Omron will be featuring its mobile robots – fully autonomous intelligent vehicles that increase throughput, reduce machine dwell time, eliminate errors, improve material traceability, and allow employees to focus on tasks that require complex human skills.. What's more, unlike traditional AGVs, Omron's mobile robots navigate by the natural features of the facility and require no expensive facility modification.
The OEM mobile platform is available to developers for custom applications and payloads. It includes Omron's proprietary self-navigation software, which is ideal for use in crowded environments, tight hallways, and applications where a compact automated vehicle is advantageous. There are two basic models: the LD60 for payloads of up to 60kg and with a maximum speed of 1.8m/s, and the LD90 for payloads of up to90kg, with a maximum speed of 1.3m/s.


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Construction output falls as productivity shrinks
THE GOVERNMENT and Parliament must break the Brexit deadlock and find a way forward warns the Federation of Master Builder (FMB), in response to the latest Construction PMI data, which shows another drop in construction output.
The March 2019 PMI data revealed an Index score of 49.7, up slightly from 49.5 in February, against the no change threshold of 50.0. This points to a sustained decline in construction output, representing the first back-to-back fall in construction output since 2016. While the residential building sector enjoyed an upturn, commercial construction was the worst performing area.
Commenting on the results, published this morning, Sarah McMonagle, Director of Communications at the FMB, said: "The construction industry is being seriously affected by Brexit uncertainty as evidenced by two very worrying sets of results for construction output in the first quarter of 2019.
"Businesses have been waiting for politicians to come to some resolution for far too long now, and it's time that this deadlock was broken. It's not surprising employers are finding it hard to plan for the future, when we don't even know when, or indeed if, we're leaving the EU. Today's results are a reminder of just how vulnerable the construction industry is to political turmoil as confidence among consumers and contractors continues to wobble."
Ms McMonagle concluded: "Brexit uncertainty and the construction skills shortage have created a perfect storm in our industry.
"Around 9 per cent of construction workers in the UK are from EU countries, but we know from speaking to small construction employers that many of these skilled workers are starting to return, whether that's because of strengthening economies elsewhere, or that they simply don't feel welcome anymore. This is compounding an already severe construction skills shortage, and I'm worried that the Government's post-Brexit immigration system will make it even worse. For example, the system will not allow Level 2 tradespeople to live and work in the UK for more than 12 months at a time. At the same time, the Government's figures last week show that the number of Level 2 apprenticeship starts among our domestic workforce is dropping.
"It's quite simply not possible to build the homes and infrastructure we need without bricklayers, carpenters and plasterers. The Government and industry must work together to attract more people into the industry, by offering them high quality training with clear career pathways for progression but in the meantime we need sustained access to tradespeople of all skill levels for the industry to continue being open for business."
Elsewhere in the economy, the Federation of Small Businesses has expressed concern at the UK's productivity growth in Q4 of 2018 decreasing for the second consecutive quarter.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chairman Mike Cherry, said: "Today's data highlights yet again the impact of the political and economic uncertainty to the economy.
"Small business confidence has fallen through the floor as firms face a trying time amid a fragile economy.
"While there were some positives in the data such as a 0.4% productivity increase in services, there was a significant 1.1% decrease for manufacturing.
"Small firms are not only contending with unprecedented uncertainty, they are also dealing with a raft of new cost increases and reporting requirements.
"Rising labour costs have continued with the introduction of Making Tax Digital, fresh hikes to business rates and a further increase in auto-enrolment pension contributions.
"In order to improve productivity, key areas that must be addressed include management and leadership, broadband connectivity and the scourge of late payments.
"All this amid the ongoing uncertainty over the future of the UK's relationship with the EU which shows no sign of reaching a resolution.
"Productivity will only continue to decline unless the Government can do more to step up and back British businesses."
Backing for two City Deal business cases
New drive supports women entrepreneurs
Nick Ramsay MS: Freeze welcome but doesn't go far enough
BUSINESS rates in Wales will not be subject to an inflationary increase in 2021-22 Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has confirmed today.
Freezing the multiplier next year will help support around 54,000 ratepayers across Wales, who are not already receiving 100% rates relief. This takes the total amount of savings businesses have received on their rates bills to more than £90 million from 2018 to 2019.
Earlier this year the Welsh Government also announced a rates relief package worth £580 million to provide businesses with the support they needed to survive the pandemic.
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: "We recognise the pressures that businesses are facing and we are continuing to explore the support measures we can put in place to help businesses cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the end of the EU transition period.
"The announcement I have made today provides businesses with the reassurance that they will not see an increase in their business rates liabilities next year."
The Conservatives' Shadow Minister for Finance – reacted to the announcement.Nick Ramsay MS said: "The continuing health emergency produced by the Covid pandemic remains grave, yet the economic emergency we're going through is still bringing about a different, but equally devastating effect.
"The announcement is, therefore, welcome but doesn't go far enough.
"Welsh Conservatives outlined earlier this year our vision of how to rebuild the economy, which will require the next Welsh Government to utilise tax powers in innovative ways.
"We have pledged to create 'Business Rate-Free Zones', where all businesses would be free from paying business rates for up to three years, and to scrap business rates for all businesses with a rateable value of under £15,000 outside of these zones.
"Sure, the business-rates freeze from the Finance Minister is a step in the right direction, but I – and undoubtedly many businesspeople – am left feeling no real sense of assurance from her announcement."
Welsh Government releases additional £100M business support
The latest phase of the Welsh Government's Economic Resilience Fund has benefited from the release of a further £100million from ministers within 72 hours of launch, due to a massive demand.
More than 6,000 grant applications from small and medium sized businesses and social enterprises were received within 24 hours of the launch on Friday – an unprecedented response, revealing the scale of the challenges facing Welsh businesses.
The Fund aims to complement and fill the gaps left by UK Government schemes such as the Job Retention Scheme, with grants of up to £10,000 for micro-enterprises and up to £100,000 for SMEs and a light touch appraisal system designed to get money to businesses with the minimum of delay – as well as a new loan fund administered by the Development Bank of Wales.
Less than three weeks since the First Minister announced the intention to create the Fund, the Welsh Government has released a further £100 million, taking the grant fund to £300 million. This will supplement this latest phase of support, providing non-repayable grants to microbusinesses, SMEs and those large businesses of critical, social or economic importance to Wales.The Fund has been warmly received by trade union and business organisations, with the Institute of Directors calling it 'very welcome news for business owners and managers who are desperate for all the help they can get at this difficult time'. The South and Mid Wales Chambers of Commerce has called 'the rapid response to date' of the Welsh Government in supporting the economy of Wales 'impressive'. The Wales TUC welcomed 'additional funding to address the gaps'.Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: "We knew that even with the help offered by initiative such as the Job Retention Scheme, there was a massive need for quick access to grant funding if Welsh businesses were to survive this unprecedented economic shock. Whilst in order to make the scheme quick and simple we needed to take tough decisions over eligibility – like requiring businesses to be registered for VAT as a way of having to check on their trading history – it is clear from the level of response received that the Economic Resilience Fund is plugging a gap in UK Government support and providing much needed financial reassurance to many businesses at this challenging time. We will continue to review support and consider how we can develop it over the coming days."The rate of applications has been massive and unprecedented. This is the second time in a matter of weeks that access to Welsh Government funds aimed at easing cash flow pressures for Welsh business have quickly reached capacity, and we have responded with pace to release a further £100m into this phase of the fund."In these difficult and demanding economic times we have worked hard to free up resources to create such a large Fund despite the huge demands on our budget, and to strike a balance between supporting as many enterprises as possible and making a meaningful contribution to each one's survival, as well as asking each recipient to sign up to the principles of the economic contract."Though we applaud much of what the UK Government has done, there is an urgent need to see more of the promised lending guaranteed by the UK Government getting to the front line. The UK Government must continue to support and press the high street banks to be much more responsive to the needs of our businesses at this difficult time."
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: "The Economic Resilience Fund is part of more than £2bn of support that we have made available to help businesses and charities during these incredibly difficult times."We know that support for business is crucially important but whilst we are doing everything we can in Wales to plug any gaps and provide the best possible financial support to businesses, it is clear there are further steps that the UK Government needs to urgently take."The Economic Resilience offers financial support to help businesses, charities and social enterprises deal with the coronavirus crisis and will be vital in helping organisations manage cash flow pressures. It is a unique additional funding stream for Wales and was designed to address gaps not currently met by schemes already announced by the UK Government, Welsh Government and Development Bank of Wales.The first stage of the Fund saw the £100 million Development Bank of Wales' loan scheme fully subscribed in little more than a week. Applications are currently being processed and some businesses have already received funding. It is anticipated that the Development Bank will have processed all applications received within the month.To ensure that money reaches businesses as quickly as possible more than 120 additional Welsh Government and Business Wales staff have been diverted onto processing applications and supporting businesses and organisations in this latest stage of the Fund.
Contact InformationRobert Owen0300 0252 058Robert.Owen009@gov.wales
Notes to editorsIn response to this news:
Robert Lloyd Griffiths, Director of IOD Wales said: "Today's announcement by Welsh Government will come as very welcome news for business owners and managers who are desperate for all the help that they can get at this difficult time. It is particularly pleasing that it follows the announcement last week by UK Government that the furlough scheme has been extended as called for by the IoD."
Heather Myers, CEO, South and Mid Wales Chambers of Commerce said: "The Welsh Government has made significant efforts to support the business and industry of Wales, creating packages of funding that will help get much needed cash into very many businesses.
"We have been in regular contact, explaining the issues that businesses face and the areas of distress where they need urgent help. The Economic Resilience Fund, The Small Business Rates Relief and the range of support from the Development Bank of Wales shows that Welsh Government Ministers have been listening.
"Whilst there are still gaps in funding, which we will continue to identify, the rapid response to date to support the economy of Wales has been impressive."
Ian Price, CBI Wales Director said: "The CBI welcomes today's allocation of a further release of £100m from the £500m Economic Resilience Fund, announced by the Welsh Government on the 30th of March. Welsh firms of all sizes and all parts of our nation are facing unprecedented challenge as they respond to the social, economic and health impacts of the coronavirus. Similar to the support provided by the UK Job Retention Scheme, Welsh businesses will be keen to receive these funds in their bank accounts so they can continue to support their staff, secure their business and plan for the post-Covid economy."
Shavanah Taj, General Secretary of Wales TUC said: "Despite the UK Government's relief package, we know that some employers are still unable to readily access the funding they need to survive this deepening crisis.
"We welcome this additional funding to address the gaps, as well as Welsh Government's ongoing commitment that this will be going to employers that are delivering fair work and a safe environment for their workforce."
Business Wales delivers vital support
MORE than 20,000 jobs have been created since April 2015 by enterprises that have received support from the Welsh Government's flagship Business Wales service, Economy Minister Ken Skates has revealed.
Business Wales makes it easier for Welsh micro-businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages to access the information, advice and support they require to start and grow their businesses.
In addition to helping Welsh enterprises create more than 20,000 new jobs since April 2015, the service has handled over 60,000 enquiries and advised over 30,000 individual entrepreneurs and firms across Wales. It has also helped Welsh entrepreneurs create more than 4,000 new businesses across Wales with an impressive four year survival rate of over 80 per cent.
The Welsh Government continues to proactively support entrepreneurs at each stage of the business lifecycle from raising awareness of entrepreneurship with more than 200,000 primary school pupils right across Wales through to idea generation, start-up and on to sustainable growth.
In November, the Economy Minister announced proposals to build on Business Wales' success to ensure its high quality is maintained and developed so even more firms and entrepreneurs can benefit from the service.
This includes how the service can prepare businesses for what the economy will look like after Brexit.
Business Wales also has an increasingly important role in supporting firms to rise to the challenges set out in the Welsh Government's Economic Action Plan of preparing for digital developments, improving productivity, increasing the incidence of fair work, decarbonising and promoting inclusive growth.
Ken Skates said: "As we enter the New Year, it's fabulous news and a great achievement that our flagship Business Wales service has supported the creation of more than 20,000 jobs since April 2015.
"That's 20,000 people given an opportunity to work, earn a wage, make a living and help drive a productive Welsh economy. I am delighted we, as a Welsh Government, have played our part in helping Welsh entrepreneurs and SMEs to make that happen.
"Although 92 per cent of Business Wales customers say they would recommend the service to a friend, we're certainly not resting on our laurels and I'm already looking at ways Business Wales can directly support more firms and entrepreneurs over the coming years.
"Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Welsh economy and vital to our economic outlook and the way communities throughout Wales operate from day-to-day.
"We will continue to support our SMEs and be on hand to provide the high-quality information, advice and guidance they need to thrive."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Online users are bombarded with bucketloads of content everywhere they go. Successful headline writing is key to grabbing their attention and standing out from your competition.
It is essentially what gets your content viewed or ignored, so make sure you spend enough time carefully crafting it to perfection. Besides, 80% of readers will not even make it past the headline – so make it matter!


