text:
Q: Как прекратить игру "Жизнь" при зацикливании? Как прекратить игру при зацикливании? Можно, конечно, с самой первой матрицей элементов, сравнивать каждую, и на моменте, когда все элементы совпадут (сделать какойнить счетчик), завершить. Но вот не знаю, могут ли быть такие случаи, когда самая первая "жизнь" не будет частью зацикливания.

A: Хороший поиск циклов работает с двумя играми начиная от одной позиции. Первая игра со стандартной скоростью, вторая игра будет в два раза быстрее (два хода). При выполнении трёх ходов : один стандартный и два ускоренных сравниваются карты на равенство. Если они совпадают, значит полный цикл присутствует между картами со стандартной и быстрой скоростью.
Наглядно демонстрирую карты буквами :
xyzabcabc...

стандарт   быстро
x       x  y
y       z  a
z       b  c
a       a  b
b       c  a
c       b  c

Всё c == c .


text:
Exit, Pursued By A Bear (Quality Slippers) 2011 SummerWorks Review
August 7, 2011 Heather Bellingham
Exit, Pursued By A Bear is a multidisciplinary puppet play about Evelyn – played by Adriana Disman – whose dreams are haunted by a grizzly bear. She also has recurring flashbacks of her dead father, all while talking to a prophetic beggar, both of which are played by David Schaap. It will be running at the Theatre Passe Muraille for the duration of the festival.
There are a lot of elements in this show, the most spectacular of which is a full-sized bear puppet, controlled by two people. It's really well done: its movements are believable, even for a dream sequence, and it looks just plain cool. It was the best part of the show. There were other puppet elements as well, both shadow and stick, that felt slightly less spectacular – particularly the shadow puppetry, as a large part of the time it was fuzzy or the puppeteers' heads would peak into the sides.
The show is well performed. Although suffering from the occasional articulation issue, Adriana Disman and David Schaap were entertaining and believable. Schaap in particular was good at switching between the beggar and the father, giving each a distinct and touching performance. There was also a live band which eventually got up and became part of the action. While they were all excellent performers, I don't feel that their songs were overly significant to the production.
There are a lot of excellent elements included in Exit, Pursued By A Bear, but for me, they don't quite come together as cohesively as I would like them to be. The show felt a little messy and vague, suffering from a tad too many things happening, and often all at once.
While the show is worth seeing for the bear alone (seriously, it's awesome) and the performances and music were good, overall this play ends up being a bit confusing and messy.
– Exit, Pursued By A Bear is playing at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Avenue, near Queen and Bathurst
– Playing Aug. 8 at 10:30pm, Aug. 9 at 8pm, Aug. 12 at 3pm, Aug. 13 at 5:30pm.
– All individual SummerWorks tickets are $15 at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.artsboxoffice.ca, by phone at 416.504.7529, in person at the Arts Box Office (located at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave., One block North East of Bathurst & Queen W. M-F 12PM-7PM, Weekends 10AM-8PM) (Advance tickets are $15 +HST and $1 service fee)
– Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 3 shows
Previous PostNkkami (Soothemysisters Productions) 2011 SummerWorks ReviewNext PostOh, Ryan (Lost at Sea Theatre) 2011 SummerWorks Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Posted on June 12, 2018 at 1:50 am.
Thanks to our exclusive airline partner Qantas, we are giving away a $500 travel voucher!
All you have to do is book your flights through our portal (use the access code LWC2018) in June or July 2018, and you'll automatically go in the draw to win a $500 Qantas voucher.
Winner will be announced in mid-August.
Gala Dinner tickets on sale!


text:
In probability theory and statistics, a stochastic order quantifies the concept of one random variable being "bigger" than another.  These are usually partial orders, so that one random variable  may be neither stochastically greater than, less than nor equal to another random variable .  Many different orders exist, which have different applications.

Usual stochastic order
A real random variable  is less than a random variable  in the "usual stochastic order" if

where  denotes the probability of an event. This is sometimes denoted  or .  If additionally  for some , then  is stochastically strictly less than , sometimes denoted . In decision theory, under this circumstance B is said to be first-order stochastically dominant over A.

Characterizations
The following rules describe situations when one random variable is stochastically less than or equal to another.  Strict version of some of these rules also exist.
 if and only if for all non-decreasing functions , .
If  is non-decreasing and  then
If  is increasing in each variable and  and  are independent sets of random variables with  for each , then  and in particular  Moreover, the th order statistics satisfy .
If two sequences of random variables  and , with  for all  each converge in distribution,  then their limits satisfy .
If ,  and  are random variables such that  and  for all  and  such that , then .

Other properties
If  and  then  (the random variables are equal in distribution).

Stochastic dominance
Stochastic dominance relations are a family of stochastic orderings used in decision theory:
 Zeroth-order stochastic dominance:  if and only if  for all realizations of these random variables and  for at least one realization.
 First-order stochastic dominance:  if and only if  for all  and there exists  such that .
 Second-order stochastic dominance:  if and only if  for all , with strict inequality at some .

There also exist higher-order notions of stochastic dominance. With the definitions above, we have .

Multivariate stochastic order
An -valued random variable  is less than an -valued random variable  in the "usual stochastic order" if

Other types of multivariate stochastic orders exist. For instance the upper and lower orthant order which are similar to the usual one-dimensional stochastic order.  is said to be smaller than  in upper orthant order if

and  is smaller than  in lower orthant order if

All three order types also have integral representations, that is for a particular order  is smaller than  if and only if  for all  in a class of functions .  is then called generator of the respective order.

Other dominance orders
The following stochastic orders are useful in the theory of random social choice. They are used to compare the outcomes of random social choice functions, in order to check them for efficiency or other desirable criteria. The dominance orders below are ordered from the most conservative to the least conservative. They are exemplified on random variables over the finite support {30,20,10}.

Deterministic dominance, denoted , means that every possible outcome of  is at least as good as every possible outcome of :  for all x<y,  . In other words: . For example, .

Bilinear dominance, denoted , means that, for every possible outcome, the probability that  yields the better one and  yields the worse one is at least as large as the probability the other way around: for all x<y,  For example, .

Stochastic dominance (already mentioned above), denoted , means that, for every possible outcome x, the probability that  yields at least x is at least as large as the probability that  yields at least x: for all x, . For example, .

Pairwise-comparison dominance, denoted , means that the probability that that  yields a better outcome than  is larger than the other way around: . For example, .

Downward-lexicographic dominance, denoted , means that  has a larger probability than  of returning the best outcome, or both  and  have the same probability to return the best outcome but   has a larger probability than  of returning the second-best best outcome, etc. Upward-lexicographic dominance is defined analogously based on the probability to return the worst outcomes. See lexicographic dominance.

Other stochastic orders

Hazard rate order
The hazard rate of a non-negative random variable  with absolutely continuous distribution function  and density function  is defined as

Given two non-negative variables  and  with absolutely continuous distribution  and , and with hazard rate functions  and , respectively,  is said to be smaller than  in the hazard rate order  (denoted as ) if
 for all ,
or equivalently if
 is decreasing in .

Likelihood ratio order
Let  and  two continuous (or discrete) random variables with densities (or discrete densities)  and , respectively, so that  increases in  over the union of the supports of  and ; in this case,  is smaller than  in the likelihood ratio order ().

Variability orders
If two variables have the same mean, they can still be compared by how "spread out" their distributions are.  This is captured to a limited extent by the variance, but more fully by a range of stochastic orders.

Convex order
Convex order is a special kind of variability order. Under the convex ordering,  is less than  if and only if for all convex , .

Laplace transform order
Laplace transform order compares both size and variability of two random variables. Similar to convex order, Laplace transform order is established by comparing the expectation of a function of the random variable where the function is from  a special class: . This makes the Laplace transform order an integral stochastic order with the generator set given by the function set defined above with  a positive real number.

