text:
Lawmakers Question TSP Foreign Investment Decisions, and More
By Admin | Benefits, Federal Pay, Retirement, TSP | No Comments
Senators from both parties this week called on the agency that administers the federal government's 401(k)-style retirement savings program to reconsider its decision to shift the Thrift Savings Plan's international (I) Fund to an index that invests in Chinese companies.
Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., sent a letter Monday to Michael Kennedy, chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, asking the agency to reverse its 2017 decision to base the I Fund's investments on a stock index that includes companies from a broader swath of countries, including China. Rubio and Shaheen objected to the change based on the Chinese government's history of human rights abuses and other national security concerns.
"The FRTIB's decision to track this [new] index constitutes a decision to invest in China-based companies, including many firms that are involved in the Chinese government's military, espionage, human rights abuses and 'Made in China 2025' industrial policy, and therefore poses fundamental questions about the board's statutory and fiduciary responsibilities to American public servants who invest in federal retirement plans," the senators wrote. "This change, which is expected to be implemented next year, will expose nearly $50 billion in retirement assets of federal government employees, including members of the U.S. Armed Forces, to severe and undisclosed material risks associated with many of the Chinese companies listed on this index."
The lawmakers noted that several companies included in the new index produce weapons systems for the Chinese military, surveillance cameras used to monitor Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province, and that some companies have been barred from operating in the United States or have been targeted by U.S. sanctions.
"Were the members of the board aware at the time of the motion to adopt the new index for the I Fund that constituent firms of this index were previously subject to U.S. government sanctions?" the senators asked. "Since the board's November 2017 vote, the U.S. government has censured constituent firms of the [index]—or the controlling shareholders of such firms—through such measures as designation to the Entity List and federal procurement prohibitions."
TSP spokeswoman Kim Weaver said in an email that the agency has received the letter.
"We are reviewing it and we will respond in a timely manner," Weaver said.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, senators representing Maryland and Virginia on Tuesday joined the growing outcry from lawmakers regarding the recent decision by the Agriculture Department to reduce the buyout and early retirement payments offered to Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture employees who declined orders to relocate to Kansas City by the end of September.
Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland blasted the department for failing to inform employees who had applied for Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments that maximum buyouts would be $10,000 rather than the originally offered $25,000 until one week before the acceptance deadline.
"USDA has stated that its decision to reduce the amount per VSIP was made in order to accommodate all employees who were eligible to receive the buyout," they wrote. "However, USDA has failed to explain why employees were not notified earlier that VSIP offers would be significantly less than $25,000, considering the agency already knew that more than half of ERS and NIFA employees had declined to relocate by the time VSIP applications were due. We are troubled that USDA did not relay this information to its employees sooner considering the impacts this decision can have on an individual career."
The senators asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue how much the department budgeted for VSIP and VERA payments, how the department came to the decision to reduce the maximum buyout payment, and why officials waited until a week before the August 26 deadline to inform employees of the change.
The letter was published just one day after Government Executive reported that, in order to cope with the mass exodus of employees who refuse to move to Kansas City, the department is looking to hire retired former employees on a part-time basis to preserve continuity of service. Those hired under the Reemployed Annuitants program would work from the Washington, D.C., area and receive both a salary prorated to what they made before they retired and their full defined-benefit annuity payments.
So what do you think? So should you question TSP on it's new Foreign Investment decisions, or should you look at some other alternatives? We have some great ideas and would offer you to come and explore them with us.
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Why did USDA reduce buyouts with so little notice?
By Admin | Benefits, Federal Pay, Retirement | No Comments
Senators representing states surrounding the U.S. capital called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Aug. 27 to explain not only why it decided to dramatically reduce the buyout amount offered to departing research agency employees, but also why it gave them very little time to accept that amount.
USDA announced June 13 that it planned to move its Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture from their current offices in Washington, D.C., to Kansas City.
Employees that notified USDA that they would rather leave federal service than move with the agency were eligible for a voluntary separation incentive payment, which the agency initially said would be offered on a limited basis at the $25,000 maximum allowed by federal policy.
Employees had from July 22 to July 29 to notify the agency whether they planned to accept the payment, which prohibits them from working for the federal government for five years.
