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Proceedings Papers (317)
Proceedings Article (317)
Heat Transfer (17)
Microelectromechanical Systems (14)
Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering (13)
Biomedical and Biotechnology Engineering (12)
Electronics and Photonics (10)
Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Fluids (9)
Micro- and Nano-Systems Engineering and Packaging (9)
Advances in Aerospace Technology (8)
Temperature (87)
Metals (58)
Mechanical properties (39)
Correlation of Acoustic Emission, Scanning Electron Microscopy and 3D Topography Data to Investigate the Ground Ceramic Condition
Talal M. A. Maksoud, Amin A. Mokbel, John E. Morgan
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Manufacturing Science and Engineering, 481-491, November 14–19, 1999
Paper No: IMECE1999-0707
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE1999-0707
This paper considers the grinding parameters, which affect the initiation and propagation of surface and sub-surface cracks formed during the surface grinding of engineering ceramics. The results given in this paper are chosen from a much larger series of experiments, and can be shown to be representative in correlating the principal grinding parameters with a number of observed and measured properties. During grinding tests, for a range of grinding conditions, acoustic emission (AE) measurements, 3-D surface topography measurements, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images are brought together in an effort to relate the initiation and propagation of surface and sub-surface cracks with specific grinding parameters. Subsequent results from three point bend tests carried out on ground specimens are also used to confirm the type and extent of sub-surface cracking produced during grinding.
Topics: Acoustic emissions, Ceramics, Scanning electron microscopy, Grinding, Fracture (Materials), Cracking (Materials), Fracture (Process), Scanning electron microscopes, Surface topography
Experimental Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Characteristics in Laser-Assisted Machining of Silicon Nitride Ceramics
Shuting Lei, Yung C. Shin, Frank P. Incropera
Laser-assisted machining (LAM) of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) is evaluated for its potential to become an economically viable process in fabricating precision ceramic parts. On-line measurements of cutting force and workpiece temperature are performed, and tool wear and surface integrity are examined. Tool wear characteristics are determined as a function of workpiece temperature, which is measured on-line using a laser pyrometer. Tool wear/failure mechanisms are characterized using optical microscopy, while application of scanning electron microscopy to heated and machined surfaces, as well as to chips, is used to infer material removal mechanisms and the extent of damage caused by LAM. The sub-surface damage of parts produced by LAM is compared with that of typical ground parts.
Topics: Lasers, Machining, Silicon nitride ceramics, Thermomechanics, Wear, Damage, Temperature, Ceramics, Cutting, Failure mechanisms
Design Criteria for Hardturning Machines
Shouri Yasui, Kazutoshi Sakai
The benefits of hardturning include reduced setup costs; shorter tool change times; improved squareness by virtue of the ability to machine cylinder I.D., O.D. and face in one chucking; low energy consumption and elimination of the need to handle grinding sludge and waste fluid. Hardturning has typically been used as a replacement for grinding, in the processing of fitting surfaces or clad surfaces, and other such relatively straightforward applications not requiring sliding. In recent years, however, due to advances in servo and other machine technology, and tool material improvements (CBN, ceramics), hardturning has entered the realm of finishing curved and complex shaped surfaces that have sliding and rolling contacts. This paper will present the machine characteristics developed to meet the ever increasing demand for hardturning process accuracy, and introduce each of the factors which ultimately affected the design of machine components, providing examples where appropriate.
Topics: Design, Machinery, Grinding, Ceramics, Cylinders, Energy consumption, Finishing, Fittings, Fluids, Machine components
Modeling an Integral Dual Solar/Gas Fired Generator for a Water-Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller
Jiming Cao, Richard N. Christensen
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Advanced Energy Systems, 159-165, November 14–19, 1999
This paper presents a design process for a dual solar/gas fired generator. A generator fired by solar energy and/or natural gas for a water-lithium bromide absorption chiller of 25 refrigeration tons (RT) was modeled. The natural gas is considered as the backup heat when the solar energy is unavailable or insufficient. The flue gas and the water-lithium bromide solution are in co-current flow, while the solar fluid and the water-lithium bromide solution are in counter-current flow. Fifty fluted tubes were installed vertically between two concentric cylindrical tubes. A solid ceramic insert was used to enhance heat transfer on the gas side that is considered as having the dominant heat transfer resistance. The burner is installed inside the smaller cylindrical tube. The solar fluid from the solar collector enters the generator through the fluted tubes while the water-lithium bromide mixture flows in the annular channel around the fluted tubes as a subcooled liquid. The generator is divided into two regions according to the heat transfer mechanism: subcooled liquid region and desorption region. In this model, a simultaneous solar and gas fired desorption process was investigated. The amount of makeup heat needed from natural gas was determined as a function of the solar fluid flow rate. Local temperature profiles were predicted by the model.
Topics: Absorption, Generators, Lithium, Modeling, Solar energy, Water, Flow (Dynamics), Heat transfer, Natural gas, Desorption
Impact of On-Die Discrete Heating on Thermal Performance Characteristics of Silicon Based IC Electronic Packages
V. H. Adams, K. Ramakrishna
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Electronics Manufacturing Issues, 99-106, November 14–19, 1999
Simulations for thermal characterization of electronic packages for silicon-based integrated circuit (IC) components typically assume one of the two uniform heat generation conditions. They are: (1) an isoflux condition in which heat generation is uniformly distributed over the active surface of the die, or (2) a uniform heat generation over the entire (or active) volume of the die. The use of these models may be justified due to high thermal conductivity of silicon, size of the devices on the die, and their relatively uniform spatial distribution over the entire surface of the die in the traditional silicon technologies. However, the current and future technologies are migrating towards embedded systems solutions, such as system-on-chip, and in traditional applications devices are brought in close proximity to each other for improved on-chip electrical performance. These trends result in localized regions of power dissipation on the die that would invalidate the use of traditional uniform generation models in the thermal characterization. The present study examines the effect of discrete heat sources (as opposed to uniformly distributed sources) on the die on thermal performance and characterization of the electronic packages. For this purpose, a conjugate heat transfer problem of a memory chip in a 119 I/O flip chip ceramic and plastic ball grid array (FC-C & PBGA) package under natural and forced convection conditions. First the model is validated against experimentally measured thermal data on a 119 I/O FC-C & P BGA daisy-chain test packages with a thermal test die with uniformly distributed resistive heat source. Junction-to-ambient temperature difference predictions from the simulations are within 10% of the measurements for the uniform heating case. The validated model is then suitably modified to account for discrete heat sources and actual substrates. Results from the discrete heat sources study show a 15–20% increase in predicted junction-to-ambient temperature difference and a larger (a 10–15 °C) temperature variation across the active face of the die than for with a uniform heat source. These results call for the use of discrete heat sources in the thermal characterization of new generation of embedded silicon technologies. They also point to the need for development of test die and characterization methodologies for these technologies with discrete heat sources.
Topics: Electronic packages, Heating, Performance characterization, Silicon, Heat, Temperature, Thermal characterization, Ball-Grid-Array packaging, Engineering simulation, Junctions
Microlamination for Microtechnology-Based Energy, Chemical, and Biological Systems
Brian K. Paul, Richard B. Peterson
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Advanced Energy Systems, 45-52, November 14–19, 1999
Microlamination is a process for fabricating micro and meso scale systems having intricate arrays of components interconnected within a single block of metal, ceramic, or polymeric material. The process begins by surface machining, or through cutting, individual laminae with patterns containing the desired structure. The laminae are often shims of a base material having desirable mechanical and thermal properties important to the functioning of the final device. Once the patterns are cut, the shims are surface treated and stacked in a prearranged order. Bonding then takes place forming a single laminate. Some post processing of the final part can be performed to dissociate internal structures if needed. This paper describes work being accomplished at Oregon State University on the microlamination process. The paper emphasizes laser micromachining of metal and polymeric laminates. Laser techniques covered include pulsed Nd:YAG-based micromachining at the fundamental and higher harmonics. Also, examples of CO 2 laser machining are presented. Process descriptions are provided and examples given of micro and mesoscale components needed for producing devices useful in the energy, chemical, and biological areas.