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Polling Memos
The Department of Stereotypes
A multibillion-dollar company's primary marketing message is a hurtful stereotype aimed at people like me. The company is Planet Fitness. The stereotype is aimed mostly at very muscular men. Planet Fitness calls me a "Lunk."
One of VCreek's methodologies is to "use the benign to study and discuss the pernicious because the mechanisms of action are often the same."
Planet Fitness labeling muscular men and fit women as "Lunks" is benign, with only trivial impact on the targets—which makes it perfect to explore how stereotypes function, are transmitted and sustained in modern culture.
In the scholarly research on stereotypes, there are several broad schools of thought ranging from stereotypes being probability judgements about an individual, to exaggerated or "overgeneralized attributes associated with the members of a social group"1 to negative evaluations and prejudices against members of a group. The stereotype judgements and assessments we make about others happen fast. "People judge each other within a fraction of a second," writes Princeton's Susan Fiske. These automatic snap stereotype judgements "anchor subsequent thinking" and are difficult to undo.2
Skim through a few of Planet Fitness' humorous and well produced television ads then ask—how frequently do these scenarios really happen? And, what makes them funny?
In research on stereotypes, especially the benign ones, some argue that many stereotypes are based on statistical probability. This is often called, the Bayesian Brain. Writing in the journal Nature, the University of Warwick's Perry Hinton says "The Bayesian brain develops its statistical probabilities from experience in life and learnt about through the media." 1 The Bayesian Brain hypothesis prompts several questions for our discussion. How often do people visually see very muscular men and fit women in real life? How often in a gym setting? How often in other settings? How many media representations are observed throughout their life? How often do people interact with muscular or fit people? How many do they actually know? How often is the Lunk stereotype confirmed or contradicted? How often do the scenarios depicted in Planet Fitness' TV ads really happen?
Statistically, very muscular men and very fit women are likely to be rare. According to the CDC, 42% of Americans are obese.2 Seventy-three percent of Americans are either overweight or obese and only 23% exercise 150 minutes a week.
The math would indicate there not very many fit people and the only place to see them with any relevant frequency is in a gym. And even in most gyms, very muscular men and very fit women are a minority--except in gyms where serious enthusiasts congregate like Pure Muscle and Fitness in Toronto, Canada; Armbrust Pro Gym, Denver; Die Hard Gym, Phoenix; etc.
Many, if not most, stereotypes are based on similarly limited real-life information. Think of the benign stereotypes about accountants, computer programmers, engineers, plumbers, video gamers, etc. How often are the stereotypes confirmed or contradicted in real life?
According the Bayesian Brain hypothesis, each confirmation or contradiction to the stereotype would update the rapid—and very generalized—statistical stereotype calculation. Either the stereotypes are accurate enough, or there are other mechanisms of action that perpetuate them. Generalized benign stereotypes could persist and resist Bayesian updating because the consequences for being wrong are minimal. We can all think of instances where the generalized stereotype of an accountant was contradicted, but how often did the error have material consequences like losing money or social consequences like serious embarrassment? Absent the incentive to get it right the next time, the updating may not occur. And in some circumstances, people don't learn anything from mistakes because our egos get in the way.
Across a series of experiments University of Chicago, Booth School of Business professors Lauren Eskreis-Winkler and Ayelet Fishbach found that people did not learn from failure—even when learning was incentivized.3 One of the experiments quizzed inbound telephone customer services representatives about the telephone customer service sector. On the initial quiz, the average score was 56% correct. One group was given feed-back confirming their correct answers. Another group was given feed-back correcting their wrong answers. When quizzed again, the group of getting feed-back on their correct answers scored 62%. The group with feed-back on their wrong answers only score 48% on the second quiz.
The professors concluded, "Our key result is that people find failure feedback ego threatening, which leads them to tune out and miss the information the feedback offers."
They also explain that these minor errors are different from large or physically or psychologically painful errors. "It is possible that for large failures, the attentional pull of the negative experience overrides the motivation to tune out. Many failures are small…yet they accumulate a significant amount of information that people might fail to learn from."
The errors caused by benign stereotypes are often small and may not warrant updating by the Bayesian Brain. The accumulated effects of those errors though could have major consequences for businesses and professionals, especially in sales and marketing.
Another mechanism could be a type of confirmation by omission. Even just recalling a memory or a concept strengthens the memory or concept. A person could see a very muscular man in the gym training very hard with heavy weights. The Lunk stereotype surfaces. And because observing person never gets any information beyond the visual cue, the stereotype is confirmed and strengthened by omission of contradicting data.
The derogatory nature of the Lunk stereotype--depicting Lunks as vain, shallow and one-dimensional-- in some of Planet Fitness' TV ads, is possibly the result of another mechanism that perpetuates some stereotypes. In the gym domain, the Lunk is successful at what many people consider relevant to the gym domain--building muscle, losing fat or improving their physical appearance or physical capabilities. This can create a strong reaction from some people who are less successful in the gym domain.
University of Kentucky psychologist Richard H. Smith has studied the conditions that create envy and how people treat those they envy.6 The primary conditions for envy are similarity, relevance, inability and unfairness.
Observer sees themselves as somewhat similar to the target.
The domain is relevant to the observer's identity or goals.
The observer does not think they will be able to reach the target's level of success
The observer thinks the target has an unfair advantage.
When these elements combine, the emotional result in the observer can be strong. As Harvard Business School's Karen Huang writes in a working paper on envy in business environments, "When individuals display their successes, the people around them often feel malicious envy, a destructive interpersonal emotion aimed at harming the envied individual."5 Smith says, "Perhaps the most simple way to channel such defensive ill-will and, at the same time, to repair the damage done to one's self-estimation is to find ways to derogate the envied person." Some people may take this derogation to the extreme and lash out, i.e. the abusive social media hater. More common would be the observer making a comparison to the target on another dimension.
"It may be difficult to deny an ability difference, to convince oneself that a self-relevant domain is unimportant, or to do much to close this difference," Smith explains. "But it may be quick and easy to construe the envied person as morally flawed." Or flawed in another way. The Lunk is dumb, shallow, vain, one-dimensional, and has nothing going for them other their physique.
I have engaged in this behaviour before. We all have. And we all will again. A Lunk is dumb because others need to feel better about themselves in an unrelated comparison dimension. What bears further study is not the derogation itself, but how the derogation is so universally known and used as part of the stereotype.
Professor Hinton, quoted previously, gives a direction of investigation "The Bayesian brain develops its statistical probabilities from experience in life and learnt about through the media." 1
The average American watches 2 hours and 48 minutes of television a day7 and there is a large body of content analysis detailing the various stereotypes contained in that 168 minutes.8
Writing about television sitcoms and dramas, the late Travis Linn, former Dean of the University Nevada Reno, Reynolds School of Journalism, said, "Stereotypical views of others are part of our shared culture. We participate in these views even when we consciously reject them. It is this reality upon which the writers of sitcoms rely."9 For the stereotypes in a sitcom to be funny "the humor depends partly on the recognition that stereotypes are stereotypes, that they are not universal truths…the jokes wouldn't be understandable if we didn't share at least the knowledge of the stereotype. Our reaction would be 'what's that about?'" Planet Fitness' Lunk ads would not be amusing or effective if people didn't know the stereotype.
Television characters need to fit easily recognizable types and those types must be believable for the dramatic narrative to have impact. Linn writes that for television dramas "Stereotypes are used as a way of gaining credibility. A stereotype is, after all, an artifact of common belief."
As an example, Linn discusses the stereotypes of gang members in television crime dramas. "Most people believe that most gang members are Latino or African American because law enforcement officers tell us that is the case, and the evening news confirms it," Linn writes. "Thus, the use of this stereotype in a dramatic program is one that appears to fit reality, and, because it appears to fit reality, the program gains the confidence of the viewer in that regard." Linn explains that the use of a stereotype in a television show or commercial reinforces the common belief around the stereotype through repeated exposure.
One-hundred and sixty-eight minutes a day of stereotypes--for decades--is a massive amount of stereotype programming.
Thinking back to the Bayesian Brain, are people more likely to know the Lunk stereotype through repeated personal experience, or repeated exposure through media? The actual number of very muscular men and very fit women is incredibly small. It is likely that there are more portrayals of the type in the media than people ever encounter in reality.
The Department of Stereotypes is not a governmental agency or a nefarious plot— if anything it is in the writers' rooms of television sitcoms and dramas; it is advertising agencies and newsrooms; generating thousands of hours of programming each year that rely on stereotypes, reinforce stereotypes and distort the Bayesian Brain.
The benign stereotypes about accountants, computer programmers, engineers, plumbers, video gamers and Lunks are reinforced weekly, if not daily on television and other media. Pernicious stereotypes are reinforced the same way.
https://www.nature.com/articles/palcomms201786
Social Cognition, 4th Edition pg 35
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337127055_Not_Learning_From_Failure-the_Greatest_Failure_of_All
https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/18-080_56688b05-34cd-47ef-adeb-aa7050b93452.pdf
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/social-life-of-emotions/envy-and-its-transmutations/EB1C2AEEBDBBBDE7E22F87DBE62A0EBC https://psychology.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/Smith2004.pdf
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.t11A.htm
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2017&q=stereotypes+content+analysis+television&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&as_vis=1
Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media, chapter 3 "Media Methods That Lead to Stereotypes"
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Choosing an insurance-friendly family car does not mean limiting yourself to the smaller end of the scale or ones where you miss out on equipment. Nor does it require you to forego driving fun and refinement, as you can see from our top 10 picks of the lowest insurance group cars in this corner of the market. You'll also see that many of the major players are represented here, proving that a big-name badge on the bonnet is no impediment to affordable cover.
Not only can you have the reliable dependability of the Toyota Auris with low-cost insurance, it's also the best-selling hybrid version. That means 78.5mpg average fuel economy and 82g/km carbon dioxide emissions to further push down the cost of ownership.
Admittedly, the Auris Hybrid is not going to tickle your driving bone as it takes a leisurely rather than athletic approach to its driving. Still, it's put together with care and fastidious attention to detail, and the cabin is comfortable and offers a family plenty of space.
But how much can you actually expect to pay for insurance?
What can we say about the Nissan Pulsar that won't bore you to tears? Well, it's… decently equipped and the engine doesn't make much noise when you're on the motorway. In fact, the 1.2-litre motor in this model is the highlight of an otherwise dull hatch. It's got plenty of zip and is easy on fuel and emissions.
A shame, then, the rest of the drive is so hum-drum, and the same can be said of the cabin's appearance and overall quality. At least it's cheap to insure.
The Vauxhall Astra is the ideal family car for anyone who just wants to get on with their life without concerning themselves with cutting edge design or dynamics. That's not to damn the Astra as it's good to drive and its dash is laid out in a clear, uncluttered manner.
In fact, the Vauxhall's easy-going nature is its biggest asset as it just works whether you need to commute long distances, tackle the school run or just want affordable insurance. Along with the cheapest premium, this model comes with the excellent 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine that gives 64.2mpg and 102g/km CO2 emissions.
Ah, the Golf. If ever a car has become synonymous with a particular type of car, the Volkswagen is it. The German has become the benchmark for quality, refinement and practicality, as well as offering wallet-appeasing running costs.
An update in 2017 made it even better and there's now a long list of standard luxury and safety kit with every Golf model. The 1.6-litre TDI is ideal for anyone covering more than average miles thanks to its 70.6mpg average economy, while Group 10 insurance and 103g/km emissions also help keep spending under tight control.
We make no apologies for plumping for the Tourer estate version of the Hyundai i30 as the perfect fit for families. It comes with a massive 602-litre boot in normal guise which is more than enough to cope with the kids' bags, bikes and boots. Drop the rear seats and that extends to a huge 1650-litres.
As well as space, the Hyundai impresses on other final frontiers such as the way it flows along any type of road. With the 1.6-litre turbodiesel, not only is insurance low, fuel consumption comes in at a combined 74.3mpg and emissions at 99g/km.
Hyundai is the only company to enjoy two entries in this Top 10 and the i40 earns its place with Groupe 12 insurance. For a larger family car, that's a commendably low ranking that saves you cash when paying for your premium.
The i40 continues to deliver strong value thanks to a healthy amount of equipment included in the price of this S version. You also get lots of safety kit and the 1.7-litre turbodiesel offers up 67.3mpg and 110g/km whether you choose the hatch or very accommodating estate.
There's an instant and easy likeability to the SEAT Leon that goes much further than it sharing much of its mechanical base with other VW Group models such as the Golf and Skoda Octavia. The Spaniard's styling lends it a sportier note, while the nifty handling and supple ride back this up.
That deftness is not at the expense of your bank balance as this 1.2 TSI model can average 57.6mpg, along with 114g/km. The Group 12 insurance bracket may be a couple of notches higher than the cheapest Golf to cover, but the driving rewards are worth it.
One of the largest, most generously spacious family cars there is included here? Yes, the Skoda Superb makes our Top 10 thanks to Group 12 insurance for the 1.6 TDI 120 S model. It may not be the quickest or most fun Superb to drive, but it's still more than comfy, quiet and enjoyable for any journey. Also, that diesel engine offers up combined 67.3mpg economy and 110g/km emissions.
All of that cabin space means the Superb is ideal for those with a growing family as even lanky teenagers can sit with room to spare. Up front, it's classy and well equipped.


