http://revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5076

I saw a Revision3 forum thread where a fellow was expressing frustration over something the Zune did:

"So I updated the Zune software and well after I did it didnt [sic] work. I had to uninstall [sic] and reinstall. Well, after you do that, the Zune Software sees your Zune as foreign and reformats it for ya to work with your new library. But, I forgot I had converted the first 40 Star Trek TOS episodes for the Zune already and deleted them from my PC. Now they are gone. I am doomed to repeat that 2 day process I fear. Somebody hold me."

I feel for the guy - I really do. It's ridiculous that the Zune couldn't update it's firmware without losing the partnership information, and it's even more ridiculous how easy it is to lose the content on your Zune. But...(and you knew this was coming), relying on a Zune, or any portable media player for that matter, as the one and only source for your video files is a really bad move. The partnership information on the Zune doesn't appear to be particularly reliable - two weeks ago, prior to the 1.3 firmware update, I synchronized my Zune - and it claimed it was a new partnership and helpfully offered to nuke all the content on my Zune. I hadn't updated or changed anything, yet it lost the partnership information. Has anything similar happened to you?
Interesting, the software and firmware went fine. Sync'ed fine. Out of the blue yesterday it lost knowing my Zune was home so had to GUEST first to get back some videos. THEN made the unit my home unit and sync'ed.
Why does MS force you to delete/format and THEN sync when doing what it feels is a new partnership? How about making it 'smart' and having the software ask to keep, remove, or merge data like on Activesync for Smartphones?
Maybe the Activesync folks need to teach the Zune guys a thing or two.
Since updating to 1.3 I've lost partnership 3-4 times and have had to reformat/sync everything all over.
I feel bad for him...but yeah...not a wise move on his part.
not a bad thought at all....i for one can confirm these temp files are real....i just cleared 6.4 gigs worth of them last week.


