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Informing Change: Vulcan's Data-Driven Approach to Conservation
Global Washington Jun 13, 2019
Empowered by Paul Allen's vision to make a positive difference in the world, Vulcan shares a commitment to improving our planet. As Vulcan looks to tackle some of the world's hardest problems, it asks, "What solution should exist that doesn't?" This question has led Vulcan to develop and deploy a range of solutions to help with the protection and conservation of wildlife, ocean health, and their ecosystems, including EarthRanger, Allen Coral Atlas, Skylight, and the Great Elephant Census.
Based on his time at Microsoft, Allen had the power to change things on a global scale, and as a billionaire, his philanthropic impact could be felt on a scale far and wide.
But Allen was a pragmatist at heart, so he wanted to be realistic. That meant he had to focus on not just any kind of global problems, but certain kinds of problems—ones that have an 'accelerating curve' of urgency to them, and come with only a limited window of time to figure out solutions.
"In other words, what that means is that the longer we wait to try to solve those problems, the harder it becomes to solve them," says James Deutsch, director of biodiversity and strategy at Vulcan. "And that's obviously true about climate change. But it's also true, for example, about biodiversity loss or disintegration of natural marine ecosystems."
Read the full story about Vulcan's data-driven approach to conservation at Global Washington.
Interested in learning more about Climate? Other readers at Giving Compass found the following articles helpful for impact giving related to Climate.
How Do We Solve Global Sustainability Problems?
The United Nations' sustainable development goals were created "to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all". There are specific targets for each of the seventeen categories outlined in the plan, but the UN does not suggest that these are truly separate issues. Kathy Calvin, CEO of the United Nations Foundation describes the interconnected nature of these problems in her article The Change We Need to Make to Achieve a Sustainable Future: Thinking Beyond Issues and Sectors to People: If you care about children's health, climate change should matter to you. If you care about job growth, peace and justice should matter to you. If you care about the environment, gender equality should matter to you. And if you care about education, meeting humanitarian needs should matter to you. There is no way, according to Calvin, to address one issue while ignoring the others with which it is intertwined. The fact that all of these issues are inextricable makes them all the more daunting. The number of refugees and displaced persons alone is an issue that can seem insurmountable. Currently, there are estimated to be 65 million displaced persons worldwide, 21.3 million of whom are considered refugees. Over half of these are children. Nearly a fourth of refugees are composed of those fleeing the ongoing conflict in Syria. An estimated 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country. Turkey now has over 2.7 million Syrian refugees, and Lebanon has over 1 million. When the refugee crisis is seen in its full scope, with all of the other problems it brings along, things can seem hopeless. The solutions to these problems must be as integrated as the issues themselves. Like what you are reading? Join Giving Compass and get your daily dose of inspiration to become an impact giver! Learn, Take Action and Connect! The UN offers a list of actions that ordinary citizens can take everyday to improve the sustainability of the globe. The whole list can be found here, but it all boils down to one thing: be mindful in everything that you do. Sustainability issues aren't about what charitable activity you can squeeze into a free Saturday afternoon: they are about the thousands of decisions you make throughout the week. Where you shop, what you buy, what you eat, what you use, what you save, where you go and how you get there. All of these small choices add up to a lifestyle, and choosing a sustainable lifestyle can have a big impact. The UN Foundation list is a good place to find ideas about specific improvements you can make for a more sustainable lifestyle, but below I outline an approach that will keep you on the right track. For each item that you buy think about the lifecycle that it will experience: Where did it come from? What will it be used for? How long will it be used? Where will it go when you are done with it? For each activity that you do ask: What are the consequences of this? What are the benefits? Who will be impacted? Always consider alternative options and see if you can come up with a better solution for the planet that still works for you. It is important to remember that sometimes your conclusion will be that your non-sustainable lifestyle choice, like continuing to consume meat, is not something you are willing to give up. That is ok. Find the ground you are willing to give; do not let one unsustainable choice deter you from making progress in other areas. Nobody is perfect, and every little bit helps. Each person on a vegetarian diet, each person who switches to efficient appliances, each vote cast in favor of an environmental champion helps to tip the scale towards a sustainable future. According to the UN, we solve global sustainability issues one decision at a time. ______ Original contribution by Clarissa Coburn.
If you are looking for opportunities to learn and connect with others interested in the topic of Animal Welfare, take a look at these events, galas, conferences and volunteering opportunities aggregated by Giving Compass.
If you are ready to take action and invest in causes for Animal Welfare, check out these Giving Funds, Charitable Organizations and Projects related to Animal Welfare.
Saving Wildlife Recovering From Australian Bushfires [Video]
Confronting the Challenges of Climate Change on Africa's Coastal Areas


My Body Glory® approach looks at body-image in quite a different way from anything else on the market at present. I believe that the conventional terminology associated with body descriptions such as triangle, boyish and pear shaped are negative, unhelpful and at times even destructive to the development of a confident individual. The subject is intricate and it is most always rooted in ones upbringing circumstance and deeper psychological state of mind. That is why there is no defined way forward as yet to eliminate the negative labyrinth of body-image successfully. In the past five years since introducing the BodyGlory® concept, it has proven to be a simple yet powerful tool to help girls and women affirm confidence in their appearance and quickly translate a look into a choice of tailoring to achieve an empowered and lasting signature style. This method was very successful in the 'DressForNow©' sessions I designed for the Teenage Cancer Trust; a joint project first of its kind in Scotland and the UK aimed at helping young adults deal with the issues surrounding body-image and self-confidence, seen on BBC1. Celebrate your form with a BodyGlory® 'Style on the go' mug.


Up late (or perhaps early, whichever you prefer). I've still not quite decided if I hate/love or just love the ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. All I know is that I have to have something to occupy myself with at the moment and now I'm posting my first HP-fic ever to be seen on the Net (not first one written though).
For those who still haven't read the sixth Harry Potter book: SPOILER ALERT! If you don't want to know what happens by reading a fic or other wayward comments I advice you to read no further here and go get the book!
Pairings: Ron/Hermione, implied Tonks/Remus, implied Sirius/Remus, might become Severus/Remus and Ginny/Harry but I'm still doubtful of that, the story might as well take a completely different turn.
Warnings: Half-Blood Prince Spoilers are going to appear everywhere, beware! In later chapters: violence, death, Death Eaters at their worst and perhaps some sexual situations. Each chapter will have an "updated" warning if I have to add some warnings later on.
Summary: The shadow war lead by Voldemort is slowly moving towards its peak. Remus Lupin, Severus Snape and Harry Potter each have their own goals and will stop at nothing to finally reach them. In the end, who is on whose side?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling does.
Author's Note: I'm a Snape fan so this story will probably become rather Snape-centric and show him in a rather good light. If you don't like Snape you might not find this fic overly interesting. But I would really like to know if I'm glorifying him (or any other character) or writing anyone Out Of Character, constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated! Now, on to the fic.
Remus held his glass so he could study the firelight reflecting off the liquid inside. This was it? Really, he'd thought it would look more impressive, or at least strange in some way. Nothing was particularly outstanding about the amber coloured fluid he now was in possession of.
Sitting down in one of the room's gaudy yet scrubby armchairs he put the glass on the small table by his seat. He turned his eyes to the mantelpiece where some ornaments stood. On the table by the armchair lay three parchments and an old, rather battered quill.
Other than that the room was fairly empty, not counting the spares furniture that once must have been impressive but now looked slightly mouldy.
Remus had been staying here for two days now, a length of time that was becoming risky. He should leave and returned to Greyback's "pack" as soon as possible.
He remained in his seat. Should he drink it? It hadn't been tested, if he was unfortunate he could end up dead or severely poisoned with no means to get help.
Glancing over at the parchment laying on top of the small pile on the table his face set in a determent frown. Grabbing the glass he tipped his head back and downed it all in one gulp. Then he got up, hurriedly collecting his belongings and headed for the door, seemingly not noticing that he'd dropped something.
1 comment | Any thoughts?
Why haven't I read this before? I'm on a spree ad commenting stuff I should have commented like months ago (because yay! I'm poking around LJ again). I'm even going to post art at communities when I've gotten ahold of a scanner (and when I've learned how to make cuts... ehe). Are you going to continue this? It sounds interesting and it starts with Remus, so you know I'm hooked in that case, but I know you're kind of off about Potter fandom. Anyways, seventh book coming soon, so I suppose it's going to get harder and harder to do HP stuff becasue we know all we ever thought is probably going to be CRUSHED in July *excited excited*. Ah well, interesting in any case.


Effective January 1, 2006 Georgia law provides that no application for a certificate of title for a vehicle purchased outside the State of Georgia shall be accepted or processed unless the applicant shows, by a valid bill of sale or contract of purchase or by such other documentation satisfactory to the commissioner, that state and local sales and use tax has been paid or is not due.
For more information, please call 912-576-3248.
Vehicle sales from one person to another person are casual sales, and sales tax is not collected.
We take payments in cash, certified checks, or money orders made payable to Camden County Tax Commissioner.


