text:
package com.github.dtaniwaki.akka_pusher

import akka.actor.{ ActorSystem, Props }
import akka.pattern.ask
import akka.util.Timeout
import com.github.dtaniwaki.akka_pusher.attributes.{ PusherChannelAttributes, PusherChannelsAttributes }
import com.typesafe.config.ConfigFactory
import com.github.dtaniwaki.akka_pusher.PusherMessages._
import com.github.dtaniwaki.akka_pusher.PusherModels._
import org.specs2.mock.Mockito
import org.specs2.mutable.Specification
import org.specs2.specification.process.RandomSequentialExecution
import spray.json._
import scala.collection.mutable.Queue
import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
import scala.concurrent.duration._
import scala.concurrent.{ Await, Future }
import scala.util.Success

class TestActor(_pusher: PusherClient) extends PusherActor() {
  override val pusher = _pusher
}

class TestBatchActor(_pusher: PusherClient, _queue: Queue[TriggerMessage]) extends PusherActor(ConfigFactory.parseString("""pusher: {batchTrigger: true}"""), batchTriggerQueue = _queue) {
  override val pusher = _pusher
}

class PusherActorSpec extends Specification
    with SpecHelper
    with RandomSequentialExecution
    with Mockito
    with PusherJsonSupport {
  implicit val system = ActorSystem("pusher")
  implicit val timeout = Timeout(5 seconds)

  private def awaitResult[A](future: Future[A]) = Await.result(future, Duration.Inf)

  "#receive" should {
    "with TriggerMessage" in {
      "returns Result" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        pusher.trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestActor], pusher))

        try {
          val future = actorRef ? TriggerMessage("channel1", "event", JsString("message"), Some("123.234"))
          awaitResult(future) === Success(Result(""))
          there was one(pusher).trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any)
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with Seq[TriggerMessage]" in {
      "enqueue the message" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        pusher.trigger(any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestActor], pusher))

        try {
          val messages = Seq(
            TriggerMessage("channel1", "event1", JsString("message1"), Some("123.234")),
            TriggerMessage("channel2", "event2", JsString("message2"), Some("123.234"))
          )
          val future = actorRef ? messages
          awaitResult(future) === Seq(Success(Result("")))
          there was one(pusher).trigger(===(messages.map(TriggerMessage.unapply(_).get)))(any)
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with ChannelMessage" in {
      "returns Channel" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        pusher.channel(anyString, Seq(any)) returns Future(Success(Channel()))
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestActor], pusher))

        try {
          val future = actorRef ? ChannelMessage("channel", Seq(PusherChannelAttributes.subscriptionCount, PusherChannelAttributes.userCount))
          awaitResult(future) === Success(Channel())
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with ChannelsMessage" in {
      "returns Channels" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        pusher.channels(anyString, Seq(any)) returns Future(Success(ChannelMap()))
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestActor], pusher))

        try {
          val future = actorRef ? ChannelsMessage("prefix", Seq(PusherChannelsAttributes.userCount))
          awaitResult(future) === Success(ChannelMap())
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with UsersMessage" in {
      "returns Users" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        pusher.users(anyString) returns Future(Success(UserList()))
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestActor], pusher))

        try {
          val future = actorRef ? UsersMessage("channel")
          awaitResult(future) === Success(UserList())
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with AuthenticateMessage" in {
      "returns AuthenticatedParams" in {
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(PusherActor.props())

        try {
          val channelData = ChannelData(
            userId = "test_user",
            userInfo = Some(Map("foo" -> "bar").toJson)
          )
          val future = actorRef ? AuthenticateMessage("GET", "123.234", Some(channelData))
          awaitResult(future) === AuthenticatedParams("key:5e76b03a1e16bda68b183aef8ca71fb2fad9773eae977ff3912bca2ec2d3a7e0", Some("""{"user_id":"test_user","user_info":{"foo":"bar"}}"""))
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
      "returns AuthenticatedParams, userInfo not included" in {
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(PusherActor.props())

        try {
          val channelData = ChannelData(userId = "test_user")
          val future = actorRef ? AuthenticateMessage("GET", "123.234", Some(channelData))
          awaitResult(future) === AuthenticatedParams("key:5be264b14524c93bafdc7dbc0bdba9dd782f00a2e310bcb55ef76b26b6841f44", Some("""{"user_id":"test_user"}"""))
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with ValidateSignatureMessage" in {
      "returns Boolean" in {
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(PusherActor.props())

        try {
          val future = actorRef ? ValidateSignatureMessage("key", "773ba44693c7553d6ee20f61ea5d2757a9a4f4a44d2841ae4e95b52e4cd62db4", "foo")
          awaitResult(future) === true
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with TriggerMessage if batchTrigger" in {
      "enqueue the message" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        val queue = mock[Queue[TriggerMessage]].smart
        pusher.trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        queue.enqueue(any)
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

        try {
          val message = TriggerMessage("channel", "event", JsString("message"), Some("123.234"))
          actorRef ! message
          Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
          Thread.sleep(500)
          there was no(pusher).trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any)
          there was one(queue).enqueue(message)
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with Seq[TriggerMessage] if batchTrigger" in {
      "enqueue the message" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        val queue = mock[Queue[TriggerMessage]].smart
        pusher.trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        queue.enqueue(anyVarArg[TriggerMessage])
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

        try {
          val message1 = TriggerMessage("channel1", "event1", JsString("message1"), Some("123.234"))
          val message2 = TriggerMessage("channel2", "event2", JsString("message2"), Some("123.234"))
          actorRef ! Seq(message1, message2)
          Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
          Thread.sleep(500)
          there was no(pusher).trigger(anyString, anyString, any, any)(any)
          there was one(queue).enqueue(message1, message2)
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
    "with BatchTriggerTick" in {
      "handle the batch trigger" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        val queue = Queue[TriggerMessage]()
        pusher.trigger(any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        val messages = Seq(
          TriggerMessage("channel1", "event1", JsString("message1"), Some("123.234")),
          TriggerMessage("channel1", "event2", JsString("message2"), Some("234.345"))
        )
        messages.foreach { message => queue.enqueue(message) }
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

        try {
          actorRef ! BatchTriggerTick()
          Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
          Thread.sleep(500)
          there was one(pusher).trigger(===(messages.map(TriggerMessage.unapply(_).get)))(any)
          queue.dequeueAll(_ => true).length === 0
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
      "with more than 10 messages" in {
        "handle the batch trigger in batches of 10 messages" in {
          val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
          val queue = Queue[TriggerMessage]()
          pusher.trigger(any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
          val messages = for (n <- 0 to 12) yield TriggerMessage(s"channel${n}", s"event${n}", JsString(s"message${n}"), Some("123.234"))
          messages foreach { message => queue.enqueue(message) }
          val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

          try {
            actorRef ! BatchTriggerTick()
            Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
            Thread.sleep(500)
            there was one(pusher).trigger(===(messages.slice(0, 10).map(TriggerMessage.unapply(_).get)))(any)
            there was one(pusher).trigger(===(messages.slice(10, 13).map(TriggerMessage.unapply(_).get)))(any)
            queue.dequeueAll(_ => true).length === 0
          } finally {
            system.stop(actorRef)
          }
        }
      }
      "with no messages" in {
        "does not trigger" in {
          val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
          val queue = Queue[TriggerMessage]()
          pusher.trigger(any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
          val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

          try {
            actorRef ! BatchTriggerTick()
            Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
            Thread.sleep(500)
            there was no(pusher).trigger(any)(any)
          } finally {
            system.stop(actorRef)
          }
        }
      }
    }
    "scheduler" should {
      "send BatchTriggerTick periodically" in {
        val pusher = mock[PusherClient].smart
        val queue = mock[Queue[TriggerMessage]].smart
        pusher.trigger(any)(any) returns Future(Success(Result("")))
        queue.dequeueAll(any) returns scala.collection.mutable.Seq[TriggerMessage]()
        val actorRef = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[TestBatchActor], pusher, queue))

