text:
5/15/2009, 10:13 AM #1
I can still hear it. It's funny the things you remember from your childhood. I can barely see Michael Irvin chugging down the west sideline. I can also see Keith Jackson, #88, going for 88 up the east sideline.
But I can hear Wayman.
In the womb, and as a toddler, I took a seat at the Lloyd Noble Center in what was then Section LE-3. My first games as a human being were played in the fall of 1982 when OU featured a devastating freshman named Wayman Tisdale.
He was there with me as I grew up. There's my parents, video recorder in hand, videotaping their baby boy. That's me. I've got goofy, black sunglasses on and a microphone in my hand. Who's your favorite player, Brandon? I'd answer just like the PA guy would after another Wayman turnaround jumper..........."WAYMAN TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISDALE!"
Lots of kids wore #23 in basketball for Michael Jordan. Not me. I wore it for Wayman. Lots of people throw batting averages and stats around. I always remembered a cool one: 2,661. That's the number of points Wayman scored in three years at OU.
Lots of people came to OU Basketball this year and became fans. For them, the foundation of their fandom begins with Blake Griffin. I'm happy for them, but I'm different. Mine begins with Wayman Tisdale, the greatest basketball player in the history of the University of Oklahoma.
Next time OU Basketball comes up, don't forget to mention Wayman Tisdale. Talk about the turnaround jumper that was pure buttermilk. Remind people of the smile that had more wattage than your local power grid. Most of all, remind them of the person. I met him once, in 1997, and he was very, very kind. As far as I know, he was that way to everybody.
My favorite Sooner of all-time is gone, but I won't let him be forgotten. The record speaks for itself.
Points - 2,661 (25.6 PPG)
Rebounds - 1,048 (10.1 RPG)
61 points against UT-San Antonio in 1984
55 points against SW Texas in 1985
51 points against Abilene Christian in 1983
46 points against Iowa State in 1983
44 points against Hawaii in 1983
Wayman played 104 games in Crimson and Cream. He went for more than 30 in 32 of them.
Goodbye, Wayman. You were the best, and I'll miss you.
NormanPride
:noitacoL
Hear, hear. I never followed basketball when I was younger, so when I asked "Who's Wayman Tisdale?" to an OSU fan (at the time, he's converted now). He gave me the biggest WTF I've ever seen. His status in basketball truly is legendary.
I'm changing your sig while you're not looking while I borrow your computer.
R.I.P., Wayman.
MrJimBeam
Wayman is the only reason I follow Sooner basketball today. It's like part of your childhood passing too.
"They are survivors. Come the apocalypse, the only thing left standing will be a handful of cockroaches and Bob Stoops and his Sooner squad." -hornfans-
SoonerJustice
Sooner Rookie
God's Country
Wayman, you were the best! I cried when you left OU and I cried this morning. You will always be remembered and loved!
Xstnlsooner
Hooleyville
I ran into Wayman several times in Tulsa over the last ten years,
just out eating with his family. He was always most gracious
and kind. What a shock! Grace to his family...
Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl
is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Einstein.
OUmillenium
My heart is breaking I just opened this thread without knowing the news. Unbelievable how hard to accept some losses. I was 12 in 1984 and much like the starter of this thread, it was Wayman who made me fall in love with OU basketball => go to bask camps at OU => meet my future brother-in-law => etc. Thanks Wayman for all the ways you have touched this world in a positive light.
Here lies Lester Moor
4 slugs from a .44
No Lester no more
That's no moon...
Originally Posted by SoonerJustice
SoonerShark
50 miles east of center, OK
We knew he was ill, but he spent his last moments making us feel better so we were hopeful he was getting better. Now that he has passed, there is nobody to take up his spot in our life. My condolences go out to his family along with our thanks for sharing his life's moments with us.
Thousands Strong
Thanks for being a great example on and off the court, Wayman.
Prayers to his family and friends.
Ardmore_Sooner
L. Dale Mitchell Park
I can't lie, I shed a few tears when I heard the news. But I just try to remember the fact that Wayman wouldn't want any of us to sit here and mourn his passing. He'd have the big grin on his face letting all of us know that it was all part of God's plan.
We'll miss you Wayman.
Nothing is true, everything is permitted...
Amen Ardmore
GoState
Sooner Benchwarmer
He was one of the best and most consistent players I've seen come through Gallagher-Iba. He was classy then and remained a great ambassador for Oklahoma. He will be missed.
In 1997, as a recruiting ploy, Kelvin decided to retire Wayman's number in hopes of luring another Booker T. Washington product to Norman, a kid by the name of Ryan Humphrey.
I was in the Boy Scouts for six years, and I eventually earned the rank of Eagle. My dad was one of the assistant scoutmasters, so I rarely, if ever, missed one of the monthly campouts. When word came out that they'd be retiring Wayman's number, it just so happened to be on the same day as one of our campouts.
I went to Dad and asked if I could miss this one and go see Wayman. Normally my requests for missing were met with a swift answer of no. But Dad knew how much I loved Wayman, and it didn't take him long at all to say yes.
So I went to Norman that day and saw us stomp O-State pretty good. But the highlight of that day was meeting Wayman Tisdale and getting to shake his hand for the first, and ultimately only, time. If you thought that smile was radiant on TV, you have no idea how bright it was when you stood right next to him.
Sooner Legends Inn and Suites
Having seen most all the games he played I guess the three moments that stand out most to me were two games in the Big 8 tournament and the last game he ever played in that he won as a Sooner.
First memory was the 1984 Big 8 tournament championship game against Kansas. Tim McAlister let fly a shot from the top of the key, at the buzzer, that would have won the game. It didn't find its mark and I will never forget Wayman on the floor beating the court with his fist.
Memory number two was the next year also at the Big 8 tournament championship game. We were playing ISU and had the game wrapped up. The OU fans there were badly out numbered by the Cyclone fans but the chant started up "one more year" "one more year" for Wayman to come back for his senior season. As we were chanting the Iowa State fans started chanting too and as we got quite to hear what they were chanting it was "GO PRO!" "GO PRO!". He listened to them.
Last Wayman memory was the La Tech game in Dallas at the NCAA Regional. I am sure many have seen the shot WWT took that bounced around the rim forever but when it went in our whole section erupted.
Going to my sons graduation tonight at OU will be just a little bitter-sweet.
Last edited by Sooner24; 6/25/2009 at 11:03 PM.
Sooner Legends Inn & Suites
Voted #1 Hotel in Norman, OK - 2009
Voted #2 Overall Restaurant in Norman, OK - 2009
Voted #1 Catering in Norman, OK - 2009
1 Corinthians 1:18---For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
OhU1
Lawton week /Norman weekends
Wayman and I are the same age and both entered OU as Freshmen in 1982. Wayman is my all time favorite OU athlete. He was as dominant in his day as any athlete that has played at OU in any sport. He was always gracious, upbeat, and seemed to have humility. I can't believe he's gone.
"Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It's just ganging up against the weird kid, and I'm always the weird kid.."
NMSooner'80
I have the games he played against Syracuse ('84), Georgia Tech ('85) and Louisiana Tech ('85 NCAA Sweet 16 game) on tape. I'll have to take a look again, but I just hope I don't break down at those memories.
I only met him once, but I know he was of such good character that I'm still feeling it a bit.
Thanks 04, summed it up nicely. What an amazing player he was, but an even better person. That gets said too often in most cases, but won't be said enough about Wayman. Gonna miss his smile. What a sad day, but Heaven got a good one today.
StoopTroup
Sooner All-World
Waxing On...Waxing Off
Sad day.
He was a great guy.
I'll miss him.
God Bless the Family during this time of loss.
OUAlumni1990
Deep into enemy territory
Heartbreaking. RIP...


text:
Game Vs. Packers: Offensive Locker Room
WR Desean Jackson
On his thoughts of the offense's performance in the first half: "(The Packers) played a good game. That was a pretty good team. We were not able to get it going like we wanted to, but that's just something we have to work on as a team. We have to go back to the practice field and just do the best we can. We have to take advantage of certain opportunities."
On whether the players on offense still have complete confidence in QB Kevin Kolb: "I'm sure he does. It's unfortunate for him to go down like that. It was tough on the rhythem, practicing all week with Kolb and then having (QB Michael) Vick come in. It threw us off a bit, but we just had to do the best we could."
On the troubles the offense had in the red zone today: "It's just something we have to look at ourselves and get better in the red zone. We have to score touchdowns instead of field goals. It's tough on us, but it's still early in the year. Hopefully we can see Green Bay again."
On whether he would rather not see the change in quarterbacks and whether it affects the rhythm: "I am not going to say I would rather not see it, but it's unfortunate that he has to go out with the injury and Vick has to come in. Everybody says that when a man goes down the next man has to come in and we still have to go in there and run the football game."
On Vick's performance: "He was just being himself. Everybody knows that he's a dynamic quarterback who can run and throw. He just let the game come to him. It's just good to see him out there making plays. We actually had a chance to come back and win this game. It was tough to lose the game like that."
WR Jeremy Maclin
On Vick's effectiveness today and the use of his speed: "It helps a lot. When a guy can come out of the pocket and use his speed, it certainly helps. I think Mike did a tremendous job coming in for the second half and stepping in for Kolb. He provided us with a spark. We can't start that late though. We started late today."
On the injuries in the second quarter: "It hurts, but at the same time, the people coming in for them have to step up. Vick came in and did a good job. (C Mike) McGlynn came in and took control of the line and (RB Eldra Buckley) came in and did decent at fullback as well. We have to go with the guys we got. We never want to lose a player, but everybody else has to step up."
On whether he feels like he saw the Vick of a few years ago: "I think he got his legs back. That is what makes the dude special. The fact that he can scramble out of the pocket and run just as well as the DBs back there helps him out. That is part of his game."
On whether it would help practicing all week with Vick if Kolb is ruled out for Detroit: "I think it will help whoever is going to play to get the reps all week. I think that helps. We will see how Kolb is and if he can play next week. Vick just has to be ready."
On how tough tonight was for Kolb: "I feel bad for the guy. He was more excited than anybody to go out there and play. Nobody wants to compare him to (former Eagles QB Donovan) McNabb, but he wants to come out and prove that he's the guy and he's going to take us where we need to go. We still have faith in him. Hopefully he can get healthy and ready."
TE Brent Celek
On how QB Kevin Kolb looked to him after he came off the field in the second quarter: "It was hard for me to tell, because I really wasn't talking to him. Once they said he was going to be out, they pretty much took him to the locker room, so we didn't talk too much."
On how things changed offensively once QB Kevin Kolb was out: "I don't think they changed too much. We were a little bit more successful in the second half and we started building upon that. We were playing a little bit better. We know what we have to that coming out to the game."
On what QB Michael Vick brought in terms of the quarterback position in the second half: "I thought Michael played well. When he had to get the first downs, he was getting them. He was scrambling, finding open guys; he did a good job."
On his thoughts on whether having QB Michael Vick playing the entire second half, brought stability for the rest of the offense: "I don't think that affected us. We do that in practice, we practice that type of stuff, so I really don't think that affected us. We as an offense, collectively, were a little bit more successful in the second half."
G/C Mike McGlynn
On how surprising it is to get the opportunity to play: "There was really a lot of question with 'Jack' coming back, but I was just preparing myself to play. There's so much question about everything. The only way I can look at coming into this game is to look at it as you're going to get some more reps; that happened. We just came up a little bit short. We'll just get back to the film room tomorrow and get ready for Detroit next week."
On whether the lack of playing together with the rest of the offensive unit during the entire preseason showed up in today's game: "It's tough having that camaraderie, but you cant make excuses. We're paid to do that, do our job, go out there and block. Like I said, we'll get in that film room tomorrow and correct our mistakes."
On how he feels about C Jamaal Jackson getting injured: "It's a tough thing that happened to Jamaal. I feel sorry for him. It's tough…I just know what he's going through. It's a hard thing to deal with. Things like that happen in this game. It's tough. I feel bad for him, definitely."
On whether he's confident that he'll have his new role for the long-term: "We'll see. My job now is to take advantage of the opportunity. What I do with it, is what it will be."
RT Winston Justice
On how hard it was to play after the multiple injuries in the 2nd quarter: "When your back is against the wall, you just have to go out and play. I think we had no other choice, especially when that many key players go down. We just need to step up and get better. We need to use this week of practice and get better. We have to get ready for Detroit."
On how different it is blocking for Vick than Kolb: "All the plays are switched over because he's left handed, but other than that, it's the same thing. Mike is mobile, but so is Kevin. Nothing really changes because they are coached by the same people."
On C Jamaal Jackson's injury: "That is really disheartening. He worked so hard to come back and to get another injury like that, it's a big downer. That is what we sign up for though. Every play can be your last. That is a fact that football players go through, every play. That is something we have to live with and move forward with."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
\section{Introduction}

