text:
Background Google Trends is an innovative monitoring system with unique potential to monitor and predict important phenomena that may be occurring at a population level. We sought to validate whether Google Trends can additionally detect regional trends in youth and adult tobacco use.
Methods We compared 2011 Google Trends relative search volume data for cigars, cigarillos, little cigars and smokeless tobacco with state prevalence of youth (grades 9–12) and adult (age 18 and older) use of these products using data from the 2011 United States state-level Youth Risk Behaviors Surveillance System and the 2010–2011 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), respectively. We used the Pearson correlation coefficient to measure the associations.
Results We found significant positive correlations between state Google Trends cigar relative search volume and prevalence of cigar use among youth (r=0.39, R2 = 0.154, p=0.018) and adults (r=0.49, R2 = 0.243, p<0.001). Similarly, we found that the correlations between state Google Trends smokeless tobacco relative search volume and prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among youth and adults were both positive and significant (r=0.46, R2 = 0.209, p=0.003 and r=0.48, R2 = 0.226, p<0.001, respectively).
Conclusions The results of this study validate that Google Trends has the potential to be a valuable monitoring tool for tobacco use. The near real-time monitoring features of Google Trends may complement traditional surveillance methods and lead to faster and more convenient monitoring of emerging trends in tobacco use.
- Non-Cigarette Tobacco Products
- Surveillance and Monitoring
Statistics from Altmetric.com
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text:
Resources: Week Two individual assignment, Quality Dimensions and Measures Table.
Research inpatient and ambulatory or ancillary health care organizations.
Inpatient health care organizations:
Ambulatory or ancillary health care organizations:
As a team, select one inpatient health care organization and one ambulatory or ancillary health care organization.
Create a 6-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation (the title and reference slides do not count towards the total slide count) with detailed speaker notes in which you compare each organization and their quality management performance as an organization.
Include the following in your presentation:
o Identify metrics used by each organization to measure each of the six dimensions of high quality discussed in the Week Two Quality Dimensions and Measures Table assignment.
o Describe similarities and differences between the metrics of each organization.
o How do these metrics help develop improvement capability for each organization?

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


text:
Dive into the captivating world of typography as you've never seen it before with the latest exhibition by Paco Raphael.
Paco Raphael (The Hague, 1975) – educated at The Hague University in Communication & Multimedia Design – distinguishes himself by combining an exceptional sense of style and composition with his fascination for design, innovation, new techniques, and material knowledge. In a short period, he gained recognition from many international collectors through representations by foreign galleries and participation in international art fairs.
For his exhibition 'Beyond Words' Paco Raphael embarked on a journey exploring the limitless possibilities of typography as a standalone art form. The result is a visual symphony, where he orchestrated paint splashes and droplets into carefully crafted patterns. Each stroke and drop thoughtfully placed, giving life to a unique and mesmerizing fusion of colors and shapes. This innovative approach reimagines typography, offering an experience that transcends words.


text:
| < January >
|Normal Max/ High Temperature
|Min/ Low Temperature
|Average Daylight per day
|Sun altitude at solar noon on the 21st day.
- The average temperature in Sobral in January is hot at 26.7 °C (80.06 °F).
- Afternoons can be very, very hot with average high temperatures reaching 33.8 °C (92.8 °F).
- Overnight temperatures are generally fairly hot with an average low of 23.6 °C (74.5 °F).
- In January there is a variation/ range of daily average temperatures of 10.2 °C (18.4 °F).
- The weather in January is not exactly parched. Circa 101.6mm (4in) of H2Ois dumped.
- The shortest day is 12:16 long and the longest day is 12:19 long with an average length of 12:18.
Check the distance to and compare the Sobral January averages with somewhere beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | All
Weather Trend Graph for January in Sobral, Brazil
Navigate to January Weather in Locations Surrounding Sobral:

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Key points to know
- Stunting and yellowing are above-ground symptoms of SCN.
- Early senescence of fields is an indirect above-ground symptom of SCN.
- There can be serious yield loss due to SCN without any obvious above-ground symptoms.
- Root stunting, discoloration, and fewer nodules are below-ground symptoms of SCN.
- You can see SCN females with the naked eye.
1. Stunting and yellowing can be above-ground symptoms of SCN


is not visible externally. This
 option may be given more than once.
 -W symbolname
 --weaken-symbol=symbolname
 Make symbol symbolname weak. This option may be given more than once.
 --globalize-symbol=symbolname
 Give symbol symbolname global scoping so that it is visible outside of the file in
 which it is defined. This option may be given more than once.
 -w
 --wildcard
 Permit regular expressions in symbolnames used in other command line options. The
 question mark (?), asterisk (*), backslash (\) and square brackets ([]) operators can
 be used anywhere in the symbol name. If the first character of the symbol name is the
 exclamation point (!) then the sense of the switch is reversed for that symbol. For
 example:
 -w -W !foo -W fo*
 would cause objcopy to weaken all symbols that start with "fo" except for the symbol
 "foo".
 -x
 --discard-all
 Do not copy non-global symbols from the source file.
 -X
 --discard-locals
 Do not copy compiler-generated local symbols. (These usually start with L or ..)
 -b byte
 --byte=byte
 Keep only every byteth byte of the input file (header data is not affected). byte can
 be in the range from 0 to interleave-1, where interleave is given by the -i or
 --interleave option, or the default of 4. This option is useful for creating files to
 program ROM. It is typically used with an "srec" output target.
 -i interleave
 --interleave=interleave
 Only copy one out of every interleave bytes. Select which byte to copy with the -b or
 --byte option. The default is 4. objcopy ignores this option if you do not specify
 either -b or --byte.
 -p
 --preserve-dates
 Set the access and modification dates of the output file to be the same as those of
 the input file.
 --debugging
 Convert debugging information, if possible. This is not the default because only
 certain debugging formats are supported, and the conversion process can be time
 consuming.
 --gap-fill val
 Fill gaps between sections with val. This operation applies to the load address (LMA)
 of the sections. It is done by increasing the size of the section with the lower
 address, and filling in the extra space created with val.
 --pad-to address
 Pad the output file up to the load address address. This is done by increasing the
 size of the last section. The extra space is filled in with the value specified by
 --gap-fill (default zero).
 --set-start val
 Set the start address of the new file to val. Not all object file formats support
 setting the start address.
 --change-start incr
 --adjust-start incr
 Change the start address by adding incr. Not all object file formats support setting
 the start address.
 --change-addresses incr
 --adjust-vma incr
 Change the VMA and LMA addresses of all sections, as well as the start address, by
 adding incr. Some object file formats do not permit section addresses to be changed
 arbitrarily. Note that this does not relocate the sections; if the program expects
 sections to be loaded at a certain address, and this option is used to change the
 sections such that they are loaded at a different address, the program may fail.
 --change-section-address section{=,+,-}val
 --adjust-section-vma section{=,+,-}val
 Set or change both the VMA address and the LMA address of the named section. If = is
 used, the section address is set to val. Otherwise, val is added to or subtracted
 from the section address. See the comments under --change-addresses, above. If
 section does not exist in the input file, a warning will be issued, unless
 --no-change-warnings is used.
 --change-section-lma section{=,+,-}val
 Set or change the LMA address of the named section. The LMA address is the address
 where the section will be loaded into memory at program load time. Normally this is
 the same as the VMA address, which is the address of the section at program run time,
 but on some systems, especially those where a program is held in ROM, the two can be
 different. If = is used, the section address is set to val. Otherwise, val is added
 to or subtracted from the section address. See the comments under --change-addresses,
 above. If section does not exist in the input file, a warning will be issued, unless
 --no-change-warnings is used.
 --change-section-vma section{=,+,-}val
 Set or change the VMA address of the named section. The VMA address is the address
 where the section will be located once the program has started executing. Normally
 this is the same as the LMA address, which is the address where the section will be
 loaded into memory, but on some systems, especially those where a program is held in
 ROM, the two can be different. If = is used, the section address is set to val.
 Otherwise, val is added to or subtracted from the section address. See the comments
 under --change-addresses, above. If section does not exist in the input file, a
 warning will be issued, unless --no-change-warnings is used.
 --change-warnings
 --adjust-warnings
 If --change-section-address or --change-section-lma or --change-section-vma is used,
 and the named section does not exist, issue a warning. This is the default.
 --no-change-warnings
 --no-adjust-warnings
 Do not issue a warning if --change-section-address or --adjust-section-lma or
 --adjust-section-vma is used, even if the named section does not exist.
 --set-section-flags section=flags
 Set the flags for the named section. The flags argument is a comma separated string
 of flag names. The recognized names are alloc, contents, load, noload, readonly,
 code, data, rom, share, and debug. You can set the contents flag for a section which
 does not have contents, but it is not meaningful to clear the contents flag of a
 section which does have contents--just remove the section instead. Not all flags are
 meaningful for all object file formats.
 --add-section sectionname=filename
 Add a new section named sectionname while copying the file. The contents of the new
 section are taken from the file filename. The size of the section will be the size of
 the file. This option only works on file formats which can support sections with
 arbitrary names.
 --rename-section oldname=newname[,flags]
 Rename a section from oldname to newname, optionally changing the section's flags to
 flags in the process. This has the advantage over usng a linker script to perform the
 rename in that the output stays as an object file and does not become a linked
 executable.
 This option is particularly helpful when the input format is binary, since this will
 always create a section called .data. If for example, you wanted instead to create a
 section called .rodata containing binary data you could use the following command line
 to achieve it:
 objcopy -I binary -O <output_format> -B <architecture> \
 --rename-section .data=.rodata,alloc,load,readonly,data,contents \
 <input_binary_file> <output_object_file>
 --long-section-names {enable,disable,keep}
 Controls the handling of long section names when processing "COFF" and "PE-COFF"
 object formats. The default behaviour, keep, is to preserve long section names if any
 are present in the input file. The enable and disable options forcibly enable or
 disable the use of long section names in the output object; when disable is in effect,
 any long section names in the input object will be truncated. The enable option will
 only emit long section names if any are present in the inputs; this is mostly the same
 as keep, but it is left undefined whether the enable option might force the creation
 of an empty string table in the output file.
 --change-leading-char
 Some object file formats use special characters at the start of symbols. The most
 common such character is underscore, which compilers often add before every symbol.
 This option tells objcopy to change the leading character of every symbol when it
 converts between object file formats. If the object file formats use the same leading
 character, this option has no effect. Otherwise, it will add a character, or remove a
 character, or change a character, as appropriate.
 --remove-leading-char
 If the first character of a global symbol is a special symbol leading character used
 by the object file format, remove the character. The most common symbol leading
 character is underscore. This option will remove a leading underscore from all global
 symbols. This can be useful if you want to link together objects of different file
 formats with different conventions for symbol names. This is different from
 --change-leading-char because it always changes the symbol name