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Jinwoo, Kim;Jae Hong, Ryu;Tae Man, Han
ETRI Journal. 2015. Aug, 37(4): 793-803
Copyright © 2015, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)
Received : August 10, 2014
Accepted : May 14, 2015
Published : August 01, 2015
Jinwoo, Kim
Jae Hong, Ryu
Tae Man, Han
II. Proposed Multimodal Interface–Based HMI UI/UX
III. Experimental Results
We propose a novel HMI UI/UX for an in-vehicle infotainment system. Our proposed HMI UI comprises multimodal interfaces that allow a driver to safely and intuitively manipulate an infotainment system while driving. Our analysis of a touchscreen interface–based HMI UI/UX reveals that a driver's use of such an interface while driving can cause the driver to be seriously distracted. Our proposed HMI UI/UX is a novel manipulation mechanism for a vehicle infotainment service. It consists of several interfaces that incorporate a variety of modalities, such as speech recognition, a manipulating device, and hand gesture recognition. In addition, we provide an HMI UI framework designed to be manipulated using a simple method based on four directions and one selection motion. Extensive quantitative and qualitative in-vehicle experiments demonstrate that the proposed HMI UI/UX is an efficient mechanism through which to manipulate an infotainment system while driving.
Multimodal interface ; human–machine interface ; user interface ; user experience ; gesture recognition ; speech recognition ; multitasking ; in-vehicle infotainment ; IVI ; GENIVI ; MMI ; HMI ; UI ; UX
The rapidly increasing demand for more in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) has led to a need for driver convenience and safety when manipulating a car application while driving. Until now, popular car makers have focused on commercializing a central display based on an HMI and telematics services. In addition, they have limited the functionality of the infotainment systems they sell in an effort to reduce the risks drivers face when manipulating such systems.
Currently, however, most car makers, graphics companies, and other tier 1 companies are researching the convergence between a multimodal interface and HMI UI framework. Additionally, they are trying to enhance the user experience (UX) using recognition technology, in which voice, speech, gesture, and posture recognition are used to track a user's attention [1] – [2] . American and Chinese users in particular prefer a natural language enabled system over a command and control system [3] .
These days, many drivers use a smart device or navigation system while driving, which can cause a dangerous situation or accident because of the driver's inattention. The impact of driver inattention on crash risk was researched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They introduced the idea that naturalistic data can help complete gaps in the transportation research between epidemiology and empirical methods by collecting sufficient data to conduct epidemiological analyses while still collecting detailed driver behavior and driving performance data [4] .
To solve the problem of driver inattention, researches on HMI UI and UX have been conducted (for example, on an evaluation system that uses an eye tracker [5] ), and diverse methods for measuring and reducing driver inattention have been developed; in-car task components, in particular, are visually distracting to drivers [6] – [7] .
Until now, most user interfaces for IVI have used a touchscreen, which frequently distracts the driver. Recently, a method was introduced to understand how drivers naturally make swiping gestures in a vehicle as compared with a stationary setting [8] ; gesture methods differ according to their application and purpose. To find the density space for gesturing, a new standard on permitted gesture properties (time and space) in a car was proposed in [9] .
BMW has already developed its i-drive for safe driving and expanded its UX to simple gesture recognition. Additionally, the company proposed a new in-vehicle augmented reality (AR) concept connecting an adaptive cruise control (ACC), advanced driver assistance systems, and a navigation system through a head-up display (HUD). Audi has created Multi Media Interface (MMI) for infotainment content using gesture and voice recognition. Benz has also demonstrated an in-vehicle AR using speech and pointing gestures. GM has researched driver gaze tracking while driving to provide AR information to drivers [10] . Finally, Ford has introduced its "MyFord Sync" using the convergence of wheel keys and voice recognition.
Several types of interfaces have been proposed to accommodate the dynamic settings of in-vehicle content delivery [11] . Drivers in near collisions while using an infotainment system exhibit distinct glancing behaviors [12] .
An in-vehicle HUD system combined with AR provides recognition, unlike existing HUD systems. In-vehicle HUD systems that are combined with AR technology display information registered to the driver's view and are developed for the robust recognition of obstacles under bad weather conditions [13] – [14] .
As mentioned earlier, multimodal-based HMI UI/UX products designed for IVI systems are aimed at reducing driver inattention. Additionally, to improve driver attention, recognition technologies are becoming involved in infotainment systems. The current trend in IVI user interfaces is toward non-touch-based interfaces in an attempt to provide drivers with a more intuitive HMI UX.
Additionally, a driver's inattention can be reduced by using a multimodal interface–based HMI UI and UX in a way whereby they are able to complement one another. In particular, voice recognition and knob-based interfaces require a novel IVI system. Hand gesture interfaces — ones that uses point, tap, swipe, and touch capabilities — are becoming more and more important to AR in-vehicle HUD systems. Such systems are dependent on an HMI UI/UX to come up with an interface for each gesture.
In this paper, we propose a new HMI UI framework concept that aims to provide a driver with a safe and efficient UX while driving. To do so, we consider a multimodal interface–based HMI UX that uses speech; a knob, which is rotary device; and gesture recognition for manipulation without a touchscreen. In addition, we provide touch-based gestures for convenience. Furthermore, we modified a standard infotainment platform (GENIVI) in such a way so that it could support our HMI UI/UX. This means that our HMI UI/UX can be commercialized more easily. We also provide a web-based application based on our proposed HMI UI framework to verify the proposed multimodal-based UI/UX.
- 1. Overall Procedure
The proposed HMI UI/UX is characterized by the safety it provides its users and the fact that it does not act as a distraction to a driver as they manipulate an IVI system (that is utilizing the proposed HMI UI/UX) while driving. The HMI UI/UX provides a driver with intuitive manipulation methods from which to navigate an HMI UI menu; confirmation of any reactions given by the driver; a UI framework to connect with SW platforms and user interfaces; and a design structure for a GUI.
The amount of time a driver spends looking at the HMI screen of the proposed HMI UI/UX can be reduced through non-touchscreen-based methods of operation. Until now, drivers have had to use their infotainment system's touchscreen to select something, such as a desired icon. However, this is very dangerous while driving; hence, some vehicle manufacturers, such as BMW and Audi, have substituted touchscreens with other alternative methods of manipulation, such as a knob or touch pad.
Our proposed HMI UI/UX allows a driver to manipulate HMI menus via a natural hand gesture interface. Additionally, voice, knob, and touch interfaces can also be used to manipulate our proposed HMI UI/UX — such interfaces provide the user with the same UX as given by the natural hand gesture interface. UIs have been adapted for other applications and can be accessed from the main menu (see Fig. 1 ). Additionally, we developed HMI functions, such as a task manager function, diagnostics function, and multitasking function, in our infotainment platform.
Architecture of proposed HMI UI/UX.
We used the open-source GENIVI platform [15] to create web-based applications (that is, map and browser services) that could be used with our proposed HMI UI. In this paper, we provide a detailed account of the proposed HMI UI framework in relation to the proposed HMI UI/UX.
Figure 1 shows the architecture of our proposed HMI UI/UX. We built a multimodal UX engine, multitasking capability, and an HMI UI framework on the GENIVI platform. First, we provided four user interfaces to use the HMI UI effectively. These are connected to the multimodal UX engine, which acts as a bridge between the four interfaces — gesture, knob, voice, and touch — and the UI and multitasking functions. Second, the main function of the multimodal UX engine is to manage the four interfaces in an activated state in real time. When a driver uses one of the interfaces, the state information of the interface is transferred to the multitasking block. Third, the multitasking block notifies each other block connected to it of the current layer, input interface, and HMI UI status. Because our HMI UI/UX architecture has multiple layers (see Section II-2 below), the states of the layers must be checked and the layers themselves arranged, all in real time. Finally, this information is provided to the HMI UI framework block. In this block, applications can use the HMI UI framework and HMI UI/UX information.
- 2. HMI UI/UX
In the overall HMI UI/UX composition, there are four layers — in which the background, main menu icons, submenu icons, and pop-up menus lie. The UI framework for the proposed HMI main screen consists of two arrays. The bottom array represents the main menu icons and is the more significant of the two. The upper array consists of submenu icons associated with the currently selected main menu icon. In addition, the proposed HMI UI/UX consists of a main screen, GUI for USB connection, subscreens, and multitasking UI framework.
Figure 2 shows the proposed HMI UI framework and possible movements required to navigate menus. Figure 2(a) shows the main menus, and Fig. 2(b) shows the associated submenus. One can scroll through the menus using an appropriate manipulation method. As the main menus are rotated, the corresponding submenus are also changed. The main menus consist of several icons, and it is possible change the number of such icons. Figure 2(c) shows the change in position between the main menus and submenus using the gesture and knob interfaces. Figure 2(d) shows the pop-up action layer. When connecting a USB memory stick or manipulating the center of the main menu using a tap gesture, the pop-up slide moves to the right on the main screen. Figure 2(e) shows the multitasking pop-up layer, which appears from the bottom of the HMI main screen whenever a multitasking event begins.
Construction of UI for main screen of proposed HMI UI/UX.
We use two 3D curve patterns to express an HMI UI movement, such as a rotation, translation, or zigzag effect. The first is a quadratic curve, and the other is a cubic curve. These curves can be combined in such a way so as to make a complex curve. Our 3D HMI UI positioning mechanism utilizes such information.
Figure 3 shows the aforementioned positioning mechanism at work. In the figure, pa and pb represent the centers of two objects (menu icons) from the HMI main screen. The complex curve (red solid line) passing through them illustrates the path along which they will move. Point pi is a center position between two neighboring objects along the given complex curve. In the equation for "positioning translation," d , a positive or negative number, indicates the direction of an icon. In addition, θ is the positioning angle of a given point. The movement for menus is formulated as the sum of the discrepancy between an object position and neighbor point pi . The values of the translation positioning and direction factor d are then multiplexed.
Positioning translation for movement of main screen menus.
Figure 4 illustrates two of the available manipulation methods for the main screen — the use of a knob and touch interface. A driver can control the search menus on the main screen using two direction pairs — up and down, and left and right. When controlling the knob, the indicator box (white box) appearing at the center of the main menu or submenu informs the driver as to which icon is currently selected. When navigating the icons of the main menu, the user can simply move the knob in an upwards direction and the indicator (white box) will then move up to the center of the submenu. Alternatively, the user can scroll through the icons in the main menu (or submenu) by swiping the screen; the corresponding submenus will accordingly appear automatically.
UX based on four-directional movement: HMI UI manipulation is performed using knob or touch interface.
When selecting an icon from the submenu, the user will be taken to a subscreen. Each subscreen has a sidebar containing menu buttons. Through these menu buttons, a further two menu sublevels can be accessed, giving a maximum of three menu levels in total. Furthermore, the user can recognize the main menu category (color coded) currently selected from an indicator that is located to the bottom right of the sidebar, at the bottom of the screen. For voice recognition, the driver simply gives a command that includes a search word at the current stage after pressing the start key (which is located at the top-right corner of every screen.
