text:
\section{\label{sec:introduction}Introduction}
The dynamics of isolated quantum systems has long been of great interest from a fundamental
point of view~\cite{polkovnikov2011colloquium,nandkishore2015many}.
In recent years, it has gained further interest with the improvement of experimental techniques in ultracold atomic systems.
Generic isolated systems are expected to eventually thermalize regardless of
the initial state,
meaning that macroscopic quantities relax to their equilibrium values described by statistical mechanics.
Theoretically, the thermalization mechanism relies on the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH)~\cite{deutsch1991quantum,srednicki1994chaos,rigol2008thermalization}, a strong version of which asserts that all
energy eigenstates are thermal, i.e., they are locally indistinguishable from the microcanonical ensemble
with the corresponding energy.
While the ETH has been confirmed for many interacting quantum systems~\cite{rigol2008thermalization,kim2014testing,d2016quantum}, there are exceptions.
For example,
integrable and many-body localized systems fail to thermalize due to exact or emergent conservation laws.
\par
Recent experiments using Rydberg atoms~\cite{bernien2017probing} and quantum simulations in tilted optical lattices~\cite{su2022observation} observed long-lived coherent oscillations of local observables for particular initial states.
This is an unexpected behavior given the nonintegrability
of the system and offers another example of a quantum many-body system that
evades thermalization.
This nonthermalizing dynamics is attributed to the existence of atypical eigenstates dubbed quantum many-body scars (QMBS)~\cite{serbyn2021quantum,regnault2022quantum,chandran2022quantum,papic2021weak}, which have nonthermal properties,
and hence violate the ETH.
These QMBS have a sub-volume-law entanglement scaling even though they are in the middle of the energy spectrum.
The above experiment has led to a surge of interest in
understanding the nonthermal behavior of QMBS.
In addition to investigating effective models relevant to the
experiments~\cite{choi2019emergent,ho2019periodic,lin2019exact,khemani2019signatures,iadecola2019quantum, desaules2022weak},
there have been a number of attempts to construct nonintegrable models with exact QMBS.
\par
To date, a plethora of methods to construct models with exact QMBS have been developed~\cite{shiraishi2017systematic,moudgalya2018entanglement,pai2019dynamical,chattopadhyay2020quantum,moudgalya2020quantum,pakrouski2020many,moudgalya2020large,iadecola2020quantum,kuno2020flat,sugiura2021many,langlett2022rainbow}.
However, the overwhelming majority of previous studies have focused on one-dimensional systems, although some examples in two or more dimensions are known~\cite{schecter2019weak,ok2019topological,lee2020exact,surace2020weak,michailidis2020stabilizing,lin2020quantum,wildeboer2021topological,PhysRevB.102.224303}.
For a deeper understanding of the mechanism of QMBS, it is helpful to have a variety of models with exact QMBS in higher dimensions; therefore, new examples of such models are desired.
Furthermore, the majority of the studies deal with spin systems, whereas there are fewer examples of QMBS in particle systems such as fermionic systems~\cite{vafek2017entanglement,mark2020eta,moudgalya2020eta,hart2020compact,desaules2021proposal,pakrouski2021group,yoshida2022exact,nakagawa2022exact}.
\par
In this paper, we construct and study a class of spinless fermionic models with QMBS in higher dimensions by exploiting a kinetic constraint known as correlated hopping or density-induced tunneling~\cite{dutta2015non,ruhman2017topological,gotta2021two-prl,gotta2021two-prb}.
This kind of interaction appears in effective models of time-periodic systems~\cite{di2014quantum} and systems with large tilted potential, and can be realized in ultracold atomic systems~\cite{kohlert2021experimental}.
In addition, it has been studied in the context of superconductivity as well~\cite{crepel2022unconventional}.
Previous studies have identified a class of kinetically constrained models that exhibit QMBS and scarred dynamics for bosons~\cite{hudomal2020quantum, zhao2020quantum} and fermions~\cite{zhao2021orthogonal} in one dimension.
In contrast, our method is capable of constructing models in arbitrary higher dimensions.
Further, the models obtained this way are not necessarily translation invariant and thus can be regarded as disordered models.
A few examples of QMBS coexisting with disorder are known~\cite{shibata2020onsager, van2021disorder}, and our construction
provides new examples of disordered quantum many-body scarred models.
As another characterization of QMBS, we also give a parent Hamiltonian for which the QMBS constructed are unique ground states.
\par
The paper is organized as follows.
In Sec.~\ref{sec:model}, we define our model in arbitrary dimensions.
We verify the nonintegrability of the model through the level spacing statistics.
In Sec.~\ref{sec:qmbs}, we first show how to construct the exact QMBS in the system.
We then demonstrate that the QMBS are nonthermal by studying the entanglement entropy and correlation functions.
We also
argue that the dynamics of entanglement entropy and fidelity exhibit a nonthermal nature.
In Sec.~\ref{sec:The parent Hamiltonian}, we show that it is possible to construct a parent Hamiltonian
such that the QMBS are its unique ground states.
We conclude with a summary in Sec.~\ref{sec:summary}.
In Appendix~\ref{appendix:particle-hole transformation},
we introduce another form of the Hamiltonian with QMBS related to the original one by a particle-hole transformation.
In Appendix~\ref{appendix:Proof of the uniqueness}, we present a rigorous proof that the QMBS are the unique ground states
of the parent Hamiltonian.
A generalization of our construction of the scarred model is shown in Appendix~\ref{appendix:generalization}.
\section{\label{sec:model}Model}
\subsection{Hamiltonian} \label{subsec:hamiltonian}
We consider a system of spinless fermions on a lattice $(\Lambda, \mathcal{B})$, where $\Lambda$ is the set of
sites, and $\mathcal{B}$ is the set of
bonds.
An element of $\mathcal{B}$ is a pair of different sites, $\langle x, y \rangle$, and we identify $\langle x, y\rangle$ with $\langle y, x\rangle$.
Here, we assume that the lattice is bipartite, i.e., its sites can be partitioned into two disjoint sets $\Lambda^{(1)}$ and $\Lambda^{(2)}$, and for any $\langle x, y\rangle \in \mathcal{B}$, one has either $x \in \Lambda^{(1)}$, $y \in \Lambda^{(2)}$ or $x \in \Lambda^{(2)}$, $y \in \Lambda^{(1)}$ (see, e.g., Fig.~\ref{fig:two-dim lattice} and ignore the dashed line and symbols $A$ and $B$ for now).
\begin{figure}[tb]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.8\columnwidth]{lattice_with_label.pdf}
\caption{An example of a bipartite lattice.
The black and white sites belong to sublattices $\Lambda^{(1)}$ and $\Lambda^{(2)}$, respectively.
Regions $A$ and $B$ are defined for the calculation of the
entanglement entropy.
The integers are labels for the lattice sites.
}
\label{fig:two-dim lattice}
\end{figure}
We denote by $c_x^\dag$ and $c_x$, respectively, the creation and the annihilation operators at site $x \in \Lambda$.
They satisfy
\begin{align}
    \{c_x, c_y\} &= \{c_x^\dag, c_y^\dag\} = 0,  \label{eq:anticommutation relation} \\
    \{c_x, c_y^\dag\} &= \delta_{x, y}, \label{eq:anticommutation relation 2}
\end{align}
for $x, y \in \Lambda$.
In the following, $\mathcal{V}$ denotes the whole Fock space spanned by states of the form $\prod_{x \in \Lambda}\left(c_x^\dag\right)^{n_x} \ket{\mathrm{vac}} (n_x = 0, 1)$, where $\ket{\mathrm{vac}}$ is the vacuum state annihilated by all
$c_x$.
The Hamiltonian is given by
\begin{align}
    H &= H_{\mathrm{hop}} + H_{\mathrm{cor}}, \label{eq:hamiltonian}\\
    H_{\mathrm{hop}} &= \sum_{x, y \in \Lambda} t_{x, y} c_x^\dag c_y,\label{eq:hopping_term}\\
    H_{\mathrm{cor}} &= \sum_{x \in \Lambda} A_x \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y^\dag \right)c_x c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y' \in \Lambda} q_{x, y'} c_{y'}\right). \label{eq:correlated_hopping_term}
\end{align}
We assume that the hopping matrix $\mathsf{T} = (t_{x, y})_{x, y \in \Lambda}$ is real symmetric and that $t_{x, y}$ can be nonzero only when $\langle x, y\rangle \in \mathcal{B}$.
We also assume that $\mathsf{Q} = \left(q_{x,y}\right)_{x, y \in \Lambda}$ is a real skew-symmetric matrix of the form
\begin{align}
    q_{x, y} =
    \begin{cases}
        t_{x, y} \ \ \text{for} \ x \in \Lambda^{(1)} \ \text{and}\  y \in \Lambda^{(2)},  \\
        -t_{x, y} \ \ \text{for} \ x \in \Lambda^{(2)} \ \text{and}\  y \in \Lambda^{(1)}.
    \end{cases}
\end{align}
The coefficients $A_x$ are arbitrary real numbers.
We note in passing that another form of the Hamiltonian~\eqref{eq:hamiltonian} is obtained by a particle-hole transformation.
See Appendix~\ref{appendix:particle-hole transformation} for details.
\par
Let us make some comments on the model.
First, the model has the correlated hopping term
described by Eq.~\eqref{eq:correlated_hopping_term}.
To illustrate the
term, let us consider a periodic chain with $L$ sites, where $L$ is even so that the lattice is bipartite.
For simplicity, here we consider the case where the hopping matrix is translation invariant, i.e., the matrix elements of $\mathsf{T}$ is  $t_{j, j+1} = t_{j+1, j} = t$ for all $j = 1, \dots, L$, although the coefficients $A_j$ may be site-dependent.
Then, the correlated hopping term takes the following form:
\begin{align}
    H_{\mathrm{cor}}
    & = t^2  \sum_{j=1}^L A_j \left(
    n_{j-1} + n_{j+1} - n_{j-1}n_j - n_j n_{j+1} \right. \nonumber \\
    & \left.+ c_{j-1}^\dag c_{j+1}  + c_{j+1}^\dag c_{j-1} \right. \nonumber \\
    &\left. - c_{j-1}^\dag n_j c_{j+1} - c_{j+1}^\dag n_j c_{j-1}
    \right), \label{eq:one_dimensional_correlated_hopping}
\end{align}
where $n_j = c_j^\dag c_j$.
Figure~\ref{fig:correlated_hopping} illustrates the correlated hopping term appearing in Eq.~\eqref{eq:one_dimensional_correlated_hopping}.
In this case, this term describes a process where a fermion hops when there is another one at a neighboring site.
The model without the terms in the first row of Eq.~\eqref{eq:one_dimensional_correlated_hopping} has been discussed in the literature~\cite{bariev1991integrable,chhajlany2016hidden}.
\par
Second, our model can be defined on an arbitrary bipartite lattice in any dimension.
Examples include two-dimensional square and three-dimensional cubic lattices with open boundary conditions.
In addition, our construction can be extended to more general lattices that are not necessarily bipartite.
See Appendix~\ref{appendix:generalization} for the general construction.
\par
Finally, we mention that our model in one dimension is related to the spin model discussed in~\cite{shibata2020onsager}.
In fact, we can map the one-dimensional model \eqref{eq:one_dimensional_correlated_hopping} to a spin model using the Jordan-Wigner transformation defined by
\begin{align}
    c_j = \left(\prod_{k=1}^{j-1}(-\sigma_k^z)\right)\sigma_j^{+},
\end{align}
where $(\sigma_j^x, \sigma_j^y, \sigma_j^z)$ are the Pauli matrices at site $j$ and $\sigma_j^{+} = (\sigma_j^x + i \sigma_j^y)/2$.
With this transformation, the Hamiltonian~\eqref{eq:one_dimensional_correlated_hopping} is mapped to the following one for a spin-chain:
\begin{align}
    &H_{\mathrm{cor}}
    = \sum_{j=2}^{L-1}
    \left\{ 2 t^2 A_j \dyad{010}{010} \right. \nonumber \\
    &~ \left.+ t^2 A_j \left(\ket{011} + \ket{110} \right) \left(\bra{011} + \bra{110}\right)
    \right\}_{j-1, j, j+1}+ H_{\rm bdy}, \label{eq:spin model}
\end{align}
where the states $\ket{0}$ and $\ket{1}$ are eigenstates of $\sigma^z_j$ with eigenvalues $+1$ and $-1$, respectively.
The last term denoted by $H_{\rm bdy}$ in Eq.~\eqref{eq:spin model} is a non-local operator arising from the periodic boundary conditions.
Ignoring
this term, Eq.~\eqref{eq:spin model} coincides with
the perturbation term $H_{{\rm pert},n}$ discussed in~\cite{shibata2020onsager} with $n=2$, $c_j^{(1)} = c_j^{(2)} = 2t^2 A_j$, and $c_j^{(3)} = 0$~\footnote{The term corresponding to $c_j^{(3)}$ gives rise to a lon-local term that does not commute with the fermionic parity, rendering its fermionic counterpart unphysical.}.
Since in one dimension the hopping Hamiltonian $H_{\rm hop}$ is equivalent to the $S=1/2$ XX chain, the entire Hamiltonian $H = H_{\rm hop} + H_{\rm cor}$ maps to the scarred model discussed in~\cite{shibata2020onsager}.
In this sense, our construction can be regarded as an extension of the particular case of the one-dimensional model to a wider class of lattice fermion systems.
\begin{figure}[tb]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.9\columnwidth]{correlated_hopping.pdf}
\caption{Illustration of correlated hopping.
The term $c_{j-1}^\dag n_j c_{j+1}$ describes a process such that a fermion at site $j+1$ hops to $j-1$ when there is a particle at site $j$.
}
\label{fig:correlated_hopping}
\end{figure}
\subsection{\label{subsec:non-integrability} Nonintegrability of the model}
In order for the model to be a nontrivial example of a scarred model, it must be nonintegrable.
To verify this, we study the level statistics of the model.
It is performed in a sector with a fixed number of particles since the Hamiltonian~\eqref{eq:hamiltonian} conserves the total number of particles $N = \sum_{x \in \Lambda} n_x$, where $n_x = c_x^\dag c_x$.
Let $\{E_i\}_{i=1, 2, \dots}$ be a set of energy eigenvalues in ascending order, and let $s_i = (E_{i+1} - E_i)/\Delta$ be the level spacing normalized by the mean level spacing $\Delta$.
For nonintegrable systems with time-reversal symmetry, the level-spacing distribution is given by the Wigner-Dyson distribution $P(s) = (\pi/2)s  e^{-\pi s^2/4}$,
whereas for integrable systems it is given by the Poisson distribution $P(s) = e^{-s}$~\cite{casati1985energy,prosen1993energy}.
We show the distribution of the level spacings of our model in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing}.
The histogram confirms that the distribution is well described by the Wigner-Dyson distribution.
We also compute the level-spacing ratio $r_i$~\cite{pal2010many} defined by $r_i  =  \min(s_i, s_{i+1})/\max(s_i, s_{i+1})$, which characterizes the distribution quantitatively.
It is known that the average value of $r_i$ is $\langle r \rangle \simeq 0.53590$ for the Wigner-Dyson distribution and $\langle r \rangle \simeq 0.38629$ for the Poisson distribution~\cite{atas2013distribution}.
The average value of $r_i$ calculated from the histogram in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing} is $0.52927...$, which is close to that of the Wigner-Dyson distribution.
Therefore, we can conclude that our model is nonintegrable.
\begin{figure}[tb]
\includegraphics[width=0.8\columnwidth]{ls_distribution.pdf}
\caption{The level statistics in the middle half of the spectrum of $H$ on a $6 \times 3$ lattice $(N=8)$ with open boundary conditions as shown in~Fig.\ref{fig:two-dim lattice}.
The matrix elements of $\mathsf{T}$ and $A_x$ are chosen uniformly at random from $[0.5, 1.5]$ and $[-0.5, 0.5]$, respectively.
The Wigner-Dyson (blue) and the Poisson (orange) distributions are shown for comparison.
} \label{fig:level_spacing}
\end{figure}
\section{\label{sec:qmbs}Quantum many-body scarred states}
In this section, we construct a series of exact eigenstates of the Hamiltonian $H$ in Eq.~\eqref{eq:hamiltonian}.
We provide evidence that these eigenstates are QMBS of the system.