text:
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 38 > Subchapter III > § 1637b
7 USC 1637b – Mandatory reporting for dairy products
Current as of: 2020 | Check for updates	| Other versions
(a) Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a program of mandatory dairy product information reporting that will–
Terms Used In 7 USC 1637b
Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
(1) provide timely, accurate, and reliable market information;
(2) facilitate more informed marketing decisions; and
(3) promote competition in the dairy product manufacturing industry.
(b) Requirements
In establishing the program, the Secretary shall only–
(A)(i) subject to the conditions described in paragraph (2), require each manufacturer to report to the Secretary information concerning the price, quantity, and moisture content of dairy products sold by the manufacturer; and
(ii) modify the format used to provide the information on the day before November 22, 2000, to ensure that the information can be readily understood by market participants; and
(B) require each manufacturer and other person storing dairy products to report to the Secretary, at a periodic interval determined by the Secretary, information on the quantity of dairy products stored.
(2) Conditions
The conditions referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i) are that–
(A) the information referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i) is required only with respect to those package sizes actually used to establish minimum prices for Class III or Class IV milk under a Federal milk marketing order;
(B) the information referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i) is required only to the extent that the information is actually used to establish minimum prices for Class III or Class IV milk under a Federal milk marketing order;
(C) the frequency of the required reporting under paragraph (1)(A)(i) does not exceed the frequency used to establish minimum prices for Class III or Class IV milk under a Federal milk marketing order; and
(D) the Secretary may exempt from all reporting requirements any manufacturer that processes and markets less than 1,000,000 pounds of dairy products per year.
(c) Administration
The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to ensure compliance with, and otherwise carry out, this subchapter.
(2) Confidentiality
Except as otherwise directed by the Secretary or the Attorney General for enforcement purposes, no officer, employee, or agent of the United States shall make available to the public information, statistics, or documents obtained from or submitted by any person under this subchapter other than in a manner that ensures that confidentiality is preserved regarding the identity of persons, including parties to a contract, and proprietary business information.
(B) Relation to other requirements
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no facts or information obtained under this subchapter shall be disclosed in accordance with section 552 of title 5.
(3) Verification
The Secretary shall take such actions as the Secretary considers necessary to verify the accuracy of the information submitted or reported under this subchapter.
(B) Quarterly audits
The Secretary shall quarterly conduct an audit of information submitted or reported under this subchapter and compare such information with other related dairy market statistics.
(4) Enforcement
(A) Unlawful act
It shall be unlawful and a violation of this subchapter for any person subject to this subchapter to willfully fail or refuse to provide, or delay the timely reporting of, accurate information to the Secretary in accordance with this subchapter.
(B) Order
After providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing to affected persons, the Secretary may issue an order against any person to cease and desist from continuing any violation of this subchapter.
(C) Appeal
The order of the Secretary under subparagraph (B) shall be final and conclusive unless an affected person files an appeal of the order of the Secretary in United States district court not later than 30 days after the date of the issuance of the order.
(ii) Findings
A finding of the Secretary under this paragraph shall be set aside only if the finding is found to be unsupported by substantial evidence.
(D) Noncompliance with order
If a person subject to this subchapter fails to obey an order issued under this paragraph after the order has become final and unappealable, or after the appropriate United States district court has entered a final judgment in favor of the Secretary, the United States may apply to the appropriate United States district court for enforcement of the order.
(ii) Enforcement
If the court determines that the order was lawfully made and duly served and that the person violated the order, the court shall enforce the order.
(iii) Civil penalty
If the court finds that the person violated the order, the person shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each offense.
(5) Fees
The Secretary shall not charge or assess a user fee, transaction fee, service charge, assessment, reimbursement fee, or any other fee under this subchapter for–
(A) the submission or reporting of information;
(B) the receipt or availability of, or access to, published reports or information; or
(C) any other activity required under this subchapter.
(6) Recordkeeping
Each person required to report information to the Secretary under this subchapter shall maintain, and make available to the Secretary, on request, original contracts, agreements, receipts, and other records associated with the sale or storage of any dairy products during the 2-year period beginning on the date of the creation of the records.
(d) Electronic reporting
(1) Electronic reporting system required
The Secretary shall establish an electronic reporting system to carry out this section.
(2) Publication
Not later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the Wednesday of each week, the Secretary shall publish a report containing the information obtained under this section for the preceding week.
(e) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
Subchapter III Contents
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 106 > Subchapter V - Dairy
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 113 > Subchapter IV - Dairy
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 38 > Subchapter III - Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 76 - Dairy Research and Promotion
U.S. Code > Title 7 > Chapter 93 - Processor-Funded Milk Promotion Program
California Codes > Food and Agricultural Code > Division 15 - Milk and Milk Products Act of 1947
California Codes > Food and Agricultural Code > Division 20 > Chapter 9 - Dairy Produce Exchanges
Florida Regulations > Chapter 5K-10 - Milk, Milk Products and Frozen Desserts
Florida Regulations > Chapter 5M-17 - Best Management Practices for Florida Dairies
Florida Statutes > Chapter 502 - Milk, Milk Products, and Frozen Desserts
Illinois Compiled Statutes > 505 ILCS 95 - Illinois Milk Promotion Act
New York Laws > Agriculture and Markets > Article 4 - Dairy Products.
New York Laws > Agriculture and Markets > Article 4-B - Milk Sanitation
New York Laws > Agriculture and Markets > Article 4-C - Foreign Dairy Products
Texas Agriculture Code > Title 6 > Subtitle D - Dairy Products

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mechatronics AC & DC Backward Curved Motorized Impellers offer exceptional airflow and pressure performance with a variety of voltage, speed control, alarm output, and environmental protection options. Standard impeller models are available from 120mm-400mm diameter. Please contact Mechatronics with your engineering requirements. Mechatronics engineers are available to assist with development of custom cooling solutions to meet the demands of your application.
Mechatronics offers the standard motorized impeller package as well as a unique configuration which combines the impeller and inlet ring in one complete package. The integrated inlet ring doubles as a mounting plate.
Standard motorized impeller integration requires an inlet ring to block the exhaust air from re-entering the air intake. For optimal performance, the inlet ring must be mounted to an adjacent surface aligning it with the impeller intake.
Mechatronics integrated inlet ring option eliminates the need for an additional adjacent surface for an inlet ring. Simply mount the device and power it up. This simplifies integration as well as reduces your assembly labor time.


text:
Een beekrand is in Vlaanderen een bemestingvrije zone langs een waterloop. Voor het beheer van beekranden kan de landbouwer van het aanpalende land een beheerovereenkomst afsluiten met de Vlaamse Landmaatschappij (VLM) en hiervoor een jaarlijkse vergoeding ontvangen. De overeenkomst is vrijwillig en wordt aangegaan voor telkens 5 jaar.

