DiCaprio Helps Launch Clean Water Campaign
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (search) helped environmentalists launch an international campaign to draw attention to the billion people worldwide who don't have access to clean water.
"We are here to help raise awareness about what is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today," said DiCaprio Tuesday, speaking on World Water Day (search) at the Clift Hotel with Global Green USA President Matt Petersen.
DiCaprio, who earned a best-actor nomination this year for playing Howard Hughes in "The Aviator," signed a petition that calls on President Bush and other government leaders to commit to a legally binding United Nations treaty declaring clean water as a basic human right.
DiCaprio screened a short film he helped produce that highlights the need to conserve the world's limited supply of fresh water and provide greater access to it for more than 1.2 billion people.
The film, called "Water Planet," will be distributed starting next month on the Internet, at film festivals and to television stations and schools to educate the public about what DiCaprio calls the "growing global water crisis."
About 2.5 billion people worldwide lack water sanitation services, and five million people die from waterborne diseases each year, according to Global Green USA (search).


Engineering
How to Calculate and Solve for Glide Shear | Fracture Mechanics
Last Updated on March 8, 2021
The image above represents glide shear.
To compute for glide shear, two essential parameters are needed and these parameters are Stacking Fault Energy (γ) and Varying Grain Constant (M').
The formula for calculating glide shear:
E = γ / M'
Where:
E = Glide Shear
γ = Stacking Fault Energy
M' = Varying Grain Constant
Let's solve an example;
Find the glide shear when the stacking fault energy is 18 and the varying grain constant is 2.
This implies that;
γ = Stacking Fault Energy = 18
M' = Varying Grain Constant = 2
E = γ / M'
E = 18 / 2
E = 9
Therefore, the glide shear is 9 Pa.
Calculating the Stacking Fault Energy when the Glide Shear and the Varying Grain Constant is Given.
γ = E x M'
Where;
γ = Stacking Fault Energy
E = Glide Shear
M' = Varying Grain Constant
Let's solve an example;
Find the stacking fault energy when the glide shear is 14 and the varying grain constant is 8.
This implies that;
E = Glide Shear = 14
M' = Varying Grain Constant = 8
γ = E x M'
γ = 14 x 8
γ = 112
Therefore, the stacking fault energy is 112.
Calculating the Varying Grain Constant when the Glide Shear and the Stacking Fault Energy is Given.
M' = γ / E
Where;
M' = Varying Grain Constant
E = Glide Shear
γ = Stacking Fault Energy
Let's solve an example;
Find the varying grain constant when the glide shear is 10 and the stacking fault energy is 40.
This implies that;
E = Glide Shear = 10
γ = Stacking Fault Energy = 40
M' = γ / E
M' = 40 / 10
M' = 4
Therefore, the varying grain constant is 4.
Nickzom Calculator – The Calculator Encyclopedia is capable of calculating the glide shear.
To get the answer and workings of the glide shear using the Nickzom Calculator – The Calculator Encyclopedia. First, you need to obtain the app.
You can get this app via any of these means:
Web – _URL_
To get access to the professional version via web, you need to register and subscribe for NGN 2,000 per annum to have utter access to all functionalities.
You can also try the demo version via _URL_
Android (Paid) – _URL_
Android (Free) – _URL_
Apple (Paid) – _URL_
Once, you have obtained the calculator encyclopedia app, proceed to the Calculator Map, then click on Materials and Metallurgical under Engineering.
Now, Click on Fracture Mechanics under Materials and Metallurgical
Now, Click on Glide Shear under Fracture Mechanics
The screenshot below displays the page or activity to enter your values, to get the answer for the glide shear according to the respective parameters which is the Stacking Fault Energy (γ) and Varying Grain Constant (M').
Now, enter the value appropriately and accordingly for the parameter as required by the Stacking Fault Energy (γ) is 18 and Varying Grain Constant (M') is 2.
Finally, Click on Calculate
As you can see from the screenshot above, Nickzom Calculator– The Calculator Encyclopedia solves for the glide shear and presents the formula, workings and steps too.
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What Are the 3 Types of Leaf Arrangements?
-•• Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
One of the most important steps when learning how to identifying trees and plants is understanding phyllotaxy, or the arrangement of the leaves around the stem. The purpose of these arrangements are often to optimize exposure to the sun. Most plants fall into one of three main leaf arrangements which are easy to distinguish from each other.
Alternate (Spiral)
In an alternate or spiral leaf arrangement, only a single leaf is attached to a particle node on a stem. These types of plants have leaves spread up the stem in a spiral pattern, forming an invisible helix. A plant with an alternate arrangement consistently has a symmetrical pattern with the exact same number of leaves for each turn around the plant's limb. Ivy is one example of a species with an alternative leaf arrangement.
A plant with pairs of leaves attached at each node opposite to each other has an opposite leaf arrangement. This leaf arrangement has two types, decussate and distichous. If the pairs of leaves are rotated 90 degrees as they advance up the stem, the opposite leaf arrangement is considered descussate. Alternately, if the pairs are not rotated, they are called distichous. Plant species with opposite leaf arrangement include maples, periwinkle, most viburnums and chestnut.
Whorled leaf arrangements are identified by three or more leaves attached at a single node. Like opposite leaf arrangements, whorled plants can be decussate if there is a rotation in the leaves as they progress along the twig. Examples of this arrangement can be seen in the catalpa and sweet woodruff.
Other Leaf Arrangements
Although less common than the alternate, opposite and whorled leaf arrangements, there are several other leaf arrangements that happen in nature. Basal is one, characterized by a circular distribution of leaves around the base of the plant, as seen in dandelions. In another, equitant, leaves overlap. This is standard in some iris species.
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 - Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images


text:
New plan for growing public transport needs
Monday, 20 February 2012 8:30 a.m.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has adopted a new Regional Public Transport Plan for a growing demand in the region.
The Strategy, Policy and Planning Committee heard that Bay of Plenty urban bus services had grown in recent years, with patronage in Rotorua and Tauranga growing by 16 percent annually between 2004 and 2011. On-going improvements would be required to maintain growth, increase the number of people using public transport and achieve economic development goals.
Several issues had affected public transport, including withdrawal of funding for school bus services creating peak time congestion, levels of available funding which risked diminishing the value of previous investment, planning for access and mobility needs of small and isolated communities, combined with volatile fuel prices and an ageing population which would increase demand for accessible travel, Regional Transport Committee Chairman Doug Owens said.
"The Bay has two quite different requirements for public transport. On the one hand, in Tauranga and Rotorua there is a high demand for public transport from workers and students. On the other hand, our rural areas are at an increasing risk of living in isolation. The new Public Transport Plan aims to address these two issues in quite different ways," Councillor Owens said.
The Regional Council is responsible for planning, managing and providing financial assistance for public transport services in the region. The Regional Public Transport Plan specifies how it will give effect to public transport components of the Regional Land Transport Strategy and contribute to achieving an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system in an efficient and effective manner.
It enables the Regional Council to contract public transport services, impose controls on commercial services and provide financial assistance to operators or users of a taxi or shuttle services.
It replaces the Council's 2006 public transport plan, identifying targeted services, including Total Mobility services, and describes the levels of service for public transport that people can expect in different parts of the region, identifying priorities for future investment in public transport and what funding is required.
It includes initiatives to improve efficiency, increase frequency and expand coverage in Tauranga and Rotorua, implementation of real-time information, integrated ticketing and bus priority measures as well as considering more flexible demand-responsive services outside the main urban networks.
The review, begun in 2010, has included consultation with community groups and stakeholders from the transport sector, research and analysis of the commercial transport sector, national and international approaches to fare structures and service frequency triggers. The Council has also worked with nearby regional councils and local councils, and heard 36 public submissions.
The submissions indicated a level of satisfaction and support for the direction of the Plan, with minor details to be highlighted or changed.
For further media information please contact Garry Maloney, Transport Policy Manager on 0800 884 880 or Linda Thompson, Senior Communications Advisor, on direct dial 0800 884 881 ext 8149 or (021) 923 339.

source: m-a-p/FineFineWeb


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Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court
Tribunal Metropolitano del Condado de Bernalillo
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The Probation Division is responsible for supervising defendants on both post and pre adjudicated status.
Metro Court's Probation Division supervises a broad range of misdemeanor and felony cases including DWIs and domestic violence cases under the jurisdiction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. The court's probation officers have the responsibility of ensuring court compliance, and promote positive changes in the lives of the defendants they supervise through supervision and intervention strategies. Additionally, the probation officers are charged with the responsibility of monitoring restitution, treatment compliance, drug and alcohol screenings, preparing pre-sentence reports, appearing in court and making recommendations on sentencing, preparing for probation violation hearings, and working closely with officers in specialty court programs to ensure appropriate transfers are made when a defendant is either being referred to or from one unit to another.
The Specialty Courts Division utilizes a number of different strategies to support community safety, reduce recidivism, and guide participants to a more successful future. Each specialty court program team works to identify the causative factors related to the participant's entry into the criminal justice system and provide a multidisciplinary approach to provide the participant with essential tools for a successful outcome. Each program outlines clear requirements, obtainable goals, structure, incentives, and immediate consequences for violations. Additionally, the specialty court programs utilize therapeutic interventions, judicial interaction/oversight, drug and alcohol screenings, and face-to-face contact with specialty court probation officers to promote consistency and support to the participants. Defendants who meet the program requirements and agree to participate will have earned adjudication incentives, and an improved understanding of how to live healthier lives.
General information: _PHONE_.
Andres Garcia
Chief Probation Officer
Lissa Lowe
Specialty Courts Division Director


