text:
\section{Introduction}

The H12700A-03-M64 Multi-Anode PhotoMultiplier Tube is a novel 64-channel, 52 $\times$ 52~mm$^2$  square pixelated device produced by Hamamatsu (fig.\ref{fig:PMTFronte}). It consists of a 8$\times$8 pixel matrix (6$\times$6~mm$^2$ each) able to detect single photons, amplifying the signal through a 10-stage dynode chain. The H12700 MaPMT can be equipped with a borosilicate or UV glass entrance window coupled with a bialkali photocathode so that a spectral response ranging between \hbox{300 - 650 nm} or  \hbox{185 - 650 nm} respectively is obtained, with a maximum quantum efficiency of  $\sim$33\%\footnote{\label{HamamatsuData} Reference value provided by the manufacturer.} at about 350 nm.  A socket, provided by Hamamatsu as standard and embedded with the H12700 MaPMT (fig.\ref{fig:PMTZoccolo}), connects the anodes to the output pins and includes the HV divider. Note that all the measurements described below were acquired using such an embedded voltage distribution ratio: \hbox{2-1-1-...-1-1-0.5}\footnote{~Standard configuration suggested by the manufacturer.}. A second tube version is also available, called R12699-03, which has the same structure as the H12700 except for the absence of the socket. In this case, the output pins are connected directly to the anodes and the HV bias of the dynodes was provided by a custom-made passive voltage divider.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{PMTFronte.pdf}
			\caption{Front view of the Hamamatsu H12700 (serial code: ZB0030, produced in January 2014).}
			\label{fig:PMTFronte}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{PMTZoccolo.pdf}
			\caption{Back side of the H12700. The output pins of the socket embedded with the MaPMT are visible. The convention used to indicate the horizontal and vertical directions is shown.}
			\label{fig:PMTZoccolo}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Among the multi-channel photodetectors, the H12700 stands out for its large effective active area\footref{HamamatsuData} (48.5 $\times$ 48.5 mm$^2$) while the very small inactive border around the device and the MaPMT square cross-sectional geometry allows for a close packing ratio ($\sim$87\% \footref{HamamatsuData}). These features, together with the nominal low dark counts contribution and the moderate cross-talk between neighbouring pixels, make the H12700 particularly suitable for applications in high energy physics, such as in Ring Imaging Cherenkov detectors (RICH) used for particle identification.

A possible application is the upgrade of the LHCb \cite{bib2} RICH detector \cite{bib1}. Currently the detector uses hybrid photodetectors (HPDs) equipped with an encapsulated electronics operating at 1~MHz. These must be replaced by photodetectors read-out by an external 40~MHz circuitry \cite{CLARO}, in order to allow the detector to run at a luminosity up to ten times higher than the current value. The baseline tube chosen for the upgraded LHCb RICH detector~\cite{bib3} is the R11265 MaPMT~\cite{NostroArticolo} which ensures an excellent spatial resolution thanks to the small pixel size (2.9$\times$2.9~mm$^2$). Nevertheless, in the peripheral areas of the LHCb RICH-2 detector the spatial resolution is mainly limited by the chromatic dispersion of the refractive index of the Cherenkov medium (CF$_4$), by the uncertainties affecting the reconstructed track position from which the photons are emitted and by the aberration of the focusing mirrors~\cite{bib1}. In those areas, devices  with larger granularity such as the H12700 can be used without affecting the overall PID performance of the system. This choice reduces the number of devices and channels with a consequent lower cost.

Five devices have been tested so far (three H12700 and two R12699 MaPMTs), each equipped with a UV glass entrance window and bialkali photocathode and the outcomes are presented in this paper. In section \ref{sec:StandardMeasurements} the studies of gain variation, anode uniformity, dark current and pixel collection efficiency are presented. The cross-talk signal induced between neighbouring pixels was investigated in depth and the results are presented in section \ref{sec:CrossTak}. Section \ref{sec:Environment} describes the characterization of the tube in the critical environment conditions expected in high energy physics applications such as the temperature dependence of gain and noise, the deterioration of the photodetector performance due to an external static magnetic field and the gain variation caused by the device aging after a long period of intense light exposure.

\section{Standard characterization}\label{sec:StandardMeasurements}

This section is devoted to the measurements of the basic parameters characterizing the operation of the H12700 and R12699 MaPMTs in single photon detection regime. The following results were achieved by illuminating uniformly the device under test with a commercial blue LED biased with a very small current so that it produced only few tens of photons per second. A photon reaching the photocathode and converted into one photoelectron via photoelectric effect starts the 10-stages multiplication process on the dynodes so that a final charge of the order of few Me$^-$ is collected at the anode. This signal is integrated by a charge sensitive preamplifier (standard current integrator circuit based on an AD9631 voltage feedback operational amplifier, by Analog Devices) producing an output voltage signal proportional to the total input charge, recorded by a CAEN Desktop Digitizer DT5720\footnote{~The DT5720 is a 4 channels 12 bit 250 MS/s Desktop Waveform Digitizer with 2 Vpp single ended input. The DC offset is adjustable via a 16 bits DAC on each channel in the $\pm$ 1V range.}. Unless otherwise noted, the tests were performed at room temperature and biasing the device at HV=1050 V using the voltage divider recommended by Hamamatsu (voltage ratio distribution: 2-1-1-...-1-1-0.5).
In fig.\ref{fig:SpetraUniformity} the superposition of typical single photon spectra from different pixels of a H12700 MaPMT (serial code: ZB0030) are shown. All the pixels, except pixel 57\footnote{~Pixels 57 shows a dark counts rate higher than 1 kHz, so that the single photon peak could not be studied with the described setup (maximum single photon production rate of $\sim 1$ kHz per pixel). As declared by Hamamatsu, this anomalous value is due to a manufacturing defect. No other tested device shows analogous behaviour.} (see fig.\ref{fig:NoiseTable}), are able to detect single photon signals with the single photon peak well resolved with respect to the pedestal. The low amplitude peaks just above the pedestal (centered at $\sim 20\%$ with respect to the single photon peak position) could be interpreted as a non ideal electron paths along the multiplication chain, such as photoelectrons skipping the first dynode, or photons that are converted into electrons at the first dynode stage. As will be described in section  \ref{sec:Environment}, this peak becomes higher in the presence of an external magnetic field which affects the ideal trajectory of the secondary electrons moving from one dynode to the next. The anode uniformity can be estimated from fig.\ref{fig:SpetraUniformity} as the ratio between the single photon peak position in each pixel with respect to the pixel with the maximum gain. The typical gain spread among pixels amounts to a factor 2-2.5 at most, in agreement with the uniformity tables provided by Hamamatsu. At 1050 V, the H12700 under investigation provides a typical gain of $\sim 3.5$~$\mathrm{Me^-}$/photon. Similar gains and spreads were observed also in the other tested devices.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{SpetraUniformity.pdf}
			\caption{Superposition of single photon spectra acquired on different pixels of the H12700 MaPMT (serial code: ZB0030) biased at 1050~V. Note that pixels 19 and 63 are the ones with the maximum  ($\sim 4.9$~$\mathrm{Me^-}$) and minimum ($\sim 2.4$~$\mathrm{Me^-}$) gain respectively. For the pixel numbering, see fig.\ref{fig:NoiseTable}. }
			\label{fig:SpetraUniformity}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{Gain_Vs_HV_log.pdf}
			\caption{Gain increase factor (in logarithmic scale) measured on several pixels of two H12700 (serial codes: ZB0030 and ZB0042) and R12699 (serial codes: HA0015 and HA0016) MaPMTs as a function of the biasing voltage ranging from 900~V to 1100~V. }
			\label{fig:Gain_Vs_HV}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

By measuring the single photon peak position at different biasing voltages, it is possible to determine how the gain of the photodetector scales as a function of the HV. Figure \ref{fig:Gain_Vs_HV} shows the increase of the gain with respect to the HV value ranging from 900 V to 1100 V for several pixels of the four MAPMTs. It is observed that the gain at HV=1100 V is $\sim$3.5-4 times larger than that at 900 V. These scaling values do not depend on the MaPMT model or on the pixel absolute gain, as expected.

The dark current, i.e. the charge collected at the anodes due to spurious electron emission from the photocathode or the dynodes, represents an important figure of merit of the MaPMT. The dark current is usually quoted as the overall DC anode current measured keeping the MaPMT in the dark. For the studied MaPMTs the dark current at room temperature ranges from $\sim 0.5$~nA to $\sim 3.5$~nA, values lower than the typical value declared by the manufacturer (6~nA).

In case were the photodetector used in applications which require single photon sensitivity in all the pixels, it is interesting to measure the rate of spurious counts triggered in each channel above a defined threshold. Thus, the MaPMT dark current was also measured at room temperature by recording the rate of events with an amplitude larger than $1$~$\mathrm{Me^-}$ (average position of the valley between the pedestal and the single photon peak, as visible in the spectra in fig.\ref{fig:SpetraUniformity}).  Figure \ref{fig:NoiseTable} shows the dark event rate measured for all the pixels of a tested device. The dark event rate turned out to be really low ($\leq 15$ Hz per pixel or, equivalently, $\leq 40$ $\mathrm{Hz/cm^2}$) for most of the pixels. Few of them have a larger dark current (up to several tens of Hz) and pixel 57 is the only one with an extremely high dark event rate ($\sim 1.4$ kHz).

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
		\centering
			\includegraphics[height=0.7\textwidth]{NoiseTable.pdf}
			\caption{Dark event rate (in Hz) measured for the H12700 MaPMT pixels over a 1 $\mathrm{Me^-}$ amplitude threshold (H12700 MaPMT, serial code: ZB0030).}
			\label{fig:NoiseTable}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{Schemino.pdf}
			\caption{Schematic representation of the different sources of cross-talk usually affecting a MaPTM. This scenario is compatible with the results of the cross-talk measurements.}
			\label{fig:schemino}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

\section{Cross-talk and charge sharing}\label{sec:CrossTak}
A photon hitting a pixel induces a signal in the neighbouring pixels so that they could trigger an event despite being in the dark. This undesired effect is called cross-talk and is caused by different mechanisms, as schematically represented in fig.\ref{fig:schemino}.