\subsection{\label{subsec:qmbs eigenstate} Definition of exact QMBS}
Here, we show how to construct
a series of exact eigenstates of $H$ algebraically.
To this end, we define an operator $Q$ by
\begin{align}
    Q = \sum_{x, y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_x c_y, \label{eq:q operator}
\end{align}
and consider the following states
\begin{align}
    \ket{\Psi_k} = Q^k \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}}, k = 0, 1, .\dots, \left\lfloor \frac{|\Lambda|}{2} \right\rfloor, \label{eq:qmbs}
\end{align}
where $\ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}} = \prod_{x \in \Lambda} c_x^\dag \ket{\mathrm{vac}}$ and $\lfloor x \rfloor$
denotes the floor function~\footnote{Here and throughout the paper, $|{\cal S}|$ denotes the number of elements in a set ${\cal S}$.}.
Since $Q$ is a sum of operators each of which annihilates two fermions, $\ket{\Psi_k}$ is a state with $(|\Lambda| - 2k)$ particles, where the integer $k$ is at most $\lfloor |\Lambda|/2 \rfloor$.
We now show that the states $\ket{\Psi_k}$ are
zero-energy eigenstates of $H_{\mathrm{hop}}$ and $H_{\mathrm{cor}}$, and hence $H \ket{\Psi_k} = 0$.
\par
First, one finds
\begin{align}
    [H_{\mathrm{hop}}, Q] = -2 \sum_{x, x'} \left(\mathsf{Q} \mathsf{T}\right)_{x, x'} c_x c_{x'}=0. \label{eq:com_rel_hop_q}
\end{align}
This is because the matrix $\mathsf{Q} \mathsf{T}$ is real symmetric and $c_x c_{x'}$ is antisymmetric
under the exchange of $x$ and $x'$.
Hence, the operator $Q$ commutes with $H_{\mathrm{hop}}$.
Noting that $H_{\mathrm{hop}}\ket{\mathrm{\overline{vac}}} = 0$, we have
\begin{align}
    H_{\mathrm{hop}} \ket{\Psi_k} = 0. \label{eq:hhop=0}
\end{align}
\par
Next, we compute the commutation relation between $c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y\right)$ and $Q$ and find
\begin{align}
    \left[ \, c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y\right), Q \, \right] =
    2 \qty( \sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y )^2 = 0,
\end{align}
for all $x \in \Lambda$.
Since the diagonal elements of $\mathsf{Q}$ are zero, we see that $c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y\right) \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}} = 0$ and that $c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y\right) \ket{\Psi_k} = 0$.
Thus we have
\begin{align}
    H_{\mathrm{cor}} \ket{\Psi_k} = 0.
\end{align}
This result, together with \eqref{eq:hhop=0}, yields
\begin{align}
    H \ket{\Psi_k} = 0,
\end{align}
which is the desired result.
\par
We remark that the Hamiltonian $H$ and the operator $Q$ satisfy a restricted spectrum generating algebra~\cite{buvca2019non, moudgalya2020eta}.
Here we use the notation of Ref.~\cite{moudgalya2020eta}.
A Hamiltonian $H$ is said to exhibit a restricted spectrum generating algebra of order 1 (RSGA-1) if there exist a state $\ket{\psi_0}$ and an operator $\eta^\dag$ such that $\eta^\dag \ket{\psi_0} \neq 0$, and they satisfy
\begin{align}
    & \textrm{(i)}\ H\ket{\psi_0} = E_0 \ket{\psi_0}, \\
    & \textrm{(ii)}\ [\,H, \eta^\dag\,]\ket{\psi_0} = \mathcal{E} \eta^\dag \ket{\psi_0}, \\
    & \textrm{(iii)}\ [\,[\,H, \eta^\dag\,], \eta^\dag\,] = 0.
\end{align}
In our case, we have $H \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}} = 0$ and can prove $[\,H, Q\,] \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}} = 0$ by a similar calculation as above.
We can also see that $[\,[\,H, Q\,], Q\,] = 0$ by repeating the same calculations.
Therefore, the Hamiltonian~\eqref{eq:hamiltonian} exhibits RSGA-1 with $\ket{\psi_0} = \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}}$, $\eta^\dag = Q$, $E_0 = 0$, and $\mathcal{E} = 0$.
The zero-energy states generated by repeated applications of $Q$ on $\ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}}$, i.e., Eq. \eqref{eq:qmbs}, can be thought of as QMBS associated with this algebra.