text:
CULTURAL AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY SATELLITE ACCOUNTS
Australian National Accounts: Cultural and Creative Activity Satellite Accounts, Experimental, 2008-09 (cat. no. 5271.0) was published on 10 February 2014. This publication presents experimental measures of the economic contribution of cultural and creative activity in Australia, within the context of a satellite account linked to the Australian System of National Accounts.
In 2008-09, cultural and creative activity is estimated to have contributed $86.0 billion (6.9%) to Australia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a national accounts basis. Cultural activity is estimated to have contributed $50.1 billion (4.0%) to GDP, while creative activity contributed $78.3 billion (6.3%). The industries and occupations common to these two segments accounted for $42.4 billion (3.4%) - this common activity is counted only once in the combined account for cultural and creative activity.
The publication was made possible with investment funding by the federal and state and territory governments through the Cultural Ministers' Statistics Working Group. The ability to produce the satellite accounts for future reference years will depend on the availability of investment funds from stakeholders, as well as the continued availability of the various input data needed to construct the accounts.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Improvising in the Style of Anton Chekhov
Thursday, 7:00 – 10:00 PM
October 20, 2016
Bayfront Theater, San Francisco
Schedule: 1 session
Class dates: October 20
Class length: 3 hours
Class size: 10 students maximum
Prerequisite: Completed Foundation 3 or above
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is one of the fathers of modern drama, and had a profound influence on the great playwrights of the 20th century, including Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and David Mamet, and the dialog in Quentin Tarantino's films closely reflects Chekhov's style.
His focus on subtext paved the way for Stanislavski's naturalistic acting style, and only Shakespeare outranks Chekhov in terms of movie adaptations of their work. Even contemporary TV shows like "Downton Abbey" draw heavily from Chekhov's world and style.
Chekhov's plays focused on Russian aristocracy as it began to crumble in the late 19th century. Amateurs play Chekhov with a lethargic heaviness, but Chekhov insisted his plays were comedies.
We'll explore how to improvise Chekhovian scenes – his characters, their world, and his writing style – in the way he insisted they should be player. And we'll work on how we can expand these skills into improvising contemporary works by the writers who were influence by him.
Recommended viewing/reading before class:
Anton Chekhov's The Duel (2010)
Three Sisters (1970 – with Anthony Hopkins) – _URL_
The Cherry Orchard (any edition/translation)


Quick Answer: How Do You Delete A Message On Facebook Messenger After 10 Minutes?
How do you delete Facebook messages on both sides after 10 minutes?
Step 1- Go to the Facebook conversation you would like to delete from both sides after 10 minutes.
Step 2- Click on the Action gear icon & choose option Report Spam or Abuse from the pop-up menu that appears..
Why can't I remove a message for everyone on messenger after 10 minutes?
For up to 10 minutes after a message is sent, users will soon have the option to delete that message from the conversation. To do this, users need only to tap the message once and select "Remove for Everyone."
How can you tell if someone has deleted your message on messenger?
Does deleting a message on messenger delete it for the other person?
Using "delete" in the messenger deletes the message in your version of the thread but not the recipient's. So deleting a message or conversation from your inbox won't delete it from your friend's inbox. It isn't possible to delete sent or received messages from a friend's inbox.
Q: How to delete shared photos on Messenger permanently from both sides? A: Tap and hold the photo you want to delete. Now, click on "Remove" and then, click on "Remove for Everyone" and finally, confirm the deletion. You'll the message with the thread, stating "You removed messages" on the bottom of your screen.
When someone blocks you on Messenger only, you will still see them on your list but can't send them messages or view their last seen or online status. However, you must note that this doesn't only happen when a user blocks you. You will also not be able to interact with them if they deactivate their Facebook account.
How do you delete Messenger chats from everyone?
Does the other person know when you delete a conversation on Facebook?
How do you delete Imessages on both sides?
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touchIn a message conversation, touch and hold the message bubble or attachment that you want to delete.Tap More.Tap Trash, then tap Delete Message. If you want to delete all messages in the thread tap Delete All, in the upper-left corner. Then tap Delete Conversation.Aug 19, 2020
Why can't I delete my messages on messenger?
Apparently, you cannot delete one message from new Facebook Messages. You can only delete the entire correspondence with a given person. Since the messages are grouped by friend, you would have to delete all your correspondence.
Can a blocked person see old messages?
Can blocked Facebook users see old messages?
Why delete for everyone option is not coming?
Time Limit for Deleting WhatsApp Messages You can unsend messages within an hour of sending them only. After that, you will not see the Delete for everyone option. So, if it's missing when you press the delete icon, you might be trying to delete it after an hour of sending a message.
How do you delete Facebook messages on both sides after a long time?
Will Blocking someone on Facebook delete messages?
How do I permanently delete messages from messenger?
To delete a conversation in Facebook Messenger using the app, hold down your finger on the conversation and then tap "Delete." Confirm you want to delete the conversation to delete it permanently.
What happens when you Unsend a message on messenger?
If you selecting 'Unsend', Facebook Messenger will replace your message with a notice that says the message was unsent by you and it will have a 'Removed at [timestamp]'. … If you want to remove a message just for yourself, select "Remove for You" (others will still see your message with this option).
How do I permanently delete photos from Messenger?
To delete a message or photo:Open the conversation.Hover over the message or photo you want to delete.Click More.Click Remove > Remove.
Does deleting Facebook delete everything?


text:
Polonia, this jester is pleased as punch to tell you, that you can now celebrate Columbus Day as well as Pulaski Day, so get out there in September with the Italians and celebrate with pride our newest Pole, Christopher Columbus! Portuguese historian Manuel Rosa has spent the better part of two decades studying the Columbus myth and has now reached a new conclusion, that everything we thought we knew about Columbus was wrong.
First book up on the background articles:
- AOLBook: Columbus Was Son of Polish King
- London Daily Mail: Christopher Columbowicz
Apparently Columbus's grandfather was the founder of the Jagiellonian Line of Polish Kings. And his father was Wladislaw III. Wladislaw III was thought to have died at the Battle of Varna in 1444. Luckily for America he survived, found absolution in Palestine for his wrongs, and settled in Portugal, where the Portuguese King gave him land on the island of Madeira, and he married Portuguese aristocracy and had two sons (one of which was Columbus).
Now this story makes sense of why Columbus had access to no less than four royal lines who he could approach and propose such a venture of discovering a new path to the Orient (uh America, ummm, the Caribbean Islands). A Book is coming and National Geographic is also interested in the story. Manuel Rosa is now seeking access to DNA to prove his theory. In the mean time, lets see some Polish flags next September at the Columbus Day Holiday Parades and reclaim our prodigal son from the Italians. This will be a nice entre into October (Polish History Month, Pulaski Day celebrations) giving Polonia two months of pride. Also drink some Madiera wines. It appears we can thank our Polish son for this wine appearing in the Americas — a nice red wine. This also adds to the credibility that Columbus was born on the Island of Madiera (a Portuguese territory at the time) and not in Genoa.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Task 1 (Table) – Changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000
Describe the information in the table and make comparisons where appropriate.
Write at least 150 words.
Average distance in miles travelled per person per year
Model Answer 1:
The line graph delineates how the vehicle preferences of British changed over the time by comparing the average distance an English travelled using different modes of carriers in 1985 and 2000. Overall, cars were British citizen's primary mode of transportation and taxi was the least used mode of travel for them.
As the data suggests, an English travelled more than 6400 miles on an average in a year which was almost 36% higher than the distance an average Brit travelled in 1985. Car use predominated this total travel as more than 4800 miles out of 6400 in 2000 were crossed using automobiles and a similar trend was seen in 1985. Use of personal cars in truth increased over the time, as the data outlines. Reliance on buses was higher than train and bicycle use and despite an average 255 miles walking by a Brit in 1985, it decreased after 15 years.
Taxi was perhaps the least preferred mode of commuting as only 13 miles were travelled by a British using it in 1985 which, despite an increase in 2000, was ignorable. Train travel hiked in 2000 while distance travelled by British in local buses dropped. All other transportations contributed to 585 miles of travel by a Brit in 2000, an increase than that of 1985.
Model Answer 2:
The table data outlines transportation preference by British commuters between 1985 and 2000. As is obvious, cars were the most common means of travelling in the two mentioned years in the UK.
Interestingly, British did not use taxi quite often back in 1985 – only 13 miles per year was cut by every citizen which made the taxi the least common mode of transportation this year. However, this number increased to 42 miles per person in 2000. On the other hand, bicycles were one of the least used vehicles in 2000 covering only 41 passenger miles. It is clear that cars were still on top of preference among commuters, increasing from 3199 miles in 1985 to 4806 miles in 2000. Walking habits remained almost the same by British while the use of local bus declined. Each passenger travelled around 250 miles per year in trains and that rose to over 350 after 15 years.
In summary, the overall distance travelled by an English citizen went up from 4740 to 6475 miles in 15 years and the car was the primary means of transportation for them.
[Author – Malaa]
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What are the differences between types of shackles?
Shackles are artificial in a spacious variety of types, styles, sizes, and fabrications, and with so many different privileges available, decide the right cumber for the thrust can be flustering.

Anchor shackle/bow shackle vs.chain shackle/D-shackle
Bow shackles and anchor shackles are terms that are often used interchangeably, as both names refer to a shackle with a larger, rounded "O" shape look. However, a bow shackle typically has a larger, more defined bow area than an anchor shackle. The rounded design of anchor shackles and bow shackles allow them to take loads from many directions without developing significant side load. The larger loop shape of an anchor shackle or bow shackle does reduce its overall strength, but it is also able to handle a larger strap.

Chain shackles are also known as D-shackles. Both refer to the "D" shape design. A d-shackle is narrower than a bow or anchor shackle and generally have a threaded pin or pin close. The smaller loop is designed to take high loads primarily in line. Side and racking loads may twist or bend a D or chain shackle.

Both types of shackles are generally always available in galvanized metal and stainless steel, and all come with different pin options as well.

Stainless steel vs. galvanized
Both stainless steel and galvanized metal offer excellent protection from rust and corrosion, making either a good choice.
In general, galvanized shackles are ideal for industrial applications where moisture is not a major issue. Galvanized steel has a thin coating of zinc oxide to protect the steel from elements that lead to corrosion and oxidation. Galvanized is also a great value as it tends to be less expensive than stainless steel, but still maintains the shackle's strength and durability.
Stainless steel shackles are more corrosive-resistant and, are therefore ideal for marine applications. Our stainless steel shackles are made of type 316 stainless steel, which is considered "marine grade." Type 316 marine grade stainless steel contains molybdenum, which makes it resistant to ocean water mist or spray, so it's especially useful in extreme conditions or moisture or in a high chloride environment. Type 316 stainless D shackle equipment is ideal for sailing and yacht rigging uses.