A first cross-talk contribution (CT$_{bias}$) is due to the signal injected through the voltage divider biasing the dynodes unless properly filtered. A second contribution comes from the stray capacitance between neighbouring pixels which results in an AC coupling between the anode pins. This contribution (CT$_{coupling}$) causes not only spurious signals, but it also reduces the single photon signal amplitude at high frequency, as part of the charge deviates from the original path. Note that, in addition to the intrinsic contribution of the photodetector, the CT$_{coupling}$ also depends on the possible stray couplings between the electrical paths driving the signal from the input nodes to the read-out electronics. This suggests that not only particular care must be applied in the design and layout of the front-end circuit, but also that the socket embedded with the H12700 MaPMT could introduce an additional contribution, as it will be shown later. The waveform of the signals due to CT$_{bias}$ and CT$_{coupling}$ is expected to have a bipolar shape. Furthermore, the charge sharing can be considered as a cross-talk source (CT$_{sharing}$), since it causes effects similar to CT$_{coupling}$, but with a different signal shape. The charge sharing is a statistical process which takes place whenever an electron deviates from its path during multiplication, starting a new avalanche in the neigbouring channel. Note that CT$_{sharing}$ gives a negligible contribution unless it starts from the first dynode stages; if the charges are shared only at the the first dynode, then the amplitude of the induced signal is expected to be independent of the gain of the reference pixel. Otherwise, if the charge sharing occurs at few initial dynodes, then the amplitude of the induced signal is proportional to the gain of the inducing pixel. Anyway, what matters for our investigations is that, differently to the previous contributions, the signals due to CT$_{sharing}$ have the same shape as the main signal, so that they can be discriminated from that due to CT$_{coupling}$.

The cross-talk effect is estimated by measuring the cross-talk ratio distribution. The cross-talk ratio is the cross-talk signal amplitude divided by the corresponding source signal amplitude, both calculated as the difference between the maximum of each signal and its baseline. Since, independently on the sources, the cross-talk signal amplitude is expected to be proportional to the inducing signal amplitude, this distribution should exhibit peaks centered on the values characteristic of the cross-talk source.
These measurements were performed illuminating the whole MaPMT with a blue LED operating in single photon regime and acquiring a cluster of four contiguous pixels simultaneously. The cross-talk signals were discriminated off-line considering the coincidences with single photons hitting the adjacent pixel with signal amplitude larger than $100$ $\mathrm{ke^-}$. A pulse shape analysis is also performed in order to discriminate between unipolar (CT$_{sharing}$ contribution) and bipolar (CT$_{bias}$ and CT$_{coupling}$ contributions) signals. Note that the front-end preamplifier was kept as close as possible to the device under test (pins connected with $\leq10$ cm widely separated unshielded copper wires), minimizing the loss of the signals on the stray capacitance of the wires connecting the anodes and the read-out system.
In the following, a pair of side-by-side pixels is defined as \textit{horizontally oriented} if the numbers of the pixels are consecutive (see fig.\ref{fig:schemino}) and consequently comes the definition of \textit{vertically oriented} pixels.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\subfigure[][]{\includegraphics[width=.4825\textwidth]{Amplitude_P08VsP16.pdf}}
		\hspace{1mm}%
		\subfigure[][]{\includegraphics[width=.4825\textwidth]{Amplitude_P15VsP16.pdf}}
		\caption{Cross-talk amplitude distribution of a Hamamatsu H12700 (serial code: ZB0030), obtained illuminating pixel 16 with single photons and acquiring the cross-talk signals on pixels 8 (\textit{a}) and 15 (\textit{b}).}\label{Fig:Cross1}
\end{figure}

Figure \ref{Fig:Cross1} shows the cross-talk ratio distribution measured by illuminating pixel 16 with single photons and acquiring the induced signals on pixels 8 (\textit{a}, vertical direction) and 15 (\textit{b}, horizontal direction).
In fig.\ref{Fig:Cross1}.a, an asymmetric peak centered at $\sim$1.3\% and extending up to $\sim$3\% is visible on pixel 8. The behaviour is different for the induced signal on pixel 15 (fig.\ref{Fig:Cross1}.b, horizontal direction).
In the horizontal direction, two peaks are clearly resolved, one located at around 3\% and a second peak at about 7\%. The signals which populate the two regions have different waveforms, as shown in fig.\ref{Fig:CrossWaveforms}. The waveforms of the $\sim 3$\% cross-talk events (fig.\ref{Fig:Cross1}.a) have a bipolar shape, while the ones corresponding to $\sim 7$\% cross-talk events (fig.\ref{Fig:Cross1}.b) have a single polarity since they always stay above the baseline level\footnote{~As far as the cross-talk ratio distribution of pixel 8 is concerned, fig.\ref{Fig:Cross1}.a, a prevalence of unipolar shaped waveforms can be seen in the asymmetric high-amplitude ratio tail with respect to the bipolar shaped signals mostly populating the main peak. However, the two contributions are not easily separated.}.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\subfigure[][]{\includegraphics[width=.4825\textwidth]{Bipolar_P01vsP02.pdf}}
		\hspace{1mm}%
		\subfigure[][]{\includegraphics[width=.4825\textwidth]{SiglePolar_P01vsP02.pdf}}
		\caption{The typical cross-talk waveforms acquired on pixel 15 induced by a single photon event occurred on the adjacent pixel 16 (horizontal direction). On (a), the typical bipolar shape of the $\sim 3$\% cross-talk events. On (b), the single polarity cross-talk signal. Note that the main signal (black line) and the cross-talk (blue line) are plotted in two different scales.}\label{Fig:CrossWaveforms}
\end{figure}

Another interesting aspect found in these tests is that both cross-talk behaviours coexist for all amplitudes of the main signal, as shown in fig.\ref{fig:AmplitudeLin}, where the cross-talk amplitude on pixel 15 is plotted as a function of the single photon signal amplitude on pixel 16. Two different linear trends can be seen, with a slope equal to $\sim 3$\% and $\sim 7$\%  respectively. Both lines span from reference signal amplitude of about $\sim$100~$\mathrm{ke^-}$ to several $\mathrm{Me^-}$. Hence, independently of the main signal amplitude, both high-level and low-level cross-talk events are present.

Figure \ref{fig:CrossTalkProbability} shows the single photon spectrum acquired on the reference pixel 16 over a threshold of 1 $\mathrm{Me^-}$. The probability that these events could induce cross-talk signals larger than 100 $\mathrm{ke^-}$ in the neighbouring pixels is quoted (in percentage unit) in the table shown in the top-right corner. As it can be observed, the probability of inducing cross-talk signal over threshold is of the order of $\sim10\%$ along the vertical direction (pixels 8 and 24) where the CT$_{coupling}$ contribution dominates. Such value is compatible to the one obtained assuming that the mean amplitude of the cross-talk signals due to CT$_{coupling}$ is $\sim2\%$ of the inducing signal amplitude. In this case, only events larger than 5 Me$^-$ (orange area in fig.\ref{fig:CrossTalkProbability}) induce cross-talk over a 100~$\mathrm{ke^-}$ threshold. The same mechanism causes few induced pulses also along diagonal direction (pixels 7 and 23), even if they occur with a much lower probability.
On the other hand, the CT$_{sharing}$ contribution is responsible of larger cross-talk signals. Assuming that the average cross-talk amplitude ratio on the horizontal direction amounts to $\sim5\%$, then 2 Me$^-$ collected at the pixel 16 anode are enough to induce cross-talk over the selected threshold on pixel 15 (ocher area in fig.\ref{fig:CrossTalkProbability}). This estimation is compatible to the observed probability ($\sim65\%$) that single photon signals larger than 1 $\mathrm{Me^-}$ on pixel 16 cause cross-talk 100~$\mathrm{ke^-}$ threshold on pixel 15.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\centering
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{Amplitude3D_P15VsP16_LowResolution.pdf}
			\caption{Cross-talk on pixel 15 versus single photon signal amplitude on pixel 16.}
			\label{fig:AmplitudeLin}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{CrossTalkProbability.pdf}\centering
			\caption{Single photon spectra acquired in pixel 16 over a 1 Me$^-$ threshold. The table shows the probability (in \%) to see a cross-talk signal above 100 ke$^-$ threshold in all the neighbouring channels around around pixel 16. The pixel numbers are reported in blue in the top-right corner.
			\label{fig:CrossTalkProbability}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

In summary, the cross-talk results indicate an unexpected asymmetry between contiguous pixels located on rows or columns.
Illuminating with single photons a pixel used as reference, the neighbouring pixels along the vertical direction show a cross-talk dominated by CT$_{bias}$ and CT$_{coupling}$ contributions, with an amplitude distribution centered at $\sim1.3 \% -3$\%. Also along the diagonal direction a small coupling between neighbouring pixels is expected. However this turned out to be a negligible effect.

The cross-talk level between horizontally contiguous pixels deserves more attention. In addition to the previous behaviour, a second gaussian-like peak centered at $\sim4-7\%$ is visible in the cross-talk amplitude distribution. These two peaks are the result of the combination of the CT$_{coupling}$ and CT$_{sharing}$ contributions. Similar outcomes were observed in all the tested pixels of two devices for each MaPMT type (H12700, serial codes: ZB0030 and ZB0042; R12699, serial codes: HA0015 and HA0016). While the double peak structure in the cross-talk ratio distribution was systematically observed along the horizontal direction, the peaks heights differ between pixel pairs and, in first approximation, the probability of charge sharing events ranges from $\sim25\%$ up to $\sim50\%$. This value strongly depends on the position where the inducing photon hits the reference pixel.

As described above, the uniformity of response of the pixel was studied dividing the pixel area in a $3\times3$ matrix of $\sim1.5\times1.5$ mm$^2$ regions using a mask. Each region can be individually illuminated by means of a 1 mm diameter optical fiber fastened to the mask.
For example, using pixel 43 as reference, the cross-talk signal is acquired on both horizontal (pixel 42) and vertical (pixel 35) directions. Figure \ref{Fig:CrossTalkScan} shows the obtained results. Along the horizontal direction, two peaks are clearly resolved if the photon hits the A-areas, located at 0.75 mm from the borderline between pixel 43 and 42. In agreement with the previous measurements, the low-level and high-level cross-talk peaks are populated by bipolar (star marker in fig.\ref{Fig:CrossTalkScan}) and unipolar (circular marker) shaped signals respectively. In this case, about $\sim60-70\%$ of single photons induce charge sharing. On the other hand, if the photon hits the B-areas (2.25 mm away from the borderline), a negligible charge sharing is observed since the cross-talk amplitude distribution results in a single low-level gaussian peak.