USDA sent employees formal documentation of their planned VSIP payments Aug. 20, at which point employees were informed that they would be receiving $10,000, rather than the $25,000 initially offered. Employees were given until Aug. 26 to notify the agency of whether they still planned to accept the lower payment.
"USDA has stated that its decision to reduce the amount per VSIP was made in order to accommodate all employees who were eligible to receive the buyout," Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., Ben Cardin, D-Md., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., wrote in a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Purdue.
"However, USDA has failed to explain why employees were not notified earlier that VSIP offers would be significantly less than $25,000, considering the agency already knew that more than half of ERS and NIFA employees had declined to relocate by the time VSIP applications were due. We are troubled that USDA did not relay this information to its employees sooner considering the impacts this decision can have on an individual's career."
The senators also questioned where the agency was getting the funds for the VSIP payments and how much total they had budgeted for those payments.
Agencies generally tend to offer the maximum allowed for VSIP payments, as the nearly 37,000 employees receiving VSIP between fiscal years 2012 and 2017 averaged $24,470 per payment.
The senators wrote that while they in general opposed the ERS and NIFA move, they at the least hope that the agency will reconsider their VSIP offers and opt to provide the maximum allowable for departing employees.
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Pay & Benefits USDA Slashes Buyout Payments for Scientific Agency Employees By 60 Percent Ahead of Relocation
The Agriculture Department this week informed employees at two scientific agencies who applied for buyouts following their decision not to relocate to Kansas City that they would receive significantly less money than originally promised.
In June, USDA officials told employees at the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture that it would offer "a limited number" of Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments to those who declined to move to Kansas City by the end of September. VSIP payments would be capped at $25,000, the maximum allowed by law, the department said in a memo.
When employees accept buyouts, they receive a lump sum equal to the amount offered by the agency, or their total severance pay, whichever is less. Additionally, employees who accept buyouts cannot work for the federal government for at least five years, or they will be required to repay the government the entire amount of their VSIP payment.
But this week, the department sent employees their VSIP acceptance letters, which noted that the maximum buyout payment would be only $10,000, a 60% cut from what was initially offered. Employees have until August 26 to decide whether to accept the buyout.
Due to the volume of applications and in an effort to afford all employees who applied the opportunity to receive the incentive payment, the amount provided for all applicants has changed from $25,000 to $10,000, USDA wrote.
ERS and NIFA employees had until July 15 to tell the department their initial intentions regarding whether they would agree to relocate to Kansas City, although they have until the end of September to make a final decision. Employees interested in early retirement or buyout payments were required to apply between July 22 and July 29.
It is unclear why the department did not announce a decrease in the maximum buyout payment ahead of that window, given that officials knew that more than half of ERS and NIFA employees already either declined to relocate or did not respond to their relocation orders.
An Agriculture Department spokesperson told Government Executive that the department decided it would be more equitable to allow all employees who applied to receive a buyout, rather than offering a larger sum to fewer people on a first-come first-served basis.
"The department maintained we would offer a limited amount of VSIPs and ultimately decided to offer a VSIP to every employee who applied and were found to be eligible to receive a VSIP," the spokesperson said.
The department did not answer questions about how much was budgeted for VERA and VSIP, when it realized the volume of buyouts would be higher than could be accommodated at the $25,000 level, or why officials did not inform employees until this week.
The spokesperson said that although the VSIP acceptance form is due on August 26, employees can change their mind "and decline the VSIP payment up until their separation or retirement date." Employees also are still able to change their mind and accept relocation orders.
In a statement, American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox, whose union represents ERS and NIFA workers, sharply criticized the department's handling of buyout payments. The department's VSIP process began prior to USDA's recognition of the agencies's bargaining units and thus was not part of the agreement reached between the parties earlier this month to ease the impacts of the planned relocation.
"It's no secret that employees are extremely upset by USDA's decision to relocate these two agencies halfway across the country," Cox said. "Two-thirds of employees rejected the agency's orders to move by Sept. 30, so USDA should have planned better for that reality and budgeted accordingly. Employees now have less than a week to decide whether to accept the reduced buyout, which also bars them from working at another federal agency for five years. Many of these employees have spent their careers devoted to agricultural research and furthering their agencies's missions, and they deserve to be treated better than this."
USDA Office Relocations Are Illegal, IG Says
By Admin | Retirement | No Comments
The Agriculture Department is in violation of spending laws by relocating employees out of the Washington, D.C., area, according to a new watchdog report.