Ultracold atomic systems have attracted much interest since the successful realization of superfluidity in alkali metal atoms \cite{Anderson, Bradley, Davis, Greiner, Stoferle, Folling}. Among a number of interesting issues addressed in this field, fermionic atoms in an optical lattice \cite{Roati, Stoferle2}, formed by loading the ultracold atoms in a periodic potential, currently provide an extremely hot topic, where the superfluid \cite{Chin} and the Mott insulating states \cite{Jordens} as well as the Fermi surface \cite{Kohl} have been observed  recently. Extensive theoretical studies on attractive fermions in optical lattices have treated a wide variety of remarkable phenomena, such as the BEC-BCS crossover \cite{Koetsier, Zhao, Tamaki}, the superfluid-insulator transition \cite{Orso, Zhai, Moon, Iskin2, Chien}, and the possibility of a supersolid state \cite{Pour, Xianlong, Dao, Koga, Burkov}. Furthermore,  Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO)-type superfluid states have  been suggested in systems with trapping potentials \cite{Moreo, Parish, Chen, Iskin, Rizzi, Koponen}.

Fermionic systems with repulsive interactions, which have also been studied extensively, provide an ideal playground where we could realize various intriguing phenomena expected for highly correlated electrons in condensed matter physics \cite{Bloch2, Jaksch2, Morsch, Bloch}. A remarkable advantage in atomic gases over condensed matter systems is that their experimental parameters are highly controllable. For example, the depth of the optical lattice potential is controlled  by the light intensity, which leads to the precise alternation of atom tunneling between adjacent sites. Furthermore, one can easily create low-dimensional systems by tuning the laser beam configuration with the use of interference effects. From a viewpoint of quantum simulators of correlated electron systems, it may be particularly interesting to study the superfluidity in two-dimensional (2D) or ladder-type optical lattices since they are directly related to unconventional superconductors observed in 2D high-$T_{c}$ cuprates \cite{Bednorz, Yanase, Levin} and also some oxides with a ladder structure \cite{Akimitsu}. Therefore, it is an important issue to search for an unconventional superfluid state in repulsive fermions loaded in optical lattices. In this connection, we note that there is a crucial difference between the optical lattices and the ordinary solid state systems, {\it i.e.} the presence of trapping potential in the former system. It is thus desirable to clarify the effect of trapping potential in order to discuss the superfluid states of repulsive fermions in optical lattices.

In this paper, we study the stability of a $d$-wave like superfluid state of ultracold fermionic atoms in an optical lattice with a ladder structure. This study is motivated by the recent successful realization of a superlattice with double-well structure, which should certainly stimulate a systematic study of superfluidity on ladder-type optical lattices in the near future. As mentioned above, it is important to take into account the effects of repulsive interactions in the presence of inhomogeneity due to a trapping potential. By using the standard mean-field technique, we first describe the spatially-modulated spin-singlet pairs in a trapping potential. We further employ the variational Monte Carlo (VMC) method  to take into account particle correlations more precisely \cite{Yokoyama, Fujihara}. It is clarified  how the superfluid state with $d$-wave like symmetry is stabilized in our trapped system with particular emphasis on the role played by local particle correlations.

This paper is organized as follows.
We introduce the model Hamiltonian in \S \ref{Sec.Model}, and investigate how the spatially-modulated singlet pairing with $d$-wave like symmetry is realized
in \S \ref{Sec.BdG}. In \S \ref{Sec.VMC}, we use the VMC method to discuss the stability of the superfluid state in the presence of strong correlations.
A brief summary is given in the last section.

\section{Model Hamiltonian} \label{Sec.Model}
We study a superfluid state of ultracold fermionic atoms in an optical lattice.
Here we consider a two-component fermionic system with Fermi-Fermi mixture such as ${}^{171}$Yb and ${}^{173}$Yb \cite{Fukuhara}. Alternatively, we can deal with fermions with two accessible hyperfine levels such as $|F,m_{F} \rangle = |9/2, -9/2 \rangle, |9/2, -7/2 \rangle$ for $^{40}$K \cite{Kohl}, where $F$ and $m_{F}$ are the total atomic angular momentum and its magnetic quantum number, respectively. By specifying the two different fermions by pseudo-spin indices $\sigma=\uparrow,\downarrow$, we can describe the ultracold atoms in an optical lattice in terms of the ordinary Hubbard Hamiltonian with on-site interactions \cite{Jaksch, Hofstetter}.
Here we focus on the strong coupling regime, where doubly occupied states hardly appear in the ground-state configuration, and then the antiferromagnetic superexchange terms between two adjacent sites become important to determine the nature of the ground state.
 In this regime, an effective model, the so-called $t-J$ model, is more convenient to discuss the ground state properties. The model Hamiltonian thus reads,
\begin{eqnarray}
\mathcal{H}_{t-J} &=& \mathcal{H}_{0} + \mathcal{H}', \label{Ht-J} \\
\mathcal{H}_{0}   &=& -t \sum_{\langle i,j \rangle \sigma} \left( c_{i\sigma}^{\dagger}c_{j\sigma} + h.c. \right) + \sum_{i\sigma} \left( V_{i} - \mu \right) n_{i\sigma},
\label{H0} \\
\mathcal{H}'      &=& J \sum_{\langle i,j \rangle} \left( \mathbf{\hat{S}}_{i} \cdot \mathbf{\hat{S}}_{j} - \frac{1}{4} n_{i}n_{j} \right), \label{H'}
\end{eqnarray}
where $c_{i\sigma}^{\dagger}$ ($c_{i\sigma}$) is a creation (annihilation) operator of a fermion with spin $\sigma$ at site $i$,
$n_{i\sigma} = c_{i\sigma}^{\dagger}c_{i\sigma}$
and $n_{i} = n_{i\uparrow} + n_{i\downarrow}$.
$\mathbf{\hat{S}}_{i} = (1/2)\sum_{\alpha,\beta}c_{i\alpha}^{\dagger}\boldsymbol{\hat{\sigma}}_{\alpha\beta}c_{i\beta}$, where $\boldsymbol{\hat{\sigma}}$ is the Pauli matrix.
$t$ and $J (>0)$ are the tunneling matrix and the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between nearest neighbour sites, and $\mu$ the chemical potential.
The interacting fermions are trapped in the harmonic potential $V_{i}$.
Note that the doubly occupied states are excluded at each site in the Hamiltonian (\ref{Ht-J}) due to the strong onsite repulsive interactions.

\begin{figure}[t!]
\begin{tabular}{cc}
\hspace{-5mm}
\resizebox{50mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig1_left.eps}} &
\hspace{3mm}
\resizebox{25mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig1_right.eps}} \\
\end{tabular}
\caption{(Color online) Schematic pictures of a ladder structure ($L \times 2$ sites).
$V_{0}$ is the depth of the harmonic potential in  the system.
$\Delta_{i,i+1}$ and $\Delta_{i,i+L}$ are the nearest neighbour pair potentials  along the leg and the rung directions (see text).}
\label{Fig_Model}
\end{figure}

In this paper, we deal with the optical lattice with a ladder structure schematically shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_Model}. Owing to the existence of the rung in the ladder, this quasi-1D system may have essence of 2D systems: namely a $d$-wave superfluid state may be realized in the strong correlation limit. It is important to note that this sort of ladder system can be experimentally realized by double well potentials \cite{Strabley, Danshita}.
The tunneling matrix $t$ and the exchange coupling $J$ are given such that
$t \sim (4/\sqrt{\pi}) E_{R} (E_{R}/v_{0})^{3/4} \exp [-2 \sqrt{v_{0}/E_{R}}]$
and
$J \sim t^{2}/U \sim \sqrt{32/\pi} (ka_{s})^{-1} E_{R} (E_{R}/v_{0})^{3/4} \exp [-4 \sqrt{v_{0}/E_{R}}]$,
within the harmonic approximation \cite{Hofstetter, Jaksch, Bloch}, where $a_{s}$ is the $s$-wave scattering length and $E_{R} = \hbar^{2}k^{2}/2m$ the atomic recoil energy in the optical lattice potential.
$m$, $v_{0}$ and $k$ are the mass of the atom, the intensity and the wave number of the lattice potential $V_{lat}(\mathbf{x}) = v_{0} \sum_{i} \sin(kx^{2}_{i})$.
Thus the exchange interaction $J \sim t^{2}/U$ can be experimentally controlled.
Furthermore, some elegant techniques to control $J$ have been proposed by means of the spin-dependent lattice potentials \cite{Duan, Kuklov, Ripoll} and the superlattice potentials \cite{Trotzky}.
Therefore, the ladder system has some advantages in studying the stability of the superfluid state with $d$-wave like symmetry.
In this study, we consider the ladder system with $L \times 2 (L=50)$ sites
and fix the total number of atoms as $N_{\uparrow} = N_{\downarrow} = 25$, where $N_{\sigma} = \sum_{i}n_{i\sigma}$.
The harmonic trapping potential is given as $V_{i}=0$ at four sites around the center of the system and $V_{i}=4.0t$ at the edges. Note also that  $V_{i} = V_{L-1-i} = V_{i+L} = V_{2L-1-i}$. We fix the chemical potential $\mu$ at the Fermi level in the non-interacting case and use $t$ as an energy unit.

