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Showcase Bioeconomy: Seaweed as a Sustainable Source of Raw Materials
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The University of Hohenheim has been conducting research for years into the use of algae as an ingredient in food, amongst other things. In the photo: Micro algae powder for sausage production. , Astrid Untermann, University of Hohenheim
EU research project with the participation of the University of Hohenheim searches for new, sustainable food additives and packaging materials from seaweeds and seagrasses.
Algae (or seaweeds) already serve as a source of raw materials for stabilizers or thickening and gelling agents, such as agar, alginate, and carrageenan. However, research is also increasingly interested in their potential as a carbohydrate source for bioplastic development. These are not only biodegradable, but their properties can also help to extend the shelf life of food products packaged in them. Currently, however, the common extraction methods are very inefficient. In the EU-funded research project BIOCARB-4-FOOD, researchers are now looking for more sustainable processes for the extraction of carbohydrates from macroalgae, i.e. large algae species, and also seaweed. They are looking into the question of how these substances can be extracted from the raw material as well as how the residues of existing extraction processes can be further used and processed.
"We are looking for alternative natural resources such as algae and marine plants. Not only because they are abundant, but also because they contain a large number of potentially interesting compounds," stated Dr. Amparo Lopez-Rubio from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) in Valencia, Spain, who is the coordinator of the BIOCARB-4-FOOD project.
"Already today, the algae industry is generating a turnover of approximately 7.4 billion dollars (around 6.3 billion euros) worldwide – and the industry is still growing. Due to their particular physico-chemical and biological properties, the food and pharmaceutical industries are also becoming increasingly interested in compounds that are produced from algae," said Dr. Nadja Reinhardt from the Research Center for Bioeconomy at the University of Hohenheim, which is in charge of project communication.
Thus, a sub-task of BIOCARB-4-FOOD is obtaining novel extracts which can be used as food ingredients – far beyond the use as gelling or thickening agents. Because of the specific properties of these algae carbohydrates, also known as phycocolloids, the scientists also see the potential to use them as smart packaging materials.
Tapping into potential – for greater sustainability and competitiveness
However, current methods for extracting carbohydrates from algae are extremely inefficient, both in terms of processing time and water and energy consumption. Furthermore, the remaining biomass – usually much more than 50% of the original material – is used as compost or simply disposed of as organic waste.
The core task of the scientists in the BIOCARB-4-FOOD project is therefore to research and combine novel, environmentally friendly, more efficient extraction methods such as ultrasound, microwaves, and enzymes in order to optimize the process.
Secondly, resource efficiency is to be improved by using the biomass remaining after extraction, which is still rich in bioactive compounds, to produce carbohydrates and fibers such as cellulose and nano-cellulose.
The researchers not only focus on the marine algae species already in commercial use, but also on raw materials that have not been used at all up to now or have only been used to a limited extent, such as seagrasses. The more efficient use of raw materials is also intended to help improve the competitiveness of EU algae, seaweed, food, and non-food businesses.
Finally, the resulting products are examined for their properties such as structure, bioactivity, toxicity, and technological usability, and the sustainability of the processes is checked by means of a life cycle assessment.
Promising results
So far, the results of BIOCARB-4-FOOD are very promising: Experiments with the Mediterranean red algae Gelidium sesquipedale show that agar extraction can be considerably simplified if hot water treatment is combined with ultrasound. The extraction time can be reduced by a factor of four compared to conventional methods – and it does not significantly affect the extraction yield or the physico-chemical properties of the products.
The shorter extraction times and better yield not only reduce emissions and costs: Initial calculations show that the ecological footprint for agar production as a whole is decreased to around one-fifth.
"Unfortunately, we have only been able to test this on a laboratory scale so far," stated Dr. Amparo Lopez-Rubio. "The companies involved in our consortium are working on upscaling so that the results obtained in our laboratories can also be transferred to industrial production."
Plastics from algae
Most of the food we consume today is packaged in plastic – with well-known problems: As a rule, this plastic is obtained from crude oil, a limited resource. It also has a major impact on the environment, as the decomposition of most plastic waste takes more than 400 years. Even so-called compostable plastics, e.g. made of starch, require higher temperatures or higher humidity for decomposition than is the case under natural conditions.
The researchers at BIOCARB-4-FOOD are therefore working on more sustainable food packaging that has the necessary mechanical and chemical properties.
Dr. López-Rubio stated: "We must look for alternative sources of raw materials that do not compete with food production. This is why marine resources such as algae and seagrasses are very interesting. They reproduce very quickly, grow in a variety of environments and, as an alternative biomass source for bioplastics, do not interfere with food production."
Even the byproducts of industrial extraction can be used. This is because the remaining biomass still contains sufficient bioactive compounds to produce novel carbohydrate-based extracts and fibers, such as cellulose and nano-cellulose, which can be used to develop biodegradable packaging materials, as successfully tested in the IATA-CSIC laboratory.
New extraction processes lead to more sustainable packaging
Industrially, highly purified agar extracts are usually used, which is associated with a high consumption of chemicals. If the cleaning steps are reduced, this not only reduces the consumption of chemicals: Products with new properties are also created, as e.g. proteins or polyphenolic compounds remain in the original materials.
Less purified agar extracts from G. sesquipedale thus have additional functions, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which make them interesting for various food applications: Plastic films produced from these extracts release bioactive substances and can thus contribute to food preservation, for example by slowing down the spoilage of fruit.
In addition, these films can eliminate one of the main obstacles to the use of agar in the food packaging industry: They are much more resistant to moisture than films made with highly purified agar.
Bioplastics from unwanted seaweed waste – in some cases better than those from oil
A good recycling possibility is also emerging for the waste of the Neptune Grass (Posidonia oceanica) native to the Mediterranean Sea. This plant sometimes accumulates en masse on the beaches, which has a negative impact on tourism and high disposal costs for the communities concerned.
However, the ingredients of this Posidonia waste have a great potential for developing biodegradable packaging, which is also supported by a separate patent: They are an excellent source of lignocellulose. As an additive, it leads to a significant improvement in mechanical properties in the production of starch-based bioplastics.
Posidonia cellulose can also be added to conventional plastics to improve various important functions of food packaging, such as gas and water vapor barrier, thermal, or mechanical properties. Together with a variety of bioactive substances in Posidonia extracts, which have a high antioxidant capacity, these properties also help to keep food fresh for longer.
BACKGROUND: BIOCARB-4-FOOD
The aim of BIOCARB-4-FOOD (Extraction and characterization of BIOactives and CARBohydrates from seaweeds and seagrasses FOR FOOD-related applications, extraction and characterization of bioactive substances and carbohydrates from seaweeds and seagrasses for food-related applications) is the development of practicable approaches for the utilization of biomass from seaweeds and seagrasses.
To this end, a scientific consortium from four countries is investigating how various substances can be obtained for food production through environmentally friendly, more efficient extraction processes. At the same time, these raw materials – which have so far been largely unused – are to be utilized and sustainability improved. The more efficient use of raw materials is expected to improve the competitiveness of algae, food, and non-food companies, and the extraction products will then be used as food additives or biodegradable packaging.
BIOCARB-4-FOOD is coordinated by Dr. Amparo Lopez-Rubio from the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, IATA-CSIC) in Spain. Other partners are Teagasc, the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food Development, the Norwegian research institute Nofima, and the Swedish network of research centers RISE. The University of Hohenheim's Research Center for Bioeconomy is responsible for project communication.
BIOCARB-4-FOOD, an ERA-NET SusFood2 project, has a budget of one million euros and runs from September 2018 to September 2021.
BIOCARB-4-FOOD homepage: https://www.biocarb4food.eu/
SUSFOOD https://susfood-db-era.net/main/content/biocarb-4-food
Twitter https://twitter.com/biocarb4food
BACKGROUND: Hohenheim Research Center for Bioeconomy
The challenges for Bioeconomy are complex and heavily dependent on research efforts. Answers can only be found if researchers work in interdisciplinary projects with other subject areas.
The task of the Research Center for Bioeconomy is to establish this interdisciplinary topic at the university in a targeted and sustainable manner and to implement it by successfully obtaining funding. To this end, it supports researchers across faculties in the application process and/or management of national and international collaborative projects, coordinates international network projects and platforms and plays a major role in the search for possible project partners, the composition of the consortium, and in the development of the project idea, the application letter, communication, and coordination with the funding organization.
BACKGROUND: Science Year 2020|21 – Bioeconomy
In 2020 and 2021, the Science Year will be dominated by the bioeconomy – and thus by a sustainable, biobased economy. The aim is to produce and use natural materials and resources in a sustainable and innovative way, replacing fossil and mineral raw materials, manufacturing products in a more environmentally friendly way, and conserving biological resources. This is more necessary than ever in times of climate change, a growing world population, and a drastic decline in species. The Bioeconomy Science Year, organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), shines a spotlight on the topic. At the University of Hohenheim in October, the monthly focus is on "Food Security – Healthy Food for All."
Bioeconomy is the leading topic at the University of Hohenheim in research and teaching. It links the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences. During the Science Year on Bioeconomy, the University of Hohenheim is hosting many events to inform the public and experts on the topic.
•	Science Year 2020|21 BMBF https://www.wissenschaftsjahr.de/2020-21
•	#wissenschaftsjahr #DasistBioökonomie
•	Science Year 2020|21 Hohenheim: https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/scienceyear-2020-2021-biooeconomy
•	Bioeconomy at the University of Hohenheim: https://biooekonomie.uni-hohenheim.de/en/home
Text: Stuhlemmer
(Deutsch) Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Nadja Reinhardt, University of Hohenheim, Research Center for Bioeconomy
P +49 (0)711 459 24331, E nadja.reinhardt@uni-hohenheim.de
(Deutsch) Weitere Informationen:
http://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/press "University of Hohenheim's press releases"
(Deutsch) Dies ist eine Pressemitteilung von:
Florian Klebs
Tel: 0711/ 4592 2001
Fax: 0711/ 4592 3289
Mail: presse@uni-hohenheim.de
(Deutsch) Weitere Pressemitteilungen dieser Einrichtung
(Deutsch) Sachgebiete der Pressemitteilung:
Tier- / Agrar- / Forstwissenschaften
Umwelt / Ökologie


What Has New York City Learned From Its Division of Paid Care?
Over the past five years, a range of new labor rules have impacted home care workers in New York, including the minimum wage increase at the state level and the federal rule on wage and overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. These developments extend employment rights and protections for home care workers, including more than 200,000 workers in New York City—but only when accompanied by education and enforcement. Otherwise, workers may not know whether their rights are being upheld or how to file a complaint if they are not.
Conducted original research on workers' needs and experiences to inform the Paid Care Division's priorities.
Notably, the Paid Care Division is located within the Office of Labor Policy and Standards (OLPS), which has the authority to enforce New York City's Paid Sick Leave Law and certain other municipal laws through investigations and fines. This authority strengthens the impact of the Paid Care Division's actions with workers and employers. The OLPS and its Paid Care Division are located within the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.
To learn more about this model in New York City, PHI's Allison Cook interviewed Liz Vladeck, Deputy Commissioner at the Office of Labor Policy and Standards and Artee Perumal, Paid Care Advocate at the Paid Care Division.
Allison Cook: What are the goals of the Paid Care Division?
Artee Perumal: The Paid Care Division is meant to be a one-stop-shop for paid care workers. It is a resource on all the current labor laws—but it also connects workers to community workshops, trainings, and English [as a second language] classes across the five boroughs. We also conduct original research. I also think one of the major goals is to bring a voice to workers—to show their needs and wants and why their work is important.
AC: What services did the Paid Care Division provide during the first year?
AP: We're still learning a lot. In the past year, we've done over 120 events, meeting community members, and we've reached over 500 workers through our trainings, workshops, and convenings. Many of these events were in partnership with worker-organizers or high-road employers. And we've done at least 250 paid care intakes, supporting workers who have contacted us through 311 [New York City's informational hotline] or another method. We've also done more than 20 referrals, and launched 40 proactive investigations.
We have one great success story that happened recently. The worker who contacted us had been getting his wages deducted for taking sick time [to which he is legally entitled in NYC]. Within a month, we were able to get over $6,000 in wage restitution back to him. This was a person who was low-income and facing retaliation and, within a month, we got back his money.
Liz Vladeck: When possible, instead of just trying to resolve one worker's complaint, we have pursued a general investigation. We're dealing with a workforce that's more vulnerable to exploitation and violations so we don't want to put anybody in the spotlight, to make them a martyr.
AC: What are some of the themes that have stood out in your work?
AP: The number one issue is wages and hours. Workers who come to us are not being paid minimum wage, and definitely not getting paid overtime – or benefits, sick leave, or vacation time. And then there's a lot of discrimination. It's really a wide array of problems, but the most consistent are wages and hours—those are the priority issues for workers. Their priority is to feed themselves and their families.
AC: What achievements are you most proud of so far?
AP: I'm so proud of how many strong partnerships we've built in the past year—we've been able to reach so many workers that way. We really would not be as successful without those partnerships. And the fact that we've been able to build an effective system for providing information and materials; to give workshops for both workers and employers; and then to have these huge convenings where we're able to hear from our partners and workers directly.
LV: We're really focused on helping workers find their way to organizations that they can engage with on a deeper, longer-term basis. What that means is, especially where OLPS doesn't have particular enforcement authority, we help workers connect to organizations that they can work with to get what they need.
In November 2017, NYC's Office of Labor Policy and Standards brought together stakeholders to discuss the shared experiences of paid care workers in New York and New Jersey.
AC: What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced in the past year?
AP: In terms of our research, there's not a lot of public data that looks at paid care workers the way we define them (as nannies, housecleaners, and home care workers), and within NYC—so we're doing as much as we can with the information out there. We have also been able to conduct surveys and focus groups. We do have really great findings from the last year—but they're based on a small sample size. That's been one of the hardest things.
And then, in the beginning, the challenge was getting trust. Trust with the workers. Trust with our partnerships—to let them know that we really mean it when we say we want to be a partner.
LV: A few other structural challenges, too. The presidential election completely changed the landscape around this work. This is a division focused on women, immigrants, and people of color—and what we've seen both at the policy level and the level of rhetoric over the past 13 to 14 months has really been devastating. It's not only been incredibly destructive for individual workers and worker communities, but it has forced all our partners who are leaders in this work to completely shift their agendas.
AC: What are your goals for the future?
AP: In the first year, we were setting up shop. I think we're coming to a place, now, where we can take a moment and decide what we're doing next. I'm the daughter of a domestic worker, and I brought my mom to the first convening. She's been in the field for over 30 years and is still working when she can. And she looked at all the services and she was like, "Wow, I wish this was available 10 or 15 years ago. It's so amazing that you have all these city government folks coming into the room in front of workers giving testament to them. Showing them that they want to be here for them." As this work continues, I'd like to see us reaching not just a small pocket of workers, but having an impact city-wide.
We're also hoping in the future to offer more robust trainings and supports, not just to workers but to employers as well. We've partnered with Hand in Hand and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice to educate consumer-employers. We are also planning to release a set of "model standards" that both workers and employers can follow. We're hoping to expand this work in the future.
LV: I also think our work will start to specialize, too. We will start to identify campaigns, legislation, and other opportunities—maybe following the lead of a partner or in collaboration— that are more carefully tailored to achieving broader social changes. For us, this year has been about figuring out concrete initiatives where our involvement could really make a contribution.
AC: The Paid Care Division provides a model that other cities and even states could follow. What advice would you have for advocates trying to implement something similar?
AP: We really have a multi-disciplinary model. We have people taking the time to do the research and policy, to do enforcement, and take referrals—those are the layers that makes this division strong. Clearly, you also need the funding for it.
LV: I think that the most critical thing for folks who are going to pursue something like this in their locality is that they can't try to reinvent the wheel. There's a lot of great folks around the country that have been doing really great work for a long time and they haven't cracked this because this is a real tough one—not because they don't know what they're doing. So, I think what a Paid Care Division looks like in any particular jurisdiction is going to depend who's already there doing work. If you start by trying to build relationships, you'll learn how much value you can bring to the table.
Follow PHI on Facebook and Twitter: @PHInational.


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Q: Convert Area Density to Volumetric Mass Density If the area density is 5.5kg/m², then what is its volumetric density in kg/m³?;)
The thickness is 1/8 inch.
I'm not getting the answer I'm being told is the correct answer and going nuts here;)
What is the formula here?
Thank you.

A: A first step is converting the ${1\over8}$ inch to a metric quantity. You have obtained $0.0031$ m. It follows that your one square meter sheet is in reality a box of volume
$V=1$ m${}^2 \times0.0031$ m = $0.0031$ m${}^3\ $.
Since this "box" weighs $5.5$ kg the  volumetric density $\rho$ of the material is given by
$\rho={\displaystyle{5.5 \>{\rm kg}\over0.031\>{\rm m}^3}}=1774.2\>$ kg/m${}^3$.
That's my last word on this matter.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home 2014 July
In the News – July 2014
*Southern's Lyman Center for the Performing Arts was prominently mentioned in a July 27column written by Joe Amarante of the New Haven Register. The play, "Pericles," was being rehearsed at Lyman in preparation for its run at Edgerton Park in New Haven starting on Aug. 14.
*Jay Moran, who was recently named the new athletic director at Southern, was profiled in two newspaper pieces. Chip Malafronte, a columnist with the New Haven Register, wrote a columnthat ran in the July 25 paper. The piece talked about the passion and energy that Jay possesses and will bring to Southern. The Hartford Courant ran a story on Jay that ran on July 18.
*Channel 61 ran a July 25 segment on men's basketball player Deshawn Murphy, who is participating in the Greater Hartford Pro Am summer basketball program.
*A story and video about men's basketball player Michael Mallory appeared July 20 in theWaterbury Republican-American regarding his participation in the Greater Hartford Pro Am summer basketball program.
*Southern was mentioned in a positive light in a July 15 story that appeared Tuesday in the New Haven Register. In the article, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy referred to the Southern course offerings in design as an example of colleges and universities meeting the needs of businesses.
*An article about Police Chief Joe Dooley's selection as the 2014-15 president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association appeared in the July 11 edition of the Milford Mirror. It marks the first time the chief of police at a college or university has been chosen for that post.
*President Mary Papazian was interviewed on July 7 about on the value of public higher education,Southern's initiatives to support Student Success, and more Monday on WCAP's (Boston) Mara Dolan Radio Show.
*Armen Marsoobian, chairman of the Philosophy Department, was interviewed on July 7 by Civilnet, an Armenian news and information site about the Armenian Genocide and about the current relationship between Armenians and Turks.
*The Connecticut Health I-Team — an online news site that focuses on health, safety and medical issues — published an article on July 5 about female veterans returning home from Iraq with injuries from the war. Cheryl Eberg, who just graduated from Southern in May, was interviewed in the article.
Applying to Grad School — The Interview
The application interview for prospective graduate school students can make the difference between being a contender on paper and actually getting accepted.
It is important to be 'ready' for a graduate admissions interview. Consider at least a few practice sessions before the big day.
Today, Wise Words concludes a 3-part series on applying to grad school with a look at the interview and the potential value of participating in academic conferences. In Part I, we focused on the importance of self-awareness and gathering information about potential schools before applying.
In Part II, we examined the admissions essay, test and letters of recommendation.
"You should consider the interview as an opportunity to provide the individual or committee interviewing you with as much information as possible, while also trying to stress your strengths and weaknesses," says Shirley Jackson, graduate school coordinator for the Sociology Department at Southern. "Therefore, you should really think about how you might respond to various questions."
One way to prepare for the interview is to ask a friend or someone you trust to throw questions your way in a mock interview setting. It can be even more effective if that individual has strong interview skills, or is familiar with the types of questions a college or university may ask an applicant.
Jackson suggests this Web page at Catholic University that provides examples of the types of questions that may be asked during the interview.
"Remember, an interview for graduate school is much like an interview for a job," she says. "You are trying to sell yourself as the best candidate for admission and the department is trying to sell itself as the best option for someone who is looking at a number of possible programs."
Be Part of the 'Conference Scene'
Academic conferences abound in higher education – in almost every discipline. While professors and graduate students generally participate in greater numbers than undergrads, there are opportunities for everyone to participate.
At Southern, undergrads often team up with faculty members on interesting and valuable research projects. This is beneficial for many reasons, including the visibility and notoriety gained through being associated with scholarly research. "There are even undergraduate research conferences to help to familiarize the novice conference attendee and participant," Jackson says.
"Once you learn to navigate the 'conference scene,' it will become something that is enjoyable and less intimidating," Jackson says.
Be prepared to make a time commitment when searching for a graduate school. "Applying to grad school can be like having a part-time job," Jackson says. "It takes a bit of work to find a program that works for you."
Indiscriminately getting into any program – without doing your homework and figuring out what you want to pursue — may not be a good idea because the chances of completing the degree are reduced, she adds.
But finding the right program and the right school can be valuable to your career and your future. A little effort now – okay, sometimes a lot of effort – can pay big dividends later.
Good luck in your search!
The Paris Diaries
This summer's Southern in Paris program is now under way. The following is an account of the activities and adventures of students and faculty members Camille Serchuk and Luke Eilderts as they explore the City of Light. The account was written in the form of a letter by Serchuk and Eilderts, co-directors of Southern in Paris.
Accompanied by Professor Eilderts, the students were met by Professor Serchuk after arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. The group was very happy to see that Professor Serchuk had brought many bottles of water, orange juice, and a choice of pastries (what the French call viennoiseries) for their enjoyment. The students had their first encounter with the efficient transportation system as they took the RER directly from the airport to their accommodations at the Fondation Biermans-Lapôtre, at the Cité universitaire, the International Residence Campus located in the southern part of the capital. As several of the students have remarked about the Parisian transportation system, "You can take a metro, bus, tram, or RER basically anywhere," and "Coming to Paris I was under the impression that I was going to have a hard time with the metro system but once you do it on your own and try to figure it out on your own it becomes easy."
As directors of the program, we are delighted to be able to share Paris with the students. One of the participants of the program has written, "Ever since I was in middle school and started to learn French, it had been my dream to visit Paris, France." This is a common theme for many of the students, and we are glad to see that the city does not appear to disappoint. Several students have been struck with the city's architectural beauty: "Everything about Paris is breathtaking, from the monuments to the stone walkways. The energy is high and a simple walk down the street can leave you feeling appreciative of life," and "The old historic buildings take my breath away." Indeed, there is a lot to see, and it can become a bit overwhelming at first as this student astutely comments: "My first impression of Paris was that the city reminded me of an amusement park. I wanted to see everything, I wanted to taste everything, and I wanted to go everywhere. I felt like a little kid again encountering an overwhelming sensation of excitement and disorientation." Luckily, as students have become more comfortable with their surroundings, this disorientation has turned into one of confidence.
Once students had access to their rooms, we gave them a bit of time to get settled in and then took them for lunch at the student center at the heart of the international campus. Many students were surprised by the choice and the quality of food at the cafeteria. With lunch finished, students returned to their rooms to rest for a bit before we departed for the Eiffel Tower. Clear blue skies and an abundance of scenery prompted the students to opt for walking as much as possible. After a quick group photo, we made our way to a neighborhood known for its lively pedestrian streets and excellent selection of reasonable restaurants.
On Wednesday students caught up on sleep and met in the reading room of the residence hall for the first orientation meeting, after which Professor Eilderts brought them to the nearest grocery store where students could find some necessities for their stay. The big event of the day was our first weekly visit to the Louvre, where Professor Serchuk dazzled the students with a tour of what she has come to call, "the greatest hits," among which are the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The evening ended with dinner at the Troumilou restaurant where students were enchanted by some traditional French dishes.
Courses began in earnest on Thursday, with Professor Serchuk leading her students through vestiges of Roman Paris in the morning, and Professor Eilderts meeting his students in the Luxembourg Gardens for writing exercises before visiting a bookstore and capping off the session with practicing ordering at a chic café near the Luxembourg Palace.
In recognition of July 4th, students were given a long weekend to explore the city and complete assignments at their leisure. During that time, students began to observe differences between Paris and the U.S. One thing that has stood out to several students is how loudly Americans speak in comparison with the French: "One trait of Parisians that has boldly stood out to me is that they aren't loud and don't get very excited. Many little things will make Americans extremely excited and loud although the Parisians save those emotions for bigger situations." Students have also had a chance to use their language abilities in real-life situations, commenting on how they have had to become more flexible with themselves: "I tend to try and do things well the first time and am hard on myself. This experience will definitely teach me to have more patience with myself and to not be so controlling." Another student with little French background noted, "Thus far, I have found some ease in deciphering language within people's body language (besides the occasional switch in the conversation to English), but interestingly enough, there can also be communication through current events, art and architecture, and the culture of food."
At the close of our first week, the overwhelming consensus of students is aptly captured in these two quotes: "Coming to Paris it has the best experience of my life so far, and every day I'm eager to learn more about the culture as well as the language," and "I am also thankful that the group of students on the trip are awesome. Everyone is so kind and fun that it makes me feel less alone being so far from home."
For the beginning of our second week, Professors Serchuk and Eilderts accompanied students to the Basilica of St. Denis, the traditional resting place for the kings and queens of France. Students were invited to discover one of the first examples of what has become known as Gothic architecture through an investigation of the changing building technics that allowed for taller structures and larger windows. After our visit to St. Denis, we continued to the National Museum of the Middle Ages located in central Paris. There, the highlight of the visit was the outstanding tapestry series known as The Lady and the Unicorn.
On Tuesday, students trekked to the heart of Paris for a visit of the Sainte-Chappelle, a jewel-box-like chapel built by Louis IX, later St. Louis, to house relics of the Passion. A spectacular example of Gothic architecture, students observed similarities and differences between what they had studied the previous day at St. Denis. After the visit, Professor Eilderts class took advantage of the enjoyable weather to meet on the bank of the river Seine to practice essential daily activities as well as work through several grammar exercises.
The next day brought students to the Carnavalet, the museum of the city of Paris. Housed in two 17th-century Hôtels particuliers or mansions in the neighborhood known as the Marais, students were asked to consider examples of non-religious architecture and the links they would find with upcoming trips to Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte. That evening, we met for our second weekly outing to the Louvre where students were treated to the Marie de Medici cycle, a series of 24 paintings by Peter Paul Rubens depicting Marie de Medici's life. After the visit, students were treated to a dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant not far from where they are staying at the Cité universitaire.
Thursday called for a visit to the enormous Château de Versailles. Famous for its grand and imposing style, Versailles began as a "modest" hunting lodge built by Louis XIII. His son, the future Louis XIV, would transform these modest lodgings into one of the most impressive royal residences in Europe. Often more spectacular than the interiors, many visitors find the immense gardens—nearly 2,000 acres—the real high point of the château. After lunch in the gardens, students were urged to explore the immense estate at their leisure.
Finally, on Saturday, students visited the château Vaux-le-Vicomte, the castle that inspired Louis XIV to build Versailles. Located shortly outside the city of Melun, a short 25-minute train ride from the center of Paris, Vaux-le-Vicomte was constructed by lord Nicolas Fouquet, superintendent of finances under Louis XIV. After hosting one of the most spectacular festivities the French court had ever seen, and to which the young king was invited, Fouquet thought he was at the height of his power. His residence was innovative in design, and his gardens a marvel of optical illusions. Louis XIV did not see things the same way: two weeks after the end of the festivities, Fouquet was arrested for embezzlement and sentenced to life in solitary confinement. Louis XIV employed many of the same architects, artists, and designers on Versailles, which effectively put an end to the debate over who was the most powerful man in France.
And finally, yesterday was France's national holiday, le quatorze juillet, what we in the U.S. call Bastille Day. A commemoration of the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, the day began with a military parade down the avenue des Champs-Élysées, complete with helicopters and jets flying overhead in a spectacular display. In the afternoon, Professors Serchuk and Eilderts joined students for a picnic on the Champ de Mars, a long grassy field facing the Eiffel Tower. We enjoyed a concert organized by Radio France and France Télévisions where the National Orchestra and the Choir of Radio France played for nearly four hours. To finish the evening, there was a spectacular display of fireworks, with music, and a light show. The theme this year was a commemoration of World War I, which began one hundred years ago. More a celebration of peace than war, the fireworks this year were absolutely dazzling. The students were thrilled.
It has been a very eventful two weeks, and we are looking forward to guiding the students in their discovery of even more parts of the city.
Luke Eilderts & Camille Serchuk
Co-directors, Southern in Paris
AFTER THE FIRST TWO WEEKS . . .
In the interval since our last report, we spent most of our time exploring the art and history of Paris in the nineteenth century. Professor Serchuk's class visited some of the architectural projects associated with Napoleon, whose imperial vision can be found throughout the city. Professor Eilderts' class took advantage of the many on-site visits by refining their written and oral capacities in French while also interacting with local French-speakers. Almost all of our teaching takes place on the spot, visiting neighborhoods, monuments and galleries, even at the movies. Paris is a wonderful classroom.
Among the highlights of the last few weeks was a guided tour of the Paris Opera, built by Charles Garnier between 1861 and 1875. The students were really dazzled by the sumptuousness of its architecture and decoration. Every surface is covered with colored stone, paint, gilding or mosaic, and the effect is mesmerizing. Our guide pointed out some of the classical features and references of the design, and the students had strong opinions about whether they preferred the original auditorium ceiling by LeNepveu, or the newer one painted by Marc Chagall.
Later that evening we visited the Louvre, exploring the lavish apartments of Napoleon III, and then visiting the Islamic galleries. This section of the museum reopened in 2012 after a long renovation, and we have not usually included it in our program. But this year it seemed to fit, and the students were awed by the intricate calligraphy and of the many fine pieces on display. In Professor Eilderts' class, when asked to write about their favorite piece out of all the museums they had visited, several students returned to the Islamic collection for inspiration. After our visit, we enjoyed a delicious Moroccan couscous dinner. Most of the students were unfamiliar with the vivid flavors of this cuisine, but they loved it.
The Paris that we know and love today owes a great deal to the vision of one man, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann. In particular we considered his legacy as the driving force behind most of the grand vistas and wide avenues of Paris since more than any other individual, he shaped the city as it is today. We not only considered how he transformed the city, but also how his contemporaries viewed these transformations. The Impressionists, in particular, had very strong views about the "New Paris" and we took a good look at their works to learn more about the city.
The Musée d'Orsay provides a great environment to study the development of Impressionism. We had an early reservation this year, and were allowed into the museum before the public: a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The Orsay is magnificent, but it gets very crowded, and it was a treat to move through the silent galleries and study the paintings without anyone else around. The students loved this collection—and went back on their own to visit it again.
On Monday, July 21st, we gathered at the Gare St. Lazare for a trip out of the city to Claude Monet's famous house and gardens at Giverny. The skies were a bit overcast, and so the crowds stayed away. The gardens were in full bloom, and because of all the rain we have had, lush and richly colored. The students explored all parts of the garden, and they delighted in sitting on a bench in the shade of the willows admiring the water lilies and the Japanese bridge. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to get out of the city.
The next day we visited the Musée Marmottan, where we feasted our eyes on a wonderful collection of paintings that includes the painting that gave the name to the Impressionist movement: Monet's Impression, Sunrise. There are some beautiful paintings of Giverny, there, too, and it was gratifying to see the students make connections between the gardens they had seen the previous day and the paintings of them at the Marmottan. After our visit to the museum, we ate at a restaurant whose specialty is the tarte flambée, a dish from Alsace in eastern France. Our students loved the paper-thin crust, crème fraîche, and any number of toppings, and they benefitted from one of the few "all-you-can-eat" dishes available in France. No one went away hungry!
On Wednesday the 23rd, we returned to the Louvre for our final visit. We visited the nineteenth-century paintings galleries, where we looked at paintings large and small, including works by Delacroix, Géricault, and David. We started with the small ones, and the students were able to examine the studies and oil sketches for the better-known large-format paintings elsewhere in the museum. They saw earlier versions of Géricault's Raft of the Medusa and Delacroix's Death of Sardanapalus, and marveled at the differences between the sketches and the final versions. We left the museum and went on to enjoy a great meal at a Provencal restaurant in Montparnasse.
We gave the students an extra day off that week so that they could catch up on their work or take advantage of France's excellent transportation system. Several decided to travel to destinations that included London, the Normandy beaches, and Belgium.
In the final week of the program, Professor Serchuk took her students to see the work of Hector Guimard, who also designed many of the Métro entrances as well as many apartment buildings in the Sixteenth Arrondissement. The students were especially impressed by Guimard's first major project, the Castel Beranger, built in 1897. They also visited some of the Grands Projets commissioned at the end of the twentieth century by François Mitterand, including the Pyramid of the Louvre, the Institute of the Arab World, and the National Library.
Last week in Professor Eilderts' course, students chose one of the 20 arrondissements to study and present to their classmates in a walking tour that took place this week. For several of the presentations, students took their classmates to parts of the city they had not yet discovered (the Buttes Chaumont park with its breathtaking views was a group favorite). In addition to the presentations, students continued their study of the French social, cultural, and political landscape by interviewing local Parisians, thereby building their linguistic and cultural competencies, skills they will be able to apply in their future lives.
On Wednesday evening, we met for our annual banquet at the Grand Colbert. The time has passed so quickly! Their own words best communicate how much they learned and enjoyed.
Kate Lis (Class of 2014, Elementary Education and Liberal Studies) remarked on the differences in the pace of life in Paris, writing, "The busy yet relaxing atmosphere of Paris is a wonderful change in pace. At home everything is fast paced; and in Paris people are busy, but they know how to relax and just take life in. Some of us having been going to the Seine to just sit and talk which is something that would never happen back home… I am going to take what I have learned from Paris with me forever."
Giovanna Bellettiere (Class of 2017, Secondary Education in English, minor in Art History) commented on the quality of the food as well as the environment, noting, "Another surprise is how good the pastries are. The ice cream, the croissants, anything sweet tastes good. Rose is my new favorite flavor of anything. I really love being here. It's refreshing to be an environment that's so different… I love the transportation systems, and the hustle and bustle of city life."
Ashley Dambowsky (Class of 2014, Theater) shared her enthusiasm for the city as well as its impact on her when she expressed, "Every single step you take the city has something to offer you. You never think that you would want to go out and explore while it is raining for days straight, but you would be surprised. It is almost as if Paris pulls you in until you have experienced every last drop. It is amazing how much I have been taught so much within this trip. You do not think that so much can be achieved within one month until you actually do it."
The students have all acknowledged how much the program has made them reflect on how they live their lives. They have enjoyed using public transportation, walking along the river, and even being away from their phones and Facebook accounts. Every one of them has vowed to return to Paris again soon.
All best regards,
Co-directors, SCSU in Paris
Applying to Grad School — The Essay, The Test, The Letters of Recommendation
The undergraduate college essay can be a source of stress for prospective students. Many of us can relate to the angst of trying to put together an "admissions-winning" composition.
The same often holds true for students writing an essay as part of their application package for grad school.
In Part I of this 3-part series, we looked at the importance of self-awareness and gathering information about potential schools before applying to graduate school. Today, Wise Words explores the admissions essay, admissions tests and letters of recommendation — three crucial components of the application process.
The application process for graduate school involves many of the components as at the undergraduate level — and can be just as stressful.
Shirley Jackson, graduate coordinator of Southern's Sociology Department, recommends that students write their graduate school admissions essay in a scholarly fashion. "I constantly tell my (undergraduate students) that when they write assignment or papers, they should write in a scholarly fashion and to revise their work," she says. "I do that for good reason. Both a scholarly style of writing and a heavily revised essay are key to writing the graduate school essay."
While her next suggestion may be a given to most prospective graduate students, it may be necessary to remind a few folks, especially in this day of electronic access to all kinds of materials.
Do not use websites that offer to write personal essays for a fee. In addition to a person's honesty and academic integrity being at stake, pragmatically it doesn't make sense to risk your reputation with another person's work. "There is a good chance someone will find out, and your career as a graduate student can be over before it begins." Jackson says.
Instead, Jackson suggests buying a book that can be helpful in writing the essay. "Bookstores have sections on graduate and professional schools in their reference section," she says. "Check through their shelves to see what may be most helpful to you."
Jackson points out that many grad programs will require taking a particular type of admissions test (GRE, LSAT, etc.) as part of the admissions process. "The test scores may not alone result in admission, but they are usually considered with the rest of a person's application materials (essay, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.)"
One of the most often required tests for grad study in the social sciences and business schools is the Graduate Records Examination (GRE). It is offered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The following link provides information about the admission tests:
http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about)
Those considering law school should prepare for an extremely competitive process, according to Jackson. She suggests the following link from the Law School Admissions Council for information about the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test): http://www.lsac.org
Some people are better test takers than others, of course. Jackson says those who are not good test takers should consider taking one of the preparation courses offered by Kaplan or Princeton Review, or checking whether there are sample test questions available through the test administrators for your particular entrance examination. Bookstores also have a large selection of test preparation books.
Just as you should do during the undergraduate school application process or with a job opening, give the people you are asking enough time to write a thoughtful letter. "These letters will carry a great deal of weight, especially if they can help offset weak test scores or a low GPA," Jackson says.
She suggests:
*Choose your letter writers carefully. It may not be enough to have someone write a letter to simply say that you have received an "A" in their course, especially if the course is not related to the major or does not draw upon the skills necessary to show your potential as a grad student.
*A letter from a professor who taught a class in which you earned a "B" might be a good candidate under certain circumstances.
*Consider letters from professors who taught courses where much writing was required, or in which you wrote a research paper.
*Think about seeking letters from those professors who know you well. Do not be offended if a professor declines to write a letter. The professor may simply not know you as well as you think, or perhaps may not believe they can write a strong enough letter to support your application. If that happens, simply seek out another professor.
*Employers may also be good options, especially if they can speak to your level of commitment, positive character traits and ability to work well with others.
Part III — Admissions Interviews and Other Words of Wisdom
Biology Student Earns National Research Fellowship
Kirsten Famiglietti liked science as a kid. She even started working at a garden center as a senior at Guilford High School.
But she never intended to major in biology when she came to Southern a few years ago – let alone set her sights on the field of botany. But her intentions began to change after taking a few classes with Rebecca Silady, an assistant professor of biology and the university's botany specialist.
"At one point, she asked me if I would be interested in volunteering in her botany lab," Famiglietti says. "I did and enjoyed it a great deal. I was learning quite a bit. The only downside is that I wasn't getting paid, so I couldn't spend as much time in the lab as I would have liked."
Silady saw a fellowship program opportunity that was being offered by the American Society of Plant Biology (ASPB) and quickly suggested that Famiglietti apply. A few months later, Famiglietti received an email saying that she had been selected as one of 15 winners across the nation. She competed amid 55 applicants for the fellowship. In addition, she was one of only four students attending a "primarily undergraduate institution."
Famiglietti, who will be a senior this fall, is working during the summer doing laboratory research on the small, flowering plant called Arabidopsis thaliana, which Silady calls the "lab rat" of plant biology. Arabidopsis thaliana is in the mustard family. "We use it for experiments in the lab because it is small and grows faster than most crop plants," Silady says.
The goal of the research is to see how the plant responds to various stimuli, such as sunlight and gravity, and involves using mutant variants of the plant to compare the results. It hones in on how the seeds of the plant store protein, which can eventually help botanists and breeders learn about the nutritional value of grains.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to have the time and the resources to apply my research skills," Famiglietti says.
She is earning a $4,000 stipend for the 10-week program, which runs from mid-June to mid-August. She will present her work next year at the annual meeting of the ASPB.
Both Famiglietti and Silady had to submit paperwork as part of the application process. Candidates for the fellowship were judged on a variety of criteria, including a student's promise as an undergraduate student and the proposed project itself.
The fellowship winners are featured in the May/June edition of the organization's magazine, ASPB News. In the article, each individual tells why the award is important to them.
"Winning (the grant) and seeing my plans come to fruition have motivated me to work even harder and be more confident in pursuing my long-term academic goals," she says in the article.
America's 'Real' Birthday
While we prepare to celebrate Independence Day on July 4, you might be interested to know that the Second Continental Congress actually approved a resolution declaring the United States an independent nation on July 2, 1776.
Many historians contend that America's actual date of independence is July 2, 1776.
In fact, John Adams originally thought that would be the date that we commemorate each year.
"What are you doing for the Second of July?" could very easily have been the question we ask our friends around this time of year.
So, how did July 4 become the national holiday?
Check out a previous post that offers some trivia about our nation's birthday. Some of the factoids may surprise you.
Happy 4th! And Happy 2nd, too!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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– A mechanism for calling (so that the bond may be called only if certain procedures have been followed.
– A requirement for the client to identify the reason for calling (which reason may be questioned and contested.
– A cooling off period (during which the contractor may remedy the default.
– The Principal is the party who requests the surety to issue the bond and whose obligations are guaranteed.
– The Obligee is the party who requires the principal to obtain the bond and who receives the benefit of the guarantee.
– The Surety is the party who issues the bond that guarantees the obligations of the principal.
Brand JA in the judgment stated that: 'In the parlance of the English authorities the dispute can be usefully paraphrased as being whether the guarantees are 'conditional bonds' (as suggested by Zanbuild) or 'on demand bonds' (as suggested by the department). The essential difference between the two, as appears from these authorities, is that a claimant under a conditional bond is required at least to allege and – depending on the terms of the bond – sometimes also to establish liability on the part of the contractor for the same amount. An 'on demand' bond, also referred to as a 'call bond' on the other hand, requires no allegation of liability on the part of the contractor under the construction contracts. All that is required for payment is a demand by the claimant, stated to be on the basis of the event specified in the bond'.
At para 19 of the judgment it states that: 'Construing the Absa guarantees as a whole, I agree with the view of the High Court that they support the interpretation contended for by Zanbuild. In other words, that they do not constitute 'on demand' bonds, but that they give rise to liability on the part of Absa akin to suretyship. The first indicator in that direction is the assertion at the outset that the guarantee 'provide security for the compliance of the contractor's performance of obligations in accordance with the contract.' And in the body of the document the bank guarantees 'the due and faithful performance by the contractor'. This accords with language associated with suretyships.
At para 21 of the judgment it states: 'What goes against this interpretation is that provision upon which the department relies as the sole basis of its argument, contemplates more than one claim under the guarantee. …. Any breach of contract by the contractor would render the full amount of the guarantee due and payable on demand.' The illogicality of this argument is explained.
The outcome of the case was that the DOT lost the appeal.
This case illustrates the difficulty of bonds and their interpretation in practice. It clearly demonstrates that this area is not the place for the ill-informed or gifted amateur.
The next article in the series covers Bid Bonds.


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text:
Elon Musk Unveils His Funniest Vaporware Yet
Musk hyped a prototype "robot" on Thursday that was actually just a human in a robot suit.
Gif: Tesla/YouTube
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and second richest person in the world, unveiled his idea for a robot on Thursday that he says might become a prototype by 2022. And while Musk has delivered plenty of hilarious vaporware presentations in the past, from the Loop to the Cybertruck, this one might take the cake.
The Elon Musk Twitter Saga, Part 1 of Who Knows?
Musk's "robot" was just a person dancing around in a skintight full-body suit, but he promises that his electric car company really is working on something. And he really wants you to believe him this time.
"The Tesla bot will be real," Musk said emphatically, trying to usher his fake robot off-stage on Thursday.
"Tesla is arguably the world's biggest robotics company because our cars are like semi-sentient robots on wheels," Musk said with a straight face.
Musk rattled off the specs of his completely imaginary creation and is positioning his robotic dream as the future of labor, something that makes sense when your work environment is notorious for verbal abuse and poor conditions. After all, robot workers don't complain when you make them work in dangerous indoor spaces during a pandemic.
"So what happens when there is no shortage of labor? This is why I think long term that there will need to be universal basic income," Musk said to applause from the crowd at Tesla's AI Day.
"But not right now because this robot doesn't work, so we just need a minute. I think especially in the future, physical work will be a choice. If you want to do it, you can, but you won't need to do it," Musk rambled on.
Gizmodo could tell you that Musk's robot will stand 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weigh about 125 pounds. We could also tell you that it's designed to eliminate dangerous, boring, and repetitive tasks, according to Musk. We could even tell you that it's equipped with Tesla "Autopilot" cameras in the head and 40 actuators in the body. But that would be a waste of just about everyone's time.
This isn't even a prototype of something that might hit store shelves one day. It's the promise of a prototype at some point in the future—arguably worse than regular vaporware. And you can watch the video for yourself if you're curious.
What's the point of unveiling something that will probably never happen? Whether it's Musk's robotaxis that were supposed to arrive by 2020, or solar roof tiles from 2016 that never came into being, the point of vaporware is to push a company into the headlines and sell more of the same shit they were selling before. Bored TV news outlets with 24 hours to fill get to wash a particular brand—and in this case the brand is Musk's Tesla—in a hopeful and techno-utopian mystique. It also helps distract from negative news stories, like when your "Autopilot" product kills people.
But it would appear that Musk got exactly the kind of coverage he wanted overnight with this strange presentation that was livestreamed on YouTube. Just take a look at how Musk's stories sounded in various news outlets.
Musk said the robot would have a "profound" impact on the economy. He said physical work would be a choice in the future, and a universal basic income would be needed. Musk is among the Silicon Valley leaders who have cautioned that technology may eliminate the jobs of many people, so some humans will need another income source.
TechCrunch:
Interestingly, Musk is imagining this as replacing much of the human drudge work that currently occupies so many people's lives – not just labor but things like grocery shopping and other everyday tasks. He waxed about a future in which physical work would be a choice, with all the attendant implications that might mean for the economy.
Fox Business:
The robot would carry out the work people don't like to do. "It's around 5 foot 8. It has sort of a screen where the head is for useful information, but it's otherwise basically got the autopilot system and it's got cameras, got eight cameras," said Musk. "Full self-driving computer and making use of all of the same tools that were used in the car."Musk mentioned the robot's economic impact, using the current worker shortage as an example.
Every one of these stories could have appeared in newspapers of the 1950s and '60s with only minor changes. A universal basic income guaranteed to every worker because robots are taking their jobs? Check out this excerpt from an article in the November 26, 1967 edition of the Gastonia Gazette in North Carolina, emphasis ours:
Those who hunger for time off from work may take heart from the forecast of political scientist Sebastian de Grazia that the average work week, by the year 2000, will average 31 hours, and perhaps as few as 21. Twenty years later, on-the-job hours may have dwindled to 26, or even 16.
But what will people do with all that free time? The outlook may not be cheery.
As De Grazia sees it: "There is reason to fear, as some do, that free time, forced free time, will bring on the restless tick of boredom, idleness, immorality, and increased personal violence. If the cause is identified as automation and the preference for higher intelligence, nonautomated jobs may increase, but they will carry the stigma of stupidity. Men will prefer not to work rather than to accept them. Those who do accept will increasingly come to be a politically inferior class."
One possible solution: a separation of income from work; perhaps a guaranteed annual wage to provide "the wherewithal for a life of leisure for all those who think they have the temperament."
And there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of examples like this from mainstream commenters at the time. Even Walter Cronkite, the most respected newsman of his generation, was promising a, "30-hour work week and month-long vacations as the rule" by the year 2000. It was all thanks to our robot friends.
Sadly, if we want any of these robots to actually create less work for people we'd have to reorganize society completely. Because Musk's old-fashioned promises could be a reality if politicians actually wanted them to be. Worker productivity is through the roof compared to the 1960s, but workers aren't sharing in the wealth they create. The problem is that billionaires like Musk are keeping more of the profits. We didn't get 30-hour work weeks because your boss has no incentive to pay you for working less. Your boss wants to squeeze as much work out of you as possible while paying you the absolute minimum. That's the whole idea behind capitalism.
Curiously, Musk's fake robot bears a striking resemblance to Miss Honeywell, another human dressed up to look like an automation in the 1960s.
Musk may not be always delivering humanity the future. But he's got the retro-future theatrics down to a science.


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Anyone who has acne scarring from mild to acute conditions can be able to undergo the various treatments for acne scars in Dubai. The treatment recommended for every individual will vary on many factors hence it is necessary to consult a dermatologist if you wish to get rid of your scars and acne for good. You can find one of our experts ready to help you with a free consultation simply by filling in and submitting the short consultation form below.
There are a variety of treatment options available that are there simply for the purpose of refreshing the skin by removing blemishes of acne scars and also revitalizing the skin. In brief they are mentioned as follows.
Microdermabrasion is a process that removes the upper layer of skin that includes dirt, clogged pores, dead skin and acne scars through exfoliation. Using state-of-the-art technology, tools and crystals for various skin types; healthier skin is encouraged to grow again and replace the top layer hence gradually removing scars and blemishes.
Laser skin resurfacing with our fractional CO2 laser technology is currently our most popular and effective treatment option for acne scars. By resurfacing the skin evenly and boosting collagen and elastin growth this method induces a healthier top layer to grow replacing marks on the old skin.
Chemical peels and topical creams are also effective in resurfacing the skin without discomfort and with the proper routine include minimum risks and are more suitable for mild scarring on all skin types.
A simply routine of cleaning and steam treating your skin twice a day before applying creams can also remove a major part of acne and scarring. By allowing your pores to open through steam treatment you can clean and apply the following creams to get good results with removing acne scars in Dubai.
Hydroquinone works by alleviating scars in terms of pigmentation. Hydroquinone can be purchased over the counter and obtainable through a doctor's counter and by prescription, depending on the strength you are looking for. Hydroquinone creams comprising of 2% active ingredients can be bought over the counter whereas those with maximum 4% active ingredients can only be received through prescription. The effectiveness of this cream can be enhanced by applying SPF sunscreen whenever going outdoors and avoiding sun exposure. Tanning is also a no-no when using this cream. Since this cream contains peroxide bleaching compounds, if not used properly it can cause temporary darkening of the skin.
Mederma is a good remedy for acne, burn and surgery scars as well as stretch marks. Mederma contains SPF that shields your scars from ultraviolet exposure of the sun. Mederma can be obtained easily from over the counter since it does not require a prescription. Once you are done with cleansing it is advised to apply the cream and let it soak, especially when going out; let it soak for half an hour. If you are going outside for an extended period of time or partaking in swimming or some water sport, it is recommended to reapply the cream every two hours.


In August 2016, Up&AtEm Travel won the Best Travel Blog Award from BonAppetour. The competition entry, "Travelling in South Korea: An Experience with the Korean Police Force," came out on top in the "Most Unique Travel Experience" category. The winning post details my rather unconventional and charming experience in South Korea's capital, Seoul.
This experience with the police was completely different from the interactions with the slightly crooked law enforcement in Bali! From the kind strangers that helped me along my way to the dee-licious, semi-addictive green tea hotteok pancakes, I loved it all. What was sweeter – the sweet locals or my new favorite sweet treat? I can't decide! You can read the full post here.
Winning the Best Travel Blog Award encouraged me to begin blogging on my own domain, and although I shared on my social media accounts, this is a brand new announcement on the Up&AtEm Travel blog. I am incredibly proud, and I will continue to enter travel writing contests and improve this site with interesting and useful travel stories, tips and reviews.
But now that I think about it… It seems I've had a few experiences with the police while abroad. Maybe that's not normal? Either way, I would love to hear your thoughts and stories in the comments below!
SO AWESOME! What a great accomplishment!


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe "php::5_4_28" do
  let(:facts) { default_test_facts }

  it do
    should contain_php__version("5.4.28")
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


CAAR - Produce. Protect. Proud.
Manitoba Sustainable Development has decided that the provincial restriction on winter application of nutrients will remain in place until 11:59 CDT, Wednesday, April 10. Based on current and forecasted weather conditions and field and soil testing observations, no variance is required to the April 10 restriction date.
A conference call was hosted by Manitoba Sustainable Development on Wednesday April 3, 2019 to take input from multiple stakeholders on conditions across the province.
After consulting with industry, farmers, agriculture extension and associations, it was determined that no variance is required to the annual November 10 to April 10 restriction on winter application of nutrients (including manure application).
CAAR thanks the Government of Manitoba for giving multiple stakeholders the opportunity to give input on variance requirements relating to the legislation restricting applications of agriculture nutrients.
CAAR is seeking member feedback on the projected start dates of spring fertilizer and seeding operations among ag retailers across Western Canada. Please take a moment to share your projected start date. Click here to take the poll.
You must be logged in as a CAAR member to comment.
When is your retail planning to begin fertilizer and seeding operations with your customers?
This is a Suckerpunch Creation.


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Vinyl LP pressing. Cecil Taylor's solo piano set at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974 drew critical acclaim, earning five star reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide and All Music's Scott Yanow. The set features Taylor's five-movement work Silent Tongues, along with two encores. After being out of print for nearly four decades, the classic live collections has been remastered at Infrasonic Mastering and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany. Silent Tongues is a must-have for fans of Taylor and collectors of free jazz alike!
Label: ORG MUSIC
Silent Tongues [LP]
Artist: Cecil Taylor
New: Available at distributor, would arrive at Pure Pop in 1-4 days $26.98
Vinyl - Indie Exclusive
1. Abyss
2. Crossing
3. Crossing, II
4. After All
5. Jitney No 2
6. After All No 2


How long has it been since you heard the screeching wail of a band saw grinding through animal bone. If you've been only to Ralphs and Albertsons for your meat, I'm guessing never.
It will be a strange and disturbing din indeed, one reserved for horror movies with Rube Goldberg plots instigated by freaky puppets. To hear one is to be at an "ethnic" grocery store, be it Mexican, or Asian, where the dirty work of actual butchery takes place not behind closed doors, but in your face, full frontal and uncensored.
Though distant at first, you'll hear the unmistakable squeal when you walk through the sliding doors of T&K Food Market in the heart of Little Saigon, where traffic is hectic and parking scarce. Inside the store however, it's more serene, save for the sound of the saw and the PA system which will play some warbly Viet pop when no one is chatting up the specials in Vietnamese.
Above you in this airy, spotless warehouse with skylights and wide aisles like a mini-Costco, there are cameras pointed at you at every turn. You know this because directly in front of the turnstiles, three TV sets are tuned to two dozen closed-circuit camera feeds. It's a not-so-subtle message to shoplifters: "We're watching you and our band saw is sharp."
As you get closer to the butcher, your olfactory senses take over. A fog of death seems to settle around the area. The smell of fresh meat, of sweet blood and fetid offal is thick enough to wade through. These are scents typically locked away under Cryovac and cellophane. Here the odor is airborne. If you were in the African savannah, a breeze that carries it would surely attract predators.
I ask the butcher to cut my chosen pork spareribs into a size that I communicate by holding up the space between two fingers. He nods, and the bones are passed through the saw as though it were butter.
Later, I pay for my butchered bones at a checkout counter which looks like any other, complete with flat screen computer monitors that play commercials along with my tally. But with every beep of every barcode swipe, I still hear the blades wail. I know I'm not at Safeway anymore.
Much has been said, joked and embellished about KFC's Double Down.
If you already know about it or even had it yourself, this post will neither be timely nor informative.
I just felt the need to document, perhaps for my internist, that I ate it this week. The Double Down, as you know, has been called an abomination of marketing--a culmination of everything that's wrong about fast food culture and the latest in the kind of corporate one-upmanship that previously brought us Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme™ and Hardee's Monster Biscuit™.
But first, a primer just in case you've been living in a grass hut the past couple of months: the Double Down is KFC's chicken sandwich where the bun is replaced by two deep-fried chicken breasts.
Inside, there are two slices of cheese, sauce, and of course, bacon. The bacon, I think, is a key ingredient, and not because it really brings anything to the party except more fat and salt (more on that later). No, the bacon is there because doing anything these days without bacon is like Lady Gaga without the bizarre outfits.
Bacon = Bras That Shoot Fire = Attention.
Yet despite it all (actually, because of it all) I wanted none of it. I avoided it as if it were a movie with live action animals that talk. I even turned down my editor's request to do a piece on it. My fellow Weekling, Das Ubergeek, was finally stuck with the task. His last words were to remind us that he took one for the team. (I haven't forgotten, Dave, I haven't forgotten).
But then with a product which seemed designed like a college fraternity dare (Dude, try this thing I made last night!), I finally tried one because someone dared me.
"Aw c'mon. You're a food blogger. It is your duty to at least try it!" a friend (and the soon-to-be, bunless-chicken-sandwich co-conspirator you see pictured above) goaded.
So I caved and went.
It's true what everyone's said. It's salty. Insanely and almost unbearingly so. That first bite is like a sodium shock to the system. Every pore of my tongue got immediately parched, robbed dry of moisture. I'm telling you, you can melt driveway ice or cure meat with the amount of salt that's in this thing. It's not just the breading either; every millimeter of the flesh is super-saturated with sodium.
But then a strange thing happened. On the second bite, and every successive chew afterward, my mouth became acclimated. Like the proverbial frog in hot water, I started building up a tolerance. It actually stopped tasting salty, and started being edible. And the bacon? Pretty soon, it didn't even taste like bacon, but a flavorless piece of nothing, which really says something about how overwhelming the salt content was.
With my shell-shocked tastebuds dulled, I actually found myself saying to my friends, "Hey, this isn't that bad. Stick it between two slices of bread and you get a $5 chicken sandwich. It's sort of anti-climatic actually."
...Which is when I got cocky. I decided that hot sauce was what it needed. So I opened a packet with a picture of the colonel on it and poured the entire contents over the remainder of the "sandwich". That, mi amigos, was a mistake. Now it was even saltier, and also soaked in sour vinegary-ness.
I must have drank 10 cups of water that afternoon to rehydrate myself.
So, doctor, if you're reading this, for the record, I only had one Double Down. It was my first, and I promise, it will be my last.
I like vegan restaurants like I like magic shows. They entertain me in the same way: wonderment through trickery. Even though I know I'm being fooled, in the end, I'm happy to be left scratching my head and asking "How'd they do that?"
Take for example the chicken in Loving Hut's orange chicken, though it squeaked, it chewed and tasted like chicken. I knew it wasn't chicken, but gosh darn it, how did they make it so uncanny. It tasted more like chicken than other things that are supposed to be chicken (ahem, McNuggets).
But it is also because of this that being a vegan chef is actually easier these days than being a magician. Think about it: Movie special effects, Penn and Teller, and that masked guy who gave away all the secrets have left audiences jaded and expecting more from their illusionists. Poor David Blaine's resorted to sitting atop lightpoles and such to get attention.
Vegan chefs, on the other hand, just have to do a little better than the lowest common denominator of processed foods and things that masquerade as meat.
For instance, have you tried real maple syrup after you grew up with Aunt Jemima? It's the maple syrup that tastes fake. That's the world we live in.
I think that if we continue on the path that we're on, someday, when we're forced into eating paste pushed out of a tube by our robot masters, we won't know any better.
The sauce lubricating the tofu and eggplant stir fry tastes like oyster sauce, but has no oysters. The nuoc cham dip for the deep fried egg rolls made my head spin. How did they make fish sauce that smacks of fish without fish? Magic, that's what.
Their deep fried shrimp is sort of close to the real thing (complete with shrimp stripes), but its the diversionary tactics that make the dish. The breading, the salt and pepper, and the bright mix of onions coalesce to become a vegan dish that exceeds the sum of its (non-animal) parts.
But perhaps the most daring trick Loving Hut's managed to pull off is the pricing. It is, quite possibly, the cheapest vegan food joint in O.C. The entire meal pictured totalled about thirty dollars and sated me and my normally carnivorous dining companions.
Tada! Flash! Bang! Curtains down! Thank you, I'm here all week. Try the veal...or not.
I needed bread. Some simple, cheap, factory-baked wheat sandwich slices would do. I was inside Freshia, my local Korean grocer, one afternoon when I realized I did. But after weaving through aisle after aisle and coming up empty, I asked the stock guy, a Latino man who was unloading a box of ramyun, "Where do you keep your Wonder Bread?"
"Oh, we don't stock bread here. But you should try the bakery up front. They have excellent bread!"
So I did. And boy, was he right. SamSoonYi, which rents out the space in the market, bakes a moist, flavorful sandwich loaf that we loved so much, we've bought nothing else since. Sara Lee, Wonder, Roman Meal, you can all kiss off. This bread, this simple half loaf, costing $2.75, has become my pantry standard.
Like I said, it's ultra-moist. So moist, in fact, that if you stand it on its side, the slices fall under the dampness of its own weight. Touch the surface and you can feel the moisture. And the flavor? It's unlike factory brands in that it has it. The taste is bright, salty, evocative of something homemade.
It makes great breakfast toast. To tell you the truth, I haven't tried using it for a sandwich, since I like it plain with a pat of butter. I had it the other day with Spam and eggs.
I would imagine other local bakeries, 85 Degrees C, for instance, would have a similar product. If you're reading this and you're not within three miles of the Freshia in Tustin, I wouldn't go out of the way to get it. Find your own local Korean or Asian bakery.
Besides that, SamSoonYi seems to only bake a half dozen or so at a time. Last Sunday, I got the last of two loaves. So I'm saying this last part more as selfish plea than anything: if you do end up here and find they've only got two left, leave me the last one, will ya?


I'm having a study day today, meaning I am staying home and hitting the books - or rather, hitting lectures on Youtube that are totally fascinating yet only have like 14 views. It's a beautiful day outside, I have the house to myself and I'm spread out on the dining room table with all the windows open and the sun pouring in, as well as a few blowflies. I haven't yet written a word of my essay and now it conveniently appears to be lunch time.


text:
Q: simply connected fibre bundle Suppose that $B,F$ are closed manifolds. Suppose $\pi_{1}(B)=\{1\}$. Suppose furthermore that there is a surjective homomorphism $H: \pi_{2}(B) \rightarrow \pi_{1}(F)$. Does there exist an orientable $F$-bundle over $B$, denoted by $E$, with $\pi_{1}(E) = \{1\}$?
(Notation: Orientable means that the transition functions are in the orientation preserving homeomorphisms of $F$. By closed manifold I mean connected compact oriented.)

A: Not neccesarily.
Let $F = (S^1\times S^3) \sharp \mathbb{C}P^2$ and let $B = S^2$.  Note that by van Kampen, $\pi_1(F) = \pi_1(S^1) = \mathbb{Z}$ and $\pi_2(S^2) = \mathbb{Z}$, so of course there is a surjective map $\pi_2(B)\rightarrow \pi_1(F)$.
Now, suppose we have a bundle $F\rightarrow E\rightarrow B$.
Proposition  The space $E$ cannot be simply connected.  In fact, $E$ cannot have finite fundamental group.
Proof:  We will use the Serre spectral sequence.
To that end, note $H^k(F) = \mathbb{Z}$ for $0\leq k\leq 4$, and is $0$ otherwise.  Let $x_k\in H^k(F)$ be a generator.  Then the cohomology ring structure is determined by graded commutativity together with the fact that $x_1 x_2 = x_3x_2 = 0$, and that $x_2^2 = \pm x_1 x_3 = \pm x_4$.  Let $y\in H^2(S^2)$ denote a generator.
Consider the Serre spectral sequence for the bundle.  Note that the $E_3$ pages is the $E_\infty$ page because all differentials on $E_r$, $r\geq 3$ page vanish for trivial reasons.
Now, the differential $d:\langle 1\otimes x_2\rangle = E_2^{0,2}\rightarrow E_2^{2,3} = \langle y\otimes x_3\rangle$ has the form $d(1\otimes x_2) = \lambda (y\otimes x_1)$ for some $\lambda \in \mathbb{Z}$.
The Leibniz formula now gives $$d((1\otimes x_2)^2) = d(1\otimes x_2)(1\otimes x_2) + (1\otimes x_2) d(1\otimes x_2) = 2(1\otimes x_2) d((1\otimes x_2),$$ because $x_2$ has even degree.  This now gives $$d(x_2^2) = 2\lambda (1\otimes x_2) (y\otimes x_1) = 2\lambda (y\otimes x_2x_1) = 0$$ since $x_2 x_1= 0$.
Since $x_2^2$ is a generator of $H^4(F)$, it now follows that the differential $d:E_2^{0,4}\rightarrow E_2^{2,3}$ is trivial.  Thus, $E_\infty^{2,3}\cong \mathbb{Z}$, which now implies $H^5(E) = \mathbb{Z}$.
Now, the bundle is orientable because $S^2$ is simply connected.  Since $F$ and $B$ are orientable, this now implies $E$ is orientable, so we can use Poincare duality.  This now gives that $H_1(E) = \mathbb{Z}$.  In particular, $\pi_1(E)$ is infinite.  $\square$
If you look at the long exact sequence in homotopy groups associated to the bundle $F\rightarrow E\rightarrow B$, the fact that $\pi_1(E)$ is infinite is equivalent to the assertation that the map $\pi_2(B)\rightarrow \pi_1(F)$ is trivial.  So, we have proved the following regarding the connecting homomorphism.
Proposition  For $F = (S^1\times S^3)\sharp \mathbb{C}P^2$ and $B = S^2$, in any fiber bundle $F\rightarrow E\rightarrow B$, the connecting homomophism $\pi_2(B)\rightarrow \pi_1(F)$ is the trivial map.


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Ten questions interview series with Oluwatoyin Sanni, Software Developer at Andela and co-founder of TechInPink, a tutorial based startup from Nigeria.
by	Staff Writer	May 10, 2016	1130	Views
Oluwatoyin Yetunde Sanni is a Nigerian based Software Developer currently working with Andela.
How did you get involved in technology
I've always enjoyed taking things apart, figuring out how they worked and then putting them back together again. I was introduced to a computer very early.
I remember opening my first yahoo account when I was barely 12 years and this was the era when the Internet was not a luxury as it is now. Even though I earned a degree in Computer Science [from the University of Ilorin]. But really I started learning how to program after I graduated — it's not too late, you know!
What are you up to now!
Now I work as a Software Developer at Andela with distributed teams in tech companies across the globe. I've built several amazing applications aimed at providing solutions to problems in my society. The one I love most is 'Ayewa' — an application aimed at solving accommodation problems for students within a geographical region.
Tell us about TechinPink
I co-founded TechInPink where we post tutorials, talk about technology and write inspirational posts to encourage more women to venture into programming. Over the last few weeks, we organized a start-from-scratch event in Nigeria and Kenya strictly for girls to teach them HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
We hope to organize more of this event, to bridge the gender inequality in tech. Our mission is to inspire and encourage more women into tech and create a path for their career goals.
We strongly believe that having diversified views of issues in the provides avenues for creativity. We are planning to launch a mentorship path for ladies in universities/college who are interested in programming.
What tips would you give to your younger self?
When I started learning how to code, at some point, I felt it wasn't for me and that I couldn't handle it. The fact that I have always wanted to make life better for people has pushed me past several stumbling blocks and challenges which I have encountered.
I have come to realize that if you have a strong passion for what you do, you will find out that even in the most challenging situations there will be within you a capacity to find a solution to it. Find your passion, work hard and diligently at it. See you at the top!
Originally posted on Wogrammer
2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit Scheduled for Silicon Valley
by	Admin	- May 5, 2016
Technology: Silicon Accra Innovation Project Formally Launched
by	Mac-Jordan Degadjor	- Aug 20, 2016
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