Topics: Bonding, Carbon dioxide lasers, Ceramics, Cutting, Laminates, Lasers, Machining, Metals, Microelectromechanical systems, Micromachining
Effect of Volume on Ceramic Ball-Grid Array Solder Life
Stephen A. McKeown, Chittaranjan Sahay
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Electronics Manufacturing Issues, 163-167, November 14–19, 1999
Paper describes the effect of solder volume on solder life based on linear finite element analysis using ANSYS. The results indicate an optimal volume for the solder life. Any increase or decrease in the solder volume from the optimum volume decreases the fatigue life of solder joints. Solder joint life was also experimentally determined for the same temperature excursion with a 2-hour thermal cycle. The experimental results compare well with the results estimated by finite element modeling. Studies for one elastic-plastic analysis has also been carried out. Initial results indicate substantial increase in strain concentration factor.
Topics: Ceramics, Solders, Finite element analysis, Solder joints, Cycles, Fatigue life, Modeling, Temperature
Theoretical and Experimental Study of Mesoscopic Impactors
Mingqiang Yi, Howard Hu, Haim H. Bau, K. Erickson
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 517-522, November 14–19, 1999
An inertial impactor is a device that separates particles from a gas stream according to their mass. The characteristics of two different types of mesoscopic impactors, one with and one without a collection cup, were studied theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical study consists of a numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for the fluid's flow field and a solution of Newton's equation of motion for the particles. The particle cut-off sizes and the impactor's efficiency curves were computed as functions of the jet-to-plate distance, nozzle size, cup size, and the jet's Reynolds number (Re < 100). Prototypes of impactors were fabricated in low temperature co-fired ceramic tapes. Preliminary experiments were carried out to determine the collection efficiency as a function of particle size and the Reynolds number. The experimental results were critically compared with theoretical predictions.
Topics: Mesoscopic systems, Particulate matter, Reynolds number, Ceramics, Engineering prototypes, Equations of motion, Flow (Dynamics), Low temperature, Navier-Stokes equations, Nozzles
Integrated LTCC Coils for Multiple Applications in Meso-Electro-Mechanical Systems
Mario Gongora-Rubio, Jorge J. Santiago-Aviles, Luis Sola-Laguna, Michael Smith
Often the designer of small electro-mechanical systems is willing to sacrifice small size and power consumption for the sake of low cost, ease of processing and enhanced yield. We have been working on the utilization of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic tapes (LTCC) for the implementation of intermediate scale (meso-scale) devices with the simultaneously or secondary task of micro-electronic packaging. We have designed and implemented several sensors and actuators having in common the utilization of electro-magnetic forces and interactions as the fundamental working mechanism. For this purpose we have designed and constructed a series of coils utilizing LTCC tapes suitable for multiple sensing and actuating tasks. As sensors, we have implemented a proximity sensor and a non-contact displacement sensor and a differential pressure sensor with a ferrofluidic core. As actuators we have implemented a normally closed valve and a Joule effect heater.
Topics: Actuators, Ceramics, Displacement, Electromechanical systems, Energy consumption, Joules, Low temperature, Microelectronic packaging, Pressure sensors, Sensors
Micro-Stereolithography of 3D Complex Ceramic Microstructures and PZT Thick Films on Si Substrate
X. N. Jiang, C. Sun, X. Zhang
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), 67-73, November 14–19, 1999
Microstereolithography of ceramics is investigated in this paper. Ceramic line width and lateral dimension control experiments are carried out and on the basis of these, three-dimensional alumina microstructures and PZT thick films on Si substrate are fabricated and characterized. A minimum line width of 5.7 μm (with the layer thickness of 10 μm) has been achieved. Three-dimensional ceramic microstructures with feature sizes ranging from 50 μm to 1mm are fabricated from alumina suspensions (50%∼59.5% Vol.). PZT thick films (50∼130 μm thick) have been successfully patterned on silicon substrate. The piezoelectric coefficients of the fabricated PZT thick films are measured as d 33 of 100 pC/N and g 33 of 59.5 × 10 −3 Vm/N, which are more promising for applications compared with those of PZT films fabricated by other methods.
Topics: Ceramics, Stereolithography, Thick films, Dimensions, Silicon
A Thermal Cycler Fabricated With Low Temperature, Co-Fired Ceramic Tapes
Jihua Zhong, Mingqiang Yi, Haim H. Bau
A thermal cycler fabricated with low temperature, co-fired, ceramic tapes is described. The monolithic device consisted of a flow conduit, a resistor (Joule) heater, a thermistor, and conductors. A microprocessor was used to control the device's temperature according to a pre-programmed temperature protocol. The device's thermal performance was modeled, and the theoretical predictions were compared with experimental observations. As an example of an application, the device was used to carry out a polymerase chain reaction in which a non detectable concentration of a DNA segment was sufficiently amplified so as to enable separation and detection by electrophoresis.
Topics: Ceramics, Low temperature, Temperature, Chain, DNA, Electrophoresis, Flow (Dynamics), Joules, Resistors, Separation (Technology)
Meso-Scale Electromagnetic Actuators Fabricated in Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Tapes
Moon Kim, Dennis Kim, G. K. Ananthasuresh, Haim H. Bau
Meso-scale electromagnetic actuators in low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) tapes were fabricated, tested, and analyzed. Two types of designs were considered: a NdFeB permanent magnet bonded to Kapton (polyimide film material from Du Pont) beam and a permalloy (soft magnetic material) beam. In both cases, electromagnetic coils printed on ceramic tapes were used for actuation. The beam deflection was measured as a function of applied current. In the case of the permanent magnet actuator, the experimental observations were compared with theoretical predictions.
Topics: Ceramics, Electromagnetic actuators, Low temperature, Permanent magnets, Actuators, Deflection, Magnetic materials
Experimental and Numerical Study on Micro-Stereolithography of Ceramics
C. Sun, X. N. Jiang, X. Zhang
Micro-stereolithography (μSL) uses laser light to solidify UV-curable resin mixed with concentrated ceramic powders. During the μSL process, the light scattering from the particle suspension is found to significantly influence the fabrication resolution and curing depth which are critical for the complex 3D microfabrication. In this work, we developed a novel doping technique to substantially reduce the light scattering; thus, enhance the fabrication precision and control. Both Monte-Carlo simulations and experimental studies are carried out to understand the detailed micro-scale optical scattering, chemical reaction (polymerization) and their influences to fabricated line-width.
Topics: Ceramics, Stereolithography, Light scattering, Manufacturing, Chemical reactions, Electromagnetic scattering, Engineering simulation, Hardening (Curing), Lasers, Microfabrication
Bioactive and Degradable Composite Microcarriers for 3-D Bone Tissue Engineering in Simulated Microgravity
Qing-Qing Qiu, Paul Ducheyne, Portonovo S. Ayyaswamy
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Advances in Heat and Mass Transfer in Biotechnology, 31-32, November 14–19, 1999
Microcarriers currently used in cell and tissue cultures in microgravity environment simulated by rotating-wall bioreactors are primarily biocompatible polymers. For bone cell cultures and tissue formation, bioactive glasses and ceramics have unique advantages, such as bone bonding ability and stimulation of bone cell functions. 1 However, they are difficult to be processed into spherical microcarriers and have not been used in simulated microgravity environment until recently. 2 In this study, we developed composite microspheres by incorporating bioactive glasses and ceramics into a polymer microsphere to combine the osteoconductivity of bioactive glasses and ceramics with the ease of polymer processing. In addition, the wide range of mechanical and biological properties of polymer offers the possibility of making composite microspheres with various desired properties, such as biodegradation. Another important factor in the microsphere design is the density of the microcarrier. Previous numerical analysis of the particle dynamics in a rotating-wall bioreactor has revealed that the shear stress imparted to a microcarrier increases with the density difference between the microcarrier and the culture medium. 34 Solid ceramic particles would experience a high shear stress due to their high density and, as a results, affect cell attachment and cause cell damage. 4 To alleviate the problem, microcarriers with a density close to that of the culture medium are desired. By combining biodegradable polymer with bioactive glasses and ceramics, the density of the composite microsphere could be adjusted and significantly reduced in comparison to solid ceramic microspheres. In this study, we report development and characterization of novel bioactive and degradable composite microspheres for 3-D bone tissue engineering in simulated microgravity environment.
