photometry
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photometry
 [fo-tom'ĕ-tre]
measurement of the intensity of light.
pho·tom·e·try
(fō-tom'ĕ-trē),
The measurement of the intensity of light.
photometry
/pho·tom·e·try/ (fo-tom'ĕ-tre) measurement of the intensity of light.
photometry
The measurement of light with a photometer. See candela per square metre; luminous flux; footcandle; footlambert; illuminance; luminous intensity; lambert; luminance; millilambert; photometer.
Table P3 Common photometric units
luminous flux
lumens
luminous intensity (I)
candela = lumens/steradian
illuminance (E)
lux = lumens/m2
footcandle = lumens/ft2
luminance (L)
candela/m2
candela/ft2
footlambert
lambert
millilambert
1 footlambert (fL) = 3.426 cd/m2
1 lambert = 3183 cd/m2
1 millilambert = 3.183 cd/m2
1 candela/m2 = 0.2919 fL
1 candela/ft2 = 3.142 fL
pho·tom·e·try
(fō-tom'ĕ-trē)
The measurement of the intensity of light.
photometry,
n the measurement of the intensity of light, usually in foot-candles.
photometry
measurement of the intensity of light.
References in periodicals archive ?
However, as well as recognising the research that has gone into developing the system, Vernon Taylor, managing director of UK based TMS Photometrics, believes that winning the award also represents an important raising of awareness within the air traffic management industry.
A preliminary reduction of data recorded during a 2-hour period of my favorite star cluster, NGC 7790 in Cassiopeia, shows photometric errors of only 0.
I take my hat off to the United Kingdom for taking the lead in the maintenance of airfield lighting systems by now requiring regular ongoing in-field photometric testing.
the purpose of the contract is to provide photometric measurements and cleaning of runway and taxiway lights for all platforms of the aroports de paris group.
The other conventional method - intentional defocusing to spread out the light - produces better photometric precision, but size and intensity continue to fluctuate.
Photometric Stereo 3D is a sophisticated technique to derive 3D information from 2D information (colour images); its origin is from the early development of satellite Imaging back in the 60's.
Lighting manufacturers submit their products to UL's marketing claim verification program, where UL confirms that the photometric data the manufacturer offers is correct.
IES files contain photometric data which is then used by designers and architects in creating lighting layouts for building spaces.
LM-66-14 addresses the methods for obtaining uniform and reproducible measurements of the electrical and photometric characteristics of single-based compact fluorescent, for both electrode and electrodeless lamps, under standard conditions in alternating current, both line and high frequency, circuits.
Photometric corrections are applied to the projected images to make their intensities and colors similar.
These photometric observations were very challenging because for earthbound observers, eclipses of Io occur when the satellite is less than one Jupiter radius (about 20 arcseconds) from its brilliant parent planet.


text:
The Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Health Care comprises campus-based and on-line learning modules as well as practical workshops.
Students are required to successfully complete the following.
Unit 1: Management of diabetes module will provide students with the key principles necessary to provide optimal care to patients presenting with Type 1 and 2 diabetes, based on the National Standards of Practice for Diabetes Educators.
Unit 2: Psychological and special needs in diabetes education module will provide students with the knowledge and skills to support and empower patients to self-manage their diabetes.
Unit 3: Teaching and learning module will provide students with the knowledge and skills to develop and implement evidence-based health education and health promotion programs in a range of settings.
Unit 4: Evidence-based practice in diabetes education will provide students with skills to critically evaluate and utilise current research to support the development and implementation of policy and procedures, and organisational change.
By committing to the Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Health Care it is expected you spend 8-10 hours per week studying and completing all learning modules for each unit of the course.

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


Re: Surrogates and character representation
On 7/28/05, William D Clinger wrote:
> You certainly don't need character offsets to do a string
> search, but the naive algorithm without random access to
> characters is O(mn). The Boyer-Moore algorithm improves
> this to O(n/m) in many cases. I believe one can construct
> artificial examples to show that some O(n/m) cases would
> degrade to an intermediate complexity, or even back to O(mn),
> in UTF-8 or UTF-16 without character offsets.
This is not correct. Any search algorithm that works on bytes
will work on on UTF-8 strings. That is, given a C function that
searches for a char* within a char* (e.g. strstr) then that will
return the correct result if the arguments are UTF-8 encoded,
no matter what algorithm is used.
It is in fact UTF-32 that has additional overhead for Boyer-Moore
searches as mentioned in my previous mail.


text:
|Andre Patenaude | Director, Food Retail Marketing & Growth Strategy, Cold Chain
Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions
Emerson recently completed a research study of leading food retailers to better understand their refrigeration system selection criteria. This blog is a synopsis of those findings.
For several years, we've seen an evolution of the traditional supermarket concept, driven by a convergence of multiple market influences which include:
- The migration to urban areas
- Smaller store footprints
- Renewed focuses on safety and freshness
- Greater need for merchandising flexibility
- The proliferation of omnichannel fulfillment models
- The lack of qualified service technicians
- Energy-efficiency goals and sustainability initiatives
- The internet of things (IoT)
- Ongoing regulatory uncertainty
Amidst these many changes, refrigeration systems have also evolved to align with modern supermarket operator preferences. To better understand how these preferences are impacting selection criteria, we recently completed a research study of several leading food retailers. We asked them which factors they feel are the most important when considering the implementation of new refrigeration systems.
We compiled results into six key categories, which we refer to as the six S's of selection criteria. The following is a summary of those findings:
- Simple — Operators are seeking to minimize complexities by using systems that are easy to understand and diagnose. Many associate system simplicity with reliability and believe it can be achieved with fewer moving parts, traditional system architectures and proven refrigeration strategies.
- Serviceable — Technician familiarity is important to facilitate ease of service and maintenance activities, and to ensure the availability of parts and refrigerants. Engine rooms should be located away from customers and be relatively easy to access.
- Secure — Maintaining customer, employee and technician safety while preserving food quality and safety are always top priorities. With many operators now integrating IoT technologies for more effective facility and enterprise management, securing proprietary operational data is also critically important. Operators seek system architectures that can address these multifaceted safety and security concerns.
- Stable — Grocers consistently cite system stability and reliability as primary selection criteria. Systems should be capable of maintaining consistent temperatures, delivering predictable performance, and working according to design specifications.
- Smart — Electronic controls, system connectivity and integration with facility management services via IoT are becoming more important to modern supermarket operators. They're evaluating self-monitoring systems that give store managers immediate access to issues, allowing them to take prompt actions to protect shoppers, preserve their brands and prevent unnecessary service calls.
- Sustainable — For those supermarket operators driven by corporate sustainability objectives or regional regulatory requirements, the push toward lower-GWP refrigeration strategies is continuing in earnest. Sustainability also speaks to the long-term economic viability of the refrigeration selection, as operators must factor in the total cost of ownership throughout the lifecycle. Reducing energy consumption to minimize operating costs is a concern shared by all.
As refrigeration technologies evolve in response to changing market dynamics, look for emerging system architectures that align with these selection criteria. Emerson is addressing the six S's of supermarket operator concerns by innovating new systems that blend pieces of proven architectures — borrowing from what has worked in the past and improving upon existing technologies. Stay tuned for more information on these new system strategies in the months to come.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
This new edition of Real Teams contains all new activities and resource materials. It is designed to help you and your team members gain insights and understanding about your team's dynamics through Real Colors concepts. Through this workshop, participants will be taken through a series of fast-paced, interactive, and fun activities, allowing them to learn the strengths of each of the Real Colors first-hand. Exploring the concepts of trust, opportunities for growth, and what successful teams look like through the lens of Real Colors, participants will leave the workshop will applicable knowledge and skills that will help them work better together.
By the end of this workshop you will be able to:
1. Describe the common characteristics of a successful team
2. Recall at least two strengths each Real Color brings to the team
3. Discuss the differences between the four Real Colors regarding the building and maintaining of team trust
4. Examine the opportunity for self-growth and how this positively impacts the team
5. Effectively and appropriately apply Real Colors concepts when working on a team
You must be Real Colors Certified to purchase this product.


text:
Specialized radiologists image the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The pictures are used to assist other specialists such as neurologists and neurosurgeons with diagnosis. Neuroradiologists must have 2-plus years of additional training to be certified.
Neuroradiologists help to diagnose and treat diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, head, neck, and vascular system. At Overland Park Regional Medical Center , neuroradiologists consult with neurologists, internists, neurosurgeons and radiation therapists, ensuring a precise diagnosis of the patient. Frequently, neuroradiologists at Overland Park Regional Medical Center use tools and tests including:


National Institute for Environmental Studies Invasive Species of Japan Japanese | English
 1. Invasive Species of Japan >
 2. Vascular plants >
 3. Ambrosia trifida
Ambrosia trifida
Basic information
Scientific name Ambrosia trifida
Click to magnify
Common names Giant Ragweed, Great Ragweed, Buffalo Weed, Horse Weed
Higher taxon Asteraceae, Asterales, Magnoliopsida, Magnoliophyta
Natural range North America.
Habitat Farm area, fruit garden, pasture field, riverside, roadside, vacancy, etc.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Almost entire Japan including Okinawa. Range in Japan
Origin Unknown.
Date The first record was in 1952 at Chiba Pref. and Shimizu Port of Shizuoka Pref.
Route Accidental: With agriculture products such as grains or beans.
Impact Actual: Competition with native plant, crop, pasture, etc. Allelopathy. Parasite (insects, fungi). Allergen for hay fever.
Affected organism: Native plants such as Primula sieboldii, crops, pasture, etc. (competition). Human (health damage).
Introduced range in other countries Europe, Asia
Reference Notes
 - etc.
100 of the Japan's Worst Invasive Alien Species.
South Korea prohibits importation of this species.


text: Special flexible stripwound hoses with corrugated profiles are mainly used in exhaust systems. These hoses are very sturdy and not sensitive to torsional motions. As a corollary of the stricter exhaust gas emission standard Tier4, gas-tight elements and systems, such as corrugated hose and bellows solutions, are used to an increasing degree. Insulated systems that permit the maximal permissible surface temperatures to be reduced and are optimally designed for the confined mounting scenarios are also in use. Flexible fluid and return lines are used in the vicinity of motors. These improve the operational reliability and reduce both emissions and fuel consumption.