USDA is in the process of moving the employees at two of its components—the Economic Research Service and the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture—to Kansas City. The USDA inspector general found those moves violate a 2018 appropriations law, which included language preventing the department from implementing any reorganization efforts without prior approval from appropriations committees in Congress. The law specifically prohibited spending money on any effort that "relocates an office or employees."
The same language was included in a fiscal 2019 spending law and a House-passed Agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal 2020.
The auditors instructed USDA to "take appropriate action" for any violations of the Antideficiency Act, the law that prohibits federal agencies from spending funds that have not been appropriated. In October 2018, USDA entered into a $340,000 contract for reviewing potential destinations for the new headquarters locations.
The IG recommended USDA go back to Congress and to get approval for the moves before spending any additional money on them.
The department said it would not punish anyone for Antideficiency Act violations, citing a decision from its general counsel last month that USDA had complied with applicable parts of the law and the "committee approval" requirements "are unconstitutional and are without legal effect." In the general counsel review, USDA said the Supreme Court, the Government Accountability Office and the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel have all previously agreed with that assessment.
"The department's actions comply fully with all applicable laws," USDA General Counsel Stephen Vaden said in response to the report. "OIG's suggestion otherwise ignores these precedents dating back nearly 40 years."
The IG noted, however, that USDA itself has interpreted the appropriations language differently when it was included in previous spending bills.
"Such provisions have been included in relevant appropriations acts since 2015, and the department has previously taken the position that provisions…are binding upon the department," the IG said.
The auditors instructed USDA to communicate the department's new interpretation to its components to ensure consistency. The IG also said the department's internal guidance requires certain steps before relocating employees, such as a cost-benefit analysis, but USDA said those provisions are waived if the relocation is initiated by the secretary.
While the IG accepted this reasoning, it said USDA would be better served by additional analysis.
"We believe that adopting the approach outlined within the regulation would be beneficial for all such proposed actions going forward because it is intended to provide a structured process to facilitate the implementation of organizational changes throughout the department," the IG said.
Trump administration officials have generally said moving Agriculture Department offices to Kansas City would get federal employees closer to the constituents they serve and save taxpayer dollars. During a Republican party event in his home state of South Carolina on Friday, however, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said the relocations would help the administration attain another goal: shedding federal employees.
More than half of ERS and NIFA employees have not accepted their relocation orders.
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Pay Raises Coming for 130K Postal Employees, Along With Higher Health Care Costs
A union representing 131,000 employees has ratified its contract with the U.S. Postal Service, providing a 4.2% pay increase for the workers but shifting more of their health care costs onto them.
The National Rural Letter Carriers Association ratified the new three-year contract after reaching a tentative deal in May. The union called the contract "fair and reasonable," while postal management stressed it would rein in labor costs and expand the use of part-time, non-career employees. The contract is retroactive to May 2018 and will expire in May 2021.
The rural letter carriers will receive a 1.3% pay raise retroactively and three additional increases over the life of the agreement. They will also receive cost-of-living adjustments on top of those wage increases. The Postal Service, however, will drop its contributions to employees's health care from 73% of premiums to 72%. The contract will boost health benefits for non-career rural carriers as well.
The agreement will make it easier for the Postal Service to use non-career carriers for routes outside their normal post offices. The contract also will create a task force to address the hiring and retention of the non-career employees. The two sides agreed to develop a "joint workforce improvement process" to improve the relationship between management and rural carriers while creating a safer work environment.
"Overall, this contract results in continued restraint of rural carrier labor costs while giving the parties the opportunity to focus on implementing new engineered work standards for rural carrier employees," said Doug Tulino, USPS labor relations vice president.
Ronnie Stutts, the NRLCA president, told his members the talks with President Trump's postal task force, the 2018 midterm elections and the Postal Service's ongoing efforts to "rightsize" its workforce delayed negotiations and led to the expiration of the previous contract.
Eighty-six percent of union members who returned their ballots voted to ratify the contract.
NRLCA's urban counterpart, the National Association of Letter Carriers, also avoided arbitration by reaching a voluntary agreement for its 213,000 members with the Postal Service in 2017. The American Postal Workers Union meanwhile, which represents clerks, mechanics, drivers, custodians and others, remains at an impasse with the Postal Service. The two sides are heading to a third-party arbitrator after the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service deemed them too far apart to help. USPS has sought to limit layoff protections and is offering a one-time lump-sum stipend rather than wage increases, the union said.


