text:
Annual & Interim Reports
Significant Shareholders
Registrar & FAQs
RNS and Alerts
Trading Update & Notice of Results
Strong New Business Sales and Revenue Growth Continue
PCI-PAL PLC (AIM: PCIP), the global cloud provider of secure payment solutions for business communications, announces a trading update for the six months to 31 December 2020.
The Board is pleased to report a further period of significant progress against the Group's key growth metrics. Revenue for the first half increased 56% year on year to £3.19 million (2019: £2.04 million), further illustrating the benefits of our subscription based revenue model as we recognise revenue from the accumulating Total Annual Contract Value (TACV1) of contracts signed to date. Our key metric of TACV has increased by 59% year on year to £8.28 million (2019: £5.20 million) at the period end.
In the period, the Group signed 93 customer contracts (2019: 51) with a recurring Annual Contact Value (ACV2) of £1.68 million, 40% greater than the prior year (2019: £1.20 million). 75% of these new contracts were won through reseller partners. Sales highlights included a number of new UK government contracts, including one of the largest local authorities in England; as well as contracts with two major North American headquartered retailers.
The Group finished the period with gross cash of £4.22 million (30 June 2020: £4.30 million) and net cash of £2.1 million (30 June 2020: £3.03 million).
Commenting on progress in the period, James Barham, Chief Executive Officer of PCI Pal, said:
"Despite the uncertainties caused by the pandemic, we have taken another strong step forward in the first half of the year as we continue to see the benefits of our high retention SaaS-revenue model. Our market leading, global-cloud technology, alongside our partner-first sales model, is allowing us to access the breadth of the contact centre market across all our focus territories, resulting in the significant increase in new customer numbers signed.
"Furthermore, we have been able to maintain the pace of customer implementations in the period. This is testament, not only to our easy-to-use technology, but also our continual focus on excellence of delivery processes and capabilities that enable us to deploy customers entirely remotely.
"With a strong pipeline and growing ecosystem of partners, we are now growing this business at pace and we can look forward with confidence to the second half of the year, with strong revenue visibility against market forecasts for the full year."
Notice of Results:
PCI Pal expects to announce its Interim Results in the week commencing 8 March 2021.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 596/2014.
1 TACV is the total expected annual recurring revenue from all contracted customers, whether invoiced and included in deferred revenue or still to be deployed and/or invoiced.
2 ACV is the contracted annual recurring licence revenue component of the contract.
PCI-PAL PLC
Via Walbrook PR
James Barham - Chief Executive Officer
William Good - Chief Financial Officer
finnCap (Nominated Adviser and Broker)
Marc Milmo/Simon Hicks (Corporate Finance)
Richard Chambers (Corporate Broking)
Walbrook PR
Tom Cooper/Paul Vann
About PCI Pal:
PCI Pal is a leading provider of Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") solutions that empower companies to take payments from their customers securely, adhere to strict industry governance, and remove their business from the significant risks posed by non-compliance and data loss. Our products secure payments and data in any business communications environment including voice, chat, social, email, and contact centre. We are integrated to, and resold by, some of the worlds' leading business communications vendors, as well as major payment service providers.
The entirety of our product-base is available from our global cloud platform hosted in Amazon Web Services ("AWS"), with regional instances across EMEA, North America, and ANZ. PCI Pal products can be used by any size organisation globally, and we are proud to work with some of the largest and most respected brands in the world.
For more information visit www.pcipal.com or follow the team on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pci-pal/
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Last year, I started travelling again to small towns and villages, an India that I had discovered in the 1980s and 1990s. I was seeing those places at close quarters after more than 10 years. There were many striking and visible changes. The most overwhelming was the sight of India drowning in rubbish.
Standing in the exquisite Garhwal, if you move your eyes off the picture-perfect mountains and streams, and to the place you are standing, you will find rubbish. The Nilgiris, the Aravalis…it's all the same. On the scorched plains of Gulbarga or of anywhere else, in this generally scorched nation, you will find the same heaps of rubbish. Rubbish is the common denominator of all landscapes in India.
India's high growth rate is generating an ocean of rubbish, for which we are doing nothing. This is the most visible of the many challenges posed by changing consumption patterns and urbanization.
The McKinsey Global Institute published an excellent study in April 2010: India's Urban Awakening. As with any such study that would look out till 2030, we can quarrel with many of its assumptions and conclusions. However, the broad conclusions are unarguable: India will be a lot more urban in 2030; unless we dramatically increase our investment in urban infrastructure, life will be much worse in cities; and the current signs suggest that indeed things are going to be much worse—with the gap between supply and need of urban services widening sharply. Urban services include waste and sewage disposal, water supply, transport, etc.
The study estimates that we need to invest $1.2 trillion through 2030 in urban infrastructure for our cities to become livable. As valuable as it is, the study still understates the problem. Its benchmark estimate is of about 6,000 cities in India in 2030, which may be much lower than the actual number.
The reasons for this understatement are quite understandable: it is very difficult to demarcate urban and rural spaces, and the problem is compounded by rapid urbanization. While habitations may be "rural" by many relevant measures, they may also be "urban" by some other. Most common is the situation where consumption patterns move rapidly to what may be called urban, but most other things remain rural.
Such places do not necessarily need all the complex civic services of a full-fledged city, but they do need some of the basic services, e.g. waste and sewage disposal, water supply. When one considers the numbers (increasing by the day) of such habitations in the twilight zone of urban and rural—and to that adds all the cities (say 6,000), then one sees a glimpse of the scale of the problem.
It's this scale of the problem that is already visible in the context of waste in its most gruesome form, of rubbish created by plastic, generated by consumption overtaking all infrastructure and services. Meanwhile, our cultural mores continue to remain apathetic to this rapidly unfolding environmental, health and aesthetic tragedy.
Let me propose three partial solutions for handling this rubbish, for the cities and the part-urban areas. I am aware that each (or the combination) of these solutions can be shot down, riddled with holes of impracticality or ideology.
First is for the National Rural Livelihoods Mission to catalyse a disposal chain for plastic waste, including collection, sorting and recycling. This can be done at the satellite villages of all urban centres. This will handle the plastic and generate livelihood.
Second is for all corporations, panchayats and talukas to invest in effective waste-disposal systems that do not end up as landfills. This would include handling and reuse of the plastic. The substantial investments required could be partly funded through taxes on key polluters such as polyethylene bags.
Third is to just shut down all units that make bags out of polyethylene (and similar material) or construct a targeted tax structure that is heavily punitive.
Whatever systems we adopt to tackle the rubbish physically, as a society we need to tackle its roots. And for this, we need changes in attitude and behaviour. The apathy of producers and consumers must be changed through education and sensitization. Likewise, we must bear the real cost of the use of plastic. Governments, local and national, can make both changes happen through education, regulation and taxation.
This most visible of all tragedies of our commons, at its core, requires the same thing for its solution that is in short supply—political will.


Browsing: / Home / Rather Have Professionals Do It. Why?
1. First know that no social service operates for free. Mainly the service sector is a one-way vector that operates on its own but at the same time is an essential part of society. Society exists only because these vectors are forwarded in the correct way.
2. Social services are authorised and approved, which guarantees their quality and their succession. Such stability is just what a home moving situation is in need of.
3. On a simple level, people think in the following way: pay for a fast and success-assuring service. They on their own are right to do so. Services on the other hand all adjust their consistency to match customer expectations.
4. Take for example UK's capital – London, and a random remote village. Citizens have no worries about house removals London but what about the other place. Because of the travelling opportunities that our kind has reached, the map was explored and analysed in such a way that there will always be a way to reach your home by car, no matter where you live. Same goes for transportation services, which are just a bigger version of the car.
5. There are also hidden ideas behind a professional service, things that people sometimes miss. Why stress out on doing it yourself, when you can have it done the easy way. A proper mental condition is very important during a relocation.
Exposed in short, professional services exist to aid us, so we can aid them. It is a mutual process of exchange, which is why it's called a service. This is good but only as long as you can afford it. Society works in no other way, unfortunately.


text:
Q: Is rails reporting its own action as deprecated? Sorry if it is a dumb question, but the issue is quite straight forward. If I do,
$ rails new testproj
$ cd testporj
$ rails plugin install git://github.com/technoweenie/attachment_fu.git

Which should just create a empty proj and install attachment_fu in it. But then, trying to start it up:
$ rails s
=> Booting WEBrick
=> Rails 3.2.2 application starting in development on http://0.0.0.0:3000
=> Call with -d to detach
=> Ctrl-C to shutdown server
DEPRECATION WARNING: You have Rails 2.3-style plugins in vendor/plugins! Support for these plugins will be removed
in Rails 4.0. Move them out and bundle them in your Gemfile, or fold them in to your app as lib/myplugin/* and conf
ig/initializers/myplugin.rb. See the release notes for more on this: http://weblog.rubyonrails.org/2012/01/04/rails
-3-2-0-rc2-has-been-released. (called from <top (required)> at c:/Users/fgadotti/rails/apps/blobtest/testproj/confi
g/environment.rb:5)
Exiting

The heck? What did I miss?
It is rails 3.2.2 on windows I have installed.
thanks,

A: plugin install will be deprecated in rails 4.
Gems are now preferred, which are added to Gemfile in your application's root directory and installed with bundle install
attachment_fu is not very well supported with rails 3, I'd use carrierwave instead. You can use Rmagick's to_blob method to store the images in the database.