The best-known species (Anthochaera carunculata) has the upper parts grayish brown, with a white stripe on each feather, and the wing and tail quills dark brown or blackish, tipped with withe. Its wattles, in life, are light blood-red. Called also wattled crow, wattled bee-eater, wattled honey eater. Another species (A. Inauris) is streaked with black, gray, and white, and its long wattles are white, tipped with orange. The bush wattlebirds, belonging to the genus Anellobia, are closely related, but lack conspicuous wattles. The most common species (A. Mellivora) is dark brown, finely streaked with white. Called also goruck creeper.
2. The Australian brush turkey.
(01 Mar 1998)
Watson, James, Watson-Schwartz test, watt, wattle < Prev | Next > wattmeter, wav, WAVE, wave


text:
Gifts to Children
Children are usually the first in line to inherit the wealth of their parents after they have both died. However, there are 2 things to consider when gifting to children: do inter vivos gifts count against their claim on their parent's estate, and how will property be conveyed to minor children, since minors do not have the legal capacity to own property.
Advancements are gifts to children during the donor's lifetime that may count as their share either under intestacy or their bequest under the donor's will. That such inter vivos gifts should be considered an advancement arises from the general supposition that a parent loves all his children equally, and, hence, would want them to receive an equal share of the parent's wealth.
Under common law, there was an irrebuttable presumption that an inter vivos gift is an advancement on a child's share of the estate. The children's share of the estate is determined by pooling all the estate property that is bequeathed to the children and adding the value of all advancements to create a hotchpot, then dividing the hotchpot equally among the children. If a child predeceases both parents, then the child's issue will receive the child's portion of the hotchpot. If the child had no issue, then the hotchpot is divided equally among the survivors. If the advancement to any child exceeds her share, then she will not receive anything from the estate, but she will not have to return any excess of her advancement.
Example—Advancements to Children and Calculating Shares Using a Hotchpot
Mary dies intestate with no surviving spouse, 3 surviving child—Richard, Christine, and Holly—and 2 grandchildren from a deceased child, Michael, leaving a $500,000 estate. While Mary was still alive, she gave Rich $300,000 and the other 2 surviving children $100,000 each. The shares going to Mary's issue are calculated using the hotchpot.
- Add the value of the inter vivos gifts to the estate: $300,000 + $100,000 + $100,000 + $500,000 = $1,000,000.
- Divide the hotchpot by the number of children who either survived or have surviving issue, which in Mary's case is 4: $1,000,000 / 4 = $250,000.
- Since Rich already got $300,000, he gets to keep it, but he gets no more from the estate. So the $700,000 remaining in the hotchpot is divided by 3: $700,000 / 3 = $233,333.33.
- Since Christine and Holly already got $100,000, they each receive $133,333.33: $233,333.33 - $100,000 = $133,333.33.
- Since Michael is deceased, his 2 children split the $233,333.33 that Michael would have received from the estate if he had survived.
A major criticism of treating inter vivos gifts as advancements is that it often led to fighting among the siblings about who had gotten what and the value of the gifts, which often lead to costly court fights.
The modern trend, as expressed in the Uniform Probate Code (UPC §2-109), differs from common law in several ways:
- Inter vivos gifts are not treated as an advancement unless there is writing that specifically states that such gifts are to be counted as contributions to the child's share of the estate.
- If the writing was made by the donor, then it must have been written contemporaneously with the inter vivos gift;
- however, the donee can create the writing at any time.
- If the donee predeceases the donor, then the donee's issue are still entitled to the donee's share. No inter vivos gifts to the donee will count against the share for the donee's issue unless it is in writing.
- The UPC approach applies not only to the issue of the decedent, but also to any beneficiary.
- Since a gift can change value over time, the valuation of the inter vivos gift is determined at the earlier of when the donee either received or enjoyed the gift or at the death of the donor.
Transfers to Minors
Because a minor does not have the legal capacity to own property, devisements cannot be directly transferred to minors. There are 4 main methods by which property can be transferred to a minor:
- Two methods that are created under intestacy, depending on the jurisdiction:
- Two methods that require a written instrument:
- custodianships under the Uniform Gifts or Transfers to Minors Act
A property guardian is an adult who protects the property until the minor reaches the age of majority, in which case, the property is transferred to the beneficiary. Usually, the guardian is also a personal guardian of the minor, but sometimes the property guardian is someone other than the personal guardian. The guardian cannot sell any property without court approval—only income from the property can be used to support the child. Because the guardian must go to court to do anything with the property and to periodically give an accounting of the property, major expenses are incurred as long the child is a minor.
Under a conservatorship, the conservator takes title to the property as a trustee, which eliminates the need to get court approval to sell or otherwise dispose of the property. However, the conservator still must give an accounting of the property to the court every year.
The Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, which superseded the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act, extended the role of the guardian in the form of a custodian by allowing the custodian to act in the best interests of the minor without seeking court approval. The custodian's duty is to the child, not the court. The custodian has title to the property as trustee, but the custodian must transfer all property to the child when the child reaches a statutory age specified by state law, but usually ranges from 18 - 21. The custodianship is most appropriate for small estates, since administration costs are lower than for a guardianship, conservatorship, or a trust, and is simpler to set up than a trust. However, if there is any possibility that the donor will be subject to estate tax, then the donor who makes a gift to a child should not be the custodian, because if the donor dies before the child reaches the age of majority, then the gift will be includable in the estate of the donor.
A trust is most appropriate for large estates, especially if the testator wants more control over the distribution of the estate than provided by the other methods. The trust is created with a trust document where the grantor of the trust can specify the duties and powers of the trustee, and how the property should be doled out to his children and other beneficiaries. The major costs of a trust are its creation and the trustee's fees.
A custodianship or trust requires written documents for their establishment, so if the last surviving parent does not specify either, then the court will either appoint a guardian or a conservator, depending on the jurisdiction. Usually, a close relative will be appointed.


text:
The wildfire danger is MODERATE for the Grande Prairie Forest Area.
With current and expected forecast for frequent showers, cool temperatures, light winds and high humidity's through the weekend and early next week, the Fire Advisory for the Grande Prairie Forest Area is lifted effective 16:00 October 11, 2023.
Wildfire Situation | October 10, 2023 - 3:30 p.m.
Since March 1, 2023 there have been 74 wildfires burning over 141,417 hectares in the Grande Prairie Forest Area. The southern half of the Grande Prairie Forest Area received heavy precipitation overnight and today while areas in the northern section of the forest have not received any significant rainfall and remain very dry. Please be careful when recreating in these areas and with fire of any kind.
Due to wildfire activity in Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, smoky conditions may occur. Visit _URL_ to see where the smoke is coming from. Anyone with health concerns should visit Alberta Health Services or call 811 for health advice from Alberta Health Link.
Fire Bans, Restrictions and Advisories as well as Off-Highway Vehicle restrictions are in effect throughout several parts of Alberta. Before you head out into a forested area check AlbertaFireBans.ca to see a detailed map.
Before you burn it, get a fire permit. Until October 31st, fire permits are required for any type of burning in the Forest Protection Area (FPA). The only exception is for a cooking or warming campfire. Fire permits help us to track what is burning on the landscape. If you're burning without a fire permit or outside fire permit conditions, your fire is considered a wildfire. Anyone living outside the FPA can contact their municipality for information about local fire permit requirements.
Albertans living or working in the Forest Protection Area of the province can request a free fire permit by contacting your local forestry office or using the new, convenient online Fire Permit Portal.
County West / Grovedale - _PHONE_
Spirit River - _PHONE_
Valleyview - _PHONE_
For more information regarding fire permits, you can view our video by clicking here.
Download the Alberta Wildfire app today and get access to real-time information on wildfires in your area. You can also find information on reporting wildfire, fire bans and fire updates across the province and much more all on your mobile device.


