text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:intro}

Cement is the most used material in the world \cite{scrivener_straight_2012}. Thanks to its low cost, it is the only material that can satisfy the growing demand for infrastructure, especially in developing countries. However, the production of cement is responsible for about 7\% of the global emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere \cite{mehta_reducing_2001}. Because of such a ubiquitous presence in our environment, only a small decrease in its production would have a significant impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, one option is to improve the toughness of cement. Indeed, tougher cement would allow using less material while achieving comparable mechanical properties. Moreover, an increased resistance to fracture would improve its longevity, making it more sustainable.

Due to its multi-scale \cite{masoero_nanostructure_2012} and heterogeneous \cite{allen_composition_2007} nature, understanding the fracture mechanism of calcium--silicate--hydrate (C--S--H), the binding phase of cement, remains challenging. In particular, the intrinsic fracture toughness of C--S--H grains at the nanoscale remains unknown, and it would be challenging to obtain it experimentally. This knowledge would serve as a basis to build a multi-scale model of fracture in C--S--H, following a bottom-up approach. Despite the prevalence of cement in the built environment, the molecular structure of C--S--H has just recently been proposed \cite{pellenq_realistic_2009, manzano_confined_2012, abdolhosseini_qomi_concrete_2013, abdolhosseini_qomi_applying_2013, bauchy_order_2014}, which makes it possible to investigate its mechanical properties at the nanoscale.

Hence, relying on this newly available model, we computed the fracture toughness and critical energy release rate of C--S--H at the nanoscale by means of molecular dynamics simulations. On the other hand, the computation of its surface energy allowed us to quantify its brittleness. This paper is organized as follows. We first present the details of the simulation of C--S--H in Sec. \ref{sec:simu}, as well as the methodology used to obtain the fracture toughness in Sec. \ref{sec:met}. Results are reported in Sec. \ref{sec:res} and discussed in Sec. \ref{sec:dis}. Some conclusions are finally presented in Sec. \ref{sec:ccl}.

\section{Simulation details}
\label{sec:simu}

To describe the disordered molecular structure of C--S--H, Pellenq et al. \cite{pellenq_realistic_2009} proposed a realistic model for C--S--H with the stoichiometry of (CaO)$_{1.65}$(SiO$_2$)(H$_2$O)$_{1.73}$. We generated the C--S--H model by introducing defects in an 11 \AA\ tobermorite \cite{hamid_crystal-structure_1981} configuration, following a combinatorial procedure. 11 \AA\ tobermorite consists of pseudo-octahedral calcium oxide sheets, which are surrounded by silicate tetrahedral chains. The latter consists of bridging oxygen atoms and $Q^2$ silicon atoms (having two bridging and two non-bridging terminal oxygen atoms) \cite{abdolhosseini_qomi_evidence_2012}. Those negatively charged calcium--silicate sheets are separated from each other by an interlayer spacing, which contains water molecules and charge-balancing calcium cations. Whereas the Ca/Si ratio in 11 \AA\ tobermorite is 1, this ratio is increased to 1.71 in the present C--S--H model, through randomly removing SiO$_2$ groups. Defects in silicate chains provide possible sites for adsorption of extra water molecules. The adsorption of water molecules in the structurally defected tobermorite model was performed via the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo method, ensuring equilibrium with bulk water at constant volume and room temperature. The REAXFF potential \cite{manzano_confined_2012}, a reactive potential, was then used to account for the reaction of the interlayer water with the defective calcium--silicate sheets. The use of the reactive potential allows observing the dissociation of water molecules into hydroxyl groups. More details on the preparation of the model and its experimental validation can be found elsewhere \cite{pellenq_realistic_2009,abdolhosseini_qomi_concrete_2013,qomi_anomalous_2014}.

We simulated the previously presented C--S--H model, made of 501 atoms, by molecular dynamics using the LAMMPS package \cite{plimpton_fast_1995}. To this end, we used the REAXFF potential \cite{manzano_confined_2012} with a time step of 0.25fs. We first relaxed the system at zero pressure and 300K during 2.5 ns in the NPT and NVT ensembles and made sure that convergence of the energy and volume was achieved.  To study the propagation of an initial crack in the material, the initial cell was replicated in $x$, $y$ and $z$ direction. The smallest considered system was made of 1x2x2 initial cells, whereas the biggest one was built by a 2x5x3 replication. Fig. \ref{fig:snap} shows a snapshot of the atomic configuration of a 1x3x2 C--S--H model. After the replication, each system was relaxed during 1 ns in NPT and NVT ensembles.

\section{Methodology}
\label{sec:met}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics*[width=\linewidth, keepaspectratio=true, draft=false]{snap.jpg}
\caption{\label{fig:snap} (Color online) Snapshot of the atomic configuration of the calcium--silicate--hydrate model, with an initial crack. Silicon, oxygen, calcium, and hydrogen atoms are respectively represented in cyan, purple, pink, and green.}
\end{figure}

Traditional methods of determining fracture energy, for example using the classic path independent J-integral evaluation either analytically \cite{rice_mathematical_1968, rice_path_1968} or numerically \cite{smilauer_multiscale_2011}, will not work for this investigation because they assume a large specimen made of a continuous homogeneous material, such that the stresses emanating from and surrounding the crack tip are uninfluenced by structural boundaries. Other models such as the so-called \textit{Work of Fracture} method or \textit{fictitious crack model} of Hillerborg \cite{hillerborg_theoretical_1985} and enshrined in a RILEM international recommendation \cite{_determination_1985}, which relates the external work to the internal energy release rate, (similar proposals were made for ceramics \cite{nakayama_direct_1965, tattersall_work_1966}), are also not applicable for the same reasons. Other methods such as utilizing the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) energy release rate functions for known geometries \cite{tada_analysis_2000} or approximations for more complicated geometries using the Jenq-Shah model \cite{jenq_fracture_1985, jenq_two_1985}, which can also yield crack extension, are not applicable for this type of analysis. Therefore, another method must be adopted.

Recently, Brochard et al. \cite{brochard_fracture_2013} introduced a new method to study fracture properties at the smallest scales, based on molecular dynamics simulations. This approach relies on the energetic theory of fracture mechanics \cite{griffith_phenomena_1921, leblond_mecanique_2003, anderson_fracture_2005} and consists of thermodynamic integration during crack propagation. This method does not involve any assumption about the mechanical behavior of the material during the fracture and can thus capture fracture properties of brittle as well as ductile systems \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}.

In the following, we focus on fracture in mode I, i.e., with an opening mode and a loading normal to the crack plane. A crack is first initiated into a molecular sample. We restrict ourselves to the propagation of cracks in planes parallel to the calcium layers, that is, the direction of fracture along the $z$ axis being the weakest, as it does not involve any bond breaking inside the silicate chains. We also focus on crack propagation inside interlayer spaces, where both structural and free water can be found, as it is the weakest point of rupture in the system. Such cracks are expected to exist naturally in real materials and allow us to control in which interlayer space the crack will propagate. The initial crack is created by removing atoms located inside an elliptic volume along the $x$ direction. The ellipse is chosen to be five times larger in the $y$ direction than in the $z$ direction, thus inducing a strong concentration of the stress at the crack tips. Its length goes from 12 to 50 \AA, depending on the size of the supercell. Note that the initial length must be long enough for the initial hole to be stable but small as compared with the box length in the $y$ direction.

Before any tension is applied, the system is fully relaxed to be unstressed; thus, its mechanical energy $P$, involved by strain, becomes zero. The procedure then consists in increasing the size $L_z$ of the system in the direction orthogonal to the initial crack until its full propagation along the $y$ axis. $L_z$ is  incremented stepwise by 1\% of its initial unstressed value $L_{z0}$ up to $L_{z {\rm max}}=1.5L_{z0}$. After each increase of the tensile strain $\epsilon = (L_z-L_{z0})/L_{z0}$, the system is relaxed for 5 ps before performing a statistical averaging stage for another 5 ps. During the latter phase, the stress in the $z$ direction $\sigma_z$ is computed with the virial equation \cite{allen_computer_1987}.

Note that the entire fracture simulation is operated within the canonical NVT ensemble, in which the temperature is controlled by a Nose--Hoover thermostat \cite{nose_molecular_1984,hoover_canonical_1985}. Hence, we are unable to capture potential heat transfers during the fracture. In fact, this procedure has not been designed to model the kinetics of crack propagation. On the contrary, thermodynamic quantities are always integrated when the system is at equilibrium, at each strain step. The phonons that arise during the fracture are annealed by the thermostat, as it will be shown later (see Sec. \ref{sec:res}). Therefore, phonons are not included in the following thermodynamic integration.

As the crack starts to propagate, some elastic energy $P$ is released to create new surface. This is captured by the energy release rate $G$:

\begin{equation}
 G = - \frac{\partial P}{\partial A}
\end{equation} where $A$ is the crack area. When propagation occurs, the energy release rate is equal to the critical energy release rate $G_c$, which is considered as a property of the material. Once the crack propagation is complete, the system becomes unstressed again, so that $P=0$, the mechanical energy having been released by crack propagation. The integration of $\sigma_z$ over the whole process, i.e., the external work, thus provides the critical energy release rate $G_c$:

\begin{equation}
 \label{eq:integration}
 G_c = \frac{\Delta F}{\Delta A} = \frac{L_x L_y}{\Delta A_{\infty}} \int _{L_{z0}}^{L_{z {\rm max}}} \sigma_z dL_z
\end{equation} where $F$ is the free energy of the system and $\Delta A_{\infty} = A_{\infty} - A_0$ is the total area of surface created at the end of the fracture, when the crack has fully propagated. This formula is a direct consequence of Griffith theory of fracture \cite{griffith_phenomena_1921}. It is worth noting that evaluating the crack area at the end of the fracture may not be straightforward as the created surface may show some roughness. To make an accurate estimate of the critical energy release rate, the real surface area has been calculated using the procedure proposed in Ref. \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}.