Realizable monotonicity
Considering a family of probability distributions   on partially ordered space
indexed with  (where  is another partially ordered space, the concept of complete or realizable monotonicity may be defined. It means, there exists a family of random variables  on the same probability space, such that the distribution of  is  and  almost surely whenever . It means the existence of a monotone coupling. See

See also
Stochastic dominance
Stochastic - meaning of the term

References

Bibliography
 M. Shaked and J. G. Shanthikumar, Stochastic Orders and their Applications, Associated Press, 1994.
 E. L. Lehmann. Ordered families of distributions. The Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 26:399–419, 1955.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Pirra Girls' Home (1961 - c. 1980)
'Pirra' Girls' Home, Lara, c. 1963
Children's Home, Government-run and Home
Pirra Children's Home
The Pirra Girls' Home was established in 1961 by the Social Welfare Branch at Lara, near Geelong. It accommodated girls who were otherwise 'unplaceable' within the Victorian system. It had a capacity for around 27 girls aged from 11 and 15. In later years, it housed girls from 3 to 18. Pirra was closed by the Department in about 1980.
Pirra was located in one of Victoria's oldest mansions at Lara, near Geelong. The Fairbairn family of pastoralists owned it until 1907 when they sold it to the state government. It operated as the Lara Inebriates Institution from 1907 until 1930. This was a government sanitorium for the treatment of those suffering from alcoholism.
The Pirra Girls' Home received its first three girls in April 1961. By June 1962, it was almost at capacity, with 27 girls in residence.
The girls and young women at Pirra attended community focused programs and many were later placed in foster care or returned to their family. In 1962, the annual report described the successful placement of Pirra girls in private homes as 'really amazing … in view of the former mode of living of these girls'.
However, girls who were not able to return home or be placed in foster care were transferred to Youth Training Centres.
Pirra's first superintendent was Miss C. Ross Morrison (later Mrs H. Rudduck). In March 1965, Miss L.M. Dodgshun (a former matron at Bethany Babies' Home) took over as superintendent. Pirra had an Auxiliary, led in the early 1960s by Mr Dick Austin, which organised garden parties to raise funds.
Nancy McDonald became Superintendent in 1968, and remained in the position until her retirement in 1979. In her memoirs, McDonald described her interview for the position at Pirra:
Albert Booth [Director of Social Welfare] … asked me, 'If you had a child who refused to get out of bed in the morning, how would you deal with it?' I replied, 'How many children are there?' When he said, 'Twenty-four', I responded, 'Then there are twenty-four different ways.' At that he told me, 'You've got the job. It's yours if you want it'.
According to the Social Welfare Department's annual report from 1962, the girls at Pirra had 'a pony, sheep, dogs, guinea pigs, and numerous other pets'.
The Department's annual report for 1966 described Pirra as an 'open' institution, where girls used the ordinary community resources. It went on, 'Generally, they settle in very well, but there are occasional break-downs necessitating transfers to youth training centres where they can be more easily controlled.' (This same statement also appeared in the annual reports for 1967 and 1968.)
It is difficult to find accounts of Pirra from the perspective of the girls themselves. One submission to the Forgotten Australians enquiry described how she was sent to Pirra at age 12, only to run away a few weeks later (which led to her placement at Winlaton, a youth training centre). This woman's testimony painted a grim picture of Victoria's state-run institutions for girls and young women.
Another former resident wrote about Pirra: 'the only freedom we had was going to school, we were never allowed to go to friend's houses or excursions. When casual day came I always wagged because we never had decent enough clothes to wear.' This woman remembers being 'locked in the dormitory for the whole weekend' after being caught leaving Pirra to try and visit her sister in another Home.
In 1968, during a period when there was a 'temporary shortage of older girls', a family of four children aged from 3 to 7 lived at Pirra, while their mother re-established their family home. The annual report stated that it was a 'most worthwhile experiment … it created an interest for the older girls and appeared to result in an improvement in their behaviour and it also helped to improve the image of Pirra in the local community'.
In 1968, there were plans to improve the standard of treatment at Pirra, by providing a 'more therapeutic atmosphere' for the girls. This would involve staff members writing weekly reports about the four or five girls in her immediate care. The report rated each girl according to four personality and six behaviour factors. The annual report stated, 'It is hoped that this plan will encourage staff to think more about the girls and give the Superintendent a basis for discussion with both staff and girls'.
In 1969, the rate of absconding at Pirra was 'unusually high'. The Department attributed this to the high number of new admissions that year (28) as well as high staff turnover - in that year, only one member of the child care staff had been there longer than 12 months. This report also mentioned the problems many Pirra girls experienced at the schools they attended in the Geelong and Corio area - due to gaps in their schooling, lack of motivation and behavioural problems.
Some former 'Pirra girls' involved in a research study about the education experiences of people who had been in children's homes expressed their view that some teachers in the local schools were prejudiced against 'home kids'. (One young woman who was failed by a teacher managed to successfully appeal to the Education Department.)
By 1970, Pirra was accommodating girls and young women aged between 11 and 18. The annual report mentioned that five young women had finished school that year, and gone on to obtain work. It also stated that 'nine very severely disturbed girls who could not be contained in an "open" institution were transferred to "closed" institutions during the year'.
In 1971, the annual report again referred to the Department's difficulties with 'very disturbed older girls' at Pirra: 'It has become evident that a special unit for this type of girl is a very great need'.
In 1979, the Department reported that the Illoura and Pirra Homes were 'in a process of review and change', with the number of children accommodated in both homes declining significantly.
Pirra was closed by the Department in around 1980.
1961 - c. 1980
Address - Pirra Children's Home was located in 110 Windermere Road, Lara (near Geelong). Location: Lara
Run By
Department of Community Welfare Services, State Government of Victoria (1978 - 1985)
Date: 1978 - c. 1980
Social Welfare Branch, State Government of Victoria (1960 - 1970)
Date: 1961 - 1970
Social Welfare Department, State Government of Victoria (1970 - 1978)
Victorian Government Records relating to Wardship and Adoption (1864 - )
Related Archival Series
Departmental Children's Homes (1955 - 1987)
Adoption and Family Records Service, Department of Human Services (c. 1984 - 2010)
AFRS managed access to Pirra Girls' Home records until 2010.
Date: c. 1984 - 2010
Winlaton (1956 - c. 1991)
Pirra Children's Home for Girls was opened by the Victorian Government in c.1960 to help ease overcrowding at Winlaton. Some girls were sent from Pirra to Winlaton, where they could be 'more easily controlled', according to the Department.
Spivey, Margaret, Defying the gatekeeper: one girl's true story of resistance and rebellion, In this memoir, the author describes her experiences as a ward of the state in Victoria, in a number of institutions in the 1950s and 1960s., Jo Jo Publishing, Melbourne, 2010. Details
Annual report: Social Welfare Department, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1961-1978. 1962, p.15. 1966, p.15. 1968, p.16. 1969, p.18. 1970 p19. 1971 p 20. 1979 p.35. Details
'Pirra Girls' Home (1961- around 1980)', in Finding Records, Department of Health and Human Services, State of Victoria, https://www.findingrecords.dhhs.vic.gov.au/collectionresultspage/PirraGirlsHome. See the 'List of records held by the department' section for information about records relating to Pirra Girls' Home. Details
'Submission no 279', in Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care: Submissions received by the committee as at 17/3/05, Commonwealth of Australia, 2005, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist. Details
Geelong and District Orphanages, Care Leavers Australia Network, http://www.clan.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Geelong-Brochurev9_1.pdf. Details
Gaffney, Kate, 'Ms Kate Gaffney (submission 207)', in Inquiry into Institutional Care: Submissions received as at 17/03/05, August 2003, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist. Details
James Jenkinson Consulting, Guide to out-of-home care services 1940-2000 - Volume One: Agency Descriptions, Department of Human Services, Unpublished, November 2001, https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/DHS.3004.011.0367.pdf. Details
Maunders, David, 'Orphanage Education', in Paper Presented to the 1994 Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Australian Association for Research in Education, 1994, https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/1174/orphanage-education. Details
Peceli, Wendy, 'Geelong Visual Diary', in Pirra, 2013, http://geelong-visual-diary.blogspot.com.au/2010/03/pirra.html. Details
Short, Gabrielle, 'Gabrielle Short Transcript 26 March 2013', in Inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other organisations, Victorian Government, 26 March 2013, http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/fcdc/article/1786. Details
'Pirra' Girls' Home, Lara
Pirra Children's Home - Winter Menu - 1970
Stories from a twentieth century life [Chapter 8 Pirra Children's Home]
Sources used to compile this entry: Annual report: Social Welfare Department, Government Printer, Melbourne, 1961-1978. 1962, p.15. 1966, p.15. 1968, p.16. 1969, p.18. 1970 p19. 1971 p 20. 1979 p.35.; 'Submission no 279', in Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care: Submissions received by the committee as at 17/3/05, Commonwealth of Australia, 2005, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist; James Jenkinson Consulting, Guide to out-of-home care services 1940-2000 - Volume One: Agency Descriptions, Department of Human Services, Unpublished, November 2001, https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/DHS.3004.011.0367.pdf; Maunders, David, 'Orphanage Education', in Paper Presented to the 1994 Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Australian Association for Research in Education, 1994, https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/1174/orphanage-education.
Prepared by: Cate O'Neill
Created: 17 March 2009, Last modified: 28 February 2018
Government-run


text:
A shading language is a graphics programming language adapted to programming shader effects (characterizing surfaces, volumes, and objects). Such language forms usually consist of special data types, like "vector", "matrix", "color" and "normal". Due to the variety of target markets for 3D computer graphics, different shading languages have been developed.

Offline rendering
Shading languages used in offline rendering produce maximum image quality. Material properties are totally abstracted, little programming skill and no hardware knowledge is required. These kind of shaders are often developed by artists to get the right "look", just as texture mapping, lighting and other facets of their work.

Processing such shaders is time-consuming. The computational power required can be expensive because of their ability to produce photorealistic results. Most of the time, production rendering is run on large computer clusters.

RenderMan Shading Language
The RenderMan Shading Language (often referenced as RSL or SL, for short), which is defined in the RenderMan Interface Specification is the most common shading language for production-quality rendering. It is also one of the first shading languages ever implemented.