stamp duty
Everything you need to know about stamp duty
Wasike wants to purchase some property from his old cousin, Onyango. Their mothers are sisters, he says and that since Onyango is undergoing some financial constraints, it is important that if he is going to sell to relieve his constraints, then his property must stay within the family.
However, purchase of property comes in with other expenses: legal fees, stamp duty, and such other fees.
Wasike's biggest issue is that he does not want to pay stamp duty because he is really buying from his cousin, who is family. Yes, they are not close, but they are "really family", Wasike constantly says. In his opinion, it is unfair for the government to tax transactions between family members.
Taxes and death, Benjamin Franklin said, are the only certain things in this world. This shows you how difficult it is to evade a tax, or even to be exempted from paying a particular tax. It must indeed be under very special circumstances.
What is tax?
Tax is compulsory contribution to state revenue. Tax is levied/imposed by the government, and payment of tax is a civic duty.
What are the types of taxes?
There are two types of taxes: direct and indirect taxes. Direct taxes are those that a tax payer pays directly to the government, such as stamp duty. Indirect taxes are taxes which the tax payer remits to the government indirectly, such as value added tax.
All about stamp duty
Stamp duty is a tax levied on executed instruments. In simple terms, it is tax levied on documents. Stamp duty is usually paid in the country where one seeks to enforce the said document.
The law regarding stamp duty in Kenya is detailed in the Stamp Duty Act Cap 80, Laws of Kenya.
The documents for which stamp duty should be paid, the amount which should be paid, and who should pay the named amount, are mentioned under the schedule to the Act. For example, under the schedule, it is stated that stamp duty of 250 shillings on a bill of exchange payable on demand or at sight or on presentation or within three days after date or sight shall be paid by all persons executing the bill. Also, among many examples, stamp duty of 200 shillings on a document appointing a new trustee must be paid by the appointer.
The rate of stamp duty payable on the transfer of land is either 4% or 2% of the value of the property for properties in town/city/municipality or out of town/city/municipality, respectively. The government relies on the full disclosure of the parties to the transfer to disclose the value of the property, but the same is assessed and determined by the government valuer, before a definite amount of how much stamp duty to be paid is ascertained.
For example, when I purchase a house from Agrace, we shall both execute a transfer form and declare that I have paid and Agrace has received 100 million shillings for the house. To pay stamp duty, the amount is prescribed by the government valuer through a valuation process. He values the property subject to the current market value of the property in the area where it is located. If the market value of the property is 120 million, and the property is located in Upper Hill, Nairobi, stamp duty will be 4% of 120 million, which is 4,800,000shillings. The stamp duty would be lesser if the property is valued at 120 million and is located in Butere, Mumias (an out of town location). Stamp duty payable would be 2,400,000 shillings.
Exemption from stamp duty
There are instances where stamp duty may not be paid. This is however subject to the law, and to confirmation by the collector of stamp duty. Those instances are:
 1. Transfers between associated companies
any instrument for which it is shown to the satisfaction of the collector that the effect thereof is to convey or transfer a beneficial interest in property from one company with limited liability (the transferor) to another such company (the transferee); and that either one of such companies is a beneficial owner of not less than ninety per centum of the issued share capital of the other company; or not less than ninety per centum of the issued share capital of each of the companies is in the beneficial ownership of a third company with limited liability; and that the instrument was not executed in pursuance of or in connection with an arrangement where under the consideration for the conveyance or transfer was to be provided directly or indirectly by a person other than a company which at the time of the execution of the instrument was associated with either the transferor or the transferee; or the beneficial interest in the property was previously conveyed or transferred directly or indirectly by such a person.
 1. Transfers relating to real estate investment trust
This exemption only applies real estate investments trusts authorized under the Capital Markets Act (Cap 485 A. It must be shown to the collector that:
 1. the effect thereof is to convey or transfer a beneficial interest in property from one trustee to another trustee or to an additional trustee;
 2. The effect thereof is to convey or transfer a beneficial interest in property from a person or persons for the transfer of units in the real estate investment trust.
 3. Exemption of building societies' documents
No rules of a building society registered under the Building Societies Act (Cap. 489) nor any copy thereof nor any receipt, nor any entry in any book of receipt for money deposited in the funds of a building society, or for any money received by any member, or his executors, administrators, assigns or attorneys, from the funds of a building society, nor any transfer of any share, nor any bond or other security to be given to or on account of a building society, or by any officer thereof, nor any order on any officer for payment of money to any member, nor any appointment of any agent, nor any certificate or other instrument for the revocation of any such appointment, nor any other instrument or document whatever required or authorized to be given, issued, signed, made or produced in pursuance of the Building Societies Act (Cap. 489), or of the rules of a building society, shall be subject or liable to or charged with any stamp duty or duties whatsoever: Provided that this exemption shall not extend to a mortgage, nor to the release or discharge of a mortgage.
 1. A conveyance or transfer, or an agreement for a conveyance or transfer, operating as a voluntary disposition of property shall not be chargeable with any duty, if the conveyance or transfer is in favour of any body of persons incorporated by special Act and that body is by its Act precluded from dividing any profit amongst its members and the property conveyed is to be held for the purposes of an open space or for the purposes of its preservation for the benefit of Kenya; or anybody of persons established for charitable purposes only or the trustees of a trust so established
 1. Transfer between spouses
Other transactions exempted from stamp duty are:
 1. an instrument executed by or on behalf of or in favour of the Government in any case in which, but for this exemption, the Government would be liable to pay the duty;
 2. a bill of exchange, cheque or promissory note drawn or made in Uganda or in Tanzania and accepted and paid or presented for acceptance or payment, or endorsed, transferred or otherwise negotiated, in Kenya, if the bill of exchange, cheque or promissory note has previously been duly stamped in Uganda or Tanzania;
 3. a power, warrant or letter of attorney granted or to be granted by the Managing Director of the Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, and a power, warrant or letter of attorney given by any depositor in the post office savings bank established under the provisions of the Kenya Post Office Savings Bank Act (Cap. 493B) to any other person, authorizing him to make a deposit of a sum of money in the savings bank on behalf of the depositor or to sign any document or instrument required by the rules of the savings bank to be signed on making the deposit or to receive back any sum of money deposited in the savings bank, or the interest arising therefrom; a receipt or an entry in a book of receipts for money deposited in the savings bank, or for any money received by a depositor or his executors or administrators, assigns, attorneys or agents, from the funds thereof; and a draft or order, or an appointment of an agent, or any certificate or other instrument or document whatsoever, required or authorized to be given, issued, signed, made or produced in pursuance of that Act or of any rules made thereunder;
 4. a transfer of shares in the stock or funds of the Government, the Organization, the Authority, the Government of Uganda or the Government of Tanzania;
 5. a conveyance or transfer of any stock or marketable security in any company incorporated in Uganda or Tanzania, if the conveyance or transfer has been duly stamped in accordance with the law of the territory in which the company was incorporated;
 6. an instrument for the sale, transfer or other disposition, either absolutely or by way of mortgage or otherwise, of a ship or of any part, interest, share or property of or in a ship;
 7. a bond given by a public officer for the due execution of his duties;
 8. a will, codicil or other testamentary disposition; and
 9. Instruments for the sale or transfer of land for the construction or expansion of educational institutions: Provided that stamp duty shall become


text:
Weissmuller broke his previous record, swimming 300 meters in 3 minutes, 33.6 seconds, a record he had tried to break for several years. Weissmuller had broken 54 world records.5
The Battle Creek Sanitarium practiced both curative and preventive medicine, but emphasized prevention. Patients came to be healed and were given treatments or surgery, but great efforts were made to teach them how to prevent illness, how to promote and preserve health. The Sanitarium had the reputation of being among the most scientific in the world, both in technique and equipment. It used medications when necessary but emphasized a simple, natural life and an intelligent diet. The institution's philosophy was that many diseases are caused by a violation of nature's laws and that the best way to prevent such disease is to obey those laws. The moving force largely responsible for the institution's phenomenal success was Dr. Kellogg.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Project team: David Hopkins, Éadaoin McDermott
Course: Processing of Materials in Manufacturing, spring 2017
Standard syringes can be unreliable: accurate measurements require significant focus, and human error is common. The team behind Auto Syringe aimed to provide greater precision and functionality for larger syringes by making a clip-on attachment that digitally displays a volume value for the syringe. This allows more precise measurements for any value the syringe can provide. The attachment also enables multiple precise measurements to be made with one filling of a syringe, since the display can be calibrated over and over — facilitating faster, more accurate processes for users. As part of the course, the team analyzed potential markets, materials, and manufacturing processes for this attachment.
Want to learn more about Auto Syringe and its designers? Check out:


system with as little uncertainty as possible. Using a high-precision power meter with better than 80 dB of dynamic range (often a dual-head instrument), you can ensure the best measurement uncertainty.
A high-precision power meter helps you calibrate the system with three measurements: one for the RF power of the vector signal generator and two measurements to calibrate the attenuators. To achieve the best uncertainty, you should configure a system that requires the least number of measurements. For a resulting RF power level of -136 dBm, you can program the RF instrument to a power level of -65 dBm and use 70 dB of fixed attenuation (assuming 1 dB insertion loss). To determine the exact RF power level that you should program, you can calibrate the attenuation achieved through fixed padding. The calibration process is as follows:
1) Program the vector signal generator to a power level of +15 dBm
To do this, open the NI Measurement & Automation Explorer configuration utility and use the test panels. With the test panel, generate a 1.58 GHz continuous wave (CW) signal at +15 dBm.
2) Measure RF power with a precision power meter
Using the precision RF power meter, observe that the power is +14.78 dBm (or similar), which is within the instrument's power accuracy specifications.
3) Attach 70 dB fixed attenuators (30 dB + 20 dB + 20 dB) and any cabling
4) Measure RF power with a precision power meter
With the power meter configured to the maximum number of averages (512), measure the RF power level. Your reading is -56.63 dBm.
5) Calculate total RF loss
By subtracting -56.63 dBm from +14.78 dBm, you can determine that the combination of attenuators and cabling introduces 71.41 dB of power loss. Note that many attenuators are often specified to have an uncertainty of up to ±1.0 dB. Thus, the measured attenuation can vary by as much as ±3.0 dB. It is important to calibrate a series of attenuators to ensure that the exact attenuation is known with less uncertainty.
Based on the calibration routine for the attenuators and cabling, you can next determine the RF power level required to achieve -136 dBm. With 71.41 dB of attenuation introduced, you need to program the RF vector signal generator to a power level of -58.59 dBm. To verify that the programmed power is as expected, follow the steps listed below.
 6) Attach the precision power meter directly to the RF vector signal generator
All attenuators and cabling are removed for this step.
 7) Program the RF generator to the value necessary for a final power of -136 dBm
The programmed value should be -58.59 dBm, which is -136 dBm + 71.41 dB.
8) Measure the resulting power with a power meter
The measured RF power can vary in accordance with the power accuracy of your instrument. While -58.59 was measured, actual results vary slightly from one instrument to the next per the uncertainty of the instrument.
9) Adjust the generator power until the power meter reads -58.59 dBm
Although the RF generator operates within the tolerance of the specification, this value is repeatable and can be calibrated by adjusting the RF power until the appropriate value is measured.
Using the method described above, you can determine the resulting RF power with only three RF power measurements. Thus, assuming your measurement device has an uncertainty of ±0.2 dB, you can be certain that the power uncertainty at -136 dBm is ±0.6 dBm (3 x 0.2).
Part B: Sensitivity Measurement
Now that you have calibrated the power of your RF measurement system, you can measure sensitivity by programming your RF generator to the power level at which you expect the receiver to return the minimum C/N. While the exact RF power used to measure sensitivity varies from one receiver to the next, the ratio of the receiver of C/N to RF power is perfectly linear. In your test, you can assume that the required C/N ratio is 28 dB-Hz to achieve a position fix. From Equation 12, you can derive a relationship between the C/N ratio of the receiver and its noise figure.
Equation 14. C/N as a Function of Noise Figure and Satellite Power
Assuming a constant satellite power, you can observe that the C/N ratio reported by the receiver is merely a function of the noise figure of the receiver. Various achievable C/N ratios are listed in Table 6.
 Table 6. C/N as a Function of Noise Figure
Generally, the GPS decoding chipset on a receiver determines the minimum C/N ratio required to achieve a position fix. However, it is the noise figure of the entire receiver that determines the C/N ratio that you can achieve at a given power level. Thus, when measuring sensitivity, it is important to know the minimum C/N ratio required to achieve a position fix.
You have several options to measure sensitivity. Table 6 shows that RF power is directly correlated with sensitivity. Thus, you can either measure the receiver's C/N ratio at the given sensitivity power level or you can derive sensitivity based on RF power at a different power level.
To illustrate this point, consider the relationship between RF signal power and a GPS receiver's C/N ratio for various power levels. Note that the measurements shown in Table 7 were made by applying a stimulus that bypassed the first LNA, and that the overall receiver's noise figure is approximately 8 dB.