Figure 5 illustrates a subscreen of the UI framework. Figure 5(a) shows the first subscreen upon starting a specific application. Immediately to the left and right of the sidebar, menu-level indicators express the status of the current menu level. Three colors are used — red, blue, and grey. Red indicates that a driver can enter the second menu sublevel; blue indicates that the driver can enter the third menu sublevel; and grey indicates that no further menu sublevels exist (thus the driver would know that they have reached the final menu sublevel; that is, the third menu sublevel).
Subscreen UI framework: (a) first-level menus and (b) second-level menus and example of level structure.
Up to this point, we have described the UI framework design for both a subscreen and the main screen. Although the two HMI UI frames are different from each other, the UX for each HMI UI is the same. All menus are simply manipulated using four directions — up, down, left, and right. The pop-up layer–based UI has three types: a USB connection, multitasking, and favorite function. As with the UX, these UI frameworks can also be manipulated using the aforementioned four directions.
Figure 6(a) shows the UI action design available for a USB connection. For a USB-connected application, five menu buttons are expressed on a sliding sidebar menu located on the left of the screen. This sliding sidebar menu moves from left to right when the USB device is connected. In addition, the user can select the menu buttons using multimodal interfaces. Figure 6(b) shows a multitasking UI framework. This UI framework is also included in the pop-up application, and moves from down to up at the bottom of the screen. It contains icons of recently used applications; drivers can select or delete an icon linking to an application. We illustrated the design of our HMI UI framework and UX, and in the next section will describe the applications based on the proposed UI framework.
(a) USB connection and (b) multitasking UI framework.
To provide the menu management freely to the driver, we also designed a favorite function. Figure 7 shows the UI framework used to register favorite icons. Drivers can arrange their wanted icons using the following main steps: tap and hold any submenu icon on the screen, and then drag to the "+" region on the left side of the main screen and then release.
Favorite function based on UI framework.
The dragged icons are then registered on the favorites menu. Thus, whenever the driver starts the HMI UI/UX or reboots the favorites menu located at the middle part of the main screen, the registered icons on the menu are updated. On the other hand, the driver can remove registered icons by dragging a submenu icon to the "–" region, which is located on the right side of the main screen.
- 3. Gesture Recognition
We illustrated the UI framework and its functions using multimodal interfaces, which are a knob and touch capability. In this section, we describe gesture recognition using the UI framework. Our proposed HMI UI/UX can be manipulated in only four directions. Thus, we made four types of hand gesture recognition. In detail, we obtain 3D information from a Leap Motion device sensor. We used two gesture groups — swipe and tap — from Leap Motion SDK [16] , but we needed to modify the provided gesture samples to fit our HMI UI/UX. Because the gestures must be strongly separated into two classes, we calculated the average positions of detected fingers and palms (six positions in total) in a frame-to-frame manner. Then, we normalized the average value of each of the six positions to "1" and found a threshold to determine each gesture regarding each direction.
Gesture recognitions consist of four directions and one tap gesture to start an application at the main screen. In this paper, we do not define the use of other functions including multitasking; a USB connection; and favorite and specific application functions because the purpose of gesture recognition is to prove that our HMI UI framework optimizes multimodal interfaces including gestures. Figure 8 shows the gesture UX used to manipulate our proposed UI framework. Figures 8(a) through 8(d) indicate four swipe motion directions; that is, left, right, up, and down. Figures 8(e) and 8(f) show the tap motion using the z -axis.
Gesture recognition used to manipulate our proposed HMI UI/UX. Four directions of swipe motion: (a) left, (b) right, (c) up, (d) down, (e) tap in direction of z-axis to select motion, and (f) tap in direction of y-axis to select motion.
- 4. Web-Based Applications
We designed a multimodal interface–based UI framework for an IVI system. In this section, we discuss our self-made web-based application map and browser services that are operated without a touch-based interface. These applications can be manipulated using either a knob, speech recognition, or gestures. In the case of the knob and gesture capability, the UI framework uses four directions — right, left, up, and down — and one selected motion.
The purpose of our web-based map service is such that a driver can manipulate the application in an effective and safe manner without a touch-based interface to obtain map information while driving. We used the map information and basic functions from Naver OpenAPI [17] . We then made a connection between our UI framework and the functions that express traffic status, distance measurement, current position, and map resizing.
Figure 9 shows the application-based UI framework used to verify our proposed HMI UI/UX. All of the menus can be controlled using the multimodal UI, including the speech, gesture, and knob interfaces. Figure 9(a) shows the real-time traffic function on the map. In addition, we can find the current position using GPS, and the current traffic status can be displayed, as shown in Fig. 9(d) . Figure 9(c) shows that a driver can register their favorite destination using a knob interface. Figure 9(e) shows the menu used to resize the map. After using the right command or selecting the appropriate multimodal UI, a driver can search for diverse map sizes, as defined in Fig. 9(f) . At this point, the sidebar indicators notify the driver as to whether more depth layers are available. All menus can be manipulated using two direction pairs, and the indicator box is always focused at the center of a menu array.
Web-based map service based on UI framework: (a) real-time traffic status, (b) registered location, (c) measurement of distance, (d) setting current position, and (e) and (f) map resizing.
A driver may want to find information from a web page using a smartphone or infotainment system while driving. To do so, drivers often use time-waiting for a signal or voice recognition service through a connected smartphone service. In the case of controlling a web page in detail, voice recognition is sometimes inconvenient because a driver has to memorize all kinds of commands to manipulate different functions.
To compensate for this problem, we suggest the use of a UX-based web browser. Figure 10(a) shows a full-screen view of a web page. When a driver wishes to use sidebar menus to control a web page, the sidebar can be displayed on the screen through the driver making a designated motion to the right, as shown in Fig. 10(b) . Figure 10(c) shows the function of searching through web information by entering a specific address. Figure 10(d) illustrates the opening and closing of a new web page in detail without the use of a touch control. In addition, drivers can control a web page using back, forward, and page reload, as shown in detail in Fig. 10(f) .
Web-based browser service based on UI framework: (a) full screen of web pages, (b) expressed side menus, (c) web search, (d) and (e) web-page control menus, and (f) making new tab.
- 1. Test Environment
The software for the prototype system was developed using Qt SDK, OpenGL, Ubuntu 12.04, Leap SDK, and the GENIVI platform. We use the GENIVI component based on HTML5, DLT demon, Webkit, and a layer manager to make the HMI UI/UX and applications. The hardware running the software is automotive, consisting of an Intel Atom D525 1.8 GHz CPU with 2 GB of main memory. Our HMI UI/UX system is based on Linux, which is a standard OS, and includes the GENIVI compliance platform. To verify the real-time manipulating performance of the system, we carried out system and performance tests to confirm how the frame rate changes according to the HMI UI control screen. The average frame rate for manipulating the UI framework is 15 fps, and the maximum CPU share is under 43%.
Figure 11(a) shows the outlook of our proposed system including multimodal interfaces. The system consists of a mono mic, knob, touch-based display expressed UI, 3Dconnextion knob [18] , and Leap Motion sensor for gesture recognition. For the speech recognition, we used 45 key words, which could be used by a driver for the purposes of searching and implementing menus and menu functions. The display has a resolution of 800 × 480 and is a piezoelectric touchscreen. The knob is a 3Dconnextion to control the UI using the five aforementioned UXs. For gesture recognition, we use the 3D information of the five finger tips and palm from the Leap Motion sensor shown in Fig. 11(b) .
System outlook: (a) multimodal-based HMI UI/UX and (b) region of gesture recognition using Leap Motion.
We tested our multimodal-based HMI UI/UX to verify its capability over a touch-based HMI UI/UX. As shown in Fig. 12 , we set up the driving conditions and tested two types of HMI systems to compare the UI/UX performance. Figure 12(a) shows the driving simulation, where we connected a knob with our system (see Fig. 12(b) ). We recorded a driver's attentiveness as they manipulated firstly a standard touch-based HMI navigation system (see Fig. 12(d) ) and then our multimodal-based HMI (see Fig. 12(c) ). We then compared the results of these driver attentiveness experiments. More specifically, we used a commercial navigator (Thinkware inc.), i-navi UX, which can only be controlled via a touch-based UI [19] . We tested our multimodal-based HMI to verify its capability over the touch-based HMI. The simulator that we used included instances of straight and curved sections of road (see Figs. 12(e) and 12(f) ). More specifically, we used the 3D driving game "Euro Truck," which served as the provider of driving information, as opposed to the driving simulator, so as to provide a greater level of reality to the tester. Since the 3D driving game realized real driving conditions, including curve, intersection, access road, and driving with other cars, we were left only to consider an integrated cognitive model that incorporated the driving path, car, and driving with use of either our HMI UI/UX or a commercial navigator.
Performance demonstration of multimodal interface–based HMI UI/UX during driving simulation.
We set up a scenario that required a tester to operate a navigation application while driving, and we applied this same scenario to all testers under the same conditions. The scenario is as follows: (1) testers should find the "navigation" icon and select it; (2) zoom in on the map; (3) zoom out until on the map; (4) find the main screen; (5) start the function of "multitasking"; (6) find the "navigation" icon and select again; (7) find the submenu icons "web browser" and "DMB"; and (8) find the "navigation" icon again.
Testers had to control the HMI using either a touch-based UI (T-Navi) or our proposed multimodal interface–based UI (M-HMI) without touch capability. We tested our multimodal-based UI to verify its capability over T-Navi. The testers manipulated M-HMI using its range of diverse interfaces — gesture, voice, and knob — without regulation. Since T-Navi has only a touch-based interface, we could not evaluate cognitive and audiometry elements. In short, we conducted an evaluation of other elements instead (see Fig. 2 ).
- 2. Results
Several projects about HMI methods have been conducted, such as AIDE, HUMANIST, SafeTE, HASTE, CAMP, and so on [20] . To evaluate our proposed HMI UI/UX system, we considered general elements such as driver response time (the average of the total measurements from the start of the listening command to the action using our UX or a touchscreen), average driving speed, duration of distraction from the HMI UI screen (distractions were separated into those lasting less than 1 s, between 1 s and 2 s, and more than 2 s. We defined "more than 2 s" as a dangerous distraction), number of crashes (includes crashes with cars to the front and side of the vehicle or obstacles), and lane keeping [21] . To obtain the above measurements, we tried to use an eye tracker. However, we had to manually check each captured video for each tester because of an error detection problem with the eye tracker.
Additionally, we divided the testers into two groups according to their driving career. The experienced group members had more than five years of driving experience and were skilled in both types of HMI UI/UXs (according to our survey results). The non-experienced group members had less than five years of driving experience. The criterion of division by five years was chosen in accordance with our survey results, which revealed that this was the average amount of time necessary for a tester to become accustomed to manipulating their own in-car HMI UI/UX or navigator without endangering themselves while driving.