A: like the error suggests there is a new rails version needed:
make sure you add your gemfile to the newest version and run
rake rails:update

this is one thing also the warning suggest you need to move your dependencies out of vendors and put them in your gemfile then run:
bundle install

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Okay, you might be thinking broccoli soup, gross! I promise this is anything but gross. This is one recipe that will get even the pickiest of eaters to consume those pretty little green trees. It gives you a "creamy soup" fix without adding unhealthy heavy creams or any dairy for that matter. We all know that we should consume more vegetables like broccoli so why not find a way to enjoy it, rather than forcing down something we can't bare the taste of. I believe you can make any veggie good if you have the right seasons.
The creaminess, along with herbs and other seasonings makes this soup explode with flavor. That's not the only thing either. It's also full of health benefits – like the majority of my recipes. I once heard someone say each time you eat is an opportunity to heal your body and improve your health. This recipe certainly does that.
It's loaded with antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients especially when it comes to healing. Broccoli improves liver functions, helps lower cholesterol, fights off cancer cells and helps decrease inflammation. All of the seasonings used will benefit your body too.
Turmeric helps to prevent and treat inflammation. This spice that is mostly used in Indian foods, is a natural pain killer so when you're suffering from an injury or other painful ailments this is a great dish to consume. Just don't forget to add black pepper with your turmeric as it helps your body absorb it better. I like to sprinkle it on before eating a big bowl of this soup.
In large pot sauté the onions and garlic for about 5-8 minute until onions are translucent *Add water as needed to keep them from sticking to the pan instead of using oil.
Mix in thyme, oregano & celery cook for another 2 minutes. Then add turmeric, broccoli, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, cashews, 1 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10-15 min or until broccoli is tender.
Use an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a blender to blend. If using a regular blend, I suggest allowing the soup to cool before you transfer. Sometimes hot liquids can blow the top of the blender.
Once all blended pour back in pot and reheat if needed. Add salt and pepper as desired. Store in an air-tight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store in the freezer for longer.


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Digital & Social⟩Social Media
5 Stories Nonprofits Should Be Telling On Social Media
Jay Leonard Last updated: March 26, 2014
photo credit: armadillo444 via photopin cc
Storytelling has been receiving a lot of press lately, as a content marketing tool and as an effective way to engage audiences on social media.
Brands and businesses are getting their stories out there – stories about their origins, their values, their customers.
So why are most nonprofits so bad at storytelling?
I think the reason is that many nonprofit staff and volunteers are uncomfortable talking about themselves. They feel icky asking for support, asking for help, patting themselves on the back and sharing the great work they are doing every day.
This needs to change.
Here are 5 stories that your nonprofit should be telling everywhere you do fundraising and marketing – including social media.
1) Values & Ethics Stories.
In these stories, you depict the values and ethics that are at the core of your organization. Examples of core values can include integrity, excellence, empowerment, respect, embracing diversity.
Good examples of nonprofits who clearly lay out their core values on their websites are the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and Greenpeace.
Value stories will help people identify with your organization. One main reason that people give to specific charities based on shared values – how can you express your unique values to supporters and potential supporters?
A great example of value storytelling can be found on the Environmental Defense fund website.
EDF was created by a passionate group of conservationists in Long Island who wanted to save the osprey, bald eagle and peregrine falcon. This small dedicated band of people went to court and go DDT banned in Long Island in 1966, and subsequently played a large role in the nationwide ban.
They play up the "strong foundation" and grassroots value, which continues to inform their work today.
Save the Children values authenticity and integrity in it's executives. They often share photos of their President & CEO in remote areas of the world, on the ground.
By starting a Pinterest board called Carolyn's Corner, they can document their President & CEO's travels, work and inspiration and share it with their online community.
Pin caption: Follow our President & CEO Carolyn Miles for an inside look at our work for children in the US and around the world.
2) Social Proof Stories.
Which influential community members have been moved by your work? Who are your biggest supporters?
The Robin Hood Foundation has a great video front and center on their website. It starts out immediately featuring stories of those impacted by its work and philanthropy. It also intersperses clips of Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone and the Chairman & CEO Of Goldman Sachs describing why they support the Foundation.
You may not have nationally know supporters, but I'm willing to bet you could get the mayor, a state senator, a local TV news celebrity or sports figure to explain why they support your nonprofit. (And if they don't know about you, make them know.)
Offering this kind of social proof makes donors and supporters sit up and take notice – especially if you are a small, community-based nonprofit.
3) Founder Stories.
In telling your founder story, you need to ask the following questions:
Why was your organization started in the first place?
Who identified the need?
What was that like for them? What were their struggles in the beginning?
A perfect example of telling this story in a compelling way is Billy Starr of the Pan-Mass Challenge. In an inspiring video made by 50 Egs and Babson College, Billy' s compelling story, and how he created the now multi-million dollar PMC as a tribute to his mother and his childhood.
4) Continuous Improvement Stories.
Show your supporters that your nonprofit is continually learning and improving.
Did you start our in one direction and then found another, greater need? How have you adapted to the needs of your constituency throughout the years?
An example of this kind of story is The Denver Foundation's video series, 10 Years 10 Stories.
These videos are stories told from the nonprofits who have been awarded grants. Not all the grants and programs worked out the way they were meant to, but the great part of the story is how the nonprofit leaders discuss what they learn and what they still have to work on.
5) Impact Stories.
These stories are by far the most important. Donors, volunteers, staff, stakeholders – they all want to know what impact your organization is having on the problem, the cause and the world.
Are you affecting change? Are you pushing the needle in some way? How can you showcase the great work you are doing through those that you have helped?
Charity Water uses Instagram to tell their stories in 15 second chunks – not fancy stages, lighting or narration involved.
UNICEF Canada uses Pinterest to share their successes and the impact of their work.
Pin caption: Children dance in a child-friendly space in Central African Republic. For a little while they can forget the horrors of conflict. Thanks to UNICEF Canada for the photo.
Too few nonprofits share their impact stories. Let's change that.
For more great examples of nonprofit storytelling using video, check out the winners of the 2013 DoGooder Awards on YouTube.
What stories does your nonprofit tell on social media?
Nancy Kohorn Henricks, C.P.K. says:
Telling stories is a great way to let others know about the work and impact of a non-profit organization. Thank you for these specifics about stories.
Julia Campbell says:
That's great! I'm glad you like it!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Latest in "Right to the city"
Are communities that are not directly political more effective today? More capable of resisting repression and able to maneuver and challenge the state's iron fist?
To ally campaigns for women's rights with racism is to accept the very logic that, at its ideological core, feminism seeks to destroy.
Palestine has the highest rate of mental health disorders in the MENA region. Even though resources are limited, there are incredible people fighting for mental health in Gaza.
Despite the state's attempts to know and manage, there remain illegible elements, as exemplified by the people who support the No campaign or the women who join the Women's Rally.
Young people are experiencing a numbness and profound disconnect from Turkey. Strict policies of repression and totalitarian changes in the country's constitution threaten to undo Turkish society altogether.
Egyptian nationalism, as an ideology nurtured by the military elites and embraced by the middle class, marginalizes the mass of Egyptians.
If we can no longer recognise our surroundings as a shared home it becomes easier to contemplate their destruction.
Is civil administration and planning in Egypt being run professionally according to research and analysis, or is it as 'random' as the housing it claims to improve?
The reworking of urban spaces embodying the collective memory of the January 25 uprising is not a novelty, but part and parcel of the state's attempt to rewrite the history of the revolution.
If modern Alexandrian history is any indicator, rebuilding the lighthouse will become a symbol not of communal spirit but of excess, and a visible target of rage.