The language defines six major shader types:
 Light source shaders compute the color of the light emitted from a point on the light source towards a point on the target surface.
 Surface shaders  model the optical properties of an illuminated object. They output the final color and position of the point by considering the incoming light and the object's physical properties.
 Displacement shaders manipulate surface geometry independent of color.
 Deformation shaders transform the entire space of a geometry. Only one RenderMan implementation, the AIR renderer by SiTex Graphics, implemented this shader type, supporting only a single linear transformation applied to the space (this was more like a Transformation shader, if such a type existed).
 Volume shaders manipulate the color of a light as it passes through a volume. They  create effects such as fog.
 Imager shaders describe a color transformation to final pixel values. This is much like an image filter, however the imager shader operates on data prior to quantization. Such data has a greater dynamic range and color resolution than can be displayed on a typical output device.

Houdini VEX Shading Language
Houdini VEX (Vector Expressions) shading language (often abbreviated to "VEX") is closely modeled after RenderMan. However, its integration into a complete 3D package means that the shader writer can access the information inside the shader, a feature that is not usually available in a rendering context. The language differences between RSL and VEX are mainly syntactic, in addition to differences regarding the names of several shadeop names.

Gelato Shading Language
Gelato's shading language, like Houdini's VEX, is closely modeled after RenderMan. The differences between Gelato Shading Language and RSL are mainly syntactical — Gelato uses semicolons instead of commas to separate arguments in function definitions and a few shadeops have different names and parameters.

Open Shading Language
Open Shading Language (OSL) was developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks for use in its Arnold Renderer. It is also used by Blender's Cycles render engine. OSL's surface and volume shaders define how surfaces or volumes scatter light in a way that allows for importance sampling; thus, it is well suited for physically-based renderers that support ray tracing and global illumination.

Real-time rendering
Shading languages for real-time rendering are now widespread. They provide both higher hardware abstraction and a more flexible programming model than previous paradigms which hardcoded transformation and shading equations. This gives the programmer greater control over the rendering process and delivers richer content at lower overhead.

Shaders that are designed to be executed directly on the GPU became useful for high throughput general processing because of their stream programming model; this led to the development of compute shaders running on similar hardware (see also: GPGPU).

Historically, only few such languages were successful in both establishing themselves and maintaining strong market position; a short description of those languages follows below.

ARB assembly language
The OpenGL Architecture Review Board established the ARB assembly language in 2002 as a standard low-level instruction set for programmable graphics processors.

High-level OpenGL shading languages often compile to ARB assembly for loading and execution.  Unlike high-level shading languages, ARB assembly does not support control flow or branching.  However, it continues to be used when cross-GPU portability is required.

OpenGL shading language
Also known as GLSL or glslang, this standardized shading language is meant to be used with OpenGL.

The language unifies vertex and fragment processing in a single instruction set, allowing conditional loops and (more generally) branches. Historically, GLSL was preceded by the ARB assembly language.

Cg programming language
The programming language Cg, developed by NVIDIA, was designed for easy and efficient production pipeline integration. The language features API independence and comes with a large variety of free tools to improve asset management. Development of Cg was stopped in 2012 and the language is now deprecated.

DirectX Shader Assembly Language
The shader assembly language in Direct3D 8 and 9 is the main programming language for vertex and pixel shaders in Shader Model 1.0/1.1, 2.0, and 3.0. The shader assembly language is a direct representation of the intermediate shader bytecode which is passed to the graphics driver for execution.

The shader assembly language cannot be directly used to program unified Shader Model 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1, although it retains its function as a representation of the intermediate bytecode for debug purposes.

DirectX High-Level Shader Language
The High-Level Shading Language (also called HLSL for short) is a C-style shader language for DirectX 9 and higher and Xbox game consoles. It is related to Nvidia's Cg but is only supported by DirectX and Xbox. HLSL programs are compiled into bytecode equivalent of DirectX shader assembly language.

HLSL was introduced as an optional alternative to the shader assembly language in Direct3D 9, but became a requirement in Direct3d 10 and higher, where the shader assembly language is deprecated.

Adobe Pixel Bender and Adobe Graphics Assembly Language
Adobe Systems added Pixel Bender as part of the Adobe Flash 10 API. Pixel Bender could only process pixel but not 3D-vertex data. Flash 11 introduced an entirely new 3D API called Stage3D, which uses its own shading language called Adobe Graphics Assembly Language (AGAL), which offers full 3D acceleration support. GPU acceleration for Pixel Bender was removed in Flash 11.8.

AGAL is a low-level but platform-independent shading language, which can be compiled, for example,  or GLSL.

PlayStation Shader Language
Sony announced PSSL (PlayStation Shader Language) as a platform-specific shading language similar to Cg/HLSL for the PlayStation 4. It is said to be largely compatible with HLSL shaders on PC, but with additional features for the PS4 platform.

Metal Shading Language
Apple has created a low-level graphics API called Metal, which runs on most Macs made since 2012, iPhones since the 5S, and iPads since the iPad Air. Metal introduces its own shading language called Metal Shading Language (MSL), which is based on C++14 and implemented using clang and LLVM. MSL unifies vertex, fragment and compute processing.

WebGPU Shading Language
WebGPU Shading Language (WGSL) is the shader language for WebGPU. That is, an application using the WebGPU API uses WGSL to express the programs, known as shaders, that run on the GPU.

Translation
As more and more graphics APIs become available, developers face the problem of porting shaders from one shading languages to another. A few approaches are used:
 Manual switching using C preprocessor (CPP) statements. Cg/HLSL, GLSL, and MSL all implement CPP macros, so it is possible to wrap all the different operations into a common interface. Valve's Source 2 and NVIDIA's FXAA 3.11 do this.
 Translate one language to the other. DirectX bytecode partially can be converted to GLSL via HLSLcc, and several tools for converting GLSL to HLSL such as ANGLE and HLSL2GLSL exist.
 Define a different intermediate language. SPIR-V is designed partially for this purpose. It can be generated from HLSL or GLSL, and be decompiled into HLSL, GLSL, or MSL.

References

Notes
 Previous vertex shading languages (in no particular order) for OpenGL include EXT_vertex_shader, NV_vertex_program, the aforementioned ARB_vertex_program, NV_vertex_program2 and NV_vertex_program3.
 For fragment shading nvparse is possibly the first shading language featuring high-level abstraction based on NV_register_combiners, NV_register_combiners2 for pixel math and NV_texture_shader, NV_texture_shader2 and NV_texture_shader3 for texture lookups. ATI_fragment_shader did not even provide a "string oriented" parsing facility (although it has been later added by ATI_text_fragment_shader). ARB_fragment_program, has been very successful. NV_fragment_program and NV_fragment_program2 are actually similar although the latter provides much more advanced functionality in respect to others.
 Fx composer from NVIDIA home page, http://developer.nvidia.com/object/fx_composer_home.html
Rudy Cortes and Saty Raghavachary: The RenderMan Shading Language Guide, Course Technology PTR, 1 edition (December 27, 2007),

Programming language classification


text:
Q: How to do sequence classification using LSTM? I'm working on a human activity recognition problem using depth stream.
Each sample is a Matlab file of size (20,3,no_of_frames), i.e., there are 20 rows and 3 cols in every frame and the number of frames can vary for different samples.
I have padded all the samples with 0's so that all of them contains same no of frames (say 100).
So now all samples are of size (20,3,100).
Also let the total no of samples are 400 and no of classes be 10.
How can I arrange my dataset so as to use LSTM in Keras. Would you also suggest some basic LSTM model for the classification purpose?

A:     Here is my code to create dataset:

    clc;
    clear all;

    ctr=0;
    longest=326; % length of longest sequence
    gyroData = zeros(431,longest*3);
    gyroLabel=zeros(431,1);

    for a=1:27
        for s=1:2:7
            for t=1:4
                fname = strcat('a', int2str(a), '_s', int2str(s), '_t', int2str(t),'_inertial.mat');
                if exist(fname)
                    load(fname);
                    d_iner = d_iner(:,1:3);
                    r = size(d_iner,1);
                    d_iner = cat(1,d_iner,zeros(longest-r,3)); % do zero padding to longest sequence
                    ctr = ctr+1;
                    d_iner = d_iner';
                    gyroData(ctr,:,:) = d_iner(:);
                    gyroLabel(ctr,1)=a-1;
                 end
            end
        end
    end

    n1 = randperm(ctr);

    for i=1:ctr
        if i==1
            x1=gyroData(n1(i),:);
            y1=gyroLabel(n1(i),1);
        else
            x1=cat(1,x1,gyroData(n1(i),:));
            y1=cat(1,y1,gyroLabel(n1(i),1));
        end
    end

