The QuiXilica Atlas-V6 VXS is a 6U ANSI/VITA 41 (VXS) compliant high-speed digitizer board that combines high density FPGA processing with four or eight 12-bit ADC input channels performing at 1 GSPS (Gigasamples per second).
By employing three Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGAs, Tekmicro's Atlas-V6 combines high resolution wideband signal acquisition and generation with the onboard high density FPGA processing for a range of radar and Electronic Warfare applications such as target generation, jamming, and CM / CCM techniques. The result is a single slot solution that utilizes the latest ADC and DAC technology, supports advanced signal processing of up to 12 GB/s of digitized data, and forwards the results through VME, VXS or front panel connection via SFP+ or CXP to the next processing stage.
The Atlas-V6 features high bandwidth, low latency interconnect paths between its FPGAs. These have been carefully specified to ensure that data from all ADC inputs can be routed to the appropriate FPGA to meet the application processing requirements. The ADCs are organized as two independent groups of four, each with their own clock and trigger inputs. However, a single clock and a single trigger input may be used for all eight channels on a single board. Synchronization of multiple boards is done using an external trigger signal. This offers significant throughput advantages for a range of advanced processing algorithms including coherent multi-channel algorithms found in applications such as direction finding, Space Time Adaptive Processing (STAP) radar, EW, ELINT and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image formation.
The Atlas-V6 is available for a wide range of operating environments including commercial grade, rugged air cooled, and conduction cooled to support deployed applications such as unmanned airborne, naval and ground vehicles. For more details, see Tekmicro's Ruggedization Data Sheet.
In addition to Atlas-V6, Tekmicro offers a broad range of Xilinx Virtex-6 based streaming I/O and FPGA processing solutions for both analog and digital I/O in a range of form factors.
Sample accurate synchronization across multiple boards.
Four channels of 1.0 GSPS, 12-bit resolution analog to digital conversion is provided using the Texas Instruments ADS5400. The input is single-ended, AC coupled with a full scale input level of 10 dBm (2.0 V p-p) into 50 Ω.
Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGAs are the heart of the Atlas-V6. The FPGAs interface between the ADC's, memory and I/O resources to provide a platform for implementing high performance real time processing. The Atlas-V6 is configured with three high pin count Xilinx Virtex-6 devices (LX240, SX315, or SX475) per board. Other device types can be used optionally or mixed for custom configurations. All FPGAs are interconnected by wide parallel LVDS busses and via high speed Aurora serial links using the Xilinx GTX transceivers.
The Atlas-V6 can be used as a VITA 41.0 payload card. Up to eight high speed serial links of up to 3.125 Gb/s full duplex data rates are supported via VITA 41.0 MultiGig RT2 P0 connector. Custom or standard communication protocols can be run over these links by providing appropriate firmware in the FPGA.
A number of options are available for configuring the FPGA on the Atlas-V6. A JTAG connection is available to allow users to configure the FPGA via standard Xilinx development tools. Onboard flash is available and can configure the FPGA on power up. Tekmicro's QuiXstart tool supports flexible configuration of the FPGA through a Gigabit Ethernet link from a remote server after a power up or reset event.
Trigger input connections are provided on the front panel to allow the hardware to be employed in a variety of radar and electronic warfare scenarios. The trigger inputs are LVDS (LVPECL is a factory build option). Each group of four ADC channels has its own trigger input, although one trigger input may be distributed to both groups of ADCs. Multiple Atlas-V6 boards may be synchronized to within one ADC sample period using the trigger input.
One clock input serves four ADC channels, and a second clock input serves the other four ADC channels, or all eight analog I/O channels may be clocked from a single clock input (factory build option). The minimum input clock level is -6 dBm into 50 Ω.
The Atlas-V6 has two independent banks of onboard DDR3 SDRAM for each FPGA. The front end FPGAs have two 1 GB banks, each with throughput of 6.4 GB/s, while the back end FPGA has two 512 MB banks, each with throughput of 3.2 GB/s. The total memory capacity is 5 GB with aggregate throughput of 32 GB/s across six banks. All DDR3 memory banks are clocked at 400 MHz for an 800 MT/s transfer rate. In addition, there are two fully independent banks of QDRII+ SRAM memory for the back end FPGA. Each QDRII+ device has a 72 Mbit capacity (144 Mbit total) supported by an 18-bit data bus per bank.
For general purpose I/O signals, the Atlas-V6 can be accessed via the P2 connector and there is also an SSMC connector on the front panel which can be used for such things as a GPS signal, etc.
The Atlas-V6 includes facilities to monitor current and temperature at various points on the board. Current monitoring of all main power rails is available through the use of a Spartan-6 FPGA. Die temperature monitoring of the three FPGAs and temperature monitoring of three locations on the PCB is also available. This allows a first level of protection when the Atlas-V6 is operating in different environmental scenarios. The output from the sensors is available to the user's FPGA firmware applications, to allow the application to adapt to changes in environmental conditions. The Atlas-V6 also uses the system monitoring sensors to implement a system protection mechanism which will, independently of the user's application, prevent excessive current or temperature from damaging the board.
Full Scale Input: 0-2 V p-p (10 dBm) into 50 ?.
Type: LVDS Termination: LVDS 100 Ω differential terminated.


