text:
How long is one minute? There is the objective answer of sixty seconds, but there is also the subjective personal perception. One minute can feel like a blink of an eye, but it can also last an eternity. When working in the lab, I often experience both perceptions within a workday. The days are always too short, and I regularly wish that I could live in the lab to work into the evenings. However, during each experiment, time often seems to have stopped moving. One experiment can appear to take forever, and I constantly have to prolong the allotted time for the tests. The temporal aspect of making is amplified, and patience is much required to conduct this slow research.
Taking time to manipulate a material is imperative to observe how matter changes its behavior gradually. The quality of the product usually relates to the time spent on the process as well. Almost every experiment I have done on grinding pigments from various natural sources circle back to the issue of time, when the tools I use to grind them remain consistent. Minerals, such as lapis lazuli, take much longer to grind to fine particles due to their hardness, whereas earth pigments like ochres are less time-consuming because they are generally softer. These observations do not come as a surprise, but going through the motion of grinding makes experiencing time much more intense than reading about it in historical recipes. A recent experiment might be able to visibly demonstrate what time does to change a material.
It is known that over-grinding of certain minerals can result in the pigments losing their brilliance and turning the colors dull. However, how long it takes for a pigment to pass the threshold and become over-ground can vary drastically depending on the type of the mineral and the quantity of the pigment. I wanted to see how easy it is to over-grind malachite using the simple technology of a glass muller and a granite slab. To do so, I put on a batch of malachite powder and ground it with water for ninety minutes. The powder was prepared from a previous experiment, in which I simply broke the stone into small pieces, crushed the pieces into coarse powder, ground the powder with the muller and slab until it no longer produced a cracking and scratching sound, and removed impurities through levigation. I took a little pigment out of the batch every ten minutes to see how the sizes of the particles changed during this ninety-minute process.
Time-lapse is a fascinating film technique which condenses a long sequence into a short period of time. The video (Fig. 1/Vid. 1) of me grinding malachite gives a deceptively brisk working pace that appears to be full of energy and excitement. In reality, the process was agonizingly long and taxing. Ten minutes into grinding, I was already losing my patience. The ten-minute marks never arrived fast enough, and there were still so many ten minutes to go. When grinding, there was no highly noticeable visual and tactile difference in the texture of the powder-water mixture. It was smooth and easy to be pushed around. However, the color of the mixture gradually became ever-so-slightly paler in the first half hour of grinding, and it was most observable when placing a small sample of the mixture onto the plate at the end of each ten-minute mark (Fig. 2). The color of the mixture stopped changing around the forty-minute mark, but I continued to complete the full ninety minutes of grinding.
Fig. 1/Vid. 1. Time-lapse of the malachite grinding experiment (or click here to see the video on Flickr).
Fig. 2. Samples of pigment ground for different lengths of time.
I left the pigment samples on the plate to dry and called it a day in the lab. Two days later, I returned to the samples and bound them with gum water to turn them into watercolor paint. Each sample became a small swatch painted over a strip of black India ink to test its opacity (Fig. 3). Immediately, the powder that did not undergo further grinding (0 minute) shows that the particles are too coarse to make a good paint. The sample with ten minutes of grinding time shows an improvement in the paint quality, but still not good. The swatches painted with pigments ground for thirty minutes or longer are more similar, in their colors and the smoothness of the paint surfaces.
Fig. 3. Swatches painted with watercolor paints made from pigment samples ground for different lengths of time.
Despite the change in color to a paler green, I do not think that I have over-ground the malachite. The darker greens have appealing colors, but the paints did not behave well. The higher grinding time resulted in finer particles, but more grinding did not further alter the color of the pigments in a highly visible manner. Rather, pigments with higher grinding time can be more evenly mixed with gum water to make paints with a better flow. Time, in this experiment, is a critical element to produce usable pigments, and it needs to be accompanied by the patience of repeating the same motion for a minimum of thirty minutes.


Home » Business
Pursue Repeated Breakthroughs in the Same Area for the Fastest Improvements
Dec 23, 2007
Want to zoom ahead faster than anyone? Breakthrough management practices can provide the answer. Develop that skill and repeatedly apply it to the same performance area, and you'll be flying ahead with improvements at breakneck speed.
Here's an example. An insurance company wanted to speed its time to process claims and cut its costs. The head of information technology was delighted when she improved performance by 20 times with the same time, effort, resources, and costs. Just a few months later, she reviewed her breakthrough solution and realized she could again improve performance by another 20 times with a solution she had never considered before. Her company went from losing money and market share to gaining industry leadership and high profits.
To accomplish 20 times as much with the same time, effort, resources, and cost, you need to learn and continually use all eight steps of the breakthrough solution process in the correct order.
The steps are listed here:
1. Understand the importance of measuring performance.
2. Decide what to measure.
3. Identify the future best practice and measure it.
4. Implement beyond the future best practice.
5. Identify the ideal best practice.
6. Pursue the ideal best practice.
7. Select the right people and provide the right motivation.
8. Repeat the first seven steps.
"Practice makes perfect." We learned to walk by taking more and more tottering steps before we fell. We learned to write by copying each letter many, many times. Doing is the best way to learn. Imagine trying to read a book to learn how to ride a two-wheeled bicycle.
Achieving 20 times progress also requires repetition. When you reexamine the same process and improvement opportunity, you will uncover new and better ideas with each repetition of the first seven steps of the eight-step breakthrough solution process.
The gains from such repetitions can be staggering because they usually multiply onto a higher performance base. Here's an example. Imagine that you just created a way to expand revenues by 20 times from the current level. On the next reexamination of that opportunity, you might find a way to increase revenues by an additional 200 percent from the 20 times improved base. That seemingly more modest increase would be equal to double the entire gain from the first breakthrough solution!
Many times, reexamination leads to larger absolute gains during the repetition than during the initial examination. Naturally, when a breakthrough solution is reached on top of the first breakthrough solution, you've turned a 20 times gain into a 400 times gain. Think of the opportunity to reexamine such an area for a third time.
If you have wisely chosen to work on your highest potential opportunity, this upside potential shouldn't surprise you. It's also unlikely that any other opportunity will be as large as reexamining what you just finished.
When people first create and implement a breakthrough solution, most will opt not to reexamine the same area for at least five years. That's a big mistake! In most cases, you can start reexamining the opportunities right away and come up with big gains. By looking for more opportunities sooner, you'll build on the momentum of what you learned in the first iteration as well as deepen your understanding of the opportunity.
There are valuable, related benefits from such repetition. Each success will increase commitment to creating breakthrough solutions while geometrically expanding the resources available to pursue new solutions. With practice, the breakthrough solution process becomes easier, more productive, and faster.
At some point, creating breakthrough solutions will become part of your corporate culture. As a result, you'll have even more good habits to help performance when you're not working on breakthrough solutions. You'll also notice and start working on large opportunities sooner.
When the breakthrough solution process has been accepted into your organization's culture, you will benefit from having a powerful common language, thought process, and capability for improvement.
To accomplish this desirable result, your organization's leader must create an expectation that creating breakthrough solutions is the new standard of what must be accomplished. With that focus, the leader's words become thoughts throughout the organization. The thoughts become ideas. The ideas become actions. The actions become new habits. The new habits are reinforced and improved by experience and success. The new habits upgrade the culture. Repetition strengthens, deepens, and widens the impacts of each of these reinforcing mechanisms.
The main issue for you is reinforcing repetition of the eight-step process. Skip this step, and you will lose almost all of the potential benefit of using what you have learned in this book.
Here is your assignment:
1. Make everyone aware that the eight-step process will be repeated in the same area, again and again.
2. When the process is begun, set early dates to start repeating the process.
3. Set dates to begin the eight steps in other important management processes.
4. Set dates to begin repeating the eight steps in those other important management processes.
5. Add to your organizational ability to use the eight-step process through improved capabilities such as:
- More measurement capabilities to spot unperceived ways to improve
- Better ability to identify cause and effect
- Increased access to organizations with best practices you can use
- Faster learning from other organizations
- Improved forecasting of future process improvements
- Enhanced conceptualization of the ideal best practice
- Effective planning for more quickly approaching the ideal best practice with contained costs, while moving rapidly into new opportunities opened up by nearing the ideal best practice
Make a copy of this assignment and put it near your work telephone so that you will see the assignment every time you make or receive a call and be reminded to take these critical actions.
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Spurge Hawkmoth - Hyles euphorbiae
The forewing upperside of the Spurge Hawkmoth (Hyles euphorbiae
) is pale yellow-gray to lavender-gray, with a dark brown spot at the center of the costa and at the wing base, and a dark brown band running from the wing tip to the inner margin. The costal and outer margins may be dusted with pink or gray. The hindwing upperside is black with a pale greenish outer margin and a pinkish brown median band which becomes white at the inner margin. The wing span is about 64 -77 mm (Opler et al. 2010).
The larvae are also conspicuously colored, with a pronounced tail or "horn" near the rear end. Young larvae are variously patterned with green, yellow, and black. Older larvae have a distinctive red, black, and yellow pattern with a double row of white spots on each side and white speckles (Balaban and Balaban 2005).
Adult Spurge Hawkmoths are present beginning in early to mid-summer (Batra 1983). The females lay eggs singly or in small clusters on spurge leaves. (Opler et al. 2010). After hatching, larvae consume leafy spurge leaves and flowers. Mature larvae enter the soil to pupate. There are one or two generations per year, with soil-inhabiting pupae as the overwintering stage (Batra 1983).
The larvae of the Bedstraw Hawkmoth (H. gallii) are somewhat similar. However, the Bedstraw Hawkmoth has a single row of spots, and the Spurge Hawksmoth has a double row of spots (Balaban and Balaban 2005).
Populations of the Spurge Hawkmoth are present in several western states, including Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. The Spurge Hawkmoth was the first classical biological agent released against leafy spurge in the United States, with approval for introduction granted in 1965 (Batra 1983).
Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Observations:
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
(Records associated with a range of dates are excluded from time charts)
Disturbed meadows and valleys with dense stands of leafy spurge (Opler et al. 2010).
The larvae feed on various species of Euphorbia
in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. Adults feed on flower nectar (Opler et al. 2010).