Door de aanleg van de 6 meter brede bufferstrook tussen de waterloop en de weiden of akkers worden meerdere problemen tegelijk aangepakt. De waterkwaliteit verbetert door de verminderde afstroom van meststoffen en gewasbeschermingsmiddelen. In de bufferstroken kunnen planten zich volop ontwikkelen en dieren vinden er de nodige beschutting. Beken en waterlopen met natuurvriendelijke oevers vormen bovendien fraaie groene linten in het landschap. Tevens wordt rekening gehouden met praktische zaken zoals onderhoud van de beken en bereikbaarheid van percelen.

Landbouwers ondervinden echter nog praktische problemen bij de aanleg van een beekrand, zoals bijvoorbeeld door de aanwezigheid van historische ruimingsresten op de oever of dwarse afwateringsgreppels.

Externe link
 Beekrandenbeheer in het stroomgebied van de Dommel en de Warmbeek

Natuurbeheer
Natuur in Vlaanderen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Jeff Kanew; właściwie Jeffrey Roger Kanew (ur. 16 grudnia 1944 w Nowym Jorku) – amerykański reżyser, montażysta, scenarzysta i producent filmowy.

Wybrana filmografia
Reżyseria:
 Dopaść Ediego (1983)
 Zemsta frajerów (1984)
 Mam cię! (1985)
 Twardziele (1986)
 Drużyna z Beverly Hills (1989)
 Detektyw w szpilkach (1991)
 Dotyk anioła (1994-2003; serial TV); reż. 3 odcinków
 Babi Jar (2003)
 Adam i Ewa (2005)
 Legenda Awesomesta Maximusa (2011)
Montaż:
 Zwyczajni ludzie (1980; reż. Robert Redford)

Bibliografia

Amerykańscy reżyserzy filmowi
Amerykańscy montażyści filmowi
Amerykańscy producenci filmowi
Urodzeni w 1944
Ludzie urodzeni w Nowym Jorku


text:
Q: How to input Double variables? When I run this code and input the double value for the first variable i.e
miles It shows an error on the read.nextDouble() line as Exception in thread "main" java.util.InputMismatchException.
/**
 * Created by Ranjan Yadav on 1.10.2016.
 */
public class GasMileage {
    public static void main(String[] args){
        java.util.Scanner read = new java.util.Scanner(System.in);
        int counter = 0;
        System.out.println("Miles Driven(press 1 to quit): ");
        double miles = read.nextDouble();
        double totalGalon = 0;
        double totalMiles = 0;
        double milesPerGalon = 0;
        double totalMilesPerGalon = 0;
        totalMiles += miles;
        while(miles != 1){
            System.out.println("Gallon used: ");
            double galon = read.nextDouble();
            counter++;
            milesPerGalon = miles / galon;
            totalMilesPerGalon += milesPerGalon;
            System.out.println("Miles per gallon: " + milesPerGalon);
            System.out.println("Miles Driven(press 1 to quit); ");
            miles = read.nextDouble();
            totalGalon += galon;
            totalMiles += miles;
        }
        if(counter == 0 ){
            System.out.println("No values were entered.\nThanks for Using!\n\n");
        }else{
            double avg = totalMilesPerGalon / counter;
            System.out.printf("Total miles driven: %.2f" , totalMiles);
            System.out.printf("Total gallons used: %.2f" , totalGalon);
            System.out.printf("Miles per gallon for all trips: %.2f" , totalMilesPerGalon);
        }
    }
}

A: From the Javadoc:

Throws:

*

*InputMismatchException - if the next token does not match the Float regular expression, or is out of range