At CeBIT 2014 we launched an extended version of the T-Systems consultancy app. It allows technology consultants to demonstrate different applications via a tablet or multi-tasking table and capture audience data. Presentations can be personalised by scribble functionality and sent to the potential customer as a download link by e-mail. The app is currently being used by over 200 telecom consultancies, helping them to generate more leads by simplifying the sales process and making it more effective.


text:
HomeMY COUSIN IS A TIME TRAVELER PB WX2
MY COUSIN IS A TIME TRAVELER PB WX2
by Solomons David
Luke's dad has bought a lot of gadgets recently and not one of them works as it's supposed to. Maybe it's because a machine-from-the-future is stalking Bromley, playing havoc with all the tech and trying to stop Star Lad going on a...
Luke's dad has bought a lot of gadgets recently and not one of them works as it's supposed to. Maybe it's because a machine-from-the-future is stalking Bromley, playing havoc with all the tech and trying to stop Star Lad going on a date. Could this be the Rise of the Machines? Luke knows what he must do - he just needs his fellow SCARF members to help, or it will be the end of everything...
My Cousin is a Time-Traveller is the fifth instalment of Luke's laugh-out-loud adventures. From the author of My Brother Is a Superhero, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the British Book Industry Awards Children's Book of the Year, and My Gym Teacher Is an Alien Overlord, winner of a Lollies Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Award.
Books don't come much funnier than these! Packed with heart and soul, this series is perfect for fans of David Baddiel and David Walliams.
My Brother Is a Superhero
My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord
My Evil Twin is a Supervillain
My Arch-Enemy is a Brain in a Jar
My Cousin is a Time-Traveller
Publisher Name:Nosy Crow Ltd
Author:Solomons David


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Ohio college steps forward to test medical cannabis
An Ohio technical college has thrown its hat into the ring to help test cannabis for the state's medical marijuana program.
Hocking College – located in Nelsonville, about a one-hour drive from the Ohio Statehouse – said Tuesday its "goal is to partner with the state" under legislation requiring that public colleges and or universities get first crack at MMJ testing licenses, according to a news release.
Hocking's announcement is significant because there previously appeared to be little interest among Ohio's colleges to test medical marijuana. The application period for testing lab licenses is Sept. 11-22.
Under state law, private labs can enter the mix for testing licenses after the first year of the MMJ program, which is expected to launch in September 2018.
As part of its MMJ license bid, according to the release, Hocking has partnered with Jonathan Cachat – CEO of Cleveland-based CCV Research – to develop a "hands-on, high-tech" curriculum that will offer training for medical lab technicians, forensics and chemical laboratory science.
Cachat would serve as director of Hocking's testing lab.
Cannabis Industry & Marijuana Business Briefs Cannabis Industry & Marijuana Business Briefs Ohio Medical Cannabis Business & Marijuana Legal News
One comment on "Ohio college steps forward to test medical cannabis"
MARK BURCAW, D.C. on September 7th, 2017 - 9:54am
As the holder on the honor of the "First Marijuana Bust on the Entire Ohio Valley," along with 2 frat brothers (Lambda Chi Alpha – a great house) in 1967, I am delighted to see this evolution of thinking, this awakening to this incredible herbal remedy. I recommend it to patients and tell them to expect a miracle, they often do! We faced 2 – 15 years for narcotics, we beat the charges but in Texas in that era, folks served 20 + years!!!?!