text:
Theories of Action, Planning, and Robot Control: Bridging the Gap
Papers from the AAAI Workshop
Chitta Baral, Chair
The goal of the workshop is to bring together active researchers in the areas of theories of actions, planning and control architectures to discuss and analyze the interrelation between these areas, and to accelerate the interaction between them.
Specific topics of interest are:
- Identification of features in theories of actions that make it possible to develop efficient planning algorithms
- Study of the relation between the inference methods associated with logical formalizations of a particular theory of action and planning algorithms for that theory
- Exploration of advantages and disadvantages of generate and test planners. (Some possible advantages are easy incorporation of domain knowledge, easy incorporation of non-standard goals such as maintaining the value of a fluent etc.)
- Incorporation of aspects related to control (such as: execution of actions, knowledge producing actions, actions that may fail, etc.) into theories of actions; and other topics that relate to the interface between these areas.
The one and one-half day workshop will consist of tutorials, individual presentations and panel discussions.


text:
Calls for 2017 will open in April and close in September
Published on 28-03-2017 06:45:42 by AGRIFORVALOR
The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) is a public-private initiative dedicated to supporting the commercial transformation of renewable, natural resources into innovative bio-based products in Europe.
Almost 75% of a total €3.7 billion (€2.7 billion) of the BBI JU budget is invested by Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) industry members from 2014-2020. This financial contribution will support the large-scale commercialisation of high-quality bio-based products, through investment in innovative bio-based production facilities and biorefining research and demonstration projects.
Projects supported under the BBI Initiative range from commercial flagship projects and demonstration projects to research and innovation actions and co-ordination and support initiatives. Among the flagship projects awarded under the program are FIRST2RUN and EXILVA. The FIRST2RUN biorefinery focuses on underutilized oil crops grown in arid and marginal land. The vegetable oil extracted from cardoon seeds is converted into bio-monomers (mainly pelargonic and azelaic acids) as building blocks for high added value bioproducts (biolubricants, cosmetics, bioplastics, additives) through the integration of chemical and biotech processes. EXILVA focuses on the commercial production of a microfibrillated cellulose from woody biomass sources. Another initiative, BIORESCUE, is a research and innovation action which is exploring enhanced bioconversion of agricultural residues (including spent mushroom compost and wheat straw) through cascading use. The consortium includes two Irish partners, Monaghan Mushrooms and Celignis. Five million tonnes of spent mushroom compost are generated per annum and storage and disposal of this has become a significant economic and logistical problem. Biorefining could offer not only a solution to this problem, but also develop a significant revenue stream from this resource. The schematic below offers an insight into some of the pathways being investigated.
Fig 1; Overview of BIORESCUE Biorefinery Process
The 2017 call for BBI proposals will open this April and will close in September with results published in December. Topics are orientated along feedstock, process, products and market. Potential topics of interest in the 2017 call include a flagship call for an integrated "zero waste" biorefinery utilising all fractions of the feedstock for the production of chemicals and materials, a research and innovation action on the production of proteins and other bioactive ingredients from sidestreams and a call for proposals on competitive biodegrable, compostable and/or recyclable biobased plastics for a sustainable end of life phase. For a full list of topics click here _URL_
To follow-up on the call for proposals the BBI JU will hosts its fourth Open Info Day & Brokerage event at the Alcide De Gasperi, Charlemagne Building of the European Commission in Brussels on 28 April 2017. In addition to bioeconomy expert speakers from EU and industry, the event will provide potential applicants with detailed information on how to prepare and submit a good proposal for the 2017 BBI JU Call, and there will be a dedicated networking and brokerage event in the afternoon.
James Gaffey, Institute of Technology, Tralee


text:
There are two different approaches that can be used in assessing your library's collection. The first is to measure the collection itself. The second is to measure the use of the collection. First, we will examine the measures that can be used to measure the collection itself. Later, we will look at measures for collection use.
Quantitative Measures for Library Collections
There are two different kinds of measures for evaluating a library collection. The first kind of measure is quantitative. These measure how many items are in the collection, as well as the age of the items and the potential use of the items.
For example, the simplest measure of this kind is a measure of the number of items in the collection or in a particular subject area within the collection. This is usually done by a shelflist measure or with a system report if the library is automated. If you have an automated system, the system should be able to give you a count of items within a specific range of classification numbers. If you do not have an automated shelflist, shelflist measures can be conducted in two ways. The first is to count the number of cards in the set of classification numbers that you are assessing. For large segments of the shelflist another way is to make an estimate of the number. This is done by making a count in a random sample of inches within the shelflist. An average is taken from these counts. Then the average is applied to the total number of inches within that part of the shelflist. (Needless to say, the ease with which processes such as shelflist measures can be conducted is one of the advantages of having an automated system.)
Another kind of quantitative measure looks at the number of items added to the collection in a particular subject area during the previous year. Often for larger libraries this acquisition level is compared to other parts of the collection or to the collection as a whole by using an acquisition rate. The acquisition rate is figured by dividing the number of acquisitions in a particular subject area (usually defined by classification numbers) for the previous year by the total number of items in that collection area at the beginning of that year.
For example, if your math collection (510's in the Dewey Classification System) contained 400 items at the beginning of the year, and you add 30 items this year, your acquisitions rate for that section of the library will be.075 or 7.5%
In academic or school libraries, another measure that is sometimes used is a measure of the number of items per student in a particular program or the number of items that would support a particular course of study. Thus, if you are in a college that has a very large business program, then it would be expected that your business collection would be larger than for a college that specialized in liberal arts. The measure here would be items per student, and it would be calculated by dividing the number of items in the section by the number of students within the program(s) who would make the most use of these items. If the items per student measure is going to be used, it should be combined with qualitative and client-center measures. Unfortunately, some accreditation agencies have used items per student as the sole measure for evaluating a library's collection, and as a result, librarians have sometimes been pressured by administrators not to weed out-of-date or unattractive materials. If items are not useful to the library's clientele, the collection is poor, no matter what its size.
Click on the arrow to go on to next page