In the following, we discuss the possibility of a $d$-wave superfluid state in our optical ladder system. Since the fermionic atoms are confined in the inhomogeneous potential, it is not straightforward to deal with the effects of particle correlations. In this paper, we make use of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) equations and the VMC method with a proper trial function to deal with this problem.

\section{Spatially-Modulated Singlet Pairing State} \label{Sec.BdG}
In this section, we discuss how the spatially-modulated superfluid state is realized by means of the BdG mean-field theory.
We here introduce site-dependent singlet pairing mean-fields
$\Delta_{ij} = \langle c_{i \downarrow} c_{j \uparrow} \rangle$
($ = \langle c_{j \downarrow} c_{i \uparrow} \rangle$).
In terms of the Bogoliubov transformation
$c_{i \sigma} = \sum_{\lambda} \big\{ u_{i}^{\lambda} a_{\lambda \sigma}
- \sigma v_{i}^{\lambda *} a_{\lambda \bar{\sigma}}^{\dagger} \big\}$,
we obtain the following BdG equations \cite{Ogata},
\begin{eqnarray}
\sum_{j} \left(
	\begin{array}{cc}
	H_{ij}     & F_{ij} \\
	F_{ji}^{*} & -H_{ji}^{*}\\
\end{array}
\right)
\left(
	\begin{array}{c}
	u_{j}^{\lambda} \\
	v_{j}^{\lambda *} \\
	\end{array}
\right)
= E_{\lambda} \left(
	\begin{array}{c}
	u_{i}^{\lambda} \\
	v_{i}^{\lambda *} \\
	\end{array}
\right),
\label{BdGeq}
\end{eqnarray}
with
\begin{eqnarray}
H_{ij} &=& -t \delta_{\langle ij \rangle} + \big( V_{i} - \mu \big) \delta_{ij}, \label{H_ij} \\
F_{ij} &=& -J \Delta_{ij} \delta_{\langle ij \rangle}, \label{F_ij}
\end{eqnarray}
and the self-consistent equations,
\begin{eqnarray}
\Delta_{ij} = - \sum_{\lambda} u_{i}^{\lambda} v_{j}^{\lambda *},
\label{SCeq}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\delta_{\langle ij \rangle}$ is the Kronecker delta for the nearest neighbour sites $i$ and $j$. We ignore the constraint for doubly occupied states in the Hamiltonian (\ref{Ht-J}) for a while, which largely reduces our numerical efforts. In the periodic case, it is known that the constraint mainly yields the renormalization of tunneling matrix $t$ \cite{Ogata}. In our inhomogeneous case, however, the situation is  more complicated. The constraint will be carefully treated in the next section.

\begin{figure}[t]
\begin{tabular}{cc}
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2a.eps}} &
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2b.eps}} \\
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2c.eps}} &
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2d.eps}} \\
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2e.eps}} &
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig2f.eps}} \\
\end{tabular}
\caption{(Color online) (a) Spatial distributions of the particle density $\langle n_{i}\rangle (=\langle n_{i+L}\rangle)$, (b)-(f) the pair potentials along the leg direction $\Delta_{i,i+1}$ (open circles) and the rung direction $\Delta_{i,i+L}$ (filled circles) for $J=0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2$ and $1.4$ (see Fig.\ref{Fig_Model}).}
\label{Fig_BdG}
\end{figure}

We first calculate the site-dependent particle density, $\langle n_{i}\rangle  = \sum_{\lambda} |v_{i}^{\lambda}|^2$. The results are shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_BdG} (a). It is seen that the particles are smoothly distributed in the lattice. Its profile is mainly determined by the curvature of the harmonic potential, so that it is hardly affected by the exchange interaction $J$. On the other hand, the pair potential between the nearest neighbour sites $\Delta_{ij}$ strongly depends on the magnitude of the exchange interaction, as seen in Figs.\ref{Fig_BdG} (b)-(f). For $J<0.5$, the pair potential is too small to detect within our numerical accuracy, where a singlet pairing state is not realized, and the system is still in the normal ground state. On the other hand, for $J>0.5$, the pair potential takes finite values, as shown in Figs.\ref{Fig_BdG} (b)-(f), implying that the intersite exchange coupling stabilizes the singlet-pairing superfluid state.
Here, we find two characteristic features in the profile of the pair potential. One is the cusp (or peak) structures around $i=5$ and $i=15$, and the other is the plateau around the center. The above characteristic properties reflect atomic states inherent in our ladder system. To see this clearly, we introduce the integrated local density of states (LDOS), $W(i,J)$, around the Fermi level $\epsilon_{F}$. The quantity is defined as,
\begin{eqnarray}
W(i,J) &\equiv& \int_{\epsilon_{F}-\frac{J}{2}}^{\epsilon_{F}+\frac{J}{2}}\rho(i,\xi)d\xi, \nonumber \\
     &=     & \sum_{n} \int_{\epsilon_{F}-\frac{J}{2}}^{\epsilon_{F}+\frac{J}{2}} |\phi_{i}^{n}|^{2} \delta(\xi-\xi_{n}) d\xi,
\label{W}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\rho(i,\xi)$ denotes the LDOS at site $i$, and $\xi_{n}$ and  ${\bm \phi}^{n} = \{ \phi_{0}^{n}, \phi_{1}^{n}, \cdots \phi_{2L-1}^{n} \}$  are the eigenenergies and the eigenfunctions for the non-interacting Hamiltonian
$\mathcal{H}_{0}$, respectively. Let us first take a look at the LDOS $\rho(i,\xi)$ for $\mathcal{H}_{0}$ shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_W} (a). It is seen that the shape of the LDOS at site $i$ reflects the DOS for a uniform ladder system that has a characteristic four-peak structure originating from the van-Hove edge singularity in one dimension. At first glance, it is not evident whether this LDOS is really related to the spatially modulated pair potential. However, the integrated LDOS over the range of $J$, $W(i,J)$,  makes this point clear. In Fig.\ref{Fig_W} (b), it is found that the cusp (or peak) structures indeed appear around $i = 5$ and $15$ in $W(i,J)$, and the plateau with some fluctuations is formed around the center. This implies that the spatial variation of the pair potentials reflect the integrated LDOS, in agreement with the fact that the particles around the Fermi level are relevant to the formation of spin-singlet pairs in the superfluid state. An important point to be noticed here is that the pair potentials along the leg and the rung directions have opposite signs as shown in Figs.\ref{Fig_BdG} (b)-(f), implying that the pairing state with $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$-like symmetry is stabilized in our inhomogeneous system. This is naturally expected from the $d$-wave superconducting state realized in the doped ladder system without the trapping potential \cite{Sigrist, Troyer, Orignac, Sorella}.

\begin{figure}[h]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=7.0cm]{fig3a.eps} \\ \label{Fig_LDOS}
\includegraphics[width=7.0cm]{fig3b.eps} \label{Fig_W}
\caption{(Color online) (a) LDOS $\rho(i,\xi) = \sum_{n} |\phi_{i}^{n}|^{2} \delta (\xi - \xi_{n})$ at $i=10$ (dotted line) and $i=20$ (solid line) :delta functions are broadened with width of $\eta = 0.2t$.
(b) The integrated LDOS around the Fermi level $W(i,J)$ in eq.(\ref{W}) for $J=0.5$ (filled circles), $0.8$ (open circles), $1.0$ (filled squares), $1.2$ (open square) and $1.4$ (filled triangles).}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

We have so far neglected the local constraint due to strong onsite repulsion at each site. Although this kind of approximation has been employed in some cases \cite{Ogata, Zhang, Ogata2, Ogata3}, it is not sufficient to discuss the stability of superfluidity in our correlated system: for example, the particles in the normal phase are completely free, and also the onsite pair potential $\Delta_{ii}$  can be finite in the large $J$ case, in contrast to the ordinary $d$-wave state in the homogeneous system. To remedy these pathological points, a careful treatment of local particle correlations is necessary, which will be done in the next section.

