Recently Microsoft support has fielded inquiries from several customers asking how to troubleshoot problems that cause delays during the boot and user logon processes on a desktop or laptop. The Windows Performance Toolkit xbootmgr.exe tool works well for troubleshooting boot and startup issues on a single machine. (See "Diagnose Shutdown Problems with Xbootmgr" for more information about using xbootmgr.exe.) But what if you're a large enterprise with thousands of desktops? You need a way to identify problem machines before a user reports them to the Help desk. You need to monitor desktop startup times over time and across the enterprise. And you need a way to collect boot time measurements, similar to those collected by xbootmgr.exe, from every machine for every boot. Here, I'll explain how you can use an event log, the new Windows 7 Event Viewer, and the Wevtutil tool to do these things.
A New Event Log to Aid in Troubleshooting
Beginning with Windows Vista, Windows now includes a new category of event logs: Applications and Services logs. The infrastructure underlying event logging now conforms to an XML schema. You can easily access the XML data for any event. The new event log interface lets you construct XML-based queries against event logs. The Event Viewer gives you to access to the new XML functionality in an easy-to-use graphical interface.
One of the logs in this new category is the Diagnostics-Performance/Operational log. This log contains events that record performance measurements similar to those provided by xbootmgr.exe. In fact, the data recorded is generated by the same mechanisms that Xbootmgr uses. Event IDs 100 through 110 record boot and startup performance statistics.
Using the Event Viewer in Windows 7
The new Event Viewer in Windows 7 lets you do more powerful filtering. The new UI lets you specify ranges of events. Under the covers, it builds the XPath query to filter out the events based on the criteria you specify. Figure 1 shows how you can filter for events 100 through 110. Figure 2 shows the XML version of the same query parameters. We're interested in Event ID 100 for the purposes of measuring the boot performance. Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the normal and XML views for event 100.
The XML presentation of the event contains a lot of interesting information. The BootTime value represents the number of milliseconds that elapsed from the time the system booted to the point after the user logged in that the system reached 80 percent idle for 10 seconds. The other time values listed represent the elapsed time for various stages during this boot process. You can find more information about the stages of the boot process in the Windows On/Off Transition Performance Analysis white paper.
The other boot performance events record information about specific events that contributed to delays during the boot/startup sequence. The trick is how to know which boot instance these messages belong to. This is where the ActivityID come in handy. In Figure 4, you'll see the following in the XML data:
All events related to this boot instance in this Event 100 record have this same ActivityID. By performing the following steps, we can use this information to create a more complex filter:
1. Click Filter Current Log… in the Actions Pane of Event Viewer.
2. On the XML tab, check the box Edit query manually, then answer Yes when prompted to continue.
3. Enter the following XML text into the query box:
4. Click OK.
Figure 5 shows a total of three events for this ActivityID. We can now examine these events to understand the problems that contributed to any boot/startup delays.
Collecting Data with Wevtutil
So far we've looked at only one boot instance. How do we collect data for all boot instances? By using Wevtutil, a Windows command-line tool for querying the Event logs. Using the following example, you can extract all the Event ID 100 records from the event log on a system:
wevtutil qe Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational /rd:true /f:xml /q:"*\\[System\\[(EventID = 100)\\]\\]" /e:Events > boot.xml
This creates an XML data file that contains all instances of the boot performance event for a machine. With each ActivityID, you could then query for the other related events. For example, the following query extracts the same three event records we saw in Figure 5:
wevtutil qe Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance/Operational /rd:true /f:xml /q:"* \\[System\\[(Correlation\\[_USER_='\\{00000001-0000-0000-1020-5CA87BB1CA01\\}'\\])\\]\\]" /e:Events > bootrelated.xml
Wevtutil.exe has many more options. Run the utility without any parameters to see a list of available options. For more information, see the MSDN article "Event Queries and Event XML." And for more information about learning XPath to define event queries, see XPath Syntax and XPath Examples.
Putting It All Together
Once you have the event data in XML format, it's fairly easy to extract the most interesting data points. Figure 6 shows some sample data I collected from one machine. In this example, I converted the time values to seconds. Differences in the number of applications that start at boot time could be significant when you're investigating changes in performance. With historical data like this, you can now begin to do some trend analysis. For example, this system was built on 1/13/2010. Application installations and configuration changes continued over the next couple of days. By 1/21/2010 the configuration changes had been completed. After that, the BootTime value was averaging about 124 seconds. However, notice that on 2/4/2010 and 2/9/2010 the times were significantly longer than average.
Extending the Value
Now that we have an automated way to extract the event data in XML form, we can collect this data periodically from multiple computers and store the results in a database. Using some simple reporting, it's easy to do trend analysis. A complete enterprise solution will require more code development and data management, but it's feasible. And that's exactly what one of my largest customers did.
Using a VBScript program I wrote, the customer collects event data into a SQL Server database. They've used this data to establish some baseline statistics for their desktop image build. They can pivot this data based on the hardware (e.g., memory, CPU, model) and software configuration. Using SQL Server Reporting Services, the customer built a dashboard view that displays the boot-time health status of all desktops in the enterprise. With specific reports, they can compare this baseline to new data collected after deploying new group policies, new security tools, or a hardware upgrade. They also use this data to proactively identify machines that take longer than the average baseline. This information allows IT to address issues before users call the Help desk, reducing the time to resolution and making end users happier.
Sean Wheeler ( is a senior premier field engineer in Microsoft's Premier Support team, assigned to support some of the largest enterprise customers. He is one of the original creators of the MPS Reporting tool. He specializes in scripting, debugging, and performance-related issues.


text:
Syngenta Canada Offers New Fungicide
Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc. has announced that Bravo ZN, a new formulation of Bravo fungicide that includes zinc, will be available to potato growers across Canada in 2011. Bravo ZN supports the development of healthier potato plants, resulting in improved defence against early blight. "Potato growers have long appreciated the disease control that Bravo delivers and have also long recognized the advantages of zinc. Bravo ZN brings these benefits together," says Fernando Olea, brand manager, Fungicides and Insecticides, Syngenta Canada. Bravo ZN is a broad-spectrum, contact fungicide offering protection against late blight, Botrytis vine rot and early blight. It is an effective fungicide that should be incorporated as the base of a preventative program. Bravo ZN includes the unique WeatherStik technology, a patented surfactant technology from Syngenta, which maximizes the product's ability to stick to plant surfaces to better prevent infection, even after heavy rainfall. For optimal convenience, Bravo ZN is a liquid formulation, eliminating dust, improving mixability and eradicating the issue of plugged nozzles.
AVEBE and BASF to Collaborate
Potato starch manufacturer AVEBE and plant biotechnology company BASF Plant Science have announced a research and development alliance in plant biotechnology. The companies are combining their competencies in biotechnology discovery and GM potato breeding with the aim of bringing farmers modern and fungal-resistant starch potato varieties. They will start developing a late blight-resistant amylopectin starch potato. The companies expect the first varieties to be available on the European market by 2019. "The cooperation underlines our strategy and our aim to increase efficiency in farming by bringing BASF's competence in plant biotechnology to farmers around the world in cooperation with the best partners," said Marc Ehrhardt, senior vice-president of BASF Plant Science.
Potatoes Aid Weight Loss
Research just released by the University of California, Davis and the National Center for Food Safety and Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology demonstrates that people may include potatoes in their diet and still lose weight. The study sought to gain a better understanding of the role potatoes and the glycemic index play in weight loss, largely because some have questioned the inclusion of potatoes in a weight-loss regimen due to the vegetable's designation as a high-glycemic-index food. "The results of this study confirm what health professionals and nutrition experts have said for years; when it comes to weight loss, it is not about eliminating a certain food or food groups, rather, it is reducing calories that counts," says lead researcher Britt Burton-Freeman. "There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, contribute to weight gain. In fact, we are seeing that they can be part of a weight-loss program." One medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato contains just 110 calories per serving, boasts more potassium (620g) than a banana, provides almost half the daily value of vitamin C (45 per cent), and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
PVY Testing Required for New Brunswick
In consultation with the New Brunswick potato industry, Regulation 82-70 of the Potato Disease Eradication Act has been amended to include mandatory post-harvest laboratory testing for Potato Virus Y of all seed potato varieties (classes Pre-Elite, Elite I, Elite II, Elite III, Elite IV and Foundation) that are to be planted in New Brunswick beginning in 2011. Pre-Elite and Elite I lots are exempt from post-harvest testing only if they are to be planted on the farm unit where they were originally produced. These regulation changes were initiated by industry stakeholders to assist in monitoring, controlling and reducing the level of PVY planted in the province. All seed lots intended for planting in the New Brunswick 2011 crop (including lots from other Canadian provinces and the United States), will require virus testing for all strains of PVY. Testing must be done in a laboratory recognized for seed potato certification testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or other laboratories deemed equivalent. Producers are encouraged to investigate and secure their 2011 seed stocks early, as supplies of low-virus seed of some varieties may be limited.
Canada Developing Potato Disease Standard
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established a Potato Sector Biosecurity Advisory Group, which will guide the development of a voluntary National Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the potato sector. The CFIA established this group in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Potato Committee Executive of the Canadian Horticultural Council, other potato industry organizations and provincial departments of agriculture. The new standard will complement existing farm-level programmes and will take approximately two years to develop.
The standard will be a voluntary tool that provides a consistent approach across Canada for identifying and mitigating the risks for transmitting disease and pests; facilitates advancements in the industry's identification and knowledge of the risks associated with pathogens and pests; identifies outcomes to achieve, and measures that will support, improved biosecurity practices; and helps identify potential gaps in current control measures, which can help growers improve the control of potato diseases and pests at the farm level.
Canadian Potato Production—Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada's most recent production figures show that Canadian farmers harvested 344,000 acres (139,217 hectares) of potatoes in 2010, resulting in 97,279,000 hundredweights (4,412,575 metric tonnes) being produced. This is down four per cent from 2009. The national yield increased one per cent from 2009. Area planted was down four per cent and area harvested was down five per cent. British Columbia experienced the largest decrease in production—down 48 per cent. Close to half of the planted area was not harvested due to extreme weather conditions during harvest. Saskatchewan showed the next greatest decrease, down 22 per cent, due to both area and yield decreases. Ontario's production was up four per cent because of an increase in the area planted. For the second year in a row, the value of the Canadian potato crop broke the billion dollar mark to come in at $1.1 billion. This is down from the record crop of 2008 at $1.2 billion.
Breeding Resistance to Late Blight
Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Crop Science Initiative have made a discovery that could instigate a paradigm shift in breeding resistance to late blight. Paul Birch of the University of Dundee and his team at the Scottish Crop Research Institute, the University of Dundee, and the University of Aberdeen have developed a new approach to breeding resistance to the mould-like organism Phytophthora infestans, which causes late blight. Through their work on the interactions between potato plants and P.infestans, Birch and his team have come up with a completely new approach to breeding resistance to late blight in potatoes. Working in collaboration with colleagues at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, this approach will be taken forward in a new project to identify resistance in potato plants, which could then be used for breeding new resistant varieties. It is also hoped it will be possible to combine resistance to late blight with resistance to nematodes in a single GM variety.
CHC Appoints New VP for Potato Section
Canadian Horticultural Council potato committee chair Keith Kuhl has announced that Mark Drouin has been named vice-president of potatoes. "Mark is no stranger to horticulture and, particularly, the potato industry," says Kuhl. Securing Drouin was a joint initiative between the CHC and United Potato Growers of Canada. Though their objectives and areas of activity are quite distinct, the two organizations have many members in common. In addition to his role as vice-president of potatoes for CHC, Drouin will serve as the general manager for UPGC. "Mark is joining us at a key time for United, as we work on developing a strong program for our 2011 United Partners Program seminars across the country early in the new year," says UPGC chair Ray Keenan. "He will also be building on our Canadian potato production and marketing data and analysis, and these initiatives will result in excellent information for Canadian potato growers and other industry members."
P.E.I. Potato Board Elects New Executive
The P.E.I. Potato Board has elected Gary Linkletter as chairman of the board. Linkletter currently serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and as vice-chair of the Canadian Horticultural Council's Potato Committee. Brian Ching is to serve as the new vice-chairman of the board and Wayne Diamond is named secretary-treasurer. They are joined by new directors Kirk Shea, Donald Godfrey and Colin MacAulay. The other board directors are past-chairman Boyd Rose, Peter Van Nieuwenhuyzen, Barry Green, Fulton Hamill, Daryl Wilkie and Harris Callaghan.