\subsection{\label{subsec:properties} Violation of the ETH}
Here we demonstrate that the states~\eqref{eq:qmbs} are nonthermal by examining the entanglement entropy and expectation values of a physical quantity.
\begin{figure}[tb]
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{c}
        \begin{minipage}[h]{\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:energy_vs_ee}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{EE.pdf}
        \end{minipage} \\
        \begin{minipage}[h]{\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:energy_vs_corrfunc}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{corr_func.pdf}
        \end{minipage}
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{
    \subref{fig:energy_vs_ee} Entanglement entropies in all eigenstates. The setup is the same as in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing}.
    \subref{fig:energy_vs_corrfunc} The average of the correlation functions over all the bonds defined by Eq.~\eqref{eq:correlation_function} for each eigenstate.
    In each panel, the point enclosed by a red circle indicates the position of a QMBS.
    } \label{fig:eth_violation}
\end{figure}
\par
A violation of the ETH can be observed in the scaling of the entanglement entropy.
For a partition of the lattice
into two subsystems $A$ and $B$, the entanglement entropy of a state $\ket{\psi}$ is defined as $S = - \Tr_A\left(\rho_A \log{\rho_A}\right)$, where $\rho_A = \Tr_B\left(\dyad{\psi}\right)$ is the reduced density matrix of $A$.
The symbols $\Tr_A$ and $\Tr_B$ denote traces over the subsystems $A$ and $B$, respectively.
It is known that the entanglement entropy of a thermal eigenstate obeys a volume law~\cite{mori2018thermalization}.
In contrast, if an eigenstate has a lower entanglement entropy than
other eigenstates obeying a volume law even if its energy is far from the spectral edges,
it signals that the state is a nonthermal QMBS.
Figure~\ref{fig:energy_vs_ee} shows the numerical result obtained by
exact diagonalization with the same setup as in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing}.
Here, the subsystems $A$ and $B$ are the left and right halves of the system, as shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:two-dim lattice}.
Clearly, there is a low-entanglement state isolated from the other, indicating the existence of a QMBS.
The state has zero energy and is identified as $\ket{\Psi_5}$.
Similar results are obtained for different particle-number sectors in which $\ket{\Psi_k}$ ($k = 1, 2, \dots$) appear as QMBS.
\par
One can also detect a violation of the ETH
by observing expectation values of physical quantities.
We show the numerical result for the average value of the density-density correlation functions in Fig.~\ref{fig:energy_vs_corrfunc}.
The density-density correlation function is defined as
\begin{align}
    O_{x, y} = \bra{\psi} n_x n_y \ket{\psi}
\end{align}
for a normalized state $\ket{\psi}$, and its average over all the bonds is given by
\begin{align}
    O = \frac{1}{|\mathcal{B}|} \sum_{\langle x, y\rangle \in \mathcal{B}} O_{x, y}. \label{eq:correlation_function}
\end{align}
The ETH states that, in an energy shell, the expectation value of any local observable in an energy eigenstate coincides with that obtained by the corresponding micro- canonical ensemble.
However, in Fig.~\ref{fig:energy_vs_corrfunc}, we see that there is an outlier at zero energy, which implies a violation of the ETH caused by QMBS.
\subsection{\label{subsec:dynamics} Dynamics}
To further investigate the nonthermal features of QMBS, we study the quench dynamics of the system.
The state of the system at time $t$ is given by
\begin{align}
    \ket{\Psi(t)} = \exp(-i H t) \ket{\Psi(0)},
\end{align}
where $\ket{\Psi(0)}$ is the initial state and $H$ is the Hamiltonian defined by Eq.~\eqref{eq:hamiltonian} with non-uniform matrix elements of $\mathsf{T}$ and $A_x$.
We discuss
the dynamics of the fidelity and entanglement entropy starting from two kinds of initial states.
The fidelity between the initial state $\ket{\Psi(0)}$ and the evolved state $\ket{\Psi(t)}$ is defined by \begin{align}
    F(t) = \left| \braket{\Psi(t)}{\Psi(0)}\right|. \label{eq:fidelity}
\end{align}
The dynamics of the entanglement entropy is as follows:
we divide the lattice system into $A$ and $B$, and define the reduced density matrix of $A$ at time $t$ as
\begin{align}
    \rho_A(t) = \Tr_B\left[\, \dyad{\Psi(t)} \,\right].
\end{align}
The entanglement entropy between $A$ and $B$ at time $t$ is then defined as
\begin{align}
    S(t) &= - \Tr_A \left[ \, \rho_A(t) \log \rho_A(t) \, \right]. \label{eq:dynamical_entanglement_entropy}
\end{align}
In our numerical simulation, we
consider the two-dimensional lattice shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:two-dim lattice}.
We
let the system evolve from two kinds of initial states for different particle numbers and calculate the dynamics for each initial state using exact diagonalization.
The first type of initial state is a product state defined by
\begin{align}
    \ket{\Psi^{(\mathrm{prod})}_{N}} =
    c_N^\dag c_{N-1}^\dag \cdots c_1^\dag \ket{\mathrm{vac}}, \label{eq:product_state}
\end{align}
where $N$ is the number of particles, and the lattice sites are labeled as shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:two-dim lattice}.
The second type takes the form \begin{align}
    \ket{\Psi^{(\mathrm{uni})}_{k}} = \frac{1}{\mathcal{N}}\left(\sum_{\langle x, y\rangle \in \mathcal{B}}c_x c_y\right)^k \ket{\overline{\mathrm{vac}}}, \label{eq:uniform_pairs_of_holes}
\end{align}
where $\mathcal{N}$ is the normalization constant and $k$ is an integer.
Note that the state~\eqref{eq:uniform_pairs_of_holes} is the QMBS when the matrix elements of $\mathsf{Q}$ are constant.
Therefore, although this state is not an eigenstate of $H$ with non-uniform $\mathsf{Q}$, we
expect that it is close to the zero-energy eigenstate.
\par
Figures~\ref{fig:overlap_dynamics_8} and \ref{fig:overlap_dynamics_14} show the dynamics of fidelity for the same two-dimensional model as in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing} for $N = 8$ ($k=5$) and $N = 14$ ($k=2$).
For the product state, we can see that it decays rapidly to zero.
On the other hand, for $\ket{\Psi_{k}^{(\mathrm{uni})}}$, it remains nonzero at late times, suggesting that the state $\ket{\Psi_{k}^{(\mathrm{uni})}}$ does not immediately thermalize due to significant overlap with the QMBS given in Eq.~\eqref{eq:qmbs}.
\par
Figures~\ref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_8} and \ref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_14} show the time dependence of the bipartite entanglement \eqref{eq:dynamical_entanglement_entropy} for $N = 8$ ($k=5$) and $N = 14$ ($k=2$).
Here, $A$ and $B$ are again the left and right halves of the lattice, respectively.
For the product state, the entanglement entropy grows rapidly and saturates near the average entanglement entropy of random states with fixed particle number $N$~\cite{vidmar2017entanglement,bianchi2019typical,bianchi2021volume}
\begin{align}
    S_{N}
    &= \frac{1}{2}\left[(n-1) \log (1-n) - n \log n \right] |\Lambda| \nonumber \\
    & - \sqrt{\frac{n (1-n)}{2\pi}} \left| \log\left(\frac{1-n}{n}\right)\right| \sqrt{|\Lambda|} \nonumber \\
    & + \frac{1 - 2 \log 2}{4}, \label{eq:average entropy}
\end{align}
where $n = N/|\Lambda|$.
However, for the state $\ket{\Psi_{k}^{(\mathrm{uni})}}$, the growth of the entanglement entropy is suppressed, indicating nonthermalizing dynamics.
The results for both the fidelity and the entanglement entropy provide strong evidence that the system exhibits non-ergodic properties due to the QMBS.

\begin{figure}[tb]
    \centering
    \begin{tabular}{cc}
        \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:overlap_dynamics_8}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{overlap_dynamics_8.pdf}
        \end{minipage} &
        \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_8}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{entanglement_dynamics_8.pdf}
        \end{minipage} \\
        \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:overlap_dynamics_14}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{overlap_dynamics_14.pdf}
        \end{minipage} &
        \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
            \centering
            \subcaption{\label{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_14}}
            \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{entanglement_dynamics_14.pdf}
        \end{minipage}
    \end{tabular}
    \caption{
        Upper panel: Dynamics for $N=8$ with the same setup as in Fig.~\ref{fig:level_spacing}.
        The time dependence of \subref{fig:overlap_dynamics_8} fidelity and  \subref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_8} the entanglement entropy between the left and right halves.
        The orange (blue) line represents the dynamics starting from the state
       defined in Eq.~\eqref{eq:product_state} [\eqref{eq:uniform_pairs_of_holes}].
       The green dashed line indicates the average entanglement entropy of random states given by Eq.~\eqref{eq:average entropy}.
       Lower panel: Same as the upper panel for $N=14$.
        The time dependence of \subref{fig:overlap_dynamics_14} fidelity and \subref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_14} the entanglement entropy.

