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China's e-Science Blue Book 2020 | springerprofessional.de Skip to main content
2021 | Buch
China's e-Science Blue Book 2020
Herausgeber: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Education of the PRC, Ministry of Science and Technology of the PRC, China Association for Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Verlag: Springer Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-8341-4
Electronic ISBN: 978-981-15-8342-1
Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"
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"China's e-Science Blue Book 2020" has been jointly compiled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Education of the PRC, Ministry of Science and Technology of the PRC, China Association for Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It was focusing on the new situation, new progress and new achievements of China's e-Scientific in the past two years.
During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, Chinese scholars make full use of advanced information technology to carry out scientific research work, and have achieved a series of major scientific and technological achievements. This book has collected 28 research reports about China's e-Science application in the past two years to introduce the application in the frontier research of science and technology, the progress of e-Science in major projects and the achievements of informatization in interdisciplinary. As such it provides a valuable reference resource for researchers and students in this area and promotes further e-Science research.
Overview of e-Science Research in China
During "the 13th Five-Year Plan" period, the Chinese experts and scholars make full use of advanced information technology to carry out scientific research work, and have achieved a series of scientific and technological achievements. It reflects the level of e-Science application in China. This article systematically summarized the e-Science research from three aspects, the application in the frontier research of science and technology, the progress of e-Science in major projects and the achievements of informatization in interdisciplinary. During the past two years, so as to provide a reference for the scholars in this field for the further e-Science research.
Yang Wang, Yan Ban, Xuehai Hong
Application in the Frontier Research of Science and Technology
Biomedicine Big Data—Trends and Prospect
This forward-looking review focuses on the development and applications for Biomedicine Big Data (BMBD), and its role in the engineering system for data management, scientific and technological research and development, as well as in social and economic transformation. The review starts with an elaboration on the complex connotations of BMDB from the inter-disciplinary point of view. It then explores the implications of BMDB in sectors such as life science research, medical and health institutions, and biotechnology and bio-medicine industries in connection with the challenges and opportunities faced by social and economic development. The recent COVID-19 outbreak is used as an illustrative case study. The review ends with an analysis of a decade of BMBD practice, both domestically and abroad, with suggestions for policy-making and solutions to tackle major challenges from China's perspective. It is hoped that any BMBD-related institutions, including administrative, academic, industrial, financial and social organizations,practitioners and users will benefit from this insightful summary drawn from the past decades of BMBD practice. Any critical comments and constructive suggestions are sincerely welcomed by the authors.
Guoping Zhao, Yixue Li, Daming Chen, Yan Xiong
The Progress of High Performance Computing in China and the Development Trend of International High Performance Computing
The development of high-performance computing comprehensively reflects the scientific and technological strength of a country, and is also an important part of the national innovation system. China has promoted the development of high performance computing by deploying a variety of national science and technology projects and funding plans, and gradually formed a national high performance computing service environment with a certain scale. Based on the landscape of the world TOP500 high performance computers, this paper firstly analyzes the latest progress of high performance computing in China; reviews the main shortcomings of HPC R&D in China; then explains the technological breakthroughs and applications of Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer; and finally discusses the R&D upsurge of Exascale computers in the world. In addition, this paper predicts the future development trend of high performance computing technologies.
Zuoning Chen
The Informationized Application of On-orbit Data Processing of the Dark Matter Particle Explorer
DAMPE is the first satellite-based observatory of China targeting on astronomical objects. During its on-orbit observation, over 6 billion of high energy cosmic rays (CRs) have been detected and analyzed, providing several hundred of terabyte (TB) of date for various scientific purposes. Such rich observations have largely benefited the research of electrons (positrons), protons and gammas within the high energy CRs. In this paper, we would take a deep insight into DAMPE. Firstly, the structure and features of its data processing software DAMPESW is introduced. Then constructions of DAMPE infrastructures is explained that are built on the demand of high data processing performance. Finally, in hope of providing reference for other similar projects in the future, we summarize the informationized application of data processing on DAMPE.
Jin Chang, Jingjing Zang, Liang Liu
Atomic-Scale Investigations on Water Science Based on Information Technology
Water–solid interfaces play important roles in a wide range of scientific fields and technique processes and it is a crucial scientific issue to understand the hydrogen-bonding network and relevant dynamics of interfacial water at molecular or sub-molecular level. Of the many surface science techniques, scanning probe microscopy has become one of the most powerful tools to study the water–solid interfaces due to its capability of imaging with atomic resolution. In recent years, our research group has achieved atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopic characterization of water–solid interfaces utilizing the atomic resolution capability of scanning probe microscopy and the imaging techniques of e-Science. Further combined with simulation and calculations based on supercomputer techniques and e-Science, our group has achieved important progress in the microscopic structure of the hydrogen-bonding network of water, the dynamics of proton transfer, nuclear quantum effect on the strength of hydrogen-bond and water-ion interaction.
Runze Ma, Jinbo Peng, Ying Jiang
Opportunities and Challenges for Biometrics
Biometrics refers to the science and technology of automatic identification achieved by computers through acquiring and analyzing physiological and behavioral characteristics of human body. The purpose of biometrics research is to give computers advanced intelligence to automatically detect, capture, process, analyze, and identify digital biometric signals, that is, make machines "can see and hear". This is one of the basic functions of machine intelligence as well as one of the most significant challenges in theoretical and applied research human beings face. In conclusion, biometrics research is important in terms of both academic significance and practical value. In recent years biometrics has become an important part of national strategies such as the "Internet + Action Plan" and the "Development Plan on the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence". At the same time, it has already become a new growth point for strategic high-tech and electronic information industry in the field of national and public security. This paper introduces research progress of several common biometric modalities such as face, iris, fingerprint and gait, summarizes development trends and opportunities of current biometrics technology, and analyzes main challenges on the road to the development of a new generation of biometrics. Finally, this paper provides some suggestions regarding the future development of biometrics.
Zhenan Sun, Qi Li, Yunfan Liu, Yuhao Zhu
Progress of e-Science in Major Projects
Big Data Promotes the Tibetan Plateau and Pan-Third Pole Earth System Science
The Pan-Third Pole includes the Tibetan Plateau and the northern intracontinental arid region of Asia, extending to the Caucasus Mountains in the west and the western Loess Plateau in the east. This region covers 20 million square kilometers and affects the environment inhabited by three billion people. Two special projects have been implemented to provide important scientific support for eco-environmental refining and sustainable economic and social development of the Pan-Third Pole region, with the Tibetan Plateau as its core: the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition Program (a national special project) and the Pan-Third Pole Environmental Change and Construction of the Green Silk Road (hereinafter referred to as the Silk Road and Environment), a strategic pilot science and technology project (Category A) of the Chinese Academy of Science. The Pan-Third Pole big data system is an important data support platform for these two major research programs and has several purposes: the storage, management, analysis, mining and sharing of scientific data for various disciplines, such as resources, the environment, ecology and atmospheric science of the Pan-Third Pole; preparation of key scientific data products of the Pan-Third Pole; the gradual development of functions such as online big data analysis and model application; the construction of a cloud-based platform to integrate data, methods, models; and services for Pan-Third Pole research and promote application of big data technology in scientific research in the region. This paper demonstrates in detail various aspects of the Pan-Third Pole big data system, including the system architecture, data resource integration and big data analysis methods. The system improves big data processing capability in geoscience, serves as a new paradigm of geoscience research driven by big data and facilitates scientific research of the Earth system of the Pan-Third Pole.
Xin Li, Xiaoduo Pan, Xuejun Guo, Jun Qin, Baosheng An, Tao Wang, Qinghua Ye, Weimin Wang, Xiaojuan Yang, Xiaolei Niu, Min Feng, Tao Che, Rui Jin, Jianwen Guo
Information Construction and Prospect of EAST Collaborative Experimental Platform
EAST is the only experimental device in the world with similar conditions as ITER and have the best ability to achieve long pulse and high performance operation on the particle balance time scale, which attracts extensive international cooperation and generates a huge amount of experimental data. The construction goal of EAST collaborative experimental platform is to follow the concept of "collaboration", "efficiency" and "openness" and provide support and guarantee for carrying out high-level scientific research and personnel training. It covers the whole process of EAST experiment, including the collection and arrangement of proposals, Experimental process status monitoring, real-time data acquisition and storage, experimental log recording, remote joint experiment, Data access and analysis and so on, which involved in high-speed reflection memory network, virtual applications, virtual reality, high-speed acquisition and storage, big data processing and other information advanced technology. Moreover, it provides many support platforms such as unified account management, unified data access interface, document management and wiki internal communication platform and so on. The platform not only promotes the accumulation of research resources and improves the work efficiency, but also provides an open and shared way of academic exchange and promotes domestic and foreign cooperative and research. Until 2018 there are about 1000 registered users from more than 40 cooperative units, attracting 4000 foreign visitors per year, the accumulated experimental data has reached 1000 TB. Several countries have participated in joint experiments through the platform, the percentage of external proposals is as high as 57% in 2018. It is of great benefit for EAST research, helping EAST set the world record for 101.2 s of steady-state long-pulse high-confinement plasma operation, and obtained the completely non-inductive plasma with electron temperature of 100 million degrees for the first time in 2018. The next step is to realize an independent and controllable information data platform based on domestic hardware and software combined with big data and artificial intelligence technology, providing a preliminary study for control and information system of future fusion reactor.
Feng Wang, Bingjia Xiao, Jinyao Xia
Chinese VLBI Network and e-VLBI Technology Applications in Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) is derived from the synthetic aperture radio observation method invented in the last century. By combining a number of large aperture radio telescopes distributed over long distance, a virtual giant radio telescope is logically created. Global and regional VLBI observation networks has extremely high spatial angular resolution, which has been widely used in astrophysics, geodesy and deep space exploration aircraft tracking. In the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), domestic VLBI network adopted real-time e-VLBI technology as part of TT&C system has been providing fast and accurate orbit and positioning services during the Chang'E serie missions. It works for trajectories of Earth-Moon flying, orbiting, descending, and returning to earth, made great contributions for orbit measurement. This paper introduces the general work of China VLBI network and detailed e-VLBI technology application in the three phases of CLEP, gives the details about system developments, operations and performance of the VLBI observation system. Final is the outlook of VLBI system future plan in deep space exploration missions and scientific programs.
Zhong Chen, Weimin Zheng
International Cooperation Program for Major Microbial Data Resources: Global Catalogue of Microorganisms (GCM)
Established in the 1960s, WFCC-MIRCEN World Data Centre for Microorganisms, hereinafter referred to as WDCM, is the most important physical resource data platform in the field of microorganisms throughout the world. Getting hosted by the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2010, WDCM is the first world data center in the field of life sciences in China. Taking WDCM as a platform, the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences insists on developing "self-reliant" international cooperation and advocates Global Catalogue of Microorganisms, hereinafter referred to as GCM, which is an international cooperation program for major microbial data resources. GCM program aims to provide a globally uniform data warehouse for valuable microbial resources scattered in various culture collections and in the hands of the scientists around the world. Currently, 127 microbial resource collection agencies in 46 countries and regions have officially participated in the program, providing effective data support for all aspects of physical resources of microorganisms such as gathering, collection, transnational transfer, academic and commercial applications and benefit sharing, and offering the most important support to the implementation and enforcement of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the field of microorganisms. On the basis of GCM international cooperation program, WDCM launched GCM2.0 international cooperation program–Global Microbial Type Strain Genome and Microbiome Sequencing Project–for complete coverage of microbial genomes, and established cooperation network for genome sequencing and function exploring of microbial resources covering 30 major culture collections in more than 20 countries, which is expected to complete genome sequencing of more than 10,000 microbial type strains, establish a set of international standard system in microbial resource sharing and exploration, and set up a globally authoritative reference database and data analysis platform of microbiome.
Juncai Ma, Linhuan Wu, Jianyuan Zhang
Current Situation and Prospect of EMDB/EMPIAR-China
In recent years, cryo-electron microscopy technology has rapidly developed and become a key method in the structural biology field. Moreover, the number of people engaged in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is increasing rapidly in China with attendant explosive growth in cryo-EM data. Therefore, to meet the academic demand for access to cryo-EM data and to promote the development of the structural biology field, the European Institute of Bioinformatics established the Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB) in Europe. Furthermore, the Committee for the Study of Cryo-Electron Microscopy of the Chinese Society of Biophysics partnered with the European Bioinformatics Institute to establish a mirror site of the EMDB in China to aid researchers in conveniently uploading and downloading high-resolution electron microscopy data, to promote cryo-EM-related research efforts, and to enhance the international status of China's basic research. This paper introduces aspects of the Chinese mirror website: the construction idea, structure, function realization, visualization tools, and running status. Furthermore, details of an analysis of the total visits to the website from the beginning of the website launch to October 30, 2019, are provided. Finally, future prospects of the Electron Microscope Database are assessed; briefly, we suggest it will play a crucial role in supporting and developing the field of structural biology.
Tongxin Niu, Yan Zhang, Jun Liu, Bo Zhang, Fei Sun
The Ecology of High-Performance Computing
High performance computing (HPC) embodies a country's comprehensive strength in science and technology, which is an important part of the national innovation system, and is also the strategic commanding point of fierce competition in the world's major developed countries. From the ecological perspective of building high-performance computing, this paper expounds the development trend of this field in detail, and points out the weak links in the application of ecological development, and makes analysis and suggestions.
Xuebin Chi
Advanced Scientific Research Environment Evolution and Cloud Service Architecture Design Integrating 5G Technology
With the development of 5G network technology and the advancement of cloud computing technology, 5G cloud computing has significant advantages in terms of resource utility ratio, on-demand service, and security. At present, the demand for massive data processing is increasing with "data-intensive scientific research". Compared with the network resources construction of traditional scientific research institutions, 5G scientific research cloud which relies on its excellent network performance, security guarantee, efficient flexible computing resource allocation ability and simple hardware requirements can realize the intelligent and flexible construction of computing resources in the face of different needs, localized specialized services, cloud network collaborative optimization and traffic payment, and fully satisfies the stable and high-speed network usage requirements of researchers and students. This paper introduces the construction requirements of 5G networks and their key technologies and scientific research clouds, and proposes a 5G scientific research cloud architecture. Through the analysis of typical scenarios such as research institutes, large scientific installations, field stations, and university campuses, this paper expounds the practicability and necessity of the intelligent research network constructed by 5G scientific research cloud, and finally summarizes and forecasts it.
Xu Zhou, Congshan Fan, Bing Liu
Composite Autonomous Anti-disturbance Control for Systems with Multiple Disturbances
Complex systems in various fields including robot, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and others are affected by heterogeneous disturbances and uncertainties resulting from internal disturbances, external disturbances, and model errors. With the increasing of requirements for accuracy, stability, and reliability, enhancing the ability of autonomous anti-disturbance control in complex environment has become the theoretical bottleneck and engineering challenge in the field of automation and artificial intelligence. This paper firstly reviews the traditional control methods that can attenuate or compensate a single kind of disturbance or an "equivalent" disturbance. Then, the paper introduces the theory of "refined" quantification and analysis under the influence of multiple disturbances and uncertainties, and subsequently proposes a composite anti-disturbance control law with hierarchical architecture: Composite Hierarchical Anti-Disturbance Control (CHADC). CHADC includes the disturbance description, disturbance estimation, disturbance compensation in feedforward path and the controller with disturbance attenuation in feedback path. The observability, compensability and repressibility of disturbances are proposed for the external observability and controllability of systems with disturbances. For the attitude control system of spacecraft, the experiment and simulation equipments of whole-loop anti-disturbance control are developed, which includes attitude estimation, controller, and execution parts. This technology can accomplish the whole-loop quantification and analysis of heterogeneous disturbances, as well as simultaneous attenuation and rejection of the heterogeneous disturbances. Consequently, the autonomous anti-disturbance performances of systems can be improved significantly.
Lei Guo, Yukai Zhu
Evolution Towards Quantum Metrology and the Action Agenda for Developing IT-Enabled Metrology
Quantum metrology and informatization of metrology are two major directions for metrology innovation. A new generation of information technologies, represented by the Internet, big data and artificial intelligence, are booming and has brought a far-reaching impact on scientific research around the world. In 2018, the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at its 26th meeting adopted a Resolution on the revision of the International System of Units (SI) to redefine all SI base units in terms of physical constants. This revision terminated the history of using artefacts as measurement standards, and ushered in a new era of "modern metrology" where measurements are largely based on quantum technologies. China has played a vigorous part in the global research cooperation enabling the SI revision. Furthermore, China has proposed to establish a quantum-based national advanced measurement system where quantum measurement standards and a "flattened" traceability chain will be the core features. This action will help incorporate quantum metrology into informatization programmes of China, accelerating the integration between quantum technology and information technology.
Xiang Fang
Development and Services of Resource Discovery System of National Science and Technology Library
In order to solve the problems of serious shortage of scientific and technical literature resources and extremely low document guarantee rate in China, the National Science and Technology Library (NSTL) was established in June 2000 by the Ministry of Science and Technology and several other departments, which aims to build a national scientific and technical literature guarantee system and provide public welfare and basic information services to the whole country. After nearly 20 years of development, NSTL has become the strategic guarantee base and a national sharing platform for scientific and technical literature resources. However, the problem of unbalanced and insufficient supply of scientific and technical literature is still severe in China, and there is an urgent demand for the next generation of knowledge service systems, such as big data and cloud computing based ones. To this end, NSTL is making every efforts to develop the national scientific and technical literature resource discovery system, seeking to play its role as a national core platform to provide informational strategic support for China's scientific and technological innovation and development. Its main achievements including promoting the establishment of scientific and technical literature's metadata resource integration and fusion system, strengthening semantic knowledge organization, building up a series of thematic portals and an international scientific and technological citation system based on the discovery system, and forming a big data discovery system of scientific and technical literature.