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


text:
- the combination of straps, bands, and other parts forming the working gear of a draft animal.Compare yoke1(def 1).
- (on a loom) the frame containing heddles through which the warp is drawn and which, in combination with another such frame or other frames, forms the shed and determines the woven pattern.
- the equipment, as straps, bolts, or gears, by which a large bell is mounted and rung.
- Electricity. wiring harness.
- armor for persons or horses.
- to put a harness on (a horse, donkey, dog, etc.); attach by a harness, as to a vehicle.
- to bring under conditions for effective use; gain control over for a particular end: to harness water power; to harness the energy of the sun.
- Archaic. to array in armor or equipments of war.
- in double harness. double harness(def 2).
- in harness,
- engaged in one's usual routine of work: After his illness he longed to get back in harness.
- together as cooperating partners or equals: Joe and I worked in harness on our last job.
Origin of harness
Synonyms for harnessSee more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
Related Words for in harnessoccupied, engaged, busy, selected, operating, signed, laboring, active, retained, working
- an arrangement of leather straps buckled or looped together, fitted to a draught animal in order that the animal can be attached to and pull a cart
- something resembling this, esp for attaching something to the bodya parachute harness
- mountaineering an arrangement of webbing straps that enables a climber to attach himself to the rope so that the impact of a fall is minimized
- the total system of electrical leads for a vehicle or aircraft
- weaving the part of a loom that raises and lowers the warp threads, creating the shed
- archaic armour collectively
- in harness at one's routine work
- to put harness on (a horse)
- (usually foll by to) to attach (a draught animal) by means of harness to (a cart, etc)
- to control so as to employ the energy or potential power ofto harness the atom
- to equip or clothe with armour
Word Origin for harness
"to put a harness on a draught animal," c.1300, from Old French harneschier, from harnois (see harness (n.)); figurative sense is from 1690s. Related: Harnessed; harnessing.
c.1300, "personal fighting equipment, body armor," also "armor or trappings of a war-horse," from Old French harnois "arms, equipment; harness; male genitalia; tackle; household equipment," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse *hernest "provisions for an army," from herr "army" (see harry) + nest "provisions" (see nostalgia). Non-military sense of "fittings for a beast of burden" is from early 14c. German Harnisch "harness, armor" is the French word, borrowed into Middle High German. The Celtic words also are believed to be from French, as are Spanish arnes, Portuguese arnez, Italian arnese. Prive harness (late 14c.) was a Middle English term for "sex organs."
On duty or at work. For example, Despite his illness he's determined to continue in harness. It also is put as be back in harness, meaning "to return to duty or work," as in After a long vacation she's finally back in harness. This expression alludes to horses harnessed to perform work. [First half of 1800s] Also see die with one's boots on (in harness).
see die with one's boots on (in harness) in harness.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


If we want to avoid future pandemics, preserve the Earth for future generations, and protect our own health and spiritual integrity, then there is only one answer.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN, January 26, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ — Today's society is evolving at an unprecedented rate with information being conveyed at blazing speeds and a global pandemic that has forced us to rapidly redefine our lifestyles. We have changed our behavior in ways that we couldn't fathom just one short year ago. And not surprisingly, a major shift that is exponentially changing is our culture surrounding food. The vegan movement is growing so quickly that Wall Street and other world financial exchanges are seeing a growing surge of Vegan IPOs.
The vast majority of restaurants now offer vegan options, chain restaurants are racing to come up with the best plant-based burgers and pizza toppings. Family dinners are bound to have a friend or relative who has stopped eating meat altogether, which further propels the conclusion: It is now time that our evolving culture changes to a mainstream vegan lifestyle and our global governments adopt vegan law.
The evidence for such a change is stronger than ever, with prominent scientists from health and environment fields backing the societal shift.
In Her message, Supreme Master Ching Hai a World-renowned spiritual teacher, artist and humanitarian, presses the importance of implementing vegan law, meaning banning all animal products across the world. Animal farming and the various business branches that emerge from it are not only brutal in terms of moral wrongdoings but also endangers our life on Earth. Exploitation has replaced compassion and kindness and so a law that applies vegan practices around the world is the only way to reach physical and spiritual salvation.
Supreme Master Ching Hai's message is a plea for help to all the government bodies and leading parties around the world who have the power to implement new laws as well as to all world citizens. Her words of wisdom and foresight are a wake-up call to make everyone realize the damage that has already been done and how that can be reversed by widespread adoption of a plant-based diet. If we want to avoid future pandemics, preserve the Earth for future generations, and protect our own health and spiritual integrity as well as prevent war, then there is only one answer.
With all hope and deepest sincerity, you are invited to watch this important message at the link below by Supreme Master Ching Hai, for humanity to join us to pray for World Vegan, World Peace every Thursday and Sunday at 9pm Hong Kong Time.


text:
Morrisons starting search for best local UK food producers
Staff Writer |
Morrisons is starting a search for the best local food producers who can help to feed the nation.
Article continues below
A new report calls for the UK to be more self-sufficient in food production and new consumer research shows a growing appetite from British shoppers for more local food.
"The Nation's Local Foodmakers" will see Morrisons aim to recruit more than 200 new suppliers from across England, Scotland and Wales in the first year.
Morrisons is inviting foodmakers to pitch for their place in its supermarkets via a series of 12 regional events starting in Yorkshire on March 14.
The move comes as a new report by leading experts on global food issues led by Professor Tim Benton, from the University of Leeds, says that only half (52%) of food eaten in the UK comes from British farmers.
In the British Food report, Professor Benton says that in light of uncertainties globally it makes increasing sense to build up a stronger local food sector here in the UK and calls on British retailers, producers and customers to recognise the wider benefits of supporting UK food making and production.
The main conclusions of the independent report, which was commissioned by Morrisons, are:
There are risks – climate change and trade wars - in "too much" reliance on food produced elsewhere and these could increase over time.
The rapid increase of global goods trading over the past 3 decades means we now export £18bn of food whilst importing £39bn.
Whilst global trade has a place and the UK can never be entirely self sufficient buying more food locally will increase our resilience to these risks.
British customers have an appetite to buy more local food because they believe it to be more trustworthy, and that it supports their local communities.
This is supported by new research from Morrisons which shows that British consumers are open to this shift with more than two thirds (67%) of UK shoppers stating in an omnibus survey of 2,000 adults a preference to buy British with the remainder expressing no preference.
Supporting local foodmakers will have wider benefits for the nation and the British countryside. It will support the local economy, maintain a thriving agricultural sector, create greater diversity of farm types producing more diverse foods, benefiting the countryside.
It will also potentially produce food more efficiently and transparently, increasing our trust in it.
The UK has seen a decline in the indigenous produce grown here with orchards, for example, now accounting for 25,100 hectares compared to 113,000 hectares 50 years go.
The report also points to periods where production of cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, parsnips, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, rhubarb and pears grown in the UK have decreased with French and runner beans down by as much as 49%.
The programme will see Morrisons buyers tour Great Britain in search of the best local producers to supply its 491 stores nationwide. The company has a priority of sourcing more local food and is keen to reduce the distance that food travels.
Morrisons will also be working with members of the Women's Institutes in their communities around the UK, using their local knowledge and expertise to source and select the best suppliers in their area. ■


text:
Thomas Larson in the Los Angeles Review of Books:
ANTHONY DAVIS, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera The Central Park Five, is a composer with a great future behind him. Five is his eighth opera, and during those labors, spanning four decades, he's found the time and talent to write orchestral pieces and music for plays, to record solo piano albums, to gig widely, and to make records with his group, Episteme. Under the microscope, Davis, who is 68 and a professor at the University of California at San Diego, reveals a rare strain of the American composer's DNA, a synthesis of the diasporic music of African descendants and the uncompromising voice of contemporary opera.
Fresh out of Yale and into New York City in 1977, Davis began to explore and reimagine jazz and composition, which he simmered with themes of social justice, à la his equally subversive forefather, Charles Mingus. Another primal influence was the Chicago-based Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians — havoc specialists, with roots in the 1960s, for whom live improvisation has been the gold standard. Yet Davis dislikes the "jazz" label. He prefers what he calls "a plurality of traditions," an eclectic assortment of mentors from Wagner to Thelonious Monk, Stravinsky to Anthony Braxton.