\section{VMC study of particle correlations} \label{Sec.VMC}

In this section, we perform the VMC calculation to elucidate how the local particle correlations affect the superfluid state.
Let us introduce a trial state,
\begin{eqnarray}
|\Psi \rangle = \mathcal{P}_{G} |\Phi_{BCS} (\{\Delta_{ij}\}, g)\rangle,
\label{TWF}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\mathcal{P}_{G} = \prod_{i} [1-n_{i\uparrow}n_{i\downarrow}]$
is a Gutzwiller projection operator \cite{Gutzwiller}, which completely excludes the doubly occupied states at each site.
$|\Phi_{BCS} (\{\Delta_{ij}\}, g)\rangle$ is a BCS state with variational parameters $(\{\Delta_{ij}\}, g)$ to describe the superfluid state with spatially-modulated pairing correlations. This state is explicitly given as,
\begin{eqnarray}
|\Phi_{BCS} \rangle &=& \prod_{n} \left(
u_{n}+v_{n}c_{n\uparrow}^{\dagger}c_{n\downarrow}^{\dagger} \right)
|0\rangle, \nonumber \\
              &\propto& \left( \sum_{n} \frac{u_{n}}{v_{n}}
c_{n\uparrow}^{\dagger} c_{n\downarrow}^{\dagger} \right)^{N/2} |0\rangle,
\label{BCS}
\end{eqnarray}
with
\begin{eqnarray}
u_{n}^{2} &=& \frac{1}{2} \left[ 1+\frac{\xi_{n}}{\sqrt{\xi_{n}^{2}+\Delta_{n}^{2}}} \right], \label{un} \\
v_{n}^{2} &=& \frac{1}{2} \left[ 1-\frac{\xi_{n}}{\sqrt{\xi_{n}^{2}+\Delta_{n}^{2}}} \right], \label{vn}
\end{eqnarray}
where $c_{n\sigma}=\sum_{i} \phi_{i}^{n} c_{i\sigma}$ and $N = N_{\uparrow} + N_{\downarrow}$.
The gap function $\Delta_n$ is then given as,
\begin{eqnarray}
\Delta_{n} &=& -J \langle c_{n\downarrow}c_{n\uparrow}\rangle, \nonumber \\
&=& -g\sum_{ij}\phi_{i}^{n}\phi_{j}^{n} \Delta_{ij}, \label{Delta_n}
\end{eqnarray}
where $g$ is a variational parameter controlling the amplitude of the pair potential, while  $\Delta_{ij}$ determines its spatial variation according to the solution of BdG equations. By optimizing the variational parameters so as to minimize the total energy, we discuss the ground state properties in the optical lattice system. It is still not easy to determine these parameters since the number of parameters is very large in the presence of the trapping  potential. Recall here that in the solutions obtained by the BdG equations, the spatial dependence of $\Delta_{ij}$ is controlled by $J$. This observation enables us to approximately reduce the parameter space by regarding $J$ in eq. (\ref{F_ij}) as a variational parameter to control the distribution of $\{\Delta_{ij}\}$ obtained from the BdG equations.
This new variational parameter is denoted as $\tilde{J}$ in the following.
In order to incorporate the strong correlation effects in the order parameter, we here set the onsite component of the pair potential to be zero, $\Delta_{ii} =0$, and  retain only the nearest neighbor component of pair potential, $\Delta_{ij} \rightarrow \Delta_{ij}\delta_{\langle ij\rangle}$, which gives the most significant contribution to the superfluid state. This kind of approximation should be justified in the strong coupling regime.  Note that the correlation effects in the normal state can be properly taken into account by the ordinary VMC procedure.

\begin{figure}[h]
\begin{tabular}{cc}
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{45mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig4a.eps}} &
\hspace{-4mm}
\resizebox{45mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig4b.eps}} \\
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{45mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig4c.eps}} &
\hspace{-4mm}
\resizebox{45mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig4d.eps}} \\
\end{tabular}
\caption{(Color online) Condensation energies as a function of the variational parameter $g$ for (a)$J=0$, (b)$0.2$, (c)$0.3$ and (d)$0.4$ obtained by the VMC method. The sets of $\{ \Delta_{ij} \}$ used in each calculation are obtained for  ${\tilde J}=0.5$ (open squares), $0.8$ (filled squares), $1.0$ (open circles), $1.2$ (filled circles) and $1.4$ (open diamonds), which are shown in Figs.\ref{Fig_BdG} (a)-(d).
}
\label{Fig_dE}
\end{figure}

By performing the VMC simulations with samplings $\sim 10^{6}$, we obtain the condensation energy $\Delta E = E_{super} - E_{normal}$, for the variational parameters $(\tilde{J}, g)$ as shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_dE},
where $E_{super}$ and $E_{normal}$ are the energies of the superfluid state with $\Delta_{n}\neq 0$ and the normal state with $\Delta_{n}=0$ for all $n$.
At $J=0$, the model is reduced to the system only with correlated hopping.
In the case, the formation of the singlet pairs gives rise to the loss of the kinetic energy. Therefore, the normal state is more stable than the superfluid state with any values of $\tilde{J}$, as shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_dE} (a).
On the other hand, the increase in the exchange coupling $J$ favours the superfluid state with singlet pairing correlations, where the normal state is no longer the ground state. In fact, it is found in Figs.\ref{Fig_dE} (b)-(d) that the condensation energy $\Delta E = E_{super} - E_{normal}$ has a minimum at a finite $g$ although statistical errors are not so small in our calculations. This suggests that the spatially modulated superfluid state with $d$-wave like symmetry is indeed stabilized by exchange interactions. It should be noted that the critical value of $J \sim 0.2$ is smaller than $J \sim 0.5$ estimated in the previous section without electron correlations, which implies that the correlation effects enhance the stability of superfluid state. At first glance, this conclusion seems a little bit unusual, since the correlation effects normally have a tendency to suppress the ordering.

\begin{figure}[b]
\begin{tabular}{cc}
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig5a.eps}} &
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig5b.eps}} \\
\hspace{-2mm}
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig5c.eps}} &
\resizebox{42mm}{!}{\includegraphics{fig5d.eps}} \\
\end{tabular}
\caption{(Color online) (a) Particle density $\langle n_{i} \rangle$, and local average of energies: (b) potential energy $E_{i}^{pot}$, (c) kinetic energy $E_{i}^{kin}$ and (d) exchange energy $E_{i}^{ex}$ obtained with the Gutzwiller-projected state $| \Psi \rangle$ (open symbols) and the non-projected state $| \Psi' \rangle$ (filled symbols). We note that
$\langle n_{i} \rangle$, $E_{i}^{pot}$ and $E_{i}^{kin}$ hardly depend on $J$.
}
\label{Fig_local}
\end{figure}

In order to elucidate the role of the onsite correlation effects from a microscopic point of view, we now compare the VMC results obtained with the Gutzwiller-projected state (\ref{TWF}) with those of $|\Psi' \rangle = |\Phi_{BCS} (\{ \Delta_{ij} \}, g) \rangle$. Since the Gutzwiller projection is neglected in the latter, strong onsite correlation effects are not incorporated in the results obtained with $|\Psi' \rangle$. Here we compute the local average of potential, kinetic and exchange energies, which are respectively defined by $E_{i}^{pot} \equiv V_{i} \langle n_{i} \rangle$,  $E_{i}^{kin} \equiv -t \sum_{j\sigma} \delta_{\langle ij \rangle} \langle c_{i\sigma}^{\dagger}c_{j\sigma} + h.c. \rangle$, $E_{i}^{ex} \equiv (J/2) \sum_{j} \delta_{\langle ij \rangle} \langle \mathbf{\hat{S}}_{i} \cdot \mathbf{\hat{S}}_{j}\rangle$. Shown in Fig.\ref{Fig_local} are the profiles of particle density and the local average of energies obtained by the VMC simulations. It is seen that the onsite correlation effects hardly change the density profile of particles (Fig.\ref{Fig_local} (a)).
As a result, there is little difference in the potential energy $E_{i}^{pot}$ obtained with $|\Psi \rangle$ and $|\Psi' \rangle$, as seen in Fig.\ref{Fig_local} (b). On the other hand, the introduction of the onsite correlation effects significantly reduces $E_{i}^{kin}$ around the center of the system (Fig.\ref{Fig_local} (a)), because the strong repulsive interactions renormalize the motion of particles, forming heavy fermion states in the region with high particle density. In fact, the ratio of the two kinetic energies evaluated by Gutzwiller-projected and non-projected states can be regarded as the site-dependent wave-function renormalization factor $z_i$: $z_i \sim 1.0$ ($z_i \sim 0.2$) around the edge (center) of the system in Fig.\ref{Fig_local} (c). We note that these results hardly depend on $J$. On the other hand, it is seen in Fig.\ref{Fig_local} (d) that the antiferromagnetic spin correlations are developed among the heavy particles around the center of the system, where the energy gain due to $E_{i}^{ex}$ is enhanced in the presence of the strong correlation effects. Summarizing the above results, the onsite correlation effects enhance the energy gain by the exchange interactions, although they cause the loss of the kinetic energy. An important point is that in the high density region ($\langle n_{i} \rangle \sim 1.0$), the effective exchange coupling $J$ divided by the renormalized hopping $z_i t$ can be very large, which is efficient to stabilize the $d$-wave superfluid mediated by antiferromagnetic correlations. This naturally explains why the critical value $J\sim 0.2$ obtained for correlated systems can be smaller than $J \sim 0.5$ for non-interacting systems.

Note that the above conclusion holds true for the density regime with $n_{i} < 1.0$. For the system with  higher particle density, the spatial distribution of particles is expected to form a plateau around the center so as not to exceed $n_{i} = 1.0$, because the strong particle correlations have a tendency to form the Mott insulating state. Even in such cases, the present conclusion may be applied to the strongly correlated conducting region in the vicinity of  the Mott insulating state.

\section{Summary}

We have investigated the \textit{t-J} model to discuss the stability of the spatially-modulated superfluid state in a fermionic optical ladder system with harmonic confinement. By means of the BdG equations, we have clarified that the spatially-modulated superfluid state with $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$-like symmetry can be realized via antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. It has been found that the spatial distribution of the pair potential has a characteristic profile with cusps and plateau, which reflects the local density of states integrated around the Fermi level. Furthermore, the VMC calculation of the condensation energy as well as   the local average of potential, kinetic and exchange energies has shown that the local particle correlations enhance the stability of the superfluid state through energy gain due to singlet pairing in the region of high density filling ($\langle n_{i} \rangle \sim 1.0$).  In particular, we have demonstrated that the strong renormalization of kinetic energy around the high density region plays an important role in stabilizing the singlet-pairing superfluid state. We think that this kind of behavior may be characteristic of the systems with nonuniform distributions of the particle density.

In this paper, we have exploited the {\it t-J} model as an effective model in the strong coupling regime. In this model the exchange interaction $J$ is assumed to be free parameters, in contrast to the strong-coupling limit of the original Hubbard model. It thus remains an important problem to discuss the superfluidity by directly dealing with the Hubbard ladder system with a trapping potential, which is now in progress.

When the density of particles is increased, other states such as the Mott insulating state and the antiferromagnetically ordered state may appear around the center of the system \cite{Fujihara, Rigol, Trebst, Andersen, Helmes}. Therefore, it is particularly worth studying how the $d$-wave like superfluid state coexists or competes with the magnetically ordered state in the optical lattice system, which is to be addressed in the future study.

\section*{Acknowledgments}
The numerical computations were carried out at the Supercomputer Center, the Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo.
This work is supported by Grant-in-Aids for Scientific Research [Grant nos. 20740194 (A.K.), and 19014013, 20029013 (N.K.)], and the Global COE Program "The Next Generation of Physics, Spun from Universality and Emergence" from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.
Y. F is supported by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Office - (02) 6036 2288
St Patrick's Primary School - Holbrook
Buildings and Facilities
Inclusive and Diverse Learning
Personal Development, Health & Physical Education
K/1/2
Holbrook is a rural town of some 1500 people on the Hume Freeway 60kms North of Albury within Greater Hume Shire. Located within driving distance to the Murray River and Dora Dora State Forest, Holbrook is an ideal place to live between Sydney and Melbourne.
Holbrook, once named Germanton, is in the centre of a productive pastoral district. The renaming of the town came about during the First World War when strong anti-German feelings required by law the renaming of the town. The township was renamed Holbrook in honour of Lt. Norman Holbrook who carried out an extraordinary act of bravery against a Turkish warship. The town proudly displays a collection of submarines including the B11, of 1914 Dardanelles fame and HMAS Otway, a 90-metre submarine.
St. Patrick's School is located in the centre of town immediately opposite the ever popular Holbrook Bakery.