Topics: Bone, Composite materials, Ceramics, Density, Glass, Polymers, Reduced gravity environments, Biodegradation, Biological tissues, Bioreactors
Study on Acoustic Emission During High-Speed Grinding and Ultraprecision Grinding of Advanced Ceramics
S. Gowri, Bryan K. A. Ngoi, K. Ramesh
The process of grinding produces characteristic acoustic emissions (AE) and the signals of AE could be used as 'condition monitoring' tool to understand the phenomenon involved in material removal. It has been observed that high-speed grinding of the ceramics improved machining productivity without deteriorating the surface quality of the ceramics, which is not common in the case of metals. Residual stress analysis on the machined ceramics indicated that built-in residual stress might have reduced the crack-formation. Critical grinding conditions limiting the formation of cracks on the ceramics were identified. The trend in AE rms signals could be correlated to the grinding force and the grinding conditions. In case of ultraprecision machining, the ductile regime grinding of the ceramics was found out in terms of feed and depth of grinding with grinding velocity. Analysis with the SEM of machined ceramic surfaces and the AE rms could reveal the occurrence of ductile regime grinding and also the transition of ductile to conventional brittle mode of material removal during grinding.
Topics: Acoustic emissions, Ceramics, Grinding
Transient Elastic Stress Development During Laser Scribing of Ceramics
Thomas M. Mallison, Michael F. Modest
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Heat Transfer: Volume 3, 235-244, November 14–19, 1999
Lasers are emerging as a valuable tool for shaping and cutting hard and brittle ceramics. Unfortunately, the large, concentrated heat flux rates that allow the laser to efficiently cut and shape the ceramic also result in large localized thermal stresses in a small heat-affected zone. These notable thermal stresses can lead to micro-cracks, a decrease in strength and fatigue life, and possibly catastrophic failure. In order to assess where, when, and what stresses occur during laser scribing, an elastic stress model has been incorporated into a three-dimensional scribing and cutting code. First, the code predicts the temporal temperature fields and the receding surface of the ceramic. Then, using the scribed geometry and temperature field, the elastic stress fields are calculated as they develop and decay during the laser scribing process. The analysis allows the prediction of stresses during continuous wave and pulsed laser operation, a variety of cutting speeds and directions, and various shapes and types of ceramic material. The results of the analysis show substantial tensile stresses develop over a thick layer below and parallel to the surface, which may be the cause of experimentally observed subsurface cracks.
Topics: Ceramics, Lasers, Stress, Transients (Dynamics), Cutting, Shapes, Temperature, Thermal stresses, Brittleness, Failure
Transient, Three-Dimensional Heat Transfer Model for Partially Stabilized Zirconia Undergoing Laser-Assisted Machining
Frank E. Pfefferkorn, Frank P. Incropera, Yung C. Shin
A three-dimensional, unsteady heat transfer model has been developed for predicting the temperature field in partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) undergoing laser-assisted machining (LAM). PSZ is a semi-transparent ceramic which volumetrically absorbs, emits and scatters radiation across a spectral region extending from approximately 0.5 to 8 μm. As a first approximation, it is treated as optically thick within this spectral band, and the high density of scattering centers, as well as the random orientation of grain boundaries, permits the assumption of isotropic scattering. Accordingly, the Rosseland diffusion approximation is used to model internal radiative transfer. Since most of the CO 2 laser radiation (λ = 10.6 μm) is absorbed in the first layer of control volumes adjacent to the surface, incident laser radiation is treated as a surface phenomenon. The equivalent radiation conductivity of PSZ is strongly temperature dependent and enhances thermal energy transfer within regions of the workpiece which are close to the location of laser irradiation. However, the effective thermal conductivity of PSZ remains relatively low, even at the highest temperatures achieved during LAM, and is responsible for large temperature gradients near the irradiated surface of the workpiece. For representative operating conditions, comparative calculations are performed with and without the radiation model to assess the influence of volumetric radiation effects on the temperature field. Numerical simulations are also performed to consider the effect of operating conditions, such as the laser power, laser/tool feed and depth-of-cut, on thermal conditions in close proximity to the material removal zone. The results are contrasted with those for silicon nitride, which is an opaque ceramic that exhibits quasi-plastic deformation when its temperature is raised above a threshold value at the depth-of-cut and can therefore be machined with a cutting tool.
Topics: Heat transfer, Lasers, Machining, Transients (Dynamics), Temperature, Radiation (Physics), Approximation, Ceramics, Electromagnetic scattering, Radiation scattering
Photon Counting Temperature Measurements During Pulsed Laser Heating of Al 2 O 3 -TiC Ceramics
Todd M. Harms, Xianfan Xu
This work investigates photon-counting measurements during pulsed laser heating of an Al 2 O 3 -TiC substrate. The excitation source is a Nd:YAG laser operating at a fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. The laser fluence is varied in the range from 0.272 J/cm 2 to 0.839 J/cm 2 . The emission spectra, captured by single photon counting, are related to temperature by Planck's distribution. The suitability of this method is discussed. Pulse exposure, the number of pulses that a given surface location receives, is found to be a vitally important parameter. Numerical simulations of transient heat conduction support the results of high pulse exposure measurements. Low pulse exposure experiments exhibit higher temperatures due to chemical reactions at the surface and grain boundary effects.
Topics: Ceramics, Heating, Lasers, Photons, Temperature measurement, Temperature, Chemical reactions, Computer simulation, Emission spectra, Excitation
Resonance Based Force Measurement: Prelude to High-Resolution Anemometry for Liquid Metal Flows
Son Phan, Russell Keanini, Stuart Smith, Robert Hocken
Proc. ASME. IMECE99, Heat Transfer: Volume 4, 3-13, November 14–19, 1999
This paper describes the first phase of a two-part project designed to develop a new anemometry method for use in high temperature liquid metal flows. The device will incorporate a dual-cantilever, PZT-driven touch sensor housed within a sealed, temperature resistant ceramic Pitot tube. Due to differing cantilever lengths, the device's unloaded spectral response exhibits two distinct peaks, each corresponding to the cantilevers' resonant frequencies. The principal of operation is based on the fact that pressure-induced forces on each cantilever produce resonant frequency shifts which can then be correlated with applied pressures. The first project phase has focused on development and testing of the dual cantilever touch-sensor and its supporting electronics. Two new concepts have been introduced in designing the touch sensor — use of a dual cantilever for simultaneous force measurement, and simultaneous detection of associated pressure-induced resonant frequency shifts. Here, we describe design of the Pitot tube, design and fabrication of the dual-cantilever sensor and electronics, and system modeling of the sensor. We also outline two pressure measurement schemes; in the first, pressure is correlated with resonant frequency shifts at constant phase while in the second, pressure is related to phase shifts (between forcing and response signals) at constant frequency. Device driving and sensing electronics have been fabricated as has the dual-cantilever touch sensor; preliminary experimental measurements of single and dual forces are presented.
Topics: Flow (Dynamics), Force measurement, Liquid metals, Resolution (Optics), Resonance, Cantilevers, Pressure, Tactile sensors, Design, Electronics
Investigation of Damage in Unidirectional Ceramic Matrix Composites Using a Cohesive-Shear-Lag Model
B. Yang, S. Mall
Proc. ASME. IMECE2001, Damage Initiation and Prediction in Composites, Sandwich Structures and Thermal Barrier Coatings, 1-10, November 11–16, 2001
Paper No: IMECE2001/AD-25300
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2001/AD-25300
The present study develops a cohesive-shear-lag model to analyze the cycling stress-strain behavior of unidirectional fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites. The model, as a modification to a classical shear-lag model, takes into account matrix cracking, partial interfacial debonding, and partial breakage of fibers. The statistical nature of partial breakage of fibers is modeled by using a cohesive force law. The validity of the model is demonstrated by investigating stress-strain hysteresis loops of a unidirectional fiber-reinforced ceramic-glass matrix composite, SiC/1723. This example demonstrates the capability of the proposed model to characterize damage and deformation mechanisms of ceramic matrix composites under tension-tension cycling loading. The dominant progressive damage mechanism with cycling in this case is shown to be accumulation of fibers breakage, accompanied by increase in interfacial debonding and smoothening of frictional debonded interface.
Topics: Ceramic matrix composites, Damage, Shear (Mechanics), Fibers, Composite materials, Stress, Tension, Ceramics, Cohesion, Cracking (Materials)