We look forward to seeing you this Thursday and Sunday. Due to the fact that many of you will be participating in the Brampton Easter tournament, we will be making one set of releases only, on Sunday, April the 21st - they will be posted by midnight. There will be no releases before that time, so let's go out and have some fun this week.


text:
package org.apache.spark.sql

import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.TableIdentifier
import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.catalog.CatalogTable
import org.apache.spark.sql.test.{SharedSparkSession, SQLTestUtils}
import org.apache.spark.util.Utils

class SimpleShowCreateTableSuite extends ShowCreateTableSuite with SharedSparkSession

abstract class ShowCreateTableSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils {
  import testImplicits._

  test("data source table with user specified schema") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      val jsonFilePath = Utils.getSparkClassLoader.getResource("sample.json").getFile

      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test (
           |  a STRING,
           |  b STRING,
           |  `extra col` ARRAY<INT>,
           |  `<another>` STRUCT<x: INT, y: ARRAY<BOOLEAN>>
           |)
           |USING json
           |OPTIONS (
           | PATH '$jsonFilePath'
           |)
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("data source table CTAS") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("partitioned data source table") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |PARTITIONED BY (b)
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("bucketed data source table") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |CLUSTERED BY (a) SORTED BY (b) INTO 2 BUCKETS
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("partitioned bucketed data source table") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |PARTITIONED BY (c)
           |CLUSTERED BY (a) SORTED BY (b) INTO 2 BUCKETS
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b, 2.5 AS c
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("data source table with a comment") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |COMMENT 'This is a comment'
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b, 2.5 AS c
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("data source table with table properties") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      sql(
        s"""CREATE TABLE ddl_test
           |USING json
           |TBLPROPERTIES ('a' = '1')
           |AS SELECT 1 AS a, "foo" AS b, 2.5 AS c
         """.stripMargin
      )

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("data source table using Dataset API") {
    withTable("ddl_test") {
      spark
        .range(3)
        .select('id as 'a, 'id as 'b, 'id as 'c, 'id as 'd, 'id as 'e)
        .write
        .mode("overwrite")
        .partitionBy("a", "b")
        .bucketBy(2, "c", "d")
        .saveAsTable("ddl_test")

      checkCreateTable("ddl_test")
    }
  }

  test("temp view") {
    val viewName = "spark_28383"
    withTempView(viewName) {
      sql(s"CREATE TEMPORARY VIEW $viewName AS SELECT 1 AS a")
      val ex = intercept[AnalysisException] {
        sql(s"SHOW CREATE TABLE $viewName")
      }
      assert(ex.getMessage.contains("SHOW CREATE TABLE is not supported on a temporary view"))
    }

    withGlobalTempView(viewName) {
      sql(s"CREATE GLOBAL TEMPORARY VIEW $viewName AS SELECT 1 AS a")
      val ex = intercept[AnalysisException] {
        val globalTempViewDb = spark.sessionState.catalog.globalTempViewManager.database
        sql(s"SHOW CREATE TABLE $globalTempViewDb.$viewName")
      }
      assert(ex.getMessage.contains("SHOW CREATE TABLE is not supported on a temporary view"))
    }
  }

  test("SPARK-24911: keep quotes for nested fields") {
    withTable("t1") {
      val createTable = "CREATE TABLE `t1` (`a` STRUCT<`b`: STRING>)"
      sql(s"$createTable USING json")
      val shownDDL = getShowDDL("SHOW CREATE TABLE t1")
      assert(shownDDL == "CREATE TABLE `default`.`t1` (`a` STRUCT<`b`: STRING>)")

      checkCreateTable("t1")
    }
  }

  protected def getShowDDL(showCreateTableSql: String): String = {
    val result = sql(showCreateTableSql)
      .head()
      .getString(0)
      .split("\n")
      .map(_.trim)
    if (result.length > 1) result(0) + result(1) else result.head
  }

  protected def checkCreateTable(table: String): Unit = {
    checkCreateTableOrView(TableIdentifier(table, Some("default")), "TABLE")
  }

  protected def checkCreateView(table: String): Unit = {
    checkCreateTableOrView(TableIdentifier(table, Some("default")), "VIEW")
  }

  private def checkCreateTableOrView(table: TableIdentifier, checkType: String): Unit = {
    val db = table.database.getOrElse("default")
    val expected = spark.sharedState.externalCatalog.getTable(db, table.table)
    val shownDDL = sql(s"SHOW CREATE TABLE ${table.quotedString}").head().getString(0)
    sql(s"DROP $checkType ${table.quotedString}")

    try {
      sql(shownDDL)
      val actual = spark.sharedState.externalCatalog.getTable(db, table.table)
      checkCatalogTables(expected, actual)
    } finally {
      sql(s"DROP $checkType IF EXISTS ${table.table}")
    }
  }