We created a scenario to control each UI framework and manually measured testers' response times and distraction factors while they drove in the simulator and operated the two aforementioned HMIs (each on a separate occasion). A total of 60 testers were used, and the results of the simulations are shown in Table 1 .
Result of evaluations regarding two types of HMI UI/UXs for groups of drivers (all items are mean of results from each group of testers).
Items (mean)
Experienced (30)
Nonexperienced (30)
Proposed HMI
Commercial navigator
Response (s) 1.5 2.3 3.4 3.8
Speed (km/h) 75 80 67.6 75.6
Distraction (D < 1 s) 21 11 15 16.7
Distraction (1 s ≤ D ≤ 2 s) 11 30 26.3 16.7
Distraction (D > 2 s) 1 2 4.3 6
Crash (count) 0 0 1 1.3
Derailment (count) 3 7 7 9.3
Drivers with five or more years of driving experience showed less distractions and quick reaction times when manipulating our proposed HMI UI/UX while driving. However, the result of the touch-based HMI showed a long response time and more distractions when controlling and searching the screen. Moreover, the drivers looked at the screen several times to find the touch position. On the other hand, inexperienced drivers showed more distractions of less than 2 s when using our HMI compared with the touch-based version. The reason for this is that they were unfamiliar with our HMI. However, there were fewer distractions of more than 2 s, crashes, and derailments compared with the results of using the touch-based HMI.
In the case of our proposed HMI UI/UX, the number of recorded distractions of under 1 s in the experienced drivers group was greater than that recorded for between 1 s and 2 s (experienced drivers group). On the other hand, the results for T-Navi show a stark contrast; that is, experienced drivers kept glancing at the HMI screen to check their actions when using the multimodal interface–based UX for a short time period. In the case of the inexperienced drivers group, while operating our proposed HMI UI/UX, the results show a difference with the experienced drivers group. The number of recorded distractions for between 1 s and 2 s was greater than that recorded for under 1 s. This was due to the fact that the inexperienced drivers were not familiar with multitasking tasks while driving. Based on these results, we evaluated our proposed method as being better than that of the touch-based HMI UI/UX method in terms of the distractions evaluation criterion.
Evidently, the touch-based HMI UI method demanded drivers' attentions while they were driving more so than the proposed method. In addition, we conjecture that if drivers have more experience using our proposed UX, then they will find that it will become easier to operate it in a safer and more efficient manner while driving. In detail, a driver can focus on driving while at the same time performing a search of either the main menu, a submenu, or a sidebar menu with the aid of different sound effects. The sound effects are generated whenever the driver uses either a gesture motion, voice recognition, or the knob.
To provide a cognitive element to our proposed HMI UI/UX, several types of feedback effects were considered, such as sound, haptic, and visualization notices. In short, a driver need not necessarily look at the HMI screen to successfully operate the proposed HMI UI/UX, once they become accustomed to such types of feedback; the same cannot be said for traditional touch-based HMI UIs
We additionally conducted an analysis of the psychomotor workload experienced by our testers as they operated M-HMI and T-Navi. Table 2 shows the results. The test group was divided by driving career. Generally, the results show that testers preferred M-HMI over T-Navi for almost all of the evaluation criteria in Table 2 .
Analysis of psychomotor workload for proposed HMI UI/UX.
Pro HMI
Com Nav
Esthetic 91.4 62.9 91.4 64.8 88.6 55.7 88.0 62.2 90 61
Intuitive 74.3 77.1 83.8 75.2 80.0 78.6 84.0 78.7 81 77
Usability 85.7 77.1 84.8 64.8 92.9 65.7 92.0 67.9 89 69
Structure 88.6 82.9 83.8 64.8 81.4 62.9 92.0 60.2 86 68
Trends 77.1 62.9 89.5 51.4 84.3 51.4 96.0 47.0 87 53
Design 94.3 62.9 83.8 62.9 78.6 55.7 88.0 57.2 86 60
Delivery 80.0 74.3 72.4 72.4 81.4 61.4 84.0 63.0 79 68
UI usability 77.1 71.4 90.5 50.5 90.0 52.9 93.1 55.8 88 58
Purchase capability 80.0 48.6 87.6 59.0 92.9 52.9 92.1 54.6 88 54
Safety 85.7 48.6 91 50.5 92.9 44.3 94.6 41.5 91 46
Keep eyes forward 77.1 51.4 82 47.6 87.1 50.0 87.9 44.4 84 48
* Pro HMI: propose HMI and Com Nav: commercial navigator
As shown in Fig. 13 , we tested our proposed HMI UI/UX in a car while driving. The testers conducted multitasking, searched for apps, and connected a USB to install apps or media content, by using either speaker recognition, gestures, or a knob.
Experiment with multimodal-based HMI UX in car.
Currently, state-of-the-art HMI UI/UXs lie in the hands of car manufacturers such as BMW or Audi. Although we do not have quantitative criteria from which to compare our own HMI UI/UX with those that belong to the likes of BMW and Audi, we were able to conduct a qualitative evaluation from a different point of view — the HMI UI/UX's framework. Figure 14 shows a comparison of framework structures. The UI frameworks of the aforementioned HMIs have some points in common. One common point is that they all make use of only four directions and a rotation to manipulate the UI; moreover, most of the menus consist of a hierarchical UI framework. The difference between the framework structures of BMW and Audi and our proposed method, as shown in Fig. 14(c) , is as follows. In the case of i-drive and MMI, the menus are fixed on the menu screen and it is the indicator that has to move within a selected list of menus. In contrast, because our UI indicator is fixed, a driver of a car that contains our proposed HMI UI/UX is more able to maintain their concentration on the road ahead while operating the HMI. Additionally, our UI framework maintains symmetry and reduces the staring time.
Comparison of framework structures: (a) i-drive from BMW in X5, (b) MMI from 2015 Audi A3 sedan, and (c) our proposed HMI UI/UX.
This paper presented a multimodal interface–based HMI UI/UX that provides a more convenient, efficient, and safe manipulation than previous touch-based interface products while driving. Our proposed system makes it possible to manipulate while looking at the side of the screen. In addition, the UX mechanism can be learned in a short time period, and the controls can be used easily to manipulate the multimodal interface while keeping a front gaze. Our proposed UX mechanism is as easy to learn and manipulate as a typical HMI-based device. Because we built our HMI based on a standard infotainment platform, it is ready for commercial use. In addition, we verified that our HMI system provides an advanced vehicle UX for manipulating in-vehicle infotainment better than in previous products. Our multimodal in-vehicle interface can be combined with diverse gesture recognition, including posture, pointing, and body, hand, and head poses, and can be extended to augmented reality and instrument cluster interaction with the driver. As future work, we have a plan to combine our proposed UX and gesture recognition to interact with a driver statement recognition system, which is connected to our ongoing co-pilot system project.
This work was supported by Institute for Information & Communications Technology Promotion (IITP) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (B0101-15-0134, Development of Decision Making/Control Technology of Vehicle/Driver Cooperative Autonomous Driving System (Co-Pilot) Based on ICT).
Corresponding Author jwkim81@etri.re.kr
Jinwoo Kim received his BS degree in electronic engineering from Yeungnam University, Kyungsan, Rep. of Korea, in 2007 and his MS degree in computer and electrical engineering from Hanyang University, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, in 2009. Since 2009, he has worked for the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, Rep. of Korea, where he is now a senior researcher. His research interests include automotive and infotainment platforms; HMI; UI; UX; driver status recognition for autonomous systems; and interaction between humans and vehicles.
jhryu@etri.re.kr
Jae Hong Ryu received his BS degree in electronic engineering from Pusan National University, Rep. of Korea, in 1991 and his MS degree in electronic engineering from Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Rep. of Korea, in 2005. Since 1991, he has worked for LGIC and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, Rep. of Korea (where he is now a principle member of staff). His main research interests include embedded systems and IoT.
tmhan@etri.re.kr
Tae Man Han received his BS degree in electronic engineering from Kyungbook National University, Daegu, Rep. of Korea, in 1985 and his MS degree in computer and electrical engineering from Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Rep. of Korea, in 2008. Since 1995, he has worked for the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, Rep. of Korea, where he is now a principle member of staff. His main research interests include automotive and infotainment platforms; AUTOSAR; Infotainment platform–based smart connectivity technology software; ubiquitous sensor networks; and telematics.
Kim H.M. 2012 "Dual Autostereoscopic Display Platform for Multi-user Collaboration with Natural Interaction," ETRI J. 34 (3) 466 - 469 DOI : 10.4218/etrij.12.0211.0331
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Gable T.M. "Advanced Auditory Cues on Mobile Phones Help Keep Drivers' Eyes on the Road," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Eindhoven, Netherlands Oct. 28–30, 2013 66 - 73
Kujala T. , Silvennoinen J. , Lasch A. "Visual-Manual In-Car Tasks Decomposed - Text Entry and Kinetic Scrolling as the Main Sources of Visual Distraction," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Eindhoven, Netherlands Oct. 28–30, 2013 82 - 89
Politis I. , Brewster S. , Pollick F. "Evaluating Multimodal Driver Displays of Varying Urgency," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Eindhoven, Netherlands Oct. 28–30, 2013 92 - 99
Burnett G. "A Study of Unidirectional Swipe Gestures on In-Vehicle Touch Screens," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Eindhoven, Netherlands Oct. 28–30, 2013 22 - 29
Riener A. "Standardization of the In-Car Gesture Interaction Space," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Eindhoven, Netherlands Oct. 28–30, 2013 14 - 21
Jablonski C. 2010 "An Augmented Reality Windshield from GM," http://www.zdnet.com/article/an-augmented-reality-windshield-from-gm/
Ecker R. "Visual Cues Supporting Direct Touch Gesture Interaction with In-Vehicle Information Systems," Proc. Int. Conf. Automotive User Interfaces Interactive Veh. Appl. Pittsburgh, PA, USA Nov. 11–12, 2010 80 - 87
Perez M.A. 2012 "Safety Implications of Infotainment System Use in Naturalistic Driving," J. Prevention, Assessment, Rehabil. 41 4200 - 4204
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Khan S. 2008 "SVP Infotainment and Connected Drive," BMW Case Study BMW Group Corp. http://www.genivi.org/sites/default/files/BMW_Case_Study_Download_040914.pdf
GestureList Leapmotion Corp. https://developer.leapmotion.com/documentation/skeletal/cpp/api/Leap.Gesture.html
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SCS Software, Euro Truck Simulator 2 SCS Software Corp. http://www.eurotrucksimulator2.com/world.php
Franzen S. , Babapour M. 2011 "HMI Certification - a Critical Review of Methods for Safety and Deficiency Evaluation of HMI Solutions for IVIS," Chalmers University of Technology, Dept. Des. & Human Factors
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Citing 'Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System '
@article{ HJTODO_2015_v37n4_793} ,title={Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System} ,volume={4} , url={http://dx.doi.org/10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076}, DOI={10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076} , number= {4} , journal={ETRI Journal} , publisher={Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute} , author={Kim, Jinwoo and Ryu, Jae Hong and Han, Tae Man} , year={2015} , month={Aug}
AU - Kim, Jinwoo
AU - Ryu, Jae Hong
AU - Han, Tae Man
TI - Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System
Kim, J. , Ryu, J. H. , & Han, T. M. ( 2015). Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System. ETRI Journal, 37 (4) Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. doi:10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076
Kim, J , Ryu, JH , & Han, TM 2015, Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System, ETRI Journal, vol. 4, no. 4, Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076
[1] J Kim , JH Ryu , and TM Han , "Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System", ETRI Journal, vol. 4, no. 4, Aug 2015.
Kim, Jinwoo and , Ryu, Jae Hong and , Han, Tae Man and , "Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System" ETRI Journal, 4. 4 2015:
Kim, J , Ryu, JH , Han, TM Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System. ETRI Journal [Internet]. 2015. Aug ; 4 (4) Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076
Kim, Jinwoo , Ryu, Jae Hong , and Han, Tae Man , "Multimodal Interface Based on Novel HMI UI/UX for In-Vehicle Infotainment System." ETRI Journal 4 no.4 () Aug, 2015): http://dx.doi.org/10.4218/etrij.15.0114.0076