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


by Vitalii Bashun
Installing Hadoop Cluster with Cloudera Manager
clock-icon-white 9 min read
Deploying, configuring and running a Hadoop cluster manually is rather time- and cost-consuming. Here's a helping hand to create a fully distributed Hadoop cluster with Cloudera Manager.
This article shows how fast and easy it may be to install Hadoop cluster with Cloudera Manager. There are three major steps to follow:
 1. Prepare hosts
 2. Install Cloudera Manager
 3. Install Cluster
Since the first two steps may be carried out either manually (in details showcases how to prepare hosts and install Cloudera Manager) or through Vagrant automatization (lets you play with Cloudera Manager due to Vagrant script that automates host preparation and CM installation), this article will cover both approaches.
Deploying, configuring and running a Hadoop cluster manually is rather time- and cost-consuming and may even lead to market position loss if company's business operations depend directly on the technical operations speed; that's why specialized tools are preferable.
Luckily, that's where software comes into play. To make things simpler, here's a helping hand to creating a fully distributed Hadoop cluster with Cloudera Manager to get down to real life practice. Mind though, if you need a dev environment, just download a pre-prepared virtual machine with a pseudo distributed cluster inside.
This step by step guide covers the main highlights of the process (full documentation of Cloudera Manager including security, cluster optimization and fine tuning could be found here). Let's get this Hadoop cluster installed.
Before we start, here's a short glossary that might come in handy:
 - CDH – Cloudera Distribution including Hadoop. CDH includes Hadoop and other applications that are usually used along, e.g. Flume, HBase, Hive, Impala, Kafka, Pig, Spark, Sqoop, etc.
 - Cloudera Manager – a tool for Apache Hadoop administration including such operations as installation, upgrading, host commission/decommission, monitoring
 - Vagrant – a tool for building complete development environments
Used software versions include:
CDH - 5
Cloudera Manager - 5.7
Vagrant - 1.8.1
OS - Centos 6.7
VitrualBox - 4.3.28
Ground Plan
To install a Hadoop cluster:
 1. Prepare servers
 2. Install Cloudera Manager
 3. Install Cloudera Manager Agents and CDH
 4. Install Hadoop cluster
Vagrant
If you are going to practice on your own workstation (not on real servers), it's recommended that the first two steps are automated with Vagrant. Note: make sure you have at least 16 GB of RAM.
To prepare cluster servers and to install Cloudera Manager, do the following:
To make changes in your hosts file and make the virtual machines available by theirs hostnames, Vagrant may ask for the password of a current user. If Vagrant has provisioned and run the cluster successfully, skip steps 1 and 2 (preparing servers and installing Cloudera Manager).
1. Prepare servers
Skip this step if Vagrant was used. Go to the step 3.
For this minimal cluster, 4 servers are needed (minimal requirements for a non-production cluster):
 - 1 x 8Gb RAM (Cloudera Manager + most important Hadoop Services)
 - 3 x 1.2Gb RAM (Data Nodes)
Cloudera Manager Documentation provides the following instruction for each node in a soon-to-be cluster:
 1. Disable Selinux
 2. Setup NTP
 3. Disable firewall
 4. Define host names
These steps are automated in the Vagrant section above. If you prepare your servers manually, use the instructions below. Note: all the instructions are tested for CentOS 6.7. Use appropriate user manual for another OS.
1.1. Disable Selinux
Run the following in the command line:
$> sudo sed -i 's/^\(SELINUX\s*=\s*\).*$/\1disabled/' /etc/selinux/config
This command modifies Selinux's config file disabling Selinux service.
1.2. Setup NTP
NTP service is required to keep system clock on each server synchronized with global time and with each other. Do the following to setup it:
$> sudo yum -y install ntp
$> sudo chkconfig ntpd on
$> sudo service ntpd start
$> sudo hwclock --systohc
1.3. Disable Firewall
$> sudo chkconfig iptables off
1.4. Define host names
1.4.1. Edit /etc/hosts
The /etc/hosts file should have the following inside it:
127.0.0.1 localhost
10.211.55.101 cloudera-1
10.211.55.102 cloudera-2
10.211.55.103 cloudera-3
10.211.55.104 cloudera-4
1.4.2. Define system hostname
Run the following command on each host with a corresponding name (cloudera-1, cloudera-2, cloudera-3, cloudera-4):
$> sudo hostname cloudera-1
1.4.3. Edit /etc/sysconfig/network
The /etc/sysconfig/network file should look as follows:
NETWORKING=yes
HOSTNAME=cloudera-1
RES_OPTIONS="single-request-reopen"
1.4.4. Restart the network service
Restart the network service on each server to apply the changes:
$> sudo service network restart
2. Install Cloudera Manager
Skip this step if Vagrant was used. Go to the step 3.
This step is also automated with Vagrant. If you install it manually, follow the instruction below.
Installation could be divided into the following steps:
 1. Install MySql database
 2. Instal and run Cloudera Manager server
MySql an Cloudera Manager will be installed on cloudera-1 server (8GB of RAM).
2.1. Install MySql database
Install MySql server:
$> yum -y install mysql-server mysql
$> chkconfig mysqld on
Edit MySql configuration /etc/my.cnf in according to Cloudera recommendations:
[mysqld]
datadir=/var/lib/mysql
socket=/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
transaction-isolation = READ-COMMITTED
# Disabling symbolic-links is recommended to prevent assorted security risks;
# to do so, uncomment this line:
symbolic-links = 0
key_buffer = 16M
key_buffer_size = 32M
max_allowed_packet = 32M
thread_stack = 256K
thread_cache_size = 64
query_cache_limit = 8M
query_cache_size = 64M
query_cache_type = 1
max_connections = 550
#log_bin should be on a disk with enough free space. Replace '/var/lib/mysql/mysql_binary_log' with an appropriate path for your system
#and chown the specified folder to the mysql user.
log_bin=/var/lib/mysql/mysql_binary_log
# For MySQL version 5.1.8 or later. Comment out binlog_format for older versions.
binlog_format = mixed
read_buffer_size = 2M
read_rnd_buffer_size = 16M
sort_buffer_size = 8M
join_buffer_size = 8M
# InnoDB settings
innodb_file_per_table = 1
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2
innodb_log_buffer_size = 64M
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 4G
innodb_thread_concurrency = 8
innodb_flush_method = O_DIRECT
innodb_log_file_size = 512M
[mysqld_safe]
log-error=/var/log/mysqld.log
pid-file=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
sql_mode=STRICT_ALL_TABLES
Start MySql:
$> service mysqld start
Create a script that sets up MySql security settings:
#!/bin/bash
yum -y install expect
SECURE_MYSQL=$(expect -c "
set timeout 10
spawn mysql_secure_installation
expect \"Enter current password for root (enter for none):\"
send \"\r\"
expect \"Change the root password?\"
send \"n\r\"
expect \"Remove anonymous users?\"
send \"y\r\"
expect \"Disallow root login remotely?\"
send \"n\r\"
expect \"Remove test database and access to it?\"
send \"y\r\"
expect \"Reload privilege tables now?\"
send \"y\r\"
expect eof
")
echo "$SECURE_MYSQL"
Save this script as mysqlsec.sh,


text:
Skip to Main Content
This paper describes a position sensorless operation of permanent magnet brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The position sensorless BLDC drive proposed, in this paper, is based on detection of back electromotive force (back EMF) zero crossing from the terminal voltages. The proposed method relies on a difference of line voltages measured at the terminals of the motor. It is shown, in the paper, that this difference of line voltages provides an amplified version of an appropriate back EMF at its zero crossings. The commutation signals are obtained without the motor neutral voltage. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through simulation and experimental results.


text:
In the past, you've certainly had your gums examined to determine the presence of gum disease. You might recall a thin metal periodontal probe used to calculate "pocket depth," which is the detached area between your teeth and gums. The depth of detachment within each pocket can vary depending upon where the probe is placed and can lead to an inaccurate diagnosis. A team of engineers from the University of California San Diego developed a process that can provide a more detailed and accurate diagnosis—using squid ink and photoacoustic ultrasound.
Squid Ink, Nanoparticles,
and Photoacoustic Ultrasound
A rinse made of food-grade squid ink, water, and cornstarch is first swished in the mouth. Melanin nanoparticles in the squid ink, which are trapped in the tooth pockets, absorb light. This allows a laser light shined on the gums to heat the squid ink and cause pressure differences in the pockets. This pressure difference is detected by ultrasound and converted to an image for diagnosis.
Consistent, Reliable Measurements
Researchers have been able to consistently obtain the same accurate measurements in repeated tests. And, the method is non-invasive which means no pain and reduced risks to the patient.
Although an external laser light is used now, researchers are working to create dental trays that will emit the light directly onto each tooth and transmit the results to a computer application in a matter of moments. While they are at it, they want to replace the expensive laser lights with an inexpensive, portable light system like LEDs, which will make the diagnostic tool more economical and universally available. Finally, the current salty taste of the mouth rinse is on the chopping block as researchers plan to improve the taste by adding mint and other flavorings.
What This Means to Patients
This tool will provide the information dentists need in much less time and with an excellent degree of accuracy. Patients will appreciate the fact that the process is non-invasive and have confidence that the ultimate diagnosis will lead to improved care for their gums.


text:
Cartography, Landforms and Landform Analysis
Shoreline Community College (Two Year College)
Geography 205 is an introductory course to physical geography. This course, the first of a two course series (the other is Geography 206: Weather, Climate and Ecosystems) for Physical Geography at Shoreline Community College. The course focuses on the formal study of the earth's surface and the various physical systems that interact with, and shape, its surface. Particular attention is given to the earth's landforms, including formation processes, interpretation and representation. These topics will be presented within the context of a global, North American and local (Pacific Northwest and the Puget Sound) perspective. In addition to the emphasis placed on map interpretation, some emphasis is also placed on graphic and statistical data interpretation.
1) Students should be able to use the tools and working terminology of physical geographers.
2) Students should be able to locate and interpret types of landforms that are represented on maps.
3) Students should be able to understand the physical processes influencing the earth's landforms.
4) Students should be able to appreciate the role of human activity on landform processes and the importance of different types of landforms to humans.
1) Interpret distances and elevations from cartographic, graphic and statistical sources.
2) Analyze and describe scale, direction and distance relationships quantitatively and qualitatively.
3) Establish elevation and distance estimates based on interpretation and calculation of information from topographic maps.
4) Use equations to represent physical processes influenceing the landscape.
5) Calculate probabilities and rates of events in the landscape.
6) Identify, interpret, analyze and describe physical processes in the landscape using topographic maps, statistical tables, visual images and graphic information.
7) Experience group problem solving.
8) Assess and describe limitations of quantitative descriptions and measurements of physical processes.
References and Notes:
Geography 205 Reading Packet