  protected def checkCatalogTables(expected: CatalogTable, actual: CatalogTable): Unit = {
    def normalize(table: CatalogTable): CatalogTable = {
      val nondeterministicProps = Set(
        "CreateTime",
        "transient_lastDdlTime",
        "grantTime",
        "lastUpdateTime",
        "last_modified_by",
        "last_modified_time",
        "Owner:",
        // The following are hive specific schema parameters which we do not need to match exactly.
        "totalNumberFiles",
        "maxFileSize",
        "minFileSize"
      )

      table.copy(
        createTime = 0L,
        lastAccessTime = 0L,
        properties = table.properties.filterKeys(!nondeterministicProps.contains(_)),
        stats = None,
        ignoredProperties = Map.empty
      )
    }
    assert(normalize(actual) == normalize(expected))
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: View and Controller 1:1 relationship. Instantiate the View in the Controller? A better way? I currently create the View and inject it into the requested Controller and then I do
$this->view->load('sometemplate');

and then at the end of my startup.php file I do
$view->render();

I am now changing my application to have a View per Controller but the only way I can think of doing that is to instantiate the View in the Controller since every Controller will have a unique View instance.
Edit
If I have a Controllers\Products I want it to have a Views\Products. The easiest way to do that would be to instantiate the Views\Products inside Controllers\Products because when I am in the Controller I will know exactly what View I need but I do not like the idea of instantiating a View in a Controller.
I would prefer to create Views\Products outside Controllers\Products and inject it in.
My Router::route($uri) returns a Route with these properties
private $directory;
private $controller; // Just controller name, not an instance
private $method;
private $params = array();

I was thinking maybe if my Views and Controllers have the same names I could use the $controller property from the Route to instantiate the correct View and then inject that into the correct Controller. Would this be a good way?
What is the best way to solve this problem?
Thanks.