Home School Online: What Are You Thankful For?
I will never forget last January 4th. My family and I were watching a movie in our living room, when halfway through it felt as though he was tapping my arm trying to get my attention. As I gazed down to answer what I though was going to be a simple question such as, "Can I get a drink of water", I instead saw my precious little blonde haired, blued boy flailing, with his eyes rolling back in his head. Seconds seemed like hours and in that moment I knew that our life was about to change. All these months later and it still seems so very surreal.
Our life did indeed forever change that week, as our Seth went onto have three seizures in less than four days and we finally received a diagnosis of "Benign Rolandic Epilepsy". As I go back and read through my old blog posts and look at the pictures of my son I am forever thankful for God's faithfulness.
I am thankful that Seth was sitting on my lap, wrapped in a blanket and not riding his bike!
I am thankful that my husband was off work and there with me.
I am thankful that the paramedic who was on scene and rode with us to the hospital was a pastor and encouraged me in my faith.
I am thankful that we live five minutes from one of the greatest children's hospitals in our state.
I am thankful to my church and homeschool community who took care of meals for our family so we could focus completely on our child.
I am thankful to all of our friends who came to the hospital, hung out and played board games.
Simply put, I am thankful that Seth is fine.
As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching I find myself going back this year and looking at all the things I am most thankful for. Not only is our Seth doing well with his seizures, my dad is now cancer free after battling colon cancer, my husband has a job in this very difficult economy, my 13 year old son with a learning difference is really reading thanks to Time4Learning, my 18 year old son is graduating and I am so very thankful that I was able to be with him through his entire educational journey. The list could go on and on.
I know that there are many things that can cause us fear and frustration in our day to day lives, but what I love most about Thanksgiving is that, it is a holiday that gives us a chance to pause and think about what is good.