The only gold vessel to have been discovered from Thonis-Heracleion. It was found beneath construction blocks at the Amun/Heracles temple area. Phialai were shallow dishes used throughout the Hellenistic world both for drinking and pouring libation which was the most frequent form of sacrifice in the ancient world. Phialai, especially in gold, were also used as diplomatic gifts.


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Was sorry maar genoeg is een lied van de Nederlandse zanger Tino Martin. Het werd in 2020 als single uitgebracht en stond in hetzelfde jaar als tweede track op het album Voor iedereen.

Achtergrond
Was sorry maar genoeg is geschreven door Johnny Sap, Billy Dans, Sasha Rangas, Stefan van Leijsen en Arthur Stoker en geproduceerd door Bas van den Heuvel. Het is een levenslied waarin de liedverteller zingt over een relatiebreuk. Het lied is live opgenomen door de zanger met de Tino Martin Band. In de bijbehorende videoclip is de zanger te zien in de duinen en op het strand van Noordwijk.

Hitnoteringen
De zanger had weinig succes met het lied. Er was geen notering in de Single Top 100 en ook de Top 40 werd niet bereikt. Bij laatstgenoemde was er wel de zevende plaats in de Tipparade.

Single uit 2020
Nummer van Tino Martin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
— крупный транснептуновый объект в поясе Койпера, кандидат в карликовые планеты. Открыт группой астрономов в рамках проекта Pan-STARRS на снимках, полученных 19 августа 2014 года посредством камеры DECam телескопа имени Виктора Бланко в обсерватории Серро-Тололо в Чили. Получил неформальное название DeeDee (сокращение от Distant Dwarf). Свет от DeeDee доходит до Земли за 13 часов. Объявление об открытии было опубликовано 11 октября 2016 года.

Диаметр  при открытии оценили в 420—1180 км. В 2017 году диаметр при помощи миллиметрового/субмиллиметрового телескопа Atacama Large Millimeter Array в Чили оценили в , температуру поверхности — в 30 K, альбедо составляет 13 %. По данным М. Брауна при альбедо 13 % и магнитуде 3,8 диаметр  будет равен 684 км.

Орбита , как и орбита объектов 2015 RR245, 2014 FE72, полностью пролегает за орбитой Нептуна. Период обращения по вытянутой орбите (38—180 а. е.) вокруг Солнца составляет 1136 лет.

По состоянию на 10 октября 2016 года объект находился на расстоянии ок. 91,6 а. е. от Солнца и это расстояние будет уменьшаться, пока он не достигнет перигелия (38 а. е. от Солнца) в 2142 году. В настоящее время  является третьим по удалённости объектом Солнечной системы после Эриды (96,2 а. е.) и V774104 (~ 103 а. е.). 2012 VP113 в 2014 году находился на расстоянии 83 а. е. от Солнца, 2013 FY27 — на расстоянии 80 а. е. от Солнца.

См. также
 Список транснептуновых объектов

Примечания

Ссылки

 Текущие данные о положении астероида 2014 UZ224 The sky live.
 Астрономы открыли новую карликовую планету в Солнечной системе

Пояс Койпера


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Confirmed, no game day swap meet
By dreardon
Good job by Brian McInnis nailing down that story. See more in the Tuesday edition in the news section.
I checked with HHSAA head Keith Amemiya to see what he thinks about the swap meet moving from Saturday to Fridays, since the preps play at Aloha Stadium on Fridays. He said the negative effect would be minimal. The most would be when the state championship games are played a night before a UH home game in December, but Amemiya expects few, if any, traffic flow problems.
Finally, some swap meet common sense
Word we're getting is that whoever gets the new contract for the Aloha Stadium swap meet will not be allowed to hold it on Saturdays of University of Hawaii home football games. Stadium officials won't say anything, but a big announcement on this is expected as early as next week.
It's about time someone figured this one out … it's a no-brainer.
Yes, the swap meet is a big moneymaker, but it never made sense to create logistical problems by having it on the day of football games. It's just seven Saturdays a year, so it's no real hardship for the vendors … just do it on a different day of the week a few times in the fall. And the stadium was built for sports events, not a bazaar.
Full house for fundraiser
The Na Koa fundraiser Thursday evening at Luana Hills is a sellout, UH coach Greg McMackin said today.
Unfortunately, one of the headliners, Ray Lewis, won't be making it.
"Steve McNair is his best friend and he's pretty broken up about it," McMackin said, referring to the slain retired Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
Trapasso job hunting?
Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso's name has surfaced as one of five in contention for the head coach post at Washington.
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Trapasso has interviewed for other jobs at least the past two years.
Also, the 1-year contract extension he was granted by UH at the end of last season was a vote of semi-confidence, at best.
This might not be the last time you see Trapasso's name linked with another job this offseason.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sometimes the best way to stretch a buck is to look in the most unlikely places. I'm a huge fan of the fresh produce at 99 Cents Only stores. And milk, as compared to the price at my supermarket, is a bargain at the Walgreens across the street. But who knew we could decorate our homes from places like Dollar General? Our first reader discovered that, and I think her tactic is simply brilliant!


