius (see Eqs. A6 and A7 in \cite{Miller1985} for 2D and 3D excitons). If the CQW is equidistant between the gates, the lateral electric fields reach 0.2 V/$\mu$m (\figref{fig:simplewell}b) and the estimated exciton ionization time (using Eq. A6 in \cite{Miller1985}) is in the ps range and exciton ionization should be prominent. On the other hand, positioning the CQW at the 1/10 distance between the gates, closer to the homogeneous bottom gate, strongly increases the exciton ionization time (by 27 orders of magnitude according to the estimate using Eq. A6 in \cite{Miller1985}) thus making exciton ionization negligible. At the same time $F_z$ is reduced only weakly and the exciton confinement potential remains strong (\figref{fig:simplewell}a).

This design can be employed for creation of trap arrays or bump arrays with the modulation amplitude of the potential energy controlled by a single top gate with a periodic array of holes (\figref{fig:simplewell}). Note that the periodic trap array for excitons, where the modulation amplitude of the potential energy is controlled by a single top electrode, is similar to the optical lattice for atoms, where the modulation amplitude of the potential energy is controlled by the laser intensity \cite{Greiner2002}. The trap or bump arrays for excitons can be employed to study excitons in externally controlled potentials.  Particularly interesting is the possibility to investigate the transition from delocalized to localized excitons (superfluid-insulator transition in the condensate case) with increasing amplitude of the potential, exciton temperature, or density.

\begin{figure}[t]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8.6 cm]{trapsfig2.ps}
\caption{
\label{fig:collevap}
The effective potentials and lateral electric fields for a conical trap formed by ten concentric rings with radially decreasing gate voltages $V_g=1 - 0$ V (a,b). A trap for evaporative cooling of excitons for $V_g = 1$ V at external gate and $V_{gc} =$ 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 V at center gate (c,d). Inset: GaAs/AlGaAs CQW band diagram. $D=1000$ nm, $z=0.1$, and $d=12$ nm.
}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

The second type of trap is a multi-gated GaAs/AlGaAs CQW structure that allows elaborate control of the radial exciton potential profile (\figref{fig:collevap}a). The top gates comprise a system of ten 200 nm wide concentric rings with a ring width vs inter-ring separation ratio of 2:7. The openings between the gates allow exciton photoexcitation over entire trap area while the opening at the trap center allows optical signal collection for the exciton confined at the trap bottom (this is essential when nontransparent gates are used). An important example of potential trap profiles possible for this geometry is a conical trap for the indirect excitons created by linearly increasing gate voltages toward the center of the structure (\figref{fig:collevap}a). The trap enables collection of a large number of excitons photoexcited over the entire large trap area at the trap bottom. The large exciton number at the trap bottom is essential for studies of exciton BEC in traps since the critical temperature for BEC increases with the exciton density (for review of exciton condensation in confined systems see e.g. \cite{Butov2004}). The gradual reduction of the gate voltage distributed over many gate electrodes allows keeping the in-plane electric field negligibly small (\figref{fig:collevap}b), thus suppressing the exciton ionization.

The third trap type is designed for evaporative cooling of excitons. It has three gates: a bottom gate, an external top gate, and the central top gate (\figref{fig:collevap}c). For central gate voltages $V_{gc} < 1$ V the potential profile is a potential bump for the excitons. However, with the increase of $V_{gc}$ a trap develops at the center of the bump that can be used for evaporative cooling of the indirect excitons: the most energetic excitons overpass the potential barrier and leave the trap thus lowering the temperature of the exciton system in the trap. Evaporative cooling is effectively used for cooling atomic gases in traps \cite{CornellWieman2002, Ketterle2002}.

Following the computational modeling of the electrostatic exciton traps we fabricated samples based on the first design type (\figref{fig:simplewell}). The studied electric field tunable $n-i$ AlAs/GaAs CQW structure was grown by MBE. The bottom $n^+$ layer is Si-doped GaAs with $N_{Si} = 2\times10^{18}$ cm$^{-2}$. It serves as a homogeneous bottom gate. Unlike samples studied earlier \cite{Butov2004}, a surface $n^+$ layer was not grown for this sample to allow patterning the top gate by evaporated nontransparent metal contacts. The $i$-region consists of a 2.5 nm GaAs layer and a 4 nm AlAs layer surrounded by two Al$_{0.48}$Ga$_{0.52}$As barrier layers with thicknesses of 900 nm and 100 nm for the upper and lower barriers. Mesas were etched and a patterned top metal electrode containing an array of circular holes with diameters 10 $\mu$m and periods 20 $\mu$m was deposited onto the mesas. A broad 200 $\mu$m open area in the top electrode was fabricated as well for comparison. The sample was excited by cw 532 nm laser and the PL measurements were performed at $T=1.6$ K.