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Testing Three Types of Raspberry Pi People Counters
The Hudson County Community College (HCCC) Library tested three different types of Raspberry Pi based people counters between 6/14/2017 and 7/9/2017. This article will describe how we created each type of counter, will compare the accuracy of each sensor, and will compare them to the college's existing 3M 3501 gate counters. It will also describe why and how our team decided to make this project, discuss lessons learned, and provide instructions for how other libraries can create their own gate counters.
By Johnathan Cintron, Devlyn Courtier, and John DeLooper
The initial idea for this project came from a talk delivered by Jason Griffey at the Computers in Libraries conference in 2013. Griffey's presentation, entitled "Making Libraries: Getting into the Hardware Biz", argued that libraries should use devices such as Arduinos and Raspberry Pis to make better, cheaper, and potentially more accurate solutions for library technologies like people counters and heat maps.
Based on the ideas from this talk, our library discussed the possibility of creating our own electronic people/gate counter. We were frustrated that our existing counters required staff to manually check the machine and write down a visitor number three times a day. In our existing system, written numbers are transcribed once a month to a Microsoft Access Database at one of our campuses, and to a Microsoft Word document at the other. In addition to errors caused by handwriting or data input mistakes, having staff remember to check the gate count was difficult to ensure, especially when the library was busy and staff were occupied responding to patrons and thus unable to leave the service desk. Aiming to make a more accurate solution that did not require human intervention, we hoped to use Griffey's idea to test a fully automated system, using our North Hudson branch campus as a test location.
There were several challenges to setting up this project. Our group had to decide which technology to use to best and most easily store and make the statistics available. We discussed whether we should use Arduinos or Raspberry Pis, or a combination of both. As relatively new technologies, both were hard to acquire from the vendors that we usually use to purchase electronics, and thus there were several months of delays while we sought paperwork from new vendors who stocked these devices and made sure they were added to our purchasing systems.
Serendipitously, in 2014, we received eight Intel Galileos, which are Arduino-compatible devices with additional processing power, and Seed Studio brand sensor kits as part of a grant from Intel. This equipment was distributed as part of an Intel effort to promote the use of their devices in STEM curricula at educational institutions. As such, our initial efforts to create gate counters involved using the Intel Galileo. However, we did not have all the necessary sensors, and our group found that the Galileo's interface for storing and recording data was too difficult. Therefore, we switched our efforts to Raspberry Pis, which, along with appropriate sensors, we were able to first acquire in 2016, thanks to a generous gift by then Dean of Libraries Carol Van Houten. Hoping to create a "set-it-and-forget-it" system, we also wanted to ensure each sensor's accuracy. Therefore, after over a year of research and testing, we settled on three different types of hardware to use: passive infrared sensor (PIR), a laser and light dependent resistor (also called LDR or photo resistor,) and ultrasonic distance sensor.
Methodology: Device Placement
One of the first steps in setting up the project was determining where to place the counters. Our initial testing and calibration was performed in a staff office. However, for the final deployment, we had to consider several factors including proximity to power and data (Ethernet) connections, patron safety, and potential to disrupt library services. With these factors in mind, we originally thought to place the counters near the inside of our main entrance door, as pictured below.
Figure 1. View of main entrance to library
Figure 2. Close-up of library entrance door
This door is the library's primary point of entry, and would thus provide a good place to count patrons. Unfortunately, placing our devices near the door would require running a series of long extension cords. We feared that deploying extension cords of this this length would be both unsightly and in our estimation, likely to cause trip hazards. We also thought they would have a high risk of being accidentally unplugged. With this in mind, we also wanted to be sure that our spot was against a wall, which would make each sensor easier to mount. This was especially important for the laser sensor, as it required aligning a resistor within a few feet of it. If the sensor was not properly aligned, the laser would lose its connection. Space would also have to be sufficient so that the ultrasonic sensor was not recording a wall as a person either. In testing this issue, we found that the distance between walls in our entrance corridor was sufficient to avoid this type of input error.
Ultimately we chose to use a spot in our entrance hallway, next to our existing gate counter. This area had connections for both power and ethernet nearby, and we felt it would be minimally disruptive for our students as it was in an area with several other electronic devices including a photocopier, and the aforementioned 3M counter. This location was also an easier location for library students and staff, as it allowed the Pis to be mounted relatively unobtrusively and minimized trip hazards. We also felt that this spot would provide the most accurate point for comparison with our existing gate counter, as it was adjacent to this device, and thus would measure who entered the library at nearly the exact same location. As the existing 3M counter doubles as an electromagnetic theft detection system, we recognized that this proximity may have made the Raspberry Pis or their sensors subject to electromagnetic interference, potentially compromising our project's effectiveness. While we did not notice any issues that were directly attributable to the electromagnetic interference, it is an issue that we will have to keep in mind, and continue to study.
The Raspberry Pis themselves were placed in cardboard boxes, along with the breadboards and attached sensors, and secured to walls with 3M command hooks. When we initially set up the devices, we used command hooks that have a capacity of two pounds. However, the two pound rated hooks proved unable to support the weight of our systems, so we replaced the original mounting strips that were included with the hooks with five pound capacity mounting strips. These higher capacity strips proved sufficient to keep the devices from falling during our testing period. Photographs of the setup are below:
Figure 3. A view of the entrance corridor
Figure 4. This image shows a step in the setup of our sensors relative to the existing gate counter. The sensors were placed together on the left hand side of the picture. On the right hand side, a white cardboard box contains the laser and Galileo.
Figure 5. Once mounted, the Pis were relatively unobtrusive when placed near the existing gate counter.
Methodology: Hardware
The first and easiest hardware for our staff to construct was the passive infrared or PIR sensor, also known as a motion sensor. It required six Male-Female connector cables, a Raspberry Pi, a breadboard, and a PIR sensor. In the illustration below, the red and black cables are power and ground while the blue cable connects to General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) 7. The black cable on the breadboard next to the blue cable is what transmits the information from the sensor to the Pi. The other two cables in the sensor are the power and ground.
Figure 6. PIR Pi and breadboard setup with view of pin outs
Figure 7. View of the PIR Sensor
For the ultrasonic sensor, we used eight male-female cables and three 1K resistors, although other libraries could choose to use a 1K and 2K resistor instead. The Pi pinouts used are pin 5 (power), pin 6 (ground), pin 16 (GPIO23), and pin 18 (GPIO24). The first two connect the breadboard to the power and ground portion. Pin 16 connects to the breadboard and is adjacent to another cable, both blue in Figure 10, which connects directly to the sensor. This is how the sensor communicates with the Pi. The charge on the Pi needs to be reduced to receive accurate readings from the sensor, so the resistors are set up connecting the cable from the Pi (red) to the cable from the sensor (yellow). The remaining two pins on the sensor are power and ground, respectively.
Figure 10. Ultrasonic Pi and breadboard setup with view of pin outs
Figure 11. Close-up of Ultrasonic Sensor
Figure 12. Raspberry Pi 3 GPIO (Source: element14.com/raspberrypi)
The last sensor, the laser sensor, utilizes a general purpose input output (GPIO) ribbon cable, a 40-pin Pi wedge, a light dependent resistor sensor, a laser diode, and an MCP 3008 chip, in addition to the other parts we have been using thus far — minus the resistors. Another notable difference is that we needed to use a large quantity of male-male cables in this project instead of male-female.
For this project, we needed to attach a wedge to the end of the breadboard so the pins are on the two sides of the breadboard. We used five of the pinouts on the wedge: the 3.3V, Serial Clock (SCK), Master Input Slave Output (MISO), Master Output Slave Input (MOSI), and Chip Enable (CE0). The 3.3V connects to the power line of the breadboard. The remaining four cables are connected to ports on the MCP3008 chip.
Figure 13. MCP 3008 Chip Port Display (Note the small indent on the chip should match the display between 1 and 16
Figure 14. Laser Pi and breadboard setup with view of pin outs
The SCK cable is connected to port 13, the MISO is connected to port 12, the MOSI is connected to port 11, and the CE0 is connected to port 10. Port 16 connects to power on the breadboard, and port 14 is connected to ground on the breadboard. Port 15 is connected directly behind the cable connecting to power on the chip. Port 1 is connected from the chip to a blank space on the breadboard that has two empty spaces around it in all directions. Directly next to that, one cable is connected to power and one to ground. (See below image) These cables are how the LDR sends data. To connect the LDR sensor to the board, three male-female cables are needed: one to connect the cable to the power source, one to connect the ground next to the cable for ground, and the last next to the remaining cable. Once these are all set up, the ribbons should be connected to the Pi on one end and to the wedge on the other. After this, the laser is connected to power, and you can use another Raspberry Pi to connect the LDR sensor to a ground and power port. This is because you will need a way for the laser to get power. In our setup, we originally used another Raspberry Pi, but swapped it for a Galileo, as the Galileo allowed us to pass through power directly without additional code or other steps required to make a Raspberry Pi operational, such as installing an operating system.
Figure 15. Close-up of laser breadboard
Methodology: Software
Our software code was modeled off of the instructions on Electro18's Arduino-DIY Laser / IR Person Counter Instructable (http://instructables.com/id/IR-laser-person-counter/) and adapted and rewritten in Python. We chose to use Python because it is a versatile scripting language that is easily installable on any Linux distribution.
As our main goal was to have to the Raspberry Pi write the statistics to a remote database, we used the MySQLdb Python library, and used the following SQL query:
# Open database connection
db = MySQLdb.connect("HOSTNAME","USERNAME","PASSWORD","DATABASE")
# prepare a cursor object using cursor() method
cursor = db.cursor()
# Prepare SQL query to INSERT a record into the database.
sql = "INSERT INTO LDRSTATS (date, time, gatecount) VALUES ('%s', '%s', '%d')" % (curr_date, curr_time, count)
This query inserted the date, time, and gate count statistics into each sensor variant's own table in the database.
Each sensor type required its own customization. Full details can be seen in the Python scripts at https://github.com/squash-/HCCC-Library-GateCounter-Scripts.
The project required a great deal of troubleshooting to work properly. As we were worried about potential trip hazards caused by connecting the Pis via ethernet, we initially connected the Pis to our campus wireless network. However, this required using one of our staff's credentials for the WPA2 Enterprise setup, which made the project less maintainable. In addition, the Pis would disconnect from our institution's wireless network every night, so we had to use ethernet for the testing. There were also issues with determining how sensitive the sensors should be. This necessitated some tweaking of read intervals before we arrived at the final numbers found in our Github code. Finally, users who stood in the door often threw off the numbers for each type of sensor, which was a problem even with our original 3M counter. When this happened, we had to manually reboot and reset the system back to zero, and start the count again. Finally, we had to abandon our original idea of entering a count of 1 to the database each time the Pi recorded motion. Doing this type of count, while potentially more accurate, was too difficult to program in the time we had available.
We started recording data from the gate counters after they were set up on 6/14, and continued throughout the month of July. Each week, we checked the data to make sure our MySQL database was still receiving data from the Raspberry Pis. Unfortunately, we failed to properly back up our system, and when we did the final data export, we lost all the data from after July 9. With that in mind, we still did record some interesting data, and have noted the results below.
3M 3501 Gate Counter and Paper
The campus on which we tested this project has used a 3M 3501 electromagnetic detection system both for security and for gate counts since 2011. The gate counter counts each time a person passes through the gates, and library staff manually record total gate tallies three times a day. By subtracting the number from our final day with the day we started to record, we find that we had 5440 visits over the course of one month. The 3M counter increments up as people both enter and leave, and is vulnerable to errors caused when students, faculty, or staff stand in the path of the gate, thus creating potential over counts.
The PIR recorded data until 6/16 and reset after 1721 visits. It recorded again until 6/19 and the machine rebooted and its numeric tally reset to zero after recording up to 428. After this, it continued recording until 7/3 and rebooted and reset at 1028. It recorded again until 7/9 and rebooted and reset at 1912. Thus, the PIR recorded a total of 5089 visitors, and required three resets. As with the 3M gate counter, it recorded motion in both directions, thus potentially over counting visitors.
The LDR sensor rebooted and reset on its first day of recording at 28 visitors. It jumped from 176 to 321 on 6/15, and had similar jumping issues on 6/19 at 13,639 and 7/3 at 4310. The worst jump was on 6/19, when the device actually fell from its wall mount and laid on the ground, at 7:40 a.m. on 6/19. At this time, the machine began to malfunction and went from 716 visitors to 2100, and climbed to 13,639 visitors by the end of the day. The final tally on 7/9 was 414. Therefore, this machine recorded 18,391 total visits, or 5468 if the data from the day the device fell is removed, and we required three resets. As with the 3M and the PIR, it recorded motion in both directions, thus potentially over counting visitors.
The ultrasonic sensor rebooted and reset its numeric count on 6/14 at 733 visitors and again the same day at 230. It reset again on 6/19 at 248, and on 6/20 at 587 and 7/3 at 337. The final tally on 7/9 was 461. Therefore, the ultrasonic sensor recorded a total of 2596 visitors, with 5 resets. This device also counted in both directions, and thus, as with our other sensors, probably over counted visitors.
As our project originally hoped to record the month of July, we were somewhat disappointed with the results. This was our own fault, as we did not make proper backups when we checked that the machine was functioning. For each device, other than the existing 3M device, we found resets were a problem, which we suspect was due to a memory leak in our programming. We were not able to verify this during the study. Due to the reboot and resets, it was also difficult to obtain truly cumulative data. All of our devices were also uni-directional, and thus counted both entrances and exits, meaning all gate counts were probably twice as high as total visitors. Based on the data, the laser/LDR appears more vulnerable to jumps from people standing in its path, and the ultrasonic appears to return the lowest total visitor count. Until this issue is studied for a longer period of time, it is difficult to say which option would be the most accurate. Future versions of this study could include some hour by hour sampling, or using hand counters to test the overall accuracy of all of the studied devices.
Libraries have long understood the importance of keeping statistics. Some of the earliest literature ignores patron count (Gerould, 1906) and suggests other metrics like finances and collection size to be most important for evaluating the delivery of library services. However, discussion of patron counting appears as early as Chen (1978), and devices for electronically counting people have been around since at least 1965, when Stephen Hornung received a patent for developing a device to count users of elevators (Hornung, 1965). Several other technologies were developed afterward, including Taylor et al. (1976), who used ultrasonic sensors to count bus passengers, and Tsubota and Satoru (1978), who used pressure sensitive mats to track movement.
The earliest literature we found about library adoption of electronic people counters came in 1999, when 3M began to promote its Model 3500 detection system, which upgraded their earlier security systems to include built-in people counters. The earliest instance we found discussing libraries using either Raspberry Pi or Arduino based counters came with Griffey (2013), but there are also several other examples of Raspberry Pi or Arduino based counters or motion detectors published in the same time period, including Nawrath (2012), One Million Monkeys (2012), and ModMyPi (2014). The Library Technology community has shown an interest in this topic as well on the Lita-L listserv, which included discussions about gate counters and the Raspberry Pi in August 2016, and in February and March of 2017 (see http://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/lita-l/2017-03/msg00089.html ).
Finally, there are several commercial providers, including Sensource and 3M (now Bibliotheca), who provide their own systems for tracking patron use through people/gate/door counters. These are usually sold either from the vendor directly (Sensource, 2015), or from library specific vendors like Demco (2017) or The Library Store (TLS) (2017).
Conclusion and Future research
While the data gathered was useful, we found that the overall reliability of our sensors was not high enough to deploy as a "set it and forget it" type solution. While this project taught us a lot about the possibilities for using Raspberry Pis to record statistics, we feel that the technology has not yet fully matured. We will continue to refine these systems, and we hope that individuals from other libraries will read this and other literature on the issue, and work to improve on our findings to make more accurate, yet affordable solutions to track library usage statistics.
The authors of this paper would like to thank Carol Van Houten, who purchased the original Raspberry Pis and sensors, and encouraged us to research this issue. We would also like to thank David Hardgrove for supporting our trial leading up to and during the month of July 2017, and Cynthia Coulter for her encouragement and for helping us find space to test our project at the North Hudson Library.
3M. (2017). Electromagnetic Products. Retrieved August 7, 2017, from http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_WW/Track_Trace/home/Products/one/two/?PC_Z7_RJH9U52308DU80I4CCRM093II4000000_assetType=MMM_Article&PC_Z7_RJH9U52308DU80I4CCRM093II4000000_assetId=1180619853892&PC_Z7_RJH9U52308DU80I4CCRM093II4000000_univid=1180619853892#Z7_RJH9U52308DU80I4CCRM093II4
3M introduces Digital Identification System, Model 3500 detection system; demonstrates PIKiosk. (1999). Information Today, 16(8), 47.(COinS)
Ching-Chih, C. (Ed.). (1978). Quantitative Measurement and Dynamic Library Service. Phoenix, AZ: Greenwood Press.(COinS)
Electro18. (n.d.). Arduino-DIY Laser / IR Person Counter. Retrieved August 19, 2017, from http://www.instructables.com/id/IR-laser-person-counter/
Friedman, M. (2011, July 18). Jonesboro Library installs thermal people counter. Arkansas Business, p. 12.(COinS)
Gaven MacDonald. (2013). Ultrasonic Sensor with the Raspberry Pi. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xACy8l3LsXI
Gerould, J. T. (1906). Plan for the compilation of comparative university and college library statistics. The Library Journal, 31(11), 761–763.(COinS)
Griffey, Jason. (2013, April). Making Libraries: Getting into the Hardware Biz. Presented at Computers in Libraries, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://jasongriffey.net/wp/2013/04/08/make-the-tools-that-measure-the-future/
HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Range Sensor on the Raspberry Pi. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2017, from https://www.modmypi.com/blog/hc-sr04-ultrasonic-range-sensor-on-the-raspberry-pi
Inc, D. (2017). Demco.com – Patron Counters. Retrieved August 12, 2017, from http://www.demco.com/Category/Security/Traffic-Control/Patron-Counters/_/N-1a0
jedhodson. (n.d.). Arduino and Pi in Harmony – As a Sensor Web Server! Retrieved August 21, 2017, from http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-and-Pi-in-harmony-As-a-sensor-web-server/
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Patron Counters. (2017). Retrieved August 12, 2017, from http://www.thelibrarystore.com/category/patron_counters_and_door_alarms
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Phillips, J. (2016). Determining Gate Count Reliability in a Library Setting. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 11(3), 68–74.(COinS)
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Wright, A. (2006, February 15). NTLP – Not Typical Library Partners: Gate Counters. Retrieved August 12, 2017, from http://ntrls.blogspot.com/2006/02/gate-counters.html
Johnathan Cintron is an IT Technical Support Specialist at Bergen Community College. He holds an A.S. in Computer Science from Hudson County Community College, where he was a Library Technology Associate from 2013 to 2017. He is an active participant in the Android firmware development community, and his projects can be seen at http://pastebin.com/kFhycfd4. His Github page is https://github.com/squash- . His email address is johnathancintron@gmail.com.
Devlyn Courtier is a Library Technology Associate at Hudson County Community College, where he is also a student. He has written and presented about topics including using devices like Raspberry Pis to teach coding, hosting video game tournaments in academic libraries, and circulating electronics at academic libraries. His email address is dcourtier@hccc.edu.
John DeLooper is Director of Library Technology at Hudson County Community College, where he has worked since 2011. He holds an MLIS from Rutgers University, a B.A. in History from the George Washington University, and recently completed an MS in Information Systems at Baruch College. His email address is jdelooper@hccc.edu.
Appendix A: Final Tallies
Table 1. Final Tallies
Ultrasonic LDR PIR 3M LDR – Adjusted
230 13639 428 716
248 4310 1028 4310
2596 18391 5089 7966 5440
Each time a sensor reset, its highest tally was recorded in the table above. More detailed tallies are available at www.hccclibrary.net/pi/pi_data.xlsx .
Appendix B: Pictures
Picture 1. View of Laser Pi and breadboard with LDR sensor
Picture 2. Close-up of LDR sensor
Picture 3. Close-up of laser breadboard
Picture 4. View of Ultrasonic Pi, senor, and breadboard
Picture 5. Alternative view of Ultrasonic Pi, senor, and breadboard
Picture 6. View of the PIR Sensor from various angles
Picture 7. View of all three mounted Pis
Picture 8. Laser in box