Basically, you're inputting something that is not a number.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Location: Plas Power Estate lies NW of Bersham and SE of Coedpoeth; the stables are near the southern end of the park and reached 1km along N drive off A525. They lie immediately to the NW of the drive.
Plas Power was completely remodelled in 1858 for Thomas Lloyd Fitzhugh by John Gibson, architect, of London and was demolished in 1946-7. The stables form part of improvements to the estate associated with the remodelling of the house, and are dated 1864, with initials T.L.F.
Brick with stone dressings and slate roof carried forward on moulded timber eaves cornice. The stables are built as 3 sides of a blue-brick lined courtyard, with a small rear wing offset to the NW housing domestic accomodation above tack rooms etc. Main range facing courtyard entrance articulated as 5 bays with segmental arches on plain brick pilasters with stone impost band. Outer arches have glazed tympana; central doorway has entablature carried on brackets. Advanced ranges to either side are similarly articulated, but with narrow outer bays housing doorways with overlights at either end, and wider segmental arches to centre. In the right-hand range, one of these arches is blind, and the other has double doors with glazed overlight; in the left hand range, both arches have full-height doors into the head of the arch.
Original fittings survive in stabling in main range: hexagonal tiled walls, with lined-out stucco above, boarded and iron railed stall dividers, and blue brick flooring. Loose boxes in right hand range; left hand range open, probably as coach house.
Listed as a well-detailed architecturally designed stable range which retains its original character intact, and for its special interest as a surviving estate building at Plas Power.


Smoke or Odor Problem With Your Chimney?
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Once a year minimum. Each car will vary depending on brand, model, fuel type etc. It can also differ depending on the type of use; off-road vehicles require more maintenance than cars that do a low mileage. In general, however, you should have your vehicle serviced every 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first.
What things should I look out for on my car?
Visual – If you're lucky enough to park your vehicle in the same place most days, occasionally look on the ground as you move the car. If there are oil marks or patches of green or red fluid, it is time to check the oil and water. This is critical. Modern vehicles can be quite unforgiving and a small water leak, left unchecked, can lead to the need for major repairs.
Tyres – Take an occasional walk around your vehicle to ensure the tyres are correctly inflated and in good condition with no wear on the shoulders. Tyre pressures should be checked at least every six months. Correct pressure will vary from one vehicle to the next – give us a call if you need to know the correct pressure for your car tyres.
Take precautions – If you have our details in your glovebox or one a KAAR Mitsubishi key-ring, then you are part of our KAAR-munity. That means, wherever you are, if you need mechanical help, we will find a way to assist you.
Things have changed. Vehicle engines are more specific these days. Not only can different makes and models of car take different grades of oil, even within models it can come down to a number at the end of an engine code.
Ensure you know the specific oil required for your car's motor. Incorrect oil can increase fuel consumption and make an engine more difficult to start.
Line up your next WOF with your regular vehicle service with KAAR's 12 month WoF system. Save time be getting your vehicle service and WoF done on the same day. If you need assistance in planning this we're only too happy to help. For a small fee to cover insurance costs, you can book a a loan car.
If time is something you don't have much of… we can come to you. KAAR Mitsubishi Mobile are based in West Auckland but will service your vehicle at your workplace or home, anywhere in Auckland.
Click here to book a KAAR Mitsubishi service auto-technician or Mobile Mechanic.


text:
package fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin;

import com.intellij.openapi.components.PersistentStateComponent;
import com.intellij.openapi.components.ServiceManager;
import com.intellij.openapi.components.State;
import com.intellij.openapi.components.Storage;
import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
import com.intellij.util.xmlb.XmlSerializerUtil;
import fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin.assistant.reference.MethodParameterSetting;
import fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin.assistant.signature.MethodSignatureSetting;
import fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin.dic.ContainerFile;
import fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin.routing.dict.RoutingFile;
import fr.adrienbrault.idea.symfony2plugin.templating.path.TwigNamespaceSetting;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.List;

@State(
       name = "Symfony2PluginSettings",
       storages = {
               @Storage("symfony2.xml")
       }
)
public class Settings implements PersistentStateComponent<Settings> {

    // Default Symfony
    public static final Collection<String> DEFAULT_ROUTES = Arrays.asList(
        "app/cache/dev/appDevUrlGenerator.php",
        "var/cache/dev/appDevUrlGenerator.php",
        "var/cache/dev/appDevDebugProjectContainerUrlGenerator.php",
        "var/cache/dev/srcDevDebugProjectContainerUrlGenerator.php",
        "var/cache/dev/url_generating_routes.php", // Symfony >= 4
        "var/cache/dev/UrlGenerator.php" // Symfony >= 4
    );

    public static String DEFAULT_TRANSLATION_PATH = "var/cache/dev/translations";

    public static String DEFAULT_WEB_DIRECTORY = "public";
    public static String DEFAULT_APP_DIRECTORY = "app";