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Fuelling Performance In Fashion Retail Through Legitimate LeadershipJun 2019Share by Email
Fashion retail is a notoriously demanding industry as more and more brands compete for an ever-shrinking consumer purse. Converting 'window shoppers' into customers who fill their baskets rather than buy a single item, and come back again and again, is what it is all about.
Two well-known South African fashion brands embraced the Legitimate Leadership principles and practices to effect a step-change in the calibre of their leaders at three levels in their operations. Their focus on enabling those in the front line in their stores countrywide has impacted positively, not only on turnover but on all of their performance indicators. The intervention showed conclusively that you don't have to trade off between people and results. You can have both.
- INTRODUCING THE FRAMEWORK – FROM 'GETTING THE RESULTS ACHIEVED THROUGH OTHERS' TO 'CARING FOR AND GROWING PEOPLE'
A three-day breakaway is traditionally held every year by the business for its top 50+ people. On this occasion, the agenda was split between business strategy and leadership.
Legitimate Leadership facilitated a highly interactive session which engaged participants in a debate regarding what accounts for individual, team and organisational excellence.
Participants were introduced to this unique perspective on leadership and gained the key insight that leadership is not about what leaders can 'get' out of their people but rather what they can 'give' to their people to enable their above-and-beyond contribution and make them the best that they can be. The operations director for one of the brands led the way in demonstrating the 'mind shift' made by most of those present when, at the end of the session, he deleted his 30-slide presentation on the year's targets and instead showed a single slide. It read: "Everyone has a contribution to make. How can I help you make your contribution?" He received a standing ovation for his commitment to serving down the line. The next 18 months was about translating this into action.
- INITIAL LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT – TO WHAT DEGREE ARE WE ALIGNED TO THE LEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP CRITERIA?
The initial leadership assessment (via leadership profiles) diagnosed the current state of leadership against the criteria for leadership excellence, thus holding up a mirror to leaders, and acting as a catalyst for change.
It provided a baseline measure, both individually and collectively, of the current degree of alignment against the criteria of Care, Means, Ability and Accountability as well as a reading of what was happening with respect to leadership 'on the ground'.
The overall picture was of an intensely results-driven environment, where people were the resources to achieve the results. More specifically the leadership audit revealed the following reality.
- Managers were not seen to care about the welfare of their people.
- People respected their managers but did not feel respected by them.
- Despite managers being in the field most days in the month, their people did not feel that they spent sufficient time with them.
- Store managers were not empowered to run their stores.
- The obsession with measurement meant that store managers were forced to report three times a day on the numbers.
- There was little coaching, guidance or support.
The 1.5-hour one-on-one feedback sessions on their profiles gave each leader clarity on the shifts in behaviour and leadership practice that they needed to make. The overall results also informed the choice of Application Modules and Review Sessions to be run on a drip-feed basis over the next six-month period.
- APPLICATION MODULES AND APPLICATION REVIEW SESSIONS – EFFECTING CRITICAL CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR AND PRACTICE
Application Modules deepen leaders' understanding of the framework and provide the tools and skills to translate the model into practice. Between each workshop leaders are tasked with applying what they have learned in the workplace – they share their experience with their colleagues in a structured review session before engaging with another aspect of the framework. In this process of ongoing insight, practice and feedback they gain both competence and confidence in this way of leading.
The primary insights and behavioural shifts over the six months are outlined below.
LEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP APPLICATION MODULE, PRACTICE AND REVIEW PROCESS
||Primary Insights and Mindset Shifts
||Behavioural Shifts and Changes in Leadership Practice
|1. Earning Trust Through Care, Time And Attention – 'take care of your people and they will take care of your business'.
- People trust people who care about them.
- Care is definitely not a 'soft' and 'fluffy' thing.
- You can't care for someone if you don't know what makes them 'tick'.
- Care and growth are face-to-face activities – they happen in one-on-one and team meetings and when 'watching the game'.
- There should be equal time given to all direct reports but what the leader needs to 'give' will differ according to individuals' needs.
- Seeing and getting to know the human being behind the human resource.
- Spending time with the middle and small stores – not just the big or high-turnover stores.
- Giving people undivided attention by closing the laptop and switching off the phone when in the store.
- Making the focus the people not the KPIs.
- Demonstrating appropriate care (tough love).
- Having one-on-ones where the direct report sets the agenda not his/her manager.
|2. Increasing Impact By Clarifying Contribution – 'there is no such thing as a confused, productive employee'.
- Clarifying contribution is an enabler of contribution.
- People should be held accountable for their contribution – what they have control over.
- Those in leadership positions should be held accountable primarily for the care and growth of direct reports.
- Defining contribution for the next reporting period gives clarity, focus, enables proactivity and promotes business and individual growth.
- Communicating and helping direct reports to understand the business results; teaching the store managers how to analyse their numbers.
- Clarifying and agreeing the unique value add of each level in the hierarchy.
- Collaboratively agreeing quality deliverables for all direct reports.
- Holding leaders accountable, not for the KPIs, not for the state of the store or even for the performance of their staff in stores. Rather, holding them accountable for the calibre of their direct reports (e.g. accountable not for fixing a problem with merchandising but for enabling those in the stores to effectively manage the visuals in the store).
|3. Elevating Performance By Assessing, Enabling And Reviewing Contribution – 'it is fine for a manager to have the same people as a year ago but not the have the same people the same'.
- The measure of success of 'watching the game' is that the leader has a better understanding of what to GIVE the person to enable his/her contribution and growth.
- When the standard has not been met, find out why.
- Good leadership is about increasing the number of exemplary contributors and decreasing the number of poor contributors.
- Leadership and employee action should match the contribution made.
- Stopping store visits to examine only business performance and replacing them with store / area / regional manager visits with the focus on enabling and growing people.
- Asking managers to talk about their direct reports, not to talk about their KPIs.
- Finding out why people are failing and how to help them – rather than slapping them with a written warning for a poor audit.
- Stopping rescuing people and rather enabling them.
- Holding one-on-ones and team meetings where the focus is on progressing the person rather than progressing the work.
- 'Watching the game' more and auditing less.
|4. Cultivating Accountability by Handing Over Controls –' the purpose of empowerment is to grow people'.
- The more managers trust their people the more they are trusted.
- Empowerment means letting them decide and living with their decisions – not your decisions.
- The level of control which is exercised must be commensurate with the level of maturity of the person being empowered.
- Empowerment implies the incremental suspension of control in order to enable.
- Taking our hands off and starting to trust our people.
- Deliberately identifying and pushing decision-making authority down the line.
- Stopping doing our people's jobs for them.
- Following the 5 Steps To Empowerment when handing over accountability.
|5. Delivering A Step Change By Holding People Accountable – 'when the leaves on the tree turn yellow don't paint them green, water the roots'.
- You only engage people's will to contribute when you hold them accountable for their contribution.
- When you do not hold people accountable you have no option but to institute a control.
- People should be censured for carelessness and disciplined for deliberate malevolence.
- Praise 'careful'; reward 'the extra mile'.
- Finding the right balance between positive and negative accountability.
- Seeing what is 'right' not only what is 'wrong'.
- Holding people accountable rather than imposing a control on everyone.
- Removing people who are not capable from their roles.
- REPEAT LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT – ARE WE MORE ALIGNED TO THE CRITERIA FOR LEGITIMATE POWER?
A second assessment via repeat Leadership Profiles was done at the end of the process to assess what shifts in leadership behaviour and practice had been made. The results were stunning; the highlights of the repeat assessment are shown below.
REPEAT AUDIT HIGHLIGHTS:
- The overall score had shifted by 0.5, which is significant especially given people's raised expectations of their leaders' alignment against the criteria.
- There was a positive shift in all four categories (Care, Means, Ability, Accountability), with the biggest improvement being in Care.
- 115 people


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3D Logo Reveals Preview Clips
Here are a series of videos showing the kinds of logo reveals we can produce for your organization.
Each of the videos shown here displays several of the video reveal formats that we produce. You can view the individual reveals on these pages as well: 3D ANIMATED LOGO REVEALS, PAGE 1 and 3D ANIMATED LOGO REVEALS, PAGE 2
3D Logo Reveals Volume 1
3D Logo Reveals Volume 2
3D Logo Reveals Volume 3
3D Logo Reveals Volume 4
3D Logo Reveals Volume 5
3D Logo Reveals Volume 6
3D Logo Reveals Volume 7
3D Logo Reveals Volume 8
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3D Logo Reveals Volume 12
3D Logo Reveal Volume 13
3D Logo Reveal Volume 14
Create an Animated Logo Reveal That Grabs Attention and Makes the Right Impression. Only $97
Modifications That Can be Made to the Logo Reveals Shown Here.
- Logo Image - Logo images must be in a transparent PNG format. We used a generic square logo for AB&C company to illustrate how logos are presented in the different reveals. Some of the logo reveal effects allow us to increase or decrease the size of the logo image after it is revealed.
- Audio - sound effects can be added to all of the clips. The demo clips do not have audio.
- Speed - The speed can be increased or decreased as needed.
- Length - The length of all of the reveals can be modified by extending the time at the end of the clip, after the display action has come to a stop. We can shorten videos by removing content at the beginning of the clip.
- Colors - The colors of the elements in the reveal can be modified on all of the reveals shown here.
- Text - Some reveals require text where it is indicated in the demo reveal (Text 1, Text 2 etc.) When used, text elements should be very short.
- Additional Images - Some reveal formats include additional images. Images can be added where you see image placeholders, or photos of people, animals, outdoor scenes or coffee related images. Images must be in specific dimensions to display properly in the image slots.
3 Big Reasons To Use Animated Logos
A Dozen Ways You Can Use Your Animated Logo
Contact us at _PHONE_ or via the form below.
- Animated Video Production
- Customizable Promotional Videos
- Video Ad Production
- Video Promotion
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Homeward in a Sentence 🔊
Definition of Homeward
in the direction of home
Examples of Homeward in a sentence
After driving to the Grand Canyon for their annual vacation, the Simpson Family was homeward bound due being at the end of their trip. 🔊
A homeward journey was pushed by the homeless counselor on the teenager to have a better life who was now living on the streets. 🔊
After serving a lengthy prison sentence, a homeward departure allowance was given to the released prisoner to be able to make it back to his residence. 🔊
Other words in the Direction category:
Most Searched Words (with Video)


text: Baby will have hours of fun popping the 4 different coloured balls into the cylinder through the electronic hole which recognises the balls as they drop down. Discover animals, colours and counting with the 2 modes of play. Twist the key to activate the lights and spinning of the balls and then watch them drop and roll down the fun slides in different ways as there are various manipulative features on the way down. Includes a tray at the bottom for baby to pick the balls up and play all over again. Features 15 melodies and 6 happy sing-along songs. Electronic ball recognition.Twist the key to activate spinning the balls.Discover animals, numbers and colours!Includes 15 melodies and 6 sing-along songs.