First we note that essentially no change of the exciton energy in the open area vs gate voltage was detected. This indicates that consistent with our calculations an electric field is present in the CQW only in regions close to the upper gate.

\begin{figure}[t]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=8.6 cm]{trapsfig3.ps}
\caption{\label{fig:exp}
Experimental proof of principle for electrostatic trapping of excitons.
Top panel: scheme of the potential profiles for positive $V_g$, the trap regime (a), and negative $V_g$, the bump regime (b). The dependence of the PL line energy and intensity on laser excitation power at $V_g=0.6$ and -0.6 V (c,e). The dependence of the PL line energy and intensity on gate voltage for two excitation powers (d,f).
}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

The results for the indirect exciton PL for the array of 10 $\mu$m holes as a function of gate voltage and excitation power are presented in \figref{fig:exp}.  For the CQW type and contact geometry studied, positive applied top gate voltages should cause formation of potential traps beneath the holes in the gate (\figref{fig:exp}a), while negative applied voltages should lead to potential bumps beneath the holes (\figref{fig:exp}b). \figref{fig:exp}c shows that increasing the exciton density leads to enhancement of the PL energy in the trap regime and its reduction in the bump regime. This corresponds to the expected behavior: The indirect excitons are oriented dipoles and interaction between them is repulsive \cite{Butov2004}. The repulsive interaction leads to enhancement of the exciton energy in the area where the excitons accumulate and, in turn, to reduction of the exciton energy in between the areas of exciton accumulation \cite{Ivanov2002} --- the repulsively interacting excitons screen the external potential. In the trap regime, the excitons accumulate in the potential traps beneath the holes in the top gate (\figref{fig:exp}a) and the increasing exciton density in the traps is observed in the PL energy enhancement (\figref{fig:exp}c). In contrast, in the bump regime, the excitons accumulate beneath the areas covered by the gates (\figref{fig:exp}b) and the increasing exciton density outside the holes in the top gate is observed in the PL energy reduction (\figref{fig:exp}c). The exciton accumulation in the traps beneath the holes in the top gate is revealed also by the stronger intensity enhancement in the trap regime compared to that in the bump regime (\figref{fig:exp}e).

The transition from the enhancement of the PL energy with density to its reduction is observed around $V_g = 0$ V (\figref{fig:exp}d). This is expected since the transition from the trap regime to the bump regime takes place at $V_g = 0$ V for the AlAs/GaAs CQWs. Finally, the formation of the electrostatic exciton traps by the laterally modulated gate voltage at positive $V_g$ is accompanied by enhancement of the exciton PL energy and intensity (\figref{fig:exp}d, f) that is typical for the exciton accumulation in the traps. The observed enhancement of the exciton PL intensity and energy with the electrostatic trap formation shows that the exciton ionization due to the in-plane electric field is suppressed and the excitons accumulate in the traps.

In conclusion, we proposed a design to suppress the in-plane electric field and at the same time to effectively confine excitons in the electrostatic traps. This is achieved by positioning the QW plane closer to the laterally homogeneous gate, for instance at the 1/10 distance between the homogeneous bottom gate and patterned top gate. Then, we presented calculations for various types of the electrostatic traps: traps for building the trap or bump arrays, traps for accumulation of a large exciton number, and traps allowing evaporative cooling for excitons. Finally, we presented experimental proof of principle for trapping of indirect excitons in electrostatic traps.

The authors are thankful to D.S. Chemla, T. Ishihara, L.S. Levitov, and S.G. Tikhodeev for useful discussions. N.A.G. thanks Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Russian Ministry of Science for partial financial support.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Woman Writes About Her Experience Having An Open Relationship With Her Boyfriend
10 Sep 2018 by Carrie in Lifestyle, Love, Relationships, Romance
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It's called ethical non-monogamy, or an 'open relationship', and it's becoming more and more commonplace as people rethink social norms and explore alternative relationship styles.
Basically, couples who decide to practice ethical non-monogamy are allowed to have sex with other people. It's different from polyamory, where people have multiple emotional and physical relationships at once. Rather, openness is usually a purely physical thing.
That said, someone in an open relationship might have a regular sexual partner outside of their primary relationship, with whom they develop a friendship over time.
Alexandra Jones (below) and her boyfriend decided to try ethical non-monogamy, and she wrote about it in a candid piece for The Guardian.
Sam and I have been together for almost a year now, and I don't think he took me seriously when I first, briefly, mentioned that perhaps monogamy wasn't for me ("I thought it was just one of your affectations," he said). But as time has worn on, we've butted up against my resolve like rubber ducks against an iceberg. "I feel like you're doing it because it's…" he looks disgusted… "trendy."
Non-monogamy is having a moment right now as an umbrella term used to describe a number of different relationship configurations that deviate from commonplace monogamy. Although it might be 'trendy' right now, ethical non-monogamy isn't for everyone.
It either works or it doesn't. For Jones, non-monogamy felt natural.
I've never been a hardline monogamist. In my last (monogamous) relationship, I always contended that if my partner slept with someone else, it wouldn't necessarily mean that it was, y'know, done. It seemed reductive to boil down the suppers, red-wine-stained kisses, whispered secrets, adventures and grievances and confidences we shared, the sheer everything of a relationship, to a shag. If our relationship existed on so many levels – friends, teammates, confidantes, lovers – then it couldn't be undone by one act; and that's quite a noble thought, isn't it?
My preferred configuration isn't actually that radical: ethical non-monogamy is basically a good old-fashioned open relationship.
There would only ever be two of us in it, but I'd like to trust that person so implicitly, and value them so wholeheartedly, that if they slept with someone else it wouldn't damage us. I'd like for the other person to trust and value me just as much so that if I did the same, we'd be able to look at it for what it is: a banal act that is fun or weird or intimate or exciting, but ultimately not a threat to our harmony.
Her boyfriend Sam wasn't convinced. He wanted to maintain a strictly monogamous relationship at first.
Finally, he admitted to me: "Maybe because of the traditional expectations that are put on men, it's more difficult for us to be open about it. There's something a bit embarrassing about the woman you're dating wanting to sleep with other people; as if maybe you're inadequate."
As an aside, South African men have been proven to be particularly conservative when it comes to open relationships. The patriarchal core of our society tends to equate manliness with a man's role in his relationship, which leads, as you can imagine to all sorts of toxic masculinity.
Back to Alexandra and Sam:
Earlier this year we'd reached something of an impasse, so I took Sam to a talk that Wilby was giving above a pub in London. Soon enough, we were packed in with 83 others – mainly slightly older couples and groups of female friends.
"It's quite a scary concept," Wilby said. "Because we don't like the idea of our partner being with someone else. But generally, it's because we've been taught to believe this means that our partner will leave us. Of course," she continued, "the key point of non-monogamy is that even though your partner might be with another lover, they're actually coming back to you. And that extra joy and love and happiness might even fuel and rekindle the relationship they have with you. We've been conditioned to believe other people are a threat to our relationships, but what if they aren't?"
After Wilby's talk, they decided to try ethical non-monogamy – something that proved trickier than Alexandra initially anticipated.
As Wilby points out, though: "Having the conversation, instead of just tacitly accepting monogamy as the only option, is really half the battle." And we have had the conversation, over and over with each other, but also with others – incredulous friends who can't quite believe that it's "a thing". We field the questions in turn: no, it's not perfect; yes, we do row sometimes; yes, there are rules; no, we don't know how long it'll last. But it is "a thing" – although, after almost a year together, not in the way that I thought it would be.
Sam has slept with more people than I have. Despite pushing for it, when the opportunities have arisen I've found it oddly difficult to switch into the necessary head space. There's still a faint feeling of betrayal; and I wonder whether the deed will be worth the emotional cost. More often than not, I realise it won't be. I'm not sure he feels it in quite the same way. And, yes, sometimes I get tense and irritable when we sit down to eat and he's too tired to talk because he spent half the night with someone else.
You can read the full account here.
While non-monogamy might not be the answer to any of this or the right thing for everyone, at least it's asking the question.
It's important for us to interrogate the things that we accept as natural. Just because something has been done forever, doesn't make it right.
[source:guardian]
← 'Plaid Shirt Guy' In Background At Trump Rally Goes Viral [Video]
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alternative relationship styles
open relationship