In first approximation, assuming the probability of inducing charge sharing to be $65\%$ in the first 2.25 mm from the borderline ($\sim37\%$ of the whole pixel area) and negligible in the other regions of the pixel, $\sim24\%$ of photons would cause charge sharing in the horizontal direction. This coarse estimation is consistent with the results previously shown.

Similar considerations can be made in the vertical direction (pixel 35). In this case, the two peaks are not well-separated and the charge sharing due to photons hitting the 1-column only causes an asymmetric tail ranging from $\sim1\%$. to $\sim3\%$. In case of uniform illumination in the pixels, the  CT$_{coupling}$ dominates the cross-talk amplitude distribution.

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{CrossTalkScan.pdf}
		\caption{Cross-talk amplitude distribution induced on pixel 42 (horizontal direction) and 35 (vertical direction) by a single photon hitting pixel 43 in different 1.5$\times$1.5 mm$^2$ areas (R12699 MaPMT, serial code: HA0015). Different markers are used for the distributions populated by unipolar (circular) or bipolar (star) shaped cross-talk signals. The plots are colored according to the position where the inducing photon hits the reference pixel.}
		\label{Fig:CrossTalkScan}
\end{figure}

As mentioned above, the stray capacitance of the electrical links  driving the signal from the anodes to the read-out electronics has to be minimized as it contributes to the CT$_{coupling}$ effect. In this regard, the socket embedded in the H12700 MaPMT could also add a non-negligible effect. In order to highlight this contribution, pixel 15 of a tube (serial code: ZB0042) was uniformly illuminated and the cross-talk ratio distribution was acquired in the neighbouring pixels with the usual setup. The obtained results are shown in fig.\ref{fig:CrossTalkSocket}.

While the lower amplitude peak of pixel 7, 14 and 23 are centered at $\sim1\%$, higher values ($\sim3\%$) are observed in pixels 8 and 16, located close to the biasing high voltage pins. Later, the socket equipping the device was unsoldered and the measurements were performed on the same pixels keeping unchanged the setup. This second cross-talk amplitude distribution is reported in fig.\ref{fig:CrossTalkNoSocket}. It can be observed that the distributions of the pixels not contiguous to the biasing pins remains almost unchanged. Moreover, the lower amplitude peak of pixels 8 and 16 are now centered at $\sim 1.5\%$, similar to all the other tested pixels. This suggests that the socket standardly provided by Hamamatsu is responsible of an extra capacitive coupling to the biasing nodes which doubles the bipolar shaped cross-talk signal amplitude of the pixels located near those pins.
\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{CrossTalk_Socket.pdf}
			\caption{Cross-talk ratio distribution measured on the neighbouring channels of the uniformly illuminated pixel 15 (H12700 MaPMT, serial code: ZB0042). The socket provided by Hamamatsu is connected and operating.}
			\label{fig:CrossTalkSocket}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{CrossTalk_NoSocket.pdf}
			\caption{Cross-talk ratio distribution measured on the neighbouring channels of the uniformly illuminated pixel 15 (H12700 MaPMT, serial code: ZB0042). The socket provided by Hamamatsu is unsoldered and the biasing voltage is provided with a custom-made passive voltage divider (standard voltage ratio).}
			\label{fig:CrossTalkNoSocket}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Besides cross-talk, there is another known mechanism that could induce spurious signals in photomultipliers, by generating delayed afterpulses following the main signal.
According to \cite{HamamatsuHandbook}, MaPMTs can be affected by two types of afterpulses. The first occurs due to the elastic scattering electrons produced at the first dynode which cause small amplitude signals following the main one with a very short delay (several nanoseconds to several tens of nanoseconds). In our measurements, the anode current is integrated with a time constant of the same order and an acquisition window which lasts $\sim 500$ ns  per signal (see fig.\ref{Fig:CrossWaveforms}). Therefore, this class of afterpulses is triggered together with the corresponding main signal without significantly affecting the amplitude of the signal of interest, causing marginal effects.
A second category of afterpulses is due to ion feedback which induces high amplitude signals delayed by several hundreds of nanoseconds to over a few microseconds. This kind of afterpulses is expected to be larger than single photon signals so that these two contributions can be easily separated. We treated them similar to high amplitude dark events, since we were not able to discriminate these two effects.
Although our setup (based on single photons emitted at random by a DC-biased LED) is not able to quantify the afterpulse probability for the present device, it is expected to be below 5\% for a PMT with a good quality vacuum, as explained in \cite{Afterpulses}.

\section{Behaviour in critical environment condition} \label{sec:Environment}
As mentioned, the features of the H12700 and the R12699 MaPMTs make them tailored for an application in high energy physics, such as in the Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors.
The magnetic field usually present in these detectors could significantly affect the photodetector performance making it important to characterize the tubes with respect to this critical environment. In addition to that, the MaPMTs are sensitive to the operating temperature which can alter the gain and cause a dark current increase. In the case of LHCb RICH upgrade, the photosensor is expected to withstand the intense illumination of up to $\sim10^6$ photons per pixel per second in the most illuminated detector areas.
In the next paragraphs, the investigations about the behaviour of the H12700 and R12699 MaPMTs as a function of a longitudinal magnetic field up to 100~G (sect. \ref{sec:MagneticField}), different operating temperatures (sect. \ref{sec:Temperature}) and after a long period of light illumination (sect. \ref{sec:Aging}) are presented.

\subsection{Behaviour in magnetic field}\label{sec:MagneticField}

In principle the performance of a photomultiplier tube is affected by an external magnetic field since it might induce some electrons changing their trajectory starting from the photocathode.
According to the results already obtained studying the R7600 \cite{bib6} and the R11265 \cite{NostroArticolo} MaPMTs, the main effects are caused by a longitudinal magnetic field (parallel to the tube axis and perpendicular to the photocathode surface). In a very conservative approach, the tube performance was tested under the action of a magnetic field up to 100 G produced by a solenoid. As usual, the single photons were produced using a commercial blue LED and the output signals were amplified with a charge sensitive preamplifier and acquired by a CAEN Desktop Digitizer. Figure \ref{fig:NoShield} shows the single photon spectra observed on various pixels at different magnetic field intensities.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{NoShield_P2.pdf}
		\hspace{5mm}%
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{NoShield_P8.pdf}
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{NoShield_P35.pdf}
		\hspace{5mm}%
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{NoShield_P63.pdf}
		\caption{Superposition of single photon spectra acquired under the action of different longitudinal magnetic fields. The top plots and the bottom right one refer to pixels 2, 8 and  63 respectively, located in the external region of the MaPMT, near the biasing high voltage pins. The bottom left plot shows the results in the central pixel 35. No high magnetic permeability material was used to shield the photon detector (serial code: ZB0030, HV$=1050$~V).}
	\label{fig:NoShield}
\end{figure}

The central pixel 35 is quite insensitive to the external magnetic field since significant degradation of the spectra is visible only for fields higher than 25 G. Defining the efficiency $\epsilon$ as the number of events with an amplitude larger than 1~$\mathrm{Me^-}$ divided by the one triggered above the same threshold without the magnetic field, the loss of efficiency at 25~G is almost negligible ($\sim 3$\%).
On the contrary, the pixels located in the peripheral area of the photon detector and near the HV pins turned out to be more sensitive.
As fig.\ref{fig:NoShield} shows, the loss of efficiency at 25~G measured on pixel 63 is more than 10\%. An even more critical behaviour is visible in pixels 1 to 8. In this case, the loss of efficiency rises to 20-25\% at 25~G. The number of events in the single photon peak decreases significantly even for weaker fields.

As expected, the events affected by a non-ideal electron path along the multiplication chain happen more frequently if an external magnetic field is applied. This effect is clearly visible from the number of events at $\sim0.7$~$\mathrm{Me^-}$, which increases with the field intensity.

In order to recover the nominal performance of these peripheral pixels, the photodetector was wrapped in a high magnetic permeability material to absorb the field. In particular, the performance of the H12700 was studied in presence of a longitudinal magnetic field up to 100~G while shielding the device with one layer of Skudotech\footnote{~http://www.seliteskudotech.it} ($\sim200$~$\mathrm{\mu m}$ thick, nominal maximum magnetic permeability larger than $10^5$, produced by SELITE. Skudotech has magnetic perfomances very close to those of MUMETAL, but is much more malleable) wrapping the MaPMT lateral surface.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{Shield_P2.pdf}
		\hspace{5mm}%
		\includegraphics[width=0.45\textwidth]{Shield_P8.pdf}
		\caption{Superposition of single photon spectra acquired under the action of different longitudinal magnetic fields. A single Skudotech layer (thickness $\sim 200$ $\mathrm{\mu m}$) wraps the H12700. The left and right plots refer to pixels 2 and 8 respectively, which represent the worst case condition since they are located near the biasing high voltage pins  (serial code: ZB0030, HV$=1050$~V).}
	\label{fig:Shield}
\end{figure}

The shield protrudes by 1~cm from the photocathode surface, while the anode pins were kept uncovered. Figure \ref{fig:Shield} shows the results of these measurements for two of the most sensitive pixels. It can be noticed that the efficiency is almost fully recovered at moderate magnetic field intensities ($\leq 25$ G), and the loss of efficiencies reduces at most to $\sim 5$\%. Also the spectrum distortions previously observed (see fig.\ref{fig:NoShield}) are recovered if a magnetic shield is used. In presence of fields larger than 25 G, a single Skudotech layer saturates and loses its efficiency.