A: If you are talking about MVC, then I will say you must have actions inside your controller classes.
according to the convention, your view classes should have same names as of your actions.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
News Automotive Electronics & communications
By System Administrator	 29th November 2006 2:00 pm 15th December 2015 4:04 pm
Laser coding on glass bottles and pharmaceutical bag labelling are just two of the technological responses to laws demanding traceability. Mark Venables reports.
Even before September 11, traceability was an important concern for manu-facturers. Now with increased security and legislation — from the EU's End-of-Life Vehicles and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directives, through to farm-to-fork food traceability requirements — it is even more important.
It is vital that manufacturers are able to track faulty products back to process lines, material batches and even individual workers. Recent product recalls, such as the costly recall in the US of 11 million bottles of paracetamol contaminated with metal fragments, would have been easier if product marking, backed up by a product database, had been in operation. As it was, a total product recall was the only method, although it cost millions of dollars.
There are numerous options for marking components and products, including lasers, inkjet and thermal printing. The choice often depends on quantity, the material to be marked and the aesthetic quality required.
Glass bottle manufacturer O-I has installed laser-coding equipment from Linx at its Harlow facility to enable coding directly on to the bottle while the glass is still hot. The information can be used to identify faulty batches, distinguish between suppliers where customers source bottles from multiple locations and protect against counterfeiting.
'We were keen to ensure that the container code was easily distinguishable from the information used by the filling company to identify the batch or use-by date of the bottle contents,' said Mark Eldrett, O-I quality assurance manager. The company also needed a durable solution that could withstand the rigours of being handled through the filling and distribution process. If the text were damaged or removed, said Eldrett, it is useless for traceability or authenticity.
Inkjet coding was considered unsuitable and Linx recommended the use of its hot glass coding laser solution. The principle behind this technology is that better laser coding results are achieved when coding takes place close to the point at which the bottle or jar is formed, while the glass is still red hot. This is because the process generates a clean, smooth mark that is more discreet than codes created on cold glass.
Coding on to glass containers at the point of manufacture presents a number of challenges in terms of the process and the extreme conditions in glass manufacturing plants. For example, during manufacture the temperature of the new bottle reaches 650°C, while the ambient temperature near the production line is about 70°C.
To ensure an effective code, the laser optic is designed to tolerate a long lens-to-product distance and has sufficient depth of focus to deal with the slight inconsistencies in the alignment of the bottles as they travel down the line. The extra-long beam delivery system, comprising flexible arm and printhead, can withstand ambient temperatures up to 70°C. The coder is designed for installation above or beside the production line and has a cooling system allowing it to operate at 45°C.
Automotive component suppliers, even more than the other manufacturers, are under pressure to provide high-quality products at the lowest possible price. Paulstra, a global manufacturer of rubber moulded anti-vibration products, is quality certified and incorporates lean manufacturing techniques with in-process verification systems.
The plants contain dedicated stations for metal preparation, adhesive coating, phosphate, injection transfer and compression moulding and robotic assembly. Because the plant is producing thousands of rubber products each day, the rubber mixing process is one of the most crucial stages on the manufacturing lines. Plant engineers deal with hundreds of rubber mixing batches every day.
Nearly 100 chemicals are used, in powder and pellet form, including curatives and additives such as antioxidants. The challenge was to improve the efficiency of batch inclusion bag labels. One of the areas in which the company wanted to improve its efficiency was in its rubber mixing process. It wanted to reduce waste and increase batch integrity.
'Any engineer that has ever put a wrong bag of chemicals into a mixer can tell you about the importance of proper labelling,' said Sebastien Lebon, a Paulstra mixing process engineer.
'The need to label each batch inclusion bag is just as important, if not more, as ensuring each batch contains the right ingredients.'
For several years, the plants have been pre-weighing the ingredients in low-melt batch inclusion bags. Then the bags are sealed in Lomel bags made from 160 EVA film from US-based J Drasner, to prevent spillage and loss.
'The bags represented a big improvement over the old method of scooping from a bucket,' said Lebon. 'The bagging method has been effective in reducing loss due to spillage and eliminating the need to clean out weighing containers. However, we struggled to find a good method for labelling the bags.
'The labels completed our automation of this area. Initially, the bags were manually labelled using marker pens. Pens did not work because the ink would often smear and handwriting was not always legible. Also, the handwriting did not look professional.'
Lebon asked the manufacturer of the Lomel bag if it had a solution and it recommended a labelling system developed by Paragon Data Systems — the Lomel Batch Labelling System, which uses labels made from the same material as the bag. The system prints labels on demand with all the relevant information in human readable and barcode form.
At the mixing station, the same system that tells the operator which compounds and the amount that are specified for the particular mix, also verifies the ingredients and provides a record. An Intermec Saber 1552C scanner is used to collect the barcode data and perform ingredient validation.
Plant productivity has improved now the inventory of pre-measured batch inclusion bags is tracked automatically, ensuring the correct bags are available before initiating mixing.
Patheon is a global provider of subcontract pharmaceutical manufacturing that focuses on providing clients with a complete solution. As a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, it concentrates on quality and total accuracy. It has four sites in Europe, including one in Swindon, and another 10 in the US.
Recently, the Swindon team became concerned that the system they had in place was unable to cope with the ever-expanding database. The old system was based on an operator matching the required label from a selection screen with the intended product code. While it worked well for a while, discrepancies began to occur between the product code and the product description. Patheon turned to GSM for a new system, which continues to use the Labelview printing and design software that was a key feature of the previous set-up. However, the process through which it is now used is far more accurate and simpler.
Operators are now required to fill in a form detailing the information on screen. This data is then sent to a central server and once the relevant data has been found for that label it is sent back to the appropriate terminal where it can be printed off.
The system prevents errors such as products being labelled incorrectly, or out-of-date products being labelled.
'The accurate production of labels is essential to the functionality of our business,' said Simon Cove, Patheon production engineer.
'Every container and package has some kind of label on it and this system of labelling is crucial within the pharmaceutical environment.'
Opinion Aerospace
Give up work
29th November 2006 2:00 pm 15th December 2015 4:04 pm
Global traveller returns home
1st December 2006 4:00 pm 15th December 2015 4:04 pm
News Rail & marine
R&D boost for GrantRail
29th November 2006 10:40 am 15th December 2015 4:04 pm
DeltaRail trials XDM with First ScotRail

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
'use strict';
const EasyWebpack = require('easywebpack');
const WebpackBaseBuilder = require('./base');
const babelrc = require('../config/babel.node');
// eslint-disable-next-line new-cap
class WebpackServerBuilder extends WebpackBaseBuilder(EasyWebpack.WebpackServerBuilder) {
  constructor(config) {
    super(config);
    this.setBabelrc(babelrc);
    this.setDefine({ 'process.env.VUE_ENV': '"server"' });
    this.setAlias('vue', 'vue/dist/vue.runtime.common.js', false);
    this.setStyleLoader('vue-style-loader');
  }
}
module.exports = WebpackServerBuilder;