Snap shackles
A snap shackle is designed with a spring-activated mechanism so it can be used quickly and with one hand. These are excellent for jobs where speed is important, or when it needs to be repeated connected/disconnected. Because they generally have lower working load limits than comparable bolt type or pin type shackles, snap shackles are not recommended for heavy-duty applications. We offer four main types, all in Type 316 stainless steel: Swivel Eye, Swivel Jaw, Fixed Snap, and Rope Snap.

Pin options
The pin that locks a shackle can be a deciding factor on which will work best for your job. Pin styles range include loose pins, captive pins, round pins, screw pins, and bolt type pins. Screw pin shackles are popular because they offer a pin that is easy to connect and disconnect. Captive pin shackles offer a pin that cannot be removed from the bow of the shackle which is essential in various marine applications. Captive pins are also particularly popular for marine uses because they can't be accidentally dropped in the water. Bolt type shackles secure with a bolt/nut/cotter pin combination and are popular for more heavy duty securement.
Shanghai Metal Corporation is a trusted aluminum alloyaluminum foil pricestainless steel price and stainless steel manufacturer, kinds of stainless steel in china.


text:
An infomercial is a form of television commercial, which generally includes a phone number or website. Most often used as a form of direct response television (DRTV), long-form infomercials are typically 28:30 or 58:30 minutes in length. Infomercials are also known as paid programming (or teleshopping in Europe). This phenomenon started in the United States, where infomercials were typically shown overnight (usually 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.), outside of peak prime time hours for commercial broadcasters. Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of signing off. By 2009, most infomercial spending in the U.S. occurs during the early morning, daytime and evening hours. Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures. The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion.
While the term "infomercial" was originally applied only to television advertising, it is now sometimes used to refer to any presentation (often on video) which presents a significant amount of information in an actual, or perceived, attempt to promote a point of view. When used this way, the term may be meant to carry an implication that the party making the communication is exaggerating truths or hiding important facts. Often, it is unclear whether the actual presentation fits this definition because the term is used in an attempt to discredit the presentation. Hence, political speeches or conventions may be derogatorily referred to as "infomercials" for a specific point of view.


column names map to object properties. It was Marlena's idea to keep those things together, and so we came up with a class called DataNamesAttribute that looks like this:
[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property)]
public class DataNamesAttribute : Attribute
{
 protected List<string> _valueNames { get; set; }
 public List<string> ValueNames
 {
 get
 {
 return _valueNames;
 }
 set
 {
 _valueNames = value;
 }
 }
 public DataNamesAttribute()
 {
 _valueNames = new List<string>();
 }
 public DataNamesAttribute(params string[] valueNames)
 {
 _valueNames = valueNames.ToList();
 }
}
This attribute can then be used (in fact, can only be used, due to the AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property) declaration) on properties of other classes. Let's say we're going to map to a Person class. We would use DataNamesAttribute like so:
public class Person
{
 [DataNames("first_name", "firstName")]
 public string FirstName { get; set; }
 [DataNames("last_name", "lastName")]
 public string LastName { get; set; }
 [DataNames("dob", "dateOfBirth")]
 public DateTime DateOfBirth { get; set; }
 [DataNames("job_title", "jobTitle")]
 public string JobTitle { get; set; }
 [DataNames("taken_name", "nickName")]
 public string TakenName { get; set; }
 [DataNames("is_american", "isAmerican")]
 public bool IsAmerican { get; set; }
}
Now that we know where the data needs to end up, let's start mapping out the mapper (heh).
Reflection
Our mapper class will be a generic class so that we can map from DataTable or DataRow objects to any kind of object. We'll need two methods to get different kinds of data:
public class DataNamesMapper<TEntity> where TEntity : class, new()
{
 public TEntity Map(DataRow row) { ... }
 public IEnumerable<TEntity> Map(DataTable table) { ... }
}
Let's start with the Map(DataRow row) method. We need to do three things:
 1. Figure out what columns exist in this row.
 2. Determine if the TEntity we are mapping to has any properties with the same name as any of the columns (aka the Data Names) AND
 3. Map the value from the DataRow to the TEntity.
Here's how we do this, using just a bit of reflection:
public TEntity Map(DataRow row)
{
 //Step 1 - Get the Column Names
 var columnNames = row.Table.Columns
 .Cast<DataColumn>()
 .Select(x => x.ColumnName)
 .ToList();
 //Step 2 - Get the Property Data Names
 var properties = (typeof(TEntity)).GetProperties()
 .Where(x => x.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DataNamesAttribute), true).Any())
 .ToList();
 //Step 3 - Map the data
 TEntity entity = new TEntity();
 foreach (var prop in properties)
 {
 PropertyMapHelper.Map(typeof(TEntity), row, prop, entity);
 }
 return entity;
}
Of course, we also need to handle the other method, the one where we can get a collection of TEntity:
public IEnumerable<TEntity> Map(DataTable table)
{
 //Step 1 - Get the Column Names
 var columnNames = table.Columns.Cast<DataColumn>().Select(x => x.ColumnName).ToList();
 //Step 2 - Get the Property Data Names
 var properties = (typeof(TEntity)).GetProperties()
 .Where(x => x.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(DataNamesAttribute), true).Any())
 .ToList();

 //Step 3 - Map the data
 List<TEntity> entities = new List<TEntity>();
 foreach (DataRow row in table.Rows)
 {
 TEntity entity = new TEntity();
 foreach (var prop in properties)
 {
 PropertyMapHelper.Map(typeof(TEntity), row, prop, entity);
 }
 entities.Add(entity);
 }
 return entities;
}
You might be wondering just what the heck the PropertyMapHelper class is. If you are, you might also be about to regret it.
Dig a Little Deeper
The PropertyMapHelper, as suggested by the name, maps values to different primitive types (int, string, DateTime, etc.). Here's that Map() method we saw earlier:
public static void Map(Type type, DataRow row, PropertyInfo prop, object entity)
{
 List<string> columnNames = AttributeHelper.GetDataNames(type, prop.Name);
 foreach (var columnName in columnNames)
 {
 if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(columnName)
 && row.Table.Columns.Contains(columnName))
 {
 var propertyValue = row[columnName];
 if (propertyValue != DBNull.Value)
 {
 ParsePrimitive(prop, entity, row[columnName]);
 break;
 }
 }
 }
}
There are two pieces in this method that we haven't defined yet: the AttributeHelper class and the ParsePrimitive() method. AttributeHelper is a rather simple class that merely gets the list of column names from the DataNamesAttribute:
public static List<string> GetDataNames(Type type, string propertyName)
{
 var property = type
 .GetProperty(propertyName)
 .GetCustomAttributes(false)
 .Where(x => x.GetType().Name == "DataNamesAttribute")
 .FirstOrDefault();

 if (property != null)
 {
 return ((DataNamesAttribute)property).ValueNames;
 }
 return new List<string>();
}
The other we need to define in ParsePrimitive(), which as its name suggests will parse the values into primitive types. Essentially what this class does is assign a value to a passed-in property reference (represented by the PropertyInfo class). I'm not going to post the full code on this post (you can see it over on GitHub), so here's a snippet of what this method does:
private static void ParsePrimitive(PropertyInfo prop, object entity, object value)
{
 if (prop.PropertyType == typeof(string))
 {
 prop.SetValue(entity, value.ToString().Trim(), null);
 }
 else if (prop.PropertyType == typeof(int)
 || prop.PropertyType == typeof(int?))
 {
 if (value == null)
 {
 prop.SetValue(entity, null, null);
 }
 else
 {
 prop.SetValue(entity, int.Parse(value.ToString()), null);
 }
 }
 ...
}
That's the bottom of the rabbit hole, as it were. Now, we can use the DataSet objects we created earlier and our mapping system to see if we can map this data correctly.
Two Worlds
Here's a quick program that can test our new mapping system:
class Program
{
 static void Main(string[] args)
 {
 var priestsDataSet = DataSetGenerator.Priests();
 DataNamesMapper<Person> mapper = new DataNamesMapper<Person>();
 List<Person> persons = mapper.Map(priestsDataSet.Tables[0]).ToList();
 var ranchersDataSet = DataSetGenerator.Ranchers();
 persons.AddRange(mapper.Map(ranchersDataSet.Tables[0]));
 foreach (var person in persons)
 {
 Console.WriteLine("First Name: " + person.FirstName
 + ", Last Name: " + person.LastName
 + ", Date of Birth: "
 + person.DateOfBirth.ToShortDateString()
 + ", Job Title: " + person.JobTitle
 + ", Nickname: " + person.TakenName
 + ", Is American: " + person.IsAmerican);
 }
 Console.ReadLine();
 }
}
When we run this app (which you can do too), we will get the following output:
Mapping DataTables and DataRows to Objects in C# and .NET
Which is exactly what we want!
(I mean, really, did you expect me to blog about something


text:
Cost accounting-Cost Vile Profit Analysis (CVP) including contribution margin income statement & forecasting with CVP
Cost Volume Profit Analysis (CVP) – Managerial Accounting
What you'll learn
- How to use Cost Volume Profit Analysis (CVP)
- Managerial accounting and cost accounting concepts
- How to categorize costs by behavior
- How to prepare a contribution margin income statement
- How to calculate contribution margin, unit contribution margin, & contribution margin ratio
- How to calculate the break even point and the margin of safety
- How to forecast using CVP
- How to calculate operating leverage
Managerial and cost accounting topics of cost volume profit analysis (CVP).
We will review managerial accounting concepts and the difference between managerial accounting and cost accounting.
The course will start out introducing our primary CVP tool, a contribution margin income statement. The contribution margin income statement will give us an idea of where we are going as we then zoom into more detail going forward, focusing on the nuances of each step in the process.
We will discuss the concept of mixed costs, why they are a problem, and different methods for dealing with them including a high low method and scatter diagram method.
The course will explain the brea-keven point in units and revenue, one of the foundational concepts of cost volume profit analysis (CVP), and one many other concepts are built from.
We will discuss forecasting using cost volume profit analysis (CVP). Projections into the future are one of the significant benefits that CVP provides.
The course will cover techniques to apply CVP analysis when there are multiple inventory products.
We will also discuss the concept of operating leverage, how it is calculated, and why it is useful.
The course will talk about assumptions that cost volume profit analysis makes and limitations to CVP analysis.
We will also work a comprehensive problem using Excel and step by step instructional videos.
The course will have many Excel worksheets to help us review topics. Excel worksheets generally include three tabs. One tab will have the completed problem so we can see the result. Another tab will have a preformatted worksheet where we can fill in the problem. The last tab will have a blank worksheet where we can build our own tables if we choose.
Who this course is for:
- Accounting students
- Business owners
- Anyone who whats