Yiqi Peng, Boer Wu, Zhongqi Shen
The Development of Chinese Sociological Knowledge Space Based on Linguistic Representation
The traditional subject analysis is mainly based on the qualitative analysis of the text, supplemented in part by the method of literature measurement and analysis such as word frequency and bibliographic citations. Based on the full text of the papers published in the top two journals of Chinese sociology, Journal of Sociological Studies (1986–2015) and Chinese Journal of Sociology (2006–2015), this paper studies the changes, development characteristics and sub-discipline characteristics of sociology in the past 30 years by means of modern text semantic analysis. This paper also shows the feasibility of applying modern natural language analysis techniques as measurement on the subject of knowledge space in social sciences.
Huashan Chen
Management and Service System of CAS Key Laboratory
Key laboratory system is an important part of the scientific research and technological innovation system, the core strength of basic research, applied research and high-tech frontier exploration in Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The purpose of developing the management service platform of Key Laboratory is to realize the informatization of the management service of CAS Key Laboratory (CAS-KLMSS), so the managers can conveniently understand and master the research and operation of the Key Laboratory, and more support will be provided for the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy. This paper designs a platform architecture system based on data flow and approval process for different users and work scenarios according to the actual needs of laboratory management. It introduces the idea of generating system "Database" through filling of laboratory annual reports, to make all data captured, accounted and analyzed. The security mechanism of the system is developed to ensure the encryption of all data transmission and reading. Finally, it outlooks the future development trend of the informatization of the key laboratory management in CAS.
Hongfei Hou, Xiaoning Li, Xuerui Bai, Jue Wang, Fan Yang, Ying Wang
Achievements of Informatization in Interdisciplinary
Current Situation and Prospect of CERNET
China Education and Research Network-CERNET was built in 1994. The Ministry of education is responsible for the management. The Tsinghua University and other top universities are responsible for the construction and operation of the national backbone. In the past 25 years, with the care and support of national ministries and commissions, domestic cooperation units, all sectors of the society and with the efforts of universities and all scientific and technological personnel who undertake the construction and operation tasks, CERNET has been gone through from scratch, developed from small to large and become the largest national academic Internet in the world. It is also an important infrastructure of educational informatization in China and an integral part of national informatization infrastructure. This paper focuses on the main progress of CERNET since 2018 and puts forward the development imaginations for future.
Ying Liu
Implementation of the Informatization Application Scenario for Prevention and Control of Desertification in the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative—Taking the China-Mongolia Railway (Mongolia Section) as an Example
The areas of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor in the Belt and Road Initiative are characterized by a complex natural geography, a fragile ecological environment, and serious desertification. Its impact on the main traffic trunk lines between China, Mongolia, and Russia is not clear, which brings risks and challenges to infrastructure construction. The completion of dynamic monitoring and risk assessment of desertification in areas along the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor is urgently required. Faced with the above problems, this study, based on research information and GIS technology, carried out a desertification remote sensing inversion algorithm, a big data application platform, and multi-source data fusion and integration, and established application scenarios for desertification risk control. In this application, based on the extraction effect comparison of different characteristic space models, a desertification information extraction model algorithm suitable for the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor is constructed. Using modes of big data batch processing and real-time processing, the desertification information along the corridor was extracted, analyzed, and dynamically monitored. Combined with historical data, the diagnosis and testing of desertification patterns and changes within 200 km of both sides of the China-Mongolia Railway (Mongolian section) from 1990 to 2015 have been completed. This application scenario is oriented to multi-source, multi-scale, and long-time series earth observation satellite data. Based on the big data batch processing technology driven by cloud computing, it realizes high-throughput processing, rapid analysis, and the visual display of long-time series desertification dynamic information. It has the ability to monitor desertification dynamically and can provide information and decision-making support for the prevention and control of desertification in key areas of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor.
Juanle Wang, Haishuo Wei, Jia Song, Hanlin Wang, Kun Bu
Establishment and Operational Application of China National Air Quality Forecast and Early Warning Device
Air pollution episodes frequently occurs in China, and accurate forecast and early warning of air pollution episodes is crucial for the air pollution control in China. Around this demand, this paper introduces the design and construction of the China National Air Quality Forecast and Early Warning Device. The device was established based on an integrated design of hardware and software. The key technologies of big data fusion, fast emission inversion, multi-model ensemble forecasts, regional heavy pollution episode identification, and an efficient-safe-stable intelligent management platform are constructed. The interactive and rapid display technology of big data based on Web-GIS is developed. An information technology system has been established for the exchange and release of national air quality forecast information and early warning of heavy pollution episodes. The device can provide high-precision forecast for city-scale air quality in 7 days and can forecast the trends of regional air quality in the next 7 to 10 days over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China and East Asia. Such advanced technologies have greatly improved the performance and accuracy of the air quality routine forecast in China and strongly supported the achievement of the five-year goal of Air Pollution Control Action Plan and environmental diplomacy in China.
Zifa Wang, Jianjun Li
Practice on Big Data Platform for Subject Knowledge Discovery in Stem Cell
The project of "E-Science Application for Knowledge Discovery in Stem Cells" is an important part of the 13th Five-Year Plan e-Science Programme of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Focusing on the critical needs of science and technology (S&T) innovation and subject knowledge discovery in stem cell research for e-Science, the project makes comprehensive use of big data and new generation of artificial intelligence technologies to develop a platform of "Stem Cell Subject Knowledge Discovery (SCKD)", which can provide professional, efficient and accurate subject knowledge discovery services for the research and S&T management activities in stem cell. This paper introduces the project's objectives, tasks, key technologies, achievements and service effect, and discusses the future work of SCKD.
Zhiqiang Zhang, Zhengyin Hu, Ning Yang, Yi Wen, Xiaochu Qin, Yibing Song, Guangjin Pan
"One-Time Face Recognition System" Drives Changes in Civil Aviation Smart Security Screening Mode
With the surge of civil aviation airport passenger traffic in recent years, the airport security and screening mode is under great pressure, which has become an obstacle for achieving the target to become a leading civil aviation power. This paper first outlines the progress and trend of civil airport security screening inside China and abroad, then explains in detail the "One-time Face Recognition System", which is an innovative achievement of the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in the intelligentization of civil aviation security. The system integrates various advanced technologies and innovative ideas. With the support of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the support of Hongguang Special Project funded by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the system has applied to Hohhot Baita International Airport, achieving great success. The system and the operating procedures have been approved by the authorities, authorizing the use of manually assisted computerized verification to replace the original manual verification, which has started a reform of the civil aviation smart security screening mode in China.
Yu Shi, Xiangdong Zhou, Jun Cheng, Lijun Wang, Daijian Luo, Yong Guo, Enpeng Yang, Lijun Zhang, Lu Han, Zhenghao Li, Changcheng Zhang
Urban Resources, Environment, and Ecology (UREE) Big Data Platform: Construction and Application
The Urban Resources, Environment, and Ecology (UREE) big data platform stores and integrates comprehensive urban data and provides real-time data management and application. A seven-layer architecture UREE was established based on open and in-depth data and state-of-the-art technologies, including data acquisition and standardization, data query and visualization, data unified interface and fusion, and urban metabolism simulation. The UREE presents cutting-edge researches at the forefront of science on sustainable development. It has integrated ten urban thematic datasets from more than 300 Chinese cities and 100 global cities, most of which can be updated timely and regularly. This platform provides powerful technical support for monitoring dynamics and understanding mechanisms of urban resources, environment, and ecology. It can further provide theoretical and practical support for alleviating the Urban Problem in urbanization, such as resources structural shortage and environmental deterioration. This study is a new case on guiding data-driven discipline development, especially in the field of urban environment and ecology. Development, improvement, and application of the UREE platform can form a data-intensive science and adaptive paradigm of resources management.
Weiqiang Chen, Nan Li, Yupeng Liu
Present Situation and Development Prospect of the Digital Orchard Technology
Fruit industry plays a crucial role in the development of rural economy in China. The Digital Orchard is the inevitable embodiment of information technology in the fruit industry from single application to comprehensive application, and it is also the key technology and application system for comprehensive application of digital technology to study information acquisition, processing, management and utilization during orchard production, management, operation, circulation and service. This paper introduced the concept and connotation of the Digital Orchard, summarizes the research and application status of the Digital Orchard technology, and looks forward to the future trend and key development direction of the Digital Orchard.
Guomin Zhou, Xue Xia
Study on Intelligent Management and Control Technology for Apiculture Production
Facing the main battlefield of modern agricultural construction, Wisdom bee industry platform carries out key technology research and product development of the bee industry production intelligent management and control in beekeeping industry. Based on the comprehensive application of agricultural information technology such as mobile internet technology, artificial intelligence technology and Internet of Things technology, this paper focuses on the information collection and monitoring of the Internet of Things in the bee yard, the key equipment of the intelligent beehive, the quality and safety control system of the bee products and the big data analysis technology of the whole industry chain. Through intelligent sensing, interconnection and big data analysis, this paper implements bee industry information intelligent management, and provides users with standardized, automated and intelligent bee industry information service mode.
Shengping Liu, Yeping Zhu, Yue E., Jie Zhang, Chunyang Lv, Xiuming Guo
Machine Vision Based Phenotype Recognition of Plant and Animal
Phenotype recognition is very important for plant and animal breeding, variety selection, genomics and phenomics. It is likewise a key technology to support the high-quality development of modern agriculture. Machine vision, as a key branch of artificial intelligence technology, is an important mode and means in the field of phenotype recognition. This paper summarizes the concepts and connotations, the technology and application examples of phenotypic visual perception and recognition of plant and animal at present in China, and discusses the problems and challenges of plant and animal phenotype recognition. Finally, this paper looks forward to the future development direction and application of vision-based phenotype recognition technology. The aim of this paper is to provide references for promoting the leap-forward development of agricultural phenotype recognition in China.
Qixin Sun, Xue Xia, Xiujuan Chai
Research and Application of Key Technologies for Request Prediction and Assignment on Ridesharing Platforms
DiDi ridesharing platform provides users with accurate and high-precision travel services in real-time by using data-driven technology, machine learning method, large-scale distributed computing, operations optimization and other technique. The platform has made great breakthroughs in the key technologies of intelligent prediction and dispatch of travel platforms: Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), Intelligent Dispatching and Supply and Demand Forecasting. We proposed a novel deep learning solution to predict the vehicle travel time based on floating-car data. We also present an order dispatch algorithm in large-scale on-demand ride-hailing platforms. While traditional order dispatch approaches usually focus on immediate customer satisfaction, the proposed algorithm is designed to provide a more efficient way to optimize resource utilization and user experience in a global and more farsighted view. We deploy the spatiotemporal multi-graph convolution network (ST-MGCN), a novel deep learning model for demand forecasting.
Bo Zhang, Jieping Ye, Xiaohu Qie, Guobin Wu, Liheng Tuo, Yiping Meng
Construction of a Scientific Research Integrated Management Information Service Platform Integration in a Form of Cross-Platform and Multi-disciplinary Organization
In the era of big science, the scientific research is basically characterized by cross-platform, multi-discipline, and large-scale collaboration. Based on the abovementioned characteristics and by organically combining information with scientific research and integrating new generation information technologies (e.g., Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Big Data and Mobile Internet), this study aimed to reconstruct the cloud center-based technical architecture and build an integrated scientific research management information service platform with scientists as center, focusing on scientific research activities and covering the integrated solutions which involved human resources, finance, condition guarantee, and daily office. The platform was expected to have the following integrated information service functions: the management collaboration of scientific research projects], the digitalization of scientific research activities, the compliance of scientific research funds, the sharing of equipment and instruments, the servitization of talent teams, the e-commercialization of supporting activities, the cyberization of scientific communication, and systematization of scientific and technological think tanks. Besides, the platform was expected to achieve the following objectives: to realize the horizontal close-loop management and vertical business interconnection of research units by human-centered application experience; to greatly improve the compliance of business and reduce the management risk of research units by refined full-cost control; to provide information support for improving the management system, optimizing the corporate governance structure and promoting the multi-disciplinary and cross-field big science cooperation and innovation.
Binjian Qiang, Rui Zhang, Yugang Chen, Tongtong Zhang
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Arrest Report July 21, 2014
According to St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert, over the last 72 hour weekend reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 123 complaints and reports the following arrests:
Karen Cazelot, 27, 420 Flattown Road, Charenton, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 8:13 am on a warrant for disturbing the peace (fighting). Cazelot turned herself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office in Franklin after learning of the warrant for her arrest. A deputy transported Cazelot to the parish jail for booking. She was later released on a $1,500 bond.
Secily Firmin, 25, 420 Flattown Road, Charenton, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 8:24 am on a warrant for disturbing the peace (fighting). Firmin turned herself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office in Franklin after learning of the warrant for her arrest. A deputy transported Firmin to the parish jail for booking. Firmin was later released on a $1,500 bond.
Brian C. Little, Sr., 40, 620 West Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 10:41 am on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of driving under suspension and speeding and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family. A deputy transported Little from the Lafayette Parish jail to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center in Centerville on the warrants. No bail is set.
Nicaully Osario, 19, 321 Highway 182, Bayou Vista, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 2:59 pm for theft of goods.
Ana Maradiaga Ortiz, 20, 321 Highway 182, Bayou Vista, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 2:59 pm for theft of goods.
A deputy responded to a complaint of shoplifting at a store in Bayou Vista. Upon arrival, the deputy learned from store personnel that Osario and Ortiz were seen concealing items and then attempting to leave the store without paying for the goods. Both subjects were released on a summons to appear in court on October 13, 2014.
Jinny Landry, 56, 529 Teche Road, Bayou Vista, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 10:29 pm for theft. A deputy responded to a complaint of a theft of a wallet that occurred at a business on Highway 182 in Bayou Vista. During the course of the investigation, the deputy learned that Landry had been found in possession of wallet. The deputy released Landry on a summons to appear in court on October 13, 2014.
Charles Elmore, 38, 118 Natalie Lane, Patterson, LA was arrested on July 19, 2014 at 4:55 am for aggravated second degree battery. A deputy responded to Teche Regional Medical Center regarding a possible battery. During the course of the investigation, the deputy learned that Elmore and a female subject were involved in an argument. As the verbal altercation escalated, a 16 year old juvenile male attempted to intervene and was struck in the head by a glass vase thrown by Elmore. The juvenile's skull was fractured during the altercation. The deputy transported Elmore to the parish jail for booking. No bail is set.
Janice L. Griffen, 38, 115 Charlotte Street, Gray, LA was arrested on July 19, 2014 at 2:48 pm for theft of goods. A deputy responded to a complaint of shoplifting at a store in Bayou Vista. Upon arrival, the deputy learned from store personnel that Griffen was seen concealing items in her purse before leaving the store without paying for goods. Griffen was released on a summons to appear in court on October 13, 2014.
Jeremy Smith, 31, 1720 Highway 182 Lot #9, Bayou Vista, LA was arrested on July 21, 2014 at 1:46 am for domestic abuse battery. A deputy responded to a complaint of a disturbance at a residence in Bayou Vista. During the course of the investigation, the deputy learned that Smith and a female subject were involved in an argument when Smith struck the female victim in the face. The deputy transported Smith to the parish jail for booking. No bail is set.
According to St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert the Narcotics Division made the following arrests:
Aaron Dinger, 22, 205 Onstead Street, Morgan City, LA was arrested on July 18, 2014 at 1:50 pm for possession of Schedule I (synthetic cannabinoids) third offense, and two warrants for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of drug court. Detectives with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division patrolling the Morgan City area observed Dinger in the yard of his residence. Detectives knew that Dinger was wanted on the warrants. During Dinger's arrest, detectives located synthetic cannabinoids on his person. Detectives transported Dinger to the parish jail for booking. No bail is set.
Traci Landry
St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office
tracilandry@stmaryso.com
Louisiana Sheriffs' Association | Louisiana State Police
St. Mary Parish Govt. | St. Mary Parish Homeland Security
Phone: 337-828-1960 or 985-384-1622 • Email
Headquarters: St. Mary Courthouse • 500 Main Street, 4th Floor, Franklin, LA 70538
Branch Office: 1455 Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, LA 70380 • Map 1 • Map 2
Administrative Office Hours: M-F 8:30am - 4:30pm
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
4,000 human resources to be mobilized for National Economic Census
Published On : 11 April, 2018 11:17 am
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is to mobilize some 4,000 human resources for National Economic Census going to be carried out for the first time. The National Economic Census is going to be carried out from April 14.
The CBS has already imparted necessary training to 4,000 surveyors for this purpose.
This economic survey intends to keep record of all enterprises run by the government and every business and industry run by the private sector from large scale enterprises to small firms and CBS will collect the details of employment status of a person, his/her property or investment and debt along with every other detail of small and micro enterprises and entrepreneurs.
It is estimated that it would take around five years to release the final report of the economic details collected across the country. District Economic Coordination Committee has been formed in every district under chairmanship of Chief District Officer for the same.
Director General of the CBS, Suman Raj Aryal, said that the economic census would help the government to formulate necessary policies to make the country prosperous.
#mobilized
#National Economic Census
AIDIA to host a distinguished lecture by Indian Foreign secretary Shringla
The Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) a Kathmandu-based leading foreign policy think
International border to remain closed until September 16
The government has decided to shut its borders until coming September 16, considering the increasing
Nationality not so weak as in the past: PM Oli
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made it clear that Nepal's nationality is not that
Kits, medicines, PPE to arrive tonight from China
The Ministry of Health and Population has said test kit for the coronavirus, its medicines,
Minister Khatiwada directs media to disseminate reliable information on time
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr. Yubraj Khatiwada has directed the media and news
Weather remains fair from today
Weather affected by the influence of westerly low-pressure wind for the past few days is