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Erbium(III) acetate is the acetate salt of erbium, with the proposed chemical formula of Er(CH3COO)3. It can be used to synthesize some optical materials.

Physical properties
The tetrahydrate of erbium(III) acetate is thermally decomposed at 90 °C, giving a proposed anhydride:
 Er(CH3COO)3·4H2O → Er(CH3COO)3 + 4 H2O
Continued heating to 310 °C will form ketene:
 Er(CH3COO)3 → Er(OH)(CH3COO)2 + CH2=C=O
At 350 °C, the proposed Er(OH)(CH3COO)2 loses acetic acid to yield a material of the formula ErOCH3COO, forming Er2O2CO3 at 390 °C, finally obtaining Er2O3 at 590 °C.

References

Erbium compounds
Acetates

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Through recognition activities and industry alliances, we promote an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and advocate for improvements and investments in education. Huh? Recognition activities are awards. I don't exactly know what industry alliances are. We want to promote awareness of manufacturing engineering, but this claim may be more wishful thinking than fact. SME does much more than advocate for improvements and investments in education. Its education foundation funds college and university manufacturing labs, curriculum development and other improvements that do a better job of turning students into engineers.
SME honors leaders in academia and industry with awards such as the SME Gold Medal and the Young Manufacturing Engineer of the Year at its annual meeting.
The SME Education Foundation funds college and university manufacturing labs, curriculum development and other improvements that increase their ability to turn students into engineers.
Professional certifications have in the last few years been given new emphasis. Even after 18 years at SME I didn't really understand their value until I helped the staff at the time to reorganize their web site. The exam-based credentials receive painstaking attention to validity and relevance. There are four manufacturing certifications – technologist, engineer, manager and enterprise integrator. Now the lean manufacturing certifications are joining the list (see www.sme.org/leancert).
Through association with SME, industry and academic leaders have established certifications to hold manufacturing professionals to the highest standards of expertise.
Seems like an organization like SME gives people the chance to develop and show their leadership abilities. Furthermore, they are in a position to find mentors to help them advance in their careers, and as they do so, mentor others in turn. So someday, add that in.
What do you think? Is it interesting to you as a potential member?
We are internationally recognized by manufacturing practitioners, companies and other organizations as their source for information, education and networking. Saying "We are internationally recognized…" is a little like starting a press release by saying, "We are pleased to announce…" I classify that as a "so what?" statement. It's kind of like a vision statement – lofty and partially true. Like saying, "We're great."
And how can a company recognize anything? A company is a thing. Hmm… seems like the ideas "international" and the words "education" and "networking" are worth bringing up. We already talked about "information" in the first sentence.
Know what? I can't really do anything with this sentence, so I'm going to leave it out for now. What do you want to do with it?
Here I am, at the Shingo Prize Conference in Covington, KY – just across the river from Cincinnati. The Tuesday evening social hour is over and tomorrow the main conference starts.
Seems like I met more people from military MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul?) facilities than I would have expected. They all want to find the Warner-Robins people because of W-R's experience in lean (see USAF Embraces Lean Techniques as Lean Directions reported in 2002.) They won a Shingo Prize too. I think I may have a frequent blog visitor from Warner-Robins – could you add a comment on what you're doing down there?
The Navy has issued notification that lean is going to happen – now. And I'm told that the Marine Corps at Beaufort SC is pumped up and ready to improve stuff.
In the Army, Anniston Depot has sent a delegation of three to the conference. Talking to Tim Spivey and his colleagues, I learned that they use machining and milling centers, laser and waterjet cutting, EDM, some die making, some stamping, assembly and painting. They do some textile production. And disassembly and reclamation. Even with the incredible variety of work needed on the damaged vehicles and weapons that come to them, they have identified value streams and are aligning them.
Tim told me that they invited a couple of the toolmakers to come out from their little world to participate in a lean event. It emerged that some kind of fixture was needed to hold something – the people who worked in the operation being improved could see the function they needed, but the toolmaker saw how something like that could be made. It was already in his mind before they started to talk. Not only was a problem solved, but the toolmaker was excited to have been able to invent something, not just spend his hours on chipmaking. Needless to say, people from the machine shop are going to find themselves in kaizen events in other places around the facility.
One thing the military is good at, according to two people I spoke with, is standard work. There are manuals for most things, including how to bring people up from one rank to another and give them what they need to know to make the step. Sam McPherson, now working at a manufacturing extension group at NC State, says this same approach could be used to foster lean leadership development. He's promised me an article for Lean Directions.
Tomorrow features Dan Ariens on his company's culture of continuous improvement, and Paul O'Neill on healthcare costs. I hope to sit in on Pascal Dennis's session on Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment) and really hope to persuade him to write something for the newsletter. Get Dennis's books – short, easy to read, and packed with good stuff. He is ex-Toyota, from Cambridge Ontario, if I'm not mistaken. A great lineup of people I don't know will be speaking – and they are often the best, because they are likely to be the practitioners.


text:
Q: Изменить метод фреймворка KIImagePager Пытаюсь изменить стиль UIActivityIndicatorView у фреймворка, но не получается дотянуться до этого индикатора, подскажите как можно изменить его стиль? Классы в самом фреймворке менять не хочется, может через категории как-то: пытался переопределить метод в категории, но успехом это не завершилось. Фреймворк называется KIImagePager, нужно изменить индикатор в методе loadData (можно посмотреть этот метод по ссылке - https://github.com/kimar/KIImagePager/blob/master/KIImagePager/KIImagePager/KIImagePager.m)
Заранее спасибо!