text:
DEA efficiency prediction based on IG–SVM
- 84 Downloads
The traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is widely used for efficiency evaluation of decision making unit composed of past or current input–output data in production system. We propose a new efficiency prediction model which for the first time combines information granulation (IG) and support vector machine (SVM) with DEA model, to evaluate the future efficiency of decision making unit in this paper. The model first uses fuzzy information granulation to granulate the input–output data over time series and then describe the characteristics of the data within each time window by the minimum, average and maximum values and establish the IG–SVM model based on the fuzzy information granulation and support vector machine. After training by time series data, the optimal model of regression is built. Based on this model, the minimum, average and maximum values of the next window in the future are predicted, and finally the future efficiency of the decision making unit can be calculated by the DEA model. Case studies show the feasibility and applicability of the proposed method.
KeywordsSupport vector machine Information granulation Data envelopment analysis Efficiency prediction
The authors acknowledge the support of the project "the research on supply-side structural reform of manufacture enterprise under Internet + background (16BGL015)" funded by National Social science foundation of China and the project of "Research on Shaanxi Provincial science and technology innovation efficiency, mode and approach (2016D040)" funded by Shaanxi Social science foundation.
Compliance with ethical standards
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
- 2.Li G, Shen X, Wang Y, Zhuang W (1999) DEA efficiency prediction by neural networks. Prediction 5:64–66Google Scholar
- 10.Yulong LI, Zhongfu LI (2011) Combined DEA and neural network for predicting investment validity of infrastructure on China. Oper Res Manag Sci 20(6):88–98Google Scholar
- 12.Poitier K, Cho S (2011) Estimation of true efficient frontier of organizational performance using data envelopment analysis and support vector machine learning. Int J Inf Decis Sci 3(2):148–172Google Scholar
- 15.Zadeh LA (1979) Fuzzy sets and information granulation. North-Holland Publishing Company, AmsterdamGoogle Scholar
- 16.Peng Y, Chen YQ (2013) Time series regression and prediction based on information granulation and SVM. Comput Syst Appl 22(5):163–206Google Scholar
- 20.Dingcheng W, Tingjiang F, Yi T, Yongjun M (2003) Review of support vector machines regression on theory and control. Pattern Recogn Artif Intell 16(2):192–197Google Scholar
- 22.Gao Chunneng, Zhang Biao, Ji Zhicheng (2015) Study of adaptive dynamic search PSO based SVM parameter optimization. J Syst Simul 27(12):2958–2964Google Scholar
- 23.Zhi Su, Xiaoyuan Fu (2013) Kernel principal component genetic algorithm and improved SVR stock selection model. Stat Res 30(5):54–62Google Scholar
- 24.Baichuan Lu, Li Xiaolu, Guo Guilin, Huang Lili (2017) Fluctuation analysis on road traffic state based on fuzzy information granulation and support vector machine. J Chongqing Jiaotong Univ Nat Sci 36(7):83–89Google Scholar
- 25.Wang Xiaochuan, Shi Feng, Lei Yu, Li Yang (2013) MATLAB neural network analysis of 43 cases. BeiHang University Press, BeijingGoogle Scholar
- 26.Li Y, Zhang J, Cao Y, Zhang L (2017) Forecasting of aero-engine performance trend based on fuzzy information granulation and optimized SVM. J Aerosp Power 32(12):3022–3030Google Scholar
- 27.Zhang W, Gao M, Hong F, Yixin L (2018) Energy cost modeling for circulating fluidized bed boiler mix-burning coal slime based on BP-SVM and fuzzy information granulation. Proc CSEE 38(4):1093–1100Google Scholar


text:
A timber tunnel shaped like a snake - with a bulge to suggest an ingested mouse - provides perfect conditions for growing lilies on a farm in the Western Cape of South Africa.
The snake-like Puff Adder structure at Babylonstoren Farm, designed by French architect Patrice Taravella and engineer Terry de Waal, is made from balau wood strips on steel frames and winds along a stream surrounded by olive and eucalyptus trees.
The slats reduce direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate, creating an ideal environment for native South African clivia lilies, which flower in spring.
The tunnel features a bulge nicknamed 'the mouse', a visual pun suggesting what the snake might have eaten for lunch.
Photographs are by Alain Proust.
Here's some more information from the designers:
A shaded walk was recently created on Babylonstoren farm for a collection of clivias. These famous indigenous lilies of South Africa flower during Spring which starts in September. The walk meanders next to a stream emanating in the Simonsberg and slithers through wild olives and eucalyptus trees.
The structure of balau slats on steel frames eliminates about 40% of sunlight but allows a free flow of air: ideal for clivias. The bulge in the structure is known as "the mouse", as it resembles a rodent in the belly of a snake. The structure was designed by Patrice Taravella and engineered by Terry de Waal.
Babylonstoren garden is situated in the Cape Winelands and is open to the public. The clivia collection edges a huge formal vegetable and fruit garden which supplies the farm hotel and Babel restaurant with fresh produce daily.


share the android_app and ALooper data structures. ptrace also requires a child process.
Redefining fopen locally would work for C fopen, but not for C++ cout.
Pre-extracting assets requires additional disk space to store the files, but is the more reasonable solution.
Accessing assetsEdit
Developers have been struggling to access resources easily in the NDK:
 - Android API : you can call the Android Java functions through JNI, but getting a file descriptor requires using unofficial functions and only work on uncompressed files; using Java buffer operations instead is quite tedious C/C++
 - libzip : you can easily access the .apk with libzip, though you need to integrate the library in your build system
 - NDK API : in Android 2.3/Gingerbread/API android-9 at last, there is an NDK api to access resources
Let's use the NDK API. It is not transparent for the developer either (no fopen/cout replacement) but is reasonably easy to use.
What's a bit more tricky is to grab the AssetManager from Java/JNI in our native activity.
Note: we'll use the slightly simplified C++ syntax for JNI (not the C syntax).
First, our native activity works in its own thread, so we need care when retrieving the JNI handle in android_main:
 JNIEnv* env = state_param->activity->env;
 JavaVM* vm = state_param->activity->vm;
 vm->AttachCurrentThread(&env, NULL);
Then let's get a handle on our calling NativeActivity instance:
 jclass activityClass = env->GetObjectClass(state_param->activity->clazz);
We also need to decide where to extract the files. We'll use the application's standard cache directory:
 // Get path to cache dir (/data/data/org.wikibooks.OpenGL/cache)
 jmethodID getCacheDir = env->GetMethodID(activityClass, "getCacheDir", "()Ljava/io/File;");
 jobject file = env->CallObjectMethod(state_param->activity->clazz, getCacheDir);
 jclass fileClass = env->FindClass("java/io/File");
 jmethodID getAbsolutePath = env->GetMethodID(fileClass, "getAbsolutePath", "()Ljava/lang/String;");
 jstring jpath = (jstring)env->CallObjectMethod(file, getAbsolutePath);
 const char* app_dir = env->GetStringUTFChars(jpath, NULL);
 // chdir in the application cache directory
 LOGI("app_dir: %s", app_dir);
 chdir(app_dir);
 env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(jpath, app_dir);
We now can get the NativeActivity AssetManager:
#include <android/asset_manager.h>
 jobject assetManager = state_param->activity->assetManager;
 AAssetManager* mgr = AAssetManager_fromJava(env, assetManager);
The actual extraction is simple: browse all files and copy them on disk one by one:
 AAssetDir* assetDir = AAssetManager_openDir(mgr, "");
 const char* filename = (const char*)NULL;
 while ((filename = AAssetDir_getNextFileName(assetDir)) != NULL) {
 AAsset* asset = AAssetManager_open(mgr, filename, AASSET_MODE_STREAMING);
 char buf[BUFSIZ];
 int nb_read = 0;
 FILE* out = fopen(filename, "w");
 while ((nb_read = AAsset_read(asset, buf, BUFSIZ)) > 0)
 fwrite(buf, nb_read, 1, out);
 fclose(out);
 AAsset_close(asset);
 }
 AAssetDir_close(assetDir);
Now, all files can be accessed using plain fopen/cout by the application.
This technique is adapted to our tutorials, but probably not for bigger applications. In this case, you could either:
 - request write privilege on the SD card and extract files there (that's what the SDL Android port does),
 - use a wrapper around your file accesses that uses the AssetManager on Android (beware that it's read-only access)
OrientationEdit
By setting:
 <activity ...
 android:screenOrientation="portrait"
Your application only works in portrait mode, independently of the device orientation or shape. This is not recommended but this may be useful for some games.
To handle orientation more efficiently, you theoretically need to check for onSurfaceChanged events. The onSurfaceChanged_native handler in android_app_NativeActivity.cpp wrapper doesn't seem to create a onNativeWindowResized event appropriately on orientation change, so instead we'll just monitor it regularly:
/* glutMainLoop */
 int32_t lastWidth = -1;
 int32_t lastHeight = -1;
 // loop waiting for stuff to do.
 while (1) {
 ...
 int32_t newWidth = ANativeWindow_getWidth(engine.app->window);
 int32_t newHeight = ANativeWindow_getHeight(engine.app->window);
 if (newWidth != lastWidth || newHeight != lastHeight) {
 lastWidth = newWidth;
 lastHeight = newHeight;
 onNativeWindowResized(engine.app->activity, engine.app->window);
 // Process new resize event :)
 continue;
 }
Now we can process the event:
static void onNativeWindowResized(ANativeActivity* activity, ANativeWindow* window) {
 struct android_app* android_app = (struct android_app*)activity->instance;
 LOGI("onNativeWindowResized");
 // Sent an event to the queue so it gets handled in the app thread
 // after other waiting events, rather than asynchronously in the
 // native_app_glue event thread:
 android_app_write_cmd(android_app, APP_CMD_WINDOW_RESIZED);
}
Note: it is possible to process APP_CMD_CONFIG_CHANGED events, but it happens before the screen is resized, so it's too early to get the new screen size.
Android can only detect the new screen size after a buffer swap, so let's abuse another hook to get a resize event:
/* android_main */
 state_param->activity->callbacks->onContentRectChanged = onContentRectChanged;
...
static void onContentRectChanged(ANativeActivity* activity, const ARect* rect) {
 LOGI("onContentRectChanged: l=%d,t=%d,r=%d,b=%d", rect->left, rect->top, rect->right, rect->bottom);
 // Make Android realize the screen size changed, needed when the
 // GLUT app refreshes only on event rather than in loop. Beware
 // that we're not in the GLUT thread here, but in the event one.
 glutPostRedisplay();
}
Input eventsEdit
We reuse engine_handle_input from the native-activity sample.
It's important to return 0 when the event is not directly handled, so that the Android system does it. For instance we usually let Android take care of the Back button.
The NativeActivity framework doesn't seem to send appropriate repeat events: the key is pressed and unpressed at the exact same time, and the repeat count is always 0. Consequently it doesn't seem possible to process arrow keys from Hacker's Keyboard without rewriting part of the framework.
Motion (touchscreen) and keyboard events are handle through the same channel.
The allow users without keyboard to use the arrow keys, we implemented a virtual keypad (VPAD), located in the bottom-left corner, activated on touchscreen. Effort was made to avoid mixing a VPAD event with an existing motion event and vice-versa.
ReferencesEdit
 1. That's the technique used by SDL for Windows's WinMain.
LinksEdit
Source code for


Infrastructure at your Service
Steven Naudet
An Introduction to Pester – Unit Testing and Infrastructure checks in PowerShell
If you never heard of it, Pester is a PowerShell module, written in PowerShell.
It's a framework for writing and running unit tests, integration tests, and also infrastructure checks as we will see in a moment.
Pester is used for example to test PowerShell Core and Pester itself.
In this blog post, I'll do a short introduction to Pester with Installation and basic checks examples.
Pester is shipped by default with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. The version installed is 3.4.
The latest version is available in the PSGallery. It is currently version 5.1.
If you have the 3.4 version installed and would like to update it you will face errors with Update-Module. You need to use the following command to get the latest version:
PS C:\> Install-Module -Name Pester -Force -SkipPublisherCheck
PS C:\> Get-InstalledModule
Version Name Repository Description
5.1.0 Pester PSGallery Pester provides a framework for...
PowerShell function example
I will now show you a very basic Pester test.
Let's say I want to write a Pester test for the following PowerShell function.
This is a very basic function that reverses the string characters. This is the output:
Now that I have a working function I can start to write the Pester test.
Create a Pester Tests file
The Pester function New-Fixture will create a template file for me but you could definitely create it yourself.
By convention, Pester test files should end with "Tests.ps1".
The Tests file has been created.
I already edited the file and wrote the test.
This is what a Pester test looks like:
Pester basics
Pester is very declarative and easy to read.
You can ignore the first 3 rows in the Tests file, they came from the New-Fixture function and just dot sources the function to test into the PowerShell session.
The main commands with Pester are Describe, It, Context, and Should.
Describe is a block that contains tests. You will often have one Describe block for each function you want to test.
Context blocks are like Describe, they contain It blocks. They are optional and are useful to organize your test code.
The It block is the one that actually contains the test. The It block should have an expressive phrase describing the expected test outcome.
Finally, the Should command defines the test condition to be met. If the assertion is not met the test fails and an exception is thrown up. I used the -Be parameter. Many more are available like -BeFalse, -BeGreaterOrEqual, -BeLike, -Contain, etc.
In this example the test is simple. I set the expected value that I should get and I compare it to the actual value returned by the function.
Running Pester Tests
Now let's run the test itself with Invoke-Pester.
Also, running Invoke-Pester without any parameter will run all the "Tests.ps1" files in the current location.
So, everything is green. We can see that one test was performed and it Passed.
Now let's say another developer worked on the Get-ReverseString function and the latest change introduced a bug. Function behavior has changed and the Pester test will now throw a beautiful exception:
What is great is all the details (in red color) we can get when a test fails.
Infrastructure Testing
Pester is often used by sysadmin to do infrastructure testing. Your environment changes frequently and you need to be sure that your infrastructure is aligned with your standard.
Here are a few examples of such tests. The test is done directly inside a Pester code block not using a function like I did previously.
Check that my Windows Server Power Plan is set to High Performance.
Describe "Power Plan" {
 $PowerPlan = (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_PowerPlan -Namespace 'root\cimv2\power' | Where-Object IsActive).ElementName
 It "Should be set to High Performance" {
 $PowerPlan | Should -be "High Performance" -Because "This Power Plan increases performance"
The best practice for SQL Server disks is to have an allocation unit size of 64 KB, here is the check:
Describe "File Allocation Unit Size" {
 $BlockSize = (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Volume | Where-Object DriveLetter -eq $SQLDisk).BlockSize
 It "Should be 64 KB" {
 $BlockSize | Should -Be 65536 -Because "It is recommended to set a File Allocation Unit Size value to 64 KB on partitions where resides SQL Server data or log files"
Here I used the dbatools command Get-DbaErrorLogConfig to get the number of files configured for my ErrorLog. My best practice is to have 30 files instead of 6 by default.
Describe "SQL Server Error Log Files" {
 $errorLogCount = (Get-DbaErrorLogConfig -SqlInstance $SQLInstance).LogCount
 It "Should have Number of Log files set to 30" {
 $errorLogCount | Should -Be 30 -Because "Best practices requires 30 logs files to perform daily recycling"
When all put together the output of the Tests looks like this:
As you can see I can easily validate that my SQL Server infrastructure is configured as expected.
Code Coverage
Code Coverage is the percentage of lines of code that is tested by unit tests.
It's an indicator of how thoroughly your code has been tested. Having 100% coverage doesn't mean that the code is bug-free, it just indicates that all your code is being executed during the test.
If I add some code to my Get-ReverseString.ps1 file, the -CodeCoverage functionality will tell me exactly what is not covered by tests:
This blog post was just to get you started on learning Pester. There are a lot more possibilities with Pester. I might cover some more advanced usages a future post like the TestDrive or Mocking.
Here are some resources I'd recommend:
You can find all the code from this blog post on GitHub.
Leave a Reply
Steven Naudet
Steven Naudet


As you know, the cryptocurrency rate always changes. The same happens to the rate of collateral you pledged to get a loan. If collateral is insufficient or exceeds the necessary amount, you will get a notification. But you can actually increase your collateral on at any time.
Step 1.
Log in to your account and tap "My Account."
Tap "Wallet."
Choose "Deposit."
Currently, there are 3 cryptocurrencies accepted as collateral currencies ꟷ BTC, EMC and USDT. Choose any to your preference. The system will automatically generate a corresponding wallet address for collateral (upon your choice ꟷ BTC, EMC or USDT), copy it and transfer funds from your personal crypto wallet to the provided wallet address.
Step 2.
Actually, made borrowing simpler and accessible. Now you can deposit collateral while reviewing Loan Requests placed by qualified lenders. Simply tap "Deposit Collateral."
In the rest of the cases, you are able to deposit collateral while applying for a loan.
Pledging collateral does not take long and you will get your loan in due time.


text:
Brick Wall Builder:
Brick Wall Builder is a scripted plugin created using 3ds max MCG and as the name tells it creates a various shapes of brick walls with huge amount of flexibility like you can choose multiple kinds of stones and apply a random materials to them in addition to changing the position,rotation and scale uniformly or randomly. It's as simple as just picking the shape and the brick and it will do the rest, and when you are done with distribution you like and thought of changing the shape length do worry also has the ability of maintaining the count and distribution while you are doing so.
The tool is broken into diffirent sections:
-The pick part where you're gonna pick your base shape, bricks and end part.
And you are able to view your bricks and end parts as proxy meshes (which still needs some optimization) in adition to enabling and disabling end parts.
-The General parameters:
I will just heighlight the important stuff here
Strides will allow you to move every other column of bricks up on the Z Axis a brick distance. This will allow you to achieve the normal brick wall shape when you dicrease the gap between the columns.
Z+ will shift your wall orientation either up or down.
Ativating Random Mat IDs will overwrite your mesh setting and give your bricks a random ID numbers from 1 until the Max Mat ID parameter is reached.
The rest of the sections are self explanatory, just a couple of transformation parameters.
Please bear in mind that there is no filtering for the picking part yet so when it say pick a curve do pick a curve and for the bricks part pick a mesh, an one more thing it only supports one welded line and this due to MCG limitation whick I hope it's gonna be fixed in future releases.
-I fixed the straight lines issue (in case your shape was a rectangle with straight angles for example).
-The parameters now in system unit.
-Increased the limits of some spinners.
-Fixed the min and max, so when you put one for min you will get one.
-Be careful if there is no objects in the end part list please do disable the end part check button or else the tool wont update.
-Random scale remapped and goes from 0 to 100 properly now.
-Adjusting the path vertexes on Z axis will mess up the bricks orientation in a weird way, now it's fixed and however you modify it it will stay pointing up.
-The bricks are one unit shifted on z axis when created, it's fixed now.
-Now the tool will preserve your bricks Material IDs and will not overwrite them to (1).
-I removed the proxy feature, it doesn't work as it's suppose to work. Instead you can apply BBox modifier to your brick.
-Since last update Side Shift uses the wrong direction, it's fixed now.
Error message solved : Can't find operator VuTransFormsOnCurve
How to install:
After downloading and unzipping the file go to Scripting menu and choose Install Max Creation Graph. after installing you will find it in command panel creation tab under VFXarabia category.
Requirements: 3ds 2016 Extension1
Direct Download 1.4


steampipe plugin install azure
Table: azure_management_lock - Query Azure Management Locks using SQL
Azure Management Lock is a feature within Microsoft Azure that helps prevent accidental deletion or modification of Azure resources. It allows administrators to apply a 'CanNotDelete' or 'ReadOnly' lock on a subscription, resource group, or resource to protect it from being inadvertently deleted or modified. These locks can be used across various Azure resources, including virtual machines, storage accounts, and more.
Table Usage Guide
The azure_management_lock table provides insights into Management Locks within Microsoft Azure. As an Azure administrator or a DevOps engineer, explore lock-specific details through this table, including their level (CanNotDelete or ReadOnly), scope, and associated resources. Utilize it to uncover information about locks, such as those applied on critical resources, to ensure their accidental deletion or modification is prevented.
Examples
List of resources where the management locks are applied
This example demonstrates how to identify resources that have management locks applied to them within the Azure environment. This could be useful for administrators who need to manage access controls or troubleshoot issues related to locked resources.
select
name,
split_part(id, '/', 8) as resource_type,
split_part(id, '/', 9) as resource_name
from
azure_management_lock;
Error: SQLite does not support split_part function.
Resources and lock levels
Uncover the details of specific Azure resources and their associated lock levels. This can help you assess what resources are locked at what level, aiding in security and access management.
select
name,
split_part(id, '/', 8) as resource_type,
split_part(id, '/', 9) as resource_name,
lock_level
from
azure_management_lock;
Error: SQLite does not support split
or string_to_array functions.
Schema for azure_management_lock
NameTypeOperatorsDescription
_ctxjsonbSteampipe context in JSON form.
akasjsonbArray of globally unique identifier strings (also known as) for the resource.
cloud_environmenttextThe Azure Cloud Environment.
idtextContains ID to identify a lock uniquely.
lock_leveltextThe level of the lock.
nametext=The friendly name that identifies management lock.
notestextContains the notes about the lock.
ownersjsonbA list of owners of the lock.
resource_grouptext=The resource group which holds this resource.
scopetextContains the scope of the lock.
sp_connection_nametext=, !=, ~~, ~~*, !~~, !~~*Steampipe connection name.
sp_ctxjsonbSteampipe context in JSON form.
subscription_idtext=, !=, ~~, ~~*, !~~, !~~*The Azure Subscription ID in which the resource is located.
titletextTitle of the resource.
typetextThe resource type of the lock.
Export
This table is available as a standalone Exporter CLI. Steampipe exporters are stand-alone binaries that allow you to extract data using Steampipe plugins without a database.
You can download the tarball for your platform from the Releases page, but it is simplest to install them with the steampipe_export_installer.sh script:
/bin/sh -c "$(curl -fsSL _URL_ -- azure
You can pass the configuration to the command with the --config argument:
steampipe_export_azure --config '<your_config>' azure_management_lock


text:
WINGS creates opportunities for Guatemalan families to improve their lives by providing them with family planning education and access to reproductive health services. Since 2004, WINGS has trained over 380 youth aged 13-19 as peer educators, who in turn have shared accurate information about sexual health with nearly 56,000 young people.
In 2011, WINGS began to use street theater as part of its youth outreach. Based on this success, it sought a collaboration with ArtCorps to expand and deepen creative methods throughout its Peer Education program. New arts-based tools developed by ArtCorps are enabling young leaders to explain technical concepts, such as the functioning of reproductive organs, and facilitate discussions on sensitive and often taboo topics like gender roles and domestic violence.
ArtCorps will provide Art for Social Action tools that increase knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and foster dialogue among peers and couples.
In a country where 34% of boys and 22% of girls are sexually active by age 15 and reproductive health education is scarce, the outlook seems grim for youth seeking to improve themselves and make healthy choices. How can the youth of Guatemala take control of their health and build better futures for themselves, their families and their communities?
- 250 teens are equipped with knowledge and skills to make healthy relationship and sexual health decisions.
- 250 peer educators gain leadership skills and creative tools to more effectively educate and facilitate dialogue with their peers on reproductive health.
- Through 31 public presentations and theater performances, youth raise awareness about teen health with over 2,200 students and teachers from four schools.
ArtCorps and WINGS are opening young minds by sharing critical knowledge and training youth to take a leadership role in educating their peers about sexual health and healthy relationships.
- Developing Peer Educators: Evelina worked closely with WINGS education staff to train 250 youth from 13 youth groups (selected to be reproductive health peer educators) to express themselves, think critically and share powerful narratives that inspire others.
- Sex Ed Plays: During the year, the peer educators wrote and produced 12 plays about sexual health, gender and domestic violence under Evelina's guidance. These plays were performed in the Sacatepéquez schools, reaching over 2,200 youth and teachers.
- Teen Art Exhibits: Art created by the peer educators to encourage teens to make healthy decisions was displayed in the schools, health clinic and public park.
Evelina Jagminaite is a Lithuanian artist and Renaissance woman, who has studied economics, anthropology and environmental science as well as fine arts and dance. In her work with domestic violence survivors, university students and youth from low-income families, she has found art to be a powerful strategy for behavior change.
"Using creative activities like dance, storytelling and body-mapping helps [participants] to retain new information with greater ease and enjoy the learning process." ~ArtCorps Artist Evelina Jagminaite
Make social change easier for advocates and grassroots organizations.Donate >>


text:
Base64 To Image Converter
About Base64 To Image Converter
Base64 to Image converter is an online tool to convert your Base64 data to Image with the best possible output quickly and easily. You can copy or save the converted Image data.
How to convert Base64 To Image?
- To convert the Base64 to Image enter the Base64 text in the input.
- Click the conversion button to convert Base64 to Image.
- Once the conversion is done you can download the generated Image.


text:
Solve Blocks in Mathad
The Solve Blocks feature can be found in the Math tab within Prime. This allows you to find a solution for variables within a simultaneous system of mathematical requirements, equations constraints. You can also optimize solutions and solve for design variables. Optimization refers to maximizing or minimizing the output of a function and allowing Mathcad to tell us what the input variables to that function should be while satisfying additional requirements at the same time. Solve Blocks also allow you to solve for an object's dimensions.


text:
Tennessee Heritage: Soldiers Monument founders' families' assistance needed10:18 am | October 15, 2012
In our last column, we wrote about the building of our Soldiers Monument in the courthouse square; the question then arose about the identity of the primary people involved in the project.
This led to further research about the monument, and we learned there are inscriptions on the north face of the obelisk. The one highest up on the structure says, "In memory of Mary Patton who made the powder that fought the Kings Mountain battle. Placed by her great-grandson, T.Y. Patton."
Most Carter Countians will remember that Mary McKeehan Patton was an early settler, and according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture:
"Mary McKeehan Patton, pioneer gunpowder manufacturer, was born in England in 1751 and immigrated with her family to Pennsylvania in the late 1760s. McKeehan served an apprenticeship, possibly under her father, David McKeehan, and learned the art of gunpowder making. In 1772 she married John Patton, an Irish immigrant, who served as a private in the Pennsylvania militia early in the American Revolution. The Pattons manufactured gunpowder in the Cumberland County region of Pennsylvania. Following the birth of two children, the couple sold their Carlisle powder mill for cash and migrated to the Overmountain region of North Carolina, now East Tennessee. With the help of family friend Andrew Taylor, they established a mill on what became known as Powder Branch, adjacent to the Taylor homeplace. Patton earned her place in history by providing over five hundred pounds of gunpowder to the 850 Overmountain Men led by Isaac Shelby and William Campbell for the battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War. Essential to the victory over Major Patrick Ferguson's British troops was Patton's gunpowder … On December 15, 1836, Mary Patton died and was buried in Patton-Simmons Cemetery near … [near Milligan College] The family tradition of gunpowder manufacturing continued until after the Civil War, when the powder mill was sold."
She continued to make powder for many years, and furnished it to people as far away as South Carolina, for $1 per pound. During those years, land often sold for 50 cents up to $1 an acre and she tried to acquire new property every time she sold a load of gunpowder. It has been reported that, at the time of her death, she owned more than 3,000 acres of land!
The local chapter of the DAR is named for her, and that organization has published the following information:
"Chapter Name – Its History & Significance: Mary McKeehan Patton (_PHONE_) Gunpowder Maker – Mary Patton was an early settler who came to the area presently in Carter County with her husband, John. She had learned how to make gun powder as an apprentice in England. When Nathaniel Taylor, who had married Mary's cousin, settled in Carter County, he built a powder mill. Here Mary Patton worked making gun powder … The Overmountain Men are justly famed for their rugged strength in marching and their unrelenting courage in fighting and winning the critical battle of Kings Mountain. Yet, without the skill of a woman, their task could never have been completed. On September 24,1780, when the men departed to fight the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain, it was Mary who furnished the vital 500 pounds of gunpowder from her mill. The men planned a surprise attack on the British to prevent the British from coming across the mountains and raiding Watauga and the other settlements. The mountain men defeated the British at Kings Mountain and returned to Watauga to protect their homes and families from the British and the Indians. She continued to make powder for many years, furnishing the necessity to folks living as far away as South Carolina."
When Mary Patton died on Dec. 15, 1836, she was buried on a hillside overlooking the beautiful hills where she had lived for 60 years. The Patton-Simmons Cemetery holds her remains, which lie under a large memorial stone erected by her descendants. The epitaph says: "One of that heroic band who established a civilization in the wilderness. She made the powder used by John Sevier's troops in the Battle of Kings Mountain."
Many years later, when this area was occupied during the Civil War by the Confederate Army, many devices were conceived and resorted to in order to deceive the CSA soldiers and to protect Union men. As related in the History of the TN 13th Volunteer Cavalry: "In what was known as the Patton Settlement, T.Y. Patton dug a square hole in his yard, covered it with puncheons and made a trapdoor to it. Over this he placed brush or branches of trees. Here he concealed refugees for days at a time without any one suspecting their presence." As her great-grandson, one can see why Mr. Patton wanted to dedicate part of the Soldiers Monument to Ms. Mary. If you go there to see the inscription, you will note that is quite high off the ground, probably elevated at 12 to 15 feet.
In the north-facing box immediately below the dedication to Ms. Mary, appears the following inscription: "Built in honor of all soldiers of Carter County in all the wars from the revolution down to this date, 1912. By building committee – D.P. Wilcox, First Lieut., Company H, 2nd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, War 1861; G.W. Emmert, First Lieut. Company H, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry; J.G. Burchfield, Cpl. Company G, 13th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry; E.C. Cass, First Sgt. Spanish-American War and C.R. Hathaway, Cpl. Company D, Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, Spanish-American War."
The early readers of this column may remember that we said state and local history was best presented when covering "Who were these people and why were they doing the things they did?" So, having once learned who the primary movers behind the Soldiers Monument project were, curiosity led us to find out more about them than just their names.
In our next column, we will impart the little knowledge we have gained on these men, but at this point we have exhausted our current research, and we would have a much more interesting column next week if all readers who are related to Messrs. Wilcox, Emmert, Burchfield, Cass and/or Hathaway will furnish us with any information beyond that presented in their military service records, most of which we located. We would like to gather any personal information you may have; even just oral tradition within the family will do! Also, it is especially odd that we have been able to find very little personal information on Mr. Burchfield, as the news and committee reports indicate that he was very active in this effort.
We hope our readers can fill in the missing knowledge about the founders of our century-old Soldiers Monument … Please mail your comments to: Judge Earl R. Hendry, POB 220, Roan Mountain, TN 37687.


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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Origin of ensiform
Words nearby ensiform
Example sentences from the Web for ensiform
The seventh vertebra articulates laterally at the point at which the ensiform process is attached to the corpus of the sternum.Pedagogical Anthropology|Maria Montessori
We have now entered among the typical species, where every form occurs between a round and an ensiform shape.
The manubrium is thickened and drawn inward, the ensiform process protuberant, the sternum often swelled and painful to the touch.
The situation of the localized pain is usually at or a little below the ensiform cartilage.
Gastralgia is more frequent than enteralgia, and the pain is located about the ensiform cartilage.


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Calculate the mass of ice required to lower the temperature of 300 g of water 40°C to water at 0°C.
(Specific latent heat of ice = 336 J/g, the Specific heat capacity of water = 4.2J/g°C)
Let m be the mass of the ice to be added.
Heat energy required to melt to lower the temperature is = mL = m x 336
Heat energy imparted by the water in fall of its temperature from 40°C to
0°C = mass of the water x specific heat capacity x fall in temperature
= 300 x 4.2 x 40°C
If there is no loss of heat,
m x 336 J/g = 300 g x 4.2 J/g°C x 40°C
':. m = (300 xx 4.2 xx 40)/336'
∴ m = 150g


Stephen F. Austin State University
Student Career Advocates
What is a Student Career Advocate?
Student Career Advocates (SCAs) wear many hats. They are, first and foremost, students. But they are also advisors, interview coaches, researchers and resource developers. They are mentors, presenters, program organizers and instructors. They are student leaders. In a nutshell, Student Career Advocates are the initial liaisons between students and the Career Services professional staff, and often the first point of contact when interacting with Career Services. But they are so much more than just that. We set our expectations high for our Student Career Advocates... and they exceed them every day.
So, what do SCAs do?
Why should I apply to be a SCA?
There are many reasons to be a Student Career Advocate; these are just a few:
What does Career Services look for in a potential SCA?
Career Services seeks out the highest of qualities when considering an applicant as a potential Student Career Advocate:
Are there any requirements to become an SCA?


Beachworld FAQ
BEACHWORLD - Bio Spheres
Basic Instructions.
 1- You must give your biosphere natural or artificial light each day to allow the vital
processes to take place. Neon, flourescent lights, ordinary light bulbs or even better,
Bio Spheres - Beachworlds lamps (which can be purchased from either the us selling our products
or through Globus direct) are all okay to use. It is important to ensure the lights do not
make the spheres warm.
There is no scientific formula dictating the exact amount of light per day the Beachworlds
need to remain healthy. If your home is very dark, we suggest five to six hours artificial
light per day. If your home gets plenty of natural daylight then this is probably all the
Beachworld needs. It is important to remember that if the shrimps are very orange/red
and are resting on the coral, walking on the pebbles or swimming around slowly,
whatever you are doing is perfect!
 2- NEVER expose your biosphere to direct sunlight. Placing your biosphere on a
window sill is fine providing it does not get direct sunlight.
 3- For the first month, check your biosphere daily. Ensure your shrimps have an
orange/red hue and are calm. They should be resting on the pebbles or coral. If your
shrimps are almost transparent and are racing around the sphere, this probably indicates
that they are getting too much or too little light. To rectify this problem, place the
biosphere elsewhere within your home until you find the perfect place.
 4- If you have been using artificial light to maintain your Beachworld and are going
away for more than two days, either give it to a friend to care for or use a timer light.
 5- During the summer place your Beachworld in a controlled temperature area
between 13° and 27° C. In extreme conditions place your biosphere in a sink with water
to cool it down. You can also call GLOBUS Customer Service for advice on:
0039 0182 559 495.
 Do not:
 - Place your BW in direct sunlight
 - Shake your BW
 - Place your BW outside
 - Place your BW in a room where the temperature goes above 27° or below 13°.
Light Exposure
Bulb Distance
40 Watt 15 cm.
60 Watt 25 cm.
100 Watt 30 cm.
Neon Distance
Up to 30 Watt 40 cm.
More than 30 Watt 65 cm.
Sunlight Lamp GLOBUS
Distance between 5 and 10 cm.
 Our planet is a closed system in which living organisms thrive: a biosphere
where nothing enters or exists except sunlight. Your BW is a miniature biosphere,
encapsulating the fundamental workings of our own Earth.
 Inside your BW, shrimps are sustained in a marine environment. You do not
have to feed the shrimps or change their water. It's the perfect pet! Nothing enters or
leaves the container, such as food, air, water or waste. The only elements required are
light and heat. The light causes the micro algae to produce the oxygen and food for the
shrimps, which in turn produce carbon dioxide and nutrients for the algae to grow.
 The BW gives us the opportunity to bring the beach indoors! The BW was created
by a space station engineer and two of the original Biosphere2 crew members. The two
Biosphere2 researchers lived and worked for two years inside the large sealed ecosystem
in Arizona without leaving the structure. The glass and steel sealed building covers 3,15
acres and contains several different environments including a rain forrest, savanna,
desert, marsh and ocean. Columbia University manages Biosphere2, where scientists
research the global changes that take place.
 The creators of the BW have completed a ten day space experiment on the U.S. Shuttle
and twice have done a four month experiment on board the Russian Space Station MIR
with sealed closed ecosystems similar to that of the BW.
 The residents of your BW are shrimps that are found only on certain Pacific
Ocean's islands. These shrimps inhabit the inland pools that are found in lava rock. Deep
red layers of algae line the walls of these pools, along with other types of macro algae.
The shrimps does not eat the algae, but rather maintains it, eating the micro algae and
bacteria that grows on the layers of algae. They are literally the gardeners of their
environment, maintaining the balance within the pools, keeping them clean so that the
large algae can thrive.
 In your BW you can see the shrimps grazing and grooming themselves and even
carrying the odd piece of sand! If the shrimps are disturbed they tend to temporarily
loose their bright red colour in an attempt to blend in with their background. Once they
have settled they will return to their original state.
 Unlike their natural habitat, there are no predators in the BW, so the life span of the
shrimps can be extremely long - up to10 years. They usually do not produce offspring in
the BW as they like dark, secluded places in which to breed. The BW are too small to
sustain an increasing number of shrimps, therefore we do not provide a breeding place.
The BW is expected to live 3 years, but they have been known to live for as long as 12
 There is also algae in your BW, in order to help keep the water clean and provide
oxygen for the shrimps.
 Setting up your BeachWorld
 STEP 1: Take the BeachWorld immediately out of its box. Be sure that the
BeachWorld is positioned the right side up. Very gently vibrate your Beachworld to free
any shrimps that might be trapped under the sand during transportation.
 STEP 2: Inspect your BW after you have taken it out of the box. Your BW might
be a little cloudy for the first day or two. This will clear up.
 STEP 3: Place your BW in a location that receives enough light. Never allow
your BW to receive direct sunlight. The room temperature needs to be between 13° and
 STEP 4: Watch your BW closely during the first month to make sure it is in an
appropriate location. Lighting is the primary consideration as long as the temperature
remains within the ranges quoted in Step 3. The BW thrives in natural or fluorescent
light. If there is too much light, algae will grow prolifically on the glass (however the
shrimps will love it!). Whenever you change the location of your BW, check it every few
days for several weeks to make sure that the location is appropriate.
 STEP 5: Fill out your BW's registration card within 30 days and send it along
with proof of purchase to Globus Scientific at the address below.
On receipt of your registration card Globus will send you a guarantee/ replacement
voucher for use in the unlikely event that your Beachworld dies.
 Algae on the glass. A small amount of algae on the glass is good as indicates that
the BW is getting ample light. However, if it becomes unsightly place the BW in an area
that receives slightly less light. The algae often clears up within a few days to a couple of
weeks. If it is very stubborn and does not recede in its new location after couple of weeks
move it to a slightly darker location yet, or use the attached magnet to clean smoothly the
 Milky water. This is a sign of bacteria in the water. if this occurs put the BW in a
well lit location for several days until the water clears up (but not in the direct sunlight).
 Dead shrimps. Over several years the shrimps will die of natural causes. If you
see several dead shrimps within your BW sometime within the first week of your having
the BW this might indicate a problem during transportation. If a shrimp dies and the BW
is crystal clear, there is no algae on the glass or on any of the shells in the sand, then you
probably need to give the BW a little more light. Never shake the BW as this could harm
the shrimps, and even kill them.
Through the process of photosynthesis, the algae provides the shrimps with the oxygen
they need to live.
 Swimming skeletons. Inside the ecosystem you may find small transparent
objects (skeletons) that look like shrimps, but which move rather slowly and irregularly.
These are the discarded skins of the shrimps. The shrimps changing their skin is another
proof of the animals' good state of health.
In the unlikely event that the majority of the shrimps die within one year of the purchase
date, you can return the product to GLOBUS UK for a replacement on condition that it
had not been subjected to modification or misuse and that all the instructions regarding
the care of your Beachworld have been observed. You MUST send the Beachworld
guarantee card to validate your claim.
Your Beachworld will be replaced using the replacement voucher provided the customer
returns the


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Optical Mouse Cancer Warning Hoax
Email warns that radiation emitted by an optical computer mouse can cause cancer and damage hand tissue (Full commentary below
(Submitted July 2007)
Just in case, please be careful.
Subject: Optical mouse can cause cancer
The convinience of using optical mouse eventually coz dangerous side
effect. After Three years from the first launch by microsoft, have been
found thousand of cases - hands tissue coz by mouse radiation.
Optical Mouse works by release Electromagnetic high frequency to the lower
surface under it. This frequency much more higher than the frequency use
As it has been known that human hand and wrist contains lot of important
nerve connected to brain.
According to WHO, the radiation from Optical Mouse is 5 times stonger than
These radiation is even worse for those product with lower quality ( non
branded mouse ), since they use weaker shield to protect customer wrist.
WHO, GreenPeace, and CNN have stopped the usage of Optical mouse in their
Meanwhile Microsoft and IBM have allocate 2 billion of US Dollar, in joint
venture to make a safer pointing device.
Big Hardware Industries in China and Taiwan are trying to hide all fact
related to this things. While in the market, most of optical mouse sold
old were coming from their product.
To avoid this, try to reduce using mouse. learn how to use hot key ( i.e.
Ctrl-V, CTRL-C for paste and copy ) Use back your old model of mouse (
with the tracking ball).
According to this "warning" email, using an optical mouse can have dangerous side effects and cause cancer due to the amount of radiation produced by the devices. The message claims that there have been thousands of cases of hand tissue damage attributed to optical mouse radiation.
However, the claims in the message are fundamentally flawed. Optical mice do not emit radiation that could cause cancer or damage tissue. An optical mouse
has a tiny built-in camera that takes thousands of photographs per second. A red light emitting diode (LED) bounces light off the underlying surface to a sensor that analyzes the images and sends coordinates to the computer. The cursor is moved on the screen based on the coordinates received.
Thus, the core component of an optical mouse is a simple LED
. Nowadays, LEDs are ubiquitous and are used in dozens of electronic devices including indicator lights in household appliances, digital clocks, remote controls, traffic lights, brake lights, television backlighting, Christmas lights, watches and fiber optics. Many of us spend our lives virtually surrounded by these tiny lights. Yet, in spite of the fact that we are exposed to LEDs almost constantly, there is no reliable information whatsoever that suggests that LED "radiation" can cause cancer or tissue damage during normal use. In fact, scientists have discovered that LEDs may actually aid healing
and have other positive health effects.
Of course, LEDs can produce very bright light and ocular discomfort or damage could occur if we stared into the light for too long. Moreover, some reports indicate that blue LEDs like those on the front of many computer systems may have negative health effects, including eye strain, headaches and disturbed sleep. There is also a somewhat convoluted and unproven connection between blue light and cancer. A Texyt article
about blue LEDs notes:
Blue light at night reduces our bodies' melatonin levels, which can disturb sleep – this is generally accepted. What is far less certain [PDF] is a link between low levels of melatonin, a weakened immune system, and cancer.
That said, there is no suggestion that emissions from the blue LED itself can cause cancer. And the LED in an optical mouse is typically red, not blue.
Furthermore, I could find no believable news or consumer reports that claim that optical mouse use can cause cancer, and this is compelling evidence that the claims in the message are false. According to the message, there have been thousands of cases of hand damage caused by "mouse radiation". It is simply absurd to suggest that such serious and widespread health risks would have been totally ignored by the media, consumer groups, and governments. If there were really thousands of substantiated cases, there would certainly be official, and well-publicized, health warnings about the use of optical mice, not to mention the almost inevitable legal actions against the companies that manufacture them. In fact, if the potential health risks were really so great, the devices would have likely been withdrawn from sale completely.
And, for the record, there is no information on the World Health Organization (WHO) website about the strength or danger of optical mouse radiation, nor is there any reports that Greenpeace and CNN have stopped using the devices.
In short, this warning is no more than a ridiculous piece of scare-mongering nonsense. Forwarding it will help nobody and will serve only to spread misinformation.
How do optical mice work?
How Light Emitting Diodes Work
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Blue LEDs: A health hazard?
Does the LED light from an ordinary optical mouse pose a health hazard?
Last updated: 23rd July 2007
First published: 23rd July 2007
Write-up by Brett M. Christensen
Use Left Ear For Mobile Phone Hoax
Cold Water Causes Cancer Warning Message
Cell Phone Charging Danger Warning Email


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What is it about the French language that so prettifies commonplace notions? Devoré fabric refers to velvets that have been dissolved to create transparent patterns. In French, this literally means 'devoured'. More prosaically, in English this fabric is sometimes referred to as 'burnout', which conjures up some rather horrid images.
The process was first created in Europe in the 1920s, and requires velvet that has a blend of cellulose fibre – viscose, cotton, rayon – and a protein-based fibre such as silk. A chemical gel is applied in the desired pattern to the fabric, and the cellulose is dissolved away to leave behind the silk, which appears as a semi-transparent gauze, and thereby creating the pattern.
Devoré was popular during the 1920s unsurprisingly, as it was then invented, and the dresses of the time were so much more inventive with the use of this innovative fabric than the ubiquitous scarves and fringed kimonos of today.


Conditional Sentence Flow Chart
Conditional Sentences Flow Chart
Conditional sentences are hard to create when you are learning English. I created this conditional sentence flow chart to help you decide what conditional to use.
How To Use The Flow Chart
The instructions are as follows:
 - Take an activity like visiting Canada.
 - You ask yourself, "am I talking about a real possible thing?"
 - If the answer is yes, move to the real conditional side.
 - Then ask yourself, "Are you trying to express a past habit?"
 - If yes, then use the past real conditionals. If no, then move down the flow chart to the next question.
 - You continue this process until you have determined which conditional you use.
Here is a video to further explain how to use the flow chart.
Conditional Sentence Flow Chart
Conditional Sentence Flow Chart
The chart displays the following Conditionals:
 - Present Real Conditional
 - Past Real Conditional
 - Future Real Conditional
 - Present Unreal Conditional
 - Past Unreal Conditional
 - Future unreal Conditional
The chart also displays what is the form for each conditional as well as an example, so you know how to use it.
Final Thoughts
The flow chart is a great tool to help you to understand what conditional you want to use. Additional practice is always helpful so if you looking for some good practice for conditionals, you should check out this practice.
Let me know your thoughts.
Published by
Iain Robson


DKM Pairs is a memory game where you need to match pairs of tiles. Playing is very simple - you turn over one tile and then try to find a matching tile. There are 32 levels, each getting progressively harder.
When you click on the first tile of a turn and you have exposed a matching tile in a previous turn, a message tells you that the pair is known. This indicates that you should then be able to make a match (if you have perfect recall). The scoring system incorporates this principle. In some levels, all the tiles are revealed initially for a few seconds. This makes it harder to score a perfect recall as it assumes you remember where each tile is.
You can also play against another human New! or a computer opponent (bot).
Play Now Play Against Human/Bot
Top scores for all levels
Daily Challenge
Play Challenge Log in Join for free
Full Results Today
Full Results Yesterday
Play Individual Levels
Note: The level difficulty settings may not be very accurate at first. As usage statistics are gathered, they will be calibrated to be more precise.
 - Each time you make a successful match you score 20 points.
 - If you fail to match and you should have been able to (a matching tile was previously shown), you score (-5 * number of times match tile has been shown). So if a matching tile has been revealed three times before, you will score -15.
 - At the end of a level, if successful, you score a bonus of the number of seconds remaining. Also, if you have perfect recall, you score a bonus of (5 * number of pairs in the level).


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The Study of Urban Form in Canada
This paper examines contributions to the study of urban form in Canada by French and English researchers working in a variety of disciplines, especially architecture, planning, geography, and history. Instead of discussing contributions purely along traditional linguistic or disciplinary lines, the authors use a novel classification scheme to identify and categorize significant works according to their particular epistemological perspective, before describing noteworthy contributions of various academic disciplines by key authors and research themes. The most significant contributions to the study of urban form in Canada have come from two largely isolated camps: first, architects/planners, mostly from Québec, who examine form as a relatively independent system and work in the tradition of the so-called 'Italian school' of process typology; and secondly, predominantly anglophone urban and historical geographers who deal with built forms and urban morphogenesis as a product of external forces. Recent work suggests that the 'two solitudes' may be coming together.


text:
- Psychology & the public
- What we do
- Member networks
- Careers, education & training
Stormont minister speaks at BPS event
John O'Dowd, minister for education in the Northern Ireland Executive, gave this year's British Psychological Society Northern Ireland Branch Public Lecture in Stanmills earlier week. The lecture took place during the branch's annual general meeting for 2012.
Speaking at the event, Mr O'Dowd said: "I welcome the opportunity to speak directly to practitioners, students and lecturers, to set out my vision for education and stress my commitment to securing improved outcomes for all children.
"My top priority is to create an education service that ensures that all our young people receive a high quality education. Whilst we have much to be proud of in our education system, with many high achieving young people there are also young people who do not reach their full potential and who leave school with little or no qualifications or skills.
"I want to raise standards in all aspects of education and, in doing so, reduce educational underachievement particularly for those young people who face barriers to learning."
The minister continued by saying if his vision for education is to succeed, consideration must be given to what happens outside of school, particularly in the home learning environment:
"Parental involvement and encouragement can have a direct and long-lasting effect on a child's cognitive, social and emotional development. As we understand more about the importance of positive and supportive environments and their impact on brain development we understand more clearly how the first years can shape the rest of a child's life and educational outcomes."
Read more about the work of our Northern Ireland Branch.


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Kids Brush Lettering Calligraphy Kit Gift Box
A wonderfully unique craft kit to inspire your kids.
This beautiful gift box will inspire any youngster to put down their phones and pick up a pen and get crafty.
Everything they need is included in this pretty gift box. This set includes the latest calligraphy must have; a brush pen- and this one has a brush at both ends! This means it can write big or small lettering with the flip of the pen.
Create colourful lettering using the smaller brush included, and pretty background washes with the larger brush. A paint palette and a bottle of ink gives you lots of colour options. With lessons, an alphabet to follow and a practice pad, your children will have huge fun getting creative with brush calligraphy.
The set includes a selection of cards, envelopes, and templates to work over.
Unique brush lesson plans are included, to help budding young calligraphers create beautiful letterforms. Any child can learn the art of calligraphy with the simple step by step guide.
In a nutshell
What is it?
This is a stay at home calligraphy experience gift box. The beautiful gift box of calligraphy tools and resources will be delivered by post to the recipient.
How long will it take?
Spend as long as you want enjoying your calligraphy experience kit.
What you need to know
This kids calligraphy gift box comprises a starter kit of brush calligraphy tools to begin your calligraphy journey.
How much will it cost?
The Kids Brush Lettering Calligraphy Kit Gift Box costs £34 including postage and packing to mainland UK (excluding highlands and islands).
Please allow 3 to 4 days for gift box delivery. Postage and packing to mainland UK (excluding highlands and islands).