Access to the entire collection of materials at The Indianapolis Public Library is now at the fingertips of the 9,000-plus students who attend Franklin Township Schools, thanks to the library issuing cards to them.
The students join nearly 40,000 other students throughout Marion County who have received library cards during a campaign to meet the library's goal of providing a card to every student in the county.
Cardenas, whose 4.2 GPA ranks sixth in her class, plans to play basketball at Marian University. She is the daughter of Kelly Cardenas.
She is seen with Joy Wallace, financial adviser at the Beech Grove location of Edward Jones.


text:
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps hoped to find an alternative that could see Oak Bay Lodge used for short-term housing, but she found little support for the idea at a CRD hospital and housing committee meeting Wednesday. (Black Press Media file photo)
CRD committee rejects plea to revisit temporary shelter proposal for Oak Bay Lodge
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps' request to find creative way to make it work finds little support
Don Descoteau
Sep. 3, 2020 5:30 a.m.
A request by Lisa Helps to revisit the possibility of using Oak Bay Lodge as a temporary shelter for residents 55 and older has been turned down.
On Wednesday, members of the Capital Regional District's hospitals and housing committee defended BC Housing's stated reasons for rejecting the Lodge for that purpose, among them the building's poor condition and the difficulty in removing a restrictive covenant on the property that limits its use to a retirement home.
As well, Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch made an impassioned plea to allow his municipality to begin its scheduled consultation and long-term planning process for the site, due to get underway in two weeks.
RELATED STORY: B.C. Housing declines to pursue Oak Bay Lodge as shelter housing
Helps, the Victoria mayor and committee chair, asked whether there was any way to work within the existing covenants. She said the term assisted living didn't exist when the retirement home covenant was put in place in 1971, and that a temporary shelter for older residents could resemble that level of care.
While a staff report based partially on a facility tour indicated the buildings are past their useful life, and that "remediation would equal or exceed the costs of building a new facility," Helps suggested Oak Bay Lodge is still in better condition than at least one Victoria shelter.
The conditions at the former Boys and Girls Club on Yates Street, which is home to 50 residents aged 55-over who are at risk of homelessness, are "dividers and cots," she said.
"If those people could move into the Oak Bay Lodge, being 55 and older … that could free up space so people who are currently living outside could move into those shelters."
But other committee members were resolute in their support for BC Housing's decision.
"There's a reason why we built a new building and moved people out [to The Summit]," said Langford Coun. Denise Blackwood, who chairs the Capital Regional Hospital Board. "There were issues with washrooms, with the elevator and many other issues that weren't covered in this brief report."
Fellow Langford Coun. Lanny Seaton spoke of similar problems at Prince Edward Lodge, a Langford seniors' residence at the end of its useful life. Not only was asbestos found in the building, some bathtubs have cracks that make them leak, and some residents are unable to get into their tub. "Would you put vulnerable seniors in a building that wasn't fit for other seniors?" he asked.
Saanich Coun. Susan Brice pointed out that BC Housing staff "are not neophytes," when it comes to dealing with covenants and other elements of housing appropriateness.
Murdoch emphasized that point, saying the organization looked at multiple options for temporary use of Oak Bay Lodge and the related costs of doing so.
RELATED STORY: Temporary use of Oak Bay Lodge risks project timelines, mayor says
"It's not as simple as saying it's been used by seniors, it can still be used by seniors," he said. "We're looking at providing a significant investment in housing and I really don't want to see that damaged, when we have the ability to engage with the community [about its desired future use]."
Helps' amendment to ask staff to revisit options for a temporary shelter while abiding by the covenant, failed by a 10-2 vote, with alternate CRD Director Mary Richardson from Salt Spring Island the only other supporter.
Do you have a story tip? Email:don.descoteau@blackpress.ca. Follow us on Instagram.
Homelesshomeless housing
B.C. non-profit launches free social, emotional learning program for educators
Sooke launches online budget survey


text:
Experts reveal cause of highway land shifting
Update: May, 22/2015 - 18:21
Land shifting spotted on the National Highway 18. Sub-standard construction procedures, lax supervision of consultants, and the manufacturing of construction materials that did not meet technical standards contributed to the land shifting around the highways. — VNA/VNS Photo
HA NOI (VNS) — A team of experts and professors from the University of Transport and Communications (UTC) recently submitted an analysis of the recent shifting that appeared on the country's highways.
The report, delivered to the Ministry of Transport, focuses on explaining the caving in and shifting of the land around National Highway 1, National Highway 18, the Ha Noi-Lao Cai Highway, the Thang Long, Thanh Tri and Bai Chay Bridges, as well as some of HCM City's ring roads.
The report revealed a number of factors that contributed to the land shifting around the highways, including sub-standard construction procedures, lax supervision of consultants, and the manufacturing of construction materials that did not meet technical standards.
Rector of UTC, Prof. Tran Dac Su Ph.D, a member of the UTC team, said these were the main causes for the shifting of land on or near the highways.
In addition, construction plans did not take into consideration the climate differences between the country's northern, central and southern regions.
He noted the three regions have different temperatures, humidity, and thermal radiation levels. These elements must be studied and taken into the design and construction of highways, it was noted.
On-site surveys carried out by the UTC team showed that at some locations on National Highway 1 the temperature reached 60 degree Celsius on the highway's surface with weather temperature at 36 degree Celsius. This was considered as an extreme condition and the figure was expected to rise as the temperature would increase even more during summer.
Also, some highways' foundations and surfaces did not meet water drainage requirements, which resulted in their structural integrity being degraded by occasional standing water.
Another important factor was the weight of overloaded trucks, especially on National Route 1.
The UTC team proposed that a comprehensive solution is required to put a stop to the country's highway shifting. Quality control and inspection processes during highway construction must be tightened and responsibilities for highway quality must be clearly assigned to contractors, consultants and inspection units.
"Climate differences must be taken into the design of our country's highways in order to select the right construction materials for different regions. Stricter controls to minimise the number of overloaded truck also remains a priority," said Su.
For the long term, the UTC team recommended the Ministry of Transport set up highway monitoring centres to observe and record highway traffic and vehicles, as well as to review the use of new construction materials and technical innovations in highway building. — VNS


Completely renovated house, new everything including drywall, floors, paint, new kitchen with granite, brand new kitchen appliances, please come by and see this gem. In the best location in Vancouver. Close to shopping and schools. 1 bedroom suite in basement. PUBLIC OPEN: Sunday October 31th, 2-4 PM.


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Medal of Honor Character Development Program
Secondary Lessons Overview
Character Development Program Secondary Lessons
Below, you will find the Secondary lessons of the Medal of Honor Character Development Program. You can search and sort to find a lesson or download a PDF of all the lessons.
If you are looking to introduce your 6th - 12th grade students to the Medal of Honor and the Character Development Program, the Foundational Lessons (A1-A11) are a great place to start. From there, the lessons are grouped by value but can each be used independently. If a lesson has a recommended prerequisite, that will be included.
Keep in mind that the lessons are designed to be flexible. We know that you are the expert in your classroom, so we encourage you to adjust as needed: do only some of the activities, swap out the suggested Recipient Living History, or spread a single lesson out over a week. Some teachers build a whole course around the lessons, and others pull lessons to use around Veterans Day. Some schools have fully embraced the program and have it in every classroom, while some teachers use it independently. We want you to find what works for you!
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A02 - Middle and High School Exploring the Six Core Values
Students will research, define and interpret the six core values and use these definitions and interpretations in an informational essay.
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A02: Distance Learning Version - Middle and High School Exploring the Six Core Values: Modification for Distance Learning
This lesson can be completed by students independently, with optional collaboration in a virtual learning environment.
A03 - Middle and High School Medal of Honor: What Does It Mean?
Students will learn the history and meaning of the Medal of Honor, explore the story of a Medal of Honor Recipient, and more.
A03: Distance Learning Version - Middle and High School Medal of Honor: What Does It Mean? - Modification for Distance Learning
A04 - Middle and High School Citizen Honors: What Does It Mean?
Students will learn the history and meaning of the Citizen Honors award and explore the story of a Citizen Honors awardee.
A04: Distance Learning Version - Middle and High School Citizen Honors: What Does It Mean? - Modification for Distance Learning
This lesson can be completed by students individually, with optional collaboration in a virtual learning environment.