    public String pathToTranslation = DEFAULT_TRANSLATION_PATH;
    public String directoryToWeb = DEFAULT_WEB_DIRECTORY;
    public String directoryToApp = DEFAULT_APP_DIRECTORY;
    public String serviceJsNameStrategy = null;

    public boolean remoteDevFileScheduler = false;

    public boolean pluginEnabled = false;

    public boolean objectSignatureTypeProvider = false;

    public boolean codeFoldingPhpRoute = true;
    public boolean codeFoldingPhpModel = true;
    public boolean codeFoldingPhpTemplate = true;
    public boolean codeFoldingTwigRoute = true;
    public boolean codeFoldingTwigTemplate = true;
    public boolean codeFoldingTwigConstant = true;
    public boolean featureTwigIcon = true;

    public boolean twigBundleNamespaceSupport = true;

    public boolean dismissEnableNotification = false;

    public boolean profilerLocalEnabled = false;
    public String profilerLocalUrl = "http://127.0.0.1:8000";
    public String profilerCsvPath;

    public boolean profilerHttpEnabled = false;
    public String profilerHttpUrl = "http://127.0.0.1:8000";

    /**
     * Use service id attribute as class name for service generator
     */
    public boolean serviceClassAsIdAttribute = false;

    /**
     * Last user selected output of service generator eg: yaml or xml
     */
    public String lastServiceGeneratorLanguage = null;

    @Nullable
    public List<TwigNamespaceSetting> twigNamespaces = new ArrayList<>();

    @Nullable
    public List<ContainerFile> containerFiles = new ArrayList<>();

    @Nullable
    public List<RoutingFile> routingFiles = new ArrayList<>();

    @Nullable
    public List<MethodParameterSetting> methodParameterSettings = new ArrayList<>();

    @Nullable
    public List<MethodSignatureSetting> methodSignatureSettings = new ArrayList<>();

    public static Settings getInstance(Project project) {
        return ServiceManager.getService(project, Settings.class);
    }

    @Nullable
    @Override
    public Settings getState() {
        return this;
    }

    @Override
    public void loadState(@NotNull Settings settings) {
        XmlSerializerUtil.copyBean(settings, this);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Although the classic focus on the working class remains the keynote of any real majoritarian/democratic initiative it is useful to consider the larger framework of the 'universal class' so-called in order to really see the way in which social division as class struggle needs to yield to a platform that deals with all classes and subsets thereof. The working class focus can end up neglecting the real crisis unfolding: the ecological crisis, the onset of degrowth and no growth economics, the neglected 'lumpernproletariat', the ambiguous middle class, and ultimately the 'bourgeoisie' itself which is under threat of liquidation in the working class ferocity model.
We need a coherent plan that can give a focus to the working class but point to a unification of classes in a transitional socialism/communism that can mediate class differences beyond class struggle in a unified Commune.
was to obviate precisely the difficulty we see now in discussions of the Women's March: the splintering of focus between issue activisms and a more general leftist perspective, or set of perspectives. The universal class is really a superset of the working class and we can change gears immediately to consider a working class version of both the universal class and the 'Red Forty-eight Group'.
The point is that the universal class is also the set of its own subsets and that includes the various issue subsets from Black Lives Matter, to Feminist groups and orgs, to much else, including the spectrum of socialist groups.
This approach automatically allows parallel groups to work together while at the same time sending a set of suggestions about considering a larger set of perspectives.
The Red Forty-eight Group isn't an actual party or association (it could be) but is a set of abstractions (based on the once and future revolutions of the '1848' legacy). It can be used as a benchmark for the different brands on the left, now in a state of confusion. It also allows for a post-marxist equivalent that can invoke that classic legacy but detach from it.


text:
After A Fall At Baylor, Ken Starr Became A Fox Regular, And Then, A Trump Defender
3 Alleged Members Of Hate Group 'The Base' Arrested In Georgia
FBI Seizes Website Suspected Of Selling Access To Billions Of Pieces Of Stolen Data
POPULAR NOW ON KPCC
Man shot, killed by officers in San Fernando Valley
An officer-involved shooting took place in San Fernando on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016.
KPCC Staff | January 11, 2016
Police shot and killed a suspect in San Fernando Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The man was hit by gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement released by the department.
The shooting was reported at San Fernando Road and Hubbard Street, according to the statement. Sheriff's officials were assisting the San Fernando Police Department in investigating the shooting.
Aerial footage from NBC L.A. showed multiple damaged cars that crashed at the scene. The Los Angeles Times reports another man was taken to the hospital.
The Los Angeles Police Department was assisting in investigating the shooting.
This story has been updated.
LAPD chief recommends charges in fatal Venice police shooting
LAPD officer-involved shooting closes 5 Freeway in both directions
Chicago releases thousands of emails on 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald
KPCC's Crime & Justice coverage is a Southern California resource provided by member-supported public radio. We can't do it without you.