text:
From the Headmaster
STEAM Precinct
BGS Education
BGS Community
BGS Together
Enrol at BGS
Year Level Entry Guide
Visit BGS
Virtual Boarding Night 2022
Boarding at BGS
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Week 4 Term 3
Friday 6 August 2021
Year 6 students on Far North Queensland tour before COVID-19 quarantine
BGS community lives school values in quarantine
An encouraging message from Student Leaders to all students
A resilient BGS Boarding community
BGS Performance Development team launches GrammarFit 2.0
Year 6 makes it to Far North Queensland before quarantine
Lead Article
Headmaster Anthony Micallef
Strength in community
At the time of writing, 12 BGS community members have tested positive to COVID-19, including boys, teachers and parents. Our thoughts are with the individuals and their families. This is an emotionally, physically and psychologically challenging period for these families and support from the community is vital.
I am sure that all in our community have had to deal with an incredibly stressful past week, with little certainty amid changing freedoms. I wish to share with you some of my thinking around how we might use our shared values to help give us direction and meaning at this time.
Learning is typically the first-listed BGS value. I thank everyone for their diligence and patience as we again transitioned to home-based learning. Learning continues at BGS. It is our core business and what we are renowned for. From my point of view, online learning is effective, but never as fulfilling as the face-to-face interaction one has in a classroom. I know that I have missed teaching Shakespeare's Macbeth to the seniors in 12D English, but we've managed to analyse the play and deconstruct Macbeth's character, albeit virtually – great job boys!
Endeavour aligns with the BGS motto, nil sine labore - nothing without work. Dealing with particularly adverse circumstances can require effort and a willingness to adapt. The maturity shown by all boys this week has been heartening, and their behaviour overwhelmingly aligns with our values of leadership and respect. The work of staff has been extraordinary. Teachers have shown amazing resilience and creativity; our business and services staff continue to help, where possible; and the parent body has shown an abiding commitment to the School's efforts to confront this challenge.
But ultimately, we are nothing without our community. The support we show each other currently demonstrates the real strength of the BGS community. I have seen the messages of support on social media, questions being asked and answered, and information shared. We will continue to send regular email communications, with this information also available on the COVID-19 Advice for BGS Community page on the BGS website.
Aside from continuing good study and eating habits and getting enough sleep, boys are being encouraged to engage with our digital wellbeing programs over this period. GrammarFit has conducted three sessions this week, following its introduction during last year's initial lockdown at the end of Term 1. Keeping active can be especially difficult when confined to your homes, and I thank the Cocurricular Department for their efforts in re-establishing this program. The Stream channel for GrammarFit can be accessed here.
GrammarWell is a key location for boys to access wellbeing resources to assist them throughout this period. Additional resources are being added this week and next, and we hope these links can be of some assistance with the stress and improbability of home quarantine. GrammarWell can be accessed here.
If your sons have any questions or concerns at any point, I encourage them to contact their Form Tutor, Teachers, Head of Year or Assistant Head of Year through Teams or via email.
I will continue to keep the BGS community updated with regular communications as information becomes available. Please take care of yourself and your family over the coming week, and do not hesitate to ask for any assistance you may need.
Deputy Headmaster and Head of Senior School | David Carroll
A message from our Student Leaders
A sense of belonging is important for students and adults – even more so in these challenging times. Our students have shown they understand the value of belonging to a community in the past few days.
Head of Middle School Rebecca Campbell and I sent a note to each of the students in Years 5 to 12 this week to pass on our best wishes and to share the below letter from our BGS Student Leaders. I hope you enjoy reading the letter as much as I did. Well done, boys.
Boys,
Quickly can the tide change, though the time we take to react will determine the impact it has on us. It's funny to think that we mentioned a lockdown jokingly last week, and now here we are in quarantine. Irony can be cruel.
Nevertheless, we move forward. As cliché as it may sound, we are all in this together. We've done it before, we can do it again.
We understand the heartbreak many of us are feeling right now with the indefinite suspension of GPS competition, and even more mundane activities that we all take for granted. While we cannot control this, there are some things we can control:
We can stay ready for the resumption of sports and activities by keeping our mind and body sharp. Watch some film in your spare time, stretch and recover from niggles and stay fit however you can.
Check in with yourself and with your mates. One of the silver linings of this lockdown is we now have a little extra time to sleep, meditate or even just switch off for an hour and watch a movie. Take the time you need to ensure the maintenance of your mental wellbeing and don't hesitate to get in contact with your BGS brothers.
Remain motivated to achieve any goals you set out for yourself this term. Prepare for assessment as though everything were going ahead as per usual, because in all likelihood it will. Use this time to your advantage with your studies.
Boys, you are not in this alone. Let's plan for the best but be prepared for the worst. We know that we are adaptable, and we're fortunate enough to be in a position where we can continue schooling in a modified way.
We hope to see you on campus shortly. If not, a virtual connection is better than no connection. Look out for how you can stay connected on the @bgs.spirit Instagram page. Stay safe.
Tom, Harry, Will, Aly and Campbell
BGS Student Leaders
Director of Boarding
Berian Williams-Jones
The recent events have been felt across the whole school community, and I am in awe of how our young men and boarding families have responded to the circumstances presented to them.
With the lockdown announced on Saturday morning, soon followed by the suspension of all sport across South East Queensland, we implemented and followed our short notice closure procedure, resulting in many boys returning home.
Few could have imagined that a few hours later, the lockdown would become a quarantine. We now find ourselves with an empty campus and lessons being delivered via home-based learning.
Following the lockdown, 10 boarders remained with us. To consolidate our program, the remaining Griffith House boys relocated to 89 Gregory Terrace – our temporary senior boarding residence while Harlin House is redeveloped. Four resident staff continue to live in the building, and the family unit model is enabling the Head of Residence (Harlin House) and the Senior Boarding Tutors (Griffith House) to lead various elements of the operation.
The challenges for the boys and staff have been significant, with no Dining Room or Laundry staff allowed on site. However, as we have experienced in the past 18 months, the greatest challenges bring the greatest growth.
Our temporary catering solution has been first-rate. The boys have willingly added chores to their daily list, and the Resident Tutors have taught them some invaluable laundry skills. To their credit, the boys have been upbeat, supported each other, and I have witnessed a heartening sense of camaraderie from all. I have been delighted by the response of everyone involved.
Within our now well-established routine of community time, physical exercise and a degree of binge-watching, the undoubted highlight has been the daily staff challenge to the boarders.
Last night, all 10 boys gave their all and employed some vastly different and intriguing techniques to row precisely 100m on Miss Cassidy Davies' ergo machine. There can have been few louder roars than when Tingiran Amet hit the magic figure of 100m, and his Pringles reward was well deserved.
In closing, I wish to sincerely thank the Boarding team for all that they have done at this time. Unfailingly, they have given selflessly to support the boarders, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
Equally, I recognise our parents and thank each of them for the flexibility and unwavering support during these times and assure them that the class, texts and images of their sons have been key in sustaining our spirit.
Director of Outdoor Education
Derek Jervis
9G engaged in the Outdoor Education experience at Moogerah before the lockdown and then quarantine. They came together as a class during the experience and were willing to support each other through the program's challenges.
Pascal Khosrotehrani was a considerate and proactive student. He engaged in every activity and discussion and finished with a thoughtful and honest reflection on the program. Lebron Brooks was an excellent participant. He was willing to take on the challenges and make the most of the Outdoor Education experience.
Campbell Agnew had an excellent week. Campbell was willing to accept challenges, push himself and be a supportive friend. Teachers and students celebrated his efforts. Lucas Stay was a kind and supportive friend. He worked hard to complete group tasks and went out of his way to check in with his classmates.
Adam James was a great student at Moogerah. He demonstrated the components of 'leading self' and showed initiative in helping at mealtimes and around the campsite. He was a keen and motivated climber who pushed himself and volunteered to belay others. Adam was a great contributor to the program and the class experience.
Year 11 Outdoor Education Leaders Nicholas Yang, Jacob Ong, and Ethan Castle guided the Year 9 boys through the program. They put their Outdoor Education and leadership experience to use to have a positive influence on the program.
A short movie of the boys' experiences can be viewed via the 9G Video link.
Outdoor Education photos are now available via the School's photo management system, Pixevety. The platform helps the School safely manage and share our photos. This user guide provides instructions on how to access, navigate, search and download photos. The system uses single sign on and must be accessed via MyGrammar > Useful Links > Pixevety. Once activated, you will be prompted to enter a login email and password, but please do not attempt to login this way. Instead, go back to MyGrammar and click on Pixevety again. You can then view the photos by clicking on the Outdoor Education Year 9 folder in Pixevety.
Head of Middle School | Rebecca Campbell
North Queensland adventure
Last week, our very excited Year 6 students embarked on their Far North Queensland adventure. Following a smooth flight to Cairns, the first stop on the tour was Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, where the students experienced cassowary and crocodile feeding and a tour of a man-made lagoon with 30 saltwater crocodiles.
Day two gave students the opportunity to explore the world heritage listed, Daintree Rainforest. Destinations included the peaceful Mossman Gorge, where they got to view an extended welcome to country and smoking ceremony. This was followed by a cruise along the Daintree River for some more crocodile spotting, including coming face to face with Scarface, a 4.5m salty who is the largest crocodile in the area.
The Great Barrier Reef was the destination on day three. The one-and-a-half-hour trip on the Quicksilver VIII included a presentation from marine biologists, offering the boys an insight into the importance of the Great Barrier Reef and the threats it faces. At Agincourt Reef the boys spent the afternoon snorkelling, fish feeding and venturing out on the semi-submersible. The boys really enjoyed swimming among the different species of tropical fish, learning about the different types of coral and even an encounter with a small shark.
On the final day, the boys enjoyed a trip on the Kuranda Scenic Railway which offered spectacular views of Cairns and its surrounds.
The Year 6 Far North Queensland tour was a rewarding and enjoyable experience for all and provided an opportunity for students to explore and learn about two world heritage sites. A big thank you to all staff including Mr Tier, Mr McFarlane, Mr Kenny, Mr Shears, Mrs Coombe, Mrs Lindsay, Ms Ragen, Mr Murray, Mr Bloch, Mr Grice, Ms Salmon, Miss Hart and Mrs Brennan for supporting the boys on this tour.
Cocurricular
Head of Performance Development | Adam Bloch
We have all had to operate in unfamiliar territory in our personal and professional lives in the past week. Like many other departments at BGS, the Performance Development Team has a can-do approach and will continue to provide physical preparation programs to our students. We are fortunate to have highly experienced staff to deliver online strength and conditioning during home-based learning.
The work of Rhys Cox, Jordan Manning and Lara Ponsi in reviving GrammarFit in less than 24 hours has meant that the entire BGS Community – teachers, students and their families – will have access to a prescribed and coached physical activity session at home. GrammarFit 2.0 will allow you to remain physically active through a series of bodyweight strength, conditioning and yoga sessions while in quarantine. These will be published to the GrammarFit Stream Channel online at 6.00am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning. This channel is available via the Cocurricular Teams channel here.
Further, the Hercules Program is open to all Middle School students and is specifically programmed by Grant Cole. Grant has focused on bodyweight circuits that will work the whole body and develop core movement competencies to deal with quarantine restraints. Simple is best, and these sessions can be completed multiple times each week. Further, the Foundations of Performance Development Program for Years 9 and 10 will be rolled out for those boys looking to maintain, or build, their physical profile during this lockdown period.
The expertise of Rhett Cope, Cat Paice and Nathan Parnham have come to the fore in programming and prescribing multiple General User and Rehabilitation sessions for our Years 11 and 12 students. Bodyweight and high intensity circuits are being prioritised so students can complete these sessions without equipment.
Ensuring our students remain physically prepared for any return to GPS competition when school returns is important. However, at this stage, we want to stress the importance of staying physically active for mental wellbeing for students and their families. If we stay active on a regular basis, the performance aspect will take care of itself in the coming weeks.
We are excited to offer these age-appropriate strength and conditioning sessions to every student during home-based learning. Parents, your health is just as important during this period of uncertainty, and we encourage you to use these sessions in the absence of your usual training routines. All sessions are accessible via the Performance Development Section of the Cocurricular tab on MyGrammar.
We look forward to helping your son develop physically through his BGS journey.
Adam Bloch
Head of Performance Development
First carnival 20 August
Note, some of the below information may not be relevant if lockdown contintinues beyond the quarantine period.
A reminder to all disciplines that training has started. For details, please check the 2021 training schedule and calendar on MyGrammar.
The night of Friday 20 August (TBC) will see the first of our Invitational Track and Field Carnivals. At BGS, we use these meets to improve individual bests and as a rehearsal for the GPS Championships. All squad members should attend and compete in their two or three most relevant events. If athletes are uncertain of which events they should compete in, they should speak to the discipline-specific coach. A reminder that times/distances/heights will be used across all events to calculate the age champion at the end of the season. Students interested in scoring points across disciplines should do so early in the season so they can focus on their best one or two events as we approach the championship.
A timetable of events will be posted on MyGrammar. This will be updated each week when the invitation is received by the host school. Generally, the program will rotate through an A and B program in Term 3 so that events will not always occur at the start or end of the night.
A bus will leave school at approximately 3.15pm. Boys will change at QSAC. Boys should bring their ID cards with them to scan in. Boys may go home with parents, or a bus will be provided to return to school. The bus should arrive back at school at approximately 9.00 p.m. If boys are leaving from QSAC with parents, they should see Mr Holzgrefe or Mr Hallis to sign out.
It is expected that all students will abide by the School's Code of Behaviour policy. Students wear tracksuits and correct Track and Field uniforms. Students are encouraged to bring food that is more suitable to them as athletes.
City Districts rescheduled
Those students nominated for City Districts, please note that the carnival has been rescheduled to Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 August at Bowden Park. All other details remain the same.
All information relating to Track and Field can be found on MyGrammar.
Mr Tim Holzgrefe
Director of Track and Field
Fencing - Musketeers AGM
Year 9 Father and Son Breakfast
Year 12 Senior Formal – Parent Function
BGSOBA Business Breakfasts
BGS150 History Book
Musketeers Support Group AGM | Thursday 26 August at 7.00pm
The Musketeers BGS Fencing Support Group invites you to attend our Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 26 August at 7.00pm via Microsoft Teams, followed by a short Ordinary meeting.
All voluntary positions on the support group committee will be declared vacant. Nominations for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer must be received by Thursday 19 August 2021.
Please consider nominating for these positions as the committee is essential to providing whites hire and fundraising for our fencing boys.
To make a nomination please email a completed Position Nomination Form or Ordinary Membership Form to Musketeers Secretary Jen Malone at musketeers.support@brisbanegrammar.com. These forms can be found on the MyGrammar Fencing page.
To RSVP to the Teams Meeting, please email Fencing Director Melanie Chin at fencing@brisbanegrammar.com and a Teams invite will be forwarded to your email address.
For more information about the Musketeers Support Group or the AGM, please contact the Musketeers President, Julia Lim on musketeers.support@brisbanegrammar.com.
Don't miss the next two BGSOBA Business Breakfasts following the first event being sold out!
The BGS community is invited to join the below upcoming BGSOBA Business Breakfasts at The Grove Rooftop, 480 Queen Street Brisbane. Community members are encouraged to invite their peers and business associates from beyond the BGS community for this networking opportunity. Join the below events to hear from reputable speakers in the field:
Entrepreneurship in the Digital Economy | Wednesday 15 September, 7.00am to 8.30am. Panellists include Brett Clark '85 (ePharmacy) and Steve Baxter (entrepreneur, investor, and 'Shark' on Shark Tank Australia).
The Business of Sport | Thursday 11 November, 7.00am to 8.30am. Panellists announced shortly.
Note, these events are subject to the latest Queensland Health directives.
Click here for more information on upcoming events.
Light Dark Blue: 150 Years of Learning and Leadership at Brisbane Grammar School is available for purchase. The beautiful 500-page hardcover book updates the BGS story with previously untold anecdotes, rare photographs and illustrations. With a limited print run, it is sure to become a sought after collector's item. Standard edition and limited editions are available.
Click here to view all BGS150 merchandise – limited stocks remain.
Tuesday 13 July – Friday 17 September
Tuesday 5 October – Friday 26 November
Discover the opportunities at
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Brisbane Grammar School
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text:
Planar GHz Resonators on SrTiO3: Suppressed Losses at Temperatures below 1 K
Vincent T. Engl, Nikolaj G. Ebensperger, Lars Wendel, and Marc Scheffler 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
The complex dielectric constant ^ϵ=ϵ1+iϵ2 of SrTiO3 reaches high values ϵ1≈2∗104 at cryogenic temperatures, while the dielectric losses (ϵ2) are much stronger than for other crystalline dielectrics. SrTiO3 is a common substrate for oxide thin films, like the superconducting LaAlO3/SrTiO3 system, but the large ϵ1 and ϵ2 restrict high-frequency quantum devices on SrTiO3. Here we present superconducting coplanar Nb resonators on SrTiO3, which we successfully operate in a distant-flip-chip geometry at frequencies that exceed 1 GHz. We find a pronounced and unexpected increase in resonator quality factor Q at temperatures below 1 K, reaching up to Q≈800. We attribute this to substantial changes of the dielectric losses in SrTiO3 at mK temperatures, and we also detect non-monotonous changes in the temperature-dependent ϵ1. These findings challenge our present understanding of the dielectric properties of SrTiO3 and at the same time demonstrate that cryogenic high-frequency devices on SrTiO3 are more feasible than previously assumed.
When SrTiO3 (STO) is cooled down, its dielectric constant ^ϵ=ϵ1+iϵ2 increases drastically, from already substantial room-temperature ϵ1≈300 to values beyond 2×104. Eventually ϵ1 levels off below 3 K due to quantum fluctuations that suppress an incipient ferroelectric transition Weaver1959 ; Mitsui1961 ; Sawaguchi1962 ; Sakudo1971 ; Neville1972 ; Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 , and exhibits a weak maximum near 2 K Fischer1985 ; Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 ; Rowley2014 . These dielectric properties also depend on sample strain and isotope composition as well as on probing frequency and strength of the applied electric field Mueller1979 ; Fischer1985 ; Viana1994 ; Rowley2014 ; Davidovikj2017 . Large values and tunability of ϵ1 are of interest for electronic circuitry, but there the substantial dielectric losses of STO, quantified by ϵ2 and loss tangent tanδ=ϵ2/ϵ1, are detrimental Tagantsev2003 ; Kong2010 , and the large ϵ2 of STO persists to cryogenic temperatures where other crystalline dielectrics feature very low losses Krupka1994 .