        The slight differences between the green dashed line and the orange lines at late times in \subref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_8} and \subref{fig:entanglement_entropy_dynamics_14} can be attributed to finite-size corrections to Eq.~\eqref{eq:average entropy}.
        } \label{fig:dynamics}
\end{figure}
\section{\label{sec:The parent Hamiltonian} Parent Hamiltonian of the QMBS}
So far, we have constructed the exact QMBS and looked at the nonthermal properties.
In this section, we give a parent Hamiltonian whose ground states are the QMBS and prove that there are no other ground states.
\par
The parent Hamiltonian we consider is given by
\begin{align}
    H_{\mathrm{par}} &= \sum_{x \in \Lambda} B_x h_x, \label{eq:parent Hamiltonian}\\
    h_x &= \left(\sum_{y \in \Lambda} q_{x, y} c_y^\dag\right)  c_x c_x^\dag \left(\sum_{y' \in \Lambda} q_{x, y'} c_{y'}\right),
\end{align}
where all the $B_x$ are positive.
Since each $h_x$ is positive semidefinite, the Hamiltonian $H_{\mathrm{par}}$ is also positive semidefinite.
As in the scarred model, we assume that the lattice $(\Lambda, \mathcal{B})$ is bipartite, $\Lambda = \Lambda^{(1)} \cup \Lambda^{(2)}$.
We also assume that the matrix $\mathsf{Q} = \left(q_{x, y}\right)_{x, y \in \Lambda}$ is real skew-symmetric and that $q_{x, y}$ can be nonzero only when $\langle x, y\rangle \in \mathcal{B}$.
The parent Hamiltonian $H_{\rm par}$ is identical to Eq.~\eqref{eq:correlated_hopping_term} except that the coefficients $B_x$ are all positive.
Therefore, we can see that the states~\eqref{eq:qmbs} are zero-energy eigenstates of $H_{\mathrm{par}}$ in the same way as in Sec.~\ref{sec:qmbs}.
Since $H_{\mathrm{par}}$ is positive semidefinite, they are the ground states of $H_{\mathrm{par}}$.
Under certain conditions, one can show that there are no other ground states. More precisely, we can prove the following theorem:

\smallskip
\textit{Theorem.} Assume that $\Lambda^{(1)}$ and $\Lambda^{(2)}$ have the same number of sites and $\mathsf{Q}$ is regular and connected, i.e., all $x \neq y \in \Lambda$ are connected via non-vanishing matrix elements of $\mathsf{Q}$.
Then the zero-energy ground states of $H_{\mathrm{par}}$ in the whole Fock space $\mathcal{V}$ are $(|\Lambda|/2 + 1)$-fold degenerate and written as $\ket{\Psi_k}$ defined in Eq.~\eqref{eq:qmbs} ($k = 0, 1, \dots, |\Lambda|/2$).
\smallskip

The lattice system in Fig.~\ref{fig:two-dim lattice} is an example that satisfies the assumption of the above theorem since the sublattices $\Lambda^{(1)}$ and $\Lambda^{(2)}$ have the same size.
The theorem establishes that the QMBS can be prepared as the unique ground states of the parent Hamiltonian.
We note that our model has much in common with the model studied in~\cite{tanaka2008ferromagnetic}, and the proof goes along the same lines as the proof of Proposition 2.1 in that paper.
The proof of Theorem is given in Appendix~\ref{appendix:Proof of the uniqueness}.

\section{\label{sec:summary}Summary}
We have constructed and studied a class of spinless fermionic models with QMBS on a wide class of lattice systems, including higher-dimensional ones.
We have also investigated the nonthermal properties of the QMBS through entanglement entropy and correlation functions.
By examining the dynamics starting from different initial states, we confirmed that simple direct product states immediately thermalize, whereas the states with significant overlap with the QMBS exhibit a nonthermal behavior.
Furthermore, we have identified a parent Hamiltonian for which the QMBS we constructed are the unique ground states.
\begin{acknowledgments}
We are grateful to Leonardo Mazza and Akinori Tanaka for fruitful discussions.
We used QuSpin~\cite{weinberg2017quspin,weinberg2019quspin} to calculate the entanglement entropy and physical quantities, as well as to simulate the quantum dynamics.
K.T. was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grants No. 21J11575.
H.K. was supported by MEXT KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas A ``Extreme Universe" No. JP21H05191,
JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. JP18K03445, and the Inamori Foundation.
\end{acknowledgments}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Scenes from a Cop Riot [on Raymond Tanter's lecture at U. Michigan]
Don't Come to Ann Arbor
by Catherine Wilkerson
https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/10847/scenes-from-a-cop-riot-on-raymond-tanter-lecture
If the specter of another US foray into regime change disturbs you, google the word "Tanter." If the prospect of another country's being bombarded with US weapons outrages you, and if inserting the adjective "nuclear" into the narrative sends a chill up your spine, go to the "Guardian" website and search "Tanter." Or if you hanker to find out what a Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator can do to humankind, click onto the Union of Concerned Scientists.
But if you want to take a stand against another US/Israeli war crime, don't come to Ann Arbor. Not unless you're prepared for the worst. Unless you're prepared to be brutalized by the cops, thrown in jail, and subjected to improper and punitive medical treatment, you'd better keep your mouth shut. Or so the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Police, and the Zionist forces in the community would have it.
When I became a doctor I knew I would encounter a lot of human suffering, but I never envisioned a time when my efforts to alleviate it would get me brutalized by the police, then charged with a crime. I never envisioned a time when I would witness another health "professional" brazenly violate the most fundamental principle of medical ethics: first do no harm. But thirty years after graduation, at a political event on the campus of the University of Michigan, those things happened.
The event was a presentation by Raymond Tanter, founder of the Iran Policy Committee and former member of the National Security Council under Ronald Reagan. Michigan's chapter of the Zionist organization, the American Movement for Israel (AMI), brought him to town on November 30, 2006 to whip up support for regime change in Iran. The "Islamo-fascist regime" must be overthrown, according to Tanter, before they acquire a nuclear weapon, and one option for stopping them would be nuking them first. Some of the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrators the US has supplied to Israel would be OK, with Israel doing the deed.
A small group of folks showed up to protest. The room was packed, U of M cops were on hand, and the atmosphere was tense. Tanter fired up the crowd, especially when he declared that Israel will exist forever, triggering the longest and most boisterous of several rounds of cheering and applause from his supporters. But interruptions of dissent were not to be allowed, and the cops were there to make sure of it. One of the protesters, an Iranian woman, became the first target of the political repression in store for the night. At the behest of one of the AIM organizers, a U of M cop proceeded to remove her.
The cop, maybe 6'6 or bigger, grabbed her arm, dragging her to the floor, where he applied pressure point control tactics (PPCT) as she screamed. PPCT is what's called a pain compliance technique, using the infliction of pain to force someone to do what you order. It's used against someone who poses a serious threat of physical harm; someone, say, who's in the cop's grip, clutching a knife and on the verge of stabbing a person. In this case, the cop inflicted pain to force compliance with his order to stand up, while he pinned her to the floor with his knee. She kept screaming.
"Don't hurt her," called out the woman who'd been sitting in the next seat over, also an Iranian woman, a U of M Professor of Iranian History, in fact, and another dissenting voice at the event. One of the other protesters came to the first victim's aid and was hauled away, cuffed and arrested. A second protester came to the victim's aid and followed as she was hauled away. The AMI organizers were calling the shots.
I heard a commotion in the hall and stepped out of the room. In the hall I saw the same huge cop on top of the second protester who'd come to the first victim's aid. The cop had the man, a relatively small guy in his forties, pinned down, arms pulled behind his back, getting handcuffed. The cop used PPCT against this person also, not once but twice. The man writhed and cried out in pain.
The cop used his far-greater strength and body weight, along with the force of his knee on his victim's back to press his chest against the floor. It would be impossible for a person to inflate his lungs pressed against the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back like that. Asphyxiation being a well-known cause of death of people in custody, when the man started calling out that he couldn't breathe, I approached, identified myself as a doctor, and instructed the cop to turn him over immediately. The victim went limp. The cop turned him onto his back. I saw that the victim had a wound on his forehead and blood in his nostrils. He was unconscious.
Reiterating numerous times that I was a doctor, I tried to move to where I could assess the victim for breathing and a pulse. The cop shoved me, until finally, after my imploring him to allow me to render medical care to the victim, he allowed me to determine that the victim was alive. But he refused to remove the cuffs despite my requests. A person lying with hands cuffed beneath his body risks nerve damage to the extremities and, moreover, cannot be resuscitated. I continually re-assessed the man, who had now become my patient, and who remained unconscious.
Eventually an ambulance arrived, along with the fire department and a contingent of Ann Arbor police officers. While the paramedics went about their business, the first thing being to have the cop un-cuff the patient, I tried to fulfill my obligation to my patient. I tried to oversee what the paramedics were doing, which, contrary to protocol and the normal relationship between physician and paramedic, was all that I was allowed to do. I was forced to stay away. What I witnessed in the course of their treatment appalled me.
When the patient didn't respond to a sternal rub, one of the paramedics popped an ammonia inhalant and thrust it beneath the patient's nostrils. If you're interested in what's wrong with that, google Dr. Bryan Bledsoe, foremost authority on paramedicine, and read his article condemning this dangerous practice. That it's "just bad medicine" is sufficient to make the paramedic's actions unacceptable, but what happened next made my blood curdle. He popped a second inhalant and a third, then cupped his hands over the patient's nostrils to heighten the noxious effect. "You don't like that, do you?" he said.
At that point I issued a direct medical order for him to stop, but he ignored me. "What you're doing is punitive," I said, "and has no efficacy." Then as the patient retched, rather than rolling him onto his side to avoid the chance of his choking on his own vomit, a firefighter held his feet down and yelled, "don't spit." In thirty years of doctoring, I have never witnessed such egregious maltreatment of a patient. Again I spoke up, "this is punitive." I hoped to shame the paramedical into stopping his unethical behavior.
Suddenly an Ann Arbor cop ordered me to move away. As I headed for my purse and coat, the cop attacked me from behind, twisted my arms with extreme force behind my back, and shoved me against the wall. I begged him to release my left arm, explaining that I had a serious condition affecting my shoulder, and pleading with him because of the excruciating pain he was inflicting on me. I told him that I would do whatever he demanded. I told him that I had been in the process of complying with his order to move out of the way and that I was heading toward where my purse and coat were. He told me to relax and wrenched my arms harder. I was in agony. I told him that I would sit down, anything, that he was really hurting me and begged him to release my arm. Eventually he let my arms down.
But his brutality did not stop there. He then forced me to stand in the stairwell in a corner for a protracted period of time. I asked him if I could please go home, as I was in pain, and I was deeply traumatized. In yet another raw display of abuse of power, he forced me to stand there, causing me ongoing suffering and humiliation, before finally allowing me to leave.
The U of M proceeded with prosecution of the other three people, but I heard nothing further from them until I filed a complaint of police brutality. Now I'm facing criminal prosecution, too, along with the Professor of Iranian History, who, like me, was charged after she filed a complaint. We five are being prosecuted for "assaulting/resisting/obstructing" police officers, and in my case, for "assaulting/resisting/obstructing" paramedics as well.
So, if you want to take a stand against another war, don't come to Ann Arbor. Don't come unless you believe in the slogan the Wobblies chanted back at the time of the First World War, when the government was rounding up opponents of that atrocity and throwing them in jail. Don't come to Ann Arbor unless you too believe: AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
How to Restart an Amazon Fire Tablet
Joe Fedewa
Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as a News Editor at XDA Developers. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. Read more...
@tallshmo
Aug 21, 2021, 12:00 pm EST | 1 min read
It's not unusual for gadgets to occasionally act up. The same can be said for Amazon's affordable Fire Tablets. Sometimes all you need to do is simply restart the device. We'll show you how it works on a Fire tablet.
There are a lot of reasons why a device may need to be restarted, and it doesn't just apply to Fire Tablets. If your tablet seems slower than usual, isn't responding to touch, or just seems "off," try restarting before trying more advanced solutions.
RELATED: Why Does Rebooting a Computer Fix So Many Problems?
How to Reboot a Fire Tablet With the Power Button
The first method is the easiest. First, locate the device's physical power button and hold it down until a menu appears on the screen.
You'll see options for "Power Off" and "Restart." The one we want right now is "Restart."
That's all there is to it.
But what if the touchscreen isn't working? That means you won't be able to tap the "Restart" option. In this case, we'll need to force a reboot.
How to Force a Reboot on a Fire Tablet
Locate the power button and hold it down for at least 20 seconds. Let go when the screen goes black.
Wait a few seconds, and then press and hold the power button to turn the tablet back on. The device should power on like normal.
That's it! Restarting is not always the magic cure, but it can solve a lot of little issues. Give it a try the next time things don't seem to be working quite right.
RELATED: So You Just Got an Amazon Fire Tablet. Now What?
› How to Reset an Amazon Fire Tablet
Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as a News Editor at XDA Developers. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews.