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Organizer used to inquire, view, and report model information based on selected model objects
, use the same property without UDA in the name.
TTSD-3786 Organizer
In Organizertool that is used for categorizing and managing model information, object properties and object property queries, and model object classification
Organizer consists of two tools, object browser and categories.
, if the Always synchronize Organizer with the model when opening option was selected in Organizer settings, the content of custom categories was not stored when you closed and reopened Organizer during a Tekla Structures session, or when reopening the model. This has now been fixed. The object propertiesproperties associated with an object type
Usually a single object property includes a default value that the user can modify.
are loaded correctly and shown in Object Browsertool in Organizer used to inquire, view, and report model information based on selected model objects
.
TTSD-3250 Organizer
Object Browsertool in Organizer used to inquire, view, and report model information based on selected model objects
now shows the single property values correctly on grouped rows. Previously, the single property value was not always updated when the related settings were changed.
130959 Task Manager
In Task managertool that enables the linking of temporal data to a model
The task manager can be used to create, save, and manage tasks that are used to create a schedule.
Model objects can be added to the tasks. Organizer categories can be used to select the model objects that will be added to the tasks.
, creating a dependency in the Gantt chartdiagram that displays the schedule related to a scenario in a graphic form
could cause all the tasks to disappear and Task manager to stop working. This has now been fixed.
130710 Import, export, interoperability
The BVBS export has been changed so that when the private block has no content, the private block (@P) does not give any output.
130773 Import, export, interoperability
In Unitechnik export (79) the weight of braced girders and the total weight of the rebar groups are now correctly added to the unit weight of part.
130354 Import, export, interoperability
Sometimes reading the B-rep object data failed, and as the result, the same shape was used for different geometry.
TTSD-3233 Import, export, interoperability
Parametric profiles that were not found from the cataloguser interface for displaying or modifying information in categorized lists
For example, profile catalog and shape catalog are catalogs.
were not converted properly in the IFCfile format commonly used in BIM that facilitates software interoperability
IFC is an open specification developed by the IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability).
Model can be exported into an IFC file.
object conversion. This has now been fixed.
130850 Import, export, interoperability
Unitechnik export (79): The weight of a part with multiple shells or layers is now correctly exported.
130535 Import, export, interoperability
Surface objects and surface treatmentbuilding object that represents finishing of a part
The term surface treatment is used in concrete detailing. For concrete parts surface treatment includes surface mixes, tiles, and flat finishes, such as troweling and sandblasting.
The term surface finish is used in steel detailing. For steel parts surface finishes include fire-proofing and unpainted areas.
now show the colors correctly after export.
127818 Import, export, interoperability
In NC export, the main part(1) part that exists in a building object and that determines the position number for the assembly or cast unit and the direction of assembly or cast unit drawings
(1) Main part can be an assembly main part or a cast unit main part.
(2) input part that the user selects first when creating a component
(2) Connections and details always have a component main part.
profile type and secondary part(1) part that exists in a building object and that is connected to the main part
(1) Secondary part can be an assembly secondary part or a cast unit secondary part.
(2) input part that the user selects after selecting the component main part when creating a component
(2) A component can have none, one or more component secondary parts.
profile type in contour markinginformation written in an NC file that passes information to the NC machine on the layout and the parts that are welded or bolted together
Tekla Structures contour marking does not work on polybeams.
were sometimes not identified correctly. This has now been fixed.
130534 Import, export, interoperability
IFCfile format commonly used in BIM that facilitates software interoperability
IFC is an open specification developed by the IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability).
Model can be exported into an IFC file.
properties now support the IfcCovering entity. This entity represents surface objects and surface treatmentbuilding object that represents finishing of a part
The term surface treatment is used in concrete detailing. For concrete parts surface treatment includes surface mixes, tiles, and flat finishes, such as troweling and sandblasting.
The term surface finish is used in steel detailing. For steel parts surface finishes include fire-proofing and unpainted areas.
objects.
123742 Import, export, interoperability
Unitechnik export (79): Sloped slabs (balcony parts) are now exported in the SLABDATE block.
130533 Import, export, interoperability
You can now export surface objects into a partial IFCfile format commonly used in BIM that facilitates software interoperability
IFC is an open specification developed by the IAI (International Alliance for Interoperability).
Model can be exported into an IFC file.
model without the related main part(1) part that exists in a building object and that determines the position number for the assembly or cast unit and the direction of assembly or cast unit drawings
(1) Main part can be an assembly main part or a cast unit main part.
(2) input part that the user selects first when creating a component
(2) Connections and details always have a component main part.
or pour objectbuilding object that is formed of one or more cast-in-place concrete parts, or a part of a cast-in-place concrete part
The cast-in-place concrete parts are merged into one pour object if they have the same material grade and pour phase, and if they touch each other. Pour objects are visible in pour view.
.
129680 Import, export, interoperability
In Unitechnik export (79), embeds are now properly cut when their height is greater than the related concrete element.
127235 Import, export, interoperability
In NC filefile that contains information gathered from a model and exported to computer numerical controlled fabrication machinery
Tekla Structures produces NC files in several formats, for example, DSTV.
creation, when a bolt created holes on two faces for a square profile, sometimes the holes from one face were not exported. This has now been fixed.
130340 Import, export, interoperability
In BVBS export, any tapered groups where the bar legs have the same length are now exported as a 'normal' group. If the length of the legs varies linearly or regularly, the bars are exported as 'stepped bars', regardless of the group type or spacing type.
If you set the option Export stepped bars as separate items to Yes, the 'stepped bars' are exported as separate items with sub-item numbers. Groups where bar legs have the same length are still exported as a 'normal' group (not as separate items) regardless of the group type or spacing type.
129437 Import, export, interoperability
DSTV export will skip special profiles and items that do not have any information about the dimensions. A message will be added to the NC log file.
TTSD-2921, 127301 Import, export, interoperability
Tekla Structures will not calculate properties that rely on 3D and 2D solid boolean operations, for example, AREA_PROJECTION_xx or AREA_DIRECTION_xx for imported non-solid parts.
This means that if imported parts are non-solid, end users will see 0 for some properties. This caused an applicationpart of Tekla Structures functionality that is developed in order to extend the capability of Tekla Structures but that is not included in the Tekla Structures installation
error when you inquired a non-solid item for attributes that can only be provided for solid items, for example AREA_PROJECTION_GXY_NET.
129962 Templates and reports
Classpart property that groups parts according to identifiers given by the user
The identifiers of classes are usually numbers. Classes can be used for defining the color of parts in the model, for example. Class does not influence the numbering of model objects.
is now shown in the part inquiry report. The TS_Report_Inquire_Part.rpt has been updated to include Class.
130466 Drawings
The speed of drawing printing and PDF output is no longer affected by the size of the model.
TTSD-2832 Drawings
Changing the filter in drawings could cause an applicationpart of Tekla Structures functionality that is developed in order to extend the capability of Tekla Structures but that is not included in the Tekla Structures installation
error. This has now been fixed.
125114 Drawings
Printing could crash if the printer was changed in the settings file outside the program. This has now been fixed.
TTSD-3230, 130195 Drawings
If you edited several drawings and then changed properties that require the drawings to be updated first, the confirmation for updating the changed drawings is now asked only