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ARIZ es el acrónimo ruso para «Алгоритм решения изобретательских задач» (Algoritm reshenia izobretatelskij zadach), lo que tiene más o menos el significado de "algoritmo - o método paso a paso - para solucionar
problemas inventivos". El método fue desarrollado 1956 por Genrich Altshuller y Rafael Shapiro.

ARIZ es un algoritmo para encontrar ideas que consiste de una lista de
aproximadamente 85 procedimientos paso a paso. ARIZ ayuda a resolver problemas muy complejos donde otros métodos son
insuficientes.

Historia
Hay diferentes versiones de ARIZ, entre otros de los años: 1961, 1977, 1985 y 1991.

Metodología
He aquí una versión muy temprana, el así llamado ARIZ-61:

Fase Analítica
 Define el problema.
 Describe el resultado final ideal (RFI).
 Define contradicciones que se oponen a la realización del RFI.
 Analiza procedencia y causas de las contradicciones.
 Define condiciones para vencer las contradicciones.

Fase Operativa
 Examina todos los posibles cambios de los parámetros y de las características técnicas.
 Examina la posibilidad de una división en sub-sistemas independientes.
 Aísla un sub-sistema "débil" y/o "necesario y suficiente".
 Divide el objeto en sub-sistemas idénticas y/o diferenciado por funciones.
 Examina posibles cambios en el ambiente respectivo del objeto y de sus parámetros:
 Estructurar el ambiente del objeto en partes con propiedades distintas;
 Usar elementos externos para ejecutar la función deseada.
 Examina posibles cambios de procesos en conjunto con la tecnología en uso:
 Considera entrelazar dos sistemas antes independientes para formar un solo sistema functional;
 Elimina un proceso y transfiere sus funciones a otro sistema;
 Incrementa el número de procesos paralelos simultáneos (p.ej. en un área se aprovecha el lado libre reverso del mismo área)
 Investiga ejemplos de otras ramas de ciencia, tecnología y economía en los cuales el conflicto meta fue resuelto en otras disciplinas.
 Si los anteriores pasos quedaron sin resultados, regresa a la pregunta inicial y reformula las condiciones de manera más general, o cambia a una formulación del problema más accesible a los propios conocimientos.

Fase sintética
 Cambia la estructura del sistema (técnico) contemplado.
 Cambia los otros procesos que están entrelazado con el sistema contemplado.
 Cambia el proceso al usar la tecnología contemplada.
 Considera aplicar el principio encontrado para resolver otro problema (técnico).

Véase también
 TRIZ
 Técnicas para la creatividad

Weblinks
 Triz.it Aplicación y definición precisa de TRIZ y ARIZ (solo inglés y alemán)
 triz-online.de Portal acerca de las temas TRIZ y ARIZ (solo alemán).
 ARIZ (An Americanized Learning Framework) By Janice Marconi, Marconi Works, International
 ARIZ on the Move. Boris Zlotin and Alla Zusman
 Thoughts on ARIZ - Do we need to redesign the ARIZ 2000? By: Pentti Soderlin
 Combination of ARIZ92 and NM (Nakayama, Masakazu) Method for the 5-th level problems. By: Yoshiki Nakamura.

Ariz
Ariz
Ariz
Abreviatura

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Weeknight Detour of Dulles Greenway for Silver Line Construction Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 11 p.m. - Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 5 a.m.
Weeknight Detour of Dulles Greenway
for Silver Line Construction
Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 11 p.m. - Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 5 a.m.
On or about Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 11 p.m. through Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 5 a.m. (backup date: Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 11 p.m. through Thursday, Dec. 21 at 5 a.m.), the westbound Dulles Greenway between Old Ox Road and the Loudoun County Parkway will be detoured to secondary roads while Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project crews set a pedestrian bridge that will provide access over the highways to the Silver Line's Loudoun Gateway Station. See details below and Figure 1 on the next page.
WESTBOUND DULLES GREENWAY: Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 11 p.m. through Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 5 a.m.
Single lane closures on the westbound Dulles Greenway will begin at 8 p.m. near the mainline toll booth and transition to multi-lane closures, including the two far left toll booths at the mainline toll plaza. The mainline toll booth gates will be open and no toll will be charged at this location.
At 11 p.m., all traffic on the westbound Dulles Greenway will exit the highway at Old Ox Road (Route 606) East.
The ramps to the westbound Dulles Greenway eastbound and westbound Old Ox Road will be closed.
At the top of the ramp, proceed straight across Old Ox Road to Moran Road, then turn right to continue on Moran Road.
Turn left onto Broderick Drive, then turn left onto Waxpool Road.
Turn left onto the Loudoun County Parkway.
Continue south on the Loudoun County Parkway to return to the westbound Dulles Greenway, proceeding through the toll booths, where tolls will be charged.
Figure 1: Traffic on the westbound Dulles Greenway will be detoured between Old Ox Road and the Loudoun County Parkway.
All work is weather dependent and subject to change.
Drivers are asked to use caution and pay attention to all signage and barricades. Large, slow moving vehicles may be exiting and entering the highway at various times.


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Laying pipe isn't easy in Asheville water system
In NC's most complicated system, water defies gravity to reach customers' doorsteps.
Laying pipe isn't easy in Asheville water system In NC's most complicated system, water defies gravity to reach customers' doorsteps. Check out this story on citizen-times.com: http://avlne.ws/2lm85T9
Citizen-Times correspondent Published 8:27 a.m. ET March 3, 2017 | Updated 9:18 a.m. ET March 3, 2017
Ronnie Presley, Bee Tree water plant supervisor, explains the flow of water from the Burnett Reservoir through North Fork water treatment plant's filter pipe gallery February 21, 2017.(Photo: Angela Wilhelm/awilhelm@citizen-times.com)Buy Photo
Churning out 30 million gallons of ready-to-drink water every day is an impressive feat, but the perpetual cycle inside Asheville's water plants is only half the battle.
Getting all that water to 56,000 homes and businesses on Asheville's water system is another challenge altogether.
"The water is cheap, but getting it to all these people is expensive," said Ronnie Presley, Bee Tree water plant supervisor.
Ideally, water would run downhill from water plants tucked away high in the mountains, following gravity to reach customers' doorsteps. But Asheville's topography poses a hurdle, quite literally, for moving mass quantities of water around.
Additives keep Asheville's water healthy and clean
Asheville's goal: 'The cleanest water in the country'
A battalion of giant water tanks — around three dozen in all — are stationed on hillsides ringing the city. Pumps push water uphill to fill the chambers, and from there water flows back through a network of pipes to feed the neighborhoods paired to each tank.
"Town Mountain is very complicated. We have to pump it a couple of times to get it all the way up to the tank," said Presley.
The fleet of pumps can't afford to fail. They kick on and off automatically, recharging the tanks when the water level drops below a trigger point. But nothing is left to chance. Plant operators track the tank levels hourly, watching their rise and fall throughout the day.
"We have to monitor the whole water system," explained Steve Turner, an operator at North Fork water plant since 1975.
Stationed behind a bank of computer terminals like an air traffic controller, Turner has a bird's-eye view of all the city's tanks in real time. If a pump doesn't trip when it should, the plant operators can activate it remotely — and, if needed, dispatch a cavalry of pump mechanics to trouble-shoot any malfunctions.
Each tank has a backup pump as a fail-safe, in case the first pump conks out or needs work.
"Sometimes two backup pumps," said China Tickle, also an operator at North Fork plant.
Meanwhile, backup generators are at the ready to keep the pumps going if there's a power outage. There's even a contingency plan if the generator breaks during a prolonged power outage.
"We have a portable generator we can haul out there and plug it in and fill the tank and move on to the next one," said Eddie Trinks, another North Fork water plant operator.
A tank has only run out of water once that Turner can remember, during the infamous blizzard of '93. The power was out for days, and the snow and ice was so bad they couldn't reach the pump on Peak's Knob with the portable generator.
"It was the only time it happened, and it was only one tank," Turner noted.
Most tanks have enough water to last a few days before they hit rock bottom, an ample cushion to get the pump humming again. Some tanks have much longer lives — too long, in fact. In winter, tanks that serve communities with lots of empty second-homes don't go through enough water.
"You don't want that water to sit there too long without being turned over or it will die," Trinks said. "All the chlorine dissipates and bacteria could grow."
It's yet another variable plant operators have to monitor. If a tank goes too long without new water coming in, crews must drain it manually so the pumps will kick on and recharge the stale water.
Asheville's topography not only requires more tanks than any other water system its size, but also more pipes — nearly 1,700 miles in all. Pipes not only have to take the long way around to follow natural contours, but also pass through sparsely populated regions where houses are few and far between along a line.
"We've got the most miles of pipe per customer of any water system in the state," Presley said.
Read or Share this story: http://avlne.ws/2lm85T9
Nature Center Notes: Unable to survive the wild
Nature Journal: House Sparrows
Read All About It: Friendship, tidying and ... wet pants!
Hecht: Let kids fail and 8 ways to help them
Nature Journal: Springs, creeks and rivers
Nature Journal: The boomers of the squirrel family