STO is a common substrate for oxide thin-film growth and prerequisite for the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) interface that hosts a highly mobile two-dimensional electron system Ohtomo2004 . Below 300 mK, LAO/STO even features a gate-tunable superconducting dome Caviglia2008 , which relates to the superconducting state of doped bulk STO Lin2013 ; Stucky2016 ; Swartz2018 ; Thiemann2018a ; Collignon2019 . Superconducting LAO/STO is key ingredient for oxide quantum circuits Coll2019 , which seek to combine the success of mesoscopic quantum devices fabricated from conventional materials Eckstein2013 with the rich material properties found in oxides Coll2019 ; Lorenz2016 ; Boschker2017 ; Dey2018 , and several fundamental elements of quantum electronics have already been demonstrated in LAO/STO Cheng2015 ; Goswami2016 ; Tomczyk2016 ; Monteiro2017 ; Thierschmann2018 ; Pai2018a ; Pai2018b . While these were accessed with dc signals, more advanced solid state quantum circuitry is usually operated at GHz frequencies Frunzio2005 ; Gu2017 , which is also the appropriate electrodynamic regime for low-temperature spectroscopy Driessen2012 ; Scheffler2013 ; Thiemann2018b . Microwave devices on STO are difficult to implement, and only very recently high-frequency experiments on superconducting LAO/STO interfaces succeeded: Singh et al. used mm-sized LAO/STO samples as discrete elements in resonant circuits which operate at a few hundred MHz Singh2018 ; Singh2019 . Manca et al. structured a coplanar waveguide resonator into the LAO/STO interface, and they characterized the superconducting state of this one-dimensional resonator at up to the tenth harmonic, at frequencies up to 340 MHz Manca2019 . These studies demonstrate that superconducting resonators based on LAO/STO can be successfully operated, but at the same time they illustrate the fundamental challenges: firstly, the high ϵ1 of STO leads to rather low fundamental frequencies of resonators with conventional design and makes it difficult to interface them with standard microwave circuitry with 50 Ω characteristic impedance. Secondly, the quality factors Q of such transmission line resonators so far are orders of magnitude smaller than what has been achieved in planar superconducting resonators on other substrates Megrant2012 . Resonator Q can be limited by Ohmic losses in the conductor as well as dielectric losses in the substrate, and therefore we now explicitly focus on losses due to the STO. Davidovikj et al. previously explored this issue Davidovikj2017 , using superconducting coplanar MoRe resonators on STO. At 3.5 K they observed tanδ≈1/Q as low as 10−3, but only for frequencies below 100 MHz. Considering that tanδ of STO increases strongly with frequency Davidovikj2017 ; Rupprecht1962 , one expects that Q for coplanar resonators on STO operating at 1 GHz or higher will hardly exceed 100. Therefore, our results come as a surprise: for a superconducting Nb resonator on STO at 1.1 GHz we find Q around 800 at mK temperatures due to strong suppression of losses below 1 K.
Figure 1: (a) Schematic sketch of the distant-flip-chip arrangement. The Nb film is shown in gray, the STO resonator substrate in green, and the Al2O3 feedline substrate in light blue. The resonator is flipped and centrally placed over the feedline with the coupling length lc at a distance h. (b) Photograph of the mounted chip where the parallel arm of the resonator above the feedline can be seen through the slightly transparent STO sample.
We fabricated superconducting Nb coplanar λ/4-resonators on STO, as schematically shown in Fig. 1(a). The main design idea is that the coplanar resonator is coupled to the microwave instrumentation via a coplanar 50 Ω feedline on a separate sapphire substrate, and that the resonator and feedline chips are mounted in a 'distant-flip-chip' geometry Wendel2019 , i.e. the surfaces of the chips with the coplanar structures face each other, but they are held at some distance h. This way, the broadband (off-resonant) transmission of the microwave feedline is only weakly affected by the large dielectric constant of the STO, as it is held at a distance from the feedline and partially shielded by the 300nm thick superconducting Nb film. The strength of the on-resonance absorption of the resonator into the feedline signal can be tuned by design parameters: we chose inductive coupling between the feedline and a parallel section of length lc at the open end of the λ/4-resonator. The presented data are obtained with a resonator of total length l=$3200µm$, coupling length lc=$600µm$, and distance h≈$60µm$. The lateral dimensions are center conductor width W=$100µm$ and center-strip-to-ground distance S=$40µm$ for the resonator, while the feedline, also fabricated in Nb, has Wf=$300µm$ and Sf=$120µm$. As shown in Fig. 1(b), the 5×5mm STO (100) chip is slightly transparent, and thus allows optical alignment of the feedline and the coupling leg of the resonator. The STO chip is adjusted at distance h using small amounts of vacuum grease at the four corners and then fixed with Fixogum. The two-chip assembly is mounted in a brass sample box that incorporates coaxial feedthroughs, which are silver-pasted to the feedline. Microwave experiments are performed with a vector network analyzer (VNA) and for the mK experiments with an additional room-temperature amplifier, and the device is cooled down in a 4He cryostat with variable temperature insert (VTI) for temperatures down to 1.4 K or in a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator with base temperature 20 mK Thiemann2018a ; Wiemann2015 .
Figure 2: (a) Transmission spectra of the feedline coupled to a λ/4-resonator on an STO substrate, for temperatures from T=$1.4K$ to T=$10K$. Below the critical temperature Tc,Nb=7.5K the Nb resonator is superconducting, and temperature-dependent resonances are observed. (b,c) Resonant absorption, with a complex Lorentzian fit (dashed) for the 1.4K data, of (b) the resonator mode n=3 and (c) n=5.
Fig. 2(a) shows measured transmission spectra in the temperature range from about T=$1.4K$ to T=$10K$ and up to a frequency of around 1.6GHz. At the highest temperatures, the spectrum exhibits an oscillatory pattern (due to undesired standing waves in the overall transmission line) and a continuous decrease towards higher frequencies (due to skin-depth-related losses). Upon cooling below the critical temperature Tc,Nb≈$7.5K$ of the Nb, Farag2019 the feedline becomes superconducting, and the resulting reduced losses lead to increased broadband transmission Clauss2013 . At the same time, well-defined absorptive resonances develop and become more pronounced upon further cooling. For a coplanar λ/4-resonator, the harmonic resonance frequencies follow
νn=nc4l√ϵeff (1)
with n=1,3,5,... the number of the mode, c the vacuum speed of light, l the complete resonator length and ϵeff the effective dielectric constant of the coplanar line. Amongst the resonances in Fig. 2(a), we identify the two pronounced ones near 0.71 GHz and 1.15 GHz as the expected n=3 and n=5 modes. Their temperature evolution is shown in detail in Figs. 2(b) and (c), respectively. Clearly, these resonances become sharper and shift in frequency upon cooling, and they can be properly described with Lorentzian fits (dashed lines) to obtain resonance frequency νn and quality factor Qn=νnΔνn with Δνn the resonance linewidth CommentBackground . These data show that superconducting λ/4-resonators directly on STO for frequencies exceeding 1GHz can be realized also for cryogenic temperatures deep in the quantum-paraelectric regime of STO. At the same time, the spectra in Fig. 2(a) evidence the experimental challenges related to the bulk STO: several resonances in addition to the desired n=3 and n=5 modes show up, which we assign as three-dimensional modes within the brass box or parasitic modes within the waveguide structure, all of which are affected by the presence of bulk STO. Also, the expected fundamental resonance near ν1≈$0.24GHz$ appears to be absent in the data.
Figure 3: (a,d) Temperature-dependent spectra from T=$25mK$ to T=$4.28K$ for the modes (a) n=3 and (d) n=5. (b,e) Resonance frequency νn in dependence of the temperature from T=$25mK$ to T=$7.5K$ for (b) n=3 and (e) n=5. Frequencies of the high temperature measurement have been shifted for comparability footnoteshift_1 . (c,f) Quality factor Q in dependence of the temperature from T=$25mK$ to T=$7.5K$ for (c) n=3 and (f) n=5. VTI data have been acquired at a microwave power of −30dBm, mK data at −40dBm.
Figs. 3(a) and (d) show how the two modes n=3 and n=5 evolve further, at mK temperatures in the dilution refrigerator. These data immediately show a key result, namely that the resonances sharpen substantially when cooled well below 1 K, indicating a strong suppression of losses. For STO being a quantum paraelectric with Curie temperature around 30 K Neville1972 ; Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 , one would expect only very weak temperature dependence of ^ϵ below 1 K, in accordance with previous sub-Kelvin studies of ϵ1 Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 ; Rowley2014 , while ϵ2 has not been reported for such low temperatures. Our observation of strong temperature dependence in Q (and correspondingly in ϵ2 of STO) thus comes rather unexpectedly.
Figs. 3(b,e) and (d,f) show frequency νn and quality factor Qn, respectively, for the resonator mode n=3 and n=5 in dependence of temperature, from T≈$22mK$ to T≈$8K$. There are two factors that cause shifts of νn, namely the temperature dependence in ϵ1 of STO and the temperature dependence in the London penetration depth λL of the Nb conductors. The latter affects the characteristic impedance of the coplanar line, and leads to an increase of νn with decreasing temperature and has very weak temperature dependence below Tc,Nb/2, i.e. below 4 K. In our present data, these Nb-related effects are completely overwhelmed by the temperature-dependent ϵ1 of STO, and thus we can evaluate ϵ1(T) from the measured νn(T) via Eq. (1) and a model that relates ϵ of the STO to the ϵeff of the resonator.
Figure 4: (a) Dielectric constant ϵ1 of STO obtained for resonator modes n=3 (ν=$0.73GHz$) and n=5 (ν=$1.19GHz$) for T<$1K$. Data for n=3 has been shifted for comparability footnoteshift_2 . (b) Dielectric constant ϵ1 of STO obtained with different resonators from this work and comparison to literature Viana1994 ; Mueller1979 for temperatures from T=$1K$ to T=$300K$. VTI data have been acquired at a microwave power of −30dBm, mK data at −40dBm.
The resulting ϵ1(T) are shown in Fig. 4(a) for the dilution-refrigerator measurements and in Fig. 4(b) for the VTI measurements. The latter plot includes an additional data set that we obtained using a conventional metallic coplanar resonator Javaheri2016 on STO (with resonator frequency changing from 0.25GHz at 2 K to 1.99GHz at 300 K) and two data sets from literature Viana1994 ; Mueller1979 to show the overall evolution of ϵ1(T) with temperature.
Our data display the wide maximum in ϵ1(T) near 2 K that was previously addressed with much lower probing frequencies Fischer1985 ; Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 ; Rowley2014 . Our measurements extend to much lower temperatures, and there we additionally find a weak, but well-resolved minimum in ϵ1(T) around 200 mK. Such a minimum in ϵ1(T) has so far not been discussed in the literature, but data of a previous kHz study might hint at such a feature Viana1994 . While the ϵ1(T) maximum near 2 K has also been investigated from a theoretical point of view Rowley2014 ; Palova2009 ; Conduit2010 ; Chandra2017 , in particular in the context of quantum criticality, our data now suggest that an additional, even lower energy scale is present in STO.
Yet more dramatic is the sub-K behavior of ϵ2(T). If the losses of a microwave resonator are caused solely by dielectric behavior, then the resonator Q directly relates to tanδ of the dielectric. In our particular device geometry we cannot rule out that the absolute value of Q also contains loss contributions other than dielectric, in particular due to the coupling to the feedline circuitry. Therefore we discuss the losses in terms of the experimental quantity Q, but since losses due to coupling or in the superconducting Nb only very weakly depend on temperature below 1 K, it is clear that the dramatic Q increase towards lowest temperatures in Figs. 3(c) and (f) is caused by ϵ2(T) of the STO.
Figure 5: (a) Resonance frequency νn and (b) quality factor Qn for n=3 and n=5 in dependence of the temperature T (measured at the mixing chamber), for different input powers P ranging from −75dBm to −50dBm.
To investigate this phenomenon further, we have performed measurements as a function of temperature and applied microwave power, a common approach to identify possible microwave heating as well as to distinguish certain loss mechanisms, in particular the role of two-level systems Barends2007 ; OConnell2008 ; Barends2010 . The obtained data for νn and Qn, for the same two modes as before, are displayed in Fig. 5 and show the same qualitative features already discussed: upon cooling below 1 K, νn reaches a maximum in the temperature range 0.2 K to 0.3 K and then decreases towards the lowest temperatures achieved. Q continuously increases upon cooling, arguably reaching a plateau below 100 mK. The highest observed Q for the n=5 mode approaches 840.
The characteristic temperature dependence of νn allows us to address possible undesired microwave heating: above 200 mK, the νn do not vary within experimental uncertainty when the power supplied by the VNA is increased from -75 dBm to -50 dBm, thus indicating absence of microwave heating in this regime. Below 100 mK, on the other hand, we see indications for heating, as spreading of the νn(T) data sets for different applied powers. Here one can estimate that for our highest input power of -50 dBm and at lowest nominal temperature of 21 mK the actual sample temperature is around 100 mK, but for the lowest applied power of −75dBm any residual heating will not increase the actual sample temperature above 40 mK. This consistent overall picture concerning microwave heating of the sample reinforces the identification of the peculiar νn(T) evolution at mK temperatures as due to intrinsic properties of ϵ1(T) of STO.
The observed Qn for each applied power appears temperature independent below 100 mK, and thus these data sets will not be affected by the heating identified in the νn data. Q5 seems to be reduced with decreasing power, which is consistent with fluctuating two-level systems as dominant loss channel. Q3, in contrast, does not seem to be affected by the applied power in the range of this experiment. This might indicate that even the lowest applied power already saturates the two-level fluctuations, but this would be surprising considering that this is not the case for the n=5 mode at the same power despite its substantially higher Q. Here future experiments should also address yet lower input powers, which will be particularly relevant for any possible GHz quantum devices on STO. Davidovikj et al. also investigated the radio frequency (rf) response of STO as a function of applied power, and they found a strong increase of losses with increasing rf power Davidovikj2017 . This contrast to our observations is not surprising, since we operate at substantially lower temperatures, at higher frequencies, and at much lower applied powers, and thus we are much more susceptible to two-level systems.
In conclusion, we realized superconducting coplanar Nb resonators on STO substrates in a distant-flip-chip geometry operating at frequencies exceeding 1 GHz at cryogenic temperatures, which substantially extend the accessible frequency range for microwave circuits on quantum-paraelectric bulk STO. Our experiments reveal new and unexpected dielectric behavior of STO at mK temperatures and GHz frequencies: at temperatures well below the previously investigated weak ϵ1(T) maximum around 2 K we find non-monotonous behavior with an even weaker minimum in the temperature range 0.2-0.3 K. Even more remarkable is the temperature dependence of the dielectric losses, which reduce dramatically at temperatures below 1 K, leading to a resonator quality factor beyond 800 for a resonance near 1.2 GHz. These results challenge our understanding of the cryogenic dielectric properties of STO, and they call for additional efforts from both theory and experiment. Clearly our experiments can be improved further from a technical point of view, in particular concerning yet higher frequencies and the coupling to the microwave feedline. Even more intriguing are materials perspectives regarding the STO. With the underlying mechanism for the reduction of dielectric losses unclear, yet higher Q seem achievable. The observed dramatic changes bring to mind the extreme sensitivity of the low-temperature dielectric properties of STO to parameters such as chemical and isotope composition or strain Rowley2014 ; Bednorz1984 ; Stucky2016 . Exploration of this abundant material phase space should also include more detailed consideration of the probing frequency for dielectric measurements. Interpretation of our results would profit from further lower-frequency studies in the same temperature range Mueller1979 ; Viana1994 ; Fischer1985 ; Rowley2014 ; Grams2014 , and extensions to higher frequencies are also desired Thiemann2018b ; Hafner2014 , in particular considering the role of the well-studied low-lying soft mode for the dielectric properties of STO Kamaras1995 ; Yamanaka2000 . Our experiment thus holds new perspectives for oxide quantum devices, e.g. based on superconducting LAO/STO at GHz frequencies, and at the same time reveals new facets of the enigmatic low-temperature properties of STO.
We thank G. Untereiner, A. Farag, and M. Ubl for their support with resonator preparation and M. Dressel, H. Boschker, and J. Hemberger for helpful discussions. We acknowledge financial support by the DFG.
V. T. E. and N. G. E. contributed equally to this work.
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text:
Immortal Hearts
by elsannalover23
Twenty. Authors note
A young princess. A young vampire countess. Love blooms between them at once and forever follows soon after. Years later... The cycle continues. A Young vampire princess. A young vampire queen. Sparks fly immediately between them when they meet at...
#anna #compassion #desire #elsa #forever #frozen #love #passion #royalty
Moonlight shimmered along the ground of the Palace of diamonds and ice, casting brilliant light along the exterior of the palace. The palace glittered a dazzling crystal blue, masquerading as ice. Those who saw its beauty were awestruck. They were tempted to go into the palace, but feared the one who lived inside. She was both beautiful and a monster all at once. She was the countess, the most powerful vampire in the world. She could kill a single person with one bite. She was ruthless and relentless to those who harmed her or did her wrong. But soon, her heart would change.
It was a clear and beautiful evening in the kingdom. The Royal guards were hard at work, protecting the Countess and her servants. Well, the one remaining servant, Margaret, who the Countess had not killed because of wrongdoing.
Countess Elizabeth, or Elsa, as most people knew her as, was seated comfortably on her throne, wearing a beautiful ensemble of deep purple velvet with a dark blue cloak. Her platinum blonde hair swirled gracefully around her in a loose wave of curls that were hanging from a hi ponytail at the base of her head. A crown of diamonds and sapphires was placed just so in front of her ponytail. She was jolted from her relaxation by the arrival of two of her Royal guards, Derek and Sampson, who were dragging a young woman behind them.
Derek. Countess, Sampson and I have found this young woman snooping around your palace. She claims to have been beaten violently by a young man.
Sampson. She also claims to be the princess of The palace of roses. He laughed.
The Countess looked at her Royal guards. Let me see her.
Derek and Sampson obliged, dropping the young woman in front of the Countess. They took a few steps back to give them space.
Elsa looked down at the young woman before her, and very gently lifted her chin. As their eyes met, she felt her heart stop in her chest.
The young princess before her was absolutely beautiful. Her eyes were a dazzling turquoise blue, her skin was a mixture of cream and roses, her hair was a rich strawberry blonde, and her lips were a dainty pink. She was wearing the scarlet ensemble with ruffles and lace.
As she continued to look at the princess, the Countess suddenly realized that the girl was trembling. With fear. But not from her. From the person who had attacked her. Gingerly, she brushed her thumb across the girls cheek. Hello.
The princess couldn't reply. Her lips trembled along with her body. Her face was pale. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her face.
Overcome with compassion for the young princess, the Countess easily scooped her up into her arms. She looked at her Royal guards. Make sure no one comes in. She's going to be under my care.
Sampson. But my lady! She is human!
Elsa glared at him with narrowed frosted blue eyes. What does that have to do with my tending to her? Can't you see she's injured?
Derek. We are merely stating that she is human, fair countess. You have killed humans before. Why should this girl be any different?
The Countess tightened her arms around the princess. Because she does not fear me like everyone else does. She trusts me.
Sampson. How can you be so sure?
The princess whimpered quietly, resting her head against the Countess for support.
Elsa caressed the princess gently against her shoulder. That's why. Now, if either one of you should need me, I will be tending to her. She turned onto her heel. Do not let anyone in. Do you understand? Or you will both wake up with bite marks on your neck. Or worse, you might not wake up at all.


