text:
Will Self-Driving Cars Get Nevada Certification In Time for CES Las Vegas?
TransportationTopicTypeNews
Mercedes and Hyundai hope they'll be able to send their new autonomous vehicles out on demo drives
Illustration: Daimler
self drivingCESDaimlerMercedes-BenzHyundai
Update, 14 December 2015: The Nevada DMV informs us that Hyundai has received its license.
Two automakers are rushing to get their newest self-driving cars approved for use on Nevada's roads before the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month. But the clock is ticking. Nevada is the only U.S. state that requires autonomous vehicles to undergo 'self-driving tests' in real world conditions before they're allowed to be tested on public roads.
According to documents obtained by IEEE Spectrum via a public records request, Daimler is seeking permission to operate autonomous versions of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E200 and E300; Hyundai is seeking autonomous vehicle testing licenses for two Tucson fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs) and two Kia Soul EVs.
In an application filed with Nevada regulators, Cynthia Albert of Daimler North America wrote, "Daimler is interested in obtaining license permits to operate two autonomous vehicles in the coming months and to showcase and demonstrate the vehicles at next year's CES in Las Vegas." Daimler told the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that its autonomous E-class cars are equipped with GPS, front and rear radar sensors, and front stereo video cameras.
Although the cars can detect speed limit and wrong way signs, as well as pedestrian crossings, their autonomous driving mode can currently only be activated on highways. Nevertheless, the German automaker noted, the self-driving E200 and E300 have traveled over 64,000 kilometers in auto steering mode. Most of those trips took place in Germany, but a significant amount of the mileage was racked up on the west coast of the United States as well as in Canada and China.
On 19 November, Jude Hurin, who manages the Nevada DMV's autonomous vehicle program, took an E-class Mercedes for a test drive on three highways north of Las Vegas. Hurin filed a report confirming that the Mercedes sedan successfully completed highway and freeway turns, adjusted its speed in obeisance to roadside signs, and did "a great job" in congested traffic.
Hurin was particularly impressed by the car's lane-changing ability, which is activated by manually moving the turn signal. "Fantastic!" wrote Hurin. "The system performs a safety check before to ensure the vehicle can safely [make the lane change]. If it can't, it won't move. Great system!"
Illustration: Hyundai
Hyundai's demonstration drive took place on 1 December at a Hyundai test track near Beatty, Nevada, and on a nearby stretch of road on the way to Death Valley. In its application to the DMV, Hyundai claimed that it has been conducting autonomous driving tests of its fuel cell Tucsons since November 2014. Each has completed roughly 16,000 kilometers of fully autonomous driving: 4800 km on public city streets, 3200 km on highways, and 8000 km in simulated city and highway tests on closed roads. Hyundai has reported no accidents. The Kia Souls were built in July 2015 and tested under the same conditions.
Despite the cars' street smarts, Hyundai's application for a Nevada license covers only highway driving—possibly the company's engineers had yet to develop the highly detailed maps of the Las Vegas area that would be needed for urban operation. In September, Michael Deuterman, a senior Hyundai engineer, asked the DMV, "Will you let us know the locations to be used for each category [of test drive] so we can be sure that maps are available for the areas selected to be driven in 100% autonomous mode?"
Hyundai's cars each have three lidar units mounted on the front grille (rather than above the car as Google's robocars do), assisted by front and rear radars and cameras, and side-facing ultrasonic sensors. This suite of sensors makes several different autonomous features possible, including a fully autonomous driving mode, a less intrusive traffic jam assist mode for highway driving, or a slightly gimmicky 'narrow path assist' mode to help nervous drivers squeeze down alleys. The cars can even be equipped with an auto-valet parking system that lets a vehicle's owner recall it from a parking spot using his or her smart watch.
The Nevada DMV is now considering both applications. But Hurin noted in an e-mail to Hyundai that applications "on average… take about 60 days." Unless Nevada accelerates the process, neither company is likely to take delivery of its special autonomous vehicle license plates in time to offer demonstration rides at CES, which starts on 6 January.
Other manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen, will also be hawking autonomous vehicles at the technology trade show. Stealthy start-up Faraday Future will be unveiling its first electric vehicle—a car that is widely expected to have autonomous capability. And Nvidia will be announcing new processor technology to power self-driving vehicles.
But while Faraday Future just announced plans to build a $1 billion vehicle assembly plant near Las Vegas, the epicenter of self-driving technology remains in Silicon Valley. "We may elect to do Nevada first this year (2015) and add California next year (2016)," confided Hyundai's Deuterman in an e-mail to Nevada officials.
Mark Harris is an investigative science and technology reporter based in Seattle, with a particular interest in robotics, transportation, green technologies, and medical devices. He's on Twitter at @meharris and email at mark(at)meharris(dot)com. Email or DM for Signal number for sensitive/encrypted messaging.
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The Robo-01 autonomous electric car shows off its butterfly doors at a reveal to the media in Beijing, in June 2022.
Tingshu Wang/Reuters/Alamy
In October, a startup called Jidu Automotive, backed by Chinese AI giant Baidu and Chinese carmaker Geely, officially released an autonomous electric car, the Robo-01 Lunar Edition. In 2023, the car will go on sale.
At roughly US $55,000, the Robo-01 Lunar Edition is a limited edition, cobranded with China's Lunar Exploration Project. It has two lidars, a 5-millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and 12 high-definition cameras. It is the first vehicle to offer on-board, AI-assisted voice recognition, with voice response speeds within 700 milliseconds, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip.
This article is part of our special report Top Tech 2023.
"It's a car, and, even more so, a robot," said Jidu CEO Joe Xia, during the live-streamed unveiling of the car (as translated from the Mandarin by CNBC). He added that it "can become the standard for self-driving cars."
But just how autonomous the car is remains to be seen: In January 2022 Baidu and Jidu said the car would have Level 4 autonomous driving capability, which does not require a human driver to control the vehicle. But the press release at the car's launch made no mention of Level 4, saying only that the car offered "high-level autonomous driving."
The blurred language may have been dictated by lawyers. China has yet to establish laws or regulations governing autonomous vehicles for the consumer market. For the time being, a driver must remain in control of the car. In September 2022, Baidu cofounder and CEO Robin Li noted that lower levels of autonomy shield car companies from liability in the event of a crash, because the driver is expected to be in control. With Level 4, the manufacturer of the car or the operator of the "robotaxi" service using the car would be to blame.
Nonetheless, the Robo-01 launch signals a dramatic shift in the automotive industry, which has been slow to adopt electric cars and even slower to embrace autonomy. No other consumer car on the market yet offers Level 4 autonomy. Tesla's Full Self Driving ability, despite its fancy name and the pronouncements of its CEO, is only Level 2, or "partial automated driving" under the definition of SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers). Other autonomous-vehicle makers, including Tesla, are collecting data from mass-produced L2 vehicles to train L4 algorithms.
"It's a car, and, even more so, a robot," said Jidu CEO Joe Xia.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz is offering its Drive Pilot Level 3 autonomous driving system on S-Class and EQS sedans in Germany. Level 3 handles all aspects of driving, but it requires that the driver remain ready to regain control if requested. Drivers need not keep their eyes on the road, but Drive Pilot will disengage if the driver's face is obscured.
That raises the question of what Robo-01 can do that the Mercedes Drive Pilot cannot. And what features will Robo-01 use to keep drivers' hands on the wheel, as required under current Chinese law? Answers to those questions may have to wait until Robo-01 ships.
Regardless of the car's official autonomy designation, Baidu has billed its self-driving package, Apollo, as having Level 4 capabilities. That includes what the company calls a Point-to-Point Autopilot, designed to handle highway, city street, and parking scenarios. Jidu is conducting further tests in Beijing and Shanghai to ensure that its Point-to-Point Autopilot will cover all major cities in China.
The absence of a steering wheel is a statement in itself.
Chinese regulations do allow Level 4 in robotaxis that operate within designated geofenced areas, and Apollo has already shown what it can do in Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxis, which have delivered more than 1 million rides in at least 10 cities across China. Baidu recently unveiled its latest autonomous robotaxi, the Level-4 Apollo RT6, which has a detachable steering wheel. The absence of a steering wheel is a statement in itself, and it frees up cabin space for extra seating or even desktops, gaming consoles, and vending machines.
China could well become the world's largest market for autonomous vehicles, with fully autonomous vehicles accounting for more than 40 percent of the country's new vehicle sales in 2040, and 12 percent of the vehicle installed base, according to global consulting firm McKinsey.
In 2018, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transportation, published standards for setting up road-test facilities for intelligent automobiles. Soon after, provinces and cities across China began setting up their own road-testing facilities.
Of the many Chinese companies already preparing to enter the autonomous vehicle market, Baidu is the biggest player. Its Apollo open-source software development platform launched in 2017. Two years later, the company was granted the first Level 4 road-test licenses in the country. More recently it received fully driverless permits in Wuhan and Chongqing, making Baidu the only company of its kind in China to provide ride-hailing services without any human drivers present in the car, as Waymo does in Phoenix and Cruise does in San Francisco. Meanwhile, its Abolong L4 Autonomous Bus is operating commercially in enclosed campuses in at least 24 Chinese cities.
The Robo-01 is powered by a 100-kilowatt-hour lithium battery from Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in about 4 seconds and can go 600 km on a charge.
So, the car can drive far, and it can drive fast. But can it drive itself? We'll find out in 2023.
This article appears in the January 2023 print issue as "Baidu and Geely Will Mass-Produce an Autonomous EV."
This article was updated on 6 December 2022.
Top Tech 2023
Top Tech 2023: A Special Report
Preview exciting technical developments for the coming year.
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Fortescue will need more electricity-generating capacity than France.
An Airship Resurgence
Pathfinder 1 could herald a new era for zeppelins
A New Way to Speed Up Computing
Blue microLEDs bring optical fiber to the processor.
The Personal-Use eVTOL Is (Almost) Here
Opener's BlackFly is a pulp-fiction fever dream with wings.
Baidu Will Make an Autonomous EV
Its partnership with Geely aims at full self-driving mode.
China Builds New Breeder Reactors
The power plants could also make weapons-grade plutonium.
Economics Drives a Ray-Gun Resurgence
Lasers should be cheap enough to use against drones.
A Cryptocurrency for the Masses or a Universal ID?
What Worldcoin's killer app will be is not yet clear.
IBM's Quantum Leap
The company's Condor chip will boast more than 1,000 qubits.
Arthritis Gets a Jolt
Vagus-nerve stimulation promises to help treat autoimmune disorders.
Smartphones Become Satphones
New satellites can connect directly to your phone.
Exascale Comes to Europe
The E.U.'s first exascale supercomputer will be built in Germany.
The Short List
A dozen more tech milestones to watch for in 2023.
Toyota Becomes Largest Car Company to Test Driverless Cars on Public Roads ›
People Want Driverless Cars with Utilitarian Ethics, Unless They're a Passenger ›
Deep Learning Makes Driverless Cars Better at Spotting Pedestrians ›
Making Driverless Cars More Expressive ›
Self-driving cars were supposed to take over the road. What ... ›
Cars That Are Almost Self-Driving in 2022 | U.S. News ›
Are we going too fast on driverless cars? | Science | AAAS ›
Keep Reading ↓Show less


(1).Access to capital for growth with opportunities to raise funds both at the time of listing and at later stages.
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(4).Higher profile and visibility in the market could generate reassurance among the company's customers and suppliers.
(5).Increased corporate transparency could lead to the grant of credit lines on more competitive terms from the company's bankers.
(6).Greater efficiency resulting from rigorous disclosure standards demanded of listed issuers will lead to an improvement in their control, management information and operating systems.
Whatever your reasons for listing, it is important that you consider and discuss with your advisers all the factors which are specific to your company and the vision of its management.
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This week, the Senate began consideration of the fiscal year (FY) 2017 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has offered an amendment to the bill that would eliminate funding for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), but it is not yet clear when the amendment may be considered on the Senate floor. Consideration of the bill will stretch into next week, when the Senate is expected to consider two amendments related to firearm regulation. NADO will continue to provide updates on amendments related to EDA funding.


Since silencing a host of their critics with a resounding Ulster quarter-final win over Tyrone last month, Donegal have taken a familiar approach.
Manager Jim McGuinness had placed continual importance on the May 26 meeting, so much so he was accused of putting Donegal's eggs in a solitary basket to the detriment of their Allianz Division One status.
The league was effectively treated as pre-season but when Donegal comprehensively overcame Tyrone, 2-10 to 0-10, the questions receded. It was as if they were never asked.
Michael Murphy led Donegal out that day and kicked six points to ensure the All-Ireland champions began to defence of their bread and butter, the Ulster championship, in a competent manner.
"It's kinda funny in a way," Murphy says of the focus that was put on the Tyrone match last month.
"As players, all we were looking at too was May 26. It only became a bit more obvious afterwards that others were questioning us.
"We actually weren't aware of that or any outside distractions in the lead-up. All we were looking at was May 26.
"But every day you ever go out there to play a game of football, there will be questions asked of you.
Donegal's priority has always been the next championship match. It's a straightforward theory but some find that difficult to fathom.
For those involved, it's not so complex. Down at Breffni Park, this Sunday, is the latest point of concentration.
However, it's occasionally overlooked that for much of that first half Down matched Donegal stride for stride.
Only Leo McLoone's goal on the half-hour gave Donegal a narrow advantage, 1-5 to 0-7.
And for a man who had to wait almost four years for this first provincial championship win, Murphy's gradual approach in understandable.
"We've spoken this week about how our first half last year was patchy," Murphy adds. "It won't do on Sunday. We've still a few things we need to iron out as performance and result are two different things.
"The result against Tyrone was good but we've had to work on elements of our performance. Jim and Rory Gallagher have created an environment where we look at things and analyse them to try and improve.


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Singapore looks forward to deepening ties with India: Prime Minister Lee
BUDGET 2020: United In Action
I am sure many of you have been closely following the recent budget speech by our Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Mr HengSweeKeat where he had outlined many measures to help Singaporeans both individuals and companies tackle the sudden turn of events in the economy as a result of Covid-19. Before sharing with you my thoughts of how we as a community can respond and rise to these challenges, let us take a quick look at some of the key announcements made in Budget 2020, delivered in Parliament on 18 February 2020.
Budget 2020 is presented against a backdrop of the on-going COVID-19 outbreak, as well as broader uncertainties in the landscape. There are also long-term shifts taking place around the world. Among them a decline in support for globalisation, a shift in economic weight towards Asia, technological disruption, and an ageing population in many countries.
Immediate Responses
The Government's immediate concern is to protect Singaporeans from the risk of a further spread of the COVID-19 virus. $800 million will be set aside for the Ministry of Health and other ministries to respond to this outbreak.
Equally important, there are concerns on the economy and jobs. A $4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package will help workers and enterprises weather near-term economic uncertainties. The Government will introduce a Jobs Support Scheme to provide wage support to enterprises that retain local workers, and enhance the Wage Credit Scheme to help enterprises with the cost of wage increases. For companies and businesses, there is the corporate income tax rebate for YA 2020, and introduce other measures to help enterprises with their cash flow.
One big question in everybody's mind was the recent plans to increase the goods and services tax or GST from the current 7 percent to nine percent sometime between 2021 to 2025. Well, the Finance Minster brought some good news for all of us.
Considering the current state of the economy, Finance Minister Heng told the nation that the planned GST rate increase will not take effect in 2021.
Even then, when the GST rate is raised, the Government will provide a $6 billion Assurance Package to cushion the increase for all Singaporeans.
These are just some of the slew of announcements made in Budget 2020. Of course there are many more about helping households and families with utility rebates, more support for growing families and boosting education. But all these goodies and announcements in Budget 2020 will come to zero if we as a community do not put our heads and hands together to rise up to the challenge and make our community and society a better one. Let's look at this issue a bit deeper now.
Our Response as a community
Our first and most important response as a community will be to give the measures announced by the government our fullest support. Be it as an individual or as an enterprise or business. There will always be the argument and concern that more could have been done in a particular area. But let us remember that the government has also given the assurance that if the situation worsens, the government is ready to do even more as emphasised by DPM Heng when he spoke in Parliament to wrap up the debate on the Budget 2020.
Next take fullest advantage of the various schemes which the government has announced to help workers and companies upskill and remain profitable and viable even in these difficult times. There is a top up to your SkillsFuture account. If you have not utilised your skills future funds for training purpose, now is the time to do so to make full use of the opportunities to equip yourself with skills you had most wanted to learn. If you are a union member, you can also make additional use of UTAP- the fund provided for training and assistance by the labour movement.
Companies facing a downtime in their business need not fear too. The government has made several important announcements to help them defray their business costs and at the same time send their workers for upskilling and training. Now is the time for our Indian businesses to harness these schemes and improve their business acumen and profitability efforts. Do try your best to avoid retrenching workers but make use of steps to cut down your business costs by perhaps asking them to work shorter weeks or take no pay leave for a period of time and then allow them to come back to work. Let us avoid leaving a family in distress by laying off their breadwinner. I am sure we as a community can rise to the occasion.
Thirdly and most importantly, let us help one another in the community to identify people and families who ned help and then refer them to the appropriate agencies, community development councils, social service agencies etc to get them the targeted help they need. We must look out for one another in our community so that we quickly stop anyone from falling through the cracks. If you know someone in the grassroots organisation or your constituency advisor himself, I am sure they would only be too happy to help the concerned individual and family lift up from difficulties through the many schemes the government has to help needy Singaporeans.
Our Singapore, Our Tomorrow
Here is what DPM Heng said when he concluded his Budget speech in Parliament 28 February 2020. e Singapore.
"Let us never stop thinking for tomorrow. In the long and never-ending journey of nation-building, each generation of Singaporeans are relay runners. May we always take good care of what we have inherited, run our best race, and pass on a better future to those who come after us."
And that is precisely what our community has to do too- run the race together, lookout for one another and build a better Singapore with our brothers and sisters of all races, religions and communities.
By S Ramesh
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: how to store php object to access its data on click with javascript I'm trying to figure out the least obtrusive and least computationally expensive way to store PHP objects coming from my MySQL database such that their data can be rendered by JavaScript on click by a user.
Currently, I'm storing the data as custom attributes on a button. But this generates a lot of code and I've heard is "slow". I'm wondering if I should JSON encode my PHP object, $items (see below), and how that JavaScript would then look. Note I'm using Codeigniter for the PHP so that's what up with the alternate foreach loop syntax.
Here's where I'm at so far with the HTML/PHP:

<? foreach($items as $item):?>
<button data-id="<?=$item->id?>" data-url="<?=$item->url?>" data-img="<?=$item->img?>">click<?=$item->id?></button>
<?endforeach;?>

And here's my JS:
$(document.body).on('click', 'button', function(){
   var $this=$(this), id=$this.data('id'), url=$this.data('url'), img=$this.data('img');
   $('#img').attr('src', img);
   $('#url').attr('href', url).html(url);
});

Most of my site's data is coming from PHP via MySQL and I've long been confused by the issue of when should I convert that data to a JavaScript array/JSON or not.

A: If you json_encode your $items array (assuming it only consists of data you will want in JS), you can assign this to a JS variable:

You can then remove the data-url and data-img attributes. Then, within your JS code:
var $this = $(this), id = $this.data('id'), url = items[id].url, img = items[id].img;
// the rest of your code

Edit: when you move the click handler in a separate file, you would get something like this:
function setup_click(items) {
    var $img = $('#img'), $url = $('#url');

    $('button').click(function(evt) {
           var id = $(this).data('id'),
           url = String(items[id].url),
           img=String(items[id].img);
       $url.attr('href', url).html(url);
           $img.attr('src', img);
    });
}

here's a JSfiddle showing off the javascript/JSON part: http://jsfiddle.net/fz5ZT/55/
To call this in one shot from your template:

Hope that helps :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Generate a new element different from 1000 elements of an array I was asked this questions in an interview. Consider the scenario of punched cards, where each punched card has 64 bit pattern. I was suggested each card as an int since each int is a collection of bits.
Also, to be considered that I have an array which already contains 1000 such cards. I have to generate a new element everytime which is different from the previous 1000 cards. The integers(aka cards) in the array are not necessarily sorted.
Even more, how would that be possible the question was for C++, where does the 64 bit int comes from and how can I generate this new card from the array where the element to be generated is different from all the elements already present in the array?

A: There are 264 64 bit integers, a number that is so much
larger than 1000 that the simplest solution would be to just generate a
random 64 bit number, and then verify that it isn't in the table of
already generated numbers.  (The probability that it is is
infinitesimal, but you might as well be sure.)
Since most random number generators do not generate 64 bit values, you
are left with either writing your own, or (much simpler), combining the
values, say by generating 8 random bytes, and memcpying them into a
uint64_t.
As for verifying that the number isn't already present, std::find is
just fine for one or two new numbers; if you have to do a lot of
lookups, sorting the table and using a binary search would be
worthwhile.  Or some sort of a hash table.

A: I may be missing something, but most of the other answers appear to me as overly complicated.
Just sort the original array and then start counting from zero: if the current count is in the array skip it, otherwise you have your next number. This algorithm is O(n), where n is the number of newly generated numbers: both sorting the array and skipping existing numbers are constants. Here's an example:
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
unsigned array[] = { 98, 1, 24, 66, 20, 70, 6, 33, 5, 41 };

unsigned count = 0;
unsigned index = 0;

int main() {
  std::sort(array, array + 10);
  while ( count < 100 ) {
    if ( count > array[index] )
      ++index;
    else {
      if ( count < array[index] )
        std::cout << count << std::endl;
      ++count;
    }
  }
}

A: Here's an O(n) algorithm:
int64 generateNewValue(list_of_cards)
{
    return find_max(list_of_cards)+1;
}

Note: As @amit points out below, this will fail if INT64_MAX is already in the list.
As far as I'm aware, this is the only way you're going to get O(n).  If you want to deal with that (fairly important) edge case, then you're going to have to do some kind of proper sort or search, which will take you to O(n log n).

A: @arne is almost there. What you need is a self-balancing interval tree, which can be built in O(n lg n) time.
Then take the top node, which will store some interval [i, j]. By the properties of an interval tree, both i-1 and j+1 are valid candidates for a new key, unless i = UINT64_MIN or j = UINT64_MAX. If both are true, then you've stored 2^64 elements and you can't possibly generate a new element. Store the new element, which takes O(lg n) worst-case time.
I.e.: init takes O(n lg n), generate takes O(lg n). Both are worst-case figures. The greatest thing about this approach is that the top node will keep "growing" (storing larger intervals) and merging with its successor or predecessor, so the tree will actually shrink in terms of memory use and eventually the time per operation decays to O(1). You also won't waste any numbers, so you can keep generating until you've got 2^64 of them.

A: This algorithm has O(N lg N) initialisation, O(1) query and O(N) memory usage. I assume you have some integer type which I will refer to as int64 and that it can represent the integers [0, int64_max].

*

*Sort the numbers

*Create a linked list containing intervals [u, v]

*Insert [1, first number - 1]

*For each of the remaining numbers, insert [prev number + 1, current number - 1]

*Insert [last number + 1, int64_max]
You now have a list representing the numbers which are not used. You can simply iterate over them to generate new numbers.

A: I think the way to go is to use some kind of hashing. So you store your cards in some buckets based on lets say on MOD operation. Until you create some sort of indexing you are stucked with looping over the whole array.
IF you have a look on HashSet implementation in java you might get a clue.
Edit: I assume you wanted them to be random numbers, if you don't mind sequence MAX+1 below is good solution :)

A: You could build a binary tree of the already existing elements and traverse it until you find a node whose depth is not 64 and which has less than two child nodes. You can then construct a "missing" child node and have a new element. The should be fairly quick, in the order of about O(n) if I'm not mistaken.

A: bool seen[1001] = { false };
for each element of the original array
    if the element is in the range 0..1000
        seen[element] = true
find the index for the first false value in seen

A: Initialization:
Don't sort the list.
Create a new array 1000 long containing 0..999.
Iterate the list and, if any number is in the range 0..999, invalidate it in the new array by replacing the value in the new array with the value of the first item in the list.
Insertion:
Use an incrementing index to the new array.  If the value in the new array at this index is not the value of the first element in the list, add it to the list, else check the value from the next position in the new array.
When the new array is used up, refill it using 1000..1999 and invalidating existing values as above. Yes, this is looping over the list, but it doesn't have to be done for each insertion.
Near O(1) until the list gets so large that occasionally iterating it for invalidation of the 'new' new array becomes significant.  Maybe you could mitigate this by using a new array that grows, maybee always the size of the list?
Rgds,
Martin

A: Put them all into a hash table of size > 1000, and find the empty cell (this is the parking problem). Generate a key for that. This will of course work better for bigger table size. The table needs only 1-bit entries.
EDIT: this is the pigeonhole principle.
This needs "modulo tablesize" (or some other "semi-invertible" function) for a hash function.
unsigned hashtab[1001] = {0,};
unsigned long long long long numbers[1000] = { ... };

void init (void)
{
unsigned idx;

for (idx=0; idx < 1000; idx++) {
    hashtab [ numbers[idx] % 1001 ] += 1; }

}

unsigned long long long long generate(void)
{
unsigned idx;

for (idx = 0; idx < 1001; idx++) {
    if ( !hashtab [ idx] ) break;  }

return idx + rand() * 1001;
}

A: Based on the solution here: question on array and number
Since there are 1000 numbers, if we consider their remainders with 1001, at least one remainder will be missing. We can pick that as our missing number.
So we maintain an array of counts: C[1001], which will maintain the number of integers with remainder r (upon dividing by 1001) in C[r].
We also maintain a set of numbers for which C[j] is 0 (say using a linked list).
When we move the window over, we decrement the count of the first element (say remainder i), i.e. decrement C[i]. If C[i] becomes zero we add i to the set of numbers. We update the C array with the new number we add.
If we need one number, we just pick a random element from the set of j for which C[j] is 0.
This is O(1) for new numbers and O(n) initially.
This is similar to other solutions but not quite.

A: How about something simple like this:
1) Partition the array into numbers equal and below 1000 and above
2) If all the numbers fit within the lower partition then choose 1001 (or any number greater than 1000) and we're done.
3) Otherwise we know that there must exist a number between 1 and 1000 that doesn't exist within the lower partition.
4) Create a 1000 element array of bools, or a 1000-element long bitfield, or whatnot and initialize the array to all 0's
5) For each integer in the lower partition, use its value as an index into the array/bitfield and set the corresponding bool to true (ie: do a radix sort)
6) Go over the array/bitfield and pick any unset value's index as the solution
This works in O(n) time, or since we've bounded everything by 1000, technically it's O(1), but O(n) time and space in general. There are three passes over the data, which isn't necessarily the most elegant approach, but the complexity remains O(n).

A: you can create a new array with the numbers that are not in the original array, then just pick one from this new array.
¿O(1)?


text:
Lilly Family School of PhilanthropyFresh perspectives from the world of philanthropy
Magnifying impact: building nonprofit capacity in Wichita, Kansas
Posted on February 28, 2019 by Abby Rolland
The Wichita cohort poses with The Fund Raising School faculty member Melissa Brown. Photo courtesy of Terry Johnson
We've featured multiple different community foundations who utilize The Fund Raising School for different classes and in various structures. Many of these organizations work with Liz Jackson, associate director at The Fund Raising School, to bring in faculty members to teach to the nonprofits that the foundations support. Many of the featured foundations come from Indiana as well.
So how does it work when a foundation wants to send its grantees to public courses, and that foundation is in Wichita, Kansas?
Short answer: It's not a problem. And a partnership forms that benefits all parties involved.
Courtney Bengtson, director of strategic initiatives at Wichita Community Foundation (WCF), spoke about the foundation's program Magnify. The program takes the portion of discretionary funds that the foundation receives and uses it in experimental ways to facilitate programs, learning, and nonprofit professional development.
"One of the first things that typically gets cut from nonprofit budgets is professional development. So, we want to provide training to staff members and organizations to help make a stronger community here, which is our ultimate goal," Bengtson explained.
In a first iteration of the program, the foundation offered nonprofit professionals the opportunity to attend conferences relevant to them and their organization via an application process. While the grantees learned the opportunities to attend, the foundation staff realized it was not sustainable.
"We knew the program would keep growing, so we needed to adjust to serve the needs of nonprofit staff at a more efficient rate," Bengtson said.
"We started by identifying specific themes that our grantees looked for at these conferences. Fundraising, sustainability, and grantwriting were by far the top three needs. We had staff members attend The Fund Raising School previously, so we knew the reputability of the organization."
After working with Jackson on the structure of the partnership, WCF planned to send four cohorts of 7-8 grantees to one of four public courses, based on the interests of past Magnify participants – Principles and Techniques of Fundraising, Developing Annual Sustainability, Fundraising for Small Nonprofits, and Proposal Writing and Grant Management. Applications for the program numbered so high that the foundation increased the number of cohorts to six.
Instead of bringing The Fund Raising School and a custom program to Wichita, the foundation recognized the benefit in sending the cohorts to Indianapolis to participate in public courses.
"Based on previous research that we had conducted, grantees saw value in getting away from their every day job. We also saw that these small groups created cohesion, and this cohort model has worked well," Bengtson explained.
Upon returning to Wichita, grantees were invited to take part in a group cohort lunch with Bengtson and WCF board members to discuss what they learned, how the foundation could provide support moving forward, and what would enhance the program.
The Annual Sustainability course. Photo courtesy of Terry Johnson
And what's been the feedback so far? Take it from the participants themselves.
"The Fund Raising School courses serve as a way to make sure we are spending resources on the things that will have the best return for the organization."
–Angela Cassette, Development Director for Music Theatre Wichita
"We've started a peer to peer campaign among our board members, and challenged them to raise personal funds by contacting their friends and circles."
–Susan Moellinger, Co-founder and Vice Chair of Passageways, Ltd.
"In my 13+ years of development, this was the best educational course/session I had. From the course with the school, I now know what information I need to pull from our database to be able to utilize the predictive templates and charts. I've also already begun using the metrics provided by the course to review previous years of fundraising success at the station."
–Jessica Treadwell, Director of Major and Planned Gifts at KMUW Radio Station
"We have begun work on developing what our action steps are for our unique solicitation cycle, as well as identified who our constituents were and how to best engage them. With this one course, we are well on our way to meeting our 10-year growth goals."
–Terry Johnson, Founder and Executive Director for Project Teacher
Bengtson noted another positive takeaway from the course as well: The cohorts meeting regularly outside of the structure the Foundation provided, and using each other as a sounding board. "Missions and goals vary among the organizations, so it's unlikely that they would have engaged with people from their cohort in an everyday setting," she said. "The reality is though, that regardless of their missions, they faced many of the same issues, so the course provided an opportunity to network with one another."
Participants agreed. "I greatly appreciated networking with other nonprofit peers from Wichita, as well as other states," explained Jessica Boone, Development Associate and Event Coordinator at HopeNet. "Knowing and discussing with other peers who understand provided much needed support and relief!"
As a whole, what's the benefit of a partnership between a foundation in Kansas and a school in Indianapolis?
For Bengtson, the partnership is simple: "The Fund Raising School provides training that we know is credible, relevant, and well-received across the sector. We've been able to offer these opportunities to learn from the experts for these nonprofit professionals, who would be unable to attend the course otherwise.
"It's an experimental project, but one we've seen works well. We recognize the value of the nonprofit sector, and how it has a large economic impact for our city, so these courses are incredibly important."
And the next steps?
"We want to figure out how we can support these nonprofits further, and continue this partnership," Bengtson said, "not only to bring new people into the fold and provide them with training, but to also help the people who've attended this year to think about what's next for them and how their courses and learning can be taken even further."
Have you had professional training with The Fund Raising School? What was it like? Leave a comment below!
Filed under: FundraisingTagged capacity, Courtney Bengtson, impact, Magnify, partnership, professional development, The Fund Raising School, Wichita Community Foundation
Philanthropy is an art of diplomacy
Philanthropy is not a Top-Ten Threat to Democracy
Fundraising and Leadership
Top 10 Tips for Fundraisers in 2020
Discovering one's passions: A day in the life of master's student Connor LaGrange
Categories Select Category Alumni Diversity and Philanthropy Faculty Insights Faith and Philanthropy Fundraising Gender and Philanthropy Public Policy Research Staff Profiles Student Spotlights Topical News Uncategorized
Lisa F Brown on Top 10 Tips for Fundraisers in 2020
klinik aborsi on 'Seeing doers doing': A reflection on reshaping black philanthropy
klinik aborsi on Why do people give?
Anita Garg on Marketing for nonprofit professionals: 4+1 takeaways from The Fund Raising School
Dana RH Doan on An eye towards the future: Trust-based funding
alumni Andrea Pactor bachelor's degree Bill Stanczykiewicz charitable giving community development diversity donor Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising faculty faith fundraising gender generosity Generosity for Life giving impact internship IUPUI Lake Institute on Faith & Giving Leslie Lenkowsky Lilly Family School of Philanthropy master's degree master's students Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy nonprofit nonprofits partnership passion Patricia Snell Herzog Ph.D. philanthropic studies philanthropy Rafia Khader research service student students technology The Fund Raising School undergraduate volunteering women's philanthropy Women's Philanthropy Institute


Since first opening our doors in 1973, Clintar Landscape Management has grown to become one of the largest and most widely recognized landscape management companies in North America. Servicing a multitude of high profile customers including property management firms, government institutions, commercial and industrial Fortune 500 companies, hospitals and more, we know what it takes to make properties stand out.
From landscape management, landscape enhancements, snow and ice control and parking lot maintenance, we are proud to offer our clients all the services required to keep their outdoor spaces looking immaculate, no matter the season.
We take the time to understand the unique needs and vision of each of our clients and work hard to provide landscapes that don't just meet their expectations, but exceed them.
During the winter season, Clintar crews are on the job around the clock, ensuring properties remain accessible and free of hazardous snow and ice accumulations. When you trust Clintar with your landscape management needs, you'll enjoy service as impressive as the properties we serve.
Clintar Landscape Management is owned by TruServe Groundscare Inc.


ON AIR – and on point!
There are two shows currently airing that are, in my opinion, good enough to keep up with on a weekly basis.
The other show is called Temperature of Love, about a TV writer (Seo Hyun-Jin) and a Chef (Yang Se-Jong) who fall in love… but due to age differences (the dreaded noona romance, sigh, but whatever… I'm going with it) and circumstances, their relationship fell apart before it really got started. Now they are meeting again five years later – more secure in their careers but more insecure in their feelings.
The story line is solid and interesting, but I'll be honest and confess one of the biggest reasons I am sticking around (for a show that will apparently run for 40 freakin' episodes) is because Kim Jae-Wook is playing this mysterious, cool badass CEO who is interested in our lead female. Of course, that will go no where, cause… duh. But I'm just fascinated by his odd, reserved and loner character. Plus… whoa. He is looking mighty fine… just… better looking each year, in my opinion.
The Temperature of Love is hot. Fan me!
Full reviews once they both finish… in a month or two or three or four… whenever.


Irene Kochevar, Thomas Gisel, Erol Verter, Giuliano Scarcelli, Seok Yun, Robert Webb, Robert Redmond, Samir Melki; Crosslinking Corneal Collagen using Rose Bengal and Green Light. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(15):5286.
Purpose: We have previously shown that Rose Bengal (RB) plus green light markedly stiffens the corneal stroma by a rapid collagen crosslinking process that is not toxic to keratocytes. The goals of this study were to determine the spatial localization of crosslinks, identify mechanisms and evaluate treatment safety.
Methods: RB (0.1% in PBS) was applied to de-epithelialized rabbit cornea ex vivo for 2 min. The diffusion distance of RB into the stroma was evaluated on frozen sections by fluorescence microscopy. After irradiation of RB-stained cornea with green (532 nm) light from a KTP laser (10 min, 150 J/cm2), the spatial distribution of increased elastic modulus was determined by Brillouin scattering microscopy and the average stromal stiffness was measured by uniaxial tensiometry. The availability of oxygen in the stroma for the crosslinking mechanism was evaluated by absorption spectroscopy during the irradiation. The irradiance and fluence on the retina of a model eye was measured using a newly designed light delivery system and compared to the ANSI standard damage thresholds.
Results: RB penetration into the stroma was limited to ~120 µm from the anterior surface and did not increase over time. Consistent with this distribution, Brillouin microscopy demonstrated increased elastic modulus localized to the most anterior 120 µm of the stroma. Photo-crosslinking increased the average stromal stiffness by four-fold compared to untreated control cornea. Irradiation of RB-stained cornea in the absence of oxygen shifted the absorption maximum from 562 nm to 520 nm, a signature of photoproducts formed only under anoxic conditions. During photo-crosslinking the absorption maximum did not change suggesting an oxygen-dependent crosslinking mechanism. The irradiance and fluence at the retina of a model eye during the treatment were at least 20-fold below the ANSI damage threshold for thermal or photochemical damage.
Conclusions: The shallow penetration of RB into corneal stroma and formation of crosslinks within 120 µm of the anterior surface suggest that thin corneas of keratoconus or other ectatic cornea conditions can be treated. Photo-crosslinking rapidly and substantially increases cornea stiffness using safe retinal exposure levels of green light.


text:
Q: How to access graph after re-login on AgensGraph? Unable to access graph after re-login.
I created new graph named "graph" and access my graph.
But, Unable to access my graph after re-login.
$ agens
agens (AgensGraph 2.1.0, based on PostgreSQL 10.4)
Type "help" for help.

agens=# create graph graph;
CREATE GRAPH
agens=# match (n) return n;
 n
---
(0 rows)

agens=# \quit
$ agens
agens (AgensGraph 2.1.0, based on PostgreSQL 10.4)
Type "help" for help.

agens=# match (n) return n;
ERROR:  graph_path is NULL
HINT:  Use SET graph_path

I want to access graph my own.

A: You must set "graph_path" before using graph.
To avoid inconvenience, use "alter user ... set graph_path" for binding user to specific graph.
$ agens
agens (AgensGraph 2.1.0, based on PostgreSQL 10.4)
Type "help" for help.

agens=# match (n) return n;
ERROR:  graph_path is NULL
HINT:  Use SET graph_path
agens=# set graph_path to graph;
SET
agens=# match (n) return n;
 n
---
(0 rows)

agens=# alter user agens set graph_path to graph;
ALTER ROLE
agens=# \quit
$ agens
agens (AgensGraph 2.1.0, based on PostgreSQL 10.4)
Type "help" for help.

agens=# match (n) return n;
 n
---
(0 rows)

agens=#


text:
Flora é uma cidade  localizada no estado americano de Mississippi, no Condado de Madison.

Demografia
Segundo o censo americano de 2000, a sua população era de 1546 habitantes.
Em 2006, foi estimada uma população de 1492, um decréscimo de 54 (-3.5%).

Geografia
De acordo com o United States Census Bureau tem uma área de
8,8 km², dos quais 8,8 km² cobertos por terra e 0,0 km² cobertos por água. Flora localiza-se a aproximadamente 64 m acima do nível do mar.

Localidades na vizinhança
O diagrama seguinte representa as localidades num raio de 28 km ao redor de Flora.

Ligações externas

Cidades do Mississippi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA): Today's Featured Consumer Goods Winner
Tesla Motors was a winner within the consumer goods sector, rising $2.02 (7%) to $30.79 on heavy volume.
) pushed the Consumer Goods sector higher today making it today's featured consumer goods winner. The sector as a whole closed the day down 0.4%. By the end of trading, Tesla Motors rose $2.02 (7%) to $30.79 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 2.4 million shares of Tesla Motors exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.2 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $30-$31.34 after having opened the day at $30.10 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $28.77. Other companies within the Consumer Goods sector that increased today were:
Exceed Company
), up 10.3%,
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide
QTWW
), up 8.9%,
Fuwei Films Company
), up 8.3%, and
Tandy Brands Accessories
TBAC
), up 7.8%.
Tesla Motors, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and electric vehicle powertrain components. The company offers Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car. Tesla Motors has a market cap of $3.01 billion and is part of the
industry. Shares are up 0.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are six analysts that rate Tesla Motors a buy, two analysts rate it a sell, and two rate it a hold.
TheStreet Ratings rates Tesla Motors as a
. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins and solid stock price performance. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and feeble growth in the company's earnings per share.
You can view the full Tesla Ratings Report.
On the negative front,
ATC Venture Group
), down 16.1%,
Shiner International
Chromcraft Revington
), down 9.8%, and
Orient Paper
), down 9.4%, were all losers within the consumer goods sector with
) being today's consumer goods sector loser.
Use our consumer goods section to find sector-relevant news.
Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.
For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the consumer goods sector could consider
iShares Dow Jones US Cons Goods
IYK
) while those bearish on the consumer goods sector could consider
ProShares Ultra Sht Consumer Goods
Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.


text:
Financial Commission Announces DegerFX as Latest Approved Member
The Financial Commission / Commission News / Financial Commission Announces DegerFX as Latest Approved Member
March 07, 2022, The Financial Commission today announces DegerFX as its newest approved Member. The company becomes the latest online brokerage to join the ranks of the self-regulatory organization, highlighting the increased interest and demand for independent external dispute resolution (EDR) services among FX industry participants.
DegerFX status as an Approved Broker Members of the Financial Commission took effect on March 07, 2022, following the approval of its membership application by the Financial Commission, thus allowing the companies and its customers access to a wide range of services and membership benefits including, but not limited to, protection for up to €20,000 per the submitted complaint, backed by the Financial Commission's Compensation Fund.
The Financial Commission provides brokerages and their customers with an unbiased 3rd party mediation platform that helps resolve complaints in instances when parties are unable to directly come to an agreement over disputes.
For approved members and their clients participating in CFDs, foreign exchange (forex), and cryptocurrency markets, the Financial Commission helps facilitate a simpler, swifter resolution process than through typical regulatory channels such as arbitration or local court systems.
DegerFX joins a diverse range of brokerages and independent service providers (ISPs) that utilize the services of the Financial Commission and as part of their commitment to their clients while upholding membership requirements.
About DegerFX
DegerFX is a licensed brokerage house where you can safely perform your forex transactions. Providing individual and institutional forex services in local and global markets, DeğerFX has adopted the principle of offering its investors the right trading opportunities at the right time, world-renowned liquidity providers, fast order transmission and accurate pricing.
For more information about DegerFX, contact them directly.
About Financial Commission
Financial Commission is an independent external dispute resolution (EDR) organization for consumers/traders who are unable to resolve disputes directly with their financial services providers that are members of the Financial Commission. The Financial Commission initially set out to provide a new approach for traders and brokers alike to resolve any issues that arise in the course of trading electronic markets such as Foreign Exchange, and then expanded into CFDs and related derivatives, in addition to certifying technology platforms used for trading.
For more information please contact us at [email protected].


Co30 HQ - Why was I kicked or banned from your server?
Home FAQs Why was I kicked or banned from your server?
Why was I kicked or banned from your server?
Before going any further, if you haven't already, please review the Co30 server rules and regulations.
1) You were abruptly removed from a game without warning for any reason!
2) You find yourself "UTAN" banned.
3) A Co30 player removed you during game play.
1) Because Co30 can't always be on the server to moderate and keep the server enjoyable for all, we use a chat filter and a nickname filter. You're warned in the message of the day each time you connect and repeatedly during game play - using foul or abusive language will result in removal. If it happened to you, you will have seen this screen below.
The chat filter automatically removes players for language. It unfortunately doesn't interpret the context of the chat. Sometimes you slip, that's fine we're not going to ban you for ever. Chat filter bans are only "Session Bans" meaning you can rejoin the server at the start of the next map without issue. If you rejoin and start up with the language again, it will remove you again. If you continue with abusive or vulgar chat using "type around methods" on a regular basis we may temporarily ban you for some period and you may then see the following ban type.
Co30 uses the UTAN mod to organize server bans. It provides users a means of appeal via the ID number. Please make note your Ban ID if making an inquiry as to why. Two categories of bans exist. Permanent - because we detected a file used to cheat in UT2004 on your system, or you were botting obviously online and detected by Co30 players. Annoyance – usually temporary, you either used exceptionally foul language or vulgarities, or you are of such an annoyance to Co30 or other regular players, that it's best if you don't play here. In either case you can use the ut-admin email address shown in the first screen shot above to inquire why if you wish to appeal a UTAN ban. Please provide the ban ID and online player name in your email. Any appeal made in the Co30 forums will be responded to via private message.
3) All Co30 members have admin rights on the server. A Co30 player will warn you online about your behavior prior to removal. We usually ask nicely. If your behavior doesn't change, we will probably ask a second time…and then if you continue the kick/ban followed. There are two types of bans you may see if an admin removes you. Usually stage one is a just a kick to get your attention. You'll see this screen. You can immediately return to the game.
If on your return you continue the behavior that got you kicked the first time, you may end up seeing this screen next, a permanent IP ban.
This type of ban with its associated log files or notes will usually be transferred to a UTAN ban. See section 2 for details.
Well if you made it this far, Co30's don't ban people for fun, or because you were better than us, or you were winning too much. It's either to do with cheat files, your ongoing language problem or unsporting behavior.
From September 2004 to June 14 2009, we've had over 26,866 unique visitors, playing over 60700 games. There are currently 101 cheat bans in place and 8 annoyance bans. Only 109 people out of 26,866 visitors, that's not bad! Annoyance bans are reviewed on occasion and sometimes cleared without player appeal. There's a price to pay for cheats however - cheat bans are permanent.


text:
Bill Wiggin : I echo the Minister's kind comments about the Chairman of the Select Committee, and indeed the Chairman of the Standing Committee. Their help and hard work were greatly appreciated.
I think we are all familiar with the problems and issues that have been present throughout the scrutiny of our proposals. As the Minister said in Committee, the Bill is not about more powers for the Assembly, but about responsibilities for developing policies and strategies for the benefit of transport in Wales. However, the Assembly's responsibility to implement the policies as well is just one of the aspects that have created problems that are still present. We should all like to see positive changes in the delivery of transport services in Wales, and I am sure that everyone here hopes that the Bill will achieve them. Yet since the outset we have had a number of concerns, which remain unsolved to an extent. They were addressed in Committee, but we must be sure that the Government are genuinely committed to living up to the assurances they have given.
In Committee, the Minister admitted:
"There may well be severe problems developing policies within Wales."
If that is what the representative of the Government feels about the Bill's prospects, it is not really surprising that we too have our doubts.
In Committee we debated, at some length, the finer details of developing the Wales transport strategy. I suggested that perhaps the Bill should require the Assembly to consult certain bodies as a matter of course. We were reassured about our desire to see all groups with an interest in transport developments, from local businesses to disabled people's charities, being offered a genuine say in changes.
The Welsh Assembly's previous tendency to consult similar bodies on issues each time, and the criticism voiced about failings in the Assembly's Committee system to deal properly with scrutiny, mean that we shall watch the development of that aspect carefully. We shall have to ensure that, as we were promised in Committee, the Assembly really does consult as many relevant organisations as possible, including those more likely to give unfavourable responses when new policies and developments are considered.
The Minister also assured us that when the Wales transport strategy was being developed, cross-border issues would be taken fully into account. I think that he did that in his closing statements. I am grateful to him for taking on board the points that I asked him to consider, and for the way in which he responded.
We have considered the cross-border issue consistently. In Committee, we were assured that the Government would accept responsibility for negotiating on behalf of English counties, and that any English local authority facing problems as a result of the strategy developed by the Assembly could make representations to a Minister such as the Secretary of State for Transport. We will be watching closely to ensure that the reasonable procedure that the Minister outlined for consultation and adjudication in the event of an impasse is followed.
17 Oct 2005 : Column 649
We were also assured that the Assembly would work with organisations that span the border, such as the many train companies that operate throughout England and Wales. In Committee we were promised
"a great deal of discussion"
with organisations contributing to the network in Wales that are based outside Wales. I look forward to seeing the results of that, too.
In Committee, I stressed the need for local transport plans to be monitored to ensure that they were produced in reasonable time and stressed that, "as soon as practicable", the wording in the Bill, provides a closely monitored and sensible time limit. We were assured that no penalties were necessary to ensure the timely production of local transport plans and that local authorities must do as the Assembly says if it issues a direction regarding those plans. I was glad to hear the Minister confirm that and I hope that that will always prove to be the case.
We will also watch with interest to ensure that joint transport authorities are genuinely appropriately funded, neither forcing more responsibilities on to local authorities without suitable funds, nor becoming another example of waste and inept usage of Welsh taxpayers' hard-earned money. Despite assurances that the results of local authorities working together will be to produce savings rather than more costs, we must watch closely the impact of running a joint transport authority, which, sadly, is assumed will cost approximately £1 million per annum, in addition to £100,000 to £200,000 in set-up costs. The potential for the creation of costly administration and support teams, new quangos and more bureaucracy must be held in check. Financial controls operating in the Assembly must work to ensure probity when committing public funds and to ensure that those funds are appropriate and well placed. Indeed, I was grateful for the Minister's comments on that.
In Committee, we were informed that joint transport authorities cannot cross the border, but local authorities can be instructed to consult on matters with JTAs. The Minister mentioned that I would be pleased about that. I remain absolutely impartial. Of course, I want what is best for Wales but, if the JTAs are working particularly well we would like to see them in operation across the border, too. We must be certain to check that they are as good as we hope they will be when cross-border issues come into play.
We must also watch the practices of the public transport users committee for Wales, particularly on cross-border issues. In Committee, the Minister said that if those who live outside Wales have an issue relating to transport he
"would have thought that the committee would take up any representation that they made". [Official Report, Standing Committee F, 28 June 2005, c. 13, 8, 44.]
That does not seem to be a particularly definite or optimistic view on the ability of those who use Welsh transport to have a voice. However, I look forward to seeing a truly effective and representative committee of users of Welsh transport. I am sure that we will all keep a watchful eye on anything untoward should it occur.
We have debated in great detail the fact that the Bill gives the Assembly the ability to provide financial assistance only to services or facilities that would not exist without its help. We believe that the Assembly should be afforded the opportunity to help those services that can exist unaided even further. In certain cases, the Assembly should be given greater freedom to spend its money on whatever it believes to be the most beneficial recipient.
Perhaps that opportunity is most pertinent to aviation in Wales. I am sure that the Minister will remember that I said that I remain open-minded on the issue. Of course, it is advantageous to the Assembly to have the ability to fund air transport if it so desires, and those developments could have economic advantages for Wales, although that is far from proven. Obviously, the benefits to the Welsh economy must be considered.
David T.C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con): No doubt all Members will be pleased that my hon. Friend is so open-minded. Is he aware that the Liberal Democrat Welsh Assembly Member for South Wales West is less liberal on the issue? He said:
"I would far rather continue to improve pinch points on the A470 and A483 and use this money to subsidise a good rail service"
than put it into air services. Is not it about time that the Liberal Democrats got a coherent transport policy on this matter?
Bill Wiggin: My hon. Friend is right but I think he is over-optimistic if he thinks that the Liberal Democrats will ever have a coherent policy. I admire him for his optimism, just as I admire the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) for his endless enthusiasm for Liberal Democrat policies, despite their lack of coherence.
Lembit Öpik rose—
Madam Deputy Speaker (Sylvia Heal): Order. I wonder if I could remind all hon. Members that we are debating the Third Reading of the Bill, rather than a particular party's transport policy.
Lembit Öpik: It was exactly for that reason that I wanted to ensure that the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin) would never accuse me of being anything other than utterly consistent in my support for aviation transport.
Bill Wiggin: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely adamant about his admiration for air transport. We are all worried about whether the Assembly is spending its money in the most effective way for the people of Wales. We would like the Assembly to have the flexibility to help services that could exist but might need aid, which might be a better use of the Bill. The hon. Gentleman has been consistent in his desire to see flying in Wales, and he goes gliding at the weekend as well. No one could be more committed to gravity than he is.
The benefits to the Welsh economy must be considered, and we need definite answers as to how many people would use and benefit from Welsh air transport and on the comparative benefits of developing
better road and rail services. The Assembly consultation document on intra-Wales scheduled air services suggested that a maximum of 80 direct jobs and 120 indirect jobs would result from such provision. I am not yet convinced that the estimated £800,000 required to subsidise air transport in year one and the £400,000 to upgrade facilities at Valley airport could not be better spent elsewhere. The need for subsidies to begin air transport services in the first place raises the issue of whether these services would be workable in the long term.
In the first quarter of this year, the number of passengers using Cardiff international airport slumped by 19 per cent. and it is possible that only 400 passengers a week might use flights within Wales. We must be sure to keep an extremely watchful eye on these developments and make sure that if subsidised services demonstrably fail, they do not turn into an expensive failure for Wales.
Several more important issues must be considered and monitored if and when the expansion of air travel occurs. We know that short-haul flights are particularly damaging to the environment. By 2050, aircraft will be one of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gases. Indeed, greenhouse gases from aircraft rose by almost 90 per cent. between 1990 and 2003. In Wales, carbon dioxide emissions have risen from their 1990 levels, making a great contribution as the Government, sadly, head toward missing their carbon dioxide emission targets. With the Government meant to be tackling climate change so seriously, there seems to be something of a contradiction in condoning a further increase in air transport in the UK, especially when the need for it or the number of those who favour it is far from proven.
The use of money on such a clearly unsustainable form of transport must continue to be monitored and scrutinised very carefully, especially when the Government are putting so little funding and effort into research towards development for cleaner fuels for air transport.
During the progress of the Bill, we have sought to test the Government's intentions and have received many valuable assurances. I am sure that we all look forward to seeing those put into practice. We have drawn attention to the various anomalies and problems present in the Bill and I still have some doubts about several aspects. But I hope that the Act truly creates safe, integrated, sustainable, efficient and economic transport facilities and services throughout Wales and look forward to seeing its positive effects making a real difference for the people of Wales.


text:
Code Red — Alberta's Ambulance Shortage
by Socialist Action March 4, March 29,
By Chris Zapisocky
The Province of Alberta, led by Kenney's United Conservative Party (UCP), faces an ambulance shortage. Articles in 2019, well before the pandemic of Covid-19, described a sharp increase in code reds, where no ambulance is available to respond to a call. With increased rates of infection impacting both the number of healthcare workers isolating at home and the number of calls for ambulances coming in, the crisis of ambulance coverage in Alberta surpassed any reasonable notion of a tipping point. The existing system isn't failing — it's failed.
In Oct. 2021, Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, again sounded the alarm. With an 50% increase in calls for emergency services in the previous 12 months and no increase in staffing, rural Alberta suffers without health coverage.
With the increase in call volume, the large cities of Edmonton and Calgary resort to calling in ambulances from smaller towns, which themselves then face an ambulance shortage. In one example, the town of Hardisty went without an ambulance for 24 days due to staffing shortages. Similarly, the northern communities of Barrhead and Westlock experienced a code red on Oct. 5, 2021. And during the recent holiday season, ambulances regularly stationed in Bow Valley, which includes the towns of Banff, Canmore, and Kananaskis, spent almost all their time in nearby Calgary leaving locals in the lurch. In 2021, Canmore paramedics responded to more calls outside the town than to local emergencies.
While ambulances meant to service smaller towns get diverted to larger cities, no person living in Alberta is guaranteed expedient healthcare. Even Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, saw 426 red alerts in the year between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, which added up to 82.5 hours where no ambulance was available. Two years earlier, there were only 217 red alerts in Calgary for a total of 13 hours, which highlights how quickly this public health crisis is spiraling out of control.
Facing both a lack of support from the province or even media coverage, workers like Parker crowd-source information on ambulance shortages and share it directly with the public. According to the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Frequently Asked Questions on the EMS Performance Dashboard (updated March 11, 2019), they said they don't report specific "red alerts," leaving workers to pick up the slack.
This crowdsourced information means we know that Alberta experienced 139 red alerts in 41 communities during the most recent holiday season with wait times up to an hour.
While Covid-19 might be aggravating the crisis, it's clear that years of budget cuts both eroded the baseline care that the province can provide and completely eliminated any surge capacity.
In the past decade, the Alberta government took over control of emergency services in small towns and in this process of consolidation, they slashed the number of ambulances running. In the community of Warner in southern Alberta, the number of ambulances was reduced from five to two. In 2009, the city of Airdrie, located north of Calgary, experienced a similar reduction from five ambulances to only three. No doubt that this contributed to the 21% increase in ambulance response time and increased variability in response time noted between 2019 and 2021.
The failures of the Alberta government to provide adequate healthcare to all people means volunteer firefighters in small communities desperately work to keep the system from collapsing.
And as noted by Sandra Azocar, executive director of advocacy group Friends of Medicare, "In the mid 90s, [Alberta] closed half of our hospital beds from 13,000 to 6,500 and the population was 2.6 million." With a growth in population, there is now only one hospital bed for every 500 people living in Alberta compared with one bed for every 200 people previously.
Even in 2019, when the ambulance crisis first received news coverage, the provincial NDP party promised to come up with a solution. But rather than address and reverse the decades of austerity and budget cuts, Rachel Notley's plan is to "post EMS professionals in emergency rooms (ERs) who would care for up to three individuals waiting for admission." Currently, paramedics must wait with their patients at the hospital until a bed becomes available, which adds hours onto their call and prevents them from helping other people. Unimpressed, both healthcare advocates and the union representing EMS workers describe this proposal as a "short term solution at best."
As the ambulance crisis reached record levels in 2021, Kenney's government finally addressed the problem on Jan. 24, 2022, when they announced a new advisory committee at the same time that the AHS revealed a ten-point plan to increase capacity. While the NDP Opposition health critic David Shepherd correctly points out that the UCP plan includes no timeline, accountability, transparency, or targets, the Alberta NDP stop short of demanding the funding needed to ensure a robust healthcare and emergency system in the province.
While Parker expressed about a cautious optimism about the ten-step plan, particularly the intention to hire more paramedics and improve training programs, he also warned that some measures like non-ambulance patients transfers could further privatize the provincial healthcare system.
Years of budget cuts, an aging population, and the Covid-19 pandemic exposes the rot in our public healthcare system. This decades-long process might be more apparent in Alberta than anywhere else in Canada, but what remains a point of pride for Canadians, our single-payer healthcare system, is under attack from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Rather than continued privatization and free-market "solutions" that serve only make a few people filthy rich, we need robust investment in public services based on public need. Every person deserves access to accessible and expedient healthcare and our wealthy country can easily afford it. The chief obstacle is not one of resources but resource allocation. Rather than spending billions on the military, police, and corporate bailouts, we can invest in healthcare infrastructure, training, and workers. In this struggle for health, we will need to contend with greedy CEOs and shareholders who do not see healthcare as a human right but an opportunity for exploitation and profit.
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Nest Bedding actually holds the award for both the Best Rated and Best Ranked brand online. They really thrive off of their customer satisfaction. They offer a lifetime warranty, as well as a lifetime comfort guarantee.
The 2 biggest aspects when looking to buy a new mattress, is relaxation and support. There are a few things which should occur when you lie down. You want the sinkage and contour to be right, for proper spine alignment. You also need a mattress to properly support your body, as you sleep at night. It is critical to have proper alignment from top to bottom as you sleep. This is necessary to make sure you get a healthy rest, and to make sure you are reducing your neck and back pain. While being supportive of your own body, a suitable mattress has to provide stress relief. The stress points on your body are precisely what is in control of you thrashing during the evening. Memory foam mattresses have made their way into the spotlight, by not only being comfortable, but as both supportive.
This is along the same lines, as when we talk about comfort and support. Just like a mattress shouldn't be too hard, it should also never be too soft.A mattress should be as neutral as it can be, to ensure both your body and spine remain in a neutral position. Too much rigidity in a mattress will irritate the stress variables, making pinched nerves, along with the blood to stop flowing. If you discover that a good deal of the times you awake, with the sensation of getting pins and needles in your body, this is an indicator of a mattress that is too rigid. And if your mattress is too soft, this can create a sagging effect, similar to a hammock. When this happens, you can find yourself with back pain, due to your spine not being properly aligned. This is why it's imperative to find a mattress that is close to neutral. You want your mattress soft at the proper places, without being too soft. But you also want your mattress to be supportive, without being too rigid.


This is a course in the design of Interactive Systems and Human Computer Interaction. It covers the some of the professional literature in this field and the "knowns, unknowns, and unk unks (Unknown Unknowns)" about design. The course emphasizes application areas that have a great deal of cognitive variability and diverse user populations and the use of protocol analysis for evaluating the usability of designs.
The course emphasizes understanding the functionality that will benefit the user both with respect to the application and to human cognitive abilities. We will go through the design process for a particular application area. Students as individuals or teams will do mock ups of elements of the interface design as part of their course work.
The student will be responsible for a final project dealing with the current professional literature in a specific area of interface/interaction design. An objective of this course is that the student be able to demonstrate they can learn current professional material from the research literature.
Actually doing design work is an important way to learn about the design process. You should skim Shneiderman at once and concentrate on guide lines relevant to your first design assignment. You will also find the required reading articles by Carroll and Mazur, Rolf and Nielsen, and Grudin to be very relevant to the first design major design assignment.
This is a course in the management of the development, planning, and utilization of Information Systems within organizations. The course focuses on the current literature in the Management of Information Systems. Among the topics discussed are the approval and decision process for the development of systems, use of steering committees and various approaches to user involvement. The course utilizes a number Harvard Case Studies and the student is expected to do a course project utilizing the professional literature.
The course gives an introductory overview of planning, producing, and publishing internet content. It features both theoretical and practical examination of online media elements and relating basic production tools and techniques. The course consists of 28 hours of classroom teaching in the form of exercises. Part of the exercise content is lecture like presentations.
The objective is to introduce students to the theoretical background and basic concepts, likewise to equip students with an overall picture of what characterises hypermedia.
Students will come to know the main developmental stages of hypermedia and observe through examples it's various manifestations.


Mackie goes onto to say in Theology and Falsification that if people from all different faiths have had a RE in which they use to try to prove that God exists, then they cannot all be right. Do we believe the Christian that says they saw Jesus or the Hindu that says they saw Brahma? A universalist approach to this would contradict the religious teachings of the religions respectively. Although, counter-arguments state that it's all culturally based. Just because people cannot agree on what this higher being is, it does not mean that there is not a higher being at all.
There are also psychological explanations for religious experiences. For instance, Hobbes says that, "when a man tells me he has experienced God in a dream, he is telling me that he has dreamt he saw God". Dreams, arguably, are only illusions of the mind and can be used as a coping mechanism with the outside world. Therefore, what the dreamer considers to be a RE is actually only a figment of their imagination. Freud draws attention to our need to have a "father figure" and that belief in God is merely "a security blanket". This ties with Starbuck's study of conversion in which he finds many teenagers and young adults, the most common age period to convert, go through anxiety and depression before finding a "happy relief" in religion and belief of God. This suggests that religious believers take a deductive approach to arguing the existence of God as they want God to exist and therefore, they use religious experiences as evidence.
Furthermore, Hume says, "there is no instance in which the best explanation is simply God did it". Religious experiences can be explained using physiology - in particular, disabilities. In regards with Saul's conversion, it has been argued that his RE was intact a temporal lobe epileptic fit. His experience of seeing a bright light, falling to the ground and hearing a voice matches the criteria of it. There also seems to be an increase of religious experiences in girls and men during their times of hormonal changes and therefore, this links back to Russells point about our senses deceiving us due to our altered state of minds. On the other hand, it is argued that having a disability or going through hormonal changes does not necessarily exclude someone from communicating with God.
Marx criticises religious experiences as he states that "religion is the opium of the people" because it's a means of social control. This follows on from Freud as he explains that religion is a comfot zone for the poor to deal with their oppression by giving them false semblance of meaning and fulfilment and an apparatus for the privileged to manipulate the poor and keep them under control. Considering that all major world religions are based on religious experiences, if religion is claimed to be invalid then this denounces religious experiences too.
Overall, religious experiences cannot solely serve as evidence for the existence of God. Empirical evidence can be unreliable and therefore, claims cannot be taken as facts. As previously stated by Freud and Marx, religion is personal and subjective and therefore, the use of religious experiences as evidence for God should not be rejected completely. This is because many people have become theists or more religious as a result of their RE and therefore, it succeeds as personal evidence.


"Tambaridge" is a self-rated 4 1/2 star B&B, and a perfect retreat for couples, singles or groups (children allowed by arrangement).
All five individually themed suites have their own style and ambience, with fantastic views from every one of them. The views are as far as the Brisbane skyline and even beyond to the Glasshouse Mountains on the Sunshine Coast on a clear day.
We are only a couple of minutes drive away from the famous Gallery Walk tourist hub and within walking distance to a Hotel with great food.
Our breakfasts are to die for and most guests say that they need nothing more to eat until the evening meal.
All of our suites have TV/DVD, Bar Fridge and coffee and tea making facilities, along with a very comfortable queen size bed (one suite does have a king size bed which can be converted to twin beds if required).
You can relax by viewing a DVD from our extensive selection or just sit back with a beverage of your choice and enjoy the mountain views and the native birdlife from your very own peaceful and private balcony.


- 1/2 tsp dark chocolate syrup * Brew coffee in your single serve machine. Allow coffee to cool. When cool, pour coffee into a large jug, and place in the refrigerator until chilled (cold).
* Add ice cubes into a tall glass. Pour the chilled coffee over ice.
* Garnish with coconut cream, chocolate shavings and a dash of dark chocolate syrup.


This opinion piece was published in the Irish Times on Tuesday 12th February 2011.
It seems likely the next government will be made up of Fine Gael and Labour. Both propose extensive changes to the health service and both propose to introduce universal health insurance.
Last weekend, Fine Gael published a detailed policy proposing to introduce a social health insurance scheme, modelled roughly on the system in the Netherlands. Labour has yet to publish its detailed policies.
In the Netherlands everyone is required to have health insurance, with the premium paid, or subsidised, by the state for people on low incomes. This provides free access on equal terms to primary care, ie GPs and related services, to prescriptions, to mental health services and to hospital care.
Like our own health insurers, they apply community rating, but unlike ours, they have a working system of risk equalisation. Long-term care is funded separately from other health services.
Can we really implement a social health insurance system in Ireland? A group of national and international experts, clinicians, managers, policy makers and others met in Dublin just before Christmas to consider this question. Some basic principles of care delivery were brought out at the conference.
Care needs to be patient centred, not determined by the needs of the institutions. Access to care must not depend on patients' resources. A system which places a high priority on equity and social solidarity can be built and can be delivered within the existing budget. Such a system must have accountability, visibility of outcomes, resources and activity.
The first source of concern is the miserable track record of both the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health in effecting change. Although there are some recent successes, most notably the partial reorganisation of cancer services, there are a lot more failures. Overcoming this will need political, managerial and clinical leadership, as well as substantial training and support for staff.
The leadership exists within HSE. Will it come out? Will managers and clinicians line up behind the sort of radical reform that is needed? The view of those of us who met before Christmas is that clinical leadership is essential, and will be forthcoming.
In primary care, including general practice, the main obstacle is overcoming decades of underinvestment without spending much money. It is possible to build up primary care relatively cheaply. There are large resources spent in the sector, but there is an absence of co-ordination between different professionals.
Providing shared spaces, meetings and common record systems will cost little, and should be helpful. Moving away from the present highly centralised model of primary care development, acknowledging that the best ideas for primary care development in each area will come from the people working there and supporting a more organic model of service development, more attuned to local needs, will help. This is all quite possible.
The acute hospital sector is of very variable quality and it is impossible to make any reasoned assessment of the performance of these organisations. Maurice Hayes's recent report on Tallaght hospital, allegedly one of the better run facilities, does not make for comforting reading.
It ought to be possible to save money and get a more intelligent use of resources by merging hospitals into groups with a common management. The first steps on this path have already been taken. A much wider use of shared services is also essential, with, for example, a common purchasing agency for the whole sector.
It will be much harder to get the hospitals to refocus on servicing primary care. To take one example, there are several huge clinics for treating diabetes in Irish hospitals. These are very costly and most of these patients ought to be fully managed in general practice. There are a number of other examples of this kind of pointless gigantism. A revised hospital system would have many staff, doctors, nurses and others, who spent most of their time off the premises.
Long-term care is also a challenge. The question is: "Whose interests will prevail: those of the clients, or those of the institutions which seek to provide care for them?" At the moment the institutions are winning. It's not at all clear that the Fair Deal nursing home funding policy is economically sustainable.
The nursing home sector grew rapidly, and in a completely unplanned way, thanks to careless tax breaks. It's not clear that it meets the needs, or the reasonable desires, of elderly people to remain living in their own homes. The budget for home care for the frail elderly is under threat and this may lead to people being bumped into nursing homes who do not need to be there and do not wish to be there.
The same issue affects people with disabilities. A more reasonable model for both groups is to provide them with individual budgets and let them source the care they need, using their own judgement.
The final pieces of the jigsaw are the insurance companies and their regulators. It's very doubtful if any of the current crop of health insurers have the skills and the capacity to take on the task of running a social health insurance system. The demands on the insurers are much tougher than in our current system, and so the new insurer will cost a lot more to run. In fact, it's questionable whether there is room for more than one such insurance company in a small country of only 4.5 million people.
Equally, the regulator will need to change its role. Without very tight regulation, and very tough enforcement, a social health insurance system will fail.
A key question is who controls the basic package of services? This is the core compulsory insurance and will be the only cover held by most people. As such it is essential that it provides enough cover; that the quality of the care provided is closely monitored; and that the outcomes of care and other quality measures are made public.
To support all this, Ireland will need a modern health information infrastructure. There are several successful models of this, for example the free open-source Vista system used by the American Veterans' Administration. Such a system could be in place in three to four years. It would both improve productivity in the system and provide the infrastructure for the health regulator to do its job.
All of this depends on leadership. Without political leadership, nothing at all will happen. Without leadership from clinicians (doctors, nurses and others), what happens will not work. Without leadership from managers in HSE and the Civil Service, what happens will not be sustainable.
Our view is that, if the necessary training and support are provided, Ireland could have a working social health insurance scheme in five years' time. What are we waiting for?
More detail of our report, and a number of useful resources are found elsewhere on this website.


The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is not as old as NATO but, nonetheless, plays an important role in European security, but usually from a less militaristic position.
Notice the activities that the OSCE is involved in. There's quite a few!
What is the OSCE doing and where?