The quest for returns in a low-yield global environment has pushed more investors across Asia and globally into new territory. BNY Mellon's recent report, The Race for Assets: Alternative Investments Surge Ahead, in association with FT Remark, surveyed 450 institutional investors and investment managers about their alternative asset allocations. More than half (53%) of respondents expect allocations to alternatives to increase in the next 12 months. The report also found that investment in alternative assets has reached a record high US$7.7 trillion and shows no signs of slowing. Not surprisingly, one of the main drivers for this is performance.
At the same time, in exploring alternative assets, many investors are sticking to traditional approaches, and contending with a lack of experience and expertise. Asset servicing is also in some ways still catching up to the changing demands created by the rush to alternatives.
Many asset owners in Asia, particularly in the insurance and pension space, are seeking increased alpha performance against the backdrop of low to negative yields seen across most developed economies. This is due to a legacy of the low interest rate environment that has persisted since the global financial crisis.
This exacerbates the hunger for yield as the insurance segment struggles with a flattening of long-term duration curves. Given the rapidly aging population in many Asian countries and a lower long-term nominal interest rate regime, insurers and pension funds allocation is expected to continue to favor riskier asset classes. The National Pension Service of Korea (NPS), ranked 4th largest globally, has shown increased appetite for alternatives. Its alternatives allocation increased from 10.7% to 11.4% over the course of 20162.
NPS is not alone. Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), which manages one of the largest pools of pension assets globally, recruited asset managers focused on private equity, infrastructure and real estate. GPIF has continued to explore alternatives, setting a threshold allocation of 5% of its US$1.3 trillion asset base3.
These trends illustrate an increased demand for returns and has driven traditional asset managers into riskier asset classes traditionally financed by bank balance sheets. Conversely, increased risk capital requirements placed upon banks as part of Basel III have forced a retreat from risk and placed heavy capital burdens on their traditional balance sheet activities.
Worldwide, approximately US$820 billion remains unspent in the private equity space, of which US$100 billion is in Asia4. The private equity spend is expected to expand with more entrants into an increasingly crowded market. This figure excludes the growing private wealth segment forming part of the increasing demand. Asia's ultra-high net worth population has surpassed Europe's and is worth a total of US$2.6 trillion, according to Cap Gemini5.
A recent report from Bain & Company showed private equity deals in Asia Pacific reached US$92 billion in 2016 and that average returns continued to outperform other asset classes6.
According to the Asian Development Bank, infrastructure requirements in developing Asia Pacific will exceed US$22.6 trillion through 2030, representing a gap of US$1.7 trillion a year to maintain economic productivity7. This clearly shows a funding shortfall which the combined financial markets cannot meet, and points to further potential opportunities for institutional investor participation. However, these opportunities need to be approached carefully. Investors should note that the risks around infrastructure assets are high during the greenfield and brownfield stages.
The new era of asset diversification has also encouraged the development of innovative financing structures such as infrastructure bonds, with an aim to provide access to long-term investors to such illiquid asset classes. Appetite for these assets is particularly robust in Asia. The BNY Mellon and FT Remark study showed that 82% of Asia Pacific institutional investors have some form of exposure to infrastructure debt well above the global average of 70% (Fig 2). However, this represents less than 1% of total Assets Under Management globally8.
Typically, development banks and export credit agencies will provide loans or credit guarantees to help attract financial institutions to these assets. "However, we have seen regulators in the Asia Pacific region looking to support innovative structures such as infrastructure and green bonds to attract participation from long-term asset owners," notes Rebecca Terner Lentchner, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, Asia Pacific at BNY Mellon.
The administration process generates vast amounts of transactional data that not only creates transparency but also the ability to manage investment risk. For example, investors could mitigate their bond risk by taking long-short positions in the underlying companies by overlaying data between the financial markets (equities and credit default swaps), instrument (underlying bond) and project exposure.
The traditional role of asset servicing needs to evolve rapidly to meet the challenges facing clients entering the alternatives space and to enable them to capitalize on its full potential. As investors push into more illiquid and opaque asset classes, the availability and timeliness of data, and the ability to manage and use that data, become crucial.
According to the study, a resounding 84% of Asia Pacific investors are dissatisfied with the levels of transparency in their fund investments. In alternatives, the lack of transparency was most keenly felt in hedge fund (50%) and infrastructure investments (38%) (Fig 3).
Over 80% of Asia Pacific institutional investors want to receive more information both on the funds' underlying assets and insights into how managers run their firms. All of these pointing to the demand for a platform to meet those needs.
The need for clear valuation processes and benchmarks to ascertain performance will lead to increased demands for solutions that are not only multi-asset in nature, but more importantly, capable of making cross-asset correlations. Unlike a portfolio of listed securities which can be hedged with financial instruments, most investors will need to control their exposure risk via multiple asset managers to remove concentration and portfolio risks.
As allocations grow, investors will seek to overlay statistics such as macroeconomic and sector data against a single or a pool of investment mandates. With different asset managers providing valuations at different points over different time brackets across the financial year, it will be critical to develop a dynamic platform capable of producing not only a traditional monthly snapshot of valuations but displaying multiple time slices on an enterprise view.
The growing appetite for, and complexity of, alternative investments puts the pressure on asset servicing providers to develop fuller and more transparent partnerships with the institutions they serve. Since areas like private equity are relatively new to many Asian institutions and they may lack the relevant capabilities and knowledge in-house, it will also be important for investors to team up with providers with well-established track records and expertise in the sector.
As general partners (GPs) are called upon to share and standardize more information on the composition of fees charged back to funds, asset servicing should contribute to the process by consolidating related best practices among GPs, keeping clients informed of emerging disclosure requirements or recommendations, and practicing consistency in collecting and accounting for this data.
The drive to receive more standardized information from GPs has encouraged limited partners (LPs) to band together. Associations like the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) have developed standards for capital calls, distribution and quarterly reporting that GPs are being encouraged to follow. Related to this is the AltExchange Alliance, which aims to define and maintain a set of common data standards for the industry.
Again asset servicing providers will play a key part in this movement by driving standardization in the data they collect and process on behalf of clients. The technology solutions they bring to bear can also facilitate adherence to a standard set of practices and protocols.
BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and may be used as a generic term to reference the corporation as a whole and/or its various subsidiaries generally. This material and any products and services may be issued or provided under various brand names in various countries by duly authorised and regulated subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint ventures of BNY Mellon, which may include any of the following. The Bank of New York Mellon, at 225 Liberty St, NY, NY 10286 USA, a banking corporation organised pursuant to the laws of the State of New York, and operating in England through its branch at One Canada Square, London E14 5AL, registered in England and Wales with numbers FC005522 and BR000818. The Bank of New York Mellon is supervised and regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services and the US Federal Reserve and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. The Bank of New York Mellon, London Branch is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, a Belgian public limited liability company, with company number 0806.743.159, whose registered office is at 46 Rue Montoyerstraat, B-1000 Brussels, authorised and regulated as a significant credit institution by the European Central Bank (ECB), under the prudential supervision of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) and under the supervision of the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) for conduct of business rules, a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon, and operating in England through its branch at 160 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4LA, registered in England and Wales with numbers FC029379 and BR014361. The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV (London Branch) is authorised by the ECB and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, operating in Ireland through its branch at 4th Floor Hanover Building, Windmill Lane, Dublin 2, Ireland, trading as The Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, Dublin Branch, which is authorized by the ECB and registered with the Companies Registration Office in Ireland No. 907126 & with VAT No. IE 9578054E. If this material is distributed in or from, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), it is communicated by The Bank of New York Mellon, DIFC Branch (the "DIFC Branch") on behalf of BNY Mellon (as defined above). This material is intended for Professional Clients and Market Counterparties only and no other person should act upon it. The DIFC Branch is regulated by the DFSA and is located at DIFC, The Exchange Building 5 North, Level 6, Room 601, P.O. Box 506723, Dubai, UAE. BNY Mellon also includes The Bank of New York Mellon which has various subsidiaries, affiliates, branches and representative offices in the Asia-Pacific Region which are subject to regulation by the relevant local regulator in that jurisdiction. Details about the extent of our regulation and applicable regulators in the Asia-Pacific Region are available from us on request. Not all products and services are offered in all countries.
The material contained in this document, which may be considered advertising, is for general information and reference purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, investment, financial or other professional advice on any matter, and is not to be used as such. The contents may not be comprehensive or up-to-date, and BNY Mellon will not be responsible for updating any information contained within this document. If distributed in the UK or EMEA, this document is a financial promotion. This document and the statements contained herein are not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any products (including financial products) or services or to participate in any particular strategy mentioned and should not be construed as such. This document is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country in which such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. Similarly, this document may not be distributed or used for the purpose of offers or solicitations in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offers or solicitations are unlawful or not authorised, or where there would be, by virtue of such distribution, new or additional registration requirements. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions that apply to the distribution of this document in their jurisdiction. The information contained in this document is for use by wholesale clients only and is not to be relied upon by retail clients. Trademarks, service marks and logos belong to their respective owners. The material contained in this document, which may be considered advertising, is for general information and reference purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, investment, financial or other professional advice on any matter, and is not to be used as such. The contents may not be comprehensive or up-to-date, and BNY Mellon will not be responsible for updating any information contained within this document. If distributed in the UK or EMEA, this document is a financial promotion. This document and the statements contained herein are not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any products (including financial products) or services or to participate in any particular strategy mentioned and should not be construed as such. This document is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country in which such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. Similarly, this document may not be distributed or used for the purpose of offers or solicitations in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offers or solicitations are unlawful or not authorised, or where there would be, by virtue of such distribution, new or additional registration requirements. Persons into whose possession this document comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions that apply to the distribution of this document in their jurisdiction. The information contained in this document is for use by wholesale clients only and is not to be relied upon by retail clients. Trademarks, service marks and logos belong to their respective owners.
The material contained in this document, which may be considered advertising, is for general information and reference purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax, accounting, investment, financial or other professional advice on any matter, and is not to be used as such.
Eric is the Director of Business Development for Asset Servicing, and is responsible for strategic planning and development of the division's business in the Asia Pacific region.