    %%
    ctr=0;
    gyroData = zeros(430,longest*3);
    gyroLabel=zeros(430,1);

    for a=1:27
        for s=2:2:8
            for t=1:4
                fname = strcat('a', int2str(a), '_s', int2str(s), '_t', int2str(t),'_inertial.mat');
                if exist(fname)
                    load(fname);
                    d_iner = d_iner(:,1:3);
                    r = size(d_iner,1);
                    d_iner = cat(1,d_iner,zeros(longest-r,3)); % do zero padding to longest sequence
                    ctr = ctr+1;
                    d_iner = d_iner';
                    gyroData(ctr,:,:) = d_iner(:);
                    gyroLabel(ctr,1)=a-1;
                end
            end
        end
    end

    n1 = randperm(ctr);

    for i=1:ctr
        if i==1
            x2=gyroData(n1(i),:);
            y2=gyroLabel(n1(i),1);
        else
            x2=cat(1,x2,gyroData(n1(i),:));
            y2=cat(1,y2,gyroLabel(n1(i),1));
        end
    end

    save('inertial_padded.mat', 'x1', 'y1', 'x2', 'y2');

**And this is my LSTM code in Keras**

import numpy as np
import keras
from keras.models import Sequential
from keras.layers import Dense
from keras.layers import LSTM
import scipy.io

# fix random seed for reproducibility
np.random.seed(7)

mat = scipy.io.loadmat('inertial_padded.mat')
x_train = mat['x1']
y_train = mat['y1']
x_test = mat['x2']
y_test = mat['y2']

data_dim = 3
timesteps = 326
num_classes = 27

x_train = x_train.reshape(x_train.shape[0], 326,3)
x_test = x_test.reshape(x_test.shape[0], 326, 3)
x_train = x_train.astype('float32')
x_test = x_test.astype('float32')

y_train = keras.utils.to_categorical(y_train, num_classes)
y_test = keras.utils.to_categorical(y_test, num_classes)

print('x_train shape:', x_train.shape)
print(x_train.shape[0], 'train samples')
print(x_test.shape[0], 'test samples')

model = Sequential()
model.add(LSTM(32, input_shape=(timesteps, data_dim), activation='sigmoid'))
#model.add(LSTM(32, activation='tanh')) # returns a sequence of vectors of dimension 32
#model.add(LSTM(32))  # return a single vector of dimension 32
model.add(Dense(27, activation='softmax'))

model.compile(loss='categorical_crossentropy',
              optimizer='rmsprop',
              metrics=['accuracy'])

print(model.summary())
model.fit(x_train, y_train,
          batch_size=16, epochs=25,
          validation_data=(x_test, y_test))
# Final evaluation of the model
scores = model.evaluate(X_test, y_test, verbose=0)
print("Accuracy: %.2f%%" % (scores[1]*100))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Open to all US Citizens and US Nationals.
This is a twelve-month training program that may require travel throughout the state of New Mexico. Depending upon agency needs, candidates will be expected to relocate within the state when the training program is complete.
Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of training.
Applicants selected as County Operations Trainees (COTs) must sign an agreement to accept training assignment wherever located in the continental United States.
Each COT shall satisfactorily complete a minimum 52-week training program.
COT's who do not satisfactorily complete the required training shall be separated without prejudice.
The District Director, State Executive Director, State Committee, State Training Coordinator, State Office Specialist, and previous County Executive Director trainers will evaluate the trainee's performance at the end of the 52-week period.
Must be 18 years of age or 17 years of age for high school graduates.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, if required.
Combination of education and experience described above. Experience that shows your ability to perform progressively more complex, responsible, or difficult duties: and that shows your ability to learn the specific work of this position.
Combination of education and experience described above.
A combination of education and experience as listed above.
*--Examples of Specialized Experience would be experience in an FSA Supervisory position, COT position, or PT-in-Charge position within the last 5 years for a total of at least 52 weeks.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact: USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).
All applicants will be considered on the basis of their education, experience, supervisory appraisal, training, awards and education as it relates to the qualification requirements and on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) listed below.
Describe your ability to plan work and make decisions independently. Be sure to include specific examples.
Describe your ability to communicate orally being sure to include the type of audiences you have presented to, material covered, etc.
Describe your ability to supervise and lead people. Be sure to include specific examples including any supervisory or leadership roles you may have held.
Describe your knowledge of or experience in Agricultural practices and customs including details regarding how you obtained this knowledge.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact us at 979-680-5160 well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.


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■ Seen from the outside: The Catana 70 is equipped with new revolutionary curved fins that allow a hydrofoil effect. It also has a long length and increased power that make it a high-performance travel catamaran.
Its sail, borrowed from racing boats with a large horned sail from the high tech materials of the America Cup and 3 choices of sails, allows the Catana 70 to achieve unparalleled performances. Its high platform height allows the Catana 70 to stay comfortable at high speed, even on a sea formed.
■ Seen from the inside: the Catana C70 has been completely redesigned for maximum comfort.
A refined and functional interior luxury, a meticulous attention to the smallest details to offer you a life of rare sensations aboard a maxi. Offering even more space than any other model, the Catana 70 has spacious cabins and more stowage and storage areas to ensure a long-distance journey in optimal conditions.
Discover the future Catana C70 by viewing indoor and outdoor artwork. Click to enlarge, launch the slideshow and imagine yourself on board!


text:
Reconstruction of a Failed 1cm Ulnar Nerve Conduit
Home / Surgical Options / Case Studies / 2011 / Reconstruction of a Failed 1cm Ulnar Nerve Conduit
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Pre-operative
Title: Reconstruction of a Failed 1cm Ulnar Nerve Conduit.
PNS ID: 110316-1, Published: 3/16/2011, Updated: 4/5/2011.
Author(s): Simone W. Glaus MD, Andrew Yee BS, Susan E. Mackinnon MD.
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
Abstract: This 20-year-old right hand dominant woman lacerated her ulnar nerve when she accidentally pushed her hand through a pane of glass. Two weeks following the injury, her right ulnar nerve was reconstructed at an outside institution using a 4mm diameter, 1cm long collagen conduit. The small finger FDS tendon, flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, and ulnar artery were also repaired. Upon presenting to our institution six months following her injury, the patient had no ulnar nerve function and a non-advancing, painful Tinel's sign at the mid-portion of the surgical scar. She elected to undergo re-exploration and reconstruction of the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve was decompressed through Guyon's canal. The area of injury and previous reconstruction were resected and reconstructed with a medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve cable graft. The results following this reconstruction are pending long term follow-up due to the recent presentation of this case. The patient, however, reports significant reduction in her ulnar nerve-related pain.
FEATURED RESOURCES View All
Figure 3 - Identification of Ulnar Nerve 224.2 KB
Figure 4 - Ulnar Nerve Conduit Histology 282.9 KB
Figure 5 - MABC Harvest 272.8 KB
Figure 6 - Reconstruction of Ulnar Nerve 241.2 KB
A 20 year-old right-hand dominant female sustained a laceration to the ulnar aspect of her middle and distal right forearm upon accidentally falling through a window pane. At initial presentation, the patient was felt to be neurovascularly intact, including in the ulnar nerve distribution; her laceration was washed out and primarily closed. Upon follow-up with a hand specialist later that week, the patient complained of numbness in the ulnar digits, as well as weakness and pain in the hand. On physical examination, the patient lacked ulnar distribution pinprick sensation, demonstrated weak abduction of the digits, and was unable to cross her fingers. Perfusion to the hand was adequate. An ulnar nerve laceration was suspected, and the patient was taken to the OR for exploration approximately 2 weeks later. Lacerations to the ulnar artery and nerve were found, as well as to the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) tendon and small finger flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendon. Under microscope visualization, the nerve stumps were trimmed back until healthy fascicles were present. A 1 cm gap was present between the nerve ends, which could not be re-approximated without tension. A 4 mm diameter commercially available collagen conduit was used to bridge the gap and was secured with 8-0 nylon epineural sutures. Additionally, the patient received tendon repairs and microsurgical ulnar artery repair. Postoperatively, the patient had no complications but failed to demonstrate ulnar nerve recovery. Approximately 3 months after her initial repair, she was referred to our institution.
Complete intrinsic muscle atrophy and clawing of the ring and small fingers were present in the right hand. Sensory exam revealed no light touch sensation and no functional two-point discrimination in the right ulnar nerve distribution. Two-point discrimination in the median nerve distribution was 4-5 mm. Motor exam showed a positive Froment's sign, inability to cross the fingers, pinch strength of 6 lb, and grip strength of 40 lb. Pinch and grip on the left were 15 lb and 65 lb, respectively. Tinel's sign was present in the mid portion of the patient's scar (non-advancing).
No diagnostic testing was performed given the patient's physical examination, which was clearly consistent with a complete right ulnar neuropathy.
Pre-operative: The patient was maintained in a protective splint for her ulnar clawing.
Surgical: Re-exploration was performed under 4.5x loupe magnification. The ulnar nerve was first identified in Guyon's canal and decompression of Guyon's canal was performed, along with decompression of the deep motor branch distally. The ulnar nerve was then followed proximally until the site of prior conduit reconstruction was reached. The conduit was excised; breadloafing through the conduit revealed dense scar tissue. Once the nerve had been cut back to healthy fascicles, a 4 cm gap was present. The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve (MABC) was harvested through a separate incision. The topography of the ulnar nerve was mapped out both proximally and distally to ensure appropriate matching of sensory and motor components. Three cables of MABC, each 5 cm in length, were used to reconstruct the ulnar nerve under the operating microscope using 9-0 nylon microsutures. Fibrin glue was also used at the repair sites. The posterior branch of the MABC was reconstructed in an end-to-side fashion to the sensory side of the median nerve, whose sensory component was identified by its lack of motor activity with intraoperative nerve stimulation.
Post-operative: A pain pump placed intraoperatively was used for 3 days. The patient was then started on nortriptyline and referred for hand therapy. Initial hand therapy included scar mobilization and silicone sheeting, ulnar gliding exercises, passive range of motion exercises, and use of a hand-based ulnar nerve palsy splint.
Two months postoperatively, sensory exam revealed no light touch sensation in the right ulnar nerve distribution. Pinch and grip strength were 4 and 20 lbs, respectively, compared to 12 and 65 lbs on the left. Tinel's sign with ulnar radiation was present 3 cm proximal to the wrist crease. Given the typical nerve regeneration rate of one mm per day, or one inch per month, a longer period of follow-up is required to observe ulnar nerve recovery. This follow-up is pending.
Important aspects of this case include: (1) using nerve autografts (the undisputed gold standard) for bridging gaps in critical nerves such as the ulnar nerve; (2) mapping out the motor and sensory topography of the injured nerve prior to grafting to ensure grafting of proximal sensory components to distal sensory components and proximal motor components to distal motor components; and (3) reconstructing the donor nerve (MABC) by transferring its distal stump to the side of an intact sensory nerve.
Ray WZ, Mackinnon SE. Management of nerve gaps: autografts, allografts, nerve transfers, and end-to-side neurorrhaphy. Exp Neurol. 2010 May; 223(1): 77-85.
Pfaeffle HJ, Waitayawinyu T, Trumble TE. Ulnar nerve laceration and repair. Hand Clin. 2007 Aug; 23(3): 291-9.
Brown JM, Yee A, Mackinnon SE. Distal median to ulnar nerve transfers to restore ulnar motor and sensory function within the hand: technical nuances. Neurosurgery. 2009 Nov; 65(5): 966-77. (Description of topographical mapping of the ulnar nerve)