text:
Billboard of shame
It is a puzzle to me why some people seem so concerned about what other people are doing in the privacy of their own bedrooms.
My general attitude is that if it's between consenting adults, have fun. I don't need to have an opinion about it. Hell, I don't even need to know about it. It is, to put it bluntly, none of my damn business.
Which brings us to PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays).
Yes, I know that the acronym shouldn't be PFOX, it should be PAFOEGAG. But I have to admit that "PFOX" is easier to remember.
According to PFOX's homepage, here's what they're about:
PFOX is a national non-profit organization committed to helping ex-gays and parents and friends of gays who want help, hope and community. PFOX exists to educate, support, and advocate for individuals and parents on the issue of same-sex attraction, and increase others' understanding and acceptance of the ex-gay community.
Of course, my opinion is that you can be an ex-gay person about as easily as you can be an ex-blue-eyed person. But PFOX begs to differ:
Each year thousands of men and women with unwanted same-sex attractions make the personal decision to leave behind their former gay identity. And through gender affirming programs, including counseling, support groups, faith based ministries, and other non-judgmental environments, they are largely successful. Their decision is one only they can make.
Calling "pray away the gay" programs "non-judgmental" might be a contender for the Chutzpah Hall of Fame, given that at least once a week we hear about another pastor of a "faith-based ministry" who is calling for gays to be killed, as per the bible. (Here's one of the recent ones.)
So anyway. PFOX is pretty clearly an anti-LGBT organization, despite the appearance of the word "friends" in their name. And this became clearer with the appearance along I-95 near Richmond, Virginia of the following billboard:
There are two things that make this billboard simultaneously appalling and hilarious:
The model for both the left-hand and the right-hand photograph is the same person, Kyle Roux of South Africa. I.e., these aren't twins, it's one guy.
Kyle Roux is an out, and proud, gay man who had no idea that his face was being used (twice) on an anti-gay billboard.
"It just seems like there no place in today's world for an organization that is promoting this as being some kind of deviant or distasteful lifestyle," Roux told reporters when he found out about the billboard. "Because I've lived my life openly gay and happy for my entire life."
On a more serious note, there aren't just two lies on the billboard, there are three. The third lie is that twin studies support homosexuality as a choice. Way back in 1993, Whitam et al. published a study that showed that the concordance between homosexuality in monozygotic (identical) twins was 65% -- far higher than you'd expect by chance. The authors are unequivocal in their conclusion, although they are clear on the point that the mechanism is not known. They state in their final paragraph, "We are left then with the conclusion that biological factors are strongly operating in the determination of sexual orientation with the precise nature of these factors yet to be understood."
Which raises the question of why someone would lie outright about the science, not to mention the identity and sexual orientation of a model on their promotional materials. The answer, of course, is that they have to lie, because scientific research has increasingly supported the conclusion that sexual orientation isn't a choice. But this runs counter to their basic argument, which is that anything other than straight-up vanilla sexual intercourse within the confines of marriage is a sin. So it's either change your message -- pretty unlikely -- or lie about the evidence.
So PFOX, or PAFOEGAG, or whatever, have been left pretty red-faced over the whole thing. Not that it's going to alter their approach. Which is kind of a shame, because while people are born with their sexual orientation already wired in, no one is born an asshole. Being gay isn't a choice; harassing gays is.
Labels: billboard, Christianity, homosexuality, LGBT, PFOX, religion, Richmond, sexual orientation, Virginia
2014 retrospective
Single causes and simplistic thinking
Tribal mentality
Life at the center
Hack attack payback
The Spear-Danes, in days gone by...
Bibbity bobbity baloney
Lying to our faces
Fracking our way to disaster
Obamapocalypse
Space suits and straw men
Big Brother on the shelf
Subordinate Clauses
Right message, wrong place
Here's looking at you!
Lawsuits and sinking ships
Songs of the flowers
Cult of the week
Ghosts of Christmas present
Redirecting the outrage
Plausible deniability
This may sting a little...
Grist for the mill