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DALLAS and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Oct. 17, 2022 – Two aviation innovators are joining forces to tackle one of the most challenging issues in the airline industry today – that is, moving aspiring commercial pilots safely and more quickly through the hiring and training pipeline and into active service at commercial airlines reeling from pilot shortages.
Current Aviation, Inc. of Dallas-Fort Worth and the Training Division of AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (AIRO) of Albuquerque are partnering to leverage the full-spectrum commercial pilot training approach of AIRO into Current's curriculum. AIRO will provide flight training on multi-engine aircraft, geared specifically for those interested in commercial, rather than recreational, aviation.
Current Aviation will use its network and technology to help overcome a major hurdle for aspiring pilots and the airlines that want to hire them — that is, building the 1,500 hours of flight time required after classroom training to obtain a commercial aircraft certification. Students at traditional flight schools often build those hours on their own time and at their own expense, adding years to the certification process.
Current will help place students with pilot opportunities in commercial settings, to build hours as charter pilots or in smaller aircraft (i.e., aircraft carrying fewer than 10 passengers), where flight hour requirements are significantly lower, and pilots can gain their experience more quickly.
Bob Perrin, AIRO's Chief Business Officer and head of AIRO's training division, and Current Aviation CEO, Brad Beakley agree, the AIRO/Current Aviation approach will reduce the time to full certification from years to months, through this concentrated effort of on-site training and commercial piloting opportunities.
"The implications of this approach for long-term stable pilot employment and the commercial aviation industry are significant," said Beakley. "Partnering with AIRO helps us leverage decades of commercial flight training experience and a proven flight training curriculum purpose-built for careers in commercial aviation."
The Current/AIRO partnership comes at a time when commercial carriers are scrambling to deal with pilot shortages that have upended schedules and inconvenienced consumers. Many major carriers, which lost thousands of pilots through early retirements and layoffs during the pandemic, are raiding the pilot ranks of their regional airline partners or starting their own flight schools to bring pilots into their own operations.
"Long-term, this partnership helps put qualified pilots into the pipeline more quickly – benefiting carriers and the communities they serve – and gives aspiring pilots an opportunity to choose a career in commercial aviation that fits their lifestyles, whether that be in regional or major airline flying," Perrin said. "AIRO is proud to partner with Current Aviation, and to be a part of this unique solution in commercial aviation. The AIRO Holdings Group is committed to addressing key issues facing the Aerospace and Defense industry. Our team will be present at the Jaunt Air Mobility NBAA Booth 2400A."
The impact has been especially burdensome on smaller carriers, many of whom have also cut schedules or ended operations as a result, with significant impacts on air service to smaller cities.
"This is no time for business-as-usual thinking," Beakley said. "We are laying the groundwork for a more rational approach to flight training aimed specifically at the realities of today's commercial airline industry realities and tomorrow's opportunities."
About Current Aviation – Led by a world-class team of veteran airline, hospitality, and travel technology industry executives, Current Aviation, Inc., leverages aviation expertise and leading-edge technology to develop custom solutions that enhance profitability and maximize operations for airlines, airports and related industries. Visit currentaviation.com.
Contact: Andrea Rader at _EMAIL_ or call/text _PHONE_
AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (AIRO) is a privately held mid-market aerospace and defense company with offices in the US, Canada, and the EU, providing innovative, industry-leading products and services via its four synergistic divisions: Advanced Avionics, Electric Air Mobility, Commercial Drones, and Training; uniquely capable of addressing a broad spectrum of aviation markets. AIRO brands include Jaunt Air Mobility, Aspen Avionics, Sky-Watch, Agile Defense, Coastal Defense, and AIRO Drone.


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Not common to the humid environment of the Fraser Valley, the soapberry was a staple import for the Stó:lō people from the Thompson people of the Interior. These berries were traded as berry cakes, dried, or in the raw form.
Soapberries are used to create Indian ice cream, a mixture of whipped soapberries, water, and a sweetener. The sweetening agent is typically made from other berries, blue camas or refined sugars. The process of making the ice cream is similar to whipping egg whites, and the final Indian ice cream has very similar qualities.


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Home > Bank Resources > Bank Resources Publications > Compliance Corner > 2003 > Second Quarter
Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940
(SSCRA, or the Act) (50 USC 501) is a reenactment of a statute originally
passed in 1918. The intent of the Act is to provide protection for individuals
entering or called to active duty in the military service. The Act is designed
- Enable service members to fight a war without having to
worry about problems that might arise at home, and
- Help service members honor pre-service debts, since
military income tends to be less than pre-service income.
All members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
and Coast Guard on active duty and all officers of the Public Health Services
authorized for active duty with either the Army or Navy are covered under the
Act. The Act also covers members of the Army and Air National Guard and U.S.
military reserves called to active duty, as well as commissioned officers of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on active duty.
The SSCRA covers such issues as rental agreements,
security deposits, prepaid rent, eviction, installment contracts, credit card
interest rates, mortgage interest rates, mortgage foreclosure, civil judicial
proceedings, and income tax payments. The following summarizes the relief
provisions that might affect financial institutions.
- Interest Rates. Under the SSCRA, service members
can cap the interest rates on all obligations that were entered into before
beginning active duty at 6 percent. Obligations include credit cards,
mortgages, and non-federally guaranteed student loans. In order to invoke the 6
percent cap, military members must write the lender requesting relief and
provide a copy of current military orders. In addition, service members must
demonstrate that active duty materially affects their ability to pay. The cap
is lifted a short time after active duty ends and the rate reverts to the rate
in effect prior to the cap.
- Mortgages. A lender may not foreclose on a
mortgage if the obligation originated prior to entry into active duty and the
service member's ability to pay is materially affected by military
- Installment Loans. A lender may not exercise any
right or option under the contract to terminate an installment contract to
purchase real or personal property or to assume possession of the property for
nonpayment, if the obligation originated prior to entry into active duty and
the service member's ability to pay is materially affected by military
- Leases. A service member may terminate without
penalty a lease for property occupied. The property must have been used for
dwelling, professional, business, or agricultural purposes. The service member
must have entered into the lease before he or she started active duty. To
terminate the lease, the member must provide written notice to the landlord
after called to active duty.
Contrary to what many people believe, there are no
provisions for reemployment rights as part of the SSCRA. Reemployment rights
are contained within separate legislation, The Uniformed Services Employment
and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
Additional information on the SSCRA.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of this Reserve Bank or the Federal Reserve System.


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|PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference
10g Release 1 (10.1)
Part Number B10807-01
return_value := SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP(number);
SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP takes an argument that represents a system change number (SCN) and returns the timestamp associated with that SCN. The returned value has the datatype
This function is part of the flashback query feature. System change numbers provide a precise way to specify the database state at a moment in time, so that you can see the data as it was at that moment.
Call this function to find out the date and time associated with an SCN that you have stored to use with flashback query.
DECLARE right_now TIMESTAMP; yesterday TIMESTAMP; sometime TIMESTAMP; scn1 INTEGER; scn2 INTEGER; scn3 INTEGER; BEGIN -- Get the current SCN. right_now := SYSTIMESTAMP; scn1 := TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN(right_now); dbms_output.put_line('Current SCN is'|| scn1); -- Get the SCN from exactly 1 day ago. yesterday := right_now - 1; scn2 := TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN(yesterday); dbms_output.put_line('SCN from yesterday is'|| scn2); -- Find an arbitrary SCN somewhere between yesterday and today. -- (In a real program we would have stored the SCN at some significant moment.) scn3 := (scn1 + scn2) / 2; -- Find out what time that SCN was in effect. sometime := SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP(scn3); dbms_output.put_line('SCN'|| scn3 ||'was in effect at'|| TO_CHAR(sometime)); END; /