The AISIN Group regards the promotion of diversity management as an important management strategy in developing further into a vital corporate group capable of growing continuously and has accordingly been implementing various initiatives.
With more employees, both male and female, becoming able to work only in a limited capacity due to nursing care and other reasons in addition to child care, we are working to create an appropriate work environment as well as a workplace culture and framework to enable employees to demonstrate their capabilities to the fullest in every life stage and actively take on new challenges in their work. Aisin Seiki has set up a regionally limited training course in Japan for employees in managerial positions to reflect on and encourage a work-life balance. Aisin Seiki also holds the Iku Boss Academy for managers to engage each workplace in the task of promoting diversity. Through these initiatives, we are facilitating development of management-level employees who can achieve both a work-life balance and higher productivity.
The Iku Boss Academy has been established under the idea that supervisors hold the key to success in achieving a work-life balance of both male and female subordinates. In fiscal 2017, supervisors ("Iku-Bosses") who are supportive of the life and career of each subordinate and capable of improving their own work-life balance and able to attain business performance have grown to the level at which they can now share their successful experiences and provide additional motivation to other Iku-Bosses. In fiscal 2018, we will hold the third Iku Boss Academy program as an effort to nurture enough Iku-Bosses to assign to all departments.
To enable female employees, who are increasing in number, to take advantage of career opportunities at the AISIN Group, and continue working in rewarding positions, we support their career development and work-life balance.
At Aisin Seiki, the Kirari Project, a project undertaken with commitment by top management by female employees selected from across the company to promote more active roles for women, is leading efforts to create a more comfortable working environment and better job satisfaction while working to identify appropriate solutions for issues by collecting feedback and ideas from each workplace. To date, we have launched a career development training program to assist female employees in building their careers, a mentor system based on individual medium-term development plans and a Career Development Program for Women (CDP) designed to foster individualized development of female employees aspiring to take managerial positions, all of which provide systematic support for women's growth. In fiscal 2017, we held a lecture by female employees who are serving as role models to share successful examples.
At the AISIN Group, we provide an environment in which employees can choose from a wide range of work styles according to individual life stages. We are promoting initiatives to create an environment that makes it easier for employees to strike a balance between their lives at work and at home. At Aisin Seiki, we launched a telecommuting system and short working hour system for family care in fiscal 2017 to further enhance our measures to support work-life balance and encourage the use of available systems. In addition, we are proactively providing parenting support to male employees by expanding leave options for the purpose of child care.
To encourage a work-life balance, concerted measures are taken between the management and employees with the aim of increasing the acquisition of shortened working hours and annual paid holidays.
In addition to improving systems stipulated by laws and regulations, the AISIN Group establishes systems in order to further balance work and life.
*1 Figures in parentheses show the percentage of females versus the number of employees hired.
*2 Figures in parentheses show the percentage of female employees in managerial positions.
* Number of persons taking parental and family-care leave is calculated based on the year in which the leave has started.
On the basis of an approach rooted in the concepts of "normalization and harmonious coexistence," the AISIN Group aims to develop a working environment in which persons with disabilities can thrive and work with a sense of satisfaction and to increase the employment of persons with disabilities. For the creation of such a working environment, we hold consultation sessions at each plant to improve the workplace environment. The Group also holds training sessions for 140 consultants and for workplaces that employ persons with disabilities. Moreover, we are collaborating with Group companies to work out solutions and establish an operating structure that includes individual affiliates.
The AISIN Group establishes systems for the re-employment of workers after retirement, including programs for limited hours or days of work, in response to varied requests from retirees. While observing relevant laws and regulations, we re-employ all interested personnel.
The six core Group companies are introducing the Power Up Seminar, which seeks to improve the abilities of employees who wish to be re-employed. This seminar targets all regular employees who are five years before retirement, and is aimed at promoting a widespread understanding of employment systems, identifying individual career paths and strengths and supporting various aspects such as creating individual study plans for the future. We are also working to increase motivation for re-employed individuals through initiatives such as establishing technical legacy coaching sessions aimed at passing on the advanced skills of re-employed individuals and by introducing a new retirement benefit system as part of efforts to further expand the re-employment of retirees.


Cut neoprene to a precise size for any pattern or project. Neoprene is a spongy plastic polymer that is often backed with thin nylon fabric. The water-sports community has utilized neoprene for its waterproof and durability qualities. Neoprene is commonly known for its use in wet suits and kayak spray skirts but is also used to make laptop cases, wine bags and lunch sacks, shoes components and adhesives. Slice neoprene cleanly to reduce waste and give it a straight edge.


Do you have a group of students coming to Vancouver?
Are you looking for an activity that is fun, healthy and helps your students with their English?
This is how we can work together: Contact me to arrange a class or a series of classes!
lighthearted and interactive. My instructions don't sound like a long monologue. During class I constantly engage with my students, ask for feedback and check in with them to see how are they are doing.
progressively sequenced. When I teach yoga, I make sure my students' bodies are warmed-up enough to do every following pose.
therapeutic and accessible for every body. I focus on therapeutic alignment and showing students variations of yoga poses so that everybody has a good experience during the class.
culturally sensitive. I explain the culture and etiquette of yoga; I avoid teachings in yoga philosophy that may be culturally insensitive; I don't use humor or too many local references that students are not yet familiar with.
linguistically sensitive. I don't use jargon and complicated instructions. I focus on repetitions and introducing vocabulary and concepts in the beginning of each class.
If you have any further questions or ideas how I can support your programs or events, please contact me. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!