Bournemouth Media School is proud to offer the Reham al-Farra Scholarship. This is in memory of Reham al-Farra, a former MA Multi-Media Journalism student who tragically died whilst working for the UN in Baghdad in 2003. The scholarship is only available to students applying for the MA in Multi-Media Journalism. The scholarship will primarily be awarded for academic merit and proficency in English (if English is not your first language).
The scholarship is worth ?3000 and will be awarded on the basis of academic achievement. This could include, for example, degree outcomes in appropriate subject areas, equivalent to at least a 2:i degree, from a UK university (i.e. at least a B average or 3.0 GPA according to the North American system).
The scholarship is open only to international students (students from outside the European Union) who are classified for fee purposes as "overseas" students.
Only students who have applied for MA Multi-media Journalism in Bournemouth Media School and who have been made an offer of a place on the programme, (conditional or unconditional) will be considered for the scholarship.
The Scholarship is awarded to a student who has achieved an excellent standard in their undergraduate degree, can demonstrate a high level of English proficency (if English is not their first language) and has provided information which suggests that they are likely to be an asset to the programme.
If you are made an offer (unconditional or conditional) for a place on the MA Multi-Media Journalism programme, you will also be sent a scholarship application form.
If you wish to apply for a Scholarship, you should send the completed scholarship application form back to us along with your letter of acceptance for a place on the MA Multi-Media Journalism programme.
The deadline for receipt of the scholarship application form is the 29th July 2005. Remember that you must return the scholarship application form with your letter of acceptance.
The student who has been successful in being awarded a scholarship will be notified within two weeks of the appropriate deadline date.