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Tower Defense
aka: Tower Defence
Go To
Tower defense games are a sub-genre of strategy games where you defend a building from monsters and/or other enemies using other buildings, sometimes with a unit or two to back you up. Similar to Multi-Mook Melee, Tower Defense games have you facing wave upon wave of "creeps"note until a given number reach their goal, or you survive the final wave.
Creeps will move along the path that is either:
 - Static: Creeps move along the same paths.
 - Dynamic: The placement of towers will determine the paths which creeps move along. Dynamic paths usually create a strategy called "mazing", allowing the player to make long, winding paths that force the enemy to take the longest possible route to their destination, all the while being blasted by the towers herding them.
A typical Tower Defense game will have:
 - Creeps that behave differently. Some are Fragile Speedsters or Mighty Glaciers, some are Asteroids Monsters, others can fly over towers and bypass most of your defenses, etc.
 - "Boss" creeps on certain waves.
 - A strategy that requires a balance of producing more towers and upgrading existing ones. More important in dynamic path type ones.
 - Balance between different towers. Ideally, none of the tower types should be completely useless.
 - Commonly, a "survival" mode in which each level retains the towers you built in the previous level and/or the enemies get tougher as the game progresses instead of simply increasing in number.
 - Hold the Line as its core element.
As of lately, a trend in this genre has started to develop where the games will feature the ability for the player to be the attacking force pitted against the towers. This sub-genre within the Tower Defense genre has been called "Reverse Tower Defense", "Tower Attack", and "Tower Offense". Some games in the genre get to the point of devoting themselves entirely to this, eschewing the defense element altogether. It is also the basis of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, with Defense of the Ancients being basically born as a 5 vs 5 reverse tower defense using Warcraft 3's hero mechanics.
Another form of Tower Defense features a single tower or gate on one side of the screen, which is then beset by the Creeps marching forth to destroy it. The player is usually given one or more weapons directly controlled by them, while upgrades may add automatic defenses and defenders.
The third form of defense game is the "Tug-of-War"/Beam-O-War style. In which there are two towers or bases at each end of one or more paths, and the player(s) and AI send different units down the path to attack the enemy base(s). Opposing units that meet will fight each other, and the object is to push the enemy force back to their own side and destroy their base(s).
Examples of Tower Defense as a Full Game:
 - Castle Panic: A board game tower defense game. Can be played solo or co-op.
Examples of Tower Defense as a Mini-Game:
 - Some user-created maps for other Real-Time Strategy games follow this style.
 - Age of Empires II: Age Of Kings (and the expansion pack Conquerors) had a "Wonder Race" game type, in which you are required to build a wonder and defend it for 200 years before your opponent(s).
 - "Red's Mighty Feathers" from Angry Birds adapts the Angry Birds formula for the Tower Defense genre. The pigs are advancing upon the egg using their vehicles, and the Red Bird must protect the egg by popping the pigs with his new homing power.
 - Animal Jam has "Pest Control", in which the player uses biological pest controlnote to prevent the pestsnote from reaching the end of the static path.
 - Assassin's Creed: Revelations had Den Defenses, where Templar soldiers assault one of dens controlled by the Assassins. Ezio is responsible for organizing the defense by placing barricades in the streets and various types of Assassins on the rooftops firing down upon them.
 - Blizzard Entertainment:
 - The Trope Maker was the various user-made defense maps in StarCraft - "Sunken D," "Turret D," "Stacked Photon D," etc. The Starcraft editor did not allow you to create new units or buildings, so they usually made much more use of mobile units than most current Tower Defenses. See, for example, this video of "Weed D," which is recognizably a fixed-path Tower Defense game except that the "towers" being "built" are Mutalisks.
 - The Trope Codifier was Tower Defense maps for Warcraft III. The editor was much more sophisticated than Starcraft's, allowing for greater variety in attack buildings. Multiple subgenres appeared and proliferated, such as the "Wintermaul" clones. By the time the Frozen Throne expansion came out, Blizzard included an official Tower Defense map as an Alliance campaign bonus level.
 - Civilization IV came with a "Civ Defense" mod, in which one starts with a certain number of cities, spends money (rather than the usual "hammers") to add to their fortifications and defenses, and then horde after horde of barbarians come at you.
 - Club Penguin had "System Defender", in which the player has to set up cannons to stop the Mecha-Mook from destroying the EPF Mainframe computer. Interestingly, while threats could be simulated by all players, there would be live threats that could be handled by members only.
 - The action-RPG CrossCode had 2 connected sidequests (+ a challenge quest for each) in the city of Basin Keep that were basically a tower defense minigame on top of the normal combat. The heroine Lea has to defend a point against waves of enemies with the help of turrets, which can be activated in neutral and elemental modes. Additionally, all the enemies have strong shields that only the turrets in the (otherwise weaker) neutral mode can break.
 - "Englos Defense", a bonus level in DROD: The Second Sky.
 - Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII are probably the Ur Examples:
 - Final Fantasy VI has an event similar to this halfway through the first part of the game; there's a difference in that you battle the mooks using the standard battle system, but otherwise the execution is the same.
 - The Fort Condor mini-game in Final Fantasy VII is essentially a tower defense game.
 - Version 1.3 of Genshin Impact has the "Theater Mechanicus" event, in which you can plant different kinds of "towers" to defeat waves of incoming enemies. The enemies won't attack you or the towers, but will keep walking towards the "exit" which you have to defend. You can attack the enemies, but they'll take no damage from your attacks, nor will your energy get charged; however, you can still exploit elemental effects and reactions to support your towers. This can also be played with another player. Completing a level unlocks materials you can use to upgrade the towers, as well as higher difficulties.
 - The Iron Grip series is part Tower Defense and part FPS.
 - A variation of this appears in Legion's Loyalty Mission in Mass Effect 2, where Mooks must march towards you in a fixed path while you have Legion hack a few turrets around the area to shoot at them. Alternatively, you can just cap them yourself.
 - Monster Hunter: Rise has Rampage quests where you take up arms in a stronghold where you can set up armaments like ballistas, cannons, and bombs; some of these installations are controlled by NPCs, while others are controlled by the player(s). Your goal is to fend off an onslaught of monsters who are trying to destroy a heavily fortified gate on the far end of the map. As you fulfill side objectives and defeat monsters, more types of "towers" become available.
 - Path of Exile's Blight expansion introduced missions where players had to defend a purifying device from monsters advancing over multiple lanes. While particularly powerful characters can clear them without assistance, usually you'd have to construct towers to damage, debuff and/or stall enemies. Blighted maps take it further, turning an entire location into a huge defense mission with over a dozen lanes and several unique bosses.
 - Phantasy Star Online 2 has two variants of this.
 - The first is Mining Base, Emergency Quests where players are tasked with protecting towers against increasingly powerful and aggressive waves of Darkers while collecting crystals to unlock new weapons and defensive measures.
 - The second is Buster Quests, introduced in Episode 5. The first half of these quests entail protecting towers from an onslaught of enemies, albeit with a wider array of weapons and defensive measures available from the start. The players are also tasked with raiding an enemy castle and destroying the boss therein.
 - Progressbar 95 has the Progress Defender minigame, in which the bar can only be moved on the x-axis and you have to protect it from red segments and Clippy that approach it. You need to place one of three buildings on three lanes with five spots each. They are Firewalls which stop Red Segments but are damaged by Clippy, Antiviruses that shoot at Clippy but have to be updated once in a while, and Generators that make 5% progress every couple of seconds. Each building costs 5% progress and you must reach 100% to win. It is intended to be slightly harder than the main game, so you get 1.25x for completing levels in


Date of Award
Degree Type
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Graduate Group
First Advisor
Kenneth I. Wolpin
The purpose of this dissertation is to study the causes, welfare effects, and policy implications of the decline of the Rust Belt. I develop a dynamic spatial equilibrium model which consists of a multi-region, multi-sector economy comprised of overlapping generations of heterogeneous individuals. Using several data sets that cover the time period from _PHONE_, I estimate the structural parameters of the model based on a simulated method of moments estimator. The empirical findings suggest that goods-producing firms located in the Rust Belt had a 13 percent relative productivity advantage in 1960 compared to the rest of the U.S., which shrank to approximately 3 percent by the end of the sample period in 2010. As a consequence, a large fraction of the decline of the Rust Belt can be attributed to the reduction in its location-specific advantage in the goods-producing sector. The transition of the U.S. economy to a service sector economy is a less significant factor. The decline of the Rust Belt generated significant differences in welfare between individuals residing in the Rust Belt and those residing in other areas, particularly for the less educated. Policy experiments show that the inequality in welfare can be significantly reduced by subsidizing labor costs in the Rust Belt or reducing mobility costs.
Included in
Economics Commons


text:
The UK retailer
That means they calculated everything that goes into the carbon footprint such as the components, manufacturing, transportation, even the amount of energy consumers will use to wash and dry the underwear.
One interesting discovery from calculating the carbon footprint of lingerie was the discovery of how much impact lace and embroidery have on the footprint's size. So, lingerie that is simpler is also "greener." And, using manufacturing techniques that use renewable energy and reduce waste, they were able to reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 33% compared to traditional lingerie manufacturing.
Follow HerRoom on Twitter for daily tips.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Construction of Underground Tanks
An underground tank is a water storage structure design and constructed below the ground. Underground water tanks can be designed as spherical or cylindrical and is constructed using brick and concrete. The underground water tank has lower construction cost.
Here are few types of underground Tank
1. Cisterns is a small underground water reservoir with capacity of about 10 to 500 m³. Cisterns require little or no space above ground thus these are unobtrusive, and it is a good safety feature.
2. Rectangular Lined Tanks – This is the easier way of constructing a underground water tank. The rectangular shape accords good storage and easy deigning and construction.
3. Concrete Underground Tank – This kind of underground tank is used for water from harvested rain.
4. Hemispherical Tank – It is a complicated construction and required expertise to achieve the correct curvature.
5. Spherical Underground Tank – The spherical tanks can be fully buried or partially underground.

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


text:
GrammarQuiz.Net > Coordinate Conjunction
Deserts are harsh and dry, ________ many plants grow there.
Select your answer:
PronounSimple Present TenseGerund vs. Infinitive
How to use : Read the question carefully, then select one of the answers button.
Tips : If this page always shows the same questions, make sure you correct the question first by pressing the "check answer" button.


text:
I-Pop: International Journal of Indonesian Popular Culture and Communication, published by Program Studi Ilmu Komunikasi Universitas Bakrie, is an interdisciplinary journal of popular culture and communication in (the context of) Indonesia, about Indonesia (or related to Indonesia), and the pop work created by or involves Indonesians. Published biannually, the I-Pop Journal follows a rigorous double-blind review process, in which reviewers and authors do not know each other, to ensure the objectivity of the assessment. I-Pop Journal has four typical rubrics:
- ORIGINAL ARTICLE (research paper or constructive conceptual paper)
- BOOK REVIEW (review and criticism of the latest book)
- POP REVIEW (review and criticism of the latest work of popular culture and communication) and
- REFLECTION (reflective experiences and/or exclusive interviews with the creators or actors of Indonesian pop culture work).