A new report from eLEND Solutions asks the question: Is digital retailing promising more than it can deliver? And Nick posed more questions to eLEND Solutions chief executive officer Pete MacInnis about this report and more for this Auto Remarketing Podcast episode recorded during NADA Show 2019.
And the majority lose more than 60 percent of those sales, according to the survey that's available here.
The company says the product targets shoppers who have had a positive experience at any point in the buying process. That strategy can help dealerships generate more and better reviews, the company added, noting that pilot stores have seen a 100-percent increase in positive feedback from customers with every review engagement.
But the traditional tools only offer dealerships a "reactive approach" to customer feedback, ActivEngage president Ted Rubin said in a news release. A reactive approach means dealerships have "little or no control over when and where shoppers leave reviews," he added.
"This has helped make ActivEngage an authority in customer experience," Marshall said. "Always looking to enhance dealer-customer interaction, we saw the untapped potential of customer feedback to help dealers acquire more customers.
"We hear positive remarks from shoppers in many of our conversations. Now that feedback can translate into a better online reputation for our dealers," Marshall went on to say.
The vehicle subscription industry is no longer just an exciting concept. It has matured to where it is now an increasingly proven model. At least that is the view of Clutch Technologies president Vince Zappa. Clutch is an automotive software platform that offers vehicle subscription and mobility services.
Zappa said in a news release that new research proves his point about the maturation of the industry. Clutch Technologies, along with mobility and data analytics company, Arity, announced what it says is the first major piece of empirical research regarding driver risk profiles and insurance claims for consumers using vehicle subscription services.
The research shows that when subscribers joined the subscription service, their risk profiles showed similar distributions to those seen in traditional personal automotive insurance. In addition, the subscribers performed similarly to initial risk estimates once they joined the service.
The research also shows that traditional screening and risk measurement models from personal auto insurance are adequate to gauge the risk profile of car subscription drivers.
Clutch has long believed that driving risk does not change when a consumer moves from owning to subscribing, Zappa said. The research confirms that belief, he added.
"Arity has helped us validate that our technology can help our automotive customers acquire the subscribers that they want to target," he said.
For the study, during the initial subscription registration process, Clutch applied screening technologies to identify each consumer's estimated driving risk. Arity and Clutch then studied how predictions of risk compared to actual performance for these drivers using the subscription service. Clutch used Arity's proprietary model, Arity PreQual, to score 1,456 Clutch drivers across 228,000 driving days of data.
Clutch noted that since it began using PreQual as a major input of its risk management technology, Clutch's car subscription providers have reduced premiums up to 20 percent year over year.
Clutch's and Arity's analysis of how Clutch's actual claims compared to the predictions of Arity's model provided data that automotive insurance companies can review as more car subscription services enter the market.
Clutch's screening technology combines identity verification, motor vehicle records, Arity's PreQual scoring of driver risk, and other behavioral data that can predict risk, and companies can use the data to acquire an attractive subscriber base, according to a news release. The research showed the type of screening and risk evaluation technologies that are useful for vehicle subscription providers.
Senior vice president of Arity Data Science Grady Irey noted that the study's findings could be "a first step and catalyst" to connect more mobility providers with insurance carriers. It will help increase the confidence of those parties that their drivers will operate the vehicles safely, Irey added.
Clutch continues using Arity PreQual in its screening process and is studying how to further study driver risk profiles with Arity. Clutch is also working with large insurance carriers to bring products to market to support its dealer and OEM customers.
Here's how it works. Dealers place the tool on their website. Then, when consumers input their vehicle and contact information, they receive an initial value of their vehicle. The tool then encourages the consumer to receive an in-person vehicle appraisal by visiting the dealer.
More information on the Value My Car trade-in valuation tool is available here.


Oh me, oh my, how I want to get going on my garden! I'm feeling well prepared and have put so much time into planning - now if only I could get planting! Because my plot is part of a community garden, we have an "opening day" (closing day in the fall too). Opening day simply means "the day the gardens will be tilled." The organization that works with us hires a local farmer to come in and till the entire garden. Then plots are staked out, numbered, and everyone's ready to go! Because we've been having this fantastically wet weather, everything is very swampy and opening day has been pushed back. The ground can't be tilled until it dries out just enough.
After further thought, I decided to add photos to the posts below - to show you the photos I was working off of for each collage! These are the first pieces I've done when I was working to recreate an actual photo, instead of just working from inside my own head.
These two pieces will available on the Circle of Art 2011 Auction on May 15th. This is a fantastic fundraising event dreamt up and hosted each year by the Saline Picture Frame Company, to benefit Food Gatherers. Online bidding has already begun, although it will take a few days for my pieces to make it onto the website. I hope to raise a few dollars for Food Gatherers' good work with these cows!
Just a few of the ways Olive makes us laugh!
With any luck, the things in these four pics will become four pieces of artwork before too long. Can you picture it? Me either... except kind of in my head right now. And yes, I am working on an idea built entirely out of candy!
Two projects done, ~6,000 to go!
I accomplished two tasks from my pretty long list today. One is likely to fail, the other may actually work the way I hope!
First, for the potential (and probable, I believe) failure: Attempting to grow grass. Those of you familiar with Prune Ridge may know that we have a relatively junky looking little back yard. The junkiness factor is increased dramatically by the overwhelming "winning" of dirt vs. grass. I went with a relatively cheap (especially on good sale!) and simple "this product will definitely grow grass" option. The goal is to keep this very well watered for at least two weeks. In theory we should see some grass coming along starting in about a week. I'm hopeful for minimal success before mowing begins for the season at our condo complex. I'm not very confident that this will work, but figured it might be worth a try. If it's a horrible failure, maybe I can convince other Prune Ridge residents that we really do need a lovely little patio instead?
Second on the project list for today - I successfully built my first of the two garden bed frames! I'm pretty proud of this. I was working off my own plan and measurements, based loosely on various random websites and my garden book with thoughts on building garden beds. My measurements and planning worked the way I visioned them and all seems to be like it should. Tomorrow or the next day I'll proceed with the second frame (8" tall, primarily for carrots - the first one is just 6" for radishes and lettuces), using a drill I will borrow tomorrow from a coworker. Our cordless drill didn't have the juice to let me work straight through this project without stopping for a few hours (twice) to re-charge. Please notice my pretty red c-clamps in the photo. I feel like such a handi-woman, buying lumber from a real old-fashioned lumber yard, buying screws and clamps, and wielding the drill on the front stoop of Prune Ridge. Rrroar! I'd be happy to clamp anything anybody needs to have clamped!
"Seriously, Mom? Do I really have to wear this?"
Somebody's got some project work to do... I picked up lumber (and a bunch of other things) this morning for my proposed raised beds for the garden. Now I just need some screws. And the confidence to build these things! Updates to follow with pictures if I'm successful.


We are considering the possibility of undertaking an observational study within a semi-arid environment on the Iberian Peninsula. The LIAISE (Land surface Interactions with the Atmosphere over the Iberian Semi-arid Environment) campaign will bring together ground-based and airborne measurements and modelling studies to lead to an improved understanding of processes such as soil moisture, evapotranspiration and precipitation coupling and the subsequent feedbacks to the Mediterranean boundary layer.
The LIAISE general interest meeting is being held during the EGU assembly to we intend to gauge the interest for a multi-institute campaign with European partners, and to discuss potential science and opportunities.


After "MASSACRE"… Before HARBINGER WARS 2… A Seminal Secret at the Heart of the HARBINGER Mythos is About to be Revealed!
As revealed at ComicBook.com, Valiant is proud to announce HARBINGER RENEGADE #0 – AN ALL-NEW JUMPING-ON POINT on the road to HARBINGER WARS 2, Valiant's seismic 2018 crossover event! On November 8th, multiple Harvey Award nominee Rafer Roberts (Plastic Farm) and incendiary artist Juan Jose Ryp (BRITANNIA) unearth a devastating revelation that will forever alter the course of what we thought we knew about the history of Toyo Harada's Harbinger Foundation and the place of the telekinetically gifted individuals known as psiots in the Valiant Universe!
Out of the ashes of "MASSACRE," the march towards the most consequential Valiant event of all time continues with an epic revelation at the heart of the HARBINGER mythos in HARBINGER RENEGADE #0 – as told by Harvey Award-nominated writer Rafer Roberts (Plastic Farm) and incendiary artist Juan José Ryp (BRITANNIA) and featuring covers by Clayton Henry (HARBINGER WARS), Roberto de la Torre (Daredevil), Juan Jose Ryp (NINJAK), Khari Evans (HARBINGER), and Ben Tiesma (BLOODSHOT'S DAY OFF)!
THEN: In May 2018, prepare for war as superstar writers Matt Kindt (X-O MANOWAR) and Eric Heisserer (SECRET WEAPONS) join blockbuster artists Tomas Giorello (X-O MANOWAR) and Raul Allen (SECRET WEAPONS) for HARBINGER WARS 2 – the seismic 2018 crossover event colliding X-O Manowar, The Harbinger Renegades, Livewire, Bloodshot, and all of Valiant's most formidable heroes!