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Five Pick Up Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 Honors
CLARION, Pa. – Five Ohio Dominican football players were named to the Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 Team on Friday.
Senior wide receiver Cory Contini (Dover, Ohio) and sophomore Logen Neidhardt (Hicksville, Ohio) were each named to the first team.
Landing on the third team were seniors in defensive end Brian Hunter (Mayfield, Ohio) and offensive lineman Andrew Lucke (Mason, Ohio), along with freshman quarterback Evan Ernst (Mason, Ohio).
Contini and Neidhardt also earned First Team All-Super Region 1 honors from the D2CCA in November.
The G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Contini caught 54 passes for 950 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging 17.6 yards per catch. His 16 TDs were the third most in the country during the regular season. He set school records with 3,239 career yards and 38 receiving TDs, and his 39 TDs scored are also a record. Contini caught at least one TD in nine games this year, with three multi-TD performances. He was last year's G-MAC Offensive Back of the Year and a first team all-region selection, as well as a three-time Academic All-American.
Neidhardt was the 2017 G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and followed that with a stronger sophomore campaign. He averaged 43.0 yards per punt with a long of 67, and placed 17 of his 43 punts inside the 20 with just four touchbacks. Neidhardt ranked 10th in the country in punting average during the regular season and ODU ranked fifth nationally in net punting (39.1). He had five games where he placed at least two punts inside the 20 and had a punt of at least 44 yards in every game.
Hunter finished the season with 61 tackles (7.5 TFL) and 4.5 sacks. He also forced a pair of fumbles. A two-time First Team All-Great Midwest selection, Hunter was also named the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week after making seven tackles with two sacks at East Stroudsburg. He had six games with six or more tackles and finished third on ODU's all-time list with 14.0 career sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss. He tallied 185 tackles in his career.
Lucke helped key an offense that ranked 12th in the country in scoring (40.5 points per game) and 28th in total offense (439.1 yards per game.) He was named First Team All-Great Midwest for his efforts this fall. ODU was also 21st nationally in third-down conversions (45.2 percent) and 37th in sacks allowed, while leading the country in completion percentage and passing efficiency.
Ernst made his first collegiate start against Findlay in week four and wound up leading the nation in completion percentage (74.5) and passing efficiency (184.4.) Overall, he completed 196-of-263 passes for 2,506 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He ranked second nationally with 9.5 yards per pass attempt and threw for at least 280 yards in five games. His 28 touchdown passes were 13th in the nation, and he set a school-record with seven TD passes against Alderson Broaddus on Sept. 29.
Ohio Dominican finished the season with a 9-2 record and went 6-2 in the G-MAC. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 12 nationally this year and appeared in the regional rankings every week. ODU has won at least seven games in every season since 2011.
January 18, 2019 Five Pick Up Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 Honors
December 11, 2018 Contini, Vargo Tabbed As Academic All-Americans
December 7, 2018 Thompson Named Candidate For Cliff Harris Award
November 30, 2018 Football Trio Named D2CCA First Team All-Region
November 19, 2018 Contini Up For Harlon Hill Trophy Consideration As Best Player In Country
November 16, 2018 Football Sweeps G-MAC Offensive, Defensive MVP Honors; 20 Panthers Recognized
November 16, 2018 Trio Named To Google Cloud Academic All-District Team
November 10, 2018 Snow Doesn't Slow Football As Panthers Roll To 62-6 Win
November 7, 2018 Postseason Hopes Still Alive As Football Wraps Up Regular Season At Lake Erie
November 3, 2018 Big Second Quarter Carries Football To 65-7 Win Over Kentucky Wesleyan
October 31, 2018 Final Home Game In Store For Football As Panthers Play Host To Kentucky Wesleyan
October 29, 2018 Hunter Tabbed As G-MAC Defensive Player Of The Week
October 27, 2018 Football Jumps To Big Lead, Scores 48-35 Road Win At East Stroudsburg
October 24, 2018 Longest Road Trip Of Season Awaits Football As Panthers Travel To East Stroudsburg
October 20, 2018 #25 Football Falls On Road At #17 Tiffin, 24-23
October 17, 2018 Nation's Lone Top-25 Matchup Of The Week In Store For Football As Panthers Take On Tiffin
October 13, 2018 Football Wins Fourth Straight Game, Takes Down Malone 57-17
October 10, 2018 Football Looks To Extend Win Streak As Panthers Welcome Malone To Columbus
October 6, 2018 Football Scores Road Win At Walsh, 20-10
October 3, 2018 Football Returns To Road To Take On Walsh In Hall Of Fame Stadium
October 1, 2018 Contini Picks Up G-MAC Player Of The Week Honors
September 29, 2018 Records Fall As Football Blasts Past AB, 66-27
September 26, 2018 Homecoming Clash With Alderson Broaddus Up Next For Football
September 26, 2018 Contini Named Semifinalist For Postgraduate Scholarship
September 24, 2018 Thompson Picks Up Second Player Of The Week Nod
September 22, 2018 Football Shines In First Road Test, Defeats Findlay 34-21 In Division II Game Of The Week
September 19, 2018 National Spotlight Shines On Football Game At Findlay Saturday Night
September 15, 2018 #12 Football Falls At Home To Hillsdale
September 12, 2018 G-MAC Play Opens Up As #12 Football Gets Set For Night Game With Hillsdale
September 10, 2018 Kehres, Neidhardt Earn G-MAC Weekly Honors
September 8, 2018 Defense Stands Tall Again As #17 Football Defeats #18 Ashland, 24-17
September 5, 2018 Top 20 Showdown Set As Ashland Visits Columbus For Saturday Night Clash
September 3, 2018 Football Moves Up To No. 17; Neidhardt, Thompson Recognized By G-MAC
August 30, 2018 #23 Football Fends Off Cal 28-23 In Season Opener
August 27, 2018 2018 Season Gets Underway As Vulcans Visit Columbus To Take On #23 Football
August 24, 2018 Football Game At Findlay Selected For Division II Showcase
August 13, 2018 Football Ranked #23 In AFCA Preseason Poll
August 6, 2018 Football Wraps Up First Day Of Camp
August 1, 2018 Football Picked To Repeat As G-MAC Champs In Preseason Coaches Poll
July 17, 2018 Contini Nominated For AFCA Good Works Team
June 21, 2018 Football Adds Hunter, Ford To Coaching Staff
April 13, 2018 Football Sets Camp Dates For Summer
April 11, 2018 Football Leads G-MAC With Seven Named To NFF Hampshire Honor Society
March 26, 2018 Four Named To Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American Team
March 22, 2018 Football Golf Outing Scheduled For June 10
February 13, 2018 Ernst Honored At National Football Foundation Banquet
February 7, 2018 G-MAC Champs Ink 30 In 2018 Class
January 17, 2018 Eight Tabbed To Don Hansen All-Region Team