Alternatively to the energetic approach, the notion of fracture toughness $K_{Ic}$ is usually used in engineering application. This quantity was introduced by Irwin \cite{irwin_fracture_1958} as the maximum stress intensity at the crack tip a solid can undergo, and below which propagation cannot occur. The relationship between $K_{Ic}$ and $G_c$ is given by the Irwin formula \cite{irwin_fracture_1958}:

\begin{equation}
 G_c =  {\cal H}_I K_{Ic}^2
 \label{eq:irwin}
\end{equation} where ${\cal H}_I$ is given in Ref. \cite{sih_cracks_1965} for transversely isotropic solids and can be written in terms of the stiffness constants $C_{ij}$, using Voigt notation, as:

\begin{equation}
 {\cal H}_I = \frac{1}{2} \sqrt{\frac{C_{11}}{C_{11} C_{33}-C_{13}^2} \left( \frac{1}{C_{44}} + \frac{2}{C_{13}+\sqrt{C_{11} C_{33}}} \right)}
\end{equation} in plane strain, as is the case of the current study. Note that, although we rely on a general energetic approach that does not assume a purely brittle fracture, we keep in mind that the relation between $G_c$ and $K_{Ic}$ was derived in the context of LEFM. The full elastic tensor $C_{ij}$ was computed for a bulk system, before the introduction of the initial crack. The elements of the stiffness tensor are obtained by calculating the curvature of the potential energy $U$ with respect to small strain deformations $\epsilon_i$ \cite{pedone_insight_2007}:

\begin{equation}
C_{ij} =  \frac{1}{V} \frac{\partial^2 U}{\partial \epsilon_i \partial \epsilon_j}
\end{equation} where $V$ is the volume of the system. In isotropic materials, Eq.\ref{eq:irwin}  reduces to the usual Irwin formula \cite{leblond_mecanique_2003}:

\begin{equation}
 G_c =  \frac{1-\nu ^2}{E} K_{Ic}^2
\end{equation} where $E$ is the Young's modulus. However, C--S--H is not an isotropic material, as the Young's modulus in the direction perpendicular to the calcium layers is lower than that in the plane of the layers \cite{abdolhosseini_qomi_concrete_2013}.

\section{Results}
\label{sec:res}

Fig. \ref{fig:fracture} shows the computed stress $\sigma_z$ with respect to the tensile strain $\epsilon$ for a C--S--H sample. The simulated system is 13.1 \AA\ $\times$ 54.4 \AA\ $\times$46.8 \AA\ in volume, with an initial crack of 15 \AA. At low strain (up to 6\%), the mechanical response is linear elastic. The stress thus increases linearly with the strain up to 1.4 GPa, the slope being related to the Young's modulus of the system. During this stage, the crack does not propagate and the free energy of the system is stored in the form of mechanical elastic energy only. At larger strain, the crack starts to propagate. Contrary to brittle materials like quartz \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}, C--S--H shows a strong ductile behavior in the sense that the crack does not propagate instantly after a given critical strain. Thanks to its internal flexibility, the network rather deforms to prevent the fracture from occurring, as it observed in the snapshots inside Fig. \ref{fig:fracture}.  At large strain (from 20\%), only one molecular chain made of calcium and oxygen atoms still exists between the up and down phases. The latter eventually breaks as soon as the strain reaches 26\%.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics*[width=\linewidth, keepaspectratio=true, draft=false]{fracture.jpg}
\caption{\label{fig:fracture} (Color online) Computed stress as a function of the tensile strain imposed to the system. The snapshots show the molecular configurations at different stages of the fracture.}
\end{figure}

The ductile behavior that is observed requires an extra care: indeed, as the crack propagates, irreversible processes, such as plasticity, occur inside a process zone around the crack tip. An estimated length of this plasticity zone $r_{{\rm pl}}$ can be evaluated using the Dugdale--Barenblatt formula \cite{dugdale_yielding_1960, barenblatt_mathematical_1962, lemm_advances_1962}:

\begin{equation}
 r_{{\rm pl}} = \frac{\pi}{8} \left( \frac{K_{Ic}}{\sigma_{{\rm pl}}} \right)^2
\end{equation} where $\sigma_{{\rm pl}}$ is the plastic yield stress of the material. In the present C--S--H sample, we find $r_{{\rm pl}}$ = 13.7 \AA, which is significantly larger than the value found in quartz (3.4 \AA\ \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}) but remains lower to what can be found in kerogen (19.9 \AA\ \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}). At the end of the fracture, the process zones located at both sides of the crack eventually overlap because of the periodic boundary conditions. As suggested in Ref. \cite{brochard_fracture_2013}, this feature can be taken into account by replacing in Eq. \ref{eq:integration} the real crack area $\Delta A _{\infty}$ by an effective area given by $\Delta A _{\infty , {\rm eff}} = \Delta A _{\infty} - L_x r_{{\rm pl}}/2$.

To get an estimation of the precision of the computed fracture toughness, five additional fracture simulations with different box and initial crack lengths were run. Even if each stress--strain curve is specific to each considered system, the resulting fracture toughness values remain consistent. This allows us to evaluate the standard deviations of the fracture properties as being $G_c = 1.72 \pm 0.29$ J/m$^2$ and $K_{Ic} = 0.369 \pm 0.030$ MPa.m$^{1/2}$.

Although, to the best of our knowledge, no experimental value of the fracture toughness of C--S--H at the scale of the grain is presently available, this value can be compared with available measurements in cement paste. Depending on the method used, the water-to-cement ratio and the age of the paste, the fracture toughness of cement is usually found between 0.29 and 0.40 MPa.m$^{1/2}$ \cite{dwivedi_strength_2013,nadeau_slow_1974,higgins_fracture_1976,hillemeier_fracture_1977,brown_fracture_1973}. Although our values, obtained at the nanoscale, cannot be directly compared with experimental results, obtained at much larger scales, the fact that the values are of the same order supports the ability of the present simulations to provide realistic results. We also note that we observed lower fracture toughness than in pure silica (around 0.8 MPa.m$^{1/2}$), which is consistent with the fact that water molecules depolymerize the silicate chains in C--S--H.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics*[height=\linewidth, angle=-90, keepaspectratio=true, draft=false]{vdos.pdf}
\caption{\label{fig:vdos} (Color online) Vibrational density of state (VDOS) of C--S--H at 300K, both before (black curve) and after (red curve) the full propagation of the crack in the box.}
\end{figure}

\textit{A posteriori}, we check that there is no contribution to the fracture energy of the phonons in the equilibrated system after fracture. To this end, we compute the vibrational density of state (VDOS) $g( \omega )$ before and after the full propagation of the crack. This is achieved by calculating the Fourier-transform of the velocity autocorrelation function (VAF) \cite{bauchy_structural_2012}:

\begin{equation}
 g( \omega ) = \sum \limits_{j=1}^N m_j \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} {\rm VAF}_j(t) \exp ({\rm i}\omega t)\, \mathrm dt
\end{equation} where VAF$_j(t)$ is the VAF for atomic species $j$:

\begin{equation}
 {\rm VAF}_j(t) = \frac{1}{N k_B T} <\textbf{v}_j(t) \textbf{v}_j(0)>
\end{equation} and where $N$ is the number of atoms, $m_j$ is the mass of an atom $j$,  $\omega$ is the frequency, and $\textbf{v}_j(t)$ is the velocity of an atom $j$. Fig. \ref{fig:vdos} shows the VDOS of C--S--H, both before and after fracture. Unfortunately, no experimental VDOS is currently available for C--S--H. However, we note that it is very similar to that typically observed in silicate glasses \cite{bauchy_structural_2012}, but features additional peaks at high frequency due to the H--O bonds. As expected, the VDOS does not change significantly after the fracture has happened. This is not surprising since, as mentioned before, the system is always at equilibrium with a thermostat during the fracture process in the present methodology.

\section{Discussion}
\label{sec:dis}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics*[width=\linewidth, keepaspectratio=true, draft=false]{surface.jpg}
\caption{\label{fig:surface} (Color online) Potential energy of C--S--H as a function of time. At $t=2.5$ ps, the system is cut into two parts.}
\end{figure}

We now aim to quantify the brittleness of C--S--H at the atomic scale. The critical energy release rate $G_c$ can be expressed from the surface energy $\gamma_s$:

\begin{equation}
 G_c = 2\gamma_s + G_{{\rm diss}}
\end{equation} where $G_{{\rm diss}}$ captures all forms of dissipated energy linked to irreversible processes and is equal to zero for a perfectly brittle material. The surface energy $\gamma_s$ was roughly estimated from molecular dynamics simulation by cutting  the system into two parts, letting it relax for 25 ps, and computing the change of the potential energy of the system. For the present C--S--H sample, we find $2\gamma_s$ = 1.06 J/m$^2$. This value is fairly comparable to the surface energy of tobermorite gel, which is $2\gamma_s$ = 0.8 J/m$^2$ \cite{brunauer_surfaces_1965}. Note that we observe the dissociation of some free water molecules during the fracture. As, e.g., Si--O--Ca bonds break, terminal 1-fold O and under-coordinated Ca atoms are energetically unfavorable: therefore, the following chemical reaction occurs:

\begin{equation}
 \begin{split}
  {\rm (-Si-O-Ca-) + H_2O} \rightarrow  \\
   {\rm(-Si-O-H) + (H-O-Ca-)}
 \end{split}
\end{equation} This reaction obviously stabilizes the newly created surface, thus decreasing the surface energy. This stabilization can be observed in Fig. \ref{fig:surface} as it manifests by a gradual decrease of the potential energy after the fracture. This highlights that, to study the fracture of such a hydrated material by molecular dynamics, it is critical to use a reactive potential that can handle such chemical reactions. The use of a classic non-reactive potential would result in an overestimation of the fracture energy.