The Great Western Bicycle Rally is a celebration of cycling held every Memorial Day Weekend in Paso Robles, dating back to 1965. The rally offers many activities and rides, including a century.
This ride starts in Paso Robles and loops out into the country near Creston and through Templeton, before heading towards the coast on Highway 46. Two scenic detours lead through vineyards, the first on Jack Creek Road and the second on York Mountain Road (oldest winery in the region).
Highway 46 eventually descends to Highway 1, which leads into Cambria. The course then follows the coastline to San Simeon, known as the home of Hearst Castle. Here the route turns around and leads back on Highway 1, before climbing Highway 46 and rolling back into Paso Robles.
Sandra, Lisa, and I had a fun weekend. Paso Robles is a favorite destination, and combined with a great cycling event even more so.
We arrived on Saturday and visited the local arts festival, before attending the rally social event. On Sunday Sandra and I rode the century, and on Monday we went wine tasting.


Smart inhaler company Adherium announced last week that it has received 510(k) clearance for over-the-counter sales of its inhaler monitoring device for AstraZeneca's Symbicort aerosol inhaler, called the SmartTouch for Symbicort.
Adherium — which is headquartered in San Mateo, California, but holds currently offices in Melbourne, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; and Amstelveen, The Netherlands — makes a device that grafts onto a patient's inhaler to monitor and encourage medication adherence as part of a self-management plan. It is designed to be easy to install and remove, and includes three buttons that help patients access the audio visual-reminders, battery monitoring, and Bluetooth low-energy pairing features. The inhaler can also help clinicians pinpoint when and how someone is misusing an inhaler, for instance holding it upside down or inhaling at the wrong time.
The sensor was first cleared by the FDA in September, and is intended for use by patients with respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD.
Anderson told MobiHealthNews about its direct-to-consumer plans earlier this year, when he mentioned that Adherium took inspiration from other successful direct-to-consumer health products, such as AliveCor's smartphone-connected ECG Kardia or Mylan's EPI-pen. At the time, he said that the company was looking at a subscription pricing model in the area of $10 monthly, and taking steps to establish a complementary direct-to-payer channel for the device as well.
Although entry into the US market would potentially place Adherium in direct competition with other digital respiratory health companies such as Propeller Health and Cohero Health, Anderson said that the size of the country's asthma and COPD market should leave enough space for everyone.


text:
Q: Get class name of UIViewController in swift How do you get the class name of a UIViewController class in Swift?
In Objective-C, we can do something like this:
self.appDelegate = (shAppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
    UIViewController *last_screen = self.appDelegate.popScreens.lastObject ;

    if(last_screen.class != self.navigationController.visibleViewController.class){

    //.......
}

but in Swift I tried:
let appDelegate = UIApplication.sharedApplication().delegate as AppDelegate
    let last_screen = appDelegate.popScreens?.lastObject as UIViewController

Can't do this.
if last_screen.class != self.navigationController.visibleViewController.class {

//....

}

no class method of UIViewController i.e last screen

A: Swift 4
Suppose we have class with name HomeViewController. Then you can get name of class with the following code:
let class_name = "\(HomeViewController.classForCoder())"

The classForCoder() method returns AnyClass object (name of your class) which we convert to string for user.

A: To know your class name you can call something like this:
var className = NSStringFromClass(yourClass.classForCoder)

A: Here is a swift3 version of isuru's answer.
extension UIViewController {
    var className: String {
        return NSStringFromClass(self.classForCoder).components(separatedBy: ".").last!;
    }
}

A: The cleanest way without needing to know the name of your class is like this.
let name = String(describing: type(of: self))

A: A simple way in swift 3 is to write the below code:
for instances:
let className = String(describing: self)

for classes:
let className = String(describing: YourViewController.self)

A: Swift 5 solution:
extension NSObject {
  var className: String {
    return String(describing: type(of: self))
  }

  class var className: String {
    return String(describing: self)
  }
}

USAGE:
class TextFieldCell: UITableVIewCell {
}

class LoginViewController: UIViewController {
  let cellClassName = TextFieldCell.className
}

A: Expanding on juangdelvalle's answer.
I added this as an extension so that it's reusable and easier to call from any view controller. Also in some cases NSStringFromClass in Swift returns a string in the format like this:
< project name >.viewControllerClassName.
This extension property is modified to get rid of the project name prefix and return only the class name.
extension UIViewController {
    var className: String {
        NSStringFromClass(self.classForCoder).components(separatedBy: ".").last!
    }
}

A: The property is called dynamicType in Swift.