Table 7. Receiver C/N as a Function of RF Power
As Table 7 shows, the example measurements suggest a completely linear relationship between RF power and C/N ratio. The one exception occurs when a high input power is used to stimulate the C/N ratio, in which case the receiver reports the maximum possible C/N value. However, these results are expected because the chipset used for the experiment does not report C/N values greater than 54 dB-Hz in any conditions.
Based on the linear relationship between RF power and sensitivity in Table 6, you can conduct production test of a GPS receiver by stimulating the receiver at a variety of power levels. If the receiver reports a C/N value of 28 dB-Hz at -142 dBm, it also reports a C/N value of 34 dB-Hz at -136 dBm. In scenarios where measurement speed is important, you can use a higher C/N value and extrapolate the sensitivity information from the result.
Determining Noise Figure
Equations 13 and 14 show that you can also determine the noise figure of the receiver or chipset based on the reported C/N ratio. This is reflected in Equation 15.
Equation 15. Receiver Noise Figure as a Function of Power and C/N Ratio
Table 7 shows that the noise figure of a receiver is directly proportional to the RF power level and C/N ratio. Based on this relationship, you can measure the chipset's noise figure by correlating the RF power level with the C/N ratio. In this measurement, you increase the generator's power in 0.1 dB increments. Because the NMEA-183 protocol reports satellite C/N to the nearest decimal digit, estimating noise figure beyond one digit of precision requires you to investigate the C/N rounding of the receiver. Example results are shown in Table 8.
Table 8. Correlation of DUT Power and Receiver C/N
Table 8 results show that RF power levels between -136.6 and -135.7 dBm all yield the same C/N ratio of 30 dB-Hz. Based on the rounding principles involved when reporting NMEA-183 data, it is safe to assume that a power level of -136.1 dBm produces a C/N ratio of 30.0 dB-Hz. Using Equation 14, the chipset's noise figure is therefore -174.0 dBm + -136.1 dBm + 30.0 dB-Hz = 7.9 dB. Note that this calculation is dependent on two uncertainty factors: the power uncertainty of the vector signal generator and the C/N uncertainty reported by the receiver.
Back to Top
6. Multisatellite GPS Receiver Measurements
While sensitivity measurements require a single-satellite stimulus, many other receiver measurements need a test stimulus that simulates multiple satellites. More specifically, measurements such as TTFF, position accuracy, and dilution of precision all require the receiver to obtain a position fix. Because a receiver needs at least four satellites to obtain a 3D position fix, each of these measurements takes longer than the sensitivity measurements. As a result, many position fix measurements are performed in validation and verification and not in production test.
This section examines two methods to provide the receiver with a multisatellite signal. In the discussion of GPS simulation, learn how to perform TTFF and position accuracy measurements. In the discussion on RF record and playback, examine techniques to validate receiver performance over a broad range of environmental conditions.
Measuring Time to First Fix (TTFF) and Position Accuracy
TTFF and position accuracy measurements are most important in the design validation stage of a GPS receiver. In many consumer GPS applications, the time it takes for the receiver to return its actual location can significantly affect the receiver's usability. In addition, the accuracy with which a receiver returns its reported location is important.
For a receiver to obtain a position fix, it must download the almanac and ephemeris information from the satellite through a navigation message. Because it takes 30 seconds for a receiver to download an entire


Elkhorn Coral
Common Name: Elkhorn Coral
Scientific Name: Acropora palmata
Elkhorn corals are members of the family Acroporidae. They have a unique growth pattern with exceptionally thick and sturdy antler-like branches. Elkhorn corals are usually fast growing with branches increasing by 5-10 cm per year. This coral also typically lives in areas of high wave action.


Ontology Browser
Term:
Cholestasis (RDO:_PHONE_)
260 annotations.(View Annotations)
Parent Terms Term With Siblings Child Terms
Bile Duct Neoplasms +
Biliary Atresia +
Cholangitis +
Choledochal Cyst +
Cholestasis +
Impairment of bile flow due to obstruction in small bile ducts (INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS) or obstruction in large bile ducts (EXTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS).
Common Bile Duct Diseases +
Synonyms
Exact Synonyms: Bile Duct Obstruction ; Bile Duct Obstructions ; Biliary Stases ; Biliary Stasis ; Cholestases
Primary IDs: MESH:D002779
Definition Sources: MESH:D002779
paths to the root


text:
A teacher has information power because of the teacher's access to more information than the students. One positive effect from information power is the person with power can educate everyone else. One negative is the teacher might teach personal opinions inappropriately.
Expert power based on skill, or knowledge on a subject. Positive effect people get the best and most accurate information from someone with expert power. Negative effect someone with expert power could take advantage of someone by providing them with unfinished or misleading information
Connection power is based on who the leader knows. Positive effect connection can help people obtain important things like a job recommendation. Negative effect it can lead to someone getting something they are not deserving of or unqualified to have.


text:
How to access the Rate of Rise graph on IKAWA Pro App
During the roast the 'actual' RoR is also mapped on the graph (in yellow). This allows you to see how the actual RoR is following the prescribed one, which is particularly useful to see if the roast 'stalls' after first crack, or how the roaster managed the beans going exothermic, then compensating quickly afterwards.
The IKAWA Pro Sample Roaster measures the temperature every second to the nearest 1/10th of a degree Centigrade, and you can see this level of precision on the Actual line of the Temperature graph during a roast. The readings for the Actual RoR are based on the temperature measurements at 15 second intervals. We have not applied any 'smoothing' algorithms, so the graph looks slightly angular, but is very useful for showing the trend.
If users want to delve even deeper into looking at Rate of Rise per second, you can do this by exporting the data for each second of the roast in CSV format and doing some analysis on excel. Our Roast Log feature means you can download unique roast data from all roasts you do on the 2.0 app.
WHY IS RATE OF RISE IMPORTANT?
The rate of rise is the speed that temperature increases (or decreases) during the roast at any given time – for further reading there's a clear and articulate post about this by Morten Münchow on Coffee Minds. Conventional wisdom is that from just after the Turning Point, a good roast will have a steadily decreasing RoR.
The IKAWA roaster has the ability to heat up very quickly – much faster than conventional sample roasters, or large roasters too, and the small batch size means the Turning Point tends to happen within the first minute.
In our experience, people pay most attention to the end of the roast. At the time of the first crack, it's particularly important to be aware of the RoR and use it to ensure roast profiles are getting the best from the coffee.
After first crack, the temperature itself should continue to rise slowly, but if that Rate of Rise increases after first crack it can make the coffee baked – even on light roasts. Matt Perger's excellent Let's Talk About Roasting post quotes Sang Ho from Square Mile by referring to it as the Flick of Death.
Similarly, it's important that the roast doesn't stall after first crack. This will happen if the rate of rise goes negative – i.e. temperature in the roast chamber decreases. This can lead to underdeveloped coffee and the qualities that go with that.
We'd love to know how this feature helps you to design and amend your profiles, and even translate them to larger roasters. Please drop us a line at _EMAIL_.


text:
Learn how to run the advanced Mixtral 8x7b model on Google Colab using LLaMA C++ library, maximizing quality output with limited compute requirements.
Diving Deep Into Mixtral 8x7b Model On Google Colab Through LLaMA C++ Library
The evolving landscape of technology has offered us an arsenal of various tools to simplify tasks and enhance efficiency. One such model that paves the way for maximizing quality output with limited computational needs is the advanced Mixtral 8x7b which can be efficiently run on Google Colab using the LLaMA C++ library.
The Mixtral 8x7b model has a myriad of long-term implications that could revolutionize how we work with limited computational resources. With the ability to utilize Google Colab's cloud-based services, it allows for an omni-accessible platform for running complex computations without high-end hardware requirements.
This shift towards cloud-based computations opens doors to a future where one does not need to invest heavily in hardware to perform advanced analytical tasks. It supports inclusive growth by enabling those who might not have access to high-performing systems to still be involved in, contribute to, and compete in the technological landscape.
Possible Future Developments
The collaboration between models like Mixtral and platforms such as Google Colab signifies a future where advances in technology become increasingly accessible. Inexpensive and universally accessible platforms for complex computing may become the norm, breaking down barriers in tech-related industries.
A possible development could be the integration of more libraries like LLaMA C++ that provide enhanced functionality while still being low-resource demanding. Thinking long-term, there may also be official collaborations between tech-giants and these library providers to further streamline the running of such models by providing integrated support within the platforms.
- Invest time in mastering the utilization of models like Mixtral 8x7b to stay competitive in a futuristically resourceful tech world.
- Keep an eye on the developments of such models and libraries that can enhance your efficiency without heavier investment in hardware.
- Network with communities who are also using these tools to exchange knowledge, trouble-shoot, and stay updated.
- Promote cloud-based platforms within your organization to democratize access to advanced data analysis and predictive modelling for all team members.
"The future is about less hardware dependency and greater efficiency. Models like Mixtral 8x7b model running on Google Colab using the LLaMA C++ library are testament to this shift. Staying in sync with such developments will give you a competitive edge in the technology-driven future."