Humphry Davy's contribution to anaesthesia.
Dental and medical education in the nineteenth century.
The place of medical history in undergraduate education.
Medical History for Students , by John R. Green, Springfield, Illinois, C. C. Thomas, 1968, pp. ix, 197, illus., $9.75.


text:
Fast Action Needed (By Tomorrow Morning) For Wolves
A committee of the Oregon House of Representatives voted Tuesday to send a bad bill for wolves to the entire House of Representatives for a vote, possibly tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 12) at 10:30 a.m. Please contact your state Representative today or first thing tomorrow morning and ask him or her to vote against House Bill 4040. If you don't know who your state Representative is, you can find out here.
House Bill 4040 would validate a recent decision by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to remove gray wolves from the state list of threatened and endangered species. We oppose the bill primarily because it would interfere with a court review of whether the Fish and Wildlife Commission made the right decision. We think the decision should be subject to review to make sure it was consistent with the law and supported by the evidence. We also think the bill sets a bad precedent by having the Legislature make a political decision on the scientific and legal question of whether a particular species qualifies for listing as threatened or endangered under the state endangered species law.
If we can't stop the bill in the House, it will then be reviewed by the state Senate. We will keep you posted on activities there so you can also tell your state Senator to vote against the bill. (Or feel free to do that now so your Senator knows it might be coming.) You can also find out who your state Senator is at this link.
Sadly, only one of nine members of the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chris Gorsek of Troutdale (thank you, Rep. Gorsek!), had the courage to stand up against this bad bill. See details of the vote here. See the full text of the bill, as passed by the Committee, here.


text:
Q: Vector Iterator erase two elements on condition I'm currently trying to delete 2 elements from a vector if some condition is met. I can successfully remove a single element without the "vector iterator not dereferencable" error occuring, I know the problem is been caused by removing two elements at once which messes up with the Iterators but am unsure as to the correct way of removing more than one element at once.
vector<SomeObj*> objs;

vector<SomeObj*>::iterator it = objs.begin();
while (it != objs.end())
{
    vector<SomeObj*>::iterator it2 = objs.begin();
    bool deleted = 0;

    while (it2 != objs.end())
    {
        if ((*it)->somecondition(**it2))
        {
            delete *it2;
            *it2 = NULL;
            it = objs.erase(it2);

            delete *it;
            *it = NULL;
            it = objs.erase(it); //Will error here due to invalidating the iterator

            deleted = 1;
            break;
        }
        ++it2;
    }

    if (!deleted)
        ++it;
}

A: The problem is that the first call to erase() might very well invalidate the other iterator. See this post for a quick summary of what gets invalidated when in various containers. I'd say the simplest solution is to first traverse the container and mark the entries to be erased but do not erase them, and then in a second scan just erase everything that was marked. For performance reasons in this second scan you should either use std::remove_if or use reverse iterator.

A: Working with nested iterators is tricky if you are mutating the container.
I've put together some sample code that does what you are wanting. What I'm doing is delaying the removal by setting the elements to be removed to nullptr and then removing those as we encounter them in the loops.
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>

class Example
{
public:
    Example(int size) : size(size) {}

    bool somecondition(const Example& other) const
    {
        return size == other.size;
    }

    int size;
};

int main()
{
    std::vector<Example*> vec;

    vec.push_back(new Example(1));
    vec.push_back(new Example(2));
    vec.push_back(new Example(3));
    vec.push_back(new Example(2));

    for (auto it1 = vec.begin(); it1 != vec.end();)
    {
        if (!*it1)
        {
            it1 = vec.erase(it1);
            continue;
        }

        for (auto it2 = vec.begin(); it2 != vec.end(); ++it2)
        {
            if (!*it2)
            {
                vec.erase(it2);

                // we need to start the outer loop again since we've invalidated its iterator
                it1 = vec.begin();
                break;
            }

            if (it1 != it2 && (*it1)->somecondition(**it2))
            {
                delete *it1;
                *it1 = nullptr;

                delete *it2;
                *it2 = nullptr;

                break;
            }
        }

        ++it1;
    }

    for (auto example : vec)
    {
        std::cout << example->size << std::endl;
    }

    return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Chatsworth Bearhouse Bear Charlie Bears is from their 'Bearhouse Collection' and feature unjointed teddy bears that are machine washable and suitable for ages 18 months and above. Each Bearhouse Bear is unjointed and was named after a famous British castle or house. Chatsworth is a cuddly 14 inch non-jointed teddy bear made from the finest soft tan plush. He wears a matching bow around his neck. Charlie Bears - 'Bears with Personalities'.