        try {
          Thread.sleep(0) // yield to other threads
          Thread.sleep(2500)
          there was atLeastTwo(queue).dequeueAll(anyFunction1)
        } finally {
          system.stop(actorRef)
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
AMSTAR quality assessment of included systematic reviews
Score per AMSTAR item
Bolgla and Boling15 0 CA 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2010—December
Clijsen et al16 0 CA 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 5 2013—December
Collins et al17 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 2009—November
Frye et al18 0 CA 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2010—September
Harvie et al 19 0 CA 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2010—January
Kooiker et al20 0 CA 1 CA 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 2014—January
Lack et al21 0 CA 1 CA 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 2014—December
Nobre22 0 CA 0 CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2011—Unclear
Page23 0 CA 0 CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2010—August
Peters and Tyson24 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2013—January
Regelski et al25 0 CA 0 0 0 0 1 CA 0 0 0 1 Unclear
van der Heijden et al26 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 10 2014—May
Wasielewki 2011 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 2010—Unclear
Combined intervention
Bolgla et al15 0 CA 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2010—December
Foot orthoses
Barton et al27 0 CA 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 2008—December
Hossain et al28 1 1 1 CA 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 8 2010—March
Swart et al29 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 2010—January
Patellar taping and bracing
Barton et al30 0 CA 1 CA 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 4 2013—January
Callaghan and Selfe31 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 9 2011—August
Kalron and Bar-Sela32 0 CA 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 3 2012—March
Other adjunctive interventions
Brantingham et al 33 0 CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2011—May
Dos Santos et al34 0 CA 0 CA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2011—Unclear
Lake and Wofford35 0 CA 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2010—August
Wasielewskiet al36 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 6 2010—Unclear
Bold text=Reviews considered to be moderate or high quality.
i='a priori' design; ii=duplicate study selection and data extraction; iii=comprehensive literature search; iv=search for grey literature; v=list of studies included and excluded provided; vi=characteristics of included studies provided; vii=scientific quality assessed; viii=scientific quality used to formulate conclusions; ix=methods to combine study findings appropriate; x=publication bias assessed; xi=conflict of interest.
0, no; 1, yes; AMSTAR, Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews; CA, cannot assess.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Managing Cholesterol
Cholesterol in Food
Does a Cashew Nut Have Cholesterol?
By Stephanie Chandler
Stephanie Chandler
Stephanie Chandler is a freelance writer whose master's degree in biomedical science and over 15 years experience in the scientific and pharmaceutical professions provide her with the knowledge to contribute to health topics. Chandler has been writing for corporations and small businesses since 1991. In addition to writing scientific papers and procedures, her articles are published on Overstock.com and other websites.
The American Heart Association reports that 35.7 million adults in the United States suffer from high cholesterol levels, defined as a total serum cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or greater. Because high blood cholesterol levels increase your risk for heart disease, you should understand the factors that contribute to high cholesterol to make healthy lifestyle choices to keep cholesterol levels low. Animal cells produce cholesterol, which means that only foods derived from animals contain dietary cholesterol. Nuts, including cashew nuts, do not contain cholesterol.
A close-up of roasted and salted cashews.
Credit: Voyagerix/iStock/Getty Images
The cashew nut grows on trees that thrive in the regions around the equator with Brazil, Mozambique and Vietnam the principal producing countries. The fruit of the cashew tree resembles an apple with bright yellow to red skin. The cashew, a kidney-shaped nut, hangs from the apple protected by a hard shell. Although cashews contain a significant amount of fat, they make a good snack choice for their high protein content, 4 g per 1 oz serving, vitamin and mineral content and cholesterol-free status. Because the majority of the fat is "healthy" fat, eating tree nuts like cashews may help lower blood cholesterol levels.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance necessary to provide structure to cell membranes, produce hormones and make bile acids needed to break down fats during digestion. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream packaged with specialized proteins known as lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, known as LDL, carries the majority of the cholesterol in the body and keeps cholesterol bound so that it stays in the blood vessels. High-density lipoprotein, which binds to only 1/4 to 1/3 of the cholesterol in the body, carries cholesterol to the liver, which breaks it down and removes it from the body. High blood cholesterol levels, due to increased production within the liver or increased intake of dietary cholesterol, promote the accumulation of cholesterol along the walls of the blood vessels, which restricts the flow of blood and leads to heart disease.
Fats and Cholesterol
Foods contribute 25 percent of the total cholesterol in the body, with the other 75 percent produced within the body. Although consuming dietary cholesterol contributes to an increase in blood cholesterol levels, eating high levels of certain types of fat actually affect cholesterol levels more. Saturated fat, the type of fat that remains solid at room temperature, causes LDL cholesterol levels to increase. Trans fat, like those fats created by adding hydrogen, increase LDL cholesterol levels and also decrease HDL cholesterol levels. Cashews contain no trans fat and very little saturated fat, with 3 g per 1 oz serving, so they produce no negative influence on cholesterol levels.
The unsaturated fats, which include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, can actually help to lower blood cholesterol levels giving them the distinction of "healthy" fats. Nuts in general are a good source of unsaturated fats. A 1 oz serving of cashew nuts contains 8 g of monounsaturated fat and 2 g of polyunsaturated fats. Eating cashews as a part of a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet can help to lower the risk for heart disease.
American Heart Association: Cholesterol Statistics
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Nuts for Nutrition; Alice Henneman; March 2004
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effects of Dietary Cholesterol on Serum Cholesterol; Paul N. Hopkins; June 1992
The International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation: Cashews; 2010
Phytic Acid in Almonds
Can Cashews Make You Have High Cholesterol?
What Are the Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts?
Do Avocados Contain Cholesterol?
How to Lose Weight by Eating Cashew Nuts
How Many Calories Are in Cashew Nuts?


"Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see."
Daniel Dubin is an associate in Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht LLP's Los Angeles office. Daniel Dubin has represented Fortune 500 companies, successful entrepreneurs and local Southern California businesses in commercial, employment and intellectual property disputes.
Daniel Dubin received his Juris Doctorate from the UCLA School of Law. During law school, he externed for the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Daniel Dubin is also fluent in Russian.


Whether it's back to school time, a holiday, or a teacher's birthday, a special treat for your child's teacher is always welcome. Interested in knowing what your child's teacher would like to receive? Check out the teacher interest surveys!


text:
Q: Pre-rendering a 3D scene programmatically For a level generator for a computer game, I need a way to programmatically render a 3D scene. To be more precise, I don't mean 3D-APIs like OpenGL or Direct3D, the scene shouldn't be rendered at runtime of the game, but rather the scene should be rendered off-line for later use.
I know of RenderMan, but I'd be interested if there are other alternatives. Concerning RenderMan, is this a suitable tool for this purpose at all?
Could a 3D scene be described using COLLADA and fed into a renderer?
Thanks
Johannes

A: You have lots of options. Here's three:

*

*3DSMax - pricey

*Blender - free

*POVRay - free

A: So, yes, rendering offline images is what RenderMan is for.  Blizzard is an example of a game company that uses it for that purpose.  And yes, you could also export to another scene format like COLLADA and use a different renderer.  There's the matter of authoring a scene and then rendering it.  Renderers do operate on scene files, which may be in ascii format, and of course you don't want to write one by hand.  Maybe you're exporting the scene from a game engine or level editor?  Or else you'll want to create it in a modeling/animation package like Maya, Houdini, Max, Sketchup, Blender, etc.  These packages have various plug-in exporters and renderers.  The term RenderMan is used to refer to a scene description specification, like COLLADA, and it can also refer specifically to Pixar's renderer, which accepts the RenderMan format.  Several other renderers also accept the RenderMan format, and some are even free, like Pixie.  Picking a modeling package and renderer depends on your budget and requirements...

A: Here is my guess. If what you mean by off-line rendering is to get something that real-time rendering is hard to achieve for all, especially in game mode, like sub-surface scattering, soft shadow, anti-aliasing, more heavy-computing filtering, and global illumination, you can go for what Skizz and Tim suggested. And I will also recommend for pbrt.
But, it all depends on what context and what you like to do then. Something like how do you handle and get 3D objects and environment imported into the renderer?, what's your shading script/language?, what kind of rendered results would you need? Some background images? Or several rendered-out high-quality textures with GI embedded?, etc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Change is inevitable. Learning to manage change is a critical part of a competitive strategy for every business.
Change has been defined and explored in many ways. Amanda D'Costa adeptly summarizes change as ultimately "a coping mechanism for an uncontrollable environment." Businesses that actively initiate change are more likely to survive, particularly as new technologies and information keep developing at an alarming rate. More and better information is available to more people and can be accessed more quickly. The equation is simple: technology + information = change. When businesses purposefully initiate change, they gain some control over their environment. They are basically directing where and how change can occur within their business in response to uncontrollable change in their environment.
Learning how to integrate new ideas into existing process, systems, and organizational cultures is a skill that can be learned. Business owners who can initiate change and know how to work through the transformation processes that occur will be more likely to successfully meet organizational goals. Learning how to work through the transformation process is actually managing the change, i.e., change management. It is wise to look at the future of change and change management within the business industry. Business owners who can adapt these trends to their current business models will have greater chances of successfully growing their business.
There will continue to be greater awareness of change as a strategic initiative in entrepreneurial businesses. This means more information will become available on how change can be better managed in small businesses. Entrepreneurial business owners should be actively seeking this information when possible.
There will be a merging of change management with project management. According to an article by Tim Creasey as the Chief Innovation Officer for Prosci, studies have already begun to support the positive impact change management has on projects success rates. This is important because managing change actually occurs as a series of projects within a business. Projects are usually viewed as successful when they are completed, completed on time, and meet all of their benchmarks. Change management can help accomplish all of that, not just once, but time and time again.
Managing change is critical to continuous innovation. It's the basic principle of adapt or die that Braden Kelley mentions in his article. Merging innovation (i.e., adaptation) and change management (i.e., how to adapt) together is inevitable.
Companies will be hiring change management professionals to help manage change. Understanding how change can be managed is a skill that can be developed; however, it takes time. Outsourcing that skill set to change management professionals (i.e., consultants) is a valuable investment for entrepreneurial business owners who do not have time to learn how to manage change. Making room to hire change management professionals in a budget is a very wise move for entrepreneurial businesses.
Change management will be incorporated into employee development and training for empowered employees. This concept is pretty simple, create an empowered (i.e. knowledgeable) employee base that understands change, how it can be managed, and why it is necessary. This is a critical step and one that will tremendously benefit entrepreneurial business owners. Entrepreneurial business owners have more autonomy to make unilateral decisions; however, this can backfire if employee buy-in is not there when the decision to change something is made. Educating employees on change and how to manage change is critical to a company being able to successfully adapt to its environment.
Each of these trends can be considered new information that can be used to transform businesses. That is the ultimate goal. These trends should begin generating new ideas and initiating changes in businesses. Entrepreneurial business owners should be assessing their current strategies and processes and how these trends in change management can be used to help their business become or remain competitive.