text:
Available to teachers only as part of theTeaching Life of PiTeacher Pass
Teaching Life of PiTeacher Pass includes:
- Assignments & Activities
- Reading Quizzes
- Current Events & Pop Culture articles
- Discussion & Essay Questions
- Challenges & Opportunities
- Related Readings in Literature & History
Sample of Reading Quizzes
Questions1. What were the narrator's two majors in college?
2. On what animal was his thesis written?
3. From which department did he win awards?
4. Who has stayed with the narrator?
5. Where was the hospital?
Answers1. Religious studies and zoology
2. The three-toed sloth
3. The department of zoology
4. Richard Parker
CORRESPONDING LEARNING GUIDE


text:
I'm always trying to find new uses for SAS - this time I've written a proof-of-concept that shows how you might use SAS to create charts that test for color blindness. If nothing else, I think it's a fun example :)
First, I did a Google search, and looked at several online tests for color blindness. Most of them show an array of dots of varying size and color, and there is a pattern 'hidden' in the dots that only someone who can properly distinguish all the colors being used can see. There are several different types of color blindness, and different color combinations are used to test for each.
To implement something similar in SAS, I decided to re-use one of my Wafer Map examples (specifically this one). To create this circular grid of boxes of varying sizes, I create a 50x50 grid of gmap rectangular-shaped areas (think of each rectangle as a state in the US map), and then throw out all the rectangles that were farther than a certain distance from the center of the page. I then programmatically assign a color/response variable based on the position of the rectangles, to form the desired pattern. If a rectangle is part of the pattern, I randomly assign it 1, 2, or 3 and otherwise it is randomly assigned a value of 4, 5, or 6. I then arrange the 6 desired colors in my pattern statements.
After a bit of tweaking and fine-tuning, I came up with my final code that created the following color blindness test charts:
How'd you do on the test? Were you able to see the shape in all four charts?
Of course, this is just a proof-of-concept I designed to show the flexibility of SAS/GRAPH (and specifically Proc Gmap) - please don't rely on my test to determine whether you're colorblind! Hopefully in the hands of a doctor or researcher who specializes in vision and color blindness, my code could be used to set up some much better tests!


text:
Although importing a Japanese used car to Tanzania may seem daunting, when you take time to research the type of car and the taxes and regulations imposed you will discover that it is relatively straightforward.
Here we give an overview of the taxes, duties, and regulations for importing a car to Tanzania to get you started.
The process of importing your ideal vehicle as per the law of Tanzania is quite simple. Regardless of the vehicle type, it must pass through road-worthiness inspection. When the vehicle is roadworthy, the officials who inspected it will issue a certificate. When you use a reputable importing agency, it will provide the inspection service before shipping the vehicle.
If you are considering importing a car to Tanzania from Japan, it must undergo a JAAI inspection (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute), a non-profit organisation that is supervised by the Japanese Government. This inspection is applicable for people who import used vehicles from Japan.
In case the vehicle fails to pass the inspection, the seller must perform repairs before they can import it to Tanzania. If the individual imports a car that does not have the inspection certificate, the owner or importer must pay the penalty.
Taxes for Importing to Tanzania
There are Tanzanian tax regulations that an imported vehicle and owner must adhere to. In most cases, the price of the car includes the inspection fee as well as the handling fees. Import duties depend on the type and engine capacity of the vehicle that you want to import to Tanzania.
For example, for any vehicle whose engine capacity is 2000cc, it is entitled to an import duty of 25% and 20% VAT. This adds up to the dutiable value of 50%. A car with an engine capacity of more than 2000cc falls under the import duty of 25%, 20% VAT, and 10% excise duty. The dutiable value of this car accumulates to 65%.
If you are importing a passenger van, pickup, lorry or bus, you will pay 15% import duty, and 20% VAT. This accumulates to 32% dutiable value. In addition, the tax regulations depend on the age of the car. For instance, if you are importing a car to Tanzania that is 10 years old or more, you are entitled to higher taxes than those that are 10 years and below.
|Vehicle Type||Import Duty||VAT||Dutiable Value|
|Van / Pickup / Lorry / Bus||15%||20%||32%|
Maximum Age for Imported Cars
How old should the Japanese used car that you want to import be? Tanzanian law states that people cannot import vehicles that are 10 years old or more. In some cases vehicles older than this can also be imported, but at a penalty of 20%. Apart from the inspection and vehicle year, it is essential to understand the local taxes of Tanzania before importing a vehicle.
Depending on the policies of the government, the local tax regulations change with time. Therefore, it is necessary that you contact the local authority to gather the most up-to-date information before you import a car.
In addition to the duties and taxes imposed on imported cars from Japan, you will also need to take clearance possibly forwarding fees into consideration once your vehicle reaches the Port of Mombasa.
Reputable Japanese used car exporters such as BE FORWARD offer all-in-one packages and local offices in various locations around Tanzania that can assist with clearing and forwarding, saving you the headache of figuring it out for yourself.


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Understanding the image processing flags - Details
In the process of measuring the properties of all objects detected in
the SDSS images, the image-processing software sets an extensive
series of flags that indicate the status of each object, warn of
possible problems with the image itself, and warn of possible problems
in the measurement of various quantities associated with the object.
These flags are described one by one in Robert Lupton's
flags document. There is a separate set of flags (in the quantity
termed'status') that give geometrical information on how the object
in question is determined to be a unique detection, given the overlap
of the SDSS data. There are further status flags set for each field,
which indicate possible problems in processing that field.
The present document describes the flags in different categories, and
tries to make clear how they can best be used. For full
understanding, one should read this in parallel with Robert Lupton's
flags document containg even more detailed descriptions of the
The "status" of an object
The geometry of the SDSS imaging scans involves overlaps of a variety
of types: the two strips of a stripe can overlap; runs from adjacent
stripes can overlap, two runs along the same stripe can overlap, and
within a scanline, the data are divided up into partially overlapping
fields. We wish to define a unique sample of objects, with no overlap
either from repeat observations of a given object (independent
photons), or objects in the overlap between fields (the same photons).
Bits within the status flag (a quantity available for each object
detected in SDSS) explain how this is done, as described in detail in
of the resolution of overlaps. In addition, these bits use
information from the flags set by the photometric pipeline itself
(described below). Thus the resolving is carried out only on those
objects whose flags indicate them to be "good", in the sense of being
worthy of further investigation. The definition of "good" is:
GOOD =!BRIGHT && (!BLENDED || NODEBLEND || nchild == 0)
BLENDED, and NODEBLEND are defined below. In brief, objects labelled
BRIGHT are duplicate entries in the SDSS catalog; those flagged as
BLENDED or with nchild > 0 have been deblended into 2 or more
children; to include them would give duplication between a parent and
The GOOD objects are then queried for their
possible overlap with other data. Objects flagged OK_RUN are resolved
as far as the overlap with adjacent fields in the same run/rerun/camCol is
concern. Again, an
object which is not flagged OK_RUN will have a separate detection in
the adjacent field, using the same photons. The division
between fields is artificial.
OK_SCANLINE objects are further
resolved as far as the overlap between adjacent scanlines in the two
strips in a stripe is concerned.
Adjacent stripes overlap as well, quite substantially so near the
survey poles. OK_STRIPE resolves this overlap as well. This can
cause confusion, as this is applied purely geometrically, and often
before the adjacent stripe has been observed. Thus there are regions
of the DR1 in the outermost stripes where it might make sense not to
apply this cut.
Occasionally, runs will cross over the official
SDSS survey boundaries. This is the last cut; objects that lie within
the survey area, and satisfy all the other cuts described above, are
labelled PRIMARY. For most scientific applications, the PRIMARY
detections are the only ones needed. Objects labelled OK_RUN but
which are duplicate in one of the senses above, are labelled
SECONDARY. The overlap between adjacent scanlines and between stripes
is used extensively by SDSS quality assurance to confirm our
photometric and astrometric accuracy.
RESOLVED simply indicates that this OK_RUN object has been
through this resolve process; all RESOLVED objects should be marked
as either PRIMARY or SECONDARY
The nature of the flags output by the photometric pipeline
The SDSS imaging data consist of images in five photometric bands.
The measurement of the properties of the objects is carried out in the
five bands separately, and flag bits are set in each band. There are
enough flag bits to fill up two 32-bit quantities, thus these are
encoded in two quantities, called generically flags and
flags2. There is one such pair for each of the five bands, u,
g, r, i, and z. These are combined in various ways to make flags
appropriate for the whole object in all five bands; these are called
objc_flags and objc_flags2. Beware of interpreting the
objc_flags blindly! For example, the NOPETRO flag is set in
objc_flags if the Petrosian radius cannot be measured in any of
u, g, r, i, and z. Imagine our horror when the SDSS galaxy
spectroscopic sample (which is defined in terms of Petrosian
magnitudes in r) had 50% of the objects flagged NOPETRO! The reason is
because the u and z bands are low S/N, and many objects had NOPETRO set
in u or z, and therefore in the objc_flags as well. Only 2% of galaxy
targets have NOPETRO set in r.
Flags that affect the object's status
BINNED An object that is detected
as greater than a 5 sigma peak (after smoothing with the local PSF) in
a given band is flagged BINNED1 in that band. The object-finder then
masks all detected objects thus far, bins the image 2x2, and runs the
detection algorithm again; objects discovered at this stage are
flagged BINNED2. This is repeated again (i.e., now binning 4x4);
detections are labelled BINNED4. Many BINNED2 detections include the
outskirts of bright galaxies, and scattered light from bright stars
(as well as genuine low surface brightness galaxies); very few BINNED4
detections seem to be real astrophysical objects.
DETECTED the OR of BINNED1,
BINNED2, and BINNED4, in a given band. Even if the
object is not flagged DETECTED in a given band (usually because
it was detected only in another band), photometry is still carried out
on it, allowing, e.g., a 3-sigma detection of a point source.
BRIGHT As described in the EDR paper, objects detected at more than 200
sigma in the r band have their properties measured twice: once with a
global sky and once with a local sky. The former entry in the SDSS
catalogs is flagged BRIGHT, and in practice is rarely used to do
science. One should always reject such objects. This will be set in
all the bands, as well as objc_flags.
BLENDED, NODEBLEND, CHILD Each detected object is
examined to see if it is composite; if it is, it is flagged BLENDED in
all bands, as well as objc_flags. An attempt is made to deblend it.
If for some reason it is not deblended (usually because it is too
close to the edge), it will be flagged NODEBLEND. Otherwise, its
children will have their properties measured as well, and one wants to
reject BLENDED objects not flagged DEBLENDED in order to avoid
duplicate entries. Note that selecting PRIMARY objects does this, and
the cut on BRIGHT entries, automatically.
The children of a
deblend are flagged CHILD. It is possible for multiple peaks to be
detected in the CHILD, and for it to also be labelled BLENDED as well.
There are further flags related to deblending that are mostly
informational in nature; see below.
Flags that indicate problems with the raw data
SATURATED, SATURATED_CENTER The
photometry of saturated objects is questionable, needless to say (in
fact, the total PSF counts of mildly saturated stars should not be too
much in error, as it attempts to include all photons, including those
in the saturated core and the bleed trail). The SATURATED flag is set
in each band that includes saturated pixels; if it is set in any band,
it is also set in objc_flags. Objects that are saturated can be
deblended if they show multiple peaks. Note that a galaxy with a
superposed saturated star in its disk, even if successfully deblended,
will be flagged SATURATED, as some of the pixels in the object
footprint are indeed saturated.
SATURATED_CENTER indicates that the saturated pixels are close to
the center of the object. This can be used to distinguish, e.g.,
galaxies which are flagged SATURATED because of a superposed star,
from those with a very bright Seyfert nucleus, although it still needs
further testing. Note that star-galaxy separation is not very
effective for saturated objects; many saturated stars are
misclassified as galaxies.
EDGE, LOCAL_EDGE, DEBLENDED_AT_EDGE The
photometric pipeline works on one field at a time. An object which is
too close to the edge of a frame is flagged EDGE in that band. Among
PRIMARY objects (which have been resolved in overlaps, and thus should
remove most EDGE objects), only large extended objects should be
flagged EDGE. Thus, if you are interested in point sources,