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Seat Reservation System (SRS)
A seat reservation system can be a part of a passenger information system of compartment or open passenger carriages. There are two types of reservation displays. To control seat reservation displays can be used e.g. control computer of information system. The reservation displays are designed mechanically so that their assembly could be done for example into luggage shelves above seats.


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As part of the celebration of the World Space Week held from October 4 – 10 of every year, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) partnered with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region XI and the Philippine Science High School – Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC) in promoting Space Science to Grade 10 students.
On October 6, the made a courtesy call on the PSHS-SMC Director, Dr. Jonald P. Fenecios and turned over a plaque of appreciation modelled after Diwata – 2, the Philippines' second 50kg. Earth observation microsatellite. On October 7, the team this time led by the PhilSA Director General, Dr. Joel Marciano Jr., conducted a lecture and demonstration on amateur radio satellite communication with Diwata – 2.
Through these activities, PhilSA hopes that students will develop interest on the importance of Space Science in responding to environmental issues and its contributions to disaster response and management.
Sci-Wings, MANCOM Secretariat, & Amateur Radio Satellite Service


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Jack Research Plan-Making a plastic water bottle collection bin (Tool and…
Jack Research Plan-Making a plastic water bottle collection bin
Style of the bin
Recycling image-which is the artwork use the cap of the plastic water bottle and paint them into the color of green, white, and black. Then after gathering the plastic caps from the water bottles, I'll nail it on the bin and make a recycling symbol.
The bin will be painted in blue.
Plastic water bottle image to show people what to put inside the bin.
After painting it blue, we need to find or use the plastic water bottle to create an artwork which we cut down the bottom of the plastic bottle and paint it green to make it like flowers and glue it around the bin, except the recycling symbol and the plastic water bottle symbol.
Make the bin bright and creates interesting plastic water bottle art on it so people could see it and maybe will notice more things about recycling.
How big it will be(size)
It will be a bamboo basket
Size about 25-30 centimetre wide, and height will be about 15 centimetre
The woods will be glued outside of the bamboo basket, it should be very thin but not easy to break so I could nail my plastic water bottle cap recycling symbol on it. The wood should be about 20 centimeters wide, and the height will be about 10 centimeters.
Tool and needed material
Plastic water bottles(depends on how many we need to create the art work.)
Plastic water bottle caps(depends on how many we need to create the art work.)
Colour paints used most on painting the plastics
Interesting shapes to catch people's attention
Recycling symbol shape
Amount needed, but not very many
How many plastic water bottles and how many plastic water bottle caps.
Research Bibliography:23 creative ways to re-use the old plastic water bottles, accessed on 2015/4/23


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New Displaced Livelihoods Initiative will help advance sustainable livelihoods for displaced and host communities
This piece is also posted on the Innovations for Poverty Action blog.
Today, we announce the launch of the Displaced Livelihoods Initiative (DLI), jointly managed by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), with generous support from the IKEA Foundation. DLI is the world's first research fund dedicated to generating rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental evidence to inform policies and programs that can foster sustainable livelihoods for displaced and host communities. In addition, DLI will provide investment in research infrastructure and public goods, including panel datasets, software, and measurement innovations that can contribute to future impact evaluations.
Today, over 100 million people have been forcibly displaced. In other words: more than one percent of the world's population have fled their homes to escape violence, conflict, or persecution. Projected to continue growing, displacement is also intertwined with broader development challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and climate change.
The scale and complexity of displacement have pushed the international donor, practitioner, and research communities to seek more cost-effective, durable solutions to displacement. A key feature of this effort focuses on strengthening economic inclusion and self-reliance through livelihoods and other programming that support pathways towards economic inclusion.
There is limited evidence, however, about the impact of such programs on displaced populations and host communities. To meaningfully support displaced people in rebuilding their lives, it is necessary to understand what kinds of interventions can help them access employment, integrate into local labor markets, and become self-reliant—as well as learning how these policies and programs impact host communities.
Contributing to durable solutions with evidence that shapes effective policies and programs
DLI will fund innovative research which can inform the design of policies and programs that empower refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and others in refugee-like situations to achieve self-reliance. DLI will support collaborations between researchers and leaders in government, NGOs, and the private sector, with a particular view to the participation of persons with lived experience of displacement.
Livelihoods interventions typically aim to increase food security, income, employment, and asset ownership. DLI seeks to invest in efforts that go even further and address the social and economic ability of an individual, household, or community to meet their needs sustainably, meaning they can cope with and recover from the stress and shocks of changing circumstances. Building on existing evidence and in close consultation with researchers and practitioners, DLI's research and learning priorities therefore encourage research in five broad areas:
- Resilience: Accelerating or augmenting livelihood outcomes by supporting individuals and households to recover from displacement as a multidimensional shock and adapt to their new context.
- Wage employment: Overcoming barriers to employment like legal restrictions, discrimination, or lack of social networks to achieve steady income and opportunities for skills and career development.
- Entrepreneurship: Building sustainable livelihoods and long-term economic inclusion for displaced populations through entrepreneurship support.
- Social cohesion, inclusion, and norms: Fostering social cohesion, inclusion, positive social norms, and networks as potential pathways for persistent livelihood outcomes.
- Rights and regulations: Testing the effectiveness of programs facilitating full enjoyment of rights, like legal status or the right to work, as they relate to designing laws and policies that maximize economic opportunities and wellbeing for displaced and host communities.
Foster responsible, inclusive, and actionable research
DLI will support generalizable, policy relevant, and innovative impact evaluations and related research on programs for displacement-affected populations. Acknowledging the imperative of accountability to DLI's target population as well as their particular vulnerability, we will emphasize the participation of persons with lived experience in displacement across all of the initiative's activities and pay particular attention to ethical research design and measurement, which both IPA and J-PAL place at the centre of their activities.
To help ensure that emerging evidence translates into action, we will closely work with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners and make non-technical briefing notes and summaries of research results publicly available, including cost-effectiveness analyses. Academic oversight is provided by Sule Alan (European University Institute), Jeannie Annan (Airbel Impact Lab, International Rescue Committee), Luc Behaghel (Paris School of Economics), and Mushfiq Mobarak (Yale University).
IPA and J-PAL will run bi-annual Calls for Proposals—the first of which opens today—to award research funding to promising projects around the globe. Organizations interested in unpacking the impacts of their flagship or innovative new programs are invited to participate in one of five evaluation design workshops, with applications for the first such research incubator opening in June 2023.
To learn more about these opportunities for collaboration and research funding, please register for one of our webinars:
For policymakers and practitioners: Register here for the webinar on Wednesday, May 10, 1pm GMT/9am ET
For researchers: Register here for the webinar on Wednesday, May 17, 1pm GMT/9am ET


Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2018
Presentation information
[JJ] Poster
S (Solid Earth Sciences) » S-GL Geology
[S-GL30] Geochronology and Isotope Geology
Wed. May 23, 2018 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM Poster Hall (International Exhibition Hall7, Makuhari Messe)
convener:Takahiro Tagami(Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University), Yuji Sano(Division of Ocean and Earth Systems, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo)
[SGL30-P09] Unclosure temperature and geometry
*Hironobu Hyodo1 (1.Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Okayama University of Science)
Keywords:unclosure temperature, geometry, closure temperature, relaxation time
A diffusion process in an object is analytically solved for sphere, cylinder and plane geometry. Diffusion parameters obtained in experiments are used to estimate closure temperature of minerals, assuming that those parameters are the same between cooling process in nature and short heating in laboratories. In the cooling model by Dodson (1973), the closure temperature at the start of an isotope clock are defined as the temperature when the diffusion process is considered to be practically ceased due to cooling. There seems to be some ambiguity left for the timing of the practical termination of diffusion. To deal with this, Dodson adopted a cooling rate , leaving some flexibility. Approximate forms of analytical solutions provide fractional loss as a function of temperature and relaxation time, using Arrhnius relation. Geometry factors are given different numerical factor in the Dodson's model, but they are expressed in different functional forms of fractional loss in approximate solutions.
In age dating, it is the primary interest to obtain the cooling age of the rock body, or to recover the age after secondary event. We call the maximum temperature which allows the recovery of the cooling age as unclosure temperature. When the time is reversed, the practical accumulation of the isotopes start below this temperature. Turner (1968) and others estimated that age could be approximately recovered from the high temperature fractions when fractional loss, f is about 20% for sphere and about 10% for cylinder, assuming an uniform distribution of grain size. We calculated unclosure temperature of minerals. The temperature differs depending on the relaxation time. Approximately 1 Ma of relaxation time allows reasonable agreement between closure temperature and unclosure temperature.


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This web page includes links to the various historically significant buildings in St. Charles and the surrounding area. Brief descriptions and backgrounds of each building are given in order to give an overview of the building's history. Included in most of the sketches is information concerning construction dates, architectural styles, builders, architects, owners, and the building's purpose throughout history. Details concerning the life, occupation, and accomplishments of local people associated with a building's history are also included. Each description includes the sources used and links to other related buildings.
NOTE: Limited information is available in historical records about some of these structures.
Clicking a link accompanied by this icon will open a third party site or page not owned or controlled by the St. Charles Public Library.