One of Vox's Local Missions partners is Posada Esperanza, a transitional shelter for women and children in Austin. As a way to share not only our financial resources but also our love, time and energy, we have decided to throw monthly birthday parties at Posada this year and the first two have been a blast!
Thanks to the involvement of the Vox community, the parties have so far included gifts for all those at Posada who have had birthdays that month, a meal and desert, and plenty of fun games and activities – even caricatures for the kids! Needless to say, with pizza, piñatas, presents, and pink cupcakes in the lineup, the kids have been incredibly excited.
One of my favorite aspects of the party I attended was the opportunity to connect with the moms at Posada. As the children played, many of the ladies took the chance to sit and enjoy one another's company. This provided a unique space to sit and share and listen and laugh together with these incredible women. At the same time, other friends from Vox seized the opportunity to love on the children who were eager to play and engage with the new adults.
Overall, birthday parties at Posada have provided a wonderful opportunity for members of the Vox community to play, talk, laugh and celebrate with members of the Posada Esperanza community. For me they have been a joy to take part in, both as a planner and as a participant, and I hope over the course of the year Vox folks continue to share in this joy.
The next Posada Esperanza birthday party will be October 28.


"Are you kidding me?" I cry at the screen that has alerted me that I am now locked out of my grad school site "for security purposes" as my password was incorrect five times in a row. Seeking articles on the university library site came to an immediate halt when suddenly, my password was necessary to access an article.
"What's wrong over there?" my husband asks from the other room.
I explain to him the source of my trauma.
"Whose going to want to get into my account anyway? Who are they protecting it from?" I ask.
"They are protecting it from yourself," he says, as he watches TV without a flinch.
I ususally brush off his smart— comments when my distress becomes his playground for words. But this time is different.
All day I've worked on transcribing interviews, analyzing data, searching for articles and writing up sections of an article. I'd not even taken a break for a walk on this 30 degree day in Minnesota.
I shut my laptop and grab my notebook to write this down.
"These things don't just happen," I hear a voice in my head.
To check out other writers, visit here.
Ugh. Passwords are the worst. I recently locked us out of our online banking and have to call to have it reset. I just can't make myself call.
I understand all too well the struggle. I've called to get a password reset, most understand, but once the person who was helping me was curt and not happy that I'd forgotten/lost my password, "Just write it down", she said. But if it were that simple. I store them in my phone notes, I write them in a bullet journal, I have my computer save them, but sometimes it just fails. I suppose I should write a slice about this!
Thank you for feeling my pain, Pat. I have an app in my phone I keep them all in (dare I say that outloud?) but I'm constantly updating as I become even too lazy to go find my phone when I need to enter a password, so I just keep changing them – and I don't let the phone app know. I wish I had a better system.
I can't stand all these different passwords and the fickle tyrants of software, locking us out on a moment's notice. Ugh! Great slice!
I feel your pain. I'm having a similar password problem, although related to a business (local hospital) and accessing my account so I can pay the bill. You'd think they'd want the money! Colleges are the worse, and reading your post reminds me I need to post grades for a class I recently finished teaching.
Good luck to you and your grad studies. It's impressive that you're committed to blogging every day in March w/ the data analysis you're doing, too.
True to all of the above, but my favorite line was "I am too tired to revise…" Yup! My students can relate. Last Friday I was too tired to teach- would have loved to put in a movie. Tonight I was too tired to revise as well and I think my post has good intention but is a bit of a hot mess. Glad you did post and remember writing every day is the prize!
I've done that at school when I've tried to get into my attendance account using my school email account! So frustrating. Nothing more embarrassing than to have to call administration and tell them you locked yourself out!