text:
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FLORIDA CORD BLOOD COMPANY SEEING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BONE MARROW ENGRAFTMENT TIMES
Located in Altamonte Springs, Cord For Life® Inc. is a local umbilical cord blood bank that specializes in public and private stem cell processing and cryopreservation. Cord For Life® has operated in the Central Florida area since 1993, and to date has processed over 15,000 cord blood units from across the United States. In addition to collecting, processing and banking umbilical cord blood stem cells, the company provides consulting services to help organizations develop and operate high-quality cord blood banks, and offers educational training programs for healthcare professionals.
Recently, Cord For Life® launched its cord blood banking program. Under this program private clients can store their baby's cord blood stem cells (CBSC) for future needs or moms-to-be can donate their baby's cord blood to the general public through the National Marrow Donor Program's (NMDP) Be The Match® Registry. Public donation, which has no cost to the donor, makes CBSC available to anyone in the world in need of a stem cell transplant to treat over 75 diseases.
The Cord For Life® program utilizes a revolutionary new processing system, branded as PREMIERMAX®, which significantly reduces red cell contamination in the transplant product while recovering an equal or higher number of stem cells (when compared to other automated and traditional methods). PREMIERMAX® also reduces the level of DMSO required to adequately preserve the cells during the freezing process, thereby reducing potential recipient exposure to this sometimes toxic cryoprotectant.
PREMIERMAX® uses 2 unique reagents combined with individual unit Quality Control by highly trained technicians, to produce a superior final transplantation product. The processing reagent is PrepaCyte®-CB, which demonstrates an unrivaled ability to remove red blood cells over any other method on the market today. Red cell reduction reduces the amount of free hemoglobin in the thawed product infused to the recipient, thereby increasing the safety of the infused product. Additionally, PrepaCyte®-CB has shown in clinical trial and independent evaluation to increase the final stem cell population recovered, most significantly in the post-thaw colony forming assay which indicates functionality of the stem cells for engraftment.
The second key reagent in PREMIERMAX® is the freeze media, CryoStor® CS10. CryoStor is specifically designed to protect cells at ultra-low temp e r a t u r e s , unlike traditional cryopreservation reagents. This results in improved cellular transition through phase change from a liquid blood product to the frozen state for long-term storage, and again during thawing prior to infusion. During our validation of CryoStor® CS10, it was demonstrated that a less concentrated amount of the cryoprotectant reagent DMSO could be used in the freezing process while maintaining acceptable cellular functionality post-thaw.
The most important aspect of any change in status quo is the resulting effect of the change. Historically, the lower stem cell dose of a CBSC product when compared to a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell collection resulted in a longer time for bone marrow reconstitution (or engraftment). This led to early beliefs that CBSC could only be useful for pediatric patients or small adults. It was also realized that CBSC would typically result in longer periods of non-immunity, resulting in longer hospital stays for the recipient, even though GvHD is typically reduced.
Current data from over 20,000 CBSC transplants worldwide, shows an average time to PMN engraftment (PMN cell count >500 for 2+ days) is 25-27 days. In fact, our own historical data shows a comparable average PMN engraftment time of 21 days for units processed before our change to PremierMax-CBSM. Following our change in processing method, we are currently seeing an average time to PMN engraftment of only 11.33 days. Even more exciting is that independent data from another NMDP member cord blood bank that also uses PrepaCyte®-CB as it's processing reagent mirrors our data from Cord For Life® (poster abstract to be published at AABB Annual Meeting 22-25 Oct., 2011).
As you can appreciate, a nearly 10 day reduction in the length of hospital stay, especially for a critically ill patient with no immune function, is highly significant. Having a readily available stem cell source product that can rival the engraftment time of marrow or peripheral blood sources, with a reduced risk of GvHD, and a significantly increased HLA-matching potential would create a major shift in the paradigm. Cord blood products have already begun to outpace marrow as a source for stem cell transplantation. With significant results such as these and new, exciting therapies being developed worldwide, the usefulness of cord blood stem cells will only increase over time. As more and more PREMIERMAX® processed CBSC units are transplanted worldwide, Cord For Life® will continue to monitor and analyze the engraftment data. A 2-site joint publication is expected in 2011 to further analyze the significance of the findings over a broader range of CBSC units, diseases, and transplant centers to eliminate other possible factors for the decreased engraftment time. We feel this finding could create a new excitement in the cord blood transplantation industry and provide a remarkable benefit to patients in need of life saving stem cell transplants.
By Donald Hudspeth, BS(CLS), MT(ASCP) and Sara Irrgang, MD, FCAP, FLORIDA MD, September 2011 Edition, pgs 33-34
UMBILICAL CORD COLLECTIONS: FIXED vs. UNFIXED SITES
BACKGROUND/CASE STUDY:
Cord For Life® has been accepting umbilical cord blood collections for private storage and public donation for over 15 years. Until recently, Cord For Life® was the only cord blood center that collected from national non-fixed sites (NFS) and fixed sites (FS) facilities. With others in the industry expanding to NFS collections, we compared our FS collections using Cord For Life® trained MDs, midwives, and collection staff to our national NFS collections to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the two programs.
STUDY DESIGN / METHOD:
The comparison was performed on all collection data from the years 2009 – 2010 where current acceptance criteria were constant. Using data entered in the StemSoft database system, the analysis examined total units received vs. registry placement and privately stored vs. publicly donated collections.
RESULTS / FINDINGS:
From the total donated units received 26% of FS collections were processed and placed on a registry. For NFS the total donations processed and placed on the registry was only 10%. Privately stored collections were 12% higher from the NFS while FS had 18% higher publicly donated units. The primary cause for unit rejection was low pre-TNC count (<12×108) often directly related to product volume. Excluding the pre-count the following were the next highest reasons for rejection:
Fixed site collections allow for stronger management and control resulting in a more efficient and successful collection. There is a significant advantage in decreasing "preventable" errors and overall optimizing collections. There are many challenges to consider before implementing a non-fixed site collection program.
Although a greater number of units were received from the non-fixed locations, the overall product quality is lower. Another consideration is timing; kit shipment to the client prior to labor and unit receipt at the laboratory can impact the ability to meet the regulated timelines.
Using monthly tracking data as a CPI tool we discontinued acceptance of weekend collections as "normal" courier service is limited. This change resulted in fewer units received >48 hours from collection, saving collection materials and shipping costs. Other findings include lower efficiency and higher per banked unit cost in the NFS model.
Success of a non-fixed collection program will rely on improved distance training, increasing efficiency to improve value and there must be an outlet for non-transplantable units. Visit us at www.cordforlilfe.com or call 800-869-8608 for more information.
STEM CELL CONFUSION COULD HAVE DIRE EFFECTS
When you hear the term "stem cells", what comes to mind? Religious controversy? Ethical debate? embryonic stem cell research? These associations are common, and unfortunately could be limiting how often stem cells are donated for use as a life-saving transplant.
Many people equate stem cells with embryonic stem cell research but non-embryonic (or adult) stem cells are different and they're used every day in modern medicine to save lives. Furthermore, to date, embryonic stem cells have not been used for many human therapeutic purposes.
Nearly everyone knows someone that has had or needed a bone marrow transplant, but did you know that the transplant is actually of a type of stem cell? There are several types of adult stem cells that are far removed from their controversial embryonic cellular parents. Adult stem cells can be found in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood, fat tissue, teeth and many other sources.
Over 100,000 stem cell transplants have been performed in the U.S. Bone marrow was first used in the late 1960's for transplants to combat leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases. In the late 1980s, the first transplant using umbilical cord blood stem cells was performed. The success of this first cord blood transplant has led to several thousand more patients being treated with stem cells. Additionally, adult stem cells are being used in the field of regenerative medicine to further develop uses for these special cells in fighting other diseases.
The beauty of umbilical cord blood stem cells is that these cells are collected from what was once considered medical waste. After the normal delivery of a baby, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and about 150mL of cord blood remains in the cord. This cord blood is rich in stem cells that can be used as an alternative to bone marrow stem cells for transplantation. These stem cells from the cord blood can be used for treating more than 75 diseases.
In addition to the easy and non-invasive collection process for cord blood, these cells offer a few advantages over bone marrow stem cells when used for transplantation. Stem cells from cord blood are biologically much less mature than those from bone marrow of an adult donor. If we think of the immune cells as "warriors," the "warriors" found in the adult marrow donor sample are fully capable of fighting and therefore a common problem in a bone marrow sourced stem cell transplant is graft vs. host disease (or GVHD). GVHD occurs when the donor cells attack the recipient cells and tissue as foreign. This can cause a very severe problem for transplant recipients and is a form of reverse rejection.
With cord blood sourced stem cell transplants, GVHD is typically far less prevalent and far less severe. This is because the "warriors" are less mature. The cells are not as capable of fighting. This is the same reason that newborn babies often constantly battle sniffles and colds; their immune system cells are not yet fully functional.
In the transplant setting, having these functionally immature immune cells allows the matching between donor and recipient to be less important. In a bone marrow source transplant, the donor must perfectly match the recipient, whereas in a cord blood sourced transplant, a less-perfect match can be used with similar success. This leads to more patients being able to find a suitable stem cell source for their needed transplant. According to recent data from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), non-Caucasian recipients in need of transplant are more likely to find suitable matches of cord blood stem cells than from adult marrow donors.
You can donate your cord blood for free or privately store it for a fee through the Altamonte Springs-based Cord For Life®. Because of cord blood, many more people, especially non-Caucasians, can receive the life-saving treatment they desperately need.