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Home Business Focus on the family: How the War on Drugs destroyed America's foster...
Focus on the family: How the War on Drugs destroyed America's foster care system
For those who have no experience with child protective services, the state foster system often brings to mind thoughts of wrongs righted, children saved, and love persevering.
Unfortunately, that's too often not the case.
A recent report reveals how the state foster system acts as a secondary criminal justice system—and uses drug allegations, including cannabis use, as a pretext to rip children away from their parents.
The 174-page report, "How the Foster System Has Become Ground Zero for the U.S. Drug War," was produced by a coalition of social justice organizations, including the Movement for Family Power, the NYU Family Defense Clinic, and the Drug Policy Alliance.
States kidnap the children of medical marijuana patients
Recent years have seen infamous examples of children forcibly removed from their homes due to a parent's use of medical marijuana:
In 2016, Kansas state officials took five of Raymond Schwab's children into custody on suspicion of child endangerment because Schwab, a military veteran, used medical marijuana legally obtained in nearby Colorado.
The previous year, Kansas officials removed Shona Banda's 11-year-old son after he told his drug education program teacher that his mother used cannabis as medicine.
Leafly investigated the case of Max Lorincz, a 35-year-old father in Spring Lake, Michigan, whose son was taken from him and his wife in 2014 because Lorincz used legal medical marijuana to treat a chronic condition. "The whole thing was a nightmare," Lorincz recalled, "I didn't understand how they could take our child away."
Those cases aren't glitches in the system. They are examples of the system functioning as it's meant to—which is to say, case workers are instructed to tear families apart over the slightest whiff of cannabis, even in legal states.
Racial disparities are glaring
America's foster system: a problematic history
Today's foster system dates back to 1935, when its forerunner was established at the federal level to identify and respond to families living in poverty who were determined to be undeserving of cash assistance.
This basic premise still exists to this day. The problem lies in determining which families are "undeserving" of state or federal aid. Those judgments functionally criminalize poverty. They shift the blame for problematic family conditions away from systemic issues of oppression and onto the individual.
Our collective dedication to the idea of "bootstrapping" has resulted in millions of children being ripped away from parents who may have needed just a little help.
Family removal often does more damage than good
Children removed from their families and placed into foster or adoptive care often face worse outcomes than children from similar circumstances who remain with their families.
In one survey of nearly 6,000 people incarcerated in the Kansas prison system, 20% had spent time in a state foster system as children. Children who grow up within the foster system are much more likely to be scrutinized by that same system when they themselves become parents.
Instead of helping provide aid to struggling families, the foster system punishes them. Just like the carceral system, the punishment dealt out by the foster system comes with its own traumas and contributes to the cycle of children forced into that system.
The War on Drugs incentivized family removal
The arrival of crack cocaine in the 1980s, and the hysteria surrounding it, spurred politicians into a frenzy of legislation, passing ever-more draconian sentencing laws that disproportionately affected people of color. That era also affected the child welfare system: Child removals more than doubled.
Over time, the federal government has granted more and more power and funding to state-based foster care systems to remove children from families deemed unfit in the eyes of case workers. That pattern intensified during the War on Drugs, aided by Congress' passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) in 1997.
AFSA created monetary incentives for state foster care agencies to fast-track the permanent removal of children from their families. AFSA's policies mean that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services now sends state agencies a benefit of $4,000 to $10,000 for each child adopted out of the foster system.
The enormous costs associated with this bill are covered, in part, by funding originally designated for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a program whose aim is to alleviate the worst impacts of poverty on children.
Because of AFSA, the United States now has the dubious honor of having the highest number of legal orphans in the world.
Can't talk to doctors about cannabis, because…
When it comes to legal cannabis use, many adult consumers and medical marijuana patients are hesitant to reveal their use to their own doctors. That reticence isn't without good reason. Federal and state laws, passed in the name of child protection, have criminalized the doctor-patient privilege of privacy.
How exactly? Here's how the dots connect.
States interested in receiving federal funds provided through the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA) amendments of 2003, 2010, and 2016 can get that money only if they create a reporting system for medical professionals to utilize when faced with an infant impacted by substance abuse. That medical provider must also notify a local child protective services (CPS) agency, and ensure that the agency establish a "plan of safe care" for the infant and mother.
That "safeguard" has effectively put millions of pregnant people and mothers at risk of being reported to CPS for cannabis use that is perfectly legal. Women of color and those struggling economically are far more likely to be reported and thereby taken into a system that may monitor them for years thereafter.
CAPTA criminalized a health issue
CAPTA's passage resulted in a slew of punitive state-level policies related to parental drug use, and functionally made reporting to child protective services the "nation's primary response to substance use during pregnancy," according to the Ground Zero report.
The problematic nature of those laws hasn't gone unnoticed. The Family First Act of 2018, passed by Congress two years ago, appears on its surface to remediate some of the harms of the foster system. It legislated the reallocation of funds previously used to rehome foster children towards programs to treat substance abuse, mental health services, and parenting classes.
Some question, though, whether the foster system should be the vehicle through which these services are provided. Given its historically punitive behavior towards parents, the foster system is often viewed with suspicion and mistrust by the communities who stand to benefit from the Family First Act.
No standards, overwhelming power
On its face, the foster system is meant to protect children from negligent or abusive parents. But the ability to assess a parent's ability to raise children has never been standardized. What may be a perfectly normal act of parenting in the eyes of one case worker or agency may be, to a social worker in a different state, cause for removal of children from the home.
Furthermore, the system has evolved with the nearly-exclusive focus of separating children from their families. The goal is not to repair families and support struggling parents. The goal is to post positive numbers of children "saved"—that is, taken from their parents and placed in the state foster care system.
As in any business, goals follow the money. And in the foster system, funding for separating children from their families is three times higher than funding for keeping families together.
Funding drives the goal: removing kids from families
How the foster system weaponizes drug tests
One quote stands out in the Ground Zero report: "A drug test is not a test for addiction and certainly not a parenting test." So said a nationally renowned OBGYN and addiction medicine specialist interviewed by the report's authors. The fact that the doctor did not feel comfortable or safe enough to attach their name to the quote speaks volumes about how risky it still is to talk bluntly and honestly about drug use.
Once a family comes into contact with the child protective services system, state investigators have nearly unassailable power when it comes to determining if a parent is fit to raise children.
That power has resulted in a system where, according to the report issued earlier this year, "the most consistent variable used to determine child maltreatment was [the investigator's] opinion about the presence of maltreatment." When faced with a system whose punitive actions are nearly entirely subjective, how are determinations about parenting made? Too often it comes down to the use of certain categories of drugs.
In New York City, 25% of child removals involve allegations of parental drug use. Although data is hard to come by for foster systems nationally, "some studies estimate that over 80% of all foster system cases involve caretaker drug use allegations at some point in the life of the case." Drug use has allowed the foster system a false sense of certainty in their evaluations of parental fitness—so much so that it has become almost weaponized.
Who is being protected?
Historically, leaders of the War on Drugs often justified their actions by claiming they were protecting children from harm by their drug-addled parents. But, as with most things, the real story is far more complex. Because of the legislation passed to support the foster system nationally, and the corresponding legislation at state and local levels, drug use is equated to drug abuse in nearly all foster system cases.
Think about how the issue of drug use/abuse is racialized. In the contemporary cannabis community, there is a growing movement of mostly white, female parents fighting for the right to enjoy cannabis while raising children. And why not? It's legal in many states, and has been proven to be far safer than alcohol.
Outspoken 'cannamoms' are nearly all white—for good reason
But speaking publicly about cannabis use, for women who aren't white and economically well off, risks the destruction of their entire family.
If those same mothers were Black and poor, they would face the real risk of permanently losing custody of their children. The report details the story of one mom whose blood was drawn for testing as she was giving birth. When the test turned up evidence of cannabis use within the past few weeks, state workers removed the newborn from the mother's care. It took her two years to contest the removal of her daughter and eventually regain custody.
