CHILLI Jam Vans' annual jam held in St Ives last weekend has raised £185 for Children's Hospice South West (CHSW). The jam at Hellesveor Holidays campsite was attended by the Volkswagen campervan conversion specialists' past and future customers, business partners and staff. The event in its second year included a secret auction during which around dozen prices donated by suppliers including TPS Cornwall, Euro Car Parts Penzance, Hafele and Chilli Jam Vans, were bid by attendees helping to raise funds for the charity. "We are a small family business and many of our customers have young children for who these conversions are built to have fun together and create lifelong memories. "Therefore the CHSW was again the obvious choice of ours to donate the money raised from the mini festival," Brett Gray, partner at Chilli Jam Vans said. Hosts Hellesveor Holidays have also raised over £200 for the same charity this summer from customer car park donations.
Campsite owner Mel Rogers said: "For the second year, it was a pleasure to be the hosting campsite for the Chilli Jam Vans Jam and their charity auction.


text:
Chrome Surpasses Firefox To Become Second Most Popular Web Browser
By Eyder Peralta
Published December 1, 2011 at 3:43 PM PST
By one measure, the browser landscape was reshaped last month: According to data released today by StatCounter, which measures browser usage, Google's Chrome has taken over the No. 2 spot, sending Mozilla's Firefox to third place.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer is still king.
"We can look forward to a fascinating battle between Microsoft and Google as the pace of growth of Chrome suggests that it will become a real rival to Internet Explorer globally," Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter's CEO said in a statement. "Our stats measure actual browser usage, not downloads, so while Chrome has been highly effective in ensuring downloads our stats show that people are actually using it to access the web also."
StatCounter adds:
"In the US Internet Explorer continues to perform strongly and is maintaining market share at 50.66%, up slightly from 50.24% year on year. Firefox retains second place on 20.09%, down from 26.75%. Chrome is up to 17.3% from 10.89%. Safari is on 10.76% from 10.71%."
PC Magazine does take a stab at StatCounter's numbers saying that according to numbers from Net Applications, another company that measures usage, Firefox still had Chrome beat by three percentage points in November.
Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.
See stories by Eyder Peralta

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With their small size, stubby faces and wide-set eyes, bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers are among the most popular of domestic dog breeds. Now researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine have found the genetic basis for these dogs' appearance, and linked it to a rare inherited syndrome in humans.
Bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers aren't the only dogs with short, wide heads, but they do share another feature not found in other breeds: a short, kinked tail or "screwtail," said Professor Danika Bannasch, Department of Population Health and Reproduction in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. These three breeds all lack the vertebrae that make up the tail bone, she said.
The researchers sequenced the whole genome — the entire DNA sequence — of 100 dogs, including 10 from screwtail breeds. All the participating dogs were privately owned pets seen at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, whose owners agreed to participate. Graduate students Tamer Mansour and Katherine Lucot, with C. Titus Brown, associate professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Genome Center, searched through the DNA sequences to find changes associated with screwtail breeds.
From more than 12 million individual differences they were able to identify one mutation, in a gene called DISHEVELLED 2 or DVL2. This variant was found in 100 percent of the bulldogs and French bulldogs sampled, and was very common in Boston terriers.
This kind of whole genome comparison is relatively new, Bannasch said.
Professor Henry Ho at the UC Davis School of Medicine studies similar genes in humans. Mutations in the related DVL1 and DVL3 genes are known to cause Robinow syndrome, a rare inherited disorder in humans characterized by strikingly similar anatomical changes — a short, wide "babyface," short limbs and spinal deformities. In addition, Robinow patients and the screwtail breeds also share other disease traits, such as cleft palate. In both humans and dogs, DVL genes are part of a signaling pathway called WNT involved in development of the skeleton and nervous system, among other things, said Peter Dickinson, professor of surgical and radiological sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine. By characterizing the screwtail DVL2 protein product, Sara Konopelski, a graduate student in the Ho lab, pinpointed a key biochemical step in the WNT pathway that is disrupted by the mutation. This finding further suggests that a common molecular defect is responsible for the distinct appearances of both Robinow patients and screwtail dog breeds.
The DVL2 screwtail mutation is so common in these breeds, and so closely tied to the breed appearance, that it would be difficult to remove it by breeding, Dickinson said. Other genes are known to contribute to short, wide "brachycephalic" heads in dogs, and there are likely multiple genes that contribute both to appearance and to chronic health problems in these breeds.
Understanding a common mutation in popular dog breeds may, however, give more insight into the rare Robinow syndrome in humans. Only a few hundred cases have been documented since the syndrome was identified in 1969.
"It's a very rare human disease but very common in dogs, so that could be a model for the human syndrome," Bannasch said.


text:
SCOPE Viewer™
SCOPE Professional™
SCOPE Enterprise™
Home > SCOPE > SCOPE / FPW comparison
1 - SCOPE maintains the Integrity of the Count Repository
SCOPE's unique configuration control capability enables it to manage the individual functional sizing of concurrent Change Request Projects (Enhancement Counts) ensuring other counts are not overwritten when updating the master Application counts (Production Releases). This feature enables a project manager to 'size' multiple change requests on the work in progress release and track the impact of each individual CR's count on the overall release baseline. The aggregated collection of counts can then be automatically combined to update the Production Baseline Release. This reflects 'real life' where many different business initiatives make changes to an Application within the same time frame.
SCOPE also allows flexibility with how and when you apply your counts to the baseline E.g.:
• 'Cancelled Projects' - If a change request is already counted on the baseline but the project was not approved then the cancelled Count Session can be deleted in a key stroke. All impacts from the count session are removed and the integrity of the Release is retained. All other counts recorded on the same baseline will not be affected, even if they made changes to the same elementary processes or data groups.
• 'Postponed Projects' - If a change request needs to be counted but will not be implemented in the current Release, then it can be counted on the current Release baseline and selectively 'held over' and not incorporated into to the Production baseline when it is updated. However, it is automatically retained in the baseline count used for counting and kept up to date until a decision is made to re-instate it or get rid of it. This saves having to recount at a later date and the count in the meantime has been maintained such that it will reflect the 'latest' complexity status and the links between processes or data groups in its scope.
• 'Conversion Projects' If a change request is not to be recorded in the Production count. This would occur for changes to the functionality required to be recorded at Project level but not to be implemented into the production version of an application (e.g. conversion functionality). The size of the CR can be retained in the Release project count and automatically 'not applied' to the Production baseline count. This saves having to selectively 'trim' your count prior to update.
Automatic Synchronization of the Baseline - The 'impacts' from a Change Request can also be imported and exported from a baseline. The need for this would occur when someone had updated the baseline on a copy of the database, but in the meantime the original baseline had been revised. The counter can then synchronise their 'count' with the latest revised version of the Baseline by selecting to 'import' a count. SCOPE applies its intelligence to apply the impacts of the count on the revised baseline. I.e. if a process in the count is deleted it will find the process on the revised baseline count and mark it as deleted. If the process has been changed then it will be updated and marked as 'changed'. If a new process is added then SCOPE will find the correct parent in the revised baseline count and insert the process under its correct parent.
If you have multiple counters counting on the same baseline at the same time, they can do their counts on their own version of the database, then export them and import them into a master SCOPEdatabase and SCOPE will manage them so the integrity of the master version is maintained.
Benefits of SCOPE for Managing the Integrity of the Database:
- SCOPE saves significant costs and time incurred by FPW users having to manually :
o 'Fix' the baseline after counts have been updated in the 'wrong' sequence
o 'Restore' the baseline when an 'incorrect' count has been applied on the same baseline as other correct counts and needs to be manually removed
o 'Merge' multiple counts performed by multiple counters assigned to count the same project or baseline to respond to an urgent business need. Urgent counts can be completed to respond to the business in a more timely manner
o 'Re-applying' counts to retrospectively adjust for changed project implementations and cancellations
- SCOPE flexible database management enables counters to be located onshore/offshore home or in the office where they can count 'off line' or remotely and then synchronise counts by merging the results back into the 'current' master current version of the baseline


text:
Inés del Río Prada (Tafalla, Navarra, 2 de septiembre de 1958) es una terrorista española, miembro de la organización terrorista Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA). Perteneciente al comando Madrid y autora de 24 asesinatos, fue detenida en Zaragoza en julio de 1987 y condenada a 3828 años de cárcel.

Juzgada con el Código Penal de 1973, su salida de la cárcel estaba prevista para 2008 pero la aplicación retroactiva de la doctrina Parot pospuso su puesta en libertad hasta 2017. Ante esta situación, Inés del Río recurrió la revisión de su condena a los tribunales Supremo y Constitucional, que rechazaron sus recursos. Del Río y sus abogados apelaron en última instancia al Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos, que se pronunció de manera definitiva el 21 de octubre de 2013 fallando a favor de Inés del Río y ordenando su puesta en libertad de manera inmediata, algo que ocurrió el día siguiente.