A: Решил проблему с помощью appearance, вот решение кому нужно будет:
[[UIActivityIndicatorView appearanceWhenContainedIn:[KIImagePager class], nil] setColor:[UIColor blackColor]];

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Each bag is marked at perforation for easy tear separation.
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Strong quality diaper disposal bags. Very easy to open, each bag is marked at perforation for easy separation, no fumbling for where to tear the next bag. Guaranteed to be Leak-proof. Compatible with most diaper bag dispensers.


text:
Home :: Blu-Ray :: Manga :: Blue Exorcist Complete Collection (15) Blu-Ray
Blue Exorcist Complete Collection (15) Blu-Ray
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The entire 25 episode series plus the bonus OVA episode in English and Japanese
Publisher: Manga
Released: August 1st 2016
Language: English, Japanese
Product Code MANB8762
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text:
Rehabilitation and Recovery: The Power of Functional Therapies in Long-Term COVID Treatment.
By Sarah Heins, Medical Student, COVID Recovery Program
Over the past year the use of rehabilitative therapies has been an integral part in treating Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) symptoms.
These rehabilitative therapies are a cornerstone of MedStar Health's COVID Recovery Program, with physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech and language pathology (SLP) playing an essential role. Our PTs, OTs, and SLPs work with each patient, virtually or in person, to help them overcome symptoms and achieve their treatment goals. These three specialties work in tandem while also following their own unique methods to bring about successful recovery.
The basics.
All three of these specialties treat a vast spectrum of PASC symptoms including fatigue, cognitive symptoms, and post viral deconditioning. Patients may also be referred at various points in their post-infection trajectories.
The logistics.
Treatment with PT, OT, and SLP in the program may involve working with their therapist 1-2 times per week for several weeks, depending on individual needs and symptom severity. Treatment plans are often individualized and can be tailored towards those who are working to regain basic functioning to those aiming to return to work or vigorous exercise.
What do each of these therapies look like?
In our program, physical therapists report treating a variety of symptoms. Kimberly Agan –a Physical therapist at MedStar Health-has been working with several PASC patients and reports the main symptoms she helps treat include:
Decreased cardiovascular capacity—involving deconditioning of the aerobic system, low O2 levels, and difficulty breathing
Vestibular issues—including dizziness and difficulty with balance
Muscle fatigue and weakness
A typical PT appointment can include cardiovascular exercises to rebuild physical strength and endurance, breathing exercises to improve respiratory capabilities, as well as manual therapy to relax the muscles of inspiration. Other techniques include balance and eye exercises to improve vestibular senses. PT programs for PASC include many at-home exercises as well, including self-massage techniques or further breathing techniques that patients are able to perform themselves. All patients have access to an online exercise portal and are provided with instructions and tutorial videos.
Our program's PTs track and monitor progress to help direct therapy and ensure patients are meeting their goals. Completion of PT usually occurs when the patient has made substantial progress towards their physical goals and is able to continue a therapeutic program on their own. PTs in the program advise that being committed and consistent in doing at-home exercises is one of the biggest steps to take towards achieving the ultimate goal: a return to pre-COVID function.
Over the past year, the use of rehabilitative therapies has been an integral part in treating long term COVID-19 symptoms. Learn how physical therapy and more can help via the #LiveWellHealthy blog: https://bit.ly/3BOqmeh.
In our COVID Recovery Program, OTs may help patients struggling with symptoms of fatigue, energy deficits, and challenges that can interfere with activities of daily living.
One of the most common techniques for management of fatigue is energy conservation planning, in which the OT helps patients structure their schedules and environment in ways that minimize fatigue. Developing cognitive fatigue management strategies is another central component. OTs help patients recognize physical signs that occur before they experience fatigue and then develop a plan for how to proceed after those signs occur. Adopting strategies such as scheduling pre-emptive rest periods at crucial times, building in cognitive breaks, or putting tasks in a strategic order can maximizes energy usage. Reduce distracting environmental stimuli, such as limiting ambient background noise and controlling strong lighting are also effective strategies.
Adjusting the home or work environment in order to use the body more efficiently are also ways OT's help with energy conservation. Examples include sitting down when brushing your teeth, utilizing adaptive equipment such as a shower chair, or delegating tasks to friends or family members.
Similar to PT, the main goal of OT is to return patients to their original pre-COVID functioning levels. Karen Gragnani, occupational therapist at MedStar Health, recommends "keeping an open mind for treatment strategies, and to be willing to try new techniques along the way. It is also important to be kind and forgiving towards oneself, be willing to take breaks and not push progress too hard, and most importantly to be patient and trust the process."
Speech-language pathology.
In our program, SLPs help to address cognitive symptoms, which can include:
Attention: difficulty focusing to read, quickly losing energy when focusing on a task
Word-finding: inability to choose the correct word to express oneself
Memory: forgetting things quickly, being overwhelmed by large amounts of information
Organization: difficulty managing schedules, medical referrals and medications, finances and bill payments, deadlines at work
They also help with other COVID-related symptoms such as voice changes—hoarseness or weakness, as well as chronic cough.
SLP centers around education, in which the therapist works to teach people about how their brain works. Understanding how attention, memory, problem solving, and cognitive endurance function can help patients manage and overcome specific weaknesses. Similar to OT, SLPs also help patients develop compensatory strategies such as making to-do-lists or implementing an organizational system to manage daily tasks.
SLPs also have patients practice and strengthen their cognitive abilities on their own. For example, reading a complex passage in a book or listening to a podcast, and then eventually adding in distractions and additional tasks to perform simultaneously--such as cooking.
Unlike physical injuries, it is sometimes difficult to identify the limits cognitive fatigue causes in daily life, and hard to recognize its exact manifestations. Patients can often feel trapped and discouraged by living within the limits of their cognitive fatigue. SLP works to encourage patients that progress is possible, and the cognitive limits can certainly be overcome. Breanne Reynolds, a Speech-Language Pathologist with MedStar Health, reinforces this by encouraging her patients to "give themselves some grace," and to remember that "recovery is complicated and does not follow a single straight path." She tells them to "be open to adjusting your expectations and getting away from judging yourself."
Similarities and differences.
PTs, OTs, and SLPs assisting our program all share the same objective of partnering with each individual to personalize and maximize their recovery process. While the methods they employ to achieve it are unique to each therapeutic specialty, they all work in pursuit of the same goal: returning patients to their pre-COVID capabilities.
Are you suffering from long-term COVID symptoms?
Click below to register or learn more about our COVID Recovery Program.
COVID Recovery Program
Health Equity Research: MedStar Health Investigator to Lead Data Science Training Core to Advance Health Equity and Diversity with a $15M Grant from NIH
By Stephen Peterson, MD, Psychiatry
MedStar Health Research Institute is pleased to announce Nawar Shara, PhD, Director for the Center of Biostatistics, Informatics and Data Science (CBIDS), Associate Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University, Director BERD-CTSA (Georgetown-Howard) and Co-Director of BI-CTSA (Georgetown-Howard) as the site primary investigator of the data science training core for the Coordinating Center for the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Research Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) program. This project is a new two-year, $15 million dollar award funded by the National Institute of Health.
The AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center's initial charge will be to build a consortium of partners and engage with stakeholders. The two-year planning, assessment and capacity building award will identify priority research aims in health equity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the necessary training and infrastructure.
The AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center (A-CC) will consist of 4 Cores:
Administration/Leadership Core - Lead, recruit, and coordinate the AIM-AHEAD Consortium
Data Science Training Core - Assess, develop, and implement data science training curriculum
Data and Research Core - Address research priorities and needs to form an inclusive basis for AI/ML
Infrastructure Core - Assess data, computing, and software infrastructure to facilitate AI/ML and health disparities research
It's expected that application-based learning opportunities with large scale data will be an important aspect of training and workforce development. The Data Science Training Core therefore will work closely with other team efforts to develop or leverage platforms to access AI/ML-ready data. The consortium also includes members from the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in Fort Worth; Vanderbilt University Medical Center; the University of Houston; the University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Center; the University of California, Los Angeles; Morehouse School of Medicine; Johns Hopkins University; Howard University; the National Alliance Against Disparities in Patient Health; Harvard Medical School and Oregon Community Health Information Network (OCHIN).
Treating Nerve Pain With the 3 Rs: Release, Repair, or Removal.
By Kerry Strom, RD, LDN, Dietitian Educator at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Approximately 10% of the general population may experience chronic pain caused by nerve damage. Most of the patients referred to our plastic surgery clinic for nerve pain are seeking relief from peripheral nerve damage, which can affect any nerves outside the central nervous system (the brain and spinal column).
Nearly 90% of patients with peripheral nerve damage can experience the following symptoms in their limbs, hands, or feet:
Burning pain
Peripheral nerve damage can be caused by a range of factors outside a patient's control—including treatments for other health conditions. Many patients struggle with nerve pain after recovering from:
Injury: This can include fractures or sprains. Often, we treat brachial plexus injuries, in which an arm is severely stretched or pulled in a vehicle accident, contact collision, or knife or gunshot wound.
Disease: Infections, nutritional imbalances, diabetes, and medications such as chemotherapy can temporarily or permanently damage nerves.
Surgery: A nerve may be damaged or irritated during major—yet fine—surgeries such as a hand or foot fracture repair, joint replacement, or mastectomy.
Some patients try medication or physical therapy with limited improvement before visiting me for other options. Many are worried they'll have to have surgery to relieve the pain. Surgery should be a last resort—but when no better options exist, improvement can be significant.
Most patients benefit from less invasive therapies that can significantly reduce peripheral pain and improve quality of life. However, nerve surgery may be the best option if we can narrow down the source of pain to one specific nerve or small set of nerves.
'Try it before you buy it': How nerve blocks help determine treatment options.
A damaged nerve is only one potential reason a patient might have chronic pain or other nerve symptoms. If the pain is in just one or two fingers, for example, or one part of your foot, it's likely due to one damaged nerve. If it's spread across a larger area, it could be due to several nerves or other tissues.
The best diagnostic tool for peripheral nerve pain is a temporary, ultrasound-guided nerve block, which numbs the nerve we think is causing the pain. Using ultrasound imaging, we inject local anesthetic around a specific nerve that we believe may be the cause of a patient's pain, which should numb any pain the damaged nerve is causing for four to six hours.
The pain relief you experience from a nerve block is similar to what you would experience after a nerve surgery. If you still feel the same amount of pain, that nerve is not the cause of the pain, and nerve surgery will not relieve your pain. However, if you feel temporary pain relief after the injection, we can attribute the pain to that nerve, and surgery might be an option.
Chronic #NervePain may not be your first thought when you hear #PlasticSurgery. But if lasting peripheral nerve pain doesn't improve with medication or physical therapy, 3 types of #ReconstructiveSurgery may reduce pain: https://bit.ly/3bETx92.
The three 'Rs' of peripheral nerve surgery: Release, repair, removal.
A successful nerve surgery typically provides significant but not total relief. We consider more than 50% improvement to be successful. Depending on the type of nerve damage, we'll perform one of three surgeries:
Releasing a compressed (or "pinched") nerve: If your nerve pain starts a few weeks or months after a surgery, it's likely because a nerve is being compressed by scar tissue that built up as your body healed. During a procedure called neurolysis, we release the nerve from this pressure by removing the excess scar tissue. You will need to perform specific movements and stretches on a regular basis to improve the nerve's range of motion and prevent further scarring.
Repairing a damaged nerve: If your pain starts almost immediately after an operation, a nerve might have been severed or damaged. Our first step is to repair the nerve by sewing the severed ends back together. If the ends are too frayed to be reconnected, we may be able to perform a nerve transfer. That means we connect the damaged nerve to a nearby functioning one. You can think of a cut nerve as a frayed cord with exposed live wire that must be reconnected to restore the "circuit" between the nerve and brain. Once a nerve is repaired and functioning more normally, its fibers will grow back within six months to a year.
Removing a damaged nerve: If your nerve is too damaged to be repaired, we can remove it to prevent the nerve from sending pain signals to your brain. However, because peripheral nerves can grow back, the pain likely will return in less than a year. To reduce the severity of the pain, we will recommend ongoing therapies such as medications or exercises to help increase blood flow, strengthening the nerve tissue. Evidence consistently shows that physical activity can alleviate peripheral nerve pain.
For each type of surgery, we use an operating microscope that can magnify the affected area up to 40 times, which helps us accurately perform such an intricate procedure using specialized microsurgical instruments. Many patients notice a dramatic improvement shortly after surgery, though the incision area may be sore for a few weeks.
Seek nerve care early to improve long-term pain relief.
Research to better understand peripheral nerve pain is ongoing, and surgical techniques are continually studied and improved to decrease complications such as nerve damage. Nerve pain caused by an injury or operation is not preventable, but it is progressive; the longer you wait, the less effective treatment will be. See your doctor right away if you experience symptoms of nerve damage.
If we can't attribute the pain to a nerve, we'll order more imaging for a closer look at the affected area or refer you to a specialist, such as an orthopedic surgeon, to evaluate for structural causes of pain such as bone and joint issues. Unfortunately, chronic nerve pain rarely goes away completely. However, a combination of multidisciplinary treatments, such as physical therapy, regular exercise, medication, and pain management treatment can hopefully provide significant relief.
I see patients at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Our team understands the many ways chronic nerve pain impacts quality of life and will work with you and our MedStar Health pain management experts to develop a creative, customized treatment plan that can help you more easily resume your favorite activities.