\subsection{Temperature dependence}\label{sec:Temperature}
The behaviour of the MaPMTs under investigation was studied with respect to the effects of a temperature variation. Indeed, increasing the operating temperature, the MaPMT gain decrease while spurious dark counts get more frequent. The setup to perform these measurements was the following: the MaPMT and the read-out electronic circuitries were put in a climatic chamber (Votsch VC 4018) operating at a temperature ranging from $10\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ to $50\,^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$. The behaviour of the electronic read-out chain as a function of the temperature was previously characterized so that its contribution could be subtracted from the one of the photodetector. The single photon signal was provided by a commercial blue LED located outside of the climatic chamber and operating at constant temperature.

Figure \ref{fig:GainTemperature} shows the superposition of single photon spectra acquired in the same pixel at different temperature. As it can be estimated from the single photon peak position, the gain reduces with increasing the temperature. This behaviour is well known and studied (\cite{bibt1}, \cite{bibt2}, \cite{bibt3}) and has also been observed in the R11265 tubes (\cite{NostroArticolo}). It can be explained as follows: the energy of any electron during the multiplication chain does not change with temperature as it is determined only by the electric field between dynodes. Thus, keeping the biasing voltage constant, the electrons hit a certain dynode with similar energies and predominantly interact with it by electron-electron interactions. The amount of charges released by these interactions does not depend on temperature but mainly on the energy of the primary electron. The secondary electrons generated have a low kinetic energy so that they manly interact with phonons. This interaction has a strong temperature dependence so that the mean free path of electrons inside the dynode decreases with increasing temperature. Therefore, although a fixed amount of free charges is generated, a smaller number of electrons is able to escape from the dynode surface and take part in following multiplication steps. The global result is that the mean number of secondary electrons emitted from each dynode reduces, with a consequent gain decrease.
From fig.\ref{fig:GainTemperature} it is possible to estimate that the gain reduction as a function of the temperature is quite linear in the range of interest and the characteristic slope amounts to about -10 ke$^-/^{\circ}\mathrm{C}$ or 0.25 $\%/^{\circ}$C.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\centering
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{GainTemperatura.pdf}
			\caption{Single photon spectra as a function of temperature (H12700 MaPMT, serial code: ZB0030, Pixel 15,  HV$=1050$~V). The gain variation can be estimated from the single photon peak position.}
			\label{fig:GainTemperature}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{NoiseTemperature.pdf}
			\caption{Dark rate spectra, in logarithmic scale, as a function of temperature (H12700 MaPMT, serial code: ZB0030, Pixel 15,  HV$=1050$~V).}
			\label{fig:NoiseTemperature}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Another parameter that strongly depends on temperature is the dark current. Indeed, the rate of noise signals increases greatly with temperature as shown in fig.\ref{fig:NoiseTemperature} where dark counts spectra acquired at different temperature are superimposed with a logarithmic scale. The reason of this phenomenon is that, increasing the temperature, the number of electrons which have enough thermal energy to escape from the dynodes or the photocathode surface and generate a multiplication process increases. In particular, the dark counts rate at 50$^{\circ}$ C above 1 Me$^-$ is more than an order of magnitude larger than that at 10$^{\circ}$ C.

\subsection{Aging Test}\label{sec:Aging}

Long periods of light exposure cause MaPMT aging and will therefore deteriorate the device's initial performance. This critical condition is common in high energy physics applications where the device must withstand extremely high photon rates for thousands of hours. Typical effects due to the aging of the device are the reduction of the photocathode efficiency, the dark count rate increase and the variation of the gain of the tube. From the experience gained during the characterization of the R11265-103-M64 MaPMT \cite{NostroArticolo}, the most critical effect due to the aging is the gain loss caused by the deterioration of the dynodes which change the mean number of secondary electrons emitted.

In order to make a quantitative estimation of how much the gain is affected by aging, a fully automatic system was set up to age a H12700 and a R12699 MaPMTs. A commercial blue LED illuminated the device under test, causing a stable aging current. Periodically, the LED biasing voltage was turned down so that it operated in single photon regime. The single photon signals from the tested pixels were amplified by charge sensitive amplifiers and acquired with three DT5720 Desktop Digitizers (CAEN). The gain loss was evaluated by measuring the single photon peak position over several thousand hours of effective LED illumination. A slow control system continuously monitored the DC aging current in all the device and ensured the temperature stability by adjusting the heat injected by four power resistors. This prevents the temperature variation to affect the gain of the photosensor during the measurement. Further details on the setup conditions and the analysis can be found in \cite{NostroArticolo}.

\begin{figure}[h!]
	\centering
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\centering
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{aging_H12700.pdf}
			\caption{Gain variation (in \%) versus the illumination period for the tested H12700 MaPMT (serial code: ZB0030, HV$=1000$~V, T$=24.5^{\circ}$ C).}
			\label{fig:Aging_H12700}
		\end{minipage}%
	\hspace{5mm}%
		\begin{minipage}[t]{.4825\textwidth}
			\includegraphics[width=1\textwidth]{aging_R12699.pdf}
			\caption{Gain variation (in \%) versus the illumination period for the tested R12699 MaPMT (serial code: HA0016, HV$=900$~V, T$=25^{\circ}$ C). }
			\label{fig:Aging_R12699}
		\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

As mentioned above, two MaPMTs have been tested (one H12700, serial code: ZB0030, and one R12699, serial code: HA0016) and the gain variation as a function of the effective LED illumination period are shown in fig.\ref{fig:Aging_H12700} and fig.\ref{fig:Aging_R12699}. The gain loss is calculated as the percentage variation of the single photon peak position with respect to the value measured at the beginning in each pixel, after keeping the device in the dark for 24 hours and illuminating it for one hour.

Referring to fig.\ref{fig:Aging_H12700}, the illumination level was set in order to induce an initial integrated current over the anodes of $\simeq 94$ $\mu$A, similar to the maximum value sustainable by the tube according to the manufacturer specifications (100 $\mu$A). Such an intense illumination, roughly equivalent to a single photon rate of few MHz per pixel, was chosen because
it is similar to the current value standardly used in this test by the manufacturer. All channels are observed to have a similar trend and the gain loss after 3500 hours ranges from $\sim 13$\% down to $\sim 20$\%.
The slope of the curves gradually decreases with the LED illumination period and becomes almost flat above $\sim 2800$ hours.  In particular, the gain loss in the last $\sim 700$ hours of LED illumination is of the order of 1\% and comparable with the measurement uncertainties. In this plateau region the performance of the photodetector can be assumed stable.

Figure \ref{fig:Aging_R12699} shows the result of the same measurement performed on the R12699 MaPMT, serial code HA0016. The device was biased at HV$=900$~V with a consequent reduction of the initial anode current to $\sim40$ $\mu$A. The absolute gain variation decreases with respect to the one observed in the former tube. This suggests that the gain variation is related to the integrated DC current which is responsible of the deterioration of the dynodes and depends on the illumination level and the average gain of the device.

What stands out comparing the two measurements is that the two photodectors show opposite trends. Indeed, the gain of all the observed pixels of fig.\ref{fig:Aging_R12699} increases with the illumination period in contrast with what observed in the other device (fig.\ref{fig:Aging_H12700}). This strange behaviour was already exhibited by some R11265 samples, as presented in \cite{NotaPubblicaCERN}.
Hamamatsu ascribes this to the spread of the thickness of the Cesium layer grown on the dynode surfaces \cite{Cesium}.

According to our observations, the absolute gain variation amounts at worst to $\mid \Delta G \mid \simeq 20 \%$ after 3000 hours of high intense illumination (equivalent single photon rate of few MHz per pixel). Finally, note that, as the device reaches gain stability, its overall variation can be compensated by adjusting the high voltage biasing the MaPMT, as shown in \cite{NostroArticolo}.

\section{Conclusions}

The H12700 multi-anode photomultiplier tube has been fully characterized. It is a 64-channel square photodetector produced by Hamamatsu which is sensitive to single photon signals. Five devices have been tested, half equipped with a socket provided by the manufacturer (H12700) and half without it (R12699). The photodetector proves its capability to detect single photons with a typical gain of several Me$^-$/photon at HV$=1$ kV, with an uniformity factor of $\sim$2-3 and an extremely low dark current ($\leq 40$ $\mathrm{Hz/cm^2}$ at room temperature above 1 Me$^-$). The cross-talk was investigated in depth: the worst case condition tuned out to be due to the charge sharing among neigbouring pixels, which causes signals with an amplitude up to $\sim7 \%$ of the inducing single photon signal. The R12699 MaPMT significantly reduces the coupling between pixels located near the HV pins, thus decreasing the cross-talk. The features of these devices make them suitable for an application in high energy physics, such as in RICH detectors. The photodetectors performance have been studied with respect to a longitudinal magnetic field up to $100$ G, typical of such environments: the most critical pixels are those in the outer regions, but their proper operation can be recovered using local high magnetic permeability shields. Ranging from 10$^{\circ}$ C to 50$^{\circ}$ C, the gain of the device linearly decreases by 0.25 $\%/^{\circ}$C and the dark counts rate increases by a factor 10 in this temperature range. The gain variation due to the device aging was also characterized on two tubes. Although it is hard to define a typical behaviour since the gain may show both a positive or a negative variation, similar trends would be expected for devices of the same production batch. After 3000 hours of intense illumination, the gain variation amounts to  $\mid \Delta G \mid \simeq 20 \%$ and could be compensated by adjusting the biasing voltage as the device reaches the gain stability.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


I did some ink blending on the layer underneath the oval die, for a fun pop of pink. Then, I stamped, colored and die-cut the sweet elephant from Peek A Boo Pals, and gave him the LOVE banner to hold. I just think it's so sweet.
Above the elephant, I die-cut a scripty "hello," from the Sentimental Ellements die set. I opted for the subtle white die-cut, instead of a stamped greeting, so as not to take focus away from the elephant.
I added a few white enamel dots to add some whimsy to the pink layer as well as a pink heart right at the bottom of the floral frame.
This card is so adorable and creative! I love it.