Referencias

Miembros de ETA
Asesinas de España
Nacidos en Tafalla

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


If you don't want to travel all the way to Mexico to get a cornballer on the black market, you can just make this tasty snack in any deep frying situation. I assume that the cornballs in question are similar to a hush puppy, so that was the approach I took making this recipe. They came out great and were a fun app for our little Arrested Development party. Yo soy loco por los cornballs!
I had Kim cut up some jalapenos for me, because as Michael says, making cornballs is a bonding experience for family and friends. Kim wasn't too busy to help, unlike George Michael. Cornmeal, cheese, corn, and the jalapeno. Be careful when frying your cornballs! Tasty stuff! Crunchy, salty, and tender on the inside. I think ketchup was the preferred sauce for these. You are gonna have to wait till Thursday for more info on the other pictured sauce. Snacks as we watched a few episodes.
Mix all the ingredients together and add a little more milk if it needs the wetness to hold itself together. Deep fry in ball shapes until browned, about 4 minutes each. Serve with some ketchup, mayo, bbq, salsa, or other dip.
Long time reader and recipe trier, just wanted to say I love your Arrested Development series! You rock.
I love your blog! Great recipes. I'm a little freaked out, though… I think your friend Kim might be my doppelganger… This post made me do a serious double-take as I thought it was a picture of me cutting up jalapenos and I live in Alaska. I only wish I had a plate of Bluth Family Cornballs and a bottle of Maker's Mark in front of me, though!
Thanks for this! I've been trying to think of things to make for my AD premiere party, and I hadn't even thought of cornballs! Just a couple of questions. First, what's the yield? And second, could these be cooked ahead of time and then reheated? Or perhaps just prepared ahead of time and then deep fried? We're watching all the episodes in one day, and I don't want to have to take too much time out to go make a dish.
Thanks for the recipe. It worked well for our AD new season get together. We ended up tweaking the amount of some of the ingredients and added butter to make them a bit more moist. Worked like a charm.
I love anything with corn and bread! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I wonder if these cornballs can be made with a packaged corn bread mix? If so what would change in the recipe? ie. less liquid, less eggs i'm eager to try them.
FIFTEEN jalapenos? Sounds like an awful lot!
I'm watching the cornball episode!!!


¶ 10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 Was definitely through to the play-offs.
¶ 21 Leave a comment on verse 21 0 When it's like this, I can like football again.
¶ 22 Leave a comment on verse 22 0 See you Wednesday.
Nice one Stu. A nervy game but hey ho we're there. (No cries of "boring boring Rovers" either!) The verggie-burger driven afternoon was also something of a Football Poets re-union with Gabriel Raeburn and Dennis Gould.
Dale Vince, OBE, is a "green energy" tycoon, former New Age traveller, and British industrialist who has become noteworthy as the outspoken owner of the green electricity company Ecotricity. He is a vegan.
Neil Carmicheal : Local Conservative candidate for Stroud.


Google announced an update to the Google Maps API which gives developers a better, more comprehensive set of tools to integrate maps into Android apps. It will be easier than ever to insert vector-based maps into applications, according to Google.
Yesterdays's Google Earth announcement brought a couple of nice new features to the Google Maps suite. In addition to moving offline maps out of Labs, the company also pre-empted rumors of Apple-branded 3D map software with a demo of some stellar 3D maps that Google has been creating with high-tech camera planes. Yes, Google now has camera planes.
Google Maps has been updated to increase battery performance for latitude and location history users and a few bug fixes. Since Google Maps is the primary app that most users use for gps and other location services its nice to see these types of updates. While only a few updates to the app its always good to increase battery life and decrease its burn by even a little.
Google Maps just got a huge update. We're now up to 6.0, and tackling the final frontier of mapping. Google is no longer content to just drop you off at the door. Maps will now include *indoor* mapping and positioning in stores, malls, and airports. Wow.


Lauren Steadman together with David Ashton, Country Manager for JYSK UK.
JYSK has announced its first UK sports partnership with triathlete Paralympian Lauren Steadman.
JYSK has one of the longest-running sponsorships in world sport, now 30 years, with Parasport Denmark.
JYSK UK is now delighted to unveil its own 2019 partnership with the world-champion triathlete, Lauren Steadman. She is a triple World champion and six-time European champion.
"When we started early in 2018 to look for a Para athlete to support ourselves here in JYSK UK, we came across Lauren. For me, it is a perfect match. Lauren is open and honest, focused and full of hunger to win. In my eyes, she really is a superhuman. We cannot wait to see her progress over the next 12 months and into the future," said Country Manager for JYSK UK, David Ashton.
JYSK chose the opening of the first of a series of new UK stores for 2019 – the first in Derby - to celebrate the new sponsorship. The new store created ten jobs, and opening day gave the people of Derby the chance to get to know JYSK, meet Lauren and snap up some selfies and autographs.
Lauren Steadman tries out one of JYSK's many mattresses with expert guidance from a store employee.
As part of the new Derby store opening weekend, JYSK took the opportunity to tailor specific sleeping products to meet the needs of Lauren, to add a great night's sleep every night for a little extra performance advantage – and the TV and Para Triathlon star will also benefit from funding for travel and equipment.
The people of Derby got the chance to get some selfies and autographs from Lauren Steadman.
JYSK UK has also invited her to choose furniture items from its stores for her new home, enabling Lauren to create a calm, peaceful and happy environment to relax in, her own "hygge".
Lauren Steadman was born missing her lower right arm, however this has challenged her to be the best she can be - and she relishes the chance to overcome barriers.
Lauren competed at two Paralympic Games as a swimmer, and since specialised in Paratriathlon, representing Team GB in the sport's inaugural entry to the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016, where she brought home silver.
She has her sights set on Tokyo 2020 where she will be aiming for gold.
24/04/2019 - The Award for Best Stock Management in Romania was won by Sorin Ștefan Szabo. This spring, Sorin went on the trip he won. His destination: Copenhagen.
23/04/2019 - Adrian Dróżdż, District Manager and Retail Manager Trainee in JYSK Poland, is the new winner of the #GOJYSK competition.


text:
from __future__ import absolute_import, division, unicode_literals
from future.standard_library.test.support import run_unittest
from future.standard_library.email.charset import Charset
from future.standard_library.email.header import Header, decode_header
from future.standard_library.email.message import Message
from future.tests.base import unittest
from future.tests.test_email.test_email import TestEmailBase
from future.builtins import str

# We're compatible with Python 2.3, but it doesn't have the built-in Asian
# codecs, so we have to skip all these tests.
try:
    str(b'foo', 'euc-jp')
except LookupError:
    raise unittest.SkipTest

class TestEmailAsianCodecs(TestEmailBase):
    def test_japanese_codecs(self):
        eq = self.ndiffAssertEqual
        jcode = "euc-jp"
        gcode = "iso-8859-1"
        j = Charset(jcode)
        g = Charset(gcode)
        h = Header("Hello World!")
        jhello = str(b'\xa5\xcf\xa5\xed\xa1\xbc\xa5\xef\xa1\xbc'
                     b'\xa5\xeb\xa5\xc9\xa1\xaa', jcode)
        ghello = str(b'Gr\xfc\xdf Gott!', gcode)
        h.append(jhello, j)
        h.append(ghello, g)
        # BAW: This used to -- and maybe should -- fold the two iso-8859-1
        # chunks into a single encoded word.  However it doesn't violate the
        # standard to have them as two encoded chunks and maybe it's
        # reasonable <wink> for each .append() call to result in a separate
        # encoded word.
        eq(h.encode(), """\
Hello World! =?iso-2022-jp?b?GyRCJU8lbSE8JW8hPCVrJUkhKhsoQg==?=
 =?iso-8859-1?q?Gr=FC=DF_Gott!?=""")
        eq(decode_header(h.encode()),
           [(b'Hello World! ', None),
            (b'\x1b$B%O%m!<%o!<%k%I!*\x1b(B', 'iso-2022-jp'),
            (b'Gr\xfc\xdf Gott!', gcode)])
        subject_bytes = (b'test-ja \xa4\xd8\xc5\xea\xb9\xc6\xa4\xb5'
            b'\xa4\xec\xa4\xbf\xa5\xe1\xa1\xbc\xa5\xeb\xa4\xcf\xbb\xca\xb2'
            b'\xf1\xbc\xd4\xa4\xce\xbe\xb5\xc7\xa7\xa4\xf2\xc2\xd4\xa4\xc3'
            b'\xa4\xc6\xa4\xa4\xa4\xde\xa4\xb9')
        subject = str(subject_bytes, jcode)
        h = Header(subject, j, header_name="Subject")
        # test a very long header
        enc = h.encode()
        # TK: splitting point may differ by codec design and/or Header encoding
        eq(enc , """\
=?iso-2022-jp?b?dGVzdC1qYSAbJEIkWEVqOUYkNSRsJD8lYSE8JWskTztKGyhC?=
 =?iso-2022-jp?b?GyRCMnE8VCROPjVHJyRyQlQkQyRGJCQkXiQ5GyhC?=""")
        # TK: full decode comparison
        eq(str(h).encode(jcode), subject_bytes)

    def test_payload_encoding_utf8(self):
        jhello = str(b'\xa5\xcf\xa5\xed\xa1\xbc\xa5\xef\xa1\xbc'
                     b'\xa5\xeb\xa5\xc9\xa1\xaa', 'euc-jp')
        msg = Message()
        msg.set_payload(jhello, 'utf-8')
        ustr = msg.get_payload(decode=True).decode(msg.get_content_charset())
        self.assertEqual(jhello, ustr)

    def test_payload_encoding(self):
        jcode  = 'euc-jp'
        jhello = str(b'\xa5\xcf\xa5\xed\xa1\xbc\xa5\xef\xa1\xbc'
                     b'\xa5\xeb\xa5\xc9\xa1\xaa', jcode)
        msg = Message()
        msg.set_payload(jhello, jcode)
        ustr = msg.get_payload(decode=True).decode(msg.get_content_charset())
        self.assertEqual(jhello, ustr)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