Are you experiencing peripheral nerve pain?
Our pain management specialists can help.
Living Well Health Innovation
Health Equity Research: MedStar Health's D.C. Safe Babies and Safe Moms Working to Reduce Disparities and Improve Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes Achieves Key Milestones.
Women die of pregnancy-related causes at higher rates in D.C. (36 deaths per 100,000 live births) than any other state in the nation, according to 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. In addition, African American women are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women and D.C.'s African American infant mortality rate of 11.3 per 1,000 live births is the nation's highest.
The MedStar Health's D.C. Safe Babies and Safe Moms initiative, which launched November 1, 2020 through the generous support from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, aims to improve the health, welfare, and lifelong outcomes of mothers and infants in Washington, D.C. through interdisciplinary, multigenerational care throughout the perinatal health trajectory.
To date, the D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms initiative has served 11,916 individuals during pre-conception, pregnancy, delivery, postpartum and family care up to age 3, which accounts for about 2,300 visits per month. Since its inception, Safe Babes Safe Moms has also addressed critical perinatal health needs for the District's most vulnerable families and maternal care deserts where critical maternal health services are limited in partnership with Community of Hope and Mamatoto Village.
A few recent program milestones include:
In April 2021, the Safe Babies Safe Moms initiative received national designation as a ZERO TO THREE HealthySteps site and has delivered critical behavioral health and pediatric services under this program to 80 children ages birth to 3 years, with 20 children belonging to families at high risk, as defined by having a child with developmental delay, history of maternal depression, or child born to a teen parent.
In May 2021, MedStar Health partnered with Community of Hope to offer obstetric appointments that include sonography services made possible by D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms. Three hand-held ultrasound machines are now in use, on-site at Community of Hope, dramatically increasing accessibility to sonography services for Wards 7 and 8.
Safe Babies Safe Moms has added perinatal care coordinators to clinics to provide patient outreach and enhanced communication around early prenatal care, which has resulted in a significant increase in adherence to appointment schedules and decrease the no-show rate by more than 30%
New offerings also include embedded continuous learning for care teams including implicit bias training and trauma informed practice training. These trainings, and other health equity initiatives, seek to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce disparities.
Learn more about the program here.
How Prioritizing Your Wellness Benefits Those Around You.
By Heather Hartman-Hall, PhD, Licensed Psychologist
If you've ever flown on a plane, you've heard a flight attendant instruct everyone to put their oxygen masks on first before helping others, in the event of an emergency. This safety spiel isn't to encourage a "save yourself" mentality. You can do more good for others if you're breathing oxygen in a depressurized cabin than if you are incapacitated because you failed to put your mask on. In other words, if you always assist others first, you will quickly lose your ability to take care of yourself and those around you.
However, if you're a healthcare worker, self-care alone may not be enough to combat burnout. As a doctor or nurse, you have the weighty responsibility of caring for people in their most vulnerable state, and it's a job that requires attention 24/7. Working in a high-stakes environment like a hospital can take a toll on your body and mind, even if you're practicing healthy habits to prioritize your wellness. To achieve wellness in the healthcare setting, we need to care for ourselves, care for each other, and care for our organization at large through resources and programs designed to meet the needs of our employees.
You can't take care of others if you aren't cared for.
The demands in healthcare have never been higher than during the COVID-19 pandemic. And, burnout among healthcare providers, nurses, and staff is at an all-time high, too. Unfortunately, chronically stressed people rarely perform their best, which means that if you aren't prioritizing your wellness, it's affecting those around you, including patients. Likewise, if you don't have the social or organizational support necessary to combat stress, it will be more difficult to get through challenging times.
You can't take care of others if you aren't cared for. On the #LiveWellHealthy blog, Dr. Hartman-Hall shares how prioritizing your physical and #MentalHealth enables you to help more people: https://bit.ly/3wk9Pxx.
The risks of neglecting your well-being.
When you put everyone else's needs above your own, you put yourself at risk for physical and mental health issues that will ultimately get in the way of your ability to be there for others. If you don't prioritize wellness for yourself first, you're more likely to experience burnout, stress, fatigue, and overwhelm which affects your relationships both at home and at work.
Research shows that a chronically stressed brain lowers our cognitive abilities and empathy—two important dimensions of delivering compassionate, quality health care. Stress also leads to toxic emotions, like envy and resentment, which affect our ability to build positive relationships necessary for working in a team environment. As a result, stress in the workplace can lead to more conflict and turnover.
When caregivers are at their best, they have a greater capacity to give their time and energy to others.
When caregivers feel cared for, they feel better and have more bandwidth to care for others. Healthy employees capitalize on opportunities to learn and grow, which opens doors for new roles and responsibilities. Rather than just trying to "make it through," employees who are physically and mentally healthy thrive in the workplace, and everyone around them benefits. Co-workers can more effectively work together with less conflict and a better sense of fulfillment. More importantly, they're able to be more attentive and careful both individually and collectively as a team, which leads to better, safer patient care.
What does it look like to prioritize the physical and mental health of caregivers?
If your focus is often on the needs of everyone around you, it's time to start checking in with yourself to see how you're doing. Everyone needs something different to feel their best. For some, a daily routine or habit before work, such as exercise, helps prepare them mentally for the day. Other individuals might be in a circumstance or mental state that would benefit from therapy.
Self-care is a buzzword these days, but wellness encompasses more than just making time for healthy habits like getting adequate sleep and eating nutritious foods. Wellness considers cognitive, financial, physical, emotional, and spiritual factors that help you to feel your best. Social factors are also critical, which is why it's important to work somewhere you feel cared for both by your colleagues and your organization at large.
Practicing gratitude as self-care.
One of the best things you can do for your wellness is the simple practice of living with an "attitude of gratitude" which can transform your physical and mental state—and those around you. Gratitude has long-lasting benefits for your health, and neuroscience experts link gratitude to social bonding, reward, and stress relief structures in the brain. Other studies cement these findings, proving that being thankful can also lead to less depression, more sleep, and better overall health.
The impact of gratitude on our ability to care for one another.
Expressing gratitude can make us happier and healthier, and when we're more positive people, it benefits those around us, too. When we show gratitude to each other, it strengthens our ties to one another. Studies show that when we have better social support systems, we can more effectively combat stress and depression. With less work-related stress and more optimism, we're more likely to find value in our work. This sense of purpose is a powerful antidote to caregiver burnout and turnover.
Expressions of gratitude don't have to be complicated or costly. Whether you jot your blessings in a journal or you deliver an unexpected "thank you" to a doctor or nurse in person, the practice of gratitude can improve your overall well-being. A philanthropic investment in honor of a caregiver or care experience can also go a long way in demonstrating gratitude for a healthcare worker.
Prioritizing caregiver wellness at the organizational level.
Unfortunately, all the self-care in the world can't completely eliminate burnout and stress in the healthcare setting. Unprecedented challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, make it harder for healthcare workers to attend to their own needs. That's why it's important that healthcare organizations make it a priority to support their employees.
At MedStar Health, we're working hard to create a culture that acknowledges when people need help and responds by extending services to improve their wellbeing. We offer a variety of wellness programs and resources designed to help meet the professional and personal needs of our employees. From wellness educational materials and free mental health resources to subsidized child care and in-person wellness rounds, we're dedicated to giving our providers and associates the tools they need to thrive.
Prioritizing your health and wellness means that you feel supported by those around you. When we care for each other and have organizational resources to help us achieve wellness, we're more likely to find our work meaningful and therefore have enough in our tank to give to others.
Are you grateful for a healthcare worker at MedStar Health who has made a difference in your life or a loved one's life?
Let them know today.
Express Your Gratitude.
Mental Health Living Well
Why Patients Who Are Pregnant - Or Want to Be - Should Get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
By Victoria Greenberg, MD
Despite increasing evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are not only safe but critical for patients who are pregnant, only 32% of pregnant people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated before or during their pregnancy.
Initial vaccine clinical trials did not include people who were pregnant or breastfeeding, so early hesitancy was understandably common. But numerous studies have since shown that this population—and their babies—benefit significantly from each of the three COVID-19 vaccines: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.
A lot of the data we have comes directly from patients. The V-safe COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry collects detailed information from people who were vaccinated within 30 days of their last menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. Through personalized health check-ins, patients share vaccine side effects they experience, as well as their medical records, to provide a comprehensive view of their health during and after pregnancy.
With so much misinformation available, it's important for patients who are pregnant—or planning to become pregnant—to know three key findings from several months of research.
1. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of COVID-19 complications and death for pregnant patients.
Around 97% of pregnant patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated. Protect yourself and your newborn against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
Compared to non-pregnant women with COVID-19, infected pregnant patients have:
More than a two-fold increased risk of requiring ICU admission, invasive ventilation, and an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which helps your heart and lungs rest as your body fights the virus
A 70% increased risk of death—August 2021 had the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in pregnant people in one month
Compared to pregnant women without COVID-19, infected pregnant patients have an increased risk for:
Coagulopathy: excessive bleeding if blood loses its ability to clot
Preeclampsia: sudden high blood pressure that can lead to organ damage
Preterm birth: can result in death, disability, and breathing, feeding, vision, and hearing problems
Stillbirth: pregnancy loss
From hormonal to physical changes, pregnancy brings its own challenges. Getting the vaccine can protect you and your newborn from additional serious, avoidable complications.
A word about blood clot risks.
Some patients have expressed concerns about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine's risk of a rare clotting condition called thrombosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) paused the vaccine earlier this year after fewer than 30 cases were reported out of nearly 9 million doses. Distribution resumed shortly after, as the risk is very low compared to the benefits of the vaccine.
Getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is still safe, and the risk of complications is low. We recommend women contact their doctors if they have symptoms such as limb swelling, blurred vision, headaches, or chest pain.
2. You can pass protective antibodies to your baby by getting vaccinated while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Multiple studies show that vaccinated pregnant patients pass virus protection to their babies. A recent study further confirmed this transfer by distinguishing between antibodies (blood proteins that help the immune system fight viruses) that developed in newborns naturally and antibodies that were triggered by the mother's vaccination. All of the babies had antibodies that developed in response to the vaccine and were therefore protective against the virus.
If you are currently breastfeeding and did not receive the vaccine while pregnant, it is safe to get vaccinated now. Protective antibodies have been shown to transfer to infants through breast milk—especially for mothers who breastfeed past 23 months.
Vaccination is recommended even after someone has already had COVID-19. In fact, the immune response after vaccination is even stronger than after having the infection.
3. The COVID-19 vaccine does not increase risk of miscarriage.
A common misconception that has lingered for nearly a year is that the COVID-19 vaccine increases a woman's risk of miscarriage. This is simply not true and has been dispelled many times.
The myth is based on a false report about similarities between a spike protein in the vaccine and a natural protein in the body called syncytin-1, which helps the placenta fully form and nourish a growing fetus. The report claimed that because the vaccine trains the body to fight the spike protein in COVID-19, it would also train the body to fight syncytin-1 and lead to miscarriage.
Research has shown that no significant similarity exists and the rate of miscarriage, which affects 11 to 22% of pregnancies, is not higher in pregnant women who have been vaccinated.
There is also no evidence that the vaccine causes infertility in men or women. However, early research is showing that the COVID-19 virus may cause infertility in men, which is all the more reason for male partners to get vaccinated.
Nearly all pregnant patients hospitalized for #COVID19 have not been vaccinated. Learn why the #COVID19Vaccine is not only safe during #pregnancy but also beneficial for babies: https://bit.ly/3moVfBu.
Clarifying confusion about boosters and breakthroughs.
While more than 30% of people in the U.S. have yet to receive their first vaccine, others are now eligible for a third dose. COVID-19 booster shots are recommended for all patients who received the full Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and are:
Age 65 or older
Age 18 or older with certain medical conditions including pregnancy or living and working in high-risk settings, such as education, health care, public transit, and grocery stores
At MedStar Health, we strongly encourage all eligible patients—including pregnant patients—to receive a booster shot.
No vaccine is 100% effective at preventing any illness. "Breakthrough" infections can occur in people who have been vaccinated because viruses mutate as they spread. But getting vaccinated significantly lowers your risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms if you do become infected.
After getting vaccinated, decrease your chances of getting and spreading the virus by continuing to practice good hand washing, as well as social distancing and masking.
Your well-being is our top priority, and getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect your and your baby's long-term health.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy.
Request a vaccine appointment to lower your risk of COVID-19 complications.