text:
Jan 11 | 2022
Despite Omicron concerns, the pound has hit its highest level against the US dollar since November and its highest level against the euro since February 2020.
Bank of England rate hike
The expectation of inflation rising has helped to push the pound higher as traders now anticipate the Bank of England to hike interest rates in February, after raising them to 0.25% in December. Economists believe that it's a close call as Omicron is expected to hit economic growth this winter. The economic impact of Omicron might not be huge or long-lasting, but the Bank still needs to tread carefully. While the markets expect the Bank of England to hike rates again at the start of February, some analysts think it might wait a little bit more, until May.
Businesses are facing staff shortages while consumer spending has been much lower in the end of December. Analysts believe that the Bank might wait for more data, and as such a rate hike in May appears to be more likely.
UK Covid cases have peaked
It is beginning to look quite hopeful experts have said, as there are hopes that the UK Covid cases have peaked in all parts of England. New case numbers are starting to fall in the South East and the East of England, and in London. According to official records, as of January 8, new case numbers are beginning to fall in the South East and the East of England, as well as in London, which peaked before Christmas. Cases are rising in other regions but at a much lower pace.
Professor Kevin Fenton, Public Health England's regional director for London, told the Sky News that the Omicron wave has now peaked in London. He warned that ONS data showed that almost one in 10 Londoners are still infected with the virus and the pandemic is not yet over.
While case numbers and hospitalisations are dropping, scientists have highlighted the significance of vaccines which are believed to have prevented intensive care wards, and the NHS, from being overwhelmed.
The Prime Minister confirmed that ministers are considering reducing the self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people who test positive for the virus to five days from the current seven.
The prospect of a drop in cases suggests that an economic rebound into the second half of Q1 is possible and this in turn will validate the prospect of a February interest rate hike.
Economists have noted that the most negative economic impact of Omicron is the rising number of self-isolation cases and weak consumer sentiment. The combination of the two could further slowdown economic activity.
If there is an economic rebound, then the Bank is expected to raise interest rates and markets are pricing more than a 70% chance of another UK rate rise next month. The rise of US and UK bond yields has also offered support to the pound so far. Sterling remains the best performing G10 currency of 2022.
Want to book your ideal rate? If you are a business transferring funds overseas, contacting a currency specialist could save you time and money. Universal Partners FX and their dedicated team can offer valuable insights into the market ahead of your currency exchange. If you are transferring funds to pay your employees abroad, get in touch with Universal Partners FX to find out how much you can save in your international money transfers. Universal Partners FX can provide invaluable help, efficient risk management and tailored solutions to your business' transfer needs.
Dhaval markets, brexit
The pound was resilient against the US dollar and has risen to two-month highs. Last week it hit a 22-month high against the euro as the potential for more hikes by the Bank of England (BoE) offered support. Omicron concerns have eaten away at some of the pound's gains against the euro.
The prospect of a BoE interest rate hike at the Bank's February meeting has helped boost market expectations.
UK Prime Minister looking to reduce quarantine period
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that the government is considering the prospect of reducing the quarantine period from seven to five days. Since Britain was making progress against the variant, the government will look at reducing the days of isolation, but it warned that the number of hospitalised people was rising. The Prime Minister explained that "We've got to make sure that we see off Omicron. We're making great progress. (But) the 18,000 people with COVID currently in hospital... that's massively up, and the numbers are increasing."
His comments did not have a noticeable impact on the pound.
UK companies remain optimistic
The latest survey from accountancy company Deloitte has showed that 37% of chief financial officers are planning to boost investment in 2022 and focus on growth despite Omicron concerns. Companies expect conditions and productivity to improve but persistent labour shortages remain a considerable risk. A high number of companies believe that trade conditions have been affected by Brexit.
Brexit concerns
Manufacturers have warned that Brexit will exacerbate costs amid concerns of persistent challenges relating to customs delays and red tape. Make UK, which represents 20,000 manufacturing firms across the UK has said that Brexit remains a central concern. In its 2022 Make UK/PwC senior executive survey of 228 firms, businesses have warned of damage from Brexit disruption which has been further complicated by the pandemic and rising costs.
GBP/EUR hits a 22-month high
Last week's positive market sentiment favoured risk sensitive currencies such as the pound and pushed the euro lower. The euro was also lower due to the significant differences in policies by the UK and European central banks. Eurozone data did not help offer any support.
The pound rose further following the UK government's decision not to introduce more Covid restrictions while BoE rate hike expectations boosted Sterling. Traders have now priced in an 82.5% chance of another interest rate rise at the bank's meeting in February.
However, the rising number of Covid cases puts further pressure on the pound which has failed to sustain its 22-month high.
Week ahead: What to expect
Omicron will continue to impact on the British currency. If Covid cases continue to fall, then the pound will strengthen and vice versa.
On Friday, we get the latest GDP data, which is expected to have grown 0.4% in November and may help offer support to the pound.
The pound started the new year strong as it rose against the US dollar on Tuesday and Wednesday. Analysts say that the strengthening is due to investor optimism about the effects of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 which has been less disruptive to the economy than originally expected. Investors are also optimistic about a potential Bank of England interest rate rise as early as next month.
On Thursday, the pound was lower as the US dollar strengthened following the Fed meeting minutes which showed that the Bank was more hawkish than expected. These has created concerns about faster than expected tightening of the Fed's monetary policy which along with rising inflation will require the Bank to act and raise rates sooner than expected.
Services PMI data was higher than the preliminary reading, but it showed that the UK services sector lost momentum last month due to the lockdown, with the hospitality and travel sectors being affected the most.
Omicron restrictions ease
While the Omicron variant has affected a high number of UK citizens, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson avoided stricter lockdown measures and on Wednesday he announced that a pre-departure test was not needed when travelling to England.
Markets also appear to have decided that Omicron concerns are over, and investors are now focussing on the prospect of wider global reflation. Reflation refers to attempts to bring the economy back up to the long-term trend following a dip by increasing the money supply or by reducing taxes. The pound is considered to be a "pro-reflation" currency, according to analysts.
For the markets, the prospect of further restrictions is very low considering that the government is against such measures.
Bank of England rates
Markets are expecting further interest rate hikes from the Bank of England, as they have already priced in 100bp of rate hikes in the next 12 months.
With the Bank demonstrating that is willing to raise rates despite Omicron concerns and additional political support for the November rate hike from Chancellor Rishi Sunak, markets are optimistic.
Currency markets are pricing in two rate rises by the Bank's March meeting and a full percentage point by the end of the year.
The Bank raised interest rates for the first time in three years in December, despite the Omicron variant and at a time where thousands of people were forced to self-isolate. Financial markets expect a second interest rate rise from the Bank in February from 0.25pc to 0.5pc.
Despite market optimism, economists have warned that household savings are falling as higher prices are eating into budgets. At the same time, lenders are said to have the ability to lend and mortgage rates are expected to be competitive in the near future.
In the meantime, Andrew Sentance, who was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee between 2006 and 2011, intends to push for an investigation into the Bank of England's role in raising rates and he will write to the chairman of the Treasury Select Committee and former Cabinet Minister Mel Stride this month. He criticised the BoE for being "dormant" and reluctant to take action.
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Dec 20 | 2021
Sterling has started the new week lower as Omicron fears have gripped markets. The threat of new lockdowns has rattled markets across the world with all risk sensitive currencies, such as the pound, falling. With reduced central bank support and the ongoing pandemic, investors want to avoid unnecessary risks ahead of the Christmas period.
Global stock markets were also lower partly due to news that President Joe Biden's Build Back Better package did not pass the Senate. Safe-haven currencies such as the yen, US dollar and the Swiss Franc rose as risk-off sentiment turned investors to less risky assets. As it is commonly noted, the pound was lower against the euro which seems to benefit when global markets are down.
Sterling was however higher against commodity currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars.
Risk aversion in global markets
Lockdown risks are rising in the UK as Health Secretary Sajid Javid has not ruled out stricter measures before Christmas after health advisers suggested that more restrictions were necessary to control the rising number of coronavirus infections. Countries such as The Netherlands will enter a full lockdown until at least the 14th of January, while various European countries are considering more restrictions to fight the spread of the virus. Reports suggest that tighter restrictions are expected to be introduced in Germany too.
The recent decline of the pound was driven by a risk aversion mood in global markets due to Omicron. The pound fell as is one of the risk sensitive currencies that falls when global markets seek to avoid risk and traders put their wagers on safe-haven currencies. For financial markets, especially foreign exchange markets, Omicron's impact on the economy is considerable, and it could reverberate into the new year. Traders are concerned about Omicron's effects on global growth at a time when central banks are focused on withdrawing support, including the Federal Reserve which will proceed to withdraw stimulus over the coming months.
Inflationary pressures
The introduction of new restrictions comes at a time where inflationary pressures persist, with the global economy struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels following 2020's restrictions.
According to analysts, financial support programmes to mitigate against pandemic measures will become more costly, and central banks would want to avoid them.
Global growth risks have increased, as President Joe Biden's Build Back Better stimulus package has failed to pass, after Senator Joe Manchin said he cannot vote for the $1.75 trillion package as it will increase the country's debt and push inflation higher. Americans are already struggling with high inflation taxes and utility bills.
The removal of accommodative monetary policy by many major central banks will affect risk assets and emerging markets, as many developing market currencies have weakened the last six months.
The pound will strengthen if risk sentiment improves, but, at the moment, due to the ongoing pandemic, uncertainty will continue.
Covid Restrictions to Weigh on Pound
The pound has weakened due to the new Covid restrictions, and it could fall further, analysts have said. It failed to retain its momentum as the latest coronavirus headlines have put more pressure on the British currency.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that the Omicron variant is spreading at a "phenomenal rate" in England, but no Omicron-related deaths have been confirmed yet.
Covid threat is raised to Level 4
On Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the UK faces the Omicron "tidal wave" and he vouched that all eligible adults in England will receive the booster dose by the 31st of December. Downing Street explained that without the protection of a third dose, NHS beds would "quickly fill up and the long term damage to the economy and the NHS efforts to bring down the backlog will be even greater." The UK has now raised the Covid threat to "Level 4", which is one level below the maximum.
Nicola Sturgeon also said on Sunday that the Scottish government will ensure that all adults have access to a booster dose by the end of the year, while Mark Drakeford said the Welsh government will try to accelerate its vaccination program.
3,137 Omicron cases have been reported in the UK on Sunday, which marks a rise of over a thousand since the previous day.
The pound could find it difficult to regain its footing as investors are evaluating the potential effect of the Omicron variant on the Bank of England's (BoE) policy decisions, which will be announced later this Thursday.
Plan B and Bank of England
The announcement of the government's "Plan B" restriction measures to fight the spread of the Omicron virus was quickly followed by news that a so-called "Plan C" may soon follow, which will have a huge impact on the UK economy and currency as it adds to the uncertainty and potential delays of an interest rate hike by the Bank of England.
According to analysts, BoE policymakers have already noted that the UK economy has likely met the requirements for an interest rate rise, but the Omicron variant adds significant uncertainty to the economic outlook and will likely mean that a rate hike will be delayed until February.
It's possible that this week the BoE will leave the Bank Rate at 0.10% and that will push the pound lower. However, since markets are already expecting the bank to keep interest rates unchanged, the effect on the British currency will be limited.
The decision on whether to raise interest rates next week will very much depend on the current uncertainties about the health and economic impact of the Omicron wave, so the Bank is expected to keep a more cautious attitude and wait for more information before deciding to increase the cost of borrowing.
The pound is also expected to remain vulnerable ahead of the latest European Central Bank (ECB) meeting, which could allow the euro to strengthen further. The ECB is expected to announce an increase of its monthly bond purchases as part of its quantitative easing programme called Asset Purchase Facility (APP). However, the ECB could delay this decision due to the current uncertainties.
While expectations have been lowered, and February is most likely the time that the Bank of England might decide to lift interest rates, any surprise decision to lift the rate this week would provide a considerable boost to the currency.