text:
- Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index averages +6 in 2017
- Current conditions component at +13 last year; economic outlook at -1
- Republicans' confidence in the economy rises 77 points to +46 in 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' views of the U.S. economy were positive on balance in 2017, with Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index averaging +6 for the year. This was a 16-point increase from -10 in 2016 and is the index's first positive annual average since Gallup began daily tracking of this measure in 2008.
Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index is the average of two components: how Americans rate current economic conditions and whether they feel the economy is improving or getting worse. The index has a theoretical maximum of +100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing well and improving, and a theoretical minimum of -100 if all were to say the economy is doing poorly and getting worse.
Overall, Americans' confidence in the economy has gradually if unevenly improved since the recession year of 2008, when economic confidence averaged -48. The index's weekly readings fell as low as -66 during that year.
Economic confidence increased slightly in 2009, the year the Great Recession officially ended, and further still in 2010, though sentiment remained decisively negative. However, confidence slipped again in 2011, as the specter of a possible U.S. default on its debt rattled Wall Street and Main Street alike. This effect was temporary, however, as confidence spiked by 16 points in 2012 -- tied with last year for the highest annual improvement in the trend -- though the index remained negative.
Confidence further strengthened over the next four years, although slowly, with the index's annual average increasing by a total of six points between 2013 and 2016. Confidence remained net-negative over this period, though the index's weekly measurements were positive for a brief time in early 2015 after gas prices plunged over several months in late 2014 and early 2015.
The election of Donald Trump in late 2016 helped push the index into positive territory on a consistent basis, as confidence dramatically improved after his election. The index's monthly average hit a then-record high of +9 in December 2016.
This newfound confidence carried over into 2017. The index averaged +10 or higher in eight separate weeks, including a score of +13 for the final week of the year. Often these peaks in confidence coincided with new highs hit by major stock indicators, especially the Dow Jones industrial average.
Republicans' Confidence in Economy Hits Nine-Year High
Republicans' confidence in the economy stood at +46 in 2017, a 77-point improvement from 2016 and the highest level for this group in Gallup's history of tracking this question. Undoubtedly, Republicans' economic optimism is partially based on the fact that the economy is now in the hands of a Republican president who made a number of conservative economic promises during the 2016 campaign and is working with a Republican-led Congress.
But partisanship doesn't completely explain improving economic perceptions -- economic confidence also rose among political independents in 2017, to -1 from -13 in 2016. And while Democrats' ratings of the economy deteriorated in 2017, this was less than the improvement in Republicans' confidence. In 2017, Democrats' economic confidence fell to -20 from +18 in 2016, a 38-point decline.
Americans More Confident in Current Conditions Than Economic Outlook
Perceptions of the economy's current conditions improved markedly in 2017, with more Americans rating them positively than negatively. The current conditions component of Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index averaged +13 last year, up from -2 in 2016. Last year's score reflects the 34% of Americans who described the economy as "excellent" or "good," minus the 21% who described it as "poor."
The economic outlook component also advanced in 2017, though -- at -1 -- it remained slightly negative. This score is the result of 46% of Americans saying the economy was "getting better," while 47% said it was "getting worse." The outlook component averaged -17 in 2016.
By a number of indicators, the U.S. economy had a good 2017. Closely followed stock market indexes such as the Dow performed strongly and set multiple new records over the course of the year, and the labor force unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in almost two decades. Crucially, national GDP grew at a quarterly rate of 3% or higher in the middle two quarters of 2017, only the third time the economy has grown this fast in consecutive quarters since before the recession.
Given these positive signs, it may be unsurprising that Americans regained their sense of economic confidence last year. But with economic pessimism dominating the national mood for so long, it was not necessarily foreordained that an improving economy would boost Americans' confidence. For instance, other key Gallup indicators, such as satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S., have remained steadfastly low for about a decade despite changing national conditions.
Instead, economic confidence rallied in 2017. It is true that partisanship explains a portion of this rally: Republicans' surging confidence that began in late 2016 and continued last year was more the result of political, not economic, change. But at the same time, confidence has improved among independents, a sign that improving economic conditions are changing economic perceptions. Even Democrats in 2017 rated the economy's current conditions positively, though they were less sanguine about the economy's future -- presumably because they disagree with Trump's economic policies.
Moreover, a majority of Americans are optimistic about what the new year holds for the economy -- with 52% saying 2018 will be a year of economic prosperity. If that expectation becomes reality, Americans' confidence in the economy could continue to improve.
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2017, on the Gallup U.S. Daily survey, with a random sample of 153,481 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.
Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.
Learn more about how the Gallup U.S. Daily works.


Subtracting Exponents with Same Base but Different Exponent
 1. How do you do this problem (without a calculator) that looks deceivingly simple, yet is utterly confusing. (2 ^ 30 - 2 ^ 29)/2 =?. The answer is
 2 ^ 28, but how was this done without using a calculator. The furthest I can take this without using a calculator is 2 ^ 29 - 2 ^ 28
 2. jcsd
 3. 2 ^ 29 - 2 ^ 28 = 2^28(2-1) = 2^28(1) = 2^28
 4. HallsofIvy
 HallsofIvy 40,804
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 Science Advisor
 230- 229= 2(229)- 229=
 (2-1)229= 229 so (230-229)/2= 229/2= 228.
 5. I am trying to work this actual problem that is in my GRE practice book. Looking at the way it is worked i still need help. Please let me know if you could help in any way.
 6. Gokul43201
 Gokul43201 11,141
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 Science Advisor
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 Complete solutions have been posted above. What specific help are you looking for? If you explain which concept you're having difficulty with, someone might be able to help you better.
 Edit : If your problem is entirely unrelated to the prior content of this thread, state the COMPLETE question in a new thread.
 Last edited: Jul 30, 2006
 7. Well i understand how the orginal problem 2^30-2^29/2 becomes 2^29 -2^28 because you subract 2^1 from each exponent. Why isn't the 2 at the bottom cancelled out? And where is the (2-1) coming from? The rule in the GRE manual for example 5^7/5^4 becomes 5^3 thus cancelling the denominator of 5. Please help me clear up any confusions.
 8. Office_Shredder
 Office_Shredder 4,499
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 Let's try being more explicit then:
 Step one: cancel the two in the denominator. TO do this, you divide each term by 2, meaning (for this specific scenario), you subtract one from each exponent
 Step two: Factor 228 from all the terms.
 Step three: Remembering some basic exponent rules, we clean up the equation a bit (specifically a number to the power of 1 or 0)
 Step four: Finish solving by calculating 2-1
 228(1) = 228
 9. i have the same problem with the problem above. this is the problem:
 3^(n+2) / [3^(n+3) - 3^(n+1)]
 the answer key says that the answer is 1/3 but when I solved for it, the answer is 3/8.. what is really the correct answer and how will it be solved?
 10. HallsofIvy
 HallsofIvy 40,804
 Staff Emeritus
 Science Advisor
 If you only have powers of 3, you cannot possibly have a factor of [itex]8= 2^3[/itex]!
 The correct answer is 1/3 as you were toldwrite [itex]3^{n+2}[/itex] as [itex]3(3^{n+1})[/itex] and cancel.
 11. Mute
 Mute 1,391
 Homework Helper
 Unless you happen to have [itex]8 = 3^2-3^0[/itex].
 I get 3/8:
 [tex]\frac{3^{n+2}}{3^{n+3}-3^{n+1}} = \frac{3 3^{n+1}}{3^2 3^{n+1}-3^{n+1}} = \frac{3}{3^2-3^0} = \frac{3}{9-1} = \frac{3}{8}[/tex]
 Perhaps HallsofIvy and the person who wrote the book's answer key missed the "-3^(n+1)" in the denominator?
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Fluid Metering's valveless, ceramic pumps eliminate accuracy drift typical of pumping systems
Fluid Metering's valveless, ceramic pumps are engineered for pilot plant fluid control. The internal components of Fluid Metering pumps are designed to eliminate accuracy drift typical of pumping systems that rely on elastomers (flexible tubing and diaphragms) to move fluid through the pump. Fluid Metering pumps' valveless rotating and reciprocation piston design is engineered to eliminate the need for check valves. Flow rates can be controlled mechanically and/or electronically via standard industrial control protocols.