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text:
25 Key Lessons Learned From Merger And Acquisition Transactions
Richard Harroch Contributor
AllBusiness Contributor Group
By Richard D. Harroch, David A. Lipkin and Richard V. Smith
Selling your company can be difficult and time-consuming. Mergers and acquisitions ("M&A") require advance preparation, sophisticated advisors, a dedicated management team, and an understanding of the key business and legal issues involved. The following are a number of key lessons learned from M&A transactions involving the sale of private companies, from the perspective of the selling company:
M&A transactions require a great deal of preparation, expert advisors, a dedicated management team, ... [+] and an understanding of the key business and legal issues involved.
© bnenin - Adobe Stock
Time is the enemy of all M&A deals for a seller. The price and terms typically only get worse if the process drags on, and there is the risk of the deal falling apart. New issues could arise that result in the price being lowered. The M&A process can take a very long time, and there has to be a driving force on the sell-side and timetable to get the deal to closure. It also helps for there to be a dedicated advocate on the buy-side of the deal to keep the deal moving along.
2. Competitive Process
One of the most important steps in accomplishing a successful M&A exit is to get multiple potential buyers interested. A competitive process helps ensure getting the best price and the best terms, and allows a company to fend off unreasonable requests from one bidder.
3. Due Diligence Preparation
Sellers have to understand that they will be subject to an extensive due diligence investigation, and they must be prepared in advance for all that entails. The buyer will want to see detailed financial statements, copies of all material contracts, information on key intellectual property, employee and benefit arrangements, and much more. Normally, the seller needs to have all of that information in an online data room, which can be quite time-consuming to get correct and complete. Sophisticated bidders will tell the selling company that preparing a comprehensive and well-organized online data room is important. The company will typically respond that it is organized and on top of it—but the selling company often doesn't understand the enormity of the undertaking involved. (See The Importance of Online Data Rooms in Mergers and Acquisitions.)
4. Non-Disclosure Agreement
It is important for a selling company to have a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement in place with interested buyers. Such agreements should include a prohibition on solicitation of the seller's employees. (See The Key Elements of Non-Disclosure Agreements.)
A talented investment banker or advisor is important, with the right individual lead person. Key terms for the investment banker engagement letter will include their fee, the "tail" provisions (the circumstances under which the banker is entitled to a fee after termination), indemnification obligations, and conflict of interest provisions. The first draft of a banker engagement letter is always favorable to the banker and needs to be negotiated. (See Negotiating Investment Banker Engagement Letters.)
6. Judgment
You have to have judgment as to what is and isn't important, and the ability to make quick decisions in the negotiations. Receiving advice from experienced financial and legal advisors is essential. Whether you win a point or not is all about leverage or perceived leverage. You also need to understand where and when your leverage is best exercised, and how to effectively trade unimportant points to win the points that matter most.
7. Exclusivity
Buyers want to obtain exclusivity in negotiations as early as they can in the process to avoid competitors or an auction-type scenario. From the seller's perspective, this buyer request can give the seller leverage to improve high-level deal terms at the outset of a deal. As the seller, you want to delay granting exclusivity as long as you can in order to optimize the deal terms and continue discussions with other interested bidders, and only reluctantly agree to exclusivity if you have no choice or if you have at least gotten to a detailed letter of intent. Sellers want to have a very short exclusivity period (15 to 21 days) and buyers typically want a longer one (45 to 60 days). From the seller's perspective, it will want the exclusivity period to terminate early if the buyer proposes a lower price or any other worse terms than detailed in the letter of intent. The seller also wants to make sure that any extension of the exclusivity period requires that the buyer affirm its price and terms and that they have completed their due diligence.
8. Letter of Intent
It is often in the seller's best interest that a detailed letter of intent with seller-favorable terms is agreed to early on, because once exclusivity is granted to a potential buyer, most of the negotiating leverage shifts to the buyer. Therefore, it becomes important to negotiate in the letter of intent all the key terms: price, terms of payment, representation and warranties insurance terms, escrow/holdback, indemnification obligations by the shareholders, key employee issues, pre-closing obligations, post-closing obligations, closing conditions, dispute resolution (such as mandatory confidential arbitration), and much more. (See Negotiating an Acquisition Letter of Intent.)
9. Price and Type of Consideration
The price and type of consideration are issues that will need to be addressed early in the process, and these go beyond agreeing on the "headline" price. Here are some of these issues:
Whether the purchase price will be paid entirely in cash payable in full at the closing.
If the stock of the buyer is to represent part or all of the consideration, the terms of the stock (common or preferred), liquidation preferences, dividend rights, redemption rights, voting and Board rights, restrictions on transferability (if any), and registration rights.
If a promissory note is to be part of the consideration, what the interest and principal payments will be, whether the note will be secured or unsecured, whether the note will be guaranteed by a third party, what the key events of default will be, and the extent to which the seller has the right to accelerate payment of the note upon a breach by the buyer.
Whether the price will be calculated on a "debt-free and cash-free" basis at the closing of the deal (enterprise value) or whether the buyer will assume or take subject to the seller's indebtedness and be entitled to the seller's cash (equity value).
Whether there will be a working capital-based adjustment to the purchase price, and, if so, how working capital will be calculated. This is ultimately just an adjustment up or down to the purchase price. The buyer may argue that it should get the business with a "normalized" level of working capital. The seller will argue that if there is a working capital adjustment clause, the target working capital should be low or zero. This working capital adjustment mechanism, if not properly drafted or if the target amounts are improperly calculated, could result in a significant adjustment in the final purchase price to the detriment and surprise of the adversely affected party.
If part of the consideration is comprised of a contingent earnout arrangement, how the earnout will work, the milestones to be met (such as revenues or EBITDA and over what period of time), what payments are to be made if milestones are met, what protections will be offered to the seller to enhance the likelihood of the earnout being paid (such as acceleration of payment of the earnout if the business is sold again by the buyer), information and inspection rights, and more. Earnouts are complex to negotiate and tend to be the source of frequent post-closing disputes and sometimes litigation. Precision in drafting these provisions and agreement on suitable dispute resolution processes are essential.
10. Lawyers
The selling company's regular outside counsel will often be inadequate for an M&A event, but there may be great pressure to keep him/her notwithstanding (based on the good work such counsel has performed outside the M&A context). That is a mistake. The company needs a competent, full-time M&A lawyer. If the existing counsel is otherwise well regarded, they should continue to assist the M&A counsel. Your lawyer has to be dedicated and know the urgency of getting things done, but he or she can't be difficult for the other side to deal with.
11. Strategic Partners
Strategic partners can be the best acquirers. But you have to understand and convince the strategic partner why the acquisition fits in with the buyer's existing and future business plans. Some strategic investors are granted rights of first refusal or first negotiation as part of early-stage financings or commercial arrangements. This grant is understandable at the time of the financing or commercial arrangement. However, they should be resisted (if possible) and need to be navigated carefully in order to ensure the best possible deal for stockholders. Also, due diligence can be a riskier proposition if the potential acquirer is a direct competitor of the seller.
12. Disclosure Schedule
You absolutely have to start preparing the disclosure schedule (the schedule attached to an acquisition agreement that lists contracts, capitalization, intellectual property, litigation, etc., and exceptions to representations and warranties that would otherwise not be accurate) as early in the process as possible. It's time-consuming, requires many drafts and can hold up a deal. A great disclosure schedule is the best insurance against post-closing indemnification claims by a buyer. (See The Importance of Disclosure Schedule in Mergers and Acquisitions.)
13. Fiduciary Duty
The Board of Directors of the seller needs to understand its fiduciary duties and engage in a deliberative, thoughtful process to limit liability issues for the company and the Board. Early on, the Board needs to identify and be sensitive to actual and potential conflicts of interest.
14. Shareholders
Shareholder issues need to be dealt with early on. What shareholder approvals will be necessary? How quickly can they be obtained? Will there be dissenters' or appraisal rights issues? Will the deal require the approval of any shareholder or group of shareholders who are unhappy about the way the company has been run or the return on their investment?
15. M&A Committee
An M&A Committee of the Board is often established, and it's essential that such a committee can act quickly and nimbly. The benefit of such a committee is to help expedite the negotiating process and limit the burden on the entire Board.
16. Employee Issues
Employee retention/incentive issues can have significant cost and closing condition implications. The seller will want to make sure that its management team and employees will be treated fairly and incentivized by the buyer moving forward, but if the buyer tries to impose the cost of such treatment on the seller, significant issues can arise. The buyer will want to spend a great deal of time with management and employees, as it will want to ensure that the employees will come on board, be motivated, and will be a good fit with the buyer's culture. In addition, key management who receive certain accelerated or other deal-related payments should be concerned that they won't suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of Internal Revenue Code Section 280G.
17. Financial Projections
The buyer will spend a great deal of time studying the seller's financial projections, getting comfortable with the assumptions and the key metrics. The selling company's CEO and CFO absolutely have to be comfortable and knowledgeable about every component of the projections and be prepared to justify their reasonableness to the buyer.
18. Intellectual Property
The intellectual property due diligence during the M&A process may be incredibly intensive. The seller must be on top of all of its patent filings, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, open source software, etc. The seller also needs to be prepared to deal with the extensive intellectual property representations and warranties that will be proposed by the buyer, and the possibility that the buyer will try to characterize these representations and warranties as "fundamental" (resulting in lengthier survival periods and greater liability exposure). Buyers are also increasingly concerned about data privacy and cybersecurity issues. (See 13 Key Intellectual Property Issues in Mergers & Acquisitions.)
19. Incomplete Records
Sellers almost always have problems with incomplete Board and stockholder minutes, option agreements, contracts with all amendments, etc. An early internal review of these matters (and correction or completion of such materials as needed) is important, as these problems can hold up a deal.
20. Consents
The seller has to review and understand what consents it will need from other parties to its contracts in connection with the acquisition. Sellers should attempt to limit or eliminate any consent requirements that could slow up or kill a deal, or permit landlords, licensors, or other third parties to demand increased payments in exchange for such consent.
There is a careful balancing act between wanting to disclose to the potential buyer everything about the business early in the process (to avoid misunderstandings later) and limiting disclosure of the really important secrets or other confidential information until a deal is near certain. Sellers need to be concerned about a potential buyer going away armed with important knowledge they could use to compete with the seller's business, particularly if the potential buyer is a competitor.
22. Definitive M&A Agreement
The definitive acquisition agreement is hugely important to both the seller and the buyer. There are many issues that need to be negotiated, and sophisticated M&A counsel is essential for the seller. Some of the more important issues include: (a) will there be an escrow or holdback of the purchase price or will the buyer solely rely on representations and warranties insurance, and if there is an escrow, will the escrow serve as the sole remedy for a breach of the acquisition agreement; (b) what are the scope of the seller's representations and warranties and how many can be qualified by "knowledge" and "materiality" caveats; (c) what are the covenants of the seller and any shareholders prior to closing and after the closing; (d) what are the key conditions to closing the deal; (e) how are various risks allocated, such as litigation, intellectual property issues, unknown liabilities, etc.; (f) how are employees to be treated; (g) what are the indemnification obligations of the parties; (h) how can the M&A agreement be terminated before a closing and what are the financial consequences; (h) what regulatory requirements (such as antitrust approvals) must be satisfied before closing and what issues will these raise; and (i) how are disputes to be resolved (e.g., by arbitration). (See 18 Key Issues for Negotiation Merger and Acquisition Agreements for Technology Companies.)
23. The CEO's Role
The CEO's role in an M&A process is hugely important. The CEO has to sell the vision for the business and clearly articulate why the company is such an attractive and growing business with sophisticated and differentiated technology, products, or services. The CEO must have an understanding of the fundamental legal and business issues that will arise and be able to make many judgment calls on those issues. The CEO also needs to keep the Board, the M&A Committee, and key investors informed at each stage of the process. The CEO is often put in a difficult position—to negotiate tough on key terms of the deal, knowing that he or she is negotiating with a future employer and not wanting to be perceived as difficult; this problem is exacerbated if the buyer is a private equity investor offering the CEO and other members of management a piece of the post-closing equity. That is why it may be better for a financial advisor or the M&A Committee of the Board to take the lead in negotiating the deal terms/acquisition agreement, which then permits the CEO to act as a facilitator to get the deal done.
24. Shareholder Representative
It's important to engage a good third-party shareholder representative service to deal with post-closing issues. These include administration of the indemnity escrow provisions, dealing with the working capital and other price adjustment provisions, and enforcing any earnout provisions. It's not a good idea to have these critical tasks handled by an unpaid volunteer from among the investor ranks.
25. Deviations from Projections During the M&A Process
Since an acquisition process can take a significant period of time to complete, one issue that can come up is the variability of the financial performance of the business while the M&A deal is pending. If the seller misses its projected financial numbers during the process, a buyer can see this as a red flag and require a reduced purchase price or may even terminate the negotiations. Therefore, it is imperative that the management team keeps its eye on the ball in running the business (even though they will be distracted by the M&A process), and that the projections presented to the buyer for the anticipated diligence and negotiating period be easily obtainable.
A Comprehensive Guide to Due Diligence Issues in Mergers and Acquisitions
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Issues in Mergers and Acquisitions: A Due Diligence Checklist to Assess Risk
What You Need to Know About Mergers & Acquisitions: 12 Key Considerations When Selling Your Company
Mergers, Acquisitions and Investments Involving U.S. Companies with Chinese & Other Foreign Parties
Copyright © Richard D. Harroch. All Rights Reserved.
Richard D. Harroch is a Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a large venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, and software companies, and he was the founder of several internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, FoxBusiness, and AllBusiness.com. Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of the recently published 1,500-page book by Bloomberg, Mergers and Acquisitions of Privately Held Companies: Analysis, Forms and Agreements. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, with experience in startups, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn.
David A. Lipkin is an M&A partner in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices of the law firm of McDermott Will and Emery LLP. He represents public and private acquirers, target companies, and company founders in large, complex, and sophisticated M&A transactions, as well as working with startups and other emerging growth companies. David has been a leading M&A practitioner in the Bay Area for 20 years, prior to that having served as Associate General Counsel (and Chief Information Officer) of a subsidiary of Xerox and practiced general corporate law in San Francisco. He has been recognized for his M&A work in the publication The Best Lawyers in America for several years, and is the co-author of the recently published 1,500-page book by Bloomberg, Mergers and Acquisitions of Privately Held Companies: Analysis, Forms and Agreements. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and has served on additional educational and charitable boards. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions. He can be reached through LinkedIn.
Richard V. Smith is a partner in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and a member of its Global Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Group. He specializes in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and activist defense. Richard has advised on more than 500 M&A transactions and has represented clients in all aspects of mergers and acquisitions transactions involving public and private companies, corporate governance, and activist defense. He is the co-author of the recently published 1,500-page book by Bloomberg, Mergers and Acquisitions of Privately Held Companies: Analysis, Forms and Agreements. He can be reached through LinkedIn.
This article was originally published on AllBusiness.com. See all articles by Richard Harroch.
Richard Harroch
I write about startups, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions and Internet companies. I am a Managing Director and Global Head of M&A for VantagePoint Capital P...


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The blessed Bukhara-so Uzbeks respectfully call this glorious city. Ancent belief says: upon all muslim cities the blessed light descends from the heaven and only over Bukhara it rises to the sky.
Bukhara- a UNESCO World Heritage Listed site, Bukhara is widely regarded as Central Asia as a holiest city. With many monuments dating from 1st to the 19th century AD, there is a vast span of history and architecture to encover and many of the mosaic and majolica decorations give us a true sence of how these building looked in their original glory. From the ancient times Bukhara was a center of the trade and culture, religion and scholarship on the way of Great Silk Road. You have to visit this place, it will show you the best, how the ancient city of Uzbekistan looked centries ago. With more than 200 officially preserved monuments and preserved treasures of architecture is considered as a museum in itself.
The ancient city of Bukhara was for many centuries a major center of enlightenment and religion in the East. It ranked among other cities of Turkestan, such as Balkh, Herat, Men/ (Mary), Samarkand, Termez, Nasaf (Karshi), Chach (or Shash, present-day Tashkent), and Khorezm (Khiva) as a well-known center of trade and culture.
During the Middle Ages, Bukhara was the trading and administrative center of Maverannakhr. It lay on the Silk Road, the ancient international trading route that linked the countries of the Middle East to India and China. This route also served in wartime as a road for conquerors during their military campaigns. At other times, it served merchant caravans but also envoys, travelers, and dervishes.
Throughout history, Bukhara was periodically invaded, plundered and terrorized. Despite this, during the early Middle Ages, it became the primary center of science and enlightenment in ancient Turan. Religion and secular sciences (such as history, poetry, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and jurisprudence)developed here. Great scientists and philosophers such as Ismail Bukhari, Abu AH ibn Sina, Marshakhi, Rudaki, Dakiki, Hoja Bahauddin Makshbandi, and many others led creative lives in Bukhara. Over the years, dozens of madrasas were erected for the education of thousands of students.
For centuries, Bukhara was famous not only for the development of science, culture and trade, but also as a large administrative center for Turkestan. It was the capital of the ancient state of Bukhara whose population was situated downstream from the Zarafshan (sixth to eighth centuries A.D.). It was also the capital of a number of other states, including the Samanid Dynasty (ninth to tenth centuries), the Sheybanid Empire (sixteenth century), the Ashtarkhanid Dynasty (seventeenth to eighteenth centuries), the Bukhara Emirate (eighteenth to twentieth centuries) and the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic (1920 to 1924).
Despite the fact that Bukhara is credited with many important historical events, there are few written records of its history. Although Bukhara is mentioned in some ancient sources, only the western section of ancient Soghdiana is referred to, not the city itself. A brief but more accurate description of the city is found in Chinese sources dating back to the early Middle Ages.
There is no accurate data on the age of this ancient city, known in the Muslim world as "Kubbat ul-Islam" and "Bukhara-i-Sharif." Written sources that have been preserved do not provide the information necessary to determine the exact age of Bukhara. Based on legends taken from Narshakhi's History of Bukhara, the people of Bukhara claim that the city has been around for three millennia.
Mukhammad Narshakhi's History of Bukhara, written in Arabic and translated into Persian in 1288 by Abu Masr Akhmad Kubavi, a courtier and translator from Ferghana, has been one of the most valuable sources of information about the city's history. Abu nasr Akhmad Kubavi asserts that Mukhammad ibn Djafar Narshakhi did not give credit to the chapter about the emergence of Bukhara which, according to Akhmad Kubavi, was taken from the Treasury of Knowledge, a medieval book by Abulhasan Hishapuri which has not survived. In this chapter, Abulhasan nishapuri elaborately describes the historic and geographic process that formed the Bukhara oasis along with its landscape, hydrography, flora and fauna, the hunting, fishing, and farming activities of the people, how the population of Bukhara got there, and where they came from.
According to Nishapuri, the people of Turkestan were attracted by the abundance of plants and animals. There was no the city as such but some villages (with names such as Nut, Kharkanrud, Vardana, Taravcha, and Safna Is-vana) were established. The History of Bukhara recounts that the western area of this territory was preferred for habitation. The people who came to the place where Bukhara is now situated initially lived in tents and yurts and, later, in houses they built for themselves.
Abulhasan nishapuri links the construction of the Bukhara Ark with a legendary Iranian prince, Siyavush. Siyavush ibn Kaykawus had fled from his father, crossed the Djeykhun River and was welcomed by Prince Afrasiab who then married him to his daughter. Afrasiab also granted him an apanage within the Bukhara district. Siyavush liked this place so much that he decided to build the Bukhara fortress where he spent most of his time. But, because of some provocation, Afrasiab killed Siyavush and buried him at the entrance of the eastern gate of Ark, "Darvaza Quriyan" (which means "The Maysellers' Gate").
Narshakhi recounts that after Siyavush had been killed, his son Kaykhusraw, longing to revenge his father's murder, summoned a large army and set off for Bukhara. Afrasiab found refuge in the Ramitan fortress, which Kaykhusraw besieged for two years. Kaykhusraw attacked Afrasiab from the Ramus settlement he built opposite Ramitan. Finally, Kaykhusraw managed to conquer the fortress and kill Afrasiab. This legendary ruler of Turan was buried on the Khadji Imom Abu Khafs Kabir hill near the Mabad Gate of Bukhara, narshakhi asserts that "these events occurred over three millennia ago".
Similar legendary data that hints at the age of Bukhara is scattered throughout the pages of narshakhi's book. As a tenth century writer said, "the townsfolk of Bukhara sang a mourning song called 'Kini Siyavush' – 'The Battle of Siyavush" narshakhi repeats that these events took place "a millennia ago." Thus, according to narshakhi, Afrasiab built Bukhara and Ramitan, Siyavush – the Bukhara Ark, and Kaykhusraw, a son of Siyavush – the Ramish fortress. If we take this date as the benchmark, then the age of the Bukhara Ark would be over 4,000 years while that of Bukhara would be about 3,000 years, but not 4,000 as the townspeople of Bukhara assert.
While talking about the date of the establishment of Bukhara, attention should be given to one more piece of trustworthy evidence attributed to narshakhi's book. It covers the period when Bukhara had not yet developed into an urban unit, narshakhi writes: "The population increased and one man was elected to be emir. His name was Abruy". Thus, the first ruler of Bukhara was Abruy, who was a historical figure, unlike Afrasiab or Siyavush. Sources mention that in the 580s he led a popular uprising against the ruling powers in Paikend. To suppress it, landlords from Bukhara and Paikend asked the Turkic Kagan Karachurin for assistance. Kagan Karachurin sent a large army under the command of his son Sher-i-Koshvar to Bukhara. In 586, the uprising was suppressed and Abruy was killed.
According to Narshakhi, Sher-i-Kishvar built the Shakhristan in Bukhara, as well as the Mamastin, Sakhmatin, Samtin, and Farab settlements. If the above-mentioned date can be believed, then Bukhara should only be about 1400 years old, not 3000 to 4000 years. Thus there are two contradictory dates for the founding of Bukhara.
In addition, Narshakhi talks about the settling of the Bukhara oasis. The author asserts that such big settlements as Vardana, Varah-sha, Paikend, Ramush and Ramitan are "older than Bukhara", Narshakhi writes that Vardana was a big settlement containing the Kuhandiz Ark, a fortified inner city. From "time immemorial" the rulers of Vardana – the Vardan-khudats – resided here. Vardana was founded much earlier than Bukhara. It was built by the Samanid prince, Shapur Khusraw I (531 to 578 A.D.) and situated on the fringe of Turkestan. Remnants of the old Vardana settlement, now known as Vardanze, have survived as a large hill. Vardana, riarshakhi believed, was older than Bukhara, having been built in the 6th century A.D.
The book mentions that rulers had residences in Varahsha and Paikend as well as Vardana. "The big settlement that was the residence of the shah bore the name of Paikend". The author implies that Kalai Da-busi (The Dabusi fortress) was a city. There are some books that use the name Ramitan Bukhara. "In ancient times, this was the rulers' residence and later on, after the emergence of Bukhara, rulers used it only as a winter residence. The same happened during its transition to an Islamic state." By analyzing Narshakhi's data, we may conclude that the Ramitan fortress was named Bukhara in ancient times.
It is important to note that Narshakhi gives contradictory information on who built Vardana, Paikend, Ramitan, Varahsha, and Ramush and when Bukhara emerged. This information rests on legends that circulated among folklore narrators. If the sixth century is accepted as the limit according to this valuable source, one can definitely assert that the author of The History of Bukhara had no idea about the earliest features of the history of the city or the age of Bukhara. The opportunity to resolve this problem came later, after archaeologists had conducted research on Bukhara and other old urban centers around the oasis, namely Vardana, Paikend, Varahsha, Ramitan and Ramush.


The medley, which is exactly what the title sounds like, had an uncomfortable sting to it.
That's because when I was watching it I saw myself in those videos. Not literally. I wasn't in any of them. But I've done many of the things in that compilation.
Threw my stick after getting scored on a penalty shot? No.
Threw my stick after getting scored on? Yes.
Threw a water bottle? Yes.
Broke a stick on a goal post? Yes.
Attacked a player who ran me? Yes.
Attacked a player who hit me in the head with a stick? Yes.
Yelled at a ref after being interfered with? Yes.
Smashed my stick into the boards? Yes.
Chased after a hotdog who celebrated their goal too much? Yes.
Fell down and embarrassed myself while having a fit about something? Likely.
Forearm shivered a player? Yes.
Got a game misconduct? Yes.
Pushed over the net? Yes.
Attacked someone who whacked the stick out of my hand? Yes.
Hooked someone between the legs? Probably, but not hard.
Chopped someone on the ankle? Yes.
Chopped someone on the back of the leg? Yes.
Punched someone who backed into me? Yes.
Smashed my stick on the ice. Yes.
Got into a fight with a trainer over a hat? No.
Screamed at a ref who called a kicked in puck a goal? Yes.
Attacked a forechecker who bodychecked me? Yes.
Went after a player who dirty tripped me? Yes.
Threw my blocker at someone? Yes.
"Accidentally" tripped the ref? No.
Gesture to Montreal Forum fans who were mock saluting me? No.
Thrown something onto the ice from behind the bench? Only as a fan, not while playing.
Grabbed ahold of, then tried to break the stick of someone who jammed at me? Yes.
Elbowed the other goalie while changing ends? No.
Punch a guy in the face with my trapper hand? Yes.
Act as insane as Patrick Roy's son? No.
Straight fought a player? Not really. Kinda.
Shot a puck at the other goalie? Yes.
Tackled a player who ran into the net? Yes.
Washed the glass with my water bottle to mock the goal judge? No.


Toulouse saw off Clermont Auvergne in a top of the table clash on Sunday in France.
Former Munster assistant coach Ian Costello is enjoying his challenging task with Wasps.
The 34-year-old Australian has been a superb signing for the province.
Devin Toner, Robbie Henshaw and Sean O'Brien are all back in full Leinster training this week.
Stuart Lancaster has backed Byrne to step up against Toulouse this weekend.
Leo Cullen's side have breakdown issues to fix before the Premiership side visit Dublin.
Leo Cullen's side weren't at their best in tricky conditions but found a way to win.
Leo Cullen and Leinster remain hopeful that Stuart Lancaster will stay with the province.
The champions are facing into a crunch double-header.
The French side travel to Thomond Park this weekend.
Newcastle followed their away win over Toulon with another dramatic victory over French powerhouses Montpellier.
The former out-half previously played with the province 116 times after joining in 2003.
The 40-year-old also guided Clermont to the Top 14 and Champions Cup finals in his debut season.
Ireland's recent Six Nations titles have coincided with disappointing provincial results. Is there a link or mere coincidence?
"I'm proud of the fact I've been here through some very tough times," says John Muldoon in poetic mood.
The All Black superstar hailed the development of the league in his six years away.
The five rounds that led us here were just appetisers, the sixth round of pool games are where the drama really unfolds.
After another defeat for Chelsea at the weekend, we look at other dreadful title defences.
A team player, a veteran, and an inadvertent underwear model.
We look back on one of the most legendary games in the history of European rugby.
Time for the Champions Cup to add to the list.
Can the southern province get back to winning ways against the Premiership side?


Lovett PB, Sweeney BE, Johnston ML, DeEugenio LJ, Meisner H, Caliguri DG. Building a Nerve Center for Patient Flow: Outcomes from a Comprehensive Integration of Services at an Academic Medical Center. In: ; 2012.


text:
Q: LiveSmoother: payload size: 32768 exceeds maximum allowed I'm using the ffmpeg with libsrt, I'm writing out a frame with av_interleaved_write_frame, the url for the srt output is
srt://10.10.56.45:5555?mode=listener&mss=1316&pkt_size=1316&send_buffer_size=1316&ffs=1316

and I'm getting error
SRT.c: LiveSmoother: payload size: 32768 exceeds maximum allowed 1316
Operation not supported: Incorrect use of Message API (sendmsg/recvmsg)..

The packet I'm trying to write is larger than 1316, is this the cause of the problem? Shouldn't av_interleaved_write_frame take care of the big packets?

A: As far as I know yes av_interleaved_write_frame should've take care of formatting for internal operation like this. Anyway, you can also use SRT standalone with ffmpeg (https://github.com/Haivision/srt). If you can try ffmpeg+srt (external) and if it works, perhaps its better open a ticket on https://trac.ffmpeg.org.

A: Found the answer here, the pkt_size parameter was not taken.


text:
JHR archive
JHR Volume 16
Why the Holocaust Must Remain a Dogma
by Mario Consoli
"The terms 'fascist' and 'Nazi' are today devoid of any real political or cultural content, and are instead insults used to bash an opponent — that is, anyone who dares oppose one-world and multi-racial democracy … Through the use of an incredible machinery to manipulate public opinion, the victors of the Second World War succeeded not only in preventing a resurgence of fascism and National Socialism, but also of the traditional cultural and spiritual values that have permeated the life of Europe for countless centuries.
"Here's just how it's done: Traditional European values, such as love of homeland and family, heroism, honesty, sense of duty and spirituality, are equated with fascism and Nazism, with Hitler and Mussolini. Once this equation is accepted, it is enough simply to activate anti-fascist propaganda to strangle any revival of the values that are dangerous for those in power.
"This labeling as evil of the Europe that was vanquished in the Second World War accomplishes much more than merely marginalize fascists and National Socialists. It discredits the entire system of values that has sustained for millennia a civilization of a greatness that is unique in history. Standing accused in the dock along with Mussolini and Hitler are Plato and Dante, Machiavelli and Nietzsche, Caesar and Napoleon, Rome and the Holy Roman Empire.
"… Since the Nuremberg Tribunal, the most effective instrument for criminalizing fascism and National Socialism has proven to be the charge of genocide of the Jews. Six Million — a round, horrifying figure. Men and women, elderly and infants, eliminated merely because they were Jews …
"Today the Holocaust is a lead weight meant for all time to tie down the feet of Germany and all of Europe … Any threadbare pretext will suffice at any time to start up talk of the Holocaust. With the passage of time, the propaganda offensive does not weaken, but grows ever more intense, and in ever more European countries special laws are promulgated to protect the Jewish 'truth' …
"The Holocaust must remain a myth, a dogma, sheltered from all revisionist and truthful scrutiny. The collapse of this dogma must inevitably call into question the entire current interpretation of contemporary history … This would finally make possible a really pluralistic debate about the future of Europe … and make possible the reintroduction of those values that, in opposition to one-worldism, restore to nations their right of identity and independence."
Mario Consoli, editorial director of l'Uomo libero (Milan), in the "Pluralism and Revisionism" issue, No. 41, of April 1996.
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