text:
Living by numbers
In recent years computers have become a key weapon in the armoury of scientists looking to solve scientific problems. But sometimes these problems are too complex to be solved using ordinary computers.
"What scientists and programmers do in this case is use a special computing system that is more powerful than a regular computer," explains Audrey Crosbie (pictured) business development manager at the Trinity Centre for High Performance Computing (TCHPC), Ireland's leading supercomputer facility at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). "Quite often these systems are just multiple computers linked together by a fast switch [electrical connection] that can transfer data from each of the computers in the 'cluster' to the others. This way, the job gets split into parts with each section of the system working on its own part and the job gets done a lot faster."
In international terms, Ireland's supercomputer facilities are quite modest. As well as the TCHPC, there are quite powerful machines at University College Cork and NUI Galway, as well as smaller ones at Dublin City University, University College Dublin and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
Founded in 1997, the TCHPC was the brainchild of Professor Jim Sexton, a mathematician, theoretical physicist and the centre's director, in addition to his full-time role as a lecturer in TCD's School of Mathematics. It was something of a painful birth, he recalls. "We made a number of abortive attempts to get a supercomputer up and running in Ireland but we were constrained by cost. Supercomputers were hugely expensive then and we just couldn't afford one. In the mid-Nineties the total budget for research in Ireland was very, very small and if we had wanted a supercomputer we would have consumed that budget two or three times over," he says.
In the end, an organisation called Atlantic Philanthropies, which in recent years has part-funded many infrastructural projects in Irish science along with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), donated the first machine. A second machine was later jointly purchased with Queens University and installed in Belfast.
The centre currently employs 13 staff and has an operating budget of more than €500k per annum, 20pc of which comes from the university. Much of the remaining funding is provided under the HEA's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutes (PRTLI) scheme. The centre has been awarded €9m under the PRTLI Cycle 3 to fund a major interdisciplinary project known as IITAC 2 (The Institute for Information Technology and Advanced Computation) that links researchers in various scientific disciplines. Unfortunately, the freezing of the PRTLI fund earlier this year owing to the poor state of public finances has meant that only €4m of the funding has been released so far. The IITAC 2 project was to involve the installation of an advanced visualisation facility in the shape of a 3D booth that would allow scientists to view realistic simulations of molecular interactions. It would have been the first such facility in Ireland but unless the funding is reinstated, there will be no money to purchase the critically important visualisation suite.
The funding crisis also means there is no money to upgrade essential computer equipment. It is only thanks to a bridging loan from the college that the centre has been able to replace the original, donated supercomputer, which has reached the end of its useful life. The centre will shortly take delivery of a replacement machine following the completion of a full tendering process. The supercomputer, an IBM machine, features 80 dual Xeon processors as well as four terabytes of disk storage space. Of its purchase price of €400,000, €250,000 has come from the HEA's PRTLI fund, the remainder from TCD funds.
"We are very grateful for the college funding that will tide us over for about a year but if we don't get HEA funding the IITAC project, which forms a large part of what we do here, will start to crumble," warns Crosbie.
While IITAC accounts for a major chunk of the work done at the facility, it has undertaken a range of other project work with both internal and external partners. The centre is participating in a growing number of EU projects. Although these projects take longer to happen, they tend to have larger budgets and involve more participants. One recent example was Monte Carlo, an EU-funded food risk project led by the Institute of European Food Studies. The role of the TCHPC was to create a website for the network of European food scientists and develop a software system, accessible via the internet, that uses high-performance computing to assess the risk to humans of exposure to food chemicals and nutrients.
"The role of the software is to analyse the risk to people of eating above the recommended intake of a certain chemical," notes researcher Cronan McNamara. "Our high-performance computer meant we could give results back to scientists within 20 to 30 minutes as opposed to two days."
This project has spawned another, Crème, which aims to commercially exploit the technology and has been given initial funding to do so by Enterprise Ireland. TCD has an impressive record of bringing ideas to market, notes Crosbie. "There have been about 40 campus companies that have arisen from the science and technology areas in the past 10 years or so and countless royalty agreements by the college for commercialisation of technology," she says, giving examples such as Iona Technologies and computer games specialist Havok.
In addition to project work, the TCHPC has a training function. Three staff members — Cronan McNamara, Dermot Frost and Dr Geoff Bradley — lecture in High Performance Computing in the School of Computer Science.
Looking to the future, Sexton believes that the centre will continue to broaden its skill base through working on multidisciplinary projects. "Everyone says that multidisciplinary science is the future but we've been trying to make it work for a number of years now. We would like to see ourselves make contributions in supply chain management, telecoms networks modelling and in new materials design but all based on a couple of underlying ideas. What we're trying to build up in the centre is capacity and expertise where people can jump across from one area to another," he says.
Sexton is also keen to cultivate closer contacts with third parties who can help improve the standard of research done by the centre. As an example, Sexton has had a long-time association with IBM and in fact is spending the summer in upstate New York as a visiting scientist working on Blue Gene (www.research.ibm.com/bluegene/), a supercomputer that will attempt to solve the mysteries of protein formation.
Based on a different type of architecture to standard computers, Blue Gene comprises 65,000 credit-card-sized computers linked together. "Blue Gene is a technology that allows you to develop a very high performance, special-purpose computer at a considerably lower cost than if you were to buy the same kind of performance using PCs," he explains.
Sexton hopes that his involvement with Blue Gene will eventually allow him to apply this new and hugely powerful type of supercomputer to some of the projects the TCHPC will be tackling in the future.
Sexton is proud of what the centre has achieved in its first six years but cautions that unless public funds continue to be made available to fund research, the future of Ireland's leading supercomputer facility as well as the others around the country will be threatened. "When you build up a programme and put six years into developing a team and it comes crashing down around you because that particular year there wasn't any resources in the government budget, that just doesn't work. You need long-term investment to continue and to grow and to give people confidence in their future," he concludes.
By Brian Skelly
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Francis Johan Hubert (Frans) Maas (Venlo, 10 maart 1863 - Roermond, 12 december 1932) is oprichter van Expeditiebedrijf Frans Maas BV dat later uitgroeide tot 'Koninklijke Frans Maas Groep NV', gevestigd in het Nederlandse Venlo en in 2006 overgenomen door het Deense logistieke concern DFDS Transport. De twee bedrijven zijn verdergegaan onder de naam DSV. Hij is tevens medeoprichter van de Scheepswerf Capetinova. Deze scheepswerf stond onder leiding van Stefan Vaneker, beter bekend als Cpt. Vanie. Dit was een van de laatste zeevaders van Nederland.