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Panelists: September 2011
Topic for September 6th: "Self-Marketing: Getting Your Work Shown"
Rodrick Pocowatchit is a DIY filmmaker and lifelong Wichitan who has produced, written, edited, directed and starred in three full-length feature movies that were all shot in Kansas. His first effort, "Dancing on the Moon," was supported by the Sundance Institute, where Rod was selected to attend its prestigious screenwriting program. His latest film, the zombie comedy/drama "The Dead Can't Dance," has won several accolades at film festivals around the country, and will be released on DVD in October with a week-long string of events around Wichita. Rod is also a senior designer and film columnist for The Wichita Eagle newspaper.
Ian Stewart is an artist and designer from Kansas. He creates art using different kinds of materials. Every now and again (when he's lucky enough) he gets the opportunity to share some of the things he creates in galleries or shops and even magazines. He founded: BIGmention. It was loosely founded in 1997 as a means to produce and distribute hand made small run limited edition publications, recordings, garments, designs and artwork.
Sarah Robinson is a Marketing Specialist for Journal Broadcast Group tasked with creating customized solutions for local and regional businesses. Sarah has worked in broadcast and digital Sales/Marketing and Merchandising for 12 years in the US and abroad in Oxford, England. Prior to moving to Wichita, she was Marketing Director for Entercom in Kansas City. Sarah specializes in developing promotional concepts and copy writing.
CreativeRush | Panelists: September 2011 | CreativeRush
class="page-template page-template-full-width page-template-full-width-php page page-id-252 page-child parent-pageid-42 samba_theme samba_left_nav samba_left_align samba_responsive wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.2.0 vc_responsive"


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Q: How to correct permissions for CPackDeb directories? Given a CMakeLists.txt like:
PROJECT(asdf NONE)
CMAKE_MINIMUM_REQUIRED(VERSION 3.0)

INSTALL(FILES CMakeLists.txt DESTINATION share/doc/asdf/whatever)

SET(CPACK_GENERATOR "DEB")
SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_CONTACT "asdf@example.com")
INCLUDE(CPack)

The package generated by make package has following contents:
$ dpkg-deb --contents asdf-0.1.1-Linux.deb
drwx------ root/root         0 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/
drwx------ root/root         0 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/
drwx------ root/root         0 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/doc/
drwx------ root/root         0 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/
drwx------ root/root         0 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/whatever/
-rw-r--r-- root/root       235 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/whatever/CMakeLists.txt

with the parent directories having only permission bits for the owner. How do I correct these so that the world could read the files I install, e.g. for these to be something like drwxr-xr-x instead?

A: In a discussion with CMake developer Nils Gladitz we were able to track this issue down the umask of the environment affecting this. If the umask in the environment is set to 0022 instead of 0077, then make package generates the package with different permissions:
$ dpkg-deb --contents asdf-0.1.1-Linux.deb
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2017-12-20 11:17 ./usr/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2017-12-20 11:17 ./usr/share/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2017-12-20 11:17 ./usr/share/doc/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2017-12-20 11:17 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/
drwxr-xr-x root/root         0 2017-12-20 11:17 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/whatever/
-rw-r--r-- root/root       235 2017-12-20 10:50 ./usr/share/doc/asdf/whatever/CMakeLists.txt

Nils noted that this is apparently an old unfixed issue[1][2].
Thank you, Nils! =)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Months of buildup ended last night with the big reveal event for the Jaguar XE. The star studded event held at Earls Court, London, unveiled the car ahead of full details to be announced at the Paris motorshow.
The new Jaguar XE will come with rear wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive as an option. It will be the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever made, and will come with a range-topping Supercharged 3.0 litre V6 engine, giving the car a 0-60 speed of just 4.9 seconds. The XE will have an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
The Jaguar is built from a large amount of aluminium, making use of Jaguar's expertise with the material. The majority of the aluminium is the 6000-series alloy, and it will be the first model to use Jaguar's modular architecture. The biggest example of this is the bodyside, which is formed of one piece of 1.1mm material.
Design wise, the large front air intakes, chrome side vents, and 20-inch alloy wheels are designed to give an idea of the car's speed. The new XE will also be the first Jaguar to have electric power steering.
The XE will also come with intelligent technologies to make the driving experience better. All Surface Progress Control works as a low speed cruise control, adjusting the brake system and powertrain depending on the road conditions.
A laser head-up display provides real time information without distracting the driver from the road. The car also comes with stereo camera technology, which works as the eyes for the auto braking system, traffic sign recognition and lane departure warning. Blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and semi-automated parallel and bay parking are also fitted.
The new XE is designed to be compatible with smartphones and can even act as a Wi-Fi hotspot, with the vehicle antenna giving a high quality signal for multiple devices.
Touchscreen and voice controls the onboard computer, with navigation systems, radio and bluetooth devices compatible. A downloadable app allows the driver to adjust the climate control, lock or unlock the car, and even start or stop the engine.
This new Jaguar XE will be manufactured at a specially built facility at Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull plant, creating 1700 new jobs.
The launch event comes ahead of the Paris Motor Show, where full details of the range will be released. Prices will start from £27,000 and the car will be on sale sometime in 2015.
Go park yourself – auto-parking is here.
Peugeot reveal details of the new Peugeot 308 GT.