Winter Park/Maitland Observer
CLINICAL TRIALS AND STEM CELLS
CORD BLOOD - BETTER THAN BONE MARROW
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ATILLA KONDOROSI
Mr. Kondorosi has been involved with the hospitality and hotel industry for most of his life. From 1969 through 1985, he held various positions at the international InterContinental Hotels chain, including various senior management roles. After his transitioning to the USA, he moved into the real estate business and held a variety of positions. Recently he has held te position of Director of Sales for Prestige Homes, Inc. part of Goldrich and Kest Industries headquartered in California since 1957. Mr. Kondorosi represented the successful sale of 386 homes in the Bel Air Crest Development, including re-sales over the past several years, various high end listings and sales in prominent locations such as Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and other parts of the west-side Los Angeles area.
Mr. Kondorosi is also the founder and President of EDKO Trade, Inc., and international real estate and trading company involved in promoting and closing transactions between various companies and individuals located around the world. Since 2000, he has also been involved in various international and foreign innovative startup companies in various capacities including CEO, board member or in a consulting role. Mr. Kondorosi received a Juri Doctor degree from Janus Pannonius University in Hungary in international law. He also was a professor at the Budapest Business School / Faculty of Commerce, Catering and Tourism in Hungary.
In addition, Mr Kondorosi has served on the Board for the Regency Club from 2008 through 2011, a private business organization started by David Murdock 30 years ago in Los Angeles.
Deborah A. Sardone
Ms. Sardone has over 30 years of clinical laboratory experience as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist, including over 25 years with Central Florida Regional Hospital (CFRH). She was Supervisor of Quality Assurance, Safety and Education at CFRH for 11 years, held the positions of Blood Bank Supervisor for 11 years, and Hematology Supervisor for 1 year. She has participated in both sides of the inspection process, serving on the College of American Pathologists Inspection team for CAP Hospital Accreditation in Florida, and assisting in receiving accreditation by The Joint Commission (TJC), American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through the inspections of the clinical laboratory.
Ms. Sardone is licensed by the State of Florida as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist in Immunohematology, Hematology, Serology and Clinical Chemistry. She is a certified Clinical Laboratory Technologist with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).
Ms. Sardone serves as Manager of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs at Cord For Life®, Inc. overseeing all licensing and regulatory agencies to ensure that the highest quality in all aspects of cord blood collection, processing, and storage is maintained.
Ms. Sardone's skills and knowledge in blood banking and quality assurance have enabled her to establish, implement and maintain a superior quality system that meets and exceeds all standards and regulatory requirements for Cord For Life®, Inc.
Personal Background:
Sardone is a graduate of The City University of New York in Medical Laboratory Technology.
Sardone is licensed in Florida as a Clinical Medical Technologist and she is nationally recognized as ASCP Certified.
Sardone enjoys photography and dancing.
Mr. Hudspeth has over 17 years of clinical laboratory experience as a certified Medical Technologist (ASCP), including ten years with the University of North Carolina Hospitals. Mr. Hudspeth is licensed by the State of Florida as a Clinical Laboratory Supervisor in Immunohematology, Hematology, Serology, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Pathology and Microbiology as well as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, is a registered Technologist with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and a member of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT).
He has also enjoyed teaching Immunology to Clinical Laboratory Science and medical school students at UNC while working in the UNCH clinical labs. At Cord For Life®, Mr. Hudspeth serves as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all operations and the daily laboratory operations to ensure that the highest quality in all aspects of donor selection and cord blood collection, processing, and storage is maintained. He also works with Quality Assurance to ensure full compliance by Cord For Life® to all applicable regulations. Mr. Hudspeth has sat on numerous cord blood focused committees and advisory groups.
Additionally, Mr. Hudspeth served as the Clinical Investigator for Cord For Life® as they evaluated and approved a new processing methodology to isolate stem cells from cord blood while depleting the unwanted red cells. Mr. Hudspeth works with groups, individuals, or government agencies to bring cord blood banking to countries around the world. He is responsible for training medical professionals worldwide in cord blood processing at our Florida location. In addition, he travels overseas to assist in the initial setup and implementation of the new facilities to ensure their compliance and quality. Mr. Hudspeth has assisted in opening new cord blood facilities in Europe and in SE Asia.
Mr. Hudspeth received his Bachelor's degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"Eagle Scout with Five Palms"
Avid golfer with a 14 handicap.
Donald R. Drake III, Ph.D
Don joined Sanofi Pasteur VaxDesign in 2005 and has served as Director of Immunological Research since 2009. He has had a long-standing interest in the immune system, particularly the interaction between viruses and elements of the adaptive immune system, since initiating his graduate studies at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
As a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Virginia, he was awarded funding from the Cancer Research Institute and received an Interdisciplinary Training Grant in Immunology from the National Institutes of Health to study CD8+ T cell immunity against influenza virus.
At VaxDesign, Don leads a team developing and optimizing the MIMIC® System to permit the evaluation of human adaptive immunity (cellular and humoral responses) against vaccine candidates, biologics, and other immunomodulators in a pre-clinical setting. He is an author on a variety of patents and peer-reviewed journal publications.
Kelli Cable
Mrs. Cable brings over 20 years of experience to Cord For Life® directing the Client Services, Account Management and Personnel departments. She began working in the cord blood industry in December of 2006. In addition, Ms. Cable is actively involved in marketing for the company.
Mrs. Cable is married and has two boys.
In 1994, Ms. Cable moved to Orlando from Boulder, Colorado.
Has a passion for travel and enjoys watching NFL games, cheering on her favorite team, the Denver Broncos.
Richard R. Gammon, M.D.
Dr. Richard R. Gammon joined Florida's Blood Centers (FBC) in 2005 and is responsible for ensuring that the organization's medical practices, policies and testing remain at the forefront of the blood-banking industry. He received his undergraduate degree from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania and medical degree from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia.
He completed his residency at The Ohio State University and his fellowship at the University of Virginia. He also serves as an assistant professor of pathology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. He has served as President and Technical Committee Chair of the Florida Association of Blood Banks. He currently serves as the Chair of the Scientific Medical and Technical Committee and Chair of the Journal Club for America's Blood Centers.
He is an assessor and abstract reviewer for AABB and is a manuscript reviewer for the journal Transfusion. He is the co-recipient of a 2011 ABC Foundation Grant for the Get Healthy Wellness Program. Dr. Gammon's research has been published in various peer-reviewed journals and he has been a featured speaker at numerous national and international conferences on blood banking and transfusion medicine.
Robert Parkhill, Ph.D
Dr. Parkhill directs operations at the Sanofi Pasteur VaxDesign Campus, which designs, develops, and manufactures in vitro models of the human immune system. Their mission is to prevent infectious disease by forecasting vaccine responses before clinical trials, and create a competitive advantage by providing predictive in vitro immunological models and assays. Dr. Parkhill holds a PhD in Material Science and Inorganic Chemistry for Oklahoma State University.
Robert W. Pollack, M.D., R. PH.
Dr. Pollock was originally from Ohio where he majored in pharmacy at Ohio Northern University. After graduation he worked as a pharmacist and attended The Ohio State University where he majored in chemistry and graduated in biochemistry.
In 1992 he attended Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton Ohio, after graduating from medical school he completed his residency at Orlando Regional Medical Center in anatomic and clinical pathology, then a two year fellowship in clinical molecular genetics at All Children's Hospital in St Petersburg Florida. After completing his fellowship in genetics, he became Medical Director for Central Florida Blood Bank for 3 years where he took great interest in the stem cell donation program.
After leaving the blood bank, Dr Pollock became Assistant Director in Molecular Genetics for the Centers of Advanced Diagnostics which at the time was a division of Ameripath. After the restructuring of the Orlando operation, Dr Pollock found himself back in blood banking. He was medical director for BloodNetUSA in Lakeland, Florida prior to its merger with Florida Blood Services.
Sara Irrgang, M.D
During the last two years of Medical School, Dr. Irrgang was in the United States Navy 1915 Ensign Program and completed a clerkship at the Naval Hospital at Charleston, South Carolina as well as a research clerkship at the Naval Aerospace Institute at Pensacola, Florida.
Dr. Irrgang completed her four year Pathology residency at Baylor University Medical Center, and her internship at the University District Hospital, Rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Currently, Dr. Irrgang is Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and licensed in the states of South Carolina, Texas, New Jersey and Florida and she is an Associate Medical Examiner at the District Nine Medical Examiners Office.
Dr. Irrgang is a fellow at numerous organizations including; The College of American Pathologists, National Association of Medical Examiners, Florida Association of Medical Examiners, Seminole County Medical Society, and the Florida Medical Society.
Dr. Irrgang received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of South Carolina.
Attended the Medical College of South Carolina at Charleston where she earned a Medical Doctorate Degree.
Dr. Irrgang has a passion for breeding show horses
Dr. Irrgang is a 4-H leader in Lake County, Florida
Tisha M. Foster, M.D
Dr. Tisha M. Foster joined Florida's Blood Centers (FBC) in 2008 and is responsible for therapeutic apheresis, cellular therapies, and FBC's participation in the National Marrow Donor Program. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma. She completed her residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and her fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin/Blood Center of Wisconsin. Prior to joining FBC, Dr. Foster served as medical director at BloodNetUSA in Lakeland (Fla.), where her responsibilities included supervision of the Transfusion Service Laboratory at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, donor eligibility, therapeutic apheresis, and ensuring regulatory compliance throughout the blood center.
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This Site was created using Dreamweaver 3.
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