Japanese metal juggernauts Crossfaith have been tapped to write the opening theme song for a brand new Japanese animated series called "Souten no Ken." The result is a searing new single, "Soul Seeker," streaming now at unfd.lnk.to/SoulSeeker. On the new song, lead singer Kenta Koie shares: "This song was born right before we started writing our newest album EX_MACHINA. This song is about a human who is looking for the reason why he Iives his life, and it relates to the theme of EX_MACHINA too." This past summer, Crossfaith released, EX_MACHINA, out now via UNFD and streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. A fast-paced and blistering adventure that transports listeners to a dystopian future, EX_MACHINA features cameos from Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds and industrial hip hoppers Ho99o9. It can be purchased online at: unfd.lnk.to/ex_machina.
A concept album set in an alternative near future, EX_MACHINA explores a story in which the ruling class, known as Angels, maintain their world through artificial intelligence and other technology. The efforts dehumanise people and effectively turn them into drones – as explained in the opening title track, "Deus Ex Machina." The other 12 songs featured on the album represent the voice of the resistance – in the form of underdogs known as Demons. Kenta was inspired to include these figures by Devilman Crybaby, particularly on the Slipknot-esque "Catastrophe," the frantic, bloodcurdling "The Perfect Nightmare," and the epic assault of "Daybreak," rather than because they wanted to provide a comment on religion. "There's no particular religious message," clarifies Ken. "In order to explore the dualism of humans, we decided to include Angels and Demons, which are opposing elements just like fire and water." "Angels aren't necessarily good and demons aren't necessarily bad," he explains. "The most important theme is that we should never stop questioning the world around us." EX_MACHINA is a relentless album that strives for the listener's attention, and is unquestionably the heaviest that Crossfaith have put their name to since forming in their native Osaka in 2006.
Since their inception, Crossfaith have been on the edge of a fusion of rock, metal, electronica and big ideas on their albums; and the edge of euphoria with their live shows. EX_MACHINA is the album on which they walk that fine, fiery line more skillfully and seismically than ever. EX_MACHINA is now available for purchase here: unfd.lnk.to/ex_machina.


The laying of the explosives were inside the restaurant. At the entrance to the school immediately the explosion occurred, which led to the death of the head of DND.
Explosives, as a result of the detonation which killed the head of the DND Alexander Zakharchenko, was founded in the Donetsk restaurant Separable. On Friday, August 31, said Alexander Kazakov, adviser to Zakharchenko, Russian media reported.
"Initiation of explosives inside the restaurant. At the entrance immediately the explosion occurred," – said the adviser.
According to other Russian media, the explosives were placed in the lamp at the Desk that usually housed Zakharchenko.
Noted that currently, the DNR entered emergency mode. The search for the possible perpetrators.
We will remind, earlier Russian mass media reported that in Donetsk city centre in one of the restaurants was an explosion in which result has been mortally wounded the head of the DNI. Previously, one person was killed, three injured in an explosion in a cafe Separable in the center of Donetsk.
Soon it became known about the detention of suspects in the murder of wise.


text:
The State of Hashtags: New Updates You Need to Know
This year's World Cup, as expected, will fill up the web with hashtags of all sorts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, even newer applications like WhatsApp. Although the hashtag has been around since the first days of social media, it has overcome a lot of criticism and doubt to end up integrating itself in every aspect of the web and modern society, even being added as an official word to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary last month. Are hashtags actually here to stay? We say, "yes." Here's a quick look at how hashtags have been changing the way we've been communicating on the web lately:
Facebook and Twitter Add New Hashtag Features for the World Cup
First, let's get started with what's commencing on Thursday. With 1.28 billion Facebook users being soccer fans and anticipating the start of the World Cup, Facebook decided to add in a few new hashtag-friendly features for the world's biggest event. Facebook users will be able to track their favorite soccer teams in the special World Cup section called "Trending World Cup". This is a special hub that will house stats, latest scores, highlights, and posts from friends, players, and teams.
In addition to this, Facebook has included an interactive map to track where fans of top players are located in the world. They're also launching a dedicated page called FacebookRef where fans can view commentary made by Facebook.
Twitter is bracing the world event with its own hashtag features. It dubs the official hashtags to be #WorldCup and #WorldCup2014 and reintroduces "hashflags" that let users support their team with a little bit of flair. When each user includes a country's three-letter code hashtag (#USA, #COL, #FRA), a miniature flag graphic will accompany the post.
Credit: Twitter
Hashtags Now Appear in Google Search Results
Here's something many don't know about! When a user types in a hashtag in Google search, the search results bring an entire right side panel or real-time results of social media users communicating and publishing posts with that hashtag. There's also a couple of links at the bottom that asks if the user would like to search for this hashtag in Facebook and Twitter.
Trending Hashtags Get More Visibility Than Others
If a certain hashtags is used frequently over a short period of time, it becomes a trending hashtag. Trending hashtags are those hashtags you see on the left side of your Twitter profile. All trending hashtags display to all Twitter users, increasing the likelihood that the content placed with those hashtags will be seen by lots of people.
Marketers will find that they get more reach with incorporating established, popular, trending hashtags than hashtags they create themselves. As long as marketers are publishing relevant content with the correct hashtag, content has an opportunity to thrive.
Hashtags Can Help Analyze and Optimize Your Marketing Campaigns and Branding
Hashtags are still invaluable tools that allow marketers to discover what their target audiences are talking about online. Although Twitter starting the hashtag trend, users can see and incorporate hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, and Google+. By searching for hashtags like #justdoit, #nike and most recently #riskeverything, for example, Nike can figure out the current sentiment and topics associate with their brand. Additionally, brands can discover marketing campaign performance, other competitors, and influencers related to their brand.
There's Such Thing as Hashtag Activism
After 200 Nigerian school girls were captured by rebel terrorist group known as Boko Haram, media sources like the Associated Press and Reuters caught wind of this news along with a prominent hashtag initiated by Nigerians that has spread around the world: #BringBackOurGirls. Since then, celebrities, politicians, media sources, and the public have all shared this hashtag, which has tacked on growing awareness internationally for this incident. Media publications and politicians are proving more and more that they're looking to social media to find out the hot topics being talked about and they're using hashtags to discover them.
Source: The Independent

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Surgery carried out on wrong part of breast
HomeNews & UpdatesNewsSurgery carried out on wrong part of breast
A 51 year old woman has been awarded £8,000 due to a medical procedure being carried out on the wrong part of her breast.
The claimant attended Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was advised that she had grade two breast cancer in the left breast. On March 21, 2017, she underwent an operation within Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham which entailed removing the nipple and then going in from where the nipple was removed and investigating where the cancer was. The client was discharged the same day.
In mid-April 2017, she received a telephone call from the Hospital asking her to attend an appointment. The client attended the Hospital and was advised that the wrong part of the breast had been operated on. The client was advised that the area under the nipple did not need to be examined and that a further operation would be required.
On April 20, 2017, the client underwent the second operation at the same hospital and the operation entailed operating underneath the left breast where the cancer was located. During the operation the cancer was successfully removed.
Fletchers Solicitors pursued the case against the defendant for the negligence in relation to the failure to carry out surgery on the affected breast tissue on the March 21, 2017 leading to the requirement of further surgery on the April 20, 2017.
Following Fletchers' investigations a Letter of Claim was sent to the defendant and liability was admitted in this case. An out of Court settlement was reached of £8,000.
Priscilla Marfoa, litigation executive in the medical negligence department at Fletchers Solicitors, dealt with the case against the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Priscilla said: "I am happy that the Trust admitted to this negligence which ensured a smooth settlement process."
Nicola Kenyon
Fletchers reach new milestone following Chambers and Partners latest rankings
Fletchers Solicitors CEO, Alex Hatchman is proud to announce that Fletchers Solicitors is 'Band 1' for both Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence following Chambers and Partners latest rankings. The welcome…
The First Pan-African Conference
This October, Fletchers Solicitors is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting influential Black people who have helped shape the world we live in today. We've assigned a cross-departmental team across…


text:
var expect = require('chai').expect;
var should = require('chai').should();
var manifesto = require('../../dist-commonjs/');
var manifests = require('../fixtures/manifests');
var ViewingHint = require('@iiif/vocabulary/dist-commonjs/').ViewingHint;

var manifest;

describe('#presentation2Paging', function() {

    it('loads successfully', function (done) {
        manifesto.loadManifest(manifests.presentation2Paging).then(function(data) {
            manifest = manifesto.parseManifest(data);
            done();
        });
    });

    describe('#isPaged', function() {
        it('is paged', function () {
            var viewingHint = manifest.getViewingHint();
            viewingHint.should.equal(ViewingHint.PAGED);
        });
    });

    describe('#isPagingEnabled', function() {
        it('is paging enabled', function () {
            var enabled = manifest.isPagingEnabled();
            enabled.should.equal(true);
        });
    });

});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Shop Martin 000C Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar from AMS with 0% Interest Payment Plans and Free Shipping.
The Martin 000C Classical Acoustic Electric Guitar is an expansion of the 000CDG limited edition crossover instrument. Combining features of a traditional Martin steel-string guitar with those associated with a classical nylon string guitar, the 000C classical acoustic electric is truly a hybrid instrument. The 000C Nylon featuring 12 fret cutaway, Sapele back and sides, Sitka spruce top, A bracing, Fishman F1 analog electronics and 300 series case is a versatile, great sounding and playing guitar, no matter whether you play acoustic or acoustic electric or both.
I am a long time guitarist and bassist. I have had a bit of training in guitar set up and have shaved the saddle 3 times to reach professional standards. The guitar is now effortless to play.
Depends on the set up but with the Fishman electronics, the world of sound is at your finger tips.
Really good out of the box.


text:
How do PTAs Address "Competitive Neutrality" between State and Private Owned Enterprises?
Claudio Dordi
DORDI, Claudio. How do PTAs Address "Competitive Neutrality" between State and Private Owned Enterprises?. VNU Journal of Science: Social Sciences and Humanities, [S.l.], v. 32, n. 1S, dec. 2016. Available at: <https://js.vnu.edu.vn/SSH/article/view/4432>. Date accessed: 09 feb. 2023.
States-owned enterprises (SOEs) have for long used as and are likely to remain an important instrument in any government's toolbox for a variety of economic, public and societal goals. However, the significant extent of state ownership among the world's top companies raises the issue of its impact on international trade and global competition. We address the question of how multilateral and preferential trade agreements (PTAs) discipline SOEs with a view to guaranteeing the level playing field between such entities and private enterprises, while, at the same time, allowing governments to provide support to SOEs that deal with market failures and provide public goods. The argument is developed in three main parts. The first briefly outlines the reasons why SOEs are disciplined by a number of international legal instruments. The second assesses how WTO agreements deal with the potential trade effects of SOEs and highlights the main shortcomings of the multilateral trade discipline. The third part analyses the chapters on SOEs of the Transpacific Trade Partnership (TTP) and the EU-Vietnam FTA (EUVFTA), which represent, respectively, for the US and the EU, the PTAs endowed with the most advanced provisions on the matter. We will conclude with some concise remarks.