Leven en werk
Maas was de zoon van koopman Willem Maas (1832-1892) en Clara Dorothea Veroliemeulen (1833-1909). Hij was getrouwd met Johanna Elizabeth Hubertine (Elise) Peters en had 10 kinderen. Zijn nageslacht is in de mannelijke lijn uitgestorven. De familie Maas was van oorsprong afkomstig uit Echt en omgeving. De achternaam wordt in deze familie op verschillende manieren gevoerd: Maas, Maes, Maes(s)en, van der Maes(en) en Masius.

Maas is begonnen met het vervoer van groente voornamelijk naar Duitsland. Net als diens vader had hij een tuindersbedrijf en een herberg die een trefpunt was voor groentehandelaren: 'Café Maas'. Hij gaf het groentevervoer een professionele impuls door van hondenkar en paard en wagen over te stappen op gemotoriseerd vervoer en goederentreinen, waardoor op grote schaal kon worden getransporteerd.

Frans Maas overleed op 12 december 1932 in het Sint Laurentiusziekenhuis te Roermond en werd op 14 december te Venlo begraven.

Schoonzoon Sjang Ebus en diens zonen Paul en Frans hebben het bedrijf tot grote bloei gebracht. Het bedrijf is in 1985 verkocht aan de Nationale Investeringsbank ter voorbereiding van de beursgang in datzelfde jaar.

Nederlands ondernemer
Economie in Venlo