2 Free Kiss Theory Good Bye books to Diva's readers.
Before you get into part II, Bob has generously offered 2 Free Kiss Theory Good Bye books to Diva's readers. The first 2 people to drop a comment on this post and request the book will find themselves with quite an interesting read.
Toby, your question is spot on! I recently delivered a keynote presentation at a Business Marketing Association conference on this very subject – What Top CEO's Expect From marketing. It's a hard-hitting presentation packed with specific actions that, when employed, will dramatically enhance the power of marketing.
I'm an insatiable reader and would love to have a copy of Kiss Theory Good Bye. If Toby recommends it as an interesting read, then that's a book that ought to be on my reading list!
Great interview, Toby - and thanks for sharing, Bob. I especially liked the 5 positive habits.
I have a question for Bob and for you Toby.
The organisation I used to work for earlier use to deploy the 'Balanced Scorecard'. I found that a very useful tool to give a strategic direction to the team and also the team had a clear participation in the company's larger objective and milestone goals.
What has been your experience with that or other such tools?
Of course, I would love to have the book :).
Thank you for your comment. Balanced Scorcard is one of several tools, that used effectively, will help align and focus an organization on metrics.
But be careful, any tool is only as good as the people using it. One of the pitfalls is having far too many measurements which often leads to losing focus on the few things that matter most. What I call the significant few rather than the important many.
Metrics are important but they only report the news. What we really want are results!
For me, one of the best ways to create alignment is through effective and consistent communication.
I hope this helps. And yes, I will gladly send you an inscribed copy of Kiss Theory Good Bye.
Thank you for your wonderful confidence in Toby!
It's my pleasure to send you an inscribed copy of Kiss Theory Good Bye. Please feel free to send me your thoughts once you've had the chance to review it. I love getting feedback.
Thanks for your reply. I know what you mean.
Do share examples of the Significant Few or do are the variable from business to business?
Also, whilst I want a copy of the book, I could easily pick a copy from a bookstore here - I am continents away from where you are :).
I look forward to reading the book - and I will definitely provide feedback. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the blogosphere via Diva Marketing. I'll "pay it forward."


Yes you can. The choice is yours. You can join as a couple or family. It might be that later on you decide to have separate member accounts. For example, sometimes families join up on one member account, but then the children decide that they want their own account. Time credits are transferable throughout the system, so it is also a simple process to transfer some of the hours through as well, if you wish.


In recent years, there is a big shift towards legal streaming. As mentioned in an earlier editorial, streaming sites like Crunchyroll makes anime more accessible. While there are drawbacks such as region restrictions and lack of offline viewing, it keeps most people from pirating anime. Legal streaming overall allows anime to become more mainstream than it did in the past. Of course, this spawned more competition such as Funimation, Daisuki and others.
However, in 2017, the state of streaming deteriorated. It's obvious that Amazon and Netflix now wants the piece of the streaming pie. Earlier this year Amazon launched Anime Strike. Meanwhile, Netflix becomes a serious contender by taking more high-profile titles such as Little Witch Academia and Fate/Apocrypha. While competition is good as it prevents companies from being too lazy, it has a lot of drawbacks. As seen with the huge backlash towards Anime Strike, it can have negative impacts to the fandom as a whole. Moreover, it can derail the trend towards legal streaming and drive people back to piracy.
Just a few days ago, something blew up in the fandom. Apparently, Avex Pictures have banned exports of Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs to countries outside of Japan. While this does not affect the music division, it does bring negative implications for people who imports Anime Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs. I will share my thoughts about the Avex export ban along with background information behind it.
Does Downloading Anime Makes You Less of an Anime Fan?
In the past, I have touched upon thoughts about piracy and how they are taking a wrong approach. Although legal alternatives have made some strides, it has shortcomings besides other issues like region locking and that the subs have quality issues in the viewer's eyes.
With that in mind, while fans tend to look down other fans because of their tastes of Anime, there is another issue that is also apparent, people chastising people because they prefer to download anime opposed to streaming it legally or buying Blu-rays. While I will share why this practice is counterproductive, there are various reasons why people choose to continue to download instead of watching it on a legal streaming site.
[Read more…] about Does Downloading Anime Makes You Less of an Anime Fan?
After PA Works finish producing a failure known as Glasslip, they have to come up with something that no studio has done before to make up for it. With that, they decided to make a show about anime production called Shirobako (白箱, lit white box), which focus on five girls trying to make it in an industry that is hard to get into.


A briefing on active transport plans for the upgraded Sheriffhall Roundabout.
Below is a briefing on how City of Edinburgh Council is working with Midlothian Council and Transport Scotland to ensure active transport is supported and promoted as part of the proposed upgrade of Sheriffhall Roundabout via the Edinburgh City Region Deal.
The consultants who are developing the design for the Sheriffhall junction upgrade on behalf of Transport Scotland have held a series of design workshops with representatives of both Edinburgh and Midlothian Councils. This process is ongoing and our Active Travel team is providing input on the proposed facilities for walking and cycling. Transport Scotland's consultants tell us that their client intends that the new junction should be an exemplar active travel scheme.
Much of the A7 south of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) is within Midlothian, however the section north of 'The Wisp' is within this Council's area.
This Council is supportive of the suggestion that the junction upgrade should include works to improve conditions for walking and particularly cycling on the entire road corridor from appropriate points in Midlothian south of the junction, north-westwards to the ERI.
The above was part of the verbal comments given to Transport Scotland's consultants recently, at our last meeting. The essence of our response was that, whilst high quality segregated provision through the junction was essential, it would be most productive for the project to deliver a good standard of walking/cycling provision from origin to destination, rather than an excellent standard through the new junction coupled to no enhancement of the remainder of the route. The latter approach would leave a number of cycling-related issues on the route between Sheriffhall and the ERI, particularly for less confident cyclists – the key group when seeking to increase mode share for travel to work.
This Council is focussing its active travel investment in the locations where there is potential for the greatest impact. Its significant Active Travel budget is already essentially committed for several years to come and does not cover the work discussed above on the sections of route within Edinburgh (though the Council is participating in work considering an upgrade to cycling connections to the Bioquarter from the Cameron Toll/Kings Buildings areas). However, the Council would welcome any decision from Transport Scotland to include the links discussed above as part of the Sheriffhall junction upgrade scheme. As roads authority, the Council would be happy to collaborate with development, design and delivery work.
But no provision for buses, presumably?
You mean a bus lane crossing the bypass?
Possibly; I wouldn't be too specific without seeing a plan of the proposals (an either/or could include selective vehicle detection associated with traffic signals). The point being to ensure that the various north-south bus routes (Ed-Midlothian) don't get caught in queues which in due course will form at the approaches to the roundabout.
Thanks – I can ask if the volume of buses merits this.


This book is the story of the author's uncle, Shanti Behari Seth who is in his eighties and lives in London and his German wife.
Shanti was born in Lucknow and immigrated to Germany in the 1930s for his studies. He lived with a Jewish family there where he meets his future wife, Helga Gerda Caro.
The author traces their story individually and then together. Shanti, an Indian living in Germany in the 30s and Helga, a Jew who went through the tumultuous journey that all Jews went through during that period.
While he moves to London as he cannot get a license to practice dentistry in Germany, she moves there years later to escape the Holocaust.
The book is an interesting read, tracing the love story of an Indian man and a Jewish woman traversing through Berlin and London during a period when the world was burning.
Since only his uncle was alive when the author was writing this book, it is from largely his voice while Helga's journey is traced through the letters she exchanged with her family and friends.
This is where the book gets a little tedious and long as her voice in the letters is not given justice by the author. In the middle the book becomes a collection of letters Helga exchanged with her near & dear ones who were still living after the Holocaust. The book somewhere loses the plot & reading becomes a task.
However, the book has a wave of nostalgia which all younger generation people have for their grandparents and how they lived their lives. The book ends on that very note, perhaps a little bitter.
An Israeli professor holding a Ph.D started teaching an online course on A Brief History of Humankind. This course became extremely popular which made the lecturer write a book on the same.
That book is Sapiens and the lecturer is Yuval Noah Harari.
This extremely popular & highly recommended book traces evolution and puts human beings and our race in its place. Starting from the time when humans were three different species till the current age, the book traces our journey right from removing other human species from the face of the earth to now destroying other species as well.
The best thing about this book is how it puts our entire journey in perspective and what we have left behind. Wiping out other species and exploiting nature to the extent that we are on the brink of disaster is what humans as a species has been all about. Although what I do refer to as humans here is one of the species of humans which has survived.
This book is an eye-opener and should be a must read for everyone!
Yes, Vikram Seth is another Indian author I enjoy reading thoroughly. This book is a story written entirely in verse.
I do not write a lot of poems nor do I read them and that is why I was a little hesitant in picking up a book written in verse. But I am glad I did. This was Vikram Seth's first novel & gained him instant popularity in the US & India. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in English in 1988 for this novel.
The book is based in San Francisco and was released in 1986 which is a reflection of the changes happening in the city during that time. It was emerging as the center of liberal activism and counter-cultural movement along with a rejection of set standards & celebration of alternate lifestyles.
It is important to understand this background of the city to understand the characters in this book as well. Two of them are gay and several other characters discuss homosexuality, feminism, civil disobedience and religion.
This book brings joy and sadness as it takes us to San Francisco in different seasons as love blooms and withers away and lives continue to move on. The book is a delight to read and just whisks us away to this beautiful city which has continued to be the center of a liberal art & culture, along with technology today.
It is a delight to read this book, even for those who do not enjoy poetry.