text:
5 Artists Killed for Comics Beyond 'Charlie Hebdo'
Maxwell Yezpitelok ·
This January, the words "Charlie Hebdo" suddenly went from, "Probably some Italian guy who works in a massage parlor, or something?" to a tragic symbol of the fight for freedom of expression. The reason the world was so shocked at the murder of those cartoonists is that this just doesn't happen -- we're used to people being bombed due to their religion, political inclination, or simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but because they made some silly cartoons? There's no precedent for that in human history. Right?
Actually, yeah, there's a shitload of precedent. Strap on, motherflippers, and let me tell you about the comic writers and artists who "were Charlie" long before it became a hashtag ...
The Argentinian Government Made H.G. Oesterheld "Disappear" for Making Sci-Fi Comics
Hector German Oesterheld / Francisco Solano Lopez
Imagine The Walking Dead meets War of the Worlds, with some time travel, interdimensional fuckery, and scuba suits thrown in for good measure. If you have always wished someone would make a comic like that, good news: Someone totally did! The bad news: The author's life was even more unbelievable than the comic -- and not in a good way.
The series I'm talking about is El Eternauta, created in 1957 by Hector German Oesterheld (writer) and Francisco Solano Lopez (artist) in Argentina, where no one has less than seven syllables in their name. The story starts with Oesterheld himself, chilling in his studio one night, when a time traveler materializes in his chair and tells him the most insane alien invasion story ever -- it involves eldritch atrocities, a snowfall that killed half the world, humanoids with 11 fingers in each hand, and giant bugs that try to hump you.
Not recommended if you're afraid of bugs. Or super-recommended, if you like seeing them machine gunned to death.
Oesterheld finished the series in 1959 and moved on to do other things, such as a comic book biography of Che Guevara, a horror/sci-fi/mystery series called Mort Cinder, and his wife. (Just saying -- dude had four daughters.) By the time Argentina fell into one of those pesky CIA-backed dictatorships in 1976, Oesterheld was 57 years old and had every excuse to wind down his career and spend the rest of his days making cameos in telenovelas, like a Latino Stan Lee. Instead, he brought back El Eternauta, only with a few changes: The setting moved to a totalitarian future, and the protagonist became a revolutionary leader who urged the people to rise up against the dicta- uhh, alien invaders. The Argentinian military wasn't fooled by this subtle symbolism, though, and they started asking around for Oesterheld, so they could have a little chat with him (the kind that involves pliers and your testicles). Oesterheld went into hiding, but kept writing the comic.
Aaaand, this is where our story turns soul-crushingly sad. Oesterheld's daughters (25, 21, 19, and 18), like countless other college-age kids associated with the Montoneros guerrilla movement, were taken one by one by the military and never seen again. Their husbands were picked off, too. Their infant children were temporarily "relocated" -- a thing the military did back then. Oesterheld kept writing. In the comic, the "Hector Oesterheld" character watches in horror as everyone he knows is murdered by the aliens.
Via Los Eternautas, Victor Baylo / Daniel Stefanello
Here's the translated text, if you feel like crying for a while.
At some point in 1977, Oesterheld himself was caught and became one of the between 10,000 and 30,000 people the dictatorship made "disappear" for political reasons ... but not before turning in the script to the last chapter of El Eternauta II, which was published when he was probably enjoying the hospitality of some clandestine detention center. They killed Oesterheld, but his message lives on through the endless reprints, translations, and crappy pirated editions of his comics. Still, good thing Argentina's government doesn't murder people who disagree with them anymore, huh?
Naji Al-Ali's Murder Mystery: Starring Mossad Double Agents and a Pissed-Off Margaret Thatcher
Naji Al-Ali
Naji Al-Ali pissed off so many people with his cartoons that, 28 years after his murder, we're still not sure who killed him. He was the Tupac of cartooning. He brutally criticized pretty much every Arab nation, which made him hated by governments and popular with citizens; The Guardian called him "the nearest thing there is to an Arab public opinion." He was so famous that he didn't even have to sign his work. People just knew it was him from his character Handala, a little kid with no shoes and no fucks to give.
Turns out those "Kilroy was here" drawings look super depressing from the other side.
Al-Ali and his family were among the people displaced from Palestine when Israel came about in 1948. They ended up in Lebanon, where young Al-Ali began his career as an artist by drawing on prison walls. He went into political cartooning and spent the next few decades having to move back and forth between Lebanon and Kuwait whenever the death threats got too heavy -- for his co-workers. He didn't give a s**t about himself. In 1975, Yasser Arafat said he'd "melt [Al-Ali's] fingers in acid" if Al-Ali didn't stop making cartoons (he was strongly against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, but also Arafat's shady means), to which the cartoonist replied that he'd just keep drawing with his toes. You know, like the lady who does Cathy.
Speaking of horrible disfigurements, those cartoons I put up there are about as lighthearted as his work got ...
Holy s**t.
HOLY s**t, DUDE.
Al-Ali eventually settled in London, where he worked for a Kuwaiti newspaper from the safety of a first-world country. Or so everyone thought, until someone shot him in the face while walking in the street in 1987, shortly after he published a cartoon making fun of Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. So, it was the PLO that killed him, right? That's what Scotland Yard figured, until they caught two PLO suspects connected with his death, and they turned out to be double agents from Israel's Mossad. At the very least, Israel knew Al-Ali was about to get got and didn't warn anyone, which made Margaret Thatcher so furious that she closed Mossad's base in London and kicked three Israeli diplomats out of England. In person, I'm assuming.
It was a huge international clusterfuck ... over some dude who did cartoons.
Al-Ali didn't survive the bullet to the face, but his character Handala did -- the little bald kid is still seen spray-painted all over places such as Palestine and Iran, serving as both as symbol of defiance and their version of the "Calvin taking a piss" decal. Not a bad legacy, I think.
The 18th-Century Manga Precursors Got Shackled, Exiled, and Possibly "Suicided"
Shikitei Sanba / Utagawa Toyokuni
Turns out, this sort of bullshit goes way back. To most people, the words "ancient Japanese comics" probably bring forth images of Astro Boy and his butt machine guns, but the first use of the word "manga" (originally meaning "comic sketches") actually dates back to freaking 1798. Back then, Japanese artists would put out picture books called kibyoshi, which included all of the things modern manga fans love so much. Gore and violence? Check.
Machinasai Imanari / Utagawa Toyohiro
All of those words are just one long, sustained scream of pain.
Bizarre, inexplicable crap? Got it.
Jippensha Ikku
Also, giant eyes.
Horny dudes getting freaky with anthropomorphic animals? You know it! In fact, there was a whole subgenre of "guy has sex with a prostitute, then finds out she's a cat" stories.
Torii Kiyonaga
"Hey, how much do I- AW, NO! I FUCKED A CAT AGAIN! HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!"
It wasn't all dismemberment, monsters, and sex with monsters, though -- during this period of civil unrest, the kibyoshi artists were known for subtly satirizing the Japanese establishment through their silly-ass parables. The book called Unseamly Silverpiped Swingers, for example, only looked like an insane story about the romantic misadventures of two twins with only one body -- in reality, it was about the "government's inability to provide food for its people."
Santo Kyoden
"It's the two-headed creature on the window again! That makes me so mad about the food shortages."
The establishment, as usual, didn't appreciate being mocked and came down hard on these crazy proto-manga bastards. Starting in 1791, satire in kibyoshi books was forbidden by law, and the artists were exiled, had half their s**t taken away, or worse. The guy who did the Swingers protest piece above, Santo Kyoden, was shackled for 50 days for his scathing political satire. Others mysteriously dropped off the face of the Earth. The most influential kibyoshi artist was Koikawa Harumachi, who pretty much invented the whole genre -- hell, he even used thought balloons. He was straight-up doing comic books.
Koikawa Harumachi
Or Wes Anderson storyboards, judging from the name Master Flashgold's Splendiferous Dream.
Well, when the censorship started, Harumachi was summoned to the tribunal and died under strange circumstances -- the rumor being that he committed court-ordered suicide. Another artist called Shikitei Sanba did a story criticizing the fire brigades for being too violent, to which the brigades said, "No we're not!" and proceeded to trash both his place and his editor's. Don't worry, the government took action: They arrested the firefighters, fined the publisher, and shackled Sanba for 50 days. That'll teach him to get terrorized.
So, if you think being a manga enthusiast today is hard because you have to put up with high import prices and s****y fan translations, be thankful that at least your favorite authors don't have to draw with manacles around their wrists (unless they want to). Yeah, being a kibyoshi fan probably sucked big time.
"They're called illustrated woodblocks, Mom! God!"
Utah Executed a (Probably) Innocent Cartoonist 100 Years Ago
Carlos Cortez
Listen, I'm sort of cheating with this entry because it's highly possible that Joe Hill would have been executed even if he wasn't a cartoonist (he was also a folk songwriter, labor activist, and, oh yeah, accused murderer), but his story is so interesting that I'm telling it to you, anyway.
Hill (short for Hillstrom, pseudonym for Hagglund) was a Swedish immigrant who farted around the U.S. during the early 1900s, doing odd jobs and slowly making a name for himself by publishing satirical songs and cartoons in workers' publications. His favorite characters were comically out-of-touch people in fancy hats:
I mean, if your name is Highbrow, what the hell kind of hat are you supposed to buy?
And disorganized workers who have got to get their s**t together:
How many young men have wasted their potential in pursuit of the elusive unicycle?
Hill's biggest influence was in songwriting (he was the first to put the words "pie in the sky" in that order), but that part of his career was still connected to comics: He wrote a song about Ernest Riebe's Mr. Block, who was basically an underground comix character 50 years before underground comix existed.
Today, doing silly anti-system songs and cartoons gets you 300 fans on Facebook; back then, the only thing Hill got was shot. Repeatedly. One day in 1914, he showed up at a doctor's office with a bullet hole in his body, saying something about a fight over a woman. Utah's authorities decided one hole wasn't enough and arrested this rabble-rouser for a murder that happened the same day, despite the lack of conclusive evidence incriminating him (and the abundance of evidence pointing toward another guy).
Hill was sentenced to death by firing squad -- everyone from Helen Keller to President Woodrow Wilson called bullshit, but the governor of Utah didn't seem to care much. Of course, it didn't help that Hill refused to name the woman he was apparently dueling for (her identity wasn't known until 2011) and declined to tell his side of the story during his own trial -- on the basis that he goddamn shouldn't have to.
Ernest Riebe
"Can't a guy take a bullet for his lady friend without everyone demanding explanations? Geez."
Hill was executed on November 19, 1915, which sucked for him and all, but did wonders for his career. His songs are still covered, and his supposed last message to his fellow workers ("Don't mourn, organize!") was turned into a call for action and was immortalized across thousands of pamphlets and cartoons. And that's why every labor union in the United States has worked flawlessly since then.
International Workers of the World
They're currently getting organized to destroy the planets in Hill's memory. He f*****g hated planets.
Making Cartoons in the Eastern World Requires Balls of Steel
Ali Ferzat
In the West, the biggest risk you run drawing jokes for a living is having some turd-eater crop out your signature and get 2,000 upvotes on Reddit by posting your stolen work. In the Middle and Far East, on the other hand, cartooning is ... well, I was gonna say "one of the most dangerous jobs ever," but over there, even gynecologists have to deal with explosions. Still, the mortality rate is way higher than you'd expect for a job that involves sitting in front of a drawing table all day. No, not because of the lumbar problems.
In 1993, for instance, a group of progressive artists was holding a festival in Sivas, Turkey, when an angry mob of radical Islamists interrupted the festivities by burning 35 people alive. The reason for the festival? Honoring a poet who got hanged for his work in that same region, about 443 years earlier. Cartoonist Asaf Kocak probably didn't have time to appreciate the irony before becoming one of the casualties.
Asaf Kocak
He always thought he would die by ostrich firing squad.
This site has a good rundown of this sort of thing: Joseph Nasr (Palestine) was kidnapped and murdered in 1973 for publishing a cartoon of the West Bank's mayor with a shoe in his mouth. Guerrovi Brahim (Algeria) was also kidnapped and murdered ... for being pro-government, for a change. Even the blandest comic strips you can think of can get you in trouble in this part of the world -- in 1996, five Muslim fundamentalists in Kuwait chased a newspaper editor out of his office at gunpoint because of a Hagar the Horrible strip, co-starring God's voice. Since no one died in that case, let's admit that this is the most hilarious thing that has ever happened involving Hagar the Horrible.
Dik Browne / Chris Browne
A running theme of the strip is "even God thinks Hagar sucks."
And if you just sorta assumed that corrupt governments have stopped forcibly "disappearing" artists -- nope, sorry, that's still happening. Right now. In 2010, popular Sri Lankan cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda went missing two days before his country's election. And, what do you know, the main theme of his work was criticizing the current administration and supporting the opposition. Or, at least, that's what people smarter than me say these cartoons are about -- because I have no idea what's going on here:
Prageeth Eknaligoda
All I know is I'm suddenly filled with an inexplicable desire to vote for Sarath Fonseka in '10.
Prageeth is still missing, but Amnesty International believes the government has him (or knows where they buried him, anyway). Meanwhile, Akram Raslan of Syria was arrested in 2012 for "offending the state's prestige" by drawing President Al-Assad as a warmonger or, worse yet, a clown -- a crime that had already gotten his colleague Ali Ferzat beaten by police and left with broken hands.
Here he is, flipping you off with one of them.
Akram hasn't been heard of since then, so he's either rotting in jail or executed ... which, hey, means he's got better odds than most people in this entry. Here's a petition to free him, and here's how to write to the Sri Lankan authorities about Prageeth, while you're at it. Don't tell them Cracked sent you, though. Say we're, uh, National Geographic. Yeah.
Maxwell Yezpitelok has a free robot-action webcomic. Please don't kill him.
For more from Maxwell, check out 4 Famous Debates Solved at Last (in Super Smash Bros.) and 4 Things I Learned About Teenage Trolls (From Being One) .
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Scoring in each of his last four league games for Manchester United, Anthony Martial?s form couldn?t be ignored, which is why Didier Deschamps called him back up to the France squad for the upcoming international break.
The French forward, who has been in and out of his national team much like he has at Old Trafford, is still seen as a player brimming with talent, but his lack of consistency has always played against him.
Finally finding some recently, there?s hope in Manchester and across the Channel that this is it, and we are finally seeing the best Martial in both blue and red shirts.
However, there?s still some skepticism floating around, most recently voiced by former France international Mickaël Madar, who feels the 22-year-old has just entered last chance saloon.
He told Le Parisien: ?I hope he?s finally understood that football doesn?t give you unlimited chances. It?s the third time Deschamps has given him the chance to come back. Many players haven?t had that many. Here, I think it?s his last because before, when he was called up, Deschamps was still trying to find the right balance. ?He only found it during the World Cup, but now, it?s clear for Martial: either he does the right things or he?s gone. Before, I didn?t feel like he was in the right frame of mind or that he was aware that the train doesn?t wait forever in the France team?.
With six goals in 13 appearances for the Manchester United this season, the forward is enjoying his best start of a season for the Red Devils, there?s around 659 million* fans around the world who are hoping it carries on.
The post Man United forward handed 'last chance' by manager, either does 'right things' or he's 'gone' appeared first on Sport Witness.