text:
Open Access & Institutional Repository
Open Access & Institutional Repository: Plan S
Routes to Open Access
Do I have to pay for Open Access?
Policies Toggle Dropdown
Policies and Information for Depositors/Authors
Discovery and Visibility
Plan S Symposium & Panel Event
Plan S is an initiative to make publicly funded research open access immediately upon publication.
The Plan will have an effect on the journals we edit and publish in. The University of Southampton hosted an event in the Nuffield Theatre on 25th April 2019, aimed primarily at Academic Editors but also accessible to other interested parties which informed and stimulated debate about the plans supported by UKRI, Wellcome, NIHR and other international funding bodies.
The speakers kindly allowed their presentations to be recorded and made available to University of Southampton staff and students.
Please note that the symposium took place before the release of the revisions to the Plan S principles and implementation guidance. To confirm, Plan S will take effect from 2021, not 2020 as was originally proposed.
cOAlition S released a work plan of Priority Actions for Plan S in June 2019. We will keep you informed of key developments relating to Plan S and the UKRI Open Access review as they arise but as always if you have any questions, please contact your Research Engagement Librarian.
Description of the Symposium
The event aimed to inform interested parties, especially editors, about key insights into Open Access publishing. We had representatives from Wiley and the Royal Society of Chemistry to present on their experiences as well as Prof Calder from the Faculty of Medicine. A light lunch and tea/coffee were provided.
Dr Steven Vidovic – Open Research Development Manager. Library, University of Southampton. Twenty minute introduction to the Symposium and Plan S overview.
Kathryn Sharples – Director of Publishing Development. Wiley. Talking to Open Access and publishing business models.
Prof. Philip Calder – Professor of Nutritional Immunology and Head of Human Development and Health. Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton. Talking to developments in academic journals publishing and journal metrics.
Dr May Copsey, Executive Editor Chemical Science & Dr Andrew Shore, Executive Editor RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry. Talking to the RSC's position on Plan S and managing open access journals through change. Managing change in an Open Access world: an Editors perspective.
Panel Question Time
The Panel Event was chaired by Steven Vidovic. The Panel comprised: May Copsey and Andrew Shore, RSC (Physical Sciences); Philip Calder, Medicine, Southampton (Medicine); Kathryn Sharples, Wiley (Publishing); Wendy White, Library & Arts, University of Southampton (representing Social Sciences and Humanities).
Who was this event for?
Anyone that:
is an academic editor;
writes and publishes articles;
is a member of a learned society which publishes;
receives funding from a funding body or charity under UKRI and COAF.
What is Plan S
On 4th September 2018, 11 European funding councils (now 14 + charitable foundations) announced that they had formed cOAlition S and released Plan S. The plan, which can be found here is a set of principles and an overarching statement that, in essence, says all publicly funded research will be immediately open access (OA) by January 2021. Additionally, the principles say:
self-archive (i.e. green open access) with no embargo when publishing in a subscription journal;
publishers should cap OA article processing charges (APCs), with transparent valuations;
the hybrid model is not an acceptable model to engage with because it charges for both OA and subscriptions;
Authors retain their own copyright.
Further information about Plan S
cOAlition S received around 600 responses to their initial consultation on Plan S when it was launched in November 2018. There has been much debate and discussion, both from individuals and groups who approve of Plan S and those who have concerns about its viability. These links provide views from both sides and different stakeholders. Some relate to the original iteration of Plan S and may not be as relevant now that new implementation guidance has been released.
SPARC Europe analysis of the revised Plan S
SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Europe is a non-profit, organisation. The SPARC analysis of the revised Plan S implementation guidelines examines the key changes.
Learned Societies, the key to realising an open access future?
A June 2019 update from the Society Publishers Accelerating Open access and Plan S (SPA-OPS) project that has been tasked with assessing the options available for learned societies to make the transition to open access.
How should scholarly societies transition to open access?: Webinar key takeaways and answers to attendee questions
Links to the recording of the OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association) webinar July 2019 'How should scholarly societies transition to open access?' with a summary and answers from the webinar panel to questions.
Planning for Plan S: Answers to the top journal publisher FAQs
This post from Scholastica (a journal management system) aimed at publishers is also an interesting read for researchers.
Reaction of Researchers to Plan S; Too far, too risky?
An Open Letter in response to Plan S, signed by >600 researchers (mostly Chemistry). Please note this letter pre-dates the updates to Plan S and many of the concerns may have been addressed in the updated guidance.
Fair Open Access Alliance (FOAA) response to Plan S: Too far, too risky
Also, in November 2018, the Fair Open Access Alliance countered many of the statements raised in the Plan S: Too far, too risky open letter.
Guidance Paper on 'Plan S and the History Journal Landscape'
The RHS report, released 23rd October 2019, explains what cOAlition S and Plan S are, and why they matter to Humanities and Social Science researchers, journal editors and learned societies—among other stakeholders.
Recordings of the presentations
These recordings are available to University of Southampton staff and students.
Talk from Kathryn Sharples, Wiley
Flipping journals from subscription to open access
Talk from Professor Philip Calder, University of Southampton
Scholarly communications in the digital era
Talk from Dr May Copsey & Dr Andrew Shore, RSC
Managing change in an Open Access world: an Editors perspective
Questions and Answers raised at the Symposium
The Panel Q&A session was not recorded. The following questions were raised during the Symposium and by researchers at other times. If you have further questions, please contact your Research Engagement Librarian or email eprints@soton.ac.uk
What is a hybrid journal?
Hybrid journals are subscription journals that also contain some open access content. Authors typically have the option of paying a fee (an Article Processing Charge, APC) to make their article openly available to everyone. Subscription content remains behind a paywall and is only available to subscribers. The publisher receives income both from subscribers and from some authors, referred to as double-dipping where there is no financial offsetting arrangement. Plan S will only allow publishing in hybrid journals that have transformative agreements to become fully open access during a 3-year transition period.
What is an APC?
An Article Processing Charge (APC) is a fee charged by publishers to make individual articles open access. Some publishers charge extra for a CC BY licence, required by many funders. The average APC reported by UKRI for 2016/2017 was £1,988 with hybrid journals (£2,101) charging more than fully open access journals (£1,654), wile the Wellcome Trust reported an average APC of £2,424 for 2017/2018 . The most expensive APC we can find in July 2019 is Cell (a hybrid journal published by Elsevier) at $5,900. Some publishers also charge additional page charges, colour charges and other publication fees.
For fully OA journals, the APC covers the cost of producing the article, funding peer-review management, editorial development, type setting, copy editing and hosting costs. For hybrid journals, the APC is a premium option and recovers some of the lost potential income from licencing and access fees.
Are researchers rewarded for peer-review?
Peer-review, the process of experts in the field assessing the quality of an article to indicate to an Editor if it should be accepted for publication, is a voluntary activity. Actively reviewing for journals can help you to see cutting edge research before it's published and helps with career development. There are several criteria set out in the Vitae Researcher Development Framework that can be improved by engagement with peer-review. Researchers can receive recognition for peer-review and generate verified records of reviewing activity for their CVs by creating a Publons profile; this also allows Editors to identify you as an expert in a specific field. Some publishers, including MDPI and JMIR, offer discounted APCs as a thank you for peer reviewing.
Is 'green' open access less impactful or discoverable?
'Green' open access relates to the self-archiving by the authors of their article in a subject or institutional repository for content otherwise only available through subscription. Publishers impose a restriction on the version of the article that can be used and often require an embargo of 6-24 months after publication before the self-archived copy can be made open access. Plan S requires publishers to amend their embargo periods to allow the record to be made fully open immediately upon publication by January 2021 i.e. all hybrid journals without a transformative agreement will need a 0-month embargo to be compliant with Plan S funder policies. There are great tools available to find legal green open access content (including Unpaywall, OA Button, Core Discovery and Kopernio) and these are being embedded in library search tools and databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. A report from the OECD found that open access, including self-archiving, increased citation impact potential. This finding is echoed in peer-reviewed literature, including articles by Tennant et al (2016) and Zhang and Watson (2017).
What is the impact of open access on long term curation and access?
Publishers of both subscription and open access journals sign up to preservation services to ensure the long-term availability of online journal content including CLOCKSS (Controlled 'Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe') or Portico. The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) includes the long term preservation of open access journals as one of 7 required criteria for journals to acquire the DOAJ Seal.
Do I need to publish my article in a high Impact factor journal to ensure it is graded as a 3* or 4* in REF2021?
No. The REF2021 guidance clearly states "No sub-panel will use journal impact factors or any hierarchy of journals in their assessment of outputs. No output will be privileged or disadvantaged on the basis of the publisher, where it is published or the medium of its publication." ( https://www.ref.ac.uk/publications/panel-criteria-and-working-methods-201902/ no 207. P49). The University has published its code of practice for the REF2021. For more information on responsible research metrics see DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment) and the Leiden manifesto.
How does Plan S affect me if I am funded by UKRI?
UKRI is a member of cOAlition S, the consortium formed to deliver the principles of Plan S. They are currently reviewing their Open Access Policy in light of revised guidance (31/5/2019) and the new policy will be launched in March 2020. Please contact your research engagement librarian for more information.
Am I disadvantaged as an ECR because I don't have funds for OA?
Plan S takes ECRs into account and principles such as responsible research metrics are put in place so that they can publish in appropriate journals for their content and career stage without prejudice.
If you are not funded by a cOAlition S signatory you are not bound to publish in a compliant journal, although it is best practice to do so if possible.
You can self-archive in appropriate repositories where embargoes will be applied - if appropriate - as well as using pre-print servers to promote early drafts of your work. Read here for overview on the background and the advantages this can bring to academics,
The Transpose database seeks to highlight journal policies on peer-review, co-reviewing and pre-print policies to help you investigate further.
What will happen to the Learned Society journal that I publish in? It is hybrid and uses the profits from publishing articles to fund ECRs attending conferences.
There is a coalition of industry bodies collaborating to look at ways that learned societies can adapt and change. Please see discussion document. A final report will be published in July 2019.
Surely publishers will just increase acceptance rates to make more money?
There is research that demonstrates greater acceptance rates in open access journals, but this may be due to "Mega-journals" accepting all sound science with limited rejections due to scope. Plan S recognises that journals could generate increased revenue through increasing the APC or increasing the acceptance rates. With regard to the APC, the latest guidance has asked for transparent documentation of costs related to publishing and notes that a price cap may be introduced at a later stage. The Plan S guidance also calls for DOAJ to index Plan S compliant journals and DOAJ collect data on acceptance rates.
<< Previous: Discovery and Visibility
URL: https://library.soton.ac.uk/openaccess


text:
'''
    This program analyzes log files generated by other Python programs by
    searching for key phrases that indicate success or failure.