text:
Sneaky Soviet-Style Switcheroo
The past weekend was a bit of a traumatic one for Poland, and on the surface it's easy to understand why: Sunday was the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic plane-crash at Smolensk airport of the Polish government airplane that was carrying President Lech Kaczynski and almost 100 other members of government or other prominent VIPs to ceremonies meant to commemorate the 1940 Katyn Massacre, in which the NKVD (predecessor to the KGB) executed in the deep woods near that city around 20,000 members of the Polish intelligentsia captured in the German/Russian invasions of the previous fall. But it's even worse than that: whereas the tragedy understandably united the Polish nation in grief, a year later that effect has worn off and instead the deceased president's twin brother, Jaroslaw – who happens to head the opposition political party Law and Justice – is now trying to make political capital ahead of elections later this year by hinting at a Russian conspiracy to kill his brother, and by denouncing what he sees as the current government's subservient attitude to the Russians.
You would think that, for its part, the Russian government would welcome the improvement in relations with Poland that was the initial result of the tragedy and the common investigation both nations' authorities then undertook, and so would try to prolong that any way possible. Or maybe not. For an article in one of the leading national newspapers Rzeczpospolita now informs us of a piece of trickery – petty trickery, at that – which would have elicited an approving nod from the likes of Lavrenty Beria, long-time head of the NKVD under Stalin.
What's worse, it took an on-site inspection by no less than Poland's First Lady, Anna Komorowska, to reveal the transgression. Last Saturday she led a ceremonial delegation to the Smolensk memorial site, now meant to commemorate not only last year's crash but the Katyn atrocity that indirectly led to it. There, the delegation discovered to their horror that a change had been made to the memorial plaque that had been placed there shortly after last year's tragedy. Those of you out there who would like to try out your Polish can click here to see the before-and-after for yourselves, otherwise let me just inform you that the original Polish-language tablet was gone and replaced by a bilingual Russian-Polish one. OK, there's nothing wrong with that per se, except that space had been created to fit the Russian in by deleting the text in the first plaque which had mentioned the Katyn atrocity, cited as "genocide" (ludobójstwo)*, together with the Russian government's admitted responsibility for that.
Naturally, the Polish government had never been consulted – because it would never have approved. The Russian authorities apparently just went ahead and made the change. Actually, it would have been more appropriate to consult the "Association of Katyn Families" since that was the name on the original plaque, responsible for putting it there. Instead, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will have a chance to "consult" with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev today on a number of things, including – one would expect – this plaque affair.
UPDATE: Poland's other mainstream national daily, Gazeta Wyborcza, is now reporting that the two presidents have found a solution to try to tamp down the public outrage in Poland over the Smolensk memorial plaque shenanigans. A competition! There will be a competition, run by the Polish Ministry of Culture, to come up with yet another memorial plaque, to be placed at there in time for the two-year anniversary of the tragedy next year – which, we can only hope, will proceed a bit more tranquilly, in both countries.
*Of course the Katyn massacre per se was by no means "genocide." That word unfortunately has been so overused by those out to make cheap political points that its original meaning and impact are truly under threat – and it is only roughly 67 years old!
Posted in Poland | No Comments »
"Most Tragic Station on the Polish Golgotha"
That's the title of the speech that Polish President Lech Kaczyński was to have delivered at the Katyn Massacre commemoration ceremony to which he and his party of almost 100 important officials were heading when their plane crashed on Saturday. That title is now heavy with irony.
The newspaper Rzeczpospolita has posted a copy of that speech here – in Polish, oczywiście. Naturally, it mentions "21,000," the NKVD, "Stalin's will," the "Third Reich" and the "Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact" within the first three sentences; Kaczyński wasn't going there to use flowery diplomatic language.
If there happens to be a demand for a translation – and no one can find it elsewhere (I'll be sure to post the link if I do) – then I'm open through the usual media (e-mail or Twitter) to requests to do it myself and post it here.
On the other hand, with all due respect to Poland's tragedy of last Saturday, I can assure readers that neither this weblog nor the Twitter-feed intends to become "all Kaczyński plane-crash, all the time."
Translated List of Victims of Polish President Air-Crash at Smolensk Airport, Russia
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
I take this from the on-line article published by the respected Polish daily (if with an unpronouncable name) Rzeczpospolita. (UPDATE: RP modified that article! It no longer contains the list of victims, for that you click here to open/download a .doc file with the list – for as long as they keep that there and unchanged, anyway.)
Please note that I will use "RP" (i.e. the Polish abbreviation) to denote the Polish Republic. The "Sejm" is the lower house of the Polish parliament (upper house = Senate).
Victims that seem to be of particular importance (in my estimation) I have put in bold. Of further note is the sheer number of dead from among Sejm deputies – imagine how many special elections need to be called now to fill those places! (more…)
Festival of Seventy-Year Suffering at Westerplatte
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
I don't cover the Polish press here that often; nevertheless, the overriding imperative of this weblog remains finding and discussing the most interesting goings-on within the wide ambit of my language-coverage, and these days that certainly has to lead us to the Polish front.
I use "Polish front" here deliberately, because yesterday's headline event in Europe was without a doubt the convocation of several national heads-of-state at Gdansk, Poland for ceremonies marking the seventieth anniversary of the opening of that Polish front by Nazi Germany with the ground-attack that started the Second World War. This is understandably a sensitive historical matter for the host nation, and controversy was assured from the very beginning just by the list of attendees. That featured a few names who you would think simply did not belong at such a ceremony, for various reasons. Like James Jones, US National Security Advisor: why were the Americans sending such a relatively low-ranking official and not someone at least at the level of, say, Vice President Biden? There was also Russian premier Vladimir Putin, whose presence was sure to be controversial for more profound reasons, both contemporary (Putin has for years been engaged in an effort to glorify Russia's past, particularly its involvement in the Second World War under Josef Stalin) and historical (that involvement notably involved the Red Army's "stab-in-the-back" invasion of Poland on 17 September 1939, arranged according to the terms of the secret protocol to the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact negotiated only the month before).
"We can't forget for a moment that what we have here is a great battle over memory," preached Archbishop Henryk Muszyński of Gniezno at a Mass he held yesterday. "Preserving that memory and the entire truth about the Second World War is our obligation." That is probably the wisest, most-reasoned remark made in connection with those ceremonies at Westerplatte, the specific spot on the coast at Gdansk where hostilities begain early in the morning of 1 September 1939, from among those cited in Rzeczpospolita's main article covering the event, by Piotr Kubiak (After the war – the battle over memory). (more…)
Your Own Bank Account at 59
There's a quite curious article available right now on the website of Munich's Süddeutsche Zeitung. Perhaps I'll just give you the lede:
Finally independent from Mama: Poland's former head of government Jarosław Kaczyński can undertake his own money-matters from now on – he has opened his first account in his own name.
That's right, for many years previously – ever since he had money of his own that he needed to bank, one presumes – he has used his mother's account. He continues to live with her, at age 59, and has never married – which almost goes without saying, for you don't live with mother when you have a wife, even in Poland, when you are currently the chairman of one of the country's main political parties and previously served not only as prime minister but as chief-of-staff to Lech Wałęsa when he was Poland's first democratically-elected president.
(By the way, Kaczyński also has a law degree, was a prominent activist in the Solidarity trade union in the 1980s, and boasts an identical-twin brother, Lech, who is Poland's current president. Oh, and Lech and Jarosław were child-actors way back in the day, starring in a Polish fairy-tale film in 1962.) (more…)
Posted in Germany, Poland | No Comments »
The Germans Are Coming – Back!
As everyone knows very well, Polish membership in the EU is now a full month old. So it would seem to be an idle exercise in frustration to go back and review the various crazies who were agitating against that up till the very end: the small-time farmers afraid of being displaced in the market by Western European producers who are both more efficient and more generously supported by funds from the EU's Common Agriculture Policy; those die-hard anti-German paranoiacs who were convinced that, right after the fireworks had died down, the descendants and representatives of those who had been driven out of what were once German but are now Polish lands would be back demanding their property back.
Except that these "crazies" won't go away, and may even be proven right! It is support from the countryside that is the main pillar behind the surging Samoobrona, or "Self-Defense," party headed by Andrzej Lepper, which €S covered here back during our "When Good Post-Communist Regimes Go Bad" series back in April. What's more, it seems that the old Germans from what was once Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia, etc. are getting ready to demand their land back, a tale told in this excellent, long article on-line on the Die Zeit website. (more…)


Demand generation isn't enough anymore. Truthfully, it never has been but that has partially been forgotten in the marketing renaissance we find ourselves in currently. The truth is, you need to close those deals and you need to hit your revenue targets. If you want to learn a trick or two about how you can do this better, then sit back, relax, and enjoy this webinar.