text:
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Vol 2 (August 2019) /
Physiology of pubertal development in females
Alissa M. Guarneri1,2, Manmohan K. Kamboj2
1The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA; 2Section of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
Contributions: (I) Conception and design: All authors; (II) Administrative support: None; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: None; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: All authors; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: None; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors.
Correspondence to: Alissa M. Guarneri, MD. Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Dr, Education Building 3rd Floor Section of Endocrinology, Columbus, OH 43205, USA. Email: Alissa.Guarneri@nationwidechildrens.org.
Abstract: Puberty is the critical time when children develop into sexually mature adults. The span of time over which puberty occurs is often referred to interchangeably as adolescence. Adolescence can be an emotionally and physically challenging time for not only the adolescent, but also for their family. The onset and tempo of puberty is controlled by many factors, and the step-wise progression through pubertal milestones in females is best described as the Tanner stages of pubertal development. Puberty in females normally begins with breast development (thelarche) and then progresses to pubarche (onset of pubic hair), peak growth velocity (also known as the growth spurt), and menarche. The onset of puberty is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Another hormonal cascade, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, is responsible for stimulating other supporting (secondary) sexual characteristics. An understanding of normal physiology of puberty is essential in order to recognize deviations from the norm and the disorders associated with pubertal development. This article reviews various aspects of the physiology of pubertal development in females.
Keywords: Puberty; menarche; menstrual cycle; hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis); hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)
Received: 31 May 2019; Accepted: 01 July 2019; Published: 22 August 2019.
doi: 10.21037/pm.2019.07.03
Puberty is defined as the developmental time period during which secondary sexual characteristics appear and a child progresses from a sexually immature to sexually mature state. The start of puberty is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, which is responsible for initiating the hormonal and physical changes seen with normal puberty. Both the HPG and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes are the neuroendocrine systems that play a key role in normal puberty. The HPG axis, controlled by feedback mechanisms (which evolve early in life), is responsible for the onset of true puberty via pulsatile GnRH release, subsequent rise in luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulation hormone (FSH), and gonadal (ovarian) maturation. The HPA axis controls adrenarche, the increase in adrenal androgen production beginning in mid- to late-childhood. Adrenarche, though independently not true puberty, triggers the development of secondary sexual characteristics such as pubic and axillary hair in females (1-5).
Onset and tempo of puberty
In females, the first clinical manifestation to indicate the start of puberty is thelarche. As many as 1 in 5 girls may exhibit signs of pubarche prior to thelarche (Table 1) (1). The clinical progression through normal puberty is best classified using the Tanner Stages of sexual development for breast and pubic hair (5). The pubertal growth spurt in females occurs early in puberty, due to both the direct stimulation of sex steroids on bone as well as indirectly via the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor (GH-IGF) axis (6,7). There has been considerable debate on the age at which reaching pubertal milestones is considered normal, though it is still not confirmed with certainty. This is best estimated by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), which provides predicted normative reference ages of sexual maturity ratings for the general population of children over 8 years of age in the United States (4). According to NHANES III, in the female population with a body mass index (BMI) between 10–85th percentile (3), thelarche (classified as Tanner stage 2) presents at an average age of 10.2 years and can occur as early as 8.25 years (5th percentile). Pubarche (classified as Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair) presents at an average age of 11.6 years and as early as 9.25 years, and menarche presents at an average age of 12.6 years and as early as 11 years (3,4). Studies have looked at growth in all stages of life including puberty. The 1998 study by Abbassi noted that females have a peak height velocity at a mean of 11.5 years of age, and average peak growth velocity of 8.3 cm/year (8).
Table 1 Common terms associated with description of pubertal features
Pubertal milestones in females with a normal BMI can be further deduced based on ethniticy. Thelarche is considered premature prior to 8 years of age in non-Hispanic white females, but can be normal in non-Hispanic black and Mexican American females as early as 7 years of age. Pubarche prior to 8 years of age is considered premature in all ethnic groups. Ethnic differences in age at menarche are minor. Menarche occurs normally around 11.3 years of age in non-Hispanic white females, and as early as 10.5 years of age in non-Hispanic black and 10.7 years of age in Mexican American females (3). In addition to ethnic differences, increased BMI appears to have an independent correlation with earlier pubertal onset (3). In the overweight and obese females (BMI >85th percentile), signs of puberty may present earlier independent of ethnicity. However, caution must be taken when evaluating such patients as the presence of lipomastia can be mistaken for true breast development (3).
Development and regulation of the HPG axis
Fetal period
The development of the HPG axis begins during fetal development (Figure 1). During the first trimester Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons migrate from the olfactory area to their permanent secretory region in the hypothalamus, and the pituitary gland differentiates into an anterior lobe (adenohypophysis) and posterior lobe (neurohypophysis). The GnRH neuronal migration stimulates a pulsatile release of GnRH and subsequent rise in the secretion of gonadotropins (LH and FSH) by the anterior pituitary gland. LH and FSH levels reach their peak by the middle of the second trimester, when sex steroid production begins to rise and GnRH release is subsequently inhibited by negative feedback mechanisms. This causes a decrease in LH and FSH levels. During the third trimester GnRH and gonadotropin levels are fully suppressed due to this negative feedback by the high sex steroid levels produced by the fetoplacental unit (5,9,10).
Figure 1 Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Neonatal, infantile, and childhood period
The HPG axis temporarily operates on a pubertal level shortly after birth, so-called the "minipuberty of infancy". The clinical manifestations are brief and its regulation is unknown (5). In the first week of life, LH and FSH levels rise in pulsatile fashion in response to a fall in serum fetoplacental estrogen levels. LH and FSH quickly reach pubertal levels, stimulating increased production of gonadal sex steroids. By four months of life, however, increased sensitivity of the hypothalamic sex steroid receptor leads to decreases in LH and FSH to prepubertal levels, at which they remain for the remainder of childhood. This increased sensitivity to negative feedback accounts for the inhibitory effect on estrogen and testosterone levels throughout childhood (5).
The HPG axis remains relatively quiescent throughout childhood, and by 6 years of age, a nadir in LH, FSH, and GnRH is seen. Despite this absolute decrease, FSH remains higher comparative to LH throughout childhood. FSH levels are a reflection of GnRH secretion, as well as the relatively higher concentrations of activin-A (which promotes stimulation of gonadal, pituitary and extra gonadal tissue hormones) and lower concentrations of gonadal inhibin-B (which inhibits FSH release) (11). Between 7 and 10 years of age, GnRH levels begin to rise in pulsatile fashion and there is a subsequent increase in gonadotropin levels, representing the advancement of puberty (5).
Changes in hormone secretion occur approximately one year before the physical signs of puberty become manifest. These hormonal changes begin with increasing frequency and amplitude of pulsatile GnRH, which first occurs at night and then progressively throughout the day. The associated rise in LH and FSH is disproportionate, with LH rising higher than FSH during puberty due to increased sensitivity to GnRH stimulation. This provokes ovarian follicular maturation in a cyclic manner (5). The major circulating estrogens include estrone, estradiol, and estriol. More than 95% of estradiol and 50% of estrone is produced and secreted by the ovaries. Estriol is the major estrogen produced during pregnancy by the placenta (10). Ovarian estradiol is produced in a pulsatile manner early in puberty, reflective of LH and FSH secretory patterns, indicating that random measurements are an insensitive marker of pubertal onset. Once estradiol levels increase to those high enough to stimulate a withdrawal menstrual bleed, menarche occurs. Menarche itself does not indicate full maturation of the HPG axis, as initially it is a sign of estrogen-withdrawal bleeding and not ovulation (5). Thelarche correlates well with rising concentrations of estradiol, and pubarche corresponds with an associated rise in serum testosterone (12). Staging of breast and pubic hair development is best characterized by the Tanner stages of breast and pubic hair development, respectively (12).
The stimulus for the onset of puberty is multifactorial. Although genetic factors may contribute upwards of 75% of the variability of pubertal timing, it is also important to recognize that other factors such as neuroendocrine hormones, ethnicity, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (hormonally active chemicals), and nutrition, all play a role in the rate of pubertal progression (8,13,14).
It is well established that the onset of puberty begins with pulsatile release of GnRH from the hypothalamus. This is controlled by a balance between central nervous system excitatory and inhibitory signals, and as shifts in these signals occur, GnRH is released and the pubertal cascade ensues. During childhood, the major inhibitory systems preventing GnRH release are gamma-aminobutyric acid (or GABAergic) and opiodergic. Excitatory systems stimulating GnRH release include neuronal kisspeptin, glutamate, as well as glial cells that use growth factors to mediate GnRH secretion (15).
The mechanisms by which these excitatory systems stimulate GnRH release differ. Kisspeptin is a neuropeptide released by the hypothalamus which acts via GPR54, a G-protein-coupled receptor on GnRH neurons, as a signal for pubertal GnRH release. Upregulated signaling of glutamate receptors stimulates GnRH release; glial cells facilitate GnRH release via interplay between enzymes that control concentration of glutamate, prostaglandin E2, and transforming growth factors (5,15).
Development of the HPA axis: adrenarche
The HPA axis controls adrenarche, the increase in adrenal androgen production in response to heightened sensitivity of the zona reticularis to adreno-corticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulation (Figure 2). It begins in mid-childhood independent of pubertal maturation of the HPG axis, years prior to the onset of physical changes. These changes are notable for the development of secondary sexual characteristics: pubic and axillary hair, sweat gland maturation, and acne (5,10,16).
Figure 2 Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Prior to the onset of adrenarche, ACTH stimulates adrenal cortisol secretion alone, and has very little effect on adrenal 17-ketosteroid production. As girls approach 6–7 years of age, the zona reticularis of the adrenal gland becomes increasingly sensitive to ACTH levels with a resultant increase in androgen production without rise in cortisol secretion. The hallmark of adrenarche is a rise in adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels. Serum DHEA-S greater than 40 g/dL is indicative of adrenarche (5,10,16). The major circulating androgens are testosterone, DHEA-S, and androstenedione. During puberty the ovaries are responsible for producing 50% of serum testosterone (the other 50% produced by the adrenal glands), and the adrenal glands are responsible for producing 90% of DHEA-S (10).
Development of the female reproductive system
Embryology and histology
In the absence of the sex-determining region of the Y gene (SRY), the undifferentiated gonad is stimulated toward ovarian development. This begins in the first few weeks of gestation, during which time primordial germ cells are noted to be located within the yolk sac endoderm. By eight weeks of gestation, the primordial germ cells relocate to the ovary and once there continue multiplying via mitosis. Now called oogonia, the mitotic replication continues and is maximal by twelve weeks' gestation and ending by about the third trimester (5,10). During the first trimester, some oogonia are noted to exit mitosis and begin meiosis, where they arrest in prophase 1 and are then called primary oocytes. The nearly 7 million primary oocytes are individually contained within a primordial follicle, and these resting primordial follicles remain the source of germ cells throughout childhood.
Primordial follicles continue to undergo atresia throughout childhood at a tempo unique to the female. At the time of puberty, these are decreased to nearly 300,000 in number (10,17). An estimated 400–500 primordial follicles undergo maturation between menarche and menopause. A large portion of the remaining follicles undergo atresia throughout childhood; at the time of menopause there is an estimated 1,000 primordial follicles remaining inside the ovaries (10,17). It is important to note that ovarian primordial follicles do not generate sex steroid production (5,10,17-21). After puberty begins, small numbers of primordial follicles are stimulated to grow into primary and then secondary follicles in waves. Primary follicles are distinguished histologically from primordial follicles by the appearance of granulosa cells. As the granulosa cells proliferate, they eventually form a multilayer barrier around the follicle and it becomes known as a secondary follicle. Secondary follicles continue to mature, and once they begin producing thecal cells surrounding the outer granulosa cell layer, they are then considered mature preantral follicles. Granulosa cells display the FSH receptor (these cells do not have hormonal production at this stage, though will later be responsible for converting ovarian androgens into estrogen), and thecal cells display the LH receptor (responsible for minimal to no androgen production at this stage, however later in puberty produce both androstenedione and testosterone). Preantral follicles develop into a dominant antral follicle over a span of nearly one month. Once puberty begins, antral follicles are released in clusters in a cyclic pattern (with the menstrual cycle), however only one antral follicle becomes the dominant follicle to undergo ovulation (Figure 3) (10,21). After the LH surge leading to release of a follicle from the ovary, luteinization occurs in that the dominant follicle (known as the corpus luteum) begins its production of estrogen and progesterone (21).
Figure 3 The menstrual cycle (22).