text:
Coachella promoters AEG to make vaccination mandatory for event entry
"As a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status"
Monday, August 16, 2021 - 14:41
Coachella promoter AEG has announced that vaccination will be mandatory for entry to all its events from 1st October.
The new rules apply to both attendees heading to and staff working at the live giant's various dates. The company is the second-largest presenter of music events on the planet, with the only bigger firm Live Nation, which announced on 6th August that any performing artists could start asking for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry if they choose.
"We have come to the conclusion that, as a market leader, it was up to us to take a real stand on vaccination status," Jay Marciano, AEG's CEO, said in a statement. "Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic about where our business, and country, were heading. The Delta variant, combined with vaccine hesitancy, is pushing us in the wrong direction again.
"We realise that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it's the right one. We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I'm confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what's best for artists, fans, and live event workers," he continued.
"Our hope is that our pro-active stance encourages people to do the right thing and get vaccinated," Marciano added. "I think everyone can agree that we don't want concerts to go away again, and this is the best way to keep that from happening."
A post shared by AEG Presents (@aegpresents)
Earlier this month, New York became the first area of the US to reintroduce mandatory vaccine passports or negative tests for entry to venues, with rules coming into play on 13th September. In Europe, France has taken a similar decision, and the UK has also announced that proof of two doses of an approved vaccine will be needed to get into clubs from September.
Coachella US Festivals Vaccine passport AEG
Coachella announces Swedish House Mafia, Disclosure, ANNA, more for 2022
Swedish House Mafia announced for Coachella 2022
Nightclubs in Northern Ireland to reopen on 31st October
Vaccine passports for Scottish clubs no longer delayed, effective immediately
Vaccine passports for Scottish nightclubs delayed
There's a festival in a World War II aircraft museum in December