OpenSSO build I installed on Tomcat. However, that download was not working for me for some reason. So, instead, I got the June 30 download of this agent, at this location:
 Anyway, you can download a build with which you're comfortable. Look here:
 By the way, I'm downloading the agent in to the following directory: /pa3gf
 2. Unzip the zip file.
 For example:
 # unzip
 3. Stop the GlassFish domain with the following command (from the root directory):
 # glassfish/bin/asadmin stop-domain domain1
 If you don't shutdown the domain before creating the agent, it will modify files.
 4. Change to the directory that contains the agentadmin utility. For example:
 # cd /pa3gf/
 5. Set the permissions for the agentadmin utility. For example:
 # chmod 755 agentadmin
 6. Start the agent installation. For example:
 #./agentadmin --install
 I used./agentadmin --install instead of./agentadmin --custom-install.
 7. Complete the installation as described in the substeps that follow:
 1. Continually press enter to accept the various parts of the license agreement.
 2. Enter yes to accept the complete agreement.
 You must then answer the agent installer prompts. Many of your responses will be responses you provided when you created the agent profile.
 3. Respond to the following prompt:
 Enter the Application Server Config Directory Path
 I responded with the following:
 4. Respond to the following prompt:
 Federated Access Manager URL:
 I responded with the name of the Tomcat server, on which I installed OpenSSO:
 5. Respond to the following prompt:
 Agent URL:
 I responded with the name of the GlassFish instance including the port for domain1:
 6. Respond to the following prompt:
 Enter the Agent Profile name:
 I responded with the following:
 7. Respond to the following prompt:
 Enter the path to the password file:
 I responded with the following:
 Then, a summary of your responses is displayed as such:
 Application Server Config Directory :
 Federated Access Manager URL :
 Agent URL :
 Agent Profile name : glassfishagent
 Agent Profile Password file name : /pa3gf/gfagentpw
 Verify your settings above and decide from the choices below.
 1. Continue with Installation
 2. Back to the last interaction
 3. Start Over
 4. Exit
 8. Respond to the following prompt by providing one of the options listed at the end of summary.
 Please make your selection [1}
 I responded with the following:
To Deploy Applications on GlassFish
There are a few ways to deploy applications on GlassFish. This task shows the method I used. I deployed two applications at the same time. The agentapp.war file is used for housekeeping tasks. The agentsample.ear file is the J2EE agent sample application, which gives you the opportunity to practice protecting an application with the agent. Therefore, you can create policies and perform other tasks that control access to the application. I plan to add a blog entry in the future about using the sample application, so I've decided to deploy it now.
 1. Copy the agentapp.war file and the agentsample.ear file to the GlassFish autodeploy directory. For example, from the root directory, I issued the following commands:
 # cp /pa3gf/j2ee_agents/appserver_v9_agent/etc/agentapp.war /pa3gf/glassfish/domains/domain1/autodeploy
 # cp /pa3gf/j2ee_agents/appserver_v9_agent/sampleapp/dist/agentsample.ear /pa3gf/glassfish/domains/domain1/autodeployGlassfish Console: Left Pane
 2. Start the GlassFish server with the appropriate command. For example I issued the following command (from the root directory):
 # pa3gf/glassfish/bin/asadmin start-domain domain1
 When the domain starts, the two applications will deploy.
 3. Verify that the Application Server is running and the two applications were deployed as described in the substeps that follow:
 1. Using a browser, access
 2. Log in with the proper credentials. For example:
 User name: admin
 Password: adminadmin
 4. In the left pane, click the arrows next to the following labels:
 - Enterprise Applications
 - Web Applications
 You should see the two applications you just deployed, the agentsample and the agentapp, as illustrated in the image to the right.
 Now things are set for you to experiment with the sample application, which is what I'd like to get into soon myself. Hopefully, I'll be blogging about my travails with the sample application soon.
 As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, Sean Brydon has written up quite a bit about the J2EE sample applicaton, the quick example is here and the detailed example is here.
What does this box do?
« March 2014


Wenlock C of E Junior School Learning and Growing within the love of God
Accelerated Reader
There is a buzz about reading at Wenlock! Our reading scheme now follows the Accelerated Reader programme.
What is Accelerated Reader?
Accelerated Reader is an on-line tool used for monitoring and managing independent reading practice, motivating pupils to read for pleasure. It is aimed to engage pupils with their reading, increasing their reading comprehension, understanding of the text and improve vocabulary skills.
How does it work?
Every child takes a STAR reading test. They answer multiple choice questions and the test itself becomes easier/harder depending on if children answer the questions correctly. This test gives children their ZPD. We'll be testing once a term to measure children's progress.
What's a ZPD?
ZPD stands for 'Zone of Proximal Development' and simply means the level your child can read at that is not too easy that they become bored and not too difficult that they become frustrated. Your child will be given a range between two numbers eg. 3.5 – 5.5. This means that they can choose books from within their range. You'll find their ZPD on a sticker inside their communication book.
How do the children choose their book?
They visit our snazzy new library! It has been completely reorganised to help children choose books within their individual ranges. There are still lots of books from the old reading scheme and we've purchased plenty of new books too according to the children's wishes such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, books by David Walliams, How to Train Your Dragon and many more! The first thing to do is find the boxes which fit their range and find a book they like.
Next, they need to find the label. This will be either on the back cover, or inside the front cover. This label tells the children the title and author of the book. BL stands for Book Level. This book is a 4.1, which is within the 3.5 – 5.5 range so can be read. For reading this book, the points are displayed underneath.
Children can then read and enjoy their book independently, making sure they also read parts of it to you at home as well.
What happens after they finish the book?
Children need to take a quiz! They can take the quiz on school computers or iPads. It is recommended that children quiz within 24 hours of finishing the book but after the weekend is fine too. The quiz will be either 5, 10 or 20 multiple choice questions, depending on how long the book is. There is no time limit and children need 60% of the questions answered correctly to pass. 85%+ is even better! Their results are displayed at the end, along with how many points they win and how many words they have read in the book.
What if my child has less than 60% of correct answers in their quiz?
They can read the book again in its whole or in parts and give the quiz another go, erasing the previous score. Or, they can leave the quiz on their record and move on to another book. Choosing a new book with a slightly lower ZPD may help them to improve next time.
Can my child do their quizzes at home?
At this moment in time, we would prefer to keep the quizzing in school. There are plenty of opportunities to quiz including:
 - During morning registration time
 - Daily Guided Reading sessions in class
 - Other appropriate times at the direction of their class teacher
Why do children have to take a quiz?
Quizzes measure children's understanding of what they have read. The quizzing tool also helps us as a school to see how many books children have read, the average level they are choosing within their range. It is a real celebration of their enjoyment of a book too.
We have lots of books at home, can my child read those?
you can access AR Book Finder at to check! Search for the book and if the ZPD is within your child's range, then they can read the book and later quiz at school. You can also search by your child's ZPD to help when selecting books from your local library. There is even an option where you can search for books within Wenlock's library in school – simply type in the school code and search our list. Lost the code? Just ask the office for the AR Book Finder letter and it has all the information you need to get you started.
How can I help?
As much as Accelerated Reader supports independent/free reading, this still needs to be recorded in your child's communication book. It is a good idea to still discuss the events of what your child has read also. Try to read at least part of the book with your child, so they are still practising reading aloud to an adult. We will be continuing to listen to each child read in school once a week.
Your feedback is really important, so please let us know how your child is getting on with the new reading scheme. If you have any further queries about Accelerated Reader, please feel free to ask your child's class teacher.
"Accelerated Reader was the correct choice for our school. It is fun and it challenges us to try new books and read the right books for our age. We love the quizzes and challenging our brains!" -Wenlock pupil, 2017


Species Iris Group of North America
What's An Iris? What's SIGNA? Seed Exchange
Publications Species Database Spec-X IOTM
Upload Info
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Iris histrio subsp. histrio
Botanical Name: Iris histrio subsp. histrio (added by P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Botanical Synonyms:
Reticulata (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Common Names:
Chromosome Count:
2n=20 (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
General Description:
Hight 10-15cm, Flower is blue or purpleviolet with white dots, size is 6-7cm, appear in February. (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Distinguishing Features:
Preferred Habitat:
Requires dry summers (More than I. reticulata or I. histrioides) (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Native Range:
Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Armenia (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Status in the Wild:
Commercial Availability:
Rare (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Sources Cited:
"Iris" book by Fritz Koehlein (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Additional Comments:
Easier to grow is ssp. aintabensis. (Turkey, province Aintab) (P. Bohnert, 17-MAY-07)
Where to buy it:
Sorry, but no sources of Iris histrio subsp. histrio have been uploaded yet.