Convert Pound Per Square Foot to Bar (psf to bar)
In next fields, kindly type your value in the text box under title [ From: ] to convert from pound per square foot to Bar (psf to bar). As you type your value, the answer will be automatically calculated and displayed in the text box under title [ To: ].
From:
To:
Definitions:
Pound Per Square Foot (abbreviations: psf, or lb/ft2): is a British (Imperial) and American pressure unit which is directly related to the psi pressure unit by a factor of 144 (1 sq ft = 12 in x 12 in = 144 sq in). Where, 1 pound per square foot equals 47.8803 pascals.
Bar (abbreviation: bar): is a metric (still not approved by the International System of Units, SI) unit of pressure. It is exactly equal to 100,000 Pa and slightly lower than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth, at sea level.
How to Convert Pounds Per Square Feet to Bars
Example: How many Bars are equivalent to 96.44 pounds per square feet?
As;
1 pounds per square feet = 0.00047881924477669 Bars
96.44 pounds per square feet = Y Bars
Assuming Y is the answer, and by criss-cross principle;
Y equals 96.44 times 0.00047881924477669 over 1
(i.e.) Y = 96.44 * 0.00047881924477669 / 1 = 0.046177327966264 Bars
Answer is: 0.046177327966264 Bars are equivalent to 96.44 pounds per square feet.
Practice Question: Convert the following units into bar:
N.B.: After working out the answer to each of the next questions, click adjacent button to see the correct answer.
( i ) 66.29 psf
( ii ) 69.96 psf
( iii ) 82.55 psf
References
 - Wikipedia
 - USMA
 - NIST
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Human Development Innovation Fund
HDIF is now accepting funding applications for pilot and scale-up projects between £500,000 and £1,000,000 (exceptions can be made for compelling applications for a grant not lower than GBP 200,000). In this round, HDIF seeks to fund organizations to implement innovative projects in any of the results areas in WASH and Early Childhood Development (ECD), as detailed under the following challenge statements.
1.) Early Childhood Development (ECD)
To improve opportunities for ECD for vulnerable children aged 0-6 that will improve children's readiness and receptiveness to learning, and improve their general health and well-being.
2.) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
To increase demand, uptake and sustainability of improved sanitation facilities, hand washing with soap at critical times and menstrual hygiene management, through innovative financing mechanisms, technology, and behavior change promotion.


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City Systems is a multi-year project conducted by the Institute without Boundaries (IwB) at George Brown College in Toronto, Canada. The project helps students studying 'Interdisciplinary Design Strategy' understand and design more resilient cities during an intensive, hands-on project year. The class of 2011-12 focused on resolving the challenges facing the edge city of Markham, a car-centric suburban community at the edge of Toronto, as it continues to experience rapid population growth. The resulting project, called COLAB, includes a proposal for a new kind of neighborhood: a model sustainable community supported by a 3-way partnership between municipality, local businesses and residents.
The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!
A pedestrian plaza and convergence hub are at the heart of the plan. The plaza acts as a focus for community gatherings such as weekend markets, cultural celebrations, public art exhibitions, and the demonstration and testing of new products developed at the convergence hub.
The convergence hub is a change lab that offers shared amenities and office spaces to small and medium-sized businesses specializing in research, demonstration, and commercialization of sustainable technologies and services. The surrounding areas include test spaces for sustainable technologies as they are developed, and an urban farm and nature preserve that teaches local residents about native wildlife and sustainable agriculture practice.
This hub supports and draws new creative people and industries to the region while also enhancing the quality of life of its residents and visitors. Explore the project in detail to learn how a small team of inter-disciplinary students came to understand edge city systems, and how they developed this and other strategies and solutions for a revitalization plan for Markham.


What Are Controls (Safeguards)?
Controls are logical mechanisms applied in an effort to reduce risk.
This may feel vague because the term is primarily an abstract, logical entity that has specific implementations and humans like more concrete, implementable things.
Architecturally these entities sit at the logical layer but have concrete instances that are implemented by contextualizing the qualities of the control into the system you target.
Architecture in General
Architecture is a strategic & holistic art/discipline that result in sets of views allowing people from different backgrounds and viewpoints to communicate & evaluate effectively about conceptual, logical and technical merits across any number of boundaries; real or perceived, technical, social or political.


Home Life Trends Benefits Of Cherry And Side Effects
Benefits Of Cherry And Side Effects
Cherry health and dietary advantages, forms of cherry, facts about cherries, cherry results. Improve your health whereas bettering your data about cherries; with cherry fruits facts, dietary content material and its advantages.
cherry benefits
Cherry is a small fruit normally crimson, black or yellow, with a easy arduous seed and a brief arduous stem. By flavour, Cherries are "candy" or "bitter"; supply of nutritional vitamins (A and C), additionally, comprise phytochemicals.
Cherry names
Family: Rosaceae
Scientific identify: Prunus avium
Common identify: cherrycandy cherry
French identify: cerise
German identify: Kirsche
Italian identify: ciliegia
Portuguese identify: cereja
Russian: (candy cherry) чере́шня
Spanish: cereza, guinda
benefits of cherry
Cherry fruits are spherical with a despair on the stem. They are a fourth to an inch in diameter and have a easy, skinny pores and skin that adheres to the fleshy pulp. The color of the pores and skin, in addition to the pulp, can vary from yellow to crimson to close to black, relying on the range. Each fruit has a tough seed at its heart which is to be eliminated earlier than consuming or cooking.
While candy cherries are golden with a slight contact of crimson, bitter cherries are smaller, softer, and extra globular. However, there are hybrids of candy and bitter cherries which is the Duke Cherries. Duke cherries are of a probable candy cherries' form and color whereas its flavour, rigidity and tartness is of bitter cherries.
Cherry Varieties
 1. Black Tartarian
 2. May Duke
 3. Northstar
 4. Sam
 5. Bing
 6. Corum
 7. Kansas Sweet
 8. Emperor Francis
 9. Meteor
 10. Montmorency
 11. Chinook
 12. Angela
 13. Van
 14. Schmidt
 15. Windsor
 16. Utah Giant
 17. Hedelfingen
 18. Late Duke
 19. Lambert
 20. English Moreno
Health Benefits of Cherry
Cherry fruits are believed to be of large financial and health worth to us. Most importantly, bitter cherries are supply of vitamin C and vitamin A (carotene), fibre, together with potassium, calcium, and folic acid. Also, Cherry comprise terpenes, phytochemicals which will assist forestall most cancers.
Nutrition is essential to all of us. What we eat has a profound impact on our health and our enjoyment of life. Below are advantages of cherry fruits:
Cherries helps type and preserve wholesome tooth, skeletal and tender tissue, mucus membranes, and pores and skin. It additionally produces the pigments within the retina of the attention performing as a retinol through vitamin C.
#1. Lowers hypertension danger
Eating meals wealthy in vitamin C is essential in your total health, particularly in case you are in danger for hypertension. Studies counsel that people who eat meals wealthy in antioxidants, together with vitamin C, have a decrease danger of hypertension than people who've poorer diets. Meanwhile, cherries are good supply of vitamin C.
#2. Protect arteries in opposition to harm
Reasonable consumption of cherries can decelerate the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It maybe helps forestall harm to LDownload ("bad") ldl cholesterol, which then builds up as plaque within the arteries and might trigger coronary heart assault or stroke. Cherry might assist preserve arteries versatile. Cherry additionally stimulate synthesis of Type IV collagen, which has essential filtration traits within the kidney, the blood-brain barrier, and the arterial lining .
#3. Good bone catalyst
Cherry fruit helps within the formation and upkeep of high quality, high-density bone materials. It promotes assimilation of calcium into the bone, protects in opposition to leaching of calcium out of the bones, and as a robust antioxidant, it fights the oxidative stress that works in opposition to assimilation.
#4. Cancer preventive
Food sources of carotenoids similar to beta-carotene might cut back the danger for most cancers, most research opined. Though, beta-carotene dietary supplements don't appear to cut back most cancers danger. Furthermore, cherry comprise many helpful vitamins and antioxidants, there was a good quantity of analysis through the years into cherries being wealthy in beta carotene, vitamin C, anthocyanins and quercetin, which can synergistically battle most cancers. It might forestall genetic mutations that may lead to most cancers and preserve most cancers cells from rising uncontrolled. The riper the higher: as cherries darken, they produce extra antioxidants.
#5. Reduce danger of chilly
Taking cherry fruits frequently (not simply at first of a chilly) produces solely a small discount within the period of a chilly (about 1 day). In these research, vitamin C did appear to cut back the danger of getting a chilly.
#6. Reduce irritation
Cherry comprise many helpful vitamins and antioxidants generally known as anthocyanins and cyanidin which can have anti-inflammatory results and preliminary analysis has proven that these antioxidants may very well be helpful in inflammatory circumstances similar to arthritis.
#7. For higher sleep
Some researches have made it recognized that cheap consumption of cherries impact to higher sleep. Cherries are one among nature's few sources of melatonin, a hormone that lowers physique temperature, making us sleepy.
#8. Rapid therapeutic of wounds
There are combined takes on whether or not taking cherries velocity up restoration and heals. However, a good quantity of researches established it that consumption of Cherry fruits frequently minimise pains. Researchers consider that cherries' antioxidants defend in opposition to assaults by exercise-induced free radicals, which might lead to painful irritation. Nevertheless, it additionally helps defend the pores and skin by selling the manufacturing and migration of fibroblasts that help regular wound therapeutic.
#9. Better visible acuity
Cherries as a supply of vitamin A helps in bettering imaginative and prescient for these with uveitis (an irritation of the center a part of the attention). It promotes good imaginative and prescient, particularly in low gentle. It can also be wanted for copy and breastfeeding.
Cherries are additionally good for:
 1. Boosting immunity
 2. Maintaining wholesome gums
 3. Treating allergy-related circumstances, similar to bronchial asthma, eczema, and hay fever (known as allergic rhinitis)
 4. Reducing results of solar publicity, similar to sunburn or redness (known as erythema)
 5. Lower danger of stroke
 6. Reduce stomach fats
 7. Alleviating dry mouth, significantly from antidepressant drugs
 8. Decreasing blood sugar in people with diabetes
Top "Cherry" Facts
 1. Cherry fruits are believed to have originated in northeastern Asia, named after the Turkish city of Cesarus.
 2. Cherry fruits had been first cultivated in Cesarus in Turkey.
 3. Sour cherries are larger in vitamin C and vitamin A (carotene) than the candy varieties. They additionally comprise terpenes, phytochemicals which will assist forestall most cancers.
 4. The riper the higher: as cherries darken, they produce extra antioxidants. The extra intense the color of a fruit or vegetable, the upper the beta-carotene content material. Vegetable sources of beta-carotene are fatand cholesterol-free. The absorption can be improved if these sources are consumed with a fats.
 5. Cherry is the identify given to somebody linked with AFC Bournemouth, as a fan, participant, coach and so forth.
 6. Cherry timber present a spectacular show of white or pink blossoms in spring, and a few varieties are grown purely for his or her decorative worth.
 7. Cherry is a feminine given identify, a pet type of Charity, additionally interpreted as a flower identify.
 8. Anything of a brilliant crimson color; one thing in wonderful situation; mint situation are additionally thought to be Cherry.
 9. In cricket, the phrase Cherry means a cricket ball.
Meanwhile, when choosing cherry fruits, it's quiet advisable to select the shiny agency ones. The tender or shriveled fruits with darkened stems are an indication of outdated or poor storage circumstances.