This popular website has an extensive collection of anatomy lectures and 3D anatomy tutorials.
Series of free online courses (49 US$ for each course if you want a certificate). The XSeries is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from EDX and the University of Michigan and will explore human anatomy using a systems approach and a vast library of multimedia materials.
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health provides a vast series of lectures and videos in all medical specialties, including gross anatomy dissections videos.
Human Anatomy Education supports classroom teaching by emphasizing applied aspects of the anatomy including cross-sectional, imaging, surgical, clinical, developmental, and surface anatomy.
Medscape is a vast free medical resource with content in all medical specialties including texts in anatomy.
The Geneva Foundation is a well-organized directory of links organized by diseases and conditions mostly on gynecology and obstetrics. There is also an excellent link directory on free medical journals in all specialties, including anatomy journals.
Series of historical anatomical atlases from the National Library of Medicine's collection.
Cross-section anatomy tutorial with images comparing the anatomy, MRI, and CT scans. Pictures are from the Visible Human Project-NLM.
Online course in embryology for medicine students developed by the universities of Fribourg, Lausanne, and Bern (Switzerland).


Discussion Can i use Apache spark to submit job to GATK?
Can i use Apache spark to submit job to GATK?
I just found apache spark is very useful tool for submiting job. How can i use this for submitting job to GATK?
GATK4 will have spark support. See downloads for instructions to get an alpha preview.
I downlaoed alph preview but i could not find the way to use it.
Can i use GATK 3.7 with spark as spark-submit just need jar file as one of the parameter?
GATK 3.7 does not support spark.