The knowledge of the surface energy allows estimating $G_{{\rm diss}}$=0.66 J/m$^2$, as well as a lower bound of the fracture toughness $K_{Ic,{\rm min}}$, i.e., the value one would get if no energy were dissipated during the fracture process. We find $K_{Ic,{\rm min}}$ = 0.289 MPa.m$^{1/2}$. The analysis allows quantifying the ductility of the material by computing a brittleness parameter $B=2\gamma_s/G_c$, which is equal to 1 for a perfectly brittle material. Here, we find $B=0.62$, which highlights the fact that the fracture of C--S--H at the atomic scale involves ductility and, therefore, cannot be captured by methods that only rely on the theory of fracture in brittle materials. The energy dissipated during the fracture can arise from different phenomena, such as plasticity or crack blunting. This will be investigated in future works.

Through all these findings, the question remains if a ductile response is to be expected on larger scales. All the specimens simulated in this study have a plastic zone length extending approximately 14 \AA\ from the crack tip. The plastic zone, in the continuum sense, is a nonlinear zone where characterized by progressive softening \cite{bazant_fracture_1997}. If the plastic zone size is very small compared to all relative dimensions of the simulation, then it can be approximated as a point, in which the models developed in LEFM can apply. However, if the plastic zone is non-negligible compared to specimen sizes, the specimens undergo progressive softening damage (due to mechanisms such as collective rearrangement of atoms or bond breakages) and stable crack propagation, where, for every increment in crack length, a stable equilibrium is obtained \cite{bazant_fracture_1997}. The type of materials that have a fixed plastic zone length and exhibit a ductile behavior for small specimen sizes and a brittle behavior for large sizes are known as quasibrittle because their behavior is size dependent \cite{bazant_size_1984}. Methods exist which can extract fracture properties from such material behaviors \cite{hoover_comprehensive_2013-1, hoover_cohesive_2014, hoover_comprehensive_2013, bazant_scaling_2005}. Further investigation on bulk C--S--H is needed to determine if the brittleness of the specimen increases with system size.

\section{Conclusion}
\label{sec:ccl}

By using a realistic model of C--S--H as well as a molecular dynamics-based method allowing the capture of non-elastic effects, we computed the values of the surface energy, fracture toughness, and critical energy release rate of C--S--H grains, which are not directly accessible from experiments. At the atomic-scale, C--S--H appears to break in a ductile way, so that one cannot rely on LEFM-based methods. The intrinsic fracture toughness of C--S--H grains appears to be very close to that of the cement paste obtained by different experimental techniques. This suggests that the C--S--H grains play a major role in the fracture of cement.

It is now necessary to upscale this result to the meso- and, eventually, the macro-scales to enable direct comparisons with experiments as well as the design of a tougher material using a bottom-up approach. As a preliminary step, starting from the atomistic scale, one should study how the use of additives to C--S--H can result in tougher cement. This could be achieved by tunning the elastic modulus and/or by maximizing the ductility to dissipate more energy during the fracture.

\section*{Acknowledgments}

This work was supported by Schlumberger under an MIT-Schlumberger research collaboration and by the CSHub at MIT. This work has been partially carried out within the framework of the ICoME2 Labex (ANR-11-LABX-0053) and the A*MIDEX projects (ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02) cofunded by the French program "Investissements d'Avenir" which is managed by the ANR, the French National Research Agency.

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The Rio Blanco Tract is an island in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It is part of San Joaquin County, California, and managed by Reclamation District 2114. Its coordinates are , and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as  in 1981. It appears on a 1952 USGS map of the area.

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Ausma Zehanat Khan: 'If I ever ran away, I'd want it to be to the Met'
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The Second World War in Britain, particularly during the Blitz. I'm fascinated by the idea of the British people pulling together for a common good. Ordinary citizens joining the war effort, the work at Bletchley Park, the rationing, the blackouts. I don't romanticize war, but I think it took extraordinary courage to keep the fight going while London and other cities were repeatedly bombarded. I wonder if we'd be up to that challenge today, if we'd be capable of the same discipline and sacrifice.
What's a book every 10-year-old should read?
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg is an exuberant introduction to the importance of history and the meaning of art, but its real charm lies in the inventiveness and daring of Claudia, age 12, and her younger brother James. The children run away from home to hide out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they learn to manage sibling dynamics and a budget supplemented by coins from a fountain. Once they've mastered hiding out, they dive into the mystery behind a sensational new exhibit – the sculpture of an angel. There's probably no other book for this age group that makes you feel the wonder and excitement of discovering a Michelangelo. If I ever ran away, I'd want it to be to the Met.
Which books have you re-read most in your life?
I first read Frank Herbert's Dune when I was 13, and I re-read it once a year for a number of reasons: its sophisticated, immersive world-building, its complex characters, its utterly original plot. But mainly, I was drawn to Dune because it was the first book I'd read where Islamic mythology was portrayed in Western literature with such effortless power and dignity. I recognized the book's themes at once – there was a language, a history, a set of symbols I knew intimately. The experience of reading Dune was life-affirming for me, and vast with possibility for a girl of my background who wanted to be a writer.
On the case: Three crime novels worth a read
Iain Lawrence: 'Novels must always be a blend of imagination and true confessions'
Elizabeth Strout: 'In real life we have only our imaginations to know what the lives of others may be like'
Follow us on Twitter @globeandmail Opens in a new window


text:
Q: jQuery: Variable ID not updating I want to have a key press function that changes where the cursor lies in an input field. It works when the jQuery id is simply "body" but then the keydown works everywhere. Instead I want the keydown to only work in the most recently generated input field. See the code below.
var ui_pc = 3001;

$(document).ready(function () {
  $("#"+ui_pc+"input").keydown(function(e){
    var press = e.which;
    press = press.toString();
    if(e.which=="13") {
      ui_pc++;
      $("#main").append("
<input id=\""+ ui_pc+ "input\"></input>
");
      document.getElementById(ui_pc+"input").focus();
    }
  });
});

Since the cursor starts in line 3001, when you put the cursor there it works fine. However, the function does not update i.e. the function only works only on div "#3001input" and does not update with the variable named pc_ui.
Why is this the case? I think it has something to do with closures in JS?

A: You must to change to a delegation events method:
$(document).on('keydown', '[id$="input"]', function(e){
   //your stuff
});

Why this?
This is produced because you are attaching the events to the existing elements when DOM ready, but not for new elements created. To avoid this, use this delegation method and it works.
See  more:
https://learn.jquery.com/events/event-delegation/

A: You can unbind from previous input and bind to latest input since you want it to work on most recently generated input field.

var ui_pc = 3001;

$(document).ready(function(){
 bindToNewInput();
});

function appendNewInput(e)
{
 var press = e.which;
 press = press.toString();
 if(e.which=="13") {
   ui_pc++;
   $("#main").append("
<input id=\""+ ui_pc+ "input\"></input>
");
   document.getElementById(ui_pc+"input").focus();
   bindToNewInput();
 }
}

function bindToNewInput()
{
 $("#"+(ui_pc-1)+"input").off('keydown');

 $("#"+ui_pc+"input").keydown(function(e){
  appendNewInput(e);
 });
}

 <input id="3001input" type="text"/>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It is backed by a Numba jitclass, so it can be directly used from Numba-optimized functions.
You generally don't want to create this class yourself with the constructor. Instead, use one of its class methods.
We use the indirection between this and the Numba jitclass so that the main CSR implementation can be pickled, and so that we can have class and instance methods that are not compatible with jitclass but which are useful from interpreted code.
the Numba jitclass backing (has the same attributes and most methods).
Return a row of this matrix as a dense ndarray.
row (int) – the row index.
the row, with 0s in the place of missing values.
Get the column indcies for the stored values of a row.
Get the extent of a row in the underlying column index and value arrays.
(s, e), where the row occupies positions \([s, e)\) in the CSR data.
Get a vector of the number of nonzero entries in each row.
This method is not available from Numba.
the number of nonzero entries in each row.
Get the stored values of a row.
Get the row indices from this array. Combined with colinds and values, this can form a COO-format sparse matrix.
Sort CSR rows in nonincreasing order by value.
self (CSR) – A CSR matrix.
A SciPy sparse matrix with the same data.
values (bool) – whether to include the values in the transpose.
the transpose of this matrix (or, equivalently, this matrix in CSC format).
Internal implementation class for CSR. If you work with CSRs from Numba, you will use this.
© Copyright 2018 Boise State University Revision d5b1b86b.


text:
Q: How to display a message after downloading a file using XMLHttpRequest? Hello community I hope you can help me since I could not show a message to the user after downloading an excel file.
I am using httpRequest for sending data to the server and everything works correctly the file is downloaded but what I also want is to show the message.
Thank you very much for your help.
This is my code javaScript.

function download_excel_file() {

        var file_name; //Example Test.xlsx

       var parameter = '{file_name:"' + file_name + '"}';
            var url = "Download.aspx/Download_File";
            var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();

            xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
                var a;
                if (xhr.readyState === 4 && xhr.status === 200) {
                    a = document.createElement('a');
                    a.href = window.URL.createObjectURL(xhr.response);

                    a.download = file_name;
                    a.style.display = 'none';
                    document.body.appendChild(a);
                    a.click();

                 // Here I want to show the message with the legend = File downloaded successfully but it does not work.
            $("[id*=message_download]").css("display","block");
            $("[id*=message_download]").text(xhr.response.Text);

                }

            };

            xhr.open("POST", url, true);
            xhr.setRequestHeader("Content-Type", "application/json");
            xhr.responseType = 'blob';
            xhr.send(parameter);

    }
<input id="btn_download_file" type="button" value="Download file" class="btn btn-success btn-block" onclick="return download_excel_file();"/>

 <div id="message_download" class="p-3 mb-1 bg-secondary text-white text-center" style="display:none">                                  </div>

This is my code from server.
[WebMethod]
    public static void Download_File(string file_name)
    {
        if (file_name != null || file_name != "")
        {
            string path = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath("~/Folder_Excel/" + file_name);

            if (File.Exists(path))
            {
                // This is the message I want to show in the div $("[id*=message_download]")
                HttpContext.Current.Response.Write("File downloaded successfully");

                System.IO.FileStream fs = null;

                fs = System.IO.File.Open(path, System.IO.FileMode.Open);
                byte[] btFile = new byte[fs.Length];
                fs.Read(btFile, 0, Convert.ToInt32(fs.Length));
                fs.Close();

                HttpContext.Current.Response.AddHeader("Content-disposition", "attachment; filename=" + file_name);
                HttpContext.Current.Response.ContentType = "application/octet-stream";
                HttpContext.Current.Response.BinaryWrite(btFile);
                HttpContext.Current.Response.Flush();
                HttpContext.Current.Response.End();
            }
            else
            {
                HttpContext.Current.Response.Write("No files");
            }
        }
    }

A: You should display your message at first, then make the browser "click" on the download button. Otherwise the browser may just fire an unload event and stop executing any scripts at this time - like on redirection.

A: Add an 'alert' at the end of the script:
<script>
function myFunction() {
alert("Success! File downloaded!");
}
</script>

added 2019 10 04

Use InnerHTML along with getElementById to set the message back from the server.
from    https://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_http.asp
var xhttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhttp.onreadystatechange = function() {
  if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {
     // Typical action to be performed when the document is ready:
     document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = xhttp.responseText;
  }
};
xhttp.open("GET", "filename", true);
xhttp.send();

A: I don't think you're using the Attribute Contains Selector correctly.
$("[id*=message_download]").css("display","block");
$("[id*=message_download]").text(xhr.response.Text);

Try this instead:
$("[id*='message_download']").css("display","block");
$("[id*='message_download']").text(xhr.responseText);

Or better yet, use $("#message_download")  Also notice that I changed xhr.response.Text to xhr.responseText


Festive Food is back again with Raksha Bandhan event.
Last year myself and Purva started Festive Food Event to enjoy the joy and happiness of all the festivals around us and it has been wonderful year.
The bond between brother and sister celebrated in form of Rakshabandhan. I do not wish to repeat same thing again so for more details about Raksha Bandhan [Rakhi] please visit our last year announcement.
Coming to the event it's pity simple as all of our events. The purpose is to celebrate, do not think that you have a cook a dish to be part of this one.
1. Send in pictures, memories which relates you to Rakhi.
2. You being creative made Rakhi, Card or any other thing? Send that too...I will be happy.
3. Send in your entry of celebration even if you have not prepared anything specify for the day. You can share your purchased Rakhi/sweets/gift etc details too.
4. If you did prepare something special [sweet dish, any main dish, savoury snack] for the occasion share with us.
Since Rakhi is on 5th Aug '09, last date to send your entry is 16th Aug '09.
Old entries are accepted as long as you didn't sent the same last year and link back to this page.
Please link back to this event announcement. I would be glad if you can include Logo. There are no restrictions on the number of entries.
Non Bloggers no need to get upset, email your recipe along with the picture. I will post it on your name and include it in the round up.
ohh its already a year finished great going dear. keep going and happy hosting prithi. will post some for your lovely event.
this is amazing..kudos to u for starting off such a fab event!!!
Happy hosting Priti :) Frankly I havent celebrated Raksha Bandhan but will try to send something for the event!
Thats a wonderful event my dear, will def send something!
will try to share this event priti.
Hey Priti, I remember last time i post meethe jawe for rakshabandhan. This time i'll try sth new.
Thank you so much for sharing.happy posting.Wish you all a Happy Raksha Bandhan in advance.


text:
Facilities Team Green (FTG) is a group of undergraduate student staff who work to make sustainability more accessible for their peers on campus, and for everyone in the University community. Facilities Team Green falls under the umbrella of University Facilities and Services, but works throughout the River Campus and Medical Center to promote sustainability initiatives and increase awareness among the University at large. It is a team of three student positions under the management of the University's sustainability coordinator, Amy Kadrie.
As the sustainability coordinator, Amy has been managing, planning, directing, and promoting University Facilities and Services' sustainability programs for nearly a decade. Amy spearheads three annual events: E-Cycle Day, Shred Fest, and Move-Out Cleanout. These events collect personal items from employees or students and either donate, repurpose, or recycle all of them. Team Green assists in promoting and participating in these events. As the manager of Facilities Team Green, Amy supervises the team to work on projects, engage in social media, and spread awareness for different sustainability campaigns within the University.
The team is made up of three positions. The sustainability assistant helps Amy in planning and executing tasks such as RecycleMania, the annual eight-week waste reduction competition that takes place in the early spring. The sustainability marketing intern manages the UR Sustainable Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and creates promotional material such as flyers. The sustainability writing intern writes biweekly Go Green! articles that are published in the The Green Dandelion blog, the @Rochester employee newsletter, and the Weekly Buzz, and helps to apply for sustainability awards.
Additionally, one of these team members also takes on the role of team leader to facilitate meetings among the team and to foster relationships with other groups, such as Dining Team Green and EcoReps. All students on Facilities Team Green table for various events and promotions and contribute Student's Corner articles and Green Tips to The Green Dandelion blog.
Facilities Team Green participates in many different sustainability initiatives each year to promote recycling, reduce waste, and generally encourage sustainable behaviors on campus. The monthly tabling events allows Facilities Team Green to interact with students, staff, and faculty on campus to inform them of current green initiatives and encourage participation in events such as RecycleMania. In addition to RecycleMania in the spring, Facilities Team Green assists in the GameDay Recycling Challenge, an international competition that promotes waste diversion at a home football game each fall.
Together, the team uses blogging, social media, events, and word-of-mouth to educate the University of Rochester on current initiatives in sustainability.
Written by Mariah Greico, Class of 2018
One Reply to "Team Green"
Nice article! Go Team Green!


text:
Summer Tour 2019 - Cascais, Portugal - May 27-31
The Summer Tour this year was to Estoril, a little west of Lisbon, with the party billeted in Cascais.
Certain rules were in force for the Tour, specifically the LME pamphlet on harassment and abuse, which resulted in deducting shots from handicaps for such offences as calling other players names or commenting on their inability to extract themselves from bunkers.
The winner each day is cut by two shots for the next round and the runner-up by one, while the lowest scorer receives two shots and the next lowest one shot. Every player can reject one of their five rounds and the four remaining scores count towards the final tournament score, the winner receiving the Foster Plate.
(Photo - The ruins of the monastery at Penha Longa)
Day One dawned at Penha Longa's Atlantic Championship course with 40mph winds predicted, gusting to 60mph. This was good as far as the temperature was concerned as it kept the players relatively cool in the 30C heat. Most of the party were straight off the plane, so with that and the high winds scoring was very difficult, but a remarkable 32 points by Tanya Epshteyn, two clear of Derek Raphael and another two clear of the Captain saw Tanya's handicap cut by two shots and Derek's by one. "Encouragement" in the form of additional shots was granted to the two lowest scorers. The average score was just over 20 points.
(Photo - Frits Beek and Martin Abbott at Penha Longa)
Day Two started with a two hour coach transfer to West Cliffs. The winds had dropped slightly but the course proved difficult. A relatively new course, it seemed to have been carved out of the native scrub which cloaks the hills in this part of Portugal and a lot of the scrub was allowed to grow in the bunkers, meaning a misplaced shot could result in a lost ball in a bunker. This did not deter Tanya, however, who ran out the day's winner with another 32 points, this time 4 clear of her nearest contender who was once again the captain. The average score for Day Two was a mere 21 points.
Day Three was a more relaxed venue at Oitavos Dunes. A beautiful clifftop course on the Tagus estuary, Oitavos is a more mature course with some tough uphill holes to make up for being slightly shorter than other courses. The average score rose accordingly to over 25 points, but Martin Abbott belittled that with a blistering 38 points from Rob Draisey's 35 and Frits Beek and Tanya Epshteyn's 34 points.
(Photo: Jan Rommer at West Cliffs)
(Photo - The putting green at Estoril)
Day Four saw the party at the very traditional and attractive Estoril course, another that makes up for its relative shortness with a few tricky par threes and well bunkered greens. The average score for the day was 25 points but once again Tanya trumped the field with a steady 34 points, matched by Alex Heath with Martin Abbott on 32. The field was narrowing now, quite considerably as the worst rounds were discarded, but it left Tanya well ahead of the field for the last round, with Martin Abbott and Frits Beek the only realistic contenders.
Day Five back at Penha Longa, where the average score was 29 points, saw John Ambery record the highest score for the Tour at 39 while Tanya delivered her lowest score, which she discarded, leaving her on 132 points - two 34s and two 32s. It meant Martin Abbott had to score a near impossible 40 points to overhaul her, which proved too much as he finished with 121 with Frits on 120 in third place. Tanya therefore holds the Foster Plate and we look forward to her defending her title next year.
The Vice Captain will present his choices for the 2020 Tour in the Autumn, so watch this space!
(Photo: Alex Heath tees off at Estoril)


text:
using System;
using LanExchange.Plugin.Network.Properties;
using LanExchange.SDK;

namespace LanExchange.Plugin.Network
{
    public sealed class PluginNetwork : IPlugin
    {
        private IServiceProvider m_Provider;
        public static IIPHLPAPISerivice IPHLPAPI { get; private set; }

        public void Initialize(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
        {
            m_Provider = serviceProvider;

            // Setup resource manager
            var translationService = (ITranslationService)m_Provider.GetService(typeof(ITranslationService));
            if (translationService != null)
                translationService.SetResourceManagerTo<Resources>();

            // Register new panel item types
            var factoryManager = (IPanelItemFactoryManager)m_Provider.GetService(typeof (IPanelItemFactoryManager));
            if (factoryManager != null)
            {
                factoryManager.RegisterFactory<DomainRoot>(new PanelItemRootFactory<DomainRoot>());
                factoryManager.RegisterFactory<DomainPanelItem>(new DomainFactory());
                factoryManager.RegisterFactory<ComputerPanelItem>(new ComputerFactory());
                factoryManager.RegisterFactory<SharePanelItem>(new ShareFactory());
            }

            // Register new panel fillers
            var fillerManager = (IPanelFillerManager) m_Provider.GetService(typeof (IPanelFillerManager));
            if (fillerManager != null)
            {
                fillerManager.RegisterFiller<DomainPanelItem>(new DomainFiller());
                fillerManager.RegisterFiller<ComputerPanelItem>(new ComputerFiller());
                fillerManager.RegisterFiller<SharePanelItem>(new ShareFiller());
            }

            IPHLPAPI = (IIPHLPAPISerivice)m_Provider.GetService(typeof (IIPHLPAPISerivice));
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: How to persuade Pandoc to read definition lists in GitHub Flavored Markdown? I am trying to automate conversion of a GitHub Pages site to LateX in order to produce a PDF. The Kramdown parser used by GHP understands the following definition list syntax:
term1
: definition1
term2
: definition 2

so definition lists formatted this way in Markdown show up correctly on GHP. However, Pandoc's --from=gfm flag does not understand this syntax, since it's not officially part of the GFM spec.  I have tried:
--from=gfm+definition_lists

but the definition_lists extension appears to be ignored with from=gfm. I have also tried:
--from=markdown+definition_lists+attribute_headers

but that doesn't appear to understand Kramdown-style attribute headers (which I need in order to specify section IDs, because legacy text).  Is there a way to get Pandoc to deliver the definition list behavior of Jekyll+Kramdown and attribute headers? Thanks.

A: Try -f markdown_github+definition_lists.  markdown_github is pandoc's legacy gfm parser.  gfm is the new one, which just wraps the C library and so doesn't accept all the extensions.


text:
HomeNewsReading the Tory tea leaves with Mystic Michael
Reading the Tory tea leaves with Mystic Michael
By Michael St George
WITH 12 candidates declared so far, possibly more by the time this is published, and even though not officially under way until next Monday, the 'Conservative' Party leadership contest already resembles not so much a Westminster fight as a Whitehall farce.
It's obvious that most of the candidates aren't serious leadership prospects, and some will inevitably withdraw. In fact, James Cleverly already has done. Several are clearly either trying to attract enough support for themselves to secure a promise of Cabinet or ministerial office from a genuine contender if they withdraw and switch their support to him/her, or to boost their own profile and lay down a marker for a future contest.
With the Party's leadership election rules giving its MPs a series of one-by-one elimination ballots until the final two go forward to be voted on by the entire membership, the question of who's supporting and being supported by whom assumes a crucial significance. Not all MPs disclose their preference, though, and some who do don't necessarily do so truthfully – remember, this is allegedly the most devious, capricious electorate in the world – but the running spreadsheet being maintained and regularly updated by the Guido Fawkes website Tory Leadership MP Backers is probably the most accurate predictor.
Remember also that, despite approximately two-thirds of the party membership being Leave supporters, the Parliamentary party is approximately two-thirds Remainer-inclined, favouring either abandoning Brexit by revoking Article 50, or backing Theresa May's Remain-Lite, Brexit-in-name-only 'Withdrawal' Agreement.
So the Remainers know that, in a straight Leave-vs-Remain contest in the final run-off, the Leave candidate is virtually assured of victory: hence firstly the 'Stop-Boris' and 'Stop-Raab' campaigns, and secondly the drive to get either or both of Gove and Hunt into the final two.
To try reading the tea leaves against that background, let's look at the declared candidates with the most endorsements as at 3pm on Tuesday afternoon, 4 June, when this article was filed, and focus on the top four.
It's immediately apparent that both Johnson and Raab are predominantly Leaver-supported, Raab more heavily so, while Gove and Hunt are clearly drawing their support mainly, almost overwhelmingly in the case of Hunt, from the Remain camp.
Can we now please now end, once and for all, the fiction that Gove is a Leaver? Apart from the origins of most of his support, the indicators in the other direction are powerful, and becoming more so. He's remained steadfastly in May's Cabinet despite the Chequers Deception, has still not repudiated her duplicitous vassal-statehood 'Withdrawal' Agreement, and indeed loyally voted for it no fewer than three times in the Commons, as his personal scorecard in the highly-recommended Statisticus Collegium database.
His 'unity candidate to deliver Brexit' appeal Michael Gove: Back me for Tory leader to beat Jeremy Corbyn and deliver Brexit can just as easily be read as a coded signal to the One-Nation, Brexit-in-name-only, closet-Remainers headed by Amber Rudd as a readiness to compromise with them. He duly received an endorsement from one of their number, Nicky Morgan.
In the last couple of days he's openly proposed delaying Brexit until 2020, Michael Gove tells Cabinet ministers he is prepared to delay Brexit until late 2020 in the process earning not only the immediate implied approval of anti No-Deal Amber Rudd, Amber Rudd warns Tory leadership candidates against backing no-deal Brexit but even an uncritical write-up from the scabrous Weekly Remoaner, otherwise known as The New European. Gove: Delay Brexit until 2020 to avoid no-deal.
To put it mildly, his professed support for Leave no longer looks even remotely convincing. No surprise, perhaps, that the Daily Telegraph's Charles Moore has halved his personal assessment of Gove as a true Conservative from 8/10 to a mere 4/10. Who, in this swollen and ever-widening field, can truly claim to be a Tory? He surely cannot be trusted to deliver Brexit.
Hunt need not detain us unduly. Assumed for some time to be on opportunistic leadership manoeuvres, he recently tried to burnish his credentials as a Brexiteer by purporting to warn May against doing a deal with Labour to get her 'Withdrawal' Agreement through the Commons, Striking Brexit deal with Labour could alienate Tory MPs, Jeremy Hunt warns despite, like Gove, having voted for it three times himself.
But, again like Gove, Hunt sat on his hands and allowed May's Cabinet to descend into its state of acquiescent chaos simply to maximise his own chances of becoming leader. Theresa May faces new coup after second referendum gamble backfires Since her resignation, his declared Brexit policy has been one of serial flip-flopping, epitomised by his warning that a No-Deal Brexit would be 'political suicide', followed by a declaration only three days later that No-Deal was better than no Brexit.
Hunt talks about 'getting Brexit done', but his interpretation of 'getting Brexit done' is obviously somehow to get May's damaging 'Withdrawal' Agreement over the line in the Commons and then claim to have 'delivered Brexit', when it would in reality be nothing of the sort, but instead signing up to perpetual vassalage as a colony of Brussels. Rightly did Charles Moore give him a personal assessment of only 2/10, as an 'all-purpose person of the bland 21st century who could fit just as easily into a Blair Cabinet or a LibDem one'. Hunt, basically, is Theresa May in a suit.
The odds must therefore surely be quite high on whoever ends up as the trailing candidate out of Gove and Hunt either voluntarily withdrawing and transferring his endorsements – or as many of them who are willing – to the other in return for a promise of a senior position in the other's Cabinet, or doing so following elimination in the later stages of the MPs' ballots. That looks to be the only way of sending a soft-Brexiteer or Brexiteer-in-name-only into the final membership poll.
To counter that, and get a committed Leaver or clean-Brexiteer into the final two, at some stage there will presumably also have to be some kind of pact or showdown between Boris and Raab. Ceteris paribus, logic would suggest Raab as the less-supported candidate of the two transferring his endorsements – with the same caveat as in the preceding paragraph, obviously – to Boris on the same basis. This is where it gets a little trickier.
Question marks must remain over just how robustly committed to a clean Brexit Boris would actually be. On the plus side, his endorsement by the more free-market inclined Liz Truss bodes well for seizing the deregulation and tax-cutting opportunities a clean Brexit would present: moreover, both that, and his pledge to deliver Brexit, 'deal or no deal', on 31 October.
But does that not raise the question of why he was apparently entertaining overtures from the latter in the first place?
Boris appears from his campaign video, effective though it is, to have adopted the Remainer narrative that people voted for Brexit mainly because they felt 'left behind' economically, rather than, as the most reliable post-Referendum polling showed, to re-exert political self-determination by retrieving their sovereignty and democracy from the unaccountable and unelected elites of Brussels.
Boris likes, above all, to be liked, and I fear the possibility that he will soften his declared Brexit stance, to maintain his internal popularity and ensure the 'Conservative' Party's unity or even its survival, cannot be discounted. And we should not forget that he eventually buckled and decided to vote for May's shameful 'Withdrawal' Agreement, despite agreeing with the criticism of it as, in effect, a treaty of perpetual vassalage.
Which brings us to Raab. He positioned himself earlier, and as a firmer, advocate of a No-Deal Brexit if necessary than did Boris, and is reported to be the potential Brexit negotiator whom Brussels fears far more than it does Boris – I've watched Dominic Raab negotiate with Brussels. It's no wonder they're so scared of him which has to be a plus. Neither should we forget that, during his brief post-Chequers sojourn as Brexit Secretary, before he resigned in protest at May's final 'Withdrawal' Agreement, he did actually participate in negotiations, which Boris, who resigned straight after Chequers, never did.
Against that, though, he also decided to abandon his previous resistance and vote for May's 'Withdrawal' Agreement before her fall from office in effect killed it off.
It's possible that Raab's lower public profile, along with his lower number of declared supporters, will work against him: yet it's also arguable that he's more ideologically committed to Brexit from first principles than Boris is, and so would be more prepared to risk personal unpopularity to deliver it, and that that will work in his favour. That, incidentally, seems to be the view of TCW readers, whose latest poll reversed Boris's early lead.
Whatever, one thing seems incontestable. To capitalise on the Brexit-favouring view of the 'Conservative' Party membership, there will have to be a Boris-Raab coming-together in some form to counter the expected Gove-Hunt equivalent. The supporters listed in the Javid and Hancock columns may play a lesser role, but all else is just background noise.
Previous articleThis school of victimhood will drag everyone down
Next articleReaders' comments: Watch out for skeletons!
Michael St George
Michael St George is a freelance writer arguing for minimal-state, low-tax, free-markets minarchist-libertarianism. He tweets as @A_Liberty_Rebel. He is @LibertarianRebelon Parler.


Designated builder is MacIntosh Homes, LLC. Home to be in the upper 200's for a ranch home and low 300's for a two story home. Construction perm financing available to qualfied buyers with as little as 5% down. Call today for a meeting with the builder. A second lot is also available at 1193 Crestwood Drive.


Fernwood Sydenham has been operating since 2003. We have a wonderful array of group fitness classes, weight and cardio equipment, in-club food coaching, friendly personal trainers, cell-IQ, child minding, easy access to parking and much more. Our friendly and highly motivated staff are always here to help you with a range of options to suit your individual needs and help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
At Fernwood Gym Sydenham we offer the following services: Personalised Gym Memberships, Food Coaching, Cell-IQ, Personal Training, Child Minding, Body Pump, Body Combat, Boxing Circuits, Studio Cycle Zumba Classes, Yoga Classes, Pilates Classes & much more.


If you're interested in becoming an IT business analyst in the banking industry – you may lack the requisite domain knowledge of the banking domain. When you step into the interview room with a potential employer – and you don't have banking experience – what do you say?
Well, in my opinion, there are many things you can do to beef up your banking domain knowledge, as I discussed here. One of the best approaches is to take up a banking technology course. From the CFA, to banking industry certificates, through to vendor software certifications – there are many to choose from.
In this article, I want to discuss the top 5 banking technology courses you can take to up skill yourself in the banking domain. I assume you have no prior experience in the banking industry technology, so these courses are good for anyone to take up, whatever their starting point.
The course I'd recommend you take is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) course. This is a very well respected and recognized accreditation in the banking and investment industry.
There are three levels of the course, with increasing levels of difficulty and specialization. And ok, it's not strictly a 'banking technology' course – but I think it's even better – it's a course that the 'business' people (sales, traders, portfolio managers, operations, etc.) will take up.
I see a lot of engineers and IT trained people take up the CFA to round off their knowledge with a banking credential. If you have a technical degree or diploma, the CFA will prove to banking employers that you have the knowledge of investments, portfolio management, etc.
The downside to the CFA? Well, you get to do the CFA only every half a year. The Level I, II and III exams can only be taken every December or June.
Case Study: Case Study. For me, I did not take up a CFA. The fact that it ran exams only in December and June was a problem for me. I failed the CFA Level I exam, and I did not want to wait another six months to take another attempt. That being said, the CFA is one of the best known banking accreditation you can take.
The next best thing to the CFA is something called the Claritas Investment Certification. It's run by the CFA Institute, the same body that provides the CFA exam.
You cna do 100 of hours of self-study, take an exam and at the end of that, you get a certificate of investment knowledge. I think this accreditation is great for those already in banking, and wish to round out their knowledge to cover the full gamut of banking operations, from front to back office.
Usually, folks in a bank working in operations will not know what the 'front office' (i.e. relationship managers and traders) do, and vice-versa. The Claritas Investment certification is great for that.
If you're into banking technology, a good option is to take up a banking software certification. In my opinion, there are two broad categories of banking software out there.
Type 2 – the smaller banking vendors, usually tactical banking solutions like Actimize, Wealth Manager, etc.
Usually, the larger players like Temenos and Avaloq have certification programs.
Tip: Tip. If you want to work in places like Singapore or Hong Kong, a great certification to get is a Temenos or Avaloq banking certificate. I work in Singapore as a banking consultant and I can tell you the demand for Temenos or Avaloq consultants is going through the roof, especially for private banking implementations.
One thing I could advocate is not to waste time with 'general IT' certifications like SAP or Oracle certifications. Yes, those mean a lot in the IT industry, but NOT In the banking industry. Inject the industry flavor into your credentials, don't rack up yet another IT-related accreditation.
Another good option is a Masters degree. For these, I'd suggest you take up either an MBA (with a Finance concentration), or a Masters in Financial Engineering (MFE).
MBA programs are aplenty out there, but I'd encourage you to take a good, top-notch program if you can. Places like INSEAD and Chicago Booth School of Business give very good (but expensive) MBAs which will uplift your credentials a LOT. Not necessarily in banking, but most banks I know prefer MBAs from schools like that.
If you're from engineering, a good choice for breaking into the banking domain is to take up a MFE. Schools like the National University of Singapore or Berkeley in the US run very good MFE programs which teach you about quantitative finance. I won't go into these here, but it would cover topics like structured products, calls, puts and options which help make investment products in banks and financial institutions.
An MFE also equips you with a good risk management background – so you can help banks deal with market risk, credit risk – which is a big focus of regulatory bodies around the world these days, post financial crisis.
Tip: Tip. The Singapore Management University (SMU) runs a very good course on Information Systems in Banking, go check out there website here.
Another convenient choice for banking technology courses is to take up distance learning. You can study on your own time, and get the knowledge you need.
Of course, the only thing you should be careful about in distance programs is accreditation. Make sure the school you're attending is of good standing and not some 'fly by night' operation. And you'd be surprised, some of the best schools in the world like Harvard and MIT run distance learning programs which are very suited for professionals who cannot travel.
To be honest with you, , distance learning programs are still not as well recognized by employers. If you can, go for a part-time degree or diploma – I know that banking employers still prefer more 'formal, classroom-based' certifications as opposed to 'distance, e-learning' programs.
Case Study: Here's a personal story I'd like to share with you. I hope it can help encourage you to break out of 'pure IT'.
I started as a IT developer in a large multinational IT services firm. I enjoyed technology for a while, but after two years, I realized that I enjoyed the 'industry' even more. I offered myself for projects in banking and insurance, playing the role of a business analyst. I loved to interact with clients and stakeholders, not sit behind a laptop and do code.
After seven years in IT services, and several banking and insurance Business Analyst roles done, I joined the banking industry and also took up a MFE part-time at the National University of Singapore. This helped to further cement my knowledge of the banking domain.
Finally, I left the banks to join a financial services management consultancy. I still like consulting work and my time as a BA, the banks, and also my MFE helped to boost my credentials when I talk to banking clients today.
In summary, always recognize that it's good to up skill yourself and take up a good banking technology course. I think the best thing to do is to assess yourself, see where you are and what makes sense for you.
For example, if you have a technical background, it's very natural and easy for you to take up a MFE or alternatively, a banking software vendor certification. On the other hand, if you're more of a finance or economics person, or don't have a technical degree, then maybe a good fit would be a CFA as a next step.
In any case, it really depends on the individual. Do your research and then decide what's best. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I'll help answer your questions as best I can.
Hi.. I am working as a retail banker. I have interest in IT, but i am a graduate in Banking and Insurance. I want to do Banking domain certification or in Banking Software. Pl guide me in detail. I want to work abroad..
Hi Chitra, please drop me a note here – we can discuss more on how you can obtain banking domain knowledge first. Once you've got banking domain knowledge, you can more easily find BA or PM jobs in banking.
This is Vidya from India, i am working in Banking Domain as A junior Business Analyst. I have done my B.Tech in IT and MBA in Marketing, as i got placed on campus in a IT Company, since 3 years working in Banking Domain.
I got domain knowledge from peer colleagues and Internet. To get more proficient as BA in Banking, which certification/Course will be helpful?
request you to suggest me.
– A CFA or Masters in Finance would be useful – but they are more geared towards investments, rather than banking operations.
– What I did in the past was to study a Masters in Financial Engineering (which taught me a LOT about financial products and asset classes).
– I then went to work for a Bank and soaked up hands-on middle to back office operations experience.


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Every woman deserves to stand out of the crowd.
Whether on the plane, at the café or the office, this Burberry tablet sleeve will definitely be the talk of the town! Crafted from Oyster Pink Pebbled Leather with a shiny lustre finish, the iPad Mini Case features a front buckle closure for added security.
The front panel features a double-stitched border surrounding the top half and showcases the Burberry logo in gold towards the bottom.


text:
Q: error C2248: 'X::operator =' : cannot access private member declared in class 'X' Similar questions are already asked on stackoverflow. I do have looked at them but still unable to resolve the issue I am facing
I have a structure X with few member variables including a mutex. I am using this mutex to lock access to member vector called vecIds when pushing elements in it from multiple threads.
Further, as I donot want objects of type X to be copyable or copy constructable, I declare copy constructor and copy assignment operator functions as private
struct X
{
    bool a;
    unsigned value;
    std::vector<unsigned> vecIds;
    std::mutex mutex;

    X(): a(false), value(0), mutex(){}

 private:
    X( X const &x);
    X& operator=( Xconst &x);
 };

Somewhere in my code I am creating vector of 100 objects of type X. When I compile my code I see the following errors:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\include\xutility(2466): error C2248: 'X::operator =' : cannot access private member declared in class 'X'
X.h(12): see declaration of 'X::operator ='
X.h(2): see declaration of 'X'

I donot seem to figure out where is the problem

A: This is a VS2012 bug fixed in VS2013. VS2012's implementation of
explicit vector(size_type n);

calls resize(), which requires the element to be both DefaultInsertable and MoveInsertable. This is nonconforming, since the constructor itself only requires DefaultInsertable*. (To make it worse, its resize() implementation calls erase(), which requires the type to be MoveAssignable...)
It's mentioned in this MSDN blog post (search for "vector<DefaultConstructible>(10)").
If you are using a fixed-length container, consider using a std::array<X, 100>.

*When the default allocator is used, the *Insertable requirements basically translate to *Constructible.

A: Your code compiles fine in VS2013, to resolve your problem in a quick way, try a vector of smart pointers
#include <memory>

std::vector<std::unique<X>> x(100);

Note: your struct X has std::mutex as member, mutex is not copyable nor moveable, which means X is nonCopyable nor moveable.


text:
8 December 2017 Government, Regional Stability
The African Union's Chequered History with Military Coups
By Liesl Louw-Vaudran
Image courtesy of United Nations Photo/Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
This article was originally published by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on 22 November 2017.
In the aftermath of the intervention by the military in Zimbabwe that led to yesterday's resignation of President Robert Mugabe, there was a strong call from Zimbabweans for the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to not get involved.
Tags: Governance, African Union, Zimbabwe, Military Coup
16 January 2017 Security
Paying for AMISOM: Are Politics and Bureaucracy Undermining the AU's Largest Peace Operation?
By Paul Williams
Courtesy of AMISOM Public Information/Flickr.
This article was originally published by IPI Global Observatory on 11 January 2017.
How a peace operation is financed is always an important issue. But money matters for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have recently become highly politicized. This is in large part because of the complicated set of arrangements and mechanisms that are required to fund AMISOM. Particularly since mid-2015, some of these arrangements have come under pressure to change owing to a variety of factors, including the longevity of the mission, circumstances in the global economy, and other international crises on the African continent and beyond. The changes have had the predictable knock-on effect of causing political arguments between the African Union, the AMISOM troop-contributing countries (TCCs), and some of the mission's key partners, most notably the European Union.
This report answers six key questions to explain how AMISOM is financed and how some recent decisions taken by the EU have generated considerable conflict within the mission and among some of its contributing states.
Tags: European Union, Somalia, Peacekeeping, African Union, AMISOM, Financing
28 December 2016 International Relations, Development, Politics
Lessons Learned from the Pioneers of African Unity
By Victor Adetula
"Africa" written in the evening sky in Malawi, courtesy Jack Zalium/Flickr
This article was originally published by The Nordic Africa Institute on 31 May 2016.
May 25th is a memorable day for Pan-Africanism. This is the day when, 53 years ago today, representatives of 32 African governments signed a treaty in Addis Ababa to establish the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Many meanings and ideas can be projected into Pan-Africanism, and indeed there has been, and will continue to be, a lively debate about the definition of this too often politicized term. However, the merit of such a debate is far less important to the discussion here than the fact that there are dimensions of Pan-Africanism, and also that Pan-Africanism has passed through many phases before its present phase where it is being celebrated as an ideology for African development. This conception of Pan-Africansim seeks and emphasises the unity and solidarity of all Africans for the purpose of African development.
Pan-Africanism gained prominence in Africa, especially in the 1950s, and became a veritable tool for anti-colonial struggles. The influence of Trans-Atlantic Pan-Africanism as a movement of ideas and emotions was remarkable. Much in this regard can be attributed to the efforts of black Pan-Africanists in diaspora. The pursuit of Pan-Africanism as a movement of liberation in the 1950s helped in promoting awareness about the essence of 'African unity'. For example, there was broad consensus among African leaders on the need to promote the unity of African countries towards the total liberation of Africa. However, the movement towards African unity was evidently characterised by differences among African leaders.
Tags: Africa, International Relations, Development, Regional integration, African Union, Pan-Africanism
10 October 2016 Security, Peace
How Can Arms Embargoes be Made More Effective?
By Nelson Alusala
Courtesy Thomas Hawk/Flickr
This article was originally published by the Institute for Security Studies on 4 October 2016.
The AU is taking a well-timed look at how arms embargoes can be better implemented.
Arms embargoes are the most common type of sanction currently applied by the United Nations (UN), and one of the five main types of targeted or smart sanctions (others are diplomatic sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes and commodity interdiction).
The key aim of smart sanctions is to raise the regime's costs of non-compliance (with the sanctions) without bringing about the wider suffering often associated with comprehensive sanctions, such as trade bans.
How effective these embargoes are in Africa is the subject of much debate; not least because the continent has been subjected to the majority of arms embargoes since the UN's first stand-alone arms embargo against apartheid South Africa in 1977. Since then, several African countries have faced such embargoes; some repeatedly. Liberia, for example, experienced a series of UN-imposed arms embargoes in varying degrees and forms between 1992 and 2016. Despite this, illicit weapons continued to be trafficked into the country.
Tags: Africa, Sanctions, Arms trade, Arms control, African Union
25 July 2016 Security, Development
From Curse to Blessing: How Africa's Natural Resources Can Build Peace
By Jonathan Rozen
Courtesy Tim Samoff/Flickr
This article was originally published by the IPI Global Observatory on 18 July 2016.
While natural resource development can generate economic success, it can also increase the likelihood of conflict, particularly in Africa. Ongoing violence in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta is a good example of the so-called "resource curse" in action. In response, African governments continue to grapple with how best to use their resource endowments to foster both economic opportunity and peace. At a time of much soul-searching for the United Nations, there is a unique opportunity to put responsible and effective resource development at the heart of African peacebuilding. But how might local communities take greater ownership of these processes?
The UN Peacebuilding Commission is now examining where and how it can contribute to better management of natural resource development, as part of its newly enhanced mandate to seek prevention of global conflict. "We've been supporting the type of discussion that needs to happen between citizens and governments and between governments and companies," Oscar Fernández-Taranco, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, told me.
Tags: Africa, Peacebuilding, United Nations, Development, Natural Resources, African Union


Excited for the main social good event, I monitored the #GivingTuesday buzz all day. The following is what caught my eye and also had me asking questions.
The day started with yoga on the #GivingTuesday HangOutAThon hosted by Google and Mashable. A fun and engaging idea. The donation buttons left me at a dead end though.
Autism Speaks has huge reach and above is their #GivingTuesday result. From what I saw, they leveraged their social channels and branded a donation form.
The nonprofits that put a lot of funds and planning into the day got the most out of it, naturally. Salvation Army, American Cancer Society and Red Cross had fully integrated strategies. All their messages drove to appeal campaigns already in progress.
Match campaigns are always good incentives and endorsed by a celebrity is even better. Here's the best chance to reach people outside the social good bubble.
#GivingTuesday was trending on Twitter all day!
1) What are the goals of #GivingTuesday – new donors, general awareness or more overall donations in the giving season? Are fundraisers just bumping up New Year's Eve donors to a different calendar day?
The main platform for the day is social and my guess is that awareness is the big win on #GivingTuesday for most nonprofits. Medium to small size nonprofits hoping to bring in over $2,000 on this day may be disappointed.
So I say don't be fooled by the "give" in "giving" and look at the day as #GivingAwarenessTuesday — a day to show the world that social good can make some noise and get a bump in impressions for your annual appeal. Remember, awareness is the first step towards giving.
2) What is the value for the consumer? After two big days of shopping (#blackfriday, #cybermonday) #GivingTuesday is asking them to open their wallets again and those two days of shopping also feel like giving because they're buying gifts.
I think the incentive to join #GivingTuesday (beyond feeling good about donating) is to say you did on social and not feel left out. This goes a long way, but I wonder how many consumers donated? Which leads me to my 3rd question….
3) Are we talking to ourselves? I gave on #GivingTuesday to a friend's campaign that asked me to give directly via chat. That said, I gave as a social good marketer who can't ask others to do something I don't do. Oh the cause was good too.
However, if donations from colleagues make up the majority of donations that is still a good haul, because hey, there are a lot of us.
I eagerly await more results.
Wishing you a bountiful 2013!
We're making a donation on behalf of these clients, friends and partners to United Way of Western Connecticut's Sandy Hook School Support Fund to provide support services to the families and community affected by the recent tragic events in Newtown, CT.
After a sold-out program in Silicon Valley, Social Media for Nonprofits is heading to Los Angeles on August 14, featuring an all-star lineup sharing practical tips and tools for leveraging social media for fundraising, marketing & advocacy.
Join HelpGood President, Michael Bellavia, along with Giulia McPherson, CARE; Lee Fox, KooDooz; Lisa Rau, Confluence; Tom Kramer, Fundly; Richard Levy, give2gether; Stephanie Rudat,Movements.org; Lauren Winkler, Save a Child's Heart and Dan Portnoy, Author of The Nonprofit Narrative.
This stellar lineup will provide attendees with concrete insights and takeaways for nonprofits to use social media to advance their cause.
Discounted tickets are available for small nonprofits at $95. For-profit and larger nonprofits can use the discount code "Bellavia" to save $20 off $125 and $175 tickets. Registration includes access to the full conference as well as breakfast, and lunch.
Today, June 21st 2012, is the United Way Day of Action, marking United Way's 125th Anniversary. Join volunteers from across the country in creating change to improve America's education, income, and health.
Stick figure animation plus a compelling soundtrack can make all the difference when it comes to cancer research.
Since late 2011, HelpGood led various social media tactics for the Bedsider campaign. The campaign aims to reduce the amount of unplanned pregnancies by educating women and helping them find the method of birth control that's right for them. The campaign is run by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Ad Council.
Our work on the Bedsider campaign coincided with a huge increase in highly-charged, politicizing of conversation around birth control. From the Komen Foundation's de-funding and re-funding of Planned Parenthood to the Republican presidential nominee race to Rush Limbaugh's inflammatory statements, birth control was a very active topic of social conversation.
Recently Bedsider even released a three part video series in partnership with Funny or Die called "After Last Night." The series follows two male friends and two female friends the next day after a party and their journey to figure out what happened the night before (and if they had used birth control)!
top advertising and social media blogs such as The Inspiration Room, All Facebook, AdRants, Osocio, and Brand Republic.
Mom and family blogs like Sassy Mama in LA, Mommyhood's Diary, Life According to Damaris, Pink Guayoyo, and Single Mama NYC.


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The Kia EV9 undergoes final technical testi...
Kia has revealed details of the final intensive testing program undertaken by the Kia EV9 ahead of its world debut in 2023. The all-electric Kia
New Kia Sportage scores five-star rating in...
The all-new Kia Sportage has been awarded the maximum five-star rating by Euro NCAP, Europe's leading independent safety assessment programme. The Sportage performed to a
Electric Kia EV6 crowned What Car? Car of t...
The Kia EV6 electric car has been crowned What Car? Car of the Year 2022. Its victory was announced at a glittering ceremony at the
Kia Ceed range gets extensive design, tech ...
Kia's best-selling Ceed range has received a range of bold and contemporary enhancements for 2021, including dynamic and athletic design accents. The Ceed five-door hatchback,
All−new Sportage, the ultimate urban SUV
The fifth-generation Kia Sportage has been carefully crafted from the ground-up to be the ultimate urban SUV. The all-new Sportage symbolizes the pioneering DNA of
All−new Sorento wins 'Large SUV of the ...
Kia's flagship SUV, the all-new Sorento, has made a strong start to the year, being named 'Large SUV of the Year' at the 2021 What Car? Car
Kia Motors unveils the Sonet
Kia Motors Corporation, one of the world's largest automakers, revealed the Kia Sonet to the world today in a digital presentation. Manufactured at Kia's state-of-the-art
Kia and Hyundai develop world's first ICT...
Kia and Hyundai announced that they have developed the world's first predictive Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Connected Shift System, enabling the vehicle to automatically
Kia wins two 2019 Women's World Car o...
Kia has won two 2019 Women's World Car of the Year awards – the Kia XCeed won the 'Urban Car Award', while the Kia Soul
Kia hits back at car thieves
Kia Motors (UK) Limited's commitment to its customer's vehicle security has been stepped up with the availability of a Faraday case for customers that purchase


Introducing the ARNOLD '19 Collection. We present to you what remains of the Arnold Sports Festival 2019 exclusive apparel and accessories. Limited quantities available, so get it while it's hot!
You pick your color and size, and we pick the design! See the product images for examples of the 4 different print designs that you may receive.


New York - Sony continued its spring laptop launch with the introduction of its newest C- and E-series models.
The C and E series are geared toward basic computing, multimedia and gaming functionality. Both lines will be available in several configurations, with the C series carrying a $729 starting price and the E $550. Each line is available for pre-order on June 19. The company released its S-series laptops in May.
The C series most visible change is the addition of Neon Red and Thunder Blue color schemes. These are joined by a Sony Signature model, a specialized subset for the series, that has a reddish-orange appearance. The Neon Red versions will only be available through select retailers, including Abt, B&H Photo, Micro Center and Nebraska Furniture Mart. The Thunder Blue color will be in other major retailers in July, the company said.
The C models have two screen sizes, 14 and 15.5 inches. They can be equipped with second-generation Intel Cori i3 and i5 processors, Windows Home Premium, and have an option for AMD Radeon 1GB hybrid graphics. The units have USB 3.0, an HD webcam and a backlit keyboard. A variety of storage and memory configurations will be available.
The Signature model comes with Sony's Imagination Studio Suite 2.0.
The E series is targeted at the back to school buyer.
These are available with 14-, 15.5- and 17.3-inch screens and a more basic design that would attract a mainstream laptop customer, the company said. The wrist rest and lid has a honeycomb texture to eliminate fingerprints, and the line comes in Midnight Blue, Glacier White, Charcoal Black and Blush Pink. The 17.3-inch model is only available in Glacier White and Charcoal Black.
The E-series processor options include second-generation Intel Core i3 or i5 processors with Intel's Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost 2.0 technology or AMD's E350 dual-core processor with Mobility Radeon HD6130 Graphics Vision technology.
Some models feature Intel's Wireless Display technology for viewing laptop content on a TV. Another feature on these models is Remote Keyboard. This allows the laptop to control a Bravia TV. A variant called Remote Play allows the computer to access content stored on a PlayStation3 over the Internet.


You can get a smart look in dress up in many ways like 1. Wearing formal dress. 2. Inning your shirt. 3. Wearing white shirt. 4. Try to ignore red colored dress.
There are so many ways to get a smart look in dress up. At first you should wear a clean dress which is looks beautiful. Don't wear any dirty dress. Always try to wear something colourful. Because it attracts people. Keep your hair neat. Choose things that compliment your face structure and also Make sure your clothes are ironed.
1. To put up choiceable dress 2. To follow new hair style 3. To keep body fitness 4.To put out choice able shoe 5. To use jell, body spy, shampoo, face wash, toothpaste.


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An 80 page PDF of the Ombudsman's entire response can be found here.
Meanwhile, NPR Editors Kinsey Wilson and Margaret Low Smith have issued a brief response the Ombudsman's reports. In short, the Editors' response acknowledges that they got some things wrong, but essentially stands behind the story. They chose not to respond point-by-point to the Ombudsman's critiques. This response by the editors can be summed up in one word – pathetic. I will be interested to see if NPR gives anywhere near the on-air time to the obvious flaws in these stories as it gave to the stories themselves.


Resilience is one of the important factors to be considered while selecting the right floor surface when it comes to sports activities. It needs to provide athletes with freedom of movement and protection against injury. Kährs Activity Floor is a wood floor specially designed for sports. It is easy to install and creates optimal surface for all types of sports.
Kährs Activity Floor features a unique "all-in-one" construction. Unlike other wood floors designed for sports and activities, the absorption material and reinforcement are already fitted to the back of the board. This means that the floor – again, unlike other sports floors – can be laid directly onto the sub-floor without the time consuming construction of floor battens or special fittings.
Installation: To be installed floating on a level, solid surface such as concrete, particleboard or wood.
Installed Kahrs Activity Maple into The Fitness Studio at The Portal – North Ayrshire's new Culture, Community and Leisure Centre.
The Maple Activity floor provides a stunning pale blonde aesthetic, with integral shock-absorption and reinforcement properties designed for sport and impact.
Being Kahrs Flooring Specialists we offer a professional fitting service. We take into account the quantity of flooring you need, the underlay and the matching accessories needed to get your project finished. Please call our sales team on 0845 602 7694 or send your tender to enquiries@sportsflooring.co.uk for a quote.