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For Honor's first major tournament won via exploits and bugs
As part of the For Honor season three release, Ubisoft hosted a livestreamed tournament over the weekend to celebrate the next round of changes coming to their class-based brawler. Unfortunately, rather than showing off all the new stuff coming to For Honor, the tournament was dominated by bugs, glitches, and a troubling metagame.
Check our our list of the best games on PC.
Some of these faults were highlighted in a Reddit thread. The first concerns the state of hero Raider. Raider has a move called Stampede Charge, which allows him to pick up his opponent and charge them across the arena, potentially slamming them into walls or throwing them to the floor at the end of the charge. Unfortunately, there's minimal counterplay, and a full charge depletes all of your stamina if you're on the receiving end. This means that it can very easily be spammed, as happened repeatedly throughout the tournament.
In another match, the outcome was eventually decided by a bug. Towards the end of the battle between players Oscar and Sypher, Sypher goes in for a grapple which could have won him the game, but Oscar manages to repel it. This happens on very slightly inclined terrain, meaning that Sypher fell over as a result of the aforementioned bug, basically handing Oscar the win.
The worst offence, however, came in the PC final, where the tournament's eventual winner used a known exploit. 'Unlock Tech' allows you to change the properties of certain moves if used at the right times, so blocks can be bypassed and attacks swing faster, for example.
Presenting the PC trophy to Alernakin For Honor's creative director Roman Oriola quipped "you may have to change your play style soon," suggesting that changes to exploits like Unlock Tech will likely be coming in the season three bug fixes.
For Honor PC review
For Honor PC tech review
For Honor patch


2. BE REGULAR in you practice. A few times a week is not enough if you really want to heal or transform or develop your body. You do not need a lot of time but you do need to be regular. Twenty or even fifteen minutes a day are more effective than two hours once a week. Do not believe that you don't have time. You will just have to make an assessment of what you are doing which is not leaving you any free time. Something can be sacrificed for this life-enhancing activity. In the end, the time you sacrifice for these exercises and other techniques, will be gained twofold and even more through greater clarity, efficiency and less need to sleep or daydream.