Last year November, I wrote an article to remind students and teachers alike of the importance of always maintaining and Strengthening the Balance between each other in the classroom and while at school. Teachers and students will work productively and smoothly when they treat Education in the classroom as a two-way, not one-way, process. In other words, despite what many people (especially parents who had limited schooling) may have believed in the past, or may still do, students are not sponges who merely go to school to soak up knowledge from a teacher in the classroom; neither are they clay for teachers to mold. Instead of absorbing an Education, like a sponge, a student learns under a teacher's guidance and instruction when the student participates in the two-way process, and makes the effort to contribute his/her portion of a 50/50 endeavor.
A teacher's 50% of the two-way process (Education) includes providing students with academic expertise and guidance in the subject(s) that he/she teaches, and motivation to encourage each student in the class to want to learn about the subject introduced to the class. However, in order for learning to firmly take root, each student must provide the other all-important 50%, and act on the motivation that the teacher provides and on his/her own intrinsic motivation. Each student's all-important 50% of the two-way process includes, paying attention and participating in class, reviewing and studying the material presented in class, and completing assignments and class projects.
In addition to the academic expertise that a teacher presents in the classroom, and the oral and written academic work that each student completes, inside or outside the classroom, it is crucial that both student and teacher maintain a mutual respect for each other at all times. Should that fine balance of mutual respect become lopsided and off balance, chaos in the classroom will ensue. Words like discipline, obedience, power, desperation, mistrust, and fear will take on new meanings, and even become confusingly synonymous to teacher and student. Power struggles between teacher and student slowly creep into the class and replace teaching and learning.
A student who loses respect for a teacher will easily become frustrated and fall into an unending struggle of trying to win power struggles. In turn, a frustrated teacher can be pulled into the same struggle. Student: You can't make me do anything! Teacher: I'll show you who's in charge here! Consequently, when neither a student's or teacher's energy is focused on Education the learning process (for everyone in the class) turns bumpy or comes to a halt. Who is to blame? Who is not providing his/her 50% responsibility? Who is not respecting whom? Whenever a student loses respect for a teacher, or vice versa, the scale tips. It's crucial, therefore, that both sides (student and teacher) of the two-way learning process work everyday to keep and strengthen that fine but necessary balance of respect for each other.
I firmly believe, and will always stress, that students should look to teachers as leaders, and always respect and follow them as leaders. Leaders, on the other hand, know when and how to take action and intervene; they know how to implement consequences. A teacher is a leader in the classroom, and carefully studies and plans each move, and does not count on making lucky moves. In addition, as a leader who wants to solidify and strengthen his/her following (classroom) of students, a teacher strives to build and develop trusting relationships with students, presents well-prepared lessons, and provides stimulating motivation to students. Having been a high school teacher since 1978, experience has shown me that what helps to maintain that delicate scale firmly balanced, not easily tipped, is taking/making the time to "listen" to students, especially those who seem lost and most in need of a leader.
A teacher who is a strong leader will constantly challenge students to "work hard" and put forth their very best efforts, and not be satisfied with mediocre, careless, or below-average work. A strong leader/teacher provides an excellent role model for a student's moral and academic development. On the other hand, a teacher whose focus is on power and authority rather than learning will often threaten, not challenge, students with lots of home/school work. (It's no secret that parents sometimes help with very heavy loads of homework that students have.) But, do strong and effective leaders need to flaunt their power? I feel that it's a matter of attitude. No strong leader/teacher should accept repeated excuses for poor work (or lack of) from a student; however, "no excuse" should not also close the door to seeking out solutions to help a student improve his/her participation and 50%. A teacher who threatens, more than challenges, students will quickly lose their respect, and vice versa. This, in turn, could create a class full of difficult, unmotivated, and under-performing students. Both student and teacher, therefore, must provide his/her complete 50% effort in order to prevent that scale and delicate balance of mutual respect from tipping.
Finally, and without any doubt, a student who does not provide his/her 50% of the two-way process (requirements and responsibilities in the classroom) loses the most: the ability to learn, and the ability to reach his/her potential. This student also causes the entire class to lose because constant power struggles between student and teacher can crush any incentives a teacher may have to put forth his/her best efforts to lead students in the classroom everyday. With no incentive, only a salary, a teacher may be inclined to put forth mediocre efforts to teach everyday. This leads to tension and mistrust between teacher and student, and destroys the delicate balance and appreciative relationship that keep teaching and learning smooth and successful for students and teachers. By accepting and respecting a teacher, everyday, a student strengthens the delicate balance. Students usually respect well-prepared, calm and consistent teachers over power-driven teachers who are hyper and tension-filled all the time. In turn, teachers respect students who are well-behaved and usually prepared for class, and who make an effort to participate in class and take cues from the teacher – not those who are the opposite.


text:
var router = require('express').Router();
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This plan lets you visit any doctor in the Aetna network without a referral, it's entirely up to you. Visit your Primary Care Physician (PCP) or go directly to another network doctor.
Working with a PCP gives you a chance to visit a doctor who will get to know your personal health care needs. Your PCP can give you every day care and treat you for certain illnesses and injuries, knows your health patterns and risks, and can guide you on important health decisions.
SelectAETNA OPEN ACCESS PLANS then select Aetna Select (Open Access) if electing the EPO plan.


text:
The Grown Woman's Guide to Online Dating
by Tyler on September 17, 2019
Not long ago, online dating wasn't widely accepted. It was seen as the internet version of wandering singles bars, hoping to bump into a match. Thankfully, more people have come to realize that genuine and passionate romances can blossom online. The numbers speak for themselves: an estimated 30% of marrying couples met online. An additional 15% of Americans have dipped their toes into the world of dating sites and apps.
Running into each other at a party and feeling an instant spark might be a nice ideal, but when it comes to convenience and effectiveness, it's outmatched by technology. It's easier to find someone now than at any other point in history. The benefits might be even more pronounced if you're older. Research has found that people looking for a lover online are likely to have a good education and full time jobs. How do you nab yourself one of these guys? Read on.
Make Your Profile Stylish
A proven strategy is to make three quarters of your profile about you, and the fourth about what you want in a match. Remember to be specific in both parts. You want the person reading your profile to get a clear picture of who you are. Likewise, you want don't want to leave any doubts about the traits you want in a partner.
After structure, focus on style. A profile description like "My ideal match loves family, is well-read and can switch gears from a fun party on a Friday night to sitting together on a mellow Saturday." Let your personality shine through.
Capture Your Good Side
While a corporate headshot is a great idea for your LinkedIn, it doesn't have much use on dating sites and apps. What you want to go for instead is a picture that makes you look more inviting. Another type of picture to avoid is the mirror selfie; it can make you come off ass vain. There's a rule to good profile pictures and it can be summed up into three Cs: color, context and character. The color part is about having pictures with lively shades. Red usually does the trick.
The context aspect involves having pictures that show show your hobbies. The last C, character, is about pictures that show a quirky or funny side to you. Maybe a picture of you at a convention or in the costume you wore last Halloween. Put these together and you'll have a three-picture combo that's both welcoming and bustling with personality.
Take Initiative
Algorithms used by dating apps have gotten highly advanced but they're long way off from reading your mind. If you find someone you like, message him. If the dating site or app has a "like" feature, don't be shy to use it on everyone you think might have potential. With many sites, being active bumps your profile to the top, making you more visible to prospects.
When you message, try not to be too generic. Your personality should be on full display just as it was when making your profile. Send a message commenting on something in his profile. You can even add a question to make the conversation natural. Let's say for example that his profile says he likes chocolate. You can start the conversation off by saying "Nothing beats chocolate :). What's your favorite?" Giving your messages a personal touch goes a long way.
When you meet a match and he's everything you dreamed and more, you might feel a little tempted to be forward. The best thing to do, however, is to maintain a natural pace. Let things progress organically. Try not to focus too much on turning the conversation into a meetup. Instead, chat and have fun. Ask questions that help you get to know the person and, when the moment arrives, you can slip in a line hinting that you should meet.
He might invite you on a date first after enjoying your wit, humor and personality over text. Whichever way it goes, you'll be glad you spoke for a while on the dating site because the chemistry you built up will make your date go much smoother.
Taking your time also applies to the actual date. Let the conversation flow naturally and focus more on enjoying yourself.
How To Make It Easier To Find a Match
Meet 9 People
According to science, our brains can only handle between five and nine options at a time. Anything more than that and we're going to experience cognitive overload. After that, you'll find yourself nitpicking and searching for reasons to say no. Pick nine people, go on dates with them and then take a short break as you get to know at least one.
Have 3 Deal-Breakers
Having at least three things that will end the deal for you is a good way to make sure that you are reducing your standards for the sake of meeting someone. If there's something you feel that you can't tolerate, you can make that a deal-breaker. This can be anything from smoking to not being able to keep time. While most focus on their wants, it's also important to focus on needs. Wants are things like attractiveness and a sense of humor. Needs are more profound, like good communication and respect for each other.
Go on 3 dates
Even if you feel that it's not a match after the first date, go on a second, then a third. While you might feel that you are searching for chemistry, what you might actually want is someone who meets your needs. While attraction is important, it tends to fade if you're not a long term match. If someone meets your needs you'll find that attraction follows naturally.
Online dating can at first seem like navigating a maze with twists and turns. At the heart of it, it's really just about putting yourself out there and letting the best things about you take the spotlight. With this guide, you'll have a much easier time doing that. What that means is you'll have a much better chance to find a match and that passionate romance you've been waiting for.
5 Facts About Online Dating
by Tyler
How to Write a Good Dating Profile for a Man
The 9 Best Ways To Start An Online Conversation: Dating Sites & Apps
Match.com Review: Is This Dating Site Still Worth it to …
Thai Friendly Review: Best Thai Dating Website? Tips to Meet …
Online Dating Tips for Single Men
How to Take a Dating Profile Picture
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