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Ian Gillard: Ron Phillips' 1973 Letter to all Football League Clubs
June 2, 2019 Steve Russell
I recently picked up a copy of a letter that was issued by Ron Phillips on 27th November 1973 to all Football League Clubs:
'We wish to inform you that we are prepared to receive offers for the transfer of the under-mentioned player:
IAN GILLARD – 23 years old. Full-back.
(single) – 78 First Team appearances. 1 goal.
This does not give you permission to approach the player direct. All enquiries should be made to our Team Manager, Mr G. H. Jago.'
R. J. Phillips
Initially, I have to say that I was surprised when I read that, so I familiarised myself with the Rangers line-ups for the start of the 1973/74 season.
Prior to that letter, Ian had made just the one league appearance, which came at Everton in September. The No. 3 position had been shared between Ian Watson and Tony Hazell.
However, Ian regained his place for the home game against Newcastle United on 22nd December and remained a regular until the end of the season.
He then rarely missed a game for the next eight and a half years, up to his departure after the end of the 1981/82 season.
His final match for the R's was the FA Cup replay against Tottenham on the 27th May.
Steve Russell
History. permalink.
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"Between Wars": A Quiz Competition Commemorating the Centenary of World War I
A university level quiz competition "Between Wars (1924-2014)" was organized by the Mentoring Committee, School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad, in collaboration with Goethe –Zentrum and Alliance Francaise on 17th September 2014. The Society for Quizzers and Debaters (SQuAD) was central in setting up and executing the quiz. Over 50 teams participated for the prelims held the same day at DST Auditorium.
The prelims was followed by a presentation on higher education by delegates from Goethe –Zentrum and Alliance Francaise. There was a short video from both institutes which elaborated on why France and Germany are good destinations for higher education for Indian students. The six finalists were picked according to their scores in the prelims and this was followed by five rounds which consisted of questions directly and indirectly related to war. The title "Between Wars "was thematically expanded to include art, literature, cinema, science, sports etc. The quiz master Sanjeev Vasudevan held the audience in his grip throughout. It was a vibrant two hours competition that showcased the spirit of students, both finalists and audience, through rounds like Long Visual Connect and Rapid Fire.
The winners of the quiz competition are Vivek G Namboodiri, V M Pranav Chandran and Jennifer Joseph. Surya Abhishek, M Vamsi , Teja Teppala came second while Bipin Sebastian, Jayakrishnan and Nidheesh bagged the third place. The Mentoring Committee, School of Social Sciences, led by Prof Aloka Parasher Sen met across the weeks, planning and delegating duties to both faculty and students. The faculty of different centres and departments within the School of Social Sciences were instrumental in the organized execution of the programme.
Prof. E Haribabu, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, Mr. Jean- Manuel Duhaut, Director of Alliance Francaise, Ms. Amita Desai, Director of Goethe – Zentrum and Prof Aloka Parasher Sen, Dean, School of Social Sciences were present for the valedictory function. Prof Aloka Parasher Sen, in her welcome speech said that the University was able to join hands with two major institutes in the city and she hoped that similar ventures happen in future. Prof E Haribabu spoke on the importance of using knowledge systems for the benefit of humanity and how it should not lead to war and destruction. Mr. Duhaut narrated his own experience of the effects of war on his family. He added that wars never end and therefore it is our duty to work for peace. Ms. Desai pointed out that this quiz was not to commemorate war but to remember those who suffered the consequences of war and stated that awareness is recognition.
The winners were awarded cash prizes by Prof. E Haribabu and Jean-Manuel Duhaut, the SQuAD was felicitated by Ms. Amita Desai and the Mentoring Committee by Prof E Haribabu. Dr. Shaji proposed the Vote of Thanks and High Tea was served.
The presence of a large audience stands as a proof of how campus communities become heralders of peace.
-Sreekala and Ann Mathew
PreviousSymposium on World War I
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Habitat: Dry forest, with Abies concolor, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Shepherdia canadensis, Mahonia repens.
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Sharon Brock, MS, is a content editor for LIVESTRONG.COM with a focus on health. Brock was previously the lead editor for two medical publications at USC medical center. She was pre-med as an undergraduate and earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. You can find Brock's work in several publications, including Yoga Journal, 7x7, New You and Healthline.com.
It's common to get water stuck in your ears after going swimming or taking a shower. Water in the ears causes a tickling sensation and sometimes affects your hearing.
This water usually drains out on its own, however, if it doesn't and you don't remove it, it could lead to infection causing pain, redness and inflammation. The infection of the external ear canal is commonly known as swimmer's ear and is caused by pseudomonas bacteria found in water and soil.
You can coax the water out of your ear by pulling down on your earlobe and tilting your head toward your shoulder. You can also try jumping up and down in this position, or simply giving your head a good shake when you get out of the swimming pool. In many cases, you'll feel the water drain out easily.
The motion of yawning or chewing can help ease tension in the Eustachian tubes, which are passageways that connect the middle ear to the back of the nostrils and regulate air pressure. Fluid can build up and get trapped in the Eustachian tubes, but these movements can open the tubes and release any water that may be stuck.
You can also try the Valsalva maneuver to open the Eustachian tubes and push water out. To do this, take a deep breath in, close your mouth and pinch your nostrils closed with your fingers. Gently and slowly exhale until you hear a slight popping sound, which means the Eustachian tubes are open again.
Don't exhale too hard or too fast as it may cause damage to the eardrum.
Face the affected ear down on your palm and gently push in toward the ear and then cup your hand so that the palm moves away from the ear. Continue to push in and out with your palm. This will create a suction-like vacuum that will draw the water toward your hand.
Don't do this with the ear facing upwards or you may drive the water farther into the ear canal.
If the palm is not creating a tight enough seal, try using your fingertip to create a vacuum. To do this, tilt your ear toward your shoulder and cover the hole of your ear with your fingertip. Create a vacuum by pushing in and then releasing. Repeat this motion rapidly until water begins to get drawn out of the ear.
Be sure to just cover the hole of the ear canal and not stick your finger into the ear. Also, make sure your finger is clean and your nails are short as scratching your ear canal may cause infection.
It may seem strange to use a blow dryer to remove water from your ears, but science proves that whenever warm dry air passes over water, it pulls away water vapor. You can apply this same logic to pulling moisture out of your ear.
With your blow dryer set to its lowest heat and air flow settings, pull your ear lobe away from your body, hold the blow dryer about 1 foot away from your head and blow air back and forth across your ear. You may also try blowing air directly into the ear for approximately 30 seconds.
Be sure to hold the dryer at least 1 foot away from your ear and keep the heat setting low to avoid burning yourself.
Using a heat compress can also help open up the Eustachian tubes. To use heat, dip a washcloth in a bowl of hot water and wring out the excess water. Place the hot washcloth against the affected ear for 30 seconds. Wait for a minute, and then repeat 4 times. Lie down on your side to help the fluid drain out.
Inhaling steam can also open the Eustachian tubes and free water from your ear. To try this approach, boil water in a pot on your stove. Cover your head with a towel, put your face down toward the bowl and inhale the steam slowly for 5 to 10 minutes. Tilt your head to one side and water should start to drain out of the ear. You can also try this in a hot shower for the same effect.
Create your own ear drops by mixing a solution of 50 percent rubbing alcohol and 50 percent white vinegar. Carefully use an ear dropper to place a few drops into the affected ear. Gently rub the opening of the ear canal and wait 30 seconds.
Tilt your head sideways to let the solution drain out. It may take a half hour or so for this remedy to work. The acid in the vinegar acts to break down earwax that may be holding water in the ear canal, while the alcohol evaporates water as it dries.
Both white vinegar and rubbing alcohol kill germs, so this solution also helps fight infection. If you do not have white vinegar, you can substitute water in the solution, but be sure to use distilled water to avoid introducing any bacteria or minerals into the ear.
If you have a punctured ear drum or already have an ear infection, do not use this remedy. The acid in the vinegar can cause pain to a punctured eardrum and rubbing alcohol can be painful to an infected ear.
Hydrogen peroxide is another effective option to get rid of water in ear. Due to its effervescent property, hydrogen peroxide can easily remove the trapped fluid, along with ear wax and other debris from the ear canal.
For this approach, use a dropper to place four drops of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide into the affected ear. Allow it to settle for 1 or 2 minutes. Tilt your head sideways and allow the fluid to drain out easily.
Olive oil has many surprising uses, including getting water out of your ear. It also has antiseptic properties so it can reduce the risk of ear infection. Plus, putting a couple drops of olive oil into each ear before going swimming will lubricate the ear canal and help prevent water from getting trapped in the ears.
For this approach, slightly warm some olive oil in a small bowl. Use a dropper to place a few drops of warm olive oil into the affected ear. Allow it to settle for 10 minutes. Tilt your head sideways to allow the oil and fluid to drain from the ear.
You may purchase ear drops at a pharmacy designed specifically to dry ear canals. These types of drops dry excess water in the ear using a combination of isopropyl alcohol and anhydrous glycerin. You can also buy absorbent earplugs or a hand-held ear dryer to draw water from your ears after swimming.


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Europeans migrate to levant
This seems a strained theory as they do not actually have evidence of this happening but reason it might have happened - and anything can happen of course. William sent in the link - see for example https://phys.org/news/2019-11-reveals-humans-migrated-europe-levant.html ... where it is clear, and the idea revolves around accepting the various C14 dates of Neanderthal remains undertaken in Europe and the Levant. These are somewhat ambiguous as archaeology has shown that modern humans always follow Neanderthals and it is a false assumption to think they overlapped. There is a clear divide and the problem is related to a C14 plateau event (one of many but on this occasion one that rides on the cusp of the limits of C14 methodology). One may note these dates are close to the onset of the Late Glacial Maximum - which should be telling us that something unusual was going on.
The early humans in question are the Aurignacians. The idea, on the face of it, seems to fly in the face of mainstream thinking as modern humans are thought to have entered Europe around 40,000 years ago. They have also been blamed for the extinction of the Neanderthals - by various means such as out competing them at hunting, or by introducing a new disease that decimated them (the latest offering a few weeks ago) and so on. Genetics has put some of this uniformitarian thinking to bed as modern humans in Europe have inherited a certain amount of Neanderthal lineage (reduced to a small percentage over the last 40,000 years as no new Neanderthals genes have been available to top up the genome). The theory now is that a certain amount of admixture took place - some Neanderthals being absorbed by the newcomers. This is of course contradicted if at all sites Neanderthals die out and Modern Humans occupy a strata above them - which is said to be so. The new study therefore seeks to further substantiate the mainstream contention. Scientists from Tell Aviv University have demonstrated that Aurignacians arrived in what is now the Levant from Europe - and they were an admixture of Neanderthals and Modern Humans. See the Journal of Human Evolution (October 11th 2019). However, a word of caution. The assumption is there was a difference between Neanderthals and Modern Humans (and therefore admixture) rather than the possibility that Neanderthals already had Modern Human traits prior to their disappearance - and a bottleneck in population numbers may have caused the disappearance of one and the emergence of the other. In other words, did Neanderthals evolve into Modern Humans in both Europe and the Levant. Indeed, Neanderthals may have disappeared completely from Europe (in tandem with large numbers of other mammals) but those Neanderthals in the Levant may have possessed links to Modern Humans and after the LGM may then have gone on to expand into Europe. However, the thrust of the research is also a possibility. They say that because a cave in the Levant has Neanderthal remains that clearly display the characteristic genes of Modern Humans and then they must have come from elsewhere. As Europe is the place where prehistory has been mostly studied (rather than the Levant) it is speculated that the admixture arrived from Europe as it is thought to be the most likely place of origin (or the only place which has been extensively studied). Is this roundabout thinking. In doing so they have suggested the Aurignacians were responsible - somewhat convenient as they appear to have been around for a very short period of time, around 3000 years (before disappearing themselves). Did they all vacate Europe and seek warmer climes with the advent of the Late Glacial Maximum (a nice idea) or were they in turn wiped out like the Neanderthals as a double whammy event has been speculated as occurring between 40 and 30,000 years ago. Interesting points of interest in this study but the claim that Aurignacians arrived in the Levant is hypothetical - and even the idea they were the group that hybridised with Neanderthals.
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Investors sent Snap's stock on a rollercoaster ride Tuesday following the company's Q2 2018 earnings release: Share prices for Snapchat's corporate parent gained more than 10% immediately following the release of news that the company beat analysts' revenue and earnings estimates, and that Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal had acquired a 2.3% stake in the company with a $250 million investment.
But the share prices gave up much of those gains soon after, as the news sunk in that the company's user base wasn't growing as expected, with Snapchat losing daily active users quarter-over-quarter for the first time in its history.
Snapchat ended the quarter with an average of 188 million daily active users, compared to 191 million at the end of Q1. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel blamed the decline on "the disruption caused by our redesign" in prepared remarks for Tuesday's earnings call. That redesign, which the company had launched at the beginning of this year, had led to a widespread backlash, which included celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Chrissy Teigen publicly chastising the company.
On Tuesday, Spiegel said the company had responded to the backlash against the redesign: "We feel that we have now addressed the biggest frustrations we've heard and are eager to make more progress on the tremendous opportunity we now have to show more of the right content to the right people," he said.
The company also tried to deflect from its growth problems by announcing that it had 100 million monthly active users in North America at the end of the quarter. Snap previously didn't disclose any monthly user numbers, with executives arguing that daily actives better reflected the activity on the platform.
Snap generated some $262.26 million in revenue during the quarter ending June 30, compared to $181.67 million during the same quarter a year ago. Net losses came in at $353.31 million, compared to $443.09 million a year ago. This translates to a net loss of $0.14 per share, compared to net losses of $0.16 per share in Q2 of 2017.
Analysts had expected net losses of $0.17 per share in revenue of $251.19 million. The company had previously warned that its revenue growth would decelerate in Q2.
Eleven of Snapchat's shows reached an audience of over 10 million users during the quarter, compared to seven shows in Q1.
Average revenue per user came in at $1.40, compared to $1.05 a year ago.
Snap only brought in $2 million in non-advertising revenue. That's despite the introduction of a new model of Spectacles this quarter. "We are learning a lot as we continue to iterate based on customer feedback," Spiegel said about the smart glasses.
Verizon Will Resell YouTube TV to Wireless, Broadband Customers Across U.S.