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A tribotester with an integrated load sensor based on a strain gauge is typically used to measure the friction coefficient generated by the contact-related sliding motion of two objects. Since the friction coefficient is obtained by dividing the measured friction force by the applied normal force, the normal and friction forces must be measured for accurate analysis. In this study, a tribotester was used to measure the displacement of a cantilever tip using the fiberoptic sensor in a non-contact method. The friction coefficient measurement using the fiberoptic sensor was proven to be valid by calibrating the tip displacement due to normal/friction forces after designing a basic structural cantilever tip based on experiments and simulation analyses. The results obtained by using the fiberoptic sensor-cantilever tip-based tribotester were compared with those obtained using commercial and/or custom-built tribotesters under the same conditions. By designing various shapes of cantilever tips and using simulation analysis, the calibrations of the normal/friction forces and tip displacement could be verified and the coupling effect was evaluated. The performance and reliability of the fiberoptic sensor-cantilever tip-based tribotester, which can be used to determine the normal/friction forces by non-contact displacement measurements without a strain gauge, were verified.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited


its parameters is a field, 'Data Name', with the default value 'ConRelGlue'. It looks for this as a string attribute on the edges, those that match get converted to glue.
I always make the same series of mistakes at this point:
 1. I half remember something about names, so I use a wrangle to set a @name attribute to glue: s@name='glue';
 2. I then remember it needs to be a primitive attribute, not a point (remember that the edges represent the constraints), so I swap the wrangle from point to prim mode
 3. I then remember that the name has to match the name on the constraint node. I can never remember 'ConRelGlue', so I go into the glue constraint node, and change its data name to 'glue' instead to match my naming
 4. After much swearing, I finally remember that its not @name, it's @constraint_name. Altering the wrangle one final time, dive back into the dopnet, and hey presto, the constraints are there.
This all seems a little obtuse, and frankly, it is, but there's some benefits to this workflow:
 - You can have one set of connected edges represent many kinds of constraints. Give some a @constraint_name of 'glue', others 'spring', others 'pin'. Put a merge node between the glue node and the constraint network node, create a new spring constraint relationship node and pin relationship node, connect them to the merge, set their data name to 'spring' and 'pin', you now have multiple constraints working.
 - This also works for constraints of the same type, that do different things. Eg, you could have some edges that have a @constraint_name of 'strongglue' and 'weakglue', in dops merge 2 glue constraints nodes with different properties, and make sure their data names are 'strongglue' and 'weakglue'.
 - Once you get the fiddly stuff setup, its waaay easier to make changes upstream to your input geo, alter the 'connect adjacent pieces' sop to create more/less connections, the rest flows through
 - @constraint_name isn't the only attribute that is watched, @strength is another, and other specific properties of other constraints can also be set at the prim level
 - A sop solver can be attached to the last input of the constraint relationship node, allowing you to create, destroy, and modify constraints using sops during the solve. There's an example of this below to create sticky curves.
I had to keep referring to pre-made networks the first month I got into dops, as there's so many little gotchas that can trip you up, but over time, I'm getting fooled less and less. :)
wire solver and constraint networks
Rbd wire constrain img.gif
Download scene: File:wire_glue_network.hipnc
The wire solver also supports constraint networks, but its a bit more tricky to setup. Main differences from the packed rbd networks are:
 - @anchor_id per point on the wire geo, required so that the constraints can attach themselves to the wire points
 - @name point attribute on the constraint points, where the name has to be the same as the wire object in dops
 - the connect adjacent pieces sop creates seemingly invisible edges; it makes them between the wire endpoints, which in this example are perfectly aligned and touching, hence you can't see them
 - only seems to support 'hard' and 'spring' constraints, glue doesn't work for me (despite the hip name...)
I wouldn't have been able to get this working without 2 very good resources, so thanks to them:
Realised the day after writing this up that there are shelf tools to setup these networks, which is probably how the crindler and odforce guys reverse engineered these setups (if they really worked it out for themselves, then they're houdini rockstars). Curiously I still can't get the glue setup to work, even with the shelf. Will keep investigating.
Despite the wire solver being quite fast, its also prone to freak outs; a lot of the time in this setup the wires will settle on the ground, almost be calm, then explode. No doubt extra solver steps would fix, but then you start to lose the speed gains of using wires in the first place. For this sort of contrived scaffolding collapse I'd probably extrude each wire shape, pack it, and use rbd anyway.
That said, a reason to stick with wires would be to simulate bending scaffolding. I tried putting a resample sop before creating @anchor_id, which gave more points per wire. Then spent an hour or so experimenting with the physical properties of the wire object. I could get them to flex a little, but they'd always spring back to straight rods. Went on increasingly amusing avenues with width, density, bend resistance etc... could make bendy bamboo poles, but as soon as the structure fell apart, they'd spring back into straight poles. More research required...
wire solver and dynamic constraint networks (sticky wires)
Wire dynamic constraint.gif
Download scene: File:wire_constraint_network_v02.hipnc
Excellent question from the sidefx forum inspired this experiment. Made a few more things clear from the crindler post, and covered a new use for sop solvers I hadn't tried before.
To get worldspace pins, its essentially the same as a regular constraint, ie, it has to be an edge that connects to your wire geo using @anchor_id. In this case however, one side of the edge links to a wire point, and the other end has its @anchor_id set to -1. Ie, it can't find a point on the wire geo to link, so it gets locked to the world instead.
Making these special edges (edge cases? *boomtish*) was tricker than I expected. There might be a more elegant way, but I did this:
 1. Isolated the locked points I wanted (the red points in the gif above)
 2. Duplicated them, and gave the duplicates a temporary attribute, @duplicate=1
 3. Used an add sop in prim mode, group by attribute, using @anchor_id. This makes a too-small-to-see polywire for each endpoint
 4. Isolating to only points where @duplicate=1, set their @anchor_id to -1
 5. Delete the @duplicate attribute, don't need it any more
To animate the anchors, only move the ones that have an @anchor_id of -1, they'll drag the wire points along.
The nice part of this setup is the 'sticky curves'. This is done using a solver sop, inside the wire sim, connected to the constraint network. Normally this is used to delete constraint edges when they get beyond a certain force, but instead here it's used to add new edges. A sop solver within a dopnet gives you inputs for the dop geometry itself, impacts, feedbacks, and relationship geometry (ie, constraints).
Here we're only interested in the dop geometry and the constraints. Making sure the dop geo input is pulling in the 'live' sim, its basically identical to creating the constraint geo in regular sops; a connect-adjacent-pieces sop is connected to the dop geo, using a low distance threshold. When edges are made, they get tagged with the @constraint_name attribute as before (but with a unique name this time, 'springdyn'), points are tagged with @name=wire so they get recognised by the sim, and most importantly, they're merged with the existing constraint network.
I then have another spring relationship looking for the name 'springdyn', and sure enough, as those edges are created, they're converted into springs (the cyan nodes in the gif), and do their thing.
Flip
Stopping volume loss
Download scene: File:flip_simple.hip
A few people had mentioned that they'd setup a simple water-in-cup flip sim, and find that it'd quickly dissolve away to nothing, like this:
Flip evaporate.gif
In a simple case like this, its often to do with the relationship between the 3 main controls on the flip object; particle separation, particle radius scale, and grid scale.
Flip object options.gif
Particle separation is how far apart particles try and stay. Because flip creates particles when it finds gaps, and deletes them when they get too close, this also determines the amount of particles in the sim, and therefore the detail in the sim.
Flip particle sep.gif
So you'd assume that the bigger the particle separation, you should get less particles, but also more volume retained (bigger particles = bigger space taken up, right?) Well as shown in the first gif, when they get beyond a certain threshold, its as if there's no volume at all, and the entire system just collapses to nothing. Using the particle scale multiplier (which does as its name implies, scales the particle pscale) doesn't help.
What does grid size do? Well, flip is more complicated than I ever hope to understand, but the core idea is that particles have nice chaotic motion, but suck at volume pre