Low, unreliable drug testing standards allowed
The criminal justice system has established clear standards for what kind of drug testing is allowed in court. Those same standards don't apply to the foster system.
The most common drug test used within the foster system is, in fact, so inaccurate that it is not allowed to support legal action without confirmatory testing. But within the foster system it's enough to start a case file and initiate a years-long battle for parents facing the loss of their children.
Drug treatment, testing, and consent
Drug treatment programs required by the foster system are functionally more akin to surveillance programs than anything else. Parents are forced, in most cases on their own dime, to attend these programs without any clear indication of what it means to graduate from them. In many cases, the foster system forces parents to remain in these time-intensive programs with little more reason than a suspicion that they are unfit parents.
Then there's the problem of consent. Hospitals that serve predominantly low-income populations regularly engage in drug testing of pregnant women and newborns without their consent. If they find evidence of drug use, those test results are reported to child protective services and can result in immediate removal of the newborn. These are the same drug tests that are not accurate enough to be used in court.
Say it clearly: Drug use is not drug abuse
The focus on drug use within the foster system all revolves around the idea that all drug use indicates drug abuse.
The medical world has a clear definition of what constitutes a substance use disorder. As defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), substance use must negatively interfere with the user's life or the lives of the people around them in order to qualify as a disorder. A simple drug test cannot show that negative effect.
Despite the foster system's insistence on equating drug use with unfit parenting, studies have found no correlation between parental drug use and child maltreatment. Instead, research has shown a strong correlation between maltreatment and environmental factors associated with poverty such as lack of access to health care and housing.
Poverty is cause of the struggle for many families, not drug use. But the foster system doesn't address poverty. Instead, it uses evidence of drug consumption as a cheap, nonsensical, and counterproductive way to cast moral blame upon parents, and set in motion the violent process of state removal of children from the family home.
Here's what can be done
The authors of the Ground Zero report have constructed a framework for reimagining the foster system. They offer an action list for each group of stakeholders, as outlined below.
Hospitals and medical care providers:
Care providers and social workers must understand the powerful implications of reporting people to CPS and the long-term harm and trauma caused by family separation.
Take accountability for the harms that have been inflicted on families of color, especially parents who use drugs.
Only conduct drug testing when medically indicated and with specific and informed consent for both the mother and newborn.
Stop the practice of placing newborns on "social hold"—i.e., taking a child from a parent without any judicial order. This is illegal, immoral, and inhumane.
All parents should be permitted and encouraged to have skin-to-skin contact with their children. This includes people who use drugs, who are also loving parents.
Political leaders and policy makers:
Repeal the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), and eliminate all timelines that limit the time a parent has to regain custody of their child or lose them forever.
Abolish the termination of parental rights and legalized estrangement of living families.
Repeal the Child Abuse Prevention Treatment Act, in particular the "plan of safe care" provision, which incentivizes hospitals to report mothers of newborn children to CPS agents if drug use is suspected.
Decrease and abolish the federal open-ended entitlement for funding foster care. Reinvest that money into community-based organizations that can provide services families need. Do not classify those organizations as mandated reporters.
Create and fund meaningful legal protections for accused parents.
Increase funding to social safety nets like cash assistance, Medicaid, and public housing.
Foster care agency leaders & staff:
Advocate for defunding of your agency, with a goal of moving services to community-based organizations that are not mandated reporters.
Stop policing drug use. Drug use does not lead to family separation for economically advantaged parents. It shouldn't for less well-off parents, either.
Immediately remove all caseworker training materials that promote falsehoods regarding drug use.
Philanthropists:
Stop giving money to child protective service agencies, foster care agencies, and court improvement projects.
Fund activism to shrink and ultimately abolish the foster system.
Invest in community-based organizations that are reimagining ways to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children, families, and communities outside of carceral systems like state foster care.
Offer multi-year unrestricted grants and eliminate cumbersome requirements for grant seekers, especially community-based organizations.
Drug treatment providers:
Treat parents with dignity and respect. Recognize each parent's strengths and encourage them.
Provide clarity regarding treatment duration, program requirements, autonomy, and the path(s) to graduation.
Social modification tactics, such as prohibitions against beauty treatments or hair weaves, are not treatment and should not be a prerequisite to obtain support.
Abstinence should not be the program's goal of treatment.
Authentically employ the tactics and goals of harm reduction
End delays in graduating through various levels of programs for completely unrelated reasons such as housing security or cell phone violations.
Ensure all treatment providers/staff are trained in and are mandated to promote thoughtful, intersectional, race conscious treatment.
Decrease all coordination and complicity with the carceral system.
Attorneys for children:
Demand your offices provide immersive courses in harm reduction, led by people who use drugs.
Advocate for complete dismissal of all cases in which the allegations against a mother are based on toxicology tests during birth.
Use experts to challenge state agency positions about substance use, abuse, and testing.
Agree and discuss realistic safety plans for parents who use substances, and have candid non-punitive conversations about recurrence.
Advocate for and request material resources for the family on behalf of your client.
Family court judges:
Court intervention is a specific type of government intrusion. It's not the same as support. Extending case supervision on families, simply because a parent uses drugs, should not be conflated with helping children or families.
Demand science in the courtroom. For example, demand expert testimony to make findings regarding harm; require forensic-grade tests before admitting drug test results.
End the practice of using child visitation as a "stick" for a parent's drug abstinence. This tactic is cruel and does not work.
Understand that child protective services agencies err in all directions, and needlessly placing a child in foster care is harmful to the child.
Scale back the focus on child fatality stories, which don't allow space to investigate the complexity of most family situations.
Practice balance. Present positive stories of adults who parent while using drugs.
Amplify the thought leadership and voices of those most affected.
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You may be thinking, "This is it – the end. I will have to declare bankruptcy". The hard truth is – perhaps. But there are alternatives you may need to explore or consider before making the final decision to go bankrupt.
Aside from filing for bankruptcy, there is an optional proceeding available where an individual (debtor) can avail himself or herself so as to have 'breathing space' and have some of the pressure relieved for a period of time before making any definitive decisions.
To take advantage of that 'breathing space', you can file a Declaration of Intention to Present a Debtor's Position. In other words, you officially announce you are considering declaring yourself bankrupt.
Essentially, that means everything 'freezes'. Your debts do not have to be paid for that period of time (21 days), any proceedings are stopped – the overwhelming pressure stops for a short time to allow you to explore alternatives to bankruptcy with your creditors.
So what kind of alternatives are available?
Alternatives may include going to meet with your creditors and telling them the exact problem you face. This may lead to striking an agreement with them where you may end up paying less or they wait for a longer period of time for their debts to be repaid.
Firstly, a debtor must present to the Official Receiver a Declaration of Intention to Present a Debtor's Petition, a Statement of the Debtors Affairs and a copy: s54A, AFSA Form 5. This can be found at https://www.afsa.gov.au/resources/forms/forms-for-declaring-bankruptcy.
Before the Official Receiver accepts the petition, he or she is legally obliged to present to you Prescribed Information that outlines the alternatives to bankruptcy that you should consider, as well as the consequences of going through with bankruptcy. You should consider these factors seriously before continuing.
If a declaration is in order, the Official Receiver is then able to accept the declaration and the 21 days automatically begins. The Official Receiver also gives a copy to the debtor and notifies creditors disclosed in debtor's statement of affairs. This means, any court cases being pursued must be stopped and any debts owed frozen temporarily.
You may wish to shorten the 21 days if you have made up your mind. This can be done by filing the petition earlier.
If in 21 days, you make a deal with your creditors and the time period elapses, you can continue with your affairs accordingly without filing for bankruptcy.
However, if you are unable to succeed with your creditors, you should seek a Bankruptcy specialist lawyer to assist you with the procedure for filing a petition to declare bankruptcy. For more information on the process of filing for bankruptcy, please read the "What is Voluntary Bankruptcy?" article.
The stresses and complexity of bankruptcy can be overwhelming. If you require assistance with this process, please do not hesitate to contact LegalVision for a consultation.