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Modifying only certain consituents of a mesh
If I have developed a fluid tetrahedral mesh surrounding a solid cylinder, is there a way to observe the average number of elements spanning the mesh axially? If so, is it possible to preserve that average number of elements axially, while coarsening the mesh in the radial direction? I understand that the tetrahedral mesh discrete locations will not be as well defined as a grid that's why I am only attempting to obtain average values.
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Josephine Heap. Foto: Eva Dalin
Josephine Heap. Foto: Eva Dalin
Länk till abstract (DiVA)
Länk till avhandlingen (DiVA)
The aim of this thesis was to analyse coexisting disadvantages in the older Swedish population. Coexisting disadvantages are those that occur simultaneously in various life domains. A person who simultaneously experiences several disadvantages may be particularly vulnerable and less well-equipped to manage daily life and may also need support from several different welfare service providers. Concerted actions may be needed for older people who experience not only physical health problems and functional limitations, but also other problems. Research that encompasses a wide range of living conditions provides a basis for setting political priorities and making political decisions.
The studies in this thesis used data from two Swedish nationally representative surveys: the Level of Living Survey, which includes people aged 18 through 75, and the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old, which includes people aged 77 and older.
Study I showed that the probability of experiencing coexisting disadvantages was higher in people 77 and older than in those aged 18 through 76. These age differences were partly driven by a high prevalence of physical health problems in older people. In all age groups, coexisting disadvantages were more common in women than men.
The longitudinal analyses in Study II indicated that coexisting disadvantages in old age persist in some people but are temporary in others. Moreover, the results suggested a pattern of accumulating disadvantages: reporting one disadvantage in young old age (in particular, psychological health problems) increased the probability of reporting coexisting disadvantages in late old age.
Study III showed that physical health problems were a central component of coexisting disadvantages. The results also showed that being older; female; previously employed as a manual labourer; and divorced/separated, widowed or never married were associated with an increased probability of experiencing coexisting disadvantages. However, the experience of coexisting disadvantages differed: the groups associated with coexisting disadvantages tended to report different combinations of disadvantage.
Study IV showed that the prevalence of coexisting disadvantages in those 77 and older increased slightly between 1992 and 2011. Physical health problems became more common over time, whereas limited ability to manage daily ac-tivities (ADL limitations), limited financial resources and limited political resources became less common. Associations between different disadvantages were found in all survey years, but certain associations changed over time. The results suggest that in general, the composition of coexisting disadvantages in the older population may have altered over time.
In sum, results showed that coexisting disadvantages were associated with specific demographic and socio-economic groups. Physical health problems and psychological health problems were of particular importance to the accu-mulation and coexistence of disadvantages in old age.
Heap, J. (2016). Living conditions in old age. Coexisting disadvantages across life domains. Doctoral dissertation. Stockholm: Department of Social Work, Stockholm University.
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BACKGROUND. Lack of investigatory and diagnostic tools has been a major contributing factor to the failure to mechanistically understand lymphedema and other lymphatic disorders in order to develop effective drug and surgical therapies. One difficulty has been understanding the true changes in lymph vessel pathology from standard 2D tissue sections. METHODS. VIPAR (volume information-based histopathological analysis by 3D reconstruction and data extraction), a light-sheet microscopy–based approach for the analysis of tissue biopsies, is based on digital reconstruction and visualization of microscopic image stacks. VIPAR allows semiautomated segmentation of the vasculature and subsequent nonbiased extraction of characteristic vessel shape and connectivity parameters. We applied VIPAR to analyze biopsies from healthy lymphedematous and lymphangiomatous skin. RESULTS. Digital 3D reconstruction provided a directly visually interpretable, comprehensive representation of the lymphatic and blood vessels in the analyzed tissue volumes. The most conspicuous features were disrupted lymphatic vessels in lymphedematous skin and a hyperplasia (4.36-fold lymphatic vessel volume increase) in the lymphangiomatous skin. Both abnormalities were detected by the connectivity analysis based on extracted vessel shape and structure data. The quantitative evaluation of extracted data revealed a significant reduction of lymphatic segment length (51.3% and 54.2%) and straightness (89.2% and 83.7%) for lymphedematous and lymphangiomatous skin, respectively. Blood vessel length was significantly increased in the lymphangiomatous sample (239.3%). CONCLUSION. VIPAR is a volume-based tissue reconstruction data extraction and analysis approach that successfully distinguished healthy from lymphedematous and lymphangiomatous skin. Its application is not limited to the vascular systems or skin. FUNDING. Max Planck Society, DFG (SFB 656), and Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence EXC 1003.
René Hägerling, Dominik Drees, Aaron Scherzinger, Cathrin Dierkes, Silvia Martin-Almedina, Stefan Butz, Kristiana Gordon, Michael Schäfers, Klaus Hinrichs, Pia Ostergaard, Dietmar Vestweber, Tobias Goerge, Sahar Mansour, Xiaoyi Jiang, Peter S. Mortimer, Friedemann Kiefer
Spatial arrangement of blood and lymphatic vessels in the human dermis visualized by light-sheet–based microscopy.


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Sakers occupy stick nests in trees, about 15 to 20 meters above the ground, in parklands and open forests at the edge of the tree line. No one has ever observed a saker falcon building its own stick nest; they generally occupy abandoned nests of other bird species, and sometimes even drive owners from an occupied nest. In the more rugged areas of their range, sakers have been known to use nests on cliff ledges, about 8 to 50 meters above the base.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: tundra ; taiga ; forest ; scrub forest ; mountains


GoKunming Articles
Kunming trees and utilities still suffering from January cold
By in News on
One month ago, Kunming suffered through its coldest day in three decades. The temperature dipped to eight degrees centigrade below zero in some parts of the city. While such temperatures were extremely inconvenient for people going about their daily lives, the cold was downright deadly for uncounted numbers of trees and water meters across the Spring City.
Hope for Kunming's trees?
For the past month, tree trimmers have moved methodically through town, hacking dead limbs off of heartier species and uprooting or cutting down tropical perennials that did not survive the January cold snap. Many of the city's trees suffered from the plant equivalent of "frostbite", and the current chill may affect them further, says Professor of Ecology Li Yuanbiao (李元表) of Yunnan Agricultural University.
Most Spring City trees should rebound if not hurt by further subzero weather or over-eager pruning. As long as root systems and trunks remain in good shape, trees should bloom normally when warmer weather returns, according to Li.
However, he cautioned that assessing the health of thousands of trees was nearly impossible, and that the city should not rush to replace or cut down seemingly damaged specimens until they have had a chance to recover. Nevertheless, city workers and tree trimming companies have taken a seemingly drastic approach along roads and inside neighborhoods throughout Kunming. We will have to wait until spring temperatures rise before seeing the full extent of the damage.
Water meter fix almost finished
Sub-freezing temperatures just before Spring Festival also wreaked havoc on more than 60,000 residential water meters. Some froze and quit working, while others ruptured and sprung leaks. Statistics released by the Kunming Water Company (KWC) show outages and damaged meters affected five percent of the company's 1.1 million customers.
Repair crews have worked furiously throughout February, but reports of broken pipes and gauges are still coming in, especially from people returning late from the New Year holiday. A company spokesman said KWC will respond to the forty or so service calls it is currently receiving on a daily basis "in the order they are received", until the problem is fixed.
Households with water problems can call phone a 24-hour hotline at _PHONE_ to report issues. Replacement services for broken meters are free, but those who contract an independent company for speedier labor will not be reimbursed for their trouble, according to a KWC statement.
Image: Patrick Scally
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I would suggest that hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs and plants were killed by the cold. Air quality and air safety is going to be a real problem in the area without a massive replanting scheme by all. Yes some plants will revive. Some will be finished off by massive over trimming. The continuing cold weather is not helping. What is the government planning to do and how can we help?
I hope someone from local government reads this.
It would be good if they replant with varieties that are more indigenous to the area. Both drought and cold resistant.
Vast amounts of water is used on a lot of the shrubs in the city when the weather is dry, and the subtropical species with very fleshy leaves will tolerate neither frost, nor drought.
Ok, some of these species may not be as pretty but they are more sustainable.
Just went cycling, and really missing the shade the trees provided. Strange that the palm trees all seem fine.
I am no expert on plants and trees but it's fairly common that things die in winter and magically grow back in spring. I was very surprised to see the extent of the cutting back of the trees. But now all is clear.
Today i saw some of the remaining trees in the centre being not only cut back, but then uprooted and taken away. The irony is that they spent such a long time messing round with the trees after the winter and now Spring has arrived most remaining trees are sprouting new shoots. By Summer they'd be fine.
However when someone sees an opportunity to waste funds and fill their own pockets contracts for new trees are drawn up quickly.
Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but I see no other reason why this is being done.
I'm no expert either, but I'm pretty sure that cutting back the dead areas of the trees, if it's done correctly, helps the living parts of the trees to put out new shoots - uprooting them, probably not.
They may be using the opportunity to switch out some of the tree species that do require a lot of watering for most of the year. This is a huge drain on the water supply (no pun intended) and government budgets for labor.
The water that is sprayed on the streets to reduce dust and on the plants and trees comes from the sewer. If you look carefully, you will see the trucks lined up near the canals filling their tanks. They do not use potable water for these things.
_USER_: I don't think this hurts the trees, does it?
If done right, it can help the trees.
Some old garden hacks even say, once dead tree, will have stronger branches and grow better fruits and better canopies.
But if their water capillaries are cut,or destroyed due to the water expansion, -from the ice or frost, they are gone.
You are right, usually farmers or gardeners with lots of experience even get surprised sometimes what tree or plant, once written off.... came back beautifully.
But let's be honest most of those gardening blokes don't know anything. No blame, they are cheap farmers hired, to do whatever their leader orders them to do.
And there is the problem, that we have complete morons running the watering and gardening in Kunming. I asked one of the fore workers, once what sort of flower bush this is. He had actually no clue, and ordered his team to spray it for 5 minutes. A few weeks later, it was dead.
human poop water isn't harmful for the plant, necessarily but it's harmful for humans and it can lead to unwanted growth and even kill a plant. If you have a garden, pee once a day on a small tree or bush and see what happens.
The sewage water is from a closed water cycle, and it won't come back unless it rains.
Sometimes the stupidity of Kunming's city management is still surprising me. Although it's funny sometimes.
The stuff I mentioned is something anyone, who ever planted more than one flower or plant, knows. And should know.
Can't remember personally planting anything for a very long time. However, I'd imagine the cheap farmers have. I'm not sure the problem is their ignorance, but perhaps that of their leaders, but they're stuck for economic reasons and so have to follow orders. Anyway, it's not as if their are no good gardeners in China - seems it's a matter of making sure those who are are allowed to get into positions where their 'orders' will be the ones that make sense.
I have no problem with cutting back the trees for better growth but the trees on my street and many in Wuhua are now being dug up (roots cut off i.e killed) and bags of earth left for the tree that will replace it. These are tree that have new shoots. Seems very illogical and money/time-wasting. Surely either a big mistake in management or someone is making a big profit on the new trees at the people's expense
Uprooted and destroyed trees again now the weathers got colder. Is this Kunming's new policy? Plant some trees, when it gets cold uproot them, then a month or so later plant some trees again!
I smell the stink of a corrupted politician taking up briberies in favour of this nonsense practice.
The trees are mentioned in this article about the former leader gone to jail. _URL_
Those trees should never have been planted, they were water hungry in a city suffering from drought. They tried to same them where I live, but were not 100% successful, and now they are digging out the stumps. Local species that can survive local weather conditions are more sustainable.
Is Kunming currently still suffering from drought?
nother inane question. a tree isnt just for xmas a tree is for life.
_USER_ +1
No dazzer, trees are not for life
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text:
Agriculture Canada and Nova Scotia's Ministry of Agriculture said they would fund research projects across the four provinces in Atlantic Canada; Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, to look into new, more plentiful sources of feed, as well as health initiatives for the poultry and egg industry.
One project being funded seeks to identify "healthy, cost-effective alternatives to traditional feed, such as omega (3)-rich crab meal, canola seeds and cold-pressed canola oil," Agriculture Canada explained.
The Atlantic Poultry Research Institute will receive C$820,000 (€633,000) in funding from the government's Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, which is jointly funded by the national and provincial governments.
"The government of Nova Scotia is investing in these projects to support scientific research that will improve the poultry sector's adaptability, competitiveness and innovation," Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture John MacDonell said.
Six different research projects are being funded. One project aims to identify ways to increase omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in chickens and eggs. Another seeks to assess ways to improve flock health and reduce disease.
Other research projects being funded include one to develop a new approach to vaccination, and another will look for a way to cut antibiotic use in poultry rearing.
The poultry and egg sector in the Atlantic region is made up of 235 producers and generated C$259 million (€200 million) in cash receipts in 2010.