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Fan Fiction, Oral Narrative, and The Book
Last night, at a panel on fan fiction at Can Con in Ottawa, I began thinking about fan fiction as something connected to oral narrative and our human history of storytelling. I connected fan fiction to my past research in Classical Greek Literature and thought about the relationship of fan fiction to the multiplicity of versions of stories in classical myth, and also connected it to my current research in Fairy Tales, which also exist in versions and have a complicated relationship to the idea of the book (particularly since people like the Brothers Grimm took multiple versions of fairy tales and sought to book them down into single texts).
I want to start by thanking my fellow panelists Erin Rockfort, J.M. Frey, and Genevieve Hebert-Jodoin for engaging with me in a discussion around these ideas and for critically questioning them and exploring them with me. Their expertise and knowledge were incredible
The notion of fan fiction depends on the idea of having one singular text – a book – as the source for a story. It depends on the idea of art as property and depends on the notion of the author as the singular creator of a text. In the context of the wider world and the history of storytelling, this is actually a rare phenomenon and a distinctly modern, western phenomenon.
Storytelling comes from oral narrative, from telling tales out loud. These stories rarely exist in singularity. Stories are told again and again with variations and each storyteller modifies their story to adapt to their own voice, but they also adapt their story to their audience, responding to the particular people in their audience and particular events in a community. So a single storyteller's tale is likely to shift in the telling and retelling. This is some of the magic of oral narrative – the ability for a story to adapt, be changeable, mutable, shifting to tell the story that the teller feels the community needs. As an example of this for modern Western readers, when you read a book to a child, generally you will adapt even a book so that the story fits with that child and their particular circumstances, so the character becomes "a ginger haired girl, just like you" and she faces bullying just like the child you are reading the story to. As we tell stories, we adapt and shape them to the purposes they need, to tell the stories children need to hear at a particular moment
This expresses the adaptability and flexibility of story itself, and expresses something intrinsic to storytelling – that each time a story is told, elements shift and new aspects to the story are brought to light while others disappear.
For most of our history as human beings, stories have existed as oral narrative, as tales told aloud, and actually, in the West, even though we frequently identify stories with the notion of a single-authored book and intellectual property, the vast amount of stories we encounter are actually still oral narrative. We call them gossip. We tell stories constantly about the people around us, unwittingly shifting and changing them in the retelling. Our memories change too in the retelling and our knowledge of the "truth" of a story will shift as we remember details differently.
So there is an intrinsic shiftability and malleability to stories. They aren't static, but rather change. So, the notion of a single-authored propertarian story is something quite unusual. The book can be perceived as a stagnation of a story, trying to halt it at one particular moment and preserve one single telling.
Even texts like the Iliad and Odyssey, which are perceived as being canonical, are tales frozen at a particular moment and ascribed to the poet Homer. Yet, these tales existed as oral narrative, being told and retold and shifting with each telling. When the Iliad and Odyssey were written down, they still existed in multiple versions with multiple small differences. Even today, these texts exist in multiplicity because each translator provides a different version.
The nature of the book is contentious. It can be seen as something that stops the adaptability of a text, but even early books had different versions. When books were copied by hand, they shifted in the writing, with scribes often changing words, missing words, or substituting words. Once we have the invention of the printing press, there is a bit more consistency and sameness in versions of stories.
The printed book allows for propertary rights and a more intense ownership of a particular story, but there is still the human impulse to tell, retell, and adapt stories. We have a desire to see versions of texts, to make texts our own as readers and to retell them in ways that preserve that adaptability of storytelling. Fan fiction, to me, is an acknowledgement of the adaptability of text, the power of a text to exist in polyphony, and be subject to the mutability of oral narrative. So notions of the primacy of a single text are distinctly modern and western, and they attempt to halt a story from its adaptability, from something built into the act of storytelling itself.
Frequently, fan fiction is perceived as bing something distinctly modern, but it is something that is intrinsic to storytelling – adding to our stories as they are told and retold, adapting them to our particular cultural moment, our needs at the time of telling, and the particular audience we want to reach. Fan fiction is just another part of the living narrative that is characteristic of storytelling, and it allows for a text to shift, grow, and change.
This entry was posted in Editorials and tagged adaptable stories, audience reception, book history, Can Con, Editorials, fairy tales, fan fiction, fandom, fandom studies, Greek myth, oral narrative, retelling, storytelling, versions.


I have created two custom fields in contacts module.
I have marked "inactive_reason_c" field as dependent field with formula:: equal($inactive_flag_c,1).
Now on createView and editView "inactive_reason_c" field is showed/hidden based on the checkbox(inactive_flag_c) checked/unchecked.
The issue is, on recordView once we select value for "inactive_reason_c" dropdown field and click on "Save", at this point "inactive_reason_c" field is not visible (gets saved in DB fine), even though "inactive_flag_c" is checked.
Please review this issue and let us know if its a core bug of the sugar 7 or let us know if any code patch(solution) for this issue.
I am unable to reproduce this issue in our 7.1.5 release using the test case you presented. Are you able to upgrade your instance to that release and verify the issue is resolved for you as well?
I installed Sugar Enterprise 7.1.5 on my local and created a checkbox (test_checkbox, default unchecked) and used 'lead_source' dropdown with dependent formula [Formula - equal($test_checkbox_c, 1) ]to be visible when checkbox is checked.
The dependency works, in the sense, when you check the checkbox, Lead source dropdown shows, and when unchecked it hides the dropdown.
But if the checkbox is checked with a value selected form Lead source dropdown, that value of Lead source is still not visible in the RecordView. We checked teh DB and the dependet field's value does get saved (ie Lead source Dropdown in this case) but still doesn't show on Record View even if the checkbox is checked.
3. Lead source drop down should be visible with the correct value but it's not.
4. Go to Contact RecordView created in Step 1. You will see Lead Source drop down value not visible.
Please let us know if there is any fix for this issue as all we are trying to do is show teh dependent field's saved value in RecordView if it's selected, which used to be a core Sugar functionality.
Your help is appreciated. Many thanks.
Thanks for confirming that the primary issue is addressed in 7.1.5. The issue you mention is related to bug # 66999. We should be able to provide you with a module loadable hotfix for this bug as this is addressed in our upcoming release and I will email it to you as soon as that hotfix is available.
I sent you the hotfix for bug # 66999 and this problem should be addressed once that is applied to the affected instance.
I'm on SugarCRM 7.1.6 Professional and would also like a hotfix for this issue.
I saw that you also created a case asking for this hotfix, which has been resolved. If you still need this hotfix, please submit a new case and our support team will supply the hotfix to you directly.


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Tag: syria
SYLVIA – Birmingham band to release Syria charity single
October 3, 2012 / Mark
Birmingham band SYLVIA are to release a single 'Hollow Star' in aid of Hand in Hand for Syria, a Midlands charity set up to send medical and humanitarian aid to the war-torn country.
The band members were moved to use their single to support the charity following a charity gig they played for Hand in Hand in Birmingham in August. "A very good friend of ours is from Aleppo in Syria," explained lead singer Daniel Sweeney. "The conflict over there continues to produce atrocities every day and the people are in desperate need of medical and humanitarian aid both inside Syria and in the refugee camps in bordering countries. The gig, which four Birmingham bands and singers played at, raised well over £1000 but more help is needed, which is why we thought of a charity single."
'Hollow Star' will be available to buy on iTunes from October 5. A single release night will be held at the Bull's Head, Moseley, where copies of the band's debut album, Rathea, will be sold with half the proceedings going to Hand in Hand for Syria. Continue reading


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Virtual reality meditation is a thing — and it's actually good
Yes, you can be mindful while wearing this headset.
Image: flowvr / vicky leta / mashable
By Sasha Lekach 2019-03-22 11:31:27 -0700
March Mindfulness is our new series that examines the explosive growth in mindfulness and meditation technology — culminating in Mashable's groundbreaking competitive meditation bracket contest. Because March shouldn't be all madness.
FlowVR
$3.99 for the Oculus Go app
Easy to make into a habit • especially with short sessions • Can meditate anywhere you have the headset • Calming and approachable
Limited choices that don't update -- after a while you want more than the six options • Doesn't take full advantage of VR
FlowVR is a great place to get comfortable with the idea of meditation -- and feels like a mini-vacation.
⚡ Mashable Score 4.0
😎 Cool Factor 4.0
📘Learning Curve 4.5
💪Performance 4.5
💵Bang for the Buck 3.5
I'm on an Icelandic cove, watching the sunset and the small waves lap at the rocky shore while a soothing Sigur Ros instrumental track plays around me. A voice instructs me to take a deep breath, fill my lungs, and then release, letting go of any tension. I look behind me and there's a grassy hillside, on which I am alone. I look down and I have no feet.
Welcome to meditation in virtual reality.
Using an Oculus Go headset ($199) I downloaded a meditation app called FlowVR ($3.99). The app contains just six guided meditation sessions, each about 5 minutes long. The sessions: Breathe; Focus, Move, Let Go, Calm, and Restore.
Each one is set in a different Icelandic scene, deep in nature, and thoroughly isolated. (You never see anyone else at your meditation spot.) The sun is usually shining; you don't experience any of Iceland's harsher weather. But it also felt more muted and realistic than, say, a fake Caribbean beach scene.
SEE ALSO: How 'neurosculpting' can train your brain
The app was first released in 2017 by Tristan Elizabeth Gribbin. She's a Bay Area native who moved to Reykjavik in 1995 — hence what she calls the "Icelandic flavor" throughout the app.
Gribbin told me, via Skype from her home in Iceland that she's been "hardcore into meditation since 2000." With the zeal of the convert, she started dragging everyone she knew to try out the practice. "Getting people to meditate can be hard," she says. Therefore, the more novel the experience — and the more you can do it at home — the better.
When mobile virtual reality headsets arrived on the scene, Gribbin seized the opportunity. She began working on the app in 2015, and soon found that the same friends who wouldn't go to meditation classes were more willing to try the practice in VR.
FlowVR's co-founder Tristan Gribbin meditates without the app.
Image: flowvr
Gribbin said 60 percent of the app buyers are from the U.S., where mindfulness and meditation have caught on with a vengeance. It certainly caught my attention — and as a casual meditator with no regular practice, I'm probably the target audience.
Instead of an app simply telling you to close your eyes and breathe, you can go somewhere exotic and mesmerizing for a one-on-one relaxation vacation without really going anywhere. "You feel immersed in nature and are transported to another place and you can just be," Gribbin said.
The app is pretty rudimentary, VR-wise. You can't climb the mountains or wade into the enticing lake. You just stare at the waterfall or grassland or mossy lava bed. Occasionally a bird flies by. Of course, being still is kind of the idea. Each time I logged in and settled in for a quick, calming, restorative, or focusing session I found myself able to clear my head.
It was easier to meditate — not to mention uncurl my toes and loosen my spine — while looking at a sunny mountain ridge than it was when I just closed my eyes.
There is one technological pitfall common to VR apps that's especially annoying here. During my "restore" session, a notice abruptly popped up on the screen: "Headset power low!" Talk about distracting. Suddenly I couldn't help but see that this flowing waterfall was a substitute for the real thing. A low battery notice can make you mindful ... of the fact that you're just wearing a VR headset in your bedroom.
Over time, Flow VR's breathing mantras would get tiresome, or at least predictable. It's like a workout video that makes the same corny stretching joke every time you play it.
The music and scenery have more staying power; Gribbin calls them "wild and pure." They are detailed enough to give you something different to focus on within the 360-degree experience if you were to do this every day. Still, the app needs updates, more levels and experiences.
At one point, as the sun winked behind a moss-covered tree inside my headset, I became so relaxed that I started nodding off. "You may find yourself getting sleepy," the app said, encouraging me to close my eyes even with the headset on. It wasn't a problem. I felt utterly in sync, at one with everything, like I'd won meditation VR.
If only it were a game.
WATCH: 11 meditation apps to help you de-stress
Topics: Health & Fitness, March Mindfulness, meditation, oculus-go, Reviews, Tech, VR, vr-ar