The female reproductive system consists internally of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina, and externally of the labia majora and labia minora, clitoris, vaginal opening, and urethra (Figure 4). The ovaries themselves are not directly connected to the reproductive tract. The ovaries are located within a fold of peritoneum, called the broad ligament, which suspends each ovary on opposite sides of the abdomen near the opening of the fallopian tubes. The ovary is composed of an outer cortex and an inner medulla (21,23). Ovarian follicles grow and mature from the outer cortex, and as ovulation occurs, the process includes a mechanism by which the outer wall of the ovary is destroyed and the follicle is released. Rapid mitosis of ovarian epithelial cells leads to repair of the ovarian wall. Released follicles remain briefly suspended within the broad ligament before entering the fallopian tubes (23). Fallopian tubes are open-ended structures with fingerlike projections called fimbriae extending outward. Medial to the fallopian tubes is the uterus, which is positioned between the bladder and rectum. The uterus is divided into a fundus superiorly, a body, an isthmus inferiorly, and extends further to become the cervix. The cervix continues into the vagina. Externally, the labia majora and labia minora, clitoris, vaginal opening, and external urethral opening can collectively be referred to as the vulva. The vaginal opening is shielded by a partial covering termed a hymen; there are normal variations in its appearance (5,21).
Figure 4 Female reproductive system.
The menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle averages 28 days in length and is divided into two phases: the follicular phase and luteal phase (Figure 3) (8,22,24). The follicular phase begins on day 0 with onset of menses and ends the day before the LH surge and may be 14 to 21 days long. Early in the cycle, FSH is the dominant gonadotropin secreted by the pituitary gland. As estradiol levels gradually begin to rise mid-phase, there is a mutual decrease in the levels of FSH as LH secretion begins. Peak estradiol levels stimulate progesterone to rise, and this in turn causes maximal LH levels, known as the LH surge (5,18,21).
The luteal phase begins on the day of the LH surge and ends at the onset of the next menstrual bleed, with a total length of 14 days. The LH surge is responsible for stimulating ovulation and as the corpus luteum forms, it secretes both estradiol and progesterone (progesterone being the primary hormone secreted by the corpus luteum). Estrogen and progesterone aid in maintaining the uterine endometrium in preparation for pregnancy. If fertilization does not occur and therefore there is a lack of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the corpus luteum involutes and both progesterone and estrogen levels decline. The withdrawal of these hormones leads to sloughing of the endometrial lining, leading to a menstrual bleed. As this happens FSH levels rise in a greater proportion to LH, stimulating growth of another follicle such that another cycle begins (5,18,21).
Hormonal changes and the development of secondary sexual characteristics
Soon after the pulsatile increase in GnRH levels stimulate the onset of puberty, a corresponding rise in LH is seen primarily at night as the first detectable biochemical sign of puberty. FSH rises in concordance with LH but in a lower concentration. Though LH levels are initially highest at night, as puberty progresses there is a shift and LH levels are present in higher concentrations during the day. After menarche, however, the diurnal variation of LH is modified and takes on a morning predominance (5,10,16). Ovarian estradiol level production corresponds to levels of FSH production throughout childhood. In the neonatal period when FSH production is high, estradiol levels are similar to those seen in puberty but as FSH levels decrease after a few months of age, estradiol levels also fall. In mid- to late-childhood when LH and FSH levels begin to rise again, ovarian estradiol levels also correspondingly rise (5).
LH stimulates theca cells of the ovary to form androgens. FSH stimulates granulosa cells to form estrogens via aromatization of thecal androgenic precursors. Estrogen stimulates endometrial growth, cervical mucus secretion and breast development. The endometrium and cervix undergo cyclical changes concordant with menstrual cycles. Progesterone antagonizes estrogen effects on the vaginal epithelium and cervix (5). Androgens stimulate development of pubic and axillary hair, sweat gland maturation, and acne as noted previously in this chapter (5,10,16). Sex steroids stimulate overall somatic growth directly and indirectly via increased GH secretion (1). Both stimulate sexual drive and function.
Estradiol is the key hormone stimulating skeletal maturity in both males and females (1). Estrogen and testosterone both play a role in epiphyseal growth and maturation. However, estrogen is the key driver behind epiphyseal plate closure as well as inhibition of bone resorption. Estrogen also promotes lipogenesis and causes redistribution of adipose to the lower body, however testosterone is lipolytic and supports muscular development (18).
Schematized in 1969 by Drs. Marshall and Tanner from the University of London, the Tanner staging for breast and pubic hair development is widely used for evaluation of pubertal milestones (Tables 2,3) (20).
Table 2 Tanner stages for breast development
Table 3 Tanner stages for pubic hair development
Growth pattern during puberty
The onset of puberty and puberty stages best correlate with the level of skeletal maturation versus chronological age. This indicates that the onset of breast development normally occurs at a bone age of approximately 10 years and menarche occurs at a bone age of approximately 12.5 years, irrespective of the chronological age (18).
As puberty begins and there is a resultant rise in sex steroid hormones, linear height is increased via direct and indirect stimulation of growth hormone production. The indirect mechanism by which sex steroids stimulate linear growth is via stimulation of the GH-IGF axis. In females, the peak height velocity occurs at Tanner stage 2 to 3 for breast development (23). Approximately 1 year prior to menarche, the average peak height velocity is 8 cm/year, which corresponds to Tanner stage 3 for breast and pubic hair. Menarche occurs approximately 6 months after the pubertal growth spurt has occurred (24). Most girls begin puberty by the time their skeletal age is 12.5 years, and menarche typically occurs by the time their skeletal age reaches 14 years (5). Growth is approximately 99% complete at bone age of 15 years (5,18). Estrogen plays an important role in inhibiting bone resorption. A decreased exposure to estrogen, as in cases of delayed menarche, has been shown to be associated with an increase in fracture risk. This risk increases with increasing age of menarche (5,19).
Puberty involves a complex interplay of biochemical changes and the resultant physical maturation spanning several years' length of time. The age range during which all females are expected to normally progress through puberty is not accurately known, and therefore there exists a range of acknowledged ages at which females can achieve pubertal milestones normally. There are many factors that can affect the normal progression through puberty, and one should be familiar with not only the physiology of normal female puberty but also with potential causes of abnormal pubertal development.
Maturation of the HPG axis begins in utero and this system is key in controlling the onset of puberty, while the HPA axis plays an independent role in the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Menarche is the culmination of pubertal development, ultimately leading to reproductive abilities. The secretion of pubertal levels of sex steroids triggers many physical changes, which are commonly assessed using the Tanner staging system. Important among the effects of sex steroid production is the pubertal growth spurt, which is controlled by elevations in these hormones. Estrogen has protective effects on maintenance of bone integrity, however excess estrogen exposure may lead to known adverse effects on endometrial health.
Puberty can be a stressful psychological time for both adolescents and their parents. A healthy and engaging support system at home can mitigate many of these stressors. As a medical practitioner taking care of adolescents, this time can also be an encouraging one that establishes great rapport with one's patients. The ability to provide reassurance on normal pubertal development and promote balance between mental and physical health can be one of the most rewarding aspects in one's career.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Lee PA, Houk CP. Puberty and Its Disorders. In: Lifschitz F, editor. Pediatric Endocrinology. 5th edition. Informa Healthcare USA, 2007:273-5.
Chumlea WC, Shubert CH, Roshe AF, et al. Age at Menarche and Racial Comparisons in US Girls. Pediatrics 2003;111:110. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Rosenfield RL, Lipton RB, Drum ML. Thelarche, Pubarche, and Menarche Attainment in Children With Normal and Elevated Body Mass Index. Pediatrics 2009;123:84. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Sun SS, Schubert CM, Chumlea WC, et al. National Estimates of the Timing of Sexual Maturation and Racial Differences Among US Children. Pediatrics 2002;110:911. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Rosenfield RL, Cooke DW, Radovick S. Puberty and its disorders in the female. In: Sperling MA, editor. Pediatric Endocrinology 4th edition. Elsevier/Saunders, 2014.
Daughaday WH, Rotwein P. Insulin-Like Growth Factors I and II. Peptide, Messenger Ribonucleic Acid and Gene Structures, Serum, and Tissue Concentrations. Endocr Rev 1989;10:68-91. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Callewaert F, Sinnesael M, Gielen E, et al. Skeletal sexual dimorphism: relative contribution of sex steroids, GH–IGF1, and mechanical loading. J Endocrinol 2010;207:127-34. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Abbassi V. Growth and normal puberty. Pediatrics 1998;102:507-11. [PubMed]
Kappy MS, Gefner ME, Allen DB. Pediatric Practice: Endocrinology. 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill Education/Medical, 2014.
Gardner DG, Shoback DM, Greenspan FS. Greenspans's Basic & Clinical endocrinology. 8th edition. New York: McGraw Hill Medical, 2007.
Elsholz DD, Padmanabhan V, Rosenfield RL, et al. GnRH agonist stimulation of the pituitary-gonadal axis in children: age and sex differences in circulating inhibin-B and activin-A. Hum Reprod 2004;19:2748-58. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Winter JS, Faiman C. Pituitary-gonadal relations in female children and adolescents. Pediatr Res 1973;7:948-53. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Jacobson-Dickman E, Lee MM. The influence of endocrine disruptors on pubertal timing. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2009;16:25-30. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Parent AS, Teilmann G, Juul A, et al. The timing of normal puberty and the age limits of sexual precocity: variations around the world, secular trends, and changes after migration. Endocr Rev 2003;24:668-93. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Ojeda SR, Dubay C, Lomniczi A, et al. Gene networks and the neuroendocrine regulation of puberty. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2010;324:3-11. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Rosenfield RL. Normal Adrenarche. Geffner ME, Hoppin AG. Retrieved May 23, 2018. Available online: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/normal-adrenarche?search=normal%20adrenarche&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~20&usage_type=default&display_rank=1
Merrill JA. The morphology of the prepubertal ovary: relationship to the polycystic ovary syndrome. South Med J 1963;56:225-31. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Bordini B, Rosenfield RL. Normal Pubertal Development: Part I: The Endocrine Basis of Puberty. Pediatr Rev 2011;32:223-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Bordini B, Rosenfield RL. Normal Pubertal Development: Part II: Clinical Aspects of Puberty. Pediatr Rev 2011;32:281-92. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Eastell R. Role of oestrogen in the regulation of bone turnover at the menarche. J Endocrinol 2005;185:223-34. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Marshall WA, Tanner JM. Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls. Arch Dis Child 1969;44:291-303. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Welt CK. Physiology of the Normal Menstrual Cycle. Crowley WF, Blake D. Retrieved May 25, 2018. Available online: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/physiology-of-the-normal-menstrual-cycle?search=menstrual%20cycle§ionRank=1&usage_type=default&anchor=H2&source=machineLearning&selectedTitle=1~150&display_rank=1#H2
White BA, Porterfield SP. The Female Reproductive System. In: White BA, Porterfield SP, editors. Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology. USA: Mosby, an imprint of Elsevier Inc Publishing Co.; 2013 [cited 2018 July 15]. Chapter 10. Available online: https://www-clinicalkey-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/#!/browse/book/3-s2.0-C20100690353
Boswell HB. Normal Pubertal Physiology in Females. In: Dietrich JE, editor. Female Puberty: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians. Springer Science + Business Media New York, 2014.
Cite this article as: Guarneri AM, Kamboj MK. Physiology of pubertal development in females. Pediatr Med 2019;2:42.
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Puerto Plata All Destinations
Explore Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata Tours
All Puerto Plata Tours
Things to do in Puerto Plata
Amber Museum (Museo Del Ámbar) Tours & Tickets
Baiguate Waterfall (Salto de Baiguate) Tours & Tickets
Fort San Felipe (Fortaleza San Felipe) Tours & Tickets
Mt. Isabel de Torres Tours & Tickets
Amber Cove Tours & Tickets
Damajagua Falls (27 Charcos) Tours & Tickets
Ocean World Adventure Park Tours & Tickets
Monte Cristi National Park
How to Spend 2 Days in Puerto Plata
How to Spend 1 Day in Puerto Plata
Top Beaches in Puerto Plata
Sealife Encounters in Puerto Plata
New Providence Island
Monte Cristi National Park Tours
Monte Cristi National Park Tours and Activities
Monte Cristi National Park, or Parque National Monte Cristi, is a national park in the Dominican Republic. It is one of the driest areas in the Dominican Republic, receiving about two inches of rain per year.The area extends from the Haiti border to the tip of Punta Rucia. Monte Cristi includes subtropical dry forests, lagoons, mangrove swamps, beaches and a stunning 777-foot (237-meter) limestone mesa called El Morro that juts up from the water.
A trip to Monte Cristi National Park includes a boat ride through the mangroves on which you can look for some of the 160 species of birds that call the area home. Several offshore islands called The Seven Brothers Cays, or Los Cayos Siete Hermanos, are visible from Monte Cristi National Park. In addition to visiting Monte Cristi National Park, the nearby island of Cayo Paraiso is worth a stop. This uninhabited island is said to have some of the best snorkeling in all of the Dominican Republic. Its shallow lagoon and coral reef give visitors the opportunity to see a number of brightly colored fish and coral formations.
The town of Monte Cristi was founded in 1506 and served as a trading post until the 19th century. Today, some 25,000 inhabitants make their living fishing and farming and harvesting salt from salt flats to the north of the area.
Tours and Activities to Experience Monte Cristi National Park
You are viewing Virtual Experiences in Puerto Plata. See more Virtual Experiences around the globe. 🌎
All-Inclusive Cayo Arena Day trip from Santo Domingo
Escape the hustle and bustle of Santo Domingo and spend a day on Arena Cay during this full-day excursion. Get an early start and head to the north of the island to board your vessel. Then, enjoy a full day of swimming in crystal clear waters, snorkeling among schools of tropical fish, and soaking up the warm Caribbean sun.
Full Day Isla Bonita Speed Tours
Our guide will take you to this turquoise blue water paradise, with its vivid coral reefs teeming with brightly colored tropical fish. We will go to La Isla Bonita (Cayo Arena) and we will snorkel, swim with the corals and colorful fish, we will enjoy the island for approximately 2 hours. On the way back we will visit the Monte Cristi National Park with lush mangroves and wildlife.
What''s the best way to experience Monte Cristi National Park?
The best ways to experience Monte Cristi National Park are:
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More attractions near Puerto Plata
Cayo Paraiso (Paradise Island)
Punta Rusia
Damajagua Falls (27 Charcos)
Amber Cove
Mt. Isabel de Torres
Fort San Felipe (Fortaleza San Felipe)
Amber Museum (Museo Del Ámbar)
Monument of Santiago (Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración)
Key Paradise
Brugal Rum Center
Dorada Beach (Playa Dorada)
Ocean World Adventure Park
La Isabela
La Aurora Cigar Factory
Sosua Beach (Playa Sosua)
Recommended for Puerto Plata