text: During 18th and 19th centuries, the majority of Burmese everyday clothing was woven from locally produced cotton, while silk was imported from China. A family's clothing was traditionally woven by the Burmese women. At this time, a wide variety of natural dyes were used to make brightly coloured and boldly patterned textiles and weaving was deeply rooted in the Burmese life. Changes in lifestyle over the centuries brought about some modifications to the basic Burmese traditional wear – from the more voluminous and elaborate hip wrappers to the narrower, tubular 'longyi'. Stripes and plaid cotton were worn by all. This cotton sarong with narrow indigo and white stripes in warp and weft, is worn around the waist, folded into a neat pleat on one side and then tucked into the attached waistband.Most Shan people wear cotton for everyday wear and silk was used only on special occasions. Formerly known as the Shan States, the Shan State covers areas bordering China, Laos, Thailand and Burma and is home to a number of ethnic groups who live on these borders.


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Introduction to Serverless Databases and CockroachDB Serverless
This course introduces the core concepts behind serverless databases and gives you the tools you need to get started with CockroachDB Serverless
Estimated Effort1 hr/week
This course introduces the core concepts behind serverless databases and gives you the tools you need to get started with CockroachDB Serverless.
During the course, you will learn how serverless databases remove the burden of configuring, sizing, provisioning, securing, maintaining and dynamically scaling your database based on load. This means you simply pay for the serverless database resources you use. CockroachDB - a Distributed SQL cloud-native database designed for consistency, resiliency, located data and scale - is the core of CockroachDB Serverless.
You will explore CockroachDB Serverless extends core CockroachDB by embodying the key features of serverless databases. Then you'll spin up a CockroachDB Serverless cluster, and use the SQL shell to solve a set of hands-on exercises.
By the end of this course, you'll learn:
- Why use serverless databases
- How CockroachDB serverless can help you in developing your applications
- How to spin up a CockroachDB Serverless cluster
- How to read and write data to a CockroachDB Serverless cluster
-...and more!
- 1 hour
Get Free Swag
Once you complete the course and pass the final exam for the Introduction to Serverless Databases and CockroachDB Serverless course, we'll mail you some exclusive Cockroach University swag. Please check your email for further instructions. Note: It may take a few hours for the email to arrive. * **
* Swag is only available for Cockroach University users in North America and the EU who have completed the Introduction to Serverless Databases and CockroachDB Serverless course at this time. We hope to expand in the future.
**Once you've completed the Introduction to Serverless Databases and CockroachDB Serverless course, you must complete of the following steps: 1) post your Certificate of Completion to your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts, 2) provide us with a screenshot of your social media post, and fill out your size and shipping information


Volcanic Water - Psoriasis and Eczema Healer
Author: Thierry Coridon Jeremie
Volcanic Water - Psoriasis and Eczema Healer
Psoriasis and Eczema are one of those skin conditions that you'd wish you never knew of. While there are several western medicine options for these conditions, many of these never come close to the powers of natural healing. Psoriasis, Rosacea, and Eczema can occur even in new born babies; hence it is advisable to seek natural remedies to treat the condition rather than relying on modern medicine and chemicals with side effects.
psoriasis, rosacea, eczema, volcanic water, crystal healing,
Skin problem flare-ups can turn an enjoyable public event into a not so enjoyable event and a reason to avoid attending the event, changing your personality from secure to insecure in a moment. Let's face the reality, modern medicine does not have Psoriasis and other skin disorders in control. With the COVID-19 recent events we also realized medication given to Psoriasis patients are in fact immune system suppressant putting the life of the patient at risk during a pandemic by lowering the natural immune system levels.
Psoriasis, Eczema, and Rosacea have a tendency to rapidly spread before you know it, and to leave the skin irritated, dry, and scabby. However, in the recent past, volcanic water has been known to ease and cure these skin problems.
DXHIVE is excited to introduce ANAS Crystal infused skincare line with volcanic water to help you fight psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, and related skin problems. For us it was love at fist sight and using ANAS skin care line proved to be much more than just another skincare line! ANAS took a holistic approach while creating their line.
psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, volcanic water, crystal healing
The volcanic water in ANAS skincare line comes from "La Bourboule", a charming town in Auvergne France, seating on a rich volcanic soil from extinct volcanoes and well known for its thermal springs, healing spa's, a region known for its healing water virtues since the ancient times. Today the town is boosting with visitors from all over the world coming for the healing properties of La Bourboule volcanic and mineral waters. In 1828 the region became known for the so-called "War of the Wells" a period when land owners started a dispute claiming ownership of rich in minerals and volcanic water springs, popular around Europe for their unique healing properties.
thermal healing water
 Volcanic water is created by rain water, water source, or snow that seeps very slowly through porous layers of volcanic rocks, over 100 meters thick, that act as a natural filter and also give the water its unique characteristics and mineral composition. The spring of the volcanic water is deep below the volcano and the water is caught directly there. The health benefits of volcanic mineral water come from the many minerals and electrolytes that are picked up by the water throughout the process. These minerals include Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, and Silica. Science has taken the powers of volcanoes one step further – now, no matter how far you live from a volcanic center, you have the privilege to enjoy the amazing benefits of volcanic water using ANAS Crystal infused skincare.
Right away you will feel the soothing effect, and within a couple of weeks after using the Anas crystal infused skin care, you will notice a drastic improvement: redness will cease, hitching will stop, scabbing will slowly stop, and the Psoriasis spots will start to recede. Fight back and take control over your skin conditions with ANAS Crystal infused skincare line.
We could conclude this article here, speaking only about the volcanic water and its powerful healing power, however there is much more to talk about: the crystal quartz healing power within in each of the ANAS skincare products!
It is scientifically proven that Crystals have beneficial properties for the skin. ANAS has created a patent technology that allows to bring all the benefits of the Crystals into cosmetic skincare in a totally natural and sustainable way.
The essence of the ANAS Patent is that its unique formula combines Crystal energy and Volcanic Water, among other all-natural and carefully selected for their origin, purity and potency ingredients. The Crystal and the Volcanic Water in every product provide a boost of minerals and ions that hydrate, heal, restore and regenerate the skin. And everything is done with respect to the environment and Mother Earth.
ANAS products contain whole Quartz Crystals in them that consist of high concentrations of metal ions, scientifically proven to be beneficial for the skin. According to the scientific literature (Carretero & Pozo, 2010), metal ions protect the skin by creating a protective film when they come into contact with the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. They also possess antiseptic properties creating an unfavorable environment for the growth of microbes.
Silica is also the form of crystal quartz present in your body, imperative for helping to keep your nails, teeth, and hair robust and healthy. It is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps relieve skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. External use of crystal quartz will activate and stimulate your internal silica to promote health within.
The Crystals have the unique ability to transfer the metal ions to the actual product throughout the whole life of the cosmetic – they are simply activated with every use!
The power of the metal ions is further amplified by the use of strictly Volcanic Water in the ANAS products. Spring water from Auvergne in France, that has passed through volcanic stones, is enriched with minerals and silica. Silica is one of the main components of our skin, hair and nails and scientific research has shown that it has the ability to hydrate, restructure, relax and make the skin softer. And, apart from its skin care properties, silica also functions as the perfect conduit for the healing energies of the Crystals.
The combination of volcanic water and crystal quartz is mother nature's gift for skin problems, try it today and experience soothing, healing and transformation!
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Problems of translating modern Scottish literature into French, with special reference to 'The crow road' by Iain Banks
This thesis, which is written in French, examines the problems of translating modem Scottish literature into French. To illustrate them, a case study on The Crow Road by lain Banks will be undertaken. A short introduction first establishes the content of the thesis, its different parts and the strategy that we have adopted to tackle our main problem. This is identified as the cultural "otherness" of Scottish writing, which has been to a greater or lesser degree occulted in French translations of Scottish Literature. Chapter I looks at theoretical aspects of translation from a thematic point of view ranging from a philosophical approach, through a linguistic one to various cultural approaches, with specific reference to Eugene Nida and Lawrence Venuti. Chapter II examines Scotland as a nation and as a country with important linguistic and cultural differences from its southern neighbour. We will see how important this separation is in literature and how some theorists have dealt in particular with the problem of translating the vernacular. Chapter III is devoted to the analysis of the French translations of four Scottish authors, James Kelman, William McIlvanney, Irvine Welsh and lain Banks. It examines passages from the texts but also emphasises the strategies adopted by the translators. Chapters IV and V focus on respectively on lain Banks and The Crow Road in order to provide thorough social and cultural contextualisation before considering ways of translating the novel. Chapter VI considers a number of potential strategies for translating sections of The Crow Road: a 'domesticated' one, a Nabokov style, the use of a French dialect and finally one using Venuti's concepts. The conclusion suggests that translators are free to choose between competing strategies, or even to mix them, but that what is crucial is to have a thorough knowledge of the source culture, and a conscious and apparent strategy, before approaching works as culturally laden as contemporary Scottish novels. The Translator may have to have the courage to offend against existing French translation norms if translation is to be truly trans cui tural.