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News & ToursJuly 21, 2009
Who says the stars won't go to Canada?
There they were, a couple of names any tournament would be proud to display on its marquee, at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on Monday.
Alas, the names were Michael Jordan and Kevin Costner, who were there to participate in the Mike Weir Charity Classic that has become an official part of the RBC Canadian Open festivities. What does it say about the standing of a national championship when one of its pro-am fields has bigger draws (with the exception of favorite son Mike Weir) than the tournament itself?
This is the 100th playing of the Canadian Open, a tournament as long on history as it is now short of stature, one consigned to the outback on the PGA Tour schedule, in the shadow of a major championship. It has only five of the top-25 ranked players in the world, Camilo Villegas the highest among them at 13th. Even Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh, who have won three of the past five Canadian Opens, aren't entered.
In Commissioner Tim Finchem's preseason appeal for players to add a tournament or two to their historical schedules, the Canadian Open ought to have warranted considerable consideration. Regrettably it wasn't.
-- John Strege


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The Europe Program produces forward-looking analyses on transatlantic relations, the process of European integration, and political developments in individual countries across Europe.
The Europe Program conducts extensive research and produces in-depth analysis on all aspects of the United States' relationship with Europe, with particular emphasis on NATO, the European Union, the countries of Northern Europe, and the circumpolar Arctic region. The Europe Program seeks to develop a deeper understanding of Europe's political, security and economic evolution and its future role in the world.
Europe is the United States' strongest partner in addressing issues ranging from international security and counterterrorism to multilateral diplomacy, trade, the environment, and human rights and development assistance. The CSIS Europe Program, under the direction of Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic, has a decades-long track record of engaging in a thoughtful transatlantic dialogue on the most salient and important topics by bringing together top-level policymakers, analysts, and though-leaders from Europe and the United States. These candid and insightful dialogues have made the Europe Program a leading forum in Washington D.C. for the immediate and long-range challenges facing Europe and the United States.


Ju Mei (Sue-May) Wei, OTR/L graduated from the University of Illinois as a psychology major, and continued her education at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago where she received her Bachelors in Science specializing in Occupational Therapy. She is a registered and licensed occupational therapist in Illinois.
She has worked in various healthcare settings specializing in work hardening and work conditioning programs, pediatric patients, workers compensation injuries, and home health. Ju Mei brings over 20 years of occupational therapy experience to our practice.
When asked about her treatment and care methods for her patients she replied, "My treatment philosophy is to help patients resume their lives at home and work by acquiring the best manual skills to address their injury. I believe in treating the whole person not just the injury. Patient education is also essential in our efforts to prevent further injury and improve patient self-care."
Occupational Therapy is designed to enable or enhance participation in the meaningful activities of daily life (self-care skills, recreation, and work) despite impairments or limitations in physical functioning. Occupational therapy is for individuals of all ages who want to improve skills that will help them perform daily tasks at home and at school, at work and at play.
Occupational therapists perform a variety of services for individuals such as rehabilitation therapy after a work injury or accident. Diagnoses treated range from carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, to fractures of the upper extremity and rotator cuff injuries. Any splint can be custom fabricated on site.