text:
Weweantic é um lugar designado pelo censo localizado no condado de Plymouth no estado estadounidense de Massachusetts. No Censo de 2010 tinha uma população de 2.105 habitantes e uma densidade populacional de 463,9 pessoas por km².

Geografia
Weweantic encontra-se localizado nas coordenadas . Segundo a Departamento do Censo dos Estados Unidos, Weweantic tem uma superfície total de 4.54 km², da qual 3.29 km² correspondem a terra firme e (27.57%) 1.25 km² é água.

Demografia
Segundo o censo de 2010, tinha 2.105 pessoas residindo em Weweantic. A densidade populacional era de 463,9 hab./km². Dos 2.105 habitantes, Weweantic estava composto pelo 87.03% brancos, o 3.23% eram afroamericanos, o 0.67% eram amerindios, o 0.38% eram asiáticos, o 0% eram insulares do Pacífico, o 4.23% eram de outras raças e o 4.47% pertenciam a duas ou mais raças. Do total da população o 1.66% eram hispanos ou latinos de qualquer raça.

Regiões censitárias de Massachusetts
Localidades do condado de Plymouth (Massachusetts)


Keshet » Join Keshet for a night at the Theater!
Home > Events > Join Keshet for a night at the Theater!
Join Keshet for a night at the Theater!
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It's been revealed that the pictures are from the 3 day vacation she had in Gwangju after she finished the filming for KBS's hit drama "Dream High" in 2011.
Not only because her friends are mosaicked, but she stands out because of her longer, dyed hair. Couple of the pictures show that she's at a noraebang (author's note: a karaoke room) enjoying herself with her friends.


text:
Tag: journals
Open Access Journals and Institutional Repositories in Asia Continue to be Underrepresented in International Directories and Rankings
The lacking visibility of Open Access journals and repositories from the Global South, such as Asian countries, in international directories, e.g., DOAJ, can be due to the hurdles for the implementation of best practices they encounter, which limits access to knowledge, while indicating that university, […]
The Intention of the Plan S to Cap Article Processing Charges and Favour Gold Open Access Meets with Industry Criticism
Though the Plan S of European research funding organizations intends to promote Open Access and make it a default publication option by 2020, it has elicited critical responses from publishing industry representatives and European scientists concerned about the negative effects its rigid guidelines may have […]
While Inclusion into Citation Indices Can Indicate Open Access Journal Quality, Its Impact on Visibility May Be Uncertain
Though scientific databases, e.g., the Web of Science, make an extensive use of citation indices, such as the Social Sciences Citation Index, into which Open Access journals are increasingly included, whether these journal and paper indices are effective may be less certain than assumed, as […]
The European Plan S Can Speed Up the Gradual Progress of Open Access, Despite Divided Opinions on its Effectiveness
Whereas the latest Scopus data show a significant increase in the number of scholarly articles published in Gold Open Access in the last decade, the promises to revolutionize the scientific journal publishing that the Plan S of European research foundations apparently makes also meet with […]
Multiple Approaches to Open Access as it Gathers Supporters Remain to be Explored by its Funders and Stakeholders
Whereas Open Access initiatives, such as the cOAlition or Plan S, seem to be receiving a growing amount of Europe-wide support, the details of their implementation, such as the agreed-upon mechanisms for setting the levels of article processing charges, are yet to be fully spelled […]
As Open Access Continues to Sparkle Media Debates, Its Progress Transforms Business Models and Leads to Partnerships
Though tensions between global journal publishers, such as Elsevier, flare up during their negotiations with academic libraries, the widening adoption of Open Access, such as in Switzerland, does not seem to be incompatible with journal publisher partnerships, as the prominence of Green Open Access indicates. […]
China Mandates Open Access, Promotes Institutional Repositories and Demonstrates Commitment to Open Science
The long-standing commitment of Chinese scientific institutions to Open Access receives a confirmation in its Open Science mandates for the unrestricted sharing of scientific data and findings. A Blog Article by Pablo Markin. In October, 2017, leading scientific institutions of China, such as the Chinese […]
Open Access in the Field of Cultural Studies: The Performance and Prospects of Open Cultural Studies
Prof. Toby Miller, the Editor-in-Chief of Open Cultural Studies, discusses how this Open Access, per-review journal has evolved since its launch, its positioning as a mega-journal in its academic field and its prospects in the years to come. A Blog Article by Pablo Markin. The […]
Some Open Access Journals Spark Controversy Due to Internal Problems but Also for Lack of Model Sustainability
As recent news on the HAU and Springer Machine Intelligence journal show, Open Access needs to be paired with sustainable publishing models to serve scholarly communities and deliver on its promise of unrestricted access to knowledge. A Blog Article by Pablo Markin. While interface barriers […]
As Universities are Increasingly Entering the Open Access Publishing Frey, Resistance to Closed Access is Set to Spread
As the London School of Economics is in the works to launch its own Open Access publishing platform, country-level associations of university libraries may be deciding to flip to Open Access on the basis of cost-benefit analyses of this model vis-à-vis subscription contract costs, as […]
popularization guides peer review Elsevier Open Access in Sciences authors survey opinion journal Hybrid Open Access Open Science Open Access to Books Key Challenges models APCs OA article processing charges Funding Green Open Access De Gruyter Open De Gruyter Open Access academia in data journals Gold Open Access news


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