A Lyft car crosses Market Street in San Francisco.
The pink mustache on the front of the car is the giveaway. Lyft isn't like a regular taxi company. In fact, Lyft will tell you it's not a taxi company at all. Instead, the company markets itself as a way to share rides: regular people with their own cars making their empty seats available to strangers via an app in exchange for money.
All that sharing has apparently started to add up. Yesterday, Lyft announced it had made a deal for $250 million in new financing. The company plans to use the money to expand its ride-sharing service across the U.S. and around the world after growing from two cities to thirty over the past year, says CEO Logan Green. Ride-sharing rival Uber secured about the same amount last summer. Lyft tries to distinguish itself from Uber by emphasizing the "sharing" part of ride-sharing, while Uber focuses on the "ride." Now that the two are on more equal financial footing, the contest can truly get underway to determine which vision will decide the future of transportation – and whether sharing will really have anything to do with it at all.
Green is convinced that the warm, fuzzy feeling of community symbolized by Lyft's fuzzy pink mustaches is essential to changing the culture of transportation in cities. Transportation shouldn't be seen as an asset, he says. That is, it's not mainly about owning a car. It should be seen as a service that city residents provide to each other. "We raised this round to focus on what we do best, and that's building peer-to-peer, community-powered transportation systems," Green tells WIRED. "The ambition of our mission is to bring people together through transportation."
In the ideal "sharing economy" vision of Lyft, the company and its app act merely as a hyper-efficient means of connecting would-be passengers with empty car seats that would otherwise go to waste. As with room-sharing on Airbnb, however, the reality has not been so simple. City governments have taken to cracking down on Lyft and its competitors as if they were merely unlicensed taxi companies. That isn't quite right. But neither are these services just the app age's version of a college ride-sharing board. As with Uber – and regular taxis – Lyft charges passengers based on time and distance, vets its drivers and their vehicles, provides insurance, and takes payments.
Unlike traditional cabbies, however, Lyft drivers can ostensibly work whenever and wherever they want. There is no central dispatcher. Also, they are driving their own cars. (The situation gets even more complicated with Uber, which also includes licensed limos and sometimes even yellow cabs in its mix, though still technically working for themselves.) Many cities, often backed by taxi companies, have used this complexity as an excuse to simply shut Lyft, Uber, and others down.
In California, on the other hand, where both Lyft and Uber started, state regulators have tried to carve out a new category – the transportation network company, or TNC – to officially sanction such services. And in a way, officials had little choice. Uber and Lyft are here, and they're popular. They also have become emblems of innovation in the current tech boom. The political incentive to figure out something that works is strong.
But even this effort to give Lyft and Uber legal legitimacy comes with restrictions that, by their very existence, imply the view that idealized marketplaces based purely on trust can't always be trusted. This grates on the free-market faith of Lyft and Uber, which like to promote their marketplaces as self-regulating – bad reviews will weed out bad actors, whether drivers or passengers. Ride-sharing companies also have their own obvious vested interest in ensuring the safety and quality of the rides they deliver, regardless of the law. But asserting that market forces alone are enough to underwrite good intentions is to stake out an unavoidably partisan position. Sharing can't escape the vortex of politics, which means the future of sharing will still be messy.
This leaves the ride. Often lost in the debates over ride-sharing is the key role technology plays behind the scenes to connect riders and drivers. The competition between Lyft and Uber is very much about who can build the algorithms that best solve the basic underlying logistical problem of getting a ride. Both companies have moved aggressively to build powerhouse data science teams. Lyft recently hired the former head of analytics at Netflix, and Green says the new funding will mean a rapid increase in the size of its tech team.
But while the math and science behind ride-sharing is complex, the answer to the question of which company will win probably isn't. It's whoever can provide the cheapest, safest ride the fastest. The power of that simple premise is already on full display as Lyft and Uber eat into the traditional taxi market. Both companies offer a better way to get people rides that they like. This means the taxi industry will ultimately lose the battle to regulate them out of existence: customers are ultimately a more powerful constituency.
And so raw competition remains. And on the one hand, it's hard to imagine success in ride-sharing as anything but a zero-sum game. Faster and cheaper win, period. But cities are fickle creatures, and no one city is just like another. Perhaps in the future we will have Uber cities and Lyft cities, the National League and American League of ride-sharing. Now that each team has a quarter-billion dollars in its pocket, the World Series can begin.


The subject of children facing death or a bereavement in their family will be discussed at the University of Chichester next month.
A conference, on Friday 20 October, will explore how young people cope with terminal illness based on assessments by researchers and leading organisations and charities. It is intended for practitioners working with or supporting children who are facing life-shortening diseases, their own death, or who have lost a relative.
Organiser Marie Price, a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Chichester, has planned the day-long event to share knowledge and provide a forum for networking. She said: "If children are not able to manage their grief when they are young it presents itself again when they are adults, particularly when they have children of their own.
The conference will include workshops, talks and presentations to share knowledge, encourage discussion and develop dialogue around death and bereavement. Among the speakers is Sacha Richardson, a psychotherapist and director of national charity Winston's Wish, who will discuss the importance of developing a culture which talks openly about death and bereavement among children.
He will be joined by Rosie Mather of Child Bereavement UK whose lecture will explore the work the organisation undertakes in areas of extreme deprivation throughout the country, and why poverty can create additional problems for grieving families. The conference will also be attended by Annette Lawrence Owen, the lead nurse in West Sussex for sudden and unexpected child death.
To find out more about the conference email Marie Price at m.price@chi.ac.uk.


Tooth bonding is a type of direct restoration, meaning a tooth colored material is applied directly to the tooth and sculpted into form. It is important to choose a dentist experienced with cosmetic dentistry, like Dr. Irene Theodore, to ensure the most natural looking outcome.
With proper care and maintenance, you can expect the bonding to last five years or more. Composite resin is not as stain resistant as porcelain or metal restorations, but you can maintain the best cosmetic appearance by visiting the dentist regularly and avoiding smoking, tobacco and dark liquids.