    Name:       Log Analyzer
    Creator:    Matt Gagnon <mattjgagnon@gmail.com>
    Created:    2012-08-15
    Revised:
    Version:    1.0 (initial release)
    Python:     2.6
    Dependency: None
    To Do:      Abstract a config file per Python program log
                Access actual server for real time log file data
                Better reporting, maybe a csv file updated daily
'''

# =============
# CONFIGURATION
# =============
## XO
##phrase_list = [
##    'INFO - --->data submitted',
##    'INFO - the form submitted successfully',
##    'ERROR - There was an error on the server'
##    ]
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\xo-leadmaster-transfer\\logs\\2012-05-xo-leadmaster-transfer.log'
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\xo-leadmaster-transfer\\logs\\2012-06-xo-leadmaster-transfer.log'
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\xo-leadmaster-transfer\\logs\\2012-07-xo-leadmaster-transfer.log'
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\xo-leadmaster-transfer\\logs\\2012-08-xo-leadmaster-transfer.log'
## HP
##phrase_list = [
##    'INFO - database sql',
##    'INFO - insert record status: success',
##    'ERROR - insert record status: failure'
##    ]
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\hp-email-importer\\logs\\2012-06-hp-email-importer.log'
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\hp-email-importer\\logs\\2012-07-hp-email-importer.log'
##filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\hp-email-importer\\logs\\2012-08-hp-email-importer.log'
## WMS
phrase_list = [
    # older version
    'WMS email successfully handled',
    'Attempting to process the following email',
    # newer version
    'Database error',
    'insertCompany',
    'InsertCompany success',
    'InsertCompany failure',
    'InsertContact',
    'InsertContact success',
    'InsertContact failure',
    'UpdateContact',
    'UpdateContact success',
    'UpdateContact failure',
    'InsertSOWRecord',
    'InsertSOWRecord success',
    'InsertSOWRecord failure'
    ]
filename = '\\\\vindicate2\\files\\mgagnon\\wmsemailprocessor\\wmslogs\\wmslog_2012-01-07.txt'

# =========
# FUNCTIONS
# =========
def filefind(word, filename):
    import sys

    # initialize count
    linecount = 0
    wordcount = 0

    # can we open file? if so, return file handle
    try:
        fh = open(filename, 'r')
    # if not, exit
    except:
        print filename, ":", sys.exc_value[1]
        sys.exit(1)

    # Open file, read and process each line, close file
    fh = open(filename, 'r')

    for eachLine in fh:
        # count number of occurrences of word in line
        hits = eachLine.count(word)

        if hits > 0:
            linecount = linecount + 1
            wordcount = wordcount + hits
##            print eachLine,    # development

    fh.close()

    # return the word count
    return wordcount

# =========
# MAIN CODE
# =========
results = {}

for phrase in phrase_list:
    results[phrase] = filefind(phrase, filename)

print results


text:
The Hubble Space Telescope Gave Us the First Look at Black Holes
By Bonnie North & Jean Creighton • Apr 26, 2018
trahko / Fotolia
Black holes have a bad reputation. The line is that they're so dense, not even light can escape, and many of us imagine being pulled inexorably toward an enormous vacuum cleaner or a drain with no hope of escape.
The truth is a little more nuanced than that. And we know much more about them today because of the Hubble Space Telescope.
"The Hubble Space Telescope gave us the first concrete evidence of the existence of a super massive black hole in another galaxy," notes astronomy contributor and director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at UW-Milwaukee, Jean Creighton.
This is the third month that Creighton has joined us to talk about the Hubble's contribution to our understanding of the universe, and she tells us today why it's so important for this particular topic:
Changes at Yerkes Observatory, An Artifact of Wisconsin's Astronomical Glory Days
By Maayan Silver • Mar 12, 2018
Dawn Erb / UWM Dept of Astronomy, Gravitation & Cosmology
Stargazers can take note. Soon, you may not be able to use the historic Yerkes Observatory on Geneva Lake in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.
The observatory, built in the 1890s, has in recent decades been used primarily for education and outreach. The University of Chicago, which runs the observatory, announced that it will be ceasing its operations at the facility on October 1, 2018.
The Hubble Space Telescope: 28 Years of Scientific Contributions
By Bonnie North & Jean Creighton • Feb 22, 2018
One of the key pieces of technology that has enabled space exploration is the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomy contributor Jean Creighton, who also leads UW-Milwaukee's Manfred Olson Planetarium, celebrates the telescope's four most important contributions in her current program: Hubble's Cosmic Quest.


text:
Jada Pinkett Smith to executive produce docuseries on historic African queens
Netflix has ordered two seasons of the untitled show.
Jada Pinkett Smith is set to executive produce a Netflix docuseries about historic African queens. According to Deadline, Netflix has ordered two seasons of the show, which will be written by Peres Owino and NneNne Iwuji. The untitled series will focus on a different queen each season — starting with Cleopatra in season one and Njinga in season two.
"As the mother of a young Black woman, it is immensely important to me that she learns the lessons of the African Queens who paved the way for our success and the success of generations of Black women," Pinkett Smith told the outlet.
"I am very passionate and excited about bringing the stories and lessons of these powerful women to light in order to showcase their strength, leadership, and undeniable influence on history."
The first season will cover Cleopatra's life and re-assess the story of her heritage. She is reportedly believed to have Greek and Persian ancestry, but many believe she may have been North African. Previously, white actresses such as Elizabeth Taylor have portrayed Cleopatra on screen.
Season two will focus on Njinga, a 17th-century warrior queen of Matamba and Ndongo who became the nation's first female ruler.
The docuseries, which does not yet have a release date, will be co-produced by Westbrook Studios and Nutopia. Pinkett Smith, David Boorstein, Miguel Melendez, Sahara Bushue and Terence Carter will executive produce for Westbrook Studios, alongside Ben Goold and Jane Root for Nutopia.
Pinkett Smith recently wrapped up production for The Matrix 4. She will also reprise her role of Niobe in the film, which will be released worldwide on Dec. 22. The movie's trailer was revealed earlier this week at CinemaCon. Pinkett Smith is also the host and executive producer of "Red Table Talk," which has become Facebook's number one show.
Check out Netflix's tweet about Pinkett Smith's new series below.
Jada Pinkett Smith will executive produce a doc series about history's most iconic African queens.
Season 1 will cover Cleopatra — one of history's most powerful yet misunderstood women. Season 2 will cover Njinga, the fearless 17th century warrior queen of Matamba and Ndongo. pic.twitter.com/TYVId5hfAA
— Netflix (@netflix) August 26, 2021
REVOLT announces second season of "What's Good Africa" show
By Eden Moore
Carmelo Anthony agrees to one-year deal with Los Angeles Lakers
By Peter A. Berry


Celebrating the tradition of April Fool's jokes, here's our round-up for this year – from cars to comics.
03/04/2017 in Advertising, Retail Radar.
CES 17, Vegas' annual tech show, ramped driverless cars up a gear with breakout brands and some seriously cool concepts. Read on for our highlights.
25/01/2017 in Auto, Cars, CES, Retail Radar, Technology.


We are delighted that you are considering to choose engineering/management as career at Sushila Devi Bansal College of Technology, Indore to realize your dreams and ambitions. We are certain that as you find more about us, you will appreciate just how much we have to offer you. The college is situated at Umaria, between Rau and Mhow on National Highway No. 3, Agra-Bombay Road, about 15 Km from Indore railway station. Developed into a self sufficient campus it is an oasis of peace and tranquility, away from noise and pollution of the city. The college provides 24 Hours 2 MBPS Internet facilities and Wi - Fi connectivity with large number of Lap-top and Desk top computers. All laboratories are well equipped to relate theoretical knowledge with practical. The library is the knowledge storehouse with large number of books, journals and periodicals. This year SDBCT has been chosen as a center for RGTU-ISRO satellite based learning system. Selected online interactive lectures will be available from RGPV Bhopal EDUSAT studio.
The joy of association and achievements, company of likeminded, committed students and range of activities outside the classrooms, all contribute to a happy and lively environment. On the other hand, consistent hard work, regularity, punctuality and sincerity of purpose are pillars to build your future. Talking to our present students, faculty and staff is a good way of finding out life at SDBCT and will explain why we are acknowledged to be one of the outstanding educational institutes in Central India.


Quicken is one of the top finance management tools and is also known for its compatibility with every operating system such as Windows and Mac. Different versions are available for Quicken and Mac. If you want to switch from Quicken for Windows to Quicken for Mac then you can convert from Quicken Windows to Quicken Mac. To do the switch between devices, it is important to have knowledge of the conversion process. Quicken Support for Mac is also available to provide the required support for the conversion process.
Open the Quicken software on your device and click on 'Tools' and then 'Account List'.
Click 'Options' and then select 'View hidden accounts'.
Select the manage account option and then select 'Hide in Quicken'.
If there is an entry with the name more than 15 characters click on 'Edit' and rename the file with less number of characters.
Now, select all the files with financial data, personal cash flow, and business, and choose 'Accept all'.
Click on 'File' menu and then 'Export' and then select 'QIF' as the format of files.
Now go to the location where you have saved the file.
Save the file name as 'Account.qif' and save it.
Now, go to the 'Quicken Account to Export from' and select the drop-down menu.
Select the account you want to transfer from PC to Mac and select the date range on which you want to export the data.
To export the Accounts file, click on 'Accounts' and similarly for Securities, categories, and 'Transactions' and click OK.
Open the formatted CD drive which is formatted into a FAT file format which is accessible to both Mac and Windows computer to access a file on both devices.
Find and open the Files and burn them to a CD. Quicken Windows Support is also available if you are facing any issues.
Open Quicken and select 'File' and then 'New' and 'File'.
Next, select 'New Quicken File' and click 'Ok'.
Now, provide the right information to the Create Data File dialog box.
Click on 'Create' and if you see the 'New Assistant' window click 'Cancel'.
Insert the CD to the disk drive and move Quicken files to it.
Now under the File menu, select Import and then select 'From QIF'.
Now, go to the 'Accounts' file on your CD and select Open and similarly for all Securities, categories and Transactions files.
If you are still facing any issues while converting from Quicken Windows to Quicken MAC then you can call at the Quicken Support Phone Number. Here the technicians will help you get through the procedure with the help of their expertise.