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Every year we take our narrowboat, Kingfisher, to the Rickmansworth Canal Festival. It's a wonderful event and hundreds of narrowboats attend. Our friends love coming up to see the beautifully decorated boats, the historic working boats, the boat tug-of-war and the many bands and artists that perform on the various stages.
Because so many people love to visit us over the weekend, I thought it would be the ideal time to test out my baking skills (!) and raise a bit of money for Missing People.
I must have chosen particularly reliable recipes, because everything turned out brilliantly. We had pistachio and cardamom brownies, rocky road, banana and blueberry muffins, brownie muffins, peach, apricot and almond muffins and a tea loaf. I also coated some strawberries with chocolate, and coated some frozen bananas with chocolate and flaked almonds.
All the guests were keen to learn more about the work of the charity. I was able to tell them about the range of circumstances in which people go missing, the variety of reasons, the work we do to support families left behind, the campaigns and lobbying we do to influence change, the 24 hour help we can provide to young people who've run away and the things we can do to help people reconnect. Some of our guests had their own experiences of missing – either they knew someone who had been missing, or they'd run away themselves in the past.
I had been a little nervous about asking people for money; after all it's not what you normally do when you have a friend round for tea. I shouldn't have worried though – everyone was enthusiastic and generous in their giving. At the end of the event I was thrilled to find out that we'd raised over £90 in total.
I really enjoyed hosting my Everything Stops for Tea party, and would really recommend other people try it too. It's a lovely excuse to spend some time with friends and not only does it raise money, but it also helps to spread the word about Missing People. Hopefully my guests will stay involved in future, and help to spread missing person appeals as far as they can.
You can register to host an Everything Stops for Teaparty by visiting the Missing People website – you'll be able to download bunting, posters, invitations, recipes and more. I hope you really enjoy hosting your party.