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In this post, I consider executive dominance, firstly, outlining 'natural' executive dominance, before differentiating this from 'excessive' executive dominance. I use the Coronavirus Act 2020 to demonstrate the latter, exploring some of the factors that amount to excessive executive dominance. I conclude by reflecting on the consequences of my novel concept 'excessive executive dominance'.
The concept of executive dominance should be split into two: natural and excessive executive dominance. Executive dominance is the executive's power to control, impede or perform the role of another branch of the constitution. The UK constitution lacks a clear-cut distinction between the three organs of the state and has evolved to achieve a balance between the three branches. The relationship between and the responsibilities of the executive and legislature are overlapping. In this evolved constitutional setup, natural executive dominance is necessary for the executive to carry out its constitutional role and the UK's constitution to operate efficiently. Natural dominance is a consequence of the working of the UK constitution.
Characteristics of natural dominance include the fusion of powers between the executive and legislature, described by Bagehot as the "efficient secret" of the English Constitution. I contend this fusion contains the UK's non-standard separation of powers and the executive's numerical advantage in the House of Commons, which is the result of the first-past-the-post electoral system. The executive's numerical advantage provides a legitimate way for the executive to achieve the mandate on which it was elected, indicating a link with "democratic legitimacy". The significant presence and subsequent control of the executive within the Commons is illustrated by Standing Order No. 14 and the disparity between successful Private Member Bills and Government Bills. The executive's ability to carry out a legislative function, in the form of creating delegated legislation, represents another factor of natural dominance. Delegated legislation is necessary due to the volume of legislation Parliament passes nowadays; it simply lacks time to shape all the legislative details.
Excessive executive dominance and the Coronavirus legislation
The recently enacted Coronavirus Act 2020 goes beyond natural dominance. It is a manifestation of excessive executive dominance, which can be defined as a position of dominance the executive is placed in by a combination and importantly an 'extension' of various natural dominance factors. This combination and extension disproportionately enhance the executive's position and power, tipping the balance of power between the executive and legislature in favour of the executive. The key difference between natural and excessive executive dominance is that natural dominance is necessary for the constitution's efficient operation, whereas excessive dominance hinders the efficient functioning of the constitution by undermining constitutional principles or preventing other branches performing their constitutional role.
Like natural dominance, excessive executive dominance is comprised of various factors, including wide delegated powers, Henry VIII clauses and a lack of parliamentary scrutiny. The Coronavirus Act 2020 encompasses all of these factors. The Act's wide delegated powers, Henry VIII clauses and the limited parliamentary scrutiny of the Coronavirus Bill were outlined by Stephen Tierney and Jeff King in their post for this blog. What this post does is show how these factors fit into the framework of excessive executive dominance.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 was passed in just four sitting days, after being 'fast-tracked' through Parliament – decidedly quicker than usual. Despite this, the Act grants various wide powers to the executive. Wide delegated powers (that is powers which are broad or vaguely worded – leaving considerable discretion to ministers) are an extension of natural dominance formed by an ability to create delegated legislation, as they go beyond that which is necessary for the constitution to operate. They no longer serve the purpose of aiding the constitution's operation, i.e. in allowing for flexibility, reacting to a developing society and inputting administrative or technical details (to name a few purposes). Instead they hinder the functioning of the constitution by allowing Parliament to circumvent adequate scrutiny. The Act's wide delegated powers were considered by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in its report, which detailed specific powers worth attention. Concerning S34 of the Act, the Committee rightfully points out that "clause 32 is not limited to circumstances occasioned by the coronavirus outbreak… Clause 32 is too widely drawn and should be related to coronavirus". In drafting the legislation in such a wide manner, the Act is empowering the executive beyond what is necessary. It is not necessary in the emergency legislation tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, for the executive to have a power extending to circumstances beyond the coronavirus outbreak. Consequently, it is disproportionate in the powers it transfers to the executive and the oversight it provides for Parliament.
The Act also contains various Henry VIII clauses including S22, S34, S78 and Schedule 29. Again, these clauses are an extension of the executive's ability to make delegated legislation, contributing to excessive executive dominance. The extension is found in the nature of Henry VIII clauses. Unlike other delegated legislation, they enable the executive to amend primary legislation. This impedes the legislature's law-making role and subsequently denies proper oversight. The lacking legislative oversight prevents the legislature from performing its constitutional role, thereby risking harm to constitutional principles. These clauses have been described as counter-democratic, undermining parliamentary sovereignty and unduly fettering parliamentary scrutiny. Nonetheless, even the fiercest critics do not deny the clauses completely, acknowledging that Henry VIII clauses can be useful. The Donoughmore Committee in 1932, despite sternly warning against the use of Henry VIII clauses, did identify the clauses were permissible in the 'most exceptional cases'. One may argue that Covid-19 is an exceptional case and therefore the clauses under the Act are permissible. However, the Committee argued that their use should be subjected to safeguards to protect constitutional principles. They should, therefore, always contain a maximum time limit of one year, after which these powers should lapse, unless Parliament approves an extension. They should only be used for the sole purpose of bringing an Act into operation, and ministers' actions under such clauses should be justified and approved by Parliament. The Henry VIII clauses under the Coronavirus Act do not satisfy these safeguards. Henry VIII clauses today are frequent, wide and unlimited in time and as result are constitutionally damaging.
The lack of parliamentary scrutiny can be seen in the 70+ SIs to date, subject to the 'made negative' procedure – requiring no prior scrutiny at all, and, therefore bypassing the authority of Parliament. The 'made negative' procedure is far less stringent than the negative, affirmative and super-affirmative procedures. This illustrates the lack of correlation between heightened executive power and heightened parliamentary oversight. Lacking parliamentary scrutiny contributes to excessive executive dominance by preventing the executive from being held to account. The made negative procedure under the Act, thus hinders the legislature upholding its constitutional role.
Consequence of Excessive Executive Dominance
The courts have gradually been addressing the issue of excessive executive dominance, Lord Mustill in the FBU case described not only the failure of political constitutionalism but also the presence of executive dominance:
In recent years, however, the employment in practice of these specifically Parliamentary remedies has on occasion been perceived as falling short, and sometimes well short, of what was needed to bring the performance of the executive into line with the law…
This is not a universally accepted stance, with recent works in political science/legislative studies (e.g. here and here) emphasising that Parliament is more influential than often assumed. Furthermore, aspects of Parliament's recent work regarding Brexit, for instance, the Benn Act (The European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act, 2019), also appear to illustrate the functioning of political constitutionalism. Nonetheless, the influence and existence of executive dominance cannot be denied. Parliament's strength (particularly in 2017-19) can be explained due to the weak numerical advantage of the executive (a natural dominance factor). The 2019 election saw the executive's numerical advantage restored with a significant majority, and subsequently the political strength of Parliament weakened – evident in the reintroduction of a no-deal scenario (which the Benn Act fought to prevent) via the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.
The far-reaching powers of the Coronavirus Act are an excellent example of excessive executive dominance. The concept legitimises a high level of judicial scrutiny should the measures/actions under the Act be questioned or subject to interpretation. Courts should read down the wide delegated powers and Henry VIII clauses, as seen recently in Public Law Project where the UKSC read down the Henry VIII clause found in S9(2)(b) of 'LASPO', placing emphasis on a narrow construction (para 26). The courts are ordinarily deferential to the executive in times of crisis or matters involving politics/policy considerations (take Lord Bingham's approach in Belmarsh 9). However, such deference is arguably diminishing in favour of protecting constitutional principles. The Supreme Court's approach in UNISON illustrates the judiciary's safeguarding of constitutional fundamentals (See Mark Elliott's post). Though UNISON protected the rule of law, it demonstrates the courts' willingness to narrowly construe Acts of Parliament in order to preserve constitutional principles. The tool that the court has at hand for this purpose is the principle of legality, which not only protects common law fundamental rights but extends to fundamental constitutional principles. In Miller 2; Cherry, for example, the UKSC referred to the principle of legality by analogy (para. 49; see Alison Young's post). The court held that the prorogation was unlawful, preventing the executive from undermining the constitutional principles of parliamentary sovereignty and parliamentary accountability. I, therefore, see the Coronavirus Act as an opportunity for the judiciary, if it is called upon, to similarly protect the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty from excessive executive dominance.
While not directly citing excessive executive dominance, Miller 2; Cherry encompasses the factors this post is warning against. In proroguing Parliament for an extended period, the executive used their prerogative power beyond that what was necessary for the constitution to function. When