In a previous article on Beginning as a Writer we talked in brief about how can one write in such a way that their work connect with the readers or listeners emotions, or what one needs in order to grow or be relevant as a writer/poet in the society. in another article we talked about going deeper into the mysteries which we hope did not make it sound so complex. if it did then this article will simplify things even more so you know the fun side of life in poetry.
Poetry is any kind of verbal or written language structured rhythmically and is meant to tell a story, or express any kind of emotions, idea or state of being. Poetry is meant to carry hearts, leave one's face aglow and mostly, give lives a required hope.
Poetry is central to our culture, and is one of the most powerful and transformative of the arts. According to researches and words stated by a poet and former winner of the TS Elliot awards, John Burnside, "poetry can literally change the way one listens to the world; we have poems that, on repeated reading, have gradually made people find the sight they had lost.".
Most people hate poetry because of the spreading perception that it is one thing extremely hard to write, understand and has way to complex patterns and forms to follow in the composition process of its work. To all who cling to that wrong perception, worry no more cause after this you will be one of the best verbal and writer at poetry so get ready to write a good poem.
Before you start writing a poem, you have to know the type of poem you're writing; so to deal with that problem here is a list of a few types of poems with definitions.
ABC > A poem that has five lines that create a mood, picture or feeling .Line one through four is made up of words, phrases or clauses while the first word of each line is in ABC order. Line five is one sentence long and begins with any letter.
Lyric > A poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings of a poet.
Ode > A lengthy lyric poem typically of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanza structure.
Narrative > A poem that tells a story.
Ballade > Poetry which has three stanzas of, seven eight, or ten lines and shorter final stanzas of four or five. All stanzas end with the same one line refrain.
Ballad > A poem that tells a story similar to a folktale or legend, which often has a repeated refrain.
Epithalamium> A poem written in honor of the bride and groom.
Dramatic > this is where the speaker is someone else rather than a poet .It is mostly a dialogue, were more than one character speaks. Often, this kind of poetry has a plot and setting. They are a lot of poetry types but as a starter, these will be of help.
Poetry is not all about getting a pen and writing something on the paper .It's about bringing words to life by writing your state of being or emotions.
Poetry plays with language and often slams words together in surprising ways .These words are called, 'ELEMENTS OF POETRY.' Here is a list of them.
Alliteration > two or more words in the line of poetry that begin with the same initial sound. E.g. Lillie looks light like the white skies.
Assonance > Repeating vowel sounds without repeating consonants. In poetry it is often used as an alternative to rhyme E.g. Stony ,stormy.
Consonance > Repeating consonance without repeating vowels .They give melody to verse.
Descriptive imaginary > vivid description which convey strong images. E.g. she was so angry like a heavy winter.
Metaphor > the transfer of identity from an object that a word usually describes to another object it describes by comparison.
Onomatopoeia > A word that imitates the sound made by the thing being described. E.g. boom, crush, cuckoo.
Simile > A figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared or contrasted using the words like or as.
Rhythm > A mattered flow of syllables, consonants, breathing, or pauses.
Rhyme > When words, particularly the endings, sound alike. E.g. Fine and mine.
A perfect painted poem should have those elements. As a poet, your poem should come from your heart because it is only when you utterly understand what your heart beats for then, it will be one poem no one will want to Stop reading. Writing poetry has a procedure just like writing a letter has.
choose a poem format from the forms (types) of poetry.
Decide on a vocabulary word, object, or concept for your poems.
List any emotions or words that you associate with the topic.
List any any personal experience you have had with the topic.
List objects similar to the one you have chosen.
Cross out words; replace with words and phrases that are more vivid.
Circle the ideas you want to express in your poem.
Write your poem in the chosen format.
most important of all, revise and edit as necessary.
Now get a pen, paper and let your heart bleed every word you've been holding inside. let your ink be loud.


text:
Q: MongoDB - What's the best way to go about querying this data without using full-text I currently receive a data feed from a company nightly with ~5 million vehicle records. I recently had to move my MongoDB off one host to another. The only downside is, the new host does not allow full-text searching yet.
The data I receive looks similar to this...
{
    Year: 2004,
    Make: 'Chevrolet',
    Model: 'Impala',
    Trim: 'LS',
    ...
}

Previously, a user would type in a text box what they're looking for... for example: '2004 Chevrolet Imapala' and I would parse out the date and then run a full-text search using the remainder of the string.
However, now - I seem to be stuck with ideas as to how I can accurately return results to a user without having full-text search available.
Would there possibly be a way to auto-create a "tags" field in MongoDB?
For example...
{
    Year: 2004,
    Make: 'Chevrolet',
    Model: 'Impala',
    Trim: 'LS',
    tags: {
        'Chevrolet','Impala','LS'
    }
    ...
}

And then based on what they type, return the most relevant results?
Thank you for any help and/or suggestions you may have.

A: What do you mean by full-text search ? are you using lucene or Solr ?
since mongo 2.2 I think there's the aggregate framework , here's the official documentation
http://docs.mongodb.org/v2.2/tutorial/aggregation-examples/

hope it'll help you !


Doors can tell a story about a property all on their own, and when you choose bespoke instead of off-the-shelf, you instantly add character.
With impressive doors dividing your rooms, it's easy to achieve a premium look, and we have a truly inspirational selection to help you do just that.
Whether contemporary or traditional, flat or panelled, solid wood or with glazed sections, your perfect door can be designed and colour-matched to suit your décor and furniture.
We can create matching frames into which your door can sit completely flush, and even entire wall panels in the same material as your doors door, for a thoroughly modern appearance, completely gap-free.
Customise your door with a range of finishes, from natural timber veneer, hard-wearing lacquer, and a choice of gloss, mirror, satin, leather or even decorative wallpaper as the outer texture.
Use a traditional moulded beading to create raised features, or choose flat beading to achieve a classic-contemporary blend. You can also add metal inlays for a delicate touch of class.
They may be taken for granted but premium quality hinges can make a remarkable difference to the overall appearance of your doors. We offer the finest concealed Simonswerk Tectus hinges which fit flush in your door for a beautiful seamless fit.
The right handles are crucial too. Complete your door with a choice from the vast range of contemporary and traditional designer handle choices from some our trusted partners such as Karcher Design who specialise in contemporary dual finish levers and Samuel Heath who offer more classic and timeless designs to the grandeur of finishes.
We have hundreds of options for ironmongery, door handles etc. Karcher Design and Samuel Heath are just some of our carefully selected partners. Click or tap their logo below to see the vast ranges that are available.


text:
Laura McNulty, MPH, MSW
Practitioner | Researcher | Advocate for Health Equity
Values & Approach
On visualizing disparities
A few weeks ago, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health began releasing municipal and zip code-level data on COVID vaccination, including variables for age group, race/ethnicity, and sex. As we work to promote equitable access to the vaccine, these data are so important to help us identify disparities, figure out what might be causing them, and take action to address those that are rooted in equity concerns. I wrote in my last reflection about needing better visibility into temporal and community-level trends, so I was eager to take a look – and in the process, to try using Tableau to create a visualization that would be helpful to community members, partners, and my colleagues.
The visualization currently lives here, and includes three weeks of data for the eight communities where my work is focused. There are two key measures shown throughout the dashboard:
Category-specific percentage of fully vaccinated individuals: This measure tells us the percentage of people of a given racial/ethnic group, age group, or sex who are fully vaccinated. This can be a useful indicator of inequities in vaccination, as it accounts for differences in the number of individuals in each group, by town, showing which groups are being vaccinated at higher or lower rates compared to other groups.
Ratio of group's share of fully vaccinated individuals to share of population: This measure takes the proportion of vaccinated people who are members of a given racial/ethnic group, age group, or sex – and divides it by the proportion of the total population that same group accounts for. This can be another indicator of inequity, as it compares the proportion we might expect, if everyone had the same likelihood of being vaccinated, to the proportion we actually see. A ratio of 1.0 means that a group's share of the vaccinated population is exactly equal to that group's share of the total population; a ratio greater than 1.0 means that group is over-represented among vaccinated individuals; and a ratio less than 1.0 means that group is under-represented.
It has been so helpful to get feedback from a variety of people on this visualization, so I imagine it will evolve over time. Here are a few reflections on what it tells us so far, and what questions it raises.
Across towns, Hispanic individuals are less likely than people of other racial or ethnic groups to be fully vaccinated, and are under-represented among vaccinated individuals to a greater degree than any other racial or ethnic group. Black and Asian individuals are under-represented among vaccinated individuals more often than not, though not as starkly as Hispanic individuals. On the other hand, White and multi-racial individuals tend to be over-represented, though there is some town-by-town variation in magnitude.
Why might this be? Vaccine eligibility has been largely predicated on age, and we know that the median age of the White population in Massachusetts is older than other racial and ethnic groups. It could be the case that fewer Hispanic people are eligible for the vaccine, and these percentages will shift dramatically in the weeks ahead. Perhaps this is the case for Black and Asian communities as well.
However, if this were the full explanation, I might expect to see ratios farther below 1.0 among people in younger age groups, and a more consistent pattern across racial and ethnic groups based on population age structures. It really stands out that Hispanic individuals are so much less likely to be fully vaccinated. Furthermore, eligibility has encompassed factors other than age, too – health care workers, first responders, people with certain medical conditions, childcare workers and teachers, long-term care and congregate care residents and staff – groups in which Hispanic people (as well as Black and Asian) are certainly well represented.
The disparities seem to point more to true inequities in access – to lack of transportation to vaccination locations, to limited translation and interpretation services on appointment websites and phone lines, to occupational barriers like lack of paid leave or unpredictable schedules, to the climate of fear created by immigration policy that clouds interaction with government or institutional authorities, and to limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care in general. Coalitions like Vaccine Equity Now! in Massachusetts have called attention to these barriers, and their roots in structural racism and other forms of oppression. Hesitancy and misinformation may play a role as well, and it is always essential to ensure people have answers to their questions, delivered by trustworthy sources. But, it's equally important to understand what exactly people are "hesitant" about. One recent survey suggests that Black and Hispanic people often have very reasonable concerns about side effects, costs, safety, and effectiveness which, once clarified, increase their likelihood of vaccine acceptance – rather than the source of hesitancy being ideological opposition. As others have written, there is a risk in over-emphasizing individual hesitancy or over-simplifying mistrust, distracting from the current structural and systemic barriers that we need to dismantle.
How will we know if efforts to equitably expand access to vaccination are successful? One way may be to track how the ratios change over time – the last tab in the visualization. Town by town, and as eligibility criteria expand to all adults, we would hope to see the category-specific ratios trend toward 1.0 – in other words, any given group's share of fully vaccinated people should end up being equal to that group's share of the population. Given the disproportionate impact of COVID in communities of color, equity would mean aiming for an over-representation of BIPOC individuals among the vaccinated population, especially in the near term.
These are not perfect measures. Racial and ethnic categories are overly broad, and obscure meaningful within-group differences. Children are not yet eligible for vaccination, but they are included in the population denominators. These percentages are not age-adjusted, so we have to understand how age-graded eligibility criteria may explain certain disparities based on population age structure – some degree of disparity may be expected, like if there is a long-term care facility in a certain community, and the residents of that facility are predominantly White. That said, this raises an important conversation about the ethics of predicating eligibility on age, when structural racism and other drivers of inequities in COVID infection and mortality are the same drivers that lead to premature mortality and lower life expectancies in certain BIPOC communities. Asian, Black, and Hispanic populations all skew younger, overall, compared to White populations in Massachusetts. A seemingly race-neutral policy can still have racially disparate impacts.
My hope is that this visualization can be a starting point for conversation, for people in our communities to ask questions about why patterns might be occurring as observed, and for engaging in sense-making and problem-solving together. I am learning in real time here, and greatly appreciate feedback, comments, and questions.
Published March 28, 2021 By Laura McNulty
On disproportionate impact