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Tornado survivor: 'Not knowing is worse than knowing'
by: Associated Press, By BRUCE SCHREINER
Autumn Kirks comforts her children, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Mayfield, Ky. Her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, has been missing since a tornado leveled the candle factory where they worked. (AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner)
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MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Autumn Kirks said she and her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, had been dating for about a year and were saving money to buy a house. They were both working the night shift at the candle factory for extra money when the tornado struck.
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Then Ward, described by Kirks as "a big teddy bear," disappeared — and all she could do was wait.
"Not knowing is worse than knowing right now," she said early Sunday as she stood outside His House Ministries, a nondescript prefabricated building on the edge of Mayfield where people have been told to go to wait for word about the missing.
Later in the day, she got the terrible news — that Ward had been killed in the storm.
In the aftermath of the massive tornado that roared through the western Kentucky darkness early Saturday morning, the chances for good news seem to diminish by the hour.
Autumn Kirks brought a photo of her boyfriend to the recovery center and described his tattoo, scars and other features. She said the authorities asked her to bring back a glass or bath sponge or something that might have his DNA on it to potentially help identify him.
An unusual mid-December swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South leveled entire communities and left dozens dead in five states. The death toll is expected to go higher in Kentucky.
In the terrible moments before the storm hit, Kirks had moved to a hallway in the innermost part of the building that housed Mayfield Consumer Products, where employees were working the night shift to crank out Christmas candles.
"They said, 'Duck and cover,″ she recalled. "I pulled my safety goggles down, jumped under the closest thing, and seconds later I looked to my left and instead of wall there was sky and lightning and just destruction everywhere."
The closest thing was a row of metal stands with nets across the top, used to store wax and fragrance buckets. Kirks said she and some other employees moved the buckets and took cover under the stands. She tried to keep an eye on Ward, but she is a team leader and had to make sure other co-workers were safe.
"I remember taking my eyes off of him for a second, and then he was gone," she said.
An eerie silence preceded the storm, Kirks said, "and then all of a sudden you hear just crumbling, and it's like the whole world is just falling down around you."
Kirks said she and three co-workers were trapped under a concrete wall, but that a co-worker lifted the wall to rescue them.
"I still wish I knew who it was that lifted that wall off of us," she said. "He was our superman that night."
Another woman entered the building weeping. To help those struggling to cope, a state trooper came in with teddy bears. A golden retriever was there to offer pet therapy.
Autumn Kirks brought a photo of her boyfriend to the recovery center and described his tattoo, scars and other features. She said the authorities asked her to bring back a glass or bath sponge or something that might have his DNA on it to potentially help identify him later.
She was headed home to look for something that would work.
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Home Singapore Travel Guide Singapore City Guide Singapore Climate & Weather Email this guide | Print the full guide
Travel Guide Singapore
Singapore Climate & Weather
Singapore has a tropical climate, meaning that it is hot and humid all year round with hardly any variation in temperature between seasons and plenty of rain, which is possible all year round, usually falling in heavy downpours. The wettest months are between November and January. There is generally more rain in the west of the island than in the east. Average temperatures range between 74°F (23°C) and 89°F (32°C) during the day with cooler temperatures at night. Humidity is constantly high, usually above 75 percent. April and May are the hottest months. The air-conditioning in most buildings provides a welcome escape from the heat and humidity, but is sometimes so cool that visitors will require light sweaters indoors. Between June and September, Singapore may suffer from air pollution due to forest fires in Indonesia. There isn't really an agreed upon best time to visit Singapore, although the weather is often at its most pleasant between June and August.
Become our Singapore Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Singapore travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Singapore or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.
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So you want to move to one of the world's most "liveable" cities?
The latest global quality of living survey is out - but how easy is it to make a top-ranking city your home?
Vienna tops the ranking
By Elsa Court
Transport delays, gum-splattered pavements, lungfuls of polluted air. If any of the above - and worse - are part of your daily life, then the latest ranking of the top cities for easy living might just give you itchy feet.
Out last week, Mercer's 2018 Quality of Life ranking lists eight European cities in its top 10 most liveable spots, based on measures such as infrastructure, schooling and health (see table). Auckland, Vancouver and Sydney (the latter at joint tenth) complete the leader board, while global heavyweights Paris, London and New York ranked 39th, 41st and 45th respectively out of 231 cities.
Vienna ranks number one for the 9th consecutive year, while Zurich takes second place, where it has been since 2009. Germany is this year's highest-performing country, with three cities in the top ten.
So just how easy is it to secure your own slice of high quality living by moving to one of these list-toppers? FT Residential has looked into some of the fast-track visa and citizenship programmes offered by the seven countries making the top 10.
Munich is one of three German cities in the top 10
Austria is one of the few European countries where people can obtain citizenship and an EU passport without a prior residence requirement. Christian Kälin, group chairman at Henley & Partners, a citizenship and residence advisory firm, says applications can be granted on the basis of a "substantial contribution" to the country's economy in the form of an investment.
While passive investments (such as government bonds or property) do not qualify, eligible contributions include joint or direct investment in a business creating jobs or generating new export sales.
While the average application period lasts 24 to 36 months, successful applicants will receive full citizenship by decision of the Government of Austria and can apply for passports immediately afterwards.
Life is good in Geneva
Switzerland has no investor visa or economic citizenship options, according to the immigration research team at Deloitte, the professional services firm, but it does offer a couple of avenues for specific groups.
Expats aged 55 or more can qualify for a retirement residence permit if they can prove they are not engaged in any professional activity inside or outside Switzerland.
Basel just makes the top 10
For those still working, a work permit is available for entrepreneurs who can submit a detailed plan for a Swiss-based business, including the number of intended employees. Work permits are usually granted for between one and five years.
After five years of living in Switzerland, EU nationals qualify for permanent residence, while non-EU citizens qualify after 10 years in the country, if they can prove that they have resided in Switzerland for at least half that time.
Third-ranking Auckland
New Zealand allows foreign nationals to obtain permanent residence by making a substantial economic investment in the country. According to Jurga McCluskey, Deloitte's head of immigration, there are two categories of investor visa: the Investor 2 Resident Visa, which requires a minimum investment of NZ$3m ($2.17m) in permissible New Zealand investments, and the Investor 1 Resident Visa, for which a NZ$10m investment must be made and maintained for at least two years.
"Investors who have previously obtained residence under either of the above investor programmes are eligible for New Zealand citizenship when they have spent at least 1,350 days in New Zealand with residence during the preceding five years; and at least 240 days in New Zealand with residence in each of the preceding five years," explains Henley & Partners' Kälin.
There is a self-employment visa for international entrepreneurs in Germany, McCluskey says. For an investment-based residence permit to be granted, applicants must be willing to invest a minimum of €1m in a business creating a minimum of 10 new jobs. In addition, there must be regional demand for the business and/or evidence that the investment is viable and would benefit Germany's economic interests.
International citizens with a residence permit can apply for permanent residence after five years. After eight years, permanent residents may apply for citizenship.
Vancouver is the only north American city in the top 10
According to Henley & Partners, Canada runs two investor visa programmes, while the country's Quebec region has its own separate investor scheme.
The Federal Start-Up Visa Program links immigrant entrepreneurs with private-sector organisations that work with startups. Applicants must be proven entrepreneurs with at least one year of post-secondary education. The required financial contribution depends on individual circumstances.
Meanwhile the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals with business or senior management experience who want to settle and set up a business in Canada. Investment requirements for the PNP vary regionally: the minimum capital investment for a business in the Vancouver area, for example, is CAD 200,000.
Copenhagen has strict residency rules
Denmark offers no investor visa or economic citizenship route, according to Deloitte. However, an entrepreneur work permit is available to applicants with a state-approved business plan and evidence that they can sustain themselves financially for at least a year.
Applicants can apply for permanent residence after eight years of lawful residence in Denmark, provided that they pass a Danish language test.
Sydney just makes the top 10
There are three different categories of investor visa in Australia, according to Deloitte: the Investor Stream, for which a minimum investment of A$1.5m ($1.15m) must be made in Australian bonds; the Significant Investor Stream, for which a minimum A$5m investment must be made in permissible Australian investments; and a Premium Investor Stream, for which investment requirements start at A$15m.
Applicants are initially granted a provisional visa but can apply for a permanent residence visa after four years in the Investor Stream or Significant Investor Stream, and after 12 months in the Premium Investor Stream.
Citizenship can be applied for after people have lived lawfully in Australia for four years and held permanent residence for 12 months.
So there you have it: if quality of life is important to you, you know what to do next (provided you have patience, money, and can stomach the paperwork).
Photographs: Getty Images/iStockphoto; Getty Images
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Hail and heavy rain have caused at least some damage to several vineyards in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits, mostly in the communes of Prémeaux-Prissey and Nuits-St-Georges.
Violent storms with hailstones struck vineyards in the early afternoon of Tuesday 3 July, marking the latest episode of a recurring theme for Burgundy winemakers in the last few years.
'It is mainly the southern part of the appellation that is affected, from the Prémeaux-Prissey region to south of Nuits-St-Georges,' said Thibault Liger-Belair, of the eponymous winery.
Alongside hail, nearly 71mm of rain fell within minutes, imposing significant stress on vines already affected by many outbreaks of mildew.
'We sprayed valerian on the vines [the estate is managed according to the principles of biodynamic cultivation] and we will return with chamomile and willow tomorrow,' said Liger-Belair.
Grégory Gouges, from the Domaine Henri Gouges, was also affected by the storm.
'It's difficult to assess the damage at this stage,' he said, adding that, in general this year, the domaine's vineyard plots have developed 'beautiful grapes and a little coulure'.
Vine leaves can provide some protection from hail at this point in the growing season.
'If the hail has impacted 80% of the plots of St-Georges, Vaucrains and Les Chênes Carteaux [as some initial estimates suggest], this risks reducing yields by 30% on those plots,' said Gouges.
Vosne-Romanée, Flagey-Echézeaux, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin further to the north were not affected by this hailstorm.


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