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What is the blood pressure solution? who is dr. marlene? and is it this solution for high blood pressure really for you? find out in our real review!. Books. the team of dr. marlene and dr. will have produced in-depth books to address some of the major health issues of today. the unbreakable brain. Original article. a clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. lawrence j. appel, m.d., m.p.h., thomas j. moore, m.d., eva obarzanek, ph.d.
Books. the team of dr. marlene and dr. will have produced in-depth books to address some of the major health issues of today. the unbreakable brain. I have had a few comments stating that lisinopril is bad for you and will give you bad side effects. what is the alternative? i'm not saying you shouldn't. Merritt wellness center specializes in nutrition and functional medicine. our approach identifies and treats root causes, all the while providing natural solutions to.


Used 2004 Marshall 2004 JCM 2000 Dual Super Lead 100-watt head. There's only one small tear in the finish and it's on the back, bottom edge. It's got Electro-Harmonix EL-34's for power tubes.
You can purchase this head for just $599.99 plus $75.00 for shipping and handling to anywhere in the continental United States.


Photography Institute of India: Learn Photography- Take your camera out tonight!
As the day descends, opportunities for colorful photographs glow. A night holds so many mysteries in its lap. When everyone is rushing towards their home from office, the photographers rush towards the streets and the sea coasts to get the commendable night shots. Why? Because the night photography can help you capture the darkening sky, neon signs, glowing radiates in the streets and many more astonishing shots in your camera. So just pick up your tripod, come out in night and get ready to click amazing shots.
1. Star trailing: it is possible to record stars moving in the night sky by leaving your camera's shutter open for long enough. All you need is a clear night with lots of stars visible; you need to be away from the big city blues so that pollution doesn't spoil the shots. Use a compass to locate the pole star and include it in your shots so that the star trails record as concentric rings. Use your wide lens to capture the whole sky, wait until the stars are clearly visible, and then lock the shutter open using a remote release for an hour or two. Alternatively, try to use an interval timer and a lower ISO.
2. Cityscapes: Look out for a viewpoint over a hustle town/city and you can easily capture the stunning night shots because of so much detailing and colours. You can get awesome cityscapes from the roof of a tall building or from a hotel's window or from the top of a multistory car park. Never forget setting your camera to Auto White Balance so that you smartly arrest a range of colours in your scene.
3. Traffic trails: Traffic trails, a classic night subject. The best time to click traffic trails is twilight and when roads are busy or roundabout. Set up your camera by the roadside and use exposures of 20-30 seconds to record lots of trails and allow cars to move through the frame.
4. Lighting Painting: when it comes to night photography, there are a lot of things that you can do. Painting with light can be one of the best techniques. An easy option to do so is to use powerful torch or a flashgun to illuminate a feature in the foreground of a scene, such as dock on a lake, or a statue or a monument against the night sky.
You can also try using sparkles to trace the outline of a person or the object.


Painted furniture will not only bring an extra colour to your garden, but will also brighten up the exterior.
Painted furniture also protects the wood from the elements, adverse weather conditions, improves the life of the furniture and gives a breathable and flexible finish.
Exposed wooden furniture requires plenty of care, so quality paint is essential and this ensures that the product maintains its good looks throughout the years to come and saves you money on any further maintenance or wood treatment products.
Ours paints will provide a rich and smooth finish to our product. Please request a list of our colours upon your application.
We use GORI professional wood finishing products which we can offer you in a wide range of colours from RAL and NSC colour systems to suit your needs, so that our furniture will blend in with your garden and surroundings.


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The Roker Roundup: May 4th 2012 - Gordon Unlikely To Be Retained
By SimonWalsh May 4, 2012, 6:30pm BST
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NEWS, NEWS, NEWS. NEWS-NEWS, NEWS, NEWS-NEWS, NEWS.
Happy Star Wars Day everyone, and May The Fourth be with you. Ok, now we've got that little bit of obvious humour out the way lets crack on with another SAFC news roundup.
Today being May the fourth (be with... STOP IT) we're here to inform you that on this day in 1936, Johnny Mapson, who we mentioned earlier in the week, made his debut for the club against Portsmouth at Roker Park. Now that's the Vader start an article... (STOP THIS AT ONCE!)
Anyway, here's today's bit of SAFC news for you my little Padawans (OH FOR FU...)
Finally, we're joining the big leagues. Today work officially began on us building an floodlight training pitch, and most crucially of all, an indoor one at the Academy Of Light - CLICK HERE
After rumours have circled this week about Connor Wickham heading on loan to previous club Ipswich Town, their boss Paul Jewell has been speaking about that situation, and claiming that he would love to bring the young striker back to the club - CLICK HERE
Also on the way out it appears is Craig Gordon. The Scotsman played last week against Bolton, but The Journal are now saying that he's not going to be retained for next season - CLICK HERE
Although there's no names, named, The Journal also speculate that we're going to bring in two strikers. O'Neill has said that he wants two players to hit double figures next season, goals wise, which for me doesn't necessarily mean there's two coming in, but at least one should - CLICK HERE
Perhaps one of them was Basel striker Valentin Stocker. Although it would appear he's rejected us to move to Hoffenheim. Much like yesterday with Ola John, having only just heard about it now, it doesn't sound like it was ever a likely move - CLICK HERE
The Gaffer also reckons that we need four points from the last two games to secure a top ten position. I think he's about right, but it's going to be a very tough ask - CLICK HERE
Gary Bennett is backing Stephane Sessegnon to win the club's official player of the year award, after the Benin striker picked up the supporters award last week - CLICK HERE
There's a canny interview with the highly successful SAFC Womens team manager, Mick Mulhearn, over on top ladies football website, She Kicks - CLICK HERE


If you have or may have diabetic students, this course follows the House Bill 984 guidelines. This class will give school personnel the knowledge to be considered an Unlicensed Diabetes Care Assistant (UDCA). HB 984 states that each campus with a diabetic student is required to provide at least one UDCA if there is a full-time RN, or 3 UDCAs if there is not a full-time RN on campus. To attend this course you had to have taken the full course within a year. Any nurses may attend but there are no CEUs available. A complete booklet of information will be provided for each participant to take back to your school.
Coordinated School Health Co-op attends for FREE.
As per HB 984 guidelines, each campus needs to have one to three unlicensed diabetic care assistants for diabetic students. During this refresher course, you will learn updates and practice skills. You must complete a written and a skills test, which does require testing your own blood sugar through a finger stick. RNs are not required to take this course but may do so for the most up-to-date information.


Rainbow Primary School co-located to the Secondary site in June 2011.
We are committed to providing a seamless and integrated education from prep to VCE. The school has undergone a number of improvements over the past couple of years including a new open learning primary school building incorporating shared art facilities and general classrooms, a new multi purpose building incorporating a fantastic new foods area and a renovated tech wing with new welding bays and equipment providing us with the capabilities of teaching VET (Vocational Education and Training) engineering and furnishings subjects on campus. We access the lastest technology via video conferencing and on line learning to enhance the experiences of our students.
Our emphasis throughout the school is on literacy and numeracy extension and support and we have a strong commitment to the development of information and communication technologies. At senior secondary level we offer a wide range of VCE, VET and VCAL courses. Our programs are designed to cater for a diverse range of students. This includes a variety of co-curricular programmes including: Alpine School, Somers Camp (PS), Dreamchasers, Traffic Safety Education, German Exchange, MARC reading van (PS) and Woolshed. It also includes work experience, instrumental music and stage productions. There is a strong partnership between parents, students and staff with a high level of participation in School Council, canteen, work bees and fundraising.
Rainbow Learning Group & Neighbourhood House Inc is a community based organisation that through its services aims to provide members of the community with lifelong learning and skills development. We provide support for families and individuals, encourage community development, personal empowerment and growth. All members of the community are able to access the centre. A range of programs and activities are delivered by skilled/qualified tutors in response to community needs. We are a non-profit organisation and primarily funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).
The centre offers internet access, colour and mono photocopying, laminating, faxing, binding and meeting room hire. Contact us for rates. Some of the courses offered include computers, art, craft, scrapbooking, family history, photography, health and wellbeing.


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		'error' => $e->getMessage(),
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Trash Talk….Meaning lets go through my beauty empties!
It's time to talk about trash again. And this time we got a nice variety of different products. Spot anything you've tried yourself?
There is actually a product from my project pan in this empties post as well. It is always good to be able to include those, because that could only mean my project is going great? It is doing good. The only thing I struggle with is that demonic blush that refuse to show signs of wear. Anyways, that's for my next project pan update. Today it's all about what is already empty.
Let's start with a matching pair.
#92 OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner: I do feel like this is nourishing. It's also a quite pleasant coconut fragrance since it 's not too overwhelming or artificial. This is not the conditioner I use when I want volume because it's a bit heavy on my hair, but does really gives a lot of moisture. It also makes my hair smooth ans shiny.
#93 OGX Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo: Same story as with the conditioner. I think this is the thoird time I buy these. This time it was only travel size bottles but the previous times it's been full size (which are huge!). So I don't mind repurchasing these I just need a break between because I get a bit tired of the coconut scent. That's always the case for me and coconut scents so it's nothing wrong with the scent really.
#94 Yves Rocher Mango Coriander Energizing Bath & Shower Gel: This smells like a super delicious smoothie. The scent is absolutely lovely and perfect for summer. I really enjoyed this and would be happy to pick up another one. I will for sure do that on my next Yves Rocher order.
#95 Tolymoly Lip Balm: Super cute packaging. The product itself was just Vaseline with a bad taste to it. Won't repurchase but my niece will get this to play with because she lovers these kind of things (she's 4). So at least there is that.
#96 Kiko Matte Fusion Pressed Powder: This powder was OK. It looked good on the skin, and set my makeup nicely without looking cakey, but it did not mattify despite it's name. Actually I found my skin to be more shiny than normal just around one hour after application, so if you are looking for a mattifying powder this is not it.
#97 L'Oreal Glam Beige Healthy Glow Foundation: This was the one from my project pan I mentioned above. It is a light coverage foundation with a dewy natural finish. Good for summer, but I found that it does not last that well on my skin, so I won't repurchase. I think. It's not bad either and you never know hat might happen during a sale…..just saying.
#98 Bastiste Dry Shampoo Original (Mini): I picked this up because I needed one for travel. This really does not last more than one trip. I got four uses out of it. Batiste is my go-to dry shampoo, but I prefer the brunette version because I don't have to worry about white cast.
#99 Duo Adhesive Lash Glue: I am maybe the only one who still like this? It seems like everyone used this some years ago, but now so many has moved on to something else? I like it though, and will repurchase.
Remember that you can also follow me on Bloglovin and Instagram too!
Benefit World O'Blushes Palette – Review!
Juvia's Place The Nubian 2 Palette – 8 Makeup Looks!
The OGX cocunut line also has a body lotion which I really love if you haven't tried it yet!
I finished the coconut milk shampoo recently and have been trying to work through the conditioner lol. I like them. I do want to try the batiste dry shampoo.


"Thank you for providing this invaluable service!"
"I will continue to leverage this expert and valuable service as long as it exists. The MS-ISAC CERT was once again very efficient and provided a robust root cause analysis in a timely fashion."


The San Leandro Junior Optimist Rifle Club is open to youth 10 to 20 years of age. Its purpose is to develop sportsmanship, discipline, and citizenship in youth through safe participation in the shooting sports as well as involvement in some community service and fundraising events.
Members are taught how to safely handle and fire .22 caliber rifles following courses established by the National Rifle Association (NRA).


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Exclusive interview: Lex Luger remembers the Lex Express
On July 4, 1993, Lex Luger slammed Yokozuna on the deck of the USS Intrepid, and announced himself as WWE's next great American hero. Luger then slipped on a pair of red, white and blue Zubaz, boarded a tour bus called the Lex Express and traversed the country for six weeks, exploring the United States while meeting WWE fans in cities from Baltimore to Chicago. More than twenty years later, WWE.com called up The Total Package to talk about his unforgettable road trip and learn why you should never attempt to slam a sumo wrestler while wearing cowboy boots.
WWE.COM: It's been more than 20 years since you set off across the country on the Lex Express bus. Do you remember thinking it was a cool idea at the time?
LEX LUGER: I don't know about cool, but it was a great opportunity. Obviously, you don't look forward to being on the road for six weeks away from your family, but it was handled in a great way.
WWE.COM: You were a bad guy early in your WWE run. How did your big patriotic turn come about?
LUGER: I was called into the office to meet with Mr. McMahon, which he doesn't do very often. I walked in as The Narcissist and I walked out 20 minutes later as the red, white and blue good guy. How does that happen? I looked at Vince and said, "Vince, I know you're really good at this, but how does a guy that's been posing in mirrors as The Narcissist turn into an all-American good guy in one clean swoop? He said, "Lex, trust me. The people are going to love it." As usual, he was spot on.
In July 1993, Lex Luger set off on a cross-country tour of America in a bus he dubbed the Lex Express. Relive Luger's epic road trip with these photos.
WWE.COM: Were you uncomfortable with the transformation?
LUGER: Well, in my opinion, it was always more fun being a bad guy, because it's easier to get people to hate you than it is to love you. You have to earn their trust and it takes time, so, if you want an instant reaction from the crowd, it's always easier being a bad guy.
WWE.COM: Your run as an American hero started on the deck of the USS Intrepid on July 4, 1993, when you slammed Yokozuna. What do you remember about that day?
LUGER: I was supposed to fly in on a helicopter in my red, white and blue shirt and blue jeans and cowboy boots and save the day. They had us standby down the Hudson River at this helicopter pad with this guy that was a Vietnam helicopter pilot. We just jumped in the helicopter. I wasn't even strapped in. The helicopter pilot kind of wanted to show off to me. I was afraid I was going to fall into the Hudson River. I was holding on for dear life.
WWE.COM: Once you landed, were you worried that you'd fail to lift Yokozuna and blow the whole Lex Express tour before it ever started?
LUGER: It was kind of nerve-wracking to think this was live. We didn't have a do-over. I was trying to focus on that when I slid in the ring, but the cowboy boots I had on were worn on the bottoms and I felt like I was on roller skates on the mat. I had no footing! I was scared to death. You ever see those cartoons with The Road Runner where the refrigerator lands on top of Wile E. Coyote and he's flattened like an ink spot? That's what I pictured as Yokozuna came staggering out of the corner.
WWE.COM: You pulled it off.
LUGER: I looked so excited after he got slammed, because I was so relieved! That was a combination of relief and excitement.
A special look at the moment when Lex Luger achieved the impossible by slamming WWE Champion Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid.
WWE.COM: Do you remember the first stop on the Lex Express tour?
LUGER: We went right out of Stamford, Connecticut, to some gigantic hardware store just outside of Boston and more than 6,000 people showed up. They had me sign autographs for three or four hours and then I had to shake the rest of the people's hands, because they had to get me to the next city. It was an incredible turnout.
WWE.COM: You did autograph signings all over the country during your tour. Did they all blur together or do any of them stand out?
LUGER: We were in Denver one time and they had people lined up to get my autograph all around the Toys"R"Us store. Denver can get hot in the summer, believe it or not, and it was like 101 degrees. They had to call emergency services and bring these gigantic coolers of ice water so people wouldn't get dehydrated and pass out.
WWE.COM: You couldn't hide on the Lex Express. Were you constantly hearing it from people on the highway?
LUGER: Oh, yeah, honking, waving and some even gave me the one-finger salute. We got all kinds of reactions.
A look at Lex Luger's journey around America.
WWE.COM: Any scary situations?
LUGER: They wanted to get a photo of me posing with my shirt off in front of Mount Rushmore, but all these biker guys were out there. They surrounded the bus. We couldn't get me outside, because all we had was the bus driver and my tour guy. We didn't have security on the bus. So they had me climb out of the fire escape hatch and they got a picture of me standing on top of the bus in front of Mount Rushmore hitting a double bicep shot. It was very cool.
WWE.COM: At any point, did you freak out and want to get off the bus and never get back on?
LUGER: [Laughs] There were times I'd rather have been at home, sitting poolside, getting a tan or hanging out with my family for a barbeque. But they kept me busy, which was actually good. We all knew the big picture — it was six weeks to SummerSlam and then I'd have plenty of time off. Vince told me I could take a couple of weeks to be back home, so I kind of had the carrot dangling at the end of those six weeks.
WWE.COM: After the lengthy buildup to your WWE Title Match against Yokozuna at SummerSlam, you didn't win the championship. Was that a big letdown for you?
LUGER: I wasn't made any promises. I really wasn't thinking about that at all. I was thrilled to be a part of it. I will tell you this: I think that Yokozuna was one of the greatest champions ever. When he walked into the building and came down the aisle, we used to call him the showstopper. For me, personally, I was honored to be in the main event against him at SummerSlam.
Lex Luger carries the pride of America on his shoulders while he tries to take the WWE Title away from Yokozuna.
WWE.COM: Looking back, how big was that summer of your career?
LUGER: Definitely one of the highlights along with The Four Horsemen and a WCW Title win on national television over Hulk Hogan. To this day, people constantly bring it up. The youngsters from then are now in their late twenties and early thirties and they act like little kids when they talk to me. "Man, I saw you at a shopping mall on your Lex Express tour!" It definitely has an impact to this day and it was great to be a part of it.
WWE.COM: The Lex Express isn't sitting in your driveway right now, is it?
LUGER: [Laughs] People ask me that all the time. You know I never did see it again. As far as I know, they turned it back in. They probably repainted it for some other kind of show, but I'll always have fond memories of it. It served its purpose well.


Japan is generally a very structured country where the masses all follow the same beat, unlike North America where different people tend to do their own thing. However, Tokyo is more structured than Osaka, Kyoto and Nara were. In Tokyo it is important to keep LEFT when walking. Japan is a right hand drive and drive on the left country. So you will find when walking in the subways, malls, sidewalks etc, that the vast majority are keeping to the left. When you get to escalators, you'll need the left side. Same on stairs. When stepping off curbs to cross the road, it's important to look RIGHT before proceeding.
You will find that generally, Japan is a polite culture. While very crowded you will find that there's no aggression of pushing and shoving. People just work together. When a crowd is advancing towards an escalator that funnels down to a single file, just go with the flow without being aggressive and you'll find your turn will come and people will let you go. When entering a store the staff will greet you with a welcome ("iraishimase") and upon leaving will thank you with a bow. If you purchase something the appreciation is heightened.
On the Subway platforms. Look for two lines on the floor. This is where you line up. Subways are very orderly there. You line up at the designated spots, when the train arrives, people exit the train FIRST and then the two lines enter. You won't see the disorganized process that we see in Canada or in other cities where people are pushing their way on while others are trying to exit. First time I saw this it amazed me. This orderly conduct allows a high volume of people to exit and enter quickly enabling the trains to stay on schedule. Japanese trains are very good at being on time due to this.
Especially in Tokyo, you will find the vast majority of people follow the rules. For example, it may be late in the evening and you're waiting to cross a road. There is no traffic coming so in some countries like here, people will cross against the red light since there's no cars but in Tokyo, you will see crowds of people waiting for the walk sign to light up. The only people you'll see crossing against red lights are tourists. My recommendation would be just go with the flow.
NO TIPPING! In Japan they take great pride in doing their jobs. They feel that serving the public is their job and they get paid for doing their job. There's no need to ask for extra money. Therefore, they do not accept tips. If you pay by credit card there will not be an option to leave a tip. If you pay by cash and leave extra money, then expect the waiter to chase after you to return your change. This is a difficult thing to adhere to especially when you receive excellent service. You're natural reaction is to leave some money for tip but the locals find this offensive. They perceive this action as you viewing them with pity.
Many people in the Tokyo area can speak some level of English and can understand more than they can speak. On the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara side you will find less people speak English. But regardless, people will try their hardest and use whatever means they can to help you. Restaurants that serve tourist will have menus with lots of pictures where you can simply point to what you want.
You will find Japanese packaging to be pretty nice. When buying gifts, they will immaculately wrap your items in paper bags and tape them shut. We bought some items at a bakery. They packed the items in a box so that they would not touch each other, along with an ice pack to help it keep cool on the journey back to our hotel. The then placed the box in a paper bag. That day it was raining so they put a plastic rain bag over top so that the paper bag would not melt and fall apart in the rain. Incredible! Such attention to detail!!
As previously mentioned, paying for items can be a challenge in Japan as cash (Japanese Yen) is the most widely accepted form. Larger places and tourist locations will accept international credit cards. We used our Visa Credit Card wherever we could but also kept a bit of cash on hand. This leads to the next challenge. Where to get cash? Many local bank machines will not accept an international cards. Look for these three convenience stores – 7-Eleven, Lawsons and Family Mart. All three of these convenience stores will have a bank machine in them that accepts international credit and debit cards. The store itself also accepts international cards. But smaller vendors will only accept cash. Tokyo was pretty good in accepting international cards. But in Osaka, Nara and Kyoto wasn't as popular. Most cabs in Tokyo will accept international cards. In Kyoto, we took a cab that only accepted cash.
As earlier recommended, purchase a PASSMO card when you arrive. You can purchase this from a self serve vending machine located in train stations (look for the 'English' button on the screen to change the language). You will need to pay with cash. This is an aggravation with me. I wish they'd update their machines to accept international credit cards to make things easier on tourists. This may be fixed at some point as the country prepares for the 2020 Olympics and attempts to be more 'tourist friendly'. But when I was there last in September 2016, it was still this way. The PASSMO card can be loaded up with cash and can be used on subways, trains (except the Shinkansen), buses and can also be used in many convenience stores. I can speak first hand that the PASSMO card can be used in all citires I've mentioned – Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. I'd expect that it's widely accepted. Simply tap the card upon entry, the gates will open, you walk through and it closes. When you get to your destination, tap to exit and your card will charged an amount corresponding to the distance you travelled.
When travelling by CAB………you will first notice the cars are spotless. Some cars may be several years old but looks like new. When you are about to step into a CAB don't stand too close to the back door and DO NOT open the door yourself. The doors are automatic. The driver will automatically open AND close the doors automatically from his seat. The drivers are all well kept and wear white gloves. Almost like riding in a limo. Like I mentioned earlier, generally speaking CAB drives in Japan do not speak English very well. Have your destination address written down on a piece of paper including phone number if possible. Their GPS can look up addresses based on phone numbers too. In Tokyo you'll probably find it more likely to find a CAB driver who speaks some level of English and will accept international cards. But in Osaka/Kyoto/Nara, it may only be cash that's accepted and their English will not be as good. The drivers will always help you if you have luggage, and again, NO TIPPING!
Shuttle buses……..Japan's transportation infrastructure is quite advanced so if you do not want to take the train or a CAB, there are often shuttle buses you can consider for times like travelling from the airport to your hotel or visa versa. Just ask your hotel concierge for more information.
This should be your choice of transportation for long distance travel. It's fast, smooth and comfortable. You can buy reserved or non-reserved seats. There's typically plenty of seats so I have not personally seen the need to buy reserved seating, however, this should be your choice. Look for signage as to what car numbers are the reserved seating and which are for non-reserved. The only difference for non-reserved is that you board the train car and simply pick any seat….opposed to purchasing an actual seat on a specific car. Again, look for markers on the platform as to where to line up for which train.
Your hotel concierge can assist you in making reservations at restaurants, tours or other events. While they can also call you a CAB, it is often easier to just walk outside and look for one. There are plenty. They can also assist with that if you require. You may also ask hotel concierge for some recommendations for places to eat, or a popular attraction that's nearby. Like other places, look in the lobby for extra information packets.
When trying to select a place to eat, you will find some restaurants will have a showcase of their menu in plastic replicas. It's pretty neat actually. When you do select a place, simply request "English menu". Most places will either have an English menu or as mentioned before, contain menus with lots of pictures so you can simply point to what you want. In the cities, basements of department stores will typically be food courts giving you lots of selection. But check the floor plan as in Osaka there was a food court that was on the top floor. For those in the basements, one floor above the food courts will be desserts. You may find some places also have a grocery store.
In general, Japan is an easy country to get around. Their transportation infrastructure is amazing. But like I mentioned to you, travelling around there involves lots of walking which can catch up with you. Personally, we keep under estimating how tiring it can be. So pace yourself and enjoy the sites you've chosen. Remember that travelling eats up time too to plan your events with this in mind.
Using Google Maps works very well. It pulls in the train schedules when choosing directions by train. It combines the commuting and walking instructions. Pay attention to the platform number as this is very helpful. Train schedules change depending on time of day so best route options will vary. Another option is using the web and phone app, Hyperdia, explained in the next section, however Google Maps is really all you need.
You can also download the iPhone app. They also have an app for Android too.
We paid a total of $84 to rent the unit for 6 days. For our trip in 2016, we picked up at Haneda airport in Tokyo and returned at Kansai airport in Osaka. Usage is unlimited and can connect up to 10 devices. Speeds are pretty good too. Details can be found on their web page. You can fill out the form and reserve. They will reply with confirmation along with details on where to pick up your unit. While the device is unlimited in usage, it is limited in battery life. We pretty much plugged in every night to top up. Some days where we did not use it as much could last another day. It was very handy to have to use in conjunction with Hyperdia. Plans change and sometimes you end up in places you had not planned on. Handy to pull up the Hyperdia app and look up new routes on how to get from your new point A to point B.
The Tokyu Stay hotel we've stayed at for our two trips in Tokyo. I highly recommend them. They have a few locations to choose from in Tokyo…..


A sleeved version of our popular poncho. Quick and easy to put on. Ideal for use on scooters and wheelchairs.
Quick, easy to put on and unlined to keep off the rain. Can be used nu wheelchair and scooter users. Unlined and unsleeved.


Business Intelligence is a very exiting subject and a field that is undergoing rapid transformation influenced by things such as big data, data visualization, self-service analytics, cloud and mobile computing, etc.
I have published a post titled "Business Intelligence, the Microsoft style" that covered Microsoft's renewed focus on and general strategy around Business Intelligence some time ago. Sure enough, there have been many new and exciting developments related to Microsoft BI since.
Microsoft and DocuSign just announced strategic partnership aimed at bringing eSignature capabilities to Office 365 customers, read more about it here.
This is a welcome development and, in conjunction with upcoming Office 365 enhancements (such as email encryption, seamless document collaboration, better OneDrive integration, etc.), a good example of continuous innovation and rich ecosystem required to make any cloud service a success.
There's a definite potential here for businesses of all sizes to have a cloud-based (elastic, cost effective) infrastructure for a secure end-to-end handling of digital document focused workflows.