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The island's Beach Code encourages everyone to be respectful and mindful of the environment and other's enjoyment of the landscape. It also exists to promote safe enjoyment of the island's beaches.
Beach barbeques can be lit between 5:00pm and midnight on the Island's north and west coast beaches, excluding the Richmond end of Vazon.
Barbeques are not to be held on the South or East coasts, i.e. from Soldier's Bay to Pleinmont.
Permission is required for beach barbeques to be attended by more than 50 people. More information on permits can be found below.
The Beach Code
- Observe any warning signs and stay away from the base of cliffs in case of rock falls.
- Take your litter home with you or place it in an appropriate litter bin.
- Take reusable plastic containers onto the beach rather than glass, as glass is easily broken and broken shards can cause a risk of injury to you or other beach users.
- Show respect for all other beach users.
- Keep music to a volume which does not disturb other people or wildlife.
- Check the time and height of high tide to ensure you can exit the beach.
- Enjoy viewing wildlife from a safe distance and do not approach.
- For barbeques and contained fires you should follow these safety standards:
- Light in a small fire bowl or bucket.
- Remember to have a container on hand to collect seawater to cool the barbeque.
- Light below the high tide mark, at least 4m away from any vegetation and away from shingle (stones can explode if they get too hot!).
- Light after 5pm and put out by midnight. Light in a spot where smoke won't disturb other people.
- Safely extinguish a barbeque, embers and surrounding sand by dousing in water until they are cold. Handy tip: embers are cold enough if the ash no longer hisses, there is no more smoke and the remnants are cold to the touch.
- Dispose of the cold remnants properly by either taking them home or by putting carefully in a litter bin.
To find out information on bringing your dog to the beach, please click here
Do I need permission?
- Organisers of small barbeques to be attended by 50 people or fewer don't need to contact us to obtain permission.
- If you would like to hold a beach barbeque which will be attended by more than 50 people, this is then classed as an event and permission will be required.
- Please read the Beach Code and then complete the Beach Barbeque Application Form
- Public liability insurance, with an indemnity of £5,000,000 on any one incident, is required for an event of public land
- You will be contacted by a member of staff to confirm the details of your barbeque and to confirm that permission has been granted.
- In the interest of public safety the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre are advised of all authorised beach barbeques.


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Who was Ray Charles father?
Where did Ray Charles money go?
When he died in 2004, Charles left most of his estate to the Ray Charles Foundation, a charity that supports the vision- or hearing-impaired.
What are 3 interesting facts about Ray Charles?
By India Today Web Desk: Legendary American singer-composer Ray Charles was born on September 23 in the year 1930. Charles pioneered the genre of 'soul music' in the 1950s by combining rhythm, blues, jazz and gospels. He died on June 10, 2004 due to acute liver disease.
How much money did Ray Charles give his children?
Charles reportedly left $500,000 to each of his 12 children, and gave the rest of his estimated $75 million estate, and licensing rights to his music, to Ray Charles Enterprises. The foundation absorbed Ray Charles Enterprises after Charles' death.


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Lots of questions are being raised about food's carbon footprint, that's why the Louis Bonduelle Foundation suggests you take a look at which vegetables are in season in which hemisphere at certain times of the year.
How can you eat sustainably?
Growing vegetables out of season consumes a lot of energy because you grow them in artificial conditions and need resources (like heat, water and nutrients). The carbon footprint is the same if not greater than when you transport food.
Cucumbers can be naturally grown in the northern hemisphere from March to June, whereas you'll find them more easily in the southern hemisphere from October through December. Always choose seasonal vegetables, wherever you live, depending on the month!
Sustainable consumption means striking the right balance between your needs and your food choices.
Watch those 4 animations to discover some examples of seasonal vegetables for different times of the year and where to find them!


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Led by Noam Rotem and Ran Locar, vpnMentor's research team recently discovered a data breach belonging to the exercise technology company Kinomap. As a paid subscription service, Kinomap collects enormous amounts of data about its users, all of which was stored on an unsecured database. In total, the database was leaking over 42 million records, affecting people all over the world.
The researchers reached out to the company and presented the results of their investigation. While awaiting reply from Kinomap, they also contacted the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés, France's independent data privacy regulator. While they never received a reply from Kinomap, the data breach was closed sometime around the 12th of April. They suspect this was due to an intervention by the CNIL.
The exposed database contained over 40GB of data, approximately 42,000,000 records. It also seemed to affect Kinomap's entire user base, as the data originated from countries across the globe, say the researchers, including the following:
- South Korea
Among the millions of data files exposed were numerous forms of Kinomap user Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data:
- Full names
- Home country
- Email addresses
- Usernames for Kinomap accounts
- Timestamps for exercises
- The date they joined Kinomap
Many of the entries, notes the blog, contained links to Kinomap user profiles and records of their account activity, which can reveal personal details about a user.
If a malicious hacker had discovered this database, they could easily combine the information contained within in numerous ways, creating highly effective and damaging fraud schemes and other forms of online attack, warn the researchers. Or, add the researchers, they could also potentially take over certain user accounts on Kinomap, using information contained within the database.
For the full blog and more findings, visit the vpnMentor blog.
*All images courtesy of vpnMentor.


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Collecting data is often the first step of any medical visit. The various forms, documents, and questionnaires needed by a clinic may differ based on their needs, but will always exist as an initial and crucial point of contact. Whether it's insurance paperwork or a patient history questionnaire, quick and easy access to patient information is the backbone of expedient care.Open Postman
Objective of this Collection
We'll explore FHIR's mechanism for describing clinical forms, the Questionnaire resource, and the additional capabilities enabled by Commure's support for the Structured Data Capture (SDC) specification. The collection will demonstrate how to request forms to be partially-filled with answers from existing data and how new or updated information in a form can be turned into the appropriate FHIR resources.
In this scenario, a provider will be filling out a digital form to capture a patient's insurance information.
First, the provider uses a search interface to find the patient by name, then selects to start a new response to an insurance coverage form. The client application uses the extended operation Questionnaire/\$populate, which returns a partially-filled QuestionnaireResponse. Once completed, the extended operation QuestionnaireResponse/\$extract is invoked for the completed form. This returns a new or updated Coverage resource that is submitted by the application, ensuring that the data is available in the expected record.
FHIR Concepts Covered
FHIR offers a very effective set of resources and tools to work with questionnaires. The scenario presented here is a simplified example to introduce FHIR's resources. We will interact with the following resources: Questionnaire (a specification of the content and behavior of a form; aka "form template"), QuestionnaireResponse (answers to questions defined by a Questionnaire)
Additionally, this scenario provides an introduction to:
- The extended operation
Questionnaire/$populate, to pre-fill data into a form.
- The extended operation
QuestionnaireResponse/$extract, to create or update resources from answers to questions in a form.
- Basic FHIR search queries to find a patient by name & retrieve associated records.
To navigate a scenario using the Postman collection you will need to
- Sign up here and accept Commure's Terms and Conditions.
- Authenticate (To have more information about it read the postman documentation, our documentation or see our authentication collection).
- Set up the initial FHIR data you need using the first request of the collection
- Go through the user journey performing each request in the collection
How to authenticate
Once you are signed up, there are two ways to authenticate with Commure's Server:
Click the "View more actions" button of the Collection > Click "Edit" > Go to the variables tab and update only the tenant-id field (both initial value and current value) The tenant-id is the suffix on the baseurl when you sign in to the Commure's Developer Platform. For example: in _URL_ the tenant id is: 99750511. After updating this field please click "Update" at the bottom right corner of the window.
Now click again the "View more actions" button of the Collection > Click "Edit" > and this time, go to the authorization tab > select Oauth2 as the authorization method > Click "Get New Access Token" > Fill the fields with your tenant information.
Remember to remove the blank space between the Curly braces
- Callback url: http://localhost:1234/callback.
- Auth url:
- Access Token url:
- client-id: smart_hello_world
- Scope: openid email
- Leave Client Secret and State empty.
After filling in the details, please Click in "Request Token" > In the next window Click "Use Token" > Once that window closes please click "Update"
In your browser go to the /auth endpoint, and get the authorization token, then use the token as a bearer in every request you want to make to our servers.
Note: If you get a 404 SSL error, you forgot to set the tenant-id variable on the collections variables, or you have a wrong base url.
Commure is building a system to accelerate healthcare software innovation. We believe that better software for doctors, nurses and patients - and ultimately for the healthcare system as a whole - will come from responsibly connecting the top minds in technology, medicine and design. Become part of our community and help us innovate the future of healthcare technology. Sign up here.
When using this collection you agree to Commure's terms and conditions found here.
If you need help setting up, don't hesitate to write us at _EMAIL_.