text:
Project acronym 15CBOOKTRADE
Project The 15th-century Book Trade: An Evidence-based Assessment and Visualization of the Distribution, Sale, and Reception of Books in the Renaissance
Researcher (PI) Cristina Dondi
Summary The idea that underpins this project is to use the material evidence from thousands of surviving 15th-c. books, as well as unique documentary evidence — the unpublished ledger of a Venetian bookseller in the 1480s which records the sale of 25,000 printed books with their prices — to address four fundamental questions relating to the introduction of printing in the West which have so far eluded scholarship, partly because of lack of evidence, partly because of the lack of effective tools to deal with existing evidence. The book trade differs from other trades operating in the medieval and early modern periods in that the goods traded survive in considerable numbers. Not only do they survive, but many of them bear stratified evidence of their history in the form of marks of ownership, prices, manuscript annotations, binding and decoration styles. A British Academy pilot project conceived by the PI produced a now internationally-used database which gathers together this kind of evidence for thousands of surviving 15th-c. printed books. For the first time, this makes it possible to track the circulation of books, their trade routes and later collecting, across Europe and the USA, and throughout the centuries. The objectives of this project are to examine (1) the distribution and trade-routes, national and international, of 15th-c. printed books, along with the identity of the buyers and users (private, institutional, religious, lay, female, male, and by profession) and their reading practices; (2) the books' contemporary market value; (3) the transmission and dissemination of the texts they contain, their survival and their loss (rebalancing potentially skewed scholarship); and (4) the circulation and re-use of the illustrations they contain. Finally, the project will experiment with the application of scientific visualization techniques to represent, geographically and chronologically, the movement of 15th-c. printed books and of the texts they contain.
The idea that underpins this project is to use the material evidence from thousands of surviving 15th-c. books, as well as unique documentary evidence — the unpublished ledger of a Venetian bookseller in the 1480s which records the sale of 25,000 printed books with their prices — to address four fundamental questions relating to the introduction of printing in the West which have so far eluded scholarship, partly because of lack of evidence, partly because of the lack of effective tools to deal with existing evidence. The book trade differs from other trades operating in the medieval and early modern periods in that the goods traded survive in considerable numbers. Not only do they survive, but many of them bear stratified evidence of their history in the form of marks of ownership, prices, manuscript annotations, binding and decoration styles. A British Academy pilot project conceived by the PI produced a now internationally-used database which gathers together this kind of evidence for thousands of surviving 15th-c. printed books. For the first time, this makes it possible to track the circulation of books, their trade routes and later collecting, across Europe and the USA, and throughout the centuries. The objectives of this project are to examine (1) the distribution and trade-routes, national and international, of 15th-c. printed books, along with the identity of the buyers and users (private, institutional, religious, lay, female, male, and by profession) and their reading practices; (2) the books' contemporary market value; (3) the transmission and dissemination of the texts they contain, their survival and their loss (rebalancing potentially skewed scholarship); and (4) the circulation and re-use of the illustrations they contain. Finally, the project will experiment with the application of scientific visualization techniques to represent, geographically and chronologically, the movement of 15th-c. printed books and of the texts they contain.
Project Adaptation, Dispersals and Phenotype: understanding the roles of climate, natural selection and energetics in shaping global hunter-gatherer adaptability
Researcher (PI) Jay Stock
Summary Relative to other species, humans are characterised by considerable biological diversity despite genetic homogeneity. This diversity is reflected in skeletal variation, but we lack sufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms to adequately interpret the archaeological record. The proposed research will address problems in our current understanding of the origins of human variation in the past by: 1) documenting and interpreting the pattern of global hunter-gatherer variation relative to genetic phylogenies and climatic variation; 2) testing the relationship between environmental and skeletal variation among genetically related hunter-gatherers from different environments; 3) examining the adaptability of living humans to different environments, through the study of energetic expenditure and life history trade-offs associated with locomotion; and 4) investigating the relationship between muscle and skeletal variation associated with locomotion in diverse environments. This will be achieved by linking: a) detailed study of the global pattern of hunter-gatherer variation in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene with; b) ground-breaking experimental research which tests the relationship between energetic stress, muscle function, and bone variation in living humans. The first component tests the correspondence between skeletal variation and both genetic and climatic history, to infer mechanisms driving variation. The second component integrates this skeletal variation with experimental studies of living humans to, for the first time, directly test adaptive implications of skeletal variation observed in the past. ADaPt will provide the first links between prehistoric hunter-gatherer variation and the evolutionary parameters of life history and energetics that may have shaped our success as a species. It will lead to breakthroughs necessary to interpret variation in the archaeological record, relative to human dispersals and adaptation in the past.
Relative to other species, humans are characterised by considerable biological diversity despite genetic homogeneity. This diversity is reflected in skeletal variation, but we lack sufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms to adequately interpret the archaeological record. The proposed research will address problems in our current understanding of the origins of human variation in the past by: 1) documenting and interpreting the pattern of global hunter-gatherer variation relative to genetic phylogenies and climatic variation; 2) testing the relationship between environmental and skeletal variation among genetically related hunter-gatherers from different environments; 3) examining the adaptability of living humans to different environments, through the study of energetic expenditure and life history trade-offs associated with locomotion; and 4) investigating the relationship between muscle and skeletal variation associated with locomotion in diverse environments. This will be achieved by linking: a) detailed study of the global pattern of hunter-gatherer variation in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene with; b) ground-breaking experimental research which tests the relationship between energetic stress, muscle function, and bone variation in living humans. The first component tests the correspondence between skeletal variation and both genetic and climatic history, to infer mechanisms driving variation. The second component integrates this skeletal variation with experimental studies of living humans to, for the first time, directly test adaptive implications of skeletal variation observed in the past. ADaPt will provide the first links between prehistoric hunter-gatherer variation and the evolutionary parameters of life history and energetics that may have shaped our success as a species. It will lead to breakthroughs necessary to interpret variation in the archaeological record, relative to human dispersals and adaptation in the past.
Project acronym ALUNIF
Project Algorithms and Lower Bounds: A Unified Approach
Researcher (PI) Rahul Santhanam
Summary One of the fundamental goals of theoretical computer science is to understand the possibilities and limits of efficient computation. This quest has two dimensions. The theory of algorithms focuses on finding efficient solutions to problems, while computational complexity theory aims to understand when and why problems are hard to solve. These two areas have different philosophies and use different sets of techniques. However, in recent years there have been indications of deep and mysterious connections between them. In this project, we propose to explore and develop the connections between algorithmic analysis and complexity lower bounds in a systematic way. On the one hand, we plan to use complexity lower bound techniques as inspiration to design new and improved algorithms for Satisfiability and other NP-complete problems, as well as to analyze existing algorithms better. On the other hand, we plan to strengthen implications yielding circuit lower bounds from non-trivial algorithms for Satisfiability, and to derive new circuit lower bounds using these stronger implications. This project has potential for massive impact in both the areas of algorithms and computational complexity. Improved algorithms for Satisfiability could lead to improved SAT solvers, and the new analytical tools would lead to a better understanding of existing heuristics. Complexity lower bound questions are fundamental but notoriously difficult, and new lower bounds would open the way to unconditionally secure cryptographic protocols and derandomization of probabilistic algorithms. More broadly, this project aims to initiate greater dialogue between the two areas, with an exchange of ideas and techniques which leads to accelerated progress in both, as well as a deeper understanding of the nature of efficient computation.
One of the fundamental goals of theoretical computer science is to understand the possibilities and limits of efficient computation. This quest has two dimensions. The theory of algorithms focuses on finding efficient solutions to problems, while computational complexity theory aims to understand when and why problems are hard to solve. These two areas have different philosophies and use different sets of techniques. However, in recent years there have been indications of deep and mysterious connections between them. In this project, we propose to explore and develop the connections between algorithmic analysis and complexity lower bounds in a systematic way. On the one hand, we plan to use complexity lower bound techniques as inspiration to design new and improved algorithms for Satisfiability and other NP-complete problems, as well as to analyze existing algorithms better. On the other hand, we plan to strengthen implications yielding circuit lower bounds from non-trivial algorithms for Satisfiability, and to derive new circuit lower bounds using these stronger implications. This project has potential for massive impact in both the areas of algorithms and computational complexity. Improved algorithms for Satisfiability could lead to improved SAT solvers, and the new analytical tools would lead to a better understanding of existing heuristics. Complexity lower bound questions are fundamental but notoriously difficult, and new lower bounds would open the way to unconditionally secure cryptographic protocols and derandomization of probabilistic algorithms. More broadly, this project aims to initiate greater dialogue between the two areas, with an exchange of ideas and techniques which leads to accelerated progress in both, as well as a deeper understanding of the nature of efficient computation.
Project acronym Asterochronometry
Project Galactic archeology with high temporal resolution
Researcher (PI) Andrea MIGLIO
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
Summary The Milky Way is a complex system, with dynamical and chemical substructures, where several competing processes such as mergers, internal secular evolution, gas accretion and gas flows take place. To study in detail how such a giant spiral galaxy was formed and evolved, we need to reconstruct the sequence of its main formation events with high (~10%) temporal resolution. Asterochronometry will determine accurate, precise ages for tens of thousands of stars in the Galaxy. We will take an approach distinguished by a number of key aspects including, developing novel star-dating methods that fully utilise the potential of individual pulsation modes, coupled with a careful appraisal of systematic uncertainties on age deriving from our limited understanding of stellar physics. We will then capitalise on opportunities provided by the timely availability of astrometric, spectroscopic, and asteroseismic data to build and data-mine chrono-chemo-dynamical maps of regions of the Milky Way probed by the space missions CoRoT, Kepler, K2, and TESS. We will quantify, by comparison with predictions of chemodynamical models, the relative importance of various processes which play a role in shaping the Galaxy, for example mergers and dynamical processes. We will use chrono-chemical tagging to look for evidence of aggregates, and precise and accurate ages to reconstruct the early star formation history of the Milky Way's main constituents. The Asterochronometry project will also provide stringent observational tests of stellar structure and answer some of the long-standing open questions in stellar modelling (e.g. efficiency of transport processes, mass loss on the giant branch, the occurrence of products of coalescence / mass exchange). These tests will improve our ability to determine stellar ages and chemical yields, with wide impact e.g. on the characterisation and ensemble studies of exoplanets, on evolutionary population synthesis, integrated colours and thus ages of galaxies.
The Milky Way is a complex system, with dynamical and chemical substructures, where several competing processes such as mergers, internal secular evolution, gas accretion and gas flows take place. To study in detail how such a giant spiral galaxy was formed and evolved, we need to reconstruct the sequence of its main formation events with high (~10%) temporal resolution. Asterochronometry will determine accurate, precise ages for tens of thousands of stars in the Galaxy. We will take an approach distinguished by a number of key aspects including, developing novel star-dating methods that fully utilise the potential of individual pulsation modes, coupled with a careful appraisal of systematic uncertainties on age deriving from our limited understanding of stellar physics. We will then capitalise on opportunities provided by the timely availability of astrometric, spectroscopic, and asteroseismic data to build and data-mine chrono-chemo-dynamical maps of regions of the Milky Way probed by the space missions CoRoT, Kepler, K2, and TESS. We will quantify, by comparison with predictions of chemodynamical models, the relative importance of various processes which play a role in shaping the Galaxy, for example mergers and dynamical processes. We will use chrono-chemical tagging to look for evidence of aggregates, and precise and accurate ages to reconstruct the early star formation history of the Milky Way's main constituents. The Asterochronometry project will also provide stringent observational tests of stellar structure and answer some of the long-standing open questions in stellar modelling (e.g. efficiency of transport processes, mass loss on the giant branch, the occurrence of products of coalescence / mass exchange). These tests will improve our ability to determine stellar ages and chemical yields, with wide impact e.g. on the characterisation and ensemble studies of exoplanets, on evolutionary population synthesis, integrated colours and thus ages of galaxies.
Project acronym AveTransRisk
Project Average - Transaction Costs and Risk Management during the First Globalization (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries)
Researcher (PI) Maria FUSARO
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Summary This project focuses on the historical analysis of institutions and their impact on economic development through the investigation of a legal instrument – general average (GA) – which underpins maritime trade by redistributing damages' costs across all interested parties. This will be pursued through the comparative investigation of GA in those European countries where substantial data exists: Italy, Spain, England, France and the Low Countries (1500-1800). Average and insurance were both created in the Middle Ages to facilitate trade through the redistribution of risk. Insurance has been widely studied, average – the expenses which can befall ships and cargoes from the time of their loading aboard until their unloading (due to accidents, jettison, and unexpected costs) – has been neglected. GA still plays an essential role in the redistribution of transaction costs, and being a form of strictly mutual self-protection, never evolved into a speculative financial instrument as insurance did; it therefore represents an excellent case of long-term effectiveness of a non-market economic phenomenon. Although the principle behind GA was very similar across Europe, in practice there were substantial differences in declaring and adjudicating claims. GA reports provide unparalleled evidence on maritime trade which, analysed quantitatively and quantitatively through a novel interdisciplinary approach, will contribute to the reassessment of the role played by the maritime sector in fostering economic growth during the early modern first globalization, when GA was the object of fierce debates on state jurisdiction and standardization of practice. Today they are regulated by the York-Antwerp Rules (YAR), currently under revision. This timely conjuncture provides plenty of opportunities for active engagement with practitioners, thereby fostering a creative dialogue on GA historical study and its future development to better face the challenges of mature globalization.
This project focuses on the historical analysis of institutions and their impact on economic development through the investigation of a legal instrument – general average (GA) – which underpins maritime trade by redistributing damages' costs across all interested parties. This will be pursued through the comparative investigation of GA in those European countries where substantial data exists: Italy, Spain, England, France and the Low Countries (1500-1800). Average and insurance were both created in the Middle Ages to facilitate trade through the redistribution of risk. Insurance has been widely studied, average – the expenses which can befall ships and cargoes from the time of their loading aboard until their unloading (due to accidents, jettison, and unexpected costs) – has been neglected. GA still plays an essential role in the redistribution of transaction costs, and being a form of strictly mutual self-protection, never evolved into a speculative financial instrument as insurance did; it therefore represents an excellent case of long-term effectiveness of a non-market economic phenomenon. Although the principle behind GA was very similar across Europe, in practice there were substantial differences in declaring and adjudicating claims. GA reports provide unparalleled evidence on maritime trade which, analysed quantitatively and quantitatively through a novel interdisciplinary approach, will contribute to the reassessment of the role played by the maritime sector in fostering economic growth during the early modern first globalization, when GA was the object of fierce debates on state jurisdiction and standardization of practice. Today they are regulated by the York-Antwerp Rules (YAR), currently under revision. This timely conjuncture provides plenty of opportunities for active engagement with practitioners, thereby fostering a creative dialogue on GA historical study and its future development to better face the challenges of mature globalization.
Project acronym AWESoMeStars
Project Accretion, Winds, and Evolution of Spins and Magnetism of Stars
Researcher (PI) Sean Patrick Matt
Summary This project focuses on Sun-like stars, which possess convective envelopes and universally exhibit magnetic activity (in the mass range 0.1 to 1.3 MSun). The rotation of these stars influences their internal structure, energy and chemical transport, and magnetic field generation, as well as their external magnetic activity and environmental interactions. Due to the huge range of timescales, spatial scales, and physics involved, understanding how each of these processes relate to each other and to the long-term evolution remains an enormous challenge in astrophysics. To face this challenge, the AWESoMeStars project will develop a comprehensive, physical picture of the evolution of stellar rotation, magnetic activity, mass loss, and accretion. In doing so, we will (1) Discover how stars lose the vast majority of their angular momentum, which happens in the accretion phase (2) Explain the observed rotation-activity relationship and saturation in terms of the evolution of magnetic properties & coronal physics (3) Characterize coronal heating and mass loss across the full range of mass & age (4) Explain the Skumanich (1972) relationship and distributions of spin rates observed in young clusters & old field stars (5) Develop physics-based gyrochronology as a tool for using rotation rates to constrain stellar ages. We will accomplish these goals using a fundamentally new and multi-faceted approach, which combines the power of multi-dimensional MHD simulations with long-timescale rotational-evolution models. Specifically, we will develop a next generation of MHD simulations of both star-disk interactions and stellar winds, to model stars over the full range of mass & age, and to characterize how magnetically active stars impact their environments. Simultaneously, we will create a new class of rotational-evolution models that include external torques derived from our simulations, compute the evolution of spin rates of entire star clusters, & compare with observations.
This project focuses on Sun-like stars, which possess convective envelopes and universally exhibit magnetic activity (in the mass range 0.1 to 1.3 MSun). The rotation of these stars influences their internal structure, energy and chemical transport, and magnetic field generation, as well as their external magnetic activity and environmental interactions. Due to the huge range of timescales, spatial scales, and physics involved, understanding how each of these processes relate to each other and to the long-term evolution remains an enormous challenge in astrophysics. To face this challenge, the AWESoMeStars project will develop a comprehensive, physical picture of the evolution of stellar rotation, magnetic activity, mass loss, and accretion. In doing so, we will (1) Discover how stars lose the vast majority of their angular momentum, which happens in the accretion phase (2) Explain the observed rotation-activity relationship and saturation in terms of the evolution of magnetic properties & coronal physics (3) Characterize coronal heating and mass loss across the full range of mass & age (4) Explain the Skumanich (1972) relationship and distributions of spin rates observed in young clusters & old field stars (5) Develop physics-based gyrochronology as a tool for using rotation rates to constrain stellar ages. We will accomplish these goals using a fundamentally new and multi-faceted approach, which combines the power of multi-dimensional MHD simulations with long-timescale rotational-evolution models. Specifically, we will develop a next generation of MHD simulations of both star-disk interactions and stellar winds, to model stars over the full range of mass & age, and to characterize how magnetically active stars impact their environments. Simultaneously, we will create a new class of rotational-evolution models that include external torques derived from our simulations, compute the evolution of spin rates of entire star clusters, & compare with observations.
Project acronym BAHAMAS
Project A holistic approach to large-scale structure cosmology
Researcher (PI) Ian MCCARTHY
Host Institution (HI) LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY
Summary The standard model of cosmology, the ɅCDM model, is remarkably successful at explaining a wide range of observations of our Universe. However, it is now being subjected to much more stringent tests than ever before, and recent large-scale structure (LSS) measurements appear to be in tension with its predictions. Is this tension signalling that new physics is required? For example, time-varying dark energy, or perhaps a modified theory of gravity? A contribution from massive neutrinos? Before coming to such bold conclusions we must be certain that all of the important systematic errors in the LSS tests have been accounted for. Presently, the largest source of systematic uncertainty is from the modelling of complicated astrophysical phenomena associated with galaxy formation. In particular, energetic feedback processes associated with star formation and black hole growth can heat and expel gas from collapsed structures and modify the large-scale distribution of matter. Furthermore, the LSS field is presently separated into many sub-fields (each using different models, that usually neglect feedback), preventing a coherent analysis. Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (are the only method which) can follow all the relevant matter components and self-consistently capture the effects of feedback. I have been leading the development of large-scale simulations with physically-motivated prescriptions for feedback that are unrivalled in their ability to reproduce the observed properties of massive systems. With ERC support, I will build a team to exploit these developments, to produce a suite of simulations designed specifically for LSS cosmology applications with the effects of feedback realistically accounted for and which will allow us to unite the different LSS tests. My team and I will make the first self-consistent comparisons with the full range of LSS cosmology tests, and critically assess the evidence for physics beyond the standard model.