Uncover the stories and the passion that go into Tasmanian beer.
Showcasing Tasmanian Microbrewers, organised by TasTAFE students.
If you want to know more about the 2017 hop harvest, have a look at this video! You might even spot some of your favourite brewers.
With creative ex-convicts, brewing bans and north-south rivalries, Tasmania's history of beer-making is as rich in character as a pint of the state's finest.
It's the people that make Tasmanian beer special.
crafting every bottle of Tasmanian beer.
Explore Tasmania's beers and meet the passionate people behind them.
Here's what's brewing on the Tasmanian beer scene.
"We're recreating and paying homage to the original Tasmanian brewers – real brewers making real beer."
Get the scoop on why Tasmania's the ultimate place for beer-making.
"I'm always on the lookout for interesting ingredients that could help create wild, unusual and original beers"
Learn how Tasmania's brewers make a world-class brew.
For thousands of years, beer was made without hops. Their first recorded use in brewing wasn't until 822AD.
The difference between lagers and ales is in how they ferment. Lager is brewed at cool temperatures using bottom-fermenting yeast, ale is brewed at warmer temperatures using top-fermenting yeast.
A beer gets its bitter flavours and floral aromas from hops, which are a type of flower.
Over 60% of Australia's hops come from the Derwent Valley in Tasmania's south.
For early colonists, ale and beer were different drinks: ale was light and made with sugar, malt and hops, beer was stronger, made with only malt and hops.
Beer is made up of over 90% water.
Barley isn't the only grain that can be made into beer. Other options include wheat, rye and rice.
Before Cascade brewery was built in 1832, the estate was home to a sawmilling operation.
Tasmania's first hops were planted in 1804 on a penal settlement near the mouth of the Tamar River.
Sugar was a popular ingredient in early colonial beers – at least until its use was outlawed in January 1844.


Drew loves pets and is very responsible. We feel very confident every time we leave Benji in his care. When we come home, Benji is content and happy. Benji is an overly excited, 70 pound Goldendoodle. Drew has no trouble handling him! Drew is a very fit athlete and would happily run your dog so that they get the right amount of exercise.
My pup is a well trained golden doodle that loves interacting with other pups. If your dog works well with others I'm more than happy to bring mine along for the walk. I will always be on time, prepared and ready to walk your dogs to perfection. Willing to give extensive feedback from every walk, including amount of times the dog went potty, and how he was acting throughout the walk. I also live in a lake, giving your dog the perfect opportunity to go for a swim and get some excellent exercise if you the owner permit me to do so. I have a house filled with dog toys and balls your dog is bound to enjoy. Hire me as a dog walker and I will not disappoint!
I have no breed preferences, just would like to know the dogs tendencies and temperament before walking.
Will take dogs for a walk on the beach if requested, also will play fetch and run with your dog!


Can foundation training in three-week-old Thoroughbred foals make a difference to their welfare and performance as a racehorse?
Thoroughbred racehorses have something of a reputation. The perception is that they are generally trained for one job – to run fast. The expectations for other desired behaviours, e.g., to lead correctly, stop lightly, accept hoof handling, and other maintenance procedures and to keep their heads in stressful situations might fall by the wayside, as long as they can run! While this may be a slightly unfair assessment, Thoroughbred racehorses have high expectations put upon them at a very early age and it is clear that while some adapt easily, others struggle, and may become labelled as difficult, naughty, willful, or even dangerous.
The question asked by Equus Education (NZ) Ltd., a small team of dedicated ladies in New Zealand, is what foundation training at an early age can do to help these horses adapt to the challenges thrust upon them, and to make the job of handling and training them as they start their careers safer and easier for both the horses and their handlers.
Leigh Wills, Sally King, and their team wanted to break with the tradition of bringing in foals for their first handling sessions at four to six months of age, and take a new approach, working with much younger foals to make the transition easier. Mentored by Dr Andrew McLean, they devised a program of early intervention that might best suit the thoroughbred breeding industry situation.
Starting no earlier than three weeks of age to avoid interfering with the mare-foal bond and to ensure the foals are both physically and mentally capable, the team works with the mare and foal to establish basic behaviours related to haltering, acceptance of touch all over, leading (including go, stop, and turn), and feet handling. Foals are trained over six to nine sessions of around 10 – 30 minutes each, and over no more than three consecutive days. Using the 10 principles of equitation science and learning theory, the foals learn simple cues and to perform basic handling and management related the behaviours consistently and reliably.
The team has been working over the last decade with impressive results. Having worked with over 2,300 foals in over 18,000 training sessions they have had no injuries to mares or foals. They have successfully formed working relationships with well-known and respected New Zealand breeders who describe their work as invaluable.
At the ISES 2017 Down Under Conference at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga NSW, Leigh and Sally gave demonstrations of their work with the Charles Sturt University mares and foals. Working in a very challenging environment in front of a large audience, the ladies remained calm and focused on gently working with the mare and foal to achieve some very promising basic attempts at all of the above-mentioned behaviours, all while being mindful of the levels of arousal of the mare and foal, their ability to learn, and keeping all parties safe and as calm as possible.
The work undertaken was the subject of much conversation and admiration amongst delegates of the conference and gave a glimpse of how all the work completed in equitation science to date can be applied at the grassroots level to make real and lasting improvements to the lives and careers of a large number of horses.
To learn more about equitation science and the research going on right now, visit the ISES website or the Facebook page and join us at the next ISES conference this September 2018 in Rome (see website for details).
The International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to facilitate research into the training of horses to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse-rider relationship.


text:
Travis Scott Says He Will Cover Funeral Costs for Astroworld Victims
Rapper Travis Scott said Monday that he will cover the funeral costs of eight people killed in a crowd on Friday night during his performance at the Astroworld festival in Houston.
Eight victims, aged between 14 and 27 years old, were in a densely packed crowd of 50,000 people that gushed heavily. Another 25 people were hospitalized, including a 10-year-old child who is reportedly in critical condition.
Scott, who previously said that he "shocked"Through what happened at the festival he planned, he also partnered with BetterHelp's therapy platform to offer a month of free therapy to Astroworld attendees.
Those gathered in the crowd described a very traumatic event when people were so tightly packed that they could not breathe and pleas for help were ignored.
"It was not a concert, it was a struggle to survive," accompanist Jeffrey Schmidt told CNN.
"I witnessed how several people lost consciousness and could not breathe, as people below me cried out for my help. But I couldn't help physically. What traumatized me the most was that I could not help others, "he said.
Attendees have already started filing lawsuits against Scott and the event organizer, Live Nation, for failing to provide adequate security.
The show was not stopped until at least 30 minutes after emergency services announced the incident of "mass casualties." Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said some of the blame undoubtedly fell on Scott for not responding.
"The only person who can really call and get a tactical break when something goes wrong is this performer," Peña told The New York Times. "They have this hooligan pulpit and they are responsible."
Russell Crowe explores Gladiator 2 story and reveals if he returns as Maximo
Keanu Reeves reacts to Constantine 2
Eiza Gonzalez 33: 5 changing photos that confirm her as the most beautiful Mexican in Hollywood
Believe it or not, Hi-Fi Rush was born to be one of the best zombie movies ever made and it makes perfect sense.
Despite streaming, I still buy Blu-rays and DVDs. But the reason has nothing to do with image quality
Dave Bautista puts LGTBIQ+ rights in front of one of his best friends


text:
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
We help readers find great books.
Book Reviews / Literature
The Burning Girl by Claire Messud
by Jeff Alford · September 15, 2017
Norton, 2017
Claire Messud's The Burning Girl smolders with the nostalgia of a frayed preteen friendship bracelet: this transportive novel spans the formative summers of Julia and Cassie, two best friends who drift apart as high school and adulthood looms in the distance. Messud's prose elevates what could have been an after-school special into the realm of fine literature: The Burning Girl teems with wistful empathy as its buried memories are illuminated with forlorn maturity.
"It's a different story depending on where you start," Julia says. "Who's good, who's bad, what it all means. Each of us shapes our stories so they make sense of who we think we are." The Burning Girl is full of these disarmingly subtle lines that showcase an underlying wisdom throughout Julia's narration. Although her and Cassie's story is full of young girls being girls, Messud gracefully navigates the familiarity (and occasional pettiness) of that age by focusing on their nascent struggle with identity — a question of whether to build from one's already-established individuality or to start anew. To be yourself or re-invent.
The Burning Girl is set it Royston, Massachusetts, "the kind of small town that people escape to from Boston or Portland, bringing their small children and their fantasies, only to find that village life isn't as simple as they'd expected." The novel open with Julia and Cassie's last summer as friends: like an oft-told urban legend, they dare each other to explore the shuttered women's asylum by the quarry and find an imaginative wonderland there instead. Cassie sees it not a scary place but a hopeful one, and "When she put it that way," Julia recalls, "I suddenly understood."
The mansion looked different, no longer a house of sorrows or a hideout for drunk hockey players from the high school… I could see it: the Bonnybrook as a magical place we could invent, the two of us, and have as ours, the way we'd thought of it before I saw it, a stage for our best imaginary adventures….Like we had the power — Cassie and I, the two of us, twelve years old — to make anything into what we wanted it to be.
That fall, Julia and Cassie begin to drift apart. They get placed in different classes, adopt different extracurriculars, and find difficulty spending time together. But as Julia moves towards theater camp, debate club, and the sort of lifestyle that would fast-track a smart girl towards college, Cassie turns inward, seething over her creepy new stepdad and privately ruminating on the whereabouts of her biological father. Cassie floats in with the mean girls, and does everything she can to disappear.
What's most powerful about The Burning Girl is the limitation of Julia's narrative: her story is understandably full of feeling but limited by her first-hand experiences. She can't know what motivated Cassie during the last few years of their friendship, or what may or may not have happened behind closed doors, but she infers and invites readers to do the same. Messud's readers, inherently familiar with the anxieties of growing up, can complete Cassie's story, and, like Julia says early in the novel, make sense of who we think Cassie is.
Reflecting on the Bonnybrook women's asylum, Julia describes "a particular feeling that I have had nowhere else." "If ever I have it again," she says, "I will recognize it, like a long-lost scent, and that afternoon and the ones that followed will return to me, in all their visceral intensity." The Burning Girl captures a similar, familiar intensity, capable of transporting readers backwards towards a time of formative uncertainty: the distant notes of childhood looking inward, onward.
Jeff Alford
Jeff Alford is a critic and book collector based in Denver, CO. He is a contributor to Kirkus Reviews, Rain Taxi Review of Books and the New Orleans Review and author of the now-retired rare books and small press blog www.theoxenofthesun.com.
Latest posts by Jeff Alford (see all)
The Black Cathedral by Marcial Gala - March 15, 2020
Indelicacy by Amina Cain - March 2, 2020
Abigail by Magda Szabó - February 22, 2020
Tags: claire messud
Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer
Is, Is Not by Tess Gallagher
A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ball
Next story Why Dinosaurs Matter by Kenneth Lacovara
Previous story A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman
Fall 2019 Books Preview
More Book Reviews
Book Reviews / Comics & Graphic Novels
Trash Market by Tadao Tsuge
The Moravian Night by Peter Handke
Book Reviews / Science Fiction / YA
Time Bomb by Penelope Wright
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday
Book Reviews / Literature / Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
So You Don't Get Lost in the Neighborhood by Patrick Modiano
Run Spot Run Book Reviews © 2021. All Rights Reserved.


text:
By Paul Dvorak | June 23, 2014
Graphene-reinforced composites may lead to longer, lighter blades, and more
Haydale, the developer of a unique plasma functionalization process for nanomaterials, has announced the publication of research showing its graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) significantly improve the nano-reinforcement of resin. The research, conducted by the Material Science Department at AeroSpace Corporation, has been published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. The development is significant because graphene…
Activated graphene promises to make super supercapacitors
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have helped uncover the nanoscale structure of a novel form of carbon, contributing to an explanation of why this new material acts like a super-absorbent sponge when it comes to soaking up electric charge. The material, recently created at The University of Texas – Austin,…


text:
Madrid guide
Barcelona guide
In the Canary islands
Costa Teguise guide
Puerto del Carmen guide
Santa Cruz de Tenerife guide
Adeje guide
In Balearic islands
Mahon guide
Ibiza guide
In Andalusia
Seville guide
Cordoba guide
Granada guide
Malaga guide
Marbella guide
Ronda guide
Cádiz guide
Jerez guide
Gibraltar guide
In Basque Country
Bilbao guide
San Sebastian guide
Valencia guide
Galicia travel guide
St de Compostela
A Coruña city guide
In Castilla y Leon
Segovia guide
Salamanca guide
Burgos guide
León guide
Avila guide
In Castilla la Mancha
Cuenca guide
Toledo guide
Regions of Spain
Central Spain
Spain's hidden gems
Water sports in Spain
Hiking in Spain
All Inclusive & relax
Spain itinerary ideas
All Inclusive in Spain
In Lanzarote
In Tenerife
In Gran Canaria
in Fuerteventura
In Mallorca
in Ibiza
City breaks in Spain
from Madrid
from Málaga
Festivals & Fiestas
Zoos and theme parks
Cathedrals in Spain
Spain travel tips
León city guide
Home » Cities » León City Guide
Make Leon the right way!
León is the second-largest city and capital of the región of Castilla y León, León is located in the north of Spain and is one of the main stops on the Camino de Santiago . Discover the best things to enjoy in Leon, best time to visit, and much more in this Leon city guide.
León started off as a military campsite in the year 29 AC and would become a settlement in the year 74. After centuries of growth, León became in the year 910 the capital of the Kingdom of León, and was one of the main forces behind the reconquering of the peninsula from the Moors.
León was also the site of the first-ever European court in 1188 under the rule of King Alfonso IX. Because of this fact, the city was declared in 2011 as the birthplace of parliamentary government.
León city guide - Table of Contents
Practical information to plan your visit to León
5 top reasons to visit León
Leon is one of Spain's lesser-known cities, but it has a fantastic collection of things to do and see for tourists. In León, you will find a large number of amazing, historic buildings with great architectural value, a city filled with a deep and rich history, and tons of delicious local delicacies. Let's go over the top things to see and do in León:
The Basílica de San Isidoro
The Basílica de San Isidoro was built in 1063 and was chosen to be the resting place for the old monarchs of the kingdom of Castilla León. It is both a church and college located at the edge of the Old Town.
The basilica houses the Royal Pantheon, covered in stunning colourful frescoes and the Oriental and Biblical Museum, and a collegiate library. Definitely, a must if you are visiting the city.
San Isidro might sound familiar to some as he is the patron saint of Madrid and a wonderful celebration is held in his honour every year in the countries capital
Gaudí's Casa Botines
Yes, that Gaudí. Antoni Gaudí is known around the world his unique style and for the amazing buildings he designed in Barcelona: the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Casa Mila and the Güell Park. Casa Botines is one of the buildings he was commissioned to design in northern Spain. This amazing fortress-like building was built in 1892 for the Hispano-Colonial Bank of Barcelona. In 2017, Casa Botines opened its doors to the public and can now be explored on the inside.
Cathedral and Museum
The Cathedral of León or the Catedral de Santa María de Regla de Leon, was designed in the fashion of French gothic cathedrals. It was ordered to be built where the palace of King Ordoño II once stood.
The building was constructed as thanks to God for assisting in the defeat and expulsion of the Moors from Spain after the reconquest.
The cathedral features an amazing facade, decorated with a huge rose window and stained glass. Visitors can tour the inside of the cathedral and enjoy some of the exquisite objects on display at the museum.
The Museo de León
The Museum of León is a history museum, that chronicles the history of the region of Castilla y León. it is one of the largest and oldest such museums in the region and features artifacts that date as far back as the Bronze and Iron Ages. One of the more unique collections featured in the museum is the collection of ancient artifacts found in las Las Médulas, an old Roman gold-mining site.
Convent of San Marcos
The convent of San Marcos is one of León's most famous attractions. The complex is much more than just a spectacular medieval Monastery. It's made up of the convent itself, now a luxury hotel, a 16th-century church, and a fascinating archaeological museum. The original building was gifted to the city of León by king Fernando the Catholic (husband of Isabel).
It is widely regarded as one of the most important Spanish Renaissance buildings in the country.
Best time to visit León
For better or for worse, León is one of Spain's lesser-known touristic destinations so, if you are looking to avoid crowds, this shouldn't be an issue.
As for the weather, León is located, as we have mentioned in northern Spain, so winters can get cold and dreary. Aim for May, June, or July for warm and pleasant weather.
Weather in León
León presents a continental climate, characterized by big contrasts with hot summers and cold winters.
interactive tourist map of León
Recommended attractions in Leon
Leon is one of those unknown cities which holds however many things to enjoy. Its Humedo district is one of Spain´s most lively tapas and wine areas, and where eating and drinking is still incredibly affordable. Many monuments like San Isidoro or the Cathedral offer a fantastic contrast between romanesque and gothic styles, and its modern art museum only adds to this.
Las Médulas: spectacular cultural park in Northern Spain
Las Médulas Las Médulas, located in the province of León (near the city of León as well), in northern Spain is a unique landscape, carved
Leon Cathedral – Spain´s best stained glass nave
Leon´s cathedral – Ultimate visitor´s guide The Cathedral is Leon´s spiritual heart. This is one of Spain´s gothic top masterpieces and we would recommend you
Best things to do Near León
Picos de Europa: the amazing national park in northern Spain
The Picos de Europa National Park The Picos de Europa are a mountain range in northern Spain, that stands out because of both the hight
Burgos city guide
Our Burgos city guide has all the information to plan the perfect getaway to this amazing, historical city of Northern Spain. Discover much more than just the cities legendary Cathedral.
el camino de santiago
Camino de Santiago: the Camino Francés
The French Way of 775 kilometres unites towns of Saint Jean Pied de Port and Santiago. It was recuperated in 1971 and has signals on the whole path, with 112 hostels and 4 shelters. It is the most famous of all the different "Caminos"
Video of León - The city in a nutshell
Other cities in old castilla or Castilla y Leon
Avila city guide
Salamanca city guide
Segovia city guide
Copyright © Makespain


Could onboarding new employees be as easy as checking boxes?
Unfortunately for human resource professionals and hiring managers, the short answer is no. However, the entire onboarding process can be drastically simpler and more effective with an employee training manual template.
Standardizing the primary components of new-hire onboarding increases efficiency and provides helpful structure for both managers and employees. A training template ensures certain onboarding elements are fulfilled, while leaving enough room to personalize training to fit the new hire's specific needs.
An employee training manual template should include the following four components.
Clarifying a new hire's main objectives is an essential first step during the onboarding process. With clearly defined goals, both the employee and the manager will understand the purpose for each item on the training agenda.
Once the objectives are set, break them down into smaller action items.
For example, if an objective is for the employee to become proficient in a new software, the manager and employee should keep in mind that there is a learning curve. Measuring overall proficiency once at the end of training may not be the best way to assess a new hire's progress. But if training is broken down into steps and evaluated according to smaller milestones, evaluation is more accurate and learning can become targeted.
For each objective, passing milestones shows new hires how training enables them to achieve their overall goal. Opportunities to celebrate numerous successes also motivate employees to keep learning.
Milestones could be as simple as due dates, projects, or other assignments. They should correspond to the larger objective and be set according to a realistic timeline within the employee training manual template.
In the example of learning a new technology, the first milestone could be discussing the technology with another employee or manager. A subsequent milestone could be a quiz. Milestones can be anything that motivates the employee to retain what they learn, demonstrate their knowledge, and prepare for the next topic.
When creating a training timeline, keep in mind that individual employees work at different speeds. Be sure to provide flexibility in the employee training manual template to account for variance in existing knowledge and different learning paces. Some employees may be able to breeze over a section while others need to spend more time reviewing. Provide flexibility to to accommodate each employee's needs.
All employees require training, regardless of their role or status. Because training affects everyone in the organization, it is important to always strive to improve it. Therefore, honest feedback and suggestions for how to make training more effective is invaluable.
Asking for feedback at the end of training could be useful for improving your approach to training in the future, but it doesn't help the individual currently being onboarded. Collecting candid feedback throughout the duration of the onboarding process enables you to make near-real-time changes to your approach and ensure the training will be beneficial and productive.
Take the stress out of new hire onboarding.
Your new employees will glide through training with a carefully planned employee training manual template. However, it will be difficult for them to retain everything they learn without adequate reinforcements to ingrain new knowledge.
Once employees have achieved the objectives outlined in the training template, they will need subsequent check-ins, quizzes, or other reinforcements to seal new information into long-term memory.
Of course, there is always more for employees to learn beyond the onboarding agenda. Encourage them to participate in an open dialogue about their individual goals, and ensure they have access additional resources that will help them continue to grow in their roles.
When employees start with the right tools, they are already on track to succeed. By developing a thoughtful and organized employee training manual template, you empower employees to become constant learners and help them succeed.


text:
Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen (Kingston, Ontario, 24 de febrero de 1848 -  Hindhead, Surrey, 25 de octubre de 1899) fue un escritor científico, y novelista canadiense, destacado defensor de la teoría de la evolución y divulgador del darwinismo.

Biografía
Su padre era un pastor protestante irlandés emigrado a Canadá durante el hambre de la patata. Su madre era hija del quinto Barón de Longueuil. Era aún muy niño cuando sus padres abandonaron también Canadá para residir en los Estados Unidos y luego a Francia, antes de establecerse en el Reino Unido, donde él comenzó sus estudios, al principio en Birmingham, luego en el Merton College de Oxford y por último en Francia.

Empezó a enseñar en la Universidad de Brighton y luego en un colegio negro de Kingston (Jamaica), pero abandonó la enseñanza por la escritura en 1876 y se instaló definitivamente en Gran Bretaña. A pesar de ser hijo de un pastor protestante, se convirtió en un agnóstico y un socialista y escribió en un principio artículos para la Pall Mall Gazette de William Thomas Stead, sobre todo ensayos de divulgación científica, y fue un ardiente defensor de las teorías darwinistas y en psicología del asociacionismo de Herbert Spencer.

A partir de 1884 se volvió hacia la ficción y escribió una treintena de novelas hasta su muerte. Algunas de ellas eran de un feminismo avanzado, como The Woman Who Did (1895), y causaron escándalo. Fue asimismo un escritor de ficción científica con, por ejemplo, The British Barbarians (1895), que evocaba un viaje a través del tiempo. Su héroe recurrente en la narrativa policiaca, el coronel Clay, se parece a Arsenio Lupin. H. G. Wells lo cita en su obra La máquina del tiempo: "Me vino a la mente una extraña teoría de Grant Allen que me divirtió. Si cada generación que muere deja sus fantasmas, argumentaba, al final el mundo estará superpoblado de ellos". Falleció de cáncer de hígado en 1899.

Obras más importantes

Ensayos
Physiological Aesthetics ("Estética fisiológica"), 1877.
The Evolutionist at Large ("El evolucionista en libertad"), 1881.

Novelas

Referencias

Escritores de Canadá
Escritores en inglés del siglo XIX
Novelistas de Canadá
Hombres feministas
Feministas de Canadá
Fallecidos por cáncer de hígado
Profesores de la Universidad de Brighton
Fallecidos por cáncer en Inglaterra

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Baseball drops pitchers' duel at NAIA Southeastern (Fla.), 4-1
Southeastern (Fla.)
Brandeis (1-1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 3
Southeastern (Fla.) (5-7) 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 X 4 6 0
Dan Gad '14 (Photo by Sportspix.biz/Jan Volk)
2B: Bryan Muniz
HR: Daniel Mims
LAKELAND, Fla. -- Despite outhitting their hosts, 7-6, the Brandeis University baseball team suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of NAIA squad Southeastern University in the second game of their February break trip to Florida. The Judges fall to 1-1 while the Fire improve to 5-10.
The Judges opened the scoring in the first inning, when senior LF Nick Cortese (Guaynabo, P.R./Baldwin School of Puerto Rico) singled to lead off the game and came home two batters later on a single to right by junior 1B Dan Gad (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield). Unfortunately, that would be the last run Brandeis would push across the plate, as they hit into three costly double plays in the first five innings.
Brandeis had a fine pitching effort from six different hurlers. Senior Dylan Britton (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) tossed 4.2 innings of four-hit ball with four strikeouts, but was touched up for the game-winning hit in the bottom of the third inning, a two-run home run by Southeastern senior Daniel Mims.
The Judges' top relief appearance was turned in by junior Brian Ing (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich), who allowed just one baserunner in two innings of work on a walk as the Judges did not allow a runner past first base until the ninth inning. SEU added two key insurance runs in the eighth on a two-out, two-run double by Bryan Muniz off of sophomore Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter-Marian).
Brandeis did not have any multiple hitters as seven different players batted safely. They also drew five walks, with senior catcher Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole), sophomore 2B Tom McCarthy (Yonkers, N.Y./Fieldston School) and rookie CF Liam O'Connor (Avon, Conn./Avon) each reaching base by both hit and walk.
The Judges are off tomorrow before playing three straight games against Augustana (Ill.) as part of the Russ Matt Tournament. The Judges took one of three from the Vikings in 2012.


Carpeted floors look nice and they keep your feet warm, but they can be a little hard to clean up. If you have carpeted floors, you'll want to clean your carpet often, especially if you have pets or children. Stains can get on your carpets and smells can linger if they're not treated properly, so make sure you clean your carpets every 6 months to a year. Here's how to do it.
You should vacuum your carpet at least once a week to keep any mess at a manageable level. Make sure your vacuum is in working condition, since you may want to clean your carpet with water, and you don't want any crumbs or loose items going into the carpet-cleaning machine. Try to get all of the area you'll be cleaning, and any hard to reach areas while you're at it.
Stains happen, especially with pets or kids. You'll want to treat any stains before deep cleaning your carpet. There are different ways to get various stains out of your carpet. You'll want to blot any stain once it happens instead of rubbing it in to prevent a bigger stain. You can use ice to get out gum or vinegar to get out coffee. You can look up different methods to treat stains to try to find the most effective.
If you have stuck in odors, stains, or discoloration, you can use either a machine or powder to clean your carpet. Powder can be vacuumed up, but doesn't offer as deep of a clean as a machine would. It may be a good idea to start with a powder deep cleanser, and if it doesn't have the desired effects on your carpet, switch to a carpet-cleaning machine to try to get a deeper clean.
Baking soda can eliminate the odors that can be trapped in your carpet. Make sure your carpet is mostly dry before using it on your carpet if you decide to use a carpet-cleaning machine. Sprinkle a generous amount on the area you want to clean and let it sit overnight. Vacuum the baking soda up in the morning and it should leave your carpet smelling fresh. It also helps fend off fleas and other mites that might live in your carpet.
If you lay out mats that protect high trafficked areas in your home, you can prevent a lot of unnecessary cleaning. Your carpet will look fresher, and you can add some decoration by using fashionable rugs or mats. Treat any stains as soon as they happen so you won't have to worry about them lingering, and it will be easier to clean up. High traffic areas in your house could be near your kitchen, your front door, or your living room.
It's important to clean your carpets, since it can often be forgotten. If you have pets or children, they can add extra wear and tear on your carpeted areas. There are steps you can take to avoid having to deep clean your carpets all of the time, although you should deep clean them at least once a year. It'll cost more money to replace your carpet completely, so clean your carpet to keep it looking as new as it once was.