A: Use String.init(describing: self.classForCoder)
example:
let viewControllerName = String.init(describing: self.classForCoder)
print("ViewController Name: \(viewControllerName)")

A: How about:
    extension NSObject {

    static var stringFromType: String? {
        return NSStringFromClass(self).components(separatedBy: ".").last
    }

    var stringFromInstance: String? {
        return NSStringFromClass(type(of: self)).components(separatedBy: ".").last
    }
}

A: We can also do: String(describing: Self.self) in Swift 5.1.


Chicken Corn Soup recipe by abrarhussain_73 at DesiRecipes.com.
Its a delicious appetizer. And tastes great specially in cold weather.
Wash and Clean the Chicken .
Strain the stock in strainer to remove whole spices and garlic .
Separate the meat from bones and shred it in thin pieces.
avoid it from lumps) and mix it well.
If you feel lumps strain it in a strainer.
Put the corn flour in stock and mix it well.
Take 2 beaten egg whites and put it in the stock and mix it fast so that egg whites doesn't form lumps but it forms thin threads then put the shredded chicken , black pepper powder, chinese salt , and vinegar .
Take boiled eggs and cut them in small slices and put them in stock as well.
stock is becoming thicker by time.
per taste in the soup bowl and enjoy. Its a good appetizer.


Short Information : Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has given an employment notification of Combined Defence Services (CDS) Exam I 2019. Those Candidates who are interested in the vacancy details & completed all eligibility criteria can read the Notification & Apply Online.
For I.M.A. and Officers' Training Academy Degree of a recognized University or equivalent.
For Indian Naval Academy Degree in Engineering from a recognized University/Institution.


text:
Marc Neff
Matt Sedacca
Sample Representations
Money Laundering and Racketeering (RICO)
Mail / Bank Fraud
Embezzlement / Fraud
Credit/Insurance/Tax Fraud
Intellectual Property/Copyright Fraud
Forfeiture Matters
Grand Jury Investigations
Cyber/Internet Offenses
Domestic Violence/Sex Offenses
Rape and Other Sexual Offenses
Education/School Related Offenses
Pennsylvania Sentencing
Pennsylvania Diversionary Programs
Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana
New Jersey Medical Marijuana
Controlled Substance Possession
Controlled Substance Distribution
Firearm Possession
Professional Licensures
Appeals/Post Conviction
Parole/Probation Violations
Supervised Release
PSEA Member Representation
PA Education/School Employees
Legal Representation — Choosing Right
Mandated Reporting
Internet and Cyberspace Crime Law governs crimes on the Internet. It is regulated by U.S. federal and state laws, as well as international laws. These are cyber and internet offenses that are committed through the use of computer networks and devices, although the crime committed does not target the actual computer or the network: Fraud and identity theft, phishing and pharming scams, corporate espionage, embezzlement, cyber terrorism, child pornography trafficking, and other forms of "hacking."
Federal law defines computer fraud as the use of a computer to create a dishonest misrepresentation of fact as an attempt to induce another to do or refrain from doing something which causes loss. Criminals create fraudulent misrepresentation in a number of ways. First, they can alter computer input in an unauthorized way. Employees may embezzle company funds by altering input data. Second, criminals can alter or delete stored data. Third, sophisticated criminals can rewrite software codes and upload them into a bank's mainframe so that the bank will provide its users' identities to the thieves. The thieves can then use this information to make unauthorized credit card purchases.
Violators may be prosecuted under:
18 U.S.C. § 506 No Electronic Theft Act
18 U.S.C. § 1028 Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998
18 U.S.C. § 1029 Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Access Devices
18 U.S.C. § 1030 Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers
18 U.S.C. § 1343 Wire Fraud
18 U.S.C. § 1362 Communication Lines, Stations, or Systems
18 U.S.C. § 2511 Interception and Disclosure of Wire, Oral, or Electronic Communications Prohibited
18 U.S.C. § 2701 Unlawful Access to Stored Communications
18 U.S.C. § 2702 Disclosure of Contents
18 U.S.C. § 2703 Requirements for Governmental Access
At Neff & Sedacca, we encourage a team approach utilizing the foremost experts in computer forensics. Often, these cases can have national and international implications. Our office maintains relationships with a network of attorneys nationally and internationally to assist our clients.
If you believe that you are under investigation, have been subpoenaed before a grand jury or arrested and charged with a crime, contact Neff & Sedacca, PC for a confidential consultation by phone at (215) 563-9800 or email at info@NeffSedacca.com.
Neff & Sedacca limits its practice to federal and state criminal defense and related matters, including grand jury investigations, administrative hearings, and forfeiture cases.
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