The standard model of cosmology, the ɅCDM model, is remarkably successful at explaining a wide range of observations of our Universe. However, it is now being subjected to much more stringent tests than ever before, and recent large-scale structure (LSS) measurements appear to be in tension with its predictions. Is this tension signalling that new physics is required? For example, time-varying dark energy, or perhaps a modified theory of gravity? A contribution from massive neutrinos? Before coming to such bold conclusions we must be certain that all of the important systematic errors in the LSS tests have been accounted for. Presently, the largest source of systematic uncertainty is from the modelling of complicated astrophysical phenomena associated with galaxy formation. In particular, energetic feedback processes associated with star formation and black hole growth can heat and expel gas from collapsed structures and modify the large-scale distribution of matter. Furthermore, the LSS field is presently separated into many sub-fields (each using different models, that usually neglect feedback), preventing a coherent analysis. Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations (are the only method which) can follow all the relevant matter components and self-consistently capture the effects of feedback. I have been leading the development of large-scale simulations with physically-motivated prescriptions for feedback that are unrivalled in their ability to reproduce the observed properties of massive systems. With ERC support, I will build a team to exploit these developments, to produce a suite of simulations designed specifically for LSS cosmology applications with the effects of feedback realistically accounted for and which will allow us to unite the different LSS tests. My team and I will make the first self-consistent comparisons with the full range of LSS cosmology tests, and critically assess the evidence for physics beyond the standard model.
Project acronym BIGBAYES
Project Rich, Structured and Efficient Learning of Big Bayesian Models
Researcher (PI) Yee Whye Teh
Summary As datasets grow ever larger in scale, complexity and variety, there is an increasing need for powerful machine learning and statistical techniques that are capable of learning from such data. Bayesian nonparametrics is a promising approach to data analysis that is increasingly popular in machine learning and statistics. Bayesian nonparametric models are highly flexible models with infinite-dimensional parameter spaces that can be used to directly parameterise and learn about functions, densities, conditional distributions etc, and have been successfully applied to regression, survival analysis, language modelling, time series analysis, and visual scene analysis among others. However, to successfully use Bayesian nonparametric models to analyse the high-dimensional and structured datasets now commonly encountered in the age of Big Data, we will have to overcome a number of challenges. Namely, we need to develop Bayesian nonparametric models that can learn rich representations from structured data, and we need computational methodologies that can scale effectively to the large and complex models of the future. We will ground our developments in relevant applications, particularly to natural language processing (learning distributed representations for language modelling and compositional semantics) and genetics (modelling genetic variations arising from population, genealogical and spatial structures).
As datasets grow ever larger in scale, complexity and variety, there is an increasing need for powerful machine learning and statistical techniques that are capable of learning from such data. Bayesian nonparametrics is a promising approach to data analysis that is increasingly popular in machine learning and statistics. Bayesian nonparametric models are highly flexible models with infinite-dimensional parameter spaces that can be used to directly parameterise and learn about functions, densities, conditional distributions etc, and have been successfully applied to regression, survival analysis, language modelling, time series analysis, and visual scene analysis among others. However, to successfully use Bayesian nonparametric models to analyse the high-dimensional and structured datasets now commonly encountered in the age of Big Data, we will have to overcome a number of challenges. Namely, we need to develop Bayesian nonparametric models that can learn rich representations from structured data, and we need computational methodologies that can scale effectively to the large and complex models of the future. We will ground our developments in relevant applications, particularly to natural language processing (learning distributed representations for language modelling and compositional semantics) and genetics (modelling genetic variations arising from population, genealogical and spatial structures).
Project acronym BuildingPlanS
Project Building planetary systems: linking architectures with formation
Researcher (PI) Richard David Alexander
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER
Summary The last few years have seen an explosion in our knowledge of extra-solar planetary systems. However, most exoplanetary systems look nothing like our own: we see "hot Jupiters" which take just days to orbit their parent stars, planets which meander across entire solar systems on highly eccentric orbits, and even planets orbiting twin, binary suns. These planets formed in relatively homogenous discs of cold dust and gas around young, newly-formed stars, but we do not yet understand how this extraordinarily diverse range of planetary architectures was assembled. BuildingPlanS will establish how the observed architectures of exoplanets link to the physics of their formation. My team will build comprehensive models of the assembly of planetary systems, in order to: 1) understand how systems of giant planets are built. 2) understand the assembly of compact, tightly-packed planetary systems. 3) determine where and when planets form around binary stars. By focusing on the three main types of known planetary systems we will determine how key physical processes operate in a wide variety of different environments, and build up a detailed understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve. Recently I have played a key role in developing a robust theory of how young, gas-rich protoplanetary discs evolve; this project will establish how these new ideas shape the formation and evolution of planetary systems. My team will consider how forming and newly-formed planets interact with their parent discs, in order to understand the architectures of young planetary systems. We will then follow how these young systems evolve to maturity over billions of years, and test our results against both new observations of planet-forming discs and our ever-growing census of exoplanetary systems. The overall aim of BuildingPlanS is to link exoplanet architectures with their formation and establish a global picture of how planetary systems are built.
The last few years have seen an explosion in our knowledge of extra-solar planetary systems. However, most exoplanetary systems look nothing like our own: we see "hot Jupiters" which take just days to orbit their parent stars, planets which meander across entire solar systems on highly eccentric orbits, and even planets orbiting twin, binary suns. These planets formed in relatively homogenous discs of cold dust and gas around young, newly-formed stars, but we do not yet understand how this extraordinarily diverse range of planetary architectures was assembled. BuildingPlanS will establish how the observed architectures of exoplanets link to the physics of their formation. My team will build comprehensive models of the assembly of planetary systems, in order to: 1) understand how systems of giant planets are built. 2) understand the assembly of compact, tightly-packed planetary systems. 3) determine where and when planets form around binary stars. By focusing on the three main types of known planetary systems we will determine how key physical processes operate in a wide variety of different environments, and build up a detailed understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve. Recently I have played a key role in developing a robust theory of how young, gas-rich protoplanetary discs evolve; this project will establish how these new ideas shape the formation and evolution of planetary systems. My team will consider how forming and newly-formed planets interact with their parent discs, in order to understand the architectures of young planetary systems. We will then follow how these young systems evolve to maturity over billions of years, and test our results against both new observations of planet-forming discs and our ever-growing census of exoplanetary systems. The overall aim of BuildingPlanS is to link exoplanet architectures with their formation and establish a global picture of how planetary systems are built.
Project acronym CellFateTech
Project Biotechnology for investigating cell fate choice
Researcher (PI) Kevin CHALUT
Summary The evolution from a stem cell to differentiated progeny underpins tissue development and homeostasis, which are driven by a multitude of cell fate choices. The transitions underlying these choices are not well understood. There are a number of challenges that must be overcome to achieve this understanding. In the proposed research we will tackle two of the challenges: first, the dynamics of fate choices, i.e. the dependence of transitions on time and inductive signals, remains cryptic; second, mechanical signalling regulates instructive cues for transitions but its role in the process is uncertain. One of the primary reasons these important aspects of cell fate choice remain a mystery is because the biology has not been coupled to the biotechnology appropriate to unravel it. This is the purpose of the proposed research: we will develop tools based in microfluidics, microfabrication and hydrogels and integrate them with our stem cell biology expertise to illuminate the process of cell fate choice. We will develop single cell microfluidic technology that possesses unprecedented temporal resolution and control over the signalling environment to study cell fate dynamics. We will also synthesize hydrogel substrates to exert complete control over the mechanical microenvironment of stem cells. Finally, we will advance tools to apply reproducible and defined forces to cells in order to study the role mechanical signalling in cell fate choice. Developing the proposed technology kit hand-in-hand with its biological applications will allow us to delve into the mechanisms of biological transitions in multiple stem cell systems, allowing us to uncover universal phenomena governing cell fate choice.
The evolution from a stem cell to differentiated progeny underpins tissue development and homeostasis, which are driven by a multitude of cell fate choices. The transitions underlying these choices are not well understood. There are a number of challenges that must be overcome to achieve this understanding. In the proposed research we will tackle two of the challenges: first, the dynamics of fate choices, i.e. the dependence of transitions on time and inductive signals, remains cryptic; second, mechanical signalling regulates instructive cues for transitions but its role in the process is uncertain. One of the primary reasons these important aspects of cell fate choice remain a mystery is because the biology has not been coupled to the biotechnology appropriate to unravel it. This is the purpose of the proposed research: we will develop tools based in microfluidics, microfabrication and hydrogels and integrate them with our stem cell biology expertise to illuminate the process of cell fate choice. We will develop single cell microfluidic technology that possesses unprecedented temporal resolution and control over the signalling environment to study cell fate dynamics. We will also synthesize hydrogel substrates to exert complete control over the mechanical microenvironment of stem cells. Finally, we will advance tools to apply reproducible and defined forces to cells in order to study the role mechanical signalling in cell fate choice. Developing the proposed technology kit hand-in-hand with its biological applications will allow us to delve into the mechanisms of biological transitions in multiple stem cell systems, allowing us to uncover universal phenomena governing cell fate choice.


This week on AirWreckRadio the boys are guest-less again, but that's ok! Stacey talks about his meeting in Senator DeFransisco's office, and then it's news, news, news! Cory comes in swinging with 20+ plus stories and the boys make it through about 3 of them. All this and that's it! Only on AirWreckRadio!


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