text:
Sania Mirza-Barbora Strycova enter Sydney International final
Sydney: Sania Mirza closed in on her second title of the season in as many tournaments after reaching the final of the WTA Sydney International with Czech partner Barbora Strycova on January 12.
The top seeds thrashed America's and Yaroslava Shvedova from Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-2 in just 51 minutes.
Sania and Barbora saved all five breakpoints in the semifinal match and broke the rivals twice in each set.
They will clash for the title with Timea Babos and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal.
After splitting with Martina Hingis last year in August, it is Sania's sixth final in eight tournaments.
She won the Cincinnati and Tokyo events with Strycova and the New Haven tournament with Monica Niculescu. It's only at the US Open (quarterfinals) and Beijing (2nd round) events that she made an early exit.
Last week, Sania had won the season-opener Brisbane event with Bethanie Mattek-Sands but ironically lost her world number one rank to the American, who jumped five places to dislodge the Indian from the top spot.
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With the world's first ethical Gin, Liqueur made from legendary goji berries from the unpolluted mountains of the Himalaya, and the first ever Vodka made from quinoa, there is no stopping the ethical force running through the veins of Grégoire Bertaud. Sick of being served and selling Rum filled with colorant, flavoured Vodka to hide their medicinal harsh taste, and all in all a spirits industry focused on limiting costs and maximising profits, Grégoire decided to found his own importing company to be part of a change in perception and attitude to what we put in our bodies and how it impacts our environment.
Wine and spirits may not be the first industry people consider when worrying about organic, health and society, but just like any other product, we are too often met by brands and products that are not necessarily best for the people, the community or the environment.
A young and innovative premium wine and spirits import company focusing on authenticity, quality and social impact, leading you towards a more ethical alcohol culture.
Please share your background with us - What were you doing before starting your own spirits and wine importing business?
When people ask me this question I always smile as I have nearly always been living around the wine and spirits industry… I grew up in Provence in the south of France surrounded by wine and spirits producers and my father worked in the perfume industry. I'm not sure if you know but perfume and spirits are very close in the way they are made. I have always had a passion for this industry, its history, its relation with the terroir and its implication in the 'Art de Vivre'. All in all, I have worked in the spirits industry for nearly 15 years, across Europe (UK) and Australia.
Tell us a little about the name 'Noble' and your vision for the business?
When I moved to Australia seven years ago I was really impressed by the quality of the food, restaurants and the importance of the way of life in the Australian culture.I noticed that Australians were more and more concerned about using local, authentic and natural ingredients. However, these concerns were not being met when it came to alcoholic beverages.I set up Noble Spirits to import and distribute alcohol brands that messaged this motto of authenticity without compromising on quality - it was a way to combine my passion for good food and wine too!
Why are Fairtrade spirits important?
Fairtrade is a guarantee to consumers that products have been made in the most ethical way possible. It guarantees better wages to farmers and more authentic products to consumers. Fairtrade, organic, natural and local all have something in common: products that are real, more genuine and better for everyone - farmers, consumers, the community.
We've featured two of the Fair Spirits range in our gift selections - Coffee Liqueur and Goji liqueur. These are really unique flavours - can you share some tasting notes on these two products and what do you have them with?
FAIR Café is probably one of my favourites out of the FAIR range. Every time I open a bottle, the scent reminds me of coffee sacks, a strong coffee flavour with a touch of toffee. On the palate it has notes of chocolate and hazelnut.It goes so well in an espresso martini but I would also suggest pouring it on top of vanilla ice cream or as an ingredient in a tiramisu - it's amazing.I would describe the taste of FAIR Goji as a mix between lychee, pomegranate and cranberry with a hint of floral notes. On the palate I find cherries and plum and you will be surprised to find that it doesn't contain much sugar.FAIR Goji goes well with sparkling wine. Take a wine glass, fill it with ice, pour 45ml of FAIR Goji, top up with a nice Prosecco, garnish with mint or lime - voila!
We've just introduced the SASSY Cider range to our new gift selections for 2016. Tell us about the Sassy story and what makes this a truly unique product.
SASSY is the story of two young Frenchmen who decided to challenge the status quo and the traditional image of French ciders.SASSY ciders are made in Normandy in France using 100% apples and pears using the Champagne method. No additives or colouring is used during the making process. SASSY ciders have already been acknowledged for their quality and they closely partner with prestigious chefs such as Rebuchon, Ducasse or Bocuse to name but a few, and their brands are now growing very fast in Europe. We are very excited to bring them to life here.
You have also just introduced a new range of Rosé wines to the Australian market and we have learnt from you that French Rosé is still the best! Why is it the best and what is so special about this particular vineyard?
The region of Provence is actually the biggest and oldest rosé wine making region in the World. It dates from when the Greeks introduced the wines and vines to the south of France. Following which it was the Romans who settled in Provence (their Provincia Romana = Region of Rome).A Provence rosé is not a blend of white and red wine. Rosé wine is made using predominantly red grapes - mainly Grenache or Mourvedre. The beautiful pale pink colour comes from the skin of the grapes but unlike red wine makers, Provençal rosé wine producers leave the grapes skin in contact with the juice for only a short period of time. So rosé is a different wine making process and therefore a category in itself.A typical darker blushed rosé wine is totally the opposite and contains nearly seven times more sugar per litre than Provençal rosé.Chateau Les Mesclances is one of the oldest family-owned winemakers in the region. In fact it has been in the same family since the 16th Century. Their wine has received numerous awards for its quality such as the Macon Gold Medal at the Provence wine competition. The vineyard is actually built on top of Roman ruins which shows how old the winery is. You should try their cuvée Romane too which is simply fantastic, crisp and very versatile.
Only recently did Sydney change their legislation to allow for small bars and the bar-scene has changed since then - do you see a difference in how Australians and the French enjoy and engage around a glass of wine?
Australia and France have always enjoyed good food and drink. However, it is true that alcohol has had a bad image in Australia throughout history and more recently with unfortunate events. Many law makers in Australia are concerned about the misuse of alcohol and the violence that can come from it.They have introduced very strict laws that restrain the way the alcohol is served or purchased. I believe that it's not the best way to tackle the misuse of alcohol consumption. Alcohol should not be seen as a taboo and its effect should actually be educated more that eradicated. Moderation and savouring the experience over quantity.
In your story to put focus on the authenticity of an alcoholic drink and how it has a positive impact on the consumer. Why do you think there is an increased demand in Australia for spirits and wine with an authentic story at this moment?
We live in a much smaller world than previous generations. We have access to more information, we travel more and we are therefore much more aware of products and how they are made. Australians are fed up of seeing mass-produced products where nothing and no one is respected. There is clearly a need for more genuine products that would be better for them, their community and the producers.
With your experience consulting and marketing to the wine and spirits industry would you consider launching your own range of bespoke products made here in Australia?
Australia is blessed by numerous unique native plants, weather to support production and more and more talented people who create their own amazing products. It is very tempting and I'm thinking about creating my own brand. However I'm happy at the moment focusing on bringing the products of these existing talented people and change-makers directly to Australian consumers.
The Hill Eatery or have you heard about the Nine in Bondi. It's an amazing new bar and restaurant focused on sustainability and local ingredients.
The Gin Mule cocktail using FAIR Gin, fresh lemon juice and ginger beer.
That the only way to get around Sydney if you want to be able to park is by scooter!
Noble Spirits runs regular Cocktail Masterclasses which take you on an interactive journey of the people involved in the process of creating Fairtrade and sustainable alcohol and also, very importantly, let you taste the product!
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest Goods Tube news!


Taimoor Chaudhry, the 26-year-old owner of Munchiez Wingz & Grill at 413 Tate Street in Greensboro, says his restaurant is not a sub shop, something the UNCG strip already has in abundance. Although he's proud of his hot sandwiches, he's taking the word "subs" off his sign, to which he wishes he could add "Mediterranean.""That's too long; I needed something short and memorable for branding. But we're definitely a Mediterranean style grill," Chaudhry said. "But also with cheese steaks, wings and really good Alfredo at a really low price."Chaudhry first opened in this location a year ago as Café Mirchi, which added Pakistani cuisine to what had been a series of Indian restaurants. "We're changing to bring in more revenue and make it more college friendly. An Indian-Pakistani restaurant is still my dream, but this wasn't the right location. I bought it knowing it had had been an Indian restaurant for 30 years and I thought it was going to be great. But it was run down, and we spent a lot of money renovating, and some people were biased about the word "Pakistani" on the door, and were unhappy that we didn't serve alcohol. So we took a break for one month to sit back and see what we could do to be college-friendly and still not sell alcohol, which is forbidden by our religion. College students are the backbone of business here, and they want everyday food. Café Mirchi is on the back burner until we find a really good spot for it, but for this street and this time, we decided that Munchiez was the way to go."He stresses again that he's not in competition with the four Tate Street restaurants that specialize in or sell cold cut sandwiches. "But we do have hot subs of a type that's not been tasted in this town before. It's the hand-made quality, the cleanliness, the ingredients, the quality of the meats, all of these things separate us from being a sub shop. And our real specialty is the Alfredo that you can't get for $10 at Olive Garden or Carrabas, or our chicken, steak and tilapia over rice. Even our gyros are different from those elsewhere. A lot of people do lamb gyros, but we do steak gyros and a chicken one. We're not in competition with anybody, we're just bringing a new taste to the kids that they can appreciate on a daily basis, and shouldn't be afraid of."He readily acknowledges that he couldn't do it alone. "With the help and support of my uncle and my cousins, we made this transition from Indian- Pakistani cuisine to Munchiez Wingz and Grill. These were my uncle's recipes that he'd used in delis and restaurants in New Jersey and Michigan for many years. With his help, we perfected this menu. Nothing we have is pre-cooked or premade. It's all internal ingredients that give you a special taste, particularly for the price. The quality and quantity of the chicken or other meat you're getting in our Alfredo, you wouldn't find it anywhere else for under $10. It's one of my uncle's most popular recipes, with everything freshly made by hand, and our homemade Alfredo sauce. It's what separates us from a sub shop or a wings shop. We're pushing our Mediterranean style chicken steak and tilapia over rice because we want to surprise people with how good and (affordable) it is."He says the change will allow him to do more charity work. "This gives us more opportunities to partner with the community and give back to it. Once a month, we'll have free meals for the homeless, something we couldn't do before because they weren't familiar with our food. And we'll be doing a monthly charity with Heads Up Barbershop, where they give free haircuts and we cater. We're not in competition with anybody, and we want to give back to Greensboro." !WANNA go?Munchiez Wingz & Grill is located at 413 Tate Street in Greensboro. Call (336) 379-0744 for more info.


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Call For Nominations!
Oct - 20 | By: Oregon Film | one comment.
Every year we give a grateful shout out to people and businesses in Oregon who have been integral in helping production during the year. At our Annual Meeting in December (more details to follow) several awards and achievements recognizing the importance of innovation, vendors and services to the film and TV industry will be presented by Governor Kulongoski.
Innovation In Media Award – for progress and innovation across all mediums
Film Advocate – in appreciation and recognition for on-going support and leadership to the Oregon film and TV industry
Green Leader Award – an addition this year, for vendors or services that have contributed to making the film and TV industry more sustainable
Send your considered suggestions for nominees to [email protected]
One Response to "Call For Nominations!"
Governor's Office of Film and Television Asks For Nominations | Oregon Film And TV Dollars — October 20, 2010 @ 4:25 PM


IRAC or IRPC? Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion or Issue, Rule, Proof, Conclusion.
Bar Exam: How hard is it really?
Honored to have written the piece with my amazing colleague, Christine Francis, and honored to have been published alongside so many inspiring ASP faculty nationwide!
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on August 27, 2016 by Sara J. Berman.
July is here: your bar exam is just a few weeks away!
Where are you Studying for the Bar Exam? The Power of Simulated Exam Conditions.
The Virtuous Cycle of Bar Exam Success: Are you regularly writing practice essays & PTS and completing daily sets of practice MBEs?


Everyone is creative and the Studios of Cocoa Beach , 165 Minuteman Causeway in downtown Cocoa Beach offers Sip n' Paint Parties for adults. Artist and experienced teacher Jaymee Weinreich will guide you through a complete painting from 6 to 9 pm on Friday, July 13, 2018. Bring your friends and your favorite beverage and go home with a complete work of art a colorful puppy portrait "The Golden Bone". No previous experience is necessary. We'll supply paint and canvas, you bring snacks and drinks and prepare for a fun experience. $35 includes all materials. Registration is required. Contact Jaymee at jaymeeweinreich@gmail.com or 787-640-6119 (text or call).


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Q: Image view should not move outside the its superview using UIPangesture I am using a UIPangesture to move a imageview and this imageview is subview of of view of class, when I move imageview then it move outside its superview. I want to set the boundary of moving this imageview, means the imageview should move only inside its superview.

A: i guess in the selector that is called by the pan gesture you are setting the view's center or origin accordingly to the point of the pan.
this is how your code should look in order to solve your problem:
- (void)thePanSelector:(id)sender{
    UIPanGestureRecognizer *recognizer = (UIPanGestureRecognizer *)sender;
    CGPoint p = [recognizer locationInView:theSuperView];
    float boundedX = MAX(0,MIN(theSuperView.frame.size.width,p.x));
    float boundedY = MAX(0,MIN(theSuperView.frame.size.height,p.y));
    CGPoint boundedPoint = CGPointMake(boundedX,boundedY);
    view.center = p;
}

this code is untested so you may need to play a little with the values of boundedX and boundedY


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NHL, NHLPA have tentative agreement on CBA extension, return-to-play plan
This means there won't be an NHL work stoppage for 14 years!
By Jas Kang@jaskang21 Jul 6, 2020, 4:23pm PDT
Share All sharing options for: NHL, NHLPA have tentative agreement on CBA extension, return-to-play plan
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The NHL and NHL Players' Association have tentative agreements in place to extend the CBA through 2025-26, and resuming the 2019-20 season. The good news for Anaheim Ducks fans is that this means the NHL will go without a work stoppage for at least 14 seasons.
Both are pending ratification from the NHL Board of Governors and NHLPA. With the 2004-05 season completely wiped out, and 2012-13 shortened to 48 games, it's a good sign that the league won't have any labor disruptions for an extended period.
Under the new deal, players are expected to sign-off on a deferral of 10% of next season's salary, with another 20% going to the cap escrow. The upper limit of the salary cap will be held flat at $81.5-million.
Of course the flat cap is a result of the economic fallout of the pandemic. The NHL has been shutdown for nearly four months now, decimating its bottom line. This hurts the Ducks as the projected salary cap for the 2020-21 season was originally in the $86 million range. Even though Anaheim isn't expected to shell out big bucks in free agency, it limits the organization's options to round out the roster.
Although it doesn't impact the Ducks —as they aren't one of the 24 teams in the league's return-to-play plan— the NHL and players union also took a big step in resuming the 2019-season.
Under the current format, teams will begin training camp on July 13, with each squad expected to land in its hub city on July 26. The league would then restart with the play-in round on Aug. 1.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman says the Western Conference teams will be in Edmonton, while the Eastern Conference squads will be playing in Toronto.
Setting up in Canada is the right choice. With coronavirus cases spiking across the country, it was difficult to peg a U.S. city as a potential hub.
I am optimistic the NHL could pull this off without a hitch. With vigorous testing, and strict guidelines in place, the league should be able to keep things controlled in their hubs.
As part of the agreement, players can opt out of playing without consequence, and we should know by the end of the week which ones will sit out the return-to-play plan.
How confident are you that the NHL will be able to finish the 2019-20 season?


When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was implemented more than two decades ago, the protections offered for individuals utilizing animals for medical and emotional support were limited.
Since that time, the provisions have been modified, providing a greater scope of protection for service animals (SAs) and emotional support animals (ESAs), as well as the individuals who own them or utilize their services.
There is also an often-overlooked combination between SAs and ESAs, known as psychiatric service dogs (PSDs).
Service animals are traditionally dogs or miniature horses that are specially trained to assist individuals with disabilities. Individuals who are deaf, blind, restricted to a wheelchair, or suffer from seizure disorders benefit tremendously from the assistance of SAs. SAs can be trained to complete specific tasks, such as retrieving medication, performing household tasks, and assisting individuals with stability and mobility.
Unlike SAs, ESAs are not specifically trained to perform tasks or recognize medical conditions, and, in fact, there is no requirement that ESAs be dogs. ESAs are classified as animals offering support of the individual's emotions, comfort, and wellbeing. Under ADA guidelines, in order to be considered an ESA, the owner must have a diagnosed psychological disability or condition, such as an anxiety or personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression.
Psychiatric service dogs are a combination between SAs and ESAs in that they offer both emotional support and can be trained to recognize psychiatric episodes or destructive behaviors. To qualify for a PSD, individuals must be diagnosed with severe disorders that could place them in danger.
Now that we have discussed the important distinctions between SAs, ESAs, and PSDs, it is time to move on, more specifically, to a review of the protections offered to individuals with ESAs under the ADA.
After more than two decades, the U.S. Department of Justice ruled in 2010 to offer more distinction between service animals and emotional support animals.
More specifically, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) has moved to provide even greater distinction and to promote further protection for ESAs and their owners.
These more recent updates to the definition and protections have led to a greater awareness of ESAs and their importance to many individuals.
Under ADA guidelines, ESAs are not afforded some of the basic legal protections of SAs and PSDs, such as the ability to take ESAs to all public locations.
For example, SAs and PSDs are legally protected with the ability to accompany individuals to public areas, like theaters, whereas ESAs may not have the same protection. There are several specific provisions within the ADA, however, that do directly protect ESAs and their owners, including reasonable accommodation and housing.
Under Title II of the ADA, individuals with ESAs must be provided reasonable accommodation for their animal as an assistive aid. As an assistive aid, ESAs are often compared to that of a wheelchair, which requires reasonable accommodation in order for an individual to enjoy certain activities.
While ESAs are not considered "service animals," they are also not considered "pets," because they do serve a specific purpose for the individual.
The ADA and FHA both have been updated to provide protection for individuals with ESAs from unfair housing regulations.
Individuals with verified ESAs (diagnosed and in possession of a legitimate ESA letter) cannot be denied housing, even if the housing complex or property owner has a "no pets" policy.
It is recommended that individuals with ESAs write a letter to the prospective property owner requesting reasonable accommodation for their animal based on the disability.
In order to receive the protections of the ADA, ESA owners must be able to verify there is an emotional relationship that supports their overall mental health and well-being.
Another protection under the ADA, and as part of the Housing & Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983, is the protection of ESA owners from fees or deposits.
Property owners cannot charge pet policy deposits and fees to individuals who are disabled and who own SAs, ESAs, or PSDs.
However, if an ESA significantly damages the property, the property owner can legally charge a fee to the individual vacating the property.
Several elements of the ADA and other pieces of legislation have been called into question as the use and awareness of ESAs increases.
One example is the issue of housing on college and university campuses.
Because the ADA and FHA are not always consistent in the language and definitions of SAs and ESAs, there is some question to the legality of ESAs on campuses, which are considered public places.
Court cases like United States v. University of Nebraska-Kearney and Alejandro v. Palm Beach State College address the issue of whether campus housing is classified as a "dwelling" under the ADA and FHA and whether SAs and ESAs should be allowed in classrooms and public areas.
Another area of concern is the use of ESAs in the workplace.
Because ESAs are not given the same protections under the ADA as SAs, there is some confusion regarding the use of ESAs, the legal rights of employers, and the legal rights and responsibilities of ESA owners.
Because of these cases and other factors, many believe that the ADA should be further assessed and revised to address the distinction between SAs, ESAs, and PSDs; their use; and the protections that should be afforded to the individuals with disabilities who benefit from them.
Would you benefit from having an emotional support animal? Do you qualify?
What is the FAA or Frontier law/policy regarding a small quiet service dog sitting in a dog bed on a empty seat next to me!!
I need to know I can keep my pet chickens, all hens. They do not leave the property..
A friend with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is about to move into a supportive / assisted living group home for people who are disabled with TBI. The owner is saying that they will not accept any animals including ESA. My friend has a cat who is his ESA. Does this establishment have the legal right to deny my friend's ESA? Thank you.
We have an emotional support animal and we keep getting harassed when we go to certain mom and pop hotels, mainly in the Keys. The bigger chains don't have a problem with it. He has been an emotional support animal since 2014. He is perfect, small, a chug. Can we make him something more? We have a Dr's note, which is current and dates back to 2014.
Unfortunately, the Fair Housing Act in not applicable to hotels and locations of temporary stay. Kudos to the big brands for working with you. That said, there is nothing in the FHA or ADA that allows for Emotional Support Animals to accompany you in hotels, motels or other places you stay at on the road.
I have my dog registered as an ESA because I suffer from an eating disorder. I also have an online doctors letter due to the fact that obtaining a mental health therapist in person is quite expensive. My pet has provided much comfort to me these past 2 years, however I am starting to have problems with my neighbor. I live in a community with an HOA, and they filed a violation against me for having a pit bull. Am I still legally allowed to keep him there? Or do HOA's not abide by the FHA/ADA?
HOAs do not supersede Federal Law! You are still legally allowed to have him.
I have a H.O.A. in town that has a 2 dog limit I have 2 dogs that are pets my wife and I have one E.S.A. dog each .They will not let me buy in the subdivision because they count the too e.s.a. dogs as a total of four dogs they should not count the too e.s.a. dogs in the total count should they?
This is a tough one we see time to time. There is no legal precedence establishing that an ESA is not a pet. Rather, an ESA is typically viewed as a pet that provides support. As such, the interpretation is that 1 pet and 1 ESA is actually 2 pets, one of which happens to be an ESA.
I suffer from anxiety and my question is how i made my dog a emotional support animal?
A doctor or a physician's assistant will write a letter prescribing or recommending "pet therapy" if you have been diagnosed with an illness that could benefit from this. There isn't a test or certification process for your pet to undergo.
Not just any doctor It should be done by the psychiatrist who has been treating you for the disorder would be the best to get it from. The longer the history is documented the better.
ESAs are not covered by laws to have public access and bringing a dog into a grocery store other than a task trained service dog is a health code violation. Yes, they can legally deny allowing your ESA in a business unless it is pet friendly.
Emotional Support Animals are not granted public access under the ADA, so your dog would not be allowed even with a doctors note. Only task trained service dogs are allowed to go everywhere.
As this stayes above, ESAs are not covered by the ADA to be allowed public access, therefore, they are not allowed in hotels/motels unless the business is pet friendly.
I'm looking into an ESA and I travel frequently for my work but I was looking for regulations for hotels and motels allowance of an ESA.


There are some things you can do on your own, however, having a plumber periodically check your water heater is an important part of water heater maintenance.
By lowering the temperature setting you will protect the tank from overheating, protect your family from any scalding injuries, and reduce the energy used to heat the water.
This mini-flush is not as beneficial as a full-flush, but a full-flush requires shutting down the water heater. Your plumber should perform a water heater full-flush during a regular yearly maintenance inspection. Your plumber should also check the temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve once a year. This is very important to ensure continued safe operation of your water heater.
For a mini-flush, place a bucket under the drain valve found near the bottom of the hot water heater tank.
When it's time for the help of a professional plumber in the Raleigh, NC area, give us a call or schedule service online.


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Who's behind vote to label Muslim Brotherhood a terror group?
READ IN: العربية
Julian Pecquet February 24, 2016
After the House Judiciary panel voted along party lines to force a State Department ruling, opinions remain split over the true motivation behind the step.
On June 24, 2012, Egyptian President-elect Mohammed Morsi (R) of the Muslim Brotherhood arrives at the Egyptian Television headquarters for his first televised address to the nation in Cairo.
Republicans say their only motivation for designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terror group is to keep Americans safe.
Critics, however, also suspect a trio of outside influences: Egypt. The United Arab Emirates. Donald Trump.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 17-10 along party lines Feb. 24 to require the State Department to take action against the Islamist group or justify its refusal to. The bill, while it has little to no chance of becoming law, is nevertheless sure to be welcomed by US allies such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who have taken flak for their uncompromising stance against the Brotherhood.
"We don't know exactly who is behind this," said Mongi Dhaouadi of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, a Washington think tank that supports working with nonviolent political Islamist groups. "But we definitely think that Sisi's lobbying [for] it, possibly the UAE is behind it."
The tone of the presidential campaign also surely played a role, said Dhaouadi, who attended the markup and thanked Democrats afterward. Republican candidate Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has introduced identical legislation in the Senate.
Donald Trump's electoral success in the Republican presidential primary following his December call to ban Muslims until the government "can figure out what's going on" has revealed many voters' concerns that authorities are in the dark about potential terrorists. A similar anti-Brotherhood bill from now-retired hard-right Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., went nowhere two years ago, but the committee vote suggests it is now a mainstream Republican position.
"The Muslim Brotherhood's embrace of terrorism and the very real threat it poses to American lives and the national security of the United States make it long overdue for designation," Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in a statement after the vote. "This will make it less likely that members of the Muslim Brotherhood will be able to enter the United States."
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., told Al-Monitor that he wasn't directly lobbied by either the UAE or Egypt on the issue. He said the group's record since its founding in Egypt in 1928 was well known and that the Obama administration has had an "overly rosy picture" of the group.
"This is an issue to me that, just knowing their history, seems like a no-brainer," Diaz-Balart said.
The Egyptian and UAE embassies in Washington did not respond to a call for comment. Both governments, however, have made no mystery of their distaste for the US government's relationship with the group in the wake of the Arab Spring revolts against the region's authoritarian rulers.
UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba is said to have been dismayed by the administration's decision to abandon longtime ally Hosni Mubarak and the subsequent rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, which he sees as an existential threat to the Gulf monarchies, according to a lengthy profile in the Huffington Post. The UAE designated the organization as a terrorist group in late 2014.
Sisi likewise has been going after the group in full force since he deposed Egypt's democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 and declared it a terrorist organization later that year. Hundreds of members have been killed and sentenced to death since then.
Dhaouadi said the committee's vote amounts to a "green light" for continued government repression in Egypt.
While Diaz-Balart denied the bill was aimed directly at the situation in Egypt, his office has been in close contact with lobbyists for the Sisi government, emailing and meeting with them at least nine times in the months before he introduced his bill, according to a review of lobbying records by Al-Monitor. The plain text of his bill, whose last six findings all relate to recent Muslim Brotherhood actions in Egypt, also shows that his office was well aware of the Sisi government's concerns and accusations.
The original bill also pointed to terrorist designations by Syria, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain to support the United States following suit. The Judiciary Committee stripped out those findings in the version it adopted Feb. 24.
"I'm glad the majority will no longer be citing these countries as a source of our foreign policy approach," said Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the top Democrat on the committee. "But we still have a bill that ... plays into [the Islamic State's] hands, picks a fight we don't need and makes us less safe."
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Found in: terrorism, state department, muslim brotherhood, mohammed morsi, is, egyptian muslim brotherhood, congress
Julian Pecquet is the Editor of Special Projects for Al-Monitor, where he supervises the award-winning Lobbying Tracker as well as managing long-form stories. Before that he covered the US Congress for Al-Monitor. Prior to joining Al-Monitor, Pecquet led global affairs coverage for the political newspaper The Hill.
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