Estimate Your Blood Alcohol Content with Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is the place to go to do all kinds of calculations, you can even use it to estimate your blood alcohol level after you've put away a few drinks.
Note that this will only be an estimate, since it ignores variations in metabolism, food intake, medication, and so on. As always, we don't recommend you use this to judge whether you can drive—it'll never be accurate enough to judge whether you're legal, and no matter how well you may think you handle your liquor, don't drink and drive.
All that out of the way, it's a pretty interesting little tool. Here's what you do:
 1. Go to Wolfram Alpha.
 2. In the search box, input the following: BAC 5 drinks, 3 hours, male, 180lb (change the number of drinks, the period of time you spent drinking, your gender, and your weight.)
 3. Click the = button or press Enter on your keyboard. The results will be displayed.
It'll show you what your blood alcohol percentage is, and even show you a graph of (roughly) how long it'll take to get back down to 0%. Again, it's not perfect—and it shouldn't judge whether you're sober enough to drive—but it is pretty cool.


text:
Learn how to create a fun Easter Themed collage, we'll be creating Easter Eggs, a hatching Bird and a Bunny Face from scratch in Adobe Illustrator and arranging it into an Easter Egg shape. We'll also be adding some finishing touches in Adobe Photoshop.
1. Create a new document that's 600×600 pixels. Select the Ellipse Tool and draw a circle while holding down the Shift key (to keep the shape perfect), I'm using the colour #6ED5F9.
Select the circle with the Direct Selection Tool, and click on the Top Anchor Point, select the top anchor point again and drag up to create an egg shape.
2. Click on the egg, and drag away while holding down the Alt Key to duplicate. Do this 2 times.
Striped Easter Egg
3. Select 2 of the eggs with the Selection Tool and drag away. On remaining egg, select the Rectangle Tool and draw a thin black shape like below. Duplicate the shape and separate it like below. Select all the black shapes, the egg and click on the Minus Front Icon in Pathfinder.
4. Drag the 2nd easter egg back onto the canvas. Select the Pen Tool (Fill: none & Stroke: black 1px). Draw a zigzag across the egg like below. Select the egg and zigzag and click on the Divide icon in Pathfinder. With the shape still selected, go to Object > Ungroup or click Shift + CTRL + G to separate the shape into 2 parts.
Select the top part with the Selection Tool, drag away and rotate like below.
5. Duplicate the leftover egg shape and place it on the bottom part of the egg, right click > Arrange > Send to Back to place it behind. Make the colour _TAG_. Select the shape with the Selection Tool and drag the top down to make it smaller.
6. Using the Pen Tool, draw some hair on top of the bird. Next select the Ellipse Tool and draw some eyes using black or dark grey. Using the Pen Tool again finish the bird off with a beak.
7. Using the Ellipse Tool, draw 2 shapes like below. Select the 2 shapes and click on the Merge or Unite icon in Pathfinder.
8. Next draw a circle using the Ellipse Tool. Select the Direct Selection Tool and click on the circle. Click on the Top anchor point to select it, then again and drag it down to make a nose.
9. With the Ellipse Tool, draw the eyes, and with the Line Tool (Fill: None, Stroke: Black 2pt), hold down the Shift Key and draw the first mouth section.
10. Draw 2 shapes like below with the ellipse tool, select the 2 shapes and click on the Minus Front icon in Pathfinder to create a smiley mouth. Place the shape over the easter rabbit.
11. Next draw the rabbit ears with the Ellipse Tool. Rotate the shapes by clicking on the shapes with the Selection Tool and rotating.
12. Place the ear onto the bunny and duplicate the ear for the other other.
13. Now you should have all the Easter shapes ready.
Easter Egg Background Guide
14. Drag all the easter shapes off the canvas, duplicate the plain easter egg, drag it onto the canvas and enlarge. Right click the egg shape Arrange > Send to Back. On the layer window, click on the little arrow to bring up all of the layers. Scroll down to the large egg layer and lock the layer.
15. Drag back the Easter shapes to the canvas again, while holding down the Shift Key, click on all the blue shape, double click on the fill color and make it white.
16. Here comes the time consuming part. Drag the shapes off the canvas again (into the grey area so it's easy to see them). Select each shape and place it on the egg, duplicate the shape many times and experiment with the size and rotation. Do this for each Easter shape.
17. Click on the arrow to see all the layers again, scroll down to the Egg Background and remove the layer from view & save the document.
18. Create a new document that's 600×600 pixels with a white background. Double click on the background layer to unlock it, then again to go into Blending Options > Gradient Overlay and put in the following gradient:
19. Copy & Paste this Grunge Texture onto the canvas and set the Blending Mode to Soft Light.
20. Open up the Illustrator document and copy/paste it onto the canvas. To shrink it down, click CTRL+T and drag a corner down while holding down the Shift Key.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


IBM Support
DB2 HANG DATA COLLECTION
Technical Blog Post
Abstract
DB2 HANG DATA COLLECTION
Body
Problem definition: -
Every DBA has encountered a problem when the database is not responding and had to use the failover mechanism to bring the service back up. In this article, we will move from defining different types of hangs and what to collect to debug the problem. Scope of this document is single partitioned database hosted on Linux/Unix and Windows. This data collection is to get close to the complete data set i.e. covering recursion, latching and other symptoms but sometime support might have to ask more debug data is the problem include O.S API's etc.
image-20200224151737-1
Hard hang: -When DB2 does not respond to any commands on CLP such as DB2 "list applications" does not return the prompt back. DB2 typically makes many OS level calls which requires to execute in kernel space and potentially can get stuck there for whatever reason. From DB2 user perspective, we would divide into as
 - Every DB2 command related to the processing such as connect to DB, existing connection executing any select hangs. Get snapshot commands or mon report did not return the prompt back and db2pd commands are also timing out
Passive Hang: - When DB2 engine responds but at a very slow pace but OS commands are running fine without any delay. Example would be, DB2 list applications takes several minutes to return the value. vmstat/iostat and top/topas commands are showing values without any issue.
Data collection: -
In a hang state, the most essential data to debug the problem are stack traces for all the edus (Engine dispatched unit) under db2sysc process. We are covering the stack collection in 2 ways, one from DB2 infrastructure and one from O.S. The reason for both DB2 and O.S is to cover both user space information and kernel space. There are cases when the signal handler might miss the stack dump signal if it is in kernel code path.
The first and most important thing is the classification of the hang. The most common command used for data collection in such scenarios is db2fodc -hang full or db2fodc -hang basic.
db2fodc -hang full: - It collects data using db2cos infrastructure which would include stacks, traces, snapshots and O.S information. It is most suitable for the passive hang situations.
db2fodc -hang basic: - As the name suggests, it collects the subset of the information as compare to full option. Best suitable for the situations when the new connections are hanging but your existing connection is able to process the request.
Hard hang: - When every db2 command hangs on the CLP including db2pd
Assuming that the system resources are not exhausted ( such as memory ) at the time when the problem happens.
AIX :-
vmstat -Iwt 1 30 > vmstat_Iwt.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
iostat -RDTVl 2 15 > iostat_RDTVl.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
ps -kelf >ps.kelf.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
svmon -P 'db2pd -edus | grep "^db2sysc" | awk '{ print $3 }'' > svmon.P.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
svmon -G >svmon.G.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Get db2sysc process id using ps -ef |grep db2sysc
ps -mo THREAD -p <db2sysc pid> >db2sysc.thread.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
procstack <db2sysc pid> >pstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Wait for 30 second
procstack <db2sysc pid> >pstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Wait for 30 second
procstack <db2sysc pid> >pstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
AS root:-
Download the tool pdump.sh from _URL_ and then run it as
pdump.sh –l <db2sysc pid>
sleep 60
pdump.sh –l <db2sysc pid>
Note: Sometimes if db2sysc has lot of threads, it can take some time to dump, so please be patient
If the above is not working, then get stacks of ALL the threads using the following commands:
echo 'th *' | kdb -script >thread.list
egrep -v "NONE|ZOMB" thread.list | egrep pvthr | tr '*!>' ' ' | awk '{print "f "$2}' | kdb -script > thread.stacks.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Wait for 30 seconds
echo 'th *' | kdb -script >thread.list
egrep -v "NONE|ZOMB" thread.list | egrep pvthr | tr '*!>' ' ' | awk '{print "f "$2}' | kdb -script > thread.stacks.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
LINUX :-
vmstat 1 30 > vmstat.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
iostat -xt 2 15 > iostat_xt.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
ps -eLf >ps_eLf.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
top -b -n 2 -d 10 >top.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Get db2sysc process id using ps -ef |grep db2sysc
gstack should be installed on the machine.
As DB2 instance owner OR root
gstack <db2sysc pid> >gstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Wait for 30 second
gstack <db2sysc pid> >gstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
Wait for 30 second
gstack <db2sysc pid> >gstack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
The above prints the user side stack of the threads.
To get the kernel side of the stacks, as user root, issue the following commands:
echo "1" > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
echo "t" > /proc/sysrq-trigger ( This will dump the stacks of all threads )
dmesg > kernel.stack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
wait for 30 second
echo "1" > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
echo "t" > /proc/sysrq-trigger ( This will dump the stacks of all threads )
dmesg > kernel.stack.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
echo "0" > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
Windows: -
db2bddbg -d db2ntDumpTid <path> -1 stack.1
Wait for 30 second
db2bddbg -d db2ntDumpTid <path> -1 stack.2
Once it is done try to format the stacks using
db2xprt stack.1 stack.fmt.1
db2xprt stack.2 stack.fmt.2
When DB2 commands hang but db2pd is responding.
AIX:-
O.S commands: -
vmstat -Iwt 1 30 > vmstat_Iwt.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
iostat -RDTVl 2 15 > iostat_RDTVl.issue.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M.%S''
ps -kelf >ps.kelf.'date '+%Y-%m-%d-%H.%M