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r8rh8rmike started a topic C.J. Anderson: Gurley Was 'More Hurt Than We Thought" When He Signed With Rams
"When we came in, we knew both of us were going to be used," Anderson said about the NFC Championship Game. "Now, I don't think it was a hot-hand thing because it was more like -- it was up front. I was receptive to tell like, 'If Todd wants to go he wants to go.' And I was OK with that. Obviously, he got them there, 21 touchdowns this year, what he's done in this league since he's been in has been great. So it was more like, 'C.J., we're going to play you, but if our guy wants the ball and if he wants to go and he wants to do this, then we're going to roll with 30,' and that was OK with me."
After the win over the Saints, McVay indicated that he'd try to get Gurley more involved in the Super Bowl while Gurley sounded grateful that he would get another chance to contribute after a no-show against the Saints. Gurley took on the majority of the touches in the Super Bowl, but once again, his involvement was lacking. Against the Patriots, Gurley carried the ball only 10 times for 35 yards.
His lack of involvement that can be at least partially attributed to the fact that the Patriots' defense stymied the Rams' offense and limited them to one field goal and 4.3 yards per play, but it's still concerning that the running back who signed a monster extension less than a year ago carried the 10 times in the Super Bowl after being one of the Rams' most important players over the past couple seasons.
On the one hand, this could all be easily explained away by his knee troubles. On the other hand, maybe the Rams simply felt like Anderson was playing better than Gurley and gave them the best chance to win. Both would be cause for concern, because either Gurley is dealing with a nagging knee injury that could bother him in the years to come (as Anderson said, "once you have a knee, you always have a knee") or Gurley managed to get out-played by a running back who joined the Rams in mid-December.
Gurley will almost assuredly be back next season to prove that the strange ending to his season was nothing more than an aberration, but it's not clear if the Rams will bring Anderson back. If the Rams do re-sign him, Anderson understands that he won't be replacing Gurley, despite what unfolded in the playoffs.
"It's Todd's team," Anderson said. "It's still Todd's team, no matter what happens, even if I come back."
JPPT1974 replied
He played in the regular season. And the team could had really needed him in the post season had he not gotten hurt when it was said to when it all came down to it. Imagine him healthy for the Super Bowl. May had won against the Patriots! Had he been healthy.
ManofGod replied
Originally posted by NJ Ramsfan1 View Post
You obviously have major comprehension issues way beyond this discussion so I'll be the bigger man and comment no further.
Well as you all say we are ignorant & dumb, so thank you again sir.
Ewreck replied
Obviously CJ is a liar as both Gurley and McVay said our pro bowl, touchdown machine isn't/wasn't hurt. Most coaches would park their #1 offensive weapon in the two most important games of the season. It's called strategery. Yes, sarcasm.
NJ Ramsfan1 replied
Originally posted by ManofGod View Post
And this post paints my picture ever so clearly. Thank you for allowing me to breathe and utilize the internet massa.
Oh, so because Gurley is from your area he's absolved from being questioned? At least now we're clear on the REAL reason you feel the need to defend him.
We're simply on very different sides of this issue. You see a racial boogeyman around every corner. I simply see a situation in which fans are understandably frustrated in the lack of clarity and transparency about an event that can only be categorized as incredibly strange that occurred at the worst possible time. And it's apparent you cannot or are unwilling grasp the concept of teams/athletes having certain obligations to those who make it possible for them to ply their trade without spouting inflammatory nonsense about subservience and bowing down. One need not do either to simply offer an honest account of themselves.
On your other point, yes, team owners DO HAVE privilege- as they should. They're the ones who own the team. They're the ones who put up the financing. They're the ones who pay the bills and the salaries. And the players are rewarded handsomely for their efforts. Suggesting they're in any way exploited is asinine. One can make an argument that NFL players are underpaid compared to their NBA and MLB brethren, but that's the fault of the weak leadership of the Players' Union, not the owners. Collective bargaining exists in the NFL just as it does every other major sport, and the players have a big hand in their salaries and rights, so let's put away the false narrative that sports figures are somehow being held captive to the whims of the big, bad owners because it's a load of garbage.
Though I totally disagree with the way this situation has been handled, I won't harbor lingering ill will towards Gurley. As a man and as a fan, I certainly hope he's healthy and makes his money.
So you still wanna respond huh? Ok, well the only privilege I see is that on the part of the owners who run this league like a dictatorship. The landscape of the NFL is completely different from that of the other major sports leagues & that fact is discussed on a weekly basis on all of the major networks. And yes these topics will wll ring "hollow' to you as you could simply never understand some things, it takes a special human being to open your mind in this regard. You do not realize it, but you are in fact asking that the athlete (b/c you purchase a tix or buy a jersey) should in turn bow down & become subservient to you. Sir get over yourself you are merely a fan & nothing more. Todd and I are from the same area, and this is the same knee he hurt in college, this is a psychological issue in addition to many other as this could cut his career short. On the back of signing this new contract he wanted nothing more than to show & prove, and to have the season turn out as it had......its tuff, but again you only focus on your feelings. These are human beings man, not simply pawns for your enjoyment.
Varg6 replied
Okay dude, I've read both sides at this point, and I've followed NJ's posts for a long time as well. I don't really get where this rhetoric is coming from (or how it's deserved). Don't you think you're being a bit harsh? You're really insinuating a lot based on very little, in my mind anyway.
I can perfectly understand Gurley wanting to keep things private, and maybe that's what he needs to do in order to get better from a psychological standpoint (because, somehow, you seem to have insider info about this). I say this both seriously and sarcastically, just to be completely clear. Again, to me, I don't necessarily think he has to say anything at this point, it's his choice. But from a fan's perspective, I get why it's frustrating. Because it is. I'm a fan too and I would like to know what happened, but if that can't happen, then so be it. Frankly, all I care about is him getting back to how he's been playing most of his career: like the beast that he is. This team deserves to finish what it started. We're too talented to not get at least one Super Bowl win with McVay and the squad he's put together. Can we at least all agree on that?
I am angered when the "exploitation" and "slavery" cards are played when talking about athletes who have tremendous privilege. It rings hollow. And while money and privilege in no way should mean athletes should bow and be subservient, they still have certain obligations since they rely on a viewing and paying public to ply their trade. This is what is being lost in this dialogue.
And I'm curious as to "what other posts" I've made over the years that would suggest differently. I am not one who believes these guys should just "shut up and play", but I DO believe most athletes lack a complete understanding of why their words and actions are sometimes criticized.
Curly Horns replied
I believe the Rams followed the NFL's injury report policy. I am not aware of anything else that would require the Rams or Gurley to go above and beyond the policy.
Below is a link to the 2017 policy:
https://operations.nfl.com/media/268...ort-policy.pdf
Originally posted by Curly Horns View Post
Personally, I don't feel as though I deserve to know. If they want to disclose then great. If they don't want to then that's fine. That's just me.
I have a strong respect for other people's privacy and that's not to say others here do not have the same respect. It often seems that we now live in a society filled with expectations that nothing should be kept private.
Anyways, since this is possibly a health issue concerning Gurley, one of the first things that came to mind was HIPAA. I found several articles two of which I have posted below.
Athletes Do Not Leave Their HIPAA Rights At The Locker Room Door
By Elizabeth Litten on July 21, 2015
POSTED IN ARTICLES, PRIVACY & SECURITY
HIPAA has made an unlikely appearance twice already this month in news reports involving famous athletes.
Between the Pierre-Paul medical record tweet by ESPN reporter Adam Schefter earlier this month (discussed by my partner and fellow blogger Bill Maruca here) and the ticker-tape parade featuring confetti made of shredded (but apparently legible) medical information raining down on U.S. Women's soccer team in New York City (reported by WFMY news here), it seems HIPAA breaches and athletes have had an uncanny affinity for one another this summer, particularly in New York City.
Setting the attenuated coincidence of these events aside, the Pierre-Paul incident provides an opportunity to review when medical information that relates to one's employment is protected under HIPAA and when it isn't.
In 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency responsible for enforcing HIPAA, considered a comment to a proposed HIPAA regulation suggesting that "health information related to professional athletes should qualify as an employment record," and, thus, not be considered protected health information under HIPAA. HHS was quite clear in responding that a professional athlete has the same HIPAA rights as any other individual:
If this comment is suggesting that the records of professional athletes should be deemed "employment records" even when created or maintained by health care providers and health plan, the Department disagrees. No class of individuals should be singled out for reduced privacy.
HHS refused to provide a definition of "employment record", fearing that it might "lead to the misconception that certain types of information are never protected health information, and will put the focus incorrectly on the nature of the information rather than the reasons for which" the information was obtained.
HHS went on to explain how and when protected health information might become "employment record" information:
For example, drug screening test results will be protected health information when the provider administers the test to the employee, but will not be protected health information when, pursuant to the employee's authorization, the test results are provided to the … employer and placed in the employee's employment record.
HHS further clarified that:
… medical information needed for an employer to carry out its obligations under FMLA, ADA, and similar laws, as well as files or records related to occupational injury, disability insurance eligibility, sick leave requests and justifications, drug screening results, workplace medical surveillance, and fitness-for-duty tests of employees, may be part of the employment records maintained by … an employer.
Going back to Pierre-Paul, the mere fact that his injury could affect his ability to perform as a professional athlete did not automatically turn the protected health information related to the injury (the medical record created by the hospital) into "employment records" exempt from HIPAA protection. It isn't unless and until protected health information is disclosed to the employer pursuant to the individual's authorization that it becomes an "employment record" no longer subject to HIPAA. Even if an individual's disclosure of medical records is a condition of employment (apparently not the case in Pierre-Paul's situation), it is the individual's authorization that allows its disclosure, not the category or class of the individual.
Handling HIPAA Rules In Sports: Why Athlete Privacy Matters
jennacyprus
April 18, 2016 976 Views
HIPAA breaches are all too common, and the number of reported cases has grown significantly over the last decade. Most often associated with medical professionals and healthcare centers, these breaches can lead to serious legal issues, including medical negligence claims and professionals losing their licenses. However, it's not only relegated to these areas. It can also play a role in sports when the media gets ahold of a major injury.
Athletes Have HIPAA Rights Too
When a major athlete gets hurt, it's not uncommon for the media to know every detail of their prognosis and treatment. What's less clear, however, is how much permission these athletes have given regarding the release of this information. Athletes don't simply check their HIPAA rights at the locker room door, after all.
HIPAA regulations should come into play when athletes undergo any kind of medical procedure, whether it's a surgery or physical therapy. If a tennis player chooses to disclose the fact that she's using rebounder nets as a part of her physical therapy, that's her prerogative, but others don't have the right to release the information for her, even if she's famous.
There have actually been several cases in which the medical records of major athletes have been shared via public means, and violated the patient's rights. Most recently, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted the medical record of Jason Andrew Pierre-Paul, exposing private information that subjected the reporter to a lawsuit and ended in the firing of two hospital employees who leaked the records.
After Pierre-Paul lost his finger and other parts of his right hand in a firework accident during his Independence Day celebration last year, he was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital for treatment. It wasn't long before the press had a hold of his medical information and published it.
In the legal aftermath that followed, Jackson Memorial Hospital portrayed a good example of how to handle the situation. They quickly published the following statement:
"During the investigation of a breach that occurred in July 2015, Jackson Health System became a party to related litigation. It is our policy that we do not comment during pending litigation. That litigation has now been settled. As part of our investigation into the breach, it was discovered that two employees inappropriately accessed the patient's health record. That finding resulted in the termination of both employees. Protecting the privacy of our patients is a top priority at Jackson Health System. Any time we have allegations of a breach, we immediately and thoroughly investigate."
Policies Protect Athlete Rights
There have been discussions in the past about whether or not public figures' health records should be made public; but in 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reinforced the policy. "No class of individuals should be singled out for reduced privacy," the statement said.
There'll always be certain privacy mandates that'll need to be carried out according to HIPAA regulations to ensure the privacy and safety of all parties. As medical professionals, it's a responsibility and privilege to follow these regulations for the security and safety of everyone involved.
Even professional athletes and other related figures must authorize any publication or use of their medical records. It's important that all healthcare representatives follow this rule without exception.
Interesting article. I would say that HIPAA laws are not absolute. For instance, as a Physical Education teacher, I absolutely have knowledge of what kids have bee allergies, diabetes and seizure conditions, as this knowledge is essential in preventing a possible tragedy.
This situation is certainly different, as an athlete isn't employed directly by the fans and thus has no legal obligation to any of us. But HIPAA laws don't preclude teams from listing players on an injury report, which they are obligated to do according to NFL rules. And that's really all that's being asked for here- an honest explanation, not Gurley's life medical history.
If you do not like what I post then you are free to simply ignore me, For such a long response, I must've hit a nerve. In addition I've been watching your post for years, this is not a one time even that has let to my comment. It would appear that you are simply culturally unaware to how your opinion may come across to current athletes.
If you want to have an intelligent discussion, I'm here. If you want to throw out childish slang and ignorant generalizations, take it somewhere else, because quite frankly I'm offended at what you said. You don't know me or what I'm all about- and safe to say as a coach and educator for 27 years I'll put my record up against you or anyone else concerning my view on athletes and on people. To suggest an expectation of sports stars whom we support with our hard earned money and loyalty to be honest is akin to displaying a "white slave owner" stance is both outrageous and offensive. And of course in doing so, you totally miss the point.
It's obvious you simply skimmed my post(s) because you conveniently lost the thrust of what was said- which is that along with being in the public arena come certain obligations and responsibilities. To argue otherwise shows ignorance. Athletes ABSOLUTELY OWE the buying public the virtues of effort and honesty. Athletes DO NOT OWE US details on their private lives, finances, locker room happenings, personal relationships etc. You also totally disregarded my statement about "my understanding why personal pride and gamesmanship might preclude an athlete from fully revealing an injury". But the Super Bowl is over- and there's no reason to not be totally forthright about why Gurley was a total non-factor. To do so simply perpetuates rumor- and insults our intelligence.
r8rh8rmike replied
So let me get this right, you are in the gym working out with him right, running sprints, taking hits? No sir, no you are not.You buy a ticket or turn on your t.v. to do one thing and that is to WATCH a guy play a game. So do what a consumer does and WATCH. If you do not want to watch then turn off the t.v., if you do not want to buy a ticket or a jersey DON'T! But do not act as if you dictate his career or that he owes YOU for HIS hard work. But again you guys are telling on yourselfs by your comments. The stance taken by the Rams in this instance is the same that the Patriots used for quite some time, and it was simply accepted as part of "the patriot way". What so many miss is that guys take cheap shots on their injured area(s) when said areas are highlighted/reported. Many pros & former pros have admitted this fact. If I am a player, I am not giving a team the slightest edge.
Bottom line, without fans, Gurley has no career, and doesn't make millions of dollars. It's a pretty simple concept. If you work in the public arena, you're going to periodically have to answer to those that ultimately pay your salary. My guess is Gurley knows this, which is why he's never had a problem giving interviews and addressing issues.
Rams facing this painful question: Are Todd Gurley's best years behind him?
By Vincent Bonsignore
INDIANAPOLIS — There is finally some clarity on the condition of Todd Gurley's left knee, and the news over the weekend painted a gloomy picture for the Rams' star running back.
On Friday, John Breech of CBS Sports reported that the Rams might consider stem cell treatment for Gurley's knee, which was surgically repaired in 2014 after an ACL tear during his junior year at Georgia. On Saturday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that recent tests have revealed Gurley is dealing with arthritis in the knee.
Both revelations cast doubt on the future of Gurley, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $60 million last summer that takes him through the 2023 season and guarantees him $45 million.
With head coach Sean McVay talking about putting a plan in place to manage Gurley's workload and general manager Les Snead pondering the potential need to add another running back alongside him, a dreaded question the Rams and their fans never wanted to contemplate is now absolutely valid.
Are Gurley's best years behind him?
Since arthritis is a common occurrence in knees that have been surgically repaired, it is possible Gurley could be suffering from the condition. An orthopedic surgeon, speaking anonymously to The Athletic, said: "When you use the words arthritis in a knee that had an ACL back in college, that's the connection. You've lost the alignment, and the tires are wearing out prematurely."
If that is indeed the case, it creates an ominous situation for Gurley based on multiple doctors consulted, including Dr. Jesse Morse of Florida Orthopedic Specialists.
"Without personally examining him, my answers will obviously be very generalized, but unfortunately I believe Gurley has peaked and will not be able to repeat his record-breaking effectiveness," Dr. Morse said. "He could possibly have one to two more years of elite top-five running back talent, but he will likely lose a step."
Publicly and privately, the Rams are not indicating anything more beyond the recent comments by McVay and Snead that Gurley was dealing with "wear and tear" issues late in the season.
McVay said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that surgery is not planned for Gurley. According to the doctors consulted by The Athletic, Gurley clearly has a condition that requires management rather than an injury that needs surgery.
As far as stem cell treatment — which some doctors insist is a radical and not-yet-proven treatment that should be approached cautiously — Rams sources said no such course of action has been discussed within the organization.
McVay and Snead have talked about putting a plan in place that will help keep Gurley...


text:
Q: ADSL2+ vs Fibre We operate in an office building very close to the Sydney CBD and as a result our office currently uses a direct fibre connection at the cost of $1000/month for 2Mb/2Mb (yes, I realise how stupidly expensive that is, but that's how much fibre costs in Australia) and a very very low contention ratio (like, almost 1:1).
The connection was sold to management with little/no input from the IT team, based on the fact that "oohh, it has almost 1:1 contention, we're not going to be sharing our bandwidth with anyone" and admittedly yes, it's been rock solid, but c'mon - it's only 2mb.
They've finally come to the realisation that $12,000/year is too much to be paying for a 2mb link, and we're investigating business-grade ADSL2+ connections, as other people in our building achieve sync speeds of over 20Mb.
What are people's experiences with ADSL2+ in an office scenario (I've only ever used it at home, with suitable experience)? We have a site-to-site VPN to a datacenter and do a lot of heavy file transfers over the VPN but other than that it's a pretty normal office. We currently lease a few dozen lines for a phone system which we're hoping to move to VoIP in the next 12 months.

A: My small office group is located in the Brisbane CBD.
We originally had OptusNet cable (when I arrived), and were paying a premium for a simple cable connection.
When ADSL2+ was rolled out I started a proposal followed by a massive cut over plan to an Internode ADSL2+ connection.
In the end we now have a SOHO plan with 25GB, look below for speeds as I just ran a Speedtest.net test.

Download increase was fantastic to have in the office. However our upload is not much better but since we are small it dosnt matter that much. It also comes with all the bells and whistles of the unmetered services from Internode. (Which is a lot)
ADSL2+ is a little bit of a gamble because it heavily relies on your distance to the exchange. Best way to figure this out is to use Google Earth and measure the distance (but you must remember that it is cable distance not building distance). Work out the signal attenuation and match it up to see what you might get. (line attenuation is also a factor).
With upload speeds you might be a little starved. I am not fully knowledgeable on the actual max upload speeds of ADSL2+ but this discussion seems to estimate it at 1024 =~ 128KB/sec. This might not be suitable for your situation but I think you should be able to get a better deal than $12,000/year now days...
See Whirlpool Sync Speeds for more information. You might even find people who have submitted their own sync speeds with you exchange that are nearby to you.
Not to only praise Internode I recently upgraded my home ADSL to iiNet ADSL2+  with Voip and it has been a complete blessing. In my opinion if you go with iiNet or Internode you have picked a winner.
Also I just located the old Internode Sync Speeds graph (a little old but it is a nice graph).
Hope this info helps, it isn't easy figuring these things out, (especially with Australian Internet >_< ).

A: I would be careful with ADSL2+ in conjunction with VOIP. We had this setup at two small offices; one of them had issues, the other one didn't.
Consider having bonded T1's or fiber for the VOIP, and use ADSL2+ for other traffic. I would also double-check the ADSL2+ SLA to make sure that it is truly business grade.

A: With a theorethetical maximum upload speed of 1.4Mbit (and I doubt they're going to give you that) I would be wary of this.  You need synchronous, especially if the disparity is 20 to 1, with VOIP and other bandwidth intensive operations.
Having a home connection with such a disparity might be fine - you spend 95% of your time downloading, but with a business you upload just as much as you download.  It appears that SHDSL is coming your way... maybe it would pay to wait a short while.  $700 a month for 5Mbit synchronous DSL (5Mbit up/down) seems a much better deal than you have now

A: ADSL(2) is poor at uploading. In particular as soon as you saturate the upload link the latency goes through the roof. If you don't do much uploading maybe that's not a problem, but wherever we've had sites that have to send out lots of data we've had to switch to SDSL or wireless (wireless Internet is becoming quite common in the UK).
We've had lots of pain running VOIP over ADSL unless the VOIP has an ADSL line of it's own i.e. no other traffic on that line. I suspect this is because of the poor upload performance. When someone sends out a large e-mail the resulting high latency on the ADSL line kills the VOIP connections.
JR

A: There are other alternatives like the trunked SHDSL known as "ethernet in the first/last mile".
eg:
http://exetel.com.au/large_xdsl_pricing.php
Another thing to look at is IP bandwidth in Australia retails ~$300/Mbit (you can get a bit below $200, but you need to be in the 100+ range) so the fibre isn't that overpriced.
I have a quote for a 10Mbit service to an inner-city Melbourne address for ~$3500/month (High quote as fibre is getting dug for this)

A: In my experience, ADSL2+ works well for light loads. My experiences come from SOHO environments where one VoIP line has coexisted with up to five workstations over adsl2+ and medium size business over 8/8 shdsl with heavy restrictions on allowed traffic.
The key to getting away with ADSL2+ is high quality QOS. I'd recommend l7-shaper as a cheap and efficient option and Gentoo as the base OS for the shaper, because gentoo has the required patches in the infrastructure. You can of course buy a good shaper if you have the budget.
Bonding ADSL2+ connections is a completely different scenario, but I'd go for fibre or VDSL2 if available.
In any case I'd recommend a good shaper, commercial or not, to prioritize connections depending on content instead of port-based shapers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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