text:
Automate your plant care with the help of these intelligent tools.
Automate Your Plant Care with the Help of These Intelligent Tools
Taking care of plants can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it can also be time-consuming and challenging, especially for those with busy schedules or limited gardening knowledge. Luckily, advancements in technology have made it possible to automate plant care with the help of intelligent tools. These tools not only simplify the process but also ensure that your plants receive the care they need to thrive. In this article, we will explore some of the intelligent tools available in the market that can revolutionize your plant care routine.
1. Smart Watering Systems:
One of the most crucial aspects of plant care is providing them with the right amount of water. Smart watering systems, such as Wi-Fi enabled irrigation controllers, can help you automate this process. These systems use weather data and soil moisture sensors to determine the optimal watering schedule for your plants. You can control and monitor the watering process remotely through a smartphone app, ensuring that your plants receive the right amount of water at the right time.
2. Plant Sensors:
Plant sensors are small devices that can be inserted into the soil to monitor various environmental factors such as moisture levels, temperature, and light intensity. These sensors provide real-time data that can be accessed through a smartphone app. By analyzing this data, you can gain insights into the health of your plants and make informed decisions about their care. Some advanced plant sensors even provide recommendations on watering, fertilizing, and adjusting light conditions based on the specific needs of each plant.
3. Automated Grow Lights:
Light is an essential factor for plant growth, especially for indoor plants or those in low-light environments. Automated grow lights are designed to provide the right spectrum and intensity of light for optimal plant growth. These lights can be programmed to mimic natural sunlight and adjust their settings based on the specific needs of different plants. Some models even have built-in timers and sensors that automatically adjust the light cycle and intensity, ensuring that your plants receive the right amount of light throughout the day.
4. Smart Planters:
Smart planters are self-watering containers that can monitor and regulate the moisture levels of the soil. These planters typically have a built-in water reservoir and a wicking system that delivers water to the plants as needed. Some smart planters also come with integrated sensors that monitor other environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. By automating the watering process, smart planters ensure that your plants receive consistent moisture levels, reducing the risk of over or under-watering.
5. Plant Care Apps:
Plant care apps are mobile applications that provide a wealth of information and guidance on plant care. These apps often include a plant database with detailed care instructions for various plant species. They also offer features such as reminders for watering, fertilizing, and pruning, based on the specific needs of each plant. Some apps even allow you to upload photos of your plants and receive personalized recommendations and troubleshooting tips. With the help of these apps, you can stay organized and ensure that you are providing the best care for your plants.
6. Robotic Plant Care Systems:
For those looking for a fully automated solution, robotic plant care systems are an excellent option. These systems use robotic arms equipped with various tools to perform tasks such as watering, pruning, and even harvesting. Some advanced models can even analyze plant health and detect pests or diseases, allowing for early intervention. While these systems are more expensive and require more setup, they offer a hands-off approach to plant care, making them ideal for those with limited time or physical capabilities.
In conclusion, automating plant care with intelligent tools can simplify the process and ensure that your plants receive the care they need to thrive. From smart watering systems to robotic plant care systems, there are various options available to suit different needs and budgets. By embracing these technologies, you can enjoy the benefits of having healthy and vibrant plants without the hassle of manual care. So, why not embrace the future of plant care and let these intelligent tools take care of your plants for you?


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Exploring Haifa's National Maritime Museum: A Tribute to Israel's Rich Maritime Heritage
Nestled in the heart of Haifa, Israel, the National Maritime Museum stands as a testament to the country's profound connection to the sea. With its captivating exhibits and immersive displays, the museum offers a unique and enriching experience for visitors seeking to delve into Israel's maritime history.
As one of the most prominent maritime museums in the Middle East, the National Maritime Museum showcases the nation's seafaring legacy, paying homage to its maritime pioneers, ancient trade routes, and naval accomplishments. Let us embark on a virtual journey through this remarkable institution and explore the wonders it holds within its walls.
- Ancient Maritime Trade: Step back in time and explore the fascinating trade routes that connected Israel to the ancient world. From Phoenician traders to Roman merchants, the exhibits shed light on the pivotal role Israel played in global commerce.
- Naval History: Delve into Israel's naval history, from its early days to modern times. Learn about the Haganah and Palmach naval units' significant contributions during the struggle for Israeli independence and the subsequent establishment of the Israeli Navy.
- Ship Models: Feast your eyes on a vast collection of meticulously crafted ship models, showcasing vessels from various eras. These intricate replicas offer a glimpse into the evolution of naval architecture and the diverse types of ships that have sailed the Mediterranean.
- Marine Archaeology: Discover the secrets hidden beneath the ocean's depths through the museum's marine archaeology section. Unearthed artifacts, shipwrecks, and captivating stories of underwater exploration provide insights into Israel's underwater heritage.
- Interactive Simulators: Brace yourself for a thrilling ride as the museum offers state-of-the-art simulators that allow visitors to experience the adrenaline of naval battles and rescue missions. These interactive exhibits provide an immersive and educational experience for all ages.
The National Maritime Museum in Haifa stands as a beacon, illuminating Israel's rich maritime history and its enduring relationship with the sea. Through captivating exhibits, detailed ship models, and interactive simulators, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for the nation's maritime achievements.
Whether you are a history enthusiast, naval aficionado, or simply curious about Israel's past, a visit to this museum is an absolute must. The National Maritime Museum not only showcases Israel's seafaring heritage but also serves as a crucial educational hub, inspiring future generations to embrace and cherish their maritime legacy.
So, plan your visit to Haifa's National Maritime Museum and embark on an extraordinary journey through time, where the captivating stories of Israel's maritime past come to life.
Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Tuesday: 10am – 4pm
Wednesday: 10am – 4pm
Thursday: 10am – 6pm
Friday: 10am – 2pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
:How to get there
198 Allenby Boulevard, Haifa

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Denmark attracts more tourists in the wettest October in 20 years
New figures: October 2019 was the wettest in over 20 years. Meanwhile, the heavy rainfall didn't scare tourists away from Denmark. Figures from Statistics Denmark show that the number of overnight stays at hotels and in summerhouses in October increased by 6 per cent in comparison to the same period last year.
In October, there were 4.7 million overnight stays in total. The number of Danish overnight stays remained stable, while the number of international overnight stays increased by 11 per cent to 2.7 million in October.
"It's almost as though tourists love Denmark in the rain. But the fact that we've managed to maintain tourists' interest despite the very bad weather probably has more to do with the fact that tourist attractions have successfully communicated to tourists all that Denmark has to offer as a holiday destination," says Head of Tourism and Experience Economy at the Confederation of Danish Industry, Sune K. Jensen.
All over the country, the tourism industry and tourist destinations are making efforts to attract tourists outside the traditional high season. In the fall, there is a greater risk of poor weather that prevents outdoor activities, and it is therefore important to ensure that there are options for tourists on rainy days.
"Bad weather is no longer just a question of proper attire. Several regions have drawn up top 10 lists for tourists with proposals for indoor activities if it rains. This is a simple way to make tourists feel assured when they plan their trip - they know that they won't end up stuck in their hotel room or a summerhouse feeling bored," says Sune K. Jensen.
Stay up to date
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source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


Postexercise hypotension is delayed in men with obesity and hypertension
Date
2022
Authors
Jarrett, Catherine L.
Tucker, Wesley J.
Angadi, Siddhartha S.
Gaesser, Glenn A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Abstract
Background: Postexercise hypotension (PEH) can play a major role in the daily blood pressure management among individuals with hypertension. However, there are limited data on PEH in persons with obesity and hypertension, and no PEH data in this population beyond 90 min postexercise.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if PEH could be elicited in men with obesity and hypertension during a 4-h postexercise measurement period.
Methods: Seven men [age = 28 ± 4 years; body mass index = 34.6 ± 4.8 kg/m2; brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP): 138 ± 4 mmHg; brachial diastolic BP (DBP): 80 ± 5 mmHg; central SBP: 125 ± 4 mmHg; central DBP: 81 ± 8 mmHg] performed two exercise sessions on a cycle ergometer, each on a separate day, for 45 min at ∼65% VO2max. One exercise session was performed at a cadence of 45 RPM and one at 90 RPM. Blood pressure was monitored with a SunTech Oscar2 ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 4 h after both exercise sessions, and during a time-matched control condition.
Results: Both brachial and central SBP were not changed during the first h postexercise but were reduced by ∼5–11 mmHg between 2 and 4 h postexercise (p < 0.05) after both exercise sessions. Brachial and central DBP were elevated by ∼5 mmHg at 1 h postexercise (p < 0.05) but were ∼2–3 mmHg lower compared to control at 4 h postexercise, and ∼2–4 mmHg lower at 3 h postexercise compared to baseline. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was elevated compared to control at 1 h postexercise after both exercise sessions, but was ∼2–3 mmHg lower compared to control at 2, 3, and 4 h postexercise, and ∼4–7 mmHg lower at 3 h postexercise compared to baseline.
Conclusion: Despite the small sample size and preliminary nature of our results, we conclude that PEH is delayed in men with obesity and hypertension, but the magnitude and duration of PEH up to 4 h postexercise is similar to that reported in the literature for men without obesity and hypertension. The PEH is most pronounced for brachial and central SBP and MAP. The virtually identical pattern of PEH after both exercise trials indicates that the delayed PEH is a reproducible finding in men with obesity and hypertension.
Description
Keywords
Blood pressure, Exercise, Body mass index, Obese, Overweight
Citation
This is the published version of an article that is available at _URL_ Recommended citation: Jarrett, C. L., Tucker, W. J., Angadi, S. S., & Gaesser, G. A. (2022). Postexercise hypotension is delayed in men with obesity and hypertension. Frontiers in Physiology, 13. This item has been deposited in accordance with publisher copyright and licensing terms and with the author's permission.


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World Wildlife Fund Supports Seal Hunt - Why?
News Release from Sea Shepherd
March 20, 2003
Would the World Wildlife Fund Have Supported
the Slaughter of the Passenger Pigeon? You Bet they Would.
That's why they Support the Canadian Seal
If the World Wildlife Fund was established
back in the 19th Century, they would have indeed supported both
the commercial exploitation and the recreational hunting of the
passenger pigeon. After all, there were millions of them, and
WWF supports both the commercial slaughter and the recreational
killing of wildlife.
But, of course, they would have mounted a big
fund-raising effort to save the last few survivors during the
first decade of the 20th Century.
Yes, the pleas would have gone out begging for
money to save the passenger pigeon. The World Wildlife Fund
would have led the prayer vigil for Martha, the last Passenger
pigeon, as she lay dying in her cage at the Cincinnati Zoo in
Today they are doing this with the Harp Seal.
The WWF is supporting the increased kill
quotas and has endorsed the largest slaughter of marine mammals
on the planet.
The World Wildlife Fund has long been a haven
for big game hunters, hunters, trappers, fur farmers, commercial
fishing corporations, and other enemies of animals.
Now, the World Wildlife Fund has publicly
endorsed the largest marine wildlife slaughter in the world.
This statement below is taken directly from
the website of the World Wildlife Fund Canada:
What WWF is Not!
WWF is not an animal welfare organization. We
support the hunting and consumption of wild animals provided the
harvesting does not threaten the long-term survival of wildlife
populations. WWF has never opposed a sustainable seal hunt in
northern or eastern Canada.
Whoa – where does this word "sustainable" come
The East Coast slaughter of harp seals is not
some Inuit or Native subsistence hunt.
It is a Canadian government subsidized
slaughter and the quotas set for 350,000 a year for three years
are the largest quotas ever established. Not since 1850, when
unrestricted slaughter saw kills of a million seals a year has
there been numbers like this. There is nothing sustainable about
these numbers and the government has not produced one
peer-reviewed scientific study to justify such numbers.
Yet, the World Wildlife Fund endorses this
The question must be asked, "Does the WWF
serve the interests of the Canadian government or does it serve
the interests of wildlife?" The answer is obvious.
THE SEA SHEPHERD CONSERVATION SOCIETY SUPPORTS
BRIGITTE BARDOT'S CRITICISM OF THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
Famed French Film Actress Brigitte Bardot sent
a letter on March 17th to Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the President of
the World Wildlife Fund.
In her letter Brigitte said:
"I wish to share with you my profound
indignation, deep sadness and disgust concerning the position of
World Wildlife Fund Canada supporting the new quota decided by
the government, the hunt of one million seals over a period of
How can an organization that you preside
over and that has no need to prove its reputation in the domain
of the conservation of species anymore, defend such a scandalous
I went to the ice pack more than 25 years
ago, I saw the massacre of these baby seals, their head smashed
by clubs and picks, I saw these bleeding bodies, these babies
struggling for life whilst being skinned… I will never forget
these pictures, the screams of pain, they still torture me but
they have given me the strength to sacrifice my whole life to
defend the animal's one.
I have often supported WWF, given my image
to some of its programmes, and I feel betrayed, it has attacked
my most symbolic battle.
It is easy and unfair to accuse the seals
of consuming too much fish when, during the same period of time,
floating factories decimate the sea beds, transforming this
natural richness into an aquatic desert. Seals are victims of
overflowing industrial fishing and definitely not responsible
for the deterioration of the populations, they are also victims
of the climatic changes and are directly threatened by the
melting of the ice.
Our duty is to protect them before it's too
If you agree with Brigitte Bardot that this
hunt is despicable and is a threat to the long term survival of
the harp seal and that it's a slaughter of abject, horrific
cruelty, then please boycott WWF.
If you are a WWF member – notify them of
cancellation of your membership.
Contact them and let them know what you think:
This is contact information from their
For questions or concerns related to
membership or donations, please email _EMAIL_.
For questions or concerns related to WWF's
conservation programs, please email _EMAIL_.
You can also reach them by mail, phone or fax:
245 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 410
Toronto, ON M4P 3J1
Canada Phone: 1-800-26-PANDA
In the Toronto area: _PHONE_
Fax: _PHONE_

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Thanksgiving is a time for good food, family memories... and lots of water. (TenSafeFrogs/flickr)
Turkey, of course, is essential for any Thanksgiving meal. You're probably also about to enjoy some delicious stuffing and cranberry sauce, maybe some mouthwatering mashed potatoes, perhaps a piece of heavenly sweet potato pie. But Thanksgiving dinner isn't possible without water -- a lot of water.
Food production is water intensive and we eat a lot of food on Thanksgiving.
In fact, it takes over 40,000 gallons of water to produce food for a large holiday meal for four adults and four children that includes a 20-pound turkey with all the fixings, according to Danny H. Rogers, a professor and agricultural engineer at Kansas State University Reasearch and Extension.
Rogers gave a presentation last year highlighting Kansas' water usage to the state's Joint Committee on Energy and Environmental Policy. Here's part of the chart Rogers put in his presentation:
Gallons of Water Needed
Margarine (including cooking)
Fresh fruit salad
Milk for four
Wine for four
Source: Kansas Department of Agriculture (2010)
That 40,000 gallons of water doesn't even include the water it takes to actually cook the meal and clean up after it. To put that in perspective, a family of four would use about the same amount of water if they each took a 10-minute shower every day for almost a year, according to EPA estimates of household water usage.


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Degrees of Freedom of members and joints of mechanisms govern the working of a machine. Each member of mechanism can move in certain directions or rotate about certain axes and is not allowed to move or rotate in other directions. Degrees of Freedom determine the possible movements of mechanisms.
Degrees of freedom (DoF) is related to the motion possibilities of rigid bodies. Kinematic definition for DoF of any system or its components would be "the number of independent variables or coordinates required to ascertain the position of the system or its components".
The concept of DoF in kinematics of machines is used in three ways. DoF of
1. A body relative to a reference frame.
2. A kinematic joint.
3. A mechanism.
Determining Degrees of freedom
Degrees of Freedom can be determined by analysis of motion of the concerned body or by determining the number of coordinates required to specify position of the body. In this article planar cases are considered which can be extended to spatial cases.
1. Degrees of freedom of a body relative to a specified reference frame
In a plane the position of a body relative to a reference frame can be specified by two position coordinates (say X and Y) and one coordinate (say theta)for specifying the orientation of the body. Total three coordinates are required to specify the position of the body if there are no constraints applied. The DoF will reduce as the motion of the body is restricted.
For example, a body is not allowed to move along one axis in the plane. As a result one DoF if lost thus leaving only two DoF.
2. Degrees of freedom of a kinematic joint
Two bodies connect with each other to form a joint. One body can move in a number of ways relative to the other and may be constrained in other ways. DoF of a kinematic joint is number of ways in which one member of the joint can move relative to the other member.
For example, revolute joint has one DoF as one member can move only in one way relative to the other member. It can only rotate about the axis of the joint. Prismatic joint also has only one DoF as one of the two members can slide along the other in one direction only.
Cylindrical joint has two DoF as one of the two members can rotate about the axis of the joint and can also translate along it. Two motions possible so two DoF.
3. Degrees of freedom of a mechanism
The DoF for a mechanism is defined as the number of coordinates or variables required to be specified such that the position and orientation of all the members of the mechanism can be stated as a function of time.
For determining the DoF for a mechanism we will start with assuming all the members of the mechanism free in plane and thus having three DoF each. Then we will apply constraints and DoF will reduce as the members are joined together to form mechanism.
Take the mechanism to be composed of 'n' members or links. Initially each link is assumed to be free and thus the mechanism has 3n DoF. One of the members is to be a base or frame link thus have zero DoF or it lost its all three DoF. The DoF left in the mechanism at this stage is 3n-3 or 3(n-1).
When the pairs of links form joints they will loose DoF. If the formed joint have 'Fi' DoF each then reduction in DoF is (3-Fi) as they were initially free (having 3 DoF). If there are 'j' number of joints then total reduction in DoF will be summation of (3-Fi) over 'j' number of joints. The net DoF for a mechanism can be given by


text:
The Process of Feeling
Antonio Damasio Keynotes - In his presentations, Antonio Damasio draws extensively on his distinguished career as a leading...
Analyzing the importance of neurology in emotion, he reveals that feeling an emotion is a process that is distinct from having that emotion in the first place. He defines an emotion as consisting of "a very well orchestrated set of alterations in the body." He argues that feelings have the set purpose of making life more survivable. The brain processes emotions in order to take advantage of opportunities or to recognize and avoid danger.
Offering a more evolutionary explanation of the way humans experience emotions, Antonio Damasio and his speech lead us to question the real reasons behind a frown or smile.


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Typically the ratio for sound broadcast range is based upon the SPL (sound pressure level) of the speakers compared to the average ambient background noise. The general rule of thumb is that a 100 watt speaker will cover a 30 foot range. We recommend experimenting with speaker placement first to find out where and how far apart they should be.
FAQs Knowledge Base
- What are the benfits of using our speakers?
- How do you re-synchronize the wireless transmitter with wireless speakers?
- What about the sprinklers hitting them or being splashed from the pool?
- How many watts do I need for my application?
- Will one speaker create enough sound for outdoor use?
- How far should the speakers be apart?
- Do outdoor speakers have left and right channels?
- Do I need subwoofer for my outdoor music application?
- What do you mean by 70v switch-able on some models?
- Can wireless routers affect the signal of wireless speakers?
- Can your outdoor speakers withstand rain, snow and hot summer weather?
- What is the crossover pass through to the satellite speakers?


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One way to personalize your child's learning may be by setting a time limit. This can motivate your child to remain focused while being self-sufficient with their allotted time.
Studies have shown that only 45 minutes a week on ABCmouse can make a significant increase in children's overall learning outcomes.
We encourage you and your child to spend 15 to 20 minutes a day using ABCmouse together until you feel they are ready to utilize ABCmouse independently.
For more information how to set a time limit, please see the following article:


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Back when I was teaching middle school math (in technically a different century... that's sad) we used to do a very hands-on activity to teach unit rates. The students would use rulers to measure a partner's facial features, then put the measurements into unit rates to see how close they were to the Greek Golden Ratio. It was a really fun activity, but definitely one that would benefit from a technology update. (Hint: Middle schoolers plus wooden rulers plus classmates' faces are not always a good mix.)
So, I have updated the activity with the use of Google Docs, webcams, and a digital ruler web app. See below for all the details on how the "Golden Ratio Face" project works, as well as access to all the needed templates and resources.
The Golden Ratio was also applied to the human body, and more specifically the human face. For example, the height of your head, when compared to the width of your head, should be about 1.62 to 1. Many other features on the face could be compared the same way.
In this activity students will do the following:
- Get a copy of the "Golden Ratio Face" Google Docs template.
- Add a picture of their face (or someone else's) via their webcam or by inserting an image.
- Use a digital ruler web app to measure 12 different facial features.
- Put those measurements into 7 ratios.
- Convert those ratios into unit rates.
- Find the difference between each one and the Golden Ratio.
- Find the average difference for all 7 unit rates.
- See how close their face (or whichever face was used) is from the Golden Ratio.
Some of the math concepts covered in this activity include:
- Measuring to the nearest tenth of a centimeter
- Creating ratios
- Converting ratios to unit rates
- Subtracting decimals
- Dividing (averaging) decimals
The "Golden Ratio Face" Template
Below is a link to make your own copy of the "Golden Ratio Face" Google Docs template. Each student will need their own copy of this Doc. Students can use the link below, or you can push out a copy to each student through Google Classroom.
- "Golden Ratio Face" Template - Google Docs link
Step #1 - Insert Your Face
To do this activity each student will need a picture of a face. A fun way to engage the students can be to have them use their own face. If using a Chromebook or other device with a webcam, the student can insert their snapshot directly into the Doc as follows:
(Note: Google has updated the "Insert Image" options in Docs, and the "Take a Snapshot" option has been removed at the moment. Hopefully it will get added back in, but until that happens, please see my other blog post for an alternative: Take a Snapshot Alternative for Docs, Slides, and Drawings )
- Scroll to page 2 of the "Golden Ratio Face" Google Doc and click below the line that reads "Insert image of your face below".
- Now click "Insert" then "Image".
- In the window that opens up, choose the "Take a snapshot" tab.
- If you have not used the webcam before, you may need to allow permissions for it to work.
- Position your face so you are looking directly forward, and not at an angle, so your measurements will be more accurate.
- Click the "Take snapshot" button to take your picture.
- If you like it, click "Select" to insert it into the Doc.
Instead of using a webcam, you can also add an image from another source, such as uploading a previously saved image. Simply click "Insert" then "Image" then "Upload".
If the student does not want to use their own face, they could certainly use an image of someone else, such as a celebrity or someone from history. The key is to find an image where the person is looking straight forward so accurate measurements can be made.
Whatever method is used to insert an image, you may want to crop and resize the image after inserting it to make the face as large as possible for easy measuring.
- To crop the image, simply double-click on the image, then adjust the black crop lines on the edges. When done, click outside of the image or press the Escape key.
- To resize the image, simply select the image, then click and drag the corners as needed.
Note: Since students can be sensitive about their appearance, you may want to include some class discussion on the subjectivity of beauty. The ancient Greek's use of the Golden Ratio for beauty was just one idea at one time in history. This should be a fun activity, and not something that would make a student feel bad about themselves in any way.
Step #2 - Measure Your Face
Now that you have your face (or a face) in the Google Doc, you will need to measure 12 specific facial features. Certainly this can be done with a physical hand-held ruler if you like. However, there are also digital alternatives that can be used (and might help avoid scratching the laptop screen).
One option is to use the Chrome web app called "Edge: The Web Ruler". Here's how:
- If not already installed, use this Chrome Web Store link to install the web app: Edge The Web Ruler
- Now launch the tool from your Chrome web apps list. This will open up a virtual floating ruler on your screen
- You can move the ruler around by simply clicking and dragging it.
- You can make the ruler longer or shorter by dragging the end of the ruler.
- You can switch between pixels (px), centimeters (cm), or inches (in) for your unit of measurement. I would recommend centimeters for this activity.
- You can make the ruler more accurate by entering the diagonal measurement of your actual screen, although this is not necessary since all the measurements will be converted into unit rates eventually.
- You can click the gear icon and choose "Always on top" to keep the ruler from falling behind your document.
- You can open another copy of the ruler by clicking on the horizontal or vertical ruler icons.
- When done using the ruler, click the "x" to close it out.
- A = Top of Head to Chin
- B = Top of Head to Pupil
- C = Pupil to Nose Tip
- D = Pupil to where Lips Meet
- E = Width of Nose
- F = Outside Distance between Eyes
- G = Width of Head
- H = Hairline to Pupil
- I = Nose Tip to Chin
- J = Lips to Chin
- K = Length of Lips
- L = Nose Tip to where Lips Meet
Step #3 - Calculate the Unit Rates
Now that you have all the facial feature measurements, you will want to plug those values into the 7 ratios on page 3 of the Doc.
- Enter the values for the "A" through "L" measurements in the ratios provided.
- Convert the ratios into unit rates by dividing the top and bottom of the ratio by the denominator.
- Round the answer to the nearest hundredth and write in the results a unit rates.
As an example, here are my measurements:
Step #4 - Find the Differences from the Golden Ratio
Next you will take each of the 7 unit rates and see how far off each of them are from the Golden Ratio. Basically you are seeing how close (or far) each of your ratios are from 1.62.
- At the bottom of page 3 of the Doc, find the differences between 1.62 and your unit rates.
- In each case subtract the smaller number from the larger number to get a positive difference.
As an example here are my numbers:
Step #5 - Find the Average Difference
Now that you know how far off from the Golden Ratio each of your ratios are, we now want to see on average how close you were.
- Add up your seven differences from Step #4.
- Divide the sum by 7 to get the average difference.
- Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.
- Enter this result in the "Final Answer" section. This number shows how far off your were on average from the Golden Ratio.
As you can see below, I am not quite a Greek God:
Checking Student Work
To save time when checking your students' calculations, you can use the Google Sheets template below. Simply enter the 12 facial measurements for a student, and the spreadsheet with calculate and display all of the results the student should arrive at for the activity.
To get your own copy of the template, click the link below:
- Golden Ratio Face - Calculations Check template - Google Sheets link
The "Golden Ratio Face" activity can be a fun way to have students work with ratios, unit rates, measurements, and decimal operations, while learning a bit about the history of the Golden Ratio in art and design (even if you don't turn out to have the proportions of a Greek god or goddess). Although this activity can be done without technology, the use of Google Docs, webcams, and virtual rulers can make the process more accurate, and reduce potential frustrations.
Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at _URL_ and on Google+ at plus.google.com/+EricCurts1


I'd like to start with a question: Have you ever seen code like this?
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
end

User.new.tap do |user|
 user.name = "John Doe"
 user.username = "john.doe"
 user.password = "john123"
end
I have. But what few developers know is that many methods in Active Record already accept a block, so you don't need to invoke tap in the first place. And that's all because Active Record loves blocks! Let's go through some examples.
Using blocks with Active Record
When creating an Active Record object, either by using new or create/create!, you can give a block straight to the method call instead of relying on tap:
User.new do |user|
 user.name = "John Doe"
 user.username = "john.doe"
 user.password = "john123"
end

User.create do |user|
 user.name = "John Doe"
 user.username = "john.doe"
 user.password = "john123"
end
And you can mix and match with hash initialization:
User.new(name: "John Doe") do |user|
 user.username = "john.doe"
 user.password = "john123"
end
All these methods, when receiving a block, yield the current object to the block so that you can do whatever you want with it. It's basically the same effect as using tap. And it all happens after the attributes hash have been assigned and other internal Active Record code has been run during the object initialization, except by the after_initialize callbacks.
That's neat. That means we can stop using tap in a few places now. But wait, there's more.
Active Record associations also love blocks
We talked about using blocks when building an Active Record object using new or create, but associations like belongs_to or has_many also work with that, when calling build or create on them:
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
 has_many :posts
end

class Post < ActiveRecord::Base
 belongs_to :user
end

# has_many
user = User.first
user.posts.build do |post|
 post.title = "Active Record <3 Blocks"
 post.body = "I can give tap a break! <3 <3 <3"
end

# belongs_to
post = Post.first
post.build_user do |user|
 user.name = "John Doe <3 blocks"
 user.username = "john.doe"
 user.password = "john123"
end
That's even better. That means we can stop using tap in a few more places.
Wrapping up: Active Record <3 blocks
It is possible to avoid extra work, sometimes simple stuff such as using tap with methods like new and create, other times more complicated ones, by getting to know what the framework can give us for free.
There are other places inside Active Record that accept blocks, for instance first_or_initialize and friends will execute the given block when the record is not found, to initialize the new one.
In short, next time you need a block when creating records using Active Record, take a minute to see if you can avoid using tap by using an already existing feature. Remember: Active Record <3 blocks. And don't do that with blocks only, the main idea here is that you can learn more about the framework, and let it do more work for you.
How about you, do you have any small trick in Ruby or Rails that makes your work easier? Take a minute to share it with others in the comments. :)
Update 08/13/2012
Since the new deprecation policy the composed_of removal was reverted. We are still discussing the future of this feature.
The reason
A few days ago we started a discussion about the removal of the composed_of method from Active Record. I started this discussion because when I was tagging every Rails issue according to its framework, I found some of them related to composed_of, that are not only hard to fix but would add more complexity for a feature that, in my opinion, is not adding any visible value to the framework.
In this presentation, Aaron Patterson talks about three types of features: Cosmetic, Refactoring, and Course Correction. Aaron defines cosmetic features as a feature that adds dubious value and unknown debt (I highly recommend that you watch the whole presentation to see more about these types of features). This is exactly what I think about composed_of. At this time this feature is adding more debt than value to the Rails code base and applications, so the Rails team have decided to remove this method.
The plan
The removal plan is simple, deprecate in 3.2 and remove in 4.0. This means that you need to stop using this feature and implement it in another way.
The Rails team have chosen this path because this feature can be implemented using plain ruby methods for getters and setters. You will see how in the next section.
Implementation
In the simplest case, when you have only one attribute and needs to instantiate an object with the value of this attribute, you can use the serialize feature with a custom serializer:
class MoneySerializer
 def dump(money)
 money.value
 end

 def load(value)
 Money.new(value)
 end
end

class Account < ActiveRecord::Base
 serialize :balance, MoneySerializer.new
end
To use it with multiple attributes you can do the following:
class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
 def address
 @address ||= Address.new(address_street, address_city)
 end

 def address=(address)
 self[:address_street] = address.street
 self[:address_city] = address.city

 @address = address
 end
end
Benefits for Rails developers
I already talked about what this removal can provide to Rails maintainers, but what benefits does it bring to Rails developers?
I think that the best advantages are:
 - It is easier to test the composite objects;
 - It is easier to understand the lazy methods;
 - It is easier to customize it without resorting to options like :converter, :constructor and :allow_nil.
Wrapping up
I strongly recommend that you read the whole discussion in the pull request. You will find more examples and additional information there.
Also, I want to thank @steveklabnik for working on this feature and the awesome work that he has been doing on the Rails Issues Team.
Finally, I want to invite you to help the Rails team to fix, test, and track issues. About half of the issues are related to the Active Record framework and we need to work on them. As a regular Rails contributor and Rails developer, I think there is still a lot we can do to improve the Rails code base, so join us.
Or, even better, why your web framework should not adopt a CGI-based API.
For the past few years I have been studying and observing the development of different emerging languages closely with a special focus on web frameworks/servers. Unfortunately, most of the new web frameworks are following the Rack/WSGI specification which may be a mistake depending on the platform you are targeting (particularly true for Erlang and Node.js which have very strong streaming foundations and is by default part of their stack).
This blog post is an attempt to detail the limitations in the Rack/CGI-based APIs that the Rails Core Team has found while working with the streaming feature that shipped with Rails 3.1 and why we need better abstractions in the long term.
Case in study
The use case we have in mind here is streaming. In Rails, we have focused on streaming as a way to quickly return the head of the HTML page to the browser, so the browser can start downloading assets (like javascript and stylesheet) while the server is generating the rest of the page. There is a great entry on Rails weblog about streaming in general and a Railscast if you want to focus on how to use it in your Rails applications. However, streaming is not only limited to HTML responses and can also be useful in API endpoints, for example, to stream search results as they pop-up or to synchronize with mobile devices.
The Rack specification in a nutshell
In Rack, the response is made by an array with three elements: [status, headers, body]
The body can be any object that responds to the method each. This means streaming can be done by passing an object that will, for example, lazily read a file and stream chunks when each is called.
A Rack application is any object that implements the method call and receives an environment hash/dictionary with the request information. When I said above that most new web frameworks are following the Rack specification, is because they are introducing an API similar to this one just described.
The issue
In order to understand the issue, we will consider three entities: the client, the server and the application. The client (for example a browser) sends a request to the server which forwards it to an application. In this case, the server and the application are communicating via the Rack API.
The issue in streaming cases is that, sending a response back from the application does not mean the application finished processing. For example, consider a middleware (a middleware is an object that sits in between the server and our application) that opens up a connection to the database for the duration of the request and cleans it afterwards:
def call(env)
 connection = DB.checkout_connection
 env["db.connection"]


text:
Online Exhibits - Wheat People, Part 3
On the Run
"It's all kind of done on the run, and you try not to stop any operation."
--Betty Hoover, Chapman, 1998
After weeks of harvest preparations, the tension in a farming community is palpable.
Eventually, one or two nervous farmers begin harvesting even though the wheat is still a little too green. Then the sun gets hotter and the grain gets riper, and suddenly everyone is cutting wheat. Kansas roads quickly fill with trucks carrying wheat to market.
It's an annual spectacle signaling harvest is underway.
"I like the big trucks."--Louanne Short, Assaria, 1998
As combines lumber through the fields, their holding bins fill with wheat and must be emptied. Grain trucks receive the wheat and haul it to local elevators or farm storage bins.
Usually waiting near the road, trucks are the harvest newsroom. Neighbors and friends pull over to get updates from the driver, and there's always a water jug inside and the truck's breezy shade outside.
Many women took a more active role on their farms beginning in World War II because of a labor shortage. From 1941 to 1942, the number of Kansas women operating field machinery more than tripled.
Women continued to operate equipment after the war, particularly during harvest. Most of today's combine operators are men, but women truck drivers are a common sight on Kansas roads.
Wheat People: Celebrating Kansas Harvest is an online exhibit developed by the Kansas Museum of History.
- Wheat History - Corn used to be "King" in Kansas
- Gearing Up - Getting ready for harvest
- On the Run - Everybody moves quickly
- Family - Coming together in the fields
- Fast Food - Meals are a social event
- Nature - June is a stormy month
- To Market, To Market - The local grain elevator
- The Season's End - Harvest festivals
- Business or Way of Life? - Farming is both
Contact us at _EMAIL_


text:
My Pipeline's Corroded
But I thought oil prevented rust.
Severely corroded pipelines will force BP to shut down its oil field at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, company officials said on Sunday. After a major spill in March, the company discovered stretches where the pipe had lost more than 70 percent of its mass to corrosion. Why does oil corrode a pipeline?
It has water in it. The crude oil that flows from Prudhoe Bay isn't the pure stuff we might use to stave off rust in our cars. When an oil company pumps crude out of the ground, it can also pump out a hot mixture of water, carbon dioxide, sulfur, and microorganisms. (Crude oil with lots of sulfur in it is called "sour," as opposed to "sweet.") If enough of these contaminants collect in a steel pipe, they'll work together to eat away at its inner surface.
Water is the main concern. If there's only a little bit of water in the oil, or if the oil is flowing fast enough, you generally won't have a problem. That's because the water will be dispersed in tiny droplets that are suspended in the flow. These suspended droplets won't react much with the steel surface of the pipes.
Problems can arise in stretches of pipeline that run at lower pressures. In these spots, water droplets can coalesce and fall out of the oil flow. They might inundate globs of sand or dirt that have also fallen out of the crude-oil mix and form a watery sludge on the edge of the pipe. Once a watery muck forms in one part of the pipe, the natural process of corrosion speeds up. The crude can also serve as a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria, which form slimy, sulfur-producing colonies on the inside of the pipe.
To make matters worse, crude oil comes out of the ground hot, and the pipelines are insulated to maintain those high temperatures. Oil flows better when it's hot, but heat also exacerbates corrosion within the pipes.
Sometimes the oil companies introduce corrosive bacteria, water, or gas into reservoirs themselves. When an oil field gets old, it starts to lose pressure, and it becomes harder to draw out the remaining crude. Engineers can try to add pressure underground by putting in seawater or carbon dioxide. While this increases the field's output, it also sours the product and leads to more pipeline corrosion.
Bonus Explainer: What can the oil companies do to stave off internal pipe corrosion? Very little. It would be far too expensive to build pipelines out of stainless steel, and there's not much you can do to protect the inner surface of a carbon steel tube from water damage. The companies can paint the outer surface with a protective coating, but there's no way to do that on the inside. (You could paint the inner surface of pipe sections before welding them together, but the assembly process would destroy the coating.) Companies can flush their pipelines with various chemicals that create a mildly protective film on the inner surfaces. They can also wash them with a biocide to kill off the sulfur-producing bacteria.
Bonus Bonus Explainer: How do the oil companies test for corrosion in the pipes? They can use ultrasound to measure the thickness of the pipe walls. They can also run corrosion tests by inserting "coupons," or 3-inch strips of metal, into the pipe at various points. After six months or so, they remove the coupons and check to see how much they've corroded. The best way to measure corrosion is with a "smart pig," a bullet-shaped sensor that flies through the pipe measuring the shape of its inner surface.
Got a question about today's news? Ask the Explainer.
Explainer thanks Srdjan Nesic of the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Flow Technology at Ohio University, Steve Nikolakakos of Russell Corrosion Consultants Inc., and Van Cosby and Dennis Gerson of IBM. Thanks also to reader Lee Goodman for asking the question.


The Rude Man of Cerne
The Rude Man of Cerne, better known as the Cerne Abbas Giant, is a giant figure of a naked man with an inappropriately erect phallus, wielding a primitive club in his right hand, made on a hill near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. The Cerne Abbas Giant was created by carving through the turf of the hillside to a depth of approximately 30cm to reveal the underlying chalk common in this region. Measuring 55 meters in length and 50.5 meters wide, if measured from hand to hand, it is one of the largest and the most popular hillfigures in Britain. The remarkable phallus alone, including its testicles, is 11 meters long and nearly the length of its head. The Giant has been cheekily described as "Britain's most famous phallus". According to one publication, postcards of the Giant were the only indecent photographs that could be sent through the English Post Office.
Photo credit
Although the Cerne Abbas Giant is often thought of as an ancient creation, its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century. The earliest known written reference to the giant appear in a 4 November 1694 entry in the Churchwardens' Accounts from St Mary's Church in Cerne Abbas. Later references to the giant started appearing in contemporary magazines beginning in 1763.
It has been suggested that the figure originally held a cloak in its left arm and stood over a disembodied head. The cloak may have been a depiction of an animal skin, giving credence to the theory that the giant was a depiction of a hunter, or alternatively, Hercules with the skin of the Nemean lion over his arm. Additionally, reviewing historical depictions of the giant, it has been suggested that the Giant's current large erection is, in fact, the result of merging a circle representing his navel with a smaller penis during a re-cut. The lack of earlier descriptions leads modern scholars to conclude that the Giant is no older than the 17th century, and perhaps originated as political satire.
Regardless of its age, the Cerne Abbas Giant has become an important part of local culture and folklore, which often associates it with fertility. Local women who wanted to conceive would spend a night alone on the hillside, particularly within the confines of his giant phallus, and young couples would make love on the giant to ensure conception. Locals would erect a maypole on the earthwork, around which childless couples would dance to promote fertility. Sleeping on the giant was also thought to be a good way to ensure a future wedding for unmarried women.
In modern times the giant has been used for several publicity stunts and as an advertisement to promote condoms, jeans and bicycles, among numerous other things.
Photo credit
Photo credit
Photo credit
Photos credit
Sources: Wikipedia, Mysterious Britain
 1. Does anyone have to maintain the ground? Is there a society that comes an cuts the grass etc?
 2. Hi Shirl - I believe it is maintained by the National Trust.


text:
Definition of cannonball in English:
1A round metal or stone projectile fired from a cannon in former times.
- Mortars, as seen in the top right and bottom left hand pictures, were used to fire cannonballs over walls into a courtyard to kill soldiers and cause general damage.
- Dozens of rounds of ammo, bombs and even cannonballs are fired at the trio, yet don't produce one scratch.
- Also uncovered were musket balls, cannonballs, a grenade and tools.
1.1 (also cannonball dive) North American A jump into water performed upright with the knees clasped to the chest.
- She ran down the hill, off the deck, and did a cannonball into the water.
- Yukirin quickly leaped into the water, doing a cannonball and splashing Fiona.
- Suddenly, Tyler did a cannonball into the water.
Words that rhyme with cannonballrollerball • butterball
Definition of cannonball in:
- British & World English dictionary
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.


Special equipment and emergency stockpiles from the warehouses of the State Material Reserves Administration help in about 90 cases per year. This means that it is in action every fourth day.
The most often used equipment is special rescue equipment, which helps firefighters get people out of car wrecks in serious traffic accidents.
The mobile chemical laboratory also helps very often. There are dozens of cases a year. These are mostly disrupted gas connections or findings of an unknown chemical substance.
Tank trucks and drinking water containers help to solve water supply in municipalities and cities. In recent years, the Administration has helped dozens of municipalities in this way. They had problems with extreme drought, for example, in Mikulášovice, Staré Křečany and Jiříkov in the Ústí nad Labem Region, in Rosice and Jedousov in the Pardubice Region and in Nedašova Lhota in the Zlín Region. If the technology from the Czech reserves had not helped them, over twenty thousand people would have been left without drinking water. In recent years, the mayors of Liboměřice, Nedašov, Píště and Maršovice have also solved the same problems. Technology from Czech reserves then helped to ensure sufficient drinking water for Žumberk, Míčov-Sušice, Varnsdorf, Dešná, Seč, or Dobříš.
Other special equipment is often used. Especially the suction excavator, which makes it easier for firefighters to work in the ruins of houses when searching for people buried underneath. And it also helped to remove derailed wagons on the track near Mariánské Lázně, where it accelerated unloading of a load of limestone. The lightened wagons could then be finally lifted by the crane, freeing up the tracks so that other trains could run on them again.
If this technique had not been available, it would have been difficult for the units of the Integrated Rescue System to save lives and property.
It is the help in non-crisis situations that is increasingly important for the Czech reserves.


text:
The FCC says it just wants a little civility on the nation's airwaves. And by tightening the rules on what swear words are allowed, government officials say they're protecting kids.
There are 3 results
The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a report condemning the Bush Administration for what it called "distorting and censoring scientific findings that contradict" Administration policies. One of the cases cited in the report involves something called the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning.
Producer Sarah Koenig talks to the people behind survey results—whose answers determine so much of political news.


text:
The rapid growth of Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging is generating substantial commercial and research interest in fast and efficient text input methods for mobile devices. This paper presents an empirical study that compares three mobile phone text input techniques. The methods are 'multi-press input with timeout', 'multi-press input with a next button', and 'two-key'. The study shows that there is a significant speed difference, in words per minute (wpm), between the methods. The multi-press with next method provided the most rapid text input at 7.2 wpm, followed by multi-press with timeout at 6.4 wpm. The two-key method was the slowest at 5.5 wpm. These results are much slower than those predicted by Fitts' Law models reported in prior re- search. Subjective results regarding learnability, errors and efficiency showed no significant difference between the methods.
|Cite as: Butts, L. and Cockburn, A. (2002). An Evaluation of Mobile Phone Text Input Methods. In Proc. Third Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC2002), Melbourne, Australia. CRPIT, 7. Grundy, J. and Calder, P., Eds. ACS. 55-59. |
(local if available)


text:
of free access to their Nuke, Modo, Mari, and Katana tools.
- TrendMicro is providing 6 months free access to their consumer internet security product, Trend Micro Maximum Security, for people working from home.
- Trend Micro is also researching how COVID-19 is being used in a variety of malicious campaigns including email spam, BEC, malware, ransomware, and malicious domains.
- To support remote collaboration, Trimble has expanded the capabilities of its Trimble Connect Personal license at no cost to users. Users will be able to create more projects, invite more project members, and access more storage from March 19 to June 19.
- Twilio is a cloud communications platform that helps governments and businesses engage constituents and customers across channels – text, voice, video, and more. For government agencies, Twilio is offering discounts on services through its partners' GSA Schedule 70 and other contracting vehicles.
- Public services, health organizations, and NGOs are using Twilio to improve their COVID-19 response initiatives:
- Reduce public health hotline backlogs and wait times: Deploying automated chatbots and other self-service capabilities to share public service information and answer frequently asked questions will put the right information in the hands of citizens faster and more efficiently while freeing specialists to tackle the complex requests only they can handle.
- Combat misinformation with proactive alerts: Proactive SMS, voice, and email notifications enable organizations to keep their constituents up to date on the latest information based on trusted sources of public health.
- Reach more people by using preferred communication channels: Effective containment of the virus is largely dependent on providing everyone in Coronavirus-affected areas with the right trusted information to protect themselves and their families. This requires delivering your message over channels where end-users in need of assistance prefer to communicate.
- Automate appointment reminders and scheduling: You can set up reminders via email, text, and/or voice to reduce no shows and ensure that appointment slots which are canceled can be offered to others. Many organizations also offer a text in option to schedule appointments in the first place.
- For non-profits and social impact organizations, Twilio.org offers benefits through its Impact Access Program. More information is available here.
- Twilio is donating $1.5 million to organizations that are leading the medical responses to COVID-19 and low-income areas that are being affected by the virus. They are also matching employee donations 2:1 for charitable organizations focused on COVID-19 response.
- Twilio has created a chatbot for frequently asked questions about COVID-19. The template for that chatbot is available to public health agencies, hospitals, and health-focused nonprofits.
- Twilio Video is now free for three months for healthcare, education, and nonprofit institutions.
- Twilio.org announced a $2 million grant round for crisis lines supporting people impacted by COVID-19. The program aims to help more people in crisis by scaling program services using cloud technology.
- Twilio is working with health departments around the world to develop contact centers for reaching COVID-19 patients and their contacts.
- Workday joined a collaborative of 25 companies to raise $22 million to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Workday donated a total of $1.5 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United Nations Foundation. They will also match employee donations to the CDC Foundation, COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, Direct Relief, and Doctors without Borders.
- Workday announced a new partnership with Salesforce to help organizations safely return to work.
BSA | The Software Alliance (_URL_) is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members are among the world's most innovative companies, creating software solutions that spark the economy and improve modern life.
With headquarters in Washington, DC, and operations in more than 30 countries, BSA pioneers compliance programs that promote legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy.


text:
Vienna Philharmonic asks historians to look into alleged Nazi past
Historian says orchestra demonstrated sympathy for Austria's Nazi leadership during Holocaust.
The Vienna Philharmonic has asked three historians to research the orchestra's alleged Nazi past.
The announcement on January 22 came after Harald Walser, a historian and Parliament member for the Austrian Greens, said in an interview that the orchestra demonstrated sympathy for the country's Nazi leadership during World War Two.
Historians Fritz Truempi, Oliver Rathkolb and Bernadette Mayrhofer will look into the "politicization" of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1938 to 1945, the fate of its Jewish musicians during that time and its relations with Nazis afterward, according to an orchestra statement, the French news agency AFP reported.
Their report is due in March.
Walser has called for forming a committee of inquiry into the role of the philharmonic during those years and said the orchestra has not released all its documents from the Nazi era or has destroyed some of them.
He cited a listing on the philharmonic's official website that describes a concert delivered on New Year's Day of 1939 as a "sublime homage to Austria," when it actually was a celebration of the country's unification with Nazi Germany in 1938.
The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic takes place each year on the morning of January 1 in Vienna and is broadcast to an estimated audience of 50 million in 73 countries.
Walser claims that after the war, an emissary of the Vienna Philharmonic gave a new copy of its honor ring in 1966 to Nazi war criminal Baldur von Schirach, who was responsible for the deportation of tens of thousands of Austrian Jews to death camps, following his release from Berlin's Spandau Prison for war criminals. Von Schirach had received the original ring in 1942.
Six Jewish musicians from the philharmonic were murdered by the Nazis in Austria and 11 were deported to death camps, according to reports.


text:
SAVING THE Devils River minnow
In just about 50 years, the Devils River minnow has gone from being one of the most abundant native fishes in southern Texas to one of the rarest fishes in the world. Requiring clean spring waters for survival, populations of this tiny, shiny minnow have declined drastically as stream modifications and pollution have increased. Sadly, the fish has even been eliminated from the upper and lower portions of its namesake — the Devils River. The Devils River minnow is part of a unique fish fauna in the area where the Chihuahuan Desert, Edwards Plateau, and South Brush Texas ecosystems join. Badly hurt by human water use and introduced species, half the native fishes in this region are considered imperiled, and four species have already gone extinct.
Although first proposed for endangered status under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, the Devils River minnow wasn't listed until 1999 — at which point it earned only threatened status and was given no habitat protections. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's final recovery plan for the minnow, approved in 2005, relies exclusively on voluntary measures for the species' protection and is insufficient to prevent the fish's extinction, much less promote its recovery.
Shortly after the minnow's recovery plan was approved, the Center, Forest Guardians, and Save Our Springs Alliance filed a lawsuit against the Service to challenge the minnow's lack of designated critical habitat, as well the fact that it has been granted only threatened — rather than endangered — status. We continue to work for river protection to save the habitat of the Devils River minnow and many other imperiled species.
Contact: Jeff Miller
|Photo © Garold W. Sneegas||HOME / DONATE NOW / SIGN UP FOR E-NETWORK / CONTACT US / PHOTO USE /|


are some pure calcium citrate powders on the market:
Beverages
Because potassium citrate can have some side effects and comes in large tablets that are inconvenient to take, researchers have studied various beverages to see if there are any that could replace potassium citrate treatment. Orange juice was a candidate because it is high both in potassium and citrate, though it also contains some oxalate and vitamin C.
The research, which is summarized below, indicates that orange juice and lemon juice (or lemonade) can decrease the risk for stones, though about 6 g per day of citrate is necessary. See the table below for citrate amounts. Grapefruit juice and cranberry juice are most likely neutral.
Beverages and Stone Occurrence
In 2013, following up on the earlier work in their cohorts (61), Harvard School of Public Health compared those drinking from < 1 serving/week to > 1 serving/day of many beverages. The occurrence of kidney stones were affected in the following ways (60):
 - Decreased – coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, red wine, white wine, beer, orange juice
 - No effect – artificially sweetened cola, artificially sweetened noncola soda, liquor, apple juice, grapefruit juice, tomato juice, whole milk, skim milk, water
 - Increased – sugar-sweetened cola, sugar-sweetened noncola soda, punch
A 2007 study from Duke University found that daily treatment with 120 ml of concentrated lemon juice mixed with 2 liters of water (5.9 g of citric acid total) raised urinary citrate from 350 to 733 mg per day (67). The lemonade treatment reduced stone incidence from 1.0 to .13 stones per person per year. There was a control group receiving potassium-citrate therapy, but the stone incidence was not measured for them.
Beverages and Stone Markers
A 2006 study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that 2.1 g of citrate, 3 times per day, of orange juice almost doubled urinary citrate while 2.1 g of citrate from lemonade had no impact (11).
A 1994 study from the University of Texas Southwestern compared one week of placebo, potassium citrate, and orange juice in participants with a history of hypocitraturia and kidney stones and participants with no history (74). Each participant went through all three treatments. The results were similar in both stone formers and non-stone formers, so they combined the results. The orange juice provided 11.6 g of citrate per day. They did not compare baseline levels to treatment levels. Both potassium-citrate and orange juice treatment increased citrate more than the placebo and about the same amount (to about 950 mg per day). Orange juice treatment raised urinary oxalate compared to the other two groups (26 mg to 34 mg per day). However, calcium intake on these diets was kept low at 400 mg per day; on a normal calcium diet, oxalate might not increase. The authors thought perhaps the small amounts of oxalate in orange juice, the carbohydrate, or the vitamin C might have contributed to the higher oxalate levels.
A 2007 study from the University of Wisconsin found that 4 oz of lemon juice or 32 oz of lemonade per day (they assumed each contained 5.9 g) increased urinary citrate levels of patients who had experienced kidney stones from 683 mg/day to 886 mg/day (65). Another group was treated with the lemon therapy and also potassium citrate and increased their citrate levels from 364 mg/day to 700 mg/day.
A 2007 study from Walter Reed Army Medical Center found that 4.5 g of citrate in lemonade, spread over 3 doses per day, barely raised citrate levels from 263 to 309 mg/day (66).
A 1996 study for University of California San Francisco gave lemonade to stone formers with hypocitraturia containing 5.9 g of citric acid per day (73). Urinary citrate increased significantly from 142 to 346 mg per day. Urinary oxalate decreased from 53 to 43 mg per day.
A 2003 study from Germany found that grapefruit, apple, and orange juice only slightly raised citrate levels (70). However, the participants did not have hypocitraturia and were not stone formers. Only grapefruit juice succeeded in reducing calcium-oxalate saturation to a statistically significant degree, though the other juices reduced it slightly.
A 2002 study from Italy found that grapefruit juice diluted to 10% with mineral water (to provide 2.1 g of citrate) slightly increased hourly urine citrate levels (71). When compared to mineral water only, the diluted grapefruit juice raised urine citrate levels a statistically significant amount, but that was because the mineral water-only treatment actually reduced citrate levels.
A 2001 study from the New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center tested 3 doses of 240 ml (about a cup) per day of grapefruit juice on non-stone formers (72). Urinary citrate and potassium levels increased, but so did oxalate. The researchers did a test to determine that the oxalate did not come from vitamin C (in the kidneys, anyway). Calcium-oxalate saturation increased slightly, but not to a significant degree on the grapefruit juice treatment.
A 2005 study from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center tested cranberry juice (53). They gave stone and non-stone formers 2.3 g of citrate per day in 1 liter of cranberry juice broken into two doses. Urinary citrate actually decreased from 490 to 470 mg/day in stone formers. It also decreased in non-stone formers. The cranberry juice had a positive effect on markers of uric acid stones but not for calcium-oxalate stones. They reported that one other study showed an increase (68) and one showed no change in citrate excretion using cranberry juice (69). It seems safe to conclude that cranberry juice should not be the beverage of choice in preventing calcium-oxalate kidney stones or correcting hypocitraturia.
Table 2 shows the amount of citrate in various beverages as measured by researchers at the University of Wisconsin (62), and Duke University and Brown University (63). Various brands of lemonade and limeade were all lower.
Table 3. Citrate in Beverages (g per Cup)
Beverage Citrate
(g/Cup)
Potassium64
(mg/Cup)
Ref
Cranberry juice 0.89 195 63
Grapefruit juice – ready-to-consume 5.91 400 62
Grapefruit juice – ready-to-consume 2.89 400 63
Lemon juice – fresh 2.13 251 63
Lemon juice – fresh 11.36 251 62
Lemon juice – from concentrate 8.67 217 62
Lemonade 1.72 42 63
Lemonade – homemade 0.78 42 63
Lime juice – fresh 10.84 283 62
Lime juice – from concentrate 8.38 62
Orange juice 2.12 496 63
Orange juice – fresh 2.15 496 62
Orange juice – ready-to-consume 3.97 443 62
Pineapple juice 1.86 325 63
Sodium
Restricting sodium might help prevent calcium-oxalate stones. A calcium atom is typically excreted with each sodium atom, so if you are urinating a lot of sodium, your urine is going to contain more calcium (other things being equal), providing a chance for calcium to bind with oxalate.
To my knowledge, there are no clinical trials using sodium restriction as the main treatment to prevent kidney stone recurrence, though one trial from Italy found that reducing sodium intake from 5,244 mg to 1,564 g per day decreased urinary calcium and oxalate (39).
Iron Absorption
Theoretically, oxalate should be able to bind to plant iron, especially when iron is in the ferrous (Fe2+) state and prevent its absorption. There has not been much research. A 2008 study from Switzerland examined iron absorption from bread in meals containing spinach or kale with a whopping amount of 1,260 mg of added oxalate. They concluded that oxalate does not inhibit iron absorption (29).
Oxalate Content of Foods
The amount of oxalate in foods is hard to pin down. In a 2007 review of oxalate in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Massey reports that the part of the plant (stem vs. leaf, bran vs. endosperm), genetic differences between plant cultivars, soil conditions, and time of year harvested can account for differences in oxalate amounts (30). Massey noted that "[T]he differences in oxalate content of the final food due to modification of cultivation conditions are usually quite modest compared to the oxalate differences in cultivars. Therefore, breeding of commercially viable low oxalate cultivars seems a more promising approach to reducing oxalate in foods."
As described in the section on Soluble vs. Insoluble, the cooking method can also make a big difference in foods with a high content of soluble oxalate (which might be the only type that is absorbed at a significant rate in most people). Boiling or steaming and discarding the water can reduce the amount of oxala


text:
Projects per year
The increasing complexity of power systems has warranted the development of geographically distributed real-time simulations (GD-RTS). However, the wide scale adoption of GD-RTS remains a challenge owing to the (i) limitations of state-ofthe- A rt interfaces in reproducing faster dynamics and transients, (ii) lack of an approach to ensure a successful implementation within geographically separated research infrastructures (RIs) and (iii) lack of established evidence of its appropriateness for smart grid applications. To address the limitations in reproduction of faster dynamics and transients, this study presents a synchronous reference frame interface for GD-RTS. By means of a comprehensive performance characterisation, the superior performance of the proposed interface in terms of accuracy (reduced error on average by 60% and faster settling times) and computational complexity has been established. This study further derives the transfer function models for GD-RTS with interface characteristics for analytical stability analysis that ensure stable implementations avoiding the risks associated with multiple RI implementations. Finally, to establish confidence in the proposed interface and to investigate GD-RTS applicability for real-world applications, a GD-RTS implementation between two RIs at the University of Strathclyde is realised to demonstrate inertial support within transmission network model of the Great Britain power system.
- geographically distributed real-time simulations (GD-RTS)
- interface characteristics
- power systems
- smart power grids
- transfer functions
- transmission networks
- 1 Citations
- 1 Article
Real-time coupling of geographically distributed research infrastructures: taxonomy, overview and real-world smart grid applicationsSyed, M. H., Guillo-Sansano, E., Wang, Y., Vogel, S., Palensky, P., Burt, G. M., Xu, Y., Monti, A. & Hovsapian, R., 22 Oct 2020, (E-pub ahead of print) In: IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-reviewOpen AccessFile


text:
DiffPDF is used to compare two PDF files—textually or visually, is developed by Mark Summerfield, he said "In theory DiffPDF could be built on Windows, but I haven't managed to do it, so no Windows executable is available. The problem is that I don't know how to build the Poppler library on Windows (apparently it isn't easy!)." and I did some effort to compile to on windows. As I know it works on Windows XP and Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows).
DiffPDF can compare two PDF files. It offers two comparison modes: Text and Appearance.
By default the comparison is of the text on each pair of pages, but comparing the appearance of pages is also supported (for example, if a diagram is changed or if a paragraph is reformatted). It is also possible to compare particular pages or page ranges. For example, if there are two versions of a PDF file, one with pages 1-12 and the other with pages 1-13 because of an extra page having been added as page 4, they can be compared by specifying two page ranges, 1-12 for the first and 1-3, 5-13 for the second. This will make DiffPDF compare pages in the pairs (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 5), (5, 6), and so on, to (12, 13).
A couple of example PDF files are provided (boson1.pdf and boson2.pdf) so that you can try it out. PDF files can be loaded from the GUI (by pressing the File #1 and File #2 buttons), or by specifying them on the command line. I use the tool regularly to compare different versions of my books (which are typically 500 or more pages), e.g., comparing a first printing with a second printing, to make sure that only the pages I intended to change have actually been changed.
DiffPDF is licensed under the GNU General Public License v 2 open source license. To build it you will need a modern C++ compiler, the Qt 4 libraries (at least Qt 4.4; 4.6 or later recommended), and the Poppler library—all these should be available as standard packages on most Linux and BSD systems.
The source is diffpdf-1.8.0.tar.gz(40K). Building follows the standard pattern for Qt 4 applications and is explained in the README. Fedora, Debian, and Ubuntu users don't have to build it manually, they can simply install the binary
diffpdfpackage using their prefered package management tool—but make sure you get at least version 1.8.0!
- Source Code: diffpdf-2.1.2.tar.gz( 85K; SHA1: b01a2bfecf8dd2f04d0a799483e9b6e99adba317)
Source Code: diffpdf-2.1.1.tar.gz( 85K; SHA1: 70cb8746f777eebb7982313b6fdd6c9965a10638 ) Source Code: diffpdf-2.0.0.tar.gz(50K) Source Code: diffpdf-1.9.2.tar.gz(50K) Source Code: diffpdf-1.8.0.tar.gz(40K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.7.0.tar.gz (36K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.6.1.tar.gz (33K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.6.0.tar.gz (31K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.5.1.tar.gz (31K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.5.0.tar.gz (31K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.1.4.tar.gz (26K). Source Code:diffpdf-1.1.5.tar.gz (26K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.2.0.tar.gz (26K) Source Code:diffpdf-1.2.2.tar.gz (26K)
- Win32 static version, DiffPDF-2.1.2-win32-static.zip(4.9M).
Win32 static version, DiffPDF-2.1.1-win32-static.zip(5.9M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-2.0.0-win32-static.zip(5.8M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.9.2-win32-static.zip(5.8M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.8.0-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.7.0-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.6.1-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.6.0-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.5.1-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.5.0-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.2.2-win32-static.zip(4.7M). Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.2.0-win32-static.zip(4.7M),only one file diffpdf.exe, no more library, much smaller. Win32 static version, DiffPDF-1.1.5-win32-static.zip(4.7M),only one file diffpdf.exe, no more library, much smaller.
- If you like Portab Apps, you can download from Diffpdf Portable.
Windows binary, diffpdf-1.1.4-win32.zip(8.26M), it is a portable app.
It is open source software, but any donation is welcome.
- Minor GUI bug fixes.
- Minor translation fixes.
- Updated copyright year.
- Tiny bug fix to make sure that the help file is in the right language.
- Dragging and and dropping files from Windows Explorer, Thunar, etc., now works (at least for me, on Windows 7 and Xubuntu).
- Updated Czech translation from Pavel Fric.
- French translation from Pierre-Alain Bandinelli.
- German translation (and many suggestions) from Rainer Krachten.
- Translations should "just work"; i.e., if you use a French locale then the user interface and help text should appear in French. However, you can force DiffPDF to use any language it supports by using the –language command line option (e.g., –language=fr). If an unsupported locale or –language option is used, DiffPDF will fall back to English.
- Now support -h as a synonym for –help.
- Initial path defaults to home directory instead of DiffPDF's installation directory.
- Improved the Options dialog's layout.
- A subtle bugfix to the –words command line option.
- Fixed a crash: clicking to set a margin when there're no PDFs loaded now safely does nothing.
- Can now have comparisons exclude text that's outside user-specified margins. This feature was sponsored by a company that prefers to remain anonymous.
- Save As can now save images as well as PDFs.
- Minor bug fixes and improvements.
- Command line help (–help) will no longer work on Windows. This is to avoid a spurious console window appearing. I've put the output in the online help though.
- Improved dock window handling so that docks can now be stacked on top of each other (useful for small screens).
- Added missing step to the README.
- Save As now preserves the aspect ratio. Bug reported by Rainer Krachten.
- Added Czech translation provided by Pavel Fric.
- Will now use the default locale's language for standard dialogs (e.g., for the file dialog).
- Dragging & dropping one or two files onto the filename line edits or onto the file viewer panels is now supported. Independently suggested by Liviu Andronic and Rory Gordon.
- Show Zones checkbox is always visible (it was only visible with –debug in earlier versions).
- DiffPDF now starts up with its initial comparison mode being whatever comparison mode was in force when it was shut down (or Words mode the first time it is run).
- Improved About box with more version info + contributors.
- Added –help command line option.
- Introduced zoning: this can be slow in Characters mode but can provide better accuracy in text modes.
- Improved Character mode to be as liberal about hyphens as Words mode.
- Minor doc changes that I forgot for 1.7.0.
- Minor GUI bug fixes and changes.
- Minor under the hood efficiency improvements.
- Renamed Text mode to Words mode. This mode is best for alphabetic text (e.g., English).
- Added Characters mode. This mode is best for logographic text (e.g., Chinese and Japanese). This was suggested by Paul Howarth.
- Very minor cosmetic changes.
- Save button is now only enabled if there are changes.
- An improved help window with slightly more information.
- Subtle bugfix that caused inaccurate highlight positioning in rare cases.
- In addition to Appearance comparisons using highlighting, they can now
also some composition modes to help make subtle differences more
visible. (This was inspired by feedback by Florian Heiderich.)
- Can now control the square size for appearance comparisons. Using very
small squares can help reveal tiny Appearance differences.
-


/NumPy 1.17
HermiteE.mapparms(self) [source]
Return the mapping parameters.
The returned values define a linear map off + scl*x that is applied to the input arguments before the series is evaluated. The map depends on the domain and window; if the current domain is equal to the window the resulting map is the identity. If the coefficients of the series instance are to be used by themselves outside this class, then the linear function must be substituted for the x in the standard representation of the base polynomials.
off, scl : float or complex
The mapping function is defined by off + scl*x.
If the current domain is the interval [l1, r1] and the window is [l2, r2], then the linear mapping function L is defined by the equations:
L(l1) = l2
L(r1) = r2
© 2005–2019 NumPy Developers
Licensed under the 3-clause BSD License.


text:
Recently, a question has been bugging me, I'm sure a lot of you have noticed this too, but the train tracks on a bridge are always doubled up, like this:
|Note the rails are doubled instead of single.|
So, my natural reaction was writing a blog post about it.. And here we are, talking about trains
After some research, two possible answers came up, both are extremely interesting and.. I think both are true!
The uses of guard rails (check rails):
1. Double tracks reinforce sleepers (railroad ties) and prevent them from moving in and out of place:
Sleepers/ties are defined as rectangular supports placed under and perpendicular to the rails. sleepers function to transfer the weight of the train to the rockbed below and also to hold the rails in place and at the correct gauge.
|The middle stuff are the sleepers/ties|
That being said, the main rails hold the sleepers in place and the sleepers give support to the train passing by. But on a bridge, the expansion of the bridge occurs at different rates than the track it self, thus a system is designed so that the railroad tracks are semi-free to move.
That leaves the question of supporting the sleepers/ties. Since ties transfer mass onto the ballast (rocks underneath the railroad), they're essential.
These ties on bridges are supported by a second layer of rails, thus the double rail we see on bridges.
That was a very satisfying explanation, but I remembered seeing double tracks on sharp turns too..
2. Double railroad tracks hold the train in place during turns and reduces centrifugal force of the turn
Centrifugal force represents the effects of inertia associated with turning and which are experienced as an outward force away from the center of rotation. thus the likelihood for our train to flip onto its side..
|Why does this ALWAYS happen to CN rail?|
The double rails help minimize this tendency to swing outwards in a turn by contacting both sides of the inner wheel if the wheel lifts off the track because of centrifugal force.
Its essentially the lifeline of the train in the case it makes the turn way too fast.
In summary, guard rails secure the railroad ties in place on a bridge and also prevent derailment by adding support for the inner wheels of the train.
|Note how the wheels almost clip on to the outside and inside of the tracks.|


text:
Pediatric Psychologists address a wide range of developmental, behavioral, growthand illness-related issues affecting children, adolescents and their families.
The Division of Pediatric Psychology at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital is comprised of psychologists who use evidence-based assessments and interventions to maximize the health and well-being of children, adolescents and their families.
Our team provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for children and adolescents (and their families) who are facing challenges with their adjustment to a medical condition or its clinical management.
Our outpatient clinical services include:
- Behavioral assessment, treatment and prevention services for children and adolescents with acute and chronic health conditions
- Assistance improving adherence to medical regimens, including medications, nutrition, exercise and other treatments
- Support developing medical coping skills and adjusting to medical diagnoses
- Behavioral treatment and biofeedback for pain conditions
- Behavioral treatment for childhood feeding problems, including picky eating
- Self-management skills and preparation for the transition from pediatric to adult-centered medical care
- Evaluation and treatment of depression, anxiety or behavioral disorders in children and adolescents with acute and chronic medical conditions
In addition to individual and family-based outpatient services, we also work within specialized medical teams across all areas of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital to maximize the overall health and well-being of children and their families using principles of behavioral science.
Our faculty serve as integral team members within a number of multidisciplinary clinics such as the University of Michigan's specialized pediatric programs in:
- weight management
- cystic fibrosis
- sickle cell disease
- sleep disorders
- elimination disorders
- disorders (or differences) of sex development
Our faculty are engaged in innovative and collaborative research designed to advance knowledge of the interplay between physical development, behavior and health. Current research activities are exploring eating/feeding behavior, obesity, sleep disorders, integrative behavioral health, adherence to chronic illness treatment regimens, transition from pediatric to adult centered care, medical decision-making, and health-related quality of life
Make an appointment
To learn more or make an appointment with a pediatric psychologist at U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, call _PHONE_.


Research / Visualizing Constituent Behaviors within Executions
Visualizing Constituent Behaviors within Executions
Palepu, Vijay Krishna and Jones, James, "Visualizing Constituent Behaviors within Executions," , 2013 1st IEEE International Working Conference on Software Visualization (VISSOFT), pp.1-4, 27-28 September 2013. [paper] [vimeo]
The Brain In this New Ideas and Emerging Results paper, we present a novel visualization, THE BRAIN, that reveals clusters of source code that co-execute to produce behavioral features of the program throughout and within executions. We created a clustered visualization of source-code that is informed by dynamic control flow of multiple executions; each cluster represents commonly interacting logic that composes software features. In addition, we render individual executions atop the clustered multiple-execution visualization as user-controlled animations to reveal characteristics of specific executions—these animations may provide exemplars for the clustered features and provide chronology for those behavioral features, or they may reveal anomalous behaviors that do not fit with the overall operational profile of most executions. Both the clustered multiple-execution view and the animated individual-execution view provide insights for the constituent behaviors within executions that compose behaviors of whole executions. Inspired by neural imaging of human brains of people who were subjected to various external stimuli, we designed and implemented THE BRAIN to reveal program activity during execution. The result has revealed the principal behaviors of execution, and those behaviors were revealed to be (in some cases) cohesive, modular source-code structures and (in other cases) cross-cutting, emergent behaviors that involve multiple modules. In this paper, we describe THE BRAIN and envisage the uses to which it can be put, and we provide two example usage scenarios to demonstrate its utility.


text:
Analytics and in-stream information with particle size for flotation plant optimisation.
This project is about using ultrasonic techniques to measure particle sizes in mineral processing streams using a novel flow-through measurement unit and in-line detection of slurry characteristics and particle size distribution. Mineral processing depends significantly on particle size in almost all methods of separation and concentration. In the heart of mineral processing, flotation recovery depends on the particles' size (optimally between 10 and 50 microns) and the liberation of the particles (i.e., each particle is solely one mineral). Also, the particle size, and thus the available surface area, critically influences the leaching rate in material for hydrometallurgical extraction. Furthermore, downstream of the process, effective treatment of tailings depends on the size of the waste particles. Small particles in the tailing stream are less likely to undergo rapid settling and require more flocking agents to improve sedimentation or filterability.
The sensing platform designed in this project will be integrated with the pulp chemistry monitor system – MagoPulp developed by Magotteaux – to give combined size/pulp chemistry information, which will be used as a means of advanced process control to optimise the flotation.


A bill before the Indiana House is an accident waiting to happen... Literally.
Anyone who drives a vehicle has sat frustrated waiting for a red light to change. For motorcyclists and other riders of two-wheel vehicles, the wait can be even more frustrating.
That's because many traffic signals change when a weight sensor is activated, the motorcycles and scooters don't have enough weight to trip the sensor and change the light.
The legislation which has been introduced by Rep. Mike Karickhoff authorizes the operator of a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, motor scooter or bicycle to proceed through the red light if they wait 120 seconds. The law requires the operators to yield the right-of-way to other traffic and use caution when proceeding through an intersection.
The bill has been assigned to the Roads and Transportation Committee of the Indiana House.
Anyone see a problem here?
As one would expect, motorcycle proponents support the legislation. They argue that it is frustrating to sit waiting for a light to change when nobody is around. But car drivers experience the same frustration.
Here are some of our concerns:
- If an accident were to happen would the state prosecute the other driver?
- Could a police agency legally charge a rider with disobeying a traffic signal if an accident were to occur - even if the rider waited two minutes?
- If the driver of a car proceeds through a red light after waiting two minutes, would the driver receive a citation?
Steve Luce, executive director of the Indiana Sheriffs' Association agreed that the new law would be difficult to enforce.
"This would be difficult to enforce and very hard to decide when a violation occurs," Luce told the Associated Press. "We do recognize there are many who use bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles as a means of their transportation."
We know most motorcycle riders are responsible and would respect the law. But we fear that for some riders that 120 second would become 90 seconds, then 60 second and eventually little more than a rolling stop... after all, nobody would be around to see it, right?


text:
De-Mystifying Bubble Tea
The tea beverage known as "bubble tea" has its roots in Taiwan. Who invented this variety of tea and when are still up for debate. But this beverage is said to have been invented by Mrs. Liu Han-Chieh of the Chun Shui Tang tea business in Taichung, Taiwan. 1 In any event, this beverage is becoming more and more well-liked all over the globe.
A foundation of tea is frequently used to make bubble tea. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea, commonly referred to as blue tea, are common types of tea. The beverages are then flavored with milk or fruit (i.e. mango, lychee, grapefruit, etc.). Then, for example, add-ins like pearls, aloe vera, chia seeds, or egg pudding are added. The beverage is also referred to as tapioca tea and pearl tea.
What Are the Bubbles?
Tapioca flour, water, and brown sugar are used to create the bubbles (starch). In contrast to wheat flour, tapioca is made entirely of starch. It is a refined starch produced from the starchy root of the cassava plant, much to malanga. It is challenging because of this. Large quantities of sticky glucose make up the starch particles (a kind of sugar). These particles will scatter and float when mixed with cold water.
The moment you add anything spicy, the true magic begins. The starch granules will expand and degrade in a warm atmosphere. A sticky, water-retentive material will result from smaller pieces. The term for this procedure is starch gelatinization (similar to the process of making gelatin).
Types of Bubble Tea
Although there are many different kinds of bubble teas, we decided to simplify things by breaking them down. The most traditional are listed below:
- Zhen zhunai cha, or milk bubble tea: This is a milk tea, sometimes referred to as "bubble tea" in the West. Originally, this sort of milk tea was distinguished from others by the size of the tapioca balls. The majority of bubble tea establishments utilize pearls, which are 1/4″ tapioca balls. 4 This bubble tea with milk uses black tea as its tea basis. If you're wondering "Is bubble tea Halal or Haram?" you'll find that this particular flavor, aka the original is definitely halal!
- Bubble Green Tea: This drink is similar to the one above but uses green tea as its foundation.
- Green or black tea prepared in a bubble: Tea makers will first produce the drinks without adding any sugar, but as they are making them, they will add syrup to sweeten the tea.
The Basic of Bubble Tea
Black, green, or oolong tea are the most common teas used to make bubble tea. Another favorite is green tea, especially jasmine green tea, which has a more energizing flowery flavor for the warmer months. Nowadays, matcha (powdered green tea) is frequently substituted for green tea.
Another well-liked beverage among those who enjoy bubble tea is oolong tea. Bubble tea has a strong flavor because this kind of tea has a deeper, more bitter flavor.
Other varieties of bubble tea have been produced as its popularity has increased. Some locations exclude tea and instead opt to make the beverage into a juice. Even slushies are made in bubble tea businesses with the recognisable bubbles added.
High Sugar Content
Despite the fact that many of us adore bubble tea, it is quite sugary. According to several studies, the high sugar content of bubble milk tea is to blame for Asians' high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. 5 Frequently, tapioca pearls are merely starch that has been dusted with sugar. High fructose corn syrup and other sweet fruit concentrates are present in the beverage itself. 6 A 473 ml cup of milk-and-bubble-tea can contain up to 38 g of total sugar and 263 kcal of calories. 7 The amount of sugar is equivalent to that in a can of soda.
However, you can always reduce the sugar content of the drinks (I typically request half a sugar cube) and limit your intake of pearls. Aloe vera and grass jelly are two alternatives with less sugar. Simply altering one's purchasing habits, such as selecting products with less sugar or avoiding foods with the highest sugar content, can have a significant impact.
Make Your Own Bubble Tea
Ingredients (serves 4) –
- Black tea
- Milk (any kind)
For the tapioca pearls:
- 140g tapioca flour or starch
- 1 tbsp of defatted cocoa
- 60g brown sugar
- 80g water
- 1/4 glass of water
- 80g brown sugar
- Combine 140g of tapioca flour and 1 tablespoon of chocolate in a bowl (for darker color). Put this dish aside.
- Next, add 1/2 cup of the flour and cocoa mixture that we just created to a saucepan along with 60g of brown sugar, roughly 80mL of water, and 1/2 cup. Stir well, heat the saucepan over medium heat, and wait for the mixture to thicken while continuously stirring.
- Add the remaining flour and cocoa mixture that you had set aside once it has somewhat thickened. Once a fairly dense mass has formed in the pot and can no longer be mixed much further, stir it well.
- At this point, roll out the dough as though you were making bread or pizza dough by placing it on the counter or a small table.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces once it has been well compressed, and use each piece to form a long churro with a diameter of about 1 cm. Cut each churro you have into pieces that are approximately half a centimeter long.
- Giving each of these tiny pieces a round shape is one of the most tedious (or relaxing, depending on how you look at it) steps of this recipe.
- If you've chosen to make balls, add a little more tapioca flour on top once you've finished making them so the tapioca pearls are more viscous and absorb more sauce.
- Cook the tapioca balls in a large amount of boiling water for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pot from the heat, cover it with a lid, and allow the pearls to cool for about 30 minutes. After that, run cold water over the pearls to halt the frying.
- 80g of brown sugar and 1/4 glass of water should be added to a saucepan. As you can see, whisk this constantly over medium-high heat until it somewhat thickens.
- The tapioca pearls should be added to the sauce once it has thickened and should be thoroughly mixed in.
- Simply prepare some tea now by following the directions for the type of tea you want to use (I used English tea bags because I like the taste of it). You can taste-test adding sugar to the tea if you like sweeter beverages.
- To build the bubble tea, layer the tapioca pearls, ice, milk (cow or vegetable), and tea in a glass from bottom to top. This will make the bubble tea seem much more aesthetically pleasing when served.