text:
The turnout for the recent Dutch municipal council elections was very low. From a rational perspective this is not surprising. The chance of casting the pivotal vote is minuscule, so why vote?
Motivation to vote
On March 19 the elections for the Municipal Council were held in the Netherlands. These elections take place every four years. Besides the municipal councils, the citizens of the Netherlands also have a vote for the House of Representatives, the European Parliament, the Provincial Council, and the Dutch Water Authorities. The turnout for the elections for the House of Representatives is the highest: around 75%. The turnout for the municipal council elections, however, is normally much lower than in national elections: usually about 50%.
Some might find it surprising that the turnout for elections in the Netherlands is not higher. People care about the effects of current government policies. By voting, you can influence how and by whom the country is ruled. This should be a strong motivation to vote. In addition, many have fought to win this right for us. Women, such as Wilhelmina Drucker, Annette Versluys-Poelman and Aletta Jacobssacrificed a great deal so that women would be able to vote. For many women this is also an important reason to vote.
The impact of a single vote
A single vote, however, cannot determine which politician and/or which political party will rule the country. You need more votes. This can cause a reduction in people's willingness to make the effort to go to the polling station. In the 1970s the scientist Max Ringelmann speculated that people put in less effort when they are in groups. This reduction of effort is called "social loafing". In a group, people feel more able to free ride and let others do the work, since their input is less identifiable. It therefore makes sense for voters to decide not to bother to go to the polling station themselves, since they think others will do it for them.
Voting can thus be seen as a social dilemma. A social dilemma is an interpersonal situation where individuals must choose between maximizing their personal outcomes and maximizing their group's outcomes. With regard to voting: on the one hand people may think it is too much effort to vote; they will not go to the polling station, thereby maximizing their personal outcomes. On the other hand, they realize that if nobody votes, the political party of their choice will not win; this may lead them to cast their vote, thereby maximizing their group's outcomes. Although apparently most citizens in the Netherlands decide to maximize the group's outcomes, a large number of people still choose to maximize their own outcomes and stay home (especially during the municipal council elections).
Why vote at all?
This tendency of citizens not to vote because it takes too much personal effort has sometimes been referred to as the Paradox of Voting, or the Downs paradox. According to this paradox a rational, self-interested voter will not vote, because the costs of voting exceed the expected benefits. Given that the chance of casting the pivotal vote is minuscule, the perceived benefits of voting are lower than the cost.
From a rational perspective, it is thus perhaps more surprising that people vote at all. If each person only votes with a view to inﬂuencing the election outcome, then even the slightest cost—like mildly bad weather or a long route to the polling station—should dissuade anyone from voting. So why do half the citizens nevertheless show up at the polling stations?
Pride in 'taking control'
This is because people are not rational beings. Social psychologists, but also psychologists in general, have shown repeatedly that people do not always act rationally. With regard to voting, people may have different reasons to vote, for disregarding the cost-benefit analysis. People may feel pride in having voted. They may feel they have more control over the outcomes of the election than they actually do. Even the exercise of walking to the polling station, if the voter so chooses, could be seen as beneficial (assuming no other form of exercise is available).
People do not always act rationally. In contrast to rational choice theorists, psychologists are thus still surprised by the low turnout during the elections. Fortunately politicians can use insights from psychology to persuade citizens to vote more. The politicians' goal must be to dissuade the electorate from making cost-benefit analyses and to emphasize that every vote counts. And next time you think it is too much effort to vote, remember: Although the costs are high and the personal benefits are low, if nobody voted our country would not have a government.


text:
Payton, M. (2023) 'Exam skills: navigating travel writing: language and literature', English Review, 33 (4), pp.26-28.
Mark Payton explores approaches to the analysis of travel writing for the English language and literature exam, using Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni's Understanding Chic as an example. This piece forms part of a 2011 compilation of outsiders' reflection on Paris entitled Paris was Ours and is therefore ideal for inclusion in the AQA Anthology: Paris for analysis by students of A-level English language and literature in Section A (Remembered Places) or Paper 1 (Telling Stories). Look out for the practice exam question in this article.
Shah, V. (2022) 'Paris: a city of stories', Emagazine, 98, pp.35-38.
Varsha Shah argues that narrative is an essential element in non-fiction as well as fiction texts, as is evidenced in the AQA English Language and Literature anthology on Paris.
Hughes, A. (2018) "Chic savages': otherness in AQA's Paris Anthology', Emagazine, 82, pp.56-57.
Exploring the AQA Anthology through the lens of otherness provides a rich analytical approach to a set of texts by writers who are not Parisian themselves.
Lickorish-Quinn, K. (2017) 'Story-telling and memory in Paris: the AQA B Lang/Lit Anthology', Emagazine, 76, pp.58-61.
Karina Lickorish Quinn takes the title of Hemingway's iconic book about Paris – 'A Moveable Feast' – as the starting point for thinking about the AQA B anthology.
Balchin, G. (2016) 'The AQA Lang/Lit Paris Anthology: schematic knowledge and stereotypes', Emagazine, 73, pp.64-65.
A Level teacher Grace Balchin draws on the notion of schemas of knowledge, to help you analyse the texts in AQA's Paris anthology.


e Aurel
 2012-01-01
 Economic growth is affected by the size and dynamics of underground economy. Determining this size is a subject of research for many authors. In this paper we present the relationship between underground economy dynamics and the dynamics of stock markets. The observations are based on regression used by Tanzi (1983) and the relationship between GDP and stock market presented in Tudor (2008). The conclusion of this paper is that the dynamics of underground economy is influenced by dynamic of f...
 5. Transport Model of Underground Sediment in Soils
 Sun Jichao; Wang Guangqian
 2013-01-01
 Studies about sediment erosion were mainly concentrated on the river channel sediment, the terrestrial sediment, and the underground sediment. The transport process of underground sediment is studied in the paper. The concept of the flush potential sediment is founded. The transport equation with stable saturated seepage is set up, and the relations between the flush potential sediment and water sediment are discussed. Flushing of underground sediment begins with small particles, and large pa...
 6. Prospective barrier coatings for superconducting cables
 Ipatov, Y.; Dolgosheev, P.; Sytnikov, V.
 1997-07-01
 Known and prospective types of chromium coatings, used in the production of superconducting 'cable-in-conduit' conductors designed for the ITER and other projects, are considered. The influence of the technological conditions during the galvanic plating of hard, grey, black and combined chromium coatings in various electrolytes and the annealing conditions in air and in vacuum on the contact electrical resistance of copper and superconducting wire at room temperature and 4.2 K as well as on other physical properties, e.g. resistance to abrasion, elasticity and thickness of the coatings, is investigated. Black oxide - chromium coatings and combined chromium coatings, containing oxides of chromium and a number of other metals, ensure the possibility of a significant increase of contact resistance as well as its regulation in a broad range of values in comparison with hard chromium. The results of the present work and also an independent investigation of the cable containing the strand, manufactured in JSC 'VNIIKP', allow us to propose the oxide - chromium coating as a barrier layer for multistrand superconducting cables.
 7. Cable energy function of cortical axons.
 Ju, Huiwen; Hines, Michael L; Yu, Yuguo
 2016-01-01
 Accurate estimation of action potential (AP)-related metabolic cost is essential for understanding energetic constraints on brain connections and signaling processes. Most previous energy estimates of the AP were obtained using the Na(+)-counting method, which seriously limits accurate assessment of metabolic cost of ionic currents that underlie AP conduction along the axon. Here, we first derive a full cable energy function for cortical axons based on classic Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuronal equations and then apply the cable energy function to precisely estimate the energy consumption of AP conduction along axons with different geometric shapes. Our analytical approach predicts an inhomogeneous distribution of metabolic cost along an axon with either uniformly or nonuniformly distributed ion channels. The results show that the Na(+)-counting method severely underestimates energy cost in the cable model by 20-70%. AP propagation along axons that differ in length may require over 15% more energy per unit of axon area than that required by a point model. However, actual energy cost can vary greatly depending on axonal branching complexity, ion channel density distributions, and AP conduction states. We also infer that the metabolic rate (i.e. energy consumption rate) of cortical axonal branches as a function of spatial volume exhibits a 3/4 power law relationship. PMID:27439954
 8. Cable energy function of cortical axons
 Ju, Huiwen; Hines, Michael L.; Yu, Yuguo
 2016-01-01
 Accurate estimation of action potential (AP)-related metabolic cost is essential for understanding energetic constraints on brain connections and signaling processes. Most previous energy estimates of the AP were obtained using the Na+-counting method, which seriously limits accurate assessment of metabolic cost of ionic currents that underlie AP conduction along the axon. Here, we first derive a full cable energy function for cortical axons based on classic Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neuronal equations and then apply the cable energy function to precisely estimate the energy consumption of AP conduction along axons with different geometric shapes. Our analytical approach predicts an inhomogeneous distribution of metabolic cost along an axon with either uniformly or nonuniformly distributed ion channels. The results show that the Na+-counting method severely underestimates energy cost in the cable model by 20–70%. AP propagation along axons that differ in length may require over 15% more energy per unit of axon area than that required by a point model. However, actual energy cost can vary greatly depending on axonal branching complexity, ion channel density distributions, and AP conduction states. We also infer that the metabolic rate (i.e. energy consumption rate) of cortical axonal branches as a function of spatial volume exhibits a 3/4 power law relationship. PMID:27439954
 9. The ANDES Deep Underground Laboratory
 Bertou, X
 2013-01-01
 ANDES (Agua Negra Deep Experiment Site) is a unique opportunity to build a deep underground laboratory in the southern hemisphere. It will be built in the Agua Negra tunnel planned between Argentina and Chile, and operated by the CLES, a Latin American consortium. With 1750m of rock overburden, and no close- by nuclear power plant, it will provide an extremely radiation quiet environment for neutrino and dark matter experiments. In particular, its location in the southern hemisphere should play a major role in understanding dark matter modulation signals.
 10. Third symposium on underground mining
 None
 1977-01-01
 The Third Symposium on Underground Mining was held at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, KY, October 18--20, 1977. Thirty-one papers have been entered individually into EDB and ERA. The topics covered include mining system (longwall, shortwall, room and pillar, etc.), mining equipment (continuous miners, longwall equipment, supports, roof bolters, shaft excavation equipment, monitoring and control systems. Maintenance and rebuilding facilities, lighting systems, etc.), ventilation, noise abatement, economics, accidents (cost), dust control and on-line computer systems. (LTN)
 11. Underground Shocks Ground Zero Responses
 Maurizio Bovi
 2004-01-01
 The aim of this paper is twofold. First, new annual data on Italian irregular sector for the period _PHONE_ are reconstructed. These data are compatible with the available _PHONE_ official data. Second, based on this self-consistent "long" sample a time series analysis of the two sides – the underground and the regular - of the Italian GDP is performed. Results from univariate and VAR models seem to suggest that there are no connections (causal relationship, feedbacks, contemporaneous cyc...
 12. Increased Ac excision (iae): Arabidopsis thaliana mutations affecting Ac transposition
 The maize transposable element Ac is highly active in the heterologous hosts tobacco and tomato, but shows very much reduced levels of activity in Arabidopsis. A mutagenesis experiment was undertaken with the aim of identifying Arabidopsis host factors responsible for the observed low levels of Ac activity. Seed from a line carrying a single copy of the Ac element inserted into the streptomycin phosphotransferase (SPT) reporter fusion, and which displayed typically low levels of Ac activity, were mutagenized using gamma rays. Nineteen mutants displaying high levels of somatic Ac activity, as judged by their highly variegated phenotypes, were isolated after screening the M2 generation on streptomycin-containing medium. The mutations fall into two complementation groups, iae1 and iae2, are unlinked to the SPT::Ac locus and segregate in a Mendelian fashion. The iae1 mutation is recessive and the iae2 mutation is semi-dominant. The iae1 and iae2 mutants show 550- and 70-fold increases, respectively, in the average number of Ac excision sectors per cotyledon. The IAE1 locus maps to chromosome 2, whereas the SPT::Ac reporter maps to chromosome 3. A molecular study of Ac activity in the iae1 mutant confirmed the very high levels of Ac excision predicted using the phenotypic assay, but revealed only low levels of Ac re-insertion. Analyses of germinal transposition in the iae1 mutant demonstrated an average germinal excision frequency of 3% and a frequency of independent Ac re-insertions following germinal excision of 22%. The iae mutants represents a possible means of improving the efficiency of Ac/Ds transposon tagging systems in Arabidopsis, and will enable the dissection of host involvement in Ac transposition and the mechanisms employed for controlling transposable element activity
 13. 30 CFR 57.8519 - Underground main fan controls.
 2010-07-01
 ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Underground main fan controls. 57.8519 Section... NONMETAL