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WATER QUALITY AND
LOGGING SEDIMENT CONTROL ACT (LSCA)
LSCA and Water Quality go hand-in-hand, making sure the water you use is clean. Approximately 1.8 million West Virginians rely on clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, swimming and fishing to name a few. To help ensure your water quality is safe before, during and after a logging operation, the West Virginia Legislature passed the Logging Sediment Control Act in 1992 (19-1B).
This law sets guidelines for logging companies to use when timbering. Part of the Act states logging operations be registered and supervised by individuals who have completed Division of Forestry certification program. The law also requires loggers to follow Best Management Practices (BMPs) that prevents useless soil erosion or run-off that could potentially cause problems in nearby ponds, streams, rivers or other bodies of water.
You as a citizen can do your part to ensure logging jobs and your water continues to be safe. If you or someone you know is planning on harvesting timber, please check to make sure the logging company you use is licensed to complete timbering operations in West Virginia. Download the Licensed Loggers for the most current list of available licensed loggers in the state. By using a properly licensed timber operator AND a certified logger, you know the workers will use BMPs that reduce both soil erosion and water pollution.
For a list of Licensed Timber Operators or Licensed Certified Loggers in West Virginia, download the appropriate form on this page.
Licensed Timber Operators and Certified Loggers
Licensed Timber Operators Last updated 5/17/13
Licensed Certified Loggers Last updated 5/17/13
Once you decide to cut, make sure the following criteria will be completed:
- Timber Operator is licensed with the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
- Obtained logger certification by completing a WVDOF training class.
- Filed a timbering operation notification with the WVDOF within three days of start up.
- Posted a sign with company name and timbering license number.
FORESTS AND FLOODS
In 2001, at the request of State Forester Randy Dye, an expert committee consisting of representatives of state, federal and private agencies prepared a report that reviewed and summarized scientific literature regarding the effects of timber management activities on flooding. This report concerns the storms of July 2001 in southern West Virginia. No effort has been made to polish this report for widespread publication; however, due to continual interest in the issue, the Division of Forestry is making this publication available to the public through its website. This.pdf document is 89 pages in length and can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat.
The following documents are in.pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print. Click on the Adobe Icon to download a free version of this program.
Forests and Floods
2003 McCutcheon Report
In February 2003, Steven C. McCutcheon, Ph.D. prepared a report for the Division of Forestry entitled "Hydrologic Evaluation of the
Curve Number Method for Forest Management in West Virginia." This report is 38 pages and available for download as a.pdf document. To download the McCutcheon Report, click on the link below.
On January 8, 2006, Dr. McCutcheon testified before the Forest Management Review Commission. Download the file below to read his seven page presentation.


How to Use Rabatment in Your Compositions
Published Jan. 27th 2009
Painters rely on an array of methods for finding the best placement of their subjects within a painting's edges. One of the easiest methods to use and understand is to place the subject within the rabatment of the rectangle.
What is the rabatment of a rectangle? Simply put, it's the perfect square found inside any rectangle (the rabatment's sides are all equal to the short side of the rectangle).
rabatment of rectangle
For each horizontal rectangle, there is a right rabatment and a left rabatment. For each vertical rectangle there is an upper and lower rabatment. Placing the most important subjects within either of these squares helps to create a composition that your viewers will perceive as unified, harmonious and balanced.
Even though the primary subject may be placed inside the rabatment, artists still find a variety of roles and uses for the section outside the rabatment. For example, look at this painting, entitled Bill Painting Near Old Levitz Lot by Jennifer McChristian.
mcchristian bill
The figure (which is the center of interest) is located directly on the edge of the rabatment, with the trees located inside it. Outside the rabatment is an obliqued-shaped building that redirects the viewer's eyes to the center of interest.
mcchristian rabatment
Another way artists use the area outside the rabatment is to complete whatever story is being told, like in this painting by Carolyn Anderson.
anderson painting
Notice how the two spaces work in concert: the baby fits entirely within the rabatment while the head of the mother looks down at the infant from outside the rabatment.
anderson rabatment
An artist's natural sense of design will often lead to rabatment placement automatically, but there are two methods for using this strategy intentionally.
Method 1: Adding on to a sketch
1. Do a preliminary sketch of the subject you plan on painting. (In the example below, I've done a drawing of a busy squirrel.)
rabatment find 1
2. Create a square around the major activity in the drawing.
3. To the right, left, top or bottom, add enough space to match the ratio of the canvas you plan to use. (The ratio I used is 2:3 which matches up with a 16×24 inch canvas.)
Method 2: Using a special viewfinder
1. Make a rectangular viewfinder with a window that is the same ratio as your planned canvas. So if your canvas is 16×20 inches, your ratio should be 4:5, or 4×5 inches.
2. On the long sides of the viewfinder's frame, mark where the rabatment begins.
rabatment viewfinder
3. Look through the viewfinder to plan your composition. Position it so that the main area of interest lies within the rabatment and then use that for your composition.
rabatment find 2
Just as it isn't clear why using the Golden Ratio gives such a pleasing composition, no one knows for sure why using the rectangle's rabatment gives balance, harmony and unity to a composition.
Whatever the reason may be, as you experiment with rabatment you'll find that you're producing stronger compositions and more interesting paintings than ever before.
Did you like this article? Share it!
Then check out the related posts below.
There are a number of powerful visual areas within a basic rectangle that artists can use to enhance their compositions. Some of those areas we've already talked about in our golden ratio tutorial and in last week's lesson on rabatment. Today we're going to look at how the rule of thirds can b... read more
There's a mathematical ratio commonly found in nature—the ratio of 1 to 1.618—that has many names. Most often we call it the Golden Section, Golden Ratio, or Golden Mean, but it's also occasionally referred to as the Golden Number, Divine Proportion, Golden Proportion, Fibonacci Number, and Ph... read more
Artists tend to be natural rebels... many of us take delight in getting around traditional artistic "rules" especially if we can do it in a clever way. For instance, we've all been taught to avoid placing a subject directly in the center of our compositions—and rightfully so—because placing... read more
This article contains step-by-step images of the process I use to create realistic looking drawings, as well as tips I've picked up over the years which anyone can use to improve their drawing skills. There's a lot to cover, so let's get started! 1. Make sure there's a direct light source. Bef... read more
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About Nevada Agricultural Statistics
Nevada Agricultural Statistics located in Reno, Nevada is
the Nevada field office of USDA's National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS). NASS is the official statistical
agency of the United States Department of Agriculture with
the mission to serve the United States, its agriculture,
and its rural communities by providing meaningful, accurate,
and objective statistical information and services. Nevada
Agricultural Statistics operates with assistance and cooperation
from the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the College
of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology of University
About Nevada Agriculture
Agriculture often goes largely unnoticed behind the glare
of casinos and tourist attractions in Nevada, and most of
it cannot be seen from the interstate highways. Farming and
ranching, however, provide a cornerstone to the economies
of many of Nevada's rural communities and greatly enhance
the aesthetics of life near the urban areas. Farming is concentrated
in valleys where water is available for irrigation, while
vast rangelands and mountains provide grazing for livestock.
Range livestock production is predominate in Nevada with
well over half of the farms raising cattle or sheep. The
highest concentrations of cattle are in the northern part
of the State. Cow-calf operations are most common type of
operation and Elko county ranks among the leading counties
in the Nation in number of beef cows. Northern Nevada is
also home to the vast majority of the sheep.
Dairying is a growing industry in the State, as is the manufacture
of dairy products. The dairies are concentrated in the vicinity
of the large market centers of Las Vegas and Reno. Horses
are big business in Nevada, both for work and pleasure. Swine
production is limited and most producers market locally.
Other livestock enterprises, including goats, emu, and llama,
are becoming more common.
Nevada's high desert climate is very well suited to
the production of high quality alfalfa hay and alfalfa hay
accounts for over half of the total value of crops produced
in the State. Much of the alfalfa is marketed to dairies
in California and a significant quantity is exported overseas.
A variety of other high value crops are gaining in importance
to Nevada agriculture. Potatoes, onions, garlic, grain, and
seed crops contribute greatly to the total value of production.
Across Nevada lie valleys rich in agricultural resources:
most unseen from the interstate highways.


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MINSK — Belarus held a burial ceremony for 110 Napoleonic soldiers who died in a major battle in 1812 against the Russian army.
Tens of thousands of French troops died in November 1812 when the Russians attacked French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's army as it fled across the Berezina River on a retreat from Moscow.
The devastating defeat eventually led to the 1814 Russian takeover of Paris and Bonaparte's exile. Since then, the word "Berezina" means "a complete disaster" in French.
The remains were excavated by a Belarussian Defense Ministry unit that searches for soldiers' remains. They were buried Friday at a cemetery in the village of Studenka, 100 kilometers east of Minsk, in a ceremony attended by French Ambassador Michel Raineri.


text: Vertex elimination is a graph operation that turns the neighborhood of a vertex into a clique and removes the vertex itself. It has widely known applications within sparse matrix computations. We define the ELIMINATION problem as follows: given two graphs G and H, decide whether H can be obtained from G by |V(G)|−|V(H)| vertex eliminations. We show that ELIMINATION is W-hard when parameterized by |V(H)|, even if both input graphs are split graphs, and W-hard when parameterized by |V(G)|−|V(H)|, even if H is a complete graph. On the positive side, we show that ELIMINATION admits a kernel with at most 5|V(H)| vertices in the case when G is connected and H is a complete graph, which is in sharp contrast to the W-hardness of the related CLIQUE problem. We also study the case when either G or H is tree. The computational complexity of the problem depends on which graph is assumed to be a tree: we show that ELIMINATION can be solved in polynomial time when H is a tree, whereas it remains NP-complete when G is a tree.