Pound Falls as Market Avoids Risk Currencies
The pound has fallen against the euro as the market continued to avoid risk currencies in favour of safe-havens. On the other hand, the pound has gained support against the US dollar and reversed some of its losses from Friday following positive Brexit-related news. The UK has granted new licences for French ships to be able to work in British waters which was seen as a sign of progress and offered a moderate rise to the British pound. Apart from this, the broader market risk sentiment will influence demand for the dollar and set the tone for the pound.
A potential risk to the pound is the possibility of the Bank of England (BoE) postponing an interest rate hike on the 16th of December. BoE Monetary Policy Committee member Michael Saunders noted that the new Covid-19 variant has clouded the economic outlook and created uncertainty. Saunders clarified that it is beneficial to wait for more information before tightening monetary policy.
Sterling fell against the single currency due to uncertainty regarding the new variant. The spread of the virus in South Africa suggests that this variant has higher transmissibility and affects immunity more significantly than other variants such as the Delta one. South Africa has reported an increase of 11,125 new Covid cases a day, on Sunday, which are less compared to previous days.
The Omicron variant has been found in more than 16 US states, and more cases are expected to be detected, according to Dr Rochelle Walensky of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of the cases were among fully vaccinated individuals who had mild symptoms, although it was not clear whether these individuals have had the booster. The Delta variant accounts for 99.9% of new Covid cases in the United States, Walensky added.
The emergence of such a variant threatens to disrupt efforts to end the pandemic. The World Health Organisation said that the Omicron variant will possibly spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection that could have a very negative impact on certain places.
The coronavirus pandemic is not over and the next one could be even worse, the creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine noted. Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert warned that while "this pandemic is not done with us", the next one could be even more lethal.
With considerable uncertainty and lack of more information on how fast Omicron can spread globally, markets will remain volatile.
Pound: week ahead
The week ahead could be significant depending on how the market reacts to new details about the threat of the virus. October's UK GDP data due out on Friday morning will also provide a clearer view of the UK's economic recovery in the final quarter. Friday's GDP data is expected to show 0.3% pace of growth for October, an expansion driven by the services sector, which is now threatened by the virus.
Nov 09 | 2021
The Potential of Future Interest Rates Pushes Pound Higher
The pound has been lifted from its lows after the Bank of England disappointed markets by keeping interest rates unchanged. On Tuesday, the pound was higher as investors are now focusing on a February rate rise.
While speaking at a virtual event organised by the Bank of England (BoE), Governor Andrew Bailey stressed that they will have to act and raise rates if they see a clear indication that higher inflation is feeding into wages. His comments did not impact on the market pricing of a rate hike in December. The CME Group's BoE Watch Tool shows a 67.5% chance of a 20-basis points rate hike before the end of the year.
In terms of Brexit, the ball is now in the UK's court. After the EU clarified that they will act accordingly if Britain were to trigger Article 16, they are now waiting for the UK to make the next move.
Economic growth and Bank of England
The Bank of England's dovish turn and less aggressive policy is in line with market data and suggests that their interest rate decision was made based on a more restrained and conservative economic growth outlook. The Bank lowered its 2021 growth forecast to 6.7% from August's 8.5% forecast but raised the 2022 GDP forecast from 2.3% to 2.9%. 2023's forecast has been lowered to 1.1% from 1.3% that it was previously.
Inflation is expected to go over the 2.0% target in the coming months and the Bank could act by raising interest rates if it deems appropriate. Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill said on Friday Nov. 05 that he believes the pace of wage inflation will surpass both those of the Eurozone and the US.
A more measured Bank means that there are less risks for early tightening, especially if inflation proves to be transitory. This will also support economic growth and households which are already struggling with higher costs.
Economists do believe that the Bank of England will still raise interest rates to fight inflation in the near future, as they expect hikes in December and February.
Other possible factors to consider for pound volatility
As a procyclical currency, the pound goes up when global stock markets are strong and falls when they fall. If the pound weakens it is usually against stronger safe havens such as the US dollar, the yen and the franc. For now, market sentiment is positive, and this has given fresh impetus to the pound.
Brexit tensions are growing, and this could potentially impact the pound. Ireland's foreign minister Simon Coveney warned that the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement could be dismissed if the UK triggers Article 16 and rewrite the protocol on Northern Ireland. The protocol, which is part of the EU-UK withdrawal agreement, was agreed in order to avoid a north-south trade border on the island of Ireland. Protestant Unionist parties have rejected the agreement, and two buses were set on fire in the past week. If the UK fails to maintain a border in the Irish Sea, then this will threaten Ireland's economic rights as an EU member and it will be unacceptable by the 26 EU member states. Without a border, animal and plant products will enter the EU single market, without full legal controls. Ireland's goods won't be trusted, and checks will possibly be required in order to enter the EU. Markets will await any updates on Friday, following the EU and UK's chief negotiators meeting this week.
Pound Reaches New 20-Month High
The pound rose on Tuesday against both the euro and the US dollar, as stock markets increased, and expectations for an early November rate hike by the Bank of England remained strong. This is the highest level since the pandemic started in March 2020. If the Bank of England proceeds to an early rate hike, then markets will not be disappointed and the pound will rise further, as many analysts suggested. However, if it strikes a more cautious tone and reduces expectations for further rate hikes in 2022, then the pound could fall.
A hawkish statement by the Bank of England suggesting a faster cycle of hikes than is currently expected might boost the pound further, but this is not anticipated.
If the Bank of England raises interest rates as soon as the 4th of November, then the UK central bank will be the first major central bank to raise rates ahead even of the European Central Bank (ECB). The pound rose against the dollar, but the gains were not substantial as the US Federal Reserve is on target to raise interest rates in 2022 with the November policy meeting likely to confirm this.
The lower number of Covid-19 cases has helped boost market sentiment and has given the Bank of England further evidence that the economy has the potential to grow as we come to the end of the year.
Current and potential obstacles
However, Britain's weak economic data, such as Friday's unexpected drop in retail sales has capped further gains. UK growth momentum is also weakening. There are also concerns about potential tax hikes that could be announced on Wednesday's budget statement, alongside tensions between the EU and the UK post-Brexit provisions relating to the trade between Britain, Northern Ireland, and the European Union member Ireland.
A possible headwind for the pound is the failure of the negotiations between the two sides over the Northern Ireland protocol, as Britain has threatened to take unilateral action if talks fail. #
Rishi Sunak's budget announcement on Wednesday
Traders are now awaiting finance minister Rishi Sunak's budget statement on Wednesday. Markets might be already aware of his plans for higher corporation tax and national insurance contributions, but the devil is in the details. He is expected to end the public sector pay freeze for millions of workers and there has been speculation that the minimum wage for those aged 25-plus could increase from £8.91 an hour to £10 before the next election. For the NHS, there have also been announcements for a £5.9bn for NHS backlogs, diagnostic services and elective surgeries funding, while a £2.1bn is going to improve IT across the NHS. Another commitment has been for £5bn on health research and development over three years. A total of £850m has been promised to inject new life into the arts as a "post-pandemic funding boost." £700m has been promised to be spent on the new post-Brexit borders and immigration system, and a new maritime patrol fleet. Among his other pledges, is a six-month extension to the COVID recovery loan scheme to June 2022.
Pound Softens after UK Inflation Falls
UK inflation has fallen slightly but remains above the Bank of England's target. According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK CPI inflation eased slightly to 3.1% in September, from 3.2% in August—the highest in nine years.
The pound softened on Wednesday morning following the inflation data, as analysts expected the September reading to remain at 3.2%.
The slowdown is mostly due to the effects of lower prices of dining out last month compared to last September, when prices rose following the end of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
The data comes after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said that the central bank will have to act to ease inflationary pressures – raising expectations for earlier rate hikes. According to economists, the bank's task is a difficult one, as it expects inflation to reach 4% in the current quarter, with higher interest rates expected to ease it. However, the economy is struggling with higher costs and rising commodity prices, which interest rates have no power over.
Inflationary pressures rise
The cost of UK company goods and services continued to rise last month, affected by the supply chain crisis. Output price inflation rose to 6.7% per year in September, from 6% in August. Inflationary pressures are building in the economy as producers increased their prices, passing on costs to consumers. Companies reported that input prices increased by 11.4% year-on-year in September. Manufacturers faced commodity costs and transport costs due to shipping issues and a shortage in lorry drivers.
Economists: inflation is temporary
Economists are warning that September's fall in inflation will be temporary. Costs rose due to supply issues and the higher energy price cap. The persistent supply-chain disruptions and energy price effects could push inflation higher above 4% early next year.
Senior economist at Royal London Asset Management Melanie Baker, expects more inflation. He warned that energy bills could push consumer price inflation further, which will reduce real income growth for many and add to some of the economic challenges in 2022.
Paul Dales of Capital Economics predicts inflation to reach 5% next April, when Ofgem hikes the energy price cap again. He noted: "However, this feels a bit like the lull before the storm as the 12% rise in utility prices on 1st October will probably lift CPI inflation to around 3.8% in October. And we think inflation could then climb to around 5.0% in April next year due to a further rise in utility prices and the upward influence from global/domestic product shortages. With underlying wage growth and inflation expectations rising, the BoE is concerned that higher inflation will become embedded in the system. That's why it become much keener to raise interest rates."
Dales explained that he doesn't expect interest rates to be raised as far as 1.00% by the end of next year, since higher inflation will weaken the outlook for activity and with supply shortages easing, inflation will eventually fall to around 2% by the end of next year.
Sterling Near 20 Month Highs: Can it Go Higher?
Sterling reached a 20-month high against the euro on Monday after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey sent another signal that the central bank is heading towards raising interest rates as inflation risks rise. On Tuesday, the British currency held on to its near 20-month high gains against the euro and has reached a new one-month high against the US dollar. The main factor supporting the pound is expectations the BoE will raise rates, with investors speculating on a rise to 0.25% by December, or even earlier by November. Traders will be focusing on the release of the UK CPI inflation data for September on Wednesday and Friday's PMI data for further clues.
Despite the pound's excellent performance, some foreign exchange analysts are wondering whether the recent gains can be sustained in the long term.
Many economists and analysts have warned that the Bank of England's intention to return interest rates to pre-pandemic levels could be a huge mistake that will impact on economic growth and push costs higher for households that are already under pressure. Higher interest rates, combined with zero growth and high inflation will hurt both the economy and the pound.
Others have noted that the pound won't be supported for a long time by the Bank of England's higher interest rates due to persisting supply chain issues and a struggling labour market.
Former Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Member, David Blanchflower, said that raising rates very soon will be a disaster and "foolish." He told BBC Radio 4 that interest rates are at 0.1% but economists warn that inflation could peak at 6.0%. Former MPC member Andrew Sentance laughed at Danny Blanchflower's comments saying that he did not understand monetary policy. With economists being torn about the prospect of higher interest rates, it is not surprising that there are so many differing views. However, markets have priced in a rate hike and expectations remain solid that an interest rate hike is possible in November.
Bank of England has been Misunderstood?
At the same time, analysts argue that the BoE Governor's recent comments have been misunderstood and that a November rate rise is unlikely. Bailey has stated that the Bank will act if there are inflation risks in the medium-term and that the Monetary Policy Committee will wait and see until December when labour market data is available.
Also, for some analysts, the subsequent rate hikes being priced in by investors are a bit extreme as possibly two rates maximum by the end of 2022 sounds more reasonable. However, any recent hike expectations being priced out could also negatively impact on the pound.
Others have argued that, if indeed early interest rate hikes will be disastrous to the economy, then pricing out these rate hikes will possibly support the pound. With so many different arguments, it is not yet clear how the pound will react. Some commentators have even gone as far as to suggest that the pound will fall whatever happens. For example, if the BoE ends up being more dovish and does not raise interest rates, it will end up disappointing markets. On the other hand, if it does deliver early rate hikes it might end up making a policy mistake. Nonetheless, Friday's PMI data might offer further guidance: if it comes stronger than expected then the pound will strengthen and so will the case for raising interest rates.