text:
With renovations complete, Old Cathedral fully reopens with a classic look
The oldest Roman Catholic cathedral west of the Mississippi River is fully open to visitors once again.
The Basilica of St. Louis, better known as the Old Cathedral, never shut down during a multi-million dollar renovation that restored the church to its 1870s glory.
"We had to come up with some very creative ways to have people seated" for daily Mass, said the Rev. Richard Quirk, the Cathedral's assistant pastor.
The church's museum, which was gutted and expanded as part of the project, re-opened on Tuesday. Quirk said the renovated museum will highlight the role of faith in the history of St. Louis.
"Our museum will be interfacing with the new Gateway Arch museum, and there will be a path kind of connecting the two of them. So, as they grow and develop, we plan to grow and develop so people of all faiths can appreciate the role their faith and our faith played in the movement west," he said.
Quirk chaired the committee that oversaw the project. Planning took nearly six years, he said, and members had to initially decide whether to complete renovations from 1959 and 1960 or to "dig into the past."
The group chose the latter.
"The restoration we just completed is pretty much the way church looked in the heyday of St. Louis in 1870," Quirk said.
The extensive renovations can be seen both inside and outside. They include a new limestone facade and repairs to the steeple, in addition to a restored mosaic and refinished wooden floors, pews and confessional booths.
Adding to the retro look are a number of paintings from the 1800s that used to hang in the church, but had since been hidden away in storage.
"We consulted an art person here and had all those restored, and it's looking pretty amazing," Quirk said.
Quirk said about 200,000 visitors a year stop into the Old Cathedral. He said the renovations come at a perfect time with Easter nearing, because the colors and springtime sunshine make the Cathedral look "festive."
Follow Nathan Rubbelke on Twitter: @naterub


Clicky
Allulose Sweetener: A Market Analysis
Allulose sweetener is a low-calorie sugar alternative that has a similar taste and texture to sucrose but with only 10% of the calories. It is considered a rare sugar because it is naturally found in small amounts in some fruits such as figs and raisins. Allulose sweetener has been approved by the FDA in the United States since 2019 and has been gaining popularity among consumers who are looking for healthier and natural options to reduce their sugar intake.
This article will provide a detailed analysis of the market prospect of allulose sweetener, which countries or regions have the greatest demand for allulose sweetener and what are the causes.
Market Size and Growth
According to some market reports, the global allulose sweetener market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2023 to 2030. The market size was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 3.1 billion by 2030.
The major factors driving the market growth are:
 - The increasing demand for low-calorie sweeteners due to rising health awareness among consumers, the growing prevalence of obesity and diabetes, and the favorable regulatory policies for allulose sweetener.
 - The growing consumer preference for natural and plant-based ingredients over artificial sweeteners, as well as the clean label trend that requires transparency and simplicity in product labels.
 - The technological advancements and innovations in the production and application of allulose sweetener, such as enzymatic conversion, fermentation, and blending with other natural sweeteners.
Market Segmentation
The global allulose sweetener market can be segmented by type, application, and region.
By Type
The market can be divided into two types: liquid allulose and powder allulose. Liquid allulose is more soluble and stable than powder allulose, and is suitable for beverages, dairy products, syrups, and sauces. Powder allulose is more convenient and versatile than liquid allulose, and is suitable for bakery products, confectionery, cereals, and snacks.
The liquid allulose segment accounted for the largest market share in 2022, owing to its high demand in various applications. However, the powder allulose segment is expected to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, due to its ease of use and storage.
By Application
The market can be categorized into several applications: beverages, dairy products, bakery products, confectionery, cereals, snacks, sauces, and others.
Beverages include carbonated drinks, juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, tea, coffee, and alcoholic drinks. Dairy products include milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and butter. Bakery products include breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, muffins, and donuts. Confectionery includes chocolates, candies, gums, and mints. Cereals include breakfast cereals, granola bars, oatmeal, and porridge. Snacks include chips, crackers, popcorns, and nuts. Sauces include ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and salad dressing.
The beverages segment dominated the market in 2022, due to the high consumption of sugary drinks and the increasing demand for low-calorie alternatives.
The bakery products segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period, due to the rising popularity of baked goods and the need for sugar reduction in this category.
By Region
The market can be divided into five regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the United States of America, and China.
North America is expected to dominate the market share due to the high consumption of processed foods and beverages, the presence of key players in the region, and the increasing adoption of keto and low-carb diets.
Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth rate due to the rising disposable income, changing consumer preferences, and growing awareness of natural sweeteners.
Europe is also expected to see a significant growth in demand for allulose sweetener as a new ingredients consortium is seeking approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the UK Food Safety Authority to sell allulose sweetener in these markets. The ANFC expects to submit its novel foods petition within one year's time.
China is also a promising market for allulose sweetener, as it has a large population of consumers who are seeking healthier and natural alternatives to sugar. China is also the largest producer of allulose sweetener in the world, accounting for more than 80% of the global production capacity. However, the market penetration of allulose sweetener in China is still low, due to the lack of consumer awareness, high price, and limited distribution channels.
The United States of America is the largest consumer of allulose sweetener in the world, as it has a high demand for low-calorie and natural sweeteners. The US market is driven by the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes, the growing popularity of keto and low-carb diets, and the favorable regulatory environment for allulose sweetener. The FDA has exempted allulose from being counted as added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label, which has boosted the consumer acceptance and confidence in allulose sweetener.
Market Challenges and Opportunities
The global allulose sweetener market faces some challenges and opportunities that may affect its growth and development.
Some of the challenges are:
 - The high cost of production and processing of allulose sweetener, which makes it more expensive than other natural sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit.
 - The limited availability and supply of allulose sweetener, as it is a rare sugar that requires complex extraction and purification methods.
 - The lack of consumer awareness and education about the benefits and safety of allulose sweetener, especially in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific and Europe.
 - The potential regulatory hurdles and delays in obtaining approval for allulose sweetener in some regions such as Europe and Canada.
Some of the opportunities are:
 - The increasing consumer demand for low-calorie and natural sweeteners that can offer a similar taste and functionality to sugar without compromising on health and wellness.
 - The rising innovation and research in developing new applications and products that can use allulose sweetener as a key ingredient, such as beverages, dairy products, bakery products, confectionery, cereals, snacks, sauces, and others.
 - The expanding distribution channels and partnerships that can enhance the accessibility and availability of allulose sweetener in various markets and regions.
 - The growing support from industry associations and organizations that can promote the awareness and adoption of allulose sweetener among consumers and manufacturers.
Conclusion
Allulose sweetener is a low-calorie sugar alternative that has a similar taste and texture to sucrose but with only 10% of the calories. It is a rare sugar that is naturally found in some fruits such as figs and raisins. It has been approved by the FDA in the United States since 2019 and has been gaining popularity among consumers who are looking for healthier and natural options to reduce their sugar intake.
The global allulose sweetener market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2023 to 2030. The market size was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022.


Janette Oakman
'Bringing comfort &
 understanding through
 Helping to bring comfort and
understanding through knowledge
Mediumship Is Just Like Driving A Car
In the early days mediumship can be very similar to driving a car. When you start to learn to drive, you have to understand the gears, know which pedal to use and how much pressure to use, judge distances, remember to indicate, keep looking behind you through your rear view mirror, keep looking ahead of you as you need to know where you are going, pre empt what the person infront of you is going to do, pre empt what the person behind is going to do, pre empt what everyone at every junction you drive past is going to do, pre empt if the traffic lights are going to change or not, concentrate on your speed, concentrate on the pedestrains, make sure you are always 3ft away from any parked car, remember to indicate and then put someone else in the car that expects you to talk to them!
But just like learning to drive a car, it doesn't take too long before you are naturally doing all of the above without even giving it too much thought. A good friend of mine Bill Forrester psychic artist says its when we are doing scared spider impressions, you have arms and legs going everywhere! must admit I do like that visualisation.
Now if the person learning to drive can have a bit of understanding as to why they have to do each thing whilst driving, it can help the 'need to do it' to sink in. For example, if you stay in first gear you will ruin your gear box... a medium that isn't on the right level of awareness will NOT be able to give good spirit communication, as they won't be tuned n properly.
When learning to drive you must be aware of everything happening around you, if not you may miss something very important eg a child running into the road.. a medium must be aware of their whole body whilst working or they could miss some very good evidence that their body is picking up (a large part of my mediumship is done this way as I am a strong clairsentinent - clear feeling)
The traffic lights work in a certain way - we know when driving that if the green light goes amber that very soon it is going to be red and we must stop the car, so we start to slow down (of course checking the rear view mirror first) - many mediums recieve symbols from their guides when they are working, for example one medium I know will always see daffodils when there is a passing in January, another medium I know always knows there is a baby due to be born here soon when she sees rhubarb (long story).. so during your devleopment you might start to see that you always seem to see the same symbol and that it has the same meaning each time.. you will also have symbolic symbols given to you that you may need to either just give straight to the person you are giving a reading to or you may have to decipher the symbol for them.
so let's go back,
You and a passenger get in to your car and put on your seat belts - Protection very important and grounding
You put the key in the ignition - you have shown intention to work
You turn the key in the ignition - you connect with your guides
You pull off from the side of the road - you tune in to see if there is anyone in spirit that would like to communicate
you are driving your car - this is now you the medium
all traffic lights you see are now signs from your guides
the passenger in your car is now the person you are giving a reading to
the person driving a car infront of you is now your spirit communicator - never take your eyes off of them, hold them in your mind at all times. If they change direction and you have a new person driving infront of you, then you have a new spirit communicator to work with now..
Whilst watching them you will notice that they do odd things.. for example indicate to drive around a parked car - we as mediums need to notice these things when working. They may pull over and pick someone up - is it a male or female, how old, are they related? Notice anything about the way they walked or stood up? What hair colour they have etc etc
Now as living people we know that when a car infront of us stops to pick someone up that it is rare for anyone to do this for someone they have never known and that in the majority of cases it is because they belong to the same family group etc (unless the word taxi appears on the roof of the vechile of course lol)
When we are driving we have to apply the right pressure to the gas pedal to keep at a good speed and then maintain that speed - a medium has to make sure they are working on the correct level for what they are doing. A medium cannot give off to someone spirit communication if for example they are actually working on the psychic level, so it is important to start noticing what level you are actually working on.
Whilst driving our car we will use our eyes, our ears, our gut instincts, sometimes sense of smell (bonfires, car fires, manure, petrol etc) as mediums we use clear seeing, clear feeling, clear hearing, clear tasting, clear smelling
When we have finsihed our journey we will find somewhere safe to park our car, we will lock it up and this is also very similar to mediumship as we will close down, we will thank our guides for a lovely experience of working with them again. Just as our passenger may say, thank you for taking me to the shops for example..
I hope that this article has helped you to understand that, it may all sound very confusing at the beginning but if you allow it to, mediumship will become a lot easier the more often you do it and soon it will be as easy as driving a car.
God bless you all and thank you to my guides for helping me write this article for you all
copyright Janette Oakman
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Finance Retirement Here's to a long life: Aussies living longer than ever
Here's to a long life: Aussies living longer than ever
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Australians are living longer than at any time, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says, as death rates fall to a record low.
According to the ABS, Australia's life expectancy estimates are at their highest level, and remain among the highest in the world.
The combined male and female figure of 82 years, while a little lower than Japan and Hong Kong, is higher than Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, says the ABS Director of Demography, Bjorn Jarvis.
Life expectancy Australia
Source: ABS.
"A boy born today could expect to live 79.9 years, while a girl could expect to live 84.3 years," he said.
The Australian Capital Territory has the highest life expectancy at birth, with 81.2 years for males and 85.1 years for females.
The lowest life expectancy is in the Northern Territory, at 74.7 years for males and 80 years for females.
"For those approaching retirement age, say 65 years, males could expect to live a further 19 years and females a further 22 years."
While there were 147,098 deaths registered in Australia in 2012, the standardised death rate fell to 5.5 deaths per 1,000 people, the lowest rate ever recorded in Australia.
In 2002, the death rate was 6.8 deaths per 1,000 people.
This decrease over the past 10 years was greater for males (around two deaths per 1,000 males) than for females (around one death per 1,000 females).
Over the past 10 years, life expectancy at birth has improved by 2.5 years for males and 1.7 years for females.
Standardised death rates enable the comparison of death rates between populations with different age structures by relating them to a standard population (currently, the age distribution of all persons in the Australian population at 30 June 2001).


Quick Answer: What Was The First Spanish Settlement In America?
What land did Spain claim in North America?
Why didn't Spain conquer North America?
Spain was the first Empire to colonize North America, but they lost control over it because they settled it for short-term gains, not for long-term growth. … Under order of the Pope, the Spanish Empire was allowed to colonize North America, however they needed to convert the Native population to Christianity as well.
What were the three types of Spanish settlements in the Americas?
Spanish law called for three kinds of settlements in the Americas—pueblos, missions, and presidios. Pueblos (PWEH • blohz), or towns, were centers of trade.
What is America's oldest city?
Who was in America before the British?
The Vikings were probably the first white people to reach America. A band of these venturesome seafarers is believed to have explored part of the east coast of North America about 1,000 years ago. However, the exploration and settlement of America by Europeans did not begin for another 500 years.
Who came first in America?
How did Spain get to America?
Beginning with Columbus in 1492 and continuing for nearly 350 years, Spain conquered and settled most of South America, the Caribbean, and the American Southwest. … Christopher Columbus and his crew arrived in 1492 after sailing the ocean blue in a quest to find a faster trade route to Asia.
What parts of North America did Spain control?
Beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean and gaining control over more territory for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America.
What was the first settlement in America?
When did the Spanish first come to America?
1492The Spanish colonization of the Americas began with the arrival in America of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón) in 1492. This was the first part of the European colonization of the Americas.
What is oldest city in North America?
CholulaFounded by: Unknown Considered to be North America's oldest city (and with good reason!), Cholula is believed to have been founded by the arrival of Toltec refugees to the area following the fall of Tula in 1000 CE.


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BY: SUN STAFF
Brahma Sarovar Temple
Dec 10, CANADA (SUN) Brahma Sarovar is one of the holiest water tanks in all of Kurukshetra. Located in the in Thanesar area, this is the place where Lord Brahma conceived the earth planet. It is also said that Lord Brahma created the entire universe from the land of Kurukshetra, after performing a large yajna. Thus, Brahma Sarovar is considered to be the cradle of civilisation. The Sarovar itself is understood to represent the naval of Lord Brahma.
The Sarovar itself is 3,600 x 1,500 feet in size. Taking bath here in the sacred waters will result in the same pious credits as performing 'Ashvamedha Yajna'. Pilgrims flock here in especially large numbers to bathe on days of solar eclipse. Krsna, Balarama, and Subhadra came here to bathe during a solar eclipse, and the Kauravas and Pandavas also came here to take holy bath.
Brahma Sarovar is also the dhama of Lord Mahadev. There is a small lotus-shaped temple built within the lake, which is linked to outer sides by a small bridge. Sarveshwar Mahadev temple faces the entrance to the Sarovar. In the middle of the tank are various islands housing other temples and important shrines. Arched enclosures along the way provide shade and protection for pilgrims, and for the sadhus who congregate here to perform austerities and meditate.
During several weeks in the summer, some 500,000 people per day come to Brahma Sarovar. During winter, migratory birds from far off places also visit this holy tank. In late November, early December, deepa daan (floating lamps on the water) and aarti ceremonies are conducted here on Gita Jayanti, with great devotional fervor.
Entrance to Brahma Sarovar Lake
During the Kurukshetra Festival, for an entire week saintly persons come here to engage in Bhagwat Katha. The devotees come to Kurukshetra (Dharmakshetra) and recite Bhagavad-gita from early morning until the next morning, perform arati to Bhagavad-gita and to Krishna and Arjuna upon the chariot, offer lamps 'deep daan' at Brahma Sarovar, offer sloka recitals, shobha yatras and seminars on the significance of Bhagavad-gita today.
In the 11th century memoirs of Al Beruni, called Kitab-ul-Hind, the author mentioned the Brahma Sarovar tank. Having fallen into disrepair over the years, the tank is said to have been excavated by King Kuru, sometime before the battle of Kurukshetra. In more recent years, the Brahma Sarovar has been renovated, and now offers modern facilities to pilgrims.
Panorama view of Brahma Sarovar
[ Click to enlarge the image in new window]


text:
We've already seen a few questions about toilet hygiene but these styles of questions/myths more or less assume that toilet seats are the bottom of the hygienic barrel. Is this true?
To wit, I have personally heard the following places and objects compared to toilet seats in such a way as to lower the perceived hygienic status of the objects. If toilet seats aren't really that bad, than the usefulness of these comparisons is questionable.
- kitchen countertops,
- floors or walking around with bare feet,
- and so on.
With the goal of providing a baseline for toilet seat hygiene, how germy is the typical seat? How does this compare with regards to a typical standard of cleanliness?
To fit this topic into less subjective terms, here are three potential phrasings of the question:
- Compared with all other surfaces in a typical private residence, is a toilet seat above or below the average measure of hygienic quality?
- Compared with other publicly accessible surfaces, is a toilet seat in a public restaurant above or below the average hygienic quality?
- And the kicker: How do public gas station toilet seats fare against other gas station surfaces?


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Play with light and sound
A first for Australasia, the Antarctic Walkway is not just a functional piece of infrastructure to protect people from the weather but also an art installation, which reacts to your movement, speed and direction as you move through it.
Tip: the interaction happens both day and night, but you'll get the full experience when it's dark!
Antarctic Walkway – design rationale
The Antarctic Walkway follows an axis from Christchurch Airport to the International Antarctic Centre. It takes design cues from Antarctic pack ice and the Ellsworth Mountains.
Six frame modules make up the walkway, each with a different angle and height. These modules are stacked and flipped along the length of the walkway to create the superstructure from which the glass walls and roof attach. When read together the shifting angular forms give a rhythm that references the peaks and valleys of a mountain range.
Echoes – audio and lighting system
'Echoes' is an interactive experience which senses movement throughout the walkway and transfers it into sound and light. The speed and direction of the pulses is triggered by the visitor. Like ripples in the Southern Ocean, patterns form as multiple 'echoes' cross each other.


text:
an infinite loop or some other problem). Typical cues include changing the mouse cursor, printing a message, or displaying something in a buffer as Emacs does when the emacs-lisp interface is running.
Unfortunately, providing such a cue for every scavenge is a difficult problem and if it is done wrong, the consequences to Lisp can be fatal. However, we have provided an interface for the brave. The functions gc-before-c-hooks and gc-after-c-hooks return settable lists of addresses of C functions to be called before and after a gc.
Luckily, scavenges are usually fast and so failing to provide a cue may not be noticeable. Global gc's, however can be slow but it is possible to provide a cue for a global gc even without using C functions. There are two strategies: (1) determine when a global gc is necessary and either schedule it when convenient or warn the user that one is imminent; (2) do not give advance warning but provide a cue when it happens. Looking at these examples, you can probably craft your own method of warning or cue.
Note that in these examples, we replace the value of
*gc-after-hook* with a new
value, destroying the current value (which provides for the default
automated behavior). The default function is named by the (internal)
One way to implement the first strategy is to set a flag when a global gc is needed and then have code that acts on that flag. This code can be run at your choosing -- but be sure that it is run at some point. You might do this:
(defvar *my-gc-count* 0) (defvar *time-for-gc-p* nil) (defun my-gc-after-hook (global-p to-new to-old eff to-be-alloc) (declare (ignore eff to-new to-be-alloc)) (if global-p (progn (setq *my-gc-count* 0) (setq *time-for-gc-p* nil)) (progn (setq *my-gc-count* (+ *my-gc-count* to-old)) (if (> *my-gc-count* excl:*tenured-bytes-limit*) (setq *time-for-gc-p* t)))))
Make sure you compile my-gc-after-hook before
making it the value of
*gc-after-hook*. Now, define a function that
triggers a global gc (calls
(gc t)) when
*time-for-gc-p* is true. This function can be called by a
user of your application, or when your application is about to do
something that the user expects to wait for anyway, or whenever, so
long as it is called at some point.
In the second strategy, we provide some cue to the user that a global gc is occurring. We have not included the code for the cue (you should supply that) and notice we have gone to some pains to avoid a recursive error (where the garbage collector calls itself).
(defvar *my-gc-count* 0) (defvar *prevent-gc-recursion-problem* nil) (defun my-gc-after-hook (global-p to-new to-old eff to-be-alloc) (declare (ignore eff to-new to-be-alloc)) (when (null *prevent-gc-recursion-problem*) (if global-p (setq *my-gc-count* 0) (progn (setq *my-gc-count* (+ *my-gc-count* to-old)) (if (> *my-gc-count* excl:*tenured-bytes-limit*) (excl:without-interrupts (setq *prevent-gc-recursion-problem* t) ;; () (gc t) ;; () (setq *my-gc-count* 0) (setq *prevent-gc-recursion-problem* nil)))))))
;; () ;; ()
with whatever code you want, but be careful that there is no possibility of waiting (for user input, e.g.) or going into an infinite loop because you are in a without-interrupts form and waiting is wrong and an infinite loop is fatal in that case.
The following list contains information and advice concerning gsgc. Some of the information has already been provided above, but is given again here for emphasis.
nilunless some other method of stepping the generation is enabled (including specific action by you). If objects are not tenured, newspace will grow, filling up with long-lived objects, and performance will degrade significantly.
:tenure(which will cause all live objects to be tenured) or with the tenuring macro. There is no way to prevent a specific object from ever being tenured except by disabling generation stepping and thus preventing all objects from being tenured.
It is not easy to cause a gsgc error. Such errors are usually catastrophic (often Lisp dies either without warning or with a brief message that some unrecognizable object was discovered). Once the garbage collector becomes confused, it cannot be straightened out.
Such errors can be caused when Lisp code is compiled with the compiler
optimizations set so that normal argument and type checking is
disabled. For example, if a function is compiled with the values of
speed and safety such that the compiler:verify-argument-count-switch
nil, and that function is passed the wrong
number of arguments (usually too few), it can trigger a fatal gsgc
error. Before you report a gsgc error as a bug (and please do report
them), please recompile any code where checking was disabled with
settings of speed and safety which allow checking. See if the error
repeats itself. See Declarations and optimizations in
compiling.htm for more information on compiler
optimization switches and values of speed and safety.
Garbage collector errors may also be caused by foreign code signal handlers. Note that foreign code signal handlers should not call lisp_call_address or lisp_value. See foreign-functions.htm for more information on signals.
See the information on the
Section 5.4 Gsgc switches.
The Allegro CL image will grow as necessary while running. If it needs to grow and it cannot, a storage-condition type error is signaled (storage-condition is a standard Common Lisp condition type). While these errors might arise from insufficient swap space, the typical cause is a conflict in the virtual address space. That is, something else (a program or a library location) has grabbed virtual address space in a range that Lisp needs to grow the heap. (Allegro CL does not allow discontinuous virtual address ranges.)
Whatever the cause, the error is triggered by a request for space which cannot be fulfilled. Here we show the error when a largish array is created (this example is contrived in order to show the error: a request for such an array does not typically cause a problem).
CL-USER(25): (setq my-array (make-array 100000)) Error: An allocation request for 483032 bytes caused a need for _PHONE_ more bytes of heap. The operating system will not make the space available. [condition type: STORAGE-CONDITION] CL-USER(26):
A global gc may free up enough space within Lisp to continue without growing. Killing processes other than Lisp may free enough space for Lisp to grow. But it may be the case that other allocations of virtual address space conflicts with Lisp usage. Please contact Franz customer support for assistance in determining whether this is the case if the problem persists.
You trigger a global gc by evaluating (see gc):
When the garbage collector gets confused, usually by following what it believes to be a valid pointer, but one that does not point to an actual Lisp object, Lisp fails with a two part message. The first part is a brief description of the specific problem. The second part is a general statement about the gc failures and the fact they cannot be recovered from, along with an opportunity of get a core file (which may be useful for later analysis). Here are some examples of the second part:
The gc's internal control tables may have been corrupted and Lisp execution cannot continue. [or] The internal data structures in the running Lisp image have been corrupted and execution cannot continue. [then] Check all foreign functions and any Lisp code that was compiled with high speed and/or low safety, as these are two common sources of this failure. If you cannot find anything incorrect in your code you should contact technical support for Allegro Common Lisp, and we will try to help determine whether this is a coding error or an internal bug. Would you like to dump core for debugging before exiting(y or n)?
Here are some examples of the first part:
system error (gsgc): Unknown object type at (0xc50ec9a) system error (gsgc): Object already pointing to target newspace half: 0x42c43400 system error (gsgc): Scavenger invoked itself recursively.
As the text says in the second part, there is no recovery.
The causes of such errors can be one or more of the following:
Diagnosing and fixing the problem can be difficult. Here are some initial steps to take where possible:
(gc :print), see gc.)
If you cannot quickly determine the cause of the problem and a solution for it, contact Franz Inc. technical support at _EMAIL_. Be sure to include the output of a call to print-system-state, and provide any information about foreign code, optimizations, etc. that you can. We may ask you for a core file (which, as said above, can be optionally generated when there is a failure).
A Lisp object becomes garbage when nothing points to or references it. The way the