Why Citrus Trees Are Painted White
My girlfriend and I recently drove through Arizona, and while most of it was desert, we did see a few orchards of citrus trees. However, it was odd to see that many of the tree trunks were painted white. I was curious to learn more about this, so I did a bit of research. Here's what I found.
Citrus tree trunks are painted white to reflect sunlight off the tree's bark in the winter season. This prevents the tree's sap from entering a thaw and freeze cycle that might damage the tree's tissues. The reflective paint also keeps citrus trees from becoming sunburnt in the summer.
So, using white paint on your citrus trees helps prevent damage to their tissue and trunks in the summer and winter, but should you paint your trees? If so, what's the best way to paint them? Let's take a closer look.
Should You Paint Your Citrus Trees White?
whitewashing a tree
Consider painting, or "whitewashing", your citrus trees if you live in an area that gets cold, dry, and sunny winters. The white paint will help protect the tree during extreme heat in the summer, and the freeze and thaw cycles in the winter.
To determine if you should paint your citrus tree trunks white, it's helpful to know a bit about what happens to citrus trees during freeze and thaw cycles.
Citrus tree painting is most common in desert areas like Arizona or in parts of California that have a higher elevation, where the temperature difference between day and night is enough to throw off the tree's sense of dormancy.
To better see how warm days and cold nights can damage a citrus tree, think of how you use hoses during the winter. During freezing weather, hoses generally need to be drained of all water. If there's water left inside, the hose will expand and rupture the hose from the inside-out. The same can happen with citrus trees.
When it's warm, citrus tree sap normally moves up and down its tissues. However, during freezing weather, the flowing sap will become stuck from the cold. It also expands as it freezes, which bursts plant cells and tissues.
Because of this, the citrus tree could then crack or split, which exposes the tree and increases the risk of pests or disease from bacteria or fungus.
Trees can also become dehydrated and stressed by the lack of flowing sap, as the cold and dormant roots won't provide water or nutrients to the active tissues.
This stress from infection or dehydration can stunt the citrus tree's growth or fruit production for all of the next growing season and beyond.
So, where does white paint come in?
White paint reflects the strong winter sunlight off of the citrus tree's trunk and prevents the tree from warming and waking up from its dormancy. By keeping the tree's temperature lower during the warm days, the freezing nights aren't as drastic. This prevents the tree from going through extreme internal temperature swings and protects the tissues from bursting.
Because of this, the tree remains stable and in a sort of stasis throughout the dormant, winter season.
What Else Does White Paint Protect a Citrus Tree From?
Whitewashing a citrus tree when it is young also protects the thin bark from sunscald damage, which is caused by the strong sun beating directly onto the tree bark without the protection of foliage or other shade. It's essentially a sunburn for trees.
Also, painting the trunk white adds another layer to the thin bark that can help with light physical damage, like something hitting or scraping the trunk.
Some orchardists also rely on the painted bark to help them spot borers, as their sawdust trails show up more easily on the white paint than they do on the plain bark of an unpainted tree.
Is Paint Bad for Citrus Trees?
The paints used by gardeners or orchardists are usually a lime-based whitewash or a latex-based paint, which don't harm the tree, although there are drawbacks to the latex paint (more on this below).
The white paint is applied to the outside of the bark, which is itself a shield or barrier for the tree's inner tissues, so there's little to no absorption in the tree.
However, not all paint is safe for use on trees. Oil-based, enamel, semi-gloss paints, and paint primer should never be used, as these penetrate and stain the bark of the tree.
What Kind of Paint Is Used on Citrus Trees?
The best paints to use on citrus trees are:
 - Whitewash (also called limewash)
 - Casein paint
 - Latex paint
Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of these paints and see which one is best for citrus trees.
Latex Paint
If you're painting your own tree, you may want to consider avoiding latex-based paint.
The latex in paint, even in indoor grades, is derived from petrochemicals. This means they produce fumes known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause respiratory harm to life that's close enough to inhale them, and its run-off contaminates groundwater.
Fortunately, there are safer, organic alternatives.
Limewash is a type of whitewashing, and one that specifically uses, you guessed it—lime. It's an old term for white paint made with hydrated lime, or calcium hydroxide.
The process of manufacturing limewash involves taking limestone and treating it with heat and water to change its chemical makeup. It's also considered an environmental, or green product.
To make limewash for your citrus trees, you'll first need ten pounds of crushed lime. Start by adding three pounds of salt to twelve quarts of water, and then slowly add the ten pounds of crushed lime, stirring as you go.
However, if DIY isn't your thing, check out the selection at limeworks.us.
Casein Paint
White paint made from casein, or milk proteins, is easily made at home and is another good alternative to white latex paint.
To make casein paint, add the juice of one lemon to a quart of skim milk. Leave this out overnight. The next day, strain out the curds with a sieve or cheesecloth. The curds can be pulverized and used as paint or, to make their color even whiter, combined with four tablespoons of dry artist's pigment.
How to Apply White Paint on Citrus Trees
It's best to paint citrus tree trunks in the early fall before things start to get really cold, but if you're already in the winter season, apply the paint on a warm day. All you need is your whitewash of choice, a paintbrush, and a plan.
Here are some more tips on how best to apply whitewash citrus trees:
 - Whitewash young citrus trees as well because their bark is still thin and can be easily burned by the sun.
 - Plan to paint in the morning when the outdoor temperature is 50ºF and rising. Do it as early as you can to give the paint time to dry before nighttime and the cool temperatures arrive. But if you do it too early while the air is still cold, the paint itself may freeze on the trunk, which defeats the purpose. So plan accordingly!
 - A normal paintbrush is really your best bet for whitewashing. Some people like to spray the white paint onto the trunk, but this makes good coverage difficult, especially if there's a breeze.
 - If you're using casein paint, use it as soon as you can after you've strained it. If you wait too long, the paint will spoil and be very unpleasant to work with.
 - Apply the paint from the base of the tree up to where the trunk splits into branches. If you're painting a young sapling in spring or summer to protect it from scald, paint it up to the point where the foliage begins shading the trunk.
 - Paint all sides of the tree, not just the southern exposure.
 - If you're using limewash, keep stirring the paint pretty frequently as you go along to keep the lime fragments suspended in the water, or to keep the milk proteins from separating.
 - The trunk will need two or three coats of paint to get good coverage and color.
 - Refresh the paint on your citrus trees once a year in the fall, and you'll have thriving citrus trees for many years to come.
If you'd like to learn more about whitewashing, here's a video by Enjoy Transformation that shows how to make a traditional limewash.
Tyler Ziton
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The term latent typing is used to describe a computer language, such as Scheme, for which you cannot, in general, simply look at a program's source code and determine what type of data will be associated with a particular variable, or with the result of a particular expression.
Sometimes, of course, you can tell from the code what the type of
an expression will be. If you have a line in your program that sets the
x to the numeric value 1, you can be certain that,
immediately after that line has executed (and in the absence of multiple
x has the numeric value 1. Or if you write a procedure
that is designed to concatenate two strings, it is likely that the rest
of your application will always invoke this procedure with two string
parameters, and quite probable that the procedure would go wrong in some
way if it was ever invoked with parameters that were not both strings.
Nevertheless, the point is that there is nothing in Scheme which
requires the procedure parameters always to be strings, or
always to hold a numeric value, and there is no way of declaring in your
program that such constraints should always be obeyed. In the same
vein, there is no way to declare the expected type of a procedure's
Instead, the types of variables and expressions are only known – in general – at run time. If you need to check at some point that a value has the expected type, Scheme provides run time procedures that you can invoke to do so. But equally, it can be perfectly valid for two separate invocations of the same procedure to specify arguments with different types, and to return values with different types.
The next subsection explains what this means in practice, for the ways that Scheme programs use data types, values and variables.


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- Tempo - Adjust tempo by tapping the -/+ buttons or enter a tempo number.
- Beats - Select the number of beats per measure by tapping the -/+ buttons or enter the number of beats. 4 beats per measure = 4/4, 3 beat per measure = 3/4, etc. The down beat has a different tone than other beats.
- Number of Bars - Select the number of bars for the metronome to beat before stopping by tapping the -/+ buttons or enter the number of bars. You can use this option to create a "count off" or "lead in" to set the tempo prior to playing. You can also use this option along with Next Page to trigger a page turn after the number of bars has been reached.
- Rhythm - Select the desired rhythm for each beat, each button indicates the type of rhythm played. Choose quarter notes, eight notes, eight note triplets, sixteenth notes, etc.
- Mute - Enable to silence the metronome but keep it running.
- Turn Page - When enabled and the number of bars has been reached a page turn is signaled.
- Tap Tempo - Tap to set the tempo.
- Start - Starts and stops the metronome.
- Tone - Switches to the tone generator where you can select and play a tuning/drone note. Press PLAY to start the note, press STOP or BACK to end the note.


Common Desktop Environment: Help System Author's and Programmer's Guide
The entity for the copyright symbol (©) is a built-in special character, so all you have to do to display it is use this entity:
To display the uppercase greek letter sigma, you must first include the helpchar.ent file (at the top of your help volume with your other entity declarations) as shown here:

Then you can place the following entity reference where the sigma character is to appear:
As with any entity, case is not significant in the entity names for special characters.


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Test the Rs232 Communication and SunEzy Communication Protocol
After some time of searching on the internet for wisdom how to pull data from the SunEzy 2800, I came across this Python module: _URL_ It describes the communication protocol in detail. Looking into the Python sources, one can immediately see that this is professionally written software. For me as a Python beginner it was clear I would use this module, study it and hopefully learn a lot from it. But first I have to verify that the communication protocol works with my Sunezy 2800.
As I had to wait for Raspberry Pi to arrive, I first connected the SunEzy to my PC using a USB-RS232 cable and verified that the Sunezy Control Software worked. It took some time though, this piece of software is thought to connect to and manage multiple inverters.
The first test without this software was to query the serial number from the Sunezy inverter. Sounds simple. Send some bytes to the inverter, and read some bytes back – for this purpose there are terminal programs available, like TeraTerm. This sequence – expressed as hexadecimal numbers is to be sent to the inverter:
aa aa 01 00 00 00 00 04 00 01 59
Unfortunately, when I open a terminal in TeraTerm, I can send only characters that are available on the keyboard. But already the first character to send is hexadecimal 'aa' (representation of the ASCII character number 170, or binary _PHONE_). The normal Alphabet is represented by ASCII codes between 32 and 127. Some language specific characters can be represented by values between 128 and 255, but not all values can be generated easily with the keyboard. Worse, values below 32 are control characters, for example LF (line feed, ASCII code 10) or CR (carriage return, ASCII code 13).
The solution to this is: use a Hex Editor like Pspad, save the hex string to a to a file, start TeraTerm, and send data from this file.
Playing with this method wasn't satisfying because I had to connect the inverter with my PC with a 3m cable in that very small boxroom where the heating is.
Below is a code snippet that demonstrates the serial connection to a CMS / Sunezy inverter. It does the following:
- the serial port is opened. We use a normal 9600 Bd, 8N1 connection type.
- A reset is sent and then the serial number is queried. The programming approach is like a C programmer coming to learn Python (like myself) would do it.
- A reset is sent and then the serial number is queried. The programming is more "pythonic".
#!/usr/bin/env python import serial import time _TAG_ Seriellen Port port = serial.Serial('/dev/ttyAMA0',9600, timeout=0.2) # timeout? if not port.isOpen(): print "cannot connect to Sunezy." sys.exit(1) print "Port opened." """ THIS IS THE BEGINNERS WAY OF SENDING A STRING OF ASCII CODES TO THE DEVICE AND RECEIVING THE SERIAL NUMBER AS A HUMAN READABLE STRING. """ _TAG_ ''' | sync | src | dst | cmd | len | payload | checksum | | 2B | 2B | 2B | 2B | 1B | len B | 2B | aaaa 0100 0000 0004 00 0159 ''' SYNC = chr(0xaa) + chr(0xaa) SRC = chr(0x01) + chr(0x00) DST = chr(0x00) + chr(0x0) cmd = chr(0x00) + chr(0x04) leng = chr(0x00) chksum = chr(0x01) + chr(0x59) send = SYNC + SRC + DST + cmd + leng + chksum print "Reset - % i Bytes written." % port.write(send) time.sleep(0.2) _TAG_ serial number """ 2B 2B 2B 2B 1B len B 2B aaaa 0100 0000 0000 00 0155 """ cmd = chr(0x00) + chr(0x00) leng = chr(0x00) chksum = chr(0x01) + chr(0x55) send = SYNC + SRC + DST + cmd + leng + chksum print "Query - %i Bytes written." % port.write(send) time.sleep(.2) raw_line ="" if port.inWaiting() > 0: raw_line = port.read(port.inWaiting()) if len(raw_line) > 10: sn = raw_line[9:-2] print "Serial Number: %s" % sn else: print len(raw_line) ''' PYTHON PROVIDES SOME POWERFUL METHODS TO SIMPLIFY THE STRING OPERATIONS WITH ASCII CODES ''' import struct SYNC = 0xaaaa SRC = 0x0100 DST = 0x0000 CMD_RST = 0x0004 _TAG_ CMD_DSC = 0x0000 _TAG_ - query serial number data = struct.pack('!HHHHB', SYNC, SRC, DST, CMD_RST, 0x00) checksum = struct.pack('!H', sum(map(ord, data))) # sum over the entire data string without the checksum itself data = data + checksum if port.write(data) is len(data): print"--> ", data.encode('hex_codec') data = struct.pack('!HHHHB', SYNC, SRC, DST, CMD_DSC, 0x00) checksum = struct.pack('!H', sum(map(ord, data))) data = data + checksum if port.write(data) is len(data): print"--> ", data.encode('hex_codec') time.sleep(.2) in_data ="" if port.inWaiting() > 0: in_data = port.read(port.inWaiting()) print "<-- ", in_data.encode('hex_codec') if len(in_data) > 10: sn = in_data[9:-2] print "Serial Number: %s" % sn else: print "Bytes received: %i" % len(in_data) port.close()


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(Natural News) It looks like Nature is still weird and wonderful. Researchers have looked into a phenomenon where shrew heads shrink in winter and return to normal size come spring, reported the Daily Mail.
Like other animals, shrews sometimes struggle to survive during winter. It can be hard to gather enough food during this harsh season, and a group of researchers has discovered that shrew skulls shrink by at least 20 percent before winter approaches. While the reason for this is still shrouded in mystery, it appears that shrews shrink their skulls to prepare for cold weather.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany have found that the size of a shrew's head will change depending on the season. This occurrence is also known as "Dehnel's phenomenon." The lead author of the study, Dr. Javier Lazaro, said, "We found that each shrew undergoes a dramatic decrease in braincase size from summer to winter."
He continued, "Then, in spring, the braincase regrows, almost reaching the original size in the second summer."
Previous studies have already noted the occurrence of shrew heads shrinking as the seasons change, but this study is the first to monitor individual animals and record the phenomenon. The study took place from the summer of 2014 to the autumn of 2015.
Using live traps, researchers captured 12 shrews. The animals that underwent observation were anesthetized before their skulls were X-rayed. Researchers also implanted microchips in the shrews' skulls for easier identification. Based on the X-ray results, the shrews' heads did indeed shrink as the seasons changed.
The twelve shrews were caught during all three stages. The animals exhibited the same pattern: summer meant a peak head size, their skulls shrank in winter, and the skulls returned to normal size during spring.
Despite the data collated, researchers are still trying to determine the exact reason for Dehnel's phenomenon. And it's not just their skulls that shrink – the entire body of a shrew decreases in size, along with its major organs, spine, and brain. Shrews are notable for their high metabolism, and the researchers believe that the phenomenon helps shrews survive during winter.
Because shrews don't migrate or hibernate for winter like other animals, Dr. Lazaro posited that the phenomenon may be due to the shrew's efforts to increase their probability of survival. He added, "The partial regrowth into the adult phenotype in spring may then increase competitiveness during their only reproductive period when both sexes expand and aggressively defend their territories."
It is yet to be determined how the shrew skulls shrink, but some evidence suggests that their braincase shrinks when tissue is reabsorbed
Fast facts on shrews
- The Etruscan shrew (scientific name: Suncus etruscus), measuring at an estimated 3.5 cm and two grams, is the smallest living terrestrial mammal.
- The masked or common shrew's heart (scientific name: Sorex cinereus) beats 800 times a minute. This is notably faster than a hummingbird's heartbeat.
- Shrews need to consume at least 80 to 90 percent of their own body weight in food daily. Most shrews can starve to death if deprived of food for half a day. These animals will eat anything, but shrews prefer small animals. Shrews also help destroy insects and slugs that harm crops.
- Shrews are easily startled. They will jump, faint, or drop dead at sudden noises.
Are you enjoying this article? You can find similar animal news and how nature is fun and wonderful at WeirdScienceNews.com.


text:
Scope of Practice
As multi-skilled professionals, dental assistants possess a diverse knowledge base. They effectively perform clinical and administrative procedures through assignment and delegation of duties and responsibilities within provincial legislation.
Dental assistants practice effective interpersonal skills and maintain collaborative relationships with all members of the oral health care team. They are skilled at using technology for communication, exercising critical thinking and decision-making abilities and applying dental knowledge to clinical situations. Their education, training, professionalism and experience, coupled with provincial registration and licensing, qualify them to perform a variety of supportive and direct patient care procedures.
Dental assistants prepare and support patients for treatment by practising universal precautions and infection control, organising armamentarium, attending to patients' comfort and collecting and updating health histories. Dental assistants also assist with and perform a variety of clinical procedures. Using four or six-handed dentistry they assist the operator with the administration of anaesthetics, dental speciality and general dentistry procedures. They perform preventive, orthodontic, and prosthodontic intra-oral procedures as well as post treatment care. These may include selective coronal polishing, preliminary impressions, dental dams and fluoride application.
Dental assistants expose, process and mount dental radiographs for use in dental treatment. They produce records such as dental photographs and study models to aid in diagnosis. Dental assistants support clinical treatment procedures by performing certain laboratory functions. They fabricate study models and appliances as well as perform minor repairs. Dental assistants are responsible for routine maintenance of instruments and equipment in a dental practice. It is vital that instruments and equipment are in proper working order so that patient care can be delivered safely and effectively.
Dental assistants may also perform basic practice management procedures. These may include maintaining inventory of dental supplies, managing patients' appointments or maintaining financial records.
Dental assistants provide oral self-care, disease prevention, post-operative care, nutritional counselling and health education to patients and groups.
As new technologies emerge, dental assistants' scope of practice continually evolves. For this reason, dental assistants have a professional responsibility to learn about new technologies, to consider the impact of these new technologies on the dental profession and their own scope of practice, participate actively in their professional associations and upgrade their skills as regulations change.
CDAA National Occupational Analysis (2007) – lists in detail the allowable skills in each province. This is for reference purposes only. Please contact your dental assisting regulatory authority in your province for further information.


Integrative crosscutting themes include research that contribute both to fundamental scientific understanding and to more informed decision making. There are important synergies among the nine themes identified by the Klimapolis Laboratory partners, and they are not completely independent. For instance, research on climate impacts or air pollution control will clearly contribute to better understanding of both urban planning and stakeholder engagement. Therefore, all the research to be done under all nine themes will benefit from increased dialogue with decision makers across a wide range of sectors and scales.
Research to improve understanding of climate impacts in urban areas
1. Climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
2. Urban climate
3. Flooding, water shortage and other extreme events
Research to advance understanding of environmental interactions with on society
4. Air pollution control and source attribution
5. Urban Health
6. Regional urban footprint
Research to improve urban design and stakeholder engagement
7. Urban planning and design from city to neighbourhood scales
8. Social learning
9. Governance including regulations, procedures, accountability
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