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Q: Sharepoint 2007 - Displaying current date in a custom list I have been reading blog after blog about displaying the current date in a sharepoint list and nothing seems to work. I do not have administrative rights to my sharepoint server but I was able to combine some java scripts and was able to display the current date (that change each day) in a custom list. My problem is that my success is only half full and I need someone's help to figure out the rest. Here it goes:
1. I created a column in my list called "DateField", I use the calculation field with ="<B></B>
 as the calculation
2. I created a Content Edit WebPart and use the source below:
<script type="text/javascript">
var currentTime = new Date()
var month = currentTime.getMonth()+1
var day = currentTime.getDate()
var year = currentTime.getFullYear()
var CurrentDate = month + "/"+ day + "/" + year
$(document).ready(function(){
$(".ms-vb2:contains('<B')").each(function(){
var tempB = document.createElement ("B");
tempB.style.cursor = "pointer";
tempB.innerHTML = $(this).text();
$(this).text(CurrentDate);
$(this).append(tempB);
});
});
</script>

The script works and the date changes each day but I cannot use the date for anything. For some reason it only sees the HTML tags  in the field but it displays the current date in the column on the list. Can someone help me figure out how I can store the actual date in the column?
Thanks
Ramon

A: If you want to store the current date field on the column to be reused
that means that you will have to modify all the items every day with today's date.
Is that what do you really need ? it could be achieved with some ajax call to the web services (if you have update permissions for those items).
However I don't really understand your scenario.
Could you elaborate ?

A: My solution was to create a custom field type for the column, which would always return the current date (and time if needed).  This produced the desired effect - the current date (and time) would be displayed on the front end, but still available for use in other fields in the back end.
A quick Google for examples (my code is two jobs behind me, and I haven't touched MOSS in 6 months) gives me http://vspug.com/nicksevens/2007/08/31/create-custom-field-types-for-sharepoint/
Good luck!
Regards
Moo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: "Simple is best" vs "Simple is the best" As a foreigner, using articles is one of the most difficult part.
What is the difference between "Simple is best" and "Simple is the best"? When I googled it, both appeared with many results, so it seems both are right. Are they same or have some differences?

A: Logically they are the same, but they have different psychological connotations.  "Simple is best" is a bit warmer and implies that the receiver is being edified.  "Simple is the best" is stated in a way that makes it sound more like it's an objective fact or something.  It's kind of hard to describe.
Edit: After nearly ten years of considering this every time someone upvotes this, I think the difference boils down to sexuality.  "Simple is best" is feminine, warm, nurturing, cunning.  "Simple is the best" is masculine, cold, challenging, confrontational.

A: The long and short of this particular phrase, is they're both the same in meaning, and they're both grammatical. Note that I have italicized "this particular". This is to indicate that "the" can make a difference in certain other situations, but not in this particular situation.
Both of them are stating that the speaker supports simplicity

A: "Simple is best" is probably the phrase you want to use.
Compare to an adage like "mother knows best." The phrase is idiomatic - a token of speech that can't be divided - so "mother knows the best" sounds wrong.
It's harder to pin down the reason for this. In the first case, the phrase means that the simplest way is the best way. In the second case, your mother knows the best thing to do.  These statements became shortened over time.
The meter of speech has a lot to do with the way idioms evolve. Words are dropped, and ungrammatical phrases may result.  In this case, the idiom prescribes the grammar, not the other way around, so I don't think it's fruitful to speak of whether "best" is being used as an adjective or a noun.
Theodore Bernstein says in The Careful Writer: "A writer tampers with idiom at his own peril, and the peril is great. When he writes, 'At that time Sceptre was all except [two syllables] invisible in the haze,' he has flouted the idiom 'all but'."

A: "Simple is the best" implies that simple is a noun. The meaning of simple as a noun is something simple, unmixed or compounded, a simple thing or worse, an ignorant, foolish or gullible person, a commoner, a "simple".
"Simple is best" implies that "simple" is an adjective, like "best."  This is by far the more elegant way of expressing the concept because both sides of the "is" are the same parts of speech and express clearly the sense of Occam's Razor within this sentence.


text:
Q: Retrieving password from CyberArk using trusted certificate I am new to Cyberark password vault.  I have a node that has configured certificate based authentication with Cyberark server.  If I want to retrieve the password stored on the Cyberark vault using RestAPI from that node how to acheive the same.  I don't want to provide password to authenticate again.

A: It is not recommended to retrieve secrets directly from CyberArk's REST API for programmatic, non-human usage. It is recommended to utilize one of CyberArk's Credential Providers to handle this process for you.
The Credential Providers have different means of allowing your application or script to retrieve the secret Just-in-Time using environment-specific attributes as authentication instead of requiring a secret-zero to retrieve them.
The REST API provided by CyberArk is to be used as a management API and not a secured API for secret retrieval.


Fukuoka (福岡) is Kyushu's largest and one of Japan's ten most populated cities. Because of its closeness to the Asian mainland (closer to Seoul than to Tokyo), Fukuoka has been an important harbor city for many centuries and was chosen by the Mongol invasion forces as their landing point in the 13th century.
Shofukuji (聖福寺, Shōfukuji) has the distinction of being the first Zen temple constructed in Japan. It was founded in 1195 by the priest Eisai, who introduced the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism from China into Japan. Although the temple buildings cannot be entered, visitors can walk through Shofukuji's attractive temple grounds and observe the buildings from outside.
Dazaifu (大宰府) was established in the late 7th century and served as the administrative center of the entire island of Kyushu for over 500 years. The city was built slightly inland from Hakata, whose port was one of the main points of interaction between Japan and mainland Asia. Although the imperial court ruled the country from the Kansai Region, Dazaifu was pivotal for Japan's diplomatic relations and organizing the country's defenses.


Staying secure in today's ever-changing environment can be challenging. With new technology comes a new method of fraud and identity theft. Because you matter most at Sabine FCU, we've compiled a few resources to help you understand how to protect your personal information.
Another scam we've been made aware of involves people calling and offering to run virus scans on your computer. These hackers then remote into your computer and can access your files and watch your computer activity. Please do not let anyone have remote access into your computer. If you have questions, please call us at 409-988-1300.
We've been made aware of several phishing scams in which members are emailed from a fraudulent company posing at CUNA (Credit Union National Association), NCUA (National Credit Union Administration), Visa, Vantiv, Verified by Visa, and even Sabine FCU. This email instructs recipients to "click here" to confirm your identity or acknowledge your account number, user name, password, PIN, (personal identification number), credit card number or debit card number, or other personal information. If you receive a similar email, do not reply and delete from your mailbox.
Remember that Sabine FCU will NEVER ask for your account number, credit and/or debit card numbers, username, password or other personal information through any communication method and will never request this information unless you contact the credit union directly.


The Art of Conversation: A guide to talking, listening and reducing stigma around suicide.
A useful publication from Health Scotland which dispels some myths surrounding suicide and offers practical tips on spotting the signs that someone is feeling suicidal and how to discuss the issue.
I feel so bad I can't go on by Dr Chris Williams.
A useful booklet for people who are feeling suicidal. This is available in Manchester libraries as well as online.
Living with grief and loss by Julia Tugendhat.
A book that examines grieving and the factors that influence the grieving process. It is available from Manchester libraries.
A national organisation that offers support to people bereaved by the suicide of a close friend or relative.
A helpline offering confidential support for people feeling low or in distress.
NHS helpline offering 24-hour support.
Dr Alys Cole-King, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, recently appeared on BBC Radio Four's Woman's Hour to discuss World Suicide Prevention Day 2012. As a result the Radio Four website contains useful links to various resources.


text:
Q: $\sigma$-algebra intuition So, i am trying to learn measure theory, for applications in probability theory. However, i am having some issues fully understanding the definition of a $\sigma$-algebra.
I am working with the following definition of a $\sigma$-algebra:

*

*Definition: Let $\Omega \ne \emptyset$. Then $\mathcal{B} \subseteq \mathcal{P}(\Omega)$ is a $\sigma$-algebra if

*

*(i) $ \Omega \in \mathcal{B} $

*(ii) if $B \in \mathcal{B}$, then $B^c \in \mathcal{B}$

*(iii) If $B_n \in \mathcal{B}$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$ then $\cup_{n=1}^{\infty}B_n \in \mathcal{B}$
I do not fully understand what is going on in (iii). My intuition would say, that it should mean "If a set is in the sigma-algebra, then every possible union you could make with other sets in the sigma-algebra, is also in the sigma-algebra", is this correct? Just looking at the notation i would think that it means that the union of all sets in the sigma-algebra, should also be in the sigma-algebra, but that would just return $\Omega$ as in (i), so that cannot be correct?

A: The key-word which is not written in the definition is countable. A $\sigma-$algebra is intuitively a subset of $\mathcal{P}(\Omega)$ which is stable by countable "operations" (such as union, intersection and complementary) on its elements.

A: As pointed out by @J. W. Tanner in the comments, the third criterion states that any countable union of sets in the $\sigma$-algebra is included. However, it is possible that no countable union of sets includes $\Omega$ itself. That is why we need the first criterion.


text:
module Concerns
  module Commentable
    extend ActiveSupport::Concern

    included do
      has_many :comments, as: :commentable, dependent: :destroy
    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub