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Project acronym 100 Archaic Genomes
Project Genome sequences from extinct hominins
Researcher (PI) Svante PaeaeBO
Host Institution (HI) MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS2, ERC-2015-AdG
Summary Neandertals and Denisovans, an Asian group distantly related to Neandertals, are the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans. They are thus of direct relevance for understanding the origin of modern humans and how modern humans differ from their closest relatives. We will generate genome-wide data from a large number of Neandertal and Denisovan individuals from across their geographical and temporal range as well as from other extinct hominin groups which we may discover. This will be possible by automating highly sensitive approaches to ancient DNA extraction and DNA libraries construction that we have developed so that they can be applied to many specimens from many sites in order to identify those that contain retrievable DNA. Whenever possible we will sequence whole genomes and in other cases use DNA capture methods to generate high-quality data from representative parts of the genome. This will allow us to study the population history of Neandertals and Denisovans, elucidate how many times and where these extinct hominins contributed genes to present-day people, and the extent to which modern humans and archaic groups contributed genetically to Neandertals and Denisovans. By retrieving DNA from specimens that go back to the Middle Pleistocene we will furthermore shed light on the early history and origins of Neandertals and Denisovans.
Neandertals and Denisovans, an Asian group distantly related to Neandertals, are the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans. They are thus of direct relevance for understanding the origin of modern humans and how modern humans differ from their closest relatives. We will generate genome-wide data from a large number of Neandertal and Denisovan individuals from across their geographical and temporal range as well as from other extinct hominin groups which we may discover. This will be possible by automating highly sensitive approaches to ancient DNA extraction and DNA libraries construction that we have developed so that they can be applied to many specimens from many sites in order to identify those that contain retrievable DNA. Whenever possible we will sequence whole genomes and in other cases use DNA capture methods to generate high-quality data from representative parts of the genome. This will allow us to study the population history of Neandertals and Denisovans, elucidate how many times and where these extinct hominins contributed genes to present-day people, and the extent to which modern humans and archaic groups contributed genetically to Neandertals and Denisovans. By retrieving DNA from specimens that go back to the Middle Pleistocene we will furthermore shed light on the early history and origins of Neandertals and Denisovans.
Max ERC Funding
Start date: 2016-11-01, End date: 2021-10-31
Project acronym AGATM
Project A Global Anthropology of Transforming Marriage
Researcher (PI) Janet CARSTEN
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH5, ERC-2015-AdG
Summary This research will create a new theoretical vision of the importance of marriage as an agent of transformation in human sociality. Marriage globally is undergoing profound change, provoking intense debate and anxiety. These concerns refract wider instabilities in political, economic, and familial institutions. They signal the critical role of marriage in bringing together - and separating - intimate, personal, and familial life with wider state institutions. But we have little up to date comparative research or general theory of how marriage changes or the long-term significance of such change. Paradoxically, social scientific and public discourse emphasise the conservative and normative aspects of marriage. This underlines the need for a new theoretical frame that takes account of cultural and historical specificity to grasp the importance of marriage as both vehicle of and engine for transformation. AGATM overturns conventional understandings by viewing marriage as inherently transformative, indeed at the heart of social and cultural change. The research will investigate current transformations of marriage in two distinct senses. First, it will undertake an ethnographic investigation of new forms of marriage in selected sites in Europe, N. America, Asia, and Africa. Second, it will subject 'marriage' to a rigorous theoretical critique that will denaturalise marriage and reintegrate it into the new anthropology of kinship. Research on five complementary and contrastive sub-projects examining emerging forms of marriage in different locations will be structured through the themes of care, property, and ritual forms. The overarching analytic of temporality will frame the theoretical vision of the research and connect the themes. The resulting six monographs, journal articles, and exhibition will together revitalise the study of kinship by placing the moral, practical, political, and imaginative significance of marriage over time at its centre.
This research will create a new theoretical vision of the importance of marriage as an agent of transformation in human sociality. Marriage globally is undergoing profound change, provoking intense debate and anxiety. These concerns refract wider instabilities in political, economic, and familial institutions. They signal the critical role of marriage in bringing together - and separating - intimate, personal, and familial life with wider state institutions. But we have little up to date comparative research or general theory of how marriage changes or the long-term significance of such change. Paradoxically, social scientific and public discourse emphasise the conservative and normative aspects of marriage. This underlines the need for a new theoretical frame that takes account of cultural and historical specificity to grasp the importance of marriage as both vehicle of and engine for transformation. AGATM overturns conventional understandings by viewing marriage as inherently transformative, indeed at the heart of social and cultural change. The research will investigate current transformations of marriage in two distinct senses. First, it will undertake an ethnographic investigation of new forms of marriage in selected sites in Europe, N. America, Asia, and Africa. Second, it will subject 'marriage' to a rigorous theoretical critique that will denaturalise marriage and reintegrate it into the new anthropology of kinship. Research on five complementary and contrastive sub-projects examining emerging forms of marriage in different locations will be structured through the themes of care, property, and ritual forms. The overarching analytic of temporality will frame the theoretical vision of the research and connect the themes. The resulting six monographs, journal articles, and exhibition will together revitalise the study of kinship by placing the moral, practical, political, and imaginative significance of marriage over time at its centre.
Project acronym AGNES
Project ACTIVE AGEING – RESILIENCE AND EXTERNAL SUPPORT AS MODIFIERS OF THE DISABLEMENT OUTCOME
Researcher (PI) Taina Tuulikki RANTANEN
Host Institution (HI) JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTO
Summary The goals are 1. To develop a scale assessing the diversity of active ageing with four dimensions that are ability (what people can do), activity (what people do do), ambition (what are the valued activities that people want to do), and autonomy (how satisfied people are with the opportunity to do valued activities); 2. To examine health and physical and psychological functioning as the determinants and social and build environment, resilience and personal skills as modifiers of active ageing; 3. To develop a multicomponent sustainable intervention aiming to promote active ageing (methods: counselling, information technology, help from volunteers); 4. To test the feasibility and effectiveness on the intervention; and 5. To study cohort effects on the phenotypes on the pathway to active ageing. "If You Can Measure It, You Can Change It." Active ageing assessment needs conceptual progress, which I propose to do. A quantifiable scale will be developed that captures the diversity of active ageing stemming from the WHO definition of active ageing as the process of optimizing opportunities for health and participation in the society for all people in line with their needs, goals and capacities as they age. I will collect cross-sectional data (N=1000, ages 75, 80 and 85 years) and model the pathway to active ageing with state-of-the art statistical methods. By doing this I will create novel knowledge on preconditions for active ageing. The collected cohort data will be compared to a pre-existing cohort data that was collected 25 years ago to obtain knowledge about changes over time in functioning of older people. A randomized controlled trial (N=200) will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the envisioned intervention promoting active ageing through participation. The project will regenerate ageing research by launching a novel scale, by training young scientists, by creating new concepts and theory development and by producing evidence for active ageing promotion
The goals are 1. To develop a scale assessing the diversity of active ageing with four dimensions that are ability (what people can do), activity (what people do do), ambition (what are the valued activities that people want to do), and autonomy (how satisfied people are with the opportunity to do valued activities); 2. To examine health and physical and psychological functioning as the determinants and social and build environment, resilience and personal skills as modifiers of active ageing; 3. To develop a multicomponent sustainable intervention aiming to promote active ageing (methods: counselling, information technology, help from volunteers); 4. To test the feasibility and effectiveness on the intervention; and 5. To study cohort effects on the phenotypes on the pathway to active ageing. "If You Can Measure It, You Can Change It." Active ageing assessment needs conceptual progress, which I propose to do. A quantifiable scale will be developed that captures the diversity of active ageing stemming from the WHO definition of active ageing as the process of optimizing opportunities for health and participation in the society for all people in line with their needs, goals and capacities as they age. I will collect cross-sectional data (N=1000, ages 75, 80 and 85 years) and model the pathway to active ageing with state-of-the art statistical methods. By doing this I will create novel knowledge on preconditions for active ageing. The collected cohort data will be compared to a pre-existing cohort data that was collected 25 years ago to obtain knowledge about changes over time in functioning of older people. A randomized controlled trial (N=200) will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the envisioned intervention promoting active ageing through participation. The project will regenerate ageing research by launching a novel scale, by training young scientists, by creating new concepts and theory development and by producing evidence for active ageing promotion
Project acronym APEG
Project Algorithmic Performance Guarantees: Foundations and Applications
Researcher (PI) Susanne ALBERS
Host Institution (HI) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), PE6, ERC-2015-AdG
Summary Optimization problems are ubiquitous in computer science. Almost every problem involves the optimization of some objective function. However a major part of these problems cannot be solved to optimality. Therefore, algorithms that achieve provably good performance guarantees are of immense importance. Considerable progress has already been made, but great challenges remain: Some fundamental problems are not well understood. Moreover, for central problems arising in new applications, no solutions are known at all. The goal of APEG is to significantly advance the state of the art on algorithmic performance guarantees. Specifically, the project has two missions: First, it will develop new algorithmic techniques, breaking new ground in the areas of online algorithms, approximations algorithms and algorithmic game theory. Second, it will apply these techniques to solve fundamental problems that are central in these algorithmic disciplines. APEG will attack long-standing open problems, some of which have been unresolved for several decades. Furthermore, it will formulate and investigate new algorithmic problems that arise in modern applications. The research agenda encompasses a broad spectrum of classical and timely topics including (a) resource allocation in computer systems, (b) data structuring, (c) graph problems, with relations to Internet advertising, (d) complex networks and (e) massively parallel systems. In addition to basic optimization objectives, the project will also study the new performance metric of energy minimization in computer systems. Overall, APEG pursues cutting-edge algorithms research, focusing on both foundational problems and applications. Any progress promises to be a breakthrough or significant contribution.
Optimization problems are ubiquitous in computer science. Almost every problem involves the optimization of some objective function. However a major part of these problems cannot be solved to optimality. Therefore, algorithms that achieve provably good performance guarantees are of immense importance. Considerable progress has already been made, but great challenges remain: Some fundamental problems are not well understood. Moreover, for central problems arising in new applications, no solutions are known at all. The goal of APEG is to significantly advance the state of the art on algorithmic performance guarantees. Specifically, the project has two missions: First, it will develop new algorithmic techniques, breaking new ground in the areas of online algorithms, approximations algorithms and algorithmic game theory. Second, it will apply these techniques to solve fundamental problems that are central in these algorithmic disciplines. APEG will attack long-standing open problems, some of which have been unresolved for several decades. Furthermore, it will formulate and investigate new algorithmic problems that arise in modern applications. The research agenda encompasses a broad spectrum of classical and timely topics including (a) resource allocation in computer systems, (b) data structuring, (c) graph problems, with relations to Internet advertising, (d) complex networks and (e) massively parallel systems. In addition to basic optimization objectives, the project will also study the new performance metric of energy minimization in computer systems. Overall, APEG pursues cutting-edge algorithms research, focusing on both foundational problems and applications. Any progress promises to be a breakthrough or significant contribution.
Project acronym ASNODEV
Project Aspirations Social Norms and Development
Researcher (PI) Eliana LA FERRARA
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI
Summary Development economists and policymakers often face scenarios in which poor people do not make choices that would help them get out of poverty due to an "aspiration failure": the poor perceive certain goals as unattainable and do not invest towards those goals, thus perpetuating their own state of poverty. The aim of this proposal is to improve our understanding of the relationship between aspirations and socio-economic outcomes of disadvantaged individuals, in order to answer the question: Can we design policy interventions that shift aspirations in a way that is conducive to development? In addressing the above question a fundamental role is played by social norms and by the ability of individuals to coordinate on "new" aspirations, hence the analysis of social effects is a salient feature of this proposal. The proposed research is organized in two workpackages. The first focuses on the media as a vehicle for changing aspirations, examining both commercial TV programs and "educational entertainment". The second workpackage examines "tailored" interventions designed to address specific determinants of aspiration failures (e.g., psychological support to reduce perceived barriers; inter-racial interaction to change stereotypes; institutional reform to strengthen women's rights and reduce the gender aspiration gap). The methodology will involve rigorous evaluation of several interventions directly designed to or indirectly affecting aspirations and social norms. Original data collected through survey work, large administrative datasets and media content analysis will be used. The results of this project will advance our knowledge on the sources of aspiration failures by poor people and on the interplay between aspirations and social norms, eventually opening the avenue for a new array of anti-poverty policies.
Development economists and policymakers often face scenarios in which poor people do not make choices that would help them get out of poverty due to an "aspiration failure": the poor perceive certain goals as unattainable and do not invest towards those goals, thus perpetuating their own state of poverty. The aim of this proposal is to improve our understanding of the relationship between aspirations and socio-economic outcomes of disadvantaged individuals, in order to answer the question: Can we design policy interventions that shift aspirations in a way that is conducive to development? In addressing the above question a fundamental role is played by social norms and by the ability of individuals to coordinate on "new" aspirations, hence the analysis of social effects is a salient feature of this proposal. The proposed research is organized in two workpackages. The first focuses on the media as a vehicle for changing aspirations, examining both commercial TV programs and "educational entertainment". The second workpackage examines "tailored" interventions designed to address specific determinants of aspiration failures (e.g., psychological support to reduce perceived barriers; inter-racial interaction to change stereotypes; institutional reform to strengthen women's rights and reduce the gender aspiration gap). The methodology will involve rigorous evaluation of several interventions directly designed to or indirectly affecting aspirations and social norms. Original data collected through survey work, large administrative datasets and media content analysis will be used. The results of this project will advance our knowledge on the sources of aspiration failures by poor people and on the interplay between aspirations and social norms, eventually opening the avenue for a new array of anti-poverty policies.
Project acronym Babylearn
Project Neural mechanisms of learning in the infant brain : from Statistics to Rules and Symbols
Researcher (PI) Ghislaine, Marie-Therese, Aline DEHAENE-LAMBERTZ
Host Institution (HI) COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Summary Infant is the most powerful learner: He learns in a few months to master language, complex social interactions, etc. Powerful statistical algorithms, simultaneously acting at the different levels of functional hierarchies have been proposed to explain learning. I propose here that two other elements are crucial. The first is the particular human cerebral architecture that constrains statistical computations. The second is the human's ability to access a rich symbolic system. I have planned 6 work packages using the complementary information offered by non-invasive brain-imaging techniques (EEG, MRI and optical topography) to understand the neural bases of infant statistical computations and symbolic competence from 6 months of gestation up until the end of the first year of life. WP1 studies from which preterm age, statistical inferences can be demonstrated using hierarchical auditory oddball paradigms. WP2 investigates the consequences of a different pre-term environment (in-utero versus ex-utero) on the early statistical computations in the visual and auditory domains and their consequences on the ongoing brain activity along the first year of life. WP3 explores the neural bases of how infants infer word meaning and word category, and in particular the role of the left perisylvian areas and of their particular connectivity. WP4 questions infant symbolic competency. I propose several criteria (generalization, bidirectionality, use of algebraic rules and of logical operations) tested in successive experiments to clarify infant symbolic abilities during the first semester of life. WP5-6 are transversal to WP1-4: WP5 uses MRI to obtain accurate functional localization and maturational markers correlated with functional results. In WP6, we develop new tools to combine and analyse multimodal brain images. With this proposal, I hope to clarify the specificities of a neural functional architecture that are critical for human learning from the onset of cortical circuits.
Infant is the most powerful learner: He learns in a few months to master language, complex social interactions, etc. Powerful statistical algorithms, simultaneously acting at the different levels of functional hierarchies have been proposed to explain learning. I propose here that two other elements are crucial. The first is the particular human cerebral architecture that constrains statistical computations. The second is the human's ability to access a rich symbolic system. I have planned 6 work packages using the complementary information offered by non-invasive brain-imaging techniques (EEG, MRI and optical topography) to understand the neural bases of infant statistical computations and symbolic competence from 6 months of gestation up until the end of the first year of life. WP1 studies from which preterm age, statistical inferences can be demonstrated using hierarchical auditory oddball paradigms. WP2 investigates the consequences of a different pre-term environment (in-utero versus ex-utero) on the early statistical computations in the visual and auditory domains and their consequences on the ongoing brain activity along the first year of life. WP3 explores the neural bases of how infants infer word meaning and word category, and in particular the role of the left perisylvian areas and of their particular connectivity. WP4 questions infant symbolic competency. I propose several criteria (generalization, bidirectionality, use of algebraic rules and of logical operations) tested in successive experiments to clarify infant symbolic abilities during the first semester of life. WP5-6 are transversal to WP1-4: WP5 uses MRI to obtain accurate functional localization and maturational markers correlated with functional results. In WP6, we develop new tools to combine and analyse multimodal brain images. With this proposal, I hope to clarify the specificities of a neural functional architecture that are critical for human learning from the onset of cortical circuits.
Project acronym BABYRHYTHM
Project Oscillatory Rhythmic Entrainment and the Foundations of Language Acquisition
Researcher (PI) Usha Claire GOSWAMI
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARSOF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Summary Half of "late talkers", infants who are not yet speaking by 2 years of age, will go on to develop language impairments. Currently, we have no reliable means of identifying these infants. Here we combine our developmental approach to phonology (psycholinguistic grain size theory), to the neural mechanisms underlying speech encoding (temporal sampling [TS] theory) and our work on the developmental importance of the speech amplitude envelope (AE) to open a new research front in the foundations of language acquisition. Recent adult research confirms our decade-long focus on the importance of sensitivity to AE 'rise time' in children's language development, showing that rise times ('auditory edges') re-set the endogenous cortical oscillations that encode speech. Accordingly, we now apply our in-house state-of-the-art methods for measuring oscillatory rhythmic entrainment in children along with our recent theoretical and behavioural advances concerning AE processing to infant studies. Our core aim is to use the TS theoretical perspective and analysis methods to generate robust early neural and behavioural markers of phonological and morphological development: TS for infants. We have published the first-ever studies of oscillatory entrainment to speech rhythm by children and we have developed methods for technically-challenging EEG speech envelope reconstruction. We now apply these innovative methods to infant language learning and infant-directed speech. Using our cutting-edge EEG methods, we will deliver a novel and innovative road map for charting early language acquisition from a rhythmic entrainment perspective. Our recent 5-year study of rise time sensitivity in infants confirms the feasibility of a TS approach. As our focus is on prosody, syllable stress and syllable processing, our methods will apply across European languages.
Half of "late talkers", infants who are not yet speaking by 2 years of age, will go on to develop language impairments. Currently, we have no reliable means of identifying these infants. Here we combine our developmental approach to phonology (psycholinguistic grain size theory), to the neural mechanisms underlying speech encoding (temporal sampling [TS] theory) and our work on the developmental importance of the speech amplitude envelope (AE) to open a new research front in the foundations of language acquisition. Recent adult research confirms our decade-long focus on the importance of sensitivity to AE 'rise time' in children's language development, showing that rise times ('auditory edges') re-set the endogenous cortical oscillations that encode speech. Accordingly, we now apply our in-house state-of-the-art methods for measuring oscillatory rhythmic entrainment in children along with our recent theoretical and behavioural advances concerning AE processing to infant studies. Our core aim is to use the TS theoretical perspective and analysis methods to generate robust early neural and behavioural markers of phonological and morphological development: TS for infants. We have published the first-ever studies of oscillatory entrainment to speech rhythm by children and we have developed methods for technically-challenging EEG speech envelope reconstruction. We now apply these innovative methods to infant language learning and infant-directed speech. Using our cutting-edge EEG methods, we will deliver a novel and innovative road map for charting early language acquisition from a rhythmic entrainment perspective. Our recent 5-year study of rise time sensitivity in infants confirms the feasibility of a TS approach. As our focus is on prosody, syllable stress and syllable processing, our methods will apply across European languages.
Project acronym BARRIERS
Project The evolution of barriers to gene exchange
Researcher (PI) Roger BUTLIN
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Summary Speciation is a central process in evolution that involves the origin of barriers to gene flow between populations. Species are typically isolated by several barriers and assembly of multiple barriers separating the same populations seems to be critical to the evolution of strong reproductive isolation. Barriers resulting from direct selection can become coincident through a process of coupling while reinforcement can add barrier traits that are not under direct selection. In the presence of gene flow, these processes are opposed by recombination. While recent research using the latest sequencing technologies has provided much increased knowledge of patterns of differentiation and the genetic basis of local adaptation, it has so far added little to understanding of the coupling and reinforcement processes. In this project, I will focus on the accumulation of barriers to gene exchange and the processes underlying increasing reproductive isolation. I will use the power of natural contact zones, combined with novel manipulative experiments, to separate the processes that underlie patterns of differentiation and introgression. The Littorina saxatilis model system allows me to do this with both local replication and a contrast between distinct spatial contexts on a larger geographic scale. I will use modelling to determine how processes interact and to investigate the conditions most likely to promote coupling and reinforcement. Overall, the project will provide major new insights into the speciation process, particularly revealing the requirements for progress towards complete reproductive isolation.
Speciation is a central process in evolution that involves the origin of barriers to gene flow between populations. Species are typically isolated by several barriers and assembly of multiple barriers separating the same populations seems to be critical to the evolution of strong reproductive isolation. Barriers resulting from direct selection can become coincident through a process of coupling while reinforcement can add barrier traits that are not under direct selection. In the presence of gene flow, these processes are opposed by recombination. While recent research using the latest sequencing technologies has provided much increased knowledge of patterns of differentiation and the genetic basis of local adaptation, it has so far added little to understanding of the coupling and reinforcement processes. In this project, I will focus on the accumulation of barriers to gene exchange and the processes underlying increasing reproductive isolation. I will use the power of natural contact zones, combined with novel manipulative experiments, to separate the processes that underlie patterns of differentiation and introgression. The Littorina saxatilis model system allows me to do this with both local replication and a contrast between distinct spatial contexts on a larger geographic scale. I will use modelling to determine how processes interact and to investigate the conditions most likely to promote coupling and reinforcement. Overall, the project will provide major new insights into the speciation process, particularly revealing the requirements for progress towards complete reproductive isolation.
Project acronym BAYNET
Project Bayesian Networks and Non-Rational Expectations
Researcher (PI) Ran SPIEGLER
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Summary "This project will develop a new framework for modeling economic agents having ""boundedly rational expectations"" (BRE). It is based on the concept of Bayesian networks (more generally, graphical models), borrowed from statistics and AI. In the framework's basic version, an agent is characterized by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) over the set of all relevant random variables. The DAG is the agent's ""type"" – it represents how he systematically distorts any objective probability distribution into a subjective belief. Technically, the distortion takes the form of the standard Bayesian-network factorization formula given by the agent's DAG. The agent's choice is modeled as a ""personal equilibrium"", because his subjective belief regarding the implications of his actions can vary with his own long-run behavior. The DAG representation unifies and simplifies existing models of BRE, subsuming them as special cases corresponding to distinct graphical representations. It captures hitherto-unmodeled fallacies such as reverse causation. The framework facilitates behavioral characterizations of general classes of models of BRE and expands their applicability. I will demonstrate this with applications to monetary policy, behavioral I.O., asset pricing, etc. I will extend the basic formalism to multi-agent environments, addressing issues beyond the reach of current models of BRE (e.g., formalizing the notion of ""high-order"" limited understanding of statistical regularities). Finally, I will seek a learning foundation for the graphical representation of BRE, in the sense that it will capture how the agent extrapolates his belief from a dataset (drawn from the objective distribution) containing ""missing values"", via some intuitive ""imputation method"". This part, too, borrows ideas from statistics and AI, further demonstrating the project's interdisciplinary nature."
"This project will develop a new framework for modeling economic agents having ""boundedly rational expectations"" (BRE). It is based on the concept of Bayesian networks (more generally, graphical models), borrowed from statistics and AI. In the framework's basic version, an agent is characterized by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) over the set of all relevant random variables. The DAG is the agent's ""type"" – it represents how he systematically distorts any objective probability distribution into a subjective belief. Technically, the distortion takes the form of the standard Bayesian-network factorization formula given by the agent's DAG. The agent's choice is modeled as a ""personal equilibrium"", because his subjective belief regarding the implications of his actions can vary with his own long-run behavior. The DAG representation unifies and simplifies existing models of BRE, subsuming them as special cases corresponding to distinct graphical representations. It captures hitherto-unmodeled fallacies such as reverse causation. The framework facilitates behavioral characterizations of general classes of models of BRE and expands their applicability. I will demonstrate this with applications to monetary policy, behavioral I.O., asset pricing, etc. I will extend the basic formalism to multi-agent environments, addressing issues beyond the reach of current models of BRE (e.g., formalizing the notion of ""high-order"" limited understanding of statistical regularities). Finally, I will seek a learning foundation for the graphical representation of BRE, in the sense that it will capture how the agent extrapolates his belief from a dataset (drawn from the objective distribution) containing ""missing values"", via some intuitive ""imputation method"". This part, too, borrows ideas from statistics and AI, further demonstrating the project's interdisciplinary nature."
Project acronym BIOSEC
Project Biodiversity and Security: understanding environmental crime, illegal wildlife trade and threat finance.
Researcher (PI) Rosaleen DUFFY
Summary The core intellectual aim of BIOSEC is to explore whether concerns about biodiversity protection and global security are becoming integrated, and if so, in what ways. It will do so via building new theoretical approaches for political ecology. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP recently stated 'the scale and role of wildlife and forest crime in threat finance calls for much wider policy attention'. The argument that wildlife trafficking constitutes a significant source of 'threat finance' takes two forms: first as a lucrative business for organised crime networks in Europe and Asia, and second as a source of finance for militias and terrorist networks, most notably Al Shabaab, Lord's Resistance Army and Janjaweed. BIOSEC is a four year project designed to lead debates on these emerging challenges. It will build pioneering theoretical approaches and generate new empirical data. BIOSEC takes a fully integrated approach: it will produce a better conceptual understanding of the role of illegal wildlife trade in generating threat finance; it will examine the links between source and end user countries for wildlife products; and it will investigate and analyse the emerging responses of NGOs, government agencies and international organisations to these challenges. BIOSEC goes beyond the 'state-of-the art' because biodiversity protection and global security currently inhabit distinctive intellectual 'silos'; however, they need to be analysed via an interdisciplinary research agenda that cuts across human geography, politics and international relations, criminology and conservation biology. This research is timely because in the last two years, the idea that the illegal wildlife trade constitutes a major security threat has become more prevalent in academic and policy circles, yet it is an area that is under researched and poorly understood. These recent shifts demand urgent conceptual and empirical interrogation.
The core intellectual aim of BIOSEC is to explore whether concerns about biodiversity protection and global security are becoming integrated, and if so, in what ways. It will do so via building new theoretical approaches for political ecology. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP recently stated 'the scale and role of wildlife and forest crime in threat finance calls for much wider policy attention'. The argument that wildlife trafficking constitutes a significant source of 'threat finance' takes two forms: first as a lucrative business for organised crime networks in Europe and Asia, and second as a source of finance for militias and terrorist networks, most notably Al Shabaab, Lord's Resistance Army and Janjaweed. BIOSEC is a four year project designed to lead debates on these emerging challenges. It will build pioneering theoretical approaches and generate new empirical data. BIOSEC takes a fully integrated approach: it will produce a better conceptual understanding of the role of illegal wildlife trade in generating threat finance; it will examine the links between source and end user countries for wildlife products; and it will investigate and analyse the emerging responses of NGOs, government agencies and international organisations to these challenges. BIOSEC goes beyond the 'state-of-the art' because biodiversity protection and global security currently inhabit distinctive intellectual 'silos'; however, they need to be analysed via an interdisciplinary research agenda that cuts across human geography, politics and international relations, criminology and conservation biology. This research is timely because in the last two years, the idea that the illegal wildlife trade constitutes a major security threat has become more prevalent in academic and policy circles, yet it is an area that is under researched and poorly understood. These recent shifts demand urgent conceptual and empirical interrogation.


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A series of novel derivatives based on 2-amino-substituted 4-methylpyrimidin-4-ols were synthesized by simple, accessible and efficient methods. 4-N-triazolyl derivatives were obtained from the corresponding 4-chloro derivatives, and O-substituted products, including compounds with a combination of the pyrimidine and oxadiazole rings in the molecule, were synthesized from the sodium salts of 2-amino-substituted pyrimidin-4-ols. The synthesized compounds showed a pronounced stimulating action on plants growth. Their growth stimulant activities were in the range of 46-93% compared to heteroauxin.


The threat is great! Professor Skarov is implementing his Machiavellian plans. Fortunately, the members of the Liberty Patrol are there. Four in number, protectors of the innocents and ardent defenders of Liberty, they will try to thwart the evil projects of the odious character!
In Guardians' Chronicles, a player embodies Professor Skarov and tries to realize his evil designs. The other players embody the members of the Liberty Patrol and join forces to fight the megalomania and destructive action of this evil scientist. The heroes will have to infiltrate a reputedly impregnable base and face the multiple enemies and sneaky traps placed on their way.
Skarov, at the head of an army of robots and mercenaries-ninjas, will he be able to measure the concerted strategy and powerful powers of heroes determined to negate his desires for conquest? Will heroes demonstrate the ingenuity and team spirit needed to overcome the various obstacles in their path and defeat their sworn enemy?


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Experience rivers in a way you just can't get on land. White water rafting delivers an entirely different perspective as the shore rushes past and you become one with the water, leaning this way and that, all the while paddling hard to propel the raft in the current. You'll walk away with your senses peaked and a newfound appreciation for the beauty—and power—of nature.
When you ride any of Canada's white water rivers, you are tracing the paths that were carved out by glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age. Every spring, these rivers swell with snowmelt that rushes down the tributaries and out to sea. For centuries, these rivers were the primary form of transportation on the continent. Today, they continue to thrill adventure-seekers with an incomparable and invigorating ride!
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• Second issue in an exciting five-coin series showcasing all-Canadian sporting adventures!
• Superior craftsmanship captures the excitement of the scene in exquisite detail that will preserve memories of white water rafting for years to come.
Canadian artist Ken Ryan has created an energizing scene of an inflatable raft plunging into the raging waters at the bottom of a cascade. Four of the crew members paddle furiously to propel the raft while the guide seated at the back of the raft braces himself to steer the boat into the best route. In the foreground, a wave breaks over the edge of the circular design and onto the outer edge of the coin to draw you into the thick of the action!
Beautiful detail on this coin. This artist is very talented.


Shivakumar, N. and Garcia-Molina, H. (1998) Wave-Indices: Indexing Evolving Databases. Technical Report. Stanford InfoLab.
In many applications, new data is being generated every day. Often an index of the data of a past window of days is required to answer queries effciently. For example, in a warehouse one may need an index on the sales records of the last week for effcient data mining, or in a Web service one may provide an index of Netnews articles of the past month. In this paper, we propose a variety of wave indices where the data of a new day can be effciently added, and old data can be quickly expired, to maintain the required window. We compare these schemes based on several system performance measures, such as storage, query response time, and maintenance work, as well as on their simplicity and ease of coding. Keywords: Indexing, sliding windows, temporal databases Note to Referees: This paper is an extended version of a prior conference publication in ACM SIGMOD'97 with the same title. The material has been extended significantly.


These essays look both inward and outward so that these individualized tales tell a larger storyof assimilation, the womens movement, racism, anti-Semitism, end-of-life issues, ethics in writing, digital and corporate challenges, and courtroom justice. He asks, How can you hate me when you don't even know me? This page is a gateway to several excellent History Matters online survey courses, including Making Sense of Oral History, Making Sense of Films, Making Sense of Numbers, Making Sense of Letters and Diaries, Making Sense of Advertisements, Making Sense of American Popular Song, Making Sense. British personal history firm launched after founder's brother disappears at age 28 (BBC News) Missionary, nurse, activist reflects on growing old (Chris Hubbuch, AP, Washington Times, 3-20-17) June June Kjome, 96, says three things make life worth living: faith, family and friends. Its a body of evidence. Olga, Pre-PA I was so glad that I chose to use the personal statement collaborative service. Until there isnt." The Intergenerational Self. Taylor Phillips, Pre-PA Finding the right words for reviewing Sarah being assigned to my one-on-one editing service is quite a challenging task.
Joyce (a slimmer book than the Grun) America's Best History (U.S. "I was like, 'You're never going to have time to read 20 pages on each i.c.e.e essay patient said Newton-Small, a Washington resident who was a reporter for Time magazine. Her articles have appeared in magazines such as Edible Reno-Tahoe, Reno Magazine, m, Enjoy, Family Pulse and RLife, and the Reno Gazette Journal and Mountain Echo newspapers. (Alina Dizik, WSJ, 2-22-12) - Between the Recipes, Scribbles Speak Volumes (Kate Murphy, NY Times, 1-28-13, on the marginalia in cookbooks-comments scribbled in the margins) - The Joy of Preserving Recipes (Mary. Lucille Fasanalla saved the romper she made as a student at Manhattan Trade her whole life. In conflict: American Legionnaires, veterans of World War I, and veterans from Industrial Workers of the World (Wobblies). Using my research skills, I found the Seven-Up Bottlers Association and Laura Grott" and through her the. Tell the Story of Your Life (Maisy Fernandez, aarp Bulletin, Sept. Naked, Drunk, and Writing: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling Memoir or Personal Essay by Lara Adair. Comanche student studies family history for dissertation (Fin Martinez, m, 12-12-6) After a rigorous career in academia, Eric Tippeconnic, a Comanche doctoral candidate, will be receiving his doctorate degree in history, making him the first professionally trained historian in his tribes history. While capturing sound is now so easy, make sure you record the voices you will want to hear again.
Today, I stopped caring about my fellow man. I stopped caring about my community, my neighbors, and those I serve. I stopped caring today because a once noble profession has become despised, hated, distrusted, and mostly unwanted. In her comic, scathing essay Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women.


text:
November weather forecast
Normanna, TX
YearJFMAMJJASONovemberD
Average temperature in November
Average pressure in November
Average wind speed in November
Average humidity in November
Average rainfall in November
Average rainfall days in November
Average snowfall in November
Average snowfall days in November
Average daylight in November
Average sunshine in November
Average sunshine days in November
Average UV index in November
Average cloud cover in November
Average visibility in November
November, the last month of the autumn in Normanna, is another pleasant month, with an average temperature fluctuating between 72°F (22.2°C) and 56.5°F (13.6°C).
In Normanna, Texas, the average high-temperature in November drops from a moderately hot 82.2°F (27.9°C) in October to a pleasant 72°F (22.2°C). In Normanna, in November, the average low-temperature is 56.5°F (13.6°C).
The average relative humidity in November in Normanna is 72%.
In Normanna, it is raining for 9.8 days, with typically 1.02" (26mm) of accumulated precipitation. Throughout the year, there are 134.2 rainfall days, and 16.61" (422mm) of precipitation is accumulated.
In Normanna, snow does not fall in March through November.
The average length of the day in November is 10h and 44min.
On the first day of the month, sunrise is at 7:43 am and sunset at 6:46 pm CDT. On the last day of November, sunrise is at 7:05 am and sunset at 5:34 pm CST.
Note: On Sunday, November 5. 2023, at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time ends, and the time zone changes from CDT to CST. Daylight Saving Time starts again on Sunday, March 10. 2024, at 2:00 am; consequently, the time zone reverts from CST to CDT.
In November, the average sunshine is 5.5h.
The average daily maximum UV index in November is 5. A UV Index reading of 3 to 5 represents a moderate threat to health from exposure to the Sun's UV radiation for the ordinary person.
Note: The daily maximum UV index of 5 in November interpret into the following advice:
Take precautions - Protection against sun damage is advised. The Sun's most intense and consequently most harmful UV radiation during midday hours should be decreased by minimizing exposure and seeking shade. On bright days sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays should be worn. A hat with a wide brim is extremely helpful, as it can prevent roughly 50% of UV radiation from reaching the eyes.
What is the temperature in November in Normanna?
The average high-temperature, in November, in Normanna, Texas, is 72°F (22.2°C), while the average low-temperature is 56.5°F (13.6°C). in October, the average heat index (a.k.a. 'feels like', 'real feel'), which combines air temperature and relative humidity, is evaluated at 86°F (30°C).
What is the average humidity in November in Normanna?
In Normanna, Texas, the average relative humidity in November is 72%.
How much does it rain in Normanna in November?
In Normanna, in November, during 9.8 rainfall days, 1.02" (26mm) of precipitation is typically accumulated.
When it does not snow in Normanna?
Does it snow in Normanna in November?
In Normanna, in November, it doesn't snow. In December, it regularly snows.
How many hours of daylight does Normanna have in November?
The average day length in November is 10h and 44min.
When are sunrise and sunset in November in Normanna?
On the first day of November in Normanna, Texas, sunrise is at 7:43 am and sunset at 6:46 pm CDT. On the last day of the month, sunrise is at 7:05 am and sunset at 5:34 pm CST.
When does Daylight Saving Time (DST) end in November in Normanna?
On Sunday, November 5. 2023, at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time ends in Normanna, and the time zone changes from CDT to CST. The next DST starts Sunday, March 10. 2024, at 2:00 am.
How many hours of sunshine does Normanna have in November?
In Normanna, Texas, the average sunshine duration in November is 5.5h.
What is the UV index intensity in November in Normanna?
The average daily maximum UV index in November in Normanna, Texas, is 5. A UV Index value of 3 to 5 symbolizes a medium hazard to health from exposure to the Sun's UV radiation.
72°F 22.2°C
Average high temperature in November: 72°F
Average low temperature in November: 56.5°F
Average pressure in November: 30.09"Hg
The months with the lowest atmospheric pressure are May and June (29.89"Hg).
Average wind speed in November: 8.3mph
The calmest month (with the lowest average wind speed) is September (7.6mph).
Average humidity in November: 72%
The months with the highest relative humidity are March and May (76%).
Average rainfall in November: 1.02"
Average rainfall days in November: 9.8 days
Average snowfall in November: 0"
The month with the highest snowfall is February (0.08").
The months with the least snowfall are March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November (0").
Average snowfall days in November: 0 days
The months with the highest number of snowfall days are January and February (0.2 days).
Average daylight in November /
Average daylight in November: 10h and 44min
Average sunshine in November: 5h and 30min
Average sunshine days in November: 18 days
The month with the most sunshine days is January (20 days).
The month with the least sunshine days is September (11.3 days).
Average UV index in November: 5
The months with the highest UV index are May, June, July, August and September (UV index 7).
Average cloud cover in November: 39
The month with the most cloud cover is February (Cloud cover 47).
Average visibility in November: 6mi
Normanna, Texas - Autumn forecast. November weather forecast. Average monthly weather with temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind, daylight, sunshine, visibility, and UV index data. [2387849]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
August 10, 2021 | Susan Napier-Sewell
Are Regulators Putting Business Ahead of Workers?
Taking sides: Accident vs. suicide in construction worker's arena death: where are regulators?
Accident or suicide— in the following incident involving a fatality, take note of the position of regulators. Let us know what you think about where the death should be attributed — was it an accident or a suicide?
In 2017, Michael Morrison, an electrical worker, died after falling 75 feet during the construction of the Little Caesars Arena (LGA), home to the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings. By mid-August of 2017, the Detroit Police Department, a Michigan OSHA (MIOSHA) inspector, and the Wayne County Medical Examiner had attributed the death to an "accident." Opposing the findings, MIOSHA and the arena builders called the death a "suicide," insisting that Morrison jumped seven stories.
In an April 2019 article, the Detroit Free Press observed, "Safety experts say MIOSHA's decision to overrule its own inspector — who also labeled the death an accident — raises questions about whether regulators are putting big business ahead of Michigan workers. They also say that not counting workplace deaths correctly thwarts efforts to improve safety in the workplace." The Free Press also stated that "Employers don't want a workplace fatality on their record: It can drive up the costs of workers' comp and other insurance, as well as the cost of performance and payment bonds. It's a stain on their safety record, which can impact a company's ability to successfully bid on other work. A suicide, on the other hand, is a 'convenient way to close the case and move on,' said Troy lawyer Shereef Akeel, who specializes in employment law. "It exonerates the employer and absolves them of any fault."
Many sources and experts, including the Detroit Metro Times, support the Free Press' account that "MIOSHA overruled its own inspector, ousted him, destroyed his handwritten notes, and declared the death a suicide."
Accident or suicide? The Michigan Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Labor are looking into the death.
The TapRooT® System trains you to solve problems
Circumstances can crop up in any occupation at any time if proper and safe sequence and procedures are not planned and followed. We encourage you to learn and use the TapRooT® System to solve problems.
TapRooT® has a team of investigators and instructors with years of extensive training ready to offer assistance worldwide. We also offer ongoing support to our clients through free newsletters and Root Cause Tip Videos, the Root Cause Analysis Blog, and our annual Global TapRooT® Summit.
Register for a TapRooT® Course
Register for one of our courses. We offer a basic 2-Day course and an advanced 5-Day course. Contact us or call 865.539.2139 about having a course at your site or for further root cause analysis training opportunities. We're here to find solutions for you.
Accidents, Investigations
One Reply to "Are Regulators Putting Business Ahead of Workers?"
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text:
Tue 8:30pm on ABC TV + iview
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Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Where Does Fat Go?
Most of us want to lose a bit of weight but have you ever wondered where those discarded kilograms actually go? Find out what actually happens to that hard-to-shift fat in this fascinating story about the science of weight loss.
Due to viewer interest we have included a more detailed explanation of Ruben's equation.
Broadcast: Thu 28 Aug 2014, 12:00am
Published: Thu 28 Aug 2014, 12:00am
The world is obsessed with fad diets and weight loss. With a whopping two-thirds of all Australians now overweight or obese, you'd think everyone would know the answer to the most obvious weight loss question of all - when you burn fat, where does it go?
Oh, God, that's a good question.
It burns up, maybe through your sweat.
Down the toilet, I suppose. (Laughs)
I don't know. We don't know, I guess.
I don't know. I don't lose weight.
I would think it's just... just air.
Maybe you pee it out.
Ruben Meerman
Last year I lost a little bit of weight myself, which got me thinking, 'What was I actually losing?' What did it become? And, most importantly, where did it go?
Biochemistry students learn all about what happens during weight loss during their undergraduate studies at university. It's an essential part of their training.
Hello, class!
Hi, Ruben!
Ready to metabolise some fat?
These students at the University of New South Wales know exactly how your body burns fat, right down to the last molecule.
So, Andrew, these are your students and they've just basically written up what happens to fat when you lose weight. Can you talk us through what's going on here?
Professor Andrew Brown
Sure. What we start off with is mobilisation of fat. So, fat is stored away as triglyceride... (Voice becomes high-pitched, speeds up) ..in our fat cells. And then we have the breaking of that fat into its constituents...
Whoa there, professor! This is really interesting, but let's slow it down a bit.
This tangled web of chemical equations is the process your body goes through every time you lose weight. It's super complicated, but I'm going to make it a little easier for you. See this? It's a fat molecule.
It's the average human fat molecule, and like all fat molecules, it's made of just three elements - It contains 55 carbon atoms, 105 hydrogen atoms and six oxygen atoms.
To lose just one of these molecules, you have to inhale 78 molecules of oxygen. And then, via this amazing chemical process, you'll convert this molecule into 55 molecules of carbon dioxide, or CO2, and 52 molecules of water - H2O. The atoms haven't ceased to exist, they've just changed into something new.
So, that's the chemical process that burns fat and releases energy in your body. But where does the mass actually go?
Can you guys show me, where's the mass in this whole thing? Like, where are the kilograms, as opposed to the kilojoules?
Eser Zereturk
You've got two carbon dioxides formed here...
Vicky Burns
..and we have water over here.
OK. So, let me ask you this. If I start with 10kg of this stuff, how many kilograms do I get of carbon dioxide and how many of them become water?
Um... I don't know!
No? Not sure?
It's not just these students that don't know, it's every biochemistry student. Nobody seems to know precisely where the mass goes.
All animals store excess food as fat, and this stuff is pure beef fat. In the old days, people made candles from this stuff.
It's a centuries-old recipe, and, believe it or not, these ancient candles are remarkably similar to human fat from a molecular perspective.
So, there you go - a candle made from animal fat. Let's burn it.
This is the amazing part. Here, we can actually see the fat burning up. It's losing weight. The molecules that used to be the candle aren't the candle anymore, but because the weight of those molecules has turned into invisible vapours, we don't give them another thought. Out of sight, out of mind.
So, we've turned 200g of animal fat into carbon dioxide and water. And if you think that carbon dioxide doesn't have mass, you're wrong. And here's proof. This is pure carbon dioxide in its frozen form. It's called dry ice. This piece weighs 38g. And look, it even sinks... in water, So, there you have it - carbon dioxide and water. This is what fat becomes. But how much carbon dioxide and how much water do you get when you lose weight?
Back in the lab it's time for me to answer my big fat question.
So, Andrew, here's something I've prepared, and, in this form, all of that amazing biochemistry that you showed us here is represented by this one little arrow but um, so we've got our fat molecule here, and you inhale these 78 oxygen molecules, so that you convert all of that to 55 carbon dioxide molecules, and 52 water molecules. But if you trace that mass in that original molecule through, so, if you start with 10kg of fat then what you end up with here is 8.4kg of carbon dioxide and 1.6kg of water. So, you're essentially breathing out most of the fat when you lose weight, which... I just find that amazing.
It is a neat way to remind us about the conservation of mass - we've got 10kg, you'll end up with 10kg I think it's a very useful and fresh perspective to think about weight loss.
So, there you go. If you want to lose weight, eat less, move more, and you'll literally turn fat into thin air.
Presenter Ruben Meerman
Producer Maurice Branscombe
Researcher Claire Smith
Researcher Ruben Meerman
external link Weight Loss Talk by Ruben Meerman
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text:
October 19, 2015 By Lesley Gordon
Discrimination against same-sex couples – perhaps not quite as illegal as you thought?
Same-sex married couple has failed to persuade a Court that discrimination against them was illegal after equal pension rights decision.
A same-sex married couple has failed to persuade a Court that the discrimination against them was illegal.
John Walker and his husband had lived together for 20 years. They had become Civil Partners just as soon as the law made that possible, and then converted their Civil Partnership to marriage after another change in the law let them do so.
Mr Walker was 62 and had retired in 2003 from the company where he had worked for 23 years. His company pension was worth £85,000 per year and he wanted to ensure that his husband, only 49 years old, would benefit from the pension if Mr Walker died first.
There was never any doubt that Mr Walker's spouse, if he had married a woman, would have been entitled to the pension, but the company, Innospec Ltd, refused to recognise his marriage to a man in the same way.
The story will surprise many readers, but the point was that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation only became illegal shortly after John Walker had retired. He challenged the ruling at an Employment Tribunal and was successful. He must have thought that the pension problem was solved. But the company, supported by the Department of Work & Pensions, appealed the decision and the Employment Appeal Tribunal reversed it.
Mr Walker took it further – he was supported by the Human Rights group, Liberty – and appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal where he has now lost again. The reasoning is simple, if brutal – it is now illegal to discriminate in this way but because John Walker had retired before the law made it illegal, the company was not bound to treat him in the same way as it would have treated a heterosexual couple.
The Court said,
'…. I can understand that Mr Walker and his husband will find this conclusion hard to accept. But changes in social attitudes and the legislation that embodies those changes, cannot fully undo the effects of the past'
We're all used to the argument that attitudes, jokes and prejudices from a different time should be judged according to the standards of their time. It's a shaky argument which can be used to justify the unjustifiable, but this case demonstrates that even in the legislative sphere, we cannot view past practices through modern spectacles. In fact, most pension schemes have chosen to treat same-sex couples in the same way as opposite-sex couples, but the Court has told us that they don't have to.
One final point – why did the Department for Work & Pensions support the company at the Court of Appeal? The answer may have something to do with the fact that, according to the government, full equalization would cost over £3 billion.
The New Pension Reforms – Benefits and Risks for Separating Couples The Perils of Pensions in Divorce The Perils of Pensions in Divorce – Part 2 Parental issues for female same sex couples
Filed Under: Civil Partnerships, Same Sex Marriage Tagged With: civil partners, civil partnerships, discrimination, pension rights, pensions, same sex marriage
Lesley Gordon
Lesley is a Partner at BTO Solicitors LLP. Accredited as a Specialist in Family Law by the Law Society of Scotland, Experienced Collaborative Practitioner, and Accredited Family Law Arbitrator. Read Lesley's professional biography


Working in English often requires much more than just speaking good English. In addition to improving one's overall English proficiency, people who have to speak English at work need to discuss and debate confidently in English at international meetings. At Nations our role as training and communication experts is to help you improve your English business communications skills and help you speak English better. Since the heart of the Nations Total English for Business programme is one-to-one training, it is always tailored to suit your individual needs. Our English trainers can integrate elements specifically related to your requirements to create a balanced English course which exactly matches your goals. We encourage you to bring your job-specific materials with you. These will be integrated into your individual classes with complete confidentiality.


Are you ready for a quick creative session? In this 4 minute tutorial we show you how to paint an abstract butterfly using acrylic paints.
Leap into a fun art project and give this frog painting a go. In this video we step you through how to transfer your image onto a canvas and bring your frog to life with a range of painting techniques.
Do you want to give double exposure painting a go? In this video we show you how to paint a forest inside a panther using watercolours!
With beach season well on its way in Australia, we were inspired to create an ocean-themed painting. Learn how to paint a wave in acrylic and capture a stunning sunset at the same time!
Learn how to create a stunning portrait using acrylic and oil paint, then give it the Midas touch with some gold leaf.
Bring a touch of nature into your home or office with a beautiful succulent painting. In this lesson we show you how to paint your own succulent using our Premium Watercolour Paints.
Learn how to paint a koi fish with watercolour paints! In this lesson we show you how to draw up your design and bring it to life with our Premium Watercolour Paints.
Add some colour to your wall with a vibrant abstract landscape painting. In this step-by-step tutorial we show you how to create your own from scratch!
Create your very own white rose artwork using oil paints! In this tutorial we show you how to use grisaille underpainting with beautiful transparent glazes on top. Download the PDF and material list below.
Bring your walls to life with our geometric art tutorial. In this lesson we'll show you how to create a wall art triptych using acrylic paints and metallic leafing!


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text:
Worker who set fire to USS Miami submarine to be sentenced today
Casey Fury is seen in a file booking photo provided by the Dover, N.H., Police Department .
The man who set fire to USS Miami has a long and debilitating history of anxiety and depression, was homeless for a while as a child and is a "passionate, gentle and caring individual," according to his defenders.
For these reasons, his attorney wrote in court documents, former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard worker Casey Fury should get 15 years, eight months in prison instead of the 19 years recommended by the U.S. attorney.
Fury, 26, of Portsmouth, N.H., will be in U.S. District Court in Portland today to be sentenced for setting fire to USS Miami at the shipyard in May 2012, causing $450 million in damage. Several weeks later, he set a second fire outside the nuclear submarine.
Fury pleaded guilty to those charges last November. Under the plea deal, Fury agreed to a sentence of between 15 years, eight months and 19 years. The maximum sentence for the crimes is life in prison.
In seeking the 19-year sentence, federal prosecutor Darcie McElwee wrote in her pre-sentence report that Fury's "intentional fire setting on and around a nuclear submarine was beyond reckless. Frankly, as the court is aware from its view of the Miami, this fire easily could have been fatal."
Fury said he set the two fires because wanted to leave work early. Defense attorney David Beneman contended Fury was in the throes of depression and was not thinking clearly. McElwee wrote that Fury's actions were deliberate and precipitated on the fact that he had no more sick or vacation time left.
In his 15-page pre-sentence report, Beneman painted a picture of a troubled young man whose parents divorced when he was 4. As a third-grader, he was homeless for a period after his mother and a boyfriend broke up, Beneman wrote.
At the time of the fires, he wrote, Fury was not getting sufficient benefit from his medications for anxiety, depression and panic attacks. "He never intended for anyone to be hurt or for the first fire to result in the amount of damage it did," Beneman wrote. "On the dates of the two fires, he suffered from anxiety attacks and 'just freaked out.'"
The attorney said that several days after his client set the second fire, Fury checked himself into Portsmouth Regional Hospital for mental health treatment. "He was anxious, depressed and having 'passive suicidal ideation,'" Beneman wrote. After the hospital changed his medication, Fury "reported an immediate change."
Beneman said his client accepts full responsibility for his actions. In the first Miami blaze, Fury set a rag on fire and placed it on the top bed of one of the state rooms in the mid-level of the submarine. Beneman said tests conducted afterward established that the fire spread rapidly due to the enamel paint on the walls and ceilings "that provided fuel for the fire to expand."
He said the judge should take into consideration the fact that Fury did not intend for the fire to spread as it did. "Casey lacks coping skills" and shows "hasty and poorly thought out decision making," the attorney said. "At the same time, he does not display criminal thinking, nor attributes of an arsonist."
McElwee painted a decidedly different picture of Fury. She wrote that while "the government appreciates" the USS Miami fire might have been set "simply to create a distraction," Fury escaped the sub and "watched while others risked their lives to battle the fire; all while he stood safely on the pier." The second fire, she wrote, "demonstrates the true disregard the defendant has for others" because he knew what happened in the first instance, but set a second fire nonetheless.
Fury, she said, "concluded that his personal desires were worth more than the safety of all the people with whom he worked … and more than the property of the United States Navy." McElwee said the "ripple of consequences" of the USS Miami fire is far reaching. "The damage to Miami and its removal from the fleet, whether temporary or permanent, will continue to affect the United States Navy for years to come," she wrote.
The Miami has remained at the shipyard since the fire, and money had been found in the Navy budget and appropriated by Congress to repair it. However, that work is uncertain in the wake of recent automatic federal budget cuts. McElwee wrote, "it is anticipated that other submarines will have to go to sea and deploy for more time to account for the absence of the Miami" — time that sailors will not be spending with their families.
Both the defense and the prosecution have the right to withdraw the plea agreement if the court imposes a substantially higher or lower sentence at the hearing today.
Source – Sea Coast online
This entry was posted in US Submarines and tagged Casey Fury, Fire, Groton, Portsmouth, USS Miami on March 15, 2013 by jasonlockley.
Japan Submarine Relics Stolen By Vandals – Video Clip
Japanese mini sub taken from Sydney Harbour
Australian authorities investigate after divers damage the hull of a wartime mini submarine in the waters off Sydney.
Vandals have damaged the wreckage of a Japanese mini submarine that attacked Sydney Harbour during World War Two, stealing parts and protected relics.
The crews from two of the three vessels involved in the assault scuttled their boats and committed suicide, but the fate of the third was unknown until 2006 when scuba divers discovered it off Sydney's northern beaches.
Authorities put an exclusion zone around the vessel, which is believed to contain the remains of the two crew members and personal items such as samurai swords and good luck charms. It is supposedly monitored by long-range cameras.
But divers entered the site, damaged the hull of the midget submarine and stole relics, Australia's Environment Department said in an appeal for information, without specifying what had been taken.
"The resulting damage includes the breaking off and removal of two of three visible propeller blades … of the submarine, causing permanent damage to a significant piece of Australia's WWII heritage," the department said.
The damage was discovered during an archaeological inspection.
Anyone found guilty of damaging or disturbing a protected wreck faces up to five years in jail.
The site is also protected under New South Wales heritage laws, with a breach incurring a fine of up to AU$1.1m (£763,000).
The lethal assault in 1942 came after a Japanese reconnaissance flight reported Allied warships anchored in Sydney Harbour.
The commanding officer of a flotilla of five large Japanese submarines cruising off the city decided to attack with three mini submarines, each carrying a two-man crew.
They avoided the partially constructed Sydney Harbour anti-submarine boom net and attempted to sink the warships but were detected and attacked.
One submarine attempted to torpedo the heavy cruiser USS Chicago, but instead sank the converted Australian ferry HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21 sailors.
Source – Sky News
This entry was posted in The world's submarines, Video Clip and tagged Australia, HMAS Kuttabul, Japan, Mini submarine, Sydney, USS Chicago, WW2 on March 15, 2013 by jasonlockley.
USS Silversides submarine featured on CNN's list of top 5 'boatels' in the world
MUSKEGON, MI — The U.S.S. Silversides, a World War II submarine that sits in the Muskegon Channel, has recently been featured as one of the top five "boatels" in the world by "MainSail," a monthly sailing show on CNN.
Justin Kneeshaw, right and Tanner Hamilton, Webloes scouts from pack 3219 play the 'Battleship' board game in their sleeping bags onboard the USS Silversides. The Scouts from pack 3219 slept on the sub following a tour through the boat.
"Catering for those who seek the romance of the high-seas without sacrificing the creature-comforts of dry land, an increasing number of enterprising hoteliers are converting historic vessels into over-night stays," reads the story, written by Sheena McKenzie.
The story bills the U.S.S. Silversides as a way for history buffs to "experience life as a World War II sailor – without the combat." It also highlights the submarine's distinction as the third most prolific U.S. submarine during the war after it sank 23 Japanese ships.
Accompanying attractions and activities include a visit to the adjacent U.S.S. Silversides Submarine Museum and a remote operating vehicle (ROV) class, in which participants can build their own underwater robots, the article said.
Denise Herzhaft, business manager of the U.S.S. Silversides Submarine Museum, said the organization was excited to be included on the list.
"We are delighted," she said.
Herzhaft said the submarine is a huge draw to the site and attracts Boy and Girl Scout troops, 4-H groups, church groups, reunions and veterans groups. All 72 beds are booked almost every Friday and Saturday throughout the year and during the summer, the Silversides is also occupied on weekdays, she said.
"We are open all year long," Herzhaft said. "It's been this way since the late '80s."
Overnight stays include a guided historical and mechanical tour of the submarine as well as workshops like knot-tying and Morse code, she said.
Rates are $35 a night Friday through Sunday and $30 Monday through Thursday. The Silversides is also starting to take reservations for 2014, although rates will increase by $2.50 next year, Herzhaft said.
Groups need a minimum of 20 people to make a reservation. For more information, contact the museum at (231) 755-1230.
Muskegon Channel, Michigan
Source – Mlive.com
This entry was posted in US Submarines and tagged Boatel, Michigan, Muskegon, USS Silversides on March 15, 2013 by jasonlockley.


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Minnesota Girl, Sri Lankan Guy Still Turn Heads
By Katia Riddle
Published July 9, 2010 at 11:00 PM CDT
This year, more than 2 million couples will get married in the United States. Our series, Newly Wed In America, takes a look at the way the institution of marriage has changed — sometimes radically — in the last 50 years.
Interracial marriages are still relatively rare in the U.S., but the number is growing. In 1970, just three years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws across the country that prohibited interracial marriages, less than 2 percent of marriages in the United States were interracial. Today, that number is almost 6 percent. NPR's Katia Riddle brings us this profile of one interracial couple in Cleveland.
The first time Rochelle Wawracz saw her future husband, she was waiting tables in a restaurant in Minneapolis.
"I noticed him immediately," she says. "He was not sitting in my section. But I went and filled up his soda because I couldn't take my eyes off of him. And I just, I remember walking back to the waitress station and saying, 'That man is so beautiful.' "
With her Scandinavian roots, Wawracz is a quintessential Minnesotan. She figured the guy was from another country, and she'd probably never see him again. Varnesh Sritharan is from Sri Lanka, but he was living in Minneapolis at the time, working at a law firm downtown. He came in that day with some co-workers.
"Initially we went there for the burgers," he recalls. "After Rochelle started being our server, we decided to go there probably two, three times a week to see if we could run into her."
After Sritharan asked her out, Wawracz says she knew within the first two months that he was the one. They were married in a traditional Sri Lankan ceremony in the Twin Cities.
Fast-forward eight years. Now they live in Cleveland and have a 1-year-old son, Kai. On this day, Wawracz feeds Kai an early dinner. She and Sritharan are a striking couple — the contrast between his dark skin and her pale complexion is dramatic. The couple says the difference doesn't go unnoticed.
"I pick up on little, like, glances that linger a little longer than they should," Sritharan says. "Go to the grocery store — there's still a lot of weird looks and things like that. But, I guess ultimately, you just have to learn to roll with it, because you're not going to escape it."
Wawracz grew up in a family of "hippies," as she says, and her parents encouraged diversity. But she says this attitude isn't necessarily typical in small-town Minnesota, where she spent a good part of her childhood.
"I still haven't brought Varnesh back to my high-school town. It was all white people," she says. "I think about, you know, people will look at us funny."
Sritharan moved to the U.S. in 1983. His parents raised him and his brother in New Jersey in a tight Sri Lankan community.
"When I went away to college, I think, over and over, they professed their overwhelming preference to have me marry someone who was Sri Lankan."
Sociologists say one reason for the rise in interracial unions is that Americans are getting married much later than they did 30 years ago. Sritharan was 31 when he and Wawracz wed. His father died last year. His mom, Saro Sritharan, who is visiting, says she can hardly remember wishing for a Sri Lankan daughter-in-law.
"Rochelle is a nice girl, and I'm sure Varnesh made the right choice," she says. "I'm very happy."
During the visit, the family takes Kai to the Hindu temple. At Saro Sritharan's request, the priest performs a short, special ceremony, blessing Kai.
This is only the second time Wawracz has gone with Sritharan to temple. She says sometimes she gets nervous being the only white person in this situation. But she also recognizes that Sritharan's faith gives him strength.
"I think that maybe people think that because I married her, I must be somehow removed from my culture," says Sritharan. "Or that I'm not as devout a Hindu. Would it be easier if she was a Hindu? Yeah, but then I wouldn't have her."
Sritharan says it doesn't matter whether Wawracz shares his faith; she brings him balance between being a lawyer, father, an immigrant and a husband.
Katia Riddle


2. Students are counted in the UK's net migration statistics, as they are in our main competitor countries - the USA, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. These competitors also report students in separate administrative visa statistics, as does the UK.
4. Since 2010 applications for Tier 4 visas for study at University have increased by 17%. At the same time applications for visas for further education (FE) and colleges have fallen by two thirds from 65,000 to 21,000. This is to be expected. Since 2010 the government has closed down 750 bogus colleges and it was in this sector (as well as the English Language school sector) that the National Audit Office found that much of the abuse of the Points Based System (PBS) had occurred.
Figure 2. Applicants for Tier 4 visa by education sector, 2010-2013, Home Office.
5. The fall in Indian students to the UK is often used to suggest that immigration reform has harmed the education sector. In the year ending June 2014 just over 12,000 student visas were granted to Indian students. This compares to 58,000 in 2009, the year that the PBS was introduced. In 2010 the National Audit Office estimated that in this first year of the PBS alone as many as 50,000 bogus students entered the UK to work rather than study and identified India as a major source of bogus students. Indeed visa sections in India had to be closed to student visa applications because of the surge in bogus applications. Student applications were also suspended in China, Bangladesh and Nepal for the same reason and the suspension was not fully lifted until August 2010.
6. While Indian visas have fallen, visas to some nationals have increased. In the latest year there were 61,000 student visas issued to Chinese students, up from 44,000 in 2010 and Malaysian students have increased by 43% since 2010, as indicated in figure three.
Figure 3. Grants of PBS Tier 4 Visa (and pre-PBS equivalent) by selected nationalities, 2007-2013, Home Office.
7. There have been calls for the post study work visa to be reinstated. There is no need for this as an unlimited number of graduates can currently switch into Tier 2 if they can find any graduate level work that pays £20,000 a year within four months of finishing their studies. This is more generous than the USA and New Zealand where post study work is strictly limited to the field of study. Permission to take low skilled work would only encourage overstaying.
8. It is often claimed that the government's reforms of the student immigration system have received negative coverage in the foreign media which has created a view that foreign students are not welcome in the UK. In fact, any negative publicity has largely been created by the University lobby themselves. This, is completely contrary to their interests and, indeed, to the facts.


A redberry bush seed - plant in a bush patch.
Redberry seeds are seeds which can be planted and grown into Redberries at level 10 Farming. They must be planted in bush patches.
A nearby gardener will watch over your growing redberry bush at the cost of 4 sacks of cabbages.
The seed cannot be bought from Olivia's seed stall in Draynor Village nor can it be bought from any of the farming shops. It can, however, be stolen from a Master Farmer (level 38 Thieving required) or by killing monsters that drop redberry seeds.
This page was last modified on 17 January 2019, at 21:28.


Like the Trasskah and the Tailoddans, the Lee-Guirs dwell in an inhospitable environment – the deep corrosive oceans of the planet Guir-Nali-Bo. They tolerate these conditions by encysting themselves in a thick crust, waiting for the oceans to recede and the lands to once again support life. The downside of this method is that oceans take a long time to recede… long enough in this case that they are expected to remain little more than biological trivia for interstellar epochs to come.


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Q: How to rollback any transaction when doing test with phpUnit in symfony2 I'm testing the controllers using the crawler, but when I'm posting a form that doesn't generate any errors, it save the form in the database.
How can I prevent him to do so without changing the controller, and without testing something else.
Is there best practice about this kinds of test ?
I tried the rollback, but in the ControllerTest there is no more active transactions

A: You need to write your own test client class extending Symfony\Bundle\FrameworkBundle\Client.
It's because default client doesn't share connection object between requests (so you can't use transactions outside test client). If you extend test client you can handle transaction by your own.
In your client class you need make static connection object, and override method doRequest() to avoid creating new connection object every time but use our static one instead.
It's well described here:
http://alexandre-salome.fr/blog/Symfony2-Isolation-Of-Tests
When you have your own doRequest method all you need is handle transaction, so you wrap handle() method with begin and rollback. Your doRequest method could look sth like that:
protected function doRequest($request)
{
    // here you need create your static connection object if it's doesn't exist yet
    // and put it into service container as 'doctrine.dbal.default_connection'

    (...)
    self::$connection->beginTransaction();
    $response = $this->kernel->handle($request);
    self::$connection->rollback();
    (...)

    return $response
}

A: You can read the documentation of PHPUnit for database testing
http://www.phpunit.de/manual/3.6/en/database.html
You will need setup your database and teardown the changes you made.
If you think that the above is too complicated maybe you are interested in make a mockup of your database layer
http://www.phpunit.de/manual/3.6/en/test-doubles.html
Mockup is create a custom object based in the original object where put your own test controls. Probably in this case you are interested in mockup the Entity Manager of Doctrine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Girls Interests
Aford T. Turtle
Aford T. Turtle lives in the woods with his friends Simon Snake and Robin Robin. Join them on their adventures in this funny comic strip created by Aaron Riddle. Updated each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Comics.com
Comics.com contains a huge collection of comics distributed by United Media. Some of the comic pages have games and other fun activities; all have comics strips that you can read.
Create A Creature
Learn how to draw a silly creature by following step-by-step illustrations. Created by cartoonist Aaron Riddle, a new creature will be featured each week, along with a new drawing tip. Submit your own creature, and it could show up on the web site!
The official site. Read comics, play games like Lasagna from Heaven or Wacky Word Search, download screen savers and more.
Hippoworks
Join Peep the Bird, his best friend Simon the Hippo, Suzanne the Crystal Goddess, and the rest of the Hippoworks gang, for animated cartoons, coloring, rhyming fun, and more.
The Official Peanuts Website
Join Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang at their official site. Read from an archive of comics, visit the character profiles and see some of the first strips they first appeared in, send an email postcard, print and color Peanuts characters, play games and more. A great site.


Arthur Worth "Bud" Collins, Jr. has been a fixture in the tennis community for over six decades and has become as well known for his newspaper and television work as for his colorful outfits and congenial personality.
Collins, 85, simply known as "Bud," grew up in Berea, Ohio, where his first love was baseball and newspapers. He began in the newspaper business while still in high school, covering high school and college games for his hometown paper, the Berea Enterprise.
This passion continued into college, as Collins attended nearby Baldwin-Wallace University. He was the sports editor for the college paper, The Exponent, and had the opportunity to cover Berea Olympic gold-medalist sprinter Harrison Dillard at the 1948 London Olympics.
Collins graduated from Baldwin-Wallace in 1951 and went into the Army for a year. Upon his return, Collins followed the lead of his good friend and former Exponent editor, Bob Beach, to Boston University in 1955 to pursue a master's degree in public relations.
At the same time, Collins began working as a copy boy for the Boston Herald. A short while later, the Herald editor surprised Collins by offering him a full-time job as a sports reporter covering boxing.
Collins would occasionally cover tennis events, with his first tennis tournament the Massachusetts Women's Championship at the Longwood Cricket Club in the late 1950s. It was here that Collins acquired his true appreciation for covering the sport.
His coverage caught the eye of Benny Friedman, a former University of Michigan quarterback who became the athletic director at Brandeis University. Friedman offered Collins a part-time job as the school's first varsity tennis coach. Collins coached from 1959 to 1963, during which time he had perhaps the most famous student-athlete at the time, political and social activist Abbie Hoffman, on the team.
Collins was an up-and-coming sports writer at the Herald and was eventually hired by The Boston Globe in 1963.
At The Globe, Collins wrote a general sports column but was given the freedom to write about tennis as much as he wanted, as the editors at The Globe were more partial to tennis than those at the Herald.
In 1966, Greg Harney, the producer for Boston's Public Broadcasting Service, WGBH, approached Collins to do commentary for live tennis matches he wanted to show on air. This began Collins' sports commentary work, in which he was a pioneer. Collins moved to CBS Sports in 1968 and then NBC Sports in 1972 and began his "Breakfast at Wimbledon" broadcasts in 1979. His run with NBC lasted until 2007, when NBC decided not to renew the then-78-year-old's contract.
In addition to his newspaper and television work, Collins has written several books, including, "The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book" — a new edition is due next year — and Rod Laver's biography.
Collins has been honored with numerous journalism awards, including the Red Smith Award in 1999 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.
He currently resides in Boston with his wife, photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen.